"Zuko what did you do? That's not the plan, you said-" "it's just going to be Jet all over again, I had no choice," Zuko hushed Katara as they were on their way to the throne room to meet with the fire lord.

"Just trust me," he whispered before they entered the chambers and saw Ozai sitting on his throne with Azula and mai knelt in front of him.

Zuko and Katara silently walked to the front of bowed with their heads down to the fire lord.

"Father," Zuko greeted.

"So you found the traitors that wanted our family dead," Ozai skipped to the point immediately.

"The poison caused some memory loss but I recognized one of them and the other was his accomplice," Zuko nodded keeping his head down.

"The execution will be at sunrise, we won't tolerate such threat to the family, it's already embarrassing that you were on a damn death bed for allowing them to attack you prince Zuko," Ozai barked down at his son with disgust, like he was a rotten fruit that he wanted gone.

"My guard was down father. It won't happen agai-" "I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses, you're weak, and you prove it once again and again, an embarrassment to our family, to every fire lord that stood where I am now," Ozai stood immediately making his children tense quickly. Fear was heavy in the air when Ozai walked down to them.

"If it wasn't for the marriage I'd have your sister hold the title of next in line for fire lord, this country needs someone strong to win the war, not a weakling in the palace," he stood in front of Zuko as everyone kept their head down.

"I understand firelord," Zuko sighed bowing his forehead to touch the ground at his fathers feet.

"If it wasn't for your wife, I'd make an example out of You, You remember last time you disrespected me," Ozai growled down at him.

"Yes," Zuko whispered.

Kataras hands shook as she bit her tongue back, she fought every fiber in her body to not scream back with more rage than the fire lord would ever have. She shook so she didn't put Zuko in danger with her own outburst. But if he kept speaking like this she might loose the battle to not raise her voice.

"You should be ashamed of yourself, and to embarrass your wife in front of her family, disgraceful," Ozai shook his head as Zuko clenched his fist a little.

"The water tribe didn't find Zuko weak nor shameful for the attack,"

It was silent as Zuko felt himself stop breathing when he heard Kataras voice. His heart dropped into his stomach as he felt like he was going to be sick from fear.

"Excuse me?" Ozai kept his back to her but zukos head wiped up to look at Katara who was sitting up now instead of in a bow.

"I spoke to my family and my sister tribe, not one person thought Zuko or your family was weak," Katara forced out, avoided looking at Zuko knowing he didn't want her to speak.

"Is that so..?" Ozai raised a brow turning to her slowly.

"Katara do not," Zuko bit out with wide eyes.

"I speak for the water tribes, so do not assume their judgement," she stood but Zuko grabbed her arm and yanked her back down to her knees.

"I said don't," Zuko growled in a low tone.

"No I first off won't have someone assume my tribes opinion on my husband, I mean you no disrespect fire lord Ozai but it was a surprise attack that no one predicted would happen, and Zuko saved princess yue's life and for that they hold higher respect and trust for him and your family," Katara smacked his hand away and stood again with her chin up and a glare in her eyes.

"Is that it?" Ozai glared back.

"And they really liked the hospitality, said you have a beautiful home," she crossed her arms.

Azula and mai covered their mouths to hide their snickering as Zuko had his face in his hands in defeat.

Ozai had a scowl looking at the girl but there was a fire in her eyes that she didn't back down from, she didn't break eye contact with the lord, she kept an even breathing and strong stance. Zuko stood up and put a hand on her shoulder and his back to his father.

"Enough, I'm not playing," Zuko whispered in her ear.

"Neither am I," she sent him a glare back.

"I'm not afraid of you fire lord Ozai, and to see that your children are the future of your country and your successors one day, you'd think you'd want to say they're anything but shameful," Katara took zukos hand off her as she took a step forward.

"You say my title but there is no respect to it, who do you think you are girl," Ozai started walking to her.

"Someone You forced on your land and into your family, and if you kill me then this war will see another hundred years of war and the northern tribe will be very involved," she stood her ground not backing away when Ozai was looking down at her.

"I would never dream of killing you dear Katara, but I know many other ways that can be more painful than death," Ozai growled as his eyes snapped towards his son then back at Katara.

"I know you miss Katara, you find worth in helping others, and I know how to use that against you," he whispered only for her to hear.

"Father please," Zuko pulled Katara to his side.

"Learn to control your wife prince Zuko, before she says something she'll regret," Ozai looked at them in disgust and Zuko had a dark look on his face. "Your mother learned quick to keep her mouth shut,"

Something snapped in Katara as she went forward to Ozai and just before she tried to raise her hand Zuko threw her over his shoulder and started to walk away.

"Put me down! Zuko put me down!" Katara yelled as Azula and mai stood up wide eyes.

"This isn't over! We're going to have a word!" She screamed back at the fire lord.

"My love I think we are done, apologies father but we're leaving," Zuko waved it off as he walked with the girl over his shoulder and slammed the doors behind him.

"Put me down!" Katara yelled as Zuko went to his room with her and slammed the bedroom doors closed as well wirh her screaming in anger.

Zuko threw her on the bed and walked away with his hands in his hair frustrated.

"What the fuck was that?!" He raised his voice at her as Katara as a sneer.

"Do you know what you did?! What you risked just for speaking when your not spoken to Katara?!" Zuko yelled as he motioned to the outside.

"Do not yell at me," she hissed.

"I'm not- that's not the fucking point! We don't have time for my father to be lashing out at us cause of his fragile ego! And I can't have you speaking out of line like that to him! He doesn't think like us he thinks if someone is out of line he'll kill them!" Zuko felt his face getting heated and his throat felt raspy.

"If someone doesn't step out of line he just gets to abuse and insult you?! Is that how it works?!" Katara screamed back.

"Yes! I don't care what he says to me if that means everyone gets to keep their lives!" He shook his hands under in frustration.

"That's insane!" She cried out standing from the bed.

"He is insane!" He threw his hands up.

"I know your afraid of him but I'm not and I won't let him speak down to me like that! I'm not his blood! If he hurts me I will not hesitate to fight back!" She poked his chest with a growl.

"If he can banish me and scar my face I don't want to imagine what he would do to you!" Zuko grabbed her shoulders with wide eyes.

"If he can be so cruel to his children, what makes you think your safe? I cant have you get in the cross of his rage kat, I cant," he looked at her as his hands shook on her shoulders.

"He can say what he wants, he can hurt me and bash me but with you I can't let that happen..." he let out a heavy breath he didn't realize he was holding.

Katara was quiet for a moment and pursed her lips. She gulped a little catching her own breath from the argument.

"I hate seeing you be treated like that, it makes me sick," she sighed shaking her head.

"I'm use to it, but it won't matter when he's gone," Zuko whispered.

"Just... I'm begging you Katara, please I'm begging you to never do that again, he sees you at a threat and his threats never last long," he knelt down on his knees with her hands in his, pressing his forehead against her knuckles.

"I love you, I'm begging you to not speak to him out of turn again, for my sake, for your brother, your father, for yourself, do not..." he squeezed her hands tightly.

A prince on his knees to a water tribe peasant, begging her. She never thought she'd see the day.

"I won't, I'm sorry I won't do that again, I didn't mean too," Katara knelt down to him gripping his hands back as she made him look at her.

"I'll stay quiet next time," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he gulped looking at her guilty.

"For what?"

"For making you not do one of the things I adore about you, speaking up and standing strong against the unfair," he brushed her hair back and cupped her cheek.

"And I'm sorry for yelling, I was angry and scared, it got the best of me," Zuko pursed his lips.

"Your lucky I don't scare easily, and I yell back," Katara smiled a little kissing his hand. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead gently.

"I'm still frustrated, but we have more important things to take care of," she smiled more at the kind touches.

"Like the two assassins and the kyoshi warrior," she raised a brow and Zuko let out a long groan.

"Yea that's another problem," he nodded standing back up.