contains some mature themes
Nava wasn't back for more than three weeks before someone made an attempt on Zuko's life.
They were in the courtyard, Zuko was going about his daily task of feeding the turtleducks while Nava leaned against the oak tree behind him.
"Oh, this one has a cracked shell," Zuko said with a frown. He went to grab the chick from the water, but its mother squawked indignantly and snapped at his fingers. He withdrew his hand quickly and glanced over his shoulder at Nava. "Can you let one of the animal doctors know that this turtleduck has a cracked shell? He might be able to remedy it."
Nava nodded as Zuko straightened up and dusted the crumbs of the turtleduck food off his robes. She observed him with a small smile. A warm spring breeze rustled the loose hairs on his head, a sunbeam danced across his eyes and his amber irises shone like a freshly polished gem. She extended a hand out to him and he took it. Nava pulled him towards her, and he rested his free hand beside her head on the tree bark. She leaned in to kiss him, but before their lips met, she saw something from the distance glint in the sun.
She pulled Zuko to her chest and turned so he was pressed against the tree just as something whizzed past where his neck would have been. A throwing knife hit the dirt at their feet and Nava pushed Zuko to the ground. She grabbed her bow and nocked an arrow. She pulled the string back and zeroed in on where the knife had come from. She could see something – someone fleeing from beyond the courtyard walls. Whomever they were, she couldn't get a clean shot and she lowered her bow.
Without thinking, Nava grabbed Zuko by the collar, and using her body to shield his, ran with him back inside.
"Gather Suki and Ty Lee and tell them to meet me at the west wall," she barked to a waiting servant. "Lock down the rest of the palace – there's an intruder that is trying to hurt the Fire Lord. Don't let anyone in or out. Have guards and Kyoshi Warriors at every entrance!"
"Yes, Lady Nava," the servant said quickly. They turned on their heel and ran down the hallway as other palace guards led Zuko away.
"Nava!" Zuko called to Nava but she ignored him and took off towards the west wall – the place where the intruder would have come out. If she was lucky, they would still be on the premises, if not... Nava wasn't going to think about that.
She made it outside at the same time Suki and Ty Lee did.
"There's someone trying to hurt Zuko," Nava explained. "They threw a blade at him, probably laced with poison or something, but ran away before I could get a shot in."
The three of them scaled the wall and Nava led them to where she had seen the intruder at first. From where they stood, a large tree whose trunk was on the opposite side of the wall leaned over the brick, its branches were close enough to the ground to grab and climb up – an easy way to get in and out without being seen. Suki jumped down beside the trunk of the tree and inspected around the base for footprints.
"There's a set leading back towards the road," she said and pointed ahead of them.
The three of them followed the prints to a dirt road reserved only for members of the palace to use. If one were to go south, they would end up at a private docking port that housed the Fire Lord's ship, and if they went north, it would take them to the stables and then back towards the Fire Nation Capital City. On the side of the road, Nava noticed what looked like ostrich-horse footprints that went north.
"Whoever broke in had knowledge of this road and access to an ostrich-horse," she said to Suki and Ty Lee. "They're gone, but we'll send some recon to scope the area and look for other clues. I'll follow these tracks and see where they lead. Then I'll meet you two back at the palace."
"Are you sure you should go alone?" Ty Lee asked. "This person could still be around. At least let me or Suki come with you."
Nava worried her lip between her teeth. She glanced up at the sky. It was going to start getting dark soon and if they didn't find this person by nightfall, they probably weren't going to find them at all. "Fine," she relented. "Ty Lee, you can come with me, and Suki, you can go tell Zuko what we found."
"Be careful, you two," Suki said before she turned and sprinted back towards the palace walls.
Nava and Ty Lee followed the ostrich-horse tracks back towards the stables, but the trail stopped at the line of trees that were behind the barn and separated the road from the rhino enclosure.
"Keep an eye out," Nava whispered to Ty Lee as she re-loaded her bow. "They might still be around."
The two of them split up as they crept around the area, searching for anything that looked out of place or new. After a few minutes, they met up at the entrance of the barn, emptyhanded.
"I don't understand," Nava sighed. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's like they just disappeared into thin air."
"Let's head back, maybe there's something we missed," Ty Lee said. "If not, then we'll just send the recon squadron. They're better equipped than we are."
They re-traced their steps back towards the palace but didn't find any other clues that would lead them to the intruder. Before they went to see Zuko and Suki, Nava returned to the pond to retrieve the throwing knife that had hit the dirt. She held it up by two fingers and examined the blade. Sure enough, there was a coating of something on the blade – it was clear and shiny and smelled weirdly sweet, like berries.
Nava handed it off to a guard and told him to take it to the alchemist to have it examined. She and Ty Lee met Zuko and Suki back in his office.
"The intruder got inside the walls from a tree whose branches were low enough to climb up from the ground, and then we followed ostrich-horse footprints to the stables, but the trail ended there," Nava said. "I think this person was acting alone; they'd want to avoid drawing attention to themselves. I sent the knife they used to the alchemist, there was something on the blade that smelled sweet."
"Did you see any witnesses?" Zuko asked. He was sitting in his chair, elbows resting on his desk and his fingers steepled in front of his mouth. Nava could see sweat beading on his temple.
"No, there was no one around. Not even the stable boys were there."
"Send someone to find them and bring them in for questioning, please, Suki," Zuko said. "As well as anyone that was around that area within the last couple of days. I want a record of everyone coming in and out of the palace from the last forty-eight hours."
"Sure thing, Your Majesty," Suki said. She bowed curtly and left the office.
"Ty Lee, can you send these to my uncle, Toph, Katara, Sokka, and Aang?" Zuko held out four rolls of parchment. "If someone is targeting me, they may also be at risk of attack. And then after you're done, can you have someone make arrangements to have that tree along the western wall removed? As well as anything else that can be climbed to gain access to the palace?"
"Sure," Ty Lee said as she took the letters. She bowed before turning and following Suki out the door.
Nava was left standing in front of Zuko's desk. She watched him as he ran a hand over his face and blew a large breath out through his nose.
"How are you feeling?" she asked him.
"Tired," he said plainly. "This transfer of power isn't going as smoothly as I would like it to. There are still lots of people within the kingdom that are loyal to my father. I thought I had gotten rid of the loyalists from within the palace, but I guess I was wrong."
"From now on, I want you within my eyesight at all times," Nava said. "And if for whatever reason I can't be with you, someone from the Kyoshi Warriors need to be escorting you."
"Thank you," Zuko said softly. He rose from his chair and approached her. He took her hands in his and pressed her knuckles to his lips. "I'm very lucky to have you here."
Nava smiled shyly and felt a blush rise to her cheeks. He pulled her in for a hug and held her tightly. She hugged him back just as tight. "I won't let anything happen to you, Zuko," she said into his shoulder. "Not if it's the last thing I do."
///
News came a few days later while Zuko and Nava were eating breakfast.
The alchemist, an older woman named Li Mei met them in Zuko's office with information about the substance found on the throwing knife.
"It is made mostly of herbs from the islands that, when ground down, can secrete a liquid that is toxic to humans. The sweet smell comes from a flower whose nectar makes whoever ingests it fall unconscious," she explained. "The nectar itself isn't toxic, but when mixed with the herbs I mentioned, it can create a very powerful poison strong enough to kill a grown man twice over. By coating the knife with the poison, it would go directly into your bloodstream and have you dead within the hour. There is an antidote, but it would need to be administered less than five minutes after the victim has been infected."
Nava felt her heart stutter and from beside her, Zuko stiffened. "What about the knife itself? Do you know where it could have come from?" he asked.
"There was an insignia on the handle that I recognize being from a weapon smith in the Capital City: Chen Liang."
"Do you have the knife here?" Zuko asked.
Li Mei produced a wooden box from behind her back. She handed the box over to him and he nodded.
"Thank you for your hard work," he said. "Keep a sample of the poison on hand in case we have more instances with it. Have you started making an antidote for it yet?"
"I have, but it will still be a day or so before it's ready. There will be enough to supply you, Lady Nava, and the Kyoshi Warriors with a few doses each."
"Can you also make sure there is enough to send to the Avatar and his friends?"
"I will have to make a new batch, but once it's ready I can have them sent out right away."
"Very well. Was there anything else you were needing us to know?"
"No, Your Majesty."
"Then you may go. Thank you again for all your work, Li Mei."
Li Mei bowed and one of the guards stationed at the door held it open for her to leave.
"Arrange for someone to take this knife to Chen Liang and find out who may have bought it," he said to the guard.
"Of course, Fire Lord Zuko," the guard said.
Nava took the box that contained the knife and handed it off to the guard, who bowed before he left the office.
Zuko and Nava were hardly granted a few minutes of repose before Suki burst into the office with them.
"There's an update with the stable boys," she said. "One of them has confessed to seeing a man fleeing the stables on an ostrich-horse the morning of the attack."
Zuko jumped to his feet. "Take us to him."
///
Nava recognized the stable boy as the one who worked with the rhinos. He was a baby-faced boy that whispered every word that came out of his mouth. She could see the sweat running down his face when they met with him in one of the rooms in the dungeons. Zuko dismissed everyone but Nava when they arrived.
"What's your name?" he asked the boy.
"Guang," the boy said quietly.
"You work with the rhinos, correct?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"It takes a lot of patience and guts to do that, so good job. What can you tell me about the events that transpired here the other day? When someone infiltrated my palace and tried to assassinate me. I've been told that you witnessed someone fleeing the stables?"
"Y-yes. It was a – a man. He told me that if I – I told anyone what I saw he would come back and – and kill me."
"What did this man look like?"
"He had a scar across his nose and black eyes. He was wearing dark red pants and a black top. His head was shaved."
Nava racked her brain to see if she remembered anyone that may have come through the palace fitting that description, but she couldn't place it. She glanced over at Zuko, whose expression remained unchanged, but she saw the muscle in his jaw twitch.
"Right," Zuko said. "We'll have guards placed around your quarters until the man is caught, so you can rest easy. Thank you, Guang, you've been a great help. I'll tell the officers that you can resume your duties tomorrow morning. Until then you can take the rest of the day off."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Guang said and he visibly deflated.
Nava and Zuko excused themselves and met with the others outside.
"Lieutenant Yora, meet me in my office in fifteen minutes. I have an idea of who was targeting me."
"Yes, Fire Lord Zuko."
///
Nava stood at Zuko's side while Suki and Lieutenant Yora stood across from them on the other side of Zuko's desk.
"The man Guang was talking about used to be a Captain for my father when he ruled. He was on his way up through the ranks before Sozin's Comet – he was one of the most vocal dissenters when I took over the throne after the war. His name is Mao Chang. The last time I heard, he lived on the outskirts of the capital city, about an hour away from the rhinoceros enclosure. I didn't think he would find a way into the palace from there, it's mostly water and thick trees, but we can't worry about that now."
"Should we apprehend him, Your Majesty?" Lieutenant Yora asked.
"Not yet. We need to make sure the weaponsmith gives the same description as Guang did first. Then we'll have to track him down and question him."
The Lieutenant nodded and Zuko heaved a long sigh. "That should be all for now," he said. "You two may go."
Lieutenant Yora and Suki bowed before exiting the office. Zuko turned to Nava.
"Can you have a servant bring us some tea and something to eat? All this running around has made me hungry."
"Of course," Nava said. She stepped out into the hallway and stopped a passing servant. "Can you bring some Jasmine tea and fruit to Fire Lord Zuko's office, please?"
"Yes, Lady Nava," the servant said and scurried off down the hallway.
A few minutes later, the same servant appeared with a tray of goods and set it on Zuko's desk. After being dismissed, Nava poured each of them a cup and they sat in silence while they drank.
"I have a meeting this afternoon. Ty Lee will be with me, so you can have a couple of hours off," Zuko said after a few minutes. "I'll direct any information about Mao Chang to you during that time, is that okay?"
"That's fine," Nava said as she popped a slice of peach into her mouth. "Make sure you're not overworking yourself, either. You won't be doing anyone any favours if you're in the infirmary with extreme exhaustion."
"I could say the same to you," Zuko shot back. "When was the last time you've slept through the night? You don't come to bed until late and you're gone by the time I wake up."
"Don't worry about me, I have lots of work to do."
"Work that you won't be able to do if you're in the infirmary with extreme exhaustion," he mimicked her voice with the last part of his sentence.
Nava rolled her eyes, but she knew he was right. She managed four or five hours of sleep every night, sometimes less if she got caught up in whatever she was doing beforehand. There had been a few times that she had caught her eyes drooping during meetings and she had to pinch her arm to keep herself awake.
"I'm willing to stay awake all hours of the day if it means you're going to be safe," she said.
"You're dramatic," Zuko responded with a lazy smile.
"Oh please," Nava laughed. "You're the most dramatic person I've ever met, and I used to hang out with pirates."
Zuko was about to retort, but a soft knocking on the door stopped him. "Come in," he called.
A man in dark red robes opened the door and bowed slightly. "Your Majesty, your meeting with the generals is in a few minutes if you'd like to accompany me to the meeting room."
"Right," Zuko said and set his teacup back on the tray. He got to his feet and regarded Nava. "I'll see you in a while, Nav."
"Have fun," Nava said softly and watched as he and the man in red exited the office.
She sat by herself for a bit before gathering the tray of tea and fruits. She took it down to the kitchens and was on her way back to Zuko's office when one of the guards stopped her.
"Lady Nava, we have more information about the intruder from the other day. Lieutenant Yora is waiting for you in his office."
"Take me to him," Nava said, and the guard led her through the palace to a set of dark oak doors with brass handles. "Thank you," she said to him and the guard bowed before taking a post beside the doorway.
Lieutenant Yora was sat as his desk when Nava entered. She stopped in front of his desk and he looked up from his papers.
"Ah, Lady Nava," he said. "One of my men returned from Chen Liang's shop and we've determined that the man Guang saw matches the description of the man who bought the throwing knife. What do you recommend we do next?"
"Er – I want soldiers to search his house and set up checkpoints around the city to ensure that he won't be able to leave, if he hasn't already. If we can't find him, then we should send out notices to surrounding islands and the Earth Kingdom mainland to keep an eye out for him. Once we catch him, we'll bring him to the prison hold and have him questioned."
Lieutenant Yora sat back in his chair and tugged at his beard. "I see General Shinu has taught you well. You really are his daughter."
Nava smiled nervously and shifted on her feet. "Does that mean I had a good plan?"
"Yes, I'd like to think so," Yora said. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to deliver your plan to Fire Lord Zuko."
"I'll come with," Nava offered, and the Lieutenant nodded.
They hurried down towards the meeting room – Nava waited outside while Yora went inside. He re-emerged a moment later with Zuko on his heels.
"Follow me," Zuko said, and led them back to his office.
///
That night, Zuko lounged in a bathtub loaded with bubbles while Nava sat on a stool beside him, wrapped up in a silk robe. She ran lathered hands through his hair and gently scratched his scalp with her nails. His eyes were closed, and his face was relaxed. She could see slight shadows under his eyes, and she leant over to kiss his cheek. His eyelashes fluttered against her cheek and when she sat back, he was watching her with a glint in his eye.
Nava grabbed an empty pitcher beside her and filled it with the water. "Head back," she said.
Zuko complied and she poured the water over his head to wash the suds away. Once his hair was clear of bubbles and soap, she ran a cloth over his chest, shoulders, and back. After she deemed him clean enough, she rung out the cloth and stood up. Before she turned, Zuko reached out and caught her hand.
"Will you join me?" he asked.
Nava bit down on her lip and nodded. She undid the knot and let her robe fall open. It slid off her shoulders and fell in a pile at her feet. Zuko helped her into the water and held her tightly against his chest. His hands flitted over her breasts, across her waist, and down to her thighs. She relaxed against his front and he buried his face in her neck. They remained in the water until it was lukewarm and any traces of bubbles were gone.