Author's Note: Yay new story! Read the note at the bottom for better explanation of what's been going on with my writing hiatus, and info about what the future holds for this story. (I say this at the bottom but this story is NOT a zutara) For now, just read, enjoy, and REVIEW. Also, please note that the italicized writing represents flashbacks and/or memories. Enjoy ^_^
Disclaimer: Since my name isn't Michael DiMartino or Bryan Konietzko, that means that no, I don't own Avatar, or any of its affiliations.
Blood Promise
Chapter One: The Treaty.
Katara paced back and forth in her room, feet matting down the fur carpet. She had seen this day coming for months, and yet, somehow it had still caught her unprepared.
She tried to think back and understand how she had gotten caught in this mess. It had been a little over five months ago when she first heard of her fate. She and Chief Arnook had been practicing waterbending in the front yard, nothing beyond a simple snaking technique, as was their agreement. He had just gotten back from a meeting with her father in the Earth Kingdom to discuss political standings with the other Nations.
"How is my father?"
She had asked as she passed the rotating ring of water off to him.
"Wonderful as always, he says he and your brother will try and visit soon, he's just sorry he couldn't make it back with me."
It was a promise he always made. She knew her father had meant it at the time. But she also knew that being Chief of the Southern Water Tribe did not permit many opportunities to sail across the world on a whim. The last time she had seen him had been on her fifteenth birthday, and she doubted she would see him before her sixteenth. Sokka was a little better, granted his visits were just as infrequent, but he tended to stay longer.
She remembered how he had continued on, instead of reverting to his usual silence.
"We met with the Fire Nation General and his brother, as you know there has been growing tension between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes for years."
Katara knew. The two nations had been at the brink of war for decades. It had all started when the Fire Nation started killing off Water benders. The Avatar had resolved the situation before it grew out of hand. But it put an immense strain on the relations between the two nations.
"The General thinks its time to create an alliance between the two nations, and has proposed a rather compelling arrangement."
"Like a treaty? Sounds like a terrific idea."
She wished she had said anything but that, the irony was just too morbid.
"Actually, he has proposed something more intimate. He suggested a marital conjunction between the Chief's daughter and the Fire Prince's son."
"What?!" She lost her concentration on her bending and the water splashed down between them.
"You can't seriously be thinking of marrying Yue off to some snooty Ash breather?!"
She wasn't one to usually speak to her superiors in such a way, even when her temper did spike, as it often did. Arnook was Chief of the Northern Water Tribe at best, and at worst, a substitute father. But even when she found her reasons justified she found a way to speak to him with more integrity. She would remember the look on his face to what he said next for the rest of her life. It was a look of unadulterated shame, completely belittling and equalizing.
"Actually, I wasn't talking about my daughter, I was referring to you."
The rest went by rather smoothly, more or less. She spent the next few minutes in utter shock, and the days after in a rage. She tried to argue her way out, asking why Yue or Sokka couldn't do it, seeing as the Fire Prince also had a daughter. But within a short time it became clear. They didn't want to unite two people who would have complete control over either Nation. Yue would be chief of the North and Sokka of the South. Katara was an important Water Tribe figure, and could have a great influence on the Tribes, but she could not control them. It was a safety precaution that would be taken on both sides. In addition, because Katara had spent half her life in each pole, she could easily advocate for both tribes, rather than just one.
Eventually Katara came to a somewhat of an acceptance of the idea. Seeing how she was the most well fit for the position, and the promise of peace, while she would have still preferred a simple treaty, was duly needed. Although she never really thought about it, she would have to get married soon or later. And even with the prospect of her coming of age it had never been something she put much thought into. Most of the boys in the North were scared of her because of her bending. And those who did show interest were quickly shook off. But now that the time had arrived for her to venture into the unknown world of fire, she began to wonder if she should have just stuck with one of the Northerners.
"Someone looks a little nervous." Katara turned to see her white haired friend standing between her ice door frame, Carrying a small wooden box in her hands.
"Yeah, you could say that." Katara replied, coming to a steady halt.
"Your brother sent this for you. Along with his and your father's regrets." Katara sighed, she had hoped her brother would have at least come to see her off. Yue handed Katara the square box and Katara sat down on her bed. The words "So you always remember where you came from." Were carved onto the top of the box. Carefully she pulled it open; inside the box was a letter, she pulled it out and set the box aside.
"Dear Katara, sorry we couldn't make it, lots of busy tribal leading to do. I was going to give this to you for your birthday, but I thought this was better timing. I hope you like it, because it took forever to make. Do you have any idea how long it takes to perfect the art of glass blowing? Dad says he misses you and says he'll try to visit you before the wedding. And tell Yue well try to visit soon. Anyways just promise you won't get to cozy with this prince guy, you're still my baby sister, so if you do I might have to rip out his internal organs. Love Sokka." Katara finished reading then put the note aside.
"Well, he is a charming as ever." She rolled her eyes as she picked the box up, and pulled out what was a small glass globe. Inside the glass was a tiny depiction of the south pole. The scene portrayed two people, one girl and one boy, in the middle of what seemed to be a snowball fight, outside of a small igloo. The ground was covered in small glimmering white flakes. In the bottom of the box she found another note, which read: Shake well.
Reluctantly, she shook the small sphere, watching as all the flaked flew up and back to fall back in what resembled a beautiful snowstorm.
"A snow globe." Katara assessed at her brothers clever present.
"You're brother always did come up with the most brilliant of devices." Yue said as Katara placed the globe back in it's box.
"I don't think I can do this Yue." Katara finally said when Yue took a place beside her on the bed.
"Trust me you'll be fine, If anyone can do this, it's you. And besides it's too late now."
"What if something goes wrong? I've never even been to the Fire Nation. What if I mess up? What if we don't like each other? I can't spend the rest of my life with someone who makes me miserable. Or what if I end up Fire Lady or something! Then what?" Her voice had raised to resemble a panicked tone.
"Katara calm down. Besides, he's fifth in line for the crown. Unless half the royal family decides to drop dead I doubt that will happen." Yue attempted to console her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Ugh, I hate this. You don't think there's any possibility that you could take my place?" Katara asked in a joking plead, one that held more weight behind it than she would allow to show.
"I'm afraid not. Besides, unlike me, you can be a representative for both tribes and we wont have to worry about more conflict." Katara sighed, she already knew this, she also knew that in reality, she was the more expendable of the two.
"I know, besides, if you got married who would Sokka have to swoon over?" Katara joked, both of them very aware of how smitten her brother was with the Water Princess.
"But seriously," she continued. "I don't know how to be a wife. Let alone to someone in the Fire Nation."
"You're a fast learner, you'll figure it out."
There was a knock on the side of the door, cutting off the conversation, and a handmaid walked in.
"Princess Yue, your father requests both you and lady Katara's presence at the royal docking point." In the six years that Katara had been in the north, she had never liked the idea of servants, and unfortunately knew that it was one thing that would not be changing in the Fire Nation.
"Yes Una, we will be on our way." The girl, Una, nodded before scampering away.
"I guess it's time then." Katara said, brushing off her dress as she stood. "How do I look?"
"Terrified." Yue answered.
"Perfect." Katara said in an enthusiastic tone that could only be a result of Sokka's constant sarcasm rubbing off on her. She quickly grabbed Sokka's present and followed Yue out of the ice castle.
Most of the tribe was aware of Katara's leaving and had gathered outside the palace to watch the waterbender off. Chief Arnook, along with several other noble men, and Yugoda, stood in front of the grand vessel.
"Katara, there you are, we were beginning to worry that you wouldn't show." Yugoda beamed.
"I wouldn't dream of it." She replied. After the years of learning under her, Katara realized she was much too optimistic and youthful, her body may be old, but her spirit was still very young.
"I have to say, I am sad to see my favorite student leave, I'm not sure if I will ever find another healer as talented as you." She smiled, it had never been a secret that the old healer favored Katara beyond her other students. She had only wished the young bender would have been more satisfied with healing, as it was some of the best she had ever seen.
"Well I owe most of that talent to you. I wouldn't know the first thing about healing if it weren't for you." Katara told her, a true fact, Katara hadn't even known about the ability until she had arrived in the North.
"Oh you're going to make an old lady cry." Yugoda gushed.
Katara exchanged goodbyes with her teacher and the other nobles before turning to Yue.
"Promise you'll come visit me?" Katara asked.
"Of course. And who knows, once you're married maybe you can drag that prince of yours up here for a while." Yue smiled and they both laughed, it was a forced laughter, but Katara was thankful for it none the less.
"I wish you could come with me." She said, throwing her arms around the princess.
"Me too. I'll see you soon, I promise." Yue told her as she let go.
"Katara, it's time to go." Chief Arnook said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder, pulling her away from his daughter.
Katara couldn't help but look back at the icy kingdom as she boarded the ship. Tears sliding out her eyes as she said goodbye to her home for the second time in her life.
The ship was wonderful. She hadn't left the North since she had first arrived, but she was certain that boat wasn't nearly as marvelous. It was a fifteen-day journey to Capitol city and over the span of those days her mind kept drifting back to the first time she was forced to leave home.
"Katara, this is Chief Arnook and his daughter Yue. They are from the Northern Tribe." Her father said as he introduced her to the tall man and his strange white haired daughter.
He then sent the two girls off to play amongst themselves while the two chiefs talked. But Katara did not pay much attention to her playmate, instead she listened to the two chiefs talk, hanging on their every word.
"You realize that what you are asking strictly goes against the traditions of my Tribe." What was he asking? Katara wondered.
"Yes, and under normal circumstances I wouldn't ask you to do this. But there is no one else left in the south to teach her. She's the first waterbender to be born in almost fifty years. I can't just stand by and do nothing; this is the only chance I have to preserve my culture." Her father stressed.
"Even if I were to make an exception for her, how would I explain it to the rest of the Tribe. The women of the Northern Water Tribe have been forbidden to learn bending for centuries. You're asking me to do something I wouldn't even do for my own daughter Hakoda." Forbidden? Katara was urged to turn around and yell at them. Why would any one forbid girls from bending?
"But Katara isn't a woman of the Northern Water Tribe. She's a Southern waterbender. The last Southern waterbender. I can't just sit around and wait for another one to be born who suits your outdated traditions. There are benders in the north who still practice the southern arts. And you know if our positions were reversed I would not deny you help." You tell him dad. She thought.
"Hakoda, I understand you're need to do what's best for your tribe. But I won't go against my own to do so, my duty is to my tribe first." Arnook explained and her father sighed.
"I can see there is nothing I can do to convince you to ignore your own bigotry. If you refuse to teach Katara I see there is no point in continuing on. I am beginning to see why Kanna left." Gran Gran? What did Katara's grandmother have to do with this? There was a long silence between the two men.
"Fine. I'll allow Katara to learn rudimentary waterbending. Only to the extent that she has basic control over her element. She can learn as much healing as she desires, but I draw the line at advanced bending techniques." Arnook compromised.
"Thank you." Hakoda replied and Katara sighed in relief. She would learn bending after all.
Katara still envied those who were taught their bending freely. She fought for her bending. Every move, every technique, was a battle. And she treasured every one she got. She would spend hours working on even the simplest move, until she reached perfection and it came as easy as breathing. But even still, she had barely surpassed basic bending. She knew she was capable of much greater things. Her determination outweighed her knowledge.
She remembered the days that followed as one, hazy, blur. Five days. That was all they had given her to come to terms with the fact that she was leaving everything she ever knew behind. In part, she was excited, brimming with joy. All her life, all she ever wanted was to learn waterbending, and now it was actually happening. But another part of her was very scared. Scared to leave her parents and her brother and Gran Gran, her home. She was abandoning them.
She didn't remember much of the exchange, she remembered her father and Chief Arnook talking about how wonderful the North was, she remembered the way Sokka looked when he saw Yue for the first time, and how he begged to go with, and then she remembered climbing into the ship and sailing away.
At least this time she had been given time, months to let the decision sink in. To come to terms with just what it was she had gotten herself into.
"Katara, I just wanted to inform you that we will be arriving at the Fire Nation Capitol by sunset." Chief Arnook told her through the closed door of her bunker.
She could have said no. That was perhaps the most frightening of it all. She could have refused, her father and Arnook were stubborn men, but ultimately the decision was hers, and they would not have forced her to go through with it if she hadn't agreed to do it.
And she did agree. She did not like it, nor did she want to. But her people always came first to her, no matter the circumstances; she would do what ever it took to protect them. And so for her people, did she agree.
Zuko stared numbly at the ceiling, the same as he had been for the past hour and a half. He wanted nothing to do with this day. Sooner or later he figured someone would come to get him and force him into participation, but until that he wasn't going to make any effort to contribute to his parents ridiculous arrangements.
Up until this day he had been under the illusion that he would be able to get out of this. But who was he kidding, his father's decisions were always final, he had been lying to himself for thinking he might have any choice in the matter. But now there was no room for lies. Only the truth; he was deeply, and utterly screwed.
There was no way out of it, not now. He couldn't run away, not with the type of security the palace provided and without a plan, and he had no where to run to. Maybe if committed a big enough crime he could get himself imprisoned, or banished, either of those options sounded better than the one he was facing. But there wasn't much he could do to earn that severe of a punishment in four hours, again not with all the people watching him.
He had long known that nothing in his life ever went right, he supposed this was just another thing to add to the list.
"Zuko, open up, your mother's waiting." A muffled voice called, accompanied by the loud pounding on the side of the door.
Lu Ten? So they were even getting his cousin involved now? Either way, he was glad that it hadn't been his father.
"It's open." He harped and the door swung open, the Fire Nation prince was confronted by an unexpected darkness. Lu Ten searched the room for his cousin, who lay in his bed, hardly visible in the dark room.
"Don't you ever open the curtains?" He asked, take not of the one, small candle that burned on the desk.
"No." Zuko droned.
"You didn't forget did you?" He asked again, giving his cousin a look of exhaust, not that he would have been able to see it in the dark.
"No."
Lu Ten sighed again, and suddenly the room filled with a glowing light.
"Come on then, you're mother will kill me if I let you be late." Zuko didn't care, but he stood up anyway, at this point punctuality was the least of his problems. Lu Ten looked him over then snorted.
"Is that what you were planning to meet her in?" Zuko was dressed, however he was dressed in less than formal attire, he didn't think he needed to go out of his way to impress people who lived on giant blocks of ice. Apparently his cousin thought differently.
Lu Ten shuffled around Zuko's room, looking for something more presentable, shoving them at Zuko when he found them.
"I can't believe my father is making me marry some stupid Northern peasant." Zuko grumbled as he reluctantly changed into the formal Fire Nation clothing.
"She has a name you know."
Of course she had a name. Zuko knew this. Katara. That was her name, Zuko knew that too. Her name was also all he really knew. Not that he had bothered to learn anything else about her, he didn't want to have anything to do with her.
"And she's not some peasant, she's the Chief's daughter, and she's Southern Water Tribe, not Northern." Lu Ten reminded him, but that hardly had an effect on his dislike for the whole ordeal.
"Whatever." He responded, fixing his hair into a traditional Fire Nation ponytail.
"Can't you at least pretend to be a little happy about this?" Lu Ten sighed.
"But I'm not, what would be the point?" He replied.
"Oh come on, I'm sure it wont be that bad."
"Then why don't you marry her?" Zuko snapped. Lu Ten laughed.
"Because I'm nearly twice her age, I doubt she, or the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe would appreciate that." Or it was because Lu Ten was too important to be married off to some Water Tribe peasant. Zuko thought silently. The Fire Nation wanted an alliance, not unification.
"Why couldn't they have forced Azula to get married instead." Zuko mumbled, causing his cousin to laugh even louder.
"Unlikely, even if it was an option, I doubt you'd be able to convince Azula to marry anyone, let alone find someone who would marry her."
That's what I get for being the "nice" sibling.
Zuko thought, and he knew it was true, Azula would never let her parents force her into an arranged marriage. Not that daddy dearest would ever dream of forcing his precious Azula into something so futile.
Azula was always the favored child in his father's eyes, and with good reason. She was a better bender than he, but more importantly, she knew how to make people, especially their father, like her.
"How was your meeting with the Chiefs father?" She asked before he had even thought to ask, the moment he got back she would be by his side engaging in a civilized conversation about what ever political endeavor he was engaged with at the time.
"My brother and Chief Hakoda have come to a very generous agreement." He answered with his signature vagueness.
"That is terrific father, so I assume you're hopes to increase trade was successful." She continued.
"Indeed. Now if you will excuse me daughter, I have some matters to discuss with your brother." Zuko remembered the look of confusion on his sister's face. Azula was hardly confused; when she was it was for good reason. She couldn't think why her father would need to talk to his least favored child, Zuko didn't know why either. But none the less she graciously left the room without question, like the competent child she was.
"Zuko." He was always frightened by the sound of his name when it came from his father.
"As a way to install peace between our two nations it has been arranged for you to be wed to the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe's daughter." He delivered the news with no emotion, no remorse, no consideration, but just empty fact.
"What? But father?"
"It essential to creating an alliance between our two nations that two people of high status are unified, the Southern Princess will act as an ambassador of the Water Tribes, and you for the Fire Nation. You should be excited, this is a great honor." In other words, you should be lucky that I have even granted your life this much significance.
"You can't do this! What about Mai?" Mai, the girl who it had been expected for him to marry since he was just a child, and had been in love with for just as long, he knew his father wasn't a particularly loving person, but he never thought he could be that cruel and unfair, especially to his own child.
"I can and I will. It has already been decided. You are will marry the Water Tribe girl. I'm sure the Governor's daughter will understand."
He knew his father was right, Mai would understand. She understood responsibility more than anyone he knew. But he didn't want her to understand. He didn't want anything for her to have to understand.
"Aren't you even a little anxious to meet her? You know what they say about water tribe girls, She's probably a total catch." Lu Ten said, bringing him out of his thoughts.
"I don't care about what she looks like. And why would I be happy about meeting some prissy, half wit ice princess?" Zuko snapped. He was being temperamental, he knew that, in normal circumstances he kept his immature temper put away, but today he didn't care.
"Now Zuzu, don't be so hostile. You haven't even met her yet, I'm sure she's not that bad." He said, his voice drizzled with the same condescending tone that his sister and father had, another family trait that had seemed to overlook him.
"Don't call me that." He bit back.
"Well, I could call you Koko if you'd prefer that instead." Lu Ten joked, still trying to pull some sort of happiness out of Zuko that obviously wasn't there.
"Let's just get this over with." Zuko said and brushed passed his cousin, stalking into the hallway.
He reached the gates of the palace where his mother and uncle waited for him beside the royal palanquin, he had always hated that device, ever since he was a child. He had feet, he didn't see why he couldn't be permitted to use them.
His mother gave him a reassuring smile, but it was more of a look of pity. He knew his mother sympathized with him, but he also knew that she would always go along with the plans of her husband's, no matter how much she disagreed with them.
"You're late, we were starting to worry. I see your cousin did a good job making sure you were at least presentable." She said glancing at Lu Ten.
"You should have seen him when I found him, ridiculous." Lu Ten liked to pretend he was on Zuko's level, thought it would help him relate, or rather manipulate him. But when it came down to it, he was still older and would coincide with his parents.
His mother laughed, then continued talking, "Well, shall we be off? I believe I have done enough waiting for one day." She said and climbed into the wooden contraption. Zuko cringed when his Uncle followed, causing the platform to sink a little. Zuko sighed and followed them both into the carrier, he would have much rather he been excluded from retrieving the Water Tribe girl.
"You are awfully quite today Prince Zuko." His uncle observed, but Zuko was always quiet, it was more of a polite way of his uncle to ask him to speak up.
"Forgive me Uncle, this arrangement hasn't left me in highest spirits." He replied, with as much forced civility as he could muster.
Apparently it was mother's turn to speak. "Son, I know you are still upset about Mai, but you must try and put her behind you, it wont do you any good to dwell on the past."
Mai.
"So you're really getting married?" She asked, although it felt more like an accusation than a question.
"Who told you?" He sighed, turning around to face the girl who had appeared in his doorframe out of nowhere.
"What does it matter? You didn't." She snapped.
"I was going to tell you." He told her sheepishly, it wasn't an excuse, but it was all he had.
"When? After you told the entire Nation? Or were you just going to wait until I got the wedding invitation?" Mai didn't yell, at least not out of anger, but she spoke in such an antagonizing voice that it felt like she was screaming inside his head.
"I'm sorry, I really was going to tell you Mai. I just didn't know what to say." He mumbled.
"It doesn't matter! You should have said something. I had to hear this from your mother, do you have any idea how that felt. We were betrothed Zuko, I should have been the first person you told." She was completely in his room now, she wasn't facing him, rather she was walking in circles, as if she was talking to herself rather than him.
"I know. I should have told you sooner. I just…"
"Just what Zuko? Wanted to decide the best way to rip out my heart? Well you definitely found the worst."
"I just thought if I didn't tell you it wouldn't actually have to be real." He shouted.
"Well news flash, it is real. You're getting married. Agni, when you said your grandfather was making an alliance with the Water Tribe you could have mentioned you were his bargaining chip."
"I'm sorry, I'll find a way to get out of it, I promise." He pleaded.
"No." She finally said, her voice had turned cold and hollow.
"What?" He questioned.
"Zuko you're a prince, you have a direct duty to the Fire Nation, and the Fire Lord, if marrying some Water Tribe peasant is what he wants you to do, then you're going to do it." She was standing in front of him now, merely feet away, crossing her arms, the same way his mother would when she scolded him.
"What, no. Mai, you're the only one I want to be with." He pleaded.
"Well you'll just have to learn to want to be with her instead."
"Mai, please." It game out as more of a whimper, a specific voice that he specifically reserved for the times she broke up with him.
"I didn't come hear to argue with you Zuko. I came to say goodbye."
"No, Mai, listen, you're right, I do have to get married, but that doesn't mean we have to end this." He knew what he was saying was wrong, that it didn't make sense, he didn't care.
"Yes, that's exactly what it means Zuko." She told him. He gabbed he hand before she could turn to leave.
"Please, stay, please, at least until the wedding, I can't lose you yet." He begged, turning to grab her arms, he would fall to his knees for her if he had to.
"I can't. I'm going with my father to the Earth Kingdom, we leave today."
"Mai, please don't do this."
"Goodbye Zuko." She jerked from his grip, disappearing out the door before he could stop her.
It was true, she was what it was really about. He didn't really hate the idea of an arranged marriage to the water tribe princess. He hated the idea of not getting married to Mai. But he couldn't forget her, even if he tried, he couldn't. She was Mai, she was different from the rest of the world, and it didn't matter how wonderful the Water Tribe girl was, because all he wanted was Mai.
A/N: Okay there we go. I've had this little sucker sitting on my computer for almost a year, but I didn't want to post until I had the plot finalized and a solid 3-4 chapters done. I think I'm going to cut this into two parts, since the first half and the second are sort of different tones. Also if you follow my other story WYLM just wanted everyone to know that it's not abandoned, I'm just a little stuck, so it's going to go on the back burner while I focus on other projects, but it's not abandoned. REALLY IMPORTANT THINGS: okay, that first part wasn't important, but this is, I know this plot is well overused, so I want to make it clear that this is not a love story, and while this story is about Zuko and Katara it's mostly about their friendship, political corruption, and surviving hardship. Also kicking some Fire Nation butt, but that's not until part two. So for those of you who are totally sick of the whole Zutara arranged marriage Romeo/Juliet love thing, I get it, but that's not what this is about I know I already said that but just making sure everyone knows. Also, I changed the title again, I suck, I know. And if you found any spelling, grammar, or other spiffs, please let me know so I can fix them ASAP. (I was a bad writer and didn't edit this first.) Also PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! Seriously. Review.