Katara, Zuko, and Iroh were invited to dinner in the Captain's cabin. She was dressed in an outfit she planned to wear in Ba Sing Se. Tohru had been a dear and had worked hard to get the wrinkles out of it since it had still been packed.

Katara had watched her toiling away and placed her hand gently on her shoulder. "You don't owe me. I can see it in your eyes."

She deflated. "I'm only here because I needed to escape. I'm not one of the group."

Katara had a feeling placating wouldn't work with her. She seemed too self-defeating to hear kind words. "I used you because it was convenient. I've thought of it a lot since you came to me terrified. The three of you arrived simultaneously, and you probably fell in with them because of that. I don't remember you actually ever participating in the biting. And sex acts with them probably felt safer than sex with men."

"We were really just practicing. We were all frightened to be found lacking and disposed of. When you brought us to the Fire Lord, we were all so relieved. Even if he got tired of us, the other men would want us more. They would take us and have us say they were better at sex than Ozai. We were sure we were safe." She shrugged. "And they really liked the biting. I didn't mind it, but I don't get off on it. Kyo offered to bite me without leaving marks, and I told him no."

"You were the ones that protected the harem and had those wretched dinners stopped. You did that, and no one said thank you."

Tohru blushed. "It's more than that, though. You gave me a chance for me to find out who I am. I don't even know. For so long, I was just trying to stay alive. Now I can actually live for the first time. You did that."

Katara cocked her head. "I like you. How handy is that, then? I get the privilege of making a new friend. And you're loyal. That I fully believe. That matters more now than any past. You don't know that Zuko's grandfather ordered my mother killed. I don't focus on the past. I learned there is joy in moving on."

"That must have been awful… Wait, didn't he order the last Waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe killed?"

Katara nodded, "he killed my mother. The thing was, she died in my place."

"What?"

Katara bent water and made a beautiful ice sculpture of a ship. "He meant me."

Tohru's hands flew to her mouth in shock. "You trust me that much?"

"Am I wrong?"

"No! Never!" she shook her head. "Who knows?"

"Zuko, and Uncle. Well, and my brother. He's here on the ship. I'll introduce you later."

"How? How am I worthy enough?"

Katara took Tohru's hands in hers and looked her in the eyes. "You're just going to have to trust me for now. You'll learn." She was glad to feel like she got through to her even a little bit.

And now she was walking into dinner, looking like a Fire Lady in all but the crown. The gold bangles and dragon necklace were wrapped around her.

The Captain held her seat out for her as Zuko grumbled. The man chuckled. "I only attempt to show her honor."

Iroh smiled and looked around. "Five place settings?"

Just then, Sokka entered, carting in a lot of food. "I was told to stay and serve you?"

The Captain laughed and said. "That is our cover. Please sit. What's your real name?"

"What?"

"Shouldn't I have Katara's brother at dinner too? I didn't want to break your cover."

Sokka flopped in his seat. "Well, crap. That didn't work. But food," he said, perking up. "It's a win! My name is Sokka." He raised his water glass and said, "what gave me away?"

"I didn't hear anything, but I wondered why someone from the engine room would be drinking on the ship's deck so casually with the heir to the throne. Then I looked at you in the light. You look like her."

Zuko frowned. "Noted."

The Captain was enjoying himself. He loved proving he was useful, and he wanted to be with Zuko. "Now. Fire Lord Ozai gives me shit assignments. I never kissed his ass or fucked a whore to get his attention, so he ignored me. My wife's family connections got me to be Captain. And you can say what you want, but he meant this as a shit assignment. He doesn't think you can best your sister. He thinks you'll come home in shame."

He began placing out the food himself. "And now I have the true heir on my ship. Iroh, you should have been Fire Lord."

"I don't want it," Iroh admitted.

The Captain nodded. "Do you know that when your son was reported dead, my wife wept? She changed into mourning and grieved for him. She never laid eyes on him once, and I would find her crying for him." He set the last plate out and sat. "When she was alive, she consistently sailed with me. I loved and love her more than is probably healthy. It wasn't good for my career. That's for sure."

He gestured to the food. "Eat up."

As they began eating, listening to him in rapt attention, he leaned back and continued. "And now I want something—an admiralty. My youngest son has lofty goals for a woman, and she's worth even more than her parents know. The problem is he has four older brothers. I felt like a failure. I couldn't raise myself enough to help him. And then Nozomu hinted you were different, and this isn't a shit assignment. You can't imagine how much I enjoyed getting my ass kicked by you, Zuko. I thought you were a prick. I was wrong."

He then opened a bottle of fire whisky and poured some into the empty glasses on the table at each place setting. "And now I have hope." He turned and looked at Zuko. "Please, let me be a help to you. I will serve you faithfully. Iroh has abdicated his claim to the throne in my mind and has endorsed you. I don't see this as sedition but as setting things right."

Sokka shot back the fire whisky, and tears streamed from his eyes. "You're freaking awesome!"

Katara shot her drink, too, and smirked at her brother. "And you're a wuss."

"How can you do that?" he asked in shock. "Doesn't it burn!?"

"I'm Fire Nation. Remember that."

The Captain laughed. "You, I haven't figured out. You're not a mistress. That I know, but legally, you are. So you're an enigma."

Zuko shrugged. "The council wants her to be my wife. My father objects. I don't. Assume when you get your admiralty, she first becomes Fire Lady." And there it was—the promise of a promotion.

Sokka smiled. "It's not boring."

The Captain gave a wry smile. "I have a feeling with her as a sister it never was."

"True." he then pointed at the man while holding a glass of fire whiskey he had filled himself. "Do you know your lieutenant has a woman in his room?"

"Yes, he doesn't know that I am aware. But I don't object. She's a run away from the Fire Lord's own harem, and she 'negotiated' passage. He's a good man. I'm waiting for him to admit to me she's there, and then I can officiate a wedding. He's in love with her. I see it in his eyes and confidence."

"I would know her," Katara remarked.

He shook his head. "She hadn't quite made it there. He rescued her on the way to the doctor. She was a virgin. He protected her, so I let him have his secret. It probably makes it even hotter having her in his bed."

"Do you still trust him?" Iroh asked.

The Captain shrugged. "I shouldn't. But I like that he protected the innocent. And I'm not fooled. He would never have forced her. She went willingly."

Katara laughed. "Sounds like me."

"So gross!" Sokka complained.

Zuko knew he had the next move. "Tell your son you're one dead Fire Lord away from the admiralty. Actually, on second thought, don't say that. Tell him your star is rising."

The Captain bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you, my true Fire Lord."

That night Katara stripped and bowed to Zuko. "Fire Lord. I am your servant, and my only hope is your every desire."

"Sorry. That isn't working for me, Katara."

"What?"

He pulled her up off her knees. "You don't come to me as my servant. You come to me as an equal. I want you willing in your power. I want you. Don't submit to me."

She rolled her hips seductively, "so role play isn't your thing."

He growled low, "not that kind!" He locked eyes with her. "My equal."

"Prince. I'm the Chief's daughter. Wanna rough fuck?"

"Desperately."

He smiled as he pulled her onto their bed. "I've heard of your legendary beauty –they weren't lying. You are gorgeous, and your body does look like it came out of a sex dream."

"And you, my prince, look so dangerous. It's wildly erotic. Just looking into your lust-filled eyes goes straight to my core." She climbed over him and licked his neck. "I want your cock."

He rolled her to her back and pulled off her clothes. Once he did, his hands caressed her body. "You're stunning." He penetrated her with two fingers. "And wet. You like being touched by the Fire Nation heir, don't you? It's so forbidden, so naughty of you."

She started riding his fingers. "And you like playing with the Chief's daughter. You know this gets you so hot. You couldn't beat my father, so you want me under your power."

"I'd settle for your body under me," he growled. "I want you. I want to fuck you because you're so damn sexy. I want to watch you fall apart on my cock, screaming my name because that would be the single most erotic sight in the world."

He stripped and thrust his cock in her. "Who's on top now?!" He set a steady pace. "I'm fucking the most amazing… Shit, Katara. I love you. Roleplay aside, this feels so good."

She nipped at his bottom lip. "The drag of your cock and how it fills me up…" she moaned. "I feel so full. You're so big. I love the way it feels when you enter me and stretch me."

He pulled out completely, brought the tip of his cock to her entrance, and slowly penetrated her. He moaned, feeling her stretch and squeeze his dick.

"Yes! So good." She looked down and watched his cock as he did the same thing again.

"Fuck damn, Katara. You're so tight."

"Any cunt would feel tight to a cock that big," she praised.

He chuckled darkly, "you love my cock."

"It's the first thing I loved about you, Zuko. After the first time you had me –you took my virginity; I adored your cock." He slowly penetrated her again. "Oh yeah!" she yelled. "Fuck me. Have my body and drive me wild. I want you!"

His hips paused, changed angles, and she started seeing white. He drove himself balls deep, bottoming out and hitting her G-spot perfectly.

He smirked, "like that?"

"More. More fucking –more. Please. Take me harder!"

She lost her mind. She was screeching and writhing and clawing at his back, leaving red marks. He did just as she asked and drove himself in deep and hard. She was meeting him thrust for thrust and was blind with pleasure. She orgasmed, and he was so hot for her, and her reaction, he rough fucked her through it all. He grit his teeth and kept diving himself into her frantically. When he orgasmed, he spilled his seed in her and collapsed on her, panting and desperate for air.

He smirked at her, "do you have any voice left?" She just shook her head.

Tohru was having the best time of her life. She couldn't imagine a greater thrill. Kei wanted to be her friend. She had been approached by the sweet woman. And had been nervously asked to talk. Her palms started sweating. Initially, she had been scared.

Kei rolled her eyes. "I want to be friends with you.

"Why?"

"Kyo is a good man," Kei replied. "You are smart enough to value him. I want to know you better."

Tohru wept bitter tears. "I don't deserve any of this!"

"That's not your decision. Is it?"

"I'm a whore."

"Technically, Katara and Aya are. Can you call them that? Also, I would point out that you're free now."

Tohru scoffed. "They aren't. Not in any way that matters."

Kei nodded, "exactly. And when you got the chance to choose, you picked a good man."

"I'm his as long as he will have me. I've never known a better man. Or had better sex. Seriously, he's so amazing."

Yamato slugged Kyo in the arm. Kyo glared at him. "What was that for you, dick!?"

"For not telling me about you and Tohru. Do you really think I would believe she was just someone to get your cock wet? Why didn't you tell me!?"

Kyo frowned. "We used to joke about the Fire Lord's women. I was afraid of what you would think of me."

Yamato chuckled, "that you're having epically hot sex? Or that when that woman we used to belittle was given freedom and a choice, she's shown she has the good sense to want you? You're my best friend and a great guy. She's lucky to have you."

"She's so kind. She's constantly worried that she isn't 'good' –that deranged man belittled her so much. She made her brother sell her to the harem so he would have food to eat. She's been through so much, and I want to protect her from ever being hurt again."

"And," Yamato added, "you have the security of knowing Katara likes and trusts her. She seems to have a sixth sense about people. There is security in that."

"True. I just don't know if I can keep her. I'm afraid of her getting skittish and running out on me."

Yamato nodded. "Kei got me thinking about that. She said you'd be afraid to try to tie her down. But what of it set her free? If you gave her a choice to be exclusive with you and in a relationship, she still would be able to make her own decision. That and you say she's apprehensive about feeling worthy. It could give tangible proof you really are into her."

Kyo blinked owlishly at Yamato. "You think that would work and not freak her out?"

"I know it won't be bad to give her a choice. She's had those taken away from her a lot."

Aya giggled as Haru walked hand in hand with her on the deck of the ship. "What has you in such a good mood?" He asked.

"Life. I mean, there is the small problem of trying to figure out how actually to kill Ozai," she said jokingly. "But life is so good. I'm going to marry you."

He smiled and pulled her into his arms. "I'm so excited about that too. We have a timeline now. I have to marry you before you give me a child. Or else they can't be my heir, legally."

"If it doesn't work, ask the Fire Lord for special dispensation. You know Zuko would help us."

"Good point."

"What's on your mind?" Tohru asked. She then walked over and crawled into bed. "You look deep in thought."

Kyo smiled at a gloriously naked Tohru and caressed her body. "I was thinking about you." He had emphasized the 'you' by pinching her nipple.

"Good or bad?" She asked with wide venerable eyes.

He rolled his eyes at her in response and grabbed her breasts. "No bad news in bed ever. It's the new rule."

"So something good," she said, smiling.

As he began fondling her breasts, he shrugged. "My best answer is I hope so. But you have a choice in all of this, and I need you not to freak out on me."

"You have me nervous now," she admitted. She then moaned as he played rougher with her breasts.

"A relationship, one where we are exclusive. It's your choice. I won't demand that, and a 'no' doesn't get you kicked out of my bed." He pressed her to her back and sank two fingers into her wet pussy. "I'm having way too much fun with you." He curled his fingers and said, "a relationship where you can choose how long you want to stay in it. One where you are free to know I'm only with you." He then began thumbing her clit too.

"Why me? Why do you even want me? I get you like the sex, but…." She moaned as he sped up his pace.

He nibbled her breast and smiled. "I like who you are. And you, understanding that or not, doesn't change the facts. I want to take you on dates and for walks."

She smiled and began to ride his fingers. "Care to have wild sex with your girlfriend?"

He smirked and sucked his fingers clean. "Think I can get lucky on our first date?"

She laughed and shook her head. "No –during."

He thrust his cock into her. "I like the way you think."

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