[FIC] Sense and Sensibility (2/16)
Title: Sense and Sensibility, Chapter Two
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Pairing: Eventual Zutara, mentions of Sokka/Suki
Wordcount: 1758
Warnings: none
Summary: Four years after the end of the war, Fire Lord Zuko is told he has two weeks to choose a bride from a group of five girls. Luckily, Uncle Iroh stacked the deck.
Author's Notes: I'm archiving things, so this one (which is my longest finished story to date) was written before season three premiered. Thus it is technically an AU. Chapter titles are from the musical Camelot, because I am a giant dork.
---Chapter Two: The Simple Joys of Maidenhood---
Katara stood on the icy cliff, her footing sure in the boots traditionally wore by those of the Southern Water Tribe. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun, reveling in the feel of the mild warmth on her face as much as she did in the sound of the waves crashing far below. She spread her arms out and took a deep breath, loving the scent of the ocean. Another scent, sharper and only slightly less familiar, made her open her eyes again. It was the smell of smoke, with just the faint tang of metal. Katara shielded her eyes with one hand and squinted out at the horizon. She could just make out the Fire Nation ship, and judging by the distance, it would arrive tomorrow. The odds were good that she was the only one who had seen it. Even four years after the war’s end, the people of her village were wary of Fire Nation ships. Though none that came in that time were unfriendly, it was best if she told her father. Katara sighed, wishing she could have just stayed and enjoyed the view a little longer, before she turned to begin her descent down the glacier.
--------
Aang lay back on the snow, his hands behind his head. It was the sixteen year-old Avatar’s habit to spend the summer, fall, and winter with Katara and Sokka, while he spent spring traveling around the Earth Kingdom with Toph. He also dropped Sokka off in Kyoshi at the beginning of spring, and then the two would be back in the South Pole by the summer solstice. He’d yet to convince Toph to come with him, but Aang had a feeling her resolve was weakening slightly. Their current arrangement, however, left Katara alone for all of spring. Though she would just smile and say she didn’t mind, the Avatar knew his friend was lonely during those three months.
Katara had grown, to Aang’s eyes, even more beautiful in the years since the war’s end. Even Sokka admitted it, declaring more than once that if there were any boys her age in their village, he’d have to kill them just to keep them away from her. He had never considered Aang a threat, and rightly so. Aang had grown out of his childhood love for Katara, though his affection had not dimmed in the slightest. It only changed, or maybe it was Aang that changed. It didn’t really matter. Aang still felt a thrill of happiness when he sat up and saw Katara running towards him. At least, he did until she spoke.
“A Fire Nation ship is coming! They should be here tomorrow.”
--------
Hakoda took his daughter’s news of the Fire Nation ship’s approach calmly. After all, the war was supposed to be over. One could no longer assume a ship meant attack. That wasn’t to say Hakoda didn’t still bear a small grudge against the Fire Nation, but it wouldn’t do to show it. So the next morning, a gaggle of villagers (in addition to Chief Hakoda, Sokka, Katara, and Aang but minus Kanna, who chose to be elsewhere) patiently waited as five men in the uniform of the Fire Nation navy disembarked from their ship. Hakoda stepped forward, his children and the Avatar at his heels.
“Welcome to the South Pole. I am Chief Hakoda, and I am anxious to hear what brings you to our village.”
The man at the front of the Fire Nation group dropped to one knee, and the others followed suit. “I am Tsing, messenger of the Fire Nation. I bring an invitation to Princess Katara.”
Katara moved closer. “That would be me.”
Tsing stood to hand her a rolled-up scroll and, when she took it, resumed his position. Katara unfurled the scroll, three pairs of curious eyes looking over her shoulder. “It’s the Fire Lord’s stationary.”
Aang and Sokka exchanged puzzled looks. Zuko had worked with them in ending the war, and he had more or less remained friends with them since, but they didn’t often hear from him. The last time they had seen each other was two years ago.
Katara read the scroll out loud. “It is my privilege to inform you, Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, that you are under consideration for marriage to Fire Lord Zuko.”
“No! Not even if the Fire Nation froze over!” Sokka screeched.
“Not even if Hell froze over,” Hakoda muttered.
“I thought it was the same thing,” Sokka whispered.
“Are you two finished?” Katara asked. “Because you’re being rude, and there’s more.” Her father and brother were quiet once again, though both were still miffed. Katara cleared her throat before continuing. “You are cordially invited to stay at the Fire Nation palace for two weeks, during which time the Fire Lord will get to know you and the other four candidates. The visit will culminate in a formal ball, at which time the Fire Lord will announce his decision. It’s signed ‘Lady Junbi, Royal Matchmaker’.” She started to roll the paper up again and realized there was another sheet behind it. This one Katara read to herself, though the three men behind her did their best to catch a glimpse of the second message.
Princess Katara:
While I hold you in the highest regard, I know that Lady Junbi does not agree with my opinions, and I feel it my duty to inform you that you were far from her first choice for my nephew. Even if you have no desire to marry him, I hope that you will come to visit us. It would be a good thing for Zuko to have a friend besides myself in this trying time, and I am sure he would appreciate your company.
Humbly yours,
General Iroh
Katara rolled both papers up quickly, preventing anyone else from reading the second note in its entirety. She turned to Tsing. “Thank you for delivering this. Were you instructed to return with my answer?”
“Yes, your highness.”
Katara smiled at him. “Such an important decision will take some time. May I give you my reply tomorrow morning?”
Tsing shifted uncomfortably. “I beg your pardon, your highness, but should you decide to go, we would have to leave this afternoon at the very latest in order to arrive on the date set for the two weeks to begin.”
Katara blinked in surprise. “Oh.” She bit her lip and turned to look at her father, brother, and Aang. They all stared back at her.
“You’re not really thinking of going, are you?” Sokka asked incredulously.
Katara had been planning on turning the invitation down and sending a polite note of apology to General Iroh, to whom she had taken something of a liking during their time together in the war. Zuko certainly didn’t need her help in choosing a wife, and she had no intention of becoming his bride. But Sokka’s protest reminded her that the spring equinox was in three days. That would be the day Aang and Sokka both left for the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshi, respectively, leaving Katara to rot in her maidenhood. There were no boys her age here, and much as she loved her home, Katara longed to go someplace different. Why not the Fire Nation?
She spun around, surprising Tsing and his men. “Messenger Tsing, I’ll have my things ready in two hours.” With that, Katara turned once more and marched home, determined to get there and pack before she changed her mind or someone tried to stop her.
Everyone on the beach watched her go.
“She can’t be serious,” Sokka said.
Hakoda shook his head. “Oh, she’s serious.”
Aang didn’t say anything.
--------
Katara glanced around her room as she tied her bag, taking a mental inventory of both and trying to remember if she’d forgotten anything important. She guessed that the Fire Nation palace would provide a lot, but she preferred to have her own things if at all possible.
“Are you sure about this, Katara?” Aang said from the doorway. The waterbender could hear the worry in his voice. She only pulled the ties tighter. “Sokka and your dad only said those things ‘cause they care about you,” the Avatar continued. “They just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“And neither do you, right?” Katara asked, turning towards her friend. “I’ll be fine, Aang. I’m not going there to marry Zuko; in the second letter his uncle just asked me to come as a friend.” She smiled reassuringly. “Besides, you’ll be too busy with Toph to even think about me.” Aang blushed slightly, making Katara wonder just how close the master earthbender and the Avatar had become in the past few springs. She picked up her bag. “So don’t worry. I’ll be home long before you get back.” Aang grinned and took her bag from her. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
His grin widened. “I’ll hold you to that,” he said just before he dashed down the hall. Katara laughed as she chased after him.
--------
The entire village turned up to bid their Princess farewell. Though the title had very rarely been used, the villagers did think of Katara as their Princess. She hugged everyone of the children and said a personal goodbye to each villager. Aang got a hug and a smile. Sokka received a dirty look and responded with a pout. This earned him a laugh and a hug. “You know I’m just trying to protect you, right?” Sokka whispered in his sister’s ear.
“I know,” she whispered back. Then Katara playfully pushed him away. “Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.” Sokka grinned sheepishly, and Katara moved onto their father. He encased her in a giant bear hug. Hakoda didn’t want to release his daughter at all, but finally Kanna whacking him on the back of the head forced the chief to do so. Katara giggled and took her grandmother’s hands. “It’s only for a few weeks, Gran-Gran.”
Kanna smiled back. “I know that, dear. I just wanted to wish you luck.”
Katara frowned in confusion, at which Kanna laughed. “You’ll understand soon enough. Now, go before your father tries to lock you up or something equally foolish.”
Katara waved as she boarded the Fire Nation ship. She paused at the top of the ramp, getting one last good look at her home, her family, and her people. That image would have to last her until she returned. Then Katara turned and continued onto the ship, ready for her adventure to begin.
---End Chapter Two---
Fandom: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Pairing: Eventual Zutara, mentions of Sokka/Suki
Wordcount: 1758
Warnings: none
Summary: Four years after the end of the war, Fire Lord Zuko is told he has two weeks to choose a bride from a group of five girls. Luckily, Uncle Iroh stacked the deck.
Author's Notes: I'm archiving things, so this one (which is my longest finished story to date) was written before season three premiered. Thus it is technically an AU. Chapter titles are from the musical Camelot, because I am a giant dork.
---Chapter Two: The Simple Joys of Maidenhood---
Katara stood on the icy cliff, her footing sure in the boots traditionally wore by those of the Southern Water Tribe. She closed her eyes and lifted her face to the sun, reveling in the feel of the mild warmth on her face as much as she did in the sound of the waves crashing far below. She spread her arms out and took a deep breath, loving the scent of the ocean. Another scent, sharper and only slightly less familiar, made her open her eyes again. It was the smell of smoke, with just the faint tang of metal. Katara shielded her eyes with one hand and squinted out at the horizon. She could just make out the Fire Nation ship, and judging by the distance, it would arrive tomorrow. The odds were good that she was the only one who had seen it. Even four years after the war’s end, the people of her village were wary of Fire Nation ships. Though none that came in that time were unfriendly, it was best if she told her father. Katara sighed, wishing she could have just stayed and enjoyed the view a little longer, before she turned to begin her descent down the glacier.
--------
Aang lay back on the snow, his hands behind his head. It was the sixteen year-old Avatar’s habit to spend the summer, fall, and winter with Katara and Sokka, while he spent spring traveling around the Earth Kingdom with Toph. He also dropped Sokka off in Kyoshi at the beginning of spring, and then the two would be back in the South Pole by the summer solstice. He’d yet to convince Toph to come with him, but Aang had a feeling her resolve was weakening slightly. Their current arrangement, however, left Katara alone for all of spring. Though she would just smile and say she didn’t mind, the Avatar knew his friend was lonely during those three months.
Katara had grown, to Aang’s eyes, even more beautiful in the years since the war’s end. Even Sokka admitted it, declaring more than once that if there were any boys her age in their village, he’d have to kill them just to keep them away from her. He had never considered Aang a threat, and rightly so. Aang had grown out of his childhood love for Katara, though his affection had not dimmed in the slightest. It only changed, or maybe it was Aang that changed. It didn’t really matter. Aang still felt a thrill of happiness when he sat up and saw Katara running towards him. At least, he did until she spoke.
“A Fire Nation ship is coming! They should be here tomorrow.”
--------
Hakoda took his daughter’s news of the Fire Nation ship’s approach calmly. After all, the war was supposed to be over. One could no longer assume a ship meant attack. That wasn’t to say Hakoda didn’t still bear a small grudge against the Fire Nation, but it wouldn’t do to show it. So the next morning, a gaggle of villagers (in addition to Chief Hakoda, Sokka, Katara, and Aang but minus Kanna, who chose to be elsewhere) patiently waited as five men in the uniform of the Fire Nation navy disembarked from their ship. Hakoda stepped forward, his children and the Avatar at his heels.
“Welcome to the South Pole. I am Chief Hakoda, and I am anxious to hear what brings you to our village.”
The man at the front of the Fire Nation group dropped to one knee, and the others followed suit. “I am Tsing, messenger of the Fire Nation. I bring an invitation to Princess Katara.”
Katara moved closer. “That would be me.”
Tsing stood to hand her a rolled-up scroll and, when she took it, resumed his position. Katara unfurled the scroll, three pairs of curious eyes looking over her shoulder. “It’s the Fire Lord’s stationary.”
Aang and Sokka exchanged puzzled looks. Zuko had worked with them in ending the war, and he had more or less remained friends with them since, but they didn’t often hear from him. The last time they had seen each other was two years ago.
Katara read the scroll out loud. “It is my privilege to inform you, Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, that you are under consideration for marriage to Fire Lord Zuko.”
“No! Not even if the Fire Nation froze over!” Sokka screeched.
“Not even if Hell froze over,” Hakoda muttered.
“I thought it was the same thing,” Sokka whispered.
“Are you two finished?” Katara asked. “Because you’re being rude, and there’s more.” Her father and brother were quiet once again, though both were still miffed. Katara cleared her throat before continuing. “You are cordially invited to stay at the Fire Nation palace for two weeks, during which time the Fire Lord will get to know you and the other four candidates. The visit will culminate in a formal ball, at which time the Fire Lord will announce his decision. It’s signed ‘Lady Junbi, Royal Matchmaker’.” She started to roll the paper up again and realized there was another sheet behind it. This one Katara read to herself, though the three men behind her did their best to catch a glimpse of the second message.
Princess Katara:
While I hold you in the highest regard, I know that Lady Junbi does not agree with my opinions, and I feel it my duty to inform you that you were far from her first choice for my nephew. Even if you have no desire to marry him, I hope that you will come to visit us. It would be a good thing for Zuko to have a friend besides myself in this trying time, and I am sure he would appreciate your company.
Humbly yours,
General Iroh
Katara rolled both papers up quickly, preventing anyone else from reading the second note in its entirety. She turned to Tsing. “Thank you for delivering this. Were you instructed to return with my answer?”
“Yes, your highness.”
Katara smiled at him. “Such an important decision will take some time. May I give you my reply tomorrow morning?”
Tsing shifted uncomfortably. “I beg your pardon, your highness, but should you decide to go, we would have to leave this afternoon at the very latest in order to arrive on the date set for the two weeks to begin.”
Katara blinked in surprise. “Oh.” She bit her lip and turned to look at her father, brother, and Aang. They all stared back at her.
“You’re not really thinking of going, are you?” Sokka asked incredulously.
Katara had been planning on turning the invitation down and sending a polite note of apology to General Iroh, to whom she had taken something of a liking during their time together in the war. Zuko certainly didn’t need her help in choosing a wife, and she had no intention of becoming his bride. But Sokka’s protest reminded her that the spring equinox was in three days. That would be the day Aang and Sokka both left for the Earth Kingdom and Kyoshi, respectively, leaving Katara to rot in her maidenhood. There were no boys her age here, and much as she loved her home, Katara longed to go someplace different. Why not the Fire Nation?
She spun around, surprising Tsing and his men. “Messenger Tsing, I’ll have my things ready in two hours.” With that, Katara turned once more and marched home, determined to get there and pack before she changed her mind or someone tried to stop her.
Everyone on the beach watched her go.
“She can’t be serious,” Sokka said.
Hakoda shook his head. “Oh, she’s serious.”
Aang didn’t say anything.
--------
Katara glanced around her room as she tied her bag, taking a mental inventory of both and trying to remember if she’d forgotten anything important. She guessed that the Fire Nation palace would provide a lot, but she preferred to have her own things if at all possible.
“Are you sure about this, Katara?” Aang said from the doorway. The waterbender could hear the worry in his voice. She only pulled the ties tighter. “Sokka and your dad only said those things ‘cause they care about you,” the Avatar continued. “They just don’t want to see you get hurt.”
“And neither do you, right?” Katara asked, turning towards her friend. “I’ll be fine, Aang. I’m not going there to marry Zuko; in the second letter his uncle just asked me to come as a friend.” She smiled reassuringly. “Besides, you’ll be too busy with Toph to even think about me.” Aang blushed slightly, making Katara wonder just how close the master earthbender and the Avatar had become in the past few springs. She picked up her bag. “So don’t worry. I’ll be home long before you get back.” Aang grinned and took her bag from her. “Promise?”
“Promise.”
His grin widened. “I’ll hold you to that,” he said just before he dashed down the hall. Katara laughed as she chased after him.
--------
The entire village turned up to bid their Princess farewell. Though the title had very rarely been used, the villagers did think of Katara as their Princess. She hugged everyone of the children and said a personal goodbye to each villager. Aang got a hug and a smile. Sokka received a dirty look and responded with a pout. This earned him a laugh and a hug. “You know I’m just trying to protect you, right?” Sokka whispered in his sister’s ear.
“I know,” she whispered back. Then Katara playfully pushed him away. “Don’t worry. I can take care of myself.” Sokka grinned sheepishly, and Katara moved onto their father. He encased her in a giant bear hug. Hakoda didn’t want to release his daughter at all, but finally Kanna whacking him on the back of the head forced the chief to do so. Katara giggled and took her grandmother’s hands. “It’s only for a few weeks, Gran-Gran.”
Kanna smiled back. “I know that, dear. I just wanted to wish you luck.”
Katara frowned in confusion, at which Kanna laughed. “You’ll understand soon enough. Now, go before your father tries to lock you up or something equally foolish.”
Katara waved as she boarded the Fire Nation ship. She paused at the top of the ramp, getting one last good look at her home, her family, and her people. That image would have to last her until she returned. Then Katara turned and continued onto the ship, ready for her adventure to begin.
---End Chapter Two---