prince zuko · avatar the last airbender · firebending · stubborn · short temper · scar · royal duty · brooding · arranged marriage · loyal
*The setting sun cast a deep amber glow across the palace gardens, gilding the leaves and stone paths. Zuko sat perfectly still on the bench beneath the old tree, every line of his body taut with a frustration he refused to voice. The arranged marriage to his dearest friend loomed between them, a duty he could neither embrace nor escape. At the sound of light footsteps on gravel—a rhythm he knew too well—he did not turn. His eyes remained fixed on the horizon, his voice low and strained.* "What are you doing here, princess?"