(Dragonstone: 8/10/298 AC) Mai III
After the meetings with Cressen, Ty Lee, and Han the industrial administrator, which went terribly for the latter, Mai needed to breathe. She stepped out of the Administration building, and as her feet touched the ground, she stared out into the flat green field surrounding the building, breathing in the refreshingly cool air coming from the nearby coast. The sun had begun to dip below the horizon. As a couple of Flameguard moved to flank her, she waved them off. They obeyed, with only the larger man slightly hesitating. She wanted to be alone, and in the heart of Dragonstone, it's not like she needed protection anyways. Especially after Azula made an example of those foolish Stepstones pirates tried to raid the Agni Shipyard nearly two years ago.
As always, Azula set the standard for 'aggressive overreaction' and 'lesson teaching,' she thought darkly. She had crippled some of the pirates and 'questioned' them before they revealed they were from the Stepstones. Azula had later commented that she had her suspicions that a third party had been responsible for goading the pirates on, which was why she had requested a response from the crown. Of course, as evasive as always, she masked her intent under the guise of showing, "those filthy pirate peasants," King Robert's power.
Azula had Stannis request permission to retaliate, to which Robert agreed, heartily. As King Robert had been unable to go he had suggested Stannis himself participate. Stannis had readily agreed, seeing it as his duty to "protect the shores of the king's realm." Steffon, then a slightly muscular and fit thirteen near fourteen-year-old, and Theon Greyjoy, a slightly taller but slimmer seventeen-year-old, had both requested to join the small fleet, Stannis and Azula had mobilized, to "smoke out those pirate scum." After some consideration, Azula had thought it the perfect opportunity to let them have some combat experience, after all, "Why not?" she had said. Steffon had been nearly two years younger than them when they had gone out into the world and faced combat, and Theon was already a man, so Azula merely saw it as a 'character building' exercise for the both of them. It had taken Stannis some convincing to send their ward out into dangerous waters, but Azula had had her way.
When it came to Steffon, however, Stannis had offered stiffer resistance. Azula had fought to convince Stannis that Steffon would be in no position of danger. "He would only be there to observe the fleet in battle," Azula had said. To which Stannis had responded, "No. If my son goes he will not be some shielded babe, like Joffrey. He will fight, he will win, and he will make me proud, as he always does. But even so, I will not risk his wellbeing," and in the end Azula had lost. Naturally, Steffon had chosen to ignore the commands of his parents, as most young people do. As he shared their blood, he shared their headstrong nature, and he would not be swayed, refusing to be kept away. So, like any youth, he snuck aboard the 'Firestorm' and went to war. Steffon's ears would later suffer for this, when Stannis had encountered him alone in a pirates den. A victim of 'capture', and surrounded by dead pirates, Steffon had reportedly greeted his father with a huge grin on his face. "Father!" he had said. The Flameguard that had accompanied Stannis, had recalled the moment, "It felt as if the air within the den had all been sucked into Lord Stannis' lungs," before the Lord of Dragonstone had let out a deafening roar. "Steffon Baratheon! What in the seven hells are you doing here?!" he had thundered.
It had, in the end, proved beneficial for all four of them. Azula returned to Dragonstone with a stone dragon egg, and information about the pirate's mysterious benefactor in the free cities, while Stannis resumed his post as Master of Ships, with the recognition of having broken the pirates of the Stepstones in a quick and ultimately victorious campaign. Pirates had later returned to populate the area, but it was still considered a victory. Steffon and Theon had accompanied Stannis to King's Landing to be given honors, and granted knighthood, by the King for their bravery on Grey Gallows and Bloodstone. Those two boys had even managed to earn their first nicknames during the battles in the Stepstones. Steffon had become known as Steffon 'Silver-Tongue,' after being captured and revealed, he had somehow achieved freedom when he elicited a den of pirates into killing each other over who got his ransom.
Theon, on the other hand, had earned his after assuming command of the 'Cassana' when the original captain had been struck dead by a Lyseni pirate's arrow. His naval training, at Azula's insistence, had proven its worth. For Theon 'Pirate's Bane' Greyjoy had scoured the easternmost islands of the Stepstones, clear of pirates, in revenge for his fallen captain. The only 'loser' in this entire endeavor, barring the pirates themselves, had been eleven-year-old Ursa. When the preparations were being made, she had sent a strongly worded letter, from Winterfell, demanding to be allowed to join the Stepstones campaign. Steffon had read the letter and laughed, commenting on "poor little Ursie," and her childish tantrums. 'A bit hypocritical,' she thought, considering he had had the same reaction, only had succeeded in going anyways.
All in all, it was said that the Baratheon's of Dragonstone, and their ward, had slain nearly six hundred pirates between themselves, and were responsible for freeing many of the slaves that had been imprisoned there. Most of the slaves had later been provided and accepted, opportunities to live on Dragonstone.
"The pirates had not known what hit them," she remembered Steffon saying, flourishing a pretend blade in his hand, after he and Theon had arrived back on Dragonstone. They had both been eager to regale Mai with tales of their exploits.
"Yes, they did. It was me aboard the 'Cassana,'" Theon responded, pounding his chest, placing his foot upon a stool and pretending to shield his eyes from the sun while looking into the distance. "All you did was talk them to death, 'Silver-Tongue!" he continued, laughing as he did so.
"Shut it! You flaccid squid!" Steffon had said, before slapping Theon on the arm. "No need to still be sore after my undefeated reign as champion of our sparring matches!"
"Ow!" Theon exclaimed, rubbing the spot on his arm Steffon had struck.
She remembered smiling, thinking to herself, 'how odd? That they just returned from killing and thought nothing of it?' She quickly realized, afterward, that Azula herself had that same mentality when we had first arrived. Considering the influence she had had in their upbringing, it may have been intentional. When she had approached her to ask of this, Azula had later confirmed it, saying, "They must be desensitized to violence, so that they can do what needs to be done," she said, a mix of sadness and anger in her voice, "if and when the time comes to rule a kingdom and command a war, they must be ready." Her mind had registered what she had said, and a voice whispered within her, 'Was that how Zuko and Azula were raised?' She had known both in their academy years, but she had never been privy to what their father had taught them. Nor had either of them spoken of it, in detail. 'It was a moot point anyways,' Mai thought, as she had come to terms with the cruelty of this world, and the fact that if it had been anyone other than Azula in command, everything would have fallen apart long ago. In fact, it very nearly did at the close of the Greyjoy Rebellion, when an assassin had infiltrated the 'Ozai' and had shot six darts, full of Demon's Dance, towards Azula as she had boarded the ship for the return trip to Dragonstone from Pyke.
The Ozai (289 AC: Pyke)
Ty Lee had been the first to notice something was amiss when she commented to Azula that "the aura here is off." But since there were many soldiers standing at attention, waiting to receive their commander, Ty Lee had been unable to isolate the individual causing the disturbance. Azula had refused to back down and instead whispered to them, "Keep your eyes open, I will not be embarrassed on my own ship," before stopping, clasping her hands behind her back, and commanding, "Attention! Brave soldiers of the Firenation! I want all of you on this deck to raise your visors! So I may look upon the warriors who've accompanied me, to victory, against the Ironborn rebels!" As soon as all had lifted their visors, she continued forward, her back towards us. Ty Lee was to her left, and their footsteps sounded like thunder on the 'Ozai's' deck. Her heart had been pounding, eyes flashing over each individual, noting hands, head movements, intakes of breath, everything.
But it was too late, 'we should have turned back,' she thought, as she felt movement to her left. Ty Lee had planted her foot down and raised her hands. She saw Azula ahead of her, crouch down while repositioning her feet, and preparing to bend. Blades were in Mai's hands in an instant, and she turned, towards where Ty Lee was facing, the seconds feeling like years. Ty Lee's body had been blocking her, as she hit a dart away with a kick, and sunk down, extending her body too far to slap another away. A dart had hit Ty Lee's exposed side, and she went down. Ty Lee gripped her side and pulled out the dart. In the opening, caused by the falling Ty Lee, Mai had seen the man. He had given no hint of being an assassin, save for the look in his eyes, which she had shared often enough, as she threw a knife in his direction. His face had changed, before the blade sunk into his throat, killing him.
Meanwhile, most of the Flameguard had ducked out of the way of her blade, while the remaining others had rushed to assist the fallen Azula who had taken a dart in the thigh and two in her arm. Azula had only managed to yell, "Assassin!" and pointed in the direction of the man, before she began having violent spasms. Her eyes had rolled back and her mouth started bleeding. She screamed as her legs and arms began constantly shifting into painful, contorted, angles.
Ty Lee had had a similar reaction, only slightly less violent. The years she had spent training her body and having absolute control of it, had allowed her to suppress her spasms into a vicious twitch. Even so, she had still gritted her teeth in pain, while blood trickled out of her mouth, before collapsing.
Several Firenation healers had rushed to the scene, along with maester Qyburn. Together they had managed to stave off further deterioration, for the moment, with haphazard medicinal countermeasures. Qyburn had been recruited from a sellsword company known as the Brave Companions after Azula had heard of his exploits from Cressen. "Quickly!" he said, "Put something in her mouth before she bites her tongue!" before the alarm bell had sounded, and a messenger had been sent to retrieve someone who could assist.
In what seemed like an instant, Stannis Baratheon had appeared on the ship, followed closely by Eddard Stark, and a handful of nobles from the various houses, including Tywin Lannister. Stannis demanded to know what had happened, before seeing a screaming Azula on the floor. Several Flameguard were holding her down, to keep her limbs from contorting.
He rushed to her side, pushing a Flameguard off of her, before he gripped her hand, shouting "Maester?! What is it?!"
"Demon's Dance, my lord. We have the ingredients for an antidote on Dragonstone, but it is too far, she has only hours" said Qyburn, before Tywin Lannister spoke.
"We have them at Casterly Rock as well, the distance is not as great. If we send one of your hawks now, the antidote will be ready, and it will be at the docks in Lannisport when we arrive."
"What of Balon? He may…"began Eddard Stark, before Stannis cut him off.
"That traitor will delay just to see my wife die! We will go to Casterly Rock! Everyone not part of the crew leave now!"
During the entire exchange none had paid attention to Ty Lee, barring the large armored man in the hound-shaped helmet, near Lord Lannister. She was shivering and twitching in her arms. After all non-Dragonstone individuals had been commanded off the ship, several Flameguard turned, and had finally noticed them. They assisted Mai in carrying Ty Lee into the command tower, while a further few were lifting up the corpse of the man with the half face. The rest of them had followed Azula to the tower, before taking up sentry positions, and turning the ship into a fortress.
Once Ty Lee had been placed on a cot within the ship's command tower, Mai demanded whatever concoction the healers and Qyburn had made to stave off the poison. But none could help her, as all had been used in temporarily stabilizing Azula, and sufficient quantities of the ingredients were not available to produce more. As the hours passed, she held Ty Lee's cold hand and began talking with her.
The Ozai (289 AC: Nearing Lannisport)
Sitting, at her bedside, she whispered hopefully "We are almost there, Ty Lee, just a little bit more to Lannisport." Her tears were threatening a downpour as she watched her frail form.
"Yay," Ty Lee attempted to say with her usually bubbly voice, but only coming out as a sickly cough "I still need to teach Margaery how to talk to boys. She's hopeless without me." Blood trickled out of the corner of her mouth as she spoke so Mai used the bit of cloth at her side to wipe it off. "Thanks." She smiled, partially gritting her teeth in pain, as her left leg contorted a bit before she willed it down. "I look terrible don't I?" she asked, in an exhausted sigh.
"No, you look fine." she lied.
As Mai spoke, Ty Lee gathered her energy and maneuvered her head to look at her, a sad look in her hazy eyes. They both knew she wasn't going to make it. One selfish question flooded her mind, 'out of all the people to die saving, why Azula?'
"She is our friend," Ty Lee said softly, answering the question she knew Mai had, with a voice barely above a whisper. With a determined look overtaking her normally soft gaze, she regarded her with a weak smile. Her body rapidly began failing, and her chest was rising and falling ever more slowly. With her last ounce of strength, she placed her shivering hand on Mai's arm, and told her, in the firmest voice she had ever heard from her, "Promise me you will take care of her. You are all she has left of her old life and she can't do it without you…" she let out her final breath.
As Ty Lee's hand grew slack, and began sliding off Mai's wrist, she grasped for it with her right hand. There she kept it tightly resting on her arm.
"I Promise…." she responded in a hoarse whisper.
She did not know how long she had been there, holding Ty Lee's hands in hers. She knew only that the candle in the room had gone out, and that she had sat in the darkness. She was shaken out of her trance when a hurried commotion had sounded near her, as several healers rushed into Azula's room down the hall. She brought Ty Lee's hand up to her face and held it against her cheek, before whispering.
"Ty Lee..."
The Ozai (289 AC: Lannisport)
Three days later, and with the help of Qyburn, they had finished preparing Ty Lee's body. While others had advised burning her or reducing her to bones, Qyburn knew of a way to preserve her long enough for Azula to see her, without it succumbing to rot and spreading disease. Azula had been stabilized one day prior. Qyburn had expressed his utmost assurances, to Stannis, in being able to make the trip back towards Dragonstone, onboard the 'Ozai', without upsetting Azula's condition.
The Ozai (289 AC: Nearing Dragonstone)
Nearly a week later they had arrived back near Dragonstone, and true to his word, Ty Lee's body had remained untouched by rot, looking as if she had been alive only moments ago. As Mai looked out of the window from her room, she saw Dragonstone in the distance and heard bells. 'The bells usually tolled for an incoming attack or the death of royalty,' she thought, before panicking and running towards Azula's room. She was not there, and there were no guards. 'Oh no!' she said to herself. Before she heard raised voices around the corner of the hall.
"My Princess! You must rest! It is not safe for you to move on your own!" a Flameguard exclaimed worriedly.
"He is correct, my Lady, you are not well. You must return to bed," said the calm voice of Qyburn.
"You dare to command me!? I command you to leave,and trouble me no further!" Recognizing Azula's voice instantly, Mai rushed towards the sound, and nearly ran into the Flameguard, Azula had recently dismissed. For a split second, they had gone into a defensive stance before recognizing her and relaxing.
Qyburn rounded the corner, and she asked him, "When did she wake?"
"Several minutes ago, and she had immediately demanded to go and see your friend, having remembered her getting hit by one of the darts," he said.
"Did you tell her?" Mai asked anxiously.
"Yes. She did not believe me."
As they spoke, they heard a loud thump and a strangled series of sharp breaths. She peered around the corner with Qyburn and the Flameguard. Azula had her back towards them and was using the wall as support, dragging herself across it. Stopping every few moments to take her breath, before getting irritated and shouting, "Ty Lee! Get over here now! Do not make me walk to you!"
Mai took in a deep breath, before telling Qyburn and the Flameguard to follow her, "I will help her, keep a safe distance, just in case."
As Mai walked up to her, she asked, "Azula?" Somewhat startling the injured woman.
"Mai?" she asked with a surprised look on her face. "Why is Ty Lee not listening to me? I ordered her to come out of her room, but she will not come!"
Mai rose her hands to help steady Azula, but she glared at her. 'To accept assistance was to admit weakness,' Mai thought and understood. So she walked by Azula's side, hands at the ready. Qyburn and the Flameguard duo remained a comfortable distance behind, as they approached Ty Lee's door. Azula reached for the handle, took a deep breath, and slid it open. There on top of a wooden slab, was Ty Lee, a pair of immaculately clean banners, bearing the Firenation sigil, covering her head to toe. "Why are you sleeping!? Get up Ty Lee, so I can scold you for letting those darts hit me! Using Firenation banners for bed covers is treason!" Azula said, her voice slightly breaking. She stood staring, resting her body against the door frame, with uncertainty in her golden eyes, before gritting her teeth and sluggishly walking forward. Slowly but surely, Azula staggered her way towards the slab. When she finally reached it, Azula hesitated, before delicately lifting the banner from Ty Lee's face.
Ty Lee remained motionless, and she looked as if in a restful sleep. "Get up! Your Firelord commands you to rise!" Azula ordered. After a moment of silence Azula asked, her voice quivering, "Ty Lee?" She was frozen, and while Azula's first reaction had been confusion, it slowly began to give way. Her hard look began to soften as hints of sadness began to creep into her strong façade, and she broke down in full-fledged tears, collapsing at Ty Lee's side. Azula gripped Ty Lee's cold hand as if it had been the only thing keeping her from falling into oblivion.
Hearing the commotion, the Flameguard had entered, "Princess? Are you…" the sudden voice at the doorway stopped dead, not prepared to finish the sentence in lieu of the situation in the room.
"Get out. Get. Out!" Azula shrieked, her tears still flowing. She gingerly touched Ty Lee's face, hands shaking, before breaking down again, wrapping her arms around Ty Lee, and sobbing into her chest.
The bells continued tolling mournfully in the distance.
(Dragonstone: 8/10/298 AC) Mai III
Lost deeply in thought, Mai had not realized where she had been going, but it had not surprised her where she had ended up. She had come upon 'the flowered hill' where Azula had Ty Lee buried. Brightly colored flowers of any and every kind, Azula could find, littered the area, with a sapling bearing pink flowers providing shade over the flat stone platform and small tombstone. The tombstone had Firenation markings carved into it telling the story of 'Ty Lee: the Kind One.' The platform had been placed to allow for those close to Ty Lee to visit her, of which there had only been three, Azula, herself, and Margaery. The latter of which was currently prostrating in front of the tombstone in respect. Her soft brown curls were tied in the bun style of Firenation royalty. Her gold trimmed tight green vest, and loose black trousers fluttered in the slight breeze.
