A/N:

Apparently this is going to be three parts. Ah well.

If you put a frog into a pot of boiling water, it will simply jump out. However, if you put a frog into a pot of pleasantly warm water and then slowly turn up the heat, it won't jump out. It will stay in the pot and subsequently allow itself to be boiled to death.

Azula is approaching her matchmaking situation with these thoughts in mind.

As easy as it would be to shove her brother and the waterbender into one room and then set the rest of the palace on fire so that they are forced to escape together, and thus bond, Azula knows that she will have to approach this with more…tact.

Right now she is intimidating the palace kitchen staff. Her brother has arranged for a special dinner tonight in the Avatar's honor. Azula has swiped his seating arrangements.

Not that he spent very much time on it. Azula can barely read anyone's names since they were written down so hastily.

Azula, who thankfully learned to mimic her brother's horrendously messy handwriting at a young age, has rewritten it for him.

It was too easy.

The head servant in the kitchens is frowning down at the arrangements. "How strange, the Water Tribe siblings usually sit together, and Avatar Aang is always sitting at Fire Lord Zuko's left—"

"Change is good, I hear," Azula says, allowing her lips to quirk up in a smile. "But anyway, don't ask me. I'm simply delivering this on my brother's behalf." She sniffs and crosses her arms. She remembers this servant from back before her time at the asylum. He was always terrified of her. "Is there a problem?"

The servant coughs nervously and hastily stuffs the arrangements into his pocket. "Not at all, Princess. Give the esteemed Fire Lord my best."

She smirks and watches as he scrambles toward the back of the kitchens, eager to get away from her as quickly as possible.

Piece of cake.

"So, what, did you place Lady Katara and your brother beside each other?" Kole is looking amused, amber eyes watching his patient curiously.

"I suppose you'll find out, since you're at the dinner as well." Azula leans back against her chair and studies the young man. "I've noticed that you've been attending all of the same social functions that I've been forced to attend. Has my brother hired you as my babysitter as well?"

Kole looks at her for a long moment, face drawn in thought. Finally he clears his throat and pulls his notes out from underneath the chair cushion. He straightens the papers against his lap and sighs. "You are too intelligent for you own good, Princess."

Azula finds that she doesn't mind Kole being her babysitter. Spending time with her therapist outside of therapy is not as terrible as it could be.

"It's understandable. When I was first at the asylum I was being watched at all times. They were always afraid that I'd do something. Are you afraid that I might do something?" Her voice is low, but not sultry. It is calculating, intimidating even. She enjoys this.

But he reacts as he always does—with a smile. "Actually, I don't. Our time is up, Princess. We both have a dinner to get ready for."

Katara's reaction to being placed next to Zuko at dinner would have been amusing.

Except Zuko's reaction was ten times funnier.

The Fire Lord looks immensely shocked when a servant directs Katara into the seat at his left and he proceeds to stare at her with wide, astonished eyes.

The waterbender is, of course, wearing something much too over the top for a simple dinner. The dress is obviously made of silk, the color a deep blue. Probably to honor her heritage, or some nonsense.

Azula is wearing black armor. Professional, classy, powerful.

Kole slides into the seat next to her, greeting those around him with a friendly smile. He nudges the princess playfully with his knee, but instantly stops at her glare.

"You sat me next to you?" he asks, gaze wandering down to the empty hilt resting against her hip where her ceremonially sword should be.

Azula is not allowed to carry weapons beyond her own bending.

"You were already seated next to me," she lies, casually taking a sip of water.

He nods. "I suppose that makes sense."

"Zuko," Katara begins, smile bright and completely fake. "Why did you sit Aang down at the other end of the table?"

Zuko has broken out into a sweat.

Tonight is already going wonderfully.

"I swear, I thought I—the servants must have misread my arrangements. I left them in the kitchens like I always do, but maybe they didn't see them, or something."

Zuko does not realize that they were all too easy to find and burn.

The Fire Lord clears his throat, still stupidly glancing down Katara's dress every few moments or so. "Maybe we could switch some seats around—"

"Bread roll?" Azula picks up the basket and gestures to her brother and the waterbender, smiling gloriously the whole time.

Zuko and Katara both take one cautiously. Zuko actually bites into his bread and chews, clearly looking for something to distract him from the woman sitting to his left.

He freezes mid-chew at Katara's openly fearful stare. She darts her eyes from Azula then back to the bread meaningfully.

And Azula laughs.

"Poisoning bread would be difficult. If you were going to poison someone you'd probably want to play it safe. Stick to things like drinks, or liquid based meals like soup or stew. Or, if you're lucky enough to get your hands on a poison that was completely, tasteless, odorless, and colorless, you could always slip it into an innocent glass of water. People never suspect water."

Everyone within five feet is openly staring at her.

Azula refuses to allow herself to feel out of place. She straightens up and smiles at her brother. "Not that I'd ever poison you, ZuZu. If I were going to kill you I'd do it with much more flourish."

The guards within earshot have all placed their hands on the pummels of their swords.

Kole dives into the conversation. "That reminds me of my favorite character when I was a kid. He used poison darts on his victims."

Zuko quickly responds, voice strong and unwavering. The guards around him relax. "I remember him. Red Horror, right? Because of his speed and agility? Arch nemesis of the famed Blue Spirit?"

Kole nods. "That's the one, Fire Lord."

Both young men strike up a conversation about children's scrolls. And then Zuko makes a point to finish his bread roll in front of everyone. Azula isn't sure why this makes her want to smile into her wine.

"The dinner went well." The sunlight is hitting Kole's head just so, and Azula takes it upon herself to memorize the exact shade of his hair.

"I think so too." She's left her own hair out of her topknot today and she can't help but notice the way her therapist's eyes keep tracing the long, straight and shiny strands.

Good.

"I've noticed that your brother and Lady Katara have been spending more time together since the dinner, time away from the others in their group," Kole continues without missing a beat. "I have to say, if your plan ends up working then I'll be rather impressed."

"There is no need for you to be impressed," Azula says, voice bored. "You should have known from the beginning that this would work. My plans always work."

Neither of them decides to comment on this lie.

"Right. Well, I'm curious to see how the rest of this unfolds, Princess." He gives her a significant look as she stands up and makes her way to the door.

And even though she already knows the answer, she still turns to him and asks, "You won't say anything to anyone, correct?"

"I am bound to confidentiality, Princess. Unless I feel that you're going to physically hurt yourself or someone else, your secrets are safe with me."

And Azula smiles.

She waits until everyone else has gone to the marketplace. The Fire Lord is trying to impress his friends by showing them how much the Fire Nation's economy has grown since their last visit. Azula has politely declined their request for her to join them, of course.

She quietly makes her way down the corridor to the guest hall, making sure not to be seen by any of the half-asleep guards.

There is only one bedroom in the palace not currently being used by anyone—the Fire Lady's chambers. But Azula has an idea for a new resident.

She easily moves into Katara's room, the first and nicest room in the guest hall, and immediately rolls her eyes.

The stupid waterbender left the window open and left a candle burning on her dresser.

It's as if she wanted Azula to burn down her room.

The Fire Princess walks over to the candle, steps as light as a feather. Then she knocks the candle over with the back of her hand.

The wind coming from the open window nearly puts out the flame, but with a little help from Azula it soon sparks back to life.

And then it is engulfing the bedspread.

Azula is "roused from her nap" about an hour or so later. Smiling to herself, she rolls out of her bed and slips into her boots, and then strides over to her bedroom door with a purpose.

She marches out of the Royal hall and heads over to the guest hall, where all the commotion is coming from.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, yes, I'm fine, stop fussing."

Azula is met with her brother, the waterbender, and the rest of their friends, all huddled outside Katara's now blackened room.

There is soot on Zuko's cheeks. He looks furious and agitated and worried all at the same time. "The guards and I have checked the room. It looks like a candle started the fire. Did you leave a candle burning?"

Katara's face goes pale and she glances down at the floor guiltily. "Yes. I'm…I'm so sorry Zuko, I guess I forgot about it—"

"No, it's okay, I'm just sorry that I couldn't save any of your belongings—"

"What? That doesn't matter! I burned down a section of your palace! It's all my fault—"

"You shouldn't be apologizing. I'm the one who—"

"I suspect you'll have to stay in the servants quarters now," Azula interrupts smoothly. "I hear that their bunks are quite comfortable, however."

Zuko's eyes go wide, but Katara is already nodding in understanding. "That's fine."

Zuko is now attempting to glare at both his sister and Katara. "No, you won't be staying in the servants' quarters. I'll put you…somewhere else. And about your belongings—"

"Honestly, I have everything I could need." The waterbender fondles the ragged looking ribbon and pendant hanging from around her neck. "I didn't lose anything of real value. All of it can be replaced."

Zuko sighs but shakes his head. "I still don't want you to stay with the servants. I have somewhere else you can stay. It's um, technically beside me—"

"No, Zuko. It's fine—"

"Why are we still fucking arguing about this?" The short earthbender that Azula finds fascinating has finally spoken up. "Sugar Queen burned down her bedroom and now Fire Lord Sparky is offering her an even swankier place to sleep. Let's move this along. I'm hungry."

Both Zuko and Katara turn to stare at Toph for a moment before Zuko huffs and Katara crosses her arms.

"I'm always down for food," Katara's brother says.

When the Avatar opens his mouth and begins to speak Azula turns around and makes her leave.

She takes dinner in her room that night, completely prepared to spend another evening alone when there is a knock at her door.

Frowning, she lowers her chopsticks. "Come in," she calls out, making sure that she sounds bored.

The door opens and Kole steps through, a troubled expression on his face. "Princess," he begins, "I was hoping that I could speak to you."

"You couldn't wait until our session tomorrow?"

"No."

Azula stares at Kole for a long moment before jerking her head, indicating that he can officially come in. "What is it? And hurry up. I'm eating."

Kole takes a deep breath, as if steeling himself. "I'm concerned over what you did today, in setting fire to that room."

Azula swallows, palms breaking out into a sweat. "Why? Is it because you thought I'd hurt someone?"

Everyone always thinks that she's going to hurt someone.

This frustrates her. It frustrates her, because she doesn't want to hurt anyone anymore. It frustrates her, because no one truly believes this.

She cuts Kole off before he can answer her question. "Because I wasn't going to. I didn't. And I won't."

"No, Azula. I was worried that you would hurt yourself."

Kole's gaze is kind. Azula is not used to kindness.

She stares down at her plate for a long time, refusing to let any kind of emotion cross over her face. She doesn't know what to feel. So she points out the first rational and non-confusing thing that pops into her head.

"That title is inappropriate. I am your princess." She moves her eyes to him, not smiling, not frowning, not threatening, but not approving.

But Kole does smile, and he is not threatening. His deep concern is not gone; Azula can still see it in his stare. But he is letting the topic go, for her sake. And maybe, perhaps, he is a little approving.

"I understand. That mistake will not be made again, Princess."

"Make sure that it doesn't." And then silence descends over the both of them. Azula isn't sure if they've ever not been speaking to each other. Their whole relationship revolves around speaking, around communicating.

She clears her throat, a little irritated with the funny way that Kole is watching her. So she grabs something with her chopsticks and gestures in his direction. "Dumpling?"

"No, thank you."

"Suit yourself, although I'm sure that this is better than whatever they feed you in the servant's kitchens."

Kole doesn't smile. He grins. "I cook for myself, actually. Goodnight, Princess."

Later, much later, Azula opens her bedroom door and slips once more into the shadows. Katara and Zuko have been exchanging good night pleasantries for the past seventeen minutes. They bumped into each other before going to bed, since their rooms are now next to each other.

Azula ducks back onto her bedroom after she knows that they've exchanged an awkward and vomit inducing goodnight kiss.

Now, to close in on and secure the Fire Lady position.

A/N:

I've become kind of attached to this story. Or perhaps I've just become attached to Azula. Either way, there's going to be a third and hopefully final part to this story.

I hope everyone enjoyed reading this installment. Leave me your thoughts if you feel so inclined. :)