So... the story took a small turn and thus I have to add a couple of more chapters. But I am working towards the reveal. Problem is, Iroh, Kanna, and Hakoda have butt in. Someone else has also butted in, but you will meet that person in the next chapter.
This story is FLOWING for me. That's why I'm getting such quick updates. Hopefully, I will finish this story soon.
The dress Katara is wearing: www dot pinterest dot com / pin / 308778118177762385 /
Chapter 15
Zuko frowned, running his finger along his chin as he the scroll in his hand. Councilman Parus, the presenter of the policy, had a long-winded, rambling way of saying things, which required him to sift through a ton of metaphorical muck, before he could understand what the hell the man was saying. How could one possibly speak so many words and not say anything? It didn't help that the man had a script that looked as though a molespider had fallen into an inkpot and then scurried across the scroll. Zuko rubbed his eyes and reread the line again.
The wishes of the general populace would align with the aspirations of the aristocracy if the last mentioned would find a course of action wherein the desires of the former would be gleaned.
What? Was he saying that the elite will know the wishes of the general population if they find a way to understand what they wished? Why did he even feel the need to say that? That was like saying the sky is blue. He cast a look at the scroll that was longer than his forearm, filled from top to bottom with that loopy script, and groaned. He made a face and dumped the scroll. He stretched, wincing lightly at the exhaustion he felt.
Zuko pushed the writing desk and stood up. He was about to summon a servant for tea when his eyes fell on the full moon.
Katara!
Engrossed in his work, he had completely lost track of time. She must have been waiting for him for their regular nightly chat. Cursing himself for his lapse, Zuko marched over to the connecting door of their chambers. He raised his hand to knock when something stilled his hand. From the other side of the door, he heard a distinct sob. There was so much pain in that sound that Zuko felt his heart twist. Without thinking about what he was doing, he turned the handle and stepped into her room. His eyes took a moment to adjust to the change in light before he spotted her.
She lay on her bed, curled up with her knees drawn up to her chest, sobbing. He was about to step into the room when her words floated to him. ""How can I even do this? What kind of a cruel joke is this? I can't do this. I can't. I just can't. This is not fair!"
The raw anguish in her words and voice made him stumble and he had to lean against the doorframe for support. "What's not fair, Katara?" his own voice cracked, coming out more as a whisper.
She sat up on the bed, her face ashen as though she had seen a ghost. "Zuko."
He took a step into the room, only to have her flinch and pull the blanket up to her chin. He held up his hands in a gesture of surrender and walked towards her. Something about the way she was looking at him reminded him of Azula. For years after the war, his sister too had the same terrified look in her eyes when approached without warning. A part of him wondered if this was the reason the two women seemed inexplicably bonded, each looking out for the other. Grief made strong friendships, after all. He had long since learned that the best way to deal with a person who was that skittish, was to approach them in the most nonthreatening manner. He slowly moved closer, his hands still up in the air.
"Katara," he said in a low, soft voice. "Can I sit?""
Slowly, she nodded, her breathing still shallow. He walked to the foot of her bed and drew a chair up to the bed, without taking his eyes off her for a moment. She had folded into herself, trying to become as small as she could. Zuko leaned forward and repeated his question. "What's not fair, Katara? What can't you do? What cruel joke were you talking about?"
Katara hugged herself, shivering slightly. Unable to meet his gaze, she looked away.
"Katara," he called. "Please, talk to me. What happened?"
"N-nothing. I'm fine."
"Clearly."
She shot him a look that conveyed that she both understood and did not appreciate his sarcasm. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Katara, you don't want to talk about it, fine. But please, don't insult my intelligence by saying that nothing is wrong with you."
Katara looked at him, her face covered in a sheen of sweat. He had seen this look on her face once before. When she had learned that the man she had bloodbended was not the killer of her mother. "Y-you think something is wrong with me?" She sounded breathless.
"Isn't there?" Zuko asked. "Can you honestly say that you are, absolutely, completely fine? You don't have nightmares or panic attacks? Can you swear on Bumi and Kya that you are being truthful when you say that you are fine?"
Katara hid her face in her hands and swallowed. "Please, Zuko. I… I can't. Don't ask me any questions. I can't."
"You can't… what?" he asked softly. "Please, Katara. Whatever you're hiding, it's eating you alive. I can't see you like this. You don't want to talk to me, fine. I'll get anyone you want. But please don't keep this bottled in. Talk to someone. Anyone. Do you want me to get your dad?"
Katara pulled her knees to her chest and rested her arms on them. She shook her head and said, "No. Dad… he wouldn't know what to do."
"Sokka?"
"No."
"Gran gran, maybe?"
Katara shook her head again. "She's too old. I shouldn't burden her with all this. She is just happy to see me married again."
At least she was no longer denying something was wrong. Zuko counted that as a win. "Suki or Toph? Ty Lee?"
"No. No. I can't. I… I can't."
Zuko swallowed, realizing that he probably should have opened with this name. He was now beginning to understand and appreciate the relationship that the two women shared. "Should I get Azula?"
Katara closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "She will understand. But no. I'm not ready to talk yet."
"You have to talk," Zuko said, making sure that his voice stayed calm. "You can't keep this bottled in. You know that, right?"
Katara hid her face in her hands and nodded.
"Whenever you are ready, just let me know. I'm here for you. Even if you don't want to talk to me and want me to get Azula, I'm okay with it."
She nodded, without a word, her face still hidden. Realizing that the conversation, such as it was, was over, he stood up and replaced the chair. Katara had not moved an inch, her face still hidden. He was loath to leave her like this, but he knew from experience that he would not get another word out of her now. He watched her for a few more moments and turned to walk away when he remembered something. He turned to face her and debated for a moment if he should say what he had in mind now. It had to be said but given her condition, he was worried that it might backfire. He decided to go ahead anyway. The next morning would be too late anyway. "I forgot to tell you, but you will be officially introduced to the council tomorrow as the Fire Lady. The event starts at sundown. It was supposed to happen the day after the wedding, but because of the circumstances, we couldn't do it."
Katara gave no indication of having heard him, continuing to sit with her head burrowed in her palms. Zuko sighed, feeling as though he was fighting a losing battle.
Hakoda breathed in the fumes of tea, relishing the delicate aroma. Beside him, his mother, Kanna was doing the same. Across from them, Iroh was stirring his cup of tea. Hakoda took a sip of the tea and breathed deeply. Hands down Iroh made the best tea he had ever tasted. Kanna put her cup down and said, "Iroh, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"
"I have been wondering about the situation my nephew and Katara."
Hakoda looked up from his cup with a frown. "What about them?"
Iroh put his cup down and leaned back in his chair, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "They are both young and have suffered terrible losses. Now they, without meaning to, find themselves married and having the responsibility of three children."
Kanna nodded. "The situation has been bothering me too. It's a big shift, not just for the children, but for them too."
"Indeed," Hakoda agreed. "And as parents are wont to do, they are putting their kids needs in the forefront."
Iroh sipped from his cup, "Which is all great, but, what about those two? They were great friends back when the war was on. Eventually, life took over and the two went from being close friends to just friends."
"And now they're married," Hakoda muttered thoughtfully. "After they both lost their respective spouses whom they both loved dearly."
"It's not easy getting married for the second time," Kanna said. "I speak from experience. The older one gets, the more resistant one becomes to change and compromise. It becomes very difficult to adjust."
"It doesn't help that they are both stubborn as Komodo Rhinos," Iroh added.
Hakoda nodded, "Indeed. To make the shift from friends to a couple, after everything, it's going to be tough for them."
"Which is why I have a proposal that I thought of running by the two of you."
Mother and son exchanged quizzical looks before Kanna voiced the thought they both had. "Proposal?"
"I propose that after tonight's gala, we send the two of them for a weeklong holiday. Just those two. We here can stay with the children."
"I think it's a great idea. But Katara might not agree," Hakoda said, "Since Aang's death, she is very possessive of her children."
"Zuko will be tough to convince too," Iroh said. "Between Izumi and the duties of the Fire Lord, he has not taken a break in years. The last one was when Kya was born, that too was cut short for some reason that he refused to tell me."
"I can talk to Katara," Kanna piped up suddenly, with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. "She won't say no to me. Not if I remind her how far along in life I am, how precariously close to death…"
"Mom! You will use your age to blackmail Katara into going?"
"Yes."
Hakoda grinned, "I love the idea!"
Iroh had an identical grin on his face. "I'll take care of Zuko, then. He will fall in line."
"It's a deal, then?" Hakoda said.
"Deal," the other two chorused.
"What's the matter, Sparky?" Toph asked. "You seem agitated."
Zuko shook his head, casting a look at the banquet hall where the gala was taking place. He bit his lower lip, "I don't know if Katara will come here or not."
"Why would she not come?"
"Last night… she was in a bad place. I don't know if she even heard my words."
Toph patted his arm, "Don't worry, she will be here. Sweetness never backs down from her responsibilities."
Zuko opened his mouth to say something when the Earthbender cocked her head to the side. "She's coming."
Zuko spun on his heels to look at the corridor from where she was meant to come. In the light of the candelabras, he saw her silhouette approach. As she walked closer, his jaw dropped. She was dressed in a red gown that hugged her figure. The golden bodice glittered in the flickering light. A golden fire symbol cinched the waist, from where gold trimmed ruffles tiered down to form a skirt. Part of her hair was tied in a top-knot, while the rest tumbled down in curls. His mother's bracelet was on her wrist. At that moment, Zuko forgot everything that plagued their relationship. All he saw was a beautiful woman.
"I take it she's looking good," Toph said with a chuckle as she nudged him with her elbow.
"Wha… what?"
"Your heart skipped two beats, Sparky. Getting horny, are we?"
"Shut up, Toph!" Zuko grumbled, feeling rising up his cheeks.
The Earthbender giggled and gave him a look, "Oh come on, you totally got a boner."
"I'm not having this conversation," Zuko said, walking over to her. Upon reaching her, he cleared his throat and said, "Hey, I didn't think you would come."
She looked up at him and gave a dazzling smile, "Why wouldn't I?"
Instantly, his body responded. Oh Agni. I'm in trouble tonight. So much trouble! Zuko thought, spotting the devilish grin on Toph's face. She knew what was going on in his mind. Swallowing deeply, he proffered his arm to her, forcing his voice to stay steady. "We are supposed to get into the banquet together."
She nodded and placed an arm on his elbow in a featherlight touch. "Zuko, before we go in… I want to apologize for last night."
He shook his head, "Don't worry about it. Shall we?"
