Chapter 15

Zuko's POV

After about five minutes of standing there like an idiot, staring at the door being closed, I began running right on after her. I knew that her skirt would possibly hinder her from getting very far, so I tried to speed up, and catch her as quick as I could before anyone saw us. Pretty soon I could hear the sounds of someone running, but I didn't expect them to be running toward me…

"Oomph!"

"Arrgh!"

Glaring over to the person sitting across from me on the floor, I saw that it was one of my councilmen. He was one of my most trustworthy men that had been here as a friend of Uncle's to help keep watch over me. I had known Xueyou since I was about five years old, and I looked up to him as a sort of grandfather, which if you really thought about it was kind of funny considering Uncle was a few years older than him. Yet, the only reason was because Fire Lord Azulon didn't really see me as anything really with my father always pushing Azula right in front of my path…

Picking myself quickly up off of the floor, I went over to the kind man and lifted him, luckily he slighter than Uncle was during the beginning of our travels.

"Oh, I do so sincerely apologize Fire Lord Zuko."

Chuckling at his use of protocol, I said, "Xueyou, you have known me since forever, you don't have to call me that."

Smirking, "As you wish my Lord, there have been three messages sent to the palace, regarding to your and Nobleman Zhong's weddings. I have placed them in your office."

Sighing and looking over to the far end of the hallway that would contain Katara's room, I glanced back over to the old man, and bade him to follow me to my office.

Katara…

Zhong's POV

I collapsed onto the bed next to her, panting. Her raven hair was splayed across the bed, disarrayed from the usual two buns on her head held by senbons. I made sure that those and her usual weapons were off of her before doing anything. Her luminescent skin shone brightly with the candlelight dancing on the layer of sweat on her chest and body. Her breathing was kind of ragged and I could see that she was getting very tired.

Her eyes looked over at me, and then she began to smile. Knowing Mai, it was rare to ever see a smile come out of her stony features, but I always seem to manage seeing that bright genuine smile.

"Hey."

She rolled her eyes in a joking way, "Hey, yourself."

She flipped her self over so that she was half way on top of me with her arms folded under her chin on my chest, staring down into my eyes.

Looking into her eyes, I could see that she was mulling over something in her head, "What's wrong?"

"Oh! Nothing."

"Yeah right, seriously, what are you thinking about?"

Sighing, "I was imagining my life with you, where we could be together every single day, without any regrets and we can have children running around in a little garden of our house. I was thinking about having true happiness, and not some ongoing nightmare about not being with you every single day of our lives."

"So, in your dreams we have a house with kids?"

"Well, I don't know really I guess. I always kind of thought that I would ruin my kids' lives by being there mother, seeing as how my mother raised me to be, but I don't know. I guess, having you next to me would make it better than what I imagine it to be."

"Well, I don't know about that part about me, but I do know that you are more than capable in being a mother, more so than your own. You are kind, beautiful, and intelligent, and any child would be lucky to be your son or daughter."

"Thanks, but I couldn't be anything without you."

I smirked to that, "Why thank you and the same goes for you."

"How romantic of you."

"It's what I do. It's what I do."

Zuko's POV

Uncle is coming… Uncle is coming… to help plan my wedding…

Rereading the letter over and over again, I looked at the inexplicably familiar handwriting until I am pretty sure that I could forge any document with his signature.

Dear Nephew,

Ah, I have heard many things coming from Xueyou about the current wedding ceremonies that are soon to happen. Now, I do believe that yours is one of the main priorities, if I am correct? Zuko, I can't help but think that you should not be pushing this marriage at any later of a date. I know that the council members are trying to persuade you to get married already, but honestly nephew, I think that it would be better to set a date already, so I am coming to help you with the planning. I will be there in about a week or so.

As for Princess Katara and Nobleman Zhong's wedding, I do hope for the best in their marriage. Agni knows that I have witnessed the worst part of an arranged marriage.

Love, Uncle

I couldn't contemplate the meaning of the last sentence any further because soon Xueyou was soon then forcing another letter in my face for reading, Agni please save me.

Glancing over the letter, I noticed the fan symbol of Kyoshi imprinted on the outside of the letter. Sokka and Suki?

Dear Jerk Bender,

So I heard that my sister is getting married from this cabbage guy, who works at the market place on the mainland. Why didn't anyone tell me about this? I am Katara's brother, so why did I have to hear about this wedding from some freak with a lettuce fetish? Do I mean nothing to you people anymore or what?

Don't tell Dad, but I am coming over there to give you people a piece of my mind. How dare you, Zuko, you of all people, choose my baby sister's husband like that. What if he hits her, or worse uses her for his own selfish pleasures?

I can't very well leave Suki alone, so she is going to come with me, and then I will personally tell you and the whole council off.

Sokka

Oh and Suki says hi.

I know that the universe hates me now, but does it have to happen right now at this very moment. I don't need to deal with all of this crap, I am the frickin' Fire Lord, I mean come on. All of this stuff should be handled, I don't know by my advisors or councilmen. Anyways, I continued to go over all of this stuff in my head until Xueyou coughed rather impatiently and handed me another letter. This one, however, was from the Earth Kingdom.

Dear Fire Lord Zuko,

Overseeing all of the newly redone peace treaties with the Earth Kingdom, we have not noticed anything wrong within the homes and communities of each Earth Kingdom city with their Fire Nation neighbors. In fact, both sides seem to be bonding in a sort of way with it.

Toph and I intend to come to the Fire Nation very soon to discuss some other "matters" with you, matters that could "reveal your own destiny."

Avatar Aang

What does he mean by that?