disclaimer - I don't own ATLA but I do own a black fluffy energetic cat that reminds me of Momo (even sounds like him too)

Katara woke up the next morning still on the couch. She felt something covering her and realized that it was a blanket. She sat up and stretched.

"About time you woke up."

Katara started and looked around to see Zuko sitting on the floor meditating.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked

"Since the sun rose."

"That early?"

"I rise with the sun, remember?"

Ugh, don't remind me Katara thought annoyed. Last time he said he rose with the sun it was during the siege of the North Pole and he had taken Aang.

"Yuki came by last night to see if you were okay."

Zuko had caught her attention.

"Is she okay?" she asked, "I should have gone to see her last! I hope she didn't stay up all night worrying about me-"

"Will you shut up and let me finish?" asked Zuko, annoyed, interrupting Katara's rant.

She stopped talking and glared at him.

"I told her you were fine and that you were going to stay with me for a few days. This way you'll be safe here and when you go back the guards will know by then that you're 'mine'."

"What happened to that guard last night?"

"You don't have to worry about him anymore."

"Did you-"

"No, I didn't kill him. I fired him. I would have killed him, believe me but I'm not Azula."

Zuko got out of his lotus position and stretched.

"You're going to need to stay here at all times for the next few days." he said, "I'll have a servant give you food three times a day."

"I can't stay here all day! I have to see Yuki."

"I'll send her up here later so that she will see for herself that you're okay." He walked toward the bathroom door before stopping and turning to look at her.

"I'm going to get ready for today. Don't leave while I'm in here."

Katara crossed her arms and looked away.

While Zuko was in his bathroom taking a bath, Katara spent her time exploring the room. She saw that he had some scrolls for reading and he had a few portraits of different people. There was one of his uncle, one of Ozai, one of what looked like a family portrait of Zuko's family though his uncle wasn't in it, and one of Zuko and Azula with an older boy. The fire siblings were young children at the time this portrait was made. It was strange seeing a younger Zuko and Azula, especially when the younger Zuko didn't have the scar and the younger Azula looked more…innocent.

There was one portrait that caught Katara's eye. It was a portrait of a young Zuko. He looked to be at least five years old. With him was a beautiful young woman. They were both sitting under a tree by a pond filled with turtle ducks. The woman was dipping younger Zuko's feet in the water.

"She was my mother."

Katara jumped when she heard Zuko's voice. She looked back and saw him in his pajama pants again. He had a red towel draped over his shoulders.

"She's beautiful." commented Katara as she looked back up at the portrait. "She looks a bit like you."

A knock was heard at the door. Zuko opened it, revealing a servant. The servant bowed.

"Fire Lord Ozai requests to see you Prince Zuko." said the servant.

"Did he say why?" asked the prince.

"He only said to come to his war room. He and his advisors, admirals, and generals will be waiting for you there. He also said to bring your slave."

Zuko's eyes widened with shock. Katara put a hand on the wall to support her as she felt her knees go weak. He looked back at her for a moment before looking back at the still bowing servant.

"Tell my father we'll be there." he said.

"Yes, Prince Zuko."

Zuko closed the door and hurried to his bathroom to throw his towel in there. Katara looked at him with shock mixed with fury.

"Why did you do that?" she demanded, "You realize he probably wants me to entertain him and those generals, don't you?"

"I do."

"Then why did you-"

"He's my father."

At that moment there was another knock on the door which opened to reveal some servants to help get Zuko ready.

"We'll talk about this later." Zuko told Katara in an undertone. "Just go back to the harem and get ready."

The waterbender scowled at the firebender.

"Just trust me."
Katara stormed out of the room. Before she closed the door she looked back at him.

"I did trust you." She muttered before closing the door

"You're okay!"

Yuki pulled Katara in a back breaking hug as soon as the waterbender came into the harem.

"I was so worried about you last night! When Prince Zuko told me you were okay I begged him to let me see for myself! You won't believe how scared I was when I saw you sleeping with tears on your face!"

Yuki hugged Katara even tighter. The waterbender started to realize she wasn't getting enough oxygen.

"Can't breathe." She gasped.

Yuki released Katara and she gasped for breath.

"I'm sorry." said the concubine

"Don't be." said Katara, "I'd feel the same way if it were me. Now I have to go get ready."

She walked into the bedroom. Yuki followed her.

"Ready for what?"

"Zuko was told to go meet his father. I have to go with him."

Yuki gasped and grabbed Katara's arm.

"You can't!"

"I have to. Fire Lord Ozai," Katara spat out the name, "Requested Zuko to bring me with him. I have a feeling he wants me to do some…entertaining." She shuddered and pulled her arm out of Yuki's grip. She went into the bathroom and took a bath to clean herself. When she was finished she bended the water out of her hair and off her skin to dry herself quicker. With a towel wrapped tightly around her body, Katara went back into the bedroom to get dressed. Yuki wasn't in the room anymore. Katara opened her wardrobe and picked out her clothes for the day. She knew that since she was going to see Ozai, she had to be dressed in her slave outfit. Disgusted, she put on the same blue tube top and bikini bottom with see through sash that she wore when she was first given to Zuko in the first place. She kept her mother's necklace on. Despite wearing such a revealing outfit, she felt completely naked without it.

Katara walked into the main room of the harem and sat down at a vanity table to put on her makeup and do her hair. The harem girls stared at her and whispered to each other but she ignored them. Yuki was sitting on a red cushion some distance away from her, hugging her knees to her chest and putting her chin on her knees. Her eyes were on the floor though they flicked up to Katara every now and then. She heard someone knock on the door and answered it. There stood Zuko in royal robes and his hair in a top knot.

"Is she ready?" he asked. Yuki didn't need to ask who "she" was.

"I'll get her." She said softly before closing the door. She walked to her waterbending friend.

"Prince Zuko is here." She still spoke quietly. Katara nodded her thanks to the concubine and stood up to leave.

Katara opened the door to see Zuko.

"Let's get this over with." she muttered.