AN: Okay if you guys didn't understand the whole last chapter, here's a bit of a recap:

Katara is distraught at the fact that she has to get married to Zhong, and she is wondering as to what has happened to her (but she was rather obvious). Zuko is troubled and his bending is taking a big hit from it. He talks to Xueyou about his problems and what his solution is. Mai is obviously angered at Katara for NOT taking Zuko but for taking Zhong away from her by marrying him. She tells her mother that she does not want to get married, but her mother is clueless. She then contemplates what went wrong with her and Zhong. The unknown person is plotting something with the intel that someone gave from inside the palace, and then goes to talk to Zhong's father.

I hope that cleared up a whole lot, and some of it was rather obvious, I know, but I felt that you guys could use a recap just incase.

Chapter 21

Katara's POV

The palanquin that Zhong and I rode in was quite, and only the sound of the men grunting under the amount of weight was heard. I could say that the same went for Mai and Zuko's palanquin. The day was hot, and I grew restless at the thought of sitting on this thing for another minute. I made a motion to move the curtains before the loud distinctive voice of my old mentor came to mind…

"A princess must sit calm and demurely through any amount of impatience or uncomfort."

Stupid bitch…

Placing my hand back onto my lap, I looked through the sheer fabric of the curtain in front of us to see where we were at the current moment. Judging from the fact that I could see the pier, I would say that we were about five minutes away from seeing my friends.

Honestly, I am terrified of what they are going to say about my choice in the whole thing. I haven't told them anything about the marriage, so I am not entirely sure how well they are going to take it, and to the fact that it will be in two weeks. I mean, I just found out that they were coming today, so they might not be in the greatest of moods afterward.

"Ahem…"

Looking over to where Zhong sat next to me, I saw that he was holding out his hand for me to take it. Turning back to the curtain, I noticed that we had already made it over to the pier. Grasping my hand in his, he pulled me from the palanquin and we walked to stand over behind Zuko and Mai.

I watched the sky for some time, checking to see if there was a familiar-looking bison soaring high and mighty through the clouds with familiar faces laughing amongst each other on his back. Then all of a sudden, in the center of the sun, there was a speck of black amongst the bright ball of light getting bigger and bigger.

I could feel a pull on my lips as I saw that little blip getting bigger, and pretty soon I felt an actual smile breaking out on my face. The feeling was so foreign to me; it felt like I hadn't smiled in a really long time, and right now, it felt like I had hope inside of me again.

A gust of air came at us, and I felt my skirt and hair pick up at the burst. I felt my eyes close as the cool breeze flittered across my skin, and as I heard the loud rumbling thud of Appa settling upon the ground, I felt a sense of nostalgia for all of the travels we made around the world together.

"Katara?"

Opening my eyes back to the present, I saw Sokka standing in front of me with a worried look on his face.

I only rolled my eyes and opened my arms, "Well aren't you going to come and hug your sister?"

He chuckled at that and came to hold me in his arms. He hadn't really changed all too much, I mean, sure he was taller than he had been when he was sixteen, and he developed some more muscle, but he was still the same Sokka. Oh, who am I kidding, the guy grew a beard, but really he stayed to his true nature and still had the wolf tale haircut, that part never really changed.

"Hey how about some love for the rest of us? Don't just hog her all to yourself Sokka!"

Escaping from the warm embrace, I looked around him and saw a very big and pregnant Suki. Her hair was longer than her traditional cut, and she didn't have her Kyoshi Warrior uniform on her either, but rather a very pale green kimono.

Walking over to her, I wrapped my arms as best as I could around her, and said, "Suki, you look absolutely beautiful, I can't wait to be an aunt."

We released, and she said, placing her hands on her big belly, "Yes, well I can't wait to be a mother, and get this thing out of me. You would not believe how uncomfortable this really is."

We both laughed loudly, and soon I was felt the ground shifting right under my feet.

"Hey Sugar Queen, you don't look half bad."

Looking down at my dress, "Oh thank you Toph! You don't look so bad your…"

I glared at the blind earthbender, "Looks like I still got it Sugar Queen."

"Haha very funny Toph."

I walked over to her and gave her a firm hug. She was finally grown into her full height, and she had herself a very feminine figure. Her hair was still up in that same giant bun with a headband, but she didn't hide her eyes from view anymore with her long raven bangs.

Releasing her, I looked over to General Iroh, and gave him a quick and brief hug. I didn't really get to know him as well as the others had, but I knew and felt like I was going to very soon.

"It is such a pleasure to see you again, Princess Katara."

"Just Katara please, and the pleasure is all mine."

The last to get off of Appa was of course the one with the shiniest head of them all. Aang had grown taller and was no longer that little scrawny kid that had a huge crush on me when we were traveling. He didn't have a lot of muscles, but was rather lean, and he towered over me by about two heads.

"Aang…"

Smiling, the bald monk wrapped his arms around me, and whispered, "It is very good to see you again Katara."

I felt so happy with everyone smiling and laughing. It actually reminded me of the days when we were traveling, and I knew that things were going to be okay. That is until Sokka said:

"So Katara, when were going to actually tell us that you were getting married?"

Everyone's eyes were on me, and I felt like my world was spinning right back out of control…

Zuko's POV

I watched as she struggled to answer the question, squirming under the stares of her brother and the others.

"Maybe she was wanting to tell it to you face to face?"

I didn't even realize that the words came out of my mouth.

Sokka didn't look too happy, "Butt out Zuko, this doesn't concern you one bit. Oh wait! This is all of your fault."

I felt the anger writhing inside of me, "My fault?"

"Ya," he said, poking my chest, "Your fault."

"How on Earth could it have possibly been my fault that your people wanted to establish peace through an arranged marriage?"

"What? An arranged marriage? Why would Dad want to marry off Katara so that there is peace? I thought that there wasn't any need for a treaty."

Before I could answer that Katara spoke up finally, "Sokka, the marriage is to ensure the safety of our people. Since you married Suki, you didn't have to go through this. I was the next in line for the throne, and since I was the only princess left of either of the Water Tribes, I am to be married to someone from inside of the Fire Nation."

He looked pissed off, "Why wasn't I told of any of this? I could have prevented this from happening."

She looked down, "By the time that they thought of the whole ordeal, you were already announcing your wedding. I am only to be used as a peace token."

Somehow her saying this calmed him down a bit, and then he was back to his pissed off self at me.

"Well then why didn't you tell me? Why on Earth did you go along with this?"

My anger elevated, "I did try to stop this! Your insane sister, however, wouldn't stop saying how it was her duty to her people to do this."

Taken aback, he glanced over at Katara, "Is that true?"

She barely nodded her head at the question. Tears were glistening in her eyes, and I didn't want this madness to continue.

"Maybe we should head back to the palace now, and we can finish discussing this-"

"Is this him?"

I looked back to where he had his hand extended, pointing at the worried looking Zhong, who was standing next to Mai.

Zhong quickly shifted his feet, and muttered a quiet, "Yes."

A shrill laughter emitted from the air, and we all turned and looked at the young blind earthbender.

Trying to stifle her laugh, she said, "There is no way that he is Sugar Queen's fiancé."