Chapter 7

Katara layed there beside him, in awe of how she could have just suddenly done such a thing.

She sat up slowly and looked over at Zuko, who had also calmed down.

"We are never doing that again."

Zuko sat up.

"Why?"

"Because…I don't want to."

"Why not? Did you not like it?"

"No, I liked it….it's just."

"Just what Katara? We're husband and wife, this is what they do."

"Don't say that!"

"Why not?"

"We're not really attracted to each other like that!"

"I don't see how…look at what we just did."

She calmed down, there was no getting around it now. It was the truth, no one just randomly has sex.

Zuko looked at her. You're the husband, moron, do something!

"Look, Katara, if you…"

"No, its okay." She seemed to calm down now, it seemed to actually have sunk in that they were actually man and wife. It looked like she had denied it all along. And now, she seemed half at piece and half still in denial.

He put his arms around her to try and comfort her. At first, she was stiff to the touch and then she slowly loosened up.

"I really hope you understand that just because I am a fire bender doesn't mean that I don't care. I don't want to force you into something that you don't want to do."

In his head he knew it was a lie, he didn't mean it. He cared, but he wanted to keep Katara going this way. He needed an heir, and quick.

"Katara looked up and weakly smiled.

"Its not that I didn't think you cared, its that….Emotionally, we weren't actually married in my opinion."

"How?"

"How? We hated each other practically!"

"I didn't hate you Katara."

Katara now looked up even more.

"What?"

"I said I didn't hate you, I never have.

The truth hit her like a cold hard brick. So, its just me whose been doing the hating..

She never thought of a marriage with him without the fact they both hated each other. It just always had been that the marriage would turn out horribly and they would be miserable for the rest of their lives.

"How could you not?"

"I am not that way, Katara."

Another lie, he did hate her, awhile ago at least.

Now Katara looked down.

"I am sorry." She whispered it.

"Its okay."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world:

Aang looked out his window out onto the horizon. Where he was, the sun was setting.

It had been 2 weeks since the wedding, not his of course.

He looked out and thought of her, thought of how he could never be with her now. He could never figure out how she could have said yes, and to Zuko of all people!

He remembered watching her, seeing her in her wedding dress and wishing it was him at he end of that alter, wishing it was him saying his vows.

Katara, how could you do it?

His days had gone pretty slow, the first few days after the wedding, he was in deep depression. It was like going through a big breakup but worse. His dreams floated down the drain the moment she said "I do."

Katara sighed and looked out on the ocean, thinking about things. This marriage thing was complicated, and she could never figure out how to put her mind around it.

Zuko had started moving her stuff from her room into the honeymoon suite, in 2 days they would be in the fire nation for her coronation, and she didn't get her own room at the fire nation palace, she needed to start getting used to living in close quarters with him. She never would get used to it though, the man she had once hated (and slightly still), was now her husband and they were now living together. She shuddered, it was gonna be creepy.

Zuko came in casually and turned to the inside of her closet.

"Which dress you want? I am starting to put them away, and I think the one on the floor is...dirty."

"I dunno, pick one."

He turned to the dresses and picked out a red one that was quarter sleeved.

"Here." He smiled a little.

She smiled back and put it over her arm and paid attention to other things. He's being so accommodating, it almost seems fake. She laughed a bit inside her head.

He went out of the room again with another load of her stuff.

She stared down at her hand, which didn't have the red jade ring on it. How do fire nation women wear these things? They're so irritating, you can't do anything with them on.

She thought about how she would have to wear it all day on coronation day, and how sore her finger would be.

That load he just went away with was the last, the room was completely empty now, or at least her closet was.

Oh, I better get this on, I can't be sitting around in bed without clothes on.

She let go of the sheets and went into the bathroom. She put on her underclothes and then slipped on the dress, it fit well, it was a little big though.

She then turned to the mirror and put her hair up. She found her ring on the counter next to the sink and slipped it on, it was still really uncomfortable.

Zuko came in, not noticing the closet was empty the last time he got a load.

"Katara? Where'd you go?"

She walked out

"I was in the bathroom." Wow, he's protective? No, its that, or he's just to lazy to look. She went with the latter.

As she walked out, he looked at her. She was beautiful, especially in red. And to think, she's my wife too. Heh.

Zuko saw in the closet it was the last bunch, he turned back to her, she was fiddling with her ring.

"What are you doing?" He said with a chuckle

"Trying to get used to this ring, its so silly." She said back sharply.

"How so?"

"For one, how do you do anything with this thing on?"

"You, won't have to do a thing, why are you worrying about it?"

"I like just doing things to pass the time, using my hands happens to be the way I do it."

He turned around and rolled his eyes. Geez, Katara.

"Anyways, that's the last of it. We'd better head over to the room now."

"Really? Already?"

"Yep."

She looked around and touched the sheets one more time and then took his arm and walked with him over to the room.

As he walked with her, he felt complete. He had a wife, who on the outside seemed content, a country that he could conform to his wants and make things the way they were supposed to be, and world peace. He smiled to himself.

Zuko stole a look out of the corner of his eye and found Katara already walking like she was royalty. He still thought she needed work though. She had to learn to be silent in a man's presence. Though, she was the Fire Lady, so he guessed that rule didn't apply. But even so, in meetings with Generals, she would have to be silent. She was so strong wiled, somehow he'd have to teach her.

They got to the room and she let go of his arm and went into the bathroom to put her stuff away.

Holy shit! This rooms a mess! You can tell a man has lived in here.

As she walked, she tried to hold in her nausea over the pig sty. As she entered the bathroom, she found her stuff neatly in a pile beside the double sink. She began to put her stuff away and noticed how little room there was. Once this was done, she went out into the main room and found Zuko just sort of standing there.

She leaned against the door frame and looked at him, he suddenly became aware of her burrowing gaze and looked up too. He looked into her eyes, and she looked into his, unspoken words being said, feelings expressed. In his golden eyes his soul resided, telling her his life's story it seemed.

For minutes they stared at each other, and said nothing. Their souls touching in the heat of the moment. It was deep with the unsaid.

He finally said something, it was almost something a child would say.

"Your beautiful."

In her mind, she refuted the comment. She never thought herself as beautiful.

Zuko looked up and down at her, his thoughts for the moment circled around her.

Everything, her skin, her eyes, her hair, was amplified now for some reason. He found himself burning up again, but found her not doing so, she just stood there, looking at him.

Katara knew he was beginning to get that way again, but she didn't want it to.

"Zuko, stop it."

He seemed to snap out of it.

"We may be husband and wife, but I am not a play toy."

She walked indignantly past him and out of the room, and went up to the higher decks. Oddly enough, land was in sight.

What the…?

She walked briskly over to the captains view out and found him examining maps.

"Captain."

He turned around with a surprised expression and bowed.

"Miss Katara, your highness, what a pleasant surprise."

"Captain, I am no seafarer, but I am pretty sure we're not supposed to see land until tomorrow." She said in a confused tone.

"You right, apparently we've been going fast these past few days, we'll probably land in the early evening."

'Apparently?' he's the freaking captain, he should know the speed and if its going to fast, and to slow it down.

"Thank you, Captain."

Zuko stood there. He didn't realize she felt that way. What, am I revolting? He touched his scar and swiftly put his hand down.

He sat down on the bed in confusion. "Maybe she doesn't love you Zuko."

He looked around and saw no one.

He hadn't said anything.

He shook his head, maybe he was just tired. He laid down and got under the covers on his side of the bed and, in a few minutes, fell asleep.

In his dreams he saw her with another, no one he could recognize. He saw her loving him…loving him more. He tried to stop them, he tried to get her. "No!!"

He woke up and thought he saw her over in the corner.

"I never loved you….."

He ripped his covers off and ran for the door, trying to stop what he thought was Katara.

At that moment, the actual one walked in.

She looked over at him quizzically.

"Ugh…..do I want to know?"

He was frozen in his place and then put his hand down.

"Its nothing."

"Okay."

She looked from his head to his feet and then turned to the closet and opened it.

"What are you doing?!"

She looked at him again in a weird way.

"The ship over the past few days has gone too fast, and we're within hours of landfall."

Zuko ran over and looked out the window. How…..?

She seemed to read his mind.

"I don't know how, you would've thought the captain would have known."

She then started neatly folding her clothes into her trunk. He looked at her as she worked, thinking about his dream.

He went over to her.

"We have servants. Learn to use them, your royalty."

She looked up at him.

"I am still myself though." She returned to work for a few minutes.

"Come with me, I need to show you something."

She looked up and shrugged.

"Okay."

She took his arm and let him lead her. He smiled inside that now she was just used to taking his arm. See, that dream isn't true.

He led her down a flight of stairs and into a dark hall. While walking, they passed the closet she went to at the start of the voyage. She seemed to recognize it as the passed by.

He then turned a right corner and stopped at a door. She just stood there looking up and waiting for him to do something.

He stuck his hand through a miniature door in the side and kept it there for a few minutes. It eventually opened and he was allowed in. He then went about ten feet into a bigger door and opened it.

What was found inside was the fire nation family jewels. Not all of them of course, but a traveling few that went with the royal family. She let go as she stared around the room at the necklaces, rings, and bracelets.

He went to a specific drawer and pulled out a scarlet ribbon with an amulet on the end. He went over and handed it to her, and she looked up at him.

"This, is the royal family heirloom. It is worn by the fire lady as a sign of rank, and marks you as royalty."

She gawked at it and touched it.

Katara couldn't believe what she was about to be given. A royal artifact only worn by those in the royal family, specifically the fire lady. This seemed to make her officially a fire nation Queen.

It was a solid gold amulet with the fire nation emblem on it, set with rubies. The gold was also raised in some places as flames.

He walked around behind her and tied the necklace on her neck She felt the weight of it on her neck. She pulled her hair out of the way and walked over to a mirror. It definitely was visible. It seemed to fit her in some way, as if it belonged there.

"Why are you giving me this?"

"Its yours now."

She struggled to take in what it both symbolized and meant.

She could see him looking at her, his eye boring into her like drills.

"Its beautiful." She tried to smile.

"I am glad you like it." He smiled, actually with sincerity. He actually seemed to think she like it! Not that she didn't, she was just overwhelmed.

She looked at him, as if trying to say 'Take it away, its not mine, not really.' He just looked back. Is he trying to woo me? She was confused, they were married, he really had to do no work on that level.

"We have to go up on the higher decks and check out what the captain has done."

"Why 'we?'" She said. She wanted to be alone for a little while.

"You're the queen Katara, you must go almost everywhere I go, you're the second half of the crown."

On the inside, she was annoyed. She didn't like parading around as a jewel on his arm. Yet, it made her feel important, as if she could actually help a nation that had once been the enemy. She took his arm, and off to the side out of his vision rolled her eyes.

"You can come in here anytime, its all yours. There are an assortment of bracelets, necklaces, and earrings to choose from, you just have to pick."

"Thank you."

This time, Zuko just opened the door and walked out, obviously if he was allowed in he could get out at any time. He briskly walked up to the top deck, and she struggled to keep up, it made her feel like a rag doll.

When they got up, he immediately walked over to the captain's quarters. He let go of her arm. Oddly enough, without his arm, she felt cold and naked. She guessed he was just warm.

"Captain."

The captain turned around and made a slight bow. Zuko didn't return the favor.

"Your majesty, what can I do for you?"

"Please explain to me why we are close to landfall?"

"It was a speed mistake, sire. I apologize."

Zuko turned around and grabbed back Katara's arm and led her back down to the suite. Geez, is it my prison cell? Is there any other rooms besides mine, this one, and the kitchen?

"You didn't have to be so mean to him. He made a mistake."

"Katara, we're royalty, they can't afford to make mistakes."

"Everybody does, I don't see how they should have to be perfect all the time. Its not like we are."

"Compared to them, we are."

"We're both human."

"We were born above them."

"How so? Did your mother give birth to you on a cloud?"

He stared back indignant at her comment. His face turned eerily bleak and serious.

"Don't you ever talk about my mother."

She averted her eyes. She hadn't meant anything about his mother, but she still realized how cruel the comment was to him.

"I didn't mean it that way Zuko…"

"It doesn't matter, don't ever talk about my mother."

She crossed her arms. And turned around.

"I am not your enemy any more Zuko, everything I say isn't an attack, I was merely saying.."

"I said be quiet."

With that he walked out. She watched as she went.

She couldn't believe his sensitivity, she hadn't meant anything about his mother.

She shrugged and went back to work, but was still hurt by his comments. I can't believe him…

It took a lot of work folding clothes, transporting them without getting wrinkles. After a few hours of work, she was finally done, she was proud of herself. And all in one trunk too, the servants will love me. She smiled to herself and stood up. He legs were sore from staying in one place too long. I need to get out of here, I am not restrained.

She made her way to the door and opened it slowly. As if hiding something, she looked both ways and then quietly closed the door. She then turned a random corner and just walked aimlessly. It took her a little while, and after a few minutes, ended up at a random door. Hmm? She opened it and peeked in.

It was so horrible it made her throw up in her mouth. It was the crews quarters, and it was the most inhumane piece of work she'd seen in her life. There were no cots or hammocks, just pads on the floor. No showers, no nothing. They had meager clothing and tables. Their possessions were held in iron boxes.

They turned toward her.

"Your highness!"

They ran toward her and all bowed.

She nodded, not knowing what to do.

"What brings you here?"
They all seemed to cringe, as if she had an angry look. She smiled, trying to make them feel more comfortable.

They loosened a bit, but not much.

"I was just walking the halls and found this door, pardon me if I intruded."

"No, its okay sire. We were just surprised to see you."

She smiled. "Well nothings wrong, go- along I suppose."

They chuckled. "Yes, your highness."

She watched as they went back to work. She saw they had bruises and cuts galore. They looked awfully skinny. Her heart pained her that she should be feasting, while they half starved. Zuko, I'll have your head. She quietly closed the door and stomped off. She was so angry and appalled at their situation. And to think, hundreds, thousands, live under those conditions. She was about to puke!

She found her way back to the room and decided to put her wedding ring away. As she walked in, she found Zuko sitting on the bed.

As she came in, he looked up at her. His eyes said sorry.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be down chopping off the captain's head."

"I..I am sorry Katara. I didn't mean to offend."

She was taken aback by his apology. She didn't think of him as one who would swallow his pride.

"Its okay." She whispered. "But you know what I just saw, Zuko?"

"What?" He said, looking up.

"I saw the soldiers, your soldiers, living in the most appalling conditions. I am about to have your head on a platter..!"

"Why were you down there?"

"I was exploring the ship and opened a random door, and found them."

"Oh"

"Anyways, Zuko. We are changing those conditions I will not have anyone living like that."

"They're crew men, Katara."

"They're your people Zuko."

"Ours."

"Well, then. If they're my people, they'll be well clothed fed, and bathed. I want them to be accommodated to. Do you hear?"

"You have no right talking to me like this."

"I do too. We're husband and wife, king and queen. I am queen, its half my country too."

"I actually get three fourths."

"Why?"

"I am king, I am a man."

"I am queen, I am a woman. What's the difference?"

"Men…."

"Oh, what. Are better?" She said with ice. "I have seen you men scrabble like dogs over the littlest things, and then boast for your meager achievements. Not to mention war.."

"They're stronger."

"Yep, and I bet its easy to give birth."

She stared him cold in the eyes, and he stared back. His face turned to a scowl.

"You will respect me Katara, you are my wife. Submit."

"No" She said with contempt.

He jumped up so fast, she couldn't react. He grabbed her wrists and pinned her against the wall.

"Yes."

His mind was screaming "No! You can't do that to her!" But his pride took hold and reined like a mad dog.

"You will submit, you are my wife. Get used to it."

The whole time she was wriggling and crying, trying to brake free. He squeezed harder, and he didn't realize he was bruising her.

Katara screamed in pain.

"Zuko! Stop! Stop! Your hurting me!" She sobbed and screamed while trying to get out of his grasp.

It didn't stop there, though. As his anger got stronger: so did his firebending. His hands heated up like hot irons. He didn't even realize it.

She let out one bloody scream of agony and he let go.

She slid to the ground, keeping her hands close to her chest. She sobbed until her stomach hurt. She leaned against the cold wall. No, no!

Her eyes were so full of tears, she couldn't see. She tried to see her wrists, but couldn't make out any clear sight. She could see red, but that was all.

After a few minutes, she couldn't breathe, she was crying so much.

All the while, Zuko was standing there watching.

No! No! I didn't mean it! What have I done?!

"Yes you did."

He looked around.

"You did too, she didn't submit, so you attacked. You're the husband, its what you do."

"But I didn't mean…!"

He saw Katara, sitting on the ground, writhing in pain. Her burns were severe. Her wrists were like ruby bracelets. They bled fiercely. She still tried to cry.

"Katara, I…"

"Get away!"

She pushed past him and ran into the bathroom. She locked the door.

A/N:

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