AN: Hey guys, thanks for sticking with me thus far. I love writing for you guys and I hope that you keep reading. Please Read and Review. This Chapter is kind of like a filler chapter before things start happening. I didn't want to rush through everything, but I didn't think what I had planned of days in between would work for this, so I kind of cut them out.

Chapter 20

Three Days Later…

Katara's POV

Hands flutter about me as I stand in front of the ornate mirror, and I don't feel them measuring my bust nor my waist. In fact, I don't feel anything at all by this point. Staring into the mirror I do not see anything but the scared young woman, who is nothing but the mere fraction of what she used to be.

What happened to me? Where is that young strong-willed girl, who would take up against pirates, Fire Nation soldiers, and even Azula herself? Did she die, or was she merely replaced by a scared and worn lady, who will not speak up for her own rights?

Yori stands to the left of me, watching as I wither away into nothing but a memory of what I used to be. Her face, though still young, shows her sorrow amongst the many wrinkles that threaten to appear.

I watch as women, young and old, gather about me, gossiping about the latest news: Fire Lord Zuko and Lady Mai have finally set a date for their wedding.

I hear the hushed whispers of, "Oh she will be a beautiful bride!" and the, "It is about time! They have been engaged for five years!"

According to the old hag that is measuring my height, they had decided on the date two days ago…

Zuko's POV

Sweat rolls down my back, and I can feel the heat being released from my body as I breathe Every punch I send is powerful itself, however, with each punch, it feels as though I am holding back on the power that I press through each flame. I don't even know anymore.

Xueyou sat on a bench in front of a pillar; he had been studying my movements, and had personally been a guide to me ever since the announcements of the weddings. I know it's not good to ask all the questions of the universe, but Uncle won't be here for a few more days, and I can't help but need someone to talk to.

"What troubles you My Lord?"

Speak of the Devil…

Sighing, I said, "I am not really sure, it might be the stress from both of the weddings happening so suddenly?"

He gave me a rather quizzical look, "Really?"

Rolling my eyes, I said, "Kind of… I mean, it more has to deal with the fact that the only reason why we are pushing these weddings is to get at each other."

"Are you sure that you are talking about all of you?"

I looked up at him with weary eyes, "No… I don't want to be alone any longer, and I don't want to hurt Mai any longer on this. I finally understand that what happened to Katara and I was only a thing of the past. Even though I still love her, after all that she has put me through, I now have to look after the future of the Fire Nation…"

Mai's POV

The wedding is almost here… The wedding is almost here…

After so long of working to fight for Zhong's trust, he would shove it aside and get married to that tramp. He won't even talk to me anymore. Why did she have to come and ruin everything for me?

I am sitting at a table with a bunch of disgusting tea sitting in front of me. My mother is sitting across from me, rambling about all the different colors we should use for the wedding.

"Now dear, I know that you are very partial to the color black, but it is not very traditional…"

Snapping out of my reverie, I asked, "How about white?"

My mother's jaw dropped and she looked livid, "Young lady, you know very well that white is a mourning color."

Throwing my arms up in the air, I exasperated, "Exactly!"

Her anger quickly subsided, "What do you mean by that Mai? Are you and the Fire Lord alright?"

Rolling my eyes, "Oh no! Everything is peachy keen! I so want to get married right now!"

Gasping, "What is that suppose to mean?"

Getting up from the table, nearly flipping over the tea, "It means, Mother, that I don't want to be subjected into getting married now to some guy who doesn't even love me!"

I stormed angrily out of the room, gathering all of my skirts in my fists, and heading into my, I mean, mine and Zuko's room.

I wish that everyone could leave me alone. I wish that that slut of a princess would just go rot in a hole alone, and that Zhong would confess his love to me in front of the world. Okay, scratch that last part. I just want him to take me away from here, and we could live somewhere far, far away, where no one would find us.

Thinking back to what I said that night when Zhong left me for her…

"I want her to pay for what she took away from me! I want her to feel the way I did when I found out that some insignificant slut took the one that I love from me. I want her to know what it is like to feel like she has lost something so precious to her that the world has fallen right from underneath where she stands. And as much as I hate to admit it, but this does not come even close to how I feel every single day, but it comes in as a close second."

Why would he still leave me for such a tramp? After I expressed how much I hated her for taking him away from me, so that her people can be happy, how could he still leave?

Unknown POV

In two weeks the wedding uniting the nations will commence, and we will falter under any army that they will command. We need to stop this…

The young boy came back again after being scared off the last time.

"What do you want?"

Shaking like a wet dog, "We have more intel from your source within the palace sir."

My eyebrows quirked, "Oh?"

The boy stood up a little straighter with his chest puffed up a little bit, "Yes sir, they say that there is a way to stop both of the weddings."

I looked at the boy with anger, "Both?"

"Yes, sir, the Fire Lord is to be getting married right after the …"

"Why are they speeding up the weddings, I mean, is there no such thing as romance anymore?"

The boy shook, "I don't know sir, but they told me that Fire Lord is in love sir."

Throwing my hands up in exasperation and turning around to look at the map hanging up behind me, "Yes, yes, to this Lady Mai. I know."

"No sir, actually to the Princess of the Southern Water Tribe…"

I quickly whipped around, scaring the boy right off of his feet, "What?"

"Y-Y-Yes sir, it seems that they had a relationship when they were traveling sir."

"Well then why isn't he marrying her then?"

"I don't know sir, they only told me that the Fire Lord demanded to the council that his marriage to be right after Nobleman Zhong and Princess Katara's wedding without the consent of his fiancé, sir."

"Zhong? Why that wouldn't happen to be Nobleman Huo's son now would it?"

Gulping, the boy whispered, "Yes, sir."

Stroking my chin, "Hmm… Well then, Lieutenant, I want you to message back out little spy to watch very closely over the two couples."