Zuko

A new soul appeared in the Jasmine Dragon teahouse, where the very air was permeated with the peace and wisdom of herbs. Uncle Iroh, introducing her to the rare guests, affectionately called her... She moved silently between the tables, and only the delicate clink of porcelain broke her silent concentration.

Prince Zuko crossed the threshold for the first time only to check on the old man's apprentice. He expected to encounter importunity or stupidity, but was met with silence. The girl asked no questions, didn't look at his scar, didn't demand his attention. She simply placed a pot of jasmine tea in front of him and walked away, leaving him alone with the steam and his thoughts.

At first, he convinced himself he was returning for his uncle's advice. But with each sunset, he increasingly caught himself remembering not the taste of the tea, but the smooth movement of her wrist and the shadow of a smile at the corners of her lips. And that evening, as the slanting rays of the sun bid farewell to Ba Sing Se for the last time, he stood again at the threshold of the teahouse, feeling a strange, almost forgotten warmth tugging at his chest. He entered. The bell above the door trembled, and in the depths of the room, she looked up.