While the Avatar was having tea with Iroh, Katara and Zuko were on their way to answer Ozai's summons. They made their way to the throne room. Earlier Katara had been quickly updated by the Madam. She was extremely pleased with how the woman hand-handled things in her absence.

Katara whispered, "no one knows better than me the fear he can strike in people."

"You stood up to him," he countered.

She shrugged, "and if he had killed me that day he wouldn't be able to rape me. Looking back, I don't know if talking back to him showed bravery."

He took her hand, laced their fingers together and held on tight. "Together."

"We always will be. Now, you should be expecting to be praised for killing your sister. Try not to vomit over how gross that is."

He gave her a sad smile, "I am prepared for that."

"Good. Now, just remember this is all to stop him and make you Fire Lord. You got this."

He dropped Katara's hand as they walked into the throne room and bowed before Ozai. "Fire Lord," Zuko said respectfully.

Ozai stared down at Zuko ignoring Katara, for now. "You have proven you are my son after all. I am satisfied. And I am dissolving your betrothal to Mai. When you were weak it didn't matter to marry you to a non bender. Now, that you are my heir and have proven yourself you will marry Shinu's granddaughter. She's powerful and from a strong line of benders."

"What?" Zuko asked, thrown off by the direction everything had taken. He was obviously expecting to be sickened by his father being pleased over Azula's death.

"You marry and that happens today. Your bride is already preparing for your wedding."

Katara hadn't updated Zuko on everything the Madam had informed her about. She left out this part, which was a test for Zuko, not to prove himself to Katara,but to show Ozai what Zuko was made of.

Zuko scoffed, "well, Shinu managed to worm his way into the family. How… common for your top advisor to advance his family's position."

Ozai glared at his son. "This is only an excuse because you actually like that whore of yours. You will marry who I tell you to!"

Calmly he replied, "No, father, I won't. I wouldn't have married Mai either. Go ahead and disown me. You don't have any bastards to take the throne if you have me killed. What happens to your legacy then?"

"You will marry her! Even if I have to command it, you will join the two families!"

"And you still can't force me to sleep with her. Where would the heir come from?"

Ozai stood angrily, "I will murder any child Katara gives birth to. The midwife will be commanded to drown the brat in a tub of water immediately!"

Katara cocked her head and smiled, "then your line would die out. You lose this one."

The Fire Lord stalked forward and grabbed Katara by the arm and shook her. "You bitch! I should just fucking kill you!"

Zuko shoved his father back and forced him to release Katara. "You don't touch her!"

"I am Fire Lord! I can do what I want!" Ozai smiled broadly. "Actually, this will be fun. She is no longer your recognized Mistress. If another man touches her the anger of the crown no longer is incurred. It's now open season on your precious bitch. Have fun watching other men fuck that slut." He walked back over to the throne and sat down. "Bring her! The wedding is now!"

A very nervous guard bowed and said, "Fire L-lord. Um… she's missing." He then ran from the room.

Katara hid her smile. She knew Ozai would never find the girl hidden away in the caves beneath the palace. The wedding couldn't happen now. The Madam and the guards helping Zuko had been very efficient in kidnapping her from her room.

Ozai screamed, "find her! Now!"

Katara let her smile show now. "It seems you are losing control, Fire Lord. I wonder who has betrayed you."

He looked at his drunk wife and for the first time in a long time the look wasn't filled with disgust. "Do you need anything?" He asked kindly.

She looked up abruptly at him in shock and almost dropped her wine glass. She took a large sip and laughed, "well, that's new. It actually sounds like you don't hate me."

He shrugged, "for the first time in a long time; I don't hate you."

She sat down on the armchair and looked at her husband cuddled up with his mistress. "You two are just too adorable. I can't believe I'm rooting for you to work out. Don't get me wrong," she said and paused to take a gulp of wine. "It's because I like her. Although, I am learning you're not so bad, husband. The most offensive part about you was that I was born without a choice."

He mused over that. "For the first time, I can see your side."

"Well, enough bonding," she replied dismissively. She didn't want to get into her feelings that much. After all, they were the reason she drank. The wine blurred her past and how miserable she was currently. "The guards have moved Shinu's granddaughter and put her in hiding. I met her, and wow, is she a bitch! And that's coming from me!"

He chuckled. "She must be horrible then."

"She wants to be Fire Lady, and she actually had written down a plot to kill Katara –fool. She definitely doesn't take after her grandfather. Even drunk, I know never to write things down." She waived her hand, "anyway. She will be smuggled out of the palace and imprisoned in a few days. I have secured a prison that will take Zuko's orders and hide it all from Ozai."

"Dare I ask?" He queried.

She rolled her eyes. "Do you need to? I will fuck any cock that isn't yours. I might as well put it to use and get something out of it."

"What are you getting out of making Zuko Fire Lord?"

"I get to make my own choices, bad choices, but they are mine, for the first damn time in this life! I'm realizing that you're probably a good man and would make a good husband, but I could never have loved you. Not when I was groomed as a child to be your bride. It wasn't even your fault, it was my parent's." She put her feet up on the table with her ankles crossed. "I will marry your brother and get to do whatever I want without the scrutiny of being in the palace. You have expectations of your wife; he doesn't."

He scowled, "fidelity?"

"Exactly. See, you understand." She then set her wine glass down and looked at her husband and his mistress. "The guards know to listen to what you say too." She frowned, "I was a bitch to you and delighted in stomping on your affections. It was my vengeance for being forced into marriage. I have recently realized you didn't have a choice either." She shook her head as if to clear it. "I'm making sure any loyalty I garner extends to you too. As I said, you're a good man and will do well serving Zuko." She then grabbed up her glass and left the room quickly.

"Well, I guess she decided the conversation was over." He frowned, "you didn't say a word. Why?"

"I'm selfish; I didn't want to agree with her that you're a good man and have her decide she should stay with you."

He laughed and caressed her arm. "Not going to happen. Did you hear her?"

She moved and straddled him. "Yes, I did. But I can't imagine choosing to walk away from you. It's more my own love for you that makes me worry. I do know she's been all but legally divorced from you for years."

He moved his hands and rested them on her backside, and ground his cock against her core. "I would do anything to be able to marry you."

"You're changing the subject."

"At a time like this… I don't want to be thinking of any woman but you."

"Make love to me."

Emi was tucked in an alcove with her lover's hands all over her. She was moaning in pleasure as he touched and teased her body. Once the group of people passed, he kept her pressed against the wall but stopped fondling her.

"That was close," he whispered very quietly. "I'm glad I thought quickly."

"Touching my body is never far from your mind."

He raked his eyes over her, "No, it's not. It's a side perk of this mission. Madam did tell you not to get caught."

She playfully rolled her eyes. "True. But if they saw us walking down the hall, they wouldn't have thought anything of it. There wasn't a reason to hide."

He smirked and said, "I really just wanted an excuse to touch you. You wore that low-cut bodice, and all I can think of is sucking on your perky tits."

"Soon," she promised. "I just need…."

He pulled her into his arms and kissed her cheek as she trailed off. "You don't have to worry about not telling me. I know it's not distrust but the need for secrecy."

"Thank you," she whispered and nipped at his neck. "I'll reward you for your trust later."

He grew hard as her words washed over him with the promise of hot sex. "I can't wait."

She giggled, "it won't be long. I'm sure you figured we have to have sex for this little spy mission."

"It's why I agreed to come along so easily."

Emi slipped out of the corner and down the hall with him. She then knocked on a door and stepped back submissively, and bowed her head. She was playing her part well, and he admired her for it. She totally transformed her whole demeanor.

When the door opened, he wasn't surprised. It was a private sex party where one couple was having sex while the others drank naked and watched. He assumed they all took turns.

The man who answered the door smiled wide, "well, she's a vision. I can't wait to see her get fucked. Do you want to be the one to do it, or do you want a trade?"

"I get her tight cunt this time," he answered, non-defensively, he hoped. He then grabbed her ass, "she's still new to me. I don't need to swap yet."

"Fair enough. Just remember you get first dibs on whoever you bring." The man eyed Emi lustfully. "Too bad. I'd love to drive my cock into that whore's mouth."

They stripped, and she draped herself all over him while he drank Fire whiskey, and she abstained. She needed to remember everything that was said.

She concentrated on caressing his body as he chatted about inane things as the people, two by two, took their turn on display. She wasn't listening to what he said. Her ears were tuned to any other conversation. One that, due to the excessive amount of drinks and the loud lewd noises coming from the floor show, wasn't quiet at all.

And as she listened, she learned from the councilor, still loyal to Ozai, that the search for Shinu's daughter was zeroing in on the area where the cave entrance was hidden. That has been the concern and what had driven her to the wretched event.

It was too much of a risk to move her for no reason, but now there was a reason. And she would have to be moved tonight before the lighting was good and might expose cracks in the hidden entrance.

And then it was their turn. She knew he hated treating her like a whore, so she whispered into his ear, "celebrate with me." She saw the news register on his face. He got the message. She had learned something important.

He pulled her down on top of him and had her sit on his face and suck his cock. She was pleased he was able to let go of his nerves and put on a show. They might have to go back again, and she wanted everyone to believe he would choose to have her again. By how hard he screamed out his release, she knew she wouldn't have to worry.