Author's note: Enjoy! These are the last two chapters for this week, so I'll see you all next week. As always, please follow/favorite/review. I love reading your comments and even your criticism. And I'll answer any questions as long as it doesn't give anything away ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own anything except my characters ect. Bryke & Nickelodeon (I feel like I need a ship name for them, it would make this a lot easier to type out)

"Rise and shine, rebels!" Sokka yelled as soon as he opened the prison door, eliciting a chorus of groans and crass comments from the refugees. Katara was following at the back of the line of guards behind Sokka, following him into the prison. She kept her eyes down as they made their way down the hall, past the rows of cells that held the refugees. This is not my responsibility, she told herself as one of them threw himself against the cell door, rattling the metal bars and barking something unintelligible at her. A guard immediately threw her behind him and starting beating the man. She looked away and went to her brother.

"Look who's finally awake," he was saying, looking down at one of the refugees. Katara didn't realize who it was until she was right beside Sokka. It was the Fire Nation boy who'd been hurt by the soldiers after the second trial. When he wouldn't wake up, Sokka had wanted to throw him into the prison at the edge of the county, with all the other refugees who awaited execution. But Katara convinced him to let the boy sleep it off. He had proven himself in the trials, and she wanted to see if he could be useful to the Empire.

Now he was sitting up on the floor of his cell, legs bent, glaring up at the two of them with rage in his eyes. Katara backed away.

"Did you enjoy your nap?" Sokka goaded, bending down so that he was eye-level with the boy, close enough that one of them could reach out and grab the other if they dared. Katara hoped they wouldn't. Luckily, the boy stayed silent, albeit defiant. After a few moments, Sokka straightened and turned his back on the both of them. Katara, with one glance back at the golden-eyed boy, followed her brother to the end of the room. The guards were walking behind them, unlocking the prison cells and herding the refugees out another door.

"Will you be staying with us today, sister?" Sokka asked, clasping his hands behind his back. Katara watched the line of people leaving the room. It emptied quickly and soon they were the only two left.

She nodded. "But only for a little while. Father needs my help with the Audiences today."

One of the responsibilities of the Emperor was to have monthly Audiences with the citizens of the capital to hear their grievances and requests. As heir to the throne, Katara was required to attend these meetings. However, her father was adamant that she oversee the Audiences herself, since she would have to do them alone one day. She had a feeling that he simply was bored of listening to his people complain, but Katara didn't really mind. This was one aspect of ruling the Empire that she wasn't dreading.

Sokka smiled. "Then I'll make sure not to save the best for last." With that he walked out the door to join the guards and refugees and Katara followed obediently. Even though his words made her cringe, she was in no position to argue or object. Her father had placed Sokka in control of the refugee reformation after he had whined about being bored, and griped that Katara got to do all the fun stuff. She certainly didn't consider condemning nearly 200 innocent people to death "fun", but she wasn't about to argue. She could hardly sleep as it was with all the guilt infesting her every thought and dream. Perhaps if she didn't have to torture these people further, her conscience would finally let her get some sleep.

Sokka led Katara down a narrow passageway made of stone until they reached a heavy-looking wooden door. Sokka knocked and it swung open from the inside. He gestured for Katara to enter, and she did.

She could have screamed.

When she had told her father to break the remaining refugees, she had not meant it literally. But the scene before her told a different story.

All around the massive stone chamber were various torture devices. Men, women and children were strapped to tables, hanging from wooden poles, or being thrown to the ground by guards with bulging muscles. But it was eerily quiet. Apart from the occasional thud of a falling body or pained groan, the room was silent. She looked to Sokka.

He smiled again. "These walls aren't soundproof. We don't want any curious citizens to come asking questions about the screaming. We told them to stay quiet or be thrown in the ocean." Katara blanched. She knew her brother was malicious, but to make these people suffer in silent agony? That was just cruel.

A quiet shriek disrupted the emptiness and Katara turned to her right to see a child cowering in the corner, shielding her face from a guard wielding a spiked club.

"Stop!" Katara shouted, and, acting on instinct, shot a water whip at the back of his neck. It hit him with a wet thwack and he froze, the club in mid-air. The water retracted into Katara's water skins. Slowly, the guard turned around, and when he saw them his face, previously contorted with madness, became confused.

"Your Highnesses, I was simply doing as instructed."

Sokka shoved Katara out of the way. "Of course, sir. And you're doing a marvelous job. Please, continue," Sokka said cordially.

"No!" Katara protested, and forced her way in between the guard and the girl. Up close she could see the tattered rags of the girl's Earth Kingdom clothing and the purple bruises on her cheekbones. Her lip was split in the middle and all of her knuckles were bloody. "This girl has been adequately punished. Leave her to me." Both men looked at Katara incredulously, but then the guard bowed his head and stepped away, lowering his club.

"Sister, please," Sokka half-laughed but gave her a murderous glare. You're making a fool of me! She knew what he was thinking. She knew she was making a scene and undermining her brother's authority. But she didn't care. What good was being the future Empress if she couldn't exercise her power every once in a while?

Even though Sokka was taller than her, the look she gave him made him shrink.

"That is an order." Katara reached behind her and grabbed the girl's hand. When she pulled her to her feet she didn't reach Katara's shoulders. She called a guard over and told him to bring the girl to her chambers and instruct her lady's maid to clean her up and dress her in servant's clothes.

"She will live in the palace with me," she told Sokka, but looked at the girl who stared back at her with wide, watery green eyes.