Chapter Text
It actually felt weird to not have the ground beneath his feet rocking with the waves for once. In sharp contrast to his ship, the firm stone of the docks now seemed irritatingly lifeless to Sokka. After so many days spent at sea, lulled in by the soothing knowledge that the world was still turning, the currents were still flowing their persistent way and the final victory hadn't just been a rare happy dream in a suffocating ocean of nightmares, the walls of grey and red towering over the harbor kind of took all that comfort away.
This was still a city armed for battle, primed for war.
Not that Sokka blamed them for keeping their guard up. Certainly, the major fights were over and all still existing three nations and the remainders of the fourth one were exhausted, sick at the mere mention of more violence, but riots weren't uncommon, now that the Fire Nation had shown vulnerability for the first time in over a century.
But until this day, they had been able to appeal to the common sense of all rioters, scotching every attempt at bloodshed before it could get out of hand in the first place – so that was at least something.
Sokka stretched both arms over his head and groaned when he felt more than heard his shoulder crack. As much as he loved the steady up and down of any seaworthy vessel, for a warrior, there was not much to do on a ship all day except for watching the masts and rigging and collecting the sails when the winds got violent. Maybe tighten a knot here and there, but after the fifth day, his palms had been chafed by the rough hemp ropes and they still throbbed angrily now that he patted his clothes down, straightening them out.
Enough seafaring for at least some time. He was fairly certain there would come a time when he couldn't wait to get back aboard a ship or boat or canoe, but right now, Sokka craved something else. Something along the lines of a warm meal (all but fish or dried seal meat, he thought with a scowl and sinister glare back at the ship) and a bath. A real one, maybe in the hot volcanic springs, and not in freezing cold salt water for once.
That would be a nice change.
While he strode down the dock where his ship had set anchor, he noticed that the harbor was densely packed with people from the Earth Kingdom and the Northern Water Tribe. In fact, from what little he caught at first glimpse, beside the guards by the harbor entrance, there wasn't a single Fire Nation citizen in sight.
When the gathering of every high-ranked ambassador and available member of royal descent had been called out, Sokka had expected it to be some kind of conference about what to do in the near future, talk about war and peace and reparations, financial support for those who needed it and possibly another formal apology sermon.
If he was being honest, then Sokka could imagine better things to do. Like, helping Dad with the tasks that needed to be taken care of around the South Pole. Although several helpers had arrived from the Northern Water Tribe to assist Hakoda, every strong Alpha who could get some work done was welcome and needed badly for the renewal of villages and fortifications – precautions against traveling bandits and pirates.
And now, instead of supporting his tribe and family, Sokka found himself in the harbor of the Fire Nation capital once again, the silver pin emblazoned with the insignia of the ambassadors right above his heart. He halted in front of the guards, but they just stepped aside and waved him through. Obviously, they were quite bored with their job of watching peace ambassadors file in one by one. From what Sokka could see, every person on the docks was on diplomat duty and those who didn't wear the silver pins were servants and maids for the royal travelers.
As soon as he set one foot outside the harbor, his gaze fell upon the line of carriages – clearly from the royal palace. And clearly here to pick up the ambassadors.
"He didn't spare any cost for this again, huh," Sokka muttered under his breath, but a servant was already bowing to him and opening the door to one of the carriages.
Sighing and thanking the man as he entered, Sokka took his place on the cushioned seat and pulled the curtains close. He was weary from the long trip, and a nap on his way to the palace seemed like a good idea.
Behind the crimson fabric now covering the windows, sunbeams were filtering through, giving the inside of the carriage a soft, red glow. Sokka was gazing at nothing in particular, entranced by the flicker of light. It almost felt like back then in the small igloos he and Dad used to build on hunting excursions when nightfall had kept them from heading home for the day, with a small fire lit to keep the bears and leopards away while they slept. Dad used to wrap one arm around his shoulders and tell him about all the amazing things that had happened to him on similar trips, like when he had actually befriended and helped an injured tiger seal and met it years later again when a few dolphin piranhas had been determined to sink his canoe while he was out fishing, yet the seal wouldn't let them and when the dolphins had given up, Dad recognized the seal by the scar on its fin as his friend.
Even the occasional jolt from the carriage couldn't wake Sokka anymore. He'd drifted off to the memory of Hakoda's voice in his head, curled tightly into the corner of the cushioned bench. Not even when the ostrich horses stopped and a servant came to open the door, he stirred. Only when a gentle hand laid itself on his arm, Sokka sighed and blinked, slowly at first, then he scowled at the man who hastily bowed down before him.
"My sincerest apologies for waking you, but we have arrived now."
"It's fine. Spirits above, don't look like I'll chop your head off. It's okay, really," Sokka muttered in exasperation as he climbed down the stairs.
A small cloud of dust rose around him when his boots made contact with the ground. And suddenly, a smiling face hovered above him.
"Good afternoon, sleepyhead," Haru said cheerfully. "Were you planning to spend the whole day in there, or would you prefer coming to the feast?"
It took Sokka a moment to clear his head properly, but then once again stretched with a yawn and chuckled. Haru too had the silver ambassador pin on his chest and he looked a lot more awake than Sokka had felt in days now. Probably because the journey from the Earth Kingdom lasted not nearly half as long as the one from the Southern Water Tribe.
"You've been invited here too?" he asked, still a bit dazed from his nap, and Haru nodded.
"Since I was partially in charge during the battle, they gave me a more significant rank within the ambassadors, and so I was invited as well."
Sokka followed him down to the entrance of the palace complex where a crowd of people had already gathered, waiting to be let inside in a single file.
"Originally, the invite was for my father," Sokka explained as they got closer, all the while fastening a few straps on his clothes here and there, tightening the belt his boomerang and sword were attached to. "But everyone relies on him those days and he sent me instead."
Haru nodded in understanding.
"My father is somewhat of a mayor now that the Fire Nation troops are out of our village and I can barely have a talk with him in peace."
They both smiled, half compassionately, half unhappily. Now that the war was over, the grown-ups had apparently decided that they were in charge again and no prior accomplishment of their children seemed to count anymore.
Which was probably also the reason why all of a sudden, there was a commotion down by the entrance and the crowd parted to let someone through – someone wearing the distinct ornament of the Fire Nation's crown prince.
"Sokka! Why didn't you come directly to the palace?"
The voice swept across the gathered people like thunder and lightning, full of power and blazing energy as Zuko walked past the last men in his way and laid both of his hands upon Sokka's shoulders. Their eyes met, fond expressions now replacing the weariness and tension from before on both of their faces.
"I didn't know you wanted me here especially," Sokka said when the prince stepped back and scrutinized the silver pin standing out from the brown and blue of his gear, then he personally opened the clasp.
"What are you doing, wearing this stupid thing? You're not here as ambassador, you're here as my friend." Zuko pocketed the clip. "You should know that by now."
When his slender hand reappeared from the folds of his robe, Sokka's eyes narrowed to needle-thin slits. There had always been scars on Zuko's hands. Burns from bending and cuts that stemmed from his swords and knives and rocks he'd climbed and the bite mark of a turtleduck, but the scar his gaze was now trained on was fresh, the skin surrounding it of an angry red, prepared to hurt at the slightest of touches.
"What happened?"
The protectiveness surged up before Sokka could restrain it, his Alpha side roaring at the concept of Zuko being in pain again, scarred again, and by the spirits above, he was ready to face who- or whatever was responsible for this with no less wrath than he'd faced the entirety of the Fire Nation with. All formerly sharp outlines faded and blurred before his eyes and he could only watch as his own hand grasped Zuko's wrist, cautious to avoid the burnt skin, while he felt the handle of his sword in the other.
A surprisingly warm palm laid itself over his fist and only now did he realize how hard he had been clutching the weapon. His fingers ached from the sudden strain.
"Sokka, I just scalded myself with some tea. Calm down already, and don't do stupid things like that. The guards could get suspicious if you start yelling and reaching for your sword in front of me."
Oh.
Sheepish yet once again childishly defiant, Sokka released the handle, but he kept his hand near it.
Tea.
That was it.
Zuko had just scalded himself with some tea. There was nothing to get all worked up about. Nobody to direct his anger at. Nobody had hurt Zuko.
Partially satisfied with that, he faintly sensed the Alpha within him withdraw his presence and allow him to breathe easier once more. Fire lilies and white amber filled his lungs at the first contact with the air around them and Sokka greedily sucked the scent in before it would fade again. It was almost embarrassing that they had only met again for barely five minutes and Zuko already felt the need to calm him down.
"I will personally hack every single teapot in the palace to pieces if this happens again," he mumbled under his breath, but Zuko just scoffed.
"If you do that, there's a good chance Uncle will declare you the Fire Nation's most dangerous threat and ban you. Which would suck, because I'm not traveling to the South Pole seven times a year to visit you."
They'd started walking side by side towards the palace, and Sokka found himself subconsciously falling into the same comfortable pace as Zuko, their bodies so easily recalling eachother's presence.
"You haven't told me yet what all those people are doing here," he finally reminded the prince. "Seems like there's a pretty big event about to start?"
The low huff he got in response was enough for him to know that whatever said event was going to be – Zuko did not like it.
"Uncle invited them."
Brusque as always when something unnerved him.
"Which doesn't really answer my question, though."
Sokka's eyes focused on the guards as they wandered past the line of people and through the gate, but Zuko just waved them off and they stepped aside to let them enter.
"This is Sokka," the prince said en passant. "As long as he's visiting, he is my personal and esteemed guest, free to roam the palace and premises as he likes, and his orders are of equal value to mine. Any kind of disrespect against him is disrespect against the crown."
Usually, he was so soft-spoken with his servants and everyone else living in the palace, but now his voice was sharp and hard and Sokka almost shrank back as well at the sudden authority Zuko radiated. The guards seemed to be just the same, hastily bowing their heads and agreeing as they watched the two men pass through the gate.
Even though it definitely wasn't his first time at the palace, Sokka couldn't help but marvel at the luscious green gardens behind all those high walls, the flower beds, trees, fountains and ponds. Now, the scent of blooming fire lilies was even more prominent around them, but the most delicious nuance of it still came from right beside him.
"The Fire Nation has never had an unmarried Omega as heir to the throne. Uncle and I don't want to force such a drastic change on the people right off the bat as me being crowned Firelord without getting married first. There were, are and will be things that need change, but it has to be gradual, or we risk another revolution. And right now, everything we built up is still too unstable to withstand such a blow," Zuko said and stopped by the side of a pond where he bent down to gently pet the turtle ducklings' heads that were resting in the shade to escape midday's heat.
Sokka could only catch sight of the faint golden glow in his eyes as the prince turned to the side and his formerly tense shoulders slackened in defeat.
"So, that is why Uncle invited all royalty and nobility from across the world. He wants to find a suitable Alpha for me, preferably from one of the other nations to strengthen our bonds with them."