Pros of COVID19: Time to write
Cons of COVID19: Er, everything else
Also, for everyone who wanted to see more of Zuko/Toph fake dating shenanigans...be careful what you ask for ;)
Thanks to my reviewers for The Prince's Choice: INeedToReadaBook, and Lennox13
Thanks to my reviewers for The Warrior's Gambit: Zutarawasrobbed, SlythindorRen, Sophiecambellbower, alias093001, Astra Across the Stars, MissLux, StarlightSoulWriting, StrawberryKris, brooken394, and Cherokee96!
INeedToReadABook: Haha I remember those long nights too from my youth! And uh, one of my specialties is stories spinning far from the original plot into a bigger expedition than intended, so glad you're up for that! I do agree that in some parts Zuko is a little OOC, but as you said he has a lot of different things going on that make him so. I tried to keep a few things the same; Awkward Zuko, Zuko's slight anger issues, and Zuko being a pretty compassionate person. And I do plan to finish the sequel! When? I have no idea...
At first, there was just silence. The only sounds were the panting guard and the needle that dropped from Katara's fingers onto the ground. Aiga stared at the guard, as though he was speaking Ancient Air Nomadic to her instead of the common tongue, frowning as her lips parted softly.
"What?"
Her voice was more confused than fearful or sad than anything else. It was a sign that something had not connected, something was lost in translation, not alighting all the many things in Aiga's brain. Katara's mind was whirling and screaming and shouting, but Aiga was just staring.
And, after Aiga murmured that scant question, she would be quiet for a long time after.
"Your family. Lady Ursa…" The guard was puffing. "A neighbor found me. I came to inform you."
"Lady Ursa wants us to come," he finally managed, unable to articulate anything else yet. Katara grabbed a soft blanket from her bed, threw it around Aiga's shoulders, and led her outside.
She thought that the young girl may be in shock.
Ursa was waiting for them in a small meeting room, wrapped in a night robe, her hair pulled back from her face. She looked deadly serious.
"Have some tea. You look frightfully pale," Ursa said, handing a steaming cup to Aiga, who was still just staring ahead, the color completely drained from her face. "Thank you, Princess Katara, for bringing her."
"What happened?" Katara asked for she felt that Aiga was in no position to be asking any sort of questions.
"The Equalists came into her house," Ursa began, "An Uncle found a guard and thought Aiga should be notified."
"Are we sure it was them? There are quite a lot of other nefarious groups lurking around that area…" Katara realized her folly immediately. "Or, erm, so Aiga's told me," she lied quickly.
"They left a calling card," The guard said, chugging a glass of water and sinking into a chair, "They wanted us to know."
"Unfortunately." Ursa's face was pinched. She looked at Aiga. Aiga was staring right at Ursa, frowning, waiting. Ursa closed her eyes, a pained expression crossing her face. "Out of the family and relatives in the house - and we went in to find twelve living there - three were killed. Four, I personally escorted to the hospital on the second circle, and the rest are waiting there too."
"Who died?" Katara pulled back the memory of all those who looked like Aiga from when she and Zuko had gone to her home. It seemed like ages ago.
"From what I understood, her grandfather, one of her aunts, and a…" Ursa swallowed hard, and Katara saw a glimmering tear in the corner of her eye. "…a six-year-old nephew."
"Spirits," Katara choked out, "Were there other attacks?"
"As of now...I don't believe so. We have not gotten any word of other family attacks from the Equalists unless my guards have not had a chance to report it back. Or, perhaps, people are not willing to admit to such things. However, I doubt it. This seemed…"
"Specific," Katara finished. Her mouth went absolutely dry. "But...why?"
"I do not know. I was hoping Aiga may help?" Ursa asked gently. Aiga just kept staring at her, her face now twisted. Her lip trembled.
"Maybe tomorrow?" Katara whispered as her heart was breaking. "I think that it's a lot to take in right now."
Ursa looked like waiting was the last thing she wanted to do, but finally gave in to the mental argument swirling in her head. She nodded.
"You're right," she agreed, "Why don't you bring Aiga back to her room, Princess. She really could use a rest. I asked the cook to bring her some food, however, in case she's hungry."
"Of course." Katara bowed her head. "I'll stay with her tonight if that's alright."
Ursa waved a hand and Katara helped Aiga to her feet. She was shaky, like a newborn foal, and with each step, Aiga seemed like she was crossing a great divide. It took a long time, but finally, Katara clicked her door open.
There was already a steaming bowl of rice and some fruit awaiting her, along with a tea-cup.
"Are you hungry or thirsty?" Katara asked, turning around to pour her a cup. She found that her lips were disconnected from her brain and any thought she had spilled forth from her mouth, "Agni, why would they attack your house? Your family? I should find Tahoe. I wonder if he's-"
Her stream of consciousness monologue was broken by a whisper from Aiga, something so quiet that at first, she missed it. As it was, she could not pick up what she'd said.
"Huh?" Katara asked, turning around.
"Who did you tell where I lived?" Aiga asked in a bolder voice. She was standing now, chest to chest with Katara, shaking with a fury Katara had never seen in her. Katara had seen Aiga through a great many emotions, but the sheer wrath that painted her expression was foreign. Katara would have never imagined the diminutive woman to be intimidating at all, but as she shoved Katara hard, there was a moment of panic as Katara stumbled to the ground.
The savageness of Aiga's face made Katara lose her breath.
"Who did you tell?" Aiga repeated a third time, shaking hard, face twisted into a snarl.
"I-what?"
"No one knew. No one here. I lied on my papers about where my house was so that even they would not be aware. I've never told anyone, except for you. Not the Fire Lord, not my friends, not even Tahoe. Who did you tell, Katara?" Aiga demanded with a frantic hush to her voice, though the lowered decibel did nothing to make it less terrifying. If anything, it made Katara realize how unhinged Aiga seemed right now.
"Only Zuko!" Katara blubbered, "But he...he wouldn't tell anyone. You have to know that, you know him! You know me!"
Another thought hit Katara and she frowned. "Why...why would you keep it such a secret, Aiga?"
"Zuko must have told someone. He must have. Or he-"
"He wouldn't. He knew it was a secret. He knew that you were very vague about it. He's not someone to go around blabbing about it." Katara rushed to defend him. "Aiga, why would the Equalists attack you?"
Katara stood in one fluid motion, grabbing Aiga's arm. Katara's touch seemed to break something in her. Her rigid, vibrating form collapsed, as though the ground beneath her moved. Katara rushed to catch her and then Aiga just let out a wail of anguish.
After that, Aiga just cried.
At that moment, Katara realized how closed-off Aiga was. Katara only recently knew her family's location and even then, there were so many secrets surrounding it. And now, a million more have been opened. None, Katara understood, she was going to have answered tonight. Or, possibly, any other time soon.
And Katara understood, in a sense, her flash of emotion. She did not feel upset that Aiga had pushed her or accused her, she just felt a sisterly pain for her handmaid.
Katara sat with her on the floor of her room, whispering lullabies in Southern Water Tribe mother-tongue, rocking her and petting her hair, and Aiga clung to her, impossibly small and broken.
XXxxXX
"Clear the carriage, please," Zuko commanded in a calm voice, "Except for Lady Bei Fong."
"Where are we supposed to ride, then?" On Ji asked, furrowing her brow. She didn't ask snidely but in a genuinely confused way.
"The soldiers have prepared some horses for you, just for a bit. It's good to get some fresh air," Zuko said with a slightly forced smile.
"And what will the two of you be doing in here, Prince Zuko?" Nadhari questioned as she gathered her skirts, raising an eyebrow. "And will we all get the same such...opportunity?" She batted her eyelashes, smiling with an unmistakable intent in her eyes. Zuko swallowed a bit, always a little overwhelmed with such bold advances, trying to find his voice.
"It's not quite as scandalous as you imagine. I must talk to Lady Bei Fong about our arrival since this is her hometown. I would place her on a horse and ride ahead, but…"
"I prefer to be as close to the ground as possible, thanks," Toph cut in, crossing her arms.
"It will only be for a little bit," Zuko said apologetically to the trio.
"That's fine," Yue said, always polite. "I think he's right. We've been cramped in here for hours."
Zuko ducked into the carriage, looking back to where the soldiers were helping the girls mount ostrich-horses. Sokka helped Yue on to hers, glancing backward toward Zuko.
His offered assistance had been a surprise, yet not an unwelcome one. Zuko hadn't considered fully yet how he'd navigate trying to help airbenders escape while simultaneously managing the high-brow, courtly dances of wit and politics. To have Sokka to run errands for him was a weight off his shoulders.
One of them at least.
He closed the carriage door behind him, sitting across from Toph. She was wearing a fancy dress, though no make-up yet. She complained that in the heat, it would melt off anyway, and she promised - grimacing - to apply once they were closer.
"Two days," Zuko murmured under his breath. That's how long the trip here would take.
Zuko was not disinterested in Gaoling. In fact, he'd heard a great many things about it.
He would be far more interested if Toph was not in attendance.
Oh, he'd tried to get her out of this trip, but everyone had looked at him so strangely when he'd argued against it. Of course, to everyone, they were still under the impression that Toph saw Zuko as a potential marriage match and vice versa.
In this assumption lay the problem…
"I know, two days too long," Toph grouched. She'd rather not see her family at all. Zuko was aware of their troubles. He could sympathize. In terms of sort of shitty family, he and Toph understood more than most of their group. Well, Aang didn't really have parents to speak of, but absent parents were different than straight-up bad ones.
"We have to...we're going to…" Zuko didn't know how to delicately explain this. "I don't want to be accosted like...last time." He winced, recalling the way Toph had thrown herself at him for a 'surprise' kiss in the gardens.
"I'm still coughing up fire flakes, yech," Toph agreed with a shudder. "But we have to sell it. My parents smell one hint of doubt, they'll have me back with at least twelve old men lined up as a potential husband!"
"Ground rules," Zuko said. He knew that this weekend would test his patience and acting skills to the limit. Not only did he have to act like he was, in some way, besotted with Toph...he had to act like she was near the top of his favorites list. At least, whenever they were around her parents.
"First off, know anything I do is to save my own skin," Toph said. "That covers any...uhm...things I might be compelled to do. An apology upfront."
"Oh, joy. Enlighten me, please?"
"Kissing, hugging, pet names...you know, stuff that makes me sick to my stomach."
"Same," Zuko said, narrowing his eyes. "Not that romance makes me sick, but I don't want you to feel as though I'm taking advantage or crossing a line or-"
"You aren't. You won't," Toph confirmed. "You can bed me as long as it keeps me out of my home-town, auctioned off to the highest bidder!"
Zuko's mouth felt dry. "Well, I hope it doesn't come to that."
"Me too, Sparky, me too." She bit her lip, scrunching up her nose. "It will all be over soon," she said with a long sigh.
"Two days," Zuko agreed. "Forty-eight hours. Hopefully, significantly less we'll have to...mhh," he grimaced, trying to prepare himself. He stared at Toph.
"You're looking at me all weird," she complained, "I can feel it, creep."
"Trying to, uh, find you attractive."
"Ouch. That's a low one."
"Not that you're not…" Zuko threw up his hands. "You know what I mean. Trying to recapture the same feelings I sort of had for you back when you started. I can't look at you this entire time like I'd look at a younger sister. People can tell those sorts of things."
Toph turned her face toward him, her green eyes were bright with a hint of mirth. "Want me to take my top off? Would that help?"
"Agni, no!" Zuko said, all but throwing up his hands and hiding under the seats. "No, that won't be needed, Toph," he added, coughing.
"Your pulse! Oh, it's fun to mess with you," Toph snickered. "And I wasn't really gonna. These puppies aren't for your eyes, mister."
"Great. Now that you've had a laugh at my expense, do you think we're on the same page?"
"We'll put on the best goddamn show. Anything you do is forgiven, anything I do is forgiven, right?" At Zuko's nod, Toph spits into her hand. "Shake on it. Like real men."
"That's now how-"
"Shake, Sparky. Or else it doesn't mean anything."
Zuko paused, spitting into his palm. He felt his body give a full shudder at the contact. Toph, at least, looked satisfied. She started giggling, which turned into laughter, which turned into maniacal cackling that had Zuko fearing for a life a bit. Not his own life, but someone's...whoever Toph decided it was, spirits help them.
"My parents won't know what hit 'em. We'll be the most in-love couple they've ever seen!"
XXxx
Fixing his clothes in the mirror of his bedroom, Zuko gave a long exhale. "Nearly one day down," he muttered to himself.
They'd arrived close to dusk last night. The girls had been shepherded away to rooms after a quick greeting, with Lao, Toph's Father, declaring that 'women should have no need to be up so late'. Though Zuko didn't agree, he was grateful he didn't need to act like he was in love with Toph right that moment. Lao had invited Zuko to stay up with him. He'd been given sake mulled in the region, sweet and smooth.
Most of the night had been 'talk between two men'. Sokka hadn't been invited, but he seemed none too upset about it. Instead, he'd just shrugged and let a maid lead him to his room. Sokka probably thought it would be boring.
He wasn't wrong, but at least it was easier to relax than if the whole group had been in attendance. Apart from an introductory comment about how pleased Zuko was that Toph was part of the competition, he seemed excused from having to make a big show of it. Most of the night Lao talked about the mechanics of the city that he supervised and how the Fire Nation had helped them. It seemed in general he was kissing up to Zuko, but it was sprinkled with informative tidbits between his near-pandering.
There were a few scant mentions of Toph.
"I'll admit, I was afraid to send my daughter," Lao mentioned off-hand. He mentioned how delicate Toph was ad nauseam. That she was so small and so helpless that she could hardly do anything for herself. If Lao had mentioned one time that Toph could not exist by herself, he'd mentioned it three million times.
It was a wonder Toph even knew how to use a fork from the way her parents had pampered her! And it was a bit insulting. Sure, being born blind wasn't a great start to life, but plenty of people survived just fine. Zuko was offended on her behalf!
"Toph manages," Zuko bit out. "She is very...motivated." Zuko knew better than to mention that she'd sooner kick Zuko or anyone else that tried to help in the balls than be tugged around like a dainty pet on a leash.
"She has an issue with not asking for help when she needs it," Lao said, which perhaps was the singular closest thing to the truth he'd said all night. Zuko sighed but almost laughed.
"Yes, that is indeed very true," he murmured. She hated to be seen as weak, so Toph nearly never admitted she was ever struggling with anything. Zuko could admire someone who did things independently, but he did know that sometimes everyone needed a little help.
And, just as quickly as he'd considered his daughter, he was talking about something else.
Zuko nearly made one slip-up that night. He wasn't sure what led to it, but somewhere he off-handedly said, "Oh, and well, there's Toph. She's a fantastic earthbender."
Lao had guffawed, setting his cup down.
"That's kind of you to bolster her, Prince Zuko," he'd said, his eyes dubious, "But we can admit freely here that she is simple at it, at best."
"Simple?" Zuko echoed. "Toph's the best earthbender I've ever seen, sir."
Lao looked troubled. "I don't think that's right, your highness. When Toph left here, she had hardly finished her stage 1 training. Because of her blindness, we doubt she'll ever progress farther, you see."
Zuko bit his tongue, wincing. He wished Toph had written to him, or told him, a list of all the things that her parents didn't know about her. No, it would have been easier for her to compile a list of what they did know.
"So, while I appreciate your attempt to honor me, she simply is just not capable," Lao finished.
Zuko took a big swig of his drink. "Of course, sir. You saw right through my compliments," he finished weakly, unsure how to backtrack now. Lao nodded as though he accepted this, but was looking at Zuko with curiosity, a look that meant he didn't quite believe Zuko.
Damn it. Zuko hoped he hadn't already mucked everything up.
They retired not long after.
The next morning, the girls were sent out on an assignment to do some service in the city. They would also be eating breakfast there, so there was no need for a group meal. Nadhari would be assisting at the Earthbending Academy. Yue would be visiting the orphanage. On Ji would be helping at a school. Toph was spending a day with her mother, and she acted like it was the end of the world.
Zuko met Poppy in passing. The diminutive woman could hardly meet his gaze, quaking like he was some great war-lord. Meeting her had left Zuko at a loss.
He'd thought that perhaps Toph's mother was a little snappy since her father was so unlike her. However, after meeting her parents, Zuko was wholly unconvinced they were actually biologically related. Where did this girl full of sass, naughty words, and strong opinions come from? He wondered if there was some uncle in the family tree that had been disowned that was out there, a male-version of Toph or something.
Zuko sent Sokka off on assignment early in the morning. His singular goal was to make sure the airbenders made it into the swamps, where Dhakiya should be waiting for them. This last part of the trip was not any more treacherous than any previous location, despite the feeling that they were just so close with this first group, and that if something went wrong…
No, Zuko could not think like that.
He hoped Aang was keeping Zhao away from this area, wherever he currently was.
XXxx
Zuko was to spend the day out and about checking up on some of the Fire Nation Guard camps: schmooze the soldiers far from home, shake hands, bring up morale. That sort of thing. And so he had, quite successfully.
His work, along with the other girls' jobs, had taken up until dinner. This meant he'd successfully avoided having to pretend to be in love with Toph for nearly half of the trip.
It wasn't that he thought he couldn't do it. Zuko was confident in his acting. It was more that Zuko was afraid of what Toph would do to him to convince her parents.
"Are you ready for dinner, your highness?" A servant knocked on his door to escort him.
"Yes, yes, I'm ready," Zuko said, reminding himself that Toph had already kissed him, so they'd already gotten the worst out of the way. He doubted there'd be any kissing at the dinner table, as it simply wasn't polite and Toph knew better (even if she pretended she didn't).
The dining room was set to impress. Only Toph was there, her face painted like a little doll. The other ladies had not arrived yet. Zuko was there first, as was customary. Toph had been granted special allowance because obviously she couldn't possibly find her way to the dining room in a reasonable amount of time...in a house she literally grew up in.
The first thing that truly hit him about Toph, though, was her expression. It switched as soon as he walked through the door. Something full of unbridled devotion and affection, something he'd never seen on Toph's face before. She looked at him like he was her whole world and she couldn't imagine another moment without him.
He tried not to react negatively to it, but his face must have still shown something, maybe unsureness, because Lao nervously came to his side.
"Is there something displeasing to you, sire?"
Zuko ducked his head, trying not to let his face redden or admit that he'd been thrown off by Toph's expression.
"I, uhm, where is my aid, Sokka?"
The fact Sokka had not returned did vex him. He had thought he might be back by lunch at the latest. It did not bode well for the mission that he had not made an appearance yet.
"I'm unsure, Prince Zuko," Lao said, though he hardly sounded upset. "We can keep a seat for him if it would please you."
Zuko nodded once, steeling himself for this dinner. As he was moving to find a seat, Toph piped up.
"Oh, Prince Zuko, won't you sit by me?" she asked in a pleading, hopeful tone. "I haven't been around you all day!"
She sounded positively depressed at that thought. Zuko paused, unsure until he remembered his goal.
"Erm, sure, Lady Beifong."
Toph laughed behind her hand, batting her eyelashes at him. "Oh, Prince Zuko, it's so virtuous of you to refer to me in such proper terms. My parents wouldn't be upset if you refer to me like you usually do, though," she said.
"Like I usually…" Zuko started, his hair prickling as he considered how uncomfortable he felt.
"Sparky, you're so silly."
When Toph usually called him Sparky, Zuko got the feeling she was using it in place of a more offensive term, or that it was synonymous with 'an utter idiot'. When she said it now, it sounded like they'd been using cute pet names for months with each other. Out of the corner of his eye, Poppy smiled and whispered something to her husband. Zuko took this as a good sign and gave a laugh.
"Just didn't want to be inappropriate…" His mind whirled as he tried to think of any nickname for her, and focused on the green of her dress robes. "...Melon-bear."
As Toph's parents turned to talk with a server bringing out a dish, Toph dropped her expression for a fraction of a second, glaring at him.
"Melon-bear?" she hissed.
Zuko gave a helpless shrug. He'd been forced to think of a nickname basically under duress, what else did she expect?
Toph switched back to her placid and infatuated expression as her parents took their seats. She very obviously slapped her hand down on his leg, very far up his thigh. Zuko truly tried not to jump out of his skin at the contact and instead choked on his water. Poppy almost looked pleased that her daughter was feeling up a prince in front of their nice mahogany dinner set.
He detached her hand as On Ji entered. On Ji noticed the encounter, her eyes narrowing with confusion. Agni, he'd forgotten that the other girls would find this weird. He hoped no one said anything. They should have discussed this before...the fact that the other girls might be confused by their amorous connection.
Shit, shit, shit. He hoped that no one was going to say anything. Jugging Toph's wandering fingers would be enough to deal with right now.
It seemed that Toph's parents were pleased with what they'd seen so far, enough so that Toph backed off an inch for a bit. The other girls came in and found their places, but Sokka still did not appear.
Most of the dinner seemed to go fine. Toph was sitting closer than normal to him, but she didn't try to feel him up again. Zuko foolishly thought he'd be lucky enough to get through this dinner, a whole day, with no incidents. He should have known better.
"We are so happy about our daughter's inclusion in your competition," Poppy said as they were bringing out dessert. "I doubt you could tell us, but as a mother, can we expect a wedding any time soon?"
Zuko drank water before answering. "You know it wouldn't be fair to admit anything," he said, "But, uhm, certain girls in this room are quite within my favor." He hoped that was vague enough to please them. He would consider Yue pretty far up on his list and he did find favor with Toph as a friend, so no lies here.
Poppy clapped her hands, smiling.
"I'm sure you are all lovely girls." She turned to the remaining trio. "But I can't help but hope that my daughter will be asked for her hand quite soon," she said as a near-apology.
"Mother, oh, stop," Toph actually blushed. Zuko wondered if she could do it on command at this point. "He'll ask me when he finds it appropriate," she said, giving Zuko moon-eyes. Zuko smiled at her, having found it less strange to look at her with such tender affections. He could admit from a purely platonic point of view she wasn't unattractive, plus he knew her to be a strong, independent, funny person. If he focused solely on her positive attributes, yes, it was easy to pretend to find her completely enchanting.
He found her hand, intending to touch it for just a moment, but Toph took it a step farther, lifting the back of his hand to her lips and placing a long kiss on it. It was not nearly as shocking as a kiss on the lips, but the intimateness of the gesture was not lost upon her parents. It was as close to scandalous, perhaps even more so than the leg touch, as one could get.
From down the table, Nadhari muttered something under her breath.
Zuko held his breath, hoping no one heard her. Rather, he hoped Poppy and Lao did not.
"Pardon?" Lao said, blinking at her.
Zuko stiffened, grinding his teeth. Shut up, shut up, shut up...whatever you said, don't say it again, he pleaded inwardly, glaring at her. Agni, how he wished he could just get rid of her.
"I just was thinking," Nadhari said, placing her hands in her lap and turning to Toph's parents with a completely innocent look, though Zuko expected what she was about to say was anything but. "It seems strange to me that Prince Zuko is so partial to Lady Bei Fong when at the palace, he hardly interacts with her or seems not to care about her."
The silence that followed was icy.
Zuko clenched his fists under the table, trying not to say something he'd regret, whether it be a bold lie or to snap Nadhari's head off. Nadhari looked smug. On Ji and Yue looked at each other with wide eyes, though they were sharing an expression that was close to 'well, I wasn't going to say it, but she's right.' Toph looked pale and furious, a sharp departure from the dewy, soft expression she'd had the entire dinner. Poppy and Lao were just whiplashed, confused, trying to glean what this meant.
"I do not think it is polite, Lady Nadhari, to make such assumptions about something you know nothing about," Zuko finally settled on, spit through gritted teeth.
Nadhrai didn't so much as blink at his tone. "It's merely an interesting observation."
Zuko was about to bite something back when On Ji started speaking in a quiet, warbling tone. "I mean, it is a little odd…" she said, swallowing. Even Nadhari looked shocked she was speaking up. "And I get that obviously you know more about it, but you never do seem romantically close to Toph."
Toph set down her fork. Zuko pre-winced, expecting Toph to drag one of the girls over the table with her bare hands, especially now that Lao was looking at Zuko and Toph with deep distrust.
"There are many things that happen behind the scenes that you may never see," Zuko nervously spoke over her. "What you might see as disinterest day-to-day may be different during other times."
"Behind the scenes?" Nadhari echoed, "Why, Prince Zuko, you wouldn't possibly be doing anything...untoward with Lady Beifong?"
Before Zuko could put the kibosh on that innuendo, Toph was grinning.
"Well, Nadhari, you said it yourself. We get along on a different level, something that's hard to express with all the ladies present. It's easier in a small group in front of my parents to show the truth."
Nadhari now looked unsure. Toph's tone sounded real enough and she said it with utmost belief, so much that Zuko was now wondering if he and Toph had a romantic connection that he didn't know about.
"So you...you two…" Nadhari faltered, eyes flickering between the pair.
Toph gave a small shrug and then, very slowly and very specifically, as she held the attention of the room, she placed her hands flat against her stomach.
Poppy gasped out loud. "My baby is having a baby?" she blubbered. Nadhari was nearly purple with fury, Yue was bright red and staring down at her uneaten dessert, and On Ji was white.
Lao strode over to Zuko and pulled him up firmly. There was one tense second in which Zuko was sure Lao was going to punch him for 'sleeping' with his daughter. He admitted he was more surprised when Lao began vigorously shaking his hand.
"A wedding is for sure to come then!" he crowed. "Ah, fortune on you, good sir! What a turn of events! Our daughter, The Fire Lady!"
"Yes, a surprise for all," Zuko said loudly, trying to regain the room. "Well, in light of...Toph's condition," he said sharply, trying not to glare at her, "Perhaps she should retire for the night. Perhaps we all should. It has been quite an illuminating dinner."
The other girls wanted nothing more than to be scarce after this, and Toph's parents fussed about her all the way out of the room. Zuko declined sake again, saying he had some work to do.
Back in his room, he kicked a chair.
Hah, and he thought this ruse would be manageable. The spirits loved to laugh at him.
"So, am I a good actress or am I a good actress?"
Zuko cursed as he jumped around, finding Toph standing at his door, closing it behind her.
"You!" Zuko sputtered, "One, you shouldn't be in here. Two...what the hell was that?"
"I just touched my stomach. Indigestion. Everyone else assumed shit," Toph said, as though she had no plot in place to make everyone think just that.
"You have basically just created a Royal Scandal," Zuko said dryly.
Toph grinned. "Cool."
"No, no! Not cool!" Zuko grasped his hair. "Agni, this is going to be a nightmare to fix. I hope you found it worth it!"
Toph just gave him a sly grin. "Immensely. My 'rents believed it! Hook, line and sinker, Sparky." She teased, her acerbic tone taking the same adoration when she used his nickname. He shuddered at the use of it now, a ball of anxiety growing in his stomach to even imagine what his father would say about this. Agni, Azula didn't have to underhandedly try to take the crown, Toph did it for her! He'd be a pile of soot when he returned home!
Before Zuko could dive into what he was queueing up his mind to be a devastating and furious lecture, the door next to his bedroom opened and closed. He paused, brows knitting.
"Sokka," he murmured, standing and leaving Toph where she stood. She jumped in line behind him. Zuko eased Sokka's door open and the pair slipped inside.
Sokka was illuminated by the flickering candlelight in his wash-room. He was dunking a cloth in and wrung the water out, droplets slipping down his arms. As he turned, Toph sniffed the air and stiffened a second before Zuko saw it.
Sokka was covered in blood.