ZKMonth22 Day 15: Sharing Cultures
“These are sea prunes,” Katara said excitedly, placing a bowl in front of Zuko and one in front of herself. “I sent the cook home for the evening so we could have the house to ourselves. And technically they are ocean kumquats, but the person I bought them from assured me that if I cooked them this way they’d taste the same. I tried it and it did!”
Zuko couldn’t help but grin at her enthusiasm. He could tell it meant a lot to her to share something of her home with him, and he would do anything if she got this excited about it.
He scooped a fruit out of the bowl and ate it, chewing carefully and considering it.
“These are good,” he admitted, and Katara beamed.
“I know! They’re one of my favorites.”
Fire Lord Iroh had given them a week on Ember Island in the royal beach house as a wedding present, and they had only now been able to make use of it. Introducing a new princess, even one who was married to someone so far down the line of succession, was a big ordeal. They’d traveled to every island and visited every main town, making sure the people saw them and knew they were cared about. Zuko had never thought about doing this before, but when he saw Katara in action he couldn’t help but follow her lead. She was so compassionate and caring it made him want to be a better person.
So he tried, for her. Always for her. And a little for himself, if he were being honest.
“Zuko!” she gasped, rushing over to a market stall. He followed, trying to see what they sold, but she had gotten in the way. He came up beside her and put a hand at the small of her back. It met skin, because she was wearing a Fire Nation outfit that bared her stomach and back.
The stall had what looked like jewelry from every nation but the Fire Nation. There were bracelets, rings, arm cuffs, and necklaces from the Earth Kingdom; decorative arm wraps, beads, and carved pendants from the Water Tribes; and even amulets from the rebuilding Air Nomads, who thankfully hadn’t been completely eradicated by Sozin’s madness.
Fire Lord Iroh was still paying them reparations, even though his council had tried to get him to stop. He refused, saying that he could pay the Air Nomads until the end of time and it would never make up for what the Fire Nation did to them.
“These are beautiful,” she said, slowly waving her hand over the pieces from the Water Tribes as though terrified to touch them.
“Would you like one?” Zuko asked, making eye contact with the stall keeper, who nodded. Anything she chose would be billed to the Fire Lord.
She hesitated, torn between a carved pendant of Tui and La and a decorative arm wrap woven with illustrations of what looked to Zuko like a Water Tribe legend.
“You don’t have to settle for just one,” he pointed out after a moment of watching her indecision. “If you want both, get them.”
Katara looked at him, eyes wide.
“Get what you like,” he assured her.
She turned back to the stall and chose both of the Water Tribe items, as well as an arm cuff from the Earth Kingdom that had the symbol for the Earth Kingdom on each end and an Air Nomad amulet with a carving of a flying bison on it.
They thanked the stall keeper as he wrapped their items for them, and Zuko carried the package as they made their way back to the beach house. Katara talked excitedly about how she’d seen Air Nomads at events with her father and had always admired their amulets, and that she’d seen a girl her age in Ba Sing Se once with an arm cuff similar to the one she’d chosen and Katara remembered liking it but being unable to afford one.
He put his arm around her and gave her a squeeze, glad that he could give her the things she wanted. Even though technically it was his uncle footing the bill, he’d take it out of Zuko’s allowance.