Yesssss I know I'm bad for starting yet ANOTHER story without updating my previous one buuuuut it be like that sometimes sooooo...enjoy my new zutara baby :)

Preface

The warm feel of the sun rising over the horizon crept through the Fire Princes large window. It was no joke when they said fire benders rose with the sun. Zuko took a deep breathe in and exhaled slowly, opening his eyes to watch the sun rise as his servants dressed him. His inner fire began to flicker; he was starting to feel like himself. His eye twitched at the feeling of little hands pressing and grasping in places he'd prefer not to be touched, but he let the servants do their job. He learned to have more patience these days, it was the quality of a perfect Fire Lord after all, qualities he'd been practicing all his life. The silky white robes adorned with delicate flame like patterns covered his chiseled chest. A gold woven belt worn by his father for his own wedding fit his waist perfectly. The servants then draped his armor over his shoulder, paired with a gold cape for extra flare. The Fire Nation knew how to keep it classy when it came to special events. He sat down in a chair as they fiddled with his boots and brushed his dark silky hair up into royal bun, gently placing his crown into it. A single short strand of his bangs fell out of place.

Zuko stood and looked in the mirror. He wasn't used to being so dressed up; the 'special events' were rare here, though he didn't mind how he looked. Since he was just a boy he knew that one day he would serve his country in anyway he could. He'd follow his fathers footsteps to continue the Fire Nation's legacy, to rule over all three nations and continue the royal bloodline. Today felt like the beginning of that future.

The Fire Prince stepped into the hall, where two men dressed in traditional Fire Sage robes awaited him. They bowed and led him down the hall and towards the balcony that overlooked the courtyard where hundreds of Fire Nation officials and the most noble and rich families sat, awaiting the start of the ceremony. Zuko approached the throne where his father sat. Paying his respect to the Fire Lord, the groom bowed before making his way to the alter, facing the awaiting high priest.

With his back turned to the crowd, Zuko felt numb and stared straight forward. He wasn't nervous because of the crowd, or even because he was about to get married, he just felt…nothing. He heard the slow footsteps of his bride to be approach from behind. He'd ever met her before, never seen her face, didn't know her name. But he knew this was his duty, for his people, and for the throne. Finally she reached the alter and the two knelt on the white cushions at their feet. There wasn't a word mustered between them.

The high priest began the ceremony and took both of their hands, bounding them with a red ribbon. Zuko had attended a few weddings in the past as a boy, so he was a little familiar with the process. He knew what the Sage would say, he knew they'd be bound by the symbolic 'Fire Nation blood' ribbon, and he knew traditionally they would light a single candle together to unite their beings as one. When the Sage presented the candle and spoke his lines, Zuko shot a single flare at the candle, alone. This was the first time he'd bothered to glance at his partner, wondering why she hadn't lit the candle as well. He noticed a brown hand attached to his and his eyes flickered up to the piercing blue sad eyes that were looking down. His eyes shot over to his father, the mastermind behind all of this in question and he only flashed a sly smile.

Not only was she not a fire bender, she was…water tribe? Zuko shook his head and tried to focus back on what was happening, and yet suddenly it all seemed to end as quickly as it began. They stood and turned to finally face one another. He looked into her eyes and reached for her lace veil, removing it from her face and over her head. She was definitely water tribe. Her big blue eyes and red painted lips quivered as he cupped her face and bent down to give her a peck on the cheek. She felt stone cold. Grabbing her hand, still intertwined with the red ribbon, Zuko led his new bride down the alter and towards the crowd. The crowd's clapping came to a halt as they all stood and bowed at the new royal couple. The ceremony was complete.

~.~.~.~.~

Immediately after the wedding, the two were escorted by a group of soldiers to their new shared bedroom. This was an upgrade for Zuko as well, he was getting closer and closer to having the Fire Lord suite. Zuko turned to the guards and thanked them quietly before they bowed and left to stand guard outside their door. The bedroom was large. There was a common area just as you walked in, giant tapestries of deep red adorned the walls as you entered, just incase you forgot you were in the Fire Nation. Further in the room sat the bed fit for a king and queen, with a golden headboard and delicate hand carved posts. The silky sheets looked inviting, exactly what they were designed to do. To the left of the bed was a huge window that overlooked what seemed like the entire city. This room sat high amongst the tallest peaks of the palace, giving them a stunning view. Zuko's bride walked over to the window and stared without saying a word. He watched how she walked, studying the way she moved, trying to learn from her silence. It was a bit awkward, he could admit.

"We get to have a few moments to ourselves as newlyweds." Zuko stated as he awkwardly walked up behind her. "Then we have to meet with our guests in the great room." He stared at her for a moment waiting for her response before cocking his eyebrow up in question.

"Did you hea-

"Yes." She interrupted him. His lips thinned and cleared his throat before reluctantly taking a few steps to stand next to her. Looking out at the beautiful view before them, Zuko couldn't image how anyone couldn't love their nation. The lush green trees and pink and orange flowers rustled in the wind just outside their balcony. A warm beam of light shined through the large window and Zuko smiled as it warmed his skin.

"I used to pick those flowers and give them to my mom whenever she was upset with me. They're quite pretty and never cease to turn someones frown upside down." He peaked out of the corner of his eye and down at her to see any change in her expression but there was none. He pursed his lips and looked back out the window.

"There's some baby turtleducks that just hatched not too far from that po-

"I like the snow." She said firmly in retaliation. She she does speak, he thought. Her voice was soft and buttery, it matched her pretty face well. He looked back at her and spoke.

"Well I'm sure you'll get used to the heat here, it's fairly bearable." She looked at him with a frown and crossed her arms. He examined her face a bit more in detail than the last time they stood this close. Her skin appeared soft and smooth, her eyes were captivating, and her lips were plump and full, painted red for their ceremony. He couldn't complain at all about this girl his father had found for him, she was stunning. Zuko had to admit, he'd never been with anyone who wasn't fire nation, so this would be a rather interesting experience.

He was unsure of what he was supposed to do next. Step 1 was to be groomed into the perfect heir, that was complete. Step 2 was to get married, also done. Step 3 was to rule as the new Fire Lord and produce an heir for the lineage to continue, but, no one really told him the process between steps 2 and 3. This he had to figure out on his own. Zuko, however, was a rather confident guy. He was aware of his effects on other women. They seemed to like his handsome face and perfectly sculptured body. So this would be just another one of those instances, right? She wouldn't be able to resist his charm, or so he thought.

Zuko gently reached for her chin with his masculine hand to turn her face towards his and leaned in for a soft kiss. His face was instantly stinging in pain as her hand swiftly came in contact with his cheek.

"Motherfuc-!" Zuko stumbled and grabbed his face before viciously looking back at her.

"What are you doing?!" She yelled at him, her face flushed with pink. Zuko rubbed his cheek and stood up straight.

"What do you think I'm trying to kiss you we just got married I'm supposed t-" "You don't even know me!" She had a point there. But they just got married, it was going to happen sooner or later. There was no turning back. He grunted and walked over to their bathroom to examine his pulsating face in the mirror. A nice big red mark stained his face and he frowned.

"Great I'm gonna look like a fool going out there like this." He mumbled to himself. He ran the water and splashed his face with cold water to try and reduce the redness.

"A-are you ok?" He heard her voice behind him suddenly and he jumped.

"Yeah. I'm fine." He looked back into the mirror to see the red mark still there and sighed, grabbing a towel and patting his face dry. "I'm sorry I came onto you like that." She just nodded in response and grabbed her arm sheepishly.

"Listen…" She spoke. "If we have to do this can we just, take our time?" He looked down at her with a small tinge of guilt. He didn't know her story or how she got wrapped up in all this. Hell, he didn't even know her name, but he guessed he should at least consider her feelings. He was just used to the idea of his personal emotions and ideas being overshadowed by his title. Being royalty came with a price, but he assumed not everyone would understand that.

"Yes. Of course." He heard her plea, but was too nervous to bring up consummating their marriage later.

"Thank you." She said quietly. Suddenly without the faucet turning on, a small stream of water flowed through the tap and engulfed her hand. Zuko's eyes trailed her hand as she brought it up to his face. He flinched in fear of another slap but felt her soft hand gently touch his cheek instead. The glow from the water felt cool against his skin and he looked into her concentrating eyes. As soon as it started, it was over. He didn't feel the burning sensation in his face anymore and glanced over at the mirror to inspect it. The red mark was gone and his fingers trailed his face. He'd never met a water bender in person before her, but he'd heard tales that they had this ability to heal. He'd never been so impressed.

"What's your name?" He asked, turning his attention back to her.

"Katara."

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