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A/N: Suggestive Zuko and clueless Aang. My favorite Duo.

Whipping across the desert sands and then through the palace orchard, the breeze washed over Aang. He could still smell the ocean in the wind. It blew past him tugging lightly at the loose silk pants and light open vest he wore. The cold helped to soothe his burning wrists. He tried to pull his hands to him again, but the rope that bound his wrists were far too tight. He felt the burns the ropes were leaving on his wrist and dropped his head in frustration.

He looked up at the solid thud of something landing not far away. His silver eyes rested on the sultan's son. The prince's attire was much like his own, but the cloth was far more rich in embellishments and color. Where Aang was clad in white, the prince was dressed in deep maroon. A shade of silk he had never seen before this night. It seemed to dazzle the eye as it rippled and caught the candles lights while they dined. It was easy enough to want to stare now and see what it might appear like under the moon, but Aang looked back at the ground. It had been his staring that had gotten him into this mess.

It turned out the sultan had a pet peeve about people that stared at his son. He just wished someone could have warned him about that before going in to dine with them for the evening. As a traveling merchant's ward he had no idea what he was getting into. He couldn't even figure out why the simple cloth merchant had been invited to dinner with his 'son' and not just had his wares purchased and then asked to move along. It seemed like custom was quite different here then he had been used to in the other kingdoms.

The lack of slack in ropes that bound his arms out made his shoulder's ache. He wanted desperately to be free. He pulled against the ropes again knowing that his wrists would hate him in the morning for it, but he didn't want to feel like he had done nothing. The now familiar burn cut into his wrist and his shoulder's ache increased, but he didn't stop. He strained harder, but the date trees he was tied to didn't even budge. Not even a shaking of leaves. The lack of movement just grated against him and his anger at it fed into his strength and will to pull harder. A groan escaped his lips as he looked to his right wrist and could see the light flow of blood that was now running down his arm.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Aang looked at the only possible source of conversation. A part of his brain once again reminded him that was why he was here, but the biting wound in his wrist now told him that he didn't care any more. The prince sat calmly under a close date tree and just watched him.

"You're not going to look away this time?" The prince asked.

Aang glared at him. The prince seemed to smile at him. The large scar on one side of his face made him look like a fearsome warrior, but the smile seemed to tone down the fear he instilled on sight. It was one of those smiles that made you want to smile back, but Aang just tried to glare harder at him.

"What were you staring at me for anyways?"

The smile still played at the prince's mouth. Aang knew it was childish, but he fought the urge to kick sand at him. He felt mocked and ridiculed. He vaguely wondered if the prince had done this to all the other unaware and innocent people. He wanted to hate this person who was the source of his current torment, but knew he couldn't. As a pacifist he made it a duty to not hate anybody, but the prince sure was working hard to make his way on to the list.

"You were silent through dinner. You are silent here too. Are you even able to speak?"

Aang refused to take the bait. If looking at the prince was a crime that caused him to be tied up, then he hated to even think what talking to him might be. He might have walked into this trap with open arms, but he certainly was keeping his eyes wide open for the rest. He looked away from the prince and stared once again at his wounded wrist.

"I can't untie you. I would, but then I would be the one here tomorrow night."

The sorrow in the prince's voice told Aang that either the prince was a very good liar or that he had already had his own turn tied to these trees. If there was one thing he knew from his visits in the various kingdom it was that prince and princess teachings were always difficult and if they showed any sign of weakness, the punishments were very harsh, but he would have thought better of such a beloved prince.

He decided to risk it and hope the prince wasn't acting and said, "The silk."

"What was that?" The prince asked.

"I was staring at your clothes. I had never seen such richly colored silk before," Aang admitted.

Laughter filled the air. Aang watched as the prince laughed himself out. He tried hard not to feel like the laughter was directed at him and like he wasn't making a fool of himself.

"I should have known. A cloth merchant's son. You are more interested in the drapery then the house itself," The prince said mostly to himself.

Aang stared at him confusedly. He wanted to ask further about what he said, but he was curious to know about what he had said earlier.

"Earlier, you said that that if you untied me, you would take my place. Isn't that a bit harsh on a prince who is so cared for that even looking at him is a crime?" Aang asked.

The prince shook his head and said, "You misunderstand. It is not due to love, but simply due to hate. I am the prince he wishes did not exist. It is my existence that is his pet peeve. Your punishment is simply, because it is a reminder to him that I do."

Shock covered Aang's face. He couldn't believe he had it so backwards. He woulds have never guessed that the prince was as much a victim in all of this as he was. At least he felt safe the prince wouldn't tell about them talking, but knowing now felt like a steep price.

"You must be lonely," Was all Aang could manage to say.

"It is my way of life. Some times though, some fool comes along and decides they like my clothes and something like this happens," The prince said teasingly.

Aang flushed a bit embarrassed and was about to retort, but the prince's sudden rise from his seated position and concerned look stopped him.

"It seems they are missing me sooner then I expected. I came to bring you this," The prince said holding up a small wrapped bundle, before stuffing it carefully into Aang's pocket. "All you need to do is boil it and run it over your wrists. It will soothe and leave little trace of this night. Lastly, if you are good and do not leave this spot before the night is over, I shall wrap you in a blanket of the finest red silk you have ever seen before you leave this land."

Aang felt once again like he was missing something, but the promise seemed good enough to him. He nodded in agreement. The prince cast him a feral smile that made Aang wonder just what he was getting into, but the prince was gone like a shadow in the night before he could question any further.

FN: Prompt: A rulers pet peeve punishment (#21 of 50)