Katara sighed as she rolled onto her back in her big bed. The golden silk sheets were foriegn against her skin and they felt good. Katara ran her hands across the cool silk sheets beside her where her soon to be husband should have been sleeping. She should be in his arms right now breathing in his scent. The thoughts they would share while their hearts beating in time together. Katara longed for it to happen, but she knew it was highly doubtful A knock at the large oak doors, made Katara groan. The thing is, when you are married or getting married to royalty, there is absolutley no privacy at all. Zuko insisted on hiring a personal maid for Katara to accompany her anywhere even though Katara protested against it. Teng Su, was a petite young girl about the age fifteen. She liked to gossip and ramble on about fashion and the latest scandals. She was an entertaining companion to stroll around the gardens with besides her obsession with her brother. Teng Su thought Sokka as a warrior god in need of a real woman to handle like herself. Katara would always roll her eyes and smirk with amusement. Katara got out of the warm silky bed and pulled on a blue silk robe. She opened the door to see Teng Su as usual waiting.
"Good morning, Katara. I've come to help you dress for breakfast." She answered as she breezed past Katara to her wardrobe. Katara just sighed in boredom.
"I have no need of you Teng Su for dressing myself." Katara said and gently shoved her away from her simple assortments of gowns. Katara simply stuck her hand in and pulled out a plain blue vneck dress with a small black belt to cinch around her waist. Her dress only came to her knees which caused most Fire Nation women to whisper, but Katara didn't care. It made her comfortable and she always wore her navy tights under them with her boots. Teng Su offered Katara her comb and hair beads. Katara took the comb and shook her head towards the beads.
"It's a nice day out, I'll leave it down today." After she was fully dressed and ready, Katara flung open the double oak doors and walked down the marble hallway like she had nothing to loose. She could smell the frying eggs and pork before she even entered the dinning room. Sokka sat beside Toph who was across from Aang. Besides them, the room was deserted.
"Sugar Queen! Bout time you rise and shine." Toph grumbled and Katara felt her face break out into a grin. Sokka nodded in her direction while he fed his face full of sausage and pork. Katara took her place beside Aang and skimmed her eyes around the room, hoping she just missed him and he was there somewhere.
"He isn't here." Aang said as he patted Katara's hand gently. Katara couldn't help, but have her face fall in disappointment. A plate was brought out and placed in front of her and Katara's mouth began to water. As she forked some eggs in her mouth, Aang got down to business. With him as the Avatar and the last air bender on the earth that they knew of, Toph as the Earth Nation's ambassador, and Katara as the Water Nation ambassador with Sokka at her side with warrior tactics, they often filled each other in on key information. "There were some protesters outside the palace gates this morning, but I put them in their place." Toph said as she grinned wickedly.
"Yeah I caught a glimpse of that. Nice with the rock pummel." Sokka high fived her proudly.
"Well apparently there are protesters like the ones Toph...pummeled...everywhere! We need to think of something fast before it gets out of hand!" Aang said as one of the servants wisked away his empty plate and glass along with Sokka's and Toph's. Katara nodded to the servant who bowed and took her half eaten eggs and untouched tea.
"Maybe I should take a road trip around to the Nations to see how really bad it is." Aang suggested to Katara.
"You can't go alone. We will go with you." Toph stated and got up.
"Now if you guys will excuse me, Twinkletoes and I have some practicing to do." Aang sighed torturously and got up to follow Toph from the room.
"Sorry sis, but I HAVE to see this." Sokka said and hurried after them. Katara sat in the room as bustling servants raced to gather the meals of Great Nobles. A servant rushed buy with a golden platter in golden robes only the Fire Lord's servants wore.
"Excuse me!" Katara shouted on impulse and raced after the frazzled man.
"Yes Master Katara?"
"If you don't mind, I would like to take this to the Fire Lord myself. I have matters I would like to speak to him about anyhow." Katara said.
"Well I don't know.."
"It will be alright." The servant smiled gently and carefully handed her the platter then bowed before racing away. Katara then set out towards the Fire Lord's offices. Katara waltzed through the oak doors with gold trim into his sitting area where his clients sat. She huffed an angery breath before turning to knock on his office door that was closed as usual. "Come in." His voice rang out angirly and Katara opened the door to find Zuko hunched over parchment at his desk. He didn't look up when he motioned with one hand to a small table in the center of the spacious room.
"Sit the tray there and close the door on your way out." He instructed. Katara sat the tray down and stroded over to the door swinging wide open and slammed it shut with all her might. Zuko looked up furious until he noticed Katara with her hand on the knob, then his temper disolved and his eyes softened.
"Katara. I wasn't expecting you." He said as he pushed away from his desk and began to make his way towards her.
"I forgot to schedule a appointment with you, sorry." Katara replied icily and stared at him in his amber eyes that always made her knees turn to jell-o. She had to admit that he did look rather delicious in his black bending pants, boots, and loose tunic. His dark hair was shagged in his eyes that looked as if he hadn't had sleep in years. Zuko frowned at her comment.
"Katara, you know that I've been busy lately. I'm trying, really I am."
"If you were than why do you insist on leaving the warm bed with the girl you love in it to work on parchments? I think that it can always wait till morning." Katara said as her temper flared up. Zuko drug a hand through his hair and sigh in frustration.
"I didn't know it matter that much. I'm sorry. I wish you would have told me sooner." He said as he wrapped his arms around her. Katara couldn't help, but melt into his embrace. "Well it's kind of hard when you are always gone." She said and looked up into his breathless eyes. His lips feathered over hers but before he could pull away, Katara latched her fingers in his gloriously thick hair and held his mouth to hers which attacked with the hunger similar to Katara's. She felt her hand snake down to tug his tunic out of his waist band, but his hand clamped down on hers and pulled it away.
"Not right now. I got a meeting in five minutes, and I doubt they want to use the desk the same way I want to use it right now." Then he saw Katara's wounded expression and felt her pulling away.
"Later. I promise. I will come and find you." Zuko replied and swept his lips along her jawline to make her tremble.
"Later." Katara said in a sigh and walked out of his offices in a daze and a silly grin displayed on her face.