disclaimer: I don't own ATLA
"Tamal!" Katara gasped, wringing her hands together. He always made her uneasy. "What are you doing here?"
"I promised my father I'd protect you; never let you out of my sight." Katara stared at him with horror in her eyes. Tamal was in shadow, the only thing illuminated from the torchlight nearby was his leeringly smirking mouth and eerie teal eyes. Something inside Katara screamed Get away! Get Away! But her legs were glued to the spot.
"We should get back to the party, shall we?" She asked nervously. Something snapped across his features, smoothing them into his cool façade. He grabbed her gently by the arm, to escort her to the party, but her legs were literally scared stiff. Letting out a panicky laugh, Katara jerked her legs forward, almost falling. Tamal allowed himself a soft laugh that would later haunt her dreams. Katara shivered as they walked down the streets.
"Katara! There you are!" A relieving familiar voice called.
"Sokka!" Katara cried, running to her brother.
"Happy to see me?" He asked warmly, lending her his parka. She took it gratefully and replied in hushed tones,
"Yes, Tamal makes me…. He gives me a bad feeling." She glanced over her shoulder and saw Tamal's lowered head as he leaned against a wall. She looked closer and saw that same leering smirk mar his attractive features like a scar, and cacophonously twinkling eyes staring at her hungrily from behind a curtain of hair. Shivering, Katara wrapped her brother's parka around her tighter and stepped closer to Sokka. Sighing, he put an arm around her shoulders. She looked up at him and saw him glaring at Tamal, a threat written all over her brothers warm face.
Feeling a bit better that she wasn't the only one unnerved by the Lord's son, Katara walked in the door to the palace with a new bounce in her step. Still, the hair-raising feeling of someone watching her didn't go away. She looked behind her and saw no one, just two young lovers taking a leisurely boat ride down the canal.
Katara walked into Princess Yue's room, glad to be in numbers. Plopping down on one of Yue's over-stuffed mats, Katara pulled out her braided hair.
"I'm so glad Papa let you spend the night. I haven't done this in such a long time, not since all of my friends found out I'd grow to rule them…" She trailed off sadly, then, seeing Katara's stricken face, she said hastily, "No! I have friends, just not good ones, like you have. See when I was eight, my father decided to put me into classes; you know etiquette and others among that. My friends and I became more distant, especially after a fight with them. They didn't like the fact that I'd rule over them someday." She gazed out the window, eyes glazed over, as if reflecting past times.
"Just like an iceberg." Katara said suddenly. Princess Yue looked at her quizzically. "An iceberg used to be part of a glacier. But over time, it broke off, becoming more and more distant from the pack." She explained. Yue nodded enthusiastically.
"So, who do you like?" she asked, gazing at Katara curiously. "That Tamal character seems to be especially interested in you." She said teasingly, knowing that Katara despised him.
"Well….It's definitely not Tamal, but…." Katara had to let it out, but that didn't mean she had to say it out right. "Okay, I'll give you clues.
He is royalty,
Is determined
And has one loyalty.
Eyes of molten gold,
When I was born,
He was but two years old.
His heart is cold,
But I think it's just a façade,
Waiting for me to mold,
His heart of molten gold.
Like his eyes,
He never says lies,
Just avoids them.
"Wow, we need to get you a hobby." Princess Yue said after a moment of silence. She twirled a strand of pure white hair between delicate fingers. Katara let out a giggle and stirred the fire. "I'll think about it. But now, lets have a spa hour." Bustling to her closet, she brought back with her the necessities for a spa day.
As Katara leaned back with facial clay smeared across her face, she took in Princess Yue's room for the first time. Obviously she was trying to be treated as a normal child. Her bed was huge, but the comforter and sheets were made of a rainbow of blues of cotton and flannel, much like Katara's own room. The floor was white marble covered up by a huge fur rug, probably polar bear. A gigantic fireplace practically covered a whole wall, with an audience of animal skin furnishings to sit on. The room wasn't to spacey, in fact it was extremely cozy, if expensive.
Katara let out a sigh of contentment. "I love your room. Do you happen to have any pets?" she asked randomly. At this, Princess Yue perked up.
"Oh, tons! What's the use of being an only child if there are no pets?" she asked, pulling Katara up by the hand. "First, we have to look a bit presentable." She said, taking on a mock commanding tone.
"Yes, your highness." Katara said, curtsying. They giggled all the way to Yue's bathroom. Katara looked at her reflection as the glop was wiped off and was pleasingly surprised to see her skin give off a healthy glow. She glanced at her silk pajamas, consisting of black loose fitting pants and a black and blue tunic. Grabbing a robe on the way out, she glanced at Yue's attire. The princess was outfitted in a light blue dress and a black robe, all made of the finest silk. Feeling assured that she wouldn't look a freak; she followed the princess of the northern water tribe out the door of her bedroom.
"Won't we get in trouble?" Katara whispered. Yue shrugged and led her down yet another corridor.
"We're going to pass Tamal and Lord Saku's quarters, so be on your guard." She warned, her voice the same volume as Katara's. Katara looked at her friend questioningly, but was stopped in mid-stride as she heard voices talking about her.
"Get Katara of the water tribe to fall in love with your pansy-ass son, here and we've got a deal." Said a gruff voice that had a hint of an unknown accent.
"What's in it for you?" asked the voice of Lord Saku.
"The pleasure of seeing the Water Tribe wench fall from grace." The unfamiliar voice replied calmly.
"What has she done to you?" Tamal asked suspiciously.
"My last Natas was killed on a mission to rid of her, because with her gone, a protective barrior of the avatar's will be penetrated, weakening his defenses."
"Yes, Fire lord Ozai." Saku said. Katara let out a strangled cry. Princess Yue pulled her into a room just as the door to Lord Saku's rooms swung open.
"What do they want with you?" Yue asked, gasping for breath as they ran all the way up to her rooms after the coast was clear.
"I don't know." Katara whispered. She felt like she was going to be sick. She stared at the ring on her finger, the ring her mysterious savior gave her.
"Katara, I think I know who you fancy." Princess Yue said, grinning sheepishly. "Prince Zuko."
"Yes, and I think I know who saved me." She paused, looking out the window. "Prince Zuko."
Remember the letter? oohh... connections, connections, I made connections... R7R pretty please!