The wife of the 51st Earth King had died leaving him without a queen and their son,Kuei, without a mother. That would last until nearly the end of reign as king for he would not remarry until managed to met a woman named Poppy by chance in the palace. After getting to know each other she became his second queen and gave birth to his second child a girl she had named Toph. Though their little girl was born blind she was treated and help as much as she needed too.
Tragedy struck the royal family shortly after her birth. Before Toph was even a full year old both her parents died leaving Kuei to become the 52nd Earth King. In the grief over losing both his parents and the only immediate family member he had left alive being his baby sister. He was convinced to give more power to Ba Singe Se's Grand Secretariat, Long Feng.
Traditionally, the earth monarch leaves behind all personal possessions upon ascending the throne, including their given name, and is henceforth known only as "Your Majesty" or by their reign number, enhancing their status as detached and sacrosanct individuals. This what Kuei was informed was the standard however when he ascended to the throne Kuei preferred their given names over their title, allowing even commoners to use it to address them.
Part of the reason was because that just how he was the other was that he wanted his younger sister to grow up know the name of her big brother not merely his title. Toph did as she grew up but she then noticed something that only her big brother would take her seriously about. Claiming that despite not being able to see with her eyes. She was able as she put it 'see with her feet' which is why she started refusing to wear shoes anymore. Thus not to reveal that she stop wearing shoes, Toph always wore dress that cover her feet.
She also claim she was able to do some other things that Kuei took seriously even if no else did not. Thinking it was merely the young lady's game of pretend that she was taking too seriously.
Toph was Kuei's little sister so he always listen to her and made time for her as well. He was trying to be the parents she was never be allow to know because of their death and they were all the other had. Since they both had no immediate family anymore or any known extend family around Ba Sing Se. This was how Long Feng managed to get even more power away from Kuei using his sister as means to do so.
After an certain accident, Kuei had joined his father and both mothers(biologically and step) in the after life. Leaving Toph alone as she was made the Earth Queen the 53nd ruler of the Earth kingdom. Being only 11 years old the only example she had of how to be a ruler was what she saw of her big brother. Thus she tired copying the way he ruled things though did leave a lot things to Long Feng but show more interest in how things got done then him.
She was the last of her family after all therefore she did not want to do anything that could endanger the kingdom. She did recall hearing some things that Kuei had wanted to do but did not. So as ruler herself, Toph was attempt to carry them as means of honor her brother but trying to accomplish things he could not
Toph sat at table wondering how she managed to get herself into a situation like this. Here she was originally sneaking out of the castle as means to meet with the Avatar. Her hearing was far better then that of normal person. Her brother guessing that because she did not have her sense of sight that her remaining sense were enhanced to make up for what she was missing. Kuei had at time used his little sister's hearing to get news of things that people wanted to keep away from him.
Though he remain in the dark in a lot of what was going in the castle one thing he kept up with was the protection of his precious little sister. Toph then shook her head as there no way that could be right as there were rumors that the 'accident' that took her brother's life was not as such.
"So Toph what do you think of Ba Sing Se" Aang asked her.
"I….I…..I want to protect this city as means a lot to me and my family" she stated.
Mentally slapped herself as she merely blurt that out because she was lost in thought about how she managed to find the Avatar and his group but because she snuck out the palace. She was dressed like what she thought was a normal citizen would wear.
Getting hungry she took some food from stand only to get trouble for it as she had been raised in the palace and the concept of having to pay for food. That was something she was not really that aware of as she heard story of this thing called a tab from the guards. When she was questioned about how she was going to pay for what she took. Toph merely told them put it on her tab which confused the merchant but then anger then when they realized she was serious.
This started an argument between the two as Toph really thought this was how you paid for things and had even had Long Feng double check for her about this. He told her that she was correct everyone that was not part of the royal family paid for things on their tab.
This scene was then calm down when someone noticed the Avatar and brought him over to resolve thing as he was suppose to be a peace keeper and was not there peace that needed keeping here. Explaining things to her Toph learned what a tab really was and that it did not apply everything like she thought or was told how things really worked. The merchant then also still a little upset understood why she would make such misunderstand after figuring out she was blind. A shock as she thought that was obvious that she was as she thought her eyes would be a dead give away even if she managed to get around within her limited range of sight with her feet.
Find out the Avatar was basically the same age as herself(not counting the hundred years they were apparently frozen). She just wanted to enjoy hanging out with someone her own age. Running around the city just do whatever they wanted. She noticed that he was down about something so Toph dragged him around in attempted to bright up his mood. Which she thought was rather success if she said so herself, however getting so lost in just having fun with Aang she kind of forgot the reason she had come out to look for him in the first place.
Thus how she was now back at his place which she then noticed the others that he was traveling with. Though she could not see them per say she feel their gazes on her ever since Aang came back with her following behind him.
"Protecting the city nice thing to want though I wonder some time if the Earth Queen is capable of that" an older girl said.
"Katara are you sure you know what you are talking about. Coming from out the city and making such claims" Toph said that that serious if even she was not aware the Earth Queen was right there amongst them.
"There is the issue of the war not being mention inside this city though" Katara's older brother Sokka said.
Interested in this Toph wanted to know more about this war as this was not thing that she was not aware of as her brother nor Long Feng ever said anything about their being a war going on.
