Yu Dao gleamed like a gold coin that had been polished until the markings had started to wear away, but Zuko barely noticed it. Azula, he knew, was noticing it, and noticing the newly scrubbed windows and fresh coats of paint on all of the buildings, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she was calculating exactly how long it would take for the shine to wear off.
Wearing his best clothes and the gold flame hairpiece he was still entitled to as a Fire Nation prince, and standing next to his wife, in front of the town, he felt just a little...
A small, cold smirk played on her lips as she stepped off the boat. "Hello, Brother."
"Hello, Azula," he replied dully, dutifully.
"And Princess Kori." Azula turned to her, and Kori tensed. "Sister. It's wonderful to meet you."
Kori bowed. "Princess Azula. Welcome. We're so honored you came." And as quickly as Kori had caught Azula's interest, she lost it. Zuko envied her.
"You look good, Zuko," Azula appraised him, eyes lidded, and Zuko waited for her to finish. "Marriage and fatherhood must agree with you. Or maybe it's being out here in a more natural environment for you."
Zuko gritted his teeth. "Yeah, it's great. You should try it some time. It would do you so much good."
"Princess Azula," Mayor Morishita anxiously cut in with a bow. "I know you must be tired from travelling. We have dinner waiting for you inside my home, if you will follow me."
Azula glanced at him. "Alright, if you insist." She walked confidently at the crowd, and it parted for her, as she must have known it would, the men, women and children of Yu Dao forming a corridor of bowed heads. And Azula passed through, and Zuko, Kori, and her parents had to scramble to catch up. "You know, Zuko, I'm surprised you didn't start building your little family sooner," she said as he fell in behind her. "It had been what? Almost three years before you had Hyo? We were starting to get worried."
Zuko flinched, stupidly, and Kori grabbed his arm to pat it. It wasn't even a good taunt. If he was old enough to sit on a War Council, and challenge someone to an Agni Kai (to show shameful cowardice in combat) their father had said, he was old enough to marry. The Firelord had decreed it. But nobody was really worried that a thirteen year old boy hadn't gotten a fourteen year old girl pregnant. Kori had been Azula's age back then. "What are you doing here, Azula?"
He could feel Kori, next to him, waiting, wondering when Azula turn into the terrifying creature he had told her about, but Zuko could already feel her laying traps.
"I thought I'd catch the circus when it comes to town tomorrow." Azula didn't bother to look back at him. "And then I'm going to Omashu to see Mai. You remember Mai, don't you?"
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branchandroot
Ozai marries his son off into an insultingly low-ranked colonial noble family. Zuko/Kori Pt 2/2
Date: 2012-12-26 03:47 am (UTC)Yu Dao gleamed like a gold coin that had been polished until the markings had started to wear away, but Zuko barely noticed it. Azula, he knew, was noticing it, and noticing the newly scrubbed windows and fresh coats of paint on all of the buildings, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she was calculating exactly how long it would take for the shine to wear off.
Wearing his best clothes and the gold flame hairpiece he was still entitled to as a Fire Nation prince, and standing next to his wife, in front of the town, he felt just a little...
A small, cold smirk played on her lips as she stepped off the boat. "Hello, Brother."
"Hello, Azula," he replied dully, dutifully.
"And Princess Kori." Azula turned to her, and Kori tensed. "Sister. It's wonderful to meet you."
Kori bowed. "Princess Azula. Welcome. We're so honored you came." And as quickly as Kori had caught Azula's interest, she lost it. Zuko envied her.
"You look good, Zuko," Azula appraised him, eyes lidded, and Zuko waited for her to finish. "Marriage and fatherhood must agree with you. Or maybe it's being out here in a more natural environment for you."
Zuko gritted his teeth. "Yeah, it's great. You should try it some time. It would do you so much good."
"Princess Azula," Mayor Morishita anxiously cut in with a bow. "I know you must be tired from travelling. We have dinner waiting for you inside my home, if you will follow me."
Azula glanced at him. "Alright, if you insist." She walked confidently at the crowd, and it parted for her, as she must have known it would, the men, women and children of Yu Dao forming a corridor of bowed heads. And Azula passed through, and Zuko, Kori, and her parents had to scramble to catch up. "You know, Zuko, I'm surprised you didn't start building your little family sooner," she said as he fell in behind her. "It had been what? Almost three years before you had Hyo? We were starting to get worried."
Zuko flinched, stupidly, and Kori grabbed his arm to pat it. It wasn't even a good taunt. If he was old enough to sit on a War Council, and challenge someone to an Agni Kai (to show shameful cowardice in combat) their father had said, he was old enough to marry. The Firelord had decreed it. But nobody was really worried that a thirteen year old boy hadn't gotten a fourteen year old girl pregnant. Kori had been Azula's age back then. "What are you doing here, Azula?"
He could feel Kori, next to him, waiting, wondering when Azula turn into the terrifying creature he had told her about, but Zuko could already feel her laying traps.
"I thought I'd catch the circus when it comes to town tomorrow." Azula didn't bother to look back at him. "And then I'm going to Omashu to see Mai. You remember Mai, don't you?"