CHATPER 4
"La beauté du désert est que quelque part, il cache une oasis."
"The beauty of the desert is that somewhere, it hides an oasis."
-Antoine de Saint-Exupery
THE BATH HOUSES
EDESSA PALACE
Blood thundered through Zuko's veins. Breath surged in and out of his chest as he stared at Katara standing so close to his childhood friend.
"Get out," he yelled, his voice thick with rage, "get out and go to the harem and stay there until I come back!"
Indifference crossed over Katara's face and clouded her sapphire eyes. "Don't order me-"
"GET OUT!" he roared.
She frowned at the sudden outburst of rage, and indifference changed to worry. Slowly, so slowly that Zuko could count each beat of his heart, she backed away and left the baths, slamming the door shut behind her.
Once she had left, Zuko tried to still the wild beating of his heart. His golden eyes smoldered as they flew around the room. Steam curled around Jet as he sat in the bath, frozen, wearing an expression of shock. Zuko pinned several of the servants with a heavy gaze. "Leave," he snarled.
They wasted no time getting out. Platters clattered to the floor as they dropped whatever they were carrying in their haste.
"Jesus, Zuko," Jet breathed from his place in the bath.
Zuko prowled over to where he was. "I want you to listen to what I have to say. Get out of there so I can talk to you face to face and eye to eye."
Jet lifted himself out of the bath and stood up. His brown eyes were a mixture of confusion and concern. "Zuko, what the hell has gotten into you? She's just a member of your harem."
Just a member of my harem? Zuko thought incredulously. When he had seen the girl who haunted his dreams intimately touching the son of the visiting sultan, he had wanted blood. Jet's blood.
And then Jet said something that made his own blood boil.
"She's beautiful, I know, but such a delicacy is meant to be shared."
Zuko curled his hand into a fist, drew it back, and punched Jet so hard across his jaw that his head turned with its full force. He grabbed the front of Jet's bathing tunic and pulled him so close that his breath made the hair on Jet's head dance.
"Look at me," he growled.
Brown eyes met amber.
"That delicacy," he said slowly, and deliberately, "will be sampled by no one but me. Her hands are mine. Her hair is mine. Her legs are mine. Her eyes are mine. Her body… is mine. And if you ever touch her again, I will find you. Son of a sultan or not, I will find you and kill you myself, ripping your body limb from limb! Do you understand me?"
Jet's eyes widened, then narrowed. "Zuko," he said, his voice carrying along marble walls, "you need to be rational-"
Zuko angrily jerked the front of Jet's robe. "Do you understand me." It wasn't a question. It was a blunt demand.
Jet sighed, and closed his eyes for the space of two breaths, then three. "I understand you."
Zuko's fist uncurled, and he stepped back. He looked down at his hands as if they were foreign to him. My God, he thought. I'm shaking. His fingers flexed as he watched them before shoving them deeply into his thick mane of black hair. Pull it together, he told himself furiously. If he had learned anything over the years that culminated into his short existence, it was that anger was the least useful of all emotions. It clouded the mind, and made the body tense and heavy with strain. As reality came crashing down to him, he realized how ridiculous his reaction had been.
A reaction over a woman.
How foolish.
I can't keep letting this happen to me. She has to go. She has to leave.
Even as Zuko thought those words, he knew they were an empty threat. The thought of letting Katara leave was inconceivable. Preposterous, even. But… for his own sake, for the sake of Edessa, for the sake of his dead family and his thirst for revenge… maybe…. Maybe it would be for the best.
Wisely, Jet stood where he was, several feet away from his friend as he watched the conflict raging within him. "Zuko," he said, calling the prince away from his ruminative thoughts. "Have you had her?"
Just hearing Jet say that made his anger spike again. "Excuse me?" he asked incredulously.
"Zuko, don't be daft," Jet scoffed, crossing his arms over his chest. "Has she shared your bed?"
"What I do or do not do within the privacy of my own chambers is for me to know."
Jet frowned at the steel that clanged from Zuko's voice. "If I may, I'd like to give you some advice. Friend," he said, "to friend."
It was Zuko's turn to scowl. "Proceed."
"We've been friends for the majority of our lives. I know you, and I have never seen you act like this. Ever. Not even during your campaign for your throne, and certainly not because of a woman. You're short tempered, rude, and always seem to have your mind in another place. For your own sake, and for the sake of both of our futures as rulers in securing this deal with my father, please, seek her out."
"Jet, I-"
"Find her," Jet said, powering over his friend's protests. "Kiss Her. Touch her. Get her the hell out of your system. No woman, no matter how beautiful she is, should ever hold that kind of power over a man."
Zuko ground his jaw in frustration, but said nothing in response. He's right, he thought. I have to get her out of my mind and focus. I can't keep ignoring her. Something has to be done.
"And," Jet continued, "if all else fails, send her away. You've worked too hard to let some hang up over a silly woman get in the way. The last war meeting is tonight, Zuko. My father's leaving on the morrow, with or without supporting your revenge." He turned, but before leaving, he threw a glance over his shoulder towards his friend. "Whatever you do, whatever you decide about the girl, I suggest you do it now."
And with that, he left.
COURTYARDS
EDESSA PALACE
As Katara burst into the clean sunlight of the palace gardens, she was aware of two things: first, her own frustration with herself, and second, her own confusion at what had happened in the bath house.
He acted as if he wasn't the one who had sent me there. He acted… jealous.
No.
That's preposterous.
How could he be jealous?
And Mai! She sent me there!
But why?
Why was she deliberately trying to get me into trouble?
More importantly, Katara was becoming more and more unsettled with her own reactions to the betrayed prince. After everything that had transpired between them in the garden last night, she had been upset by his demand for her to attend Jet. Hurt.
I don't even know him. Damnit, I just lost my entire family, my home, my life! Why do I feel this way about him? I should be mourning them, not upset by some pompous, ignorant prince!
She paused, and kicked the ground in an almost childish fit of irritation. The feelings she felt for Zuko… the heady rush of blood she felt sliding through her veins whenever he touched were totally misplaced in her present situation. She was little more than a slave to him.
Suddenly, someone grabbed her arm and jerked her roughly back into the marbled walls of the palace. Katara let out a yelp, and turned to glare angrily at whoever had attacked her. "Excuse me, but what are you…."
Just then, as she looked into the face of her assailer, words failed her. She was staring into the ocher eyes of Zuko. Remembering everything that had transpired, Katara scowled and tried to yank her arm back. "I don't appreciate," she began, but was cut off as Zuko roughly shoved her up against the far wall of the hallway they were in. His broad shoulders were blocking out the sun, so she couldn't clearly see how angry he was. His voice, however, told her.
"Explain to me why I should not punish you for being where you do not belong!"
"You're telling me I'm to be punished for doing something that you told me to do? If you dare…"
He shook her once. "You were not told to go there! And if you lie to me like that again, so help me, I will not only have you punished, but I will take you outside and punish you myself!"
Katara swallowed the retort she would have made. The man was simply too angry to reason with right now. She looked down, and tried to calm the feral beating of her heart. When she looked up at Zuko again, she made her voice soft, gentle. "I don't know what to tell you but the truth. What can I gain from lying to you? I was told to come to the baths, on your orders, and to attend to Jet."
"Who told you?"
"Mai."
"She wouldn't dare!"
"She's your kadin, Zuko, she can do whatever she wants! And I have to follow her order and assume that they come directly from you! How was I supposed to know that she made it up? She has this personal vendetta against me, and I can't…" Katara made an exasperated sound. "I thought it was your way of making me stay away from you! You were… passing me off to Jet, and hoping that I'd leave you alone! You were sounding like such a coward, and it made me so angry and upset and-"
"Did he kiss you?"
Katara blinked at the change of subject, which only prodded her own bitterness. She frowned. "No, but why would it matter if he did? A harem whore has little say in these things. Isn't it supposed to be an honor for be to be in the presence of another prince? A sign of friendship?"
"No else but me is to touch you. From now on."
As if to prove it, his hand went to her thick braid to hold her still, and he pressed her body to his. His other one floated up towards her face, and his thumb tested the resilience of her lower lip, before he crushed is mouth to hers. His mouth descended on hers like an avenging fury, assaulting and punishing as it forced her lips apart. Katara felt her lower lips spilt as he drove it back against her teeth, and tasted her own blood in her mouth, felt the harsh rape of his invading tongue. Stunned, she hung in his arms like a sack of flour, too shocked to fight. His fist gripping her hair hurt. His arms that had slid around her shoulders to crush her to him hurt. And yet... she didn't want him to stop.
He tasted the breath that shuddered through them as he teased the tip of her tongue into movement with his own. Her lips softened when they merged with his, then parted with the gentleset of pressures. In this age-old rhythm, her body moved shamelessly beneath his. She hadn't know there was so much to feel, not just wind and cold and heat, not simply hunger for food and fatigue. There were hundreds, thousands of sensations to be discovered by the merging of lips, the locking of bodies. There was the scent of a man's skin and, she discovered as she traced her tongue along the column of his throat, the taste of it. There was the sound of her own name being murmured thickly against her mouth. There was the feel of strong fingers on her face, tensing, stoking, the frantic beat of him against her heart. Her hands were still trapped by his. Though she pressed for freedom, she was unsure whether, if she gained it, she would use her hands to drag him closer or to thurst him aside.
It hurt. This grinding, overwelming need clawed through her, pounding in her center, raging through her head until she feared she would be burned alive. At her muffled whimper, he lifted his head. It was there in her eyes, the fear, the confusion, and the desire. The combination nearly undid him. And his hand tightened in her hair as he demanded, "Would have pleased him if he asked?"
She was still shocked from passion, her breathing heavy and labored. She didn't even have the mental capacity to goad him. "No… I… I would have said no. And if that didn't work, I would have fought him."
She felt the tension leave his body, and his grip on her hair loosened. Slowly, he released her, and stepped back. For several moments, they stood there. Azure eyes met gold. Finally, Zuko took a deep breath, and spoke.
"I have no excuses for what I just did. Except that I want you. You're under my skin in more ways than I like to admit. I'm angry all the time, and irritable. I can't concentrate when you're not around, and can't even breathe or think when you are. Jet told me something today. He told me to send you away, to forget about you and concentrate in gaining Ala-abin's support."
He paused, and Katara held her breath.
"I'm not sending you away. I can't."
She exhaled.
"That kiss…" he touched his lips. "I've been with women, Katara. But I've never felt a tenth of the passion with them as I did with you."
Katara felt heat slide through her body. Why does he do this to me? Why does he make me feel this way? She wondered helplessly.
"I've been a fool to ignore this for so long," he said harshly. "You're in my harem. You belong to me. And I want you in my chambers within the next hour. It's time I did something about this."
She looked away, her breathing ragged. I don't want to see him again. He makes me feel so strange… No boy back in Samos made me feel like this. Like I'll die if he doesn't touch me. Even when Jet had touched her, she hadn't felt what she felt when Zuko simply looked at her. Maybe… maybe he has a point. Maybe, if we stop ignoring each other, all of this… energy between us will go away.
When she looked up to face Zuko, she realized he was gone.
One hour.
God, what is happening to me?
"Hey Katara!"
Katara looked over in the direction of the voice, and smiled when she saw who it was. "Good morning, Ty Lee."
Ty Lee walked over, a huge smile on her face and the bracelets at her ankles chiming sweetly. "How are you today?" she piped.
Katara thought back to everything that had happened in the last twelve hours. The gardens. The harem. The baths, and Zuko's blunt demand.
I want you in my chambers within the next hour.
"Fine," she lied. "I'm doing fine."
"Good!" Ty Lee chirped. "Mai told me that you don't have to stay in the harem anymore. I'm so happy for you! I was on my way to go entertain some soldiers of Ala-abin's for lunch. Do you want to come with me?"
When Katara didn't say anything, Ty Lee grabbed her hand and looked pleadingly into her eyes. "Please? I haven't gotten to be with you since you got here, and the soldiers are all really funny! I'm sure they'll like you!"
Katara lowered her eyes for a second, and remembered all of the restrictions that had been placed on her in the last couple of minutes.
No one touches you but me.
She shivered as she remembered the kiss. He had been so demanding… so…
Passionate.
Listen to me, she thought. Fifteen minutes ago I was furious with the man, and now all I can think about is how strong his arms felt around me. I'm acting like one of the fountains, hot and cold by turns. How can a man do this to me? On the heels of that thought came another. I haven't been able to talk to Ty Lee in days. And since when did I follow the orders of some sniveling little prince? He might own my body, but he'll never own spirit.
Katara smiled. "I would love to go entertain soldiers with you."
"Yay!" Ty Lee squealed and clapped her hands together. She started walking, and dragged Katara along with her. "They're in the barracks, on the other side of the palace. Some servants are already there serving food. There's supposed to be a lot of men there. Yue already entertained them at breakfast, and when I left the harem she was sitting in her room with a headache. Apparently they were too much for her! Normally, she entertains all of the councilmen. She's so quiet and poised, they seem to like her the best. But, then again, they also really like Mai. But she's usually busy. But lately she hasn't had that much to do besides entertain Ala-abin's councilmen. She's always complaining about how old and grumpy they are, but I think it's just because she's grumpy! Right? Don't you agree?"
"Uh…"
Ty Lee thundered on, not even waiting for an answer. "She's been so mean lately! I asked where you were this morning, because I had the morning off and I remembered that you were confined to the harem, by the way, I felt so bad for you! Spending all that time there? You must have been so bored! At least I get to flirt sometimes during the day, which is fun, but you're…"
Katara laughed to herself as Ty Lee pulled her along through the palace. She had forgotten just how refreshing Ty Lee was. She was truly the only uncomplicated person she knew. After Mai's conniving tactics, Jet's empty caresses, and Zuko's inflaming touch... it was so nice to be around someone who simply enjoyed life the way Ty Lee did.
"Oh! Here we are!"
Ty Lee stopped in front of a building that was slightly separate from the rest of the palace. She pulled the gauzy white fabric that acted as a door to side, and stepped in, dragging Katara along with her. Behind the curtains was a huge hall, similar to the grand reception hall in the main palace. It was filled with four, low slung tables, and about twenty of Ala-abin's soldiers were sitting around them, laughing and joking with each other.
Ty Lee turned to Katara, and smiled brightly. "Where do you want to start?" she asked.
"Um…" Katara blushed.
"Oh, oopsies, that's right, you've never done this before! Sorry! Well, normally, I usually start with whoever yells at me first-"
"Hey! Hey, Ty Lee!"
Ty Lee turned at the voice. A tall, strapping young man was waving his arms wildly, frantically calling her. "Over here!" The space around him was crowded with his friends, who had all stopped talking to look over to her.
"Farid!" she squealed. "Hey, I haven't seen you since yesterday!"
"Come over! And bring your friend!" He yelled back.
"What are you doing?" one of his friends asked.
"I'm trying to get those two pretty ladies to come eat with us, what do you think I'm doing, idiot?"
"But the table's full, half-wit!"
Looking around at the full space beside him, the handsome warrior thought for a moment. "You're right." He pushed two of his friends off his bench, who landed on the cold floor with a grunt. "Right here's an empty spot!"
Katara couldn't help but smile as she watched his friends swat him on the back as they hooted with laughter. Ty Lee giggled. "C'mon!" she said, pulling Katara over to the table. "Excuse me gentlemen," she asked the soldier sweetly. "Would it be okay if we sat here?"
"Why, it would be my honor," He said, sweeping into a deep bow from his seat and making room for Ty Lee and Katara as they sat delicately down on the long wooden bench. "Do you want anything to eat?" He asked earnestly, grabbing an empty plate from a rack behind him, and placing it in front of her. He leaned towards Ty Lee and whispered, "Zuko must be the luckiest prince in Arabia. Two beautiful girls in his harem?" he shook his head. "Ala-abin's is filled with a bunch of old goats!"
Katara choked, then laughed. The soldier who sat next to her grinned. He was long-limbed and broad shouldered, and had closely cropped brown hair. "He's not kidding, you know. One of them has a beard."
She turned towards him, still smiling, making her azure eyes sparkle. The soldier's mouth opened slightly, when he realized just how beautiful she was. He bowed his head. "It's been so long since I've been around a pretty girl that I've forgotten my manners. My name's Aang."
She smiled. The soldier was… charming. His brown eyes were deep and velvety, and she could tell there was such intelligence behind them. He reminded her of someone… but she couldn't quite put her finger on who. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Aang. My name's Katara."
"Katara," he said, testing out the sound of her name. "Pretty name for a pretty girl. Are you hungry?" he asked, brown eyes glinting.
Her stomach growled. "Starving," she responded.
Aang laughed. "Well, you've come to the right place!" He started piling food on her plate. "I've never seen you here before. Are you new?"
She nodded. "I just came here two weeks ago. I've been confined to the harem since then, so I haven't really gotten around to meeting anyone."
"I can see why Zuko'd want you holed up. You're making all these boys sweat just sitting there," he said, motioning around the table.
"Speak for yourself, Aang!" The man who sat across from him retorted. "I'm not the only one who can't take their eyes of eyes of her!"
"At least I'm brave enough to talk to her, Jalal!" he shot back. They glared at each other a moment before breaking into grins and slapping each other on the back. Katara rolled her eyes. Men, she thought. "Katara, this is Jalal."
Jalal waved. "Hopefully he's not causing too much trouble. He's supposed to be on his best behavior."
"Whose saying that I'm not?" he asked. He took a bite of some lamb. "Actually," he said around a mouthful of food, "I thought I was doing pretty well this morning. You see," he said to Katara, "I'm actually an officer in Zuko's army, but I'm hear with Ala-abin's men to discuss politics."
Jalal guffawed. "That went well!"
Aang winked at her. "I've never been much for politics. Especially Zuko's politics…" he muttered under his breath.
"Is there something about the prince you don't like?" Katara asked, suddenly curious. There were certainly plenty of things that she didn't like about him.
"Let's just say revenge isn't exactly my cup of tea. Especially the cold, calculating kind that Zuko wants. But don't worry," he said, taking a swig of water from a cup that was next to him. "I've been doing my damnedest working Ala-abin's men to make sure that they don't agree to any of his stupid demands."
Katara's brow furrowed. "But aren't you an officer in his army?"
"I am," he answered.
"But then… isn't it treasonous for you to try and sabotage his plans like that?"
Aang frowned. "Revenge, pretty lady, is something that should never be condoned. I support his campaign for his thrown. But trying to murder Zhao and his people is taking it too far. And, if on the slim chance that Ala-abin does give his support," he lowered his voice suddenly, "then I'll resort to espionage for Zhao."
Katara put her fork down, and sat there stunned for a second. Had the man just admitted that to her? Even as the thought appalled her, it almost appealed to her. After the way Zuko treated her, the harsh kiss, the way he reprimanded her in front of Jet… maybe sabotaging him was the right idea. What am I thinking, Katara thought. I'd be biting the hand that fed me.
He laughed suddenly, and swatted her on the back. "I'm just kidding!"
"You were?" she asked uneasily.
"You bet! Even if I was serious, why would I admit that to a member of the harem?" He looked almost nervous in his response. But he's right, she thought. He'd be an idiot to confess that to me. Mentally, Katara shrugged and went back to her meal.
As the meal continued on for a while, Katara found herself enjoying Aang's company. He seemed so genuine. Whenever she laughed and joked with him, he would smile back at her and get that twinkle in his sable eyes. Even though he made it clear he thought her beautiful, he didn't demand anything of her the way Jet had. He was…refreshing. And it felt so good to be out of the harem, and to enjoy a meal with someone other than herself.
Suddenly, Jalal gasped. "Boys, look sharp!" He called, causing all his friends to turn around and look. When they saw what Jalal had seen, they all let out surprised noises, the forks clattering to the table as they bowed their heads. The soldiers next to them followed their lead, and sounds of shock rippled across the men as the men all stopped eating and lowered their heads quickly.
"What's going on?" Katara asked worriedly.
"Get down!" Aang hissed out, grabbing the back of Katara's hastily made braid and jerking her head down.
Footsteps clicked along the floor, getting louder and louder as they walked towards their table. "What does he want with us?" Farid asked fearfully, glancing around to his other friends.
"I don't know," Aang whispered back.
The footsteps stopped right behind Katara. "Gentlemen, Ladies," a low, gravely voice said, acknowledging their presence.
"I didn't do anything wrong!" Jalal blurted out.
The voice chuckled. "Of course you didn't. It was Katara I came for."
Katara sat frozen in her seat. She would've recognized that voice anywhere. Slowly, she turned around and looked into the face of the voice. "Hello, General Iroh," she said gradually.
"Good afternoon, Katara," he said, bowing. "I was informed from Prince Zuko that I am to take you to his chambers."
Reality came crashing down.
I want you within my chambers in the hour.
She felt suddenly nervous. After the piece of normality she had endured among Ty Lee, Aang, and the soldiers at the table, she didn't want to return to Zuko. She didn't want to be plagued by confusion, desire…passion. For the last hour, she had felt… normal. Happy, even. And now, in one swift swoop, Zuko had robbed her of that.
There were gasps from her newly found friends. They looked at her worriedly, and a frown crossed Aang's brow. "It'll be all right," Katara whispered as she got up from the table.
Aang gave her an encouraging smile. "It was nice to meet you… Katara. Come find me after you see him and let me know you're okay."
She nodded. "I'll be fine," she said, reassuring not only Aaang but herself as well. She waved at everyone. Ty Lee, who was completely oblivious to the whole situation, smiled happily at Katara at chirped, "See you back in the harem!"
Iroh coughed. "This way." He walked out of the room, assuming Katara was following him. Giving an absent wave to Aang, she moved out of the barrack behind Iroh.
As she left, she heard Ty Lee call out, "Hey, can I have some of that lamb, Jalal?"
Mina34: Helllloooooooooo reader-chans! THANK YOU for all of your amazing reviews, (-snif-) you make me feel so happy inside!
badonyx: Don't worry! Katara will NEVER be taken advantage of in my story, I promise! I can't quite stomach that either... bleh...
sailormars15: hehe! you're welcome!
Shrilaraune: ummm...yes?
gretlcascade: I look forward to your reviews SO MUCH, even when you're tired, it means you for went going to sleep just to review my little ficcy! I also love your help with the characters. Does Katara seem better in this chapter?
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