Days later, Azula set together with Lao again in his hut, brush in hand and scrolls before her, one for reading and one for copying. She hadn't written anything in a long time but she was pleasantly surprised how good her handwriting still was, almost perfect to be precise. Almost wasn't good enough in her mind though, there was room for improvement. Lao had given her an important task and she wanted to prove to him worthy of it. He did notice her occasional mistakes and sloppiness and corrected her on that but overall he seemed pleased, which gave her a feeling of satisfaction. It has been a long time since she felt this kind of a sense of approval from someone else. What was even more important to her mind however was that she would not only copy the text to paper but also the content into her memory. Lao was right, the text was quite fascinating, different from the books of wisdom of the Fire Nation.
"I think I now understand why you are making me read this, you do want to help me restore my power?"
Lao responded in a serious tone: "If by that you mean deposing your brother then no, I will not lead my students into a civil war for your sake." After those words his tone softened: "But I do want to help you gain another, much more important kind of power, the power to be respected and liked by your peers regardless of your title and position in society. I can only imagine how much it must have hurt you to lose that but that doesn't mean that you are now left with nothing."
This time Azula didn't allow her doubts to take over, she had confidence that her teacher meant every word: "I do have you now, and Maitri."
Lao smiled: "Don't forget the others. What I mean to say is that a title might command respect while it lasts but respect itself will always command respect, and love will inspire love."
Azula was born into privilege, born into a title, she had the divine right to rule as her father would say. But now she was deposed and hunted. She remembered the one time on Ember Island when she hid her identity as well and tried, out of curiosity to see if she could mingle with the commoners, see if they would love Azula and not just the princess. She remembered how painfully she failed at that but now she had a handbook for success and a patient teacher willing to train her in the contents. She decided that some words of gratefulness and respect were in order.
"I feel lucky to have found you, master."
Lao was moved. "Perhaps it was destiny. The ways of that force are often difficult to understand but we have to work with it what we get."
Azula sighed and paused for a long moment before she spoke: "I always thought my destiny was to be Fire Lord but it seems I was wrong. I sat on that throne for a few days but never in my life I felt less safe, I saw enemies everywhere where my allies should have been. I banished all around me and when my brother Zuko came for me, I had to face him alone."
Lao pondered his answer carefully while he listened. The more he got to know her on a personal level the more compassion and responsibility he was starting to feel:
"I will not go to war against him but should he ever come here to imprison you again I will hide you, I will defend you."
Azula looked at him with eyes of both hope and doubt.
"I know you cannot trust my compassion alone on this matter so take this as my debt to you. You are the one who avenged the memory of my son and for that I will be forever grateful." He could see and sense his charge's doubt vanish upon speaking those words.
She spoke: "I always thought you had to scare people into following you but betrayal taught me that there's no guarantee of loyalty in that. I think I'm starting to understand, you want to show me a different way, a better way."
"Indeed, I believe a great destiny awaits you. Being a ruler isn't the only way to make an impact, the only way to leave a legacy."
"I believe I now understand why we haven't met before, Hakuin of Guan Island, my father would have never approved you teaching me these things and I wouldn't have listened."
"I served both your father and your grandfather loyally and everything I ever taught and did was for the betterment of our nation. Am I sad that I was so often ignored and rejected for it, yes, but I never gave up and I will not give up on you now that you're here with me."
"So you have reservations about my father?"
"Maitri told me everything, how you wish well to him in meditation and how you want to contact him in your dreams. I do admit I still think Iroh would have been the better ruler had he not abandoned us but I know and I can clearly sense how important you father is to you. The love and compassion you have for him proves to me beyond doubt that you are not the monster you think of yourself as. It's a beautiful thing that can be built upon. I will help."
"I'm still seeing only glimmers and pieces of him when I sleep and I doubt he can see or sense me."
"Keep practicing. That's my advice, the technique works but like all good things it requires training. Speaking of that, I think it is time we go to lunch. You did well enough for now, the scroll is progressing, I thank you."
Azula felt indeed hungry and she was starting to look forward to seeing a certain someone. Someone who was starting to occupy her mind more and more. How that came to be she was still unsure but the memory of how it started was fresh.