A/N: fun prank idea: don't actually prank me. Keep leaving me nice reviews because I appreciate them and they motivate me to keep going. (p.s i had so many ideas for what this chapter could be about that i literally overwhelmed myself can you believe that r.i.p me)
Katara thinks, just moments after stepping onto the ship, that she may have forced herself somewhere she doesn't belong. It's a slow building feeling; when Zuko shows her to her chamber and bids her goodnight, she feels suffocated by the metal walls and red insignias, and the only thing that can bring her to sleep is the faint sound of crashing waves. When they reach their destination the next morning, she feels out of place, with her dark skin and blue eyes and thick wavy hair in a sea of pale skin and golden irises. She hears the whispers of the maids when she trails behind Mai and Zuko through the courtyard; she feels the reluctance of the palace staff to greet her upon Zuko's request. Still, she doesn't show her discomfort. She holds her head high and walks as tall as she can. She's here for Zuko and only for Zuko. All she can do is be civil.
The first few days are the hardest by far, with no one really knowing how Katara is supposed to fit into the palace. Some of the maids mistake her as some sort of prisoner of war, to be trained to cater to Fire Lord Zuko and other Fire Nation royalty as any other captive would―which nearly leads to an all out brawl when Katara (rightfully) takes it offensively and chews out every person in the room. Luckily, Zuko overhears the commotion and manages to coax her away from the situation to keep it from escalating further, but he doesn't have the power to mend the strained relationship between his friend and his caretakers. Regardless, no one makes the mistake of referring to her as anything less than Zuko's equal from then onward. In fact, most of the staff doesn't refer to her at all.
It's subtle, the way they talk to her through Zuko only; 'is your guest comfortable, Fire Lord Zuko?', 'has your companion stated that she's interested in learning about our customs or etiquette?' He looks at her apologetically when this happens, and she knows it's not his fault at all. They're up against a hundred years of war. They have a century worth of bigotry to unteach. She can't expect the shunning to end in a matter of days.
It's just all too similar to the way Mai acts towards her that Katara can't help but take it to heart.
Katara tries to be friendly. She smiles at the older girl, who has also taken up residence in the palace. Katara doesn't know much about the customs of the Fire Nation, but she's certain that if it's improper for a woman of nobility to move into her boyfriend's home before marriage, her own presence as a Water Tribe peasant clearly overshadows it. For the most part, Katara is prepared for the gossip and the ostracizing, but she hadn't expected to receive it in such a high volume, and she really hadn't planned on receiving it from Mai.
But... It's not entirely hostile. Occasionally Mai says good morning (or afternoon, or evening) though she never says Katara's name, and from time to time she'll ask how the younger girl is. (Are you hungry? Do you need anything? Is your room okay?) Katara is positive Zuko tells Mai to do this, but Katara accepts it anyway. Besides Zuko and Iroh, who checks in with her frequently for a cup of tea or a game of Pai Sho, this is the closest thing Katara has to friendship right now, even if it's obvious that Mai is uninterested by anything Katara says or does.
She can't expect the shunning to end in a matter of days.
.
.
.
"Maybe you can't heal everything," Mai says flatly. Her gold eyes are dull and bored, nothing like Zuko's which are bright and shining and full of passion, and Katara isn't sure what to say. They're at dinner when this takes place, the three of them, Zuko, Mai, and Katara, when the former of the women makes that statement. Zuko and Mai are side by side at one corner while Katara is seated at the other end. The palace staff still whisper around her but they've gotten much better at hiding their feelings. Instead of muttered whispers asking "what on Earth was Fire Lord Zuko thinking bringing a Water Tribe peasant to the palace?", their words are a lot more flowery and backhanded. "Perhaps she'll start learning etiquette soon and lose her barbaric mannerisms", "she's not that unprepossessing when you think about it; she really could be such a lovely girl."
Katara hoped to escape these catty words at dinner. For the nth time in her life, Katara's hope goes to waste.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Katara asks, gripping her cup a little too tightly. She drinks more than she eats now that she's in the Fire Nation. She's not too fond of the taste of anything that the cooks prepare. Nothing served here is familiar, but she doesn't want to hurt Zuko's feelings, even if he can see the food she's constantly leaving untouched or feeding to turtleducks rather than eating herself.
Of course though, she knows what Mai's talking about. Zuko's been alright, as far as things go, but his constant spasming, while dying down quite a bit, is still present, so much so that Katara was worried he'd be like that for the rest of his life. She also knows other people have suffered unfortunate fates trying to protect her. Zuko now has a scar branded on his chest and slight loss of motor control as a result of fighting for her, and for that, Katara is as grateful as she is guilty. Still, she doesn't need anyone's scrutiny about her abilities, especially not Mai's.
"It means exactly what I said," Mai states again. She's not facing Katara, not at all; Mai's body is turned towards Zuko, her head, her eyes, her shoulders, as if she's speaking solely to him. He looks back at her, but spares Katara a glance.
"She doesn't mean anything by it," Zuko tells Katara. "I'm thankful for everything you're doing." He stops to give Mai a pointed look. "We both are."
"Don't baby her, Zuko," Mai says. "She's healing your wound; that's all fine and dandy. But I think she's wasting her energy trying to fix you completely. She can't heal everything."
Katara contemplates arguing back (though it's hard to label Mai's remarks as arguing. Her tone is so deadpan and flat that realistically she's probably just stating an otherwise neutral opinion with no real intention to start a discussion). Like clockwork, Zuko's muscles begin to spasm, seizing and tightening against his will while he grits his teeth and he waits for the episode to pass like all the others do. Mai, having never turned away from him, puts a hand on his chest, her pale fingers splayed on his red silk robes, stroking him tenderly, and muttering quiet, soothing nothings to calm his mind until he regains control of his body.
Katara sits by and watches, unable to heal.
.
.
.
Katara finds herself in Zuko's quarters often, more often than any young, unmarried woman should be entering the room of a man, just for the sake of checking on him periodically. To be fair, she hasn't got anyone else to go to. Iroh is there, but he's still much, much older, and while she appreciates the company he provides, she still craves interaction from someone her age. She sees potential with Mai—possibly—but until any progress is made on that front, all she has is Zuko.
Sometimes, Zuko laughs when she comes, curt and quiet, as not to agitate the wound on his chest. It's their thing now, but more importantly, they have a thing, something secret between them, and the thought is so precious that Katara wants to do anything to protect the time she and Zuko have together.
"Again?" he'll ask, as she trudges into his room with a pail, splashing water all across the floor behind her. Mai isn't in his chamber often, as not to sully her own name by inviting herself to the Fire Lord's room and appearing as a mistress, rather than his girlfriend. Katara has no such reservations. She'll knock to make her presence know and barge right in, grinning and giggling as she does so. It almost feels like she's a child again, getting excited to find her best friend so they can play; she plays the doctor and he plays the patient and they talk and snicker until reality reminds them of their responsibilities outside of the room.
Most of the time when Katara comes, Zuko rolls his eyes to hide his smile. He'll asks if it's time for her to check on him yet again, and when she nods enthusiastically, he'll laugh until it's physically painful to do so. He's no medic, nor is he a master healer like she is, but even he knows it's unnecessary for her to be changing his bandages as often as she does. It's more psychological really, just something to comfort her, for her to have a reason to make sure he's okay, and for him as well. There's something soothing about seeing her waddle into his room unannounced at all hours, determined and optimistic, even if the coolness of her touch when she presses her hand into his chest stings a little.
"You know, if you want to check on me, you can just do so," Zuko says before she leaves. "You don't have to prove that you're in here healing me all day."
"And give your court even more of a reason to bad mouth me?" Katara asks. "Absolutely not, Fire Lord Zuko." She says the title with a bit of irony, because they both know she'll submit to no man. Still, her teasing is harmless. It's a fresh, warm feeling to Zuko, unlike the teasing he's received from Azula over the years that always left him flustered and hurt, or the teasing Mai attempts that far too often leaves him feeling confused and a little insecure. He feels no ill intent, no maliciousness at Katara's joking, and he is infinitely more grateful for her than his smile can explain.