Bent
by LizBee
Notes: Written for the 'Suggest a fic I will never write' meme. Amy_Wolf suggested: "Azula decides to be a submissive little noblewoman and devote herself to pleasing her husband and making babies." Warnings for consent issues, underage marriage, creepiness.
After the war, the new Fire Lord came to Ba Sing Se.
"He'll want to see you," said Long Feng. "He'll want to take you back."
"He can try," said Azula evenly. "This is where I belong now."
Kuei's hand tightened over hers.
Part of her still thought it was strange that her father hadn't sent an army to bring her back. She had always thought she meant more to him than Zuko. Surely he must have thought it strange when she turned her back on the Fire Nation and offered herself to the Earth King. She still remembered the terrible confusion in Zuko's face as she made her final choice, the way he had led Mai and Ty Lee away.
She tried not to think about it.
Just as she tried not to think that it was strange how easily Long Feng had regained his place at the Earth King's side. But then, Kuei often changed his mind; Long Feng was persuasive and clever, and seemed to anticipate the Earth King's ever argument. "He bought the King with peace and a wife," General How once said, before he vanished, the way so many other people had vanished.
Not Uncle, though. She visited him every day, to be sure that he was still there. A prisoner, yes, but he had a suite of well-lit rooms, good food, tea, companions to play pai sho.
Nevertheless, one day she had asked, "Why haven't you escaped? Surely my brother needs you."
"Your brother made his choice in the catacombs," said Iroh, moving his tile. "I hope he'll come to see a better way, but he doesn't need me watching over him right now." He touched her hand. "Are you happy, Azula?"
"Of course," she said, and smiled. "This is everything I ever wanted."
But it couldn't have been, because she remembered escaping from - she was somewhere, underground, far from the sun. But she escaped, and Zuko found her, and they brought down the Avatar together.
Then the earth closed over her head, and next time she saw Zuko, she was telling him that he was free to leave, but she wanted to stay.
She still didn't understand why there had been no word from her father. The whole world knew of her marriage. He must have been told. Yet there was nothing, not even a formal notice disowning her.
Kuei thought she was homesick, and had the royal earthbenders create a garden for her in the Fire Nation style. Azula sat by the pond and trailed her fingers in the water, watching the turtleducks at play. One day she would bring her children out here, and they would grow up to be loyal servants of Ba Sing Se, and she would be very, very proud of them.
The Fire Lord would arrive tomorrow. She wondered what arguments he would use to persuade her, and how long it would take to convince him that she was meant to be here.
end