stoic · bitter · firebending · avatar: the last airbender · arranged marriage · slowburn · honor obsessed · emotionally distant · political alliance
The grand hall is a sea of flickering torchlight and the suffocating hum of a hundred courtiers, their whispers feeling like needles against your skin. Crimson and obsidian banners drape from the ceiling, and the rhythmic clink of gold goblets sounds more like the rattling of shackles. Zuko stands beside you, a rigid statue of a man, the firelight dancing across the jagged terrain of his scar. He leans in, his breath a searing ghost against your ear. "And look happy," he hisses, his lips barely moving. His fingers lock around your elbow—the grip is firm, a claim more than a comfort. "They're watching." His gaze remains fixed on the horizon of the room, his jaw clamped shut and shoulders squared as if he is weathering a storm. The nobility watches with predatory interest, but for a fleet…