"Is Zuko's Firebending making any progress?"
A sweet aroma drifted around the room, wafting up from the cup of tea Iroh prepared her. Normally, the sweet aroma from one of his teas – or even one Lu Ten used to prepare for her, left her feeling the stress of her day to day life melt away. Azulon never made tea, the task is reserved for the younger members of the family. In the back of her mind, Ursa wondered if Zuko might eventually learn to make tea under the tutelage of General Iroh.
"Hmm..." Iroh cleared his throat while sitting on the cushion, looking down at the pot of tea. "Well, he certainly doesn't think that he's making any progress, although he is." The man held his hands in front of his chest, breathing in deeply. "His breathing has majorly improved because of playing the tsungi horn, which is the first step in improving his fire bending. The next step, working on his coordination, I will be placing into the hands of Piandao."
Ursa's eyes widened slightly upon hearing this, yet found herself somehow sitting up straighter despite the fact she thought she'd already sat up as straight as possible. "Wait? Zuko will be learning to use the sword like Lu Ten? Do you think he'll be skilled like Lu Ten?"
"Eh..." Iroh shrugged his shoulders. "I care not to compare the two."
She felt her heart sink, her eyes drifting down towards her hands. "They're nothing alike?"
"Oh, don't get me wrong. There are definite similarities between the two, but I promised Zuko I wouldn't compare." A sudden smile broke out across the general's face. "But just between the two of us, I'd say both his calligraphy and ability to play the tsunagi horn has surpassed Lu Ten's. Lu Ten would be proud of him. Still, we're not here to discuss my late son, but our dear Zuko. His progress in his studies, I am quite pleased.
She smiled at him, her hands clenching the front of her robes just above her knees slightly. She wanted to say, "I miss him. I miss Lu Ten as well," yet she didn't feel it her place given so many, many things, including the fact Iroh purposefully changed the subject on her. She felt the life in her move ever so slightly, a wave of nausea passing over her – not because of the life growing inside her, but because of the secret, she kept from the man in front of her.
"Oh." Iroh startled, picking up on her reaction. "Are you feeling well, my dear Ursa?"
"Whatever do you mean?" She attempted smiling.
"Oh, my dear. In my old age, it's hard not to miss when a young lady is with child. It's a great joy to let them know how beautiful they are."
Ursa felt the corner of her mouth twitch. "I don't know what's worse. Father finding out and letting it slip accidentally to Zuko – and I'm guessing yourself as well, or you flirting with every pretty female insight."
"I'm old. Allow this old man his indulgences."
"What would Lu Ten say?"
"' Oh, father. How can you be such a major embarrassment to me? I can't believe you're actually flirting with a female young enough to be your daughter. How dare you?'" Iroh spoke in such a serious manner, his mouth twisting into a frown, before breaking into a smile. "And I would respond, 'your mother always loved how much of a ladies man I was' and then encourage him to try and find love of his own."
Heat spread across her cheeks.
"Of course, I never could teach that boy to properly flirt with any female. Zuko will be different."
"I'm sure..." Ursa felt herself choke, remembering quite well a certain someone finding himself quite capable of turning on the charm when the need arose yet also shocked at the idea of her son learning to flirt in the manner Iroh did. "... Lu Ten learned quite enough regarding that matter from you."
Iroh lifted a hand up and lazily waved his hand at her. "I was joking, I was joking. I liked embarrassing my dear boy, but what happened to this subject not being about Lu Ten? We're here to discuss Zuko, but I want to let you know my plans and that I will be taking him away from the palace for a while. You will be so proud of him when he returns, my dear Ursa."
"Yes. I imagine I will be."
Yet, the wait felt tediously long, waiting for Iroh and Zuko to return. The life in her belly stirred and grew. More importantly, she found herself showing more as the child inside of her grew, making her anxiety grow. In the back of her heart, the fear of losing the child ate away at her soul, yet she felt as if Ozai's eyes were on her, boring into her very soul.
Worse, she felt as if she'd lost a child.
At night, they ate as a family of three. Zuko's name never – almost never – crossed either Ozai or Azula's lips, but when it did, a snarky remark from her daughter reminded her even more of the pain of losing a child. "Quit being so dramatic, Ursa. Azulon promised you were still the child's mother." Promises, however, didn't change how she felt, sitting at a table without the small child who somehow brought smiles onto the faces of everyone but Ozai and Azula. Instead, she found herself stuck with the child who terrorized everyone she met.
"You don't look well."
Ursa started, rarely hearing Ozai speak up at the dinner table as a course. She worried her lip, knowing speaking of Zuko wouldn't be met well. Ozai never spoke the boy's name, yet a twinkle appeared in his eye whenever Azula spoke poorly of Zuko. Her eyes drifted down to her hands – her pale, pale hands which rested in her lap.
"You and I will visit the physicians tomorrow."
"I..."
"Come now. I wouldn't be a dutiful husband if I didn't make sure my wife was in good health, would I?"
"It's..." Ursa took a deep breath. "It's not anything to be worried about, but I've been meaning to tell you something."
"Something?" One of Ozai's eyebrows shot up. His face remained emotionless.
"I'm..." She swallowed, glancing back down, wishing she'd not seen how emotionless his face was. "I'm with child."
"What?" The sound of lack of amusement from Azula made her look up at her daughter, who'd made quite clear she enjoyed being an only child, although the amount of doting she received from either parent didn't change.
"Oh. Good." Ozai spoke in a monotone voice. "My heir will then have a little brother or sister to take care of."
"Wait..." Ursa felt her throat tighten. "He knows."
"I don't hold to that old idea of a female child not inheriting if there's a male child." Ozai – he finally looked up from his food. "You would like a younger sibling to protect and cherish and spoil?"
A smile was on Azula's face upon hearing her father wouldn't favor a male child over her. "Of course. This is my younger sibling and not Zuzu's younger sibling."
"He knows. He knows and he's doing this to punish me." Ursa let out a sigh, closing her eyes. "At least Zuko is out of this nightmare, but this child growing inside of me – they are not."