A few hours passed, and before they realized someone came by and informed them where they were expected to come for the big event. Not having many things to dress up, they quickly left the room to see the man was waiting to show them the way. When he noticed them, he started explaining:

"Chief Arnook has asked me to inform you of the seating arrangement before you enter the hall."

Aang nodded enthusiastically. "Sure, let's hear it!"

"As our honored guests, you'll be sitting by the main table, with the Chief and elders." the man said, and gave Aang a look "You are asked to sit directly by the chief's side, Avatar. It's a great honor."

"Oh, ok. And the rest of us?" the kid asked, if only to make sure he'd have some company by the table.

"You can adopt any order you think is appropriate." the man replied simply."Also, we understand your sky bison is important to you, Avatar, so accommodations have been made for him to remain close to the table."

"Oh, thanks!" Aang replied happily.

Sokka sped up a little bit to get closer to them, and lowered his voice.

"Hey, if I'm guessing right, this seating order might be kind of a show of status too." he said, and glanced at the prince walking beside him "It might be a good idea to sit Zuko next to you, Aang. To show off our trust, you know."

Zuko raised an eyebrow at the suggestion. "Are you sure about that? Wouldn't that make me seem more important than you?"

"Eh, don't sweat it. It might not be that important after all." the boy replied nonchalantly. His sister joined their hushed conversation.

"Then maybe I could take the next seat? I like sitting close to everyone. It's easier to talk." she said with a small smile.

Katara, walking just behind them, chimed in with a small smile. "In that case, maybeI could take the next seat? I like sitting close to everyone. It's easier to talk that way."

Sokka let out a quiet groan.

"So I'm stuck at the end? Ugh, fine." he agreed begrudgingly, though in fact he didn't really feel like sitting close to the chief. The man gave him an odd feeling - it was kinda like seeing his dad, but also knowing that it was a completely different person.

As they continued walking, a new question occurred to Sokka. "Hey, who are the elders at the table that you mentioned?"

The attendant turned toward him. "The council of elders consists of Elder Taqqit, Elder Kalyaan, Battle Master Kanuk, and Master Pakku, though Master Pakku will join the table a little later."

Katara, listening closely, furrowed her brow. Something didn't add up. "Wait… isn't Master Yugoda part of the council too?"

The man gave her a hesitant look before answering "... No. She's not."

"Oh, ok…" she mumbled awkwardly, glancing away.

Zuko understood her confusion - the master must have been a very respected person in the tribe too, so why wouldn't she be a part of the council, despite being the head healing master? She was surely old enough too to be called the elder, so what were the other requirements? He was finding some of the tribe rules confusing, but he decided to shrug it off for now.

It was almost time - the most important guest, the moon, was already high in the sky. No significant celebrations in Agna Qel'a ever began before the Great Spirit was present, watching over them from above to share its blessing with the Tribe. Chief Arnook was about to join the gathering and take his place at the main table when a quiet call stopped him in his tracks.

"Chief Arnook? May we have a word?"

He turned toward the voice and, seeing Master Yugoda standing there, inclined his head politely.

"Master Yugoda. I'm glad you're joining us tonight." Arnook greeted her warmly, though a bit of impatience sounded in his voice. "Can this wait? It's time to start the celebrations."

"I'd have it sooner rather than later, if possible. I won't take you long, I promise."

There was a hesitation in his face as his gaze followed the people heading towards the courtyard, but the respect he held for her won in the end.

"Alright. What is it?" he asked with a small sigh.

The woman pretended not to notice it with a practiced ease, and hurried with explanation "It's about the new students who joined the healing lessons."

"...The students?" he stammered. It took Arnook by surprise that she would talk to him about such irrelevant things as students to her healing class, but he realized who she must have meant "The young Katara and- did the Avatar join as well?"

"No, not him." she said, watching the chief's face for reaction. "The Fire Prince."

Arnook's expression darkened. It was hard to tell whether anger or confusion dominated his reaction, but it was clear that the name alone struck a nerve. "What?! What business does he have attending healing lessons?"

"Calm down, Chief." Yugoda stopped him in an almost motherly nagging tone, having the long practiced patience of a healer "He came to learn. It turns out the young prince discovered a way of healing with fire."

It stunned the man initially, but then scepticism entered his features "It's not-"

"It is. And yes, I have witnessed it." she stopped him again to spare both of their time "The fire that doesn't burn, but restores… I told the boy I will teach him."

That earned her a frown from the chief "I don't want to question your judgment, but I hope I don't need to remind you who this boy is."

"I am aware of it. And I know what you're thinking, because it's the same question we've all been asking ourselves: is he an enemy or not?" she said "But now I think there's another question worth asking: Could he be our ally?"

If the whole palace hadn't already impressed the Gaang, and it certainly had, then the ceremonial courtyard was sure to leave its mark. A glacier-fed river poured down as a towering waterfall, its water cascading over the palace roof before flowing seamlessly into one of the many canals that weaved through the city. The constant hum of water was now mixing with a rhythmic sound of drums, played by a few tribesmen stationed along the courtyard's edge.

As they entered, the attendant gestured toward the tables arranged across the courtyard. Chief Arnook and three elders were already seated at the central table, so they didn't waste the time doing so as well.

All the tables in the courtyard were low and there weren't in fact any designated chairs or seats, so Aang just sat himself down comfortably cross-legged right next to Arnook and quickly returned the respectful nod he received from the chief. Momo, finding a comfortable spot on his legs, also gained himself a look from the chief, but there was no commentary about it.

Zuko approached his place beside the Avatar with measured steps, carefully watching the whole gathering as he sank down into the same position as others. He glanced briefly at the chief, who lifted his head at him ever so slightly before turning his attention back to the room. Zuko couldn't tell if the gesture was approval, acknowledgment, or a reminder to behave.

Katara and Sokka also settled down in the order they had agreed earlier without hesitation. Sokka did a little double-take, realizing how much space there was left at the end of the table, but then a mischievous smirk entered his lips - more food for him! The thought didn't even finish forming in his head when he noticed that there was a giant crab turtle being put over a round pool of boiling water in the very middle of the courtyard.

The steam rose high into the sky and as if on cue the courtyard grew silent. The rhythmic drumming ceased and as the last murmurs of conversation faded, Chief Arnook rose to his feet, lifting his hands to signal the start of the evening's proceedings.

"Tonight we celebrate the arrival of special guests - our brother and sister from the Southern Water Tribe! And they have brought with them someone very special, someone who many of us believed disappeared from the world until now - the Avatar! There is also another unexpected ally they brought with them - Prince Zuko from the Fire Nation. I wish to welcome all of you to our Tribe's home."

Each sentence was followed by a short pause, in which some applause from the people could be heard. After his introduction, Zuko glanced at Arnook - he expected the chief to say something far less welcoming about him. He was pretty sure that he could phrase it differently if he wished to make things more difficult for Zuko, but be officially called Avatar's ally...? It's almost like Arnook wanted his people to give him a credit of trust, while earlier he hadn't really sounded like he was willing to give it himself. The crowd got more quiet in the end, but Arnook continued:

"We also celebrate my daughter's 16th birthday. Princess Yue is officially of marrying age!"

Everyone's attention was now directed to the princess, who entered the courtyard as he spoke. She greeted the gathered members of the tribe and gracefully made her way to the central table, bowing respectfully before taking her seat next to Sokka. The boy's eyes got bigger once he realized she was going to sit next to him for the whole evening. Forget the food - this was infinitely better!

Zuko watched the princess for a moment, but he turned his gaze back to the front, noting an interesting information - if 16 years old here was a marrying, adult age, then he officially wasn't considered a child here either. Unlike the rest of the group.

"Probably. I never really asked." he finished his thought, glancing slightly at Sokka. He seemed to be the oldest one from Avatar's group, but the prince couldn't tell if the boy was younger than him or not. He had assumed that he was older than Sokka, considering that the warrior's father left him a year ago and it was before Sokka had that Water Tribe's rite of passage.

But then again, would Sokka's coming-of-age ritual from the Southern Water Tribe hold weight in the North? Customs and traditions varied so much, especially between tribes. Would he be considered an adult by Northern standards as well, or was it more nuanced? The question gnawed at Zuko, drawing him deeper into his musings.

So much so, in fact, that he almost failed to notice the three waterbanders that were now standing in the middle of the room. He recognized the oldest of them as Master... Pakku was his name? They started performing some waterbending forms, but they seemed to be mostly for the show - the movements seemed slow and exaggerated compared to what waterbenders are capable of in a battle, but the effect of their collective performance was impressive and entertaining to watch.

Sokka watched them as well, but he quickly lost interest in them, instead turning to Yue. The girl was watching the show as well, but when she realized his intention, she turned her face towards him as well. Sokka took it as an opportunity to start the conversation, but then suddenly his tongue seemed to disconnect from the brain, resulting in awkward:

"So, uh, Princess Yue. You look very princess today. I mean, pretty!"

Fortunately for him, she reacted to his odd compliment with a laugh "Well, thank you."

The fact that she seemed to genuinely laugh at it instead of laughing him off, gave Sokka some encouragement, and he continued "Well, you know, back in my tribe I am kinda like a prince myself."

He barely finished the sentence when he heard Katara's laugh on his right.

"Prince? Of what, ice?" she asked snarkily.

Sokka hushed her indignantly, but Zuko on her other side took up the topic "Isn't your father a chief too?"

Katara looked at him, caught off guard "Well, he is. But we don't have a palace or anything like that."

"You don't have a hereditary monarchy in your tribe. But in terms of being the children of the tribe's leader, you and Sokka are in a similar situation to Yue. So, I suppose, technically, Sokka could be considered a prince... and you, a princess." Zuko said, and calmly took a sip from his cup. He realized uncomfortably how wrong it had been of him to think about the siblings as some peasants, when in fact they held a similar position to him.

"Me? A princess?" Katara repeated with surprise. She glanced at Yue in thought - she never compared herself to her, but for a moment she imagined herself in Yue's place, being all serious and distinguished, back in her homeland at her father's side... But it only lasted for a moment, and she shook her head, smiling slightly. She didn't have time for such silly things.

Aang on Zuko's right caught up on their conversation, and commented with a smile "Princess Katara. It sounds nice too."

"Stop it." the girl gave a short laugh, but she felt a little warmth on her cheeks.

"Hey, thinking about it..." Aang said in a tone that suggested there was some real thought process going on in his head. Zuko glanced at him, noticing that the kid leaned slightly forward, saying "If Katara's a princess and Sokka's a prince, does that make me a… monk-prince or something?"

Zuko raised an eyebrow. He was going to mention that technically Aang was the only monk alive so he was more like a king, but he stopped himself at the last second, instead saying: "Uh, you're the Avatar. I think that's already higher than any prince."

Aang didn't give up however "But think about it, then we'd all be princes and princesses!"

"Hey, Zuko!" Sokka called, gaining their attention "Yue says we can take part in tomorrow's training with the Tribe's warriors! Are you up to it?"

"...Is it really alright for us to join?" Zuko asked hesitantly.

Yue answered in Sokka's stead "Yes. You're invited as well, Prince Zuko."

Invited in Zuko's head sounded more like expected, and he straightened himself up a little bit. "I see. Then I'll be there."

"I wonder if you're really as good as Aang says." Sokka said with a laugh, and Zuko just shook his head tiredly.

"He's still at it... Too bad that the healing training will have to wait." he thought grimly.

"Do you not want to go?" Aang asked with concern, seeing the lack of enthusiasm on Zuko's face "Maybe we can-"

"No, it's fine." the prince stopped him quickly, and realizing that Arnook apparently was listening as well he added "I'm sure it will be... a valuable experience."

The waterbenders' performance ended with a graceful flourish, the last of the water whirling and splashing in a dramatic arc before the crowd fell into a hushed silence. Chief Arnook, who had been watching the display intently, rose from his seat and turned toward Aang.

"Avatar Aang." Arnook began "The evening's celebrations are in full swing, but there is another matter to attend to. Master Pakku will be happy to speak with you about your waterbending training."

Aang looked up, nodding eagerly. "Oh, right! I can't wait to talk to him!"

"Good. Come with me. It will be easier to talk in a more private setting." the chief said, rising from his seat.

Aang stood up, smiling at the group. "I'll be back in a bit!"

Katara watched him with a smile.

"We're really lucky that we'll get to learn from the greatest waterbending master in the Northern Water Tribe." she said happily but then lowered her gaze as a thought occurred to her "I wonder if our Southern bending was different? Like, you know- is it even possible to bend in a few different ways?"

Zuko glanced at her carefully, and replied "Actually... I think it is. At least I think it was this way for me with the firebending. My teachers back home were always focused on the technique, the fast and precise moves. But then, when I... left, my Uncle started to teach me on the ship, and he just kept correcting me all the time. He always said that the basics were the most important, and that the fire comes from breath, not muscles. And recently I started to think he was actually right about it. So maybe not only are there many ways of bending, but also some can be better than others?"

"Huh. That's..." she sighed "That's both what I did and didn't want to hear. All of our benders were taken away years ago... By the Fire Nation." she clarified quietly, though he had already expected it.

"Perhaps they could be found. If they were taken alive, then-" he stopped suddenly, realizing what he was saying was edging a treason. But wasn't he a traitor already? Not in his mind, certainly, but... He could already imagine taking benders hostage - they would have to be constantly deprived of their element to be contained. It was as cruel as it was dishonorable. Especially since they were talking about the waterbenders. He took a breath and finished "Then they would probably be kept somewhere in the Fire Nation. Maybe some of them are still there."

Katara looked at him with wide eyes, and suddenly a smile got on her face "Well, look at you. Not that long ago you were saying that fire was a superior element, and now..."

"Hey, I-" Zuko started quickly, but before he could finish, Katara burst into laughter at his flustered expression. He blinked a few times and a reluctant smirk entered his face as he realized she only mentioned that jokingly.

"Actually, I don't really recall anyone proving it is not..." he added, lifting his chin slightly.

Katara's grin widened. She realized, with some amusement, that Zuko had just teased her - showing an actual proof he had a sense of humour probably for the first time since they had met him. It was unexpected, but she found herself really glad for it. Unfortunately, before she could respond, the lighthearted atmosphere got ruined as they heard:

"I see you're enjoying yourself at the feast, Prince Zuko?"

The tone was seemingly friendly, almost sickeningly sweet. Zuko turned his head carefully and found himself meeting the gaze of Elder Taqqit. The older man was watching him through now emptied seats with a polite smile - one that, even Zuko could tell, was entirely fake. The firebender kept his expression neutral, trying not to provoke anything.

"The feast is impressive. I find it... entertaining." he said carefully.

Taqqit's polite smile didn't falter, but his eyes gleamed with something sharper. "Oh, I imagine it must be quite the experience for you, Prince Zuko - sitting here in the heart of our capital, breaking bread with the very people your nation has spent a century trying to conquer."

A subtle tension settled over the table. Before Zuko could reply, another voice cut in.

"Elder Taqqit." Battle Master Kanuk spoke with a calm tone "The chief himself welcomed Prince Zuko as an ally of the Avatar. His presence here is in accordance with those words."

Taqqit exhaled sharply through his nose, his smile finally fading. He turned slightly toward Kanuk, lowering his voice. "That may be, but you and I both know this would have been unthinkable under my dear cousin's rule. The Avatar is no excuse, Arnook is spitting on his father's legacy, allowing all this."

Kanuk's brows furrowed, but he kept his voice calm. "Mind your words, Taqqit. If the chief were to hear you speak this way, it would not end well, even for you."

Taqqit let out a low hum, tilting his head slightly as he swirled the liquid in his cup. "I am merely stating the truth. We both know what chief Tarnaq would have done in this situation." His gaze flickered toward Zuko before returning to Kanuk. "But of course, our wise and benevolent leader sees things differently."

Kanuk sighed, clearly growing weary of the conversation. "Like it or not, Chief Arnook clearly intends to treat the Fire Prince with the same courtesy as the rest of Avatar's companions, if he even wants him to take part in our warrior's training."

Taqqit's fingers tightened around his cup, his brow furrowing in shock. "He wants what?" His voice, though hushed, carried sharp disbelief.

"You heard me." Kanuk took a sip from his drink, watching the other man carefully. "That was the chief's decision."

For a long moment, Taqqit remained silent, his mind clearly working through this unexpected information. Then, suddenly, his lips curled into something that wasn't quite a smile. Without another word, he pushed himself up from the table.

"Excuse me." he said smoothly, inclining his head toward Kanuk, but before stepping away he turned towards Zuko again "Ah, Prince Zuko. About my previous words, I meant no offence, of course. I hope you won't hold it against the old man who had too much wine?"

The boy returned his gaze, and managed a stiff reply "Of course not."

They exchanged somewhat polite nods, and Zuko turned his attention back to the table.

"Can you believe that jerk...!" Katara outraged silently "Just throwing it in your face-"

"He's right." Zuko cut off her rant, though his fists were still clenched under the table.

Katara blinked. "What?"

"The Fire Nation may have stepped away from their borders a long time ago, but it doesn't mean they abandoned the thought about conquering the Northern Water Tribe. These people would be stupid if they assumed otherwise."

Katara's brows furrowed, as she mumbled "Well, even if so.. How is that any of your fault?"

"It's-" Zuko hesitated, his jaw tightening. "It doesn't matter. I'm from Fire Nation and I am here. What would you have said if I'd shown up at your tribe a year ago and tried to sit down for dinner with the locals?"

Katara opened her mouth, then hesitated. "I- I don't know, but..." she tried to defend, abashed, but was at loss of words "Come on, if Aang said you're his friend..."

Zuko rolled his eyes tiredly "But if you didn't know him well? They don't."

"Then- ugh... " she finally gave a powerless sigh "Alright, I guess I wouldn't trust you either." she admitted reluctantly, frowning in a pout. But before he could say I told you so, she quickly added "But I wouldn't have been right too!"

He shook his head lightly, as a thought crossed his mind: "A year ago, you would have been right not to trust me". But instead of saying that, he just muttered "Right... I think I'll call it a night too."

He stood up from the table which immediately caused Sokka's loud protest "What, you're leaving already?! Dude, you'll miss out on the crab turtle!"

However Zuko just waved a dismissive hand and walked away, ignoring it.