A/N:
Back with another chapter!
Chapter 14:
"Are these the girls you told me about?" Zhao asked Ming as he looked each of the young women in their respective uniform over. They all had their eyes cast to the floor as he walked by them as they were lined up side by side. The former admiral studied them closely, walking by repeatedly to make sure he got a good look of them. He was rather impressed with the selection. The women were all beautiful and just what his establishment needed.
Carrying his folded fan in hand as it rested on the bend of his arm, Zhao hummed to himself. "Very nice, Ming. Definitely better than that other group you brought me. I had to assign them all to maid duty."
Ming smiling as she stood beside her master, "And this one." Stopping in front of the browner complexioned woman of the group. "This is the blue-eyed one I told you about, Sapphire. She's from the North Pole."
Zhao's eyes fell on this Northern woman in an instance, immediately remembering his time in the North Pole. She was rather familiar in her presence. Perhaps, they crossed paths while he was trying to conquer the north.
"Woman, raise your gaze. Let me see your eyes." Zhao instructed.
Katara exhaled softly and looked up to who was the man in charge and instantly, her breath caught in her throat. This was immediately followed by a grin on the man's face as he stepped closer to her and reached to take a lock of her false black hair.
"So we've met before, Sapphire?" Zhao grinned as he rubbed her strands between his fingers.
Swallowing hard as she stuttered, "I-I I'm not sure…"
"Oh, but your wide eyes say we have." He brought her lock of hair to his lips and pinned her with his gold eyes before dropping her lock of hair. "Do not fear. My days of trying to conquer you water savages are over. At least in that sense. I much rather appreciate the beauties from the north and you, Sapphire, are a beauty."
Zhao stepped away from Katara, who was disguised and went to Ming. The two spoke in whispers while the group stood still waiting to hear if the headmaster approved or wanted to make changes to the positions in which the women had been assigned. He decided to leave all of them in the positions but he did make one call.
"Sapphire, dear, I believe you'd do better as a working girl. You'd make plenty more servicing men and with your beauty, they might just ask you to sit there and look pretty. What do you say?" Zhao pinned her again with his eyes.
Katara felt a shiver run down her back as she quickly shook her head and declined, saying that that kind of work was not for her, she just wasn't cut out. Zhao then offered to help her get more acclimated in such a role but her answer was the same nonetheless.
Sighing as he shrugged his shoulders, "Fine if that's truly what you want but if you change your mind, I'd gladly change your position."
The women were all then dismissed but as she was about to leave, Katara was stopped by an arm blocking her from leaving out the doorway. Her trembling eyes trailed up the arm to its owner and gulped.
"I know you must have hard feelings about your home but I assure you, those days are over. Allow me to make it up to you. I'll allow you to start your first shift tonight. You can shadow one of my finest servers, how about that? Get a head start on all the new recruits." The former admiral's grin grew wider as he leaned closer. Wanting nothing but to get away, Katara thanked him and hurried along.
…..
"I said I'm fine, Sokka. Geez!" Suki said as she and the remains of the gaang left off the ship.
They arrived in a major port city just southwest of Bei Seng Sei. As they all stood by the carriage that was supposed to escort Zuko to the summit, Sokka and Suki argued about whether she was fit enough to ride the ostrich horses through the Earth Kingdom. Of course, everyone agreed with Sokka, they had seen how under the weather Suki had been.
Toph sighed and shoved Sokka away, "Look, tuts. I gotta go check on somethings back at my estate. Zuko needs someone with him that he can trust." She leaned closer and tried whispering, "He's got abandonment issues, ya know?"
"No, I don't, Toph!" Zuko fumed.
Sokka cringed as he looked at the upset Fire Lord. "You kinda do, man."
Zuko glared at Sokka as Toph refocused everyone's attention on the issue at hand. "I need you to go to Bei Seng Sei in my place and make sure that Zuko is alright. Maybe a head pat or a belly rub here and there to keep him happy." The blind earthbender said.
The Kyoshi warrior looked up at her boyfriend with a reluctant stare. She didn't want to go without him but their friends were just as worried as him. She sighed and gave in. Zuko helped her inside the carriage while shooting a look at Toph.
"You weren't planning on coming with me, were you?" He narrowed his eyes at her.
Shrugging her shoulders, "Looks like I'm caught. Oh well, take care of fan-girl over there. Make sure she doesn't drink any booze and stay away from stairs."
"Huh?"
Toph chuckled and told him that he'll understand soon enough. She knew why Zuko didn't get it. Katara had stayed away during her pregnancy to keep it secret. But Snoozle should at least be able to guess. Geez, she really missed Katara. Sugar Queen would have been a lot more helpful with this kind of thing.
….
"Zhao's the headmaster here?!" Katara barged in Ty Lee's room as the acrobat was getting prepared for her shift.
Applying a thick coat of red paint to her lips, Ty Lee didn't turn to face away from her mirror. "Yeah." She said, "I figured it was best not to tell you with all the crazy stuff you're going through, ya know? You've got a ton of stress you need deal with first. One more thing could just cause you to implode on yourself. I didn't want to be the one to do that to you."
Katara would knock the girl upside the head if that didn't sound like a somewhat good excuse, nonetheless, it seemed to stress her out more not having been prepared to see Zhao here. If he had recognized her, it would be game over. There was no doubt he and Ozai were working together.
Oh dear La, the waterbender slid down to the floor and held her stomach as she was about to be sick. If those two were working together then that meant-
"Ty Lee, where exactly does the headmaster stay?"
Brushing her hair, "Here. The inner sanctum of this place is just like any lord's estate. Zhao and a few of his contacts stay there. Seems like he's involved with the rebels. But I wouldn't sweat it, us girls aren't allowed in that part unless we're given permission. So you have nothing to fear."
Sure, we're not allowed back there but they're allowed here. La damn it, how was she so dumb?! Ozai said his contacts used a Geisha house as a coverup for their true operations. This was great. Just great. She was so getting caught.
"Isn't this a good thing? That means you're in the same place as your son. You just gotta find a way to get to him." Ty Lee mentioned.
That is right! Katara suddenly felt hope swell up in her. Kai is here!
As the waterbender found it possible to rejoice in being here, Ty Lee had finished preparing herself and walked over to her.
"Now come on. Let's get ready. You're my shadow for this evening." she said as she lifted Katara to her feet.
Dressed for her first shift, Katara had the exact same thing on as she did last night when Ming had trained her, wearing the black wig Ty Lee bought her to disguise herself. Meeting with the acrobat down the hall, Katara was handed a small cup of sake.
"Drink this. It loosens you up some but not too much that you lose your balance and trip." Ty Lee said.
Taking the cup, the waterbender drank it fast and swallowed it. Sake and her were not the best of friends. She much preferred red wine.
Ming came knocking on every girl's door to let them know it was showtime. Customers were rolling in and customer assignments were about to be passed out. Since it was Katara's first night, she would be mirroring Ty Lee.
"Be flirty and friendly. Flirty and friendly." Katara tried reminding herself.
Making it downstairs, Ty Lee grabbed two basins of sake and handed one to Katara. It was always best to assume your guest was drinking. So coming ready to fill their cups was always good.
"Jasmine and Sapphire, you two have room 237. Please be nice. They're Fire Nation but their the headmaster's guests." The guest coordinator told them as they placed the basin on their left shoulder like they were supposed to and swayed their hips on down to the room they were assigned.
Reaching the room, Ty Lee told the waterbender simply follow her lead and try not to worry.
"Hello, boys." The acrobat said as she pulled back the sheers and immediately went to one of them with her basin. Gently sinking to her knees, she took her basin and begun filling one of their cups with sake.
Noticing one of their serving ladies was standing idly by the doorway, "Is your friend shy over there?" One of the men pointed out.
Ty Lee giggled and looked to Katara, "Sapphire, why won't you come fill this man's cup and introduce yourself."
Nodding her head, the waterbender moved over to the man with her hips moving flirtatiously. Kneeling in front of him, she poured his drink and gazed up at him with a slightly frightened look in her eyes.
The man reached for his cup and kept his eyes on the pair of blue ones before him. She was beautiful. Perhaps, the prettiest girl here. Not to mention just the kind of girl he was ordered to be checking on. And seeing as she was new here, she was new in town. A perfect fit for the waterbender his master was looking for. However; she didn't quite look like the ambassador and he couldn't imagine her picking a place like this to hide. With it being the place their master was holding up. No way she'd end up here. But still, it was best to check out any blue eyes dame just in case.
"Sapphire is your name, is it?" The man grabbed his cup and took a sip. "New here?"
Katara nodded her head and went on to pour the cup of the man next to him.
"Ah, how nice. What brings you to Xiao Lu? Anything in particular?" He asked.
The waterbender wasn't stupid. She had been Ambassador for nearly three years, traveled all around the world, fought in a war, and dealt with Ozai first hand. She was being interrogated.
Offering her best seductive smile, "Just a place to call home. Being from the North, it's so strict. I wanted to live my own life." Taking her gran gran's story.
"Working in a brothel is what you wanted?" The man raised a brow.
Smirking behind her face mask that shaded her nose and lips, "Is it wrong that I want to serve you rather than be in my tribe?" Katara chuckled.
Watching the tribeswoman as she poured him another cup, the man questioning her smirked and raised his cup to her. "Why don't you drink with me, Sapphire?"
"Sorry, I'm not a fan of sake." The waterbender declined sweetly.
Having listened to his fellow rebel flirting with the poor girl serving them liquor, Shinji looked up from his fifth shot of fire whiskey, hoping to spare the young woman from further harassment. However; as he saw her and the nervous look on her face, the firebender nearly dropped his glass. It can't be.
"Then how about you come sit on my lap for a bit while I drink? It's not often you meet a beautiful woman from the Water Tribe." He narrowed his amber eyes at her with a smirk.
Katara looked back at him with an innocent confused stare. Why was he looking at her that way? Well, she knew he had to be one of Ozai's men. Fire Nation men with a hard presence seemed to be the type to follow Ozai. It was obvious, he liked her. She starting to find that her appearance was a curse. If she was half as attractive as she seemed to be now, these vulcher-like men would still want her. And that wasn't vanity speaking. It just seemed that way to her. Past month every man she's come across either wanted to fuck her and keep her or fuck her and kill her. Flattering as it may be seeing as not a single man eyed her in the last four years or at least didn't due to Zuko, she was starting to really hate the attention.
Ty Lee noticed there was tension between her friend and the man she was serving, so she crawled her way over to them. Wrapping one arm around her friend's shoulder.
"Looks like you want a private audience with our sweet little Sapphire here. It's gonna be extra if you want to touch." Ty Lee smiled though she was dead serious. So many men wanted to feel them up and not pay. Like hell. This was a brothel and Geisha house. That kind of thing needed to be charged.
Eyes still resting on the waterbender as she nervously stared at him, hoping he'd decline, the man smirked some more and took out the bag of coins on his hip.
Tossing several gold coins at the two women, "Private room, red wine, and I want full reign with this lovely minx."
Bastard! Katara hissed in her head. First night and she was already getting hit on. Shit!
"Sorry, Rohan, but she's my kind of gal," Shinji said tossing his coin bag at them. "How's that for the rest of the night?"
Meeting eyes with the dressed up waterbender, Shinji gave her a knowing look and she dropped her head immediately. La, I'm so dead.
"Ah! Look who's miss popular. First night and you get two men wanting a private audience, Sapphire." The acrobat giggled.
Reluctantly, the waterbender stood to her feet and offered her hand to the man that wanted to be alone with her. She was fortunate it was Shinji and that he recognized her. La, knew she'd be in serious trouble if anyone else discovered her.
As he took her hand, Shinji let himself be led out of the room while his men all whistled and cheered at him. They hadn't realized this was purely business for him. Getting Katara out of their sight and alone so that they could speak.
When Katara brought him down the hall where the serving girl's entertained their private guests, she could hear more than she wanted. All ladies were allowed to serve their guests' needs. Only those that weren't working girls had to charge extra for sexual favors.
As she found an unoccupied room, the waterbender pulled back the red and gold beads draping the doorway and let him in after her. He went to take a seat on the sofa and just as Katara sighed under her breath, a co-worker came to her with a basin of red wine as requested. She accepted it and brought to her guest who hadn't looked away from her.
"Do you realize where you're at?" Shinji asked her as she took the two glasses from under the low table and set it above it, pouring the red content into both.
Handing him the glass she made him, "Until this morning, no. I only realized it after I ended up meeting Zhao this morning. He doesn't recognize me but he knows I know him. He thinks I'm from the North Pole."
"Agni, you've got yourself in the deepest shit I've ever seen someone get themselves." Shinji couldn't bring himself to drink right now as he refused it, covering his face with his hands that ran up into his hair as he tried to wrap his head around this.
Suddenly burdened with the realization of everything, Katara sat the glass he rejected on the small round table and clasped her hands together, exhaling softly as she rested herself against the sofa. She knew Shinji had wanted to help her but she couldn't bring herself to accept it. Whether it was pride or mistrust, she really couldn't say but she knew nothing could be changed now. He was more than likely going to have to hand her over to Ozai now. And she was going to have to face her punishment. No way she was just going to up and leave knowing the Kai could be somewhere on these grounds.
Shinji looked over at her and pushed her black false bangs from her eyes, "I won't hand you over to him. Not if you don't want me to."
"Huh?!" She seemed confused.
"Don't look at me like that. I already told you I wanted to help." He stood up from the sofa and gazed upon her. "But I still have to tell him I found you. I have to let him know you're here. I'll convince him to leave you be for the time being but you need not run. Your son is here and Ozai-"
"What?! He's what?!" Katara stood and clenched his clothes in her fist as she stared him dead in his eyes.
Placing his hands on her shoulder, Shinji told her how her son now believes that Ozai was his father. Katara's breath caught in her throat as she sunk back onto the sofa and stared blankly at the small table in front of her. What? What Shinji just told her sounded so absurd. Her son thought Ozai was his father? Oh Tui and La, she could laugh. As if that would ever happen in a million years.
The waterbender began laughing to herself as she slid her hand up into her fake hair and looked up at Shinji that rose his brow at her. "Why? Why would he make my son believe that? It's a load of crap."
"Well...Kai is his grandson so technically-"
"Technically, nothing! Kai is Zuko's son not that damn bastards!" Katara snarled defensively as she was back on her feet, now jabbing him in the chest as she stood toe to toe with Shinji. "Zuko is Kai's father! No one else is! I don't care what anyone says! My son doesn't need any other to be that for him! Especially not that good for nothing bastard! He's doing this to spite me!"
Watching the waterbender stress out about this piece of information caused another question to pop in Shinji's head. When she finally got a hold of herself, pacing back and forth, he asked her. Katara stood still in an instance as she looked at him with wide eyes that soon narrowed at him as her lips twitched back into a snarl. Clearly, he should have picked better timing.
Balling her fist as her abdomen, Katara glared at Shinji. "If I am, I'll kill whatever seed he planted in me. I refuse to carry a monster child of his."
While he knew she was talking purely out of her outright hate for Ozai, he knew someone like her wouldn't be able to make such a decision so easily. She'd definitely consider before doing something to harm an innocent, even if it was the child of the man she hated. Shinji just hoped it didn't come to that.
Sighing, "I guess you can do whatever you want for the rest of the night. I paid enough to keep you from having to put up with any other men tonight. So get you some rest, I suggest. I don't know what tomorrow brings so just be ready for whatever happens. Alright?"
Katara sighed as well as her nervous relaxed, "Okay, I will."
"And pleased don't run off again. For the love of Agni, if you want to see your son again, do not take off like you did. I can't promise how safe he'll be with our master if you piss him off further."
Rolling her eyes, "Okay, I said 'okay'."
"Just making sure."
"Well, if that's all, go on and tell your 'boss' I'm here. Unless you're trying to stay for a dance which I'd feel obligate at this point to do since you've been looking out for me."
Shinji's brows raised at her again to which earn him a groan.
"I was kidding now leave before I do."
Finding the waterbender to be amusing, Shinji chuckled as he pulled the beaded veil out of the way as he left and told the waterbender to be on her best behavior unless she wanted trouble. Of course, she took it at a jab since she never really behaved.
All you Fire Nation men are assholes!
…..
Shinji made his way to where his master was in the inner sanctum of the brothel. Finding him in the gardens with the small child sitting over his shoulders and watching the sunset, the young firebender found it odd that his master would be bonding with the child of his disgraced son.
"Papa, will my hair grow this long?" Kai took a lock of his 'father's' hair.
Chuckling, "Of course." Ozai was taking a strange liking to the boy.
As Shinji approached, Kai laid his cheek against the crown of his dad's and looked at the man.
"My lord, I have news regarding the waterbender." Shinji started. "She's here."
Ozai's expression hardened.
"My mama's a waterbender." Kai asked in curiosity. "Is she here?"
"It would seem so." Ozai told the boy in as calm a tone as he could muster.
Kai cheered. He was happy to hear he'd be seeing his mother soon. It was annoying to him to have these other women try to be like her and they weren't.
Shinji tried not looking at the boy casually sitting on the shoulders of his master, laying against his head. While the look of the Fire Nation was all over this boy, he had his mother's face and her presence. Perhaps, that was why Lord Ozai had taking a liking in the boy. Whether he'd ever admit it or not, his master liked the waterbender. More than for his personal pleasure.
Taking Kai down from his shoulders, Ozai placed the boy on his feet and patted his head. "It's nearly time to eat your supper. Go with one of the ladies to the dining room. I have business to take care of."
Kai nodded his head and did as his father told him. Racing to the patio where the women were entertaining themselves with music and card games. They all coed at the four year old that came to tell them his papa wanted him to go to supper.
Ozai waited till the women took his grandson off to the dining room before looking back to Shinji.
"She's a server in the brothel. I ran into her there last night." Shinji told him.
"Why wasn't she brought to me?" Ozai asked as he was truly curious as to why that girl was tied up and thrown at his feet.
Shinji told him that she was no threat to him there. She wasn't planning on leaving as she figured her son was here. This worked better for them as she would no longer cause a ruckus or impede his work with her shenanigans. Having her work for the brothel was the best way to keep her close and not have to deal with the trouble she caused by being so close.
"You should have warned your friend not to run from me if you wanted her to come out of this unscathed." Ozai spat spiteful making a jab at the friendship Shinji developed with the waterbender. "Make Zhao aware that she works for him. I know he'll bring her to me."
Later that night, Ozai was on his way to his chambers when he walked passed his grandson's room that had smoke coming from it. He immediately busted the door down and entered the room to see the boy in his bed asleep with flames spurring out of control around him. Kai was in the middle of a nightmare and had accidentally set his room on fire. Ozai pulled the collar of his robe and covered his mouth as he went to grab the boy.
"Kai!" He yelled as he grabbed the four year old and tried leaving the room, however; the flames grew higher and hotter. Ozai loathed that his connection to his element was gone but he remembered Shinji telling him why the waterbender ran. He burned her by accident while in bed with her. Some parts of his bending had returned.
Covering the boy's face to keep him from inhaling the smoke, Ozai closed his eyes and concentrated as best he could, hoping to feel some connection with the flames. He needed to dispel them quick before they suffocated. In seconds, the flames disbursed and Ozai ran from the room holding his grandson to him. Outside, Ozai fell into the grass coughing and wheezing. His attention went to the boy who hadn't stirred from his sleep.
"Kai!" He yelled at the boy and tried waking him up. "Kai!"
Coughing, the four year old started waking up and opening his eyes.
Ozai was relieved as he laid there in the grass trying to get a hold of himself. "Thank Agni." He groaned.
"Papa?" Kai sat up and looked to his dad laying in the grass coughing his lungs out. "Papa, are you alright?"
"Yes." Ozai tried getting up but struggled. He had taken too much of that smoke into his lungs. Rolling onto his back, he hoped to get more fresh air into his system and started coughing even more.
The four year old panicked and crawled over to him, "Papa!"
"I'm alright, boy." He tried telling the boy.
Shaking his head, "I don't want you to get dead and be useless, papa!" Kai started crying.
If Ozai wasn't choking on every intake of breath, he'd laugh at the boy. Clearly, he had been paying to close attention to him when talking to his subordinates. "Then don't sit there crying, boy. Go get help."
Kai, once again, got up and did as told by his father. The former tyrant watched the boy hurry to find someone. It didn't make sense to him why he liked the boy so much but he knew that it had something to do with how obedient the boy was. Not to mention the boy was able to bend even while asleep. Ozai knew the boy would need a tutor in order to control his vast amount of power. As he thought, the boy would be promising. He had no doubt.
…..
Early the next morning while getting dressed in a simple uniform kimono, Katara was asked by one of the girls across the hall from her if she could help with cleaning the linen. She agreed only because she knew it looked better for her to not isolate herself. So outside in the courtyard of the brothel, Katara washed the linens with the women that invited her. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail as she had her sleeves rolled up. She scrubbed the linens in the tubs of soapy water they had set up. It was like being in the village as a young girl when she and the other women had to clean while the men went out to war. Though it was during the middle of the war that took both her parents from her, those days had been so simple and bearable.
Feeling more at ease, Katara even hummed to herself while some of the women more familiar with one another played and splashed each other. It was just like back then.
"Enough of that, ladies. Save that playfulness for our guests in the evening." The headmaster strolled by with his entourage of personal servants following behind him. But as he strolled by, he spotted that tribeswoman, Sapphire, among them. Snapping his finger for one of his servants to come to his ear. "Are we sure it's her?"
Whispering a confirmation in his ear, Zhao shooed his servants away to go on ahead of him. As they did, Zhao stepped down into the courtyard with his arms in his sleeves. He made his way to the tribeswoman and tapped her on her shoulder with his fan as she knelt by the tub she was cleaning the linen in
"Oh little miss Sapphire, would you join me for a walk? "
Flinching, Katara felt a cold sweat travel down her back as she reluctantly rose to her feet and pulled the linen up with her. "Yes, master." she bowed her head.
"Leave it and follow me."
Walked into the inner sanctum, Katara kept her head bowed and shifted her hair to hang down over her face more. She wasn't taking the chances of running into Ozai here. La, he'd slice her throat the first chance he got. Probably worse knowing him. He wasn't going to make her death quick and easy. She reeled her fear in as to not draw more attention to herself. Just because Ozai might already be aware she was here didn't mean they needed to see one another. Especially after those things she said.
Arriving in Zhao's study, he welcomed her to take a seat on the sofa and as she sat, holding her hands together, the headmaster stood in front of her with his crooked smile.
"So I find I was right. We do know each other though not too well. You're just that pesky girl that kept getting in my way when I tried capturing the Avatar." Zhao stated as looked her over. "But seeing as you've not only managed to get yourself wrapped in the royal family and have become quite the lovely girl, I figured I should bother getting to know you."
Katara finally lifted her head to meet the former admiral's gaze. Silent and careful with her expression, the waterbender tried thinking of what his angle was for bringing her here. Was this Ozai's plan or something separate? She couldn't be too sure as she was in quite the predicament.
Sliding himself beside her on the sofa, Zhao threw his arm around her on the back of the sofa and leaned close to her. She gave him a look that made it clear his advances were not welcomed. However; this did nothing to deter him. He simply grinned and took a lock of her fake her. With a small tug, her wig fell off and her brown shoulder length wavy curls came into view.
"I'm told to keep an eye on you as you're not trustworthy. I hear you've inconvenienced our master more than plenty on your way here. He wants to have you punished. Tortured, perhaps. However; I offered him an alternative. Would you like to hear it, precious Sapphire?"
No, not really.
Zhao leaned off of her and smiled as his hand dangled over his mouth with his elbow resting on the back of the sofa like an armrest. "The perfect and most obedient servant there is. One that would willingly humiliate herself and do so with a smile on her face."
Katara's brows furrowed immediately.
"It's that or I can throw you to the worst of my men who will undoubtedly have their way with you and kill that bastard child of yours once his usefulness runs out, maybe cut pieces off of him and send him to his father that I'm sure would be thrilled to know he has a son. What will it be, waterbender? You have ten seconds to give me an answer."
The waterbender's eyes widened.
"One. Two. Three. Four. Fiv-"
"I submit." She stopped his count.
Grinning, "How am I to believe you? You have the tendency to lie."
Rising from the sofa, Katara got down on her knees and proceeded to bend herself to the floor. A full and humble bow.
"I think you might be bowing to the wrong person, child."
Zhao smirked as she rose her head to see him gesture his head to what was behind her. And as she slowly turned her head to look over her shoulder, Katara's eyes widened. Standing with the most stark gaze she had ever since a person wear was Ozai. Dressed in a black kimono and red outer coat trimmed in gold. His hands in his sleeves as he stepped from behind the sliding door and into the room. A small group of women accompanied him. All of them dressed and painted as geishas. They were beautiful. Absolutely so. It made her feel incredibly inferior as a woman. Their elegance and grace was far greater than she could ever mimic. Her upbring played a lot into that.
Anyway, her eyes focused back on Ozai and she felt her head hang as she could no longer hold his gaze.
"She says she submits, my lord. Do we believe her?"
Ozai said nothing as he walked over to the single chair in the middle of the room. Sitting, his female servants knelt beside him, one even laid her head in his lap like a pet. He petted her head as he looked at the waterbender. She still hadn't looked back at him. She knew as well as he did, that this wasn't going to end well for her.
Not wanting to speak directly to the wench that ran away, "Tell her to remove her clothes."
Katara's eyes widened as she lifted her head up and immediately looked at him.
"You heard him, girl. Strip." Zhao said as he lounged about the sofa, wanting to see the girl nude.
Swallowing what was a lump of fear and pride, Katara slowly and carefully lifted herself from the ground. Zhao's threat played in her head. Her son, he'd suffer if she didn't become this perfect servant he spoke of. As if she had fallen far enough, she managed to reach a new low.
Fingertips touched her collarbone and drifted to the fabric of her kimono. With all but too much ease, her shoulder was revealed and the sleeve on her right side hung off her as she pulled her arm from it. She could hear one of the women make a rather sensual sound in her mouth as Zhao did the same. It was not unexpected. Katara figured out a while ago people were not accustomed to seeing her piercings and with her breast exposed, she tried to ignore the responses she was getting.
Growing annoyed with how slow the waterbender was undressing, Ozai snapped his fingers and two of his servants had practically attacked her, ripping her clothes from her. He was rather amused by how much a fight she put up, only making it that much easier for the women to strip her. And once they were done, he ordered them both back to him.
In the middle of the room naked and curled into herself, Katara shivered as she looked up from her fallen curls in her face. How she wanted to tear into him and call him out. How she wanted to lunge at him and rip out his throat. La, she wanted to make him pay for doing this to her. For bringing her here. For taking her son. For ever being the pathetic excuse of a man he was. What he failed to realized, he caused her a lot more suffering than he knew. She didn't even know his face or name and he had taken from her. Starting with the last raid that took her mother and sending Azula to hunt her and her friends down. Ozai hadn't just shown up and started causing her misery. He had always been there, out of sight but never out of mind, making her life a living hell. He killed her father. In cold blood, he killed her father and now he had her son, using him against her just to further humiliate her as if he hadn't already had enough. And even knowing how much she swelled with hatred for him, Katara didn't allow the hatred the power to take over and lay waste to this bastard of a man.
"How would you like to have her for the night, Zhao?"
Zhao grinned as he watched the look of shock and horror build in the waterbender's eyes. "Are you sure, my lord? I figured you wouldn't want anyone touching your little pet."
"Perhaps, I'm in a generous mood today." Ozai said as he stood up and his servants rose with him, his eyes hardening at the waterbender. "Unless, it decides it truly wants to co-operate."
Falling into another humbled bow as she shook, "Pl-please." She cried as she pleaded. "I will do anything. Anything. But don't give me to him. Please! I beg of y-"
"Put her on a leash and walk her to my chambers." Ozai cut her off. Truth be told, he wasn't interested in giving up his toy just yet, though she didn't need to know that. He just needed her to know how serious he was and the instance that she does cross him again, he'd let every last man in here have her.
Putting on a leash with a gag placed over her mouth, Katara was ordered to walk on her hands and knees like an animal. One of Ozai's women did the honors of walking her while another rode on her back, giggling behind her fan that she used occasionally to spank the waterbender. If matters weren't already bad, the hall was rather crowded with men that stopped to get a look at the utter humiliating position she was in. Worst of all, Lao saw her and he didn't pass up making a crude remark.
"Finally in your place, water peasant." He said as he tilted his head to get a look of her exposed body. "I hope our master doesn't mind sharing."
If Katara wasn't being forced to remain on all fours and paraded about like some damn animal for the sake of her son's life, she'd send an icicle into his throat.
Fortunately, the public humiliation was coming to an end but her torment wasn't over yet. Into Ozai's chambers, he ordered her to be bathed and appropriately dressed. Katara was dumped into a massive tub and then scrubbed forcibly by the female servants who all decided to join in on the fun. Splashing and giggling as some of them roughly bathed her. Rubbing her skin till it bruised red and was sore and tender to the touch.
When she was let out of the tub, the so called appropriate attire was far from appropriate. Much like what Ming and the working girls wore at the brothel, Katara made to wear the pink silk undergarments, with the see-through skirt, arm bangles. Only instead of the false nail and excessive neck jewelry, Katara wore a collar around her neck that was attached to a chain and her wrists were cuffed with a chain that hooked to her collar. The servants did her hair and make-up. Leaving her fringes out to be swooped to the side while the rest was pulled back and tied high up. A pink veil was added to the back with a hairpin of a cherry blossom going through it. Her lips were dark red, eyeliner applied to her eyes, red dust to her eyelids, and black dot right under her eye.
Finished, the geishas presented her to their master. Ozai took a look at the work his servants had done with the waterbender an he was rather impressed. If he didn't know better, she looked like any Fire Nation woman to him. Especially with the undertone of loathe she sent his way with her fiery gaze.
"Lock her in." Ozai signaled his servants.
The women grabbed the waterbender again and began smirking. Katara didn't know what the hell was going on but she didn't like what was happening. Soon she was taken into a bedroom and pushed onto the bed. It wasn't long before the women began giggling at the sudden shift in her expression. Confusion and fear covered her face. It intensified when she saw the geishas take her chains and pull her with them up the bed and connected them to the headboard of the bed. Katara squirmed as she was now locked in.
"I don't want to kill you, believe it or not. I enjoy you too much to do that." He said with a hint of self-loathing. "My weakness as a man, I admit. However; I can't let you go unpunished. What you did, running, and then our quarrel in the woods, I've killed for less."
Unable to look away from the naked women, Katara swallowed hard. "So what are you going to do to me?"
The eerie look of a true sadist appeared on his lips in the form of a crooked smile, "I don't know how or why but some of my bending is back. I wonder how much of it is I can use."
"No! Please!" She screamed and squirmed. La, she couldn't believe this. All for running away?!
Dismissing his servants, Ozai placed his knee on the door of the bed and grabbed Katara by her ankle. Raising it to eye view as he stared solely at her.
"Anyone tell you that you have a beautiful your voice is when you scream?"
Huh?! Moments later, Katara screamed as he ankle burned in the hands of the former tyrant. She tried breaking away but being chained kept her from that. The waterbender cried out for relief from the pain before it finally let up. But this wasn't for long. Ozai ran his fingers up her thighs, burn her as he did causing her to shriek.
"Good girl. Just like that." He amused at how much thrashing around the girl did. It reminded him of a fish flopping around out of water.
When he got her to roll on her stomach, burning every inch there, Ozai held his hand down on the back of her neck. "Now don't move."
….
Leaving his toy to be fixed up by his servants, Ozai was greeted by Zhao who was interested to know what he had done with the waterbender. The former admiral was shocked and yet not so much when he heard what his master did. Torturing her was not surprising. Coercing her into letting him have her in order to end her suffering, not even slightly surprising. But burning her. It was surprising, shock, dare he say unexpected. It meant his bending was back.
"This is a sign from Agni, my lord. He's undone what that pesky Avatar has done to you." Zhao is elated to hear that the bending of his master was returning. It meant his claim to the throne was renewed. Fate was on their side.
However; Ozai didn't believe in gods and fate. Those things had failed him plenty of times before. This wasn't luck or a blessing, this was that girl. She did this. No doubt unknowingly. He didn't know how she did it or even if she knew what she had done but he was going to find out. The sooner the better.
"Has a flame been able to manifest?"
Shaking his head, "No, I'm only able to generate heat and maybe a spark here and there but that is all."
Zhao fell silent to think of how or what could have cause this. Nothing new seemed to happen to his master from what he was told. So what was it?
"That waterbender...could she hav-"
"Only thing that makes any sense. I want it looked into. Aren't you a scholar, Zhao?"
"Well yes, my lord but the Library I sought information from has since gone missing." the former admiral stated. "But I could try my luck at getting her to talk."
Shaking his head, "She won't trust you enough. I'll have Shinji pry the information out of her."
…..
Arriving in Bei Seng Sei's upper ring, Zuko and Suki figured they would stop by to see Iroh before heading to the palace. However; when reaching the renowned tea shop, one of the workers told them that he had gone to Xiao Lu for the tea supplies. This was a bummer as Zuko wanted to ask his uncle about his son that he was left in the dark about. But it would seem that coming to the teashop was not in vain.
Aang, dressed in the tea shop uniform, was riding his sphere of air out of the kitchen while the chef yelled behind him that he needed to leave as they could hold their own till Iroh returned. Suki and Zuko lit up at the sight of the carefree airbender.
"Hey guys!" The airbender came up to them and jumped off his sphere, dispelling it as he floated down to his feet. "What are you doing here?"
"Summit." Zuko said with every bit of annoyance he could muster.
"Oh really?! That's today?!" Aang looked panicked. "Crap, I forgot!"
Suki looked at him softly, "It's fine, Aang. You're probably just focused on Katara's death."
"Disappearance. Katara's disappearance."
"Huh?!" Zuko and Suki said in unison.
The Avatar sighed as he realized, no one but him was actually out here searching for Katara. I could find you faster if I had some help. He proceeded to tell his friends what he knew and discovered. First, Katara's hair and choker were the only things found at the scene. This lead him to believe Katara must have staged her death if she felt someone was after her and fled with Kai. Then, as he traveled to look for her, finding out Ozai had escaped, Aang found out that slave traffickers had caught her on two occasions and both times there was mention of two Fire Nation men with her. It wasn't until the second time that discovered one of the men was Ozai. So Katara hadn't gone into hiding. She and Kai were kidnapped by Ozai.
Suki looked at Aang in utter shock as Zuko slumped down on his knees.
"She's still alive guys. I've been looking everywhere for her for over a month."
Neither of them knew what to say. Katara was alive. Holy crap. But she was with Ozai and so was Kai.
"We gotta look for them now!" Zuko said.
"What about the summit?" Suki questioned.
"Screw it! I have family business to take care of!"
…..
It had been two weeks since arriving to Xiao Lu and Katara was falling into her routine here at the brothel. During the day she cleaned until Zhao came by to escort her into the inner sanctum of the estate where Ozai would humiliate her in front of his goons until they were alone he played with her. Katara was burned and then coaxed into foreplay. She pretended she was unaffected. Telling herself that his touch made her skin control. However; she seemed to like the attention he gave her after making her want to shove her foot down his throat. It was like he was making up for burning her. Not that he ever could. Fuck him. But anyway, she would then return to the brothel to work the evening, having learned her way around the place very quickly. She repeated this routine everyday.
"Sapphire!" Her name was being called.
Snapping out of it, Katara zoned back in and realized she was in the middle of a shift. She was holding a basin of red wine on her shoulder about to greet a guest that wanted a private audience. La, get it together. The waterbender pulled back the beads to the room she was assigned and went into character instantly.
"What's wrong with her?" One of the serving girls asked Ming.
"I think she's homesick." The working girl answered. "Maybe she had a lover back there."
Ty Lee walked up with a tray of food her guest ordered, "I wouldn't say he's much of a lover but he sort of dumped her to marry someone else."
"Oh really?" Ming seemed interested.
Shaking her head, "Yeah, she ended up pregnant with his kid when he decided to move on. Poor girl spent four years getting over him. And now she's in this weird relationship with this guy she hates. Well he hates her too. But anyways, I hear there's plenty of crazy sex!" The acrobat shrieked before carrying her tray to her guests.
Ming waited till Ty Lee got back and asked her more, fairly interested in the waterbender's love life. "So why is she screwing around with some guy she hates in the first place?"
Ty Lee shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. She used to hate her son's father and now this guy. I think she just might have it bad for Fire Nation men. You know that crap about opposites attract and all."
"Fire Nation men?" Whoa, Ming didn't think Sapphire would be interested in them. She was a waterbender. Didn't they have a huge grudge against the Fire Nation after their people almost ended up like the Air nomads?
"Is Sapphire available?" A Fire Nation man walked up to them in the middle of them discussing the waterbender's personal life which caused them both to pause.
"Sorry, she's with a guest right now. Would you like to see one of our other girls?" Ming asked sweetly.
Shaking his head, "No, she happens to be a friend of mine. I needed to speak with her for a moment."
Fire Nation male. Friend of Sapphire. Ming looked him over. OH CRAP! Is this the guy?!
"If you don't mind waiting for her, she'll be just a moment."
An hour later, Katara surfaced from the room with her fists clenching at her side. Yet another customer that wanted to grope her. She was nice enough to go topless but once again, men seemed to be fascinated by her nipple ring. She was about to take them out if it was going to get her felt up all the damn time. That or stop taking offers. She didn't care how much money she got from the stripping and exotic dancing, she was about to be strictly a server.
"Sapphire, we got another request." Ming said in a cheerful voice.
Narrowing her eyes, "I need a break before I take anyone else."
"I promise I won't be too much a hassle." The waterbender turned around and saw Shinji smiling at her.
Ming couldn't help but get all bubbly as she and the other serving girls watched the waterbender fumble with her words.
"Ugh-Shinji, what are- what are you doing here?" Katara was a bit confused. She didn't think he'd try visiting her during working hours. Wouldn't he get in trouble for this?
Seeing that he must have caught the waterbender off guard a little, "We need to talk."
Not needing to ask about what, Katara looked at Ming to ask her for her break and the woman told her to have the night off. She made the brothel enough money to get a shift off. The waterbender took Shinji's hand and took him up the stairs to her room.
"Wonder what 'we need to talk' is code for?" Ming watched as Sapphire hurried up the steps with the good looking Fire Nation man. The serving girls all giggled and went on to finish working.
Upstairs, Katara changed her clothes behind the divider in her room as Shinji waited for her. His hands were clasped together as he was patient. She insisted they talk in her room but he made it clear that it was best for them to go out.
Wearing a long soft pink cheongsam dress, Katara let her black wig hang over her shoulders rather than wearing it up. Ozai wasn't the only person she had tried not to be seen by. Technically, she was dead and if anyone figured out she was alive, word would travel and it could easily cause a panic with the rebel forces if someone came after her. Her son's life could be at risk. She threw her cloak over her shoulders and took, Shinji's hand as he led her out her room.
When they left the brothel, Shinji let go of her hand and placed his hand on her waist. "I'm being followed."
"Oh!" Katara seemed to just catch on to the group of men that had been waiting across the street from the brothel. She decided to play along in order to keep Shinji from getting in trouble.
Looking up to him with a smile, "Where shall we eat? I haven't had Fire Nation cuisine in a while."
"I think there's a place a few blocks away." Shinji said as the waterbender hugged herself to his arm.
The two made no indication that they knew they were being followed. Just pretended to be a couple. Hoping it would make them less suspicious.
Coming to the restaurant, Shinji pointed out, Katara felt a bit nervous from all the overly dressed people. She had only worn a simple dress, nothing fancy. La, she hoped no one looked at her too much.
"Table for two." Shinji told the host and they were taken to upstairs to the balcony patio. A nice spot to have some privacy as there were barely any other people dining up here.
Katara was helped into her seat as Shinji then sat across from her. She smiled and looked to their waiter that came, ordering herself red wine. The same was ordered by Shinji. When left alone, Shinji reached over the table to take her hand as he saw from the corner of his eyes that the men were once again watching him from across the street. Also noticing, the waterbender kept up her act.
"Why are you being followed?" She asked with a smile on her face. While they could see her, they couldn't hear her.
Gazing into her eyes, "I don't know. They aren't our men."
"Well, they sure as look like buddies of yours. I don't know, maybe when you spend so much time on your hands and knees being gawked and whistled at by perverts everyday, all men start looking the same." She responded bitterly.
Sighing as he looked down at the table for a moment, "Katara, I'm sorry for that. I thought it would get better since you and our master have been-"
"Have been what?" Katara raised a brow. If he thought the things that went on in those chambers was them 'getting along', he was dead wrong.
Becoming uneasy he changed the topic, "Anyway, the men following me aren't ours. They look like they're from the Fire Nation but I don't know from what faction."
Faction? There was more than just the rebels that wanted Ozai on the throne? The was the first she had ever heard of them and she was involved in many tirades to put a stop to the rebel forces growing in the Fire Nation. Why had she never heard of this before now?
"When everyone discovered Ozai lost his ability. Many felt he was no longer suited become Fire Lord again." He informed her. "So there are some that have been supporting the cause to have Azula take the throne instead."
Azula?! Really?! Did they know how flipping crazy she was?! Katara couldn't begin to understand why anyone would want her to rule over them.
"If my guess is correct then you'll have a problem on your hands."
And how's that? Sounds like a father and daughter issue to me.
"Unlike Ozai, Azula and her forces aren't going to want to keep your son alive. Not even for ransome. They would kill him on sight."
The waterbender's eyes widened in utter fear.
"It's a struggle of the heirs. And heirs are as important as the person sitting on the throne. Ozai doesn't currently have any fit ones and I doubt he'll want to go through the whole process again. So he's been debating on whether or not make your son sis heir. But of course, his mother's lineage plays a part in whether he's worthy or not. But Azula, She's young enough to have her own and as many as she feels is necessary. However; this means your son will need to be disposed of first."
Letting go of his hands, Katara watched as their waiter came back with two glasses and a bottle of wine. She wait till after their glasses were poured to give her order. The only Fire Nation dish she could eat without burning her tongue off was the dragon seasoned boar with rice instead of noodles, a bowl of three peppered soup, and fried beef dumplings. She hadn't eaten much with how they feed her the brothel diet which was meant to keep all the girls thin. Shinji order the Phoenix filet with extra Komodo sauce, salad dressed in the seven suns seasoning and also beef dumplings.
As the waiter left again, the two of them sighed as the men seem to have left, no longer interested in their date.
"Any signs?" Shinji moves on to the next topic of his concerns.
Katara tilted her head in confusion.
"Are you pregnant?" He asked bluntly since she didn't seem to recall the stressful morning she decided to leave.
Casting her gaze down, "It's too early to tell but I doubt it."
"You know if you are, you'll be killed too if Azula's men discover it." Shinji told her as he drank his glass empty while she stared at him with fear engulfing her eyes. "Ozai won't allow it though. You'd be surprise to hear how his relationship with Azula was like. They weren't as close as you'd think. While our lord hated his son, he sort of fears his daughter as she is unstable. Honestly, they used each other to play the part that needed to be played for their own advancement. Ozai needed someone to do his dirty wrong and Azula needed him to make her his heir."
Not surprised, actually. I've met them both. Sounds just like 'em. Katara scoffed mentally as she sipped from her glass.
Pouring himself more wine, Shinji went on to let the waterbender know all that was happening on their end. Her son Kai had a tutor for his academics and his bending. She wasn't too happy to hear Kai had nearly killed himself by starting a fire in his sleep. But she was also reluctant to feel gratitude towards Ozai for hiring him a tutor. She knew why he was interested in her son. He needed an heir when he took back the throne.
As their food came out, the two of them ate and continued discussing matters. It wasn't much more than Shinji stressing the issue of being careful and Katara asking to see her son. He promised her that the boy was alright but she still wanted to see him. Shinji told her that she'd have to ask Ozai for permission. He was the one looking after him.
Dinner ended shortly after they ate and Shinji walked the waterbender back to the brothel/estated where they both lived and worked.
"Thank you for dinner." Katara said as she smiled at him. Even if he couldn't give her what she wanted, she was thankful that he cared enough to let her know everything that was going on.
"It was nothing." He replied.
Reaching up on her tippy toes, Katara grabbed him by his shirt and kissed his cheek. "It meant a lot to me. Thank you."
Both caught off guard and lost in the waterbender's eyes. "You're welcome." He finally said.
"Don't tell Ozai I did that." Katara backed away as she was about to enter the brothel.
"Trust me, I won't." He said as she waved goodbye and turned her back. His hand went to the side of his face the waterbender had kissed. Shinji knew it didn't mean much to her but it had to him. It meant more than she knew.
….
It was upon entering the city and heading towards the grand suppliers of the best teas in all the Earth Kingdom that Iroh saw the woman. She was outside what looked like an estate sweeping. Probably a brothel. From what he could see of her, she was young, long black waves, brown skin, and had this familiar presence to her. He watched her for a moment, under the warm skies of Xiao Lu and saw her stumble, dropping her broom.
Being the kind chivalrous man he was, Iroh went over to help her reach down for her broom. Her dress seemed to cause her some difficulty when it came to bending over or crouching down.
"Here you are, miss." Iroh stated as he handed her the broom.
Receiving her broom back, the woman looked up and wanted to thank him. However; as she did, the two gasped inwardly and stared wide eyed at each other.
"Iroh?"
"Dear, spirits, Aang was right. You're still alive."
…..
A/N:
Next chapter, be ready for Katara to get a little freaky. Some exotic dancing and girl on girl action. Why you ask? Maybe to convince someone to let her see her son or maybe she just likes finally getting some attention. Who knows? Find out next week….(Or week after).
Thanks for reading my lovelies!