It's been awhile since I've updated :( but I'm trying to regain my interest in continuing this story again. I want to actually finish a story this time... although I have no idea how it's going to end LOL.
So I had originally planned this as one large chapter, but I haven't even started the second section yet, and it already seemed large, so I just decided to break it up. Sorry in advance if this seems like it's long and doesn't really seem to do much.
Once again, it's from Katara's pov. I'll probably be writing this in mostly Katara's and Zuko's pov... at least for now O.O
Going to be busy next couple of days because Blizzard has complete and utter control over my life D: .....I'll try and get the next section up as soon as I can but it might take awhile. Review and I might post it earlier ;) lol jk
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I groaned and stretched, trying to force myself awake. The bed I had been sleeping in was almost too comfortable. As I stretched, I looked around the room I had been given yesterday. It was one of the royal guest bedrooms, and hadn't been used in quite some time. The maids had to clean and prepare them for us, which had taken some time.
It was certainly a luxurious room, and for some reason, I suspected that special care had been given to mine. I had briefly glanced in to Aang's room as I had made my way to mine. His was certainly nice, but lacked the extravagance that had been given to mine. My entire room was filled with colors, predominantly blues and reds. It was a beautiful clash of two very different colors. Strategically placed furniture and various wall-hung paintings further added to the beauty. There was a shelf stacked with scrolls and a few leather-bound books by the far side of the room, as well as a huge comfortable chair. I hadn't really looked at them yet, but I guessed that many of them were about the military and other boring subjects that had been allowed through the cultural reformation that was known as the One-Hundred-Year War. Maybe sometime, I would check out the library here in the palace. Surely Zuko had tried to import more knowledge that had previously been banned, as well as encourage an increase in culture in the Fire Nation.
Also on the far side of the room by the comfy chair was a giant window, overlooking the royal courtyard. During my last visit, Zuko had actually confided in me with some old secrets and memories. There was a small pond in the middle of the courtyard, which housed a few animals, including a family of Turtle-Ducks that he had grown fond of. Besides from being cute, I couldn't find any personal meaning or attachment to them. It was funny how he could be so calm and relaxed most of the time, and then become so emotional over such simple things.
I regretfully slipped out of the warm bed, and lightly stepped over to open the window and look outside. In the far distance, the sun was just starting to reach over the horizon, spreading a few rays of light in to the courtyard. The pond and the dew-soaked flora were reflecting the sunlight, giving it a certain majestic look. I sighed, briefly lost in my memories.
Back during my childhood, I had certainly never expected my life to turn in this direction. Living as personal guests to the Fire Lord, sleeping in his own palace… my whole life, I had grown up hating everything to do with the Fire Nation. It had been so deeply engrained in our learning that it had never been questioned. But now, this land doesn't seem so bad to me. The palace, the comfortingly warm weather, the shops and stalls in the city; it almost felt like it was a second home to me now.
A gentle breeze tugged at my face, bringing me back to awareness. Slipping away from the window, I went through the door leading in to my own personal bathroom, complete with a tub that could be filled with heated water coming from the complex piping system found here. Not even Ba Sing Se could compete with the technological advancements that the Fire Nation had created. I twisted the knob, and a steady stream of warm water poured in to the tub. Next to the tub, I found a container of some sticky substance, that when mixed with the water, created a sweet-smelling fragrance. I poured in a small amount, and used my bending to mix it with the water.
Once the tub was filled, I twisted the knob back in to place, cutting the flow of water. Stripping myself of my sleeping garments, I slowly submerged myself. I sighed as I laid my head back against the tub. Yes… this definitely seemed like a second home to me.
Briefly, a thought occurred to me. What if I stayed here… forever? It was so nice and relaxing here, all of my troubles and worries could just melt away from something as simple as taking a bath. After my journeys around the world, I found that when I returned home, I could barely bring myself return to the life I previously had and loved. Everything there seemed so boring and uneventful, not to mention irritating. But then I thought about Zuko, and I didn't want to cause him additional stress. He was already working day and night. Still though, it was a nice idea…
Once I was done cleaning myself, I stepped out of the tub. Ignoring the towels hung on the wall, I simply waterbended the moisture off me, discarding it behind. The stone tiles beneath me felt cold on my bare feet. I quickly hopped over to a closet, which I found was filled with Fire Nation clothes. All of it was entirely devoid of blue, but I quickly got over it. Might as well blend in again. It seemed like a nice day, so I slipped in to a small silk skirt, and a simple sleeveless shirt.
Maybe I could convince the others to go explore the shopping area today. I know Sokka would be willing to go with me; it had been over ten years since we had last explored here, and so much had probably changed. Aang would take more convincing though. I briefly laughed at the idea of dragging Zuko with us, but quickly sobered when I remembered his enormous work load.
Quickly doing my hair, I bounded outside the bathroom, excited about today. Walking over to the door leading outside my room, I wrenched it open, and nearly stumbled in to a very surprised guard. Looking down the hall, I saw several other guards standing outside Aang and Sokka's rooms.
"Ummm…. Yes?" I asked him, curious as to why they were there.
"Nothing to worry about, Lady Katara. We are simply standing guard here."
"I see…" frowning at my new title. "For what reason, may I ask?"
"Fire Lord Zuko's demand. It was brought to his attention that there was a security risk, and he does not wish to take chances." He coolly replied.
Well this was going to ruin my day, I could already tell.
"Where can I find… Fire Lord… Zuko…?" I asked sourly.
"Fire Lord Zuko would usually either be in his study or eating breakfast in the dining room at this time of day… um… but his study is off-limits, you should know. Not even his personal servants are allowed to enter on a regular basis."
Frowning, I pushed past him, and knocked on Aang's door. Hearing no answer, I waited a few moments before knocking again, but no one ever answered. Well if Aang was still asleep, then Sokka definitely was too.
I ended up walking to the dining room by myself, quickly taking off before one of the guards would ask if they could escort me. It took a while to find my way through the palace, it had seemed like so long ago that I was last here, and my memory was a bit jaded. After a few wrong turns, I eventually found my way through.
I sighed with relief when I spotted Zuko inside the dining room. He was sitting by himself, with a pair of servants watching from another set of doors presumably leading in to the kitchens. There was a plate full of untouched food in front of him, and he seemed to be sleeping, his head buried in his arms on the table.
I made my way closer, and tentatively sat down in the chair next to him. As I sat down, he seemed to jump, as if just noticing I was there. His hair was loose and falling down across his face; usually it was tied up in his royal head-piece, but he had seemed to forget it. I would have thought it looked good on him, but then I noticed just how exhausted he seemed to be. Dark black marks hung underneath his eyes, which he could barely keep open. Now that he was sitting up, I saw that his normally perfect military posture had disappeared, and he was slouching.
"Good morning Katara…" He croaked out, his voice cracking. Looking surprised at himself, he quickly cleared his throat.
"You look terrible." It was the only thing I could think to say.
"Thanks…" He pretended to act hurt, but I saw the smirk on his face.
"What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"When I woke up, there were some guards outside our rooms. They said that there had been some sort of security risk. And why are you so tired… you look worse than yesterday!" I exclaimed.
"Well… I certainly feel worse than yesterday…" He smiled, and then started to stare at me, as if he was judging me, or deciding whether or not to tell me something.
"You're still dodging my question…"
"Well… ok. Last night… wait, do you promise not to tell anyone this? Not without my permission?"
I nodded.
"Ok, I was… uhhh… wandering around the poorer, seedy part of town late last night…"
"You were what?" I interrupted. "What about all those assassination attempts you mentioned yesterday? Isn't this kind of… you know… dangerous? Especially for the ruler of the Fire Nation… possibly the most important person in the world right now…"
"It needed to be done. And while I was wandering, I overheard something important."
"So you were snooping. Some Fire Lord you are…" I laughed.
"Hey…!" He grinned. I hadn't really seen him grinning or laughing at all. It transformed him entirely… he looked… handsome… so unlike his gloomy depressed self that he was always hiding behind.
"It was necessary. It's not my fault that my ancestors so deeply engrained war and violence in to the minds of their citizens."
"Is that what this security risk is about then? You're afraid of some sort of violent uprising?"
"Well, in a way… yes. But it's more complicated than that."
Just then, the door opened, and Aang walked inside. Seeing me and Zuko sitting alone, together, he raised an eyebrow at me. It hit me as I remembered how Aang had that crush on me during the end of the war. Was it still possible that he felt some sort of attraction?
"Your knocking woke me up…" He said, rubbing his eyes tiredly.
"Sorry… come sit down."
"And what's with all the guards?" He mentioned, while making his way over to us.
"I've been asking the same thing." I looked back to Zuko.
"Okay okay… last night, I overheard a conversation that I think was about me. I think they were planning another assassination attempt."
The room was silent for a minute.
"Well… how serious of an attempt do you think this is?" Aang asked.
"I don't know." Zuko admitted. "But I've heard enough to cause me a fair amount of worry."
The door to the hallway squeaked open again. We all turned, expecting to see Sokka this time, but instead, it was Mai. However, upon seeing all of us sitting at the table together, she quickly turned and fled.
"That was weird…" Aang quietly said. I turned back to Zuko, who looked distracted after the unusual encounter.
"Zuko?"
"What…? Oh yeah… right. So I overheard them mention 'princess' when they were talking. I think that my sister is somehow involved in this. She is being held in the Boiling Rock, so I haven't been able to really keep an eye on her…" He looked distracted again.
"I need to go." He suddenly declared. "There is something I need to do. I should hopefully be back by tonight." He made his way to the door.
Right before disappearing on the other side, he turned back towards us. "Please stay inside the palace today… it's for your own safety." Then he left.
Frustrated, I threw my hands up in the air. My day was surely ruined now.
"Well… what is there to do in the palace?" I heard Aang ask hopefully.
"Nothing…" I dully replied.
