Here is the next chapter!
Thanks to my Beta reader PurseMonger!
*Edited 1/9/2015*
ATLA is not mine.
Chapter Seven
Strange Feelings
As the early rays of sunlight emerged the next day, Zuko immediately rose from his comfortable bed, threw on a light robe, and opened the balcony doors. The thick curtains shifted gently as the morning breeze blew in. Stepping outside, he breathed in the crisp morning air as he looked over to the ocean in the distance. He let out a contented sigh as a soft breeze caressed his features and ruffled his dark hair. The young Fire Lord leaned against the balcony ledge and looked down at his private garden, reveling in the fragrance of the flowers and trees.
When he had returned from his exile, the garden desperately needed repair. Ozai and Azula never enjoyed spending time in the garden, and so, it eventually began to die. The trees and flowers withered almost to dust and the grass had turned dry and brown. It had looked more like an abandoned graveyard than a garden.
However, as soon as he became Fire Lord, Zuko ordered the Royal Palace Garden to be restored to its original beauty by planting more trees and exotic flowers, and cleaning and expanding the turtle-duck pond. He especially had his mother's rose bushes restored to their healthy and vibrant state.
He smiled, remembering Katara's delighted face as she saw the garden and the pond a few days ago.
Returning inside his grand room, Zuko settled himself on his red cushion in front of the candles that rested on top a small altar-like table. An incense stick gently filled the room with its aroma. With a flicker of his hand, the candles immediately lit up, the small flames falling and rising steadily as he inhaled and exhaled in rhythm. He tried to banish all distracting and frustrating thoughts from his mind as he began to meditate, but the fresh memories of that day in the garden and the previous night occupied his mind.
He had never spoken to anyone about the times he had spent with his mother as a child before, not even Iroh. His uncle had tried to persuade him into talking and expressing his feelings, but he always refused. He had not wanted to seem weak speaking of such childish memories after what happened with Ozai. But he had somehow overcome that and told Katara, and she did not judge or ridicule him like he was sure Mai or anybody else would have. That was probably because Katara was a caring person and because she understood his sadness, for it mirrored her own.
And then the previous night, he had revealed his painful past to her and she listened to him with a compassionate heart. Her words about his scar surfaced in his mind again and they comforted him, the mark that was a constant reminder of his mistake. At least it was before, but now it was different. Katara was right, he should stop regarding his scar as such and embrace it as part of who he is, not who he was. She even touched it again with no sign of disgust or revulsion. She just caressed it gently.
The strange new flame in his heart burned again.
Nobody has listened and understood me like Katara has. Why is it that I find it so easy to talk to her? Zuko thought pensively, the candles burning steadily before him. We really barely know each other, and yet, it feels like we have been friends for a very long time, he contemplated.
It seemed that both he and Katara had more things in common than he had thought. They would have been a great couple if they were not already in relationships.
More than just friends...? Zuko thought, the idea causing his heart to give a strange, thrilled leap.
The firebender tried to suppress the heat that threatened to invade his face. He hoped Katara had not notice that he had been leaning too close to her in order to kiss her the previous night. He recalled how close her face was to his, he could almost feel her soft lips. If she had not opened her eyes and spoken, he probably would have kissed her.
No. What I am thinking? He shook his head. That is a crazy idea! More than friends? Impossible!
But why should it be?
Why? Because they were just friends and could only be friends! Katara had said that they were friends so many times already. And he could not betray Mai. Besides, Katara loved…Aang who, by the way, was also his friend!
Zuko groaned as he pushed his hair out of his face.
I can't be thinking like this and I have to stop having strange and disgraceful thoughts about her! And Aang has been a good friend. I can't hurt him in such a way. It'd be dishonorable. Katara and I are just friends.
With that, Zuko extinguished the candles and made his way toward his bathroom to get ready for another meeting. His last statement painfully echoed in his thoughts.
Just friends…just friends…
That afternoon Katara, Suki and Toph had a little spar in one of the many training grounds that the Fire Nation Palace possessed. Toph used her incredible earthbending talents, while Katara summoned her waterbending. Suki brought out her metal fans and used the Kyoshi fighting skills she had mastered years ago.
After a few hours of exercise, they decided to take a rest and, after bragging about her victory, Toph reluctantly followed her friends inside the palace. As soon as she entered her room, Katara quickly got ready to take a bath before dinner. After removing her clothes, breast bindings, and her undergarments she stepped into the tub and sat down, the warm water reaching over her chest.
The young waterbender submerged herself in her calming element with a contented sigh. She was rather impressed at the Fire Nation Palace water system. She just had to turn a knob and water would spring forth from a pipe at the head of the tub, filling the bathtub quickly. Non-firebenders just had to light the pieces of wood under the tubs with a candle and wait for the water to heat up. Then the servants would just remove the burned pieces of wood and replace them with new ones, unlike back home in the Southern Water Tribe where they had to drag the buckets with hot water to fill their small tubs.
Using her waterbending, Katara washed her body and long hair until she was completely clean and fresh smelling. Setting the soap aside, she thought back about what happened the previous morning. Aang had acted so strange. She knew he had wanted to tell her something, but as always, he ran away from it and played it safe. She wondered what he really wanted to ask her. Shrugging it off, she rested her head against the cool edge of the tub, letting the soothing water relax her tired muscles.
In a few more days, their stay in the Fire Nation would come to an end. Iroh would probably be returning to his teashop in Ba Sing Se. Aang and Toph were needed in the Earth Kingdom, and Suki and Ty Lee back in Kyoshi Island. And she needed to return to her waterbending students. She wondered how many more years would pass before they saw Iroh and Zuko again.
Zuko. Katara saddened, remembering what Zuko had revealed to her the previous night.
How could someone so young suffer so many hardships? How could he endure so much pain? And the worst part was that it was his own father that had caused him so much sorrow.
He had looked so tormented by his scar that she had wanted to comfort him so badly, to make him see it was not horrible. And so, she had touched his scar again. It felt like it did before in Ba Sing Se, rough and dry yet soft and warm.
Katara closed her eyes, revisiting the moment from the previous night, the way his tortured, amber eyes stared into hers while he caressed her own cheek. Katara absentmindedly touched her lips, remembering the way his thumb had touched them. His large hand, the same one she had seen him use to firebend powerful bursts of fire and handle his lethal broadswords, was so warm and gentle that she could not help but enjoy it. His touch had felt so nice and comforting that she had closed her eyes to relish in it.
And when she opened them…his striking face was so close to hers that she could almost feel his warm breath tickling her lips…
Katara snapped her eyes open and dropped her hand from her lips, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks.
Why was he so close? she asked herself for the hundredth time. It looked like he wanted to…
Katara quickly placed her hands on her burning cheeks to cool them down. He wasn't going to…kiss me, was he?
Katara felt her heart do a somersault and butterflies fluttered in her stomach at the idea of Zuko kissing her before she angrily berated herself for thinking in such a way.
Of course he wasn't! Don't be stupid! We're just friends. Why would he want…to kiss me? she told herself.
She sighed. But deep down inside she wondered what it would have been like if Zuko had kissed her…
A knock sounded outside her bathroom door, relieving her of her confusing thoughts.
"Who is it?" Katara called, sitting up in the tub.
"It's Jiao, Lady Katara. Dinner is almost served. Do you need any help?" the young servant called out from behind the closed door.
"No, thank you. I'm almost finished," Katara told her.
Darn. Did I really take that long bathing?
She quickly got out of the tub, flushing the dirty water down the drain. She dried herself with a soft towel and started getting ready. It would be very embarrassing if I were to be late again!
And even more embarrassing if her cheeks did not return to their normal color. She quickly dressed and entered the room that Jiao was tidying at the moment. The young servant woman turned and smiled.
"A letter has been sent to you this morning, Lady Katara," Jiao told her as she extracted a letter from her pocket and handed it to the waterbender.
Katara took the letter, looked at the blue string attached to it, and smiled.
"Thank you, Jiao."
"If you'd like I could come back later to clean your room," Jiao said. She smiled and bowed before she exited the room.
Not only is she nice, helpful, and loyal, she's also respectful of other people's privacy, not like the other gossiping young maids. No wonder Zuko trusts her, Katara thought. Thinking about Zuko made her blush again.
Shaking her head, she opened the letter and smiled as she recognized her grandmother's writing.
My dear granddaughter,
I hope you are doing well in the Fire Nation heat. Remember to drink lots of water. I hope you are having lots of fun in the capital and I hope your silly brother is not making a fool of himself in front of royalty. I can't wait for you to return and tell me all about your visit. Don't forget to bring some souvenirs. Your father, Pakku, and I miss you and your brother very much. Your students are doing extremely well, but my poor Pakku is having some difficulty disciplining the smaller children who, instead of making water whips, make ice cubes to build miniature towers.
By the way, how are things with the young Fire Lord? I heard there is some trouble in his colonies. I hope it's nothing serious. So young and having to deal with so many problems, what a shame. Have you been able to cheer him up? I am sure he is treating you well. Send him and his uncle our regards. Hope to see you soon.
Your Gran-Gran,
Kanna
Katara folded the letter and placed it inside her nightstand drawer. Picturing Master Pakku's eye twitching with irritation made Katara giggle. And she could not wait to bring some Fire Nation souvenirs to her family. She missed them and her home with its white, peaceful surroundings.
Looking out the window, she noticed that the sun was setting. Katara forgot about her homesickness as she practically ran from her room to the royal dining hall.
During dinner, Mai kept showing off the new bracelet Zuko had bought her. Ty Lee—who kept on making Haru flush every time she caught his eye—exclaimed it was wonderful. Everybody else said it was nice except for Toph who found Mai's constant bragging irritating.
Zuko had to stop himself from rolling his eyes. When Mai had asked him to spend the morning with her in the city because he had promised before, he expected it to have been a normal date where the couple walked around the city and had a picnic or something. Instead, she practically dragged him to a jewelry shop where she chose the bracelet.
"Isn't it nice, Katara?" Mai asked innocently, almost shoving the golden jewel in the waterbender's face.
"Yes, lovely," Katara replied tersely.
What's her problem? What does she want, for me to worship it? Well, she has another thing coming. Besides, it's not as beautiful as my rose hairpin, Katara thought smugly.
As dinner continued, and Katara noticed the way her brother ate, she thought back to her grandmother's letter.
'I hope it's nothing serious. So young and having to deal with so many problems, what a shame.'
Katara sighed. Her Gran-Gran had no idea.
'Have you been able to cheer him up?'
Katara pondered. Well, she did make Zuko laugh, so that must count.
'I am sure he is treating you well.'
Well, he had taken her out to eat and shown her around the Fire Nation capital. He defended her against those two men and his own advisor. He had shown her his private garden and his mother's rose bushes. He had listened to her when she talked about her own mother.
And he had caressed her cheek and lips.
Oh, yes, he has definitely treated me well, she sighed dreamily.
Her heart skipped a beat and she felt another blush creeping into her cheeks. It seemed she had been blushing a lot more lately than she had ever had in her life. She peeked at Zuko and quickly lowered her face. She looked around at everybody else, but nobody noticed anything. She did find a grinning Toph unusual, though. She glanced at Aang—who was having a conversation with Zuko about the jewelry shop—from the corner of her eye and felt ashamed of herself. She ate silently for the rest of the meal except when Mai bragged about the bracelet again.
Placing his cup of wine down, Zuko pressed his lips tightly together. He was a bit annoyed by Mai's strange behavior as he half-listened to what Aang was talking to him about. He tried to avoid looking at Katara, for whenever he did, that strange feeling engulfed his heart again. He felt his right cheek beginning to burn as he remembered her words and her touch. He discreetly touched his scarred face and stole a glance at the lovely waterbender who seemed a bit quieter than usual.
Maybe after she returns to the Southern Water Tribe everything would return to normal, he mused. But for some reason, that thought caused his heart to clench painfully.
He was glad when the meal was finally over. Excusing himself from the table, Zuko quickly retreated to his study to finish some paperwork and calm his confusing feelings. As he opened the door, he heard Sokka call to him.
"Hey, Zuko! Wait up!" the blue-eyed warrior called behind him.
Zuko turned around, and with a raised eyebrow, waited for the young man to catch up to him.
"What is it, Sokka?" he asked. He noticed that the warrior seemed a bit nervous and agitated.
"I just wanted to talk to you, you know, man to man, because you see I have this small problem…actually a big problem and I don't know what to do and…I need your advice," Sokka rambled rapidly on as he rubbed the back of his neck.
Zuko raised his eyebrow again as both of them stood outside his study room.
"Advice? On what?"
Sokka opened his mouth, but he closed it sharply when they heard the women's voices coming down the corridor. Sokka seemed to panic and he whipped his head back and forth as if he was looking for a place to hide.
"Would you like to talk in my study?" Zuko asked him.
He was slightly amused at the way the confident and sometimes cocky Water Tribe warrior now seemed like a frightened moose-deer caught in the torchlight. He had a feeling that Sokka wanted to talk about something he did not want the girls to find out about.
"Yeah, sure," Sokka answered smoothly, trying to compose himself, but when the women's laughter became louder, he quickly jumped into the room.
Zuko smirked as he entered his study after the jumpy warrior, closing the door behind him.
"Wow! This place is amazing!" Suki exclaimed, turning her head to look everywhere around her.
"Yeah, and it's huge! Ah, and the grass feels so good." Toph sighed as she wiggled her toes on the green grass.
Katara smiled at her friends.
"I told you guys it was great," she said as she looked around the Royal Palace Garden once again. She liked it more every time she visited.
She glanced over to where the cherry blossom tree stood near the pond, where she and Zuko had stood the night before with the bright moon in the night sky, the cool breeze, and Zuko's warm touch...she flushed and brushed the last thought away.
"Are you sure we're allowed to be here? You know how these Fire Nation people are about social class and all that stuff," Suki asked uncomfortably. Her fingers rested rigidly against the metal fans tucked into her waist belt.
"Yes, Zuko told me we could visit the garden whenever we want," Katara reassured her friends.
"Sparky told you that?" Toph grinned. It sounded more like a statement than a question. "Well, I'd still be allowed here since I come from the prestigious Bei Fong family, who is like royalty, by the way."
She grinned broadly as she straightened herself and lifted her chin up in a mockingly haughty manner.
"I'll just say you two are my ladies-in-waiting." The blind earthbender smirked.
After the end of the war, Toph had returned to her worried parents. After explaining (rather irritably) to them that she was able to care of herself and in the process had helped the Avatar defeat the old Fire Lord, her parents forgave her for running away and accepted her decision to continue helping the Avatar by traveling around the Earth Kingdom, albeit reluctantly.
The three of them broke out into laughter at the thought since Toph was hardly the picture of a noblewoman and Katara and Suki were anything but meek servants. After taking a break from the fun, Katara spotted Iroh sitting in the veranda.
"I'll be back, you guys. I need to talk to Uncle Iroh. You should check the pond. There are some cute turtle-ducks," she told them hurriedly before she walked away.
"Okay?" Suki said as she replaced her fans. "What was that about?"
Shrugging her small shoulders, Toph replied, "Well, what are you waiting for? Take me to the pond now, servant."
Suki rolled eyes.
"Now you're just pushing it," she said, causing Toph to cross her arms over her chest and grin.
Katara reached the little veranda where a pot of tea and pastries sat on the table. The sweet aroma of ginseng tea tickled her senses and she sighed contentedly.
"Ah, Miss Katara, care to join me for a cup of hot tea?" the jolly, old man asked, handing her a cup before she could respond.
Katara gave him a smile as she settled down and took the teacup.
"Actually Iroh—" she began, but paused when the old general raised his eyebrow at her. "Er…I mean, Uncle Iroh. I wanted to talk to you about something important. It's about Zuko."
Iroh grinned. Finally!
Katara fidgeted in her seat.
"I…I asked him about the scar," she began quietly.
Iroh felt a bit disappointed.
"He…he told me…what happened," she said almost in a whisper.
Iroh's grin faded into a grim expression for he knew very well what had happened almost six years ago. He was a witness to everything that had caused his beloved nephew pain. But then, Iroh smiled softly.
"And he told you about it? That is incredible," responded the retired general softly as he sipped from his porcelain cup.
"Incredible? Why?" Katara looked at the smiling man with confusion. Is he losing it?
"Zuko has never told anyone the story behind his scar, and not many people know the truth about it. I do not blame him for never wanting to talk to anyone about it. It is too painful a memory, especially because he believed the scar only represented his mistake and weakness." Iroh sighed sadly, sipping from his cup again.
"While we were still in exile on his ship, I was the one who had to recount the tragic event to the crew, who were ready to participate in mutiny because of my nephew's temper. Zuko barely even talked to me about it." Iroh smiled warmly at her.
Katara gave him a small smile in return. She could not help feeling happy that Zuko had confided in her.
"I still find it very hard to believe what he had to bear. How could a father do so much damage to his own son?" Katara asked angrily.
Iroh detected loathing and sadness in her voice and smiled gently before he frowned.
"Ozai has always been a selfish and cruel person, and the worst father in history," he stated.
Katara remembered Zuko saying that once, the first time they were on Ember Island, and agreed completely.
Iroh continued.
"Ozai was always hard on his children, expecting the best of them. He was especially hard on Zuko, for not only was he the heir, but also because he did not become what Ozai wanted him to be. Zuko was more like his mother, kind and compassionate, two things that my brother saw as weaknesses. Not to mention Zuko had a difficult time learning firebending as a child."
"Zuko, as in former Prince Zuko and the new Fire Lord Zuko? He had trouble firebending?" Katara asked skeptically. By the way she had seen him fight, or by the way she had fought him, it seemed impossible.
"Yes, he did, and Ozai never ceased to point it out by favoring Azula. Not only because she was an excellent firebender, but because she was just like her father…cruel, heartless, ruthless, and cunning."
Katara gripped her teacup tighter. The crazy fallen princess was all those horrible things and more. Not only did Azula try to kill Aang and Zuko, her own brother, she tried to kill Katara as well. And Azula would have succeeded if Zuko had not risked his own life to save her.
"Zuko was tormented by his father's indifference, especially when Ozai kept saying that Azula was born lucky while he was lucky to be born." Iroh sighed sadly again, looking at the steam rising from his cup.
"He would say that?!" Katara asked incredulously.
She could not imagine Zuko's pain. Her father always treated his children equally and Hakoda would never stop loving them if they made mistakes. It must have been so horrible for a child to know his own father disliked and disapproved of him.
The more she found out about Zuko's past, the guiltier she felt for judging and mistreating him, and the more she felt the need to be his friend. Katara felt her heart reach out for Zuko once again, for the lost, neglected boy and the hardened, lonely man.
"Azula was a child prodigy," Iroh continued, "She would learn a new move instantly, while it took Zuko weeks and even months to perfect it. It infuriated him."
"I don't blame him," Katara replied with a small smile. "I became angry and jealous with Aang when I first started to teach him waterbending. He got the bending moves in a few tries while it took me months to master them."
Even as she thought about it, she was still a bit jealous.
"Well, you and Zuko have more in common than you think," the wise general said with a grin before he sighed and took another sip of his tea.
"My nephew would practice so much and worked himself so hard that sometimes I worried for his health. But nothing deterred Zuko. All of his burdens just made him stronger. But those same burdens also made him angry and resentful for years. Of course, after he joined the Avatar and all of you, he changed. But he still is tormented by his past and by his father."
Iroh sighed and shook his bald, white head sadly.
"My nephew is not happy. Not happy at all."
Katara was silent for a moment as she stared at her cup of untouched tea. Everyone used to call Zuko the 'angry spoiled Fire Nation Prince', and she was no exception. But he never contradicted them. He never explained why he was forced to change into that angry person. He never complained; he kept it all inside.
Now she understood why Zuko had acted so cold and harsh when she first met him and all times they encountered each other after. She also understood why he barely smiled, and even more obvious, why he rarely played around and laughed. His past had hardened him.
Katara remembered the solemn look on his face under the moonlight the previous night. His expression had been unreadable, but she had seen his eyes filled with so much anger, hatred, pain, and sadness.
I'll find a way for him to forget such horrible things. And I will find a way to make Zuko happy, Katara promised herself as she looked over at the cherry blossom tree in the garden.
Zuko waited impatiently behind his mahogany study desk for the Water Tribe warrior, who was fidgeting in his chair, to commence. After the Boiling Rock incident both had become good friends, though they sometimes got on each other's nerves. Zuko looked out the window. The daylight was fading.
"Okay, Sokka, what's going on? You asked for my advice and you haven't spoken a word." Zuko sighed tiredly, trying to hide his irritation.
"Oh, right, right. Well, you see…Suki and I have been together for years now and we never been happier," Sokka began with a happy look on his face.
Zuko cocked his one eyebrow. What did that have to do with him?
"You see, I think the time has come for me to stand up and make a serious decision." Sokka paused, running his hand over his pulled back hair.
"And what decision is that?" Zuko asked as he waited for the response.
Sokka moved his hand from his head to rub the back of his neck.
"Well, I…I want to…propose to Suki," the young warrior stammered, trying very hard not to blush.
Zuko smiled.
"Well, that's great news Sokka. Congratulations," he said sincerely before he frowned. "But I still don't see why you need my advice."
"I wanted to ask you how I should do it. How should I propose to Suki and make it memorable to her?"
Zuko's dark eyebrow lifted even higher on his forehead.
"Do you even know who you're asking? I'm not exactly the right person to ask for advice on romance," he said dryly.
"You have a point there," Sokka agreed. He chuckled when Zuko sniffed.
"I just don't have another guy friend I could ask," Sokka continued with a shrug. "I don't think Aang can help me with…uh…this serious decision. I mean I can't even talk to him about…intimate issues, if you know what I mean. He's a monk I don't think he knows about that stuff! And—"
"Okay, Sokka, you're going off topic now," Zuko interrupted since he really did not want to know about Aang's…private life. "What makes you think I can help you?"
Sokka chuckled and winked his eye.
"Oh, come on, Zuko. You know probably more than me, and especially Aang, about…women."
Zuko coughed as he tried to hide his flushed face. He had known a few women, though not as many as Sokka thought. It was expected of him since he was a prince, and when he turned fifteen his crew took him to a brothel for his first 'initiation' in becoming a man. Music night was not the only form of entertainment for the crew members on his ship. And as Fire Lord he could have all the concubines he desired, if only he liked that custom.
"I still don't see your point in asking me for advice on how to make a proposal," Zuko said instead.
"But surely you know how you're going to propose to Mai. Come on, tell me how the Fire Lord is gonna go on with it," Sokka said, leaning closer on his chair as if to take notes.
Zuko started. Propose to Mai? The idea had not entered his mind recently. Of course, he had thought about it since she was his girlfriend and it was expected of him, but with all the work and problems that came with running a nation, he had not thought much about it.
"Uh…I…well…" Now it was Zuko's turn to stumble upon his words.
Sokka only raised an eyebrow at him.
Clearing his throat, Zuko answered instead, "I'm sure it doesn't matter how you ask Suki just as long as you do. So why are you so insecure?"
Sokka laughed weakly.
"Me? Insecure? Please, I'm the Mighty Warrior Sokka. I'm not nervous at all…"
Zuko tapped his fingers on the desk and raised his eyebrow at him.
"Okay, okay!" Sokka surrendered as he flung his hands in the air. "Maybe I'm a bit nervous. It's just that…I'm afraid." He sighed.
"Afraid? Of what? Commitment?" Zuko asked, furrowing his forehead. Sokka always seemed like the family type of man.
"No!" Sokka exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. "I always wanted to get married and start a family. You know, have little Sokkas running around the place."
Zuko cringed slightly at that thought.
"I even considered asking Suki after the final battle was won. But I'm afraid that if I ask her to marry me…she'll reject me…I'm afraid of losing her," Sokka confessed with a sigh, drooping his shoulders.
Zuko regarded the young man in front of him. His fear did seem reasonable.
"Sokka. Do you love her?" Zuko asked the warrior in a serious tone.
Sokka looked up, and raising his chin, he answered in a strong voice, "With all my heart."
"Then ask her. Take a risk for you may never know if she is waiting for you to do it. If you keep hesitating any longer maybe you will lose her," Zuko firmly stated.
Sokka sat silently on the chair as he thought about what his friend had said.
"You know what? You're absolutely right. You even sounded like Iroh for a second. Thanks Fire Lord Hotman. This advice was even better than that silver lining in the horizon or whatever it was," he said before he laughed hysterically, slapping his knee with his hand.
Zuko scowled at him at the reminder of that talk they had in the Boiling Rock.
"Well, I'll leave you to your work," Sokka said after wiping his eyes, looking at the pile of paperwork with disgust as he stood up.
Just as he opened the door, Iroh stepped in.
"Iroh, good to see you again, old man. How about a game of Pai Sho later on?" Sokka asked enthusiastically as he exited the room without waiting for a reply.
Iroh watched the tribesman leave before he turned to look quizzically at his nephew.
"Now, what was that about?"
Zuko smiled and shrugged as he sat back against his large chair.
"He's going to propose to Suki."
"Is he now? That's wonderful!" Iroh cried out cheerfully. "I love weddings!"
Zuko almost rolled his eyes. Iroh loved every form of celebration.
"Don't tell anyone, Uncle. He has only told me and I think he wants it to be a surprise," Zuko warned him as he looked through the papers worthy enough of his attention.
"My lips are sealed," Iroh promised gleefully, pressing his lips together with his thumb and index finger.
Regarding his nephew, who was busy with the scrolls piled on the desk, Iroh sat down heavily on the chair Sokka had occupied.
"Zuko, when will it be your turn to…" Iroh coughed, "propose to…Mai?" The old general swallowed distastefully.
Zuko looked up from his paperwork, again lost for words.
"I…um…I'm not planning to any time soon," he managed to say.
"And why not?" Iroh asked curiously as he raised his white, bushy eyebrows.
"Well, because…I'm too busy running a country to be thinking about marriage right now," Zuko answered, making a wide gesture at the enormous piles of paperwork for emphasis.
Zuko looked away and sighed.
And because I'm not sure I love her anymore…
Mai was the perfect example of a noblewoman. She was poised, calm and collected, knew Court life and etiquette. She was perfect for the role of Fire Lady…but not perfect for the role as his wife.
Zuko could not deny that he would always be grateful that she went against Azula to save him because she loved him, but Mai had never been there for him when he needed someone the most. He was fond of her, yes, but not in love with her.
He had thought he loved her when he returned from his exile the first time because she welcomed him and treated him fondly. The first time they became intimate he was nervous for he had only had had sex before but had never made love. But he was sadly disappointed not only at her 'performance,' but because it did not feel special, like he had thought it would. The few times he had sex with her since was only to please her and so he would not have to use the local brothel to relieve his sexual frustrations. But that had been almost a year ago.
He soon realized that what he felt for Mai was just an attraction or affection because he had never had a girlfriend before. He was not even sure he was capable of loving someone in that unconditional way Sokka seemed to love Suki.
But if he had to marry someone it would be her since he knew her since childhood and she loved him. And if they did end up married he would try to make her happy even if he could not love her. Besides, he did not want to go through an arranged marriage and deal with an unfamiliar noblewoman.
His uncle's voice brought him back from his wandering thoughts.
"Zuko, you are going to turn twenty-one in a few months and you are still unmarried! And seeing that you have not made a decision with Mai, the Royal Court has been pressing on you to choose a wife among the nobility," Iroh reminded him seriously.
Zuko sighed irritably. The noblemen had been pressing their single female relatives on him. But he knew that they just wanted to rise in power and prestige by marrying into his family. That was not the kind of marriage he wanted. There had to be something special in a marriage. At least with Mai, he would know she was loyal to him and cared for him before he came into power.
"And the Court Council has called out for you to sire an heir immediately, Nephew," Iroh continued, placing his hands inside his sleeves.
The Fire Lord stood abruptly from his large, cushioned chair and paced around the room angrily.
"An heir! I'm not even married yet and they already want an heir?!" Zuko thundered.
"You know the reason an heir is important. In case, spirits forbid, you…die." Iroh shuddered as the cruel image of Ozai appeared in his mind. "The royal bloodline needs to continue to rule the Fire Nation. Otherwise, there would be chaos as the noblemen jockey for power."
Zuko sighed again and ran his hand over his head. He knew that very well, but was he ready to be a father? Could he even be a good father?
"Perhaps you're worried for Mai bearing children at the moment. She is still young and well…very thin and…frail. Maybe you could have an heir with a concubine," Iroh suggested, waiting for his nephew's reaction.
It was normal for the Fire Lords to sire an heir with a concubine if their wives were unable to bear children.
"No. You know I dislike the idea of concubinage," Zuko replied harshly.
The women of the brothels got paid for their services and they were free to choose which man they would like to bed (at least most of the time), but concubines on the other hand were nothing more than sex slaves. The noblemen's concubines were mostly women whose own families had sold them to their new master because of debts or to raise themselves in status.
Zuko thought concubinage was wrong and he felt bad for the poor women, but he could not stop it, having concubines was a part of Fire Nation culture. If he banned it, the noblemen would surely be more outraged than they were at him for calling off the war.
The other reason he disliked this custom was because he remembered his father having many of them and it had hurt his mother deeply.
"The woman I marry will be the only mother of my children," Zuko stated firmly.
An image of Katara holding a child lovingly in her arms appeared in his mind unbidden. He quickly brushed it aside and turned around so his uncle would not notice his flushed face. What was wrong with him? How could he think of Katara in such a way?
Iroh smiled and nodded in approval at his nephew's declaration.
"Well, I just hope you find this woman soon because time does not wait for anybody and if you do not act fast you will regret it," Iroh said cryptically. "And I'm getting older by the minute."
The old prince then asked with a sparkle in his aging, wise eyes, "So Zuko? When are you going to give me grandnephews and nieces?"
After visiting the royal garden for a while, the girls decided to spend the rest of the day in Katara's room. The sun had set over the horizon a long time ago and the small candles cast dancing shadows around the room.
"Well, it would be more believable if you acted more like a lady instead of a hog-monkey," Suki teased, setting herself comfortably among Katara's fluffy pillows.
"Hog-monkey? Oh, you haven't seen anything yet," Toph retorted.
Katara sat in front of her dresser, looking at her reflection in the clear mirror above it, half-listening to the other two young women. She could not shake off what Zuko and Iroh had told her these past few days.
Zuko had suffered so much and some people—like some of the stupid Earth Kingdom representatives—did not even consider that he had suffered just like everybody else and perhaps even more. And Ozai prolonged Zuko's suffering by refusing to tell his own son where his mother was. There had to be a way to find out.
"Earth to Sugar Queen. Hello?" Toph called out loudly, snapping Katara out of her thoughts.
"Huh? Sorry, what were you saying?" Katara turned around to face them.
"Gees, Katara, which part of the Spirit World were you in?" Toph snorted, staring in the waterbender's direction with her pale, lime-colored eyes.
"Is something wrong?" Suki asked as she walked over to Katara in concern. "It seems as if something is troubling you."
What Katara had come to find out did trouble her, but she could not betray Zuko's trust by babbling about his troubled past to everybody. She gave them a small smile.
"Don't worry. I'm fine," she told them. Toph snorted again, but Katara ignored her. "Anyway, what were you talking about?"
"I was telling Warrior Princess here that Snoozles has been acting weird, even more than he already does," Toph said and grinned.
"Yeah, did you notice that right after dinner he ran from the dining room to talk to Zuko? He has become a bit distant, like he is hiding something from me," Suki said dejectedly.
"Don't worry about it, Suki. I'm sure it's nothing. It's probably just one of his 'genius' phases. He'll come around," Katara reassured her friend. She again began to ponder on Aang's strange behavior from before. She needed to talk to him about it.
"Yeah, you're probably right. Perhaps I'm overreacting over nothing," Suki agreed with a small laugh. She sat back down on the bed, her eyes lighting up when she spotted Katara's rose hairpin.
"Hey, isn't this the gift Zuko sent you for your birthday?" she asked as she picked it up and inspected it.
Katara walked over to her and nodded with a smile.
"It's very beautiful. Even more beautiful than Mai's bracelet," Suki stated as she stroked the blue and red gems and smiled.
"I bet it is," Toph commented with a grin.
Katara blushed. It seemed she wasn't being biased at all.
Toph tipped her head sideways and smiled.
"Sparky's heading down the hall. I wonder where he's going so late at night."
Suki placed the hairpin back on the nightstand, and they watched as Zuko's tall form hurriedly passed the room.
"Hey, Sparky! Where you going in such a hurry? Are you going for a midnight snack or more damn paperwork?" Toph called out loudly.
The women heard his footsteps stop and then head to the room. Zuko appeared and stood outside the door, leaning casually on the doorframe. He tried to avoid eye contact with Katara as well as tried to control his heartbeat.
"I didn't know you were still awake. Anyway, I'm going out to some business," he said coolly before he turned to leave, but Toph's voice stopped him again.
"What kind of business?" the earthbender asked with a grin. She could feel Zuko's uneasiness turn to irritation, but that did not bother her one bit. "And don't lie to me. I want the truth."
"Toph!" Katara chided her as if she were a nosy child.
Zuko was silent for a moment before he sighed as he turned around to face them.
"I'm going to the prison tower," he said in a grave voice.
Toph's grin fell from her face and Suki's smile faded.
"The prison tower? Are you going to see…Ozai?" Katara asked quietly.
Zuko nodded. His face was unreadable.
"I'm going," Toph announced, crossing her arms, the grin back on her face.
Zuko opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.
"I want to make sure that bastard is having a really bad time in prison."
Katara placed her hand on the blind earthbender's shoulder. Zuko suppressed a sigh of relief. He just knew Katara would make Toph see reason.
"I'm coming, too," Katara stated.
Zuko's mouth fell open before he clenched his jaw.
"What? You can't go to the prison tower!" he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Why not? Just because we're women or something?" Katara scoffed. "Like we've never been in prison before, right, Toph? We've been in more dangerous situations," she retorted.
"Yeah, besides Ozai can't do anything to us since Aang took away his bending. He's a loser," Toph added with another grin.
Zuko sighed. He knew he would not be able to change their minds. He turned to look at Suki, expecting her to join also. Suki just smiled and told them she had a headache and was going to sleep.
"Come on, Sparky! Lead the way," Toph demanded as she stomped out of the room and into the hallway.
"Um…after you," Zuko told Katara, stepping aside to let her pass.
Katara noticed that he had been avoiding looking at her in the eye. She frowned. Was he upset about the previous night?
Zuko usually rode on a komodo rhino with guards surrounding him when he visited the prison tower. This time he ordered a carriage to be brought for the two young women. Toph protested at first until Zuko told her he would not forgive himself if something happened to her like it almost did Aang. She relented with a grumble, but Katara was sure Toph was secretly glad Zuko cared about her.
They rode in silence toward the prison tower. A few guards rode in front of the carriage, Zuko rode behind it with his two personal guards while the rest of his guards brought up the rear. The rhinos' pounding feet and the carriage wheels strolling along the path were the only sounds they could hear. The streets were deserted and dark, but the guards held flames in their hands to illuminate their way. The moon was still big, even if not full, and gave them more light to see by.
After a while, Katara noticed that the carriage had slowed down and she peeked outside the window. The prison tower loomed before them like a dark specter, shadowy mountains lined behind it at a distance. She craned her neck around to look at Zuko. He was staring straight ahead with a stoic expression, the moon reflecting on his sharp features, his eyes dark and hard. He rode the komodo rhino magnificently, his posture straight with one hand on the reins and the other resting on his thigh. Katara could not help but think that Zuko looked very regal and striking.
Zuko turned and caught her eye. She blushed at being caught staring at him but smiled nonetheless. Zuko gave her a small smile before looking away. Katara frowned and sat back down inside the carriage.
A few minutes later, they came to a stop, and before the carriage driver could jump down to open the carriage door, Toph threw it open and jumped outside. Katara smiled at the driver's surprised face before she accepted his hand to step down.
"I feel somebody else's footsteps," Toph said as they neared the prison.
They watched as a man came out from the building and walked off in another direction.
"That looked like Wei. I wonder what he was doing here," Zuko said, eyeing the retreating advisor suspiciously.
"Maybe he was visiting a family member," Katara suggested, but Zuko had a feeling it was something else. He just did not know what.
They entered the dark prison tower where the captain of the prison guard greeted the Fire Lord and led them to their destination. They went up many flights of stairs, passing many cells on their way. Upon hearing that there were visitors, the prisoners poked their dirty heads through the bars. They whistled as the women passed them, making so many disgusting and appalling comments that Katara wished she had stayed in her room. Toph kept her head up and once in a while retorted back hotly.
The prisoners were harshly silenced when Zuko threatened them ferociously, flames growing on his hands for emphasis. The inmates quickly disappeared back into their dark holes. Being locked up in prison was bad enough and being in prison with severe burns was worse.
Katara noticed that the farther they went, the darker and stuffier it got. There were no small windows on the dark halls any longer and only the torches along the walls shone the way. There were fewer and fewer cells until they came to one particular door. It was made of strong steel and had several heavy bolts securing it. Two guards stood on either side of the door and bowed to their Fire Lord before stealing surprised looks at the women.
"Are you sure you want to go in?" Zuko asked them about the tenth time.
"Just open the damn door." Toph snorted, rolling her eyes impatiently.
Frowning, Zuko pulled out a key from his pocket and opened the door. The guards stood upright and waited in attention. Zuko held the door open and the women walked in before Zuko closed the door behind them, cutting off the light.
The waterbender could not see very well in the darkness, but as her eyes became adjusted, she noticed that they were in a room divided in half by iron bars. Zuko produced a small flame in his hand and lit the torch near the door.
Katara had to bite her tongue from screaming in fright. As soon as the room was illuminated, a very frightening face appeared behind the cell bars. His hair was dirty, messy, and long. He was sitting with his back to the wall, his thin form covered with red, raggedy clothes. But what frightened Katara was the look on his face. He had such an evil smile, his eyes radiating so much hatred it chilled Katara's bones. She glanced at Toph who was grinning.
Only because she can't see his face! she thought.
"Ah, Zuko, you came to visit me. I was beginning to think you forgot about me," Ozai began, letting out a sinister chuckle.
He looked away and noticed the women standing beside Zuko and grinned.
"You really must be desperate to know where your mother is. You brought me prostitutes to bribe me. Spirits know how long it's been since I've bedded a woman," he commented leeringly. He licked his lips as he eyed them slowly. "I didn't know you had it in you, but perhaps they could persuade me." Ozai chuckled again, casting lustful stares at the women.
Katara and Toph snorted in disdain and revulsion.
"Shut up!" Zuko snapped. "These are my friends, the ones who helped me defeat you during the war and they just came to see your miserable state."
Ozai sneered at them, his evil eyes piercing right through them.
"And why didn't you bring Mai with you as well?" he said instead, "How is she by the way? Is she still striving to be Fire Lady? Has she stripped you of your wealth yet?"
Katara could see Zuko frown in confusion. She looked at Toph who was nodding and grinning.
Ozai continued after Zuko's silence.
"Tell me, Zuko, is she as dull and boring in bed as she is in public?"
Katara cringed at the crude remark.
"You sick bastard!" Toph yelled in disgust.
Ozai only laughed.
"I'm not here to talk of such things, Ozai. Mai has nothing to do with this. Tell me where my mother is," Zuko replied coolly, placing his hands behind his back.
But Ozai ignored him and turned his attention on Katara. She felt as if her blood had frozen as he looked her over and leered at her. Zuko narrowed his eyes and stood in front of Katara protectively.
"Tell me, Zuko. Is this the water wench my daughter Azula shot lightning at and you risked your pathetic life for? Now I can see why you did, she's quite a lovely creature. She must be very rough and feisty when you ravage her." He again chuckled licentiously.
Katara felt her whole face heat up in embarrassment and anger. Even Toph was speechless.
Ozai's jeering laughter was cut short when a huge fire blast hit the wall an inch above his head. His eyes widened in surprise and fright. They all turned to look at an outraged young Fire Lord.
"Shut the hell up!" Zuko growled fiercely, his deep voice rumbling in the cell room. "Don't you dare speak of Katara in such a way again! You will show her some respect or next time I will burn off your tongue!" he snapped menacingly.
Katara was surprised at the intensity in Zuko's eyes and words, and could not help but smile at the way he defended her.
Ozai was silent for a moment, but then he began to chuckle.
"Are you sure you want to do that? Then how will you find out where Ursa is?" he snickered.
Zuko growled. Damn!
"Prince Zuko," Ozai began mockingly, "you know your mother is alive, right? Have you ever thought about why she hasn't shown up? You have been…Fire Lord for what, four years? And she hasn't come to see you. Perhaps she doesn't want to see the disgrace of a son you are," he bit out.
Zuko winced.
"Look here you worthless piece of shit!" Toph addressed the older man sharply. "If you don't start spitting out information, then we'll make you." She punched one of her fists into her palm and then she cracked her knuckles roughly.
Ozai laughed again. His cruel laughter was getting on their nerves.
"Oh, really?" Ozai said, standing up to walk closer to the cell bars. "You're not the only one who has threatened me, you little runt. Zuko here has tried so many times, but he just doesn't have the guts to act on those threats. He's weak."
Katara glanced over to Zuko. His posture was straight and his face was emotionless, but his eyes were full of anger and hurt.
Ozai continued on with his insults.
"How do you expect me to respect someone who is a weakling? He doesn't have the backbone to use torture to extract information. And so nobody is going to get information about Ursa from me."
That's not true, Katara thought.
She knew the reason that Zuko couldn't use torture on him was because Ozai was still his father, no matter how much Zuko hated him. She was somewhat glad Zuko had not used torture because then he would become like his cruel father.
Ozai then turned his mad gaze towards his son.
"You're a traitor to your nation, siding with the enemy, with that stupid child-Avatar and these whores," he spat vehemently.
Zuko growled at the insult.
"You're weak," Ozai continued, "You always were since you were a little snooty kid clinging to your mother's skirts."
"Hey!" Toph yelled indignantly. "Shut your damn mouth!" She balled her fist in the air. She could feel Zuko's distress and she hated it because she cared for him as a brother. "Don't listen to him, Zuko."
Katara felt her hands clench beside her as she listened to the loathsome man continue insulting his own son.
How could he be so cruel? Zuko doesn't deserve to have such a father. He doesn't deserve to have suffered so much. And he certainly doesn't deserve to have his mother kept away from him.
Katara felt her blood boil with so much hate and anger. She despised Ozai more than ever, even more than she despised her mother's killer because he at least seemed a bit regretful while Ozai seemed to be enjoying the pain he was inflicting. Katara could feel the power of the moon calling to her, pulling her, making all forms of liquid evident around her, the small moisture in the room, the cup of water in Ozai's cell, sweat…blood.
"You've been a disgrace to our family since the day you were born! I should have gotten rid of you when you began to show signs of failure," Ozai growled out angrily. "And then you decide to go against me in my decision concerning my army, unable to handle the idea of sacrifice. And at the Agni Kai you backed down! You began to cry and beg for mercy instead of taking it like a man!"
"Shut up!" Katara screamed furiously, lifting her arms in front of her, her fingers spread apart.
Ozai's body suddenly bent down in an awkward position, one arm painfully bent behind his back. His eyes became wide with pain and confusion.
"Shut up! That's enough!" Katara repeated furiously. "Of course he did not fight you, you bastard! He was just a child! A child who only wanted what was best for his country. He only wanted his father's approval to show his worth."
Ozai's arm bent more awkwardly behind his back and he cried out. Toph crossed her arms and grinned, rather enjoying hearing Ozai's suffering.
Zuko's eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the outraged waterbender. Her sapphire eyes were ablaze like blue fire and her concentrated face was contorted in anger and frustration. He could see her fingers and arms contract as she bent his father's blood, reminding him of the first time he saw her bloodbend and of how terrified and impressed he was. Again, his heart warmed at her words. For a brief moment, he thought of how beautiful she looked even in her rage.
"Zuko showed how brave he is by standing up for what he believed in, by speaking out against such a horrible plan. Let me tell you something," Katara continued heatedly, "Zuko is worth more than you and he has more honor than you will ever have!"
Katara then shifted her stance and brought her hands closer together. Ozai's body went rigid and he began to choke. She was starting to feel exhausted since she had never practiced her bloodbending and it was not a full moon yet, but her anger gave her the energy to hold her death grip on the veins in Ozai's throat. She had sworn never bloodbend again, but Ozai deserved it.
"Now you will tell Zuko this instant where his mother is before I kill you!" Katara commanded, tightening her hold.
The older man began to breathe harshly as his airway began to burn, but he answered with a strained, "Never!"
"Then you leave me no choice!" Katara yelled again.
"Do it, Sugar Queen! What's taking so long?" Toph yawned and then smirked.
Ozai's dirty face twisted into wide terror. He turned his gaze from the waterbender to Zuko. The young Fire Lord stared back emotionlessly and shrugged.
"Maybe it's for the best. Katara, please end his misery. I could always find another way to find my mother," Zuko drawled.
But deep down he was hoping Ozai broke down because he had no idea how else to look for her. Besides, he knew Katara was bluffing as well. She would never be able to kill someone. And he was aware that Katara could not hold on any longer, she looked so tired.
Ozai made a strangled cry when he heard him say that and choked when Katara shrugged and said, "If that's what you want."
"S-stop!" Ozai wheezed. "I'll…I'll tell you!"
"Are you sure?" Zuko asked, piercing him with his own glare.
"You better not lie," Toph warned.
Ozai managed to squeak out a yes. He was thrown into a coughing fit when the grip on his throat was relinquished and he fell on his hands and knees.
Zuko walked closer to the cell bars, his strong footsteps echoing in the room. He bent down to glare at his defeated father who was panting roughly.
"Tell me where she is. Now," Zuko demanded.
Ozai grabbed his throat as he took large gulps of air, then lifting his hateful gaze through the bars, he answered.
"She's in…the Abandoned Fort."
End of Part One
A/N: Once again thank you for reading and for your patience.
I just want to remind those new readers that the smut scenes will come later in the story. This is not a story with the main point being Zuko and Katara having sex all the time. If that is what you're looking for, then I suggest you look for another story with a PWP theme. There is a plot to this story. However, I promise that Zuko and Katara will have lots of intimate moments later on!
~alwaysZutarian
