The Palace (Ongoing)

by LittleMartian

Novel Length. Things go on behind closed doors in palaces, everyone knows that. But when it is decided that Prince Zuko and Prince Lu Ten need to find wives, will the selected girls have what it takes to get past the secrecy and revenge that goes on where the royal families lie? Will Princess Katara have the strength? Zutara and many surprise pairings AU

15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Tiang

A servant clasped the robe in the back, tightening it around her slim waist as she walked towards Prince Ozai. She wore a feather-light silk robe of gold that trailed softly behind her. Her Prince was standing by the doorway, ready to leave after their night together. Ozai was a man that she always dreamed she'd marry. Strong, charming, and very handsome. Not to mention he was the most powerful man in the country…more or less.

They'd have to change that sooner, rather than later.

She walked up to Ozai and wrapped her arms around his waist. She looked up into his hardened eyes and smiled. They softened a bit and he leaned down, kissing her sweetly. But Tiang wasn't in it for sweetness, she looped her arms around the back of his head and kissed him more forcefully. His arms found their way to her waist and kept drifting lower and lower until they found purchase on her rear. She moaned low and he snickered, breaking the kiss.

"My love," he murmured softly, resting his chin on her head. She leaned into his chest, her face flushed, "I wish I could stay."

She fingered the clasps on his robes, undoing one. "Then why don't you?" she asked coyly.

She looked up at him again and he smiled at her. "I can't. I must go oversee the Earth Kingdom girl. She has to know something." He looked upset, like he really did want to stay with her.

"Fine…" She sighed, letting go of him. She stepped back and clasped his robe together again. She felt brave this time around, their night together having gone splendidly, deciding to ask him once more even though she knew what his probable answer was going to be. She loosened her robe, revealing just a bit of naked skin and watched as Ozai's eyes grazed over her lustfully. She fluttered her eyes, looking up at him from beneath thick lashes, a sweet smile on her red lips. "My Prince…when are you going to divorce your wife?"

Ozai blinked, once…twice… and then looked at his concubine, his eyes coming into focus. "Divorce Ursa?" He said, running a thumb over the concubine's arm before shaking his head. "You know I can't do that."

"This is why you should be Fire Lord, my love." She said, approaching him again, running her fingers through his hair, out of its topknot for a change. "Then you would be able to do what you want."

"And what do I want?" he asked her huskily, taking her wrists in his hands, bringing her close.

"Why, you want me to be your wife…" she said sweetly, placing a kiss on his lips. She kissed him again, trailing her lips down his sharp jaw. "So that we can rule the Fire Nation together."

Ozai was unfazed for once. He stared down at her. "You want me to divorce my wife? The people won't stand for it. Do you know what that would do to my reputation?" Ozai shook her a bit, pressing his fingers into the flesh of her arm roughly, but not hard enough for him to bruise. She looked at him in wonder, curious as to why he was so upset. He'd never acted like this before. He gave her a shake, hands tightening. "I wouldn't overstep my boundaries if I were you. Know your place. You may have risen from that brothel you worked in before you met me, but you're still a prostitute. Don't ever forget that." Ozai shook her once more, before releasing her.

She staggered back, eyes full of unshed tears. The man muttered a quick goodbye and left, slamming the door behind him. Tiang collapsed to the floor in shock. Single tears rolled down her face and she wiped them away angrily. How could he say that to her? After all that she had given up for him.

When she was younger, she worked in a brothel called Flaming Desire as a maid. The madam had offered her double, even triple her normal salary to start working, much more than the other girls were getting. Eventually, she said yes. Her first patron was a man from the Earth Kingdom. It was so long ago, she didn't remember his name now, but after they'd finished, he offered to pay her more than what'd she'd make in a year to come home with him.

He owned a jewelry trading company and was a merchant that lived in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. She was tempted to escape the mundane life she lived and spend the rest of her days eating dates and seeing the world from the deck of a ship. But no, Ozai appeared the week after, before she could say yes to that merchant from Ba Sing Se and charmed her with his smooth voice, good looks and even better talents. He offered her gold, fine clothes, expensive food, and the life of a royal. He said she'd one day be Fire Lady. Being Fire Lady sounded so much more interesting than being a simple merchant's wife. But when she arrived in the palace, she realized that she would never sit on the golden throne.

People did what she said because they feared Ozai, not because they respected her. Even though she gained considerable influence by giving birth to Azula, the girl wasn't legitimate. And although Azula could rule the Fire Nation one day, perhaps, and do it well, she knew the Fire Nation nobles would sooner cut off their right arms than see the daughter of a concubine on the throne.

She clapped her hands, calling a servant into the room. "Mistress, are you alright?" the maid gasped, seeing her position on the floor. Tiang raised her hand. The maid came over and helped her to her feet.

"I'm fine." She said. Looking at her maid, she said, "Get the gold coins out of my chest under the bed. Go get our contact in Iroh's service. Call Ding Yi or whatever her name is as well. And tell them to hurry." The maid nodded. Backing out of the room, she scurried off to do her mistress' bidding.

Just you wait, Ozai. Tiang thought to herself. I will get what I deserve. One way or another.

Katara

Katara left Princess Ursa's chambers an hour later with a sigh. That meeting could definitely have gone better. She walked slowly, grateful that no one was around to see her near tears. She knew that she was supposed to go back to her room and wait for instructions, but she didn't feel like it. Besides, she needed to clear her head. She didn't know how much Princess Ursa and Zuko believed in her, and deep inside she doubted that they still did. The idea that he had reverted to hating her and thinking that she was a liar bothered her more than she expected it to.

Instead of going left towards the Concubine's Quarters, Katara turned right if only to see where her feet would take her. As she walked, the palace grew increasingly ornate and decorative. The hallways were lined with red paneling, huge paintings covered the walls, and the sun shone in through massive windows. The pillars and columns holding up the ceiling were dark red, with decorative golden dragons lining the molding.

"Are you lost, Princess Katara?"

She jumped at the sudden voice. Turning, she saw that coming out of the room behind her was a maid about the age of Gu Zhi, her head cocked to the side in confusion.

"N-No, I'm not, thank you." She said, voice stabilizing. Katara was pretty sure she could get back to her room if she thought hard enough about it. "How did you know who I'm?"

The maid smiled sweetly, wrinkles creasing around her lips, but her eyes were hard. "How could I not know Princess Ursa's personal bid in the Hana Matsuri?"

I'm the only Water Tribe girl here, it's not surprising…really. Also…is it just me or does she seem a bit upset at that?

"Good to know…" Katara mumbled, looking around, pausing again to stare at the ornately carved door. "But uh…where am I?"

"You're standing in front of Fire Lord Iroh's bedroom." The maid stepped closer to her, bowing slightly. She looked up, "Do you need to be escorted back to the Concubine's Quarters?"

The maid gestured back the way Katara had come.

Why does this woman want me out of here so badly?

"No. I'm fine." Katara said, thinking of way to use her current situation to her advantage. "In fact, I would like to speak to the Fire Lord. Is he in there?"

She started to walk towards the door, but the maid moved swiftly despite her appearance. Katara hand reached for the door knocker, but the old woman caught her arm, wrinkled fingers clutching her sleeve.

"He is not in at the moment, but even so…" The maid said. The wrinkles in her face sagged as she bowed lower. She let go of Katara's sleeve, but moved in front of the doorway, blocking Katara's path. "No one can come in here and expect to talk to the Fire Lord whenever they wish."

Katara raised a brow. "Who are you?"

The old woman bowed again. "My name is Yan Li. I have served the Fire Lord and Lady since Fire Lord Azulon's time. There are many things that the Fire Lord needs to do he is a very busy man. If you wish to, you may set up an appointment.

"Katara? What are you doing here?" The Fire Lord's pleasant voice reached her ears and she turned, facing him. He looked better than he had previously – He was coming down the hallway, looking much more rested than the first and second days of the Hana Matsuri. The circles under his eyes were less noticeable now, and his eyes were bright and clear.

"Fire Lord Iroh!" From next to her, Yan Li took a large step forward. Katara glared at the woman in silence. "I was trying to tell her that not just anyone can speak to the Fire Lord—,"

"I know that you're busy," She said to him, and Iroh's lips turned up in a slight smile. "But I wouldn't be so stubborn if it wasn't important." Katara looked at Iroh stubbornly.

"You know, she does have a point." Iroh said, first to Katara before turning to Yan Li and rubbing his chin pensively. "Although I'm very busy, I can make time for you today Katara, if what you want to discuss is as important as you say."

Katara nodded. "It is."

Who else could save Jin's life but Fire Lord Iroh?

Something she couldn't quite name flashed in Iroh's eyes before he nodded, giving her a knowing look. In that moment, he reminded Katara of her grandfather, looking beyond the surface. To her complete surprise, Iroh held the door open for Katara himself, and she walked inside, the irritated maid following them.

If she was impressed by the door to the Fire Lord's bedroom, then the inside was simply awe inspiring. 3 short steps led them into a receiving hall with three doorways in each cardinal direction. Every square inch of wall was covered by an ink painting or beautiful calligraphy, and there were plush couches low to the ground with ornate tea sets and pitchers of water beside them just waiting to be used.

On the North Wall hanging over the door, there was a painting of an Air Temple hanging upside down from a cliff. The Eastern Wall showed a large desert with a very large owl flying overhead. The painting to the West obviously represented the Fire Nation, as it was an accurate painting of the Capital City. Turning around as the door closed, she saw her own village, drawn exactly to scale. The same familiar igloos, the same temple, and in the distance, her own home on top of a snowy hill. Tears began to sting her eyes as Katara suddenly felt very homesick.

"You know I painted much of these in my youth—," Iroh cut himself off as he noticed her gaze. "Missing home?" He asked, already knowing the answer.

She didn't want to cry in front of him. She had to be professional in order to make her case. But the sight of home, made her wonder – have they forgotten me? Forgotten Hahn and me? Is it over?

But Katara didn't tell him this. She just nodded, wiping her eyes, "I didn't realize how much until now, but I do miss my family—a lot. It feels like letters aren't enough sometimes. I've just been so preoccupied with—,"

Iroh's voice was gentle and understanding. A warm hand fell onto her shoulder that provided some modicum of comfort, but it wasn't the comfort she wanted. You can go home, you know. I won't keep you against your will."

"I know that I can leave anytime that I want, but..." She trailed off, hesitant to speak.

Sensing her distress, Iroh gestured to one of the couches along the walls of the vestibule. Nodding slightly, she sank into one, slightly comforted by the soft fabric. Iroh sat beside her once more, mimicking their seating positions by the tree in the garden all those weeks ago.

Katara was vaguely aware of Yan Li's eyes on her too, and she looked up to where the old woman was standing by the door. As if guessing her thoughts, Iroh told the woman to leave. Despite hesitating, Yan Li ultimately left.

Iroh reached forward and handed her an empty cup before spooning some loose-leaf tea into it from an ornate box on the table and pouring water over it from a teapot. The scent of jasmine and chrysanthemum flooded her senses and she realized that the cup in her hands was perfectly warm. For half a second, she wondered how that could be possible before catching Iroh's small grin.

She could have smacked herself. Oh right, firebender.

Katara also figured that any of the other Hana Matsuri girls would have lost their minds to have Fire Lord Iroh pouring tea for them, but it didn't feel like the events in the Hana Matsuri. There was no feeling of pressure or judgement weighing down her shoulders, and for that she was glad.

She took the opportunity to gather her thoughts, glancing along the furthest wall near a door that she assumed led to his bedroom.

On that wall was a painting of the young Fire Lord Iroh and his family, before he'd ascended to the throne. The Fire Lady was petite, with shining dark hair pinned up with a jeweled diadem that glittered with rubies and diamonds. Large golden earrings hung from her ears. The young Lu Ten looked to be about six or seven, and he grinned, a missing front tooth giving him a mischievous look as his arms wrapped around his mother, like he was about to cause trouble when his parents weren't looking. Standing behind them, his hands on the woman's shoulders, smiling over their heads was a younger Iroh, with hair still an inky black instead of the salt-and pepper that it now was, wearing the golden crown that Lu Ten now wore.

The tinkling of the spoon against the porcelain teacup brought her back to the current moment. She realized that Iroh had poured himself some tea. He stirred the cup gently while encouraging her to take a sip. She did so and wondered if the calm that flooded through her was a result of Iroh's calming presence, or if it was the smooth and flavorful tea.

"The reason why tea tastes bitter to most people is that the water they use is too hot," Iroh said offhandedly, distracting Katara for a moment as he worked. "The tea leaves burn easily, and an entire pot can be ruined unintentionally."

"I hadn't realized." Katara said quietly, voice barely louder than a whisper.

"Things can go wrong despite our best efforts and we might never know the cause – or how to fix the problems we encounter through no fault of our own," he added sagely, and Katara had a feeling that he wasn't just talking about tea. He turned back to her, his own cup now similarly full, and said with a grin. "Fortunately, this problem has a simple solution. Lower the temperature of the water, and the tea will be smooth and sweet."

"Lower the temperature…" she mused, lips pursed together. "I see."

"Now, he sighed, sitting so he faced her diagonally, shoulders resting against the back of the couch. "What's troubling you?"

Iroh looked at her with an understanding that reminded her so much of her own parents that the truth couldn't help but spill forth from her lips. She started at the beginning, telling him about Hahn's proposal, about her acceptance and the night she found out about the Hana Matsuri. She told him about wanting to avoid the Fire Nation retinue, about the cloak and what Hahn had said to her in the snow. She told him about Zuko irritating her, how she stormed out of dinner and him following her. But when she got to her deal with Zuko, the idea to get away from it all until what happened was a forgotten memory, she couldn't look at Iroh. She finished the rest while staring down into her teacup. She told him about how nearly every girl in the Hana Matsuri looked down on where she came from – so she stayed to prove them wrong.

Honestly, she was embarrassed by the deception. She'd taken a spot from a girl who'd wanted to be here, but she hated lying to Iroh the most out of all people – he had shown her nothing but kindness. When she lied to him, it felt especially cruel. Katara sipped the tea lightly, hesitatingly glancing up, watching Iroh's face for the anger that was sure to follow.

But he wasn't angry at all. His eyes remained the same, compassionate and gentle.

"Well," Iroh said finally, after listening to her rant about her own troubles for who knows how long. "You wouldn't be the first person to join the Hana Matsuri under less than honest motives."

Guilt bloomed in Katara's chest. "If you want to send me home, I understand." She said.

Song, Suki and Toph would fight for Jin in my stead. She knew this to be certain. But four voices are louder than three.

"But..." Iroh said quietly, looking away from her. "You don't feel anything for my nephew?"

Katara blinked rapidly as the question caught her off guard. "What are you talking about?"

It was Iroh's turn to quirk a smile that was a little less gentle and a little slyer. "Rumor has it that my nephew has feelings for you. That you're the only person he went out of his way to actively speak to during the selection process."

That's because he was wearing my cloak! That doesn't mean anything! She thought. But she didn't say this.

She hesitated, searching for the right words. "He's okay…I guess. With everything going on, we haven't gotten a chance to talk much. The times we've spoken, haven't been all that great."

Iroh nodded, seemingly able to understand where she was coming from. He sipped his tea. "The formal nature of the Hana Matsuri doesn't always equal a harmonious marriage."

"So then why go through it at all? Zuko has a girlfriend, I hear." Katara countered, raising her own cup to her lips. Mm…so warm.

She hadn't told him about what Mai did. It seemed petty and underhanded to tell Iroh what had happened all those weeks ago. Now, with Jin's imprisonment, she had bigger problems.

"Mai is trying to reconnect with Zuko," Iroh acknowledged, nodding. "Years ago, she was pressured by her parents into giving him up when—," Iroh paused, seeming to heavily weigh what he said next. "When it became clear that he was unfavored by my father, Fire Lord Azulon."

"If Mai's here now, then surely she must care for him?" Katara considered. If she was willing to attack me for him, is that what love is?

"Or," Iroh countered, "her parents have correctly interpreted that Zuko's inclusion in the Hana Matsuri is a symbol of my approval." Iroh grimaced at the end of this statement, like he wasn't happy with what he'd just said. "That has never changed."

"Fire Lord Iroh," Katara said after a moment to let Iroh collect his thoughts, setting her half-finished tea down onto the low table. "You said that Zuko was unfavored by Fire Lord Azulon. I know that it's none of my business, but I don't understand. What does that mean exactly?"

"I imagine our internal politics is a far cry from the Southern Water Tribe." Iroh quipped.

She thought of the morning of her ceremony, how many women in the Water Tribe wanted to deny her destiny. "Not in every way, but we've got more similarities than I'd initially thought."

Iroh made a sound of agreement before sipping his tea once more. The seconds seemed to tick by into minutes before he spoke again. The silence wasn't uncomfortable, but she wondered why he wasn't speaking.

Finally, he spoke. "I have a difficult request for you, one that I won't ask lightly."

At his words, Iroh looked more drawn and melancholic. Katara's brows furrowed in concern as she inched closer to the older man. Iroh's fingers tapped softly against the side of the teacup. He continued speaking, the bags under his eyes seemingly thickening.

"I have done many things in my life, things that people have said couldn't be done. But the one thing I can't do, is perform miracles. My nephew Zuko, needs such an impossible miracle."

"Is there something wrong with him?" She asked, concern laced through her voice.

"In a sense, yes." Iroh said calmly, sadness in his golden eyes. "My nephew is not a bad young man, far from it in fact. He makes mistakes, yes, but he also possesses the ability to learn from his mistakes. I believe that you know very well how often he can put his foot in his mouth."

"Very much so." She murmured, hoping he didn't hear her, but with the way his eyes shone, and his smile brightened, he did.

Iroh sighed deeply, salt and pepper beard drooping with remorse coloring his weary features. "When he was a boy, my nephew made a…bad decision. He'd lashed out after Azula had taunted him, fighting her."

"Don't all siblings fight?" Katara asked, suddenly missing Sokka very much.

"He'd lashed out at a family banquet, in front of Fire Lord Azulon. There were important people there – without speaking of the embarrassment this caused the family – Azula had claimed that he'd hurt her. Of all of his children and grandchildren, my father loved Azula the most."

Katara found that hard to believe. She tried to picture a child Azula strolling around the garden with an older version of Iroh, similar to Katara and her own grandparents, but the image just wouldn't come.

Iroh continued, "I was traveling at the time, otherwise I probably could have stopped it." He shook his head, lost in an unspoken memory. "But by the time I returned, Zuko had already been punished. They said that my father had grown crueler in his old age, but I didn't believe it until that moment. He – Zuko's firebending – it was blocked, I suppose you can say." Iroh coughed once more, picking up a handkerchief from the table and holding it over his mouth to stifle the sound.

She still looked at the Fire lord in confusion, she leant forward. "They took his bending away?" She blinked rapidly, it was unfathomable. That was like taking a piece of her spirit away. It was evident in the horror with which she spoke of it, her voice no louder than a whisper.

Iroh nodded gravely. "In a manner of speaking, yes."

She stared at Iroh dumbfounded. "But bending is like a part of you…it's like your hair or your lungs, it's…"

"I'm not entirely sure what the method was, or what herbs were used. I asked my brother of course, but he is as helpful as always. He said it was a family matter, as though I wasn't part of it." Iroh said quietly. "But that's neither here nor there."

"But how?" Katara couldn't wrap her mind around it. "Why?"

Iroh exhaled sadly. "At the time, the thinking was that parents should punish their children harshly and severely, so they never had to punish again."

She inhaled sharply, affronted.

He continued on, looking forlorn, "Zuko had been enduring the treatment every day for the better part of a fortnight by the time I arrived. Once I'd realized what had been done…it was much too late to help him. He was constantly going in and out of consciousness, his mother, cousin and I were only able to watch as he struggled in agony."

She didn't understand how a grandfather could do that to his own grandson. The thought of something like that happening to her—done by her own grandfather—she didn't want to think about it. For Zuko to live with the pain of that, with a part of him gone forever, it made her heart hurt for him, a sharp pain starting in her stomach and growing until it reached her fingertips.

Even so, she had to ask. "But what does it have to do with me?"

"Well," The Fire Lord leaned forwards, fingers clasping, intertwining. "I believe his firebending ability is only suppressed in truth, instead of completely removed. All of the research I have done over the years has said that to completely remove ON firebending is something more spiritual – Therefore, I have come to the conclusion that the blockage is more of a physical issue, than a problem with Zuko's chi. I have read that waterbenders can sometimes heal physical ailments."

"And you think I can somehow fix that?" She asked in disbelief, pointing to herself.

"Indeed." Iroh's eyes were almost pleading now. "I remember when your mother wrote me of your progress many years ago. I believe that you're Zuko's last chance."

She looked down. "I…I don't know if I can. I'd hate to let you down, but I don't think Zuko trusts me enough for that."

Iroh looked away, dejected. Guilt washed over her, as she took in his expression.

"I see."

He cleared his throat, looking ready to speak again.

"Maybe I could help him – or try to," She said quickly, causing him to look up once more. "But I was hoping to speak to you about something."

"Yes, my dear?" Iroh said, his voice now raspy. He took a sip of the now cool tea on his table and cleared his throat.

"Well…" She said, unsure of how to begin, uncertain of how he felt on the topic. "Jin…the girl who's accused of trying to poison you…her trial is tomorrow…I was wondering…"

"I can't free her, if that is what you're asking." Iroh said soberly, regretfully. "My wife is too determined to see that revenge wins over justice."

"It's not right for her to be punished for a crime she didn't commit." She hoped the anger and frustration was present in her voice, because it was just so wrong. How on earth could Iroh just stand by and watch this happen? He seemed kind. If in truth he saw no way to help Jin, then perhaps he wasn't the person that she – or her mother – thought he was.

Iroh was silent for a moment, Katara's "I can't make any promises, but I will try and get my wife to see a bit of reason, if you, promise to try and help Zuko."

I guess that was the most she could ask for. She gave him a fragile smile. "I'll try."

"That is all I can ask."

Zuko

"What?" He asked his cousin, mouth agape. He stopped moving for a moment and focused on Lu Ten's grinning face. "Are you serious?"

Lu Ten gestured for Zuko to continue as he braced himself against a sandbag that Zuko was preparing to hit. He reared back before lunging forward and aiming right for the center.

"Yes I'm – oof – serious." Lu Ten grunted, grimacing as Zuko tried to break his stance.

Sweat rolled down Zuko's chest as he punched the sandbag, denting the woven cloth. He and Lu Ten were in the training grounds, working on Zuko's form. His hair was coming out of the topknot he held it in and falling in his face, but he didn't seem to notice it. The sandbag hung from the ceiling by an extremely thick cord of rope.

"You two are getting married?" Zuko asked incredulously, exhausted breaths leaving him as he leaned against the bag, resting for a moment as he took in what Lu Ten just told him. He stared wide eyed at his cousin. "How many times have you actually talkedto her? You've known each other for practically 5 minutes and you're getting married?"

"I thought you'd be happy." Lu Ten retorted before bracing against the bag again. "Now let's go, don't lose your heart rate."

Zuko frowned and resumed his stance. He swung his leg in a high roundhouse kick, hitting the cloth with his calf, his foot just inches from Lu Ten's face. The older prince grunted and rocked backwards from the force of the blow. Lu Ten tightened his grip on the bag, pushing forward, adding more resistance to Zuko's attacks.

"Watch it, that last one almost hit me." Lu Ten grit his teeth as Zuko aimed another punch at the bag.

"Sorry," Zuko said breathless. "It's just—" Jab. Uppercut. Duck. Repeat. "I don't get it. What happened to that girl you met at the South Pole? Katara's cousin?" Zuko kicked forward, pushing Lu Ten backwards again. "Or any of the others?"

Lu Ten's face darkened, and he shoved against Zuko hard. "They don't mean anything, Zuko." His cousin harshly, though Zuko was sure Lu Ten was trying to convince himself. Zuko stared at the other prince skeptically. "I'm with Song now."

Zuko straightened, pausing, taking in deep breaths. He folded his arms over his chest and gave his cousin a skeptical look. "Do you really mean that?"

"Of course," Lu Ten said warily, stepping away from the punching bag. "Why do you ask?"

"Because" Zuko walked to the bar that held his shirt, "It sounds to me that you're only marrying Song because you want to ignore the Hana Matsuri—or—Distract your mother."

"That's not true." Lu Ten's eyes narrowed. "I love Song."

Zuko scoffed. "Yeah, okay, I believe that". He reached for his shirt, as well as Lu Ten's. Tossing his cousin the garment, he said, "What do you know about her?"

Lu Ten avoided Zuko's gaze. "She'll be a perfect Fire Lady."

"And? What else?" Zuko asked, pulling on his shirt. "What's her favorite color?"

Lu Ten seemed lost for a second. "I-I... pink I guess..." But then Lu Ten fired back, "What's Mai's favorite color?"

"Black." Zuko said almost immediately.

"Oh, cheerful." Lu Ten said sarcastically. "Come on, let's go, we're done for the day."

The two started walking out of the training grounds towards the main palace, talking as they went. Zuko smiled, "There's nothing wrong with liking black. Most of my clothes are black too."

Lu Ten pulled the cotton shirt over his head, laughing but his voice was muffled because of the shirt, but then he pulled it down and said clearly, "I mean, come on Zuko, you know that Mai's going to do whatever her parents tell her to. They're only taking part in the Hana Matsuri because you're going to be off the market and they're going to lose their chance at being royalty."

Zuko frowned, trying to defend his—girlfriend. But Zuko shook his head to clear the uncomfortable feeling, the sweat on his skin cooling. If that was the case, if she truly was the one for him, then why didn't he do what Lu Ten was going to do and send all of the remaining girls in his age category home? If Mai was his girlfriend, then why didn't he go and run to his mother about her?

"What about Katara?" Lu Ten asked him.

"What are you talking about?" He asked quietly. "What about her?"

Lu Ten scoffed. "Are you really going to deny that she's left a mark on you?"

Zuko sputtered, laughing at Lu Ten's term for it. "Left a mark? What was in your fire whiskey last night? You have clearly lost your mind."

Lu Ten clapped him on the back, chuckling. "I'm serious, every time you see her, all you do is stare at her like a lovesick boy. "

Zuko stopped walking. Did he really do that? "I do?"

Lu Ten clapped him on the back, chuckling. "Yes, my dear cousin." Zuko was silent, lost in his own thoughts. They continued walking in silence until Lu Ten spoke. "Admit it, you like her, don't you?"

"I like Katara better for you. She doesn't seem like the kind of person to bend to familial pressure when things get difficult." Lu Ten said as they passed the part of the Training Grounds that housed the prison. "You can't deny that Zuko. Even when we were on Kyoshi, and she wanted to walk. Did you hear how much conviction she had in her voice?"

"Okay, already!" Zuko snapped at his cousin, weary of the conversation. "I get it, Katara's perfect."

"I never said she was perfect Zuko, I said that she has some really great qualities. Probably more than half of the girls here. I mean, look at how she's defending her friend Jin, and she barely knows the girl."

Lu Ten pointed to the Prison entrance, with Ozai's guards stationed outside, so Zuko knew that his father was in there, probably trying to get information out of Jin by any means necessary. Sometimes, that didn't mean answering questions, it meant torture until a prisoner bled to death, or confessed to something, they didn't do.

Zuko thought that the methods his father used were archaic, started by his great-grandfather Sozin, and continued by his grandfather, Azulon. He knew that his father wanted to carry on the tradition, but the thought of it disgusted Zuko. Still, it was just one more reason his father and grandfather praised Azula. She would be more than happy to continue the traditions of their ancestors. Zuko was disgusted with the whole lot of them.

For a moment, Zuko thought about sneaking Jin some food, but decided against it once he remembered his father was in there. He would try to avoid his father at all costs. He sighed, realizing that Lu Ten was still speaking. "Remember when she broke your heart?

"That was years ago."

But Lu Ten continued on. "What are you going to do if she decides that being a princess is too confining again?"

"She's stayed this long, hasn't she?" Zuko pointed out. "Who's to say she won't stay until the end?"

"Yeah okay, Zuko." Lu Ten pacifying his cousin. They continued in silence, Zuko trying to ignore everything his cousin was saying. "By the way, your firebending forms have gotten a lot better, if it matters any."

"Well it doesn't matter anymore, you know that." Zuko said bitterly. He hadn't forgotten what happened 3 years ago. When Azula got "hurt", and he got the blame. "I mean, I go through the forms like any firebender my age would and a part of me expects…hopes, even…but..."

Lu Ten stopped and looked at Zuko with soft eyes. But Zuko knew them for what they were – pity. "What grandfather did to you was wrong, Zuko. Everyone knows that."

"Didn't stop everyone from standing by and letting it happen." Zuko muttered bitterly, that old hatred clawing at his chest once more.

"If my dad had been there...he wouldn't have let him." Lu Ten's words we supposed to comfort him, but all that he could hear was his shame. It was no secret that Zuko was the bane of his father's existence.

"So…you plan to tell your parents today?" Zuko asked him, wanting to be free of this topic. "You don't think that's…soon?"

Lu Ten nodded. "Why wait? I mean, Song has agreed to marry me, and that's all that really matters. Who cares when we get married?" Lu Ten glared at his cousin as if saying that he dared him to argue. But Zuko wasn't going to argue. The older continued, "Besides, I can't wait to see my mother's face when I tell her."

"I'll go with you then," Zuko said chuckling. "You may need the help when your mom passes out." They exited the training grounds, sharing a laugh, and into the central garden connecting all the parts of the palace. Zuko and Lu Ten veered along the walkway to the Main Palace.

Zuko was looking out at the flowers and redwood trees in the garden when he spotted a figure clad in blue leaning on the trunk of the largest d tree by the pond, reading a scroll. She stared at it intently, focusing her entire attention to what was on the page. She moved her hands as she read the scroll, resting the parchment on her knees. Zuko stopped moving and looked at Katara, curious about what she was doing.

"See what I mean?" Lu Ten said, laughing from behind him. "That's the look," Lu Ten's laugh grew in volume as Zuko's face turned as red as a tomato.

At the sound of his cousin's snickering voice, Katara looked up sharply, searching for the source of the noise. She turned her head in their direction. When her eyes landed on him, she smiled nervously, and Zuko was torn between going to her and following Lu Ten. She placed the scroll on a nearby rock and stood up. For some reason he didn't understand, his heart started to beat faster when Katara took a step towards him.

"Bye, Zuko." Lu Ten said, continuing in the direction of the palace. "You know, in case you forgot I was here."

Zuko whirled around, hissing to his cousin softly. "Where are you going?"

But his cousin apparently didn't hear him. Lu Ten waved and offered Zuko a cheeky smile before closing the gate to the Main Palace behind him. Zuko muttered curses under his breath before turning around to Katara.

She was closer now, just a foot from him when she stopped and raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?" She asked him. She looked around him to where Lu Ten had disappeared. "What happened to your cousin?"

Zuko shrugged. "He had to tell his parents something."

"The wedding?" Katara said knowingly. Zuko's mouth fell open. She chuckled and said, "Song told me when I went to check on her."

"Oh." Zuko said, not looking at her.

They walked to the tree, Zuko following her steps blindly. He was lost in his own thoughts, wondering about this girl in front of him and why he seemed to act so incompetent around her. She sat down where she was before, leaning her back against the dark trunk of the tree, picking up the scroll with her fingers and placing it in her lap. She looked at his face intently, trying to get a read on him, but Zuko frowned and turned away.

Maybe because he'd done it so many times before. On some level, did he like her?

That would be impossible right? Of course… He couldn't deny that there was something about Katara that drew him in like a moth to a flame. He watched the turtle ducks floating around in the pond, quacking. The little ones followed their mother as they swam in circles in the clear water. He looked at the girl sitting beside him. She wasn't looking at him, she was instead focused on the scroll in front of her. He crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap, staring out at the pond until his curiosity got to be too much for him.

"What are you looking at?" He said, turning to her.

She looked up, eyes wide like she had forgotten that he was there. She held up the parchment. Looking closer, he could see drawings of figures doing movements unlike what he had ever seen before the figures were going through what seemed to be bending motions, but next to each drawing were words written. The Water Tribe symbol was in the bottom right-hand corner of the scroll. "This?" She said, smiling. Her eyes were bright like the sky. "This is a healing scroll. It has both herbal and waterbending treatments on it. Long ago, my ancestor brought it here, forgot it, and never returned for it. Fire Lord Iroh gave it to me from the library. He said he was 'returning it to its rightful owner'."

"Uncle gave that to you?" Zuko asked. "Really?"

She nodded. It seemed that the more she spoke about the scroll in her hand the brighter her smile grew. She waved her hands around excitedly, pantomiming her words. "He had a whole bunch of scrolls on medicine in the library, more information than I could possibly study in the weeks I'm here. It would probably take years to study them all. He said I could take any one of them that I wanted." She blushed a little bit. "The one that I took shows how to help a patient absorb medicine better using water. I haven't gotten very far but…I'm making progress."

She gestured to the figures on the scroll, but he couldn't make sense of them. "Really?"

She nodded, blushing a little bit. "To be honest, there's a different between healing cuts and scrapes. healing internal wounds like removing poisons or mending broken bones. When I studied, there were only ten kids with the ability. It makes me feel good to know that I can ease someone's pain, or…an injury." For some reason, her eyes met his, but they were filled with an emotion he couldn't place.

"That's amazing." He breathed, voice soft. Firebending could do no such thing. "You're so…different from anyone I've ever met."

Her cheeks got even redder, and she smiled prettily at him, blue eyes practically glowing in the midday sunlight of summer. He couldn't stop staring at her.

"Why did he give you the scrolls? Uncle doesn't let just anyone in his library." He pointed out to her. And it was true, Zuko nor Lu Ten could go into the library, but that might have been because they almost set it on fire when they were kids.

"The Fire Lord has given me an important task." She said, but she avoided looking at him.

That piqued Zuko's curiosity. "What's it?"

Katara pretended to lock her lips shut. She shrugged, smiling at him. "I can't tell you, it's a secret."

"Of course, it is." He grumbled, only half-meaning to sound angry. "No one tells me anything anymore."

There was an awkward silence between them as Zuko's bitter mood ruined the happy atmosphere between them. They were silent for a little while longer before Katara said, "But with this scroll," Katara looked at him excitedly. "I hope to enhance my bending and do some good."

"That's great…Katara." Zuko said, not feeling it. A lead ball had formed in his stomach and the red flames of envy were licking at his feet.

"Zuko, what's wrong?" Katara asked, a concerned expression on her face.

"Don't worry about it." He told her, deflecting her concern. He glared out at the turtleduck pond.

She placed a hand on his knee gently. He turned to her, startled at the contact. He gasped at how close Katara's face was to his own. It was strange how he could see a reflection of the ocean clear as day in her concerned gaze. It wasn't pity, she was genuinely curious and concerned for his well-being. "Please Zuko…" She said, removing her hand from his knee, though her hands shook as she did so. She sat back, moving away from him to give him some personal space.

He wasn't going to tell her, it wasn't time to tell anyone. So, he gritted his teeth and looked away from her. He guessed she could see that he wasn't going to say anything, so she decided to change the subject. Katara brought her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around her legs. She looked at him with interest, something more than what he got from her this morning. He wondered what had changed to make her act so differently.

"Are you excited for Lu Ten and Song?"

Zuko shrugged. "I don't know, honestly. To me it seems a bit rushed…like Lu Ten is doing this to prove a point."

"What point do you think he's trying to prove?" Katara took the scroll off her lap, placing it beside her.

Zuko's eyes shifted, he didn't know how to phrase that he thought that Lu Ten was marrying Song to get over her cousin, Yue or even if Katara knew that Lu Ten and Yue had a sort of thing going on at the South Pole. "I think he's trying to prove that he's not the…ladies' man everyone assumes him to be. He is, of course, but he doesn't want people to think so when he assumes more responsibility later."

"That's not okay." Katara frowned. "Song isn't a prop to clean up his image."

"What if there's another side to the story?" He posited, and she looked at him quizzically. "What if Lu Ten and Song are trying to distract my Aunt from punishing Jin?"

"Now there's an idea." Katara's frown cracked into a little grin. "Would they?"

Zuko shrugged, and the pair sat in silence for a while, the quacking from the ducks and the waves lapping along the shore their only companions. In the silence, her eyes drifted down towards the scroll again. He wanted to say something more but found that no words would come.

"Can I ask you a question?" Katara asked, breaking the silence. He looked up at her. She was staring out at the water, watching two adult turtle-ducks circle each other in the pond. "Do you think you can fall in love with someone in a few weeks? I mean…real, true love. Song and Lu Ten don't…don't feel real, but who am I to judge?" She hugged her knees closer, melancholy passing over her face. "I thought I loved Hahn…but I was…it was infatuation, not real love. But just because I failed…do you think it's possible?"

He shrugged once more. "I'm not sure. I think an argument could be made for both sides." He looked down at the grass, plucking blades of it out of the ground and tearing it to pieces between his long fingers, trying to look anywhere but at her. "If it's real…then it's real, and I think you'll know it when you feel it."

"Is it real between you and Mai?" She asked airily, she didn't look at him, keeping her expression neutral, trying to convey disinterest. Zuko turned to her, confused, but Katara just rolled her eyes. "Don't give me that look, Zuko. I can see how she looks at you, how angry she gets when anyone else speaks about you, and if she's willing to go to the lengths she did—,"

"What did she do, if you don't mind me asking?" He asked her. She exhaled a shaky breath but looked like she wanted to answer the question.

"She pulled my hair, pushed me under the water while I was in the bath, and tried to choke me." Zuko's mouth dropped open.

Mai, how could you? How could you be so vicious to someone you'd never met. For my sake? I'm not worth it. Katara didn't deserve that. He wasn't sure if he could keep the disgust of out of his voice. And so he didn't say anything, he didn't think he even knew the right words to say.

Katara continued, snorting lightly. "I got her off me, Zuko. Water surrounded me. Poor choice on her part, in my opinion." Her lips curled into a smug grin. "Besides, I'm quite sure she just wanted to scare me. Warn me away from you." She chuckled lightly, an edge to her laugh. "People here are of the opinion that you and I—,"

"That we—," He broke off. "That we're…together?"

She laughed a bit, and he couldn't help but join in, but she didn't look at him. "But that's ridiculous, right?"

"Yeah" He said, half-heartedly, not knowing why he'd felt that surge of dismay as the words left his mouth. "Right."

Katara sighed, her blue eyes looking calmly across the pond. "I hope she feels some comfort in the attention you give her. "

Zuko let out deep breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Something happened a few years ago, and as a result—She decided that dating me would be too much for her—that she didn't want the shame of being attached to me." He looked down, dejected. "I remember how upset I was when she left. I don't think I came out of my room for days once it was over. I think that's what gave my mother the idea for the Hana Matsuri."

Zuko met Katara's eyes. She was looking at him with a mixture of compassion and pity. "So now that you're about to be off the market, Mai decided that she wants you back."

He chuckled a little bit. "What do you mean, off the market?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Seriously? You really don't get it?" Zuko shook his head. She let out an exaggerated sigh, as if she had to explain something to a child who refused to listen. "With Lu Ten getting married, that only leaves one Prince up for grabs, you. Everyone is going to be fighting that much harder to snag you."

Zuko broke out in laughter. "You make me sound like a trophy or something."

Katara shrugged nonchalantly. "Technically...you're. I mean, don't sell yourself short Zuko. You're not horrible looking, and you're halfway decent—," He couldn't help but smile when she said that. "I can see why Mai's trying so hard to get to you back."

"Not horrible looking? I suppose I should take this as a compliment." He frowned at her, but there was a hint of laughter in his voice. "And what do you mean I'm only still halfway decent? I'd like to believe I'm at least a little bit improved."

"Hm..." She said playfully, offering him a toothy grin and tapping her chin in pensive thought. "I suppose you're at least three-quarters decent now." She replied, chuckling.

"I guess that's an improvement." He grumbled at her, nudging her shoulder. She smiled into her hands. Zuko felt a warmth spread through his body at her actions and voice. "Is Mai the only one that wants to get close to me?" He spoke without thinking.

What are you saying Zuko, you idiot? Obviously, she doesn't like you, and why should it matter if she was staying here because of you? It's obvious she's only staying because of Jin.

Either Katara didn't realize that he was talking about her, or she was feigning ignorance with the exception of the rosy pink on her cheeks, because she continued in that same detached tone. "I wouldn't say that Zuko. Most of the girls have an okay opinion of you."

"What do you mean, okay?" He took a little to offense at that.

"Most of us think that you come across a little bit...standoffish. As if you hate that we're even here." She wasn't looking at him. Her cheeks were still colored pink, but it was fading fast.

"That just comes from my reluctance to get married."

"That's what I told them, but they didn't listen to me." She shrugged, offering him a kind smile. "I hope you find the right girl, Zuko. You deserve some happiness. And if Mai's it – then I hope the two of you're happy as well."

"I...thank you." Zuko looked down at his feet, clad in their red Fire Nation boots.

Katara frowned. Looking up at the sky, she turned to Zuko with an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I have to go. I have to meet with everyone else in an hour and I'll need time to get ready."

She stood, picking up the waterbending scroll as she went, and he rose with her. Katara raised a small hand in a wave and saying a small goodbye before turning and going to the Concubine's Quarters. He muttered a half-hearted goodbye, he didn't want her to leave.

Zuko stood, watching her go before calling out, "Katara wait!" She paused, turning to him with a confused look on her face. He jogged up to her, stopping in front of the bewildered girl. He said, "At least let me walk you."

She blinked in surprise, before squeaking out a tentative, "Okay…"

They walked down the path to the gate of the Concubine's Quarters. The two guards posted outside the door bowed to them as they entered, holding the gate open. Katara walked in first, Zuko right behind her. They entered the courtyard and walked up small steps to the building that housed all of the girls for the Hana Matsuri. Several girls were lounging around outside on the benches that surrounded the courtyard, chattering together. It was a group of 3 girls, one from the Earth Kingdom and two from the Fire Nation. Then their eyes landed on Katara. They glared at her, whispering loudly.

"Why is Katara still here?" One girl said.

"She should be locked up, like her friend." The other replied

"I'm surprised that she hasn't been arrested yet." The last girl said, wearing red, obviously Fire Nation.

For a second, it looked like Katara hadn't heard what they said, which would have been surprising to Zuko, considering that they were making such an obvious effort, but he noticed that her head was turned to the side, away from them, and there were tears forming in the corners, though she did her best to blink them away.

But when they caught sight of Zuko, they all stood and approached him. They walked quickly, aiming to cut him off before he could walk the rest of the way. They fluttered their eyelashes as they walked closer. They blocked the path leading from the gate to the building entrance.

"Good morning Prince Zuko," they called to him semi-sweetly. Their voices were just high enough to be annoying, but not so shrill that he could dismiss them easily.

Katara scoffed loudly, she walked around them, brushing past, continuing up the pathway. Their eyes followed her disdainfully, and they sneered at her back. Zuko tried to do the same, but every time he tried to go around them, the girls would block his path, the same smiles o. He would go to the right they would stand in front of him. If he tried to go to the left, they would also go to the left. Zuko nearly groaned aloud in frustration.

"Good morning girls." He said, hoping is tone accurately conveyed his annoyance as he watched Katara's back as it entered through the doorway. "If you'll excuse me…" he said, trying to go around them once more.

"But Prince Zuko, don't you want to spend time with me?" The Fire Nation girl asked, sliding gracefully up to him. He'd seen her a few times at banquets when he was a child. What was her name, again?

"Maybe next time." He mumbled half-heartedly, but the girl didn't hear him as her Earth Kingdom friend said,

"Spend time with you?" The teenager said, "What makes you think that he wants to spend time with you?"

The Fire Nation girl scoffed as though it were obvious. "We're both Fire Nation," she said, looking at the other girl disdainfully. "Isn't it obvious that he'd want to spend more time with me than someone from the…Earth Kingdom?" She turned her back to her friends, moving closer to Zuko.

"What's so wrong with being from the Earth Kingdom, huh?" The other Earth Kingdom girl spoke up, seemingly more mild-mannered.

"You can't seriously be asking me that question, right?" The girl in red replied with a laugh, her golden-brown eyes flashing with malice. "You're from a land with mud and swamps and people that don't bathe and live in deserts. That's just gross."

The other two Earth Kingdom girls looked at her indignantly and fired back replies that made the Fire Nation girl stagger back a bit. The two Earth Kingdom girls advanced on her, snapping at the other girl with biting words and scathing remarks. While they were arguing, Zuko took this time to edge past. Once he had safely slipped by, Zuko broke out into a run to the wooden entrance into the Concubine's building.

The sunlight streamed through the open windows as Zuko ran past the bathhouse, through the hallways in the direction of Katara's room. He found the girl soon, she was walking very lethargically, and it was easy for him to catch up to her. A tan hand came to rub at her face a bit, and he thought he heard a sniffle.

"Katara." He called out to her. She paused. "Katara wait."

She turned quickly around, and he could see that she had indeed been crying. Her eyes were red and puffy, and her shoulders were slumped, and she was holding herself as if to stop from falling apart. Seeing him, she wiped her eyes and sniffed, looking up at him with a faux smile on her face.

"Zuko…why are you here?" She said. Her voice trembled, and she didn't look at him. Instead she focused on the wall next to them, tracing the pattern with her eyes. "Shouldn't you be out there with your fan club?"

"I said I'd walk you to your room, and that's what I'm going to do." He said determinedly, cracking a smile. She looked at him now, her eyes full of unshed tears. But she nodded, and then continued to walk down the hallway, leaving him to follow. They walked, passing a vase with flowers in it at every window. Zuko slowed, matching his pace to hers. "You shouldn't let those girls' words affect you." He told her.

"Believe me, I know." She said, her voice was rough and scratchy. Tear streaks lined her cheeks as she sniffled again. "It's nothing different than what I've been getting since I've been here. You'd think it wouldn't bother me by now, right?"

"But that doesn't mean that it doesn't still hurt." He said quietly, and she nodded, angrily wiping at her eyes. He continued, "I can understand what you're going through." He said.

"Oh really?" She asked skeptically. "You're Prince Zuko. Everyone here just loves you."

"No, not really. The Hana Matsuri—those girls—like the idea of me. But they don't know me. As a person." Zuko's words were hollow, because it was the truth. None of the girls here knew what he was really like, nor did they even try to. The same was true for Lu Ten, though if you asked him, he'd say that Song would learn all she needed to after the wedding. "All my life, people have said that I'm worthless. I'm always compared to my sister. She's the amazing one."

"Zuko I'm sure that's not t—," Katara said.

"Oh, but it is true." Zuko said bitterly. "My mother nearly died giving birth to me. And I almost died being born. And they never let me forget it." He added bitterly. "I think he's always blamed me for putting her life in danger. My father has always said that Azula was born lucky, and that I was lucky to be born."

"I'm sorry, Zuko." She said, and he knew that was all she could offer. Didn't make him feel any less rotten inside. He sighed, choosing to remain quiet.

Walking the rest of the way in silence, they soon came to Katara's door. "Well…" she said, gesturing offhandedly to the door. "This is it…"

"Katara, I wanted to tell you…"

"Yes?" She asked, turning towards him. Zuko's heart started to beat a little bit faster.

"About Mai—," He said, and he saw Katara's eyes narrow a bit, but he continued on. "If she, or anyone asks who let you into the kitchen after it closed, just say that I did it."

"Why should I say that?" Katara asked him suspiciously.

"Because that's what I told her." He said simply, and he shrugged.

"Why would you tell her that?" Katara asked. She folded her arms over her chest. "It's not even a little bit true. It would be better for her if I got disqualified."

"Because…because she suspected you. Unfairly." He offered by way of explanation. "I didn't want you to…"

Katara looked at him, disbelieving what he was saying. "I had a plan, Zuko." She said, glaring at him a little bit.

"Oh yeah, sure. Because denying everything is a great plan." Zuko said sarcastically. "That only makes you look more suspicious. It's better to just tell a half truth. It's how you survive here."

"Why do you care so much? You don't even like me." Katara questioned, turning her head, avoiding his gaze. She muttered the last part softly, almost so he couldn't hear her.

"I…" He looked away from her as well, trying to get his thoughts in order. "That's not entirely true, Katara. You're a very likeable person."

Her head snapped to him, and her eyes focused on his face, reading it for any signs of malice. "What?" She asked softly.

"What's not to like?" Zuko said, the words coming out in a rush. "You're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever met. And your heart is just as beautiful as the rest of you. Your eyes are—It's in the way you defend the people you care about, no matter how long you've known them, like Jin."

"I…I honestly don't know what to say." She looked dumbfounded.

"Then let me say this one thing." He cleared his throat as she waited for him to speak, her tanned cheeks colored an embarrassed red. "Hahn didn't deserve you."

The words were out there. Zuko said that he thought that she was pretty—no—beautiful. That wasn't a declaration that he liked her or anything, was it? Katara looked like she was going to say something, but suddenly, a little bit down the hall, a door crept open, and a pale head peeked out into the hallway.

He wore a large hat that covered his face and was almost the same height as Zuko. He didn't turn fully in their direction though, before making his way down the hallway.

"Well that's not suspicious…" He heard Katara mutter rom beside him.

"Hey! You!" Zuko shouted. The man froze and whirled around before turning back the other way and ran after the servant. "Stop right there!"

He could hear Katara smack her palm against her face as she groaned. He chose to ignore that.

This would have been so much easier if he could firebend. He could hear Katara's footsteps behind him as she ran too. For a moment he wondered what would happen if Gu Zhi could see them both now, clothes tousled as they tore down the hallways, the very image of impropriety. The male servant gave them chase, leading them up the steps to higher levels in the concubine's quarters and down steps in the other end of the hallways, until Zuko realized that they were nearing Mai's room, which overlooked the rocky cliffs underneath the palace. And in truth, at the other end of the hallway, nearest her room, Zuko could see an open window leading down onto the rocky cliffs below.

"He's going to get away." Zuko said to her, and though he was tired, he continued.

She stopped, and Zuko was about to turn and ask what she was doing but then he saw it for himself. Katara's legs widened, and she moved her arms from left to right, calling the water from the vase by the nearest window. "Zuko get out of the way!"

He didn't know what she was going to do, but he trusted her.

He barely had time to dart to the side, out of the way, before lightning-quick, she turned in a circle, lunging as she came out of it and threw her arms forwards, the end of the snake-like water pattern caught around the thief's foot, hooking around it like a cord of rope. She pulled her arm inwards, and the water tightened around his leg, pulling the thief with it.

He knew she was good at her bending, he'd seen it at the South Pole, and he felt a stab of envy that she could do it, while he couldn't. She was totally in control of her element, exhibiting an ease he'd only seen in Azula. The servant toppled to the ground, landing on the bag he carried, letting out a loud groan of pain as he hit whatever was in there. Once she'd downed him, Zuko sprang into action, running to the thief sprawled on the ground. Zuko leapt on top of him and pinned his arms to the ground. The thief tried to roll over so that Zuko couldn't see his face, but Zuko tightened his grip.

"Who are you?"

"Let me go!" The man struggled, voice high, panicked, trying to get up, but Zuko was stronger. Each time he tried to sit up, Zuko would push him back down.

Why does his voice sound so familiar?

Katara's footsteps approached behind him held the writhing man down. Zuko let go of his arms and rolled the man over, tearing off the hood in the process. He stared down at the face of the thief.

"Longshot?" Zuko exclaimed in shock. Longshot still tried to get up and hide his face but Zuko grabbed his collar and swatted his hands away.

"You know him?!" Katara asked. She looked between Longshot and Zuko. Eyes narrowing at the man on the ground, she bent down and opened the sack that had been revealed when Zuko rolled Longshot over. "Zuko all of my jewelry is in here! Everything! My mother's necklace!" Katara glared at Longshot. She dug around even further, pulling out a golden fan and a black bracelet. "Even Toph's bracelet and Suki's fan are in here!"

"Get up." Zuko ordered, rising to his feet and pulling Longshot along with him. Longshot let out groans of pain, eyes dazedly looking into Zuko's eyes. Zuko pushed Longshot against the wall, in his face, his temper raging. Longshot had always been weird, ever since they met. "What were you doing?"

Longshot looked away, letting out a cough. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

Zuko gripped Longshot's collar tighter, nearly choking him, the boy quivered and let out a gulp. "Go ahead. Try me." He hissed.

Longshot attempted to say something, but it came out garbled as Zuko really was choking him. His mouth was wide open, and he was gasping for breath, minimal air getting into his lungs.

"Zuko stop!" Katara said, standing next to him. He saw her face filled with worry. "You're hurting him!"

Zuko eyed her in disbelief, but his grip relaxed slightly. "This guy steals your stuff, but you're worried about his safety?" She looked indignant, but her brow furrowed, as if she hadn't considered what he was saying. "What if he planned to hurt you if you walked in early?" He snapped, angry at her, and shoved Longshot harder against the wall, but he was careful to avoid the boy's neck.

People can't talk if they're dead.

"What if he's the one that tried to kill my Uncle?" Zuko spat, but even so, he let go slightly, remembering Katara's words.

"I wasn't!" Longshot gasped out, finally getting the air he needed to breathe. "I swear I wasn't! I just needed the jewels, that's it!"

"Let him go, Zuko!" Katara pleaded with him, her eyes were filled with worry and fear at Zuko's rage and he suddenly understood that he'd scared her.

"Fine." Zuko spat and let go of Longshot's collar.

He fell to the floor, landing on his hands and knees, gasping for breath and coughing. Zuko felt Katara's hand on his arm, pulling him away. He backed up, Katara never letting go of his arm. "Zuko would you have killed him?"

"He's a thief, Katara." Zuko said simply, gesturing to Longshot's bent form on the ground.

"No, Zuko look at his clothes." She pointed out. "He's a palace servant so obviously he knew the rules. He must have a good reason for stealing."

"Is there really a good reason?" He muttered under his breath, thankfully she didn't hear him.

Zuko looked back at Longshot, now sitting back against the wall, resting his head upon it, breathing heavily. His hands rubbed his back, and then switched to his head, feeling the two places that Zuko must have hurt. He looked at Katara again and her eyes willing for him to agree with her perspective. It wasn't as if Zuko didn't know that she was right, but he, like his aunt looking for someone to blame for his Uncle's attempted murder, so was he in his own way. When he saw Longshot, he thought that maybe he had found his Uncle's would-be assassin. It finally occurred to Zuko that the day he met Longshot, the reason the teenager had overreacted to his presence was because Zuko had interrupted him stealing something.

"Katara what are you doing?" He asked, but Katara was already walking over to Longshot. She bent down next to him.

"Are you okay Long…shot?" She asked kindly. Zuko rolled his eyes. Maybe Katara was too kind. She looked back at Zuko as though she heard him rolling his eyes. He shrugged unapologetically. Longshot nodded, coughing again. He looked at Katara, who smiled at him kindly. "Why were you going to take my things?"

"I…" Longshot started, but then his nervous eyes found Zuko again.

"He's not going to hurt you…I promise." Katara looked at him as if to say you-better-not. Zuko looked away under her gaze.

"I told Prince Zuko that I have a friend who used to work here. We're all orphans, the lot of us." Longshot said once he'd gathered his breath. He cleared his throat. "He doesn't work here anymore because he's in the hospital. He needs a major operation."

"What hospital is he in?" Katara asked curiously.

"Shibai Hospital. It's down by the docks, you can't miss it. Fire Lord Sozin commissioned it, but Fire Lord Azulon recently changed the staff there." Lu Ten coughed again. "Since then, the new director of the hospital won't let him get an operation because he can't afford it."

Zuko rolled his eyes. Give me a break, he thought.

"So…you were stealing, to raise money, to get your friend an operation?" Katara asked kindly. Lu Ten nodded in affirmation. Katara turned to Zuko. "See, Zuko? Isn't that a good reason to steal something?"

"It would be…if he's telling the truth." Zuko snapped. Katara narrowed her eyes at him and attempted to say something, but Longshot spoke before he did.

"I'm telling the truth! Look, in the bag there's a piece of paper. It has the address of the hospital and the address of where I was supposed to drop the money." Longshot pointed to the open bag, and Zuko could see a slip of paper with writing on it. He picked up the slip of paper and read the words written on it. Zuko sighed.

He held up the slip of paper for Katara's inspection. "He's telling the truth. Those are addresses. I don't know which one is for the hospital and which one isn't, so we'll have to check them both out." Katara nodded.

Longshot gasped. "But what about my friend, I can't just leave him to die."

"We'll take care of it, won't we Zuko?" Katara looked at him pointedly, daring him to not agree with her. Longshot also looked at him curiously.

He nodded awkwardly, although he had no idea how he was going to get Longshot's friend the operation.

Katara smiled. "Good, now let's get you back to your room and return the rest of this to their proper owners."

Katara

Once she'd returned to her room, Katara had hoped to lie down on her bed for a few moments before Gu Zhi came in to bother her, but unfortunately, she couldn't be so lucky when it came to the Mistress of Rules in the Fire Nation. The minute that Katara's head touched the pillow, the old woman barged in like she normally did the day of a competition for the Hana Matsuri, trailed by a group of maids. Katara groaned and rolled over, covering her head with her pillow, in the hopes that Gu Zhi would just ignore her and go away.

"Princess Katara, I understand that you had an early morning, but nevertheless it is time for lunch." Gu Zhi's raspy voice grew louder as the woman grew closer to her bed. She saw Gu Zhi's shadow looming across her but Katara just hoped that the older woman was a figment of her imagination. Katara wrapped the pillow tighter over her ears to block out Gu Zhi's noise. "You will be eating lunch with the other ladies of the Hana Matsuri and the Royal Family."

"But I just saw Zuko a second ago, do I really have to—," Katara protested weakly, knowing deep inside that her words would have no effect on Gu Zhi.

"Ahem…It is Prince Zuko and yes, Princess you have to." Gu Zhi said, pulling the pillow off her head roughly. "The Fire Lord is expecting you."

"I just saw the Fire Lord." She grumbled under her breath. Katara sighed, sitting up, knowing that there was no way that she was going to win this. "Alright, I'm going, I'm going."

She swung her legs over the side of the bed. She made her way over to the dresser, while a pair of maids followed her. One girl took her hair out of the messy braid she had put it in that morning, and the other one started picking out the bracelets and other jewelry that she'd recovered from Longshot.

"No jewelry," Gu Zhi said. "She won't be needing it. Please, hurry up Katara, you're late."

"Why?" Katara asked, turning to face the old maid, but the woman refused to give anything away. Katara sighed and turned back to the mirror.

A banging knock on the door caused everyone to pause. Gu Zhi grumbled to herself but opened it anyway. Zuko stormed in, already wearing more formal attire for the Hana Matsuri challenge It look like he'd kept his breeches but changed his simple tunic for a gold lined one. His eyes were determined as he marched straight up to her, ignoring as every servant bowed to him. Gu Zhi stepped forwards.

"P-Prince Zuko!" the old woman said, attempting to stop Zuko from entering. "You can't come in here—."

But he didn't even look at Gu Zhi. "I don't have much time, so I have to explain this quickly." He said, ignoring his old nanny. The maid who had been brushing Katara's hair moved away. He crouched down so that he was at eye level with her sitting on the chair. "We've got a problem."

"What's the problem?" She asked him, wondering why his eyes looked so worried.

"The problem is who oversees Shibai Hospital." He said, grimacing. Katara waited for an answer. "Commander Zhao."

"Is that a problem?"

"Actually, it's Director Zhao, now." Zuko swallowed, looking worried. "My Uncle Iroh convinced my Grandfather Azulon to strip Zhao of his position as a Naval Commander, but my Father argued that Zhao should learn from his mistakes. My grandfather decided to put Zhao in charge of a hospital in the hopes he might be able to do some good – to teach him compassion. Something about being…dishonorable…."

Katara remembered how horrible that hospital looked. The sick and dying people outside of its walls, it's moldy and unclean exterior, and probably even worse interior. "But that hospital is disgusting!" Katara said, angrily.

"So I learned. If Longshot's friend is in there, he's probably not going to get treated regardless of whether or not he can pay." Zuko said to her. He took her hand in his own. "Katara, I know you promised him but there isn't anything that we can do."

She wasn't convinced. "Let me think of something."

Ursa

Ursa walked into the garden and noticed that under the tree, there were place settings for the 13 girls that were left…barring Jin, of course. The only ones who remained after the elimination two weeks ago were seven Fire Nation girls that included Mai, six Earth Kingdom girls that included Song, Toph, Suki, Diyi and two earth kingdom girls that she sadly couldn't quite remember the names of,

All the Royal Family was there, seated on thick cushions placed behind a long table on short legs. Iroh sat in the middle, with Yun Xi at his right, then Lu Ten with an extra place next to him, perhaps he'd selected someone? Ozai and Tiang were together, but she couldn't help the little flutter of her heart when she saw that they weren't talking to each other, much less kissing like they always were. Azula was on the other end, all the way on the other side, the farthest from the rest of the family. Zuko's seat was next to hers, and Ursa's was next to Zuko on the other side of Iroh.

"Ursa!" Iroh said, laughing at something his wife whispered in his ear. "Come, join us."

Ursa smiled and sat down on the other side of Iroh, from his wife. "What's so funny? She asked.

Iroh smiled, and held Yun Xi's hand, kissing it. "Lu Ten has given us incredible news."

"Oh?" She said, looking at her nephew. Lu Ten seemed excited, drumming his fingers on the table, and casting anxious glances at the entrance to the Concubine's quarters. "Do I get to hear what this news is, or do I have to wait like everyone else?"

"I'm afraid you have to wait, dear sister." Yun Xi said smiling, as though nothing could ruin this moment.

Coming towards the Royal family was a group of maids, each carrying a tray of food. One by one, the bowls and plates were placed in front of the Royal family. There were bowls of noodles, soup, meats, and rice. All steaming hot and smelling absolutely delicious. The servants kept returning back and forth to the kitchen, bringing more plates of food and placing them on the miniature tables for each girl. Following behind the last group of servants was Gu Zhi. She approached them and bowed.

"Your Majesties." She said, rising. "I have tested each dish twice. Every dish is fine."

Yun Xi nodded, satisfied with the results. Gu Zhi bowed again, and then moved off to the side by the tree. A gong rang in the distance, and out of the concubine's quarters in lines of seven were the girls of the Hana Matsuri. Mai and Song led each line, and as the girls filed into their seats, Ursa wondered where Katara was, and furthermore, where was Zuko? Every seat was filled except for Katara's.

"Where's Zuko?" Yun Xi whispered. Ursa shook her head, unsure herself. Yun Xi glowered at the table. "He's going to miss the announcement."

Once everyone was seated, Yun Xi cleared her throat. Out of the corner of her eye, Ursa thought she saw Azula lift her head up in the direction of the Concubine's Quarters, but she kept her attention focused on Yun Xi. "Now—,"

"I'm sorry I'm late!" A voice called from the Concubine's Quarters.

Katara and—Zuko walked up to them! Zuko's head was bowed as everyone turned to face them. What were Katara and Zuko doing together? Embarrassed, Katara found her place in the front row alongside Song and Mai. She sat in the middle of the three of them, and the rest of the girls were behind them. Zuko walked around the table, whispering 'sorry' to everyone.

"What happened to you?" Lu Ten whispered. Ursa raised an eyebrow as Zuko and Katara shared a look. Katara offered her an apologetic smile. Ursa smiled back, although she was still very confused.

"It's a long story. I'll tell you later." Zuko whispered back. Iroh didn't question anything, but just smiled at Katara. So, if Iroh was okay with it, then by default, everyone was okay with it.

Yun Xi cleared her throat. "Ahem…If I may continue," she looked pointedly at Zuko and Katara, who turned red. Ursa couldn't help but eye the pair curiously. Exactly what were they up to together? Zuko couldn't have been…intimate with Katara? No, of course not. Yun Xi looked out at all of the girls, her eyes resting on Song, and then a quick glance to Lu Ten. "My son, Crown Prince Lu Ten, the heir to the Fire Nation throne,has chosen a bride." She enunciated the last three words very clearly.

This was exquisite news to Ursa. She was excited for Lu Ten but was unsure about the repercussions that this could have on the entire royal family as a whole.

The girls' voices buzzed, whispering to each other about who the bride could be, only Katara and Song didn't look surprised. Ursa was confused. How did Katara know who Lu Ten was marrying?

"I have chosen…"he held his breath. The other girls looked at him expectantly, as if to say that Lu Ten would somehow still pick them. "Princess Song, to become the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation."

Lu Ten looked nervous, but he and Song shared a smile. Katara and her other friends were smiling, looking at Song with happiness in their eyes. Even Mai cracked a smile, but that quickly changed into a frown when Azula looked at her. Azula and Tiang were like twins. They both were scowling so much Ursa thought their faces were going to cave in. Azula refused to look at Mai after that initial glare, and Tiang and Ozai were glaring at Song. If looks could kill, Song would be on a funeral pyre.

"And, since she will be one of the family," Yun Xi said, practically quivering with excitement, and if she could, she'd jump for joy, "We will break tradition and invite her to sit next to Lu Ten with the rest of the family."

When Song got up, almost immediately, Katara started to clap for the teenager. Her other friends, Toph and Suki joined in. The clapping continued when Gu Zhi walked up to Song with a red cloak with golden trim, much like Ursa received when she was brought to the palace.

"Welcome to the family, Song." Iroh said jovially, rising from the table and enveloping Song in a large hug. Song gasped in shock, but tentatively returned the hug, closing her eyes and smiling.

Once Song sat down, the red cloak flowing gently in the breeze, Yun Xi spoke again. "Since my son has chosen his bride and is no longer in the Hana Matsuri, the girls not eligible for Zuko will go home tomorrow. We apologize for any inconvenience that we have caused you, and you will be compensated for your time." At this news, 4 girls, all Fire Nation, looked down with tears in their eyes. Ursa felt bad for them, but it was quickly overshadowed by her happiness for Lu Ten and Song. "Also, because of this, I leave Princess Ursa in charge of the remainder of the competition."

Ursa cleared her throat. She looked at her son, then out at the girls that she would have to choose, on her own. "I suppose that can wait until tomorrow, today is a day for celebration, not competition."

Iroh smiled. "Well, now that's all done with, it is time to eat lunch." He picked up his chopsticks and put a piece of meat into his mouth. Everyone waited expectantly as he chewed then swallowed. When nothing happened after that, everyone felt relieved, and the air around them lightened significantly. Iroh looked at everyone quizzically. "What? Did you expect me to faint or something?"

"You can't blame us for being a bit cautious, Iroh." Ursa chuckled lowly and finally bit into her food, everyone else doing the same. Everyone was eating peacefully and in silence, only a few low conversations going on between Lu Ten, Song and Zuko, as well as between Katara and her friends. Song's plates of food were moved to her new seat with the Royal family as Zuko and Lu Ten were chatting to the Earth Kingdom girl as if he'd known her for a long time.

Iroh coughed. "Is there any tea?" His voice was hoarse. Ursa looked around the table and saw that no one had any teacups or teapots laid out in front of them except for the girls in the Hana Matsuri. Iroh coughed again.

Yun Xi clapped her hands. Gu Zhi approached the table. "Go get the Fire Lord some tea!" She ordered irate, banging on the table in her anger. "Honestly, how could you forget his tea?" Yun Xi said, irate.

Gu Zhi's face fell, as did Ursa's. It had quite been a long time since the experienced servant was berated in this manner. "Forgive me, Fire Lady. I thought I called for Yan Li to bring it out but—," Gu Zhi tried to explain, but Yun Xi cut her off.

"Don't make excuses, just go bring the tea!" She demanded, as she rubbed Iroh's back gently.

"Yes ma'am." Gu Zhi backed away, her head bowed off towards the kitchen.

Ursa cleared her throat, Yun Xi looked at her impatiently. "You didn't have to be so harsh to Gu Zhi." Ursa told her. "She's served the royal family for a very long time."

"Iroh is the Fire Lord, Ursa." Yun Xi said straightforwardly. "Whatever Iroh wants, he gets, no matter what."

Ursa just sighed and turned back to her food, pushing the food around on the plate with her chopsticks. She loved Yun Xi like a sister, but she couldn't deny that there were two sides of her. There was the joyful Yun Xi that she had always known, and there was the part of her that was strictly the Fire Lady, where she was always in control, direct, looking out for either the Kingdom's welfare, or Iroh's. Before long, Iroh's maid came back with Gu Zhi right behind her. Yan Li carried a tray with a large teapot and 7 teacups on it. She placed a teacup in front of everyone but Tiang and Azula. The Fire Lady glared at Gu Zhi. Gu Zhi looked at Yan Li again, questioning about the number of teacups.

"Can't you count? There are no teacups for Lady Tiang or Princess Azula!"

"That's quite all right, Your Highness…I've never been much of a tea drinker myself" She said wistfully, producing a small bottle of firewhiskey from her pocket. "I prefer something…stronger."

"As you wish, Tiang." The Fire Lady still looked upset but continued to pat Iroh's back as he coughed.

Yan Li went around the table, pouring the tea. As was customary, everyone waited for Iroh to drink first. Iroh took a sip, and then drank more, finishing the cup. Yan Li poured him a second, and he downed that too. Iroh drank three cups until he was satisfied, clearing his soothed throat. Initially, it looked like he was okay, but then Ursa started noticing weird things. Iroh's pupil's dilated. When he reached for his chopsticks, he would grasp at the air, barely missing them as if his vision was blurred. He began to breathe heavily and beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

"Iroh are you quite alright?" Yun Xi asked.

"What's in this tea?" Iroh asked as he began to cough violently, gasping and shaking. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he began to shake. Ursa moved away from Iroh, giving him space to breathe. He was coughing more violently now, his face turning a bright shade of red. His eyes became red with tears. He was choking! Or something like that at the very least.

Katara stood.

Iroh reached into his pocket and pulled out a handkerchief. He let out one big cough, pressing the cloth to his mouth, the coughing seemed to last for minutes as his eyes grew red and puffy, tears burning and running down his red cheeks from bloodshot eyes. Ursa was about to rip the thing away so he can get some air, but her stopped, gasping sharply, pulling the cloth from his mouth.

His wife screamed.