Chapter 9

So this is another chapter I had to hack to pieces to make fit in the single chapter window I had left, hopefully it isn't an incoherent mess by the time I'm done with it. Hope you all enjoy it!

Katara

She felt relieved as the mountaintops of Kyoshi peaked over the horizon. Finally.

3 days.

In the 3 days it took to get from the Water Tribe to the Island of Kyoshi, it felt like an eternity, or a punishment she was doomed to carry for the rest of my life.

Katara shrugged off the parka that she had brought with her from home. It was unnaturally hot on this Fire Nation ship, and much too unfriendly. She only needed to wear it when she took her daily walk, otherwise…this relic of her homeland was useless. This ship was uncomfortable, and the metal was cold, unfeeling, lacking warmth and security. When Katara was a child, the very first thing she learned in school was how to fish from her father's fishing boat.

This ship wasn't for fishing. This was extravagance. This wasn't like back home. On the ice, everything was born out of necessity. You learned how to survive, or you didn't survive at all. There were no ships like this one in the Water Tribe.

The world of the Fire Nation was something she wasn't used to and probably never would be. She missed the snow. She missed the frigid wind on your face as she left the warmth of your home, waking you up in the morning.

What made her the most uncomfortable was the sheer solitude of it all. Save a few words from Princess Ursa when they passed or happened to meet, no one spoke to her, she ate her meals alone, in her room. She was only permitted to go outside and walk on the deck twice a day and only under guard—they were in the middle of the ocean! Where could she go? It's not like she could turn into a fish and swim back home…although maybe she could waterbend herself back there.

When Zuko said come to the Fire Nation, this wasn't what she had in mind. She thought that perhaps her own family would bring her at a later date but no, in fact she was to come with the Royal Yacht that very next day. She had the option of staying and having a Fire Nation ship come to collect her from the Northern Port but Katara adamantly refused. She wanted to leave with them in the dawn, before the rest of her tribe awoke and knew her shame.

The goodbyes with her family were trying and difficult and she was wholly unprepared for how much leaving her family behind would hurt. She'd expected it to be hard, but she'd hardly considered that when it was actually time to depart, she would be clinging onto them for dear life, staining their clothes with tears that wouldn't stop. She didn't expect that her mother or her grandfather would be sobbing just as hard. Sokka was the most difficult. He'd been her constant companion since Yue left, the one she'd been around the most. Sure, he was annoying and awful, but she loved him. And she didn't know what she'd do without him.

Her father had seemed at a loss for words, unsure of what to say. She hadn't told them why she suddenly changed her mind, nor had she said why she and Prince Zuko seemed to have a better relationship. She still didn't like him, but at least they weren't glaring at each other.

A knock on the door broke her from her thoughts. She walked over to it and open the door. Outside the door stood a woman, with graying hair around her temples and wrinkles around eyes. She had a grim look on her face, and her mouth was pressed into a tight line, so that Katara didn't think that she had ever smiled. She wore a frock of simple Fire Nation red, and above her left breast there was an insignia she had never seen before, embroidered into the fabric, with a word that she didn't recognize. Katara had only been required to learn basic characters of the other nations.

Katara stared at the woman for what seemed like an eternity. The woman's eyes were harsh. They judged her, Katara knew. Finally, the woman spoke. "My name is Gu Zhi." Her gravelly voice sent chills up Katara's spine, they were abrasive. " I have been sent to serve you. The Fire Lord specifically selected me himself." She ended this with a bow so stiff and low that Katara thought her back was going to snap in half.

"I don't need a servant." Katara huffed. She wanted to get back to unpacking. "Please tell the Fire Lord I said thank you, but no thank you."

Katara began to close the door, but Gu Zhi stuck her foot in between the door and the wall. She didn't cry out in pain. Katara opened the door wider, staring at her feet.

"Are you all right?!"

"One doesn't turn down a gift from the Fire Lord." Gu Zhi said matter-of-factly.

"You're a gift?" Katara's mouth dropped open. "They give people a-as gifts here in the Fire Nation?"

What kind of place is this? She thought.

"It is the Fire Nation way." Gu Zhi said simply. "The Fire Lord was concerned that you would be uncomfortable, given your…different culture. He wanted someone with experience to guide you."

Katara's eyes narrowed. When the maid said different, clearly, she meant inferior.

She also resisted the urge to roll her eyes. Clearly, this was some kind of 'big honor' and Gu Zhi seemed happy to receive it. But Katara couldn't find the honor in following around a 15-year-old girl. If you couldn't cook, you learned. You didn't have someone else cook for you. Even Sokka knew how, he just wasn't good at it. Katara would rather eat things that tasted edible.

"Won't you come in?" The girl said hesitantly, moving to the side to the other woman through. The woman entered and waited just inside the door. "I won't really know what to do with you…"

Katara turned. Her room was bare, with the exception of Katara's trunk and a candle burning on the end table by her bed. Everything was red, like the rest of the ship, and Katara felt her pale blue tunic and blue suitcases were very out of place.

Gu Zhi stared at her, obviously waiting for orders. Well, Katara would give her no orders. Feeling uncomfortable and on edge, she closed the door and walked past the staunch woman to the blue suitcase that lay on the bed. The covers were red too, the pillows everything was. It made her miss home even more. Maybe coming on this trip was a bad idea in the first place. She reached for the suitcase that she was working on when Gu Zhi showed up. She picked up a teal tunic, the material was light, but there was fur on the bottom. She pondered whether to put it with her heavier clothes (that she probably wouldn't need) or with those of a lighter sort.

"No!"

The word surprised Katara, along with the ferocity of which it was said. She dropped the item of clothing, her heart racing. She turned to face Gu Zhi. The older woman marched past her, lips set with determination.

"What's wrong?!" The 15-year-old asked, frantic.

Gu Zhi turned and looked at her sharply. She began folding the shirt with quick, precise movements.

Gu Zhi cleared her throat, the shirt now folded in the neatest fold that Katara had ever seen. "It is not the Fire Nation way for royalty to fold their own clothes. You must relax and enjoy the benefits that accompany your position."

This is going to be a long trip.

The teenager asked, sitting on the red cover, she watched as Gu Zhi picked up another article of clothing and began to put it together in a neat pile. The woman looked at her then, as if Katara was missing a very obvious answer.

Zuko

The day was already starting out excellent for Prince Zuko. Not only did the Kyoshi people frown on concubines, so Tiang and Azula were not allowed inside the tiny village, but his Father had complained of a headache, so he elected to stay on the ship. So that meant it was just Lu Ten, his mother, him and Katara.

Ordinarily, she wouldn't have been allowed to come but something happened that made his idea of Katara leaving her people suddenly become a lot more complicated.

"Katara," Cheiftess Kya had looked at her daughter tentatively, her eyes going back and forth between her daughter and Zuko. "I'm not sure what you're saying."

"We've come to an…understanding…" Katara said slowly, thoughtfully, not really lying and glancing in his direction. "And he's convinced me. I will go to the Fire Nation for the Hana Matsuri."

Two or three beats of silence followed her statement, before both mothers squealed like children and rushed into each other's arms, excitedly talking in a faster speed than he could comprehend. Lu Ten and Yue were nowhere to be seen, and he didn't want to think about what they might be up to.

Hakoda, Katara's father, approached his daughter with trepidation. "Katara, once you go there, you'll be under their laws. We—your mother and I—can't help you."

Sokka patted his dad on the shoulder. "C'mon dad, what could possibly go wrong? It's just your only daughter, in a foreign country with no one she knows and a culture she couldn't possibly understand!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." Katara muttered sarcastically.

But it was true. And the two mothers paused in their excitement. Kya turned to your husband, distress forming in those cerulean eyes. "Hakoda What's she going to do?"

"I may have an idea." Ursa said quietly from the other side of Kya. Zuko's father only stared at Katara, brow furrowed in mild interest and focus. "She'll be my personal bid."

As his mother said this, Kya clapped her hands, turning to her friend excitedly. "Yes Ursa, perfect!"

Katara cleared her throat. "Um, what does that mean, exactly?"

It meant that Zuko was as good as cooked.

Zuko didn't know how he felt about the Water Tribe girl being his mother's personal bid. All women in the palace could choose one or two girls to support, it was basically how the initial girls would be narrowed down from the starting 25 to a select few. Being selected as a personal bid meant that these girls would be as good as married—or made concubines. You were not only pretty much guaranteed to be selected, but you were also protected from laws and people that might wish to harm you.

It was hard to overturn a personal bid, so now Mai couldn't be his mother's choice, like they agreed upon. How, how would he select her? In the past 3 days, Zuko had tried to get ahold of his mother, but the woman eluded him, spending time with either Katara, on deck, or alone in her locked room.

They were walk up the path to Kyoshi, but instead were going to be carried in very large sedan chairs. Carried by four men each, the wooden palanquins would make their way from the port of Fangyu up the rocky mountainside. His cousin's palanquin was simply stunning. It was a deep red, like the embers of a dying fire between the coals. A miniature Dragon, golden like the sun on a summer day sat on each of the four corners of the palanquin.

"Wouldn't it be faster to walk?" Katara asked from behind him. They were waiting for the ship to dock. Zuko scoffed, turning toward the girl. Royalty didn't walk. Even in the Water Tribe they had sleds to carry them around. Why should Kyoshi be any different?

Katara asked this question to his mother, but it was heard by everyone. Feeling everyone's gaze upon her, she smoothed out imaginary wrinkles in her clothing. She wore a light blue tunic, with dark blue tights and brown shoes. He hair was done simply, pinned back in a braid with two loops framing her face. Her servant Gu Zhi spoke softly behind her in that creepy voice of hers. The older woman's pinned up hair reached Katara's face as she bowed at a right angle.

"Forgive me for speaking, Princess Katara, but it is not the Fire Nation way."

The girl huffed, cheeks turning pink in frustration. She was obviously irritated. "All I'm saying, is that it makes no sense for a group of servants to carry us when we could carry ourselves."

"You're not in the Water Tribe anymore," Zuko pointed out. If she was going to come to the Fire Nation, she would have to learn.

"Actually Katara," his cousin said smiling at the teen girl, "I think you have a point." Lu Ten waved his hands and two if the palanquin were carried back down into the cargo hold of the ship. Zuko shot a look at Katara. Her cheeks were flushed with pride, and a small smile formed on her face that reached her eyes. It was the first time he'd seen her smile since leaving home. What so they had to change everything just because she was here? Just because he didn't hate her didn't mean that she just come in and take over their lives.

"I didn't mean to break tradition—," Katara said quietly to his mother.

"It is a short distance," Lu Ten said, waving off her worry, clapping his cousin on the back. Zuko lurched forward, meeting under his breath after righting himself. "And we are princes, and fresh air does a man some good." Lu Ten laughed like Uncle Iroh.

"But what about them?" Zuko pointed to where his mother and the girl stood. Hearing Zuko's voice they looked up. Lu Ten cleared his throat.

"Uh...right..." Lu Ten walked up to the two women. " You two will have to ride in the palanquin." The Crown Prince said, gesturing to his mother's carriage, the only one still left behind.

"Seriously? " Katara's voice rose, then quieted. "But I thought you said—you were never going to let me walk, were you?"

"Certain traditions can't be avoided." He told her sternly. "Aristocratic women are not to be seen in the public eye. It's how we do things in the Fire Nation."

Katara's cheeks burned with anger. Zuko didn't see why she should be so upset. The noble girls of the Fire Nation would kill to ride alongside his mother. The palanquin that he thought the most beautiful, in all actuality, was his mother's. it was very spacious, and was a, dark pink. It had lotus blossoms on it, his mother's favorite flower.

It was warm in Kyoshi during this early in Summer so instead of the traditional walls shielding the occupant from public view, instead there were pink transparent screens that blew in the breeze. He watched as his mother stuck a pale hand out from behind the curtain, and Katara grasped it firmly in her dark one, trying to balance herself. It took several tries before the girl was able to get inside. Evidently, they didn't have palanquins in the Southern Water Tribe Zuko resisted the urge to laugh out loud as she wobbled, it was a little funny. If he were actually dating her or interested in her a member of the Hana Matsuri, he would have helped her in himself.

Fortunately, they weren't actually serious about each other.

They moved slowly up the mountainous land, their path cutting right through the tiny Kyoshi village. Their guide, Oyaji, leader of the village walked in front, alongside Lu Ten. Zuko slightly behind them, and his mother's palanquin brought up the rest.

"My granddaughter, Suki, is 16 years old." The old man was saying.

"You don't have any other granddaughters?" Lu Ten asked. Zuko knew that his cousin began to fear that he would marry a child.

"My other granddaughter, Koko, is only six years old. You would prefer...?" The old man left the unsaid question hand in the air.

Zuko could imagine his cousin shaking his head vehemently and resisted the urge to laugh when he heard his cousin's answer of "No, No, of course not! Not that there's anything wrong with your granddaughter but she's six, sir and I-"

"It's all right Prince Lu Ten." Oyaji shook his head. The bearded man asked, "Is Suki out of the Hana Matsuri because of her age?"

"Princess Katara is 15, sir."

The leader sounded taken aback. In a gasp he said, "Katara's in the Hana Matsuri? How did that happen—she was engaged to—,"

"I'm sure the engagement was nothing serious." Zuko cut in sharply, glancing behind him where Katara was hidden with his mother. "I'm sure everything was exaggerated…otherwise she wouldn't have agreed to come along."

Oyaji nodded, seeming burdened, but Lu Ten looked remarkably curious.

How had the news of her engagement with Hahn reached the tiny island? Zuko noted that Oyaji wore a light blue robe hinting of Water tribe influences. He noticed that almost all the people didn't wear an Earth Kingdom green, despite being geographically closer to the Earth Kingdom. The Water Tribe did do a lot of its trade with Kyoshi, and the tiny island served as a port where the Water Tribe crews could stop and refuel their ships.

So maybe the two communities were more connected than he thought. That may be why Katara's brother seemed so irritated by the idea of them visiting the girl—Suki.

The arrival of the Fire Nation royal family created quite a spectacle on the island. People poked their heads out of windows and came out of their tiny huts covered in leaves to watch them pass. Faces gazed in wonder at their passing. They were silent. Several children stood outside of what must have been a schoolhouse. The kids were young, maybe seven or eight years old and Zuko was sure that they'd never seen such magnificence in their lives. Zuko and Lu Ten were wearing their princely finest, dark red robes with gold embroidery. One child held a very large bouquet of flowers. Her light brown hair was covered in a blue headband and her face lit up when they came into view.

"Grandpa! Grandpa!" The child called out, running toward Oyaji. She nearly lost the bouquet of flowers she carried as she flung herself into her grandfather's arms. She laughed as he scooped her up in his arms and spun her around.

"My little Koko!" Oyaji smiled at the child and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Zuko felt slightly uncomfortable at this blatant show of affection. A shared look at Lu Ten said that the older man felt the same way too. Most parents in the Fire Nation didn't show such love for their children in public. It wasn't the Fire Nation way. "Did Sifu Feng end classes early today?"

The girl nodded. "We all wanted to see the Princess." Zuko's eye followed the old man's gaze to the gaggle of children hiding behind their teacher, a small pretty woman with a large face and kind eyes. Oyaji set the girl on the ground.

What princess are they talking about? Mom? Definitely not Azula.

"Katara isn't here, Koko." The old man said, his voice apologetic as he took in his granddaughter's dejected face. "But the Princess Ursa is here on very important business."

"Not fair! I don't want to see some other Princess!" The girl whined. "I wanted to see Katara ride on the waves and make water shapes like she always does!" The girl began to cry, fat tears streaming down her face as she rubbed her eyes.

"But I'm right here," a voice said behind him, and Zuko didn't have to turn to know that it was Katara speaking. But he turned anyway, and what he saw almost surprised him.

The palanquin bearers were setting his mother's palanquin on the ground, and a tan figure was climbing out of it. Or attempting to, rather. Gu Zhi steadied her mistress, grasping Katara's arm and helping her balance. The older woman stood next to the girl, whispering to her.

"Princess Katara, you really must get back inside. It is not becoming of royal women to let their faces be seen in public. It is not the Fire Nation way."

The girl ignored her, holding up a hand to stop her mumbling. For a second, she looked like his mother when she was taking about a charity she loved, determined and confident. He almost had a tiny bit of respect for her blatant refusal of the Fire Nation's gender laws, but then she glared at him and that tiny bit of respect crumbled into nothingness. Then, as quickly as the glare had come, it had gone, transforming into a smile which she greeted Koko with.

"Hello Koko!" The girl said, beaming. She still wore her clothes of Water Tribe blue, looking more common with the people around her than Zuko ever would.

The children left their teacher and crowded around Katara, cheering and hollering, but Koko got to her first. "Oh Katara!" The girl cried joyfully, latching her arms around the teenage girl's waist, jumping up to embrace her. "I just knew you'd come!"

More people joined in the celebration now, Katara gratefully accepted the flowers that Koko had brought, giving the little girl a kiss on the cheek. "Why do they love her so much?" Lu Ten asked Oyaji. Zuko turned to face the old man and his cousin, Oyaji's face was lit up in a smile too, even if he had already seen the girl before.

"Exactly one year ago, the Water Tribe trading ships were docked here on Kyoshi Island, during a very bad flu epidemic. The flu had already claimed my son and daughter-in-law, and more than half of our village was sick. My people were dying by the day. " The old man's voice broke as he talked about his son. He cleared his throat. "After her parents passed, Koko was the worst. She stopped eating, she didn't drink anything, whatever medicine she didn't throw up, wasn't working."

"Until Katara?" Lu Ten asked.

He nodded. "Princess Katara had begged her father to let her go on the trading voyage that year and without her, I don't think we would have survived." He looked at Katara as she was surrounded by the members of the village, laughing with them almost as if she was one of them.

"What did she do?" Zuko asked, curious.

But Oyaji offered no answer, and merely shook his head. "I know she'd been taking classes on healing and herbal medicine in the Water Tribe under Yugoda, but she wouldn't allow anyone present while she worked. She said she didn't want anyone to see her so fatigued. Something she does—it exhausts her, I think."

"You trust her, then?" Zuko could only stare as Katara was enveloped by the children, laughing with them and calling them all by name, asking them questions and commenting on what they told her. She looked…impressive. Her kind face betrayed no falsehoods, she was genuine in her interactions with them, as though she legitimately cared about them. She probably did.

Such a kind heart would never survive in the Fire Nation.

"It's more than trust, Prince Zuko." Oyaji said, turning to him. "I owe that girl more than I could ever repay her, not even if I lived for a thousand years and were the richest man in the world. She saved my life, she saved the lives of both my granddaughters, she saved my village. She saved Kyoshi Island."