I

The Fire Lord stared at the representatives surrounding the Table before him. Circular to represent equality among all, the sturdy mahogany Table was the center of the grand meeting place of the Nations' Council. After the defeat of Fire Lord Ozai three years earlier, the Avatar and the newly appointed Fire Lord Zuko had commissioned the Table to a poor woodcarver in the western edge of the Earth Kingdom. The carver had eagerly agreed to the hefty sum the Fire Lord was willing to pay for the Table.

And for equality.

Along the outer edge of the Table, the woodworker had skillfully carved surprisingly accurate depictions of tales from each Nation's history. There were no barring separations between them, nor were they in a specific order. No representative sat before his own Tribe's tale, and non sat beside another from their Nation. There was no head of the Table, thought the Avatar was understood to be the leader, and all representatives discussed matters that may only apply to a single Tribe. Such was the way the Council worked.

Each representative was chosen by vote of his people, and each could be overthrown the same way he had been selected. Most, like Fire Lord Zuko and the Avatar, were the leaders of the respective Nations. Others, like Haru and Suki, were from different areas of the same Nation, representing different Tribes.

Now, for the first time since the end of the war, the Council was finally meeting together around the Table of Equality. Previously, matters had been handled by letters sent from one representative to the rest. They had met face-to-face very few times in the past three years. Some had been too busy helping others to meet with them even then, so all nine were never present at any one time.

And now one of the nine representatives was missing from the Table. Zuko hadn't seen her in the three years since his father's defeat and had been thoroughly disappointed when her brother and Haru had told him she couldn't be there. To his left, Aang stood, silently calling order from the seven others around the Table. When all were quiet, he began to speak. All were not expecting the informal speech he gave.

"It's really great to see you all!" After a brief silence, he looked to Zuko. Quietly he said, "You're better at this than I am, so could you…?" Zuko nodded knowingly, reminding himself that the Avatar was only fifteen years old and unaccustomed to a life of leadership. Zuko stood as Aang sat.

Quietly he took in the faces about the room. To the left was Aang, Jun, Haru, Sokka, Jet, Misu, Suki, and an empty chair for Katara was left on his right. He smiled lightly at them all. "Welcome to the Fire Nation. I'm glad to have you all here." Some of them nodded in response, while others murmured their thanks. When all was still once more, he addressed Misu. "I would especially like to welcome our newest representative from the Northern Water Tribe, Misu." Misu nodded while the others agreed with the Fire Lord. Again, the room fell silent and Zuko moved on to more important matters.

"As most of you know, there have been rumors flying about of a band of rebels just south of Ba Sing Sei. Fire Nation and Earth Nation scouts have all confirmed sightings of the rebels' campsite. It is believed that these rebels are the remains of the soldiers and officers were loyal to the late Fire Lord Ozai." He paused here, waiting for any questions or comments. When non came, he continued. "However, because this band of rebels is small and ill-organized, my colleagues and I do not think them a threat. Even so, King Bumi and I, along with the Avatar," he motioned to Aang, "have decided to keep a close military watch on their campsite." He swept his gaze around the room. When no one commented or made any motion to speak, he tuned to Sokka. "I believe the Water Tribes had a few things to discuss…?" Sokka nodded and Zuko sat. Sokka and Misu rose simultaneously.

Sokka had grown in the past few years. He'd been properly trained as a warrior and his instincts, though still not perfect, had become more trustworthy. He maintained the short ponytail and pertly-shaven scalp that was characteristic of him. However, instead of remaining the lanky, ever-hungry boy he had once been, Sokka had grown and developed into a strong, well-toned young man who knew when to ration out food. The Fire Lord was proud of what his friend had become.

Zuko's gaze moved to Misu, the Northern Water Tribe's representative. Much lik Sokka, Misu's features were strong and tanned. He was a little more toned than Sokka, being a more experienced soldier, and his head was cleanly shaven. He had been appointed to the position of representative only two months earlier. The Council had actually only planned to have Sokka and Katara represent the Water Tribes, until it was realized that they could not always travel to the North Pole after every meeting. And so, a representative had been chosen.

Sokka and Misu discussed several trade issues between their lands and the Southern Air Temple, to which case Aang testified. It seemed that there was a band of rebel Fire Navy ships surrounding the Temple's trade routes to the Water Tribes. By the time their story had gotten this far, Sokka and Misu were sitting and a debate had begun to flow. Jun, a Fire Nation representative, brought about an imposing question.

"Why are these rebels only hindering trade between the Water Tribes and the Temple? Why aren't they stopping trade to any other Nation?" She gave Sokka a meaningful look.

Sokka got defensive. "If you're suggesting that the Water Tribes—"

She leaned back in her hcair, "I'm not suggesting anything, Sokka. I'm just curious."

Haru furrowed his brow. "Why?"

Suki gave an exasperated sigh. "They have to have a reason, Haru. Otherwise they would be terrorizing the other Nations."

"I say we catapult them."

Zuko pulled his head from where it had been resting in his hands. "Nobody's catapulting anybody, Jet.'

Jet shrugged. "Just saying."

Aang yawned, pulling back the curtain behind him. It was nearing dusk outside the Fire Palace. "Well, I say we call it a day. Meeting adjourned."

All the representatives gave a collective sigh of thanks. Zuko reminded them that dinner was in an hour as they left him with Aang sitting at the table. Zuko looked mournfully at the chair beside him. He'd been sending glances at it during the whole meeting. Aang's voice floated to his ears.

"You miss her, don't you?"

Zuko nodded, sighing quietly. "Yes, I do."

Aang smiled knowingly. "I think we all do."

Zuko nodded absently, still staring at the unoccupied chair. He nearly jumped when he felt Aang's hand rest on his shoulder. "She said she'd be here for the banquet."

Zuko sighed more heavily this time. "I know… I just would like to see her sooner." Aang said nothing as he patted his friend on the shoulder and left silently. After a time, Zuko stood, moving to the window and pulling back the curtain quietly. He squinted as the sunlight poured into his unaccustomed eyes, but as they adjusted, they relaxed and he silently stared at the sunset, not really seeing it.

The memory of her face swam across his vision. Her clear blue eyes glimmered at him from the recesses of his memory and her chestnut hair floated on an arctic wind long since passed. Her warm tan skin glowed in the light of the sun reflected off of forgotten snow. He could still remember her scent, the touch of her skin against his, her voice. He wondered how much had changed about her, thinking that if she'd changed as much as he had, he would probably scarcely recognize her.

Over the course of three years, Zuko had matured, wizened, and grown. He was now a looming figure, standing six-foot-two. His hair had grown, and instead of sporting a hairstyle similar to Sokka's, he had a full head of long, silky raven locks that he kept pulled back by a silk tie similar to the one he used to wear. The scar on his eye was still there, thought time had done it some good. It had softened, healed, and blended with his skin, and though one would have to be a blind old codger to miss it, it wasn't nearly as striking as it had been.

His eyes were still the same piercing amber that seemed to burn through every barrier of the soul, and his features had hardened, giving him a strong, determined look. Many a woman had been tempted by his looks and tempted him in turn, but each one he had turned down. Over the course of a few months, it became clear that his heart belonged to someone else, and over the course of a few more, everyone in the Fire Nation assumed they knew who it was.

Even Jun herself thought so, though he had never given her reason to do so.

He sighed, resting his hands on the windowsill, sweeping his gaze across the forest just beyond the courtyard before him. He wondered why all the people of the Fire Nation thought hew as in love with Jun. Upon thinking about it more, he supposed it could have been because she was always in his company. But that wasn't his fault! She followed him around like a duckling, and he honestly didn't have the heart to tell her to leave him be.

A soft knock on the door made him straighten. He hoped against hope that it was Katara, finally having arrived and coming to jump into his arms like she used to. But a little voice in the back of his mind told him that this wasn't so, and that she wouldn't be here at least until tomorrow evening at the banquet, if what Sokka, Aang, and Haru had told him was true.

"Come in," he called. The door opened slowly and Jun stepped in, her regulation armor glinting in the waning sunlight streaming through the window. She smiled brightly at him and he nodded in return, turning back to the window. She frowned.

"Something troubles you, my Lord?" That was just like Jun. She was always trying to pry into his mind and soul and to break down his inner walls so that he would let her in. What she didn't understand, like the rest of his Nation, was that she was not the woman he wanted, the woman he had chosen. That woman wouldn't be in the Fire Nation for another day.

That woman didn't even know that he loved her. That he hadn't let go of her for three years. That he couldn't stop thinking about her since he left her at her icy home at the end of the war.

He sighed wearily, bringing a hand up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "Many things trouble me, Jun..." he replied.

She moved forward and sat at one of the vacant chairs of the Council. "A copper for your thoughts, my Lord?"

Zuko thought about it, he really did. He was going to tell her to back off and leave him be. He was going to tell her that his heart already belonged to another. He was going to apologized for leading her and the rest of his people on like he did.

And just the Fire Lord was about to give in and tell her, he stopped, shaking his head. He took a moment to steel himself, and against his better judgment, turned and flashed her a small grin. His heart screamed at him to stop as he held out his arm to her.

"Accompany me to dinner, Jun?"

He almost winced as she literally leapt out of the chair, agreeing more profusely than was generally normal.

He could only beg forgiveness from Katara as he led her out the door to the Dining Hall.