Title: A Love That Couldn't Be Part 2: A Trying Love
Author: WishHe-LovedMe
Pairing: Zuko/Katara
Chapter: 9. Going to Town with Zuko
Summary: Part 2 in the ALTCB Trilogy Katara, fearing her friends' safety, accepts her birthright and decides to be Zuko's wife and live in the Fire Nation palace. There, she meets new people with dark pasts, and a royal family with even darker secrets. ZxK
Going to Town with Zuko
When I waked outside, I saw the Prince and smiled. I also saw that he was smiling as well. "You certainly take long." He muttered teasingly.
"What do you mean?" I asked him, "I just found out that I was going."
"But Uncle said that you already agreed to go…" Zuko stared, coming to a realization, "Stupid Uncle." He mumbled. He started towards the town, dragging me by my hand.
"Could you maybe, oh I don't know, SLOW DOWN?" I screamed at him.
"I'm the Prince of the Fire Nation, I will go as fast as I please." he replied. That whole I'm-the-Prince-of-the-Fire-Nation line of his was still annoying me. He continued to drag me towards the town
"Well, I'm the Princess of the Northern Water Tribe and Princess of the Fire Nation." I told him pointedly. "I also just so happened to be your wife," I paused as soon as the word came from my lips. I tried to jerk my hand away from him, but he was stronger than I was. It sounded so unfamiliar. When I remembered why I said it in the first place I continued, "So I would very much appreciate it if you would let go and slow down."
He did let go, but he didn't slow down. I ran after him, passing the guards at the gate. They smiled at me and I returned the smile, and then went after the stubborn Prince. It wouldn't have taken as long to catch up to him if I wasn't wearing the most hard to walk in, uncomfortable, high healed shoes ever made.
When I finally did catch up to him I opened my mouth to yell at him for going so fast when I fell. Of course he caught me, and for a moment we just looked into each others eyes. He looked into my sapphire ones as I looked into his golden ones. He broke the gaze when he lifted me back onto my feet.
I thanked him, and told him to please slow down.
"Fine, since you can't keep up, I will slow down." He retorted, "At least you won't fall then." He muttered the last part under his breath, but he did it loud enough to make sure I heard it.
"It's not the fast pace you were walking that made me fall, but these uncomfortable shoes." I said pointing down to the blue high healed shoes with diamonds placed in all of the right placed. "And it's not like I asked you to catch me, I would have been fine if you didn't."
He snickered, "Sure you would have…when you fell on the dirt road!"
I opened my mouth to say something, but closed it. For once, the Prince was right. We walked the rest of the way to the town without talking. I was looking at the beautiful scenery, trying to take it all in. How could such a destructive nation have such beautiful lands?
When we got to the town I could tell that everyone was talking about us. They were whispering and pointing. I don't know if it was instinct, or fear of it all that had me reach out to grab Zuko's hand, but I did, and he held it firmly. I relaxed after that and we looked around aimlessly, trying to find something of use.
We came to a merchant who was selling necklaces, and I glanced at them. There was one that stuck out. Actually it wasn't a necklace, but a chain. It was a white gold chain and, for some reason, I just liked it. I picked it up and fingered it.
"Do you want it?" came Zuko's voice from behind me. I put the chain back and nodded. I couldn't speak. "How much?" Zuko asked the merchant.
"Four silver pieces." The merchant said happily. I knew that he was ecstatic over the Fire Nation Prince actually buying something from his stand. I knew he would get a lot more business because of all this, and it made me smile. I saw Zuko hand over the money, and the merchant took it, giving Zuko the chain.
"It's yours." Zuko said, giving it over to me carefully. I took it with as much care as Zuko had given it to me. I unclasped it, took off the wedding ring that Zuko had also given me, put the ring on the chain, and fastened the chain behind my neck.
I looked at my husband with a smile on my face. "How does it look?" I wondered.
"Beautiful," Zuko uttered breathlessly. Then he turned away from me.
"Is something the matter?" I inquired.
"No, nothing is the matter," he snapped, "I have to go." He said, and then walked back toward the palace.
"Zuko!" I shouted, walking towards him, "Zuko, wait."
But he didn't turn back, he just kept walking. I sighed, and started back too. Then I realized that the only reason I was going back to the palace was because Zuko was. I didn't want to go back, I wanted to stay and explore. So I decided to just do that. I stopped and turned back the town.
