Katara came to slowly, head pounding and vision spotty. She groaned, trying to reach a hand up to her aching head, only to find her arms bound. She paused, feeling out her situation. Something hard against her back, she waa tied to it with rough rope. Her heart began to pound. What is going on?

"Ohhh, she's awake!" An excited male voice made Katara's head turn sharply.

"What..." She croaked, throat so dry she began to hack.

"Shut up, girl." The voice snarled. A man stepped in front of her, towering but shadowed in the dim light. "You better hope the King throws in the ransom."

"Ransom?!" She croaked. "You kidnapped me?

"Who better than a woman he holds a fondness for?" The man chortled.

"Who are you?!" Katara cried, straining against her binds.

"You don't need to know. You just better hope, or we're disposing of you, girl." She saw a flash of teeth as the man smiled, more akin to a sneer.

Oh Gods, she was in trouble.

"I haven't even seen Zuko in years!" Katara protested, voice a bit stronger.

"But your little play fight the other night told us all we need to know." The man had a dark, rich voice and it gave Katara chills. "The King and some peasant from a Water Tribe? Scandalous! Kidnapped? More scandalous! Either the King shows and dies, or he gives us the money and we might let you go."

"Might?"

"You're pretty and feisty. Fun to... break." He leered. Katara felt panic rising like bile in her throat, sweat beading on her forehead. He would come... right? "Getting scared?" The man taunted. Katara stared towards him, cerulean eyes narrow, but she remained tight lipped.

He slapped her. Hard. Her head rocked backwards, smacking into the beam she was tied to, stars lighting up her vision. Katara spat on him defiantly.

He growled, an enraged and inhuman sound, before striking her face again. His fist connected with her eye and Katara cried out involuntarily.

"Oh girly, we are gonna break you." He snarled. Katara sneered back, desperately holding on to her defiance despite her pounding heart and building fear.

"No the fuck you are not." The voice came from behind the man, familiar and rough. "You will let her go or by the gods I will kill you." Katara couldn't see him, but she knew his voice- Zuko.

"Try me." The man shot back, crouching inti a fighting gesture.