"Can I get some info on what kind of games there will be?" asked Sokka frightened that this time there will be no way to escape burns and was proved right.
"There normally would be agni kai spectacle between fathers, but since your father isn't HERE or bender they don't make one. I would like to note that there still will be walking over burning coals and you should carry me at same time. It symbolize that the couple would face difficulties together. Don't drop me or I swear Agni you will pay for it. There also will lots of fire related games, but I believe you will manage to overcome them."
"That old lady cursed me! I hate it when she is right." mumbled Sokka before falling asleep.
Next day morning Azula wake up with sun rise and felt that something was wrong. Did she sprout additional pair of hands? Then she noticed that she wasn't alone in the room and would have freaked out and assaulted that unlucky person who dared to come to her room if she hasn't had such great control over her body and emotions. Oh right she got married yesterday. How she could have forgotten. Sokka was sleeping nearby and was having her in strong bear hug. She would have tried to liberate herself if not for others that were in the room with her. People that normally shouldn't be there or else they faced certain death, but this time it was different. The fire sages were standing in her room and waiting for them to wake up and when they noted that princess was awake they started with other part of ceremony. Azula thought that she would have woken before those fools would come, but looks like they didn't sleep at all and she could smell ceremonial wine smell from some of them.
The fire sages removed red sheet with fire symbol that was covering their bodies with some difficulty, mostly because Sokka was still sleeping and had strong hold on part of it and it all revolbed into tug of war. After the fire sages "liberated" bed sheet, they started to chant prayers to Agni. All that nonsense finally woke Sokka and Azula could finally free herself from him. Then the royal healer come to check on princess and announced that her husband did his duty and she has become woman, several drops of blood on sheet confirmed it too. After another hour of chanting and praying that princess would receive heir (if only they knew that said heir was already on his way), the fire sages left the room to big joy of Sokka and Azula.
o0o0o0o
Sokka managed to beat most of games, but fire pit wasn't one where you needed sharp mind. It was exactly as it said, big pit full of burning coals and to make matters worse it was as big as room, no it was big as hall. Some would walk on them slowly, some would run fast and some would even dance there. Those people were nuts! Just how did he manage to found himself in this place? Oh right I knocked up princess evil! So now Sokka found himself at the edge of said pit, at same time carrying Azula who smiled at him and kissed his cheek, but her threat was still there.
Drop me and I'll make your life hell!
Sokka took first step to test the heat of this feet hell and was proven right. It was real hell for feet, how those fools could enjoy this nonsense was beyond him. Well nonsense or not, he had to do it, so he started to walk and could feel how his feet were burning of. Then the teaching of Piandao came to him, pain was just illusion, something your mind would create to tell you that there is something really wrong with your body and was only distraction in the heat of battle. The warrior has to learn how to ignore those thoughts or it can be the end of him. One second when you got distracted by pain can be your undoing.
Sokka decided to follow the teachings of Piandao and looked around for something to distract him from the pain and thoughts that he may don't have feet anymore, then his sight fall on the person he was caring, Azula. She wasn't wearing her expensive clothes, but instead she was in commoner clothes and when Sokka looked around more, he could notice that everyone, even the fire lord, were not wearing their expensive clothes, but instead were in commoner clothes and if he didn't know who they were he could think that they were regular human. With this new knowledge Sokka turned his head once again and looked at princess Azula. This was not evil and dangerous bitch that took him away from his friends and hold his father locked in prison, instead he saw that same beautiful and mysterious girl with whom he spend half night speaking and then have hot, amazing and passionate love night. This was the girl he met there under enchanting gaze of Yue. The soot on her face made it even more realistic and it made perfect contrast with her burning eyes and pale skin. Sokka was mesmerized by how simple and beautiful his wife looked and he didn't noticed how he managed to reach the end of pit and Azula jumped out of his hands and kissed him. The kiss was what brought him out of out of this self inducted trance. The pain returned too.
"See I told you could do it and it wasn't that difficult!" cheered Azula expect it sounded like another threat with the smirk she had on her face. Azula was quite surprised that Sokka managed to walk all this distance and was pretty sure that that fool would scream, run and drop her in those coals at same time fall and got burnt. She was also sure that if he decided to harm her the pit would be perfect place for his nefarious plans, after all those were red hot burning coals and if he timed it right he could have burned her face or other body parts when he dropped and during all that commotion he could have escaped. So why he didn't dropped her? Also there was no sound she expected to hear. If there was Zuko in his place, he would have screamed from the top of him lungs, like that time when father burned him. Zuzu would always scream when father made him walk on coals. Now she looked at Sokka in new light like there was new mystery she had to unveil.
"I can't feel my feet!" Sokka whispered and looked around still in disbelieve that he managed to cross that hell and live.
"Survive a hour and we will go to our room were you could fix your feet problem. Now smile and wave, smile and wave, you just completed the pit. Its big accomplishment for nonbender!" stated Azula before leaving him to stand alone and went somewhere with unknown agenda.
Oh what he would give to have Katara here and ease his pain! On second thought, it's better that Katara isn't here, for she most likely would be held like slave. Yep he got himself in this trouble now he had to find way to get out of it with all limbs intact.
Sokka found nice corner, well any corner looked nice at this time, and leaned against wall. Luckily there were no more games, nor did he wanted (needed), to participate in it and spend the last hour just watching at those fire loving fools dance on those hot coal. Yes, he was in big trouble. If this was day of games then what would be tomorrow? Will he even survive it? Most likely he didn't and his ashes would be released to wander this evil country forever! What did he do to deserve all this punishment?
After Azula returned, she helped him to reach their room. While she could easily left him there and make fool of himself, she decided that it's better that everyone would think that he is strong and could do it several times in row. She was strong and fearless princess so her husband should be same too. Those that see that couple leave the room could only think of what cute couple in love, while in reality Azula was only helping Sokka to walk.
When they reached their room and Sokka was firmly sitting on their bed, Azula handed him some strange cream, she said it could help him with burn, then went to take bath and came to lay in same bed naked. It was one of biggest Azula's fear to be naked in present of man or to disrobe in front of one, but customs required her to sleep completely naked and do everything her husband would ask, that includes to have sex with him. Azula omitted that part when she was teaching Sokka the customs of Fire nation and how should he acts as her husband. She was quite shocked when she learned what she was supposed to do when she will be married. She had to take those lessons after she was engaged to late admiral Zhao. It was one thing she hated about Fire nation and its archaic customs; according to Fire nation customs she was supposed each time when she sleeps to be completely naked and do this one month or more depending how lucky she will be to become pregnant. It basically meant that she was just a tool to produce heir and continue the dynasty, also if for some reason the crown would past to her family, it will be her husband that would become fire lord and not her. She could become fire lord only if she was crowned it while she was still single, widow or her husband was nonbender. At that time she thought that she would never see crown nor would she dream about it. But now everything was different: by sheer amount of luck that fool Zhao got himself killed and she met Sokka. Sokka was about Zuzu age and not some old creepy noble. You could call it destiny or luck that they have met during that full moon night and their lives had changed forever. Sokka was also nonbender and now that Zuzu make fool of him once again and was branded traitor, there was good chance that everything will be ok. Azula like all her age teenage girl had insecurities about her body and that the boy would refuse her, but she was adept at hiding it and pretended to have confidence in everything.
Sokka was in too big pain to think what that cream was designed to do but if Azula said it will help it should help, after all she hasn't lied to him yet – that was quite odd considering who she was – and he was starting to trust her. Sokka applied it generously to his burned feet and lay on the bed. He was surprised to learn that Azula wasn't wearing anything when he turned around to thank her, only to be kicked out of bed by her.
Does the princess prefer to sleep naked? It could cause some misunderstanding and he could get burned. He already couldn't feel his feet and didn't wanted for more pain.
Then Azula told him that he could only sleep in bed with her when he was clean and fully naked. Sokka understood first part, but second made him worry.
"What are you doing? Is this one of your sick ways to seduce me?" asked confused Sokka when he was trying to look her in the eye and ignore that she was sitting on bed naked and showed no motion to cover herself.
"You are dirty! Go clean yourself!" Azula stated it like it was oblivious point, at same time ignoring that she doesn't have anything to cover her body. Somehow Azula felt secure and confident that Sokka wouldn't use her although he had all rights to have what kind of sick pleasure he requested. The Fire nation customs tolerated everything if in the end there will be new heir and the dynasty would be secured.
"Why are you this?" Sokka repeated his question.
"You are going to take bath and only then the lay with me in this bed completely naked! There is no other way! Now do you need any help to get to bath? Maybe something more?" Azula tried to sound seducing to mask fear that was creeping inside her that he may think her unattractive, after all her experience with boys was bad. At the beach she received no attention at all and everyone would try to stay away from her. During the party when she thought she found nice boy and offered him to rule the world, that fool run away as fast as possible and left her alone in balcony. The worst part was Sokka's words he said after she collected him and they were on the way to fire nation. She will fix that.
"Why?" was the only word Sokka managed to say while trying to keep his eyes locked with her and not wandering down to her exposed beauties.
"Those are the customs of Fire nation. You and ME have to sleep completely naked and have hot passionate sex each day for one month. It's called love and honey month. After the wedding is completely over we can spend all month just lying in bed and having sex. We can even call servants to get food delivered to us so that nothing would interrupt our love." Azula saw how Sokka was looking at her with his mouth wide open. "Great, Azula, if he hasn't thought of you as crazy for sex bitch, now he surely does, just great!"
Azula stood up and moved over to other side of bed to stand where Sokka was lying on ground with his mouth open and was unconsciously trying to stand up, but due to huge pain in his feet and his mind shocked by this new revelation it was pretty hard for him.
"It's just some silly tradition. We will find way to deal with this. Now grab my hand and I will help you get to bath." Azula extended her hand for Sokka to stand up. The view Sokka had was the one he couldn't describe since his mind was still in state of shock from last revelation and now there was beautiful girl completely naked standing in front of him. Sokka's eye traveled up exploring Azula's thigh, belly, and breast, then got fixed on her eyes for several seconds as if trying to find some deceive in it, then it moved to her hand and he gripped it. Azula helped Sokka got to bath in nearby room, but left him clean himself there. Last thing she needed was to damage her already broken reputation, by helping him. She even wondered why she was doing all this, she could have easily left him squirm on ground and do nothing, but she knew that would have been bad decision. This entire wedding thing was bad decision, but she will have to deal with it. Maybe she should have run away instead of bringing him here, because now he becomes her responsibility. She never knew that all this pregnancy would be such big deal even when her belly hasn't started to grow. OH right she was saving her skin, but now it all looks like it was unneeded risk.
After Sokka cleaned himself and slowly got back to bed, he found himself quite uncomfortable to lie completely naked, with every fiber of his brains telling him that Azula would jump on him and force him to pleasure her. His thing was already ready from one look at her and that make it even worse. Apparently Azula understood him and had similar fear.
"You think that I am some crazy for sex girl, didn't you?" asked Azula when they were both lying in bed. Sokka nodded before realizing what his body did .
"It just all this is very weird for me. Did we really have to spend all month having sex?" replied Sokka while looking at Azula.
"Yes!" The smirk was on Azula's face or that what Sokka saw. "This tradition is to get heir as soon as possible and I knew that father did just that. He screw mother without mercy all month only getting out of bed to take food that servants bring them, and the mother was happy about it, or at least that's what I heard. I also know that he failed. According to fire sages Zuzu had born only two years after their wedding." Azula explained this complicated tradition. "According to one of fire sages mother had to abandon everything in her live and dedicate it to bring heir to the family and I must say that it was quite complicated thing. To give birth, I mean, Zuzu born not breathing and father got so angry and frustrated for such failure that he violently shook newly born Zuzu and that saved little Zuzu life."
"I didn't know that." Sokka was surprised to learn that, but it all started to look like regular crazy thing for him.
"That why they say he was lucky to be born. Now, we don't need to follow such archaic tradition since we already knew that I am pregnant. I don't want to do it and I believe you too. Or do you?" The predatory smile played on her face. "I promise to not jump on you if you don't jump on me. We would just try to stay in our side of bed all this time. Is that ok?" Azula could see that Sokka relaxed after hearing that last part.
"So what you are saying is that you could jump on me or I could jump on you and force the other to have sex with him or her, but we agree to not do it. I am fine with that." Sokka answered.
"Good night Sokka. You will love tomorrow." Azula was happy that they get to agreement.
