Azula had spent most of the day talking to Taizen and Seejih, preparing to leave in a few days. The two men and all the other traitors thought Azula and her guards would lead them to a fort some of their other supporters had occupied - the fort where Azula and her real allies would spend the night after Zuko destroyed these rebels once and for all. He had already sent her instructions on what to do, and she had agreed to most of it. The Kyoshi Warriors were essentially going to be her body-guards and take her somewhere safer, but the princess wasn't going to let them do all the work while they went away - if they were attacked, which was likely, she would fight alongside them. She wouldn't have agreed to leave battle at all if it wasn't for the baby.

The moral of the rebel's group was still shaken because of the desertions - three other people had ran off in the middle of the night after Yisha and Aiyra left. Aosu was even angrier now, which was making him much more brutal and reckless in training, and that was causing a lot of in fighting, to the point that Azula wouldn't have been surprised if some desertions had taken place just because people could no longer stand being near him. It wouldn't have been the first time Azula saw something like that happened.

And now she was very curious to see if those people would try to joining Zuko. As much she would prefer seeing her brother burn them alive for ever going against him, she knew that wasn't the type of ruler her brother would ever want to be, and she was well aware that her little fantasy wasn't exactly the most practical and logical solution to their problems.

Still, she liked imagining it. Especially when those idiots kept talking about her brother like he was somehow lesser for his kindness, when in reality he was worth a thousand of all of them.

But she had to pretend she was on their side, and she pretended to be interested in all the stupid gossip they had heard about Zuko.

Once Seejih actually brought up the rumors of her being his lover, Azula didn't have to fake interest anymore.

"These people really don't know anything about me if they think that's only way I could get Zuko to spare me. Really all need to do to be on his good side is to make up some sad story about your life."

The two clowns laughed, but Taizen's joy seemed to disappear with his friend's following comment.

"They're obviously desperate. After all, your brother isn't even the only one they say you had an affair with"

"What?"

"Oh... you have not heard?"

"You shouldn't waste the Fire Lord's time with such foolishness" Taizen said, looking like he was seriously considering killing him.

"Speak up" she commanded.

"Well, princess... the only man people knew you were devoted to was our king. Your father."

Azula felt like the ground was crumbling underneath her feet as she understood what he meant.

"They think my father and I..." she couldn't even finish her sentence. It wasn't that absurd for people to assume that a girl who saw nothing wrong with sleeping with her own brother would also not have any issue with doing the same with her father, but the idea of being with her father made her feel sick.

"Is there any true behind those rumors?" Seejih asked, despite his friend's fear of the possible consequences.

"Of course there isn't, you moron!" Taizen screamed at his friend "Your highness, I apologize for his stupidity and disrespect. Of course neither you nor your father would ever do such a thing! That is just absurd!"

"Stop talking or I swear I'll kill you!" Azula was so tired of dealing with that endless, false flattery. Words couldn't describe how much she missed having her Zuzu bickering with her. He could be annoying sometimes, but he was never boring and right now she was bored out of her mind "That subject is none of your business, and my father would have both of you killed if you dared ask him about something like that."

Both men immediately bowed, begging forgiveness, but Azula could tell only one of them was willing to let it go.

"But is it true? About you and your father?" Seejih asked again.

Azula didn't have to think about the answer.

"I'm going to be queen, as I was always supposed to be. That's all you need to know"

Both men looked visibly tense as they left, but Taizen was far more bothered by the implications of her words, and he gave one last look at her before closing the door behind himself, almost begging her to tell him it wasn't truth. But she would not give him that courtesy. He was a loyal man, and he would not betray his king, or his daughter... or 'bride', as he was now probably assuming.

The thought was disturbing to her, but not for the reason it would make most people uncomfortable. The fact that not only did everyone assume she would never break free of her father's influence, but someone people were also wondering if maybe she could have been in love with the man despite of everything he did to her made her feel gross. Everyone was always claiming they were afraid she was manipulating her brother, but the truth is that they saw her as nothing more than a puppet that Ozai could use, throw away, and then pick up again whenever he felt like doing so. A stupidly loyal dog that could only do what she had been trained to do.

And the worst part is that they weren't wrong. That was how she had lived most of her life, and even now that she no longer wanted to have anything to do with that man, the first idea that came to her mind when she needed to form a plan to deal with the rebels was going back to her old ways, acting like his perfect warrior. She left her brother, the one person who truly loved her, just to stay in Ozai's shadow. Again. She fought everyone around her to do so, and ended up alone. Again. She did not deserve the faith Zuko had in her.

But Azula would fix that soon. Zuko would attack the rebels in just a few days, and take her back to the palace. She would be the perfect Fire Lady for her brother, and she would make him proud. She'd learn to be kinder, stronger and wiser like he was - he was still her dum-dum, but that didn't mean he was stupid, and he had tried to stop her for going on this mission, which she now could see he had been right to have done. She would be worthy of him. Her devotion to him, to their nation, and to the family they were starting, would be as unquestionable as his. And she would make sure to prove to everyone, one by one if necessary, just how much she despised her father.

Starting with Ozai himself.