Ice Queen

She turns like the ocean
She tells no emotion
She's been gunning down the fight
She's just reminiscing
Blood sweat and one things missing
She's been breaking up inside, inside

--Switchfoot (Lonely Nation)

She was my Queen. And I was her protector. We were friends once but that was a long time ago when Queens were still allowed friends. Or when Queens still allowed friends in their hearts. I can't blame her though. Having her heart broken by our best friend and our worst enemy made it hard for her to love again.

Which is why I still haven't gotten myself into the picture. I could have—after all, I've heard of women loving other women—but I just couldn't. She was so hurt…so fragile when Aang left her, that I couldn't bring myself to tell her my feelings.

Perhaps, years ago, when I was still twelve and her fourteen, I could have said what I felt, could have loved without hesitation. But that was long ago.

I heaved a sigh and let my attention focus on her. She breathed deeply, like she always does, an exercise she knew from her waterbending studies. It was supposed to calm her but I knew that no set of exercises could ever calm the conflicting emotions that hung heavily in her heart.

I reached for her shoulder and stopped, my hand curling into a fist. I gulped and forced it open before placing my hand over her shoulder, making her look up at me. I couldn't see her—I was blind after all—but I knew her eyes were searching mine questioningly. A slight turn of my foot sent a suitor flying out of the main hall and into the garden.

A reassuring smile found its way to my lips. Another twist and the suitor's body was neatly buried on the ground, his head the only thing visible. (The gardeners will be angry with me again. It's the third time since they've had to ask the earthbenders to clean up the mess I've made.)

That was my job nowadays…keeping any possible suitors away from her. It used to be General Sokka's job, but he's too busy with his duties. With the increase of criminal activity over the past five years, Sokka has a lot on his hands right now.

…And I could have been there, aiding him as one of his soldiers. I could have been there fighting by his side. But I chose to stay here even though I was given an invitation to join. I knew that they needed soldiers badly…but Katara needed me more.

She brushed my hand aside and turned back to staring at her audience. A young couple was there. From their heartbeats, I could say that they were desperate. With no home to go to and a baby to take care of, they needed help and the Queen was the only one who could help them.

I bowed my head and sighed once more. Queen Katara of the Four Nations might be an Ice Queen when it came to love…but she still had the heart of a thousand people when it came to helping others.

For once though…I wish she would help herself for a change.

A/N: Because I've always wanted to write a Toph/Katara fic.

This fic is for Twilight Rose2 who wanted me to write their pairing. Terribly sorry that it took so long though. I completely forgot it in my craze to write Legacy.