A/N: So this is my first story. I hope that is goes pretty good. Please Read and Review. Any comments good and bad are welcome. :-D Enjoy!

I do not own Avatar. :-( Maybe one day I will own something cool too.

Once again Katara sat in another war meeting only half listening to what they were saying. I don't understand why my dad makes me come to these stupid things. I am never allowed to say anything. And what is the point of having a war meeting when the war has been over for 5 years.

Katara placed her elbow on the table and softly placed her chin in her hand. Sighing she looked out the window, longing to be outside playing in the snow with her students at the school. She loved teaching the students at the Waterbending Academy. When the war ended many people from the Northern Tribe moved to the Southern Tribe in hopes of it being more relaxed. Everyone and anyone who was a bender could learn bending, not just men. And if one so desired they could learn to heal as well.

A lot has changed since the war ended.She thought as she turned to look at the members of the meeting again, acting like she was paying attention. Since the end of the war Katara had become an Ambassador for the Southern Tribe and had been traveling all over the world. She loved traveling and seeing all the friends she had made during the war. But what she loved most was helping people along the way. There were so many people, still to this day, who needed help. This saddened Katara. How can there still be people in pain? Five years later? They should be happy and the world should be peaceful.

As far as her friends, they were all happy, as far as she could tell. Sokka had finally asked Suki to marry him. They were perfect for each other. She kept him grounded and he kept her relaxed. They would be the perfect rulers of the Southern Tribe when her father stepped down. The wedding was fast approaching and GranGran had planned almost all of it. Katara laughed to herself at this thought. I thought that Suki was going to kill her at one point. GranGran had suggested that everything be blue and that she wore a green dress to respect her culture. Oh GranGran.You only meant well. But in the end the wedding is going to be beautiful and take place on Kyoshi Island since many of the quests are not use to the cold temperatures of the South Pole.

Aang. Katara sighed. That did not end well.She and Aang had been dating for about a year after the war. During this year Aang was traveling everywhere looking for more airbenders. Katara had asked to come home many times but he refused saying that he always had a lead. After six months of letting him taker her all over the world she made him take her home. She had not been home in almost 2 years and wanted to see her GranGran. Sure she had seen her for about 3 days before she left with Aang again, but it was not the same.

Once home, she missed traveling and seeing her friends but she was glad to be home. Aang had not once come to see her during the next six months of their relationship. He always said he had a new lead and that if he left now the trail would go cold. It should have put up a red flag there but I always gave people the benefit of the doubt.

On the anniversary of the end of the war a party was thrown in Ba Sing Se. When she and her brother had arrived Aang was there and acted as if there was nothing wrong. He was so young. At this moment I knew I could not be with him. He was younger yes and that was not the problem. The problem was he was not given a childhood and he wanted that childhood now. He thought that anything he did wrong could be solved by giving me a mango. I hate mangos. But he loves them, so in turn I should love them. The party was a week long festival that every nation was present for. Her group of friends were named War Heroes and were presented with medallions. On the last day Aang had asked her to come with him. She declined. He got so upset that I didn't want to come. He told me I didn't love him since I wasn't coming. I knew it was time to end things then. I explained my feelings and he did not enjoy it or take it well. His only response was fine and then said goodbye. He flew off and didn't talk to me for almost 5 months.

Eventually when Aang started talking to Katara again they sat down and had a long talk about what happened. They apologized and forgave each other and moved on. Aang was currently trying to win Toph's attention. I wonder how that's going. I haven't got a letter or seen them in awhile.

Katara switched arms and returned to looking out the window. Toph would be highly difficult to win the heart of. But if anyone could do it, it's Aang.Toph had confided in Katara almost a year ago now that she had feelings for Aang, but she was not about to let him win so easily. Katara laughed again. Toph had returned home to live with her parents. This did not go well. She stayed about three weeks and then she couldn't stand her parents anymore. She left to go around helping people and of course participating in the Earth Kingdom Rumble, which she always won.

Toph and Aang had written to her regularly but Uncle Iroh wrote to her the most. Uncle replied to her as soon as he received a letter from her. She loved the old man. She always stayed at the tea shop when she visited Ba Sing Se. She would help in the tea shop and talk with the old man at night. They would talk about anything and everything. She even told him what had happened with Aang, which she had told no one. If she ever needed help with anything that she didn't want to go to her family for, she wrote to him. And almost every time he had something to say that made her feel better. He never told her what to do but what he said always helped. Uncle. You are currently visiting Zuko. I wonder how that is going.

Zuko had done well as Fire Lord. Many people were happy that the war had ended and their family members had returned home. Some were upset that their income would decrease but Zuko quickly started trade with other nations to replace the money. All the nations were profiting well from the trading with the Fire Nation. There were some Ozai supporters out there who wanted the war to return. Their ideas were based strictly on the fact that they thought the Fire Nation was above all the others. They had conducted many assassination attempts on Zuko all of which he avoided. The worst one he got shot with an arrow while traveling. All the rest were stopped before they even started. I wish he would have let me heal that stupid arrow shot. He wouldn't even have that scar if he would have let me. Zuko had written to Katara some but not often. She knew he had more important things to do instead of write to her.

Katara sighed. This is so boring. When will it end? Katara leaned back into her chair. The meeting was going into its second hour and it was all she could do to appear focused.

"WHAT!"

Katara suddenly turned to focus back on the meeting. Maybe something good is about to happen. Maybe stupid Kurai is going to get a talking to. Oh how I hate that man. Kurai thought that it was against Water Tribe tradition to let women do anything and had gotten in her face many times. She wished he would return to the North. Maybe then these meetings wouldn't last so long.

"I do not think that is a good idea." Katara's father said with an even tone.

"It is tradition that the princess be married by the time she is 18." Kurai said just as even.

"Yes in the Northern Tribe but not here." Hakoda said in a final tone.

"Hakoda. If we want to be considered a nation same as the others she does need to get married soon." Pakku said looking closely at his friend.

"Wait what are we talking about?" Katara asked leaning over and whispering in her brother's ear.

"They want to make you have an arranged marriage." Sokka said flatly, anger rolling off him.

"Maybe I should pay attention during these things. How can dad agree to that?" Katara focused closely knowing that if she spoke now it would not end well since Kurai was the one speaking in favor of it.

"Katara was 15 when the war ended and now she is 20. She should have found someone by now. She needed to be married 2 years ago at the latest." Kurai was starting to convince the other members as he talked. "If she hasn't found anyone yet what are the hopes of her finding one on her own. She needs assistance and we can pick the perfect match for her."

"Absolutely not!" Katara was livid. "Do you even know what I like to do in my free time? Or what I want to do for the rest of my life?"

"You want to get married and have a husband take care of you. You will cook and clean and take care of your children." Kurai smiled and leaned back in his seat.

"WHAT! See you know nothing about me! How can you pick someone for me?" Katara was slowly starting to lose her cool. The air in the room was dropping degrees rapidly and everyone could start to see their breath.

"Katara why don't you and your brother leave and take a break. I will handle this." Hakoda looked at them seriously. Katara slowly stood and looked at her dad and then an icy glare at Kurai, finally walking out of the room.

"Katara don't worry." Sokka closed the door behind him. "Dad won't let that happen to you."

"I know. But still the thought that they would even suggest it makes me mad." Katara said slowly calming down. "I am going for a walk and then to practice."

Sokka watched slowly as she walked out. "I hope no one upsets her or they are going to get Katara's wrath. I wonder what Suki is doing? I wonder if she is making dinner. Or maybe a snack. I should go check on her. Maybe there will be meat." Sokka slowly started walking toward their house.

Katara slowly walked into their house. I wonder how it went. I hope I am not marrying some stupid idiot like Kurai wanted. I think I might just have to run away if that happens.

Katara took a quick shower and got dressed. Working out all afternoon had made her sweaty and tired. She just wanted to eat dinner and pass out for the night. She slowly made her way to the dining hall. Since her father was declared King they had to move into a palace. None of them liked it but it was to save face and be considered a real nation.

As she walked in she looked around. Her brother looked somewhat upset. He father looked relieved but slightly irritated. GranGran was shooting daggers at her father and Pakku. Pakku was trying to ignore everyone and eat. This is not a good sign. I am going to marry an idiot. Katara thought angrily taking her seat next to her brother.

"So how did it go?" She asked slowly while looking to the head of the table to her father.

"It went terrible is how it went. Your father is a moron." Kanna said as she started to look at her food and more or less kill it again.

Katara's stomach fell. "What does that mean?"

"I think your father did as well as he could given what the others were suggesting." Pakku said as he reached for some bread.

"What does that mean?" Katara was starting to get upset that no one was telling her what had happened. "This is my life. Someone tell me."

"Katara don't get mad at Dad. I think this is a good compromise." Sokka said as he looked at his sister. It was then she realized that Suki wasn't with them. Oh shit! This isn't going to be good if they asked Suki to not eat with us. I am truly fucked.

"Someone tell me!"

"I got them to agree to not force you into an arranged marriage." Katara's heart was so happy she smiled from ear to ear.

"See that's good news. Why is everyone so upset?" Katara asked as she looked around.

"There is more." Her father started again and Katara's heart dropped. "To make them agree I had to say that you would marry within the next two years." If possible her heart dropped even more. It felt like it was in her gut at this point. "But the good news you get to choose who it is."

"So how does this work then?" Katara was at a loss for words. He whole life was about to end. She had two years to pick someone to marry and be with for the rest of her life. In the four years since Aang she had not found anyone. How is she suppose to find someone in 2? She was starting to panic and her breathing was become ragged.

"Well, I will send out messages to all the nations. Kings, nobles, friends, etc. and then the men will come here to meet you. From those men you will choose your husband." At his words the entire table went quiet. GranGran looked as if she was going to kill someone and slowly her fork started to bend. "To make it a little less chaotic we will be having dinner and a ball every other Friday. This will be when the men will be introduced to you and what not." Hakoda looked around at everyone as he finished meekly. "It was the best I could do."

"Well it is better than nothing." WHAT? This is the best you could freaking do! Katara was slowly losing her cool again. In the last 5 years she had grown a lot and knew that losing one's cool is not approved of a 20 year old. "I think I am done with dinner."

Katara slowly got up and walked out the door. Once in the hall she ran. She ran and ran and ran until she was outside in the middle of nowhere. She looked up at the stars and screamed in frustration and sadness collapsing into the snow as she did so.

Slowly starting to cry she began to talk to herself "How can this happen? I was happy. I was content. I was helping people. Those stupid people!" She cried for a little while longer. Tears freezing to her face and coat.

Finally after some time her sobs became short and her breathing evened out. "I will do what they want but I will use every single one of these stupid balls and not pick till the end." She paused thinking again. "I will not pick some stupid person who wants nothing but me as a wife to cook and clean. Mom why could you not be here to smack some sense into Dad."

Katara looked down at the snow taking a huge breath so her sobs were 100% gone. "I will not go down easily. I will fight for my happiness and I will not let Kurai win. I will make the best out of this for Dad. I will be the perfect princess that I am suppose to be but I will be myself at the same time." She knew this would happen one day. The having to get married part but she always thought she could take her time. Her dad did everything he could and now she had to make him proud. Take it in stride and make the Southern Water Tribe proud of their princess. "It is time to grow up Katara. It is time to finally do what you are suppose to do. Be the princess they want you to be. It is time to stop running around the world helping other nations and stay home and help your own." Katara slowly stood, nodded her head, wiped the tears from her face and looked one more time at the sky. "I will make you proud too Mom." And then started walking back to the village and her home.

"Sokka." Katara said as she walked into his room. She had just returned and her face was still red.

"Hey. How are you doing?" Sokka asked as he sat on his bed.

"Ok. I guess." She went and sat next to him. "So I did some thinking. I believe that it is time I grow up. I have been helping other nations for so long I think it is time I help my own. When they named father King they also named me princess. I need to do what is right by them and make everyone happy. Father tried really hard to get this to work out so that I can pick who I want and I will not let him down. I won't pick an idiot but I will pick someone who I like. I will take the entire time and choose carefully." She finished looking like she was determined to not go against what she believed.

"Katara, that's all good, but what about your happiness." Sokka asked taking his sisters hands in his own. "I want you to be happy and I don't think that just settling for a random guy that you kinda like will make you happy."

"It is better than them picking." Katara said shortly. "I know this isn't what I want but I have to do this. I can't make more problems for father with Kurai than he already has."

Sokka looked at his sister. He took a long look at her. In the last 5 years she had grown into a beautiful woman that any man would want and be grateful to have. She had also grown up mentally. The old Katara would be blowing a gasket about the entire situation and most likely run away, but his sister had become wise. Sokka was guessing this was from her traveling the world as their ambassador. Those meetings with nobles make you grown up fast. And I am sure that Uncle has helped her too.Sokka loved the old man as well and knew Katara held him high on her respect meter. Smiling Sokka spoke "I think you are going to make a great wife to some guy who you kinda like."

Katara laughed. "Thanks Sokka." She hugged him tightly.

"You know Katara" Sokka started as he let her go. "It is going to be awhile before the first ball. I think it is the weekend before my wedding, since Dad has to send out all the letters and all. So that would mean you have a month and a half until the first one."

Katara looked at him skeptically. "Yeah?"

"Well I was just thinking about how much you love Uncle. Why don't you head to the Fire Nation to see him. I mean we don't really need you here and I know you want his advice. Zuko is in the wedding to so I am sure you can come back with him. He has to be on Kyoshi a week before the wedding same as you. I'm sure he would come here for the first ball and then come to Kyoshi with us the next day. Take some time and talk it over with Uncle." Sokka finished and turned to look at his sister.

Katara was shocked. "When the heck did you grow up? Look at you being all wise and stealthy. I would love to go see Uncle. That is the best idea anyone has said all day." She turned to walk out and go talk to her father about it but stopped at the doorway. "Sokka thanks. And you really are going to make a great ruler one day." Katara smiled and walked out of his room looking for her father.

"You will too sister." Sokka said when she was out of ear shot. He walked to his desk and pulled out a letter looking longingly at it and then speaking to it. "I hope you aren't made with me."

Hope you enjoyed! I would love some reviews :-D