The Warrior's Gambit (Zutara)

XIX

"Yeah, it sort of did."

"A damn good reason to not want to travel," Toph said, crossing her arms.

"And here?" Katara asked. Toph made a 'neh' sound.

"Same old, same old."

"Don't undercut it, Toph," Suki said, coming up from behind and slinging her arms around the pair of girls' shoulders. "The reading room with all the plants and greenery got new curtains. That's something novel, wouldn't you say!"

"Ooh," Katara said, acting far more interested than the topic demanded, nodding dramatically. "Are they green again? The last curtains really looked awful with all the trees."

"No, no," Suki patted her heart. "They did us proud, Katara," she said, faking a sniffle, as though these curtains had brought a man back from the dead. "They're ...a light beige now!"

"You two are ridiculous," Toph said.

"You've got to enjoy the little things," Suki said, "or else we'd all go mad here."

"Who says we aren't already?" Toph shot back.

Katara tapped the side of her nose. "She's onto something, Suki."

"Oh, totally."

Katara's wide, genuine smile could not remain. As she stared at the pair of her friends, she realized that she wasn't sure anyone would win the upcoming tournament, and - for as good of warriors as these two were - there was still the small chance that they'd be leaving. Or that Katara would leave and they would remain here.

As much as they joked about the palace feeling droll each day here, at least it was consistent. There hadn't been a girl cut in weeks and things had fallen into a safe, familiar pattern. Katara would have never thought she'd be the one to like 'safe' things, but now...now she was beginning to find solace in the same people and the same things. Change meant saying goodbye to those she loved, one way or another.

If she were smarter, or if she were someone of more conviction, she would have never made these connections here. Not with Zuko, not with Aang, not with Aiga, not with the girls. She would have done what she came to do and would be back in her village losing no sleep over stupid, sexy princes.

But would that be better? Was it better to care so deeply for him than never at all? That was the question that she was still wrapping her mind around.

Zuko was already sitting, though Aang was not in attendance. Ozai's insufferable guard dog, Zhao, was still absent too, so Katara could only assume he was still off being a reprehensible person.

Zuko looked tired. If Katara had imagined him able to catch any wink of sleep, she was mistaken. It was late and all any of them wished to do was go to bed. Even the girls who had spent the last few days in the palace looked tired, with Jin stifling yawns like Katara was and Kilee halfway dozing off on Saoirse's shoulder.

"This cannot be good," Suki whispered. Even her joking tone had vanished, realizing that the Fire Lord didn't call a late-night, all-contestant meeting for no good reason.

"Ladies, why the tired faces?" Ozai purred, as though he didn't know it was nearly midnight. He and Azula were possibly the only ones who did not look absolutely knackered, though it wasn't by much.

No one had the courage to answer. Katara would have, had she been awake enough to think of a clever answer in reply. She would have delighted in seeing that look on Ozai's face like he'd just sucked on a lemon. The way she saw it, she was halfway out the door anyway.

Katara couldn't help but look at Zuko. She knew his tells well at this point. While to most girls, it may seem as though he was sitting dutifully, she could glean from the slight shift of his posture and the way his eyes stayed focused unflinchingly on Ozai that he had no idea what his father was about to say either. That did not bode well.