Ozai does not like how Azula's eyes follow the half-naked servant. How they coast over her body, captivated by every movement. He can tell that it is not pure fascination; it is something more than that, something inherently sexual.
She is stunning, yes. That is the only reason that she wound up with this kind of mercy. Because she is beautiful and beyond desirable.
He thought this would hurt her, but it just seems to entice her. And he absolutely refuses to ever see that gleam in his little girl's eyes ever again.
Azula's head rests on that circus freak's lap, and not above her, not forcing her down as Azula attempted at first. His daughter did as she should at first, acting on her anger with his gift. But then she weakened even further.
The girl who was intended to be a sadistic outlet until she finally died and broke became the person who cared for his daughter as he kept her locked up. As she lost reality further and further. As he watched her crumble and cry for no reason.
Azula has never liked the shame in her father's eyes when she cannot manage to stop herself from breaking down in front of him.
"I got you something," and he expects her not to react in sudden swallowing and revulsion and confusion.
He is holding a very close to unconscious but familiar girl, as he looks at his daughter curled silently in a chair, her lips pressed tightly against her bruised knees. Knees she bruised herself.
Her eyes swell with those tears that make him clench his jaw. Watching her fall apart into smaller and sharper pieces every day wounds him, and he is only trying to remedy it by giving her this.
It is supposed to make her regain herself.
"I don't understand," Azula says slowly, and Ozai can tell that she is carefully controlling her tone of voice. She is afraid. He has never seen her afraid in her entire life.
"I want you to give her something."
"She's not worth my time."
"I want you to give her your year's worth of pain. The only way to get rid of it is to force it onto someone else." Ozai has always known that to be true.
Why else would he have banished his son and burned, mutilated and destroyed him if it were not to get past that the agony of losing her did to him. Zuko was the right target, and it only made the Fire Lord all the stronger.
Azula touches her lips. "Of course, father," Azula breathes as she stands up.
She walks across the room looking like she is gliding through realities. Her fingers touch the chin of the girl she is meant to use, and she looks her directly into the eyes.
Ty Lee does not say a word, because she does not know what Azula will do next.
"We're going to be best friends," Azula whispers and Ozai leaves them with a small smile on his lips.
Azula's hair is half braided as she looks up at him and does not remove herself from the overtly sexual position. "Father," Azula says, sitting straight up. The girl was waiting on her, yes, as she should. But this is a sickeningly sexual scene. "Do you need anything?"
"No," he responds, at first. He wants to grab her by the arm and tell her where her loyalties lie, and how she should not love the girl he gave her in order to satisfy her anger not her desire. "Just join me at dinner tonight."
"Of course," Azula says softly, and she watches him leave.
Ty Lee looks at Azula, so obviously repulsed. The princess has not restrained herself for a second in the past two weeks, but now she is cracking. What her father claimed would help clearly is not working at all for her.
"Tell me what I'm supposed to think!" Azula snaps as she pulls away from the Ty Lee and her eyes avoid her split lip.
Ty Lee had seen Azula with the Kyoshi Warrior girl whose name escapes Ty Lee's minds, particularly while so disoriented. It is not like that. Azula does not seem to find inflicting the pain almost metallically orgasmic.
She just weakens more and more every time, as her prisoner gets stronger.
"Azula, I love you," Ty Lee whispers and the room lights up bright blue, the flames only grazing Ty Lee's skin, but still making her heart pound.
"Don't lie to me," Azula whispers, and she leaves.
But Ty Lee will not stop telling her the truth until it sinks in.
No matter how angry or confused it makes her captor.
"I don't want to hurt you," Ty Lee says and Azula clenches her jaw.
"Stop it! You are supposed to hate me. You are supposed to make this easy! If you actually love me you would take away my pain like my father said you would!"
"Well," Ty Lee says, speaking up fully for the first time, "I can take away your pain, but it isn't going to involve torturing me. Give me a chance."
Azula parts her lips and her eyes glisten with contemplation.
"I will see."
Ty Lee does not like how Azula's eyes follow her father and linger after he leaves. It reminds her of the fact that Azula will always be his loyal daughter, no matter how many perfect moments that she and Azula share.
Azula notices the disdainful pout on her old friend's lips. "What? What is it?"
"Nothing, Azula. Nothing at all," Ty Lee whispers before going back to gently braiding her hair.
Ty Lee can only be frustrated that Azula still does not trust her, after how many nights Ty Lee stayed awake with her, and how many much more pleasurable nights that they shared. She does not like how Azula looks to her father for approval and love, when Ty Lee has always loved her. And evidently Azula has always loved Ty Lee.
But, Ty Lee has accepted the fact that it takes time to heal, and love is not a magic cure for Azula. All the same, Ozai locks her in a cage, and Ty Lee tries to make her fly.
Azula does not like how Ty Lee's eyes sometimes glitter with disappointment and lost dreams. She can tell that Ty Lee never intends on forgiving her and will always remember what Azula has done. But this was mercy, and Azula is certain of it.
"Just don't look at me like that," Azula whispers with an underlying threat in her tone.
"I wouldn't," Ty Lee says quietly, genuinely enjoying the sensation of Azula's silky hands on her smooth skin.
If there is a such thing as loving your captor, Ty Lee has probably suffered from it long before she was Azula's genuine prisoner.
But her work is not done with Azula, because there is still a thousand yard stare in the princess's eyes, as she gazes ceaselessly at the ceiling.