It was a week before we departed for my first mission when someone from the Northern Water Tribe met me in Caldera.

I was walking down the market street, grocery shopping for Nori on my day off when I had the sudden feeling that someone was following me. I stopped at a flower stand, letting my hand brush over the colorful petals, but checking my surroundings from the corners of my eyes. Someone was definitely there.

I stepped away from the cart and continued walking down the busy strip until the crowd thinned and turned down a small alleyway. I had a small knife hidden under my skirt, easy to reach but not easy to detect. I could drop the grocery bags and grab the knife in one swift movement. It would be easier for me to lure whoever was following me out rather than search for them.

I tilted my head to the side as I walked and caught the sight of a dark hooded figure duck behind a stack of crates.

"Come on out," I yelled toward the crates as I turned. "I know you're hiding behind there."

The hooded figure chuckled and stood up, but I still couldn't get a good look at their face.

"And here I thought I would be able to sneak up on you."

I knew that voice…

"Kiano!" I ran over and dropped the bags on the ground, then threw my arms around his neck, pulling him into a bear-hug. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to visit my cousin, of course." He pulled back and winked at me. Oh. We had to talk in code, that's right. Kiano grabbed the groceries with one arm and wrapped the other around my shoulder. "Come on, Kat. Let's go catch up over some tea."

"So you made it onto the Task Force, eh? Good for you. I bet they gave you a hell of a hard time."

"You bet right," I said. I sipped my tea and looked around the shop. It was one of the more seedy tea shops in Caldera, but I didn't mind. Everyone here minded their business and kept to themselves. "But let's just go back to you for a minute. How exactly did you get into the city, my dear cousin?"

Kiano glanced around the shop to make sure no one would over hear us, then leaned closer to me and spoke in a hushed tone. "We've got connections with the Earth Kingdom colonies the Fire Nation took over. They helped get me in by trading boat."

"We're going there soon on a mission, to the colonies. Apparently, there's been some rebellions. They're sending Zuko in as part of a scare tactic. I'm not sure it's going to work but-"

"Who's Zuko?" Kiano interrupted.

Crap. I'd subconsciously referred to him by his first name.

"He's the, uh, Fire Lord." I mentally winced as Kiano's eyebrows perked up.

"You're on a first name basis with the Fire Lord?"

"It's not like that," I dismissed him with a wave of my hand. "I just can't seem to see him as a leader of an entire nation. He's just so arrogant and young."

"Be careful, Katara. You don't want to get too close to him. Remember why you're here." He warned me with a hard look in his eyes and a stern tone to his voice. I felt like a child being reprimanded.

"Okay, okay. I get it," I said, feeling the sudden need to change the topic. "Do you want to hear what I've found out or not?"

I told Kiano everything: from what happened at the recruitment center on my first day, all the way up to what I heard from Admiral Zhao yesterday. I only left out the part about Zuko saving me from Zen because, well, it just didn't seem like something I should share. Kiano seemed just as shocked as I was when I told him how Zhao had said I was dead, and that everything had gone according to plan.

"Why in Tui's name would he lie?" he asked after I'd finished talking.

"I don't know. But he and Zuko–," Kiano gave me a hard look, "I mean, the Fire Lord–don't exactly get along."

"So what, you think Admiral Zhao could be plotting against him? Maybe he believes he got the right person again this time but didn't?" I felt my hand go up to my neck where my mother's necklace should have been, but there was nothing there and I suddenly felt very empty.

"No," I said quietly. "They wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Zhao's lying and I'm going to find out why."

Kiano was leaving Caldera the next day for the Colonies so he could send a messenger hawk to the North Pole with news of what I'd discovered. We parted with wishes of good luck and safe travels, and then I was walking back to Akemi's apartment with the groceries, acting as if nothing had happened. It was just a normal day of chores for me, that's all.

Kiano told me that someone would be coming again in a few weeks, but this time he gave me a meeting point and a name. My "uncle" Ito would be visiting for a few days to collect information and map out major escape routes in the city for future reference.

Everything was going according to plan, and I hoped that it would continue that way.

I was avoiding Zuko. That was perfectly clear. Any time our eyes met, I'd turn and somehow manage to put a sizable distance between us. I couldn't be so careless again, but then again, it didn't exactly seem like he wanted to see me either.

I'd only seem glimpses of him, really. Each time I saw him he had the same hooded expression. It looked like he'd completely rid himself of all emotion, and now he was just focused on being the leader his people needed him to be. We never talked, nor came close to each other, but any time we were in the same room, I felt overly aware of his presence.

Why had I reached out that day? Was it out of sympathy? Pity? Or something I wasn't willing to admit to myself?

Focus, Katara.

Whatever it was, I didn't want to know. I just wanted to forget about it and get back on track. Yes, I was here for a reason. Getting involved with Zuko, more than I am already, isn't part of that reason.

I hiked my sack up over my shoulder as I walked to the port, going through a mental checklist of everything I needed. I had the small knife I'd originally brought with me into Caldera, but the rest of my weapons would be stowed in the weaponry room aboard the ship.

Akemi had lent me a few pieces of clothing: some skirts, blouses and dresses, but I doubted I would need those. I packed what few clothes I did own: my skirts and shirts, and my uniform. I had a feeling I would be spending most of my time in uniform though, but Akemi had insisted on me bringing a few extra pieces.

"These are for you. Just in case," she'd said. "You never know when you'll need a nice dress, you know?"

"Akemi, I'm not going to need something like this," I'd said as I held up one number. It was beautiful, but completely pointless for me to bring. The material was a rich red color with some gold embellishment. My fingers traced the designs that danced around the bottom of the robe and thinned as they grew up toward the neckline.

"Come on, just admit it. You like it, so take it. You might need to impress someone while you're on this trip…" She let her sentence trail off and winked.

I opened my mouth to start protesting, but Akemi cut me off again. "I almost forgot! Let me get you the matching hair combs!" And then she ran out of the bedroom, leaving me standing there, mouth open, one hand outstretched after her.

I sighed and look at the dress once more. Maybe I could just bring it. That wouldn't hurt anyone right?

So there I was, bag full of clothes I didn't think I'd need, but was forced to bring.

I was close to the boat now, black smoke already spouting from the top of the ship. I'd never really seen one of these up close, except for the one in the South Pole. We weren't allowed to go near it, though. But Sokka and I had gone as close to it as we possibly could before the guilt crept in. It was intimidating and large, and the guards stationed near every entrance didn't exactly ease my nerves, but I took a deep breath and made my way up the main ramp anyway.

"Katara, it's good to see you." Lieutenant Jin stood at the top of the incline with Lieutenant Dao next to him. I smiled and bowed.

"It's nice to see you too, sir. Where should I bring my things?"

"Follow one of the shipmates. He'll lead you to your room."

A man in heavy Fire Nation armor stepped forward and led me down the main hallway, a flight of stairs and then down another hallway until we paused at one of the thick metal doors.

"This will be your sleeping quarters for the duration of the trip." He pulled the lever up and pushed in, revealing a small, cramped room.

I stepped into the room and gave it a once-over. There was a cot in the corner of the room, a thin window at the top of the far wall that let in a modest amount of the afternoon sunlight, and a small chest to put my belongings in. There was also a dingy mirror handing above the chest, but I doubted anyone had used since it was placed there because of the thick layer of dust covering it.

"Home sweet home," I muttered and flopped down on the bed.

We sailed at sunset that day and hoped to arrive at our first destination in two days. All the deckhands had gotten to work quickly, so I decided to go to my room after we'd had a small meal to stay out of the way.

You'd think growing up in the water tribe, fishing for food on boats everyday would mean I'd be prone to seasickness. Well, apparently, I wasn't, which led to my stomach flipping with each shift of the ship.

I'd been tossing and turning all night, trying to bring my focus away from the swaying, but it wasn't doing much good. I fell asleep for an hour or two, but woke up, suddenly feeling like there wasn't enough air for me in this small, cramped room. I stood up, but staggered, overcome by a passing feeling of vertigo. I could just barely see where I was going, and from the light of the sky in my window I guessed it had to be close to sunrise.

My hand brushed against the lever on the door. I pulled up and cringed slightly as the door creaked loudly upon opening. As I stepped out into the hallway, the ship jerked to the side, sending me flying over the threshold and crashing into the opposite wall.

You can bet that did wonders for my stomach.

The hallway was spinning as I pulled myself up. Somehow, I managed to make my way to the stairs and out into the open air just in time to become violently sick over the side of the ship. Luckily there was no one else on this deck or else I'd have to worry about the fact that I was still in my nightdress and my hair was flailing around my face like a tiger-bear's mane.

After I'd gotten it out of my system, I cleaned my mouth with some salt water that was sitting in a bucket near me and sat against the side of the ship. I couldn't believe this was happening. The element I grew up in had me reduced to a whimpering mess.

I took in a few deep breaths, hoping that the fresh air would soothe my stomach and the forming headache, but the swaying of the ship didn't seem to be getting any better. In fact, it seemed like it was getting worse.

Apparently, I hadn't gotten it all out of my system before, because something else was trying to make it's way up. I hastily stood up and leaned over the side, just catching a glimpse of sun beginning to rise over the horizon.

What a wonderful way to spend this beautiful morning, I thought sarcastically to myself as I wretched. It finally ended and I wiped my mouth clean. I guess I wasn't used to huge ships like this. Even the boat I'd stowed away on to get to Caldera hadn't been this big.

I turned around to find two pairs of golden eyes watching me: one looking quite surprised and the other seemingly curious. The second set belonged to a short, chubby old man who smiled at me when our eyes met and the first belonged to the one person who I'd been avoiding for the past week.

"I-I'm sorry. I w-was just," I stammered as my face heated. I doubted the blush was noticeable though, since it felt like all the blood drained from my face when I'd become violently sick. I took a step to the side so I could continue to avoid Zuko for as long as possible, but before I knew it, the deck floor was coming up very quickly to meet my face. I just barely had time to put my hands out to cushion my fall when Zuko had lunged forward to catch me mid-fall.

"Katara? Are you alright?" he asked as he pulled me up. I expected him to release me once I was standing, but he kept an arm around my waist and a firm hand on my arm.

"I'm fine. Could you stop spinning me please?"

"I'm not spinning you at all. And you definitely aren't fine. You're as pale as the moon, Katara." He sounded worried.

I didn't have enough energy to argue with him. I'd just tossed up my last three meals.

"Don't worry, Zuko. She'll be fine once she get her sea-legs," the other man said as he let out a deep laugh.

"Katara, this is my uncle, General Iroh."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Katara," Iroh said with another laugh.

"Pleasure's mine," I said, barely moving my lips. I hope I didn't come off as disrespectful, but I was afraid that I might hurl again if I opened my lips even the slightest bit. I attempted to bow my head in respect, but the sudden movement brought on another wave of dizziness and I had to grab onto Zuko's upper arm to steady myself. Under my touch, I felt his muscles jump and I was suddenly very aware that I was pressed up against him wearing only a thin sheet of cotton.

"Would you care to join me for tea, Katara? I brew an excellent cup of jasmine tea, if I do say so myself," General Iroh asked. I merely nodded. Tea sounded nice, I just hoped I could keep it down.

"Can you walk?" Zuko's asked near my ear. I nodded again. His warm breath touched my neck as he spoke, making me shiver. "Are you cold?" He took the long red cloak he had draped over his shoulders off and wrapped it around mine. His collarbone peeked out of his thin robes and if I wasn't so weak, I probably would have reached out and brushed my fingertips over it.

I started to move away from him, but he snaked his arm around my waist again.

"I said I can walk," I snapped weakly.

"I know, but I'd rather you didn't take another head-first dive into the deck floor." Zuko put his free hand out in front of him.

"How courteous, Your Highness." I took his hand reluctantly, but I couldn't ignore that my heart skipped a beat at the innocent touch.

He led me over to where his General Iroh sat cross-legged on a small mat with a tea kettle brewing in front of him. He was smiling at Zuko like he was pleased, and I felt the need to look away for some reason. Zuko helped me sit down on the mat next to his uncle and asked if I needed anything. When I responded no, I didn't, he took a step away, exchanged a look with his uncle and then made his way toward the bow of the ship.

"The mint should help a bit," General Iroh said as handed me a cup of tea. I gratefully accepted it, pressing my palms against the sides to let the warmth soak into my hands and giving him my thanks. The ship rocked again and I closed my eyes, trying to keep my breathing even. When I opened them, they landed on Zuko's form a few yards ahead of us. He was standing motionless, hands clasped together in front of him while he faced his uncle and me.

"Uh, sir? What's he doing over there?" I asked as I turned to General Iroh.

He smiled and waved his hand around the smoke rising from his teacup. "Watch."

So I did. And a few seconds later when Zuko started moving, I felt my jaw drop. I'd never actually had the chance to watch a firebender before, so my eyes were glued to his form as he swiped and swished streams of fire from his hands. Orange flames danced in the air around him, encircling him like two dangerous dragons. My eyes couldn't get enough. His form was beautiful and his movements were so fluid, you'd mistake him for a waterbender if it weren't for the tongues of fire surrounding him.

I could just make out the expression on his face: serious and determined, but spirited. You could see how much Zuko was enjoying himself. This was his comfort zone.

"That's incredible," I breathed out.

"Yes, it is. My nephew is hot headed, but a very hard worker."

I could see that. His moves were so practiced, perfectly executed right down to the tips of his fingers. Something struck me as odd though. He's a Fire Nation royal who's been protected his entire life. Sure, some training must have been necessary for him to defend himself in an emergency situation, but not to this extent.

"He was banished at thirteen," General Iroh said quietly beside me, answering my unspoken question as if he'd heard my thoughts. Banished? Maybe I hadn't heard him right. But the pained expression on his face gave me indication that I'd heard exactly what he'd wanted me to hear.

"Why?" My voice came out as barely a whisper, like the breath had been knocked from my chest. Before I could take that simple word back, I realized my mistake. I was expected to be a dutiful Fire Nation citizen, completely educated on my nation's affairs and history.

But I'd just asked 'why' when told that my 'beloved leader' was banished.

General Iroh didn't answer, and I didn't push it any farther. I'd already made a tremendous mistake just by asking a simple question.

I focused my attention back on Zuko, who was just wrapping up his first exercise. The flames spewing from his hands subsided and he brought his hands around in an arc from above his head, letting them stop at his abdomen.

My stomach flipped as I watched him walk over toward us, in a way that was completely different from the stomach flips I'd been experiencing all morning.

"Very good, Zuko," General Iroh commented as his nephew reached us. "Your breathing still needs work."

Zuko took in a quick breath and I could tell just how much restraint it was taking him to hold back any biting comments. I bit down on my lip and looked away from him, trying to hold in my laughter at his childish response. In some ways, he seemed more like a prince than a Fire Lord.

His uncle gave a few more criticisms, none too harsh, but all very instructive. I turned back to gauge Zuko's reactions to them, only to find him intently watching me. And when I met his gaze, he didn't turn away, but held mine with an intensity that made my cheeks flood with heat.

"I think I'll be returning to my quarters now," I said as I stood abruptly. The fast movement had made me slightly dizzy, but not as badly as it would have before and I felt a bit of relief.

"Are you sure you're alright?" Zuko's voice sounded from beside me. I couldn't look him in the eyes, for fear of my face become even redder than it was at that moment.

"Thank you, for the tea. I think it helped," I said to the General and he gave me a warm smile in return.

I turned to Zuko and slipped the red cloak he'd given me before from my shoulders, feeling his eyes track my every movement. I peeked at him from beneath my eyelashes and almost pulled my eyes away when his gold irises met mine, but something told me not to.

The absence of the cloak's warmth caused a chill to run down my spine and I watched as Zuko's eyes visibly widened. His eyes wandered down to my neck, then my chest and traveled back up to my now flaming face. Mortified and feeling a bit underdressed, I murmured a, "Your Highness," along with a curt bow of my head before shoving the cloak into his chest and all but running to the door that would take me below deck.

A/N: Well, there you go! I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and it fulfilled your expectations. Like I said last time, these next few chapters are the ones that I've centered the entire story around, so these will probably be the best and most Zutarian chapters of the whole story. The romance is definitely heating up, woo woo!

I hope you all enjoyed reading this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I wait eagerly for any comments, criticisms, questions or just rambles that you may want to get off your chest, so leave me a review, PM me, whatever your little heart desires!

Enjoy and I'll hopefully have the next update up for you in a week or two. It's already half written, so you probably won't have to wait long! :)