The tension was thick as Zuko and Katara sat with Iroh drinking their tea. He glanced between them knowing there was something about to happen. The silence was almost deafening, just the quiet sips of god tea could be heard.
"So is there something that I am missing?" Finally Iroh broke the silence. Zuko remained calm and put his cup down. Katara felt her body stiffen but she kept sipping waiting. She tried to hide her smile and was only slightly successful.
"It seems we are to have a new member to the royal family." The words were blunt but the smile on Iroh's face was from ear to ear.
"Well, isn't that the best news I have ever heard. We shall have to make plans for the new member soon. Of course the council will want to hear of the news. But Miss Katara, how are you feeling?" Katara put down her cup ready to finally open up. It had been hard to keep the secret from everyone and she felt relieved to finally spill everything out. Iroh was a happy listener and she saw just how long it had been since a baby had been born to the royal family. Everyone in the palace seemed to excite in hopes of a new child and she felt just how much of a responsibility there was on her.
As happy as she was, she was worried she wouldn't be able to deliver what the world needed.
Zuko walked before the council with Iroh in the middle. The fire around him was used as a way to make those who witness it, realize the power of the Fire Nation. He had to constantly remind himself that this was all a show and that the true source of power was in their actions not their looks.
He bowed before the council and sat waiting in silence for them to speak to him.
"Prince Zuko, over half a year ago the council decreed you could not ascend to the position of Fire Lord until you had wed and born an heir for the Fire Nation. However, the council did not foresee a potential problem which has arisen in itself. With the marriage of the Fire Nation to the Water Tribes we received peace and unity, not just between our two nations but with the Earth Kingdom and the Air Nomads as well. But the marriage of a firebender to a waterbender has raised concerns on possible offspring. Even if the child she bears is a boy we cannot risk seating a waterbender on the Fire Nation throne." There it was. The reason the council was so threatened was all because of a babe. A waterbending babe and a babe who had not even been born yet.
Zuko was angry, angrier than he could possibly imagine. He would love his child unconditionally, as much as his father had never loved him. Whether it was waterbending or firebending. He couldn't bring himself to look upon those who judged him.
"I understand." He said softly. He was dismissed. His mind was at odds again. Would it never end? Would he be cursed to live his life always at war within himself?
"Prince Zuko." He turned and saw his uncle approaching him wearily. He was staring out across the city. Iroh knew him too well.
"The council is a bunch of fools." Iroh placed a hand on his shoulder.
"The council is afraid of you. They are afraid of your power and your strength. You have the ability to do so much that the council cannot control. They fear you. You look too much like your father." Zuko's arms alit with fire. He let out a roar of rage.
"I am not my father!" Iroh regarded him coolly.
"Are you so sure Zuko? Being your father is not as bad as you think. He was a brilliant man and very powerful."
"He was a murderer!"
"And so are you Zuko! You must learn to accept your heritage. It is apart of you. Let the lessons you learned from it make you who you are. You have the power to be a great Fire Lord, to restore balance where others have disrupted it. You are so much more. It is in this that people will come to fear you."
"What if I don't want to be Fire Lord?"
"It is in your blood! It is your legacy, your duty and I have every confidence that you will not let the world down."
"What if I do?" Iroh was quiet for a moment and then came closer to Zuko.
"Your father was a perfect child when he was younger, just like Azula. It was because they made no mistakes when they were younger that they made many later on. You have already made your mistakes and they have made you wiser. You cannot run from your responsibility, this is what you were born for. This is your destiny." With that Iroh abandoned Zuko with his thoughts. Zuko felt himself clench his fists in anger and let his emotions dwell.
"Zuko?" A soft voice called behind him, he turned to look into the beautiful blue eyes he had come to love.
"Iroh said you were out here. Is everything alright? How did the council meeting go?" She came up to him and rested her cold hands on his face. He backed away fearful of her kind touch.
"Just a bunch of fools." He muttered.
"Zuko, I'm sure they have their reasons. What did they say?" Zuko's shoulders slumped. She refused to let him face away from her and came to his side resting a hand on his arm.
"They said I must have an heir before I can become Fire Lord."
"Well that's nothing new. Why should that upset you?" He turned to her and eyed her, more coldly than he had intended.
"Because not only must it be a boy, but it must be a firebender." Her grip on his arm slackened. She took a step back unconsciously.
"Oh I see." Was all she said.
"Don't worry about it, I would be perfectly happy without any firebenders." He said. She chuckled a little and he turned to her quizzically.
"Zuko, what's this really about? What are you so afraid of?" His fists flared in fire.
"Why does everyone think I'm afraid?" She cocked her head and touched his arm gently. The fire died then as he realized he was lit. She stepped closer to him her body nearly pressed up against his.
"Because it's only natural." Her voice was so soothing to his ears.
"Why are your hands so cold?" He asked her suddenly. She held her hands together in contemplation.
"Are they that cold?" She asked.
"Like ice."
"I don't know, maybe they just need someone to warm them." She gave an innocent smile and the corner of his lips perked.
"Katara how could our child possibly love a monster such as me?" He meant it seriously and her smile slipped into a frown. She lifted a hand and touched the scar about his eye. She was the only person he ever let touch it, ever.
"A baby doesn't see the kingdom you come from or the scar on your face. It only sees the love that you give it. You are only a monster by your actions and if you love our child it will never see you as a monster."
"I have murdered and I have betrayed, is that really the father you want for your child?"
"We were at war and the only one you betrayed was yourself. Zuko, I love you and even if I have not always loved you, you have a good heart. It just took you longer to realize it than the rest of us. Besides I know you will be a good father." She smiled and hugged him.
"How can you possibly know that?"
"Because you've already learned what not to do from your own." He hugged her closer to him. He couldn't believe how much faith she had in him. He didn't believe he deserved her. She was so pure and wonderful.
His thoughts went back to the time when he had overheard her talking to the Avatar. She had genuinely loved him. Could those feeling still be there?
The Avatar had changed his life forever, was it fair for Zuko to take the one thing he wanted away from him. No, if Katara still had feelings for the Avatar he could never change that. They were in an arranged marriage after all.
He hugged her cold body closer to his and finally led her back to their room so she could warm up more.
The months passed. When the baby first began to make its appearance on Katara Zuko noticed how thin she seemed to be. He tried to shake his head of such thoughts but as a few more months went by and Katara seemed to get thinner he began to worry.
He watched her more intensely now and noticed her diet seemed normal enough and he dared not confront her about it. She was worried enough that she was gaining baby weight.
Then one day, when she was about six months along Iroh sent Zuko away for a few weeks. A few uprisings had begun to occur on the outskirts of the Fire Nation and Zuko needed to go and figure out what was happening.
The people were dissatisfied with trade regulations and while he was there he was ambushed and an arrow was shot through his side. Even with his injury he still confronted the people and had some guards stay to secure the town.
He returned back to the palace tired and exhausted. His soldiers had done their best to patch up his newest wound, but it had reopened. He thanked the spirits the arrow had gone through his left side and not through the scar on his right, but he was still in pain.
He managed to walk up when a servant rushed to him.
"My lord, the lady she is ill. Fire Lord Iroh is calling for you." Zuko ran despite his ache in his side and went into his bedroom and saw maids standing around the bed. His uncle saw him come in and went to his side.
"Zuko, you are hurt." He waved off the maids that were trying to help him out. He clenched his hand around his bleeding side.
"What's wrong with Katara? Is she alright?" Iroh's brows furrowed in worry.
"She was fine yesterday morning when I saw her and then she said she was tired later that night at dinner. The maids found her this morning with a high fever. I have never seen anything like it. I have already sent a message to the Antarctic City..." Zuko ran passed him not catching another word and shoved some poor maids out of the way. He bent down and rested a hand on Katara's skin. She was burning hot and she was sweating. Her face was pale and pasty, but she shivered as if in cold. Her sleep was restless and even with her eyes closed she tossed and turned wildly.
"My lord, you're bleeding!" He used his not so bloody hand and caressed her cheek a bit. Even though he tried to fight the maids away one of the physicians demanded he not go near his wife until he had bandaged and bathed.
In frustration he left the room and sought a bath and washed quickly. When he was done he was bandaged hurriedly. He didn't even bother with a shirt as the bandages were wrapped around his midsection.
He went into the room and he saw his uncle and the physician talking quietly in whispers.
"How is she?" He asked them furiously.
"Zuko, I think you should sit down." Uncle Iroh tried to act calm but Zuko's eyes only widened.
"What, why?" He watched the small physician hurriedly run out of sight, out of fear. Whatever news there was, it wasn't good.
"The physicians have never seen a fever like this. Better people have died by worse. He fears with her pregnancy her body will try to expel the child while in one of her fits and when it does that, we shall surely lose her. She will bleed to death. They say we should end it now." Zuko felt all his frustration and anger burn up inside him. His uncle stepped back wearily. Zuko exploded in a rage of fire.
"Get out, I want everyone out. Someone call the Avatar. No one else is to see her unless I command it." The maids, servants, physicians all scrambled out at his show of power. His uncle was the last to leave and wearily so.
When everyone was gone he felt the tears well in his eyes and he tried to push them back. He went to Katara. She lay helplessly in the middle of the bed thrashing wildly. He went to right side of her, hoping to avoid having her on his new wound. Gently he took hold of her hands and wrapped himself around her. She seemed to fight him but he held on tighter to her. All the rage inside of him made his skin hot to the touch and after a few minutes she whimpered lowly.
He sniffled a bit but kept her wrapped in his arms. She lay like this for hours, holding on to him and he did not let her go. He fell asleep holding her and when he awoke the next morning she was sleeping peacefully. Even though her skin was feverish she seemed at ease. He took a deep breath and released her from his embrace and laid her quietly in the bed.
Rubbing his eyes, he walked out of the room. He asked a servant where his uncle was and they told him in the entrance hall. He walked confused on what his uncle would be doing there.
He entered in upon his uncle opening the large doors. As he did so he saw his uncle talking to none other than the Avatar. They both looked up at his entrance. By the look on their faces he didn't look well.
His hair was disheveled as it was put up into a loose top knot, like the one he wore for training. He wore nothing else but the trousers that had been on him from the day before and loose bandages that had begun to wear and the blood to seep through. Dark circles shadowed his eyes and he seemed tired, by his every movement.
"Zuko, I am glad to see you up. How fares Lady Katara?" His uncle's voice was soft and sincere. He was still weary of Zuko's outburst from the night before.
"She seemed calmer this morning." He stuttered out. He shook his head to keep himself awake.
"Would you mind if I saw her?" Aang looked up, fresh in his monk's orange outfit. Zuko waved him by and the Avatar left his side. He needed some breakfast first before he could do anything else.