The following spring, Katara makes her first visit alone to the Fire Nation.
There is nothing remarkable about it, only that it has never happened before. Katara is still the Avatar's Ambassador, and she also represents the Southern Water Tribe. If that weren't enough, she herself is known as one of the greatest waterbenders alive, however much she tries to dismiss her reputation.
She arrives with little ceremony and gets straight to work. She has spent some time in the North recently, and she is full of ideas about healing centers. She wants to start a great home for healing here in the capital as well as a string of clinics the entire length of the Fire Nation archipelago.
Fire nation physicians and water tribe healers stream in and out of the palace while the ministers complain that the waterbender has overstepped bounds or disrupted some routine. Zuko ignores them while Mai makes subtle, biting comments, questioning the loyalties of those who do not value the health of the Fire Nation. This suffices to quiet the dissent.
Zuko lets Katara go about her work undisturbed. As long as the treasury can afford it, he supports it. It's one less thing he has to worry about.
He doesn't interact with her often, but sometimes he'll pass her in a corridor or see her at a meal and it's like the strength of her waterbending is a subtle tug on his blood.
Zuko thinks of the tides.
Sometimes the tide becomes a fire in his blood, and late at night, when he can pause from his work, he makes his way to Mai's chambers.
He dreams of the ocean and blue eyes.