Posting Four Chapters this week.
Zuko
I woke up the next morning and went to the training yard. I didn't want to wake up Sam. Her wounds were still too fresh. I thought about Azula, alone in her room. She was going back to prison today. No questions asked. I considered bringing her in here with me, to spar for a bit. I wanted to, but I wasn't sure if I wanted to tempt fate like that. Ultimately, I decided to spar alone.
Once I was finished, I went back to my room and changed out of my training clothes into my everyday casual clothes. I would be resuming my normal duties today while Sam would rest. She was still sleeping when I decided to work my way to where Azula was staying. There was a guard standing outside her room. When he saw me coming, he stood to attention and bowed.
"I want to speak to her." he stepped aside, for me to go in. Once inside, I saw her laying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She had her chi-blocking cuffs on. There were three guards standing in the room with her.
"Azula." I said, approaching the bed. She looked at me and gave me her usual smirk.
"Well, good morning, Zuzu. Are you here to make sure this dog is taken back to her cage?" Well, that was what I was there for. But not in so many words.
"I was going to walk back with you. Along with the guards of course." I added when I saw the guards look at each other. They knew she couldn't be trusted yet.
"Well, I should be honored the mighty Fire Lord is making time for his lowly prisoner." she said. I rolled my eyes. Azula will always be Azula. I helped her stand and we headed back to her cell and I kept my hand on her arm. The guards trailing close behind. It was a long walk. Usually we used rhinos but I wanted to spend more time with her. Time I didn't know I wanted until now.
"I hope you will be able to do this more often one day, Azula. It was…nice having you there yesterday." I said. I meant it. She didn't say anything but I did see her smile. "I miss you." I admitted.
"I miss you too, Zuzu," she said. She didn't use her nickname for me condescendingly this time. I didn't think I minded the nickname when she used it like that.
"Will…you be ok?"
"Yes. I won't do anything rash if that is what you're worried about. I…thought a lot last night." she said.
"Yeah? About?"
"You. Me. Father. He was always so cruel to both of us. He was outwardly cruel to you. Always belittling you. Trying to hurt you anyway he could. Emotionally. Physically. Mentally. And succeeding I think. No wonder you were so angry. But he, was more subtle with me. When he decided he would be Phoenix King and he wanted me to be Fire Lord." I didn't like remembering that. I hated that I had to fight my sister for the throne. And I hated that my father had set that course in motion. "He told me I was the only one he could trust, but I knew that wasn't true. He wanted the glory for himself. He was leaving me behind because he didn't care about me. I was expendable. Even though I always did what he wanted me to. If I ever disagreed with him, he had this look - you know the look I'm talking about - it always scared me. I would do what he wanted when he did that. I was scared to find out what would happen if I didn't."
It seemed like she was slowly starting to realize what I had already realized years ago: Father was an evil man and was the worst father imaginable. Perhaps it took losing him for her to find that realization.
We arrived at the prison and to her cell. I walked into the door with her while the guard opened the door to her cell.
"It was really nice seeing you yesterday, Azula. I am going to come more often to visit you. I promise you that. Trust me, Sam will make sure of it," I smiled at the thought of my wife.
"Yeah, I'm sure she will. You know, she isn't so bad. For an outsider. I would never tell her, but I look forward to our sessions. I can tell she cares about me. Besides you, no one has ever shown they care about me before." I smiled at her and gave her a hug. She put her cuffed arms around my neck to hug me back. We pulled away and she stepped into her cell and I could see tears welling in her eyes as my own were forming.
"I'll..see you soon, Azula."
"See you later, Zuzu." I smiled, turned around and walked out.
I came back to the bedroom to check on Sam. To my surprise, she was not in bed. My eyes darted around the room looking for her. I didn't find her. I went into the bathing room and I didn't find her there either. I was worried. I wasn't sure of her ability to walk a long distance alone. I came out of the room and approached the guard.
"Where is Sam?"
"I think she went to your office, your majesty."
Damn. She wasn't supposed to do this. She was supposed to be resting. I went straight there and, sure enough, there she was.
"Samyah!" I scolded. It had been a long time since I used her full name, "what are you doing in here?! You are supposed to be resting! I told you I would do this!"
"Relax, Zuko. I won't overdo it."
"You're already overdoing it by being in here!" She closed her eyes in annoyance. She opened them and looked at me.
"Zuko, I need to do SOMETHING. I can't lay in bed all day."
"Yes, you can! This will all wait until you're ready! You have a lot of healing to do yet."
"Zuko, please. Just let me do this."
"So you can hurt yourself more?! The doctor said you need to take it easy for at least another week!" I walked over and took the scroll out of her hand.
"Zuko, give it back!" She shouted, her brow furrowing. She reached for the scroll but I pulled it out of her reach.
"No, Sam. Go back to bed." She closed her eyes again and squeezed them tight.
"I can't, alright? I CAN'T GO TO BED! NOW GIVE IT BACK!"
"What do you mean you can't? It's pretty easy to do." I said sarcastically. I didn't want to, but I was starting to get annoyed by her indignation.
"Zuko, please, do we have to do this?"
"No, we don't. You can go back to bed." She laced her fingers in her hair, squeezed in frustration and screamed. This took me by surprise. She had never acted this way before. I quickly grew concerned, "Sam-"
"I'm not going back to bed. So you can either give me the scroll back and I can make myself useful or I can sit here and watch you do it." I went over to her and took her arm trying to pull her out of the chair but she yanked it out of my hand.
"Sam, stop it! Why won't you listen?" When she spoke, her voice was raised.
"Why won't YOU listen? What do you want me to do, Zuko? Go back and lay in bed for hours, staring at the ceiling so I can relive that nightmare over and over and over again? No, I won't do it. I need to occupy my mind to keep myself from going crazy. So you can either help me and give me something so I can do just that or I can find something else to do. But, I figure this way, you will still be with me if I need anything. Your choice."
She could be so stubborn. She stayed seated in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest. I saw a slight grimace but I thought she was trying to hide it. I hadn't thought of it that way. Now I understood.
"Ok, fine. But the second that you start feeling the strain I want you to tell me immediately. Agreed?" I compromised.
"Yes, fine. I will." she said exasperated. I nodded once and handed her back the scroll. "Thank you." she said and snatched the scroll further displaying her irritation. I resolved to keeping a VERY close eye on her. I went over to my chair and sat down. We sat silently for the remainder of the morning and reviewed scrolls and documents, only speaking to mull things over.
We broke for lunch and when we finished I spoke:
"Sam, I want you to go lay down now." I insisted. She sighed. "I know you don't want to but you can't push yourself so much so fast."
"No."
"Sam." I grumbled.
"How about I lay down on the lounge in the office? Will that satisfy you?" I deliberated and didn't see the harm in that.
"Fine. As long as you actually lay down and you don't start to work again." I knew her too well.
"I won't, Zuko. I promise. If I do then you can send me to bed." she said, jokingly.
"Deal." I chuckled.
She laid down and watched me work. I asked her questions when I needed to work something out but otherwise left her alone. It had been silent for a while when she broke it.
"Have they started the interrogations yet?" I was surprised by the question. She hadn't mentioned it yet at all in the three days since she'd returned to the palace but it didn't surprise me that it was on her mind.
"Yes, they have. They haven't said much. Your neighbor in Ba Sing Se- what was her name again?"
"Rina. I think it means 'bitch' in Vulcanese." she said cynically.
"What is Vulcanese? And, yes, Rina. She won't budge at all. Not a peep. Hirshu, however, he doesn't have as much of a resolve as she does."
"What has he divulged? Anything useful?"
"Not that I know of, but I haven't had a chance to interrogate him myself yet. Hopefully he will give us more information when I do it."
"Something tells me he will." she said. I wasn't sure what she meant by that and I said as much. "I noticed that some people spill their guts to the Fire Lord much more readily than to others. I'm not sure if it's your title or if it's just…you."
"Me? I don't do anything different than my guards do though."
"Oh, Zuko, you really don't know do you? You can be quite intimidating when you put your mind to it."
"Me? Intimidating?" she looked at me and raised one eyebrow.
"Hunny, you are so clueless it's adorable." I wrinkled my nose at being called "adorable." Then a thought occurred to me.
"I don't do that to you, do I?" I loved Sam. I didn't want her to feel forced or "intimidated", as she said it, to do anything. She smiled.
"No, hun. But sometimes when we argue or fight you are. Don't worry. I am not scared of you." it was like she read my mind. I didn't think she was. She has stood up to me on more than one occasion. Uncle says that's exactly what I need in a wife - a woman who can stand her ground with me. He says I can be "moody." I internally rolled my eyes. Whatever.
"So when are you going to? Interrogate him?"
"I'm not sure. It would be a lot easier if someone would behave." I shot her a meaningful look. She sat up on the couch and stretched, "Sam! You said you'd lay down! Go to your room!" I joked. She laughed, stood up and walked over to me, sitting down on my lap. Ok, this was acceptable. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed her forehead to mine.
"Zuko, you need to interrogate him. We need to figure out who they are working for."
"Who they're working for? They said they're working for the Ozai Society." It used to be called the New Ozai Society when I first took the throne. I wasn't sure when it stopped being "new" but at some point they dropped the word.
"Zuko, you aren't this naive. Where are they getting the funds? To collect all of these people, the rhinos, the weapons, equipment. It came from somewhere." The blood drained from my face and I felt her arms leave my neck and her hands grab my face. "Zuko! Look at me! Breathe!" she looked concerned and her eyes were inches from mine.
"I'm ok. I just, didn't think about that. You're right. Someone is funding it. But who?"
"That is what you need to find out, my love."
"Yes," now I saw the urgency. No wonder she was so concerned about it. "Will you wait for me in the bedroom?" She pulled her head back and surprised covered her face.
"Wait for you? Oh, no, I'm coming with you!" she almost shouted. I closed my eyes in an effort to control my annoyance. I took hold of her wrists and pulled her hands away as I leaned back to look at her.
"No, Sam. You are not going to the prison. It's been three days since it happened. You are in no condition to travel to the prison. Besides, I will have you no where near those beasts." I furrowed my brow. Her own brow furrowed and she got the stubborn look back.
"Zuko. You don't think I want them to see justice? After what those assholes did to me, I want to be there when you make those 'men' squirm." she said. I closed my eyes for control again.
"Sam, it isn't a good idea. You are in no condition to travel there. You can barely make it to the office right now. And you want to go with me to the prison? You won't be able to make it there AND back." I said. I opened my eyes and the indignant look was back.
"Zuko, come hell or high water, I will make it there and back. I NEED to do this. Please, Zuko?" her indignation fell and was replaced by pleading. Dammit, what could this woman do to me? I sighed in resignation.
"Fine, but you aren't walking. We will take a rhino." she grimaced. She really didn't like riding them. After a moment of deliberation she agreed. I tried to buy more time.
"We will go first thing in the morning."
"No, we will go now."
"Sam, it's the middle of the afternoon. That doesn't make any sense."
"Exactly." I furrowed my brow again, this time in confusion. She saw it and went on, "it doesn't make sense. They won't be expecting it. Do you want to see them when they are expecting you or do you want to surprise them and rattle their cages?" My eyes widened and I snickered.
"You are diabolical. Remind me to never get on your bad side." I mused. She laughed and stood, allowing me to stand. Even though I thought it was too much for her at this point in the day, she was right. And since she wasn't going to let me go alone (and if I tried, I would never hear the end of it) I decided to reluctantly agree. I knew she probably would pay for it tomorrow although I knew she wouldn't care.
We collected Jok and Shen and headed down to the rhinos. Jok and Shen had their own rhinos and, like always before, she and I climbed onto one together and headed for the prison.
