Zuko asked Ty Lee and Suki to escort me back to my room, much to my disappointment. He refused to let me stay with him and Azula as wheeled her toward the palace. I felt like a child, but perhaps it was for the best. The last thing I wanted was that stress-inducing princess to have any effect on my child. With the help of Ty Lee, I climbed into the bed. The two Kyoshi Warriors sat next to me with warm yet off-putting smiles.

"Why are you both looking at me like that?" I asked. Neither of them answered for a moment, exchanging looks. "What?" I pried. "What's going on with you two?"

"We're just... worried. That's all." Suki said. "I mean, Azula is out of prison, and I don't trust her to not pull anything."

"What does that have to do with me?"

Ty Lee frowned. "Bao isn't here to protect you from her, and you can't exactly fight if she gets in here - the two of you don't have a very peaceful history, if you don't remember." As much as I didn't want to admit it, she was right. Bao was still commanding a troop to settle a dispute in the Colonies, and he wasn't expected to return for another month. I was in no condition to put up a fight, either.

"Thank you," was all I said. We spent an hour talking - topic changing from politics to updates on the lives of our friends - until I fell asleep. It was a short, dreamless sleep. Good thing, too, because I was rudely awakened by a voice that still made my body go still.

"What are you doing in my bed?" The voice snarled. I opened my eyes to find a faint blue glow in the room. This has to be a nightmare, I thought. But I knew better than to believe that. I sat up quickly and saw Azula standing at the foot of the bed, fingertips glowing of blue sparks. "You dare take claim to my bedroom? Get up!"

"I'm not afraid of you," I blatantly lied.

"Of course you are," she smirked. "Get up, you Water Tribe filth!" My body obeyed to her commands without my consent, forcing me to climb out of the bed and walk towards the door to leave. As I stepped into the hallway, she smirked, "I see you've gotten fat since I'd seen you last."

I turned on my heel to look at her. "It's called pregnancy," I retorted with my own bitter smirk. "It's what happens when someone truly loves you - but, I suppose you wouldn't know what that's like." With a predatory scowl, she slammed the door in my face, and I was left alone in the hallway. I sighed, resorting to my childhood habits.

Hugging my robe to my body, I made my way to Zuko's room, and, with hesitation, I knocked on the door. I chewed on my bottom lip as I awaited an answer. This is a mistake, I thought, but it was already too late. Zuko opened the door. His face was painted with annoyance as he growled, "What is it?", but that quickly faded at the sight of me. His tone softened, "Saki? Is everything okay?"

"Your sister... She, um, kind of kicked me out of my - I mean, her room," I stammered. I didn't need to say much else. He stepped aside and gestured for me to come in. His bedroom smelled strongly of ginger and burning candles. The door was closed and Zuko's arms were guiding me to his bed.

"Please, sit down," he urged. "I was just about to have some tea."

"You sounded on edge when you opened your door," I noted. "Is everything okay?"

Zuko shook his head as he poured the steaming tea into two cups. "We haven't even begun searching, and I'm already learning secrets about my mother. Did you know she had a secret room full of letters?"

I wanted to say that I did. I probably should've told him that I had read letters that'd been exchanged between Ursa and my parents while I was imprisoned with Iroh, but I didn't. I only shook my head and accepted the hot cup. Yay, I thought sarcastically, more secrets and lying.

"Well, there were more letters than I know what to do with," he frowned and seated himself next to me. "I don't even know where to start." He fell silent, sipping his tea, then said, "I made a deal with Azula. She promised to help me find Mother, but only if she can travel unbound."

I choked on my tea. "Zuko!" I had a fit of coughing for a few seconds, then asked, "Are you as loony as your father? What on earth made you think that this was a good idea?"

He didn't answer my question. Zuko looked at me with an unreadable expression. "Aang and the others are coming with me. We're going to Hira'a, my mother's hometown."

"I'm going, too," I told him, not making it optional.

"You can't go with us!" Zuko protested. "You're-"

"Oh, please!" I rolled my eyes. "I'm pregnant, Zuko, not helpless! I'm going, and you're not stopping me. Ursa was just as much my mother as she was yours." That statement finalised the argument. Upon finishing our tea, the two of us laid our heads on the pillows...

But neither of us could sleep through the night.

The next morning, I was greeted by Ty Lee and Iroh standing by the bed. The baby kicked vigorous at the smell of food that Iroh had brought in on a tray: Stewed sea prunes and spicy noodles, my personal creation. Ever since I'd officially become Zuko's advisor and moved into the palace, I'd proposed the idea of combining Water Tribe and Fire Nation cuisine, though I was the only one that actually ate it.

I grinned at Iroh as he helped me sit up. "Good morning," I said to the two, both of whom were smiling more so at my stomach than at me. I grabbed the bowl and immediately shoveled the food into my mouth.

Iroh chuckled and teasingly pointed out, "If you keep eating like that, we'll have matching bellies!" Ty Lee giggled in response, as did I. He smiled as servants brought in a change of clothes for me. "The Avatar and his friends have arrived to the palace," he told me. "When you are ready, I will escort you to them."

"They're thrilled to see you!" Ty Lee cut in, clapping her hands.

I smiled, unable to talk with a mouthful of sea prunes and noodles. I was thrilled to see my friends too, but I was not at all thrilled to have the discussion that Zuko has planned.

Nor was I ready to endure another day with a freed Azula.