Aang's disappointment at missing the harvest festival was all too clear. They gathered for a quiet dinner, with Azula sat opposite all of them, and he ate in sullen silence. Katara could sympathise; she had been looking forward to attending the festival as a formal guest of Zuko, getting to wear the beautiful robes the tailor had worked so hard on and having the opportunity to dance with Zuko without drawing the attention of the court gossips…
But, here she was, in the family dining room of the palace with a homicidal princess instead. She was ready for battle while Zuko attended the formal banquet alone. They had agreed that he would have to, in order to show his face to the people and reassure them of stability; an absent Fire Lord at a traditional ceremony and festival would look suspicious so early in his reign and Iroh hadn't yet arrived to take over his duties while they travelled.
The silence was suffocating.
Katara could hear the sounds of the crowds outside cheering, indicating that Zuko had finished his speech to close the banquet and initiate the evening's events. She'd helped him write and rehearse that speech, and could almost picture how he would look on the balcony, overlooking his people, flanked by advisors and members of his court but none of his friends.
She felt deep regret that he was doing this alone, though logically she knew he'd done many such events alone before however, the loneliness of it felt more acute when all his friends were here, in the palace, watching his sister.
The cheering had caught Azula's attention too. Katara wasn't sure how she knew that as nothing in the princess's face or demeanour had changed, but Katara got the distinct feeling that Azula was listening keenly to the festival outside and picturing herself in Zuko's place.
Behind Azula, Mai and Ty Lee had both tensed, perhaps picking up on the same energy that Katara had. The sound of festivities filtered through the corridors and Katara could feel Aang's fidgety restlessness to one side and Sokka's tense boredom on her other.
"You all must be so pleased with yourselves," Azula said idly. "Murderers and traitors, all together…" An odd change had come over Azula's face, and instead of the dignified etiquette that she'd been displaying just minutes previously, her eyes were burning and angry in an uncharacteristically open display of emotion. "How did she get to you? How did she help you?"
"Who?" Aang asked, leaning over the table. Behind Azula, Ty Lee edged closer, hands raised to disable Azula if she got too fired up but Katara found herself almost entranced by the open display of emotion on Azula's face. She looked so much like Zuko.
"I can't believe she got to you," Azula caught sight of Ty Lee, who froze under her glare. "Were you always working with her?" Her voice took on a mournful tone and she looked almost as though she was about to cry.
Spurred by an odd sense of sympathy for the girl, Katara stood and approached her slowly. "Azula, it's okay. We're not going to hurt you."
"Speak for yourself."
"Sokka!" Suki hissed.
"I'm just saying we should keep our options open."
Katara held Azula's sad, angry glare. "We're going to go to Hira'a and find your mother, okay?" She coaxed. "We're going to help you."
"Waterbender," Azula said, eyes glazing over. "Bloodbender. I know what you can do."
With Azula distracted, Ty Lee jumped forward and sent her crumbling to the floor with a few quick jabs. Katara watched the pink-and-red clad girl slump down to the floor, eyes staring straight ahead blankly. "You didn't need to do that," She said softly, though now she wasn't so sure.
Ty Lee shrugged miserably and Katara glanced to Mai, who looked back at her blankly. The room was dead silent, her friends surely unnerved at the quick change of Azula's temperament, and Katara looked back down at Azula, lying still on the floor with blank eyes staring straight ahead.
She began to hum, an odd, flat kind of tune that made the hairs on the back of Katara's neck prickle and stand on end.
The door at the back of the room slid open and Zuko entered with Iroh at his shoulder. He looked glorious in a finely embroidered red and gold robe with the crown flashing in the evening light. The robes were clearly the tailor's best work, with intricate dragons and sigils stitched carefully into a fine brocade. "We're going, tonight."
"Zuko," Iroh said softly. "I have only just arrived, surely there is time to rest before you and your friends leave…"
Zuko shook his head impatiently, his eyes falling on his sister. "What happened?"
"Ty Lee got jumpy," Mai said flatly. "You look nice."
"Azula didn't hurt anyone?" Zuko demanded, scanning the room for confirmation. Aang shook his head solemnly. "Good…" Zuko nodded, looking back to Azula with a tight, pained expression. "Good."
Iroh stared down at Azula, looking grim. She had fallen with her back to the door, but her eyes looked a little more focused at the sound of Zuko's voice. She had stopped humming. Zuko ran a hand over his hair, catching the crown and leaving it askew but barely seemed to notice.
"Aang, is Appa ready to go? Tonight?"
Aang opened his mouth, looking uncertain, but Katara stepped forward and caught Zuko's hand. "Zuko," She said, voice barely above a whisper and she squeezed his hand tightly. "Appa will travel faster in the morning after a good night's rest, and if you skip out in the middle of the night your guests will think something's wrong."
He looked at her for a long moment, jaw clenched. After a few heartbeats, he squeezed her hand back and nodded. "Fine," He agreed. "First thing tomorrow."
She nodded. "We'll leave at dawn. Okay?" He gave her a grateful little smile and she realised just how tired he looked. "But first, we all need a good night's sleep."
"What about Azula?" Suki asked softly. "Is she.."
Is she safe? Can we trust her not to murder us all in our sleep?
"Take her to her old room," Zuko said eventually. "She knows if she does anything she won't be coming with us."
Their friends didn't look especially happy at the idea, and Katara had to admit it made her uncomfortable, but Zuko hadn't told them everything he'd discussed with his sister in the secret room, and nothing Aang had found inside gave any indication as to what might have happened in there.
But Zuko wasn't paying attention to what any of them thought of the matter. He walked around the room so that he stood in Azula's line of sight. He looked down at her, severely, and in his heavy, intricate robes with the crown in his hair, he looked every inch the authoritative, imposing Fire Lord. "Keep to our deal, Azula."
Katara couldn't see Azula's face, but something seemed to satisfy Zuko. He nodded to two guards at the doorway that Katara hadn't noticed, and they lifted Azula, carrying her out of the room.
"Nephew," Iroh said softly, hands clasped in front of him. "The caged wolfbat can still bite…"
"Goodnight, Uncle," Zuko said, pushing through the doorway and striding down the hall.
.
It was still dark outside. The sound of chirping crickets echoed across the palace gardens and the moon shone high and bright through the open window of Katara's bedroom. She stood, unsure and awkward at the hidden doorway, fiddling with the edges of her dressing gown.
She had to show Zuko the room before they left. She had to. It now looked very much like the room was something to do with Ursa's early days in the palace. Suki had found her name listed on the newest theatre programme and all the plays were from Hira'a, where Zuko and Azula said their mother would be.
But if that room had been Ursa's… what did that mean? Had she been held captive? Or punished somehow? Had she done something wrong and incurred the wrath of either her husband or her father-in-law?
Katara pressed the door open and padded through the secret passageway that connected her room to Zuko's. The doorway at the other end glowed a soft gold at the edges; he was awake. She'd known he would be. How could he not be awake on the eve of setting out to find his mother?
Katara thought back to the war trials when she'd finally been face to face with her own mother's murderer. She'd not been able to sleep for weeks leading up to it and Zuko had sat up with her, all through the night.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door and entered the Fire Lord's private rooms. Compared with the rest of the palace, it was almost bare. Zuko's bedroom had been practically gutted within the first few months of his moving into his father's bedroom, prompted by an offhand comment made about the finery of the palace and this room, in particular, had suffered the most.
Ancient tapestries depicting battles from even before the hundred-year war had been burned, gilded furniture had been gifted to the other nations as gestures of goodwill and the plush red carpet had been ripped from underfoot and sold to an Earth Kingdom nobleman.
What was left was a dark wooden floor with plain plastered walls, a functional desk and dresser, and the bed. The bed was too large to move from the room to sell and Lai had fought Zuko hard to prevent it from being dismantled and burned, so it remained in the centre of the room- a great red silk-canopied monstrosity with gilded engravings, mother of pearl inlay and painted dragons.
It had apparently been crafted for the first Fire Lord, who had united the islands under one rule. It was an important part of Fire Nation history, Lai had insisted, and if word got out that it had been destroyed by the teenaged Fire Lord who had lost the hundred-year war then it could spark a revolution from the other noble houses.
Reluctantly, Zuko had let it remain but he'd slept in Katara's bed for months, even when she wasn't there, before finally moving back into his own. Now, he sat shirtless on the floor with five candles lit in front of him, meditating. The candlelight cast deep shadows across the planes of his face and the shape of his collarbones. His eyes were closed in concentration, but she could see the tension in his face and shoulders- the meditation wasn't clearing his mind as it normally would.
She closed the panel behind her and sat down on the edge of the bed, watching him. He opened his eyes and took a deep breath, flaring the candles once before turning to look at her. "Hi."
"Hey," She said softly. "How are you doing?"
He shrugged listlessly. "Alright, I guess…" He glared at the candles. "I know I'm being pathetic-"
"No. You're not."
He glanced at her briefly and shook his head. "I thought I'd put this behind me but at the first hint of finding out what happened I was ready to drop everything and run."
"Of course," Katara said quietly. "Anyone would."
He ran both hands through his hair in frustration. "I can't leave. I have a country-"
"Iroh will handle things while we're gone," Katara slid off the bed and knelt across from him, coming down to eye level. "There's no shame in wanting to know what happened to your mother, Zuko. I can even understand why you'd bring Azula along…"
"She burned mother's letters."
Katara froze. "What?"
Zuko was glaring into the flames of the candles, face flushed with emotion. "There were letters from my mother to people in Hira'a in that room. I don't know what was in them but Azula does. She read them and she burned them so I couldn't-..." He clenched his hands into fists.
Katara sat in silence as he wept bitter tears of loss and frustration. She wanted to reach for him but she had to tell him about the room first. Zuko pressed the heel of his hands to his eyes, forcing his breathing to calm back down and the tears to stop. "I think I found something," She said softly, and his eyebrows creased in confusion at the apparent change of subject.
"What?"
"I think I found something to do with your mother. Something I don't think Azula knows."
.
The room had a profound impact on Zuko. Katara sat with him in silence as he looked carefully over the theatre programmes by candlelight and explored the room with an air of reverence. The history of the items in this room was nothing without context, but the implications of their connection with Ursa was troubling. If she had been kept here, when had it been? For how long?
The sky began to lighten with pre-dawn glow and the sounds of the early rising servants killed the kitchen gardens outside. Zuko stood from his position kneeling on the floor and held out a hand to her, his face unnervingly unreadable.
She reached up and took it, his hand familiar and warm. "Are you alright?" She asked softly as he pulled her up to stand. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was looking, but I wanted to help."
He pressed his lips together, considering her words. "I know," He said softly, and rubbed a thumb over her knuckles, hands still joined. "We should get ready to meet the others."
She gave his hand a squeeze and together they made their way back to their rooms, walking with their fingers intertwined. At this hour, the palace was echoing with the faint sounds of bustling servants preparing for the day. Zuko seemed lost in thought, his hand limp in Katara's, and he almost walked right past the turn for the Fire Lord's rooms. Katara wordlessly pulled him around and to his door. "I'll see you in the courtyard at dawn."
He nodded and pushed his door open, leaving Katara cold and alone in the hallway. She flexed her fingers at the loss of his touch and wondered whether the bigger mistake was keeping her search a secret in the first place, or showing him the room at all... It seemed to have tapped into a melancholy she thought had been chased from him a long time ago, with moonlit kisses and sun-drenched picnics in the garden.
She couldn't help but feel that the distance that had been closing between them was beginning to open itself again, and she wasn't sure how best to stop it.
.
Mai and Ty Lee were not joining them on the journey to Hira'a. They were to stay with Iroh and keep an eye on the gossip and machinations of court and the nobles in Zuko's absence. They also didn't come to see the group off, likely out of fear it would agitate their erstwhile friend, Azula.
"Come now, peasants," Azula sniped as Sokka and Suki loaded Appa's saddle with supplies. "Load up the beast. Make sure the pits have been removed from my cherries. I could choke on one of those, you know."
"One can only hope," Suki muttered darkly and Appa grumbled resentfully.
"It's only for a little while, buddy," Aang reassured Appa and turned to Azula with a smile, seemingly determined to start the journey off on a good foot. Azula eyed his outstretched hand with a curled lip. "I hope we have a good journey together."
Azula promptly turned away and stood by Appa's side. "Who's going to lift me onto this thing?" Aang looked crestfallen and his hand fell to his side.
"It's okay, Aang," Sokka grumbled, picking his nose absently. "Some people just have no manners at all."
Aang scowled and lifted Azula onto Appa's back using earthbending, she stepped off the raised platform without any thanks or acknowledgement. Zuko was watching the exchange with a sad looking frown, but when he spotted her watching he simply shrugged.
"Safe travels, nephew," Iroh boomed, emerging from the palace door. He was dressed in much finer clothes than he had been the previous night, compared with Zuko who was now dressed in plain, hard-wearing clothes for travelling. Iroh smiled fondly as Zuko approached for a quick hug farewell, and cupped his face as they separated. "Look after yourself," He urged. "And remember what I said about the caged wolfbat."
Katara didn't think they needed reminding that Azula could be dangerous, and wasn't convinced Iroh's metaphor held weight anyway since Azula was nowhere close to being caged. Right at that moment, she was sat on Appa's back eyeing her uncle and brother with narrowed eyes. Zuko frowned but didn't say anything, shouldering his pack and climbing into Appa's saddle with his sister.
As though they had all been waiting for someone else to sit with Azula first, the others climbed up too. "Keep an eye on them, Master Katara," Iroh said quietly. She met his eyes briefly, trying to read what he meant.
"I will…" She said, carefully. "Azula won't get away under my watch."
He smiled softly. "I meant that this journey will be hard on them both and they may not like what they find."
"If you know what happened, maybe you should have said something sooner," Katara said sharply. Iroh simply shrugged.
"The little I know would be of no value to them, and I can't bring myself to taint the few happy memories they have."
"Katara! We have to go," Sokka called from Appa's back. Katara quickly hugged Iroh goodbye and turned to approach Appa, where an outstretched hand reached down to help her up.
She took it and looked up to see the inscrutable face of Azula. "I know you've been working with her all along," Azula said quietly, wiping her hand on her trouser leg as Appa launched into the air. "And I won't fall for your traps."
Katara stared into Azula's eyes, unsure whether the girl was lucid or not. "I don't know who you're talking about."
Azula scoffed, eyes darting around the saddle, noticing that the others were watching her warily. "You know, I know you do. I shan't be tricked, not by ignorant peasants and traitors like you."
Zuko looked very, very tired. "No, Azula. You won't," Azula's eyes roved around the group, eyes wide as they all settled into their positions facing her for the long journey ahead, wary and watchful.
Azula's presence wore on the group, and tensions were still high when they set down for a break around midday. "Why are we stopping?" Azula challenged.
"Appa gets tired carrying so many people," Aang explained patiently. "And it's late summer but it still gets really hot this time of day. You need a rest, don't ya, buddy?" He stroked Appa's head as they disembarked, twirling his glider and landing on the grass. "Do you need a hand down, Azula?"
Azula said nothing, and simply lay down in the saddle. Zuko, who had stood up to stretch his legs, promptly sat down. Katara stood, watching the siblings glare at each other. "Aren't you going to stretch your legs?" She asked Zuko, hands on hips.
He shrugged. "I have to keep an eye on her."
Katara sighed and waved for the others to go on without her before sitting down beside him and pulling some pre-prepared lunch boxes out from her bag. "Here," She said, handing him one. "Lai prepared these for us. You too, Azula," She held out the box but Azula simply held Zuko's eyes. Katara put the box down beside her and turned to face Zuko, determined to freeze Azula out. "The Social Welfare Committee is doing well. The trial runs of low-interest loans to new business start-ups seems to be gaining traction in the outer islands though vagrancy is still a problem."
Zuko's eyes flicked away from Azula's. "That's good to hear. What did Minister Lee have to say about it?"
Katara shrugged as she ate. "The usual. He complained about the low-interest rates and long repayment terms. He thinks if it doesn't generate profit it's not worth doing."
Zuko rolled his eyes. "That's not the point, though."
"That's what I said!" Katara grinned. "But he's not going on the island visits, so he's not seeing the difference it makes in the short term and he can't understand the long term benefits."
He hummed in agreement. "Higher employment, happier citizens, more reliable taxes."
"Exactly. Luckily the others are all seeing the benefits."
He smiled at her. "That's because of you, though. You're better at appealing to their own interests... I'd just lose my temper."
Azula narrowed her eyes but Zuko and Katara had stopped paying attention to her. "Well, maybe," Katara admitted with a cheeky smirk. "But luckily I'm here to help."
"Disgusting…" Azula muttered. Katara raised an eyebrow at the princess. The heat of the midday sun wore on her patience, and Azula's attitude wasn't great for anyone's sanity. "So this is what she wants- to see the royal line diluted and muddied by bastards and mixed-blood peasants."
Katara's stomach dropped. Zuko's eyes sharpened and he scowled down at his sister, face flushed with anger. "Shut up," He snapped, and little uncontrolled flames snorted from his nostrils. "You don't know what you're talking about."
Azula sat up, slowly. She leaned on one arm and smirked. "Oh- so you're not fucking the Water Tribe peasant?"
She said it to shock, to rattle them. Katara knew this. But the white-hot flush of rage seemed all-encompassing and she barely registered her own ice crusting over Azula's feet. Zuko had Azula pressed against the saddle on her back, one hand at her throat and the other held above her, orange flame crackling. Azula's eyes were wide and madly jubilant, grinning up at Zuko even as she choked.
Slowly, slowly, Zuko seemed to deflate. His hand on Azula's throat eased and he sat back, the fire still crackling in his hand. Azula grinned back at him, her hair dishevelled from being pushed back and her chest shook with silent laughter. Katara let the ice melt from Azula's feet.
She isn't well. She reminded herself. She's not in her right mind.
But the insulting, mocking tone of Azula's accusation made her sick. Muddied… mixed-blood peasants. How prevalent were those attitudes in the capital? She didn't think those words were born purely of Azula's madness.
"You never could lie, Zu-Zu," Azula crowed, reaching up to the left side of his face. Zuko remained still and she stopped short. "Do what you want. I have no interest at all in who you spawn your dirty little puppies with-"
Katara iced over her mouth, sick of the vile, predictable rhetoric. Zuko sat back beside her and held her hand as Azula stared up at the sky, a frozen grin on her face. He took a sharp breath in, as though about to say something, but it caught in his throat and he let it out in a slow, controlled sigh.
When Aang, Sokka and Suki returned, they eyed Azula's frozen face and their friends' pale, drawn faces with sympathetic understanding. "Take a break," Suki urged, hands on hips as she squinted up at them from the ground. "We can watch her for a while."
Zuko frowned dubiously but Aang nodded. "Stretch your legs, we're here to back you up."
Feeling the need to just… be away from Azula, Katara stood and stretched, pulling Zuko up by the hand. "Come on," She urged quietly, "Aang and the others can mind her for a while."
He eyed her with an inscrutable expression but allowed her to bring him down from Appa's saddle and lead him away towards the river where the others had eaten their lunch. It was a narrow, crystal clear stream bubbled languidly over pale, sandy-coloured pebbles, and the trees provided leafy shade from the early autumn sun. They were not quite out of sight of Appa and the others, she realised, but far enough away to provide the illusion of privacy.
The others must have seen Zuko tackle Azula, she realised and was grateful they hadn't decided to intervene. Azula wasn't in her right mind but she would always know how to crawl under Zuko's skin and speak to the darkest parts of him, the parts of him that told him he wasn't good enough, that he didn't deserve love, that he was weak.
"Are you okay?" She met his eyes and thought carefully about her response. Truth be told, she wasn't okay; Azula's words had cut deep into her own uncertainties about the longevity of their relationship and its viability outside of secret meetings and stolen moments, but she was determined to take what she could get.
"I should be the one asking you that," She said dryly, and he shrugged. Looking at the tired, sad face of Fire Lord Zuko, she was reminded of her own resolution to prove to him how loved he was. "You look tired."
They were still holding hands, and she pulled him towards the stream, sitting down together on a rocky outcrop over the water. Zuko gripped her hand tightly. "I'm sorry she said those things…" He said softly. "You don't deserve that."
"Neither do you," She responded, lifting his hand to kiss the back of it gently. "I'm sorry you had to grow up with someone like her."
"She wasn't always like this," He said slowly. "When we were little, she was just… an annoying little sister. Talented, favoured, a bit of a cruel streak but nothing too bad. It got worse after…" He trailed off, swallowing.
"After your mother disappeared," Katara finished. She rested her head on his shoulder, watching the water babble downstream, never faltering, ever sure of its course.
Zuko leaned his head on top of hers, watching the water in glum silence. There was something that one of them had to say here, to break the thick, muggy aftermath of Azula's taunts, but she wasn't sure what to say.
I love you? That didn't tackle the key issue here. I'm here for you? Felt trite. I'm sorry our relationship has to be hidden like this. That ignored their active choice to keep things quiet rather than face the potential backlash. They had agreed on this and maybe it had been the wrong decision but it was too late to change the past. "We'll find out what happened to her," Katara said, instead. "And for what it's worth, I've got your back. We all do."
He turned his head and pressed a kiss into her hair. "Thanks," He took a deep, shuddering breath. "I'm not, you know… just… uh, fucking you."
"I know," She smiled sadly.
"And I don't ever think of you as just…"
"I know."
"Azula's mad," He said, sounding agitated. She could feel the tension in his shoulders and his heart hammering in his chest. "She still holds on to these- these twisted ideals that our father forced down our throats. It's outdated and- and sick."
She could feel his body temperature rising beneath her cheek and frowned, lifting her head to look at him. His face was dark and angry, eyes bright and burning even as they narrowed at the stream. "Zuko," She sat up and he blinked, looking at her. "You don't need to worry about defending my honour. I really don't care what Azula thinks of me."
A half-truth. It wasn't Azula's opinion that mattered; it was the possibility of her opinion being held by the other nobles of the Fire Nation, who could make Zuko's rule incredibly difficult if they chose to
Zuko took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "I know. I shouldn't let her get me so worked up."
Katara managed a smile. "That's what little sisters do," He snorted at that, shooting her a wry smile in return. The sight of it lifted her spirits a little and she brought his face down to hers, kissing him deeply.
He lifted his hand to cup her face, running his fingers along her jaw and tangling in the hair at the nape of her neck. She sighed into his mouth at the touch, savouring the quiet moment together in the shade. Azula's vile words lost to the butterflies in her stomach and the pleasant warmth of him beside her.
"Ready to go back?" She asked as he pulled back to look down at her, a small smile playing at the edge of his mouth.
"Not really," He replied softly, running a thumb over her cheek. She leaned up to plant a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. "But I suppose we should."
"Don't let her get to you," Katara urged him. "She's just trying to provoke a reaction."
Zuko didn't respond and simply followed Katara back to Appa and the others. Sokka was sat directly opposite from Azula, who was now sitting up, lounging against the side of the saddle as though bored. Suki was sat beside him, looking severe. On seeing them approach, Aang's face broke out in a clearly forced smile and he waved excitedly. "Hey guys! Ready to go?"
Zuko nodded tightly, launching himself up into the saddle. Katara followed close behind, deliberately not looking at Azula, whose eyes she could feel watching her as she settled near the front of the saddle beside Zuko. No point pretending otherwise now, she thought to herself, and rested one hand on top of his in a show of solidarity. He glanced at her, questioningly, and she gave him a small, determined smile.
"We'll stop for the night on this island," Sokka tapped the map and Zuko looked over, nodding approvingly. "Then we should get to Hira'a by midday tomorrow."
Katara's hand tightened on Zuko's. "That's great," She said as Appa launched into the air. "Not long now."
Neither the Fire Lord or his sister deigned to respond, both watched the horizon with matching expressions of careful, tense nonchalance. The family resemblance, as it often did, sent a shiver of unease down Katara's spine and she swallowed hard, looking away.
She found herself wondering how much like their mother they looked, compared with Ozai, whether upon seeing Ursa's face the similarities would slot into place and either prove Zuko was Ozai's legitimate son or the result of a secret affair.
Her mind's eye conjured up a dusty, dark room in the palace, filled with old theatre brochures and a single, plain robe.
One way or another, they would find answers.
.
"Should we stay overnight in that village?" Suki asked softly. The night was beginning to gather and the lights of a small settlement on the island glimmered warmly at them from the ground. "We might be able to get a few rooms at an inn."
Sokka shifted, glancing warily at Azula, who was staring up at the night sky vacantly. "Do you think that's a good idea with crazy-eyes over there?" He asked. "She might blow it up."
Katara, Aang and Zuko exchanged a look. "Azula wants to get to Hira'a as much as I do," Zuko said eventually. "So far, she's been… cooperative. Maybe she'd be alright."
The quiet hope in his voice was almost painful to hear as Azula's blank eyes tracked the stars overhead, showing no sign of hearing the quiet discussion. Aang watched her with wise grey eyes. "We don't know until we give her a chance," He decided. "Let's give her the chance."
"I'm not rooming with her," Sokka said quickly. "I'm rooming with Suki."
"Gross," Katara stuck her tongue out and Suki rolled her eyes with a light blush on her cheeks. Aang shrugged.
"I don't mind rooming with her," He said charitably, with only the barest glance at Katara and Zuko. "I can keep an eye on her."
Zuko frowned. "She's my sister, Aang. I'll watch her," He turned his eyes to the girl in question, who was still staring blankly at the stars. "She's my responsibility."
"I just thought you might want a break…" Aang suggested. "I really don't mind… uh, letting you guys have some privacy…" Sokka stared at Aang, appalled, Katara felt herself flush red at the implication. "Besides, I'm the Avatar; who better to keep the balance?"
"I could watch her, too," Katara offered, a little half-heartedly. She didn't exactly want to spend time with the princess alone after the fallout earlier that day but, she reasoned, she was technically the only one who'd beaten Azula in battle.
Zuko sighed. "Why don't we take shifts? That way we can each get some sleep, at least."
They landed softly on the outskirts of the village. It was a small, rural, farming village by the looks of it, and a few people milled about on the cobbled streets, making their way home with scythes and tools slung over their shoulders. "You go and see if you can find an inn," Suki suggested to Katara and Zuko. "We can look after Azula."
"Azula," Zuko murmured, bending close to the younger girl. "I'll be right back, okay?" It would have been a touching show of brotherly affection if he hadn't capped it off with a low warning. "Don't try anything."
Azula's eyes slid to meet his from the stars above, but she smiled in the face of his glare. "Oh, Zu-Zu. Don't worry- she's keeping an eye on me."
"I am," Suki said, with a bite of warning in her tone.
Katara wasn't sure Azula was talking about Suki, though, and from the dubious look on Zuko's face, neither was he. "Alright," He breathed and straightened. "Let's go."
They disembarked and, together, they made their way down the cobbled path into town. The warm lamplight spilt from the cottages into the street and the farmers milling around gave them wide smiles and nods of greeting.
"Everyone's very friendly," Zuko commented, sounding suspicious. "I would suspect a trap but…"
Katara held onto his arm, tightly. "But no-one's out to get us," She teased, lightly. "Nice feeling, isn't it?"
He gave her a shrewd look. "I mean, there's my sister."
Katara rolled her eyes. "I seriously doubt Azula's set a trap for us here," She started, before considering the idea. "I mean… probably not…?" He hummed doubtfully and they exchanged wary looks, considering the likelihood that Azula could have coordinated some master scheme from her cell.
"Well, aren't you two the cutest?" An older woman crooned as she escorted her ostrich horse and wagon down the street. "We get a few travellers like you kids through here. Kids returning with their foreign sweethearts now that we're at peace."
Katara and Zuko exchanged a look. "Yeah," Zuko smiled shyly. "I'm uh- I'm taking her to meet my mother," She blinked at him and a slow smile spread across her face in return.
"How lovely," The older woman smiled. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to meet you, dear. It's a new world these days."
"Could you direct us to the inn?" Katara asked, resting her head on Zuko's shoulder and taking a simple thrill from this, being so close in public. From the way Zuko wrapped his arm around her, it seemed that he felt the same.
The older woman, Souza, directed them to the inn and as they walked through the lamplit streets Katara was reminded of their wander through Yu Dao. This village wasn't as populous as Yu Dao, but now that she looked more closely, Souza had been right; a few couples wandering the streets were clearly mixed heritage, some accompanied by children. It was only now that it occurred to Katara that perhaps it was the capital that was the exception; when she'd visited the outer islands she'd seen a few Earth Kingdom people intermingled with the Fire Nation citizens.
"It reminds me of Yu Dao," Zuko murmured to her softly as they approached the inn. Katara turned to look up at him and saw he was watching a young family a few yards away who were playing a game of elements together, shades of green and red intermingled in their robes. "I didn't realise how many families were travelling back to the Fire Nation."
"Do you think they're settling down or just visiting family?" Katara asked.
Zuko shrugged. "Both. Either. It's incredible."
They smiled at each other and for a second, it was easy to forget that they were travelling with Zuko's psychopathic sister, it was easy to pretend they were just two teenagers travelling to introduce their relationship to his mother. It was nice… uncomplicated.
"Good evening kids," The man at the desk greeted. "Room for two?"
"Uh, six," Katara smiled. "We're travelling with friends."
The innkeeper nodded genially. "Six, sure thing. Two rooms of three okay? We don't have that much space left tonight. Plenty of travellers returning to the Earth Kingdom after the harvest festivals, you see…"
"That will be fine," Zuko agreed and handed over the money in exchange for the keys. "Thank you."
The rooms were across the hall from each other, which was an unexpected bonus. Once they'd gotten Appa safe and secure outside of the village boundaries, they all carried their belongings in, with the exception of Azula who handed her bag to Aang with w disdainful sniff. Aang met Katara's eyes in a silent prayer for patience and followed behind with Zuko to ensure she didn't slip away.
"I'll take first watch," Katara volunteered, dropping her bag at the foot of the bed. Zuko and Aang were at Azula's shoulders, urging her into the room after Katara and she eyed the simple furnishings with condescension. "Azula, why don't we get you washed?"
"This isn't the Royal spa," Azula sniffed, eyes flitting around the room before settling on the bathtub in the corner. It had basic Fire Nation plumbing in place and was as luxurious as could be hoped for in a small village like this. The money for indoor plumbing was likely due to increased travel between the nations after the war had ended; Katara had seen several such places on her own travels.
"It isn't," Katara agreed and began to fill the bathtub to the discomfort of the two boys. "But look- the water's lovely and warm. I could wash your hair?" She waved the other two away and they exchanged matching looks of confused concern as they ambled into Sokka and Suki's room.
With the bathtub filled, Katara turned back to look at Azula, who was avoiding looking at the water, glaring, instead, at Katara herself. "Waterbender."
The word was spat, as an insult. Katara shrugged blithely. "I don't need water to beat you, Azula. You know that."
The princess eyed her warily. "Is that how she found you? Through water?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Katara approached Azula slowly, carefully, arms outstretched. "I just think it would be nice if you looked… nice for your mother tomorrow…" It sounded stupid to Katara's own ears and she inwardly cringed; there was no guarantee they'd find Ursa at Hira'a. It was, most likely, the first step in a series of clues and secrets that may still reveal what Zuko had suspected all along; that his mother was dead.
Azula stepped out of Katara's reach, eyes narrowed to dangerous slits. She unfastened the neck of her tunic, taking off the shoulder caps slowly. Before undressing fully, she leaned down to unclasp her boots. "Don't look."
Katara turned away, hairs prickling on the back of her neck at the idea of deliberately letting Azula out of her sight, even as she kept both possible exits in view. After a few deafeningly loud heartbeats, she heard the telltale sound of displaced water against the side of the metal tub, and Azula let out a long, slow breath.
"Wash my hair," She ordered and Katara grimaced. How am I supposed to wash her hair if she doesn't want me to see? She thought, irritated. "Peasant. My hair."
"I'll have to turn around," Katara snapped and Azula sighed.
"Why would I care?" Thoroughly confused now, Katara turned to see Azula waiting with her eyes closed. "Servants do as they're told."
Biting back furious swears, Katara stood at Azula's head and got to work. The lengths were fragile and uneven in places, but basic care over the past year had hidden the evidence of Azula's self-styling. As Katara lathered it, she cast a frustrated glance to where the princess had left her clothes. Don't look Azula had said, but if it wasn't her nakedness Katara wasn't meant to see, then what?
She rolled her eyes. Azula was mad- she probably had slipped into some daydream where Katara really was just a beautician at the Royal Spa, rather than the bender who had chained her to the floor.
But then she saw it, tucked into Azula's carefully upright boot, a tiny corner of aged, fragile paper.
She rinsed Azula's hair, eyes fixed on the sliver of white, barely visible in the leg of the boot. Zuko had told her Azula burned all their mother's letters… but maybe she hadn't.
Maybe there was one that was too important.
.
Once Azula had dressed again, Katara let the boys back into the room. Zuko's eyes caught hers and he paused, seeing something in them even as she tried to act as though everything was normal. The only thing that looked normal was Aang, who approached Azula with a sunny, hopeful smile. "How was your bath? I bet you're ready for a good night's sleep now."
Katara didn't miss the way Azula's hand absently went to the top of her boot as he approached, eyeing him suspiciously. She didn't say anything, just watched as Aang's smile slowly faded under her scrutiny.
"Don't worry about it, Aang," Zuko said with a sigh. He crossed the room and put a heavy hand on the younger boy's shoulder. As he approached, Azula's eyes fixed on him and she laid down on the bed with a suspicious scowl.
Aang gave Zuko a sad smile. "Yeah, sure..." He sent Azula an odd look and patted Zuko on the back. "Sorry, buddy."
The boys settled themselves on the floor facing Azula's bed and, after a quizzical look to the door, Katara joined them, sitting on Zuko's other side. "I said I'd take first watch. Are neither of you staying in the other room?"
Aang looked a little uncomfortable. "We can still take turns keeping watch but… it's probably best to all stay in here, you know?"
"Sokka didn't want us cramping his style," Zuko said dryly.
"Cramping his…" Katara pulled a face. "Gross. I didn't want to know that."
"Me neither," Aang said, with feeling. Zuko's eyes slid to Katara's with an amused smile and she looked away, feeling her face redden. Azula was stretched out on the bed, eyes closed but Katara knew better than to assume she was sleeping. Her mind raced through different ways to get at the letter in Azula's boot. It had to be important, or she'd have burned it with the others.
Come to think of it, maybe Azula wasn't as unbalanced as she appeared- could a madwoman keep secrets like this? Could someone incapable of distinguishing truth from reality have the foresight to trick Zuko into thinking she'd burned all the letters?
She kept a vigilant watch over Azula, waiting to see any change to indicate whether or not the princess had fallen asleep, but Azula was as unknowable as ever. Her lashes swept dark curves across her pale cheeks and her breathing was deep and even.
She didn't realise she was fiddling with her hair anxiously until Zuko reached up and took her hand, bringing it down into her lap and lacing his fingers between hers. "You okay?" He asked softly and she turned to see Aang had fallen asleep. The pale moonlight cast long shadows across the darkened room, draining it of its colour and leaving only shades of blue-grey or, in the case of Zuko's eyes, pale silvery gold.
"I- yeah…" Katara whispered, eyes fixed on Azula for any sign she was listening. "Do you think she's asleep?"
Zuko followed her gaze to regard his sister carefully. "Difficult to say for sure… I think so."
Katara thought it over carefully. She didn't want to keep any more secrets from him, especially ones that might relate to his mother's whereabouts; it wasn't right that Azula held all the cards. She lowered her voice to the barest whisper. "She has a letter in her right boot."
Zuko stiffened beside her. She watched Azula for any indication that she was awake, but the girl didn't stir. "You're sure?"
"She tried to hide it when she bathed."
Zuko's breath quickened and his fingers tightened on her hand. "Do you think…"
"I don't know," Katara shook her head, the barest movement, not daring to look away from Azula. "Maybe."
They watched Azula together, the slow, even movement of her chest as she breathed and the way her hand fell limply over the side of the bed. She was stretched out on one side, the boot with the letter in tucked beneath her other leg.
Slowly, so slowly, Zuko released her hand. She shot him a wary glance as he moved into a crouched position, pausing when the floorboard creaked traitorously. "Can you hold her without waking her up?"
Katara thought about it- the moon was high and round, if not full, so her bending was near the peak. "I'll try."
The only experience she personally had with being held by bloodbending was Hama's clumsy grip of her body in a forest a long time ago, but regular practice with a willing Zuko had refined her control beyond what Hama could have imagined… if he thought she could hold Azula in place without waking her, she would trust him.
Azula hadn't stirred or shown any sign of hearing them, which was a good sign. Katara stood slowly, drawing her strength from Yue's light and slowly, slowly taking a gentle hold of Azula. Zuko waited for her nod of permission and moved forward through the darkness, keeping his centre of gravity low and evenly spread to reduce the chance of any noise waking his sister.
Katara focused on the flow of blood through Azula's body, maintaining the steady flow to her limbs and nudging the slightest movement into Azula's left leg, twitching it gently off the other, as though Azula had started slightly in her sleep. Zuko froze, silently glancing over his shoulder to see Katara's small, self-satisfied smile.
He flashed his teeth in a moonlit smile before crouching to remove Azula's boot. Katara focused now on the flow of blood to Azula's brain, slowing her heartbeat to keep the sleeping girl from waking. She'd not tried this before, she realised with a start. She was relying on her own theory.
A rustle of paper caught her attention and she snapped her eyes to the letter held in Zuko's shaking hand. He had it. Relief coursed through her, speeding up her own heartbeat and she watched as Zuko lit a tiny flame to read its contents.
His eyes scanned the short missive, glowing bronze in the light of his flame. He took a sharp breath and read it again, eyes widening.
He looked at her, stunned.
Blue fire leapt at the side of his face, forcing him to duck and roll across the room, letter in hand. Azula sat up, eyes wild and she leapt at her brother before Katara could regain her focus and control. She landed on Zuko and scrabbled frantically for the letter in his hand until Zuko managed to kick her off and regained his own footing.
A blast of air threw Azula against the wall and Katara took control of the older girl's body again, forcing her to kneel. Azula's breath came in ragged, heaving gasps and she glared at Zuko with burning eyes. "What happened?" Aang demanded, glaring between Katara and Zuko with wide eyes. "Why did she-?"
Zuko straightened and stared at Azula. "This is what you wanted to keep from me?" He demanded, holding the letter aloft. "Why didn't you burn it?"
Azula let out a long, low hiss, eyes fixed not on her brother as Katara had assumed, but on the letter. "What is it?" Katara asked, voice barely more than a whisper. "What does it say?"
He approached Azula slowly, deliberately, crouching so that he was at eye level with his kneeling sister. "Why didn't you burn it?" He asked again. "Or… did you think this was your big moment?"
"It's evidence," Azula growled. Zuko read the letter again, more slowly this time as though committing it to memory. Katara and Aang shared an uncertain look and Zuko folded the letter neatly and tucked it into his own boot.
"Keep to our deal, Azula. You'll get it back."
Azula sneered, twisting her beautiful face into something ugly. Mad. "I don't trust you."
"You'll get it back anyway. Once we find her."
The siblings glared at each other, bright and vicious in the moonlight. Eventually, Azula smiled. "As his Highness commands," She said sweetly and Zuko nodded for Katara to release her. Reluctantly, Katara let her go and she sat up on her heels, a victorious smirk in place. "She can't protect you any longer," Azula practically sang, tucking herself back into the bed and cheerfully closing her eyes. "I know the truth."
"What did it say?" Katara demanded and Aang looked between them with a concerned, furrowed brow.
Zuko's hand went to where he'd stored the letter and pressed against his chest self consciously. He returned to his previous position, seated against the wall and sighed. In the shadow, hidden from the moonlight, he looked almost like a ghost. "It's a letter from my mother…" He began and swallowed hard. Aang crossed the room and knelt in front of his, stretching out a hand to rest on Zuko's shoulder. "To her lover, Ikem."
Katara's breath caught in her throat. "What?" Aang sounded confused. "Why would that…"
Zuko's lost eyes met Katara's over Aang's head. "The rumours were true…" The words thick and heavy on his tongue as he forced them out. "I'm not Ozai's son."