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Chapter 7: Goodbye, Iroh
Me: KYAAA! This fic now has 100 reviews! I can’t believe it! And its only six chapters into the story! Anyways, yeah, a lot of people were saying that Katara forgave Zuko a little too easily in the last chapter. And I had to agree, so I fixed it. Yeah, and this chapter is in honor of Spleefmistress, for reviewing this fic! And to my good friend Mumy-Chan on DA who surprisingly over came her short attention span to read one of my longer fics!
Zuko: What about me?
Katara: And me?
Me: What about you guys? Also, I put Zuko’s birthday around mid-summer. And in case anyone asks, yeah, the comment has already passed but Zuko didn’t use it, so it’s gone back into outer space.
“Let me go!” Katara snarled.
“No,” he began walking backwards, towards the bed. Katara had to follow or risk getting hurt. Zuko could feel his desire for her growing. He spun around, tossing her onto the bed with the momentum of his spin. He stopped and crawled onto the bed, grabbing her wrists. He felt the cold metal against his warm palms. “You know what I like about slave bracelets?” he mused.
“What?” Katara asked; she really didn’t want him touching her.
“They make a slave so easy to control,” he smirked.
“How?” Katara cocked her head to examine the bracelets. Zuko smirked and pointed to a small almost unnoticed little half circle gap in the base of the cuff.
“That’s were a chain can easily be linked to the bracelet, making the slave prisoner while the master does as he pleases,” Zuko smirked. “They are a feature that’s common among concubine bracelets and anklets,” Zuko said.
“No!” Katara said.
“Don’t fight me and I won’t have to use them,” he whispered.
“I will never allow you inside me!” Katara screamed.
“You will have to do what I say, or I may give you more lashes,” he said.
“You vile monster!” Katara screamed, as Zuko straddled her hips. “You are just like your father!”
Zuko slapped her. Katara opened her mouth to protest, but he slapped her again, and again. A total of five slaps. “Don’t you dare say that! I am nothing like my father!” Zuko snarled.
“Yes, you are! You are torturing me and holding me against my will!” Katara screamed. Zuko barked a cold heartless laugh.
“What will? Slaves have no will. They live only to serve their masters, when they want, and however they want. If I want to beat you and choke you just to get me aroused, then I’ll do it. My father would do that,” Zuko snorted, “but I’m not a cruel bastard like him.”
“So you say!” Katara snarled, again Zuko slapped her.
“I told you not to compare me to my father!” Zuko snarled, eyeing the girl beneath him.
“Get off me!” Katara screamed.
“No,” he smirked. “Not until you give me what I want,” he purred, lowering himself, to whisper seductively into her ear.
“I will never give you what you want!” Katara snarled, and shuddered when she felt his harden manhood brush her inner thigh through the thin materiel of his pants.
“Oh, you know what I want,” Zuko smirked.
“I will never bow to your will!” Katara snarled.
“You don’t really have a choice,” Zuko said. “You either do what I want you to do or,” he cupped her pretty face. “I might just mar your pretty face,” he voice took on a softer and gentler tone. “I don’t really want to do that,” he breathed, giving her a chaste kiss on the lips. “And I don’t think you want that either, now do you?” he asked.
“No,” she whispered, looking away from him. He smirked, as he sat up and undid the tie around the robe. He shrugged the loose silk materiel off, and tossed it onto the floor where it landed in a confusing heap. Zuko ran his hands along Katara’s curving waist, until his hands clasped the belt around her waist. He made swift work of the linked belt, and causally tossed it over his shoulder, before taking off the chiton that she wore. “Please stop,” Katara whispered.
“A slave never tells her master to stop,” Zuko informed her, as he removed the breast bindings. Katara hissed as the course cotton fibers brushed against her back. Zuko stopped and for a moment, only for a moment, Katara saw concern in his golden orbs. He rolled her over and inspected her back. She heard him gulp, as he lightly ran a finger over the crisscrossing pink scars. She heard him gulp again, as he touched the marks he placed on her shoulder blade. He rolled her gently onto her back, and removed both of her slave bracelets and gently touched the scars on her wrists from the chafing given to her by the rope, and the brand he placed on her wrist. They were all still bright and angry red. His gut clenched and his gulped several times.
“Zuko?” she whispered, concerned about what he might do, considering his sudden change in emotion. “Zuko, is there something wrong?” she whispered.
“I…I did this to you,” he muttered, disbelief coloring his voice. “I can’t believe I did this to you,” he muttered.
“Its okay, he you had to punish me,” she whispered, not bothering to question herself on agreeing with his methods.
“I’m not my father,” he muttered to himself. Katara remained silent, and gently stroked his scar. He shuddered and relaxed, then abruptly he stood up and walked into the bathroom, he returned moments later, with a small squat jar or a pale green gel. He sat on the bed next to her. “Roll over,” he muttered. She did and heard him open the jar. Suddenly, a magical cooling sensation spread across her back.
“What is this stuff?” she whispered.
“Aloe,” he muttered. “It’s a healing plant that grows in the tropics. Its use to soothe wounds, both fresh and healing,” Zuko looked at her.
“Why are you doing this?” she asked. Suddenly, Zuko stopped. Why was he doing this? She was a slave, a piece of property. He can sell her, trade her, and use her like any piece of land or an animal, why was he taking care of her? Would he allow his rhino to go untended if it was injured? No, he would demand that the servants tend to the beast or he himself would tend to it in his nonexistent spare time.
“I can’t let my property to be in this much pain,” Zuko said as he continued to rub the aloe into her back. He took off the other slave bracelet and rubbed aloe into her wrists, before putting them back on. He watched her redo the breast bindings. He got up, and fetched her chiton and belt. He watched her put that back one. “Your mat is right there,” he pointed to the mat. Katara nodded and slipped off his bed. “Oh, and Katara,” he breathed.
“Hmmm?” she looked at him.
“I’m sorry,” he mumbled.
“For branding me?” she cocked her head.
He shook his head. “No,” he mumbled. “For trying to force myself upon you.”
“Oh,” Katara nodded and pulled the too small blanket over her shoulders.
“Uh,” Zuko looked up at his uncle. “Slaves, cabbages, firepowder, and the resisting Earth nationals,” Zuko muttered. “Yeah, I’m listening,” he added.
“Good, I was going to say, about slaves, we really should free half of them, especially the breeders,” Iroh said.
“Why? They’re slaves? What happened when we don’t have prisoners to convert into slaves anymore?” Zuko asked.
“I was hinting at your treatment of Miss Katara,” Iroh muttered, low enough that his nephew didn’t hear.
“I heard that!” Zuko snapped. Iroh was sadly mistaken. “What about my treatment of the water whore?” Iroh cringed as his nephew referred to the girl like that.
“She’s not a whore,” Iroh said.
“I think you’re jealous,” Zuko snarled.
“Now, why would I be jealous?” Iroh asked, genuinely curious.
“I don’t know!” Zuko wrinkled his nose. “But I know you are!” he pointed a finger at his uncle. “She’s my slave, I can treat her and call her whatever I want!”
“Zuko,” Iroh placed a hand on his nephew’s shoulder.
“What’s with you?” Zuko shrugged his uncle’s hand off his shoulder. “Ever since her lashings you’ve been, telling me I should treat her better. She’s a bloody slave!”
“She could turn out to be more important to you than you know,” Iroh said.
“What are you talking about?” Zuko looked at his uncle.
“Your aunt wasn’t freeborn,” Iroh muttered, looking away.
“You mean…Aunt Ri…she was slaveborn?” Zuko whispered.
“Born and bred,” Iroh muttered. “Lu Ten, by law is a bastard-child. Ri was my concubine, and I fell in love with her. When she got pregnant, I was in a panic. I freed her, forged official documents to make it look like she was a noblewoman. Did everything in my power to keep her past hidden. Then,” Iroh looked away. “Tragic relief finally came when she died in childbirth. I kept her past a secret from Lu Ten. I don’t know how he would have reacted if I told him his mother was once a slave, and strangely enough, a Fire Nation slave,” Iroh sighed, his long kept secret revealed to his nephew.
“My mother wasn’t a slave was she?” Zuko asked.
“Ursa? Heavens no! Ursa was of proper breeding and of high blood. She was a perfect match for your father,” Iroh chuckled.
“Do you still miss her? My aunt?” Zuko whispered.
“Of course I do,” Iroh gave Zuko a sad smile. “At first I only thought she was good for sex, then, she grew on me, for there were times that I didn’t want sex, yet she still came to my bed, and we would talk and I slowly got to know her and fell in love with her,” Iroh sighed. “I miss her so much,” he muttered.
“I’m sorry Uncle,” Zuko muttered.
“Its okay,” Iroh looked at his nephew.
“But, I don’t see what my aunt has to do with Katara?” Zuko snarled.
“Zuko, I don’t approve of how you’re treating the girl,” Iroh said flatly.
“I don’t care! I don’t seek your approval!” Zuko snarled. Iroh sighed. “She’s my slave! If you don’t like how I do things in my palace! In my country! Then get the hell out! I don’t need you! Go back to Ba Sing Se! You’re your oh so precious son is buried! Go back to your beloved teashop! I don’t care! I don’t need you!” Zuko snarled. Iroh looked aghast at his nephew, before forcing his face into a grim expression.
“Very well, Fire Lord, I will,” Iroh said getting up. “You won’t ever hear or see me again,” Iroh looked at Zuko. “But don’t go down the same path your father did. You have good in you Zuko,” Iroh said before leaving the study. Zuko snorted smoke.
“GUARD!” Zuko yelled, and in a few moments, a guard came in.
“Yes my lord?” the man bowed.
“Tell Lord Jie that he is my new advisor, my uncle quit,” Zuko muttered not bothering to look up at the man.
“Yes, my lord,” the guard said, bowed and left.
“Well, if it isn’t the Fire Lord’s little slave girl,” came an oily voice. Katara dropped the laundry basket, spun around and was faced to face with Lord Jie.
“Lord Jie!” Katara dropped into a kowtow. “I’m sorry, Lord Jie, I was just returning with the Fire Lord’s laundry and…” Katara was cut off by a soft chuckle from the man.
“Its advisor now, and don’t trouble yourself with an explanation child,” Jie knelt down and lifted Katara’s chin. “I only wanted to talk to you,” Jie said.
“Talk to me?” Why would anyone want to talk to a slave? Katara thought. “Why do you want to talk to me?” Katara whispered.
“Why don’t you come with me,” Jie said.
“But I…” Katara looked at the laundry basket.
“Leave it, another one of the slaves will come and bring it to his majesty,” Jie said, and led Katara back to his room.
Katara gulped as the door clicked shut. She wondered why the snake like man wanted her, what could he find in her. “You are beautiful,” Jie said.
“Thank you,” Katara blushed.
“I shouldn’t be saying that about a personal slave,” Jie chuckled to himself.
“Why not?” Katara said. “The Fire Lord thinks I’m beautiful,” Katara said.
“Really?” Jie didn’t know if the girl was lying or not. “I image he would,” Jie said.
“Yes, he does,” Katara gulped.
“So…what does he tell you about me?” Jie asked.
“We don’t talk politics,” Katara said. In fact they didn’t talk very much at all, lately Zuko has been so closed and cold towards her, she doesn’t even bother to strike up a conversation with him.
“I see,” Jie said, he was undoing his robe.
“Um…Advisor Jie, is it necessary for you to remove your clothes?” Katara asked.
“Complete necessary,” Jie chuckled darkly. Katara gulped, and shot a glance at the door. “Don’t you dare think about running you little bitch,” Jie shouted. Katara bolted for the door, but Jie grabbed her. “I told you not to run!” the man snarled, dragging the helpless girl to the bed. Katara screamed and kicked as he pulled her underwear off.
“Scream all you want, nobody can hear you and nobody will come to save you,” Jie snarled.
“ZUKO! ZUKO! ZUKO HELP ME!” Katara screamed. Jie put his hand over her mouth and she bit down on his palm.
“Damn bitch!” he snarled, and slapped her again.
“ZUKO, ZUKO HELP ME! PLEASE ZUKO! HELP ME! ZUKO! HELP ME!” Katara screamed. Jie snarled and grabbed her neck in his hands. He began to shake her head.
“I said shut up you little Water Tribe whore!” Jie said. Katara began to choke. She soon passed out when there was a knock on the door. “Damn it!” Jie got off of her and swiftly got dressed. He opened the door. “Fire Lord Zuko!” Jie gasped in faux surprise.
“I heard screaming, what’s going on?” Zuko asked.
“Nothing,” Jie said, trying to hide Katara’s motionless body from the young man’s view. “Nothing at all.”
Lucky for Katara, Zuko was taller than the man, even on his tiptoes. “There’s someone on your bed,” Zuko eyed his new advisor.
“Go! I don’t have anything to say to you! You are nothing in the council without that fat uncle of yours!” Jie snarled. Zuko shoved passed the man, and gave a little gasp when he saw Katara.
“WHAT DID YOU DO?” Zuko roared, rounding on Jie.
“She’s just a slave,” Jie shrugged as Zuko replaced the girl’s underwear and scooping her up.
“She is more than just a slave!” She’s…my…my…I don’t know what she is but I don’t want to see her suffering anymore! Especially at my hands or at the hands of someone I command! “She’s my slave!” Zuko said. “And I don’t want you near or touching her! Understand?” Zuko narrowed his eyes.
“Perfectly,” Jie said with a sweeping bow, as the Fire Lord left the room, the cunning little snake-faced man smirked evilly.
She yawned and snuggled into the Fire Lord’s warmth, happy that she finally didn’t get to sleep on the mat.
Dragon Jadefire