Chapter Eleven: Plans
A/N This chapter was one of the most difficult things I've ever written in my life. I hope that it was worth the wait. It took about five tries, with a lot of help from my wonderful, wonderful, wonderful-to-the-tenth-power beta, Wren Sharpbeak. She helped with a lot of the editing, and even wrote part of the chapter. All of you readers should be extremely grateful to her that we have this chapter. So, everyone be sure to go read her stories too, because they're great. And review!
The next day was spent with absolutely no interactions between the couple. Although they sat next to each other at meals (they were sitting according to rank), they didn't't utter a word, not even to ask each other to pass the salt, and after a day of complete silence between Zuko and Katara, Iroh was slightly concerned about them. However, Iroh was even more worried about Azula.
The princess seemed to have gotten over prison very quickly. She had ordered a new wardrobe and seen to it that it was ready the next day so she could go back to wearing practical clothing. What worried Iroh the most, though, was that Azula was becoming unusually sociable, particularly with members of the military. He saw her constantly talking with them and inviting their wives for tea in her apartments. Obviously, she was trying to build up a friendly and patriotic image for herself.
Iroh had to do something to try to get the couple to at least like each other. If Azula was already allying herself, mere weeks after prison, who knew what she could accomplish in the next few months? Feeling as though he could have thought of something much better, he decided to have Zuko and Katara come to his rooms to plan their wedding.
A servant carefully poured tea as Zuko and Katara sat as far away from each other as possible, despite the fact that Iroh had purposely chosen a table with smaller dimensions to try to get them closer physically. Tension filled the room and Iroh could almost feel the animosity between them as the servant finished pouring and left while Iroh pulled a list out of his robes.
"Why don't we get started?" he announced.
Iroh waved a hand and immediately a handful of servants came in, each carrying a matched set of linens. He watched carefully as Zuko and Katara looked them over for several long minutes. But when neither of them seemed to have anything to say about the choices, he decided they needed a prompt.
"Do you see anything you like?" he asked hopefully, praying that they would.
"I like that one," they both said in unison, each of them pointing to a completely different set. Iroh could have smacked himself in the forehead.
Katara frowned as she looked over at Zuko's choice: a dark crimson silk with simple, gold thread trim.
"You can't be serious," she scoffed.
"What's wrong with it?" he asked defensively.
"It's so…drab!" she complained.
"It's elegant," he retorted with obvious restraint.
"Well I think it's boring," she insisted dismissively. Holding up her choice, gold velvet bedecked in elaborate silver embroidery, and running her fingers across the thread fondly she added, "This is much prettier."
"It looks like a coin-coffer had an accident," Zuko sneered.
"It's a royal reception banquet," Katara returned through gritted teeth, moving toward him angrily, "it's supposed to be extravagant!"
"It can be extravagant without being garish," he retorted coolly.
"Well I'm certainly not going let it be somber and oppressive!" she shrieked, her face as close to his as she could manage considering their difference in height.
"Better that than loud and pretentious," replied Zuko, glaring back down at her evenly.
Iroh's eyes darted from one to the other as they argued, and it occurred to him that they were no longer talking about the fabrics. Seeing the situation about to get out of hand, he stepped in between them.
"Uh, perhaps a look at the centerpieces will help you come to a decision," he suggested tactfully before hastily waving his hand to indicate that the flowers should be brought in.
Zuko and Katara said nothing to this, instead merely crossing their arms and preferring to fume at each other. But as Zuko caught the scent of the first arrangement being brought out, he brushed past his fiancé and walked over to the small table upon which the centerpiece had been set, leaving Katara to gawk indignantly at his back.
As he gazed at the large cluster of star-shaped, pale-violet flowers, his mind was filled with a memory of his mother: her smiling face as she gracefully took the tender blossom Zuko had picked for her to her nose and inhaled its fragrance. He tenderly caressed one of the delicate petals before announcing firmly.
"These."
The servant carrying the last arrangement into the room glanced up in surprise as she placed the vase on a table well beyond the prince's current range of vision.
"Zuko," Katara growled severely, "you haven't even looked at the others."
"I don't have to," he answered with a distant softness to his voice, "these are perfect."
"They don't even match the linens you want!" shouted Katara in exasperation losing her patience quickly.
"I don't care about the linens," he snapped back, whirling around to face her. "You can pick whatever you want for those." Then turning back to the centerpiece, he added with calm conviction, "I want these."
"Fine," she hissed, not wanting to pass up her chance to get her way.
And she had to admit, the flowers were indeed beautiful. In fact, looking around at the other arrangements, she realized they were the ones she would have picked herself. However, she wasn't't about to let him know she liked them.
"But they're going in a different vase," she asserted stubbornly. When Zuko didn't't even bother to disagree, she picked up the elaborate napkin she'd preferred and waved it at his back while stating adamantly, "and we're using these linens."
Zuko didn't't even turn to look at what she'd picked.
"Excellent!" chimed in Iroh quickly before either of them could change their mind. "Now let's see the dinnerware!"
The servants began taking the flower arrangements away, but as a girl reached for the one before Zuko, he held up a hand.
"Leave it," he commanded gently, to which the young woman responded by bowing obediently before exiting the room.
Meanwhile, the dishes had been brought out and placed on a long display table. Zuko took one last memory-filled breath of the centerpiece then joined the other two to look over the dinnerware selections.
The bride and groom circled thoughtfully around the table, before finally stopping and pointing at two place settings on opposite ends.
"That one," they both said decisively.
Quickly looking at each other's choices, the arguing almost immediately started up again.
"Those won't match the linens," Katara protested.
"But they look nice with the flowers," reasoned Zuko with a tinge of annoyance.
Iroh sighed and rubbed his temples. This was going to be a long afternoon.
Iroh suffered this torture for two more hours. His hand was shaking as he checked the last selection on his paper and told the couple that they were done. Zuko got up and stormed out, his fingers curled into fists. Katara had chosen everything except the flowers.
Katara glared at him as he left.
"What's his problem?" Katara muttered as sullenly to herself.
"My dear," Iroh said gently to Katara. "He's getting married too."
Katara looked slightly ashamed and left the room. Iroh sighed before taking a sip of his tea. He needed another idea. A better one.
Meanwhile, Katara walked back to her suite, Iroh's words ringing through her ears. Through all of her misery at being forced to marry, she'd forgotten that Zuko hadn't chosen this either. Katara suddenly felt very childish. She reached her rooms and plopped down in a chair to think.
"It's not entirely my fault!" Katara said out loud, trying to reason with herself. "I mean, what about him? When he… He did… He just was…" Katara's voice died as she thought back. Lately, what had Zuko done that was terrible? "He ordered me to go on a walk with him! He called me impossible!" Katara smirked to herself at having thought of a moment when he was a jerk. Memories of dunking Zuko in the pond played in Katara's head. She stood up, trying to banish those thoughts from her head.
"Maybe I should apologize to him," she mused. "Later."
Azula sipped her tea as Captain Lee's wife prattled on about the latest style of dresses from the Earth Kingdom Court. She feigned interest as Lady Lian chattered on about her new dress, but Azula's mind was elsewhere. Part of her had stayed behind and agreed that the flower petals embroidered on Lady Lian's sleeves set her apart from the other ladies of court. The other part of her was plotting.
Azula deserved the throne. How she was going to get it wasn't't quite clear yet, but such things took time. Situations evolved and changed the course of history. A solid plan would do Azula no good if large changes in government or the Fire Nation's prosperity occurred.
The first part of Azula's plan was quite simple. Rally the military leaders to her side. This would be accomplished by being as sociable as possible. Azula was starting small. She would work her way up through the military, slowly gaining control of the men in whole instead of only influencing the admirals and generals and chancing a revolt of the lower soldiers.
Azula's next course of action was hazy. Actually gaining the throne was dependent on her brother and the water wench. If their current relationship, hatred, continued, it was quite possible that they would marry unhappily and have no children, leaving the throne clear for a usurpation since Zuko wouldn't have any heirs to pass the throne to. It had worked for Ozai.
If, however, the water girl and Zuko somehow fell in love, they would certainly have many children which would make gaining the throne quite a bit more difficult. The task would be achieved slowly and there were even more ways things could go wrong. In that event, Azula would have to resort to more devious and underhand ways of gaining the throne.
Her only option now was to wait and see how things with Zuko and Katara worked out, while feeding them lies, trying to ensue that a positive relationship did not develop. Her choice of action depended on it.
Azula sipped the last of her tea and agreed with Lady Lian that green was her most flattering color.
