#his father's approval‚ his title of crown prince‚ he gets to attend war meetings‚ the avatar is (presumably) dead

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

zuko: makes the conscious decision to leave all his luxury and privilege behind to confront his father about the war and right his wrongs, does his best to make up for his actions

catra: only apologizes to adora and does a good thing when she has run out of options and will likely be cast out by horde prime, immediately goes back to her toxic nature as soon as she's rescued

[asongstress1422]

Welcome Katara

Zutara Fanfic -- Part 4

Summary: Katara was taken to the Northern Water Tribe by her grandmother; she was to be protected at all cost, for she was the last of the Southern Water. Once they got there, the North refused to teach her trying to strip her of her worth and turn her into what they wanted, a calm biddable healer to birth the next generation. They failed. And so as punishment they sent her to be a political bride to the Fire Nation.   Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  AO3

Zuko’s week reprieve leading up to the official start of the brideathon was short lived. He met countless times with his council, hammering out last minute details before his time would be consumed by spouse hunting. There were still things that would require his personal attention but the majority of the day-to-days could be entrusted to his uncle and Zuko’s assistant, Takumi.

The nation needed for him to find a wife to get an heir and create the illusion of stability if nothing else so he would find a wife. But he was determined to find a woman that would help him shape the future he needed to create where his people would not slide into obscurity because they tried for peace instead of war.

Zuko understood why his uncle had invited brides from other nations, extending a peaceful hand was the only option after the decades of war. That so many noble earth kingdom families had made the trip was promising but Agni he wished he didn’t have to go through with it. He didn’t like to needlessly hurt people and having all these women here he knew most would leave with bruised egos if not hurt feelings.  

An hour before the opening ceremony was to begin, Zuko stood in front of a mirror pulling on the last layer of his Court Robes preparing himself to run through the gauntlet of women vying for the position of his wife.

Things were so much easier, he thought with a sigh as he tied the twelve decorative sashes around his waist, when all he had to worry about was when he father was going to turn on him. Back then he was already betrothed and while he didn’t trust Mai, she was a known entity in the political game that was the Fire Nation; predictable in the sense that she would be out for her own best interests.

Now everything was changed, not the least of which was himself.

Zuko fingered the raised, leathery flesh of his scar remembering the scolding pain as his face and ear burned. He remembered sitting in that hospital bed, the entire left side of his face bandaged, as his father entered. For a moment Zuko had though the his father had come to apologies, that he had come to check on how his son was doing.

But no. He had come to berated him for losing. For disgracing his place as heir and tarnishing the honor of the Fire Lord. It didn't matter that the one who had superseded him was his sister, a renown prodigy.

Hard as it was with her blow etched into his face Zuko tried not to think of his sister as all that was left was painful memories. He had both loved, hated, and feared her as she was a better fire bender then he was and better at playing the game they were both forced into by the nature of their births. He thought himself ruthless enough but when faced against Azula in an Agni Kai, he had hesitated and she had not.

Spirits, she was his little sister, the one person he would have killed anyone to protect and his father had sicced them on each other like beasts. He still remembered the look on her face as he withered on the ground, remembered her gazing up at Ozai so desperate for his approval that she didn’t eve care what she had done.

That was the last time he has seen seen her.

To regain the honor that had been stripped from him, Fire Lord Ozai had banished his son before the scabs had even had a chance to form over his wounds. Forbidden his nation and his birth right until he could prove himself by retrieving the avatar or until his scar, the taint of his loss, faded away completely.

Yet here Zuko stood, scar still prominent on his face and the Avatar still nothing more than a myth, two months until his twenty first year of birth where he would be crowned Fire Lord. It wasn’t worth all that he lost but he would damn well make a better future then the ash covered one that his derange father wanted to leave.

There was a knock at the door and Takumi stepped in with a bow. “My Prince.”

“Yes?” Zuko demanded as he pulled his hair up in the customary topknot sliding the golden fire insignia into place.

“Quite a few of the guests are already gathering.” There was a slight note of panic in the man’s voice.

“And?” Zuko hefted the leather mantle and secured it around his neck. Typically he left it off as it was more bother then it was worth as the rigid material made it difficult to traverse through doorways. At least he could get away with this one during these simi-formal gatherings, the one for ceremonial occasions was made of iron and gold and weight close to twenty pounds.

“The Regent is in the kitchen supervising preparation for the banquet in the kitchen.”

Debating tea with Regina , no doubt , Zuko rolled his eyes. His uncle and the dessert-apprentice-turn-head-cook had hit it off remarkably well when they had returned back to the palace just over a year ago and had grown quite close since.  

Zuko sighed understanding Takumi’s panic, “so there is no one to greet guests?”

“Correct, My Prince. Several of the Lords have questioned where the hosts are.”

“We’ll head over now,” he cast one more glance at the mirror, lingering a second too long on his scar. There was nothing he could do to fix it but if he had to live with it any woman who married him would have to as well. He turned away marching through the doors, Takumi at his heels. “You have the list of guests memorized?”

“Yes, My Prince. Names and hobbies of the candidates, as well as all families of note down to the great-aunts that have brought grand-nieces.”

“Very good. Stay close to me and we may just get through this in one piece.” Zuko took a deep breath as he came to the huge double doors of the Banquet Hall. On the other side his future Fire Lady waited. All he had to do was find her and not create a global incident by slighting any of the other prominent families that were showing off very marriageable daughters.

He let the breath out slowly, just like his uncle had taught him, centering himself.

“If I may be so bold, My Prince,” Takumi interrupted in a deferring voice. “You look every inch the Heir to the Fire Nation.”

Zuko nodded this thanks, bolstered by the kind words. “Introduce me.”

Takumi tapped  twice on the door, softly, then scurried to the side where he would be out of sight as they swung open wide.  The herald, who had been standing just to the right of the doors waiting for the signal, tapped his staff on the marble floor twice before called out strongly, “Heir to the Fire Nation. Son of Fire Lord Ozai. Nephew to Regent Fire Lord Iroh. Great grandson of Avatar Roku. Now enters Crown Prince Zuko.”  

The whole room turned as one to watch as Zuke marched confidently in. On the inside he was shaking.

“Welcome, distinguished guests. I thank you for making the journey to be here tonight. As we all know I will be coronated in two months time and when I ascend to my throne I will do so with a Fire Lady at my side. As I have not met her yet, it is my hope they she is here tonight. Over the next several weeks I will meet with many of you, to learn from each other and share our ideas. Let us now enter a era of peace between all nations.” He held up the glass that Takumi slipped into his hand; sweet punch, for as much as he would love a glass of wine to calm himself, he needed his head about him tonight. “To the forging of new and lasting bonds.”

The room echoed his sentiments as he took a sip.

“Please, everyone, enjoy yourselves.” With a final salute with the goblet Zuko dispersed everyone back to mingling as he made his way down the entry stairs.

Immediately a man broke off from the group he was talking to, making straight for Zuko, all but dragging a young woman behind him. Earth nation by his clothes.

Takumi stepped forward as the couple drew closer, whispered in Zuko’s ear, “Lord Durjaya, jewel mines in the Dong region. Official candidate, Lady Mirri, flower arranging, pet komodo-cat JuJu.”

There wasn’t enough time to say more but it was enough to jog Zuko’s memory on The List, the detailed information they had created on all the attendees. Lord Durajay, a merchant that had inherited the Family Title twelve years ago when an uncle had die with no sons. He had turn the Durjaya Mines from the raw distributors they were into the prospering business it was now.

Besides this daughter he had brought along her two younger sisters, as well as three female cousins and a whole pack of others including his wife, several aunts and a covey of personal servants. It was well know that Lord Durajay ran his business with an iron hand, but it was Lady Durajay that ruled the home and it was little surprise that she wanted her daughter married to the earth nation equivalent of a king.

“Lord Durajay.” Zuko greeted with a respectful bow. He may only be in jewels but he was well known in the iron community and had connections that could prove invaluable to the fire nation's future.

“Crown Prince, may I introduce you to my daughter....”

And so it began.

A hour in and Zuko was all but begging to the Spirits for the dinner bell. If he hadn’t met every candidate, he was coming very close. He had to be. He knew he had met some sisters or cousins or other female relations several times removed but he had to be almost done. They were all starting to blend together, the earth nation names rolling into one another. He had to have met three women named Hua. The fire nation women were at least a little easier to remember and distinguish from each other. Names and families he knew if he did not know the candidates themselves on some small level.

As if on cue the leader of the only other nation in attendance walked up to him as if they were old friends instead of once bitter enemies. “Prince Zuko.”

“Chief Arnook,” Zuko returned a bit more formally.

“Come, let me introduce you to the North’s candidate.” He pulled him through the crowd with an arm across his shoulders.

“I was surprised to find out you only brought one woman for the candidacy,” Zuko put in carefully.

The cagey old fox-hawk smiled benignly at him, “well, when you have the perfect bloom, you do not hide it in a bouquet.” He stopped before the group of other tribes men, all dressed in the deep blues customary for their culture. “Prince Zuko, may I introduce you to Katara of the Northern Tribe.”

The man gestured and the rest parted to frame a woman in a scarlet hanfu with plum and pale pink lotus stitching and the under wrap of dark mulberry. The only thing that conveyed that she was water tribe was the duskiness of her skin and the brilliant blue of her eyes.

The blue eyes he would have swore belonged to a girl feeding turtle ducks named Kaszka.

She bowed, perfectly correct, to him. “Fire Prince.”

“Lady Katara.” He returned pleasantly as rage burned in him. How dare she lie to him. She and her people must have had a great laugh at his expense. “It’s lovely to finally know the name of such a beautiful woman. I hope you or enjoying your stay in the fire capital?”

She hummed a non-committal reply. For a minute he though she was looking at his scar, just as every other woman he had talked to this night. It was jolting to realize her eyes were dead locked with his.

“She is enjoying her stay immensely, Prince Zuko.” Annoke spoke up when it became apparent to all that that was all she had to voice on the subject. “She especially loves your ornamental gardens. So very different from the plants that grow back home. And the cuisine, is that not right Katara?”

“It is spicy.” She said blandly but her looked spoke volumes. He could tell there was a differentiation between her words and what her eyes said but Zuko was having trouble translating.

Before he could demand the clear answer from her the announcement of dinner rang over the crowd.

“Would you look at that,” Chief Arnook chimed, loudly enough that some of the other guest turned to look, “Prince Zuko, would you be so good as to lead Katara into the dinning hall.”

“Of course.” He was well and truly trapped. As the highest ranking male it was his job to guide the woman and yet he wanted her as far away from him as he could get her. But he smiled and offered his arm to Lady Katara. “If you would please follow me?”

She looked at his offered arm as if it was a pile of shit in her path and it took a sharp nudge of one of the men behind her to push her forward into taking it.

“Still feeding the turtle ducks Kaska, ” he hissed nearly silently down at her as they drifted with the crowd to the second room. It he hadn’t been looking for an reaction he would have missed it, half a flickering look with anger burning in her eyes but she did not make a reply. What right did she had to be angry? He was the one being laughed at.

As they walked he could feel hundreds of glares pointed at the woman on his arm. Good, she deserved to feel their open animosity when he could not give into his own. She had to have notice but gave it no acknowledgement, simply marched beside him with her head held high face blank and touch as light on his arm as she could manage and still have it look as if he lead her.

“Prince Zuko,” Iroh was waiting for him just inside the dining hall doors. He smiled kindly at the woman on his arm, “ And Lady Katara, may I say you look lovely tonight? The colors really bring out the richness of your skin and make a lovely contrast with your eyes.”

Real warmth flooded her face and with a almost smile she thanked him.

“Uncle, where have you been?” Zuke growled at the older man, angry for him having left him to the wolves for over an hour while he sipped tea. He didn’t notice the woman on his arm start.

“'Uncle',” she whispered horrified, her skin losing that 'richness'. “You are the Fire Lord?”

Iroh turned another gentle smile her way, “yes, dear. For the next few months until my nephew takes the responsibility and I can go back to enjoying tea.”

Her grip on Zuko’s arm tightened painfully and he looked down at her with a frown, disconcerted with the strange urge to shield her that he quickly pushed aside.

“Will you be sitting with us, Lady Katara,” Iroh asked.

“Uncle,” Zuko hissed eyes flying to make sure no one had overheard him or he'd be stuck with her all night. “I don’t--”

“No,” she interrupted dropping Zuko’s arm as if it had burned her. “I will sit with my people. Good eve, Fire Price.” She dipped a shallow curtsy, seeming to hesitate as she did the same for his Uncle. “Fire ... Lord.”

Without another word she turned and rejoined her group that we’re seated across the room.

Zuko sighed, in relief, but caught his uncle staring after her. “Uncle? What is it?”

“Nothing.” Iroh shook his head, dislodging his pensive thoughts, and smiled up at his nephew affectionately. “Come, let us enjoy this meal. ‘Gina has outdone herself.”