SOJOURN IN SOLITUDE

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Avatar. That is that.

AN: Thanks for the reviews, sara, sokkantylee, Mr. Average, Akriloth Warrior, pink princess16, AvatarAiris, Guardian of Balance, little blueness.

Btw, please leave a review for this chapter. I will update when there are at least 10 reviews. Reviews give me inspiration. Thank you.

CHAPTER TWO

"Where exactly are we?"

Katara really didn't mean for the question to come out so bluntly so she immediately apologized for her rudeness and blushed a bright scarlet. To cover her embarrassment, she brought the cup of tea offered to her closer to her lips and sipped some. The sweet aroma of the herbs and the soothing warmth calmed her.

After all, her circumstances were rather peculiar. And that was putting it lightly. She had barely escaped imprisonment and certain death by poisonous green fumes. And the manner of her escape was most unconventional. And now she found herself indebted to someone whom she had always believed to be her enemy. But now, she wasn't so sure.

Then, there was his aunt.

Katara looked up again at their regal hostess. The lady was tall and elegant, with the same long, dark hair, pale skin, and golden eyes which were the characteristics of Fire Nation citizens. Her face looked kind but she also wore an expression of profound melancholy. Katara recognized the relationship between the lady and the prince almost immediately. They both had a certain mysterious and silent gravity about them.

More than ever, though she would never ever admit this in front of Zuko, Katara felt the humility of her origins as she stood in the presence of such a majestic lady. Zuko had called her a peasant and she knew it was true but never had she felt almost ashamed of her descent until now. Like Toph had said when they first arrived at Ba Sing Se, Katara was not properly trained in the refinements and niceties of polished society. And though she may have pulled it off when they attended the ball for the Earth King's bear, she knew that her humble impersonation paled in comparison to the refinement of true royalty.

Zuko, despite his simple Earth Kingdom clothing, still had the bearing of the prince that he was. Although not as arrogant or fastidious as she had first known him, she knew he still had the pride and confidence of someone descended from generations of Fire Lords.

And as for his aunt, whom he had introduced to Katara as the Duchess Melisande, his very own mother's twin sister, she had the bearing of a grave but fierce queen. And Katara, waterbending master though she was, felt small and insignificant in their presence. But Melisande had been very kind and obliging.

When they had arrived, Katara dragging an unconscious Zuko, the Duchess had expressed surprise. Apparently, the blast of unearthly light which had enveloped them as Zuko's flames died was not a Melisande's doing. But she was glad to have company and she welcomed them warmly.

"There is no need for titles here, my dear nephew," Melisande had said amusedly after Zuko's formal introduction, "after all, I am no more than an exile of our glorious Nation." The last statement was said in a tone of light sarcasm.

"That makes two of us then, Aunt," Zuko replied simply, unconsciously touching his scar.

Melisande's eyes had widened slightly at this. She gave her nephew a long and deep gaze. Katara's curiosity had been aroused by this mysterious exchange. Why did his aunt not know about Zuko's scar or his banishment? But then again, when she thought about it, Katara didn't really know much about Zuko in the first place. She didn't know why he was banished or how he got that scar. She didn't know what he was doing in Ba Sing Se (aside from the usual suspicions of him tracking them down.) But he hadn't been chasing them for quite some time.

For so long, he was merely the angry and determined Fire Nation Prince who was hell-bent on capturing the Avatar, the world's last hope for peace. And although they had had encounters with him on several occasions, she now felt like she was facing a total stranger.

"I see," she replied gravely, "I suppose we will have a lot of catching up to do later. In the meantime, Zuko, why aren't you introducing your lovely young friend to me?"

Both Zuko and Katara were taken aback by this. They were both unsure of how to proceed. It wasn't everyday that one was expected to introduce one's enemy to one's family.

"Well, Aunt," Zuko began hesitantly, "she's the Avatar's friend really. And she's a waterbender. And ..uh.."

"My name is Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, my lady," Katara said in her most refined manner. Zuko sighed with relief. The lady smiled at Katara.

"Then, it is a great pleasure to meet you, Katara of the Water Tribe," replied Melisande. "Tell me, what exactly is the nature of your acquaintance with my nephew?"

Upon seeing Zuko and Katara's embarrassed and awkward expressions, the lady laughed and decided not to pursue the subject just yet. But a twinkle in her eyes made Zuko uneasy. He wouldn't be able to avoid the strange explanations later. He never could hide anything from Aunt Melisande. And her eyes being just like his mother's didn't help at all. That gaze could see straight through his thoughts.

"Forgive me, I'm being a very ungracious hostess," Melisande said cheerfully, "why don't you both sit down, and rest. Something tells me you just came from a long and arduous journey. And would you care for a cup of tea? I may not make it as expertly as Iroh but I think I do tolerably well."

Zuko had cringed visibly at the mention of tea and had politely refused. Why, he thought exasperatedly, why is my family obsessed with tea?

Katara, seeing his reaction, suddenly remembered seeing him working at the tea shop in Ba Sing Se. The sight of the formerly proud prince serving tea to the middle class was quite funny, she thought. If she hadn't been so wary of Zuko and Iroh's presence in the city, she and Momo might have even had tea there.

All of that seems ages ago, right now, Katara mused, sipping more of the aromatic tea. The waterbender's musings were interrupted by the former duchess' reply.

"We are on the Isle of Azufre," explained Melisande, "a secluded island inaccessible to any of the Four Nations because it is surrounded by a vast and endless ocean. This is my home, and my prison."