Summary: One-shot. Katara. Zuko. When infiltrating enemy territory, carry your dancing shoes and a good veil. AU. Zutara.
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar: The Last Airbender
This is my attempt at zutara. hope you like it.
Blue stars in your eyes
From what she could judge of the crowd at the town, it was a busy market day. Katara looked down from her vantage point on one of the hills surrounding the town of Wuzhen. Looking towards the sea, she could easily see the huge battle ship belonging to the Fire Navy, anchored out in the channel. Smaller, faster boats rocked gently beside the long, metal jetty at the docks.
Cutting away from the beach, a dirt path joined a stone-paved road leading inside to the market square. A grim smile slowly appeared on her lips. A paved road instead of a dirt track crisscrossed with ruts meant that people here were prosperous. There was bound to be work in a town of this size.
She turned to her brother, who was darting glances in all four directions. "I think I'll be alright Sokka. If we don't find food here, there's no point in continuing the journey anymore."
"We're still moving north, food or no food."
"How do you plan on travelling on an empty stomach?" Katara frowned. She swatted a tiger-wasp hovering too close to her face away. "If we don't drop of exhaustion, we'll probably get ambushed because our growling stomachs called out to every Fire Nation soldier from here to Ba Sing Se." She pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. "Don't fret, I'll get us something."
Sokka grimaced. He looked at the battleship anchored in the bay and felt a wave of sickness sweep over his body. "We don't have much time. According to the prophecy –"he stopped abruptly, shaking his head. He exhaled gustily, hung his head and turned to his sister dramatically. "Go Tiger, my prayers go with you, if we survive this night; I vow never to complain about your pathetic cooking." He held his hand to his heart and bowed low, like players did on stage. Katara rolled her eyes at his silliness, but she was glad he was no longer seeing gloom and doom everywhere he looked. A depressed Sokka was no good.
"Sure thing Sokka." She moved down the path to the street below. Sokka watched her for a moment before turning in disappearing in the dense foliage of the hillside.
X
Katara straightened her tunic and adjusted her hood so it hid the windswept mess that was her hair. They'd been travelling without rest for three days and worrying about personal appearance became difficult when you were running for your life. Any place else it probably wouldn't matter, but here, in the town of Wuzhen, her bedraggled look made her stick out like a sore thumb. People here looked well-fed, well-dressed and their condition seemed comfortable on the whole. Sure, they may not be wearing silks, but there were no patches on their clothes. The cloth of their tunics seemed sturdy, not worn. Children were rosy-cheeked and cheerful and the men and women too looked like they were in the pink of health. It felt as though the invasion had no effect on these people. The town was untouched by the spectres of evil the invasion had unleashed upon the rest of the colonies.
She followed the cobbled stone road to the centre of the town. A small market was set up all around the square. Katara's eyes grew wide as she looked at the stalls. Exotic fruits and vegetables from all over the four nations, flowers of every colour and hue imaginable, the smoothest velvet, the softest silk, muslin in all the colours of the rainbow, pitchers to hold water and oil. Honey, and figs, and cheese and wine; rope and strings, wood and twine, musical instruments, bamboo fountains, baskets and quilts, rugs, winding clocks, music boxes, necklaces, anklets, bangles and bracelets, wind chimes and garden tools, combs and mirrors, powder and patches, nectar and perfumes, drinking horns carved out of ivory and bone.
Her feet stumbled as she turned this way and that, trying to take in all the wonderful sights of the market. Faster and faster, her head whirled, leaving behind only the afterimage of the colours bursting forth from every corner. Finally, she stopped outside a small tea shop. It was very old, with small tables seating two at each and a narrow wooden staircase leading to a loft that housed more tables. The gentle whiff of aromatic tea in the air soothed her and she took a step forward. Katara found herself stepping into the shop and taking a deep breath before she could stop. She sank onto a wooden bench pushed into one side of the wall, inhaling the scent of the brewing tea.
A lady with long, glossy black hair sat behind the counter, competently taking orders. The tinkle of coins dropping into the till complemented her musical voice as she laughed and exchanged gossip with her customers. Her sharp eyes stopped upon Katara and she rose from her place and strode towards her. She held a gleaming brass tea pot carefully in her hands.
"Good evening. May I offer you some tea?" Katara stared at her and blinked. She quickly stood up from the bench and sheepishly clasped her hands behind her back.
"Uh, that's very kind of you but, I don't have much money with me. Definitely not enough to spend on tea." Katara shrugged and started to step away from the shop when the woman stopped her. She smiled amiably and firmly led Katara to a seat in the back of the shop.
"Sit. I'll get you a cup." She placed the tea pot on the wooden table and turned towards a cupboard. Retrieving two cups, she placed one in front of Katara and sat down. Lifting the tea pot easily, she tipped the flume forward. Both cups were soon filled with a sweet, honey-coloured beverage.
The lady picked her cup up and gestured for Katara to do the same. "I haven't seen you here before. I was born here in Wuzhen and I don't think I've ever seen anybody with your colouring before." Katara patted the hood of her cloak self-consciously.
"I'm new to Wuzhen. I've been travelling for a long time." She murmured softly, hoping that the teashop lady would not press for too many answers. She didn't know how safe this town was. Just the words 'Water tribe' were enough to set the vitriol rolling in most towns captured by the Fire Nation. She didn't want to think how inhabitants of this town would react.
"Yes, so you have." The lady set her cup down and stared pointedly at her. Katara managed not to squirm uncomfortably. The lady didn't press for any answers. She simply looked Katara over, her curiosity evident by the sparkle in her eyes but refrained from asking further questions. The two women settled into companionable silence, frequently broken by quiet sips of tea.
Somewhat emboldened by the warm tea, Katara decided to set about learning about the town. She needed to know where she could ask for work. And there was probably no other person who could answer her queries better than the tea shop lady. Nodding to herself, Katara leaned forward and softly cleared her throat. "Do you know where I could find some work? I really need the money." Before the lady could respond, Katara continued, "I'm very hard-working. Do you think you could tell me where to look?"
The lady furrowed her brows in concentration. Stroking her chin, she spoke slowly, as though carefully weighing her options. "You won't find much work during this season. There was an influx of refugees about a month ago. They do most of the odd jobs people want done around here."
Katara gripped the handle of her tea cup tightly. "But there has to be something, anything! I can wash dishes, clean and I'm not a bad cook either."
The lady exhaled softly. "Oh dear. You really do need the money don't you?"
"You have no idea." Katara muttered darkly.
The lady frowned, and then suddenly, clapped her hands and stood. "Come here." She grasped Katara's shoulder, pulling her along towards the window. "Look down there, do you see that?" She pointed down the valley. Katara looked down. Nestled amongst the rolling hills, hidden from view, there was a castle perched upon the banks of a wide river.
Katara felt her eyes grow wide. A Fire Nation flag snapped and fluttered in the wind on the battlements. The lady smiled. "A squadron of the Fire Navy has been stationed here since two months. They always need help there. Maybe if you ask for work, they'll hire you." She turned to see a frown on the girl's face. "Is something wrong?"
Katara shook her head slowly.
The lady smiled in understanding. "I know what you're thinking. A Fire Nation occupied castle – who knows what goes on there, right?" She shook her head. "These soldiers are different. Their commander is a good man. The soldiers behave themselves very well. We've hardly ever seen a soldier creating a ruckus in town. They pay for the goods and services they use and go back to the fort." She shrugged and her eyes were pensive. "It's not like the other occupied towns you would have seen – people don't get beaten, pretty girls and women don't disappear in the middle of the night because some fire bender took a fancy to them. We pay our taxes and they leave us alone."
Katara blinked. She couldn't believe any of the things she was hearing. It sounded too good to be true. The Fire Nation didn't leave anybody alone. They burned, and stomped and killed until nothing was left, except for the ashes of a life.
A thought snaked across her mind. "What if you don't pay your taxes?"
The lady frowned, pulled out of her reverie. "What?" She asked with a little confusion.
Katara took a deep breath. "What if you don't pay tax to them? What will they do?"
A wry smile wound around the lady's lips. "Well, then they put you in the dungeon and I don't know what happens after that. Nobody in this town is stupid enough to be caught defying them when we have it so good."
The sound of several people entering tea shop put an end to the conversation. The lady smiled and told Katara she was welcome to come back anytime. Katara thanked her and set off towards the fort, armed with the knowledge gleaned from the woman at the tea shop.
As she strode along the road leading down to the river, she thought of a number of reasons why this was a very stupid idea. She was going to ask for work in a Fire Nation fortress. Wonderful! This was exactly the sort of thing she'd been running from ever since that day when she and Sokka had left their village behind to fight a war that had come to their doorstep, a war they didn't want, a war they shouldn't have been part of. It had been fourteen years since the day she had first seen black snow, but she could still smell the smoke from the burned houses of the village.
Katara shook her head and tore her hood off her head. Shaking it out, she lifted it above her head and wrapped it over her hair like a sort of turban. She grimaced. It was better than showing up their looking like something that just crawled out of a ditch. It was no use thinking about all that. She needed to get some money.
X
Katara approached the fort with caution. A steady stream of people was making its way to the large iron doors. Sentries stood at every twenty paces up above on the battlements. Two men, probably benders leaned casually against the wall, watching the small crowd of people jostle about, trying to catch the attention of a man standing upon a raised platform. He wore glasses and held a piece of paper in his hand. He looked over the entire crowd.
"I need blacksmiths. Are there any blacksmiths here?" He called out. Three men raised their hands. He nodded at them. Katara watched as they were led inside the fort. She looked around. A man with a vegetable cart was having an argument over tomatoes with a portly man wearing an apron. The man called for a carpenter next, and two men followed him inside the fort. Seizing her chance, Katara pushed through the throng of people and was just about to dart inside the gate when the man with the paper returned.
He blocked her path and frowned down at her. "Where do you think you're going? This isn't a thoroughfare."
"I just wanted to ask if they need help - in the kitchens." She craned her neck and tried to catch a glimpse of what lay within the walls of the fort. But the man was having none of it. He clamped a hand down on her shoulder and pushed her back out.
"We don't need any more help in the kitchens. There are plenty of servants." He gestured towards the road, telling her to leave. Katara's heart sank but she refused to give up without a fight.
"But listen, I can clean, or cook, I can even sew!" She clutched at straws, trying to think of any skill that would be practiced by a relatively enterprising young woman that had nothing to do with bending. But the man simply shook his head and continued to push her out. Between her insistent needling and his emphatic refusal, they were causing quite a ruckus.
The two fire benders by the door began to approach. Katara bit her lip as she noticed a couple of sentries watching the argument from their perch on the battlement with interest.
"Afra, what is going on?" Another man appeared from behind the door. He was tall, his knee-high boots gleamed and he wore a bored expression on his face but his eyes glinted with the sharpness of a keen mind. Katara felt her nerves settle as she quickly backed away a few paces. This was not a man she would like to cross in a fight.
The man he'd called Afra pulled his shoulders straight and turned to him. "Commander, sorry for the disturbance sir. This girl was just leaving."
The Commander turned towards her. The bored façade didn't falter. "And why is she here in the first place?"
"She's just – "
"I came looking for some work!" Katara spoke up. The commander's eyes narrowed with interest and he looked her up and down, very deliberately. Katara swallowed. "I can cook, or clean or -"
"Can you dance?" He arched an eyebrow, watching her expression change from hopeful to mortified.
"Dance…I don't understand." She shook her head in confusion, carefully glancing at the man with the paper to gauge whether or not the commander was making fun of her. The man betrayed nothing that would tell her that she was being patronized or taunted. Apparently, the commander was serious.
The Commander shrugged, as though he didn't care one way or the other. "It's simple. We don't need any more help in the kitchen. But we do need somebody who can dance."
Katara didn't say anything. She didn't know much about dancing. The only dances she'd participated in were the Water Tribe dances back home, and those were more or less done in groups, soft, lilting movements that were meant to captivate and ensnare. She wouldn't dream of dancing in that sensual manner anywhere outside the Water Tribe.
The commander kept looking at her, as though waiting for her to answer even as another woman stepped up close.
"I can dance." Katara watched as both men standing before her turned to look at the woman. She followed suit and blinked. The woman was beautiful. She had long, dark hair that fell like a waterfall to her hips. Her eyes were green and she was lithe, like a panther. There was no change in the commander's expression. He seemed as bored as when he had first stepped into the conversation.
"Indeed."
Katara drew a shaky breath. She needed this and she refused to let go without at least fighting for it. "Wait." She watched the commander, who turned to her with a raised eyebrow. That was all the reaction she was getting out of him, apparently. She shrugged. "I can dance, no problem."
The corner of his lips curved upward. The man standing beside him blinked. "Commander Lu Ten?"
The Commander slowly tore his eyes away from her and glanced at him. "She will dance. Make sure she's ready when we call." He clasped his hands behind his back and walked away at a leisurely pace. He stopped by the vegetable man and picked up a tomato. He smiled as he tested the weight of it and gently sunk his teeth into its flesh. He quirked an eyebrow appreciatively and wiped the juice dribbling out of the corner of his mouth with a thumb.
Katara pulled her cloak close about her as a woman appeared and led her inside.
The man with the papers frowned as he watched her go, and quickly made his way to the commander. Shifting his feet, he shook his head and spoke, unable to contain himself. "Commander is it alright to engage an amateur for tonight. It's a daunting task to impress the prince."
Lu Ten chuckled. "Well of course, he wouldn't be Zuko if he were easily impressed, now would he?"
The man's eyes bulged. "You did it on purpose? But, why?"
Lu Ten swallowed the last of the tomato. He turned towards the river. "What did you notice about that girl?"
The man shrugged. "Not much. She's beautiful enough I guess, not as developed as the dancers we've had. Her colour is unusual but that's about it."
Lu Ten laughed. He shook his head and placed a hand on the man's shoulders. "Really Afra, you need to learn how to look at a woman."
"I don't understand." Afra blinked owlishly, thoroughly puzzled. He couldn't see what had the superior officer so impressed.
"Of course you don't." Lu ten replied shortly. He sighed. "You didn't see her blue eyes, didn't even feel the feline grace with which she moved. You didn't even notice the warm tone of her skin and you completely missed how delicate her hands were. You really need to get out of this fort more. The day you stop recognising and appreciating beauty is the day you sign your death warrant."
Afra let his shoulders slump and stared at the river with his superior officer, only he didn't see the mesmerising swirls of colour and light than Lu Ten did. "Well, I hope she's worth the trouble."
Lu Ten laughed. He clapped Afra on the shoulder. "She's worth it."
X
Katara watched with increasing apprehension as the woman pulled a medium-sized steel tub into the middle of the room. She opened a cupboard and pulled out a thick, coarse towel and laid it at one end of the tub. Dipping her hand into the water, she waved it around until Katara could see faint wisps of steam rising from the water. Her eyes widened. She'd never encountered a female fire bender before and this one seemed so normal. She shook her head.
The woman straightened and turned to Katara. "Well, what are you waiting for? Get in. We haven't got all day." She placed her hands on her hips and jerked her head towards the tub.
Katara whipped her head between the lady and the tub. She pointed at it incredulously. "That's for me? I mean, why?"
The woman rolled her eyes. "Dear sages! Girlie, aren't you going to be dancing for the gentlemen tonight?" She quirked an eyebrow up.
Katara laughed nervously. "Oh that, yes."
The woman smirked. "Well then, how do you expect to get any tips if you smell like a hog-monkey?" She pushed Katara behind a screen. "Come on, hurry up. Just toss your clothes over this side. I'll have them washed. They stink. How long have you been wandering about?"
Katara removed the hooded cloak and pulled her tunic off. She quickly undid her breast bindings and pushed her pants down to her ankles and kicked them away.
"Here," the woman tossed another towel over the screen. "You look like the shy type." Katara grimaced and wrapped the towel around her body. She slipped out from behind the screen and lowered herself into the tub. The warm water lapped around her body and she sighed in pleasure.
Suddenly, her head was pushed forward and a coarse brush was being scrubbed over her back. She yelped. "What?"
The woman shook her head. "Don't mind me. I have ten other things to do. I'll do your back. You can get the rest yourself." She ran the brush over her back and neck a few more times and tossed it over to Katara when she finished. Wiping her hands on her apron, she nodded at Katara, "I'll get your clothes. Do you need any instruments?"
Katara shook her head. "No." Instruments? She hadn't even decided what she was going to do for the dance. Taking a deep breath, she decided it would have to be one of the less provocative dances she'd learned when she was a little girl. There would be no flute and no drums so the effect would not be as tantalizing, which sat perfectly well with her. In a fort full of fire benders, the last thing she wanted to be was seductive. Groaning, she let her head fall back on the side of the tub. How did she get into scrapes like these?
X
The lantern hanging from the ceiling did not provide half the light to make everything visible, but that was probably a blessing in disguise. Katara glanced at the mirror and grimaced. The clothes – if she could call them that – consisted of little pieces of fabric sewn together. She looked like an appetizer. Katara groaned and slapped her hand against her forehead.
Ira, the female fire bender from before, chuckled at the horrified expression on her face. "Don't worry, you look lovely. Those men won't know what hit them."
Katara rolled her eyes. "Yes, that's what I'm worried about."
Ira bit her lip. She frowned as she carefully tied the ends of Katara's blouse behind her back. "Shouldn't you be used to this sort of thing, seeing as you're a dancer, especially an exotic looking one like you?" Katara stiffened. She turned to face Ira.
"I'm not really a dancer." She glanced up and waved her hands as a frown began to form on Ira's face. "I mean, I can dance, but it's not something I do for a living. I just told them I could dance because I really need some money for food." She turned to the mirror again and tugged slightly at the satiny blouse that revealed far too much cleavage than she was comfortable with and ended just below her breasts. It tied at the back in a simple knot, leaving her feeling vulnerable and extremely exposed. The outfit was completed with flowing, billowy pants like a belly-dancer's, which was what the fools had mistook her for. The only comfort she had was the veil. Nobody had to see her face. She pulled a corner of her mouth down bitterly. Of course, why should they be concerned with her face; her body was the only thing they would be looking at.
Katara felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She looked up. Ira looked at her sympathetically. "I'm sorry, girlie. I had no idea." She looked stricken with guilt. Katara blinked. Who knew Ira could be so sensitive underneath that gruff, smirking exterior?
She smiled reassuringly. "It's alright. And it's just one night. I'll be okay." She took Ira's hand and squeezed it to let her know she'd appreciated her concern.
Ira nodded slowly. "Girlie, I'll escort you to the hall and back again. No drunken idiot is going to mess with you while I'm around." She looked determined. "Come on."
X
The hall was lit with torches, casting a glow upon the tables laden with food and drink. The rumble of voices intermingled with raucous laughter and mirth. It was a night of celebration. Lu Ten had learned early in his military career that in order to keep the war machines moving, soldiers must be allowed to forget the horror of their daily lives. The legendary Dragon of the West, Lord Iroh had Music Nights. Lu Ten, following in the footsteps of his celebrated sire, organized performances. Jugglery, plays, magic shows and dance – this was his recipe to dispel gloom amongst his men and also to keep them in check.
Tonight was a little different. Lu Ten had a greater cause for celebration, because not only had his chief guest agreed to attend, he had done so without the usual complaining.
Lu Ten smiled widely as Zuko graciously accepted a second glass of wine and brought it to his lips. Catching his cousin staring at him in amusement, he put the flute down and scowled. "Alright, what is it?"
Lu Ten shrugged. "What is what?"
Zuko glowered. "You're staring at me."
Lu Ten grinned. "You're being unusually suspicious."
"I am not." Zuko curled his fingers into a fist. Lu Ten was up to something. He just knew it.
"Well, that's nice. Oh look at that!" One of the performers just swallowed a flaming sword. Lu Ten clapped his hands together and tossed a small moneybag at the man. "Well done, my good man. Bravo!"
Zuko smirked. He shook his head. Lu Ten was always so jovial. It was difficult to be so tightly wound up when he was with him. It was so easy to let go of his fears, his insecurities – it was enough to be Zuko. It was alright not to be a cold, calculating prodigy who did everything so perfectly. His thoughts were cut short as Lu ten tapped his arm.
Zuko glanced at him. Lu Ten grinned conspiratorially. "Pay attention now, we're about the witness the highlight of this evening." He leaned back in his chair and waved at some unseen person standing behind the curtains.
Zuko sat back, propping his elbow on the arm of his chair, his knuckles resting against his cheek. A woman brought in a harp. She was dressed in a nondescript grey dress with a light-coloured apron tied around her waist. She settled down upon a stool and waved her fingers over the strings. Soft, lilting tones floated through the hall and little by little, all conversation died out as one by one, each man turned to the music. A slow spell weaved over them, and they relaxed, feeling their muscles loosen as the notes rose and fell with the caresses of the woman's fingers on the harp.
Zuko felt his eyes grow heavy when suddenly the silvery tinkle of a tiny bell nudged him awake. He sat up and looked towards the entrance to the hall.
A woman stood there - a dancer. Her dark hair fell in waves around her shoulders, stretching past her back to her hips. She wore a jewelled ringlet on the crown of her head with a pear-shaped drop resting in the middle of her forehead. Her arms were held high above her head and her hands turned delicately, her fingers curling and curving with the music. She moved forward into the light and Zuko felt the air rush into his mouth as he sucked his breath in quickly. Her neck was bare but that only served to accentuate the fragile lines of her collarbone and the tantalizing swell of her breasts.
Zuko narrowed his eyes. Her skin was dark, rich and exotic, like nothing he'd ever seen before but nothing prepared him for the jolt that raced through his body as she lifted her eyes and looked straight at him. Over the veil that hid her face, her eyes gleamed like sapphires. Zuko clenched his jaw and pressed his nails deep into his palm to stop the sudden tingling in his veins at the sight of her sinuous, flexible body weaving and flowing in front of him.
Her waist curved and she turned, her body fluid like water, twisting and turning as the music began to play faster. Zuko felt his jaw clench as she nimbly climbed up onto the table, flashing her leg briefly through the treacherous folds of her billowing pants. A man seated there tried to grab her but she slapped his hand away with her foot. Zuko grinned even as some claps and appreciative whistles sounded out inn the room. With delicate steps, she turned and twirled upon the table. Her feet seemed to glide between the plates and cups kept on the table.
Zuko suddenly frowned, realizing that she was coming closer and closer to him. He pressed his knuckles against his lips, watching her as she made her way over to him. Just before she reached him though, she pulled her body straight and back-flipped off the table. Now, standing before him, she began to dance once more. Her hips swaying, her arms waving in slow circles, she turned and began to bend backwards, her arms making waves by curling, lower and lower she went. His breath stuck in his throat as he watched her. The ends of her hair touched the floor, the swell of her breasts strained against her blouse and the top of her head touched the ground for merely a second before she flattened her shins on the floor. Twisting, she rose with breathtaking flexibility and ended her dance. She knelt on the ground.
Everyone sat in stunned silence for a few seconds before thunderous clapping and loud whistling echoed in the hall. Zuko sat as still as a statue, still trying to absorb what his eyes had seen. The dancer refused to raise her head; she kept staring at the floor. He watched as she clenched her hands together and how she seemed to be shrinking inside her body now that she wasn't dancing.
Lu Ten stood and pulled another bag, this one considerably larger than the last, and gestured to the woman at the harp to take it. "I am glad I was not mistaken regarding your talent." The girl bowed her head slightly. She was about to stand when Zuko heard himself speaking.
He hadn't meant to say anything but he did so before he knew it. "Wait." He pulled a golden chain from around this neck over his head and tossed it over the table. The chain skidded across the ground and stopped at her feet. The girl stared at it.
Katara could not believe her eyes. The chain was beautiful, it shimmered in the torchlight. Fingers quivering, she picked it up and held it against her chest. She bowed formally, like she had seen people in the Earth Kingdom do, placing both hands flat in front of her and bending forward. She rose to leave.
Zuko watched the girl stand and turn to leave. Once again, his heart hammered in his chest just like before. He bit his lip. He wanted to see her face, if only for an instant. It would drive him crazy knowing that the image of her eyes was stamped indelibly upon his mind but he had no face to connect them to. He couldn't let her go without seeing if her face was as beautiful as her eyes were.
"Wait." Lu Ten turned to him with a knowing smirk on his face. Zuko ignored him. He gestured to the veil. "Remove your veil."
Katara froze. She bit her lip and stepped back. No! That veil was the only thing protecting her identity. She couldn't stand for these men to look at her with the lust she saw so clearly in their eyes and know her face. She couldn't. She stared at the ground and didn't move.
The soldiers gathered in the hall glanced at Zuko. The prince was always quiet. But his quiet demeanour did not indicate a quiet temper. The Fire Lord's family was renowned for being volatile. They had seen flashes of that notorious temper themselves. Some of them looked sympathetically at the girl. They hoped she would not be punished too badly for defying him.
Lu Ten looked from Zuko to the girl. He had expected Zuko to be impressed but he had not expected this. Quickly, he cleared his throat and ordered his men to leave. Dance Night was over. Zuko didn't stir neither did the girl. They both stayed glued to their spots, neither attempting to make a move.
Lu Ten glanced at the girl. "Well, it's just us now. You can take the veil off, you know."
Katara quickly calculated her chances of breaking out of the fort if she refused. Sure, maybe they wouldn't insist on it but who was she fooling? They were Fire Nation. They didn't back down. They never stopped fighting. They would not let her go without seeing her face. So she nodded slowly. Fingers fumbling, she untied the knot at the back of her head, securing the veil to her face. She pulled it away from her face and slowly, cautiously looked up.
In the dim light of the torches, she could make out the dark outline of the man seated in the armchair. He had dark hair that fell around his face in shaggy bangs. His eyes gleamed even in the dark, and she felt a chill run down her spine as those pale-golden eyes locked upon her face. He stood and walked out from behind the table and towards her. She took a step back involuntarily.
As he stepped into the light, she bit back a gasp. This time when he drew near, her blood raced with more than just nervousness. She had not expected him to be so attractive. High cheekbones accentuated his straight nose and firm, pale lips. His eyes were the colour of the sunset reflected on the waves of the sea and right now, they seemed into bore into her without restraint. She took a ragged breath and knelt quickly so he wouldn't see the redness of her cheeks.
Zuko looked at his hand and turned it over. He slowly pulled out a ring from his index finger. It was a golden ring with a large sapphire set into it. He placed the ring before her and leaned forward, "You are worth much more than this. But right now, this is all I have."
He stood and as he stepped past her, he slipped his hand underneath her hair and stroked the nape of her neck. Katara gasped. He stepped away.
"I will expect you back tomorrow."
X
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