Mai sat at her desk, immersed in a pile of documents. She was trying to get caught up on all the political maneuvering that had gone on between the Fire Nation and the Water Tribes over the past seven years, and was finding it rather a daunting task. The stack of papers and books on her desk only covered the wrangling over the initial treaties that had officially ended hostilities at the end of the Hundred Year War – she had yet to even look at the numerous trade agreements and such that had gone on afterwards. But she was determined to master it. Frowning unconsciously, she set aside one document and opened another dossier.

There came a soft knock at the door of the study. Annoyed, Mai looked up to find a servant bowing before her. "Please forgive the interruption, your highness," he said humbly. "I have a message for you from Princess Azula."

Azula. The assassin felt her heart rate spike a little. She'd been expecting something like this sooner or later. Really, now that she thought about it, she was rather surprised that the young woman hadn't sought her out before now – it had been almost two weeks since her arrival in the Fire Nation. Without altering her expression, Mai looked back down at her papers, as if she were resuming her reading. "Very well," she said in a bored tone. "What is it?"

The servant bowed again. "She requests to speak with you, your highness." He paused. He seemed uncertain. "She asked that I specifically remind you that you owe her your life, my lady."

That's true enough. And she owes me hers. Mai's narrow eyes flickered. I told Zuko I'd avoid contact with her. I really should tell her as much. She sighed a little, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She could still remember what the firebender had whispered to her in Taonan, back when it had looked as if Mai was going to die of tetanus. "You're my friend, Mai...you're my friend, and I don't want to lose you..." Mai knew that those words meant a great deal coming from Azula. She bit her lip and tapped her fingers against the desk for a moment. At last, she turned away from the papers and rose to her feet. "I will see her," she said. Then, after a brief hesitation, "Take me to her." After all, I don't want to parade her through the palace to my quarters. Too many eyes – and wagging tongues.

The servant led her down to the guest wing of the palace. She'd known that Azula had been quartered there to keep her from regular contact with Ty Lee – other than that, though, Mai had kept herself carefully out of the loop where the former Fire Princess was concerned. She paused at the door as the servant bowed and took his leave. Well – here goes. Mai inhaled deeply, then stepped calmly between the imperial guards and into the room.

Azula was sitting by the window, a book spread open on her knees. She rose to her feet and set aside her tome as Mai entered. The two young women paused, their gazes locking. "Good morning," Azula said. "Your highness."

There had been a slight pause between the greeting and the title. The assassin was quite sure it had been intentional. "Good morning," she said quietly. She wasn't sure whether Azula now considered her a friend or an enemy. There wasn't any overt hostility in the girl's face, but that really didn't mean much. How formal should she be? Mai paused, then opted to extend an olive branch. "How are you, Azula?"

"Oh, I've been worse, I suppose." The firebender folded her arms across her chest and regarded her closely, her amber eyes narrowing a bit. "I'm surprised that you're speaking to me, Princess. My brother told me I wasn't to seek you out, since you didn't want to compromise your loyalties." Azula was a master of poisonous words, and her last few phrases dripped with bitterness. "That's why I asked you to come. Where do we stand, Mai? That's what I want to know."

The best policy here would be honesty, Mai decided. She glanced around. "Let's sit down," she suggested. Stiffly, Azula waved her hand at her small table; they sat down across from each other. The consort folded her hands on the table. "Where do we stand," she echoed thoughtfully. Her eyes met Azula's. "I'd like to think we're still friends," she said. "Things are going to be more complicated here than in the Earth Kingdom, of course – but I don't consider you my enemy."

"No? That's interesting." Azula smiled sweetly, and Mai almost flinched. "Then do tell me why my brother informed me that you don't want to talk to me."

"It's not like that," the assassin retorted, with a touch of impatience. "You know very well what the political climate is like here, and that you're a controversial figure. In my position, I can't be seen just socializing with you. It would give people the idea that I might be conspiring with you again, and that would undermine Zuko. It would be dangerous. There's already been one attempt on my life."

Interest (and perhaps a touch of concern?) flickered in Azula's hawk eyes. "Really? Someone tried to kill you?"

Mai's lips tightened. Damn it. I probably shouldn't have mentioned that. "Yes," she said shortly. "There was a plot to have me poisoned. Most of the Ronin clan is either dead or in prison over it. But that's beside the point, Azula. I'm not your enemy. I never have been. I'm still the same Mai who's been fighting by your side all these years in the Earth Kingdom."

The firebender shook her head slowly. "No. I don't think that's true," she said quietly. "You're not the same, not at all. You're a princess now – soon to be an empress. That changes everything."

"You're the one who told me to take a chance with Zuko if I got it!" Mai snapped, suddenly losing her patience. "Are you actually angry with me for taking your advice?"

"Who said anything about anger? I'm not the one yelling." Azula smirked, then seemed to relent. She rested her hands on the table. "All right, fine. So maybe I resent it. After all, I was acting Fire Lord once. To be reduced to this -!" She looked away. "It was different in exile. Those weren't our people, Mai. Here...these are our people."

The assassin nodded slowly. She understood completely. "I know," she said softly. There was a pause. Well, I can't really ask this more delicately. "So...are we still friends?"

Azula's amber eyes searched her face. Mai watched her jaw clench once or twice. "Can we be?" she asked eventually. "Answer me that. My brother seems to consider me his enemy, and you've obviously chosen him over me."

"Why should I have to choose between you?" the assassin demanded. "Of course Zuko's not sure what to do with you, Azula. The last time he gave you a chance, you tried to kill him. And that wasn't the first time, either. Give him reasons to trust you. If you make the effort, maybe we could all be on the same side, for once."

"My mother says something similar. But what sort of 'effort' am I supposed to be making, exactly? That's what I'd like to know. This is my tenth day confined to this room. I think I've behaved rather well – I've not injured anybody, or singed anything." Azula scowled as Mai's amber eyes widened a touch. "Mother won't admit to knowing anything about my being imprisoned here. Are you going to plead ignorance, too?"

"What do you mean, 'imprisoned?' I know you're under guard. Is that what you mean?"

The firebender smirked. "Heh. So you are going to plead ignorance. That's cute." She shrugged. "All right, I'll play along. No, Mai – I don't mean the guards. I mean that I haven't been allowed to leave these quarters. Every single request I've sent my brother has been denied, except for when I asked to speak to my mother. And I've also been forbidden to see Ty Lee at all – which, naturally, you know nothing about."

Mai rubbed her temple. "What kind of requests are we talking about?"

"A number of different ones. I asked to observe a few court functions, for instance. And I wondered if I could go outside and practice my firebending occasionally. - Oh, and I think I even requested a walk or two in the palace gardens." Azula raised a brow. "If you get the chance, do ask my brother what mischief he thought I would get into by walking in a garden, would you? I'm curious about that one."

The consort could feel a headache coming on. "I can't advocate for you, Azula," she said flatly. "With that being said, I actually didn't know you were confined to your quarters." It doesn't really surprise me much, though. Zuko's nervous about Azula, and he's got a lot on his mind right now. He's probably just decided to lock her away until after the wedding, and deal with her then. "Other than that, did you want to ask me anything else?"

Lips tight, the firebender looked down at the tabletop. "No," she said. "If you won't help me with my dear brother, then I have nothing else to say." She stopped. "Actually, yes. I've run out of books to read, and that's all I've got to do here. Mother said yesterday that she'd get me a fresh batch, but she might have forgotten. Will you do that for me?"

"That I can do." Mai nodded, somewhat relieved that she could at least grant her friend something. "Do you have a preference?"

"Anything but those new histories that Zuko's put out," Azula said. "I'd rather not read a few hundred pages about how dreadful my honored ancestors were. Mythologies are good."

"I'll see to it," Mai promised. "Anything else? Your meals have been all right, for instance?"

The firebender's face was stony. "The only other thing I want is to see Ty Lee," she said. "But you said that's not the kind of thing you're going to help with, so I won't ask you." She got up, moving over to the window and gazing out of it. Mai studied the young woman's profile in silence, her eyes moving along the edges of the reddish-brown scar. At length, Azula looked back at her. "That's all I wanted to talk to you about, your highness."

The dismissal was clear. Mai rose to her feet and tucked her hands into her sleeves. She didn't want to leave things on this note. "Are we still friends, Azula?"

The former Fire Princess paused, searching Mai's face. Then she turned back to the window. "I don't know, Mai. I hope so." Azula shrugged and said nothing more. She was still standing there when the assassin paused on the threshold. Mai felt as if she ought to say something more, but she could think of nothing. With a sigh, she turned her back on the silent Azula and made her way back to her own quarters.