One more swipe of the new red lipstick she had just ordered called Dragon's Blood, followed by a pucker of her lips and the princess was ready to party. Standing, Azula twisted her body from side to side to survey her new black dress with shimmering rhinestones that accentuated her plunging neckline.

She had chosen black purposefully, of course, as not to give any clue that she was nothing less than perfectly slim and trim after giving birth. There were sure to be pesky noblewomen breaking the doors down to enter the royal party this evening and the last thing she needed was an offhanded comment regarding her body, which was without a doubt the envy of all women at court.

With a smirk, she dismissed her servants and exited the royal dressing chambers to emerge into the throne room. Despite years since she had been given the throne by her father, the old bitterness of times before crept in when she saw the empty throne with Zuko's signature flames crackling about the pillars.

It looked better in blue. She thought vindictively, before continuing on.

She hoped not to run into her Agni foresaken husband no time soon as she took careful steps in blood red heels that accentuated her legs and made her feel seven feet tall. She was, however, concerned over her sweet son's whereabouts as most new mothers tend to be. Looking about, she spotted her brother and mother standing just outside the fire temple's gates. Knowing that they had her baby boy, she smiled at the thought of wrenching him away and lavishing his chubby cheeks with kisses. That is...before they arrived.

Azula nearly spit fire when she saw her old adversary leaping up the steps towards her family. The waterbender stopped at Ursa and exchanged words.

Who invited them? She wondered angrily.

She had told Zuko that she would rather drink her own blood than have an Avatar blessing, hoping he would take a hint and not invite them at all. Yet, her brother, stupid as he was, obviously made other plans without her knowledge. Azula took a calm breath. No, no, she would not allow this sudden turn of events to dampen her mood. Besides, no words needed to be spoken when the avatar looked beyond his wife to see her standing beyond them.

Of course he knows. Thought Azula.

It was obvious that the child did not resemble his "supposed" father at all, though no one else seemed to mind and Azula did not care to indulge them. Her son was hers, whether or not he was actually planned in the first place. Instead of making herself known, she twirled graciously and sped off towards her bedroom. Naturally, the avatar's pace was much quicker and before she could lock her door, he was storming inside.

She was almost surprised to see that his wife had not followed him, but no words were exchanged before his lips met hers readily. He never was one for restraint so she obliged, wrapping her arms about his shoulders amd pulling him closer. It had been over a year since she had him inside of her and he obviously was feeling the pain of the separation worse than she.

Despite an old, familiar heat, Azula shoved him away hard, hissing. "You are better than this. And if you're not, I am".

The avatar grunted. "You were the one who left".

"I wasn't born to be your whore for eternity, you know". Azula shot back.

Aang's lips parted in shock of her words. "I never meant--"

Before he could finish, Azula's bedroom door opened again. At Katara's angry face, Azula knew that her lipstick was smudged a holy mess not only on her own face, but also Aang's.

"Am I interrupting?" Asked the waterbender, death in her voice as she spoke.

Azula kept her composure, taking her fingers to rake back her disheveled hair. "As a matter of fact, you are. Your husband so rudely entered my room unannounced. You can have him back, now". She made sure to emphasize her last words in their double meaning.

Katara crossed her arms. "Obviously, he meant to be here and the three of us have some talking to do".

They decided to wait until after the party to continue the conversation, as Azula's husband arrived shortly afterwards to whisk her away. Aang wondered if the man suspected anything. Perhaps he merely overlooked the obvious?

Either way, Azula was a master at manipulation and easily masqueraded about the ballroom as if everything was perfectly fine. Katara and Aang had spoken little to the other for most of the night, however, choosing to skip the couples' dance.

Of course, Azula noticed, but made herself not care. It was ingrained in her since she could remember to do as expected at social events for the sake of showing face for the crown. She was never really loyal to Zuko, but the fire nation was her beloved homeland and the crown was now as much her son's as Zuko's daughter, Izumi's legacy.

For the first time, Aang found alcohol to be necessity. He was on his fourth glass, hoping to blend in with the shadows when his wife approached him.

"That's enough, Aang," she spoke sternly.

The last thing the avatar wanted was to be talked to like a child. With a vicious snarl he snatched away his goblet when Katara reached for it, and headed towards the center couple.

Azula seemed surprised when he tapped the general on the shoulder.

"May I cut in?" He asked.

The general shrugged and with a kiss on his wife's hairline, he allowed Aang to take over the slow dance.

Azula could not find it in herself to be angry. Instead, she felt the allure of the avatar immediately and leaned towards him, restraining herself from laying her head on his chiseled chest. She hoped their son would inherit his father's physique.

"His name?" Asked the avatar.

Azula's eyes widened. She hadn't expected the question. "Zaheer," She stated. "His name is Zaheer". She heard a low, satisfied sigh from the avatar.

"He's beautiful".

Azula grinned. She agreed. He was the most beautiful being in the world. Leaning in closer, she answered. "He is. He really is. Thank you".

Aang could feel the truth radiating in Azula's aura. He knew Katara's eyes were on him, but he did not want to let the other woman go. It was more than just sex between them now. This fact was true and he knew he was in trouble.

Katara stared at them. The princess and the avatar seemed perfect for each other and she felt oddly out of the loop, despite being the mother of Aang's first children. She knew the looks Azula gave him, yet instead of true anger at the deception, part of her was intrigued by a sudden thought. The thought teased her mind so, that she found the nearest goblet and drank the contents whole.

As she watched Aang and Azula dance as if they were the only ones in the room, Katara felt a strange. She wondered if...if something like this had ever ended this way. After all, the princess of the fire nation had a reputation that preceeded her.

As if on cue, Katara heard a girlish giggle behind her. Turning, she was both surprised and grateful to see the Kyoshi Warrior, Ty Lee heading towards her.

"Hey Katara," greeted the acrobat. "Nice dress. How long are planning to keep it on tonight?" She then asked flirtatiously.

Katara blushed in spite of herself, happy for the new attention. "Not sure, but Ty Lee, can I ask you something?"

Ty Lee gestured for a refill of her goblet amd shrugged. "Sure, I'll let you know if I don't know".

"It's about Azula. Um...I mean...I know she's married and all, but I had heard...um...rumors,"

Ty Lee giggled, nearly spilling her drink. "Oh yeah, I know a lot about that," she assured the waterbender with a smirk. "Let's just say Azula is quite easy to please, in bed that is".

Katara's ears perked. "Really?"

Ty Lee looked over her shoulder and smirked wide. " Maybe we should talk elsewhere".

She gestured for the waterbender to follow her outside and Katara did so readily. Maybe, she could find some pleasure out of this too.