"Land ahoy!"
Katara's eyes unwilling forced themselves open, then shut again against the brilliant brightness of the sun. She groaned and sat up in her sleeping skin, rubbing the grit out of them, and forced them to open once again. It took a moment for them to focus, and she looked in the direction that the voice had come from. Her brother had had the morning watch, and it was his gleeful voice that she had heard.
"Sokka?" she said questioningly, her voice cracking from sleepiness. She cleared her throat and then peered at the giant bison's head, where her brother and now Aang were both leaping around and whooping for joy like a bunch of fools. They were a bunch of fools.
She moaned again, not quite being able to comprehend what their behavior meant in her tired state. She shifted in her sleeping bag, turning to face the sleeping girl in the skin next to her. Jade's breathing was deep and even, meaning that she was still fast asleep. Katara wished that she herself were, and then smiled, thinking about how good it was to have her friend with her. Though she loved her brother and Aang, she had been lonesome for female company, and hadn't really realized it until she had been reunited with Jade upon their arrival in the North Pole. She and Jade had been childhood friends, and had been nearly inseparable until the men of the village had gone off to fight the Fire Nation. Afterwards, Jade's mother had taken her away on a long journey to the North Pole, where she believed that they would be safe until the war ended and Jade's father returned.
Jade's mother had been killed in the Fire Nation's recent siege against the North Pole, leaving Jade in nearly the same position as Katara: without a mother, and not knowing where on earth her father was, if he was even still alive. Unlike Katara, however, Jade was an only child, now not having any family left in the world, not even the comfort of a brother that Sokka provided for Katara. She had been more than eager to accept when Katara had suggested that she come along with them on their journey, since there was nothing left for her in the North Pole. Though she had never spoken of it, Katara knew that there was another incentive for Jade being desperate to leave: she had been engaged to the son of one of the councilman. Her mother and the young man's father had arranged it, even though the boy was several years Jade's senior. Katara had met Reid, and though he had been ruggedly handsome and strong, there was something about him that she just didn't like. She suspected that Jade had had those same fears, and that was why she had been all too ready to leave the North Pole, without even telling anyone where she was going.
The two girls had stayed up late into the night talking, making Katara all the more aware of how glad she was to have the company of her old friend. Jade was fourteen, the same age as her, and upon being reunited they had been able to pick up their relationship almost exactly where it had left off, as if they hadn't been separated for the past three years. Jade was a waterbender, though not nearly as advanced in her skill as Katara was. She didn't need to be, Katara thought with the slightest twinge of jealousy. Jade was gorgeous, probably the most beautiful girl Katara had ever encountered, though a strength of their friendship was Jade's modesty and Katara's ability not to let her jealousy show. Even so, Katara couldn't help but feel a ripple of envy as she watched the breeze blow a tendril of Jade's pin-straight, fiery red hair across her face. If her dazzling green eyes had been open, Katara knew that she would have seen a flash of annoyance in them as Jade tried to trap the strand of hair behind her ear. She was always complaining about it, even though it was the loveliest hair Katara had ever seen, and seemed so much more manageable than her own curly dark hair that she always wore in a braid.
It wasn't just her hair and breathtaking eyes that made Jade beautiful, though those were certainly enough. Her face was enough to make even the most beautiful of girls consider wearing a mask, for shame of their own features that could never measure up. Katara could certainly see how Jade's mother had managed to secure a marriage for her daughter with one of the most eligible bachelors and promising young men of the North Pole. Her body was desirable in nearly every way as well. Whereas Katara was tall and statuesque, an inch or two taller than Jade at least, and had not a spare ounce of fat on her fit, trim young body, Jade was softer, curvier, more feminine. Her breasts, though she never openly displayed them, made Katara blush with shame when she looked down at her own nearly-flat chest, which was not particularly small in comparison to other young ladies her age, but when compared to Jade's seemed as nonexistent as Aang's.
But even though she couldn't help but feel envious at times, Katara was not about to let the green-eyed monster of jealousy ruin their newly acclaimed friendship. It helped that Jade never ever made her feel inferior, and was so modest about her looks that sometimes Katara honestly didn't think Jade knew how stunning she really was. Last night while they had talked Jade had taken Katara's long, curly hair out of the braid and brushed it, admiring its thickness and texture. "You're so lucky to have such curly hair," she had said with a wistful smile, holding up a coiled strand. "I wish mine would do this."
"Your hair is so beautiful. I would do anything if mine would be that straight," Katara had protested.
Jade shook her head. "Your hair says something about you," she said. "When men see perfectly straight hair, that falls which ever way the woman wishes it to, they think she is meek, humble, easy to control, as is her hair. When they see a curly mane such as yours, they know you are fierce and spirited, unbridled and free. I can't tell you how many men have tried to take advantage of me in the North Pole, simply because of the shape of my hair."
Though they were the same age, and she had been to many more places and seen many more things than Jade had, Katara still sensed the wisdom and maturity that was reflected in her voice. For the first time she thought that maybe Jade's simple life in the North Pole had not been all peaches and cream, as she had originally thought, and that perhaps being beautiful had not been a gift for Jade, but in fact a heavy burden. Katara herself had been considered a beautiful child back in her water tribe in the South Pole, but thankfully it hadn't brought her unwanted attention from the boys, both honorable and lewd. She was also grateful that her grandmother, who had mostly raised her and Sokka since their father left, had never gotten it into her head to arrange a marriage for her granddaughter, though Katara had been about the right age to be married off when she had left and she was sure that several men had inquired as to the hand of the only waterbender in their tribe. The fact that she was good-looking had probably not hurt their interest.
Still, being beautiful could not be all bad. Katara had seen the way both Sokka and Aang's eyes had nearly popped out of their heads when she had introduced them to Jade. Few boys had ever looked at Katara that way, and certainly not Aang. Not that Katara wanted him to. She supposed it was better this way. If he was interested in Jade, and she in him, as she appeared to mildly be, she certainly didn't want to interfere. Katara knew that Sokka was still too broken-hearted over having to leave Suki to be interested in anyone else yet, even if he had been smitten to silence by Jade upon laying eyes on her.
"Katara! Get up here now!" bellowed Sokka, cutting into her thoughts.
Katara dragged herself out of her sleeping skin, shivering against the cool early morning air. Though they were out of the Arctic region now, here it was winter and it was still frigid, if not numbingly cold the way it had been in the North Pole. Her white cotton nightdress managed to keep her somewhat warm as she made her way up Appa's furry back and onto his head.
"What's all this monkey-behavior about?" she groaned as she stood beside Aang.
Before either of the two boys could speak, however, her blue eyes focused on something in the distance. They widened in shock, and then turned moist with joy. Amidst the fog she could see the sturdy brown clay walls that towered up into the sky, twice as high as even the tallest trees, nearly as tall as the mountains that bordered them.
The Earth Kingdom.
In a split second an ear-splitting scream joined the boys' whoops and catcalls. Katara engulfed both Aang and Sokka in an enormous hug. The walls blurred as tears of joy streamed down her cheeks. How far and long they had traveled, and how she had thought they would never see those walls. Yet here they were. It was almost too good to be true, too unbelievable to be real.
Their noise had woken Jade up, and she came trudging atop Appa's giant furry head. When she saw the walls in the distance, her bright green eyes came awake. A scream similar to Katara's echoed over the vast expanse of the ocean. Though Jade had never been to the Earth Kingdom and had never seen the walls as Katara, Sokka, and Aang had, she had heard enough about it to know that they at last had reached their destination, and they would finally be able to be on land, in one place, for more than a day. She and Katara embraced each other tightly, and then Jade in turn hugged both Sokka and Aang. Katara could not help but notice that Aang's cheeks turned faintly pink when Jade squeezed him to her, and for an instant her mood turned dark. But then she brightened. Nothing could spoil this day.
"We'll probably be there in less than an hour," said Sokka. "Do you girls… um… want to get dressed?"
Jade and Katara both blushed when they realized that they had been standing there next to the boys in their nightgowns. Though Sokka had certainly seen Katara in her nightgown before, Aang had not, and neither boy had ever seen Jade so exposed. The two girls hurried away to Appa's rear, where their sleeping skins were and where they both had their knapsacks of stuff.
"Can you believe this?" squealed Katara. "We're finally there! I never thought my eyes would be so happy to see clay and mountains."
Jade grinned from ear to ear. "Do you think they'll welcome us?" Suddenly her brow creased with worry. "Katara. They won't attack us, will they?"
"Of course not," Katara scoffed. "Aang is good friends with the Earth King, King Bumi. He may seem strange to you at first, but he would never attack us."
Relief was apparent in Jade's eyes. Suddenly a sly smile came to her face. "Do you want me to help you get ready?"
"Ready?" said Katara in a puzzled way as she undid her braid. With difficulty she yanked a comb through her thick mane and then began to re-braid it. "Ready for what?"
"To enter the Earth Kingdom, of course!" said Jade. She sighed in exasperation as she placed a hand on Katara's arm to stop her from braiding her hair. "Leave your hair down, would you. It's so lovely."
"No," said Katara, turning faintly pink.
"What is the issue with you and your hair? You always wear it in a braid. I bet Aang and Sokka don't even know what it really looks like."
"It's better that way. Where I come from, in the Northern Water Tribe, it was considered extremely improper for a woman's hair to be down. Only –" and here her face turned a vivid red –"scarlet women wear their hair loose."
"Well, we aren't in the Northern Water Tribe anymore," said Jade matter-of-factly. When Katara began to braid her hair again, she gave another exasperated sigh. "Are you seriously telling me that you're going to make your grand entrance in the Earth Kingdom with your hair in a braid and in your same old robes?"
Katara hadn't really thought about it. She hadn't really considered this a special occasion, and had been planning on wearing what she wore every day: one of her faded blue water tribe robes and her old sealskin boots. Now that Jade mentioned it, however, did she really want to have the Earth Kingdom residents' first impression being of her in a bunch of old tattered robes and worn boots?
She sifted through her pack. There wasn't much, save for a bone knife, a set of earrings, an extra nightgown, a spare pair of boots and leggings, and several sets of blue water tribe robes. Then as she dumped everything out, she found it: the soft bundle wrapped in muskrat fur.
She slowly unfolded the bundle and let it gently fall out: her mother's gown, the one she had worn at her wedding to Katara's father. It was a simple gown, not at all lavish or gaudy, but simple and elegant. Katara had taken it upon leaving her village, and she had never worn it before, as she had been saving it for a special occasion. According to Jade this certainly qualified as one…
Standing up and checking to make sure that the boys were occupied and not watching, Katara quickly shrugged her nightgown up over her head, her bare skin shivering against the chilly air. She pulled on the white leggings and bodice that went with the gown, and then slipped on the gown itself. It had long sleeves that came to nearly her fingers, and a wide square neckline that showed plenty of bare skin. Upon seeing this Katara almost removed the gown, but Jade stopped her. "It's beautiful," she breathed. "It was your mother's, wasn't it?"
"Yes," whispered Katara. The waist was gently cinched, and the dress then flowed out in the gentle wind, nearly covering Katara's feet. It was a bit too long; her mother had been several inches taller than her, but its extra length wasn't unflattering in the least. It wasn't blue, as most of the garments the waterbenders wore were, but rather the color of deep red wine. It complemented her tan skin and dark hair, and made her blue eyes appear brighter.
"It's perfect," said Jade, clapping her hands. "Absolutely perfect! Now, what about your hair? I know you don't want to leave it loose, but could you let me do it?"
Katara reluctantly agreed, and sat still as Jade tore a comb through her curly locks. She twisted and piled it up into an elegant knot on top of Katara's head, trapping it with several pins and clips. She left several curly tendrils hanging down, and these gently framed Katara's face. "You look stunning," she said when she was finished. "Those earthbender boys won't be able to take their eyes off you."
Katara had a good laugh at that, and then slipped on her old boots. The gown was long enough that it would cover them, and besides, she didn't really have anything else. She glanced at herself in Jade's mirror as Jade pulled on a golden yellow gown that was simple like Katara's, yet just as refined and tasteful. She left her perfect red hair down, and it flowed to her waist. Katara tried to ignore her jealousy as she stared at herself in the mirror. It was amazing how much a simple hairstyle could change the look of her face. Though she still wasn't as gorgeous as Jade, she knew that she had never looked so beautiful.
By the time the girls were finished getting ready, Appa had already begun to gradually spiral downwards towards the huge gates. Jade and Katara climbed up onto his head next to the boys to watch their descent.
Both boys' jaws dropped upon seeing the two girls. Katara instantly felt self-conscious, and put a hand up to cover the bare skin on her chest. Jade, however, didn't act embarrassed in the least and behaved as if she didn't even notice, though she must have felt the boys' eyes boring into her.
Sokka was the first to recover. "Well, ah," he said nervously. "Why are you girls so, um, dressed –"
Suddenly his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Isn't that Mom's wedding dress?" he countered.
"Yes. Mom used to let me try it on all the time," Katara said defensively. "Before we left, Gran Gran gave it to me, in case I were to find a, um, well, a –"
"A what?" said Sokka impatiently. "Spit it out!"
Katara felt her cheeks redden. "A husband," she finished quietly.
Sokka let out a hearty laugh. "A husband," he hooted. "Imagine Katara finding a husband in the Earth Kingdom!"
Katara's eyes narrowed in anger at her brother. "Is it so hard to believe that someone might see me and want me for his wife?" she nearly shouted at him. The sea below started to churn dangerously.
"Well, now that you've changed out of those old robes, I guess not," said Sokka, his laughter dying out. "But no sister of mine will marry a dirty earthbender. You'll marry a respectable water tribe man who knows the proper way to throw a boomerang."
Was it just Katara's imagination, or did Aang really look as if his heart had just fallen out of his chest and settled somewhere around his knees? A moment later his crushed expression was gone, and he looked completely normal, if not slightly amused at the latest squabble between the siblings.
"As if I needed you to find me a husband," scoffed Katara. "I'm perfectly capable of choosing the right man for myself."
"It sure didn't look that way to me when we camped with those Fire Nation rebels," shot back Sokka. "If your idea of a respectable husband is someone like Jet-"
Katara's face turned purple with rage, but before she could strangle her brother, Appa landed gently on the hard-packed soil at the foot of the Earth Kingdom gates. Her anger at her brother and humiliation over Jet was forgotten as she linked arms with Jade and jumped off the huge bison. Jade squealed like a little girl, and Katara squeezed her arm in excitement. At that moment she wasn't thinking about finding a husband so much as sleeping in a warm, soft bed tonight and eating a hot meal.
Four guards stood posted at the gates, young men who looked to be around Sokka's age. They were dressed in the traditional earthy brown and cream-colored uniforms of the Earth Kingdom, and they each held a tall pike that was sharpened to a deadly point.
When the guards saw Aang, they didn't move to block them. Instead, each of them raised their pikes in the air and then made a sweeping motion that was so fast it was like a blur before Katara's eyes. The two massive clay gates swung open as easily as if they were made of paper instead of heavy earth.
The four companions, plus Appa and Momo, began to shuffle through the gates, with Aang leading the way. Sokka, Katara, Momo, and Appa passed through behind him without a second glance to the guards. When Jade, with her eyes still wide from the earthbending trick she had witnessed, made to follow them, the four guards stepped forward as one and lowered their pikes before her, barring the way.
"Jade!" said Katara. Jade's green eyes were now wide with fear, though Katara could tell that her friend was trying to be brave. Katara ran back and attempted to seize the pike of the guard closest to her. "Let her go! She's my friend!"
"This one was not with you when you passed through our gates the last time," said the guard whose pike she had in an icy voice.
Aang hurried over. "This is Jade, our friend from the Northern Water Tribe. She'll be accompanying me in to see King Bumi."
The guard glanced over Jade, his eyes lingering on her breasts a moment longer than they should have. Jade didn't seem to notice and continued to look at Katara helplessly.
At long last the guard decided that an attractive young girl traveling with the Avatar wouldn't pose any threat to the Earth Kingdom, and he gave the signal for the men to raise their pikes. Katara sighed with relief as Jade bounded forward and latched on to her again nervously. As they passed through the gates, Katara happened to make eye contact with one of the guards, a young handsome man that couldn't have been much older than Sokka. He winked at her. Her cheeks turned fiery red as she quickly looked away and hurried after Aang and Sokka.
The streets of the Earth Kingdom were busy with activity, like a hive of bees. Vendors and their stalls lined the main roads, trying to persuade pedestrians to buy their products. Children ran over the earthen roads, swiping food from the stalls, giggling as the vendors shouted obscenities at them. People bustled in and out of shops, some carrying armloads of purchases, some coming out empty-handed. Young men who happened to pass by them gave them suggestive looks, which sent both Jade and Katara into fits of blushing giggles. Sokka sighed at them disgustedly, but didn't pause to stop and study the dancing girls on the street corner with the bare midriffs. Both girls and Aang had a good laugh at that, and Katara slapped her brother lightly on the arm when he tossed a silver coin at them. "What?" said Sokka, turning red. "They were talented."
Katara and Jade couldn't help themselves when they passed by a ladies' shop selling nothing but dresses and jewelry. They dragged the boys inside, drawing raised eyebrows from the other customers and small smiles from the shopkeepers, and oohhed and aahhed as they admired fine silks and furs. Katara wistfully fingered a ruby and pearl necklace at the jewelry counter, thinking how exotic it looked compared to the plain blue stone she wore around her neck. She loved her mother's necklace and wore it always, but couldn't help but wish for something finer that matched her gown.
"Would you like to try it on?" asked the elderly female shopkeeper, coming up behind Katara.
"Hmm?" replied Katara absently. "Oh, the necklace? No, I couldn't possibly afford it, it's not really my style…"
But the shopkeeper had already removed the necklace from its display case and clasped it around Katara's slender neck. Katara gasped as she looked at herself in the mirror. The necklace wasn't long, dangling only to her collarbone, and the gems winked and sparkled in the sunlight that filled the shop. The rubies accented the red tones in her dark hair, and the pearls looked so milky white against her suntanned skin.
"A beautiful girl like you deserves to treat herself to jewels every once in a while," said the shopkeeper.
Katara suddenly became aware of Aang, who was standing a few feet away from her, staring at her as if he had never seen her before. She blushed and moved to unclasp the necklace, but the shopkeeper stopped her.
"Perhaps your boyfriend here could afford to buy it for you, no?" she said, her eyes twinkling.
If her cheeks had been red before, they were now bright scarlet. "Oh, no! Aang's not my boyfriend, we're just –"
"We'll take it," Aang cut her off. "How much?"
The woman grinned slyly and named an outrageous price that Katara would have never agreed to pay. But Aang willingly went up to the counter and produced the required number of gold tokens. Katara couldn't keep her mouth from falling open.
"Aang!" she gasped when he had finished his business with the shopkeeper. "Where did you get that much money?"
Aang beamed at her. "The chief of the Northern Water Tribe gave me a huge sack when we left. Apparently it was payment for driving away the Fire Nation and restoring the moon spirit." He grinned and gestured to the window. "I was saving it for a rainy day."
Katara ignored the fact that sunlight was streaming in through the open window. She threw her arms around him and hugged him. "Thank you," she said sincerely. "You have no idea how much I wanted that."
"I could see it in your eyes. Here," he said, handing her the necklace. She turned around so that he could clasp it around her neck. The feel of his fingers at the back of her neck sent shivers up and down her spine. She hoped he couldn't see the raised gooseflesh on her neck and shoulders.
A few minutes later, Jade paid for two silken gowns and a pair of satin slippers, and then the companions set out again. By the time they reached the Earth Palace, Katara's feet felt numb, and a painful blister had bubbled and burst on her heel. She bit her lip against the pain and trudged on, fingering her new ruby necklace to give her the strength to continue. She was exhausted, so exhausted that she wasn't even sure that she was awake.
The sight of the magnificent Earth Palace shook her awake, however. Even though she had been here once before, Katara still could not help but admire the huge, sweeping mounds of earth that made up King Bumi's palace. It was huge, so enormous that every single one of the houses in her water tribe village would have fit just on the first story. And the palace was thirteen stories high.
"How does the King manage to not get lost in there?" Jade managed to shut her gaping mouth closed long enough to whisper.
Katara grinned and shrugged. The last time they had been here, they had not had time to explore and tour the entire palace. Now that they were here for a vacation, with all the time in the world, she planned on familiarizing herself with more of the palace, particularly the spa that she knew was on the fifth story.
Instead of a legion of servants, as there had been the last time, King Bumi himself was there to greet them. The giant, grizzled old man gave a mighty roar when he caught sight of the companions, and with the speed of a man a quarter of his age he raced forward and scopped Aang up in his arms. The old man gave him a crushing hug, tears of happiness filling his eyes.
"My old friend," said Bumi in that strange voice of his. "I received your message, but feared that you wouldn't make it. Fire Nation troops occupy all the lands bordering the Earth Kingdom. Only our walls so far have kept them out. That, and the courage of our warriors."
"We weren't bothered by the Fire Nation at all," replied Aang. "And you read my message? What do you say, Bumi? I would be greatly honored to learn the art of earthbending from 'the most powerful earthbender in the entire Earth Kingdom,'" he said, grinning as he quoted the words Bumi had said to him during their last visit.
"And I would be honored to teach you, my friend," said Bumi, beaming. "But not today. You and your friends are weary, and are in need of rest and food. My servants will show you to your quarters, and I'll have this giant walking carpet of a beast brought to the royal stables and fed. Tonight we will have a grand banquet to celebrate the arrival of the Avatar, and tomorrow your lessons will begin. In the meantime," he continued, "your friends are free to roam my palace and kingdom at will." He nodded and shook hands with Sokka, and then his gaze focused on Katara. "My, but this can't be Miss Katara," he said in surprise.
Katara smiled at him and offered her hand. He kissed it graciously. "The last time you were here, I was too busy freezing you in carbon crystal to have a proper look at you. You're a beautiful young lady. My great-grandsons will be pleased to meet you."
"Great-grandsons?" said Aang in surprise.
"Yes. Oni and Ulic. Twins, about the age of Mister Sokka here. Come to think of it, Ming and Cori, my great-granddaughters, will be all too eager to meet Aang and Sokka. I'll introduce you at the banquet." He turned to Jade next. "And who is this stunning young creature? I don't remember her from your last visit."
"I am Jade of the Northern Water Tribe," Jade said politely, extending her hand. Though she stood tall and held her head high, the way of a water tribe woman, Katara could detect the slightest nervous tremble in her voice.
King Bumi kissed her hand lightly. "You and Miss Katara would like separate rooms?"
"No," Jade said quickly. "We'd like to share one." Katara nodded and smiled in agreement. It would be fun to stay up late into the night, talking about the things they had seen and the people they had met. Like old times."
King Bumi snapped his fingers. A legion of servants appeared quickly, as if materializing out of nowhere.
"Please show Miss Katara and Miss Jade to the lavender room," commanded the King, "and carry up their belongings. I will show Sokka and Aang to their rooms."
At this point Katara could barely keep her eyes opened, and her feet dragged across the ground as she followed the servants into the magnificent palace, with Jade following closely behind her. She could barely lift her head to gaze at her surroundings, at the servants bustling in and out of rooms, at the earthen walls decorated with costly paintings and elegant tapestries. Her feet shuffled across the plush fur carpets, and for an instant she had to resist the urge to take her boots off and bury her feet in the soft fur.
The servants stopped before a lavender earthen door, and one of them produced a golden key. She slipped it into the gold lock and gently turned it. There was a soft click, and then the servant made a fist. The door swung open, and she led the two exhausted girls inside.
Katara gasped. She was in a cloud of light purple. The clay walls were painted a soft purple, and the floor was piled high with lush white rabbit's fur that had been dyed lavender. The walls were decorated with paintings of flowers and animals in soft colors, and the far wall was nearly completely gone, opening up onto a balcony that overlooked the entire kingdom. Lavender silken curtains could be drawn against the archway for privacy, and they billowed gently in the light breeze.
Against the eastern wall were two enormous beds, covered with silken lavender bedcovers and piled high with goosefeather pillows stuffed in shiny gold cloth. Katara let out a wistful sigh. As soon as the servants left she was going to curl up and…
"May I show you ladies the wardrobes?" a servant asked timidly. When Katara nodded, she moved towards the earthen wardrobe that rested against the western wall and made a sweeping motion with her hand. The doors flung open, and the servant smiled and gestured for the girls to look inside.
Katara gasped when she peered inside the wardrobe and saw its contents. Dresses, dozens and dozens of dresses, dangled upon wooden hangers. They were of all different styles and colors, some short, some long, some with dangling, flowing sleeves, some without any sleeves at all. Katara reached out and took one of these off the hangers, a beautiful yellow and blue piece of satin material that looked as if it would come to about her knees. She wondered how it stayed up without shoulder straps, and held it absently against herself.
"Would the lady like to wear this one to the banquet tonight?" questioned the servant with a kind smile.
"Hmm?" said Katara. "Oh, dear, goodness, no, I couldn't wear something like that." As beautiful as the dress was, and as exotic as it seemed, she couldn't wear something as revealing as that.
"Perhaps this one would be more to your liking?" suggested the servant, plunging her hand in among the dresses and at last pulling out a silken garment that made Katara clap her hands together with delight. This dress was slightly shorter than the first one, with sleeves that looked as if they would come to just past her shoulders. It was a beautiful, brilliant gold color, mixed with reds and maroons and violets. The maid moved it slightly, and it sparkled in the sunlight. The only thing that worried Katara was the plunging circular neckline. It wouldn't be low enough to show cleavage, but it would still come pretty close. She decided not to worry about it for now, and grinned at the maid. The old woman smiled and nodded. "I'll send it upstairs to be pressed, and the waist will probably have to be altered slightly. The last one to wear this was Lady Cori, two years ago, and I believe she was a bit bigger than you even then."
Katara beamed and nodded, too speechless with delight for words. The dress was the most beautiful piece of clothing she had ever seen, and all she could think about was what Aang would say when he saw her in it.
She flopped down on one of the beds as Jade sifted through dresses, trying to find one that was to her liking. She asked Katara's opinion on first this magenta one, then that short-sleeved green one. She tried on the yellow and blue number that Katara had rejected, and then finally chose that one. Katara had to admit that it looked beautiful on her. It showed off her creamy, flawless shoulders, and it outlined her breasts, thought not in a many that would be considered like a scarlet woman. Katara could easily imagine Jade getting several marriage proposals tonight.
She couldn't keep her eyes open any longer. She leaned her head back, letting it sink into the heavenly goosefeather pillows, and fell into a deep, long-awaited sleep.
"It can't possibly be taking them this long to get ready," grumbled Sokka. "It took us less than thirty minutes, and that's including a bath."
"Relax," said Aang good-naturedly. "You're just being sore because you want to eat."
"Exactly! Which none of us can do until the girls get here!" said Sokka, throwing up his arms. Aang grinned and shook his head. He had to admit that the long tables piled high with every kind of food imaginable did look rather tempting. But it was a strict rule of protocol that no one could begin eating until the royal family had arrived and made their grand entrance. Katara and Jade would be arriving with them.
They were crowded into the grand hall, where all formal celebrations were held, with thousands of people. It looked as if the entire Earth Kingdom population was present. Even the peasants, who wore threadbare hand-me-down gowns that looked as if they had been patched over a couple times, were there, laughing and joking and shooting longing gazes at those of higher birth. The more noble young ladies, who were dressed in finer silks and jewels, were staring wistfully at Sokka, who had been introduced along with Aang a few minutes ago as the highly-esteemed guests of the King. Several of them had already come up to Aang, and laughed and giggled and engaged him in conversation. He had been polite and friendly towards him, feeling more than a little flattered but trying not to let it get to his head, as it had on their trip to Kyoshi Island. He knew that it was just because he was a close friend of the King's, and the girls probably assumed that he was rich and single and here to find a wife. He didn't tell any of them that his heart had already been stolen, and that there were none of them here who could even compare to the thief.
At long last the trumpet sounded, signaling the arrival of the royal family. Aang turned to watch King Bumi descend first down the winding staircase and then stroll across the long red carpet that stretched the entire length of the hall. The people made a path for him, standing on either sides of the carpet, and then bowed to their King as he paused at the foot of the stairs before continuing down the hall.
King Bumi's family followed suit. There must have been a hundred of them, his two sons who were old men, probably well into their eighties, and his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Aang recognized Ming and Cori, Bumi's two great-granddaughters, as they paused and curtsied. They were twins, and were both perfectly lovely girls, with shining straight black hair that fell to their waists and matching periwinkle blue gowns. After them followed Oni and Ulic, the two great-grandsons, who were also twins. They were handsome individuals, and drew swooning looks from the young ladies as they paused and bowed.
"And last but not least," announced the trumpeter. "May I please introduce to you our two lovely young guests of His Majesty King Bumi, all the way from the North Pole. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Lady Jade and Lady Katara!"
The crowd erupted into wild applause. When the cheers died down, Jade descended down the elegant staircase. There were gasps from the crowd, particularly from the young men. No one had expected King Bumi's guest to be so beautiful, and Aang had to admit that Jade looked stunning. Her long, poker-straight red hair spilled down to her bare, creamy pale shoulders like red wine, with an emerald hairpiece holding it back from her green eyes. Aang could hear Sokka catch his breath, and he knew that at the moment all thoughts of Suki had faded from his mind.
Jade paused at the foot of the stairs and dropped a curtsy, and the crowd bowed to her, as they had to each member of the royal family. Almost immediately after she had begun to stroll off down the carpet, one of Bumi's great-grandsons came and offered her his arm. Jade smiled politely and accepted, linking her arm through his and allowing him to guide her to the end of the hall.
Suddenly the crowd grew hushed as Katara began to lightly step down the stairs. Aang's eyes darted eagerly to the staircase. Nearly every single man around him let out a long, low whistle.
For the third time that day, Aang's mouth dropped open.
Katara stood tall and proud, her shoulders squared, her head held high, not displaying even the slightest bit of nervousness. She stepped as lightly as if she were the same mass as a feather, and had such an air of grace and dignity about her that for a moment Aang didn't recognize her. But yes, it was her. There were those sparkling, ice blue eyes, framed by long dark lashes that seemed to be neverending, that swept over the grand hall with intelligent curiosity. She was wearing a magnificent gold dress that was tinted with hues of red and violet. It dipped gently off her shoulders, and the circular neckline was low, but not immodest. Around her neck was the ruby necklace that Aang had bought for her, and on her feet were soft buckskin sandals. The dress was short, exposing her long, deeply tanned and toned legs that any woman would be proud to possess. Aang had never seen her legs before, nor did he think he would ever be able to erase the image from his mind.
He had never seen her hair down before, either, and he felt as if he were looking at something else, a portrait of Katara, and the real Katara was standing next to him, in her faded blue water tribe robes and with her hair in its usual braid.
This was the real Katara. He could tell when her intense blue eyes rested on him, and she gave a small smile that showed her perfect teeth. When she looked away, Aang's focus went back to her hair. It was long and dark, coming to partway down her back, and he was surprised at how curly it was. A small garnet clip held it away from her face, making her blue eyes look even brighter.
When she reached the foot of the stairs, Katara stopped and dropped a deep curtsy. The crowd of people seemed smitten with her, and could only bow and then stare transfixedly as Katara continued down the carpet.
As she neared the end, Bumi's second great-grandson appeared and offered her his arm. Katara smiled politely and gave him a respectful bow of her head before accepting his arm. Aang could see the young man's eyes gleaming as he strutted down the hall with the beautiful young girl clutching his arm, and suddenly he had to suppress the urge to let a sphere of air slam into the boy's stomach.
The festivities began, and suddenly the hall roared with the noise of chatter and laughter. Guests moved to the center of the great room to dance, and Aang found himself being dragged to the dance floor by one of Bumi's great-granddaughters, Ming or Cori he could not tell. He didn't object, and put his arms around the girl robotically as he scanned the floor for Katara.
There she was, dancing with Bumi's great-grandson, a beaming smile on her face. She tilted her head back and laughed at something he said, a sound as light and clear as the chime of bells. Aang had to fight off the tsunami wave of jealousy that threatened to engulf him. He turned back to Cori / Ming and plastered a bright smile on his face.
The dance number finished, and Aang gave a polite bow to his partner before searching the crowd for Katara. He saw her a few feet away, and the power of his gaze drew her eyes to him. He looked at her questioningly, and she grinned and started to make her way through the mob towards him.
Before she reached him, however, a smiling young man with a thatch of curly yellow hair atop his head stepped in her path and bowed. Above the sounds of talking and giggling Aang couldn't tell what he was saying, but by the way Katara took the man's hand and then smiled at him apologetically, he knew that she had just agreed to dance with him. He felt as if he had just been drenched in cold water and then placed outside in freezing Arctic wind.
"Dance with me, Aang?" came a sweet, questioning voice.
Aang turned around to face Jade. For a moment all thoughts of Katara melted away, and he forgot his own name. Those green eyes, those long red lashes, that creamy skin…
"Of course," he said, grinning as he led her to the dance floor. When he put his hand on her curvaceous waist, he felt as if a horde of butterflies had taken up residence in his stomach.
But then Katara glided past him, in the arms of the yellow-haired man, and he forgot that he was dancing with the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. All he could think about was that he was not with Katara. He saw the two girls exchange a friendly grin, and then Jade pointed to her nose and made a face. Both girls burst into peals of silent laughter. Jade shook in his arms with mirth as they waltzed away from Katara and her partner.
"What was that all about?" questioned Aang.
"Hmm?" said Jade. "Oh, that? When we ate lunch after our nap, Katara got some pea paste on her nose, and she walked around until we had our baths with a spot of green on the tip of it. Neither of us noticed, and we were wondering why all of the servants were looking at her so oddly."
Aang smiled at the thought of Katara walking around with a green nose. Somehow, he could picture it exactly in his mind.
The dance number ended, and Aang bowed to Jade. Just as he turned to look for Katara, he saw her a few feet away, nodding and smiling and taking the arm of yet another young man.
"Dance with me?" said a girl's voice, pulling on his sleeve, and Aang turned around to see a tall, gawky girl with teeth that reminded him of those of a rabbit grasping his arm.
Aang sighed. It was going to be a long night.