New chapter alert! Just so everybody knows, Katara and Zuko are still fire and water benders. This story is also set toward the future a little (explanation in later chapters). Zuko may seem a little out of character at times, and so may Katara, but that's just because it fit better with the story. This pairing works so well together, don't you think? Anyways, enjoy the chapter!
STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY
I woke to the sound of yelling. Jumping out of my bed and throwing a light robe on over my naked body, I opened the door to the dancer's sleeping chambers. I ran down the hallway, following the noise of the two voices shouting. I climbed the stairs to the Fire Lord's sleeping chambers, and I heard my name being shouted by a familiar voice. It was Zuko, and he was arguing with his father.
Peeping through the crack of the slightly opened door, I saw the two shouting and waving their arms in the air. I blushed when I realized Zuko was topless, wearing nothing more than a loose pair of pants, but shook off the hormones and listened in to the conversation.
"But father, Katara is too young to be a concubine! She's fragile and still needs time to heal. Need I remind you that she was kidnapped from her tribe?!" Zuko shouted, and I smiled at my friend defending me.
Yes, believe it or not, Zuko and I are only friends. Nothing more. Though it may seem like we're a couple because of the way we act, it is just a game we enjoy playing. Since we are both of competitive nature, it seems only right that we duke it out to see who can hold off the longest when it comes to hormones.
Zuko's father's sharp voice brought me out of my thoughts as he said, "The waterbender is fast approaching her eighteenth year, which means she is required to become a concubine, as well as a dancer. I feel it is not fair to the other girls for her to remain simply a dancer just because you have pent up feelings for the little peasant." I cringed at the way he said the last word, and Zuko's face turned angrier.
"Don't talk about her like that! And so what if I have feelings for her? That has nothing to do with this! She's obviously disturbed by the idea, and I don't think its right to force her to do it!" I gasped and my heart pounded against my chest. Zuko had feelings for me? I couldn't help but look at him differently now, as if I actually had feelings for him too. I laughed silently at the thought, then looked up into his amber eyes. Those beautiful amber eyes that held so much emotion...so much pain...so much anger...
'Ah! Snap out of it, Katara! He's your friend!' The logical side of me screamed within my head.
'Yeah, but he's also a muscular, sexy, and no doubt delicious firebender.' Came the rebuttal from 'naughty Katara' as I liked to call her.
Yet again, Zuko's father's harsh tone tore me from my feuding thoughts. "Zuko, you are not to talk back to me like that! I am the Fire Lord and what I say goes, and I say that Katara is to be a concubine by her eighteenth birthday. Is that clear?" Zuko seemed to be hushed into silence as his father stormed angrily from the room into the adjoining bathroom. I was trembling at the tone of voice Fire Lord Ozi was speaking in, and I let out a breath I hadn't realized I had been holding in until now.
I peeped through the door and saw Zuko standing there, staring after his father. He turned back so that I could see his face and I saw he was shaking with anger. He tilted his head up toward the ceiling and let out a sharp breath, then yelled at the top of his lungs, tongues of fire spilling out of his mouth and licking the ceiling and walls. The fire that cracked in the fireplace came to life and seemed to explode slightly. As Zuko's frustration died down, he dropped his head and massaged the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger before saying, "Katara, I know you're there. Come here."
As if his voice controlled my limbs, I obeyed and walked into the room, clad only in my very revealing silk robe. "Zuko, I—" I began, but Zuko put his hand up to stop me.
"Please, don't talk, just listen." I nodded and he continued. "I assume you heard the entire conversation, so I'm not going to waste too much of your time on this," He paused for a moment, looking up at me and meeting my eyes for a millisecond before turning and walking toward the fireplace. "Katara, I'm really sorry. I tried, I really did. It's just...my father isn't one to make negotiations...it's a wonder that I got him to keep you alive." I gulped at the reference and he tensed up. "Okay, that came out worse than intended. But back to the topic at hand...I'm sorry to inform you that the day after tomorrow you will be working as both a dancer and a concubine...I really am sorry..."
The tone of his voice made me want to cry, and I walked over to him. I gave him a hug around the neck. "It's alright, Zuko. You tried, and that's all that counts. I'll be fine...at least it'll be a man that I don't know and will probably never have to worry about it turning into anything more than work." Right as I said this, Fire Lord Ozi walked into the room, glanced at me, then laid his eyes upon Zuko.
"Is this the girl?" Zuko only nodded and turned away from both me and his father. I focused my gaze on the roaring fire as his father spoke. "You are far more beautiful than I had taken notice of before..." This caused both Zuko and I to turn toward him, and he continued now that he had both of our attention. "It would be a shame for you to be roughed up by one of the many soldiers that reside here..." His eyes passed over my body, and I crossed my arms over my waist, regretting wearing such little clothing. "You are also an excellent dancer, good enough to be lead dancer for the royals. You are to be eighteen soon, are you not?" I nodded and looked down, tracing an invisible pattern on the carpet with my big toe. "Hm...I think I have a solution for our little problem...Zuko," He called to his only son, and Zuko looked up at his father with rage in his eyes, "Zuko, my son, I am assigning this waterbending peasant to you as your own personal concubine. Make me proud, son." My head snapped up, and I first looked at the Fire Lord, then at Zuko.
He was shaking again with anger, and for the first time since his father had entered the room, he spoke. "You're sick! How could you do that to her? And why would you think that I'd want a concubine, anyways?! I'm not a sick bastard like you!"
Ozi's eyebrows pinched together and he frowned. "Zuko, I'm surprised. Surely you'd be glad to have a beautiful woman such as this. And, there is no higher honor than to lay with royalty." He said, turning to me. I blushed and looked down again, rubbing my arm awkwardly.
Zuko snarled and clenched his fists. "Father, you're being rude. I'm not going through with this, and neither is she!"
"Oh, you are both going through with this because I command you to do so. If I hear so much as tell that you are not doing as I say, then I will have her thrown in prison for life! Do I make myself clear?" I nodded, officially scared, and I turned to Zuko, who simply whipped his head away from his father and crossed his arms. "Good. My final word on the matter would be that I do not wish to have any illegitimate children anytime soon...my dear, are you protected?" I nodded again, looking down at the floor again. It was a requirement for all dancers, concubine or not, to be on birth control medicine, just in case. "Excellent. Now, Zuko, take her to your room so she may get comfortable. Oh, and son?" Ozi paused, and I looked up into his eyes. They shone naughtily in the fire's light. "She looks like a screamer, so make sure to close your windows."
My mouth dropped open at this as Zuko's father turned and walked from the room. I side-glanced over at Zuko, and his facial expression was the same as mine. Finally, after about an hour of just standing there with our mouths open in shock, Zuko's face turned angry again. He grasped my hand gently and took me to his sleeping chambers. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears, and 'good Katara' and 'bad Katara' came back into my mind.
'Run away, Katara! Don't let him do it!' 'Good Katara' shouted.
'I say follow him. He'd never hurt you, right? Plus, he's probably a god in bed, so you've got that going for you.' 'Bad Katara' retaliated, smirking evilly.
I shook the two images from my thoughts as we entered his room. It was tidy and smelled like vanilla and jasmine, smelled like him. I had always loved the spicy-sweet combination of him, and I inhaled deeply as he sat me on his made bed. Before he went to unmake the bed, he turned to me with an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry, Katara. For my father, I mean. He's cruel and unfeeling and I'm pretty sure he doesn't have a heart and—"
"Zuko, it's okay." I cut him off, standing up and walking over to him. I placed a hand on his cheek. "I'm actually glad I'm with you and not some strange man that smells of sake. I like your smell much better."
He chuckled and set to unmaking the bed. "I'd like you to know that I'm not going to do anything you're not comfortable with, okay? We can put on an act so my father doesn't find out, but I'm not going to make you doing anything until you're ready."
I smiled and laughed a little. "Yeah, it's not like we don't already put on a show for the other dancers. Why not keep the act going?" He smiled at me and went over to close the window like his father had told him. I went to the other side of the bed and pulled at the sash that held my robe together. "Katara, what are you—" He began as it slid off of my shoulders, down my hips and legs and to the floor.
"I can't sleep in clothing; it bugs me. I hope that's alright." He simply nodded and went back to locking the window as I slid under the covers of his warm bed. Soon after I felt him slide in as well, and I looked over to see him facing the opposite direction of me. Frowning, I followed his example by curling up on the end of the bed not facing him. We fell asleep like that and stayed that way for most of the night.
Sorry for the extremely short chapter! I promise that the next one will be longer!