This chapter kind of got away from me, so it's a bit longer... But it is the last one so I didn't think you would mind.
oooooooooo
"Here. It's just like you left it, darling." Ursa led her daughter into her room after she was thoroughly washed of her time spent amongst the commoners. Now that she was appropriately dressed, Kiyi almost looked like nothing changed. But in reality, everything did.
"Are you going to speak to Zuko after this?" the girl walked over to her dresser and sat down, staring at herself in the mirror.
"He's not here right now. That's right, you don't know... Him and Mai are coming back this afternoon for their engagement party."
Kiyi looked at her mother's face in the mirror.
"Yes, they finally settled on a date... I'm so proud. So you see, I can't do it at the party..."
"So you'll do it when everyone's gone home?" Kiyi asked.
"I don't think it's right, ruining their good mood with something like that."
"Do you understand that right this second someone could be chocking the life out of Azula?!"
"Darling, why would you say something like that..." Ursa sat beside her daughter with a worried expression, "We never asked for her to be harmed, we simply wanted her to come home. Would that be the worst thing in the world, if she came home?"
"It would. You promised-"
"Alright! I'll talk to your brother after the party." Ursa grabbed a strand of Kiyi's hair, "And I'll send someone to take care of your hair, it's a little uneven."
"My sister cut it. It's perfect." Kiyi said, mostly to annoy her mother.
"I know you're overwhelmed now, but things will be back to normal before you know it."
After saying that Ursa slowly made her way out of the room, but not before glancing back one more time at her daughter. Sitting and staring at the mirror sadly really wasn't like her Kiyi.
oooooooooo
The party started at six o'clock, but Kiyi made sure she came to the ballroom early. She put on the dress that was laid out for her, she shooed away a hairdresser her mother sent and put her hair into a little bun herself. She couldn't leave her room without two guards following her, which was annoying, but also expected.
She patiently awaited her brother's return, knowing there was no way she could miss it, since he always had a horde of people surrounding him with questions and news. When she noticed this mass of people entering she sprinted across the room and elbowed her way into Zuko's line of sight.
"Hey, Z... Can I talk to you about something?" Kiyi was advised against using the nickname Zuzu in front of the press.
"Sure, Kiyi. How did the private painting lessons go?"
"The what?"
"The painting lessons on Ember Island?"
He didn't even know she ran away. Of course, he didn't.
"That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about... You see-"
"Excuse me, Fire Lord, but I have just received news that the cooks have absolutely nothing vegetarian to offer for the Avatar." a servant interrupted her.
"That can't be true... They must have some rice in the kitchen, let me talk to them." Zuko gestured the man to lead the way, "See you at the party, Kiyi."
