Title- One Night with the Prince

Rating- K+ (Maybe T to be safe)

Pairings- ZUTARA! You have been warned.

Warnings- N-to the-O

Summary- Queen Esther of the Bible’s story as told in the Avatar universe. Zutara. Based off of the movie “One Night with the King”.

Author’s Notes- This is Queen Esther’s story, so some of the plot isn’t mine (but God’s) and some of it is mine (... God’s too, ha ha). It is the first AU story I have EVER written, so forgive me if it makes no sense. I love reviews to the extreme, and the people with long, thought-out ones will get cookies! ... Or not, but I will love you a ton!

Chapter One

From whence comes the purpose of a person’s life? Come it by chance, a casting of the lot, or does a call of destiny beckon on each of us?

Many have wondered about my little Katara of the Water Tribe and why a simple, Waterbending orphan was chosen to stand against the annihilation of her people. And yet, the mystery of the girl most commonly known as Fire Lady Esther begins not where one might think, but 500 years earlier with a single act of disobedience.

The Fire Lord Sozin ordered, under the wisdom of Agni, to wipe out all Water Tribe men, women, and children near the beginning of the war over the world. He left them with one rule: “Let no person be left breathing.”

The Fire Lord was outraged when his servants shoved a bloody, beaten, and... breathing man to his throne. The servant proclaimed that the man was the Water Tribe’s leader. They had seized his livestock, killed his children, and captured his wife. A woman with long brown hair was thrown to her knees beside the chief.

Sozin chuckled quietly to himself and lifted the woman’s face with the edge of his sword. Her eyes burned into his with stubbornness and ferocity. He quickly ordered them to be taken prisoner, thinking that they may be of use later.

That very night, the woman broke out of her cell using the sparse amount of drinking water she had. She fled to the desert and was later found by a tribe of nomads.

She learned she was with child, and nine months later bore a son. She taught him about how horrible the Water Tribe was for she was brainwashed by the nomads and knew not of what she was doing. The boy grew into a strong man and taught his children the same. The generations multiplied until a young man, named Acro, learned of the attack Fire Lord Ozai planned to unleash on the Water Tribe.

Acro swore to kill every single one of those Water Tribe traitors.

Present

Katara smiled gently as a horde of ostrich horses lumbered by her. Oh, how she wished to join the caravan. Her dream was not out of reach, though. Her grandmother, Kana, had promised her that she could ride to far off places that year. She longed to see Ohmashu, Ba Sing Se, and the Northern Water Tribe. And, although she’d never admit it aloud, she wanted a glimpse of the Fire Nation palace. She knew it was awful to wish to journey to her enemies’ royalty, but she did.

Living under-cover in the Fire Nation was getting harder every day. The war was straining on her friends and family.

Her, her grandmother, and her older brother, Sokka, fled from their home, the icy Southern Water Tribe, when Katara was but a toddler. Kana had friends in the Fire Nation whom she trusted. They worked in the government as scribes and offered Kana a job with them. Therefore, they arrived at the Fire Nation gates and had lived there ever since.

And Katara wanted out.

She had believed her grandmother’s words, the ones that told her she was truly Fire Nation, until she stumbled upon her gift to bend water. From then on, she knew she wasn’t a true citizen, and yearned to escape back to her home.

Now was her chance. The caravans had one more day in the city, and if Kana kept her promise, she would have her dream. Giddy with excitement, her light-footed steps carried her to the grandmother who was busy with her work.

Katara hugged her shoulders and said, “The caravan’s are in town today. And they leave tomorrow.”

Kana’s wrinkles showed a smile. “I know.”

Katara waited a moment then squeezed out, “Can’t I go?”

“No.”

“But you promised, grandmother!” she whined.

Her older brother then appeared carrying a rather large fish. She jumped to him. “Sokka, didn’t she promise I could go?”

Sokka gave his sister a frown. “I’m not going to fight your battles, Kat.”

In her peripheral vision, Katara could swear she saw her grandmother smirk.

“Katara! Katara! Read us a story!”

Katara stopped walking beside her friends and looked upon the smiling faces of the village children. The nearest boy held out a worn scroll and put on his best puppy-dog pout. “Please?”

Another child looked up, his yellow eyes bright. “You’re the only one who can, Kat!”

Katara agreed with a smile and sat upon a stool. While reading of a brave soldier and a great beast, the children in front of her started giggling. They looked not at her, but behind her shoulder. Just as she started reading again, she turned around, baring her teeth and growling.

Aang, a young and energetic young boy, leapt in surprise and gave the children a playful, scolding look for ratting him out. They just laughed in response.

Katara and Aang were close... as close as siblings since they could walk. They’d grown up together as two halves of a whole. Aang could finish Katara’s sentences, and Katara could read his thoughts like a book.

Katara shot him a look that said, “Hey now, stop it.” Aang grinned, his teeth almost reaching his ears, and sat down on the dirt. “Keep on reading,” he urged.

Far away, almost across the world, Fire Prince Zuko was bored. Bored out of his mind. He wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep.

But he couldn’t. Prince’s served their countries well. And if that meant staying up late to attend a feast, then he would feast.

That didn’t mean he had to like it.

Zuko sulked half the night, picking at his plate of food, sipping idly on his wine, and giving the drunk men his disgusted looks. The townsfolk were so... dirty. They ate like pigs, wore ripped and soiled garb, and grew drunk at every party.

At the feast, his father was supposed to announce to the Fire Nation that he was officially looking for a wife. Ozai was weakening, though no one dared to say it, and his son needed to be ready for his role as Fire Lord. An heir was necessary to any Fire Lord, or to any leader of a nation. Without heirs, fights would break loose.

Just as Zuko was about to give up on playing the “good guy”, his father stood at his seat above the people. “Your attention, please!”

Immediately, everyone ceased talking to hear what the Fire Lord had to say.

“As you all know, I’m not exactly the young, strapping man I used to be. I am reaching old age, and am plagued by disease. Faced with death, I have decided to hold a contest for all of your fair daughters. Fire Prince Zuko is my rightful heir, and is still single. In the course of the next month, he will visit your daughters and choose a fair wife for him to take the throne with.”

The crowds erupted into murmurs. Most of the drunken men were talking about how fine and beautiful their daughters were, and how they were destined to be married to the Prince.

Zuko found that most of the daughters of the men were useless sluts who paid men for their company. If he was to find a lady (which he presumed he would not) she would not be as sluttish as those. His lady would be dignified and proud.

Dignified and proud, Katara rushed through the streets of the village, carrying her long cloak with her hand to ease her feet. The dust swarmed around her, but she ignored it. This couldn’t be happening.

Kana frowned knowingly when her granddaughter burst into the room, sobbing. “It’s okay, Kat. It’s okay...”

Katara shook her head and dashed from her grandmother’s embrace. “No, no it isn’t!” she cried. “They are going to take me to the Prince! I don’t want to go with them! I want to go on the caravan! Why can’t I?”

Kana smoothed Katara’s hair between her fingers, shushing her softly. “I’m sorry... I’m sorry...” she whispered.

“I don’t want to marry the Prince.”