For the Love of Him -or- The Betrothal

Disclaimer: Of course, I do not own Avatar: TLAB, so please STOP CALLING ME AND ASKING! •waves list of people who've called1 menacingly• You people...be prepared to wake up one morning with a giant evil chicken standing over you...heh heh heh •evil laugh fades into the background• As for the rest of you, enjoy! And Review!

Me: Hmm...Who to dedicate this chapter to? •looks around• Ah, I know! Katara! Thanks for letting the fire nation capture you! I'm sure Aang will be back sooner or later!
Katara: •appears onstage, very grumpy• Whatever...Just get me outta here!
Sokka: •pokes his head in• Sorry about her...she's grumpy this early in the morning.
Me: Heh heh...So noted.

Chapter 6- Star-Lost Lovers


"Let me out!" Katara screeched at the guards through the small window of her cell door. "Let me out of here right now you fiends!" She began to pound on the metal door, raising very colorful bruises on her hands as her voice began to swell in anger. When the guards just shook their heads and ignored her she growled and redoubled her efforts, attempting to draw their attention with a threat. "Aang will be back for me and then you'll really wish you'd let me go!" she seethed, glaring with rage at her captors.

One of the guards tuned to the other and whispered, "I already wish we'd let her go. I can't take all this noise!" The second one nodded in consent, a vein pulsing above one eye. Hearing Katara continue her banter about the Avatar, he finally could take it no longer and whirled about, beating his spear against the door. "Silence waterbender!" he growled, one eye starting to twitch. "We know very well that the Avatar will return! In fact our Prince Zuko is depending on it! He knows he can use you as bait to lure the airbender back and then capture him!" He winced when Katara opened her mouth to yell again but interrupted her before she could get one word out. "I'd stop all the noise if I were you, or there might not be anything left for the Avatar to rescue at all!" He shook a threatening fist at the suddenly unsure waterbender. Zuko had indeed commanded them not to hurt their bargaining chip, but she didn't know that.

Properly scolded, Katara dropped back away from the door and sank onto the hard metal bed they'd provided. She sighed and let her face fall into her hands. She knew Aang wouldn't dream of leaving her there, nor would Sokka allow her to remain a prisoner, but when you were surrounded on all sides by opposition and a literal army of soldiers stood between you and your salvation, even the toughest warrior would start to feel the pressure. "Aang...Sokka...get here soon." she nearly sobbed, the fear that had been lurking at the back of her mind surging to the forefront and overwhelming her. She let herself topple over onto the bed and pressed her face into her pillow. "And be safe!" she cried into it, the words too muffled for the guards to hear.

With visions of all the horrid things that could happen if her brother and Aang failed to save her or themselves dancing through her mind she let herself lie there and cry for a long time. Then, her mind cleared and focused after she finished, she climbed back to her feet and began to circle her cell, already thinking of ways to make her rescue easier for Aang and Sokka or possibly how to free herself should they fail. "The first thing I should do is figure out just what I have to work with." she stated to herself and began to take inventory. One bed made of metal that was so heavy she could barely lift it; A pillow, just a sack full of straw really; a scratchy and threadbare blanket for the bed; a bowl and water pitcher, both bone-dry to her dismay; a bucket off in one dark corner, surrounded by a largish pile of straw and a single candle stub in a dish inside a niche on the wall. "Not much..." she sighed and began to move things around, trying to make the cold room a little cozier, a little more bearable.

She found that she could just reach the torch outside her cell door with the end of one of the long bits of straw. With a bit of effort she jabbed it into the flames and pulled it back after the fire caught and held. Holding a hand in front of it to protect the burning twig, she rushed over to the niche and pulled the candle out, lighting it before setting the straw down in the empty bowl so it could burn out. She smiled a little as the flame grew and cast a warm orange light around the small room. Night would come at some time, and it would be nicer with some light for her to think by.

Until then she decided to set the candle back in its niche and she lifted it up by the dish's handle and carried it back. As she placed it carefully back on the metal of the little ledge, she felt a warm draft of air across the back of her hand. Startled by it, she yanked her hand back, knocking the candle over so it landed on its side partially out of its bowl. Something dark flapped about behind the flame, deeper into the niche then she'd reached. Looking closer Katara saw that it was a bit of cloth, probably blocking off an air vent of some sort.

"Hmm..." She raised a hand to rest against her chin in thought. "If that's a way to the outside of the boat, maybe I can signal the others through it somehow..." Her plan was foiled moments later though, but instead of disappointment showing on her face, a look of first confusion and then gleeful curiosity took its place there. "Looks like it's not an air vent after all..." She chuckled to herself and righted the candle before moving it out of her way and placing her ear at the lip of the hole. Echoing faintly through the metal she could hear the unmistakable voice of Prince Zuko, addressing his soldiers by the sounds of it. "Time for a little bit of spy work!" she cheered then quickly covered her mouth. If she could hear Zuko, he might be able to hear her. When no one came storming down to check on her within the next few minutes though, she turned back to the tunnel, listening in carefully.

•••

"He'll return for her within the next few days. They won't let her be held here for any length of time." Zuko had returned to his room after the Avatar's departure and he was now pacing back and forth before his uncle and a few soldiers. "Make sure there are guards posted in the dungeon at all times. And don't give her any water." Iroh nodded his assent, motioning to the soldiers to make a note of it. The candles lighting the room began to flare up at Zuko's growing excitement. "I don't want her to be able to waterbend while she's on our ship! I promise that if she manages to free herself somehow the one responsible will pay! Now be gone!" With that Iroh and the soldiers took their leave, the general motioning for them to continue on to their assigned tasks.

Back in his room Zuko continued to pace for a while, anticipating the soon-to-be-happening events. "Finally...I'll capture the Avatar for certain this time. Then I'll be able to return to the fire nation." A few minutes later he finally quit of his pacing and sat down, his mind drifting to thoughts of his impending return to the capital. Fanfare and trumpets announcing the capture of the nation's greatest threat and the return of their triumphant prince. Cheering crowds flooding the streets of the city in a grand turn out. He could see himself in his mind's eye, walking confidently towards the gates of the palace, the sea of people parting before him as he led the imprisoned Avatar through the city. Suddenly one person, a girl dressed all in pink with her long dark hair pulled back out of her face, broke free of the throng and ran towards him. He flung his arms wide as she neared him and with a happy cry, she leapt into his open embrace. She pulled him close, tears of joy streaming down her face and Zuko raised a hand to wipe them away. "Ajuna...I'm back!"

With a jolt Zuko leapt back to his feet. "Why would I think...?" He began to pace again, his brows furrowed in thought. Why would he suddenly think of Ajuna? The thought plagued him endlessly. He glanced out the window, just in time to see the edge of the earth kingdom's island drop over the red-tinged horizon. "How could I imagine that she would be there and that she would..." his train of thought trailed off there and he was quite alarmed to feel the heat of a blush rising in his face. He shook himself physically and slapped his palms against his face, trying to cool himself down, but when he glanced over at his small mirror his face was still beaming red. "W-what's wrong with me?" he cried, causing several candle-flames to jump with excitement. He was at the same time horrified that he was reacting to the thought of Ajuna that way and then ashamed that he was horrified by it, and the entire affair was confusing him terribly. "Why does the thought of her have such an effect on me?"

Exasperated with himself, Zuko sighed and waved the candles out. The last few rays of the fading sunlight poured in through his window, illuminating his desk and casting a long shadow where he blocked the light's path. Sighing to himself again, Zuko strode over to the desk, scooping a quill and his journal up as he changed course for the window ledge. He slid the thick pane of glass back and leaned out onto the sill, flipping through the book with no particular entry in mind. Stopping at a blank page close to the back, he stuck the end of the feather into his mouth and sucked on it a few times to make the ink flow. He began to write; not really paying attention to what he was doing, preferring to let his mind drift where it wanted.

Finishing his entry, now a common pastime of the prince's, he flicked backwards through the book for a few pages, rereading the entries again. Even that wasn't enough to keep his mind from going adrift for long though. He kept wondering why he'd imagined Ajuna, especially why in such a...romantic way. He could feel his face flare red again. "Damn...something really is wrong with me." he admitted as he came back to himself and glanced down at the page he'd been idly reading. He blinked a few times at it and then started to laugh, shaking his head in disbelief. He'd unconsciously scribbled a little heart around where Ajuna's name had appeared at the top of the page.

Realizing just how serious the situation was becoming he snapped the book shut and tossed it over his shoulder and flicked the quill after it. He stared back out over the boat's deck, watching the waves go by as he attempted to sort his feelings into a more understandable jumble. "I can't be in love. I don't even know her...at least, not anymore...And it's not like she would reciprocate..." he admitted sadly. With a downcast sigh he backed out of the window and slid the glass shut. He waved the candles into light again and set about preparing for the night. He rolled his futon out and changed into more comfortable clothing before settling down atop his bed with another of the books he'd taken form the abandoned room. He read for a while, trying desperately to pay attention but for some reason couldn't seem to bring himself up out of the depressed mood he'd fallen into. "What do I do?" he asked aloud, wanting an answer of any sort and from anyone. Of course no reply came and Zuko was left alone to work through his confusion. Realizing that there was nothing he could do about his predicament at the moment, and that if he didn't get to sleep soon he'd have yet another sleepless night, he set the book aside and climbed into bed. "Tomorrow I'll have to tell Uncle. He probably won't be of much help, but I need to talk about it. If I don't then..." he laughed tiredly to himself. "I really might go crazy." he admitted and drifted off to sleep.

•••

Katara stepped away from the wall with a perplexed look on her face. She'd heard every word Zuko had said, but it didn't make any sense to her. Why was Zuko so upset about being in love? And since when had the most ferocious fire bender she'd ever had the misfortune of meeting even known what love was? The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to know more about what was going on. "I wonder who it is that he's in love with..." she murmured to herself as she went over to the other side of the cell and took the bucket from its corner. "Someone from the fire nation surely...he did mention her after he said something about going back home." She upended the thankfully empty bucket by her bed and placed the candle atop it.

"It's not really any of my business though," she said sternly as she climbed into the hard bed and pulled the thin blanket up to her chin. She shivered in the mild chill before she leaned over to blow the candle out. "I need to figure a way out of here...I don't have time to wonder about some firebender's love issues." She frowned solemnly and rolled over, curling into fetal position to help keep warm. "Besides, Aang will be back for me soon. Probably tomorrow, and then I won't have to listen to him worry about it either." Her voice was full of scorn for her captor. Still, she couldn't help but pity the banished prince slightly. He sounded so sad though...so confused. It was like he'd never been loved before. Soon the ship fell silent and all Katara could hear were the waves on the boat and the rare call of a seagull. The night sounds soothed her and she yawned, feeling herself starting to fall asleep. All thoughts of Zuko and his love life floated out of her mind as she slipped into a strangely deep sleep for being on a fire nation warship.

•At the Fire Nation Capital's main harbor•

"Quick now! I want to leave before the moon reaches its zenith. We need the night's cover for this trip." Down on the docks near a smallish traveling style boat several figures had gathered together. Some wore hoods or cloaks against the chill night air but most didn't bother and thus revealed themselves as sailors of the highest class to anyone who cared to look. It was one of the hooded figures whom had spoken, the shortest of the lot, but one with a voice that brooked no argument, feminine though it was. "Everyone get onboard and ready for launch."

"Right away Lady Ajuna." The ship's captain waved the others onto the boat and bowed low to the hooded girl. "Might I ask as to where we are headed?" he inquired, innocently enough.

"We are heading towards the Earth Kingdom. The northern part." Ajuna replied, grinning when one of the sailors called out that they could launch at any time. "Let's be off. It is a far way we must sail." she returned the captain's bow and almost ran up the gangplank she was so excited. The captain just shook his head and grumbled to himself as he followed her aboard. "Sometimes I wonder what I've gotten myself into, working for her."

Moments later, the long gangplank rose up and was sipped back onto the ship's deck by two of the cloaked sailors and the boat began to move forward through the water, first slowly and them faster and faster. Standing at the very front of the ship, Ajuna pushed her hood back, releasing her long hair into the wind and taking a deep breath of the salty air. "Where ever you are my Prince, hold for a time. I'm on my way," she decreed with quiet certainty. Taking another deep breath she spun about, tossing a friendly wave to a passing sailor and headed below deck.


1- Really, no one's called me...sniff I'm so alone!

Aaanyways...wow, short chapter! And again, super sorry it took so long...writing romance is tough for me! I have to fight not to be overly funny or melodramatic...so please, could you tell me what you think of it so I can write better? In a review maybe? Please people, I'm begging you! Where did all my loyal read AND reviewer go? I think I got at the most, THE MOST, three reviews for the last few chapters COMBINED! So please, I ask you, do me a favor and review, okay? See you next chapter! And good banana hunting!