Force of Iron
Chapter One
Something Wrong?
Katara sat alone in her bedchamber, lying on her bed fully dressed in a blue kimono. She lay there wide awake with her mind wandering. Her room was an elaborate, yet traditional room in the Fire Nation Palace. To the servants it was known as the room of the Fire Lord's mistress, which is what she was, Fire Lord Zuko's Fiancé.
She remembered the night he proposed to her. How kind and passionate he was. Every time he kissed her, held her, every look in his eye, told her that he loved her, and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her not just get her into bed with him.
She gingerly touched the engagement necklace that she wore, memories flooding back of simpler times. It was a finely polished black stone with the water and fire symbols on it, held around her neck by a red silk ribbon. As her fingers traced the stone memories flooded back of what Zuko used to be, before he somehow had a recent change in personality.
It was about 3 months ago. After 6 months of being engaged to one another. Zuko had to leave on a political trip to the Earth Kingdom, and Katara wanted to return to the South Pole to visit her family. They went their separate ways, knowing they weren't going to see each other for about a month, not expecting the unexpected.
When Katara had returned to the Fire Nation, Zuko wasn't there and he was scheduled to arrive earlier then she was supposed to.
Two weeks pass and finally his royal vessel was spotted on the horizon.
Katara waited for him at the entrance of the palace. When she finally saw him she could immediately see that something was not right, he looked like Zuko, but there was something in his eyes, kiss, and touch that was completely different from what she remembered, far from what the old Zuko was like.
Weeks passed and she began to see and believe that this person was not Zuko, the Zuko who she fell in love with and wanted to marry.
This person shrugged off duties that Zuko would usually willingly accept. The only new laws he made were for his benefit, not for his people or the world. He also seemed to become more distant from Katara. Before they would usually sit and talk in the garden, enjoying one another's company. But now it seemed like all he wanted was to get into her pants. She always politely refused, saying that they should wait until their wedding night. But he tried to force her into it anyway, until she got up and left the room.
She had gotten into the habit of avoiding him, mostly because it eventually came to a point where she didn't know what to do or say. If this imposter really was Zuko, he would come to her and ask what was wrong. But he never came.
She soon made up her mind that if he didn't return to the old Zuko soon, she would leave him.
Now she spent her evenings and nights alone in her room, thinking of what she would do or where she would go after she left. She figured she would go down to the South Pole, where her family was and where she could teach the next generation of water benders. She already had a suitcase packed with the essentials for her journey. She was ready to leave she just didn't know when. She didn't want to leave, she wanted to stay and marry Zuko, as was the original plan. 'But he's not Zuko', she reminded herself every night these thoughts occurred.
Suddenly, a portrait on the wall of her bedroom swung open. It was a secret passage that the old Zuko used to come up into her room almost every night, so they could spend the night in each others arms.
The painting opened to reveal the man that was supposedly Zuko. 'Well this is a first, he's never done this since he got back', she thought to herself.
She sat up on the side of her bed, turning away from him. She didn't want to look at him; it just made her angry and sad at the same time.
She diverted her attention to her bedroom window that revealed the night sky.
"What is it with you?" he questioned, breaking the silence between them.
"What is it with me?" she questioned back turning to face him. "I think the real question is what it is with you. What happened to you Zuko, if that is your real name? You haven't been the same since you got back. Now you have ten seconds to tell me what is going on or where the real Zuko is or I'm leaving." She was standing up now, looking in him in his cold amber eyes, which only reminded her of how warm they used to be, with anger in her voice.
"And don't lie to me," she added. Her frustration was on edge; she wanted the truth and wanted it now.
He looked at her sternly, as he crossed the room over to where she was standing. His expression was motionless; this made her somewhat frightened, as he stood inches from her face. It took all of her focus to keep from showing him the fear she felt in the pit of the stomach.
"Do you really want to know?" he said gruffly.
She gulped, preparing herself for the worst. It just then occurred to her that he could have killed Zuko to become Fire Lord. She silently prayed that he wasn't dead.
She slowly nodded.
"Very well then," he said as he turned away from her. He walked over to her desk where a portrait of Zuko and her sat. "It's him you want, am I correct?" he said coldly, indicating the portrait.
She couldn't hide her fear any more, her hands started to shake as shivers ran up and down her spine. It was then that she remembered what this man reminded her of, former Fire Lord Ozai. Zuko had told her stories about how cold and heartless his father was. Those stories made her react in the same way.
'Is this man Ozai', she thought to herself. But she breathed a small sigh of relief when she remembered that Ozai had died in prison over a year ago.
"Yes…it's him that I fell in love with, and it's him that I want to marry," she said fear apparent in her voice. "Now who are you?" she questioned, mustering all the courage she had.
"My name is Ozaian the forgotten prince of the Fire Nation."
Yay!! I'm so excited cause this is my first chapter of the first story I have ever posted on Fanfiction. Been wanting to do this for awhile, now i've finally gotten around to it. :)
I know, I know I saw the finale, and frankly I don't care about the turnout. I just like Zutara.
Plus I can't wait to here of what you think, feel free to R&R.
Oh and before I forget, I own nothing whatsoever, Avatar and its characters belong to Nickelodeon and Viacom, except Ozaian cause I made him up. Neither do I own the rights to the movie that this is based off of. I don't want to tell you the movie, cause it might spoil the story for you, but feel free to guess.
I Hoped you enjoyed this first chapter, I'll try to have the next one up within the week or so. See ya!