Masquerade

Ch 4

She silently opened the door to her house and crept in. Just as she closed it behind herself, a lantern in the living room was lit. She froze.

"Katara, what are you doing out so late?" Her father sounded angry. She stared at him, unsure of what to say. "Well? Explain yourself!"

"I..."

"Did you go to the Fire Lord's ball after I told you not to?" Hakoda crossed his arms in front of his chest. Katara just looked down. "Go to your room. We will discuss this tomorrow."

Katara did as she was told. She went to her room and changed out of her dress. She reached her hand up to her neck to run her fingers over her mother's necklace, but her eyes widened and she gasped when she only felt skin. She looked in the mirror and tears filled her eyes when she saw that the necklace was no longer around her neck.

---

"Prince Zuko."

Zuko quickly shoved the water tribe necklace back in his pocket and turned to the guard angrily. "What?"

"Your father wanted me to give this to you." He held out a note to Zuko. "And to tell you that you will forgive him but he is too busy to speak with you personally."

Zuko took the note and nodded. He sat at his desk and read the note.

'Zuko, You will pick one of these three women from the ball to marry by the end of the week.' The note included a list of well-off Fire Nation women who he had briefly interacted with at the ball. He didn't like any of them. He would rather marry Kya, if that was even her real name.

---

"Dad, I'm sorry..." She hadn't slept at all the night before, too worried about her mother's necklace.

Hakoda looked at her sternly. "You blatantly disregarded my request that you stay away from that palace. You snuck out in the middle of the night to go to the very palace you were told to stay away from. And you lost your mother's necklace while you were there, so anyone who finds it will know there was a water bender there."

Tears filled her eyes. "I'm sorry..."

He sighed. "I know... Katara, what were you thinking?"

"I just wanted to have some fun." She decided not to tell him about Lee. That conversation could wait until she found out if she would ever see him again, though that wasn't very likely.

He put his hand on Katara's shoulder. "I love you, Katara. And I just want you to stay safe."

"I know, dad. I love you too." She hugged him and he wrapped his arms around her in return.

---

"I have to find her, uncle!" Zuko was busy packing a bag. He stopped and looked at the necklace for the millionth time. "There's just something about her..."

"Prince Zuko, you know your father will not approve of this. He was very adamant about who he wishes for you to marry."

"Then I'll just leave." He continued packing. "And I won't come back."

"Are you sure this is wise, Prince Zuko?"

"I don't care about what is wise! All I care about is her!" He fastened the bag and turned to Iroh.

"Prince Zuko, protection and power are overrated. I think you are very wise to choose happiness and love." He smiled at the boy who was practically a son to him. No, the man who was practically a son to him. "Good luck." He hugged Zuko tightly.

Zuko returned his smile, and his hug. "Thank you, uncle." He said softly. "Goodbye."

"No, not goodbye. Just 'until we meet again'." The old man's eyes watered as he watched Zuko leave. "Until we meet again." He repeated quietly to himself.