CHAPTER 29
ZUKOS POV
The Fire Lord sat at the head of the dinner table, his guests an interesting hodgepodge of people who normally wouldn't be seated together. To his immediate left sat his first Queen Elect Katara, and in her arms was their son Akuzo. Seated next to her was her father Hakoda, brother Sokka, and best friend Song. Her servant in waiting, Sho, stood behind her ready to attend to her every need. To Zuko's immediate right was his second Queen Elect, Mai. Next to her sat her father Ukano, Zuko's uncle Iroh, and his Hand Suki. Her servant in waiting Naoki stood behind her as well, nervously waiting for Mai's command.
The tension in the air was palpable. No one could ignore the pointed stares that were being thrown across the table from both Mai and Katara's fathers.
Zuko cleared his throat awkwardly.
"Thank you all for gathering here this evening. I know some if you have traveled far to be here."
"Thank you for having us your Grace" Mai's father returned respectfully.
"Yeah thanks Zuko" Sokka jeered.
Mai scoffed at Sokka's casual tone. It wasn't customary in the Fire Nation for people to address the Fire Lord without a title.
"Have you no respect for our King?" Mai retorted.
Song interjected under her breath "You're one to talk about respect…"
"Excuse me?" the raven haired Queen Elect fumed.
Song sat up straighter and spoke a little louder.
"You don't even respect yourself enough not to pine after a married man!"
Everyone in the room including the servants around them collectively gasped.
"Who invited this wench?" Ukano demanded.
"She is no wench Governor, she is a Lady of my court please speak to her with some respect" Zuko replied firmly.
"I am sorry your Grace but respect is earned"
"You are absolutely right" Hakoda's strong voice interjected "where I am from respect and honor is earned as well. And from what I can see there is no honor in the position your nation has put my daughter in." The Southern Chief was now pointing his glare at Zuko.
"I came all this way because I had been made to believe that my daughter was dead, only to find out that she was in fact alive and with a son. Imagine my shock upon seeing her have to fight for her position as the Fire Lord's wife, which she already was before he was even made King!" he fumed in anger.
"You are not the only angry father at this table Chief. My daughter's betrothal was swept right from under her because your water tribe scum of a daughter couldn't keep her legs closed-"
"ENOUGH" Zuko yelled standing from his seat. You could see the smoke billowing from his nostrils, the gold in his eyes glowing. His temper had not flared like this in a long time.
"Do not utter another word" he said calmly. The Governor's eyes widened to near saucers, instantly regretting his choice of words.
"Your Grace, I am so-"
"If you value that head of yours not another sound will come out of it for the rest of this dinner. If you dare speak of the mother of my child in the manner you have today again I guarantee it will be your last. You forget that she is my first wife, and I will never tolerate any disrespect towards her. It is by the skin of Agni's grace that your daughter even has the opportunity to compete for my hand."
Ukano swallowed dumbly, lowering his gaze in submission.
"Now…apologize to her" Zuko demanded.
"Zuko it's really okay" Katara offered quietly. He ignored her, still staring daggers at the Governor in expectation.
"I apologize Lady-"
"Queen Elect" Zuko corrected.
"I apologize Queen Elect Katara…it will never happen again" he said lowly.
Mai sat beside her father fuming but unable to protest, seeing how angry Zuko was.
Before the evening could get any more awkward the servants came out with the first course.
"Chicken Komodo soup and field green salad your Grace" the head chef announced before food was placed in front of everyone. The mood settled a little bit as everyone focused on their food.
Zuko prayed silently that he could get through the six month campaign period without pulling out his top knot.
KATARAS POV
It was the dead of night and Katara found herself unable to sleep. As she tossed and turned in the large bed her mind continued to race on and on. She couldn't stop thinking about the seemingly impossible feat she had embarked on. Becoming Queen of the Fire Nation seemed more and more of a daunting task the longer she pondered on it. The classes she was taking now were already so difficult for her, while juggling being a mother. What would happen once the real campaigning began? Would she loose herself in all of the work? Would she have any time for her son?
She sat up quickly, suddenly overwhelmed with all of the anxiety bubbling up in her chest. She grabbed her robe, hurriedly slipping it on and creeping into the nursery connected to her room. Salai was sound asleep, peacefully resting in his crib. She touched his head gently before picking him up and cradling him to her bosom. She decided it would be better for her nerves if she went on a walk through the gardens. She always felt more at peace in the night when she was in closer proximity to the moon light. She could feel that it was a half moon, giving her more of a calming presence than the way the full moon would usually make her feel. With her son in tow she made her way to the gardens that were in the North Wing.
When she got there the moon's light had beautifully littered the flowers and trees. Sprinkled like star dust the fire flies made their way around the space like tiny fairies in the wind. Katara walked along the path slowly, careful not to wake the sleeping Prince in her arms. It was the small moments like these that made her grateful for the life she was living now. Although stressed at times, she was safe, and the beauty that surrounded her in the palace was to be admired. As she got deeper into the green she came across a small bench where someone with a distinctive wolf's tail was sitting in a slumped position.
"Sokka?" she called. He was in his night robes too, she noticed. He turned around slowly taking her in with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. When his gaze traveled down to Salai she could see the tears that slowly formed within his blues. He gave a small sniff before acknowledging her with a nod.
"Hey Kat" he said, his voice gruff.
Katara knew he had come out here to mourn alone. But she could not bring herself to leave him now that she had seen the pain so palpable on his face. It was the same face that had taken care of her for years when their mother couldn't. The same face that had protected her when their father was away at war. She loved her brother so dearly, and it shot a dagger through her heart to see him in such turmoil.
She sat next to him gingerly.
"Open your arms" she whispered. He looked to her in confusion his eyes brimmed red with unshed tears. He opened them anyway before she gently placed Salai in his arms. As soon as he had him secure Sokka let out the most heart breaking sob. He slumped over cradling her son tightly as he cried, the tears ever flowing. Katara wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders as much as she could, bringing his face to her chest. She kissed his forehead whispering in their mother tongue that all would be okay.
When his cries finally quieted Katara's whisper ceased. She held him there in silence waiting for his breathing to calm.
"Was she in pain for long?" he asked, eventually breaking the silence.
"Sokka…" Katara begged apprehensively. She did not think he would be able to handle the grim details of his wife's demise.
"Please Katara. I need to know. Did she suffer?" He looked up at her, his eyes pleading. She took a deep breath. She could not lie to her brother. Not about this.
"Yes…she suffered greatly. But she was strong. She is with our Gods now, she sang the prayer of Tui's White Wolf…I sang with her until she could not anymore."
The memories of that day played over and over in Katara's head as she spoke, causing tears of her own to fall. Sokka closed his eyes in pain.
"Thank you, for being with her. For trying to save her" he choked.
She could not respond with more than a head nod. Her throat was so constricted she didn't think she could possibly get any more words out.
The two siblings sat like that holding each other until the first glimpses of dawn began to emerge. She finally pulled away when she noticed the servants from the night shift switch to the morning crew. A few of them came out into the garden to tend to the flowers. She knew she didn't have much time before Sho would be looking for her to get ready and start her studies.
"I have something to give you" she whispered. Salai remained in Sokka's arms as she reached in her robe's sleave. She carefully unclasped the pearl stone from around her wrist, delicately held together by purple silk. She placed the betrothal necklace gently into his large hand, closing his fingers around it firmly.
"She wanted you to have this…in case she didn't make it out" Katara whispered. Sokka's blue eyes shun in the rising sun light, a look of gratitude crossing his features.
"I remember it took me three months to get the carving just right" he said as his thumb ran over their engraved initials. Katara gave him a faint smile.
"It's perfect…even better than mom's" she teased.
"I may never again know what it's like to be a husband…I'll never know what it means to be a father. But this…I can hold onto for the rest of my life to remember her."
Katara didn't have the heart to remind him that he would have to re-marry and have an heir at some point in the future. She just hoped that her brother could someday find love and happiness again.
ZUKOS POV
It had been a long day of tedious tasks for Zuko. The tired King found himself wondering the west wing of the palace. Dinner was the next thing on the agenda, but he had a little extra time between that and his last meeting.
The King was not looking forward to dinner. The last one had not gone so well. He would choose to eat alone if it wasn't customary for the Fire Lord to dine with his guests every night that they were within his care.
Zuko kept walking blindly, lost in his thoughts. He finally looked up finding himself at the entrance of his training gym. Maybe his body had subconsciously led him here. Blowing off some steam didn't seem like such a bad idea. He could practice his dual swords which he hadn't had the time to pick up in a while.
A single guard stood at attention before him.
"Your Grace" he bowed deeply.
"Rise" he muttered.
The guard straightened again before speaking.
"Fire Lord Zuko, one of your honored guests Southern Chief Hakoda is using the gym"
The fire bender took a deep breath in apprehension. He knew he'd have to face Katara's father head on at some point. He might as well do it now.
Stepping into the spacious gym he got a full view of the Southern Chief's rippling muscles. For a second he felt intimidated as he watched Katara's father wield his weapon of choice, the iron plated war hammer. His artful movements were strong and calculated, the glint of the weapon shinning against the light.
"Why don't you join me" Hakoda called out, never even turning around to face the young King. Zuko cleared his throat, walking further into the gym a bit awkwardly. He walked past the other man to the wall full of weapons. The royal armory had stocked his gym with every kind of weapon imaginable, even the ones popularized by other nations. Zuko naturally gravitated to the swords.
"No swords…grab yourself a hammer" Hakoda bit out. He knew that the Fire Lord's weapons of choice were usually blades. Zuko had little to no experience with hammers. He obeyed though, selecting one of the lighter ones on display. He took it off the hanging shelf, testing the weight of it in his hands.
"Comfortable?" Hakoda asked.
"As comfortable as a foreign weapon can be in one's hands I suppose" Zuko countered. The chief lunged at the Fire Lord with no warning, throwing him off balance when he was forced to dodge. He evaded another attempted blow to the head just narrowly missing the tip of the chief's weapon across his forehead. Zuko was moving slower than usual, his hammer feeling unnatural and heavy in his grasp. He attempted a swing only for it to be swatted out of the way with the other man's hilt. The force of the blow nearly knocked Zuko from his fighting stance. Surprisingly the young King kept up, but just barely. He was catching on quickly to Hakoda's fighting style, but didn't have experience enough with the weapon to yield it the way he wanted to. As the two men spared it became very apparent that the Chief was not just doing this for fun. He was releasing his anger…and the anger seemed directed at him. Zuko felt the fight shift into dangerous territory when the other man sent blow after blow with his hammer, giving Zuko little time to recover. One of them landed hard on his right shoulder making the Fire Lord grunt out in pain.
"Your Grace!" he heard his guards yell from afar. The King stumbled back before his feet were swept out from under him with a sweeping kick from Hakoda. His guards were upon him in seconds ready to jump in before Zuko held his hand out to pause them. He laid there on the ground holding his shoulder as Hakoda stood over him breathing heavily, his face twisted in anger. The tension in the air was palpable as the two stared off.
"Seya tu destra basti nata'anii… seba…" [If there's something you need to say Cheif…please do…] Zuko said, switching to Southern dialect. He didn't want any guards taking this conversation and spreading it throughout his court. Hakoda grimaced lifting his hammer and bring it down right next to Zuko's head.
"Tu fatila hallila ma!" [You bring shame to my daughter!]
Zuko flinched at his words. He never wanted that in a million years. He had not given much thought to how her tribe would take this. He knew that culturally things were much different. Marriage and family was not something the water tribes took lightly. It was supposed to be forever, until death forced you to part…not arbitrary laws and court politics.
"Ja g'eba wasa….-" [I did not mean…-] he started.
"Kata tu g'eba wasa! T'ahabi bas ga des jizui kaituii. M'hallila etiia ree! Lue frasa bas ma tidicondua estil ha, lees diana ha avi, oii fatila rudu tu?" [Of course you did not mean! Your nation holds no shame for such things. I thought my daughter to be dead! What kind of curse is it to find out that she lives, but in humiliation and shame?].
Zuko didn't know what to say. He knew that at the end of the day Katara would do what she wanted to do, and right now she was determined to compete for his hand. It pained him that she even had to engage in this to be with him, but he felt powerless to change things.
"Ja g'redii hed ta hallila o fresilaa aatai. Meli ga-aragra donstera keita. Lili m'ahabi riy kousse Kaitananii" [I never wanted this for your daughter. It is why I married her before becoming King. I am not my nation's mistakes Wise One.
'Kaitananii' or 'Wise One' was a term of endearment used in the tribes to show deference. He switched back to the common tongue. What he had to say next he wanted everyone to hear.
"I love your daughter and our son with everything I have in me. No matter what happens in this world I know that one thing that's for certain is that I was created for Katara. I was created to serve her, love her, and protect her. My nation's laws has created an obstacle. But despite every barrier we've faced the facts remain the same. By the simple laws of the spirit we cannot be without each other. And I will fight for that truth with my every waking breath" he breathed. The Chief's piercing blue eyes stared coldly at the King for several more moments before silently picking up his hammer and storming out of the gym. Without another word he was left there, his guards still on high alert around him. Zuko sighed deeply before getting up to stand. He supposed that no response was a lot better than a hammer to the head.
He knew that his guards were on edge about letting someone off the hook who had just caused bodily harm to their King. But they held still as Zuko gathered himself before leaving the gym and heading to his chambers to get ready for dinner.
KATARA'S POV
Katara watched as various servants gathered on the docks. They were collecting her father's and brother's belongings as the crew prepared for the long journey to the South Pole. Sokka would be spending some time in the South, overseeing some of the projects he had been funding from the North. She watched as her brother stepped down from the boat and onto the dock, before walking towards her.
"Came to see us off sis?" he stopped in front of her.
"Of course" she said, wrapping her arms around herself as a shield for the ocean's cool breeze. It was very early in the morning, and the sun was just peaking over the horizon.
"Where's Salai? Too early to say good bye to Uncle Sokka huh?" he asked. Katara smiled.
"Yes, he's fast asleep. Sho is watching over him" she explained.
"Ah…you've gotten accustomed to the comforts of Fire Nation royalty I see. Water Tribe women have their babes on their backs and hips at all times of the day."
She chuckled, picturing herself wearing a baby sling on her back walking through the palace gardens. She would be the laughing stock of the capitol should she do such a thing.
"You may be right brother. Things are very different here…"
Sokka's smile faded a little, his face molding into a serious expression.
"Don't get lost in it Katara. Remember where you come from, and just how powerful you are. You are a white wolf in pit of dragons, but don't let them scare you. When the sun goes down, the wolf will always prevail."
Katara nodded her head before her brother pulled her into a tight embrace. The captain blew his horn, signaling departure in ten minutes.
"Don't steal all the hugs son" she heard her father call as he approached them. Katara couldn't help the tears that escaped her eyes as Hakoda enveloped her. He pulled back slightly to look into her water filled blues. His eyes shun with pride and love.
"You look just like Kya did when I left for the war the first time. Her eyes held just as many tears" he whispered. The mention of her mother's name caused her eyes to flow even more.
"I will miss you dad" she said softly.
"We will be back soon enough…for your wedding" he replied with a wink. Katara's face split into a grin. If her father and brother believed that she could win the Queen's election then that's all the motivation she needed.
"Southern Chief Hakoda, Northern Chief Sokka" she heard a familiar voice call from behind her. She turned to find Suki in her full Kyoshi King's Guard armor and face paint. She was in a full bow, before straightening and stepping up onto the docks.
"Fire Lord Zuko wanted to be here to wish you all safe travels, but he was called to an urgent meeting. He sent me in his place" she explained.
"Thank you Suki, tell the Fire Lord that we've appreciated his hospitality" Hakoda smiled.
The Kyoshi warrior cleared her throat as her gaze shifted to Sokka. Katara could practically see the blush through her white paint as she pulled something from the pocket of her skirt.
"Sokka…I…uh…I got you something for your travels" she said softly. The Chief's blue eyes opened wide in surprise.
"For me? Wow thanks Suki" he grinned, removing the small wrapped item from her hand.
"You should open it on the ship" she said bashfully. He nodded his head with a grin before slipping the gift into his pocket.
Katara smiled to herself at their small exchange. She was happy to see the look of mourning slide off of his face for the first time in days, even for a brief moment.
Katara stood there on the docks with Suki at her side as their ship departed. She watched as it disappeared over the horizon and towards the rising sun. She hoped that she would see them again soon…and not because she was being shipped back to the South Pole. She too allowed herself to dream about winning the election.
END CHAPTER 29