Book 2, Sequel to "The Concubine's Apprentice"
"Are you done?"
Her blood ran cold as she realized she wasn't alone. She looked up and through the reflection, she saw the source of her suffering, the bane of her existence.
Her mentor.
"Ye...
Chiyo could feel the strong second-hand embarrassment for a fellow performer. "I swear to the spirits..."
"Show you how good I am all night..."
A shiver ran through her spine, and goosebumps erupted on her skin. "Zuko, did you... just...?"
Zuko could accurately guess her reaction by the way the tips of her ears turned red. He grinned triumphantly. "Let's head back inside love. We still have a lot of time before we reach the Capital and I can think of many ways to pass that time with you. If you behave, I might—"
"ZUKO!"
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The moment they stepped foot at the docks of the Capital, Zuko immediately had to leave for the palace to resume his postponed work that had no doubt piled up over the last couple of days. Though reluctant and highly displeased, he acquiesced to Chiyo's request to stay behind for a while, accompanied by several guards and Kaze.
Despite the murderous looks from the Fire Lord, Kaze smiled brightly and eagerly followed Chiyo through the Capital. "It's such an honor having you give me this tour, Lady Chiyo!" He was practically prancing around, aware and unbothered by the awed looks of the locals. "Where do we start?"
"We're not on a tour. I'm taking you to the place where I grew up."
"A field trip it is! Wait a sec." Kaze retrieved a silk handkerchief from his sleeve. "Face this way."
With adept hands, he fashioned the handkerchief into a scarf, tying it comfortably around Chiyo's neck. "What is this for?!" She asked with slight panic.
"Don't tell me you want to go around town flaunting those 'mosquito bites' on your neck." He smirked. "And they have the nerve to call me indecent..."
Soon, they were standing in front of the large wooden doors of the Salinja troupe quarters. Seeing who it was the guards immediately let them in. Chiyo was quite surprised at the almost deserted place, save for a few of the elders knitting and embroidering dresses for the younger entertainers.
