Disclaimer: Don't own.
A/N: Day two of Zutara week with history. In reality this was going to be S (Spirits) in "Words to Live by" but Sick wrote itself better than and I didn't have this finished so now here it is complete.
Ursa stood behind the back row, waiting for her friend to arrive and the wedding to begin. In truth she had been planning this day for about twenty years now ever since Fire Lord Azulon mentioned, if only in passing that her infant son should be betrothed sooner rather than later (she had also started planning Azula's wedding around her first birthday). In the end Zuko was never formally betrothed to anyone as a child. She had just come from a very one-sided conversation with Zuko and eagerly awaited the beginning of the ceremony.
She sensed rather than heard her recently made friend Kya glide next to her.
"How is she?" Ursa asked.
"Nervous but not about what you would think. She's absolutely certain marrying Zuko is the right thing to do. What she's worried about is tripping on her sleeves or if one of her hair ornaments will fall out. She was like that even as a child," the wistfulness in Kya's voice captured the mood for the two mothers. Both should have been alive and with their children rather than invisible: in Kya's case Yon Rha had never given the order to kill, instead he decided killing the last waterbender was better than taking her prisoner and in Ursa's she should have not be able to make it all the way to Ba Sing Se just to die of a plague that the Dai Li hushed up as much as the War.
"How is Zuko?"
"He's calm, though I suspect there was something in the tea Iroh gave him. Last night he anxiously paced his rooms thinking of all the reasons why Katara shouldn't marry him and all the ways today could go wrong. This morning, after Iroh brought him tea, he very rationally spoke to my picture of how much I would like Katara and how much she would like me and how much he wanted me here. Whatever Iroh gave him was for the best I think."
Living guests began to pass them by on the way to their seats. Ursa noted the different officials mingling with a smattering of common people she would never have guessed would be there. Among them was the man who owned the teashop that had been near the apartment she briefly inhabited before dying (the same shop that Iroh and Zuko had worked at) and a compassionate village healer.
"Is anyone else from your family coming?" Kya asked.
"No, Iroh is the only one here. My parents are, surprisingly, still very much alive and living on one of the outer islands in relative anonymity. I'm certain that Zuko doesn't know they are alive; he only met them a few times when he was very young. I'm not sure of other spirits though. Lu Ten, my nephew, will be here but he's about it."
"I can see why. My parents are going to appear soon but Katara's other grandfather isn't coming. He sees this as the Fire Nation stealing another Southern waterbender for their own gain. I tried to explain to him that this is Katara's choice but you know how people can get." Ursa nodded in agreement.
The amount of people coming in began to thin out. Kya went over to get two older looking spirits who she introduced as her parents. They seemed pleasant enough though Ursa could tell they weren't too thrilled to be in the Fire Nation, even though they were invisible. Lu Ten made a rather noisy entrance, the doors rattled as he walked past them.
"Did you really have to do that?" Ursa questioned.
"It's my little cousin's wedding Aunt Ursa. Of course I have to make a spectacle. Its not like I can tease him about his wedding night or anything, this is all I get," he chuckled much like his father.
Ursa eyed her nephew. "I think Zuko might consider that a good thing if he were to know what you had planned."
"I think that precocious little earthbender did that for you. Though I could tell my son dearly wanted to make some jokes but held back because the lewd comments applied to his sister as well. My name is Kya by the way," Kya said offering her hand to Lu Ten.
"Prince Lu Ten. Always a pleasure to mother of the bride." Lu Ten then did an over the top bow while kissing Kya's hand.
"He gets his charm from his father," Ursa commented.
"Well someone had to. I'm surprised little Zuko even managed to woo his bride. I know Dad tried to teach him to talk to women but he was too obsessed with regaining his honor and other such nonsense."
The seats were almost full by now. Now they just had to wait for the wedding to begin.
"Did I miss the beginning?" A deep voice asked.
"Grandfather I didn't know you were coming," Ursa said to the former Avatar.
"I've been watching these two for a very long time. Not to mention my current incarnation had a bit of a crush on the bride. I wouldn't miss this for anything," Roku responded.
"Wait, this is your grandfather Aunt Ursa? You're related to Avatar Roku? You never said anything!" Lu Ten exclaimed.
"It wasn't a secret so much as I didn't tell a lot of people. Azulon knew, as does Iroh. I never told Ozai though, he didn't seem like he would take it well. Now I know he wouldn't have taken it well," Ursa uttered.
"Let's not argue over anything today. The Fire Lord is marrying a waterbender and I want to watch this amazing event in peace." As Roku finished talking Zuko appeared in the doorway and began his walk to the alter. Ursa beamed at her son, eyes shinning with tears.
"My baby is all grown up." Ursa observed.
"I feel the same way," Kya sympathized as they waited for Katara to enter.
First came Aang and Toph, arms linked, then Sokka and Suki, her belly round with their first child. As Sokka took his place as best man Katara and Hakoda came into view. Kya joined Ursa in their silent tears as she looked at her husband and daughter.
Though she had seen Katara earlier sitting the full effect of the blue and gold dress, with all the tiny ornamental flames in her hair, Kya could now see her daughter was going to be Fire Lady, the first foreign born one in fact. And a damn good one, she thought as she watched the bride and groom look at each other with goofy grins on their faces, not caring that this was a monumental day in Fire Nation history.