Chapter 11

Wedding Plans

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"We know only that our entire existence is forced into new paths and disrupted, that new circumstances, new joys and new sorrows await us, and that the unknown has its uncanny attractions, alluring and at the same time anguishing."

Heinrich Heine

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It was later in the afternoon when a servant appeared at Katara's door with a summons for her presence from Zuko. She'd thanked the young man for the message and the proceeded to her vanity table to check her hair quickly. She reached for a brush to run through her hair quickly when she paused. 'What am I doing? Why on earth and I getting spruced up for him?' Shaking her head at the randomness of her actions she dropped the brush and headed out the doors. She didn't need to look good for him, it was Zuko.

She found the servant who had come for her was waiting outside her door to lead her to where Zuko was. She blushed thinking he witnessed her entire like episode. He didn't say anything as he led her to a small meeting room near the kitchen where Zuko sat with papers scattered before him, looking rather disinterested in whatever it was he was here to do. He looked up and a brief smile flashed across his face when he saw her. She felt her own smile spread across her face as she entered but then his expression sobered and suddenly she realized she had no idea what she'd been called for. Was she in trouble?

"We need to talk about the wedding, please sit down." Zuko gestured to a seat across from him. Beside him, a scribe sat with scrolls of paper and a writing utensil in hand. "I assumed you'd want to be a part of the planning so this is the chance."

Katara breathed a sigh of relief, well at least she hadn't done anything wrong but then she felt the awkwardness, of the reminder that she was going to have to marry Zuko, overcome her.

Katara sat slowly, looking suspiciously at the two men before her. It was simple enough to be friends and share a moment when not thinking about the wedding but suddenly everything was awkward again and her rebellious nature flared up. He 'assumed' she wanted to be a part of the planning, she rolled her eyes. She hated how he'd said that like he was being generous by letting her bring her opinion to the table. Irritation at this thought brought a scowl to her face as she sat.

"We need to decide on a date. A Saturday, preferably, the entire city will shut down for the celebration and since we don't do much trading on that day it wouldn't be terribly inconvenient. I also think it's best we hold it here at the palace. It's more secure and it can easily be prepared. A list has been made of important people who aren't already here that will need to be invited, feel free to look it over and add as you see fit…"

Katara blanched as he continued to speak. It seemed her opinion really wasn't important after all. Apparently she was just here to feel like she had some say in this. It wasn't working, she didn't feel anything but angry.

"Holding it on a Saturday is reasonable but I'm not much fond of the idea of holding it here. It needs to be somewhere more neutral since this whole this is about unity and peace." Katara cut in.

"The palace is a perfectly suitable place for this event. It's my nation being forced to yield to this ridiculous scheme so it will be held in a fashion suitable to our traditions and convenience. This wedding will be the first show of the fire nation reclaiming it's dignity. It will be a great celebration of peace and unity if nothing else." Zuko replied with a casual smirk thinking he'd won.

Katara bristled at the arrogance. Yes, this was about peace and everything but it was her wedding day and you only got married once. On top of that, if this was about peace and unity they needed to unite their two cultures for the wedding because she wasn't just going to give up her own water tribe traditions. They'd balance them or they'd kill each other trying.

"I couldn't care less! I prefer a wedding that celebrates my culture too so if it must be in the fire nation it won't be in the palace, it'll be by water."

"I'm not ignoring your culture, there's water in the courtyard."

"You and I both know that's entirely too small for the wedding."

"It is but we could open all the doors to it and you could hear the water fall in the background."

That was entirely too much. Katara jumped up exclaiming, "What?"

"Look Katara there are certain traditions that must be upheld. Perhaps it was a bad idea to bring you in on the planning so early…"

"Excuse me, so early? Hah, I'm sorry to have missed the beginning because despite the fact that I'm going along with this and have been more demur lately to appease this country's demands, I will not be ordered around any more by you or anyone else, especially on my wedding day. Agreeing to this was submission enough."

"I haven't been ordering you around, in fact I've been very lenient with you since you weren't raised in the fire nation. I'm not asking you to be submissive but to be respectful."

"I don't know what your definition of respect is but it's certainly not mine."

"Well so long as we are in the fire nation and I'm am your fiancé, soon to be husband we will use mine. You are a very independent young woman Katara and I respect that but here in the fire nation the men make the decisions so be grateful I asked you to join us."

"Be grateful?" Katara scoffed. "Fire nation or not, I'm tired of all this man's world business. We're getting married to start a new kind of world and in it I think men and women should be equal."

"Well you can work on that."

"I will, starting now! I refuse to get married here in the palace. It's beautiful but my demands will be met too and I want to get married near the ocean, close to my element."

Zuko was silent for a moment glaring at her. Rather than exploding about her insubordination he counted to ten and then decided to try a different approach.

"It won't help us to argue. We're doing this to stop all the arguing. Neither of us want this marriage but there's nothing we can do about it but go back to arguing. So we should try to make the best of it. The wedding will be at the palace." Zuko held up a hand before she could launch into a fresh tirade. "However, instead of being held inside we'll hold it outside of the chapel. I'm sure we can get some earthbenders to take down the palace wall for the evening and open the view up over the ocean. I'll also see to it that we find some waterbenders who can set up an atmosphere you are more comfortable with. Will that suit you?"

(A/N: I'm sure it's not actually called a chapel to them but I'm not sure what term they would use so feel free to pm me the right name for their religious buildings. For now I will use chapel.)

Katara was silent for a moment considering this. Outside the chapel was an amazingly beautiful garden and without the walls bordering the castle surrounding it there would be an amazing view of the ocean spreading wide and far below them. Sometimes when the others were disturbing the peace of the courtyard she would go to the chapel garden for peace and listen to the ocean lapping at the shore and the birds cawing as they flew down below. Narrowing her eyes, Katara searched Zuko's face for any sign of a lie. There was none, so she gave a tight nod. She didn't want him to think he'd completely won but he was right, they had to work it out and it was a fair compromise. She could have large tiered water fountains brought in and place out large blue bowls filled with water and maybe set a candle in the middle as a symbol of the unity between the Fire Nation and Water Tribes.

"Katara, amusing as it is to sit here watching you daydream there are other matters we need to discuss."

Katara snapped back to attention with a scowl. Did he have to mock her? What happened to their 'bonding'? As she surveyed him, Zuko suddenly looked very uncomfortable. He looked at Katara, then at the table. He opened his mouth to speak and the thought better of it. He turned to his scribe, exchanged a few short words, and then motioned him out of the room. Finally, he turned his fiery golden gaze back on Katara.

"It has been recommended to me, that in light of our current situation we got to adjust our living habits to ease the transfer into living together permanently. I consider this to be reasonable advice thus I think it best if you move into Fire royals wing of the palace."

Katara stared at him, her mouth agape. Her brain had completely stuttered over this information. Somehow whenever she thought about all this she always managed to suppress the knowledge that she would have to actually 'live' with Zuko.

"I…er…don't you…will we…share…ahem…a, uh…a room?" Katara stammered, blushing furiously.

Zuko almost laughed at how cute she was blushing and stuttering like that. "No, Katara. You get your own room. Unless, you'd rather share."

Katara bit her tongue, shaking her head violently. "No thank you, my own room would be fine thanks.

"Well…then, I guess that's all for today. I'll, uh, send someone to help you move your stuff in the morning."

"I don't have much."

"I know. It's just, uh…I was trying to be courteous…and shift the conversation to less awkward territory."

"Oh, right, sorry."

"No problem."

They were both silent and blushing.

"Right, well good night then." Zuko finally said.

"Yeah, good night."