x o x o x
Taeko and Katara quietly strolled through the tranquil gardens of the palace. Every thing here was new and exotic to her. The smells, the colours,
even the way people talked. She loved it all. "I've always wanted to come here." Katara said as she stopped in front of an ancient oak. Taeko
wrapped his arms around her waist from behind. "I've always wanted to bring you here..." He said as he placed gental kisses on her neck. "Um"
Was all she could mutter as she tried to get out of his grasp. "I can't... Not now..." She said as he let her go. "Why not?" He asked as he took her
hand, placing it on his cheek.
Katara said nothing, only took a step toward him. "You love me, don't you?" He asked as he melted into her touch. "You have had my unwavering devotion since you found me on the beach..." She said as she laid her head down on his shoulder. "Then why don't you marry me? You get along with Hina so well. She says she would love to have you as her sister-in-law. And my father says he has seen no finer maiden than you." Katara stiffened at his words. "But do you love me? Yes, it's true, Hina is my best friend. Your father is great man and we get along famously. But, there is so much more than that. I won't marry some one who dosen't love me..." She said as she wrapped her arms around his chest.
"Love - you have all of my love. My heart. My every thing. I have loved you since I saw your unconcious face on the shore." Taeko said sweetly
as he removed her hand from his cheek, placing a kiss on her palm. "But, my lady - do you love me?" When he recieved no answer from her,
he withdrew from her embrace. "I have given you everything. Your father, a best friend, shelter, and those clothes you find on your very back. All
I ask, is that you become my wife." Taeko said with remorse as he turned on his heel and left her at the tree.
Katara looked to the ocean. The waves beet aganist the stone-lined coast. "I don't - " She said with tears as she ran down the beaten path that led down to the water. The cold western air at her face, the palace at her back, she kept going. Going until the palace became but a blurred vision, and the ocean in full view. When she reached the beach, she slowly walked to the water's edge. Katara looked upon the horizon. There was no flying bison. No handsome Avatar to great her. With those thoughts, great sadness over came her. "What have I done!" Her mind screamed.
She started slowly taking off her clotes. Unlacing the strips of silk that held her top in place, she let her royal drab fall to the sand. Once without
her haute coture, she ran for the ocean and dove in. She held her breath as she went deeper and deeper. When she finally came to the bottom,
she let herself float until she need air.
Once she hit the surface, gasping for breath, she let the current of the ocean sway her. The smell of the salt, feel of the water on her body, she was in heaven. She felt like this when she was with Aang. But no longer could she feel the way she felt now. 'Now I'm going to be condendemed to the women's chambers...' She thought remorsefully. The sound of voices disrupted her thoughts, bringing her out of a state of perpetual bliss.
"Why can't we stay in the palace!" A female voice whinned. "We don't know any one there! We can't just march up to the King and demand rooms!" Her male conterpart informed her. "But you're the AVATAR!" She put strong emphasis on the last word. "Just because I'm the Avatar dosen't give me royal immunity to demand things from ruling monarchs!" The man said as he walked ahead of the woman. "Then where are we going to stay? The ez-8!" She asked coldly. "Meng, for once in your life, Shut Up." The man said as he continued to walk. "Shut up? Did you just tell me to shut up? Aang, I am so mad at you!"
The woman said as she tried to catch up with her traveling companion. "Then be mad." He said without a thought. With those words, the woman let out a scream.
Katara had had enough of the couples bickering to know exactly who they where. She slowly walked out of the ocean, trying her best to avoide being seen by either of them. She quickly ran for her clothes when the woman called her. "You! Over there! Girl with no clothes on!" Meng said rudely. Katara's eye twitched at the sound of her high pitched voice. "What? What do you want?" Katara called back coldly. "Looks like you are one of the king's wenchs, see if you can get us a room at the palace!" Meng said in her haughty voice. Katara could stand it no longer.
"Look, little-miss-steal-other-woman's-men-and-ruin-there-lives: I have had enough of your voice. If you can't improve the silence, don't say any thing." Katara spat as she slipped her skirt on. "Why I never! You bitch!" Meng said as she pushed Katara to the ground. "You have no right saying that! Haven't you the slightest clue who I am!" Meng said as she pulled Katara's hair. Katara let out a screech as Meng's sharpened fingernails dug into her scalp.
"Get off me!" Katara screamed at the top of her lungs. Aang did nothing. He simply sat and staired at the two fighting women with such surprize that he could not move a muscle. "Katara! Is that you!" He finally asked the women in the slightly wet clothes. "Well, duh!" She said as she flung Meng over her back. Aang stood there, absoutly stunned. What he saw before him was not the tom-boyish waterbender he use to know. But she was now dressed in green lace and silk, make up slowly dripping down her face from the water. "Well, are you just going to stand there all day?" Katara asked nervously as she tried to straighten out her rumpled skirt. "Wow..." Was all he said.
Meanwhile, Meng trying to pick herself up off the ground, witnessed the re-uniting scene. "Aang! Tell that bitch we need a room!" Meng shouted at the top of her lungs. "Meng, shut up!" Aang said as he turned from her to face Katara. Meng stood dumbfounded as she watched the scene. "Katara? What are you doing here?" He asked as he approched her. "I - I came here to see my father..." Katara said as she turned away as she started back up the path to the palace.
Aang followed while being trailed by Meng. "So - how did you know he was here?" He continued to question her. "I heard rumors that the Southern Water Tribes' soldiers had become allies with the warriors here, so here I am." She said nervously. "Who gave you those clothes?" He asked more as he tried to catch up. "A friend..." She mumbled under her breath. "Who?" He asked again. "Do you need a place to stay or not?" She asked as she turned to face him. "Um, yeah! How did you know!" Aang asked with surprize. "Every one within the tri-state area could here your little love scwabble with your pookie face over there." Katara said disgustedly.
"Who?" Aang asked dumb founded, he had completely forgotten about Meng. Katara pointed to the girl behind him, who was wearing a giant scowl on her face. "That." Katara said coldly. "I will not stay in some servent's hut! Aang, I'm not staying with that women!" Meng protested. "Alright Chicky, stop just right there. Just what makes you think I am a servent at the palace." Katara asked Meng, her temper slowly flaring. "The way you look! You look like either a prostitute or one of the King's wenchs! Just look at her Aang!" Meng said as she jabbed Katara's chest with her index finger.
"If I may say, you look like hell, little miss complainer!" Katara retorted back with such ferocity in her voice it startled Aang. "And, I will have to inform you, I am a guest of Prince Taeko! I live in the Royal Apartments!" Katara said as she jabbed Meng back. By this time, Aang was staring wide-eyed at the fueding women again. "You? The Prince's guest! Ha! He wouldn't let such trash like you even enter the palace!" Meng said as she spit on Katara's face.
"I wouldn't? Would I?" Asked a smooth male voice from behind Meng. All three turned thier heads to see a regal man standing before them. Taeko was tall, quite muscular, and had long, dark hair, reminicent of Haru's. "Taeko, tell that girl that I am living in your Apartments!" Katara said as she walked over to him. "Miss, am I to belive that you are calling my bethrothed a wench or a common street whore?" Taeko asked as he snaked his arm around Katara's waist and brought her to his side.
Meng stood speechless. "You- what- how!" She uttered, trying to form complete senetces. "Katara, do you really think it nessecary to house this woman? I'm sure we could find room for the Avatar. But, I think it best if this woman stays with Hina's scullary maids." Katara closed her eyes and giggled at Taeko's indirect insulte. "I think we should ask her hubby that question." Katara said as she looked up at Aang. With her words, Aang's heart dropped in his chest. She thought he was married to Meng? 'Dear Gyasto, what am I gonna do know!' He scolded himself. "She can stay with me, if there's room." He said as he looked to Meng, who had her arms crossed over her chest, looking like she was about to attack Katara.
x o x o x
Katara sat in her room with Hina. It was a beautiful place, decorated in hues of green, pale sea foam, and light blues. Her bed, in the dead center, was low to the ground, surrounded by a thin, silver-laced veil. The walls where a neutral sepia, the floor a plush rug. She had many windows, her favorite a giant bay window where she could sit and watch the sun set over the ocean.
Katara and Hina sat on the floor next to the bed. "So, she just stood there in front of him, calling you a whore?" Hina asked as she giggled.
"The thought of the look on my brother's face! I would have given my favorite combs to see it!" She said as she clutched her stomach from much
laughter. "It was so funny! We even got into a fist fight! She started pulling my hair! I then flipped her skinny butt onto the sand! Right in front of -
AANG!" Katara said as Aang walked into her room. "Katara, can we talk?" He asked as he cautiously walked in. "Um... Hina and I are kinda
busy right now... " Katara said, trying to avoide being within ten feet of him. "Please?" He asked, this time such sadness came from his
voice that it crushed Hina's heart. "Uh - Katara, I think I have some I need to do. I have to keep up with it." She said as she stood and headed
toward the door. "Hina!" Katara protested. "Kat, just talk to him." She said as she closed the door.
"Kat, huh?" Aang asked with a raised eyebrow. "Yeah. Hina thinks my name is to long to say, so she calls me "Kat"... Too many syllables for her,
I quess..." Katara said with a snicker. "Wait! Why am I tell you this?" Katara said as she got to her feet and headed for the bay window. Aang felt
a little peice of his heart break at her words. "Why are you here? Don't you need to be tending to your - wife?" Katara asked as she looked upon
the setting sun. "First off, we are not married. Second, why are you so cruel to me? And third, when did you become engaged to Taeko?" Aang
asked as he drew up a chair and sat next to her.
Katara drew a deep breath and faced him. "Who do you think you are? Asking me personal things like that. I know, we used to be best friends.
We used to court. But let me tell you, times have changed. Within the past month, I have learned to get along without the aid of the avatar." She
said as she turned back to face the ocean. "But how? Didn't you tell me that you loved me? No matter what happened?" He asked as he took
her hand in his. Katara began to shake, she bit her lip, trying no to weep. When she turned to face him, her cheeks where stained with tears,
eye liner dripping down her face, giving her a fierce look.
"Yes! I DID love you! But after that little act with Meng, do you ever think I would ever want to be in your arms again? Do you!" She asked as she stood, trembling from head to toe. "Katara..." He said with a soft voice. "I'm sorry... I can't take back what I did. But I can ask you to forgive me. I will never stop loving you. Not for once second." With his words, Katara ran out of the room, leaving behind Aang to wallow in his misery.
x o x o x
Dinner was a lavish affair at the palace of Ba-Sing-Se. The plates and cutlery where gold, as well as the goblets of wine. The head of the table,
King Tetsuji laughed a hearty laugh with his friends Heichi and Iroh. Next to Iroh was his nephew Zuko, seated next to him was Hina, who blushed
every time he looked her way. On the other side of the table Aang, Meng, and Sokka sat. Sokka attacked his dinner, while Meng still complained
about the food. Aang's head was low, he looked to where Katara seat was. It was devoide Katara. 'Where could she be?' Both Aang and Taeko
asked them selves.
"So, Aang, who is that girl you brought with you?" Taeko asked as he nuged Aang's arm. "Hm? Oh, her? She just tagged along." He said as he stuck pot sticker in his mouth. "Katara said she was your wife." Taeko continued as he sipped his sake. Taeko's words almost made Aang gag on his food. "Her? My wife!" He asked in horror. "No way! The way she complains! I can't even stand to be around her, let alone be her husband!" He said as he whipped face with his napkin.
"Well, if you have no need of her, my brother Shinya needs a, how should I say... "courtier". Is the young woman avalible?" Taeko asked. "Um,
what ever floats your boat." Aang said as he went in for the final beef dumpling. "She's all yours..." Aang said through a full mouth. "Thank you,
Avatar." Taeko said as he clapped his hands, two sentry came from the hall and stood next to Meng. "Miss Meng, may I speak to you in the hall"
Taeko asked her. Meng gave him a flirtatious look. "Why, highness, it will be my pleasure!" Meng said as she slipped out of her chair and
followed him.
Once in the hall, Taeko addressed her: "Meng of the House of Wu, you are now bethrothed to my brother Shinya, by the royal request of my wife. She tells me that you have a certain fondess of complaining. My brother also tells me that he will cater to your every whime, if you give him your unwavering attention and devotion." He said in a regal tone. "Highness! Do you expect me to wed a man I have never even met!" She said aghast. "Miss, my brother stands amoung us now." With his words, one of the sentry stepped forward and bowed deeply. "My Lady, I am Shinya of the house of Hasegawa. It is an honor to meet such a vibrant young woman." Shinya said as he bowed deeply and kissed her hand.
"Well then... The pleasure is all mine!" She with a curt smile. "Miss, I must also add, that by brother, I mean, my brother-in-arms." Taeko said with a slight smile. "What!" Meng gasped. "He's not royal!" She screamed. "Lady, he is a foot soldier in the Imperial Army. He tells me that he will be able to build you a quaint little cottage in Omashu." He added with a snicker. "I will not mary a man with no title!" Meng screamed at the top of her lungs. "But Lady, you have already taken his hand." Taeko pointed out. "You have no choice but to wed my brother." He said as he turned. Meng let out a scream so load it could wake the dead.
"Good Day, Lady and Lord." He said as he headed back to dinner. Meng's screams echoed all throughout the halls until he reached the chamber where the feast was held. Once he sat back down, he noticed Katara had taken her seat next to him. After he sat, Katara leaned over and whispered in his ear. "What was that girl screaming about this time?" She asked over her cup of peach hip tea. "I sent that vile woman away. She is to wed my best friend Shinya in two days." He said to her with a muffled laugh. Katara almost lost it when she finally got what he was saying. "She actually accpeted Shinya's proposal?" She asked him while sipping her tea. "With a little persuasion... She thought he was my actual brother!" He said as he leaned in and kissed her cheek. "How did you get Aang to let her go?" She asked with a smile.
"I asked him over diner. While he was stuffing his face with odango to be exact. He seemed glad to see her go." Katara muffled her laugh with
her transparent sleeve. "You mean she is actually gone! No more Meng!" She asked with excitement. "That is what I am saying, my dear lady!
She is to leave for Omashu in the morning." Taeko said as he brought his chopsticks to his lips.
Katara was so over come with joy that she wrapped her arms around Taeko and squeazed him. "Thank you!" She whispered to him. "I will never be able to repay you!" She said as she kissed his cheek. "My lady, you will repay me at the alter..." He said as he removed her arms from around his neck. "What?" Katara asked, shocked at his words. "The proper arrangments have been set. We are to wed in one week." Taeko told her as he placed his hand on her lower back. "I cannot wait to have you..." He said as his hand went lower.
Katara frooze. "Is that all I am? Breeding stock?" She asked aload as she stood up. "Suddenly, I'm not hungry anymore." She said as she left the room, leaving her audience in stupor.
x o x o x
Katara stood in the shallow pool of her bathing room. A warm waterfall poured from the beak of a ceramic phoenix as she stood under it. Flower petals floated in the water, the scent of rose and jasmine was thick in the air. "I'm going to be seeing these walls for the rest of my life." She said sadly as she waded over to the side of the tub to anoint her body with hemp seed oil. "No more fyling bison... No more waterbeing... No more ocean... No more Aang..." Her voice faded as she saw shadows cross the walls. "This is not going to happen to me again!" She said as she lept out of the tub, grabbed her sword from it's sheath, and quitely tip-toed to the wall.
A door on the opposite side of the room opened. Katara held her stance. "You look like you are about to go into battle!" Said a fimilar voice.
"Hina!" Katara said as she let her sword fall. "Why do you have to do that creepy walk in the shadows thing!" She demanded as she
jumped back into the tub. "Just ta' scare ya'!" She said as she too jumped into the pool. When Hina came up, Katara had her hair wrapped up in
a towel, sitting by the edge.
"Why are you so skiddish all of a sudden?" Hina asked as she swam over to Katara. She said nothing. "Earth to Katara!" Hina said sarcastily.
"Huh? Oh! Sorry Hina! I was just think!" Katara said applogectily. "So, why are you scared?" Hina asked as she splashed Katara. "If you
must know, I was raped in a bathhouse. I am scared to even enter one." Katara told her best friend. "Kat! Why didn't you tell me!" Hina pushed
her on for more information. "Becuase... I don't want to relive it..." Katara said as she pulled herself out of the tub.
x o x o x
TBC...