Chapter Two: The Slave Girl Has a Name
Katara is dragged down the hallways of the palace by Ozai, his strong hands gripped tightly around her small wrists. She does not resist, although she has to admit she is terrified of what might happen next as he shows no mercy or awareness of her pain.
She cannot believe she revealed herself as a waterbender. They are supposed to be extinct. They have been killed on sight for decades. Therefore, wherever she is being taken cannot be good.
The palace is both beautiful and deadly looking. Everything seems to be a weapon, or a trophy of war, and the walls are coated with thick dust. Katara glances around frantically, looking for escape like some kind of idiot. She strongly doubts that even someone as stubborn and determined as her can escape the Fire Nation Royal Palace.
Particularly in the middle of a gigantic party.
At last, they reach a bedroom, and Katara's eyebrows nearly touch her forehead. No, no, no...
But then she realizes that there is a young woman about Katara's age in the bed, damp with sweat and mostly asleep. Katara stares, swallowing a lump in her throat. That must be Princess Azula, and she certainly, certainly does not look like the vibrant ideal citizen she is in the propaganda posters.
She looks like a corpse.
Ozai turns to Katara and she finds her cobalt eyes glued to his golden gaze.
"My daughter is dying, and you are going to heal her if you want to live. The minute her heart stops, yours does too," growls Fire Lord Ozai as he at last releases a panicked Katara's throbbing wrists.
Katara looks around, agape, breathing in slowly and hesitantly.
"I'm not," she begins, her eyes flickering to the Fire Lord. "I'm not trained in healing. I don't know how much I can do without scrolls or instruction or..."
"Do something. Do something or I'll have you executed for being a waterbender," Ozai growls and Katara's eyes flash. She does know how to ease pain and help with bruises and small cuts. Maybe that will do her some good, she hopes.
Katara scuttles over to Azula's bed, where the princess is half conscious. Her lips are dry and chapped, and Katara instantly sees small, purple and red bruises on her pale, almost translucent skin. With a small swallow, Katara finds water on the bedside table and takes it into her fingers. She sees guards, who have just arrived in the room panting for breath, tense their weapons as their eyes are fixated on the waterbender.
"Where do you hurt most?" Katara whispers to the princess, running her tongue over her own lips and trying to control her breathing. Azula's is so... belabored. It is almost frightening how unlike the image of herself in public she is up close.
Azula squints at her for a moment, baffled by the cobalt eyes over her, puncturing the distorted shadows that were lulling the princess into numb slumber. She shakes her head for a moment and Katara's face flushes against her strange, dark skin in a shade Azula has never seen. And Katara glances up at the Fire Lord, who looks as if he is growing impatient.
"My shoulder," Azula says slowly, as soon as she notices the water hovering on the young woman's fingertips. Of course Azula had heard about the strong healing capabilities of waterbenders. She had read her fair share of outdated military textbooks and history scrolls.
Katara nods and Azula gently rolls down her sleeve, revealing more pale, bruised skin. And Katara sniffs in before touching the water to her and hoping and praying that it will work. The water glows, illuminating the room for a brief second, and making Azula's golden eyes flash. And then it settles as a small moan of relief escapes the princess's lips.
"Did it do anything?" Ozai demands, staring at them both. Katara contemplates using the water as a weapon before realizing that she and a few ounces of water against the entirety of Caldera probably was not a fight she could win.
"Yes," Azula replies, still gazing at Katara. "I want her heal the rest of me."
Katara could not be more thankful for that comment. And Hama said that healing was utterly useless.
"Let me see if she made any progress," Ozai remarks loudly before walking to her and examining the skin where Katara had held the water. The bruises had completely faded, but Katara knew her illness likely was not influenced or even slowed. Just relief of symptoms. "Good. Watch her with my daughter; I am going to get papers arranged with Minister Zan."
Katara takes a deep breath, looks at the multitude of armed soldiers guarding the door, and shifts the water to wherever Azula haughtily points with her slender, trembling fingers.
xXx
Katara sits silently through the documents being filled out. Everyone in the room is tense because it is the Fire Lord himself signing them. He does have a vast number of slaves, which are taken care of through middle-men he never meets. But this girl is much more important, and he is doing everything in his power to ensure her success with Azula.
All Katara wishes is that she could understand what he was signing. Diving blindly into real slavery ─ not what she had with Hama ─ is completely and utterly horrifying. But then she remembers the first thought she had when the Fire Lord took her to a bedroom, and she realizes it could be worse.
At least she will receive more practice and training with her waterbending. Despite the fact that the stakes of this arrangement make her stomach squirm within her and try to escape through her throat.
Finally, everything is taken care of, Katara is bought and sold, and she is shown through the inner chambers of the palace. The entire place is beautiful, but it seems slightly detached from reality, and eerie in many ways.
Katara looks around, drinking in her surroundings, wondering how long she can manage to survive here. Wondering if she can escape, and knowing that she certainly cannot.
She feels a shiver within her as she is led into a small room, in which the three princesses are lounging. That makes Katara's throat constrict in sudden fright.
"You're theirs now," remarks the stolid man who has been showing Katara around and muttering halfhearted descriptions of the locations, and telling her where she can and cannot go. It is mostly cannot. "Go inside and let them show you the rest. Learn best by doing, I say."
Katara glances at him for a moment, says nothing, and walks into the small living room. It looks somewhat cozier than the rest of the foreboding palace, but Katara does not think she is going to be getting too comfortable.
"Who's she? Ooohhhh, is that the waterbender?" Ty Lee asks, staring at Katara as if she is some kind of strange zoo animal. Katara might as well be, in Caldera, she supposes.
"Yes," Azula replies airily, eyeing with Katara with an awful lot of disdain for someone who alleviated so much of her suffering. But Katara is smart enough to grit her teeth and remain silent. Hama always told her she was too proud for her own good, but Katara happens to value her life more than her pride, right now.
"She's cute," Ty Lee remarks, as if speaking about a poodle-monkey. "I saw what she did at the party. It was freaky. I thought I was as likely to see a waterbender as an airbender..."
Katara scratches at her head and suppresses more words than she thought she could manage. They're not as terrible as they could be... they've just never seen anybody like you before... Katara reminds herself, although the anger still simmers within her.
First, Katara's cobalt eyes rest on Mai. She, strangely, seems the most approachable of the trio. Well, not approachable, with a face that looks like an intimidating statue. But she seems the least hungry for prey, and is watching Katara as casually as she would watch anyone.
Ty Lee looks excited, and in a way that unnerves Katara. A somewhat sadistic way, but masked by a cute little smile.
And Azula has her head on Ty Lee's lap, her molten gaze trying to overcompensate for how weak she is right now. She just finished training and she pushed herself too hard today. The waterbender did have an influence; Azula had far less pain for long afterwards. But it did not stop the symptoms from returning with a vengeance.
"Are you feeling any better?" Katara asks Azula, in her absolute kindest tone ─ something Katara is not the best at.
Azula blinks once, as if so startled by a question that any healer would ask, Fire Nation, Water Tribe or anyone else.
"Speak to me when spoken to, waterbender," Princess Azula purrs coldly and Katara notices a quite distinct difference from the half-conscious sick girl in her bed.
And that, is the last straw. "Katara."
"Excuse me?" Azula's eyelashes flutter and her dry, cracked lips purse.
"I have a name. Katara," growls the slave.
"Not anymore," is the last Azula says on the matter, and Katara clenches her fist and fights everything in her that wants to argue.
"Fine," Katara replies and Azula looks even more indignant.
"Kneel," is the princess's order, and Katara looks at her in confusion. "Kneel. Do you not know what that word means?"
Katara sucks in her cheeks. "What are you going to do if I don't?"
Ty Lee genuinely looks nervous at this point, and Katara thinks she can see a tiny smirk on Mai's face, but perhaps it is just the shadow and light from the window.
"I can make your life very, very difficult."
"I can do the same," Katara states and Azula's smug expression fades instantly. Katara's heart leaps in her chest as she realizes she has most certainly pushed a dangerous woman too far, but she stands her ground. Even if she loses, she will retain respect and dignity. Even as a slave.
"Mai, give the waterbender that glass over there," Azula says slowly and Katara narrows her eyes.
Mai strokes her chin for a moment, unsure if that is a good idea, seeing as none of them are trained in fighting waterbenders. But she reaches to her side and hands the glass to Katara. Azula stands up and Ty Lee's hand twitches to pull her back down, but she changes her mind.
"Make my life difficult, slave girl," Azula orders, stepping towards her. "There's your element. No chains. No rules... no guards watching..."
Katara swallows, wondering what the catch is, before Azula clenches her fists and Katara's eyes rest on bright blue fire. Quickly, Katara grabs the water in her hands and lashes out with it at Azula, who blocks it with surprising strength despite her illness.
The fight rages, burns on, as Katara thinks she might be outmatched, but Azula is tired. Katara makes shards of ice as Azula stumbles on her foot and winces, and suddenly Katara feels a sharp jab in her shoulder and she hits the floor, water pooling out under her face.
She cannot bend. She cannot move. Her heart palpitates with panic.
Ty Lee helps Azula to her feet and moves to kiss her neck before Azula brushes her away.
"I think I like this better than kneeling," is Azula's only remark as she looks down at Katara.
xXx
The first night is the hardest for Katara. She lies alone in a bed that is surprisingly nice, but still meant to look like a prison cell. Azula had her taken away after the outburst, and Katara wound up being locked alone in this room.
She walks to the bathroom quietly, finding the one across from the princesses' room. Being in the inner chambers feels strangely, and immensely lonely. The other slaves and servants have all retired to other parts of the palace, but Ozai wants her on demand in case Azula needs her healing.
He is despicable, in Katara's eyes, but right now she understands his motivation. He is a man desperate to protect his child. While Azula is just cruel and malicious.
Katara walks into the bathroom, and then sinks into the shadows, being overcome with tears at the sudden realization of what has happened to her.
She tries to stifle her sobbing, hoping no one will here. They cannot see her weakness.
Katara has her knees touching her chin in the corner of her room, trying to contain her tears but finding herself incapable. She presses her lips to her skin, trying to muffle the sobs that keep washing over her. This is not how it was supposed to be. It is not.
And then she hears footsteps and looks up quickly, wondering what she can do, and how she can defend herself. But it's the sullen, pale one whose amber eyes make Katara nervous. Mai walks in, gnawing on her lip, and sits down in front of Katara.
"I want to help you," Mai says, barely breathing as she examines Katara. The waterbender tries not to be intimidated, tries to be strong like she always has been. But strength at this point is difficult. It is so hard.
"Why?" Katara chokes, trying to stifle her tears, but they flow anyway.
"Because I know my way around here. And if you can save Azula, I'm willing to do whatever it takes to keep you alive. You're not doing a very good job of it so far," Mai explains dryly and Katara just squints at her. Mai remains completely silent and careless as Katara tries to rub away the salty dampness stinging her skin.
"What do I have to do?" Katara inquires and Mai examines her yet again. The waterbender does not appreciate the gaze picking her apart, peeling her like an orange, but she does think she needs at least one ally in this palace.
"I'll show you the ropes. Okay? I mean, I've been in this place for a really long time, not that I know you enough to tell you my life story, but I've figured out the politics well enough," Mai says with a shrug. "I think step one is not picking fights with Azula. That was stupid as fuck."
"Right..." Katara murmurs.
And she sinks into herself with a sigh.
xXx
Ty Lee combs the princess's hair very cautiously in the steamy bathroom. Azula leans against the flawless porcelain tub, her eyes slightly closed. It does make Ty Lee worry, upon occasion, if she is dying or hurt, but she is Azula, even if she is sick.
Even if it is so difficult to look at her slowly fading body, watching her gradually disappear. But above the surface of the rose hued water rise her beautiful, round, ivory breasts.
"Your bruises are almost all gone," Ty Lee breathes, having heard the story about the waterbending girl who was now being held in the dungeon of the palace. "It's pretty amazing."
"You don't sound thrilled," Azula responds, although she does not care much. She still feels weak, and she still spent her entire morning hurling. Just because her pain was gone for a few hours, and her skin is less mottled, does not mean a waterbender is worth anything.
"I'm happy. Maybe she really can heal you," Ty Lee says warmly, and Azula is silent.
"Ouch," Azula mutters, as Ty Lee pulls too hard and the acrobat apologizes softly. "I'm done with this."
The princess gets up and Ty Lee's expression flickers with brief panic that makes Azula want to burn her pretty face off. But the princess grits her teeth and steps out of the bath, Ty Lee grabbing her before Azula can protest.
Ty Lee guides her into their bedroom, towards the bed in the center, which has been freshly made during their absence.
And Azula is on it and Ty Lee realizes what she is doing.
Azula lies back, quite gently, gasping, her back arched. And Ty Lee vaults onto the bed, her knees scraping against and crumpling the soft red silk. She takes her wife by the inside of her knees and pulls her forward, their hips colliding.
Ty Lee moans in pleasure at that, but Azula's breath catches. Not in a good way, and Ty Lee suddenly feels very dizzy. Azula lies quite still as Ty Lee gently eases away from her, noticing the bruises already shading her ivory skin.
"I'm sorry," Ty Lee says quietly, averting her eyes.
"It's nothing. Let's keep going," Azula sits up and kisses Ty Lee on the lips, biting down, biting into her and trying to make her bleed. But then she feels dizzy, the bruises on her legs already feel sore. And Ty Lee may be incredibly strong for her slender form, but Azula always thought she was stronger.
She is getting worse. Azula is getting worse, she knows she is getting worse, and she is terrified of anyone finding out that she is getting worse.
"Lie down," Ty Lee murmurs in a tone that Azula cannot help but find seductive. "I want to do you."
"You're cute when you lie," Azula remarks, half-chiding, half-pleased.
Ty Lee just cocks an eyebrow and reaches over Azula to adjust the pillows behind her. Azula holds out one arm regally, her lips slightly parted. She wants to pretend she is in control instead of the illness consuming her, and Ty Lee and Mai both utterly respect and understand that.
And Ty Lee lifts Azula against the pillows, propping her up. Ty Lee sits up slightly, her knees between Azula's crooked, bent out legs, and removes her clothes, letting them fall to the floor. She is quite stunning naked. Much more than the bones that Azula feels reduced to.
They exchange a few heated kisses as Ty Lee's body presses against her wife's. And Ty Lee's lips slide down as Azula watches her with only her golden eyes. Azula inhales sharply, a partial moan accompanying the jolt. Her hand cups her own bare breast briefly, as Ty Lee's hand presses gently against Azula's hip, her tongue within.
Azula clings to the sheets, as if she could not control herself. As if she had the energy to scream fire or anything else that she once could, not long ago. She straddles her shoulders longingly, obsessively.
Ty Lee continues, continues making her feel almost alive. Azula tangles her fingers in her wife's hair, but does not pull, because she is not that much of a monster.
When it is over, Azula exhales slowly, pulling Ty Lee to her with the strength she somehow manages to retain. Their lips brush together, and Ty Lee moves to grind on her, moves for more, and Azula just lies down, averting her eyes, not wanting to admit how spent she feels.
"I love you so much," Ty Lee whispers and Azula does not know if she should answer or not.
Love was always difficult for the princess, but after she learned she was going to die, she had no desire to keep any attachments to this world. It would only making moving on to the next easier.
"I know," Azula replies softly and Ty Lee tries not to be offended.
xXx
Azula and Ty Lee have been in bed for some time when Mai finally walks in. Ty Lee clenches her jaw once she is aware that Mai was with Katara, helping her. And Ty Lee... Ty Lee would trade her soul, her everything to heal Azula somehow. But she does not like how much better Azula felt after just one session.
Perhaps Ty Lee just wants to feel useful, like her knowledge of chi-flow did before. And then Mai; at least Azula was relying on Katara for some form of relief for her chronic pain. Mai is just being a traitor.
Ty Lee rubs her lips together and further buries her face into Azula's shoulder. Because Azula is hers, and although she was bound to both Mai and Azula, and although she loves them both so much, Azula is slipping away and Ty Lee does not want to think about what will happen then.
Mai slides beneath the sheets and begins to touch Azula, just gently, as if testing to see how much the healing session worked. Azula's tongue flicks across her lips and she turns from Ty Lee to study Mai closely.
"Kiss me," Azula demands quietly as Mai toys with her fingers.
"Don't tell me what to do," Mai replies and Azula forcefully kisses her. Ty Lee inhales a sharp breath of panic, but Azula does seem fine... perhaps the waterbender pipe dream actually has some merit.
And so Azula kisses her, fiercely and passionately. Hands touch her back as Mai's fingers rest on the inside of Azula's thighs.
Solace in sex.
xXx
The next morning, Katara paces, rubbing her face as she tries to prepare herself for her first healing session with Azula. This is the Princess of the Fire Nation, and Katara is expected to be her sole hope for survival into adulthood. Not to mention that Katara's life is now officially bound to Azula's forever.
She just hopes Azula is more pleasant than she has been. Perhaps she just was in pain; Hama always lashed out when her bones were giving her trouble yet again. Maybe Azula is not as deplorable as her ascendants.
But of course, Katara is wrong about that.
She enters Azula's room, watched by numerous people, and prepares to attempt to heal Azula once more.