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Here is Chapter Twenty-One, I hope you all enjoy it!
Chapter 21
"She's beautiful," Katara whispered in awe as she looked at her niece. The perfect mixture of Suki and Sokka.
She and Zuko had arrived at the South Pole only an hour prior, her brother had met the Fire Nation royal couple at the docks. After a quick greeting, the waterbender was immediately demanding to see Suki and the baby.
"She's the best-looking baby I have ever seen," Sokka beamed as he watched his sister hold his month-old daughter. He didn't think he could love anything as fiercely as he loved his wife and child.
"Have you decided on a name?" The Fire Lord asked as he looked over his wife's shoulder. The baby squirmed and with a yawn opened her green eyes for a brief moment before closing them again.
"Keiko," the Kyoshi Warrior told her sister-in-law. A content smile settled on her face as she looked at her newborn. She was completely enamored with her daughter, the perfect combination of her and Sokka.
"Keiko, blessed child," the waterbender whispered the meaning of the name as her fingertips brushed over the cheek of the baby girl. "What a perfect moniker for her."
"I thought so," the tribesman responded as he looked at his child. His eyes rarely left her unless he was sleeping or not in the same room. "She's so perfect, I just want to stare at her all the time. I never thought she would be this amazing."
"Thank Agni she got her mother's looks," the Fire Lord joked with a quiet chuckle, from his place behind the Fire Lady he looked down at the sleeping infant. Zuko heard his friend huff in mock hurt as he watched his wife. The firebender was not prepared for the primal emotions he felt running through his body at seeing his wife cradle a baby. "Seriously though, she's stunning. Congratulations Sokka, Suki."
"Thank you, Zuko," the Kyoshi Warrior replied from her place on her bed underneath the furs. She had what would be considered an easy birth, but Kanna wanted her to rest as much as possible. Truthfully, Suki was feeling pretty horrible still. Her body felt rundown and she was still bleeding.
"Hopefully Sokka hasn't been making things worse on you," Zuko chuckled throatily as he looked at his friend. "Almost scared us to death with the hawk he sent, he had urgent marked all over the scroll and the bird. I swear Katara had a heart attack before she was able to read it."
"You marked it urgent? You know you can't do that," Suki scolded her husband with a pout as she gave him a frustrated look. Her husband leaned over and placed a quick kiss on her temple in apology, tucking her tighter under the covers. He was worried about her, the last half of her pregnancy hadn't been easy and even though Gran had said the birth was smooth he was still anxious.
"It was urgent news! My baby had been born," the pride that settled across Sokka's face was contagious to his wife. "I don't see the problem."
"We thought something had gone terribly wrong," Zuko explained slowly as he looked down at his wife again, he could barely tear his eyes away from the sight.
His wife looked beautiful holding a baby, the firebender thought to himself. The Fire Lord was unaware when he adjusted the furs the Fire Lady wore when she shivered. His mind traveled to what their child would look like. He missed the look that passed between the other couple as they observed the small intimate touches the Fire Nation royal couple made amongst themselves.
"Enough about Sokka, he didn't do much in the process of creating this beautiful baby girl. How are you feeling, Suki?" The waterbender questioned her friend softly so as to not wake the baby. She ignored her brother's cry of indignation and Zuko's laugh was unsuccessfully covered by a cough as she kept speaking. "Have you been in any pain?"
"I've been okay, tired mostly," Suki admitted in a hushed tone her eyes drifting to the two men in the room. She was not ashamed to speak about her health in front of her husband but she doubted the firebender wanted to hear about the horror of childbirth.
"Zuko, my man, let's give the girls some privacy," Sokka suggested as he saw his wife's eyes look at the Fire Lord briefly. "I'm sure Katara is going to want to ask all sorts of invasive questions to make sure Suki is healing well."
"Do you need anything Katara?" Zuko asked resting his hand on her lower back. The Fire Lord wanted to be sure his wife was fine before traipsing all over the South Pole with his best friend.
"I'll be fine," she smiled up at her husband.
The two hadn't made the knowledge known to their friends and family members that they had admitted their feelings. Both decided it would be more for fun to see how long it took them to catch on. The couple also liked living in their little bubble of Caldera, none of their friends were there with prying eyes. It gave them the freedom to develop their relationship.
The Fire Lord nodded at his wife before tucking the stray lock of hair behind her ear while the Water Tribe Heir tended to his own wife. A few minutes later the men had left their wives to walk the city.
"You two looked cozy," Suki commented as Katara placed the baby in the bassinet next to the bed.
"What do you mean?" The waterbender questioned as she sat on the edge of the bed after settling the baby. Katara wasn't surprised that Suki easily picked up on the familiarity between her and her husband.
"You know who I mean, you and Zuko," the Kyoshi Warrior smirked at her friend raising an eyebrow in question. "You guys are much friendlier than the last time I saw you."
"I would hope so, we've been married for months now and we were best friends for years," she brushed off Suki's comment. She had a feeling if anyone was going to catch on, it would be the Kyoshi Warrior. "Now, what's been going on with you? How are you really feeling?"
"Pretty horrible still," Suki replied adjusting her position on the bed slightly, wincing as she did. "I'm still in a lot of pain and bleeding. And my boobs ache."
"That's to be expected," Katara assured her softly as she critically looked over her sister-in-law with her healer's eyes. Suki looked much paler than she should for being a month postpartum. And it wasn't just the exhaustion that came from being a new mother.
"I'm so tired all the time and I feel like I could sleep all day," she continued explaining as she looked over at her daughter. "Sokka has been amazing with her. He takes almost all of the nighttime shifts with her, only waking me if she needs to be fed."
"Who knew my brother was so domestic?" The waterbender joked with a small smile, her blue eyes full of mischief. "I'm going to tease him about that later. But right now I'm worried about you. You didn't have an easy pregnancy and you don't look as recovered as you should by this point in time."
"She is fine," Kanna stated as she walked into the room to join her granddaughter and granddaughter-in-law, not bothering to knock. She passed a lactation blend of tea to the new mother, "The birth was perfect, in all my years I have never seen a birth that smooth."
The Kyoshi Warrior blushed at the compliment from the old tribeswoman. She accepted the tea and tried not to gag at the taste. Suki was unsure if it was actually helping her milk supply. But Kanna had insisted since birth she drink it twice a day and she wasn't about to stop now.
"Gran," Katara sighed at her grandmother as she checked on her sleeping great-granddaughter. "You know as well as I do, Suki should be much further along in recovery than she is right now."
"Suki just needs more time to heal, it's a lot of work carrying and birthing a baby. And everyone heals at their own pace my little waterbender, you know that," the tribeswoman patted her granddaughter's cheek affectionately. She turned back to the Kyoshi Warrior, "The South Pole is a tough place to live, your body is adapting to that and trying to heal. And none of your healing hands will help."
The waterbender sighed hearing the wisdom in Kanna's words.
"Katara was just telling me about her and Zuko," Suki piped up with a twinkle in her green eyes after she finished gulping down the lactation tea. "The two were awfully close just now."
"He's my husband," Katara rolled her eyes. "He has been for almost six months now."
"And he's treating you well?" Kanna asked her granddaughter, her old eyes looking up and down the young Fire Lady. Her little waterbender looked happy and healthy. Being with the Fire Lord had helped Katara blossom into a strong and regal young woman.
"Yes, Gran-Gran," the waterbender smiled softly thinking about her husband and lover. The two had made massive strides in their relationship in the past six months. "He has been treating me extremely well."
Suki and Kanna shared a look as they noticed Katara's content expression.
"Should we expect an heir in the coming months?" Gran-Gran spoke as she pulled the furs over Suki to seem nonchalant in the question. The Kyoshi Warrior let the older tribeswoman fuss over her as they both awaited a response.
"Gran," she sighed, exasperated at the inquiry. There were already rumbles around the Fire Nation Royal Court about the Fire Lady's lack of pregnancy. Even though she knew that she and Zuko were actively preventing it, the whispers still hurt her.
"If he needs some advice, I would be happy to have Pakku speak with him," the old tribeswoman continued undisturbed by her granddaughter's uncomfortable fidgeting. "It is important that you are having a pleasurable time during your coupling, it makes it much easier for a babe to implant."
A harsh cry interrupted the words Katara was going to speak and her entire body felt the gratitude of the distraction run through her. The waterbender rose from her place on the bed to pick up her crying niece. Her blue eyes were soft as she looked down at the baby who was trying to nestle into her bosom.
"I think someone is hungry," she chuckled as she passed the baby over to Suki. The young mother, adjusted her top to free her breast for her daughter to latch on.
The waterbender watched the scene in front of her with a sense of longing. Her blue eyes were far away as she looked at her niece nestled in the bosom of her friend. Now that Katara and Zuko had confessed their feelings, she couldn't wait to welcome their child into this world. A part of him and a part of her, a physical manifestation of their love. Katara's entire being hurt as it yearned to hold a Fire Nation Heir.
"Who did you leave in as regent?" Sokka asked his friend as they walked along the snowy streets of the South Pole capital. The Water Tribe Heir tried to keep a happy and calm exterior for his citizens, he was not unaware of their struggle.
"Azula and my mother," the Fire Lord responded quickly his brow furrowing as he took notice of the Southern Tribe. He knew his decision had ruffled a lot of feathers in the Fire Nation, but he didn't doubt his sister's capability nor did he worry about her trying to take his throne. Not now at least, she had changed a lot in the past few years and her desire for the crown was one of those things.
The Water Tribe Heir let out a low whistle before replying, "That must have made a lot of people uncomfortable."
"She is the best person to do it," he shrugged nonchalantly as they continued walking. His eyes scanned the city, there was something off about it. But the firebender couldn't quite place what it was. "Azula knows exactly what needs to happen plus with the recent threats and the assassination, it just made sense."
"Woah wait a minute," Sokka stopped in his tracks grabbing Zuko's shoulder to stop him as well. "Threats? Assassination?"
"You know about the threats coming from the Earth Kingdom," Zuko's brow furrowed as he looked at his friend in confusion. His gold eyes pulled back to look at the vendors of the South Pole.
"No, I know, but what assassination?" His face was hard as he looked at the firebender, eyebrows pulled together as he looked at his friend.
"Katara didn't tell you?"
"Okay jerk-bender, Stop being an ass and tell me what you are talking about," Sokka crossed his arms over his chest as he stared at his friend in frustration. He knew that he had been focusing on his wife's pregnancy for the past few months, but he didn't think he would have missed something as big as an assassination.
"About two and a half months ago, Ozai was found dead in his cell."
"What?" The tribesman's jaw dropped as he heard the news before quickly recovering. Sokka scratched the back of his neck. He quickly ran through the appropriate response in his head, "Umm are you okay?"
"Yes, no, I'm not even sure," Zuko shrugged as he looked out across the city. It didn't escape his notice how many of the tribespeople were watching the two men. "Can we go someplace else?"
"Yeah," Sokka nodded and gestured for his friend to follow him. They walked in silence for almost half an hour before finally settling along the edge of the glacier away from the city to look out at the water. Sitting on a peak and staring at the water was something the Southern Water Tribe siblings had in common.
"I was angry," the Fire Lord whispered, he didn't realize how much of a relief it was to speak those words to his best friend. "He was able to escape taking responsibility for all he had done. And not just to the world but to me."
Zuko had confided a little into Sokka about the abuse he had suffered under Ozai. The Water Tribe Heir was one of his best friends. And he had wanted to share the news with him about his father's death. But amidst the struggle of rebuilding his nation, helping Aang, and taking care of Azula he hadn't been able to write to Sokka. And it was clear that Katara hadn't informed her brother either.
"He was a terrible father to you," his friend comforted after a minute. He knew the firebender was not a man of many words. For him to confide this much to him was extraordinary. "You have every right to be angry with him."
"I know," a ghost of a smile crossed Zuko's face. "Your sister has been amazing, she gets me and she was there for me. She helped me work through it."
"Speaking of my sister, how are things going for you two?" Sokka tried to pose the question casually. He wanted to catch the firebender off guard.
"We are good," he replied easily with a chuckle as he thought over married life. "It's been an eye-opening six months if I thought your sister was stubborn before nothing prepared me for her being my wife. Katara drives me crazy sometimes, but it is fun to watch her take on the council."
"Like a polar dog with a bone," Sokka agreed, laughing. His sister had written stories about council meetings and he wished he could be there to see her tear into some of the Fire Nation Court.
"Yeah, but she is passionate and fights for the people," the firebender's voice took on a tone of awe and admiration as he spoke about his wife. His love for her showcasing through, "She has done so much for them in such a short amount of time. She passed her first proposal a couple of months ago. She's completely redoing our hospital system!"
"Okay, I don't really need to hear you gush about my sister," Sokka drawled dryly. He wasn't sure if Zuko and Katara had admitted their feelings yet. But the tribesman knew that he didn't want to listen to the firebender talk about his sister anymore.
"Sorry," the Fire Lord looked anywhere but at his friend. His cheeks turned pink.
"Why didn't you tell me about your dad?"
"You were expecting a baby and Katara was worried about Suki," the firebender shrugged not really answering the question. He looked out at the water in front of him, "It just didn't seem like the right time. And I thought she would have told you when she wrote that we were coming to the South Pole."
"You are the Fire Lord and one day I will be Chief, there will never be a right time for anything," Sokka chuckled shaking his head.
"Speaking of never the right time, when were you going to tell me you're in a deep economic crisis?" Zuko shot back at his friend. His mind wandered back to what he saw in the capital. The empty stalls of vendors and the children crying to their mothers of hunger. It was clear the Tribe was experiencing a goods shortage.
"We have nothing to trade," Sokka sighed softly as he thought over his people. He scrubbed a hand over his face in agitation. "We've hunted as much as we can, but we can't overhunt or there will be nothing in a few years. We, uh, the tribe had a massive baby boom, we have almost tripled in size since last year."
"How long has it been?"
"A couple of months," he sighed softly as he thought over his people. "Since we returned from your wedding, things went downhill fast."
"You won't make it to the anniversary will you?" Zuko asked though he knew the answer, he had seen the devastation across the Southern Tribe. He might not have been there for long, but as a monarch, he knew the signs to look for.
"Honestly, probably not," the Water Tribe Heir swallowed loudly as he thought about the Tribe. They had boomed since the war ended, but their growth happened at a rate too fast to be sustainable. Hakoda and Bato had done their best to help reallocate supplies to help those most in need, but the numbers in need were rising daily. There was only so much that could go around.
"Come with me," the firebender stood suddenly and gestured for his friend to follow him. The two men quickly made their way across the frozen tundra.
"Zuko?" Sokka questioned as his friend took long strides toward the docks. He was unsure why his friend wanted to head toward the Flagship.
"Admiral Jee!" Zuko called out the moment his foot crossed the threshold onto his ship. "How long would it take you to get to Omashu?"
"A few days, Fire Lord," Jee responded instantly.
"And how much supplies is left on the ship?" Zuko questioned as he thought out a plan to get his wife's home the help they needed.
"Enough for our stay here plus the journey to Merchant's Pier on the way to Caldera," Jee informed his lord automatically. The admiral looked at the Fire Lord in confusion.
"Very good. Please ready the fastest hawk and meet me in my office," the Fire Lord commanded, ignoring the way Sokka was looking at him. "Sokka, come to my office with me."
The tribesman followed the firebender dutifully, trying to understand what Zuko was doing. Finally, he had enough of being in the dark, "Hey, jerk-bender, are you going to explain to me what's going on?"
"I promise I will in a second, but some of this is time sensitive," the Fire Lord explained as he sat at his desk and began writing a letter. "But make a list of the families most in need to the least, once I send this I will explain."
Sokka sighed, but took the piece of paper offered to him and began making the list his friend wanted. It was a punishing task to see the names of the families in need. He had thought by ending the war his tribe would have fewer problems, but it seemed they were just different ones now.
"Fire Lord Zuko, the hawk you requested," Jee stated as he walked into the room, the hawk on his arm. The Fire Lord slipped the scroll into the carrier before commanding the hawk to deliver the letter to King Bumi.
All three men watched the hawk fly out the open window, before turning back to each other.
"Zuko?"
The firebender held up his hand to the tribesman, "Admiral Jee, tomorrow morning you will depart for Omashu. Before you depart, I want you to separate only the supplies you need to travel to the Earth Kingdom. The rest I want to be sectioned off to help a standard family for a little over a week."
"My Lord?"
"Sokka and the rest of the Southern Warriors will distribute those boxes to the families in need. Admiral Jee, you and your crew will stay for two days in Omashu, enough time to refuel and resupply for our journey home and also for the Water Tribe. King Bumi should have everything ready for you. Use any and every space available to bring the supplies to the South Pole."
"Zuko," Sokka began but was cut off before he could say much more.
"Do you have any questions?" The Fire Lord looked between the two men. "Very good, use every man available. Sokka and I will return in a few hours to begin distribution."
"You didn't have to do that," the tribesman said after he and his friend were back in the Southern Palace.
"I wanted to do it," he shrugged not understanding what the big deal was.
"These are my people, it's my responsibility," the Water Tribe Heir argued crossing his arms across his chest. The Southern Tribe was incredibly proud and did not take help easily.
Zuko sighed dramatically at his brother-in-law's reasoning, "This is my wife's home, which makes you family. And your people are now tied to mine. Don't fight me on this Sokka, or I'm telling Katara you didn't accept my help."
"Fine," he huffed in annoyance. Sokka told himself this was what was best for the Tribe, so accepted the help begrudgingly.
"Good morning Azula," the sword master greeted his pupil as she entered the training arena.
"Good morning Master Piandao," she smiled warmly at him. The two had become quite friendly since the royal couple departed for the South Pole.
"Today I thought we could begin the basics with the blade," he explained to her as she began her warm-up stretches. Her gold eyes flashed to his dark ones and he couldn't help but notice how they sparkled with excitement.
"Truly?" She questioned him softly. Azula had known that it would take some time before anyone warmed up to the idea of her training with any form of weapon. The fact he was doing it with only a couple of months of training excited her. She dared not get her hopes up if he changed his mind.
"Yes," he nodded at her, a half smile crossing his face briefly before it was gone. His dark eyes were serious as he looked at her, "That's after our conditioning training and our meditation practice will be what we end with as always."
"Of course," the Princess agreed instantly. He beckoned her to follow him to the track that circled the arena.
Since their hike a few weeks ago the two would start each day with a few miles of running. They would normally gossip about the royal court but today they ran in silence. Azula's heart felt light as she ran next to her teacher. During the past couple of months of training with Piandao, she was beginning to feel more and more like herself again.
"Now, let us begin," the sword master stated after they had caught their breath from their run. He pulled out his own blade and he caught the longing in Azula's eyes. Her hands itched to touch the hilt.
"The craftsmanship is impeccable," she mumbled softly as she admired the Jian sword in his hand.
"Thank you Azula," his chest swelled with pride at her compliment. While Azula might say she was not an artist, Piandao believed differently. And he appreciated her high opinion of his own creative side. "Our first lesson of the sword is that your weapon is an extension of yourself."
"Like another part of your body," Azula supplemented interrupting him. "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"
"It's alright Azula," Piandao's eyes softened as he looked at her. He should have expected her to pick up on the lesson so quickly. "You are correct. Think of it like an extra long, very sharp arm."
"I understand," she nodded thoughtfully. It was how she had thought of her bending, the fire was an extension of her.
"The sword is simple, but in the hands of a master it becomes the most versatile of weapons," he demonstrated a move and was rewarded with her gasp of excitement. "And just like the imagination is limitless, so too are the possibilities of the sword."
The Fire Nation Princess was drinking in every word he said and each move he demonstrated for her.
"Gran keeps asking if I'm pregnant," Katara whispered to her husband as she snuggled closer to him in bed. He was on his back with his wife draped across his chest. The Fire Nation royal couple had been in the South Pole for almost a week.
"Well, it's been six months since we were married," the Fire Lord mumbled as his hand stroked up and down her back. "And it's a little under three months until the third anniversary."
"That's true," the waterbender mumbled drawing shapes over the scar that rested below Zuko's sleep shirt.
"Maybe it's time we at least talk about it?"
"What's there to talk about? We both know we want kids," she shrugged awkwardly before shivering. Katara had grown used to the heat of the Fire Nation and felt the cold much more easily than she had before in the South Pole.
"But we haven't talked about when," he nuzzled his face into her hair. He dropped a kiss onto her forehead as he pulled her closer, being sure to warm his body for her. The firebender hissed suddenly when he felt icy appendages brush against his legs. "Agni! Your toes are cold!"
"And you're warm," the waterbender replied as she tried to squish her freezing digits between his legs to warm them.
Zuko shook his head but allowed her the space to heat her toes. He missed their bed in the Fire Nation, the warmer weather meant his wife was willing to sleep sans clothing. But in the South Pole, that wasn't really an option.
"Katara?" Her husband called her name when he noticed she hadn't responded to the comment about children. The Fire Lady was nervous to broach the subject, before today she would have liked to wait at least until their anniversary. But after holding her niece and seeing the Fire Lord cradle the baby, she longed to hold her own and see her husband hold their child.
"I wouldn't be opposed to begin trying," she whispered pulling the furs over her head to hide from her husband.
"Why are you hiding from me, waterbender?" He chuckled at her form underneath the furs. He tried to pull the covers off of her, but she had a tight hold on them. Zuko rubbed his hand across his chin as he thought for a moment. He lowered his head near hers, his voice turning husky, "We can't begin trying if you keep hiding from me."
The furs flew off of the Fire Lady, her hand smacking her husband in the face in her excitement causing him to grunt at the impact. "Oh sorry! Are you okay?"
"I'm fine," Zuko responded as he rubbed the side of his face and stretched his jaw. "You hit hard."
"Here let me," the waterbender pulled the water from the basin across the room to her and set her gloved hand on the newly forming bruise. It took seconds for his skin to turn back to its natural complexion. "Better?"
"Much," his arms wrapped around her pulling her close to him as she returned the water to the basin. Pressing his entire body weight on top of her, "I was serious about trying now."
"You were?" She shifted underneath him and could feel his growing erection as it pressed against her lower abdomen. There was no doubt in the truth of his words. Her nipples pebbled and rubbed harshly against the fabric of her nightgown.
"I was," he leaned down so his forehead touched hers, hot breath blowing in her face. His hooded gold eyes bore into hers, she could feel her body responding to the heady look. She rubbed her thighs instinctually, the action not going unnoticed by her husband. His hands moved the bottom of her nightgown, pulling it up so he could slip hot hands underneath to trail up her body.
"It's freezing though!" Katara hissed at the cold air she was being exposed to as his hands continued their trail. Months in the Fire Nation had decreased her tolerance to the Poles. But she couldn't deny the low burn for her husband that was building in her belly.
The Fire Lord began placing kisses along her neck, finding the spot below her ear that caused her to moan prettily. He suckled the spot softly before grazing his teeth against it, his wife let out a whimper at the action. Hot breath blew over her sensitive skin, "You know I'll keep you warm."
"Zuko," she moaned needly. The waterbender couldn't handle the teasing, she need more. Her thighs were sticky with her arousal, and her nipples pressed against him causing some friction but not enough.
"I got you," the firebender pulled the furs over both their heads to wrap them in a cocoon of warmth. Their clothes were quickly shed and they soon were lost in a passionate embrace.
A few rooms down Sokka and Suki were snuggled in bed together, the Kyoshi Warrior nursing her daughter while her husband read the reports on the goods shortage. The Water Tribe Heir dropped the papers he was holding when a feminine cry of ecstasy reverberated off the walls.
"Looks like they are together," Suki chuckled at the horrified look that crossed her husband's face. "Who knew your sister was so loud?"
"Suki!"
The Kyoshi Warrior irrupted into a fit of giggles at Sokka's discomfort. She transferred the baby to her other breast. "You should be happy they are getting along so well."
"Right now, I'm more focused on this," he picked up the documents he had dropped earlier. The Water Tribe Heir was trying to figure out how to get his people through the winter. He couldn't help but feel it was partly his fault they were in this mess, he had taken more of the lead with the negations during the last Anniversary Summit
"It will be okay," his wife comforted him. She passed him their daughter and righted her nightgown. "We will get through this together, we have been in worse situations than this."
"I hope so," he whispered as he burped his daughter before laying her down in the bassinet by their bed. Sokka quickly rejoined his wife and collected the papers he had been reading placing them on his nightstand.
She nodded to the reports, "How are things looking? Are we going to make it until the Flagship comes back from Omashu?"
"I think so," the tribesman adjusted his position for her to lay her head on his chest. "We will just barely make it, but it has been a massive relief. I don't know what we are going to do after the supplies from Omashu runs out, but hopefully, it will last us a couple of months."
The Kyoshi Warrior sighed, she wished there was more she could do to help. When the shortage first began, she had written to her father and Kyoshi had sent as many goods as they could spare without sacrificing their own. But it was not enough, the Southern Tribe had expanded at a rate it could not sustain. In addition to the baby boom, the colony release had been too much for the tribe.
"We will figure it out, we always do," she comforted, rubbing her hand across his chest.
"Yeah," he placed a soft kiss on her lips then reached over to turn off the oil lamp next to their bed. His eyes fell on his sleeping daughter. Now more than ever he needed to figure out a way to help his tribe.
"Where would we live?" Tops asked him. It was the first moment alone the two had since the arrival of the Air Nomads at the Western Temple. Aang had been demanding all of their attention since he returned. Many of the airbenders needed to be assimilated into modern-day culture.
"Where ever we want, we don't have to stay in any nation," Haru shrugged as he pulled her closer to his chest. He wasn't sure why she was asking, especially since she still hadn't given him an answer. The older earthbender had asked her to marry him months ago, telling her he only wanted an answer when the time was right.
"Meaning?" She pressed him for an answer.
"We could stay in the Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation, or move whenever we wanted. I doubt you want to stay in the Poles," the young man clarified. He wasn't really in the mood to have this conversation, he just wanted to lay there with her.
The Blind Bandit was silent as she thought over his answer. "What about children? We can't just be moving them around all the time. And how many would we even have?"
"True but we are a few years off from that and it's something we can discuss when the time's right."
"Where would we even get married? Anywhere in the Earth Kingdom or Fire Nation would for sure make the gossip scrolls," she argued some more.
"Toph what is with all the questions?" Haru pulled back to look at her.
"These are important questions," she mumbled turning her face into his chest so he wouldn't be able to see her facial reaction.
"I agree but they are only important if you're saying yes," the earthbender argued. The details fell into place once he spoke the words, "Are you saying yes?"
"Maybe."
"Toph," he grumbled in exasperation. Haru resisted the urge to push her away from him in annoyance.
"Yes, I'm saying yes, okay?" The Blind Bandit pushed off his chest and stormed away in a huff. Not unaware of the elated man she was leaving in her wake. Toph hated emotional moments like this.
She watched the two women practice together, neither noticing the golden eyes peaking into the training arena. This wasn't the first time she had observed them, it had become somewhat of a routine for her to watch them after her own practice. They moved exactly like she remembered, smooth and precise. Not to mention deadly.
It brought her a little bit of comfort to watch the two move in perfect sequence together, but it also left her feeling the loss. She swore she could almost taste it on her tongue. It used to be the three of them moving in sync with each other. Yet now, because of her actions, she was left on the sidelines watching in the shadows. Things could never be the same, but the longing was there to be a part of them again. To practice with them, to laugh with them, to confide in them.
"You could just talk to them," a deep voice whispered huskily, warm breath fanning across her ear causing her to shiver. She knew immediately who stood behind her, but the action had felt so personal and she didn't want to ruin the moment by turning to meet his dark eyes.
"They've been avoiding me," she replied quietly with a shrug as she continued to look across at her two friends, or rather former friends. Her body literally ached to be wrapped in a hug from Ty Lee again. She desperately wished to hear Mai's dry sense of humor. But the wounds of a broken friendship ran deep for all of them.
She watched the two women practice, a flirtation to their movements. The Princess was unsurprised to learn that her two friends had turned lovers after the war. She always knew of their feelings toward one another, both having confided in her separately. Before it never would have been possible, it was expected one of them would be her sister-in-law. She was happy for them, she just wished she could tell them that.
"Are you sure? Maybe they think you are avoiding them?"
"No, I'm sure," She whispered her voice becoming rougher. A lump formed in her throat as she spoke, "And I don't blame them, I did horrible things to them. I doubt they want to see me."
"Azula," Piandao sighed sadly as he heard the hurt come through her voice. He placed a hand on her shoulder in a comforting manner.
The sword master had seen her observe her old friends every day after training with him for weeks now. He knew that she missed them, they had grown up together. And he suspected they missed her as well. He had noticed the looks they sent her way when they thought no one was looking. Piandao didn't know exactly what had happened between the three friends, but he knew there was much pain behind whatever it was.
"They will be ending soon," she whispered to him as she noticed the signs of Mai and Ty Lee wrapping up their training. Azula tried to ignore the tingles across her skin from her teacher's hand against her shoulder. "We should go, somehow I don't think catching me spy on them will help things."
"If you're sure."
The Fire Nation Princess nodded and turned to look at the man standing behind her, gold eyes meeting grey. She didn't want to be alone and she really did not want to see her mother. The question tumbled out of her mouth before she could think about it, "Will you join me for breakfast? It's a little lonely with Katara and Zuko gone."
Azula held her breath as she waited for her teacher to respond to the invitation. She was not completely unaware of the small crush she was developing on the older man. Though she brushed it off to the fact they were becoming close because of how much time they spent together.
"Thank you for the invitation," his mouth twitched as he resisted the urge to smile. The two had spent some time together but mostly stuck to seeing each other only for her lessons. Piandao was ecstatic to see the young woman in another setting, "I would like that very much."
"I'm going to freshen up, but meet me in the family dining room in about half an hour?"
"I will see you then," this time he did smile with a slight bow as the two parted ways.
Once in her chambers, the Princess quickly bathed and changed her clothes. Her lady-in-waiting, Lian, was ready to help the young royal ready herself for the day.
"Would you like help with your hair Princess Azula?" Lian questioned once the Princess was sitting in front of her dressing table.
"No, I'm alright," she replied as she began to brush it. She rarely wore her hair up which meant she hardly ever wore the crown. The most the Princess would do was braid it to the side for training, all other times she wore it down. It was a small thing to adjust her appearance, but it was important to her to show a physical difference to match the inner change.
She dressed simply, forgoing the formal robes that she was required to wear during the council meeting later that afternoon. The Princess was not looking forward to the council meeting later. In fact, she was unsure why her brother had decided to name her regent in his place while he traveled. Azula had no desire for the crown and that included most of the everyday politics that came with the mantel. Her only saving grace was that her mother was also named regent, it was a good balance of power between the two women.
A few minutes later Azula was walking into the family dining room, she immediately took the seat she would normally occupy while she waited for Piandao to join her. She didn't need to wait long, within a couple of minutes the sword master was gliding through the doorway.
"Your mother isn't joining us?" The man asked as he took a seat across from the Princess he noted only two place settings. He had expected Lady Ursa to be having breakfast with them as well.
"No," she shook her head as she began loading her plate. As she was ahead of his station, she knew propriety dictated that she must begin the meal so he could, "Mother won't be up for another hour, maybe two and she typically has her breakfast in her room."
"Do you normally have breakfast alone?" Piandao questioned as he served himself, he moved the platter with fire cakes closer to his pupil. He had noticed she had a sweet tooth and remembered her mentioning they were her favorite one time.
"When Zuko and Katara are here, no," she shook her head. Azula was not unaware of how he rearranged the platters. She took a sip of the jasmine tea in front of her. "They are both up to train together and we all eat together."
"How are things going with them?" He knew the struggle she had when returning to Caldera. She spoke about it often during her training, the focus mainly was on the relationship with her brother and sister-in-law.
"Things are getting better," she shrugged lightly, pushing food around on her plate as she struggled to answer. "I think things are getting better. Katara is nice, but I still feel weird around her. Zuzu not as much."
"You just need more time with her," Piandao comforted taking a bite of his food before moving to more pleasant topics of conversation.
The more time the sword master spent with the Fire Nation Princess, the more fascinated he became. He watched everything about the young woman. The way her eyes lit up as she spoke about something she enjoyed and the way her brow crinkled as she concentrated. She would study her nails when she was annoyed. Her eyes would close for a moment when she ate a sweet.
Everything about her intrigued him.
"Zuko received a lead on Ozai's death," Iroh informed his lover over dinner. He had received the letter earlier that day.
"Anyone worth investigating?" Jun questioned as she took a bite of rice. She had been making her own inquires about the death of the fallen Fire Lord since they received the news.
The Dragon of the West paused, it was the question he had been asking himself all day. It didn't seem a worthwhile investment of time to investigate Shinu. "It seems to be a wild ostrich-house chase. General Bujing brought forth the information."
"He's the one Zuko opposed in the war room right?" The bounty hunter confirmed. She pushed the food around on her plate.
Iroh nodded solemnly as the memories of the day came back. He wished he had stood up to his brother so many times to protect his nephew. The amount of time that he wished to have taken his rightful place on the throne when he returned from his siege of Ba Sing Se. Too many minutes wasted on things he could not change.
"Zuko will be fine," Jun rested her hand on top of his offering the only comfort she could. She knew her lover was kept up most nights worried about the threats coming forth to his nephew. "He's more than capable of taking care of himself and Katara will make sure he doesn't do anything stupid."
"You are right," he accepted her comfort. The Dragon of the West leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on her lips. "Thank you for carrying about him."
"Hakoda, does that sound reasonable?" The Fire Lord asked the Southern Chieftain once he was done presenting his proposal. He and his wife were due to set sail to the Fire Nation this afternoon. It had taken him much longer than he had anticipated drafting the proposal for the Southern Water Tribe.
"We can't ask you to do that," the older man responded after hearing the firebender out, his pride not allowing him to immediately accept. The young sovereign had presented a proposal that would have the Fire Nation send aid to the South Pole bi-monthly for the next three years while the tribe stabilized their economy.
"You aren't asking, I'm offering," Zuko countered as he lifted an eyebrow waiting for the response. He could see where his friend's sense of pride came from.
"And what does the Fire Nation receive because of this?" Hakoda questioned, he was not used to dealing with other nations where something was done altruistically.
"This isn't a give and take," the Fire Lord scrubbed a hand over his face. He let out a breath through his nose, causing smoke to curl around him. "Let me speak candidly, you gave me your daughter. Something that must have been extremely difficult considering the pain caused to you by my nation. I will do anything to make sure my wife's home is taken care of."
"My daughter is not a possession," the older man exclaimed, his hands balling into tight fists on his desk. Maybe he had misjudged the man in front of him.
Zuko resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair, this was proving to be a much more difficult conversation than he thought. "If I thought that, my wife would never speak to me again. What I meant was that you entrusted me to take care of her and I know that seeing the devastation has caused much pain to her."
"I know," Hakoda rested his head in his hands as he propped his arms up on his desk. His daughter had gone to help the healers within the first few days of being in the South Pole and saw the struggle. Later that day she confronted her father and refused to speak to him unless he told her and Zuko what was going on. It had taken a week but the chief finally explained to his daughter and her husband the economic crisis the Tribe was facing.
"These are your people, I have no desire to lead them," the Fire Lord assured the other leader. "But I am tied to them as well and I want to see them prosper. We have an excess in our trade which was originally going to be sent to the Earth Kingdom to trade, but I can see it would do more good here. Let me help."
The Southern Chief looked up at the Fire Nation sovereign, he couldn't deny that his people needed the help. Nor could he really refuse it once it was offered, this was a solution that didn't compromise his tribe. The older man sighed, "We would gladly accept your help."
"Good," the young leader nodded before outlaying the details. "I will send a hawk today to the Fire Nation, the first ship should arrive within the month. And there will be one following that in two weeks. The agreement I have laid out is for three years, as that was the estimated time Sokka gave me but if you need longer—"
"Three years is perfect, if we need more we can address that later," the chieftain cut off the Fire Lord. "You have no idea how helpful this will be, thank you."
"I should really thank you, my trip home just got much easier," Zuko joked with a soft chuckle. He held out his arm to shake Hakoda's, after the two men standing from where they had been seated in the chief's office.
"My daughter has really blossomed being Fire Lady, hasn't she?" The tribesman responded with a grin. Katara was still extremely passionate, but there was an elegance in her fight that wasn't always there. Not to mention, she radiated the love that the Fire Lord was showering her with.
"She is extraordinary," the firebender beamed thinking about his wife. "She throws herself into everything she does and she fights for the common people with the council. And she wins more often than not. Katara, she is changing the Fire Nation for the better!"
"By the way you speak of my daughter, I'm hoping you will be gifting me with another grandchild soon," the older man replied placing a hand on his son-in-law's shoulder. The tribesman and his son suspected something happened between his daughter and her husband. He hoped he had made the comment subtly enough the Fire Lord would accidentally volunteer information.
"We have been discussing it," Zuko responded, his cheeks turning pink as he shifted his weight from foot to foot uncomfortably. "When the spirits bless us, I promise you will be one of the first to know."
"Let's go join the others," the chief put the young man out of his misery as they walked out of his office. Whatever happened between the two wanted to be kept private for now. "I know your Admiral wants you to leave in the next couple of hours."
"As Katara likes to remind me regularly, the Flagship won't leave without me on it," the Fire Lord chuckled along with his father-in-law.
The firebender's eyes instantly met his waterbender's sapphire ones, he gave her a brief nod and was rewarded with a breathtaking smile. She had been worried her father wouldn't accept the help that was being offered.
Maybe she should have stayed in the palace, Mai thought to herself as she moved through the market. She had wanted to be far away from the women of court when they arrived for the tea set up by Lady Ursa.
Since the war, Mai had done everything to limit her time as the proper noblewoman. Only really fulfilling her duty as a courtier to Katara. The noblewoman's presence wasn't necessary for this gathering so she took it upon herself to go into the city.
But as she walked through the shop, she missed her lover. Ty Lee was expected to attend since all of her sisters would be there as well. The acrobat had pushed her girlfriend out the door, knowing how much Mai hated these events. But as the noblewoman saw items that Ty Lee would like, it caused her to rethink her choice of avoiding the event.
"Everything is in order?" A hushed voice on the other side of the shelf asked. Something about the voice made the noblewoman pause, her stealth was one of her finer qualities. Her ear turned toward the voice as she pressed her back against the wall, it wouldn't do well to be taken by surprise while she tried to gather information.
"Yes," someone responded quietly. "After he returns, the hawk came in today alerting his arrival in a month. Luckily our men were able to intercept it. He will be dead that night."
Mai bit her lip and held her breath as she continued to listen, there was something familiar about both of them. But she couldn't place it exactly, not when they were being this quiet. She prayed to Agni they weren't speaking about who she thought.
"Good," the first man replied harshly. "You took the katana?"
There was some rustling, she suspected the sword that was in question was just shown in response.
"She won't know until it's too late," the second man continued, his voice becoming softer. "It will lead all back to her."
"And she agreed to work on the proposal?"
"She jumped at the chance to work on the proposal, with that evidence plus the dagger," the second man chuckled. "No judge will think she is innocent."
The noblewoman's hand clamped over her mouth so she wouldn't make a sound at the news. When she heard the second man's dry chuckling she instantly placed him, but the first was still a mystery to her.
There was no doubt in her mind who they were speaking of, she wanted to rush to alert Azula. But she needed more information if there was going to be any hope to counter the attack.
"Thank Agni there aren't any heirs, that would have made everything more complicated," the first man mumbled, his voice moving further away. "Once he's dead, we will move forward with . . ."
Mai didn't hear the rest of the plan between the two men and by the time she moved to see if she could catch a glimpse of them, there was no one insight. She needed to get to the Princess and warn her.
"Good afternoon, Azula," Piandao greeted his pupil as he walked toward her.
The sword master found the Princess tucked away at the far edge of the royal gardens reading. He had been surprised to see she wasn't having tea with the other women of the court on the other side of the garden. Technically he was supposed to be joining the women but had made a break for it when he noticed Azula was not in attendance. He would much rather spend time with her.
"Hello, Master Piandao," the Princess responded with a wide smile, ignoring how her heartbeat quickened at the sight of him. "How are you this afternoon?"
"I am doing well, may I join you?" He asked as he pointed to the spot on the bench next to her. She nodded and he sat next to her. "I noticed you weren't at the afternoon tea with the other women of court today."
"No," she shook her head lightly as she looked up at her teacher from beneath her lashes, a small smile gracing her face. "I find their conversation less than stimulating."
"I cannot say I blame you," he chuckled throatily at the comment. Piandao was unsurprised the Princess was not leaping at the chance to spend time with the women of the royal court. Azula was someone who had enjoyed the art of intelligent conversation and was not easily entertained by the frivolous nature of the court.
"Aren't you supposed to be at the tea?" His student asked as she took in his figure. He was dressed much more formally than he normally did. "My mother said she organized it for you, something about prospects for a wife."
"Part of the reason I left," he sighed looking out at the garden before him. Lady Ursa had tit upon herself to find Piandao a wife. Today was the first social she organized with all the eligible single women of court.
"You don't want a wife? Are you attracted to men?" The Princess looked at him in confusion. Her small crush on him had grown in the almost three months they had been training together. She had been devastated to hear from her mother that she wanted to introduce the sword master to the eligible women of the court.
Piandao threw his head back and laughed loudly. His eyes crinkled as the rumbling sound washed over her. She had never seen the sword master so carefree. As his laughter settled he turned back to her, "No, Azula, I assure you I am very much attracted to women. I just haven't found a woman I want to spend my life with and frankly, I don't think I will find the right woman at a tea party."
"Not into discussing which design should be worn to the Anniversary ball in a couple of months?" She teased him with a smirk, her gold eyes light and playful. She brushed her hair behind her ear as she spoke, unaware of how his eyes followed the action.
"Not particularly," he smirked, grey eyes filled with mirth. He cleared his throat as his thoughts began to stray. "What are you reading? Anything of interest?"
"It's the proposal from Councilman Makoto on the preservation of Ember Island," she explained to the older man. Her eyes drifted down to the scroll in her hands. "He understands the importance of creating new hotels and resorts to stimulate the economy but he wants to be sure they are environmentally friendly."
"It would be a shame to have the island overrun just to stimulate the economy," he hummed in agreement. "Almost defeats the purpose of the vacation spot."
"Completely," she nodded as she looked over the scroll again. Her brow furrowing as she skimmed the contents. There was something off about it, but she couldn't place it. "He is in the process of writing legislature in regards to the industrialization of the Fire Nation and he asked for my help."
"That's good, right?" He was puzzled by the negative look that crossed her face. When she didn't respond he continued, "It means he trusts you and wants to work with you. Weren't you just complaining about how everyone was apprehensive around you?"
"I was," she replied absentmindedly focusing on the proposal. Gold eyes moved back and forth over the words. "That's odd."
"Azula? Are you alright?"
Something was terribly wrong, there was an amount of money missing in the ledger. As she kept reading she noticed something written in the margin that had been scratched out and looked to be written in code. A code she knew. Most would have seen an ink stain or thought it was a simple arithmetic error. But for a trained eye, she was able to read what had been concealed. Her breathing came in harsh gasping pants as her mind processed the information.
How could she have been so stupid? She should have known better. In the past, she would have known better!
"No, no, no," she mumbled as she looked at the scroll moving to read more of it, the numbers weren't adding up. None of it was making sense, unless . . . her thoughts trailed off as her stomach sank.
"Azula? Hey, deep breaths," Piandao took the scroll from the young woman and dropped it on the ground next to them. He took her shaking hands in his, her gold eyes connecting with his grey ones. She looked terrified. He began coaching her through her breathing like when he taught her to meditate. "Deep breath in, slowly, breathe out."
"I can't," she panted after a few minutes. Her breathing was mostly under control and the shaking had stopped.
"What's wrong?" He questioned softly. Her eyes began welling with tears and he brushed the fallen ones away. The sword master felt his heart sink as he watched her, the term of endearment slipping out unknowingly, "Little one, it's okay. Whatever it is we will fix it, I promise you that."
The Fire Nation Princess didn't speak for a few minutes trying to regain her composure. When she did her voice came out hauntingly as she whispered the words, "He's going to assassinate Zuzu and he's trying to frame me for it."
Dun Dun Dun! I know it's a cliffy, but what's a story without a good cliffhanger?
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See you on October 5th, 2022!