+Mommy Dearest+
A pounding on the door wakes Azula. The loudness of it clearly tells her that it is her brother, and she sits up, dizzy with her eyes sore. She had Ty Lee in her arms, who had been whimpering in her sleep half of the night from how much stress she has been putting herself through.
She also kicked Azula half to death, but the princess lived.
Azula thinks that she should have known it was trouble when she found out that her best friend wanted to be a princess most of all.
The pounding intensifies, and Azula stands up, slides her sleeve up over her shoulder, and opens the door.
"There's someone here to see you," Zuko says, his brow knit with concern. Azula just squints.
She does not know what could be so alarming. "Let me get dressed."
After managing to dress herself and comb her hair, she then she sees before her why Zuko looked so frightened. Azula does not have the energy or willpower to do this.
"Who invited you here?" Azula asks of her mother as Zuko tries to blend into the walls.
"I misunderstand why I found out that my daughter is getting married through a mass letter announcement."
"Who sent you one of those?" Azula responds with a mock surprised expression.
Ursa sighs. "Did you just not tell anyone that you're getting married?"
"No. Ty Lee and I told Zuko, and then Mai, and then Zuko and I told father."
Zuko actually wishes he could fade into the walls now. His mother cocks an eyebrow, looking offended. And Azula looks smug in response.
"I came out here to take you and Ty Lee out for dinner or lunch or drinks or whatever you both want, to try to celebrate your engagement. Because I have never shared in one of your significant life events before, and I think I would like to," Ursa admits as sweetly as she can.
She showed up feeling very happy and tender towards her daughter, but she could not help but get frustrated the more she thought about things.
Azula weighs her options. At last, she very clinically replies, "I will accept your offer. Today Ty Lee and I are going to the florist or something. After that you may meet us for a dinner that you will purchase."
Ursa will take what she can get.
Azula and Ty Lee stand in a cold, uncomfortable flower shop. It smells too strongly and has bugs flying around and is poorly decorated, masquerading as a nice place. Ty Lee is examining the flowers more closely than she should as Azula stares at her nails in utter boredom.
"They're just flowers," Azula says before realizing she will really, deeply and truly regret that comment.
"They're some kind of symbol of love and commitment!" Ty Lee snaps and Azula grimaces.
"No, they're just flowers."
Ty Lee narrows her eyes. "They are a symbol of love and commitment."
"I miss when you weren't allowed to talk back to me."
"Azula!"
"I refuse to apologize for honesty. You told me not to lie to you."
"Azula!"
"Any person would be wistful for the days of absolute power when they are being so controlled by a lunatic."
"Azula, there's a spider-wasp on your neck!"
"Kill it!"
"Stop shaking! You're going to scare it and it will sting you!"
"Where is, ugh, I'm going to burn myself! Kill it!"
"Only if you apologize for what you just said!"
"I'm sorry! Fine, I'm sorry and I think you're great at wedding planning! Kill it!"
Ty Lee plucks it off of Azula's neck with two fingers, walks over to the window, and sets it free. She then turns to Azula with a half-scowl on her face. "That's what bad karma looks like."
"I told you to kill it, not let it go. Now it will never learn. Nor will its friends. You can't just let a horrible creature that showed me such disrespect go free. Sooner or later all of the insects will think my neck is a free for all," Azula snaps as she walks as far away from the flower pots as she can.
"Maybe I don't like being ordered around," Ty Lee says, turning her nose up towards the ceiling.
Azula wants to take a nap. First, she nearly gets stung to death. Then, she fights with Ty Lee. And in an hour she has to have dinner with her mother.
This day could not be worse if a tsunami hit Caldera and just drowned everyone like fire ants.
Azula's resentment for Ursa is never a secret. But it could not be more clear at this dinner. Ty Lee tries to make it comfortable and is grateful that they got a rather private sitting area.
But Azula thinks she is doing magnificently. She has not had an outburst, despite her mother's entitled opinion that she is allowed to try to be in Azula's life.
She never was before. Anger. Acidic anger.
But Azula goes to the dinner and sits in complete silence, doing all she can to pretend her mother does not even exist.
Ty Lee gets more and more embarrassed and time goes by.
It could not go worse, and so Ty Lee grabs onto Azula and leads her across the restaurant.
Ty Lee stumbles into the bathroom beside Azula. A woman is handing out perfumes, oils and towels, but both women ignore her and stand in front of the mirror. Ink paintings trace down the sides, and the incense gives the room a surprisingly pleasant scent.
"Can we leave?" Azula asks before hesitating. "No, allow me to rephrase that. We are leaving, Ty Lee."
Ty Lee frowns. "I really want to do this. I'm not asking you to like her but I'm at least asking you to try. Weddings are about bringing families together."
"My father was not so fond of the idea," Azula replies, thinking of his level of rage that had him dragged away by guards, and Azula's bottle of champagne still corked.
"Ooo, but I heard that Zuko was going to do the father part for you in the wedding," Ty Lee says with a bright, sunny grin. "That is so, so sweet of him."
Azula frowns again. She does not like how she is not able to manipulate her way out of the dinner with Ursa. Ty Lee stops to think, and Azula notices how she is adorable when she curls her lip in concentration. It is a rare face, but one that Azula likes.
"How about you fake an injury?" Azula suggests brightly, leaning against the sink and not even noticing that her shirt is damp now.
"How about I do some convincing," Ty Lee breathes as she presses her against Azula. The princess does not feel the pain in her back as she is pressed into the stone counter. Ty Lee's hips press against hers, the wanton motion enough to elicit a moan from the princess.
Ty Lee's fingers stray into Azula's clothes before quickly moving away.
"We can finish that, if you finish our dinner."
"Exploitation. I will not stand for it," Azula says regally before following Ty Lee into the dining room again.
Azula is miserable for the rest of the dinner. Ursa keeps trying to talk to her, discussing the wedding and how proud she is of Azula. Yes, how proud she is that Azula now bends to Zuko's will and supports him as Fire Lord. Even though she must know that it is just for Azula's own personal gain and loyalty to her country.
Ty Lee, on the other hand, gets along just fine with Ursa. She chatters away, seeming to make Azula's mother somewhat uncomfortable.
And then Ty Lee gasps abruptly in mid-sentence, and most of the restaurant turns to stare. Azula wishes she had demanded an even more private seating arrangement.
"We don't have a flower girl," Ty Lee states shrilly and Azula thinks she knows where this is going. "How about Kiyi?"
Ursa hesitates for a moment and Azula scoffs loudly. Ty Lee knew she should have cut Azula off hour ago.
"You don't want her involved in my wedding do you? I understand; I always pretend that you don't exist. And when I-we have a child, I will tell her you died in childbirth," Azula purrs, and Ty Lee grimaces, wishing this were not spiraling out of control so fast.
"It has nothing to do with whose wedding it is," Ursa says as assuredly as she can manage. She turns to Ty Lee for a moment, "I was waiting for your fiancee to give me an answer. She's the only one who might protest."
"HA!" Azula snaps and again, faces turn to fixate on them, no matter how obscured their table is. "I would be fine with that. She did like her visit to Caldera."
Ursa looks uneasy at Azula's kindness, but she accepts it. Azula seems rather apathetic at this point, and focused on her drinks and the painful memories that Ursa brings up with almost every word she says.
Ty Lee lists as much of the wedding planning she has figured out, which is a good deal.
"My wedding was planned before me. Actually, I think it was planned by Fire Lady Ilah," Ursa explains and Azula does look up at her for a flicker of a second. "I'm glad you're enjoying yourself. But remember to enjoy each other just as much as the dresses. You both will be wearing dresses, I presume? I haven't seen a wedding between two women since I lived in Caldera. And that was some time ago."
"We will both be wearing dresses," Azula says flatly, thinking about how she has let Ty Lee get so much control.
It concerns her. Azula does appreciate being with someone who is not afraid to tease her, or to bring her down from her heights of rage, or be an equal in marriage. But Azula likes how much control she still maintains.
And she is definitely sacrificing it as Ty Lee goes insane over the wedding.
After the dinner, Azula grinds her teeth.
"Are you paid hourly?" she snaps as her mother lingers with she and Ty Lee. "We're done for the night."
It is painfully silent for a few moments.
"I got you a gift," Ursa says warmly as she opens a box. Ty Lee's eyes light up eagerly, while Azula displays as much open disinterest as she can. "Well, this one is Azula's. I got you another one."
Ursa hands the box to Azula, and the princess looks at her mother only once before opening it. It is a ring. A very beautiful ring, and the smooth ruby embedded in it is the symbol of sharing royal blood with another.
"I..." Azula's mouth feels dry and she wishes she were drunker. "I like it."
That makes Ursa smile, and Azula's head ache.
Ty Lee gets earrings and perfume.
When they get home, "You so promised that this would be my reward for my efforts with your mother," Azula says as she pushes Ty Lee down onto the bed and straddles her with conviction and burning arousal.
"I had a few too many," Ty Lee moans, and Azula slides down on her, lying together, intertwined.
Drunk kisses are all they share before Ty Lee grins and pulls away.
"Oh, I love weddings. They bring everyone together!" she breathes cheerily.
She smiles softly as she falls asleep.