It was all anyone in the palace had talked about for weeks. Southern Princess this and Southern Princess that. Zuko was sick of it!
He marched through the halls, face still itching from where his Mother has attacked him with a handkerchief not five minutes before.
“You can’t meet the Southern Princess when you’re wearing your lunch” his Mother had teased. He had protested and sprinted away ahead of his family to meet her. At least things would go back to normal then. And he most certainly had not been wearing his lunch!
He emerged to the gardens where the delegation was and stopped short. She was not what he had expected. He had been told she was a master waterbender – a warrior. But here she was, and she was pretty, surrounded by people and was smiling politely and nodding as one of the Fire Sages spoke with her. But her eyes were fierce and Zuko knew he wasn’t going to mess with her anytime soon.
She was here to find a husband, a fact that Zuko had been choosing to ignore until now, but now it dominated his mind. His family were counting on him to make a good impression. He racked his brain. What was it Princes were supposed to say to ladies again? How should he act? What was he supposed to do? Surely they must have taught him some time!
She turned around and caught his eye, and he realised he must have stood staring for a while. Her gaze flicked to the ornament in his hair, proclaiming him the Crown Prince. She smiled at him and started walking towards him.
“Hey, Princess Katara right? Have I been looking forward to meeting you! You’re even prettier than they told us…..”
Zuko’s mouth dropped open as Lu Ten appeared apparently from nowhere and took Katara’s attentions from him. He stared, appalled for a moment, and then growled and spun around, what made Lu Ten so great anyway? Anger and envy battled it out in his chest.
He passed his Mother on the way out.
“Ugh! Lu Ten is better than me at everything!”
Ursa only smiled, for Zuko couldn’t see the disappointed way Katara looked as she watched him leave.
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