My heart pounded in my chest, feeling as if it would pop out at any moment. I had been put upon a bed. I did not know whether it was to make me feel comfortable, considering my wounds, or if it was because I would be… I would be… No, my mind could not comprehend it.
The iron door creaked and began to open. My eyes widened in anticipation and fear. My mind whirled around in my head, searching for all the possibilities of who could possibly be opening the door. The last one was Zuko. I prayed silently that it wasn't him. I also prayed that this wasn't his room.
A shiver crawled up my spine.
The door opened to the fullest and Zuko walked in. The Fire Prince didn't have a shirt on and he had a light coating of sweat. He strutted past me and walked to his dresser, turning his back to me, as if he didn't even notice I was there. Anger burned like a wild fire inside of me. How could he not notice me? I was hogtied on the bed. His bed.
Another shiver went up my spine.
"I see you're awake, peasant,"
Anger reached its boiling point. I was sick of all these "peasant" comments. It didn't have anything to do with me; whether I was a peasant or royalty. It just didn't at all.
"Why don't you turn around and face when you're insulting me! But I guess you're too afraid to look me in the eye when you do so!" I shouted at him, instantly regretting my words. How I wished that I could take them back.
Zuko whirled around, rage evident on his face and his hands. Fire had come to life at the tips of his knuckles and began to lick and claw at his skin. He stomped over to me, reaching out to me with newly extinguished flames.
I cowered back, fearing his wrath. Though I had been chased and kidnapped several times before by Zuko, I had never truly felt his rage and anger first hand. He had somehow always been gentle, caressing me with his words, but never manhandling me. He had always been sweet, in the way a lover would do so. It was shocking, yet it was refreshing. I had always expected torture and torment opposed to soft- spoken words and a gentle touch. And now… Now I was experiencing it for myself. His soft touch was gone and it had been replaced by a fiery and rough feel.
Zuko grabbed my jaw in his hand, squeezing it. Hot pressure released itself into my body. It felt chilling and all the while comforting. He stared straight into my eyes, staring down into my soul, it seemed as if. Only a sliver of me dared to look into the Fire Prince's volcano of emotions called eyes. "Better?" he taunted.
My nose wrinkled in disgust. I reeled back, snapping my head down, trying to bite Zuko. It was barbaric of me, but I could not help myself. I wanted, yes, I wanted to make him feel the pain I had gone through my entire life. I wanted Zuko to feel my revenge. No matter how much I had willed my teeth to come in contact with his skin, it didn't. His hand came in contact with my face instead.
I feel back onto my side from the impact of his hit. I could still feel where his hand had been. A warm shadow of where his hand had been was still clinging to my skin. My chest and arm screamed agony in my head. I squeezed my eyes shut in hopes that if I could just close myself off from the cruel world I had been living in, then maybe, just maybe, I could escape from the pain also. I felt as if I would be rendered unconscious from all the pain. I laid there just gasping and panting for air. I do not know how long it had been, but a century seemed to pass by oh, so slowly.
Immense and warm hands grabbed hold of my shoulders, pulling me back up onto my knees. I opened my eyes, seeing that Zuko was mere inches from my face. For once in my life, I truly held fear within for Zuko. I feared him as much as I feared the Fire Lord. It soon dawned on me that they were almost exactly alike. I realized that Zuko would not hold back. If he truly wanted to, he could burn me unrecognizable. He could also… He could also rape me… But did he have enough respect of my dignity and honor not to do so with me? I prayed it to be so.
"Don't do that again," he threatened. His eyes told me that he was not to be tested. I didn't dare move a muscle. "Got it?" he shook my shoulders.
I nodded, still not moving my eyes from his.
Zuko turned away, walking back to his dresser to resume what he had been doing before.
I wish I hadn't done that. Why won't he tell me what he's going to do with me? It's tearing me apart! I must know!
"Zu- Zuko?" I uttered, meekly. I feared that he would explode and use his firebending instead of merely slapping me.
"Haven't you learned your lesson, peasant?" the Fire Prince boomed.
My anger was almost as bad as his. I was almost at my boiling point. "I am just trying to ask you a question!" I shrieked back.
"Well, you should keep your mouth shut! Be still and be quiet!" he hissed.
"I just-"
Zuko turned around. Darts of fear pinched and poked my skin. I should've done as he had commanded. I had put myself in far too deep. He would surely do anything to me. I didn't have a single doubt in my mind that the Fire Prince was as ruthless as his father. He would do unspeakable things to me and not think twice about them.
"Listen, do you think that I like having you here?" he asked, gruffly.
I stared intently at him, waiting for him to go on. He probably did like having me tied up. He probably thought it was funny to see me vulnerable and at his will. He probably had horrible things in his mind that he planned on doing to me.
"Well, I don't. I only need you so that I can capture the Avatar."
The best way to conquer your enemy is to know your enemy. Master Pakku's negotiable voice rang out in my head. I realized then that I needed to get to know Zuko, find out why he needed Aang so much in order to best him and free myself.
"Why do you want Aang so much?" I anticipated the answer, but wanted to draw him out.
"The Fire Nation's plans are not the business of some water peasant." He snarled.
"I have a name. It's Katara." My statement was met with stony silence. I stared at him, urging him to react, respond, retort, anything to let me know anything about him.
"Yes, I remember you yelling it at me yesterday," he said in reminisce. But his features changed darkly and quickly like a nice summer's day turned to hostile. "But the day I care about the name of a water peasant is the day I am no longer the son of the Fire Nation." I felt fingers of rage tickle my spine. I had asked for it, but I didn't care. I just didn't care any longer.
Anger boiled inside of me. I imagined steam coming out of my ears in rage. Oh, how I hated Zuko. He had done nothing for us, so in return for his oh, so wondrous hospitality, I would do the same. I would give him nothing at all. "You think that you can do whatever you what, but that's not the way things work, the rules are changing, your highness. Because of you, I've lost my family, I've been taken from my home, I've been forced to fight a stupid war for the freedom of my people, I've had to run and hide and fight your stupid soldiers, but I think the worst part of this whole thing is having to put up with you now! The worst part is having to be your prisoner, having to see you almost every day!" My breath was coming in short, panting breaths. I couldn't stop. Not even if I wanted to. The frustration of countless years of pain were all coming out now through my clenched teeth.
Zuko stared at me, digging deep into my soul with his eyes, like a shovel. I dared not back down, but stare back into his.
"Why must you go and ruin everything that the world has? Why must the country in which you serve try to enslave and alienate all the other nations? Is your home so bad that you must take other people's homes?" I pursued. I didn't care if I angered the prince, it didn't matter. I wanted to know why he felt the need to overrun the other countries.
"The Fire Lands are beautiful, full of exotic flowers, it is warm and peaceful."
"Then why?" I begged.
Prince Zuko face turned stony cold and turned around, leaving in my thoughts. He went to his desk and began to read a scroll.
"Spoiled prince…" I muttered under my breath.
Katara! You're as bad as him! Gran Gran's voice chided me. I sighed, knowing that she was right. It was not the ways of the Water Tribes to be cruel like that.
He didn't seem to hear it.
That or he's ignoring you.
Most likely both…
Gran Gran pursued, trying to draw me out. You should apologize. It is the way of our people to be soothing and merciful. Forgiving. I defiantly turned my head to the left, though she wasn't to my right. It still felt as if she was. I didn't want to be merciful to Zuko. I hated him. He had hunted us down, and kidnapped me. I didn't want to try to be soothing either. It felt just the same as being merciful to one who has shown no mercy to anyone. He would willingly kill someone, no doubt. I didn't want to forgive him as much as I wanted this cursed war to end. I wanted Zuko to beg for forgiveness. I wanted him to go through all the pain that I had been through! I hated him!
I stared at Zuko's back, imagining him suddenly dying right then and there. Gran Gran scowled me once more, but I simply ignored her again. I bite my lip. I let out a long, exasperated breath before shaking my head and closing my eyes. I thought about Sokka and Aang.
I worried that they weren't alright, that they weren't surviving without me. I silently prayed that Aang was learning earthbending as well as keep up with his waterbending. I was scared that without me there beside both Aang and Sokka, then they would crumble and the fate of the world would be crippled. That… That we would never have a chance of living in peace until the end of time.
Hours passed. It seemed endless. The silence poked and prodded at my brain. I nibbled at my lip in anticipation and impatience. I was incredulously bored. I resorted to declaiming poems and songs inside my head. I hummed traditional Water Tribe songs, but that soon that became sleeplessly tedious. I wanted desperately to talk to Zuko, but the distant echo of our last verbal battle rang in my mind, keeping me from uttering sentiments.
My stomach rumbled, telling me that it was time to eat. I sighed, knowing that there was no way I would get the proper nutrition I needed without willing Zuko to do something about it. I tried to ignore the taunting and bothersome cries, but after what seemed like hours, I finally spoke up, receiving an angered growl from the fiery prince.
"What is it now, water peasant?" he snarled.
Ugh! Why did he have to do that? "Just because I'm from the Water Tribe doesn't mean that I don't need to eat," I retorted. My face twisted into a scowl just as his did. We stared each other down, giving into another battle. Blue mixed with gold in a tiresome scuffle. Both our gazes faltered none and I dared not back down this time.
Zuko let out a huff. He gracefully, yet no less irately, sauntered out of the room, slamming the heavy, metal door shut. I flinched at the sound.
My stomach roared at my yet again. It had been eight minutes and my patience was wearing thinner. A mantra of hunger erupted from my stomach. I groaned, almost positive that Zuko would not be coming back until later that night. My eyes fell upon the door for the twenty- second time since the young prince had left. Another snarl broke free, hollering at me.
I let out an infuriated sigh. I began to struggle against my bonds again. I felt my wounds burn in pain. I cried out, but I continued, ignoring as much of the pain as I could. The knots had been expertly tied; no doubt the Fire Prince himself. I couldn't find a weak link in the ropes. My strength began to deplete and my breath came out in short gasps.
I writhed around on the bed. I fell onto my right side, shooting a pang of agony into my chest. I cried out, but prolonged my struggle. I yanked at my wrists, trying to pull them free, but my shoulder was too delicate. Another cry of pain escaped my lips. I struggled on the bed for what seemed to be an endless amount of time.
I had managed to get myself back into an upright position, but my chest had started to bleed again from my persistently, violent movements and I was near the edge. My wrists and ankles became pink and raw from all the rubbing. A smoldering sensation moved all through my arms and legs from being burned with the rope. My left hand had become freer, but it seemed was not enough. I thought that my shoulder would simply snap off from being jostled so much.
With one final yank of my left arm, I somehow pulled it free. I celebrated my small victory, but was suddenly halted as I realized that I had lost my balance. I began to slip and slide off the cool, silky blanket. I felt my right side slide off and dangle off the edge as I clawed at the mattress with my free hand. I cursed as the blanket fell right along with me.
Thud!
My head banged against the cold metal and my wounds screamed a mantra of agony. "Uhhhh…" I moaned. My thoughts swirled around in my skull. Then blackness surrounded me once again.
A/N: Hey! I'm sorry I didn't get this out later, but I was really busy and school's been crazy! Ugh! Finals are coming up! Oh, well, they're pretty easy, I guess. For Science, I have to do a powerpoint on lithium. And for the pics, I put on a bunch of dark and Evanescence ones. My teacher is gonna freak! I can't wait! Lol!
Anyways... The next chapter probably won't get out until like next year or around Christmas time. :( I've already plotted and sketched out some ideas and possible scenes. Hope you liked this chapter!
-Neon