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Katara sighed as she rolled over onto her back and stretched her arms over her head. She scrunched her face as the sunlight illuminated the room through her window, and she rolled over onto her stomach again and pulled the pillow over her head. Just a few more minutes, then she'd be up. She reached her arm out to the other side of the bed, and furrowed her brow when her hand hit the soft mattress instead of the body of a certain firebender. She peaked out from under her pillow and her heart fell as the right side of the bed was empty, only sheets bunched up with no Zuko cocooned inside. Disappointment bloomed in Katara's chest as she ached to see Zuko first thing in the morning. Last night they had snuggled up to each other, with his front pressed to her back, their legs entangled together as they couldn't be closer even if they tried. However, it was most likely that Zuko had returned to the Fire Lord's chambers before his staff went into his room and woke him up. No matter, she would just have to see him at breakfast . . . or some time during the day.
Her mind was yanked away from Zuko as the doors to the Fire Lady's suite opened, and one of the palace ladies entered. She paced over to the bed. “Good morning, Your Majesty,” Bingxian greeted.
Katara took the pillow off of her head and sat up as she yawned. “Oh, good morning, Bingxian,” Katara said as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. “What are you doing here so early?”
"Getting Her Majesty ready for the day," she said as she ripped open the curtains to one of the windows. Sunlight burst into the room and scorched Katara's eyes, and she shielded herself before she could become as blind as a badgermole Bingxian made her way to the giant walk-in closet and flipped through the many regal robes. "The Fire Lady is the second-most important figurehead in all of the Fire Nation, only to His Majesty, of course."
Katara pulled the covers off of herself as she threw her legs onto the floor and stood up out of bed. Her lip curved upwards into a smile as Bingxian mentioned Zuko. There was absolutely no rest for that guy; being the political figurehead of a nation was no walk in the park. However, her thoughts were pulled back to reality as a bunch of palace ladies shuffled into her bedroom. “Oh. Well, you don’t have to go through all of this trouble,” she said as a couple of staff members circled around her. “I’m perfectly capable of dressing myself—!”
The palace ladies pulled her pajama pants down and her sleep shirt over her head, and Katara gasped as she was down to nothing but her underwear. She covered her chest and torso with her arms as her cheeks flushed ten times harder.
“Nonsense, my lady,” Bingxian said as she stepped over to Katara with one of the many red and golden robes chosen from the closet. “It is our duty to serve the Fire Lord as well as everyone in the Fire Nation Royal Family.”
A nervous laugh escaped Katara as she was led onto a stool in front of the full-length mirror against the wall. Her eyes bugged out of her head as she stared at her reflection; her bedhead stuck out like a threatened boarcupine and a shiver ran down her spine at the lack of clothing she had on. Her heart skipped a beat in her chest as about five palace women swarmed around her like vultures. Two of them stuck Katara's arms out as they slipped her socks on and the pair of pants she wore under her robes. Katara was like a doll these women were playing dress-up with.
“Oh, wow. . . . That is a lot of . . . red and gold,” Katara said as her words died on her lips. Two palace ladies on either side of her slipped the robe onto her and smoothed it out, nary a crease in sight on the Fire Lady’s garments.
“The most important colors in the Imperial Family,” Bingxian explained as she placed a wooden box on the vanity next to the full-length mirror. She opened it to a vast selection of rings, necklaces, and earrings.
All of the jewelry made back home in the Southern Water Tribe was mostly animal bones or seashells. All of the Fire Lady’s accessories were real gold and jewels that gleamed against the sun’s rays that peaked through the windows. As Bingxian laid the jewelry out on the vanity, there were a selection of gold necklaces and Katara's throat ached. If her hands weren't bound she would seek comfort in her mother's necklace. Her stomach twisted itself into knots and dropped all the way down as anxiety punctured her chest at the image of one of the palace ladies taking off her necklace in replacement of some valuable jewels. Her mother's necklace was infinitely more valuable than the entirety of the Fire Lady's wardrobe.
“You know, you guys really don’t have to do this,” Katara said as one of the palace ladies wrapped a sash around her waist. “I don’t want you to go through all this trouble just for me.”
“Nonsense, Your Majesty,” another palace lady said as she brushed Katara’s shoulder. “With a status like yours, you needn’t concern yourself with inferior tasks.”
“Really, I insist. It’s not beneath— me! ”
One of the ladies tightened the sash around Katara’s waist and knocked the air straight out of her lungs. Once she gazed at her reflection in the mirror, it was like she stared at a completely different person. All the jewelry, the fancy robes, it was like she had robbed a Fire Nation noblewoman. It was definitely a far cry from her usual blue parkas and boots she wore back home. Bingnxian stood right beside Katara as she also studied her reflection, however her eyes were more critical. She nodded in affirmation as she was pleased with the work they had accomplished.
"Now, we must do something about that hair of yours, Your Majesty," Bingxian said. She grabbed a brush off the vanity and went behind Katara and raked it through Katara's thick dark brown hair.
"Ack!" Katara cried as her neck almost snapped in two at the sheer force of Bingxian's hand. Whoever said that pain was beauty was a hundred percent right, especially if it was royal beauty.
Katara sighed as her muscles ached and sweat dripped from her brow. It had been an intense training session, however worth it in every single way.
The bathhouse called her name, and Katara made her way down the stone path towards the marble building. She greeted the guards who stood outside the doors and stepped inside. A giant pool with steaming hot water sat in the middle of a vast room. She smiled as she saw the water as her entire body itched to just jump in. However, she went into the changing rooms and stripped down to nothing as she took one of the folded towels on the shelves. She wrapped herself in it and stepped out into the pool area, and made her way over to the steps that led into the water. She dipped her toe in and shivered as the water was the perfect temperature. She put her leg in further until she was knee-deep and she discarded the towel to the side before she completely encased herself in the pool.
Katara groaned as the hot water coated her sore muscles and her aching bones. Steam radiated off of the pool and coated her face. Her entire body tingled as the heat danced inside her body. She floated around in the water as her arms pushed her through. Eventually she rested against the side of the pool and gave her arms a break so they could really heal from all that training she did. The quiet ambiance of the pool room filled her ears and soothed her heart. Finally, she was completely and utterly alone...
"Cherry, Your Majesty?" a voice right beside her head offered.
"Yes, that would be nice," Katara said as she reached out to grab a cherry from the bowl. However, her heart plummeted down to her stomach as her eyes ripped open and she whipped around to one of the palace staff who stood right next to her at the edge of the pool. “Gah!” Katara shrieked as her limbs flailed in the water. She stumbled back and splashed a little water outside and onto the tiles.
"My lady, are you all right?" the palace staff member asked as she reached her hand out to steady Katara.
"What on earth are you doing in here?" Katara demanded as she crossed her arms over her chest so that she wasn't exposed for any peeping eyes.
"I'm here to serve you while you take a relaxing bath. Usually members of the Royal Family like to indulge in a little fruit while they soak," the palace staff member explained.
Katara's eye twitched as the staff member's tone was a little too casual to taste. It took every ounce of self control not to water whip the audacity off of this lady. However, Katara took a deep breath as she reminded herself that she was just doing her job, it wasn't her fault.
"Is there anything I can get you, Your Majesty?" the staff member asked.
“Um, a little privacy would be nice,” Katara said as she sunk deeper into the water.
“Of course, my lady,” she said and took a couple steps back and stood against the wall.
A blood vessel popped in Katara's neck as she wondered if the palace staff had an off switch. Did they seriously believe that she couldn't have two seconds to herself? “I meant a lot of privacy,” Katara clarified through gritted teeth.
"Of course. My apologies, my lady," she said and stepped towards the doors.
Katara glared daggers at the back of the lady's head, and prayed one of them would manifest and poke her. She took a deep breath and deflated into the water as her heart rate slowed down to its regular pace. The water did its best to soothe her shot nerves, however a wet towel was thrown on the mood and Katara was wound up like a tight screw. Not even in her own element could she truly be at peace.
After that fiasco of what happened in the bathhouse, Katara power-walked down the hallway as she had made an effort to outrun any staff members who tried to offer her a service. For once she needed to be completely alone. That led her into the grand hallway, the hallway that led to the Fire Lord's throne room.
There were portraits of all the Fire Lords on their coronations displayed in the great hallway. Silk canvases that stretched as tall as trees aligned with each other on the wall, as if their faces were just as much of a symbol as the Fire Nation emblem itself. Katara's eyes followed the paintings, and she spotted Zuko's, the one furthest to the right. His popped out like a sore thumb as he sported the scar that once defined his face, as the previous Fire Lords hadn't a blemish on their perfected porcelain skin. However, also unlike the other paintings, Zuko's face wasn't contorted into an angry scowl that commanded obedience. His brow was relaxed, and his lip was curved into the slightest smile. His eyes burned with the flames of hope, rather than lust for power.
Katara's own lips curved upwards into a smile as she recalled Zuko on the day of his coronation all those years ago. She had made fun of him and joked that he had looked constipated while the artist painted his portrait, much to his annoyance. However, she couldn't deny that he looked absolutely handsome that day, with his regal robes and crown atop his head. It was nearly ten years ago since the war ended, and yet sometimes it was like yesterday that they were traveling across the world to help put an end to it. Pride swelled in Katara's chest as she reflected on how far they had come since then, especially Zuko. He had done everything in his power to build the Fire Nation from the ground up into a country worthy of respect again. It was just one of the many reasons she fell in love with him.
“Katara,” that all-too familiar raspy voice that had matured over the years like a fine whiskey entered her ears. She whipped her head around and her face lit up like a fireworks display as Zuko entered the grand hallway. She stepped away from the murals, and gravitated towards him like they were a pair of magnets. Zuko made his way towards her, his steps a little faster than her own. Once they came into contact, they embraced each other like it had been a thousand years since their last meeting. Katara sighed as she melted into Zuko's embrace; his hugs were like basking in the warmth of the sun, or being curled up by a flickering fire in a fireplace. All the stress Katara had been shouldering dissolved as Zuko's strong arms held her like she was the most precious thing in the world. However, she pulled back so she could gander at his handsome face.
“Hey, you,” she said.
“Hi,” Zuko said, his voice soft as a koala sheep’s wool. “I feel like I haven’t seen you all day.” Zuko leaned down and captured Katara’s lips in a tender kiss. He tasted like jasmine tea and nattō, probably what he had for breakfast that morning. Her grip on his robes tightened as she ached for his touch.
Katara hummed against his lips, and pulled away as she gazed into his golden eyes. “That’s because you haven’t,” she said and nuzzled the tip of her nose with his. “Being the ruler of the Fire Nation doesn’t exactly give room for much down time.”
Zuko let out a humorless laugh. “Yeah. You don’t have to tell me,” he said. What with the amount of work he had to do, still trying to build the Fire Nation anew, it was like he balanced an entire mountain on his shoulders while he trudged up another mountain every single day. Zuko tucked a strand of hair out of Katara’s face and caressed her jawline with his finger tips. “How are you?”
“Better now that you’re here,” she admitted. She ran her hand along his chest as her fingers brushed the smooth fabric of his regal robes. “I’m still a little upset that I woke up to an empty bed.”
Zuko grinned as a quiet chuckle escaped him. “Believe me, I would have much rather spent my morning with you than crotchety old politicians,” he said.
Katara's own laugh spouted out of her as Zuko's distaste for his own council was comical. She leaned up and pressed her lips to Zuko’s again, and wrapped her arms around his neck. Zuko deepened the kiss as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Katara sighed into his lips as their bodies molded against each other's like two puzzle pieces that fit together. Eventually, the two had to come back up for air, and Zuko pressed his forehead to Katara's.
"How's your day?"
"Well, Bingxian and her crew woke me up. I insisted that I could dress myself, but they really didn't give me a choice. Then at breakfast, I couldn't even eat my food without all of them testing it to make sure it wasn't poisoned. Then, I decided to take a walk, but that turned into being chauffeured around in the palanquin. Of course, I practiced my waterbending, and then I decided to take a relaxing soak, to which I was rudely interrupted. I mean, would it kill them to just let me do something for myself? Seriously, they think I'm as helpless as a newborn baby!" Katara said as she groaned and puffed a few loose strands of hair out of her face.
Frustration radiated off of Katara as Zuko listened to her vent. He watched as her brows pinched together and her nose scrunched in that way whenever she was angry that he found endearing. However, Zuko's stomach dropped at Katara's unhappiness, and he wondered if this was a recent development or if she had been harboring these feelings ever since they got married. It had only been a week since they had gotten back from their honeymoon, but still. He would never forgive himself if he knew that Katara was still holding resentment against him for any reason.
“You don’t like it here, do you?” Zuko asked.
“What? No, I like it here! It’s so beautiful in the Fire Nation, and there’s so many different plants, and—,”
Katara’s words clogged in her throat as Zuko’s fallen expression tugged at her heartstrings. While she found it easy to fabricate the truth with most other people, nothing could get past Zuko. He understood her better than anyone she had ever met in her life, one of the many reasons she married him. Lying to him was the equivalent of sticking a sword through her gut.
“It’s definitely an adjustment period,” she admitted as she fiddled with the end of her braid. “I’m just not used to being waited on hand and foot. I mean, I can’t remember the last time I hadn’t cooked for myself.”
Zuko nodded as he soaked in her confession, the ache in his chest throbbed. “I understand,” he said. “Believe me, I do. It was weird coming home after I had been a fugitive for so long. I felt more like an object than a person, you know.”
Katara scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, exactly. Seriously, all they talk about is how I'm 'an important figurehead', and that everyday tasks are 'beneath me'," Katara said. "If I had known that I would be followed around like I'm some kind of mythical creature, then I would've stayed in Ember Island."
Katara's words plucked at Zuko's heartstrings like a sour note. As much as Zuko didn't like being treated like he was, well, royalty, Katara outright detested it.
“I just . . . I would never want you to regret your decision, you know, getting married,” Zuko said.
His gaze dropped to the floor as his features drooped. His heart lurched at the idea of Katara regretting her decision of getting married, especially to him of all people. They were from two different worlds; fire and water; royalty and commonalty. It wasn’t as easy navigating those differences in real life as it was in the romance novels he used to read. Two people from opposing sides, who couldn’t be more different, fall madly in love with each other in spite of everything they’ve been through, and they get married and live happily ever after. Perhaps that’s why authors never wrote a sequel, because then it would reveal that the couple really wasn’t compatible after all.
“Zuko, I chose to marry you, right? It’s not like you threatened me at knife-point to accept your proposal,” Katara said.
Zuko huffed, amusement flickered in his chest. If he actually had threatened her at knife-point to accept his proposal, Katara would no doubt have laughed in his face or water whipped him into oblivion. Or both.
“I guess I didn’t think too far ahead that by marrying you, I’d be marrying the entire Fire Nation," she continued.
Zuko sighed as his shoulders slumped. Deep down he knew Katara was right; as much as he wanted their marriage to be between the two of them, they were figureheads. They had a responsibility to uphold, to the Fire Nation and to the Water Tribe, and to the world for that matter. However, an idea sparked in Zuko's mind.
“If this is all too much for you, then let’s leave.”
Katara snorted. “Zuko,” she chided.
“I’m serious, Katara. I can get Uncle, or someone else, to take the throne. Then we can run away together, free from all of this royal obligation.”
“Zuko, you can’t just resign from being the Fire Lord.”
“I can and I will,” Zuko said, and he took her hands into his. “I’d give it all up for you.”
Katara’s breath hitched as her words caught in her throat. As much as she wanted to believe that was just an exaggeration, it absolutely wasn’t. He had the star-shaped scar right in the middle of his chest to prove he wasn’t bluffing. However, Katara would never forgive herself, and Zuko for that matter, if he threw away his position as the Fire Lord just for the two of them to be together. He had come too far in transforming his country for the better just to give it up.
“Zuko, I can’t ask you to leave the Fire Nation,” Katara said.
“You’re not asking me. I’ll go anywhere in the world, as long as I’m by your side.”
Katara squeezed her eyes shut as she let out a soft sigh. His words melted her like a flame to an ice cube. Even this long into their relationship his words could still turn her into putty.
“Stop making me fall in love with you more than I already am.” She thumped Zuko on the chest.
“If I can do that, will you run away with me?”
Katara sighed in defeat as a smile spread across her face. He really wouldn’t let go of the whole eloping idea. In a perfect world, they would spend their days exactly like how they did on their honeymoon. Free from all of the royal obligation and expectations other people thrust onto them. However, too much of a good thing could ruin it, so Katara was thankful that they had purposes greater than just being together. Now, if they could only find a balance between their work lives and personal lives. “As appealing as that sounds,” she said, as she swore excitement burst in Zuko’s eyes. She tucked her lips inside her mouth before she let out a sigh. “Zuko, they need you here. I can’t think of someone more honorable than you to lead the Fire Nation down the right path.”
Zuko furrowed his brow as he glared at her, as if to say, "Really?"
Katara squeezed her eyes shut and a sheepish smile spread across her face as she grimaced. “That wasn’t intentional. Sorry.”
"Ha ha, very funny," he said, and pinched her side, to which she yelped and thwacked him on the chest. He laughed as her glare was about as threatening as a crocokitten, however he knew never to underestimate her. "I can't say I did it alone, though. You, Aang, and the others have definitely helped me along the way. I don't know where I'd be if I hadn't met any of you . . . but especially you, Katara. I owe a lot to you."
Katara's heart burst with love as she melted for the thousandth time. Never would she tire of Zuko confessing his admiration and respect for her, as had she grown to admire and respect him just as much. Despite their more-than rocky start to their relationship, what with Zuko trying to capture the Avatar and betraying her in the Crystal Catacombs, they had an unbreakable bond that rivaled the most impenetrable steel. It wasn't just the growth they did separately as people, but the growth they put into their relationship, and now they were best friends as well as married. Katara wrapped her arms around Zuko and rested her head against his chest, his heartbeat was a lullaby to her ears.
"Zuko, you did all the heavy lifting when it came down to it. I may have just nudged you in the right direction."
"Was it a nudge, or was it a push off of a cliff?"
"Eh, it's up for interpretation." Katara shrugged.
Zuko laughed, and kissed her again, as he returned her embrace. He pulled away from her lips and pressed a kiss to her neck and nuzzled into her skin. He sighed as he relaxed in her arms; it was like her arms were his second home, but to be honest it was more like his first home. If he could pause this moment and live in it forever, he'd do it in a heartbeat.
“I can’t think of anyone who I’d rather lead the Fire Nation with. Not only are you a powerhouse in the courtroom, you care about the people.”
"You help me achieve that powerhouse. Seriously, I don't think I could just sit back and twiddle my thumbs and look pretty like the past generations of Fire Ladies. I'd probably snap within a few days."
"Luckily you can still look pretty while putting old-fashioned politicians in their place."
Katara snorted, as she figured that the old-fashioned politicians would beg to differ. All though, Zuko made it very clear that he would still find her attractive even if she was dressed in a clown mask and jester suit. He definitely made this whole adapting thing a lot more bearable. She probably would have frozen all of those politicians to walls by now, what with how stuck in the past they were. Though, at least Zuko seemed just as frustrated, if not more, with them as she was. He had been about two seconds away from burning down the entire palace on a few occasions had she not been there to calm him down.
“I’m sorry I haven’t made this place feel like home for you.”
“Zuko, don’t worry about it. You’re busy with your duties as the Fire Lord.”
“But I have a duty to you as your husband. This place is your home as much as mine, I want you to feel happy here.”
Katara sighed as she clung to him more, if that was even possible. His devotion to her was never unappreciated. "I am happy here. Really, I am. Besides, Water Tribe people are known for their adaptability. I'm just used to seeing more ice and snow than I am all these fancy decorations."
Zuko hummed as he soaked in her words. She made a great point; she had grown up in the Southern Water Tribe for so long that she was no doubt a fish out of water amongst the palace. However, it just drove Zuko to give her the life she deserved. “You know, all the red and gold does kind of hurt the eyes after a while,” Zuko said as he removed himself from the crook of her neck. “I think it’d be in our best interest to spice the palace up a little bit, give it a more vibrant touch.”
Katara furrowed her brow as her eyes widened with curiosity. "Zuko, what are you saying?"
"We can add some animal pelts and traditional Water Tribe artwork on the wall, we can have traditional Water Tribe song and dance on music night! We can have the palace chefs perfect how to make Water Tribe food just like how you had it growing up," Zuko said. "We can even paint the walls blue if you wish. Just say what you want and I can give it to you."
“Zuko, you don’t think that’s a little, I dunno, sacrilegious?” Katara said.
“Who cares? The best part of being the Fire Lord is I can do whatever I want and no one can tell me otherwise,” Zuko said, and a devilish grin spread across his face. “Besides, it would give me satisfaction knowing it would piss my father off to the high heavens if I changed every single thing about the palace.”
“Oh, I’m so glad that my culture can be used as a way to piss your father off,” Katara said as sarcasm dripped from her voice.
“Well, it’s mostly for you. I want you to feel comfortable here, and I know that your culture means everything to you,” he said, “but it’s also that added bonus.”
Katara sighed as she shook her head. Warmth bloomed in her chest as Zuko was so adamant about making her feel more comfortable in the palace. The fact that he was willing to change everything about this place at the drop of a hat, despite the fact that it was one of the oldest buildings in the entire Fire Nation, was a testament to how much love he had for her.
"Maybe start with the food first, and also I'd like my wardrobe to not be filled with so many regal robes," she said.
"Done. I'll make those arrangements with the palace staff at once," he said. “Besides, blue has always been more your color." He lifted her hand up to his lips and pressed a kiss to the back of it.
Katara's heart sang as Zuko complimented her on how she looked in blue. “Also, maybe tell the staff to lay off a bit?” Katara said. “My scalp still hurts from how hard they pulled my hair this morning.”
Zuko sucked in a breath through his teeth as his shoulders scrunched up. “Yeah, they can definitely feel like they’re trying to take your head off sometimes.”
Katara and Zuko shared a chuckle as they pressed their foreheads together. There was still a lot of adapting and compromising to be done, however it was a big step in the right direction having a conversation on what they wanted their lives to be like. It was a far cry from the royal families in the past, who had to suck it up to the status quo. If Zuko were to still hold the title of the man of change and transformation, he must uphold that promise to his family as much as his country. He would move mountains, cross the most dangerous seas, and take lightning all for Katara.
“We’re gonna be okay,” he said.
“Yeah. We’re gonna be okay.”
“I’m still not opposed to the idea of running away.”
“How about we put a pin in that idea, and circle back to it.”
“Deal.”