WOW it's been a WHILE. My apologies. To all who still care, THANKS :D! This next chapter is a little short but I guarantee the good stuff is coming. Ive been busy mapping out what I want to do with HoC and can tell you right off the bat who you can expect in the later chapters. Koh, Iroh, Jin, Ozai and the Cabbage guy are all people that WILL be seen in the next chapters as well as a couple of OCs incl. a previous incarnation of the Avatar! Also, for all who are interested, I have posted a FAQ in my forums. To answer the burning question: YES TOPH WILL APPEAR :).

Trivia:

Cixi is pronounced, "Ser-si" but you can pronounce it, "Seer-see" as well.

Cameo of a scene from the O.C.! So, I credit Josh S. for his creative genius.

"Li", straw hat.

Denial, denial
Your ears should be burning

- Radiohead

Prologue:

Capitol, Fire Nation

Guo Yin couldn't believe his luck. He had decided to himself that he was the luckiest man in the world and he wasn't normally one to believe such things as fortune. That is, until he had met Cixi. Cixi was a courtesan and dancer from the House of Cards. She was refined, gentle and forgiving; three things that all of Guo Yin's previous loves had lacked.

The messenger sat down at his desk, penning a note to the Fire Lord about the latest news in the city. Strange murders had been occurring all over the capitol and many homeless men and women were showing up in the middle of streams face down, with burn marks all over their bodies. Guo Yin had never seen anything like it. As he finished writing, he rolled up the parchment and turned his gaze to Cixi who was lazily reclining on his chair, reading a book in her hand. She looked up from her book and smiled.

"Finished writing?" She asked, getting up and walking over to him.

Guo Yin smiled and held her hand in his. "Yes. All I have to do is send the message now." They walked over to the balcony and faced the messenger hawk.

Suddenly a voice called for Guo Yin. The messenger turned around and saw one of the palace guards in the middle of the doorway, panting and out of breath. "What's the matter?" Guo Yin asked.

"Another body has been found, and I don't think it belongs to a homeless person." The soldier said, gasping.

Guo Yin turned to Cixi and handed the parchment in her hand, "Can you deliver this for me?"

Cixi smiled. "Of course."

Chapter Four

The Bride (The Masquerade Ball)

Zuko sat outside on the balcony, taking deep drags from his pipe. Since the rest of the gang had gone out to buy costumes for the party, he was finally alone and able to think. He stopped smoking for a bit and looked at his pipe. Azula was dead now, so why was he still smoking? He wondered if it was the calming addictive nature of the tobacco that was making it impossible for him to stop. Mai's going to be angry if I can't kick this. He exhaled smoke through his nostrils and put the pipe to his lips again.

For a minute he mused on the idea that Azula may still have been out there and that was the reason why he was still smoking. That however was impossible, because she wasn't a zombie. Living dead or not, Zuko had lost his only sibling. That was stressful and upsetting enough to continue smoking wasn't it? He lowered the pipe and put out the flame.

Lazily getting up from his chair, Zuko strolled back into his bedroom and closed the balcony door behind him. Sunlight pooled onto the bed and cast his shadow on the door. As he reached for the doorknob, he immediately thought of how Katara had walked into his room during the night. He hadn't expected her to show up, but when she was there he thought he should have said more to her.Shaking the thought out of his mind, he opened the door and walked into the hall.

"Zuko?" A voice called. It sounded like Ty Lee was calling him from downstairs.

Zuko walked over to the banister and noticed that everyone had come back from their excursion. He flew down the steps and walked right into Katara.

"Oh. Hello Zuko." She said, surprised. She took a step back and pulled out a bag from behind her. "This…is for you. Mai picked it out."

The Fire Lord shot a glance at his fiancé and then turned back to the bag Katara was holding. Taking it, he slowly pulled out a red coloured costume. He couldn't make out what it was supposed to be.

"What is it?" He immediately asked, nervously unfolding the garment.

Mai hovered closer to him. "See for yourself."

"Fire Nation soldier?"

"What were you expecting," Mai began, rolling her eyes, "Magical dragon trainer? We couldn't find any costume stores on the island so we just went to second hand stores and the army surplus. " She looked to the ground and bent down to pick up a helmet on the floor. "And you're forgetting this." She forcefully cupped the helmet onto Zuko's head causing the Fire Lord to fall back dizzily.

"You know I have this costume at home." Zuko finally replied, adjusting his head piece. "Looks more authentic too." He put his arm around Mai and pulled her close to him. "But thank you."

"You're welcome." Mai replied, putting her hand on his chest.

Zuko looked to Katara, who seemed to be awkwardly waiting for someone to speak to her. "How about your costume, Katara?"

Katara turned to him in surprise. She dropped her gaze and stared blankly behind him. "It's nice."

But before Zuko could ask what she had meant, she had already sauntered away to Aang.


At sundown, everyone met outside the doors of the Lotus Flower; a ballroom and dining hall that was owned by one of the wealthy generals who lived on the island, General Hzu. Occasionally he would hold parties at there and rent out the building to paying customers who needed a place to have a party. Tonight, General Hzu was the one doing the hosting.

When Zuko, Mai and Ty Lee arrived at the doors, they noticed that Sokka and Suki were the only ones present. Sokka was dressed in a Kyoshi warrior uniform, as was his wife.

Zuko raised a curious brow. "How'd you get pressured into wearing that?" He asked, pointing at Sokka's make up and then his green armoured ensemble. Strangely enough, it appeared as if no one in the group was even wearing a mask aside from him. And technically his helmet wasn't actually a mask. Where was the masquerade? However, since it wasn't important, Zuko decided to leave the question unanswered (it was all for the better anyway).

Sokka shrugged. "This is actually Ty Lee's armour. And…Suki said we should match. It's a bit snug though."

Suki squealed with happiness and wrapped her arms around Sokka's waist. "And, you look fantastic!" Sokka grumbled a few unintelligible words but couldn't help but grin at his loving and increasingly hormonal, wife. "We all decided to match." Suki said, letting her arms fall from her husband's sides.

"Wait what?" Zuko asked, looking to his fiancé.

"Well, you're dressed as a soldier, so I dressed as a Fire Nation noble." Mai replied, folding her arms.

Zuko puckered his lips sourly. "Is this the reason why you're not dressed up?"

Mai glared at him. "I am dressed up."

"When did you all decide this?" Zuko asked everyone, more confused than ever.

"Oh, about the time when you conveniently said you were feeling too ill to go costume hunting with us. We may win the couple's section of the contest." Mai replied, dryly with a hint of bitterness.

Zuko groaned and smacked his hand against his forehead. "Lovely." His interest in the party was rapidly decreasing but when he looked up he noticed that Ty Lee was standing in front of him, partner less. "So what about Ty Lee, she doesn't have anyone to pair off with and she gave her costume to Sokka. Isn't that a bit unfair?" The Fire Lord reminded, pointing a tad bit too sharply at the bubbly Kyoshi warrior.

Ty Lee grinned. "Oh, don't worry about me Zuko. I decided to match my costume with Katara and Aang's!"

Zuko narrowed his eyes. "What? But you're just dressed as a—"

"Well, glad to see that our bride's maid is here." Aang said, unintentionally interrupting Zuko in the middle of his sentence.

Zuko quickly turned his attention to the young Avatar and saw that he was dressed in traditional Fire Nation bridegroom garments. The Fire Lord's jaw dropped a little but his true surprise came when he saw Katara emerge from behind Aang in a beautiful red hanfu with a light lotus print on it. The sleeves were embroidered in gold and the sash was white and decked with symbols of fortune and wealth.

"Katara you look beautiful!" Ty Lee gushed, throwing her arms around the waterbender. Katara patted Ty Lee cautiously on the back and smiled.

"Thank you, and thank you for being my…'bridesmaid'." Katara replied, gently pulling away from Ty Lee's embrace.

"You…dressed…as…a bride?" Zuko mumbled, his eyes as large as saucers.

Momo crawled out from underneath Aang's hat, and rested himself on Aang's shoulder. "Well," the airbender began, "it was what the store had. We all thought it would be fun to match. And it's not like Sokka could fit into a hanfu without looking ridiculous."

"Is that a new necklace Katara?" Mai asked, her eyes fixated on Katara's neck.

Zuko's eyes immediately met the nape of Katara's neck and noticed the new pendant dangling from a grey ribbon. He looked at Katara, eyes wide.

Nervously, Katara touched the pendant and opened her mouth to answer but before she could, Aang interjected.

"What do you think of it? I spent the last month carving it." Aang said, putting his arm around Katara; who now seemed very uncomfortable.

"It's beautiful Aang." Mai replied, with a slight smile

"Well, we should go." Zuko said, reluctantly moving his gaze from Katara to Mai's eyes.

Mai nodded and took his hand.

Inside, the ballroom was bursting with life. The small orchestral band was playing familiar Fire Nation folk songs, and hundreds of people were dancing away to the music while some hovered at the snack table at the back. On their way in, two men and a woman approached them with a clipboard.

"Hello there, please write down your name and your partner's name on this sheet." The woman said cheerfully.

Zuko angrily snatched the board from her hand and messily scribbled his name and Mai's on the line. He shoved the board back at the woman who now seemed a little distraught.

"Suki look, free food!" Sokka exclaimed, pointing excitedly at the snack table. Dozens of dishes were lined up on the surface of the table, and more chefs were walking from in and out of the kitchen, delivering more food.

Zuko took a minute to appreciate his surroundings. The ballroom was decorated with balloons, streamers and tiny masks that were hung from the ceiling and in the middle of centerpieces. The walls were covered in gold, and the floor was a dark cherry wood.

Aang offered Katara his hand and bowed. "A dance?"

Katara laughed and took his hand, curtsying and following him to the dance floor. The small orchestral band played on, happily strumming Fire Nation folk hymns. Zuko grimaced. A little soon to be dancing. He thought, turning to his fiancé.

"Want to dance?" he asked, meekly offering his hand.

"Not in this life time." Mai snapped, moving over to the table. She picked up a fruit tart and took a small bite out of it, keeping her gaze on Aang and Katara. "But they sure can dance." She added, watching as Aang lifted Katara over his head.

"Show off." Zuko muttered, turning away. He blankly looked around and spotted a door at the back of the ballroom. "I'm going to go outside for a bit." He said, brushing past Mai.

She glared at him. "We just got here."

Zuko nodded. "I know." He walked over to the balcony door and pulled it open, all the while fumbling for the pipe wedged in his pocket. He stopped and clenched his fist tightly, lifting his empty hand out of his pocket. Not tonight.

He meditated on the night sky and how the moon was reflected nicely on the ocean. The rolling waves and the chirping crickets kept his attention, and slowly the chattering of guests and the laughing of the dancers faded into the summer night. But it was too soon for complete peace, even for Zuko.

He heard the balcony door shut behind him and familiar voices teasing each other while laughing giddily like children. He heaved a sigh and felt a hand grab his shoulder.

"Zuko! There you are! We were wondering where you went." A voice said. Zuko turned around and strained a smile. It was Aang.

"Well you know me; I'm not much of a dancer or a cross dresser like Sokka." Zuko replied, nodding at Katara, who had followed Aang out onto the balcony. "But I see that you two certainly are fit for a circus if they ever needed help." He turned his back to them again, now guiltily pleased at the delivery of his deliberately rude joke.

"Aang, can you get us drinks?" Katara asked, turning to the young airbender. Aang nodded and walked back inside, closing the glass door behind him. When the Avatar had left, Katara looked sternly at Zuko. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Zuko replied, a little too quickly.

"What's wrong?" Katara asked again, putting her hand gently on Zuko's arm.

Zuko didn't answer.

Katara let her hand drop.

Finally, the Fire Lord conceded and let out a sigh of exasperation. "Was your necklace ever broken?" His voice was low.

Katara placed her hand on the pendant of her new necklace and closed her eyes. She hesitated for a bit before answering. "No."

"Then why did you tell me that it was?"

"I don't know." She said.

"Why didn't you tell me Aang was making a necklace for you?"

"I just didn't want anyone to get the wrong idea about me and Aang. We're not getting married he just—"

Zuko rolled his eyes. "You have a funny way of showing it." He retorted, glaring at her dress.

"Look, I'm sorry. I just didn't know how to say it earlier."

"How about, Aang's making me a necklace, but it doesn't mean we're getting married." Zuko snorted. "Besides, what would it matter to any of us if you were getting married? It's a good thing right?" He turned his back toward her.

Katara's voice thinned. "I guess I wasn't thinking." She stormed back inside, slamming the glass door behind her. Zuko sourly turned around just as Aang approached Katara behind the glass, lips mouthing, "What happened?"

Zuko angrily turned away only to hear the door open again. This time, it was Mai.

"Well, I guess I'm glad that there isn't the stench of smoke in the air but I don't know how you burned Katara." Mai deadpanned, moving up to the ledge. "What were you two talking about?"

Zuko closed his eyes bitterly. "Nothing."


As Zuko and Mai walked back inside, the master of ceremonies was at the podium on the stage. She was a young woman, not much older than Katara and wearing a slim fitting qipao. She held up a tea cup and began to tap on it with a chopstick.

"Attention everyone, attention!" she chimed, smiling eagerly. "Well the time has come for us to announce the winners of the costume contest. The three categories were best dressed couple, most organized group and most interesting costume." The crowd applauded and eagerly awaited for the MC to speak again. "And the winner of the best dressed couple is...Admiral Shao and his wife!" The MC exclaimed, jumping up and down in mock delight. The Admiral and his wife slowly walked up on stage and smiled at the crowd, happily accepting their medal awards. "Both of you will receive an all expenses paid trip to Ba Sing Se and a complimentary gift basket." The Admiral was dressed in black and wore a blue Oni mask on his face, while his wife wore a li on her head and was wrapped in white cloth and red body paint.

The crowd cheered. Zuko rolled his eyes.

"Now," the MC began, "the award for best organized group goes to...the Avatar, his companion Lady Katara and their friend Miss Ty Lee!" The Fire Lord then found himself kicking the floor with the tip of his foot.

The MC grinned. "All of you will be receiving a gift basket and a lovely redeemable gift certificate from Lau's Bakery in Omashu, Kuen's clothing emporium in scenic Jin Lian, The Ivory Lily in Songlian and The Jasmine Dragon in Ba Sing Se! Congratulations!"

Zuko sighed. Nice to know uncle's handing out free tea again, he thought.

"And for most...interesting costume, the winner goes to...Master Sokka for his innovative and...different choice for a costume." Sokka eagerly sprinted on stage.

"What do I get, what do I get? Free food, all expenses trip to Omashu?" Sokka asked, springing up and down.

The MC retained her grin, albeit strained now. "Well...you will be receiving a lovely gift certificate from Zhi's shoe shine shop and a bottomless glass every time you visit The Silver Dragon in Jian Yu Zhen."

Sokka's smile faded. "Wait...where's Jian Yu Zhen?"

"Why, it's a lovely little port village."

"Hm, so is that all?"

She nodded. "Um, yes. Sir, can you please leave the stage now?"

Sokka grudgingly left the stage and seemed to utter a few curse words while coming down the steps, but when everyone had settled down, the orchestral band began to play music again and the couples restarted their dances.

Zuko spotted Katara sitting by the food bar, drinking a glass of black current soda and staring emptily into the floor. Where was Aang? Zuko looked around for a bit until he found Aang dancing with Ty Lee. The level of acrobatics in their dance was enough to put any professional performer to shame.

The Fire Lord moved silently toward Katara until he was only a foot away from her. However, she still didn't seem to notice his presence. Zuko cleared his throat.

She looked up but immediately looked down again, now with a frown on her face.

Zuko extended his hand. "Want to dance?"

The waterbender raised a curious, doubtful brow. "With you?"

"I don't see anyone else asking."

"I thought you were angry with me." Katara said, folding her arms accusingly.

"I can let that slide temporarily."

She took his hand and got up. "Won't Mai be upset?"

Zuko shrugged. "I think my fiancé trusts me enough." He then led her to the center of the dance floor, now regretting deciding to dance. After all, he wasn't much of a dancer. The music slowed and the band began to play a slow folk song that Zuko recognized from when he was younger.

"You know, I thought you said you didn't dance." Katara said, putting her arms around Zuko. The Fire Lord shrugged yet again, and placed his hands on Katara's waist, making sure he was at least two feet away from her chest.

Katara cleared her throat uncomfortably.

"What?" Zuko asked, awkwardly rocking to the music.

"We don't have to stand this far apart, we look like we're ten."

Nervously, Zuko moved closer toward her but managed to look even more awkward than before.


When the gang arrived at home, Sokka immediately walked toward the backyard and dropped himself into the hot spring with Suki and Momo trailing close by. Ty Lee and Mai retired upstairs to their rooms, leaving Aang, Katara and Zuko in the common area.

Zuko took off his helmet and placed it on a table by the door. "I'll go make us some tea." he said, getting up to go to the kitchen.

"Wait, I'll help." Katara immediately answered, springing up from her seat. Zuko nodded slightly and walked into the kitchen with Katara close behind him.

"Mind passing me the teapot in the cupboard behind you?" Zuko asked, pointing at a cupboard behind Katara's head.

"Sure." Katara replied, opening the cupboard and pulling a teapot out. "Hey..." she said, handing the pot to Zuko.

"Yeah?" Zuko answered, taking the pot in his hands.

Katara looked at him for a moment, but then looked away. "Nevermind."

She bended water from a bucket on the floor and into the pot. Zuko pressed his hands on the side of the pot and heated it until the water boiled. Slowly, he picked up the pot and poured tea into three cups on a tray.

"I'm sorry I yelled at you earlier." Zuko suddenly said, putting down the pot.

"You weren't yelling." Katara answered.

"Yes, I was. And...it was wrong of me...to get angry at you...like that."

Katara looked down.

"But I don't know why you just didn't tell me." He said.

"It's...complicated."

He looked at her and slowly hovered toward her. "Why?" his voice was just above a whisper.

"I don't know."

"Hey guys..." Aang said, walking into the kitchen. He leaned against the doorway and looked nervously from Katara to Zuko. "Am I interrupting something?"

Katara and Zuko shook their heads, and the Fire Lord eagerly pushed past Aang to the common room with tea tray in hand. "Hot tea coming through!" He set the tray down on the coffee table, then handed Aang and Katara a cup.

"I like your costume Aang." Zuko said. "Very regal."

Aang smiled. "Thanks, we got it at the second hand store. Someone must've been in a rush to get back the money spent on their wedding."

Katara nodded blankly and sipped her tea.

"I like your necklace...Katara." Zuko then said, breaking the silence. Katara looked up at him in surprise but her eyes nervously shifted away to the floor.

"It's got the Air Nomad symbol and the Water Tribe symbols on it. See?" Aang demonstrated, placing a finger underneath the pendant to raise it up to focus. Zuko strained a smile and took a long drag of tea.

"Wow. It's like a party in here." A monotone voice declared. Zuko turned to his right and noticed that Mai had walked in the room. He shuffled to his left and made room for her on the divan. Mai declined, and remained standing.

"Do you want some tea?" Zuko asked his fiancé.

"It's all right, I'm fine." She replied, gently, with an approximation of a what a smile should look like. "Zuko, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." Zuko said. "Just a moment." He nodded at Katara and Aang.

The couple walked up the stairs and onto the balcony in Zuko's room. The thick and quiet night gave Zuko the sudden urge to reach into his pocket and pull out his pipe.

"What is going on with you?" Mai asked, suddenly and abruptly.

"What are you talking about?" Zuko replied, slightly confused.

"I am talking about you and Katara."

The Fire Lord stared emptily into his fiance's eyes. "What about her?"

"I don't know what's going on between you two but I'd like to be informed for once in my life about what goes on in your life. We're getting married and this is not how married couples should be like." Mai said, her brow furrowing with worry. "Zuko we've been through this."

"There is nothing going on between Katara and me. Frankly, I don't know why you're concerned."

"You two are always together, and should I remind you that she was in your room late at night when you were half dressed?"

Zuko crossed his arms in frustration. "She was going to the kitchen to get a glass of water and I had just washed my hair."

Mai's eyes narrowed. "The kitchen is downstairs, Zuko."

"You're overreacting."

"No, I think I'm under reacting. Most people would've been up to their necks in jealousy by now."

Zuko snorted. "Well, not everyone has such a colourful emotional palette as you Mai."

Mai rolled her eyes and looked down. "And what about today? You flipped out at her new betrothal necklace. And please don't think I was stupid enough not to see how upset you were. Then, you dance with her. Great timing."

"Katara is one of my best friends! I thought she was getting married and hadn't told me and I felt betrayed."

"You feel betrayed? Zuko you don't know the half of betrayal until you've been betrayed by someone you love...unless that's just what it is." Mai exhaled an exasperated breath.

"No, that's not it." Zuko softened. "Besides...I thought you didn't dance, remember? Mai...there is nothing that I wouldn't tell you, you know how I feel ab—"

Mai nodded. "I know...about me. I'm tired, so I'm going to go to sleep. Goodnight Zuko." She thoughtlessly kissed Zuko on the cheek and brushed past him. She took one last look at him before opening the door and walking into the hall. The Fire Lord lowered his head and leaned hopelessly against the balcony railing.


Zuko sat outside in the back courtyard in the morning. The sun was up and the sky was a pinkish blue. Strangely the day was cooler than what Zuko had predicted the night before, and the crisp summer air was apparent as the cool breeze that sifted through the trees. He had a cup of tea in his hand and was mindlessly reading news from the capitol that just boasted happiness and complete social stability. Nothing seemed out of place, nothing was happening. Nothing, except for a possible tear in his relationship with Mai.

But Mai was being completely delusional. There wasn't anything going on between him and Katara. Sure, he may have been a little upset that she had blatantly lied about her necklace being broken but he was entitled to being upset, wasn't he? It wasn't as if there was a reason for Katara to lie, and being a friend of hers gave him reason to be a little frustrated.

"Thought I'd find you out here." A voice said. When Zuko looked up he noticed that Sokka had opened the back door of the kitchen and was standing right outside on the veranda. Sokka walked down the steps and took a seat across from Zuko on the edge of the fountain. "So, what's going on?"

Zuko put down his papers, and placed his cup on them like a paperweight. "Nothing."

"So is that why you and Mai were arguing yesterday night?"

"You heard us?" Zuko asked in shock. Were we that loud?

"I was sitting outside with Suki. It wasn't quiet, that's all I know."

"Did you hear...everything?"

Sokka shook his head. "No, but I did hear that Mai thinks you're overreacting about Katara's necklace."

Zuko looked down. "Katara lied about her necklace to me. She said she'd broken the clasp on her old necklace when Aang was actually making a necklace for her all along."

Sokka took a deep breath and threw a stone behind him and into the fountain. "You didn't talk to us much for the three years after the war...before my wedding."

Zuko's head perked up. "But there were just so many things to be done. I had to restore the country, smooth over threats of civil war, send sympathizers to school or to prison. It wasn't an easy three years. It's not like everything's changed overnight. The country's still in repair."

"But you didn't try to write us often." The Water Tribe boy said. "Not even after my wedding."

The Fire Lord grudgingly shook his head. "I just don't see what that has to do with—"

"I know that being the Fire Lord was a big deal for you six years ago and a responsibility you couldn't hide from. However, you didn't have to shut us out. Did you get any letters from Katara? I know she sent them."

Zuko sighed. "I did respond to three of them."

"Why didn't you reply to the other seven?"

Closing his eyes, Zuko leaned back against the side of the house. "You know, I was wondering what happened to Toph?"

Grunting in annoyance, Sokka shook his head and decided to drop the subject since Zuko didn't seem enthusiastic about continuing. "She left to go home to her parents three years ago." Sokka replied, throwing a pebble at the ground. "We haven't heard much from her since. But we got a nice china set from her parents though."

"Why did she leave?"

Sokka shrugged. "I don't know. I think she missed...home." Zuko nodded agreeably and they sat in silence for a while before Sokka opened his mouth to speak. "Anyway how's business in the Fire Nation?"

Zuko smiled. "Guo Yin says the city is doing well. Really well."


AN: Just who the HALE is Cixi??