Chapter 5

Zuko's POV

She was walking down the black metal bridge of the ship, making her way over to where we were standing. Her beautiful hair looked gorgeous cascading down her slender body in ringlets. Her skin, flawless, glowed with the color of her dress. Her eyes were stronger and more beautiful than any other woman I had ever lain my eyes on, holding a mischievous look in them as she walked down. Her body looked… Well, she looked… No words could even describe the way she walked seductively, her hips moving left and right. She truly was fairer than any other woman with her foreign looks alone, making her more comely than any Fire Nation woman.

"Zuko? Are you going to introduce us or not?"

Taking my eyes away from the girl, I saw Mai standing next to me with her hands, balled into fists on her hips.

Nodding, I said, "Oh! Um, yes. Mai this is Chief Hakoda of the Southern Water Tribe and his councilmen. Chief Hakoda, this is Lady Mai."

He nodded to Mai and then I felt a sudden jab on my side.

"Oomph!"

I looked down and saw that Mai had just elbowed me in the ribs, looking pissed off at me.

"Mai is my fiancé and future Fire Lady."

He extended his graces to Mai and bowed, "I am honored to meet you, my lady."

"The pleasure is mine," was all that came in reply in a bored tone.

"Chief Hakoda…"

He began to chuckle and then said, "Enough with these formalities, please call me Hakoda. You helped my son rescue me from Boiling Rock. You earned that right."

I smiled at his remark, "Only if you will call me Zuko."

"Agreed, now my lady, I do not believe that you have ever met my daughter, Princess Katara of the Southern Water Tribe?"

I had to do a double take on the woman who came forward. Katara? This was my Katara? This tamed and refined woman could not be Katara. Katara had fierceness in her eyes, which no one's could match. I did not believe it for one moment.

Mai came forward a bit with slight indignation evident across her features. Her straight, ivory nose was stuck straight up in the air, as if making it clear as to who was the superior woman here.

"We have, I am afraid during the war. We fought against each other. Your daughter has quite the skill in a duel. Unfortunately, if I do recall, she did lose when we fought each other."

Mai looked like she had won the entire battle she just started. It wasn't until that this woman spoke next, that I truly knew it was Katara:

"Now, Lady Mai, that may be true, but I also remember you had help when it came to fighting me. I believe her name was Ty Lee, I mean, if it wasn't for her, I never would have gone down during that fight. You had continuously thrown your knives, but I held my ground and blocked them off. It was your little friend that took me down, but because she fought from behind, two against one, and blocked off all of my chi."

I turned to look at Mai, and all I saw was pure anger. She was absolutely livid at what she had said. Obviously the girl was Katara, because no girl could ever match her quick wit, not even Mai.

Both of the girls were staring at each other, and if they could, they would be zapping each other away with bolts of electricity from their eyes. They continues to stare at each other like that until Katara's father spoke up…

"Now, now ladies. I think we should try and be civilized here now. Maybe we should all should just be on our way to the palace and out of this heat, don't you think so Zuko?"

He gave me a look, and I immediately understood and began to nod vigorously, saying, "Oh, yes. Come right this way."

Mai and Katara both jerked their eyes away from the other's, and when Katara saw my face, I knew that she had only just acknowledged my presence. Her eyes quickly became three different things: a raging sea storm, clouds that would blur a beautiful blue sky, and then nothing, they were blank and dull, holding a lack of interest inside of them.

"My Princess, I take it that these last few years has treated you well, yes?"

Her face never gave way to whatever she was feeling, and all that she had said was, "Yes, my Lord."

"Did you find your journey to your liking? Did my men treat you well aboard the ship?"

Still nothing, she said, "Yes, my Lord."

My knees almost gave to the lack of emotion in her gracious voice, as if she was dead. Standing there like a complete idiot, with my jaw on the floor, I began, "Well, that is good. I do hope you enjoy your stay in the Fire Nation Capitol. The weather is rather…"

Her eyes flickered for a moment, and then she had cut me off, "My apologies, my Lord, but I only wish that we proceed with my father's proposal then continue with this undesired conversation, if you would not mind."

Her voice was cert and stern with the tiniest bare traces of anger wrapped around her words like a serpent.

Nodding slowly, "Yes, as you wish."

"Thank you, my Lord."