After the wedding was over the life in palace returned to normal or as normal as it could be. The rumor mill was working overtime to spread the newest and hottest news about prince and princess life and how they do their duty. The gossips were bread and butter for servants to make fun of their overlord without getting any negative effects mostly because it was one of favorite tools in the Big game of nobles and because they were the ones spreading them to keep other nobles in line.
Now the rumors were spreading that new prince was gorgeous, but there was lack of sounds escaping from prince and princess room. The servants would find new orders that would make them to pass newlywed couple's room just to listen if they were doing their duty, but all their attempts were failed to hear even the smallest sound escaping from that room, as if they weren't executing their duty and trying to produce heir. Sokka was friendly with servants and servants liked him, but princess Azula was whole different matter and servants tried to gossip about her as much as they could. At same time Azula would use those same gossips and twist them to her purpose, but now, since there was lack of sound from princes room, the rumors started to spread that princess Azula is refusing to do her duty or that she is even afraid of it and threatened prince Sokka to burn if he touched her. This rumor was so tasty that some of servant wanted to confirm it even if that meant that princess would burn them in the end. They pretty sure expected that princess Azula wouldn't allow prince to be in same bed or anywhere near her, that this all was just some conspiracy of princess no matter what the fire sages said.
On forth day morning after the wedding officially ended one brave servant girl decided to found truth and entered Sokka's and Azula's room. It was still early in morning so the prince and princess should still be asleep or at least that's what she thought. There was no sound in their room when the servant girl entered the room and she firmly moved to bedroom. When she entered the bedroom she mentally cursed her foolishness when she saw that there was no one in bed and that same bed looked like mess.
"Did they already wake up?" If so then she should leave this place as fast as possible or risk facing blue fire. The princess was adamant that no one can enter her room without her express permission. The servant girl was about to leave bedroom when something caught her attention. It was something lying on ground near bed. The servant girl moved to examined what was there and found out that… it was leg. Then the girl moved even closer and could clearly see whom it belonged. There, on floor, lie prince Sokka and princess Azula having their bodies pressed to each other. Sokka was hugging Azula, having one of his arms around her belly while other was placed covering her breast. The bed sheet was only covering their legs and stomach, but the servant girl could imagine what was hiding under it. All this looked like this was the place of love and battle where one hot night transpired and the servants missed it. On other hand it was new source of gossips that prince and princess were really doing their duty and that servant girl would have a tale to tell while other servants would die from envy that they missed such good opportunity. Then still sleeping prince Sokka kissed princess Azula's neck while his hand that was holding bed sheet, released it and moved to caress princess hair before returning back to hold the princess.
Yes, this is the golden gossip material! With that thought in her mind the servant girl carefully moved out of bedroom and disappeared in one of many corridors the palace had.
It was rough night for Sokka and Azula, mostly because Azula would not stop to trash in her bed side and from time to time she would hit Sokka at same time waking him. If this continued and she accidentally started to firebend it could be pretty bad for him. Sokka tried to ignore it first several times, but that was until Sokka felt like he had to do something about it if he wanted to have some sleep, so he grabbed her and held her in his hands in hope to relax her or at least to stop her from hitting him. Strangely when Sokka hugged Azula, she stopped to move and relaxed, and then Sokka once again fall asleep. Then during some time in the night they both fall out of bed, but no one felt it. That was till the first ray of sun greeted them through open window and warm breeze could be felt coming with it too.
Azula woke up first and was surprised when she felt she was no longer in her bed, but was instead lying on floor. She also couldn't move, but after some minute found out why. Sokka was there with her and was holding her once again in bear hug. Azula wanted to berate the peasant for doing it and why he couldn't stay in his bed side as they have agreed, only to find that she couldn't say a word, at same time she discovered that it was his bed side where they were lying. She managed to free one of her arm and then hit him in ribs with elbow. That only caused for Sokka to tighten his grip on her. Looks like there was no other way that to cause even more pain for him, and with malice grin on her face, she touched his side at same time channeling her firebending there to heat it. Sokka woke up an instantly when he felt something hot pressed to his body.
He managed to stop himself from screaming and instead looked at Azula.
"What was that for, can't you normally ask me to release you?" Sokka wanted to scream but later relaxed and asked her, but the only answer he got was for Azula to point to her mouth and then wave her hand.
"You can't speak?" Sokka asked and Azula nodded to confirm it, then Sokka started to grin like fool.
"A blessing from spirits, finally the silence" exclaimed Sokka happy, but then stopped since Azula ignited fire in her both hand with unsaid message that she will burn him if he said one more world. Sokka looked at her hands and was surprised to see ordinary fire there, and then he pointed to princess and enjoyed her surprised face. Sokka has never seen Azula to be surprised; it was whole different experience from her ordinary smirks or smile of malice. Now Azula looked like regular girl and not your usual princess. Azula looked at that fool and how surprised he was, then she looked at her hands and was shocked. The fire was orange! She hasn't bent orange flame since grandpa was still alive. Then princess grabbed her robe and moved to see the royal healer for this unusual problem. At same time Sokka decided that if he was already awake he should dress up and make inspection of royal kitchen.
The rumors spread that princess Azula lost her ability to speak and later combined with other rumor that one of servant found prince Sokka and princess Azula on floor in intimate position, a new rumor was born. The princess lost her ability to speak, because prince Sokka was extremely powerful beast in bed and "drilled" princess Azula so strongly that she lost her voice form all that pleasure she experienced. It was the hottest rumor and everyone was talking about it. At same time there appeared rumor that princess Azula was found blushing from hearing about it. Azula blushing was unheard thing! That once again reinforced rumor that Sokka was dream of all women in bed.
Now Sokka had to spend most of his time in his and Azula's apartment, because if he would leave it, there always appeared some woman to flirt with him some of them even tried to kiss or offer to take him to their room with everything that implied it. As if he wouldn't have to deal with one evil woman, now it looked like every female in the palace, be it noble, peasant or slave, wanted a piece of him, while Azula didn't say anything about it, not that she could. Sokka was glad that Azula was feared in palace and most of palace residents didn't wanted to deal with her, or Sokka most likely would have found himself cornered in dark corridor with bunch of woman trying to rape him. Now that he thought about it some were very close to try it, but would back down once they see Azula approaching. Since Azula lost her ability to speak, she couldn't berate servants and had to rely on Sokka to tell them what to do since when she tried to describe with her hand what she would want to eat she got only single leaf of cabbage with smug face of servant.
Azula considered using quill and note book to write what she wanted, but later reconsidered. To be dependent on such things as written notes meant that she was imperfect and had big flaws, so instead she decided to remain silent and let Sokka deal with hit, since this disability was only temporal and royal healer said that she could normally speak after a week if she took her medicine regularly and don't stress, that meant no speaking, no bending and no sex. Easer said that done. She could stay silent and also there were no sex, but to abstain of firebending was very hard. It looked as if everyone tried to use this disability of her and were irritating her to no end. One good thing was that Sokka understood what she wanted or tried to tell him, although he also didn't miss the chance to make fun of her. It was strange concept for her to not be in control and rely on someone.
After day or two Azula decided to drop that silence idea and tried to use paper to write her demands, but it was no not much of improvement. Now that she started to handle everyone written notice, she noted that father started to look at her with same look he used on Zuko as if she had failed him now and that she couldn't speak a word it become even worse. The father become cold and if she was good at readying people faces she could see Ozai saying that you bring it on yourself, now deal with it. In the end Azula returned to being silent and let Sokka be her voice. That fool had too much fun with all this.
Sokka's feet got better and now that he could walk without pain, he got bored to spend whole day locked in his apartment from all those vicious women that tried to get him in their bed and so he decided to get out with Azula to see the city. It took him good amount of time to persuade the princess, but eventually he succeeded. He was interested to see how the city lived when it was calm and there is no danger of barbaric invasion threatening to disturb it. What he didn't expected what that they will be cared in strange thing he don't even know name for it. It had long red curtains that would hide its passengers from the rest of world and vice version, so once they arrived at their destination Sokka and Azula left it and decided to use their feet. The destination of this short travel was the market place and Sokka wouldn't miss chance to go shopping. The traders were surprised to see the royals, because it was unheard thing to see them mingle with common folk. Azula was surprised too to see how Sokka would act in market place; it's as if he knew how to speak with them without intimidating them.
Sokka stood near stool that had some fine silk on them and Azula noted the smirk on his face. That peasant most likely was planning something, something she may not like.
"Hello good sir, how are you doing today?" Sokka greeted the trader. The trader looked at him in disbelieve, there was royals standing nearby AND talking with him. It was huge honor and he didn't know how to act.
"Are you ok if we browse your wares? I see you got some nice silk." said Sokka while looking at the wares.
"Um, … yes … yes, tell me if you see something you like." replied the trader still in shock that prince and princess were talking with him.
Sokka grabbed one roll of crimson red silk and wrapped Azula with it. Azula didn't like this Sokka's action and frowned at him, but Sokka ignored it. Then Sokka put it back and took next one and another one.
"Do you have other colors that wouldn't be red or black tone? Something special?" asked Sokka and after minute the trader came with other rolls that had different colors. Sokka took the green one and wrapped it around Azula with smirk on his face.
"Just look at you. You would look brilliant in green. What would you say?" Asked Sokka even when he knew that Azula couldn't respond to it, but the response cane non the less. Azula's response was to grab him by collar and summon her trademark blue fires with unsaid message: Stop this nonsense or I will burn you. Both were so involved with what they were doing to note that Azula could once again bend blue fire. Sokka was so used to Azula threatening him and decided to ignore this message and continue with his game. He kissed her on cheek and said.
"Yes, my dearest. That's an awesome choice" then he took another roll of silk, this time it was blue.
"Is everything ok with princess? Why is she so silent … and scary?" asked terrified trader.
"Everything fine. We are just trying to understand each other without words. Isn't that what husband and wife should do?" replied Sokka when he wrapped Azula in blue silk.
"Did that fool decided to dress me like his tribe woman?" thought Azula. "This fool is having too much fun."
"Now you look divine, my dearest" Sokka once again kissed Azula's cheek "Do you know any good tailor that could make dress worth of princess?"
"Shouldn't royal tailor do this?" asked the trader.
"Nah, they are too conservative. I need someone with new ideas that could make extraordinary dress for extraordinary princess." replied Sokka.
"Hmm … my brother is quite good tailor, maybe he could do it?" The trader saw good deal and took it. It will be huge honor and prestige to make a dress for princess and it could open doors to bigger market. Of course it had its own down side. The royals could kill them if they don't like the dress.
"Then I hope to see you and your brother in palace soon." Said Sokka and looked at Azula. Azula moved her finger to her neck, imitating slicing move and pointed to Sokka. Sokka, before leaving to look at other stall, turned to trader, put one hand on his shoulder and said:
"I hope we don't need to say what would happen if she don't like the dress."
The trader was let standing there as if petrified with single thought in his head. "Just where did he got involved here?"