The Warrior's Gambit (Zutara)

I

Suki was also on his list of people he could see himself marrying, at least, in another life in which Katara had never come to participate in the Choice. A lot of what he liked about Suki was what he liked about Katara - her strong will, her sparring abilities, her political interest - so he worried if he married her, it would always be a competition between her and a girl that he couldn't have chosen if he wanted to-Katara. All things came back to her.

It was all rubbish anyway, every girl he considered just felt so lifeless next to Katara. Katara and her waterbending. Katara and her inquisitive eyes, which held the ocean. Katara and her warm, earth-toned skin. Katara and-

"Zuko." His father's velvet voice purred over the table. "Would you kindly come back to join us?"

Zuko lifted his chin from where it rested on his fingers. Had his Uncle called him out, he would have apologized for his absent mindedness. However, since it was his father, Zuko would not give him such satisfaction.

"I haven't left, father," Zuko said shortly. "We were discussing the reparations to the Hall of Histories, were we not?" he countered. He'd learned since he was a very young boy that not listening could sink him deep into trouble, so as much as one part of Zuko's mind whirled around the Southern Water Tribe girl he was besotted with, the other part listened and digested whenever his father opened his lips.

"Just checking." Ozai raised an eyebrow.

"A future Fire Lord shouldn't need to be 'checked'," Azula threw in. "What could be more important than these meetings, Zuko?"

If they were children, say even the ages of fourteen and twelve, Zuko would have heard a teasing tone in her voice, and he would have replied back that Azula had no to right to tease him, when she was burning her notes at the edges or ripping tiny holes in her stockings in boredom, too.

But they were not children, and there was only malice in her tone.

"Now is hardly the time to be attempting to undermine your brother, little cousin," Lu Ten said, a warning in his tone. "Isn't there enough upheaval without so you so gaudily attempting to steal what your brother has? You are like a child, taking Zuko's toys just because it so displeases you to not have something also."

"The Throne is not a toy! We've all accepted that things are changing after the attack, so why not a change in the lineup for the ruler, as well? It's been done once before," Azula added, staring down Lu Ten with a wicked smile.

"So it is not just to do it again." Uncle Iroh frowned. "Azula, your comments have been noted but have grown tiresome on all of our ears."

"Let them," Azula barked out. "He is hardly acting as a prince, did you see the way he was kissing Lady Katara-"

"Princess Katara. As is his right," Ozai broke in, but Zuko wouldn't say his father was on his side. He wasn't sure that he was on Azula's side though, or else she would have been given the throne months ago. Ozai was on no one's side but his own. "It is his prerogative, may I remind you – daughter - that Zuko may kiss whomever he pleases, if they are in the Prince's Choice."

Azula was not dumb. Whenever Ozai stepped in, she would shut up. Also, as there were only immediate family members sitting at the table, there were not many minds to enchant with her poisonous words. Her family had heard them all, and most of them could spin words as skillfully as she, so they knew her silver tricks. Zuko had never had that skill, but he trumped her in just about everything else, he liked to think. Maybe not firebending, either, but that was a work in progress.

Zuko shot an appreciative glance toward his cousin and uncle. He was especially glad that there were no hard feelings about the fact that their lineage's birthright had been removed. As it was, Zuko did not care much for the throne. It may have sounded awful to say, but he thought that Lu Ten would have made a fair and just Fire Lord. He was absolutely sure, with every fiber of his being, that Uncle Iroh would have been a better Fire Lord than his father. Had the hands of fate swung the other way, Zuko could not have been upset.