When I was growing up, I was never really clear on what it was a king actually did. It wasn't that I was ever bored as the Earth King -- I had Bosco and my other pets, and all the works of art and culture of the Earth Kingdom at my disposal, as well as plenty of interesting nobles and officials and artists to talk to. I had once asked Long Feng why everyone was so nice to me, and he said it was because the cultural leader of the kingdom. And it was nice feeling so important.
Of course, then I found out 'cultural leader' meant 'puppet ruler' and that a king was supposed to do more than go to parties and talk about painting to nervous-looking artists glancing at the Dai Li as they walked into the palace. Being a king meant that I had to learn about things like taxation and services and strategy, and what my city, and my country really was like, and how to plan an invasion of a nation that I hadn't even known we were at war with. And how to trust people to teach me these things, without letting them become like Long Feng -- advisors that ruled the city in my name. It wasn't as nice feeling like every time I said something, it was something stupid, but I thought I was starting to get the hang of it. At least, General How was no longer rolling his eyes every time I said more than hello to him. And Katara was very encouraging.
Now, though, as we flew out of Ba Sing Sei, I wondered, what would my father have done? Would he have spotted that the Kyoshi warriors were actually Fire Nation infiltrators and not told them how to stage a coup? Would he have been able to keep the loyalty of the Dai Li? Would he have figured out that Long Feng was manipulating him without the help of the Avatar? For that matter, would Ba Sing Sei have been safer if Long Feng had been the one still in charge. I don't know. I don't know if I want to know -- which would be worse, knowing that there was nothing I could have done, or that there was and that I didn't know to do it.
What does a king do without a country, anyway? I just was starting to figure out what a king does with one.