The Warrior's Gambit (Zutara)

XXX

Azula limped into the area, one of her legs at a strange angle from a break, assumedly when she hit the back of the fighting pit.

"How dare she," Azula was spitting, "How dare she parade around and-"

"Medic! My daughter is bleeding. Attend to her," Ozai cut Azula off, waving forward at the medical staff.

"Father! That little bitch! I should have-"

"You should have killed her when you had the chance," Ozai said, causing a shiver to run down Zuko's spine. "You hesitated. Gave her a moment. It is your fault she and the Avatar have escaped our grip."

He stalked out of the arena, following where the guards had taken Iroh. Azula nearly bit a medic in her rush to follow Ozai, leaving Lu Ten and Zuko alone.

"He...Dad would have gotten out of that if he wanted to," Lu Ten said airily, a bit uncertain, however. He was still reeling. Zuko nodded, but he wasn't sure. His Uncle was a master fighter, but could he have taken on all of the guards?

"What did you say to you? As he...?" Zuko asked, recalling their last moment.

"He told me he loved me, deeply, but he was going to do 'it' for everyone. And he told me 'it' was mine now..." Lu Ten seemed troubled. "But I'm not sure what 'it' is. He just added that they were watching and would be able to help..."

Lu Ten swallowed and opened his palm, "And he left me this."

Zuko took the item, examining it with confusion.

It was a single, slightly scuffed, gray lotus tile.

XXxxXX

The hours following were the longest Katara had ever spent in agony. Not even the time under the palace in the catacombs had been as bad. During then, she'd been fueled by anger and the will to fight, and later horror. She'd had some level of understanding of things happening, even if she had no control over it.

As soon as everything happened, the Fire Sages and guards had queued the girls and the guests swiftly out of the arena. The guests that the Royal Family was entertaining were sent to their rooms, the ones here to visit were asked to stay in the great ballroom, and the ladies were cordoned to the Ladies' Room.

Katara fully expected each of them to be pulled away and painstakingly interviewed with grueling cross-checks and unkind expressions. They all interacted with Aang on a friendly basis and they'd lived with Ty Lee, and somehow no one had known about her abilities.

Katara could not have seen that one coming had she been given all the chances to guess in the world.

The worst thing about waiting was the fact that nothing had happened at all. They were just sitting, silently, not daring to speak to each other. Even Nadhari looked worried. Mai was as sorrowful as Katara had ever seen; Ty Lee had been her best friend, once upon a time, as had Azula. It must be awful to see one best friend try to kill the other, who was now an enemy of the state and would be killed if she were seen above ground anywhere again.

They were allowed to dress in more comfortable items - picked up from their rooms by their handmaids - and they were given quite delicious food, as well as things to do to pass the time, such as embroidery hoops or poem books, but no one touched the food or the activities. The worry was palpable.

There were some whispers about the entire event; would the people that failed still be sent home? Would the people who did not fight do so later? Would the entire tournament be considered a wash?

Finally, five hours after the revelation that rocked the Royal Palace, Zhi came back in with a Fire Sage. All the girls perked up, though the general mood was no lighter.