Uh so I liked this AU and kept playing around with the idea enough to write a few snippets as to what season 3 would start to look like. This is essentially covering the time Aang would have been unconscious from the lightning which had to be a decent chunk of time given how much hair he grew. These are just segments rather than a fully fleshed out story. I still consider this story complete so this and any other snippets I add are just bonus content. Hope you enjoy anyways!
Zuko wakes the morning after his introduction to court as the sun breaks over the horizon. He starts upon his morning meditation having truly learned its usefulness after completely abandoning it during his travels alone. Once he finishes, he doesn't know what to do next. He ponders on the question as he goes through his morning routine, dressing in attire prepared for him by the palace servants.
He thinks of what Master Katara had told him about Long Feng's conspiracy. The Earth Kingdom was saddled with a king that didn't know how to be a king. It's not like he knew much more honestly. He'd been born fourth in line to the throne with no one ever really expecting him to rule. He'd only spent a few measly years as the crown prince before being banished. The last three years had been scrubbed clean of classes on etiquette, policy, and other princely matters. He'd learned much, but not to rule.
General How had informed him that he was to alert the palace staff when he left his chambers so that he could be guided through the confusing palace. Zuko walks out of his rooms without calling upon anyone as he wasn't inclined to call upon his own wardens. He'd already explored much of the palace in the early mornings before anyone but the kitchen staff had woken. Well, that and the maids they needed to light fires in certain chambers which Zuko had never heard of before. Perhaps the noble houses in the Fire Nation without any firebenders had servants for that purpose, but typically not being able to light your own fire would be shameful.
Still, Zuko had need of a library and surely someone would be up to tell him where the nearest one was. The palace he had grown up in had a library as well as nearly every set of chambers' studies functioning as libraries with bookcases on every available wall space. Surely the Earth King's palace would have something similar even if his own chambers didn't have a study.
He searches around the palace for a considerable amount of time, picking at the hair the stylist had added to his head. He had coiled it into a bun as he had been taught as a child and the length of it seemed to have survived the night alright after he'd let it back into the ponytail. His scalp however feels tight and itchy from the added weight and whatever they'd done to attach the hair.
He eventually finds a maid in one of the corridors and called out to her. She bows as he approaches. "Excuse me, is there a library in the palace?" he asks.
"Yes, your highness," she says in a practiced polite tone. "It's further down this hall and then you take the second corridor on the left. It will be at the end of the hall."
"Thank you," he says, giving her a shallow nod before continuing on down the hall.
When he turns down the second corridor he sees double doors with one of the doors propped open. Past that, he can see bookshelves filled with books. He picks up his pace while being careful to not look like he's hurrying. He enters the room and finds the librarian sitting at a desk with glasses perched on his nose reading a ledger.
"Excuse me, sir," he says politely to draw his attention.
"Yes?" the librarian says, looking up. He briefly looks surprised to see Zuko standing in front of him then he clears his throat. "How can I help you?"
"I need books, scrolls, anything on Earth Kings. The good ones, bad ones, any books on how to be a king," he says, not certain what kind of information the palace library holds. It's broad enough to get something if there's less selection than there appears.
"I see someone is taking their duties seriously," the librarian says as he gets up from his seat. He guides Zuko through the library picking up various books and muttering to himself about where certain books might be.
"Here, let's go back to the desk and I'll explain," the librarian says after he's gathered a fair sized stack of books.
"Thank you," Zuko says as he follows him back.
"Now, you gave me a rather broad topic so I've picked what I think might be most pertinent to you," he explains as he begins to make a record in the ledger. "I have a few volumes on the greatest Earth Kings as well as a couple on the various city kings in the kingdom. Lastly, there are a couple of collections of political treatises on kings as well as other governmental officials. Hopefully, that will satisfy you for now."
"Thank you," Zuko repeats as he takes the stack of books.
Getting to the Earth King with all of the books is a little more tricky. The tutor had warned him that even he had to schedule an appointment with King Kuei in order to see him even though he was his ward now. Which was weird because King Kuei couldn't be more than ten years older than him. In any case, he knew where the King's chambers were and maybe he could get something to work even if he'd only been able to see the King in the presence of his generals before.
The guards look at him and his stack of books without any suspicion just confusion. "You aren't on the list to see the Earth King."
"Is anyone?" Zuko asks, wondering if Long Feng or at least one of the Dai Li had controlled the King's social schedule prior to this. He wonders who controls it now.
The guards look at each other, and Zuko thinks that maybe no one does. He wouldn't be surprised if everyone is trying to pretend things are normal when they really, really aren't. Zuko tries again. "Can I wait in his study for him?"
The guards looks at each other again.
"I'm his ward, surely I'm able to meet with him informally."
"Yes, your highness," the older of the two guards says. "His study is on the right after you enter."
"Thank you," he says, nodding to them as he passes. One of the guards has to open the door for him with his hands full of books.
The Earth King's study looks more like a room with a desk than a study. No bookshelves or books or places for files and letters or anything else that came with administrative work. Simply a bare desk, a couple of chairs, and then a sofa at the back. Zuko sets the books on the desks and waits.
Eventually, it takes so long for the Earth King to leave his bed chambers that Zuko begins reading one of the books on the greatest Earth Kings. It's mid morning before he hears movement in the main room. Zuko quickly stands and moves to the door. "King Kuei, your majesty," he says, using the bow he had learned from the tutor.
"Oh," King Kuei says, startled. "You're here early."
Zuko quickly realizes that King Kuei has only put a robe over his sleeping clothes and is completely unready for the day. "It's mid-morning. I have been up since dawn. I have a matter of some importance to address with you, your majesty."
"I think we can skip some of the formality at this point," King Kuei says with a sigh as he rubs his forehead like he's wondering when this became his life.
Zuko finds it a little ridiculous because it's not like King Kuei has suddenly become the ward of a foreign nation his country has been trying to colonize for the last century. "If it pleases you," he says, nodding his head.
He nods then says, "Let me dress, and we'll discuss your matter. You don't mind Bosco do you?"
The bear makes his presence known by making a rumbling noise as he enters the room. King Kuei doesn't wait for an answer as he returns to his bed chamber, leaving Zuko with the bear. Bosco at least doesn't seem to have much interest in him as he walks over to a bed laid out for him in the main room and flops down there.
"You and your master are very alike, aren't you?" Zuko asks quietly.
Bosco makes a rumbling noise, and it sounds like agreement. Zuko sighs. At least it isn't attacking him.
King Kuei returns wearing informal light green clothes. "What have you come to discuss?" he asks as he follows Zuko into his study.
"I have some books to show you," he says, gesturing to the stack of books. "You were kept from your duties as king by Long Feng, and I have been far from home for three years. If we are to be the kings the people, the world, needs us to be, I think we both have some studying to do."
King Kuei says nothing as he moves around to stand behind the desk and look at the books. "These are from the palace library?"
"Yes, the librarian assisted me in choosing which texts," he answers with a nod.
"I have read much, but not these books in particular," he says, sitting down at the desk and picking up the top book. "This, I can do."
Zuko nods, relieved that they have both found a first step for moving forward.
Katara hears Aang huff next to her. "Why do we have to keep coming to these?"
"You're the Avatar," she points out. "The real question is why I'm here."
Zuko, in doing the right thing, had managed to make all of their lives worse. Once King Kuei got started on his how to be a king lessons from Zuko, he's been on a self improvement bend. First, he had long political discussions with the advisers who had once been Long Feng's. He had even removed some of them from their positions though he had yet to find replacements for everyone. Then he began actually attending his own parties properly and speaking with the nobles and even making decisions about who to invite and other matters that were subtly political. Aang and Katara had no choice but to attend the parties at the palace, even Sokka and Toph hadn't been able to avoid them forever. Then came the invitations to events outside the palace. Zuko had to go everywhere the king went obviously, but Katara wasn't sure why it was so important that she and Aang attend.
"Please, don't leave me," Aang says, grabbing her arm like he thought she would drift away. "I don't know what I'm supposed to be telling these people."
Aang still got softer questions than Zuko did as he was still a child, but the longer they spent attending these parties, the more people wanted to know. Some people clearly wanted to be liked by them while others seemed to have only invited them out of politeness.
"I don't know either," she says, shrugging. "Ask Zuko. He's the one giving king lessons. Maybe he has advice for the avatar."
"I did this morning. He told me to talk to General Iroh," he says with a sigh, dropping her arm.
"And what did he say?"
"I'm not sure. It was either something about trusting my instincts while being polite or actually about how to serve tea properly," Aang says. "The monks were less confusing."
Katara sighs because she doesn't know what to tell him. She'd forced herself to go back and learn more from that awful tutor so she could try and keep afloat at these parties. She was managing to at least put names to faces and names to what the families did. She hadn't insulted anyone accidentally either. She'd also had to go back to the tailor, and now both she and Aang had several outfits of formal Earth Kingdom clothes for all the events they were going to. Still, she just felt lost.
She'd watched, usually by sneaking, her father speak with the elders or the other men before he'd left. She'd also listen to him ask tough questions that were either painfully real or completely metaphorical of Sokka to train him to be the next chief. She'd even listened to her grandmother perform politics among the tribe's women after her father and the men had left. Their tribe was small though and their politics small. There were no parties and tricky words and different bows. Just somber and severe discussions.
Katara starts making her way over to the food just to have something to do when she notices someone smoothly making their way to a window.
"What do you think you're doing?" she asks, crossing her arms.
Zuko sighs and turns to face her. "Sneaking out?"
"Seriously? You're the whole reason we're suffering through all of this."
"He's the king. He should have been doing this to begin with," he points out, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Or did you not want to follow through after ousting Long Feng?"
"I do, but why does that mean you get to sneak out? It's just as important that you're here."
He sighs, dropping his hand. "I know, trust me, I do, but I'm a firebender. These events go much later than they ever did back home because no one else here always gets up at dawn."
"Oh," Katara says, now looking at Zuko with fresh eyes. He looks sick and has dark circles under his eyes. These events were terrible, but at least she had her full energy at night to deal with them. "What exactly is your plan?"
"If I don't leave formally, hopefully people will think I'm just somewhere else at the event instead of rudely leaving early."
"Did you tell the King?"
He shrugs. "He's always surrounded now that he actually has an idea of what he's doing. I'd never get out if I went up to him."
"And when he wants to leave and can't find you?"
"I told his guard. He'll let him know."
It's better thought out than his normal plans. "Fine, go get some sleep."
He nods then gives her a proper bow, much shallower than the ones he'd given her before being named ward. "Good evening, Master Katara."
She shakes her head and turns to go find Aang, wondering when she'll get used to her title coming from Zuko.
Zuko sits with his uncle at dusk, drinking tea with him on the one night he had off for the next few days. "My father," he starts, and for a moment it hurts too much to continue.
Iroh says nothing and waits.
"He's not a good king."
"No," Iroh agrees with a sigh. "He is not."
Katara waits impatiently with the royal entourage at the docks of Ba Sing Se with her hand clenched around Sokka's arm. He had already gotten a chance to see their father, but this is hers. It feels like they've been waiting forever. They'd arrived early so King Kuei could explore the docks. General Iroh had even joined them for once, and he recounted his experience there as a refugee to anyone who would listen. Unfortunately, General How had come with them as well, and he kept a sharp watch over her, Zuko, and General Iroh.
She glances behind herself to check the royal entourage. General How scowls back at her, and she quickly shifts her glance to King Kuei. She doesn't know how politically savvy he's gotten, but he's certainly far less shy about asking for information he wants to know. Zuko stands out from the rest with his dark hair still in a long ponytail and his red clothes compared to the lighter greens.
"Look," Sokka shouts, grabbing her arm. "They're here."
She turns back to the water, and she can see the water tribe ships come into view. She clutches her brother, hardly able to believe this is happening.
Her father's ship docks first. After some moments, the first group of men descend from the ship with Hakoda at the lead. He looks older than she remembers, but he still looks fit and healthy. The men all wear their armor, but with their helmets tucked under their arms rather than on their heads. It's likely the nicest clothes they have aboard.
She glances at Sokka to find him looking back at her. The appropriate thing to do is wait for Hakoda to formally greet them at the main dock. They both don't care. They start racing down the docks towards their father.
"Dad!" Katara shouts, launching herself at him.
"Katara," he says, so tenderly as he catches her and wraps her in his arms. He smells the same as she remembers.
Sokka wraps his arms around the both of them.
"It's good to see you both together," Hakoda says giving them a squeeze. "We can talk more later. There's work to be done."
Katara pulls back from him and nods. Bato hands her father back his helmet, and he tucks it under his arm again. Bato gives her and Sokka a smile then the whole group begins to move up the dock. She grabs her father's arm as they move. Quietly she tells him, "When you get there you should bow to the King after you're announced, but not too deeply."
Her father nods and just as quietly says, "Thank you."
They stop before the King and his entourage. The soldiers spread out more into a line opposite to the cluster of the Earth Kingdom courtiers. One of the King's men steps into the gap between the two groups, and Katara recognizes him as one of the men who works in the palace.
"Your majesty, may I present Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe," he announces in a clear and loud voice. "Chief Hakoda, his royal majesty King Kuei of the Earth Kingdom."
Hakoda bows, careful to keep it shallow. King Kuei returns a bow of equal depth.
"Chief Hakoda," King Kuei says then gestures to Zuko. "May I present to you his highness, Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."
Katara expects Zuko to bow shallowly with his hands forming a flame. He does not. Instead, he sinks down to his knees, puts his hands upon the ground, and bows so that his forehead nearly touches his hands. She stares at him in shock. She'd never thought someone as proud and fierce as Zuko would be capable of such a thing. Everyone else seems to be in shock as awkward silence passes.
King Kuei clears his throat then says, "You may rise, Prince Zuko."
Zuko does as commanded, rising to his feet as if prostrating himself in front of a potential enemy were normal. There's not even a hint of shame on his face.
"That is the customary bow to both the Fire Lord and foreign leaders in the Fire Nation, I have learned," King Kuei explains.
It's barely less shocking when General Iroh does the same to Hakoda after his introduction, though this time Hakoda makes sure to tell him to stand immediately. Afterward, both parties begin to move back towards the palace in carriages. The man who had made the initial announcement travels with the Water Tribes as they make their way back to explain the history and architecture of Ba Sing Se.
"That was crazy, right?" Sokka asks her while everyone else is paying attention to the history lecture.
"What was?" she asks back.
"Zuko bowing like that," he says.
"Yeah."
"The Fire Nation is weird," Sokka says, shaking his head.
"So, what do you think, Dad?" Sokka asks, taking a seat on one of the sofas in their father's new chambers.
Her father sighs as he sits down. It has been a long day for him. Katara at least had an escape with having to train Aang. Her father, however, had spoken with nearly every civilian adviser the Earth King had before having a long meeting with only King Kuei and Zuko.
"It's strange," Hakoda says eventually. "It's both an unfortunate position and the biggest opportunity I've ever been given."
"What do you mean?" Sokka asks.
"This has been a long war of attrition on our parts. There are no grand battles for us, no decisive moves. Not from the Southern Water Tribe at least, not in my life time. We inconvenience every Fire Nation ship we can to support the Earth Kingdom armies, and keep out of their grasp. It is long and hard, but we can do it. We're well practiced at it now," he explains. "A coup is a different beast entirely."
"I know it's risky, but I don't think there's ever going to be a better opportunity," Sokka says. "That's why the generals have been arguing things every which way to make everything go as well as possible."
"I know. Some how in the past few months, you two have accomplished more than I ever have in this war," Hakoda says, and Katara somehow doesn't expect the frankness from him. It is a mere statement of fact. "The appearance of the Avatar has changed so much. The Northern Water Tribe has opened itself to us again. We now somehow have two Fire Nation royals joining our cause and a third in prison here."
"That's not as helpful as I thought it would be," Sokka says with a sigh. "General Iroh seems to be in charge of her imprisonment, and she won't say anything about the Fire Nation or anything else to anyone."
"But what could she really give us that General Iroh won't know? She's our age, and General Iroh has a lot more experience with the Fire Nation Army and the Fire Lord. What's the problem with our position?" Katara asks. "There are risks, but there are just as many with continuing to fight the war as we have. Like you said, we've shifted the balance already. Why can't we do more?"
Hakoda sighs. "I looked over the latest plans from the generals. Everyone's biggest concern seems to be when best to use the eclipse, but it's not mine. We still need to get the Earth King's armies to the Fire Nation to succeed, and there are no ships. I've seen the commissions for war ships, but the Earth Kingdom has never been a great naval power, and we've never built ships big enough for armies. Prince Zuko also brought up another point that hadn't formally made it into the plans as well."
"What's that?" Sokka asks.
Hakoda looks grim. "Many Fire Nation civilians are former soldiers. They require all able bodied citizens to serve at least two years in the military when they reach adulthood, even the nobles. They return home afterwords. He suggested the reason that General Iroh has been pushing for using the eclipse at the culmination of our attack is because we'll need it to be able to push into the Capital where nearly every person there would be ready, willing, and able to fight against an invading army.
"That's," Katara cuts herself off because she doesn't even know what to say to that. The Fire Nation essentially had no civilian population. They wouldn't just have serving soldiers to deal with, but the actual citizenry to fight. "How do we even deal with that?"
"That's why it's an unfortunate position," Hakoda says. "I suggested that we let General Iroh lead the attack to garner support given his popularity and how he's seen as being usurped. Prince Zuko disagreed because it would be the nation's worst fears realized to have General Iroh try and return as a conquerer with a foreign army against Ozai."
"So what do we do instead?" Sokka asks.
"King Kuei suggested that we need to drum up support for Prince Zuko, the Avatar, and peace though that definitely doesn't solve the issue of it being a coup by a foreign army still," Hakoda says with a sigh.
"How would that even work?" Katara asks. "We just send a few guys over to start talking Zuko up? They wouldn't even be able to get into the country and who would believe them?"
"No, we'd probably have to send Prince Zuko to speak to them himself."
"Isn't he considered a traitor now?" Sokka asks. "That would be even worse. He'd be killed on sight!"
"Not if they wanted him to be Fire Lord instead which is why King Kuei even suggested it," Hakoda explains. "Plenty of Earth Kingdom generals have successfully sent spies into the Fire Nation over the years, but King Kuei and his current generals have only recently gotten access to all those records. Fire Lord Azulon had been popular in the Fire Nation, and many people had been looking forward to General Iroh's reign especially given his military success. Ozai has not been popular among the Fire Nation people. Apparently, once it became clear that General Iroh wasn't going to try and take back the throne, much of those feelings turned towards Prince Zuko. It seems their hopes for his reign only increased after his banishment as General Iroh went with him as his mentor. Many seem to think that Ozai naming him a traitor only improves his prospects as the next Fire Lord, that Ozai is threatened by him."
"I suppose it makes sense," Sokka says, rubbing his chin. "So the logic is if Ozai hates him then he really must be doing the right thing."
"Zuko never said any of that," Katara says. "He said that people would only support him because they know General Iroh backs him, not because of anything he's done."
"How would he know?" Hakoda asks. "He hasn't been home in three years and neither has General Iroh. Besides, it's the average people we're talking about, not the nobles they'd have been in contact with."
"So Zuko is a good option," Katara says, wonderingly. She supposes she can see it now after seeing him in court and not as an enemy. Surely he is a better option than Ozai.
Hakoda nods. "I intend to back him."
Silence reigns for a moment as they all mull over those words. The Chief of the Southern Water Tribe backing the great grandson of the man who began a war against them.
"We just need to get him into the Fire Nation so more people back him and the coup," Sokka says, already sounding like he's halfway into a plan. "He's not going to be able to go alone."
"I know," Hakoda says.
"So who do we send with him?" Katara asks.
Hakoda looks at her and shrugs. She thinks it's the first time she's ever seen him without some sort of answer.
Zuko pushes his sweat damp hair back from his face.
"You're good, kid," the guard says, smiling.
Zuko nods because even though his swordsmanship is improving his flames are still pitiful. Uncle's proverbs hadn't helped him find them yet.
"I've gotta get back for my next shift," the guard says. "Let me know when you're up for sparring again."
Zuko nods again like he hasn't been sparring with whichever palace guard was available for the past week.
"You ever fight an earthbender?"
Zuko turns to see the Avatar's earthbending master standing at the edge of the training ground. "I have."
Toph grins. "Wanna try sparring with me? Never seen a firebender with weapons before."
Zuko considers her. He hasn't seen her fight for himself, but he's heard plenty of others talk about her ability. She wouldn't be the Avatar's master if she weren't at least at Master Katara's level. It wouldn't hurt to see her in action. "You would be alright with me using my swords?"
She shrugs before joining him on the training grounds. "Sure, that's what I'm here fore. It's not like they'll help you any."
She's confident. Zuko's faced confident enemies before.
"Very well then," he says, shifting into an opening stance with his hand over the hilt of his sword as she does the same.
Neither of them move. Zuko can't trust his flames to be an effective projectile weapon. He either needs to get in range of her or she must come in range of him. She, of course, waits for him to make the first move like a true earthbending master. Firebenders usually take the offensive. It's the prime tactic for the entirety of the war against the patient Earth Kingdom. But right now, Zuko is not acting as a firebender would.
"Hey, Toph," comes from inside the building. "Oh."
Zuko sees Sokka come to stand at the edge of the training ground out of the corner of his eye, adding an aspect to the landscape.
"What are you two doing?" he asks then crosses his arms. "You just going to stand there all day?"
Zuko moves, trying to eat up the distance between them before she can launch any stones at him. He needs to be faster than any defense she can build. She raises a bolder to stop him. He narrowly avoids taking it to the chest. He does his best to spread fire along the ground to break her root as he runs. There isn't much flame, but she takes a step back all the same. He unsheathes his swords as she prepares an attack. He holds the blades to her neck. She stops a rock protruding from the ground from breaking his ribs.
"You are good," she says, sounding both surprised and annoyed.
Zuko sheathes his blade. "Yeah, tying a twelve year old with a pair of swords is real impressive."
"Hey," she snaps, pointing a finger at his face. "You're talking to the world's greatest earthbender here."
Zuko resists making a sarcastic comment and wonders how the Avatar keeps finding all these prodigies. Too bad Azula couldn't be here instead of him.
Katara turns when she hears the creak of the door. She turns expecting to see one of the palace's servants, but instead finds Zuko carrying a tray of tea.
"What are you doing here?" she asks. "Pretty sure you're not supposed to be here."
They should both be asleep, but more importantly she's fairly certain many people would get upset at finding Zuko in her chambers at night.
"I know, but we need to talk," he says, coming forward and setting the tea tray down on the small table between the sofas.
"About?" she asks, getting up from the desk she'd been reading about the Fire Nation at to join him at the table.
"Tea first," he says.
"I didn't know you needed tea to be able to talk," she says, crossing her arms.
"Uncle prefers to give important and potentially bad news over tea," he explains.
She frowns. She had no idea what he has to talk to her at night and alone for, and the warning isn't making her feel any better about it. She takes a seat on the sofa and watches him. He moves his hand over the pot and suddenly there's steam coming from it.
"I'm not very good at making tea," he says and he picks up a pouch full of leaves like Katara's seen the servants use and places it in the pot. "But it will have to do for tonight."
Katara shrugs. "We don't really do tea in the Water Tribe so it's not like I have refined taste."
"You like it enough to have gone to Uncle's tea shop," he says.
She shakes her head because that one action had brought all this. "Mostly just wanted something to drink."
"You picked an auspicious time to get thirsty."
She smiles even though she's pretty sure he didn't mean it as a joke. Eventually, he pours two cups of tea and passes one to her. She takes a sip, and it tastes like tea.
"What exactly is it that you wanted to talk about?" Katara asks once he's sat down across from her with his own cup.
Zuko says nothing for a moment, staring down into his tea like it'll tell him what to say. "If this coup works, I think they'll ask you to marry me."
"What?" she asks, not sure what emotion lies behind it. The whole thing is just ridiculous. No one would be thinking that. It's just…Zuko doesn't joke and he looks completely serious. She drinks her tea, suddenly grateful he brought it.
"I just wanted to warn you in case you hadn't thought that far ahead," he says, gentle.
"Why would they ask me that?"
"Who else could they ask?" he counters. "I don't think they'd be likely to let me marry someone from the Fire Nation. They'll want to strengthen every tie they possibly can between me and the rest of the world. The Air Nomads only have Aang. The closest female relative the Earth King has is a second cousin. Chief Arnook doesn't even have an heir anymore."
"They can't just do that," she insists angrily.
"Why not?" he asks. "Do they let you pick who to marry in the Water Tribe? I'm sure some choose for themselves in the Fire Nation, but most use matchmakers. Some of the noble families even work out marriage arrangements before children are even born."
"It depends," she says and the fire goes out of her. She's not betrothed because there's hardly anyone for her to marry. She'd thought of it before, but it had been completely pushed out of her mind by Aang's arrival. She'd had greater more immediate concerns. "Why are we talking about this if they haven't even brought it up yet? You only think they'll do it which means they haven't actually done it yet."
Zuko looks away. Then he takes a deep breath in and the breath he lets out is tinged with smoke. "I thought it might be better to ask you first. It seemed…kinder."
"Kinder?" she asks, shocked. She can't wrap her head around any of this, and there's not enough tea in the world for this. "Why would proposing to me because something might happen be anywhere in the realm of kind?"
"You can say no to me, but you may not be able to say no to them," he says then takes a sip of his tea like he doesn't just keep upending everything she knows. "I won't. I'm going to do whatever it takes to keep my people safe. They don't deserve to pay for my ancestor's deeds."
She clenches her teeth and tries to think her way out of this, but why wouldn't they ask this? They've already made him ward to the Earth King. Now, he just needs a tie to the Water Tribe. They already know each other and have worked as allies. She's the only option and the best option for the wife of a Fire Lord that everyone desperately needs to show proof that he has empathy for the rest of the world.
"I don't know," she says through her teeth. A month ago she would have raged at the idea of marrying him, been disgusted at the thought of being tied to him in any manner. Before he'd been the face of the enemy, and now he'd become one of the strongest allies to her people aside from Aang. Politically, she agrees wholeheartedly that the next Fire Lady should be someone who could stop Zuko should he forget what the Fire Nation owes the world. She would work perfectly as someone able to hold their own against Zuko. Unfortunately, marriage would be the most intimate tactic to put her in such a position. She doesn't know that she can take that. Would that truly be how she could best serve her people?
"Hopefully, you won't need to," he says. "I could be wrong."
She didn't think he was wrong about this.
"I don't know what I think of it," she says eventually.
He nods. "Well, let me know when you do."
He finishes his tea, sets the cup on the tray, and leaves her alone with her thoughts.
So notes by segment:
1. Mostly I'm just doing proper follow through with the Earth King. I know he went of traveling to learn, but that's actually not going to help you learn how to be a king even if you learn more about your own people. You still need to learn to deal with politics and administrative work. So Zuko gets him a book.
2. I definitely imagine the Fire Nation has the earliest of the evening activities even if some continue until after dark, but come on. Any firebender in another culture would suffer social jet lag from always being up too late for when they wake.
3. We get basically nothing about how Ozai is as a ruler beyond his military plans, namely promoting Zhao and agreeing with generals that sacrifice troops and personally burning the Earth Kingdom. I could count not caring about the environment and nationalistic and incorrect school curriculum but I imagine those were more likely in place before he took the throne and he just didn't correct them. In any case, I can't see Ozai being all that politically savvy when he wasn't able to predict that his father would not be down to move Iroh out of the line to the throne. It probably would have ended with him in the dog house forever had Azulon not died and Iroh gone on a spiritual journey instead of returning home.
4. I don't know if the bow would be what Fire Nation people would use for foreign rulers but they do use it for the Fire Lord.
Also, I really do think the Water Tribe's armor would be the best looking, it's at least the most visually interesting of their outfits canonically.
5. I think the reason the show went with such a small invasion force aside from Ba Sing Se having fallen was that they wouldn't want to show something like D Day on a kids show or animate very large battles. The strength of the show relied on the martial art combat so one v one and small group v small group. This is fanfic though and I don't have an animation budget. There's an army and an army needs lots of big ships to get to an island, but the island has naval supremacy so fun logistical times. Also, the Fire Nation is itty bitty islands out to conquer much bigger countries. They need every person they can get, and I wouldn't be surprised if they had laws like in medieval England where every free man was required to carry a weapon suited to his station so they could be conscripted (see Assize of Arms of 1181).
As for popularity, I imagine Azulon was popular due to military success and then just being Fire Lord for so long. Ozai would just be unpopular from the get go from usurping Iroh after the mysterious death of Azulon and the sudden disappearance of his wife. It's bad optics and he doesn't have the military prestige of Iroh and is also promoting people who get entire navies slaughtered. I'm pretty sure he was never popular and people were real quick to turn to hope his heir gets the throne soon. Still, coups with a foreign army are frowned upon especially if the Fire Nation is still like we don't care about the Avatar. Again, this is like the average citizen's perspective, though I imagine there are plenty of military men and those among the nobility that would have preferred Iroh strongly to Ozai and are willing to accept Zuko instead. People don't like having asshole bosses.
And then I just try to set up for Gaang Still Has Adventures in the Fire Nation.
7. If it weren't a kid's cartoon show, no one is marrying for love. Especially not any royalty. Like, just consider the English royal family only this generation married outside of the nobility even though they've been a constitutional monarchy for some time. Canonically, I'm pretty sure Zuko would have been strongly pressured to marry outside of the Fire Nation to exert more control over him and future generations of Fire Lords. Katara would literally be the only option because there aren't even any other female royalty aside from Azula. It's her or Zuko marries someone of nobility not royalty or someone very much his junior. That Katara is a waterbender who can match Zuko is just a nice bonus.
Sorry these notes are so long, but I hope you liked the update!