Chapter 11
Early next morning, dawn caught Katara standing alone at the docks of Ember Island. She was absentmindedly fiddling with the straps of her backpack, even as her eyes scanned the docks, wondering which of the fishermen she could talk into taking her back to the Fire Nation capital right there and then.
She was going back alone. There could be no discussion about that, not after the events of last night. She had kissed Zuko, like some... wild savage with no restraint whatsoever! There was no denying to herself what was happening any longer. She was falling for Zuko and she knew it. She was falling hard.
I'm ruining my own relationship, I'm risking seriously hurting Aang... I'm creating tension between Zuko and Mai. And if their engagement collapses because of me, I would have robbed the Fire Nation of a chance for lasting peace! I won't have that on my conscience! No, it was decided. She had to get out of here before her lack of restraint led to something with even more disastrous consequences. Katara was going back to the capital, and then on the next hot air balloon back to the Earth Kingdom.
As she was still deciding on which fisherman to approach first with her plea, Katara suddenly became aware of heavy steps behind her, a group of several people approaching her. The young waterbender turned around and recoiled in surprise, seeing Mai standing there with a smirk on her lips, the girl surrounded by four heavily armored guards. Katara hadn't seen men wearing this particular color combination of brown and dark red before, but these men looked like they meant business, wearing helmets that covered their entire faces, glaring at her through narrow eye slits.
"What are you up to now, Mai?" Katara crossed her arms on her chest, after the initial surprise refusing to act intimidated. "And who are these men with you?"
"Some of my loyal household guards," Mai replied. So that's why she went to her family estate on Ember Island yesterday, Katara realized. "We just came to see you off. I'm glad you got the right idea yourself, water peasant girl, but I still decided to bring some additional muscle to make sure that you really leave... both Ember Island, and Zuko's life."
Mai's threatening attitude immediately triggered Katara's stubborn streak. "Well, maybe I just reconsidered leaving," she snorted, giving the other girl a challenging stare. "What are you going to do about it, Mai?"
"I plan to do absolutely nothing about it personally," Mai replied with a mock yawn, idly raising a hand to her lips and blowing on her fingertips. "But my friends here," she nodded at the four guards by her side. "Will make sure that you depart Ember Island right here and right now. Boys?" At her command, the four guards all assumed battle stance, flames flaring up around their hands.
"Threatening me while we're standing on the docks, surrounded by water?" Katara blinked incredulously. "That's a terrible idea, Mai."
"Take her out!" Mai shouted. Katara immediately found herself on the receiving end of four incoming projectiles of burning flames. Instead of being spaced out, all the guards had aimed for a direct hit, so Katara didn't bother wasting her time and effort on blocking, but instead gracefully danced out of the way, effortlessly raising several columns of water on both sides of the docks, sending them crashing down on her foes, the water turning into chunks of ice just as it was about to strike them. One of the guards realized that it was too late to try and block the attack, instead choosing to leap into the water. Another guard tried to raise a shield of fire, but it was too weak to absorb the impact and he was knocked into the water as well, only a lot more bruised than the first guard.
The two remaining guards managed to dodge her attack, remaining in the fight for now. They came at her with furious blasts of fire projectiles, but the thick barrier of ice that Katara had summoned absorbed the attacks with ease. Straining with effort, Katara began to reshape the barrier into a mass of individual ice shards, similar to how she had tried the evening before, but this time she was far more successful, a swarm of sharp icy needles hurtling towards Mai and her two remaining guards. Seeing what was coming at them, the two guards instantly abandoned their mistress and instead chose to dive into the water. Mai herself appeared frozen and immobile, but Katara would not allow her to be seriously harmed, at the last moment redirecting all the shards harmlessly away from her.
"Still think it's a good idea to try and force me into leaving?" Katara called out to Mai.
"You should still leave if you know what's good for you," Mai spat back.
"I will only leave if you can make me," Katara challenged. Mai did not move, instead she simply kept glaring at Katara. "Just as I thought. You know, if you hadn't shown up to intimidate me, I would have been out of your hair by now, but instead I'm now going back to the estate. Back to Zuko," she added spitefully, just to rub some salt into Mai's wounds, swiftly walking past the other girl and starting on her way back to the estate.
Spirits, I thought I was sorry about ruining Zuko's relationship with Mai, but... no, I am not sorry about it one bit! Katara fumed as she walked. This girl is horrible! Regardless of what happens next... there's no way him marrying Mai is a good idea. Really... I'm doing him a favor.
Zuko lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, having given up on trying to sleep, something that wasn't very likely after Katara had surprised him with that kiss. Still, he was completely taken by surprise when the doors to his bedroom were flung wide open and someone barged in, breathless. "Zuko, you're awake?" it was Suki. "We have a problem."
"I can imagine. I don't believe you would be barging in like this without a reason," Zuko remarked, quickly getting out of the bed and throwing his robe around his shoulders.
"There was an incident at the docks just now," Suki explained, still trying to catch her breath. "Katara was there, I think she was trying to find a boat to take her back to the capital, but then Mai showed up with some goons and ordered them to attack Katara!"
"Wait, Katara tried to leave?!" Zuko panicked.
"Uh... yes, but maybe that's not the thing to focus on first," Suki seemed to be a little frustrated with his reaction. "Anyway, Katara is back at the estate, safe and sound. The point is that Mai ordered her household guards to attack her!"
"So that's why Mai snuck off to her family estate yesterday!" Zuko realized, putting the two and two together. "She wanted to have some extra muscle standing by. I imagine Katara wiped the floor with them?"
"She most certainly did," Suki grinned broadly. "How do you want to handle this?"
Zuko frowned, deep in thought. This wasn't something that he could overlook. But he also knew that he was treading dangerous waters when dealing with Mai and her family. Then again... if he did nothing and let Mai off the hook for something like this, it would project major weakness on his part. Inaction would just encourage Mai's family and other power brokers of the Fire Nation to press even harder against the Fire Lord's authority.
"First things first, let's get official and presentable," Zuko began. "Get Ty Lee and put on your full garb. Then go and find Mai. Bring her back to the estate."
"What if she doesn't want to come with us?" Suki looked uncertain. She clearly understood the volatility of the situation. "Are we allowed to use force with her?"
"As a last resort, but yes, you are free to use force," Zuko nodded sharply. "Now go. I'll make my preparations and meet you in the courtyard." Suki ran off, still looking rather nervous, leaving Zuko to finish dressing.
I had hoped I wouldn't have to use the royal outfit on this vacation. Zuko sighed deeply, letting his casual robe fall to the ground as he picked up the heavy garment, the elaborate Fire Lord robes with its distinctive spiked shoulders. He stood in front of the mirror, quickly forming the top knot of his hair and then carefully fastening it to keep the Fire Nation insignia-shaped royal headpiece in place, frowning a little at his reflection. He often heard how much more natural wearing the royal garment came to him now, but truth be told, Zuko sometimes still felt like the robes didn't quite fit him the way they were supposed to.
Taking a deep breath, he turned around and walked out of his room. On his way towards the courtyard, Zuko stopped, for a moment considering walking up to Katara's quarters and making sure that she was alright, but then he decided against it. One thing at a time, Zuko, he reminded himself. Mai first. Then you can ponder about how to approach Katara.
He knew that he would have to be very careful and patient with the beautiful waterbender. The fact that she had tried to leave the island so suddenly implied that she was feeling very emotionally vulnerable. Knowing Katara, she's probably feeling awful about that kiss, Zuko thought, smiling pensively, recalling the surprise kiss of the night before, the way she had trembled from all the conflicting emotions surging through her as their lips had met. I'll have to move very slowly with her. She mustn't feel as if I'm pressing her into something she's not ready for.
Still, as he well knew, this wasn't the time to get caught up thinking of Katara again, dealing with Mai had to take precedence. Stealing himself for what would inevitably be a difficult confrontation, Zuko left the estate and began slowly pacing around the courtyard, mentally preparing all the possible arguments he might have to use with Mai.
He didn't have to wait long. Three figures soon appeared on the rocky path, Mai walking at the front of the small group, wearing her customary blank, impassive stare. Suki and Ty Lee flanked her closely, but it seemed as if hostilities hadn't occurred, something that Zuko was thankful for.
The group came to a halt in front of Zuko, Mai finally deciding to face him. For a moment, Zuko thought that he had detected a hint of some emotion in her dark eyes, but it wasn't of the flattering kind. Contempt? Disdain? Something along those lines.
"Your lackeys informed me that the great Fire Lord wishes to speak with me," Mai drawled, making an effort to sound particularly provocative. "Well, here I am. What do you desire, oh Fire Lord?"
"You know perfectly well why I summoned you," Zuko replied in a level voice, trying to remain calm. "The incident at the docks."
"Oh, don't worry about it," Mai smirked. "I won't be pressing any charges. You can tell Katara it's water under the bridge."
"Well... it was more like water under the docks," Ty Lee butted in. "And then it was all like... fweeeeee-splash! And all your goons went for a swim!" she added with a broad grin, but at Zuko's incredulous stare Ty Lee blinked and coughed embarrassedly, falling silent again.
"Don't act like you're the wounded party here," Zuko snapped, starting to lose his temper. "You ordered the guards of your household to attack my guest. Someone who's safety and well-being I am honor-bound to ensure! That is a serious offence, so I advise you to stop being so flippant about it."
"She was already leaving, she was hardly your guest anymore," Mai shrugged.
"I don't see it that way," Zuko shook his head. "I can't just ignore what you tried to do and leave your actions without any consequences."
"Very well then, tell me what shall be my punishment?" Mai sighed, looking bored. "No dessert for a week?"
"Afraid it's a little more serious than that, Mai," Zuko glared at her. "Our arrangement? Consider it null and void."
For once, Mai actually looked stunned. "Are you crazy?" she exclaimed aloud. "You clearly haven't thought this through, Zuko. Think of the consequences!"
"Oh, believe me, I've already heard all the veiled threats and suggestions from your father and your uncle, when we discussed our potential union," Zuko laughed. "I know what I'll be dealing with. You can run along now and join them at the conspiracy table."
"In the name of what we once shared, I'll give you one last opportunity to reconsider," Mai warned. "If you persist with this foolish course of action, you just might find some regions of the Fire Nation slipping from your grasp. And do you think the Avatar will rush to your defense again? After you have been trying so hard to poach his girlfriend?"
"I have not... what are you talking about! Anyway, you think you can threaten me?" Zuko all but shouted. "That just makes it easier for me to make the decision! Mai, you are hereby banned from the royal court, and from my presence. Suki, escort her from the estate. Ty Lee, gather her belongings for delivery to her family estate."
For a moment, Mai looked too shocked to even speak, stiffly turning around and then walking off haughtily, not waiting on Suki to escort her. "Are you certain of this?" Suki asked him boldly, looking wracked with doubt.
"I am," Zuko nodded. He had had his doubts, but not any longer. "In fact, I should have done it sooner. I shouldn't have even agreed to this arrangement of political convenience in the first place."
"It's bound to make our future far more... interesting, that's for sure," Suki chuckled. She then quickly cast a glance away from Zuko and towards the estate. Zuko also turned his head, just in time to see the vague outline of Katara's shape as she disappeared back into the estate, having stood on the porch and likely having overheard most of the conversation.
Zuko sighed inwardly, wondering just how to approach Katara after everything that had happened. Spirits, I wish my mother or Uncle Iroh were here... I need their advice more than anything now, Zuko thought desperately, suddenly feeling very much out of his depth.