Chapter Twenty-Six
Ever After (Arc I)
Katara's hand rested on her belly as she attempted to calm the winged creatures fluttering about her insides. She stood on the deck of the Fire Nation ship, one hand perched along the railing as she gazed out at the royal-blue sea. She could just make out the port of Kyoshi Island in the near distance, and the shape of the familiar palm trees silhouetted against the mountain terrain. She was elated to see Sokka and Suki and all her friends again, and the excitement was almost too much to bear.
Zuko emerged from below deck and was greeted by the wind, thick with the scent of sea salt, as it whirled through the strands of his hair. He spotted Katara by the railing and strolled over, settling both arms around her waist as his chin lowered to rest on top of her head. "Almost there," he murmured.
Katara folded her arms on top of his and leaned back against his chest. "Life is just one adventure after another and I'm so fortunate to experience the rest of it with you," she told him. It felt like a lifetime had passed since she'd left Kyoshi to set out on what was to be a short trip to the Fire Nation to celebrate Zuko's birthday. She'd been conflicted about going in the first place, but she'd missed him and hoped for answers that only he could provide… Never in a hundred years did she imagine that things would turn out as they had. The attack on the palace and the kidnapping of their friends was almost a distant memory now, but the feelings that had blossomed because of their journey together would never fade away. The nightmares that had plagued her sleep since the end of the war were finally gone, and Katara could rest easy knowing she was safe inside the Fire Lord's loving embrace.
"Are you nervous?" Zuko asked, pulling her from her inner thoughts.
"What would I be nervous about?" Her eyebrows furrowed softly.
"Well," Zuko lowered his face next to hers so that his voice was directly against her ear, "you haven't seen your father in a while and though I'm sure word has reached Kyoshi of our courtship, I'm guessing your father probably doesn't yet know."
A slow smile spread across Katara's lips. "It does take a while for word to reach the South Pole," Katara agreed. "Are you sure you're not the one who is nervous?"
Zuko swallowed. Katara was turning in his arms, lifting her chin to meet his gaze with a smile lining her lush lips. She was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen, and those sapphire eyes of hers could get her just about anything she wanted where he was concerned. The truth was that Katara had had his heart for a very long time, even before he recognized it himself, and he was certain his feelings for her began before she'd even saved his life in the battle with his sister.
Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe was a fierce man with an honorable reputation. The Fire Nation had wronged him in the war, and even held him prisoner–of course, Zuko had helped Sokka rescue him, but he wasn't sure that was enough to right all the wrongs. Zuko no longer feared very much in life, but telling the father of the woman he loved that he planned to marry her ranked a little high on his list… "No," Zuko choked, "I'm not nervous."
Katara giggled and reached up to bury her fingers in the ebony hair at the nape of his neck. "You're a terrible liar," she told him, pulling him down to her mouth and kissing him.
She tasted like sweet melon wine. Zuko framed the side of her face with his palm, holding her there to claim her mouth a while longer. Suddenly the prospect of talking with her father seemed a little less bleak.
~xXx~
Suki was the first to greet them when their ship anchored in the bay. The auburn-haired Kyoshi warrior threw her arms around Katara's neck and squeezed tightly. "I missed you," she said, holding her out at arm's length before hugging Zuko. "How was your trip?"
"Calm seas all the way," Zuko replied with a grin.
"Welcome to Kyoshi Island." She lifted her arms to gesture to their surroundings and the tropical breeze that greeted them. "Unfortunately, Sokka couldn't be here to join us because he's at his final ceremonial-clothing fitting appointment."
"Is he alone?" Katara lifted one of her eyebrows. She knew sending Sokka out for something as important as a fitting on his own probably wasn't the best idea… In fact, it was borderline dangerous.
"My father is with him," Suki assured, "and yours, and Aang and Toph, too."
"Good."
"I took the liberty of reserving a couple of rooms at the Inn for General Iroh and your men," Suki continued as they walked up the dock. "I know they probably prefer to stay close to you, but mine and Sokka's place is pretty small. I suppose they can set up camp in the yard if they prefer, but the reservations are there just in case. I figured the two of you could stay in Katara's room."
Katara shot Zuko a nervous glance. "Well," she said, tongue dragging out the 'L' sounds, "Zuko and I aren't actually allowed to stay in the same–eh, room."
Suki stopped walking. "Really?"
"It's tradition," Zuko attempted to explain. "The Fire Nation–particularly the royals–are pretty set in their ways of custom."
"Especially when courting," Katara added under her breath–but judging by the incredulous look on Suki's face, she'd heard her.
"That's really gotta' suck," Suki said.
"It certainly has its downfalls," Katara said. While it was true that Zuko's men had allowed Katara and Zuko to exit the ship 'alone', Katara knew his guards weren't too far off. They were good at hiding in the shadows, blending in with the crowds, and keeping themselves virtually invisible. But just because they couldn't see them didn't mean that someone wasn't always watching when they were out in public.
"You do get alone time, right?"
"Not in public," Katara answered. "Let's just say that Zuko's Blue Spirit skills come in handy in more ways than one."
Suki laughed. "Well, I'm sure that will change when you get married. In the meantime, I suppose there is a certain thrill for sneaking around to be with one another. After all, there is something appealing about the forbidden things." She winked and lightly elbowed Katara in the arm. To Zuko, she leaned in and whispered, "There's a gazebo on the back side of the barn next to the pond. You won't be seen there."
"I'll keep that in mind." Zuko chuckled.
The three companions walked through town as Suki caught them up to speed on the details of the wedding. Everything had gone off without a hitch as far as preparations were concerned, and Suki was as easy-go-lucky as she always was. Katara had hated the idea of not being here to help with the finalities, but Suki insisted that she had everything under control.
"There must be something I can help with?" Katara offered as they rounded a familiar corner that led to a stone path through a grass lane. Their little house sat atop the hill, and from here Katara could see the roof and the barn in the background. A pang of longing lodged itself behind her breastbone. For two years Kyoshi Island had been her home and she would always have a certain soft spot for it, even if she understood deep down it wasn't where she belonged.
"The only thing I need from you is a promise to relax." The Kyoshi warrior hooked her arm through Katara's at the elbow and yanked her against her side. "The rehearsal dinner is in two hours, and then after that–you, me, and Toph are going out on the town to celebrate. Which means–" she cast a look over her shoulder at Zuko, "–I'm going to need you to keep an eye on Sokka."
Zuko raised his single eyebrow. "Me?"
"Yep. Being the Fire Lord sort of makes you the responsible one, so I just need you to make sure that Sokka doesn't get carried away where the drinks are concerned. If he shows up to our wedding with a hangover, I'll probably murder him at the altar."
Katara giggled.
"As the Avatar, I think Aang would be better suited for the job. Monks don't even drink," Zuko pointed out.
"He has a point," Katara said. Aang had a knack for getting them into some kind of trouble without the indulgence of alcohol, but he was also always quick to get them out. They were walking up the slope to the small cottage when Katara spotted a small group of people sitting on the patio. Her heart swelled when her eyes locked with her father's. Hakoda grinned from ear to ear when he saw his daughter, arms opening wide as Katara jogged the last few paces and then launched herself into her father's arms.
"Katara," he breathed, tightening his arms around her back, "it's good to see you."
"I've missed you," she told him when he released her. "I'm so happy you're here."
Hakoda chuckled, blue eyes glittering. "The feeling is mutual, daughter. It will be nice to catch up with one another. Too much time has passed." Hakoda traced the slope of Katara's cheek before turning to greet Zuko. "Fire Lord Zuko," Hakoda bowed, "it's wonderful to see you again."
"Please," Zuko said, "I insist you call me Zuko, Chief Hakoda."
Sokka rolled his eyes rather dramatically and crossed his arms over his chest. "Stop with the formalities before I puke," he said. "We're all practically family now."
"Sokka!" Suki elbowed him in the ribs and the blue-eyed warrior pitched forward, sputtering for air.
"What?" He choked, rubbing at his smarting ribs. "Dad already knows that Zuko and Katara are a thing. I told him this morning."
Suki dropped her head into her hands and sighed. "And this is the man I want to spend forever with," her voice was muffled through her fingers, "Ancestors help me."
"What?" Sokka repeated. "What did I do wrong this time?"
"Oh gee, I dunno'," Toph said as she emerged from the house with a large grapefruit in her hands, "maybe you spilled beans that weren't yours to spill." She tossed the grapefruit up in the air and caught it one-handed. "How's it going Sugar Queen and Sifu Hotman?" The blind girl smiled wryly.
Katara felt color rising in her cheeks and instantly drew herself closer to Zuko's side. He was wearing the mask of the Fire Lord, though the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. Katara would have to get better at donning the masks if she was to be queen of the Fire Nation. But now, among her friends and family, she couldn't force the composure. Luckily for them all, Hakoda appeared to be enjoying this little exchange.
Zuko cleared his throat. "I had hoped to speak with you privately, Chief Hakoda."
"Yes, well, my son took the liberty on your behalf." Hakoda laughed. "I would like the opportunity to hear it in your own words, however." He paused. "Have you been to the beach?"
"I haven't had the pleasure," Zuko responded.
"Well then allow me to be your guide." Hakoda smiled and winked at Katara before he and Zuko walked towards the barn. The group waited until the pair was out of sight before anyone dared to speak.
"That was smooth, Captain Boomerang. Please tell me you were just as suave when you asked Suki's father for permission to marry her." Toph laughed and thumped Sokka in the middle of the back.
"Oh, it was much worse than that," Suki confirmed.
"I didn't tell Dad that Zuko wanted to marry Katara," Sokka said defensively. "I just told him that they were courting!"
"And what exactly do you think 'courting' means?"
Sokka held up a finger and opened his mouth like he wanted to respond and then thought better of it.
"It's different with the royal families," Katara attempted to explain to her brother. "When you court someone, you're basically telling them that you have intentions to marry. That's why we can't really do anything alone."
"You mean like you have chaperones?"
"Yep," Katara said. "In example, Feng is behind that tree over there." She pointed to a large tree that was approximately one hundred yards away, and the guard's arm shot out in a wave. In all honestly, she preferred Feng over anyone else because he was kind to her and gave them the most 'space.'
"Oh wow…"
"That's got to be entirely inconvenient," Toph added, slicing into her grapefruit.
"It's okay," Katara said with a sigh. She deflated into a nearby chair and folded her hands in her lap. "It's really not so bad. Things will be different once… once we do get married."
"So wait a second," Sokka said, stroking the edge of his jaw, "does that mean that you'll be the queen of the Fire Nation and therefore lord power and authority over me?"
Katara couldn't help but laugh. "That's really not any different from how things are now," she teased.
Suki was watching her quietly with a look that only Katara knew how to decipher. It was for that reason alone that she decided to avoid direct eye-contact with her best friend. Katara's father and Zuko had taken 'the' walk, and her insides were knotted in tight coils. Of course she was nervous for the outcome, but she didn't want that to take away from the fact that she was here to celebrate something different. This weekend was supposed to be all about her brother and her best friend. Period. End of story.
"Where's Aang?" Katara asked.
"He's getting Appa settled in the barn," Toph said.
"I think I'll go say hi." Katara pushed out of her chair in one fluid motion and swept past Suki without a glance. Feng stayed put, much to Katara's relief, and so did everyone else. The walk to the barn was short and the familiar scents of straw and feed permeated the air she breathed. She spotted Appa first, as it was rather difficult to hide a giant white bison to begin with. Aang was sitting on the barn floor, tending to Appa's foreleg with a comb. When he saw her, the Avatar rolled himself to a stand with the assistance of his air element, kicking up a cloud of dust in his wake. Momo appeared in the rafters and gave a happy shriek before launching himself into Katara's arms.
Katara laughed as she hugged the lemur, scratching behind his ears as he settled on her shoulder. "Hi Momo, it's good to see you little buddy!" The lemur responded by giving her another cackle and snuggling his face against her cheek.
Aang was grinning somewhat sheepishly, one hand scratching the back of his neck. "Hey Katara," he said. "Momo really missed you too."
"Have you guys been here long?" Katara asked her friend.
"A couple of hours," Aang responded. "One of those hours was spent in town while Sokka was at his final fitting, and let me just tell ya… I'm exhausted."
Katara giggled. "I know exactly what you mean." She'd been on more shopping trips with her brother than she could account for, and he was far pickier than any woman she knew.
"Where's Zuko?"
Katara sucked in a lungful of air before releasing it in the form of a sigh. "He's talking with my father right now… One-on-one."
A smile she hadn't expected slowly stretched across the planes of Aang's mouth. "I'm really happy for you Katara. I hope you have everything you've ever wanted."
Somehow, hearing him say those words–even though she could hear the sincerity in his tone–didn't make her feel better. They had already said everything they needed to say in terms of their old relationship. There was no animosity and no regret–no reason to dredge up the past. But there was a part of her–a small part–that still felt guilty for not being able to be the woman that Aang deserved. She dropped her gaze from his and cupped her forearm. "I hope the same for you, Aang."
"I know you do." She didn't hear him move, but the Avatar was standing in front of her now, one palm clasped over her shoulder. "And I am happy, Katara." He smiled. She looked up and saw the light reaching the depths of his warm brown eyes. "The Air Temple is almost done and Toph is coming back with me to open the school. Everything is working out just as I dreamed it would."
"Well," Katara said, unable to hide her smile now, "I can't wait to see it."
"You're gonna' love it." Aang caught her up to speed on everything that had happened since she'd last seen him, and Katara told him about their adventure to find Zuko's mom. Ursa and her family were going to visit them in the palace in three weeks, after things settled down a bit. There had been unexpected twists and turns in both their lives in such a short amount of time, but both were learning and growing from those experiences.
By the time Katara and Aang ventured back down to the little cottage, Zuko and Hakoda were coming back from the beach. Katara's heart lodged in her throat.
"About time you guys showed up," Sokka called. "We need to get a move on."
Hakoda laughed. "Is my son actually chastising me about time management? I never would have thought I'd live to see the day…"
"Hilarious," Sokka retorted. "Let's just say that Suki keeps me in check."
"Good woman," Hakoda replied. "The Ancestors knew it would take a warrior's spirit to tame the likes of you." His palm squeezed Katara's shoulder as he passed by and followed the others into the cottage. Zuko and Katara remained on the porch.
The Fire Lord reached for Katara but didn't pull her against him. Instead, his hands folded over her wrists, his thumbs gently stroking the soft skin of her inner forearm.
"I'm sorry," Katara blurted, "I'm sure that probably wasn't how you were planning on talking to him." She bit her bottom lip, eyebrows contorting as she gazed up into his amber colored eyes.
Zuko only grinned. "It's okay, Katara. I'm glad I was able to speak to him before everything happened–otherwise I'd be anxious the whole weekend, probably over-analyzing a plan that wouldn't have gone how I wanted it anyway." Zuko let go of one of Katara's arms to tuck a lock of stray hair behind her ear. His fingers skated over the curve of her jaw, lingering on the pulse point of her carotid.
"I didn't think you were nervous." Katara smiled.
"There's not much in life that scares me anymore, but telling the father of the woman I love what my intentions are for our future…" He trailed off, a smile twisting one corner of his mouth.
Katara wrapped both her arms around his waist, ignoring the chaperone 'rules' and the fact that they weren't really supposed to be expressing their affection so publically with one another. After all, the royals weren't here to bear witness, and Feng certainly wasn't going to tell on them. Kyoshi Island was different–the atmosphere more freeing. "So…" Katara prompted, "Did you get his blessing?"
Zuko nodded. He bent to press his lips to the center of her forehead. "So long as you'll have me."
A warmth spread through her like honeyed wine. "I'll have you," she said, tightening her hold on him. "For as long as the moon and sun rise and set together, I'll have you."
"Well," Zuko said, framing the side of her face in his palm, "that sounds like a very long time."
"Too long?" Katara wondered aloud.
Zuko shook his head. "Forever isn't long enough."
Hi friends!
I apologize for the huge delay in releasing this chapter. I intended to finish the entire story with this chapter, but after pulling all of the characters back in for the final scene(s) I realized I was going to need to divide it in half (or arcs, if you will.) So we're almost there. Thanks for hanging in there guys. These are some crazy times we're living in now... Hope everyone is staying safe and healthy. Let me know how quarantine is going.
If you feel so inclined to leave me feedback, I'll greatly appreciate it.
Happy reading,
~Sparrow
