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Borealis: A Zutara Story	By : jaded_priceless Category: Avatar - The Last Airbender > AU/AR - Alternate Universe/Alternate Reality Views: 34026 -:- Recommendations : 2 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender, Avatar: The Legend of Korra, any historical figures or events, or easily recognizable persons, places or things. I make no profit from this work of fanfiction

Chapter List
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Chapter 54
Katara rose and walked to the drawer that held her clothing. This was her last clean nightgown. She dug deeper into the drawer and found her wraps. She followed Ty Lee down the corridor and the stairs trying to memorize the path they’d taken. When she arrived in the room Zuko had brought her to the first night on the ship she realized that Ty Lee had led her in circles on purpose so she couldn’t figure out where she was going.
She didn’t respond to any of the other girl’s animated chatter as she showered behind the privacy screen. This time she bit the towel to keep from screaming as she forced the water into her vagina and swirled it around before bending it back out. It was murky. She knew she hadn’t done a good job previously because of the pain. She forced herself to endure it twice more then attempted to heal herself. When she emerged from the shower she was waddling. She sat in the pool that the attendant said had restorative minerals and let the tears fall; that too was part of accepting the pain. She emerged from the water feeling refreshed but focused and angry.
The attendant, an older woman that she did not see at the palace insisted on giving her a massage. Katara settled on the table and the woman sang to her while kneading the oils into her skin. The song reminded her of the ones the sages would sing when they would bless the tribesmen before a large hunt even though the lyrics were in Fire Nation. The attendant’s hands were warm, strong, and held the same gentle firmness as Gran-Gran’s.
Her touch became heavier as Katara cried and lightened when she ran out of tears. The massage ended and the woman helped her up. Instead of allowing Katara to wipe her tears she massaged them into her face with some type of chalky substance. She then used a warm towel to wipe it before and helping Katara into one of the warm fluffy robes. The woman said something in Fire Nation and motioning to someone behind a curtain.
Katara smiled when Ching Mei came out.
The woman reached beneath her shirt and pulled out a chain. A ring dangled from it. It was an older signet with a dragon and the sun. Zuko had told her that only members of the royal family were allowed to use both in one ring.
She said something else and Ching Mei translated. “My grandmother’s name is Akesato. She says she understands what it means to be taken from your home and family. She too has lost much because of the selfishness of one man, but he has also given her great wealth and happiness even if their origins must be concealed.”
The little girl looked up, her gold eyes frowning in confusion but she lifted her shirt to show the ring design had also been freshly tattooed on her stomach.
The woman pointed to herself and spoke brokenly in the common language used by all nations for trading, “He came to village when Fire Lord Ozai was a little one. His heart hurt but he liked my song. I sing like dead wife. I married, had son. Unfit for ring and title but he took anyway. Got pregnant, had girl. Girl good, not problem. He not have one, so he happy. She not know. Older brothers know; no one else. Secret. Protected. Children get mark at changing. Ching Mei too little.”
Katara nodded. The woman was married and had a son. Based on what Zuko had told her only virgins could become royal concubines. Azulon wanted her anyway so he took her away from them. She had a daughter for him. Ching Pei was Azulon’s daughter but only Iroh and Ozai knew and they protected her. If Ching Mei would have been old enough to start puberty, she would have been tattooed with Azulon’s seal and Lord Asami wouldn’t have touched her.
The woman bowed to her and gave her an amulet and spoke in her own language. Ching Mei translated again, “Grandmother is from Jang Hui. As a child she once saw the Painted Lady in the forest. She found this amulet in the spot. That night the Painted Lady spoke to her in a dream. She told her the amulet would protect her and she would know when to pass it on.”
The little girl gave Katara a hug, “Grandmother says the Painted Lady healed me. No one believes her but I saw her too. She was pretty and had blue eyes like you.”
Katara hugged her back. She thanked the older woman for the amulet and the woman clasped both of her hands in hers. “That little one, confused. Not bad, but not good, mostly good, but confused.”
“Mine bad, very bad, but treated me and daughter good; treated this one good” She said patting Ching Mei’s head. The woman sighed, “Little one, not sure. You sad, come visit. I sing try make better.”
Katara hugged her and thanked her. They took a step back and bowed. Katara was about to tell them to stop bowing to her when a voice behind her told them to rise. They did and quickly left the room.
“Are you feeling better Katara,” Zuko inquired quietly. Ty Lee had come to get him saying that Azula needed her so he should go check on Katara.
Katara didn’t respond. He placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her back to the bedroom. He pulled back the covers when she went behind the privacy screen to change into her night clothing. He bound her hands and curled up behind her.

Zuko had stood outside the doorway trying to place where he had heard that voice so he heard everything the woman had told Katara. She had born a child for Azulon. His grandfather had taken her away from her husband and son when his father was still a child. His father and Uncle Iroh knew about her and her child – their sister; his aunt.
Zuko wondered if his mother knew that the woman she often giggled with when she washed her hair and did her nails was her sister-in-law or if she knew the woman who performed traditional Fire Nation songs at banquets and ceremonies was her mother. Zuko had never known her name but she had also sung to him and Azula once a week during their music appreciation lessons. It now made sense why Grandfather Azulon would often sit in to monitor their progress and why their normally stern grandfather had been relaxed enough to sometimes smile.
Ching Pei was head of the royal hairdressers even though she wasn’t 30 years old and seemed to appear out of nowhere. She was his aunt. Ching Mei was his cousin.
He wondered if Azula knew. The child was Azula’s favorite hairdresser and the little girl worshipped her. She was perhaps the only person Azula was truly kind to. It now made sense how Azula managed to have a high ranking nobleman punished for hurting her. It was possible that she knew.
Azula was Ozai’s favorite. Their father shared secrets with her.

Zuko pressed his face into Katara’s neck and moved closer to her. His father had called their bloodline tainted.
Everyone knew that Great-Grandfather Soizin’s mother and grandmother were Water Tribe because of their vault locks. In less than 72 hours he’d learned enough family secrets to last a lifetime. One of his paternal great-grandfathers had saved at least two Airbenders and fathered four children with one of them. Grandfather Azulon had a child with a peasant.
He protected her, their child, and grandchild. The woman had said that he was good to them. It wasn’t news that Grandfather Azulon ordered his father to kill him but he was surprised to learn he was good to his illegitimate grandchild.
He now had solid confirmation Azulon didn’t hate all of his grandchildren. It was just him. He was the special recipient of both his father’s and grandfather’s ill wishes.
On top of everything else his maternal great-grandfather was Avatar Roku. His uncle had told him that good and evil would always be at war within because of his heritage. That woman, his half-aunt’s mother had said the same thing; that he was confused. Not bad or good, but mostly good and confused. He wondered how she could say that knowing he was doing to Katara what his grandfather had done to her.
But she was Fire Nation. She was raised to accept the Fire Lord ruled by divine right as Agni incarnate; it was her duty and a privilege to serve him and bear his child.
Katara had no such belief. But still she’d called Azulon bad and him mostly good. She had said that Azulon was good to her. Maybe his earlier thoughts were right and it felt good because Katara did want it but was just playing hard to get. It didn’t make sense. Nothing made sense. Zuko fell asleep contemplating how that woman and Iroh could be so sure he was mostly good when he himself was no longer sure.
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Borealis: A Zutara Story