Chapter 7

About a week later, the palace was filled with paparazzi. Zuko and Mai, who was holding Anya, were answering questions while Ty Lee stood in front of the press. Ty Lee readied herself behind them to jump into action if anything were to happen. Before the interview, Zuko asked if I wanted to be a part of it. I violently shook my head and clutched onto a big stuffed panda bear. For some reason, I had become unreasonably attached to the doll. I even named it Cookie and the attendants began to talk about me and Cookie.

Curious, I did sit myself down in a room with a veil curtain, holding onto Cookie and sucking my thumb. I know I was acting like a child despite the fact that I was almost twenty years old. But I had come to the conclusion that I was never going to get married and have kids or any other things an adult would do. So my reaction was to act like a child.

After half an hour of questions being thrown at Zuko, I decided I was getting tired of it and got up to leave. But before I exited the room, I heard my name.

"Fire Lord Zuko, is it true that Princess Azula has been committed to a psychiatric ward?"

Word that I was in the psych ward was supposed to be kept inside the palace walls. The only people outside of the palace who knew about it were Avatar Aang, Katara, Sokka and Toph and they would never leak that information.

"That is a false statement; my sister has not been in the psychiatric ward," Zuko lied. "Next question,"

I bit my lip and gripped onto Cookie even harder. Then I ran for it; I raced to my bedroom and hid under the covers of my bed. Two hours later, the palace was in an uproar. Zuko was seething with rage and he wanted to find out who leaked the information about my recent psychiatric admission. Mai and Ty Lee sat at the end of my bed while I held Anya. I really liked to hold Anya and that was when I finally let go of Cookie.

"THIS ONE," Zuko threw one of my attendants into my bedroom and onto the floor. "SHE'S THE ONE WHO OPENED HER MOUTH!"

Her short black hair was disheveled and tears streaked down her cheeks.

"I'm so sorry, I just told my family and I didn't think my brother would say anything," she sobbed.

"You should've thought twice," Mai looked down at her.

"I'm sorry," she put her hands together and knelt on the floor. "Please forgive me,"

"You're lucky we were able to cover it up!" Zuko towered over her. "You're banished!"

"No, wait!" I handed Anya to Mai. "Come here,"

She walked over to me, trembling. I held Cookie close to me and took her chin in my hand.

"Look at me," I ordered.

She looked down, embarrassed.

"I said, look at me," I ordered once again but louder.

Her tearful eyes lifted up to me and her lips trembled.

"Did you think that breaking one little rule wouldn't be a big deal?" I said dangerously.

She broke out into fresh tears and sobbed.

"'zula," Ty Lee put a hand on my arm.

"Not now," I said shortly and shook her off. "Answer the question!"

"I'm so sorry!" the girl sobbed.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I screamed.

"OK, 'ZULA, WE'RE DONE HERE," Ty Lee pulled the girl away from me.

Zuko dragged the sobbing attendant out of my room and I dug my head into the back of Cookie's head. I was furious; it was enough that my own memories haunted me. At that moment, I hated everything.