Chapter 1: The assassin
In….out….in….out….in….out. There is something very calming about repeating the same process over and over. It feels like you can control your own energy. Pushing and pulling like the sea, like the element that is so dear to him.
He was sitting in a darkened room, only source of light coming from the few candles that surrounded him left and right. No sound but his steady breathing filled the room, making it possible to completely concentrate on his meditation.
While meditating, he relived memories of what happened to him during his childhood. Often enough they were pleasant ones of him and his family, but there was always one particular moment in his life that he would never forget…
A water tribe ship was gliding across the water, heading for its homeland in the north. On the deck was a little boy, clad in blue, looking over the railing across the water. His blond hair flowing in the wind, while a larger figure in blue was coming up behind him.
"What are you looking at Nomak?" The man moved so that he stood next to the boy, looking at nothing in particular on the horizon.
"Oh, nothing. I was just watching the sea... thinking about how father is doing in the war." Nomak looked up at the man and saw that great sadness was etched on his face. "Uncle? What's wrong?"
The look on Samoro's face hardened when he saw the way Nomak was looking at him. It would be very painful for his nephew, but he needed to be told. "This morning I got a hawk with a scroll containing information about your father's raid on a Fire Nation ship from the Northern fleet." Samoro paused to let the information sink in, but Nomak started to worry when he saw his uncle frown.
"What happened? Did the raid fail?"
"No, the raid was successful. It's just that…" Samoro wasn't able to tell his nephew what had transpired. He did not dare to look at the innocent face of the little blond-haired boy, so he turned away when he heard the question he was dreading all day.
"Did... did something happen to my father?"
The tremble in the boys voice was like a giant thunderstorm raging in his ears, worsening every second. To delay him an answer would be like torturing an already dying man.
"When the raid started, your father and some of his men went to the bowels of the enemy ship. Disabling the engine room is key to destroying a Fire Nation ship, but this ship had more soldiers on board than expected, so a fight would be inevitable." Samoro paused to let this information sink in, but Nomak urged him to continue the story.
"They were fighting firebenders in a cramped room, so the heat was starting to build up. But when one of the fireballs was deflected, it flew straight for one of the armories that was full of flammable materials. A series of explosions began, leading up to the main furnace which resulted in a catastrophic blast that blew up most of the lower deck. The ship sunk half an hour later. Most of the men made it, but…" Yet again he paused, still not able to tell his nephew the terrible news.
Nomak knew what his uncle was trying to say, but he was still clinging to that faint feeling of hope of his father making it out alive. But the uncertainty was unbearable, so he had to ask the question of which he did not want to hear the answer.
"What happened to my father?"
Never before has Samoro heard his nephew speak in such a cold tone of voice. He feared that the coldness would turn into anger the moment he answered the boy's question.
"He died in the explosion…"
The only thing he felt was an anger, not thought possible for a boy his age, coursing through his veins. He gripped the railing so hard, he thought he would rip the wood of the side of the boat. And then suddenly, something inside him snapped…
The sounds of clattering armor together with the soft thumping of footsteps were coming from the hallway. Nomak opened his eyes again, knowing full well that showing his emotions would be a great mistake on his part. She would notice. She always notices…
The door was opened by a member of the royal guard, a big man with a surprisingly gentle voice. "Get up. The Princess wants to speak to you." The guard stepped inside the room and took his place next to the open door, waiting for the Princess to enter the chamber.
Azula walked into the room, using the same regal attitude she always uses. Her face was unreadable, and her posture demanded obedience. She halted with her back turned to the guard, looking at the wall in front of her. After a few seconds, she gave the guard a short but clear order. "Leave us."
The guard looked confused and wary to leave his mistress with this strange man. He took a step forward, "But Princess…"
"Do you question my orders?" Azula sharply turned her head to the side, and looked at the trembling guard from the corner of her eye.
"O… of course not, P..Princess." The guard immediately turned and walked outside, fearing for his life if he'd stay there for more than 5 seconds. He closed the door, so that the Princess could have some privacy during her conversation with the waterbender.
Azula waited until she heard the guard walk away before speaking to Nomak. "I see that killing that Earth Kingdom general took you less time than expected."
Nomak smiled at this. Azula never was the type to beat around the bush. "You're right Princess. The information your spies gave me regarding his guards was, … rather exaggerated. Especially the part about their bending abilities. However, I was able to complete the mission in 1 night, as you commanded Princess Azula."
"Yes, I did, didn't I? It seems you have no trouble completing the tasks given to you." While the Princess was talking, she was carefully and methodically checking her nails for any imperfections. She found none. "Soon you will be given another assignment, but first there are some things you left unattended in your absence."
Nomak understood what Azula meant and had to suppress a smile. "Does the Princess wish I attend to these 'things' now?" He was looking directly at Azula with a mischievous look on his face.
Azula noticed the look in his eyes and saw that the waterbender wanted to play the little game she loved so much. She walked over to him swaying her hips and slightly licking her lips. When she approached him, she touched him on his right shoulder with her right hand, and moved so she was circling him while whispering in his ears. "You just returned from your journey, are you not tired?"
Nomak felt her breath in his ear and knew that she had missed him, even if she would never admit it. "I will not rest until my Princess is satisfied." He leaned his head to the side so that he grazed Azula's nose .
"Hmmmm…" The soft hum that came from Azula almost made him shiver in excitement. She continued whispering in his ear, while turning his face so that she could better compensate the height difference. "Come to my chambers at midnight. Don't be late…"
Nomak had no intention whatsoever at arriving late. "As you wish, Milady."
Nomak fell on the bed, his body sweaty and spent after many hours of 'heavy exercise'. Azula was laying next to him, equally exhausted. After a bit of rest, Nomak's breathing was back to normal. He turned and saw Azula looking at him with her head turned. Nomak lifted a hand and rested it on her cheek. While he was stroking her cheek with his thumb, he looked straight into her golden eyes: "You really are beautiful, Princess."
Azula scoffed and turned her head away from Nomak. "You know I hate it when you say things like that."
"I do. I also know that you believe that actions speak louder than words…" He immediately made true of his claim and moved his mouth over one of Azula's nipples. He alternated between sucking and biting while moving his other hand over the other breast.
Azula had to stifle a little uncharacteristic giggle when she felt Nomak's hands and tongue travelling over her breasts and nipples. "I always wondered what men found so fascinating about breasts."
He let Azula's nipple pop out of his mouth to answer her question. "Well, women are all soft and curvy whereas men are hard plains and muscles."
Azula visibly disagreed and threw Nomak off of her and began straddling him, while tracing her long and sharp fingernails across his chest. "Some women can be hard as well, waterbender." Suddenly she broke the skin of his chest with her nails. Nomak groaned but is was more out of pleasure than pain.
"You are of course the exception, Princess." He moved to kiss her on the lips, but Azula backed away out of his reach before their lips could make contact.
"Ready to go again? I guess it's true what Ty Lee said about waterbenders, they're insatiable." This time it was Azula that initiated the kiss. She was very fond of using her teeth while kissing, sometimes biting his tongue causing it to bleed a bit. Nomak didn't mind, he would just heal his injuries when the Princess was done with him.
Without warning, Azula broke the kiss and laid herself next to him. "I need to rest. You know the drill."
Nomak knew what Azula was speaking of but wasn't very pleased that he couldn't finish what he started. "Of course, Princess… but can't we…"
"No."
Nomak heaved a sigh but did not protest. "As you wish Princess."
Azula extinguished the lights in the room with a flick of her hand, while she was trying to find a comfortable sleeping position.
Nomak knew that he should leave, but wanted to stay the night. He scooted closer to Azula so that he hovered above her ear, making it possible to whisper seductively in her ear. "If it pleases her Highness, I would like to keep her company until sunrise."
Azula didn't react immediately but after a few moments she turned her head so that Nomak could hear her loud and clear. "You may stay."
Nomak couldn't keep the smile off of his face while he moved closer to her. She had her back turned to him, so he swung an arm over her and laid his hand flat on her stomach. Nomak hoped that she wouldn't dismiss his affections. His doubts were quickly quelled when he felt her back making contact to his naked chest. With her clenching his arm, he closed his eyes with his face buried in her long black hair hair. A content sigh escaped from both of them before they fell into a deep sleep.
Nomak woke to the sound of Azula rustling in her closet, trying to find her ornamental armor. After a minute of watching her unsuccessful attempt of locating the piece of clothing, Nomak decided to stop being lazy and climb out of bed to help her getting dressed. He stood up and did his daily stretching exercises which helped him getting through the day.
Azula had heard the waterbender but did not pay much attention to him. Her primary concern was to find that elusive piece of armor before the war meeting. Her father would be furious with her if his daughter, his most trusted advisor was late.
Nomak finished his exercises and went over to Azula. "Can't find your armor? It should be here somewhere… I remember removing it last night." Nomak loved teasing the Princess but it was a shame that she almost never blushed.
Azula obviously didn't find his comment amusing. "This is no time for jokes! I have got a war meeting within the hour and I still have to get ready."
"Then go get ready and I'll try and find your armor, okay?"
"Fine, just make sure you've found it when I get back. I'll hold you responsible if I'm late."
"Why me?" Nomak pretended to be surprised but failed miserably. He of course already knew what she was gonna say.
Azula was walking towards the bathroom when she dropped her robe just before going into the other room. "Well it was you who took it off…" was the last thing he heard before she closed the door.
Nomak stared for a second longer where the naked back of the princess had just been before continuing his search for Azula's chestpiece. It obviously wasn't in her closet because she had already turned it inside out, so he decided to look around the bed-area. Not seeing it around or even in the bed, Nomak deduced that there was 1 place left where it could be, under the bed. To his great relief, his instinct was right.
He tidied the bed a little more , making sure that there would be no trace left of his presence in the room last night. If one of the servants knew that he and the Princess were 'getting busy', the Firelord would surely hear of it and that wouldn't be beneficial for Nomak's health.
Just as he was finishing the room, Azula stepped out of the bathroom and saw her chestpiece resting on a chair. "Good, you found it." She went over to Nomak and stood right in front of him with a demanding look on her face. "Now go, the servants can't know you were here last night."
"Yeah, I know… I could always threaten them to keep quiet. I mean, they know what I can do."
Azula smiled at that, but she shooed him off nonetheless. "No, they are more afraid of my father than they are of you. We're better off being careful and making sure that no one knows about us."
"Yeah, probably. But before I go, can I have a little kiss?" Nomak tried it every time, but Azula's answer was always the same:
"No, it is better to leave you wanting." And she always said it with a smirk on her face.
Nomak returned her smirk with a smile of his own. "Kiss or not, I'm always wanting more…" Nomak quickly pecked Azula on the lips and ran out of the room before the servants got up and came to help the princess getting dressed.
Azula was watching him running down the hallway until he turned a corner and was out of sight. She closed the door and threw herself on the bed, smiling because today her plans of bringing down the Earth Kingdom would be set in motion.
Azula was walking along the blood red halls of the palace, on her way to attend the Firelord's war meeting. The only people that were in the hallway, were the servants scurrying about to do their tasks. When they saw the Princess, they immediately bowed low and hurried out of her way. It gave her great pleasure to see that she was to be feared the most among the servants.
When she finally reached the war room, she saw 2 guards standing on either side of the entrance. When the guards caught sight of her, they immediately straightened their postures and looked directly in front of them, making sure they did not make eye contact. Azula stood before one of them and spoke in a direct and commanding tone of voice.
"Guard! Are the generals already present?"
The guard made sure he answered immediately and directly. "No, Princess. The Firelord is the only one present in the war room."
Azula eyed the guard thoroughly and moved to go inside the chamber, but halted just before she went in completely. "Make sure no one gets in before my or my father's say so."
The guard seemed to be used to sharp and sudden orders, or he was just extremely alert around the royal family, because he answered without hesitation. "Understood, Princess Azula"
Azula continued to walk into the antechamber before entering the actual war room. The first thing she saw were the red and orange flames that flared up high in front of the Firelord's throne. Azula was used to her father's displays of power and didn't look intimidated . She swiftly made her way to the foot of the steps that led to the throne. She bowed before her father and waited for him to speak.
For a moment, the only thing she could hear was the roaring of the fire in front of her.
"Azula…" the sound of her father's cold voice pierced the noisy flames and filled the room with an uncomfortable tension. " Did your assassin take care of General Fong?"
Still keeping her head bowed, Azula answered the Firelord's question: "Yes, Father."
Azula could almost feel her father smile even though she could not see because of the flames. "Good. Then it is time that you leave for Ba Sing Se immediately."
Azula already suspected that he wanted her to lead the invasion of Ba Sing Se, seeing that her idiot uncle had already screwed up the Fire Nation's first siege. "I will leave at once."
Azula stood up from her kneeling position but stopped when she heard her father speaking. "Make sure that you not repeat the same mistake twice…"
Azula stiffened. She knew what her father was talking about and it did not sit well with him ever since she told him. "Never attack earthbenders head on. I've learned my lesson, father."
"I hope you did. Another incident like the drill will not be tolerated."
"I understand, Father."
"I know you do, Azula. If you make a mistake, you will only let it happen once. Your brother on the other hand…"
This flared up Azula's anger. She was determined to let her father know how much better she was than her brother. "Zuko is a failure. He's not even fit to wear the title of Prince of the Fir…" Azula would surely have continued if her father did not stop her in her tracks.
"Shhh Azula, I know. Come, sit next to me. The meeting will begin shortly." The Fire Lord extinguished the flames and gestured for Azula to sit on his right. She had earned this place the moment Zuko got banished and she wasn't going to give it up anytime soon.
And so father and daughter sat there, waiting in silence for all the generals so they could begin the war meeting.
War meetings have always been tedious and this one was no exception. Some old general kept babbling on about intruders on newly acquired Fire Nation soil, some 60 miles outside of Ba Sing Se. Normally this would not interest Azula, but the old fool did mention something about the Kyoshi warriors. She knew that these people were friends to the Avatar and were allied with the Earth Kingdom ever since Zuko's attack on the town. Maybe she could use this to her advantage… Azula quickly devised a plan and interrupted the general speaking with a simple hand gesture.
"If you would let me interrupt for a moment general. I believe that these new prisoners could be used to our advantage." When she saw the generals looking at eachother, seemingly confused, she decided to explain what she meant. "We know that these Kyoshi Warriors are good friends with the Avatar. So we will simply dress up and act like them to get near the Avatar and the Earth King. This will be our way into Ba Sing Se."
Azula was looking at her father, seeking for approval, but he was not entirely convinced. "This could get you into the city,… but how do you plan on conquering it?" Ozai eyed his daughter and was wondering if she could come up with a feasible plan.
Azula's plan was only a rough draft but she'd still be able to pass it off with her father. " We all know that the Earth King has no real power in Ba Sing Se. I will deceive the leader of the Dai Li and take power from under his nose. The city will come under my control without him noticing a thing."
Ozai's face was unreadable. "Who and what do you need to accomplish this?"
Just by her father's tone, Azula could hear he still had his doubts. Luckily she had a deadly ace up her sleeve, should all else fail. "Mai and Ty Lee would be most qualified for this, but I would like to take 1 more person with me."
Ozai was intrigued, it wasn't often that Azula specially requested someone outside of Mai and Ty Lee. "Who is it?"
In an icy voice and with a smirk on her face, Azula answered: "Nomak."
Every single general shivered upon hearing those 2 syllables. Murmurs of 'the assassin' could be heard among them.
"I have him ready to depart at this very moment."
One general stood up, signaling he wanted to ask something. Ozai nodded for him to speak.
"Is he in the Capital?"
Azula grinned maliciously and answered the general. "Not just in the Capital, he's in the palace." To her great satisfaction, she could literally see the goose bumps forming on his skin. The general composed himself though and hardened his expression.
"This is outrageous! He should not be allowed in the palace!" The rest of the generals agreed with quiet murmurs and confirming nods.
Azula's smile fell from her face and was looking annoyed by the general's reply. "Maybe I should go and inform him of your displeasure…"
The general looked like he'd seen a ghost and wasn't even able to utter a simple word. Lucky for him, Ozai stepped in and took control of the situation. "Azula, you have my blessing. Take him, Mai and Ty Lee with you. You will leave today." After talking to Azula, he directed his attention to his generals. "Within a few short weeks, Ba Sing Se will be ours!"
All the generals stood up and applauded their Fire Lord. Their meeting ended and everyone left except for the 2 royals still sitting on top of the steps. After the room had emptied, Ozai looked at Azula and said: "Good work, Azula. They will now think twice before speaking out against you."
They both stood up and made their way to the exit. "Some people just need to learn their place, general or not."
Ozai grinned and was pleased that his daughter was as ruthless a ruler as she was a warrior. "You're right Azula. Go now to Ba Sing Se and conquer it for the glory of the Fire Nation,… for my glory."
Azula bowed to her father and gave him a sly and slightly evil smile. "Yes, Father." She walked out of the war room, heading for Mai and Ty Lee's room to tell them what she was planning. It would be the most glorious victory ever recorded in Fire Nation history, and it would be hers completely.
Ba Sing Se will fall.
Nomak was walking through the corridors of the royal ship, headed for Azula's cabin. He was wearing his trademark black cape, making sure that he was as inconspicuous as possible. People all but ran from him when they saw his blonde hair and blue eyes, afraid of what he would do to them. He never really understood why they believed he'd harm them, but it helped keep up appearances. Rounding a corner, he saw 2 grim-looking guards at a door at the end of the hall. He walked straight for the door but was stopped dead in his tracks by 2 crossing halberds, followed by a deep voice. "Nobody enters the Princess Azula's chambers."
Nomak smiled and answered the guard that spoke to him. "The Princess called for me. You will let me in…"
The 2 guards looked at each other and started to laugh. The one that addressed him continued to speak, while the other just kept laughing. "Not a chance buddy. Only the Princess may enter this room."
Suddenly the guard heard that his colleague's laughter suddenly stopped. He looked to his left and saw the tip of a halberd pointed at his face.
"Lee, what are you doing!"
The guard named Lee had a look of surprise mixed with confusion on his face. "I don't know! I'm not doing it! I can't even move!"
The other guard moved his gaze over to Nomak and saw that one of his hands was raised and pointed to his fellow guard. Realization dawned on the fear stricken guard and his face paled visibly. Nomak removed his hood so that the guard could see who he was and remember his face. His blue eyes and blond hair surely were a rarity in the Fire Nation. "Care to reconsider on letting me in?" he asked in a gentle tone
Even though Azula's assassin stood in front of him, the guard knew that Azula would surely kill him if he'd let this man in when she clearly said that no one could enter. Lucky for the guard, Azula heard the commotion in front of her door and opened it to investigate. The downside was that she was pretty pissed to be disturbed during her meditation.
"What the hell is all this noise?" Upon opening the door, Azula saw 1 guard pointing his weapon at the other, who was looking awfully pale and scared with Nomak standing in front of him, keeping control of the other guard. "Nomak… of course. Release him and come inside."
Nomak did as he was told and lowered his hand, freeing the guard from his hold. He smiled at the both of them before entering Azula's room. Azula looked at the guards and dismissed them. She didn't have to say it twice. The guards all but ran after a quick 'thank you, Princess'. Azula closed the door and turned around to see Nomak lying on her bed.
Normally she would not tolerate anyone to act so freely and unafraid around her, but she was quite fond of this waterbender. Only thing she didn't know if it was because of the sex, his power or if she just genuinely liked him for who he was. She would never tell him though, he might get the wrong ideas.
Nomak took on a ridiculous pose while laying on the bed, trying to be seductive. He lay on his side with his head propped up by his hand and one leg over the other. She recognized this pose from some of the posters of girls that hung in the soldiers communal quarters. "What are you doing?" She raised an eyebrow at his antics, not knowing what he was up to.
"Is this not why I am here for-" he gestured for the way he was lying on the bed, "to help you 'relax'?" he emphasized his sarcasm at the last word by using air quotes.
Azula looked at him for a moment, but did not react to his tone. "Not just for that, I need you to conquer Ba Sing Se." While she was talking, Azula was busy removing her armor. It was weighing her down after her intensive training session.
"Ah you need me to conquer the capital of the Earth Kingdom? Bullshit, you could conquer the entire thing by yourself. You don't need me or Mai or Ty Lee, you just take us with you because you like us." Nomak was smiling like a 5 year old, trying to provoke a reaction from Azula, who was now stripped down to her bindings.
Azula scoffed and turned to Nomak, composed as ever. "Don't flatter yourself, you 3 are essential in gaining victory over those stubborn earthbenders. "The nearly naked Princess started her work on removing her breast bindings which were a hassle.
Nomak smiled because he knew that wasn't the whole truth. He was transfixed by Azula's work on her breast bindings. Every layer she peeled of got replaced by a new expanse of that milky-white skin he loved so much. Though after a few seconds, red streaks were forming. He frowned: "Why do you hide your breasts? They are the 2 most beautifully shaped objects I've ever seen." The redness started to worsen and Nomak wondered if it hurt Azula. She definitely didn't show it.
Azula only just finished taking off that cursed piece of clothing, when Nomak spoke. She moved to sit next to him on the bed so she could relax a bit. "Being a woman is my biggest weakness. If I was born a man, I would have been named Crown Prince right after my brother was banished. The nobles will not stand for a woman to rule them, so I try my best to make them forget I am one."
"But even the nobles can see that you are far better than any firebender, maybe even better than your father."
"It's not just the firebending that interests the nobles, they are afraid of me and consider me a liability. They fear that I will not listen to them once my father gives me the crown."
"Well, they're probably right. I mean, you are quite stubborn." Nomak said chuckling.
"Yeah, screw the council. I could always order you to kill them."
"Ok, I'd be up for that… but let me screw you first." Nomak jumped on top of Azula and kissed her passionately, putting his entire soul into that one kiss.
Their tongues wrestled for dominance – which was not an easy fight for Nomak – while they were exploring each other's bodies. Nomak started with his arms around her schoulders, but quickly found a way to her butt. When he got a firm grip on her well-shaped ass, he lifted her up so she had better access to his mouth and she greedily took advantage of that.
Azula's hands couldn't get enough of the golden hair that adorned his head. It was so thick and wild, almost like it had a will of its own. Occasionally Azula let a hand drift down to his upper body, so she could feel the power that was in his muscles. Oh how she loved the power. With every movement he made, she could feel his muscles twitch, almost effortlessly supporting her weight.
With Azula tightly pressed up against him, it didn't take long for Nomak to get 'battle-ready'. Azula felt it because his erection was prodding her stomach. Between greedy kisses she could get only a few words out.
"Pants… Off."
That was all Nomak needed to hear.