"A kick in the teeth is good for some. A kiss with a fist is better than none." –Florence + The Machine

Chapter Two: Kiss with a Fist

Katara had never ridden in a palanquin before arriving in the Fire Nation's capital. Katara had never seen a palanquin before arriving in the capital. Or cobblestone streets. Or grass, for that matter. Her world was a canvas of white, violet, and blue. Here there was only scarlet, crimson, and gold. Everything about the Fire Nation was utterly alien to her. Her wide blue eyes drank it in as they passed through the winding streets on their way to the palace. Excitement mingled with dread. She reached up to the pendant around her neck and traced the carving with her stubby fingers.

Next to her sat Chief Hakoda. As he watched his daughter's emotions play across her face, he recalled his first trip to the Fire Nation capital. The colors, the sounds, the smells—it was enough to overwhelm even the strongest of men; he hoped that the culture shock would not be too much for little Katara to handle. "Stop fidgeting," he said gently, placing a hand over his daughter's and removing it from the pendant. "Everything is going to be okay. You'll see."

"What if they don't like me?"

The question pierced his heart.

Katara had taken the news about her impending engagement rather well, although he suspected it was largely because she did not fully grasp just what that meant for her yet. All spring, she had boasted to her brother about her coming trip to the Fire Nation, and all spring he had had to listen to Sokka's complaints about why his little sister got to go on an adventure and he did not. The boy's complaints were only ever silenced by the reminder that he was going to join the fishermen this year to follow the migrations.

It was not until this moment that Katara had betrayed any sense of anxiety over the trip. Katara looked up at her father, worry etched into her brow. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Of course, they'll like you."

"But what if they don't?"

Hakoda made a face. "If they don't completely adore you by the end of the day, they are bigger simpletons than I thought. Just remember: if one of them knocks you down, what do you do?"

"Get back up?"

"That's my girl," he said, clapping a hand on her shoulder. Katara mustered a weak smile.

Prince Zuko was not shirking his responsibilities. He most certainly was not hiding from his uncle and his mother. And he most definitely was not avoiding all of them in a moon-peach tree above the turtle-duck pond.

The young prince crouched on a low branch, obscured by the foliage. His legs were cramping from sitting in the tree for too long. Through the leaves, he could see his uncle searching about the garden, calling his name. When he approached the tree, Zuko pressed himself closer to the trunk, his breathing shallow, praying to Agni that he would pass by, unaware of his location. The spirits seemed to take pity on him; as soon as his uncle had reached the base of the tree, a servant called him inside. Zuko did not exhale until he saw his uncle completely disappear.

"How long are you planning on hiding up here, Zu-Zu?"

Zuko jumped in surprise. "Azula! What are you doing here?"

Several branches above Zuko's head sat Azula, his younger sister. She lounged lazily against the bow of the tree, a moon-peach in hand. She took a bite out of it and grinned wickedly at her brother below. "Oh, you know. Just wondering what you would be willing to do to keep me from telling mother dearest where you're hiding." She smirked at his obvious discomfort. "The water peasants will be here soon." She flicked the moon-peach pit into the pond, an afterthought.

"Please, Azula. I'll give you anything. Just don't tell mom."

"Oh, really?"

"Yes," Zuko sighed, exasperated.

"Fine. I want the dagger Uncle Iroh brought home for you from Ba Sing Se."

Zuko unconsciously gripped the dagger attached to his belt. Never give up without a fight the inscription said. Words to live by. He shook his head. "No. You can't have that."

"Well, then," Azula purred, hopping down from her spot in the tree and landing smoothly on the ground, "I guess you can't have your little hiding spot, either. I'm going to find Mom." She turned on her heel and strode away towards the palace proper, pausing only to shoot a dart of fire at her brother who was no longer paying any attention to her.

The fire whizzed past Zuko's face, missing his ear by millimeters. He flailed his arms in response, his balance lost, and tumbled out of the tree into shallow pond. The cool water bubbled around him, steaming. "Azula!"

Lady Ursa paced the courtyard, her teeth gnawing at her thumbnail. They will arrive any minute now! Where is that boy?

Ursa glanced up when she spotted Iroh. His usually jovial face crinkled into a serious expression upon seeing her, a silent answer to her silent question. She breathed in deeply through her nose and sighed. "I suppose this is the part where you tell me boys will be boys?"

"Perhaps, but it still reflects poorly on him and the family. I'll have a word with him later; just to remind him of his princely duties. Maybe give him a few tips on how to charm the ladies while I am at it." He winked.

"That won't be necessary, Iroh." She went back to chewing her nail. "Where is that boy?"

"Katara will be with us for the next three months. Even if the prince should evade us the entire day, he will not be able to do so forever. Eventually, they will have to meet."

Iroh's words only mildly soothed her when a servant approached them and announced the arrival of the chief and his daughter. Lady Ursa dropped her hands to her sides and assumed a more dignified posture. The pair watched as the palanquin was brought into the courtyard and lowered to the ground. Chief Hakoda exited first, his visage noticeably more relaxed than his previous visit. He was followed by Katara. She pushed the veil of the palanquin away, and stepped out, wide-eyed and mouth agape.

Lady Ursa beamed at them both as they approached. "Welcome back to the capital, Chief Hakoda," she said, stepping forward and bowing deeply at the waist. "We are honored by your presence. May I present to you my brother-in-law and chief advisor, General Iroh?" She gestured behind her and the former general stepped forward.

"It is an honor to make your acquaintance, General. I have heard many stories about you." Hakoda extended his arm out to the general, the traditional warrior's greeting.

Iroh grasped the arm and chuckled. "Only good stories, I hope."

"Depends on who you talk to," Hakoda replied good-naturedly.

"There will be time for harrowing stories later, I'm sure. Right now, I am dying to meet this lovely creature you have with you." Iroh's eyes twinkled kindly as they fell upon Katara, hidden slightly behind her father.

"Lady Ursa, General Iroh, this is my daughter, Katara—the light of my life and one half of my heart."

Touched by the warmth of his introduction, Lady Ursa crouched down so that she was at eyelevel with Katara and took both of her hands into hers. She spoke softly, just to the girl, "I am so pleased to meet you, Katara. My name is Lady Ursa, but you can just call me Ursa. I hope that you and I can become fast friends." Katara's uncertain smile brightened into a full-blown grin. "What a pretty necklace," Ursa said, gesturing to the pendant around Katara's neck.

"It was my mom's."

Sadness touched Ursa's amber eyes as she stood up.

"Now, Lady Ursa, where is this son of yours I have heard so much about?"

Her smile fell. "I apologize for my children's absence," she said, annoyance seeping into her voice. "It is very unbe—"

"Azula!"

Just then, the sounds of running feet echoed through the courtyard. Princess Azula was sprinting, trailed distantly by her brother. She skidded to a halt in front of her mother. Her back straightened instantly, any signs of childish mischief wiped clean from her expression.

"Where have you been?"

Azula gave her mother an innocent look. "I was just trying to find Zu-Zu."

Ursa sighed. "Chief Hakoda, Katara, this is my daughter, Princess Azula."

Before either had the chance to respond, Iroh's laugh boomed through the courtyard. "What on earth happened to you, Prince Zuko?"

The prince in question glared at his sister—who studiously ignored him—his fists shaking. He was drenched, dark hair falling out of its traditional phoenix plume, plastered to his forehead. His clothes clung to him oddly, and his boots were six inches deep in mud.

"Zu-Zu fell out of a tree into the turtle-duck pond," Azula said absently, checking under her nails. She added, flashing Katara a brief grin, "He was hiding."

"That's enough, Azula." Ursa bent down and began adjusting her son's appearance. "Look at the state of you. I had hoped to present a dignified prince of the Fire Nation. Oh well," she said, tucking him under his chin, "I suppose you'll have to do." She stood behind Zuko, placing her hands on his shoulders affectionately. "Chief Hakoda, Katara, this is my son, Prince Zuko. Zuko, this lovely girl is Katara, your betrothed."

Azula snorted.

The children stared at each other, uncertain how to proceed. The word "betrothed" made Zuko's insides squirm unpleasantly. This was his bride to be? She was just a little girl, several inches shorter than he was. Scrawny, like she had never had quite enough to eat. This may have been true, given where she was from. The notion that he would have to marry this little nobody one day unsettled him. He took a step back closer to his mother.

"Go on, Zuko," Ursa said, pushing him forward again.

The prince shot a dirty look at his mother before turning to Katara who stared at him with quizzical eyes. "It is an honor, Katara. I am so very pleased to meet you." The words came out stilted, mechanical. He offered her a stiff bow.

Katara returned the bow, glancing up at her father and Lady Ursa to make sure she was doing it correctly, and said, "Nice to meet you, too, Zuko."

"Prince Zuko," the boy corrected her, earning displeased expressions on his mother's and his uncle's faces.

"Sorry, Prince Zuko." Unconsciously, her voice adopted a tone that she used at home with her brother when Sokka was being unreasonable. Her hands on her hips and eye roll as she spoke certainly completed the image. Chief Hakoda suppressed a laugh.

Zuko was retreating to the sidelines when his uncle coughed and shook his head. "Aren't you forgetting something, Nephew?" Iroh winked.

Color drained from his face. He couldn't be serious, could he? He glanced from Iroh to Katara and back again. The look on his uncle's face confirmed it: yes, he was quite serious. With a pained expression, Zuko turned again toward Katara, took one of her hands in his and quickly bent down, pressing a kiss to it.

Katara yanked her hand away, as if electrocuted, cheeks aflame.

Zuko gagged.

The adults and Azula laughed. "Why don't you children run along and play in the garden," Ursa said once the laughter died down. "I would like to have a word with Chief Hakoda." She linked her arms with Hakoda and Iroh, steering them towards the palace. The children watched their parents disappear inside, forlorn.

Only Azula seemed unperturbed by the departure of the adults. Her sharp eyes settled on Katara, a predator cornering her prey. "So, Katara, are you a bender?"

"Yeah, I'm a waterbender," Katara replied brightly.

"Interesting. What's your tutor's name?"

"I don't have a tutor."

"No? How many hours a day do you train?"

Katara faltered. "I don't know. A couple? I only get to use it in between doing my chores and—"

Azula cackled. "Oh, that is disappointing. I was going to say we should spar sometime but there really would be no contest there. But I'm sure you would present enough of a challenge for Zu-Zu." She sauntered away, leaving Katara dumbstruck.

Regaining herself, Katara sized Zuko up and down. He was scowling at Azula's back, fists balled at his sides. "So…Zu-Zu?"

"Don't. Call. Me. That."

The adults were having a good-natured conversation in the study over a pot of Iroh's ginseng tea. Iroh had just concluded a rousing tale of his time in the Earth Kingdom involving a hot spring, an attractive bounty hunter, a band of gypsies, and a Pai Sho match with his clothes on the line. Hakoda clapped a hand on Iroh's shoulder as he laughed; Ursa busied herself with her tea, trying to hide the faint blush on her cheeks. The laughter died down and the adults listened to the sound of the children's voices carrying up from the garden. They heard bickering, laughter, and shouts from below.

"I'm still not sure this will work," Hakoda said, breaking his companions from their silent reflections. "But I am glad we're trying. Katara needs this. She doesn't have a lot children her age back home, aside from her brother, and he's at an age where he is going to start learning more about what it means to be a man of the tribe. There's not much for a girl her age, back home. I worry that she'll feel left behind."

"They seem to be getting along quite nicely," Iroh replied, inclining his head towards the open window, a twinkle in his eye. "I feel reasonably confident in this arrangement."

"Which reminds me," Ursa cut in, "I have paperwork for you to sign."

"My dear, let the man relax a little before you bombard him with business talk. He's only just arrived!"

"I appreciate the concern, Iroh; however, I know I would feel much more relaxed once I know that Chief Hakoda agrees to the terms I have set. Of course," she said, turning to Hakoda, "if you would rather wait and discuss it later, I suppose that would be fine. It's your call."

"No, no. Let's just get this done now while neither of us have children in our hair. How do you do it, by the way—the single parent and ruler of a nation thing?"

"The same way you do, I suppose." Ursa reached into a drawer and pulled out two scrolls, one noticeably thicker than the other. She slid them across her desk towards the chief.

Hakoda reached for the larger of the two and unraveled it. "I suppose you have help, what with the servants and tutors. This is the trade agreement?" he asked without looking up from parchment.

"Yes, it's all there: the reparations, goods, any tariffs that would need to be implemented on either side, etcetera. I also included a reevaluation clause to allow us to revisit the terms every five years or so to make sure both parties are getting the best deal. And, yes; the servants do help me, but I try to be an active role in my children's upbringing and education. Iroh has been the biggest help to them since his return from Ba Sing Se…" She trailed off, wondering why she felt as though her parenting was being called into question and why she felt the need to defend it.

Hakoda nodded, continuing to skim the parchment. "It really does take a village, doesn't it?" he said, finally, looking up from the scroll to smile at her. "In my case, literally," he added as an afterthought. "These terms you have set are…quite generous. Are you sure your people can afford this?"

"I have had to do some creative rearranging of the nation's budget, but I think we will manage. A portion of the reparation funds will be coming out of the royal coffers. I do not wish to punish my people with steep taxes for the crimes my family committed."

"Well…thank you," the chief responded gruffly, dipping his pen into the inkwell and signing his name to the document. He slid it back across the desk toward her.

"You're welcome." She took out her pen and began signing her name as well. "She's very pretty—your daughter," she said, rolling up the scroll. "Such stunning eyes."

"She looks just like her mother." Hakoda was already reading the second scroll and so he missed the remorseful expression on the Fire Lord's face. "Kya and I were childhood sweethearts," he went on. "She was always there; I don't have a fond memory of my childhood where she wasn't there. She was sweet, feisty, vivacious…and so beautiful. When I look at Katara now, I can almost see Kya again, looking out through her eyes." He stopped then, a lump rising in his throat.

Ursa reached across the desk and squeezed his hand gently. "You are lucky to have had such a companion in your life."

Hakoda nodded. "So, what's your story, Ursa? How did you end up marrying Ozai? I suspect it wasn't love at first sight or anything cliché like that."

She laughed, a short, bitter sound. "No. It was nothing like that; it was an arranged marriage. Azulon himself came to broker the deal with my parents, which came as quite a surprise. I was seventeen. I had never laid eyes on Ozai until the ceremony. There was a great deal of pomp and circumstance but little heart in the ordeal. After, I got to know him a little better. He was handsome, charming, clever, and clearly ambitious; and I blinded myself to believe these were good qualities to have in a husband."

"How did you come to hate him, then?"

A shadow crossed her eyes before she continued. "It is my belief, Hakoda, that an unhappy marriage is not without love. It is without friendship. I did love Ozai, and maybe he loved me, too. But he didn't know anything about me. And, as I discovered later, I knew nothing of him. If I had…" her mouth formed a hard line. "Let's just say that I never want my children to have to experience that."

Iroh laughed. The sound was so out of place in the context of Hakoda and Ursa's conversation, but he was not paying them any mind. The general was standing at the window, gazing down into the gardens below where the children were playing. "You two may want to see this," he said.

The other two stood and joined him at the window. Down below Azula was doubled over laughing, clutching her sides. Katara was on the ground on the bank of the turtle-duck pond with a flustered expression on her face. Zuko was on top of her.

"Get off of me!" they heard Katara cry from below. There was some awkward scrambling as Zuko tried to extricate his limbs from hers. However, the mud along the bank made everything slippery and he stumbled back down onto her. Frustrated, she whipped her arm through the air, carrying a thin stream of water with it.

It smacked Zuko across the face.

"Oh my!"

"Uh oh."

"Nice shot!"

Zuko staggered away from Katara, rubbing his face where the water had slapped him. "Girls are crazy!" he yelled, stomping back towards the palace.

Iroh grinned, glancing between Ursa and Hakoda. "I think that went rather well. Don't you?"