It would have been embarrassing for Katara to attend the tournament with a bare head, so she picked three sprigs of apple blossoms and arranged them in her hair before leaving. With the two silver coins Lady June had slipped her, she had more than enough to hire a palanquin to take her to the tournament hall, but none seemed to be available.
Katara walked down Peony Avenue, the palace complex's main road. A palanquin station stood every several yards or so along Peony Avenue, and Katara just had to be able to catch a palanquin at one of them. When a palanquin finally did show up, Katara sprinted so she wouldn't miss it, but a young man beat her there.
"Wait," said the young man as a palanquin bearer was about to help him inside. "Let the lady have it instead."
"Thank you, sir," said Katara. She could have kissed him for being so considerate.
The young man bowed to Katara. His shaggy brown hair and crooked grin were familiar to her, but the piece of straw dangling from his lips told her she'd seen him before—at Lady Ursa's tea party. He carried two swords and was presumably on his way to compete in the tournament.
The temple bells rang seven times, the Hour of the Horse. The tournament would begin any moment.
"But won't you be late?" said Katara. What if he missed his match and had to forfeit? Wouldn't that be a fantastic way to thank him for his kindness?
The young man shrugged off her concerns. "Don't worry," he said. "There's still plenty of time."
Katara sighed. Please let that be true.
"Are you ready, Young Miss?" said one of the palanquin bearers.
"Yes." Katara accepted the palanquin bearer's hand and climbed into her seat. The palanquin bearer and his partner lifted her onto their shoulders. She stuck her head out the window and waved to the young man. "Thanks again."
The young man bowed to her again. "See you at the tournament."

Mai and Ty Lee greeted Katara when she found them in the tournament hall.
"Here," said Ty Lee, grabbing Katara's hand and pulling her into the stands. "We saved you a seat."
Katara bowed to Lord Ukano and Lady Michi when she entered their box.
"I'm happy you could make it," said Lord Ukano. Mai must have told him Katara wasn't coming because she wanted to finish the embroidery she was going to sell.
Lady Michi fluttered her fan. "It's good to have a strong work ethic," she said. "But it shouldn't prevent you from having fun once in a while."
Katara nodded. Lady Michi's comment was kindly meant but rich coming from someone like her, who'd probably never had to work a day in her life.
Thanks to Lord Ukano's connections, they had front-row seats so close they could smell the sweat glistening on the foreheads of the young swordsmen competing in the tournament. Fire Lord Iroh sat on the dais at the far end of the hall. On either side of him was Prince Zuko, dressed in a short jacket and loose trousers similar to the other contestants, and an older gentleman with a gaunt face and a trim beard.
Prince Zuko wore a woman's jade hairpin in his topknot that was remarkably similar to the one Lady Jin was sporting last night. Katara chuckled behind her fan. Was Prince Zuko wearing his lady love's favor?
"What's so funny?" said Ty Lee.
Katara changed the subject by pointing to the gaunt-faced gentleman with a neat beard. "Who is that with Prince Zuko and the Fire Lord?"
"Oh, that's Master Piando, Prince Zuko's fencing teacher. He's one of the tournament's judges."
If Prince Zuko hoped his teacher would go easy on him, he'd be sorely mistaken. Master Piando's hawk-like eyes certainly wouldn't overlook his mistakes.
"And is that the man of the hour himself?" said Mai, pointing at Prince Zuko, who was getting from the dais to join his fellow swordsmen.
Ty Lee nodded.
"He's very handsome, even with that scar."
Katara sighed. "His scar is a badge of honor," she said. The gossip around the court was that Prince Zuko received his scar when he defended a regiment of raw recruits his father, the traitor Ozai, wanted to use as cannon fodder. He'd been just a child at the time.
Yi-Shen, the court master of ceremonies, approached Lord Ukano's box accompanied by Katara's friend with the piece of straw. The two men bowed to Lord Ukano.
"My Lord," said Master Yi-Shen, part of whose job involved helping make introductions. "Sir Jet wishes to be introduced to this young lady." He pointed to Katara.
Katara modestly lowered her eyes. Only a silly, forward girl appeared eager when approached by a potential suitor. So far, this Sir Jet was doing everything properly by approaching her guardian first.
Ty Lee tugged on Katara's sleeve. "Looks like someone's made a conquest," she said.
Lord Ukano nodded, permitting Sir Jet to approach. Ty Lee giggled, and Mai elbowed her in the stomach. Lady Michi tutted at the girls' lack of decorum.
"This young lady is my ward," said Lord Ukano. "Katara of the Southern Water Tribe."
Katara bowed. "It is a pleasure," she said.
Before Katara could say more to Sir Jet, Lady Michi pounced on the poor young man, grilling him about his background and prospects. Katara held her tongue. No one could say Lady Michi didn't take her responsibilities seriously.
Sir Jet was the second son of Count Tasha, a relatively minor Earth Kingdom noble, but his aunt was married to the Duke of Shen, an influential member of Fire Lord Iroh's court. The Duke of Shen was the connection that had allowed him to come here.
Lady Michi nodded—a perfectly respectable family.
Though Sir Jet was only two years older than Katara, he was already the captain of his own band of warriors, the Freedom Fighters, recruited from his family's retainers. The Freedom Fighters had made a name for themselves, dealing with bandit gangs in the lawless Earth Kingdom provinces. Mai had said that stories of their exploits sent the hearts of every maiden in Ba Sing Se, where one of Mai's numerous and well-connected uncles was stationed as a diplomat, aflutter.
Lady Michi nodded again. Younger sons had to make their way in the world somehow.
"Madam," said Sir Jet to Lady Michi. "Might I ask Lady Katara if I could have the honor of wearing her favor during the tournament?"
Ty Lee tittered like a sparrowkeet, and Mai's face turned green.
Lady Michi's painted lips curled into a smile, and she flicked her eyes in Katara's direction. "If Katara doesn't mind, I won't."
Katara wore a blue silk scarf that she bought from an itinerant peddler who'd visited the Ukano Estate before they left for Caldera. The different shades of indigo and azure rippled like water as she removed the scarf from around her neck. She kissed it before placing it in Sir Jet's hands. "Best of luck, sir," she said. If Sir Jet were as formidable a warrior as everyone said, he wouldn't need luck, but it wouldn't hurt for her to wish him well.
Sir Jet wrapped the scarf around his upper arm and tied it in place with a tight knot. He saluted Katara before rejoining the other contestants.
Lord Ukano turned to Lady Michi. "A promising young man, don't you think, my love?" He winked at Katara.
Mai and Ty Lee nudged Katara, who slumped in her seat. They would rib her mercilessly about this later, wouldn't they?
With or without the good luck bestowed upon him by Katara's scarf, Sir Jet emerged as one of the front runners in his division. He was one of the few contestants who'd seen actual combat, and this tournament must have been mere child's play for him. Another of the front-runners was Prince Zuko. The Prince and Sir Jet both practiced the "two sword" style and facing off against each other was inevitable. All fell silent when the young men entered the ring.
Ty Lee grabbed Katara's arm. "Two silver coins say that Prince Zuko takes your beau down a peg," she said.
Katara turned up her nose. How did Ty Lee know she had exactly that amount in her money pouch? Well, she'd learned her lesson about gambling and wouldn't fall for another of Ty Lee's tricks.
Prince Zuko and Sir Jet's squires fastened their masters' greaves and adjusted the straps on their breastplates. Mai stifled a yawn with her hand. Her mother glared at her. "Aren't you going to cheer on your future husband?" said Lady Michi.
Mai rolled her eyes. "He's not my future husband," she said.
"Not your future husband, yet."
Katara shared a look with Ty Lee. Lady Michi was hardly subtle in her hopes that Prince Zuko would choose Mai.
"Keep up the yawning." Katara leaned on Mai's shoulder. "Prince Zuko is bound to notice the haughty beauty who's unimpressed with his swordsmanship and be seized with a mad passion for her."  No man could resist a woman who was a challenge, or so the romance scrolls on Lady June's bookshelf said.
Mai scoffed at her.
Sir Jet and Prince Zuko bowed to Fire Lord Iroh on the dais, the spectators in the stands, and finally, each other. Their squires helped them put on their masks and handed them their swords.
Despite what promised to be a match the whole court would talk about for weeks, Mai muffled another yawn. "All this mincing about is going to put me to sleep before the match even starts," she said. 
The swordsmen readied themselves, and the referees lowered their flags. Katara leaned forward in her chair. Sir Jet still had her scarf tied around his arm. He was the first to score a hit, but Prince Zuko held him back. The clash of sword blades made Katara grit her teeth.
Prince Zuko ducked out of the way of Sir Jet's next thrust. Sir Jet came at him again. They danced around each other until Prince Zuko struck like a viper and scored a hit to Sir Jet's head. Katara winced in sympathy.
The rest of the match was a blur that Katara struggled to follow. Prince Zuko and Sir Jet locked swords and grappled with each other, neither appearing to have the upper hand. Sir Jet shoved Prince Zuko, throwing him off balance, and struck him on his side.
Lady Michi leaned towards Katara. "Watch out, my girl," she said. "That boy doesn't take any prisoners." 
Katara folded her hands in her lap. "You said younger sons have to make their way in the world somehow." And why shouldn't Sir Jet do what he can to get ahead?
The referees stepped in to determine if Sir Jet's blow had landed on Prince Zuko's glove or his breastplate. They decided it had hit the breastplate, so he'd scored a point. "The match goes to Sir Jet," announced the head referee.
The victor received rapturous applause from the spectators. No one cheered with more enthusiasm than Katara. Sir Jet's triumph was hers as well.
Prince Zuko and Sir Jet removed their masks. Though he bowed to Sir Jet like a good sport, Prince Zuko's expression was as gloomy as a thunderstorm. Sir Jet bowed in return and swaggered over to Katara. He untied Katara's scarf from around his arm and returned it to her.
"I believe this is yours, my lady," he said.

A few days after the tournament, a messenger wearing Lady June's livery visited Katara after the morning etiquette lessons. He handed Katara a long, narrow box that contained a gold hair pin shaped like a phoenix. Prince Pouty picked this out, said the note Lady June had placed under the hair pin.
Katara hid the note in the bodice of her dress. She would rather be boiled alive than let Mai or Ty Lee see it. They'd already teased her enough about Sir Jet and the last thing she needed was them mocking her for how she'd humiliated herself in front of Prince Zuko, who'd probably only sent her this gift because he felt bad for her.