Thankfully, nothing else happened for the duration of our stay in the Fire Nation. Albeit Lord Beifong had expedited our departure after the shenanigans that occurred in the nation, we were finally back on Earth Kingdom soil three days later.
I almost kissed the ground in joy.
And soon, things went back to normal.
Well, as normal as it could be.
The Beifongs were as overprotective as ever. More so, if anything. Especially after Toph let it slip during one particularly heated argument that she could Earth Bend. Of course, it hadn't even been intentional. I doubt that she'd purposefully reveal it just to make a point.
One moment she was shouting about having more freedom; the next, the ground lurched beneath her feet and shot upward straight into Lord Beifong's face. If I hadn't reacted in time and pulled him back just in time, I was fairly certain he'd be spending the next few weeks with his jaw wrapped in bandages.
At least the young lady looked sheepish at her unconscious actions.
The Beifongs had to hire a teacher to teach her the arts of Earth Bending, some dojo master in the upper echelons of Gaoling... But "teach" is a strong word, however, considering that Lord Beifong had restricted her lessons to the barest fundamentals, limiting her exposure in the name of safety. Or, more accurately, in the name of preventing further incidents.
Not that she seemed to need much teaching at all. At the rate she was improving, it was only a matter of time before she would dominate even our spars. My advantages were steadily disappearing with how easily she could Bend away the earth, which consisted of my footing; shift the surroundings around me; or dismantle my cover before I could properly react.
As for me, I slipped back into my routine.
I wake up before dawn, long before most of the estate stirs, and train my physical body until my muscles scream in protest. By the time the first servants begin their duties, I'm already cleaned up and moving.
Overseeing the kitchens and the cleaning staff, ensuring breakfast preparations and the morning upkeep proceed without issue, I wake Toph with a tray full of food.
Breakfast follows, making sure she actually eats her greens rather than arguing her way out of it, and then trail her as she goes about her morning routine.
Leaving briefly before noon to supervise the kitchens once more, I return to escort the Beifongs to the table.
Afterward, I resume my position at Toph's side.
By late afternoon, I bring her out to the badgermoles for training. That usually meant more training for me, as she would force me into a spar for a good while.
When the session ends, I thank the badgermoles with some fruits and meat that I brought from the kitchens prior and guide her back to the estate in time for dinner.
Evenings are thankfully quieter.
I stay with her, whether it's helping with her studies, listening to idle gossip, reading alongside her, or simply sitting in comfortable silence, until she's ready for bed.
Once she sleeps, I patrol the estate, making sure everything remains safe and secure. I don't leave until I'm certain she's fallen into a deep, undisturbed rest.
Only then do I return to my own Bending training at midnight.
And when exhaustion finally catches up to me, I sleep for a few hours.
Then it all begins again.
Day after day, week after week, this routine continued without any alteration.
Until, four years later, everything changed when Toph had overheard a passing remark amongst the staff that changed our whole lives completely.
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NEXT UPDATE: 29 April, Wednesday
A/N: This chapter is unfortunately short. I didn't want to extend it further with more filler that I personally think is not worth the writing.
But at the very least, after 17 chapters, we are finally just a year before canon. One or two more chapters after this, and we will be crashing straight into Aang and his Gaang's party.
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