The Bride: Let's say that Aang had met Toph in very different circumstances… saving her more then she saving him. The walls of Ba Sing Se are very tall and the king needed an heir with a strong line after all.

Disclaimer: if only, if only, the plot bunny sings.

Image: Avatar by knknknk

Rating: Teen.

…

In the dark, in the dark.

I'm always in the dark.

I chose not my station nor my path,

Rings placed on reluctant hands did grasp.

…

"No! No! I don't want to go! I like my garden and rocks here, and they'll probably bind my feet. I'm already blind! Do I need to be more of a cripple!" came a scream from the Bei Fong house, making the royal guards wince outside in the driveway and the woman of the household look aghast. She bowed briefly, apologized to the man in the carriage before walking briskly back into the house.

The house went silent for a moment and then another scream echoed over the house.

"No! I'm ten! I don't want to be engaged to anyone!" came the voice again, noticeably belonging to a young girl with the way it squeaked.

The man in the carriage sighed, waving to one of the men that stood at guard. Said guard was noticeably not one of the royal guards with the way his hat lacked any plumage. Said hat actually hid his eyes perfectly.

The protector quickly walked over to the carriage with his head down and listened to the simple request, "Go and see what's taking so long."

The guard nodded and seemingly he disappeared with his quick movements, only to appear a moment later outside of the Bei Fong's door, peeking his head around the corner as if he expected to be attacked. The man immediately ducked, his circular hat almost being knocked off as a tea pot went smashing passed his head out the door. The guard blinked, noting how the royal soldiers all snorted at him while struggling to look professional.

This was turning into a charade.

Deciding that perhaps peaking threw a nearby window was safer, the agent did just that.

His frown almost turned into a smile like the royal guards when he saw the scene but somehow be managed to stay silent as he watched the scene unfold.

Lady Bei Fong spoke softly to a small figure. A child… yes, a little girl. The Lady's daughter presumably who was currently fighting with the maids.

"Now, don't be like that. It's such an honor to be chosen, to be…"

"No! I'm not leaving! I finally found my place in this town and you want me to leave?" she nearly screamed, tears rolling down her cheeks, the Lady taking a handkerchief to wipe them a way in order to save the beautiful dress the maids were trying to wrap the child in; the fine garment alone showing how prominent the family was and how badly they wished to impress the Royal Match Maker.

"Do you not want to honor our family line?" finally stated a masculine voice, a tall male who the spy presumed must be the master of the house. "I have no sons to continue the name so you must honor the family's title and our ancestors. Being a prospect for the Earth King's bride… our name will not be forgotten. So please… don't be difficult Toph."

The young girl held her head proud for a moment before she shoulders sagged, her chin tucking against her chest in as she pressed away for a moment from her mother's fingers.

"Did you hear me, Toph?" asked her father, a bit of bite in his voice this time.

Slowly she nodded her head, her voice so soft it was a whisper, "I will do my best father."

"Good," he continued, waving a hand so that the maids would start on her hair again, fine pieces of bronze and jade being placed in her hair. Slowly, the spy watched as the young child started to look years older as the heavy layer of her cheongsam dress was finished up. The final touches of makeup and a fan being added to the get up. The only thing that truly showed her age was her height.

"Now," stated Toph's mother, pushing a stray hair away from the girl's pale eyes. "We'll be in the carriage behind you, but the match maker wants to talk to you for a bit. Now, stop crying… it will bring attention to your eyes and we can't have that."

The young girl nodded solemnly, wincing as she had a matching pair of elegant fabric slippers put on her feet.

After some more deliberating between father and his house servants, the help departed to probably finishing the packing. The Bei Fong family would be joining the journey back to Ba Sing Se to see to the match maker's decision, a half a dozen girls chosen all from high families.

Toph was then led outside, her trunks being taken by the royal guards. The young girl didn't even seem to notice her parent's goodbyes as her form became dwarfed by the shadow of the carriage and the man inside it. So captured by its presence, she didn't even look up to acknowledge them. She seemed so dainty and frail in fact that she was actually helped into the carriage by the royal guards. Toph, reluctantly, took the opposite seat of her host and match maker.

So overcome by the whole situation, she barely acknowledged the spy that had been watching her in the house earlier as he leapt onto the carriage, shaking it as the guard took his place on the back like a footman.

The earth-bending champ sat there a moment with her head down until the man inside the carriage asked, "You have a pair of lungs on you, but you are also obedient in the end like a daughter should be when it comes to her family's name. So I take it you're Toph Bei Fong."

"Yeah, who are you? You sound kind of masculine for a matchmaker?" she stated, almost cocky, her obedience only surviving under her father's gaze. "I can tell you already, I'm a horrible choice. You should save your time and just tell my parents no."

The man frowned at this. She had spark. That could be a problem, but they had a whole trip to Ba Sing Se for him to decide if she was a bad candidate. He had hired an actual matchmaker, true, but his opinion would be very influential on the Earth King's wife. The king was starting to reach his mid-twenties. It was time he started thinking of his line.

"And why would that be?" asked the man, smiling in the shadows.

Slowly, Toph leaned forward and revealed her misty eyes, "Because I'm blind."

Leaning forward, more on instinct than anything else, Long Feng smiled, his braid falling to the side as he told her, "No, in fact its preferred. A lady is supposed to be frail and blind to certain politics. They are a man's worries. Though, we'll have to work on that tongue of yours."

Long Feng then smiled as he sat back, dwelling on the prospective bride before him. After all, he already had a blind prince… so he needed a sightless queen as well; though he would have had never guessed that it would be figuratively. He hoped King Keui liked her… not that the foolish man was going to have much choice. He'd learn to like Toph over time… they still had a good five or so years to get to know each other after all because he doubted any of the other prospects would be as good as her… even with her temper.

There was a warming though of the blind leading the blind.

XXX

Paw07: Well, let's see… another Avatar fic I wish I could work on but… I don't have the time. I really love Toph and there was this one fic that I read by clockworkchaos called "Life Bound" that made me think: what if she was set up for other things that happen traditionally to Chinese girls besides foot binding. It isn't the classic idea of the match making with Long Feng there but hey… I love the idea of a possible TophXKuei, an arranged marriage. Also, I've never seen that pairing even if its just in undertones for this one-shot. Maybe I'll add a few one-shot chapters if I have the time though.

(Revisions February 2014)