"Fire Lord! You can't mean to choose this snow savage and his ideas over my own. He surely doesn't have the best interests of our people at heart. You know this to be true." The Minister of the Interior, a greying middle-aged man named Raoza screeched across the conference table.
The Fire Lord eyed him appraisingly as if considering the words of his subordinate carefully. Sokka had been attacked and berated by so many of Zuko's other councilors and cabinet members that he had become much better at not jumping off the handle at comments such as those. Not that they didn't make him exceptionally angry, he just had gotten better at ignoring or disregarding them. Inwardly, Sokka shuddered. He was a responsible adult now. Granted, Katara still called him a dunderhead whenever she came to visit him in the Fire Nation. That had somehow only gotten worse since…
"Minister, the only person whose loyalty I question here is yours. Your proposals have constantly been poorly thought out and your suggestion for how to deal with grain shortage in Shu Jing was legitimately one of the worst ideas I've ever heard and I've listened to this fool's attempt to name things. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're trying to undercut sweet Zuzu's reign before he reaches his tenth anniversary." Princess Azula said sweetly and sarcastically, a dangerous tone for any that knew her well.
Before that, the Princess had been observing the meeting with a bored disinterested look from the right hand of Zuko. She took the opportunity to leap into the disagreement shooting a proverbial barb at Raoza, with whom she had never gotten along with well. Of course, Sokka thought wryly, Azula had never gotten along well with most people.
Raoza was fuming at the insinuation. The minister began to loudly protest but Zuko silenced him with a wave of his hand. "I've had enough of this Raoza. Sokka's loyalty and devotion is unmatched and unquestioned and soon he will be a part of the royal family proper. You can either accept this fact or go back to raising goat-cows outside Fire Fountain City. Now, what will it be?" Zuko finished his question, his voice becoming dangerously quiet.
Raoza, for his part, stuttered out a half-hearted apology before fleeing the room as Zuko dismissed the meeting. A number of the other ministers eyed Sokka warily as well as they left the hall. It wasn't anything new, or beyond the pale, but Sokka often wondered what he had done apart from being a Water Tribesman to cause such disdain from the men and women he worked with every day.
Azula and Zuko were discussing something quietly, that he couldn't overheard as he lazed back in his chair. They were the last three people in the room apart from the two Kyoshi Warriors at the doorway. As he observed his fiancee, Sokka had a bold moment of clarity. Perhaps so many of the ministers were cross and constantly peeved with him because they wanted to be marrying into the royal family. They were just probably bitter that the Princess would be marrying a snow savage as they so often called him.
He leaned further back in his chair, stretching his arms above his head with a satisfied grin. That's right, Minister Raoza, she'll never be yours, Sokka thought to himself contentedly. In his reverie, he almost tipped all the way over in his chair, and the wood of the seat screeched against the floor as Sokka scrambled to not spill himself unceremoniously to the ground. The Fire Lord looked over in exasperation while Azula just rolled her eyes before turning back to continue their conversation.
Sokka started to whistle as he combed over the report that lay in front of him. Zuko thankfully appeared poised to accept the proposal that he and Azula had worked on in bed that morning… amongst other activities. It was amazing what they were able to accomplish together. When they weren't distracted of course.
Zuko and Azula looked like they were finished discussing whatever grave matter that had so consumed them and Sokka leapt from his seat. He had already read the report about nine times and knew with great certainty that a tenth reading would provide no new information to aid them. The Fire Lord nodded Sokka as he hurried from the room, the pair of Kyoshi's disciples flanking him on either side.
The Princess sauntered over to him as the door slammed shut, leaving them alone in the large conference room. She closed the distance between them and before Sokka could even get a word out, Azula pressed her lips against his forcefully. Sokka made a slight whimper of a noise as she snaked a hand down his lower back before squeezing him through the cloth of his robes. He really could do this all day. In fact, there had been more than a fair share of afternoons where they intimated to Zuko that they would be working, only to abscond and relax at the hot springs near the capital. Sokka having his own personal airship was quite useful for that regard.
Ruefully, Sokka separated from the woman he loved. Azula gave a small whine of protest as their mouths ceased being joined. "I've been meaning to ask you something for a while, Princess. This meeting made me want to ask it right away, though…"
She raised an eyebrow, prompting him to continue. "Is the reason Raoza and so many of the other ministers hate me, because they wanted to marry you and instead you're ending up with me?" Sokka asked her.
Azula stared at him for a moment with an unreadable expression before laughing uproariously. Sokka felt abashed. He didn't think it was such an absurdity, and it was the most logical explanation for their behavior wasn't it? It's not like he had committed some other great slight against them, had he?
"What's so funny" He snarled between gritted teeth.
The Princess looked at him with incredulity now. "Are you serious, Sokka? You never once thought to ask why Raoza or so many of them hate you? Maybe you just thought it was because of how annoying you are. I can understand that at least…"
"Hey!" He exclaimed, lightly tickling Azula under her ribs. The firebender elicited a very un-princesslike giggle, before slapping his hands away.
"No changing the subject or deflecting!" Azula scolded him. "Do you really not know why Raoza acts the way that he does?"
Sokka just stared at her blankly before shrugging his shoulders. Azula slapped her forehead in mock vexation. "Raoza had two children. The eldest was a powerful firebender that joined the navy. He was killed during the Siege of the North if I recall correctly. His youngest also rose through the ranks of the Fire Nation joining the Army and being granted command of a brand new Airship, Sozin's Fury, I believe it was named." At this piece of information Sokka's eyes bulged and a feeling of dread settled in his stomach.
"Y-You don't mean…" He stammered.
Azula nodded while laughing slightly. "Oh yes, his heir and only living child was in command of Sozin's Fury, the very day that the namesake comet came. The Airship was lost with all hands on deck… As you are surely aware, my dear."
Sokka covered his face in his hands. Groaning in dismay, he looked up his fiancee who was observing him with an amused expression. "This isn't funny Azula! I killed his son. It's no wonder he hates me. He has to sit here everyday and listen to me talk and prattle about issues in his own country after I wiped out his legacy…I can't believe he hasn't tried to murder me."
"Oh, I'm sure he thought about it. I'm frankly surprised that an attempt hasn't been made yet. There's so many possible suspects, you'd think that it would increase the odds that someone would try…" Azula trailed off looking pensive.
"Wait WHAT?!" Sokka's voice exploded at the casual information drop. "What do you mean so many suspects, who!?"
"Well you asked why so many of the other Ministers didn't like you as well, didn't you. I guess I can break it all down for you… I really thought you knew." Azula laughed again and Sokka glared at her.
"You designed the Iroh-class Airships." She said in a tone that brooked no disagreement.
He nodded, simply unsure of where she was going with this line of thought. "Then you're aware of how large the crews are for those vessels surely?" Azula raised an eyebrow as he thought contemplatively.
"I can't say with certainty and it fluctuates depending on how many troops the airships are carrying for transport but I'd say they usually take off with between six and seven hundred men and women." Sokka said.
"Well the Ozai-class was slightly smaller and less efficiently designed than your newest invention." Sokka smiled happily at the compliment even if Azula hadn't even totally intended it. "Focus!" She said, snapping her fingers in front of him.
"The Ozai-class had between four and five hundred soldiers on them… You can do the math. There was what? Twelve of those airships that took off on the day the comet arrived. One returned. They were staffed almost entirely by men and women from the capital and they were important members of our military or related to the movers and shakers of our nation. It was meant to be the coup de grace and the end of the war." Azula said flatly.
"You'd be hard pressed to find someone in the Capital who didn't know someone who went down on those airships that day." Azula finished her story with an amused expression as she noticed the disbelieving look on her lover's face. "Three girls from my graduating class at the Royal Academy were officers on those ships. Granted, I never really liked any of them..."
Denial was the first instinct that Sokka had when the Princess explained why Minister Raoza acted so constantly rude and abrasive to him. The more he thought, and the more she explained, sadly the more obvious it had become. It's not that Sokka felt guilt at that moment. It was war, he had justified what he did a long time ago. A million citizens of the Earth Kingdom might have died that die if not for what he, Toph, and Suki did. That victory was more than enough to bear the burden of all those soldiers' deaths on his conscience.
Yet, hearing the actual death toll stated so matter of factly by Azula, and that he never connected that so many of those in the Fire Nation might have been personally affected seemed absurd to him now in retrospect. The Princess was probably right, he had been lucky to escape an attempt on his life after being in the Fire Nation for so long. Maybe he should be thanking Ty Lee and Suki a bit more often for their services. Then again Suki still hadn't talked to him in any conversation lasting longer than a few sentences since their break-up.
"H-How many others." He forced out in a strangled voice.
"Well, starting with the Minister of the Treasury, Dozu has of course hated you for a similar reason. His son was in charge of the defence of the Royal Plaza on the Day of the Black Sun. Their defences of course were overwhelmed and he brought great shame to his family by not protecting the Capital properly it was quite a scandal. The boy at least didn't have to live through the inquiry of how they were so easily overcome by a ragtag army, he was taken out by a Water Tribesman in combat, though no one is quite sure who it was."
At this Sokka looked down at his hands abashedly before protesting. "Hey! There's no guarantee that was me. There were dozens of Water Tribe Warriors that day. It could have been anyone." He complained.
Azula nodded her head in agreement at his point before responding. "That may be, but a certain someone planned the attack most famously and therefore gets all the credit or all the blame depending on just who you ask." She said with a smirk.
"Ugh…" He grunted. "Is there anyone els-"
"Glad you asked." Azula interrupted him with a sickly sweet, fake smile plastered on her face. "Minister Oanu's daughter was the second in command at the Boiling Rock. She was disgraced after a couple of teenagers managed the only prison break in its history. Although that was still Mai's fault…" Azula's eyes narrowed dangerously.
Sokka reached out a hand and pulled her close. "Hey." He said softly, lifting a finger under her chin delicately. "It's in the past, isn't it. You're different, we're all different." Sokka smiled at Azula as she took in a deep breath before exhaling exaggeratedly.
The Princess sent him a grateful look and he felt complete as they stood so close together. "You're quite right. If only the minister's knew you as well as I do, they might not be plotting your overthrow." Her textbook swagger had returned as quick as it had left.
"All of them?" Sokka asked in disbelief.
She glared at him with mirth in her eyes. "Well, Minister Eiyumo didn't lose any family members to you during the war, but it was a close run thing. His nephew was on Azulon's Vengeance. He was still young at the time and so was only a lieutenant. He along with the other five hundred or so odd members of the crew were lured into the hangar before being unceremoniously dumped into the ocean. They were miles from the shore. I think they lost near half their number to exhaustion and a good deal more to the sharks... He made it back but just barely, I heard."
"Oh no. Oh no. OH NO!" His voice grew progressively louder. "They must think I'm some sort of monster." Sokka started to pace around the room unable to meet his fiancee's gaze.
"Hmmm, well aren't you?" Azula inquired. "A vengeful spirit of destruction, I'd say. It's one of the things that attracted me to you at first, if you really want to know. You alone of the Avatar's friends were willing to do whatever was necessary, damning the consequences or the fallout. It's why I always considered you the most dangerous adversary we faced."
Sokka turned to face her, shooting Azula a skeptical look. "What? I'm serious. You think I was intimidated by a bald little monk who wasn't even a teenager yet? It was very clear that you were the brains of the operation. On the Day of the Black Sun it was you and I who matched wits, even if the actual battle was between Aang and myself…" Azula looked contemplative for a moment as Sokka was looking dejected, despite her compliments.
She strode toward him and her lover looked up from the floor, at last meeting her eye level. "That was a good day." she said with a smile.
He looked at her in disbelief. "For you, maybe. We barely made it out alive…"
"Well it wasn't all bad was it? You found out that you love shoving me up against walls didn't you…?" Sokka's face flushed and for just a few moments she had managed to rid him of his worries.
"Only because I realized how much it turned you on, Princess." He said her title in a low sultry voice that almost made her whimper in anticipation of the next time he might do so.
"It's amazing how quickly your mind turns to the gutter, savage. Weren't you just upset and calling yourself a monster?" She teased.
"Ugh, don't remind me, I think I'm still in denial and processing everything." Sokka lamented.
Azula looked at him softly with a touch of concern on her face. She moved directly in front of him with a pair of dainty steps. She snaked her hands through his hair, massaging his scalp in the process, before placing a gentle kiss on his lips.
Sokka looked at her after they separated and chuckled softly. "Come on 'Zula. You're never this nice without an ulterior motive. Now you're the one trying to distract me."
The Princess looked at him before shrugging. "I can't have you failing in your duties as advisor to the Fire Lord because of any self-doubts or moral haranguing. Even more importantly, I can't have you failing in any of your other much more important and demanding duties." At this Azula glared at him purposefully.
Sokka felt heat rush to his face. Spirits above, she was insatiable. "I better see no decrease in your performance…" She trailed off as her left hand gently caressed and squeezed his neck.
"I'll be just fine. Okay?" Sokka wished he felt as confident as he tried to project.
"Hey, wait!" Sokka exclaimed as Azula lifted an eyebrow at him questioningly.
"Both Minister Shaoko and Ukurain have always supported me since the beginning… Everyone can't hate me here." Sokka said proudly.
"Against all odds." Azula muttered.
"What was that fire plum?" Sokka said, despite hearing her clearly.
The Princess gritted her teeth before ignoring his comment. "Shaoko and Ukurain, you say? Both second sons of powerful firebenders that were rising stars in the Fire Nation. Their elder brothers both went down on the airships that day, leaving Shaoko and Ukurain to inherit their vast fortunes. They owe their success and wealth to you of course, dearie." Azula finished with an exaggerated giggle that Sokka was sure she did only to annoy him.
"Oh come on, you're totally making that story up!" Sokka protested.
Azula shook her head while staring at him with a scathing look. "Why would I need to do that? The truth is far more damning than any fiction I could concoct." She replied haughtily.
"Ugh. I can't believe it. Do you think this is why when I go to restaurants alone, the food takes so long to get to me and the waiters never bring me refills?! I only get good service when you or Zuko are with me. It all makes so much sense. Ugh, I wonder if any of the Royal chefs hate me too. It would explain why I swear; Zuko gets better cuts of meat at dinner than me… Although that might just be because he is Fire Lord." Sokka finished thoughtfully.
"Really?" Azula asked an expression of disgust on her face. "It comes back to food after all of this? The casual destruction of nearly five thousand of our best and brightest, all forgotten in your quest for better komodo-rhino filets."
"Well uh-hhh. It wasn't the best plan was it? Having all those ships next to each other. You literally might have only burned like the middle portion of the Earth Kingdom, and you absolutely might have charbroiled half of your colonies at the time." Sokka finished weakly.
"Yes, my father's plan was terrible. If you'll remember I wasn't there." Azula said angrily.
It wasn't her favorite day to remember even though all these years had passed. "Hey Princess," he said softly. "I'm glad you love me despite my wiping out half of your nation's ruling elite in a half hour."
Azula made a strange sound that was a mixture between a groan, a laugh, and a sigh. "I think that's why I do love you, fool."
"Of course it is." He said laughingly. "Come on let's hurry to dinner! If we're lucky I might be able to swap my dish with Zuko's if you distract him. He has like no peripheral vision out of his bad eye. I've done it like a half dozen times in the last year."
This time Azula did groan, before following her intended from the room. He was almost skipping.