"Have you considered any of the proposals yet, my lord?" Zuko just stared blandly at the advisor that had spoken. It was worse today than it had been yesterday. Now with every brief break between matters of state and trade, one or another of his councilors would bring up his as-yet-unmarried state. It was taking all of his willpower to not set them all on fire or banish them from the country – or, at times like this when it was particularly annoying, both. If they weren't so indispensable right now it would be even more tempting, but he was the first to admit that he did need them until he had most of the problems under control. After that, however, all bets were off. He owed them some public humiliation for all of the chaos they had caused him thus far. He amused himself for a moment with the vision of commanding them all to dress in womens' clothing and sending them to Ba Sing Se to wait tables at the Jasmine Dragon. The soft sound of a throat being cleared brought him out of his admittedly amusing reverie and he narrowed his eyes at the man who had spoken.
"I have not." The tone of his voice made it clear that further conversation was not only unwelcome but also unwise. However, that had never stopped these idiots before. The first man didn't speak, but the conversation was taken up by an advisor farther down the table.
"With all due respect, your lordship, your people are beginning to get nervous. Without a wife and a clear line of succession, they fear that all of the wondrous work you have done so far could grind to a halt if anything were to happen to you." Zuko scoffed inwardly.
"Then I shall just have to make certain nothing happens to me, won't I?" A wiser man would have let the subject drop. Zuko took the older man's continued conversation as a mark of his apparent lack of wisdom.
"You are not invulnerable, Fire Lord Zuko. You should really consider the future of the throne. If I might say so, I would suggest looking at some of the candidates from the Earth Kingdom. Since you will have to abide by your wife's culture's betrothal period, the Earth Kingdom would be best suited as it is only three months. If you chose a bride in the next month, you could doubtless conceive and achieve an heir for the throne by next Summer." Zuko felt the rage beginning to boil under his skin. Apparently those closest to him felt it as well, as he noticed several men surreptitiously shifting their chairs away from him. With more calm than he felt, he stood to his full height and for the first time almost wished he had kept his father's council room with its dais and fire screen. It would have made this so much easier if they feared him. But he was working on earning respect, not fear, and that thought alone kept him from unleashing a wave of flame in every direction – no matter how much he wanted to. He took a deep breath to center himself, and when he spoke it was with an ice in his voice that was completely at odds with the fire in his eyes.
"I will say this once and never again. I find this entire conversation distasteful. My first duty is to my people, to rebuilding and repairing the damages caused by a hundred years of viciousness and war. If I am not willing to cut corners where the reconstruction of this great nation is concerned, why would you dare to assume that I would simply choose a bride from a piece of paper without being certain that she would be what is best for my land and my people? The woman I choose will not be simply a figurehead and a breeder. She will need to be someone who can work alongside me, someone I can trust to hold the well-being of the Fire Nation in as high a regard as I do. I refuse to pick a bride on the basis of how quickly I can sire an heir. When I take a wife, it will be because I feel she is suited not just to myself but to the duties and responsibilities that being Fire Lady will entail. She will be strong of character and will. She will be powerful and compassionate. She will care for this land, this country, as her own regardless of where she hails from. So if any of you treasure the positions and money you earn by being advisors to the Fire Lord, you will think very carefully about bringing this subject up again, because I could find a dozen men easily as qualified as any one of you who would be more willing to focus on the important matters rather than being concerned with who will eventually bear my children."
Silence fell around the table. Not one of the men sitting there had any doubts that the young Fire Lord meant exactly what he said. Nor did anyone have the slightest idea how to proceed. The respectful clapping from behind him came as a welcome interruption and Zuko spun to face the intruder only to see his uncle's smiling visage as the older man closed the door behind him.
"Very well said, Lord Zuko," he praised sincerely, catching the relief in his nephew's eyes. "And on that note, you've been cooped up in here all morning. I've no doubt that these fine men would like to break for the midday meal." He nodded at the group of council members who took that as their cue to stand, some more quickly than others. Zuko was glad for the chance to get out for a while and graciously dismissed them all, smiling to himself as they hauled out of the room. He turned to Iroh and the two men embraced warmly.
"Thank you, Uncle. I thought I was going to lose it there."
"Not at all, nephew. You handled that quite well. You've become an imposing young lord. And now they're beginning to realize the fire you carry isn't all temper, but the steel of resolve as well. Would you care to take lunch with me?"
"Absolutely," the younger man replied.
They had their lunch in the same garden he and Katara had been in the day before, and Zuko smiled at the memory, taking a drink of tea. His uncle was observant, as usual.
"Are you happy about the tea – or is there something else on your mind that makes you smile so? Maybe someone else?" The former prince blinked, startled from his memories.
"Oh, no, it's...the tea is very good." Iroh obviously wasn't fooled.
"I heard some interesting tales – apparently yesterday you were beaten by a girl?" Zuko groaned, but he was still smiling.
"Katara and I sparred yesterday. And yes, she beat me soundly." Far from the petulance Iroh could remember hearing from the younger Zuko, his nephew sounded proud and amused. The look in the boy's eyes was easy to decipher, though Iroh was certain the Fire Lord didn't realize he was wearing such a sappy expression.
"I'm sorry I missed it. I heard she was quite beautiful – apparently royal clothing suits her."
"It does. I mean – well, it was a funny story, really..." The Dragon of the West was absolutely delighted to see his nephew flustered, and wondered how long it would be before the boy would be able to admit his feelings to himself. Zuko sighed, and his face turned serious.
"Uncle, you have no idea how glad I am to see you. I could really use some advice right now." The older man reached across the table and placed his hand on his nephew's arm.
"Tell me."
Zuko began to talk. He told of his plans, his hopes for repairing the scars left behind by those that came before him. He spoke at length of trade routes, contracts, agreements with other nations. He praised the strength of his people, their tenacity and their determination, and expressed his happiness and surprise that they were willing to accept him and his ideas. And then conversation turned to his most recent annoyances.
"...so now every time I turn around they are pushing me to marry and breed an heir or five. It's aggravating. Don't they see I have more important things to worry about?"
"Look at it from their point of view, Zuko. We have just ended a war that has been going on longer than any of us has been alive. All they know is the state of the nation at wartime. Now that there is peace many are still unwilling to believe it for fear that this dream will end. You are the youngest Fire Lord to ever claim the throne, and as such they expect mistakes. Combine that with the fact that if anything were to happen to you – and you know how frequent assassination attempts have been in the past – the throne would lay empty and everything you have been striving so hard for would be lost. Likely the Fire Nation would fall, eaten alive by succession struggles from the inside out. I agree that they should not be pushing for proof of your virility just yet, but can you not see that it is fear that makes them act as they do?" Zuko sighed heavily and drained his cup, speaking softly as Iroh refilled it.
"I understand, I really do. And I don't want to shirk my duties to the throne. But I just can't see how they expect me to juggle everything I am currently trying to achieve and add a wife and children to the mix as well. I refuse to be like my father. My family will know they are treasured and loved, and I will devote as much time to them as I possibly can. I know that there is slim chance I will marry for love, but I will need a wife who can work beside me and stand with me. I do not want this country to fall."
"So what do you think you should do?" his uncle asked calmly.
"I'm not sure. Katara suggested I find a woman willing to play the role of my betrothed until I have the nation more stabilized and then step down when the time is right for me to find a real wife. But I can't imagine any of these proposals coming from women who would be willing to make such a sacrifice."
"It would be a perfect solution. In fact, if you could find a Water Tribe girl that would be even more ideal, as they have the longest betrothals of any of the three kingdoms."
"That's what Katara said, too." He sighed deeply, and Iroh had to resist rolling his eyes.
"How is young Katara, anyway? I haven't had a chance to visit with her yet, since I came straight to the council room to rescue you."
"Have I thanked you for that, by the way? Thank you. I was about to lose it and fire every one of them." Iroh waved it off and Zuko took a bite of his ginger biscuit.
"Katara is well. A little peeved at the Avatar right now."
"Oh?"
"Apparently Aang spoke to her father and got Hakoda to agree to a Spring wedding – without even proposing to her first. Which was a truly stupid move on his part because she doesn't want to marry yet, and she doesn't want to marry him. She was...well, to say she was angry would likely be an understatement. According to palace talk, he was so scared when she kicked him out of her room yesterday morning that he took off on Appa and hasn't come back yet."
"Katara is quite a formidable woman when it's something she feels strongly about," Iroh mused. His nephew nodded.
"That she is. But I think she's a bit more calm now – though that probably has more to do with our sparring than anything I could have said. Still, she had plans to talk with her father and explain that the entire thing was based off of Aang's assumptions. She has so many dreams and hopes and this scares her because once she marries she feels she'll be demoted to just being a wife and mother and everything she wanted to learn and do will have to be left behind. She's worried she'll be trapped in a marriage she doesn't want because of tribal custom."
"Chief Hakoda doesn't seem the type to make his children unhappy for the sake of tradition." Zuko nodded.
"That's what I told her. I haven't spoken with her yet today to see if she's talked to him, though." There was quiet at the table for a while, and Iroh sighed inwardly. It looked as though he would have to steer his nephew once more – though without letting him know he was being steered. The Dragon smirked. It's not like he wasn't used to it by now.
"So it seems that you're not the only one having issues because of marriage traditions," he said calmly, letting no hint of his inner thoughts show on his face. He stifled a smile as his nephew sighed loudly and leaned back against the tree.
"Are all the nations crazy? What happened to marrying for love?"
"Nobility happened, Zuko," Iroh said gently. "Once you have responsibilities to more than just yourself and your family, the freedom you are granted decreases and your choices are made more difficult and complicated."
"I know, I know. Still, it doesn't seem fair."
"Life rarely is, nephew." Iroh sighed and poured himself another cup of tea. "You are the reigning Fire Lord. Katara, as a chief's daughter and a master waterbender in her own right, is essentially princess to her people. Of course it would follow that the two of you would have more people concerned with your futures than you would if you led common lives." He chuckled. "It seems to me she needs to follow her own advice, and find someone to join with in a public betrothal. That way she could keep her freedoms for the next year or so, and leave no hard feelings at the end." The older man watched carefully for – that! That spark of understanding. Zuko's eyes snapped open and he leapt to his feet, nearly upsetting his cup in the process.
"That's perfect! I can't believe I didn't see it before!" He darted away, then turned and came back a few steps.
"Thank you so much, Uncle! I'll see you again soon – I've got to go find Katara!" And with that he disappeared into the palace hallways and Iroh settled back with a sigh.
"For such a bright boy he certainly needs a bit of a push sometimes," he murmured to himself. With a contented sigh he poured himself some more tea and relaxed, listening to the birds and the wind and smiling happily.
She sighed, relieved, as she sank deeper into her bath. Her father had been far more understanding than she had expected. Toph was now likely bothering Sokka and Suki, and not sitting here pestering her with questions about Zuko's attractiveness. Aang still hadn't returned to the palace, which was good because she wasn't certain she was ready to see him yet. And she was enjoying some of the perks that came with being a guest of the Fire Lord – namely, a nice, hot bath to relax her muscles, soon to be followed by lunch. Maybe she'd take a walk around the city marketplace a little later. Now that she had convinced Cazin and Baru that they didn't need to walk right beside her every step of the way, she found she liked browsing the vendors and the stalls. It sounded like her day would be peaceful and calm...just what she needed after the recent upheavals. Leaning back in the tub, her eyes closed, she sighed again, this time in happiness. And then the door to her chambers slammed open and shut and she nearly jumped out of her skin as she turned to see the Fire Lord standing in her bedchamber, panting as though he'd been running, a wild look on his face.
"Katara – we need to get married!"
"Zuko – what the hell!" she screeched, ducking further under the water and glaring at him through a blush that was half embarrassment and half indignant shock. He looked at her – really looked at her – and she saw the exact moment that he realized precisely what he had burst in on. With a choked gasp he spun around and faced the wall.
"I am so sorry! I'll just...go, and then...well, I need to talk to you, so I'll...I mean, I have an idea – Uncle kind of gave it to me, really, and...I didn't mean to interrupt your bath...oh, Agni..." He sounded so flustered, so scared, that she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Zuko, calm down and breathe. Just keep facing the wall – I'll tell you when it's safe to turn around." She climbed out of the tub and bent the water from her skin with a stray thought, slipping quickly into a pair of blue leggings. She knew it would take too long to don her bindings, so instead she chose a slim white undershirt that would conform to her figure and tossed a blue sleeveless top over it.
"Okay, all clear." He turned slowly, almost as though he was afraid of what he might see, and she saw him relax visibly when he saw that she was indeed dressed.
"Kaara, I am so sorry," he began, but she shook her head with a chuckle.
"It's okay. We don't have a lot of privacy at home usually – I've gotten kind of used to one person or another walking in on me while I'm bathing. Though typically it's Gran Gran or Dad." She sat down on the bed and patted the mattress beside her, wondering why his eyes still held that slightly panicked look but deciding he was still shocked. "Now, what were you babbling about us getting married?" She saw him hesitate for a second but then he shook himself and seemed to snap out of it. With a sigh he sat down beside her.
"So Uncle showed up today and rescued me from another asinine council meeting– by the way, he says he wants to see you sometime and visit. I don't know how long he's staying, but expect him to look you up while he's here." She nodded happily – she truly cared for the older firebender, and it had been a while since she'd seen him. "Anyway, we were discussing all the problems I'm having with the proposals and being pushed to get married, and then conversation turned to you and how Aang pulled that crazy stunt of his, and somewhere during the conversation I realized that we are each other's salvation." His golden eyes were shining with satisfaction and she had to concentrate on breathing.
"How do you figure?"
"Well, we're best friends. You want some time and freedom without having to worry that some tradition of your people will have you married and pregnant before you have a chance to follow your dreams. I need time to get my country in order before I feel comfortable getting married myself. So if we were to announce a betrothal to each other...don't you see? It's perfect!" He sounded so eager, so thrilled with his solution, and she was reminded of her brother whenever he would come up with one or another of his wacky ideas...granted, they usually worked out. Still, she was hesitant.
"Zuko...I'm not so sure. I mean, I know your advisors are pushing you to wed regardless of nationality, but do you really think they'd accept that you planned to marry me?"
"Why wouldn't they? You're Chief Hakoda's daughter – royalty among your own people, though I know your tribe doesn't have distinctions like that. Plus, you're a strong and capable woman as well as a master bender. They would have no reason to deny my suit." He took her hand in his, and she felt the warmth of his skin against her own. "It's the perfect arrangement. I can think of no one else I would trust this much." The honesty in his gaze melted her, and she struggled to be objective.
"You do realize that if we did this, we would have to be seen together. That would mean attending gatherings together, acting like a couple in love, maybe even the occasional public display of affection. If your council had the slightest inkling that this was a set up, they'd push you to dissolve the betrothal immediately and likely insist that you marry a bride of their choosing in penance." His face fell and she fought the illogical hurt that shot through her.
"I understand. I wouldn't want to force you to be affectionate with me for my own convenience." She goggled at him, realizing she had completely misunderstood the dejection on his face.
"No, Zuzu – that's not it at all! I wouldn't mind that in the least!"
"Really?" he said, a slight smirk showing, and she blushed and punched him in the shoulder.
"You goof. I was thinking you...well, you might not want to be seen with me like that." Her voice was quiet and his expression was incredulous.
"Why wouldn't I? You're a wonderful person, and I trust you with more than my life. Thinking like that, the occasional hug or cuddle wouldn't be a hardship at all." She felt a warmth rocket through her and struggled to not blush harder.
"Well, um, we really need to talk to our friends and family then. They need to know what we're doing and why. We'll need their help if we're going to pull the wool over the eyes of your councilmen and your nation. Plus, they might be able to point out potential problems and pitfalls so we can have some sort of plan ready."
"So...is that a yes, then?" She just laughed. He looked like an eager little boy.
"Well, no." The shock on his face made her want to laugh again.
"It's not?" She shook her head and grinned.
"How can I say yes to a question you haven't even asked yet?" The way his expression slid from apprehensive to relieved was nothing short of amazing, and he grinned in return.
"Well, I can't ask you yet. I haven't even spoken to your father." She just shook her head and giggled.
"Maybe we should invite them all for lunch then. Find us a spot where we can all eat that won't be a haven for nosy listeners. I'll get everyone together."
"That works. We'll use the east wing conference room. It's large enough to fit us all, and there is only one door and no windows. It's also the only room at the end of a hallway, so the guards can be posted down at the opposite end from the door – they'd be out of earshot but still doing their job."
"Sounds great." She bounced to her feet and he followed quickly. "See you there in a half hour?"
"Sure thing." She turned to leave but he grabbed her hand and tugged, urging her to turn back around to face him. The happiness in his eyes made them gleam like pure gold.
"'Tara – thank you. I'll make sure you don't regret agreeing to this crazy plan." She smiled and couldn't resist pressing a quick kiss to his unscarred cheek.
"I know you will," she said, and darted out of the room, leaving him to shiver once before setting off in the opposite direction.
Author's note: Just to clear this up...this is a fly-by-the-seat-of-my-pants type of story. I have an idea of where it's headed, and I know a lot of what's going to happen, but for the most part this is where I let my subconscious out to play and do what it wishes. As such, it will likely be AU in spots, just because people and events as they were in the show really don't fit into this particular timeline. I don't have the foggiest idea what all of these points may be because I just haven't gotten there yet, so bear with me, 'kay? :) I hope y'all enjoy this so far!
