The wedding would take place the next day, though how anyone knew what a day was during the winter here was beyond Zuko's comprehension.
Luckily, the moon was nearly full and illuminated ice all around them. The white light filtered through all of the frozen sea ice, making everything blue. His hands, normally just the royal pale of being kept indoors, resembled the flesh of a corpse. Flexing his fingers, Zuko looked around at the other people seated at the ice tables.
The dining area was an open field of ice with a large pit at the bottom. There a group of waterbenders submerged a giant sea crab, setting it to boil without fire. Iroh nodded appreciatively, stroking his beard as he watched the Waterbenders at work.
Arnook was at the center of the head table. To his right was Iroh and Lu Ten, given their spots of honor as the Fire Lord and Crown Prince. To Arnook's immediate left was an empty seat, but Zhao sat at the end looking as he normally did.
Had.
Zuko swallowed a stone, feeling it plunk ungenerously into his gut.
"The Princess Yue." Someone announced and everyone turned. Arnook stood, causing the rest of the guests to stand as well. As Arnook opened his arms, Zuko spotted the young woman and froze.
He had only seen a glimpse of her. The white hair retreating as he went against Katara. Then all of his focus had been on her, on getting Aang.
This Yue walked with her chin up, her hands hidden deep in her sleeves, and her jet black hair coiled in serpentine braids.
Feeling his hands curl into fists, Zuko forced himself to relax them and breathe. He watched as Yue ignored Zhao, going instead to greet her father. They embraced and Yue sat down, signalling to the others that they could also sit.
Gripping the edge of the ice table, Zuko made himself feel the burning cold.
"She looks intense." Katara whispered from down the table.
"She looks livid." Sokka whispered back.
Arnook, still standing, addressed his guests.
"Tonight, we celebrate my daughter, Yue. Tomorrow, under the Moon Spirit's light, she will be wed to Admiral Zhao, of the Fire Nation." He said.
There was silence at his words, but he continued on quickly enough.
"As you all know, my daughter is a miracle, given by the Ocean Spirit. Had La not blessed her with her health, my daughter would have perished. To see her married to a Fire Nation man, we see the bonding of water and fire. Tomorrow, we will know that the war is truly over between our nations." Arnook said.
Now there were cheers and applause; enthusiastic but not emotional. After one hundred years, they were all willing to swallow anything to get the war to stop.
Yue kept her head held high and she didn't look either to her father or to her bridegroom.
She did not look happy.
"Let us feast, to the blessings of Tui and La!" Arnook called out. A chorus of cheers replied and Arnook sat down, letting the cheers turn into chatter.
The massive sea crab was hoisted and carved up; large platters of food were brought to each table and served.
"Are you okay Zuko?" Katara asked, leaning over to speak to him quietly. Zuko nodded, piercing some of the crab meat with his fork.
"Something is going to happen, but I don't know what." He said.
"Well, how much is similar?"
"Nothing. Not even Yue. She-" Zuko stopped and looked up.
Yue was staring directly at him.
Her eyes narrowed.