Chapter 9: The Market Place

"What marvelous and extravagant clothes you have!" I totally knew how to bargain with them.

"Oh why thank you! Can I help you with anything?" The overly-chirpy clerk asked.

"Actually yes! I'm looking for a dress to wear for for the ball this Friday. But I just can't figure out what I want!" I snickered to myself.

"Oh I know exactly what you mean! But thankfully you're in luck because I have just the dress for you!" The annoying clerk said as she lead me to a rack of fire dresses. "You plan on changing your hair color or eye color before the ball?" She said as she picked out some dresses.

"I never had my hair or eye color changed and I don't plan on changing them any time soon." I said flatly.

"Oh well I'm sure we can work around that...Here we go! Try this on!" Sh grabbed a dress off the rack and shoved me and the dress into a changing room. It took forever to get in to the dress. As I came out of the changing room I saw the same clerk talking to my 1st boyfriend Shawn. Everybody thought it was so adorable that it was Shawn and Shawntel.

"Forever yours plus forever mine equals forever ours. I promise you that! We will stay together forever just like the story." Young Shawn had tricked me with this line so many times.

"Aw look at you! So adorable, we are going to look so good at the ball don't you think?" Shawn said as he turned his head to look at me. I could taste the food from lunch coming up. I forced a grin on my face, and the food down.

"Oh yes! Now while I change why don't you pay the nice clerk." I said and stepped back into the changing room. Shawn reluctantly paid for the expensive dress. I was happy. We left with his arm over my shoulder and mine around his waist. As soon as we got out of the shop he took me down a dark, dark alley. It was starting to creep me out, how close he was keeping me to him.

"Now look just because your hanging out with the prince doesn't mean you aren't what you are. A puny, pathetic, little water bending chick. And nothing can ever change that!" His voice was crisp and clear the whole way through. Pinned against a brick wall, with no water around wasn't a very good scenario for me and he knew it too.

"You're wrong! I'm not a puny, pathetic, little water bending chick! I'm a courageous, brave, strong, fighting water bender who doesn't take any shit!" I spat at him. I knew I shouldn't have don't that he had me pinned. His right hand hold my left hand, pushing my wrist into the wall, my right hand holding the dress I had just bought and he knew I wouldn't burn a good dress. With his left hand he grabbed my face and put his dirty, grimy lips on mine, pressing his body against my body against the brick wall.

"Could your precious Prince do that?" He asked after the kiss.

"He could do it without force and better! You drunk bastard!" I knew I had just broke his patience with that remark and he didn't take it too well.

"You whore! You useless pathetic whore!" He got semi-abusive and hit me on the head till I was unconscious. After that he kissed me then left.

"Wh...Where am I? I don't remember being in a white room...Did I go to heaven!...Is this heaven?"

"No...You were knocked out by your...'friend'..." A strange, yet familiar voice replied to most of my questions.

"Who are you?" There was so many heads over me I couldn't tell who was talking. "The one head, that was talking to me. Who are you?"

"That doesn't matter right know...You need your rest. Try to go back to sleep." The voice said as a door shut and I blacked out once again.

Who was that voice?...It sounded so familiar...IT'S ZHAO!...That bastard why wouldn't he take me back to the palace...Maybe I am in the palace...

"So what is your name?" Zhao asked, about 3 hours after our last conversation.

"Why do you want to know?" I asked, fully aware of my surroundings now.

"Because if your someone important the Fire Lord will come...'see'...you...But if your not someone important you are to leave as soon as you are well." his voice was monotone.

Make up a name don't tell him anything he could use against you later on! Don't be a dumb ass and start spilling every pathetic detail!

"My name is Jewel..." I said thinking of what my mom used to call me.

"Well, 'Jewel' do you have any bending skills?" Zhao's interrogating skills were good...Which wasn't too good for me.

"No, none, I am a skilled fighter though." It was the only true thing I have said to him in this conversation.

"Hmmm...I think the Fire-Lord will want to see you now." He said as he walked out of the room and Ozai walked through that same door.

"What are you doing? Lying to a commander? You of all people should know better!" He didn't even say my real name I was so thankful.

"I didn't trust him! He could have put me on a random ship out in the war!" I said, sat up then sat back down, I did not need the room spinning while I was arguing.

"I think my son would like to see you...ZUKO!" He bellowed as his son walked in.

"Shawntel! Oh thank-goodness your okay!" Zuko said as he hugged me.

"You act like it's been a week since you last saw me!" I had never figured out how long I was unconscious for.

"Pretty close! The ball is tomorrow!" The Prince still not letting go of me.

"Tomorrow! Yo mean I've been unconscious for two days! And no one told me!" I said loud enough for Zhao to hear through the door.

"What do mean no one told you?" Prince looked up from his squeezing me.

"Zhao didn't tell me what day or time it was. I've been guessing this whole time! Where is my brother?" I was so confused all I could think about was my brother.

"He's at the palace, come on let's go!" He said pulling me up. And I pushed him back down with me.

"I can't! I can't even sit up without going laying back down. How am I supposed to get all the way up to the palace?" I was almost in tears.

I don't want to stay with Zhao! I don't know what he would do to me! I don't even know if he would help me get better! What would he do once I was okay? I want my brother!