A/N: One-shot time!!! Whoop!!!

Now, here we go!!

Disclaimers: I don't own Avatar: Last Airbender

It was almost winter time in the Fire Nation. That meant that the days would get shorter, and the nights would get longer. Everything changed at the winter festival. It was as if the firebenders were giving their powers over to the waterbenders, but no one said anything. It had been three long years since Ozai was imprisoned. Peace ruled throughout the Fire Nation, and the people were happy. They were prospering without the threat of war. All the nations were at peace.

Zuko sighed as he saw the fires lighting up all around the city. He watched the festival from his balcony, just like he used to when he was a kid. He smiled as he heard laughter come from the streets. Sometimes he wished that he could just be like his people. They had no worries now that the evil had been terminated from the world. They were all innocent again, but they were learning to accept other ways of the world. Zuko had made sure of it.

"What are you doing?" Mai's voice called out. Zuko turned and frowned at her. Mai had dressed in her royal robes. She looked like she was going to meet someone in the dark. Not that she hadn't before, Zuko mused silently.

"Just watching," he said and pointed to the festival. Mai came and wrapped her arms around his neck. She kissed his cheek then rose.

"I am tired. I am going to bed," she said. Zuko nodded, distracted by the commotions that the people were making. After a year and a half of marriage, they had settled into a routine. He would leave her alone, and she would leave him alone. It was truly a royal marriage. They had married for "love" at the beginning, but soon it had turned dry. Everything with him was the same. It was boring. Day after day he would stay in the council chambers and discuss matters with his most trusted advisors. Mai would never know what went on in those discussions, because she would be to busy listening to the gossip of the women of the court. The women were useless and boring. This lifestyle was almost like that of her parents' household. No wonder she took a lover. Zuko hadn't touched her in six months, so she didn't know what he was doing. He seemed to consumed with his work to even notice her anymore. What she found suspicious was the pendent he wore around his neck. She never saw it, but she knew he wore something. What it was, she knew that it meant something dearly to him.

She walked out of his rooms and went down into the servant's hallways. Her lover would comfort her. He always did.

Zuko sighed in relief as he heard the door shut. She would find the man that she called a lover and have sex with him until dawn. She would have a huge smile on her face in the morning, so she would be in a good mood.

Great, Zuko mentally said to himself. He suddenly found the palace to dank and crowded for him. He looked around for the guard patrol and smiled to himself. He went into his closet and got some peasantry clothing. He quickly dressed himself. He went back out onto the balcony and laughed softly. All of his guards were at the festival. He smiled and leaped over the edge. He was free for just a short while. That was all he needed.

He made his way down the streets and quickly got a mask. The winter festival was a masquerade focused on the lovers of the season. Fire Nation legend said that the reason why the seasons changed was the fact that two lovers had been forced to separate. At spring, they would meet again. But winter was always the time that they were forced apart. He smiled grimly. He knew what that was like. He had to say goodbye to the one he loved three years ago. She had said goodbye to him as well, but it hadn't helped. They had exchanged tokens, and had shared one kiss. And something more than that. That had meant the world to him. She hadn't been his first, not by a long shot, but he had been hers. He had held her for a long time after they were done and had told her stories of his childhood. She had smiled against his chest and had told him her dreams and wishes for the future. At the dawn, they had separated.

Zuko sighed and rubbed his hair. She had meant the world to him, and still did. He wondered, as he always did, what she was doing now. She was never far away from his thoughts. She was always there when he could never think about anything else. When he stressed out, he always fingered the pendant that she had given him.

"For you to remember me by," she said. He fingered the blue stone lovingly and looked at her.

"This is really all we can do, isn't it?" he said. She had nodded and started to cry. He had given her his wrist band and his fire stone.

"Legend says in the Fire Nation, that the one who possesses the fire stone of a firebender has his heart. It's for you to carry with you," he said. He brought his hand up to her cheek and cupped it. She smiled sadly into his eyes.

"I love you," she said. He had nodded and had said his goodbyes. She had stood there until he disappeared from her sight.

Katara was always on his mind. Even though they would never be together, she was always in his heart.

Shortly after they had separated, Aang had proposed to her. Zuko and Mai had gone to the wedding. Katara was beaming with joy. Zuko smiled tightly, but kept his emotions in check. If she could be happy, then he could be too. He didn't speak to her privately at all because he didn't trust himself when he would be alone with her. He would do something that she didn't need to happen. Zuko had gotten through the wedding somehow. He probably had drawn enough strength from his ancestors. That was the only reason that he could think of. His aggressive firebending and arrogant personality would have done something that he could regret. He would regret anything because it was her. That's why he never told her again what he felt for her.

That didn't keep him from wondering. It had been one year, three months, two days, three hours and five minutes since they last saw each other. (Not that he was counting). He would stare out into the middle of the night, especially on a full moon. He smiled as he remembered how Katara had put him in his place when they had been up in the North Pole. She was one of the only benders that could do that to him and get away with it. Not that he could retaliate anyway. She would beat him up even worse the next time. But that was Katara.

It was almost daybreak when Zuko crawled into bed. He groaned and shifted. Sleep eluded him, just like everything else. It was getting annoying because of the fact that he couldn't sleep because of memories. He was the Fire Lord, and he was thinking about another man's wife. He had such a hard time getting to sleep sometimes that he pulled all-nighters. He couldn't afford that, not with a meeting with the Earth Kingdom at noon. Thank his ancestors that the Earth Kingdom citizens didn't get up until late morning. Sighing contentedly, Zuko drifted off into an uneven sleep.

Katara sighed as she watched the staff of the Fire Palace. They hustled and bustled to get work done, each oblivious to the other. One of the matrons of the staff looked directly at Katara. The matron had a long red robe on and her graying hair was pulled back in a tight bun. She had leggings on under her robe as a way to move quickly and quietly throughout the halls.

"Come, you have bathing duty today," she ordered. Katara blinked mentally. What did the woman mean by that?

"I do not have all day. Come along," she said. The matron smiled to herself. She knew who the waterbender was. Everyone knew because of the looks that passed between her and the Fire Lord discretely. Everyone knew that the couple had feelings for each other. Most of the staff loved the waterbender because she thanked them. The Fire Lady was not so lucky. She would become violent if some of her demands were not met. Everyone avoided her room like the plague. Well, everyone except her lover. The Fire Lady had taken a lover when the Fire Lord had decreed that he would not become intimate with her. The servants had rejoiced. Many had been there to witness the fight between the Fire Lord and the banished princess. Everyone saw how the Fire Lord had thrown himself in front of the waterbender. She had healed him, but the fates had thrown them apart. Well, the staff being dedicated to the Fire Lord would help ensure his happiness.

Katara followed the matron, curious as to what the woman would have her do. The woman made her way up some back stairs. Katara caught a glimpse of mai coming out of one of the servants rooms with a huge smile on her face.

"What is the Fire Lady doing down here?" she asked. The matron stopped and gaped at her.

"You did not know?" she asked confused. She regained her composure quickly. "The Fire Lord and Fire Lady have not shared a bedchamber since the first anniversary. The Fire Lord told the Fire Lady to 'get her sadistic pleasures elsewhere.' He remains loyal to the love of his inner fire."

"What?" Katara asked. She was getting confused. The matron sighed loudly again.

"The waterbender that saved the Fire Lord is the one who holds the key to his heart," the matron declared romantically. Katara just stood there immobilized. Then she started remembering everything.

She and Aang had arranged a wedding front so that Aang could marry Toph in secret. Soon, word was let out that the waterbender and airbender wedding had been a fake. Everyone was surprised, but quickly got over it because they saw how much Aang and Toph meant to each other. Katara had smiled in happiness, until she had heard that Zuko had married Mai. Katara's whole world froze over when she had heard that announcement. Everyone else had rejoiced because they all thought that Zuko had really loved mai. Katara had gone off on her own and cried.

"I don't love her," he said. They were cuddling by the fire that he had created. He kept staring into the flames. Each different color revealed a new side to his past and personality. "I was raised to adhere to tradition. I don't know if I can anymore." He looked at her and smiled grimly.

"I can't see myself without you," he said truthfully. "This happiness should go with me. I can't just leave it here." She wiped the tears from her eyes and took off her necklace. She took off her grandmother's necklace. She took the ends and untied them and expanded the necklace with some red cloth. She smiled as she put it over his head and onto his neck. He fingered the necklace and just looked at her. A moment later he dug in one of his pockets. There was a deep sunset colored stone in his hands. It had a long metal chain attached to it. It was a necklace. He took it and put it around her neck.

"This stone has been passed down in my family for generations," he said. "Legends tells that when a firebender gives this stone to the one that they love, the two lovers are intertwined forever. I'll always be with you."

"Everything's going to be different now, isn't it?" Katara asked him. He just nodded. Katara started to say something, but didn't ruin the moment. They stayed that way until sunrise.

Katara smiled at that memory. She couldn't believe that he had actually thought that she had married aang, though. Whatever she could do, she had to make it right.

"Young lady," the matron snapped. Katara looked up. "This way." Katara nodded and ran silently to catch up with the matron. They went through a series of corridors until they made it to some bathing chambers. The matron looked at Katara.

"All you have to do is change the water and bathe the person in there. Can you handle that?" she snapped. Katara nodded. The matron nodded and then left. Katara never noticed the smile on her face.

Katara inched into the chamber. There was a huge bath in the middle that went into the floor. Steam was everywhere. She could barely make out what was in the room, but she knew someone else was in there.

"Hurry up, woman! I have a meeting with the Earth Kingdom representative in less than an hour!" Zuko's voice snapped from the bath. Katara turned scarlet when she saw all of his muscle ripple when he moved. His scar on his back had improved, she noticed, but it was still white. She smiled mischievously and grabbed the water bucket. She made the water ice cold and dumped it all on him. He jumped out of the bath and grabbed her before she even had time to laugh. He froze when he saw her face.

"What are you doing here?" he asked in a barely audible whisper. She smiled.

"The Avatar and his wife, Toph the earthbender, are on an extended honeymoon. It's their second one," she said. He just stared at her, comprehending what she said, and then kissed her senseless.

She was keenly aware of his state of undress. He put her up against the wall and stopped kissing her.

"You have way to many clothes on," he said. He exposed her shoulder and sprayed kisses along her collar bone. She smiled to herself and let herself fall under his love…

About an hour and a half later, they both emerged from his rooms fully clothed. He smiled tenderly at her. She looked at him in confusion.

"Aren't you married?" she asked him. He shook his head.

"It's an extended engagement. The council never approved of Mai. They never told us that, and let us get married. I learned six months ago that the wedding was a farce. Suffice to say, Mai doesn't know that yet," he said. Katara nodded and took his hand. He put his arm over her shoulder and held her close to him. She took the arm that was pressed up against him and put it around his back.

"Why did we have to wait so long?" she asked. He smiled.

"We both are very stubborn," he said. He looked at her then. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm the Earth Kingdom representative," she told him saucily. He laughed and held her closer, if that was at all possible. She smiled at him. They both went to confront the council together.

"This is an outrage!" one of the older members yelled. Zuko had told them of his plans to put Mai out of his life and to make Katara his Fire Lady. "We will never allow such a thing!"

The older members of the council were strictly against the suggestion. It went against tradition and old beliefs. They were stuck in the traditional culture and had their heads in the sky. The younger members sat in silence as they saw their liege go up against tradition itself in order to have the one he loved.

"SHE WILL BE THE FIRE LADY!" he roared. The old one's suddenly closed their mouths. The matron that had helped Katara early that day came into the room. She sat at the head table for the women's court.

"We of the women's council have decided," she proclaimed. She eyed each and everyone of the old men. "She is fit to become Fire Lady." The men gaped at her. She smiled triumphantly and sat back. Zuko eyed all of the older gentlemen.

"My rule has been one and just, even though I am a young Fire Lord. This woman has made me who I am," he said. He grabbed her hand and held onto it for dear life. "She has always been the reason why I have worked so hard for what I do. She may not be an official royal in the eyes of society, but her father is the chieftain of the Southern Water Tribe. She is royal, by all standards, including the Fire Nation's." the young men of the council cheered and clapped for the Fire Lord. The old men, who were outnumbered, sat back and grumbled. This young man was nothing like his father or grandfather. They would never let him know that they respected him because of that. None of them had truly been loyal to the previous Fire Lords, but terror had told them to back down. Many of the older gentlemen remember the tales of the Avatar and how the Avatar would liberate the world from evil. They realized, slowly, that it was not only the Avatar who had to make changes; everyone in the world had to cooperate with them. The Avatar was the symbol of hope, but it was the people who had to want the change within them.

"Fine," the leader of the older members grumbled. He raised his hand. "All those in favor say 'aye.'"

The decision was unanimous. Zuko smiled as he looked into Katara's eyes. She smiled a light smile at him.

"Now, we have to deal with Mai," she said. He smiled grimly. He looked at her tenderly.

"I can deal with anything," he said. He looked ahead. "As long as I have your love, anything is possible."

A/N: Well, that was the first chapter out of three. I'm plotting for some more action. Mai will not go down willingly. But, anyways, tell me what you think. I love reviews. Until next time!

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