『𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝑭𝒂𝒕𝒆』

Chapter 11

The afternoon sun beat down on Katara and she was half-tempted to take a drink of her bending water. She'd spend the morning with etiquette tutors, learning the tasks she would be responsible for as Fire Lady. The old women had been more than a little patronizing and she'd needed an outlet for her irritation after she'd returned to her rooms. It had been a good workout. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and started back to her rooms, her steps faltering when she saw that Azula was waiting for her. Katara hadn't seen hide nor hair of the princess for past few days and had gotten a false sense of security as a result. It didn't help that the smile on Azula's face made her tense up.

"You and my brother seem to be getting along better now," Azula said by way of greeting. "I haven't heard news of the two of you bickering in front of the help and now I hear you made quite an impression in Kitashi."

"Did I? That's nice to hear."

"No one's more pleased than me...except maybe perhaps Zuzu. May I have a word with you, Sister?"

Katara nodded and opened the door. Azula waited to be asked to sit down and when she did, she sat on the edge of the couch. She seemed to be constantly ready for battle, perhaps a battle that only she knew about, and that made Katara think twice about putting her water skin down. After fetching a glass of water, she sat in the seat opposite Azula. The princess had made herself comfortable, her legs crossed at the knee and one arm carelessly thrown on the back of the couch.

Her chestnut brown hair was down, for once, the top half of her hair pulled back from her face. She looked a lot like Zuko in that moment, though Katara was sure she'd never see the half-way sneering smile that was on Azula's face on the Fire Lord's. There was no denying the beauty that ran through their veins and made Katara wonder what their mother looked like. There were no portraits of Princess Ursa but from what she'd seen of Lord Ozai, Zuko and Azula had a strong resemblance to their mother.

"What can I do for you, Azula?" Katara asked.

"I haven't had a chance to really have a chat with you since your arrival," Azula said. "To be honest, I half-expected you to be gone after a week, yet here you are. They do make them strong at the Water Tribe."

Katara ignored the fact that Azula was talking about her as if she were a sled.

"You can't help but stubbornly survive in that environment," Katara said evenly. "Growing up in ice and snow was good training for this."

"Yes, you've proven that. Also, your bending has also become more refined in the past few years. I was watching you practice. If you'd like a sparring partner, I'll be more than happy to step into the ring with you."

Katara had an image of her head being blown off by blue fire. "I'll keep that in mind, but mixing fire and water doesn't tend to end well. I don't want to destroy anything."

"Oh, don't worry. We have training rooms to spare. I need to sharpen my skills anyway. The only people I spar with are my men, and I already know all their moves. Besides, it'll be a good bonding experience."

"Yes, it would be."

"And is your Earthbender friend coming to visit any time soon? She is one of the best I've ever fought."

"Toph's busy with her family's business," Katara said. "I'd like her to visit, but she probably won't be able to make it here until the wedding."