Even though Zuko knew what was coming and that his father's fury was directed at someone else, Ozai's mood frightened him. Katara, his precious love, had insisted on standing firmly by his side throughout the whole ordeal. Because that was what it all was to him –an ordeal. Despite it being what he needed, Zuko wasn't a violent man, and he hated to see anyone die.
And somehow, that it was going to happen between two such close men bothered him more. Shinu was the closest thing his father had to a true friend, and that they both would betray each other unsettled him. It made for a sad life for both men that, with all the political achievements, neither had anything genuinely lasting. Who would mourn either man when they died?
Shinu stood in the throne room, waiting for Ozai's announcement, utterly ignorant of what was coming. At the moment he was merely amused that everyone gathered seemed nervous, and he hoped this all was due to the discovery of the location of his secret love child. He looked forward to having his "granddaughter" married to Zuko. She would be the closest thing the Fire Nation had to a Fire Lady, and that would bring him and his family line more power.
Ozai had already been given evidence of Shinu's lies, and the verdict was already decided in his mind. Zuko forced himself to keep his eyes on the proceedings. He hated death, but he knew there were times it was necessary, and he refused to flinch in the face of difficulty. He felt Katara thread her fingers together with his, and instantly, it calmed his whole body. Despite what he knew of himself, he hadn't noticed quite how incredibly tense he had been until he felt her calming touch.
Katara –she was so much of what his father was missing. She was the love of his life and the reason he fought so hard for what he wanted. He had ambition before her, but now he had the drive to make it happen. He looked at his father sitting alone on his throne, about to judge the one who had been the most constant in his life and about to sentence him to death. He was overwhelmed with pity for a man who had brought terror to his life for so long. Now, all he could see was a lonely man with no one to love him or care about what happened to him.
Zuko looked around the room at his friends and his allies and felt a comfort settle in his chest. He didn't have the throne yet, but he already had more than his father could ever have.
Ozai sat board-straight on his throne. His perfect posture and his immaculate clothing showed he was to be taken very seriously. His Fire Lord crown had been polished to a shine before it was placed on him. His very presence commanded attention.
His voice boomed out, "Shinu, did you or did you not try to pass off your bastard daughter as your legitimate granddaughter?"
Shinu didn't flinch, "I have no bastard daughter, Fire Lord."
"You claim you didn't sleep with Nu and get her pregnant with your child? My former wife's own sister?"
"I don't know who's been spouting lies, Sir, but-"
"Enough!" Ozai yelled out, cutting Shinu off. "Nu outsmarted you in the end. She left evidence of the child's birth –a birth you thought you hid completely. And then there is the death of the granddaughter who is supposed to be marrying Zuko."
The whole room filled with the council, family, onlookers, and servants was dead quiet. They had quickly figured out what they were witnessing. These were the last moments in a man's life, one who had been a war hero and a close advisor to the Fire Lord.
"Fire L-lord," Shinu wanted to curse over his stumbling over Ozai's title and the telltale sign of nerves. He pressed on, trying to sound calm. "I don't know what lies Katara's loyal supporters have told you. But surely you can see this was all orchestrated to end the engagement to my granddaughter so that Katara could marry Zuko. I can't believe you'd actually fall for this ploy."
Ozai chuckled in response. "You seem to be under the misconception that this is a trial. I have already reviewed the evidence and found you guilty. This is merely the sentencing for the crime of lying to your Fire Lord!"
Shinu physically shook now. Still, his mind raced to try to figure out a way to keep his life. He wanted to scream when his mind was coming up blank. He couldn't counter the truth well. He had no evidence of having a living granddaughter. Even though he had thought to destroy the evidence of her death, someone could have kept something. Obviously, they had –damn them.
Standing, Ozai announced, "cease him!" The guards moved quickly to hold and subdue Shinu.
Zuko's nerves were so taught that his mind registered that this would be the time Katara would say something to provoke Ozai's anger. He glanced at her, and she whispered, "I'm not that foolish, Zuko," and her lips curled ever so slightly with humor.
"I guess I am," he muttered and released her hand. Louder, he said, "Fire Lord, may I carry out your sentence on Shinu?"
As much as he hated the killing, he knew the assembled group would need to see him stand up and at least act like the son of the Fire Lord, and heir. He was showing that he wasn't afraid of exacting punishment and that he was the crown prince.
Ozai actually smiled at him. "No, son. I will carry out this sentence. He lied to and deceived me. You have already proven to me that you're a man once you killed Azula."
Damn, his family was messed up. It amazed him sometimes that Katara wanted to join her life with his line. It was a family all bent on killing each other. He had killed his own sister, and as much as she didn't leave him a choice, that still unsettled him.
His head provided, 'and she loves you partially because it was hard. Katara is the most intelligent woman you know, and she still loves you. Trust her words; you owe that to her.'
It calmed him to know Katara loved him with her eyes open. She didn't throw out her intelligence or her strength by being with him. She saw his flaws and didn't hide her head in the sand over them.
Zuko's stomach felt queasy when Ozai stalked toward Shinu, reached him, and then began choking him to death. No words were said; there wasn't any pomp or ceremony. It was brutal in its callousness and in how abrupt it was. One moment Shinu was struggling against the guards holding him and trying to breathe. The next, his body was slack, and he was dead.
Zuko grabbed Katara's hand again and stood rooted to the ground. He kept his eyes fixed on his father. A man who he wondered now if he was even human. Ozai was smiling at Shinu's corpse.
Once he was done admiring his handy work, he nodded and said, "you're all dismissed." He then turned and walked from the room. Zuko presumed he was heading off for a victory fuck. It all disgusted him.
Zuko mentally shook himself when Katara squeezed his hand. He still had a part to play. He said, "take his body to his family so they can give him a proper funeral." He then climbed the dais and stood next to his father's throne. "Choose your path carefully, or you could very well end up like Shinu."
His speech was carefully crafted and intentionally short. The less he said, the less someone could try and condemn him with what he said. If his father asked about his little speech, he would say he meant that if you lie to the Fire Lord, you will die. But his real message was to those who had witnessed Ozai not take into account Shinu's decades of loyal service to the throne. The message was to choose Zuko because if you choose Ozai, he will turn on you.
He walked down away from the throne, and Katara followed him out of the room. Now was the time for those left behind to make their decision.
