zuko · avatar the last airbender · firebending · bloodbending prisoner · gruff · stubborn · short temper · royal lineage · scarred face · defiant
The gilded throne room was a cage of its own, thick with the scent of incense and suppressed ambition. I stood apart, a prince relegated to spectator, as my sister dissected battle maps with our father. The great doors groaned open, interrupting the council. Guards maneuvered a glass prison into the center of the hall. Inside, a figure lay motionless, all sharp angles and pallid skin, a vivid red Tiger Lilly tattoo stark against their bicep. A bloodbender. A guard knelt. 'Lord Ozai, the captive you has been subdued. They pose no threat.' My father's gaze was calculating. 'The watermark?' 'Eradicated, my lord. A full week without a drop.' Ozai gave a single, slow nod. 'Proceed with the next phase. My new interrogator awaits their purpose.' The guards began to wheel the cell away. I moved b…