Blood and Roses

by ArtChica

"Dying is easy. Living is harder. Could you live for your people, Katara? Even if it is a life filled with loneliness, lies, and suffering?" "I could not turn down the chance for peace." "You must become the Fire Lady. You must marry Prince Zuko, bear him a son, and then assassinate the Fire Lord. As queen regent, you would have the power to end the war. Could you do it?"

21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I do not own ATLA or any of the characters from the series.

Chapter 20

Month 23 day 5: Ozai and Azula were cremated in the traditional Fire Nation way at dawn. In the same ceremony, Zuko was crowned Fire Lord. His first task as the ruler of the nation was to decide the fate of the captured invaders. My father was among those captives. It broke my heart that I could show no sign of recognition to any of the captives I knew.

Fortunately, I convinced Zuko to give them a punishment they have a chance of surviving. He did not want any more bloodshed, and the prisons were already filling up quickly. Using my experiences as an argument, I persuaded Zuko's advisors that the worst punishment we could give was to strand them in the desert. It was agreed that the captives would be marched out to the center of the desert and then stranded there while the Fire Nation soldiers escorting them were brought home in hot air balloons. I pray that I have not just condemned anyone to death.

For someone who just lost a father and a sister, Zuko did not grieve much. He explained that his uncle had always been more of a father than Ozai had. Now that Zuko was Fire Lord, he released Iroh from prison and appointed him the position of chief official advisor, which Iroh greatly appreciated.

However, he was affected by his sister's death. There was no love between the siblings, but no one could watch their sister die without being affected in some way.

"She was always the lucky one, the protégé. I have never seen her back down, never seen her lose. She always got what she wanted. Azula was invincible. If they killed her so easily, what could they do to me?"

Katara wrapped her arms around the young Fire Lord. "You survived. They tried to kill you, but you survived. Azula relied on her bending too much, and without it she had little defense. She was too proud to ask for help when she needed it. You know when you need help. You have learned defense in many ways. Survival is second nature for you. You are stronger than she was in that respect."

Zuko shook his head. "I only survived because you were there when the assassin came after me."

Katara kissed the top of his head. "And I will always be there for you, Zuko. So you never have to worry about that."