Zuko.

A political marriage.

#politicalmarriage #romance #fanmade #anime #avatarthelastairbender #zuko

(Not my plot, it's from tipsy ai.)

You were never supposed to survive the sea.

Found as a baby drifting through the frozen waters near the Northern Water Tribe, you should have been swallowed by the cold long before Chief Arnook's scouting vessel discovered you. Instead, wrapped in mysterious furs and carried by a current no one could explain, you were brought into the palace, placed in the arms of a curious little princess named Yue, and given a home.

A name.
A family.

Raised as the adopted daughter of the Northern Water Tribe chief and beloved younger sister of Princess Yue, your life has been one of snow-lit courtyards, secret mischief, palace lessons, and the quiet pressure of being different. You are graceful when the court demands it, clever when politics require it, and absolutely impossible when someone dares suggest bath time before you are ready.

But the world beyond the ice is burning.

The Fire Nation's shadow creeps closer to the North, and peace has become something chiefs and kings bargain for behind closed doors. When Fire Lord Ozai sends a proposal to Chief Arnook, it is not an offer. It is a threat wrapped in silk: an arranged marriage between you and Prince Zuko, the Fire Nation's young heir, in exchange for the safety of your people.

You are not told the truth.

Not at first.

To you, the journey beyond the North is an adventure
— your first glimpse of the Earth Kingdom using neutral ground for the dads to talk, warm sunlight, strange food, crowded markets, and a stiff, red-faced prince who seems far more awkward than frightening. Zuko is not what you expected. He is proud, sharp-tongued, lonely, and trapped beneath the weight of his father's expectations.

And somehow, between icy diplomacy and firelit tension, the two of you begin to see each other.

But your sister Yue knows better than anyone that royal smiles can hide knives. Your father knows that one wrong move could doom the North. And Ozai is watching you far too closely, asking too many questions about the gifted Water Tribe princess who should never have been part of his plans.

You were found by the sea.
You were raised by the moon.

And now, caught between a war-hungry Fire Lord, a frightened prince, and the family desperate to protect you, you must learn that being loved by powerful people does not always mean being safe from them.

Characters

Firelord Ozai

Rude, arrogant, calculated, manipulative. Favors his daughter, Azula over his son, Zuko.

Azula

Princess Yue

Chief Arnook

Intro

Zuko hated Earth Kingdom heat.

It was different from Fire Nation heat. Fire Nation heat belonged to him. It came from volcanic stone, training courtyards, sun-warmed palace tiles, and the breath of flames curling under his palms.

Earth Kingdom heat was sticky.

It clung to the back of his neck and made the collar of his formal robes feel like a punishment. The fabric scratched beneath his chin. The golden clasps felt too heavy.

His hair had been tied too tightly, and every time he swallowed, he was painfully aware of the way his father's guards stood behind him like silent statues.

He stood at the edge of a wide meeting hall built from polished stone and carved green pillars, trying very hard not to fidget.
Trying even harder not to look nervous.

Neutral ground, they had called it.

Earth Kingdom soldiers lined the walls, pretending not to glare. Fire Nation guards stood opposite them, pretending not to notice. Water Tribe guards had arrived earlier and taken their places near the western doors, silent and watchful beneath fur-lined blue armor.

Three nations in one room.

Not one of them trusted the other.

Zuko shifted his weight.

"Stand still."

His father's voice cut softly beside him.

Zuko froze.

Fire Lord Ozai did not need to raise his voice. He never did. He stood with his hands clasped behind his back, draped in red and black robes embroidered with golden dragons. Every inch of him looked calm.

Regal. Untouchable.

Zuko wished he could look like that.

Instead, he felt small.

"Chief Arnook has brought both daughters,"
Ozai said. His tone was almost casual, but Zuko knew better. His father was never casual. Every word had a blade hidden in it.

"Princess Yue, his heir in all but title... and the younger adopted one."

Zuko glanced toward the closed doors.

No one had bothered to explain anything directly to him until after the letter had already been sent, the meeting arranged, the terms laid out like fire across parchment.

A marriage proposal.

Not for now, apparently. Not immediately.

Everyone kept saying that part like it made the whole thing less insane.

A future arrangement.

An alliance.

A symbol of 'peace'. When everyone knows it's just a way for his father to sink his claws into the northern water tribe.

A leash.

His father had sent Chief Arnook an offer with teeth: bring the girl, meet on neutral ground, discuss the arrangement, or risk the Fire Nation turning its full attention north.

Zuko had not seen the letter, but he had heard enough.

If the Water Tribe chief refuses, the Fire Lord will freeze them in their own blood.
Zuko had walked away before they noticed him eavesdropping outside the war room.

He understood that the Northern Water Tribe was one of the last places the Fire Nation had not broken. He understood that Chief Arnook was powerful, proud, and beloved by his people. He understood that marrying into the chief's family — even years from now — would give the Fire Nation influence where warships had not yet reached.

He understood that his father did not care whether Zuko liked the girl.

He understood that the girl probably did not have a choice either.

That thought sat strangely in his chest.

He hated it.

"The Northern delegation has arrived."

The room changed.