+First Fight+
"You are trying to add your name to your score, Ty Lee," Azula says, rubbing her temples exasperatedly.
Ty Lee closely examines the napkin and laughs. It is covered with numbers representing the points of four players. Only one of the four women has any enthusiasm about their game as they sit at a table in the corner at the First Ring of Fire. The attention is definitely not on the brides, and Ty Lee will probably start murdering everyone if Azula and Mai do not distract her.
"So, June, you love Mai and stuff," Ty Lee asks.
Through clenched teeth, Mai says, "Finish adding the scores."
Azula adds, "They met a few nights ago. I doubt they have any genuine feelings for each other. Just like I doubt my genuine feelings for you upon occasion."
"When do you doubt your feelings?" Ty Lee demands, agape.
"When you act like a lunatic. I know you're not a genius, but all you can think about is the wedding. You spend fourteen hours a day preparing for this wedding. You do not talk to me about anything but this wedding. You do not talk to anyone about anything but this wedding. It is a miracle that you are even playing this game instead of begging me to light you on fire so everyone will look at you again."
The silence seems invincible until June coughs and says, "Ouch."
"I'm going home," Ty Lee whispers. Tears drip from her eyelashes when she blinks. Azula feels nothing for reasons she finds unclear.
Ty Lee stares at Azula, waiting for her to apologize or beg her to stay. She waits and waits; it feels like an eternity.
"You should change your shoes if you are considering walking back to Caldera," Azula says.
Ty Lee does not change her shoes; she bolts for the door.
No one turns away from the crowded gala.
"Princess," Mai says, "I know I don't exactly care about your love life, but I think you should follow her."
"No." Azula stands up and walks in the other direction.
This have gone better.
Azula sits in her bedroom. Ty Lee did not pack, so she probably has not left the estate that will host all three rings of fire and the wedding itself. She wonders if she is waiting or not. All she knows is that she does not plan to go back to that stuffy party.
Ty Lee walks inside and stands mute, staring at her fiancée.
"Why do you hate me?" Ty Lee asks, shutting the door behind her.
Azula does not look up at her.
"I have humored you for months. I am tired of it. You are not a real princess, or a real royal, or anyone who deserves the respect you want to command," Azula says dryly, staring at the wall in front of her. She does not want to look at Ty Lee, but she does not know why.
"I'm just really passionate about making our wedding perfect."
"Your wedding. It is your wedding."
"I'm in love with you. Why aren't you responding to that? I'm in love with you and…"
"And what?"
"All of my friends say I'm completely blind and that you've hurt me way too much, but I think the fact that I want you so much still even after all of that mean something. I don't know what it means. Something. It means something."
"It means you are insane. You want to be important; you do not want to be with me. I can make you important."
"Yes, but no. I want to be important to you."
"Good luck," Azula replies, turning to face the window. It is a very starry night, but so dark, so very dark.
"I know that you'll never change. I know that," Ty Lee says, searching for words that do not exist. Nothing can describe how she feels and no one has ever prepared her for this situation.
"You have changed. I am sick of the tyrant in you," Azula says. She inhales deeply. "You drove me to a full scale mental breakdown twice and I want you enough to put up with this entire wedding. What does that mean?"
"I don't know," Ty Lee says, sitting down on the bed beside Azula.
They do not look at each other.
They do not know what any of it means.
The party rages below, hundreds of people feeling thrilled while those they are celebrating are sitting in a dark room wondering what mistakes led them up to this point.