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Ursa looked on concerned toward the servent, she did not like to see peop,e getting hurt, she wondered what the poor servent had done to suffer like they were.

"Please I don't pretend to know what they've done." She pleded gently

She moved to him.

"Yet is there not a better way to deal with it?" She asked concerne

It wasn’t until Ozai had met Ursa that he understood why Iroh seemed to do anything a “beautiful” woman told him to do.

And yet, there was something in those eyes, the way she came to his side that made his lips twitch and withdraw his foot from the unfortunate servant.

Expression darted.

“Leave.  You are no longer welcome here.”

Google Translate Sings starters - volume 2

@fire-lord-zukers

“Yes.”

Despite the strain in their relationship, despite the rampant accusations that Ozai never cared about Zuko...

There was the slightest hint of sadness as he stared down at the burnt, bleeding man.  

Child, but old enough. Old enough to know and to understand consequences.  

The consequences of betraying his nation.  

“I see Iroh tried to teach you his trick.  I see you failed to learn it.  As usual.  You managed to spare yourself a quick and painless death.  Congratulations.”

Usually, lightning was quick and fatal.  Zuko had managed to prevent the first part, but likely not the latter.

Ursa opened her eyes weakly with panic, this wasn't a good start at all, shew knew where she was physically but not time wise, she held her head.

"Healers? "

Why couldn't she remember how she got here, she knew everything else but this was a haze.

"Lighting!"cage exclaimed shocked

How was that possible, she moved a bit.

"How... Iroh.. you.. me.. I don't remember"

She been a fire bender a few times, but more often then not she was a none bender.

"Tell me .. how long have you and I been marriage?"o

If she knew she would know where she had started

Ozai nodded solemnly.  

It was to be expected, the healers said, for her memory to be hazy.

“Your memory will return in time,” he said.  “We got married...about two months ago, now.”

A sigh.  He had tried to make it work, but...

“I was training when you wandered too close to the grounds.  As I said, you were not struck directly, but it did harm nonetheless.”

She was tired as blood dropped from fingers, she looked to her husband, she killed in his name and she was unsure how to feel about bit part of her just felt numb in that moment.

"What .. what are you taking about dear?" She replied mono tone " I've watched yes that technique, cold fire, it hurt my hands."

Interest sparked in his eyes; having no interest in the man who had the misfortune of crossing the Fire Nation royals. 

The servants would take care of him, deposit him somewhere where his corpse may yet fertilize the ground and be useful to the world.  

Instead, he paced around her in half circles, observing her; committing her every crease and feature into memory.

It was disconcerting, Iroh thought, to realize that this was the most whole their family had been in some time.  

Since that day, the day Iroh refused to think about, the day that changed everything; the day that his beloved son had passed, the day that his own brother had killed their father, the day that Lady Ursa was banished.  

Nearly fifteen years ago and the wound still felt fresh.  

But here he was, clinging desperately to the idea that there was some good in his brother, that he wasn’t falling into a trap, that maybe the words he spoke of Azulon’s abuse, his perpetual isolation, the constant criticism wasn’t a lie.

But, spirits, how could he have missed that?  He wasn’t in Ozai’s life much, but surely he would have...?

A sigh.  There was no turning back now.  He waved off the guards; gave them a nod when they gave him a dubious look, and led Ozai, alone, to Zuko.

“Zuko,” he said, dropping the formality, tone serious.  He did not warn Zuko about this--perhaps he should have, but he didn’t want the boy to work himself up over something that wasn’t worth it.

“Ah, Firelord Zuko!”  Iroh spoke loudly.  Perhaps it was justified, the teashop was large and his voice needed to be loud to carry over the bustle.

But, really, he spoke loudly to alert his companion, the scrawny man that was sitting with him at the table, bundled in red robes.

Ozai stood dead center in Iroh’s moral crossroads.

The optimist in him said everyone deserves another chance.

The realist in him said Ozai didn’t. 

He couldn’t discern Ozai’s motivations, not even after almost a year of meeting like this, but he couldn’t justify abandoning his brother.  Not again.  Not after he came to him, all but verbally begging for help.  

But Iroh knew Ozai and he knew Ozai thought him a miserable, emotional fool and it was his greatest fear that he was playing straight into the man’s trap.  

Which is why it was utterly critical that Zuko know nothing about it.  If he went down in a foolish attempt to house the viper, then so be it.  But he would not allow Ozai to harm Zuko.  Never again.  

And so he positioned himself dead in the middle of Zuko’s path, obstructing him from entering the teashop further; placed a hand on his shoulder, gave him the friendly smile; eyes sparkling with the pride his father never had.  

Iroh carefully brought the tea to his mouth.  It was warm. With all his years of wisdom, he looked utterly serene, despite the turmoil budding within.

He and Ozai sat across from one another, a Pai Sho table between them, and if Iroh let himself believe, it was almost as if nothing had changed.  But, Iroh was far too old to play the fool.  It had been years since the war had ended; a few since Ozai mysteriously escaped from prison, and just over one year since they had been in contact.

Iroh didn’t trust him.

He probably never would.  

But he welcomed him back home, played the loving, emotional fool that he knew Ozai thought he was, even if he was grasping at straws hoping Ozai had changed.  If nothing else, he was keeping his eye on him.  

Ignoring Ozai’s steely gaze on his every movement, Iroh lowered the teacup, turned his head to acknowledge Ursa with an incline of his head, a bright smile on his face.

“Lady Ursa.  How does this wonderful day find you?”