Lol, wow. I got a bunch of reviews telling me I'd better hurry up on the fic. Thanks guys! I was really encouraged to get at it. I do apologize for not having this out sooner. I had the rest of Dangerous Ground already mapped out, but I hadn't done that for the conclusion. Sooo... it took a little longer. Sheepish grin forgive me? Here it is: The Great Tying Up Of Ends.
Chapter 35
The next several weeks went by in a whirlwind of activity. There were warships to call back, troops to withdraw, advisors to dismiss, and a host of other things to take care of as Zuko's new rule was instituted.
For the first few weeks, I was busy just trying to clean up the mess. There were thousands of wounded soldiers to tend to, and only a few waterbending healers to help me. Soon, however, I was joined by several more from the Southern and Northern Water Tribes, who had come to volunteer their time and skills in a celebration of the new peace. I searched for familiar faces, but most were just young girls, new to bending and healing but eager to help. They looked at me with wide, worshipful eyes, and giggled in blushing groups when Zuko would visit me and try to sneak in a kiss when he thought no one was looking.
I kept up hope that one day I would see the face I so longed to see: my father's. I knew it was foolish to think that he might have escaped the slaughter the Fire Nation had dished out before the end of Ozai's reign, but I still held out a little flicker of hope, burning inside me like a flame in Zuko's hand.
I was bent over the leg of a soldier one day, examining and healing the laceration that had slowly begun to heal, when a rough, familiar voice caught my attention.
"There she is. Healing, just as a woman should be." I recognized the voice, along the chauvinist attitude, immediately.
"Pakku!" I yelled, whirling around to greet him with a wide smile.
But there was someone standing beside him that made the smile vanish in shock.
There stood my father.
I was dimly aware of the orb of healing water dropping from my hand. I could feel it splash against my ankles as it hit the floor in a soft plosh. That plosh was suddenly the only sound I could hear. The quiet murmurs of the other healers, the moans of discomfort from the wounded men, the laughter and the chattering of the soldiers as they regaled each other with war stories: all faded away as I stared into the face my father.
He was older. Much older. Lines had seeped into the supple softness of his skin like tiny rivers biting into the yielding loam of a mountainside. Grey and white hair had replaced the thick mane of brown that I used to twist my fingers in when I was a baby. He clutched a walking staff now, his once tall, strong body was now bent to take the weight off his right leg. Yes, the ravages of war had taken their toll on my father, but one thing remained untouched:
His eyes. They sparkled with the same bright hope that they always had. It was that hope that had kept me looking for the return of his ship when I was a little girl, standing at the watch posts and peering into the fog. It was that same hope that had flickered in my own heart, passed from father to daughter like one candle lighting another, that kept my head up when all was at its darkest.
I felt my feet begin to walk toward him. They moved of their own will, pushing me through an endless expanse of space. Part of me told my feet to stop, that if I came any closer, the vision would shatter like a dream and I would be left standing alone, facing only the aching reality that my father was never coming back.
But he didn't shatter. He scooped me up into his arms, as strong and sure as he ever was. I buried my face in his parka, relishing the familiar, musky scent. I felt something hot and wet fall onto my face, and I looked up to see that he was crying. Thin streams of water streaked down his face, his hot, salty tears mingling with my own as they fell on my cheeks.
"My daughter! My Katara! What a fine woman you've grown into." He said, his voice cracking with emotion as he held me. So strong, like he'd never let go.
"I was waiting for you! I knew you'd come back!"
"Of course! Didn't I promise I'd come back to you when the war was over?" He asked, smiling down at me.
"I'm so happy to see you again!" I buried my face in his chest again. It had been so long since I'd felt his strong arms around me, holding me and shushing me when I'd had a nightmare, telling me that everything would be okay. So long... "What took you?" I asked.
He laughed and stroked my hair. "I was fighting, along with the rest of the waterbenders from our tribe, in a tiny outpost on the other side of the world. It takes a while for news to travel, I suppose."
"When did you hear that the war was over?"
"We heard it just a week ago. At first, we thought it was all just a wild story, like all the other ones we'd heard. But this bit of news came from the mouths of Fire Nation messengers, who carried parchments bearing the royal seals. There wasn't much room left for doubt, there."
"What do you mean 'other ones'? There were other rumors that the war was ending?" My brow furrowed in confusion.
"No, no. Nothing like that. They were just strange stories. Some kind of nonsense about an army that only appeared at night, that was led by a dragon that could scream like a man, and a woman with seven arms who could snatch fire from the air. They were said to disappear as soon as-"
I began to laugh so hard that my father had to stop talking. He gave me a puzzled stare. "What's so funny? Have you heard the stories, too?"
"Yes, you could say that."
"Well, you don't have to laugh so hard." My father feigned a hurt expression. "It's not like I believed them."
"Hmm, you should have." I said, tilting my head and grinning mischievously, as I had done when I was a child and wouldn't tell him where I'd hid his boots.
"What are you talking about?"
"Come with me, I have a lot to tell you."
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My father and I stood in the barren gardens of the Fire Nation court. Ozai had ordered the blooms destroyed a long time ago, and winter had obliterated the last of the few straggling weeds that had sprung up in the fire-blackened earth, mirroring the death that still clung so tightly to the walls of the Fire Nation palace. It was like a disease, lingering in the air and choking the breath of those who entered. But with each warmongering advisor who was dismissed from his position, with each gold-plated statue glorifying firebender destruction removed from the palace, with each bloodied tapestry taken from the walls, the plague was slowly, painfully slowly, lifting.
My father and I had stood in the cold garden for a long time as I told him about the past several years. He listened quietly as I told him of finding Aang trapped in an iceberg, and laughed as I recounted Aang's antics and the adventures we'd had together. His face had grown serious when I told him of meeting the Fire Prince, and nodded approvingly when I'd told him of my decision to heal Zuko instead of letting him suffer or die.
When I got to the part about our capture by the earth kingdom rebels, my father's eyes widened in surprise, an expression that only intensified as I told him of the battles I'd faced, and the way I'd watched Zuko take command of the rebel army and, ultimately, defeat his father.
"So, you see? There was some truth to those rumors." I said teasingly, leaning against the metal rail that ran around the garden. My father shook his head and smiled.
"My daughter. A legend! You have become an honorable woman, Katara." His smile faded and emotion blurred his eyes. "I only wish I could have been there to watch you."
I pulled myself into his arms. "Oh father, don't worry! You're here now! Everything will be as go back to the way it was." I tried to comfort him.
"No, Katara. Things will never be as they were. Time moves. It's like water, it is never the same." He smiled again. "But that is a good thing! All things must change, and I am happy to see that time has revealed what a woman of character my daughter is!"
I smiled up at him.
"Yes, a woman indeed. Old enough, it seems, to be in love with a young man?" Father raised his eyebrow at me and crossed his arms. Never in all my life had he ever reminded me of Sokka more than now. I blushed, feeling suddenly very much like a child, despite my father's words.
I had told my father everything of the past year, not leaving out the romance Zuko and I had shared. The blush deepened on my cheeks and a little jolt of fear ran through me suddenly. How will he react now that he knows his daughter is in love with a firebender? And not just any firebender: The Prince of firebenders! I decided it would do me no good simply standing there looking nervous and silly.
"I want you to meet someone." I said, taking my father by one hand and leading him from the garden.
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The war room had been renamed the 'peace room' by Uncle Iroh. The old man had insisted that the tactic would help entrench the reality of our position in the minds of any Fire Nation nobles who wanted to contest. Zuko had rolled his eyes and called his uncle silly for his idea, but Zuko had done what Iroh said, anyway.
After spending some time with them, I'd begun to understand the strange relationship they had. Iroh would make some request, usually one that made no sense at the time, and Zuko would stomp and protest and then give in to whatever Iroh asked. It was kind of amusing, once you got used to it, and I enjoyed watching the two interact.
But for now, Iroh was no where to be seen. Only Zuko occupied the peace room, his brow furrowed and his body bent over parchment scribbled heavily with problems he, as the new Fire Lord, was now burdened with fixing. I knew he was more than capable of handling it, but all the same he seemed grateful when I walked through the doors. His eyes lit up with a bright, fiery glow and his mouth widened into a genuine smile.
I left my father outside. Zuko deserved a warning before I brought him into the room. I stood at the door, wondering how best to broach the subject, but Zuko didn't give me a chance.
"I'm glad you came." He said, getting up from among the parchments. He winced as he stretched muscles that had grown used to the awkward pose. "I think we both need a break."
I nodded. We'd both been working tirelessly since the defeat of Ozai, giving ourselves only an hour or so each day to talk or cuddle or both. It was hard on us, but we knew that eventually peace and rest would lie on the lands again, and our time to relax would come. For now, though, we had to content ourselves with furtive kisses and stolen embraces. Taking his chance, Zuko crossed the room and pulled me gently into his arms. I took a deep breath, enjoying the feeling of peace and safety in leaning against his warm, strong body. Tenderly, he began to stroke my cheek with his fingertips, sending little pulses of electricity to thrum in my veins.
I brought my face up and closed my eyes, waiting for heaven to descend on my lips.
It did, warm and moist and tasting of Zuko. A gentle, innocent kiss that tingled in every nerve beneath my skin. That's when I heard a cough behind me.
I'd grown used to earthbender doors. Theirs were sturdy, hardy blocks of earth that swung open and closed with a great deal of noise and effort.
Firebender doors, on the other hand, were often nothing more than a beautiful strip of red silk hanging in front of the entryway like a curtain. Such was the case for the peace room. It was because of this that I hadn't heard my father walk into the little love scene between me and Zuko.
Zuko looked up with a bit of confusion. "Is there something you need, sir?" Zuko said, his voice betraying none of the annoyance that I could detect in the flickering of his eyes and the subtle rise in his body temperature.
"Well, yes. My daughter, actually." My father crossed his arms and cocked his head to the side.
Zuko paled a little, but he did not relinquish his hold on me. If anything, it only became stronger. I smiled.
"Don't worry." I whispered. Zuko's muscles relaxed a little, but there was still a tension in the air that made me feel as if a fog had rolled in and was weighing down on us.
"Katara, would you mind waiting outside? I would like to take a moment of the Fire Lord's time, if he doesn't mind."
Zuko nodded to my father, granting him his request. My eyes shifted between the two men. There was tension there, certainly, but not danger. My father's lips were not pursed, and Zuko's body temperature had not risen noticeably higher. I decided it was safe to leave the room.
Leave the room?
Yes.
Leave the hall?
No.
Just outside the silk curtain, I stepped to the side, pressing myself against the wall outside the entryway. I held my breath as I listened to the words that floated through the veil like tiny fish through water.
"So, you're the new Fire Lord? Fire Lord Zuko?"
"Yes."
"I congratulate you."
"Thank you."
"I mean no disrespect to your father, but he was a terrible man."
"...There are many that share your opinion."
"Good. I am glad to see a new ruler on the throne. But one thing puzzles me."
"What is that?"
"Well, the war is almost won for the Fire Nation. Why not finish it? Why not continue fighting until the other races have been enslaved, as your father wanted?"
"The war has gone on long enough. I want the bloodshed to be over."
"Sure! But, wouldn't enslaving everyone end the war? And to your favor, I might add."
"No."
"No?"
"The war will never end as long as the elements are out of balance. Even if the Fire Nation should win, the bloodshed would only continue in the forms of rebel uprisings. Men and women would still have to go to war. Families would still be ripped apart. Sons and daughters of all nations would still die."
There was a pause for some time. I let out the breath I'd been holding and strained my ears. The silence roared around me.
"I see you like my daughter."
"No."
"No?"
"I love her."
"Ah, clever."
"No."
"No?"
"It's not clever. It's the truth."
"Hm. Passionate."
There was another pause, and I let myself breathe before I passed out.
"You know, I once thought that's all that firebenders were. Passionate. Angry. Destructive."
Zuko didn't answer.
"I knew the teachings of my people, that we are to acknowledge each nation for its good qualities as well as its bad, and to show love and compassion to those who are different from us. But, to be honest, I thought that those ideals would be proven wrong the moment I stepped onto the ship and headed out to join the war."
"Did they?" Zuko asked.
"No. I thought I'd just see the angry side of firebenders, as I had most of my life. But my travels took me to many places. I saw things I'd never thought I'd see in my life... Would you mind indulging me as I tell you a story?"
I knew Zuko hated stories and proverbs, and I cringed. However, Zuko slowly, reluctantly answered "No, go right ahead." I smiled. Thank you, Zuko.
"One night I was patrolling the forest a short journey from my base. It was a dark night, and I wandered too far and got lost. I fell into a hunting pit and broke my leg, badly. I was bleeding heavily, and about to pass out from the pain. I thought I would die in there, in the dark and the cold.
"But then I heard voices. At first, I just thought it was the spirits of my ancestors, coming to carry me home to rest, but as the voices grew louder, I realized that they belonged to very real, very alive people. Imagine my shock when I saw the face of a Fire Nation man peek over the edge. I assume they must have been surprised to see me, too, instead of a nice, fat platypus bear!" My father chuckled.
"I expected to die at their hands. I expected no mercy, no compassion. But... instead, I was carried on their backs to their village nearby. You see, they weren't soldiers. They were settlers, sent to occupy the earthbender land that the Fire Nation had won. At first I was angry, I wanted nothing to do with these people who would take the lands of my earthbender brothers. I even thought of killing them, but I was too badly broken to try anything, so I just let them do with me as they wished.
"I was tended with the care of a broken kitten, and they... they healed me! I never thought such a thing possible from the Fire Nation. I knew the could destroy. But heal? True, their methods were intense, using strong medicine and cauterizing fire, but they were also quick and merciful. The treatments kept me from infection and dulled the pain, but I still couldn't walk. I was forced to just sit there and watch them.
"I saw many things that surprised me. I saw fathers embracing their children. I saw young men wooing girls with simple, heartfelt affection. I saw women spend all night tending to the sick, and men going out of their way to help a needy neighbor. It came as a quite an eye-opener for me to realize that maybe firebenders weren't the ruthless, heartless sadists I thought they all were.
"I realized that maybe, some were different..." Father finished, allowing quiet to permeate the room, giving his words added meaning. Then, I heard his voice boom in the direction of the door.
"Katara, don't you have some things you should be getting back to?"
I blushed and grinned. "Yes." I said through the silk, before hurrying off. As I left, however, I could still hear my father and Zuko talking.
"This isn't the first time she's eavesdropped, you know."
"Really? Well, that doesn't surprise me. She's done that since she was a child..."
I grinned naughtily as I left them.
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Winter passed quickly. It may have been because of the flurry of activity that kept us busy, or simply the fact that winters in the Fire Lands didn't last as long as those in the Earth and Water Lands. Either way, I was glad to feel the sun's warmth cover the earth again, creeping into the ground and stirring to life the tiny shoots and buds that had been sleeping there.
By spring's first sunrise, we'd made great strides in bringing the nations together in peace. Of course, that wasn't to say it was easy.
Although most of the nobility was happy to see the end of the war, there were still dissidents. Many powerful nobles of the Fire Nation's court contested Zuko's rise to the throne, his ending of the war, his choice of... companions. There had been times I'd wanted to speak out against their accusations, and times I knew Zuko wanted to do more than just speak out at them. His flickering golden eyes told me he'd like to end their trouble-making tongues for good.
It was at that time that Iroh would often chime in with just the right words. Sometimes it was something as simple as a short proverb or a few well-chosen sentences, smooth as butter, as gentle as a wave rocking a boat on a calm sea, but holding enough power to silence the challenges. It was then that I would grin at the old man, realizing that perhaps he wasn't quite as old and doddering as he let on.
There were no words, however, to assuage the suspicion and one hundred year's worth of war and prejudice felt by the other three nations toward the Fire Nation. The end of the war had come quickly and easily. Peace, however, did not. An uneasy tension existed between the nations, as if they feared the Fire Nation might turn around at any second, declare the entire thing a horrible joke, and slaughter them all.
If not for Aang we would never have gained the trust of the other lands by spring. But, thanks to his tireless effort, Zuko's constant demonstrations of peace and honor, and my ambassadorship to the water tribes, we were slowly making roads toward seeing one hundred year's worth of hatred slowly melt away.
It was exhausting work. And work, I knew, that would probably never end. Zuko was paying now for the mistakes of his father and grandfather, paying with his time and effort and blood and sweat. It didn't seem fair.
I stood by the window one morning, enjoying the feel of the ocean breeze on my face as it blew in from the sea, which laid just within sight of the palace. The closeness of my element was the one comfort I enjoyed most among the opulent luxuries of the palace. I stretched out my arms and let the breeze fill my sleeves. I could imagine myself as a bird, flying high above the petty, stupid troubles of the people below. Their feuds and their anger and their greed disappearing beneath me as I rose high enough to touch the moon. I breathed in deeply, the last rays of the setting sun warming the air before it entered my lungs.
I began to focus on the sea, stretching out my hand and pulling a tiny ball of water from the waves. I cupped my hand, letting the water settle in my palm. I smiled and twisted the ball around in my fingertips, playing with it with the same joy as a little girl who'd finally found a long lost doll.
I'd not waterbended in a long time, as most of my day had been consumed with the work of the palace. But now, with the water tingling and shimmering between my fingers, I realized just how much I missed bending. I decided at that moment to set aside time each day to practice again. Starting today.
I closed my eyes and pulled my hands apart, creating a long, thin stream. I squished my hands together again, quickly, and a disk of ice was now between my palms. The water melted and spattered to the ground at my feet in several tiny raindrops. I lifted my fingertips and the raindrops sprang to life, leaving the floor to dance in the air around me in a whirling, shimmering display. I smiled at my own mastery of my element.
I brought the water back together again, letting it hover just above my palm. Suddenly, a light pink line caught my attention. The scar. A memory flashed in my mind's eye, one of sitting on the deck of a rocking Fire Navy ship, trying to heal the scar in the hope that I could better heal the wounded men.
It was not something I could have learned in so short a time, and I had been foolish to think that I could have. But now... now that there was a fragile peace and I had a bit of time to practice...
I focused on the scar again, flattening out the water into a cool, wet bandage. This time, the tingling came faster than it had before. I smiled, hoping that perhaps I would be successful on this try. I focused harder, feeling my strength flow into the water as it glowed a brighter blue. I could feel myself begin to tremble as time went by, but still nothing had happened.
I relaxed a little, letting the water puddle in my hand. With one more deep breath, I tried again. The water glowed, tingled on my palm, and teased my skin. I focused on the edges of the scar, focused on the pain I'd remembered being there oh-so-many months ago, and relaxed, letting the water do its healing.
This time, I did feel something. An electric touch around the edges of the scar. It sent prickles into my skin and made me gasp. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but one that did surprise me. I continued focusing, my eyes squeezed shut, my breath coming in short, panting gasps. Finally, the tingling stopped. When I opened my eyes again, they widened in shock...
Then I heard footsteps, and they were coming fast. I let the water fall from my hand as I whirled around. Zuko came in and began taking off the ceremonial Fire Lord robes.
"Enjoying the sunset?" He asked casually, his back to me as he pulled a long, golden robe over his shoulders.
"Um... sure." I smiled, hiding my hand behind my back. I didn't know why I felt I had to hide it from Zuko. After all, he knew of my ability to water heal.
Later. Later? What was that supposed to mean?
"I missed you today." He said, finally having extricated himself from the many layers of cloth. Standing there now in only his silk pants, he crossed his arms and gave me a chiding, mischievous smile. It took my breath away, and I promptly forgot about bending.
"What do you mean? I got to see you at breakfast and lunch." I said, mirroring his stance.
"It wasn't enough." He pouted.
"Well, we wouldn't want to deny the Fire Lord what he wants, now would we?" I swayed my hips a little as I walked toward him. I felt the temperature in the room rise a little as I brushed against him, crawling into bed.
He followed me, curling his arms around my middle as we settled onto the mattress. I felt his breath in my hear, felt his body heat with a gentle, pleasant warmth to compensate for my cold skin. I smiled and snuggled further into his embrace. Zuko buried his face in my hair and matched the rhythm of my breathing as we slowly drifted to sleep in each others arms.
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When I woke up the next morning, Zuko was gone. I was not alarmed. Zuko usually rose earlier than me, and sometimes left before I awoke. Taking a furtive look around the empty room, I walked to the window and threw open the curtains, letting the soft, slightly-salty breeze fill the little room with the scent of flowers blooming under the spring sun.
I settled myself on the ground and began waterbending. This time, I skipped the play and got right down to healing. Closing my eyes, I concentrated.
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My days began to fall into a steady routine. I would wake in the morning to find that Zuko had already risen and left, though for what purpose I could never tell, and I would then spend some time practicing waterbending alone in my room. It was slow going at first, for learning to heal was different from learning to fight.
But waterbending was only a small part of my day. I also had the duty of entertaining the leaders of the Water Tribes and helping them to unite and see the benefits of establishing peace with the Fire Nation, ensuring them that the peace treaty Zuko was proposing was no trick or trap. I would also spend some time with Aang and Sokka, who both had duties to attend to in the palace as well. Sometimes I wrote letters to Gran-Gran. Father had gone to be with her, and it comforted me to know she was being looked after.
One of my favorite pars of the day was when I got to walk in the gardens. Many, many earthbender gardeners were tending the soil there, removing the silt and soot that Ozai had burned into the earth, and replacing it with the soft, nutrient-rich loam that lay beneath the surface.
Already, the green shoots of young plants had begun to spring up, their tendrils reaching through the ground like fingers grasping for the sun. I smiled as I walked the paths leading around the garden, admiring the glints of color that speckled the ground, the tiny buds of early-bloomers.
When I got back to the palace, I would have just enough time to slip into my night clothes before Zuko walked in and shrugged off the heavy robes, loosening himself from the heavy mantle of Fire Lord and baring his soul as we spoke of the trials and triumphs of the day, nestled in each other's arms, or covering each other's faces with gentle, hungry kisses.
The next day, it would start all over again. It wasn't until early summer that we saw the first major victory for the budding peace between the four nations. A peace treaty was to be signed! It would ensure a cessation of hostilities between the nations, and the opening of free trade. It was a great triumph, and would be celebrated accordingly.
A feast would be prepared and all the leaders of all the nations would be invited. My father would be there, along with the leader of the Northern Water tribe, Yue's father. King Bumi would attend, as would the surviving Air Nomads, who had escaped the slaughter by hiding. It was going to be a grand affair.
A little tremor of excitement ran through me, realizing what an honor it was to have a chance to see a table full of the leaders of four nations sitting and celebrating together in peace. It was a sight that hadn't been seen in over a hundred years.
I fidgeted a little with the strap of my kimono. It was a soft, satiny gold, and it clung to my curves in a very becoming way.
But I didn't like it.
It was just so... so... extravagant. Covered in layers upon layers of sparkling, shimmering cloth, I felt more like an overweight butterfly than a warrior woman from the Water Tribes. I sighed, once again trying to press down the folds of silk.
Surprisingly, it was the plainest dress among the selection. I had been brought dress after dress that morning, paraded in front of my by servants, as if neither I nor them had anything better to do than pick out finery. I sighed, rubbing the creases of frustration out of my forehead. I gave myself one last look...
...And ripped the cloth from my body. I would rather go to the feast naked than wear such a thing. Hmm... perhaps I could persuade Zuko to follow my trend tonight...
I pushed the idea from my head, blushing and chiding myself for my naughtiness. But now I had a problem, I was naked, slightly cold in the late-spring chill, and the feast would begin in only a short time. I sank onto the bed, glaring hatefully at the pile of silk and fluff on my bedroom floor. Gold. What was I thinking? It's not even my color.
Suddenly, an idea surfaced in my mind. My color. I ran to one of the chests piled in the corner of the room. It contained the few, precious things I'd accumulated during my year at the earthbender fortress. I'd had it shipped from the Earth Kingdom as soon as the war was over, and had carefully folded and touched the items, relishing the bittersweet memories of a time when the future was as unsure as footing on dangerous ground.
Now, rifling through the chest, I finally found what I had been looking for. My hands gripped something soft and silky. Yanking it from beneath a pile of green earthbender tunics, the blue dress from Aunt Wu's village unrolled and draped across my knees.
It was not as fine a silk as the golden kimono, nor was it as bedecked in layers of rich cloth and jewels, but its simplicity was its beauty. I held it up to my bare skin and relished the feel of its cool touch, the deep, ocean blue matching and complementing my eyes.
I pulled it over my head, twisted my hair into a loose bun, tied on a pair of sandals, and adorned myself with only my mother's necklace for jewelry. Standing in front of the mirror, I was pleased with the end result. I would not match the Fire Nation women, and I knew that I would earn a few disdainful stares at my nonconformity, but I didn't care. I did not earn my title of warrior only to be intimidated by a few catty glances from Fire Nation nobility.
I walked out to the garden and waited, running my fingers over my smooth palms. Zuko would be along any time now to take me to the banquet. While I waited, I surveyed the thousands of enchanting blooms that now filled the place.
It was just as Zuko had described it to me: a place of life, bursting with color and diversity and rebellious shades of blue and green and yellow. I smiled, running my finger over the cloud-soft petals of a nearby violet.
Finally, I heard footsteps. Zuko approached, dressed handsomely in masculine robes of the same golden-colored silks that I had despised. On him, they seemed to fit, matching his fiery eyes and setting off the glow of heat in his skin, their colors shimmering under the torchlight. A little shiver of delight passed through me.
"You look very handsome." I said softly, rising from my place. Zuko's eyes fell on my gown and a smile tugged his lips upward.
"I... I don't match." I said, not sure whether to feel apologetic or rebellious. I decided on the latter and lifted my chin defiantly. Zuko shook his head, his smile widening.
"I would not have you any other way."He said softly. Another shiver ran up my body despite the warmth of the early-summer's night.
Pulling back, he cocked his head and looked at me with a soft smile. "I have to tell you something."
"What?"
"I've been talking to your father."
I brow furrowed. What could that mean? Had my father tried to convince him that we were not suitable for each other? Had he threatened Zuko the way my brother had? Had he threatened to refuse to sign the peace treaty unless Zuko left me alone? A thousand possibilities ran through my head and chilled my blood.
"I asked him for something." This was the most puzzling statement of all.
"What could a Fire Lord possibly ask for from a Water Tribesman?" I laughed. There was a pause, and Zuko reached forward to take my face in his hands.
"For his daughter's hand in marriage."
My world suddenly stopped. I could hear each heartbeat, I could taste the dew of night in the air, I could feel the light of the moon falling on my shoulders, I could smell the fragrance of each exotic flower in the garden. Dimly, Zuko's voice reached my ears.
"I love you Katara..." Zuko paused and placed a hand into the fold of one of his sleeves, bringing out a tiny package wrapped in fine blue silk.
"All my life, the only things I knew were anger and pain and fighting. It was all I thought I would ever feel. But then..." Zuko looked at me, his eyes conveying a wordless message, reaching beyond the confines of human language and speaking with words known only in the deepest places of a person's being.
"You healed me, Katara." His voice was barely above a whisper. Slowly, he began to unwrap the package in his hands. I gasped at what I saw.
A long silk band was curled inside the package, and at the center of the band was a stone of the purest, brightest blue I'd ever seen. It was circled in pure gold, set with rubies that sparkled in the moonlight. In the center of the stone, there was a carving. I peered closely at it, but could not recognize the symbol.
"What is..."
"It's a blending of the fire and water symbols." Zuko said, smirking at his own cleverness. "I created it myself. Your father taught me how to put together the rest, and I did: every morning, before you woke."
I smiled and looked back into the eyes of the man I loved. My heart was beating in my chest like a thousand birds flying against a hurricane.
"When I was fighting my father, I was so afraid. But... it wasn't for the reasons I thought I'd be. I thought that... that I would be afraid to lose my honor, again. Or to lose my throne and my country. I thought I'd be afraid of death. But... I wasn't afraid of those things. I knew I had the strength to face them all. The only thing I didn't have the strength to bear...
...was losing you." He brought his hand up to caress my face, bringing my eyes up to meet his solemn stare.
"Everything else in this world pales when you are standing next to it. I could have all the riches my father dreamed of and never be happy without you there. You are my only weakness, Katara. And you are my only love..." He took a breath.
"Katara, will you accept the betrothal necklace?"
I counted two heartbeats of bliss before I jumped into his arms.
"Yes, Zuko, yes." I felt tears of joy course down my face and burn on my cheeks. Trembling, I pulled back and watched as Zuko held up the necklace. Suddenly, he frowned.
"What about your mother's necklace?" He asked. I smiled and closed my hand around the stone. "It will be passed down to my daughter..." I untied the knot. "...just as it was passed down to me, only to be taken off when she has found love as I have."
I closed my eyes as I felt Zuko's hands reach around my neck to tie the betrothal necklace around my throat. Dimly, I remembered a night a long time ago, when there had been pirates and fighting and a scroll. Zuko's hands had been around my neck then, too, holding my mother's betrothal necklace against my collarbone. I smiled at the irony. If only I had known then...
"You look beautiful." Zuko smiled, a small blush staining his cheeks. I felt heat come to my own skin and reached up to stroke the blue stone. Zuko took me by the hand and led me into the palace. Sounds of celebration and laughter filled the hallways, and I my heart beat excitedly as we neared the entrance. I was about to walk through, when Zuko stopped me.
Beaming, he faced the crowd. His hand still firmly holding mine, he addressed the tables filled with every nation.
"Tonight, I celebrate our peace!" Zuko shouted, and immediately the voices stilled and the faces of hundreds of leaders turned to face him. "But I have new reason to celebrate, as well. The beautiful and honorable Katara of the Water Tribes has agreed to marry me!"
There was a shocked silence for a while, which was soon drowned out in a wild, cheering roar of applause.
O.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o.O
Not over yet...