A/N:
So for the next few chapters I will be focusing on each faction and what happens within a five year time lapse just so we can get more info on things because we're about to dive into the main arc of this story and I know some of you are going to hate me once we get there but bare with me, I've plotted this story out for over a year and this will be a long story because we're going to be reaching modern times with some of our favorite characters.
So hang tight for me and let's see how our favorite Characters are dealing with things.
Chapter 37 ¼ :
The North Pole for the next 5 years
Year One….
Sitting in her cell with her knees pressed to her chest, Katara gazed out at the small window that was low enough for her to see out of. She had to admit, for all the cells she could have had, this was by far the best. Compliments of being the former wife of the Chieftain. Ah, but if she learned anything from being Ozai's wife, it was that no matter how pretty the cage, it was always still a cage.
Katara tilted her head up to look at the pale icy ceiling. La, she wanted to run her hands along it. She missed the way ice felt. Oh, the things you take for granted before you've been caged.
Oh, I'm so bored! She groaned.
"Alright, ladies, out your cells! Let's go!" The prison guards yelled as they banged on the metal bars while walking down the row of cells.
It was breakfast and recreation time. The guards would round up all the women and take them to the dining hall and allow them free time. Almost all the women were non-violent offenders. They were either here for the same reason as her or for being disobedient or stealing or caught trying to learn forms of waterbending beyond healing. So chains were not necessary on them. These women were really just harmless ordinary women that were just being punished for having been born the wrong gender.
But Katara, she was different. Despite being here for a non-violent crime, she had a violent past and association. Not only that but she was the only woman here capable of kicking every man's ass in the whole Northern Water Tribe. She was considered dangerous and even the women were frightened of her.
They all eyed her as they walked in an orderly fashion out of the cell block. Katara just smiled and waved. Even though they were afraid of her and looked at her like she was a freak, she was still kind to them. Friendly. It was who she had been before Ozai and she was desperately trying to restore that part of herself. So she promised herself that no matter what, she would be kind and sweet. Even if it killed her to smile sometimes.
Still in her cell as she was never allowed out of them unless for monthly check ups that were always mandatory for her and only her, Katara watched as a guard approached her cell with a tray and set it down.
"Here you go, Katara." He said as he laid it gently on the ground and pushed it over to her. "I made sure that gave you extra. I know you have quite the appetite."
Smiling up at him, "Thank you, Naji." She said sweetly.
Returning the smile, "Just don't tell the others. They'll get jealous."
Katara chuckled as she took her tray and began eating. "They don't really make conversation with me. I'm sort of scary to them."
"Well, anyone as powerful as we hear you are would frighten quite a lot of people around here." Naji said as he pulled a stool to her cell bars. "But I'm sure once they do your review next week, that they'll let you out of your cell. You're more behaved than a lot of the other women."
It was nice to hear that. Perhaps Arnook would approve of her being able to mingle with the other prisoners and be out her cell. She really hoped so.
"Did you finish that drawing you drew the other day?" Naji asked her.
Nodding her head as she finished her tray, Katara got up and went over to her bed mat. She pulled out a sketch book she had hid under her mattress and handed it over to him.
Due to the fact she was unable to leave her cell, they allowed her to keep a sketch pad in her cell as long as she didn't reveal it to the other women.
Naji flipped through the pages and found the one she had been drawing. His fingers traced over the face of the drawing.
"You said this is of your daughter." He looked up at her.
Nodding, "Yes, that's my daughter, Kya. I named her after my mother."
"Her father let you give her a Water Tribe name?"
Averting her eyes, "He didn't want to name her. She was born a waterbender and thought it best if I named her." She said.
"Well I guess that was nice of him."
"No, he just wanted to make a point then."
"And that would be?"
Shrugging, "I don't know. He's difficult to read and even harder to understand. I used to try and decode him but not anymore." Katara sighed as Naji handed her her book back.
"You sound like you hate him now."
"I do."
"But you drew him."
"I did."
"Why?"
"Because I like his face. He's an ugly person through and through but his face is what makes him beautiful." She said as she flipped to the page of Ozai. She hated that she drew his face exactly as she had last seen it. That emotionless stare and cold eyes. He looked like all the life in him was dead and all that was left was darkness. But that was his heart. How was he not supposed to reflect it?
Putting her sketch pad up, Katara came back to fix up her tray neatly to give back to him.
"You should probably not talk to me so much." Katara glanced to the side to see Naji's fellow guards eyeing them suspiciously. "You'll make your life harder here."
Naji smiled as he took her tray, "What? Afraid I'll get bullied?" He chuckled.
Katara nodded.
"Well, fortunately, I get teased anyway which is how I got put in place of your meals. Not that I'm complaining. I like our talks. But I don't try to please people who have never liked me."
With that, Naji took her tray and told her he wouldn't see her for lunch but would definitely see her for dinner.
It was small little things like that that made this situation of hers bearable. Katara knew she wasn't a monster but she knew she wasn't a saint. She had faults and flaws and a lot of times she caused her own suffering. She accepted this fate because with punishment came atonement and with atonement, she could move on with her life.
But even so, getting to forget her sins for a moment and be talked to like a human being, it helped her remain sane and hopefully for when she finally got to leave this place.
…..
A week went by and Katara was up for review. They cladded her neck in a brace that would suspend her ability to bend and shackles to keep her from physical attacks. She knew they were necessary but the over excessiveness was making her look like she was a cold blooded killer. Not making her look too good in front of the ladies. She might finally get to be among them and she didn't want to seem like more of a dangerous person than she really was.
With several guards surrounding her, all carefully moving through the corridors to the chambers that she would be reviewed in. They walked her into the room where several elders and the Chieftain sat waiting for her. She was brought to a chair where she was strapped down and restrained. Once secured, the guards backed off of her and remained behind her in the event that she needed to be put down.
"Lady Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, how are you doing this afternoon?" An elder asked as they flipped through a book with her recordings in them.
"I am well." She said in a pleasant steady voice.
Still flipping through the pages, "Well, that would definitely seem so. You've been here a year without any incidents and I never hear anything poor about you from the guards or the other ladies. Seems you've become the model inmate."
A small smile came to her face.
"I don't want to waste too much time here so I'll cut to the chase." The elder looked up to her, finally making eye contact with her. "Your prison sentence is in consideration of being redefined."
Katara's eyes widened.
"All that needs to happen for that to be in place is for you to agree to whatever requests Northern Chieftain Arnook asks of you."
The waterbender looked at Arnook who was eyeing her almost like one eyed a mual before buying it. Sizing it up and looking it over to be sure that this was the mual they wanted. It was a little undignified and Katara couldn't say she could hold his gaze for much more. She looked away and remained silent.
"You can accept these terms and spend the rest of your sentence in more suitable accommodations for you to fulfill Chieftain Arnook's requests or we can add ten years to your five year sentence."
Katara's blue eyes lifted back to Arnook's and saw a slight glimpse of the pleasure he got out of having her cornered. Five years was one thing but fifteen. He knew she wouldn't want to do fifteen years.
Later that day during her lunch hour, Naji and some other guards had a few of her personal belongings taken with her to her new cell. It was indeed an isolated cell. On the complete opposite side of the women's prison at the bottom of the glacier that the prison sat on top of. Her new cell was as stated 'suitable' aside from the fact she was isolated and there was no window.
There was a soft cushiony lounge chair with fluffy pillows in the center of the room atop a beautiful rug, a desk in the corner with glow crystals lighting up most of the room due to the lack of sunlight. Her bed had a vile that came down over it. She assumed to give her privacy when she would perform her dutiful task to Arnook. She wasn't an idiot. She knew why she was down here and what Arnook's requests entailed.
Setting her sketchbook on her desk, Naji told the waterbender that he would see her at night for dinner as usual.
As he and the other guards left, Katara sat down on the lounge chair. She ran her hands along the fur of the blanket that laid across the chair. It had been a year since she had touched anything so soft. You really do take things for granted.
"Katara."
Looking up, the waterbender saw Arnook had entered her cell and was gazing down at her. His gaze wasn't kind but it wasn't cold. It was impassive. Uncaring. Like she was a dust mite that he couldn't be bothered with to have swept up.
"I'm surprised you've done so well in prison. I expected you to raise hell." Arnook blabbered as he walked around her cell, seeing that everything was in place as he instructed. "You've been very good, Katara. For a woman that can't help but turn into a whore around her ex, you sure do well when he's not around. Goes to show you that it's not you that's the problem. No, you were a very good girl before you met him."
Katara felt him place his hands on her shoulders as he stood behind her, "But he tainted you. Dressed you in red and made you forget where you came from and what you had been fighting for. He took your pride and dignity away from you. Turned you against the people you had loved and had loved you. You're not a bad woman, Katara. You never were. Ozai just did to you what he does to everyone who gets close to him. He ruined you. But now, you can come back from that." His hands pushed down the sleeves of her plain white prison gown. "I will forgive you and allow you to leave this prison to start over. I just need one thing from you."
Allowing him to slip off her gown, Katara swallowed her pride and shut her eyes.
….
It had been only a few weeks and the isolated cell was starting to get to Katara. Naji could see that. He didn't ask questions regarding what went on when the Chieftain came to see her. He knew what went on due to the way Katara would always try to hurry to clothe herself when he came to serve her dinner. She'd try to play it off like nothing went on. As if, she wasn't being taken advantage of. Once, he had try to bring it up as he was ticked off by how Arnook would mark her with his 'love bites'. She told him that Arnook was entitled to her body as they were still husband and wife until she signed divorce papers. Naji begged to differ and had never thought ill of the chieftain before but after witnessing the treatment of the southern woman, he couldn't say he saw his sovereign the same way anymore. Especially with it becoming obvious that Katara was falling apart in her secluded cell.
"What are you drawing tonight?" Naji asked as he sat outside the waterbender's cell on a stool. He always volunteered to spend extra time after meals with her so that she would be able to keep her sanity.
Sitting at her desk sketching away, Katara's tongue stuck out to the side as she was focused. "I'm drawing my mother." She replied.
Tilting his head, "Your mother?"
"Yes, she was killed when I was young. I want to know if I still have her face memorized after all this time." Her voice became very soft.
Naji could tell this was a very seldom topic for the woman. Sometimes with all the news that went on about this tribeswoman, it was hard to remember that she had been as much of a victim of war as the rest of them. He remembered her years ago, when he was a younger man, just proposing to his wife of many years, Katara showed up demanding to be taught the art of waterbending that had been exclusive to men in the Northern Tribe for hundreds of years. If he was completely honest, he thought she was disrespectful to ask them to change their practices for her. Even if she was trying to teach the Avatar. But now, many years later, he wished things had turned out differently for her.
"All I had left her for my mother was the necklace my father bestowed to her as a wedding offering. I swore I'd never take it off but when I was kidnapped and all my belongings were taken from me. I lost the necklace along with so much more." Her quill stopped as she thought back to when she was originally taken captive by Ozai. La, she had known it would be a hellish experience but she never thought that she would suffer all this time later. Zuko had been right back then...his father should have killed them.
Tears dripped on her paper ruining the portrait of her mother she had been drawing, not that it bothered her much. She just crumbled it up and tossed it to the floor with the other drawings of her mother that had been ruined. Seemed she just couldn't get her face right. While she struggled to recreate her mother's face that had faded in her mind with time, she could tell simply by looking at the finished product that it was not accurate. She needed to make a connection with it and she never seemed to. Maybe it was her lack of remembrance or her that she lost connection with her past but she felt nothing. Nothing at all at the memories of her mother. She spent far more time without her mother than with her and it was causing her to be cynical. Or maybe there were pains she now experienced that were far worse than losing her mother? Who knew?
As she gave up drawing for the night, Katara got up from her desk and went over to the bars of her cell to look closely at Naji.
"Is it bad that with that necklace, I've also lost the image of her face?" She asked him.
Naji sighed as he looked at her in her big blue eyes, "Is there any memory of her that you remember her face?"
Shutting her eyes as she tried to search, Katara shook her head and kept them shut. "I see her fur coat, her betrothal necklace, my home, my village, my brother, father, and grandmother, faces all detailed in my mind as if my eyes were opened but she's just a figure with a hollowed out face. She speaks and I can hear the words but not her voice. I can see her hands touching my side as she soothes me to sleep but I don't feel her touch. And I have my face buried in her hair as I hugged her for the last time but I can't smell her scent...just ashes from her burning corpse when we later found she was dead." More tears rolled down her face. "I don't know if I finally healed from the pain it caused me to lose her or if she's just vanished from my mind completely. But I hope that whatever happens to me in these coming days, months, years, that my children…" She sniffled as her brows kneaded together, her eyes still shut as tears fell from them. "I hope- no, I pray that the same will happen for them if I leave them for good. It's much less painful this way. They can move on and live their lives and I won't haunt their minds when they close their eyes at night."
"You plan on leaving them?" Naji asked her.
Opening her eyes as she looked to the man, "I've made more enemies than friends. I want to say that I will be able to fight them off and protect myself and push through to see them all again one day but-" Shaking her head as she wiped her tears and turned her back to the guard. "I'm not a fool anymore. I know wishful thinking can do me no good when the universe has made its decision. If it's my time to die, who am I to cheat death?"
Naji felt that was understandable. Dark but realistic. He didn't blame her. If he were in her position, he'd probably feel the same way. This woman had plenty of enemies and a few of them were in very high places. It was wise to prepare oneself for what the future may hold. He couldn't fault her for that.
"Your sentence will be short from what Chieftain Arnook and the elders have said. So it won't be much longer." Naji told her as he stood up. "What will you do once you're free?"
Shrugging her shoulders, the easiest and most obvious answer would be to go see her children but...to be completely honest, maybe she just needed time away from everything and everyone she knew when this was over. There was a certain kind of burden that came with being always loving and nurturing and caring and compassionate. She wanted to take a break. Be someone else for a while. Maybe that's what she'll do...maybe that's her answer.
Naji was bidded goodnight and he left not long after. He would tell his wife about this visit. His wife always seemed to help him understand Katara a little better.
….
Naji had noticed Katara was eating less and less. She seemed to be more tired than usual. Sickly often in the mornings. Foods she normally would eat with no problem would make her sick just from the smell. He didn't have to wonder too much what was wrong with. His wife had been sickly like that during her pregnancies.
The prison guard immediately went to report this to the elders and the Chieftain. However; as he went to them. He overheard their conversation. Seems they were already aware of Katara's pregnancy.
"Are you sure?" An elder asked. "She's been very cooperative these last three months. Not to mention the year she's been in prison. She will be a good wife now that she's been humbled."
Shaking his head, "I'm sure of it. Katara will give birth to my heir but I won't keep her as my wife."
"Arn-"
Cutting them off, "I'll keep my word and end her prison sentence but she will serve as a servant in the palace. No point in treating her as my wife when Lao will eventually come for her. He made it clear from day one that I was only to diminish her connection with Ozai. We need to stick to our agreement."
The elders all sighed and nodded.
Naji backed away slowly and then hurried to Katara's cell. He relayed to her what he had overheard. Somehow, she didn't seem surprised. That or she didn't bother get upset about it. She said she had figured that much out with how cold Arnook could be towards her during his visits.
"I figured Arnook was working with Lao a long time ago. After Ozai's execution, I saw them chatting. I knew all along but I...I guess I stop trying to fight the inevitable." Katara said as she sat on the floor in front of her cell.
Looking up at Naji, "Can you get a letter to the Fire Nation for me?"
Nodding his head, "I will personally deliver it."
"Thank you."
….
Naji kept his word and four months later, he returned with news he was hoping would cheer her up. And it did. Zuko had gotten her letter and would have flying to the North Pole tomorrow. He would appeal to the elders and her husband to let him see her.
Katara smiled and hugged a pillow to her chest. "Thank you, Naji."
As promised, Zuko arrived and he did indeed manage to work his way into getting to see her. An entire fleet of Fire Nation airships seemed to be persuasive enough.
The waterbender stood up as she saw the guards bring Zuko to her cell. They remained there as if to keep a close eye on them. She didn't care. That wasn't going to stop her from running up to the bars and hugging him through the cell bars. She cried when his arms wrapped around her.
"Shh, it's okay, Katara." Zuko told her as he pulled apart to take a good look at her.
After spending a year and a half in prison, Katara had changed a lot physically. She was a lot more frail looking. Her hair was extremely long, almost to the point that it desperately needed to be cut. Her cheekbones were more exposed due to the loss of weight. Dark bags under her eyes due to being out of the sun for long. And Zuko's brows furrowed at the roundness that was visible under her gown.
Noticing his displeasure in seeing this, "It was this or-."
"But you agreed to five years, Katara." Zuko tried not to sound upset.
But he sounded very upset to her. Katara averted her eyes from her as she rested her hands on her stomach and told him they were going to add ten years to her five year sentence if she refused.
Zuko clenched his fists and turned to look at the guards, "I want to speak to her privately! Leave!"
The guards tried to refuse and the Fire Lord growled as his eyes glowed, telling them one last time to leave. When they finally ran off like the cowards they were, Zuko turned his attention back to Katara.
"What happened in Omashu, I'm so so sorry, Katara. I d-didn't mean-"
Cutting him off as she sniffled, "It's okay, Zuko, I forgive you. I forgave you when it happened. It was an accident. Besides, you must have heard what happened with me and your father."
"You should come with me, Katara. You don't have to keep doing these things! You don't have to keep subjecting yourself to being treated as some man's toy! That's not who you are!" Zuko told her as if to plead with her.
Shaking her head, "Zuko, I did bad things. I have to atone."
Grabbing the bars of her cell, "Atoning doesn't mean letting people do things to you that you don't want. It means learning your lesson and changing for the better." Zuko looked at her with pity.
I know that already. But at this point, her hands were tied and she really was just trying to survive here. She wasn't going to tell Zuko about Arnook and what his affiliation was to Lao. Zuko would force her to come with him and possibly start a war. She wouldn't be the cause of more innocent people dying. Whatever happened to her happened and she wasn't going to involve anyone else in her crap. She just wanted to know how her children were doing.
Though he was reluctant to discuss anything else, Zuko obliged her. He told her how Zhiar was doing a lot better and lived in the Fire Nation with him now. He was working with private tutors from all over the world to have a more well rounded opinion of people and cultures. He even had his eye on a Fire Nation girl who he had attended academy with years ago. As for Ryu, he was learning to walk. Their son was very smart, very charming. The noblewoman and servants couldn't get enough of him. He was a wooer.
But Kya… "I don't hear from Kya. I tried to go see her but my father was not happy to see me show up so suddenly after what happened."
Hearing this caused Katara to grip at her chest. Her eyes looked to Zuko with nothing but fear.
"Zuko, you have to-"
"I've tried but last time I visited him, he attacked me." Zuko pulled back his hair that he now wore down and showed her where his father once again scarred him.
Katara looked at the scar and could see it traveled from his throat down to his back and side. She shook her head as she held her hands to her mouth.
"Zuko." She shed a tear.
Pulling his hair back over it, Zuko took in a deep breath and exhaled. "I'm sorry to have to show you this but when you're planning just to give up like I can see so clearly in your eyes, I feel like I need to remind you that there's still so much you need to keep fighting for."
La, why did she have to be hearing this? Why couldn't everything go right for all her children? She was so tired. La, she was exhausted. And she didn't have much fight left. She was trying to surrender to the fate that was made out to her but how could she after hearing that?
Damn it!
"This is the last time I'm going to ask you, Katara. Let me save you."
But to Zuko's disappointment, Katara, not surprisingly, refused. He shook his head and told her that she's going to have to choose what means more to her. Their family or her redemption.
…
Year Two…
Katara was in her third hour of labor, walking about her cell hoping to help the baby along to come already while healers stood outside her cell waiting to assist. She refused them to come anywhere near her. She told them that she would deliver the baby herself without any outside assistance and if anyone came in her cell, she was going to slit her own throat. Naji had been called in to talk some sense into her before they brought in the heavy set guards to restrain her.
"Katara, why aren't you allowing them to help you?" Naji looked at the waterbender as she walked about her cell holding her stomach while visibly experiencing great pains.
Shaking her head as she looked at Naji with a maddened look, "These women are going to take my baby from me! They're going to snatch my baby as soon as they draw breath! I won't even be able to hold my own baby!" Katara yelled, waving around a blade she managed to acquire from one unknowing guard,
"That's not tru-"
"Chieftain Arnook has instructed us to bring the child to him as soon as the child has been delivered." One of the healers said regretfully.
Another furrowed her brows at the crazed prisoner, "She's done this to herself. No one told her to be a slut and lay with another man. A Fire Nation man at that." The healer spat to the side. "She should feel lucky to have even been given this opportunity by the Chieftain."
Naji looked back to Katara as he saw her crying out in pain while gripping the back of the sofa. He told her to hold on and that he would get his wife to help her deliver. She agreed that she would allow his wife to assist but only his wife could enter.
An hour later, Naji returned with his wife and the woman rushed up to the cell.
"Katara, sweetheart, please sit down. I'll help you the rest of the way, okay?"
Katara nodded her head at Naji's wife's instructions. She was in so much pain that she thought she would pass out.
As Naji opened the cell for his wife to enter and shut it quickly behind the woman. He stood with his back to the cell, staring all the healers in the eyes to make sure none of them disturbed his wife and the waterbender.
It was a few hours later before the baby was delivered and though her body was weak from labor and putting up a fight, Katara refused to shut her eyes even once as she nursed her newborn. Naji's wife washed up her hands and smiled at the mother.
"She's precious. A beautiful baby girl." She said as she came to sit back down on the stool pulled to the edge of Katara's bed.
"Thank you…-" Katara said as she looked weakly at the woman. "What is your name?"
"Lona." She smiled.
"Thank you, Lona. I'm very grateful to you and your husband." Katara said as she wept while her infant daughter nursed at her breast.
Lona nodded and told her that she would give her time with the child before the Chieftain arrived. She was not in agreement with any that would tear a child from its mother's arms.
"Some things are sacred. The bond between mother and child is definitely so. And may the gods strike down any that try to repute this." Lona said as she eyed all the healers still standing outside the cell feeling somewhat ashamed at what they had been called to do. No matter their feelings to a woman, they knew the feeling a mother had when holding their child in their arms.
Only an hour went by before Arnook showed up and demanded everyone leave or face being sentenced. Katara urged Lona and Naji to leave for their sake and their children's sake.
When they were all gone, the chieftain looked down at the weak waterbender. She looked like she could pass out any moment now but she was fighting it. Of course, she was fighting it. What mother wouldn't, knowing their child would be taken from their arms?
Sighing as she took a seat in the stool, "I'm not good at being cruel, Katara. This pains me too but you've wronged me. I can't let my blood be raised by someone who will teach them wrong."
"I won't! I won't! I swear!" Katara cried as she held the baby closer to her chest.
Shaking his head as he reached his hand for Katara and she stared at it as if he was going to kill her with it. And maybe that's what he was doing by taking the child from her. Just driving one more nail into a coffin of misery she would lay to rest in. No matter, she would survive. She's survived far worse.
Arnook told her already that the child would be raised by his new wife and him. Katara would be rid of her cell but would serve the rest of her sentence as a servant. She shook her head and begged him not to do this to her but he stuck a pin laced in a serum that would put her to sleep despite her willful fight to remain awake. When Katara woke, her child was gone and a new change of clothes was provided for her. She would get to work immediately.
Arnook kept her busy. Her workload was far greater than any of the other servants. He told her that she would be too busy to care about the child she would never raise and she would find peace in knowing her child would have far better life than any she could give with her position as a servant. Katara agreed with him because that was what she was supposed to do. Agree.
Keeping her head down and working hard and long hours, the waterbender would forget a lot. Forget what Zuko told her. Forget about Ozai. Forget about her sins. Forget about what bothered her. Forget everything...except for her children.
…
One day while scrubbing the floors, Katara had heard that Arnook's new wife was with child. She didn't know why but this made her happy initially. It meant that Arnook would possibly give her back Mailan.
However; upon dipping her rag into a bucket of water and soap to continue scrubbing the floor, she hears something else.
"I pray it's a boy. Arnook's says that if he were to have a boy, he'd have no use for that bastard daughter of his." The new wife spoke from her own lips as she talked with a noblewoman.
Passing by her, Katara noticed they paused in front of her. She ignored them and continued working. That's what was expected of her. She wasn't to make a fuss or let them know she had been listening. She was just supposed to work. And work she did.
The haughty manner in which Arnook's new wife laughed didn't even stir an emotion in her. Katara just kept scrubbing.
However; it would seem that the woman wanted to be seen and heard. So she kicked the bucket onto Katara and got her wet in filthy water.
"I know you hear me, Katara. I'm pregnant." The woman said proudly.
Bowing her hand as she held her hands to her middle while on her knees, "Congratulations, Lady Ahan'a. I pray for you and the Chieftain to have a healthy boy."
Scoffing, "You might want to keep your prayers to yourself, Katara. Your daughter is getting kicked out of her crib as soon as my son is born."
Katara remained composed as she reached to grab the bucket and her rag. "If that is what Chieftain Arnook wishes, who am I to object?
Ahan'a snickered as she watched the pitiful waterbender try to resume her work. "You know, I was just a girl when you came here demanding to be taught waterbending. I thought you were bat shit crazy and it turns out, I was wrong. You're more a pitiful pathetic mess."
Wringing out her apron in the bucket, Katara swept her wet fringes out of her face and apologized for her appearance.
Having witnessed the whole scene, Arnook waited for his wife to leave before he went to approach Katara. He crouched down and offered her a hand. She looked at it and then to him.
"My hands are dirty."
"It's fine." He told her.
Reluctantly, Katara took his hand and helped her up. When she was on her feet, she retracted her hands and bowed.
"Thank you."
Offering her a somber expression, "Just because you're a servant now doesn't mean you have to tolerate her remarks. You're allowed to stand up for yourself."
Keeping her gaze low, "What's there to stand up for? I'm not offended."
Shaking his head, "I know you, Katara. You're being submissive because you fear I will retaliate against Mailan but I won't. Regardless of what some want to believe, she is still my daughter, my flesh and blood. I'm not so cruel."
"I know. That's why I wasn't offended."
Arnook sighed and looked her over. Perhaps, I'm working her too hard. She looked awful. If Lao were to see her this way, he'd be pissed off.
"You have the rest of the day off. How about you go get cleaned up and I'll have another servant bring you some food."
Thanking him, Katara gathered her bucket and rag and went off to the servants' quarters.
The Chieftain watched after her and shook his head. He had his personal feelings towards her but in all honesty, he didn't like seeing her this way. He'd have to do something about it.
…
In the communal bathhouse, Katara scrubbed herself with soap and went to carry her bath bucket over to the fountain to fill it up. She dumped it over herself and shivered from the cold. Once the soap was washed away from her body, she reached to grab her towel to dry her face and body but found it was missing.
Rubbing the water from her eyes, Katara tried looking around for it. She was the only person with a grey towel that bathed here. She asked around to see if anyone saw it but they took one good look at her and ignored her.
Having to go back to her private room which was no bigger than a closet space, Katara used one of her spare towels to dry off. When dry, she put on her clean clothes and wore the towel on her head.
As a female servant with the ability to bend water beyond the capabilities regulated to female benders, she had to wear a chi-blocking brace at all times. So she had to dry her hair the normal way like everyone else. Not long after her hair dried, a knock came at her door and as Arnook said, another servant brought her food. She ate the food and neatly set it aside to clean later.
The next day after getting a good amount of rest, Katara was back to her busy work when Arnook approached her again. She was doing laundry. Washing the clothes of a few nobles in the soapy pool that the servants did laundry in. Her hands were pruning from having gotten an early start before the sun rose this morning.
"Katara."
The waterbender turned around and looked up at him. She quickly got up to pay her respects, drying her hands off on her skirt, but he told her to simply come over. Nodding, she followed him out into the hallway and he pulled her with him around a pillar.
There, he pulled out of his pocket a small box with engravings on it.
"You're still a beautiful woman, whether you're a servant or not, Katara." Opening the box to reveal a pretty whale tooth comb with a midnight flower on it. "You should take care of yourself as such."
Katara was a little caught off guard as he placed the comb in her hair. Tucking it in the bun that she wrapped her hair in. When he pulled away to look at her he smiled. It was the first time in years she had seen him smile at her.
"Thank you." She bowed her head.
Still smiling as he looked over her, "You're most welcome, Katara."
"I should get back to work." She told him.
"You do that but come by my chambers tonight." He saw her eyes lift to him quickly before just as quickly falling back down.
"As you wish."
Coming to his chambers later that day, Katara figured it best to do so while the sun was only just setting. She felt it inappropriate to come at 'night'. Twilight was the best she could do.
The guards stopped her, one shoved their hand into her chest and pushed her to the floor. She hit it hard and winced when she tried collecting herself from the ground. The two men laughed at her as she got up and dusted her dress. The other went around her and pulled her hair from its tie causing her hair to fall freely down.
"There, now you look like the harlot you truly are." he said as he slapped her ass causing her to fall against the other guard, who tried to lift up her dress and grope her.
She tried fighting them both off as they harassed her and made their fun of her. Eventually, she told them that the Chieftain Arnook asked her here. They stopped and scoffed as they looked her over while she tried fixing herself up.
"I guess she's got a warm cunt that makes all the world's leaders crazy for her." One spat at her.
Shoving her towards the opened door as she had just finished tying her hair back up.
"Go and serve your chieftain like you should have, Phoenix King's whore!" The other snarled at her as he slammed doors behind her.
In the lobby of his chambers, Katara got herself situated before she looked for Arnook. She knew it was probably common knowledge around the globe what had taken place in Omashu but she had her pride still. When she found him in his study, she saw that Arnook was there with a man that was obviously not Water Tribe. She eyed the man who's back was turned.
Who's he?
"Katara, you're here early." Arnook didn't seem to think that she would show up so early. He did tell her to come see him 'tonight'.
"Oh, don't look so nervous, Arnook. It's about time Katara and I see one another again." The man chuckled before turning around.
Katara's eyes widened as she saw Yoshiro Fujioka.
"It's been quite some time, Lady Katara." Yoshiro said as he approached her. "Some time indeed." He circled her and looked up at Arnook with slanted eyes. "She was supposed to be taken care of, Arnook. She looks starved and sickly."
Clearing his throat, Arnook assured Yoshiro that Katara was being fed well and was not being abused in any sense. Yoshiro sucked his teeth as he continued observing Katara's form and noticed her shaking.
"I'm assuming you know about my affiliations with Lao from the shaking you're doing."
She nodded.
Chuckling, "To ease your conscience, Lao doesn't want to harm you. Quite the opposite."
Arnook could see Katara looking dead at him with fear in her eyes. He knew she was familiar with Lao and his people but he never really knew how much she knew. Perhaps, enough to make her frightened of Yoshiro.
"Lao has only one true enemy and you know who he is." Yoshiro informed her. "But you needn't worry. He wants you for something far greater. In time it will be made aware to you but in the meantime, Katara, you keep on living and we will keep on watching. Our eyes are everywhere. So don't try running."
Yoshiro looked to Arnook and told him to take better care of Katara as she was more valuable than his life and that Lao would make an exchange if need be.
When they were alone, Arnook sighed and was about to say something.
"I'll go finish my work before it gets dark." Katara excused herself before Arnook could say anything.
…..
Months later when Ahan'a gave birth, it was a baby boy as she had hoped and she demanded her son be given the rooms that Mailan had been placed in. A legitimate son was far greater than an illegitimate daughter. She managed to convince Arnook but he told her that Mailan would still be considered their daughter and should not be shunned.
Katara was cleaning the hallways one day when she heard a baby crying. She tried to ignore it, knowing that someone would eventually ease the baby's cries. However; a few minutes passed and Katara didn't see anyone coming and the baby had continued crying.
Leaving her broom against the wall, the waterbender looked around before she entered the room to go see the baby. She didn't know who would have a baby's nursery in a place where barely anyone visited. As she went into the nursery and walked up to the crib, pulling the veil back, Katara was gravely disheartened at the sight of the baby. Her baby.
Mailan was crying nonstop, her diaper wrappings were in need of being changed and she looked hungry. Katara quickly picked up her daughter that had been left here alone and tended to her needs as she had been neglected.
It didn't take long for Katara to get Mailan's wrapping changed and feed her. Fortunately, she was still able to breastfeed. But when Mailan was able to fall asleep in her arms, Katara wasn't able to just put her back. She wanted to hold her more. Her daughter had been taken from her not long after she was born and it broke her heart. Now it was breaking her heart to see her child be neglected.
Not noticing that a servant that served Ahan'a had entered to see her, Katara was later arrested by the guards and brought to the Chieftain's throne room where he and the council of elders were all present. She was forced down on her knees before them.
"What were you doing in my daughter's room?!" Ahan'a shouted.
Holding her head down, "I was taking care of her." Katara answered.
"You're not a servant responsible for looking after her. You're a maid! You shouldn't have had your dirty hands on my daughter!"
Bowing her head down pleadingly, Katara told them that she was going to wait for someone to come for the baby but no one did, so she went to look after the baby until someone showed up. Ahan'a pointed out that her servant saw Katara feeding the baby from her own breast and holding the baby close to her chest, refusing to lay the baby down after seeing to her needs.
The council all shook their heads and reminded Katara that she was a servant and that Ahan'a was Mailan's mother now. She is to respect that fact and refrain from having contact with Mailan.
Katara apologized and was told to stay away from that side of the palace. She agreed and was dismissed.
Finishing the chores she had fell behind in for the day, Katara swept the halls and wiped down the pillars. She spent the entirety of the night working. She couldn't go to bed until she was absolutely tired. If not, she'd stay up thinking about Mailan and worrying and it would be harder and hard to ignore it. She couldn't go around feeling sorry for herself. This was what she deserved. This was her fault. She did this.
Scrubbing the pillar hard as if to try and erase her thoughts and her feelings, Katara tried to force her tears away. She clenched her teeth and swallowed the lump in her throat. Let me forget. Let me forget. La, please let me forget!
But it was too late. She couldn't. She deserved to feel this way but Mailan did not. It wasn't her fault. She was an innocent child and they left her in a nearly abandoned part of the palace. It was awful and Katara hated hearing Ahan'a say that Mailan was her daughter. She hated it so much. And then the council, they made it worse. Reminding her that Mailan wasn't her child anymore. That she could not have contact with her. How could they ask that of a mother? How?!
Holding her hand to her mouth, Katara tried to smother her cry so that no one could hear her and hid behind the pillar that she was cleaning.
"Katara?"
Her wide teary eyes looked up and saw Arnook. She quickly grabbed her rag and got back to cleaning the pillar.
"Katara, are you crying?" He asked her.
Shaking her head, "No, I just got something in my eyes from cleaning. It's fine. I'm almost done."
Not believing her for a second, "I just wanted to thank you for looking after Mailan today. Regardless of what the elders say, you weren't wrong to do so and I don't believe you can just forget about Mailan. That's not who you are."
Sniffling as she cleaned, "Doesn't matter how I feel. Rules are rules and I have to follow them."
Sighing, Arnook told her that he had wanted her to atone for what she did and to become a better person. And while he could see she had atoned and he forgave her. She was not the better person he had hoped for her to be. He told her sometimes he forgot she had feelings because how unbothered she seemed to be all the time. Telling her that seeing her cry reminded him that she did have feelings but was masking them because she thought that's what everyone wanted.
"What do you care, Arnook?" She asked him in a soft voice. "Marrying me was what Lao wanted you to do. You never loved me. I was a mission and I'm fine with that. But please, don't treat me like a person because you feel guilty. I've accepted this life and I'm at peace with it. I don't need your pity. I'll be fine."
Arnook told her he would leave her be for now but he didn't forget what good she did and has done, that was why he treated her like a person. Katara watched him walk away and sighed as she got back to her cleaning.
A month later Arnook and Ahan'a mourned the loss of their infant to illness. The elders pointed out that gods would punish them for mistreating one child over another and told them that Mailan will be made legitimate. Katara felt some relief when Mailan was moved back to the main corridors of the palace. Now, her heart could rest easy.
…
Katara was tasked with going into town to gather supplies for the meal of the Chieftain's wife. It was supposed to cheer her up and while the waterbender cared nothing for cheering up the woman, she bit her tongue and complied with the chore stowed upon her. They gave her a veil to obscure her face from the townspeople as well as be escorted by several guards to prevent her from running as well as protecting her in case someone does discover who she is. The North Pole absolutely despised her name and many called for her execution for utterly humiliating and disrespecting the Northern Chieftain.
As she carried a large basket on her head, filling it with produce and meats, Katara saw that the streets of the North were busy as ever. She hadn't been outside in the streets of the North Pole since returning here for her sentence. She had almost forgotten how beautiful it was.
Being shoved in the back after a guard said she was dozing off for too long, Katara apologized and continued on. She had just a few more items to get on her list. As she finished up shopping, one of the guards came and took the basket from her. She thanked the guard but received a bunch of chuckles from the remaining guards.
"Don't go thanking him yet." One guard said as he smirked at her while the guards behind her grabbed her from both sides to restrain her.
Katara's eyes widened as they then pulled her down an alleyway and threw her up against a wall, tearing her clothes off.
"Come on you little slut, do with us what you did for the Phoenix King." A guard laughed.
"No!" She said as she tried to stop them. "NO!" she screamed.
Later that day, Katara dragged her foot behind herself and limped up the palace steps. Her knee gave out just as she was near the top and she collapsed onto the steps. Her face planted into the icy steps. She squeezed her eyes shut to hold back her tears but soon she remembered the steps. She remembered falling asleep on these steps on his lap. La, she'd give anything to just fall asleep again but this time, she didn't want to open her eyes again.
"Katara, where have you been?!" She heard Arnook's voice.
It was late. Very late but it was not an easy journey back from the alleyway where she was left for dead. Those bastards beat her up far worse than she had ever been beaten before. Thankfully she fell unconscious. She was so sore all over her body and bleeding in various places that she didn't even wonder what they did to her. She didn't have to wonder anyways. She had been through this before.
Seeing that Katara was in really bad shape, Arnook rushed to help her but as soon as he took her arm to help her to her feet, she shoved him away.
"Don't touch me!" She hissed viciously but quickly caught herself, swallowing hard as she turned her bruised face away from him. "Please...I don't want to be touched."
"But you're-"
"I can treat myself. I don't- I don't need any help."
Arnook watched in utter pity as his ex-wife limped into the palace, holding her head down so no one could see her face.
Over the next few weeks as she tried to heal herself, Katara worked and pretended nothing happened that day. She refused to tell Arnook what happened but he could guess. From her injuries and her clothes that night, it was obvious. She didn't want the healers to look her over due to her shame. He wanted to find out who had done this to her and from how frightened she looked around the guards, it seemed to him that one of them did it.
Ahan'a was climbing into bed beside her husband when she asked him what he was going to do about his ex-wife and the sorry sight she became.
"She shouldn't be going around looking all beat up like that. It's an absolute eye sore." Ahan'a said as she saw her husband looking over his documents barely paying her any mind. She scoffed and continued. "I heard from some of the female servants that were supposed to be cleaning the communal baths that they saw her under wrappings were covered in certain 'fluids' and she had discoloration all over her backside and thighs. Seems like she's been raped."
Arnook set his documents down and looked at his wife to the side.
Shaking her head as she sighed, "You really do need to do something with her. Her presence is causing a disturbance. No doubt her reputation has caught up to her and is causing some to act out of character. Put her back in her cell, at least then if someone has their way with her, the rest of us won't have to see it."
….
Katara was cleaning the communal baths when she was approached by Arnook. She didn't bother to look at him or acknowledge him. She just continued filtering out the water. He tried clearing out his throat and waving his hand about to get her attention but she used her black right eye to her advantage to pretend she didn't see him. It wasn't until he ordered her to stop that she was forced to.
Holding a bucket of filthy water, Katara sat it down and looked to the chieftain, "Your majesty?"
"We need to talk, Katara." Arnook told her.
"About?" She replied while deciding to pick the bucket back up for her to continue her chore.
"You were assaulted the other day. By a guard likely."
"Wrong." She said as she dumped the filthy water into the steam burner.
"Wrong?"
"I was degraded and dehumanized and it wasn't just the other day. It's all the time. And it's not just the guards." She informed him. "But I deserve this. I need to atone."
"Kat-"
"I just leave me alone. I don't need your pity."
"It's not pity, Katara! Something terrible has been done to you! And-"
Katara stops what she's doing and goes up to Arnook. She stared him hard in his eyes. "Terrible things have ALWAYS been done to me! ALWAYS! Ever since I was eight when the Fire Nation took my mother, since Ozai kidnapped me, since I watched him be executed with my children in my arms, since everyone turned their backs on me, since Ozai tricked me into believing he loved me, and now this?! I was raped on my wedding night and I was raped again by Ozai's cousin when he stole me from the palace! Turned out that man is my uncle on my mother's side! This, being ganged raped in the streets after they beat me, you think I can't survive this?! After everything I've survived already, you think this is the last straw?! NO! I CAN DO THIS ON MY OWN! NOW LEAVE ME ALONE! I'M FINE!"
Arnook stared at her with wide eyes as she cried tears of rage. She played it off that she was docile but she was just very angry and didn't talk about it.
Feeling helpless to help her, Arnook still tried to offer her some help but she went off again.
"At what cost does your help come at?! Do I need to bend over so you can have your way, impregnate me again and take that child from me?! Do I need to please a group of men, be publicly humiliated, what the fuck do you want from me?!"
The chieftain shook his head and said nothing else. There weren't words he could say to her that would make any of this better. So he just did what she had begged him to do. Leave.
…
Returning to her rooms to rest, Katara unwrapped her bindings carefully as her body was still healing. She couldn't use her bending to heal herself so it all had to heal naturally. Everything was still very sore. Even more sore than before. She winced and gasped as she had to apply more ointment on her scars and bruises. She had so many bite marks and places where they beat her and dug their nails into her skin. Somehow she wasn't dead but La, did she wish it were not the case.
After she fixed herself up, Katara laid down in bed and shut her eyes, hoping they'd never open again. Unfortunately, they did and as she sat up she noticed that her bandages were removed. Even more, she didn't feel sore as she climbed out of bed. Obviously, Arnook must have sent a healer to fix her up.
Deciding not to dwell on it, Katara dressed herself and tied her hair up. As she left her rooms, a bucket was thrown at her and a wash rag was tossed in her face.
"The chieftain spilt some wine on the floor of his office, he wants you to clean it. Now, get going before you get us all in trouble!" The head servant yelled at her.
She grabbed the bucket and rag and headed off to Arnook's office. When she got there, Arnook was silently reading over his work. She found it reminded her of Ozai to which she quickly banished the thoughts from her head. Her mind immediately focused on the spill on the floor. It was red wine. The red only caused her to think even more about Ozai to which she clenched her teeth and scrubbed the floor hard. This seemed to catch the attention of the Chieftain, who could see her scrubbing the floor roughly.
"Katara." He said her name hopefully to snap out of it.
"WHAT?!" She jumped up to her feet and growled at him, baring her teeth.
Sighing as he put his scroll down and looked at her. "Calm yourself, Katara. I brought you here to speak more than to clean the spill. So put the rag down."
Throwing her rag down, "Speak with me about what? That you had me healed without my permission?"
"I did it for your own good!" Arnook stood up. "One of the servants said that everyone had a cycle recently but you. I feared the worst and had it taken care of."
"I don't have a cycle anymore." Katara told him dryly.
"And why not?"
"After you took Mailan from me, I had blocked my reproductive parts off. I don't have cycles and I can't conceive unless I unblock it." She tried not to hiss through her teeth but it really bothered her.
As a woman, men in her life used her natural gift to bear children as a weapon against her. She would not give another man that same satisfaction. She would not let her heart be broken again.
Feeling guilt, Arnook looked away from her. "Anyways," he cleared his throat. "I just want you to know that I figured out those who were involved in your attack. I had them fired and sentenced to ten years in prison. So you're safe. In the meantime, I'll have you watched by someone I can trust. Be more careful next time."
Katara didn't say as much as a 'thank you' as she grabbed her bucket and left his office. What was there to thank him for? She was in this situation because of him. If he hadn't been conspiring with her enemies in order to strike Ozai down, she'd have just dealt with Ozai's betrayal and been free to hide from the humiliation. Arnook's marriage to her was all just for show. And he punished her for not remaining faithful like he didn't already plan a way to get rid of her once the time was right. He was full of shit...just like Ozai. She was just a game, a joke, someone to be made fun of. A stupid girl from the South Pole that let men take advantage of her. She remembered Lao warned her not to be swayed by men older than her. La, she wished she had listened.
…..
Weeks later, everything had gone back to normal. Arnook noticed Katara's rage had subsided and she was back to her calm demeanor. Though he knew it was a facade, he was just thankful she was able to bottle up her anger again.
One night while staring at the full moon to honor his late daughter, Arnook had walked past the chapel to light a few candles for Yue. However; when he got there, he saw the chapel was not empty as it normally was. At the altar on her knees was Katara. Usually at this time she would be doing extra work as she never could find the peace of mind to rest any earlier. But yet, here she was, whispering softly to their deities, Tui and La. He quietly got closer in order to hear her prayer. Curious to know what someone like her would pray for. Usually, many lost faith after experiencing what she had. So, it did leave one to imagine what could she possibly believe they were capable of doing for her when she clearly had been begotten.
But as Arnook listened to the soft whispers of the woman, he felt his heart tighten in his chest. She was praying for her children. Not herself. Funny how she was suffering and she could only bring herself to pray for them. There was something very unique about a mother's love for her children. He waited for her to end her prayer before he announced his presence but she seemed to already know he was there.
"Is there something you need, your majesty?" She asked him, still on her knees with her back turned to him.
"No, I just didn't expect you would be here." Arnook stated. "Normally, I come on the full moon of the month for Yue."
Katara stood up and turned to look to the Chieftain, "Then I'll leave you to it."
Arnook watched Katara leave and sighed. He really hated himself when she was around. And may be that's how he should feel. This was all his fault. He should have just let her go. Maybe he should do that now but...he knew the consequences of her getting away.
"How did I allow this to happen?" he asked aloud. "This isn't something I'd allow to happen."
….
A/N: More of Katara's story Arc tonight!