War of Change | Book 3

16: Romance or Tragedy

Art: Artist Not Found

Only about an hour had passed since the incident during dinner. Kida wasn't coming back out, and no one dared to go looking for her. It was clear she didn't want company, and most everyone had enough sense to be at least a little frightened of her - everybody except for one. "Are you really going to lie to them like that?" a voice spoke out from the doorway.

Kida didn't have to turn around to know who it was, but she did nonetheless, facing the blind earthbender leaning against her door. There was indifference on her expression as if she hadn't just made a severe accusation. "What are you talking about?"

"Everything you said out there-"

"Was true," Kida snapped adamantly. "Completely and one-hundred percent true."

Toph nodded once. "It was true, and it is why you are so jumpy around fire, but it is not the reason you can't look at Zuko."

Kida shook her head, a shaky breath leaving her mouth as she turned away. "I don't know what you are talking about."

"If all this stuff bothered you the way you say it does, then you would have completely forgotten about what happened between you and Zuko. But you haven't," Kida snapped her head towards Toph as he went on, "so something else happened that involves him. It's the real reason you're so uptight and why everything is making you lash out. You're upset, and you're still using that mask you were talking about, just in a different way now.

"Trust me," Toph sighed, turning her face away from Kida, "I know my fair share about wearing a mask to keep up appearances."

Kida's eyes ignited and words hissed out on a venomous tongue, "I was tortured and forced to make people I care about hate me. I watched people who trusted me die. And you think I'm upset because of some boy?"

Toph didn't even flinch. She tilted her head, pressing it against the doorframe like she was ready to fall asleep. "I'm guessing that's the question you've been asking yourself."

Kida's mouth opened to respond, but nothing came out. She couldn't even find something to scream about like she wanted to. If she had grown at all over the last year, it was that she finally saw through her own denial.

"Look," Toph pushed herself off the wall and took a step closer, "I might be blind, but that doesn't mean I can't see what's going on. I'm not saying what you went through hasn't affected you, but everyone knows that when it comes to Zuko, everything else is..." she paused, considering her choice of words, a smirk pulled onto her lips, "a little unclear for you."

Kida clenched her teeth, her head shaking slowly back and forth. "I know," she croaked out. "Trust me, I know."

***

"I have a surprise for you!" sang the Fire Nation princess.

Kida wiped the sweat from her brow with the washcloth one of the servants had handed her. "Is that supposed to excite me? It really just seems terrifying."