"So, you've allowed Prince Zuko and two valuable prisoners to escape the strongest prison in the Fire Nation. The two warriors you hired and were sure would always remain loyal to you betrayed you. I trust you can explain how you could be so blind as to let this happen."
The Fire Lord's voice was steady, but the wall of fire around the throne blazed up in response to his contained fury. The princess kneeling before him kept her face blank as she lifted her head to face her father. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" he firmly demanded.
"I overestimated Mai. I never expected she would be foolish enough to betray me."
"A mistake that cost you dearly," the Fire Lord continued for her. "Your plan to wait for the Avatar to return to us has failed."
"It will not happen again," Azula replied with the smug confidence she was accustomed to.
"No, it will not," her father answered. "This was your last chance."
Despite the blazing fire in the room, the princess suddenly felt her blood turn to ice. "What are you saying?"
Fire Lord Ozai rose from his throne and glared at his daughter with more disdain and contempt than even Zuko had ever been forced to bear. "I placed all my faith, all my hopes in you, favored you above my first born son. I saw your potential and gave you every opportunity to prove yourself, and how do you repay me? I send my failure of a son away in disgrace. You bring him back a glorified war hero. You fail to kill the Avatar. You tell me the Avatar is dead – you lied to me. You allow him to escape the Fire Nation with his most important allies. And now this." Azula cringed at every statement but held her tongue. At last, Ozai turned his back on her. "You're as much of a failure as your brother."
Azula almost leaped to her feet in shock. "That's not true!"
"Then how did he escape you?!" Ozai roared as he turned to face her. "Could you have even succeeded at Ba Sing Se without Zuko assisting you?"
"I didn't need Zuko! I-"
"No, you only needed him to cover up your failure. What else have you lied to me about?"
The princess searched for a way to defend herself without begging. "The next time I face the Avatar and the traitor, I will not let you down, my Fire Lord."
"I will handle that myself from now on," her father answered. "The Avatar is no longer your concern." With that, he waved his arm, dismissing her. Azula backed up a few steps before making one last attempt to save her honor. "All I need is one more chance."
Ozai glowered down at his daughter, and she stared at the flames reflecting in his eyes as he threateningly whispered, "No. You have failed me for the last time."