Chapter 2

Katara hurried along the corridor, skidding to a stop outside her room. She straightened her dinner dress, nodded to her guards, who she only put up with on the insistence of Zuko, and went through the door to her room.

When Katara had made the move to the Fire Nation permanent, after much deliberation with her Grandmother and Father, Zuko had instructed his personal architects and interior designers to redesign one of the apartments within the palace to make Katara feel more at home.

Katara now had a personal bathroom, a walk-in wardrobe, a bedroom built for more than one (which Katara resented; her father too brought up marriage often in his letters), an office for her official representation business and a living room, all decorated in shades of blue. She also had a small fleet of personal servants and maids, whom she was often scolded by for aiding them in cleaning or carrying food, and bathing and dressing herself before her maids could be alerted.

She entered the room and made for the bedroom, and crashed onto the soft mattress.

"Master Katara?"

Katara turned her head to one side; her youngest maid, Kumi, stood in the wardrobe doorway, holding a dress bag. Katara sat up and motioned at the dress.

"Is that the dress that was commissioned for me to wear tonight?"

"Indeed, it is. Fire Lord Zuko personally signed off on the designs"

"He did?" Katara said, while thinking 'when does he find the time?'

"Yes Master Katara, he did. The design is similar to the one made for Master Toph to wear tonight"

"Is Toph here yet?"

"I do not know Master Katara, I can find out, if you wish"

"Yes please."

Kumi placed the dress bag on the bed and made for the door; she turned on her heel at the door to face Katara once again.

"I promise, I won't dress myself, although I will get in the bath"

Kumi smiled and left the room.

Elsewhere in the palace, Zuko had made his way back inside and was going to his room to re-dress for the ball, when a voice came from behind him.

"Sparky!"

The nearby servants and maids looked shocked at Master Toph's blatant disregard for the Fire Lord's position. Zuko merely turned to face the blind girl, and he gave a wide smile, while waving the lingering staff away.

"Toph, good to see you"

"You too Sparky"

"How are things in the Earth Kingdom?"

"I'm based in Ba Sing Se. I hate it"

Zuko knew of the younger girl's hatred of the Earth Kingdom capital; it confused her feet with its many rings and over population.

"Well, I am glad you are here for tonight"

"Sparky, I would not miss this for the world; it's been a year since a bunch of kids kicked some serious butt"

"Have you considered my offer for you to move in here?"

"I'm considering it more and more each day, but Kuei is about as useless as well, Sokka..."

"HEY!" came the water tribe warrior's voice from the far end of the corridor

"Hey Snoozles" Toph gave a wicked smile, "Sparky, I'll see you later, I'm going to get ready and find Sugar Queen. Bye Snoozles"

Sokka approached the Fire Lord and shook hands with his friend, before pulling him into a rather undignified hug.

"Sokka...cutting off...air supply..." Zuko breathed

Sokka released him; "How's it going jerkbender? It has been too long"

"Hey Sokka, well, I have been trying to overturn one hundred years of evil, so it's been going about as well as you could expect"

"I guess. But from what I've heard, you are doing leaps and bounds better than what anyone expected"

"Thanks Sokka" Zuko smiled at his friend, "Have you been to see your sister yet?"

"Nope, I just had to hear your dulcet tones first"

Zuko frowned "Thanks Sokka"

"Any idea where she is?"

"Her apartment probably" Zuko pointed in the direction of Katara's apartment

"I can't believe you gave her a whole section of your palace. See you later jerkbender!"

Sokka jogged off before the young Fire Lord could summon some fire.