Fall of the White Lotus [Zutara/Taang]

46 | Harmony

Music: Victory, Two Steps From Hell

                     The group of people assembled at the conference table in the War Room following Zuko and Katara's return to the Fire Nation, was a colorful one. Zuko had called the meeting in order to be briefed about the insurgent nobles' movements during his absence. By the time the Fire Lord and his company reached the imposing, dimly lit state room, the euphoria of Zuko and Katara's warm welcome by the Fire Nation people had worn off and the atmosphere was reminiscent of those first days after Zuko had risen to power, when there had been the same sense of urgency to stabilize matters as quickly as possible.

Flanked by Katara and his mother and with Chief Hakoda casually sitting down next to Fire Lady-Mother Ursa, Zuko invited his prime minister, War Minister Jeong Jeong, Admiral Jee, Master Piandao, Master Pakku, Sokka, and Suki to follow their examples. Their faces were drawn as everyone sat down and silently looked at Zuko, waiting for him to begin. The battle was hard-won, and the damage to the city was considerable. They'd had few hours sleep since the fight had ended and they were all exhausted.

Taking a seat among his party, Zuko naturally ignored the Dragon Throne behind him, and Katara stifled a quiet smile. One of the visions of the future had told her that some day, they would be sitting on the prominent seat, her hand in his, with the enormous bas-relief image of a dragon breathing fire behind them and with the wall of fire hiding them from view. That future was theirs now. Some day, she would be able to turn her head and see the expression in his amber eyes reflecting the wall of flames, but today was not that day. Today, they sat amidst their family and friends, who had just spent a day and a night defending the throne against this group of warmongering nobles.

With a concise statement of its purpose and a brief outline of what he and Katara had come to know while they'd been away, Zuko routinely opened the meeting. He then respectfully asked the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe to begin and then took the others' accounts, quickly gathering the information he needed as he listened and made sure to ask the right questions.

It was the first time Katara witnessed him leading a meeting as the Fire Lord and, despite the gravity of the situation, she was fascinated by the natural authority with which he took to the task. Gone was the awkward boy who had once sought them out in the Western Air Temple, having been replaced by a confident ease and expertise. Over the past six weeks, she'd seen glimpses of it whenever circumstances had called for it, but now she witnessed Fire Lord Zuko taking back the reins of government. And it suited him. Very much so. She only took her eyes off of him when she caught Ursa's amused gaze resting on her.

Then Zuko gave a brief outline of what had transpired at the Zenith Point volcano and General Bujing's fate, which was met with grim approval by War Minister Jeong Jeong and Admiral Jee. The blue dragon had indeed taken the unconscious body of Admiral Chan with it when it had saved Zuko and the egg from the active volcano, and the leader of the insurrection had been captured and transported to the Capital City Prison sickbay where they'd tended to his wounds. He'd been kept apart from other prisoners, but Chief Hakoda had allowed Chan to see his father.

Zuko gave a grateful nod and inquired in a subdued tone, "I hope they were still talking to one another when he left?"

Several gazes in the room softened. This man, Admiral Chan, had tried to take his throne and his life, and his son had almost succeeded in denying him the chance to be with the love of his life, but he still felt anxious for their relationship surviving the rift between them. They knew that it was this compassion he'd famously inherited from his mother, who was now smiling quietly, that would eventually snuff out all opposition against his reign. That, and having Katara by his side.