Zuko does not know why he does not want Azula to touch his scar, but he can't.
It just feels weird. It feels wrong.
And, so, another night alone. Not that it bothers him. It shouldn't bother him, because this is an arranged marriage. He does wonder, for a little too long, if his ancestors had any attraction to each other when they were forced to marry their siblings or cousins. Or if it was a cruel practice that had a reason for slowly dying out.
He tries not to think too much about those things, or how far from alarmed his uncle was. Or how his father's wrath is probably not yet expended.
Zuko does remember watching Azula, up in a tree, first thoughts, maybe, of an unclean nature. But he was nearly thirteen and it had nothing to do with her being Azula it just had to do with her being a girl and he could so easily and naturally write it off as that.
His dreams are filled with trees, and memories of his father's fire consuming him, and that fire becoming blue, and that tree again, and those eyes. The thoughts, he thinks assuredly, will never quite leave him. But he rises, at last, and his sister, his wife, is already dressed and eating breakfast.
Silently, Prince Zuko sits down across from her.
She picks at her food. Examining every single piece as she eats it. Azula glances up at him, having no clue why he is suddenly staring at her. Zuko is not the kind of person who pays much attention to others. No, not at all. He is belligerent and has no social awareness.
But he is staring at her food as she carefully checks every grain of rice.
Which is not an abnormal process.
He looks at his food as if it is some weird Water Tribe delicacy.
Azula contemplates her actions for a few sparse seconds before deciding to comment on the dishes served to them. It seems worth talking about enough ─ or at least something to break the uncomfortable silence with.
"That's spicy. I can't remember if you like spicy or not... Not that I care, of course," Azula says as she gestures at what he is carefully ladling onto his warm plate.
"I like spicy," Zuko says, and he wonders if it is far too much innuendo.
It might be, and so he just clears his throat and returns his attention to breakfast.
They are able to find some time alone in the wild, despite the guards nearby.
Yes, it is to prevent an assassination. But of course, Azula and Zuko could easily defend themselves. Father wants to watch them at all times. He is a man who must control everything, and Zuko is still maddened by the fact that he does not know what rift has damaged his relationship with Azula so badly that she was willing to risk so much and do this.
It then occurs Zuko as he reclines on a mossy boulder by the somewhat serene pool, that maybe Azula wanted this. Could that even be possible? Could this be some kind of wise political move that he just does not understand yet?
Suddenly, any vulnerable comments she has made about her wounds, or how she hurts too, or how he does not know her are all made hard to believe.
Zuko then looks up. He sees her swimming. Is that...? That should not be something that makes a difference. Or arouse you if you are her brother. It, at first, is just an observation that Azula swimming is a pretty rare thing, that he has not seen often.
She likes fire. Likes heat. If they are on the beach, she is on the hottest part of the sand, atop the dunes or resting on volcanic glass just to prove that she can, even if she has scrapes and cuts later. But she is in the water, and there is a certain peace in her expression as she disrupts the placid pool.
He likes to watch it. And not just for the very arousing quality, but because he enjoys watching her.
This honeymoon may be a very sorry excuse for one, but he does think Azula was right about what she said, even if it was just to cover up ulterior motives. And honestly, ulterior motives are probably worse than eternal misery.
But she did mention having a mistress the entire time.
A suggestion that bothers him right down to the core, even though he has no idea why. Jealousy, he decides. No, no, envy. He needs one as well, but his options are so limited. Of course, as a prince, he can have any woman he wants, but Zuko never thought about anyone but his original betrothed and later... Azula.
So Zuko decides upon his return that he will find one of his own, even if it is not in his nature.
The last night is the only night in which they share a bed.
And it is the only night in which the sex is actually passionate and lives up to the fire that pulses through their veins in place of blood. He can't think of anything other than this moment, of her, and she absolutely thrives on that.
It is, in Azula's opinion, the best part of sex, much more than just physical pleasure.
The concept that no matter how powerful, the person over or under or pressed against her cannot fathom anything but what she can give them at the time.
Zuko wouldn't care about that. All he wants is her.
And it could not be more perfect.
Scars and all.
Azula is completely remorseless about the fact that she has gone from enjoyable sex with her brother to negotiating a contract with a courtesan. It is, of course, not uncommon for someone in her position to do it, and father, despite his sadistic pleasure in punishing her, was lenient.
Ty Lee does not feel happy about it, and she feels happy about most things. She sits there in the room, feeling confused, unsure where this is going. It is a pretty life, not a bad one at all, but it is not one she has ever thought about wanting to live.
"I misunderstand. It's much better than anything a nobleman could offer. I'm not offering you some position as a slave girl, I'm offering you something much grander than that. I can, off of the top of my head, think of at least three famous royal mistresses who had considerable power," Azula says with a slight smirk.
Of course Azula would know that. Azula knows every detail about everyone who had power in the Fire Nation over anything greater than a single blade of grass.
"I don't want power."
"You want me," Azula insists and Ty Lee purses her lips in a way that Azula does not like.
A way that Azula pretends to overlook.
"I'll just sign it," Ty Lee says very softly.
Azula nods, content enough with that. She is certain it is just the reluctance Azula felt about Zuko, which faded quickly enough.
Ty Lee looks at the contract, and then looks at Azula, and then looks back at the contract.
She takes a long deep breath, because there might as well be an invisible hand forcing her to sign it. A royal contract, whether given to her by Princess Azula or not, was not optional, unless she wanted to die. She swallows, and does eventually sign it, as Azula watches the beads of sweat forming on her skin.
"I want this because I love you," Azula says so sweetly and Ty Lee isn't even capable of looking at her. "It's the only way we can be together without you being killed. That is such generosity from me."
"Have you ever...?" Ty Lee begins before her eyes suddenly are wide and then she sinks into her chair, trying to make herself small.
Azula mulls it over for a moment before deciding to pry. "Have I ever what?"
Ty Lee takes in a slow, tiny breath. "Have you heard that if you love something, you should let it go?"
And although, yes, Princess Azula has heard that, she shakes her head.
"I want to keep you, of course. It isn't as if this marriage was my choice," Azula says and her fabrication is soft and Ty Lee does want to wrap herself in it. "You think I could truly be satisfied by Zuko?"
Ty Lee takes a small breath in through her mouth and shakes her head.
"I'm happy to do this," Ty Lee agrees.
And meanwhile, Zuko is searching for a counter royal mistress of his own.
They never really did just enjoy games like tag and Pai Sho.