AN: This is a Book Two: Earth AU. It begins around the same time as Crossroads of Destiny but will go in a different direction. There may be some inaccuracies, but just bear with me. It is an Azula/Kuei story because there aren't enough of those to go around. I think they would be cute together; they would balance each other out. Also, in my story Kuei is an earthbender. This was inspired by an Azula/Kuei fic on AO3. Azula is 15. Everyone else's ages are the same.
Sorry this took so long! I will try to be more consistent.
Summary: Azula wants to burn his chiseled face off! She wants to scream. She wants the world to stop spinning. She wants the assurance that her body is hers and that she most certainly will not physically react to everything he says or does.
Ironically, she's out of luck.
Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar the Last Airbender.
CHAPTER TWO - BEYOND JESTING
" … that won't be necessary your highness, the princess wishes to instruct his majesty herself."
Not for the first time that week, Zuko was stunned. What in Agni's name is going on with Azula?
The Dai Li agent he was currently conversing with, inclined his head as to capture the exiled prince's attention once more.
"Will that be all sir?"
Zuko blinked.
"Um - yeah, thanks."
The unnamed Dai Li agent nodded stiffly and left briskly.
Zuko zoned out again.
What the hell?
When they first left Ba Sing Se, Azula had been unusually quiet. It hadn't been very noticeable at first because true to Azula nature, she had been busy plotting around him and Mai, not to mention the mess with Uncle (that he is not going to think about right now), butit was there all the same. Her snark had lessened slightly as if her mind was elsewhere. Ty Lee was as annoying as ever, but Azula merely nodded to whatever she said. When she complemented Azula in a way no different than she usually does, Azula actually thanked her! Then when he faced his father for the first time in years, he learned that Azula gave him all the credit for defeating the avatar. He still doesn't know how to feel about that.
He doesn't know how to feel about anything Azula has done lately.
Later, he learned that Azula personally requested to oversee the implementation of the Fire Nation government in the Earth Kingdom.
A mission that she dragged all of them into. They were literally back in the Earth Kingdom in a weeks' time. All of it seemed to be rushed, like she was dying to get back to Ba Sing Se.
Not having to face his father again was certainly a relief, but it only served to increase his curiosity about his sister.
None of those things were half as shocking as what happened in the days following their return to Ba Sing Se. Azula had King Kuei released from imprisonment and then reinstated his crown. When he confronted her about it earlier, she claimed that allowing the people of the Earth Kingdom to see their king unharmed would help to cut down on tension. That was a bullshit answer.
"Since when do you care about what peasants think?"
Azula shrugged and turned to the paperwork in from of her. "I don't. This is merely a strategic way of enforcing Fire Nation control."
Bullshit.
Usually her lies are have more character. This left him wondering what was really going on with his sister.
Zuko spent most of his time wandering around. He didn't really have much to do since Azula was overseeing almost all of the political affairs. In the month that had passed since they returned to Ba Sing Se, much remained anticlimactic. Ty Lee was somewhere flirting with the palace guards as usual. And he hadn't seen Mai since lunch.
"What are you brooding about?"
Speak of the spirit…
"Hey."
Mai entered the room Zuko was occupying for the duration of their stay in Ba Sing Se. She hadn't seen him since lunch and had missed him, not that she'd ever say that out loud. She'd never hear the end of it from Ty Lee.
"Hey. What are you thinking so hard about?"
Zuko hesitated, but decided that the question was worth the risk.
"What's going on with Azula?"
Mai blinked at Zuko, caught off guard, before straightening.
"I see. So you've noticed too."
Mai moved towards a large window towards the back of his quarters before speaking again.
"Seems like she's distracted these days …"
"I know! She's actually starting to lie badly! Since when does she lie badly? She doesn't seem—"
" ... by Kuei."
"—to be listening to anyone, and if she does it's like she didn't hear—what?"
Zuko scrambled to piece together his thoughts and Mai quietly waited for her boyfriend to comprehend. The topic was quickly becoming a bore.
" Why would she be distracted by him? I get that he isn't well versed in politics and it's going to take more than a couple weeks to get him acclimated to actually running the kingdom but—"
Sometimes being blunt to Zuko …
"Ty Lee thinks Azula is in love with him."
Silence.
Zuko short-circuited.
"WHAT!?"
… was less boring.
Ty Lee winked at the chiseled guard in passing. She had to find Mai! It was so boring and maybe Mai and Zuko would be open to going out.
'It's not like Azula will be. She's been in the library playing with King Cutie for hours! I want a cute guy to play with too! Maybe not a king cutie but maybe a noble cutie!'
Ty Lee cartwheeled through the massive halls of the majestic palace of Ba Sing Se. She cheerfully grazed through each hall energetically, and paused at the sound of none other than Zuko.
"WHAT!"
Ty Lee blinked before moving towards Zuko's chambers.
She burst through the doors with vigor, startling Zuko and Mai (though Mai's reaction was far more subtle).
"What are you guys talking about?"
"So let me get this straight … You two think my sister has feelings for Kuei?"
The past fifteen minutes of explanations had clearly left Zuko on edge. Just what would push him over is what Mai was contemplating. Ty Lee for the most part seemed to ignore Zuko's distress, far too excited at the prospect of Azula having a "love life."
"Zula would go for a king. It fits her. Right, Mai?"
Mai glanced at Ty Lee, eyeing her poorly concealed excitement before refocusing on Zuko.
"Zuko?"
Zuko appeared to be hyperventilating. Was Azula's possible love life that upsetting?
"If Azula is having an affair with Kuei, that's her business. Why are you so upset-"
"-An affair?"
And okay. That might not have been the right word choice. Zuko seemed even more off kilter than before.
"He touched my sister?!"
And wow. Is this-? This can't be a brotherly thing-
"Awwww! Zuko is worried about Zula. You don't have to worry, Azula is so smart. She'll probably just drink tea afterwards."
Mai blinked. Really Ty Lee?
Zuko promptly fainted.
Warm hands caressed her face.
She tilted her head back moaning as soft lips caressed her neck and collar.
"K-Kuei"
"Yes princess?."
In his private chamber, against a pale green wall. the Earth King had the Fire Nation princess pinned.
It certainly wasn't for a lack of effort. The past week alone was an ode to his efforts to get her to let down her mask.
He's happy that she did.
"We're going to be late."
She attempted to put some of her signature snark back in her voice but then he bit down…
"Ahh."
Kuei grinned.
"The meeting can wait a few minutes"
Azula twisted and pulled Kuei around so that she was the one pinning him.
"No we need to get going. Somebody is going to start asking questions again!"
Kuei wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Are you listening to me? Do you hear me Kuei!"
"Yeah I can't wait to hear you calling my name."
Azula blushed again.
Kuei reached down and wrapped his arms under her back and her legs and lifted her into his arms.
"What are you-?"
"Shh…"
Azula surprisingly went silent. Eyeing her boyfriend curiously as he carried her to his bedroom.
Boyfriend.
It was certainly a surprising development.
Two weeks ago, Kuei grew bolder with his flirtations. No one had ever dared to speak so boldly and lustfully to Princess Azula.
Until he did.
He asked her to have lunch with him on the veranda. She almost declined but when her eyes met his…
Agni, she was really becoming a sap!
And so she had lunch with the Earth King who upon consumption of his meal, turned to her in all seriousness.
"Princess Azula, it would be an honor if you would allow me to court you."
Azula was stunned.
So stunned that her normal tone went up a pitch.
"Excuse me?"
Kuei reached over and lifted her small slender hands into his larger ones. And kissed them both.
"I would like the chance to prove to you, the validity of my affections. I am going to marry you one day."
Azula's eyes widened at his bold statement, mind racing with all sorts of thoughts before she uncharacteristically bowed her head and whispered, "Okay."
And since that moment, he has invaded her space in a way no men other than her father and brother have.
His courting gifts varied.
Sometimes he would send simple items like flowers.
She hated flowers and whatever she considered extremely "girly" once upon a time. But now, they made her smile. She thinks she still hates flowers but maybe, maybe she only hated them because her mother and her uncle didn't seem to care to find out just what she liked.
Sometimes he would send ornate gifts like swords made of gold. He had a miniature warrior woman statue commissioned in her likeness. The detail alone was beautiful.
Sometimes he would take her hand and lead her out to the gardens, and they would sit together and he would ask her all sorts of things.
Things she couldn't believe that she didn't mind answering. Things she has giggled at.
Might be a good thing her friends are missing in action lately.
Mai would never let her live it down.
Ty Lee would plan every single detail of a nonexistent wedding.
Zuko would - well who knows what ZuZu would do.
Placing Azula down on his bed. He sat beside her and pulled her into his lap.
"Kuei we really need to go…"
Kuei replied by silencing her into another mind blowing kiss.
"Where are King Kuei and Princess Azula?"
Zuko's mind was blank, unmoving after what he had learned from Mai and Ty Lee earlier, but he did his best to push their statements aside. It was obvious they were trying to trick him. They were merely jesting at his expense. What was said was far too unbelievable to fathom on any plane of existence. Azula doesn't do feelings. Right? And if she did, (which she doesn't) he highly doubted she'd fancy an Earth Kingdom man.
He left Mai and Ty Lee in Mai's room after scolding them for joking in such a distasteful manner, a few hours ago.
"Believe what you want Zuko."
That's what Mai said. He couldn't believe they were really taking their joke so far.
It never occurred to him that unlike Ty Lee, Mai was not emotional open enough to jest.
He knew there was supposed to be a meeting with Kuei's advisors. Apparently Kuei had told his advisors he had an announcement. So here he sat (not by choice) waiting along with Kuei's Council of Five but, he was missing and strangely, so was Azula.
In the back of Zuko's mind, alarms began to go off. Yet, he once again rejected what his subconscious was trying to push onto him. Zuko stood up abruptly.
"I'll go look for him. I'll bring Azula as well…"
"Thank you, Prince Zuko."
Zuko was confused. Azula was usually in the library or her rooms going over documents but she was in neither.
Deciding to look for Kuei now, he turned and headed to Kuei's chambers.
As he moved closer to the entrance to Kuei's room. He heard noises. Distinct noises that made him pause.
"Ahh-"
Zuko's eyes widened.
"What in the world?"
"Kuei"
Zuko eyes twitched. Really? Kuei was late because of a concubine? Not that he was aware the jolly King even had concubines but knowing his father…
Zuko decided not to entertain any thoughts about his father and swiftly pushed open the doors to Kuei's room prepared to scold the King for his tardiness.
"Kuei what do you think-"
Zuko's face paled considerably.
Azula and Kuei turned to Zuko abruptly. Azula sat up hastily fixing her ruffled clothes while Kuei moved off the bed so fast he nearly tripped in shock.
"Dammit ZuZu! Ever heard of knocking?"
"Hello Prince Zuko."
Zuko's paler face went ashen before it reddened in what looked like: shock, disbelief, confusion and …
Oh.
Anger.
"What the fuck is going on here!?"
Author's Note: For my To Catch Lightning fans, I know Zuko's actions may seem similar and that's because they are. I like to portray Zuko as having some sort of suppressed brotherly feelings for his sister despite their messy relationship. Hope that clears things up.