A/N A few things. First, my fancast for Silaqqi is an older Eartha Kitt. My children love the 90's flick Ernest Scared Stupid and her character in this kind of reminds me of how I picture Silaqqi, though maybe less crazed. Second, the song that is sung by the women before the wedding is called Inuit Wedding by Sainkho. I know pretty nail-on-the-head but.. Third, I drew from 3 different Native American marriage traditions(Cherokee, Apache and Inuit) as well as Celtic, and added some ATLA themes to make it fit. It took me forever to figure that scene out. I hope you like it u I did a little but of stuff on my rarely used Instagram for this chapter, badadder1. Her dress and hair, etc.

Chapter 29

To say that Katara was surprised by what waited for her at lake Laogai would be an understatement. The entire tribe was gathered there. Temporary shelters master Pakku had clearly bent from the snow and frozen lake stood in a large circle around a great fire. It felt almost like home.

As soon as they arrived, before she even had time to apologize to Zuko for how angry she'd been, several women descended on them and pulled her away into one of the huts to prepare. She looked over her shoulder as she was drug away and shot him what she hoped was an apologetic smile. His smug grin was the last thing she saw before she ducked into the frozen hut.

Her gran gran was there, sitting in the middle of the room. Across her lap was a winter dress Katara had never seen before. The fur lining was white and soft and dyed bone beads picked out various symbols against the blue dyed sealskin. It had slits up the sides to allow for wider range of motion as she preferred.

"I have been working on this ever since we got to the city. We could not bring much with us from home, but I had set the hides aside for this years ago. I couldn't leave them to be destroyed in a Fire Nation raid." Kanna placed a hand on Katara's cheek and smiled lovingly at her. "It should have been your mother's task, but it was my privilege instead. I am so proud of you my dear girl. I know that she is too." She reached up and wiped the tears from Katara's face and stood. "Now,"she stepped back and gestured to the dress "let's put this on."

Thick leggings and knee high boots went on first. After the dress had been pulled over her head she looked down at the bead work over her right breast and gasped. The three pronged flame of the fire nation was tucked in a circle beside the crescent moon that represented her tribe. Above the flame was a small sun, below the crescent was another smaller full moon. It was beautiful. The pattern was repeated twice along the split hem. Their two nations depicted in beautiful unity. Her eyes filled with tears as she looked up at the older women to thank her.

"Oh gran gran, this is beautiful. Thank you." She embraced her tightly before allowing herself to be manhandled again, this time for her hair. Blue, purple and white beads were strung along four loopies on either side of her face and pulled into her round bun. Many more beaded strands hung down the back and clacked softly when she moved. The final touch was a red painted crescent on her forehead with white dots on either side to represent Tui and La. Finally one of the women, Anyu's mother, brought her the blue ceremonial blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders. Katara smiled at her and the other women around her before they all began to sing.

As they exited the hut, Silaqqi was waiting for them and added her voice over the others. They made their way to the largest ice structure where her family and much of the tribe was gathered, many more standing outside. She could hear the heavy beat of drums and the low tones of men singing as well. Inside, her father and brother stood beside Zuko and Iroh. The two fire nation men wore brown hide earth kingdom style parkas with wide black, beautifully tooled, leather belts. It looked like someone from her tribe had gotten ahold of the parkas though. Zuko's had the same combined emblem as hers in beads and Iroh's had the fire nation flame. Half of Zuko's shoulder length hair was pulled back and someone, probably Sokka, had strung a few beads on a section of hair next to his ear. On his forehead, mirroring her moon, was the sun.

The air was cool inside the ice room, but the look on Zuko's face when he caught sight of her amidst the singing women warmed her through. He had clearly been a little nervous, his brow slightly furrowed and his blanket pulled too tight around him. When he saw her though he instantly relaxed, smiling wide as Iroh squeezed his shoulder.

Silaqqi raised her hands over her head as they reached her family, silencing the music. Katara smiled at Zuko as they faced one another before the shaumaness began.

"Today, we celebrate these two young lovers who the spirits have brought together despite the worldly forces that would keep them apart. Katara, daughter of the Southern Water tribe and child of Tui and La; Zuko, prince of the Fire Nation and son of Agni, your union is a blessing to us all. What the spirits ordain, we unite." There was jubilant applause until she held up her hands again and turned to the couple. Holding their joined hands, Silaqqi intoned again. "Here before your family and the great spirits you honor, speak your vows."

With a gentle smile just for her, Zuko went first.

"I pledge to you my living and my dying, both equally in your care. That I will be the shield at your back as you are mine. You will be my wife. My feet will always run to you. My heart will beat for you and ours alone, and my fire will always burn to light your way. Above this, I will cherish and honor you through this life and the next."

Katara blinked away the wetness that had pooled in her eyes and smiled up at him.

"I pledge to you my living and my dying, equally in your care. Yours will be the name I cry aloud in the night and the eyes into which I smile in the morning. You will be my husband. My feet will always run to you. My heart will beat for you and ours alone, and with water I will heal and soothe your wounds. Above this, I will cherish and honor you through this life and the next."

Zuko couldn't have looked happier if he'd tried and Katara was sure her expression matched his. Silaqqi was speaking again but it was lost to Katara, as overcome with emotion as she was. A tugging on the blanket around her shoulders brought her back to the moment. Silaqqi took her blue blanket and handed it to her father. Zuko's she gave to Iroh. Taking a large white blanket from Sokka, Silaqqi draped it around them both.

"Now you will feel no rain, for you are each others shelter. Now you will feel no cold, for you are each others warmth. Now there will be no more loneliness, for you are each others companion. Now you are two persons, but there is one life before you. May Tui and La guide you and Agni protect you. Go now to your dwelling and enter into the days of your life together."

As Katara reached up to kiss her husband, a chorus of cheers rang out around them. He smelled like smoke and earth and that warm tang that was just him as she breathed deeply, kissing him. Finally, after all of the running and fighting, loss and pain, they were here. She didn't know how long this peace would last, but she would savor it.

After the ceremony, Hakoda embraced them both.

"Katara," his eyes were wet as he looked down at her "your mother would be as happy as I am today. I could not be more pleased for you my child." Turning to her new husband, her father smiled and braced his hands on both of Zuko's shoulders. "I could not have asked for a more honorable and worthy partner for my daughter. You are family now Zuko and I am proud to name you son." He looked back to Katara before moving off so he didn't see how his words affected Zuko. If Sokka hadn't immediately thrown his arms around him, Katara thought he might have cried.

"He's right buddy. We're family now. That means you're stuck with me, brother!" Sokka laughed as he followed their father. Smiling at the fragile look on Zuko's face, Katara reached for his hand and kissed his cheek.

"I love you Zuko." He snapped out of his daze and smiled down at her, running a finger along her cheek.

"I love you too."

Their ceremony was followed by a feast and the whole tribe celebrated. They didn't have sea prunes, a fact Zuko was grateful for. He'd had enough to last a lifetime when they had been stuck up north. There were plenty of roast meats and winter tubers to go around though and Sokka had eaten more than his share. An over full stomach had not stopped him dancing masterfully however. Zuko felt he did a fair job remembering the steps Sokka had taught him to the dances. It had come as a surprise when he realized he was actually enjoying himself. Although that may have been the partner; Katara was a much sweeter partner than Sokka had been.

"I can't believe you actually learned so many of our dances! You must have had a lot of downtime while the two of you were traveling."

Zuko shook his head, remembering the freezing dark of the north. They were sitting together, Katara needing to rest after so much dancing. Watching Sokka carry on with one of the other younger men, he moved his hand in soft circles across her lower back.

"I think you'll find I learned all kinds of things while we were away. Especially for the month we stayed at the north pole." Standing, Zuko reached back and pulled Katara to her feet. "Come with me. It's late and I don't know about you but I'm exhausted. Also, I have one or two more surprises for you." He laughed at the curious look on her face and kissed her temple as he led her away from the fire.

They walked out of the circle of buildings toward the lake, his arm around her shoulders. A few yards from the lake an igloo rose out of the snow.

"Is that a… is that an igloo?" Katara had stopped and was staring open mouthed from Zuko to the igloo and back. Zuko just smiled and nudged her forward.

"I told you I learned a lot."

She was gaping again.

"You built this? By yourself?"

Zuko followed her to the entrance and answered.

"Yep. Took me almost a whole day too. I'm still not very efficient yet and I didn't want Sokka's help. Your father was impressed, Sokka took credit for teaching me everything I know, and I get to try and not take your shock personally."

Katara spun back to smirk at him before breaking into a joyful laugh.

"Sokka taught you how to build igloos. How is it you both made it back in one piece?" Zuko laughed too before answering.

"Well there were definitely a few close calls. On the way to the North pole we ran out of food and had to do a little hunting. He nearly came out of that with a burn to match mine." Zuko blushed at her shock "I'd never really do that to anyone, but we got really good at getting under each other's skin."

Katara's incredulous look dissolved into a amusement and she kissed him softly.

"I'm honestly surprised either of you had any restraint. You were alone together for so long. Still, I'm impressed" she turned back to the igloo "and touched." As she knelt down next to the entrance, she turned and sent him a coy look over her shoulder. "Was there still another surprise? You mentioned two."

Zuko nodded toward the igloo and followed after she crawled in. She sat smiling softly in the middle of the pile furs and blankets. For a long moment he simply stared at her.

His wife.

When he had first been banished, he wanted nothing but to regain his honor and return home. He believed he would never be happy again until that happened. He had regained his honor without his father and now he'd found his happiness without a crown. Watching her now, smiling at him as she pulled off her boots, he was suddenly thankful for everything that had ever happened to him that had led him here. The pain, the banishment, the conflict; if his life hadn't gone the way it had he may never have ended up here with her.

Katara watched Zuko stand and reach for something, turning away in an attempt to hide the tears he could not blink back. A small, hide wrapped bundle was waiting off to the side. Picking it up, he crossed and knelt beside Katara. He untied the parcel and lay it across her lap.

"When we were with Master Pakku, he suggested I carve you a necklace. Sokka said it was a northern tribe thing that your people didn't really do. Anyway, I know how much your mother's necklace means to you and I couldn't ask you to set that aside for me." she was slowly unwrapping the gift as she listened. "I wanted to give you something though. For today, and your birthday that we missed." Finally having revealed his offering, Katara gasped. "I know it's not perfect. I'm not very good at, well anything artistic. I hope you'll wear it anyway."

It wasn't a necklace. She held it up to inspect the carvings better. It was bone, about the size of her palm. A crescent moon and a sun were carved together, one over the other. On the edges beside the moon were rough swirls he had meant as waves. On the other side were flames. She ran her thumb along the ridges of the design as he spoke.

"Hairpins are a traditional wedding gift in the Fire Nation. This is really more of a comb I guess. I know it's not something you normally wear but I thought…" Hating how nervous he sounded, she reached up and cupped his cheek, pulling his face down to hers. After an enthusiastic kiss, she pulled back and smiled broadly.

"It's beautiful Zuko, I love it. Thank you. Of course I'll wear it" another soft kiss "I will treasure it always." She set the comb and the wrappings aside and moved to straddle his lap. She sighed as he slid his hands up her thighs and tugged her closer. "Make love to your wife Zuko."

He did.