Azula POV
She wore the finest attire. Even as a child, Azula was dressed extravagantly. At age 12 her father called her to the throne room to welcome a new adviser to the court. It was abnormal.
She had read the reports.
A man came out of the unknown dressed in regal black was a fire nation red tie. An odd choice, but it was what the man did that mattered. This man was a valued tactician in the financial world. From nothing, he built up his own corner in the empire.
New and improved factories popped up in slums pumping out military grade equipment at a low cost, with far more quality. This man's skill was valued by her father and that made it valuable to her.
"Azula, I'm glad you arrived early. I have news that may prove beneficial. This man has a son a year older than you. He is rumored to be quite the firebender. It would please me, if you entertained him while I meet with his father." Firelord Ozai said. Azula frowned at her father's word.
"But father, I thought you wanted me with you to see this man. He's the talk of the country. I want to see the brilliant Solicitor not his spoiled, mediocre son." Azula said. The flames around her father remained calm. There was no one around besides the guards. Speaking out was merely frowned upon.
"Azula, my spies have told me that his boy, is something of a genius with firebending. In what few matches he has participated, he has been devastatingly quick to defeat his opponents. They say, its like others move in slow motion to his eyes. Perhaps, a skill carried from his father." It hit her then. Her father wanted to gather information in a pincer strike. She would cover the son while he covered the Solicitor. It would be boring, but she would challenge the boy to a match.
"What will Zuko do while, I'm on my mission?" Azula asked.
"Your brother is out with my brother. I fear your brother will never have the edge needed for court politics. Let's hope tonight goes well." Her father said. Azula bowed and took her placed in the chair next to the throne.
She waited there as courtesans entered and took their placed. Servants were at the ready to supply refreshments if the meeting went over. The door opened.
"Presenting, Lord Solicitor and his son Melvin." Her breath hitched at the averageness of the man called Lord Solicitor. He looked like a fancy dressed man from the street. His height was average, his hair was brown, and his eyes were plain. But, there was something else. Warning bells went off in her head. The longer she glared at this plane man, the more she saw things that weren't right.
She had learned many firebending forms and she could tell the difference between a practitioner and a layman. This man was neither. He glided across the floor. There was such grace and control in his movements was he even moving forward. Her eyes had to be fooling her. She could see moving in any direction, he just happened to continue moving forward. It was strange.
Then her eyes moved to Melvin, such an odd plain name. He dressed like his father, but he didn't wear it the same. There were faults in his suit. A hair out of place here, some lent there, and a stain on the shoe. But, the way he moved reminded him of earth bender more than a fire bending prodigy. It was like nothing could stop him from moving forward, he was akin to a unstoppable tank.
She glanced to see her father smiling serenely. Could only she see the small beads of sweat that collected around his brow. Azula had never heard of the title Lord used for any other than high nobility or royalty. This merchant was not of noble blood. He was something else entirely. Perhaps, he was noble peasantry. An oxymoron but it fit. The son didn't fit. He was rough, distastefully so, she regretted accepting this assignment. Perhaps, she could employ Ty Lee. No, she's on vacation.
"I welcome you to the royal court Solicitor. My daughter Azula, has volunteered to entertain your son while we attend matters of court." She stood up and bowed shallowly. The boy smiled and bowed back just as shallowly. An eyebrow raised. Did this boy think himself equal to her?
"That's fine, Melvin has been complaining about a lack of entertainment. We have much to discuss about the management of royal finances and there is the birth rate to discuss." Her ears perked up at his words. This was unusual, most couriers would go about lip service and extend the meeting for hours. This man was different. Her father's smile strained slightly.
"That is an excellent idea. My attendants will acquire the records while we wait." The Solicitor raised an eyebrow before nodding.
"I would like a bottle of your finest saki. Its been too long since I've had time to relax before working." The Solicitor said. Her father didn't get angry, he relaxed. Was this some sort of unseen code between powerful men? She glanced at her companion for the evening. The boy looked board. Did he not understand that her father and the Solicitor were dueling with words and presentation?
She offered her hand to him. A custom of the court, from a royal child to a new noble. It symbolized protection, in a way it meant that harming this guest was an insult to the royal court. Many of the attendants watched, even her father glanced their way. The boy watched her hand, then slowly placed his in hers.
His hand felt like steel, made to look like a human hand. His grip was purposefully light. He let her grip his hands for fear his own would destroy her hand. How, what training could make a boy of her age so powerful. It didn't make sense.
"Let's visit the duckturtle pounds, its one of my favorite places." Azula said. The boy smiled gently to her. He could feel him grip her hand gently. Like a grown man trying not to harm a baby chick.
"I would like that." He said. The servants let them out and her personal body guards shadowed behind.
A servant gave them some bread to feed the ducks. She observed the ducks that her mother fed with such care. The ponds were one of the few places in her memory where her mother treated her like a child. The second they arrived the duckturtles leapt from the water and leapt upon Melvin's shoulders, head, and feet. She heard him sigh and a smirk covered her face at the ridiculousness of it.
The silly birds had covered his body and restricted his movements. If she were an assassin this would be the perfect time to put a knife between his ribs. The Solicitors son slain because the ducks decided he would make a good perch. She laughed at the ridiculous site. Unfortunately, she let out a snort. His eyes found hers and she covered her mouth in embarrassment.
"I apologize, it is obscene for a lady to make such sounds." Azula said. Her eyes narrowed, her mission was now surely harder. He probably thought she wasn't perfect. She would show him how perfect she was. The she heard him cackling like a mad man.
"Spirits its good to laugh. I didn't know what to think about you but now, I know." He left his statement at that. Had she utterly failed her mission in a single outburst. What would her father think?
"Could you please defowel me." He chuckled again. "I would hate to look even more ridiculous. But I'm sure if one pooped on my head, you would have another laughing fit." Melvin gave her a smile, she was sure he thought was reassuring. "Maybe, if you broke off some of that bread and tossed it in the pond, they will leave my head for it. Worth a try, right?" She wanted to roll her eyes at the boy. But she conceded, if the birds indeed defecated on his head, she may have another embarrassing outburst.
She broke off a few pieces of bread and tossed them in the pound. The duckturtles looked between their new perch and the bread, weighing the value of food between the safety of their perch. It was an age-old problem. Safety vs food which was worth the risk. There was no food on Melvin, if they remained there, they would surely starve to death.
The birds hopped off his head and leapt into the pond. He sighed and took a hand full of the loaf. They stayed in silence tossing pieces of bread in the pond. She thought about the issue of his assumption. He had already made his decision about her. She Azula princess of the fire nation was a buffoon in his eyes. How could her father accept something like that?
"This has been fun." Melvin said. She waited, it was her duty to gather information. Silence, was beneficial. "I admit, I had a few assumptions about you. I'm embarrassed to say, I thought you may be spoiled, proper, and perhaps conniving. Now, I know you're a girl that I can relax around. Thank you for that Azula." She wasn't spoiled, but if anyone asked she could be considered conniving and proper. What noble didn't expect a princess to be proper or a bit conniving. They weren't negative traits in the least. But who was she to deny her the lowering of her targets guard.
"There are rumors that your father is building up private protection, is it true." The rumor was, he was building a private military to usurp the royal family.
"So, you are a bit conniving after all. That's fine, your laugh was a thing of beauty. Is it true. We don't need an army for anything I can think of. If we wanted to take over the fire nation. Then my father would kill your father, brother, and uncle; while we wait here. Then, I would marry you to ensure royal blood is inherited in our son." Her breath hitched, could that man beat her father. It was so blatant it had to be comical. But, he looked at her as if this was the most natural thing to say. "That isn't the plan. We have no machinations to take the fire nation for ourselves. It isn't worth the effort as it is now." Melvin said.
"I don't know whether to be relieved or insulted by your words." Her bodyguards looked scared to death. They were seconds away from leaving them and heading to the throne room to check on her father. Which could just be a distraction to kidnap her. The only reason she wasn't stressed out was Melvin. He wasn't bothered by her guards or by his own words. He spoke the truth without revealing everything to make holes for future options.
"Neither, facts are just that, facts. We are relaxing and feeding turtleducks remember. Don't you feel relaxed watching them fight each other for the next piece of bread." She stared at him for a moment this was exactly what she would do to Mei or Ty Lee. Azula smiled and laughed he was messing with her. It was completely without taste and that was the point.
"Alright, we are relaxing. But the turtleducks are boring me, lets play another game." She snapped an apple off a tree. "Let's see if I can burn this apple off your head. I'm a princess, so you have to do as I say." A small smile graced his face. She felt a sense of danger wash over her but didn't budge.
"Azula, I think we will get along just fine. But, if you pull this crap again, I will make you cry." She smiled even as he grew cold and his eyes promised death.
"Does that mean, you don't want to play with me?" She asked. He sighed and bit into the apple.
"We will play a different game. Try to hit me with fire before it can touch you. When you say red you can't fire bend, but I have to stop and when you say green; you can fire bend and I can move." She narrowed her eyes. A simple sounding children's game with potentially deadly results. She could burn him if she said green. With red he had to stay in place while she had time to catch her breath and aim.
The guards looked nervous as they stood apart from each other. With a breath, she prepared to strike the second she said green. "Green," Azula yelled, and blasted him with orange and blue flames. Only he wasn't where she aimed. He was already half way to her. "Red," He stopped. Her own flames blinded her to his movements.
"What's wrong, we only just started. Are you tired of firebending already?" She frowned, no she wasn't tired, he was faster than she anticipated. She readied to strike faster, with closer distance he had less time to dodge.
"Green," She called and blasted. "Red," She said, he was to her left his hand outstretched ready to tap her shoulder. Her eyes widened at his insane speed. He smiled at her kindly.
If he was this fast, what of his father. Would her father see the dagger, before it was between his ribs? What was firebeding to their insane speed. "What are you assassin?"
"No, and I'm not even going full speed." She frowned.
"Green," she yelled out with a blast of fire from her mouth. Hands wrapped around her waiste.
She heard him whisper in her ear. "Azula, I win do you want to play again." She had never felt more embarrassed. That's when she smelled something burning. She turned her gaze to see his shirt was singed. He wasn't impossibly fast only insanely.
"No, I win, I clearly got you." He smiled at her like she had just argued a pointless topic.
"Azula, the winning condition was that I touched you. Burning me was never a winning condition." Melvin said. So, he tricked her. Though, burning him was a reward on its own.
They played together for the next few hours. Azula was slowly getting used to blasting at someone with insane speed. She never really did more than singe his clothes. Her guards watched on as she attempted to burn her guest, laughing the whole time. It was freeing to laugh and fight with no expectations.
"The Fire Lord has commanded both of your attendance for diner." A messenger said. Azula looked down at her clothes. They were covered in soot and burned in places. She was sweaty from playing with her new friend. Did she really consider him a friend? The crazy smile on his face said it all. He was having the time of his life dodging her fire blasts and tagging her.
"Very well, have an attendant bring our guest new clothes and tell my father that we need to get changed." The messenger bowed and left to inform her father. He wouldn't be pleased by her unladylike behavior. She looked over to see Melvin stretching. She couldn't say she wasn't having a good time.
"Azula, why are you and our guest late. I called your 20 minutes ago." She bowed.
"I was showing our guest a few of my new forms and our clothes were covered in soot. We had to change." Azula said. Her father nodded.
"Then the two of you are getting along well. I'm glad to hear that." Her father said. The Solicitor said nothing. He merely raised an eyebrow to which Melvin shrugged his shoulders. She missed so much said between the jesters. Her eyes locked on Melvin, she would crack the code and discover such secrets with time.
"Well, it is good that they get along. Since, we will be staying from now on." Azula's eyes widened.
"Yes, I have decided to make the Lord Solicitor treasurer for the foreseeable future. There seems to be thieves among the nobility. In certain colonies taxes aren't collected. We need to keep a better population and birth rate consensus. All of which the Lord Solicitor had volunteered to do as a new member of the court." Her father said. Melvin changed from that moment in her eyes. On instinct she saw him as a dangerous and valuable piece. His father had just become an instrumental part of the kingdom. Perhaps, her father would grant them a colony to rule. She could see Melvin buying a battalion to go to war in the name of the fire nation. In a few years, he could become a brilliant tactician with the proper steering. His father had redesigned most of the armaments factories. The few they owned, produced half of the nation's tanks alone.
There were rumors that bounties were placed on the heads of inventors by the Solicitor. These bounties were only good when taking someone alive. It was a blatant attempt to acquire new minds to research better tanks. She stared at Melvin.
He ate his food quickly and efficiently. His movements were mechanical. Care was taken with every movement, as if a single mistake could destroy their silverware.
"Father, where is Zuko." Azula asked.
"Your brother is out with my brother. I thought it better to have a private dinner with our guests." Azula nodded. Zuko would embarrass them given the chance. She didn't want to share her new friend anyway.