Someone on Zutara Twitter said that Zuko and Katara would have 4 children. I lowkey disagreed and it transformed into a futur fanfic thread I’ll share below. Any thoughts / brain storming welcome !!
Update : I’m working on a multi part/chapter fic around this!!
I’d say Zutara would stop at two and even then, having one would make Zuko uncomfortable. Cus what if he was as bad a father as Ozaï? Never as good, patient, wise as Iroh? What if, he reproduced Ursa’s mistake by favouring a child? What if he put, too much, pressure on his heir? Should he just follow primogeniture and abolish transferring the crown to a male heir?
Can madness be hereditary? What if he dooms his children with the illness. What would Katara think? Would Katara even want that? She already married, learned how to love a country despite its history, believed in the people’s good will of change — he couldn’t possibly …
NEED to write a fic where Zuko struggles with the idea of parenthood and Katara, having grown up loved, struggling to settle in the role of fire lady, in return doesn’t understand that. Imagine the amount of angst, I’m so hyped to write this [evil].
Far from home, the southern tribe being days away. Her tribe, not seeming to fully grasp how she could willingly love the child of their oppressor. Yes, Zuko was changed man and a just firelord but the pain and grief these people went through the past hundred years might be too great. Still she choses him.
Very anxious about this new life and finding a footing within the walls of the palace. She doesn’t want to bother Zuko, doesn’t say anything but she can feel the stares. She can hear the snarky remarks, she could distinguish the whispers from Zuko’s conservative ministers. She saw the noble families, trying to gift their daughter’s to the greatest fire lord the nation has ever known.
She adapted, best she could. Learned etiquette, the native tongues and household duties. Hosted events and created bonds with delegates all over the country and worldwide.
Still, the whispered became louder and even she couldn’t ignore how despite the affection her husband dotted her with, despite laying with her every night, despite the small instances where they weren’t enamoured with each other — she was yet to present with child.
Then betrayal when Katara catches Zuko taking birth control— like wtf do you hate me? She’s horrified and despite her water nature, she wants to burn the palace down. What was the meaning of this ? Prejudice? Did he regret choosing her instead of Mai? Did he think their union was a mistake, that he could never reproduce with the likes of her ? She didn’t want to think of it but what if her tribe were right? Her family supported her and Hakoda himself gave his blessings.
Zuko had insisted to execute BOTH of their ancestral rites. He said he didn’t want anyone anything to look down upon their union. By heaven and earth, the spirit world and anything in between, she was his and he was her.
But what was this —? Birth control, whilst he saw her, pained, every month when she came to bleed. Was he doubting her ability to serve his /their/ country? Did he not want to create an embodiment of their love?
Or maybe even worse, maybe he didn’t reject all the concubines presented to him. Maybe he only burned people even suggesting it or presenting the girl’s of noble birth for show and not because they disrespected their fire lady and his soulmate.
MEANWHILE— it’s just Zuko not being aware of Katara’s anxiety and she was also blind to his self esteem issues. Zuko obsessively thinking about how she’ll leave him for “better”, more “stable”, for the life he knew she could’ve been destined to if she hadn’t chosen to turn away from Aang.
Reminding himself of the duty of a fire lord — the duty to reproduce an heir. Every day his ministries nagged him about the subject and every day, he threatened them to death for bringing up the matter. Stabilise the country, mend our sins, create unions with worldwide nations — it all came first an heir. Creating a peaceful world for Katara, a good nation for his people, it came before the risk of plaguing his wife.
His oath to his wife, to protect her, to love her, to cherish her and to bleed if she bled. That came first.
The unthinkable nightmare he didn’t want to acknowledge— what if Zuko lost Katara during childbirth. What if Zuko lost his God given solace because what the Gods gave, they could retract?
Ouhhh the day this Zutara fic will hit the tl LIKE CRACK. But unfortunately, writer’s block. Sorry