It'd been two long weeks of pretending Zuko was dead and fending off Runic's advances. I was happy for Zulma, she was able to break her betrothal with him now, but that didn't prevent him from hitting on me every opportunity he got. It's like he'd forgotten about my royal status, whether Zuko had actually passed or not I would still be a Fire Nation Princess just if he'd died I would no longer have a claim to the throne. Then all the pieces seemed to come together, that was Zhao's plan all along. That's why he pushed the wedding! He wants closer ties to the throne, and he thought I was his best way to do it.
I felt my face curl into a snarl of disgust and wiped my mouth, standing from the dining table. "I'm finished," I announce before rushing off to my room. As I entered the room I let my rage boil over the room growing noticeably warmer, "What happened?" Zuko asked immediately and I scoffed in anger "Zhao, he's been trying to use me this whole time. This whole thing, he pushed our wedding, then the attempted assassination, and now Runic. He's trying to manipulate his way closer to the throne," I tell Zuko infuriatingly.
Zuko scoffs "Makes sense," he tells me, and I shake my head in disbelief. "It's disgusting, and I'm not even out of my mourning black! It's disrespectful, I just-" I was ranting in anger when Zuko wrapped his arms around me tightly. "It's okay," he whispers and I huff, I wasn't fully relieved of my annoyance or disgust but this calmed the brewing storm. "I'm leaving to capture the Avatar tonight," Zuko tells me and I pull back to look into his bronze eyes "Let me get ready," I tell him and his face goes cold.
"Absolutely not," he tells me his voice barely staying in check "Since when do you leave me behind?" I ask in annoyance and he furrows his brow snarling toward the ground. "It's too dangerous, I can't guarantee your safety," he tells me and I bite the inside of my cheek "I can't let you go alone! What if something happens to you? You can't take the Avatar alone," I chastise him and he snarls slightly at me "I have to do this Honna! I can't focus on the Avatar if I'm worrying about you! You're safer with the soldiers and my uncle," he tells me and I turn away from him.
"Fine," I say angry with his decision but I stop him before he opens the door worry flowing through me at the idea of him being alone. I grab the back of his collar pulling him back to me "Don't die," I tell him sternly before crashing my mouth into his, and enjoying him for one small moment before pushing him out of my room.