Until therapy sessions, Azula wasn't much of a garden person. The fragrances were nice enough. They made the palace look appropriately extravagant. But she'd never appreciated them in full. Not until one of her therapists had the sense to suggest that they try a different approach with her. An approach that offered more freedom. An approach that involved simply sitting outside for a while taking in the fresh air.
It had been nice to feel sunshine again and nicer still to be outside. Not that she wasn't antsy and itching for something of substance to do.
But the garden was soothing. She had come to like it out there. She had come to enjoy the bird calls and the various insects buzzes-so long as they didn't get too near. When offered time in the garden, Azula mostly liked to just lie there with the breeze rustling her cloths.
It was a habit she had carried into her daily life after her release. A thing to calm her after the stresses of readjusting to the palace and her duties as an advisor. On some days she could swear that Zuko was practically handing the crown over to her out of frustration.
Most of the time she kept to the serene privacy of the palace garden. Her favorite place to rest was beneath the red dragon maple with its carpet of firelily.
But soon she began seeking out a change of scenery. A venture that brought her to a place just outside of the capital. The garden was surprisingly much larger than the palace's own. It was a host to a variety of flower types; the familiar fire lily mixed with panda lily and moon flower imported from the Earth Kingdom. There was a sprinkle of white lotus and jasmine and a dabble of deep orange dragon blossom and vibrant red rose. Spanish moss twisted with wisteria and hanging vines-twisted in some places, by human hand, to form arches. Some bowing low enough to tickle Azula's head as she walked under. There were groves of familiar dragon maple and banyan mixed with thickets of bamboo. And near the groves grew clusters of purple berry and ash banana.
Days later she ventured further and ran into chili pepper plants and the less pleasant looking fly trap. Further still, and she came to find a circle of butterfly bush. That, she decided, was her favorite part of the garden. It had such an elegant perfume and an aesthetically pleasing blend of blues and purples, some to the likeness of her fire. She liked those the best.
And if she sat long enough and still enough a pastel swarm of butterflies would make their ways away from the bushes they gave name to and come to rest upon her arms and in her hair.
It was a look more suited to TyLee; a state in which she would rather not be spied by a familiar face.
It was the unfamiliar face that had taken her off guard.
The woman had found her sitting cross-legged with her arms outstretched, willfully trying to attracted the butterflies for once.
She could swear that they were growing accustomed to her presences as they seemed to cluster on her arm with little hesitation. She thought that she could even recognize some; namely a particularly vibrant teal-winged one with three dark blue spots on each.
That one made its way from her arm to the tip of her nose.
That was how the woman had found her.
Azula was ready to holler at the woman for scaring the butterflies away. But the other woman stood silent, watching dozens of wings twitch until they one-by-one glided away. Soon only the vibrant blue one remained. Carefully Azula picked it off of her nose and held it on her pointer.
"My favorite is the deep purple one." The woman commented. "The one with the black squiggles."
Azula hadn't expected the woman to make conversation. She hadn't expected to be spotted at all. When Azula didn't reply the woman spoke again. "You're the princess, right?"
The remark brought a delicate pink to her cheeks. Even less, she expected to be recognized.
"I might be." She watched the butterfly drift back to its flowers.
"I've heard stories." She looked the other way. "You never struck me as a garden person."
"You don't strike me as one." Azula returned, referring mostly to her appearance. But, based upon the tattoo, she had a sneaking suspicion that this was the bounty hunter Zuko made mention of. The woman who supposedly beat men with muscles thrice the size of her own in arm wrestling contests. The woman who could supposedly chug a large mug of Earth Kingdom beer. The butterfly swarm was just as ill suited to her as it was to Azula, maybe even more so.
She gave a half laugh. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."
"So what are you doing here?"
"Sometimes I need a break from sweaty burly men."
Azula wrinkled her nose.
"What about you?"
Azula shrugged.
"I answered you…"
"You didn't have to." Azula replied.
"I can let everyone know that princess Azula has a girlish thing for butterflies and flowers."
Azula narrowed her eyes. Sly woman. "It's…" she thought for a moment. "Therapeutic. Better than straitjackets and medication." She supposed that her snap was more or less common knowledge at that point.
"Right." June agreed. "Yeah, it's relaxing." She gestured to the spot next to Azula, "can I?"
Azula shrugged. She supposed that she could use a new friend. A companion with a common interest and no poor history. "There's plenty of room."
June took a seat beside her and stared at the butterfly bush. "How do you get them to do that?"
"Do what?"
"Land on your arms and stuff." June asked.
"I just sit still and wait." Azula replied.
"No wonder they never come by me. Sitting still is not my strong suit."
"Perhaps if you tried harder…" Azula trailed off. One by one, the butterflies were coming back, floating lazily towards Azula. Mostly, they landed upon the princess' shoulders and in her hair. She held her hand out to June, their fingers brushing. "Hold still."
"I'll try." She held herself rather rigid and waited. Just as she was retracting her arm, one of the butterflies crawled towards it. Inching steadily until it rested on the back of her hand. "Finally." She huffed.
Clearly June wasn't the serene sort. No less, she was gathering her own swarm of the insects. How long she would be able to keep them, Azula couldn't say. She gently stroked the wings of her favorite blue butterfly. Briefly, she thought of taking it home with her. But she supposed that it would be better off left with its own. Agni forbid, she accidentally kill it.
A breeze fluttered the bush, sending a puff of petals into the air. A few butterflies took to the air with them. Azula looked over at June; she wore a half smile, one that turned more or less full when she caught Azula's gaze. The princess thought fleetingly of averting her stare, but doing so wouldn't take back having been caught.
She supposed that it was nice to have some company. She was almost certain that the intrusion would leave her feeling aggravated and that June would scare the swarm off. It would seem that things would go smoothly after all. Perhaps next time, she would bring food and drink for them.
With any luck, no one else would find them.
The image of a stoic war-bred princess and a heavily tatted pub frequenter covered in dainty and gossamer butterflies-perhaps with a flower tucked behind her ear-would probably earn a good stare. It was such a delicate and innocent image. Azula didn't want to have to explain the sight.
"I won't tell if you won't." June remarked after some time.
"I wasn't planning on it, believe me." Azula agreed.
It would be their little soft little secret.