Children must be taught how to think, not what to think.
~Margaret Mead
The boy swished and slashed at the air. He sometimes would perform a flip on the big tree that sat in the gardens. It was somewhat like his mother's garden in the Fire Nation, except there was no little pond filled with turtle ducks to feed. Instead, a small marble bridge from the earth Kingdom palace led you into the gardens and underneath it, a small stream which led to a lake called Laogai. Azula had lied to him telling him that the palace had some turtle ducks in their garden. He had believed her and snuck some bread into his pocket in hopes of finding some to feed after dinner with his mother.
"Azula always lies"
He mumbled with annoyance he then decided to test out the new knife his cousin Luten had given him instead.
The young prince braced for an attack from his imaginary opponent and quickly delivered his own blow while falling on the plush grass.
He laid there for a while until he heard quiet sobs coming from behind him. He quickly pushed himself up and took a fire bending stance. Zuko followed where the sad tears were emitting from and stopped in front of the tree.
He continued to be in his attacking position and called out.
"Who's there?"
Katara froze in fear and hoped whoever it was would go away.
"Come out or I will burn you to crisp!"
Her heart began to race, what if he captured and locked her in a Fire Nation prison? Mustering up some courage, she slowly got up from her crouched position and came into the young prince's view.
Zuko stared at the stranger in confusion. He wasn't expecting to see someone as young as him and dressed so poorly.
Katara stared at the boy with the ponytail and was a little bit relieved that he wasn't a soldier but she was still afraid.
"Who are you?"
Before she spoke her stomach rumbled out in response. Katara's cheeks began to grow hot. Out of all times, her stomach decided to remind her that she had not eaten since her time on the ship.
"You came to steal food, didn't you peasant?"
"What? No!"
Igniting his fist he shot at the girl.
"Don't lie!"
Katara froze at the fire, old memories flooding back. Before she could wrap her head around what she was remembering, the boy's fire knocked her backward and she landed hard on her back.
Panic began setting in on both children as Katara tried to breathe. Only shallow gasps erupted and tears began to sting her eyes.
The boy ran to her uncertain, he had only tried to scare her a little not burn her.
"Are you ok?"
The moment he touched her, she screamed, shoving the prince aside.
"Get away from me!"
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to hurt you"
"Get away!"
The peasant girl tried to crawl away but Zuko tackled the peasant to the ground and used his free hand to cover her lips, just like Luten had taught him.
"Stop screaming, there might be guards hiding around here who can lock you up."
Being in a palace all his life, the prince was used to the fact that people were constantly watching, whether openly or secretly. He had noticed the funny looking earth kingdom soldiers on his way here, but there was no guard in sight so far in the garden.
Katara stopped her squirming and the prince immediately released her. They both sat on the grass, Katara wiped her face off, while Zuko fished inside his pocket for the bread he had kept in there earlier.
"Here"
Katara looked at the boy with unease.
She took bread and slowly bit into it. Realizing how hungry she felt, she took more rapid bites into the bun. The boy watched her as she ate, unsure of what to say.
"How did you get into the palace?"
Katara blinked and responded with her mouth still stuffed with bread.
"I'm in a palace?"
Zuko tried to hide his disgust of how the girl was eating and looked away, she then swallowed and proceeded to ask.
Katara replied "I don't know"
The young prince stared at the girl and couldn't stop looking at her big round blue eyes that stood out in the night. It struck him as odd since he never knew anyone with such distinct features.
"You don't know what?"
"I don't know how I got into the palace"
"Right"
The boy stood up, brushing off his pants and resumed using his knife.
"Why don't you believe me?"
"Because you are a peasant. And peasants only know how to steal, cheat and lie. That's why father says that they are a burden to the world."
His words hurt Katara, but Zuko took no notice and continued to play fight with his knife. The tears began to form in her eyes, but she quickly wiped them. No way was she going to cry in front of this boy.
"I'm not a peasant"
The boy stopped and quirked his brow at her.
"Yes, you are."
"No, I'm not"
"Yes, you are"
Silence settled between the two children and the only noise was the sounds of leaves rustling in the wind. He stood up and resumed swinging his knife in different directions. Katara noticed it had an inscription engraved on both sides that she couldn't read.
"What does it say on your knife?"
Zuko pause holding up his knife at looked at the inscription.
"Made in the Earth Kingdom"
"What about the other side?"
Zuko began getting annoyed by her question but proceeded to answer.
"Never give up without a fight" He met her gaze as he spoke.
"I got it from my cousin, he always tells me to keep fighting, no matter what anyone tells you."
This made Katara smile a little bit.
"You cousin must be really nice"
"He is, he's going to become Firelord someday."
"Firelord? You are a Prince?!" she gasped
"Yes, Prince of the FireNation"
She stood up to meet his height, but he was a little bit taller.
"Firelord's aren't nice" Zuko stared at her, he wasn't expecting the girl to say that.
"What makes you say that?"
"Because they are always burning stuff down" She took a minute to think and her thoughts formed on her lips.
"Like my home"
This young prince suddenly found himself becoming defensive.
"Well, maybe that's because your home was filled with peasants"
Katara frowned at the prince and gave him an angry shove, this caused him to stumble back.
"Hey! What was that for?"
"I told you I'm not a peasant!"
"Well if you're not a peasant, why are your clothes filthy?"
She looked down at her clothes and gave no response, she didn't think it was filthy. It was the same one the captain had given her on the ship. It was a boring brown robe that stopped on her knees and was tied back with a sash around her waist. The pants were a bit baggy a darker brown as well and her single braid was a mess. She looked at the prince and realized she did not compare to his fierce-looking gold and red outfit.
The boy continued,
"If you don't want to be called a peasant, then don't wear filthy clothes."
Zuko began attempting to climb the tree that Katara had been hiding behind with little success.
"My mom and sister have nice clothes you can wear, but that is because they are the princesses of the Fire Nation."
"Well, I'm not a princess of anything"
The prince gave up his quest for climbing the tree and stood in front of the girl. Katara found herself looking at golden orbs that looked like tiny suns.
"That's because you don't have a prince" she blinked in confusion
"My dad is a prince and his princess is my mom and my sister. As long as I'm a prince you can be my princess and no one will call you a peasant"
Katara tried to think it over. She didn't want to be anyone's princess, especially with a Fire Nation boy. He was way too bossy and she didn't like how he always got annoyed with her when she asked a question.
"I don't want to be anyone's princess. I just want to be me!"
"Then have it your way peasant" He shrugged.
She was not a peasant, but being a princess sounded better if she wanted this boy to stop being mean to her like Jin from the orphanage.
"Fine, as long as you don't call me a peasant do you promise?"
The boy responded half-heartedly.
"I promise"
He reached out his hand and she gently took it and shook it. After standing for what felt like an eternity, Zuko released her hand and wiped it off his thighs. He decided to resume practice with his knife but the girl interrupted.
"Can I touch your knife?" she asked.
He nodded in response, she felt the cool metal on her tips and traced the inscription.
"You can hold it"
She took the knife into her hands, and it glimmered from the moonlight.
"Zuko!"
The two children whipped around. Katara saw the most beautiful, woman on the bridge across from them. From where she stood Katara knew she was a princess, she had alabaster skin, her crimson robes flowed nicely behind her and the crown on her topknot reflected off the moon's light.
You can be my princess.
"Mom!"
"What are doing over there? It's getting really late."
"Uh, I wanted to practice my firebending."
"Get over, here will you?"
"Coming!"
The boy looked at Katara and smiled.
"Don't forget what I said."
As he ran to his mother on the bridge. Katara watched as the woman took the boys hand and went back to the palace.
She then realized that the knife was still in her hands, she immediately wanted to follow him, but then remembered what the prince said about the guards.
She slowly took a step back and was once again all alone. She heard some rustling and turned to see what it was. Before she could take another step, the ground disappeared from her feet, she screamed but her voice faded as she found herself falling into the ground.