The only thing I own is the plot on your screen. If you plan to take my ideas and put them into your own fanfic, claiming to be your own mind that thought them up, get a hobby. Plagiarism is wrong, don't do it!
Katara headed back to the kitchen. After two hours of contemplation, she figured that she was a bit harsh with Iroh. All he wanted to do was help out the situation with Prince Zuko.
She found him talking to the chef, about his time in the war. She smiled and sat down, waiting for their conversation to come to an end. She poured some hot tea into a small teacup and thought about what she would say to the old man. After dismissing the cook, Iroh sat down opposite from Katara and smiled as though nothing had happened. How…forgiving. "I'm sorry about yelling at you earlier," she said guiltily and sipped the hot beverage.
He nodded and grabbed his cup. Realizing that his warm drink had gone cold, he poured more tea into it and smiled. "It is me who should be apologizing to you, Katara."
"You're a good man, Iroh. I could never hold a grudge against you," she said and let out a small laugh. She looked around the small kitchen, "Where's Prince Zuko? I thought he would be in here."
"He's training for the rest of the day, below deck. I tell you, that boy never rests." He laughed and sighed. "Prince Zuko has grown up too quickly. He didn't enjoy his childhood, like he was suppose to."
"Well, who can? With this war going on, kids have to train to become warriors or master benders at a young age. Why, my brother, has to train five year old boys to defend our tribe," Katara said shaking her head. "It's so wrong."
"You're fourteen, right?" Iroh asked all of a sudden. Katara nodded. "You'll be marrying soon, I suppose."
Katara looked away. She had forgotten. Two more years, and she'd have to wed. Did her father find a groom? Is her father still alive? She nodded sadly, "Yes."
"Are you nervous?" Iroh asked.
"A little."
"Do you have someone back home, waiting?"
"No. When my father arrives back from the war, he should have a groom picked out for me."
"What are your plans for marriage?"
"What do you mean?" Katara asked and sipped more of her tea.
"Well, how many kids do you plan to have. At what age?" Iroh asked, and laughed when he noticed her spit out a little bit of her tea back into the cup.
"Kids?" Katara asked incredulously. She had forgotten about children. "Uh…right. Kids. Maybe one or two."
"How old do you plan to be?"
"Uh…18? Maybe younger, I don't know. I haven't really thought about it."
"What gender do you want? Girls? Boys?"
"Girls," she sighed. "They are much better to control. Boys are too much trouble. Besides, I don't want my children to go out into the war. But if I do have a son, I'll love him just the same as if he were a girl." There was a moment of silence. "How come you didn't get married?"
"I became a General at quite a young age. There was no time to look for a woman in the battlefield. Also, I thought that it wouldn't be fair for my wife and for the children. I'd never get to see them. So, I just dedicated myself to taking care of Prince Zuko since his father couldn't and his mother…died."
"Oh," Katara said and nodded in agreement. There's no point in getting married if you aren't going to spend time with your family. "What about Prince Zuko? Is he planning to wed?"
"He has to. It's the only way he can become Fire Lord. He has four more years to find a woman."
"I bet Prince Zuko has a lot of women in line," she said glumly,not wantingto think of Prince Zuko with another woman.
"No," the retiree said gladly. "No women."
"So how are you planning to find a wife for him?"
"There's no plan. Just luck, I suppose. It's going to be hard, since Prince Zuko is too busy searching for the Avatar. He can't socialize. And if he can't socialize, he can't court. The only way he'll find a wife is unless a girl just happens to, I don't know, run into his path," he eyed Katara and smiled. "Can I suppose something with you?"
"Sure," Katara said innocently.
"Promise not to get angry with me?"
"It has to do with Prince Zuko, doesn't it?" Katara asked with a small smile. Iroh nodded. "Go ahead. If it's just supposing."
"What if you get married to Prince Zuko?"
"What? …What do you mean, get married to Prince Zuko?"
"Well, I mean just that. Get married to him. Let's say you're going to get married to him. What would you do?"
"I don't know, what should I do?"
"Well, would you live in the palace with him? Would you accept the responsibilities of the Fire Lord's wife?"
"Palace? Fire Lord's wife?" She paused and thought for a moment. "I guess I would go and live over there, but what about my brother and grandmother? …Aang? I can't abandon them."
"They'd live with you, in the palace. Your brother would be Zuko's brother-in-law so he'd be treated like royalty. Your grandmother also. I don't know if the Avatar would live there too, it's all up to the war's outcome."
"OK," she sighed. "And my tribe? What about those people?"
"They'll be taken care of. We would send supplies and men, from over here, would go and check up on them every so often," Iroh answered, secure of himself.
"Alright," she said and sipped some tea. "So, what would I do around the palace?"
"Nothing really. You'd go to some meetings. You'll mainly be in charge of the small villages in the Nation. If there's an issue going on in one of those villages, you take care of it. Zuko would take care of all war matters and the Fire Nation in its entirety."
"Wow, that's a lot of responsibility."
"Yes, but you and Zuko can do it." He smiled. "In fact, you could be the best thing that ever happened to our country," he said.
"What makes you say that?"
"Well, you seem like a girl with many great ideas. You'd do many things that would benefit the Nation. No?" He paused and look at Katara. She seemed deep in thought, like she was thinking of plans that would, in fact, really help the Nation. Not to mention the World. "Why, you could even influence young Prince Zuko."
She looked over at Iroh and smiled. She knew what he meant.Thewheels in her head were turning in her head. Could she? Was it even possible?
"What would be the first thing you'd do after marrying Prince Zuko?"
She smiled. "I guess I'd try to stop this war . And when we rule the Nation, I'd revoke Admiral Zhao of all his titles and banish him from the Nation for life. Punishing him to never step on land for the rest of his existence." She smiled and began to giggle at the thought of an insane Zhao. "It'd be great." She snapped out of her little dream and sighed. "Too bad it's just supposing."
"Doesn't have to be…" Iroh said and looked at Katara contently.
"How do you suppose I tell my brother that I fell in love with Prince Zuko?" Katara asked. "How should I tell Aang, that I'm marrying his enemy. And my father? How do I tell him that I love the future Lord of the Nation who killed my mother, his wife? How Iroh? Tell me."
The retired General was taken aback . So this was what she meant. "Well--" he began, but stopped. Anyway you said it, it came out wrong in the end.
"See? Do you understand now?" Katara said with a frown on her face.
"Yes," he answered, giving in. "I see now."
"Prince Zuko and I could never be together. The Avatar would not understand. It would only work if Zuko joined him. But he wouldn't, his throne and honor is on the line. And I wouldn't do that to him." She sighed in frustration. "I've thought about it, Iroh. Aang wouldn't accept the fact that I've betrayed him. He would never forgive me," she whispered.
He gave up and looked out the window. "I need to go down and check on Prince Zuko. Want to come?"
Katara shook her head and stood up. "I'll stay out on the deck and practice my bending. Can you stay within earshot, incase…"
Iroh nodded. "Yes, I know. We'll be just below deck. Down the stairs, to your left. Zuko will be training. Alright?" He got on his feet and grabbed Katara's teacup, setting it on the counter for the servants to come and pick it up. He signaled her to go ahead of him (manners, you know) and followed her out onto the front of the ship. After waving a small goodbye, he went down stairs.
Iroh walked down the shallow steps and opened the door to the small arena below deck. He stepped in, leaving the door opened so that incase Katara was attacked, he'd hear it. An out of breath, Zuko gave his uncle a short 'hello' before continuing his training. "Breathe Prince Zuko. Remember to breathe. Deep even breathes," Iroh instructed from the bench.
Prince Zuko jump kicked and sent the guard flying against the wall with a flame. His uncle stood up and clapped. "Good job. Good job. Come sit with your tired uncle for a few moments. Catch your breath." Zuko nodded and grabbed a towel.
"What took you so long uncle?" Zuko asked and wiped his face. "You said you'd be back in a couple minutes."
Iroh laughed. "The cook started talking to me, and then the girl came back in. And then, we started talking. Any how, I'm back."
"Oh. What were you guys talking about?"
"The cook?"
"No," he took a deep breathe, "…Katara."
"Marriage," the General said indifferently. "She has to marry soon and she's a little nervous."
"Soon? Six more years is not that soon."
"Woman marry at a younger age than men. Usually sixteen or eighteen. She has at least two more years left to find a groom. You, on the other hand, have four more years to find a bride."
Zuko looked down at his hands. "She has someone in mind?"
"No. Her father is choosing for her. But since he's out in the war, she hasn't met the boy yet. Most likely she never will," Iroh said.
"Huh?"
"Her father might be dead. Not a lot of Water Tribe warriors make it. I doubt if he did." Although it's nothing to be happy about, Prince Zuko smiled. "Don't get cheerful about it, Prince Zuko. She still has her brother, who happens to be older than her. He will chose for her if her father never returns."
The Prince's smile faded. He had forgotten. "Who could that moron chose for Katara's husbandm anyways?"
"I don't know…The Avatar, perhaps?"
"The Avatar? Avatars don't get married, uncle." He refused to believe that Katara would marry his enemy. She wouldn't. Would she? "Besides, he's too young. Twelve year olds don't get married."
Iroh shrugged. "We also talked about you."
"Me?"
"Yes. I asked her what she would do if you two were to get married. And she has ideas to make our Nation a better place."
Zuko smiled at the thought of him and Katara married. "What would those ideas be?"
"Revoke Zhao of all his titles and banish him for the rest of his life."
There was silence before they both broke out laughing.
PLEASE REVIEW!