The Prince's Choice (Zutara)

I

I promised myself I would wait to post this new story until I finished with my old ones, but I'm an impatient SOB. And, I got on a writing kick (woo-hoo) and wrote the first 100 pages of this story and outlined the next 50 or so, so I have some cushion here!

This story is a Zutara story that is based on The Selection series by Kiera Cass. If you're not sure what that is, it's basically The Bachelor but with more dystopian vibes to it. I basically just realized this is more like The Bachelor because this story isn't really dystopian but ah, oh well.

SOME INFO BEFORE READING TO MAKE THINGS MAKE SENSE:

It's set in a world that is slightly different from the Avatar world that we meet in the first season. Airbenders (and, as people think, the Avatar) is still gone, but no one's sure it was the Fire Nation, though people are suspicious. The Fire Nation is playing more of a mind game sort of role instead of a direct military one. They control all of the Fire Nation, the Earth Kingdom, and the Northern Water Tribe and have an agreement with the South. Basically, they decided it wasn't worth fighting them all the time since no one really wants to go to the south anyway.

Kya never died. Katara has grown up in her family as a daughter of the chief and is given a large role in the politics of her family. She's 4 years older than at the start of the series, so 18 (Everyone is aged up 4 years).

Zuko is in line for the throne. Lu Ten is alive too, but more on that later. He was burned by his father as punishment but never banished. He's more like season 3 Zuko, aka not an asshole as much because his Uncle has been a huge influence in his life, plus others. His mother never had to leave, so she's always been there for him too. There's still tension in the family, though, don't you worry about that.

Aang is alive, but he'll come up later. Katara wasn't the one who found him, though.

Anything else will be revealed within the story!

I hope you enjoy :)

---

The sea was just as a much a being as any other creature on this planet, often said Katara. It was always moving, always using and taking energy. Sometimes, the sea was angry and rough. Other times, it was gentle and forgiving. The sea could heal people, something none of the other elements could do. Yet, to those that were callous of its powers, it could be deadly. The sea was tied to the moon which gave hunters pale light to find penguin-seals and bathed their camp in its silver shine. The moon was soft, unlike the harsh light of the sun that had the ability to melt away their home, if it so wanted to.

Indeed, there were many reasons for Katara to love the moon and the sea, the endless blue expanse in front of her. It spoke in riddles to her, it's hands bringing forth in rhythmic procession animals, plants, and washed up items from far away. She knew that many people saw the sea as something that separated them from the other nations. But this was not true at all, it connected them.

Katara could find course grains all the way from Fire Nation shores, peaty plants from Earth Nation, and floating stones from the destroyed Air Temples. The sea had given her many gifts, and although she did not yet know it, today it would give her another.

It was mid-morning when she was found by her brother, scrambling over the snow-capped hills to find her practicing her waterbending religiously.

"Kat-,"

"Shh." She hushed him, bringing a soft tendril of water up and around him like a sea vine, but fragile. She feared for a second she'd heard his tone, one of disappointment that she was here, doing this when she knew she should be hunting. It was pretty what she was doing, and deadly too if she got it right, but it didn't feed stomachs. And spirits did her tribe need food. It was selfish what she was doing here, one she couldn't ignore, especially not when her brother was such a celebrated hunter. Instead, Sokka just flicked at the water like it was a fly.