Writerswand
Boiling Water
Chapter 3

Katara

A soft knock on the door echoed throughout the room as the fire crackled in the fireplace. I jumped off the bed and brushed down my new, red, flame patterned dress. I went to open the door but withdrew my hand when I remembered something Lady Ursa had told me.
'Do not open the door for anyone unless I say it's me, you don't know if that person will take kindly to you being here or not.' I nodded my understanding as she turned on her heel and left the room, closing and locking the door behind her. Her voice rippled through my ears. Her pale face, long dark hair, and kind, dark eyes forever sketched into my memory. You could say she was kind of like a second mother to me, despite me not knowing her for very long.
"Will you please open the door for me Katara? Lady Ursa told me to give you some supper," said a feminine voice from behind the door. It sounded strained, aged, but kind.
I decided to trust her. I twisted the knob but the door was locked.
"Oh, almost forgot, the Lady slipped me a key," she said as a golden key slid under the door. I picked it up, unlocked the door and then set it on the table beside me. I opened the door and shut it quietly after a pale skinned, white haired kindly, elderly looking woman entered.
"Where's Lady Ursa?" I asked after she set the tray of food on the table by the end of the bed.
The woman sat on the end of the bed as I stood by the door. She sighed. "I'm not sure if you will be seeing her anytime soon, maybe not ever again, if my hunches are right she was banished because of you," she told me.
"Because of me?" I asked confused.
"The Lady helped you, a water bender. She's a traitor now; the Firelord doesn't take kindly to that. Take it as a token of gratitude, bless the girl's heart," she explained, putting it simply.
I nodded, a little sad. She got herself banished, for me! She had two kids to take care of too!
"Lady Ursa asked me to take care of you. She told me you seem like a good little girl and that she thinks that you will grow up to be a wonderful, beautiful woman, My name is Ozana, I wouldn't leave the room for a bit, until things cool down, if you need anything hang this outside your door," She handed me a white lotus flower.
I nodded as she sighed and left the room. I didn't get what the lotus flower symbolized, if it represented anything at all, but I set it on the bedside table anyways. I sat on the bed and picked up the tray. I set it on the bed and pulled my feet up onto the bed. I was barefoot. I crossed my legs as I pulled the tray closer to me. There was a bowl of steaming soup, part of a loaf of bread, and a tea cup of...milk. How did she know I hated tea? Maybe she suspected it because I'm only seven and most children don't like tea? Must be a grown up thing I guess. Maybe I'll like it when I'm older. I picked up the bread, it making a loud crunching sound.
Bread was a delicacy back in the Southern Water Tribe. We sometimes didn't even get it once a year! We only were able to eat some when the Traders came back from the Earth Kingdom with it and other trade items. Gran Gran once told me you could tell how bread was by the sound it made. That loud crunch must have met that bread was good. I say was because I already finished it. After eating such good bread I quickly drained the bowl of soup. It was hot and it burned my tongue and throat but it was still delicious. I quenched by burning throat with the cold milk. The soup wasn't spicy so the hot sensation went away after I drained the cup if it's milk. I placed the tray back on the table and fell back onto the soft bed wondering what there was to do in this room.

Zuko

I lay in my canopied bed in my red room. My bed was made and I lay on top of the covers as I was careful not to mess up Ozana's work. My head and upper body rested against my beds numerous red pillows. Ozana was by far my favorite servant. She was almost like a second mom to me. Azula didn't like her much. No wonder why. You could say Ozana was Azula and my caretaker. She does a lot for us. Azula said she'll be doing a lot more since of what happened last night, I don't get that. I don't believe her. Azula always lies. I sat on my bed thinking, just thinking. One memory kept creeping into my thoughts, I couldn't not think about it, wonder about it. What if Azula had been telling the truth...?

I lay in my bed on a day much like this one but I was a little younger. Azula skipped into my room.
In a singsong voice she sang: "Dad's going to kill you,"
I sat up in my bed, messing up Ozana's careful work, surprised. "What! Where did you hear this?" I asked, but I already knew. She eavesdropped on private conservations, that's Azula for you.
"I overheard Father and Grand-Father speaking, something about Father stealing Uncle's throne and he must be taught a lesson: 'you must lose your first born son just as Iroh had.'" Azula's imitation of Grand Father's voice wasn't half-bad.
My eyes grew wide as I spoke in a shaky voice. "Dad wouldn't do that to me."
Azula laughed as she skipped out of my room, her message has been received, her job was done.
I sank down into my pillows, hands on my arms, eyes wide...

I bit my lip. This happened a few years or so ago and nothing of the such has happened. My life hasn't been close to death at all, unless you count being bitten by a turtle-duck. I wonder sometimes.
I jump and almost fall out of the bed, startled, when Ozana walked in.
"Zuko? You seem...tense," she said softly, holding a tray.
I shook my head. "I'm fine."
Ozana didn't seem convinced but she nodded and handed me my breakfast tray.
"Where's mom?" I asked. Normally she takes my tray from Ozana and delivers it to me herself, if I'm not up already, this being one of those days.
Ozana bit her lip and I knew she was hiding something from me. "I'm not sure, maybe she's busy, overslept. How am I supposed to know! I'm not her babysitter!" she snapped, though I know she was lying through her teeth.
I nodded and bit into my apple. Ozana turned and left. When I finished I left my tray on my bed and ran down the red hallways to my Father's throne room. My feet pounded loudly against the metal floors and my reflection shone in the shiny floors. The walls were draped in Fire Nation emblems. I finally reached the red throne room. Anyone who's new to the palace would find it annoying, so much red! My Father sat up in his high throne chair at the end of the long room, surrounded by tall walls of fire, giving him the dark, ghostly silhouette of my Dad. I walked closer; just close enough so we could hear each other but not so the fire would be too hot.
"Where's mom?" I asked.
He didn't answer, but just stared at me coldly. My eyes grew as I ran out of the room and through the hallways until I found Ozana.
My eyes must have been teary or something because she stopped and her voice was soft and sweet. "What's wrong Zuko?" she asked.
"Where's mom?" I choked out between ragged breaths and contained sobs.
Ozana sighed. "I guess you would find out anyways, better me then someone else...Zuko, your
mother's been banished."
We stood there in silence for a few moments as my jaw dropped, my eyes grew and I felt as if my whole world fell to pieces, melt, blew away. "W-Why?" I stuttered.
"For being herself," Ozana said simply before leaving.
I wanted to know more but didn't bother to ask. I couldn't bring myself to ask anything more. Instead I walked over to a wall and slumped against it. My mother had been banished. One of the few people who actually cared about me. Probably the only person who cared about me who had influential power. Now that mom's gone, will Dad kill me? With her out of the way will he? I bit my lip. I didn't want to die. Then I remembered something.

Uncle.

Uncle wouldn't let me die. If he was still around I'll be safe...right? I was so confused, but I decided this was weak and...well...a little girly, yes, I said it. I stood up and wiped the tears from my eyes, fortunately no more fell. I started walking to Uncle's Quarters; I needed someone to talk to at the moment.

A Few Weeks Later

I was walking through the hallways, a little on edge. I glanced over my shoulder repetitively, not being able to calm myself. 'Zuko it's fine, everything's alright,' I kept telling myself as I walked. Remembering Uncle's voice was calming too. I was walking down a hallway when something caught my eye. I stopped abruptly and turned to face the door. A white lotus flower lay positioned on the door knob. I gently picked it up by one of its delicate white petals and held it in my palm. I looked at the pretty flower confused. Lotus flowers didn't grow anywhere near the palace. I wanted to know what it represented, if anything at all.
I decided to go into the room. I silently opened the unlocked door. Inside the fully lit room was...Uncle and a little girl. Uncle sat on the end of the bed and the girl sat about a foot away. Her eyes were teary and red rimmed then. She must have been crying, but not anymore. She laughed at something Uncle said.
The girl looked up and saw me. Tears formed in her eyes but none fell. Why did she want to cry when she saw me? Uncle saw me as well and stood up. He said something to the girl softly and she nodded. Uncle walked up to me and gently took the lotus flower from my hand and placed it on the table by the door. He nodded for me to leave, I did, he followed, shutting the door softly behind him. I looked at him confused.
"The little water bender," he said softly.
"The last one of the Southern Water Tribe?" I asked, remembering what Azula told me a while back.
Uncle nodded. "It's her eighth birthday today."
I nodded, feeling resent towards the girl. Sad cause no one came to her on her birthday? Come on.
Uncle shook his head, somehow reading my face. Was it that easy to read? He's always said I'm an open book, Azula a closed one, whatever that meant.
"She has a reason to be very sad, her birthday made her remember that she was taken away from everything she knew, her tribe, her family, her brother, her Father went away to fight in the War, her mother was killed by the general who brought her here..." Uncle trailed.
I nodded, understanding, a rush of pity and emotion flooded through me, directed towards the little girl in that little room. She was only eight, Azula's age but she doesn't count, and this is her first birthday away from everything she loves and cares about.
"What's her name?" I asked.
"Katara," Uncle told me.
Katara...that's a pretty name.
"Zuko...I want to ask you to do a small favor for me," Uncle began.
"What?" I asked.
"Well not precisely for me," Uncle gave a little grin.
Oh no...
"I want you to bring Katara out of the room, show her around, show her the Fire Nation can be kind, treat her as a friend, a sister, but better then you treat Azula," Uncle smiled at his little joke.
My jaw dropped. "That's not fair!" I whined.
Uncle laughed. "What's not fair?"