A Year of Silence (ATLA Zuko x OC)

Chapter Nineteen - The Marriage

Six Months Later,

She knew that after getting dressed in the Fire Lady's clothes she would look horrible. Terrifying, atrocious, dreadful, abominable. No one would be able to recognize her. Even Zuko would be surprised. Instead for the bride to run away, as it's used to happen, the groom would do so.

Just kidding. This is just all that stormed around Iris's mind while Katara and Suki were helping her fit into the Fire Lady's outfit for marriage. The sleeves were long. The dress was long, almost able to sweep and collect all the dust that existed on the floor.

Iris, suddenly, felt the strong satin belt tightening around her waist that knocked a breath out of her and she gasped.

"Katara, what the-?!"

"Come on, we can do this," Katara said excitedly as she tightened the belt a little more.

"Katara, I can't breathe" Iris complained.

"Of course you can't breathe, today is your big day," Katara said and she continued tying the belt of Iris's wedding dress around her friend's body.

"Katara, I'm suffocating," Iris said trying to make her stop from tying tighter the dress around her but Katara wouldn't stop.

"Maybe we should ask for Ursa's help. She'll know how to help me fit in these stuff," Iris said wiping the sweat out of her forehead.

She could have never imagined that getting married was so exhausting. And the preparations in the Palace for the Fire Lord's marriage had started over a week ago. It was crazy to watch how the servants ran all around the place every day.

The door opened and Toph walked in. She crossed her hands and she raised an eyebrow. Katara had fitted one foot on the table trying to push the belt a little tighter, both panting from the effort.

"Sounds like someone's choking drama-queen," Toph said.

"Oh, really!? What gave you that idea!?" Iris exclaimed sarcastically and angrily trying to withstand the tightness of the dress.

"Okay, Katara... you can do this... just a little tighter," Katara said to herself wiping the sweat away from her forehead.

"You know what, why don't you just let someone who knows to handle it?" Toph said.

"No, no, I got this," Katara said.

"Toph's right, you know," Iris agreed.

Ursa walked in and she chuckled seeing how awfully they had managed to get that dress on Iris's body. She choked the laughter and she asked "Need some help with that?"

"Yes, mum, please. I want to make it alive at the ceremony today," Iris said.

It was surprising how easily she got used to calling Ursa 'mum'. But she liked it. Very, very much. Ursa had even asked Aang to call her that. But it took him a little longer to adjust.

Ursa walked towards her and she took the belt off making it easier for Iris to breath. Iris sucked in a deep breath and relaxed.

"You know that most of it is agony, and anxiousness, right?" Ursa said tying the belt around Iris's waist to keep the dress together.

"I'm not nervous!" Iris snapped. It was that damn habit of trying to hide her weaknesses. It'd take her long to realize that she no longer was endangered by other people's judgment.

"Oh, it's okay, everyone's nervous on their wedding," Ursa said.

"I won't be," Toph said smirking.