A Match of Ice and Fire

Chapter 23: Kaya

"-l look Ridiculous. I know." I cut the Firelord off before he can pass comment.

Zuko smirks like a fourteen-year-old boy. Unfortunately, he leans in anyway. "I was going to say you look beautiful." He whispers in my ear before lifting the veil from my face in a way that makes half watertribe girls watching on the docks swoon.

I scowl.

Zuko chuckles.

Immediately, I look down at the floor, my face heating. There is something about his laugh, husky and quiet like the crackling of embers. It makes everything side me feel warm. I try not to curl my toes at the sound. 'Traitor.' Whispers the scroll I read this morning and The warm feeling inside me Immediately freezes over.

All around us, the people are going wild. Watching a dream come true, the Chieftan's niece and the new Firelord. Water Nation and Fire Nation united at last. A match of Ice and Fire.

'Traitor.... You are a disgrace to the dead.' I try to shove my my brothers letter out of my head, but I can feel the words creeping back in.

Someone calls my name "Princess Kaya!!" and crowd takes it up as a chant. Distratcted, I spin to see where the call orginated from, but between all the cheering and swooping and applause, I suddenly feel dizzy and on the metal hull of this ship I slip. Then, i sneeze and my vision goes a little hazy around the edges.

I feel strong, warm, hands pulling me up."Kaya?"

Sniffling, I slump into the scent of cherry blossom and jasmine. I don't think there any other scent I'd rather fall asleep to. His words are like a blanket wrapping around me. I look up to see his molten golden eyes glazing down at me. From this angle, his scar doesn't look so fearsome. More like a work of art, way it paints his face so raw and visceral, its beautiful. Without I realising, I absently I reach up a hand to touch Zuko's face. But he takes my arm pulling me to him. His golden eyes at suddenly wide and I can tell he's seen the bags under my eyes, because he starts whispering. "Kaya?" That voice. His words. I try to keep my eyes open. "You didn't sleep at all last night,  did you?"

"Hm..." I try to deny, but I dont have energy. And Zuko already seems to be moving into unprovoked panic, without me having said anything.

"What is wrong with you!?" Zuko curse himself. "We did day-long Angi Kai yesterday, and you havent even tried rest? Recovery is Bending 1.o.1! Kaya!"

I try to come back with something snappy and arguementive, but I sneeze and this time Zuko muffles the sound his robes.

"...And your sick. Great." Zuko sighs, hot breath sliding over my skin which feels cold and feverish all of a sudden.

"I'll be fine once I have nape." I murmur, as I'm agian to pull away but I'm mutiniously distracted by the scent of cherry blossoms and jasmine.

Zuko nods, "your cabins in the prowl of the ship, so its away from the engines noise. I'll have it prepared, if you'd like to sleep. I can bring lunch you in your quarters later." Agian, I'm struck by the Firelords consideration. He so caring, its digusting. "We've already loaded your belongings in the hold so you can settle in and I'll make sure no one disturbs you..." naturally, Zuko begins to gravitate towards the steps below deck, drawing me with him in his magnet way. I let myself be lead, despite the voice that still whispers 'Traitor... You'd bend to will of our enemies so easily?'

We're both intrupted by a well-timed cough. "Your highness," A Firemage steps forward carrying a velvet cushion, "The enagement necklace."

Laid on the cushion is the most hidious necklace i have ever seen. Its huge, blotted, bulging with rubies and sapphires bundled in over-blown clumps of gold. I never thought i'd marry anyone, but l reminder my mothers enagement necklace. The simple blue ribon she wore always. A shard of carved moonstone depicting a ship under a starry night. It was the only identifiable thing i managed to salvage  from under the ashes on the southern coast. I wondered now if the firelords enagement necklace were submerged in the flames, would it melt? Or simply distrate under the wieght of itself? At the centre of pentant is Fire nation instiga, blazoned like a brand logo, like label, advertising to the world i'm the Firelords property now.

Zuko seens to realise this at the same time i do, because he grimaces as much as I do at necklace. I think he thinks its as hidious as i do. He's probably never seen it before. It was likely comission by the Fire Mages as some sort of token display of the Fire Nation embrancing Water Nation traditions. This necklace wasn't made for me. It was made for the symbol of me. Pretty jewels to assuaged Fire Nation conscience for the genocide  of thousands of innocent lives.

'Traitor... you are a traitor this tribe.'

Zuko starts to speak... "You don't have to wear it, if you dont want to, if it doesn't suit you, i understand..."

But i can't listen over the my brothers words roaring in my head. 'Traitor, traitor, traitor!' To many people are watching us. I can't afford to crack now. And if let my indiscion show, Zuko will start overthinking, he'll try to back out of the enagement on my behalf, then everything I am sacrificing for this tribe will slip away without me even making a difference.

"I'll wear it."

"...Kaya? Are you sure-"

"-I'm marrying you, Zuko. I'm about to be the Firelord wife for the rest on my life. I can wear a necklace for three minutes..."

Zuko tries to protest but I turn away, making a gesture to the crowd of lifting   my thick ebony hair up s, exposing the nape of my neck to Zuko so he can chain the enagement necklace around my throat.

The audience on the docks hushes in anticipation. I lean my back towards the Firelord. He gulps. I bit my lip. "Just get this over with."

Zuko's hands tremble slightly as he lifts the necklace over my head, fumbling with the clasp. He leans in so close his breath brushs my ear. The scent of jasmine and cherry blossom feels my senses. I nearly forgot about the necklace, untill Zuko retreated, leaving the wieght of it on my chest. The rubies are so heavy. The gold is cold agianst my skin. The jewelry feels clammy and dirty despite its shiny surface. It is greasy like blood, I realise because this necklace was brought with blood money, like everything in the Firelords palace. This wealth was built on war. A war my parents died because of.

'You're a disgrace to the dead.'

I can't break, I can't faulter now. All around us, the crowds are going wild agian, whooping and cheering our names. Though hidden inbetween the cheering, I catch someone jeering. Boytan and my brothers soldier are scowling up at the Firelord, at his hand wrapped around mine.

'You'd bend to will of our enemies so easily?'

I turn back to Zuko and close my eyes.

'You are a traitor to this tribe...'

The word tears me apart 'Traitor...' it's like a dagger to the heart twisting deeper.

'Have you no honnor?'

I'm about to betray every principle my brother and I have stood for. But I can't let myself think about this right now, because if I do, I'll cry infront of the whole tribe. So instead I cling to Zuko, even as feel the tears burning behind my eyes.

'traitor, traitor, traitor...'

"Kaya?" And i feel Zuko leaning down to cup my face. "Are you alright?"

'..traitor, traitor, TRAITOR....'

No. I'm not alright. But I don't think, I act, pulling my face up to Zukos and kisssing the Firelord hard, fast, with everything I have left in my exhausted body.

He tastes like cherries and posion. When Zuko returns the kiss, i bend over backwards and he follows. I run my hands over his scarlet robes, through his silk black hair. I rumb my nose agianst his, till I drown in the scent of cherry blossom and jasmine. Zuko gives a tiny moan like the crackling of embers, and the heat of it vibrates to my core. Warming inside me, like a spark to a match. I let the feeling take over. Setting fire to that cold word transcribed onto that scroll. '...Traitor'

I kiss Zuko untill all my thoughts burn away. In reaction to our kiss, the crowds erupts in escasty. Revelling in what some believe is a match divined from the spirits themselves. I let the folktales on-lookers weave round my imaginary love-match marriage to the Firelord carry me away. And just for a moment, I can pretend there was no war, I wasn't in enslaved in camp for three years, Zuko isn't the ruler of the nation that murdered my parents and we aren't both intrinsically broken people. We're just a firebender boy and waterbender girl falling in love for the first time.