He had spent the better of three days in bed rest, his dehydration and ice burns much more worrisome than his broken foot. Luckily he had not lost any fingers, toes, nose or ears to the cold. Had someone not born in the cold been in the same situation they would be mangled by now.

His father had visited him periodically, letting Sokka rest, spending his free time with his son. They talked, his father keeping him updated. He had told them the Avatar had wondered into the village, lost and confused, with his own two legs, shivering in cold, with mild hypothermia. They had fed him and given him warm yak-goat milk. The Avatar had slept an entire day.

Now he was out and about in the village, new pelts and skins donated by members of the tribe. He had brought with him a strange animal that Hakoda had never seen- the Avatar had said he was his Sky Bison and that his name was Appa- and was taking children for rides on the beast.

When the young wolf warrior had asked where they had placed the Avatar, his father had told him they had given him Katara's hut. Sokka had not taken the news lightly. His sister's hut had been untouched since they were forced to send her away. He had clang to hope that she would return, that one day he would have his baby sister back with him.

Their partners in the Earth Kingdom, men his father had known when he had been actively fighting the war, had sent word about a waterbender woman that had joined the rebels and was giving Firebenders a run for their coin. News of her had stopped many months before and Sokka feared the worst. Still he prayed to the spirits almost every day asking for her safe return.

He was up now, donning his parka, ready to finally leave his hut. He could hear the commotion outside. The laughs and giggles. Hope had returned, and he would fight for it to be maintained.

.

O

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She had spent her lessons in utter silence, musing about what was to come. The Fire Lord had requested for her alone. No Lihua, no distractions. The waterbender bit her lip. She had told herself this was for the greater good, that it was a necessary evil but she just couldn't bring herself to willingly sleep with the Lord. She knew that when the time came she would do it, but it didn't make it any easier, especially when she had time to think.

Xue and Lien had both showed concern for her and Lihua had barely spoken two words her way.

It was hard for Katara to admit it, but she had grown close to the three girls. Still she would prefer not to talk about this with them. The whole harem already knew Lihua would spend the night in her room while the Tribes' woman was going to meet their Lord. Some of the other concubines had given her the evil eye, while others had smirked and conspired against Lihua. The water maiden bit her lip. The Fire Nation girl had been nothing but gracious towards her and this is how she repaid her? Stealing the man she was clearly in love with?

"Hey! Girl!" Someone slapped her hands with a long bamboo stick. "Pay attention!" Katara squeaked slightly, her muses broken by the sudden gesture.

"A good concubine is much more than just a good lay. She is also the best company at all times! If you don't pay attention to what people are saying, how do you expect to be good company?" The old woman, Chiyo, scowled at her. "Good Agni, girl. You have been doing so much better and then you go and ruin everything with not paying attention."

"How are we supposed to be good company if we aren't allowed to speak?" Katara asked, not bothering to be courteous.

The woman sighed. "You are allowed to speak if you are asked to do so. If a patron is engaging you in conversation, he will most likely wish you to respond." The Tribes' woman opened her mouth to ask something more but the elder cut her off. "Of course you will need to heed what you say. Especially since most patrons don't like being outsmarted." She circled the waterbender. "You must always make them look smarter than you are. And you must make them feel intelligent, important, understood and looked up to. The only person you need to hold in higher esteem is our Lord. So if you are engaged in conversation with a group of people, you must always exalt Fire Lord Zuko."

The waterbender's brows knitted together. There was nothing good to say about him. Even if it were, she would never say it.

"What if I don't agree?"

"What you think about a particular subject is of no importance. You are a concubine, not a consort. And even a consort would never display her opinions publicly. Not at court." The woman looked out. "Seems it is time for you to go. We will continue the day after tomorrow. Seriously girl, politics were much more important than this. You already know how to behave. Or you should." The woman walked out and the waterbender stood. As she made to leave Xue grabbed her by the arm.

"We should walk back together. I've been quite lonely today."

Katara smiled. "Aren't you lonely every day?"

"Not since you came." The waterbender stood still, eyes wide, staring at the other woman. Xue blushed. "I know we aren't supposed to like each other. Concubines are always competing. But…." She played with her hands. "But I like having friends." She looked at the Tribes' woman. "And since you came Lien and Lihua also spend time with me. It's nice to just hang out." She offered quietly. Katara smiled brightly and placed her arm through Xue's.

.

O

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Zuko had been eating lunch with his uncle. He would steal glances at the old man from time to time. There was a subject on his mind that he was trying to approach, but didn't quite know how, Iroh could tell.

"What is it, my nephew?"

The Fire Lord was caught by surprise. He opened his mouth, then closed it, opened, in an attempt to engage his uncle.

The old man chuckled. "Is this one of those rare moments, when you are at a loss of what to say?" The younger firebender pouted and looked away, crossing his arms in front of his chest.

The Dragon of the West smiled. "Is this about girls, nephew?"

Zuko blushed, grimaced, then frowned at his uncle. "I know perfectly well how to talk to women, uncle."

"Never said you didn't."

"I was married, don't know if you remember that." The Fire Lord supplied angrily.

"Indeed you were, nephew." Iroh supplied, gently.

"If I didn't know how to talk to women, I wouldn't have been married…to a woman!" He said indignantly. The old man chuckled once more.

"Lady Mai was not much of a talker."

Zuko frowned. The memory of his wife was one that made the young man very saddened still. Iroh immediately regretted bringing her up, when their banter had been so light.

"How do….." He seemed to give a hard thought to what he was going to ask. "How do I get a girl to open up to me? You know. Tell me her secrets."

"What kind of things?" Iroh smiled. Was his nephew flustered because he wanted Lihua to tell him something? The man took a sip of his tea, eyeing his nephew carefully.

"You know... important things" Zuko looked at the old man. He thought about what he was going to say for a moment. He knew his uncle. He knew that even though it was his suggestion that made the Southerner somewhat important in this war, the man would never agree with what his sovereign wanted to do. So he lied. "Lihua and I…. we have been getting closer. But… she doesn't confide in me. I can't get her secrets out."

Iroh grinned jovially. So this is what his nephew was trying to ask. The Fire Lord had settled into his position marvellously. He had learnt how to hold himself, how to speak to his court and his people. But Zuko had never been very good with girls. He was trying. It was clear from this conversation that his nephew was serious about the girl.

"Nephew, a caged bird sings no tunes." He offered, wisely. Zuko frowned, confused. His uncle was often times so annoying, always talking in riddles.

"What? We are talking about women, uncle not birds."

His uncle felt like smacking him upside the head. The Fire Lord lacked interest in the finer things in life. Tea, shopping, music night, how to properly court young ladies.

"Zuko. A woman will never truly be your partner if she is not your equal. A concubine cannot be a partner. She is caged. And she will feel too afraid, too weary to tell you anything you might not want to hear." The younger firebender made a face. Iroh sighed. "Zuko, the girl wants to be treated properly."

"She is treated properly. She is given meals four times a day, she has a bed, a roof, clothes, jewels. Many people would die to have what she has." His uncle grimaced.

"Seriously, nephew?" The Fire Lord mouthed a "what". "You need to pay attention to her. Make her feel understood and appreciated. Pay attention to what she has to say. Don't punish her for talking, for disagreeing. Make her feel comfortable, like she is your partner. If you value her as much as I believe you do you will let her speak her mind, be herself. Treat her as you treated your wife."

"You know I can't do that, uncle." His tone was indignant.

"Not in public, no." The man took another sip of his tea. "But in private you can. Engage with her. Tell her about yourself. Ask her if she needs anything. Make her feel welcomed."

Zuko mused on the words of his uncle. He wasn't particularly savvy when it came to girls, but how hard could it be?

"Take her out with you. Let her be a part of your life. Compliment her." Iroh chuckled. "Confide in her. If she knows your secrets, then she will feel more willing to share heres.." The man stroked his beard. "Tell her how much you appreciate her candour. Speak sweet words and you will get sweet actions."

The Fire Lord pondered on his uncle's words. The old man had a lot of flaws, but Zuko had noticed how girls liked his company, even if it wasn't romantically.

"Let her know you, nephew. The real you, and you will have all of her." The man smiled, happy at the younger firebender's change in demeanour. He was happy his nephew was moving on. Despite everything going on, he deserved happiness.

Zuko nodded. Perhaps it was worth a try.

.

O

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Madame Zhu had given her preferential treatment that night. She had been dutifully bathed, her skin smoothed with perfumed oils, her hair combed until it shone, cascading over her shoulders, her lashes blackened. The matron had a group of older women working her, fussing all around here. Apparently she was being summoned more times than Xia, Shuchun and Niu, and Madame Zhu felt like she needed an extra boost so the Fire Lord kept his interest. All the other women were beautiful, and even though the matron hadn't been unpleasant about her appearance in a while, it was obvious she still felt Katara wasn't nearly as pretty as any other girl in the harem. Her harem pants were see through violet fabric and her top a strap of fabric, a couple shades darker than the pants, covering her breasts, little chain links of bronze looped around her midriff, collar and arms, as if they were extra fabric.

"No red today?" Katara enquired. Madame Zhu snorted.

She followed the guards to the Lord's quarters, solemn and pensive. She had been dreading this moment, and now that it was here, Katara was steeling herself for what had to be done. The Tribes' woman took a deep breath, as the guards opened the doors and she stepped in.

The man was reading a scroll, sitting on his sofa. The fire in the hearth was not lit, and the woman found herself missing the comforting crackle.

She took a step inside and heard the large double doors close. The Fire Lord turned to look at her, his gaze studying her.

She gulped and stepped further into the room. "My Lord." She said, sounding more confident than she truly was.

The man's brows furrowed into a frown and Katara slapped herself mentally. She was not supposed to speak without permission. Great Katara. Just great. You are supposed to be seducing him, but all you'll manage is to get punished once again.

The firebender said nothing. He wasn't sure how to tackle this beast. He got up and watched her intently. Uncle had given him sound advice. The thing was, Zuko wasn't quite sure how to put the old man's words into practice. He had never been known as especially good with women. If it wasn't for his title, the firebender doubted most of the women would be interested. He looked around the room and cleared his throat.

After a while he exclaimed. "No red tonight?" He immediately, mentally, slapped himself. The Fire Lord, the most powerful man in the world, had such eloquence.

Katara looked up at him, dumbfounded, for a moment, then she looked down at herself.

"I asked Madame Zhu the same thing!" The Tribes' woman smiled to herself, and he relaxed a bit. He tried to think about his uncle's words.

"It suits you…Purple, I mean." Once more the girl stared at him, and the Fire Lord shifted from foot to foot, nervously, under her scrutiny. How could he be so bad at this. She was a slave, for Agni's sake. He shouldn't be feeling this self-conscious.

"Actually I think it's more violet." She said after a long stretch of time. "I like it, tough. It's very-"

"-Tribe like." He finished for her. The firebender was getting quite annoyed at her lack of manners. Under any other circumstance, he would have her punished. But Iroh had told him conversations needed to flow, they couldn't be forced, or else she would never truly open up.

The girl's eyes found his face, and her brows furrowed as she thought.

"Actually, my Lord, my people don't wear purple." He looked at her. "It is worn only by the royal family up north, or the elders during special occasions." She concluded.

He almost rejoiced. She had offered him information about the Tribes. Nothing he could use, but it was a start.

"It suits you, tough." There was no falsehood in the statement. Zuko's eyes widened and he cursed under his breath, as her own orbs darted to his face at the sudden admission. The Tribes' woman opened and close her mouth a couple of times, trying to figure out what to say.

"Thank you, your highness…. I guess." She added as an afterthought.

Silence laid its heavy cloak around them. Katara wasn't sure what was going on. She had come thinking he would claim her, but he seemed nervous and unsure. Almost human.

The man's hand darted up to the back of his neck, and he rubbed it, gingerly.

"Have you eaten?" He walked past her, towards the double doors. "Would you like to join me for dinner?"

The waterbender gaped. Had she missed something? She was about to say no, her temper flaring at his behaviour. If he was playing games with her, then she would just put an end to it. But then, she remembered herself, her purpose. Games, it was what she was here to play. And she would win. The woman nodded.

"I would like that, your highness."

The Fire Lord opened the door and ordered something Katara didn't quite catch. She looked around the chamber, trying to make sense of the situation. He was up to something. She just didn't know what.

He stepped back into the room and shot a ball of flame into the hearth. Katara watched the dancing flames for a while, until his voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Would you like to sit down?" He repeated. She nodded and sat on the sofa. Katara looked at her hands, her fingers lacing in each other as another long silence stretched in the room. She looked over at where he sat, immersed in his thoughts. This whole thing was quite peculiar, and she had been caught woefully off guard.

"I heard the North has walls of ice protecting the city." He offered, a bit too excitedly for her taste.

"It does, your highness. They are impenetrable." Her eyes narrowed in mistrust.

"Nothing is impenetrable. Look at Ba Sing Se." The woman jerked, her eyes widening with a phantom blow.

"The Northern Water Tribe is. If you destroy the walls, we will just rebuild it in a matter of minutes. It doesn't matter how good your sister thinks she is." Her voice was steely, like the ice of her birthplace cutting against his skin. Zuko frowned and took a deep breath to keep from punishing her. Finally, after another long silence he gritted through his teeth.

"You underestimate Azula. And me." They glowered at each other. This wasn't going to be as easy as the Fire Lord originally thought it would. It would take a great deal of coaxing for her to let something slip. He wasn't naturally a patient man, but he was driven. And right now, he needed that information. Azula's power was getting much too strong. Still, the truth remained. The girl was underestimating him, his determination. He would go to great lenghts to defeat the North. Even following his uncle's advice on women.

The girl snorted, and Zuko curled his lip in disgust at the sound. There was a knock on the door and he snapped. "What?"

"My lord, your dinner." He breathed out heavily, not deviating his eyes from the Tribes' woman.

"Come in. Set it on the table." He had wanted this to be nice. Have dinner, get some information, maybe use whatever seduction skills his uncle had helped hone that afternoon. But no, she had to make everything difficult.

Things were never easy for him. He wished he would catch a break, just this once.

Two servants set three trays with food on his table. After they were gone, and another moment had passed, the firebender sat up and walked to the table.

"Please join me." She did as she was told mechanically. They ate in silence, and the man would occasionally steal glances her way.

"Do you have any other story?" He asked as he dipped a bit of flat bread in some kind of minty sauce. Maybe this would help him get in her good graces.

The woman looked at him, her eyes narrowed, warily. She pondered for a moment, then opened her mouth to speak.

"Once long ago, when the earth was young, and Tui and La still hadn't crossed to our world, a monkey, an otter a jackal and a rabbit resolved to practice charity on a day of full Moon. They thought a demonstration of great virtue would earn them an equally great reward." She paused and took a sip of rice wine. Katara grimaced at the taste, bitter and burning, took another one, and carried on. "When an old woman begged for food, the monkey gathered fruits from trees nearby and the otter collected fish while the jackal wrongfully pilfered a lizard and a pot of milk-curd."

The Fire Lord swallowed the piece of steamed fish he was chewing.

"That's cheating. How is he virtuous?" The woman frowned.

"Let me finish." He just scowled and took a bite from a rice cake.

"The rabbit, who knew only how to gather grass, instead offered his own body," The man gasped. "throwing himself into a fire the man had built. The old woman revealed himself to be Raava and, touched by the rabbit's virtue, made him immortal and send him to the moon. He got tasked with mixing the herbs that made the pill of immortality, and with a green coat that granted him the name the Jade Rabbit. When Chang'e got to the moon, she and the Jade Rabbit became inseparable, and each other's company."

"Where's the rest?" He sounded annoyed.

She scowled. "That's it." Katara crossed her arms in front of her chest and stared. The Fire Lord furrowed his brows.

"That's it?"

"Yeah." Her features softened. "I can bring my book next time. If you wish, my lord" She inclined her head slightly. He looked at the leftovers on the porcelain set, the half emptied rice wine. He wanted to say something. To push her more.

He glanced her way. She was openly looking at him, waiting for an answer. Her expression was open, her blue eyes glimmering in the candle light. He swallowed. Rubbing the back of his neck, he said almost hesitantly.

"How about Houyi?"

Katara looked at him, blinking in astonishment. He seemed nervous, anxious, maybe even a little timid.

"What….what happened to him?" His look was cutting, searching. She swallowed hard before speaking.

"I don't know." Her tone was quiet.

"He lost the woman he loved. I am sure his fate was not kind after that." There was bitterness there, an aching that Katara knew all too well. She had felt it when she lost her mother and more recently Jet. Her heart clenched.

He seemed vulnerable, human. And she felt for him, wishing his pain away. This was dangerous.

.

O

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I would like to start by thanking everyone who reads this. To everyone who favourited, to everyone who put this on their alert list, to everyone that commented, to everyone that took time to give this a chance, to everyone that likes it and plans on keep reading.

I want to especially thank all of the reviewers, you may not know how important you are, but for a writer, to have feedback on what we are writing is so important. To the new readers and reviewers, thank you so much for reading and giving this a chance. I welcome you. To the oldest readers and reviewers, a special thanks for keeping with me and this story for this long. This chapter may be a bit smaller but it is the start of actual interactions between them. I wrote this chapter 3 times and kept changing things around. I ended up writing two full chapters that will be used later on. One of them I am so sure all of you will love. It's filled with Zutara goodness in a sexy way. The only reason I put it aside for the future, was because it felt like I was getting ahead of myself here. But rest assured everyone's Zutara needs will be somewhat fulfilled with that chapter :P

I hope however, that despite my back and forward with this one, it's still good enough. So, review, give constructive critics, tell me about things you like, the things you would like to see, ideas and thoughts you might have for latter chapters. Everything is welcome.

I, as promised, have answered all reviews, for chapter 12 and 11 here.

Once again thank you for the support. I am thinking, when this fic gets to 200 reviews I will probably write a one-shot, and you can choose what you want to read about.

Have a nice night.

C.G- Thank you for the review. This story hasn't been abandoned. Yes, it was Sokka in this chapter. He is going to become a major player as the story moves on. Hope you keep reading and like the rest.

Tessamae- Thank you so much for you review. Lihua turns into a demon sometimes because she is human, and like in all of us there is a duality. She isn't a bad person tough. Hope you keep reading and like the rest.

seward907- Thank you so much for your kind words. I do hope you keep reading and enjoying even after all this time.

Guest "So unlike cartoon Katara" I have addressed this on some occasions. The Katara in this is not 100% like the one in the show. This is AU and her experiences are different. We are the sum of our experiences, after all. I do think- or hope- that the major Katara characteristics have been maintained. I do hope however that you keep reading. Thank you for your review.

- Thank you so much for your kind words, and I am so happy you like Katara as is portrayed here. Lihua will suffer changes throughout this story, even though they are neither positive nor negative. They are just adaptations. I do hope you keep reading.

InItToWinIT- Thank you for your words. I am glad you found this story and find it good enough. The bruises on Katara's cheek aren't really picked up upon because nobody actually questions her punishments. After the prison cell, I aimed to make her more driven and not really bitter because, in my view, bitterness would not get her anywhere. Anger however, and desire to end this once and for all, would, and will. I hope you keep reading and giving criticism. It's always positive

Guest "The plotine seems to"- Thank you so much for your words. Yes, Katara is a bit different, but she is older and has lived a different live. It would not be narratively coherent for me to keep Katara 100% as on A:TlA. I hope, however, that you keep reading and commenting. Criticism is always appreciated.

boothandbones4ever- There will be a bit more "sexiness" down the road. :P

- I really liked it as well and I immediately thought of Zutara XD

Lorelai Dream- Thank you so much. I do hope you keep reading.

Belle5736- Wow, thank you so much for your words. They mean a lot. I do hope you keep reading and enjoying.

KJun- Here is more. Hope you keep reading.

WaitingForThatMoment- I am really sorry. I lost myself for a moment there. Can't promise this will go smoothly this time around but I am willing to invest time into this. Even when I feel conflicted about where to go. Hope you keep reading and enjoying.

Guest "t's been terribly long since you've updated this."- I am terribly sorry. I am, in fact, not anywhere near done with this. I wanted this story to be somewhat short but I am not sure how things will turn out. We will see. I will however, invest my time in this. Thank you for the support, and I hope you keep reading.

JulietheGreat- I am still updating. I just lost myself for a while, but I am still in the game. Wherever this story may take me, I am going to end it. Thank you for the support. I hope you keep reading.

Maddie- I am a bit late for Zutara month, but here I am. Thank you so much for your words. That is what I was aiming at. Keeping key elements from the original show but adding something new. Also, thank you for saying this is incredible. It makes me really happy and it's one of the reasons I am still committed. The love people have for this is incredible. Thank you.

Cheesehead101- I am not done. And I am updating more regularly now. Not every month or so but as the chapters come along I am updating.

Maddie- I don't know if you are the same Maddie as above, but since you are "anon" I will reply as if to a different person, with the same name :P. Wow. I don't consider my spelling and grammar that great so it's a great honour to read this. Thank you. Katara is strong. She was in the show, she is here. I absolutely love that about her in the original. So I am trying to stay true to that. I hope you keep reading.

Guest "Great story with fantastic characterization and an exciting plot full of suspense and intrigue."- Thank you for your advice. I do separate everything on Word but deletes my separations for some reason, so I am using new strategy. About the spelling, I am sorry if I sometimes miss things. I do re-read everything, but sometimes I miss things. I hope it doesn't put you too off. Hope you keep reading.

EmilyxSarah- Thank you for your words. I do write more in English to train it. This hasn't been abandoned and I will be updating it as much as I can. I hope you keep reading.

ManonVarendaz- I haven't given up on it. And I do hope you keep checking this out. Thank you so much.

Ali- wow, your words are just so. Thank you so much for that. To know that you feel this is one of the best really makes me happy. I do hope you keep reading and enjoying, it makes me so happy.

Al Amirrah- Thank you so much. I really am aiming to keep this a bit different from other Zutara and A:TlA stories out there. Also thank you for saying it feels real. I am a bit late for Xmas but I do hope you keep reading and enjoying.

Guest "OHMYGOSHOHMYGOSHOHMYGOSH"- Your review made me both chuckle and feel joyous. Thank you so much for your excitement and enthusiasm. It's for readers like you that I keep writing. Also it makes me feel so happy and at the same time humbled that you feel this is one of the best, since there are many stories out there that I find are amazing and to have someone hold this to their light is just amazing and feels so good. So I am glad you are happy about this, and I should be the one thanking you :P

Aluet- Thank you so much for reading andfor the kind words. I have been working really hard on their characters and trying my hardest to make them believable and deep. I do hope you keep reading and enjoying.

Guest "I hope Katara can kick Zuko's ass and intercept some intel"- Oh Katara will do everything in her power to kick his ass alright :P Zuko's redemption will come in phases. I do hope it will seem believable. Also thank you for saying this was a good chapter. I do hope you keep reading and enjoying.

ArrayePL- First of all, let me start by thanking you for sticking around for this long. It means so much to me. You have no idea. Secondly, I was trying to emulate the episode in which Zuko gets sick from his emotional battle. This was pretty much the same thing. Katara felt sick with herself for what she had done, and it translated into the physical. I am sorry it wasn't as clear. I do hope you keep reading and enjoying tough.

Aaliyah92- Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad you not only found this but enjoy it. Also thank you from reading through all 12 chapters like that. I do hope you keep reading an enjoying.

mpowers045- I may include a separate chapter, a companion to this with some lemon but right now I have nothing planned. I do hope this doesn't steer you away from the story. Hope you keep reading.

VodkaIsNasty- First of all: Thank you for the amazingly long review. It made my day at the time :P I am so glad you enjoy this fic, and I also am thankful you gave it a chance even though you were sceptical about it. I get why you avoid concubine fics. I am a lurker in the Zutara communities and a lot of people avoid concubine fics like the plague. When I started this I wanted it to be different. I wanted Katara to be a participant of her own capture. I wanted her to fight. I wanted Zuko to fall for her because of who she is, and we all know she is a warrior first and foremost. Actually these next chapters are a way to make Zuko see how Katara truly is. She is opinionated and she has no qualms in fighting for what she believes is right. I've always felt that would be one of the reasons he would love her for. Their whole arcs in the show were about looking beyond some prejudices and get to truly appreciate each other. At this point Katara will start to spend time with him and see him more as a human and not the evil ruler of the Fire Nation. He won't be a stereotypical concept anymore. Will that change anything for Katara? We need to wait and see. As for Zuko he is complex. He is all that you listed in this, but he also retains some of the things from the show, like his lack of confidence, his feelings of doubt, and even his awkwardness when he truly needs to interact with a girl outside this "I am Fire Lord you are concubine." Set up. About your suggestions, thank you so much and I am telling you right now some of them have already been incorporated into future chapters that I had written during my hiatus. So you got pretty close to some things that are indeed going to happen. Others I hadn't thought of but am considering. So thank you. I do hope you keep reading and enjoying. And keep ideas coming

AthenaLesage- I appreciate this so much. I am very much aware of the scepticism towards concubine fics. I am trying to keep this historically accurate (I did a lot of research into concubines in the ancient world, especially China, Rome, Greece and Egypt) and I am also trying to stay true to Katara and Zuko. So thank you so much for having given this a chance and enjoying it. I do hope you keep reading and liking it, and if any criticism arises, please feel free to point it out.

PrettyChelsea- Thank you for your words. Their first kiss was different I feel. I read a lot of Zutara fics and I felt that they would start this push and pull relationship type of thing, both with an agenda, both not being in love with each other. So when the feelings role in, things get complicated :P As for Ryu he is kind of a naïve good sort of guy. It's a way for me to introduce people outside of the harem, true FN people that aren't as Katara thought FN citizens were. They will need to break up at some point, and I do have a romance planned for Ryu. There's even a hint of it in a previous chapter ;P but I will say no more. So here is the next chapter. I hope you aren't too disappointed in this and keep reading. Thank you.

guest "YES!" – I will keep updating. And I hope you keep reading. And yes Zuko does love Katara's sass. He loves that she is powerful and strong and can, quite frankly, kick his butt.

Leilaneko- Thank you so much for your kind words. I hope I can keep meeting your expectations, and that you keep reading.

RSK- I want to start by thanking you for sticking with this for this long. It makes me really happy that you did. First of all, can I star by asking you, if you could provide links to your amazing pieces for this story? seems to have deleted links even from the comments and I did love them and want to share them with everyone because they are fabulous. And if you don't mind me asking, since you are an amazing artist, would you be willing to make a piece for me to use as a cover for this story? I feel like I am overstepping a line asking you, but your art was so good. So thank you in advance, even if it's not possible. I love that you like the development in the last couple of chapters. She will always be rebellious but things will change. Katara is from water, and it's an adaptable element, so she will adapt to the upcoming situations. Madame Zhu feels like less is more, and in this fic Katara is bustier than the other girls at the harem. Zhu knows men like boobies so she is trying to play to Katara's "strengths". I feel like the whole thing of Zutara was about Katara being similar to Zuko. I know a lot of Zutarians like to point out they are opposites but I never felt that way. They are so similar, and their differences, which are huge, are a small part of their relationship, because they have so much in common. I want Zuko to see that. If she was Lihua he wouldn't like her as much as he probably will in the future. Katara's struggles will shift and like any human being she will go back and forth on her feelings, and feel so conflicted about a lot of what's to come. Also I am glad you are liking the other plot threads. I had to include Sokka in this and he is going to play a major part later on. This is a concubine fic, but it's not static and I don't feel like a palace affair would help them develop the way they should. Also Katara just going "Now that we are in love please stop the war" would not work. Zuko has been ignoring Iroh's instruction on the matter, he would do so for Katara. He needs to get the message on his own. That's a huge part of his character. I do hope I can live up to your expectations with this fic. So keep the comments coming and even criticism because it all helps me with this. Once again thanks

Ihuan- Thank you so much for your kind words. I am so glad you like Katara. It means a lot to me that you do. Zuko loves how Katara looks, but if she is dressed sexily he just can't resist her :P And Katara will use her charms to try to get what she wants. I hope you keep reading.

Fashionista- I understand how you feel, but I had promised some of my oldest readers that I would shed light into the things she wears. I hope this doesn't put you off the story and that you keep reading.

Jon- Thank you for your advice. I will, however say, that at some point there will be a shift in the story. And I have some elements of the larger A:TlA universe that I will use here, but only because this story won't be static. I will, tough, develop, this as much as I can. I do hope you keep criticising when it needs to, because advice like yours keeps me sharp and makes this work better. I do hope you keep reading and enjoying.

the Moon our Witness- I am so happy you found this story. It will come along, inspiration I mean. I am so not ready to let this die. Especially since so many of you seem to truly enjoy it. It's one of the best things for a writer to feel. I am glad you find this unique ad good, and also that you like the characterizations. I am however going to ask what flaws you think this has. I am always willing to learn and make this better, and there is no one more suitable to help me than the people that read and enjoy. I do hope you keep reading and liking this.

Guest "Love this! Please update soon!"- I will keep updating, although I won't make promises about time. I, apparently do not do well with time schedules XD. I hope, however, that you keep reading and enjoying.

Nina- Maybe :P Actually I have plans for Lien. At first the three Earth Kingdom girls were going to have Lien's story arc but, things change in 4 years, and I have built Lien to be much bigger than what she actually started out as in my original draft. I am going to say that she will be somewhat important. I do hope you keep reading and enjoying.

JoPoGirlsKickAss- Here you go. Thank you for the review and I hope you keep reading and enjoying.

Sandra517- Thank you so much for your amazing words. It makes me so happy to think my style is gripping. I do try. I hope you keep reading and enjoying.

Guest "Oh pleeeeeaaaaassseeeea!"- Zutara will come along but very slowly. I am not planning on rushing anything, but I do hope you keep reading and it doesn't make you quit this story the lack of obvious Zutara. Little moments will come in the upcoming chapters.

Epona- This wasn't abandoned. Here is the new chapter. I hope you keep reading, altough I can't promise the updates will be that frequent. I will finish this.