Nobody's Listening
Chapter 19: Matrimony, Part 3
By KirariSoldier
Late at night I think about you sometimes-
I don't cry, I wonder if you're alright-
Late at night I think about you sometimes-
Wonder why I wonder if you are alright-
Thinkin of the love we made-
Rain around, out of town, now you're back again-
Confusing true love and pain-
Threw it down, now I'm back on my feet again-
Are you asleep, or are you still afraid of the dark-
Hugs and kisses, pictures of romances-
Things I wish I could do with out-
How many nights did I wander in the dark-
Counting the sercrets of my heart-
Now and then I wonder 'bout-
Who's eating, sleeping with you now-
How many times did I kiss you in the dark-
Watching memories depart-
Utada, "Wonder 'Bout"
"Yo- You killed my mother!" Katara screamed. "Be quiet you damned child"
Her father said as he grabbed her hair again and shoved her into a near-by chair. "You said she was murdered by Fire Nation warship guardians! You lied to me!" She screamed even louder. "I'll Kill YOU!" She screamed as she ran for her father's sheathed sword. She was immedatly stopped by her father who had his arm tightly binded around her neck.
"If you make another move, I will snap your neck in half!" He said feircly. Aang who was listening outside was horrifyed to hear what he had. Katara tried her best to remove his arm from her neck, on it have it tighten even more. Slight moans of pain came from her being. "Please..." She managed to sputter out.
Her father let go of her neck and let her fall to the ground. Katara gave loud gasps for breath.
"Now, my wretched child, please sit and listen." He said calmly as he took his place on an elborate arm chair. He cleared his throat and began. "Yes.
It was I who killed your mother. She was slowly gaining power over this tribe,
putting me out of my postion of head of this village. She was to be only a thing to bear my children, and for amusement." Katara's eye widened at his words, and more than ever had she wanted to kill him. "You monster! How could you think of my mother in that way!" She said hotly.
"Girl, stay your foul tongue or you will end up like your mother." He said camly. "Why are you so hot tempered? I guess you get it from your mother's side..." He said as he beckoned to one of the attending women to get him some tea. "My mother! If I get it from any one it would be you!" She spat.
"Me? Am I really that evil as you say?" He asked innocently. "You almost snapped my neck a couple of minutes ago!" Katara yelled. "Now, Child,
I am most tired of your mouth. Go and ready yourself for the ceremony. I wish to see you no more." He said as he motioned to a sentry to usher her to her tent.
Katara trudged back to her tent. When she entered, she had come to find the the interior had changed in the 20 minutes she had been gone. In stead of 2 beds,
a vanity, and nightstand, there was a giant folding screen with eloborate painting of cranes and sakura blossoms, 2 giant vanity's with over-sized chintz chairs, half a dozen attending women, and a very shaken and scared looking girl sitting in the corner on a stool. "Who are you?" Katara asked the girl kindly.
"M- Me?" The girl stuttered. "Yeah, what's your name?" Katara asked sweetly. "M-
My name is Setsuna." Trembled the girl. "What are you dong here?" Katara asked.
"I- I am to be the under queen-" The girl some how managaed to sputter. "Under queen?" Katara asked bewildered. "Yeah- If you can't coplete your job as high queen I become Prince Zuko's wife." She said as she tried to calm herself. "Well, Setsuna,
I think you will make a very great high queen." Katara said as she helped Setsuna to her feet.
"What do you mean?" Setsuna asked in a calmer tone. "I mean that YOU are going to be the one joining Zuko at the alter today." Katara said as she motioned for an attending women to do her make-up and hair. "Me? How?" Setsuna questioned. "I will simply dorn the germents of a high queen, but it will be you who it's upon the throne at Shinji Fukai"
Katara said as an attending women pulled her hair into a tight bun.
"How are you going to do that?" Setsuna asked, wanting to know more. "First of all, my father gave me a choice: High Queen or Death. I pick death over being married to that bastard Zuko. So I will simply declare my death sentence at the ceremony. You steep in, marry Zuko, go to Shinji Fukai, happily ever after." Katara struggled as the attending women fastened the bun with bobby pins and a long, transparent red ribbon.
Setsuna did not object to the plan, infact, she had grown quite taken too Zuko over the past few months. She watched Katara dress into the white bridal kimono. When Katara was finished with her preporations, she looked nothing like she had before. Her tanned skin had been covered by pale white powder, her lips ruby-red, eye lids overed in mauve, she looked a geisha, but was nothing close.
Then it was Setsuna's turn to dress. She was simply dressed in a red kimono, hair pulled back into a golden ribbon, and her facial make-up could rival Katara's in audacity. Soon the gong sounded, Katara was ushered out of the tent and to the alter. She was a sight for sore eyes, and looked more graceful than a swan. When she reached the shirne, Zuko was waiting for her, looking as if he was ready to go to battle.
"Father. I have made my decision. " Katara stated in a lady-like manner. "Princess Katara, what do you choose?
Death or Matrimony?" He asked as he gripped his sheathed sword. "Death." A wave of shock rolled over the crowd.
Some gasped, and others booed. "If that is what you wish." He said as he unsheathed his gleaming sword.
He pointed the tip of the blade to her neck. "You, Princess, are to murder yourself in front of this assembly." He said as he lowered the blade to her hand. She slowly took hold, pointed the blade to her stomache, and kneeled down before her father.
"STOP!" Bellowed her father. "You, my child, are insane!" He said as he stole the sword from her hands, tossed it onto the snow. "Is this the cost of unifaction between two nations? The death of the innocent!" He spat, truley taken aback by Katara's stupidity. Tears streamed down from katara's eyes, making her eye liner run, leaving trials of tan on her ghostly pale white face. "OH Dad..." She said as she ran to her father. "Why? Why!" She repeated over and over.
Her father hugged her tight. "Katara, I made the mistake of slaying something pure once. And it will NOT happen again."
Katara buried her face into her father's chest. Suddenly the world did'nt seem like such a bad place.
"Katara, I will not force you to marry Zuko. But if you decline the wedding, our aliance will crumble, and the Fire Nation will attack our tribe." He said sternlty. "Don't worry, the Aliance won't fall!" She said as she pulled away from her father.
"Are you going to marry Zuko?" He asked. "No, Setsuna is!" Katara said happily as she skipped of into the crowd. When she emmerged, she was dragging a frightened girl by her arm. "Father, Zuko, this is Setsuna. The under queen." Katara said mater-of-factly. "So you are the under queen." Zuko said as he approched the trembling maiden.
"Your beauty is impecible..." He said as he gazed into her eyes. She blushed, and began to calm. "Thank- Thank You..." She said,
truly taken by his comment.
TO BE CONTINUED...