The next evening, Katara sat at dinner. Zuko sat at the head of the table to her left. She'd just given him the usual updates on the wedding planning and on how her lessons were going.
Now, they ate silently, but there was one more thing on her mind. She was just terrified to bring it up.
Eventually, she gathered up the nerve and set her utensils down.
"Zuko," she said.
"Hmm?" came the response as he continued to eat.
"I want to invite your sister to the wedding." She said it as firmly as she could.
Zuko nearly choked on his food in surprise, suffering a coughing fit. He quickly took a drink from his cup and tried to collect himself.
"You what?!" he asked in disbelief.
"I want Azula to be at our wedding," she responded stubbornly.
"What could possibly make you want that?" he insisted.
"She's your sister, Zuko."
"Yeah! My sister - who has repeatedly attempted to kill one or both of us!" Zuko answered sarcastically.
"I understand that!" she said in frustration. Her fists slammed on the table, taking Zuko aback. "I was there, remember? You almost died right in front of me because of what she did!"
Her frustration quickly escalated to anger, and her voice rose until she was actually shouting at him. "But at the end of the day, she's your sister, and, like it or not, she will be my sister-in-law! Is it really so hard to believe that I might want to have some kind of relationship with your family?!"
With her tirade complete, Katara came to herself. Her eyes focused on Zuko, and her heart sank. His eyes were wide - his expression frozen in blank surprise.
Katara sat back in her chair, lowering her head in shame. How could she talk to him like that? It wasn't his fault that he might feel the way he did about Azula. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "That wasn't fair."
His hand touched her arm gently. Katara returned her gaze to her fiancé. His expression had changed to one of deep thoughtfulness, clearly trying to contemplate her words. A sad smile crossed his lips. "It's ok." His voice was nearly a whisper. "I didn't know you felt that way."
Zuko hesitated. His voice became shaky and unsure. "I don't know how to face Azula," he said. His gaze drooped. Katara could tell this was a heavy and difficult topic for him. "We were close when we were little, but, after everything that's happened, I don't know if we could ever be that way again."
Katara asked timidly, "Do you want to be close with her again?"
His lips tightened as he pondered the question. "I don't know," he said hopelessly. "I really don't know."
The atmosphere became tense and awkward. Katara sat nervously as her mind scrambled for what to say. She thought, maybe I should just let it go. Maybe this is asking too much, but she couldn't let it go. She wanted this even though she couldn't fully explain why. She thought hard, searching for a way to make this hope come true.
"What if...," she pondered out loud. "We went to see her?"
Zuko was, again, caught by surprise. "Visit Azula?" he asked incredulously.
Katara nodded hesitantly. "Before the wedding," she clarified.
Zuko was stunned silent. All he could do was reach to rub the back of his neck uncomfortably. He grimaced at the thought, but he wasn't outright opposed.
Katara pressed, seeing a hint of an opening. "Why not?" she asked. "It could give us a chance to try figuring things out before we decide to invite her to the wedding. Plus, we've both been so busy. Maybe it would be good for us to get away for a little while."
She watched him closely. What seemed like a torrent of thoughts passed behind his eyes. His hand subconsciously massaged his chin. She held on to hope. "What do you think?" she asked.
Zuko let out a sigh. His lips pursed in frustration. "I can't," he finally said.
He noticed the disappointment in Katara's eyes at his response. "Not that I don't want to!" he quickly added. "It's just that we stayed so long in the Water Tribe. Everything piled up. Even now, I'm still just trying to catch up. There's no way I could leave now."
For a moment, Katara felt so foolish. Of course Zuko couldn't go! She knew this already. It was the same reason they'd hardly spent any time together. She couldn't ask him to just drop everything and take her on a vacation.
Then again...
"What if I went by myself?" she asked.
Zuko's eyes furrowed in confusion. "Are you serious?" he asked.
Katara honestly surprised herself at how serious she truly was. "Yeah, I'm serious," she responded. "The wedding planning is mostly done. We still have a few months to tie up the final details, and my lessons are going really well. I think I can take some time away without any trouble."
"I'm not worried about your schedule, Katara," Zuko said pointedly. He crossed his arms over his chest in displeasure.
"I know," she responded calmly. She knew exactly what he was worried about.
He couldn't stop her.
Zuko had learned a long time ago that, when Katara was determined, there was absolutely no use in trying to talk her out of it. It was a trait in her that the young Fire Lord both admired and hated.
Katara left for Ember Island as soon as arrangements could be made.
She couldn't help feeling nostalgic as the small Fire Navy ship approached the island. From the deck, she could see the sandy beaches where she and her friends had briefly shared some fun and relaxation, a rare opportunity for Team Avatar. She could see the main square nearby the approaching docks. The theater, which hosted the Ember Island Players, was there. She cringed a bit at the memory.
Lastly, on the distant hill, overlooking the resort town, she saw the Fire Lord's villa. A bittersweet smile crossed her lips. She remembered the last days leading up to the arrival of Sozin's Comet. She remembered watching Zuko and Aang as they'd trained together in the courtyard.
Katara had been worried about Aang, but her eyes were drawn to Zuko. His firebending technique was fascinating to her, only slightly moreso than his lean, chiseled physique. His movements were calculated and precise - so different from her own waterbending discipline - but hypnotizing as well. It's what had driven her to study firebending extensively and, eventually, develop her own waterbending style based on firebending techniques.
The ship pulled into the dock, and the crew prepared to disembark. Katara sighed as she was brought back to the present. She quickly retreated to her cabin to collect her things.
Her escort of Royal Guards waited vigilantly for her as she descended the gangplank. A small group of citizens watched curiously from a short distance - eager to see who this important arrival might be.
Katara could make out a few of the mutterings amidst the onlookers.
"Who is that?"
"Is that the future Fire Lady?"
Katara tried her best to focus ahead of her as her cheeks flushed red. She knew her arrival wasn't the most discreet, but she had hoped to go unrecognized for, at least, a little while.
Her eyes caught sight of Lady-Mother Ursa at the end of the dock. She smiled brightly and pushed past her guards to run into her future mother-in-law's waiting embrace.
"Oh, Katara," Ursa groaned endearingly. "It's so wonderful to see you."
She drew back, taking Katara's hands. The older woman looked her up and down, observing her Fire Nation robes.
Ursa looked pleased. "You look beautiful, my dear," she said.
The Lady-Mother acknowledged the group of Royal Guard close by. She waved to them dismissively. "I'll take care of her from here," she called. "Thank you!"
The commanding officer gave a short bow before leading his men back to the ship. They would be stationed at the docks for the course of Katara's visit.
A couple of Lady Ursa's servants appeared to carry Katara's luggage while the two ladies interlocked their arms and began to stroll towards the square. They were just catching up when they were interrupted.
A few young women, about Katara's age, approached and bowed respectfully. "Excuse me, my lady," one of them said to Katara. "Is it true that you're the Fire Lord's fiancée?"
Katara smiled politely. "That's right," she answered.
The girls were instantly starstruck, which took Katara by surprise. She'd grown accustomed to a bit less positive response to her engagement.
"Oh my gosh," one of the girls squealed. "This is so cool!"
"You're so pretty!" said another.
Katara suddenly felt incredibly shy. She tried to hide the blush in her cheeks. "Thank you," she muttered.
The girls then started bombarding her with questions, which she couldn't even process fast enough to answer.
"What's Fire Lord Zuko like?" "Is he as nice as they say?" "When are you getting married?" "Have you picked out your wedding dress yet?"
Ursa stepped in before Katara became completely overwhelmed. "Alright girls, that's enough," she said firmly. "Run along."
The girls giggled amongst themselves before bowing. Katara smiled and waved as the group left them.
Katara would be recognized many more times as she and the Lady-Mother continued on their way. The town square was bustling at this time of day, and many took notice of her.
Locals and tourists alike went out of their way to approach and talk to her or, simply, to bow and pay their respects to the future Fire Lady. A little boy, no more than eight years old, even came to offer her a flower, which she gratefully accepted.
A small, open carriage was waiting for them just past the square. As the two ladies climbed in, Lady Ursa patted Katara's arm. "You handled that splendidly," she said. Her gentle countenance seemed to glow with pride for her future daughter-in-law.
Katara was honestly a bit shaken by the experience but in a good way. "Everyone was so nice and welcoming," she said in disbelief.
"That surprises you?" Ursa responded.
"Well, yeah," she explained. "Lots of people in the Capital were upset when the engagement was announced. I thought that was how it would be everywhere."
Ursa huffed dismissively. "Oh, never you mind those pompous rat-vipers," she said. "They're only interested in lining their own pockets and manipulating the system for their benefit."
She looked back at Katara and gave the younger woman a comforting smile. "But they're the exception, my dear. I believe most of the Fire Nation is happy to see the War over and to see the turn towards progress and peace."
Katara met her gaze hesitantly - doubtfully.
Ursa gave her arm a gentle squeeze. "Don't give up just yet," she encouraged.
Katara managed a smile in return - strengthened by the Lady-Mother's words.
The last of the luggage was finally loaded, and the ostrich-horses were whipped into motion. Within minutes, they had left the hustle and bustle of the resort town behind - trading it for the quiet foothills as they made their way toward Lady Ursa's private residence.
The ride to the villa was pleasant enough. Katara and Ursa continued to talk about this and that. Ursa asked about how the wedding planning was going, how she was doing in her lessons, and how she was adjusting to her new life in the Fire Nation.
"I don't think it's fully sunk in yet," Katara responded. "I honestly thought I would be much more homesick, but, with everything going on, I really haven't had time to dwell on it. The last time I even wrote to my family was just to update them on the schedule for the wedding."
"It's good to stay busy," Lady Ursa said.
"I never imagined how much I would actually have to do," she sighed.
"Royal weddings can be obnoxiously meticulous," Ursa agreed with a sigh. "My marriage to Ozai took almost a full year to plan."
"Wow," Katara exclaimed. "Why so long? It seems like most of the preparation for our wedding is already done!" She never really knew how to approach the subject of Zuko's father, but this particular line of conversation wasn't too uncomfortable.
"Ozai was very particular," Ursa said with a slight roll of her eyes. "Plus the long list of other events to plan or attend, as well as weekly tea parties and banquets with the War Council's wives or the Prime Minister's family..."
Katara listened in wonder as Ursa continued. "Even as the consort of the second Prince, I hardly had time to process the reality of my situation - much less plan a wedding."
Katara found herself confused for a moment. "That makes my experience seem like a vacation," she said. "I've only had to attend one banquet since I came to the Fire Nation - with the wives and daughters of the High Council."
Ursa smiled at her knowingly. Those banquets were a horrible experience. "I hated every minute of it, of course," Katara added humorously. "But I wonder why I haven't had to do more. I didn't even have to plan it!"
Ursa let out a short laugh. "I'm sure the Fire Lord had something to do with that. Before I left to get back here to Azula, he seemed bound and determined to make your adjustment to the Fire Nation as easy as possible."
Katara's eyebrows raised in surprise. Ursa noticed and explained further. A humorous glint shined in her eyes.
"Zuko has reached out to me many times," she said. "He's asked for my help narrowing down lists of thousands of design choices, decorations, seating arrangements and guest lists. His intent was always to give you a smaller list of options that you might actually like. As for the parties and banquets, I'm sure he's taken the brunt of that load as well in order to save you from unnecessary stress."
Katara could only gawk at the older women. She'd never known any of this.
She touched the pendant on her neck again - warm as always. A part of her felt a little offended. She didn't need protecting. She'd chosen this life of her own volition, and she was ready to take whatever it threw at her. Then again, she couldn't help but feel a warmth in her chest as she realized how much effort Zuko was putting forth behind the scenes for her sake, in addition to his enormous responsibilities as the ruler of the Fire Nation.
Ursa watched her future daughter-in-law closely for a while, the gentle smile never leaving her lips. "My son values you very much," she finally muttered. "You're very precious to him."
Katara couldn't keep herself from smiling, a light blush coloring her cheeks. Her fingers caressed her necklace subconsciously as the words sunk in. "I know," she replied.
Ursa smiled brightly. Katara didn't need to say anything more. Ursa could tell by the look in her eyes. She felt the same. That much was certain, whether the young woman knew it yet or not.
Ursa's attention was drawn forward as the gates to her private villa came into few. "Ah," she said pleasantly. "We've arrived."
Katara perked up and craned her neck to see. Beyond the tall metal gates, she could see a generous two-story mansion surrounded by swaying palm trees. It wasn't nearly as big as the Fire Lord's villa on the other side of the island, but the size still far outmatched her father's home back in the Southern Water Tribe, it's expanse and elegance clearly showing the wealth and importance of its inhabitants.
The gates squeaked as they opened to the approaching carriage. Katara continued to stare as she took everything in, from the graceful slope of the red tile roofs to the lusciously green grass and brightly-colored flowers of the immaculate gardens.
The carriage came to a stop in front of the house, and Katara and Ursa exited onto the front steps. "It's beautiful," Katara whispered in awe as her arm again entwined with Ursa's.
"Thank you, my dear," Ursa responded. "Ozai had it built as a wedding gift. It was one of the few things he ever truly did for me."
Katara could only mutter a simple "oh", not knowing how else to respond. She found it difficult to imagine the ruthless, malicious tyrant as anything close to a kind, giving husband.
A servant opened the front door, and the two entered. The interior was just as beautiful as the outside, and Katara found it's aesthetic much more comfortable and appealing than that of the royal palace or even the Fire Lord's villa. The décor, furnishings, and scarlet carpets were still elegant but in a way she found much more feminine and cozy. .
She was looking around in wonder, completely caught up in the atmosphere, and almost missed Ursa excusing herself and leaving Katara alone in the foyer.
Katara found herself drawn to a little table off to the side of the room. A collection of portraits stood neatly displayed across its surface. She picked up a childhood painting of Zuko. He looked maybe 7 or 8 years old. The artist had perfectly captured the gentle innocence in his eyes. She smiled endearingly.
She was shocked out of her daze as a cold, velvety voice reached her ears from behind her. Katara froze like a startled animal, her heart racing. "Hello, Lady Katara," the voice said. "Or should I just start calling you "Sister"?"
Azula...