CHAPTER 7

"Sunshine all the time makes a desert."

-Arab Proverb

MORNING

HAREM

EDESSA PALACE

As the arid desert wind from the garden wafted into Mai's room to gently tease her long, raven hair, her mind and heart were a tangle of thoughts and emotions. She sat on the grand, four poster bed that was hers by right of her status as Kadin, one hand resting on the silken bedding, the other tangling in the gauzy fabric of her uniform. A frown furrowed her brow.

Almost three weeks.

It's been almost three weeks since he's come to me or asked me to visit him.

And even longer than that since I've shared his bed.

She was his favorite. The honored concubine. The Kadin. Her title granted her power, and she had a whole legion of servants and guards that would perform her every command. She was most certainly a long way away from the little desert girl she was before she was kidnapped and sold in the last sultan's harem. She should be happy. Now, she had everything that she could possibly want and more.

But then… she didn't have Zuko.

For years, he had been hers. Hers to touch. Hers to admire.

Hers.

He had laughed with her, shared his thoughts, his spirit, and until now… his love.

…Or so she thought. The man that had so captured her heart and mind had tossed her to the side as carelessly as a little boy would throw away a broken toy.

Does he realize that I have feelings? That I have needs? That I can't sleep at night because all I want is for his body to be beside mine again?

Zuko had been kind and gentle with her; he always catered to her needs. And as far as she knew, he hadn't so much as touched the other women in the harem. She was the one he chose, the only one who had laid with him. It was unheard of for a sultan to devote his primitive desires to solely one member of the harem. The knowledge used to make her feel special. Wanted.

Then, three weeks ago, she had arrived. No other woman had ever made him act the way he was now. But as she saw more and more of Katara, she realized to her dismay that she actually liked spending time with her. But for what she did to Zuko, how she captivated him, how he gave up a crucial war meeting just to bring her back to palace… Mai hated her. She wanted her to be punished, to leave…anything to get her away from Zuko.

The handsome prince was the man Mai loved.

The man that was supposed to love only her.

To her dismay, she thought back to that disastrous night that she had sought Zuko out.

I want you to leave, Mai.

You're not welcome here.

I have too much to think about than being worried about the feelings of one of my concubines.

Leave.

Dammit, can't you hear me?

Leave!

Her hand clenched on top of the bed as she fought back tears. Never, ever, in the short time that she had known the prince had he ever treated her like that. Like some common whore to be disposed of. It made her feel dirty…used. And now, now that he avoided her and refused to see her, look at her, touch her… she felt alone. More alone than she ever had in her entire life.

There was a knock on her door.

Startled, she furiously wiped at her tears before getting up and straightening her hair and clothes. "Yes?" she called.

"My lady Kadin," came the answer. "The honorable prince wishes to see you in his chambers at once."

Mai's heart, already distraught with her freshly fallen tears, began to beat even faster inside her chest. He wants to see me? Has he finally realized that he's been acting like an idiot? "Yes," she responded, her deceptively level voice contrasting with her rising emotions. "I'll be there in a moment."

She pushed herself off her bed to stand in front of the large watch glass positioned across a low chest in her room that also served as storage for her clothes. Carefully, she checked to make sure her hair was in place, that her clothes were arranged just so. Satisfied, she walked over to door, and as she reached out to pull the handle, she realized that her hand was shaking ever so slightly.

Stop it, she scoffed. It's Zuko. Your friend…lover. You know him. Why are you nervous?

That question was repeated in her mind several times over as she walked out of the harem and climbed the stairs to the sultan's chambers. The guards came to attention as she stepped out of the stairwell and into the wide, open space that was Zuko's apartments. She paused, closed her eyes, and told herself to breathe. Told herself that she was here because he wanted her, because he wanted to be with her. It was only after she could take a breath without having it rattle within her chest that she went deeper in the sultan's chambers.

She found him sitting at his desk in his private office. He had pushed back the gauzy curtains that concealed the verandah to let the gentle breeze waft in to rustle the papers that were scattered across large table. His head was bent over the table, his dark hair obscuring his face. Sitting there, he looked less like the powerful sultan and more like the young man he was. He looked vulnerable…and defenseless. In another time, Mai would have walked over ran her fingers through his thick hair.

Now, she knew better.

Now she knew that that sort of behavior would elicit not desire, but anger.

Feeling her presence, Zuko looked up at her, and Mai was slightly shocked to see the dark circles that lay beneath his eyes. The man looked like he had been up for the past 24 hours. He looked down at his papers, then pushed them to the side before he cleared his throat. "Mai," he said in greeting, nodding curtly.

Mai swept into a deep bow. "My prince."

Zuko inhaled deeply, and she got the feeling that he was almost nervous. "Would you please sit?" he asked, gesturing to a set of chairs in the corner.

Mai's chin tilted up, and it was then that she realized that she wasn't called here for company. He had something on his mind. "I'd rather stand, if this does not offend the great sultan."

He frowned. "Very well." He paused again, and took another deep breath before continuing. "I've called you here because I want to discuss your recent behavior."

It was her turn to frown. "My behavior? Have I done something to displease you?"

"Mai, please don't play coy with me."

She simply arched a brow in question.

His frown deepened into a scowl. "You've been taking a lot of liberties lately that I don't agree with," he said, his voice vibrating with sudden irritability.

"Could my honored prince please elaborate?" she interrupted.

He crossed his arms over his chest. "Does my lady Kadin remember her order for Katara to attend to Jet's bath?"

"That was nearly a week ago," she protested..

"And that doesn't matter," Zuko snapped, standing up so fast his chair almost toppled over. "You don't even order the girls of the harem to attend to my bath, let alone the bath of a stranger. Not to mention you told Katara that those orders had come from me. You deliberately belittled my character and my authority within my own palace, and that is unacceptable!"

"She embarrassed you in front of a visiting prince!" Mai shot back, equally as angry. "Why wouldn't she need to attend to his bath as punishment? And why do you suddenly care all of the sudden? If it had made you so angry then you should have come and told me a week ago!"

"Do not raise your voice with me!" he roared, and Mai stepped back slightly in surprise. At the hurt look in her eyes, he sighed and swept an angry hand roughly through his hair.

"Zuko," Mai said, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears, "what happened to us?"

He looked down, his fingers gripping the edge of the desk. "I know that things are different now, but-"

"Different?" Mai asked, her voice bitter. "You won't even come near me anymore. Two months ago I saw you nearly everyday, ate dinner with you, gave you battle advice, sat with you in the gardens, and now you say things are different? How dare you!"

"I know that you're hurt," Zuko said, all of the anger drained from his body. "But you have to understand that I've been busy these past few weeks with the war-"

"Busy? Zuko, if you had been busy then I wouldn't have cared that you couldn't see me! I wouldn't have minded at all. But the fact that I know that you're spending your time with her," she choked, "that it's her you choose to pursue that makes me act the way I do! How could you? How could you do this to us, Zuko? I love you. I cherished the time we had together, and together we could have ruled this desert! That girl, Katara, I've seen what she's done and who she is. She's a weak, spineless little girl who knows nothing about how to please a man! I can't stand to think of her ugly, tanned body lying next to you at night!"

"That's enough," Zuko said, his voice quiet but ringing with authority. "You and I both know that the situation of this harem is unheard of. I know tens of sultan who change Kadins as often as they change clothes. Your jealousy is completely misplaced. I spend time with who I want to spend time with. And nobody tells me otherwise. Do you understand?"

In response, the tears that had previously shrouded Mai's dark eyes suddenly spilled over. But nonetheless, she bit her lip and nodded her head curtly.

"I'm sorry things had to end like this," he muttered, sinking back into his chair.

"I can't live here knowing that she's sleeping in your bed," Mai said, almost so softly that he didn't hear.

Zuko put his face in his heads. "Maybe," he began, looking up at her, "Maybe its best for everyone if you revoke your duties as Kadin and return to being merely a member of the harem."

"No," she protested quickly, her voice shaking with the weight of her tears.

"Then maybe I should find another place for you in a different harem."

Mai's jaw dropped. "You can't be serious."

"I wish I wasn't."

"Zuko," Mai said, choking on a sob, "you're breaking my heart."

He shook his head helplessly. "I'm sorry," he said, not knowing what else to say. "But you said it yourself. And its clear to me that you'll never be happy here as long as Katara is in the palace. And I can assure you she's not leaving anytime soon."

Mai sobbed harder. "I've lived in Edessa since I was ten," she managed. "It's the only home I know. My family thinks I'm a fallen woman…please," she pleaded, "please don't make me leave."

Zuko closed his eyes, and put a hand to his temple. The only sound for several moments was Mai's soft weeping. Even though she had acted inconsiderate, rude, and had committed unspeakable acts in the past month, it hurt to hear her cry. "All right," he said finally. "But your duties as Kadin have hereby been revoked. Your recent behavior and treatment of Katara has been unacceptable. You are now merely a member of the harem and hold the same rights and duties that they do. And if I ever catch word of you abusing any of your rights, you can consider yourself placed in another harem."

Mai nodded, her tears falling freely.

"I'm sorry," Zuko repeated, not knowing what else to say.

Mai merely looked at him, her dark eyes burning with pain, before turning and leaving the office.

I'm sorry, Mai. I wish I didn't have to hurt you. I didn't want it to end this way.

Even though the battle plans were spread out in front of him, it took Zuko along time before he was able to look at them again.

EVENING

SULTAN'S CHAMBERS

EDESSA PALACE

Standing in front of the staircase that led to the sultan's chambers, Katara began to regret her rash decision to have dinner with Zuko.

Is really what I want?

A relationship?

Their stolen moments in the garden last night had been… so much more than she expected. There was the burning passion that she had come to expect, yes, but also… tenderness. He had been tender. Charming. Irresistible. He had opened up to her in a way that no other person had before. He had given her a piece of himself by letting her watch the sunrise with him. But…

It's all moving too fast. A month ago I was helping Sokka train the Arabians before he took them to Constantinople. We were so happy. And now…

Now I'm alone.

Maybe, because of loneliness, Katara had created the passion that she felt for Zuko, and had fabricated the way his every word and movement had tugged upon her heart. And maybe it was a mistake for her to foster those feelings,

Her thoughts had been such a tangle that she wasn't able to rest after being up all night with Zuko. She had sought out her only friend, Ty Lee, for advice.

"Katara, you have the most eligible bachelor for miles drooling over your every word. I know Zuko like I know my own brother, which now that I think about it isn't that well… never mind I guess… but I know, I know that I've never seen him act the way he acts around you before. What other chance are you going to get for love? Life is so boring in the harem without drama! Take this chance now and live your life!"

"But… when I'm around him, he makes me forget about my family. I haven't even properly mourned them yet."

"Believe me, they want you to move on. They don't want you upset about them! They want you to live, and to live your life the way they wanted you to live it!"

"As little more than a prostitute?"

"Whoa, that was harsh."

"Well, that's the circumstance I find myself in."

"Katara, you're not even a member of the harem anymore. You're… you're a prisoner of Zuko's desires!"

"That's supposed to make me feel better?"

In retrospect, the advice that Ty Lee had given her hadn't really helped at all. If anything, she had left their conversation feeling more confused and upset than before. The only thing Ty Lee had managed to do was offer her company. Nobody had seen Mai all day, so there was no one to give orders or tell the girls what to do. She and Ty Lee had taken several walks in the garden, sat by the fountain while Ty Lee shamelessly baited the soldiers, and had spent a relaxing hour in the bath houses. After that, a guard had sent for her and told her that the prince was about to take his dinner. For some reason, that annoyed her.

Am I a dog to be summoned when his master snaps his fingers? she thought irritably as she stood at the threshold to his chambers.

But, nonetheless, she was here. She had turned down Ty Lee's offer to fix her hair and clothes the same way she had for Ala-abin's reception all those days ago. Her hair hung down her back in a simple plait, and she was wearing the tattered tunic that she had come to Edessa with. We really should buy you some new clothes, Ty Lee had sighed as she looked over it.

Katara took a deep breath before squaring her shoulders. Here goes, she thought as she mounted the staircase. As she arrived at the top and stepped past the guards and into the sultan's chambers, her mouth fell open. If she had though the harem opulent, these vast apartments greatly overshadowed it. They were enormous, room upon room sprawling over the upper half of the eastern palace. The room she found herself in now was some sort of meeting hall, a table sat in its center that looked like a giant map of Greater Arabia. The walls were paneled with red and gold tiles in intricate geometric designs, and the ceiling rose into an impressive dome with a small hole at its center that let in a shaft of light. Beyond the room, she could see a smaller room with a small desk, and to the right was another room that led out onto a patio that overlooked the southern gate.

It was almost bewildering. Who knew that so close to the harem she had haunted for the past few weeks was this sprawling, lavish place?

"Miss," a guard interrupted, tentative to break her daze.

"Yes?" she responded, her eyes still roaming his apartments.

"The honorable prince has asked me to lead you to the private section of his chambers."

She shot a bewildered look to the guard. "This isn't the private section?"

The guard smiled at her innocence. "Not all miss. Allow me to show you the way," he said, leaving his post to lead her through several rooms to a large oak door, similar to the one in the harem. The guard knocked several times.

"Enter," came Zuko's deep voice.

The guard pushed open the door and gently ushered Katara in, softly shutting the door behind her. This section of the apartments was smaller, and vastly more intimate. From the entranceway, Katara could only see three rooms, all of which were laid out along an enormous verandah. However, the entrance to each room was obscured by a mass of gauzy, white fabric. Already she knew that this was his most private place, where he came to be away from everyone else.

"Zuko?" she called, her voice slightly hesitant. "Where are you?"

He stepped out of the first room on the left, and as always, her heart beat faster at the sight of him. He was wearing his dark, golden embroidered dress tunic, the material stretched across his broad shoulders. The gold in the tunic brought out the firelight in his eyes, and a brilliant chunk of emerald glittered on his ring finger. He dressed up for me, she thought, a small smile curling across her face.

"What?" he asked, shifting his weight nervously.

She let her smile broaden. "Nothing."

From the candlelight in the entranceway, Katara could see his amber eyes soften and dance with amusement. "I hope you're hungry," he said, and reached down for her hand. It was unnerving at how natural it felt for her to lace fingers with his. When they touched each other like this, their thoughts unbefudled by passion and desire, it felt so right.

He led her to the room he had just exited, and Katara saw it was a small sitting room. Cushions were scattered across the floor like brightly colored birds of paradise, and all along the corners of the room where candelabras, which emitted a soft, glowing light. At the center of the room was a low slung table, piled high with plates of honeyed dates, couscous, lamb, and fruits.

After she had taken her fill of the room, he turned to look at her, a questioning look in his eyes. "Is this okay?"

She nodded, and again came that small smile of satisfaction as he led to her to the table. He's trying to impress me, she thought warmly. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it briefly before pushing her down to the floor. Katara sat, while he walked around to the other side and did likewise.

Even though this was the first time they had sat together like this, it felt familiar, as if they'd done it before. Sometime, someplace before…just like this. At first, they picked from the food and talked about trivial matters, like the weather, what his Uncle Iroh had said to one of the servants, what they each did during the day. It was relaxing and comforting to talk about marginal matters such as these. Soothing, almost.

Finally, somewhere during the end of the meal, Zuko said quietly, "After I left you this morning, I realized something that's been bothering me all day. You know so much about me, and I know almost nothing about you."

Her blue eyes softened. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything," he breathed. "Your home, your family, your past, how you were sold into slavery… is that all right?"

She looked down at her food for a second. And at her hesitance, Zuko quickly said, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"No," she said, cutting him off. "No, it's fair."

"I don't want you to tell me because it's fair, I want you to tell me because you want to."

That made her smile gently. "I want to."

He reached over the table and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers once again, signaling that he was there if the memories were too much for her. It was the concern the floated in his golden eyes that sparkled so brilliantly in the candlelight that made her begin her story.

"Whenever I think about home," she started, "I always remember the ocean. Waves breaking against the pebbled beaches. The seawater sparkling and catching light like the most beautiful jewel. The roaring sound it made that served as a lullaby for me and my brother." Her eyes glazed over, and Zuko knew that she was in a different time and place.

"In the summer," she continued, still living in her memories, "we lived in the ocean's warm, gentle embrace. Laughing and playing games while my mother yelled at us not to go too far. It didn't matter. We were best swimmers in the village. I could have swam all the way to Cyprus without any difficulties. In the evenings, my father would return with the other fishermen. They would drag their boats up onto shore and turn them over to empty out the seawater. The fish would be divided among the tribe, and in a couple of minutes the village would be filled with the smell of dinner cooking. At night, father would sit in his chair and tell us stories about sea creatures, and we would fall asleep in my mother's arms."

"What is your brother's name?" Zuko asked, curiosity in his ocher eyes.

She looked down, and Zuko squeezed her hand again. "Sokka," she murmured. Then, louder, "His name was Sokka. He and the other boys kept a small herd of Arabian horses. He was so proud of them… and he had such a way with animals. They flocked to him like a seagull flocks to fish…" she trailed off, and tears glittered in her eyes.

He let go of her hand suddenly, and she let out a small sound of protest before he got up and walked around the table. He sat behind her, and gathered her into his lap, wrapping his strong arms around her until she was surrounded. "What happened?" he asked, his voice a soft whisper in her ear.

"My village was never known for our ability to defend ourselves. There was no need to. We were isolated, and there had been no invaders for as long as anyone could remember. That was our first mistake. One night, while were preparing to go to sleep, a group of bandits came. There was nothing we could do. My father got up to fight, but it was useless. Fishermen going against warriors with hunting spears."

His hand started stroking her hair, and Katara closed her eyes, savoring the contact.

"It was storming that night. I remember the sound of thunder mixing with the screams as they killed our neighbors. My mother held us so tightly we lost feeling in our arms. Then, Sokka heard my father yell, and got up to try and fight. My mother dragged him back, but he fought and walked out of the tent, only to be shot in the chest with an arrow. There was so much blood, Zuko," she said, her voice thick and shaking. She turned in his arms, curling up against his chest, and he breathed a kiss into her hair.

"They came in a grabbed my mother. They dragged her out of the tent and I can hear them… I can hear them calling her names. And she cried and pleaded, and wanted them to kill her and save me. The next thing I know, I couldn't hear her anymore. And I'm lying in the pool of blood that's dripping from my brother, and crying and screaming for help but no one's coming. No one's answering me. No one's there but me. And I can see the shadows from the fire they used to burn down our tents, and I smell the stench of burning flesh. And I know that no one's coming because they're all dead, they're all dead and I'm covered in my brother's blood, trying to save his life, trying to heal him before its too late..."

"Ssh," Zuko whispered, murmuring soothing noises into her hair.

"So much blood," she whispered, tears streaming down her face. "So much blood…"

He started rocking her back and forth, gently trying to soothe her. "Ssh, Katara. You're here, safe with me. Your home is thousands of miles away. You're here, in Edessa, safe in my arms."

Her hands gripped at his tunic and she buried her face in his chest. "They're all dead," she cried. "Why? Why did they have to die and not me? Why couldn't it have been me who took the arrow? I can't believe they're gone…I can't believe they're not here anymore…"

Zuko's jaw tightened as he thought of how frightened she must have been. He had seen death. He knew how altogether terrifying it was to watch someone you love die. It made him want to take up his sword and personally dismember those bandits that had attacked her family piece by agonizing piece. "It's all right," he soothed, his gentle tone betraying the harsh look in his eyes. He felt her body shake as it was racked with sobs. "Don't cry, please," he whispered, stroking her hair with long, gentle sweeps of her hand.

At his rare display of kindness, she only cried harder. "Please," he murmured, "Katara, you're tearing me apart."

After several heavy minutes, Katara's sobbing quieted into gentle weeping, and then there was only the sound of her breathing hitching as she fought for control of her lungs. Then, she looked up at him, tears magnifying her azure eyes and making them seem enormous in her small face. He smiled gently down at her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, her eyelashes sweeping down as she was unable to meet the warmth that glowed from his amber eyes. "I didn't mean to cry like that..."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Zuko said. "I saw Zhao's soldiers rampage and kill, and heard my mother's screams as she died. I know what its like to lose someone you love, and I know what its like to try and find some sort of peace after it. Right now, their voices and memories run through your mind and its all you can think about. But I promise it gets easier. I promise it won't be this way for forever."

"But it hurts," she said, hiding her face in his chest once again. "Zuko, it hurts so much…"

He gently grabbed her chin and tilted her face up towards his. "I'm here," he said. His head bent down and his lips breathed over her eyelashes, softly stealing her tears. "Even your tears are sweet," he whispered.

He put his chin on top of her head, and wrapped his arms around her, so tight that it almost hurt to breath. They stayed like that for awhile, their bodies entwined, Zuko's lips pressing a kiss into her hair every once in a while.

Finally, she twisted in his arms so she could look up at him. "After… after everything that happened, they took me, and tied me up. They said that they were going to… to do things to me," Zuko's arms tightened again and she saw his eyes harden. "Don't worry, they didn't touch me. One of them said…" she swallowed, "One of them said that I'd give them more money at the market if I was pure. They didn't even let me say goodbye, let me burry the dead. It all happened so fast… I remember standing there on the street, tied up and feeling so cold and empty. People, men mostly, came by to ask how much I was, but couldn't pay the price. Then, Iroh came and… and now I'm here."

At hearing her story, it physically hurt Zuko that she had been put through so much. It made him want to lock her a room somewhere, and keep her safe, forever.

"Zuko, I have to back. I have to go home, to Samos, and say goodbye."

His eyes squeezed shut as if in pain, but finally, he said, "I understand. Just give me the time you promised me and then you're free. I can't let you go right now. I can't."

She settled against his chest and sighed. "I'm not ready to leave you," she whispered, but so soft that he didn't hear. Then, "Thank you."

His golden eyes searched into hers. "For what?"

"For understanding. For your kindness. For listening to me. For holding me. For comforting me. For… For so much."

"Anytime," he said softly, rocking her back and forth again. "Anytime you need any of those things, come find me and I'll drop whatever I'm doing for you. But only for you, Katara. Only for you."

They were quiet for a while, content to be in each other's arms. The only sound that permeated their comfortable silence was the wind rustling the ivory curtains.

Suddenly, she looked up at him. "You astound me," she said. "One moment you're so tender and kind to me, and the next… the next you're tense and angry. You have the stability of wildfire," she said, turning back and settling into his chest once again.

There was a pause, and his arms tightened, and his body shaking. Startled, afraid that she had offended him, she twisted in his arms and saw his face contorted like a man in pain. "Zuko?" she asked, her voice tense with worry. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"Be…quiet," he managed, and then, he titled his head back and laughed. His laughter was loud boisterous, and maybe one of the most beautiful noises he had ever heard. While he guffawed, she could only look at him in wonder. Finally, he looked down at her after his laughter had quieted, a rare smile curving across his lips. If he had been handsome before, his masculine beauty was almost ethereal when he smiled. The smile took away the harshness from his eyes, and made his skin glow. Then, he looked like the young man he was.

"And you astound me," he said, smiling down into her blue eyes. "You have the beauty of the ocean, the brilliance of the sun sparkling against its tourmaline waves. You're strong, yet gentle, beautiful but kind. You're a fire in my blood, your little body is capable of so much passion…and I've yet to meet a more fascinating woman.."

She looked back at him, and a slowly, she smiled too, and it was then that both of them realized the shared wonder they had for each other. Between them, some strange energy passed, some new bond had been forged, and they each knew that they had been brought a step closer to each other.

Then, Katara yawned, but quickly tried to stifle it.

"You're tired," he said quickly. "I've kept you up too late."

"No, no, I'm fine."

"Neither of us slept for very long last night."

"And if I go to bed now, I won't sleep very much tonight either."

He paused. "The nightmares. Your nightmares are getting worse, aren't they?"

Wisely, she said nothing.

"I know what its like to wake up screaming in the middle of the night and have no one there to comfort you. Tonight I'll be there. Tonight you'll sleep in my arms."

He got up roughly, and grabbed her hand, pulling her up beside him.

"But Zuko-" she protested.

He pressed a finger to her lips. "No, I don't want to hear it. We won't do anything but sleep. Something that you haven't done properly in weeks."

Do I really want to complicate this any further? On the heels of that thought came another. Maybe he's right. Having someone beside me will help me sleep better.

But its Zuko. When you're around him the last thought on your mind is sleep.

But… she wanted to be with him.

She didn't want to leave him… Didn't want him to leave her.

So, when he picked her up and carried her to his bedroom, she didn't protest. He pulled back the gauzy, luxurious fabric that served as his bedding, and laid her down on his enormous, four poster bed. The mattress gave with her weight, and she sank down into the comfy embrace of the bed. She laid there, watching him move around his bedroom to blow out candles one by one until the only light in the room came from the moon glowing gently outside his balcony. His footsteps rang out in the silence of the night, and she felt his weight as he climbed into the bed with her. Strong arms gathered her across his chest, and cradled her in their warm embrace.

Laying there, in his bed, with his arms wrapped around her, the sound of his breathing rasping gently in her ear… she felt at peace.

It was then that Katara realized how genuinely tired she was. Her eyelids grew heavy, and slowly, gently, they flittered down and she slid into a deep, restoring sleep.

SULTAN'S CHAMBERS

RIYADH

Jet stepped into his father's large and opulent solar, trying his hardest to conceal the confusion that danced across his face. It's almost midnight, he thought. Father is never up this late. And he's never asked to talk to me this late either.

The midnight summons was unnerving. And it certainly meant bad news of some sort. He had been roused from his bed, much to his dismay, by one of his father's advisors, and told that he was to meet the sultan as soon as possible. So, several minutes later, here he was. His feet hastily shoved into sandals, his clothing askew, his dark hair rumpled and unkempt.

He found his father with his back to him, looking at a vast map of Arabia that his advisors had pinned against the wall. The map was covered in markings and drawings, and was a mirror image of another, much larger map that covered a mahogany table in the center of the room. Suddenly, the sultan turned around.

Jet bowed respectfully. "Many greetings father," he said, angling his head down with the proper measure of respect.

His father smiled, warmth radiating from his eyes. "Jet. My beloved firstborn. I'm sorry to disturb you like this, but there's been something on my mind and it can't wait any longer."

Jet's eyes widened ever so slightly before he could conceal it. "Yes?" he asked.

His father took a breath before sighing deeply. "Since our return to Riyadh, I've met a lot of resistance from not only my advisors, but from the people in the city for supporting Zuko's plan."

"Well, that's to be expected, father. It's not our fight. It's more of a favor that were doing."

"Yes... but I'm worried my willingness to help the poor boy is creating more problems for me."

There was a pause as neither one talked. Finally, Jet asked, "What do you propose?"

"That's what I seek your advice on," the sultan responded.

A frown creased Jet's brow. "Please, father, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about pulling the support that I had planned to give Zuko."

"No," Jet said immediately.

"No?" the sultan asked, raising his eyebrow in question.

"Father, how could you even think about suggesting that? We used to visit his family every summer and winter before they were overthrown. And while he schemed in the desert, you were his greatest ally. Why now? Why would we desert him now?"

"I am old, Jet. Many of the things I used to champion so hard... just don't seem worth the high price I have to pay anymore."

"So you're going to betray him? You're going to betray the "Betrayed Prince" because you're tired?" Jet's voice was thick with barely controlled anger.

"Jet, I haven't decided anything-"

"The throne that I will inherit has been built upon honor and justice! I refuse to let you do this father!"

Sultan Ala-abin sighed again and walked over to a large, comfortable chair that was in front of the mahogany table. "But I must," he said, sinking down into the chair. "I can't risk my kingdom solely for the destruction of the desert sheik. It's been thirty years, Jet. Thirty years and he hasn't so much as come near Riyadh. If we join this war, we make ourselves targets. We make ourselves vulnerable to the very thing that almost destroyed Edessa."

"Since when was that reason enough to just run away from our problems and hope they disappear? Father, you yourself have told me over and over that there are no cowards in this family!"

"That's why I need you, my son. I need you to help me think of an alternative."

Jet shook his head in annoyance. "How many soldiers are you sending? One hundred? Two hundred?"

"Twenty," Ala-abin muttered. "At this point I'm thinking of sending twenty or less."

"Twenty?" Jet asked in shock. "You can't be serious. We need at least a hundred, if not more."

"Zuko should count his blessings that I'm sending any at all."

Jet's jaw worked as he thought over what his father had said. "Fine. But I need at least thirty," Jet countered. "And they have to be the best," he said. "They have to be the best horsemen, the best trackers, the best warriors... the best soldiers we have in our army."

"So they can die in a pointless war?"

"It's the only way we can even remotely appease Zuko, father. It must be done."

Ala-abin walked over to his son, and placed a heavy hand on his shoulders. "All right. But, I am turning over responsibility of this project solely to you. You handpick the soldiers, and then give me a list so that I can approve it. And then you are to accompany them to Edessa, and help Zuko win his revenge."

Jet covered the hand on his shoulder with his own. "You won't be disappointed, father."

Ala-abin smiled again. "I know you'll make me proud."

Jet bowed in thanks, as was appropriate.

"So, my son, who do you have in mind?" Ala-abin asked.

Jet thought. "There's a captain in my company that I know. His marksmanship with an arrow is unparalled, and he was in Edessa with us several weeks ago. His name is Farid, I believe."

"Ah, yes, I've heard about him," Ala-abin nodded. "A wise choice. Anyone else that comes to mind?"

Jet's dark eyes shifted downward as he slid into his thoughts. Finally, his head snapped up. "We've just got a new recruit," he said. "His horsemanship is unparalled. He can do tricks with them that I've never seen before, and they listen to him like he has sugared dates hidden in his pockets. He's a little young, but I've seen him in the practice fields. He has a warrior's spirit."

"Oh? And what's his name?"

"Sokka, I think. His name's Sokka."

Mina34: From my heart to yours, a chapter all the way from Seoul, courtesy of a little free time I have. Dudes, sorry it took me so long! I hope I haven't lost any readers... right? you're all still here RIGHT?

badonyx: yay you were the first to review! This was the first time I addressed Mai's little stunt with Jet and Katara. Did it answer your questions?

gretlcascade: best. review. ever. There is no such thing as a review that's too long. I take what you say so seriously, and it helps make this story move along quite nicely! I tried to address everything you mentioned, which were all super points that I hadn't realized! How was this chapter? And I don't know about Toph... we'll have to wait and see!

shrilaraune: awww! (wipes tear) It does my little heart good to know that I made one of favorite reviewers happy!

Leahfaithful: yay i love Ty Lee too! She's so perky. But I can see what you're saying about Aang. Although, this story is AU, and with that comes subtle changes in his character. Also, he's several years older than what he was in the show. Plus he's a soldier, so I wanted to still keep a little of his optimistic spirit but make it believable. The Desert Dreamer Aang's been around the block a few more times than the ATLA Aang. And Sokka was mentioned, yay! Although in cliffhanger... mwuahaha!

Poison Ivy: I love new reviewers! hmm... interesting idea. But no hints!

Everyone else: your reviews inspire me to write! I LOVE getting them. More than kimchi. Definitely more than bibimbap. More that papingzu? Yes. And... all right fine. More than soju. That's a lot of Korean love.

I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!