Katara and Zuko stood in the hallway, their friends staring at them in stunned silence. Suki and Toph seemed to have figured out exactly what happened, but Sokka and Ty Lee wore equal expressions of confusion.

"Um… what was all that about?" Sokka asked tentatively.

Before anyone could reply, Aang's door suddenly burst open again and he emerged, carrying his backpack and his staff. He shot Katara and Zuko an angry glare, then turned and marched down the hallway.

"Aang, wait!" Suki called, jogging forward to catch up. She gave Katara a sympathetic look as she passed, then took off after Aang.

Sokka, Ty Lee, and Toph wandered over to Zuko and Katara, both of whom looked thoroughly embarrassed.

"So… am I right in guessing that you two are… you know... Dating?" Ty Lee asked, her face lighting up expectantly.

"Well…yes," Katara started, glancing at Zuko sheepishly and enticing a delighted squeal out of Ty Lee. "We were going to tell you guys today, but I guess it's out now."

"Wait. WHAT?" Sokka said, bristling. "Katara…"

But she cut him off before he could continue. "Look Sokka; I appreciate that you look out for me and I get that you want to have your 'big brother' moment and all, but in light of everything that has just happened, can you please just skip to the part where you are happy for me? I've had enough drama today, and I just woke up."

Sokka stared at her, his mouth agape. He shifted his gaze to Zuko, who rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably, and then he sighed. "Yeah yeah… fine. Zuko's one of my best friends, and he's a good guy, so I guess I'm happy that you are with someone I know will treat you well."

Katara smiled despite herself. "Thanks Sokka."

She stood awkwardly, holding her robe closed around herself. Sokka still looked to be struggling with himself, but he remained silent. Ty Lee and Toph however, looked genuinely happy for the pair of them.

"So what's your plan now? Are you going to try the long distance thing?" Toph asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Actually… I have decided to move here. Well, to the Capital, not… here," Katara replied, casting an anxious look towards her brother, whom she expected to explode.

Sokka frowned at her, but to everyone's surprise, he nodded. "That makes sense. It was really hard for me and Suki to be apart so much, and since I'm next in line to become leader of our Tribe, I couldn't exactly leave the South Pole. Zuko can't leave the Fire Nation, so it makes sense that you'd come here instead."

Katara gave him a disbelieving look, shocked that he was being so agreeable. "Yeah… and like Suki, I am not tied down to one place. Plus she's got her Southern Kyoshi Warriors to keep her busy, and I can find something similar here to occupy my free time."

"WAIT!" Ty Lee suddenly exclaimed. "Does this mean you're going to be our new Fire Lady!?"

Katara blushed, avoiding Zuko's gaze. She shrugged noncommittally. Beside her Zuko gave a small chuckle, and she realized that he was amused by her response. She reminded herself to tell him off later. Luckily she was saved from giving a proper answer by the reappearance of a stressed looking Suki.

"Well, I caught up to him," she said, stopping next to Katara and taking her hand comfortingly. "He would barely talk to me though."

"What did he say?" Zuko asked.

She frowned uncomfortably at him, obviously not wanting to repeat his exact words. "The jist of it was that he couldn't stay here, and that he was going to go get Appa and go home. Then he jumped on his glider and left."

"Appa's back in the Capital… is he planning on flying there?"

She shrugged at him. "He might have headed down to the harbour to see if any boats are leaving now, but he didn't seem too keen on giving me details."

Toph sighed and crossed her arms. "We are leaving this afternoon anyway… he might have just headed down to the boat early."

Suki shrugged again. "I guess we'll find out when we get to the ship. But for now, we should just get dressed, have breakfast, and enjoy our last day together. If Aang doesn't want to be a part of that, we shouldn't let it ruin it for the rest of us."

Everyone nodded in agreement. Katara felt terrible that Aang had found out about her and Zuko in such a way, but now that the dust was settling she was finding she was angry more than anything. She had done nothing wrong, and though she understood that Aang was upset, he had no right to treat her how he had. He was acting like a child, and she was so sick of it.

They all wandered back to their rooms to dress and pack up their things, and then met up again for breakfast. The one benefit to the morning's drama was that Katara and Zuko didn't have to hide their relationship in front of their friends anymore, so despite everything, they found themselves to be in quite a cheerful mood. They spent the better part of the morning discussing ways Katara could help Ty Lee with the Western Kyoshi Warriors and speculating about how the people of the Fire Nation would take the news of Katara and Zuko's relationship. Even Sokka seemed to genuinely be happy for his sister, even if he was still struggling to process the news.

By the time they had finished breakfast and gathered together to head to the ship, Aang's tantrum had almost been forgotten. However as they neared the harbour, Katara began to wonder if Toph was right, and Aang would be waiting on the ship when they arrived. Suki asked the Captain if he had seen him, but it seemed that Aang has vanished into thin air.

"I wonder if he really did fly back to the Capital on his own? It's quite far…" she mused after relaying the news to her friends.

"Well he was pretty upset… he might have just left. But he's the Avatar; I'm sure he will be fine," Ty Lee said reassuringly.

Katara frowned. It was one thing to flip out and storm off because he had his feelings hurt, but it was another thing entirely for him to disappear and worry all his friends. This sort of childish behaviour was one of the many reasons Katara broke up with him in the first place. He had been forced to grow up on his own, and very quickly, but he was often stuck in this childish mentality that she just couldn't handle anymore.

They boarded the boat, the happy mood now shattered. Suki had taken it upon herself to search every nook and cranny of the ship, but confirmed that Aang was nowhere to be found. She gave up and sat on the deck between Sokka and Ty Lee, feeling dejected. The trip between Ember Island and the Capital wasn't very long by ship, but the somber atmosphere made the journey feel like it took ages, and Katara in particular seemed to be affected by it.

Once they finally arrived back at the Royal Palace, Iroh was waiting at the main entrance for them. After giving them all a warm greeting, he sought out his nephew and pulled him aside.

"Zuko, where is Aang?" he asked, looking concerned.

Zuko glanced over at Katara, then gave his uncle a sheepish look. "He… decided to leave early," he responded vaguely.

His answer seemed to relieve some of Iroh's trepidation however, and he sighed. "Well that should explain it then."

"Explain what?" Zuko asked, confused.

"This morning Appa suddenly took off and vanished. He flew off in the direction of Ember Island, so I thought he might have went to find Aang, but I wasn't sure."

Zuko nodded, Aang's escape suddenly making sense. "He has a whistle that he uses to call Appa… he must have used it after he left and Appa came to get him. I'm impressed that the heard the whistle from this far away though."

"Why did he leave though?" Iroh asked.

Zuko glanced at Katara again, then gestured for Iroh to follow him to somewhere more private. He informed his friends that he would meet up with them after, then led Iroh towards the empty council room. Iroh followed him with a bemused expression, clearly curious as to why Zuko was seeking privacy. Once he was sure they were alone, Zuko turned back to his uncle with a smile he could not supress.

"The night of the ball, Katara and I… well, we got to… talking, and we discovered that be both have feelings for each other. So we are together now," he explained, blushing slightly.

Iroh grinned at him, clapping him on the shoulder. "I knew that would happen! Hakoda owes me money…"

"Hakoda? Katara's dad?" Zuko asked, confused.

"The very same. After a merely a day of watching you and Katara make eyes at each other, we made a bet. I bet him that you two would get together before the end of their trip, and he bet that you would get together after Katara went home and you realized how miserable you were without each other," Iroh replied with a chuckle.

Zuko's blush deepened, and he was at a loss for words. He had suspected that Iroh knew how he felt about Katara, but he didn't realize that Katara's father knew as well. He wondered if it had really been so obvious.

"So I am guessing Aang found out, and that is why he left?" Iroh said, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yeah… he sort of found out by accident and he flipped out. I don't think he is actually over Katara, even though he says he is."

"I think you are right. It seems to me that he was maybe hoping to win her back, so I am not surprised that he would be upset finding out that she has moved on. He just needs time to cool down; you know how he is."

"Yeah, that's what I think too. I'll leave him alone for a bit, then reach out to him and see if he will talk to me," Zuko said with a sigh. "I don't think he is actually angry with Katara or I… he's just… hurt."

"I see some of my wisdom has rubbed off on you, nephew," Iroh said with a gleam in his eye.

Zuko rolled his eyes, but smiled at his uncle. "I learned a long time ago that you usually have good advice, even if it doesn't always make sense right away."

Iroh grinned appreciatively. "So, what is the plan now? I know Katara was going to stay an extra week anyway, but will she be staying longer now?"

"She's decided to move here actually. She said she loves it here and that she feels like she really fits in. She reassured me that she isn't just coming here for me."

"I have noticed how happy she has been here," Iroh agreed, "so I'm not surprised she wants to stay. It will be nice to have her around permanently. Is she going to stay at the palace? I assume yes."

"Yeah. I figured she could just stay in the room she has now; it has one of the best views in the palace, and she is happy with it. I thought I might assign her a permanent attendant too. If things… go well for us, she will have to get used to having personal servants, so we'll start her with having just one so she can adjust."

Iroh grinned knowingly, and nodded. "Yes, getting her used to it now is a good idea. I doubt she will have much time before she has several personal servants and her own personal guard…"

Zuko blushed again, fighting a grin. He knew marriage was something that was expected of him, especially now that the dust from the war was settling. His people would be looking for him to settle down and start having children so that the peace he helped create would continue on for future generations. But until recently, it was never really something he actively thought of. He knew it was far too soon to ask Katara to marry him, but everything about them was unconventional anyway, and at least he knew without a doubt that he loved her. Most of the marriages in his family had been arranged, so he supposed it wasn't any stranger to marry someone after such a short courtship.

"Well uncle, I still have to inform the council about all of this, but we'll see what happens after that," Zuko replied with a smirk.

XXXX

Katara entered her room, comforted by its familiarity. She hadn't been in the Fire Nation long, but the room already felt like her space, and at the moment it was something she needed. She had been trying to not let herself feel guilty about Aang all day, but it was hard to not let it eat away at her conscience. She kept reminding herself that she had done nothing wrong, but she still couldn't help feeling bad.

She crossed the room to drop her bag by the closet, and noticed something gleaming on her vanity table. She moved closer and saw her hairpin sitting next to the armbands she had placed there earlier. She picked it up, wondering how it got back to her, when there was a sudden knock at the door.

"Come in!" she called, putting the pin down and dropping her bag.

Akame entered, giving Katara a bow before moving into the room. "Hello my lady. I hope your trip was enjoyable."

"It was, thanks for asking!"

Akame nodded silently, looking downtrodden. "I am glad to hear it my lady."

Katara looked her over, noticing her tense energy. "Is everything okay?"

She looked up at Katara, slightly startled. She twisted the hem of her apron in her fingers for a moment, her eyes flicking towards the hairpin on the table.

"I… um… I have something to tell you."

"What is it? Are you alright?" Katara asked, her brow furrowed in concern.

"I am fine, I just… made a mistake and I fear it will impact you."

"How so? What happened?"

Akame hesitated, but the concerned look on Katara's face encouraged her to speak. "When I came in to clean your room after you left, I found… some clothing…" she started, giving a worried glance to Katara.

She knew immediately what Akame was referring to, and guessed where the story was going. She had a feeling this had something to do with her hairpin being returned as well.

"I um… realized that it belonged to the Fire Lord… so I tried to sneak the clothing back into his laundry before anyone noticed. But one of the maids cleaning his room ran into me before I could, and she had found your hairpin in there and recognized it, so when she saw me with the Fire Lord's things… she… well, she made assumptions."

"I see…" Katara replied, unable to help being slightly amused. Akame seemed genuinely upset however, and Katara got the impression that she was expecting to be fired or at least screamed at. "Well, these things happen. I appreciate that you tried to be discreet on my behalf."

Akame looked at her with her mouth agape, genuinely shocked. "But… my lady… the other maid told some of her friends, and now the entire staff is gossiping about it. I asked her not to spread it around, but it was already too late."

"Honestly, it's okay. I really do appreciate that you tried, but you didn't do anything wrong. Besides, we haven't exactly been subtle," Katara said with a smirk.

Akame seemed to forget her dismay as Katara confirmed her suspicions, and her mouth fell open again. "So it's true!?" she caught herself, then added, "my lady…"

Katara laughed and nodded. "Zuko and I are seeing each other, yes. And please, you really don't have to address me so formally. Katara is fine, remember?"

Akame gave a half-hearted nod that Katara took to mean she would continue using the honorific regardless of Katara's protests, but at least her mood had seemed to shift.

"Does this mean you will be staying at the palace?"

"I… suppose so, yes. We haven't actually discussed that, but I assume I will likely stay here."

Akame's face lit up with joy, and she gave Katara a genuine grin. "I am really happy to hear that! I have very much enjoyed having you around."

"Thank you, I really appreciate that! I have enjoyed having you around too," Katara replied with a smile.

"If you are remaining at the palace, and especially if you become Fire Lady, you will likely be assigned ladies maids. I know Princess Azula had several, so it is common for the royal family to have at least two or three personal attendants. If you like, I can give you recommendations. I have worked at the palace for quite a few years now and I am one of the senior staff members, so I know most of the other servants pretty well."

Katara raised an eyebrow at her. "Well, I really don't need several attendants or anything, but if I have to have attendants, I would love it if you could be one. Unless you don't want to?"

"Oh! I would very much like that my lady! I did not want to assume… but if you would like me to remain solely in your employ, I would certainly be honoured!"

"Of course I want you to! And maybe one day you will stop calling me 'my lady' and just call me by my name," Katara replied with a laugh.

"I make no promises," Akame said with a smirk. "In all seriousness though, the council will likely insist you have another servant or two at least, especially if you and the Fire Lord marry. So I will draw up a list of candidates I think you will like, and whom I work well with and you can interview them. Otherwise the council will probably just assign a few more to you, and you could end up with anybody who is available or in line for a promotion."

"I don't think interviews are necessary…" Katara said awkwardly. "Can I just put you in charge of it all and trust you to hire people who will be a good fit? You can be like… my second in command or something. I honestly don't know all the protocol here, so I would really appreciate it if you could guide me."

Akame smiled at her. "Well it's not unusual to have one servant responsible for organizing the rest of your personal staff. The Fire Lord does; he has one servant who is responsible for assigning tasks and keeping the other servants organized. It's especially convenient for the Fire Lord because he only has to relay information to one servant, who then makes sure everyone else knows. He is more or less the personal assistant of the Fire Lord, and the rest are his personal staff."

"Well in that case, I would love it if you would be my personal assistant. We already get along well, I trust you, and you know far more about palace life than I do, so that will be immensely helpful. Any other staff I may or may not be required to have I will leave up to you to choose."

"You do me a great honour, lady Katara. I really appreciate your faith in me, and the opportunity you are granting me," Akame replied happily.

"Trust me, the appreciation goes both ways. You have been a great friend to me."

Akame blushed and gave a little nod. It was clear to Katara that she had never been treated so respectfully before, at least not by one of the palace guests, and that was something she was determined to change if she ever did become Fire Lady. Servant or noble; everyone deserved to be treated with kindness and respect.

"If there is nothing else my lady, I should go inform the head of staff that you are to remain at the palace and have requested me as your personal servant," Akame said with a small curtsy.

"Oh, sure! I should go find Sokka, Suki, and Toph anyway; they are all leaving tomorrow morning, so I want to make sure I spend some time with them tonight. Thanks again for everything, Akame."

"My pleasure, my lady," Akame said with another curtsy. She left the room, leaving Katara alone with her thoughts once again.