Preface
"What exactly do you propose?" Came a soft drawl from the cell to her left. Azula had long since given up on learning the names of these prisoners; most of them were nothing more then meager villagers after all. She refused to think of herself as on their level. Just because they were all trapped behind the same bars; all sleeping on the same uncomfortable concrete, didn't make them equals.
"When you speak to me," she replied, "I'll ask you to address me as princess, and nothing less." She was royalty after all. She wasn't scum. Nobody, not even Zuko, could take away that birthright. When she escaped this hell, she'd show the entire world that it was she, and not Zuko, who was most powerful. She deserved the position of Firelord. It had been so close…the crown only inches from lying atop her head; in its rightful position. The entire nation, only seconds from applauding her. The entire world, practically siting in the palm of her hand. And after three generations of fighting and meticulous planning, it had been stolen away in just one afternoon. Stolen by Zuko. She was going to massacre him.
"Please then, princess, tell us your plan." Azula pointedly ignored the sarcasm in his voice. "You promised us that if we joined you, you would help us escape."
"And I stand by my promises." she said icily. "As long as you support me, your days in jail are numbered. Now if you value your life, I suggest you stop questioning me."
Prisoner number one, as Azula referred to him, seemed to be wise after all. The annoying chatter quieted immediately, and the somber silence of jail once again rang through her ears. It was becoming oddly comfortable. The long days, and longer nights. Barely sleeping, but also hardly ever feeling tired. The most exciting thing they did all day was walk single file to the wash room, where guards stood by the doors as you showered or bathed. It was humiliating. But Azula didn't mind overall, because the many down hours had given her plenty of time to come up with an escape plan.
And what a plan it was…