Balance | Old Version

Chapter 71

Elua's POV.

We had been looking for Appa and Joo Dee had been following us everywhere we went, but finally, she dropped us off where we're staying and some old man told us not to talk about the war and stay away from the Dai Li. It was now morning, we all were sitting around in our temporary house when Katara came running in with something in her hand.
"I've got it! I know how we're gonna see the Earth King!" Katara says with a smile.
"How are we supposed to do that? 'One doesn't just pop in on the Earth King'," Toph says mimicking Joo Dee.
"The King is having a party at the palace tonight for his pet bear," Katara says as she shows us a flier for a party at the palace.

"You mean Platypus-Bear?" Aang asks her in confusion.
"No, it just says 'Bear'," She says as she turns the poster around and looks down at it.
"Certainly you mean his pet Skunk-Bear," Sokka tells her.
"Or his Armadillo-Bear," Toph says, Katara shakes her head.
"Gopher-Bear?" I ask with a frown. I don't think I've ever seen just a bear.
"Just...'Bear'," Katara says shrugging. We all go silent, looking at each other with confusion.
"...This place is weird," Toph says as she flops on the ground.
"The palace will be packed. We can sneak in with the crowd," Katara says, I suppress a laugh.
"That won't work," I tell her, shaking my head.

"Why not?" Katara asks me, obviously confused.
"Well, no offense to you simple country folk, but a real society crowd would spot you from a mile away. You've got no manners," Toph tells her, I point to her and nod in agreeance.
"Excuse me? I've got no manners? You're not exactly lady fancy fingers," Katara tells her, take offense to Toph's words.
"I learned proper society behavior and chose to leave it. You never learned anything. And frankly, it's a little too late," Toph says as she eats some berries.
"Ah-Ha, but you learned it. You could teach us," Sokka says as he stands up.
"Yeah, I'm mastering every element. How hard could manners be," Aang says as he picks up a blanket and puts it over his head.

"Good evening, Mr. Sokka Watertribe, Ms. Katara Watertribe, Dear sister Elua, Lord Momo of the Momo Dynasty, your Momo-ness," Aang says, trying to act 'gentlemen' like.
"Avatar Aang, how you do? Go on," Sokka says, doing the same thing Aang is. They bow to each other a few times.
"Ow!" They shout as they hit their heads together.
"Katara and Elua might be able to pull it off, but you two would be lucky to pass as busboys," Toph tells them.
"Actually Toph, I've already learned," I tell her. Of course, I knew. I was going to be a Queen after all.

"You have? Where?" She asks confused.
"The Fire Nation," I answer with a shrug.
"The Fire Nation?" She asks in surprise and confusion.
"Yes, when you're engaged to marry a prince you have to have manners," I state. "Though dinning with the royal family of the Fire Nation was strange, they never really spoke during meals and when they did was about things I didn't want to talk about," I tell everyone as I frown, remembering the times I had stayed in the palace.

Flashback.

Third Person POV.

Elua looks out the window of a carriage she sits in as it moves down the streets of the Fire Nation Capital City. She smiles as they pass people who were waving at her, mostly children who were just excited to see someone from a different nation. The carriage comes to a stop as they get to the palace, the door to the carriage is opened and she steps out. Elua looks up at the large building in front of her, she been here many times but, this was the first time she had been here since becoming engaged to her best friend.
"Elua!" The sound of someone shouting brings Elua back to reality. She smiles as she sees young Azulon walk over to her smiling.
"Hello," Elua says with a smile as they hug each other.

"I'm glad you were able to come back," Azulon tells her as they let go of each other. "I know the last time you were here was...awkward," He says nervously.
"Yes, but most of it was just shock. I wasn't expecting the news of my own engagement," Elua says with a kind smile.
"Neither was I," Azulon says as they begin to walk inside. "But, at least it's someone I know and not someone I'll meet the day of the wedding," He says, making them both laugh.
"I suppose there's that," Elua says.
"Well, you've come just in time. Dinner is in a few minutes," Azulon tells her, she looks over to him unsurely. "Come on," He says as they both walk into the dining room of the palace, where the Fire Lord and his wife sit.

"Ah, Nadir Elua," Fire Lord Sozin says as he looks up.
"Fire Lord Sozin," Elua says as she bows to him respectfully before she and Azulon sit down beside each other. Elua looks down at the food on the table, unsure of what she could actually eat.
"I told the chef to make most of the food vegetarian," Azulon whispers over to her.
"You didn't have to do that," Elua whispers back, he shrugs. "Thank you," She says with a small smile. They all sit in silence for a while, the only sound being silverware hitting plates.
"You both will be 16 in just over 8 months," Fire Lord Sozin suddenly points out. Elua holds back a sigh of frustration, it was as if the only thing in this family that mattered was marriage and power.

"Perhaps, it is time for you to move into the palace. Permanently," Fire Lord Sozin says. Elua looks over to him in shock, but she stays calm.
"As much as I would love to...I can't just yet," Elua tells him. "I've mastered air and almost water, but I still have two elements I have to focus on. And the monks still think I have a few things to learn about my people. The traditions, the culture, the history," She explains. Of course, that wasn't true all true. But, the thought of living her brother behind, was heartbreaking.
"Maybe, it's best that we wait for a few months, father," Azulon says, seeing Elua's discomfort with the idea of moving away from her people.
"Of course," Fire Lord Sozin says, but he is obviously not happy with that. "It's getting late, I will see you all in the morning," He says as he stands up and walks away from the two teens.

End Of Flashback.

"You married a prince?" Toph asks in shock as Elua shakes her head and comes out of her thoughts and memories.
"She didn't marry him!" Sokka shouts angrily, everyone looks at him in surprise. "I mean, she didn't marry him," He says again, this time calmly.
"I was engaged to him, but it was called off," I explain to Toph.
"Why?" Toph asks me, now curious.
"It was meant to bring peace between the Air Nomads and Fire Nation. Obviously, it didn't work," I inform her. "Anyway, we have a very low chance of even getting close to the King. It's not very often that commoners meet monarchs," I tell them.

"But there's a chance, and it's the only chance we're gonna get for weeks," Katara states, I sigh and look over to her unsurely. "We have to try," She says.
"Alright. We should get ready then," I tell her. Katara, Toph, and I walk into the back room and get into more fancy clothes. After a while, we look more like higher class people and walk out of the back room.
"Wow, you look beautiful," Aang says as he stares at Katara with a dreamy look.
"Yeah, she does," I hear Sokka whisper. I look over to him and see him staring at me, making me smile and my face flush a light pink.

Katara is about to say something but, I put my fan over her mouth and block her from speaking.
"Don't talk to the commoners, Katara," I tell her, with a fake elegant tone.
"That's the first rule of society," Toph tells her as we begin to walk out of the house, the sun had set and the stars were finding their way into the sky.
"We'll get in the party, and then find a way to let you in through the side gate," Katara tells the boys as we begin to walk down the street, making our way to the Earth Kingdom palace.