Chapter 14

Stress was embracing every emotion and shutting it out, and stress was completely taking over. The wedding planner was standing in front of me, asking me of foods we should have. Foods. I'd had this discussion with him three weeks ago, and he still hadn't ordered the ingredients for two-headed fish soup, seaweed noodles, and five-flavored soup? I'd asked him to order them right away, since I wanted these dishes for my family and myself, since chili wasn't much of my liking. Zuko had specifically requested chili for most of the dishes, since everyone liked the burning taste, but I and my family didn't.

"You still haven't fixed the dishes I requested?" I asked for the second time, while my wedding planner tried making excuses around it. He avoided my eyes; I knew already that he was lying. He didn't like that I put traditional water tribe foods into the menu. I could feel him looking at my clothing.

Today I wore my tribe clothing, and it was only because tomorrow I would officially be a part of the fire nation, and I wanted to keep the last bit of water tribe I had. I could almost feel that annoying wedding planner say peasant. All of his bodylanguage told me that he was holding back any type of insults or jeering.

"Lord Zuko requested chili, and I was very busy fixing that and I completely forgot-" he was looking away, avoiding my gaze. He couldn't even look me in the eye? He was defiantly lying. I thought through his motives and realized that he didn't like the fact that water tribe traditions is brought into the wedding and he did his best to avoid for such things to happen. It was too late to order the products from my tribe now, they needed at least a few days' notice. I decided it was better to use some sea slug, and mark to him that I was upset.

"Forget it." I muttered, glaring at him to show my irritation. "Just make sure you have smoked sea slug, and mochi, I would assume that could be acceptable. Anything else Zuko can decide."

The wedding planner looked a lot more pleased. "Well, that can be fixed before tomorrow's big event. I will not bother you any longer, everything is in order, and the wedding dress is here, flowers, foods, guests, seats, the crowning, and guards. Yes, everything is in its order." He said, repeating it all just to calm himself down. I needed to calm down. Tomorrow I was going to get married to Zuko, not the wedding planner. I hoped he'd mess something up so I could yell at him for making such huge mistakes. I started walking out of the palace, I needed a break, a calming bath.

It's been crazy the last few days, and Mei had been lurking around here and there, but otherwise I hadn't seen much of her. I knew she was working really hard on trying to be Zuko's little mistress, and I was working on stopping it. I was at least working on it in my mind. That doesn't make much difference. I was trying to figure out how to stop her. I needed to build our relationship up with trust, and love, of course.

What relationship?

That voice returned. The evil, lying voice. I hated when it questioned me and I wasn't able to reply. I knew Zuko did like me, otherwise he wouldn't ask me to marry him in the first place. I was second place, and that was fine.

There is no relationship if you're second place. You're just replacement, nothing else.

I decided to try and ignore the annoying voice; it was just lying to me anyways. Just like everyone else around here. They were a bit disapproving of me. I'd heard servants talking about how they'd seen Mei around in the palace a lot, with Zuko. They'd had very intimate talks, and they hoped that Zuko would come to his senses and call off our wedding to marry Mei.

I stopped outside the palace, and clenched my fists. A burning feeling in my chest and a lump in my throat was forming. I was losing to Mei, and I wasn't just gonna walk around and accept it. The lump felt like it got larger and it made me want to cry. But I refused to cry right now.

I headed towards the water again, and looked around, making sure I was alone and I went into the water and stopped when it was to my knees. The weather was warm, and the water was cooling to my skin. I started bending the water, something I hadn't done in a while. I needed this to get in touch with something that had been a part of me since I was born, and it was all I had left from the water tribe, other than my family.

My bending was basic, in the beginning. As time passed I moved up on land and started attacking tree's, imagining them to be Mei. I'd started to hate her, due to how she behaved towards Zuko. Like she still had a chance. Time passed by quickly, and soon I didn't know if I'd missed my lunch with Zuko, or if it was time for it now. I didn't care.

He can have fun with Mei instead.

I felt myself sweating, my clothing was sticky against my skin, and I stopped bending and started panting, gasping for air. I was out of shape, very out of shape. I leaned forward, it helped me breathe more calmly, and I tried collecting all my jealous thoughts, and it wasn't easy.

I don't want him to have a mistress. I want him to have only me and be happy with me.

All of a sudden there was something light approaching me, and I bended water up as a shield, and fire hit it, and made some of the water turn into steam. I dropped my shield so I could see who it was that tried to hit me, and I noticed a man hiding in the bushes. The green leaves covered much, but I could see part of his face, and I noticed the dragon I'd seen a few days earlier, the man who'd disliked my speech and just walked away from the crowd.

Was it the very same man? It must be. I clenched my fists, not so gently, and I glared at the guy. I was trying to show him that I was seeing him so there was no point in hiding.

I was trying to memorize everything I could see of him: Dragoon tattoo, lacing around the side of his face, across his temple and stopped by the middle of his forehead. Bald, looking to be at the age of 35, or so.

I bended some water up in the air. "Who are you and what do you want?" I asked, ready for defense in case he'd make another attack. The male was shaking. No, not shaking, chuckling without making a noise.

"We'll meet again." He said, and stood up a little bit and started running off, trying to make sure he wouldn't be able to see more of his face, and I stared at him for a second. I knew I couldn't catch up to him, because he was quick.

Pale, 80 inches, strongly built.

Then I felt fear hit me. This man had attacked me all of a sudden out of nowhere, the day before my wedding. Was he trying to get rid of me? Did he try to kill me? No he didn't try to kill me, if he would, then he would've put more effort into the fire bending, that was just a small fireball, nothing else. Was he trying to scare me? Or was he trying my skills?

I would let him pass.

But most important of all, should I tell Zuko about this? Is it really that big of a deal or should I just let this go? This could of course be some type of open threat towards me, and my safety, but I decided that I would keep Zuko out of it. I can protect myself and he had too much to think about other than just me. I can take care of myself this one time. I'll look into it myself, and see if I can figure out what this guy is up to

I walked back to the palace in wonder, not like I was scared, more that I was wondering what this guy wanted. I pondered upon options, motives and if he had anything to do with Mei. She sent him to intimidate me or was the two of them not linked together? It didn't take long until I reached the palace, and still hadn't come up with what he possibly could want. I knew I was going to see more of this guy someday, and it was bothering me that he might be a big or a very small threat.

I walked in through the doors and bumped right into someone. Placed a hand on my nose, which had taken a minimum damage, and I was just about to look up when someone embraced me, and I took a look at the person, Black hair. Scar.

Zuko

"Zuko I stink, I would suggest you take a step back." I said, and Zuko let go of me, and looked kind of worried. "What's wrong?"

"I've looked for you everywhere." He said, I hinted worry and fear in his tone. Zuko really? "There's been some weird things happening today, and I thought someone had taken you."

"Zuko I don't get taken that easily. What weird stuff?" I asked, and he placed a hand on my cheek, and looked into my eyes.

"Where were you?"

"I was by the water, just practicing my bending."

"You don't need to practice; you're a water bending master."

"Yeah well, I wanted to."

"Aha." Zuko said, and then he let his hand fall from my cheek. "Please tell me next time you leave the palace, and bring guards with you. You could get harmed."

Did he honestly not trust my skill of fighting? I fought alongside with the avatar, and I taught him water bending. I'm getting irritated.

I decided to nod, and just go along with whatever he said. He got worried about me which means he cares about me, which enough for me. I smiled gently to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek, and started walking into the palace. I felt like being a little playful, the kiss was just a way to surprise him.

"Katara, there were no people around." Zuko mumbled, and followed me. I gave him a smug smile and a playful look and then continued to walk. "I know." I said, and smirked to myself.

Zuko suddenly grabbed my wrist, and spun me around, and put his strong hands to my waist. He looked straight into my eyes, and he gave me a grin, that grin made my heart beat faster. Zuko held onto me, like he didn't want me to move away, and he leaned down a little bit. Our lips were just an inch or so apart and I could feel his hot breath against me, his smell, and his presence. He pressed those warm soft lips against mine and my stomach was once again.

I got a tingling feeling in my stomach that wouldn't leave for a while. I put my hand on his cheek; I could feel a little stub that started to grow out. He smiled against my lips. "You missed" he whispered in a low voice. My heart did a double jump and I felt the need at having him close, to have him. I wanted to touch hands bare skin, to feel him, feel his firm muscles, his soft hair, his scar...

I had felt these things a million times before, and I missed the feel of his bare skin against mine, his tender kisses on my neck, his gentle way of touching me. Now I had him close, and I just wanted to push him into the next room and feel those feelings again. The feelings of love and true happiness. The feeling of security.

Zuko pulled himself away a slight bit, but he was still holding me. "At least I know you're safe now." He said, and ran a hand across my cheek. "I'm gonna go back to preparing the last things for the wedding. Why don't you take a bath stinky?"

I suddenly remembered that I was soaking in sweat, and was probably smelling horribly. I was getting embarrassed and felt myself blushing. "I'm sorry. I'll take a bath." I mumbled.

Zuko grinned, and took my hand, and followed me all the way to my room. We walked in silence, but I assume there was nothing to be said. I wasn't going to ask about Mei, and he wasn't going to ask anything about me. We didn't have to. I decided to trust that Zuko wouldn't want to break my heart now and that he wouldn't want to lose me.

"So, uh, I'll see you at the altar." Zuko said, and looked at me with a smirk, and he kissed my forehead.

"Yeah I'll see you there." I said, and far in the back of the hall I noticed Mei looking at us, and I decided to take the chance to set her in place, and I stood up on my toes and kissed Zuko's lips. I felt Zuko flinch as a first reaction, but then pulled himself closer to me. What was Mei's expression, Jealousy?

I pulled away from the kiss. "And good night." I said, and took a step back into my room and gave him a dazed smile.

"Night sweet-cheeks." Zuko mumbled, and then he walked away, and I took a look at where Mei was standing. Or had been standing, she'd disappeared. Not so strange, this girl was the one to lurk in the darkness.

I went into the bathroom and prepared a bath, jumped into the bathtub and just enjoyed the water against my skin. I was finally starting to relax after all the wedding stress.

The night passed by, and I didn't get much sleep. I was too busy being nervous about all the things I needed to say, and do and remember. I was never the one to handle stress very well, and it resulted in a very bad sleep.

The sun was rising way too fast, and it was finally time for me to get out of bed and prepare myself for the wedding that was about to happen. The maids washed me off once again, dried my hair, put on my wedding dress, which was a layered kimono, traditional. Again. I wasn't able to breathe or keep myself cool in this thing, but I accepted it. It was just a ceremony. I would change to a regular, but elegant kimono after the ceremony. The girls pulled my hair up, and put it in a firm bun, where my crown for fire lady would be. They were going to put it in my hair once the ceremony was over, and I was officially fire lady. I got nervous once again, and the maids tried to calm down my worries.

"Weddings aren't that bad; you just nod, reply politely, obey, and just for god's sake say "I do". You're being nervous over nothing." Nariko said, her words weren't very comforting, but I appreciated her trying.

"I'll just have to do my best." I replied with a nod, and Nariko continued her work with my nails, perfecting them. Kyoko was starting to clean things up after the mess they'd made to prepare me for the ceremony.

I was thinking everything through, my routines, how I could not fall on my way over to Zuko. I had dad there to support me so I should be fine. I hope. I was a bit of a clumsy from time to time so If I messed something up I wouldn't be surprised. I would be very embarrassed though.

It took hours before it was time to start the ceremony. It felt like hours to me at least, because I was dragged everywhere to be prepared, and I read through things, made sure everything was ok.

And now I was standing there on the inside of the palace, ready to take my steps towards marriage. I had placed my hand gently on my father's arm, and he'd told me so many times already that I looked beautiful. It made me happy, and made me feel more safe and secure.

"I'm proud of you." My father whispered to me, before the doors opened, light blinded my eyes. I could hear a huge crowd that was talking and suddenly went silent. The entire capital was there to watch our wedding. Blinking white spots had blinded my view and I closed my eyes for a second, then opened them to see if I'd regained my sight.

It took only a few moments before the spots were gone and my father started leading me towards the male with his hair pulled up in a bun, wearing the grooms traditional fire nation clothing, with a scar on his left eye. That was going to be my husband in a few moments, and I let out a sigh of happiness. He was going to be mine. And I was going to be his.

End of chapter

Didn't expect me to update so soon after the last one huh? Well I'm doing it to make it up to you because I disappeared. I've worked really hard on this for maybe 5 hours+, so I hope you really enjoyed it. (even though I'm personally still not completely satisfied with it.)

Story is far from over! But I'm trying not to make it too long, and I'm keeping unimportant things out as much as I can. And there will be more moments with Zuko and Katara, since I've held back A LOT on that in the past chapters, to focus more on Katara's emotions.

Next chapter will be out ASAP! I'll head onto working on it already tomorrow or the day after that. But it'll take a bit more than a week, since the week coming up I have 2 tests, one thing to turn in and work after school. Sorry guys, I'm really occupied D: I'll try not to disappear for too long again.

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