We have some very exciting things ramping up for this story plot-wise in the near future!

By the time Katara woke up the next morning, the chatter was revolving entirely about the trial. It seemed that not only Katara and Toph were being asked to talk about the incident. They may have been the only girls required to go before the jury and give detailed reports of their incidents, but almost anyone who had so much as passed Bahiravi walking in the halls was being questioned in a tiny, private room by the Grand Judge. As Katara ate breakfast and got dressed for the day - Aiga had picked something out that was more frilly than usual and a clean white color - most of the girls had been called to testify one-on-one.

Bahiravi had poisoned contestants. This was a most egregious sin, and her trial was not a small affair. If the tournaments had not been fast approaching, Katara would have been sure that this would be the event of the season, chattered about for months to come.

Katara had not thought of the girl with sharp, cold eyes for a long time. While some of the girls were whispering that Bahiravi was someone like Azula, Katara found this incredibly untrue. Azula rarely did anything without careful, specific forethought. When she looked at you, you could see a hundred queued insults in Azula's eyes, a burning flickering flame that would not be stifled. Katara realized whenever she had looked at Bahiravi, her eyes had been blank and emotionless. It was as though there was hardly any light left. They were like those of an animal. Driven purely by instinct and savagism.

Unbeknownst previously to Katara, the trial had officially begun a week ago, but it was only now that they were getting around to the witnesses. Katara was slated to talk today, Toph tomorrow, Iroh and Lu Ten the next day, and Zuko as the last 'big' account.

Aiga was allowed to attend as Katara's 'support friend'. Pan, among other officials, as they led Katara and Aiga all the way across the grand palace grounds to the Courthouse, kept looking at Katara like she may break at any second.

Maybe it would have been smart to pretend. For any normal girl, an attempt on their lives would have been traumatic. This would have been an awful, cruel experience and they would have been close to shattering. Katara was not a stranger to near-death. Her childhood, while it had been good overall, had also been hard. Living on a piece of floating ice was not for the faint of heart. Starvation near-misses were about once every three years, but Katara could count on her hand the number of other times she was sure her time was up. There'd been the one time she'd accidently sliced her leg open with no one around and it wouldn't stop bleeding, and it was only her shoddy waterbending healing skills that kept her conscious long enough to limp back to camp. There was another time a bear had ran after her and if she'd just tripped, she would have been the animal's lunch. There were other times, when she was younger and her waterbending was more unrefined and uncontrollable, where she'd fallen into the water in her furs or when she'd gotten trapped under snow.

This was the first time someone actively tried to kill her, though. Well, as far as she knew about it. Even still, she'd just gotten sick - thank Tui - so it was a hard time equating her sickness to death after all this time.

"Pan, would I possibly be allowed to ask Bahiravi some questions?" she asked as they stood, waiting to be announced and called into the room. The jury and the judge were recounting the trial's history thus far.

"You survived her attempting murder. I think you'd be allowed near anything. A few questions are hardly an issue." Pan coughed. "Though, I'm not sure if she'll answer you. If she can."

Katara hummed, frowning. Bahiravi had a right not to answer any questions she had but Katara would still try to unravel the poison conundrum she'd been thinking about non-stop.

She was seated at the top of a dais, near the Judge. Katara and Aiga had curtsied before settling to sit, waiting. Zuko was here, as well as the entire Royal Family. Katara looked to him. She had been disappointed about his reply last night, but understood. He'd just returned from Kyoshi, so there was much to do. She hoped that perhaps he would offer something else, such as a lunch or a walk about the grounds after this was said and done. Or maybe a sparring match. Katara knew she'd have some rage to free.

Zuko gave her a comforting smile, until he looked away, his face pinching. Katara frowned, opening her mouth to ask Aiga if Zuko was okay, but a scratching noise distracted her.

A door near the left opened and four guards entered, shuffling someone in between them. Bahiravi.

Katara stretched her neck up to view her, sure that Bahiravi would be close to spitting at Katara or smiling at Zuko, but she was doing neither. It was hard to see her at first, but Katara did realize her head was down and she shuffled along.

She looked pretty worse for wear. Her hair was unkempt and ratty and her skin was pale white. She was wearing long and baggy black robes that covered her entire body and when she walked, she was sluggish.

Then, she lifted her head and shifted, and Katara held back a noise of shock and dismay.

Pan's strange 'if she can' reply stood out starkly in her mind.

Bahiravi's skin was deathly sallow, her hands bony and her flesh hanging limply, illustrating her bones inside. Her face was blank; not of someone who was trying to disassociate with the proceedings, but of someone who was not there at all. A dribble of saliva dripped from her lips but she didn't seem to notice at all. When she shifted, it was jerky and uncoordinated, and Katara would bet money that underneath her robes she would have ugly black and blue bruises blossoming over every inch of her.

She was so caught up in this shell of a person sitting in front of her that Katara nearly missed the Judge's first inquiry.

Through the proceedings, which took Katara the better part of the day, it became increasingly more obvious that Bahiravi was not in that body anymore. Her soul had been broken, taking flight and moved on, leaving behind just a dull girl that hardly had the ability to keep herself upright anymore.

They'd broken her. Whoever had been watching her at the prison had destroyed her being so completely that her will and fight had been long gone. She shouldn't have felt bad about this turn of events, but she was unexpectedly sickened by this revelation. She could not imagine the horrors that they'd done to her to leave her so empty, but Katara was reminded that under Ozai's reign many men were encouraged to act like monsters. And although Bahiravi had previously been Fire Nation, she was now stripped of any title but a traitor to the crown.

Katara's retelling of the incident was stifled and stilted. The onlookers, and even Aiga, surely assumed it was because she was in such horror to re-imagine the event. It was rather because Katara was consistently tripped up; she couldn't help but have her eyes fall on Bahiravi's hunched shoulders and fumble her words, the proceedings dying in a quiet whisper on her lips. How was it hardly fair to hold a trial when the accused was not in any mind to defend herself?

As it was, there was no one going to bat for Bahiravi. Even if Katara did not think she deserved freedom, even if Katara did not think that she deserved a good life after this, Katara did strongly believe that she deserved justice.

She felt as though all of their accounts were just a farce. The Grand Judge had made up his mind about Bahiravi anyway. Katara could sit there spinning a ridiculous tale that the spirits had come in and puppeted Bahiravi's body, and the Grand Judge would probably find a way to find Bahiravi at fault. Katara could claim that she asked to be attempted to be killed and the Grand Judge would have likely told her that it was in no way Katara's fault.

Still, they dug into her story with frightening detail. It was obvious they wanted as much cannon fodder against Bahiravi as possible, all the sordid, illegal details.

Katara attempted to recall it the best she could without her judgement being clouded. Not by her shock for nearly being killed, not by her anger about the trial proceedings, not about her pity for Bahiravi. It took a person truly desperate to feel as though killing to win was the right answer.

The trial drug on, the heat of the crowded room heating her cheeks and forehead. During this time, the Royal Family sat with apt attention. Ursa and Iroh looked concerned and horrified. Ozai watched with unreadable eyes. She did have the passing thought that Ozai had put Bahiravi up to this, but killing off Toph too made little sense. Azula sat with her fingers clasped, but it was obvious from her eyes she thought Bahiravi to be an amateur. Aang had been present during the first half, but got called away by Zhao a quarter through.

Katara had spared a sorry look his way, pressing her lip as Aang left. She did not wish to know what horrible things they would be talking about.

She sort of expected Zuko to be looking at her, most of the time, with encouraging soft eyes, like he often did. She was surprised to find at every moment he was looking away from her, his eyes firmly focused on Bahirav, his face in a deep-set frown. She wished that she could see inside his mind, know what ailed him, know why he was giving her such an unexpected cold shoulder.

It was Lu Ten who was encouraging Katara on, taking the role of his cousin in an unexpected sort of way. She did not need such prompting, but to know that she hadn't been written off by the entire family was a relief.

By the end of the session, Katara's undergarments and petticoats were damp with a mixture of her own sweat and her nervousness and confusion around the entire proceeding. As there was a great noise as everyone got up at once, Katara nearly jumped over the dais to get to Bahiravi.

"Pan," she reminded in a small shout, nodding toward Bahiravi. Her advisor nodded, going and speaking to the Royal Guards, gesticulating something. They were shuffled to a small side hallway, out of the hustle and bustle of the courtroom. The attendants were too busy overwhelming the judge and making their decisions about Bahiravi's poor behavior to notice Katara and Aiga slipping away, following the traitor.

Out in the hall, Katara shuddered to stand in front of the girl who tried to kill her.

"Princess," one of the guards said uneasily. She recognized that it was Tahoe. Aiga blushed, but did not stare openly at him, nor did he look at her.

"I'll be fine," Katara nearly spat. "I don't think she'll be doing anything now, hm?" Katara asked, holding his gaze with an accusing tone. If the guard had been the one who did this and felt any guilt, he sure as hell did not show it.

"Princess Katara!"

Katara heard Zuko's voice slide through the air and she spun to see Zuko marching up to her.

"What are you doing?" he asked as they stood face-to-face.

"I have some questions for her," Katara said, crossing her arms.

"Great Agni," Zuko muttered. "Shouldn't there be a glass between the pair of you?" he asked, looking above her head to the guards.

Katara felt bile rise in her throat. "I fail to see how she's capable of even lifting a spoon now," Katara said sourly, spinning back around. She did not know how much longer the guards or the judge, or even Zuko, would entertain her inquiries, so she was determined to get her time.

" Bahiravi, it's me...Katara," she began uneasily, waiting for some flash of recognition in her eyes. Even a look of hatred and fury, she was pleading for something.

Bahiravi lifted her head from the place where her chin was against her collar bone. It was a start. She looked up, though Katara was unsure she was looking at someone, but the eyes were now trained in Katara's general direction.

" Bahiravi, I need you to listen to me. Where did you get the poison? Whose was it?" Katara asked hurriedly. Beside her, Zuko stiffened. The guards turned to Katara too. Katara ignored all of them, even Aiga's tiny hands pressing against her shoulder.

Bahiravi did not answer. She tilted her head, though it may have been more about gravity than a purposeful action.

"Did you bring it in? No, it had to be someone else...who was it?" Katara asked hurriedly, eyes wide as she inhaled. "Please. I know you have no reason to like me, to want to help me...but perhaps they could lessen your sentence." she tried.

Bahiravi did not make a motion.

Katara reached into her dress, pulling out her skein of water, uncorking it. Before she'd gotten a step more forward in an attempt to heal her, thinking that perhaps if she helped her, maybe Bahiravi would be more willing, it was as though many things happened at once.

Zuko jerked her back and the guards all shouldered together, separating them. Pan made some noise of disapproval and Aiga gasped.

"Let me go!" Katara snapped, trying to snatch her arm from Zuko's firm grip. "I just-"

"You will not touch the prisoner," One of the guards said in a firm monotone.

"Perhaps we should-" Pan started nervously and Katara saw her window closing.

"No! Just, please! I need to know."

"Princess Katara," Zuko said slowly, "She admitted to poisoning you and Toph."

"Yes! But did she claim to bring the poison in? Did she say where she got it? How she planned it?" Katara asked, and felt a minor glee at the blank look on Zuko's face. She managed to break from his hold and got as close to Bahiravi as she could manage.

" Bahiravi...who was it...it wasn't you, was it?"

There seemed to be a gleam in her eyes, a flash of something, as though what Katara had just said something that piqued her interest. Hope grew in Katara's chest, fluttering for just a second.

Bahiravi opened her mouth. This must have been quite the unexpected spectacle, for everyone present stared as she prepared to speak. Katara wondered how few words she'd said since her imprisonment.

Her lips began to move and Katara strained to hear the words. She picked up on a few wispy sounds, but was unable to properly hear what she was saying. Everyone in the hall was silent. Hope blossomed in Katara's chest as she leaned in closer.

"As the years go by, give me but peace, freedom from ten thousand matters. I ask myself and always answer: What can be better than coming home? A wind from the pine-trees blows my sash..."

The hope deflated as quickly as someone turning on a lantern in a darkened room. Once Katara heard the familiar folk song that she was singing to herself, so did everyone else.

"She's mad." Pan shook his head. "A child's tune," he sighed, but looked none too surprised.

Katara held back her disappointment, staring at Bahiravi with the sinking realization that she'd never be able to tell her again, perhaps even if Katara healed her skin. Katara was unsure even her own powers of magical healing could mend a broken, shattered mind.

"It's time to bring her back," Tahoe said, his voice markedly more sympathetic than the other three guards. Katara stood back, watching her leave with a sense of despair growing in her stomach. Was it possible that the culprit was still in the palace, waiting to strike again, or do something worse?

"It was unlikely she would have answered at all," Zuko said quietly, though Katara was not sure if this was meant to comfort her.

Katara rounded on him.

"Your guards destroyed her!" she seethed, "Don't you see what they did to her?"

"Princess Katara," Zuko said evenly. "She tried to kill you and Toph."

"So that's justified?" Katara demanded, waving a hand. "To hollow her out until there's nothing? That's not justice, that's revenge. That's sadism."

"Wait a second now," Zuko said in a darker tone. "You'd prefer she be let go? Free to live out her days without any repercussions?"

"To lock her up forever would be a repercussion. I cannot believe how you can't see how what we just saw was...was...torture! How that wasn't right!"

"Maybe things are different on the tundra," Zuko began, crossing his arms, eyes cold. "But we treat our prisoners as dangerous people here."

Katara stared at him, open jawed. "Well, of course we handle our prisoners with care!" She threw her arms up. "But the fact that you're not seeing the issue here, the way that your father runs his prisons, sickens me!"

"Well, it sounds like your mind has been made up," Zuko said. "Before I even spoke about how you, esteemed Princess Katara, feel as though we should be treating our Fire Nation traitors. I'll be sure to ferry it up to the Grand Judge right away."

"Why are you being so bull-headed?" Katara asked, shaking her head. "You're being impossible."

"I'm being the Prince," Zuko said crisply.

"So you're okay with this? With that?"

"They did it for you, Katara," Zuko snapped, "They did it for the injustice served against you."

Katara's stomach rolled, "I never asked anyone to do that," She felt ill. She felt it rising in her like the tide, pushing against her chest. Had she really invoked such violence, such depravity. Then, however, she thought of all the articles fawning over her, of the people pushing for an interview or for a picture. "And let's not mince words. They may have done it 'for me', but only because as part of this competition I'm yours. They are responding as though she tried to break a favorite toy of yours."

"Why do you have to act like that?"

"Why do you have to let that happen?"

"I'm just trying to keep my people safe!" Zuko clenched his fists, his face turning redder and redder the more they argued.

"She is part of your people too! A person's worth does not vanish the moment they do something bad!" Katara backed away. "You know what? Just...urg!" She began to turn away.

"Princess," Zuko said and for a second she thought he was going to apologize. He licked his lip, looking almost contrite. "Perhaps we could...talk? Later today?"

"Is it about Bahiravi?"

Zuko exhaled hard. "I have no more to say upon the matter of her."

Katara clenched her jaw. "Then, I find I don't have anything I wish to speak with you about, Prince Zuko," she said stubbornly.

Zuko inhaled once and she could almost see the steam exiting his nose. "Very well," he replied, his voice tight and devoid of any niceties. "Princess. Advisor Pan," he said quietly, bowing. Katara gave a curtsey back, feeling anger and fury and despair cling to her chest.

"Princess, you've missed lunch. Shall I ask the kitchens to make you something?" Pan asked in the wake of Zuko's departure.

Katara found herself unable to speak for a moment. When she did, her throat was raw and close to something she thought might be tears, though for who (Zuko, herself, Bahiravi) she was unsure.

"That would be excellent. Thank you, Pan."

XXxxXX

"You seem distracted, Prince Zuko. Are you okay?" Zuko turned in the palanquin to Alcina, shaking himself out of his thoughts.

"I just have a lot on my plate," he said, which was not untrue.

Alcina nodded with understanding. "With the tournament approaching, and of course picking a wife...well, I'd be distracted too."

"It's no excuse however. We're on a date," he said, trying to banish his upsetting argument with Katara earlier today.

And to think, he'd gone through the entire trial