Chapter 15

The World Council was implemented as a way to ensure that each provincial leader was equal in rank and held no more power than the other. Chieftains and Kings were equal in rank. Naturally council meetings were occasions of grandeur that often had some of its more immoral participants competing in terms of status and wealth.

The city had flourished under the rule of Toph Bei Fong and every citizen saw fit to show it off.

Each street in Ba Sing Se was ablaze with hundreds of paper lanterns in colors of greens, browns, reds and golds to welcome the incoming World Council members.

World Council meetings were never a silent nor cheap affair.

Katara scratched her head in bewilderment as she and Zuko were welcomed with bows aplenty as they stepped down onto the train station's platform. It was night time and the lanterns even lit up the station.

"Fire Lord Zuko, Master Katara, please follow us," one of the attendants, that Toph had sent to greet the couple, spoke pleasantly. Katara glanced up at Zuko's face as he nodded towards the shorter man clad in green.

He had been pensive during their entire trip.

They followed the attendant as he led them through the train station and to a nearby carriage.

"There are rose pastries and light cactus drinks inside. Help yourselves to any and all. Enjoy your stay."

The attendant bowed before opening the door to the carriage. Katara stepped up first followed by Zuko.

The door was then closed and the carriage began its travel to the Earth Queen's palace.

Zuko scoffed as he looked down his nose at the bucket of ice that held the drinks and the cutesy packages of pastries that sat in a basket on top of small decorative pillows.

"They didn't even have the decency to provide us with good snacks?"

Katara chuckled at the Fire Lord's princely behavior.

"Fire Lord, you're sounding more and more like a spoiled brat these days," Katara chastised before reaching for a pastry, "I'll take one. They're delicious."

"Yeah, you do that," Zuko mumbled as he crossed his arms and closed his eyes.

He was glad that his shoulder was pretty much healed. If things happened to go sour with the rebels while he was visiting for the council meeting, he could fire bend with no problem.

He had been in a poor mood since they had boarded the train into the city. His mission to locate his mother had to be put on the back burner while they made sure that there'd be no rebel-inspired coup. He and Katara had left the Fire Nation about three days prior on air-ship to begin their journey to the council meeting and in his personal opinion, it had been three days of hell.

Aang had made the decision to stay in the Fire Nation to deal with any issues that would arise there but it was clear to Fire Lord Zuko that Aang well-liked his position of power as acting Fire Lord.

With the title, he could make executive and well-informed decisions with regards to the nation and its citizens.

Zuko would never admit it, but Aang was doing a better job than he was at keeping the inhabitants of the Fire Nation happy in lieu of the rebel attacks. All Zuko had been able to do was moan and groan about how he couldn't find his mother while ignoring the woman who had finally made the decision to stay by his side. That is, until he couldn't ignore her any longer.

She began to sleep in his bed every night leading up to the day that they left for Ba Sing Se. She knew that doing this provided him with the comfort of knowing that he had someone there. She graciously provided him with the knowledge that he had family.

He knew that there were whispers around the palace but they were always hushed whenever he approached to request something of a maid or guard.

He knew that he didn't care.

He loved Katara and he wanted her by his side for the rest of his life. His thoughts danced with the memories of her swollen lips and warm body beneath the passionate touch of his kisses.

He remembered when she had first allowed him to trail his warm hands down the sides of her body. They had just bathed, undergarments on, and both were slick with the spicy but sweet smelling oils of the bath. Her stunning brown skin glistened with the oil making her look golden in the candle light.

Without the aid of refined cactus juice and tears, they had allowed themselves to touch one another nearly every night, hesitant but needy all the same. He remembered the way that his fingers would brush down her body to comfort all of the need-related aches that her soft, yet strong body seemed to pulsate with whenever they were together. He loved the small sounds that she'd make as his large hands explored and roamed the contours of her beautiful form.

They never pushed too far, though. He wanted to marry her first.

"Zuko?" Katara spoke timidly, her hand reaching out to brush his elbow.

He opened his eyes, his face warmer than normal and his pants uncomfortable. Was she aware of what he had been thinking?

"The carriage stopped," the waterbender explained shrugging her shoulders, a small smile gracing her features.

Zuko uncrossed his arms and delivered, what could only be described as wicked, a wicked smile before pulling the woman that he loved onto his lap not caring if she could feel what was brewing beneath his waistline.

He covered her lips with his own greedily before she could protest, feeling it when she allowed herself to melt in his embrace. She returned his kiss with one of her own before pulling away, her lips tinged pink and her eyes happy.

"We'd better see why we've stopped," Katara said smoothing out and adjusting her clothing, "…as much as I'd like to continue."

Zuko nodded, not trusting himself to speak. He checked his breathing and gestured for her to exit the carriage first while he waited for his body to calm down.

Katara giggled as she pushed open the carriage door and stepped down. She looked around in shock as guards and Kyoshi warriors ran every which-way.

Zuko stepped down beside the woman, his guard immediately up.

"What's happening?" he called out, his voice booming.

A nearby earthbender guard looked at the carriage, noticing that it was one of the carriages reserved for those in high positions before looking at the source of the question.

"Forgive me Fire Lord," the man bowed at once at his recognition of Zuko, "Azula has escaped the Asylum. The Queen has requested that we all be up in arms."

Katara watched as the little bit of happiness and warmth that the Fire Lord had just shown her in the carriage melted away to reveal a look full of bitterness, contempt, and sadness.

Author's Note:

Forgive me for the long wait. School's out for the time being (I'll never be done but hey…at least I'll have two baccalaureate degrees next summer) and I've finally had time AND the inspiration to get a new installment of SoK out for you guys.

I know it's a short one but content, content, content.

Please tell me what you think. This is easily one of my favorite chapters.

Thanks for reading.