Unladenswallows over on Ao3 gave me permission to use her review. I think it states perfectly what I was trying to get at using the conversation between Katara and Ursa.

Written by unladenswallows:

"I think the main issue is that there is no sacrifice anymore if she chooses to forget her children in the first place. That's where she loses any position to judge anyone else let alone judge the son she chose to forget for killing the daughter she also chose to forget

She was in an abusive marriage to a tyrant. Instead of thinking long term about the protection of her children from him, she made sure to make her husband the king and left her children. While these weren't the smartest decisions, they're understandable for someone in a very difficult position. After all she did love her children and had to leave them for what she thought was the best decision. Had she then gone on to move on with a new partner and child while keeping the memory of her children alive, it would be a sacrifice. Even if she didn't make any effort to find out how her children were doing out of fear, at least there is a hope to find each other again -something we expect her to want since she claims to love these children. There one can identify the sacrifice -she sacrifices a life with her children to make sure one isn't killed and that's something to respect. Because everything else she gets out of this deal is just a win-win for her. She gets to leave her abusive marriage and start again with a new loving partner.

But she didn't do that, she wiped the memory of the children altogether. The children could've been killed the next day in a freak accident or by the tyrant she left them with and she wouldn't have known or cared. By wiping the memory of her children, she basically removed the "sacrifice" aspect to her actions because she essentially abandoned every aspect of her children and got her happily ever after. At that point the only "sacrifice" is that she left a life of luxury at the palace. She can't judge what the kids did to survive after that. Had she actually not erased their memories maybe she would've thought about them over the years and thought about what they were going through, she would've had more empathy for the position both Zuko and Azula were in. Even if I don't like judge people in bad situations, it is important to identify actions as they are and the consequences of those actions with context and, I do judge people who made bad decisions in bad situations judging the the people they left in the bad situations. That crosses a line. Everyone's had it tough, what exactly did she think was gonna happen after she left. Oh right she didn't, she just chose to forget and hoped it would all work out for her."

Now back to Captured:

It was three days later, and Zuko had a major headache. It wasn't one thing in particular that had been the cause, it was the stress of learning to run a nation and trying not to forget to reward all those who had been loyal to him.

"Nozomu, where is that document?"

His secretary smirked and said, "under your right elbow, Fire Lord."

Zuko sighed and didn't even comment on his oversight. He just grabbed it up and started reading. He had a Captain to promote to Admiral now. The man had already been summoned to the palace.

Nozomu had someone research the youngest son and the woman he was in love with. She was the daughter of one of his councilmen, one he not only respected but one who had been working on Zuko's behalf. He was a member of the group that had exposed Shinu. A meeting was scheduled with both of them for later that afternoon.

An hour later, Nozomu placed a cup of tea in front of Zuko. "You can take a break long enough to drink that. You've been working nonstop since early this morning."

Zuko took a sip and stared into the middle distance. "I just have so much to do."

"And I have the names of the other secretaries I think you need. Your father had five. You can at least expand to three, maybe four."

He rubbed his forehead. "I don't have time to learn to trust them."

"I do," Nozomu said. "They will report to me, and I will ensure that they are worthy. I will take responsibility for them. I will hire them on a probationary period. If I had others to do the menial work, I could assist you more in what you do."

"That I can get behind. Hire who you want. Like you said, they will report to you. I want everything that comes to me filtered through you, though. Once I do eventually have time to learn to trust them, you can restructure if you want. I know most secretaries have areas of specialty. I'm not being fair, but I am asking you to learn everything."

Nozomu took it in stride. After all, Zuko had learned distrust at an early age. His own father betrayed him over and over again. The ones he trusted now had done a lot to earn that very thing.

Toph smirked, knowing the guard by her side, the one Zuko still insisted she have because she was an Earthbender in the Fire Nation, was turned on.

She was blind, and she couldn't see the face he claimed was handsome, but with her strong Earthbending ability, she could sense other things.

She stopped on a dime and pivoted to face him. "You're such a horn-wolf-dog."

He knew she couldn't see him rake his eyes over her body, but he looked at her appreciatively. "I'm picturing you naked right now." He wasn't the least bit embarrassed by her comment.

She laughed at him anyway, turned, and started walking. "And what did I unintentionally do this time to turn you on, muscle brains?"

He shrugged, "nothing. I was just thinking back to last night. I enjoy reliving our times together in my head. I jerk off to thoughts of you often."

As they walked down the hall, both in step with the other, Toph answered, "I hear you constantly think of your cock."

Kenji nodded and said, "I'm always up for sex with a willing woman." He then frowned and looked at the ground. "I don't fully understand my reaction to you. I'm not a 'fuck the same cunt twice' kinda man. And fucking shit, with you, it's been…" he knit his brow in concentration. "How have I lost count?!"

Toph looked in his direction and said, "are you saying you want to move on?"

"No, and I don't understand why."

She rolled her eyes, but she was facing forward, so he didn't see it. "Then stop being a little bitch by complaining. I venture to guess you've had a lot more sex lately than you normally do."

He thought about that fact, and it comforted him. That did make sense to him as to why he'd keep coming back to the same woman. And he then added another thought, "and the sex is amazing."

Toph sighed, "and tame."

He was shocked by the disappointment in her voice. It also made him want to show her just how wild sex with him could get. Kenji was surprised he felt a bit emasculated by her. "Tame?!"

She nodded, "well, surely my bed isn't the only place you want to have sex with me. After all, I can tell how hard you are right now."

His hurt feeling fled with the realization that if he played his cards right, he could get sex now. "I would love to fuck you right now in the hall here."

"Easy bear-tiger, I'm not into sex on the cold marble floor. But… the bedroom two doors down on the left is empty. We could sneak in there and have sex."

He raised his eyebrows at her, impressed. She wanted to fuck in some stranger's bed. He grabbed her arm, pulled her into the room, and locked the door.

Toph unlocked it right away. "It's more exciting if there is the possibility of someone walking in on us."

"This is why I keep coming back to you," he growled. "I've had so many disappointing fucks in my life. Not once has that been the case with you."

As Toph stripped, she said, "get naked, guard."

He blinked and paused, "wait, Toph. Do you even know my name? You haven't used it once, have you?"

She gave him a puzzled look, "should I?"

He cocked his head and said, "it's Kenji. Maybe you should try screaming it out in passion," he said, trying to sound cocky. He then stripped.

Toph climbed on the bed. "I'm not good at remembering names."

"But we've been having sex!"

"And you knew all the names of the girls you fucked?"

"No, but I know the name of the woman I fucked more than once!"

She scoffed, "that's one name, mine. You told me so."

"Yes, but you really didn't know my name?"

She almost laughed over how offended he sounded. "Kenji. Shut it." Her using his name for the first time pleased him. She then added, "hmm. I have an idea."

She did a bending move he found fascinating, and the result he found shocking. She had Metalbent, and he was now wearing a metal collar, and attached to it was a long chain. Toph picked up the chain and tugged him towards her, making him stumble forward. "Well, you game?"

He looked at her with lust burning in his eyes. "Oh HELL, yes I'm game."

"Master Toph. Call me Master Toph."

"Yes, I'm game Master Toph. I want this so damn bad."

From her position on the bed, she laid back, shortened the chain, and pulled him to her. When he was hovering over her she said, "on your back. I want to ride my wild beast."

"Yes, Master Toph." He laid down, and she sheathed his cock right away. She then pulled the remaining chain across his stomach, making him experience the chill of the metal. He broke out in goose-horse bumps. She took a tight grip on the short chain and started riding his cock.

Kenji couldn't believe how much the chain turned him on. He loved being ridden while she had control over his body. That and she was ridiculously talented. The control she had over her inner muscles alone drove him wild. She could fuck and squeeze his cock with her muscles at the same time.

As he was nearing his orgasm, he smiled big as he heard the knob of the bedroom door turn. Someone was about to get quite the show.

…..

Zuko chose his current meeting to be in a formal sitting room in the family wing. When he entered, the room Captain Saito and councilman Ren were already there.

Nozomu followed him in, made his way to the sideboard, poured four fire whiskeys, and brought them over on a tray. He handed one to each of the men and placed one on a coaster near the empty chair by Zuko's.

As he stepped back, Katara walked in and made her way to the empty chair. She sighed as she sat down and took a long sip of the drink prepared for her.

Ren raised his eyebrows. "Impressive."

Captain Saito chucked, "It always is impressive seeing that for the first time."

"You've met Katara before?" Ren asked.

It was Zuko who said, "he was the captain of the ship that took me to Ba Sing Se. He's been in on the plan, and he knew the Avatar had joined us. In fact, Szeto appeared out of nowhere on his ship one day."

"And all of a sudden, I realize this isn't a coincidence that I'm here. I was about to inform you that his son is in love with my precious daughter."

Zuko said, "from what I hear, she loves him back. At least, that's what the Captain believes. That, and the fact that he thinks she's a very worthy woman."

Ren sighed and said to Zuko, "I like his son, I do, but he is the fifth son of a Captain. I get that you advocate for love, but I have my daughter's future to look out for. Surely you understand."

Katara shot back the rest of her fire whiskey. She appreciated that he didn't blame this all on her since she's a woman. "Admiral."

"What?" Ren asked, confused.

"Zuko has made him Admiral. He proved trustworthy and was in on many of our secrets, including the existence of my brother in our group." She gave Nozomu a grateful look as he refilled her glass."

"And now this makes even more sense," Ren said.

"And," Zuko added, "he's Admiral over the Western seas and Captain of my Royal ship."

Katara smiled as she watched the reaction on both of the men's faces.

Zuko went on to say, "you both have proven loyal to me. It seems like Captain Saito's son and Ren's daughter if married to each other, would have a bright future in my palace. Surely I can trust the children of two men who have proven their integrity to me."

Captain Saito, not one to ever waste an opportunity, said to Ren, "I would like to arrange a marriage between your daughter and my fifth son. Will you accept the union?"

Ren chuckled and nodded, "yes. He may have my daughter's hand in marriage."

Katara shot back her drink, stood, pleased with what had occurred, and said, "Very good. Now, once their honeymoon is over, have them move into the palace. We have a set of rooms set aside for them." She then walked out of the room.

"Sorry for how abrupt that was, but she needs to have an uncomfortable conversation with a friend of hers. She's preoccupied."

Laughing, Ren said, "I assume it has to do with Councilman Jiro's sixteen-year-old daughter walking in on Katara's Earthbender friend while she was having bondage sex with a guard."

"Yes," Zuko said, sighing. "He was understandably… displeased."

The two drinks Katara downed during late afternoon made a lot more sense to both the Captain and the Councilman now.

Mai threw her knife at the knot in the tree, and it stuck with a satisfying thud. Throwing knives calmed her mind and gave her time to process her thoughts. She looked completely stoic on the outside while her mind was in turmoil.

She didn't know how to process the fact that Katara, a Waterbender, was now Fire Lady, Azula was dead, and she had no idea what her purpose was now. She had options, though.

It had all been so clear before. She followed Azula's orders and would one day be the most powerful woman in the Fire Nation —and to an extent, the world.

The absolute most confusing thing to her was that she was coming to actually like Katara. She wasn't the passive whore that she had envisioned before. She was fierce and had a temper. She liked that.

Originally she thought Katara had acted out of character when she stabbed her. What she now saw was, if she had known her at all, she should have seen it coming.

The irony was that she had grown to appreciate a vengeful temper by knowing Azula. Although she admitted that vengeance seemed to be Azula's main character trait, and it was just a facet of Katara's personality.

Even more confusing was the question Katara had asked her yesterday. She needed to give her an answer soon. A yes would result in her being known for her mind, as well as her knife skills. Would she agree to be Katara's Secretary?