As she paced through the hall her anger had grow immensely. All she had to do was open the door to her fathers study and tell him she had refused his gift. That even though she realized the sentiment behind it, she didn't want some wild beast of a women following her around attending to her, a girl from the maids house sure, after they had been cleaned up a bit they were perfectly ok, but some girl from the jungle or wherever, who knows what sort of wild diseases she could have? Why couldn't her father have just brought her back some jungle spices, or perfumes? No, he had to bring her an island women whom he expected her to be Kataras lady's maid. All the things she had heard about them just made her skin crawl thinking about it. Just then the door opened and four or five large men in uniform walked out, fallowed by her father, well what would you expect when you're fathers the Pharaoh. Especially just getting back from an eight month trip around the world "Katara, my daughter what are you doing out here-"
"Father I must speak with you about your gift." her shortness would have stunned the guards if they were not already used to it. If there was one thing that anyone knew about Katara it was that she spoke her mind no matter who you where.
"Please men, give me some privacy." As the two walked into the study, Hakoda shut the doors behind him, with the guards standing close watch outside.
"So my daughter, what's this business about your gift?" He said with a whimsical look upon his face, of all the gifts that Hakoda had acquired for her over his journeys he had to admit that this one topped them all.
"I'm sorry father but I simply cannot accept this, this island savage, that you expect me to call a ladies maid! She isn't even suitable to wash my feet how can you expects a princess-" she couldn't even finish her rant as Hakoda slammed his fist into the solid cedar desk and rose with the force of a storm, looking sternly at his daughter.
"Who are you to tell me what kind of gift is worthy enough to give to a princess, let alone to my own daughter! You will you accept this gift and to learn from your insolence you are here by banished from the kingdom until you have learned you place, in this kingdom and with me!" With that he pulled out a scroll and started to write something down, Katara could only assume that it was her banishment scroll. And quickly called in his own guard and messenger Bato. Grabbed her papers from her father, upset that he could do something so cruel, and ran from the room, to the only place that she knew she could find peace.
"You don't think that you where maybe a little too hard on her, Hakoda?" said Bato, knowing that when it was just the two of them it was alright for him too seek so informally to his master.
"Perhaps, but she needs to now that she cant always get her way, and it's better she learns it from me then someone else." As he starred out the window with sorrowful eyes thinking of what he had just done to his youngest child. "Come I'm hungry and I've heard there is a feast prepared in my honor."
Not knowing how long she had been sitting there, just staring into the flowers, Katara was finally shook from her sorrowful trance when her own messenger and guard had come to find her.
"My lady I think we should go I can arrange for a boat to take you in a couple of hours if you'd like."
"That's fine jet. I agree with you, the longer I stay here I'll only be causing more trouble for myself." With that she stood and walked towards the palace corters, Jet fallowing at a close distance.
Walking through the halls it was as if the word had already spread of her banishment. The long stares and not so silent whispers of disgust, it was as if she wasn't even a member of the royal family anymore. Not that she was surprised at how fast the word had spread, with how loud her father had yelled at her, she wasn't surprised if the man from the gyro booth right outside the city gates didn't already know.
As they reached her room she was mentally exhausted. She had never been away from the city for so long, and all she could think of was the terrors that came to mind that her mother would tell her as a young child… although she was hoping that those where just little lies to frighten her from getting on her fathers bad side. Plopping on her bed she savored the goose feathered mattress because who knew how long it would be until she last got to feel the pleasantries of the palace again, she then remembered her oldest brother Sokka who had once been banished for five years for speaking ill of their father, but when he came back his attitude seemed to have taken a complete change… their mother said he was just going through a rebellious faze and needed to find himself.
"My lady, if you do not need my assistance I will send one of the palace maids in to assist in your packing."
"Oh yes, thank you, and please stop saying 'my lady', you know how much I hate it when its just the two of us." She said sitting up. "And Jet, you will be going with me on this trip wont you?"
"Of course Katara, I wouldn't trust your care with anyone else but me. However, I was wondering you if you wouldn't mind a few extra guards? There's really is no telling how long you will be gone, and where our travels will take us. I could get a few from your brothers command, that way your father wouldn't have the chance to turn you down." Jet made a small smirk as he new as well as Katara did that there was only one reason her eldest brother kept men in his regiment, and it wasn't necessarily because they were the best warriors.
"Yes Jet, that will be fine, maybe two or three more men wouldn't hurt. I'm not going to lie to you Jet, I'm frightened, more frightened then I've ever been in my life." She said, sitting back on her elbows.
"Katara, don't worry ok, its not as bad as it seems, yes we wont be aloud in the kingdom, but we will make it through, if worst comes to worst you always have the island your Grangran gave you as a young girl. Just think of it as a vacation, you don't have to worry about royal parties, you can basically do what you want, and when the time comes your father will welcome you back with open arms." With that he bowed and left the room.
She wasn't quit sure how he did it, but he always seemed to make her feel better. She once thought of him as a lover, but quickly dismissed the thought when she found out he was ten years older then she was. She was never one to date older, or younger men for that matter, they always had to be her age give or take a year or two. But Jet was definitely good when it came to advise, he had experience in things she had never known, and now he was there yet again to be a shoulder for her to cry on.
Hearing a knock on the door she rose from her bed. "Come in, I'm in the dressing room." She already knew it was the maid so she had no intention of wasting time, she wanted to first change into some comfortable traveling clothes and then pack as much as she could into the small carry bag she had and the larger suitcase chest she had. As the maid walked in, it definitely was not who she had been suspecting.
"What are you doing here?!"
"I'm sorry ma'am, I heard that you were ready for me to come and help you pack, I just thought th-"
" Well, there's your first problem, you just assumed, jus- just go in the other room and sit on the stool while I change- and don't touch anything! Because I will know." She spat as she glared the mildly tan woman. Katara didn't want this woman anywhere near her things let alone near herself.
"Yes ma'am." She said as she walked to the sitting room, but instead of sitting stood, she could feel the tension in the air, and it was to thick for her to sit in.
Peeking around the corner, Katara eyed the women whom her father had brought half way across the world, just for her, and whom her banishment was to be blamed for. So there she stood with her hands behind her back, not sitting like Katara as had ordered her, but shed let it slide for now. She had other things to do then nit pick at a maid that she didn't even know yet couldn't even stand the sight of.
After changing and putting shoes on she called in the maid to help her pack, dressing herself was something she rarely so it took her quite a while to complete.
"Alright, you can come in now." As the new maid walked in it was like a god had descended to earth, she had not noticed before because she was to busy yelling at her but this woman was not only beautiful but she was as graceful as a princess.
"My lady, I'm sorry I'm new to maid service so I will need a little more direction then you are probably used to giving." Scoffing at the name, Katara waked over to a tall closet door.
"It's pretty simple. I tell you what to pack and you pack it. Take this leather carry bag and then come back and get this chest, and we have to work quickly I don't have much time." As she said this the women walked over and grabbed what she had said and placed it on the table in the room, then proceeded to get the chest out of the closet and place it on the floor next to the table.
"Alright, we will probably be gone for quit some time so I will need you to pack all of these clothes in this shelf and this one and then just this out fit here. I will pack some keepsakes of my own. And when you are done you may go to your room, or whatever, and pack all of your belongings. Like I said we will probably be gone for quite some time."
"Yes my lady." After about an hour or so of packing, and then making sure that she didn't need any more help the women left Katara's corters to pack her own belongings, but just as she was leaving Jet was walking in and the two had a side step tango until he stepped aside and let the lady go. As she walked out Jet couldn't help but look down the hall after her as she hurried along to her room.
"Katara," he said shaking himself out of his momentary trance. " I have talked to your brother and he was generous enough to give his only baby sister one of his smaller navel ships complete with an infantry of seamen, who will double as your body guards whenever you decide to make port.
"Thank you Jet," She said putting another drawing book into her bag. "I'm almost finished and then we can leave. Will the men and the ship be ready to leave tonight?"
"Yes, these men were specifically chosen because they had virtually no ties, and are able to leave at a moments notice, and the ship is at the far end of the docs."
"Great then send word to the men and my new maid, we will set sail in an hour, so tell them be on the docks and ready before then." She said as she continued to walk around the room grabbing keepsakes and packing them in the sack.
"Yes my lady." With that he bowed, and was off. Jet couldn't help but wonder if that beautiful woman who he had seen was this mysterious ladies maid who was causing all of this trouble.
Walking to the docs, Katara wanted to enjoy every minuet of it, because she didn't know the next time that she would be able to see her beautiful city again, all of the wonderful smells that she had grown accustomed to waking up to and all of the sights that living in a port city could bring. No, Katara was determined to enjoy this final walk to the docs, stopping along the way to pick a rose from the side garden to put in her diary even if she never returned to New Alexandria, she would always have this little piece of home.
Arriving at the docs she found Jet waiting for her. "The ship is ready my lady, all the men are aboard, and your lady's maid is bellow deck preparing your room. The cabins aren't what you're used too, but they are quite spacious compared to others." He gave a slight smile of assurance and offered his hand to help her on board. "Thank you Jet, I have a feeling this particular ship is the Jethsome, from my brothers personal fleet, apparently if his little sister is going to be banished he's going to make sure that she's well taken care of."
-------
The first day at sea was very eventful, or at least Katara thought so having only been on personal crusing boats, she had never seen such commotion on a ship before. Men where running all over the ship fixing the sails moving boxes from here to there and some even throwing things over the side. She only hoped that if some sort of emergency happened they wouldn't need those thing, whatever they where, later. It turns out her favorite older brother was just that for a reason, not only had he set her up with a fully stocked ship and a few extra guards…. he set her up with a complete infantry of seamen to use at her disposal for however long her banishment would last. She may not have been able to go into the city of New Alexandria, but this was definitely not going to be as bad as she had originally thought.
As the sun got higher, and hotter, in the sky she realized that all of the bustling about the ship was the normal duty of the men, when first setting sail, so she just found a small corner on the side of the ship and decided to work on a charcoal drawing. Apparently the ocean had other plans because just as her drawing was getting started, the ship went over a twenty foot swell, and water splashed all over her and the drawing she was working on. Saddened, she decided to move to the upper deck and sunbathe a little before they actually got to the island. Not that she had fair skin in the least it at all, but she definitely liked to lay nude under the sun every once in a while. Just to soak in the energy of Ra. Then Katara saw her.
"Oh, my lady. Did you need something?" she said standing from her seat on the side.
"No I just came to sun bathe, you're fine." Katara said in a calm tone as she began to remove her chiffon rapping's. If she was going to sun bathe, she wasn't going to get any lines. The maids eyes got big and she wasn't sure what to do or where to , so she turned and started to head toward the stars just as Katara called after her.
"You don't have to leave I'll just lay here and sunbathe, actually if you would sit there by the stairs and make sure no one comes up here." Again in a calm tone tanning her back first, she could sense that the women for some reason felt awkward about the situation as she sat on the bench by the stairs trying to look anywhere but at her. But if they were to get to know each other something as simple as sun bathing shouldn't affect her as much as it had. She was tired of this awkward silence it had to be broken, even if she had to be the one to do it.
"So, do you have a name, or should I just refer to you as my ladies maid for the rest of your time spent in service with me?"
A little surprised by the question, she answered Katara quietly. "My name is Suki, my lady."
"Hmm, what a pretty name." Katara said with her head in her folded arms. Turning her head to the side slightly to look at Suki. Katara wasn't about to let the conversation die off that easily. " If you don't mind me saying you're a very beautiful women, and the pigmentation of you skin doesn't look to be of the inner jungles of Africa, so where did my father find you?"
"Its alright my lady, I'm a warrior from the island tribe of Kyoshi, your father and his men saved my village from one of Cesar's naval ships attacks, and to repay him for saving the life of my people I offered him my life in return. He said I would be a great gift to his daughter as she was at the age when one needs a confidont and a male body guard is not always suitable for a young woman of royalty."
Hearing this Katara wanted to cry, all her father wanted for her was to have a friend, and to know that his daughter was safe at all times. She put her head back down and thought of how awful she had treated him and if she had just kept her mouth shut she would be at home now with her friends going through the scrolls in the library and debating which eatery in the market place was the best.
"I'm sorry if I have offended you my-"
"Its alright Suki, and please call me Katara. I mean if my father truly wanted us to be friends then that is what I shall see you as." She said in a calm and reassuring tone. But on the inside the emotion that she was going through was ripping her apart completely. Turning with her back towards Suki she began to wrap her chiffon around her. When she finished she called Suki over and suggested that thy go find some lunch.
Walking down to the gala it was almost as if Katara's attitude towards Suki had changed completely, she was asking her questions and Suki truly felt that she wanted to be her friend, but she would not betray her promise to the Pharaoh, she would still serve his daughter as she wished.
"Suki." Katara said pulling her out of her trance.
"I'm sorry Katara, what was it that you had said?"
"I asked what you wanted for lunch, the cook says there is either salted pork or salted beef, they haven't had a chance to set out the nets yet so there isn't any fish."
Suki being used to the food on a ship, having traveled back from her own island to the land of Egypt with Kataras father, preferred salted pork over beef, mostly because of preference. Taking both of their bowls to the table and sitting down, Suki saw the tall man that was in Katara's room the night they had set sail.
"Katara, who is that man, I mean, well what I mean to say…. Is he your lover?" Asked Suki while looking down at her pork and rice as if it where the most interesting thing in the world.
"Who, Jet? Gods no, he's way too old for me. He's my body guard and messenger, but he is also a friend I have known him for a very long time." she said looking at the other woman wonder if there was something wrong with her lunch, but just as she was about to ask the man of their conversation came to join them.
"Hello ladies, beautiful day outside isn't it." Not really asking a question more saying something just to sit in their company. However they answered anyways.
"Yes it is, I spent a little time on the top deck of the ship sunbathing, but I was hungry so I decided to get some food, and Suki decided to join me."
Realizing that she could no longer just sit on the other side of Katara seemingly unnoticed by the other two she joined in their conversation "Yes, its quit beautiful outside this morning, it reminds me of my home; we have weather like this all the time."
"And where is it that you are from… Suki was it? If I didn't know any better I would say that you where from one of the western islands, with a name like that, but rumor has it that Cesar has been taking control of all of them." Just then Suki's eyes started to water. But thankfully Katara's obliviousness to other people's feelings kicked in.
"Yes," she said in an excited tone. " That's exactly where she's from, well one of the islands at least. Kyoshi, I'm sure you have heard of it in your travels Jet."
"Actually I have, I almost went there once but the call of duty rang, and I've never been as close since." Jet could sense that something was wrong she looked as if she was about to cry, so he quickly changed the topic. "So I was talking to the captain and was wondering where he should set his heading for?"
" Well where are we going right now?"
"At the moment, nowhere, we're just kind of sailing around, but he says well need to dock in at least two weeks, three at the most, so we can resuply the food and it wouldn't hurt to get off the sea for a bit, the bad seas will be upon us soon, so we'll need to find somewhere to dock while the storms are raging the seas."
Looking off into space Katara said softly, "Greece."
"What was that I could-" said Jet but Katara excitedly interrupted him.
"Greece! I want to go to Greece! I haven't been in years and years and the last time I was there I had such a good tome on the beach, have you ever been to Greece Suki?"
"Huh? No, I've never actually left the island before this, but I have heard fishermen, and traders who have gone telling stories of the white city with blue roof tops built on the side of a mountain." She said in a whist full tone. " I suppose it will be very beautiful."
"Yes it is, and if I'm correct they are in the middle of a celebration right now for one of their gods, so there will be lots of good food, and tons of good shopping. New Alexandria may be one of the best ports in the world, but almost everything goes through Greece." Katara was almost to excited to stay in her seat, as she was telling Suki about it.
They finished up their meal talking of everything from what they would do when they arrived in Greece from what they thought of the living corters in the ship. Finally Jet excused himself saying he had some important matters to talk with the captain about, leaving the two women to talk amongst them selves.
That night after dinner, Katara decided to go onto the deck and watch the night's sky. She had noticed it a little before, but hadn't really had a chance to see how magnificent it was when you where in the middle of the ocean. Just then she heard footsteps behind her, but paid them no attention because she already knew everyone on board being at sea for a little over a week now, so whomever it was she was sure she knew them.
"Hello Katara, it is alright if I address you in such an informal manor right?"
Yes captain Hahn, of course, I've decided that out here I'm just Katara." She said it with small smile as if by doing so would make everything right with the world.
"Very well. It's a beautiful night, isn't it? Usually at this time of year we have fairly cold nights, but it's been rather nice. I thing Poseidon might be favoring us by you being on the ship, Lady Katara." She had heard some of the Greek fishermen from the market talking of Poseidon, and had only assumed that Hahn had also been of Grecian decent. However his comment about him favoring the because of Katara made her blush, in fact the blush was so vibrant she had to look away. "Captain you say such silly things sometimes."
"As you say Katara." He said with a small chuckle in his voice. "Do you happen to know the constellations Katara?"
"I know a few, like the small watering cup and the big watering cup," she said pointing up towards the sky. "But I'm not really sure on the others."
"Well if you are going to be out at sea, you will have to lean the constellations, not knowing where you are in the world simply will not do on my ship." He said with a slight grin. " Come, I'll teach you some of them." He stated while grabbing her hand and guiding her over to a makeshift hammock made out of a fishing net.
As Hahn talked though the better part of the evening Katara could feel her eyes drooping until finally Hahn turned and spoke directly too her.
"Katara, you look a little tired, why don't we continue this lesson some other night?"
"That sounds wonderful. I didn't realize how tired I was, but I'm glad that you've taught me all of these; I promise wont forget it." She said standing from her place on the net, and walking down the cabin stairs to where the sleeping bunks where. But just as she was walking past a door she heard something that didn't sound normal to a corters hall, to her it almost sounded like a man who was having a hard time putting on a pair of boots, grunting and silently screaming yes. She could only assume that his boots, whoever this was, where way to small. Perplexed by the sound, but not enough t stop at the door to make sure the occupant was all right. She got to the door and stopped, when all of the sudden she heard what she thought to be someone calling out 'Suki' but that couldn't be, why would a man putting his shoes on call for her ladies maid? Instead she thought that maybe the man was now mad and was calling his boots 'stupid' and she just misunderstood. However Katara knew she shouldn't be listening outside someone's door, so she just waved off the thought and continued down the hall, only stopping when she reached her room.
The next morning it was hard for her to get up, staying up late was something she rarely did, and when she did, she was like a dead frog the next morning. But slowly getting up from her bed and stretching to soak in the afternoon sun, she put on some dressing robes, and headed out the door for the upper deck. Just as she was closing her door however, the door down the hall from her where she had heard the noises coming from the night before had opened and out walked Jet in his normal dressing attire.
"Good morning Jet, how are you today?"
"Oh, Katara, I thought perhaps you where up already, are you feeling alright?"
A bit irritated that he didn't answer her question she asked it again, but not before she answered his. "No, I'm alright I just stayed up late star gazing last night and I'm not much of a morning person after a long night. But how are you, it sounded like you were having a little bit of trouble with your boots last night, did they go on alright this morning?"
Red faced and deeply embarrassed Jet could hardly put a sentence together. "Yes they did, and…well um, I'm sorry… I have to, uhhh, go talk to the captain about some things that need to be attended too. Yes, so later then." And with that he left Katara alone in the hallway even more confused then she was the night before.
Up on deck there wasn't as much commotion as there had been the first few weeks. Men were sitting on the side drawing, or napping and a few even had a game of cards going. As she walked out to the bow of the ship the sea was calm and it was very refreshing although there was a slight breeze, the waters where as calm as the sands after a storm.
"Good morning Katara." Suki said with the cheer of a young child. "How are you this morning, I was a little worried about you. I was about to go in and check to make sure you where feeling alright if you had stayed in bed any longer, but I figured after that long night of star gazing with the captain." She said with a slight smirk in her tone, which made Katara start to giggle.
"It's not like anything actually happened," She stated in her defense. " Like you said, all we did was star gaze. It was actually pretty nice of him to teach me all of the constellations like he did, especially if we are going to be out here for a long time." But still she couldn't help but giggle a little at the thought of her falling asleep while Hahn was trying to tell her all of these constellations.
It was amazing how much Katara's attitude had changed in the last week and a half. In just the short time that they had been at sea, the two girls had become good friends, and come to know most everything about each other, mostly because on a ship there's nothing much to do if you are a women, so they spent their days talking and even playing a card game or two. However one day while they where on the upper deck in the middle of a very important game they they heard some commotion coming from the men.
"Over there!"
"Where I don't see what you mean?"
"Can't you see it, we can't out run it, and it's a three sail. Someone take her down to the hold."
Just then Jet and the captain came rushing up the stairs. "Katara you have to come with me now." Spat the captain, leaving no room for question.
"What do you mean, what's going on." Katara asked not knowing exactly how afraid she should be.
"Katara, the ship that is closing in on us is the Morte, it's a pirate ship led by the most feared pirate in all of the sea, and I mean even Cesar himself is afraid of him…. He has more trouble with Aang then any one. But the point is, he's going to board our ship, and if he finds you," He said not only looking at Katara but Suki as well. "Well… I don't want to think about it. So go with the captain, he'll put you in the hold and you stay there till someone comes to get you." This was said also with out any room for disapproval or question.
"Fine, let's go."
Quickly the two women followed the captain down the stairs through the cabin into a side staircase that fallowed to a storage hold, and there, behind some large crates was a hidden compartment.
"Get in, don't make a sound, and don't come out till we come to get you. No matter what you hear." And with that Hahn was off.
After a few minuets past and they heard yelling and some loud thuds, but just as the captain said Katara and Suki kept as quiet as possible. After the initial fighting had stopped, it got quiet, really quiet, so many things were passing through their heads at the same time, it was impossible to comprehend any of it. However a long while after the initial yelling, they heard what they thought to be footsteps of the captain or Jet coming down the stairs to tell them everything was alright and they could come out now. But then they heard strange voices, and realized that everything was not going to be alright. Katara started to cry and Suki mentally prepared herself for whatever was going to come through the small door to get them.
"They usually hide the hold behind a large crate or a pole, and it's just a small doo-" Said one voice as another one cut it off.
"Found it, I knew there was a reason I agreed to let you join my crew Zuko." Just then the door slammed open to a balled man with many piercing's, ear lobes the size of a mans fist, and tattoos covering what looked to be most of his body, and another man with dark shaggy hair who had only one tattoo across his left eye. Katara was frightened she whimpered back into the hold, tears streaming down her face. She had heard stories of what pirates do to captured women, however Suki was not about to let her lady or herself be taken by some filthy pirates. When the door opened, she shot out like a cannon attacking the closest thing in her reach which just so happened to be the shaggy haired pirate, hitting and kicking at whatever she could.
"Well that one's feisty Zuko, just your type." Aang said with a smirk, as Zuko rolled his eyes trying to gain control over the fighting warrior turned maid. Still whimpering in the hold, Katara could see Aang reaching in, and by that time he managed to pull her out, Zuko had knocked Suki unconscious. Katara looked over at the limp body in horror, she wasn't even sure if she was still breathing. Leading them up the stairs, carrying Suki's limp bodyin his arms, Zuko droped her on the ground next to the line of men. Katara had her first glance of the battle that took place. She found all of the men tied and gagged on the deck of the ship, some of them a little hurt, but all of them still alive, for this, Katara was very thankful.
When Jet looked up to see the shaggy haired man droped Suki's limp body to the deck, he tried to struggle to his feet to go to her, but his head was quickly met with the back of something extremely hard.
"Calm down lover boy, she's just taking a little nap." Said a crazy haired pirate, as Jet fell to the floor, unconscious.
Pulling Katara over to the side of the ship Aang grabed her sholders tightly. "Alright," said the heavily tattooed man. "I want answers, and I'm tired of being lied to."