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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

While Katara took care of the two back there, Zuko faced the two plus the one who seemed to be the leader of this little cabal. He took a deep breath and stood there, for a moment. Then, when they flinched, he attacked. His fire whipped out, lashing out at them. He hears the water crash behind him and the sputtering from the other two, and smirks. He crashes into one of them, throwing him over his hip, and facing the other two.

Fire lashes out at Katara and Zuko steps in the way of it, watching her back.

She doesn't even need to turn around to know that he's there - she can feel his presence, where he is, and trusts him to look out for her, just as she does for him.

As the one Zuko knocked away starts getting back up to attack again, another wave of water knocks him down, freezing his in place.

Letting her deal with those, his eyes narrow at the two in front of him. He's steady, steadfast, and ready for them. His fire lights up the failing light of the evening. He eventually beats the two into submission, and then looks back at the ones she'd taken care of.

The guards come running in, just as he kneels on the leader. He narrows his eyes and looks up at them. "Take them. I will discuss things with them, later."

He is... not pleased with his guards. He looks over at Katara and offers her a hand. He doesn't ask if she's alright. He knows she is.

It actually wasn't difficult to subdue their attackers. Once she has them taken care of, she steps back as the guards come - late, of course - to take them away.

With a slight sigh, she turns back to Zuko and takes his offered hand. "You know," she says after a moment, "I would have thought people would at least wait until after we were married to make attempts on my life."

Zuko can't help the snort of amusement that escapes him as the assassins are lead away. "I don't think they were after you." He says, tiredly. This isn't the first attempt on his life. He doubts it will be the last. Until he gets the older Fire nobility in line, they will be a problem.

He sighs and walks with her out of the wildspace in the garden. "But, it is something to consider." He says, gently. "They will continue. After me, after you, after both of us. Suki offered the Kyoshi warriors but I'm not there yet." He explains. "If you can't... that's fine, Katara."

She frowned deeply as she walked with him. She'd never really thought about the kind of danger Zuko would be in just by being royalty. And especially in times like this, with the older nobility most likely unhappy with the changes Zuko would need to make in order to help restore order to the world.

"I think having Suki and the Kyoshi warriors would really help," she points out. Then she glances up at him. "As for me...it's nothing I can't handle."

Zuko shakes his head. "It might, but it also might hurt. It's one thing to subdue the Earth Kingdom and take the Dai Li as personal guards. But, with me unable to tell anything about my father's nobles, I don't dare take guards from outside the Fire Nation yet."

He wants to. He really does, but he doesn't dare as of yet. Maybe, in a few months.

He sighs. "It's all politics. I want to do right by my people, and by the people my family injured."

She nods. "I guess that makes sense. Still, it could be seen as a good political move to accept the help that the Kyoshi Warriors are offering too. Even if it's just a few for now, until we know more about who we're dealing with."

"I don't want to put them at greater risk than they already are, just by being seen as being friendly with me." Zuko says quietly, heading to a different part of the palace - where the members of the White Lotus are staying. He needs to speak to his uncle.

"But, I will talk to Suki and Ty Lee and see what they say." He can take good counsel, especially from a friend.

"As for who..." Another sigh. "Probably nobles who do not care for the dishonored prince to be taking the spot they had hoped to see Azula in." One had said that to his face, probably hoping that Zuko would challenge him to an Agni Kai. Zuko had merely offered the man his hand and asked to be given a chance to lead.

Another purse of her lips as she turns her attention ahead of them. She doesn't quite agree with him about the Kyoshi Warriors, who were more than capable of taking care of themselves. And it would show the rest of the Earth Kingdom that they were willing to ally with Zuko.

But she doesn't say anything for the moment. That he would at least talk to Suki and Ty Lee was at least a good step. And she trusted his judgement, since he had more idea of the enemies within the Fire Nation than they did.

Still...while she knew they were both capable of holding their own, especially with the White Lotus to help, Zuko was still recovering. A little extra protection probably wouldn't hurt.

"...we need to tell Aang."

He sighs. "You're right, we should." He says, not wanting to speak to Aang. He's not sure that Aang will want to remain his friend, after all of this. He knows how Aang feels about Katara. They'd had a discussion about it before Zuko's coronation day.

He leads her to the guest wing, where all the guests are staying. Iroh isn't in his rooms, probably playing PaiSho with someone. He could always con people into playing him, even though he was a master at it. So, he sighs and turns for where Appa is staying.

"Do you think he's with Appa or in his rooms?" He asks.

"Probably," she answered. Watching Zuko for a moment, she then asked, "Do you want me to talk with him first?"

While Aang had understood the reasoning and politics behind the marriage, she knew that Zuko wasn't entirely his favorite person right now. Which she thinks is a bit uncharitable, since agreeing to it is just as much her decision as it is Zuko's.

He stops, thinks for a moment. "I have to face him sometime." He finally says. For all that Aang is powerful, he's still smart. That means that Zuko can, hopefully, reason with him. His people would never accept a second nonbender as Queen. (To be honest, they hadn't accepted his mother as queen either.)

"Would you go tell Uncle?" He wants to spare Aang's feelings as much as possible. And making him deal with Katara and Zuko as a united front is just unfair. "He's probably playing PaiSho with one of the other Masters."

He squeezes her hand, and will turn to go look for the Avatar.

She nods in understanding. Even though she's already spoken to Aang, she hopes that talking with Zuko will help as well. That even though they had both agreed, neither of them were trying to hurt him, and it wasn't fair to blame Zuko if he didn't blame her as well.

"I'll let him know," she assures him, returning the squeeze before he steps away from her. She lingers, though, watching him for a moment longer before finally going to find Iroh.

He doesn't turn back but can feel her watching him go. He knows his uncle will be livid about the attack and will check that she's okay.

What he isn't expecting is Aang's reaction. Aang is angry. At him, at the attackers, at Katara. Zuko finally gets him calmed down, though he does have to be blasted by air into the hay that Appa is eating. The great big bison licks him, not being mad at him at all. He sighs and stands up again, brushing some of the hay off his robes, and talks to Aang again. At least he understands, finally, that Zuko hadn't purposefully chosen Katara. Aang bursts out laughing when Zuko suggests Toph.

He heads back to the garden, picking slobber and hay out of his hair and robes. He stops to speak to Ty Lee as she finds him walking. They talk about the Kyoshi warriors and she promises to take the request to Suki. He nods and turns to see if Katara is coming.

When Katara does talk to the members of the White Lotus, Iroh is rather angry and checks up on her, as well as asking about Zuko's condition. She assures him they're both fine, and it takes Pakku's assistance to help him believe that.

After talking a little more with the White Lotus, exchanging ideas about increasing security or other ideas to make the palace safer, Katara then excuses herself and heads back to the guest room she was staying at. As she comes across Zuko on her way, she takes in his appearance and isn't sure whether to laugh or be concerned.

"How'd it go?" she finally settles on instead.

The hay is itchy. That combined with Appa's slobber and he's a mess. He will definitely need a hot bath tonight.

He picks another piece out of his robes. "Appa's not mad at me." He offers, by way of explanation. Aang... well. Aang understands, but he's got a broken heart and Zuko understands. There is time, now that the war is over, to settle and decide where they want things to go. But, Aang will never get that chance, now that he and Katara are getting wed.

"I spoke to Ty Lee." He says, trying to steer the subject away from Aang. "She's going to take the conversation to Suki."

She does giggle this time, reaching up to pick some strands of hay from his hair. “Thank goodness of Zappa, then,” she says, letting the hay flutter to the ground.

The information about Ty Lee has her nodding. “That’s good. The White Lotus recommends an increase of security for the time being, until we have a better idea of who or what we’re dealing with.”

He finally gives up trying to pull the hay out of his robes. He'll get it out later. He takes a breath and then sighs. "We can't increase security, unless you and I are to walk around with armed guards." He says, frustrated. Iroh knows that, and can't possibly expect him to do that.

"We're dealing with the nobility. I have no doubt that the Earth Kingdom nobility has problems with me and that Bumi and Kuei will have issues with them." Zuko says, tiredly. "Some of them still want Azula or my father in charge. Most of them hate that I'm friends with the Avatar, or anyone else that was involved in that final battle." He looks at her. "Including you." He says softly.

Katara plucks one last strand of hay from his robes, letting it fall to the ground with the others. "They can hate us all they want," she retorts with a shrug, "but they wouldn't risk losing their power and influence. If anyone protests to an increase in security for our protection after an attempt on your life, then it would just tip their hand, and we'd know exactly who is against you. They can't take that chance yet."

"It's the yet that worries me." He admits. He's well aware that the nobility can't strike out at him but he also knows that it's probably only a matter of time before they do. And yes, he'll take the extra protection in the form of the Kyoshi Warriors, but he's not becoming so paranoid as to be followed around by guards all day.

"I'll speak to the prisoners, tomorrow." He needs to not be covered in Appa slobber when he does. He sighs, looking down at himself. His valet and other servants are going to tsk at him and wonder what they've gotten into. "In fact there's quite a bit we should do tomorrow." He needs to introduce her to the servants. Not as a 'guest of the Fire Lord' but as his soon to be queen

"So we'll have to take care of things before they get too far," she says decisively, as though it was just an inevitable thing to do. She doesn't speak with arrogance, though, but rather as though she wouldn't accept any other outcome.

The mention of tomorrow, though, draws a sigh from her lips. "Right. Apparently I also have to meet with some noble woman to learn proper Fire Nation etiquette."

He chuckles. "Tell her that I find your Water Tribe customs charming. She'll probably go easier on you." He's teasing though. Not that it isn't the truth, but he's come to respect Katara for who she is, rather than who she pretends to be.

Then he shakes his head. "I need to introduce you to the servants as their future queen. That will take most of a few hours."

Though the teasing remark does get a small laugh from her, it's brief as he reminds her of the role she'll be playing in the nation. "It's still a strange thought," she admits softly. "I never really imagined myself as the type to ever be queen of anything."

Never mind that she wasn't exactly someone of royal status. It was just the thought of ruling anyone was...a bit intimidating.

His mother hadn't been royal status either, when she'd met and been betrothed to Ozai. She came from rather humble beginnings. It seems fitting that his wife does too.

"The servants will care for you." He says. He can't see them not. "Not because you're Queen, but because you're you." He tells her. He wants her to know that all basic things will build from kindness.

Or he hopes, at least.

"From there, well, as long as you are you with people, they'll come around."

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