Author's Note: I can't believe I've gotten so many reviews! I never would have expected this. Thank you all for your continuing support, it's so much easier to write chapters knowing that a few people out there enjoy them. All your reviews are deeply appreciated, thanks for reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender or any of its characters.

This was ridiculous.

The fact that Katara, master water bender, warrior of the war, was sweating and in a slight panic over the confrontation she had been avoiding all morning, was utterly ridiculous.

It was a simple solution, really; turn the knob, confront the boy, and make it known who the boss was in this matter.

So why, did Katara feel her heart beating rapidly against her chest, palms sweaty at her sides?

Just open the door! She scolded herself. You're making this worse than it has to be.

But the knowledge that there was an undoubtedly furious firebender who awaited her arrival on the other side of the door, made this situation just a bit more difficult. He doesn't have his bending, she reminded herself. Katara knew she had the upper hand in this situation. The only thing to do now was put on a poker face, and let him know who the boss was.

Taking a deep, and rather shaky breath, she reached forward and turned the knob.

In their first encounter alone, Katara had expected the worst: screaming, grabbing, and other components of a tantrum from the spoiled prince. So she was more than a little surprised when she was met with the sight of him sitting on the sofa, quietly gazing at the dormant fireplace. Zuko did not look over at her arrival; the only sign he gave that he knew she was there was a slight turn of his head in her direction.

Don't let him throw you off guard, Katara instructed herself. Clearing her throat quietly, she stepped further into the room and planted her feet firmly on the floor.

"It is customary to acknowledge your master when they arrive in the room," Katara spoke with authority. She celebrated inwardly that her voice sounded firm, and hadn't broken as she'd expected. Her heart pounded a quick tempo in her chest.

She noticed his jaw jump as he clenched his teeth. Only now did she realize the clothes he wore, the blue and gray fabric so different from the usual reds and golds. It looked strange on him, she decided briefly.

Katara's throat tightened when the boy in front of her slowly rose to his feet. He turned to face her, gold eyes glittering.

All at once, things Katara had tried to ignore became blatantly obvious. Zuko was at least a good head taller than her, and the difference in height caused him to peer down at her. His broad chest slowly rose and fell underneath the dark blue robe with each breath he took. His sculpted face was set in a grim stare, and he blocked a bit of the light shining in through the window behind him.

Straightening her back to reach her full height, Katara leveled her face and narrowed her eyes as he took slow steps toward her. She would not be intimidated by him. She was in charge here, not him.

Katara opted to ignore the fact that he was looking down at her.

A tense atmosphere filled the room; neither bender trusted the other. The hatred that sparked between the two was nearly tangible. Zuko stopped a mere few feet in front of her.

Katara stared as he bowed slightly, a gesture that represented respect. His eyes said otherwise; the golden orbs remained locked on her face as his head dipper lower, watching her from beneath scar tissue and a thin, dark eyebrow. There was something mean, something…dangerous lurking in their depths.

Katara wasn't fooled by this display of humility. She knew Zuko was anything but humble.

The pair locked eyes as he stood, and memories flashed between them – the battles, the insults spat through clenched teeth, and that damned tree…Katara could still feel his hot breath on her neck as he whispered false securities into her ear. 'I'll save you from the pirates…' his words resonated through her memories.

"I'm going to tell you something right now," Katara spoke quietly. Her arms lowered to her sides, and her fists clenched. "You make one move to harm me, or my family, or anyone in this palace," she muttered, "and I will not hesitate to end your life." Her eyebrows furrowed as her voice shook slightly on the last word.

Zuko stared, his eyes calculating and his mouth set in a firm line.

"You may have been a prince before," she poured all the pent-up anger that had collected over the years into her words, "but you will never amount to anything more than a spoiled, filthy, brat."

Golden eyes narrowed, and Katara would later swear she could see tongues of fire licking at his irises.

"You do as I say, and we won't have any problems. Do you understand?" she nearly spat at him.

Pale fists slowly clenched at Zuko's sides. The expression on his face was one of pure loathing; for her, her words, and everything she resembled. His teeth remained gritted together, and all but one strained word escaped from his lips. "Yes."

Katara had been expecting an insult spat right back at her, but this strange act of cooperation sent her suspicions skyrocketing. Not that she would let him know. She lifted her chin and muttered, "Good. Get to work."

With that, she turned on her heel, and swept out of the room, leaving the firebender to seethe in silence behind her.

Her heart was pounding, and she was fairly certain a bead of sweat was running down the side of her face. She rushed down the hallway toward the council room, where she was required to host a meeting in ten minutes.

As Katara turned a corner, she nearly collided with Hakoda, who looked at his daughter with concern.

"Katara, what's wrong? Why are you in such a rush?" Hakoda inquired, his dark eyebrows furrowing as he examined her face. "You look pale."

"Everything's fine, Dad," Katara assured him. She forced a small smile. "I have to go to the council room."

Before he could ask more questions, she turned and scurried off down the hallway, her blue robe fluttering behind her.

This would take some getting used to. There was no doubt in her mind about that. The very sight of that wretched boy made Katara want to punch a wall, or more precisely, his face. If every confrontation with him would result in sweaty palms and resurfaced anger, Katara couldn't take much more of it.

"Bastard," Katara muttered to herself through clenched teeth. Why did his eyes have to be so intense? They seemed to stare into her very soul, unwinding her from inside out. She felt exposed when he stared. As if he could see all her fears laid out before him, waiting to be snatched up by his filthy fire nation fingers and toyed with.

And why does he have to be so god damn tall?! Katara thought bitterly. It was infuriating, having to look up at him while she felt so very, very small. What difference a foot of height could make.

She felt a small spark of victory, though. During the horrible moments spent staring up at him, she had not backed down. Katara had stood her ground. Maybe I can do this, she thought hopefully.

After all, if he was living here now, there would be a lot of time to get used to this order-Zuko-around business. Perhaps she would even start to enjoy herself.

As she approached the council room, Katara felt the earlier anger and irritation fade, replaced by a more positive feeling. Zuko wasn't the high and mighty one anymore. Katara smiled slightly. Now, it's my turn.

:: Review Responding ::

mrpuppy: At this point in his life, Zuko needs an outlet for his frustrations. And that just so happens to be Katara. After all, who better to take out his anger on than the very girl who's ordering him around? I'm glad you like the story, thanks for your review! :)

Lady Rini: Glad I could clear up your questions! If Zuko was Sokka's servant, he would have to wash his dirty socks…yuck! Thanks for your review!

RumorHasIt: Mmm…sounds delicious! XD Thank you for your continued support! :)