howlingplayground | Arranged Marriage

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Arranged Marriage

It's a trope near and dear to our hearts. Arranged marriage.

Maybe it's for the family. Maybe it's for a friend. Maybe you know the person and have been expected to marry them for years. Maybe it's the wedding day and you have no clue who it is you'll be tied to for your natural life. Maybe you've been married a while, and you're just now starting your life, away from the expectations of others. Or maybe, the "others" are watching, waiting, making sure this marriage sticks.

Prompts for those who need them:

Reasons:

1. Station → You come from a royal, noble, or otherwise distinguished family who has chosen a suitable spouse for you.
2. Feud → You are being married to put an end to the bitter enmity between your two families.
3. Economics → Your economic state and/or your station will improve through the union, though one of you may be marrying down.
4. Empire → You and your spouse are merging your businesses and/or property to create something more influential or profitable.
6. Tribute → You have been offered as a gift or appeasement, alternately you're the spoils of war.
8. Bloodline → Carrying on your distinguished family name has fallen to you and the equally well-bred spouse of your family's selection.
7. Disapproval → Your marriage has been arranged to keep you away from the person with whom you truly wish to be.

Scenario:

1. First meeting → This is the very first time you're meeting your future spouse.
2. Courtship → To get to know each other and encourage affection, your family has approved of you going on dates.
3. Engagement party → Be it a huge, formal affair or a small, intimate get together, you're celebrating (or pretending).
4. Wedding day → The big day!
5. Reception → The big party!
6. Wedding night → Every meme needs a smut prompt, right?
7. Honeymoon → Where will you go with your new spouse and what will you do there?
8. Been at this a while → Just starting to get to know the other person

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He stops her hands, just as his chest and the wound are revealed. He knows how bad it is. He sees her hesitate with her words and he sighs. "I made a lot of mistakes. Siding with Azula was just one of them. For what she did, for what my father did, I am sorry." He says softly, looking down at their hands.

"But you don't... please don't curb your tongue with me. I value your honesty. It's part of who you are. And I know I can trust it." He says, softly.

She doesn't speak for a moment, her eyes on his hands holding hers. Then she looks up so that she meets his eyes.

"I know. And you know I wouldn't hold back if I think there's something you need to hear," she says. "But I'd never bring up the past to try to hurt you. You know that, right? Those mistakes you've made...you've learned from them, and you keep learning from them. But they're never going to be something that I would hold against you."

He sighs, and doesn't release her hands. He's not sure that he wants to. The burn on his chest is bright red against pale skin. Zuko takes a deep breath. "I've always known I'd have to marry for political reasons. I thought, with Mai, the politics were taken care of." He admits all this because he wants her to know these things. "But, there are worse things than marrying a friend?" He offers, almost tentatively.

He wants them to be friends. All the other stuff can come later. They'll figure it out as they go along. But right now, he needs friends. Even if he has a feeling one those friends, who just happens to be the Avatar, is going to have words for him.

She manages a small smile, pulling one of her hands away to open the cap of her water sac. The water flows out from it under her direction, covering her hand. As she gently presses it to the burn mark on his chest, the bright blue glow fills the space between them.

"I'll try to make it less terrible for you," she says softly.

He steps back, away from the healing, shocked. "Terrible?" He says. "Katara, why would..." He stops, takes a breath. "Being married to a friend like you is..." He stops again, trying to express himself and being extremely bad at it. He really is. He's trying though, and not able to articulate it.

"Less terrible? Katara, why would you think that?" He finally is able to ask. "I knew my marriage would be political. You didn't. I should be the one saying that to you."

She watches him with a frown. "Knowing your marriage will be political wouldn't make it any less difficult," she replies. "I know you'll do what you can to make it easier for me. I just want you to know that I'll do the same."

Then she steps closer, placing her hand on his chest again. "Now stop moving and let me finish up." It isn't a request.

He sighs. The coolness of the water feels nice against the burning pain of his chest. "Katara, listen to me. This whole thing is... a joke." He sighs in relief. That really does help. "Your marriage shouldn't be determined by old men. You have the choice of freedom." He says, gently. "Take it." He whispers.

It's not that he wouldn't marry her, but he wants her to marry of her own choice, not pressured into it by old men and political operatives.

"Stop." She looks up at him, her lips pressed together in a tight line. "You know me better than that," she repeated. "They may have suggested it...but the choice has always been mine."

She can feel his heartbeat as his blood circulates through his system, sending the healing energy of her bending all throughout his body. In this moment, she can feel almost every part of him.

"And it's my choice to become your wife. No one else's."

"Why?" That is what he doesn't understand. "I did horrible, terrible things to you, to Aang. I betrayed you more than once." And those times pain him. More than his chest. He's pained and exhausted by all of his emotions. His eyes flick to the necklace that she wears so proudly. He'd taken that from her, taken it and used it against her.

He sighs. "I thought you loved Aang." He says softly.

"You did," she agrees, her voice just as soft. "You did terrible things, and you hurt me, Aang, and a lot of people. I've seen you at your worst...and at your best."

The glow between them fades as she pulls her hand back, and the water hovers and dances around them before retracting back into her bag.

"That's why I'm agreeing to marrying you. Because I know you. I know what you're capable of...all the terrible and wonderful things you can do. You've hurt me in the past...but you've also saved my life. And I know I can trust you with it, no matter what we do or where we end up."

The mention of Aang has her hesitating a moment, her hands folding across her chest as she glances away.

"I do love Aang," she replies. "But I'm not...I'm not sure if it's the same way he loves me. When we were talking, when we went to see that play on Ember Island, I was...confused. I wasn't sure how I felt about it. And so much was going on after that, I didn't have much time to really think." She gives a soft sigh herself. "I think I could have loved him, but...it doesn't really matter now."

He sighs and takes her hands. Zuko isn't a hugger. No doubt someone else would hug her at this point. But he doesn't. He just takes her hands in his and studies her for a moment. "I will spend my life making sure you are happy." He says softly. "I know you'll always put the needs of others ahead of your own, including our people, but if there is ever anything you want, say so, and I will get it for you."

He's not making the promise lightly. It's something he's been mulling over since his advisor had mentioned the idea. He looks down at their hands. "Anything, Katara." It's a soft vow of honor, but one none the less. He'll take down mountains if that's what she asks for.

There are things he still has to do, things he needs to find out, before he can become fully the Fire Lord, despite his coronation. But first, he has to be sure his nation is stable, and safe. And that his wife is the same.

She smiles, and while she is certainly more physically affectionate - and has actually embraced him before - she doesn't now, due to his injury. Instead she reaches up and gently cups his cheek, feeling the rough skin of his scar against her palm.

"Thank you," she says. "But if we're going to do this, then we're doing this together, right? We'll work together to make our own happiness."

"I -" He stops. She's right. He shouldn't just think about her happiness, but their happiness. And that means doing things that he wants to do too. There are things that they can do together that won't require him to go at it alone.

"Alright." His first concession to her being right. It won't be his last. "We should eat." He says, softly, turning for the table. But he's gently tugging her along with him, having not released one of her hands. He settles her on one side of the table and eases himself down on the other.

She follows him, and takes a seat as he guides her. As he takes his own seat, she tucks some of her hair behind her ear as she looks over the food before them.

"Mmm...it all smells really good," she says, as her stomach reminds her that she actually hadn't eaten much that day. What with everything going on.

He smiles, just a little bit. "The kitchens have been attempting to learn how to make a lot of different dishes." He says. He dishes out some for himself, after passing it to her. "If you want anything, perhaps they can learn how to make it?" He suggests.

He pokes at his food for a moment. "There is one thing I want to do..." He says, almost tentatively.

She smiles as she accepts the plate of food. "I'll have to make some requests then," she says with a small laugh. She's definitely going to find a way to have some Water Tribe dishes introduced.

About to take a bite of her food, she glances up at him curiously. "What's that?" she wonders.

He has no problem with that. That's why he mentioned it. He wants her to feel more at home here, to feel more like this is the place she's supposed to be.

He pushes the food around more. "My mother." He finally says. "I don't know where she is, if she's alive." He whispers. "I need to know." He says, finally looking up at her, his golden eyes hard. "I've asked June to the palace. There are things of my mother's still here. I have to try."

She nearly drops her utensil. "Your mother?" she repeats, her eyes wide. "There's...a chance that she is alive?" The last time they had talked about his mother was when they were both imprisoned in the crystal caves. By the way he had spoken, it had sounded like she had been killed.

That had been what had hurt the most about his betrayal that day. Because they had formed a connection, and for a moment he had become more than an enemy.

He toys with his, not able to look at her. She had the chance to kill the man that had killed her mother and had chosen a different path, a path that was right for her. But he needs to know what had happened to Princess Ursa, to know what his path is. "She was the granddaughter of Avatar Roku." He says. "And Azula is the one that told me she was dead." He admits this all without raising his eyes. "And Azula is not trustworthy. But neither is my father. Azula says she's dead; my father says she might be alive." He sighs. "I don't know." He admits, softly. "But I need to."

"Of course," she says, almost insistently. "If there's any chance she could still be alive, then we have to check it out."

Because of course she's going to help him. There's absolutely no doubt about that, even if they weren't getting married.

"That's why I invited June and Nyla to the palace. If anyone can find her, I hope it's them." He says, finally looking at her. "If she is alive, I'd like to bring her back here." He says, offering her the chance to say no, though he knows she won't. "Even if she did kill my grandfather, the threat has passed and I'm safe."

Meaning, the reason she left is gone. He's as safe as he could be. Sure there is still some question as to if the Dai Li are loyal to anyone at this point. But, that's a problem for another day.

"I also wanted to ask Master Pakku and your grandmother to stay."

She nods in agreement. "Of course." As if she would ever turn his mother away.

His offer surprises her a little, and she frowns a bit as she thinks. "I wouldn't mind asking them, but I don't think they would stay," she admits. "Gran-Gran's already missing being home."

As much as she would've liked them to stay, she wouldn't force them to either. They were both getting old, after all.

Zuko sighs. "I was afraid of that. I want you to have family close, but if they're not comfortable here, I understand." He says, gently. Maybe Sokka will stick around and stay. He needs friends too, Sokka isn't the only one. He wonders if Aang will also stay, or if he will be traveling, helping put things to rights.

"But if you ever want to go see them, I'm sure we can arrange something." He'll use the navy to get her there, or they can call Aang. A ride on Appa never really hurt anyone.

"Yeah." Hopefully Sokka would consider becoming the official representative for the Southern Water Tribe, as their father and Pakku had suggested. That way at least he could come visit her when he had business in the Fire Nation.

As for Aang...he most likely would need to travel as well, but like Sokka, there would be moments when his duties would bring him back to the Fire Nation. So she knows she'd still see him.

Glancing up at Zuko, she smiles. "Thank you. I appreciate that." She's sure that they'd be busy and might not be able to visit too often, but it was still a nice gesture.

Zuko has a feeling that Sokka will be staying with the Earth Kingdom, and the Kyoshi warriors. Or perhaps somewhere in between. He and Suki obviously aren't prepared to call it quits yet, and while the Fire Kingdom is Ty Lee's home, he knows she'll be quite happy to leave it behind.

They will never be too busy for her to visit family. He plans on getting them a pair of eel hounds and seeing about keeping them about the palace. They'll run fast enough. One of them has no family left, and Zuko will not admit it, but he's trying to adopt her family as his own.

"You'll be Queen, Katara. There's no reason to thank me." He says softly. "With you being yourself, I'm sure the servants will come to care for you, deeply."

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