Right, so I'm taking elements of the comics here but not following it super faithfully (for example, I can't wrap my head around the Kyoshi Warriors being Zuko's bodyguards... they have their own things to worry about) and I want to explore some themes in more depth.

I don't know how long this will be... possibly similar length to 'Something Important' but we'll see as there are a few different things I want to cover (and hopefully do justice).

Katara was furious. How could Zuko be so stupid? Why hadn't he told her? She pushed her way through the soldiers and stormed into the Firelord's tent. "Zuko!" She hissed. "Did you seriously ask Aang to kill you?"

Zuko looked back at her, dazed. "No?" He tried, but his face did that thing it did when he was lying and she could have screamed at him in frustration. "Yes," He amended, quickly. "It's not as bad as it sounds…"

"Not as-?" Katara didn't think she had ever been this angry at him. "I saw you a month ago! Why didn't you talk to me?"

"I didn't want to worry you," Zuko tried, standing from his desk with a pained expression. "I just... I don't want to end up like him."

The promise he'd bound Aang to- the oath that had weighed so heavily on Aang's shoulders, to kill the young Fire Lord if he began to turn into his father. Katara crossed the tent quickly, wrapping a startled Zuko in a tight hug. "You won't," She promised. "You're not like him at all."

That seemed to be the wrong thing to say, as he pulled back and sat down heavily behind his desk with his head in his hands. "I was willing to go to war with the Earth Kingdom, Katara. It's not even been two years and I was going to start another war."

"But you didn't!" Katara tried, sitting down across from him and reaching for his hands and pulling them away from his head, smoothing out his fingers. "You weren't picking unnecessary fights to expand your territory- you visited the people of Yu Dao and listened to what they had to say... You did everything right. King Kuei and Aang saw that too, eventually," She laughed, a little bitterly. "You are so dramatic, sometimes. Do you know that?"

He smiled at her, wryly. "I know."

Katara smiled back and decided to change tactic. "Come on," She urged, pulling his hands with her as she stood. "Get changed and let's go."

"Where?" Zuko said, nonplussed as he let her pull him around the desk and let her choose some nondescript Fire Nation clothing for him. She grinned back at him and pulled him along, leading him into Yu Dao properly.

It was nice. She rarely got to spend time with Zuko outside of the Fire Nation itself, and especially not 'dressed down'. The last time they'd done anything like this was probably at least 8 months ago when she and Zuko had snuck out of a dinner in Ba Sing Se and spent the night enjoying a festival in the middle ring. There was something like that mood in the air today; the province's future had been secured and the people of Yu Dao were in a celebratory mood.

Katara grinned up at Zuko as she looped her arm through his. In the Capital, they were still keeping the nature of their relationship mostly under wraps; Katara's involvement in the final Agni Kai was a source of some controversy and Zuko was still establishing himself as a legitimate, viable ruler in a difficult political climate.

It was something of an open secret, of course, amongst those 'in the know'- especially amongst the Palace staff who always had Katara's rooms prepared, right next to the Firelord's suite. The fact that Zuko maintained close friendships with the others helped quell the rumours somewhat, but some in the Fire Nation still felt he was too easily swayed by the voices of the Fire Nation's erstwhile enemies.

But sometimes, on days like today, they could walk the streets unrecognised. Without the crown, Zuko seemed more relaxed and as they left the Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation fusion restaurant, later that evening, he pressed a kiss to the top of her head and smiled down at her. "Thanks," He said softly. "I needed that."

Katara squeezed him around the middle, affectionately. "Me too."

They wandered the streets aimlessly. It had been a month since she'd last seen him, and it was so, so nice to be able to enjoy his company again.

Yu Dao was informal by its very nature; the merging of Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation people seemed to have brought out the softer sides of both and, for two cultures that took such pride in their respective histories and

"You know you did the right thing, right?" She checked. "Not only have you protected the interests of Fire Nation citizens, but you've preserved something really special- Yu Dao's way of life. You went against the Avatar and resolved the issue at hand without any bloodshed. This should play well for you at court."

He made a strangled noise and glared at her. "I thought you were trying to distract me from politics?"

"You want a distraction?" She teased and he frowned deeply at her. "Let's find a nice little inn and get to work on that, then…" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively and Zuko looked away, his mouth twisting as he tried to resist grinning back at her.

"Sadly, I need to be back on the ship by midnight," He sighed. "I need to get back to the Fire Nation," He didn't ask. He never asked. It was always up to Katara whether or not she would join him. She kind of wished he would, just once.

"Is there space on the ship for me?" She asked instead and was rewarded with a wide, relieved smile.

"Of course."

"Good," She leaned up to kiss him. "I'll get to work distracting you on the ship, instead then."

He eyed her speculatively, the smile seeming to grow wider and she laughed.

.

Late that night, after Zuko had fallen into a deep, well-earned sleep, Katara traced the outline of the raised, star-shaped scar in the centre of his chest, unable to keep the deep frown from her face now that there was no one to see, not even Zuko.

His behaviour recently had begun to seriously worry her; she hadn't known he'd forced Aang into this ridiculous promise, putting his best friend into the unfortunate position of judge, jury and executioner. What was going on in his head? He'd always be a terrible liar, but the last two years spent exposed to the machinations of politics and court had given him an unsettling ability to mislead, either by omission or through half-truths.

It meant that she hadn't known. She hadn't known he was so worried about turning into his father that he had sworn Aang into an impossible situation. She thought she knew everything about him these days but this was worrying.

What else was he hiding from her? She hoped he wasn't entertaining any other self-destructive ideas. She leaned her head on his shoulder, turning to breathe in the smell of his skin.

She had been waiting for him to ask, but that was probably petty of her. He wouldn't ask her, not if he thought she wanted to be elsewhere.

She didn't want to be elsewhere.

Mai had been right, after all. He'd been left alone too long. The older girl had warned her Zuko wasn't doing well. That he needed help.

Not in so many words, of course, but the intent had been there. Mai was an odd turtleduck and she showed she cared in odd ways. Katara smoothed his hair back from his face and smiled when he let out a little sigh of contentment. Sorry. She silently apologised. I left you alone.

"Zuko," She hummed, winding her fingers into his hair- loose and a little matted from sweat. He opened his eyes nearly immediately.

"What's wrong?"

"Wrong?" Katara asked, bemused. "Nothing's wrong."

But he was already sat up, hands on her shoulders and glaring out at the darkened room. "Did you hear something?"

What? "Zuko, I was just-" She squinted her eyes against the sudden burst of light as he lit a flame in his hand and eyed the room suspiciously. "What's wrong?" He'd never reacted quite like this to being woken up in the night. They had been sharing a bed for months, now, she would often wake him to share the quiet of the night with her but this Zuko was frantic, flinching.

He seemed to finally focus on her, his golden eyes darting between hers and over her face searching, she realised, for any signs of distress. She reached for his face, smoothing back sweaty strands of dark hair and cooling his feverish forehead. "Sorry," He muttered, sounding embarrassed. "I overreacted."

But why had he reacted that way?

"It's okay..." She insisted. "I didn't mean to startle you, I just wanted to…" She trailed off. She'd never had to explain it before, the need to share the night with him with no purpose, no reason. He closed his eyes and took a deep, meditative breath as she watched him. "Zuko, you're not telling me everything. You didn't tell me anything about this."

It didn't feel like he was telling her anything. He hadn't told her about the promise he'd forced Aang into, or the war he'd been preparing to wage over the fate of Yu Dao. When she'd found out, she'd felt sick. How could all of this have happened without her knowing? Did Mai know? Is that why she'd warned Katara about Zuko so cryptically?

Katara had been in meetings with Zuko and his advisors, she'd sat with him when he went to visit Azula in hospital, she'd helped him draft trade agreements and worked with him on legislation… how had she been left in the cold this time?

"I know," He said, sounding so tired. "I'm sorry." He extinguished the flame and brought both hands to her waist, pulling her close and burying his head in the crook of her neck. She wrapped her arms around him and kissed the top of his head, brow furrowed in concern. As she ran her hand up and down his bare back, he seemed to finally relax and slump against her.

He felt thin. She thought back hard to the previous month; it hadn't been as long a visit as she'd have liked but he'd seemed fine- a little frazzled, perhaps, but he'd seemed healthy.

"There's just so much to do," He mumbled into her skin. The words came quietly, as though he was ashamed of them. "There are colonies similar to Yu Dao all over the Earth Kingdom, and the soldiers who have returned home… there's overcrowding in the cities and there aren't enough jobs for everyone who has left the military…" He took a deep, slightly shuddering breath. "People are saying Azula should have the throne, that her madness is some… propaganda or something. They're saying I'm not fit to be the Fire Lord... That I'm not Ozai's son."

He didn't sound upset about the idea, he said it as though it was just another on the long list of crappy things he had going on but the idea that there was a movement against him from within the Fire Nation was disconcerting.

"So things are bad, then?" She asked softly, not sure how best to approach the subject of his potential illegitimacy now that he was on the throne.

He lifted his head and laughed a little bitterly. "It could be worse. The idea of Ozai not being my father is… well, it would maybe explain a few things."

Katara had never seen the former Fire Lord's face in person; Zuko had ordered the body burned as soon as it had been returned to the palace. She had seen portraits, however, she'd seen statues. When Zuko was all dressed up for formal events he looked uncomfortably like his father to her. When she'd said this once to Mai, the older girl had looked at her with a wry smile, a raised eyebrow and said "Do we all look the same to you?" and Katara hadn't known what to say in response so had said nothing.

But Zuko wasn't talking about looks. Ozai not being Zuko's father would maybe explain the way he'd treated the prince. It might explain how he could burn a child's face half off in front of a gathered crowd of spectators and banish the boy from his homeland and everything he knew.

She brought a hand up to trace the now-smooth skin reverently and he pressed the left side of his face to her hand, as though the pressure would help chase the memory of burned flesh away. A little lost for words, she leaned down and kissed him slowly, deliberately, letting him know how loved he was.

If their earlier lovemaking had been to distract him, this was to keep him present and focused on her. On them.

We're here, we're in this together. I'm with you.

.

The sun beat down and the humidity of the Fire Nation's summer season made Katara's hair stick to her neck, even with it piled up in the summery Fire Nation style Katara's handmaiden favoured for her. Mai looked cool as ever, and she twirled a dark parasol in hand as they made their way through the streets of the upper-class capital suburb Mai lived in.

"The court is such a bore these days," Mai droned, not meeting Katara's eye. "Half the nobles are trying to secure marriages for their daughters and the other half are vying for the throne themselves."

Code: Zuko's position is still precarious, and the only thing keeping half his court in line is the prospect of their own daughter becoming Fire Lady one day.

"I'm glad you're enjoying life back in the capital, Mai," Katara said with a wry smile. "How are your family adjusting?"

Mai shrugged. "Dad misses New Ozai."

Katara glanced at her sharply. "Omashu."

"He doesn't miss Omashu, he misses New Ozai," Mai gave her parasol a rapid spin, the only outward sign of her irritation. "A few of the old governors of colonies feel that way."

Code: The governors of former colonies are feeling slighted by the new Fire Lord.

Katara squinted up as a flock of chattering birds swooped low overhead, bright wings flashing in the sunlight. "Hmm," She acknowledged. "Maybe it's the heat."

Mai snorted indelicately. "Maybe."

Katara smiled and bowed her head to a passing nobleman she recognised from Court and he obliged in kind. She was trying very hard to be as socially inoffensive as possible in the Fire Nation's upper circles. Having Mai around helped, as did the private tuition of Zuko's etiquette tutor. She felt like she was making progress and many of the nobles saw her as something of an exotic addition to the palace.

That side of things left a bitter taste in her mouth, but at least it meant they weren't looking down on Zuko for his acquaintance with her. Though of course, that all balanced on the idea that she and Zuko were simply close friends from the war, and she was acting as a frequent liaison between the Avatar and the Fire Nation. They may view her less favourably as a potential future consort of the Fire Lord, especially if so many nobles were hoping to secure the position for their own daughters.

"The trials helped amongst the lower and middle classes," Mai explained quietly. "But the richest citizens lost a lot of money, status and respect... and they resent him for it."

Not code.

"This is where I leave you, anyway," Mai said, bowing to Katara politely. "Have fun."

"You're sure you don't want to join me? It might do her good…" Katara trailed off, unsure.

Mai's smile was quick and pained. "I doubt it."

She didn't look at the building, simply walked away with that careful mask of indifference firmly in place. Katara took a deep breath and turned, greeting the guards at the door as she entered the clinic.

As hospitals went, it was beautiful. It was a high-end place for the richest of Fire Nation society and the staff were unfailingly polite and courteous. It felt like a spa.

But it wasn't.

"Good morning Azula," Katara greeted, cordially. The princess' eyes slid to her with a vacant stare. "How are you feeling, today?" Azula didn't answer, just watched as Katara poured out two cups of tea. She wasn't tied down today, which was a good sign, so Katara pushed one cup towards her and looked out of the (barred, secure) window.

"It's beautiful, outside," A lie; it was too hot and humid for any sane person... but it looked bright and Azula's room was comfortable enough. "Zuko said you've been making origami. That sounds nice."

Azula twirled her fingers over her tea in a mockery of waterbending. Katara watched from the corner of her eye, waiting for any sudden movement, but Azula simply let her hand fall to her lap and laughed sharply to herself.

Having never been very good at beating around the bush, Katara leaned forwards, looking into Azula's eyes for… something. A flicker of comprehension. "Zuko says you know all the secret passages in the palace."

Azula stared blankly.

"You always disappeared into walls and would come back having found some sort of hidden weapons store."

Nothing.

"... Or letters."

There. Azula's eyes flickered ever so slightly to the left, towards Katara.

"Azula… do you know where your mother is?" She tried to catch Azula's eye but the princess was now looking past her, over her shoulder. "Did Ozai ever-"

"My Father."

Katara's breath caught in her throat. "Your father, yes- did he ever tell you…"

Azula's pale lips twisted into a smirk. "Zu-Zu only had Mother."

It felt like Katara's belly had turned to ice. "What?" She asked, stunned. Could it be true? Could Zuko really not be Ozai's son?

Azula's eyes were sharp now, and she met Katara's wide eyes with a fiery challenge. "Which do you have? A Father or a Mother?"

Katara swallowed hard and Azula laughed with all the warmth of an iceberg, watching as Katara backed out of her room and past the attending nurse. "Master Katara?" He asked as she fled past him. "I can call for an escort…"

But she couldn't stay here any longer, in this neat, pristine prison. Azula's laugh rang through the corridors as she surged through and out into the oppressively hot sunlight. The heat seemed to radiate up from the cobbled streets and Katara hurried through them, blind to the people she passed in the street or how crazed she must look running in this heat. It might be lunchtime at the palace, if she hurried, she might be able to catch Zuko between meetings and tell him- what? That Azula had confirmed the rumours?

What would that mean? Katara briefly thought about that repressed fantasy she had; of Zuko travelling the world with her, or maybe settling together at the South Pole, free from the responsibility and weight of the crown. Free from not knowing why his father hadn't loved him, of not knowing why his father had burned off his face.

Once back in the palace she sought out the head of household staff, a capable Fire Nation woman named Lai with greying hair and a stern face. "Has Zuko had lunch yet?" Katara asked, trying not to let Lai's critical eyeing of her frizzy hair and sweaty brow unsettle her.

"Fire Lord Zuko is currently taking lunch in his private study," Lai said with a stiff bow. Strictly speaking, the head of the Fire Lord's palace staff did not need to bow any deeper than a slight incline of her head to non-royal foreign visitors, but Katara's closeness with the Fire Lord was, if not common knowledge amongst the household staff, generally understood by the more senior staff members. Lai afforded Katara the respect she would traditionally give to the Fire Lord's betrothed. "He is alone if you wish to join him," She turned to lead Katara down the hall and Katara smiled gratefully.

"Thanks, I can find my own way there," She bent the water from her forehead into a nearby vase and Lai eyed the floral arrangement with slightly widened eyes.

Katara found Zuko in his study, poring over letters with a haunted look. At her entrance, he gave her a tired smile and lifted the letters. "Petitions for aid in the outer islands," He explained. "Several ex-soldiers have only made it as far as the outer islands and are causing trouble."

Katara moved to sit beside him, frowning over his shoulder at the letters in his hand. "What's happening?"

"They have no homes to return to, many of their wives have remarried in their absence or their parents have died and they can't find work so they're turning to vagrancy and the locals aren't happy," He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. "The construction projects have helped in the Earth Kingdom but we don't have the money to do the same here for another few years."

She ran a hand over his shoulder blades, sympathetically. "What about the artisan project?" she asked. "Could they be retrained?"

Zuko shrugged. "Some have responded well to it, but for so many of them, they were brought up to think anything but fighting for your country is pointless. They've lost more than their jobs, they've lost their purpose."

Katara thought back to the War Tribunal when the reports and proof of war crimes committed by some in the name of the Fire Nation had come to light. For many in the Fire Nation, it was a hard pill to swallow and for the soldiers who hadn't committed war crimes but may have worked with those who did, it was even harder.

She pressed a quick kiss to his temple and lifted the letters from his hands. "You've not eaten your lunch," She chided, gently, and pulled the platter of carefully prepared food closer to him. "Your chef will be upset."

Although, she thought a little critically, the chef had clearly learned the Fire Lord didn't require his food as neatly presented when eating alone. The food prepared was a selection of cold cuts, sushi and dumplings. All food items that could be eaten cold. When Zuko popped a dumpling in his mouth, he made a small noise of surprise. "It's hot."

Katara glanced at him sharply. "They're meant to be hot. Dumplings are typically served hot, Zuko..." He blinked at her guiltily. How often did his food go uneaten, or cold? "I know you're working hard, but you can't do this to yourself. You need to look after your health as well."

He hummed noncommittally and ate another dumpling. "How was Azula?" He asked carefully. "That was this morning, right?"

She hadn't told him her reason for going to visit Azula; she visited every now and then so it shouldn't have aroused suspicion. "She seemed calmer than last time," When she'd screamed fire at Katara and managed to get into the corridors, needing to be restrained and belted into a wheelchair for the safety of the staff.

Zuko nodded. "Her therapy seems to be helping," He flattened his hands on the table, as though bracing himself and turned to meet Katara's eyes. "You shouldn't have asked her about the rumours."

Oh, so he did know. "You told me she knew where all the secret passageways were, I just thought-"

"And did she tell you? Did she make any coherent sense?" He challenged, but he didn't seem angry, just tired. "She gets confused. She doesn't seem to know what she's saying. She spends half her time talking to ghosts."

"I wanted to see if she knew where your mother was," Katara tried, a little annoyed at the fatalism in his voice. "If we found your mother…"

"We don't have time," Zuko shook his head. "I can't… get distracted, there's so much to do and besides… it's no secret that I've taken the throne. If she was out there…" He looked away and lowered his voice. "She'd have come back."

Katara hadn't thought of that. Those first few months after becoming Fire Lord, there must have been a part of him watching out of the window, waiting to see if his mother would come back. "I'm sorry," She said softly. "I didn't realise."

He shrugged, sullenly chewing on a sushi roll. "It's fine," He said. "I have a meeting with the Social Welfare minister this afternoon if you'd like to join?"

"Sure," Katara agreed readily, allowing the change of subject. "Do you want me to go to the outer islands to check out the situation there later this week?"

"That shouldn't be necessary," Zuko took the letters back from Katara's hand. "Trying to escape so soon?"

It was probably intended as a tease, but Katara was increasingly aware of the toll that being Fire Lord was taking on Zuko and so it stung. She was also conscious of the fact that it was probably so intense because he was doing it alone. "No, of course not," She said quickly. "I just want to help. Share the load with me."

Ask me to stay.

It was a childish, irresponsible thought. She knew how tenuous his control over the country was, how important it was that he secure real allies within the Fire Nation, but she was beginning to wish she'd never left in the first place. Every time she visited he felt a little further away and she was a little more out of touch with what he was working on.

She hadn't known about Yu Dao until Aang told her. She hadn't known about the pressure he was under until Mai told her. Was that because he didn't want her to worry? Or because he didn't want to sully the precious time they did have together by bringing up the harder subjects?

Even now, he was eyeing her with his mouth slightly open, as though thinking carefully about what to share.

She should probably just say she was staying. Tell him she was ready to build a life here and help him stabilise his country, but the words stuck in her throat, choking her with uncertainty.

"Okay."

"Okay?" She confirmed, feeling the bubble of hope in her chest.

"If you want to, you can visit the outer islands on your way to meet back up with Aang in the Earth Kingdom, when you're ready to leave," He said, looking away from her with a scowl, out through the window to the garden. "You can write to me and let me know your thoughts on the situation then."

Oh. The bubble burst. Look at me. She silently urged. Tell me you want me to stay.

He scowled out to the garden, looking very much like the young, angry boy who had first joined them on the back of a sky bison in Ba Sing Se- unwilling to share his burdens, unable to trust the intentions of others.

"Zuko, look at me please," She urged, reaching for his face and turning him to look at her. "I'm not running away," She coaxed, spreading both hands over his cheeks. "I know you're under a lot of pressure and I'm saying I want to help."

"You do help," He sighed, giving her a quick kiss. "I'm just… overworked, I guess."

She grinned and tilted her head. "I can stay?"

He kissed her again. "As long as you want."

.

The week after meeting with the Social Welfare minister, Katara made a trip out to the outer islands who were having the most problems. When she returned it was with suggestions for ways to attract the ex-soldiers into gainful employment. She and Zuko would stay up late into the night with the Social Welfare minister, discussing various ways former soldiers could reintegrate to society and be given a choice of career.

Throwing herself into the work was oddly enjoyable if slightly more gruelling than travelling the world with her friends and healing the sick. This was long term, but she was hopeful.

"You're enjoying yourself," Zuko accused as they made their way back to their rooms. It was late, and they'd been up late for dinner with the Minister for Transport, discussing new bridges between some of the closer islands that would put more people in work and encourage inter-island trade.

Katara checked the corridor behind them and, to her dismay, spotted a nobleman -one of the constant stream of landowning nobles who visited the palace to petition Zuko for one thing or another- making his way from the dining room to the bathroom. "Of course," She smiled cheekily at him. "I feel useful."

"It's appreciated," He said, glancing over his shoulder and spotting the nobleman disappear into the bathroom. "And not just by me. The council were all praising me for my extraordinarily good choice in friends. They were all singing your praises earlier."

"Really?" She grinned as he gave her a quick, chaste kiss, looping her arm through his as they turned a corner into the more private family wing of the palace.

"Really," He smiled down at her, proudly. Katara felt warm all over; the council approved of her. They respected her. They might not know the nature of her relationship with Zuko but this was an important first step towards them being able to be together openly.

She checked the corridor, found it empty and pulled him aside for another kiss. He grinned down at her as she did so, letting her pepper quick kisses along his jawline and pressing against the wall. The sconces either side of them flickered as she wound her arms around his neck and bit down gently on his bottom lip.

He let out a tiny groan at that. Emboldened, she took the opportunity to deepen the kiss and his hands travelled down her sides, fingers gripping onto her tightly in a way that sent her heart rate skyrocketing.

It was a push and pull between them, almost fighting for control but taking equal enjoyment in yielding to each other. Katara couldn't hear anything but the quiet gasps for breath and rustle of clothes in the silence of the palace corridor.

A familiar, aching flutter began to grow, and Katara ran her hands down Zuko's chest to tug on the sash around his waist meaningfully. He tore his lips from hers and she looked up at him from beneath her lashes, breathing heavily. "Let's go to bed," She whispered. In the light of the torches on the wall, she could see Zuko's face had flushed and his pupils dilated. At some point, a few strands of hair had been loosened from his neat topknot and they fell across his brow messily. It was probably the most beautiful thing she'd ever seen and she sent silent prayers of thanks to the spirits for bringing him to her as they made their way to their rooms.

On nights like this, she never wanted to leave the Fire Nation again.

.

She caught Zuko looking at her oddly one morning as they ate breakfast together. "What?"

He glanced out of the window, where the leaves had begun to turn gold and fall. "Nothing," He said, sounding a little nonplussed, before looking up as Lai entered with a bow.

"I'm sorry to disturb, Your Highness," Zuko waved her through with a smile, "Master Katara, I was wondering if you'd like us to prepare an outfit for the Harvest Festival."

Zuko frowned. "The Harvest Festival isn't for another two weeks… Katara might be-" He trailed off, looking uncertain. Might not be here.

Lai's lips pressed together in what may have been disapproval. "I apologise, it's just that normally a robe would take months to prepare. I know your plans frequently change at... short notice Master Katara, but the royal tailor insists that if you're staying, he needs to know today."

The woman bowed low and Katara turned to face her with a smile. "No problem at all, Lai. Please let the tailor know I'll be needing robes but honestly, he can repurpose something else. It's no problem."

There was a clatter and Zuko barely caught his teacup, having somehow knocked it with his hand. He stared down at it, looking mortified and Katara turned back to Lai. "Traditionally, the Royal family wear new robes," She said primly. "To celebrate the bountiful blessings of the Fire Nation's harvest. As a close friend of the Fire Lord, it would be expected that you do the same."

Katara drank her tea thoughtfully as Zuko seemed to be trying to soak up his own spilt tea with his sleeve. "If it's not a problem?" She directed at Zuko, who looked up with wide eyes like a startled rabbaroo.

"No problem at all- of course, you can attend if you like," That odd expression clouded his eyes again as he watched her discuss outfit suggestions with Lai. Once the older woman had left, Katara met his gaze. He was watching her in silence, looking… curious? Speculative?

"I didn't attend the Harvest Festival last year," Katara said mildly. She bent the tea from the table and his sleeve, earning her a smile and breaking him from whatever train of thought he was on. "What's it like?"

Zuko idly ran his fingers along the tabletop, across the decorative etchings and inlays that illustrated old Fire Nation stories of dragons and quests. "As Lai said, it's a celebration of the harvest. There's a parade through the capital, the palace will open its gates and host a banquet for the citizens in the courtyard, though noble guests eat in the banquet hall, and then there are a fireworks display and a ball," He shook his head, shrugging. "It was traditionally a very egalitarian affair, focused on the farmers, but under Ozai it focused more on the military successes."

At his father's name, his eyebrows lowered and his mouth twisted, as though even saying it brought a bad taste to his mouth, but the expression only seemed to enhance the likeness of Ozai and Katara reached over to catch his idling hand across the table. "What are you doing this year? Focusing on the farmers again?"

He nodded. "We're honouring the contracts held by the farms that used to feed the military, and distributing it to local government buildings for the festivals held outside the capital, but lots of people tend to travel to the capital for it so we're expecting to serve roughly a thousand civilians in the courtyard, and vendors will be selling street food outside the palace," He smiled a little shyly. "We're also bringing in Earth Kingdom entertainers to put on shows alongside Fire Nation performers. To promote harmony."

"That's a great idea." Katara enthused. "And it promotes tourism to the Earth Kingdom too. Do you want some help with any of the planning, as well, or do you have it delegated?" She asked, prompting a curious smile from Zuko.

"Are you bored, or something?" He teased. "You keep asking for things to do."

Katara smiled and tapped the side of her nose. "Ah, Fire Lord Zuko, my work isn't done here until you're the one who's bored."

He scoffed and stood, placing his napkin across his now-empty plate. "You're stuck here forever, then," He said dryly, kissing her on the head as he passed. "I'll have a think about some projects for you."

Katara finished off her breakfast happily, feeling like she'd won a small victory and bounding out to the eastern wing of the palace, to continue her secret mission. It was kinda fun, she thought, sneaking around trying not to be seen.

After persuading Zuko to show her some of the few secret hiding places he knew about, under the pretence of trying to find safe places for him to hide in case of an assassination attempt, she at least had learned that not all of them required firebending to access. From there, she had started working room by room, carefully, patiently.

She made her way to the room she had visited the previous day, planted her hands on her hips and surveyed it with fresh eyes. She wasn't sure what she hoped to find, but she'd made it into something of a game and had found plenty of entertaining trinkets and mementoes of previous Fire Lords and their families in the process. In the Fire Nation, history was something you possessed, displayed and hoarded, it was so different from the Southern Water Tribe where history was told and re-lived by its descendants.

That wasn't to say she preferred one over the other, she thought to herself as she surveyed a small portrait of some unknown child, she could see all the pictures and possessions, she could touch what their hands had touched decades or centuries ago... but without the context of their stories...

Katara replaced the portrait inside the drawer, feeling around for any hidden latches or buttons. She didn't have long before her appointment with the tailor and the following meeting with the Social Welfare Committee. She moved on to the next room and tried the door handle, irked to find it was locked. She checked the corridor, up and down, bright and empty on either side. No one really used the eastern wing of the palace day-to-day but it didn't hurt to be careful. She bent some water inside to break the lock mechanism.

Looking back, she would realise that was the first mistake- her eagerness to explore and to try every room, left her careless.

This room had clearly been left untouched for a long time; a fine layer of dust covered everything and Katara felt her heart quicken at the sight. This was exactly the sort of secret room that would hide long-forgotten clues about Zuko's mother.

It was a strange room, Katara thought, as the went to open the window shutters to let some light in and found them nailed shut. The furniture was opulent but the room itself was smaller than most of the others she'd tried so far. Behind her, the door clicked shut and Katara turned her attention to the wall hangings, lifting the fragile tapestries from the wall and running her hands over the panelled walls beneath. Nothing seemed to give way, but the hangings themselves were odd, too. Zuko had taken down most of the more military decorations in the palace but this room still held depictions of great battles, though everything was so red and faded it was difficult to tell which of the four nations were meant to be fighting against the Fire Nation in each scene.

Katara crouched low to the floor and looked beneath the bed, peering through the dust and gloom. It was hard to see in the dim light; the shutters allowed thin slivers of sunlight to cut through the disturbed dust and Katara could just about make out some odd shapes. She reached out and her fingertips brushed silk that moved when she touched it.

Jerking back at the sensation, Katara tried to take a deep breath to steady her spooked nerves but the dust disagreed with her and she had to sit up, coughing. "Idiot," She scolded herself, looking back under the bed at the boxes that the fabric had slipped off.

Why was she getting spooked in some creepy room? It would take more than some dust and shuttered windows to scare her. She pulled the silk out from under the bed and spread it over the bed. It looked like a robe, though it was much simpler than anything she'd seen worn by the ladies she'd seen around the palace, or even the servants, whose uniforms were finely embroidered.

It was a fine robe, though. It looked a dark colour, and it was a woman's- that much was clear. A small woman- smaller than Katara herself, now. The fabric was a little moth-eaten, but Katara could see it was good material. Perhaps it had once been the clothes of a merchant, or a successful farmer's daughter.

And it had somehow ended up in this odd little room, thrown over boxes beneath a bed.

Katara ducked back beneath the bed, reaching eagerly to tug the boxes out and opening them carefully, shaking cobwebs from her hands as the gently lifted the first box for inspection in the dim light. It was wood, and had basic carvings on the top for decoration, but wasn't anywhere near as grand at the furniture in the room, or the boxes and chests found elsewhere in the palace.

She cracked it open, holding her breath. Inside were tiny pieces of paper. She pulled one out, reading the carefully written words; "Fury of the Volcano Spirit" and beneath it; "Admittance".

A theatre ticket? Katara shuffled through the other papers. They all appeared to be old tickets for theatre shows. She found one for a play called "The Sage and the Maiden", one for "Love Amongst the Dragons", one for "The Sorrow of the Water Nymph"... Countless tickets to plays.

Katara found herself opening the second, larger box. Inside that one appeared to be the programmes, with the summaries of the stories the plays were based on. They all seemed to be performed by a theatre group called Hira'a, and Katara read the story summaries eagerly, losing herself in thoughts of some long-forgotten merchant woman with a passion for theatre.

It wasn't until she was halfway through the summary of "Eternal Love" that she realised she had probably completely missed her appointment with the tailor. This was her second mistake. "Shit."

She replaced the lid of the box, tucking it back under the bed and trying in vain to scrape the dust from her tunic. She reached for the door handle and pulled. It didn't move. She pushed but found the same result. Frustrated, she summoned some water to break the lock again and…

There was no keyhole on this side of the door.

She stared at it for a long time, unable to believe her eyes. There had been a keyhole on the other side, she knew there had been; she had broken the lock. But on this side, there wasn't anything. Experimentally, she twisted the door handle again, listening. It wasn't connected to the mechanism of the door at all. The handle twisted loosely, uselessly in her hand.

And no-one knew she was here.

Chills ran along her bare arms. The coolness of the darkened room had been welcome at first, but the gloom felt different now, oppressive. Katara chewed the inside of her cheek, torn. She could cut through the door but she had already broken the lock. If she was planning to make a home of the Fire Nation palace then she couldn't very well go around breaking all the doors down, especially not the doors of gloomy little prison-rooms... that seemed sure to anger some sort of spirit.

It was a pickle, indeed. Katara sighed, resting her head against the door. If she missed the appointment with the tailor it was difficult but not catastrophic. The Social Welfare committee though… Zuko had trusted her with it. He was tentatively letting her take responsibilities and if they had to delay the meeting because of her she'd have let him and the others down.

The window? She approached the shuttered windows and inspected the fittings- they were nailed shut, true, and it looked like they'd been fixed this way for years. Dust and cobwebs blurred the lines where shutter met the wall, and the nails were embedded deep into the wood.

Deciding there was nothing else for it, Katara cut through the wooden shutters with her water blades, as neatly as she could to avoid leaving anything unsightly. She could come back to clean up the debris later.

When she finally broke through the wooden shutters, she pushed the window open, stiff from years of disuse, and found herself face to face with a very surprised Lai. "Master Katara," Lai's eyes roamed over Katara's dust-smeared tunic. "You missed your appointment."

"Lai!" Katara gasped, clambering through the window. She had emerged roughly where she expected, in the palace's walled kitchen garden, taking care not to trample any of the kitchen's plants. "Sorry I got… caught up."

Lai's eyes narrowed at the broken shutters and peered into the room behind her. Katara pushed the window closed and tried to smooth her hair under Lai's sceptical scrutiny. "The tailor is working very hard to ensure you're appropriately attired for the Harvest Festival, Master Katara," She said. There was no bite to the tone- she was extremely polite and spoke in a way that couldn't possibly be taken as scolding but Katara felt the reprimand anyway. "Though perhaps it's not the best use of your time if you're leaving soon."

"I'm not leaving soon," Katara said quickly. "I'll be here for the festival."

Lai didn't look convinced but bowed gracefully in acceptance. "Shall we get you dressed for your appointment with the Social Welfare committee?" She asked delicately. "You have a little time before it starts."

"Yes, please," Katara smiled. "Thank you, Lai."

She liked Lai. The older woman kept Zuko's house in order and she was sure Lai was the reason Zuko ate at all. In the absence of a mother or even Iroh to help him with his day to day, Zuko relied on Lai immensely and she never seemed to waver. She always treated Katara with a sort of distant respect and made no fuss of Katara being roomed in the Fire Lady's quarters, ensuring that the staff who attended to Katara were discreet and capable.

But Lai didn't like Katara. Katara knew this in her bones and tried not to let it hurt. Lai was a consummate professional, and she clearly took her job of looking after Zuko to heart. Katara knew why it was that Lai didn't like her, and she understood.

It was because Katara left. At first, Katara had thought it was because Lai disapproved of Zuko having a Water Tribe lover, but one evening she'd asked Zuko about Lai's background and discovered she was of mixed heritage- Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation. Over time she'd come to realise Lai's key complaint with Katara was her absence; she wanted better for Zuko and that, Katara couldn't fault her for.

Ah yes. So it begins.

Please do give me feedback and comments! They keep me going. I have the first 3 chapters finished and am partway through chapter 4. I hope it's a good step forward from the previous stories in the Something Important series.