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...

255. Chapter 255: Storytelling-Wedding 1

Storytelling/Wedding

1

The birds were sent, and once they were, rumors took wind anew in a city where gossip ever ran rampant. The latest bit of news, however, startled most who heard it. It all but confirmed most suspicions, the most popular interpretation of the latest events in the Fire Nation Capital: Crown Princess Azula had offended her father in some manner, and he meant to punish and discipline her for her apparent transgressions.

The specifics about her crime were the subject of speculation, both outlandish and reasonable, none of which could be confirmed, for next to no information had left the Palace walls as of late. Only soldiers and guards ever seemed to set foot outside it anymore… so the birds that flew from the Palace, sent across the land and oceans, came as a most unexpected surprise for every noble or military leader who received the confidential messages that became a lot less secretive soon afterwards.

Some had found the message most perplexing, yet ultimately, irrelevant: such was the case with Koshing. One of his personal servants had brought him the letter, and he had nearly scoffed at the invitation upon reading it:

"The two fools responsible for the destruction of my favorite pastime are to wed?" he said. "Well, they deserve to make each other miserable forever, as far as I'm concerned…"

He tossed the invitation aside only to focus on another message from the Palace, one of a much more personal nature too: his smirk widened upon reading its contents. Yes, his pastime had been destroyed, but his best business venture, it seemed, was finally ripe and ready to be restored to its former glory, and that mattered far more than the political drama that permeated the Royal Family…

Others had been utterly amused by the letter, instead: Hina roared with laughter, as her father finished reading the invitation's contents. The man would have demanded Hina offered the Princess proper respect, but he wasn't sure anyone was supposed to do that anymore… he certainly had no reason to think the Fire Lord would take offense to slights against the Princess at this point.

"Oh, it's marvelous! Marvelous!" Hina cackled, wrapping an arm around Hahn's own as they ate. The foreigner flinched, most uneasy around Hina ever since she had come out of her shell fully after he had become her husband. She was far clingier, and much more demanding, than any woman he had known so far. "Married to an old, cruel man like that, oh, it's exactly what she deserves, after everything she did to us, Hahn, dear…"

"I'm not sure… I mean, it's a disgusting match anyway," Hahn said, grimacing. "She's young enough to be his daughter…"

"That's exactly why it's perfect," Hina decided, with a cruel smirk. "If all those rumors about her and the Blue Wolf had any basis on reality… then this is just the right punishment for that wretched bitch."

"Hina, curses, don't speak of the Crown Princess that way," her father finally seemed to lose his patience, and Hina rolled her eyes.

"She's not bound to be Crown Princess for very long after this, anyway," she said, dismissively: cruelty still gleamed in her eyes as she glanced at her father again. "Do you think we can all go? I'd just love to see the look on her face when her whole world falls to pieces…"

"Well… no, we certainly can't all go," her father said, grimacing as his gaze flickered at Hahn. He pulled out a small note, one that had been slipped into the scroll bearing his invitation to the Royal Palace, on the assigned date of the wedding ceremony. "I don't really know what's going on, but this was part of our invitation, too…"

When he showed them the note, Hina gasped in outrage and Hahn's eyes widened: the note demanded, expressly, that the "northern savage" would not be brought to the ceremony, unless they intended to face steep consequences for doing so.

"It's Admiral Zhao," Hahn decided, scowling. "He must have… he must have decided I couldn't be there."

"Oh, why would he? It's none of his business whether you're there or not!" Hina huffed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It is his wedding," Hina's father commented, matter-of-factly. "He certainly has a say upon who gets invited…"

"Oh, it's surely her doing, not his," Hina growled. "She's a sleazy snake, she always has been…"

"Maybe you're right, but even if you're not… I'll be better off staying here," Hahn said, with a smile he faked from the depths of his heart. Hina's gaze was almost mournful. "Don't worry. You can go with your father, if you wish to…"

"It won't be the same without you, my sweetheart… but I admit, I truly wish to go," Hina said, smiling viciously again at her father. "Can I be there, Father? Mother can stay home, if just this one time…"

Her mother smiled and conceded, nodding at her husband and encouraging him to please his daughter. The man, exasperated with Hina's antics, could only sigh in hopeless submission while Hina grinned viciously, utterly unaware of the sneaky smirk that decorated her husband's face, once he knew he would be out of her ever-watchful presence, if just for one night…

All the way in Yu Dao, however, the arriving message had been met with much fiercer resistance and disbelief:

"This isn't possible! It can't be happening!" Kori exclaimed, looking at her father in utmost chagrin: he had only just read aloud the contents of the letter to his household, and his wife covered her mouth with her hands while his daughter scowled, horror etched across her features. "She can't marry Admiral Zhao, that's absurd!"

Sneers had been the one to receive the bird bearing the letter: he had handed it to the Mayor, who then unfolded it quickly. After weeks of absolute silence, of months with next to no news from the Capital, a fully-sanctioned message by the Fire Lord seemed a boon to be treasured… upon learning of its contents, however, none of them welcomed the sudden information anymore. It only seemed to strengthen the widespread belief, the suspicion, that the Princess had angered her father in some way… and Kori and Sneers had no trouble imagining why.

"It's surely a political arrangement… one she mustn't have wanted, without a doubt," the Mayor said, grimacing as he shook his head. "Not every arranged marriage is a catastrophe, though this one doesn't sound promising from the get-go. I suppose all we can do is hope for the best…"

"She would have never wanted this!" Kori bellowed, with absolute certainty. "The Princess…!"

"Kori," Sneers hissed, clasping her arm delicately, silencing her with his gesture. Kori's chest heaved as she shook her head: it wasn't true. It couldn't be happening, not to her, not to Azula…

Kori's mother stepped forward, taking the letter in her hands to inspect it directly. Her husband allowed it: as much as he tried to remain level-headed, his eyes betrayed his sadness all the same. While he hadn't been close to the Princess, she had still made a strong impression on him, on most anyone she'd ever met. She was his daughter's age… he knew she didn't deserve this, no matter what she'd done to displease her father.

"She can't be forced to marry that Admiral…" Kori said, shivering as she shook her head. "It's not right, Dad. It's… it's horrible. She'd have never agreed to this…"

"I do not know whether she did or not… none of us know what the circumstances are," Mayor Morishita said, with a sad sigh. "Even if she didn't want this, though… it is the Fire Lord's will. If he demands it… it will be done. That's the way of the Fire Nation, Kori."

Through all her years, Kori had loved her city, her community. She had seen Yu Dao as a wonderful place, one where most people could thrive safely, even if there was still some inequality that needed to be resolved. While she understood why many people of Earth Kingdom descent despised the Fire Lord, her belief in the nation's leadership had never been shaken… until now. No doubt, she had been far too sheltered, far too innocent, to truly think about what cruelties the man was capable of… now, upon directly witnessing the downfall of the person she had admired most, all by the vengeful hand of her father, she couldn't possibly stomach retaining any loyalty to the wretched Fire Lord. If this was how he treated his own daughter…

"I think you should go with your father, Kori."

Her mother's voice broke Kori's miserable thoughts. Both she and Sneers turned their attention to the older, plump woman, who gazed at her husband with heartfelt eyes.

"I know you usually take me to these sorts of events, whenever you are invited…" her mother said to her husband. "But it may be for the best if you take her this time, love. The Princess is her friend, the example she followed for all these years. I don't know if there's much, if anything, that can be done for the Princess anymore… but perhaps seeing a friendly face, the face of our Kori, may help her endure these hardships, just as much as it may help our daughter to see her friend once more."

Sneers tensed up, a hand still on Kori's arm, but he glanced at her wistfully, his deep brown eyes meeting hers. Kori gritted her teeth, knowing Sneers would be better off staying here if she traveled to the Capital with her father… far better off than taking any unwanted risks by showing himself in the city where the Gladiator League had both been born and killed within the space of a decade.

The League's abrupt end left countless gladiators and sponsors bereft of a source of income, of a possibility to escalate in society, and a large number of the population at a loss for means of entertainment. At first, everyone had waited for the Fire Lord to retract his statement… weeks later, it had become clear he never would. Slowly, gladiators had begun falling to the wayside, tossed from their homes, discarded in many of the worst cases… in others, they had merely been repurposed. Sneers had feared briefly that the Mayor and his wife might want him gone too, as he served no particular purpose in their house anymore, but he had known Kori would stand by him, unwilling to let anyone take him from her side. Fortunately, however, neither of her parents had given any sign of wanting him gone so far.

No one knew what fate awaited gladiators any longer, but clearly, Sneers would have no place in the midst of the first royal wedding in many decades. It would be risky to bring him, far too risky…

"Do you wish to go?" Mayor Morishita asked his daughter, who tore her gaze away from her lover to meet her father's eyes. "If this is too painful, too difficult…"

"I… I do wish to," Kori decided, frowning. "I'll do it. Whatever I can do for her, if I can do anything at all… I'll do it for sure. If Mom doesn't mind… I will go."

Sneers nodded, releasing her from his grip. He would be lonely without her, he always was… but Kori had to do this. She would find no peace until she could see the Princess for herself… until she could try to offer her wholehearted support and loyalty to help her hero and friend face all the misfortunes had befallen her.

Across the Earth Kingdom continent, the same message had elicited a similar reaction in the Governor of Ba Sing Se: Tiang sat on the floor of his dojo, where he frequently practiced with weapons, to polish his combat skills as best he could. It was where Jin had found him, where she had delivered the first message to arrive from the Fire Nation Royal Palace with the Fire Lord's seal in over a month. They'd heard more than enough rumors about the strange happenings in the Fire Nation Capital regardless, for word about trouble in the Fire Lord's closest circles had spread quickly through the largest city of the world.

After reading that letter, though, Tiang almost wished they still remained in the dark about everything. He set aside his weapons, forgetting all his training gear, offering the dummies respite after an hour of slashing at them with a sharp spear: whatever blows he had landed upon them were mere nudges compared to the devastating impact of the letter's contents.

"I was right… I had to be right," Tiang said, shaking his head as he dropped the paper carelessly on the tatami. Jin, beside him, sighed and took his hand in hers. "The Fire Lord… he would never force this on her for no reason, let alone so suddenly. He had a reason… and that reason's surely her bond with her gladiator."

"It could be anything else, Tiang, maybe she didn't really…" Jin said, but Tiang glanced at her meaningfully.

"The Gladiator League was abolished, abruptly, without any notice. A month later, the Princess is to wed someone in the Fire Lord's closest circles?" he said, skeptically. "You saw what I saw, Jin: those two… they had a meaningful bond. They had a relationship. I… I can tell."

"I know you can, I know you'd recognize clandestine lovers more easily than most, dear, but…" Jin said, breathing deeply and shaking her head. "It's too much, isn't it? If she's being punished by marrying someone else…"

"The Fire Lord would never accept her relationship with a man from the Southern Water Tribe," Tiang said, sadly. "As much as… as the world has moved forward in some ways, it hasn't in enough of them. He would always seem lesser in his eyes. He would bring no political alliances the Fire Lord would want to craft. He would be said to dilute the alleged purity of the firebending lineage of the Royal Family…"

"And if you're right, she loved him despite all that," Jin said, frowning.

"She loved him, simply. He was inconvenient for her in every political sense, I suspect… and it wouldn't have stopped her anyway. The heart wants what the heart wants," Tiang said, shaking his head and clutching his hair now. "And now she faces the consequences for it."

Jin sighed, wrapping her arms around Tiang and pressing her face to his shoulder. Whenever intense, emotional events struck her husband, he would lose himself easily to his pain… much more easily whenever it came to matters related to the Fire Nation's Royal Family.

"You're thinking about him, aren't you?" she asked, softly. Tiang sighed, tightening his grip on his own hair strands.

"He'd be furious," he whispered. "He… he'd have liked the gladiator, I think. Lu Ten… he was always intrigued by what he didn't understand. He would've found him fascinating, unpredictable as he was. He… he would've supported them, I don't doubt it. He loved his cousins… but he had a special soft spot for the Princess."

"And now you worry about her, as though she were your cousin too. In his stead…" Jin said, softly, caressing Tiang's forearm, ushering him to ease up his grip on his disorderly brown locks. He huffed, shaking his head.

"It shouldn't be me. It should've been him, I'm the one who should've…"

"Hush. We both know it should've been neither of you. Don't say that," Jin whispered, hugging him warmly.

Tiang's eyes were filled with tears: not for the first time, he allowed himself to think Lu Ten should be the one in the arms of a woman as wonderful as Jin… Lu Ten should have lived and carried the Fire Nation forward into a different future. If he had lived, surely the Princess wouldn't undergo the struggles and anguish she was facing right now. Lu Ten would have protected Azula… if she had ever taken a husband, he would have seen to it that she did it for love and not for political reasons.

"I don't… don't want to watch her marrying Zhao," Tiang hissed, gritting his teeth. "It feels… sick. Twisted."

"I know… but you're expected there, even so," Jin said, grimacing. "I'll go with you, dear… I'll help you with whatever you may need, Tiang."

"I know you will," Tiang said, reaching up to take her hands in his. "I don't want to see her taking him for her husband… but I do want to see her. I… I'm afraid for her. I can't imagine her ever agreeing to this of her own volition… I really can't. I feel like… like I'm supposed to watch over her the way Lu Ten would, if he only could."

"He will watch over her through you, Tiang. I know he will," Jin said, with utmost certainty.

Tiang breathed deeply, letting her words sink in… letting them soothe his troubled heart. Oh, if he was so appalled, so disgusted, he barely wanted to imagine how Azula felt. Thinking of her as a child was a mistake, he knew… she was a grown woman by now, and yet the idea of treating her as marriage material felt utterly wrong. Zhao was almost twenty years older than Tiang himself: how could he ever stomach marrying someone he'd known since she was a child…? Why hadn't he fought back, protested against the notion, demanded for a more suitable match was given to the Princess instead…?

She was forced to marry someone she most likely, most certainly, didn't love. Tiang knew enough about family pressures of that nature, of political pressures as well: when he had grown to love Jin, he had shoved aside every expectation and married the woman his heart longed for. The Princess would have no opportunity to choose, though… no chance to be with the one her heart belonged to… was he still alive, to begin with? Or had he been killed by the Fire Lord… and this was the final punishment Ozai inflicted upon her daughter for this perceived slight against his honor? Even if he worried for her, and he did, Tiang wasn't sure he would be able to do anything to help her in any significant way.

"I… I wish I could do something," he mumbled, softly. Jin raised her eyebrows as he sat upright again. "Something meaningful to lift her spirits, at least. But if… if this is happening, it means the Fire Lord has most likely killed her lover… coming back from something like that is, well…"

"Almost impossible… but I'm sure there has to be something you can do," Jin whispered, gritting her teeth. "For Lu Ten's sake, as well. You… you have some of his keepsakes, don't you? Maybe you could find one to bequeath her… something she would appreciate, hopefully. Something that might remind her of him? Though I guess that could hurt just as well, since he's gone too…"

"I… I guess, but maybe there's one thing I could bring her," Tiang frowned: he had brought many of Lu Ten's belongings with him to Ba Sing Se's Palace, once he became Governor… "I'm not sure if she ever learned to use it, but… Lu Ten said she wanted to learn how in the Royal Academy for Girls? I know I'm quite useless with it, though, so maybe it would be in better hands if I take it to her…"

"What are you talking about, exactly?" Jin asked, surprised, by her husband's sudden idea. She had hoped he'd think of a good gift, but she expected it would take him much longer than that to come up with one.

"One of Lu Ten's old treasures… one of his favorites," Tiang said, smiling as memories rushed in his mind: yes, this was a good idea. Maybe it wouldn't work at all, or maybe it would take a long time before it did… but the thought of giving one of Lu Ten's last keepsakes to his beloved cousin became a much stronger motivation than the Fire Lord's express demand for his presence in the wedding ceremony.

He took Jin's hand, rising to his feet, intending to take her to that one special room of valuable treasures, a room he scarcely ever allowed anyone else to visit. They would have to set out very soon, for the wedding would take place within a week: they had to ready the proper gift quickly. Tiang truly hoped that this small gesture would lift Azula's spirits, to a fault… that it would help her find some peace, if possible. If Tiang's guesses were correct, the Princess's agony and misery wouldn't be appeased with gifts and gestures of goodwill… but if they could lighten her load, at the very least, they would be worth it.

Slowly, the news would spread beyond the privileged few who had received invitations for the grand event. The Fire Lord was certain to release an official announcement about the Royal Wedding after it happened, also announcing Zhao's new standing with the title of Crown Prince… a title that muted and annulled Azula's own. He would have a new heir, just as he intended… the outcome he had schemed for would come to pass: the Fire Lord's demands would be fulfilled and never undone.

His daughter's happiness, comfort and peace were no priorities for him. He hadn't checked on her after she had finally surrendered, leaving her to nestle quietly in the dark depths of her room, utterly alone. No servants had entered her quarters to bring her food, or make her bed, or change her basin's water… bereft of all the courtesies she had indulged in since childhood, Azula could have been furious, frustrated to see her dismal treatment had scarcely changed after accepting her father's demands. Instead, she merely lounged in bed, finding her stomach wouldn't twist and turn so easily now that she rested on a static bed, without the rocking motions of her barge, or occasional turbulences in the airships. Ten hours had passed since she had last thrown up… that had to be a record.

She should climb out of the bed, go find food in the kitchens, perhaps… she knew she should. Her stomach had eased up, settled, somewhat, and she wondered if it would take a turn for the worse if she ate something now… maybe it would. Maybe her body simply rejected motherhood that powerfully.

"Might really be a monster, huh, Mother…?" she spoke to nothingness, shifting in bed, her eyes closed. "Even if my heart wants it… my body's pretty adamant about not letting me do this, isn't it?"

She released a slow, deep breath, wondering if anyone would check on her at all. Maybe no one would… and if they didn't, maybe she'd be dead by the time the wedding ceremony arrived. That would certainly be a fun surprise for her father and his council, wouldn't it…?

Xin Long didn't need to growl at her in her mind this time, though: she knew to reject her thoughts, her whimsical suicidal ideas, just as fast as they turned up in her head. She had to live on… to fight on, both for her beloved dragon and for this child inside her. The child that didn't feel real, even now… maybe it wasn't, and her body was merely ill with heartache. It would be easier if that were the case… but she didn't want it to be. She wanted this… she wanted it, even if everything she needed to do to protect and preserve her child might kill her anyway.

Her hand trailed down over her body carefully, slowly, towards her abdomen. It was still flat, still betraying no signs of change…

A sudden knock on her door caused her to pull her hand back quickly. Immediately alert, Azula crawled up on the bed with difficulty until she sat up against the pillow, scowling at the new gold-and-red door with utmost distrust. She didn't answer at all at first, forcing whoever was out there to knock thrice before they finally revealed their identity upon calling for her:

"Your breakfast is getting cold."

She snapped her tongue before rolling her eyes. Ugh, it was him again, always him… couldn't her father send any other of his goons to torment her? Though, no, that was probably a bad idea, come to think of it. He might choose to send Shaofeng instead, if she complained… Renkai would have to suffice.

"That's the first I hear of any breakfast for me," Azula responded, raising her voice as best she could, weakened as it was. "I expected to be starved to death in here."

She scowled immediately when, without waiting for permission, Renkai turned the doorknob and opened his way into the Princess's room. He carried a tray of food in his free hand: all its small dishes looked utterly unappetizing to Azula at the moment.

"I was asked to bring it to you," Renkai revealed, as he crossed the threshold.

"Did I say you could enter my room?" Azula said, her voice strained as he came closer.

"I'm afraid I was under orders to do so. Do excuse my intrusion," Renkai said, bowing his head towards her.

"Then you're not here just to check whether I'm dead or alive?" Azula asked, and Renkai shook his head, disregarding the sarcastic, yet affronted, expression on the Princess's face.

"The Fire Lord has asked that you are taken to the Temple. He demands the Head Sage begins preparing you for your impending nuptials."

Impending nuptials… utter bullshit, if she had ever heard any before: she was married already, her right hand bore the proof of it. If she was to marry anyone at all, it was Sokka. She should marry him a thousand times over, as they had long joked they would… her furrowed brow now was accompanied by a flare of sadness, unintentional, self-inflicted. Curse her foolishness… she knew what she had to do. Even if it hurt her, even if it killed her inside… she couldn't be saved at this point. It was up to her to save others… to save the powerless dragon that depended on her, as well as the small child that nestled inside her, if it truly did.

"That being said…" Renkai continued, and Azula raised her irritable glare towards him. "You certainly should eat first. Are you afraid the food is laced with any unwanted substances?"

"Why would it be?" Azula asked, curtly. Renkai shrugged.

"It was one guess," he said. "You will be too weak for the walk to the Temple if you don't eat."

"And you must fulfill the Fire Lord's orders, at all costs," Azula hissed, rolling her eyes. "Much as you fulfilled the General's orders to spy on me, I expect."

"I answer to figures of authority. Isn't that what a guard of my standing ought to do?" he asked, simply. "Will you eat, or would you prefer that I carry you to the temple instead?"

"Lay a single hand on me and you'll face a worse hell than Combustion Man did," Azula hissed. Renkai, unsurprisingly, wasn't deterred.

"I certainly would prefer not to endure that… so, if you'd like to spare yourself the effort of burning me alive, and myself from the agony of dying under your flames, please: eat."

Azula rolled her eyes before relenting with a curt grunt. Whatever his intent might be, Renkai certainly didn't seem to wish for unnecessary confrontations. Indifferent as he appeared to everything, he was, much like Zhao, a better option than most other alternatives, Azula knew, no matter if she'd rather have Rui Shi by her side instead of him.

Renkai set down the tray on her bedside as Azula found a proper position, making no motions to eat at her dining table. She noticed Renkai seemed ready to stand awkwardly by her bed the whole time, however, a notion she found most unnerving.

"If you intend to stay here, grab a chair and sit down," she snapped. "I don't care if you're not coveting my meal, it'll certainly feel like you are if you stand there like a lion vulture…"

"I see," Renkai blinked blankly behind his helmet before stepping away from the bed, seeking a chair in the Princess's personal dining room.

After over two weeks of no use altogether, a film of dust covered the furniture throughout the room. The dresser, the closet and the nightstand were easily given away as the only pieces of furniture the Princess had made any use of since her return, for the dust had shifted whenever she had sought something in the cabinets. The chairs and the long table appeared untouched, for they had been, at least since the day Combustion Man had drawn his last breath. Someone, eventually, would have to clean this place… but for now, the Princess seemed irresponsibly content to linger in her filth-ridden room exactly as it was.

The Princess had scarcely moved by the time Renkai returned to the Princess's bedside. She stared at the food pointedly, failing to recognize the handiwork of the kitchen staff. A deep sigh left her lips moments before Renkai took his seat, and she picked up her chopsticks with an unsteady grip.

"I do not know whether you've healed fully or not," Renkai commented, and Azula's eyes narrowed as she slowed down a second away from collecting a fishcake from the tray. "But if you need me to offer any assistance in heating the food…"

"I don't," Azula said, curtly.

She didn't know whether she could successfully heat the meal, truth be told… she also didn't know whether warming the meal would be a good idea or not, considering how volatile her stomach's reactions to food had been so far. Who knew which temperatures were better for her body, at this point? Yet there was one thing, if possible, that Renkai could do for her, if he so insisted…

"You won't push me to finish this quickly, will you?" Azula asked, eyeing him warily. Renkai shook his head. "No time limits for this mission of yours, I take it?"

"None was specified," he said. "You are free to take your time to eat. If you take too long, I will simply take you there tomorrow."

"Was that a joke?" Azula asked, skeptical. Renkai only shrugged, and she scoffed in disbelief. "Either you're going crazy, or I am."

"Perhaps we both are," Renkai added. Azula might have laughed at that response, under any other circumstances.

"I've eaten very little over the past days, Renkai," Azula said, and he nodded. "I intend to take my time with this meal. My body isn't bound to react well if I force myself right now."

"I haven't been informed of any other urgent assignments I'm needed for. Take as much time as you may need," Renkai said, simply.

Whatever his motives to be so accommodating might be, Azula knew better than to ask. Her father's displays of generosity, if that was what Renkai's considerate behavior was meant to convey, were ever conditioned. She didn't doubt that Ozai intended to reward her lightly through occasional lenience in his cruelty – rather than through any genuine displays of kindness – for complying with his terms without making a bigger fuss, without rebelling and convincing him to kill her dragon or Azula's friends. It meant nothing in the end, though: whether she kept her guard up or lowered it, whether she anticipated cruelty or failed to do so, her father would find excuses to torment her again whenever he wished to, and she had no choice but to endure it once it happened.

She ate slowly, chewing for much longer than she usually did, hoping that this pace would help her body assimilate at least a few more nutrients before she threw them up… or, rather, if she threw them up. She wanted to believe she would eventually be able to ingest a meal without suffering through that visceral, uncontrollable reaction… the smoother she made the process for herself, the better.

Whatever Renkai might make of her eating pace, he kept it to himself. Azula wondered if he had fallen asleep in place, sitting where he was, with that helmet blocking his face from view…

Someone else had worn a similar helmet when he had snuck into her room, long ago. Someone else would sit beside her this way when she convalesced, both when she caught that cold and when her chi had been corrupted. If he were here now, nothing would feel quite so challenging. Her body might not reject food at all, for her heart's bliss might overcome any such urges. If he were by her side, watching over her, encouraging her to do right by their child…

Azula gritted her teeth, tightening her grip on the chopsticks. Such thoughts ever broke her heart further… yet they were memories of a time now past, of a beautiful yesterday she hardly wanted to let go of. Maybe it hurt… but that she could think back on any of it with fondness meant the pain was welcome. It reminded her that all of it had been real… and that someone had loved her with all his heart, just as she had loved him.

Her stomach jolted on occasion, but to Azula's surprise and relief, it scarcely tugged at her in that impulsive, revolting manner to demand that she vomited everything she'd ingested. She breathed deeply and closed her eyes, relaxing for a few moments after she'd finished the last of the rice bowl, hoping her innards wouldn't betray her again anytime soon.

"Would you like to go yet? Or would you prefer to take another moment to process the meal?" Renkai asked: he wasn't asleep, then. Or if he was, he'd woken up right now anyway. His presence had become utterly ignorable, and thus, not as unpleasant as it could have been.

"Give me… ten minutes. I'll change by then," Azula said, closing her eyes, breathing slowly.

Ten minutes, she knew, wouldn't be enough to lock down the food, but with how slowly she had eaten, she expected some of her strength would return soon, for the first components of her meal most certainly had to be assimilated by now. The first full meal she'd eaten properly since the final dinner she had shared with Sokka… she knew she was terribly irresponsible for disregarding her health as she had, especially when she might be carrying their child. Even so, forcing herself to eat wouldn't have been the answer: this slow pace, instead, seemed to be the only thing that would do the trick.

She kept true to her word: once the ten minutes had passed, Renkai was left to wait by her bed as she changed into another casual, dark attire in her private bathroom. She ensured to collect Sokka's necklace, taking it from her nightgown and slipping it into her trousers' pockets before going outside. Renkai remained rigid, statuesque, in the middle of her room, and he nodded positively in her direction before guiding her outside without another word.

Azula as good as dragged her feet through the long corridors. Renkai started at the traditional marching pace of the guards until he realized the Princess had lagged behind. He stopped and waited for her once, then he moved far more slowly, even if he continued to lead the way. Azula's eyes shifted towards him with uncertainty: why hadn't he growled at her to hurry up, the way Shaofeng surely would? She frowned at his back, skeptical of his motives, of his apparent consideration towards her. She couldn't trust any of his compassion, any of his kindness. She had the keen feeling that it would backfire on her at any moment, that the man behind the mask would prove to be a monster in the end, much as her father had… but just as it was with Ozai, she would be powerless to stop Renkai if he proved to be a worse person than she already suspected him of being. She had never trusted him… he had always been the General's spy. Right now, he might be her father's direct spy instead: she could never trust him…

Twenty minutes after setting out from her room, they stepped out into the sun of the Palace's courtyard. Azula flinched away from the brightness, longing for the shroud of her darkened room again, but she continued onwards behind Renkai, their feet angled towards the direct entrance to the Temple, right outside the Palace. Renkai slowed to a halt just as they were a few steps away from the long stairs, and Azula scowled before glancing around herself: were they being watched, by any chance? What was the Imperial Guard Captain's problem now?

"Perhaps… we would do best to enter the Temple through the lake's path," Renkai suggested, suddenly. Azula raised an eyebrow. "It would be less challenging for you. You're not fully healed yet, and you've barely eaten until today…"

"The nicer you are, Renkai, the creepier this gets. Forget it," Azula said, walking past him, towards the stairs. Renkai followed quickly, expressing no opinion regarding Azula's quick rejection of his concerns. "Don't you know my father wants me punished? I'm not supposed to be granted any leniency whatsoever, it would defeat the purpose entirely."

"I was given no such orders…" Renkai said, and Azula huffed, stopping at the very first step.

"You weren't given any orders to be generous and kind either, I wager," she said, cuttingly. "Want to risk triggering the Fire Lord's wrath, do you? Spare yourself the unnecessary courtesies if you don't want him to unleash it upon you. I don't need kindness, I don't deserve it, and I won't thank you for it anyway."

Her words gave Renkai pause: Azula only turned again and powered onwards, climbing the long stairs to the Temple without displaying any hesitation. She would tire faster, she knew… she might lose her footing if she grew lightheaded at some points in the climb. She had to take it easy, rising step by step until she reached the top.

After a while, she began hearing Renkai's footsteps behind herself: he didn't stride past her, and Azula rolled her eyes because of it. What was he playing at? Nobody, she was sure, had asked him to watch over her. He didn't need to linger back in case she passed out or lost her footing… if either thing happened, and she found herself in his arms once she came back to her senses, she'd surely shove him off immediately. She didn't want him, or any of her father's men, to offer her even a supportive hand at any point in time. She didn't want generosity or kindness… none of it.

She refused to let him touch her… and that filled her with enough motivation to continue climbing the stairs firmly, no matter how strained her body might be. She had to keep going… to reach the top of those stairs, at all costs. Her head might be spinning, her breath might be short, but she would do it…

After a few necessary pauses, and about ten minutes of starting her slow climb, she finally reached the Temple's entrance: the torches that lined it, the lanterns that lit the beautiful building, had once sported her own fire. Azula scowled at the sight of them, aglow with orange blazes. Her hand tightened into a fist as she panted at the top of the stairs: once she regained her breath, she powered through and marched into the Temple's main building.

Renkai sped past her by then, without a single word. Azula eyed him with suspicion as he strode towards the nearest sage apprentice, a man younger than Azula, who gasped upon sighting her in their sacred building: Renkai requested for the Head Sage, and the apprentice immediately agreed to bring him, scrambling quickly down the corridors as other, older sages stepped out of their meditation chambers, or stopped in the middle of their strolls through the Temple: they gazed at Azula as though she were a mirage… the Princess resisted the urge to shout at them, to tell them to return to their business immediately. It wasn't her place to give orders anymore… it wasn't her place to push away anything that caused her discomfort. It was, yet again, another punishment she had to endure, whether one her father deliberately intended to put her through or not.

The wait for the Head Sage allowed her to breathe, though, to calm her overexerted body and regain a slower breathing rhythm. Renkai waited beside her in utter silence – had he taken offense to the last words she'd spoken to him? She wasn't sure she should regret it, if he did – until at last, an older sage stepped out into the open, his higher rank apparent by the adornments of his miter.

"Princess…!" the Head Sage gasped, rushing towards her at haste, pulling up his flowing robes so he could walk faster. "Oh, Princess… we had no warning you'd visit us today!"

"The Fire Lord requested for the Princess to visit the Temple," Renkai explained, bluntly, startling the Head Sage with his quick intervention. "You are to begin preparing her for her impending nuptials."

"Oh… yes. I see," the Head Sage said, his voice darker as he eyed Renkai with undisguised distaste upon hearing those words. "Well, as you may know, this is a rather personal process of preparation, Captain…"

"As long as it's done, I will be fine with waiting outside," Renkai said, simply. The Head Sage crooked a suspicious eyebrow but nodded.

"Very well, then. If this is how it is… please, follow me," he said.

His gaze switched towards Azula once again… to find that what little relief he had identified in her golden gaze now switched to apprehension. The last time he had seen her, the Princess had been well on her way to recovering her strength… now, it seemed as though the process had been set back for several months. It was imperative to perform a chi-reading on her, but he would only do it once the guard was out of the way.

Azula held her silence the whole time. She followed the Head Sage dutifully, though, keeping her head lightly bowed as her feet carried her through corridors she had traversed long ago. The last time… the last time it had been for Ty Lee's wedding, right? More memories seemed to assault her… and she let them, simply. Her right hand slipped into her pocket, squeezing Sokka's necklace gently as she closed her eyes, evoking his kind warmth once again, as best she could…

"And here we are," the Head Sage's voice brought Azula back to a most unwanted reality, but she tried to remain as impassive as possible, standing at the open door of the Sage's study. "Please… wait here, Captain."

Renkai nodded, betraying no displeasure with the Head Sage's indications. He approached the opposite wall, where he stood with arms crossed, no doubt intending to convey that he wouldn't move an inch from that spot for as long as their meeting might last. Azula shot him one more warning glare before entering the study, and the Head Sage closed the door after he followed her inside.

"Oh, Princess… goodness, I'm so relieved to see you in one piece," he said, gazing at her in heartbroken wonderment. "The rumors, the horrible stories that started to spread all over the city…"

"I'm sorry I caused you distress," Azula said, lowering her gaze. "Did my father clarify nothing of my circumstances? Your lack of surprise upon hearing about my… m-my upcoming nuptials suggests you'd heard about this before."

"Oh, I was only told about that earlier today…" the Head Sage said, and to Azula's surprise, he sounded furious upon speaking the words. She raised her eyes to find him scowling disapprovingly.

She said nothing, expecting the man might continue to explain more of his train of thought, but instead he shook his head and strode towards a sitting room, adjacent to the main chamber of his study. Azula swallowed hard but followed: Renkai wouldn't be likely to overhear any of their conversation if they moved further away from the study's door.

The handsome study was as opulent as would be expected from one of the most powerful men of the Fire Nation's social hierarchy, second only to the Fire Lord and the Royal Family. It wasn't the first time Azula had visited the Head Sage's study this way, as they had once shared a bewildering yet enlightening conversation about Seethus and his potential skills as they drank tea together… yet it was the first time she had entered the secondary chamber, where soft cushions awaited them at the furthermost corner of the room. The Head Sage picked out the best ones, setting them down for Azula, before choosing some for himself.

"And now, I hope, we can talk more freely…" the Head Sage said, breathing deeply as he eyed Azula with evident remorse. "I did receive the news, Princess. Learning of this impending wedding… it sat ill with me. It reeks of… of your father's typical outbursts and destructive tantrums to punish whoever displeases him."

"You know him quite well," Azula said, crossing her legs as she relaxed on the cushion: her stomach felt unsteady after so much physical strain, but not enough that she feared she might vomit all over the Head Sage next. "I suspect you also have a good guess as to… as to what brought this about?"

"I… I do, though I truly hoped to be wrong about that," the Head Sage said, remorsefully. Azula's eyes narrowed. "He found out, then? About you… and your gladiator?"

"You hoped to be wrong about your guess over why he's acted this way… or wrong about your suspicions regarding our relationship?" Azula asked, quietly.

"The first thing, Princess… the first thing," the Head Sage sighed, shaking his head: despite herself, Azula's frown gained a tinge of genuine curiosity, confusion… perhaps even a shred of trust, even if she should know better than to trust anyone by now.

"You knew, didn't you?" she asked. "For a long time. I… I heard about a book, not so long ago, that brought up the matter of indirect bending. It was supposedly controversial… and I suspect you may have read it as well."

"I… I did, Princess, yes," the Head Sage confessed, almost flustered now. "We are, after all, students of fire. I've done my best to learn all I could about firebending, even if often I fear I may know nothing at all, and I'm back to being a beginner all over again… but yes, in my many years of study, I read about indirect bending theories based on that particular book. When… when you brought it up to me on that day, I, well…"

"You reacted in a strange way," Azula whispered, biting her lip. "I failed to understand why for a long time."

"Well, now you know why," the Head Sage admitted, with an awkward smile. "I did know, Princess. I did."

"Why… why didn't you reveal us, then?" Azula asked, frowning. "For years, you had this crucial information… if my father gains any suspicion that you could've known, he… he'll likely punish you just as much as he's punished me, if not more so."

"By making me marry someone thrice my age? That would be something to behold," the Head Sage said, shaking his head. "I have no intentions of letting your father learn of what I knew, so I'm not quite as concerned about it as you may be, Princess. Rest assured… I have more than enough secrets I intend to take to the grave as well. I meant to take this one too, I sincerely doubted I'd live long enough to see you taking your father's role for yourself… though I truly wish you already had. If that had been the case, you wouldn't have faced so much pain when you were already in a complicated situation after your chi was corrupted. Tell me, though… is he alright? Did your gladiator manage to escape, somehow?"

"My… my gladiator is alive, yes," Azula said, nodding weakly. "I managed to take him to safety."

"I heard there was only one casualty in the Grand Royal Dome's fire…" the Head Sage said, with a slow sigh. "I truly hoped it wasn't him. A lot of rumors have spread, you see… far too many, I'd say. The theories grew more and more outlandish over time, but I was quite sure I would be right to suspect… that Ozai had found out. Of course he'd disapprove, that's no surprise… but curse him for going this far. I… I'm very sorry, Princess."

"Why are you sorry?" Azula asked, eyeing him skeptically. "And why didn't you reveal us before? You still haven't answered that question. You… you're a student of fire, aren't you? You believed in Fire Lord Azulon… who seems to have made matches for his children's marriages primarily based on the firebending abilities of their wives' families. Yet… it doesn't bother you that I would have gladly spent my life with a Water Tribesman, rather than with a firebender?"

"Oh, it could have bothered me, no doubt. It goes against most everything I ever should be supporting," the Head Sage acknowledged, nodding. "But you see… you are one of a kind, Princess. I've done even more research into your dynasty as of late, Princess, and I guarantee there's no records of any firebender as extraordinary as yourself. The same is true outside your family: no firebender has ever been recorded in history wielding blue fire as you do… let alone gold fire, or fire of simultaneous, multiple colors. This… this is the mark of a prodigy, some would say. Of genius, and also of hard work. I, however, believe that all that is true… and also that a child like you, born in the summer solstice, the product of an extraordinary lineage, has been blessed by Fenghuang indeed. The firebending skills you've displayed are unparalleled as they are. I don't know if Fenghuang has a great destiny in mind for you or not, Princess… but I can't see how my opinions, or my beliefs, should outdo the choices of Fenghuang. Perhaps it is too simplistic to see the world this way… but someone who has saved this nation as many times as you have, even putting yourself in harm's way to ensure your people are spared, cannot possibly be on the wrong track."

"My father certainly disagrees," Azula whispered, and the Head Sage scoffed.

"He's free to do so if he pleases, it won't mean he's correct, no matter how loudly he shouts his unwanted opinions," he said. "I've thought of it, Princess… of how that man reacts in the face of danger, of how you've reacted in it, too: where he would hide in secret underground bunkers, distant from his people, offering no personal support to his armed forces, you have fought directly, leading by example, inspiring your men to follow you into battle. Had he been in the city when that wretched Bloodlust Spear struck, I have no doubts he would have sooner sated its thirst by immolating all the necessary citizens to keep the blade away from himself, rather than attempting to destroy it before it could take the lives of his people…"

"Bold accusations…" Azula said, though she couldn't help but agree with the Head Sage, who shrugged carelessly.

"If the truth is bold, it's no less the truth for it," he declared. Despite herself, Azula smiled weakly, in agreement. "In any case… I know Fire Lord Azulon carried out carnage and destruction into the rest of the world. I followed blindly back then, believing in his cause… once Ozai took over, he only seemed to taint his father's legacy. I reflected on the matter frequently: why would I find the actions of one Fire Lord utterly appalling and not the other, when they were essentially the same? Believe it or not, I was profoundly conflicted in my convictions… until you came along. Until I understood your bond with your gladiator, until I heard of your achievements, until I saw your fire for myself. You… you were breaking away from their legacy, and how could it be wrong to do so when you were discovering new, fascinating flames, aspects of fire uncharted and extraordinary without advocating for any carnage altogether? Consider me a fool if you will, for being so dazed by your accomplishments… but I'd sooner be a witness to the new wonders you can weave in our world than continue supporting a madman's quest to condemn us all."

Azula breathed deeply as she raised her gaze to meet the Head Sage's. He seemed sincere… he had ever been antagonistic towards her father, so none of his claims were inconsistent with what she knew of him. Yet…

"If only I could make that happen still, I certainly would," Azula whispered, remorsefully. "As it is… I'm afraid my time of weaving wonders, as you've put it, is long past me."

"I can see why you'd feel that way right now… I can't blame you in the least for feeling disheartened after the latest developments," the Head Sage said, compassionately. "No one has given this nation as much as you have while in the role of Crown Prince… and this is how your father rewards you. It's appalling, to say the least. But what your father has done to you, Princess, does not define your true worth, let alone does it say anything about your potential. The years through which you proved to be the greatest Crown Princess this nation ever knew did not pass us by in vain. Countless people would gladly support you…"

"They would do best not to," Azula said, scowling. "If my father gains any reason to suspect anyone supports me at all…"

"He already has done as he pleased to hurt those who dared challenge him," the Head Sage said, startling Azula. "Those who protested over his choices with the Gladiator League, first of all. He had the Domestic Forces patrolling every street, quelling any signs of unrest. The immediate, natural reaction to this form of oppression is fear, no doubt… the follow-up, however, is rebellion. Even those who wouldn't have chosen you above your father before would be sure to do so now, after being threatened by the Fire Lord's soldiers whenever they dared speak their minds."

Azula gritted her teeth as those words sank unpleasantly inside her chest. She didn't need this… she would be better off with no support, altogether: her father would destroy anyone who dared speak in her favor, whether they antagonized him directly or simply attempted to offer her any relief. He wanted her alone, and at this point, Azula preferred it that way: the less attachments she had, the less people Ozai would be able to hurt if he wanted to force Azula to bend to his will.

"Do you know any of those people?" she asked, softly. The Head Sage nodded.

"A few, yes: many have come to the Temple to pray for your sake since the unfortunate incident that endangered your life," the Head Sage answered.

"Then, if any of them convey the slightest interest in rebelling for my sake… please, dissuade them from it," Azula whispered, startling the Head Sage.

"But…"

"You said it yourself: my father would immolate thousands to save himself, I have no doubts of it now. He knows I have no intentions of risking any lives but my own… and he's taking advantage of this to corner me. It's the main reason why I've acquiesced to his demands. There's nothing I can do to guarantee anyone's safety if they attempt anything that could displease my father. I'm… I'm powerless right now. I don't want them to become pawns my father will take advantage of to torment me further. If he gains strong enough reasons to suspect you are helping me, he'll do away with you as well."

"He can certainly try…"

"He will. Don't underestimate him," Azula said, gazing at the Head Sage intensely. "Don't make the same mistake I did. I… I assumed I was untouchable. I thought, even if he found out the truth, that he would never go as far as he has to punish me, because I was too valuable, as his only heir. Now… now he expects he can force me to bear another heir to the Royal Family so he can discard me for good. As you can see… nobody is indispensable. If he could do this to his own flesh and blood… don't assume he wouldn't try to get rid of you if you cause him too much trouble."

"Then… you think we should do nothing?" the Head Sage asked, puzzled. "I… I'm not saying anyone had a strong idea on how to rebel, truthfully. I certainly didn't, but… I expected you to offer ideas on that front yourself. Surely there must be something we can do…"

"There's a few things you can do for me… none of which will contribute much in putting an end to this nightmare, I'm afraid," Azula said, shaking her head. "For now, though… can I ask you to read my chi?"

"Ah… of course, Princess. Right away," the Head Sage said, nodding promptly.

She wasn't sure whether to say it outright, to ask for his silence immediately… but she chose otherwise, for now. It was wrong of her, she knew, to act like her father… to test those who likely meant her no harm. But if there was any chance that the Head Sage could turn on her, that he could decide she wasn't worth it, this was the moment to discover it. If all this talk about supporters was just a sham, something her father had staged to set a trap for her, if he kept the Head Sage under threats, intimidating the older man into informing him of Azula's every move, as well as whatever crucial information she might have kept hidden from him so far…

She'd take action if she sensed any hesitation or duplicity on his part. She'd have no choice. For now, though… for now she'd find out, for once and for all, if the Head Sage was a true friend or not.

The Head Sage gathered more of his cushions, setting them on the floor diligently, around Azula. She breathed out slowly as she laid down on them, closing her eyes briefly as the Head Sage knelt beside her and raised his hands: sparks of fire danced on each fingertip, a technique that had once impressed her and that she had become accustomed to after everything that had followed her confrontation with the Bloodlust Spear. She had the feeling that, much unlike those days, the Head Sage would have no good news to offer her this time around.

The amazement that often had been transparent in his countenance was nowhere to be found, just as Azula had anticipated: the man's brow drew together as his fingers hovered above her body, as his trained eyes raked the paths of chi underneath her skin. Her healing injury had been damaged again after her scuffle with the guards, after the General had clasped it without the slightest compassion… and her illness, be it caused by her future child or not, would likely take its toll on her chi flow as well. Azula closed her eyes anew, waiting for the Head Sage to speak… to reveal whether or not he could see the secret she hid, and if he would act upon the discovery or not, if that was the case.

"Well… goodness," the Head Sage finally spoke after several minutes of inspection. "I'm afraid your chi regeneration rate has decreased. I suppose it should be obvious, you've been through so many ordeals… it's only natural, I'd say. The flow, as well, isn't healthy. There are many conflicts, areas that seem to have a much lower concentration of energy than adequate. But more than anything, Princess… there's a lot of it gathered at one place. At… at your womb, in fact."

Azula frowned as she opened her eyes: the Head Sage had withdrawn his hands, and he eyed her with uncertainty.

"Have you… have you had any unusual symptoms? Illnesses, perhaps?" he said. "Dizziness, nausea…?"

"I have," Azula confirmed, without hesitating. The Head Sage's breath caught in his throat before he lowered his gaze and shook his head.

"Princess…" he said, uncertain of how to convey the news…

"I am with child, then."

The Head Sage was startled by the simplicity of the statement, even if it was something that concealed a wild storm. He glanced at the Princess in confusion: she had her suspicions, then. That was the actual reason why she had wanted him to read her chi…

She didn't react too visibly right away. After a few moments had passed, however, her chest heaved and she closed her eyes tightly once more. Now it wasn't a vague possibility, easy to dismiss. No… now it was a reality and a terrifying one, at that: she was pregnant. She was carrying Sokka's child indeed. If she had chosen to drink Mai's brew, she truly would have killed it… but she hadn't. She wanted to keep it… to protect it. It was her child… it was their child.

"Princess…" the Head Sage called her, softly. "Oh, goodness. Are you still sure you don't want anyone to help you fight back? This… this is easier said than done. Bearing this child, keeping it secret from the Fire Lord…?"

"I… have a plan. Maybe not a very good one… but I do," Azula admitted, breathing as rhythmically as she could to calm her racing heart. "Even if this is my situation… no, I don't want anyone to help me. And as we're at it… I know you're not sworn to obey me or anything of the sort, but… will you give me your word? Can you swear on your honor that you won't give away this secret to anyone? I mean… you knew about my other secret for quite a long time. Surely this… this isn't much more trouble than that, is it?"

"Not for me, but it is for you," the Head Sage said, eyeing her with uncertainty as Azula sat up, clasping the nearby table for support. "Of course I'll keep quiet, Princess, I would have, even if you hadn't asked… but if you intend to see this pregnancy through, the Fire Lord will certainly suspect the truth eventually, even if you marry the Admiral and pretend the child is his. If that is your plan… it's very dangerous, Princess."

"It… it is, I know," Azula whispered. "But they wouldn't know anything for certain until the child is born. By then… by then I'll figure out what to do next."

"Princess…" the Head Sage grimaced, gazing at her hopelessly.

"He's captured my dragon," Azula said, softly: the Head Sage's eyes widened. "He locked him up, under threat of death. I… I hear him in my mind, at all times, trapped as he is. Any mistakes I might make, any missteps, and my father will kill him."

"And you expect this won't be a mistake, in your father's eyes?" the Head Sage asked, with uncertainty.

"For nine, or maybe eight months, I suppose, it won't be," Azula said, swallowing hard. "I'll see to that. By then… I'll have found a way to help Xin Long, and I'll figure out a way to save the child as well."

"And you're sure about this?" the Head Sage asked, frowning warily. "I… I can't help but offer my full support for whatever endeavor you have in mind, Princess, even if you don't intend to make use of my assistance. Perhaps you just want to keep your loved ones safe… in that case, I fear that as long as your father holds absolute power in this nation, they never will be. Still… if you don't want to risk any more danger reaching them, I understand why you choose not to fight back, at least not openly. But perhaps I can be of use to you beyond helping you arrange any sort of rebellion, if you don't wish for that."

"How?" Azula asked, frowning with uncertainty. The Head Sage breathed deeply.

"Once… once the marriage is done, I can help you preserve the truth for as long as you're pregnant," he said. "If you can keep a fair distance from Admiral Zhao after your wedding night, for about a month, he should not notice your symptoms easily. He may chalk it down to your sorrow over everything you've lost, if he does. By what I can tell, the child cannot be that far along, going by the chi's flow… so within a month after the wedding, the pregnancy will still be at its earliest stages, and you will be able to pretend that it's only a month old. I can help you with this…"

"You… you would be the one to check whether or not I'm with child? Officially?" Azula asked, understanding dawning on his eyes. The Head Sage nodded promptly.

"I can be. If you claim you suspect it may be another problem with the corruption of your chi, the lie will be easier to believe," the Head Sage said. "You wouldn't need for a physician to inspect you in this case… it should be fine if I do it, since I've been the one to read your chi ever since you took that injury. Even if the Fire Lord doubts my word, and demands that a physician inspects you, all be damned… no matter how knowledgeable a physician may be, there's no way to determine how far along you are without a chi-reading. And no one in the Fire Nation is as qualified or experienced at offering one than myself…"

"I see," Azula whispered, lowering her gaze. "This way… it will be easier to keep my father and the Admiral at bay. It will further ensure they can't act on their suspicions until… until the child is born."

"Exactly," said the Head Sage, breathing deeply as he gazed at her with hopeful eyes. "I'd do much more than this, as well… gladly, for your sake, Princess. But if I cannot do more, if any further action may endanger your dragon, your friends… I ask at least to assist you in this way. You don't need to face the Fire Lord's wrath by yourself, not while I'm still around, at least."

His words rang inside her heart, stirring more memories she didn't want to evoke anymore. The pain was still too fresh, the pain of promises forsaken, of hopes for a future much kinder than any she would likely face… how easy it had been to believe she'd never be alone again back when her whole life, her whole world, had been so much simpler. When he had stood beside her, stalwart and true, willing to endure any hardships for her sake… without him, she was back to square one. To the life she'd led before he'd been there… naturally, it was much worse now, for she had lost what she had always longed for.

Agreeing to the Head Sage's offer to aid her terrified her… for, if their deception were discovered, the old man sitting before her would pay for it with his life. She, of course, would pay for it with the lives of those she loved, her dragon, her friends… her child, perhaps even before it was born, if she failed to deceive her father. She gritted her teeth and breathed deeply, attempting to smother her knee-jerk reaction to reject him: she needed help. The Head Sage wasn't untouchable, nobody was… but the more she talked with him, the more she doubted he could be a double agent. She had witnessed his hostility towards Ozai, animosity the Fire Lord shared and reciprocated openly. As ill-advised as it might be, her determination to brave this struggle all by herself faltered far more easily than she expected it to.

"I… I ask that you're careful. That you keep quiet… that you don't cross my father in any way that might alarm him," Azula whispered, quietly. "Perhaps… by the time the child is born, you may yet play another part in helping me keep it safe?"

"Of course. Anything you need, Princess," the Head Sage determined, with a heartfelt smile.

"Then… I thank you for your diligence. I… I did intend to face everything, or most of it, on my own, so I appreciate your help…" Azula admitted. "Though…"

"Though?" the Head Sage raised his eyebrows, and Azula breathed deeply.

"The guard who accompanied me, Renkai… he was part of the third squad of the Imperial Guards," Azula explained. "The squad the General of the Guards assembled after my father agreed to promote all my former guards to imperial status. He was the only member of the squad who hadn't served me directly until then. My guards… when all this blew over, they chose to protect me."

"I heard rumors of rebellions within the Palace, yes," the Head Sage nodded. "Of conflict amidst the Imperial Guards indeed. I suppose they aided you in the weeks you were absent?"

"They helped me, yes. But Renkai wasn't one of them," Azula said, gritting her teeth. "He was always General Shaofeng's spy among my men. I have no doubts that's why he was assigned to their group. My former captain, Rui Shi… I suspect he determined Renkai wasn't trustworthy and that's why he didn't ask for his help when everything came crashing down. I'd think it means he's… he's still the General's man. And that only makes his recent behavior even more confusing."

"What did he do? If I may ask…" the Head Sage inquired, puzzled.

"He's been… considerate. Kind, perhaps. Even if this had started before this debacle, I'd find it suspicious," Azula frowned. "He's been patient with me. Even when I taunt him, when I threaten him, he doesn't react adversely. He's the first person who has ensured I eat something since… since I parted ways with everyone at sea. When I was brought back, I… I rushed out to my dragon's refuge once he was captured, and I was soaked by the rain. Renkai showed up suddenly with an umbrella, and he accompanied me to my room so I could change into dry clothes. He always says he's under my father's orders whenever he shows up around me… it makes enough sense that he would be. But I'm sure my father didn't ask him to be kind and compassionate to me, if anything I'm sure he'd likely demand that he's crueler because I deserve nothing less. I outright told Renkai as much, just before we came here… and he didn't act any differently after I did. I… I don't know if he simply feels sorry for me, but I don't see why he should, for starters. He and I… we never had a good relationship."

"Hmm…" the Head Sage stroked his beard, his brow furrowed. "You suspect this could be… a trap, perhaps? To catch you unawares once you grow used to his companionship? Perhaps he wants to lower your guard and discover whether you hide any secret plans to fight back against the Fire Lord…?"

"Perhaps. But seeing as I don't… he will go back to the General, or to my father, empty-handed for certain," Azula said, shrugging. "If the plan is simply for him to double-cross me once I grow used to him, as you put it… it's quite a waste of time, as far as I can tell. I don't intend to befriend him, no matter if he tries to be a reliable, helpful guard. If Rui Shi didn't trust him…"

"Do you know for a fact that he didn't?" the Head Sage asked, raising an eyebrow. Azula stiffened, unsure of why that question sat so ill with her. "I mean… did the former Captain Rui Shi tell you, directly, that Captain Renkai could not be trusted?"

"Well… no," Azula admitted. "But he wasn't in my direct service before. He owed me no particular loyalty, we had no personal relationship of any sort. If he had formed any lasting bonds with my other guards, shouldn't he resent me for causing their departure? He wasn't involved in the plans to help me escape, and he had no reason to be either."

"True… but did Captain Rui Shi know you would be returning here?" the Head Sage asked, and Azula nodded. "Then that means he would have had the chance, I'd think, to warn you to keep Captain Renkai at bay if he thought it was necessary. I suppose he could have been preoccupied with other matters… but if he had any suspicions that Captain Renkai could represent a danger to you, it would be most unlike any Royal or Imperial Guards not to bring this potential threat to your attention before you jumped headfirst into its den."

"So, you think Renkai might not be dangerous, then?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows. "That perhaps his kindness is no act? It doesn't make it any less risky of him to act this way if he's not under my father's orders to do so… if anything, it makes it even worse,: if my father ever finds out…"

"I advise you to ensure he never does," said the Head Sage, with a shrug. "I wouldn't expect you, of all people, to give away dangerous information like this to your father anyway… but if there's a chance that Captain Renkai isn't merely attempting to spy on you, a chance that he, as well, has found the Fire Lord's actions disproportionate to your so-called crimes… I'd say he could be an even more valuable ally than myself, but only after you ascertain he's trustworthy. Handle yourself with caution, Princess. I could be entirely wrong, just as well… but keep in mind that you have allies, countless, silent allies, who would support you without question. You've brough change to this nation, far more of it than countless Fire Lords that preceded you: you have touched more lives than you can possibly imagine. Who knows? You may have touched Renkai's as well, in ways you're unaware of."

Azula frowned, unsure of how to feel about the Head Sage's guesses. Everything was conjecture, she knew… there was no point in trusting Renkai at all, not unless he made any genuine displays of loyalty towards her. Come to think of it…

"I have asked much of you as it is," Azula whispered. "I loathe to ask for more… but while I've said you should not encourage anyone to rebel for my sake, it may be that, if you help establish an underground, silent community of people who may support me, Renkai would eventually seek it out if he's truly under orders to spy on me and any movements involving me. He might intend to destroy any supporters I may have… naturally, you'll need to be quite cautious if that were the case. But whether he's trouble, or if he appears sincere in partaking in any such treasonous activities… please, let me know."

"Naturally. I'll inform you about anything odd in his behavior, for sure," the Head Sage answered, smiling and nodding in Azula's direction. "You can count on me, Princess."

"I… I know as much. I'm grateful for that," Azula responded, bowing her head in his direction. "I don't know if the future holds anything promising for either of us… but that you have offered me your aid has certainly made matters feel less dire, although I doubt they're genuinely any better yet. Still… thank you. I know not to fight my battles alone, believe it or not… I've learned otherwise over the past years. I don't want you in danger, of course… but knowing I'm not as alone as I thought has lightened my load, somewhat."

"That relieves me profoundly, Princess," the Head Sage said, smiling warmly as he reached to clasp her hand in his. "I advise you to observe the situation: you are more than wise enough to see through the people the Fire Lord may have tasked to inform him about you. You're the most suitable person to determine whether or not Captain Renkai will be oof any help. Beyond that… the Fire Lord asked you to come here today so I could help you prepare for your wedding with Admiral Zhao?"

"Apparently. Not sure what preparation I may need beyond knowing I have to endure it, no matter how much I may reject it in my heart," Azula said, shrugging. "I know what the rites entail, I know what to expect, and I know he's not the man I should ever share these rites with. But I'm powerless to change this, so…"

"As am I, I fear," the Head Sage admitted, sadly. "If there were any arguments to be made against this match, I would immediately make them, but…"

"He'd find someone worse," Azula said, shaking her head. "That's… that's what my father intends to subject me to, at this point. Even if you come up with any methods to put this off, or to put a stop to it altogether, he'll simply find a way to make it worse for me. Don't waste your time."

"I see…" the Head Sage sighed, shaking his head. "His cruelty truly knows no boundaries, does it?"

"None," Azula confirmed, closing her eyes.

"Be that as it may, as much as you might find any promises insufficient…" the Head Sage said, biting his lip as he gazed at Azula. "I will always be here whenever you wish to visit. You can come again often, under the pretext of preparing for your wedding… but you could still visit afterwards for meditation sessions, or just to have a chat, if you would like one. Your father used to drop by once a week for meditation… but he visits far less often as of late."

"If that means I'm not likely to bump into him here, all the better," Azula decided. The Head Sage smiled as the Princess raised her gaze towards him. "Thank you for… for all this. Protect yourself from my father's reach as best you can… and protect my secrets from him too, at all costs. I know I ask for a lot…"

"You most certainly don't," the Head Sage said, firmly. "I… I told your gladiator as much when you were injured, but as far as I can see… it is you who should sit on that throne. If I had the power to make it so, I would, without a second thought. If this would make me a treacherous weasel in your father's eyes… well, so be it, I say. I'll be true to my beliefs regardless… though I know to keep them quiet to avoid his wrath, else I won't be able to help you at all in the future."

"Please, exercise as much discretion as you can," Azula said, nodding. "Thank you again. I… I will likely visit you anew."

"I will await each of such occasions, then," said the Head Sage, grinning back as Azula withdrew her hand and pushed herself up to her feet.

It shouldn't have surprised her to learn people were willing to defy her father in subtle ways for her sake. Mai and Ty Lee intended to do so, no matter if the former was forced to feed Ozai whatever information the Fire Lord would demand of her. Now, the Head Sage intended to do the same thing… and apparently, some people trusted and believed in her, even now. Whether she deserved that trust and faith remained to be seen… perhaps if they learned of her love for her gladiator, many would withdraw their support immediately. Yet the Head Sage hadn't done that… the Head Sage had known the truth for well over two years and he had kept quiet all along.

Was it too wishful of her to hope that others might prove similar to the old man who now opened his study's door courteously for her? Was it even wishful to hope that the Head Sage would be able to stay true to his many promises? Ozai didn't trust him in the least, Azula knew… she would ensure not to visit the man too often, otherwise Ozai would grow convinced that she was plotting something with him. But knowing the option was there… knowing someone influential in the Fire Nation would choose her over her father helped slightly. She knew better than to trust anyone blindly… but after fearing she would be utterly, helplessly alone again, the Head Sage's support had blown winds of hope, faint and weak as they were, inside her soul. It wasn't enough to persuade her to fight back against her father yet… but it was enough to help her step outside the Sage's study again, even if she knew her feet would carry her to a much darker future in the coming days.

"Ah, Captain Renkai. You waited indeed," the Head Sage said, smiling at the guard, who lingered in his position at the opposite wall of the corridor.

Azula breathed deeply at the sight of him: he couldn't have heard any of what they'd spoken about. They had kept their voices low the whole time… the door was thick and heavy. He gave away no sign of disapproval… but he was a spy, wasn't he? He always had been one. Even if the Head Sage was right, and there was a chance Renkai might mean her no harm, she wouldn't trust him.

"If you have finished your meeting, I shall escort you back to the Palace, Princess," Renkai said, simply. Azula's eyes narrowed, but she nodded in his direction.

"Please do," she said, before glancing one more time at the Head Sage. "Thank you for your guidance. If I can't visit again before then… I suppose I'll see you on the day of the ceremony."

"Right… right," the Head Sage said, his smile fading into disappointment, as though he had swallowed a bitter drink when he had expected a sweet one, instead. Perhaps it hadn't fully dawned on him until then that he would have no choice but to perform the dreaded ceremony himself… "Well, if you need more help preparing, I'll always be available for you. Though I suppose there may be other aspects of the wedding plans that you might need to take care of…"

Azula shrugged halfheartedly: she barely cared for any preparations, as things stood. This marriage would be empty, a political matter with no true substance to its name. It would be no partnership… no unbreakable, invaluable bond. Whatever vows she was forced to say aloud, she wouldn't speak them from the heart, much as she doubted Zhao would. She could marry the man while dressed in rags, after a week without bathing, lacking even a single smidge of makeup on her face, for all she cared: she only endured this because she had no choice. Because the guise of this union, which wouldn't be one in anything but name, would be the only thing that would protect her child from her father's wrath until it was born.

"Well, be that as it may, I look forward to seeing you again, as always, Princess. Take care of yourself on your way home," the Head Sage said, kindly. Azula nodded gracefully in his direction before turning towards Renkai.

"Shall we?" she asked, with a faint voice that revealed just how unwilling she was to return to her voluntary, solitary confinement in her room.

As before, Renkai simply agreed. He guided her through the Temple's corridors, and this time he walked first on the long stairs, prepared to cushion Azula's fall with his body if she ever slipped. Perhaps he was simply doing his job… but his behavior was no less unnerving for it. Azula couldn't shake the feeling that her father had put him up to this… even though he already had recruited another spy to suit his needs while Azula hadn't been in the Fire Nation.

Said spy knelt before him at that very moment in the Fire Nation's Throne Room. Flickering flames sparkled before her eyes, but Mai attempted to focus on the situation at hand rather than the blatant threat represented by the Fire Lord's bending.

"Well?" Ozai asked, frowning. "What did you learn from my daughter when she visited you?"

"A few things," Mai admitted, head bowed towards the Fire Lord. "One of them is that she's genuinely terrified for her dragon's fate. It seems to be the best way to force her to comply with any of your orders. Ty Lee happened to visit me on that very day, and the two of us tried to play the concerned friends so she would suspect nothing. That required for us to ask her if there was anything she could do to avoid this marriage, since it's clear she doesn't want it… yet she seemed set on going forward with it, all be it for her dragon's sake. I've… I've certainly never seen her so scared before."

"You know how to put on a proper act, then. As I expected from you," Ozai said, frowning. "Then you believe this is a sufficient threat for her to cower and rethink her choices?"

"It was a sufficient threat to throw off her balance entirely, I believe," Mai said. "She seemed to think we could have been harmed, me and Ty Lee. It didn't matter how many times we reassured her that we were fine, she was… paranoid. Almost unhinged in her fear. She isn't quite well, if I may say so. I insisted she had to eat, and she refused for a time but eventually complied. I'm afraid she is quite miserable now, unsurprisingly, considering she must believe she lost everything… but I think you may need to assign some servants to see to her needs if you hope she'll be as healthy as can be for the wedding. Otherwise, well…"

"Do you expect she would ever do something quite as foolish as taking her own life?" Ozai asked, his furrowing brow deepening.

"I don't believe the idea has truly crossed her mind so far," Mai lied, as earnestly as possible. "But I also don't believe you should let matters escalate to that extreme. You need her alive, after all…"

"I do," Ozai hissed, shaking his head. "To think she could be as weak-minded as to discard her life over that fool… and as I've brought him up, what did she say of her journey? Surely you were wise enough to ask of his whereabouts now that she has turned herself in willfully…"

"I did ask, my lord," Mai said, nodding: she knew it was wrong to say this, of course she did… but she knew, as Azula had told her merely a day ago, that Mai's tenure as Ozai's spy would come to an end if she couldn't even confirm the man's existing suspicions. It wasn't right to offer this information to a tyrant hellbent on destruction… but she knew, as did Azula, that he would wage war upon the Water Tribe anyway, even if she didn't do so. "He was taken to the South Pole, just as you suspected. The guards apparently aren't with him, though Azula admits she doesn't know if they perhaps chose to return south to him, once she parted ways with them. Still, they steered her Barge until they were near Whaletail Island's waters and then escaped through a hot-air balloon and an emergency skiff. The likeliest locations where they might have taken refuge are either Whaletail Island, the South Pole or the Air Nomad islands nearby. If your forces haven't begun a search yet, it seems those are the places where the Princess expects they could be found. She might be wrong… but it is what she has told us."

"I see," Ozai intertwined his hands over his lap as he glared down at Mai. "You don't seem to trust her words all that much, or do you?"

"Regarding her guards? No," Mai admitted. "She said she deliberately chose not to ask them where they'd go. Her guesses might be correct… but they also might be an attempt to misdirect anyone from the guards' true hiding place. I'm not sure whether those locations are the very places she doesn't want anyone to look into, or the places she wants soldiers to focus on, while her guards escape elsewhere without anyone else's notice."

"Then I'll have to hope you can gain more information on the subject soon," Ozai said, starkly, and Mai swallowed hard but nodded.

"As you wish," she said. "The next time Azula visits me, I will endeavor to discover what her intentions were."

"Good of you to do so," Ozai hissed. "Anything else worth mentioning?"

"Well… going by how she acted, I don't believe she has recovered fully from her chi corruption," Mai continued. "She didn't want to retell her experiences in full, I don't doubt she's still disturbed by the purity examination… but whether because she fought back or for whatever reason, it seems the healing process of the wounds on her shoulder has been set back after everything that happened. She usually prefers her left hand… when I offered her a rice bowl, she held the chopsticks with her right instead. I don't know if performing another health inspection would be wise, she seems to hold a serious resentment towards your head physician…"

"She will have to endure that resentment, then," Ozai hissed. "She picked her poison, as good as drowned in it: she'd better have the decency to face the consequences of her actions."

"I suppose that is so," Mai said, her insides twitching with discomfort… with displeasure, on her friend's behalf. Yet she couldn't let it show… not now, not ever. "But as you wished for any other information I've gathered from her visit, I thought to share this as well. You may do with it as you see fit."

"And I intend to," Ozai declared, bluntly, proudly. "This is all, then? You're certain you acquired no noteworthy information other than this?"

"I'm afraid the Princess spent most of our encounter in tears," Mai said, swallowing hard. "All she cared to explain were the events that led to this outcome… but she broke down crying so many times she couldn't seem to share any other information. Still… if there's anything in particular you'd like me to investigate, I'll gladly do so on future opportunities."

"I already have said so, haven't I?" Ozai scowled. "Discover if she hopes to fool me with her innocent act. If she, perchance, intends to fight back in any capacity. Seek to unravel, as well, if she has read through you and the lady Ty Lee… if she has gained any suspicion regarding your potential work as my spy. But most importantly… find out what she intends. Discover if she has hatched a plan for the wedding… an attempt to sabotage it somehow. If I know that girl… I know she will seek to escape that day."

"She gave away no such intentions, but you may be correct, my Lord. I'd expect her to do that too," Mai said, nodding. "If I have a chance to discover if she does have any such plans in mind, I will endeavor to discourage her from acting on them, and I will report to you about it, immediately."

"Good. See to it, then," Ozai hissed.

He had no intentions of sending Azula on more home visits, however. If she did have any wicked plans in mind, the best way to prevent them would be by keeping her isolated, away from anyone who might give her a hand in any attempts to run right back to the man who had caused this catastrophe… just the thought of him seemed to heat Ozai's blood to a boiling point, startling Mai as the fire in the Throne Room obeyed his impulsive fury, stirred up over no apparent reason.

"You… are dismissed," Ozai declared, simply.

Mai rose to her feet and bowed her head as respectfully as possible as she uttered the appropriate phrase to bid the Fire Lord farewell. She hoped she had properly disguised her utmost disgust over countless words she'd had to utter to keep her life safe… as well as her family's and Ty Lee's. It was information she had agreed to give Ozai, information Azula herself had told her to offer her father before returning to the Palace, once her visit was ending. It would be a way to pretend she was a helpful, useful spy… Mai hoped that the Princess wouldn't have underestimated Ozai this time, after having done so in the past. She had kept the most delicate, important of truths to herself… she would have to hope Azula would succeed at keeping her body in check, so her biggest secret wouldn't be discovered other than on her terms. Everything she had revealed so far, however, had been dreadfully damning already, regardless of her remorse over giving away so much information to the Fire Lord.

Ozai might mount a stronger offensive, a barrage of attacks against Sokka's homeland: it was something they knew the Fire Lord was bound to command sooner than later. Would he be satisfied with Sokka's death alone, or would he be set on annihilating yet another culture, much as his forefathers intended to? As much as he seemed more collected today than when he had made his orders and demands known for the first time, Mai couldn't help but suspect his wrath was nowhere near sated… that perhaps he had grown so used to feeling the fires of rage dwelling inside his heart that he simply had learned to live with the overpowering madness within him. Perhaps he wasn't any less dangerous now than he had been when he had burned Zuko's face… perhaps he was even worse at this point in time than before, since the cruelty he had inflicted upon Zuko had been cold, done over impulse and disdain. With Azula, however… when it came to her, he was a brutal, wild inferno, consuming everything in his path. He was no different from the Bloodlust Spear, seeking to destroy what it touched, and to leave nothing but death and damage wherever it went. All Mai could do, at this point, was hope Azula's plans would pay off… otherwise, the war might do away with yet another civilization, all because of a Fire Lord who would go to any ends to amend his wounded pride.

Isolation wouldn't help Azula in the least, but Mai hoped, regardless, that the Fire Lord wouldn't order the princess to visit her friends again anytime soon. She had no idea what else she could do to prove herself in the Fire Lord's eyes until he was satisfied. She certainly had no intentions of giving away the truth about Azula's child to the man who would settle for nothing but the absolute annihilation of everything the Princess held dear, every remnant of her loyalty and love for the man she had chosen long ago. Rumors said Ozai might have killed his own father… would he truly be above slaying his newborn grandchild, if it happened to resemble the man he most despised in this world? Azula's wedding would take place within a few days: hopefully by then, the Fire Lord would wrongfully assume his daughter wouldn't rebel against him ever again, and Mai would no longer need to play the role of his chosen spy.

As she crossed the curtains, Mai glanced back at the fire to find the Fire Lord's attention lingered on her. Knowing better than to show herself apprehensive, Mai bowed once more, turning away and slipping through the Throne Room's curtains, hoping – despite knowing fate couldn't possibly be so kind – that her first report to the Fire Lord might also be the only one she ever had to offer him.