EDIT: I just saw my own fic while browsing and decided to read it, being my conceited self and all that. I did what many people kept suggesting, that is to separate the dialogues. Honestly, I like the other format better, but I do admit this way is much easier for people to read. I also went back and corrected any grammar mistakes I could. There are probably some left, but it's ok. : D Please enjoy this edited version~
-Yumekui
It's been 3 years since the war ended. A Crown Prince, now the Fire Lord, has been assisting the Avatar in restoring peace to their world. Everyone had grown up, all affected by the war. After the final battle, Sokka had chosen to return to the South Pole with his father. He asked Suki to accompany him, which she had cheerfully agreed. They were married now, living peacefully in the icy tundra. Occasionally, Aang would fly down to pick them up or visit them. Toph decided to stay with the Avatar. She trusted him, and she certainly didn't want to go back to living with her parents after the adventures she's had. Katara saw the way Aang stared at Toph; it was the same look on his face when he first met Katara. The master waterbender knew Toph had some feelings for the Avatar. The light blushes on her cheeks gave her away when Aang took the young master earthbender's hand. That left Katara to tag along with Aang and Toph, or stay and help out Zuko, occasionally having some tea with the esteemed Dragon of the West. Katara had graciously took Iroh up on his offer of staying in the Fire Nation.
Katara rushed form the council meeting room to the tea garden outside, ignoring Zuko's shouts behind her, telling her not to run. She burst through the doors, sighing as she saw the plump old man sipping his tea and looking up at the sky. She straightened her dark blue skirt and secured the tie at her hip before setting a couple scrolls on the table beside her own tea cup.
"Sorry, Uncle, I was caught up with the councilmen. Shen wouldn't stop talking," she sighed exasperatedly, refilling Iroh's cup then moving onto her own. The woman breathed in the scent of the fresh brewed firelilies. The older man simply laughed, patting the girl's hand.
"It's quite alright, my dear. It's not like I have anywhere to go. Are you enjoying your stay here, Master Katara," he asked, sipping the steaming tea once again. The waterbender smiled at the name.
"You asked me this every day we have tea, and you don't have to call me a master. I'm hardly one, compared to you."
Iroh laughed again; "I'm just making sure my nephew and I are not forcing you to stay. You can leave whenever you want. The title is a form of respect, but if you wish it, I shall call you by your name only."
Katara smiled, laughing lightly. "Oh, but I can't leave, Uncle," she sipped her tea before continuing. "What makes you think Zuko can rule efficiently without me," she joked.
The two briefly shared a chuckle before a baritone voice startled them. "Care to repeat that, my dear," the man mocked in a threatening tone.
Katara swiftly turned around, despite Iroh's silent pleas not to, only to be met with a solid chest clad in maroon silk. She hadn't missed the disappointed sigh coming from the former general's lips.
"Heh. Heey, Zuko. Is there another meeting already?" She asked innocently, baring her large sapphire eyes into his burnt honey ones.
He flicked her in the forehead before moving to take the empty seat at the table set for three. Over the years, the Fire Lord found that tea could be somewhat relaxing. Katara poured tea into his cup as he spoke, running his hand through his hair.
"You shouldn't say those things, Katara. Someone could over hear and think something of it." He nodded his thanks and took hold of the cup, sniffing it curiously. He looked to his uncle with a suspicious gaze. "Did you...did you just brew our national flower," he asked incredulously. Iroh merely smiled guiltily, taking another sip.
The Fire Lord rolled his eyes and enjoyed the conversations until it was time for the two teens to get back to work. Although she loved the clothing style of her nation, Katara also enjoyed the freedom Fire Nation styled clothes gave her. The light blue top that adorned her toned body stopped right at her ribs, revealing her abdomen. The sleeves were long, covering her hands if she let them hang. The cloth draped over her right shoulder, exposing her collarbone and left shoulder. Her skirt was similar to her Fire Nation attire during the war, but opted out of the pants under. Instead, Katara allowed her white wrappings to extend to her knees. The length of the skirt reached the floor, covering her bare feet. Despite the shoes given to her, Katara preferred walking around the palace without her shoes. She finally understood why her earthbending friend preferred feeling the ground beneath her feet. The warrior only covered her feet if she were to leave palace grounds. In those cases, the waterbender clad her feet in simple black slip-ons she requested.
Katara walked beside the pale man, shoving her hands into her flared out sleeves.
"This is so boring," she voiced. "We're just supposed to stay in this wing until the Ambassador arrives?"
Zuko sighed, stopping by a window, looking over the front courtyard. Katara sat on the window sill across from him, looking out into the yard as well. The sun was almost down, and the Ambassador should be arriving soon for dinner. She tugged on his sleeve lazily.
"Could we spar after dinner? It's been awhile since either of us did," she suggested, flicking away a bug that crawled through the window. The Fire Lord looked at the master waterbender and shrugged.
"Sure, if we don't have to entertain and if he doesn't proposition his daughter to me again."
They moved away from the window as they spotted an Earth Kingdom carriage on its way through the front gates. The two made their way to the front steps to greet the Ambassador; they bowed and shook his hand before heading off to the dining room. Dinner had gone quite well, the Ambassador chatted with the two and only offered his daughter to the Fire Lord once. To th Fire Lord's relief, the Ambassador decided to retire after dinner from his long trip. The teens bid their good nights to the older man and headed towards the Fire Lord's office.
Zuko shrugged off his official robes and laid them next to his desk. He took his seat on the cushion and waited for his friend to join him. Katara narrowed her eyes at the pile of clothes beside the man's desk. She picked up the heavy robes and folded them, neatly piling them on a shelf near the door. She sighed and took the cushion on the other side of the man's desk. They chatted briefly to allow time to digest their food before heading to the training grounds. Zuko led them to the closest arena, which happened to be one without a water container in sight. Katara huffed as Zuko smirked at his opponent. They made their way to opposite ends of the field, shedding their outer clothing. The Fire Lord threw his shirt to the side along with his boots, leaving him bare foot on the cool stone floor. The master waterbender untied her skirt and slipped her top over her head, neatly piling the clothes on a ledge nearby. As she climbed back onto the raised platform, Katara felt the moon's energy envelop her. The two smirked at each other before falling into battle stances. As usual, Zuko struck first, sending a blast at the waterbender's side. She dodged with grace, taking water from the air around her to create icicles headed for the firebender's feet. Although the moon was out, Katara was having difficulties, seeing as there was no source of water for her to draw from.
"You're such an ass, you know?" She doused another wave of fire coming at her.
"How so," the man asked innocently.
She dodged again and perked up as she heard a servant pass by with a bucket of dirty water. She took the liquid from the bucket, leaving behind dirt in the bucket. The servant stared into the bucket, wide eyed, before rushing away to avoid a misplaced blast of fire from the Fire Lord. The two battled for another hour before Zuko captured the waterbender in his arms, pressing her back into his chest and holding a flame to her face. "I win," he panted. He could feel the other's heart beat furiously against his arm around her neck and he was sure she could feel his beating against her back.
The woman merely smirked up at him. "Are you sure?" She motioned to her own hands as he realized she was holding an extremely sharp icicle to his groin and another to the side of his neck. His eyes narrowed and released her. They separated and secretly eyed the other. The moonlight caused the sweat to glisten on their skin. Katara quickly bent the sweat from her body and dumped it on the plants behind her, repeating the process with the excess water on the stone ground. She turned to look up at Zuko gathering his clothes, steam coming off his body. They headed to the kitchens for a light snack in the form of peaches before bidding a good night to each other.
The next day, Katara woke to banging on her door. She untangled herself from her blankets only to fall unceremoniously on the floor. She took the pile of fresh clothes from her drawers and quickly washed up and dressed in the bathroom.
"Katara! Breakfast is in ten minutes, and we have to say goodbye to the Ambassador! Katara, I swear I'm going to break this door if you-"
The door swung open to reveal a fully dressed, angry waterbender.
"Good, you're up," Zuko smirked at her disheveled appearance.
The woman glared at him before fixing the loops in her hair and smoothing out the top. Her hair had grown to reach just past her bottom, causing there to be less volume to it. She really didn't mind, it was just hair. Apparently, the former Crown Prince thought her hair was still frizzy. He took hold of the ends of her hair as she began to walk away, causing Katara to be jerked backwards. He smiled secretly and began smoothing out the back of her hair as they walked to the dining room. A few doors away, Zuko stopped his actions and entered the dining room, taking his place at the head of the table. Katara gave the Fire Lord a confused look as he passed by. She huffed and unfolded her arms to straighten her outfit before entering and taking her place next to the Fire Lord. Across from her sat the Ambassador from the day before and next to him sat Iroh. The Ambassador once again brought up the subject of Fire Lady during their meal and before Zuko could answer, Iroh gave a soft chuckle.
"For the past three years, Fire Lord Zuko has ruled this nation with honor and efficiency, better than his predecessors. I doubt forcing him to wed a stranger would do his rule any good. Besides, Master Katara has already been assisting our Fire Lord throughout these years. Reminds you of Princess Ursa, does she not, Ambassador Feng? She has already taken on the duties a Fire Lady would have. There's no need to rush into our Fire Lord taking a wife. Everything is under control with the assistance of the wonderful Master Katara."
All the while Iroh spoke, Katara's eyes looked like they'd pop out of her head and Zuko choked on his food more than once. Noticing this, Katara pat the Fire Lord's back lightly as he coughed.
"You see? She's even making sure the Fire Lord does not choke to death," Iroh laughed.
Feng stared at the man before cracking a smile himself. "I guess, you win, General Iroh. I can see that this nation will thrive, even without an official Fire Lady." The teens breathed a sigh of relief, glad that this man was not too uptight.
They finished their breakfast and saw the Ambassador off at the main gate. Zuko turned from the sight of the retreating carriage to the waterbender at his side. With no meetings today, he had hoped she might be interested in going into the marketplace with him. However, before he could get a word out, Katara spun on her heel, making her way to the library. The Fire Lord sighed, hanging his head as he walked to his office. He knew he had feelings for her and hoped she returned it. He remembered the way her cool skin felt against his heated skin the night before. Despite sparring for a couple hours, she had somehow remained cool to the touch. Zuko noticed the blush that graced her face during breakfast at the mention of her being so similar to his mother. He sighed, cradling his face with his hands. The man straightened his back and picked up the brush to his side.
"I needed to finish reading and signing these papers, especially responding to those pesky marriage propositions."
It seemed like the waterbender was avoiding him. He had only seen her three more times during the day, only for meals and to drop off some documents. He had no clue as to what she was doing all day, nor why she wouldn't talk to him or even look at him during lunch or dinner. Zuko decided to let it go and retire to his room early.
Katara had been cooped up in the library for the first half of the day. After having lunch, she made her way to her makeshift office. Zuko wasn't the only one with important work around the palace. She had no real authority to sign documents but she had the power to screen the documents before giving them to the Fire Lord. She rolled her eyes as she read over another marriage proposition. A pang of jealousy ran through her chest as she piled the letters in a small box to be responded to later. That left two documents requesting an audience with the Fire Lord. She placed the documents at the top of the box and took the object to Zuko's office. Without knocking, she slid the door open with her foot and placed the two documents on his desk. She felt eyes on her as she moved about the room, placing the stack of documents on the shelf next to his desk. Wordlessly, Katara took hold of her box and shut the door as she left.
Katara lay in bed that night, tired from the Fire Lady duties, as Uncle Iroh had jokingly dubbed them earlier that day. She was merely assisting Zuko throughout the day. Sure, she kept track of his schedule, accompanied him to openings, dinners, and meetings, and occasionally sat with him in his office while doing paper work, but that didn't mean she was taking on Fire Lady duties, was it? She rubbed her temples, closing her eyes briefly. The waterbender let her arms fall onto the thin sheets, causing the material to puff up with the sudden weight. Katara turned her head, glancing out her balcony doors. It was night and everyone was asleep, except her. She sighed, flinging her forearm over her eyes to try to rest a bit. However, the thoughts of possibly taking the place of someone more important haunted her for the rest of the night. Glancing out the windows again, Katara sat up and slipped off the bed. A bit of dark orange sunlight was peaking over the horizon. She headed to her bathroom, splashing some water on her face before changing out of her sleeping clothes. She picked up a set of white wraps folded in a neat pile next to the sink and proceeded to wrap her chest and thighs. She took the white cloth and tied it on her hip as she walked out of her room, making her way towards the training grounds. Her long brown hair covered her back, brushing just past her bottom. Katara lightly touched her mother's necklace with her fingertips as the training grounds came into view. She stepped onto the raised platform and smiled as she eyed the large pots of water at all corners of the vast platform. A tip of the sun had emerged from the horizon, creating a glowing effect on the young woman.
The young waterbender stretched lazily, going over yoga poses to loosen her tense body before practicing with her element. She started with the basics, moving orbs of water around her, then forming them into a larger body of water to drag around all around her. She hummed quietly to herself as she moved into water whips, streams, and jets. Katara willed the water in the pots to form frozen targets littered around the platform. The warrior continued moving gracefully around the grounds, destroying targets along the way. The practice was meant to allow her time to clear her mind, but it wasn't working. As she moved, her thoughts gradually drifted toward her own issues. She threw down her hands and released an angered cry, causing the remaining water in the pots to boil. Katara fell into her stance again, manipulating the water to create the figure of her Fire Lord friend. She released a breath, freezing the statue in place. Continuing her practice, the waterbender struck the figure from all sides with whips and waves. She growled with frustration, returning to the front of the statue and kicking a blast of superheated water at the head, effectively melting it off in an instant.
While preoccupied with her anger, Katara hadn't heard the man lean against the railing overlooking the training ground. He started to clap slowly, admiring the view he had of the fiery waterbender. He quickly blocked the water shot at him with a counter of bright red-orange flames. The man leaned over the railing again, smirking at the girl.
"I'm impressed. That last attack resembled a firebending move," he voiced. He jumped over the railing, landing on his feet gracefully, as a lord should. He crossed his arms over his bare chest, frowning at the waterbender. "Now, will you tell me why you melted off my head," he asked, nodding toward the headless ice sculpture.
Katara immediately melted the ice on the grounds and returned them to the pots of water. She turned back to the Fire Lord slowly, trying to avoid staring at his muscular chest. The man stood tall, at least a head taller that her, with nothing but a pair of loose pants, hanging on his hips. He must have come out to train and heard her. Her cheeks colored slightly, as she realized her shout may have woken people. She looked the man in the eyes, seeing the slight playful nature of his question. The seasoned warrior smiled halfheartedly and made her way off the training grounds, leaving behind a very confused man.
"Did I do something? Katara!" He shouted after her, but chose not to follow. "Shit," he breathed, shooting fire at a pillar to the side.
He continued his actions until the sun had fully risen from the horizon. Beads of sweat dripped from his body but were quickly turned to steam as Zuko entered his room. He needed to clean up before heading to breakfast. Perhaps he could have a word with the waterbender afterward.
Katara continued to avoid the Fire Lord, leaving the dining room early and wandering into the wing of the palace for Zuko's sister. Although mentally disturbed, Azula was still a princess. The warrior was hoping she could take a walk with her. Her mental status was improving with the sessions with various therapists and the presence of her mother. After three years, she was finally off her medication and was stable to say the least. She sighed as she rounded another corner and promptly bumped into a tall woman with long black hair, dressed in an elegant red and gold dress. Katara regained her balance and helped steady the woman in front of her. "I'm so sorry; I wasn't looking where I was going," she said, looking up at the woman. Her eyes widened and she bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry, Lady Ursa!"
The woman smiled and placed a reassuring hand on the young woman dressed in blue. "It's quite alright, Master Katara."
The girl blushed at the name and looked to the floor.
"Katara is just fine, my lady."
A hand tilted her head up to look the woman in her amber eyes.
"Then Ursa is just fine as well," she smiled. "May I ask what you're doing here, Katara. People rarely visit this wing."
Katara tensed up as she answered the older woman. "I came to speak to Princess Azula. I've been surrounded by men all my life; I just wanted a girl to talk to. I was hoping she was up for it. If not, I understand and I'm sorry to bother," the waterbender blurted out embarrassingly.
Azula poked her head out the door the two were standing in front of. "I heard my name," she said, "What can I do for you, Water Girl?" Katara ignored the name and turned to the princess, nodding her head in a bow.
"Care to take a walk," she offered, holding out her hand. Azula stared at the hand before taking it and stepping out of her room. Ursa moved away, making her way down the hallway, away from the two girls.
"What did you need," Azula voiced quietly, allowing the waterbender to link arms with her. "I heard you say something about needing a girl to talk to. You know I'm not much of a 'girl-talk' person. If you wanted a way to play a trick on your brother, I'd be the perfect source," she laughed.
Katara stayed silent as they walked the hallways, staring out the windows on each side. She patted Azula's arm and sighed.
"I," she began, biting her bottom lip. "I'm confused. It's about your brother."
Azula's laugh caught her off guard, causing her to bump into a corner.
"What?"
"You're in love with Zuzu," she smiled, taking a tendril of Katara's brown hair and plaiting it loosely. The girls had stopped at a window, allowing Azula to play with the younger girl's hair.
"W-what?"
The princess sighed. "Is that all you can say, water girl? I see the way you look at him. I watched you two spar last night. It was entertaining, getting cozy with my brother under the moonlight. How romantic," she trailed off.
"Tha-that's not...we weren't..," she cleared her throat. "We were just sparring."
"Yeah, and I'm a four hundred foot tall purple Platypus Bear with pink horns and silver wings. What do you feel when you think about him?"
"Anger, irritation, stress, a twitch-"
"Hmph, Okay, what do you feel when you see him?"
"Anger, irri-"
"Seriously."
"I don't know, okay? I just...He makes me feel safe. I felt safe with Aang and Toph and Sokka and Suki because we fought the war together; we were there for each other. But, when I'm with Zuko, I just...He makes me feel like nothing can go wrong. I sound like such a sap! Ugh."
Azula smiled and hugged the waterbender, whispering in her ear.
"Don't tell Mai, but I'd much rather have you as a sister-in-law than her. She's such a buzzkill sometimes. She wouldn't even let me set her on fire. Hmph."
Katara pulled away, looking at the girl questioningly.
"Uh, I'm not even going to ask. What am I supposed to do!" she buried her face in Azula's shoulder.
The princess frowned. "What do you mean, 'what am I supposed to do?' Tell him! For a brilliant master waterbender, you're not that brilliant in common sense. Come on, let's go tell Zuzu the great news."
"What! No! I can't tell him. What if he doesn't like me," she muttered.
Katara was met with a slap to the back of her head. She looked up, shocked the princess would do such a thing at a time like this. "What was that for," she exclaimed.
"How dense can you be, even the little blind girl could see how much my big brother cares for you. He talks about you all the time when he visits me. Did you know you have a birth mark on your back in the shape of a tiny flame? Apparently Zuko did," she laughed.
Katara frowned, turning in circles trying to catch a glimpse of it.
"Let's go tell him! I can't wait to see his face." Azula turned around as she heard footsteps behind them.
Zuko came from around the corner, looking up to find his sister. "Hello, Azula. How are you?" Azula's face split into a wide grin.
"Peachy. How about you, my dear brother?"
He shrugged. "Fine. Shall I walk you back, Mrs. Song said it's almost time for your next session with her."
The girl frowned, looking back at Katara.
"Don't tell anyone. Please, Azula."
She gave her a true smile. "Of course, my lady," the princess bowed, winking mischievously at the waterbender, causing her ears and neck to redden. Zuko looked between the girls suspiciously.
After dropping off Azula, the Fire Lord turned to the master waterbender.
"Katara, what were to talking to my sister about?"
Katara tensed and turned away from the man, heading to the gardens that were rebuilt after Zuko's first year as Fire Lord. Said Fire Lord quickly caught up to her, falling into step with the tense waterbender.
"I...I'm sorry, I can't do this," Katara sighed with frustration, turning away from the firebender only to be caught and pulled to his warm chest. The position was all too familiar to the two. A small voice reminded her of the situation so many years ago. I'll save you from the pirates
"What's going on, Katara? I'm worried about you. First you avoid me all day, not even looking at me during meals, then I find you talking with my sister about something no one else is supposed to know. What's going on; are you okay?"
Katara turned her head, refusing to face the man holding her in place. Zuko released one of her wrists, moving to touch the girl's chin. He gently turned her head back to him, frowning when the waterbender screwed her eyes shut.
"Look at me. Katara, please," he whispered. "Have I done something to wrong you? If so, just tell me. Please, look at me. It's been killing me that you're acting like I don't exist. Even during the war you'd at least glare at me. Please." Katara opened her eyes, trying to pull away from the Fire Lord.
Zuko kept his hold on her wrist, refusing to let her run away. A short frustrated sigh came from the waterbender's lips.
"What do you want me to say, Zuko?"
"I want to know what's going on with you," he growled lowly.
She glared up at him, hitting him in the chest. "I don't feel that I should stay here anymore."
"Wha-"
"If I do, things might get out of control and I might do something I'll regret. No matter what Azula said, I can never be sure. I just...don't want anything to change," she finished, chewing on her lip as her brows furrowed.
"I'm more confused than when we started. What are you talking about? What did she say to you?" Katara pursed her lips, feeling Zuko's calloused hands cup her face. "I may not be the most emotionally-conscious person in the world, but I do know that I care about you...possibly more than you can imagine. I don't want you to leave, but if that's what you really want, I won't stop you. Can you at least remember to visit once in a while?" Zuko moved to step away from the girl, but a scream startled him.
His eye's widened as he realized who it was. Ty Lee had half her body hanging out a window. "KISS HER, ALREADY," the girl screamed repeatedly.
Both teens started at the girl, not missing the mischievous smile on Azula's lips as she waved innocently at the two. Katara opened her mouth to retort but was swiftly interrupted as she felt chapped lips press against her cheek. Zuko feared her eyes may explode, considering how wide they were. He smiled sheepishly, ignoring the loud squeal from above.
"She told me to," he offered.
Katara turned away, intending to stomp away. Before she could take another step, Zuko reached out and pulled her back to him, capturing her mouth before she could protest. She melted against his chest, fisting her hands into his robes. The waterbender felt the man smile against her lips as she hesitantly rested her arms around his neck. The Fire Lord pulled away, wiping his thumb against her bottom lip lightly.
"You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that," he whispered huskily, resting his forehead against hers.
Katara opened her mouth to respond but no words emerged. Instead she pressed her lips to his once more, smiling contently as they pulled away from each other.
The next week ran normally, to many outsiders, it seemed like nothing had changed, but one outsider noticed the change. He noticed the lingering touches, the increased whispers during meals and the dark blushes flitting across the waterbender's face. Iroh smiled, sipping at his tea. The only problem would be the meeting the two would attend in just a few moments. The councilmen wish to discuss the Fire Lord's lack of a Fire Lady. He shrugged absently. Perhaps everything will work out wonderfully. After breakfast the two teens headed to the meeting room, greeting the councilmen as they entered.
"Fire Lord Zuko, I believe it is time we find you a Fire Lady. Surely you don't expect to rule with nation without one." Zuko kept a calm face as he answered.
"I agree, Councilman Shen. I have thought about this matter for quite some time and have a person in mind. I do not wish to announce my decision until the end of the week. At that time I will host a ball for the occasion."
The councilmen nodded in agreement, standing as a gesture to the end of their meeting. As the men left, Katara turned to Zuko.
"I'm going to have tea with Uncle Iroh. Would you like to join us?"
Zuko nodded. "In a bit. I need to send out some invitations first."
Katara smiled, kissing his cheek before exiting the room and heading to the tea garden.
She opened the door, staring into the garden. Iroh was nowhere in sight. Did she come on the wrong day? The table had the tea pot and three tea cups, but there was no tea enthusiast sitting at it. The warrior walked towards the table, spotting a small red box on her chair. She picked it up, opening it cautiously. A gasp escaped her lips as the sight of the gift. A round white shell hung on a maroon and gold ribbon. The shell was carved to depict the bottom of her Water Tribe symbol fading into the top of the Fire Nation symbol.
"May I have the honor of having you as my Fire Lady," a baritone voice floated to Katara's ears, causing a shiver down her spine.
She turned around, wrapping her arms around the Fire Lord.
"How did you...When," she choked, tears in her eyes.
"Will you be my Fire Lady, Master Katara?" He asked, wiping the tears from her eyes.
"What do you think," she laughed.
"Will you just say yes?"
She laughed again, "Yes! Of course! Now will you answer my question? How did you make this," she said, fingering the shell. "It can only be found in the Water Tribes."
Zuko pulled away to sit across from her. He smiled sheepishly and sighed. "I asked Sokka to help me a couple years ago. At first, he refused, but with my excellent charm, I was able to convince him." He looked up at Katara's disbelieving stare and sighed. "Fine. Before he and Suki visited, I asked him to help me make one. For you. He refused at the thought of possibly giving his baby sister to the Fire Nation, but I guess he warmed up to the idea and brought the shells when they arrived," he smiled.
"Is that it? I don't believe my brother would give up that easily," she frowned. "Besides, what if I said no? You made this, what, a year ago?"
The Fire Lord matched that frown. "I promised him that I'd only give it to you if I was sure of what I wanted as well as sure of what you wanted. He seemed to find that satisfactory."
Katara smiled lightly. "But, how is everyone supposed to get here in time! It takes 4 days to get to the Fire Nation from the Southern Water Tribe, and we don't even know where Aang and Toph are! They're not going to get here on time," she cried in a panic. Iroh came around the corner and smiled at the two.
"Aang and Toph should be arriving tomorrow and your family should be arriving the day after. There's no need to worry, my dear," he said, settling into his chair and pouring the tea for the newly engaged couple.
"But how! Wha-...Zuko," she started threateningly. He held up his hands in defense.
"It wasn't me!"
They looked to Iroh with expectation.
"What? I saw the way you two acted around each other and I just knew everything would work out." The trio settled into a comfortable silence for the rest of the afternoon.
Katara rushed out of the palace, waiting eagerly at the front gate. Zuko stood beside her, admiring the way that red ribbon sat on her collarbone. A flying bison landed in the courtyard, letting a bald young man slide off his head. A young lady with medium length black hair jumped off the saddle, landing on her bare feet. The two brushed off their clothes before running up the stairs to the royal couple.
"Toph!" Katara shouted, hugging the younger girl.
"Calm down, Sweetness," she giggled.
They pulled away as the smaller girl jumped on the Fire Lord to the horror of the servants around them. The pressure of the young girl knocked the breath out of him. He laughed lightly, lifting the girl briefly, before setting her on the ground.
"You're not a little girl anymore, Toph. It's not that easy to catch you when you launch yourself like that."
She gave him a cheeky smile. "Suck it up, Sparky."
Katara giggled at her fiance's facial response as she hugged the Avatar. The two young men faced each other, shaking hands and exchanging greetings and the occasional smile. Toph smirked as she walked beside the waterbender as the four moved into the palace.
"Let's go visit the purple platypus bear! I hear she's cute and cuddly," the earthbender snickered.