Tsukiyo - ZUTARA

Chapter Two

She started counting days again.

Day twenty-two – she couldn't see or hear a thing, she thought she might already be dead, but then she felt someone's hands on her. Warm, tender hands. Muscled. Smooth fingers put two wrist manacles on her hands. Katara didn't know what they were for, but she didn't care.

"Let me die," she begged Zuko quietly.

"No," he whispered back.

He carried her in his arms. It was strange feeling another person's body touch her. she craved the warmth of it. She put her head on his chest and heard his heart beat rhythmically.

He brought her to a warm room, but when he laid her down on the bed, the loss of his body warmth still made her sigh.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

She could see him more clearly now – his hair was down, and he wore a night robe. She noticed the room he brought her to reminded of royal apartments. She didn't promise him anything, and he still took her to the surface.

"I won't let you die," he answered, his eyes soft, as soft as when she still believed he might be on her side.

"No, I mean, why are you helping your father? He's the one who hurt you."

Zuko looked away, to the moonlight spilling from outside the window.

"He's my father. And he finally respects me," he answered after some thought.

"But he's a murderer," Katara cried, trying to touch that string of his hard that she knew existed from before. "And he's going to kill Aang. He has already killed Toph—" her voice broke down at the last word.

Zuko turned to her. Half of his face was illuminated by the moonlight, the burned half.

"That's what I wanted to talk to you about. If you're conscious enough to understand me," he said.

Katara nodded.

"I will make sure my father stops hunting the Avatar. Your brother, too. I'll make sure the war ends. If you do one thing for me."

Katara tried to sit up, ignoring the stilting pain in her body. Hope flourished in her chest. This could all be over.

"What would you have me do?" she asked, looking at him with big doe eyes.

Zuko leaned into her. "Be mine. Body, mind, soul. Give yourself to me completely and I will stop the war."

Words like these were foreign to her and it took a minute for Katara to register them. When she understood the implications, she turned away, pushing the side of her face into the pillow. "You're disgusting," she bit out.

Silence stretched.

"I'll ask the maids to attend to you," Zuko said.

When he left, two women entered. They wore red and brown clothing, as was usual here. They looked her up and down but didn't comment on her looks which couldn't have been nowhere near nice.

They filled a bath of hot water for her and let her soak in it. She tried to bend the water when the women turned away, but the manacles on her wrists must've been stopping her from doing so, and when she tried to take them off, they didn't budge. Katara gave up on that. The women scrubbed her skin clean until it was red and raw. They brushed out the kinks in her hair and washed them. Katara felt like a human being for a short while again. The women looked at her with pity when they saw her first, but when they were done with her, they seemed proud with themselves, smiling at one another.

"Thank you," Katara said because she had to say something.

"You're welcome, princess," one of them said.

"Oh, no, I'm not a princess..."

The women exchanged a look. "You will be..." the other one said.

Katara didn't know what that implied, and she was too tired to think about it. So she asked instead, "How long was I imprisoned?"

Both women stopped smiling, turning their gazes to the floor. The first one answered quietly. "Seven months..."

Katara went quiet. She wanted to hear them speak more, but she was so tired, and they could see that. They helped her out of bed, put on night robes similar to Zuko's on her. She fell into the soft bed. And fell asleep immediately, without even considering Zuko's offer.

In the morning the maids came back. They picked out a dark red dress with a cape for her, styled her hair in a half-updo, while one of them explained to her, "You will be having breakfast with the royal family today, princess."

She didn't fight back. She accepted her fate. But she would never accept Zuko.

"Please, call me Katara," she requested.

"Yes, Katara."

Zuko came to take her. He noticed her dress and her hair, and he seemed pleased that she looked nice, but didn't comment on that. he reached out a hand for her, and she took it, not to be polite but because she was sure she would fall down if she had to walk alone – her body was still stiff and aching.

They walked through the palace. There were flags of the Fire Nation everywhere, even the wallpapers on the walls were like that. she was dressed just like the other women there, and the only thing that differentiated her from them were her blue eyes and dark skin.

"My father and sister will join us for breakfast," Zuko told her, keeping her close. "Don't look at them and don't address them, they'll just want to get a reaction out of you; don't give them that."

Katara swallowed. They entered the dining hall. Azula and Zuko's father were there. She tried to ignore them. The Fire Lord commented on her looks, but she didn't register whether it was a compliment or a mock. Azula didn't say anything the whole time, but Katara felt her eyes on her.

The Fire Lord talked about Aang. How he was so close to catching the Avatar, how he would kill him the moment he got his hands on him, how then he'd rule the world... It made Katara sick. she couldn't stop thinking about Aang and Sokka, and it broke her heart that she couldn't do anything to help, she couldn't do anything to stop the Fire Nation and its ruler.

Expect she could.

She looked up from her breakfast plate and met Azula's snide smile which reminded of her words. I told you, he has a thing for you. If you were smart, you'd use it to your advantage.

Katara looked at Zuko. He wanted her, he said so himself. Body, mind, soul. He wanted her all.

But it would mean she'd have to actually be his.

She'd do it for Aang. She'd do anything to save the world.