Hahn forcefully pulled Katara into his cabin on the Ice Moon and slammed the door. She may have played the meek and mild fiancé when they were in public but when they were in private her true nature came out in full force. His hard blue eyes watched her over his shoulder as she stood across the room from him arms folded across her chest meeting his gaze full on. Hahn turned slowly like a wolf examining its prey. The muscles in his arms and neck rippled with his barely suppressed anger. She was surprised that he hadn't launched into yelling yet, it was far from normal for him to hold his tongue this long. Katara remember how earlier in the trip they had spared on deck and how she had bested him, knocking him full on his backside in front of the entire crew. That had caused him to turn a deep crimson all over his face as the other benders and warriors on the ship and applauded and cheered for Katara. His ego could hardly stand being bested by a woman even if she was a princess. Katara knew that he hated her strength and will coming from his own tribe of more docile woman. Hahn berated her fiercely afterwards how as his future bride she was to serve her husband and be a dutiful, submissive wife. She had let the words wash over her like waves on the shore none truly touched her.

He closed the space between them for a moment it seemed that he meant to strike her but Katara had told him the day that set sail that if he ever hit her she would geld him herself without a second thought. She watched the thought fade from his eyes as he intertwined his hands behind his back and ground his teeth together.

"If you keep that up you won't have any teeth left by the time we get to the north." Katara quipped lightly. This only made him grind down harder, which brought the hint of smile to Katara's lips.

"I wouldn't have to do this if you would just behave yourself."

"What acting as my own person is too much for you?" She fired back with all the contempt she could muster. His hand flashed out but didn't strike her merely locked like a vice around her arm.

"Consorting with a fire bender is bad enough but him of all people. I would have never thought that you could be so stupid." She jerked away but he held her firm. His gaze was as frigid as frozen iron. Though the tensions were high between water and fire she couldn't help but think that talking to one, let alone a banished, firebender would do little damage to their cause.

"What is so wrong about talking to Zuko? He has nothing to do with anything." Hahn out right laughed and let go of her. Katara stood there in complete and total confusion.

"You ignorant little girl." He chuckled, "You don't even know when you are talking to the crowned prince of the fire nation. Or, should I say ex crowned prince since his dear old dad exiled him." She couldn't believe her ears there was no way that this was true. Katara could remember the gossip that had spread a few years before. The whispers that had come ashore from traders out of the Fire Nation, they had murmured about the prince who had been banished. She had known the prince had been named Zuko but she had thought it to be just a coincidence. Out of all the places in the world how could she have washed up on the same island that was his home in exile.

"No, you're lying."

"Go ask him yourself. I'm sure that he's back on his ship by now." Katara moved to the door. "It's the war ship at the end of the peer you can't miss it." Hahn called out as she slipped out the door and off the ship.

Hahn had been right it wasn't hard to find a Fire Nation war ship amongst the smaller ships of the earth kingdom. It stood twenty feet above the other ships, a mass of black iron brooding and secluded. Everything about it was hard and sharp no angle was soft all sharp lines of iron that looked like it could rip through any ship that opposed it. Katara slipped in and among the traders and sailors of the peer trying to cut a straight bath to the ship. She couldn't help but feel somewhat naked in this sea of green. Though the sea was only a few feet away if need be the air felt wrong here, dry and dusty and cramped with the smells of a thousand foreign scents.

After what felt like an hour of dodging carts, men, and running children she finally made it to the ship. Katara was about to walk up the gang plank when she hesitated. What if Hahn was right and Zuko was the prince? What if this was all some elaborate plot for Zuko to get close to her and become a dagger in the dark? A million scenarios ran through her mind when one of the ship's crew members saw her standing on the peer.

"What do you want?" He shouted down in a gruff voice. It was now or never.

"Whose ship is this?" Her heart stopped as he responded.

"This is the Dragons Breathe and she belongs to Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation." Her world began to spin. Had everything been a lie? Katara was dazed out of her mind and before she knew it someone was grabbing her shoulders. Her mind snapped back as she saw she was half way back to the Ice Moon. Katara jerked away when she saw that it was Zuko who had hold of her. She wanted to hit him but instead she said,

"Prince Zuko." His golden eyes widened at that.

"How did you find out?" Anger coiled in her heart like a snake. She took another step away from him.

"So it's true. You are the banished Prince." She felt as though she was about to retch. "When did you plan on telling me, when you but a knife in my back, or perhaps when you delivered be to your father in chains." Zuko step towards her anger and hurt now shone in his eyes as well.

"What no I let you go. How could you think?" He reached a hand out to touch her but she smacked it away. Tears had welled unbidden to her eyes and she forced them back he would not see her cry.

"Never presume to touch me again. Never come near me again or Tui and La help you." She shoved past him and tore through the crowed, no longer caring who she plowed past on the way.

Katara made it back to Ice Moon in one piece and sprinted across the deck and down to Hahn's cabin. In her furry she plowed over two warriors of the northern tribe before she made it to the door. She slammed the door open so hard it sent several weapons from the wall crashing to the floor in a clatter of bone and metal. Hahn was laid back on his bunk sharpening his blade with a such a calm domineer that he hardly even looked up when Katara burst in. She slammed the door behind her as she crossed the cabin.

"You were right." She yelled through a sheet of tears. "You were right." Then all the strength gave out of her legs and she collapsed on the floor. She buried her face in her hands as a sob rocked her body. Katara hardly even heard Hahn move off the bunk till she felt his arms wrap around her. For a moment she wanted to recoil but feeling strong arms around her made her feel safe. She wanted to beat Hahn and scream that it was all his fault but she couldn't. She hated to admit it but deep down she knew that at least he had never lied to her. Before she realized what she was doing she wrapped her arms around his torso and sobbed into his chest. He ran a hand along the back of her head, stroking her hair.

"There, there," He whispered softly in her ear, "soon you won't have to worry about that firebender anymore."