"Sir, a letter for you." A messenger stood in the doorway, bowing deeply before his leader. The 'leader', nothing more than a teenager, took it and bowed back.
"Who's it from?"
"Seems to be a message from the Northern Water Tribe, sir, but there's no name on the outside, and I thought it unfitting to open it without your-"
"Yes, yes, thank you, dismissed." He waved the servant away. He hated feeling like royalty. After so long traveling with the Avatar, it didn't feel right. It didn't feel like him.
Zuko stifled a sigh as he opened the scroll. He'd been doing that a lot lately, he noted dismally. He had hoped that maybe a friend had thought to right him, but he wasn't on good terms with anyone in the Northern Water Tribe. He'd seen Aang plenty of times at meetings, and Sokka had dropped in once or twice. Even Toph had seen him at one point in the past two years. But never a word from her... He wondered absently if it was Aang's doing.
He looked down again at the scroll on his desk. May as well get it over with. No doubt if he didn't, the diplomatic meeting this was surely an invitation to would come back to bite him. He braced for the worst and read the note.
Dear Zuko,
I'm allowed one letter to one person, so I figure it has to be you. It just makes sense. I've somehow gotten myself into trouble with those stupid Northern policies and they're trying me for something in two days. Trying me! Can you believe it? I haven't done anything wrong! I'm sorry I haven't written you sooner, but things have been very busy and Aang never lets me go on any of his trips to other nations. Dumb, if you ask me, but it's not my fault I haven't come to visit. They said the issue had something to do with you, so I figured you're the one who might know what's going on. Please help.
Come soon,
Katara
Zuko groaned and finally let the stubborn sigh out. Dear Agni, what was going on? What could Katara possibly be in trouble for? And what did it have to do with him? Thinking back, the only time he'd been to the Northern Water Tribe was for... oh. Well, when he'd been chasing the Avatar. No, Aang. He refused to think of him as anything but Aang. The Avatar had been his goal- not the Airbender who'd become his friend.
Maybe it was some kind of charge for messing up the Spirit Oasis. He'd done battle with Katara there. Maybe he'd scorched some sacred plant. No, that was stupid. He had no idea what was wrong. But he knew that Katara was finally talking to him, finally needed his help again, and he wasn't going to let her down.
--
"All rise for the honorable Chief Arnook, who will stand as judge today." The assembled Waterbenders and a mottled mix of witnesses got to their feet, while Zuko and Katara stood sullenly at the accused stand.
"How exactly did you drag me into this mess again?" he hissed in her direction.
"They told me I was being tried, I sent you a letter, and you showed up."
"That was rhetorical."
"Then what was the point? You just wanted to hear yourself talk?"
"What's that supposed to mea-"
"The accused, Katara of the Water Tribe and Zuko of the Fire Nation, are faced with the following charge," the speaker projected his voice again, then paused for dramatic effect.
"Well, at least now we'll know what we did wrong." Katara whispered.
"Oh goodie. So when they throw us in jail, we'll know exactly how to reform!" Zuko exclaimed, sarcasm biting.
"They..." the speaker paused again. Just get on with it! Zuko urged. "Are not married."
"WHAT?!" For once, Zuko and Katara agreed on something.
"Would the accused like to say a few words?"
"What the heck is going on here?!" Zuko fumed.
"Thank you. We will now call a few witnesses to the stand. Will the Pirate Captain Jian please rise."
"Actually, I prefer to think of myself as a high-risk trader."
Zuko winced at the sight of the double-crossing old pirate, but the speaker ignored him. "Do you testify that Zuko of the Fire Nation did have a Water Tribe betrothal necklace in his possession during your interaction with him?"
"Can I ask the accused a question, please?"
"One."
"Will this make your life miserable?" Jian glanced sideways at Zuko.
"Yes!" he blurted without thinking, then instantly regretted it.
"He sure did. A nice blue one." Jian nodded confidently.
"Thank you. Next, will Jun of the Earth Kingdom please rise."
Katara's turn to wince. Jun had called her Zuko's girlfriend on multiple occasions, and seemed to like them better that way. She saw where this was going.
"Yeah, yeah, coming."
"Do you testify that Zuko of the Fire Nation was no longer in possession of the Water Tribe betrothal necklace at the end of your business with him?"
"Uh huh. Prince Pouty over there got it snatched right from him by the Avatar himself."
"Can the accused make a counter argument?" Katara pleaded, finally having something to argue with.
"One."
"That proves it! Zuko didn't give me the necklace, he had it stolen from him to give back to me!" Zuko shot the Waterbender a grateful look.
"We were getting to that part. Will Sokka of the Water Tribe please rise?"
SOKKA?! But he was her brother, he was his friend! How could he do this to them?!
"Traitor," Zuko hissed under his breath as Sokka took the stand.
"Sokka of the Water Tribe, is the accused's statement true?"
"Actually, if you want to be technical, Aang's exact words when he gave it to her were, 'Zuko asked me to be sure I got it to you'. So Aang could be considered a messenger of sorts."
"Sokka, what the heck are you doing?!" Katara was practically purple with fury. Sokka sat down again calmly.
"Sorry Katara, but Aang is way too young for you. Besides, Zuko is more manly." At a sharp poke from Suki, he quickly added, "Which is good if you're... you know, well, a man. It's totally fine for girls to not be manly, in fact it's actually nice when they're a little girly- ow- but not very much, it's really nice when they're tough and can kick your butt every once in a while, and-"
"That is enough. Thank you, Sokka."
"Oh, yeah, sure, any time." Katara was fuming. Zuko just sat with an air of sullen, resigned silence. He'd been through worse.
"Does the accused have any witness to call to the stand?"
"Um, no, but-"
"Very well, we will carry on to the closing statements."
"Wait!"
"Yes, Katara?"
"Technically speaking, if you are correct, then we're only engaged. Right? So... can't we just break off the engagement?"
"Katara, you received the betrothal necklace before your sixteenth birthday, when you would reach marrying age. Now, having passed that point and having technically been engaged since you were fourteen years of age, you should be married. So you will be."
"This law system is twisted, sick, controlling-"
Zuko put a hand on her shoulder. "Do you want to get us in more trouble?" he hissed in her ear. "They can probably do much worse with their stupid traditions. And besides, we can just get a divorce or something."
"My apologies, Fire Lord, but divorce is considered impure in the Northern Water Tribe, and water is nothing if not pure. It would be an insult to our culture."
"Isn't Katara from the Southern Water Tribe? Doesn't that mean she's not bound to your... rules?" Zuko had to restrain himself from calling them something worse.
"It would be deeply offensive to the entire Water Tribe if you did not honor our customs, Fire Lord. It may strain relations between our nations."
"Was that a threat?" he spoke, not angry, just disbelieving.
"This court is adjourned. I now pronounce you man and wife. Fire Lord Zuko, you may kiss the bride."
Katara gazed up at him helplessly. This was not how she'd pictured her wedding day.
Zuko looked down at her, clearly embarrassed and apologetic.
Blue eyes locked on amber. Katara was shocked by that gaze. His eyes were filled with so much emotion, so much deeper and more powerful than any look she'd ever gotten from Aang. His whole past was buried in that glance. Wow... His eyes are so...
He was hesitantly reaching out now. His touch was burning her, searing and blazing in her veins like liquid flame. She loved it. She wanted more. He was leaning in closer now...
"Uh... Katara? Maybe it's different in the Water Tribe, but I thought I was supposed to kiss you."
She shook herself. Had she really just kissed him? It had taken her more than a year of traveling with him to learn to love Aang, and she had hated Zuko until a few weeks before their adventures had ended. She had been with Aang for two years now, and one touch from Zuko was all it took? Stupid, stupid, stupid!
She resolved to hate this marriage for all time. Then she sighed. She remembered now why she hadn't come back to the Northern Water Tribe.
Politics.
ah, political junk, the world despises you. i think this is an original idea, although i'm shocked that i haven't seen anyone use it before. i mean, avatar was just asking for it with yugoda's comment in siege of the north... anyway, R&R please, next chapter up soon!