Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Nothing But Your Servant ❯ The Marks He Made ( Chapter 3 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Discalimer: I do not own any of the Avatar characters. I only own Zenaida who I created myself.

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~Zuko~

I watched the servant girl wash my table down, the edge of her sleeves getting slightly damp. There was a knock at the door and she went to go and answer it, but before she could open the door, it swung open and knocked her down. Azula appeared in the doorway with Ty Lee and Mai behind her.

" Zuzu, Father wishes to see your servant for a moment." Azula said evily, a small smile on her lips. I knew something was wrong because Ty lee wasn't smiling, but looking off somewhere ekse and not meeting Zenaida's or my eyes.

" For what?" I asked Azula, knowing that she probably wouldn't give me an answer, which was true. She just grabbed Zenaida's arm and began dragging her off, those violet eyes staring at me as she went away. I wasn't sure whether to follow or not, but I chose not to because if I did then they'd probably think something fishy was going on.

I was slightly confused at this point. What was so special about my servant besides her looks? Would my father take her and use her as some sex toy? I wasn't sure. But something made me worry in the way Zenaida looked at me as she was being dragged off by Azula.

~Zenaida~

I was literally frightened of what was going to happen. This was my second week at the palace and it seemed like I was already getting in trouble. It's not exactly the people that are giving me the punishment for getting in trouble that I'm scared of....it's me. At my last master, I had accidently broke his teapot and he grabbed me by my hair. I was ready for a beating when everything got black. By the time I woke up, his family and house had been burned down. The master before that tried to bed me when he was drunk and he chained me to his bed. I had blacked out then too, and when I awoke, I found him with four knives in his throat. There were similar cases like that, all of the people who try to harm me get killed. I can't even exactly remember how I was able to not get caught in these incidents.

As Azula pulled me toward his secluded throne area, Ty Lee and Mai stopped following a few feet before Azula stopped at the beginning of the thin stairway to his throne. She glared at me and threw me to the ground and I believed that she was going to spit fire at me.

" Get up there, servant." she commanded and I got to my feet. Quickly bowing before Azula, I made my way up to the curtained area. I stared at the curtains for a moment, trying to think whether to announce that I'm here or just walk in. Azula made that decision for me. " Get in the damn curtains!"

I quickly went in after being startled by Azula's fierceness and made sure to close the curtains all the way. Turning around with my heart in my throat, I found the Firelord staring at me intensely. I got on my knees and bowed.

" Firelord Ozai." I said while I bowed deeply. I could smell the carpet, which smelled like a....carpet. Heh.

" Come sit with me, Zenaida." he said and I brought my eyes up to him to see that he was gesturing to a pillow in front of him. I kneeled there and he filled the teacup in front of me with tea. I felt awkward that the Firelord was doing such a thing, but I kept my mouth shut and my eyes down. " Have some tea." he said while setting the teapot aside. Not wanting to disrespect his kindness, I sipped the scalding tea and felt it run down my throat. " Why do you hide your face?" he asked, and I instantly looked at him. Satisfaction crossed his face and he seemed to kind of relax.

" Ever since I seen those eyes last week while we were eating breakfast, they looked so familiar. Of course I had my assistants look into it....." he chuckled and gave me an evil grin. Suddenly the table flipped upside down and he had pinned me to the ground by my wrists. Startled by his quick movement, my eyes widened in horror and fright. I could feel myself start to weaken and ready to black out, but I couldn't have anything happen to the Firelord or I'd get killed for sure. I didn't want to die just yet. " I know who you are!" he hissed in my ear and bore his evil eyes into mine.

~Zuko~

I was practing in the courtyard on the wooden figures with my swords this time. I quickly finished them off and heard noise coming from inside the dark doorways that led into the palace. Watching it, Zenaida aproached looking horrible. Half of her face was burned and the sleeves of her robes ended at her elbows instead of wrists which exposed the burn marks that went from her wrist to her elbows. She kept her face down as she waited off to the side for me.

What had happened to her? What did he do? She looks.....horrible. Like she had been dipped in lava. I felt sorry for her because the burns looked minor, but I knew they still stung bad. I hadn't acknowledged her until we were in the privacy of my room and she began to clean the table again without another word.

" What happened?" I asked her, but she kept her face down and said nothing. Why was she disobeying me? She was probably hiding something, but she was my servant and she had to obey me. " Answer me!" I demanded and got closer to her where I could feel her body's heat. She jumped a little from the demand in my voice and then stopped wiping the table. She stayed kneeling, but she looked up at me with tears at the edge of her eyes.

" I had a little accident with the tea when I visited the Firelord." she said, a tear managing to escape the cups in his eyelids. I knew she was lying.

" Hot tea does not create the harsh burns on your arms and face-" her hair fell back and I seen burn marks on one side of her neck," and neck."

My breathe caught my throat when I seen the small little purple bruises covering the other side of her neck. My father made those? No, can't be. But something in the back of my mind was telling me different.

~Zenaida~

I couldn't help but feel ashamed as Prince Zuko spotted the hickies his own father gave me. I felt so low and dirty. As the Firelord created them, all I could think of was " Why am I letting him do this? Why am I letting him do this?" and I refused to black out. During that time when I was in the curtained off room with the Firelord, I was so close to completely blacking out, but I hadn't. I couldn't. My life wasn't ready to be over just yet.

" ........where'd you get these?" he grabbed my chin and moved my face to the side and pointed to the purple marks. What was I going to say now? The tea lie didn't work at all. Someone help me....... I didn't answer back and snatched my face out of his fingers.

" Is there anything else you need, Master?" I said and kept my burning eyes away from his, ashamed of my appearance in front of a prince. Ashamed of how I was assulted in that throne room. Ashamed of myself.

" I don't like repeating myself, Zenaida. Answer my question! Where'd you get these? Do not lie to me!" he grabbed my face again and pulled it up to face him. I could feel my shameful tears running rapidly down my cheeks and I don't think I had a choice but the truth.

" ........Firelord Ozai." The words stung as they left my tongue and I felt horrible. The time that I was in there with him made me feel like dirt. Prince Zuko winced and gently dropped my face back down. I began to wipe the table again even though it was already clean as he turned around to look out of the window. I bit my tongue to muffle the sobs I felt were coming and quickly exited the room with the pail of water and rag. The guards stared at me as I made my way to the back of the palace to return the pail and dump the water. I kept my hair in front of my shoulders to try and hide Firelord Ozai's marks.

~Zuko~

When she confessed that my father did it, I was shocked to find myself not suprised. My father was unpredictable, but I had not expect him to burn her then mark her. If my father was not athe Firelord, he would be shamed for life even though the burn marks and hickies were temporary. But I knew no one would comment on the servant girl's appearance. No one would speak of it. No one would speak to her because they believe that my father has made her an example to everyone else. I felt bad for the servant girl. Those eyes seemed to curse her more than radiate her beauty. And when she walked back into my room, I seen her flinch when her burnt arm accidently rubbed against the closing door.

" Let me see your burns." I said and she gave me a shocked look. Hesitating before hold out an arm to me, I slowly ran my hand over it and she took a deep breathe to take in the pain. The burns weren't as bad as they could be. " Come with me." I instructed and she followed me out of the room. The guards watched us as we walked down the hallways to my Uncle's room and opened the door without even bothering to knock. He was sipping tea like always and greeted me with a smile which fell when he looked at the servant.

" Oh my, what happened here!?" my uncle excalimed as he got up and I closed the door. He looked at the burns and glared at me. " Did you do this, Zuko?" he asked sounding extrememly angry. I shook my head and looked at the servant who was looking down ashamed.

" What happened to you, Zenaida?" my uncle asked as he bustled through various chests for ointments to treat the burns. A tear dropped to the floor from her eyes and I knew she wasn't planning on saying what had happened exactly. But a theory was already begin to form in my head. My father wanted to have her as one of his mistresses, but she probably refused so he burned her and marked her his, which sickened me because I didn't want to picture my father bedding different women.

" I asked her the same thing. The only thing that she told me was that my father did this to her." I grabbed her hair and pulled it back from her face to expose the purple marks covering half of her neck. My uncle's eyes got big and he approached Zenaida with the ointment bottle in his hands. As he ran the tips of his aged fingers over the purple clouds, she winced and stepped back, once again letting her hair fall forward.

" Is that true? Did the Firelord do this to you?" my uncle asked as he poured the contents of the bottle in his hand and gently grabbed her wrist before spreading the ointment on her burns. She gasped at first, but then relaxed and looked away as my uncle treated the burns.

" .....yes." she said and my uncle glanced up at her before bringing his eyes down to the burn marks again.

" Tell me what happened. What you say will not come out of this room." he shot me a look and I rolled my eyes. Zenaida sighed and sniffed her runny nose.

" I can't. I'm too ashamed of myself....." she said and turned her face away from our views. I knew my uncle was contemplating whether to press her more as he began to rub the ointment on her neck.

" Do not worry, my dear. The only one who should be ashamed is the Firelord for treating such a pretty young girl like this." he placed his finger under her chin and gently pushed her face up, smiling at the beauty that still shone through the burns. Zenaida smiled as well and removed her face from his finger.

" Thank you so much for treating me." she bowed to him, but my uncle gently grabbed her shoulder to bring her back up to her feet.

" Thank you for letting me be in your mere prescence." My uncle's smile widened and Zenaida blushed. I rolled my eyes.

" Uncle......" I began saying and he chuckled. He was once again trying to lighten up the situation and he actually succeded at that. The servant girl turned to me and smiled.

" Would you like me to get some tea, Master?" she asked as if she was not wearing the temporary burns or marks on her neck. Her eyes seemmed to get even brighter when she smiled and I could feel my chest get warm. If Mai were here right now she'd probably cut Zenaida in half.

" Yes." I said and she bowed before leaving the room. I should've told her to change her robe as well because she looks like she got trampled over by oxen. My Uncle shot me a curious look as I watched her exit the room and he sat behind the table.

" Prepare yourself for the worst my nephew." my uncle said and looked away in deep thought.

" What do you mean?" I asked, knowing that my uncle's wise words not to be put to waste. I had penalties in the past for putting them to waste and I didn't need anymore. Plus, I knew something bad was bound to happen with that girl's eyes. They attracted too many stares that were caught between suspicion and molestation with their eyes.

" I'm sensing something bad is going to come up. The Firelord doesn't even spare a glance at a servant unless he must. And he wouldn't pick her out just because of her eyes. Something big is going to happen my nephew." We kept quiet and pondered the future to ourselves. I honestly wasn't too worried about it just yet. I just think that my father is acting his cruel and cold self, but I'd still watch out for what might happen. What I was more worried about was that damn Avatar jumping all over the world. I could feel the court growing more anxious in his capture and I was playing a big part in it. I might recieve a matching scar on my other eye if I don't do something productive soon. The girl soon came back with our tray of coffee and basket of fruit. We stared at her burns and tattered robe as she poured the tea and I smirked to myself.

" Be careful with the tea, servant girl. Don't want to have another burn accident again, now do we?" her warm smile faded and was replaced by pursed lips. After pouring the tea, she stood up striaght and looked at the basket of fruit.

" Would you like me to peel an orange for you, Master?" she asked politely and I had to smirk at how quickly I could change her mood.

" No. Go change your robes and take a bath if you need to. Then tell Mai to meet me in the garden before meeting me back in my room." I instructed and she bowed before leaving.

~Zenaida~

I sat in the empty bathing area and took in the sting from the cold bath water on my burns. I refused to let my mind recall the moment with Firelord Ozai because I needed the pain to go away and disappear. I'd rather have the pain and memories in my mind disappear than the physical pain. I couldn't be tortured with the way he let the flames come out of his hands and crawl up my arm. I can't remember how his palm had erupted into a ball of fire and stroke me in my jaw. I refuse to remember the rest of the terrible moment either. I wanted to leave this palace, but if I left then I'd risk killing another man. In this palace I somehow found the restraint to keep my curseful power away. Discipline is what I felt. How do I feel this new feeling by just staying in this place is the question I'm still trying to find the answer to.

" At least someone knows who you are." that powerful and confident voice said in my head and I shook it, trying to rid my head of the voices that have been talking to me ever since I lost my mother. They never stop talking and they keep trying to take me over when I tell them "No!".

I quickly finished up with my shower and dressed in fresh robes. I recalled what the prince told me to do and went to search for Mai. I had hidden it well when Prince Zuko said her name, but I hated her. I hated all three of them! They all knew what had happened to me when I went to see the Firelord! Hell, they were still staring at me when I walked out of there! They didn't do shit! Maybe I should burn them.....

I found the three of them in the courtyard. Azula was sparring while Ty Lee and Mai watched her. All six eyes shot over to me and suddenly the courtyard filled with silence except for Aula's chuckle.

" Look at the palace's beauty everyone!" she exclaimed menacingly to everyone in the courtyard. Her sparring partners and other servants that were bustling around stopped to look at my burnt face, neck, and wrists. Anger bursted inside of me but I kept silent and didn't care if I was flushing at the attention to my marks. I ignored Azula and walked straight up to Mai with a stoic face.

" Prince Zuko wishes for you to meet him in the garden." I said and wasn't afraid to look her or Ty Lee in the eye. Mai nodded and looked away from my piercing eyes. Ty Lee did the same and I could see guilt writeen all over her face. Azula watched me intensely but I acted as if she wasn't even there and continued on to Prince Zuko's room.