"No, you miscalculated! You should have feared me more!" Azula eased into attack position as Mai lifted her blades up in defense. A nervous Ty Lee's eyes shifted back and forth.
How dare you, Mai. You will pay for your insurgency. Both girls were ready to pounce, but Azula, however, soon found herself on the ground. A few quick surprise jabs from Ty Lee left her immobile, more humiliated than hurt. The prison guards surrounded Mai and Ty Lee, and quickly got Azula back up on her feet. "What shall we do with them, Princess?"
"Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces again, and let them rot!" she snarled. Azula could have cared more about Mai's betrayal, but she didn't, really. It hurt a little bit, of course, but she had a feeling it was only a matter of time before Mai would defect to Team Avatar. She was a lost cause, and Azula had only feelings of hatred and annoyance towards Mai now. On the other hand though, in the safety and comfort of her room, the Princess was thinking bitter, harrowing thoughts about Ty Lee.
"Ty," she whispered to herself. She felt the hot prick of tears behind her eyes. Azula was not going to let herself cry, though. She already thought herself a big enough fool without the useless tears. Azula knew it was coming, sooner or later. She let her guard down, she let people in, and look at what happened. Ty Lee was the only person who knew her soft spots, and she hit them hard. Trust is for fools, trust is for fools. With every stroke of the hairbrush, she would repeat this mantra.
The candlelight on the Princess' vanity flickered. Azula sighed, put down her hairbrush, and watched it dance. The fire was bright and it was free. Azula let it sway a little more before she decided to play with it. With a small wave, the fire turned blue and it rose until the flames licked the golden frame of her mirror. The skilled bender guided it around her room, each movement of her hand creating a new shape for the fire to take. She spun it into circles and dragons, wild horses and fish of the deep sea. There was great mastery in her technique; she was, after all, the best firebender in the whole Fire Nation, and she knew how to control and dominate her dangerous element.
Azula enjoyed this. She knew that she was in power and she loved it, absolutely reveled in it. Her excitement and enthusiasm translated to a random burst of flame, which promptly set a curtain on fire. Ever composed, Azula quickly killed the fire, but embers continued to eat through her silk window curtains. She decided to ignore it.
The candlelight resumed its normal form, dancing, shimmering, and indifferent. The flame soon dulled to a quiver, and Azula remembered Ty Lee. How Azula broke her spirit and forced the acrobat away from her home. Ty Lee, who she hoped and prayed was now mentally kicking herself for ever daring to cross her. Ty Lee, who was her best and most effective general. Ty Lee, the only person that ever brought happiness and quiet laughter into Azula's life. Ty Lee, who abandoned her for the enemy. Trust is for fools, she reminded herself. Trust is for fools.
The dying fire lit the room with a gentle glow. Azula studied herself in the tall mirror. No was was ever going to know how fragile and lost she looked when she cried alone.