Merry Christmas!

Sorry, this update is coming late in the day, staying with the family has made it difficult to edit and update. Not great wifi, but here is our next chapter!

Thank you to everyone who reviewed the last chapter! Remember reviewers receive a sneak peek as a thank you. If you did not get one be sure to be signed in and have private messaging turned on :)

Please forgive all mistakes as I would have liked to spend a little more time updating this chapter, but I hope you all enjoy it :)

Chapter Nine

The Fire Lord watched as his ship drew closer to the South Pole.

It would be only a matter of hours until he would step foot in the Southern Water Tribe. But more importantly, it would be the first time he saw his fiancé in months. One hand held onto the railing of the ship, the steel felt icy against his overheated skin. His other hand slipped into his pocket and his fingers brushed the cold stone of the betrothal necklace he had worked so hard on. The act grounded him, allowing the nerves in the pit of his stomach to settle just a tad.

"Turtle duck, are you alright?" Ursa asked her son as she approached him slowly. She had been observing him for some time, he had been standing at the front of the ship in silence for the past hour.

"I'm nervous to see her," he whispered to his mother. Not daring to tear his eyes away from the land in front of him, too terrified that the moment he did it would disappear completely. And he would be back in Omashu signing a marriage contract with an Earth Kingdom noblewoman. A nightmare that had been reoccurring to the Fire Lord since his engagement was made.

"Your betrothed?" She questioned as she moved to stand next to him. He looked tense and she was worried about her son. She knew he hadn't been sleeping well, but every time she asked about it he brushed her off. The first few weeks in the Fire Nation, the two had spent every minute they could recounting what the other had missed in their life. But now, Ursa was struggling to connect with him. This was her son, but this man was very different from the boy she left.

"Yes," he replied easily, unaware of her thoughts. He remembered back to three years prior, he had stood in the exact same position watching the South Pole as he drew closer to it. "Things are complicated."

The Fire Lord had not explained to his mother much about his engagement. Only that he was marrying the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe at the instance of the world to keep the peace. Yet, Ursa knew he and Katara had a history of close friendship. Both Toph and Aang had told stories of their travels with Zuko. His friends alluded to something more between the two benders as well. As did Iroh.

"Complicated because you love her?" His mother inquired gently.

She watched her son, his jaw tightening at her words. He stood a little straighter and refused to meet her eyes. He exhaled through his nose, smoke curling around his face as he did. Even without his verbal response, his body language answered her question.

"Yes," he finally admitted, the word was out of his mouth before he realized what she had asked him. The Fire Lord had not expected his mother to notice his feelings for his bride so soon. "But she doesn't love me. And I trapped her into a political marriage."

"Turtle duck," Ursa sighed as she watched him, a hand reaching out to touch his shoulder but stopped halfway. She didn't know how to comfort the young man in front of her, she opened her mouth to help soothe his worry. But before she could say more, her son interrupted.

"You should double-check that you have your things ready for when we make port," Zuko suggested harshly, harsher than he had intended. He did not want to have this conversation right now. He closed his eyes tightly as the guilt from his reaction washed over him. "I'm sorry, it's just we will be in the South Pole in an hour."

"Of course," she nodded, though he didn't see it. She turned to leave but turned back a whisper of comfort on the tip of her tongue. Ursa took in his ridged posture and let the unspoken words die.

His mother could sense his uneasiness and left him to his thoughts. She did not fault him for his harsh tone. Zuko wore his heart on his sleeve, but he was also quick to anger. Ursa had expected his reaction and was prepared for it. When he was ready he would come to her.

Unknown to the Fire Lord, standing many miles away in his exact position was his betrothed. The Water Tribe Princess watching the Flagship glide through the icy ocean getting closer and closer to her home.

"Little tiger seal," Hakoda called as he joined his daughter. He pulled her hood over her head, she had been standing on the dock all morning. "It will be at least another hour before the ship docks."

"I know," she whispered as she looked out at sea. She pushed the hood off of her head, not wanting anything to potentially block her view of the man she loved.

The waves crashed a little harder as the Fire Lord's Flagship cut through the water toward the South Pole. She felt her heart beating harshly against her chest as she watched the ship. It was well below freezing, but her entire body felt hot with her nerves.

"Dad, leave her be," she heard her brother say from behind her to their father as he joined them. She felt the familiar company stand on her other side, Sokka speaking over her head, "I know you have things left to prepare, I'll keep an eye on her."

Hakoda hesitated then nodded at his son before pulling Katara's hood over her head again. He looked back at his children one last time before leaving them to watch their friend arrive in peace. Perhaps his son would get through to his daughter and the Southern Chieftain did have duties to attend. While propriety dictated he greeted the Fire Lord on arrival, it would not be improper for his children to greet the Fire Nation sovereign.

The Avatar had arrived yesterday on Appa and was having a blast with all the children, showing them airbending tricks. King Bumi had arrived late last night and was catching up with Pakku, both of them rooted in the dealings of the White Lotus. Chief Arnook and King Keui were both scheduled to arrive tomorrow. Once the final delegates arrived the Second Anniversary festivities could begin at the end of the week.

"You don't have to stay. I know you probably want to spend time with Suki," Katara mumbled to her brother. She felt nauseous as she continued to wait for her fiancé. Her nerves were already high without Sokka observing her every move.

"Gran-Gran is altering her dress. And I know I don't have to stay," he replied easily picking up on his sister's nervous energy. He sat back on the steps of the watchtower, leaning back on his arms. "You know, you can talk to me? You keep bottling everything up but you don't have to. We aren't traveling the world anymore, you aren't required to be strong for the others."

"I know," she answered her voice steadier than she felt. She had been thinking a lot about her upcoming marriage. Hearing Mai and Ty Lee outline the duties she would have put things into perspective for the waterbender. "But I'm going to be Fire Lady in six months. And I need to start thinking like a world leader and less like a blushing bride."

"That may be true, but I don't think that's the reason you won't talk to me," Sokka pressed as he looked at her.

He noticed she still had her hair loops in, once Zuko presented her with her betrothal necklace she would have to take them out. Technically she should have done it the moment they got in engaged in Omashu. But the Southern Water Tribe Heir figured she wanted to wait a little longer, the moment the necklace was on her neck she would have to remove them.

"Zuko is your best friend," Katara shrugged lightly. The waterbender heard him make a noncommittal noise. She knew she needed to tell her brother the truth, so with a deep breath she did. "I don't want you telling him anything before I do. And I don't want to put you in an uncomfortable position."

"Katara, you are my baby sister," Sokka stated as he stood, moving to stand behind her. He put a hand on her shoulder. "I would never do that to you, you come first. Now how are you really feeling about everything?"

"I don't really know what I'm feeling honestly," she finally admitted to him after a few minutes. Her eyes never leave the Flagship moving toward them. "It has been a long time since I've seen him, but it doesn't really matter how I feel. In six months he and I will be married." And sharing a bed, she thought to herself.

The Southern Water Tribe Prince stood next to his sister in silence, the two of them watching Zuko's ship approach. The waterbender felt as if the ship was moving too fast and too slow all at the same time. Her stomach was in knots and her palms were sweaty in her mittens. Every sound fell away except the roar of the ship cutting through the water.

Across the water, the Fire Lord felt his nerves spike as the ship glided through the water. His stomach felt like it had dropped, he felt his blood run hot, too hot and his mouth felt dry. He hoped that Katara would meet him at the docks but he was unsure if she would. Zuko had received a letter from his best friend, outlining what was to be expected once he arrived in the South Pole.

Since Katara had not been presented with a betrothal necklace in the Tribe, Sokka had informed his friend that he would have to be seen courting his sister. Even though the marriage contract had been signed, to the Tribe Zuko and Katara would not be seen as engaged until he publicly presented the betrothal necklace.

"Fire Lord, we will be docking momentarily," Jee informed his lord. The admiral knew the young Fire Nation sovereign well, he could see the nerves radiating off the man. It was times like this Jee wished that the Dragon of the West was traveling with them.

"Thank you, Admiral," Zuko nodded to the man standing behind him without really thinking about it. The Fire Lord could see the two figures waiting on the doc, but it was still too difficult to see exactly who was waiting for him from his position on the ship.

The Water Tribe siblings watched the ship pull into the harbor. Sokka could see his sister's shoulders tense up as the ship docked. He could see her breath in the cold air coming in short fast pants. She felt as if someone had taken a hold of her heart and was squeezing it in time with the ship docking. The cold wind of the ocean, that once used to comfort her, felt suffocating.

The tribesman noticed his sister's reaction as the ship docked. He knew she was nervous, but he had never seen her this nervous before. It surprised him that she would feel this way when the man arriving was one of their best friends. Sokka knew things were complicated between the couple, but he hadn't realized how tangled their relationship had become in the last year. The warrior took his sister's hands in his.

"Katara," Sokka pulled his sister out of her anxiety attack. His eyes were on hers, but she was looking anywhere but her brother. "It's going to be okay. It's just Zuko, our friend."

"Right," she nodded at him as she saw the ramp lower. The waterbender took a few deep breaths as she saw her fiancé disembark.

Her first thought was that he looked taller and broader than the last time she saw him. She was sure he stood a good head and a half taller than her now. His hair was tied back and his jaw was more chiseled than the last time she saw him. The firebender's pants stretched across his muscular thighs as he took long strides toward her. Katara could feel her blood run hot through her body and her body's natural lubrication begin to form as she watched the Fire Lord come down the ramp.

Zuko was thrilled to see his betrothed waiting for him on the dock as he walked toward her. As he took the first steps he had to remind himself not to race down the ramp toward her, he took longer slower steps admiring his bride as he move toward her.

The waterbender's cheeks had a healthy rosy color to them from standing out in the cold weather for so long. Her blue eyes shimmered as they roamed up and down his body, causing the Fire Lord to stand a little straighter when he noticed her appraisal. He tried to do the same to her but was disappointed that the parka she wore did not accent her figure the way Fire Nation clothing did. His mind drifted to the last time he had seen her in Fire Nation clothes when he had pinned her on his Flagship almost a year ago.

"Princess Katara," Zuko greeted his fiancé formally but fondly. He leaned toward her as if to give her a hug but resisted the urge. He was unsure how to interact with her and defaulted to the formality he had learned as a child in the Fire Nation Royal Court. "The South Pole looks lovely after the rebuild."

The Southern Water Tribe Princess felt all of her nerves disappear as he spoke. His voice held no malice nor any bitterness, the formal words offset by the friendly tone. The man standing in front of her was her friend, Zuko.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Katara nodded her head at him and matched his tone. Her arms itched to wrap around his torso and hug him. She bit her lip, debating about following through with the action. In turn, she suppressed the urge, "Thank you, I hope you had smooth travels."

"We did," he informed her with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He had hoped she would have hugged him like she had when she saw him at the last summit. "I know the next few weeks are going to be filled with meetings for the anniversary, but I was hoping we could find some time to spend together."

"I would like that very much," she replied smiling sweetly at him. Her fingers rubbed against the ring hidden beneath her mittens. Katara wished she had left the mittens at home, Mai's words coming back to her about how long Zuko had spent etching the dragons on the ring. She wanted to show her betrothed how much she appreciated and liked the ring.

Zuko smiled back at her before turning to greet his friend. "Sokka, it's good to see you."

"Good to see you too, Zuko," Sokka reached for his friend's arm in traditional Water Tribe greeting. The warrior ignored the nervous and tense air coming from the betrothed couple.

"I would like to introduce you both to someone," Zuko began after releasing his friend's arm. He turned and beckoned the woman behind him to come forward. Once she was next to him, he began the introduction, "Sokka, Katara, this is my mother, Lady Ursa."

Katara could instantly see where Azula got her looks from when Ursa step forward and where Zuko inherited some of his mannerisms. The way she titled her head slightly as she observed the world around her and the way she stood. The Water Tribe siblings were eager to meet the woman their friend spoke so highly of.

"I have heard so much about you both," Ursa stated as looked at the Water Tribe siblings. Her first thought was how stunning the waterbender was, she and Zuko would make beautiful children. Her gold eyes turned to the Water Tribe Princess, "I am so thrilled to meet you, especially you Katara."

"I'm so happy to meet you too," Katara began she reached out her hands to greet the Fire Lord's mother, Ursa quickly grasped them in hers. The comforting touch of a mother was not something the waterbender had felt in a long time, the action caused her heart to ache. "Zuko has told me so much about you!"

"I would love the opportunity to spend some time with you, Katara," Ursa said as she looked at her future daughter-in-law. She squeezed the young woman's hands once more before letting go, "I know how hard it was for me to leave my family and become assimilated in Court life. My hope is to make the transition easier for you than it was for me."

The waterbender's eyes filled with tears at the words she just heard. The energy coming off of Ursa reminded the tribeswoman so much of her own mother. The memories of her mother and emotions caused Katara to become overwhelmed by the offer. Couple that with the nerves she had felt earlier, the waterbender's emotions bubbled over. She knew that she and Ursa would become very close.

"Thank you," she whispered before speaking louder, her voice coming out slightly unsteady. Tears trailed down her face, which she quickly brushed away. "I would really like that."

"It's freezing out here," Sokka commented after the emotional moment between his sister and the Fire Lord's mother. For once the young man was not making a joke at a weepy encounter. "We will show you to your rooms, I'm sure you would like to get settled in after the long journey."

The Water Tribe siblings walked the Fire Lord and his mother to one of the canoes that would take them to the palace. If it was just Zuko, they probably would have walked but Lady Ursa being with them the siblings silently decided it would be best to use the canals. It would showcase the South Pole much more beautiful as well as allow her to rest after the long journey.

"The South Pole is beautiful," Ursa complimented as they moved through the city on their way to the Southern Palace. "I've never seen snow like this before, only ever having read about it."

"It's home," Katara replied with a smile as she looked around the city. Pride swelled in her chest at seeing her people thriving, "I'll be sad to leave but I have to say I miss the beaches of the Fire Nation."

"A little hard to surf here," Sokka teased his sister lightly. Zuko joined his friend with a hearty chuckle at the memory of Katara creating an ice surfboard on Ember Island. The firebender would give anything to see her in a bathing suit at this very moment. He knew she would look incredible.

"Just a tad too cold," the waterbender agreed to grin at her brother for breaking the ice. Her betrothed's deep rumbling laughter caused her insides to feel warm and instantly made her blood run hot. She turned to look at him and noticed how his good eye crinkled at the corners as he laughed.

"Somehow I doubt that has stopped you from trying," the firebender drawled as he looked at the lovely waterbender. The two had moved closer in the small canoe, he could almost feel her body heat.

Her blue eyes flashed to his, he could see the slight gleam in them, with one look he felt his arousal spike. She was stunning when she was mad. He had to breathe deeply to stop himself from overheating in his outerwear. Smoke curled around him as he exhaled, he hoped that his friends thought it was because of the cold weather, not his arousal. The Fire Lord just knew she was going to take an opportunity to get back at him for his comment.

"Says the man who swam through the water ducts in the North Pole to capture Aang," his betrothed retaliated her sapphire eyes fiery, her arms crossing as she arched an eyebrow at him. Though the firebender had a feeling, she wasn't finished with him yet.

"You did what?" Sokka faux exclaimed looking at his friend in shock, a hand on his chest in mock indignation. His dramatics are far from believable.

"Sokka, you already knew," Zuko rolled his eyes at the man next to him.

"Well she didn't know that," the Water Tribe Prince snipped at his friend. He might have been overcompensating for the uncomfortable air, but finally, the couple was beginning to act like normal.

"No, she did," Katara rolled her eyes at her brother. Her icy glare now turned to him, "You were the one who made Pakku and I completely redo the ducts to avoid that happening here in the South."

"Zuko?" Ursa looked at her son in shock. She had been observing the reunion in silence but had to question her son. "You didn't tell me that."

"It wasn't my proudest moment," the Fire Lord explained to his mother, he scratched the back of his head. He barely caught the look in the waterbender's eyes.

"Why? Because you tried to capture Aang? Or because you asked for a rematch from a waterbender on a full moon, while standing on a glacier?" The Water Tribe Princess questioned innocently, too innocently. The firebender looked at the waterbender with a raised eyebrow, she flashed him a small smirk.

"I wouldn't get too cocky," Zuko responded with his own smirk toward his betrothed. Unknowingly the two had moved closer together, just whisper away from touching. "I seem to remember winning our match last time. Though if you would like a rematch, I'm sure we can arrange that."

Her eyes narrowed at him. Though she could not help the blood rushing to her cheeks as she remembered being pinned underneath him on the ship. Unknown to her, the firebender across from her was remembering the same moment. They never had the opportunity for their rematch last time the Fire Lord visited the South Pole. The Southern Water Tribe Princess was determined to have it this time.

"You can't have a rematch until Toph gets here," Sokka whined to the couple in front of him. He sounded a little like a disgruntled toddler. The sexual tension was rippling off the couple and the warrior did not need to see them work each other up any more than they already had.

"Toph is coming?" Zuko inquired more to distract himself from his thoughts of Katara pressed beneath him. He leaned a little bit away from her to give himself the distance his body required. "I thought she said she would never come to what did she call it? The arctic wasteland?"

"Yes, Haru finally convinced her to come to the South Pole," the tribesman informed his friend happily. He could feel the sexual tension between his sister and the Fire Lord growing. "Though I think the only reason she agreed was because of my wedding next month."

"Sokka is marrying Suki, the Captain of the Kyoshi Warriors, in about a month," Zuko explained to his mother, turning to make eye contact with her as he did. Both benders forget about their battle as they informed Ursa of the Water Tribe Heir and Kyoshi Warrior's relationship.

"More like six weeks," Katara corrected the firebender, much like she used to during the war. She didn't even notice she had done it. "They have been together since the war, we all knew they would be the first of Team Avatar to get married."

"Team Avatar?" Ursa questioned turning her gold eyes to look at the waterbender. The Fire Lord's mother had been sure to stay quiet most of the ride, choosing to observe her son and his friends instead.

"It's the name we call all of us," Katara answered her future mother-in-law. Blue eyes turned to her fiancé, she began giggling slightly. "Luckily we stuck with that one, you don't want to know all the names we had to veto before we settled on that one."

"For the record, I still think the Gaang and the Boomeraang Squad were fabulous names," Sokka objected with a glare at his sister as he defended himself. His chin titled up as he spoke, arms crossing over his chest.

"Thank Agni, I was not there for that discussion," the firebender shook his head. He wanted to hear Katara laugh some more, it seemed making fun of Sokka's names was the way to go today. "Still can't believe that you nicknamed the most feared assassin in the Fire Nation, Combustion Man."

"That wasn't even the first name for him," Katara giggled as she leaned toward her fiancé as if telling him a secret. The intimate action did not go unnoticed by her brother and Zuko's mother.

"Oh no," Zuko looked at her as he also leaned toward her. He admired the way her blue eyes sparkled against the snowy background of the South Pole. He whispered huskily, "Do I want to know?"

The waterbender giggled and nodded covering her mouth with her hand as she looked up at the firebender through her lashes, "He originally named him, Sparky Sparky Boom Man."

Zuko threw his head back and barked out a laugh as his betrothed giggled along with him. Sokka really had a way with names, he thought to himself. The Fire Lord let his mirth settle as he looked at the Water Tribe Princess. Some of her hair had escaped her braid in the wind, eyes sparkling with laughter, rosy cheeks and nose from the cold. She looked stunning.

"You should not be in charge of naming your future children," the young monarch chortled but never took his eyes off of his betrothed. He wanted to lean forward and capture her lips with his, but instead, he settled for observing the way her nose crinkled as she laughed.

"Hey, boomerang and I were the ones that took him out at the Western Air Temple," Sokka reminded them with a huff. A scowl crossed his face as he recounted the events from a couple of years prior, "After Zuko sent him after us."

The Fire Lord turned toward his fiancé, without thinking he rested his forehead against her shoulder and groaned loudly. He was surprised to feel her lean into him, but was happy that the interaction felt normal. The first normal interaction since before their betrothal. Though he wanted much more from her.

"I'm never going to live that down," he mumbled into the fabric of her parka. His cheeks colored slightly in embarrassment as he remembered his actions before the solar eclipse.

"Probably not," she admitted quietly. Her breathy giggle brushed over his ear as she leaned in to answer him. The waterbender was enjoying the way he pressed into her. His body heat radiated through her parka and warming her.

Lady Ursa observed her son and his friends interact silently. She had seen him with Toph and Aang in the Fire Nation but he always seemed a little more reserved with them. She had attributed it to his station and age though now she was unsure. The way the Water Tribe siblings interacted with him was playful and familiar, while the other members of Team Avatar did the same there was always something holding them back slightly.

The firebender's mother watched in fascination at the interactions between Zuko and Katara. Every move was deliberate but relaxed, intimate even. Ursa felt as if she were intruding on a private moment between the two. The Water Tribe Prince caught her eye and gave her a knowing look, it seemed that the only two people not picking up on the sexual tension were the ones creating it.

Before she could ponder anymore on the couple, the canoe was pulling up to the Southern Water Tribe palace. Zuko gallantly helped the waterbender onto land before helping his mother.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Hakoda greeted his future son-in-law as the party made their way inside. The two men greeted each other in traditional Fire Nation fashion first, then moving to the Water Tribe manner. "Welcome back to the South Pole."

"Thank you Chief Hakoda. I am thrilled to be back," Zuko responded warmly to the man before him. He was surprised to see that he now had a few inches on the chief, though he knew if he ever hurt Katara that few inches would not save him. "Let me introduce my mother, Lady Ursa."

"Chief Hakoda, it's a pleasure to meet you," she greeted the Water Tribe Chief. Ursa stepped forward as she spoke to Hakoda, she was taken back by how familiar he was with her son.

"The pleasure is all mine, Lady Ursa," Hakoda inclined his head in a slight bow. He was thrilled that the firebender had found the older woman. "I wish I could stay to help you settle in but unfortunately I have a meeting to attend. The work of Chief is never done. My suggestion is to rest now, the festivities begin at the end of the week."

After their father left, the Water Tribe siblings escorted the Fire Nation royal family to their rooms. Earlier in the day, Sokka had to remind his sister that she could not be seen entering or exiting Zuko's room. The Water Tribe took virtue very seriously for women, there was already some hesitance among the tribe for the waterbender to be marrying a firebender. The tribesman did not want his sister's name being slandered.

"Sokka, I don't want anyone questioning my virtue," Katara whispered to her brother as they let Zuko settle his mother in quickly before showing him to his room. "Tell him under the new moon, the east wing."

The Water Tribe Heir nodded at her. He was unsure what the message was his sister was sent to her betrothed but he would give it nonetheless. Once she was sure her brother would give the message she left the guest wing of the palace. She did not want to show that she knew where Zuko's room was, if her virtue came into question it could be disastrous for their marriage contract.

"Where did Katara go?" The Fire Lord asked once he was in his room with his friend. He took a seat on the settee across from his bed.

"She didn't want to show that she knew where your room was," Sokka explained to the firebender as he sat adjacent to his friend. "I told you how strict the Water Tribes are with virtue. As I'm sure the Fire Nation is as well."

Zuko nodded before responding, "Right, we do have pretty strict traditions too. I kind of glossed over what was agreed upon with the marriage contract . . . the inspection of the marriage bed I mean."

"Yeah, don't ever mention my sister and marriage bed in the same sentence to me again," Sokka shook his head looking a little green. The tribesman knew that eventually Zuko and Katara would have to be intimate to have an heir. But he did not need or want to hear about it. Maybe he hadn't thought of setting his best friend up with his sister all the way through?

"Sorry, wasn't thinking," the Fire Lord's cheeks pinked when he realized how candidly he had spoken.

Sokka might be his best friend, but he would not be the person Zuko could go to for sex advice considering his lover to be was Sokka's sister. He briefly thought about speaking with his Uncle but that seemed uncomfortable as well. The firebender suspected he could probably speak to one of the guards, maybe Malu or even Jee. He shook his head, seeking sex advice was not something he should be concerned about at this moment. Zuko needed to be focused on wooing, intimacy could come later.

"Okay, well I'm supposed to give you a message," Sokka changed the subject quickly. He did not want to think about Zuko and his sister that way. "Katara said under the new moon, the east wing."

"She said the new moon?" Zuko pressed bracing his palms on his thighs and leaning forward. His brow furrowed, he wanted to make sure the message was correct. Yesterday was the waning crescent moon, which meant she wouldn't meet him for another week!

"That's what she said," Sokka agreed with a shrug as he smoothed out his clothing before standing. "Well, I need to go find Suki. I'll see you at dinner."

"Ugh, how much longer?" Toph complained for the thousandth time as she leaned against Haru on the deck of the ship they were on. They had been traveling for just over two weeks on King Keui's Flagship from Ba Sing Se to the South Pole and Toph had been sick the entire time. Haru had hoped the cool air would have helped his lover's seasickness. But it didn't seem to be doing much in the way of aiding the blind earthbender.

"Only a couple more hours before we arrive at port," Iroh responded as he poured the ginseng tea for himself and Jun. Everyone was surprised when the young bounty hunter agreed to accompany the Dragon of the West to the Peace Summit.

"You've been sick this entire time, Toph. Are you sure it's seasickness? Could it be something else?" Jun asked the fifteen-year-old earthbender. She turned to face the young couple, a worry line appearing on her forehead.

"It's for sure seasickness," Haru declared turning to give the older woman a dirty look at what she insinuated. He did not want his paramour's honor being questioned, especially by the likes of someone like Jun.

"I didn't mean that," the bounty hunter argued with an eye roll. She turned back to face her lover, "I meant she might actually be sick. Maybe she should get checked by the physician once we dock. Even if it is seasickness, she hasn't been able to keep anything down in weeks. That's not good for her health."

In response, Toph vomited into the bucket she was holding. Haru was sure to hold her hair back. He turned to the bounty hunter, "Maybe Katara could take a look, she's the best healer I've ever seen."

"That's a wonderful idea," Iroh agreed instantly before moving to make more tea. He rifled through the endless supply in the tea box he always traveled with until finding the one he was searching for. "And in the meantime, I will make Toph some peppermint tea to settle her stomach."

The blind earthbender leaned back against her partner. Haru pressed a cold compress against her forehead. She turned her head slightly toward Iroh, "I hope that tea helps. I feel like I'm dying."

Half an hour later with peppermint tea in hand, Toph was finally starting to feel a little better.

"We should be docking in the next hour," the captain of the ship informed the group on deck before going back to his duties.

"So why is the Peace Summit in the South Pole? Wasn't it in Omashu last year?" Jun asked the Dragon of the West. She moved the pai sho tile, he had been teaching her how to play the past few months.

"It was decided that the Peace Summit would rotate each year, allowing each nation to showcase their cities," Iroh began explaining to his young lover. He moved his own piece on the board before continuing, "Each economy benefits from the rotation, which has been helping the world stabilize since the war. Plus, I don't think Toph would have come to the South Pole for Sokka's wedding if the Peace Summit wasn't tied to the location."

"Have you told Fire Lord Pouty about us?" Jun asked as she looked down at the board, brow crinkled. Quietly mumbling to herself, "That nickname really doesn't have the same ring to it as Prince Pouty. I need a new one for him."

"I wanted to tell him in person," the old general responded, ignoring her mumbled words. In truth, he found her many nicknames for his nephew amusing. "I hope he arrived already, his mother is supposed to be attending too. She hasn't meant Katara yet."

"Still can't believe this is an arranged marriage," the bounty hunter commented with a shake of her head as she thought over the couple. She knew the banished prince had been enamored with the waterbender the day he showed up with that necklace. "Do you really think they will admit their feelings?"

"Do you want in on the pool?" Toph called from her spot against Haru, she had been blatantly eavesdropping. Her stomach was feeling slightly better from the peppermint tea, but she wanted to keep her movements to a minimum.

"You know it!" Jun agreed as she moved over to the younger woman to discuss the bet that Team Avatar had on when Zuko and Katara would admit their feelings. The pai sho game completely forgotten, "Who's all bet?"

"So many people! Sokka, Suki, Aang, Haru, Mai, Ty Lee," Toph began listing everyone who had placed bets with a toothy grin. She was ecstatic that so many people had been interested, it had made the winnings increase tenfold. "All of Katara's family really and a few others."

"Bumi and I did too," Iroh added with a smile. He knew many of the people in his nephew's life just wanted to see him happy. "Azula wanted in as well."

"Azula?" Jun looked at her partner in shock as he joined her. She had been well versed in the story of the Fire Nation Princess. Both those from the Dragon of the West and from the rest of the world. "I didn't realize betting was her thing."

"I think it's because it has to do with her brother, not necessarily because of the betting," Iroh wrapped an arm around the bounty hunter's waist. He gestured toward the parchment Haru had produced cataloging each wager, "You better place that bet soon, we will be docking any moment now."

Jun and Toph settled her bet, right as the ship docked in the South Pole. King Keui was the first person off the ship as was expected, greeting both the Southern Chief and the Fire Lord formally as they were both waiting for him. Rather, the Chief was awaiting for the Earth King and the Fire Lord for his uncle.

Iroh followed once propriety dictated enough time had passed, the old general quickly embraced his nephew, "Zuko!"

"Hi Uncle," Zuko greeted as he hugged his uncle, inhaling the smell of Iroh. The scent made him feel like a boy all over again. Maybe now that the Dragon of the West was here, he could offer the Fire Lord the advice he needed about wooing his bride.

"Sparky, where's Sugar Queen?" Toph butted in at the reunion causing the two men to release their hold on each other. She was leaning heavily against her partner, who was fussing over her.

"She's at one of the healing huts with Kanna," Zuko informed, ignoring the fact that his friend didn't greet him. "She's helping with a birth. The Tribe has had quite a few since I've arrived."

"Ugh," Toph groaned and leaned further into Haru. He was almost fully sporting her weight.

"Are you okay? You look a little green," the monarch mumbled as he looked at his young friend. He titled his head to get a better look at the Blind Bandit.

"Toph's been having some terrible seasickness," Haru explained to the Fire Lord. He continued to fuss over the young woman, "We were hoping Katara would take a look, make sure it wasn't anything worse."

"Maybe talk to Ty Lee," the Fire Lord suggested with a shrug. He didn't like seeing his friend so miserable. She was not one to show any weakness. For her to be complaining, Toph must have been feeling terrible. "She's not as accomplished as a healer, but her knowledge of the human body is extraordinary. She might be able to help, or you could just wait for Katara."

"I think I'll wait," the Blind Bandit mumbled as she turned her face to press against her lover's chest. "You're gonna have to help me to the house. I can't see on the ice."

Haru wrapped his other arm around Toph to inconspicuously lead her through the frozen terrain. "I got you."

The young Fire Nation sovereign watched them walk for a few minutes, before calling one of his guards over. He quickly asked for his friends to be escorted to their rooms and for someone to alert his betrothed of Toph's illness.

"I hope she feels better soon," Zuko mumbled as he turned back to his uncle. He gestured as he spoke, "You must be freezing, we should get inside."

"Nephew, I have something to tell you," the Dragon of the West began after he had his nephew's attention again. He beckoned Jun forward. "The lovely Miss Jun has agreed to begin courting me!"

Zuko's eyes widened as he looked at his uncle and the bounty hunter. Instantly forgetting about ushering his uncle to the Southern Palace. The young monarch's mind went back to the first day he had met Jun on his ship almost three years ago. Uncle Iroh's flirting and Jun's disgust. Paying Jun to find the Avatar, using Katara's necklace for Nyla to find the scent.

"That's wonderful news, Uncle," Zuko said after a few moments of silence. Finally, he smiled warmly, he was thrilled that Iroh had found someone. "I'm very happy for you."

"Thank you, Zuko!" Iroh hugged his nephew again, squeezing him tightly. The young man's approval meant everything to the Dragon of the West.

"But you have to tell Sokka," the Fire Lord told the bounty hunter with a smirk.

It had been a week since Zuko arrived in the South Pole. He had been pleasantly surprised at how smooth everything was going with the Peace Talks. But he had a feeling that would only last for so long. Tomorrow he had a meeting with Chief Arnook to check on Azula's progress, to say he was nervous would be an understatement.

The Fire Lord was currently sitting on the roof of the Water Tribe palace above the eastern wing, just as Katara had instructed him. He had hardly seen his betrothed since the day he arrived. Sure, he saw her for the formal dinners and breakfast, but they were always situated on opposite ends. Whenever they did see each other propriety dictated they were heavily chaperoned, it hardly allowed for them to connect. It was beginning to take a toll on him.

"Hey," he heard a melodic voice greet him from behind. Turning he saw Katara moving toward him, she was dressed casually.

"Hey," he replied as she sat next to him. A smile graced his face as he looked at the waterbender. His memories didn't do her justice, "Finally alone."

"Yeah," she giggled lightly. She had expected them to have very little alone time. What she hadn't expected was how everyone watched their interactions like a hawk. "I know you probably wanted to talk sooner but I was hoping that after a week people would calm down with the chaperoning. Plus I know my father won't be checking that I'm in my bed tonight. Tui and La! That's not what I meant!" She exclaimed as she realized how her ending words sounded. Her cheeks colored prettily.

"Katara, it's okay," Zuko assured her, he longed to reach out a comforting hand. He knew exactly what she had meant, though he could not help but think of activities that could get them into trouble. "I know what you meant. Sokka explained to me how this would work until I present you with the betrothal necklace."

"Sometimes I speak before I think," she mumbled pulling her knees to her chest. She pressed her face into her legs in embarrassment, before looking up at him with wide blue eyes. "Wait, you are giving me a betrothal necklace? But you gave me the ring."

"Yes," he gave her an odd look. His good eyebrow lifted in confusion, "I thought you knew that? It's in the marriage contract, to observe Water Tribe engagement customs. I wanted to gift you the ring because I wanted you to experience some Fire Nation tradition."

He hoped she would not be able to pick up on the half-truth about the ring. Part of the reason he gifted it was because he wanted her to experience some Fire Nation traditions. Another part did it so she could have her own ring to show off to the women of the royal court. But mostly he did it because he wanted everyone in the Fire Nation and Water Tribe to know she was his.

"Oh, I didn't know," she shrugged looking down at her hand. She twisted the gold circle and watched as the moonlight bounced across the stones. Her heart soared at learning he was gifting her a necklace. She loved her ring, but it still felt a little surreal she was marrying Zuko. The waterbender knew once the necklace was placed around her neck it would feel more real.

The firebender followed her gaze and was thrilled to see the gold wrapped around her finger. He had seen it throughout the week but this was the first time he saw it on her up close and personal. The Fire Lord loved to observe the physical representation of his claim on the Water Tribe Princess.

He watched as she played with her ring. It was clear she did it regularly and he was unsure what that meant. Zuko cleared his throat, to capture her attention before speaking. "One thing we need to discuss immediately is the marriage bed inspection."

It had been on his mind since the day he arrived, they both needed to understand what was expected of them. And they both needed time to come to terms with what would happen in a few short months. There was no time like the present to bring it up.

"Oh," Katara looked anywhere but at Zuko. Her cheeks were flaming and her heartbeat quickened. She chewed on her bottom lip, "How is it done in the Fire Nation?"

"Typically the sheets of a royal are hung on display for the Fire Sages to inspect and the royal council to see," Zuko rushed out with a huff of air. His hands felt sweaty where they rested on his thighs, he rolled his neck.

"I didn't realize the council will also be looking," the Water Tribe Princess whispered as she became fascinated with a loose string on her parka. She didn't know if she could face him. "In the Tribes, it is just the mothers' of the couple along with the High Priest of Tui and Priestess of La who go into the marriage igloo to check."

"Marriage igloo?" The young monarch questioned her softly. He did not know much about Water Tribe marriage customs and traditions. Only what had been included in the marriage contract.

"The Tribe builds a one-room marriage igloo for the couple," Katara explained a small smile gracing her face as she thought over the tradition. Her mind swirled with stories her mother used to tell her about the first night for married couples. "It's to spend their first night as man and wife undisturbed by outside influence."

"That must be really nice," Zuko replied thoughtfully, how he wished to have a room all to himself with Katara. His golden eyes roomed over the wistful smile across his fiancé's face. "In the Fire Nation, we will have servants coming in and out of our bed-chamber constantly throughout the nights."

The two sat in silence as they thought over their wedding night. Each wanted it to be a pleasant experience for the other. Zuko knew that he had enough experience to make it enjoyable for Katara and he was in love with her so he knew no matter what it would be pleasant for him as well. She prayed to Tui and La that she would please her husband well, she had very little experience but hoped he would enjoy it.

The waterbender looked down at the ring on her hand, she had left her mittens in her room so she could clearly see the gold circling her finger.

"Do you think we will be happy?" She whispered as she looked at her ring. The gems caught the moonlight as she looked down. The Water Tribe Princess twisted the ring as she admired it. The jewelry comforting her.

"I know I will do whatever I can to make you happy," he replied easily, truth ringing in his words. His eyes turned to look out at the South Pole. "Though I'm sure there are things we need to talk about. We didn't have a normal courting experience."

"Yeah," the waterbender agreed. Her sapphire eyes followed his, gazing out at the icy ocean. She could see the waves rolling through the waters. "How should we do this?"

"Ember Island question style?" He suggested to his betrothed with a bump to her shoulder from his, breaking the tension. He figured that would be the easiest way to start. Zuko was thrilled to see her positive reaction to his suggestion.

"Okay," she grinned at him. Her blue eyes sparkling, "You first!"

"Well, how many children do you want?" Zuko asked after a moment. He figured this was an easy question to begin with.

"I want at least three, maybe more," she whispered shyly. Katara had always pictured herself with a large family, especially since her's had become so small because of the war. But she wasn't sure how her fiancé would react. "I always wished I had more siblings."

"I wouldn't mind three," he replied easily. He was surprised that she wanted more, it would mean they would have to be intimate frequently. Like her, he had always wanted more siblings. "But I'm open to more."

"How do we want to raise them? They will be half Water Tribe," Katara questioned her hands playing with the end of her braid. Her blue eyes flashed to his briefly. This had been her biggest fear since Mai and Ty Lee had visited. Both had mentioned the possibility of the council denying the throne to a child who was a waterbender.

"I think we can find a balance," the firebender said thoughtfully. He remembered how skewed his education had been, he didn't want that for his children. "They will of course have Fire Nation tutors but if you would like we can have Water Tribe tutors as well."

"I would like them to have a balanced education," the waterbender admitted shyly. Her fears eased slightly. She pushed a little more, "I would also like them each year to spend time here in the South Pole."

"We can make that happen. I want them to also learn a non-bending fighting discipline," Zuko stated his voice deeper as he began his impassioned speech. Gold eyes flamming as he spoke, "I learned dual broad swords, we both know how skilled your brother and Suki are as warriors. Not to mention Mai and Ty Lee. I think it would give them respect for their element to learn a non-bending form."

Katara nodded at his words, she agreed there was a benefit to learning a non-bending discipline. She bit her lip before asking her next question, "Zuko, what happens if our eldest is not a firebender?"

"Honestly? I don't know," he looked out into the distance. It was the question he had hoped she wouldn't ask. He didn't know how to ease her fears, "I know there will be many of the council who would want a firebender on the throne and I don't blame them."

"You would pass over our eldest!" She snapped, her stormy blue eyes flashed to his. The Water Tribe Princess knew that having a waterbender on the Fire Nation throne would probably not be something the council would want. But she couldn't fathom not allowing their child to take the throne.

"Katara, you know it's not that simple," Zuko argued as he looked at her. His eyes met hers as he pleaded for her to understand. "I want to raise all our children in a loving supportive home. Our eldest might turn out to be a firebender or a waterbender. Fuck, they might turn out to be a non-bender or they might not even want the throne. But I don't think it's worth worrying about now."

"You are right," she nodded softly. She did not want to comment on the words he spoke about raising their children in a loving home. Katara was ecstatic that he wanted to raise their children that way, but she did not want to make him uncomfortable by pointing out his words.

"We also need to discuss more practical things," Zuko shifted the conversation when Katara didn't say anything to his loving home comment. He had deliberately placed the word to see her reaction. "Like is there anything you want in our room? What kind of bathing oils do you like? Foods you like or dislike?"

"Oh yeah," she replied thoughtfully, blushing lightly as she thought of sharing a room with the Fire Lord. Her mind traveled to a few of the many erotic dreams he had stared in, she cleared her throat. "I can make a list of things for you."

"That would be most helpful," he nodded to her. They sat in silence again, both thinking over what it would be like to share a room with one another. The young monarch had to remind himself to breathe deeply and distract himself with unpleasant thoughts to calm his body's reaction. He was eager for their wedding night.

"Zuko?" Katara called bringing him out of his thoughts. She thought she noticed steam coming out of his nose but ignored it. "There is one thing, I want to talk to you about. But I don't know how you will feel about it."

"You know you can talk to me about anything," the firebender reassured her. His hand twitched to brush a lock of hair out of her face. He noticed that she was playing with her engagement ring again, it was the fifth time since they were on the roof. It must be a new nervous habit, he thought to himself.

"I don't want you to have a harem," she admitted into the bitterly cold wind her tone matching the weather. The waterbender knew that she shouldn't be asking the Fire Lord to not use his harem, but the thought of him being with anyone else made her blood boil.

"Ah," he mumbled.

He was a little surprised by her request. The Fire Lord had assumed since she was not in love with him that she would encourage him to seek out the harem, only going to her when an heir was needed. He could feel his blood rushing to his groin at the thought of having a regular intimate relationship with his wife.

"In the South, marriage is sacred and adultery is taken very seriously. A woman can be killed for it and a man exiled," the waterbender explained tentatively at first her voice becoming stronger the longer she spoke. Her blue eyes darkened as she turned to look at him. "While I know being Fire Lord means you can have as many concubines as you want, it's not something I am comfortable with. And since I am leaving my home to ensure a peace treaty, I would hope you would have enough respect for me not to partake in such a vile tradition!"

"I would never disrespect you like that," the firebender assured her, he watched as her entire body relaxed. His confidence skyrocketing that she wanted to keep him to herself. He decided to broach the subject of their sex life at a later date. "I won't lie and say I have never been with women and concubines, I am a man. But since our engagement, I have not been with anyone and I have begun working on dismantling the harem. It's not something I want to raise my children with, nor is it something I want the Fire Nation to continue."

"Thank you," she whispered, willing the hot tears that had formed earlier away. The mere thought of her future husband being with another woman caused her an intense amount of jealously, but it was in the past. And she was grateful that he hadn't been with anyone since their engagement.

"It's getting late," Zuko said after a few minutes of silence. He looked over at her, he didn't want to leave but he knew the longer they stayed the more they risked. "We can talk more later. I can escort you back to your room."

"No," Katara shook her head as she stood. She desperately wanted to accept his offer, it wouldn't have been right though. "That wouldn't be proper. I'll leave first, then wait a few minutes before you leave."

"Okay," the Fire Lord nodded as he watched his betrothed climb down the palace walls.

"The Water Tribe will trade the furs to Kyoshi, Omashu, and Ba Sing Se," Hakoda agreed in his meeting with Keui and Bumi. He looked down at the papers in his hands.

"Omashu will trade their winter crops," Bumi negotiated without his signature cackle for once. He grinned, "And jennamite to the Water Tribes! I hear the Fire Nation Princess has a real sweet tooth for it."

"Ba Sing Se will include their production of jewelry and spring crops," Keui continued as the scribe wrote the trade agreements. It had been days of moving through which each nation had a surplus of and what their needs were. Finally, with some finagling, there had been common ground met.

Almost an hour later the agreements were finalized with each party happy with the trade beginning after Water Tribe Heir and Kyoshi Warrior Captain wedding in a few weeks.

"In six months both your children will be married," Keui commented to Hakoda after the scribe left. The Earth King was still apprehensive of the Fire Lord, he would feel much better once the Water Tribe Princess was married.

"Yes," Hakoda nodded his blue eyes focusing on the younger king. It was not lost on him how much Keui and Arnook disliked Zuko. "And while I'm very happy with both of their matches, I wish it wasn't so soon. I missed so much when I was at war."

The Southern Chief had heard many of Earth Kingdom nobles expressing their sympathy to him that his daughter was to marry the Fire Lord. Hakoda wanted to make it known that he was not displeased with the marriage. In fact, he could not think of a better person for Katara. If only the two could see how blatantly they felt for one another.

"They are still your children," Bumi comforted the other leader. He shot a disapproving look toward King Keui. Peace was a delicate relationship, it would do no good to alienate the Water Tribes. "And soon you will have grandchildren to dote on."

"That is true," Hakoda replied with an easy smile. Before he could say anything else they were interrupted by his future son-in-law.

"King Keui, King Bumi, Chief Hakoda," the Fire Lord greeted as he joined the men. He was sure to seat himself away from the Earth King, electing to stay close to the Southern Chieftain. The firebender was anxious for this meeting with the Earth Kings.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Bumi cackled in an unusual greeting. His old eyes were sharp as the youngest monarch took his seat. The old king dove straight into the topic at hand, "Join us, please! I'm sure these men would like to hear your suspicion of Lao."

"You have a suspicion of one of my noblemen?" King Keui questioned, his hands balled into fists on top of the table. His green eyes pierced through his spectacles as he looked over the Fire Nation sovereign.

"I would not call it suspicion as much as I would call it concern," Zuko corrected as he took the tea offered to him by a servant, the movement allowing him an opportunity to think over his words. "Master Beifong is a very good friend of mine and she recently told me some news she had from visiting her family. It made me wary."

"And what did she have to say?" Keui asked, his gaze softening a tad. His back was straight as a rod. Having concern was only mildly better than suspicion, the earthbender thought to himself.

"Her father's business is not doing well," the firebender began to explain after taking a sip of his tea. Though most of his information came from the White Lotus and not Toph, Zuko was sure to be delicate in his explanation. "He profited significantly off of the war and Long Feng when he was in power. Apparently, he supplied goods and services to the Dai Lee. My concern is now that he is no longer in a position to profit off the war, he could decide to make some . . . drastic decisions to fill the gap in his revenue streams."

"There have been some rumblings of that among my court," the young king agreed, he slouched in his seat. His shoulders felt heavy as the weight of a prominent businessman losing his money settled on him. It could destroy the Earth Kingdom's economy single-handedly.

"We have also begun seeing the ramifications of Lao not profiting off the war in Omashu," Bumi added after taking a moment to observe the two younger men. He had done his own research with the White Lotus in his city and the trickle effect of one major family not making as much money was beginning.

"Lao is connected in many businesses and not only in the Earth Kingdom," Zuko continued, he was sure to keep his voice calm and steady. He drew rings along the rim of his teacup as he spoke. "Many of his businesses provide goods and services to the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes. If he loses the ability to fund his business it could be disastrous for the world economy."

"He does seem to have a monopoly of foreign trade," Keui replied thoughtfully. His hand moved to hold his chin as he thought over the new information. "How do you propose we rectify the situation?"

"Well I would be happy to open up other trading agreements with other Earth Kingdom merchants," Zuko suggested looking between Keui and Bumi. He pulled out a scroll detailing ideas on how to create new trading agreements. "Diversify the trade routes."

"What you say has merit, King Bumi and I can create a list of suitable merchants for the Fire Nation to trade with," Keui nodded to the sovereign of the Fire Nation. He noticed the papers filled with ideas, it was the first time the Earth King thought highly of the Fire Nation sovereign.

The Fire Lord and the Earth Kingdom Kings spent the rest of the day ironing out the details to diversify the International trade market. Hopefully saving the world economy from crumbling around them.

"Fire Lord Zuko," Chief Arnook greeted the firebender as he walked into the private sitting room. The Fire Lord stood from his seat extending his arm to properly welcome the older man.

"Chief Arnook, thank you for meeting with me," Zuko nodded to the Northern Chief. He released the other man's arm, taking a seat and gesturing for Arnook to sit across from him. "I was hoping we could have a conversation about the health of my sister."

"Of course," Arnook replied as he took a seat across from the young man. He had been prepared to have this discussion and was briefed thoroughly on the Fire Nation Princess's condition. Even going so far as to bring notes from the healer, "Yagoda has expressed concern that Princess Azula has contradicting opinions on your parents. She hates your father but feels like he is the only one who loves her. Similarly, she desperately loves your mother but feels like she hates her."

Zuko nodded thoughtfully, this was not news to him. Physician Dairin had expressed a similar account. He looked down at his hands as he replied, "I know she suffered greatly at the hands of Ozai and he spent all of her life emotionally abusing her, but I didn't appreciate it until I saw her breakdown."

"She wants to get better," Arnook assured the young man. He was surprised at how much he wanted to comfort the other monarch. "That much is obvious, she has stated multiple times that she wants to get better for you."

"For me?" The Fire Lord looked up in shock, gold eyes wide. He was surprised to hear that his sister's push to get better was tied to him. It was the first time he felt like Azula showed that she cared about him and wanted him in her life. This was leaps and bounds ahead of where she was during the comet.

"Yes," the Northern Chieftain admitted with a questioning look. He thought it would be obvious to the firebender of his sister's motives. "Her main reason for getting better is to be able to return to you, not the Fire Nation. The distinction is very clear, Yagoda says."

"Does Yagoda believe she will be able to return to the Fire Nation?" The Fire Lord questioned after a few minutes. He had hoped his sister would be there for his wedding, but now he wasn't so sure.

"As of right now, no," the tribesman explained with a shake of his head. Having Azula in his country had softened the man to the Fire Nation royal family and given him empathy for Zuko. "Though she believes if the hallucinations have been able to stop, then there is no telling what may happen in the future."

"The hallucinations have stopped? Completely?" Zuko felt his heart beat faster at the news, he did not want to get his hopes up. He knew that even though she was doing better in the Fire Nation, she still suffered from seeing their parents. Azula had never told her brother what the hallucinations entailed but he knew there was nothing positive coming from them. Hearing that they had stopped, allowing the small ember of hope in his belly to flame.

"Yagoda has expressed that the Princess has not had a hallucination in almost six months," the Northern Chief assured him with a small smile. He was thrilled to give some good news to the man. "If she is able to continue without them for at least a year, it's safe to say they would have stopped. Though right now there is concern they might return if she has a breakdown."

"That is very good news," he mumbled as he thought back to his baby sister. She was on the right path for healing. Katara had been right, Azula had needed a waterbending healer.

"She has expressed wanting to attend your wedding but Azula has also become aware enough that she is not in the right mind to travel," Arnook continued to inform him. He looked over the notes he had from Yagoda. "She has expressed wanting to be able to eventually return to be an advisor for Katara, but understands it is most important for her to get healthy."

"Azula has made tremendous progress in the past year," the Fire Lord stated after absorbing all the information. His eyes held a faraway look. "Thank you, I will forever be in debt to you. If the Water Tribe needs anything from the Fire Nation, please let me know."

"There is one thing," Arnook replied thoughtfully after a moment.

"Oh?" The Fire Lord had not expected the Northern Chief to have a request so soon.

"You are not having a Water Tribe wedding, yet I don't think you understand how much your betrothed wants one," the tribesman coaxed the man in front of him. He had overheard the waterbender expressing her desire for a traditional Water Tribe wedding to a friend of hers. "She has already lost her mother, is leaving her home, and now will not be able to have the wedding of her people."

"My hands are tied," Zuko confided sadly. His arms outstretched to demonstrate the action. "The Fire Sages refuse to crown her Fire Lady if we are not married in a traditional Fire Nation wedding. If we had a Water Tribe wedding, she would be crowned Princess Consort and if something happened to me the throne would go to Azula."

"That is troubling," he clucked standing to take his leave. He had much to think over. "I understand the predicament that you are in, but your bride is sacrificing a lot for you and world peace. I suggest finding a way to ease the burden."

"If I could, I would do anything for her to have the wedding she always dreamed of," he confessed to the empty room.

The Fire Lord was lost in thought when his friend entered the sitting room. He wished that he could give Katara the world and he thought he was going to, but now he seemed to realize how important a wedding was to a woman.

"Zuko, man," Sokka called as he sat next to him. "Are you okay?"

The firebender looked up a little startled to see his friend sitting next to him. "Sokka, when did you get here?"

"Like ten minutes ago," he responded looking at him oddly. The firebender was one of the most observant people he knew. Clearly, something was wrong, he knew that Zuko had a meeting with Arnook about Azula and he hoped it was good news. But now he was not so sure.

"I guess I'm a little out of it," the Fire Lord sighed scrubbing a hand over his face harshly. The weight of his impending marriage felt heavy. "Arnook said something that just got me thinking."

"Is it about Azula?" The tribesman asked worry clearly coming across. Originally he had not agreed with Zuko's insistence to help his sister. Sokka thought that she was too far gone, but after a long conversation with Suki, he realized if the roles were reversed he would do anything for his baby sister. The Kyoshi Warrior had a way of showing her betrothed the other side.

"No, she is doing much better," the firebender shook his head. His emotions were conflicting, he was happy about his sister but distressed about his betrothed. "It was actually about your sister."

"Oh?"

"Sokka, is Katara upset that she won't have a Water Tribe wedding?" Zuko finally asked after a few minutes. If anyone knew the answer it would be him.

The Water Tribe Heir did not know how to answer. He could respond honestly and tell him that Katara wanted a Water Tribe wedding, not a Fire Nation one. He could also explain that she was in love with him, but somehow he knew he had to tread softly with this conversation.

"She has expressed that she wishes things could be different," Sokka began hesitantly as he looked across the room. "She has dreamed of a Water Tribe wedding her entire life. But she also dreamed of our mother being there. I don't know if it would make her sadder to have a Water Tribe wedding where mothers are very involved with the brides."

"Does she not want to marry me?" The Fire Lord questioned quickly.

"No, she hasn't said anything to that effect," Sokka shook his head a little too harshly. He promised his sister he wouldn't tell Zuko about her feelings. "I just know she said she wished the man marrying her loved her, which you do."

"But she doesn't know that," Zuko hissed exasperated pinching the bridge of his nose.

"How are you going to hide it? Just spend the next fifty years pretending you aren't in love with the woman in your bed? You wear your heart on your sleeve man! We all know how you feel about her. You might be able to fool your council but you won't be able to fool her," Sokka accused the firebender. Now was not the time to dance around the issue, it was time for a little tough love.

"She doesn't love me," the Fire Lord argued back. His signature temper flaring toward his best friend.

"Fuck man, just tell her how you feel," Sokka command as he noticed Zuko's anger spiked. It reminded him of their disagreements at the Boiling Rock.

"No, at least not now," the firebender stated ignoring his friend. "I will do everything I can to woe her and then maybe one day I will tell her. Maybe one day, she will love me in return."

"You are an idiot," Sokka insisted shaking his head. "You would be saving yourself so much time if you just told her."

"I don't think I would be able to get through my wedding night if she rejected me now," Zuko confided to his friend. "After the wedding, I'll find a way to either make her fall in love with me. Or I'll have to get over my feelings."

"Azula wants to get better," Zuko mumbled to Katara as they sat on the roof. It had been almost two weeks since his conversation with Arnook but he hadn't had the strength to bring it up to Katara until now.

They had been able to find more time to spend together but rarely was it unchaperoned. The only time they were truly alone were the nights on the roof. To avoid suspicion, they only met on the roof every couple of days. Zuko did not want anyone to question Katara's virtue.

"That's good!" Katara exclaimed. She was thrilled that this trip on the roof seemed more normal than the previous ones.

"Yeah, it is," he agreed. "Arnook says that she wants to get better for me."

"Zuko, that is incredible," the waterbender placed her hand on his leg. He looked down and saw her engagement ring sparkling in the moonlight. He had imagined for months how it would look on her hand, the reality looked much better.

"Is it?"

"When you left the Fire Nation on the day of the eclipse, why did you do it?" She questioned him instead of answering. He needed to work this out for himself, but the waterbender could offer a little guidance.

"Because it was the right thing to do," he gave her an odd look. They had had this conversation years before.

"And why else?" She pestered him, she removed her hand to pull her hood over her head. The wind making the roof feel extra cold tonight.

"I wanted to make up for what happened in Ba Sing Se, the look he gave me in the caves. I wanted to make Uncle proud," he finally confessed softly. His eyes squeezed shut at the memory of the look the Dragon of the West had given.

The words he spoke were not news to Katara, the firebender had confessed this same sentiment on another roof over two years ago.

"Exactly," she replied placing her hand back on his leg in a show of comfort. "Azula wants to make you proud, just like you wanted to make him proud."

"I didn't think about it that way, but you are right," he nodded solemnly, doing everything he could not think about his betrothed's hand on his leg. "I've learned so much about my sister through her healing process. Did you know she has a sweet tooth?"

"My interactions with Azula were never positive, so I can honestly say that I did not know that," Katara teased him.

"Right," he chuckled softly, looking at her. "She's obsessed with this hard candy from the Earth Kingdom, it kind of looks like crystal."

"Jennamite?" Katara asked.

"Yes, how did you know?" He gave her a surprised look.

"When we first went to Omashu, Bumi trapped Sokka and me in it," the waterbender explained. "It's also called creeping crystal, it grows around a captive. He did it to trick Aang into solving these ridiculous challenges that finally ended with him asking Aang what his name was. It took a minute, but he finally realized it was his old friend from a hundred years before. Honestly, the whole process seemed odd to just reveal his identity."

"Bumi is a little unorthodox in his methods but there is always a reason for them," Zuko responded with a shrug. He had learned plenty about the secret society since the war had ended. "Typical of the White Louts. I'm sure there was another reason for the challenges than just to reveal his identity."

"He was testing him," Katara whispered in amazement after a few minutes of silence, the answer coming to her immediately. "He knew Aang was the Avatar, every single challenge had to deal with another element besides air. Bumi wanted to see how much he had learned in the last hundred years!"

"For some reason, that doesn't surprise me," the Fire Lord drawled as he looked at his betrothed.

"Sometimes I wish the White Lotus would be more forthcoming than they are," Katara confessed with a small frown, her brow furrowing. "Pakku keeps telling me that our marriage will do wonders for the ages to come. But I have a feeling he knows something we don't."

"Are you ever going to tell me how you learned to waterbend?" Zuko taunted her. "You did say it was a question for the roof. We are on the roof, so I would like to hear the story now."

The Water Tribe Princess gave him a sly look, she pondered the thought of refusing to respond before deciding to give him the answer he so desperately wanted.

"Fine," she moved her hand from his leg to brush the hair out of her face. "I was told that women didn't learn waterbending so I had to learn healing from Yagoda, which I did. Aang decided that he could show me at night what he was learning, but Pakku caught us and he was not pleased."

"Sometimes I wonder if Pakku is ever pleased, he seems to be the grumpiest of all the White Lotus," Zuko interrupted her. "Next to Jeong Jeong of course."

She giggled softly with a nod before continuing. "He ended up telling us how we disrespected him and his culture. Then refused to teach Aang! So I had to go in front of him and the elders of the tribe to beg him to take Aang back as a student. Arnook finally said that Pakku would agree to take Aang back if I swallowed my pride and apologized. The moment I was gearing up to do that, he provoked me. And I snapped."

"Let me guess, he called you a little girl?" Zuko inquired as he looked at her. He knew her better than anyone else, the only way she wouldn't have apologized was if Pakku called her a little girl.

"Yeah," she admitted with a shake of her head. "We fought and I lost, badly. But I kept getting back up, finally, my necklace went flying off. Turns out he and Gran-gran were supposed to be married but she fled to the South Pole. After learning who my grandmother was, he decided to train me."

The Fire Lord had listened to her story and some things just didn't seem to line up, he thought. Why would Kanna leave her home and a man she was to marry all those years ago, but then marry him when he came back into her life? And why would Pakku abandon his tradition to train Katara if she was Kanna's granddaughter? There was a piece missing from this puzzle, he just knew it.

"Bending is hereditary," Zuko commented as he thought over the missing piece. "Do you think he could be your grandfather?"

"What? Of course not," she shook her head. It was clear she thought her betrothed was insane for even mentioning it.

"Are you sure? Your grandmother fled her home because why?" Zuko questioned. "She married Pakku when he came to the South Pole. It wasn't because she didn't love him. You had to have had waterbenders in your family somewhere, your mother wasn't one and I'm assuming her parents weren't either."

"But why wouldn't he tell me," the waterbender pondered.

"I don't know but maybe it's a question for him or your grandmother," Zuko shrugged deep in thought. "I might be wrong, but it does seem a little odd."

"I guess it wouldn't hurt to ask," she mumbled as she looked out at the city.

"We probably should head back inside," Zuko suggested after a few minutes of silence.

"You go, I'm going to sit out here a longer," his betrothed told him. "We probably won't have another chance to be alone together until after the hunting trip."

"That's next week right?" The Fire Lord confirmed.

"Yeah, our parents will go with us," she explained. "It's to show that we can handle hardship in our marriage, it's also to prove that you can provide for me. This is why the necklace gifting is given after."

"Sokka has been explaining to me how the betrothal necklace presenting will happen. It is starting to feel more real," Zuko mused to her before he stood up. "Well, I guess I'll head in."

"Good luck tomorrow with the announcement," she called after him.

"Thanks," he smiled. "Don't stay out too long, wouldn't want you to catch a cold. I'll see you at breakfast."

The Fire Lord left his fiancé sitting on the roof. Things still were slightly uncomfortable between them whenever they spoke about their upcoming marriage, but he had hope that it would one day wouldn't.

"Kanna," Zuko greeted the old woman as he climbed back inside the palace. He was sure to be calm, he and Katara had done nothing wrong. But it was unnerving to see his bride's grandmother waiting for him.

"I trust that Katara's virtue has not been compromised," she spoke boldly and suddenly.

"Of course not," Zuko stated with conviction. "I would never compromise her honor like that, nor disrespect the Water Tribe by violating their customs."

"Come take a walk with me," she ordered the firebender before her. The old tribeswoman turned and began to walk the halls, fully expecting the firebender to follow her. "You confuse me, Fire Lord Zuko."

"I'm sorry?" He questioned, they had been walking for almost ten minutes.

"You love my granddaughter, do you not?" She interrogated him as they continued through the quiet halls of the Southern Palace.

"I do, very much," he replied. He was unsurprised that she was able to pick him so quickly, though he had a feeling that you did not get to Kanna's age without being able to read people.

"And she feels the same," she stated. "Yet, you have not acted on it. Why?"

The Water Tribe woman was confused as to why the young couple had not admitted their feelings for each other. It was clear as day to anyone with eyes how they felt. Each night she waited for them to climb down from the roof to catch them in an act of passion, but they always left separately and forlorn. Tonight, she decided to question the Fire Lord.

"No, she doesn't feel the same," he shook his head suddenly. "Katara is just very kind and a good friend. We have agreed to keep our friendship with our arranged marriage, but she does not love me the way I love her."

The words he spoke felt bitter and metallic in his mouth as they left. The Fire Lord desperately wanted to have a loving relationship with his wife. But sadly, anytime he tried to broach the conversation she shut him down. The kiss they had shared two years ago was proof enough that Katara did not feel for him the same way. If she had, she wouldn't pretend it didn't happen.

Kanna made a nondescript noise in the back of her throat. "I worry about my granddaughter being alone in the Fire Nation."

"I have told her and Chief Hakoda that your family is more than welcome to visit at any time," he tried to reassure her. "I know it seems like she will be alone but she does have friends in the Fire Nation. Mai and Ty Lee, I know have gotten very close with her since arriving in the South Pole."

"Yes," Kanna nodded. "She has taken a liking to the young women. Katara mentioned they will be a part of her advisors when she is crowned."

"That is correct," he informed Kanna. "As will my sister once she is able to take up her responsibilities as Princess again."

"Yagoda is my oldest friend," the old woman mentioned, her eyes boring into the Fire Lord's. "She has written to me about your sister and the illness of her mind that plagues her. Princess Azula seems to be under the impression your mother not only disproves but despises her."

"Ozai did a wonderful job of isolating her and abusing her," the Fire Lord sighed sadly. "I wish there was something I could do to shower how much mother cares for her."

"Your mother and I have had many conversations over the past few weeks," Kanna confessed. "She has spoken much about your sister and how deeply she loves her. Perhaps the best help would be to send her to the North Pole."

"At the end of the war, I called a meeting with Avatar Aang," the Fire Lord began his announcement in front of the other world leaders. "There were records in the Fire Nation Royal Library indicating that there could be Air Nomads in hiding across the world. Avatar Aang," he gestured to his friend to continue as he sat down.

Zuko had spent almost an hour with Kanna the night before. She was able to give him a much deeper insight into Azula's healing process considering her oldest friend was the healer. He had to agree that sending his mother to the North Pole had some merit. Azula needed to see how much Ursa loved her so she could finish fighting the battle in her mind. But he wasn't sure if she would be able to handle the shock of seeing Ursa after all these years.

Early this morning, after much prompting from Katara at breakfast, he had written a letter to Yagoda. He had questions that needed answering and she was the only person who could give them.

Aang stood and took over the announcement, "Fire Lord Zuko has given me and a few trusted members access to the Royal Library to investigate. By our estimates, we believe a few hundred Air Nomads were able to escape the genocide — potentially more. The Fire Lord has generously offered to help fund my search for Air Nomads and restore the Air Temples. Now I would like to ask all of you for your help."

Hakoda and Arnook stood together after a brief look. "The Water Tribes will gladly extend their help," the Southern Chief stated formally.

"You have my support from afar Aang, but I don't have the resources to help with this right now," Bumi cackled from his spot. "Though airbenders may be closer than you think, stop looking where they want you to and go back to the beginning."

There was something about what Bumi said that caused goosebumps to line the Avatar's entire body. He felt like he was back in Omashu when he learned that Bumi was alive. The King was saying something without saying it. And it unnerved him.

"I understand King Bumi," Aang replied diplomatically. "I know that Omashu has been overrun with the return of soldiers and its resources are stretched thin."

"The Earth Kingdom will gladly help to restore balance to the world," Keui stated after Aang stared at his friend too long.

"Thank you King Keui," the Avatar nodded to the Earth King as well as the other leaders before everyone took their seats again.

"If there is no more business to attend for the day, I must excuse myself as I have a meeting with my bride and my mother to attend," Zuko stated waiting for the approval of his dismissal before leaving.

The Fire Lord made his way quickly through the halls in search of his mother and Katara. He heard their voices and decided to stand back a minute, it sounded as if they were speaking about him. He didn't want to eavesdrop, but he wanted them to have a close relationship.

Zuko hesitated before deciding he would come back to the sitting room in a few minutes, as much as he wanted to hear what they were saying about him, he knew better. The two women needed time without him. Turning on his heel, he decided to write a letter to his Uncle before joining them.

"When we first met Zuko, I never would have thought he would turn into the man he is today," Katara admitted to Ursa as the two had tea. Zuko was supposed to join them after his meeting.

"Iroh has explained to me how angry he was then," Ursa sighed as she placed her tea on the table in front of her. "If I would have known my disappearance would have caused him so much pain, I would have taken my children with me."

She would forever regret not taking her children with her when she fled the palace. Both of them had suffered greatly at the hands of Ozai, if she had known she never would have left them. Ursa would never forgive herself for letting her children experience the abuse of Ozai.

"He wouldn't be the man he is today if he hadn't gone through what he did," the waterbender soothed her future mother-in-law. "He is a better man and leader for it."

"Thank you, Katara," Ursa said reaching her hand out to the young woman who quickly grasped it. "I can understand why my son has fallen so hard for you."

"Oh!" The Water Tribe Princess jerked her hand back in surprise. "No, you are mistaken. He doesn't feel that way towards me, we are just good friends. This an arranged marriage for peace treaties."

"I hadn't realized," Ursa lied hoping Katara would admit her feelings. "My son has been very tight-lipped about the whole ordeal. I had assumed he was marrying for love, he speaks so highly of you."

Ursa of course knew all of this, but she also knew of Zuko's true feelings for the waterbender. And after spending the last few weeks observing the couple, she had a feeling that Katara had feelings for her son. Her reaction to Ursa's comment about Zuko falling for her solidified the Fire Nation woman's opinion on the matter.

"We are very good friends," the waterbender blushed. "He doesn't have any romantic interest in me and he probably never will. But we both fought for the end of the war and vowed to do everything in our power to assist the world peace we created."

"How very honorable of you both," The Fire Lord's mother stated softly.

Katara looked anywhere but the woman in front of her. She didn't feel very honorable, in fact, she felt almost guilty and slightly selfish. It was clear to her that Zuko did not love her but she was trapping him into an arranged marriage for world peace. Along with that, she begged him to dismantle his harem, even though she knew he did not want her.

Yes, the Water Tribe Princess felt very selfish.

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