Chapter Seven! Yay! I don't have anything else to say about this chapter, other than it took me longer to write than it should have. So, enjoy!
I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender.
Sense and Sensibility
---Chapter Seven: How to Handle a Woman---
Katara dreaded writing to her family and friends. Prior to coming here, she had expected to be home before they even received her letters. How was she supposed to tell them that she wasn't sure she wanted to go home, especially after the promise she'd made to Aang?
She loved her home and her family dearly, but this time of year was always very, very lonely. Most of the girls anywhere near her age (and a few younger ones) were getting married and starting families of their own, many with young men of the Northern Tribe who had come with Pakku four years ago to help rebuild the village and then decided to stay. They would ask why she wasn't getting married too, and she wouldn't be able to answer. How could she explain to her people that she was in love with the Fire Lord?
Zuko was another thing. Katara didn't know how she could leave him, now that she had seen what his life was like. Certainly his schedule during this visit had been anything but normal, but he told her what things were like when there weren't any guests. Endless meetings with everyone from generals to the mayors of tiny towns miles away from the capital wore on the young man, and he had no one to lift that weight. His uncle was helpful as an advisor, but that wasn't what Zuko needed and everyone knew it. He and Katara were both lonely when they were alone, but together they were happy. The solution seemed simple enough.
How could Katara tell her friends and family that she wanted to marry Zuko?
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Aang wondered what Katara was doing at the Fire Nation palace. He hoped she was happy, and he looked forward to seeing her smiling face there to greet him when he returned to the South Pole in June. After all, she had promised to be there, hadn't she?
"You know, Twinkletoes," Toph said quietly from the other side of the campfire, "I think I will go with you to the South Pole this year."
Aang was startled out to his thoughts. "What?"
Toph made a face. "Use those ears of yours, will you? I said I want to go with you when you leave. I'm tired of only spending a little time with you each year, and it's been too long since I've teased Sugar Queen and Snoozles in person."
"Really?" Aang said excitedly. The four of them would have so much fun in the South Pole this summer! He could take Toph penguin-sledding, and she would feel snow for the first time, and… Aang's brain finally caught up with itself. Toph missed him during the time they were separated, though she hadn't said it in those exact words. The Avatar paused in his excitement.
Toph sensed the sudden change in his mood. "What?"
Aang grinned. "Nothing."
Toph used her earthbending to throw a rock at him. "Liar! What?!"
Aang just laughed, until Toph threw another rock and hit him in the head.
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Zuko did not remember what he had said during the brief fever, and Katara was not going to tell him lest he try to deny it. It was her own secret jewel, knowing that Zuko loved her, and it made almost everything he did highly amusing.
Zuko swore that he would soon go insane. Katara laughed at almost everything he did when they were together, and he told himself that if he wasn't in love with the girl he would have killed her by now. He briefly considered doing it anyway, but dismissed the thought as preposterous. If he was completely honest with himself, which meant getting past the pride that flared up by instinct, the times with Katara were still the happiest times he could remember since his mother… Zuko shook his head. He didn't like to think about that, yet his mind would not obey him.
What would Ursa have thought of Katara?
She would have liked the girl, of that much Zuko was sure. Ursa would have told the waterbender embarrassing stories of Zuko as a child, and they would have laughed together.
Zuko smiled at the thought.
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Lady Ming-Ming and Lady Junbi were both very displeased with the way things were going. The ball at which Zuko was supposed to announce his choice of a bride was three days away, and no one in the palace could deny that he would chose Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. Both noblewomen had hoped for him to choose Lady Ming-Ming; both wanted it for the riches and status it would bring them. Ming-Ming's father had promised Lady Junbi quite a bit of money should the Fire Lord wed his daughter. The Earth King, in all honesty, couldn't be bothered with the affairs of his sister's child; mostly because he had more important things to do. But Ming-Ming liked to think (and tell people) that relations between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom would be strained if she was not chosen. No one believed her.
Vana Bei Fong was happy to see Lady Ming-Ming so annoyed. She felt that she had wasted much of her time here following the noblewoman's poor example, but no longer. Vana had decided to be her own person and was making the most of it. She flirted with several of the palace guards and even a few of the servants, delighting in Lady Ming-Ming's disapproving glares. She had, though it was not easy, made friends with Katara. They chattered long into the night, sitting on the waterbender's bed, telling each other many secrets. Just not the most important ones.
Vana had not yet confessed to Katara her part in Zuko's accidental poisoning. The servant had escaped and had yet to be caught. Ming-Ming certainly wasn't going to say anything, and Vana was afraid to. A confession would risk not only her new friendship but her life, for collaboration in the murder of a monarch was treason and punishable by death in any country. So Vana kept the truth to herself, for now.
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Zuko wondered vaguely why all of the biggest outbursts happened at dinner.
"What is so funny?" he asked Katara, his tone more than a little irritated. She was laughing at him again, and he was not going to put up with it anymore.
Katara smiled, her eyes still dancing with laughter. "Nothing."
"It's something, or you wouldn't be laughing! Tell me!"
"No!"
"If you're going to laugh, I want to know why!"
"Fine, then I'll stop laughing!"
They were both standing up and glaring at each other by this point, drawing the incredulous stares of the entire court. Lady Ming-Ming calmly continued to eat her dinner, barely disguising her pleasure at the argument. Iroh wore a small, disappointed frown.
"Fine!" Zuko shouted. He turned and stormed out of the dining room. Katara gave a squeak of indignation before leaving in the opposite direction. Iroh sighed heavily and stood up. It was time for him to have a talk with his nephew.
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Someone knocked on the door of Zuko's private office. He didn't care. "Go away."
"I'm afraid I can't do that, Zuko."
The young Fire Lord scowled at the door. "I don't want to talk, Uncle."
The door opened and Iroh stepped in. "If you truly intend to keep people out, you should learn to lock your door." The old general sat in a chair opposite Zuko's desk. His nephew refused to look at him, choosing instead to stare at the ceiling. Iroh sighed again. "Do you know why I insisted that you become Fire Lord after your father's defeat, Zuko?"
No answer.
"I thought it better for you to rule with me as your teacher than for you to have to wait until my death and then have no one trustworthy to guide you. I see now, however, that I have not done my job. You behaved very childishly tonight, Zuko. At your age you should not act that way in private, much less in front of the entire court. Your position is not as solid as you like to think. Azula may be imprisoned, but should a revolt break out…"
Zuko rolled his eyes. "The people aren't going to revolt and put Azula on the throne just because I yelled at Katara, Uncle. Besides, you've read the guards' reports. Azula is insane."
"That is not the point!" Iroh shouted, momentarily losing control. Zuko blinked at him in surprise. "You must learn to control your temper in public. You must grow up and act like an adult."
Zuko looked down. "I hate when you're right."
Iroh smiled. "I know."
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Katara didn't bother to make sure everything was nice and neat as she threw her belongings into the bag she'd brought them in. It had been an entire day, and not only had she gotten no sort of apology from Zuko, but he had missed their daily meeting. How could she have even thought she loved him? He had a horrible temper with a short fuse, and they fought over the stupidest things… She paused when she heard a knock on her door. "Who is it?" she called, expecting it to be Vana or one of the maidservants.
"It's me," Zuko's voice replied. "May I come in?"
Katara was tempted to tell him no, but she went to the door and opened it just enough to give Zuko a dirty look. "What?"
Zuko met her eyes. "I wanted to apologize. And I got you something."
Katara sighed and opened the door enough for Zuko to come into her room. He carried a large package wrapped in red paper, which he placed on a nearby table. Katara looked at him expectantly. Zuko looked at the floor. "I'm sorry," he murmured.
Katara considered saying that sorry wasn't good enough. Instead she opened the package.
Zuko watched her expression. "I thought you could wear it at the ball."
Katara stared at the high-collared, royal blue silk dress. "It's beautiful." She smiled. Sorry may not have been good enough, but this proved he meant it. She turned to him.
Katara meant to give Zuko a peck on the cheek to emphasize her gratitude. But at the last second, on pure inspiration, he gently touched her chin and redirected the gesture.
Their lips met.
Katara pulled back in surprise. Zuko blushed and hung his head again. "Sorry. I shouldn't have…"
"Zuko?"
He looked up, and Katara kissed him, wrapping her arms around the Fire Lord's neck.
---End Chapter Seven---
I picture the dress Zuko gave Katara as a Mandarin-style type of thing, but that's just me. As to the kiss… You may all cheer like maniacs now. The Taang bit was simply because I felt like it. Thank you for reading, and please review!
