It had been a long time since Azula had set foot in the Hall of the Sages. In fact, she didn't think she had been there since she had knelt on the dais to be crowned Fire Lord, just prior to losing to her older brother in Agni Kai. It had been quite a different scene then. She could remember the dust and heat in the air – how dark it had been, with the sun blotted out by the fiery comet. The capital city had been deserted, but for herself and the Fire Sages who were to crown her. She had banished everyone else in fits of paranoia. The memory made her wince.

But now, things were different. She looked around quietly as her two imperial guards escorted her up to the front of the assembled throng. There were officials and delegations there from every nation in the world. Even the Air Nomad flag was flying over a group of people dressed in orange and yellow. Azula raised a brow at this, but she didn't have time to really examine them. One of the guards touched her back lightly – not quite a push, but approaching it. She sighed and dropped her head a little, quickening her pace.

To those who didn't know, Azula wouldn't appear to be a prisoner at all. She wasn't bound, and the guards with her looked no different from the bodyguards who accompanied many members of the nobility. This didn't change the fact that she was one. Her guards had informed her brusquely of the fact – and that, should she choose to attempt an escape, she would be dragged back to the palace in chains. Azula had looked at them in weary contempt.

They were approaching the front of the assembly, where the friends and family of the bride and groom were seated. Azula spotted Katara and Toph sitting to one side, and winced. Oh, Agni, please don't let them put me beside those two! The blue eyes of the waterbender met hers. Azula quickly looked away, feeling a dark flush rising in her cheeks. To her relief, her guards guided her to a seat several chairs down from the couple, between two Fire Nation nobles she didn't recognize. Azula took her seat and stayed there quietly as the guards retreated to the outside aisle. She rested her eyes listlessly on the ground beneath her feet. I wish this was over with.

The ceremony began soon afterward. There was much pomp and circumstance, and many words were spoken by Fire Sages. Azula had to admit that her brother looked handsome in his dress uniform. He looked happy, too. She sighed. At least one of us is. Her eyes dropped to the ground again. Gods, is that Fire Sage ever going to shut the hell up? It's a bloody wedding, not a reading of the court minutes. She glanced at the outer aisle. Her guards were watching her in silence. Azula turned her gaze back to the front.

And then the fanfare started, and the assembly rose to its feet. Azula did the same. She could see the others craning their necks to see the bride walking up from the back; she, however, didn't look. She didn't want to see Mai like this, about to join hands with the brother whose guards held her prisoner. Azula's misery deepened as she caught sight of the bride in her peripheral vision. At last, with an inward groan, she turned to look.

Mai looked...well, for lack of a better word, radiant. She was dressed in a simple white gown with a high collar and very full sleeves. There were crimson and gold accents around the collar and cuffs, and intricate embroidery graced the long skirt. A wreath of white moon roses rested on her black hair, framing the royal topknot and the golden hairpin that displayed her rank. Her narrow eyes were glowing, and a soft smile curved her lips. Azula felt a hard lump in her throat; she shut her eyes tightly. She's...she's happy. That's what I wanted for her, right? That's what we sent her here for. She took a shivering breath to steady herself. Then she looked up again.

The assembly was seated, and the ceremony went on. Azula heard little of it. Her eyes were fixed on Mai, watching her every move, every subtle change of her expression. I wish Ty Lee could have been here, she thought. She would have loved to see Mai get married. A wave of bitterness and misery swamped Azula at the thought. She lowered her head, blinking furiously to keep back the tears that were threatening. It isn't fair. I've been good, damn it. And what the hell did Ty ever do to deserve any of this shit? Nothing, that's what. Azula swallowed hard and took a breath. Think about something else, she told herself. The last thing you want is to have some kind of a breakdown here. Just make it through this blasted ceremony and reception, and then they'll take you back to your rooms.

Things were changing up front. Azula's attention shifted back to the dais. Zuko had retreated to one side, and Mai was now facing the assembly. As Azula watched, the consort knelt down. Princess Ursa approached from the right, holding something in her hands. Azula caught sight of the golden glint of the crown as her mother passed it into the waiting hands of the head Fire Sage. He took the hairpin that was already nestled in Mai's hair and gave it to Ursa; the woman bowed and backed away. The Fire Sage held up the five-pointed crown. There was a significant pause; silence fell. "Princess Mai, daughter of Governor Tsang of New Ursa, I crown you Fire Lady, the queen of this nation." He lowered his hands, slipping the heavy hairpiece into Mai's topknot.

There was breathless silence as Mai rose gracefully to her feet again. She stood tall and regal, looking every inch a monarch. The Fire Lord crossed the dais with confident steps. Facing the crowd, he slipped one arm around Mai's slim waist and raised the other. "Friends and citizens – my queen, the empress of the Fire Nation!" Wild cheering erupted. People were yelling and whistling wildly in celebration. Under cover of the joyous chaos, Azula wept.

The guards came to collect her soon after. Their hands resting lightly on Azula's shoulders, they guided her with the rest of the invited guests to the banqueting hall of the palace. A great feast had already been laid out. Azula took a deep breath as she took the seat assigned to her. All right, Azula. It's showtime. Turn on the charm – wouldn't want to displease Zuzu, after all. She sat up straight, consciously falling into the poise that had once come so naturally to her.

She was once more seated between people she didn't recognize, more Fire Nation nobility. After a bit of rice wine and polite small talk, she found that the young man on her left was the second son of Lord and Lady Chan. Azula glanced at his fingers, noting with some interest the golden ring he wore. The Chans hadn't been major players in the political game during the war, but fortune had evidently been kinder to them since then. The woman to Azula's right was the oldest daughter of Lord and Lady Liu, and was engaged to be married to the youngest son of Lord and Lady Kuwata; the man himself was sitting one seat farther down the table.

Azula was at her most charming – smiling politely, sipping her wine, and favoring her guests' jokes with light laughter. She was actually rather impressed with herself; she'd had her doubts about whether she could pull this off, as unhappy as she was. But the old mannerisms were there, ingrained and ready to pull out when she needed them. It was still tiresome, though. She found her attention wandering. Her eyes moved thoughtfully over the hall. Huh. Zuko's made his seating arrangements carefully, she thought, her lips curving slightly. She could see members of families that she knew to be old allies of her father's; every group of them was surrounded by clans she suspected were loyal to Zuko. Actually, I think he's done it with me, too, she thought then, turning her attention back to young Lord Chan, who was enthusiastically telling a story about a hunting trip he'd recently been on. The Chans and the Lius didn't much like Father, either. "You don't say," she murmured, as his lordship had just paused for breath. "Fascinating! So what did you do when you realized you had to face the ferocious beast by yourself?" And she dropped her lashes coquettishly. Gods, the irony's thick enough to choke a flying lemur. I wonder what he'd do if he knew I had a girlfriend?

The meal was served then, and the conversation flagged in favor of eating. Azula wasn't very hungry; she nibbled at her food politely. She was almost grateful when the feasting was done and the doors to the dance hall thrown open – at least it was a change of scenery. She rose to her feet as her ever-present guards flanked her, and made her way into the ballroom.

Almost as soon as she crossed the threshold, a young man approached her, bowing. He was solidly-built, and perhaps a year or two younger than she was. There was something familiar about his broad forehead and strong jaw. "Princess Azula?" She inclined her head – a trifle stiffly, as she didn't know who he was. "Lord Nazath Zhao. May I have the honor of a dance?" And he extended a graceful hand.

Zhao. That's what it is. He looks like the Admiral. Azula favored him with a courtly smile as she laid her fingers in his. I know Admiral Zhao had sons. Could this Nazath be one of them? Or is he one of his nephews? Damn it, it's been so long. I don't remember who anyone is anymore. "It would be my pleasure, my lord," she said demurely.

"The pleasure is all mine," the young lord said with a smile. His free hand rested on her waist, and they fell into the flowing steps of the minuet. For a while he was silent, simply guiding her through the forms of the dance. He was skilled; his lead was masterful. Azula appreciated this, since she had some uncertainty about the steps. "Your highness, I was glad to hear that you were back in the Fire Nation," he said after a while.

"Yes. It's good to be back," she murmured, flicking her eyes to meet his briefly. Here we go. "It's been a while."

"Too long." Nazath pulled away, spinning her gracefully; they stepped lightly back together again. "There are many of us who have missed you, Princess," he continued. "We will be glad to welcome you back to the court. Have you any plans, now that you've returned?"

Such pleasantries – innocent questions with so much beneath the surface. Azula felt panic beginning to bubble up in her throat. Gods, if Zuko were hearing this, my neck would be in a noose two minutes later. "Well...no. Not really," she said, keeping her voice calm with an effort. "My lord brother and I haven't discussed what my role in his court will be, yet." It was a half-truth – Azula hoped it would deflect him.

"Of course. That's certainly the kind of thing you should discuss with your brother." His lips curved into a smile; his eye gleamed a bit. "You know, your highness, my father told me a lot about you before he vanished in the siege of the north. He said you were very much like Fire Lord Ozai."

Panic. Yes, what Azula was feeling was very definitely panic. "You don't say," she murmured, with a faint smile and downward sweep of her lashes. "I'm flattered. I know Admiral Zhao was a great admirer of my father."

"He's not the only one." Lord Zhao guided her through the last steps of the dance, then swept her a dashing bow. "It has been my pleasure to dance with so lovely a lady, Princess," he said calmly. "And, should you decide you care to discuss your father further – you need not look elsewhere."

Azula inclined her head gracefully. She'd never been so relieved to hear a song end. She retreated to her guards as quickly as possible without sacrificing her decorum. She remembered what Mai had said the night before – "It is a favor, whether you recognize that or not." The young woman had been right, she realized. The guards were a favor. Azula glanced around the ballroom. If I stay here, there will be more of Zuko's enemies talking to me...that's all I need. I've already been accused of treason. Azula swallowed hard. I can't deal with this. I'm not ready yet. "Please," she said softly, glancing up at one of her imperial guards, "I want to go back to my quarters."

"As you wish, Princess Azula." They laid their hands lightly on her arms and escorted her from the dance hall. There were many nobles and guests milling in the halls, as well. Azula didn't breathe easy until she was back inside the quarters that had been her prison for the last week. One of the guards turned back. "I will inform Fire Lord Zuko of your whereabouts," he said briskly. Azula nodded absently, moving across the room to her couch. She slipped out of her outer garments as she went, and slung her sleeping robe about herself. Then, with a sigh of relief, she lay down on the soft cushions and laid her head back. I might be imprisoned here, but at least there's no one trying to pull me into any plots that might get me in more trouble. The books her mother had brought her a few days before caught her eye. After a moment's hesitation, she reached over and picked up the mythology.

It turned out to be an interesting read. It contained a version of the legend of the first firebenders that she'd never seen before, along with a number of stories about Lozi the Trickster, and quite a few legends about the early Fire Lords. Azula was glad to lose herself – she'd had enough of thinking.

She was nearly through the book when there was a knock at the door. Azula looked up, her brow furrowing. She cast a quick glance out the window; it was very late, probably past midnight. The door still hadn't opened. Azula nodded to the guards, and one of them opened it. A tall woman with shaggy, black hair stepped inside. She was dressed in a flowing gown of emerald green; one look at her face, though, and Azula knew who she was. Surprise widened her eyes – with maybe a hint of fear. "Toph!" She dropped the book and scrambled to her feet. Her eyes flicked nervously to her guards.

The blind earthbender flashed her a crooked smile. "Relax, Fiery Britches. I'm not here to unleash the pain." She moved to stand about five feet from where Azula stood, then stopped, folding her arms across her chest. "It's been a while."

"What do you want?" Azula's voice was sharper than she had intended.

Toph grinned. "Boy, and I heard manners are supposed to be the thing in the Fire Nation. Is that any way to treat a guest, Zappy?" She shrugged. "I just want to talk to you, Azula," she said, falling into a more serious tone. "Mai asked Katara and I to do something for her, and I wanted to discuss it with you, first."

Azula frowned, some of her hostility draining away. "Mai?" she faltered. Slowly, she sat back down on her couch. "What...what did she want?"

"She told me you've been having some trouble with your brother," Toph said frankly, pulling up and chair and flopping onto it in a most unladylike manner. She paused, her blind eyes fixed on Azula's face with unnerving accuracy. "So you and the circus freak are an item now, huh?" Azula felt her cheeks burn. She scowled and looked away. "Mai said the Fire Lord's pretty much locked you both up and won't let you see each other. That's what she asked us to help with. There's some meeting or other happening about it tomorrow, right?"

"Yes." The oppressive weight of it all crushed down on Azula's spirit again. She wasn't angry anymore. With a sigh, Azula leaned against the arm of her sofa. She missed Ty Lee with a dull ache. "Supposedly he's going to grant me some concessions, or something." She hesitated. "He won't let us be together," she blurted. "He won't. He thinks it isn't even real! He..." Azula's throat tightened. She turned her face away, shutting her mouth tightly. After a moment's struggle, she choked down the threatening sob. "He doesn't believe anything I say."

Toph leaned back in her chair, raising a brow. "Well, can't blame him for that," she remarked. "I don't mean to be a jerk, but you haven't exactly been a fountain of truth in the past, Zappy."

"Do you think I don't know that?" Azula said wearily. "I know, all right? If you're just here to point out the obvious, I'd appreciate if you left me alone."

"Hey, relax." The earthbender's voice was almost gentle. "Now listen. Mai wanted Katara and I to put in our two cents at this meeting thing tomorrow. Sweetness and I talked about it, and we think we might throw our weight on your side of this argument. Here's the question, though. Fire Lord Sparky's an old friend, and neither of us wants to do anything that's going to come back and bite him in the ass. So you tell me, Azula. Are you planning on doing anything against your brother?"

"No. I didn't even want to come here in the first place," Azula growled. "But Ty Lee wanted to go home, and I wasn't going to refuse her." She lay down fully. It might not have been proper etiquette, but she didn't care. "But then, why should you believe me, either?"

"Heh. Yeah, we've had our disagreements, for sure." Toph's milky eyes glittered for a moment. "And all bets are off if you even lay one hand on Katara again, Fiery Britches! But Mai tells me you've turned into a halfway decent human being somehow. And the circus freak really seems to like you, the spirits only know why. So we'll put in a good word for you tomorrow, for what it's worth."

Azula stared at her for a while, her brow creased. "This doesn't make sense, Toph. Why would you do anything for me?"

The earthbender rose to her feet. A quiet smile curved her coral-pink lips. "Well, partly because I like Mai and Ty Lee. But also because I was watching you during the wedding today. You might be able to fool me when you're lying, Zappy, but no one could fake being that miserable."

"So you feel sorry for me?" Azula said bitterly. "I'm an object of pity, now. You're handing out charity, is that it?"

"You could look at it that way." Toph shrugged. "And then I'd tell you not to look a gift ostrich-horse in the mouth." She smiled a bit, turning away. "Good night, Azula." The firebender nodded curtly, and Toph took her leave.