Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

267. Chapter 267: Hatching Plans-Niece Wen 2

Hatching plans/Niece Wen

2

She had cut her hair, changed her clothing style, donned a different, plainer makeup: she looked like any Fire Nation commoner… but it was Song. It was Azula's friend, her lover's roommate, the loyal healer to whom she hadn't even had a chance to say goodbye…

Suddenly, questions Azula hadn't even dared ask herself were answered: Rui Shi had sent her to Lo and Li. That had been his grand plan. He had sent her to safety, to an unexpected place where no one would hope to find her… and Azula's condition had caused Song to leave that perfect safety, returning to the Palace, offering to serve as her midwife in Lo and Li's stead. Were the two old ladies too old to help, truly? Perhaps they had simply sent Song in their stead because…

Because Song would have had to explain everything. Because they would understand they were friends, that Song was a talented healer, that she could truly help Azula in countless ways so long as she hid in anonymity… and surprisingly, she might just succeed at that: she barely looked like her old self at all. The placid, innocent smile of the slave Sokka had chosen in the market so long ago had been replaced by airs of strong confidence Azula would have never associated with her friend… her new hairstyle, the lack of the distinctive hue of her favored lipstick, the Fire Nation-styled clothes, completely removed from the hanboks she always had worn, honoring her origins and culture… her braid, as well, was gone. A smoothly cut fringe hung right over her eyebrows, too. Only someone who had truly known her before could recognize her now… and in this room, the only person who could fulfill said requirement was none other than Azula, who remained doubled over, hiding her face, knowing that even if she feigned her sickness for as long as she could get away with it, she wouldn't have remotely enough time to truly process this astonishing development.

"Oh, dear!" Song, or Wen, exclaimed as she rose to her feet, offering a courteous bow at the Fire Lord. "Do excuse me, my Lord, it seems the Princess's morning sickness is acting up…"

Zhao scowled, glancing at Azula warily as Song stepped closer, no doubt expecting her sudden, apparent sickness, would be a charade, just as he assumed everything Azula did was a charade. Worse yet, the Princess couldn't even blame him if he truly thought so… for this, as well as the length of her pregnancy so far, were lies. She felt tears springing in her eyes, she covered her mouth mainly to impede herself from speaking, from doing anything wrong… from smiling, even, when a mind-blowing surprise, a blessing with no forewarning, had fallen on her lap at the most unexpected of times.

She shivered when Song placed a hand on her shoulder, leaning in as though to inspect her condition: she rubbed Azula's back gently, offering the two men in the room a reassuring smile.

"The morning sickness, despite its name, is actually likely to flare up at any moment of the day," she explained: even the way she spoke was different now, practiced… she almost sounded like she was of noble birth. Lo and Li had coached her… Lo and Li had prepared her for this, helping her play the perfect part of their niece. They had to know everything, without a doubt, and that meant…

That meant they understood what Azula had done, how she had given herself to Sokka, and they hadn't found her disgraceful for it. In fact… they had sent her a lifeline in the form of one of Azula's best friends. At the very least, they hadn't found her actions so appalling as to deny her any respite: they had sent Song to her. They had sent Song to her…

Even Xin Long seemed energized by the sudden discovery: his mind barraged into Azula's, begging for explanations she still lacked. She reassured him with her own thoughts, trembling while still in Song's gentle care…

"In most women, morning sickness will last for a few weeks, though it can stretch out for months, at worst," Song continued speaking, with utmost confidence. "Eventually, the body becomes accustomed to the new life growing inside it. By then, the sickness as good as goes away, and the new mother-to-be will be in much better shape to prepare for the challenges of parenthood. But you needn't worry: I know many remedies through which I can ensure the morning sickness won't take such a toll on the Princess's health anymore."

"I'd expect as much," Ozai said, raising his eyebrows. "Prince Zhao, you ought to pay attention to the midwife's advice. She will help you provide proper support to your wife once she needs it the most."

"Of course," Zhao scoffed, glancing at Song over Azula's bent head: Song offered him a confident, even arrogant smile, and the suspicious eyes of the scowling man tore away from her at haste. "You, uh… are Lo and Li's niece, you say?"

"Indeed, their niece, Wen," Song said, smiling still: her hand rubbed on the base of Azula's neck now, and the Princess winced at her blatant reiteration of her false identity. "My father is their late brother, Tao. He served as Fire Lord Azulon's advisor for a few years before retiring when his health worsened. I was born mere weeks before he passed away, and may the spirits guard his soul."

Did Lo and Li have a brother at all? Azula certainly hadn't heard of him, but it made sense that, if he did exist, the two old women would have chosen their dead sibling to strengthen Song's deceit. Going by what little she could glimpse of Ozai's reaction through her narrow eyes, he probably lacked enough knowledge on the subject to disarm the web of lies the old ladies had spun around their false niece Wen.

"I see," Ozai said, nodding. "I believe I remember him, yes. It must have been several years before Fire Lord Azulon's untimely demise, I suspect?"

"Indeed, my Lord," Song smiled graciously. "As far as I understood, my father's disease rendered him gradually helpless for even the smallest of tasks. That he could even sire one daughter before his death was nothing short of a miracle, as my aunts say."

"That so…?" Zhao said, curtly. No doubt, he might have just taken to suspect the daughter wasn't Tao's, much as he suspected the child growing inside Azula wasn't his own… but the truth was that there was no such thing as Tao's daughter, if Tao had even existed in the first place.

This was madness. Azula felt as though she had been yanked out of her miserable, tragic life and thrusted mindlessly into what shaped into a very strange comedy at the expenses of her two main tormentors and they were plainly, utterly, unaware of it. Again, it was deceit and secrets and risks and lies…

But it was a friend. It was someone Azula could trust completely for the first time since she had returned to the Fire Nation.

She breathed in once, twice, then slowly rose to her full height, her hand still on her mouth. She dared glance at Song, despite her better sense… her brown eyes looked right back at her, and she found a glint of mischievous complicity twirling in her friend's gaze.

"Better yet?" Song asked, her voice kinder now. Azula swallowed hard before nodding, a little more anxiously than she should have. Song's smile warmed, but that unusually confident semblance was restored quickly as she turned to the Fire Lord again. "These light massages at the right chi points can ease the nausea. It's but one example of the practices I've learned over the years of my education in Ember Island's Sanatorium. Once my aunts returned from serving at the Palace, they passed on much of their knowledge to me as well… so when we received the news of the Princess's pregnancy, they trusted that I could provide you with the best possible service as a midwife."

"I suppose that remains to be seen, but as long as you remain so effective, your assistance should serve the Princess well," Ozai said, nodding in her direction. "Princess Azula?"

She glanced at him, panicked, but that came as no surprise from her these days. Ozai surely expected as much, even.

"Do you have any complaints over this arrangement?" Ozai asked: the lack of malice in his voice almost felt more foreboding than the viciousness with which he'd spoken to her as of late. "Lady Wen is a stranger indeed… but from what I understand, so was that maid of yours, Rei, and as far as I know, you've grown used to her service rather quickly. If you'd prefer it if we find another midwife for you, I can arrange to search for one… but ultimately, you will require assistance through this process. You do understand this, don't you?"

Azula swallowed hard and nodded. Ozai raised an eyebrow, and his typical impatience shone through the gesture.

"Well?" he said. "Will you accept this midwife or not?"

Azula held back the urge to nod promptly. Song was acting extraordinarily so far… she couldn't drop the ball when her friend performed her own act flawlessly. She allowed her eyes to glance at Song, trying to make herself see Wen, instead…

At first, Azula presented herself apprehensive. Then, after a moment, she became the picture of resignation, closing her eyes and nodding in her father's direction.

"If… if she was sent by Lo and Li, then… hopefully they chose well," Azula finally spoke, her voice choked. Ozai nodded, releasing a slow sigh.

"All the better. I didn't wish to spend any further resources seeking the perfect midwife, truth be told," he said. "Now then… do go back to your room, Princess. Zhao, wait outside. Lady Wen, I would have a word with you before you begin your duties."

Song smiled confidently again: her hand slid down Azula's back, trailing over her arm next, offering her a light, reassuring squeeze. With that, she stepped forward, to the Fire Lord, while Azula watched her go, for a fleeting moment… until she forced herself to tear her gaze from the woman and turned away.

Song… it really was her. Everything made sense, everything… and yet she could barely believe it. Out of everything her future could have heralded, with so much doom at every corner, finding a loyal, beloved friend again had never been among her expectations. She stepped towards the door and Zhao followed.

"Terribly effective of your lord father to find a midwife that quickly," Zhao commented, once the door was closed behind them. Azula nodded, wincing as she feigned another wave of sickness had come over her. "Huh. Not so helpful, that chi-point nonsense she spoke of?"

"I may just be better suited by throwing up right now. The chi massages may serve better later," Azula lied, covering her mouth with her hand still. "I… will go, as he ordered."

"Right. Please, do," Zhao said: the bitterness in his tone didn't go ignored… but Azula set it aside as she turned on her heels, resisting the urge to jump in the air as she returned to her room.

Oh, this might be no victory in the end… but it damn felt like it. She had pushed everyone away for their safety, of course she had… but she had been lonely. She had been miserable, torn away from the life she had built for herself, from every vital connection she'd crafted with people she had loved even more than she'd realized she did.

Song's return meant she'd reclaim at least one of those connections. Even if it wasn't the best of news for the healer, as she'd be stuck in this rotten Palace, with all the murky business that kept happening there, it was a relief to finally regain one thing, if just the one, that she had lost. Her father hadn't recognized her, he hardly had seen her once, if Azula's memory served right… Zhao, perhaps, had glimpsed Song a couple of times while Azula convalesced in the physicians' wing after her chi had been corrupted, but he hadn't paid enough attention to truly recall her features. Perhaps she could have seemed familiar to him… but her behavior, and her convincing backstory, might have dissuaded him from suspecting her any further. No, Song wouldn't be perfectly free to do as she pleased, stuck in the trappings of this Palace and the dreadful dangers of living under the Fire Lord's watchful eye… but she should get by safely with Azula's help.

Back in the room, Ozai, kneeling on his cushion again, regarded the young woman sitting before him with a slight frown. Her proud, borderline arrogant behavior appeared to have receded… but she didn't lower her head. She remained firm and confident, even now.

"I did not brief Lo and Li of the circumstances surrounding Princess Azula's condition," Ozai said. "Though I would not be surprised if they had heard rumors regarding her fall from grace. She has committed sins that I'd rather not speak aloud anew, sins I expect she'll know better than to commit again. For that purpose… I expect you to report to me if you glimpse any signs of danger, of treason, in any of her activities. Am I understood?"

"Treason? I see," Song said, frowning slightly. "It did appear all too unusual for Princess Azula to lose her standing as she did, but if her actions were treasonous… it makes enough sense. The rumors reaching Ember Island were so disparate and confusing that neither my aunts nor myself knew what to make of them."

"I see… if so, it may be for the best if you understand the truth: Princess Azula gave herself to the wrong man out of wedlock, an unacceptable crime in any circles of high society of any advanced civilization known to our world," Ozai as good as hissed. Song gritted her teeth, fists tightened upon the tunic that scrolled down over her lap, hidden from Ozai's view by the table between them.

"Huh… that was one of the rumors," she said, biting her lip. "Then… you fear she may make this mistake again?"

"If just to spite and anger me? It's entirely possible," Ozai retorted. "But it's also possible that she would be much too distraught and terrified these days to risk angering me any further. Her circumstances are… complicated. It's possible she could… well, commit another kind of treason, if her heart weakens any further."

"You mean… you fear she might take her own life?" Song asked, her frown heavier yet. "I… I will ensure it won't happen, my Lord. Rest assured…"

"I cannot rest assured. I'm not entirely certain I ever have," Ozai admitted, shaking his head. "All I require from you is to offer reports regarding my daughter's condition when I ask for them. You are to come forward unprompted as well if you recognize any suspicious activities, bonds… ah, especially with the Head Sage. If you gain any reason to believe they are, well, allies in treason in some form or manner, ensure to report your suspicions at once. Your aunts served me well for years, and your own father served mine: ensure to uphold your family's legacy, lady Wen."

"It is my life's very driving purpose to bring honor to my family, my Lord," she said, bowing down profusely. "I won't fail you."

"I should hope so. Very well, then, go on now. Prince Zhao waits by the door. He can take you to the Princess's chambers… though I suppose it might be for the best if he shows you the Palace first," Ozai said, sighing as he rose to his feet. Song followed his example dutifully, flowing from a sitting position to standing up with one smooth move, keeping her back perfectly straight. Yet another of Lo and Li's insistent lessons on how to move in the gracious manner of court ladies…

One of the guards opened the door for Ozai and Song. Zhao immediately turned a resentful glare on the Fire Lord, standing in the corridor as he was.

"Please, guide the lady Wen to the Princess's… to your quarters," Ozai corrected himself rather late, and Zhao's eyes narrowed for it. "If you would be kind enough to show her the most important locations in the Palace as well…"

"A Palace tour? Huh," Zhao snorted derisively: he hadn't even done that for his own daughter… "Fine. The vital places, I suppose. Shall we, Lady Wen?"

Song smiled graciously as she bowed one more time to Ozai: her perfectly controlled motions afforded her a graceful demeanor that she truly hoped would continue to mislead the most powerful men of the Fire Nation.

Zhao said nothing when he and Song started to walk across the corridors. She breathed evenly, controlling the racing beats of her heart as best she could, glancing at the Palace with reverent admiration she most certainly didn't feel. Once they progressed further, Zhao only spoke to point out the key locations she might need to make use of.

"That's the Fire Lord's study: you aren't expected to go there unless he expressly requests it," he said, curtly, pointing at the most ornate door so far. Several corridors later: "This is the dining hall for servants. I don't know if you'll need it, you might eat with the Princess in her chambers, but it's best if you know where it is. There's a restroom in the Princess's room, but in case she happens to lock herself in there to puke her innards out, there's another bathroom over here."

Song nodded graciously at his every indication, resisting the near-irresistible urge to slap the man. Not only was it utterly wrong to ever consider him Azula's husband – the idea still felt so foreign, so out of place and messed up that she wasn't sure how to stomach it – but hearing him speak of her condition with such offhandedness only irked Song further. Whether the child was his or not, should he truly treat the woman he'd married, whether willingly or not, so crassly?

The tour continued, though it was mostly comprised by Zhao telling her which places she shouldn't visit at all. Only the physicians' wing seemed a perfectly fine place for Song to visit, according to him, as she might need medical supplies from them… Song's heart, however, sank upon remembering the last times she had walked that corridor. She certainly didn't need any indications to learn her way there… not when she still could remember the tears Sokka had shed while she held him by that door, as he feared desperately for Azula's life.

After what felt like hours, despite not being anywhere close to that, Zhao finally led Song to the other corridor she remembered: the door that led to Azula's room was different, and she didn't even want to think about why it had been changed… but her heart raced even faster as she approached the one place she needed to be at… rather, the one person she needed to be with.

Inside, Azula had hugged herself for as long as she had been alone and safe in her room, crying in confused bliss and anxiety alike. Song would show up with Zhao sooner or later, and she'd have to compose herself again for that… but until then, she would have the chance to lose herself to emotions she couldn't easily control, emotions that did away with her rational mind with astounding ease. Song… she truly hadn't allowed herself to think too much on the likelihood that she'd never see her again. Yet the words Azula herself had spoken to Rui Shi that day, as they drifted at sea, returned to her: "If there's any chance we might find our way back to each other someday, we'll have to do our best to make it happen. All of us."

Unbelievably, the first one who had found her way back to Azula had been the one who hadn't been there to agree to such a vow. A soft laugh left her lips again, and she made for the bathroom to wash her face…

She heard footsteps outside and hurried to the bathroom faster yet. Either it was them or it was Rei and… oh, Rei. She'd have to figure out how to handle this, how they'd conceal Song's true identity from the young maid. But it was something to think about later, at least a little later…

For now, Azula entered her room and washed her face as best she could, doing away with the trails of tears on her face. She heard Zhao's voice, and her heart seemed instants away from bursting through her chest once the bedroom door swung open.

"Eh… she is in the bathroom, I suppose," Zhao said: Azula frowned as an idea crossed her mind.

She stepped to the privy, and with the expertise of several weeks of hurling with very little respite, she managed to feign the sound as convincingly as possible: she spilled water from the basin she'd been using into the privy, hoping her act would be as convincing as Song's own, earlier…

"Ugh. You can, uh, take care of that, I suspect?" Zhao said. "I… have places to be."

"Oh… certainly, Prince Zhao. I expected you would stay, truth be told, but if you are otherwise engaged, I may explain more on the process of the digestive system, and why the Princess is so prone to vomiting, once you get back?"

"Eh… right. Of course. Do excuse me…"

Her words brought a broad smile to Azula's face. She was so damn clever… so innocent, so sweet-looking, even, yet she hid such strength and intelligence behind that apparently harmless visage. Azula rose from the privy, reaching for a nearby towel to wipe her face with, and she set it down as her heart continued to race.

She stepped outside the bathroom just as the door to her room closed behind Zhao.

Song approached it and pressed her body against the metal door, listening intently to the movements outside the room. All confident mischief had fled her countenance by then, replaced by a firm, determined frown.

"Wait," she said, her voice sounding far more like her own now. Azula trembled violently as she gazed at her in utmost disbelief, no longer holding back her reactions, no longer hiding them behind feigned bouts of sickness. "Wait. He's still leaving, he can turn back, so…"

Azula nodded, breathing heavily, anxiously: who knew the day would come when Song would be firm and commanding while Azula fell apart before her… but she appreciated her friend's cold-bloodedness, her stern behavior, the security with which she acted, far more than she could even say.

After a long, tense moment that seemed to stretch forever, Song pulled away from the door. She couldn't hear the footsteps anymore, and her frown eased… it eased into a hopeful, tearful glance that fell upon Azula's own.

"Song…" Azula managed to say, choked up, her voice nearly broken.

Despite her restraint so far, Song couldn't seem to hide her true self for another moment: a smile spread over her face as she stepped forward, and Azula did the same.

"Azula, you're…!" she spoke, a mere instant before the Princess's strong strides saw her reaching her friend…

Azula threw her arms around her tightly, far more tightly than ever before. Song shook with a silent sob of her own: her arms, as well, wound around Azula firmly: her tears spilled on Azula's dark robe, and the Princess's own poured on Song's tunic. For months, the two of them had lost every semblance of stability in their lives… only to reclaim some of it again here and now, in each other's arms, whimpering weakly as they tried to speak… but all words seemed lost in the thrill of their unexpected reunion.

It could have been odd that they would embrace so tightly when they had hardly shown each other that kind of affection in the past, no matter how close they'd grown… but it felt right: for the first time in months, something felt right. The nightmares of so many days spent suffering under her father's cruelty had as good as dampened Azula's best memories, the moments of brightness, of pure joy she had basked in before her life had taken the dark turn it had. Yet just by holding onto Song, it seemed as though she had unlocked that happiness anew, reclaimed it, if just to a fault… and she couldn't hold back the torrent of tears she now shed with every sob, clasping Song with desperate hands as though to make sure she was real…

"Azula…!" she heard her friend's choked voice call for her, and she shivered violently against her.

"Y-you're… y-you're here, you… h-how did you…?" Azula tried to speak, but it seemed she had more emotions to unleash through sobs before she could utter a sentence. It seemed to her Song wasn't much better off than her…

"I… I had to. I had to, t-the minute that message arrived, I…" Song sobbed too, pulling away only for a moment, clasping Azula's face between her hands as to ensure she was real, to look at her properly, even if she'd seen her perfectly well back when she'd performed her role of the confident midwife to perfection. "Oh, hell, I missed you."

"I… I missed you too. I missed you too, so damn much…" Azula sobbed, hugging Song close again, and pressing her face to her shoulder.

Their embrace lengthened until their tears accompanied proper smiles anew. Song managed to calm down slowly, letting her tears stream down her face as she pressed it to Azula's dark, messy hair. Six years ago, the mere notion of meeting any members of Fire Nation royalty would have chilled her to the bone, she would have believed it impossible… today, she barely could recall Azula was a Princess at all. She was her friend, one of her dearest friends… and their reunion had filled them both with strength they had direly lacked in the months since Azula's downfall, the months Song had spent crafting the identity of Wen…

"How are you feeling?" Song managed to ask, once the rush of her tears had eased up, though she still held Azula in her arms kindly. "I… I'm assuming you were faking all that, but I bet you tricked them fairly well because you've been really sick? Azula…"

"I… y-yeah, badly," Azula admitted, swallowing hard as she nodded against Song's shoulder. Song rubbed her back gently again before nudging her to move with her, away from the door.

"Come. He may be gone, but we should… we have so much we need to talk about, and we shouldn't do it next to a door, of all places," Song said, wrapping an arm around Azula's waist, guiding her towards the dais of the Princess's bed.

Azula relented, raising her head as she breathed heavily: only now did she realize she hadn't cried that much lately, for the waterworks just now had exhausted her beyond her expectations. Yet… it was the first time she'd cried of joy or relief in a long period of time, too. Perhaps the different emotions fueling her outburst were what had drained her…

Song helped her sit down by the edge of the made bed, her arm still around Azula's waist. Her free hand cupped Azula's face, dabbing at the tears with her thumb. Azula's heavy breaths didn't ease up yet, but Song didn't expect them to. As it was, confirming Azula hadn't been terribly injured physically – for she saw no sign of it, so far – was one small relief she could cling to. Her heart, however, had been devastated by her disgraces, and Song knew she needed to wait patiently for her friend to compose herself and speak of them once she was ready.

"I know you've been through hell on earth, Azula…" Song spoke, unable to hold back. "But I just… I'm just so happy to see you again. I really thought I… I really thought I'd never come back to this city, that I might never see any of you again…"

"You were… safe," Azula said, finally daring glance at her again through her tearful eyes. "Rui Shi… he sent you to Lo and Li, right? All along, that was…?"

"Yes, and… please. What happened to him? I know this is all so much to take, and I have answers to give you too, but Azula…" Song talked rashly now, tensing up as she waited for an answer she was decidedly terrified to hear. "Is Rui Shi…?"

"I… I don't know where he is anymore," Azula confessed, swallowing hard. Song's face was marred with consternation again, but it was Azula's turn to comfort her instead, clasping her hand in hers. "He and the others… the guards, they saved us. They got us out of here, on my Barge… I made them leave me adrift at sea, so that they'd survive once I turned myself in, alone. I know it's… it's little consolation, but if they'd been caught, my father would've rubbed it in by now. He would've told me about it, he would've likely brought them back here to taunt me, whether they were found dead or alive, so…"

"S-so you think he's… he's still alive? He's still… out of the Fire Lord's reach?" Song asked, her voice hitching. Azula nodded promptly, as tears blinked in Song's eyes anew.

"I… I didn't want them to tell me where they were going. If my father had meant to torture me into revealing their whereabouts, I… I didn't want to have any information I could ever give away," Azula explained. "But… you know him, Song. Rui Shi's stronger than this whole damn nation all on his own. He's definitely taken care of the whole group, they're bound to have found safety somewhere… and even if they haven't found it yet, he'll be looking for it anyway. I know it's not the best answer, but…"

"No, no, it's… oh, it's so much better than what I feared," Song sobbed, with a tearful smile. "I… I want to see him again, of course I do, but… if he's alive, that's already the best news I could've hoped for. I thought… I thought maybe all of you had been captured, but if they're free, then… b-but then, is he… is he with them? Is Sokka…?"

Asking that question was dangerous, Song knew… but she had to do it, even if she had suspected that Azula's semblance would darken for it. And it did, immediately… as a deep vacancy settled in her friend's eyes… as though she had forgotten where she was, overtaken again by Sokka's absence.

"He… we took him south," Azula admitted, swallowing hard, though it didn't help her keep her tears in check. "He's… he's home now. With his family. We took him…"

"To the South Pole…?" Song repeated. Azula nodded briskly… and then she found herself in Song's arms again, as she reeled her in for a comforting, empathetic hug. "Oh, Azula…"

"I-it was… the only choice. If he'd stayed with me, if I'd stayed with him…" Azula said, sobbing as quietly as she could. Song shook her head holding her close.

"You and Rui Shi are just… you're the same, huh?" Song whimpered. "Both of you just… sending us slaves to safety while putting yourselves at risk and shielding us all…"

"I had no choice, or, rather, I… I thought I didn't. I… I probably should've stayed with him," Azula whimpered, shaking her head. "C-coming back here, it… it was a mistake, Song…"

"I bet…" Song sighed, her lips tightened.

"He captured my dragon."

Song's eyes widened. She gasped, pulling Azula up in sheer horror. The stricken expression couldn't have suited the Princess, no matter the circumstances… but it seemed to Song it had been on her face more often than not, over the past months.

"Xin is… he's locked under threat of death inside his own refuge," she explained, snarling. "If I do anything wrong, anything my father… anything he doesn't want me to do, he'll take it out on him. And even that… even that won't be enough. Mai and Ty Lee, as well, he…"

"Did he imprison them?" Song asked, horrified and outraged. Azula shook her head.

"N-no… but he wants them to spy on me," Azula said, gritting her teeth. Song scowled. "It's obvious he'll punish them however he sees fit if he decides they've failed him…"

"Yeah… he wanted me to report to him about you, too," she admitted. Azula, to Song's surprise, only scoffed and shook her head.

"What a surprise that is…" she said. "As far as… as far as I can tell, he just wants everyone to report on my every move. I doubt he's reached Rei, but…"

"Rei?" Song asked, raising her eyebrows. Azula breathed out, brushing the tears away with the cuff of her sleeve.

"My… new maid. Zhao's own maid… and his illegitimate daughter," Azula explained. Song's utter confusion only brought Azula to sigh. "She's… she's not like her father, at all. She's younger than us, and she's had a dreadful life, as far as I can tell…"

"Then you think… you think he hasn't asked her to report on you?" Song asked. Azula shook her head.

"She's a nervous wreck as it is… she seems incapable of deceit altogether. Nothing like her father, like I said," Azula whispered. Song breathed deeply, placing a hand on Azula's shoulder.

"I… I don't really want to ask this either," Song said, her voice softer. "I don't know what you've been through since… w-well, since I wound up in Ember Island, altogether. But… when I first read that you'd been married off to that man, I wanted to vomit. I suppose you must have wanted to throw up too, you probably did…"

"A lot more times than you can imagine," Azula admitted with a humorless smile. Song sighed. "It… it's no real marriage. The difference is… it's staggering. It's all political, so…"

"Then… the child?" Song asked, swallowing dryly. "Azula, is it… is it his?"

Azula raised her gaze to Song's, finding purpose, understanding, in her dark eyes. Seeking a comforting reality, a revelation that would do away with the fears she had felt from the moment Lo and Li had told her of the contents of the letter they'd received…

"It's Sokka's."

Song gasped, with a soft, desperate sound before pulling Azula in for another powerful hug. Azula's brow drew together as another tearful display overtook her. Song was relieved, of course she was… though it wouldn't be long before she understood what the success of Azula's deceit so far truly meant.

"I hoped… oh, I hoped so, I did…" Song almost laughed tearfully now, pressing her face to Azula's shoulder. "Oh, the circumstances are awful, I know they are, but Azula…"

"I don't know… what I'm going to do. But… but you're here now," Azula admitted, pulling away again to look at the rejoicing Song. "You… you can help me. S-so far, I've… I've tricked everyone into thinking the child is Zhao's, but… it's about a month older than they think it is, from what the Head Sage told me. I… I didn't drink the tea at all ever since we were discovered, I didn't have a chance to, didn't even remember it, so…"

"It's going to be hard, of course it will be, but… but I'm willing to bet you'd much rather bear his child than that bastard's," Song said, caressing Azula's hair gently. "The way he talked about you, I… I wanted to slap him, or punch him, knock his teeth out…"

"Don't… don't worry about it," Azula said, with a sad smile. "I know it's irritating, but… as long as it's just talk, it's not important. It's not like… like he has no reasons to be mad. I'm using him, he seems to have understood that by now…"

"You might be, but I have a hard time believing this marriage was your idea," Song said, firmly. Azula nodded.

"It's not. I'd never have…" Azula said, breathing deeply as she closed her right hand, tightly: her scar served both as a comforting memory and a bitter reminder upon her skin of the terrible betrayal she'd committed… "My father demanded that I married him, even before… b-before we ran away. He wanted my husband to be Zhao, probably just because he thought he'd be his perfect heir instead of me, once I fell from grace… Zhao didn't want this either, he tried to get out of it by honoring my old practice of… of having my gladiator duel that of my suitor. So…"

"Sokka fought his gladiator?" Song asked, frowning. Azula nodded.

"Combustion Man."

Song fell silent, utterly, paling upon the horrific thought, the reality, of Sokka facing such a dangerous battle…

A battle he had survived. That's what Azula had said… right?

"He… he made it, though. He lived through it," Song said, swallowing hard. "You guys escaped…?"

"Right before we were all set on fire, yes…" Azula admitted, breathing deeply. "It was the worst of all fights. It didn't look like Sokka was going to survive at all. The fool just… he was ready to die as long as he brought Combustion Man with him. But I wasn't about to let that happen."

"Like hell you would have," Song said, harshly.

"Xin Long dove down to help us… I leapt on his saddle, we snatched Sokka out as Combustion Man burned to death," Azula confessed, biting her lip. "The Arena is… gone. Completely destroyed after that fire… not that it matters much, the League is over too. The moment he learned the truth about us, my father shut it all down during his damn tantrum…"

"Huh… Lo and Li did try to visit the Ember Crater a few times and found it was closed. Makes sense," Song sighed, shaking her head. "But then… you won. Sokka got away, so…"

"My father… isn't the kind of person to honor deals when things don't go exactly as he wants them to," Azula said, bitterly. "After I… after I turned myself in, in the pointless hopes that I'd be able to stop him from destroying more things than he already has, he demanded that I married Zhao once again. He… he used Xin Long as a hostage to force me to obey him… I had no choice anymore. As it is, I have no choice with anything, but…"

"But you still tricked them. Even if you gave in to what he wanted, you still deceived them when it comes to the child's parentage… right?" Song said, brushing a few strands of hair from Azula's face. The Princess nodded.

"I did, but I had to…" Azula started, but she clenched her jaws painfully as she failed to admit the worst of truths just yet.

Her choked-up voice, the way she shrank into herself… all of it spoke of how far Azula had to go to ensure her deceit would work. Song's heart clenched, and she shook her head as she embraced her friend again.

"Don't… don't say it, don't worry. You don't have to," Song whispered. Distraught again, Azula sobbed against her shoulder, shuddering painfully. "You've done everything you could to survive, Azula. Lots of people have… have been forced into corners like this, too. It's not your fault… it's your father's and Zhao's, theirs, but not yours, never yours. Don't ever let yourself believe it's your fault, okay?"

"I… I'll try…" Azula whimpered, unsure of what to do with the understanding generosity of her kind friend. She'd rejected any manner of kindness by instinct for the past months… but she no longer felt strong enough to do so. She was tired of it… she was tired of being alone. Of being the sole protector of the past she'd painfully relinquished, betrayed, even, in order to ensure her child would have a future at all.

"Then… until the child is born, at the very least, you have time to figure out what to do?" Song asked, rubbing Azula's back kindly. She nodded weakly. "How long? Seven months? From what I was told, the child was a month old, but you said it's a month older still… how did you pull that off, by the way? Seems odd that they'd be so sure that's how old it is…"

"The Head Sage… he knows everything, he helped me trick them," Azula admitted, swallowing hard. "He's the only one who knows, other than… t-than us, and Mai and Ty Lee."

"Mai and Ty Lee know too?" Song asked, grimacing. "Didn't you say your father wants them to spy on you…?"

"I wouldn't have gotten them involved… but they're the ones who realized I was with child in the first place," Azula admitted. "Mai… s-she offered me some strange brew so that I might abort it before things got worse, and I meant to go through with it but… I couldn't. In the end, I just… I couldn't."

"It's okay. It's all the better that you didn't," Song sighed, rocking Azula gently in her arms. "We'll make this work somehow, I promise. I have no idea how just yet, but…"

"But I'm not… not dealing with this all by myself anymore… heh," Azula said, with a fragile smile. "I… I didn't want help. I've been pushing everyone away, Song, I… I don't want to see Mai or Ty Lee again for as long as I can help it, not until I really need to, because… t-the less people are close to me, the less my father can use them to torment me. What he's done to Xin Long is… it's already unforgivable enough on its own…"

"Of course it is, but Azula… I know you're used to handling things yourself, and you were always amazing for that," Song said, stroking her hair kindly. "Right now, though? You… you're going through too much, and I don't think it's healthy at all for you to fight alone. I know those of us with you will be in great danger for helping you, but…"

"You are… you will be," Azula admitted, pulling away slightly again, wiping her eyes as best she could. "You… you're lying to the damn Fire Lord too, same as I did, about… about everything. If anyone even suspects your true identity, Song…"

"Well, that's what Niece Wen is here for," Song said, smirking before raising her head haughtily. Despite herself, Azula snorted and laughed softly, lowering her head as she sniffed again.

"You… you have some nerve, you know?" she said, smiling more widely than expected as Song laughed, too. "I nearly had a heart attack. I couldn't believe it was you… and then you just had to pick Wen for a name? Really?"

"I hoped it'd help, if you heard about me at some point," Song laughed softly. "If you'd suddenly heard that Lo and Li were living with a niece called Wen that you'd never heard about before… I hoped that maybe you'd realize it could only be me. Then, when all this happened, I hoped that someone would inform you of the midwife's name, if nothing else, before you entered the room, but…"

"As you may be able to tell now… I don't hear much about anything, these days," Azula admitted. "That was the first time I left this room since… since the fucking wedding."

"So, you're just here, all day and night and…? Heh. That might have been for the best, actually," Song said, with a weak smile. "Not that I approve a lot of you isolating yourself this way… but pregnancies are complicated. You may be better suited by not seeing a lot of activity at first, and considering you have so much stress to deal with already…"

"Yeah," Azula sighed, rubbing her forehead gently with her fingertips. Her head throbbed slightly after all she'd cried… a sensation she was far too accustomed to, as of late. "It's a damn miracle I didn't ruin your act, though. You were doing so well, too, and…"

"Oh, you faked your nausea very well," Song smirked, and Azula laughed softly. "Both back then and once we were here… well, if you were faking that bit too. I assumed you were, but…"

"I just wanted him gone. I… I always want him gone, frankly," Azula sighed, shaking her head. "He vanished, for all this week. I have no idea where he's been off to, but I'd rather he stays away, especially if he's going to act the way he did today. I… I'm pretty sure he already guesses the child isn't his."

"But the Head Sage told them the child was a month old, right?" Song said. "Though… heh. Your father probably suspects it already, too."

"Yeah. I suppose they're just not stupid enough to believe this without question," Azula sighed, shaking her head.

"He told me to report, in particular, if I noticed anything unusual in your bond with the Head Sage…"

"How shocking," Azula sighed, rolling her eyes. "Everywhere I look, anywhere I go… he wants spies everywhere."

"Well, they're fake spies, anyway," Song said, with a warm smile. "I'm not telling him a damn thing, as should be obvious. I'm betting Mai and Ty Lee won't, either…"

"Mai must have said a few things… to make sure he would be misled into believing she's loyal to him, and not to me," Azula whispered. "She's had to set up a whole act of her own… all so he wouldn't hold them responsible for my actions too. He was ready to punish them, same as… as he did to all my staff. Rei is the only one working here now because he… he either killed them all or made them slaves, I have no idea anymore…"

"Fuck…" Song blurted out: Azula couldn't remember hearing her friend cursing at all until today. "Then that's the other thing he's holding over you? Not just your dragon, but… the fact that he's already done as he pleased to people who weren't even involved in this?"

"They were entirely innocent… none of them knew, not for sure, and even if they did…" Azula said, shivering and shaking her head. "Even if they did, they never aided us. But if they figured out or suspected anything at all and didn't convey their suspicions to the Fire Lord… that already made them traitors in his eyes."

"But then… how did he find out?" Song asked, scowling. "Did one of them speak, or…?"

"No… apparently it was my uncle," Azula said, bitterly: a glimpse of her old steel and harshness came through when she uttered that final word, and Song snarled too.

"Toph's sponsor?" she asked. "The asshole who… who was after you two, when you went to Crescent Island's summit?"

"Either he… he saw us, Sokka and I, right after he beat Toph that day, or… or he saw nothing and just did it out of spite, it makes no matter," Azula sighed, shaking her head. "He got away, probably took Toph with him. I… I haven't seen her at all since all this began."

"And he left everyone else to face the consequences for his abysmal choice? This is all his doing?" Song asked, snarling.

"It's… a lot of people's doing, but he's certainly not innocent," Azula swallowed hard. "My father is the main culprit, though. He… he didn't have to do any of this, but he's convinced himself that he did. That his reaction is the only acceptable one for my so-called crime…"

"Bullshit all around," Song huffed, shaking her head. "I… I know I'm not usually like this, I'm sorry if it weirds you out, but…"

"It's great. Swearing suits you," Azula smiled, and Song laughed softly.

"Good to know," she smiled. "I just… I've been so mad about all this, for as long as I was in Ember Island…"

"Must have been awful… I don't particularly like it there. But being stuck there against my will while the world falls apart, and not even being able to learn what's really happening everywhere else… it sounds like a damn nightmare," Azula sighed. "But… Lo and Li were good to you?"

"So much," Song said, nodding as she tightened her fists over her lap. "They… they were sorry for all they did to displease you. They wanted me to tell you that…"

"They didn't have to be sorry about it at all… not anymore," Azula said, with a sad smile. "But I appreciate it anyway. Still… that I pushed them away as early as I did may have saved their lives, to a degree. My father certainly would have punished them too, if he'd thought they had any idea about me and Sokka…"

"They… suspected something, actually," Song said. Azula frowned and glanced at her in surprise. "At the very least, they thought you were drawn to him for more than just professional reasons, seeing as you spent a lot of time with him and you worked quite hard as his sponsor, both while they were still in the Palace and from everything they heard afterwards, too. He… he was there in their hearing, too, they told me. When you persuaded the Fire Lord not to execute them for some connection with the White Lotus that they didn't have…"

"Right… he was there, yeah," Azula said, breathing out slowly. "I guess we really were that obvious, even before there was much to be obvious about…"

"You loved each other. You still do," Song said, clasping Azula's hand in her own. "And as much as it confused Lo and Li for a time – they said as much themselves –, they did wonder if… if he'd become a better advisor to you than they had been."

"Hmm… frankly, the only possible answer to that question is 'yes', but I doubt they'd be happy to hear it," Azula smiled sadly. Song laughed and shook her head.

"They wouldn't have been unhappy, though. They hoped you'd made the right choices, Azula… even if they were afraid of what might happen if you scorned traditions too powerfully. But… they didn't think you deserved any of this, if you thought they did. They… they were sad. When we saw news of your damn wedding… they cried together the whole night, you know? They knew, just as I did… that you'd have never wanted that. It was exactly what you had fought against, all your life, and…"

"And I got myself into a situation so dreadful that I had no chance to fight back anymore," Azula sighed, with a slight shrug. "But… I'm surprised they still cared for me at all. I… I wasn't very kind to them, the last times I saw them. I guess if… if things got any better, I ought to…"

"Go see them?" Song smiled, squeezing her hand gently. "That wouldn't displease them at all, I assure you of that. Though they think they'd exasperate you anyway, but…"

"At this point, I'd welcome it," Azula sighed, with a sad smile. "Everything I took for granted, everything I once shrugged off… so many of those things seem worth more than gold by now, when I can't reclaim them even if I try. The freedom to just… go see someone, just because I feel like it? I never thought I'd lose it. But…"

"But maybe you can reclaim it still, someday," Song said, firmly. "I… I don't know how, really, but we'll work things out, Azula. Little by little… we'll unravel how to set you free from this mess, okay?"

"Xin Long… everyone I give a damn about, they need to be free of it too," Azula said, earnestly. Song's certainty wavered. "I can't get away on my own. I can't leave… I can't leave everyone helpless against my father."

"He'll hold this whole nation for ransom if he wants to, Azula…" Song said. The Princess sighed, hanging her head and shrugging.

"And I'd rather not see him immolating all my people just to punish any of my transgressions. What he's done so far is… it's bad enough."

"Then… what? We won't do anything?" Song asked, puzzled. "I… I know I'm far from a woman of action, myself, but…"

"Not… yet," Azula said, clasping Song's forearm with a hand. "Not so far. For now… your presence here helps, though it's dangerous as well. You have to… to play Niece Wen perfectly, the way you did earlier, whenever it's not just us, alright? To be honest, though… I never knew you'd be that good an actress."

"It's been a few months of building that identity," Song smiled sadly. "Lo and Li have helped me. They did have that brother, you know…? But he and his wife never had children. Still… Lo and Li are resourceful beyond belief. They've even faked my alleged presentation as a baby at Ember Island's temple, and added a Wen to the Sanatorium's records…"

"Seriously?" Azula asked, surprised and amused. Song snorted and nodded.

"It's really weird being of slightly higher birth now, but I'm managing," she admitted, with a chuckle.

"You're doing impossibly well, so far. I honestly felt awful for reacting as I did… if I had blown your cover, I wouldn't have forgiven myself," Azula said, breathing out slowly. "Stick to the act as best you can, though. Even those who've seen you before will have trouble realizing who you are if you do…"

"I hope so," Song said, breathing out. Azula raised an eyebrow as she regarded her friend with thoughtful eyes.

"It won't help at all to ask this… but I feel I must, regardless," Azula smiled weakly. "Are you… modeling Wen's attitude on my own, by any chance?"

Song's mouth opened for a moment, but she failed to say anything. Before she could help it, a snort burst from her lips and the two women found themselves laughing together, leaning into each other as Azula's guess landed perfectly.

"I-it's not… entirely based on you, not completely…" Song laughed still, shaking her head, pressed against Azula's as it was. "But when Lo and Li told me about how I'd have to build this new identity of mine, well… the idea was that I'd feel of higher birth, and you were the person of highest birth I knew. You never seemed daunted by anyone, so… I figured that was what I had to do, for starters. That's why I'm… doing my best not to show any fear in front of either the Admiral or your father."

"Because I wouldn't, before…?" Azula smiled, sadly. "Well… that's nicer than I expected. Then, the arrogant explanations on how anything medicinal works…?"

"Oh, that's not really based on you, no," Song laughed. "I just want to be obnoxious so that no one wants to be around me. Should help keep suspicions at bay and keep us safer, right?"

"Right…" Azula said, lowering her gaze. "But… it won't work forever. There's some people you'll have to meet anyway, like… like Fei Rou."

Azula's voice gained a darker quality upon uttering the physician's name. Song sighed, wrapping an arm around her shoulders… touching the left one lightly upon doing so.

"It… it was him?" Song asked, gritting her teeth. "The one who…"

"Did the purity examination? Yes," Azula snarled. Song gritted her teeth and shook her head. "I… didn't let him do anything to examine me when it was time to reveal my pregnancy. I won't let him treat me again, if I can help it…"

"You won't have to worry about that. I'll be in charge of your health from now on," Song said, reassuringly. "I may have to see him sometimes, myself… and I'll have to stay calm and act like him being complicit with the Fire Lord isn't filling me with the same urges to knock his teeth out, same as I felt about Zhao, but still…"

"Try to keep those urges contained… but I understand how you're feeling anyway," Azula said, with a tight-lipped grin. "To see the place I once called home twisted into… well, as good as a never-ending nightmare, the worst version of itself it could possibly be, would make me seethe if I weren't so devastated. But any missteps here, in my father's vicinity, can condemn us all."

"I know. We'll do our best to avoid that," Song breathed deeply, biting her lip. "Still, as much as I visited you several times while you were in the physicians' wing, I don't think he ever thought much of… oh, damn, your shoulder. Azula…"

"Ah. That," Azula grimaced: she hadn't received any treatment for it since Jianghuo had helped her with that ointment, back on the Barge.

Azula sighed, loosening her robe almost carelessly, shrugging off the fabric over her left shoulder: the two smooth lines that hugged the jagged one, at the center, had faded rather well. The mark of Rhone's sword, and of the resulting corruption that seeped into her wound, hadn't blended all that smoothly with the rest of her skin. Its color still stood out, and some of the surrounding area remained reddened, even now.

"As hideous as you'd expect," Azula said, with a careless grimace.

"If it makes you feel any better, I've seen worse," Song said, reaching to touch the skin gently. Azula smiled sadly.

"Frankly, it doesn't. It really is an ugly wound," she said.

"It's not that bad, it's just… not fully healed yet. It'll fade more over time," Song sighed. "Does it hurt?"

"Sometimes. I can't lie down on it, certainly," Azula said, with a careless shrug. "I'm frankly growing tired of lying down on my right side by now, but… it's something stupid to be tired of, all things considered."

"It's not stupid, but I guess it feels small, compared to everything else," Song said, breathing deeply: her fingers prodded the skin gently, purposefully. "We'll try to tend to it, then… though I'm afraid your healing process's interruption might have had a bigger impact on it than we know. Your chi… if the Head Sage is helping you, has he read your chi again?"

"Yeah… and the regeneration rate predictably slowed down over the last months," Azula said, shrugging lightly. "Not like anyone could expect anything else… it probably hit an abrupt stop since that blasted night."

"Possibly," Song sighed, massaging Azula's shoulder some more. "I'll get supplies off Fei Rou for your shoulder, then. I can even sneak in a light scolding for not treating it properly since you came home…"

"I wouldn't have let him…"

"Would Niece Wen know that?" Song asked, smirking. Azula snorted and laughed, as Song grinned and reeled Azula's robe back into place. "We can't be this friendly, of course. If anyone sees us, you'll have to act like I annoy you, at least to a fault…"

"Oh, please. Why would Niece Wen annoy me at all? If her attitude keeps everyone else at bay, she's the perfect companion for me," Azula smirked too. "We can be a little distant, for a time. But within a few weeks… we can relax a little, I guess. Rei's only been here for a short time, not that long, and… and I'm getting along better with her than I ever anticipated I would."

"She must really seem harmless if you're getting along so well," Song said, puzzled, yet curious. "Might be it helped, getting to know someone who had no connection with this situation at all…"

"It did," Azula confirmed, breathing deeply. "Though… I wonder if she'll still have an ounce of respect for me if she learns more about my past. She's bound to hear things, sooner or later…"

"You're afraid she'll judge you?" Song asked. Azula shrugged.

"As far as I know, most everyone has. And most of them have ruled me unworthy," Azula said, with a sarcastic grin. "I wonder if they'll come running to me again if anything bad or complicated happens in this blasted nation… to be honest, even if something did, I doubt I'd find it in me to take action or even think of a strategy for anyone else to enact. At this point, Song, I'm just…"

"Exhausted?" Song guessed. Azula nodded. "Can't blame you. But I'll… I'll hope you won't have to do anything else but focus on the baby. Though that's not going to help you escape exhaustion, frankly…"

"No, I guess not," Azula smiled a little. "At any rate, I… I don't know for sure if Rei will despise me even if she learns I've been so impure and shameless. Frankly, she… she's innocent in so many ways, but it seems…"

"It seems…?" Song asked, when Azula hesitated. The Princess bit her lip.

"She doesn't appear appalled or interested in sex at all, if that makes sense," Azula whispered. "I… when I set things up so my pregnancy would be revealed, I was afraid she'd be disturbed about all the implications, but she shrugged it off and seemed perfectly calm about the whole thing. It didn't affect her at all. It's as though…"

"As though sex were a meaningless thing for her…?" Song asked, puzzled.

"Isn't it a bit strange, if so?" Azula asked, grimacing. "Most women I've known… we're all brought up to believe it's something so sacred and important, and anything that says the opposite is utterly unacceptable. Ty Lee… she went wild, had as much fun as she wanted with everyone she wanted, and she lost nearly as much as I did because of it. Me… well, it goes without saying that my father thinks I've wasted my life entirely… even though I only ever intended to be with a man who loved me just as much as I loved him. Yet…"

"You don't think Rei was raised that way?" Song finished.

"It doesn't seem like it. But much as she doesn't ask me a lot of questions about myself, I… I don't really feel like asking her about anything she won't speak of willingly," Azula admitted. "Getting her to open up wasn't easy to begin with… discovering she never learned how to read or write took me by surprise. The way she acts, the fact that no one ever bothered giving her a proper education… it feels like there's a pretty straightforward answer to all this, but I barely want to let myself think of it."

"Hmm…" Song frowned, pursing her lips. "I suppose you'll learn the truth in due time, huh? But… do you think she could represent a hazard for our newest line of deceit?"

"No, not really. Not intentionally, at least. As long as she doesn't know who you really are, we will be fine," Azula said, reassuringly. "I'll… have to get used to calling you Wen, eh?"

"I'll try to act so little like myself that it'll come easily to you," Song said, smiling warmly. "Beyond that, though… is there anyone else we need to keep in mind? I mean… I did meet your father and Zhao before all this, but neither one must have taken a second look at me. I even talked with Fei Rou a few times, but if I act so differently now, he might not make the connection since I'm pretty sure he wasn't paying me much attention back when you were convalescing. So, unless there's anyone else to worry about, I think…"

"There's… one more person."

Azula's voice was tinged with concern as she spoke those words. Song raised her eyebrows, perplexed by the fear she saw in Azula's gaze.

"Renkai," Azula finally said, her voice graver than usual.

Song's lips parted, though they soon shifted into a snarl as the man's name seemed to cycle back and forth inside her head.

"Renkai? For real?" Song gritted her teeth. "Didn't you say your guards were at sea, with Rui Shi…?"

"He was always an outsider," Azula said, frowning worriedly. "The General wanted him to spy on me, and hell knows how well he did at that job… but perhaps he pulled it off better than I thought, considering he retained his position as an Imperial Guard while the others were standing on the edge of a knife. Moreover… he's the third squad's captain now. There's a slew of new guards in place of… of everyone else."

Song gritted her teeth: a cold, cruel claw seemed to have wrapped around her heart at the thought of seeing the man she most loved, and all his comrades and friends, replaced by utter strangers. They would never truly replace them even if they held their roles, she knew as much, but it still hurt to think of it.

"But the thing is…" Azula gritted her teeth. "It's not just that Renkai would be bound to recognize you, he was around you more often than anyone else left in this wretched place. It's also that… that he's acted strangely ever since I came back."

"Weird? Weird how?" Song asked, frowning.

"He's… been helpful. Supportive, even. He follows my orders more dutifully than I'd ever expect from him," Azula said. "Or from anyone, at this point…"

"You two never did get along… right?" Song asked. Azula shook her head.

"I never bothered giving him much of a chance. I kept him at bay, all along, and… huh. I… I actually brought this up to the Head Sage, when he first read my chi. He asked me if Rui Shi had warned me at all about Renkai being untrustworthy before I separated from him, but… he didn't say anything. Still… did Rui Shi ever say anything to that effect to you? By any chance…?"

"Truthfully… no," Song grimaced. "Not that I remember, at any rate. But… Rui Shi was up to something odd, I think, over the last months of peace we had."

"Something odd?" Azula asked, puzzled. "How so?"

"I… I didn't really think much of it, but he seemed to be carrying out some personal investigations," Song said, biting her lip. "He never talked about it directly to me, but… I learned more about it from Lo and Li, believe it or not."

"What?" Azula's utter confusion only gained strength by then. Song smiled awkwardly at her reaction.

"He had corresponded with them on occasion, they told me… though he didn't write to them for quite some time, long enough that he didn't even confirm to them that we had a relationship until, well… until a few months ago, going by the date on the letter he sent them, which is where he told them about us. They… they let me read it. I didn't bring it with me, it would have been incriminating, but I spent many nights just clinging to every word on it… Anyway! That's not the point, the thing is… he asked Lo and Li for information on the General of the Guards."

Azula's confusion didn't dwindle in the slightest: if anything, it only increased further. Song bit her lip before continuing with her explanations.

"He was looking into… something about him," Song said, biting her lip. "He never really told me anything, but Lo and Li shared everything they wrote to him with me. Apparently, the General's identity is every bit as sketchy and fabricated as my own cover as Niece Wen…"

"Seriously?" Azula scowled. "Records about him are false, then?"

"In fact, there are no records, to begin with," Song said. "He has a complicated history with your father, too. It seems they were friends once, or so… but after he was promoted into the Imperial Guards, Fire Lord Azulon mistreated him in ways Lo and Li chose not to disclose. He was frequently humiliated, it seems, all be it for the sake of tormenting your father? It… it sounded disgusting. I guess the General just never forgave your father for putting him in that position, but your father didn't realize it for a long time…?"

"It'd explain why they're often conflictive, I suppose," Azula said, gritting her teeth. "But… why was Rui Shi looking into that? Was it because of his bad blood with the General?"

"I don't really know," Song said, biting her lip. "But if that bothered him more than he was letting on, he still didn't investigate it all along, as far as I understand. He only started looking into it recently, not sure how recently, but… he didn't seek any information from Lo and Li until some months ago."

Azula frowned, forcing herself to remember her exchanges with Rui Shi before all their lives had fallen to pieces. Before Rhone's attack, too… she gasped suddenly, when a certain exchange she had with the former Captain returned to mind.

"Wait… he did tell me he was investigating something," Azula said, glancing at Song in surprise. "Right before he told me about the missing ships when Rhone attacked. He said he was looking into something, that's why he was at the port… but when I asked more, he didn't share much else. He claimed… he didn't want to tell me about it until he had confirmed everything he was looking into. But… well, evidently there's no chance to confirm anything anymore, is there? We have no idea what he was investigating in the first place, so how could we carry it out in his stead now that he's… not around?"

"You don't think he would've left any clues behind…?" Song asked, softly. Azula shook her head.

"He wouldn't have been so sloppy, let alone would he have predicted what was bound to happen to all of us," Azula sighed. "And if he was investigating someone as dangerous as Shaofeng… he couldn't have done it carelessly. He couldn't have risked getting caught."

"Well… there's not much to go on with just this information, sadly," Song said, with a deep sigh. "In the next letter he sent them, he asked them about some other man… his name slips my mind, that's not the part of the letter I paid attention to. But Lo and Li said they couldn't learn much about him… it was some nobleman, I think? They hadn't learned enough by the time I reached them, and… and once I did, they knew better than to send any messages to the Palace, or to him, in case they might be intercepted."

"Would've put all of you at risk. Makes sense that they wouldn't have," Azula said, eyeing Song with uncertainty. "Can you remember anything else about the second man? Whether his connections, or his line of business, or…"

"Well, the only thing that stood out to Lo and Li was that he used to be a sponsor, apparently?" Song said, with a light shrug. "He sponsored two gladiators, I think. One of them was very highly ranked, Lo and Li mentioned his name, but it didn't ring any bells…"

"The highly-ranked gladiator?" Azula asked, frowning: she could only think of one man who sponsored two gladiators in the higher circles of the League and society alike. "Was it the Light Bearer? And the sponsor… Koshing?"

"Ah! That… that's right, those are the names," Song said, nodding promptly. Azula's confusion didn't reassure her in the least. "No connection?"

"None that I know of," Azula sighed, shaking her head. "Curses… I didn't even remember Rui Shi had been looking into anything. If I had, I would've… I would've asked him again at some point or another while we were on the Barge. I would've tried to, at least…"

"He didn't tell you about this at all, though… that seems a bit odd," Song said, softly. "If what he was learning was very important…"

"He would have, huh? I'd like to think so," Azula sighed. "But… what does any of this have to do with Renkai?"

"Beats me," Song said, with a weak smile. "But wasn't he Shaofeng's direct subordinate? Maybe… maybe Rui Shi was taking advantage of something Renkai let slip to look into Shaofeng's personal operations…?"

"Hmm…" Azula stroked her chin before sighing again. "Maybe, but to be honest… even if that's the case, my hands are tied. I've lost… well, control of everything. The third squad doesn't answer to me, neither do the Enforcers anymore… w-wait. Wait a second… the Enforcers wound up in his hands, actually."

"In the General's?" Song asked, frowning. Azula nodded.

"It… it's a weird choice, isn't it? I suppose my father would want someone of his confidence on that particular job, but it didn't have to be the General," Azula ran a hand over her disorderly hair, eyes drifting towards a nearby wall. "But… shit. Does he have something to do with slave trade? Koshing… he has a transport fleet, as far as I know. Someone was in control of slavery before the laws I wrote were in effect, even if it was an unstable form of control, but… everything suggested that someone was pulling the strings, for sure. Could it have been the General?"

"And Koshing helped him transport them…?" Song said, stricken. "D-do you think… they were in control when I was brought to the Fire Nation, too?"

"I wouldn't be surprised if they had been," Azula admitted, eyeing Song remorsefully. "Rui Shi… if that was what he was looking into, then…"

"He was trying to help you tear down the General's control over the… the illegal trade, the one that existed outside of what your laws established?" Song said, eyes tearful again. "It… oh, it would suit him all too well to do something like that. But why didn't he tell us…?"

"If this guess is correct, he surely wanted to keep it quiet in case his investigation backfired," Azula rubbed her brow with her fingertips, a defeated expression on her face. "But I guess there's no way of knowing if we're just grasping at straws and making too much of things…"

"Well… if Renkai was part of Rui Shi's investigation, maybe there's one way of knowing," Song said, softly. Azula frowned.

"I'm not going to risk revealing these suspicions to someone who might still be in Shaofeng's pocket. That's… well, pointlessly suicidal," Azula said, grimacing. Song bit her lip.

"It makes sense that you wouldn't want to ask, but I'm thinking… if we can find out whether or not he's not actually in the General's pocket still, wouldn't that mean he might be trustworthy, once he sees me again?" Song said, softly. "He and I weren't close at all, but he would be able to tell who I am pretty easily, probably much more easily than anyone in this Palace other than you…"

"And you want to know if he was helping Rui Shi since that'd mean he'd be less likely to betray your actual identity to the Fire Lord?" Azula asked. Song nodded.

"You said yourself he's acting strangely," Song said, quietly. "Helpful and whatnot. I know it could be a front, to get you to lower your guard so he can reveal your so-called treachery to the Fire Lord… but if that's not the case, maybe he's trustworthy. Rui Shi didn't tell you to watch out for him… just as he didn't tell you to trust him, either. Maybe he didn't know whether he could be trusted or not…"

"If so, we're doomed," Azula sighed. "I have no idea how to figure out Renkai's actual loyalties or motivations, if he's working for or against me… I don't know. Rei likes him well enough, but I doubt that any attachment he developed towards her could mean a thing in the long run if he's tasked with destroying me by any means necessary."

"You asked the Head Sage about him, though?" Song asked. Azula nodded.

"He mentioned that some people might have been willing to help me rebel, and I told him not to encourage them," Azula said, mournfully. "I… didn't want more chaos and bloodshed. There's been too much violence in our world, in this nation, as it is. My father would stop at nothing to massacre anyone who tries to support me publicly, I have no doubts about it…"

"And what does that have to do with Renkai?" Song said, raising an eyebrow.

"I asked him to rally those people, to a fault… to let word spread, but only to bait him, in case he's truly trying to spy on me and discover if I'm up to no good," Azula said, with a shrug. "I have no idea if he's had any results yet… if he's even done it, for starters. The last two times I've seen the Head Sage… he didn't really have much of a chance to tell me if he'd discovered anything."

"And that's the only way to figure out if Renkai's trustworthy, so far?" Song asked. Azula shrugged.

"Can you think of anything else?" she said. "I mean, short of bluntly asking him if he means any harm, which he could easily lie to…"

"No, I can't think of anything right away, and that wouldn't work, of course," Song sighed. "But Renkai's bound to see me, sooner than later. Unless I start presenting myself as some sort of madwoman who wears a theater mask all the time for the sake of being quirky or so…?"

"That might not help your case much," Azula smiled a little, and Song shrugged. "He might even think it's more suspicious if you do that."

"Then… short of going to the Head Sage right now, and asking him if he learned anything yet, I don't know what's the best solution, Azula," Song said, grimacing. "I can't hide from him forever. If he's not loyal to you…"

"He has no reason to be," Azula said, closing her eyes. "I guess I should be prepared to threaten him into silence or so? Not that it'll be much of a threat, in the end… I'm pretty sure I wouldn't even intimidate a three-year-old, these days."

"It doesn't really suit you to underestimate yourself that much," Song said, with a weak smile. "I know you don't feel all that strong and daunting these days, but… you're by far the most terrifying person I know."

"Oh? By far?" Azula asked, with a light laugh. Song laughed too, nodding in confirmation as Azula shook her head. "Now you're just being flattering for the sake of it…"

"If only," Song chuckled, reaching out to caress Azula's hair reassuringly again. "Look… maybe you should talk to the Head Sage. I can try to stay out of Renkai's way for a while, at least until the Head Sage tells you if he learned something or not? I don't know how long it might take you to arrange a meeting with him, but…"

"But I should go in secret," Azula said, frowning. "If I go openly… my father will demand a report from you. If you claim ignorance, no matter how believable your excuse is, he'll interpret it as incompetence. And… I don't want to imagine what he'd be willing to do, if he decides you're not much good as a spy."

"By that, you mean he'll likely go mad and send me into slavery again or try to kill me…" Song filled the blanks, with a sigh. "Becoming a slave twice sounds like a rather twisted concept, huh?"

"Here I thought you'd be used to twisted concepts, like being the slave of a slave…" Azula smiled weakly. Song snorted and laughed too, shaking her head at the memory of their first encounter, the strange way in which Song had been brought to work with Sokka. "Bad jokes aside, that won't happen to you. I'll make sure my father never learns I've visited the Head Sage. And I'm not even a shadow of the fighter I was, but I won't hesitate to tear Renkai apart if he dares raise a single finger towards you. After everything they've all done… I won't let them hurt anyone else, not when I can do something about it."

"I wish I could offer more than just reassurances that I won't jump into danger," Song sighed. "But I never even tried to learn how to fight… didn't suit me, as far as I could tell. Now I wish I'd had the foresight to do it… if just the basics."

"You shouldn't have to… ideally, no one should feel forced to learn if they don't want to," Azula sighed, reaching out to squeeze Song's hand. "Very well, then… I'll go meet the Head Sage in secret. Maybe he won't have enough information yet, but if he's learned anything new at all, it might help us test the waters with Renkai, at the very least. For now… I guess the best idea I can think of is covering you in lots of ridiculously thick and obnoxious make-up so that he won't be able to recognize you easily, even if you're somewhat familiar."

"Huh, that's a thought… though it'd have to be a very strange makeover," Song smiled a little. "Then, if the Head Sage doesn't give you enough information… we could do that, at least for a few days, until we figure out another solution?"

"In the meantime, we'll have to act as strangers warming up to each other, whenever anyone else is nearby," Azula said, breathing deeply. "Rei may be around quite often, though I don't know how she'll react to a new presence around here. She might just… get extra shy, I guess."

"Well, I'll try to be nice. Not enough to break character, but nice," Song smiled. "This secret visit to the Head Sage, though… how would you go about it? You'd wait for the guards by the walls to change shifts, maybe, or…?"

"No. There's a more effective way to get out of here safely, without anyone noticing my absence," Azula said, her eyes gliding past Song, towards the carpet she had often rolled back ever since her relationship with Sokka had become intimate. She gritted her teeth at that thought, but she shoved it aside quickly. "There's tunnel exits that should lead into the Temple. I doubt any of them would take me to the Head Sage's office directly… but just winding up nearby should suffice."

"You should disguise yourself too. Wear a hood over your head or something, I don't know…" Song said. Azula raised an eyebrow.

"Hoods only tend to make other people more attentive and curious, in my experience… but I definitely could use a way to hide who I am, somehow," she said, biting her lower lip. "The best idea that comes to mind is… disguising myself as a soldier. I… did that, once."

"Oh? Sokka did it sometimes too, didn't he? To sneak in here, to see you…" Song said, her voice melancholic. Azula sighed but nodded.

"I did it to see him too… when he was taken to the Prison Tower," Azula confessed. Song tensed up, gazing at Azula compassionately. "I didn't keep the uniform, though. Guess I'll have to… to stop by the basement, maybe. If there's any spare uniforms left there… I could use one to disguise myself."

"The basement?" Song repeated. Azula nodded.

"The White Lotus… when they invaded all those years ago, back when I got sick?" Azula explained. "They disguised themselves as our soldiers. Whoever helped them get away left a slew of uniforms for them to dress into, down at the basement. That's… where Sokka found the uniform he wore whenever he was being sneaky."

"I see…" Song said, with a sad smile. "Then… you could wear that, hide your face, go all the way to the Head Sage's office…"

"And get any information I may need. Once I find the Temple's entrances, I'll try to sneak through them," Azula said, breathing out slowly.

"Should I go with you?" Song asked, raising her eyebrows. "I could pretend to be a guard as well, to a fault… we could go together that way."

"If things went wrong, I'd rather you weren't caught with me," Azula shook her head, with a small smile. "But thanks for offering anyway."

Song sighed, unwilling to contest Azula's choice. The Princess knew the risks in this Palace far better than Song did at the moment, and she would do best to listen to her.

The Princess rose from the bed, walking lightly towards the carpet covering the entrance to the underground tunnels. Song followed quickly, watching as the Princess shoved the rug aside carefully, uncovering the firebending-powered trapdoor.

"Stay in here," Azula said, glancing at Song. "Don't lock the main door, but if you hear anyone approaching, hide in the bathroom and lock that one instead. They'll be likely to suspect something's up if they find the bedroom's door locked, so…"

"You think someone might try to check on you while you're gone?" Song asked, grimacing.

"At this point, things have changed enough that I don't know for sure," Azula admitted. "For the first weeks, maybe even the first month, it was just Renkai bringing food. By now, though… I'll just hope Rei is too entertained with the turtle-ducks to come back here anytime soon."

"Hopefully," Song said, placing a hand on Azula's back gently. "I'll hide in the bathroom, then, and… pretend to be you, if someone shows up?"

"Pretend you're sick, yeah. Everyone seems to run for the hills when they hear me vomiting, whether it's fake or not," Azula smirked. Song laughed softly but nodded. "I'll try to be quick, but if I'm not…"

"I'll stay as safe as I can be in here. I promise," Song said. Azula nodded.

She breathed deeply a couple of times, raising a hand towards her chest. Her inner fire felt alive for the first time in ages… all be it over the relief, the joy, of finding an old friend once more. It was a small break from the persistent misery that had drained her from most excitement she'd ever experienced towards life until everything had fallen to pieces… but it filled her with new energy, as a breath of fresh air after days of inhaling nothing but smoke and poison instead. The relief and respite might not last very long… but for now, it revitalized her.

Thus, with that renewed strength, Azula conjured fire for the first time in months, blasting the orange flames into the trapdoor's opening.

She feared she had been too weak at first, but the mechanism clicked properly, as expected. Azula released a relieved sigh once she knew the way into the catacombs was open… to find Song's compassionate gaze upon her. Azula shrugged in defeat.

"Chi corruption… being miserable enough not to leave a bed for weeks? Bad things have happened, and my fire's suffered for it all," she admitted. Song nodded sadly, offering Azula another gentle, comforting embrace.

"I'm sorry," Song said, softly. "I did learn more things about chi flow while in Ember Island, but I probably should've investigated more…"

"What for?" Azula said, with a weak smile. "You couldn't have known you'd be returning here. That I'm still capable of bending at all is nothing short of a miracle."

"You shouldn't have lost any of your ability to do it, though. I'm sorry for everything you've been through," Song said, closing her eyes tightly. Azula reached up to pat her friend's arm gently.

"I wish I hadn't either… but if it helps at all, I actually feel a lot more like myself today than… than I have in ages," Azula said, smiling weakly at her. "I probably will oscillate between rejoicing that you're here and being outraged about it, since you're in danger with me… anyone would be, after all. But for now, Song… I'm grateful to have you back."

"I'm grateful to be back with you, too. Anything I can do to help you and ease your load, I'll do it gladly," Song said, offering Azula a gentle smile.

Azula released a deep breath, leaning close to embrace Song again, one more time. They held each other for a long moment, again finding comfort in their reunion before Azula pulled away, clasping Song's shoulder.

"Roll the carpet back into place and stay safe until I return, alright?"

"Don't worry. I will be," Song smiled, nodding promptly.

"Thanks again… for coming back," Azula smiled, reaching for the trapdoor and pushing it up. "I'll be back here again as soon as I can."

"I'll stay safe. I promise," Song grinned.

Azula stepped into the tunnel, climbing down slowly. She smiled again as Song closed the trapdoor delicately behind her, leaving the Princess in deep darkness she lit up with a speck of her firebending.

Song's return had been a soothing balm upon the wounds of her chaotic, unsettling life. Her circumstances hadn't changed in full yet… but she was one person Azula could trust completely. Someone with whom she'd no longer need to hide, someone she could confide in… someone who would stand by her side, at the very least until the child was born. Azula already had a few wistful ideas regarding what to do once that moment arrived… but with Song's presence, new possibilities had come up. Unless her conditions in the Palace changed so radically, so abruptly, that her child might be safe despite it all – and she knew just how unlikely that was –, Song might play a crucial part in protecting the baby. She might even be the one to bring it to Sokka, once the time came…

She had seven months to think this through, seven months in which she couldn't predict whatever might await past the next bend: that being said, if her luck finally had chosen to take a turn for the better, she'd make her every choice count. She would take advantage of the improvements, of their new circumstances, to ensure her child would one day find its way to the father who would love it just as purely, as wholeheartedly, as he had loved her…