Now it's time for chapter two. It starts off like roughly six weeks later.
Disclaimer: Because I don't want to get sued
Letters
Zuko sat in his office and turned the pages of a long and boring requisition sent to him from the Fire Council. If it wasn't one thing it was always another. And this letter was about something along the lines of new roads in the main city. Zuko was not interested.
He put the paper down and walked over to the window which faced the west. He could see the sun setting on the horizon. The shadows createdby the trees in the distant garden werebeautiful. They seemed to dance in the slight breeze that was blowing. Zuko sighed. It had been weeks since his visit to the Earth Kingdom and Katara.
"A letter came for you, Lord Zuko," said Mai as she interrupted his thoughts.
He had been so lost inside his own mind; he had not heard her enter. He turned to face her. She was wearing a traditional Fire Nation dress with a red ribbon in her hair wrapped around the flame that symbolized her marriage. She was beautiful, but she was no Katara in the mind of Zuko.
He turned back around. "Who's it from?" he asked from his window, which he was now looking out again.
"Earth Kingdom," said Mai as she examined the scroll with the green ribbon.
Great, thought Zuko, More requisitions…
"Most curious though," continued Mai who once again, interrupted Zuko's thoughts, "it has a Water Tribe seal."
Zuko spun around and looked at the scroll in Mai's hand. It did not look Water Tribe at all. And how could he be sure Mai knew anything of Water Tribe seals?
"Are you sure?" he asked as he started to walk to her to get the scroll.
"Yes," she said as she pointed out the crescent moon and three waves, "It's Water Tribe…isn't it?"
"Yes, it is," said Zuko. "Listen, Mai," he said as he turned his attention away from the scroll and back to his wife, "I think I should take this now." He then took the scroll gently from her hand.
"I had wanted to talk to you," Mai said.
"Can't it wait?" asked Zuko politely as he sat at his desk once more.
"Sure." Said Mai. Then she left the office, "The Fire Council wants to know about heirs…that's all." Mai said to herself as she made her way back to the palace.
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Zuko unrolled the scroll. The writing was small and pretty. He recognized it as Katara's writing before he read it. He had noticed a long time ago that she crossed her Ts with a squiggle at the end. He read the letter.
Dear Zuko,
How are things in the Fire Nation? Going well, I hope. How is…Oh, why don't I just skip the formalities and get on to the real point of this letter? I wish I could be writing a letter full of formalities and greetings and questions. And I wish that I could get a letter back from you saying everything is great and swell.
But that's not what this letter is about at all. Zuko, I missed my cycle, (I am assuming you know what that is), and so I went to the doctor's. She ran some tests and told me that I am six weeks pregnant. Aang believes it's his, but I have my doubts, Zuko.
I know it belongs to you. And that leaves us with some options. (Zuko could see the tear stains at this paragraph.) Either we can run the risk of me having this baby, and it coming out like you. You know, dark hair, light skin, firebending, and/or those wonderful amber eyes that I've grown to love. Or I could somehow get rid of the baby, but Zuko, I don't really consider that an option. It is already a part of me and I can't just do that. Or I could have it and just give it away, but I don't think Aang will let me.
Ok, so I lied. We don't have any options. Zuko, please write back, I want to hear from you.
Love,
Katara
Zuko put the letter down and looked back outside at the setting sun. It was starting to dip lower and he felt as though the sun was just a visual representation of his sinking heart. He could no longer feel. How could this have happened? Katara was carrying his child, the heir to the Fire Nation throne, and yet he was married to Mai, and she to Aang. This could not be happening.
Yet, the letter would not disappear. It would not fade away, and he did not wake from the nightmare he was having. The sun continued to set and the letter looked up at him from his desk with Katara's tears and love. He stared at it again. She had wanted him to reply and so he would.
But what could he possibly say to make her feel better? He did not even feel well himself. He felt as though he would not be able to silence her tears this time as he had done once in the catacombs under Ba Sing Se. Though, despite the sick feeling in his stomach, and the fast beating of his sinking heart, he felt as though he had to try.
He opened a drawer and took out a pen and a scroll. He began to write.
Dear Katara,
I agree. I would not let you do that to our baby. But, are you entirely sure it's mine? What am I saying? I believe you, and I feel in my heart that you are right. It is mine. I wish it weren't, but a part of me is glad. I wouldn't want any another mother for my children.
I am sorry this has happened though. I wish we, mostly I, hadn't been so stupid in believing we could do what we did with no consequences. But I am willing to face whatever may happen. Hopefully, the baby will come out just like you with dark skin, brown hair, those beautiful blue eyes, and that deadly waterbending that had me on my knees. That way, no one will ever know.
On a different note, the Fire Nation is planning the annual winter festival and you and the avatar are invited along with anyone else you wish to invite. I hope this makes you feel slightly better, although I doubt it will. Write me if you feel like talking to someone.
Love Always,
Zuko
Zuko read and reread his letter. The more times he read it, the stupider he felt it sounded. From the letter, he sounded like a naïve little child who wanted to make someone stop crying but didn't know how to. And then, he decided that Katara would probably appreciate his naïve mindset. So he tied the scroll and added his seal of red wax with a flame symbol.
When he was getting ready to send it, Mai walked in again.
"What did the letter say?" she asked.
"Oh, it was from Chief Hakoda. He wanted to know how things were going here, and to tell me that the Southern Water Tribe is starting to look like its sister to the north," he said calmly as he continued to tie the red ribbon around his reply to Katara.
"What did you tell him?" Mai asked nodding her head to the letter Zuko was trying to tie.
"I invited him and anyone else he wants to bring to the winter festival in two weeks," said Zuko, and he finished tying the knot.
"Oh, well that's good. Zuko, I need…"
"It'll have to wait, Mai, I'm sorry. I need to send this out before nightfall," Zuko interrupted.
"Oh, ok," sighed Mai.
She watched as Zuko left the office. She could not, however, shake off the feeling that Zuko had not been honest with her.
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Katara got Zuko's letter the next day. She had been outside in the garden among the panda lilies when the messenger hawk came and gave her the scroll with Zuko's seal on it. She had taken it right away and read it out in the garden.
It was now evening. Hakoda and Sokka had stopped by to pay Aang and Katara a visit. She was reading the letter again.
…deadly waterbending that had me on my knees…
She could not stop the tears that were falling on to the scroll in time to the slow beating of her heart. She could hear Aang in the other room telling her father and brother the news, and she was alone, in her own room, stuffing away a letter from the Fire Lord in her drawer with the necklace he had given her on the night this all started.
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So this was chapter two. Remember all comments, questions, and suggestions are welcomed thorough reviews!