Azula looked out from the deck of the ship at the Royal Harbor rapidly approaching. She was sure if she used her telescope, she would be able to see the sheep-like servants and nobles and beggars crowded on the dock, cheering at the return of their Princess home.
She didn't bother pulling out her telescope. It would not do to have others think she cared if the peasants met her at the dock or not (because she didn't), and turned on her heel to return to her quarters.
There were two servants working on packing her things in preparation for their arrival when she arrived. Azula just barely inclined her head, idly hoping one of them would fail to notice her so things could get a bit more interesting. Instead, the servants snapped to attention, hurriedly rising to curtsey to their Princess as their eyes darted to the floor. They did not speak, having learned by now that Princess Azula did not tolerate lowly servants speaking in her presence.
Azula waited to acknowledge the servants, making them sweat. This specific pair had already been well-trained, so she did not bother to wait long.
"Leave."
The rushed to obey, scurrying out of the room so pathetically Azula almost shivered in disgust.
Pathetic, she thought. Azula shook thoughts of torture from her head as she settled in a throne-like armchair placed in the corner of the room. She needed to think and the constant swaying of the ship made her nauseous when she paced一not that anyone would ever find that out. She would not allow the enemy to ever see weakness.
This, this was how Azula maintained her control. Everyone was the enemy. It was one of the harder lessons for her to learn, but once she had mastered it, successfully built her mental wall keeping everyone out, she became unstoppable. You did not trust the enemy, you put fear in the enemy.
It was only necessary that everyone fear her.
Her thoughts directed Azula back to her current problem: deciding what information she was going to give her Father about her conquest of Ba Sing Se.
Zuko's failures always come back to haunt me, she thought angrily. Her previous plan featured her arriving back in the Fire Nation victorious with the beaten down Zuko at her side. He would be easily controllable until he eventually betrayed Father and returned to the losing side, as she had known he would. Zuko was by far the easiest person to read.
So what if he had chosen the losing side sooner? Azula had known he would choose it, and that was the important part.
Now she would have to deal with the fallout caused when Zuko refused to follow the script. Azula did not want to tell the Fire Lord about her suspicions that the Avatar was still alive (she looked at every possible avenue, after all, unlike her idiot brother. She knew Waterbenders had healing powers). While Azula knew about Ozai's plan to be crowned the Phoenix King, appointing her as Fire Lord during the upcoming comet, she had greater designs. As long as there was a world to dominate then she would be the one to dominate it.
Everyone is the enemy, she reminded herself calmly. Focusing on one's goal usually made work easier, after all.
Though Azula didn't have much hope that the Airbending idiot would be able to defeat her Father, she supposed there was a small chance. Keeping him ignorant would increase the Avatar's chances, perhaps giving her the opportunity to take the throne without having to take Ozai down. The trick was to keep him ignorant while still looking like a poised, ruthless winner. Fire Lord's didn't take the word of failures, failures like her brother.
Three, two, one, she counted down idly. There was an announcement, the Captain claimed they would reach port within the hour.
Azula sighed at the interruption, even though she had known it was coming, then slipped back into her thoughts.
Orchestrating the running of Ba Sing Se in a week had been taxing, even for her, and she wished she had a little more time to plan. Of course, there were no witnesses except herself, which made things a little easier, but which version of the story was the best to go with? Which left the smallest margin of doubt?
A knock on the door, one she didn't recognize. Azula tensed imperceptibly as she called a brusque 'enter'.
It was one of the Dai Li brainwashing specialists she had brought back with her. Azula had immediately seen the potential in their capabilities and brought a few of the idiots back to the Fire Nation with her.
I mean really, who gives a skill like that away, no matter the amount of money?
The agent paused, not yet having felt her wrath but picking up on the general mood of the ship.
Sheep could usually sense danger early, they were just too stupid to find a way out of it.
Azula nodded to the agent to hurry his message along. There were only 33 minutes and 15 seconds until they reached shore after all.
"Princess Azula," he bowed deeply, "I have employed our most...effective techniques against the Dragon of the West, bu一" he cut himself off as Azula's eyes narrowed.
"Deliver the news of your failure to me quickly so you can quit wasting my time," she said lightly. He eyed her, unfooled by her unaffected tone but, unable to find a way out, he quickly began speaking again.
"As I said Princess, I used every technique I could think of, but" he took on a pleading tone, "he is strong Princess I do not think I will be able to一"
Useless, Azula thought to herself. She had assigned an agent to question her dear Uncle, knowing if anyone knew exactly how the Avatar might have survived, it would be him. He had been alongside Zuko tracking the ragtag rebels for so long he must have picked something up. Azula wanted to make sure any information the old man had would come to her and not the Fire Lord when they finally arrived home.
This information had been valuable to her plan. She wondered at an appropriate punishment for such failure, then decided he would have to suffer later, only 29 minutes remained.
"Okay," she said, again making sure to keep her tone light, but driving her piercing gold eyes almost through him. He shivered.
The best threats are unknown.
The agent bowed lowly again, but did not apologize. He seemed to sense that there was nothing he could say to help his case, and left after she nodded his release.
Azula looked around the room after he left. 28 minutes remaining, but what to do? She sat for some time in the silence of her empty room. Then, an idea struck her.
It was perfect. Ozai would be doubly surprised eventually if her plan was executed properly (and her plans always were). He would never see what was coming, and wouldn't expect to see his disappointing son fighting for the other side.
This execution would require careful maneuvering. Mai, Ty Lee and the Dai Li knew of Zuko's betrayal, and though she knew her friends would never cross her, the Dai Li were not yet trustworthy. Azula could not be caught lying about who 'killed' the Avatar.
9 minutes. Azula thought there was just enough time for her servants to finish packing her things, if they hurried. And they would, fearing for one's life tends to do that to you.
She opened the door to step lightly into the hall, the tell-tale clicking of her komodo dragon skin boots instantly alerting her waiting servants to her presence. They jumped up to bow to her and she released them with a small gesture of her chin for them to scurry back into her room. She smiled faintly; who said good help was hard to find?
Azula allowed her signature mask of power and cruelty to familiarly slide into place a she swept past anyone else stupid enough to get near her. The torches on either side of the wall flared slightly as she walked; one must always present otherworldly image of being untouchable.
There were exactly 3 minutes and 43 seconds left before they docked by the time the Princess made her way out of the bowels of the ship. The Royal Chambers were located far below deck far from any known entrance in the case of an attack. As she emerged in the sunlight, Mai and Ty Lee caught sight of her and promptly broke up their conversation. They turned to face her and bowed in unison before Ty Lee looked up with her signature grin.
"Azula! Aren't you glad to be going home?" She sighed dreamily, "I'm most excited about the food! Or maybe seeing my sisters! Oooh, I'm also exite一" Ty Lee was cut off by the strange glint in Azula's eyes. She sensed trouble.
"Sounds marvelous, Ty Lee," the Princess said mockingly, "but I've come to discuss more important things."
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Azula practised making the torches on the wall flare once more as she walked slowly towards her Father's throne room.
He had finally called her to him late at night, long after the ship had docked and everyone else had greeted their family. She shuddered at the memory of one of Ty Lee's younger sister's trying to touch her with her sticky hands. The fear in Ty Lee's eyes when she noticed what was happening and arrived to rescue her sister was nice to see though.
Left, 14 paces, right, 22 paces, one corner of her mind was focused on her route through the Palace as the other prepared herself for her forthcoming meeting.
The late night summons was no coincidence, and Azula was actually slightly disappointed that the Firelord thought being woken from her near sleep would rattle her. Ozai had been responsible for her education after all, and they had read all the same books and knew all the same tactics. The late night summons was a power flex, nothing more. Admittedly, their similar knowledge made her Father a more formidable opponent than most, but she had never lost before, and she saw no reason why she should start now.
It would not be a hard lie to tell. Azula knew Zuko could redirect lightning, so to say that he had redirected it at the Avatar and killed him? It would be child's play. To lie about why Zuko had not returned home with her would be slightly harder, but still nowhere near impossible. Ozai would definitely believe that his pathetic son would think it not enough to kill the Avatar because it didn't meet the requirements of his banishment. His ego would feed the idea that Zuko was too afraid of his judgement to return, and far too afraid to ever join the other side. It was perfect, really.
Azula came to a sudden stop. The Throne Room was right around the corner. There needed to be no cracks in her armor. She meditated for several seconds, then composed herself and abruptly strode forward to push open the heavy, ornate doors. She walked confidently to the front of the room, and looked through a wall of flames into mirrored, golden eyes.
"Father," she breathed. He smiled.
"Princess Azula, I have been waiting for the news you would bring."
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Author's Note: That was shorter than the last chapter but the next couple will be pretty long balance will return hopefully. They've been getting longer and longer as I get to know the characters and become slightly addicted to my own story...like i don't know what's going to happen any more than anyone else and I would really like to find out. Is it unreasonable to think Azula was plotting about over throwing Ozai? Maybe, but that is what she shall be doing here :D