the thing you wanted all along

Part 14

Prince Zuko kept on calling for me for the next two weeks, but I ignored it, or asked for another servant to go to him. I couldn't face him, knowing that if I do, I will not be able to stop myself from kissing him or promising him things I did not deserve, or could keep. I spent all my time with Azula, Mai and Ty-Lee. The last two were very clingy with each other, they loved each other greatly, and would sometimes have sex right next to Azula and I. Azula would always just leave the room when they started, I would follow her as fast as I could. Soon the day came for the final dress fitting before the ball in a few days. Mai and Ty-Lee managed to hold it until they were out of the dresses. They then left the room and ran to their room naked. They chose the same colors they wore for Azula's gala, but with a different dress pattern. A tight bodice and a wide skirt, both dresses were very easy to get out of, but required them both to be completely naked under them, which they didn't mind. They planned to get married in secret during the ball, and talked Azula and I into it, as well as the fire lord himself, who promised them he would officiate the ceremony while the prince and his guests were preoccupied. Azula herself chose a golden dress with a tight bodice and a flowing yet tight skirt. She looked like the sun in that dress, and I wondered if she would take all the attention from her brother and her friends on such an important day. I was forced by Azula to wear a dress of an opposite color to hers, silver. It was a dress sent to Azula for her birthday by my tribe, it was a tight bodice and a flowing skirt with long and elegant sleeves. Azula said it made me look like the moon, which would be a nice opposite since I went with Azula. The first time I saw prince Zuko since the Jin incident was that day at lunch. He was scheduled to have lunch with his sister and uncle, and I was to accompany Azula everywhere that day, as she was without her ladies in waiting. Prince Zuko's eyes widened in surprise when he saw me walking into the dining room after his sister. The fire lord smiled and ordered the servant next to him to make room for me.

"Katara, please, do join us. We have a few matters to discuss about the ball in a few days. I'd be happy to hear your thoughts as a servant" the fire lord emphasized the word servant, making it painfully obvious to both his nephew and me what I was. I sat between the fire lord and Azula, across from prince Zuko.

"what do you want to know, your majesty?"

"we are expecting almost 1000 guests, how many servants do you think we will need?" I gasped. So many girls were viable to be candidates?

"so many?"

"less than half are girls for Zuko to choose a wife from, most of them are the girls' families and other dignitaries I had to invite"

"do you think the ballroom could hold so many people?"

"of course, the ballroom has a capacity of all the people in the capital, which is much more than 1000 people. In case of emergency"

"of course. Well..."

"I think 100 servants will be enough. There is no need to make it more crowded than it will be already" prince Zuko interrupted me. He seemed quite mad.

"Zuko, please. You are the one who agreed to this ball, don't tell me you changed your mind about this" prince Zuko sighed.

"I hate being surrounded by people, uncle, you know that. I would have preferred having those girls alone at the ball, it would have made it easier to choose"

"well, I'm sorry, but we couldn't only invite the girls, people would have been offended" the fire lord turned his head from his nephew to me.

"what do you think, Katara, are 100 servants enough?"

"I think 50 can be enough. Most of the servants are already working themselves to the bone with preparing for this ball, you should give most of them the night off as a thank you for their hard work" the fire lord laughed.

"I like the way you think, Katara. what else do you think I should do?" I looked at Azula, looking for a sign in her face that I should answer him. she was deeply invested with eating her lunch. A leg hit mine, and I looked at prince Zuko. He nodded his head to let me know that I should answer his uncle.

"I think we should open the way to the gardens from the ballroom, it might give more room in the ballroom itself for people who wish to dance"

"I agree, I have already given the order last night, some of the servants should be preparing the gardens for the ball" the fire lord turned to prince Zuko.

"Zuko, I expect you to dance with at least 20 of the girls" prince Zuko sighed.

"and Katara, I do hope you will attend. Can you dance?"

"a little, but after a few turns I might step on your toes by accident, your majesty"

"I'm done, let's go" Azula called. She got up and pulled me up after her. I looked at my full plate as I followed her, I was hungry.