Title: A Love That Couldn't Be Part 2: A Trying Love

Author: WishHe-LovedMe

Pairing: Zuko/Katara

Chapter: 1. Talking with Kezi

Summery: Part 2 in the ALTCB Trilogy Katara, fearing her friends' safety, accepts her birthright and decides to be Zuko's wife and live in the Fire Nation palace. There, she meets new people with dark pasts, and a royal family with even darker secrets. ZxK

Authors Note: Sorry for taking so long to get this up, but Christmas gets a little hectic with my family, and I had to celebrate it at six different places over the past week…I haven't had a lot of time for writing, even with Christmas break. Well, anyway, it's here now.

I decided to start writing in first person, because third person gets a little boring sometimes. So, this story will be told through Katara's eyes. Everything about the Fire Nation capitol I made up, so don't criticize me.

Talking with Kezi

Before I knew it, we were off of the Fire Nation ship, and at the Fire Nation palace. Once off of the ship that I had been on for the last week and a half, I was taken to the palace. I was given a tour of the entire thing, except for a few places. I did not get to see the Fire Lord or Zuko's chambers. My personal maid, Kezi, was leading me around the palace. "If you're really lucky, you will never have to see Fire Lord Ozai." Kezi told me.

"Could I really be that lucky?" I asked. I haven't been real lucky lately now have I?

"I hope so, but if you do have to see him, never look into his eyes." My personal maid advised.

"Why, what's wrong with his eyes?"

"Nothing really, it's just that his eyes are so dark… it's like there is no life left in them." Kezi was telling me these things, and I was listening, but my head was a million miles away. There's something wrong here. It's like the place is… is… dead. I thought "Katara, Katara, Ka-tar-a?" Kezi waved her hand in front of my, trying to get my attention.

"Sorry, I was just thinking." I apologized. Did I need to apologize to my maid? Was that required? I figured it wasn't, but by the way she beamed when I did, I decided to treat her like I would anyone else.

"It's okay," Kezi said. "Hey, why don't we check out your room?"

"Yeah, I've always wondered what it looked like." I said.

When we first entered what were to be my quarters, the first room Kezi and I entered was what I thought to be a sitting room. Like my room on the ship, there was a table with two chairs on one side of the room, and on the other side were three couches in a 'U' shape. The couches had matching pillows. The room had white carpeting with Sky blue walls. The velvet on the couches and chairs and anything else in the room was red. It was like a combining of water and fire. The wood was painted white, but it was somewhat distressed to look old. Everything in the room was so detailed. The furniture had detailed silver velvet designs embroidered into them. The wood had precise carvings that were so detailed they had to have been done by hand, and it must have taken forever. It was a really amazing room.

"Your room has been specially done for you." Kezi told me. She smiled. "Maids were fretting over the simplest of things. Like where to hang paintings, where to place candles, or how to arrange the pillows." Kezi giggled, "It was actually quite nice, not to mention funny, to see everyone so excited to see someone. Seeing people around here usually means something bad has happened, or that something bad is about to happen."

"People are excited to see me?" I asked. I was surprised. I knew that Fire Lord would be happy. He was getting some control over my lands—not complete control, but control enough. I just didn't think anybody else would be happy about my coming. Didn't they wonder why a Water Tribe girl was married to the future Fire Lord? Well, I was the Princess, but did it even matter? Apparently it did, because if I wasn't I have a feeling none of this would be happening. I think I would have liked my life better if it wasn't happening, but hey, beggars can't be choosers.

Kezi broke my thoughts though, "Yes, everyone is excited to see the future Fire Lady. There isn't one right now, Fire Lady Ursa sort of…" Kezi broke off suddenly, "Well, I'll let your husband tell you that, but you have to wait until he wants to talk about it." Kezi advised. I was a little confused.

"Why?" I wondered. What happened to Zuko's mother? Where is she?

Kezi and I sat on the velvet couches, each of us on a different one so we were facing each other. Kezi sighed. "Me and my big mouth." Kezi muttered under her breath, but I could hear her. "It's quite a sensitive subject and Prince Zuko is taunted with it all of the time by Princess Azula anyway, well before his banishment… oops, I have said too much as it is, I really should be going." Kezi stood up to leave, but I grabbed a hold of her wrist. I still had a few questions, and they couldn't wait.

"Who is Azula?" I asked the girl.

"Princess Azula is Zuko's younger sister. She was to take the throne before Prince Zuko came back." Kezi told me. "She probably doesn't like that he's back, because now that he is, she doesn't get the throne. That means that she most likely will not like you. It would probably be in your best interest if you would stay out of Princess Azula's way if at all possible."

"What is she like?"

"Well, she has hair about the same color as Prince Zuko's only it is usually in a bun with strands hanging down on both sides of her face. She smiles a lot of the time, only it is sort of a sadistic smile. She is seriously messed up in the head somewhere; she probably got her fathers genes. In retrospect, she is really beautiful, but she can be ruthless, she is heartless, cold and she is not afraid to say how she feels. She acts on impulse and does whatever she wants whenever she wants." Kezi told me.

I finally got a good look at Kezi. She had short black hair, and her eyes were a glowing yellow that looked so much like a cats. She had freckles almost all over her cheeks and nose, and she couldn't have been much older than me. "I know this is rude to ask, but how old are you?" I asked her.

"I'm seventeen," Kezi replied. She's only two years older than I am.

"Why are you working here?" I asked. I saw a look of panic cross Kezi's face. "Sorry, I didn't mean to pry into your personal life. I just wondered why you are working at the palace instead of… sorry again." I realized that I was babbling, and stopped, apologizing one more time.

Kezi's eyes were looking at the fluffy, soft, white carpet. After a moment of silence she looked up at me. "It's okay, I understand, but I don't really want to tell you why…" Kezi was trying to look as if she was unaffected by what I asked, but her eyes betrayed her. Her glowing yellow cat eyes looked at me with many emotions: grief, sadness, betrayal, but most of all… most importantly, there was a glimmer of hope. "… not here anyway. There is a dirt road that leads down to the lake. My house is the last one, the one closet to the beach. If you really want to know about my past and present situation, you could come over tonight." Kezi offered.

"Oh, no, I didn't mean to—" I tried to decline but she started to talk.

"No, I want you to come. It's best that you know so you don't find out later. Please?" Kezi's eyes begged me to go.

I sighed, and then smiled. "Fine, I'll stop by tonight, you work during the day, am I right?"

"Yes, come by around seven."

"I look forward to it."