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Previously on 'The Throne of the Royals':

I looked back at Aang who was bowing, "Your majesty…" His voice hissed, "I found this traitor trying to make her way into the estate."

"You really are nothing like your mother." He paused and stroked his beard, "A shame really, your mother was a beautiful woman. It's a true infamy you didn't have much time to see her."

"I'm here to face you." Zuko spoke loudly, but his voice was uneven and it faltered.

"For so long, all I wanted was for you to accept me, love me. I thought it was my honour that I wanted but really," He took a deep breath, "I was just trying to please you. You, my father!" He spat out the word 'father' as if it were an insult.

"We've created an era of fear in our Kingdom and if we don't want the Kingdom to destroy itself, we must replace it with an era of peace and kindness." I melted at his words and Zuko met my eyes for a moment.

"Now I realize that banishment is far too merciful a penalty for treason! Your penalty will be far steeper!" He roared.

"Both of you will have your executions a few days from today." The King sat back down on his throne, "Take them away!"

"I'll keep you safe, I promise." He whispered as he shut the prison gate, leaving me to cry out in frustration.

Chapter 48:

I clasped onto the metal bars as tears continued to fall from my face. I wanted to yell for Aang to come back, I had to see Zuko. I just had to see him. My head pounded form the force of my tears and anger. I could have done it, I could have murdered the King right there, but I was too weak.

I threw myself back against the wall of the prison and cried louder, not caring if anyone could hear me. If I had just killed the King right there, the soldiers would have surrendered to their rightful King…Zuko. But it was my entire fault, this was all my entire fault and now I would never see Zuko again. I wiped tears away from my face, rough from all the crying.

I hung on to the metal bars again. "Z-Zuko-!" I called out as loudly as I could with my broken voice. "Z-Zuko!" I cried out. I needed him to answer me. I needed to see him. I needed him right now. I sat down and wrapped my arms around my knees and cried into my knees. I had ruined everything. I had ruined everything and now we were both going to be executed.

I rocked back and forth on my bare feet as I held my knees, trying to muffle my loud sobs. I had lost everything and everyone close to me and it was my fault. I would never see Sokka again, or Suki. I would never meet my family again, Laura, Lucinda, Jane. I wouldn't ever meet Zuko again. At that thought my sobs racked through my body and I swung back and leaned against the wall again.

"I love you…" I whispered, my lips numb from screaming and crying. Hot tears slipped down my face, I would never be able to tell him that. I should have told him the night before he left. I should have told him in the morning when he came into my room. I should have screamed it out when I was being pulled away from him. I cried again and held my head in my hands.

Suddenly I heard the loud clambering and I looked up weakly as my heavy metal door pulled open. I blinked a few times as the soldier walked towards me. I wasn't sure if it was Aang or not and I didn't want to risk asking the soldier if he was Aang. I would ruin Aang's life along with my own.

The soldier stood a distance away from me and I didn't stand up, I looked up at him through my fingers. "Your execution date is set exactly at the break of dawn three days from now." I gripped my dress as he spoke. Three days from now. What was now? I stared up at the soldier as he turned to leave. I lunged forwards, "Wait!"

He stopped but didn't turn around. I swallowed hard, "The time…" I whispered, "What time is it?"

He made a scoffing noise and turned towards me, "And what would possess me to tell you that?" He shook his head in disbelief and slammed my prison gate shut. I leaned back against the wall. I had three more days. Three more days to live my life…and I would have to do it without my family, without my friends…without Zuko.

I spent my time crying and cursing the spirits. I had no plan, I wasn't sure where Aang was, but he was running out of time to save me. He said he would keep me safe, so where was he? Food was occasionally delivered to me, but I didn't touch it. Hence creating a pile of rotten smelling food at the corner of my prison room.

I grabbed the bars of my prison again, "Zuko!" I yelled out loudly, my insides shaking from yelling. "Zuko!" I yelled again even though I knew he couldn't hear me or was far too injured to reply. I opened my mouth to speak when the soldier next to me kicked the bars of my gate, causing me to fly backwards. "Shut it, Peasant!" He spat. "Your lover won't come to rescue you. No one will!" I crouched down in the corner of my room and cried again softly.

I sat numbly for hours and hours. My tears finally dried replaced with a deep ache puling through my entire body. "Leaves from the vine," I whispered. "Falling so slow…"My voice was course from yelling and crying but I couldn't care less. "Like fragile tine shells, drifting in the foam…" My voice choked up again, "L-li-little soldier girl...c-come marching home…" I closed my eyes as hot tears began to fall again, "B-brave soldier girl…comes marching home…"

I wiped my eyes and swallowed hard. I wasn't sure if another day had passed or not but I could feel my death crawling closer. I wasn't ready…I wasn't ready for any of this…My door slammed open and I didn't even bother looking up. "Eat!" The soldier's voice bellowed as he tossed the food tray onto the ground. I watched as the small bowl of rice tipped over and spilled onto the ground. "Eat, or you won't have a neck to chop off."

I shivered from his words as he left. I pushed the tray of food with my foot into the corner with the other food. I took a sip of the water from my flask in my travel bag. I pulled out Zuko's letters and my tears smudged his writing.

"Good Luck, Sapphire."

I folded the letter once more and tucked it my sheath. I sighed heavily. I would never feel his warm touch again. I would never be kissed on the forehead by him again. I would never hold him again. I would never see him again until our execution date.

The days passed and finally the heavy metal door slid to the side and I looked up. A soldier walked in, wearing full armour. "It's time, peasant." He said. I recognized his voice as the soldier who had come to tell me my date had been moved to three days from now. I slowly stood up, my legs weak and shaking. The soldier grabbed my arm and I thanked the spirits for my cloak, which concealed my weapons. He pushed me through the prison door and the sudden light blinded me.

"It's the break of dawn, Wednesday." He said next to my ear. I closed my eyes. Him telling me the time was a form or rebellion and I wanted to thank him, but I couldn't bring myself to speak as he continued pushing me. I had left my travel bag, but I had taken my copy of 'Wuthering Heights' and tucked it into my cloak.

He led me through the corridors that now seemed cold and unfamiliar. While I was here, I wasn't aware there was a prison in these very corridors. My bare feet slapped against the cold ground as the soldier dragged my weight. My dress hung loosely off of my frame and I was freezing.

Finally the soldier stopped walking and we stood in front of two unfamiliar doors. The soldier standing at the door just nodded as they opened the doors. I was led into the execution room. It was dark and pillars lined the outer corners of the room. The King was propped up on a large throne, with a clear view of our execution.

I suddenly heard muffled screaming and raised my head with all my force. At that time I saw it, Zuko being led in by another soldier. Zuko was yelling and struggling against the soldier. I took in every part of him. His clothes hanging loosely off of him as his knees dragged on the ground. His jaw was swollen and his lip was split and bleeding. Dried blood covered his face and a line of blood was still falling freely from his head. His hair messy and sticking up in places. Despite everything, I had never seen him looking more beautiful.

His eyes finally met mine and focused on mine and he suddenly stopped struggling and everything froze around us and only our eyes met. His golden eyes staring at me with the same intensity that had once rocked me to my very core. Without a seconds warning, Zuko lunged towards me, but the soldier grabbed him and pulled him back. "I-I want t-to-" he yelled, his voice course. "s-see h-her!" He screamed, his face strained as he looked back at me.

I heard the King's thunderous laughter. "They have a minute." He said as his laughter subsided. The soldier released me and pushed me to the ground. I crawled up to Zuko as fast as I could. He had grabbed me before I could even make it to him. He began kissing every part of me, excluding my lips and I numbed over as the pain in my body intensified from his touch. He grabbed both sides of my face and I stared up at him, his eyes were brimming with tears and the tears were already falling freely from my face.

"Katara…" He whispered as he took in every single part of my face hungrily. His hands grasped onto my face as he searched through my eyes. I was speechless as I stared up at him. I sobbed hard, racking my body. Zuko pulled me into his warm embrace and I realized how hard I was shaking and I gripped onto him. I inhaled deeply, taking in his smell. I combed my fingers through his messy black hair and I touched his scar. I kissed his neck and his cheek over and over again.

He took a hold of my face again and he stared at me. His eyes intensifying their touch, I was melting from his eyes. His eyes that were filled with every emotion that had ever possessed his body. Hurt, grief, anger, frustration, failure, regret, love, pain. Every single emotion. He leaned in close to me and held me as tightly as he could. "I love you …" He whispered into my hair. I began crying harder. I wanted to tell him how much I loved him but I couldn't stop crying myself.

He kissed my forehead. "I love you." He kissed my cheek, "I love you." He kissed my jawline over and over again. "I love you so much." I collapsed in his arms but suddenly I was being pulled away from him. My entire body lurched forwards to touch him, but he was being pulled back from me. I screamed and yelled and struggled against the soldier who was holding me. "Z-Zuko!" I screamed as loudly as I could. I didn't meet his eyes as the soldier pulled me far away.

The King said something, but I couldn't hear anything except for my own sobs. Zuko had stopped struggling and my entire body froze. It was over. I would be killed in a few minutes. It was all over. My tears dried as I feebly looked up at the King. Zuko was being led away towards the guillotine. The sharp blade sparkling in the faint light of the room. My heart stopped as Zuko was pushed into the guillotine. His knees folded beneath him as he lowered his neck.

I heard my heart beat loudly in my ears and suddenly Zuko looked up at me. His eyes flashed once more and at that moment. I didn't care about anything. I didn't care about myself or anyone else. The only person I needed was Zuko. I threw off my cloak and faster than I knew I could move, I pulled out my bow and arrow and shot it right at the King.

Everyone in the room froze, and I prayed as the arrow shot through the air. The King was frozen in his chair. Then I heard it, a loud, "Pang!" and I knew it had gone right through him. I opened my eyes after realizing they were closed and the King had crumpled to the ground, the arrow had hit him right where I had aimed, in his neck. He was still pinned to his throne, his body crumpled lifelessly as the blood fell freely from his neck and his mouth. He was gone. My eyes finally diverted to Zuko and I watched in horror as the soldier pulled on the rope to drop the blade.

I sprinted and shot the soldier down with the arrow and tackled Zuko to the ground right as the blade fell. My dress had been cut, but nothing else. Suddenly I heard the large doors open and everyone from the invasion and the riots ran in. I saw glimpses of Aang and Sokka and Toph. Soldiers from the King began fighting and bodies piled the ground as I held on to Zuko.

Suddenly I was pulled off. A soldier pulled me off of Zuko and I stared into Zuko's eyes as I saw the dagger in the soldier's hands. Then I felt it, the cold metal stabbing into my back. I stared around as the room began to sway in my eyes. I looked around as everything seemed to have slowed down. Sokka dropped his weapon as he saw me and I continued turning as I saw my friends all around me, fighting. I caught a glimpse of Laura, Lucinda and Jane standing in the corner of the room . All around me, my friends my family. People who loved me, people who I loved.

I crumpled to the ground and the last thing I saw was Zuko lunging towards me and then darkness enveloped me.

DUN! DUN! DUN! Once again, a cliffhanger…Please review if you want the new chapter…