To serve my master
by Etherealstar

Author's notes: Thank you to all the reviewers of my past chapters. I wanted to apologize for not posting chapter 3 on time. I was real ill, so please excuse me for that. Other than that, THANKIES so much. You peeps are the greatest! Arigatou my lovely peeps.
Disclaimer: Avatar is owned by (looks around nervously) somebody? And sure that somebody wouldn't mine if I played with their characters, right? Anyways, this fanfiction is for non-profit, its just for fun—and a bit of evilness.
Chapter 4- The discovery…

"Who are you?"

She swallowed. "Ka-Katara?"

"Is that a question or an answer?"

"Answer, sir"

"Aren't you that girl who's the new slave? Zuko's new maid?"

"Hai (yes)"

"Then why are you here?"

"I do not know where Zuko's room is" she pathetically said

"Excuse me smart miss, I believe you refer to him as Master Zuko. Do you understand?" the man grimly asked.

"Yes."

"His room is down the hall. It's a dead end, you can't miss it. Hurry along now" with that Katara went on her way to Zuko's room.

Sighing in relief that all went well Katara began thinking. Perhaps that was one of Zuko's relatives, because the man also referred Zuko without any elite endearment like Warlord of Master. 'That had to be his uncle Iroh. The one I've heard so much about.'

As Katara drew closer she felt the pang of fear increase within her. What was it about Zuko that made her so frighten and angered at the same time? She didn't know. Opening the door quietly, a silent click made her affirm the door was open. Entering very quietly, she saw that the entire room was dark.

The room was amazing, huge as ever, Katara became trance at the astonishing beauty of the room. For a stinky mouth warlord like Zuko, he certainly had one thing she agreed on and that's his taste. Exquisite silks, velvets and linens draped his room. Colours in the rich family of gold, sages, navy and burgundies filled his room with a masculine rich motif. His room was more of the antique with several paintings on the wall of the Fire Nation. Paintings she had never seen came to her viewing. Most were paintings of him in war, but just a few of them were portrayed with a sad theme. In particular there was a picture that made her think about its worth.

The picture was one where Zuko was sleeping with dark sheets around his body, looking troubled. While a flag of the Fire Nation was behind his back. What really got her thinking was the little scripture on the bottom: I'm left in the wake to mistakes still left to ignite, by the fires that corrupted me, but is it my fault that my surprise looks like my future demise?

Katara was amazed. Clueless, yes, by what it meant she still remained fixated by the picture. Hearing the sound of stirs escaping Zuko's lips she jumped. Zooming to reality, Katara bit her lip going forward.

"What am I suppose to do? Not wake him?"

'Obviously'

"Do I shake him or do it another way?" she thought for a moment. Seeing the shut windows, she went forward. Spreading the curtains apart, the bright sun consumed its way within the room.

"Aghh!" an instant groan came to Zuko's lips.

"Close the bloody window" he complained.

Katara smirked, 'why should I?'

"Aghh, close the window moron, would you?"

Katara frowned. Definitely she was not going to shut the window.

She watched as he grumbled, stirred, grumbled back again and stirred. It was humorous watching the literal hot-headed warlord cope with a bit of sun. He fussed and complained and rapped, everything a wee little girl would do. Little bastard was spoilt and disrespectful and Katara wondered hard who could ever like a man this dense?

Katara knowing her job to be his little itsy maid began her tasks. The first, was annoying "I mean waking up" Zuko, the second was to clean his beautiful room.

Picking up the sheets, she placed them on his chair. To increase the sear evilness, she began humming. At first soft as a lullaby, but she increased her volume.

Zuko grumbled furiously. He just had about it with 'this twit' the exact words flying through his head. His eyes flew open immediately. Sitting up vigorously, he turned to the side to see the sight which made his face blush.

Bending over with her buttocks slightly showing, to pick up his dirty laundry, Katara remained completely calm, assuming Zuko was fully asleep.

"Bending over to give me a nosebleed are you?" came his cold voice over her humming.

Her eyes nearly popped out. Blushing almost immediately, she stood up straight turning to him.

"You have a lot of audacity water-bender. A-lot" he whispered dangerously. There was usually a saying, never harass a man of his good slumber and Katara saw why.

"I-I was just doing as I was instructed" she couldn't find her tongue as she became mesmerized by his eyes once again. Fires of every colour attracted her to its desirous death.

He pushed the sheets off, allowing his trimmed torso to be exposed to the young bender. She turned her face, a blush immediately flying over her cheeks.

"I would ask of you to close your shirt and please show respect" she said nervously.

"This is my room, my fortress, my Nation and whatever is mine will be ran how I like it. Don't ask me for anything you nasty bender" he scowled turning away from her. Collecting his Gi that was on his chair, he exited the room leaving her with a note to remember, "I want my breakfast. Make haste"

She sighed. Zuko really wasn't the easiest of men. Goodness, did he have a temper or what? How did he ever expect to be happy with such a temper ruling his life? Realizing it was none of her business Katara continued collecting his dirty laundry. Placing all his stinky clothes in a tub, she exited the room making her way down the stairs. She remembered the stairs the night before, being dragged up such the long flight. Hearing Zuko's pestering voice once again made her want to scowl. This man was obsessively compulsive. No lie there.

"BENDERRRR, WHERE'S MY BREAKFAST?" she heard him shout. Katara sighed, imagine a warlord who perfects techniques couldn't make himself a simple breakfast, what's the odds of that?

Running down the steps she saw her friend Lily cooking some Miso soup with rice-balls on the stove. A simple wink from the girl made Katara understand she was covering for her. Katara smiled. The girl really was a peach.

Katara took her queue cooking the meal over the stove for a couple of minutes.

As the meal cooked, she got some bowls, cups and chopsticks for him. Placing the bowl in front of him, a cup was joined to his left and his chopsticks at his right.

"And my food?" he asked coldly.

Katara smirked, "its cooking"

"Humph!"

She rolled her eyes returning to the meal. Taking the heat off she used the mittens to bring the pots of food to her 'master.'

Pouring him some fresh Miso soup, he waited for her to finish serve him. Placing a rice-ball on a small platter for him, she poured him some green tea. Standing to the side of him she smiled feeling like she'd done everything right, for sure nothing dirty or foul could escape his mouth.

He looked at her and then back at his meal. "Its' not poison is it?"

A nerve popped in her head, 'deep breaths Katara-girl, he's just testing you. Breathe in and breathe out'

"Of course not"

He nodded.

Taking his chopsticks, he went forward to take a bite on his Miso but it was too hot. He stopped, dropping the chopsticks.

"What?" was her question.

"It's hot onna (woman)"

"That's because its cooked" she tried not to sound smart.

He gave her a chastising glare. She bit her lips to ease the tension.

"Cool it onna" came his request.

"Excuse me?" she narrowed her eyes

"Are you deaf that I must repeat myself a second time?"

'Ohh you'll get it one day Zuko, when you least expect it'

Katara subdued herself. Placing a hand over his Miso soup, she breathed in deeply. Zuko saw that as she breathed in, the heat from his meal condensed into water which she collected in her hand.

"Iiee (No)" he pounded the table.

The sudden disruption made the water she collected fall to the ground.

"Clumsy fool" he lashed out.

"Me? Clumsy? I'm certainly not clumsy, this is all your fault" she barked back.

"Don't dare persecute me water-bender" he drawled a snarl of death.

"Or what?"

"Or I'll scorch that mouth of yours shut" he shouted loudly.

Katara could tell he wasn't in the mood to be toyed with. His voice was deep and very irate. Understanding that she should just keep all her hussy statements to herself, she nodded in agreement.

"Cool my meal onna" before she could say anything (remember she cooled his meal), Zuko breathed over his meal, a steam coming off.

"Now onna" he ordered.

Katara knew she would hate herself, but did she have a choice! Leaning over, she blew on his meal.

He collected a piece of Miso waiting for her to blow on it. The way her face pouted forward as she blew on his food made him a bit angered and a bit, excited.

Shaking his head he tried to remind himself he was all about bad. "you missed a spot"

Hearing her growl, she blew on it.

'Good girl'

The village was silent…

Faces all looking back at the two young men.

'What dead-man's village are we in?'

Aang's young face took in the faces that all resembled a bit of horror and worry. The tension was thick and unwavering and just starting a conversation was looking like a problem. Sokka on the other hand was confused. What had happened?

What's with the intense stares? What's with this village? He thought. He whispered very hush-hush to Aang who was also staring about very clueless.

"Pss, Aang" he whispered.

"Yes Sokka?"

"Maybe we have the wrong village or something," not trusting these people.

"Oh come on Sokka, this is the village we left Katara at. Speaking of her, where is she?" Aang wondered.

The villagers circled the two boys, wearing them thin as far as patience and cool was going.

"Alright everyone, what's the matter?" Sokka finally asked.

As far as he knew, it was becoming too old to call tension.

He heard stray whispers in the crowd. But nothing was as audible as he'd like. The strange stares they increased making tensions run high.

Sokka had it, this was really getting annoying. Before he could lash out like his usual self, an old man came forward.

The leader of the small village.

Old, wrinkled and worn to the age of time, Sokka went forward to ask what was happening.

A hand was brought up to stop Sokka.

"Master Sokka and Master Aang, there is news you need to know" spoke his ancient voice.

"What kind of news?" Sokka asked, arching his brow.

"Well it deals with the Fire Nation" he paused. Both Aang and Sokka sighed.

"What about them?" uninterestedly Sokka asked. He was so tired of running from Zuko that it almost didn't seem to intrigue him that his life was a big-ole run for survival.

"You see Master Sokka, your sister has become their captive" the man spoke.

"WHATTT?" both Aang and Sokka shouted out.

Horror in their eyes and fear pumping through their veins in a liquefied rush, nothing could explain the adrenaline twirling through their bodies.

'Katara' Aang whispered to himself in horror…

To be continued…