Choices

A/N: I need to lose my obsession with rape, I’m writing a historical novel involving rape. I’m starting to alarm myself… Right, next writing will be a romantic comedy so as to avoid therapy…

Spoilers: Selective use of cannon up till The Fury of Aang.

Warnings: AU, rape, child abuse, torture, slash

Disclaimer: Zuko and Zhao aren’t together, Sokka hasn’t kissed Jet, Ozai still breaths, I don’t have a turtle duck, so I’m gonna say I still don’t own Avatar the Last Airbender. I’m just borrowing them for a while.

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Chapter 1: Of Crews, Courtship, and Conspiracies


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Zuko woke with no memory of his nightmare, “Has there been any news of the Avatar?” He asked eagerly, as he did every morning since his father banished him.
“No sir,” Lieutenant Ji said disappointedly. He and Prince Zuko had clashed at first. Zuko had been angry and bitter, and Ji had been convinced that Zuko was nothing but a ‘spoiled selfish prince.’ Zuko’s courage in protecting Ji’s lover, Zuko’s helmsman had since convinced Ji that the banished prince was a good kid.

“Prince Zuko, come and join me in a cup of calming ginseng tea?” His uncle asked as he did every morning. Zuko grimaced, but didn’t attack the innocent tea tray as he would have just a few years ago.

Time had changed him. Zuko had grown nearly into full manhood. He had nearly mastered the fine art of not loosing his temper. Nearly.

“Prince Zuko, General Iroh, a ship’s hailing us!”

“What colors?” Zuko, Iroh, and Ji called together.

“She’s not flying any!” The helmsman shouted back. The two men and young adult climbed up to the helm.

“Let’s see what they want,” Zuko spoke, “Maybe they have news of the Avatar,”

Ji and his lover exchanged a look. Hope springs eternal…

Zuko went back to the deck.
“Hello there!” A richly dressed man stepped up to stand alongside Zuko on the strange boat, “Would you be Prince Zuko?”

Zuko nodded.

“Well then, I’ve got a deal for you, a trade if you will…”

“Who are you and what kind of trade?” Zuko asked suspiciously. Something was off with this. Something was wrong…

“Oh, I am Captain Yau. And if you wish to know what I want to trade, you should come look for yourself, it’s rather too big to move easily, and I wouldn’t want to move it twice.” Zuko paused for a long, long moment.

Then he walked over to his uncle and Lieutenant. “He wants to trade, but he won’t say what he has or what he wants from me,” Zuko looked intently at his uncle, “I have a bad feeling about this but I’m going to see what he wants, maybe it’ll have something to do with capturing the Avatar.

“I don’t like it Prince Zuko, it could be dangerous!” Iroh warned.

“I know, but I have to try,” Zuko embraced his uncle, yet another change; he was far more affectionate with Iroh than he had been. “If I’m not back soon assume that something’s wrong. Iroh nodded.