It seemed as though Katara's days were suddenly filled with appointments. The tailor took to meeting her at breakfast to ensure she didn't run off and get waylaid (to Zuko's amusement) and the Social Welfare committee was working intently on finding ways to employ and retrain the displaced soldiers in the outer islands. Alongside that, the royal tutor seemed to have taken full advantage of her continued presence and was insisting on a full schedule of etiquette lessons ahead of the harvest festival.

Then, of course, there was court. Glittering evenings filled with nobles from across the Fire Nation with a few well-regarded Earth Kingdom dignitaries thrown in for good measure. It was a complex, well-oiled machine and despite her lessons, Katara still didn't understand it at all. At court, she didn't dare approach Zuko himself in case she fuelled the rumours, so would linger at the sides and watch, trying to figure out the nonverbal signals that had never seemed important before.

"Your stay here has been extended, I hear," A smiling, middle-aged woman Katara vaguely recognised approached with a girl around Katara's age. "The Fire Lord must be pleased to have such a good friend to keep him company."

Something in the woman's eyes glittered and she opened a fan, batting it slowly, obscuring her mouth. Katara smiled back, feeling somehow on edge. "I have been asked by the Avatar to help with some of the social welfare programs on his behalf," She explained, bowing her head - a little too late, she realised with a flash of irritation; she should have bowed as soon as the woman approached. The woman's fan was made of fine silk and embroidered with gold and silver thread, indicating her high status or great wealth. As a representative of the Avatar and Southern Water Tribe, Katara was meant to wait until someone approached her first and bow immediately upon introduction.

The woman hummed and exchanged a subtle look with the younger woman, who tilted her head at Katara. The younger woman's hair was adorned with deep red jewels that caught the firelight as she moved. "It is my daughter's debut at court," The older woman explained. "Mina, this is the Fire Lord's personal guest," She introduced, seemingly glossing over Katara's explanation that she was here to work (a lie, of course, but nevertheless…) "Master Katara."

Something passed between their eyes and Katara bowed to the younger girl, Mina. "It's my honour to make your acquaintance, Mina," She said with an attempt at an open smile even as the other two hid behind their silk fans. Mina's, Katara noticed, was embroidered with a flaming pattern arranged around a sigil that looked almost exactly like the crown Ursa wore in the royal portraits. Katara might not be an expert on court etiquette but that seemed kind of… brazen.

So this was what Mai had meant when she talked about noble families trying to secure their positions through their children. Had this girl even met Zuko? Yet, here was her mother parading her around the court with her marriage ambitions plastered on her for the world to see. Katara thought of Yue, and of her grandmother. Did this girl want to be Zuko's wife or was it not up to her?

"Lady Fei, Lady Mina," Mai greeted impassively from behind Katara's shoulder, her eyes unsmiling. "Congratulations on your debut, such an interesting choice of fan design for the occasion… did you choose it yourself?" Mina's eyes slid to her mother and Mai smiled. "I see."

Fei and Mina both bowed to Mai, who inclined her head as they. Interesting, Katara thought. Fei's family were less prominent than she'd assumed. "It's been lovely speaking with you," Katara smiled and the two bowed again and made their way over to a cluster of women adorned in red and gold. Other hopeful suitors, Katara realised with an odd turn of her stomach.

"Your rivals," Mai noted with more than a hint of amusement.

"Hardly," Katara muttered darkly, crossing her arms. "Is that how it normally works? Girls with fans?"

Mai huffed. "Not always. Usually, the Fire Lord chooses spouses for his children once they're ready but obviously in Zuko's case his father is… not here."

"You can say dead."

Mai smiled, a flash of teeth that was almost aggressive. "I know."

"So…" Katara thought it over. "Historically, they don't choose for themselves?"

"Sozin did," Mai shrugged. "He spent most of his rule a bachelor and fathered his heir later in life. We were taught that he prioritised the wellbeing of his country before seeking personal happiness once his dreams were realised. Then he chose a young noblewoman and the rest is history."

Katara hummed, eyes flitting to where Zuko was being introduced to young Mina by one of his advisors. He smiled politely down at her as she bowed low with her mother. As they stood, Mina opened her fan and said something- likely a formal greeting or pledge of allegiance to the Fire Lord, but Zuko's eyes caught the embroidered emblem and his smile froze.

It didn't slip, she gave him credit for that. His courtly manners were significantly improved and he was graciousness itself as he nodded to the two women and spoke, but Katara could see the tightening in his eyes, the way he leaned away from them the tiniest bit.

"She's fifteen, she probably doesn't realise how offensive that is," Mai sighed. "Her mother should know better, though."

"He is offended," Katara agreed. "Is it because the fan is so obvious? Or because it's his mother's..."

"Lady Ursa's sigil," Mai nodded. "It's only meant to be used by the active Fire Lady. Lady Ursa is missing, presumed dead, and no Fire Lady has been crowned. To use it on her debut night… Well, it's certainly not made Mina any friends here."

Mai was right, Katara realised. It was all hidden beneath a veneer of politeness and manners, but the other would-be consorts, with their family connections and crests embroidered onto their own fans, were watching Mina with thinly veiled disdain. Katara was surprised by the sudden surge of compassion for the younger girl. "Poor Mina."

"It's her own fault," Mai sniffed. "She never learned how to handle her mother. She'll probably find herself married off to some merchant with money who wants her family name. The higher nobles know her mother well enough not to risk their own children in a match."

A little surprised at the icy disdain in Mai's voice, Katara frowned.

Marrying up was the aim of most young Fire Nation nobles, Katara realised, but the real sin at court was to admit it or make it too obvious. Fei had doomed her daughter to disdainful looks and judgement amongst her peers, simply by making it known what she wanted.

But what did Mai want? Was it still Zuko? Katara looked away from her sort-of friend and instead watched Mina as she and her mother were dismissed from conversing with Zuko, and moved onto a group of nobles near the balcony. Mina's expression was a little stunned, and she let her mother lead her, eyes flitting around until they caught Katara's. She looked starstruck.

Poor Mina, whose fate had been decided within an hour of her debut and she had no idea. Mai had clearly learned how to handle her mother and navigate the spider's web of the Fire Nation court as easily as breathing. Katara… had Mai to guide her. Whatever Mai wanted, she was helping Katara avoid the pitfalls of Fire Nation society and for that, Katara was grateful.

"I'm exhausted," Katara sighed that evening as she brushed out her hair at her vanity. Behind her, Zuko sat on a settee, reading through a letter from Aang. "How do you manage?"

Zuko snorted. "You travel the world for two years and this is what tires you out?"

"Hmm," Katara smiled at his reflection in the mirror- he had stopped staying up so late in his study, preferring to bring a few important notes with him to peruse in an evening with her and the change was nice. Here, in the little sitting room that adjoined the Fire Lord and Fire Lady's rooms, it felt much more peaceful and few would dare interrupt him here, compared with the seemingly endless knocks on his study door. "It's a good tired though." He looked up and caught her smile in the mirror, returning it. He looked healthier than he had a month ago; a little more present and the dark shadows beneath his eyes had lightened.

"Good." He said softly, returning his attention to Aang's report from Yu Dao, full of anecdotes about Momo's adventures with little snapshots of what Zuko called 'the point' in-between. "Aang's going to join us for the harvest festival."

Katara watched him as she finished brushing out her hair. He had taken off the heavier, more formal clothes and was sat in the centre of the room with his legs crossed, stretched lazily across the settee. His hair was still up but in a wonky topknot, the crown long since abandoned on the dresser and the whole scene felt so peaceful, domestic and settled. She felt a strange surge of longing, but it wasn't for anything she didn't already have. She longed for exactly this moment to last forever.

"What?" Zuko asked suspiciously, not looking back up from the letter but his mouth curved into an amused smile.

"What?" Katara asked back brightly, setting her brush down. He put down Aang's letter and looked at her, patiently waiting as she looked back at him. "I'm not allowed to look at you?" She teased and he shook his head, moving onto the next letter- the one from the Earth King. "Are my peasant eyes not worthy to gaze upon the face of the great Fire Lord Zuko?"

He made a choked sound of amusement and narrowed his eyes at the letter. Katara felt her smile widen and turned to face him directly, sliding off the stool into a deep, mocking bow.

"You were staring. It's rude." But she could hear the quiet playfulness in his tone.

Katara rolled her eyes and straightened, stretching. Zuko's eyes flicked briefly to her and back to the Earth King's letter. She moved to stand behind him, kneeling so that she could rest her chin on his shoulder and drape her arms over his chest. "How's the Earth King?"

"Not happy," Zuko mused. "Aang's pretty pleased with how Yu Dao is progressing but the Earth King is asking for further reparations. His advisors still regard it as a lost territory at the hands of the Fire Nation."

The serious tone was back, so as she read the Earth King's letter over Zuko's shoulder, she slipped a hand beneath his loosely tied tunic and traced a finger along his skin absently. "Hmm," She hummed in his ear. "Sounds frustrating."

"It is," He said softly, muscles twitching beneath her hand. "Please stop."

But he tilted his head and she caught his earlobe between her teeth, tugging very gently. He made a tiny noise that she was pretty sure he wasn't aware of and lifted a hand to land on top of hers, not pushing it away, just holding it in place.

Their hands were resting just over the scar in the centre of his chest, and the bumpy softness of it reminded her of another scar that she touched, deep beneath the streets of Ba Sing Se. Katara's playful mood quietened and she closed her eyes, letting his warmth seep in. "I love you," She said quietly, more for her own release than to hear it back. His hand tightened on hers and he set the letter down. She could practically feel the tension in him, the effort he was going to, to try and say it back.

Expressing emotion came easily to Katara; she could say the words almost without having to think about them, without planning to say them. For Zuko, they were weighty and difficult, as though admitting happiness invited misfortune. "I…" His heart pounded against her hand. "I'm really glad you're here."

It was difficult to be disappointed when even those words were said with so much feeling when a quiet admission of happiness carried so much husky emotion. She held him tightly. "Me too."

.

"Katara, this is so exciting!" Aang grinned from the chair where the tailor had firmly instructed him not to move lest he knocks over any more of the precariously stacked rolls of fabric and ribbons. "I've not been to a Fire Nation harvest festival in years."

The tailor's rooms were stacked high with shelves of fabrics, embroidery threads, lace, ribbons, appliques, sashes and other items Katara had never even imagined before. The room was filled with mannequins and screens to protect his creations from the prying eyes of guests, and he was just barely tolerating the presence of the Avatar at Katara's fitting.

"It might be a little different to the ones you went to before, Aang," Katara reminded him, standing with her arms outstretched as the tailor-made some final adjustments. "Also, as a guest of the Fire Lord and the Avatar, you'll be at the indoor banquet."

"That's just for the formal bit," Aang said dismissively. "There'll be time for the really fun stuff after."

He continued to talk on about all the different things he wanted to do and see, and it sounded great but Katara couldn't help wondering whether he might be disappointed; Aang had very clear ideas of how things should be, and they were usually in line with how things were before he got frozen in the iceberg. He talked at great length about the artisanal vases and carefully crafted sugar sweets until the tailor finally allowed Katara to change back into her normal clothes.

The tailor was a highly-strung gentleman, only in his mid-forties and in high demand by the nobles but his commission as Royal Tailor was clearly stressful, even with only one Fire Lord to cater to- Zuko's friends, mostly foreigners, could not be trusted apparently to clothe themselves for formal occasions and he'd been pressed to create a few outfits for the upcoming festival at short notice. Aang's arrival had nearly given him an aneurysm and he's also taken on responsibility for outfitting Sokka, who would be arriving with the Kyoshi warriors that day. He had been forced to resort to simpler cuts and pre-embroidered fabric for the late additions, which he grumbled about keenly as he worked. "This is the closest that I had to the Air Nomad colours," He muttered to Aang as Katara changed. "I have kept to the style of the traditional robes of a Monk but you can see here the detailing covers the four elements as a nod to your status as the Avatar."

"Great," Aang said, sounding enthusiastic but nonplussed. "It's nice."

"Nice."

She was glad he'd not insisted on red for all of their harvest festival outfits; she suspected he rather relished the challenge despite his tone. The deep blue he'd chosen was a gracious nod to her heritage and the silver embroidery depicted the moon, stars and ocean. He clearly took great pride in his work. "It really is beautiful," She said as she emerged from behind the screen and handed it over. A little mollified by the compliment, he bowed graciously.

Once word had gotten out to their friends that Katara would be staying for the harvest festival, Aang had insisted on rallying the others around for it, to Lai's mild distress. The caterers and planners were now adjusting the plans last-minute (seriously last minute) to accommodate Aang, Sokka, Suki, and Ty Lee. The only saving grace for the Tailor was that Suki and Ty Lee would be attending as Kyoshi warriors, and as such would wear their own clothes.

"Master Katara," She turned to see one of Lai's house servants in the doorway. "Fire Lord Zuko asked me to call you- your brother Sokka and the Kyoshi Warriors have arrived and he'd like you to join him to greet them."

"Sokka's here!" Aang grinned and made to move towards the door, causing the tailor to accidentally stab him with a needle. "Ow!"

"Please hold still, Avatar Aang," The man begged, looking a little sweaty. "I am working as fast as I can."

"Sorry," Aang said quickly, watching Katara leave mournfully. He'd grown a lot over the past couple of years since emerging from the iceberg, but he was still the same old Aang. A little more serious, a little less flighty, but missing out on something fun was still against his nature.

Katara was too excited to see Sokka to care. She hurried to the reception hall and collided with her brother in a tangle of arms. Over his shoulder, Suki and Ty Lee beamed in greeting and Zuko was watching with an amused smile. "Katara!" Sokka protested. "Let me go!"

"What? Are you embarrassed?" Katara teased, but let him go. Sokka gave her a dark look and smoothed his tunic, to the amusement of one of the older guards who couldn't resist a tiny smile at the exuberant display.

"As I was saying…" Sokka heaved and gave Zuko a gentle punch on the shoulder. "It's good to see you, Zuko."

"Especially under less strenuous circumstances," Suki agreed. "Where's Aang? We thought he'd get here first."

"Clothes fitting," Katara explained, moving to stand beside Zuko. She looped her arm through his, relaxed amongst friends. "He arrived this morning. Sokka- you have to go to the tailor too, before dinner."

Sokka groaned loudly. "Why do Suki and Ty Lee get to wear their own clothes? I'm a warrior too!"

Zuko shrugged. "The Kyoshi Warrior dress is rich in historic significance. Warriors wear it for all special occasions and the Fire Nation welcomes that. If you have a ceremonial outfit with you, you can wear that." In the South Pole, only the Chief has his own formal, ceremonial costume and Zuko knew this.

Sokka huffed dismissively. "Okay, okay. I'll go to the fancy tailor."

He gave Suki a quick kiss before allowing a house servant to lead him away. Ty Lee turned to Zuko. "Are you ready to go now?" She asked, looking uncertain.

"Where are you going?" Katara asked, curious.

Zuko shrugged. "I've asked Ty Lee to accompany me to see Azula," He said, carefully. Katara narrowed her eyes at the tone; it was too mild. He was hiding something, she was certain. She wasn't sure what- he visited Azula regularly enough that going today wouldn't be suspicious, but Ty Lee didn't look as though she actually wanted to go. He looked back at her, feigning innocence but looking uncomfortable as hell.

Katara smiled sweetly. She could get it out of him later. "I'm sure Azula will appreciate it. Have fun."

It also gave her the opportunity to go back to the prison room undisturbed and she might be able to recruit Suki to help her find more secret passages. They could both have their little secrets… for now. Besides, she wanted to try talking to Azula about their mother again, and this way she could visit after Zuko had already been and wouldn't need to worry about being interrupted.

Once Zuko and Ty Lee had left, flanked by a small group of guards, Katara grabbed Suki's wrist. "Do you have any plans for the next hour or so?"

Suki grinned. "What did you have in mind?"

.

The room in full daylight looked significantly less sinister than it had with the shutters fixed in place. Suki stood over the robe, still carefully laid out on the bed and looked down at it in silence.

The dust had long since resettled but in the light, the floors and surfaces looked grimier than Katara remembered, and the tapestries on the wall were revealed to be threadbare and the ominous battling soldiers all appeared to be Fire Nation. Over on a dresser that Katara hadn't noticed when the room was dark, yellowed paper and ink splotches marred what was once quite a well-made piece of furniture.

"It seems like someone was held here for a while," Katara said softly. Suki started and turned to look at her. "A woman."

"Yes," Suki responded, just as quietly. "I wonder who she was."

History- a collection of clues with no context. Katara looked around. "She liked the theatre, and it looks like she may have written letters… Do you think she was held by Zuko's father?" The pamphlets were all from plays up to forty years old, which meant she was either held by Ozai or Azulon, Zuko's grandfather.

Her skin crawled at the thought of some young woman being locked up in the palace by the Fire Lord for unknown, undoubtedly nefarious reasons. Zuko's family were truly monstrous.

Suki reached out to touch the robe, but her fingers caught in the air above it. "Does Zuko know about this?"

"... Not yet."

"Why?" Suki challenged, looking up at her sharply. "I'd want to know if there was some creepy dungeon in my house."

"This is the Fire Nation palace- there's probably tons of creepy dungeons here," Katara said, defensively. She didn't want to share anything with Zuko until it was worth sharing. "I've been looking for evidence of what happened to his mother. He told me not to but I know he wants to find out what happened…" Katara stopped herself from blurting out the rest and looked away. He's just scared. Scared that she abandoned him and doesn't want to come back.

Suki pursed her lips. "Hasn't it crossed your mind that this could be related to his mother?"

Katara shook her head. "It crossed my mind but look- the theatre programmes are from before Zuko was born," She bent down and lifted one at random, passing it over. "It can't have anything to do with Ursa's disappearance."

Suki opened the programme, flicking through the pages. "I see what you mean," She said, with a sigh. "Love Amongst the Dragons, huh?"

Katara shrugged, a wistful smile on her face. "It sounds like a good play."

That programme was one of the newest in the collection, Katara knew from the production date on the front, but it looked like it had been one of the most read. Suki scanned it as Katara surveyed the room, feeling downhearted.

After all that, this was just a room. A very creepy room, for sure, but there was nothing here that would help her search for Zuko's mother. It was time to move on to the next.

Suki's breath hitched. "Katara-"

"Azula!"

Both girls looked up at the shout, Suki dropping the leaflet and snapping open two fans. Katara summoned water around her and charged out into the hallway. That had been Zuko's voice shouting Azula's name with such panic and a million scenarios were running through her mind. "Where are they?" Suki asked at Katara's shoulder.

"I don't know," She whispered, listening, but the clatter of roof tiles above them made her run back into the room and leap through the window, followed closely by Suki.

Above them, Azula ran across the roof tiles and sailed through an upper storey window. Hot on her heels, Zuko was racing after her.

"Come on!" Suki urged, leaping up to the roof easily and chasing after him. Katara sent an arc of ice up to the rooftop and followed close behind, chasing after the Fire Lord and his sister.

What on earth had happened? How had Azula escaped? Katara chased after Suki until they hit a dead end. "What?" Katara asked, but Suki raised a hand to a wooden panel on the wall.

"It's warm."

Katara stared at the panel. A secret room, or passage, or… something. Azula had led them right to it and they had no way of following her. Zuko was in there with her.

Katara's heart seized. The last time Zuko had fought Azula he'd been left on the very brink of death and now he was locked in a room with her, where she physically couldn't follow and she couldn't hear anything. She tried to cut into the panel with ice, but it wouldn't budge and she pried at it with her fingernails.

"Katara!" She turned to see Aang and Sokka running down the hallway. "What's happening?"

"Azula's escaped!" Katara hissed. "This passageway only opens through firebending- Aang-!"

"On it." Aang stepped forward and dimly, Katara realised that both he and Sokka were wearing loosely pinned ceremonial robes. The tailor would be furious. Ang pressed a hand to the panel and the Fire Nation symbol etched into it seemed to glow, burning bright and the panel popped open with a soft click.

Zuko emerged from the hole in the wall and dropped to the floor, looking pale and withdrawn.

"What happened?" Sokka demanded.

"Where's Azula?"

"Did you fight?" Aang looked a little sick. "Did you-"

"Sorry to disappoint," Azula said coolly, sliding out from behind the panel and standing at Zuko's shoulder. "But I'm alive, Avatar."

She was the most like her old self since… before Zuko's coronation, at least, and it made the hairs on Katara's arms prickle. She hadn't noticed that she was winding tendrils of water around her arms until Zuko held up a hand to her, wordlessly, and gave her a grim shake of the head.

Katara frowned at him, searching his face for a reason why she shouldn't just ice his sister to the wall and be done with it, but he held her gaze firmly, mouth set in a hard line.

"Uh, Zuko?" Sokka asked, glancing between Azula and Zuko uneasily. "What's going on?"

"We're leaving the capital. I'm sending word to my Uncle to make arrangements and we leave as soon as we can," Zuko said quietly. Azula's lips curled into a cruel smile. "I know I have no right to ask this of you- any of you…" He looked so defeated. "But if you'd be willing to help me, I'd be forever in your debt."

"Help you how?" Suki urged.

"You know where she is," Katara realised.

Zuko closed his eyes briefly and took a quick breath in through his nose before turning to look at Azula, who stood coyly with her hands behind her back. She'd gotten taller, Katara realised, and could meet Zuko's eyes at the same level. "We have a lead to find our mother," Zuko nodded, eyes tightening in pain. "We need to go to a village called Hira'a. It's where our mother was from."

Suki, who was beside Katara, grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Hard. Katara took the hint and fought to keep her expression neutral. "I'm with you, obviously," She said and Zuko managed a faint smile.

"Me too," Aang smiled and Azula rolled her eyes. "You're going to need all the help you can get to keep an eye on Azula."

Azula stepped close to him, towering and sinister. In an instant, Aang and Katara had both iced her in place and Suki had a blade at her throat. "Oh, I'm sure you're up to the task, Avatar," She purred, looking bored by the whole thing.

"Azula," Zuko's voice was sharp and Katara could see from the corner of her eye that tiny flames danced around his fingertips but he hadn't moved to attack her as the others had. "Don't."

Azula turned her head- the only thing she could, and gave him a long stare. "You're the boss. You can release me, waterbender- I won't do anything."

"No, you won't," Katara said, dispelling the ice and bloodbending Azula's hands into fists. The only indication that the older girl noticed was the smirk. "I won't let you."

"Katara!" Aang gasped when he saw what she was doing, and she released Azula's fists. She and Zuko had kept up their practice of her bending abilities, but Aang had always been a vocal detractor of the method, so she tended not to use it in fights. With Azula, though…

The princess's eyes slid to her slowly and Katara glared right back.

With Azula, it might just be necessary.

Reviews and feedback is always appreciated!