Avatar The Last Airbender Fan Fiction ❯ Nothing But Your Servant ❯ The Trip To The Market ( Chapter 7 )

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

Discliamer: I do not own Avatar or any of their characters. The only charater that I do own is Zenaida.

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~Zenaida~

Prince Zuko. Prince Zuko. Prince Zuko. What a nice name, huh? No, what a nice title, hm? Yes, very nice actually. I wonder what it would be like to be a prince and could control about 98% of the people and things around you. I mean, not just in your kingdom, but have some type of regal power wherever you went. What would that be like?

" Zenaida, stop daydreaming and hurry up with that. I need you to come with me to the market." Prince Zuko said the moment he barged into the room and slammed the door behind him. I watched as he opened his chest and flung out a deep red coat with a hood onto his bed. Anger and irritation mixed in his expression and I soon got burned with it the moment he turned to me and caught me staring at him. " Your not injured anymore so I expect you to work and obey like usual, do you understand?"

I quickly nodded and was done folding his clothes by the time he had thrown the cloak on and wisped the hood over his head. I grabbed my own long coat and tied it around my waist. I quietly followed him out of the palace and onto the unfamilar road down to the Fire Nation villages.

" Prince Zuko, do you mind if I ask a question?" I said nervously as I sped up my walking speed to be able to walk right beside him. I gave a short glance at his face that was slightly hidden in the shadows of the hood and looked back away because I know that he gets irritated if I look at him for too long.

" What is it, Zenaida?" he said, his voice low and even as we walked along the hidden dirt path. We passed a cart being pulled by boars and got a warm smile from the man in control. I returned it and the man blushed before completely passing us. Zuko head turned to him for a moment before turning to me, waiting for the question I was going to ask.

" I just was wondering why we are going to the market, Master." I said and brought my head back to the path in front of us. I was nervous if that was a question I should've asked because it took him a few minutes to answer.

" I needed to get out of that damn palace to breathe. I guess I just wanted to pay a visit to how the peasants are doing." he said blankly before turning to me with a helpless smirk. His eyes were left in the shadows which made it kind of creepy but mysterious. " My mother used to bring me here when we were little and I always got whatever I wanted for free. But now that I think about it, they only acted like that because I was a prince. I want to see how people are when they are in the presence of a normal person."

I nodded and digested what he said. The first thing that came to my mind was that he actually had a mother. Such a basic fact that came with every person was that they had a mother. Why did this come as such a suprise to me when it came to prince Zuko? I also though about what he had said about how people would really act in front of a normal person instead of royalty. I mean, I guess there is a really difference between the two occupations, but it wasn't something to go experiment over when your day is booked with meetings and training.

After about an hour in silence, we came upon a bustling village and stopped to take in the scene in front of us. People walked around pushing carts of produce or pulling different types of animals. Kids laughed as they played little games while adults sat on the steps of their houses chattering. I followed as Prince Zuko walked like a dead person farther into the village causing stares and murmurs from the poepl from the interruption in their normal, warm morning. I kept my head down as well, not wanting to be recognized by anyone that may know me and cause a crowd with my eyes. After passing the residential area of the village, we came to the large and vast market. It was noisy and crowded as people shouted out what they were selling and lugged around their goods. The sun shone bright and hard which made us stand out completely from the people that were dressed with less coverings than us. But Prince Zuko didn't seem to notice the suspicous glances as we made our way to the first cart. I looked around as he examined the wild fruit that the man was selling.

" Hello, there sir. We have all different kinds of fruits! If you get two of any kind, then you can pick a third one for free!" the thin man behind the cart exclaimed with a squeaky voice as he threw his hands in the air. I rolled my eyes from his irritating voice and Prince Zuko passed me a small cloth bag that fit into the palm of my hand. I could tell that it was full of gold coins the moment he dropped it into my hands and I could feel the weight of the coins bringing my arm down.

" How much is each piece of fruit?" Prince Zuko said, his face still slightly down while examining the fruit. I could see the merchant smile at the sight of the small bag in my hand but still look kind of suspicously at Prince Zuko.

" Well, I'll give you a discount for this pretty young lady that is accompanying you." he said with a smirk and he winked at me. Prince Zuko's head looked up at me as I blushed from the compliment and stood up straight, his eyes still in the shadows as he faced the man.

" No, I want an honest price. How much for one piece of fruit?" he asked, sounding more demanding and annoyed this time. I kept my face down as the merchant squirmed a little while running a hand through his orange hair. I felt bad that he had was the one that would be getting Prince Zuko's wrath if he didn't comply with him.

" Two copper coins, sir." the merchant said, now turning red but keeping his head up. Prince Zuko picked up a purple colored melon and held it in the small space between me and him. He stared at it for a moment as other customers came and purchsed fruit which kept the merchant busy from watching us.

" I'll take three of these then." Prince Zuko said to the merchant as he placed the fruit back on it's pile. The merchant placed those in a bag and handed it to me instead of Zuko who had turned around and began looking elsewhere already.

" That will be 4 copper coins, miss." the merchant said with a little grin, his confidence already have grown back. I nodded and opened the small little bag to see that it was filled with gold coins instead of copper ones. I furrowed my brows and turned to Prince Zuko who had turned his attention back to me.

" Just give him one of those. " Prince Zuko said and I handed the merchant one gold coin. He beamed in happyness at the sight of the shiny coin being placed in his hand. I could feel the stares of other customers on me and Prince Zuko as I accpeted his generous thank yous. Prince Zuko began to pull me away as the merchant offered to give us some more free fruit.

" I would've brought copper coins if I had any. But the only money I had was gold." he murmured as we walked to another cart. I glanced down at the small purple bag in my hand and could feel the heavy weight of the money. " That's barely a percent of how much I really own." he said as he looked down at the small purple bag as well.

As we walked to the next interesting looking cart, I could feel all the attention we were recieving from my eyes. I could hear the murmurs that spoke about my eyes and the bold calls from men. Prince Zuko ignored them as we made our way to a cart that was selling bread. The smell of the fresh bread had caught both of our attentions and other's as well. A large crowd hovered around the cart and we stood patiently as the crowd moved closer and closer to the front of their counter. I looked around at all of the eager faces that were waiting for this famous bread and caught a few looks from a group of men behind us.

" Hey there, miss. What's your name?" a strong man said with a deep voice that made the others in the crowd look over at us as well. Prince Zuko's head looked at the group, but he kept silent and waited like all the others for my response. I glanced at him once before looking up at the strong man.

" Uhm...sorry..." I managed to blurt out under the intense stares right before it was our turn to order some bread. Prince Zuko scanned the selection slowly and glanced at me before looking back at the variety of bread.

" Do you want anything?" he asked lowly as he pointed to the bread he wanted. I looked at the selection and pointed at a round piece of bread. The man behind the stand smiled and carefully put the 9 different kids of bread Prince Zuko picked out in a bag and handed the round piece of bread to me. The sweet smell instantly took over my nose and I bit into it with pleasure.

" 22 copper pieces please." the man said in a warm and loud voice. I glanced at Zuko before opening the bag and handing him one gold coin which lit up the man's and the crowd's face. He gleamed at the coin before shaking his head in disbelief. " This is way too much, miss. Please, I cannot accept this." but his face said a whole different story as he stared at the shiny gold coin that everyone wished they were holding.

" Keep it." Prince Zuko said sharply before walking out of the crowd and to the next cart with me trailing behind him. I smiled at how nice Prince Zuko was being by giving these people gold but would act harsh when delivering it. We now had attracted many stares as we stopped at a fish cart and waited behind the tiny crowd in front of it. So much for trying to stay hidden and normal. We stand completely out from the way we're dressed in this hot weather. We are also giving gold out for things that aren't even worth a chip of a gold coin.

" Hi there. Our fish is the best in the whole Fire Nation!" the merchant exclaimes, obviously ecstatic that we were at his cart. The smell of fish bothered my nose as I scanned the selection. Prince Zuko glanced at it and pointed to a whole large stack of fish that looked up at us with their dead eyes.

" I want 20 of those and 15 of these." he said and the merchant's eyes got big before complying with the prince's request. Other customers stared at us in awe at the large request and one actually spoke out to us.

" Wow, that's a large order, sir." a middle aged man said with a grin as he put his hands on his hips. But Prince Zuko kept his head turned to the merchant.

" So?" was all Prince Zuko said as I reached over the counter to grab the bag full of fish from the man and handed him a golden coin without him needing to tell me the price. This man gleamed in happyness as well as I turned my attention to Prince Zuko who was now facing the man who had commented on the order.

" Well, I'm just saying that it's a big order, sir. No offense given." the man's hands were in surreneder and my arms began to ache from the heavy load Prince Zuko was having me carry.

" No offense taken," he said lowly and began to walk away. Glancing back at me, he looked down at the items and searched the market for another cart to go to. " Let's get a cart." he said and walked over to a station where they sold miniature carts that you could pull behind you as you walked. It was really just a short wooden box on wheels with a tall handle to pull it as you walked, but it was much better than carrying this load. I paid the man and Prince Zuko put the items in the box. I pulled it behind me as I followed him to various carts and bought all of these foods. I wondered why since the palace had an abundant amount of food.

We shopped for another hour before retreating the market with happy vendors waving goodbye to us. I returned them with a warm smile and followed Prince Zuko into the residential area. People smiled at us as we walked down the residential road and I nodded at them with Prince Zuko's head still down. At the end of the road, he took a quick turn down an alleyway. I looked down into the suspicous shadows he was leading me into.

" Prince Zuko, where are we going?" I asked as we emerged into an area of dirt ground and wooden huts. He turned to me and pointed to a tall wooden hut.

" Go into that hut and give the woman in there the food." he demanded and I quickly did as he ordered. As I walked over the dirt floor, I seen little kids poke their heads out of the wooden huts in wonder only to be accompanied by their parents a few moments later. I heard the circle of murmurs I was now in and quickly made my way into the hut that had no door.

The hut only consisted of one small room where there was only a bed, table, and woman who sat on the bed. She was elderly and had thin white hair that was wrapped on top of her head. Her glassy eyes wandered over to me and a scowl was put on her aged face.

" Just leave the damn food at the door." she said in a sharp and harsh tone. I placed the food there and did a quick bow before retreating out to Prince Zuko who watched me from the small entryway of the alley.

" Let's go." he said and began to lead me through the maze of alleyways once again. He glanced back at me. " Those were the poor. My mother used to give food to them when we were young."

My chest felt warm that he was doing such a nice thing. I would've never expected Prince Zuko to do anything like this. I would've never expected him to tell me about his mother. I guess he was begining to trust me.

We finally walked out into the residential area to find the group of men that had been behind us in the crowd at the bread cart hanging around the house in front of us. The moment their eyes landed on us, the large and strong man that had asked me my name smiled.

" Hey, look who's back! You didn't tell me your name, miss." the man began to walk up to us, his thick muscles flexing under his tanned skin. His buddies behind him followed along like little predators which made me step back a bit.

" I'm sorry, I need to go." I said shortly and when I tried to walk away, them man grabbed my arm with a quick and strong enough grip to make me shriek in suprise and pain.

" Let her go!" Zuko's voice boomed which made the whole residential street look at us, but the strong man only chuckled and threw my arm down. I could feel myself weakening and ready to black out so I ran behind Zuko who I knew could easily kill this guy, prince or not.

" Oh, is the little mystery man trying to become a hero?" the man said in a menacing voice that was rewarded with laughter from his friends. But Zuko didn't move as the man stopped laughing and glared down at the silent hidden prince. The larger man growled and threw his fist at Prince Zuko's face, but he simply grabbed it. I could see Prince Zuko's hand slowly curling in as the larger man screamed in pain. I observed all of the suprised faces of everyone as Prince Zuko's fist lit on fire which was now engulfng the larger man's arm.

" Stop!" one of the larger man's friends yelled and Prince Zuko dropped the man's arm. I looked at the sever burns on the larger man's arm as everyone rushed to his aide in a moment of hesitation.

" My gosh....." I said in awe as I glaced at Zuko who was looking at the group of friends inspecting their friend's arm. Everyone crowded around the man as Zuko turned around and began to leave the scence when I saw one of the man's friends flip out a knife and run towards Zuko.

~Zenaida~

I turned around to see Zenaida stomp on the ground and put her palms facing the down. I heard a thud and looked down to see a man holding a knife with his feet locked to the ground by two mounds of solid rock. She's an earth bender? Can't be........