This is a 3shot. Hope you like it.
...
"Your girlfriend is here again," a airy voice says behind Zuko. She says it with a venomous hint in her tone, her arms crossed. "Your little peasant girlfriend."
Zuko sighs and rubs his face with his hands. He does not need to answer this in the sweltering heat of Fire Nation summer. Katara raps on the door, a few hasty knocks. A servant opens the door and allows Katara in. In Azula's opinion, she always looks disgusting. Muddy, and garbed in the same torn blue dress every day.
"She's not my girlfriend, Azula. I'm engaged." He gets up and walks to Katara, as Azula steals his seat at the table. She sips tea with her legs crossed, watching the little dance of illegal love. A servant cannot marry above her class, but she comes here far too often.
"Hama sent me with these deliveries," Katara says, holding a basket out as she bows deeply. Her eyes are fierce, "your highness."
Azula sees her eyes flicker to Zuko's scar. She smirks faintly, as she stands up and walks to the scene playing out.
"My brother may be disappointing to the crown, but he doesn't talk to peasants. Much less accept deliveries," Azula says, patting Zuko's arm pointedly. Katara's expression sours, bitter and cold. Azula wonders briefly if her lips would be as cold as her stare, yet another unwelcome sexual thought. But peasants are more beneath her than slaves. "I don't know why you came here, anyway. He's getting married."
Katara frowns faintly. "I'll be leaving then, your highness." Her words end with a fierce snarl.
Azula does not take well to this servant of the ambassador from the Southern Water Tribe. She wonders briefly about her story, why she would be in the Fire Nation when she is so clearly more meant to be hunting arctic seals in a parka. But Azula points to the door, and with a flickering of her eyes, Katara is gone.
"That was weird. She's obviously in love with you, brother," Azula says, walking away. "Fifth time this month. It's as if she doesn't know you're marrying my best friend."
"It wasn't my choice. Father will set you up with someone too, Azula," Zuko snaps, gazing longing after Katara's disappearance.
They used to be friends when they were children. Katara was a slave of the palace and as Azula had two friends, children of nobles, Mai and Ty Lee, Zuko wasn't very well liked. So he made friends with a servant. They had pretend bending battles before they could bend, and always got muddy and disgusting. One day they kissed, and the second father found out ─ thanks entirely to Princess Azula the Tattletale ─ she was sold to Hama, an Ambassador. He said living with her own people would make her humble. Zuko loathed his father even more than the day he burned him in a fit of rage.
And now he barely sees Katara.
Katara rides home on her ostrich horse, imported from the Earth Kingdom. Her dress is uncomfortable and difficult to waterbend in, as she heads home to Hama, her mistress. She trained her in waterbending, but also keeps her constantly busy. She heads to the expansive farm that grows vegetables and flowers, all so beautiful. But Katara has seen Hama drain the water from them on a moment's notice. She never cared for living things, but Katara tends the garden with her bending. She and her mistress are different people; and Hama gave her grief for kissing Zuko four years ago and being sold to her.
Meanwhile, Azula is in an audience with her father. She has left the hot kitchen of the palace that overlooks the road, having halfhearted conversation with her brother. How she wishes she were with her friends instead. She makes her way to the throne room now, and pushes the door open.
"Good afternoon, father." She bows, rouge lips nearly against the hot floor.
"I have news for you, Azula," he says, his voice a gravelly growl over the crackling of flames. Azula looks up with her golden eyes, examining him closely. "The Northern Water Tribe is making an alliance with us. And I have someone you would particularly like to meet."
"Of course, father," Azula says sweetly, her voice like artificial sugar. She would be chosen as a political figure. To make solid relationships with her speaking skills. Ones that Zuko severely lacks.
...
Katara is in the garden, guiding water through the soil to feed the lacking plants. She touches them tenderly, thinking of the waterbenders she saw healing today on the side of the road. Apparently the Northern Water Tribe is in town with their princess. Katara has to admit there were times that as she slept in the dirt of a foreign nation, she wished she were a princess like Azula. Just with a better attitude.
At the age of eight, Azula and her friends are playing in the courtyard. Katara walks by, carrying a bucket and rags. She is dressed in blue, decrepit clothes and her face is muddy.
"Do you want to play with us?" Azula asks and her friends look at her like she is crazy. Katara catches a small wink and her stomach twists. "Come on. We won't bite."
Katara hesitantly sets down her bucket and rags. She walks to them, trying to straighten out her skirt to fit in better. But she still looks ridiculous against their ruby clothes and fancy accessories.
Zuko passes by and Katara blushes. Suddenly, Azula's thoughts change course. Double humiliation is better than one.
"Zuko can play too." Azula gestures at her brother and he jumps, looking skittish. "Don't you want to play a game with your servant friend, ZuZu?"
He gulps. Katara tries to shake her head at him, but he walks over.
"The point of the game is to knock an apple off of her head without getting hurt. Like this..."
Katara recalls the splash of water going up her nose. Bending it off of herself and being mocked for her heritage. And Zuko was bright red. Azula has always been needlessly cruel.
Suddenly, Katara is met by the sweeping pace of an ostrich horse. Her ostrich horse. Being stolen.
She runs after the thief, a slender teenage figure garbed in a ruby cloak. Draining water from the fruits around her a muttering an apology to them, she tosses a whip at the rider and yanks them off. As she tosses ice, it is quickly melted by a blast of blue.
Azula.
"What are you doing stealing from Hama?" Katara screams, holding the water around her menacingly. Azula pushes herself up, coughing.
"You'd do yourself well to grovel and apologize, peasant," Azula snarls, sitting on her knees.
"No. No I won't. She already has almost nothing just because she's Water Tribe. Had to sell all her silver when the taxes raised for people who weren't born citizens. You can't steal from the less fortunate." Katara does not drop her arms of water. Azula scoffs.
"What would you like? Me to pay you? I'm trying to get to the countryside and I can't take anything of my father's or he'll know I wasn't really kidnapped."
"You faked a kidnapping? Are you insane?" Katara exclaims, eyebrow twitching. Her big blue eyes are flickering with confusion and anger.
"It's the only reasonable way out of my situation, which, I'll have you know, is unfortunate," Azula says, crossing her arms.
"I find that hard to believe. You just get everything you ask for handed to you on a golden plate. I'm not standing down until you either fight me, or give Hama back her ostrich horse," Katara says.
"Have it your way," Azula says with a small shrug. And she summons tongues of flame a brighter blue than the water.
The clash begins. Water against flame. Trained by Hama versus trained by Ozai. They fight for ages until the ostrich horse has run away and Azula pounces on Katara. Her water splashes around her, dousing both of them. Azula pins her down and they lie there, breathless. Katara stops struggling.
Azula and Katara meet eyes. Loathing. Pure and absolute loathing.
And Azula leans down and presses her lips against Katara's.
Katara doesn't resist.
They sleep together in the middle of a field, fumbling. Adoring. It feels perfectly right, like Katara imagined sleeping with Zuko would be. Zuko was always handsome, even with his scar. But Azula was twice as beautiful. But they are enemies, and always will be. Cruelty does not fit with compassion.
Afterwards, Azula pulls on her clothes.
"I can't go home, Katara," she says and Katara realizes she has addressed her by her first name. "My father is marrying me off."
"Like Zuko," Katara says and Azula shakes her head.
"No. Not like Zuko. Zuko did something wrong and he deserved it. I don't." Azula looks... on the verge of tears?
"I can't help you. I don't know why I would want to help you," Katara says sharply. Azula shrugs. "Even after whatever this is."
"If you don't want to. Fine. Go ahead. But I'm leaving and I expect you to remain silent." Azula moves towards the ostrich horse.
"Wait," Katara says, screwing her courage to the sticking post. Going out on a limb for the cruel Princess Azula feels ridiculous, but she does it anyway. "I'll help you. I know a place by the woods. Zuko and I... used to meet there after I was first sold to Hama. You could stay, if you want."
Azula pauses, thinking carefully. She supposes that it can't hurt. Katara may be beneath her, but she is trustworthy. Sickeningly so.
"I suppose, peasant," Azula says with a small shrug.
And Katara leads her into the woods.
...
"Where's my breakfast, Katara?" Hama demands, pushing open the door. Katara blinks several times.
"I'm tired, mistress," Katara moans, rolling over.
"You missed your midnight training, you haven't made me breakfast. Inform me what is making you slack? Are you in love?" Hama demands, tearing the blankets after Katara as she tries to fall asleep.
"No, Hama. I... got lost," Katara says, pushing herself up and rubbing her eyes. "I'll start making your breakfast."
"You got lost?" Hama sighs. "Get on it, girl."
And Katara does. As soon as she finishes serving Hama, she tells a lie about going to tend the garden, and runs out to the woods. Azula is there, sleeping.
"Wake up, princess," Katara whispers in her ear. Azula bats her hand at her. "You royalty are lazy."
"I am not lazy. I wake up at dawn to train every day," Azula snarls groggily, her eyes still closed.
"Well, it's past noon right now. Looks like you're a little late." Katara glances at the high sun pointedly. Azula sits up slowly, yawning.
"It's your fault for keeping me up all night," Azula sighs, rolling her eyes.
Of course, Azula blames someone other than herself. She can never shoulder blame. Ugh. The only reason Katara is helping her is... why? Katara does not know why she is helping her. She harbored a crush on Princess Azula long, long ago. But it was a weird infatuation with a tormentor. But she slept with her anyway. Is helping her anyway. Sure Katara helps people. All people. But helping Azula feels... wrong.
"Just enjoy your day. I brought you food. I shouldn't've, though," Katara sighs, walking away from the bed and cracking open the window. The little house smells strongly of dust and decay.
"You were obliged, peasant," Azula says, plucking up the vegetables. She eyes them with minor distaste before starting to eat.
"I'm not enjoying helping you."
"Then don't."
And so the dance begins. Of course.
...
"Find my daughter," Ozai growls, looking at the gang of retired soldiers. Rough, tough and exactly what he needs to rescue Azula, "and you will be greatly rewarded."
They nod.
He sincerely hopes she has not eloped, like Zuko tried to.
She will marry Princess Yue, no matter what the two girls want.
There is no escaping.
...
Katara sweeps Hama's house, sighing.
Being Princess Azula's protector is thankless work.
to be continued