A/N: Back again! Warning this chapter was not written with the best of care but I just wanted to push this out so I could get the more excited chapter (next chapter) up. So please forgive me.
Chapter 21:
"Hold still." Katara said as she dabbed a cotton ball against Ozai's lip. She was sitting in his lap facing him, trying to stop the bleeding. This would be so much easier if she could use her bending.
Flinching away, Ozai glared at her. "Oh don't give me that look, you did this to yourself."
Just several minutes ago, her father walked in on them and instantly attacked Ozai. The two men went at it and it took everything for her and Zuko to break up to fight. She even had to resort to freezing her dad to a wall, using her strength and what little chi she had. Now her recovery would have to be prolonged. Then there was dealing with Ozai, she stood up to him threatening to water whip him into the next life. He backed off, not wanting her to use her bending and worsen her condition. Thank spirits. All she had to do was treat their injuries which wasn't too hard without her bending. At least she thought.
Ozai wouldn't sit still and she was having to grab his chin to force him to. But her father was the biggest challenge. He wouldn't even let her touch him simply because his gashed eyes hurt too badly. Not to mention he lectured her the whole time she was trying to cleanse the other bruises on his face. For a whole thirty minutes all she heard was about virtue, honor, and Fire Nation men. How she should not let herself be wooed by their silver tongues and the importance of not giving into temptation. When she was done with him, she practically threw him out of her quarters along with Zuko. They were all getting on her nerves. Her dad, Zuko, Iroh (who had no room to talk). All treating her like she didn't know any better. Ozai was the only one that didn't make her feel like was some idiot.
"Okay, I'm done." Katara said as she poked his bruised lip and laughed when he winced.
Covering his mouth with his hand, Ozai continued glaring at the girl in his lap. She was enjoying his discomfort a little too much. "I never took you for a sadist, waterbender."
"Well, you should start because if you hit my dad again, I'll show you just how sadistic I can be." She playful narrowed her eyes at him.
Taking an interest in her threat, Ozai leaned forward and smirked. "Oh, I'm curious to see what you'll have planned."
Katara gave a seductive glance at him and planted a simple peck on his bruised lip. When pulled away instantly and stared at her as if she had drove a knife three his chest. The waterbender smirked in triumph. "Don't test me, Ozai."
As much as it hurt, the former Fire Lord found it enticing the way she could inflict pain and pleasure. He couldn't help but be turned on again by her. She made it very hard not to. His arms enveloped the girl and pulled her against him. Her slight excitement did not go unnoticed. Ozai dropped his face to her neck and ghosted his lips across her skin.
"What are you doing?" She put her hand between them, pushing against his chest.
He grinned as he then grazed his teeth along her skin, earning him a moan and quiver. "I'm finishing what we started."
Katara pressed her hand into him, trying to push him away. "No, I need sleep and were you somehow not here a half an hour ago. I don't want to cause anymore trouble."
"Is that so?" Ozai asked, instantly devising a plan in his head.
The waterbender nodded and he pulled away. Staring into her blue orbs with his gold ones, Ozai thought over his approach. If she wanted him to stop, he will but he won't do anything else suggestive toward her unless she asks him herself. It was only fair right? He wasn't going to force her to do anything she didn't want. He'd wait for her to make the move.
Ozai lifted her from his lap and placed her beside him, then got off the bed. He went to where he put his guard's uniform and started putting it on. Katara watched silently as he got dressed.
Putting his boots on and lacing them, the man grinned at the staring waterbender. "I'll be heading back then."
"So you're just going to leave because I don't want to do what you want?" Sounding slightly offended.
He finished lacing his shoes and went to grabbed her chin, placing a light kiss on her forehead. "You don't understand what you do to me, Katara. If I stay a moment longer I won't be able to help myself."
Katara's eyes widened at the realization. "This is for your sake." He smirked smugly at her.
Without another word, Ozai walked out of her room, leaving her with a red face. This segment in their relationship was going to become quite interesting. There would be no intimacy until the waterbender decided and even with his wicked days behind him, Ozai couldn't wait to see how starved the girl would be without his touch. He would be sure to extract every ounce of her need for him in the days to come. She would practically be begging him.
…..
The day had just started and already things were turning sour. Sokka and Aang had dropped by his chambers wishing to discuss the plan on taking down Ozai. As much as the firebender wanted to clue his friends in on the grand scheme of things, he didn't trust their reaction. These were the same two that ran for the hills the moment they discovered his feelings for Katara. If something so trivial could drive them to run from him, then surely this will. All he could do was speak to them as he did with council. Lie. He hated it but this was the only way. They could never know. Never.
As the three young men went on plotting out their approach with tracking Ozai's whereabouts, a knock played on his chambers doors. He had expected it to be Hakoda or Katara. Perhaps even his father. But instead, he was greeted by his mother.
Ursa strolled in casually but with a prideful stride. Her head was held high and her nose pointed. Other than Aang, the room stared in distaste for her presence. Sokka found his first impression of her from the meeting to be disgusting. A woman that abandons their child gained no respect from him, no matter the reason. As for Zuko, he was not ready to face her after learning of the past and her dirty part in it. He may have missed her all these years but Zuko learned over time to have a harden heart. No way he would let her in so soon after returning with such news.
"Mother, what brings you here?" His voice monotoned.
Ursa stopped in her stride and looked to her son. "I wanted to speak with you."
Zuko's eyes were hard but dull, "about what?"
The woman looked at the two in his company and then back to him. "They stay." He understood what she meant but would refuse her a private audience.
"If that's what you wish, Zuko." Ursa started playing the courtly coy. "I'm sure matters regarding a familiar guard is not too concerning to discuss in private."
His eyes widened and then narrowed. "Sokka and Aang would you mind giving my mother and I some privacy."
Both the monk and tribesman eyed the two strangely. Something was up but it was clearly not any of their business, so they'll keep their noses out of this one.
"Alright, we'll go see Katara." Sokka said getting up from his seat.
Aang stood as well. "Yeah, see you at dinner tonight, Zuko."
With only a nod in reply, the young Fire Lord watched his friends leave and refocused his attention on his mother.
"What do you know?" His words more harsh than intended.
Ursa looked around, taking in her setting and smiling gently. "Your father and I were young when we married. As was usual for royals and nobles. But nonetheless, young. Around your age, maybe younger. I do not remember well."
The woman ran her hands over the engraved characters on the wall. "Anyway, with being young, we believed that our love for each other was all that mattered. I remember he'd go out of his way for me. When I was sick, he'd take care of me. When I was pregnant with both you and your sister, he would not let me lift a finger. He was so kind in those days and I loved him with all my heart."
Zuko looked unfazed by her words but in actuality, it was warming to know his father had truly loved his mother.
"It was a month before your father found out the truth that I was confronted by your uncle. He told me 'Sweet Ursa, whatever you do, do not tell my brother. His heart is too weak to behold such truths' I knew he was right but even after all I had done, I still loved your father. Therefore, I refused to hide it from him any longer." She rested a hand between her bosoms and glanced down in shame. "When I heard the news about Ozai's escape, I hurried here, hoping to somehow run into him and tell him what I should have all along. Tell him that my love for him has not withered and if he'd allow me, I'd be the faithful wife he had always wanted me to be."
The young Lord hid behind an indifferent expression, however; on the inside, he was hurt. Did his mother really come all this way just to reunite with his father? Had she not cared to see him, her son?
Ursa gracefully planted herself onto a cushion and gazed at her son. "I know that guard that follows the Water Tribe girl is Ozai."
Zuko already suspected as much. "Who is she to him? Why does he willing guard her and even spends time alone in her chambers with her?"
Sighing, Zuko rubbed his brow. "Why don't you ask him yourself?"
…..
Currently, Katara and her family were enjoying lunch in the garden. Her father's idea. He thought it would be great for her recovery and to keep her from spending time alone with her 'guard'.
Early this morning he entered her chambers and saw that Ozai was fighting her on taking her medicine, nearly about to shove the serum down her throat. Hakoda was about to spring into action when he saw the man place a kiss on his daughter's forehead and the playful pout that rested on her face. As much as he hated his precious little girl being involved with the man that ruined countless lives, he could not deny there was something about the way the two interacted. Katara wasn't afraid of him, even knowing the full extent of his evil deeds. Even last night, she had threatened him to back down and he simply obeyed. It was strange. He expected Ozai to be the dominant one in their relationship but it seemed like Katara was calling the shots.
Anyway, being her father first and her friend last, Hakoda decided to get Katara out of her rooms. Sick or not, she wasn't staying alone with Ozai. Not while he could help it. Luckily for him, Sokka and Aang came around wanting to see Katara, so the brilliant idea to have lunch in the garden came to mind. Being a good man, Hakoda allowed Ozai to follow but only several feet behind them. Katara kept looking over her shoulders and trying to slow down to close distance but her father was there to push her along.
Now, they were all sitting on a large blanket eating and talking. Katara's guard standing off to the side a yard away.
"Hey, Katara." Aang pulled her attention away from her conversation with Sokka about fire flakes. "Can we talk for a second? Privately."
The waterbender noticed the emphasis on 'privately' and made a face. "Yeah...sure Aang." Not to sure she was going to enjoy their conversation.
The two got up and started walking away from the tribesman men giving them uncertain looks. Katara tried to ignore it but it was so obvious what they were thinking. Aang was too busy in his thoughts to notice. Reaching a bench a little ways away from the picnic spot, the monk and waterbender took a seat beside one another. Katara made a conscious effort keep space between them. She knew her father and brother were watching, as well as Ozai, who was no doubt thinking again of killing the Avatar.
"Uh….ummm... Katara." Aang sounded nervous. "Can we talk about the break up?"
Oh spirits, not this. "Sure." She tried not to reveal her discomfort for the topic.
"Well you see...when you went off down at the South Pole and then ran away, I started doing a lot of thinking and…."
Aang words suddenly faded out as Katara caught in her peripheral, an elegant woman with ebony hair walk up beside Ozai. The waterbender instantly recognized her as Ursa, Zuko's mother and Ozai's ex-wife. An uneasy feeling settles in her pit as she watched the two began talking. Or at least Ursa was. Katara tried not to feel a little upset about the interaction but when she heard Ursa laugh, it did something to her. What were they talking about?
"...I guess what I'm trying to say or more like ask is, do you want to get back together?" Hope shoring in his big grey eyes.
Katara looked back at Aang and realized she hadn't been paying attention until around the last part. "Uh...Aang, I don't think-" her words died on her lips when she caught Ursa and Ozai walking away. She began to panic.
"You don't what?" He seemed a little confused as to why she paused mid-sentence.
Getting up from the bench, Katara started taking off in the direction the ex-spouses went. "Katara, wait! You haven't answered my question!" Aang called out to her.
"I can't Aang!" She said looking over her shoulders briefly. "We're over." And left the garden without a trace.
Hakoda and Sokka looked pitifully at the rejected Avatar. How did he not see that coming?
…
Ozai watched silently as the sad excuse for an Avatar called Katara to speak privately. He wasn't too worried, however. The girl had made her feelings for the monk clear twice. Once, when he found that she refused to marry him and twice, when he so foolishly blurted out the chance for them to reconcile their broken relationship. It was quite pathetic. Surely, even the tribesman knew the girl would not return to him.
As he watched the 'not interested' girl take a seat away from the group to talk, he noticed someone had approached him.
"Such a lovely garden, I must say. Especially at this time of year." A woman, he dared not look at, spoke cheerfully. "I wonder if there are gardens like this in the Southern Water Tribe."
The mention of Katara's homelands struck a nerve coming from the mouth of a woman he deemed foul. "I would guess not, I hear it's mostly frozen and barren. Though, I think their women make up for that."
Ursa played a gentle smile on her lips as she looked at the Water Tribe girl talking with Avatar. "They can be so beautifully alluring. From their exotic mahogany skin to their ocean blue eyes. Their shapely figures and natural charm. That lovely little girl is no exception, no wonder some many admire her."
Ozai didn't pay the woman any mind, for all she knew, she was only speaking with a guard. He could ignore her and take her words lightly. They weren't valued either way.
"Yes, she's a lovely girl." Ursa focused on the waterbender even more. "Even someone like you must feel the same. Isn't that right, Ozai?"
The second went by in silence as the words hung in the air. She knew.
"Did you think I'd forget you so easily? Your mannerisms haven't changed a bit but I'll say, you're much more aloof than you used to." She smiled, even chuckled. Her eyes didn't miss the look on the exotic princess's face.
"What do you want, wench?" Ozai seethed in anger.
The woman looked at her former spouse with a genuine expression. "I wish to speak with you, that is all."
"No."
"Please." Her mouth stretched to exaggerate her unexaggerated need for him to comply. "Allow me just a moment of your time and I promise to leave you alone."
Ozai looked at the woman beside him. The mere fact that he was even tolerating her presence was revolting to him. He wanted so badly to burn her where she stood as he had wanted to years ago. Though his wounds had closed, the memories were still there. But if he accepted her request now then he won't have to worry about her later. She'd leave him be. It was only logical. Listen to whatever she has to say this once and never hear from her again. Simple.
Not wanting to speak another word to her, Ozai simply nodded.
"Thank you." She smiled and turned to face back into the palace. "Your room would be the best place to speak."
…
Frantically Katara moved throughout the palace, searching down each hall for the ex-spouses. She had barely caught up to them before they turned a corner and vanished. She presumed their sudden disappearance was due to one of those secret passages Ozai had known about. But why use one? Had he noticed she was following them? Or was it something to do with whatever they had talked about? If the latter, what had they talked about?
Dashing through the corridors with uncertainty weighing heavily on her, the waterbender begun to feel her energy deplete. It must be time for her next dosage. Ugh! Why now?! She needed to figure out what was going on. There was no time to slow down. Spirits, please don't do this to me.
"Looks like your guard left his post. You should probably get a new one." The waterbender turned around to see her dad walking up to her.
The Southern Chieftain followed his daughter shortly after she had fled the garden. He didn't know why she had left but only that when he finally caught sight of her that she looked weak and her guard was nowhere around.
"Uh...no dad...umm...he had...stuff to do...or say… or- I don't know...guard stuff I guess." Katara didn't want to let her father know that she had been looking for him and that he was in the company of his ex-wife. Her dad already didn't like him. Not that he could be blamed. The whole world hated Ozai but whatever, she didn't want to add to her dad's list of reasons why he shouldn't let her be with him.
Hakoda obviously wasn't buying it. Something was up. "Yeah, sure. But you look like you need to get back in bed."
"No, no, no dad. I'm fine." She turned back around to start walking but lost her balance a little and wobbled. "Yeah, I'm fine. Totally fine."
Katara's balance faltered again but this time she nearly fell forward. Luckily, her father caught her just in time and helped her back up. "Yup, I'm fine." She said more to convince herself than her dad.
"Okay, sure whatever." He rolled his eyes. "I'm taking you back to your room."
Once in her room, Hakoda laid his daughter into bed and got her medicine ready. It took a long lecture, three mentions of being sick forever, five failed attempts to force her mouth open before she finally drank it. Now he understood why Ozai was having a rough time earlier. When she had finished taking her medicine and making a sour look on her face, the Southern Chieftain sat on the edge of his daughter's bed and looked at her. He wanted to know what was going on. Why had she run from the garden so quick? Barely giving Aang and answer. Not to mention blurting it out as if it wasn't a huge deal. And even more, where was her guard? Hakoda hadn't thought they'd be apart in the middle of the day. Since arriving, he was accustomed to see them in the same place at the same time all the time.
"Katara, is everything alright?" Her father said grabbing her hand. Sometimes, she felt like he used this gesture to tell if she was honest with him or not. Feeling her pulse with his hands as Toph did with her feet.
"Dad, I already sa-"
"I know what you said but I'm not convinced." He was concerned. "Just recently, I came to see you and found out that you're engaged to Zuko, then that you're really not. To make things worse, the person you're actually involved with is his father. You're sick, just rejected Aang in front your brother and I. Now, I find you in the hallway about to fall out and your guard is nowhere to be found, tell me what's going on?"
Katara looked away from her father, realizing how worried she's made him. When he put it like that, it was hard to ignore how crazy it all sounded. Running away from home and her family not seeing her for months. When they finally do see her again, she's tangled all in a web of lies, conspiracies, and the arms of a man everyone wanted to pay. How could her father not worry? And how could she just prolong them? Maybe she should tell him about why she ran. That would help. No matter what he thought of it, at least it would making him feel more involved in the things that were happening and not feel like he had to beg her to tell him.
With a sigh, the waterbender told her father what Zuko told her. Everything from his mother's betrayal to his actual father, Iroh. Who, by the way, has kept to himself since the truth was revealed. Then she told him why she had took off running.
Hakoda sat there, growing an understanding of some of the vague information Zuko had given him. So that what he meant. Also, it sounded to him from his daughter's description of what happened in the garden was that Ozai's wife must have realized who he was and wanted to speak. He couldn't imagine there not being something still between them. At least that was his guess.
"I'm sorry, sweetheart but it's probably just a lot they need to talk about. Stuff that's been bothering them for years. I think they just need to get it off their chest." Hakoda reassured his daughter to which she gave him a small smile.
Katara understood that but it didn't help the weird feeling in her gut. For some reason seeing them together made her feel strange. As if she didn't want them to be in within several a mile of each other.
"Don't worry, honey." Her father pulled her into a hug. "You should be more focused on getting better. Can't have you almost passing out all the time."
Hugging her father back, "I know, dad."
"Well good." He pulled away and moved off the edge of the bed to stand. "Now, get some rest before dinner. We're all eating with the court tonight, Zuko has introduction to do as well, so be ready."
Katara nodded as her dad planted as kiss on her forehead. "See you, sweetheart."
"Alright, dad."
…..
The sound of crying and inaudible words, started causing Ozai to really consider killing this woman. She sitting on his floor in tears after he shot down her pursuit to be with him again. What in the devil's name did she think his response would be? Did she honestly think he'd take her back? Pleading and promising she'd be faithful. What did those words matter to him? After all the hell she put him through, all the suffering she caused him and her own children, did she sincerely believe he would allow another chance to possibly do the same thing over again?
"But Ozai-"
"I told you to never say my name again, didn't I?!" Ozai seethed.
Ursa stood to her feet and reached for him, "please, just give me a chance."
The woman's begging and tears only fueled his desire to end her. It would be quite merciful. Her pain would cease and so would his annoyance. He may have loved her with every fiber of his being but no longer. She betrayed him, made him a fool before his family and subjects. Did she seriously think he would forgive her?
Ozai looked at her with disgust, she was barely off her knees, crawling to him with a weeping face. "I gave you my answer already! What more do you want?!"
"But you can't mean that!" She cried.
"Oh but I do." His fist clenched tighter.
Ursa could not believe this. He was just going to reject her? But why?! They had been in love. He loved her. How could he just turn her down?! What was he thinking?! Then blue eyes flashed in the back of her head. The Water Tribe girl.
"It's her, isn't it?" gritted through to her teeth. "You want that girl."
Ozai ignored her. If he dare acknowledges her comment he would no doubt kill her.
"I know! I know all about it! Zuko told me how you and her are together! How is that possible?!" She spat.
With a swift and a 'not so' unforeseeable move, Ozai grab the woman by both her upper arms and shook her. Glaring dangerously at her as if he were the hunter and she, the prey. He had the half mind to strangle her. Throw her off his balcony. Burn her alive. Anything to remove her from his presence but wasn't going to go make trouble for himself over this pathetic woman. So he'd have to resort to empty threats that would at least sound guarantee and make her feel as if her life were in actual danger. Because in truth, if she stayed here any longer, he would be driven to carry out his threat.
"Listen to me, Ursa!" He hissed as he shook her. "If you dare approach or speak to me again, I will burn you to a crisp."
Ursa felt her arms heating and she nearly screamed as the temperature grew hotter. Her eyes widened when she realized he was burning her. She yanked away from him and gasped when she saw the scorch marks on her, how did he do it? His bending was supposed to be gone!
"Now leave!" He shouted and she wasted no time running out of his room with tears streaming down her face. Why? Why had he done this to her?! Didn't he understand she had always loved him? It was his father that had ruined them. If they had worked passed it and not fled from each other then they would have survived all that pain together. And now, there lie another trying to tear them apart. That water wench! Ursa would not allow this. Even if she couldn't get through to Ozai, she could still find away to win him back. That Katara was going to need to be dealt with.
…
Sleep. What was sleep? She couldn't sleep? She couldn't rest her eyes. Not for a minute or a second. Not for her strength or her weakness. Not for all the fame and the glory, could she find sleep. She tossed and turned in her bed. The room was dark, curtains drawn and candles out. Only small beams of light would usher their way through the thick red drapes.
As she laid in her bed, thinking of cow-sheep, Katara stared at her door. Questions began to fill her head. Would he come? Would he walk through that door in a minute or an hour. Maybe hours. Could she wait? Wait for him to come to her and not her go to him, never knowing whether he was coming at all. He could be with her now and not with that other. That other woman that betrayed him. That other woman that whispered 'I love you' but drove a dagger into his heart. Letting him bleed and saying it was nothing. That his pain was nothing. But it was! It was something! She felt it. The whole world felt it! The whole world suffered that same aching pain as he removed in from himself and casted it out to them. In a way it was Ursa who was the monster the world should hate.
Katara went back to counting cow-sheep in her head, tossing and turning, searching for sleep. Maybe it'll reach her. Sleep, it might come to her, just like she hoped for him to come for her.
As the heaviness that was sleep fluttered her eyes and pricked at the corners, making them too weak to stay open. Open. Her eyes were still open. Sleep had teased her.
Giving up, Katara slide herself out of bed. Dinner would be in the next hour. It was pointless to rest when she needed to get ready. Tonight's dinner, Zuko would be introducing her father and the Avatar, as well as his mother whom had just returned home. Katara would have to look her best. She was to play the part of the Fire Lord's fiancee. Most favored and most beautiful to his Majesty. It was the role she willingly took on to help Zuko but recently she wondered about things. What if the Fire Lord was still Ozai? What if it was him that she was engaged to and it was not a mere scheme? She pondered on this fantasy as she looked through her drawers for a dress to wear. Blue or red. Which should she wear? Which would Ozai prefer? As if it were for his eyes alone, which would he think best suited her? Red or blue?
She decide on a long floral gown. It was tight fitted. Cuffed her neck. Slits to both side that crawled up her lower thigh. It put more emphasis on her womanly body. Something she hadn't taken much time to admire since the night of the ball when Zuko announced her as his fiancee. She remembered how beautiful she felt. As if she could bring any man to his knees, make any woman jealous, caused the cold to grow hot. Steaming hot. Katara hadn't ever really channelled that side of herself but as she put the tight floral dress on, it made her want to. It made her want to be less the girl she tended to be and be more of the woman she was to become. If she was planning to keep Ozai's attention then she was going to need to be more than she was.
…..
A/N: Thanks guys for reading! XD Sorry about the writing. This chapter was difficult because I wanted it to be like a filler chapter. Sort of. I needed to begin the rivalry of Katara and Ursa. Also crush Aang's dreams of get back together in one fell swoop. Needed to end it quickly and without too much dialog, cause…...Zuko's being pushed back in the game of love. Yes, I do plan for him to continue his chase for Katara but will it be enough? ;) Catch you kiddies later.