The Lost Ones
Laundry
The young water bender exited the washroom of the royal palace, a large wicker basket balanced on her hip.
She was walking along the corridors, absentmindedly working a sliver of water in between the fingers of her free hand. She'd just turned the corner that would lead her to the hallway of the royal bedrooms when she bumped into him.
The impact knocked them both to the ground, making Katara's laundry basket spill the clothes that took her the majority of the morning to wash.
The Fire Prince already felt his temper rising, he looked up, fully intending to scream and blow off some steam. But when his eyes met with brilliantly blue ones, nothing but a soft whisper escaped, "I'm so-"
"Do you have any idea how dirty your training clothes get?" Katara was already up, not bothering to refold the clothes before she threw them back in the basket.
"Katara, I -"
"And don't get me started on that smoke smell. If only you knew how much detergent I have to use to get it out.." her words trailed off into a grumble. She turned away and began walking toward's the Fire Lord's bedroom. Zuko couldn't fight the smile that broke out on his usually-stern face. Something that always seemed to happen around his best friend, whether he wanted it to or not. He caught up with her and almost forcefully took the basket from her grip.
"Imagine my surprise, I thought you loved washing my dirty clothes?" he tried. He didn't take his eyes off her until he saw that familiar simper that usually came with rolling her eyes.
"How are you? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," Katara asked him as they entered Zuko's father's bedroom. Zuko placed the basket in Katara's outstretched hands and sighed heavily before speaking, "I know, it's been crazy lately. My father is planning to attack OmaShu."
Katara felt a giant knot form in her stomach as his words rang in her ears. In the last couple of years, more and more young men and women were being brought to work under the royal family. It wasn't long before people figured out they were almost all from OmaShu. Not too long after that, the rumors began. Talk of invasions and taking over the great Earth Kingdom city spread throughout the palace.
Of course, the Fire Lord would not tolerate talk of such confidential war matters. Especially not by lowly servants. So, little by little, if someone so much as whispered anything related to the Fire Lord and the war, they disappeared. Sometimes not for a couple of days later, but rest assured they were not seen or heard from again. Quickly enough, the rumors stopped.
Turns out they were right.
She was just starting to hang the Fire Lord's robes in his much-too-large closet when Zuko spoke again, "I want no part of it. He's losing his mind, Katara. These days, all I hear when he speaks is 'Murder this! Capture that! Destroy everything!'" Zuko had his hands behind his back and puffed out his chest dramatically, jabbing the air in front of him as if he were commanding the furniture to follow out his orders.
Katara gave a weak laugh, "Yeah, he's lost his subtlety." Katara didn't look at Zuko while she finished with the Fire Lord's laundry. She picked up the basket from the floor and turned to exit the room. Zuko was barely a foot from her and she was so startled she almost dropped the basket for the second time that day.
"Damn it, Zuko! You know I hate that," she scolded. She had a slight playful tone to her voice, one she typically had with him. But he just stared at her with an unusually soft expression. "What's -?"
"I hate him," he cut her off. His voice was hard, and he spoke clearly. It was quiet for only a minute, but Katara thought it felt like an eternity. The Fire Lord was someone she preferred to not hear about. Well, as little as possible, given that she was his slave. Zuko almost never brought him up. But things were changing, getting worse. They can no longer ignore him.
"I know."
They said nothing else as they left the bedroom. They walked in a silence that was not all unpleasant, finding comfort in simply each other's presence. As they always did.
She was walking along the corridors, absentmindedly working a sliver of water in between the fingers of her free hand. She'd just turned the corner that would lead her to the hallway of the royal bedrooms when she bumped into him.
The impact knocked them both to the ground, making Katara's laundry basket spill the clothes that took her the majority of the morning to wash.
The Fire Prince already felt his temper rising, he looked up, fully intending to scream and blow off some steam. But when his eyes met with brilliantly blue ones, nothing but a soft whisper escaped, "I'm so-"
"Do you have any idea how dirty your training clothes get?" Katara was already up, not bothering to refold the clothes before she threw them back in the basket.
"Katara, I -"
"And don't get me started on that smoke smell. If only you knew how much detergent I have to use to get it out.." her words trailed off into a grumble. She turned away and began walking toward's the Fire Lord's bedroom. Zuko couldn't fight the smile that broke out on his usually-stern face. Something that always seemed to happen around his best friend, whether he wanted it to or not. He caught up with her and almost forcefully took the basket from her grip.
"Imagine my surprise, I thought you loved washing my dirty clothes?" he tried. He didn't take his eyes off her until he saw that familiar simper that usually came with rolling her eyes.
"How are you? I feel like I haven't seen you in forever," Katara asked him as they entered Zuko's father's bedroom. Zuko placed the basket in Katara's outstretched hands and sighed heavily before speaking, "I know, it's been crazy lately. My father is planning to attack OmaShu."
Katara felt a giant knot form in her stomach as his words rang in her ears. In the last couple of years, more and more young men and women were being brought to work under the royal family. It wasn't long before people figured out they were almost all from OmaShu. Not too long after that, the rumors began. Talk of invasions and taking over the great Earth Kingdom city spread throughout the palace.
Of course, the Fire Lord would not tolerate talk of such confidential war matters. Especially not by lowly servants. So, little by little, if someone so much as whispered anything related to the Fire Lord and the war, they disappeared. Sometimes not for a couple of days later, but rest assured they were not seen or heard from again. Quickly enough, the rumors stopped.
Turns out they were right.
She was just starting to hang the Fire Lord's robes in his much-too-large closet when Zuko spoke again, "I want no part of it. He's losing his mind, Katara. These days, all I hear when he speaks is 'Murder this! Capture that! Destroy everything!'" Zuko had his hands behind his back and puffed out his chest dramatically, jabbing the air in front of him as if he were commanding the furniture to follow out his orders.
Katara gave a weak laugh, "Yeah, he's lost his subtlety." Katara didn't look at Zuko while she finished with the Fire Lord's laundry. She picked up the basket from the floor and turned to exit the room. Zuko was barely a foot from her and she was so startled she almost dropped the basket for the second time that day.
"Damn it, Zuko! You know I hate that," she scolded. She had a slight playful tone to her voice, one she typically had with him. But he just stared at her with an unusually soft expression. "What's -?"
"I hate him," he cut her off. His voice was hard, and he spoke clearly. It was quiet for only a minute, but Katara thought it felt like an eternity. The Fire Lord was someone she preferred to not hear about. Well, as little as possible, given that she was his slave. Zuko almost never brought him up. But things were changing, getting worse. They can no longer ignore him.
"I know."
They said nothing else as they left the bedroom. They walked in a silence that was not all unpleasant, finding comfort in simply each other's presence. As they always did.