Chapter Text
This was absolutely absurd.
The disrespect, the audacity– to even suggest it nonetheless force it.
Stomping down the palace halls, practically steaming with anger, Zuko felt like a teenager all over again, unable to control his anger.
How dare they declare he, their fire lord, find a wife by the close of the year.
And to make matters worse, since they know damn well he’s been single for longer than he’d like to admit, they gave him a list of eligible women for him to pick from!
Arranged marriage?! To someone he’s never met?
Throwing open the doors to the tea house, nostrils flaring in annoyance, Zuko’s eyes darted between the three bodies sitting at the table inside, basking in the evening light.
Immediately, his body relaxed. Standing up straight, using his hands to run down the front of his robes and smooth them, he stepped inside.
First to speak up was his uncle, “Whatever is the matter, Fire Lord Zuko?”
“Don’t call me that…” Zuko grumbled as he pulled out a chair and plopped himself at the table alongside what he deemed his ‘family’.
“Well, it must be something,” Azula so eloquently began over her cup of tea, “To have my honorable older brother come barging in, about to set himself on fire.”
The use of the word ‘honor’ was deliberate, but Zuko knew better than to take it as a personal jab. Azula had made a lot of progress since she was defeated during the war, from getting rehabilitated thanks to Toph and Aang, to finding love and marrying Ty Lee.
The acrobat was the next to speak up, cheerful as always, her hand holding Azula’s atop the table, “Yeah, Zuzu! What’s up? You know you can always talk to us!”
A soft smile danced on the Fire Lord’s face before he sighed and reached inside his robe to pull out rolled up pieces of parchment. Placing them onto the table, the three others exchanging looks, Iroh was the first to reach for it, “What is this?”
“Looks like official documents from the council, if the seal holding it together says anything.” Azula scoffed.
“It is from the council.” Zuko grumbled.
Examining it, Ty Lee reading it over Iroh’s shoulder, she responded in confusion, “A list of names? What even is this? They’re all girls.”
“Yeah, women the council has pre-approved for me to pick from and choose one to marry.”
The room went silent in shock, eyes going endlessly wide from the three as they stared at Zuko in disbelief.
“Are you serious?” Ty Lee said, blinking in an attempt to reign in her surprise.
Puffing, Zuko reached out to pour himself his own cup of tea, “Dead.”
“Well, brother, what’s your next move? Shall we stage a coup and finally dispose of those old-fossils running the council?” The reply was said casually, but Zuko was certain Azula meant every word of it.
A squeeze from Ty Lee’s hand had Azula mumbling ‘it was a joke’ before Zuko moved on, “I honestly have no other choice. Aside from the council holding power over me in most things, they made plenty of good points. Even if I had a choice, it’d be in the Fire Nation’s best interest I take a wife.”
“Well, what did they say?” Sipping his tea, Iron began to refill the ladies’ cups.
Quickly downing his own cup in time for it to join the refilling, Zuko continued, “They said the nation needs stability. Yes, I’ve been doing a good job so far as Fire Lord, but they are worried about keeping my reign of ‘benevolence’ going.”
Chiming in, having caught on first, Ty Lee blurted out, “THEY WANT AN HEIR?!”
For a moment, Zuko’s face was unreadable, before he gave a curt nod, “Yeah, pretty much. But my issue isn’t with marriage. It’s marrying someone I don’t know. You know, Azula… How arranged marriages can hurt someone.”
The two shared a thoughtful look, Azula sighing before averting her gaze, “Mother…”
“Yeah… Anyways, I can handle it. I just don’t want to force someone to marry me and make THEM miserable like father did to mother.”
“You and father are not the same.” Azula warned, and Zuko flashed her a grateful smile before the conversation shifted to lighter topics.
Over tea, the group discussed all matters as the list of names got passed around before settling in Azula’s hands. She’d gone quiet for a bit while the other three were discussing this year’s tea harvest when Azula seemed to spot a name on the list she recognized. She carefully didn’t say anything about it, but when she leaned in to whisper into Ty Lee’s ear, pointing at the paper, Ty Lee’s surprised expression hid nothing.
“Brother,” pulling back to stand up, waving the papers loosely, “Let me borrow these. I think I can help you find a solution.”
“Huh?” Zuko tilted his head slightly, “How?”
Winking, gently helping her wife to her feet, the two exchanging a quick kiss, “Secret. But, trust me. You’ll thank me later.” And just like that, the two were gone.