Iroh was the Crown Prince, which meant his brother was a Prince as well.
Zuko, being Iroh's nephew, was therefore a Prince's son—a Royal Grandson.
Got it.
"Prince Zuko—"
"You two are about the same age. Just call each other by your names," Iroh interrupted Kahn gently, smiling as he turned to Zuko. "His name is Kahn. He's a friend's son. I hope you two can get along well."
"I understand, Uncle Iroh," Zuko nodded politely, then looked at Kahn. "Hello, Kahn. You can just call me Zuko."
Kahn gave a brief glance at Iroh, then smiled, "Alright. Hello, Zuko. It's nice to meet you."
"Me too!" Zuko replied quickly, his tone bright and eager—like an overexcited puppy.
Kahn silently judged him in his head.
Is it too rude to think of a Royal Grandson like that?
"I'm glad you both made a new friend," Iroh said warmly. "I think you'll need some space to get to know each other."
He patted both their shoulders. "I'll stay a little farther away—close enough to watch, but not close enough to disturb."
Then he walked off, leaving the two boys facing each other awkwardly.
"..."
"..."
Kahn sighed inwardly. I don't want to get to know a little kid.
Still, he said nothing. He wasn't afraid of awkwardness.
As long as he didn't feel awkward, everyone else could.
Zuko, on the other hand, looked nervous but eager. After a long pause, he finally blurted out, "Um, Kahn, what do you usually do for fun? Can we go play together?"
Kahn froze.
What do I usually do for fun?
Images flashed through his mind—him in his yard, copying anime characters' poses, mouthing famous lines, or imagining mini-dramas before bed.
Recently, he'd especially enjoyed imitating fire users. Now that he could actually bend fire, it made his fantasies feel even cooler—and counted as practice too.
Ahem… getting off-topic.
Obviously, he couldn't tell Zuko that. It wasn't about embarrassment—Zuko just wouldn't understand.
So Kahn replied calmly, "Usually, I study and practice Firebending."
Yup. The picture-perfect model student.
Zuko looked slightly disappointed. "That's the same thing I usually do…"
Then his eyes brightened. "Don't you ever play with others? Maybe we can go find someone to play with!"
"But I prefer studying," Kahn said, keeping a straight face. "Studying makes me happy."
He'd already turned down Zuko's first offer—he couldn't backtrack now. Gotta save face.
"Then… then…"
Zuko fidgeted, clearly unsure what to do. He glanced at Iroh for help, but Iroh only smiled and waved.
Watching Zuko's small, frustrated face, Kahn suddenly found him kind of… cute.
He's easy to tease.
Still, teasing a prince seemed like a bad idea. What if he cried and later held a royal grudge?
So Kahn offered instead, "I was planning to go to the library. Do you want to come?"
Zuko's face lit up instantly. "Okay!"
Kahn couldn't help but smirk. This kid's actually kind of fun.
As they walked, Zuko kept looking around, fascinated by everything—even though there were only students and simple courtyards.
Kahn raised a brow. "You've never been out before?"
Zuko shook his head. "Father doesn't allow me to go out and play. Sometimes we travel together, but I'm not allowed to wander. If I do, I get scolded."
He smiled shyly. "But today, Uncle Iroh brought me, so I could come out."
Kahn felt a flicker of sympathy. For a kid, being locked up all day sounded miserable. Still, he understood. Zuko was a Royal Grandson—his father was only trying to protect him.
Then Zuko pouted. "Only Azula gets to run around and never gets scolded."
"Azula?" Kahn repeated, puzzled.
"Yeah, Azula. She's my little sister," Zuko said, frowning. "Sometimes I wonder if we're even related. She's crazy!"
Just as Zuko seemed ready to start ranting, Kahn interrupted, "We've arrived at the library."
Zuko stopped mid-sentence and looked up in awe.
Three sets of nine stone steps led to an ancient, sprawling building—the library.
It wasn't as grand as the one in the royal palace, but it had a life of its own—people coming and going, scholars deep in thought, a quiet hum of activity.
Even before stepping inside, the air grew still. Most of the visitors were older, though some were their age, quietly holding books.
Zuko held his breath, eyes wide.
Kahn chuckled and patted his back. "Relax. You're not sneaking into a war council."
He walked forward, and Zuko hurried to follow.
Technically, Zuko wasn't a student or staff here, so he shouldn't have been allowed in. But the librarian immediately recognized the Fire Nation's Crown Prince, following behind with his uncle.
The man approached Iroh respectfully, exchanging a few hushed words before bowing deeply.
Even after defeat, Iroh was clearly still beloved by the Fire Nation's people.
Inside, Kahn went straight to the history section and began browsing the shelves.
Zuko, meanwhile, grabbed a thick book titled History of the Fire Nation, Volume Three.
He opened it—and immediately looked dizzy. So many words, so many he couldn't even recognize.
Kahn glanced over. "You can't read it?"
Zuko sighed. "There are too many big words…"
Kahn scratched his cheek. "I can manage. Basic reading's not a problem."
Weird how the script looks like traditional Chinese characters, he thought. But hey, it works. I can read most of it.
"Ah—found it," Kahn said finally, pulling a book from the top shelf.
Zuko leaned in. "What's that one?"
"The History of the Avatar," Kahn replied.
"Avatar?" Zuko's eyes brightened. "I know about that! My mom told me stories about the Avatar before bedtime."
"Turning history into bedtime stories, huh?" Kahn chuckled. "That actually makes sense."
In a world where bending shaped nations, history did sound like fantasy. The stories in this book were practically legendary—half myth, half reality.
Kahn read it more like a novel than a textbook.
He looked down at Zuko, who was still peering curiously at the pages, and said, "How about I read it to you?"
Zuko's face lit up. "Okay!"