Any disdain and irritation Anraq had been holding onto evaporated when he entered the great halls of the Fire Nation Royal Palace. He'd seen the Northern Water Tribe palace before, of course, and he admired his own culture's feats of frozen architecture, but he had never imagined stepping foot inside a structure this grand. Granted, the lighting was a little dark for his tastes, but the enormous arches and pillars that comprised the halls took his breath away at their sheer size. Enormous tapestries depicting past Fire Lords drew his attention to the walls. He'd always had an appreciation for art, and these towering woven images were some of the finest he'd ever seen.
"Did you hear how they cheered for me when they saw Zaheer in chains?" Azula walked next to him, with a delighted grin cutting across her face. They had just returned from a public announcement at Coronation Plaza, to inform the people of their success in stopping the Red Lotus. That included showing off their prisoner, Zaheer, before he was taken away to prison. "That's how you gain the support and admiration of your people, by keeping your promises. I told them I would end the Red Lotus threat, and I did. Now, they can rest easy knowing they're safe."
"Well, almost." Anraq shifted his gaze away from the tapestries towards Azula. "We still have to go after their hideouts."
"Yes, yes, and we will soon enough," she said, with a simple wave of her hand. "Once Yula gets her family settled in the palace, we can make preparations to leave. In the meantime, we have the whole day to ourselves."
"And what exactly does the Fire Lord do when she has a whole day to herself?"
"I thought I'd visit the Royal Spa today, while I can take advantage of it," she stated. "I could use a good hair combing and skin treatment. You'll be coming with me, of course. You're in desperate need of a makeover."
Anraq stopped walking, and turned a wide-eyed stare at her. "I'm what?"
"Look at you." She gestured at him, pointing out his blue and white Water Tribe warrior uniform. "You scream Water Tribe. We can't have that if you're to be the Fire Lord's bodyguard. So, we're going to make you Fire Nation."
"You're not serious." He blinked, but her expression didn't change. His eyebrows lifted even higher. "Wait, you're serious, aren't you?"
"Of course I am." Azula picked up her pace, and waved him along to follow her. "Now, I've already scheduled an appointment with the royal stylists to take care of that matted mess you call hair. If you insist on keeping your beard, you'll have to keep it groomed in a traditional Fire Nation style. After that, we have a facial, and then massages, and I might insist on taking advantage of the steam room while we're at it. Then, we'll be meeting with the royal designers to fix you up with a proper wardrobe."
Anraq dragged his fingers through his hair—stiff and coarse, as it had always been. "So, you're taking me on a spa day. This is not what I signed up for."
"Oh don't complain, you'll have fun," she assured. "You are spending the day with me, after all."
"Right..." He huffed out a sigh, bowing his head. "Lead on, then."
The Royal Spa had undergone quite a few renovations over the past eighty years, according to Azula. It was much larger now, no longer a single room but an entire wing of the palace. There were many rooms, each one meant for a different sort of treatment. Gold dragon murals painted the walls, while ornamental trees and exotic plants sat in the corners, along with exquisitely carved jade statues. A soothing track of tsungi horn music played over the speakers in the background, creating a calm, serene atmosphere to relax.
Azula eased out a gentle sigh, her head tilted back above the water pool. Her hair had been let out in full, draping back into the water behind her, while a team of stylists worked diligently to comb and wash it. Since beginning their spa treatments, both she and Anraq had changed into red and gold silk robes for added comfort.
"Ah, now see," she said, "isn't this relaxing?"
"It-ow-sure." Anraq flinched as the comb came to a sudden halt in his hair, pulling at the roots. "It's-ow-nice."
"Sir, please try to remain still," said the stylist combing his hair. "Your hair is very knotted."
"Well maybe I would if you-ow-stopped trying to tear it out of my head!" he shot back. He flinched again, gripping tightly at the arms of his seat
"Don't mind him, this is his first time here." Azula lifted her head as much as she could from her position and gave him a side-eyed glance. "Honestly, when's the last time you ever combed your hair?"
"Well-ow-that would probably be never? Ow!"
Azula raised an eyebrow, and let her head drop back against the water basin, eyes closed. "Oh my, well it's a good thing we came here. You have a lot of fixing to do."
Anraq grumbled out another pained grunt, as the comb yanked through a particularly stubborn knot. His hair wasn't particularly long, barely reaching his shoulders, but that didn't make it any easier to work with. "And why exactly do I have to be fixed so much?"
"Because you're my bodyguard, and you'll be seen with me on a regular basis. You have to look presentable in my presence."
"I was perfectly-ow-presentable before."
Azula scoffed. "For a backwater Southern peasant, perhaps. As official bodyguard to the Fire Lord? Hardly. Just think, if you were cute before, imagine how you'll look when we're done here."
Anraq snapped his head upright to stare at her. "Wait, I'm what?"
"Hmm?" Azula opened a single eye. "Oh, nothing. Nothing at all."
Anraq huffed out a deep breath, remaining still in his seat. He kept his eyes closed. Not like he could see right now, anyway. "So what, we just sit here? Doing nothing?"
"That's about the gist of it," Azula replied. "You have to allow the cream a chance to soak into the skin, otherwise it's pointless."
"I feel ridiculous." He twitched his nose, feeling the onset of an itch he wouldn't be able to scratch. At least, not with this weird cream plastered all over his face. "And what's with the cucumbers?" He eased one of his eyes open. An up close view of a cucumber slice stared back at him.
Azula hummed in contemplation. "You know, I'm not even sure. I always assumed it was for atmosphere."
"The cucumbers are an excellent way to moisturize and lighten the skin around your eyes," said one of the stylists in the room. "They'll get rid of any dark circles that might have been forming."
"Ah, you see?" Azula said. "I knew there had to be a reason."
"I still feel ridiculous," he muttered. "The hand and foot treatment isn't any better. Is this really necessary?" He was referring to the four other stylists working on his fingers and toes, trimming and cleaning his nails.
"You want your nails to be neat and tidy, don't you?" Azula let out a heavy sigh. "Honestly, men take some of the worst care of their nails I've ever seen. Especially on your feet. So yes, it is necessary."
"Fine..." Not like he could do anything about it right now. Might as well play along.
"Okay, now this isn't so bad." Anraq sank his face against his arms and eased out a long, pleasant groan. The face cream and cucumbers had been awkward, but the massages were next level. Now, maybe he could relax. Each time his masseuse dug her fingers deeper into his back, another knot loosened and popped free.
"The Fire Nation has some of the best masseuses in the world," said the woman working on Azula. "The ones here at the Royal Spa are renowned for their skill."
"Yes, yes, you're good at what you do," Azula sighed, with a wave of her hand. She didn't look up, keeping her head rested against her pillow with eyes closed. "Less talking, more massaging."
Anraq heaved another quiet grunt, as a particularly large knot in his lower back came undone. "I can't say I've ever had a massage before. Spirits, feels like my stress is just floating away."
"That's the whole point: to loosen the knots in your body and get rid of your stress," Azula said. "Honestly, you're so uncultured. Not to worry. Now that you're part of the Fire Nation, this will become a regular aspect of your lifestyle."
"I guess that's not so bad." As much as he tried to sound indifferent, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.
Azula hummed pleasantly, curling her own smile. "Yes, now be quiet and enjoy yourself, won't you?"
After the massages came the steam room. Anraq sank back against the wall, head tilted and body relaxed. As if the massage hadn't been enough to relieve his stress, sweating away in a heat box worked wonders. If nothing else, he was alone. No need to worry about Azula interrupting him. He could just sit there, waste away, and enjoy himself.
And then the door opened. "You don't mind if I join you, do you?"
"What?" Anraq lifted his head to look at the doorway. Azula stood there, dressed in a towel wrapped around herself. He immediately sat straighter and cleared his throat. "Uh, no, I... I guess not. Sure."
"Good, because there's only the one steam room, and the Fire Lord can't be waiting around for someone else. It's improper." The door closed again, and Azula sat down in the seat across from him. Without so much as a warning, she reached up to the knot on her towel and undid it, letting the fabric fall away.
"Whoa, hey!" Anraq shot his hands up to cover his eyes, and turned his head away. "What in spirits name are you doing?"
"Would you relax? I'm wearing a swimsuit, you idiot."
"You're what?" He eased one of his eyes open and glanced back at her. Sure enough, she wore a red skirted bikini. Not particularly modest, but not that revealing either. "Oh, right."
Azula raised an eyebrow at him, slow realization lifting in her gaze. She looked downward. "Wait, are you not wearing trunks under there?"
Anraq stiffened, and looked down at himself. He wasn't wearing anything other than a towel wrapped around his waist. "Well, uh..."
A mocking snicker burst from Azula's throat. She held a hand to her lips, trying to stifle herself. "Oh dear, better be careful with that towel. We wouldn't want any accidents."
"Um, yeah..." he muttered, reaching down to make sure the towel was tied tight.
"You know, you really shouldn't think like that about teenage girls," she said, leaning back against the wall with her arms folded. "Someone might mistake you for a dirty old man."
Anraq flinched, narrowing a glare at her. "Okay, first of all, I'm twenty-nine. I am not an old man. Second of all, you're not a teenage girl."
"Oh, aren't I?"
"How could you be? You were born over ninety years ago! If anything, you're the old woman here."
"Oh you're so dramatic." Azula rolled her eyes. After a brief pause, she sighed and added, "Alright, I'll admit, I'm older than I look. But not that old."
"How is that even possible?"
"That's for me to know, and you to, well, not."
Anraq lowered his head against his hand, grumbling in dissatisfaction. "Do you just not physically age? Did you get zapped with some crazy spirit magic that turned you young again? How old are you, really? Because none of this makes sense."
"Didn't you hear me?" she said. "It's my secret, and I'm not going to tell you."
"Ugh, fine," he muttered, letting his head drop back against the wall. "You know what? I don't even care."
Azula glanced downward, only to immediately look away with a clear of her throat. "Annie, you may want to close your legs."
Anraq instantly snapped his legs together and held his towel tighter around himself. He said nothing, muttering incoherently under his breath. Once again, Azula held a hand over her lips and stifled her mocking laughter. Stupid towel. Stupid spa. Stupid Azula
"Well, look at you," Azula said, with pleased smirk. "Fit to be my bodyguard."
Anraq stared at himself in the mirror. His hair was straight and glossy, tied up in a small Fire Nation top-knot with decorative gold hairpiece, and his beard had been trimmed down into a thin goatee. Gone was his Water Tribe uniform, replaced with robes of red and gold. Black armor with gold trim completed the outfit, fastened over his chest and shoulders. The reflection looking back at him churned his stomach.
"This doesn't feel right," he muttered, with a slow shake of his head.
Azula gave his shoulder a firm pat. "You're just not used to it. Don't worry, it'll grow on you."
"If you say so."
"Now, come with me," she said, dragging him along by the wrist.
At this point, there was no resisting her. He gave in to her pull, allowing her to guide him out of the spa back down the halls of the palace. "Where are we going?"
"We're going to take a stroll around the city, so I can show you off." Azula paused, eyebrows steadily rising, as though suddenly realizing what she'd just said. With a clear of her throat, she added, "Uh, I mean show you around your new home."
Anraq frowned. "Right..."
The sun hung low in a cloudless sky, as the Fire Lord's procession made its way through the streets of Royal Caldera City. Guards lined all sides of the procession, while four servants carried a palanquin at the center. Anraq walked directly next to the palanquin, the curtain of which Azula had chosen to leave open so she could speak with him and see the city.
Passing Fire Nation citizens stopped to give a brief greeting to the new Fire Lord, while others watched from afar. In Caldera, these citizens were some of the most important nobles in the nation, evident by their elegant and flashy style of dress. While still keeping to the traditional Fire Nation design, they wore much more jewelry and finer fabrics than the common folk in Harbor City, at the base of the mountain.
"You see, this is nice, isn't it?" Azula poked her head out of the palanquin to look around. "Capital City was always one of the grandest cities in the world, Caldera in particular. It looks like the years have only improved it."
While the city retained the same traditional style it had over the past centuries, the last few decades had brought it more modern amenities. Chief among these was the presence of satomobiles, both for personal use and for business. Had Azula wanted, she could have had herself driven around the city in the Fire Lord's personal transport vehicle, but her tastes were more antiquated. Nothing beat the regal feel of being carted around by servants aboard a palanquin.
"I'll admit, it is impressive," Anraq stated, with a careful look around. "Haven't seen a city this grand since Ba Sing Se. Republic City and Zaofu both have their own charms, but this is something else. Can't say I've ever seen a city inside a dormant volcano, either."
"Yes, it is a marvel." Azula leaned back behind the curtain, watching as they turned down another street. When they rounded the corner, a small floral shop caught her eye. She sat straighter, an idea sparking into her thoughts. Yes, that would do nicely. "Hold on a moment. Stop, set me down."
The servants immediately came to a halt and set down the palanquin. Azula stepped out onto solid ground and hurried towards the floral shop. While the other guards remained in formation, Anraq hurried along beside her. As her bodyguard, he was to remain at her side at all times. Good to know he took his job seriously.
When they made it inside the shop, Azula walked straight up to the counter and slapped her palm down upon it. "A dozen fire lilies."
The man behind the counter turned around. The moment he set eyes on her, he uttered a startled gasp and lowered into a respectful bow. "Oh, Fire Lord! You honor me." He straightened himself and began gathering up a bouquet of fire lilies. "You'll get only the best from me, I promise you. Finest flowers in all the Fire Nation right here. You've come at just the right time, too, at the heart of their blooming season."
"Yes, yes, they're lovely. Hurry it up," Azula said, with a roll of her eyes. When the shop owner finally handed her the bouquet, she slid two gold coins across the counter to pay for them. Satisfied, she motioned for Anraq to follow her back outside.
Once they made it back to the palanquin, Azula turned to Anraq and held out the flowers towards him. "Here, these are for you." A smile cut across her face. A forced, awkward smile with lips pulled back and teeth bared.
Anraq blinked at the fire lilies, lifting an eyebrow in confusion. "Uh, why?"
"What?" Azula glanced down at the flowers, then up at him again. Still, she maintained her smile. "People enjoy getting flowers. That is a thing, right?"
"Well, sure I guess. I mean, usually girls like getting flowers..." He scratched his head, staring at the bouquet. To call this odd would be a colossal understatement. Not only the act of Azula trying to give him flowers, but also that she seemed genuine in her actions. Awkward and strange, but genuine. "Not sure what I'm supposed to do with them."
Azula's smiled twisted into a frown. She tightened her grip on the flower stems, snapping them between her fingers. "Well fine, if you don't want them I'll just burn them. Waste of money anyway. Stupid flowers."
"Wait, no, hey." Anraq snatched the flowers from her grasp before she could set fire to them. "I didn't say I didn't want them. I'll just, uh, let him hold on to them for now." He turned to the guard nearest him and handed over the now broken bouquet. "In case I need my hands later."
"Hmm, very well." Azula gave the guard a stern glare, leaning close to him. "Take care of those flowers, or you'll suffer the consequences."
The man stiffened, clutching the bouquet to himself as though it were made of gold. "Yes, Fire Lord. As you wish."
"So, now what?" Anraq asked.
Azula sat down on her seat in the palanquin and hummed out a thoughtful breath. Her gaze drifted down the street. "Oh, look there." She leaned forward, pointing towards a large building with bright lights out front. The mover theater featured a large billboard at the top of the building with a black and white picture of Azula standing behind a podium. "They're playing my coronation. You weren't there for that, were you?"
"No, can't say I was."
"Excellent, then you must watch it." She gave a wave at her servants to lift the palanquin again, and the procession continued down the street. "I'll have the theater run a private showing for the two of us. You'll love this. It's one of my better speeches, I assure you."
"Uh, of course," he replied, as he marched alongside the palanquin. "Can't wait."
Azula walked out of the theater with a pleased grin spread across her face. "I have to say, it's even more impressive listening to it back again."
"It was definitely... inspirational," Anraq said, with a slow nod. Watching Azula's coronation had been eye opening, to say the least. The footage only further punctuated how manipulative she could be. She knew exactly the right things to say to endear people to her, even those who had never met her before, and even after she had usurped their former ruler through an Agni Kai. Inspirational, indeed. In a terrifying way. "The people seemed to enjoy it, at least."
"Of course they did." Azula stepped into the palanquin and plopped herself down in the seat. While she and Anraq had gone in to watch the mover, the servants and guards had remained outside, waiting for them. "They recognized my greatness, and now they love me. I'm the ruler they've always needed, and under my leadership they'll prosper more than they ever dreamed."
"I suppose I'll take your word for it."
She turned a sidelong glance towards him, eyes narrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Anraq shrugged. "Nothing, just that I have no experience in any kind of leadership. I wouldn't know where to begin ruling a nation."
"That's because you weren't born for it," Azula sighed. As the procession started up again, she lounged in her seat and tilted her head, eyes closed. "I was. It's my right to rule, and I was raised how to do it. That's why I'm Fire Lord now, and that's why my people look up to me. That's why the entire world will look up to me."
Anraq snapped a glare towards her. He watched her, studied her. The entire world? Had that been a mere slip of the tongue, or did she mean something else by it? Either way, probably wasn't a good sign. "So, where to next? Looks like it's getting pretty late."
Azula opened her eyes and looked up at the sky. By now, the sun had dipped low behind the rim of the crater walls surrounding the city, casting Caldera in dark shadows. "Hmm, you're right. We should head back to the palace. There's one more thing I want to show you."
Night had fallen by the time they returned to the palace. It was a calm night, quiet and peaceful, not a cloud in the sky. Only stars, and a small sliver of moon. Anraq paid little attention to the sky. His gaze lingered on the royal gardens Azula had brought him to, enraptured by what he saw. A small pond sat at the center of a lush, grassy field, surrounded by flower beds and stone walkways. Hanging branches cascaded from the cherry tree hanging low over the pond, across from a large gazebo at the water's edge, while a dragon fountain sat alongside the main garden walkway, serving as a gathering place for a family of small dark-feathered birds.
"Wow," he uttered, as he took in the sight. A sense of calm filled him, fueled by the silver glow of moonlight reflecting off the pond's mirrored surface. "This is..."
"Wonderful, yes?" Azula smirked at him, with her hands held behind her back. "I thought you might enjoy it. You seem like the type."
"I've never seen gardens this beautiful before."
"That's because you've never been to the Fire Nation before," she said, with a simple shrug. "Anything the rest of the world does, we do better."
Anraq wandered through the garden, down the stone walkway. When he neared the pond, he heard a loud quack that drew his gaze to the water. He chuckled, kneeling at the water's edge. A small family of turtle ducks swam there, watching him.
"Ha, turtle ducks. I haven't seen one in ages." He held out a hand, prompting the small birds to swim close, cautious. They quacked at him again.
"I used to throw rocks at them when I was a kid. They didn't like it, but I had a blast." Azula stood next to him and glared down at the turtle ducks. They took one look at her and fluttered back through the water. Her smirk widened. "Looks like they still know to fear me."
Anraq frowned at her, and looked back to the pond. A single turtle duck remained at the water's edge, looking up at Azula with a series of shrill quacks. "That's alright, the big bad Fire Lord isn't going to hurt you. Is she?"
"Please, I don't have time for childish nonsense like that anymore. They're safe for now."
"That's what I thought." Anraq lowered his fingers into the water and gave a gentle splash, urging the turtle duck to swim back to the others. "Go on, go join your family."
"You are such a pathetic softy," Azula said, with a roll of her eyes. If the comment was meant as an insult, her tone belied her intent. The words came out sounding almost playful. Endearing, even.
"Well, excuse me for having a heart," he replied, rising to his feet.
Azula fell silent, drifting her gaze out over the pond. When she did speak, her tone was quiet, gentle. "Anraq, I have something I want to tell you."
"Oh, alright," he said. "What is it?"
"I'd like to apologize for my outburst back at that town. You know, when we saved Yula's family."
He blinked at her, lifting an eyebrow. "I'm sorry, what now?"
She breathed in deep, slowly letting it out through her nose. Her gaze remained focused over the pond. "Yes, that was no way for a Fire Lord to conduct herself. I lost my composure in that moment, and I'm sorry."
"Wow. Seriously?"
"Yes, what's wrong?" Azula shot him a glare, frowning. "Is my apology not good enough for you? I don't do this often, you know. Or ever."
"No, no, it's not that," he insisted. "It's just surprising. If I'm being honest, I never would have thought I'd hear you apologize for anything. Ever."
Azula looked away and shrugged. She wrapped her arms around herself. Not simply crossing across her chest, but fully hugging herself. "Well, I told you before. Even I'm not entirely heartless."
Anraq watched her, grappling with his own thoughts. Azula had actually apologized to him. Of all the impossible things he could have thought of that would never happen, that would have been right at the top of the list. Top three, at least. Worst of all, it meant he had to reciprocate. He didn't want to, and he shouldn't have to, but he couldn't very well be the less reasonable one between himself and Azula, of all people.
"I guess I'd like to apologize too," he muttered.
Azula glanced back at him, raising a curious brow. "Oh?"
He nodded. "I was wrong about Yula. I was attacking you for how you were treating her, because I thought I knew what was best for her. Turns out, she's her own person and she knows what she wants. Well, she wants to be your student. So, I was wrong. I still don't think what you're doing with her is a good thing, but I realize now it's not my place to butt in."
"I see."
"And I'm sorry for calling you a... well, for what I said."
Azula studied him closely, as if expecting him to recant his apology. When he didn't, she gave a subtle nod and looked away. "Well, apology accepted."
An awkward pause lingered between them. They stood silent next to each other, looking around the garden. At the flowers, at the pond, at the trees. Anywhere but at each other. A stray cloud drifted in front of the moon, blotting out its silver glow with a wisp of darkness.
"It's a nice night," Anraq said, as he drew his gaze across the gazebo. Spirits, he had to say something. The silence was deafening.
"I suppose, if you're into that sort of thing." Azula said, with a shrug. Another pause, as she turned to him. "So, did you have a good time today? With me?"
He met her gaze. The eyes staring back at him didn't carry the tone he expected. They weren't stern or calculating, as they usually were. Instead, they glimmered with a noticeable hope. Hope, and yet at the same time worry, as though fearing what he'd say in return. How very unlike her. How very strange. "I'll admit, when you're not being horrible to people, you're actually not that bad to be around."
"Please, I'm a joy to be around."
A brief laugh burst from his throat, more a cough than anything. "That's one word for it."
Azula's expression softened. She shifted, wringing her hands together in front of herself with a deep breath. If Anraq didn't know any better, he might think her nervous. "So, you did enjoy yourself?"
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but yeah." A subtle, reserved smile curled his lips, as he offered a simple nod of defeat. "I did."
Azula brightened a smile, renewed with her usual confidence. Not awkward, this time. A real smile. Genuine. "Good."
