Chapter 10
Once the group were all seated, the first course was brought out; a fruit salad of Fire Nation speciality, using mainly starfruit, dragonfruit and citruses.
The three men at the table made small conversation between themselves, while Azula stared at Katara, broken only to follow pieces of fruit with her fork. Zuko was holding Katara's hand; she was sat to his right, and Azula was directly opposite her.
"So Zuko, how have the council meetings been going lately?" Iroh innocently asked
"Well, they've finally started focusing on the real issues again, and seem to have cooled off on the marriage topic" Iroh looked disappointed, "Does that upset you Uncle?"
Iroh lied, "I'm the closest thing to a grandfather any children you have will have, and I'm not as young as I used to be" The young couple looked at him with shock, then at each other with realisation.
"Uncle, who did you make a bet with?" Zuko asked, knowing his Uncle's gambling habits well
Iroh went red, "Hakoda."
"WHAT?" Katara exploded, "Dare I ask what the exact terms of your bet were?"
"We both bet on the same thing."
"Which was?" Katara demanded
"That you and Zuko would become engaged"
Katara kept her stare on Uncle; Zuko squeezed her hand.
"And I bet that you two would become engaged within 6 months of the ball. Your father bet within a year, so anytime over 6 months, he wins."
Katara looked like she could water whip the older man's head clean off his shoulders.
"If I win, I get a year's supply of South Pole ice tea leaves. Hakoda gets a year of free tea at the Jasmine Dragon"
"So you returned to the Palace to try and ensure that you would win?" asked Zuko, struggling slightly to keep his voice calm
Iroh nodded his head. Katara made to open her mouth again, when Azula spoke.
"Do you mind not shouting anymore?" she stared daggers at Katara, who quickly closed her mouth again and shrunk into the back of her chair. Zuko looked visibly fumed, and rose from his chair;
"Uncle, what you did was wrong," He spoke with a certain amount of defiance and power, "I don't deny that it will probably happen," Katara looked up at him lovingly, "Maybe, or maybe not in yours or Hakoda's time frames, which will just be tough for each of you, because you should have not bet on something that is none of your business, admittedly, it is slightly Hakoda's, as Katara is his only daughter. But regardless. As for you Azula," He looked down at his sister who was chasing a stray grape around her plate, which she caught and looked up at her brother, somewhat bored, "Get used to Katara, she's not going anywhere, shouting and all" He was still holding Katara's hand, and bent slightly to kiss it. He sat back in his chair.
"Dear brother, I thought I was the insane one."
"What do you mean?"
"This...water witch...clearly has you under a spell, why else would she still be here in the palace? I can see no other explanation as to why you would break up with Fire Nation nobility, and your next choice would be a peasant from a traitor country" Zuko looked at her, with a look between shock and anger; Katara just sunk further into her chair
"Azula, we spoke about this" Her physician spoke up, "What did we say?"
Azula murmured with a tone of defeat, "We said that Zuko was Fire Lord now, and I had to treat him with respect, and Katara bested me in battle, and I should show my allegiance to Zuko unless I wanted to be locked up in solitary confinement again"
"Is that what you want?" The physician asked
Azula rolled her eyes, "It would be nice and quiet"
"Fire Lord Zuko, I require your permission" Zuko quickly processed what was being asked of him; to sentence his sister to solitary confinement, and possibly make her more insane.
"I have an alternative suggestion," Katara spoke up, "Solitary confinement may do more harm than good. I suggest Zuko writes to Mai and Ty-Lee, and the two of them meet up with Azula at one of the mountain retreat homes, with her team of physicians close by, and we integrate her back into society" Nods went around three people of the table; Azula looked around them bemused.
"Have you forgotten I am here?" she said, "Or, dear brother, am I now too a distant memory, along with Father and Mother?"
"Azula, this will be for your own good" her physician said, addressing the Princess firmly
"You will never be a distant memory! Neither will Mother or Father! I have loved you all so much, and look where it got me! Ruling a country, alone, with the stigma of being the banished prince still hanging over my head, my sister insane and imprisoned, my father imprisoned, and my mother lost for more years than I care to count! So forgive me for seeking comfort with whom I wish, and trying to find a solution to your problems, while fixing my country, and aiding the world as it heals." He stopped for breath before standing, "I'll be in my chambers, goodnight Uncle. Goodbye Azula." He gave Katara's hand a final squeeze, then released it, and quickly left the room. Uncle Iroh and Azula's physician looked on in shock, while Katara seemed momentarily frozen; after a few moments of silence, broken only by Azula chasing yet another grape around her plate, Katara abruptly stood, nodded to the men of the table, and sprinted from the room.
"Well, that went well" commented Iroh
A/N Okay, hi guys, apologies first; for saying this would be up over a week ago, and only uploading it now, for the shortness of the chapter, and the general crappiness of it. I wrote and re-wrote this chapter maybe half a dozen times, and I'm still not happy with it. I don't like writing Azula, and I also don't like writing scenes with more than three characters (which is why during most other chapters, with a couple of exceptions, no more than three characters speak)
But, I've got it out. Review your worst :) I welcome it this time.
Explanation time! Other than the general writers block with this chapter, I have been busy trying to organise things; I'm going to Florida in November for three months to work on a big cat sanctuary as an intern, and although I won't have loads of free time, I will still write when I can, and upload as often as I can, but for the next 7 weeks (eek, it's creeping up on me) writing is going to be slightly sporadic. I have the next chapter started, but with all the planning for my trip happening, trying to see all my friends from up and down the country (country being the UK, go Britain!) before I go, and working on and off for my dad, writing is going to take a back burner, unless my insomnia comes back :)
Please keep reviewing, and giving suggestions (I welcome these at the moment, as my mind has just gone blank through worrying about this monstrosity of a chapter), favouriting and following :D
And I am open to beta read work for anyone! I am registered as a beta reader, and while I may not have the drive to write right now, I have the drive to read (I finished 6-7 books this year, which trumps the last few years put together, during which I hardly read, for various reasons) so get a beta reader, and get me for it :D