Chapter 22
Katara stood on the deck of a Fire Nation airship, idly watching the starry sky. Hundreds of feet below, the lands of the Earth Kingdom spread as the airship cut a straight line towards the mainland coast. The ground below was sinking in darkness, but in the pale moonlight Katara could just about make out some of the features that suggested to her that they were currently crossing the region known as the Great Divide. The nights out on the Earth Kingdom plains could get very chilly, especially as high up in the air as they were, and Katara was slowly starting to freeze in her light waterbender's clothing. Her parka was among her belongings down in the hold, but she was reluctant to head back to retrieve it, fearing that she might disturb the others, happily napping down in the hold.
She hadn't been able to sleep much at all, not tonight, nor the night before, after the draining confrontation with both Aang and Zuko. Katara still had trouble reconstructing her evening after Aang had stormed out, angry and distraught. She remembered Zuko holding her for a long while until she had stopped crying and then helping Katara to her room, but he hadn't stayed with her. Katara was glad and thankful that he hadn't tried to stay with her. At that moment, the pain caused by her breakup with Aang was far too raw and Zuko appeared to realize that, giving her space. Someone had come in later when she had already slipped into her bed, probably Suki, and she had held Katara's hand, just speaking to her, silly nothings mostly, but just hearing someone's friendly and caring voice had done wonders and she had been able to fall asleep and rest for a while.
The following morning, Katara had woken with the very first rays of the sun, heading downstairs and expecting to find herself alone in a quiet estate, surprised to find Zuko already up and making all sorts of arrangements. They had shared a tender embrace, drawing strength and comfort from each other and then sat down to discuss their plans, although in this case it mostly came down to Katara happily agreeing to everything that Zuko had already thought of and suggested to her. While Zuko was happy to give her more time should she need it before accompanying him back to the Fire Nation, Katara knew that it was dangerous for Zuko to stay away from the capital for too long. Besides, it wasn't as if she was keen on remaining in Ba Sing Se any longer than necessary. So, Katara had gone and done her packing, a somber feeling washing over her as she realized that everything she owned easily fit into two trunks, with plenty of space left spare.
Zuko had pulled some impressive strings with his ambassador to Ba Sing Se in order to secure a private airship to bring them back to the Fire Nation. Katara was glad that he had been able to accomplish this, as traveling on the air balloon would have felt very constricted with her belongings, Ty Lee, Suki, and especially when Sokka and Toph had decided to come along as well, for reasons that were still a mystery to Katara. Judging from how Sokka had tried to shift closer to Suki when they settled in for a nap, Katara had a sneaking suspicion that her brother still harbored plans to win his ex-girlfriend back. Suki had seen through his clumsy attempt, however, and had quickly inserted her duffle bag between them to block Sokka off. As for Toph, she had claimed that after finding some new metalbending hopefuls in Ba Sing Se, she could do with a little vacation before going back and resuming cracking her Sifu whip again. Or is it a metal wire that a metalbending master would be cracking? Katara thought, smiling to herself. Toph had also mentioned that she was looking forward to showing off her metalbending to some easily impressionable Fire Nation rubes. Yes, that sounds like Toph, alright.
Zuko's uncle Iroh had come to see them off before they got onboard of the airship. Iroh had been genuinely happy to see them leaving for the Fire Nation together. He had hugged them both in turn and given them his best wishes, promising to visit the capital in a few week's time. They had boarded the airship then, departing, and once on their way, the true implication of what it all meant for her had finally hit Katara with full force. She was turning an entirely new leaf, starting a completely new life. Her life up to this moment had been either enduring the hardships of the South Pole, and the past four years that had been intrinsically linked with Aang, following his path... but now it was time to forge a different path, by Zuko's side. Was she worried and afraid of what the future might bring? Of course, she would be a liar to claim otherwise. Was she uncertain whether she had made the right choice?
The answer to that question was a firm and resounding no. Every moment she had spent with Zuko felt unexplainably right. Everything about Zuko's reaction in the wake of her breakup with Aang further convinced Katara that she had made the right choice. He had been very respectful throughout the whole difficult ordeal, and carried himself with truly royal dignity. She could tell that Zuko honestly regretted upsetting Aang, and he made sure not to show any improper expression of victory and jubilation, the way Sokka would have probably done under similar circumstances. Zuko also knew not to instigate any physical closeness with her, nor to engage her in difficult topics of conversation before she was ready. In short, Zuko seemed to know exactly what she needed. For Katara, it was an encouraging sign for their relationship.
"I thought I would find you here," the subject of her thoughts slipped in next to her against the railing, but Katara was not startled this time. She simply found herself smiling happily in the dark.
"Couldn't sleep?" she asked.
"I probably could have kept sleeping, but I noticed your berth was empty," Zuko replied. "So I thought to check on you first." He casually brushed his hand against hers, quickly pulling back. "Katara, you're freezing!"
"It is getting a little chilly, yes," Katara admitted reluctantly.
"Let me go get something for you," Zuko offered, then stopping in his tracks. "Of course, there's another way I can warm you. Remember, after Ty Lee had chi-blocked you..."
"Oh," Katara managed, already feeling warmer from the thought alone. "That felt... really nice."
"Is that a permission?" Zuko asked hopefully. Katara responded with a small nod, and he quickly stepped up behind her, pressing lightly against her back and putting his arms around her waist. Katara soon began to feel the warmth coming from Zuko pouring into her and making her so pleasantly warmth, but also so very safe, loved and needed.
"That is much better," Katara spoke softly, settling in more comfortably against his chest. "I'm starting to realize that it's so convenient when your boyfriend can also serve as your personal furnace."
"Is that so?" Zuko chuckled into her hair. "I've heard that my girlfriend can also double up as a freezer whenever we want a cold, refreshing drink." Katara burst into laughter at that, both of them settling into comfortable silence, watching the stars above.
"Katara?" Zuko spoke up a while later, his voice laden with emotion. "I know you are uprooting your entire life in order to come to the Fire Nation with me. I can only imagine how scary that would be. That you would be doing all that for me... I almost struggle to be believe how fortunate I am."
"At times it does feel very scary," Katara admitted. "But when you hold me like this, it doesn't feel scary at all. It makes me feel as if we can deal with anything that fate throws our way." Zuko hugged her even tighter at these words. "I went to speak with your uncle in Ba Sing Se, and he truly opened my eyes as to what awaits me if we should link our fates. And I'm sure that no matter how prepared I might be, there will always be surprises, but as long as we support each other, I have very little fear about what awaits us."
"You will always have my support, Katara," Zuko promised. "After the sacrifices you have made, it's the least I can promise you."
"I believe you, Zuko," Katara replied warmly. The desire to turn around to face him, to steal a kiss or two, was slowly starting to grow again, but she tried her best to silence it for now. Another part of her still felt like it was too soon. "I just thought of something else," she said instead, trying to move her own thoughts elsewhere. "Once we arrive at the Fire Nation capital, I should send a letter to my father."
"Ah... of course," Zuko sounded slightly nervous. "Yes, he should hear the news from you."
"Don't worry, Zuko, he likes you well enough," Katara smiled. "Of course, he also has been fighting the Fire Nation his entire life. I'm sure he will feel a little conflicted when he hears the news, but he'll just have to deal with it. Just like I had to deal with his involvement with Malina."
"I suppose a Fire Lord having a friendly disposition to the Southern Water Tribe is not quite the same as said Fire Lord dating his daughter," Zuko remarked thoughtfully. "My mother will be in for a surprise, too. I told her that I broke things off with Mai, but she doesn't know about you."
"Oh... that should be an interesting conversation to have," Katara felt a little fidgety at that. "Are you sure she wouldn't have preferred you find yourself a pretty little Fire Nation girl instead?"
"You've met my mother, briefly as it was," Zuko replied. "And you know her story. You know how she suffered in an arranged loveless marriage. She would never want that for me. She never liked the idea of me marrying Mai. When she gets to know you better and realizes how we feel about each other... she will become your greatest supporter, Katara. Trust me on this."
"I do trust you, Zuko," she whispered. "Thank you... for everything. For being so amazing and so understanding."
"It's the least I can do for you, my beautiful Water Tribe girl," he whispered back to her.
"Shall we return to the hold, my handsome Fire Lord?" Katara smiled as she turned around to face him. "I finally feel relaxed enough that I just might fall asleep..."
Come the evening of the following day, Katara found herself in her new apartments at the royal palace of the Fire Nation capital. She was still blushing from how Zuko had ordered the surprised servants to prepare the consort's chambers for her. The royal consort... is that what I am now? That'll take some getting used to.
To say that the consort's chambers were splendorous compared to the guest quarters she had used before, would be an understatement. Luxury oozed from the smallest household item, whether it was a hairpin, a paperweight or a bookmark. The chambers themselves were not just a bedroom with some facilities, as she had expected. There was a bedroom, of course, with the largest canopy bed Katara had ever seen, large enough for six people at least. Adjacent to it was the bathroom, with a bath so ridiculously large that it could pass for a small swimming pool. The bathroom itself seemed unnecessary large and Katara had pressed one of the servants about it, receiving the explanation that some of the past royal consorts had a habit of inviting the court musicians to their quarters and enjoying a private concert while soaking for hours in a scented bath. Katara could scarcely believe the story at first, unable to even comprehend such vanity, but the more she searched around the consort's chambers, the more it all began to make sense.
Facing the entrance to the chambers, Katara found a small study with a pair of heavy bookshelves, laden with books on multitude of topics. Many of the tomes looked very old, suggesting that the Fire Ladies of the past had pursued many different interests, ranging from phrenology to astronomy, including several well-worn books on relationship advice which Katara hoped she would never need, but she filed away mental note of their presence just in case. Next to the study was the largest room of her new chambers, a splendorous parlor with all the necessary accommodations to receive and entertain guests, low and comfortable sofas and plenty of colorful cushions for seating, collection of games many of which Katara did not recognize, as well as a drinks cabinet with an impressive number of bottles containing colorful, yet suspicious liquids. Adjacent to the parlor was a small antechamber with a locked door, and servants had explained that it connected directly to the Fire Lord's chambers, allowing them to visit each other with the guards being none the wiser. Katara had blushed furiously at that comment, though privately she dearly hoped that the passage would see much use in the coming weeks.
One of Katara's most interesting discoveries in the consort's chambers was the wardrobe full of incredibly intricate and beautiful fine dresses. Spurred by curiosity, she had taken them out and tried them on one by one. They were all at least a couple of sizes too large for her, and Katara decided that they might have belonged to Zuko's mother, Ursa. Still, Katara could not stop herself from daydreaming about how her appearance in such a dress would be received upon her introduction as the new Fire Lady. I suppose it would give me an appropriately regal look, though they are also a little bit too severe for me, Katara mused idly. The dresses were all very nice, but they weren't her.
She had heard the servants mentioning that a meeting with her personal tailor would be scheduled for tomorrow, and while she still struggled with the idea of actually having a personal tailor, Katara also already had some ideas that she wanted to discuss with them. She wanted to wear something that clearly underlined her pledge of service to the Fire Nation, but also resonated with her personality and reflected her origins, something that tied into the Southern Water Tribe culture. The South had changed, irrevocably, much to her sorrow. But the memory of the South, or at least how she remembered it, lived on inside of her. Katara knew that it would mean the world to her if she could somehow fuse her newfound love for the Fire Nation with her own powerful ties to her past and to her cultural heritage.
The young waterbender would have likely spent more time admiring the various dresses, but at some point, she suddenly realized that she had erred when thinking that the clothes might have belonged to Zuko's mother. In all likelihood, they had actually been made for the one who had occupied these quarters the last, and that would have been Mai. Ukano's daughter hadn't returned to the capital since her sudden banishment from the palace a month ago, and the servants probably hadn't been given the orders to remove the dresses prepared for her. Suddenly feeling a little uncomfortable, Katara threw the dresses back into the wardrobe and resolved to ask the servants to dispose of them first thing tomorrow.
She continued to explore the consort's chambers for a while afterwards, but as the evening progressed, Katara's stare more and more often began to turn towards the doors leading to Zuko's quarters and she removed the bolt and chain, silently hoping for him to appear. When that didn't happen, Katara began to feel a little restless. She had been grateful that he had given her space when she had needed it, but right now, Katara desired Zuko's company. Certainly, he might be busy with important Fire Lord matters, but surely it wouldn't do any harm if she were to take a peek at what he was doing?
Having overcome her hesitancy, Katara opened the doors to the passage and quickly reached the doors on the other side. They were unlocked and she pressed forward, finding herself inside an identical antechamber on the other side of the passage. Katara quietly opened another door and found herself in a dimly lit corridor. A door to her right was open and she took a quick peek into a study at least twice as large as the study in the consort's chambers. Katara couldn't stop herself from smiling when she saw Zuko sitting behind a heavy oaken desk, carefully studying some documents in front of him, now and then making a note on the edges of the paper. He looks so... stately and serious, Katara thought, her heart swelling from the sight. He's really trying so hard to be a good leader for his people.
She continued to watch Zuko from the doorstep for a while, fighting with herself whether to withdraw and let him work. After much struggle, her selfish side scored a rare victory and she announced herself with a light cough. "Oh," Zuko looked up from his papers, momentarily startled. "Have you been standing there for long?" he smiled at her.
"I was just admiring a Fire Lord at work," Katara smiled, walking up to where he sat, leaning in against the backrest of his chair. "I shouldn't disturb you if you have a lot to do."
"It's nothing that can't wait," Zuko replied. "I'm having a meeting with my ministers and advisors in a few days. Just getting prepared for it."
"Do you... think I could attend the meeting?" Katara asked uncertainly. "I want to start helping you, but right now I have very poor understanding of where things stand. Perhaps it would be good if I could just listen in? Be a supportive presence?"
"I know I would appreciate it," Zuko nodded. He rose slightly in order to turn the chair around before sitting down again. "Much better. I want to be able to look at you when we are talking."
Katara blushed. "I like the way you look at me," she confessed. "Makes me feel all happy and tingly."
"Spirits, you are so adorable," Zuko whispered, seizing her hands and tugging lightly to pull her closer. Katara all but fell into his lap. "How are you settling in?" he whispered again.
"In my quarters or in your lap?" Katara whispered back, heat burning her cheeks.
"Both," Zuko grinned at her.
"Amazingly well," she breathed out. Their faces were inching ever closer and they both made the move to bridge the gap at the same time, rubbing their noses together a little awkwardly before meeting for that long sought-after kiss. Their making out swiftly gained steam and Katara wasn't sure she would be able to reign herself in. Straddling Zuko's lap, she slowly became aware of Zuko's growing arousal, and while it served to only further inflame her, it also snapped her back to reality and she reluctantly pulled away, both of them breathing heavily. She brought her hands up and cupped his face with her palms, scattering rapid kisses all over his face. "Spirits, I want you so much," she confessed. "But... not yet. Soon, Zuko... very soon."
For the briefest moment she thought she had seen the very understandable disappointment in his eyes, but it was gone just as quickly, replaced by patient understanding.
"We finally have no reason to hurry," Zuko spoke quietly.
"Exactly. I am here to stay," Katara smiled at him. "Well, not tonight, I should let you work. But... if I could snuggle in against your chest for a short while..." she added shyly, and he helped her settle more comfortably into his lap, leaning with her head against his chest. "That's perfect," she sighed contentedly.
"You're perfect," Zuko whispered, wrapping his arms around her. Katara smiled, feeling at peace, warm and protected. She felt like she hadn't felt in many, many years, not since leaving the South Pole. Finally, she felt like being home again.