Chapter 4
The Price of Freedom

Katara watched her father pacing before her from across the table. They were in a smaller meeting room preparing to discuss the council's decision, or at least she hoped that's what they were doing. Her father had yet to say anything. He'd pace one way, pause, open his mouth to begin, and then snap his mouth shut and resume pacing.

"Um, dad…" Katara prodded.

"Here's the thing, Katara. After much," her father paused to find the right word, "debate, the council has finally come to an agreement. The issue is many members are struggling with putting their complete trust in Zuko as the Fire Lord. So the fix, simple enough, is he's going to need an advisor, a companion of sorts. Someone closer to him than the council. Someone that can keep an eye on him and deal with his temper."

"Um, isn't that kind of Iroh's job?" Katara asked confused.

"Yes, but Iroh is an old man. He won't live forever and we thought someone closer to Zuko's age would be appropriate."

"So you mean like Sokka or Aang? A friend who can keep him on the right track, tell him when he's being dumb but still go out for drinks at the end of the day." Katara surmised.

"Well, yes…and no. A friend of course and someone who has experienced life outside of the fire nation for sure but a friend doesn't have much authority or power over people and supplies, also a friend could be banished out of anger or irritation and it's common knowledge that Zuko's short tempered, even though he has made great strides to change that. However, the council is looking to kill two birds with one stone. Zuko's recent promotion to the status of Fire Lord has brought to everyone's attention that which Zuko has yet to acquire…" Hakoda paused to look at his daughter, who stared back at him expectantly. He sighed, "A wife, Katara. The Fire Nation will need a Fire Lady at some point, especially considering Zuko and Iroh are the last of the royal line until Zuko provides his nation with an heir."

"Uh dad, I don't really think you have to worry about that. I'm sure when all of this peace talk stuff is over Zuko will definitely ask Mai."

"Mai isn't an option."

"She's not?" Katara frowned in confusion. "Um, I know we've all been busy lately but I'm sure you've seen those two together. They're definitely in love."

"It doesn't matter, there are too many factors against her that the council doesn't trust her in such a powerful position. Her uncle was cruel to many of the prisoners of the boiling rock. Her father is a high ranking noble who might try to use his daughter's position to gain political influence, suppose he raised a rebellion within the fire nation with all the demands being made of their nation there are sure to be many who are bitter enough to join in. And to top it all off, probably the worst of her offenses, the girl's past friendship and alliance with Azula takes the cake, she may have betrayed her in the end but its proof she knows how to be cruel and it's that underlying cruelty they fear in Zuko so why on earth would they accept another royal to fear. The council wouldn't even consider her as a potential wife for the young and impressionable Fire Lord such as Zuko."

"Oh, so most of that rules out Ty Lee as well. What other fire nation girls do we know?" Katara mused.

"The girl can't be fire nation." Hakoda stated flatly.

"Oh, why not?"

"Because of all the mixed feelings about the fire nation's people right now. Suppose we picked wrong and the girl or her parents were secretly Ozai enthusiasts who would then convince Zuko to restart the war because fire nation supremacy is simply destiny. Our nations are hurting far too much to keep fighting. We need to rebuild and restore trust thus a fire nation girl simply won't do."

"She won't be much of a fire lady, then will she?" Katara laughed at her own joke, storing it in the back of her mind to tell Sokka later when he's been informed of these new developments. However, her father's serious expression quickly snuffed out any laughter left in her.

"She will be called Lady Hope, Katara. The council agreed to change the title plus we think she will like it better."

"Oh, well, that's a pretty title. Now we've just got to find a princess or something that would be willing to put up with Zuko's moodiness."

"We've already chosen one." Hakoda said slowly.

"Oh, who?" Katara frowned again. This was all rather sudden, shouldn't they have asked Zuko's opinion on the matter. It would already be difficult enough telling him he had to break up with Mai, now they were just going to shove some other girl in his face.

"Katara, it's you."

"Yue, who? If you mean the moon spirit, you pronounced her name wrong and I think 'general instigator' had pointed out more than enough times that she died during the war."

"No, Katara, not Yue. You, as in yourself. You've traveled to all of the nations, you're friends with the avatar and many other high ranking officials around the world, you're friends with Zuko, and you've got a good head on your shoulders. If anyone could tame his temper it would be you considering you're just as stubborn as he is. You proved just yesterday you're not afraid to fight back if you believe in something and you're not fire nation."

Katara was silent, her face rapidly shifting from shock to hurt to confusion to anger to sadness, then back again to repeat the process. She took several deep breaths, opening her mouth to speak, then stopping and shaking her head, her hands came up in confusion as to whether they should be balled in fists, pulling at her hair, wiping away tears that had yet to fall, or just remain at her side.

"I…no…dad…WHAT?" Katara finally exploded. Her mind was running a mile a minute. She wouldn't formulate a complete sentence, the shock and betrayal clouding her mind. "DAD! How could you agree to this? This is, I mean, that is completely crazy and utterly ridiculous! Not to mention completely archaic! I don't accept this. I refuse. I REFUSE. What about Aang? What about…"

"Katara you can't refuse. It's already decided. Treaties have been drawn up. Promises have been made."

"WHAT?"

"Katara, I'm sorry. I know it'll take some getting used to but it's the only thing we could agree on. Trust me, we threw out plenty of names and everyone had some sort of flaw that got them crossed off until we had whittled the list down to you. I know you are a free spirit and I hate to take away your right to choose but this at the moment seems to be the only way."

"Only way! Dad, I can't."

"You can. You're not going to be alone, everyone is staying until after the wedding. We'll get through this together."

"Together! You can't possibly understand what this means right now, how I feel."

"I know Katara but you'll be doing the right thing."

"By who's standards? A bunch of bickering old men? No, absolutely not! I refuse."

"Katara, I've already told you, you can't refuse. You'll be married in a month and that's the end of it."

"A MONTH!" She shrieked. "A month, what do you mean a month?"

"Exactly what I said, a month, thirty days, give or take a few. I told you we'd stay with you until after the wedding but we can't hang around here forever, we've all got our tribes and nations to get back too. And in truth you should probably be grateful to have a month. The original time period was two weeks but there was no way the fire nation could be ready for such a large celebration in such a short period of time and both Iroh and I demanded you and Zuko be given more time to adjust to the news."

"So I suppose I should be thanking you." Katara replied scathingly. "Well forget it. I hate this. I hate everything."

Like the sudden release of a floodgate, the tears burst forth from Katara as she ran from the room. She pushed blindly past servants and anyone else who dared to get in her way. She ran out of the palace, she ran until chest hurt, and her breathing came in ragged breaths. She ran until her body couldn't take it any more and she dropped to the ground sobbing as though it were the end of the world. She didn't know where she was and she didn't care. Nothing mattered any more. It was all for nothing. How is it she had spent so many years of her life fighting for freedom, only to feel so powerless, to realize she had no freedoms at all? She was just a pawn in the world's great stupid game of ruining her life.

- -

"Nephew?" Iroh spoke cautiously. He'd just explained the events of the final peace talk and it worried him that his nephew still had yet to say a word. He'd expected anger, shouting, firebending, anything really but Zuko hadn't moved, he hadn't said a word. He just stared at him with the same blank expression. "Zuko, please say something. Your silence is worrying me? Surely you are thinking something."

Still Zuko said nothing. His face was a hardened mask that even his uncle couldn't penetrate. Accepting the fact that his nephew had no intention of responding any time soon, Iroh left the room with a sigh. He hated to do this to his nephew but they just weren't getting anywhere otherwise. Even he was sick of the peace talks, there was nothing remotely peaceful about them.

A/N: Alas, the plot revealed, not that you probably hadn't already guessed it. Reviews and suggestions are appreciated.