Leiko had been up all night, thinking about the offer. It was indeed a win-lose situation. What would she do? What should she do? She could hear Zuko's voice in her head saying "Don't do it." And then contradicting himself by saying, "Do it for me." Leiko was torn straight down the middle, her heart split, her mind divided. She could marry this highly honorable general and get her revenge, OR, she could stay a widow and be a prisoner, forever holding her honor in marrying the banished prince. Oh how she wanted her revenge.

The morning came particularly slow, and Leiko raised her head to greet the little bit of sunlight that was coming into the dungeon of the boat. Tara stayed asleep, needing her energy. Leiko couldn't sleep at all. She was afraid of having that single nightmare that had been haunting her for so long. The salty sea air still nipped at her nose, and soon she heard the sound of scraping metal. She looked towards the door and saw that it was cracked open and General Kisho popped his head in. "What do you want you old fart?" Leiko asked. Kisho opened the door more and let his son, Kilix, enter. Leiko rolled her eyes.

"I can imagine you've been thinking about the offer." Kilix said with a grin. Leiko bowed her head. Tara was now awake and looking at the both of them. She couldn't take it anymore and blew off at Kilix.

"She'll never marry you!" Tara yelled.

"Tara, that's enough!" Leiko quieted her.

"So, what'll it be?" Kilix asked. Leiko looked away and said something softly, not loud enough for everyone else to hear. "What was that?"

"I said I'll do it!" Leiko barked. And then she calmed down, "I said…I said I'll marry you." Leiko gave in.

"LEIKO NO!" Tara called out. Kilix smiled.

"Good! Very good! Father, tell the helmsman to set a course for home." Kilix said and Kisho left. Kilix walked over to Leiko and touched her cheek, making her look him in the eyes. Her eyes were brimming with tears now. "Poor baby. Don't worry, everything will be fine. You'll see. You're doing the right thing. The right thing for you, for me, for the baby…even for the nation."

"I hate the nation." Leiko said solemnly.

"That'll change. I'll have someone bring in your breakfast." And he kissed her cheek and left. Tara began to shake her chains.

"HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND?" Tara screeched. "Leiko, that guy's a jerk! You can't possibly marry him!"

"I have to Tara."

"For what?"

"For Zuko. I promised I'd get my revenge. Marrying him will give me that chance. Doing this will prove my love to Zuko."

"How?"

"By doing something I dread more than anything and going against all I know is right, and putting myself at risk, I'm proving just how strong my feelings were for Zuko."

"I don't see how. Look, we'll find a way through this! You don't have to go through with it."

"No Tara, I want to do this. I have to do this." And Leiko turned her head away again. "The fire nation has won. It's time to accept it."

The ship arrived in the fire nation by midnight the following night. Leiko and Tara were escorted off in chains by several guards and then led into a dungeon in a part of the palace. As they sat there, rotting on their minds, Leiko cried to herself. She had received news that she was to marry Kilix the following night. The plans had already been made and everything had been set up. It was just a matter of Kilix giving the word. Leiko prayed to the spirits to give her strength. Then after a long wait, the time came.

Leiko was pulled out of the dungeon by a chain tied around her body. She felt like an animal. But she assured the guards that she wouldn't put up a struggle. So Kilix gave the word and Leiko was untied. She went into a room and changed into her wedding gown. It was long and white, almost like the one she had worn before when she ran off with Zuko. It was much fancier than the one she wore at her wedding with Zuko, it had lace and silk and a large red bow on the back. Her hair was put up into a fancy style and makeup plastered on her face. She felt like a china doll being handled the way she was.

After getting ready, she was handed a bouquet with red and white flowers and escorted to the grounds just outside the palace. There was a door separating her from the outside and from everyone else. She heard music playing, and it was all too familiar for her. The doors opened and she took a deep breath as she saw the light of the sun setting. She looked out and saw guards lined up in two rows, facing each other and making a pathway down to the altar, where Kilix was waiting. Leiko didn't want to walk down, but then she felt someone hook arms with her and pull her down the aisle. She looked through the veil and saw a man with a scarred face. But this man wasn't her love…it was her father.

"Hello daughter dearest." He said as he walked down the aisle with her. Leiko grit her teeth.

"What're you doing here?"

"Why, I came to escort my lovely daughter down the aisle to her new husband."

"You want nothing to do with me, and I you. Why would you come?"

"Because it is my honor as your father. And also…I am proud of you, Leiko. You're making the right decision. It is for the best."

"How do you know what is best for me?"

"I am your father, for the millionth time."

"That doesn't change anything."

"You're still just as stubborn as your mother."

"I guess the apple never falls far from the tree." And by now they were at the altar. Zhao removed his arm from Leiko's.

"You know, I'll never forgive you for scarring my face." Zhao hissed.

"Shame, it's a good look for you." Leiko taunted, and then she faced the priest with Kilix. The priest began to ramble on, and while he did, Leiko's mind slipped.

She thought about her family. She thought about what she was doing, and how miserable she was going to be for the rest of her life. Then she thought about the baby. Would Kilix be a good father knowing that it was the child of his rival and enemy? How could he care for a child that was everything he hated? Then she thought about Zuko. She knew she would do anything for him, but this was by far the toughest decision she had ever had to make. She knew it was wrong, while at the same time it was right. There were so many different ways to look at the situation that it made her head spin. All she could really think about was how much she missed Zuko. "And do you, Leiko Sikari, take Kilix to be your husband?" she heard, and then he went into detail, just like the priest on the island where she and Zuko married. It was almost word for word. As he got closer to the end, tears began to fall from her eyes and tumble down her cheeks, leaving salty streams for more to follow.

"I….I…." she stuttered. Kilix and everyone looked at her. "I…I…" she couldn't let the words slip out of her mouth.

"Do you?" the priest repeated himself. Leiko opened her mouth to answer. To give into the sorrow, to give into Kilix, to give into the fire nation and all the misery along with it. But then she heard a familiar voice ring through the air.

"LEIKO, NO!" she heard the voice scream out to her. She looked around to see where it had come from, and then she figured it was just in her head. Until she saw everyone else looking around to see where it had come from. "LEIKO DON'T DO IT!" she heard something else. It was coming up from a tower in the palace. And she recognized the voice…

"Zuko?"