A/N: As promised, here's the penultimate chapter!

Azula wakes up when the first rays of the sun creep through the palace windows. Alone. She eats breakfast alone; a savoury soup with rice cakes and some smoked fish. She meditates under the rising sun and goes through her katas for a while before getting to work. What used to be Katara's old bedroom has been converted into her office; she hasn't set foot in the study for a long time now. Katara's drawing of her hangs on the wall, carefully positioned so that it's not exposed to the sun.

There's a lot on her desk. Leftover paperwork has piled up, things she's put aside for later. She decides that 'later' is today.

Lord Langzi has written a long-winded letter of support and admiration to her, and renewed his invitation – 'humbly' this and 'would be honoured' that – for her to visit his estate, in a celebration of her rule and achievements. Deciding that she can't put it off much longer, she begins to write back and accepts for next month.

Lifting the ban on doosara agni may have rendered her blackmail on him worthless, but it has secured his voluntary support for the foreseeable future, and like any good asset, he requires maintenance. At this rate, she almost expects an invitation to a wedding soon; all of Caldera City knows what's going on between him and a certain young man, whose unexpected 'inheritance' just so happened to coincide with Azula's decree and his resignation as a game keeper.

If we can't find an equal, we'll just make one, hm?

General Shinu has him beat in that department, at least. He's of much less interest to the city's gossip mills, but Azula just so happens to know he's married a certain commander from the Fourth Fleet recently. Good intel pays off; Azula has probably known about the general's feelings longer than the commander himself has, and that knowledge has proven very useful.

Next up is a report from the Governor General for the colonies. New Sun Colony has elected an earthbender as its mayor in the first elections; the nearby town of Guowang a firebender. The garrison commanders in both towns report tensions, but no outbreaks of unrest yet. Reportedly, the Earth King isn't happy his people voted for Azula's candidate, however… she files the information away for later use. If the earthbending population in her domains can vote for a Fire Nation mayor, it may just strengthen her hand to keep those colonies. Already now, the amount of petitions from mixed-nation families who seek permission to move their husbands and wives from the other side into the contested areas, or who seek the Fire Lord's permission to move to one nation or the other, is staggering.

Next letter.

Xin Yang is writing to seek her permission for a business partnership with an influential Earth Kingdom businessman. A faint smile tugs at the corners of Azula's mouth. Ever since the sentencing of Lord Chui, Xin Yang has been sucking up to her in a way that is beyond embarrassing. She hasn't been able to prove his involvement in the plot against her, despite Chui's best attempts to drag him into it… she chews on her quill. Why not grant it? Getting him invested in the peace treaty is the best way to tie him to her and ensure his loyalty. She'll have to discuss it with the Earth Kingdom ambassador at a later date.

Next.

The Northern Water Tribe formally protests the incursion of Fire Nation fishers into its waters. How predictable. She has half a mind to point out the various documented incidents of their own people doing the same, but instead, she decides to send it to the Minister of the Navy. Let them do the bickering. In the end, she's sure it will end up on the agenda for the next conference anyway…

There is no letter from Katara. Again. There hasn't been one for the past eight months – no, there has been one precisely, if one could even call it a letter. A few words about adjusting to life at home and an enclosed drawing of her village. 'Best wishes, Katara'.

Azula had never known what to respond.

A servant knocks.

"The delegation from Ba Sing Se is here, Your Majesty."

"I will meet them in the great hall."

Preparations for the summit in four months. Azula isn't looking forward to it. The public opinion has boiled over and then calmed down, and now that every lost son and daughter is either home or mourned, interest has waned. The crowds have moved on to more interesting topics. The first few high-profile scandals – bastard children coming to the Fire Nation with their parents; the first marriage between a Fire National and a 'mudthrower' – has been enough to draw the interest of the commoners. The people have gotten used to not fearing for their loved ones' lives, and as long as the exotic goods from the colonies keep flowing, nobody on the streets cares what banner they fly. Supposedly, it's the same on the other side. The people of the Earth Kingdom are too busy being glad they're alive to obsess about borders.

That leaves just the nobles, Azula, and the Earth King.

She changes into her formal robes. Time to get this over with.

The Earth Kingdom ambassador will be there, of course. Azula finds him insufferable, but to his credit, Ambassador Taiyo has been surprisingly open to working with her, despite his obvious prejudice against everything Fire Nation. He makes no secret of his contempt for her and her nation, but he can recognise a suggestion that is mutually beneficial.

In that, at least, he's better than his Water Tribe counterpart. Ambassador Hakmat prefers to speak to Azula's ministers instead of her, and if it wasn't clear enough that it's because of her sex, the way he treats the lowest guardsman better than Azula's top female generals drives the point home beyond fail.

Two guards pull the doors of the hall open for her. Azula nods at Taiyo in passing before focusing her attention on the delegation. Green robes, for the most part, with a handful of blue parkas mixed in, and even the occasional orange. The Avatar lets his acolytes represent him again.

"Welcome", she greets. "It is my honour to receive you all here today."

"Fire Lord Azula", the leader of the delegation greets. "The honour is ours."

"In the name of the Fire Nation, I offer you the hospitality of my people", she intones the formal greeting.

"We thank you", he returns the correct answer. "May this place be blessed with the wisdom of both our peoples."

After a few more formalities, the group are led to their rooms, and Azula heads for her own.

"Uh… Your Highness?"

She turns back around. The guard points at a lone figure at the end of the hall.

"There is one more, Highness. She says she needs to speak to you right away."

Azula's heart skips.

"Thank you. You may go."

Katara pulls her scarf and hood down once they're alone. Azula approches, then stops a few metres shy of her. Wants to run towards her, pick her up, but can't. Hesitates, then performs a hint of the proper salute.

"Katara." Silence as Azula searches for words, settles on the same "I am honoured to see you" she's used for the rest.

She can see the confusion in Katara's eyes at the formal greeting. Waits for an eternal heartbeat before Katara takes a few steps to close the distance between them.

"It's good to see you", Azula adds.

"It's good to see you too."

"You look… good", she hesistantly says after studying Katara's face for a moment. Her hair has grown out, the loops are back, and a tan has returned to her skin. And in her face…

"I see the…", Azula gestures at the scar, "it's faded."

"Spirit water", Katara explains. "It's all they could do. This", the remainder of Azula's handprint, "will always stay."

She looks Azula up and down in turn. "You look better, too. Less rings under the eyes."

"Thanks."

"I hear you're doing good work. Nobody's tried to go to war again yet. The people in the colonies live in peace."

"Thanks."

It's small talk to fill the silence, and they both know it.

"Why are you here?", Azula eventually asks when the silence gets unbearable. Her heart races.

Katara reaches out, almost touches her face, and then stops just shy of it; a mirror of Azula all those months ago. Her eyes find Azula's, and after a small nod from Azula, Katara's hand touches her face, her thumb stroking over her cheek.

"I came for you", Katara answers. "If you'll have me."

"Always", Azula whispers, and the ice thaws.

Katara's lips crash into Azula's; all distanced pretense goes right out the window as they wrap their arms around each other. It's not hungry, not heartbroken like last time; it's slow but determined. A reclamation of what was, like they're staking their claim on each other for the first time again. After a while, they stop long enough to walk back to Azula's chambers, and it's there that all dams break, that Katara pushes Azula against the wall as soon as the doors close behind them. They spread their clothes all over the floor, a long streak leading to the bedroom, and once there, they get to know each other all over again.

Later, much later, Azula's head rests on Katara's chest while Katara runs her hands through Azula's hair. The blankets are sloppily draped over them, but Azula's own warmth is enough to keep them both cozy.

"So what now?"

"I don't know", Katara admits.

"You came back."

"I did." Katara's fingers in Azula's hair falter slightly. "When I left… it took a long time for all that to sink in. What you did to me… it's left deep scars."

It's clear she doesn't just mean the one, but still Azula reaches up to apologetically trace her fingers just around the outside.

"I have nightmares", Katara continues. "I've woken up and cursed you, wished death and worse on you… and I've woken up and cried for you to hold me. I thought, if I just kept you away, it would get better. Maybe I could forget you."

She snorts.

"I wrote once, in a moment of weakness. I don't know if you got it."

"I did."

"The healers tell me I'll never be the same", Katara says, matter-of-fact, as if the sentence doesn't stab Azula straight through the heart. "But for what it's worth… I still feel the same for you. And in the end… we did it. We made peace, you and I. The world is whole again, thanks to us."

Provided the summit goes well, Azula thinks, but she doesn't say it.

"So I guess… I'm here to try again?"

Azula pushes herself up off Katara, turns around to look at her as if to convince herself she's heard correctly, despite everything that's just happened.

"You are?"

"I am", Katara affirms. "No war, no… no prisoners, no assassinations… just you and me." She touches her scar, takes Azula hand and places it over her heart. "This wound has faded. Maybe, in time… this one will too."

Azula scoots closer and gently places her other hand on Katara's cheek. Seeks permission with a glance and receives it, pulls Katara closer for a kiss and tries to put all of her feelings into it, eight months of longing. Tears flow and mingle into their kiss.

"Nobody will ever hurt you again", Azula whispers between kisses. "I promise."

A/N: See you in a week! Beware the Ides of April xD