Chapter 4: Rumors and Truths
The next few days were spent touring around Gaoling. Katara went shopping, visited an earthbending school, and was pampered at a spa. She spent a lot of time with Jet; he accompanied her pretty much everywhere. The only place he didn't go with her to was the spa.
It was nice getting to know Jet. Katara couldn't really find any fault in him. He knew how to be a gentleman, and he impressed her with his fighting skills and his knowledge about battle tactics. He was confident and suave wherever he went. Since he and Sokka were already comfortable around each other, this helped Katara to relax around Jet as well.
"He's charismatic—I think he'll be a great ruler in the future." Katara spilled her thoughts about Jet to Sokka, as they were strolling along the streets. Jet wasn't with them at the moment, which was rare. He'd had some duties to attend to back at his mansion.
"You like his long, messy hair, don't you?" Sokka teased. He and Katara knew each other's types—there wasn't much they didn't know about each other.
"His hair isn't that long, compared to Firelord Ozai's." Although Katara had never seen Firelord Ozai in person, she had seen paintings of him.
"Well, it's long compared to those air nomads." Sokka shrugged.
"True." Katara agreed.
Things were going well, until Katara started hearing rumors. The first one she heard was at the spa, as she was getting a foot massage. There were a couple of girls chatting in the massage room beside hers, and as much as she tried to ignore them, she couldn't help but overhear.
"I heard that some of the local brothel owners are really upset that Jet's getting married." One of the girls said, sounding amused. "I guess they expect that they'll be getting less visits from him, which means a lot less money for them."
"Oh please!" Another girl laughed. "Do you really think that being married would change his ways?"
"I don't know…" A third girl spoke up, sounding unsure. "His betrothed is really pretty. I heard she's, like, the princess of the Southern Water Tribe."
"My sister told me that her friend's cousin is extremely worried that Jet won't see her anymore after his marriage."
"I wonder how Lady Fen feels about this. Isn't Jet the father of her baby?"
"Shh! You don't know that! It could just be a rumor someone started for attention." Another girl huffed.
"You sound jealous. Is it because you've never gotten the chance to sleep with him? I heard that you drunkenly confessed to your step-sister that you wished you were the one betrothed to him." One of the girls said slyly.
"N-No! I mean, he's dreamy and rich and all, but you know what? I actually pity the Water Tribe girl! Think of how many problems she'll have in the future with all those illegitimate children going for Jet's money!"
"Bastards always create problems. Who knows how many Jet already has and will have in the future? No doubt the mothers will have their claws out as well. The poor Water Tribe girl would have to deal with it all."
The girls laughed, and then their voices faded down a hall. They were probably heading to the sauna or to other spa treatment rooms.
Katara frowned, feeling uncertain and confused. Is Jet really…like that? Is that really his reputation? She felt sickened for a moment. It could all just be rumors though. What do those girls know about Jet anyway? She closed her eyes, fighting a headache. She would ask Sokka about this soon.
As promised, Jet took Katara to Earth Rumble VI. Sokka went with them. He was a huge fan of one of the fighters, who was called The Boulder. Sitting between Jet and Sokka, Katara looked around the underground arena. The stands were full with rowdy, loud people.
"I'm putting my money on The Boulder." Sokka looked at Jet. "Who are you betting on, Jet?"
Looking relaxed and confident, Jet said, "The Blind Bandit. Trust me, don't bet on anyone else but her."
Katara was fascinated by the competition. The earthbenders were skilled and fierce, and Katara studied their techniques. Beside her, Sokka cheered loudly for The Boulder.
When Katara saw the Blind Bandit, she was shocked. "She's…a young girl." Can she really fight while being blind?!
"Yeah, I think she's sixteen. Not much younger than us." Jet told her. "She feels the vibrations from people and other things through the ground. That's how she 'sees' them."
It wasn't long before the Blind Bandit knocked her opponent out of the ring. She was declared the champion, and walked off with the Earth Rumble belt, as well as some bags filled with gold pieces. Katara applauded, very impressed. With shining eyes, she turned to Jet and Sokka. "She's amazing!"
Jet stared at her. Her smile was the most beautiful one he'd ever seen. You're the one who's amazing, Katara.
The three of them headed back to Jet's home. Once they were inside, Katara excused herself and went to her room. Jet turned to Sokka. "Can I talk to you privately?"
"Sure."
Jet led Sokka to a large, private balcony. Looking up at the night sky, Jet took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Your sister…Katara, she's…"
Sokka braced himself for the worst. Had Katara done something to make Jet have second thoughts about the marriage?
"…beautiful. I know that I haven't known her for long, but I'm in love with her." After a pause, Jet continued. "I want to move the wedding date sooner. Maybe right after the tournament at Ba Sing Se."
"Jet, weddings take months to plan. There's no need to hurry."
"I want to be married to her as soon as possible. Is that too much to ask for?" The twenty-year-old sighed, leaning against the balcony rail.
Sokka studied Jet. He'd seen the way his friend looked at his sister. It was obvious that Jet lusted after her, but there was also something more. Sokka had a feeling that Jet would be very protective of Katara. He probably already is. "Hey, man, just relax. The wedding will happen when it happens."
"I know. It's just…she's the one I want. I want to protect her from other men. The way I feel towards her…I've never felt this way before." Jet confessed.
A playboy turned into a lovesick puppy, Sokka thought. He patted his friend on the shoulder. "I think she likes you too. Don't worry about a thing."
Zuko sat in the Dragonbone Catacombs, immersed in the scroll he was reading. It was common for the prince to sneak out to the catacombs late at night, long after everyone in the palace went to bed. The Dragonbone Catacombs were located underneath the Fire Sages Capital Temple, and Zuko always managed to remain unseen as he travelled between the Fire Nation Royal Palace and the catacombs, avoiding being noticed by the Fire Sages or anybody else.
Reading about Fire Nation history was something Zuko had always enjoyed doing, even as a child. His mother had told him, "You can always learn something from reading about the past. It will be easier to avoid making the same mistakes as someone from the past if you know about the consequences."
After he'd finished reading, Zuko got up and put away the scroll. He had to get back to the palace before everyone woke up and noticed he was gone. He was also supposed to eat breakfast with his betrothed, Mai. Mai had been complaining that Zuko hadn't been spending much time with her lately. Zuko had told her that he'd just been busy practicing for the upcoming tournament. It was true, but Zuko also secretly preferred reading alone in his room or in other places than spending time with Mai. He didn't dislike Mai—they'd known each other since they were children, and Mai was good friends with Azula. It was just that whenever Zuko was with Mai, he always had the strange feeling that he belonged somewhere else, or with someone else. When Firelord Ozai had agreed to Mai's father's request that Mai be betrothed to Zuko, Mai had been very happy. Zuko had been indifferent, but as usual he was ready to obey his father's command and accept his duty.
Zuko made his way out of the catacombs, noticing that the sky was still dark. The night was calm and peaceful. For some reason, Zuko found it relaxing to be the only one awake, enjoying the quiet night while everyone else was asleep. Looking up at the moon, he wondered if anyone else in the world was looking at it too.
