When Katara awoke, the bed was empty. She was covered in a thin blanket, but a cool morning breeze drifted in from the balcony, pushing loose wisps of her hair into her face. She rolled over and spotted Zuko sitting on the floor in a beam of warm morning sun, facing away from her with his legs crossed and his hands resting on his knees. He had put on some pants, but otherwise sat shirtless as he quietly meditated. Katara could see long scratch marks across his back and her face flushed at the sight of it. She sat up, wrapping the blanket around her, and slid off of the bed. She crossed the room and sat quietly next to him, closing her eyes as the warm sunlight hit her face.
He sat silent and still, and for a moment she wasn't sure he even noticed she had joined him. Then Zuko suddenly reached out and took her hand in his. She opened her eyes and looked at him, but apart from the fact that his fingers were laced with hers, it looked like he had not moved in the slightest. She smiled to herself and leaned into him, resting her head on his shoulder as he meditated, content just to be near him.
An urgent knock at the door startled her back to focus. Zuko opened his eyes with a sigh, rising to his feet before extending Katara his hand to help her up. She scrambled to her feet just as the knock came again.
"My Lord, I have an urgent message for you," a man called from the other side of the door.
Zuko glanced over at Katara, naked except for the blanket she was wrapped in. She had small bruises across her chest, neck, and shoulders and her hair was a messy tangle. Her cheeks flushed as he looked her over, and she gave him a sheepish grin before scrambling around the room looking for something to wear. She slipped back into her pants and was just slipping into Zuko's discarded tunic as the frantic knock came again.
"How is he even sure you are here?" Katara hissed under her voice, hastily tying the shirt closed.
"I'm pretty sure the whole Palace knows," Zuko replied, glancing once more at the exposed bruises with a satisfied smirk.
She blushed again, gesturing for him to answer the door with a roll of her eyes. Zuko obliged and answered just as the knocking came again. A servant stood in the hall, looking frazzled. His gaze took in the sight of the shirtless Fire Lord, covered in scratches and bruises, then his eyes landed on Katara lurking behind him, still fumbling to secure the knot around her waist. The man blushed crimson and gave them both a deep bow.
"P-pardon the interruption, m-my Lord," the man stuttered awkwardly.
"It's fine. You said you had urgent news?" Zuko replied nonchalantly.
The man cleared his throat, fixing his gaze on the floor. "Yes my Lord… General Iroh sent me to find you and… and Lady Katara. He… uh… said you would likely be… together." He glanced up at Katara, who had come to stand beside Zuko before swiftly averting his gaze again.
"Go on; did he say what he wanted that was so urgent?"
"He did not give me specifics, my Lord. He told me to tell you to come to his room as soon... " his eyes darted between them again. "As soon as you are decent."
Zuko bit his lip for a moment, trying not to laugh. "Were those his exact words?" he asked. He could hear Katara next to him trying to suppress a fit of giggles.
"Y-yes, my Lord."
"Alright. Thank you… we will head over right away."
The man bowed, and took off down the hall at a quick pace. Zuko shut the door and glanced up at Katara, who burst into laughter the moment their eyes met. They quickly washed up and got dressed, Katara leaving her hair loose around her shoulders to try and hide the bite marks Zuko had left on her. She could easily heal them, but between the two of them they had quite a few telling marks, and it would take her several minutes to get rid of all the obvious ones. She didn't want to keep Iroh waiting, and judging by what the servant had said, Iroh wouldn't be surprised to see a few bruises across the two of them anyway.
They left Zuko's room and headed down the hallway towards Iroh's room, which was in the next corridor over. When they arrived they found the door standing open, so they let themselves in. Iroh was sitting on the floor at a low table pouring tea into four teacups and chatting happily to Ty Lee, who was seated on his left. He looked up as they entered and gave them both a bright smile.
"Good morning nephew; Katara. Please, shut the door and come have some tea."
Zuko closed the door, giving Katara a confused look. They joined Iroh and Ty Lee at the table, both eyeing the General suspiciously. They watched in silence as he finished pouring the tea, set down the pot, and then handed them each a cup. Once he had given them all tea, he took a long sip of his own, smiling happily before finally setting his cup back down on the table.
"Uncle… what is this all about? I was told you wanted to see us urgently."
"Have patience, Zuko. Enjoy your tea," Iroh replied, gesturing to his cup.
Zuko frowned at him and eyed his cup suspiciously before casting his glance back to Katara. She shrugged and took a sip of her tea. Iroh followed his gaze, smiling mischievously as his eyes landed on the waterbender.
"Katara, did you hurt yourself?" he asked, his eyes twinkling.
She blushed crimson and her hands flew up to brush her hair up around her face. Ty Lee gave her a confused look.
"She looks fine to me," she said.
"She has bruises on her neck. Right there…" Iroh teased, pointing. "Did you injure yourself training?"
"Uncle, that's enough," Zuko warned, drawing the man's attention.
"Oh look, Zuko has them too. However did those get there?"
Zuko pinched the bridge of his nose, letting out a frustrated sigh. "Did you call us here simply to act like a dirty old man, or did you actually have something important to say?"
Iroh chuckled to himself, satisfied with Zuko's reaction. Ty Lee peered at Zuko and Katara for a moment, then realization dawned on her face and she quickly took a sip of her tea to hide her sudden fit of giggles.
"Well, now that you mention it," Iroh started, getting an annoyed huff from his nephew, "I had something I wanted to talk to you three about in private. I have been investigating all of the guard captains and the higher ranking military members, and I have found something suspicious."
This seemed to peak the interest of his guests, and they listened with rapt attention. "I was going over the reports from the night of the attack, and I noticed a strange discrepancy. It seems that one of our Council members may have lied about where they were that night."
Zuko furrowed his brow and crossed his arms. "Who?"
"General Kohoku. According to his report the night of the breakout, he was at home when he heard the explosion at the prison, and he ran to the Palace to see what was happening. His home was attacked by an assassin shortly after, but his wife was awake by then and fought the man off. The guards found the assassin unconscious in their home when they arrived, so his story was never questioned."
"So what part is the lie?" Katara asked curiously.
"According to the guard captain on duty that night, General Kohoku arranged to make a few staffing changes earlier in the day. The captain didn't question it, but I find it highly suspicious, especially considering I have just found out that was also spotted entering the Palace prior to the explosion at the prison, not after like he claimed."
Zuko sat quietly, pondering his uncle's words before speaking. "Kohoku spoke quite vehemently against my decision to propose to Katara… and he has always been pushy for me to stick to tradition. I have butt heads with him since he was appointed, but I never got the impression that he was a traitor, or that he had any loyalty left for my father or Azula. I can't accuse him of treason if I don't have evidence, even if I don't like him."
"He was against us marrying?" Katara asked, frowning. She had met General Kohoku a handful of times, and he had always been pleasant to her. Hearing that he had been so against her was a shock.
"He… is a traditionalist," Zuko said evasively.
Katara raised an eyebrow at him, then turned to Iroh for a better explanation.
"Traditionally, the Fire Lord chooses their spouse from a family with a strong lineage of firebenders in order to improve the chances of bearing children who are firebenders. General Kohoku was concerned that any children born between you and Zuko might be waterbenders instead," Iroh answered truthfully, giving her a sympathetic look.
She was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Has there ever been a Fire Lord who was not a firebender?"
Silence filled the room. Iroh, Zuko, and Ty Lee all glanced between one another, clearly hiding something. Katara took this as her answer.
"So if we never have a child that is a firebender, what happens then?"
Once again, her question went unanswered. Katara huffed, turning her insistent gaze to Zuko. He sighed, shoulders slumping. "There is a first time for everything, Katara. I am not a traditionalist."
"You aren't telling me something," she snapped, growing frustrated.
Zuko cast a pleading look to his uncle, who returned it with an equally guilty expression. Finally, Ty Lee threw up her arms in frustration. "Well if you won't tell her, I will!"
"Tell me what?"
"The reason there has never been a Fire Lord who was not a firebender is because any child born to the royal family is disinherited, and no longer has a right to the crown. It is very rare, but it has happened. This is why they choose partners from strong firebending families, so they can guarantee firebending children."
Katara looked horrified at her words, her mouth falling open. "That's horrible!"
"Well like I said, it's very rare. And those children are still part of the royal family and everything, so it's not like they starve in the streets. They just… can't take the throne. But… yeah. It's pretty horrible."
"My father wanted to throw me from the Palace walls when I was a baby because he thought I wasn't a bender… so yeah. It's pretty bad," Zuko said bitterly.
Katara's expression softened at his words, and she reached out to take his hand. Iroh cleared his throat, trying to diffuse the tension.
"When General Kohoku questioned Zuko about the possibility of only having waterbending children, I believe his exact words of reply were, 'then the next ruler of the Fire Nation will be a waterbender'. So don't ever worry about whether or not you will be expected to abide by outdated traditions. And if it helps, the rest of the Council agreed that it was time to do things differently, and they were quick to shut down the General when he tried to argue."
There was an awkward silence in the room, and Katara sat, her eyes glued to the floor. She felt Zuko give her hand a squeeze, and she looked up at him with a small smile.
"So, what are we gunna do about this General?" Ty Lee asked, changing the topic, receiving grateful smiles from the other three.
"We can't really have him arrested if our only proof is a discrepancy in his story and the fact that he made a staff change… I agree that it is very suspicious, but if we are wrong and we arrest him based on speculation it will not go over well." Zuko said.
"I will investigate this staff change further, and see if any of the changes made were the men guilty of assisting with the break in. That should give us solid proof. In the meantime, do you think it would be wise to have him followed?" Iroh asked.
"Who can we trust to follow him? If you just ask any old guard, they might be working together," Ty Lee interjected.
"Ty Lee has a good point. Plus he spends most of his time either at home or milling about at the Palace. We can't search his house without good reason, and he is too much in the public eye here so I don't we would discover much by trailing him… except perhaps an idea of who his accomplices might be. But maybe we should keep him occupied so he doesn't figure out that we are investigating him?" Zuko suggested.
"But how can we keep him occupied without raising his suspicion?" Iroh asked.
Katara mused for a moment, then spoke. "You said he was a traditionalist, right? Well, what if I ask him to teach me more about what will be expected of me after Zuko and I are married? I'm sure I will have no problem coming up with a million questions for him, and I can follow him around being a pest until you are done with the staff records."
Zuko smirked at her. "You just want to rub it in his face, don't you?"
Katara grinned sheepishly. "Well, if it works."
"What can I do to help?" Ty Lee asked eagerly.
"Talk to his wife," Zuko suggested. "You are really good at socializing with people, so maybe you can find out more details about that night and see if anything else doesn't fit."
"Ooh! I can do that! I know her decently well, so that should be easy!"
"You do?" Zuko asked, raising an eyebrow at her.
"Yeah! Her cousin is Mai's mother, so I've known her for ages. Not well, obviously, but she used to be over at Mai's house all the time when we were kids. She'd always bring fresh treats from the bakery."
"Wait… Kohoku's wife is related to Mai?" Zuko said, furrowing his brow. "How did I not know?"
"Why would you? We always came to the Palace to play with you and Azula, and she is much older than us so I doubt you would have ever met her."
"Well that certainly gives him more motive," Iroh mused.
"Uncle, do you know the whereabouts of Mai's parents? I know they were in the Capital for the ball, but did they actually return to Fire Fountain City afterwards?" Zuko asked.
"I am not sure. I know they all got on a ship the next day, so I assume they headed home. But whether or not they remained there I cannot say. Why?"
"Well… I'm starting to get the impression that the Phoenix Initiative may be a family affair. Mai's uncle was imprisoned after the war, her parents had their assets in the Capital removed and were forced to relocate, and she herself is still angry and bitter that we are no longer together. Now we find out that her extended family may be involved in the breakout… it's all too much to be a coincidence. We pardoned most of Mai's family because of her actions on the Boiling Rock and because they swore loyalty to me after my father was defeated, but they still lost a lot of their former power when the war ended. What if they have orchestrated all of this?"
"I admit it is all rather suspicious. But as you said, we cannot take action without proof, so we must investigate carefully. Especially considering your history with Mai… it would look petty to accuse her family of treason on a mere suspicion. We only know for sure that she is involved."
Zuko turned to Ty Lee. "Did you hear anything from Mai between the ball and when she showed up in Redmarch?"
"No, sorry," she said, shaking her head. "Mai and I have lost touch ever since she left the Capital, and we barely even talked at the ball, let alone afterwards."
Zuko sat up straight suddenly, a memory coming back to him. "At the ball she said something to me… She was being nasty to Katara, and then Aang came over to ask Katara to dance. Right after they left she started asking me if I wanted to go somewhere quiet to talk and I told her to leave me alone. I was rather rude to her, admittedly, but she said something that at the moment I didn't take seriously."
"I remember that," Katara said. "I saw her shout something at you then storm off. What did she say?"
"She said, 'if you choose her over me, you will never be safe. Your enemies will not forget.' and then she stormed off. At the time I thought she was just being bitter, but what if she was giving me a real warning?"
Katara pursed her lips, then let out a sigh. It broke her heart to think that her relationship with Zuko was putting him in danger, and his decision to be with her angered people enough that they would rather have crazy Azula on the throne instead. Iroh noticed her dower expression and reached over to pat her knee.
"Don't let this bother you, my dear one. These are the same type of people who stood by as our nation caused a war that devastated the world for a century and destroyed an entire nation because it gave them power and influence. They cling to traditions and fear change because they don't know how to be anything other than tyrants. They would rather see their own people suffer than relinquish their hold on whatever power they possess."
Zuko gave Katara a sad look, knowing just how much all of this must be affecting her. The Phoenix Initiative had nothing against her personally, really. What angered them were the choices he had made. They were angry about the peace that had been fostered between the nations, because it meant the Fire Nation was no longer the strongest. They were mad that he had fallen for Katara, because a union between the Fire Nation and Water Tribe would only solidify that peace, especially if they had any children who were waterbenders. They hated him because he was not a warmongering, violent dictator like his father was, and now they had to be held accountable for the terrible things they had done. None of this was Katara's fault, but she was very much in the middle of it and it crushed him to know that she felt even the smallest measure of guilt.
"Let's focus on investigating General Kohoku for now," Iroh said, changing the topic. "Katara, Ty Lee, and I have things to do."
"What about me?" Zuko asked.
"You are the Fire Lord; you have enough to do. Go about your day as usual so nobody gets suspicious, and we will meet back here after lunch."
Zuko scowled, but nodded. He hated having nothing to contribute, but he knew his uncle was right. They finished up their tea and left Iroh's room, Katara and Zuko both in a dark mood. They walked down the hallway in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. When they reached the stairs, Zuko stopped and reached out for Katara, who immediately wrapped her arms around him.
"I love you, Katara, and so do the people. Don't forget that."
"That goes for you too, you know," she said, looking up at him with a cheeky smile.
Zuko smiled and tenderly brushed a strand of hair from her face. "I have a meeting with Ambassador Shiza this morning, so I will see you at lunch, okay? Good luck with… you know."
She nodded. "See you at lunch." She gave him a lingering kiss, then they headed down the stairs together, walking off in opposite directions once they reached the main floor.
Katara spent the better part of an hour combing the Palace for General Kohoku, under the guise of taking a morning stroll. She didn't want to ask around for him and make anyone suspicious, especially considering she and the General weren't exactly friends. But she was starting to get desperate. She was just pondering stopping a guard and asking if they had seen the General that morning when the man himself strode past her and into the library. Katara rushed after him, her determination renewed, and called out his name. He stopped and turned, his eyebrows lifting when he saw who had addressed him.
"My Lady… good morning. Can I help you with something?"
"I'm not sure… I hope so. I have been trying to research traditional wedding ceremonies for the Fire Nation, the royal family in particular, and I am starting to get overwhelmed. I have so many questions," Katara lied.
Kohoku crossed his arms and gave her a suspicious look. "Do you not have servants and wedding planners and the like to educate you?"
Katara felt a pang of annoyance at his tone, but brushed it off. "They keep telling me things as if they expect me to already know. I think they forget that I am not actually from the Fire Nation," she said, relishing in the brief flicker of disgust that crossed his face.
"And you thought I could answer your questions?"
"Well… I was on my way here to see if I could find some books on the subject, but I saw you passing by and I thought, if anyone were to know the traditions of the Fire Nation, it would be a Council member!"
Kohoku suppressed a sigh and glanced past her for a moment before bowing his head. "What do you wish to know, my Lady?"
'Yes! I'm in!' Katara thought to herself. "Well, first of all…"
XXXX
Iroh entered the barracks, greeting the soldiers and guards within with warm smiles. Several people waved at him in reply, but otherwise left him to his business. It wasn't uncommon to see the General in the barracks, so nobody questioned his presence. He walked confidently through the common areas through to a small bookkeeping room. There was a clerk on duty who looked up at Iroh as he entered.
"General Iroh! How I can I help you?" the woman said warmly.
"I would like to take a look at the staff records for the night of the prison breakout. I heard that there were some last minute staff changes, and I want to cross reference the updated guard list with the original, if you would be so kind as to pull up those records for me," Iroh said, giving her a charming smile.
"Certainly! Just one moment." The woman got up from her desk and moved to a large bookshelf along one wall. She ran her fingers over the spines of the books for a moment, muttering to herself before exclaiming, "Aha! There you are!" and pulling a book off of the shelf. She flipped to the back of the book, then set it down in front of Iroh, open to the page in question. He looked it over, seeing the familiar names of the on-duty guards who had been with the Phoenix Initiative, as well as several names he did not recognize. He looked up at the record keeper with a frown.
"It doesn't look like this page has been altered at all. Do you know if any staff changes were made?"
"The whole thing, sir," she replied.
"The whole thing?" Iroh repeated, confused.
"It looks like the entire schedule for that evening was changed, sir. See the missing page?" she said, pointing to a torn strip of paper where a page had been. "Normally if there is a full staff change, a whole new page is written. Though we aren't supposed to remove the old page…"
"Do you know who made the changes?"
The woman thought for a moment, sucking on the end of a quill as she did so. "I believe it was General Kohoku. I was heading out on my lunch break when I saw him come into the barracks, which I thought was strange because he doesn't usually come down here. I asked the guard captain what he was doing down here, and he said the General wanted to look at the staff schedule, so I thought nothing of it."
"Did you check the schedule when you returned?"
"No sir, this is the first time I have looked at it since that day. I didn't think I had any reason to be concerned."
"Who gave a list of the men on duty after the attack then?"
"I imagine it would have been one of the guard captains, sir. But they don't usually handle the bookkeeping, so I doubt any of them would have found a missing page to be strange."
Iroh mused a moment, then pointed to the names on the list he did not recognize. "Do you know who these guards are?"
The woman glanced at them briefly, then nodded. "New guards. I believe most of them were casualties of the breakout," she replied sadly.
Iroh reached out and patted her hand gratefully. "Thank you, you have been very helpful."
The woman bowed her head with a smile. "My pleasure, sir."
Iroh stood and said goodbye to the bookkeeper, then turned and strode from the barracks, a satisfied smirk on his face.
XXXX
Katara had been relentlessly throwing questions at Kohoku for the better part of an hour, and she could see his patience wearing thin. He stood with his arms crossed, eyes fixed on the ground beneath him as he struggled to keep his temper. She was starting to run out of questions, and she knew she couldn't keep his attention much longer. She took a moment to wrack her brain for another pointless query, but Kohoku took advantage of her silence, lifting his eyes back to hers.
"If that is all, my Lady, I really must leave. I have have business to attend to," he said, turning on his heel and striding towards the library doors.
Katara panicked. She ran after him, reaching out to grab his shoulder. "Wait, just one more thing…"
Kohoku cut her off, spinning to face her and slapping her arm away from him. His patience had snapped; the look he gave her as he stared her down was angry and dangerous. He stepped closer to her, scowling, and she couldn't stop herself from backing up a couple of paces. He followed her, pushing his face close to hers threateningly. She reached out with her energy, looking for a source of water she could use to defend herself, but found little of use. She felt her back hit the wall and he stepped uncomfortably close, looking her up and down with a sneer.
"It doesn't matter how many questions you ask, my Lady, you will never be fit to rule this nation. Master bender or not, you are still nothing but a peasant from the Water Tribe, and you will be a stain on the proud lineage of the Fire Nation. If I were you, I would leave now before you get both yourself and the Fire Lord killed."
Katara felt rage bubble up within her. She glowered at him and opened her mouth to reply, but he cut her off again.
"If you persist with this farce of a marriage, at least take my advice and throw any waterbending children you bear off of the Palace walls while they are still young… the Phoenix Initiative will not grant them such a quick or merciful death."
This shocked the anger right out of her, leaving her with a sense of cold dread. Before she could muster a reply, he had turned his back on her and strode from the library, leaving her alone in the silence with nothing but her aching heart for company. Tears welled up in her eyes, and though she willed them not to fall, she couldn't stop the surge of emotions raging within her. She felt her knees give out, and she slid down the wall until she hit the floor. She pulled her knees into her chest, hugging her legs as she cried.
After several minutes her tears slowed, and she managed to get a hold of herself. She sat on the floor, her face against her knees. She took a few deep breaths, feeling like an idiot for letting herself be so intimidated and upset.
Katara sat up, wiping her face with her hands. Knowing that the Phoenix Initiative wanted her dead was bad. Knowing they wanted Zuko dead because he had chosen to marry her was even worse. But nothing compared to the pain that crushed her heart hearing a death threat against children she hadn't even had yet. She couldn't help but wonder if the Phoenix Initiative would have never even been formed if she and Zuko hadn't fallen in love. Was she responsible for all of this death and suffering? Because she had dared to believe that a girl from a small village in the South Pole could ever successfully marry the ruler of an entire nation? She buried her face in her hands, pressing her palms into her eyes to try and temper the tears that once again threatened to fall.
"Lady Katara?" a soft voice called, cutting through her emotional spiral.
She inhaled sharply, trying to halt her tears, and looked up at the speaker with as much dignity as she could muster. A young woman stood a few feet away; Katara recognized her as one of the housemaids, though they had never spoken before.
"Are you alright, my Lady? Are you ill?"
"Y-yes!" Katara said, jumping at the excuse. "I am feeling quite ill… and... dizzy. I felt dizzy, so I had to sit... I um, should probably go lie down."
Katara moved to stand, and the maid rushed to her side to help her up. "Shall I call for a healer, my Lady?"
"No, that's okay. I will just go back to my room and rest for a while, and see how I feel. It was probably just a passing thing... " Katara said, cringing inwardly at her terrible ability to lie convincingly.
The maid gave her a concerned look, then her eyes suddenly flickered down towards Katara's stomach for the briefest moment before coming back to her face. "If you insist, my Lady."
Katara realized her mistake immediately. She was certain the maid now thought she was pregnant, and if she had learned anything over her months living at the Palace, it was that rumours spread fast. She cursed silently to herself, and mustered a smile.
"Thank you for your help, I feel much better already."
The maid bowed to her and Katara rushed out of the library. She headed up to her room to wash her face and freshen up, but she couldn't shake the knot in the pit of her stomach. She was shaken by her encounter with Kohoku, and while it convinced her of his guilt, she also couldn't help but be afraid. It made her angry that she was afraid, but she was nonetheless. She tried to hold on to her anger instead, but it sifted through her fingers every time, leaving her vulnerable to a new wave of anguish and fear. She lay face down on her bed, tightly wrapping a pillow around her head to try and drown out her own thoughts, feeling like a weak, powerless child.
XXXX
Zuko finished up his meeting with the Ambassador later than he had intended. It was already past noon, and he rushed upstairs to Iroh's room, not wanting to keep the others waiting any longer. He was desperate to know what they had found out, and it took all his willpower not to sprint through the halls like a child. When he arrived he knocked swiftly, entering the room when Iroh's voice invited him in. He saw his uncle and Ty Lee seated at the table once more, but Katara was absent. He glanced around the room hoping to spot her, but she was nowhere to be seen.
"Where's Katara?" he asked, confused.
"We thought she might be with you…" Iroh said, getting to his feet. He shared a worried look with Ty Lee, then turned his eyes back to Zuko.
He had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't like Katara to be late, and knowing that she had planned to harass Kohoku, who was possibly a traitor, for the better part of the morning made him cold with dread. Judging by the looks on the faces of the other two, Zuko could tell they had the same thought. He turned to leave the room, but Iroh's hand suddenly grasped his shoulder.
"Before we jump to conclusions, let's check her room and any other places she usually tends to be. She may have just lost track of time."
Zuko was fighting panic, but he nodded. Iroh was right, and he knew there was no point in tearing through the Palace looking for her if she wasn't actually missing. The three of them left Iroh's room together. They checked Zuko's room first, since it was only a hallway over, but she was not there. They headed to the guest wing next. They reached Katara's room and Zuko knocked insistently and called out her name. There was no answer, and Zuko cast a worried glance over his shoulder to Iroh. He reached down and tried the door; it was unlocked. That was promising. He pushed the door open and entered her room, spotting her immediately. She was laying on her bed with a pillow clutched around her head, and while he felt immediate relief at the sight of her, he knew something was wrong.
He crossed the room and sat down on the bed, reaching out to touch her arm. At his weight on the mattress Katara rolled over swiftly, bending water out of a glass on her bedside table which lashed out at Zuko's outstretched hand, whipping him hard. He recoiled, pulling his arm back with a cry as Katara sat up, guilt flooding her features as she realized what she had just done.
"Zuko! I am so sorry!" she gasped, reaching out to inspect his hand.
He shook his head and waved dismissively. "It's okay, I'm fine. Are you?"
She looked over his shoulder, spotting Iroh and Ty Lee still lingering in the doorway. They moved into the room. Ty Lee shutting the door behind them, then crossed the room. Ty Lee flopped down on the foot of her bed, Iroh standing next to her. Katara bit her lip; she felt ashamed of herself for having crumbled apart and worrying everyone. "I'm… fine," she lied.
Zuko raised an eyebrow at her with a disbelieving look. "Are you actually?"
"Yes!" she replied defensively, but the look on his face made her falter. "No… I don't know…"
"What happened?"
"..."General Kohoku threatened me," she muttered.
Zuko's face immediately flushed with anger. "What?!"
"Well… indirectly. He backed me up into a wall and told me that I would be a 'stain on the proud lineage of the Fire Nation', then told me I should leave before you or I get killed." Katara turned her eyes away from him.
Zuko's hands balled into fists, and his chest was heaving with rapid, angry breaths. "Did he say anything else?" he growled.
She hesitated; Zuko was already fuming, and she didn't want to further enrage him. But he also had the right to know what Kohoku had said, and she didn't feel comfortable hiding anything from him. "He… he said that if I have any waterbending children that I… I should… throw them from the palace walls because the Phoenix Initiative would not be… as… as 'merciful'."
Zuko froze, staring at her with an unreadable expression. His eyes grew dark, and for the briefest of moments she saw a flash of the dangerous, vengeful man he had been before he had joined Aang. "I'm going to kill him," he growled menacingly, getting to his feet.
He turned to leave the room, but as he did Iroh caught his arm. He wrenched himself free and strode across the room.
"ZUKO!" Iroh yelled, his voice stern and commanding.
He stopped, the tone in his uncle's voice getting through to his sense. Slowly he turned back around, his eyes fixed on the floor and his hands balled into fists.
"You can't just storm off and murder the General," Iroh said, his voice calmer, though still stern. "I have some information, and Ty Lee informed me that she does as well. So let's sit back down, put all the pieces together, and come up with a plan that doesn't include slaughtering a man in cold blood."
When Zuko didn't move or reply, Iroh took this as a sign of compliance and continued. "Judging by what he said you Katara, I think it is safe to assume that he is indeed affiliated with the Phoenix Initiative. I believe I have proof of this, based on what I have learned."
Iroh cast a glance at Zuko, gesturing for him to sit. With a huff, Zuko crossed the room again and sat on the bed next to Katara, who immediately captured his hand in hers. Some of his tension and anger dissipated at her touch, and he took a deep breath to try and temper his fury. Satisfied, Iroh told them everything he had learned at the barracks. Nobody seemed surprised by the revelation, and even Iroh spoke about the schedule changes as if it were exactly what he had expected to find. When he was finished, he turned to Ty Lee.
"What did you find out?"
"Well, I went by Kohoku's house to visit his wife. We haven't seen each other in ages so we just chatted for a while, but then we started talking about the night of the breakout and she said something that doesn't quite add up. Apparently she woke up when the explosion at the prison happened, and she said she was terrified because Kohoku wasn't in bed. She went downstairs to look for him, and when she was on the stairs she saw a shadow moving about on the bottom floor. She thought it might be Kohoku so she called to him, but the person turned out to be an assassin who attacked her. Luckily she is a bender and managed to fight him off, but I guess she was scared that the assassin had gotten Kohoku. She said she couldn't find any trace of him in the house and was starting to panic when guards showed up at her door and told her that Kohoku was at the palace and had sent them to protect her."
"If he was involved in the breakout, why would he allow an assassin to go after his own wife?" Katara asked, dumbfounded.
"It would be suspicious if his home was the only one that was not attacked," Iroh said.
"What a horrible man…"
"As I recall, Kohoku made the record of his wife's statement as well," Iroh said suddenly. "He said one of the guards came to inform him she was safe and he gave his wife's statement to him, and he in turn gave the report. I never thought anything of it because I didn't think to be suspicious of a man whose wife had just been attacked."
"I think this is enough evidence to have him arrested," Zuko said, shaking his head in disgust.
"That is a far wiser idea than killing him without a fair trial," Iroh jabbed, giving his nephew a sly smile.
Zuko rolled his eyes, annoyed that his uncle was treating him like a foolish child even though he knew he had been acting like one. He glanced over at Katara, who was sitting next to him hugging her knees. He could tell that she was upset, however much she tried to hide it. Iroh noticed this too, and cleared his throat.
"Why don't I go grab a few guards and have Kohoku arrested? Ty Lee, I imagine his wife will be informed and likely brought in for questioning, so why don't you head down with me; I imagine she will be more comfortable talking if she has a friendly face nearby. Zuko, once we have him in custody I will send word and you can come question him yourself."
Zuko nodded, easily realizing that his uncle was giving him some time alone with his future wife. Ty Lee crawled off of the bed and together she and Iroh left the room, shutting the door behind them. Once they were alone, Zuko shifted so he was facing Katara. She looked up at him with sad eyes.
"How are you really?" Zuko asked.
Katara shrugged. "That was the first time in a long time I felt so...defenseless. He got right into my face and had me pinned against a wall, and I had nothing to defend myself with. I hate to admit it, but I was afraid."
Zuko took a long, deep breath to keep his temper calm, then reached out and took her hand in his. "Remind me to teach you some basic hand to hand techniques. You should pick it up easily; you already have the agility and dexterity for it. But knowing how to fight off an opponent without bending is a useful skill to learn."
"It wasn't even that… Even if he had been dumb enough to attack me, I'm pretty sure I could have gotten away. I'm quick and good at dodging fire," she said, giving him a little smile. "It was more… the things he said to me. He made me feel like I'm not safe… that he could just murder me in my sleep. But even worse, he implied that any danger you are in is completely because of me."
"That's nonsense. These people would have found any excuse to come after me, it was only a matter of time."
"Is it though? These people have been quiet since you took the throne. It was only when I came into the picture that people started dying. And Kohoku has served on your Council all this time… why is he now working against you?"
"I guess that's something we will have to ask him," Zuko replied with a shrug.
Katara turned her eyes away, resting her chin on her knees. "I just… hate the idea that my being here is putting you in danger."
"Even if that is true, I would rather be in danger and have you by my side than have guaranteed safety and not have you in my life. We have survived worse than this, and in case you have forgotten, we make an excellent team. I have never felt so in sync with anybody else, both in combat and just in general. I love you, Katara, and I know that together we can survive anything. You have completely changed my life, and I don't just mean recently. You got under my skin after Lake Laogai, and after I joined you guys you were the one I tried the hardest to be accepted by. You made me strive to be a better person… you still do. I've said it before, but I honestly don't know what I would do without you. So even if the Phoenix Initiative wants me dead because I fell in love with you, I am not going to let that stop us from being together."
Katara felt touched by his words, and it cheered her up a great deal. She gave him a smile. "You're right... I'm sorry I'm being so dumb."
Zuko shook his head. "You are allowed to be upset, and it doesn't make you dumb to feel that way."
"I love you, Zuko. I don't know what I would do without you, either."
Zuko smiled at her. "Fall into a pit of self-doubt and continue hating yourself even though it is totally unwarranted?" he said, quoting the words she had spoken to him the night she fell asleep in his room for the first time.
Katara blinked at him, the memory of that night coming back to her, then she burst into laughter. Zuko grinned, happy that she was feeling better, and he reached out to brush his fingers through her hair. Even amidst all the chaos over the past couple of weeks, she never failed to make him feel like the happiest person in the world. She looked up at him, eyes sparkling in the afternoon sun.
"Let's go get some lunch… I am starving," she said, smiling warmly.
Zuko nodded, and together they left Katara's room, hand in hand, making their way downstairs in much better spirits.
XXXX
The sun had begun to set on the horizon by the time Zuko had gotten word that General Kohoku had been arrested. Iroh had taken several guards to take him in, but after his encounter with Katara he seemed to have vanished from the Palace grounds. His wife had been brought it for questioning, and though she had said she didn't know where Kohoku was, Iroh wasn't convinced that she telling the truth. She had been detained at the Palace with Ty Lee keeping an eye on her while the search for her husband continued.
They had combed the entire Palace and both the Caldera and Harbour cities, and had finally caught up with him at the docks, trying to board a ship. He surrendered peacefully, though insisting that he had done nothing wrong and his arrest was a mistake. Iroh escorted him back to the Palace personally, where he was locked up in a holding cell until he could be questioned further.
Zuko and Katara headed down to the holding cells where Iroh was waiting for them. He let them in, waiting for them on the other side of the door so they could speak to Kohoku alone. All of the cells were empty except for one; General Kohoku sat calmly on a bench watching them approach. His eyes fixed on Katara with an icy stare, but she was prepared for him this time. She wasn't going to let him intimidate her again, so she fixed a fierce, confident expression on her face and held his gaze confidently. She and Zuko stopped and stood before the cell, and only when Zuko began to speak did he shift his gaze from Katara.
"I assume you have been informed of the charges laid against you?" Zuko said.
"I have been informed, yes, however incorrectly they may have been lain."
"So you deny that you are affiliated with the Phoenix Initiative?"
"Of course, my Lord. My loyalty lies with you."
"Do you also deny changing the entire guard schedule the night of the prison breakout?"
Kohoku hesitated, but then shook his head slowly. "I have no idea what you are talking about."
Zuko raised an eyebrow at him and crossed his arms. "We have witnesses who saw you in the barracks earlier that day, and the bookkeeper confirmed that the entire schedule had been changed so the guards on duty were members of the Phoenix Initiative. I doubt this is a coincidence."
"Did anyone actually see me make the changes?" Kohoku asked, the shadow of a smirk crossing his lips.
"We have witnesses willing to testify that you came in to the barracks with a request to see the schedule, and after you left the schedule had been changed completely. I think that is solid evidence."
"Yet nobody actually saw me do it."
Katara could see Zuko clench his jaw. "Perhaps not, but we have also confirmed that you lied about your whereabouts the night of the breakout," she said, trying to cut off Zuko's temper.
"Oh? And who told you that?"
"One of the guards on duty, and your wife."
Once again Kohoku hesitated, and his confident expression faltered slightly. Katara took this as an opportunity to try and trigger his temper again. "She revealed that she woke up when the explosion at the prison happened, and that you were not there. According to your own statement, that is when you were awoken, and you left for the Palace afterwards. But your own wife has disputed that claim. Are you calling your wife a liar?"
"Perhaps she is misremembering," Kohoku replied with a shrug.
"Considering she was attacked shortly afterwards, I doubt she is misremembering. And it was you who took record of her statement, was it not? I think it is safe to conclude that you changed her story to cover your tracks."
"I would consider your lies carefully, General. As it stands, things do not look favourable for you," Zuko interjected. "Especially considering the threats you made to Katara this afternoon. Do you think it is acceptable to speak to a member of the royal family in such a way?"
"She isn't royalty, she is a Water Tribe peasant!" Kohoku spat suddenly, his temper flaring.
"And yet, she is soon to be your Fire Lady," Zuko replied, a tone of warning in his voice.
Kohoku sat back with a triumphant smirk. "We shall see."
Zuko narrowed his eyes and took a step forward, but Katara placed her hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Don't bother… he is just a sad, bitter man who is angry and jealous that a Water Tribe peasant is more powerful and respected than he will ever be."
This did it. Kohoku jumped to his feet and threw himself against the bars, unleashing a wave of flame towards Katara. Zuko redirected the flame with little effort, then reached through the bars and grasped the front of Kohoku's shirt. "Do that again and you won't live to see your trial," he growled.
"I would rather die now than see you pollute your father's lineage and run our proud nation into the ground. He should have killed you when he gave you that scar."
Zuko released him and took a step back, a dangerous snarl on his face. "Is that what the Phoenix Initiative believes?"
Kohoku laughed. "I knew you would screw everything up eventually. I had hoped I could encourage you onto a path that would continue the legacy of the Fire Nation, but when I saw how you treated Mai at the ball and ran off after this whore like a lovesick child I knew there was truly no hope for you. It was time to take action, so I rallied my allies and planned our attack. Unfortunately our assassins did not manage to kill many of our targets, but we at least managed to break out the one true heir and gave us a figure to rally behind. It's a shame that assassin didn't finish off my idiot wife… I knew she would be a liability. She is too soft."
"She's not in on all this?" Katara asked in surprise.
"Of course not. She likes Zuko. She thinks he is a good ruler; she would never join us. She was always the weak link in the family. Once Mai and her parents were in, we all agreed that she needed to be… taken care of."
Katara gave him a disgusted look. "You plotted to have her murdered? She's your wife!"
"Unlike you two fools, I understand that a political marriage is far more beneficial than marrying for an inane reason like love. My wife has ceased to be beneficial; I have no reason to mourn her loss."
"You are a disgusting person," Katara spat in reply.
"This coming from a woman trying to sleep her way up the political ladder… first the Avatar, now the Fire Lord… who is next? You're quite ambitious for a backwater peasant."
Zuko surged forward again before Katara could reply, reaching through the bars with both hands, grasping the front of Kohoku's shirt, and slamming him forward into the cell bars hard. "Katara is the daughter of the leader of the Southern Water Tribe; she is already closer to royalty than you will ever be, and if you call her a peasant again, I will rip out your tongue."
"It's alright Zuko, he can call me whatever he likes. It doesn't matter," Katara said, gently grabbing his wrists to pull him away from Kohoku before he acted on his threats.
Suddenly the sound of shouting drifted into the holding cells. Kohoku listened for a moment, then burst out in maniacal laughter. "You are too late!"
Zuko shook him hard. "What do you mean? What's going on?"
"When your whore started bombarding me with pointless questions, I had a feeling that you might be on to me. So I sent letters to my allies to make the final push for the crown. It seems the battle has begun."
Zuko released him and stepped away from the cell, catching Katara's gaze. She nodded at him and together they ran from the holding cells, Kohoku's laughter echoing behind them. They met Iroh out in the hall; he was shouting orders to guards and soldiers amidst the chaos of confusion.
"Uncle! What's going on?" Zuko asked, rushing up to Iroh's side.
"The Phoenix Initiative have arrived in full force. Both the Harbour and Caldera cities are under attack."
Zuko swore, then made for the exit, gesturing for Katara and Iroh to follow. They made their way out of the Palace only to find the gates had been shut tight. They could hear sounds of battle and the screams of innocent citizens on the other side.
"We have to help them!" Katara shouted over the noise.
All of a sudden a shadow passed overhead. The three of them looked to the sky, and Katara's mouth fell open as a massive, furry shape began to descend towards them.
"Is that…?" Zuko said in disbelief.
Katara gave him a sidelong glance. "Aang."