Thank you for the reviews! Here's the next chapter. Ready for some overprotective Sokka and Hakoda? Haha.
*NOTE* For the smutty version please follow the link on my profile ;)
A big shout out to PurseMonger for her awesome beta skills!
AtLA is not mine.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Temporary Farewell
Katara glanced around Zuko's study as she sat on the chair across from his large desk. She again took in the large bookcase that lined the entire eastern wall, scanning all the scrolls and books that were neatly stacked on the shelves. Her eyes shifted to the amazing map that depicted the entire Fire Nation and its colonies on the opposite wall before she glanced back to where Zuko sat before her. She wanted to jump over the large desk and plant a passionate kiss on his lips. It had been so long since they had shared a moment alone together, at least it felt like it. Zuko did sneak into her room last night, she mused with a dazed grin. However, she refrained from doing so since they were not the only ones in the room.
Sitting next to her was Sokka, deep in conversation with Zuko about something that she had stopped listening to a while ago. Zuko had asked her to meet him in his study after lunch in order to go over her lessons with him as an excuse so they could spend some time together. But just as soon as she had arrived and closed the door so she could jump into Zuko's arms, Sokka barged into the room. As he strode in, he had exclaimed that he had missed his firebending friend and wanted to catch up. Katara had fiercely scowled at her brother and Zuko had frowned deeply. They both knew that Sokka had said that as an excuse for him to be there so they wouldn't be alone.
It was the same thing with her other family members. Whenever it seemed she could have a moment alone with Zuko, her father, Gran-Gran and Pakku, or her brother would pop out of nowhere with a lame excuse. Did they seriously think Zuko was going to seduce her and she was going to allow herself to be seduced by him while they were there? La, did they have no faith in them? They had never acted that way when she had been dating Aang for four years. It was as if they thought Aang was too innocent to do anything inappropriate to her or maybe it was because he was a monk that they trusted him more. On the other hand, they treated Zuko as if he was a randy bull-horse that could not control his sexual urges.
If only they knew, she thought with a mental giggle, even as her cheeks flushed red.
Katara glanced at her brother with a frown and then she glanced at Zuko with a scowl as they continued talking. Zuko had seemed so urgent about being alone with her, but now he was ignoring her for her brother! But then again, she could not always demand his attention and it had been a while since Sokka and Zuko had seen each other. She couldn't begrudge them that. And it was nice to know that her brother and her future husband got along well.
With a soft sigh, Katara leaned back in her seat as she wondered if she should go look for Suki so they could have a nice girl talk or a small sparring match. Just as she was going to interrupt both men, a knock at the large door made them pause.
"Enter," Zuko called out coolly.
The door opened and Iroh walked in with a smile on his face.
"Ah, Nephew, I see you have visitors," the retired general commented, "I suppose I'll come back later."
"Don't worry about it, Iroh," Sokka spoke up as he stood up, "I was just about to leave to find Suki and my daughters."
Oh, now he leaves, Katara thought as she glowered at her brother when he turned to look at her.
He either did not notice or chose to ignore it as he gave her a big grin before he moved toward the door and left. Iroh looked after the young warrior before he turned toward the silent couple with an amused twinkle in his golden eyes.
"It seems the role of chaperon as fallen onto me now," Iroh mused with a chuckle.
Zuko frowned at his uncle before he turned to Katara, who had a small pout on her lips and her arms crossed beneath her breasts. He knew he was the one who had asked her to meet with him, he did not mean to ignore her, but Sokka had distracted him. Sokka was the only person he could term as something of a best friend and it had been nice to have a conversion with a male his age. But still, he did not want Katara to think he was ignoring her. He cleared his throat, and when Katara turned to look at him, he gave her an apologetic look. She sighed before she gave him a small smile to show she was not angry.
Still chuckling, Iroh moved to sit beside Katara. Before any of them could say something, another knock was heard at the door. Zuko let out a sigh before he again called out for whoever was outside to enter. He wouldn't be surprised if it was Katara's father.
They watched as the door opened and Jee stepped inside with a serious expression on his face before he bowed as he neared the desk.
"My lord, I have come to report to you that we have searched all of the advisors' houses," the admiral informed him.
Zuko straightened in his chair as anticipation curled in his stomach. Would they finally find answers? It had been a day since Kuro had been arrested after confessing that he had poisoned the messenger at Advisor Kang's command and Zuko was still amazed that they had solved one problem.
"Did you find anything?" Zuko asked expectantly.
"We found a heavily chained chest hidden in a cellar," Jee stated with a nod.
"Let me see it," the Fire Lord commanded coolly.
Jee walked to the door and called for Shen and Kuo. They watched as the two guards walked into the room, carrying a metal chest between them, before Jee closed the door immediately behind them. Kuo and Shen settled the heavy box on the floor before they straightened and stepped away.
"You will find many interesting things within the chest, my lord," Jee spoke up again.
Zuko stood up from his chair and quickly made his way to the mysterious chest. He noticed briefly that the lock had been broken before he lifted the lid and peered inside. He saw numerous small bags that he knew contained coins, along with a disarray of countless papers and scrolls. He picked up one of the scrolls and read it before his eyes widened in disbelief. He picked up another of the missives and read briefly through it before a dark expression settled on his features.
"What is it, Zuko?" Katara asked worriedly.
"Many of these letters are from Jianguo," he said with a growl.
Katara gasped. Zuko scanned through another letter that seemed to be the most recent one and he narrowed his eyes.
"Jianguo writes in this one that they are laying low until further instructions, although he doesn't address any of the letters to a particular person," he said before he turned to Jee, "Where did you find this chest?"
"In Advisor Kang's town house," Jee told him.
Zuko's eyes again widened before he composed himself. So Kuro had been saying the truth after all. Zuko had harbored a small doubt about his confession.
"Did you find anything in Advisor Wei's house?" he asked.
"We searched Advisor Wei's as well as the other advisors' houses thoroughly, but we found nothing that could convict them," Jee responded.
Zuko frowned as he looked down at the chest filled with money and paper. Had he been wrong about Wei all this time? It seemed that while he was accusing another, the real traitor had been going about unnoticed. Until now, that is.
"Thank you, Admiral Jee," the Fire Lord said before he thanked his personal guards who bowed. "Shen, inform the advisors to meet me in the throne room tomorrow for further questioning of Physician Toshiro's assistant."
"Yes, my lord," the dark gray-eyed guard said.
"You are dismissed," the young lord told them as he returned his attention to the letters in his hands.
Katara frowned as Jee bowed along with the two guards before they turned to the door and left after closing it softly behind them.
"Can you help me read through all of these?" Zuko asked as he gathered a pile of papers. "I want to see if we can find anything else that is important."
The waterbender and the retired general stood up and walked toward the metal chest. They gathered more of the papers before walking back to Zuko's desk and placing them on the smooth surface. All three sat on the chairs and began to go through the letters. They spent the next few hours sorting through the pile in silence until Iroh finally broke it once they finished.
"I never would have guessed the quiet and seemingly insignificant Advisor Kang was behind all of this," the old firebender said with a frown.
"Looks can be deceiving," Katara stated.
"That is very true, my dear," Iroh agreed with a nod.
Zuko was silent as he stared at all of the letters that Jianguo had written. If the chest had not been found in Kang's home, they would not have known to whom he was sending the letters to, since Jianguo did not address the letters to anyone. It seemed that Kang was the one who had been supporting and giving information about the Fire Lord to the rebels. Zuko never would have imagined Kang would be behind all of this. He seemed so loyal. Why would the former advisor want to get rid of him? Was he also the one who sent that cruel letter to Ursa to stop her from meeting her son when he was crowned Fire Lord five years ago?
In the letters, Jianguo reported everything they did such as the attacks on the villages, how they had captured the Fire Lord and his waterbender, and how Jianguo had found his men slaughtered and their captives missing. Zuko crushed that particular missive in his hand. It made his blood boil at its contents and he did not want Katara to see it. Jianguo had ranted angrily throughout the letter about the deaths of his comrades and how he would make Zuko pay by taking his waterbender away from him and using her as his sex slave.
Over my dead body would I let him touch Katara, Zuko vowed vehemently.
"It seems Advisor Kang was really wealthy if he agreed with Jianguo's demands in exchange for his help in freeing Ozai," the blue-eyed woman commented, snapping Zuko out of his murderous thoughts. She held out a short message with the demand for some money.
"Kang had no family to worry about," Zuko replied bluntly before he growled out, "If only Jianguo would have written where he and the rebels hid, I could've sent men to capture them. But Jianguo was cautious enough to never reveal any of their locations to give their positions away."
"Well, now that their main conspirator and informant is dead, Jianguo and the rebels have no one to guide them," Iroh spoke up.
"Yes, but that doesn't mean they will stop causing me trouble," the golden-eyed lord replied with a growl. "I need to send more men in search of them."
"Do not worry, Nephew," Iroh began before he continued quickly when Zuko turned an incredulous glare on him, "I have asked the Order of the White Lotus for aid in finding the rebels."
"What? Why haven't you told me this before?" Zuko demanded with a frown.
"Because they haven't had any luck either," the retired general responded calmly before he added, "But with your men and the members of the Order, I am sure they will be found soon."
"I hope you're right, Uncle," Zuko muttered.
Leaning back in his chair, he rubbed the bridge of his nose and sighed irritably.
"I'm going to have to apologize to Wei for accusing him of treachery when it had been Kang all along," the young lord grumbled, "But I had been so sure Wei was the traitor."
"Maybe that's why Kang was so confident," Katara spoke up, "He knew you would immediately suspect Wei since everybody knows both of you don't like each other."
Zuko was silent for a moment as he thought over what she said before he nodded.
"That makes sense."
They speculated a moment longer before they decided to take a much needed rest.
"I will have to show this to the advisors tomorrow," Zuko said as he leaned back in his chair.
"Well, for now all we can do is hope your men find the rebels," Iroh replied as he stood up, "I am going to look for Chao and ask him if he wants to share some tea."
He walked to the door before he paused and turned to look at the young couple with another twinkle in his eyes and a grin on his lips.
"Promise me both of you will behave," he told them amusedly.
Katara blushed lightly and Zuko glowered at his uncle.
"Just go drink your tea," the young firebender growled out.
Iroh chuckled as he opened the door and stepped out, giving them a wink before closing the door behind him.
Zuko stood up from his chair and turned toward the large window behind him with a deep sigh. Katara was silent as she watched him with worried eyes.
"I can't believe the traitor was so close to me without me knowing it," Zuko growled out as he clenched his hands at his sides, "If it weren't because of the Kuro's objection to poisoning me, who knows if Kang would've succeeded in killing me."
Katara sprang from her seat and rushed to him, encircling her arms around him from behind and placing her cheek against his broad back.
"Luckily nothing happened to you," she said softly before she added in a shaky voice, "I wouldn't bear it if you were harmed…or k-killed."
Zuko turned around in her embrace to look at her and his heart clenched at the sight of her wide, worried eyes and the anxious frown on her lovely features. He reached up to touch her cheek before he brought her close to his chest, his arms tight around her.
"It scares me more to think that Kang could've targeted you too," he told her quietly as his hold tightened.
"I guess all that matters is that the traitor's dead and we're all fine," the waterbender replied softly as she grasped the back of his clothes tightly with her fingers.
"You're right," he agreed with a nod. "I'm glad that the traitor mystery has been solved. I just hope it's the last of our troubles."
He pulled away slightly and Katara looked up to see him frown down at her as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"I'm sorry all of this has set us back from planning our wedding."
"Why are you apologizing? It's not your fault," Katara told him softly as she pressed a finger on his brow in order to smooth his frown. "This is important and it couldn't be ignored."
Zuko caught her hand and gazed down upon the golden ring he had given her before he looked up to smile at her. He knew he had made the right choice in choosing Katara as his wife for she was strong and did not allow what was happening to scare her away. She was resolute in helping him, in keeping him safe and in loving him. What more could he ask for?
Cupping a hand behind her head, Zuko leaned down to place a kiss on her lips. Katara wrapped her arms around his neck and he lifted her to him in order to deepen the kiss. He felt Katara lick the seam of his lips, and with a groan, he opened his mouth to allow her access to his mouth. She slipped her tongue inside and explored his mouth slowly, occasionally touching his tongue briefly before pulling away, teasing him. He smiled against her moist mouth as he briefly mused on how she had changed from shy and hesitant to confident and passionate.
He tangled his fingers in her soft hair and pulled her head back. Zuko deepened the kiss and took over her mouth, as he caught her elusive tongue and entwined it, caressed it, with his. Katara moaned and pressed herself closer to him. It had been a while since they had been able to do this outside of Katara's room late at night.
At the thought, Zuko pulled away from her delicious mouth with a groan and pressed his forehead against hers, both panting against each other.
"I think we should stop before someone from your family barges in," he said dryly.
Katara giggled as she moved her arms away from his neck, taking a step back and smoothing her hair and clothes. Just as she opened her mouth to retort, there was a knock at the door. They glanced at each other before Zuko called out a tired 'enter'. The door opened and they watched as Hakoda stepped in.
"Ah, Katara, there you are. I was wandering if you wanted to spend some time with your father," Hakoda said innocently even though he was eyeing them suspiciously.
Katara glanced at Zuko and saw that he had a raised eyebrow aimed at her as if to say, 'Told you so'.
"I guess I'll see you later," she said as she smiled sheepishly at him.
The next morning found Zuko in the throne room, sitting behind the wall of fire, silently observing his advisors, who squirmed and frowned as the minutes dragged on without their lord having said a single word since they had arrived. They wanted to demand to know why the Fire Lord had his guards search their homes without their notice, but they decided to remain silent and see what was going to occur.
"I know all of you are wondering why I had your houses searched," Zuko finally spoke in a cool tone and caused a few of the men to jump.
When the men nodded and murmured that they were, Zuko continued.
"Advisor Kang was supposed to be a loyal advisor that I could trust, but I found out that he had planned on killing me," the young lord began in the same impassive manner, "I could not risk the same betrayal happening again, so I had your homes searched in order to see who else was plotting against me."
"I would never betray you, my lord!" one of the younger advisors exclaimed.
The rest of the men immediately began to assure him that they would never plot against him while at the same time they stated how honored they were to serve such a great Fire Lord.
Zuko did not respond or give any indication that he was moved by any of their words as they pledged their allegiance to him. Just because no evidence was found to condemn any of them did not necessarily mean that Zuko believed all of them were loyal to him. Perhaps they were, but he preferred to be wary of them all.
"Nothing suspicious was found in any of your homes," the golden-eyed lord interrupted the men. "But evidence of his treachery was found in Advisor Kang's house," he continued as he indicated the metal box that rested below the dais with a nod of his head.
"The chest contains many letters from Jianguo, the leader of the rebels," Zuko continued as his expression turned dark. "Here is the evidence that indicates Kang was the traitor that was working with the rebels. It seems he was the one who came up with the idea of the 'infested' colony, giving them information about me that helped them capture Lady Katara and me."
"What?" a few of them exclaimed in shock.
"I never would have imagined Advisor Kang being behind the plot of releasing Ozai," Chao commented with wide eyes.
"He seemed so unsuspecting," Enlai, another of the advisors, remarked.
"Well, now he's dead for planning to assassinate the Young One," Wei commented with a shrug.
Zuko stopped himself from growling indignantly at the name, and instead, he looked emotionlessly at Wei sitting unaffectedly with the rest of the men. He was still not convinced that Wei was completely innocent, but with all the evidence it was obvious that the true culprit was Kang. Was he perhaps just letting his loathing for the old advisor rule his judgment? Either way, he knew he needed to apologize to Wei publicly.
"Advisor Wei," the young lord spoke up stoically.
When the old man turned to raise an expectant eyebrow at him, Zuko continued.
"Now that we are aware who the true traitor is, it seems I owe you an apology," Zuko began before he forced himself to say the words, "I…apologize for accusing you falsely of plotting against me."
"I knew that you would have eventually realized you were wrong," Wei responded with a smirk as he gave an uncaring shrug.
Zuko clenched his teeth at the triumphant look on Wei's face and his eyes narrowed into a glare the longer he continued glowering at the smug, old advisor. If it wasn't because he knew it was the right thing to do, Zuko would have never apologized to the irritating man. The sound of Iroh clearing his throat made Zuko order himself to calm down.
He acknowledged Wei's words with a stiff nod before he focused his attention on the other men, who had been silent during the exchange. They were aware that it had been difficult for their lord to admit he had been wrong and to apologize for it to the one advisor they knew he did not get along with. And that was putting it nicely.
They froze when the young Fire Lord suddenly looked at them with piercing, golden eyes and a dark expression on his face that seemed even more intimidating due to the shadows the wall of fire created before him.
"I want to make one thing clear," Zuko began in a dark and chilling tone, "If I find out that anyone else dares to plot against me, I will be unmerciful to the traitor. I will make sure he suffers in the worst possible way for betraying me."
The old advisors trembled at his promising words and they immediately rushed to say that they understood, that they would never betray him, and that he did not need to worry.
Satisfied at their response, Zuko gave them a nod before his face once again returned to its stoic expression. He almost smirked at their obvious relief.
"Now that the issue with the traitor is settled, we need to decide what punishment to deal onto Physician Toshiro's former assistant," the young lord told them. "Even though Kuro refused to kill me, he still poisoned the messenger, whom Kang feared would have revealed that he was behind the idea of the 'diseased' colony to lure Lady Katara and me out."
They spent a few hours trying to decide what punishment the former assistant deserved, but they would all disagree with each other over one thing or another. Zuko felt as a headache began to form and he was losing his patience with all the arguments going on. Half of the advisors believed Kuro should be given a lenient punishment since he refused to kill the Fire Lord, while the other half argued that the assistant should be given a more severe punishment for going along with half of Kang's plot.
"Fools," Wei's mocking voice made the other men pause in their arguments and turn to glare at him. "The obvious punishment is death for treason."
The men gasped.
"But he refused to poison Fire Lord Zuko," one of the men argued.
"He committed treason by not revealing the plot sooner and letting us know that Kang had been behind it," Wei responded with a sneer. "Because of his silence, I was accused of treachery while the real traitor continued with his life, unperturbed."
"So you're taking revenge upon him?" Chao asked with a frown.
Wei gave another shrug that caused his large belly to shake.
"He kept important information secret, and would have continued to do so if he had not been caught," the rotund advisor continued as he narrowed his eyes on Chao. "His execution will be an example to anyone who dares to take place in a plot against the Fire Lord and the Fire Nation."
Zuko eyed Wei warily just as the other men murmured to themselves and debated whether or not to agree with him. However, before any of them could voice their opinion, the large double doors were thrown open and the men turned toward the entrance with startled exclamations. Zuko's golden eyes narrowed in irritation at the rude interruption, but he settled down with a frown when he noticed the captain of the prison guards marching quickly toward the dais where he stopped with one knee and one fist to the ground.
"My lord," the captain of the prison guards breathed in anxiety as he tried to catch his breath.
"What is it?" Zuko asked in alarm as he sat stiffly on his throne.
Did Ozai escape?
"Physician Toshiro's former assistant was found dead this morning," the man informed him as he kept his head bowed in respect.
"What?" Zuko exclaimed with a growl just as the other men gasped in shock. "How did he die? Did you find his murderer?"
"It seems he committed suicide sometime in the middle of the night, my lord," the guard continued in a grave tone.
"Suicide?" Zuko repeated in disbelief. "How was he able to accomplish it?"
"It appears that he broke the clay cup he had been given to drink water with the night before and used a sharp edge to…slit his wrists," the man continued, his frown deepening, causing hard lines to surface on his forehead. "He bled to death."
The old advisors gasped and began to talk rapidly amongst each other at the unexpected news.
"Silence!" the young Fire Lord growled out and the men immediately quieted down.
"How did you not notice until this morning that he was dead?" Zuko asked the captain with a suspicious frown.
"When one of my guards passed his door to check on him during the night, he thought the prisoner was sleeping since he was lying down on the cot and completely covered with a blanket," the graying-haired guard replied immediately. "The guard that brought him breakfast noticed something was wrong when the prisoner did not respond to him. And when he entered the room to check up on him, he saw one of the prisoner's hands hanging from the cot...his wrist sliced open."
Zuko sat back with a frown and suppressed the tired sigh that wanted to escape him.
"But why would he kill himself?" Iroh finally spoke up after remaining quiet during the entire meeting.
The captain shifted his eyes toward the old prince before he again turned his attention to his lord.
"A few hours after being locked up in his cell, the prisoner kept screaming that he had saved the Fire Lord's life and did not deserve a traitor's death before he finally quieted down."
"A traitor's death?" Zuko repeated with a deep frown. "He was being held in the prison tower until he was brought to me for further questioning. Nobody told him he was going to suffer a traitor's death. Why would he think that?"
The captain glanced up with an apologetic look.
"I do not know the answer for that, my lord."
Zuko waved his hand at him to show he did not expect him to answer as he again got lost in his thoughts. He closed his eyes and sighed heavily as the advisors began to speculate amongst themselves in hushed tones.
"Besides screaming that he did not deserve a traitor's death," the captain continued slowly as if hesitant to interrupt the Fire Lord's thoughts, "the prisoner also repeated that he needed to speak to you about something important that would surely sway your mind about executing him."
"Did he say what that was?" Zuko asked, even though he already knew the answer.
"No, my lord," the man replied.
Then why would he kill himself, if he knew of something that would save him? Zuko thought to himself as his brow furrowed pensively.
If only Kuro had waited to be interrogated, Zuko would have let him go after a small punishment since the former assistant had saved his life, after all. Even if he had kept Kang's plot a secret. His death had been in vain and unnecessary.
"Take care of the body, captain," Zuko finally spoke up.
"Yes, my lord," the man replied as he continued to kneel before the Fire Lord.
The next few hours, Zuko ordered that the former assistant's family be informed of what had occurred before he let his advisors know that he would later decide what to do with Kang's properties and possessions as well as the recovery of his body from where it was buried in the woods. Finally the meeting was concluded, and Zuko and Iroh exited the room in order to have dinner with Ursa, Katara, and her family.
Zuko tuned out his uncle's words about how strange were the ways of life as he let his mind wonder to other things.
He still could not believe that he had found out who the traitor was that had been causing him so much trouble, and although Kuro's death was unfortunate, there was nothing Zuko could do about it except wonder if he could have gotten more information out of the former assistant. All he needed to do now was find the rebels and put a stop to their terror and their plan of releasing Ozai in order for everything to be peaceful again. Now he did not need to worry about someone targeting Katara as well when they got married.
Was it really that easy?
He could only hope.
Katara watched with curious blue eyes as the fire sages murmured amongst themselves about the right day for the royal wedding to be held. She was kneeling silently beside Zuko as the men continued with their task.
After the last details about Kang and Kuro were finally settled and everything had returned to normal, Zuko had finally taken her to meet with the fire sages. He had apologized again that such matters were causing their wedding planning to be pushed aside, but she again had reassured him that she understood and did not hold it against him.
As they had neared the Fire Temple, she had been worried that the fire sages would be the ones to finally protest the idea of Zuko marrying a Water Tribe woman. But just like Zuko's advisors and courtiers, the fire sages had reluctantly accepted his choice and immediately began to search for the best day for their wedding. She had been slightly shocked since she had prepared herself for their objections, but she decided not to dwell on that too long, and instead, she allowed herself to be happy in knowing that they had not come across great obstacles. She was so overjoyed at the thought that she really was going to marry Zuko.
The waterbender was brought out of her thoughts when she felt Zuko's fingers briefly caress her thigh before pulling away. Glancing furtively at him, she saw that he was also looking at her inconspicuously, his amber eyes warm and intense, and she could practically hear his thoughts saying that soon he would make her his. She felt herself blush before she returned her attention to the old fire sages, but not before throwing him a small, happy smile.
Some of the fire sages were looking studiously through old scrolls. Others were looking at the night sky and the positions of the stars and planets through long instruments she had seen a couple of times during her travels that she now knew were called telescopes. Zuko's birthday and hers were also taken into consideration in order to find a most auspicious day for their wedding. In her tribe, a couple decided upon what day they wanted to marry by the season they favored the most. When she was a little girl she had always imagined her wedding being during the winter since it was her favorite season, but that was before she met Zuko, who as Fire Lord, had to follow his own country's traditions.
A few minutes passed, and Katara shifted slightly on her cushion since one of her legs was getting cramped from sitting in the same positions for so long. In order to distract herself, Katara looked around the grand temple curiously, but she did not get the chance of seeing much since one of the fire sages finally stepped away from the others and slowly approached her and Zuko.
"Fire Lord Zuko," the thin, old man that Zuko had introduced her as the Great Fire Sage began, "We have finally found the best date for your wedding to the Lady Katara."
Zuko gave him a regal nod as he asked, "When?"
"The end of spring, my lord," the Great Fire Sage informed them, "Exactly two months from now."
A small frown appeared on Zuko's impassive features. Two months? It was still a long time for him to wait to marry Katara, but he knew he had no choice but to accept what the fire sages had concluded.
"Thank you," he finally spoke up before he added in a cool tone, "As the Great Fire Sage, you will lead the ceremony along with the main spiritual leader of my betrothed's tribe."
"As you wish, my lord," the old man replied with a gleeful smile. It was a great honor to participate in the Fire Lord's wedding.
After a few more details were discussed, Zuko and Katara left the great temple and climbed inside the carriage that would take them back to the Fire Nation Palace.
As soon as the door was closed behind them and the carriage was moving, Zuko pulled her onto his lap and kissed her passionately just like he had done when they had left the palace. Katara moaned into his mouth as their tongues danced around each other's and Zuko ran a hand up her side. Since no one from her family was near, they had taken advantage and smothered each other with affection and longing kisses. But when Zuko again tried to divest her of her clothes, she playfully smacked his hand away like she had done before and climbed off his lap with a giggle.
"I had to try again," he remarked with a smirk as he tried to regain his composure.
Katara rolled her eyes at him as she straightened her clothes and smoothed down her hair even as her cheeks continued to flush.
"Two more months will give me more time to prepare for the wedding," she said happily.
"Two months is two months too long for me to wait to marry you," Zuko grumbled as he leaned back and crossed his arms over his chest with a frown.
Katara giggled at him and she was almost tempted to tease him and ask if the mighty Fire Lord was pouting, but she decided not to say anything since she herself was anxious for the wedding day to finally arrive.
"Shouldn't you be celebrating your last days as a bachelor?" she asked with a teasing smile.
Zuko snorted as he uncrossed his arms to give her a dry look.
"What's there to celebrate?" he asked dryly. "It's not as if I enjoyed my bachelorhood."
A mischievous smirk curled his lips as he leaned toward her, reaching out a hand to trail the back of his fingers on her stomach, up between her breasts, across her collarbone, and then down her side. His smirk widened when she shivered and bit her lip at his touch.
"Besides, I am sure to celebrate much more pleasantly on our wedding night," he told her in a hushed, husky tone.
He suppressed a grin when Katara's cheeks immediately reddened, and he leaned down to nuzzle her flushed flesh before kissing her sweet lips. She responded to him immediately, opening her mouth eagerly, and pressing herself closer to him. Zuko groaned against her mouth when she began to rub her breasts against his chest as she breathlessly murmured his name. He could feel himself hardened against his trousers and he knew it would not go away if Katara did not do something to relieve his tension.
"Katara, if you don't let me touch you and you don't touch me, I'm going to go insane," he rasped against her eager mouth.
Panting softly, Katara pulled back slightly, her heart pounding hard in her chest, and she smiled at the strained and intense expression on her soon-to-be husband's face. She knew having to hold back because of her family's presence was greatly affecting him—heck, it was affecting her too—and she did not want to keep denying them when they had this opportunity. Leaning toward him again, she sweetly kissed his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Then what are you waiting for?" she asked throatily.
Zuko's eyes widened a little at her quick acceptance, but he did not hesitant for fear that she would change her mind. With a low, husky growl, he pulled Katara onto his lap until she was straddling his hips, her long dress rising to her thighs. They both groaned when their clothed intimate parts pressed tightly together. Grasping her hips gently with both his hands, Zuko began to rock her against him, following the rhythm of the swaying carriage. It wouldn't do to have the guards knowing what they were up to.
"Oh, Zuko," Katara moaned softly as she dug her nails into his shoulders.
A second later, they were both groaning their release. Once spent, he carefully slumped over her with a quiet moan of her name.
Katara sighed softly in satisfaction as she caressed Zuko's hair, her body still giving little spams of pleasure. Her heart warmed at the comforting feeling of having Zuko's larger body pressed close to hers and the warm sensation of his panting breath against the skin of her neck. She was no longer surprised how well Zuko could make her body follow his erotic demands. It also pleased her that she could do the same thing to his body. There was no denying their bodies and pleasures were truly compatible. It only made her wonder how much more incredible it would be when they finally made love in the true sense of the word.
Once coherent thought returned, Zuko realized Katara might be feeling uncomfortable lying on the hard floor of the carriage. Wrapping his arms around her, he rose to his knees and carefully sat back on the cushioned bench. He placed his waterbender sideways on his lap and kissed her temple before he tucked her head under his chin.
Katara murmured softly as she snuggled close to his chest. Her body felt sluggish in her sated state. How could she deny him when he made her feel so good, so cherished?
"I can't wait for these two months to be over," Zuko murmured deeply as one of his hands slowly played with her long, wavy hair.
"Me too," the waterbender replied softly as her fingers traced patterns on his covered chest.
She felt Zuko grasp the back of her head and gently nudge it back. Katara lifted her head to look at him. He leaned his head down and she eagerly lifted hers to meet his lips halfway. Their mouths touched in a languid, sensual kiss and they murmured softly against each other.
Their moment was interrupted when the carriage came to a stop and they heard their driver jump from his seat in order to open their door. The young couple quickly pulled away from each other as they scrambled to straighten themselves before they caught each other's eye and laughed.
"Sokka and your father would have my head if they knew what we just did even after all their precautions," Zuko said in a low tone, his eyes gleaming in amusement, as he smoothed down Katara's hair.
"Good thing they won't know," Katara replied with a grin as she fixed his fire crown.
A few minutes later they were inside the palace. They made a quick stop at their respective rooms to quickly wash and change before they went in search of their family in order to give them the news that they finally had set the date for their wedding. Shen and Kuo followed silently behind the couple. Both guards smiled discreetly at each other since they could see that their lord was happy. They had never seen him look so content in all the years they had served him.
As they rounded a corner, they saw Physician Toshiro walking down the corridor with a short, young woman at his side. Katara noticed that the woman was really pretty with dark hair pulled up into a bun and skin as pale and blemish-free as most of the noblewomen. Although she was wearing the clothes of a servant, Katara could see that she carried herself in a different manner, more graceful and refined than normal maids. As soon as the physician spotted Zuko, he smiled widely and quickened his pace to meet him
"Fire Lord Zuko," he greeted with a small bow that the young woman mimicked although she kept her head down. "I was on my way to your study to see if you had finally come back."
"We just arrived from the Fire Temple," Zuko responded as he glanced at Katara with a gleam in his eye.
"Oh, I see. Congratulations," Physician Toshiro told them sincerely before he gasped softly as if he had just remembered something.
"Oh! I just wanted to tell you that I found a new assistant," he said as he indicated to the silent woman beside him. "This is Yin-Min. I wanted to present her to you for approval after what happened with…my other assistant."
He frowned deeply and Zuko saw the sadness that flashed in the old man's eyes. Zuko had heard that Physician Toshiro had looked at Kuro as a son for the old physician only had daughters, and Zuko could only guess how greatly betrayed he felt.
When he noticed that Physician Toshiro was still waiting for him to approve of his choice, Zuko finally looked at the young woman who had not said a single word. He was surprised to see that she was wearing the uniform all maids wore and he wondered why Physician Toshiro had chosen a servant for his assistant. As he looked her over, Zuko realized he had seen the young woman a couple of times cleaning the royal family wing and guest wing, but he had never paid much attention to her. He did not know her and he was wary of her becoming the new physician's assistant.
"How is it that you could help Physician Toshiro?" he asked her calculatingly.
The young woman jumped when he addressed her and she nervously bowed her head.
"I was a top student in the medicinal arts when I used to attend the Fire Nation Academy for Girls, my lord," she replied quietly.
Katara looked at the young woman in surprise. She wondered how a servant could have attended a prestigious academy meant only for the nobility. It seemed Zuko thought the same thing since he was frowning and looking at the woman suspiciously.
"Did you truly attend the academy?" he asked her doubtfully.
Yin-Min nodded as she glanced briefly at the tall Fire Lord before she again lowered her eyes.
"I did until my stepfather took me out of the academy seven years ago in order to become one of Ozai's…concubines," she said very quietly that they almost did not hear her.
Katara gasped softly as she watched the woman avert her eyes and clasp her hands tightly together as she ducked her head. Yin-Min did not look much older than herself, so Katara concluded with sympathy that she must have been very young when she became Ozai's concubine.
Zuko cleared his throat uncomfortably as he glanced at his physician.
"She is very knowledgeable in the art of medicine, my lord," Physician Toshiro told him with a firm nod.
Zuko again returned his attention to the quiet woman before him. She must be one of the few of Ozai's concubines that had decided to remain in the palace as servants when Zuko gave them the choice when he became Fire Lord.
"How will I know you would not betray me?" he asked her sternly.
Yin-Min's head snapped up at his words and she looked at him with wide, yellowish eyes.
"I will never betray or hurt you, my lord," she said steadfastly, her posture now strong as she tried to make her loyalty known. "Not after you rescued me and my friends from Ozai's clutches and gave me a choice to remain in the palace as a servant instead of making me return home where I am unwanted and mistreated."
Katara felt her heart go out to the young woman who seemed had suffered so much in her young life. She was timid and hurt, and Katara felt herself get angry at the thought that such a fragile girl had to be subjugated to Ozai's lust just because her stepfather had wanted to rise in prestige among the Royal Court. Katara looked at Zuko, silently beseeching him to accept Physician Toshiro's choice of assistant.
Zuko saw Katara almost pleading with him to give the woman a chance. With an inward sigh about how easily he caved when Katara looked at him in that way, Zuko turned to the physician and nodded. Shen and Kuo, who had seen the exchange, suppressed their amused smiles.
"Alright. If you believe she will be of help, then I approve of your choice, Physician Toshiro," he said.
"Thank you," the man said with a bow.
Zuko turned to the woman and he raised an eyebrow at her.
"As long as you do your duties, you will be his assistant," he told her firmly.
Yin-Min smiled widely before she caught herself. She blushed faintly as she gave him a grateful bow.
"I promise I will do my duties well, my lord," she vowed.
"I will teach her all she needs to know," Physician Toshiro added.
Zuko did not reply as he gave a nod before he walked past them and headed down the corridor.
"Congratulations," Katara told the woman sincerely
Yin-Min looked up in surprise before she bowed her head.
"Thank you," she said softly.
Katara smiled at them before she walked quickly away to catch up to Zuko, who had stopped to wait for her and his two personal guards when he finally noticed that she had not been walking beside him. She smiled at him and he returned the smile briefly before he again made his way down the golden passageway.
As they reached the western wing, the small group came upon Jiao and a short-haired servant carrying empty trays as they made their way to the kitchens.
"Jiao, where is everybody?" Zuko asked as the two women bowed respectfully.
Jiao did not need to wonder who he was referring to since the only people he interacted with willingly were his family and Lady Katara's.
"They are drinking tea in the sitting room, my lord," she replied with a small smile that she also directed at Katara.
Since the Royal Palace Garden was being restored, the sitting room was the place that they all gathered in now.
Katara watched as Jiao discreetly glanced at Kuo, who caught her eye and smiled at her. The young servant blushed as she bowed to Zuko and Katara before she scurried away with the tray held tightly in her hands while the other servant hurried after her.
"Shen, Kuo, you may take your break now," the Fire Lord spoke up as he turned to glance at his guards.
"Thank you, my lord," they replied in unison with a bow and a small smile directed at Katara before they turned and followed after Jiao and the other maid toward the kitchens.
Zuko again began to walk, heading toward the sitting room, and Katara quickened her pace to catch up to him.
"Is it just me or does Jiao always blush when Kuo's near?" Katara whispered to Zuko.
"I've noticed too, but what of it?" Zuko responded with a shrug. "Kuo has that effect on many women."
"Yeah, but Kuo acts differently around Jiao," the waterbender retorted as she glanced behind her where the two people they were talking about had disappeared to.
"Don't start seeing things that are not there, Katara," he told her with a small frown.
"Well, it'd be nice if they ended up together," she said with a wistful sigh.
"Well, don't get your hopes up," the firebender advised her.
"Why do you have to ruin my fun?" Katara asked with a huff.
Zuko chuckled quietly as he threw her an amused look, but he did not respond since they had finally arrived at the sitting room. His mother and Katara's female relatives were drinking tea, eating pastries, and talking. Iroh and Pakku were playing Pai Sho while Hakoda and Sokka watched. They all stopped what they were doing and looked up when Katara and Zuko stepped into the room. Suddenly, the place was filled with commotion as they all asked at once what day did that fire sages decide on for the royal wedding.
Katara smiled happily as she moved away from Zuko's side and glided swiftly to where the women were sitting.
"It'll be in the end of spring!" she exclaimed joyfully.
"Exactly two months from now," Zuko continued in a more subdued tone yet not lacking in happiness.
Everybody again began to talk excitedly at the news.
"We need to send the invitations as soon as possible!" Ursa exclaimed.
"We need to start on the wedding dress!" Kanna and Suki said at the same time.
"We need to begin planning the wedding celebration!" Iroh piped in cheerfully.
Zuko was unable to curb his sigh as the women and his uncle prattled on and on. He glanced to his side when Hakoda and Sokka approached him with the same tired expression on their faces.
"Can we go to your study to talk?" Hakoda spoke above the squeals and exclamations.
The young Fire Lord mentally thanked his future father-in-law for giving him an excuse to escape. Planning any kind of celebration was not his thing.
"Of course," Zuko responded with a nod as he turned around and walked out of the room with the two Water Tribe men.
Once they finally arrived at his study, Zuko made his way to his large chair while the other two men sat across from him after Sokka had closed the door behind them.
"What do you want to talk about?" Zuko asked coolly, though inwardly he was feeling a bit anxious. What if Hakoda was beginning to regret giving him his consent to marry Katara?
"I must return to the Southern Water Tribe," Hakoda began as he leaned back in his seat, "I have been away from my duties for too long and we also need to prepare our end of the wedding preparations."
Zuko inclined his head to show he understood, but before he could talk, Hakoda continued.
"Because it is tradition in our tribe, Katara has to come with us and live with her family until the day she gets married as a…precaution," the chief said and cleared his throat as he glanced at his son.
Sokka had the decency to blush since he had gotten Suki pregnant before they got married.
Zuko frowned and he felt his heart sink at the thought of Katara leaving him even if it was just for two months. He did not want to let her out of his sight, he did not want to be without her presence, but he understood that it was the tradition in the tribes. He could not argue with them since they were already consenting to do many things the way they were supposed to go in his own country's traditions.
"I understand," Zuko finally replied even as his hands clenched.
"I plan on us leaving tomorrow," Hakoda continued.
"Tomorrow?!" Zuko repeated in disbelief.
It was too soon! He wouldn't have enough time with Katara before she left!
"It'll give us more time to have everything finished for the wedding," Sokka spoke up with a knowing smile.
Zuko gave a nod as a response.
"We should tell Katara now," the blue-eyed chieftain said as he stood up.
Both Water Tribesmen paused when the Fire Lord cleared his throat and they turned to look at him.
"There's a favor that I'd like to ask of you to do while you're in the Southern Water Tribe," he began.
"What kind of favor?" Sokka asked curiously.
After discussing what Zuko wanted of them, the three men left the study. Soon they were in the sitting room once again where the women and his uncle were still chattering about the day of the wedding and what needed to be done before it. Hakoda cleared his throat a few times until he finally gained their attention.
Katara looked at her father curiously before she glanced at Zuko, and even though he was not showing a single emotion on his face, she could see the discontent in his eyes.
"What's wrong?" she asked worriedly as she stood up from her spot between Lady Ursa and Gran-Gran.
"We need to return to the Southern Water Tribe before the wedding, we leave tomorrow," Hakoda answered her question.
Katara gasped softly as her eyes again locked with Zuko's. She did not want to leave him, but she knew she could not go against her father wishes, not until she was married and moved out of her father's house. But she still did not want to leave Zuko, even if it was just for two months.
"We should start packing our things," Kanna spoke up as she stood up from her spot with Pakku's help.
Katara and Zuko did not look away from each other as the others started to make their way to the door, though Hakoda stayed at the entrance to watch Zuko warily. Katara could see the subtle message in Zuko's golden eyes and her heart pounded. Before Zuko could say anything to Katara, Suki slowly approached them. Zuko looked away from Katara and glanced at the female warrior, who looked at them with a grin when Katara blushed deeply at being caught staring so intently at Zuko.
"Katara, do you want me to help you pack?" she asked with a smile to show she would pretend she saw nothing. "We can even have a sleepover before we have to leave tomorrow."
Zuko and Katara frowned before they caught the knowing gleam in Suki's eyes. Zuko suppressed a smirk and Katara blushed faintly. How did Suki know?
"Sure, thanks," Katara responded as she smiled at her sister-in-law.
Suki grinned at them both before she turned around and waited for the waterbender in order to give them a few more moments together. Satisfied that his daughter was not going to be alone with Zuko, Hakoda turned around and left. Suki watched her father-in-law go and mentally grinned. Oh, if only the chieftain knew what the looks Katara and Zuko were throwing at each other meant. She did not know for sure if her sister-in-law and Zuko were already intimate, but she had a feeling they would like to have some alone time before they left the Fire Nation. Suki hoped that by pretending she would be helping Katara, Hakoda would not get it into his head to start snooping around in order to keep his daughter safe from the Fire Lord.
"I'll see you tomorrow for breakfast," Zuko told his waterbender with a small smile before he whispered, "I'll be in your room later tonight."
Katara felt her body tingle with anticipation even as her heart ached with sadness at their separation. She gave him a small smile.
"See you tomorrow."
Katara anxiously paced the length of her room as she waited for Zuko to show up. She paused and her heart pounded in her chest when she heard the soft knock at her window. The waterbender quickly went over to pull the curtains aside and open the window. She stepped back to let Zuko enter. He was again wearing his Blue Spirit outfit minus his swords. Zuko swiftly closed the window and the long curtains before he pulled down his mask over the back of his head. As soon as he turned around, Katara flung her arms around his neck and Zuko wrapped his arms around her body and lifted her to him, their lips instantly crashing together in a desperate and hard kiss.
"I don't want to leave," she told him between kisses.
"I don't want you to leave either," he responded against her soft lips as he brought her even closer to him.
"But I have to," the waterbender replied with a sigh.
She pulled slightly away from his kisses and Zuko watched as she looked up at him with hesitant eyes.
"I don't want to leave you, but I also need this. I want to visit the Southern Water Tribe one last time before I become your wife and the Fire Nation becomes my permanent home," she said softly and held her breath almost as if she were waiting for him to get angry or disappointed.
"I understand and I won't take that away from you," Zuko responded with a soft smile to convey he did not resent her feelings, "Especially since you have to give up so many things to become my wife."
"All that matters to me is that I'll be your wife," she replied with a gleeful smile which then turned sad as she pressed her cheek on his chest and whispered, "I'm going to miss you."
"Me too," he said with a sigh.
"I'll try to come back two weeks before the wedding to help Ursa and Iroh," she added softly.
"I'll be eagerly waiting your return," he said as he tightened his hold of her.
They pulled apart to look at each other, their eyes met with an electrifying intensity, and then their lips were once again devouring each other's. As their mouths continued to ravish one another, Zuko moved the hand that had been holding the back of Katara's head and trailed it down her cheek, sliding it softly against her neck until his fingers came in contact with the hem of her nightgown. Katara let out a disappointed moan when Zuko's mouth left hers before a sigh escaped her when he touched his lips to her cheek, following the trail his hand had created before down her neck and pressing his lips against her betrothal necklace.
His fingers pulled her collar aside and he nuzzled against her hot skin for a moment. He pulled back slightly to gaze at her soft brown flesh and he smiled when he noticed that, although the love bite he had given her was very faint, it was still there.
Katara watched as her firebender's golden eyes gleamed with restrained desire and pride as he gazed at her neck and she knew what he was staring at so intensely.
"The love bite is fading, but now that you are wearing my ring and betrothal necklace, everybody will know you belong to me," he said with a soft growl.
Katara gasped when his mouth came into contact with the fading love bite he had left on her skin, sucking and nipping at it softly, not hard enough to break the skin, but enough to send her senses flaring with heat.
"Very soon, Katara," he began huskily as he softly kissed the fading mark, "You'll be completely mine."
The waterbender did not respond as she tilted her head closer to him, touching her lips to the pale skin below Zuko's right ear before she trailed them slowly closer to his jaw. She parted her lips slightly and touched the tip of her wet tongue on his skin, causing Zuko to jump slightly and gasp in surprise at the unexpected sensation at the contact. Katara continued to lavish his skin with soft licks and nips that made Zuko groan, and before he knew what she intended to do, she bit him.
Zuko's body jerked in shock, a loud growl erupting through his lips as the small pain sent a shot of pleasure straight to his groin. When Katara pulled away to soothe the sting with her tongue, he grasped her hair to tilt her head back so he could crash his mouth against hers.
"Did you just mark me?" he asked incredulously against her lips as he stared into her bright, blue eyes in astonishment.
"Yes," Katara responded without hesitation even as her cheeks flooded with color. "Like you said, the betrothal ring and necklace allows everybody know that I belong to you…"
She trailed off and she lightly touched the spot where she had bitten him with her finger. When Zuko hissed and tightened his hold on her, a smirk curled her lips.
"So I only though it fair that I should leave a mark on you to show everybody that you belong to me," she continued smugly before she narrowed her eyes as she growled out, "Hopefully once they see my mark, no woman will approached you while I'm away."
"Even if they did, I will order them away," Zuko promised as he suppressed a smile at her jealousy and possessiveness. They were both so alike.
He pressed his finger on the stinging bite between his ear and his jaw, and he smirked since he knew that Katara had chosen a spot where her mark would be visible for all to see since he would not be able to hide it. Not that he wanted to. Not only would everybody know that she was his, but everybody would now that he was hers while they were separated.
Groaning, he bent down to capture her lips in another passionate kiss. Katara moaned as she pressed herself closer to him, rubbing her breasts against his chest and grinding her stomach against his hard erection. Liquid heat pooled between her legs. With a soft growl, Zuko scooped her up into his arms and swiftly carried her to her bed.
No more words were said as they held each other close. Wet tongues intertwined inside hot mouths, desperate hands roamed feverish bodies, hearts pounded hard against aching chests as they tried to take something from the other to cherish during their brief separation.
Zuko watched with a stoic expression on his face as the Southern Water Tribe vessel was being loaded. The young Fire Lord tuned out what his family, Katara, and her family were saying as the ache on his chest grew at the thought that she was leaving. Not only did he not want to wait two long months to finally make her his wife, but he was not going to see her, kiss her, or be in her presence for those months. He had grown so accustomed to the fact that he could see her whenever he wished, that now he did not know how he would be able to continue without her presence. How did he even live without her before?
Discreetly, Zuko pressed lightly against the mark Katara had left on his skin the previous night. As he had entered the royal family dining hall that morning, he had immediately felt every eye in the room zoom in on the love bite. His uncle had winked at him, his mother had blushed lightly, Suki had grinned, Kanna had frowned slightly but a small smile had appeared on her thin lips, while Katara's male relatives all glared at him suspiciously. He had ignored them as he took a seat at the head of the table and turned to greet Katara, who sat quietly next to him. Everybody then turned to Katara as if she would confirm their suspicions. His waterbender had blushed deeply, but luckily Iroh and Suki had spoken up and quickly diverted their attention.
During his meeting with his advisors after breakfast, the men had stared at the mark near his jaw in surprise and the servants stared at it with curiosity. Zuko refused to hide it. Instead, he wore it proudly and smugly, which caused Katara to flush with pleasure.
But now she was leaving. And the love bite would soon fade.
He was brought out of his thoughts when he noticed Katara disengage herself from everybody and began to approach him. His mother and uncle smiled as they walked to the awaiting carriage while Katara's family began to board the swift vessel after again saying goodbye to him. He mentally thanked them since he knew they were all giving Katara and him a moment alone to themselves.
Katara gave him a small smile as he stared down at her.
"I know I'll see you soon," she began softly, "but I'm going to miss you so much."
"I will miss you, too," he replied in the same quiet tone.
Katara remained silent as she stared into Zuko's simmering, golden eyes, waiting for him to say something else or give her a farewell hug. But when he did neither, she smiled since she knew that Zuko hated showing any kind of affection in front of other people. She sighed softly as she continued to smile sadly at him.
"I'll see you in a month and a half," she told him as she began to turn away.
Suddenly struck by the full significance of how miserable he would be with her gone, Zuko stepped forward, and to her shock as well as those around them, clasped her to him tightly and captured her lips in an ardent kiss. He did not care if everybody saw them. He had to kiss her one more time before they had to separate again. Let them see how much this wonderful woman had changed him. Let them see how much she meant to him.
When he finally pulled slightly away to gaze down at her, Katara's blue eyes were dazed and her cheeks were glowing with her blush.
"I wish Agni could make time go by quickly," he whispered as his mouth lingered over hers, "I can't bear the thought of you leaving and not being able to see you, touch you, or kiss you."
"Oh, Zuko," Katara sniffled as she stared sadly into his eyes, "That's how I feel, too. I don't want to leave, but I have to."
"I know," he replied with a soft smile as he brushed away a tear that had escaped her eye with his thumb. "I will be counting the days until you finally become my wife."
"Oh, Zuko," Katara breathed and sighed blissfully.
Before she could say anything else, the sound of someone clearing their throat brought them out of their own little world. Zuko immediately moved a step back from her as he cleared his own throat before they turned to their side to see Sokka standing with his arms crossed.
"Can you guys hurry it up?" Sokka told them with exaggerated exasperation. "We'd like to set sail sometime today."
He grinned when his sister and his future brother-in-law glared at him. With another exasperated sigh, he turned and made his way toward the ship, but not before throwing them another grin.
Katara and Zuko looked at each other again. Without saying another word, they kissed one more time, their lips lingering for a moment, before Katara stepped away and turned to follow her brother. Just as she was about to step on the ramp, she glanced over her shoulder at Zuko, who was still watching her, before she boarded the ship.
The firebender watched the sleek vessel glide away as Katara moved to stand at the back of the ship's deck. They held each other's gaze as the vessel continued to sail away. Zuko continued to stare after his waterbender until the ship disappeared in the horizon and a sigh escaped him as that ache in his chest grew a bit more.
It's just a little over a month, he repeated to himself.
He glanced to his right when he felt someone step up next to him. When he saw it was his uncle, the young lord again returned his attention to the blue sea. Blue like the eyes of the woman he loved.
"Before you know it, you'll be a married man, Nephew," Iroh commented with cheerful chuckle.
Zuko did not reply as he turned around and headed toward the carriage where his mother was waiting for them. He heard his uncle chuckle again as he followed him.
Zuko smiled since his uncle was right. The next time he saw Katara, they would be getting married.
He could not wait.
End of Part Five
A/N: Ah, so close!
~alwaysZutarian