By the end of October Iroh and Natsuko were married in an extravagant ceremony by the pond in the palace courtyard.

The size of the wedding procession was astounding; the biggest ever seen in the Fire Nation.

Iroh though didn't care whether he was wed in a palace, a temple, or a run-down shack so long as he was wed to Natsuko.

He watched with a smile bright enough to rival the light of the sun as his bride walked down the petal strewn path.

Seeing she had no father and Mimi's husband had long since died, Ozai had been the one to get roped into escorting her to the alter where his brother waited.

Though Ozai had griped and complained about the task when it was first bestowed upon him, Iroh could see the way he puffed out his chest like a proud peacock. His role was crucial to the ceremonies.

He led the veiled beauty to the end of the path and placed her hand in Iroh's.

The heir prince waited as his younger brother took a bright red ribbon from his pocket and bound their hands together in his perfectly practiced manner before going to sit with his father and phantomesque mother.

When this step was completed, the joined pair knelt before a priest from the temple of the Avatar Roku.

This part took close to forty-five minutes. The priest spoke of destiny, of love, sang praises of the Fire Lord, and blessings for the young couple.

Finally they were told to rise to their feet. They did so and listened as the priest explained the act of lighting the candles in his hands.

"Individually they will light the candles, but together they will ignite the torch which will then be used to start the hearth in their home," the older man shouted to the crowds in a superior tone.

Still tied together they easily bended fire to light the wicks of the candles, Natsuko's missing the priest's arm by a hair's breadth.

Beneath the veil, Iroh could see her cheeks light up a brilliant pink that was barely visible under the red she wore.

He smiled and took the taper the priest handed to him; Natsuko followed suit. As they had been instructed to do, they moved to the alter where a single torch sat in a stand.

In unison they put their candles to it and the two flames became one.

"Now we celebrate, friends!" the priest exclaimed as he threw his arms up into the air to conduct the loud cheers from the crowds gathered. "Our prince and his bride are two as one!"

As the cheers grew louder, Iroh lifted the red veil over Natsuko's face and let it fall back. If it were possible, she was more beautiful now than before.

Using his free hand the prince tilted her delicate face up and kissed her softly.

The guests celebrated long into the night and would have gone on into the early hours of dawn had Azulon not ended the festivities so the newlyweds could go to their home. Their home.

As a present from the Fire Lord, a marble manor had been purchased a decent distance away. Natsuko loved the forests and the sea and Iroh wanted to see her happy. The three story, thirty-thousand square foot house had been commissioned and built by prisoner earthbenders. That fact, however, had been hidden from even him until far later in his life.


"That's not the end of the story is it?"

"Why Prince Zuko, you sound worried."

The young firebender regained his composure and settled back into his spot with folded arms. "What happened then?"

Iroh chuckled, "That is a story I'll take to my grave…"

"What? Uncle don't do this to me…"

"One day, Zuko, you'll figure out this part on your own."

The fire prince snorted, "If you were so young when you were married, why did you not have children until you were far up in years?"

The expression on his uncle's face saddened. He seemed lost as he stared down into his tea cup.

"The war kept us apart for long periods of time, but for some other reason we could never have a baby."