Sorry. I just became a freshman in college. I have been busy writing papers and getting to know my profs. It's been fun! You're in for a treat for the next few chapters. Promise.
I do not own Avatar: the Last Airbender
Koori stared at his glistening robes. They were obviously made of a fine silk, but why was Ai talking to him. "I understand," the Fire Lord said calmly. "I will greet you again tomorrow evening. Same time?" he asked, looking into the dark hallway, knowing that somebody was watching.
"Of course, gracious Fire Lord; at your request," Ai said with a low bow.
The door closed instantly and Ai turned to face the dim hallway. Koori came out of her hiding spot and frightened her friend. Ai did not scream, however. "Koori, you frightened me. What were you doing here?" she asked, getting nervous and ushering the newest concubine out of the vicinity.
"I came looking for you," Koori said meekly. Ai's hand was placed carefully on the curve of Koori's back as they walked the dim hallway toward the room filled with other women. They passed the two lovers and the squabbles which echoed out of Zuko's room quickly. Ai stepped into the room with her friends and smiled. Her hand immediately receded from Koori's back and they walked to Koori's room with the same haste as before.
Ai opened the door for Koori and both girls entered the small space reserved for the newest concubine. "What did you want?" Ai asked while she sat on the floor in the middle of the room. Koori walked over to the candle at the far end of the room so she could see her friend more clearly. She lit it using the spark rock which was provided for her.
"Ai, what happened?" Koori asked with a tinge of compassion as she kneeled down to her friend and cupped her hands.
Ai smacked Koori's hand away and glared. "What happened when?" she asked, harshness filling the sound of her voice.
Koori stepped back from her friend. She thought about the last time that she had seen Ai and memories flooded her brain. Ai was happy with her master. As she had said, he provided her with a shelter and a sense of belonging. Ai knew that she would get food and a proper place to stay as long as she did what she was told.
"What happened after the siege of the Northern Water Tribe?"
Ai looked frustrated and confused. "You were there. The same thing happened to you, did it not?"
Koori sat on her bed and straightened out the gray sheets that cloaked her pillow. "No. I went into the heart of the Water Tribe. I do not know what happened with the remainder of the ships that did not get destroyed by the rage of the Ocean Spirit."
Ai faced the candle and stared at the flame. She stood and went to the bed to sit beside Koori. "Most of the ships were destroyed. I have not seen Naomi or Leiko since the invasion and I can only assume that their ships were destroyed and that they are dead, along with many others. My master was murdered when we returned here. The Fire Lord declared that every able body should have fought until death at the North Pole and because of their cowardly actions, they were put to death as traitors." Ai fumbled with the gray sheets that she was sitting on. "The women that returned were given to the Head Mistress at first. She judged us automatically. Most concubines became slaves to Princess Azula. Most of them are dead now because she has a low tolerance for insubordination. Others, who were lucky, like I once was, remained a concubine and lived a life of luxury. But," Ai closed her eyes and put her head in her hands, "women do not last long here. Unless you are favored by somebody, you are passed along often and die because one of the men got out of hand."
Koori took all of this in. She had stopped breathing without noticing and closed her eyes to regain control of her breath. "Ai," she began.
"There is more," AI said. Her voice had started to shake and she kept her head in her hands. "While I was being trained as a royal concubine, I ran into a slave who was quite handsome. I fell in love with him quickly and he proposed that we escape the palace and run away to get married." Ai started to cry and Koori rested her hand on her friend's back. "They set him on fire in his sleep the very night that he proposed our escape."
Koori's heart jumped. She had never truly been in love. What she thought that she had had been a lie. "Who murdered him?" Koori asked. "Who are they?"
Ai looked at Koori. Her eyes had lost the sparkle that they often had and her face was smothered with tears. "They…" Ai looked around, holding in her breath. "They are the people who see and hear everything. They live in the walls in secret passageways and tunnels, much the one that we were just in. They listen to everything and maintain balance in the palace. You cannot even breathe without them knowing."
Koori looked at the walls. "Then perhaps we should not talk about them?"
Ai laughed. "This room is one of the safest places to talk. As a new royal concubine, no male being should see you until the Fire Lord does, except those that are here to train you. They are not in this room or the couple next to us because of that tradition." Ai stood and walked to the door. She was rubbing her face with the sleeve of the peasant dress she was in. "I am done talking tonight. It hurts too much. Good night."
The door was shut with a light click and Koori laid on her bed to think about what she just heard. Zuko had seen her…
-!-
"Wake up, wake up, wake up!" Koori heard through her door. She opened her eyes and rubbed them to get used to the lack of light her room had. The candle was still burning from the side and she turned to it to get dressed. She looked around for an extra outfit, but could find none. Opening her door, she saw girls crowding around her and grabbing her roughly. They started to tear off her clothes and Koori was thrown into a tub of steaming water, naked. The women started to scrub her down and she could feel her skin crying for attention under the rough loofa and sponges. Her hair was washed while other women started to paint her fingernails. Koori at first struggled under all of what was happening, but soon lost who was doing what. Her body was crooked awkwardly over the stone tub as all of this was going on and Koori did all that she could to resist screaming bloody murder. Finally, they were done and they released her to soak in the highly perfumed water. She placed her back on the side of the tub and let her body float. She had never experienced the luxury of a pleasant soaking and figured that it was about time she got used to this kind of life.
The slaves left the small room and Koori relaxed. She grabbed for some bubbles which outlined her body and started to blow on them.
"Getting used to this life?" came a familiar voice.
"I would rather be without this life, Master," came the concubine's callous reply. "In fact, I was thinking of my family. Kuro, Yumi, even little Mizu. I was wondering what happened to them."
Zhao appeared before her. He was sitting on the rim of the tub, his feet dangling in the bath water below him. He smiled at the naked girl in front of him and then rustled his chains around. "Where do you think I have been?" he asked. "I figured that you would want to know about your pesky little brother, so I decided to travel to the Earth Kingdom and see what he was up to." Koori looked up at her Master, unaware of her nudity since he had seen her naked many times.
"How is he? Did he escape? Is the city in ruin? Is little Mizu doing well?" Koori had plenty of questions and Zhao raised his silvery hand to shush her.
"Your brother escaped shortly after you were captured. He is with his wife and the infant. They are headed south in search of refuge, but they will find none," Zhao said, smiling cruelly at his statement.
"Obviously your death did nothing for your views toward this war, Master," Koori said, pushing the bubbles around the water like a child.
"My death changed nothing. I still believe that the Fire Nation is superior. Nothing will ever make me change my mind."
Koori gave Zhao a pouty look. "Perhaps if you weren't so narrow-minded, you wouldn't have been cursed with chains."
Zhao glared at the girl. He stepped into the tub and waded next to his concubine. "For all that I have done for you so far, you would think that you wouldn't say such things," he commented, grabbing her arm just below the shoulder and squeezing it tightly. Koori hissed and felt her arm being singed. Zhao's hand was removed and she saw the mark of the Ocean Spirit. "Imagine what would have happened to you had the Royal Head Mistress saw that little tattoo. Zhao the grasped her back and Koori moved away from him.
"I get it, Master," Koori said, short of breath. She grasped her arm. It had started to sizzle and she felt the pain go away. She looked to the perfumed water and shook her head. "I was wondering what happened to them."
Zhao's glare became an evil sneer that she had seen so many times. "Of course you did, because you are mine, and mine alone, correct?"
Koori looked up at her Master. The door to the room opened and Ai came through it. "Are you ready to get out and start the day?" her friend asked cheerfully. Ai grabbed a towel and threw it to the side of the tub.
Koori stared into Zhao's eyes. "Yes," she said.
-!-
The Head Mistress was present while Koori's makeup was being finished. "We have much to do today, do you think you girls can hurry up?" she asked, looking at her waving fan.
"Yes, Head Mistress," came a soft reply.
Koori was finished shortly after they applied the crimson lipstick. She was drug down a hallway and pushed into a room. The Head Mistress shortly followed her into the room and haughtily sat down on a chair near the door. Koori remained standing. She felt the presence of another body through her firebending and looked carefully. She heard scratches and then a candle was lit. The woman laid down the spark rocks she had used and looked at the concubine.
"This is her?" she asked. Koori got a close look at the woman, but her vision shifted, suddenly, there were two women standing before her. They separated and sat down on chairs ten feet away from Koori. "Welcome to the Fire Nation, we are Lo and Li," they said.
Koori bowed. When she returned to her standing position, the older women were standing and scrutinizing her face. One grabbed her arm, the other grabbed her hair.
"She was found in the Earth Kingdom," the Head Mistress said with a smile. "She must have been the daughter of a noble because she has excellent manners and she was found in the palace."
The twins continued to look Koori over. They never grabbed for anything inappropriate. Their cold hands were signs that they were not benders. Koori's skin crawled as they both finished at the same time and sat down in the chairs. "We find you suitable," they both said. They both looked at each other and then nodded. The Head Mistress stood from the chair she was in and walked over behind Koori.
"I will leave you in the care of Lady Lo and Lady Li, they are to teach you something special," she said. Koori gulped and the Head Mistress turned to leave. She opened the door and it shut with a small click. Koori stared at the older women who were smiling up at her, their eyes closed.
"We know who you are. We know all about you," they said.
Ohs no! What does this mean?
