Chapter 24
Dressing the Part
Night finally fell and Katara was shaking. 'This is ridiculous. It's just like any other party. Calm down.' Katara counseled herself. Unfortunately it wasn't working. Mother Matron and her girls were busily working on Katara's appearance for the night. Her face was made up with light beautiful make-up. Her lips were a glossy red and her eyebrows arched high. Her cheeks were blushed with a light rouge and her eyelids were a smoky mix of gold and black.
Tonight she wore a black floor length silk contraption under her kimono. The black piece had no sleeves, it was tied up the back and hugged her form until it reached her hips. At the hips it flowed out into a beautiful sea of black silk fabric. Over it was her red kimono with a deep v cut into it so that the black would show from underneath. The red kimono was decorated with a village in black and a golden dragon flying over it. The sash around her waist was black with the symbols for love, hope, peace, and joy embroidered in gold on it. Katara had almost gagged when Purya had pulled it so ridiculously tight. Katara had started to complain but then she caught sight of herself in the mirror and was awed by what the tight sash did for her figure. Suddenly she had hips and the pull of the sash against her top made her breasts suddenly very evident. The black dress she wore underneath the red was pulled low and so the top swell of each breast was just peeking out from behind it and with every movement the v of the kimono gave a glimpse of the exposed skin.
"Very alluring, no?" Akria giggled as she caught sight of Katara squirming in front of the mirror watching the tricks of the fabric.
"Er, I don't think my father will let me wear this." Katara blushed.
"Pah, you are about to be a queen. You can wear what you want." Purya cut in. "And I make you look nice, like a woman not a child, so you will wear it."
Much as Katara knew she should probably argue she did kind of like the thought of being mysterious and sexy. It made her feel grown up and daring. She wondered what Zuko would think of the dress. She blushed at the thought of him. She couldn't get the image of him in that towel out of her head. It was making her crazy and she felt that weird heat course down her middle. She squirmed, trying to squeeze her thighs together to stop the warm feeling. 'Stop it!' She commanded her body.
She tried to focus her mind back on her outfit. Dropping her eyes to her arms, she admired the long elegant sleeves of her kimono, they were red like the dress and had the black outline of dragons on them. To complete the outfit, she had begged her way into being allowed to wear her little gold silk shoes beneath her dress. Purya had only ceded when Katara pointed out no one would see them anyway underneath the full length dress.
Her hair was twisted up into an elegant knot with free falling tendrils at the sides of her face. In her hair was a crown similar to that of the fire nation but instead it held the symbol of the water nation. She was told to hold her head up as the engagement necklace Zuko had bought her was adjusted on her neck. She blushed again as another wave of heat hit her thinking about when Zuko had put the necklace on her. She was going to be absolute puddy by the time she got to the ball if she kept thinking about him like this. Blushing furiously and shaking her head to clear the images, Katara brushed her fingers lightly over the jewels of her necklace and smiled at the sparkle of her ring in the mirror.
She missed him. She wanted to see him. She wished he was holding her now. The necklace's warmth made her think of all the fondness she held for him and the love that was blossoming deep inside of her.
- -
"What do you think uncle? Does this look appropriate to you? It's so hard to find anything to wear around here. Red and black are just so evil." Azula sighed, as she eyed herself in the mirror. "Why can't the fire nation have more good people colors?"
Iroh chuckled. "You look fine Azula. It is not what you are wearing but your behavior tonight that will decide your fate."
"I know that ol-, uncle." Azula faltered, she had to stop calling him an old man in her head it would make talking to him so much easier. "I just think that an ensemble can help one with his or her reentrance into society."
Azula primped again in the mirror as a servant coiled her hair up into its usual style.
"No, no, no! That's old Azula hair, I need good Azula hair. Do something different with it. It needs to look good." Azula fussed.
The servant glanced over at Iroh who just shrugged. The heck if he knew what good person hair was.
The servant pulled the pins and ribbons free of Azula's hair and brushed it straight again. Starting over, she pulled the top half of Azula's hair back up into a bun and tied a gold ribbon around it and let the ends spiral free. She pulled hair free from Azula's temples and let it frame her face as it once did but she allowed the back to hang free.
"How is that princess?" The girl asked.
Azula eyed herself in the mirror then turned to her uncle.
"How is that? Is that good now? Do I look like I'm good?" She asked.
"You look fine Azula. Just relax. Try to have fun tonight." Iroh smiled, thinking the girl looked quite a bit like her mother with her hair like that.
"But I don't know how to have fun. I tried it once and it didn't really work out so we destroyed the party…that was fun." Azula thought out loud.
"Destroying things shouldn't be fun Azula." Iroh corrected.
"It's not, not any more. I want to help build and create, right?." Azula asked, giving him a big smile.
Iroh nodded and smiled. Tonight was going to be very interesting.
Azula turned one last time looking at her dress made mostly of gold silk. The entire inner dress was gold and had sakura blossoms painted in black, falling in a triangular arch from her left hip to the hem where they were collecting all the way around her dress. She wore a robe lined in black over it and a black sash held it all together. The sleeves of her robe had the same black sakura blossoms painted on it. She hoped everyone would see the shining images of goodness she was trying to create.
- -
"How does that look? I don't look stupid do I?" Sokka asked.
"What do you mean?" Aang asked, cocking his head to the side and scrutinizing Sokka.
"My hair, it's centered right? And my shirt is on the right side, right? And these leggings match don't they?" Sokka continued to panic.
"Sokka, it's like the same outfit you wear everyday." Aang said.
"Except way fancier. This silk feels weird, and my clothes are lined in silver now, not white and I've got sleeves today, thank you very much. Argh, are you paying attention?" Sokka shouted, as Aang began to play with Momo again.
"Should have asked a man and not a child?" Sokka muttered.
"Hey! I'm not a child." Aang sulked. Why did everyone keep calling him a child or treating him like a child? He was the avatar. He'd saved the world. He wasn't a child.
"Hey, Haru, what do you think of my hair?" Sokka called as he walked out of the room he and Aang were dressing in.
Aang sighed. Life was supposed to be good after the war but instead he felt like a useless outcast now.
"Come on Momo. We should probably go get ready too." Aang muttered, as he pulled his gold robes out of the armoire.
- -
Zuko was at his most regal tonight. His red robes spoke volumes of power, the gold accents told all of his wealth, and the black sash warned of his strength. Servants were brushing imaginary lint from his shoulders and others were tugging gently at the sleeves to be certain his outer robe was straight. His hair was pulled back and his golden flame gleamed from the top of his head. His face was set in a determined mask as he stepped down from his dressing stool and proceeded to the hall where he was to meet Katara.
- -
"I hate getting dressed up like this." Toph complained as Suki brushed her hair.
"But you look very pretty. I wonder what Teo will think of you in your regal robes." Suki grinned.
"What does Teo have to do with anything?" Toph muttered, trying to hide her blush from the Suki.
"I think he's got a lot to do with it." Suki grinned.
"Then…then, do you think I look nice?" Toph whispered, not wanting to reveal any insecurity.
"I think you look beautiful." Suki said, kissing the younger girl's cheek. She giggled, she was really getting into this big sister role. She and the Kyoshi warriors were always seen as so tough, it was nice to sit back, relax, and just be a girl for a while.
- -
Katara's heart was hammering in her chest as she spotted Zuko in the hallway. He looked so powerful and untouchable. She felt small and insignificant next to him. She almost cringed when he turned his golden gaze on her. She was just beginning to fidget when he smiled. Her shoulders immediately relaxed. She curtsied to him and he offered a respectful bow of his head back. She wished she knew what to say to him as he took her hand in his and brushed a kiss against the back of it. Her mouth was dry and her tongue was glued to the roof of her mouth, as his eyes locked on her. Her breathing was short quick gasps as she was mesmerized but his wicked grin.
"You look beautiful." He murmured against hand, before letting it drop back down to her side. "Will you allow me to escort you?"
He offered her an arm. She nodded like a mute child. She'd follow him anywhere right now. She was completely enthralled.