Nightly Visits

The Fire Lord sat up in the large bed, staring into the lightless room. He looked longingly at his wife, lying on her stomach beside him, missing her bright eyes in the gloomy nighttime.

It wasn’t fair to wake her at this hour, he told himself; she’d been busy all day long with court matters. Sliding as smoothly as he could to the side of the bed, he set his bare feet on the cold stone floor. He stood quietly and walking passed the bed post, he grabbed the large robe that hung there for him. The monarch pulled the thick material around his shoulders and tied the front over this half clothed body.

He often wandered the halls of the palace this time of night, his sleep restless and filled with nightmares of war and loss. He turned back to give his lovely wife one last look before closing the large door behind him.

The Fire Lord knew where he was going, and he wanted to get there quickly; there was only one place other than in the arms of his beautiful wife that he felt at ease. As he wandered down the empty halls, he smiled at the memory of being near the only other woman in his life that mattered more to him than life itself.

He’d seen her only hours before, but found he just couldn’t stay away. Her smile was intoxicating, and her soft voice murmured words of absolute love for him whenever he came near. His restless mind was already slipping into ease when he stopped in front of the door he’d been waiting to reach.

Silently, he peaked inside the dark room, not wanting to awake the inhabitant. Seeing her peacefully asleep in her sizable bed, he found he couldn’t wait any longer. Rushing forward as quickly as he could, he stopped at the edge and sat down next to her. Reaching down and wiping a small strand of hair from her glorious face, he bent to kiss her.

“Daddy?” came her small voice, and he looked into his daughter’s half asleep eyes. She rustled herself into a sitting position, holding up her two-year-old arms for him to take her into his. He did so eagerly, pulling the girl closely to his chest and nuzzling her soft hair with his nose.

“And how fairs my princess this night?” the Fire Lord asked, holding her out at arms length so he could look into her beautiful face. She only smiled sleepily at him, reaching out to grab onto the loose strands of hair that fell around his face. Her dark fingers curled around them tightly, and he smiled at her with complete love and adoration.

The girl yawned and closed her eyes once again, smiling lovingly at him. “Daddy,” she sighed the word that had been her first and the most often used to date. He pulled her tightly to him as she once again fell into a peaceful sleep, her small body breathing softly as he stroked her dark hair.

“So there you are,” his wife’s soft voice called from the doorway.

“Shh!!” he said quietly, rocking his small daughter in his arms. “Miyako just fell asleep again.”

His wife smiled knowingly and approached the bed with soft steps. “And who woke her up I wonder?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he responded, glaring playfully over at her as she sat beside him. “And even if I did, you know you did the same with Hien for years.”

His wife giggled softly, reaching out to stroke the dark hair of their little girl. “Yes, I supposed this is your right as the father. Don’t stay with her too late, or she won’t be able to fall asleep without you.”

“Is that really such a bad thing?”

“Forgive me Zuko, but I am the only woman allowed in your bed,” his wife said, leaning over to kiss him soundly on the mouth. “No matter how much we both love the other one who would wish to join us there.” Still smiling, she stood up once again, heading for the doorway. “Don’t stay all night, or I may choose to spend my night wrapping my arms around a much younger man as well.”

The Fire Lord gave her a knowing glare. “You wouldn’t wake Hien up at this hour. He’d be cranky all day tomorrow.”

The Water Tribe maiden stopped at the doorway, smiling over at him with passion in her eyes. “Yes, I suppose that’s true.” She leaned against the doorframe and shifted so that she was looking over her shoulder at him. “Maybe another man will bear the sacrifice of a night’s worth of sleep in exchange for a little love.”

“Making me choose between you?” the monarch asked dramatically. “How cruel.”

His wife only smiled, and then she was gone.

Looking down at his sleeping daughter, he grinned and set the girl back in the large bed. “I love you, little one,” he whispered, kissing her forehead softly. He stood from the bed and walked out the open door, back into the waiting arms of a much sweeter mistress.