Butterflies and Hurricanes
Chapter Two
The voyage to the Fire Nation was new to me in everyway possible. I had travelled by water in my dreams and memories, but the physical act of it was quite different. The tossing and swaying of the ship was damnable in my opinion, and my stomach agreed. I found it quite ironic that I, an apparent member of the Water Tribe, succumbed to seasickness so easily.
Another thing that I was thrown by was that I was not required to serve the superiors on the ship. Instead I was given a small room close to Governor Ontai's and I received training in how to be an 'acceptable' personal servant.
"Katara are you listening?"
Katara turned her eyes away from the sliver of sky that was visible through the high set window, and focused her attentions on the woman before her. Lei had a deeply lined face and yet few grey hairs, and Katara could tell she was younger than her appearance would have anyone believe.
Lei had worked in servitude for as long as she cared to remember and knew the dealings of the Fire Palace like the back of her knotted hand. She was Katara's tutor and mentor, but the young girl cared not for any of her teachings. Katara could tell already that life in the Palace was going to be riddled with rules and limitations, and it did little to stoke her optimism.
She already felt like a prisoner, trapped in the middle of the ocean with no way back to everything she ever knew; and it would be worse once they reached the Fire Nation and its grand palace. She would just be a dull, unhappy bird locked in a gilded cage.
"Katara!"
The girl jumped at Lei's harsh tone. The older woman sighed and softened her face slightly. "You must stop falling into these daydreams Katara. A good servant is always alert to the needs of their master and -"
"If I wish to escape punishment I will never appear to be focused on anything other than my master. I know."
Lei sighed heavily. "I know you know, but you must put it into practice. Life is going to be very different from now on Katara, times are changing for you."
"Not for the better," Katara spat out bitterly.
"They'll have you lashed for speaking like that you know."
Katara didn't even bother looking at Lei directly. She was well aware of the possible punishments that could befall her. Lashings, beatings, deprivation of sleep, not to mention the withdrawal of food privileges. Nothing too drastic that would keep her out of action of course; where would her use be then? She had to make sure she kept an acceptable front up at all times; subservient, respectful, agreeable and privileged. Disgusting.
Katara knew all of what was to be expected of her. She had memorised her daily duties (not counting any errands her 'mistress' would have her perform) and she knew the main traditions that the Fire Nation held stock by, after all it was important that a good servant could fit neatly into place.
Katara was forced to sit through several more hours of Lei's teachings before the woman left her for the night; she moved around her room, changing out of her new Fire Nation clothes (red, as foreign on her skin as the people around her). The young girl sighed and fell onto her bed, turning her head to look once more at the star speckled sky that was visible from her small window. Everything that Lei told her was carefully stored in her mind, even if she seemed uninterested in any of the woman's words.
She searched the night sky for familiar stars and constellations, imagining that she was viewing them from the home she could not remember. Soon she would start a new life in the Fire Nation, but for now she would make believe.
--------------------------------------
"Prince Zuko, you must concentrate on your breathing."
The young Firebender gritted his teeth at his mentor's words. He was breathing damn it! What wasn't helping his concentration was the girlish giggling that echoed around the room. He cast a surly glance towards the balcony that overhung the training arena.
Sure enough he was greeted by his sister's smirking face as she casually leaned against the balcony railing. Zuko also had no trouble identifying the source of the giggling. It could only come from Azula's pink clad friend, Ty Lee. Azula's final friend was nowhere to be seen; Zuko would bet that Mai was sulking in the shadows, after all the girl was certainly creepy enough. He never saw the girl smile and she hardly ever talked, she had turned thirteen almost a week ago and Zuko knew that her parents would be arranging her a betrothal soon enough.
He snorted, what a fun marriage that would be.
"Prince Zuko, run the set again."
He shifted his attention back to his mentor, Uncle Iroh. Ever since he had returned from Ba Sing Se without his son, his passion for the workings of war had died out completely. Zuko could not help but feel it was a shame; Fire Nation military had lost a great General.
Inhaling deeply the Prince lost himself in his native bending.
----------------------------------
A pair of golden eyes stared back at me from the liquid mirror, but they became nothing more than blurs as I plunged my hands into the wash basin in the corner of the arena. Bringing the water up to my face, I sighed in relief as the droplets cooled my flushed cheeks.
Uncle Iroh had left the room moments earlier and I planned to follow his lead, that was until a grating voice bore into my skull.
"Why hello brother."
Zuko groaned and snatched up the scarlet towel that lay next to the wash basin. Drying his face quickly he discarded the towel and turned to face his sister, as per usual she was flanked by Mai and Ty Lee.
"What do want Azula?"
The thirteen year old princess pouted. "What, no hello for your baby sister?"
"I am in no mood for your games Azula." Zuko snapped and turned to leave the arena.
"No, I suppose you aren't after the shambles that was your training session."
So easily baited, the Prince froze and tensed his shoulders. Azula smirked and Ty Lee tittered while Mai appeared bored by the whole event.
"Aw, don't feel bad brother, after all not all of us can be prodigies. I'm sure you'll find something you're good at soon enough Zuzu."
"Don't call me that!" Zuko angrily faced his sister. "My Firebending is coming along just fine, great in fact! I'd be careful Azula, if you're ego inflates any more you won't be able to get that head of yours out of the door."
Ty Lee snorted behind her hand and Azula's eyes narrowed. "I was just expressing my concerns that Father will be most unimpressed by your progress Zuko."
The Prince's eyebrows un-creased slightly. "What does Father have to do with this?"
"Didn't you know? He wants both of us to give him a performance of our bending skills a week from now. He wants to see proof that we are working to uphold his good name. You'd better put some extra work in Zuko or you'll never catch up."
Zuko sent a withering glare in his sister's direction and stormed towards the arena doors. He paused to allow Mai's mother to pass him before heading in the direction of his chambers.
From within the training arena he heard Mai's mother address her daughter. "Mai, you're father's back and he's brought you a present!"
----------------------------------
The Fire Nation capital, Roiyaru-Tokai was a complete culture shock to me. I had spent my childhood in a bustling port town, but nothing could have prepared me for the world I looked upon now. There was red and gold pressing on me from all sides as Governor Ontai's carriage led us towards the palace overlooking the town.
The palace itself was as imposing as the man who lived there, a high wall circled its perimeter and the central pagoda like tower leered over the whole city. The buildings all around me were constructed similarly to the palace, with sandy coloured walls and blood red roofs.
We trundled down the central market street, making a straight line from the docks to the palace gates. Market stalls were propped up on the length of the street and Fire Nation citizens meandered between other shoppers and cleared a path for our procession.
I focused on the people outside the carriage, not even glimpsing anyone who had the distinctive dark skin of the Water Tribes. I did however, see some Earth Kingdom citizens, and from their Fire Nation garb I gathered that they too were slaves or servants.
The whole city seemed to run as one smooth machine and it scared me. This new world was drenched in silks and riches I had only ever heard of in stories and everyone seemed to have no trouble taking such perfection in their stride.
I was not fitted for life here. I had been drilled on proper etiquette and how to best serve my betters, and I knew I would have little trouble doing what was asked of me. My discomfort came from the fact I was never going to be able to fall neatly into place like the people outside the carriage. They were all well bred clones, pale skinned and draped in silk. Even those from the Earth Kingdom could disappear into the crowd, there were many of them and I was sure they were not even sparred a second glance from the natives.
I would be the only Water Tribe member for miles around, a rarity, an oddity, a freak. I looked down at my hands folded neatly in my lap and grimaced. The short, red cotton cheongsam that I wore over brown cotton breeches could not hide who I was. Even the flat black boots that came over my trousers were standard issue for all servants, and yet I knew that I would fool no one, whether I was wearing Fire Nation colours or not.
The carriage came to a jolting stop as the gilded gates of the palace came into view. After a moments pause, the gates swung inwards and the carriage resumed on its journey to the ever closer palace. Katara twisted around in the plush seat and looked at the city once more.
The whole capital was built on a slope, with the palace overlooking the city and its citizens; Katara could still see the docks in the distance and if she looked hard enough she could just make out the shape of one the many islands that made up the Fire Nation lands.
A footman opened the door next to Ontai and he climbed out gracefully, leaving Katara to stumble after him. The tropical climate rushed to meet her and she narrowed her eyes at the glaring sun overhead.
Staying a few steps behind the Governor, Katara kept her eyes to the floor and followed the man who had bought her. The high ponytail that Lei had fixed her hair into fell over her left shoulder and it was all Katara could do not to fiddle with her hair.
Glancing up Katara saw that they were walking through the outer gardens. Lei had explained the palace briefly to Katara; once inside the outer wall there was a large expanse of gardens that ringed the palace, on special occasions or celebrations, these gardens were open to the public, a show of goodwill from the Fire Lord.
After the outer gardens came the main palace itself, where most of the royal proceedings took place, and where aristocrats like the Governor and his family were housed. Within the main palace lay the royal gardens; a large courtyard only looked upon by the epitome of class. Finally, in the midst of the highly maintained gardens lay the royal tower. Katara had no trouble visualising the Fire Lord's home as it loomed overhead even as she recalled Lei's words. The tower was where Lord Ozai concocted his plans to make or break peace with his most trusted advisors and generals; it was also where the royal family slept and spent most of their time.
Lei had told Katara that most of her time would be spent within the main palace, unless of course her mistress (who was apparently good friends with the Princess) wanted her to accompany her to the royal gardens or into the royal tower itself.
Arriving, finally, at the main palace, Katara saw Lei, who had apparently been walking somewhere behind her, depart from the procession and head to a well concealed door a small distance away from the main doors.
Katara could only guess that that was the servant's entrance and led down to the kitchens, she wondered briefly whether she should be following Lei, but General Ontai paused in from of her and turned his head.
"Katara, I think it would be best for you to meet my daughter. You will after all, be under her command."
-----------------------------------
I stormed from the direction of the training arena and weaved my way through the palace. I could distinctly feel a headache forming between my eyes and I grimaced. Uncle often told me that I was for too young to get so stressed. I suppose he had a point, most fourteen year olds didn't reach breaking point as easily as I did, but then again most fourteen year olds did not have a sister like Azula to contend with.
I breathed in a sigh of relief as I stepped out into the royal gardens, my mother's gardens. She had truly relished sitting by one of the numerous streams under the shade of a sakura tree. It was for this very reason that I kept my eyes turned from the many bridges and small streams and ignored the sounds of the turtle-ducks as I strode towards the inner tower.
I navigated the stone cloisters, passing the long fountain where Azula and her friends would often make terror, and soon entered the tower. I glanced carelessly around the room where my mother and I would read letters from Uncle Iroh when he was away from home, and slipped through a side door, heading up the many stairs that would take me to my room.
Azula and I both had rooms on the floor third from the very top of the tower, my father's war room laying above us, and my father's living chambers above that. Needless to say, I was feeling the effects of such a climb by the time I reached my room and I fell gratefully onto my bed. I rolled myself over and stared up at the gilded wooden canopy that surrounded my bed. Sighing I sat up and stared out of the door that I had left open, letting my eyes follow the narrow blood red carpet that ran from the door to the platform on which my bed was raised; the only break in the mass of peach marble that paved the expansive room.
I clambered over the length of my bed and glanced to the large window on my left. The sun was still rather high in the sky, meaning I still had a reasonable amount of time before dinner. Finally getting off the bed, I headed for the washroom concealed by a large paper screen and began purging the after effects of a day of training from my skin.
Zuko sighed in relief and comfort as he returned to his sleeping chamber, and promptly grimaced when he saw Azula leaning against the doorframe, looking rather small in the large space left by the open door.
"What do you want?"
Azula grinned and turned her head to face her brother. "Really Zuzu, you could do with a lesson in manners."
Zuko growled lowly in his throat and stalked closer to the younger girl. "I swear to Agni, if you call me that name once more I'll-"
"Relax," Azula smirked and turned her head away again. "I just came to give you a bit of gossip."
Zuko snorted derisively and marched past Azula. "What makes you think I care about your mindless gossip?"
He was slightly irked when she made no move to move from his bedroom when he was so obviously leaving.
"I suppose you're right." That stopped Zuko dead in his tracks. Azula, admitting he was right? "I just don't think you are going to believe what Mai's father has bought her for her birthday."
-----------------------------------
I apologise for the lapse of time between updates but I've been rather busy. I got my final high school exams back and I am extremely pleased with the results, in fact I have never been happier in all my sixteen years! I am also preparing to begin my first year at college, but I have another week and a half before that so I will try to update again before school work is once again forced upon me.
I'm sure you'll forgive my interpretations of the Fire Lord's palace, I was just going with my imagination and the small amount we have seen of the gardens in the show. However, the description of Zuko's bedroom was aided by the flashbacks in 'Zuko Alone'. That child seriously had a nice bedroom!
I really appreciated the encouraging reviews from last time, I hope you enjoyed this chapter just as much.
