I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender...But! I do own Koori!
Wake up, Koori heard during her slumber. She had tried not to fall asleep, but it had been the first time that she had slept on something so soft since Zhao had died. Wake up, wake up, wake up! She kept hearing the words, but she couldn't open her eyes. She was so tired and she didn't want to move. Finally, she felt herself being hauled up and shook. Koori slowly opened her eyes and smiled at the familiar face.
"Ai?" she asked, her heart stopping.
The girl nodded. "Koori, darling, if you don't get up the Head Mistress will come in here and make you get up," Ai said in a whisper. "You don't want to make that woman angry."
Koori's eyes rolled back into her head, but she moved her feet out of the bed. The sheet was still firmly planted on her body because she was wearing nothing underneath of it. Koori looked at Ai and grabbed her face. She squished her cheeks and then smiled. "How did you survive?" Koori asked.
Ai smiled and then grabbed Koori's hand. She helped Koori out of bed and then opened the door that led to the hallway. "Koori, sweetheart, a lot of us survived. I think about ten ships didn't even get to penetrate the icy wall of the Northern Water Tribe," she said with hesitation in her voice as she looked around.
She must not tell anybody about who owned you, Koori.
"Ai," Koori looked at her friend with worry in her eyes. "Nobody must know that I was Zhao's."
Ai looked at Koori. She looked so miserable and lost that Ai couldn't help but give her a reassuring smile and a pat on the back. Ai pushed Koori down the hallway as the sheet slid behind them. "Koori, your training starts today. Please be careful and try not to anger the Head Mistress. She can make you a glorious person, or make you a common housecleaner. Listen to what she says and you will be fine. After all, you should be used to it," Ai said as she opened a door and shoved Koori into the room. Koori turned to find that Ai was no longer behind her. A chill went up her spine and she turned to face the darkened room before her.
"Hello?" Koori asked.
Koori heard a loud growl. "You are not to speak unless spoken to!" Koori was slapped across the head and she knelt down to the floor in pain. "Good, you know that you must bow to your elders." Koori didn't rise. She knew her place as a slave and remembered that she was to be asked before she could rise. "Rise," the harsh voice said. Koori did as she was told and looked to the ground out of respect. She was taught not to look above the knees of a noble or anybody of a higher status than her. "Good, good. You know your place," the woman said. She grabbed Koori's chin and thrust her face up so she could look into her eyes. "Fire Nation born?" she asked. Koori nodded vigorously and the woman let go of her face. "Did your parents teach you the excellent manners that you have?" she asked. Koori again nodded her head, lying. Koori was again slapped across the head. "I am asking you questions because I want to hear you voice. Tell me your name."
Koori held back the tears in her eyes and then nodded. "My name is Koori; I am from the southern tip of the main island, near Kai."
Koori was slapped again. "I did not ask you where you were from. You will have to go through some extensive training before you become a member of the Fire Lord's harem."
The woman started to circle Koori and another chill went up Koori's spine. When was the woman going to ask about her bending status? Koori found herself gripping at the sheet tightly until her knuckles started to turn white. The woman turned to walk to a large wooden desk as she turned the lamplight up. She sat down behind the desk and started to write vigorously. Koori stood still and the woman looked up. She looked down again and continued to scribble. The woman looked up ten minutes later and then said in her gruff voice, "I am Head Mistress Lea. I am here to train the Fire Lord's harem. You are to please the Fire Lord and any military members who request you. Of course, your first bedding will be with the Fire Lord, if he finds you suitable. You need to be bathed, have makeup applied, and learn how to make a man truly happy."
Koori's face turned pick and the Head Mistress smiled. Koori could finally see her face in the firelight and noticed the slim lines of her face, the pleasant look in her eyes, the harsh smile and cruelty that laid beneath her skin. Koori looked at what the woman was wearing. It was a gorgeous red, maroon, gold, and black kimono. The trim and obi were gold. The sleeves were maroon with a red lace around the golden trim. The kimono itself was red with maroon trim at the hemline and Koori felt a tinge of jealousy. There she was, in a grey sheet while the woman in front of her was wearing a dress fit for royalty.
The woman looked Koori up and down again and then smiled. "I think that you will be very famous within the Fire Lord's harem. You shall do well, as long as you listen to everything that I have to say to you…" Koori lost focus. She thought about the words, you will be very famous within the Fire Lord's harem. The few morsels of food that she had in her stomach wanted to erupt from her mouth, but she kept the feeling in. "Are you paying attention?" she heard behind her thoughts.
Koori nodded and bowed. "Of course Head Mistress, everything that you say will be cherished."
The woman smiled and walked out from behind her desk. She clasped Koori's shoulder and led her to the door. She turned the knob and led Koori outside. They walked the hallways and Koori looked through some of the open doors. Koori saw women being pampered by slaves from all civilizations. There were a few darker-skinned people that Koori could tell were members of the Water Tribes and a few lightly-skinned people with brown hair who Koori knew were Earth Kingdom civilians. There were very few slaves from the Fire Nation and Koori stopped looking once she saw a naked woman getting slinky robes put on.
The Head Mistress took her to a room and threw her inside. Ai was in this room and saw Koori. She ran over to her friend and took her hand. The door was still opened and the Head Mistress peered inside. "This girl is to be thoroughly cleaned with makeup on by the time I return," she said. "I will hear no excuses as to why she is not presentable by the time I am ready for her."
The door closed and the women in the room looked over at Koori. She knew that most of them were common slaves, probably only there to attend to the bathing and grooming of the Fire Lord's harem. Koori looked at Ai and noticed that she did not help the people tear off the sheet that Koori wore. The girls threw her into a tub of warm water and started to scrub her with pumice. The old volcanic rock started to dig into Koori's legs and rub off old dead skin cells. She cringed at first and then felt a hand on her shoulder.
"It only hurts the first few times. It exfoliates the skin and will make you feel better. Just let the women do their work," Ai whispered. Koori nodded and looked down at the women who were scrubbing her. Most of the women were from the Earth Kingdom and looked miserable. Koori tried to smile at them, but they looked away, fearful that they had been caught staring at her.
The slaves pulled her out of the comforting water and started to dry her off, but Koori started to grab the towel away from them. She succeeded and finished drying herself off without using her bending. Koori handed the towel back to them and she was exposed to the slaves, completely nude. She started to blush widely and soon a silk robe was draped on her shoulders. Koori wrapped it around herself and tied the golden silk thread around her waist. The women stared to dip her head into a basin and run a brush through her hair. Water traveled around her ears and Koori felt calmer. She felt the women wash her hair and condition it while other women started to smooth her legs with another pumice rock. Koori's legs had always been smooth. She had used her firebending to exfoliate and de-hair her legs. The women scrubbed her and then left her legs to apply makeup. Koori's hair was being dried by more towels and another comb went through her hair to style it.
They moved her head up, down, left, right, and then finally pinned a flower onto her silky black hair. They finished her makeup shortly after her hair and held a mirror up to her face. Koori took in her image. She couldn't recognize herself and touched her powdery-white face. She heard Ai laugh in the background and turned around. She saw the brilliant Fire Panda Lilly in her hair and smiled. Flowers were always so pretty and innocent. Koori opened her mouth and then closed it.
"Speak, Koori, you are among friends," Ai said.
Koori hesitated. "I would like to know where this gorgeous flower came from."
A servant girl smiled and wrung her hands together. "It came from the Royal Garden. All of the Fire Lord's harem are permitted into the Royal Garden for flower tending."
Koori grasped the red and pink petals and then let her hand fall to her side as the door opened to reveal the Head Mistress.
"Madam," Ai said, speaking softly. "Your newest girl is ready."
The Head Mistress pulled out a fan and started to wave her wrist delicately. "I have a very specific rule, peasant," the Head Mistress said, directing her attention at Ai. "What would that rule be?" she asked.
Ai looked at the ground. The gaze that the Head Mistress gave off behind the fan was unpleasant. Koori looked between the Head Mistress and her friend. Ai opened her mouth, but closed it. She thought better of it and knew that the Head Mistress would want an answer. "Do not talk, unless talked to first, fairest Head Mistress," Ai answered.
Koori looked away as the Head Mistress grabbed Ai's hair and threw her across the room. "Even the new member of the harem knows her place! You should know yours by now! You had your chance, you ruined it! Foul girl!"
Ai kneeled and put her head on the floor. "I meant no disrespect, Head Mistress," Ai said, her voice barely audible since her face was so close to the floor.
The Head Mistress looked past Ai and then waved her fan at Koori in a 'come here' fashion. Koori stood immediately and stood three paces away from the Head Mistress.
"Such wonderful manners," the Head Mistress said. "You know to stand the proper distance away from your superiors!"
Koori nodded and the Head Mistress opened the door. Koori followed her, but looked back at Ai who was looking at Koori desperately. The look of pain was on her face and Koori wanted to help her friend but knew that she was to follow the Head Mistress and begin her training as a member of the Fire Lord's infamous harem.
Please, I want to see where you want this to go, should she sleep with the Fire Lord, or not?
