Zuko winced as Azula's voiced reverberated within the confines of his office. There was no mistaking it. His sister was livid about the fact that in her mind meant that her privacy had been violated. In a way he could understand that after her stay at an asylum she no longer wanted to be in the public spotlight. In fact he suspected that Azula didn't want anything to do with the nobility any more. It was odd but now at days Azula seemed to prefer the company of the palace servants along with her mother and Naomi to everyone else. In a way Zuko didn't blame his sister for feeling the way she did about the Fire Nation's nobility and bureaucracy. They often got on his nerves too.
"So someone just happened to drop the ball and blurt out details my personal life?" The princess inquired demandingly.
Zuko placed a palm on his forehead; he knew breaking this news to her wouldn't end well.
"Don't blame me!" the Fire Lord protested "I just barely found this out myself!"
Azula shook her head in a combination of disgust and disbelief.
"Was it too much to ask that I be left to myself?"
"Well if you're angry now, you'll likely hate me when I say this."
"Oh… This ought to be good." Azula said sarcastically.
"There were numerous offers for an arranged marriage."
The look in Azula's eyes said that she was strongly considering whether or not she would be committing regicide.
"And let me guess. You just so happened to agree with one of these offers without asking me what I thought about this arrangement."
"No," Zuko sighed, "Mother stonewalled them. Just be aware that at the summer banquet that you'll have a lot of people seeking your attention."
The princess glared at the ceiling. She was sorely tempted to kill someone right now. All she wanted to do was to mind her own business. However now she was forced to deal with suitors. Azula would now have to entertain men of who wanted nothing to deal with. In Azula's opinion, she was not some prize to be won. And she certainly would not allow herself to be pawn in someone's political power play. The princess was at least grateful that her mother's action had least put most of the cards in her hands. If anything, this development was annoying rather then something dangerous or life threatening; however, when the summer banquet arrived Azula was going to make certain that every suitor knew that, his advances were not welcome; If she wanted to be with someone for the rest of her life then it would be of her own choosing and not because the pairing would be politically advantageous.
"I don't believe this!" Azula shouted. "You are such an idiot!"
Azula's expression softened for a moment. She knew it was not his fault about all this. It was only matter of before someone found out anyway. The princess pursed her lips together in irritation.
Why can't you all just…LEAVE ME ALONE!Azula took a seat in the chair across from her brother's desk and placed the heels of her hands on to her forehead.
"I hate this! I absolutely hate this!"
Zuko looked at his sister sympathetically. For the most part Azula was usually in almost complete control of herself. However there were some instances where Azula's bad moods did get the best of her. Spending two years in a mental health facility could do that to you.
"It's not bad. You can always turn them down." Zuko spoke.
Azula snorted. She wasn't some object. And she was deathly certain that she would not become some trophy wife. Azula then glared at the ceiling and chided herself.
Come on stop being immature. This isn't something that should be surprising, besides it's customary.
"I'm making more out of this then I should." Azula admitted sheepishly.
"A little, then again overreacting seems to be a family trait."
"Shut up."
"Okay," Zuko stated, "Now you're just being touchy."
Azula grunted before standing up from the chair and heading to the office door.
"Always a pleasure Azula" The Fire Lord called out.
The princes rolled her eyes just before she slammed the door behind and muttered her thoughts out loud.
"Zuko might mean well, but sometimes he is such an imbecile."
Azula gazed at the ceiling for a moment and sighed out loud she knew that she acting immature. She was 19 years old and throwing a temper tantrum was unbecoming for her. Azula had been trying to work things out with her brother; however six years of bad blood had made it difficult. The difficulty didn't come from a lack trying. Every attempt to sort things out was tenuous. Maybe it was just her, the princess figured; or maybe too much time had passed and the best she could have hoped for was to keep things civil.
Azula had the same difficulties with her mother. The princess pondered her original line of thought was correct maybe it was her. And maybe she was just making excuses. Azula admitted that her mother Ursa had done a lot for her. And to be honest Azula wasn't ungrateful. Right now the princess was simply frustrated she didn't want to fraternize with complete strangers and indulge in false pleasantries. In essence Azula was going to be in for a long night. And while the night of the summer banquet was still weeks away she knew that she would still have idiot's trying to sway her opinion.
(* * * * * * *)
Naomi caught sight of her stepsister storming off through the hallway out of the Fire Lord's office. The expression on Azula's face showed that she was in a sour mood. Ursa had said that when Azula was in such a bad mood it was often best just to let her be alone and blow off some steam. Although Ursa did tell to fetch Azula for her and while Naomi was a bit torn it was probably for the best to get this over with.
The princess was stomping on floorboards when she overheard Naomi's voice call out for her.
"Hey Zuls wait up."
Azula took a breath through her nose and mentally counted to ten before responding.
"Was there something that you wanted Naomi?" The princess asked flatly.
"Ursa wanted me to get you."
"Did she say why?" Azula inquired.
"I wasn't allowed to say." Naomi said sheepishly.
Azula growled in her thought and pinched her nose. Somewhere within the dark corners of her mind, the princess suspected that her mother was up to something.
"Alright Naomi, you might as well take me to her."
Azula had at first expected that she would be led to a living room, the garden or perhaps the library. Instead the princess ended up following Naomi to the courtyard. Azula saw her mother standing and holding what looked to be a picnic basket in her left hand. In short mother dearest had planned an outing. The princess sighed inwardly as she admitted to herself that she needed to get of palace. Right now she was upset enough to go off the deep end. Azula shrugged and decided that she would go along with her mother…just this once.
Ursa had hoped that by taking Azula out she at least be able to help her alleviate some of the stress that had been building up since their reunion in Ba Sing Se. Ursa had taken Azula and Naomi up to a bluff that over looked the Fire Nation capitol. The summer breeze helped to project a calm atmosphere. Azula was sitting at the edge of cliff. This had the noblewoman a little worried, for the simple reason that her daughter might fall off into the jagged rocks below. Ursa got up and moved towards Azula while Naomi was occupied by Nikko's antics. Hopefully the massive dog would keep her stepdaughter occupied while she conversed with Azula.
"It seems that you're still upset."
Azula exhaled an exasperated breath through her nostrils.
"I'm not upset at any one really. Although I wish that I had come home to better news. Apparently some people wanted to use me a bargaining chip."
"So Zuko told you about the suitors?" Ursa sighed. "I had hoped that I would be the one to tell you about it."
"I'm not going to be some trophy wife!" Azula screamed.
"You don't have to attend the banquet if you don't want to." Azula heard her mother say soothingly.
"I wish it were that simple mother. But since now that everyone knows of my return to the palace. I will be expected to be there. I'm obligated to be in attendance."
Ursa nodded in understanding to her daughter's irritation. Before her exile Ursa had often went along with things she didn't agree with, because at the time she felt obligated to support her husband in his decisions. Comprimissing her standards was one her many mistakes in life. Ursa fervently hoped that her daughter would not make the same mistakes that she did.
"No Azula, you're not obligated to attend if you feel that you don't want to go through with it."
"Maybe, but the truth remains that I'll be dealing with people who will be seeking my attention. I hate it, all this pageantry and false pleasantry."
"You're being a bit pessimistic, don't you think?" Ursa answered.
Azula threw her hands into the air.
"And what do you suggest I do, mother?"
Ursa placed her hands on the princess's shoulders.
"Relax; this isn't the end of the world. If you don't to attend, then don't. No one is trying to force you into something you don't want."
The princess sighed as she was forced to capitulate to her mother's logic. Mother was right; she was making more of this problem than it actually was.
"No matter how hard I try to fix my life it seems like there's always another problem, always another setback. I'm sick of it. I'm tired of...I don't care anymore! I just don't care about anything. What about me? What about what I want?"
It was at that point that Azula realized that it wasn't the loss of self control that scared her, but the lack of choice. She was angry because she felt someone was trying to her freedom away, and she was powerless to do anything about it. Ursa got Azula's attention by gently grabbing her hands.
"I know you're frustrated, that's okay there's nothing wrong with being angry. It takes a lot of courage to admit your problems."
"It just doesn't seem fair." Azula spoke irritably.
"Life rarely is."
Azula glared at the clouds and said something that caused Ursa to laugh out loud.
"My family is annoying."
(* * * * * * *)
It had been two weeks since her brother had informed about the summer banquet and the inevitable onslaught that awaited her. For this occasion she the princess had opted to wear a black dress with gold outline with a gold dragon motif that traveled down both sides. Azula didn't actually mind being the center of attention but she also didn't like how numerous families seemed content to throw their sons at her in an attempt to secure a position in which they would have greater political influence.
Azula glared at the mirror. All that was left was her hair; it was amazing how stubborn your hair could be. Especially when you were trying adjust in a specific manner. Azula had made three attempts to do a topknot with the red ribbon that now lay discarded in front of the mirror of her bedroom vanity. However neither he hands, the ribbon or her hair wanted to cooperate. This was why she rang the bell that she kept in the vanity's top left drawer. Azula clasped her hand around the smooth wooden handle and rang the bell twice.
When Yugure heard the bell ring, she sighed because this was supposed to be the end of her shift. Unfortunately the sound of a bell ringing announced otherwise. The maidservant's sensitive hearing detected the noise coming from Princess Azula's bedroom. As she made her way to assist the princess Yugure was beginning to wonder what she had gotten herself into by choosing to become a maid within the Fire Nation royal palace. At first she thought it would have been easy but unfortunately she rudely corrected. Handling some else's laundry was bad enough. Other duties occasionally had Yugure cleaning the palace grounds form one end of the other. In essence Yugure was at the bottom of the food chain. The maid servant placed her hand around the door knob as Azula rang the bell a second time. Yugure was met by the princess staring at her intently.
"You rang your highness." Yugure spoke.
The princess sighed it was one situations where she was forced to admit that she was in need of some assistance. While the maidservant assisted in finally forcing the unruly locks of hair to cooperate.
Eventually something struck the princess as odd. She could have sworn she had seen this maid servant before.
"What's your name?" Azula asked.
Yugure was feeling nervous. It seemed that this mortal being was on to her. In fact was this knowledge was forecasted with a shallow smile on Azula's lips.
"My name… is Yugure." The maid servant said hesitantly.
"Interesting," Azula spoke as she stood up and smoothed out her dress. "Perhaps we can converse latter."
As Azula waved her off Yugure had a sneaking suspicion that her tenure of servitude just got interesting. The Princess walked down the hall way and towards the court yard. The music seemed to indicate that the festivities had already begun. It omen that her torture was just beginning. Before entering the court yard Azula straightened posture and took a deep breath. Inhaling through her mouth and exhaling through the nostrils. Azula looked around the court yard and eventually found her mother seated with Naomi. The princess would've liked to take a seat with them but Mai was at the same table along with her brother and nephew. Azula had nothing personal against her nephew Taro. The two year had done her no wrong. Azula snorted in frustration, she knew she knew that she was being immature. The princess eventually took a seat with her chin resting in the palm of her hand. Everyone at the table she was seated at was absorbed in a conversation that she wasn't interested in. The event was boring, very boring. Azula wouldn't have felt surprised if she yawned. Luckily she did not have any idiot's trying to woo her…yet. And hopefully it would stay that way. For the past few weeks she had been playing hostess to young men that she didn't know had know and had no interest in knowing. Azula's line of thought was Interupted when she felt some one touch her shoulder.
"Are you okay?" Ursa asked. "You seem rather gloomy."
"I need to get out of here." Azula stated simply. "Dealing with suitors is manageable for the most part. The thing I hate is that I keep feeling like a lot of these people are seeing me as an object. They know me by my title, and that's it. And because of that none of these men are worthy of me."
"At least you're being honest." Ursa spoke in an attempt to comfort her daughter.
"Don't worry Zuls ," Naomi said helpfully " If they keep annoying you we can always sic Nikko on them."
(* * * * * * *)