Chapter 25
Zuko winced as the bright rays of the morning sun streaking in through the window tickled his face and snapped him awake. He spat out a bit of the pillow he had been chewing on in his sleep and reared his head, looking around the royal bedroom. He couldn't stop himself grinning like the luckiest fool in the world when his eyes fell on Katara, sleeping next to him in the bed. After the third wild night in a row they had spent in Zuko's bedchambers, getting very little sleep, Katara was looking properly exhausted and Zuko could not help but take a measure of pride in that accomplishment.
The look on Katara's face as she lay on her back was one of utter bliss, a curtain of tangled hair falling in her face. She had stretched out like a lazy cat, her arms raised above her head, one leg bent at the knee and the other poking out from under the sheets, revealing a tantalizing expanse of her thigh. It was during moments like these when Zuko had to pinch himself to be able to believe that he could now call Katara his. A part of him still sometimes thought that it was all a dream and that at some point he would wake up to face his old drab and loveless life.
Their moments of intimacy were a marvel on their own. So early in their relationship, they had very little control over these encounters, instead just letting their lust and desire for each other take over and carry them through. In time, Zuko resolved to fully explore every inch of Katara's beautiful body and discover all the secrets of what made her tick, so to be able to better satisfy her desires. The very thought of her becoming putty in his hands, to feel her writhe in pleasure under his touch, to look into her face as she was consumed by the cresting of her pleasure and cried out his name... the very thought of it all stole Zuko's breath away. As well as made him painfully aroused yet again.
Waking her up to resume where they had left off last night seemed like a very selfish thing to do, but... what if he were to just tug on her sheets a little bit, and what if that woke her up? Surely she would have no cause to complain about that. Still grinning like a fool, Zuko stealthily reached out and began to pull Katara's sheets downwards, revealing more of her naked body inch by inch. His breath hitched as the sheets slid across the firm swell of her breasts, revealing the dark nipples, already stiffening a little from the contact with the sheets that Zuko was tugging upon. Next to be revealed was Katara's perfectly flat stomach and her slim waist, before the sheets came to rest at the juncture of her narrow, girlish hips. Zuko hesitated a little, but then was about to proceed, when Katara's voice stopped him.
"Zuko..." she purred dreamily at him. "What are you up to now..."
"Just appreciating something incredibly beautiful," Zuko didn't miss a beat.
"Any more appreciation from you, and I won't be able to walk today," Katara chuckled sleepily.
"How is that a bad thing?" Zuko grinned. "That just means we get to stay in bed for the rest of the day."
"Yes, but isn't this the day your mom arrives for a visit?" Katara asked.
Zuko blinked. He could not believe himself, but he had completely forgotten. This was all Katara's fault, he decided. She was way too perfect and too distracting, and it made him forget something as important as his mother's visit to the palace. "Spirits, I am a terrible son," he groaned aloud.
"Wait, you mean you forgot?" Katara sounded amused, as if she was taking pride in being able to make him forget something so important. Zuko supposed that her pride was not unmerited. "Also, Zuko... the sun looks to be really high up in the sky. When did you say they were arriving? Because I'm pretty sure it's close to lunchtime already."
Zuko let out a sigh. "This is going to be so embarrassing," he cringed. "We were supposed to meet them when they arrive in the morning. And instead we just slept in..."
"I'm not going to make a great first impression on your mom," Katara nodded.
"You've met her before and already made a good impression," Zuko pointed out.
"I meant good impression as your girlfriend," Katara sighed. "Anyway... we should probably dress and go face the embarrassment together?"
"That sounds like a plan," Zuko smiled. "While I can't get enough of spending time with you, I do want to see my mom. Kiyi will be overjoyed too, and Noren is a good man. They'll accept you into the family right away, Katara, trust me," he said, slipping out of the bed and starting to dress himself, Katara following his example.
Some fifteen minutes later, having don their full royal regalia, waiting for Katara to fix her hair and then letting her help straightening out his top knot, the two lovers emerged from the Fire Lord's quarters. Brief inquiry with the guards revealed that Ursa and her family had already arrived and had been showed to the quarters that were kept specifically for their visits to the capital. Unable to stop himself from blushing nervously, Zuko grabbed Katara's hand and held it tight as they walked down the palace hallways. To know that his mother approved of their relationship was highly important to Zuko, and from the slightly nervous look on Katara's face, he could tell that it mattered to her just as much.
As they approached Ursa's chambers, the guards stationed outside opened the doors, announcing their arrival. Zuko gave Katara's hand another squeeze before they entered the room to face Zuko's mother and her family, both Ursa and Noren standing and smiling at the young couple while Kiyi was running around in circles like a wild tornado. "Mother," Zuko smiled, releasing Katara's hand and quickly walking up to her to embrace Ursa. She hugged him back with fierce happiness, her little boy she had sacrificed so much to keep safe. Behind them, Katara and Noren exchanged polite greetings and bows.
Zuko eventually released his mother, allowing her to face Katara. "I remember you, Katara," Ursa said, approaching his girlfriend. "It's a pleasure to see you again. The news came as a big surprise, but a very welcome one."
"Thank you, Lady Ursa," Katara smiled and gave a formal bow.
"Just Ursa will do," his mother smiled back at Katara. "And there is no need to be so formal," she added, beckoning Katara closer and surprising her with a hug. "Isn't that much better?" Ursa asked.
"It is, you are very kind," Katara smiled. She then blushed lightly. "Also, Zuko and I must apologize for being so late and missing your arrival."
"Yes, we... uh, overslept a little," Zuko admitted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Ursa and Noren exchanged amused stares and began to laugh.
Before the conversation could resume, however, the tornado named Kiyi arrived on the scene. She instantly crashed into Zuko, wrapping her arms around him in a hug. "Zuzu! Am I glad to see you!" she cheered, then shoving a pair of dolls into Zuko's face. "Look what I have!"
"Wait... is that a doll of... me?" Zuko blinked at his not entirely accurate likeness. For one thing, the scar was on the wrong side of the doll's face. "Who's making these, anyway?"
"Just some enterprising craftsman back at Hira'a," Ursa explained. "Give it enough time and he'll be selling dolls of Katara, too." The young waterbender gave a surprised gasp at that.
"Oooh, I'll want one of those as well to join Zuzu and Kiyi, the amazing firebender duo!" Kiyi exclaimed eagerly.
"You should properly greet Katara too, Kiyi," the girl's mother reminded her.
"Oh!" Kiyi blinked, quickly wandering off towards the amused looking Katara. "You're Katara?" she asked. Somehow, she seemed to be swallowing the first syllable so it sounded like she was saying 'Tara' instead. Zuzu and Tara, the royal couple. I guess I can live with that, Zuko chuckled to himself.
"Yes, I am Katara," his girlfriend smiled at his half-sister. "And you must be Kiyi." Although Katara had met Kiyi two years ago, his sister had been very young back then, and most likely did not remember Katara at all.
"Wow, your dress is so pretty! And you're really pretty too! How did you and Zuzu meet? Where are you from? Look at my dolls! This one's Kiyi and the other is Zuzu. They travel all around the world righting wrongs! Would you like to play with them?" Kiyi did her absolute best to stun Katara with a string of questions as if fired from a Fire Nation airship cannon.
"Kiyi, I would love to play with you, but first I want to speak with your mommy and daddy for a little while, is that alright?" Katara spoke gently, putting her hand on the little girl's shoulder with a disarming smile.
"Oh... umm, sure, I can wait," Kiyi replied obediently. "But not too long!"
"It won't take long," Katara nodded with a smile, then approaching the others again. "She is such a sweet child."
"She can be a handful, but you seem to be a natural with children," Ursa smiled at her.
"Back at the South Pole, I often had to look after children who had lost their parents to war," Katara explained, a little somberly. "Even if I wasn't much older than them, I had to grow up much faster than I normally would."
"I can tell that you are a very mature young woman," Ursa nodded approvingly. "Like I said, the news took us by surprise, but from what Zuko wrote about you, I had no misgivings at all. I was not exactly excited about the arranged match between Zuko and that other girl. I can already feel that things are much different between you and my beloved son."
"Thank you, Ursa," Katara managed, looking a little overwhelmed.
"Mother, I wanted to ask if you could stay at the palace a little longer this time," Zuko spoke up, thrilled to see his mother and girlfriend hitting it off so well. "I'd cherish your company as always, but Katara in particular could do with some advice from the former Fire Lady."
"Zuko has been very caring and thoughtful in explaining everything about life at the royal court," Katara smiled gratefully at him. "But there are some things I would love to hear from a woman's perspective. I would very much appreciate your advice."
"I'll be happy to stay for a few weeks and offer what advice I can," Ursa replied, quickly glancing at her husband. "If that's alright with you, Noren."
"A few weeks at the royal palace? Yes, I think I can manage," Noren chuckled.
"Then it is settled," Ursa said firmly. "I'll stay and provide guidance so that you have an easier time settling into your future role," she told Katara, the two women embracing again.
"Thank you so much," Katara appeared very grateful, then glancing at the impatient looking Kiyi, fidgeting nearby. "But now, with your permission, I'd like to entertain Kiyi for a while. She's been very patient so far, and Zuko, you probably want to catch up with your mother and Noren."
"Have fun with Kiyi," Zuko smiled at his beloved waterbender.
"Kiyi, shall we go outside?" Katara approached the ecstatic looking little girl. "I'll show you my waterbending. We can make ice sculptures by the fountain!"
"Wow! Tara, what's an ice sculpture?" Kiyi wondered, following Katara with an enraptured look on her face.
"How many times did Mai offer to play with Kiyi?" Ursa asked in amazement once Katara and Kiyi had left the room.
"Exactly none," Zuko shrugged.
"I'm not surprised," Ursa sighed. "Mai was always a wretched child, so spoiled, arrogant and entitled. I am relieved that you have rid yourself of that unhappy union, Zuko."
"Yes... it was slowly eroding my will to go on even before we had announced our engagement," Zuko shuddered. "I nearly made a terrible mistake just for the sake of political convenience."
"I hope there will be no consequences," Noren sounded worried. "We've heard that Mai's family are very influential in some circles."
"I'm sure they're plotting something, but it's just one more challenge for the Fire Lord," Zuko shrugged. "And now I have the energy to overcome just about any challenge. Katara is worth any political inconvenience I might face."
"You really love this girl, don't you? I can see that very clearly," Ursa smiled softly. "I'm so happy for you, my son."
"I really do, mother," Zuko smiled back at her. "I don't know how to explain it or put it in into words, but she truly is one of a kind."
"Not to mention that she left the Avatar himself, the savior of the world, just to be with you," Noren remarked, looking impressed. "That speaks of her devotion to you, Zuko."
"I know... though I hope we can mend our relationship with Aang. We sort of need him," Zuko remarked, a little bitterly. He quickly shook these somber feelings away, smiling again. "Oh, and would you believe it, Katara is determined to do some actual governing at my side. She already accompanied me to a meeting with my advisors and impressed everyone," Zuko explained proudly.
"That is remarkable," Ursa nodded. "Ozai would never allow me to do anything like that, even if I had wanted to. I did not really have the head for politics, though. But Ozai just wanted me for my bloodline tracing back to Avatar Roku. He wanted strong firebending children, and I suppose he got them. You would do well to allow Katara to flourish in whatever way she wishes, Zuko."
"I fully intend to," Zuko nodded. "Katara has so much potential, and I don't plan to limit her in any way. She's amazing for me, and she'll be equally amazing for the Fire Nation."
"You are so taken with her, I should hope you two are not getting too carried away in your relationship," Ursa warned gently. "She is a beautiful girl and very mature for her years, but Katara is still very young. I trust that you are taking all the necessary precautions."
"Mother!" Zuko exclaimed, feeling his cheeks burn. "You've given me the flowers and bees talk twice already! I honestly don't need it one more time! Katara and I are being very careful. If you want to give someone the Talk, maybe do it with Katara," he added with a twisted grin on his lips. "She might need a refresher."
"Well, since I'll be staying here a while longer, I think I'll do that," Ursa made a resolution. "Also, Zuko, I wanted to ask..." she began, falling silent and hesitating.
"Azula?" Zuko guessed, correctly from his mother's nod. "No change, I'm afraid."
"Still ranting about how much she hates me?" Ursa sighed, shaking her head. "I hope to one day understand how and where I failed her."
"I put the blame squarely at Ozai's feet. He broke something inside of my sister, something that might never be repaired," Zuko spoke, overcome by feelings of disgust at the mention of his father. "I hope that Azula can be reintroduced into society some day, but right now... she's still ways off. All we can do is to keep her comfortable, provide the best available care and continue researching the reasons for her trauma."
"My poor daughter," Ursa sobbed, forcing Noren to step closer and put his arm around her shoulders. "Despite all that she's done, I can only feel love and sorrow whenever I think of her."
"I want my sister back, too," Zuko sighed, walking up to his mother and Noren as they shared a comforting group hug. "I won't lose hope that it might happen in the future. But... there's no timeline on these things."
"I understand," Ursa nodded as they separated. "Still, I don't want to be maudlin and sad when visiting my dearest son. Shall we go and see what your beloved Katara and Kiyi are up to?"
"Nothing would make me happier," Zuko replied, taking his mother's hand. He might never be able to put his entire family back together again, but right now he had his mother and her new family, and he had Katara in his life. All in all, he was feeling much more complete than he had been in many years.