Mendacity

Azula has been trained to lie.

Not formally, but she had to become self-taught, and there is no ignoring that. Lying feels better than telling the truth, which has always made her feel uncomfortable. Perhaps the truth is vulnerable; Azula does not know.

Lying to a woman? A woman she loves? That is as natural as breathing, even to someone who has not made it their life's work to lie like a rug.

She is toying with the engagement ring on her finger as she thinks about what would make her speech stand out. She finds public speaking as soothing and simple as firebending, but that also means that Ty Lee will not be impressed by what would make everyone else's jaw drop.

So, Azula must think of a way to go beyond the magnificent...

Azula decides that her speech will be a confession.

lie one: handwriting

The note Azula slid across her smooth, shiny school desk had bright, fresh black ink on it. It was a love note, addressed to Princess Azula, and she purposefully placed it to her right ─ Ty Lee's line of sight and not Mai's.

Ty Lee saw it and looked distraught before excited. "That's so amazing! Who do you think it's from?"

Azula examined her jealousy and then wondered why she felt the need to do this to Ty Lee. It was to knock her down a notch, of course.

Azula's lie to Ty Lee was that the note was from some mystery boy; Azula had just written it with her left hand.

Azula's lie to herself was that it had nothing to do with her concealed feelings for her closest friend.

lie two: sleepwalking

Azula was in the hallway, trying desperately to get to Ty Lee's bedroom. It was raining, and rain could prompt a girl to do some dark things. Azula had that desire simmering inside of her and she could no longer deny it anymore.

But she stopped as she nearly reached the door. She set her hands on the wall, and her surprise was genuine when she saw Mai.

Sleepwalking, Azula claimed. Sleepwalking.

lie three: divorce

Azula told Ty Lee that it would be fine. Azula told Ty Lee that she did not care if Ty Lee divorced her husband or not, and that the affair was more than enough for her.

Of course that was a lie.

And Ty Lee must have known, since she did divorce him.

She divorced him and threw herself into Azula's arms, but Azula continued to lie and say that she would not have cared either way.