The sea was calm.
Zuko's ship remained docked on Shen Guan.
"Prince Zuko, I suggest you calm down and forget about the matter with Ren. All this rage is bad for your health!" Iroh, ever the dependable adult, desperately tried to pacify the fiery ball of rage he had come to affectionately refer to as his nephew.
"Calm down!" Zuko, eyes bloodshot, looked offended at the word. "He betrayed us, Uncle! He told me he would help me capture the Avatar in exchange for saving his life! Does he have no honour!"
'He's a mercenary. He probably doesn't.' Iroh answered, though only in thought. He couldn't afford to further antagonize his nephew in this situation.
"You've been doing fine in your," Iroh mulled for a word to use. "...search, for the Avatar, even before you met Ren. You don't have to be too affected by his departure."
"It's different! He broke my trust!" Zuko snapped. fists clenched.
Iroh sighed, growing a little exhausted in his quest to calm his nephew. He's been trying for the past three hours. The prince has a... prodigious capability for anger. He slightly suspects the prince's hairline might've already been affected by the pent-up stress. Good thing he's shaved bald. It would bring a different kind of dishonour should a royalty have hairline issues at such a young age.
"Prince Zuko," one of the crew knocked on the open door, tried to ignore the mess in the room, and announced, "there's someone waiting for you at the deck."
"Who is it?" Iroh asked. Zuko didn't reply, but he's listening.
The man looked a little uncomfortable.
"I think it's better if the Prince would see them personally."
***
"Hello, Zuzu."
Under normal circumstance, Zuko would be lit ablaze in rage upon hearing the infamous childhood nickname. Coincidentally, this doesn't fall under normal circumstance.
Staring at the woman standing gracefully atop the deck, surrounded by two masked guards, Zuko's raging anger for a certain someone's departure was immediately sidelined. Temporarily, that is.
"Sister." He called back, head lowered as he did the formal Fire Nation salute.
He kept his eyes on the ground, face blank. If one would look carefully, there's a certain tremble to his lips that would reveal that he's not as calm as he looks.
Zuko only heard footsteps approaching, followed by a shadow shading him from the morning sunlight. His shoulders tensed, as if a single movement would be the end of him.
Then, arms wrapped around him with warmth hotter than the sun.
"I missed you, little brother." Came her voice, ever as gentle and kind.
"Sister Kaen." Zuko raised his arms, as if to reciprocate the hug, then stopped mid-way, unsure whether to continue or not.
"What?" Kaen pulled back, looking at him with a frown. "Not even going to hug your sister? Has your three years outside ruined your manners?"
Zuko's lips trembled, then he lunged forward into her arms, wrapping his own around her tight. Kaen chuckled as he did, patting his head gently.
"Princess Kaen, what could possibly be the reason of your visit?" Iroh, holding a tray with a tea set on top, walked over with a smile.
"Uncle, not even a greeting? I swear, you two need to learn manners once more when you come back." Kaen smiled at him.
Zuko pulled back, quickly wiped something on his eyes with his sleeves, and turned to Kaen.
"Why the visit?" He asked, voice unusually quiet.
Upon the question, Kaen's smile lowered a little, though it went back to normal in a blink. Though in her eyes, a sharp glint suddenly settled.
"I'm looking for someone." She answered, gesturing for one of her guards.
The guard produced a scroll and handed it to Kaen with a bow. She took it with a nod, unfurled it, and showed the contents to the two. Upon seeing the name and the portrait drawn on the paper, Zuko's eyes almost ignited.
"Ren?" Iroh took a look. "The mercenary. It's indeed him. Are you looking for Ren?"
"Yes," Kaen answered. "We have some... personal business we need to settle. I received some reports that you two had encountered him."
Zuko harrumphed, crossing his arms and pouting (or so it looked to Kaen). Iroh just sighed and answered.
"We had. We found him unconscious at Kyoshi Island after Zuko's attempt to catch the Avatar." Zuko gave him a glare at the mention but nevertheless decided to stay silent. "He had offered us his assistance in tracking the Avatar in exchange, but he had departed yesterday morning. We don't know where he is now."
"I see." Kaen looked off into the horizon, a frown climbing onto her face. "Had he mentioned where he's going?"
"None that I can recall—"
"The Avatar." Zuko cut Iroh off.
Kaen turned to him, curious.
"He's also after the Avatar. I don't know if he's doing it for a contract or out of personal interest, but he's going after the Avatar." Zuko clarified.
"I see. So he's not here..." Kaen fell into thought.
Seeing this, Zuko lowered his head and faced the side. She's definitely going to leave now. It would be a long time before he sees her again. She had been, after his mother's disappearance, the only light in his life back in the palace.
He had to find the Avatar as soon as possible. To regain his honour. To get back to the palace. To be with his family once more.
But until then, it's going to be another farewell.
Zuko clenched his fists and bit his lip.
He hates this.
"Then I'll be travelling with you."
Zuko's head shot up, eyes wide as they met Kaen's.
"If Ren is after the Avatar, then I just have to follow you, don't I? You're after the Avatar too yourself." She gave him a smile.
"Besides, I miss bonding with my little brother."
Zuko would then vehemently deny that he cried on the deck that day, despite all the first-hand witnesses.
***
"Done."
Ren threw the decapitated head on the soft, groomed grass of the Han courtyard.
"Good job."
Xianru stood in front of the courtyard's pond, shaded under the parasol held by a maid beside her. She held a chunk of bread, taking off pieces and throwing it into the pond. Whenever she did, turtle ducks would scamper around to grab their bite.
Mr. Mihe, attentive as ever, knelt down to the head and checked its face. Through twisted in pain and misery, the face was undoubtedly that of the man the Feng hired to lead their supply caravans.
He grabbed the head, bowed to Xianru, and left the courtyard. Ren couldn't be bothered to ask what he will do with the head.
"What next?" He asked, voice flat.
Xianru didn't respond immediately, still facing the pond as the turtle ducks were fed.
"Next what?" She chuckled, watching one of the ducks try to run away from the others with a large piece of bread on its beak.
Ren scowled.
"The next task. Get this bullshit over with quickly."
Xianru sighed, the last pieces of bread in her hand thrown at the pond. She patted her hand free, then turned to Ren.
Just then, the parasol on top of her dropped. The umbrella, as it fell, obscured her face. The sharp glint of metal being unsheathed resounded through the courtyard.
Thud!
The parasol fell to the ground.
Standing still with a serene smile on her face, Xianru simply looked at him. Behind her, the maid had her hand outstretched, a dagger only inches away from Xianru's neck.
Sand had emerged from the ground and wrapped around the maid's wrist, keeping the dagger from doing harm. The maid's eyes were shaking in both fear and adrenaline, a dumbstruck look on her face.
After the initial shock, she tried to break away but more sand just climbed from the ground and restrained her in place.
"I thought you hate me. You shouldn't have bothered." Xianru put a hand in front of her mouth, smiling.
Ren didn't smile. It went opposite, really. He looked utterly irritated at the moment.
"You fully know why."
"But she doesn't." Xianru turned to the maid, eyebrows raised.
Ren didn't respond.
"Well," Xianru sighed. "I guess a live demonstration would be in order."
The maid's eyes widened even more as Xianru waved her hand, and the pond stirred. The water swirled, then climbed. It coalesced into a ball of water that floated in front of Xianru.
"You—you're a—you're a waterbender..." The maid stuttered, shaking.
"Correct." Xianru winked at her. "Unfortunately, it's a secret."
"Take it to the grave, will you?"
The ball of water floated and hovered in front of the maid's eyes.
Then, it swallowed her head whole.
The maid screamed. Or well, tried to. Not much she can really do with her head underwater. Bubbles rippled through the water, but it stayed solid and remained in place. She tried to move her hands, but the sand just wrapped around them tighter. She tried to run, but the sand kept her in place. She tried to breathe, but the water went into her lungs instead.
It didn't take long before she twitched, and slumped.
The ball of water gently floated down to the pond, the surface of the pond undisturbed.
Ren also released the sand, and the maid collapsed into the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Xianru turned to him, not a single trace of expression on her face once more. It was the same look that she had that night.
"I will honour my word. I will remove the clot and let you go. Should you try to kill me then, I wouldn't stop you." She began. "But until then, you do what I tell you to."
"Have I not alrea—"
"And when I tell you to."
Xianru walked closer to him.
Her face filled his vision. She might be shorter than him, but there's something about her that crosses that physical boundary. Her black hair danced in the wind. The scent of lilacs filled his nose.
He hates it.
"Under normal circumstances, I need you more than you need me. But this isn't that. You need me. Desperately."
She placed a finger on his chest.
He tensed.
"I could kill you right now. I could always find someone else who would do the dirty work. Perhaps even someone who would be willing to do so without the need for any of this." She said, voice low.
"You're dispensable."
She tapped his chest.
"I only need you to do what I ask you to and when I tell you to. You might think it's only your life on the line here, but it's not just that. The entirety of the Han family depends on me. Their lives weigh heavier than yours."
"I didn't ask for any of this." He whispered back.
"Neither did I. But we're here."
"I'll give you your freedom back. Just not now."
She stepped back, turned around, and picked up the parasol from the ground.
"I'll send for someone to get you when I need you."
She left the courtyard, leaving Ren alone to stand in the center in silence.