The Earth Kingdom Royal Palace was no stranger to gossip. No matter how surveilant the Dai Li were, the people within, found their ways. Two such people were maids Hua and Lisha.

"Do you think Lady Aithne will be made queen?" Hua quietly asked Lisha as they cleaned a guest room.

"I doubt it." Lisha replied with an almost snort, "I still stand by my stance that she, and Lady Nita are simply surrogates."

Hua raised an eyebrow. "How is that different from most of the women who've lived in the Inner Court?"

Lisha angrily sighed, momentarily stopping her work.

Hua took note of this. After making sure no one was eavesdropping, she added, "Are you mad that neither are earth-benders?"

Lisha's eyes grew wide. "I'd prefer it, however they do have Earth Kingdom lineage."

"Would you prefer if they were non-benders?"

"Over being fire-benders?"

"And water-benders."

Lisha sighed again. "You know a lot of my family were refugees during the War. There were fire benders who gloated that because they could create their element, they were inherently superior. The Fire Nation took so much from us, and the world as a whole. A fire-bender on the throne..."

"Lisha!" Hua said too loudly for the other woman's liking, "Yes, the Fire Nation took us over, but we were saved by the White Lotus. About a third of them were Fire Nation defectors! Including the Dragon of the West!"

Lisha blinked. "I know, but... it still feels wrong."

Hua sympathetically smiled, "I get it, but, times have changed. I'm sure a previous Earth King had a fire-bending mistress."

"And male lover?"

Hua angrily sighed, "Oh, with this again?!"

"Yes. How do we know the child Lady Aithne carries, is really the King's? The detective and her seem rather 'friendly' with each other."

"His Majesty will claim the child either way. There's more to parenting than sharing the same blood, you know."

"I know, but this is the imperial bloodline."

"And we shouldn't be concentrating it." Hua retorted, "That leads to weakness."

"I know." Lisha sighed. "It's just, the King has said that the baby will call him 'Dad', and Mako, 'Papa'."

Hua sighed, and stopped her cleaning. "You know there's nothing wrong with same-sex couples, right?"

"...Yes." There was another awkward pause as Lisha added, "Avatar Korra and Ms. Sato make a lovely couple."

"And Avatar Kiyoshi and her girlfriend." Hua added. "As long as a child is loved, and is well provided for, who cares who raises them?"

"You have a point."

"I know I do. Now, let's finish up here. Mina has all the gossip about Detective Mako's last visit!"

"He comes here every other month." Lisha retorted, "This is practically his second home."

"It is."

The two maids continued bickering as they cleaned the room. Even when they finished and headed for lunch, the pair still went back and forth.