Ember Island
Chapter 8
"Ember Island revels the true you."
The garden at the palace was exactly like she remembered, peaceful and calm. Unlike the palace at the moment. She set at the edge of the pond, calming her breathing. The last time she had been this annoyed she had banished everyone in the palace. She blamed Ty Lee without actually blaming Ty Lee. It was the acrobat's fault that she had been surrounded by seamstress and wedding…people. Ty Lee had let it slip that Azula had proposed not one day after she proposed, which, of course prompted all the upheaval at the palace currently. At first Azula had let Ty Lee handle everything about the wedding, taking the male point of the view. Azula didn't care after all, it was Ty Lee's wedding as far as she was concerned. The princess would have been okay with a marriage certificate and nothing else. But Ty Lee wasn't having any of that.
Again, Azula didn't mind. She took up the responsibilities of her brother's head advisor against the better judgment of his other advisors. A slight smirk tugged at her lips at the memory of her weak brother, who was still weak no matter how his personality changed, stand up to his advisors. In her mind she had proven her worth merely by the first few peace meetings she had attended with the Earth Kingdom delegates and even the new King of the Earth Kingdom. She had almost laughed when Bumi walked into that meeting. Afterwords, at the very informal lunch Bumi had mentioned how much she changed and congratulated her, which did nothing but baffle her.
Azula took the congratulations well, of course, blaming most of her recovering on her doctor and Ty Lee. "Your little acrobat friend?" The Earth King inquired, his eyebrow raising. Azula had nodded vaguely, more interested in her food and the fact that she actually missed Une's unique cooking. "Rumor has it that you're marring her."
Had she been anyone else the food in her mouth would have been all over the table. But seeing as she was who she was Azula swallowed. "Yes, I am." She stated her golden eyes turning to look squarely into his – daring him to say something.
He laughed, slapping his knee. "I knew it." he replied with a crooked smile, making her frown. "So when's the big day?"
Azula's frowned deepened. "I have no idea." She admitted. "I'm letting her handle all that."
Bumi howled and went onto tell them all about his marriage and how he took the same stance as Azula. It had been weeks since then and her responsibilities with the Fire Nation and the wedding increased. Her ceremonial robes had taken more than three hours to hem and re-stitch. For whatever reason the seamstress had been going by her old measurements…or something, Azula wasn't exactly sure what had been the problem. All she knew was that when she tried on the black hakama the seams at the shoulders busted and she spent hours standing in one place while her measurements were retaken and adjustments were made. Standing in one place hadn't been the problem; she could and had done that before. But that didn't make it any less annoying.
They ignored her apparent mood as they scurried around her, doing whatever. Luckily, Mai – of all people – had thankfully relieved her of potentially murdering everyone in the room. The Fire Lady brought Azula to a private room, probably her own, and they waited as the servants set out tea. Mai picked up her cup gingerly, her dull golden eyes never leaving her sister-in-law's. Azula sighed after a few minutes of silence. "What is this about, Mai?"
Mai frowned at the cross tone. Azula had forgiven Ty Lee for her betrayal but Mai was another story completely. She loved Ty Lee, she couldn't claim the same feelings for Mai. "I don't trust you." Mai stated simply.
"Well," Azula started, lifting the tea cup to her lips. "At least someone in this family has retained some sense."
Mai's scowl deepened. "Azula, if this thing with Ty Lee is just some game to you I highly suggest you stop."
Rationally, Azula probably shouldn't have gotten so angry at what Mai was insinuating – after all in the past she probably would have done something like that. She didn't realize that till after she shattered her tea cup and stormed out of the room, too angry to say a word. Why was it so hard for people to accept that she loved someone, that she was capable of that emotion? Mai wasn't the only one, if she had been then Azula wouldn't have gotten so angry, maybe. But Azula could tell the same thing was on the minds of Zuko's other advisors and Ty Lee's Kiyoshi warrior captain – whatever her name was. The only reason they didn't say anything was because they feared Azula, as they should but the stares were still there. And she had even over heard a similar conversation between Ty Lee and that woman…spirits why could not remember her name? As much as Ty Lee talked about her one would think she would remember.
Regardless, she wasn't that important anyways. However, ultimately, that was how she found herself in the garden meditating. She exhaled deeply, focusing on your breathing. She heard the light steps before she heard the voice that called her name or felt the body that unceremoniously fell on her back. "Ty Lee." Azula addressed warmly, knowing from the way her fiancé sighed that Ty Lee was in a rare form of annoyance.
"My family is getting on my nerves." Ty Lee informed. "I don't remember them being this annoying at my other sisters' weddings."
"You're the one who insisted on inviting them." Azula reminded, feeling the woman she loved slide off her back and onto the ground.
"They are my family, Azula." The acrobat argued, though she didn't sound all that convinced. "I just needed to get away from all of their chattering. They have all these ideas and they want me to do them all."
Azula sighed, turning to face her future wife who was lying on her back looking up at the sky. "It is your wedding Ty Lee. Don't let them tell you what you want."
"I know." Ty Lee stated, covering her eyes with one of her arms. "I just did before I stormed out of the room." She paused, her grey eyes peeking below her arm, "It's your wedding too, you know."
Azula sighed again. "We've discussed this." She chided lightly. "You're better at things like this. It's more your wedding than mine."
Ty Lee exhaled lightly and smiled, sitting up suddenly and linking her arms around Azula's neck. "You're the best."
"I know." Azula answered, making Ty Lee giggle.
Placing her hands on the acrobat's hips Azula drew Ty Lee closer into her lap and kissed her slow and sweet. From the corner of her eye she saw Mai turn around back into the palace entrance. With no one else around Azula drew all her attention to the acrobat in her lap.
~x~
It surprised Azula how nervous she had been. The wedding had been very public; it seemed everyone in the Fire Nation had been there. She even saw some green and blue splashed within the red. Not that that surprised her, she expected the Kiyoshi Warriors to be there and of course Une was there. Azula stood confidently in her black haori-hakama, the haori dyed deep red, trimmed in gold lining with the shoulders pointing towards the sky. The emblem of the Fire Nation embroidered in gold on either side of the front. She was the first to admit that she looked fantastic in it, and for once she felt like her old self again. Many of the people in the Fire Nation still considered her a hero, which she was surprised to learn, but she accepted the cheers easily.
She turned when everyone grew silent and all thought left her. Ty Lee was beautiful, was the only thing she was capable of thinking of. There simply wasn't a word for how beautiful and stunning she looked. The customary white Shiromuku contrasted nicely with the sienna of her long wavy hair, partially done up with a golden kushi (comb) line with blue flames. The hairpins matched the kushi, golden with a blue fire at the end and blue metal dangling from the fire. The uchikake, the most stunning piece of silk she had ever seen before in her life, was gold at the top and gradually changed to a deep red at the bottom. Blue dragons embroidered on the silk stood out against the gold and red and wrapped around the outfit. And for a moment, as the acrobat walked towards her, there was nothing but Ty Lee. No crowd, or talking or anything. Only Ty Lee.
Zuko's chuckling brought her out of that state and back to reality, but her eyes never left Ty Lee. The white makeup she wore didn't allow much but Azula could tell she was blushing as she stood beside her. "You look good." The acrobat whispered, her grey eyes looking down and flicking back up to Azula's.
Azula smiled and admitted. "There's not a word for how beautiful you look."
The ceremony proceeded at it should, without any interruptions and loud cheering once it was finished. The 'after party' as the water peasant's brother referred to the reception went by in a blur. Azula barely remembered any of the speeches or who all congratulated them. The only thing on Azula's mind was how stunning her wife looked and how long it would take to get her out of her robes. She couldn't be comfortable in them; there were at least three layers. Azula was drawn from her musings as Ty Lee's mother came up to them. For some reason Azula really did not like that woman. Never had, not even when she was child, and probably never would.
The woman skirted around looking at Azula directly, which was fine with the princess. Ty Lee's mother, Changying if Azula remembered correctly, kissed her daughter's cheek and congratulated her, again not looking at Azula. Her long thin manicured hands, that looked the exact opposite of Ty Lee's – even though at the moment Ty Lee's hands were manicured as well – touched the golden red silk in awe. "Where ever did you find such as exquisite uchikake?"
A black eyebrow raised, Azula had been under the impression that Changying was there when Ty Lee was getting fitted for ceremonial robes. Apparently not. "It was a gift," Ty Lee answered, blushing at the attention her mother was giving her. "From a friend. The card that came with it said that it was a family heirloom. Though I don't know which family, do you Azula?"
"No, I've never seen this before in my life and I think I would notice something this beautiful." Azula informed, judging the subtle hints that told her Ty Lee wasn't telling the whole truth.
"Well, it is beautiful but I don't know what was wrong with the one I wore." Changying replied.
Mentally, Ty Lee went through the list of things that she didn't like about her mother's uchikake. It was old, used, the colors were dull and faded, and all of her sisters had worn it before her. She was tempted to burn the offending outfit, accidentally of course, when her mother left it with her. But it was an heirloom, passed down from generation to generation or whatever. Ty Lee had been alone in the room at the time, glaring down at the offending piece of clothing. Traditionally, the uchikake was supposed to be a brightly colored piece of the clothing. She imaging that once upon a time her mother's uchikake had been bright and possibly even beautiful. But now… it needed to be burned.
Gingerly she picked the flimsy cloth up. In all of her fantasies about her wedding she imagined that she would wear an uchikake of unparallel beauty, one that would take the breath away from everyone. The one she was looking at was not it. Not even close. Ty Lee set the uchikake down and picked up a random candle. Just as she was about to accidently drop it, and yes the idea that she had been spending far too much time with Azula did cross her mind, a knock came on the door. She almost dropped the candle, then it would have truly been an accident, and cursed her fast reflexes.
The door opened before Ty Lee told them to enter and would have scowled if the person opening the door hadn't surprised her. The woman she recognized as Une's wife closed the door behind her, holding a large box. They hadn't said more than three words to each other. "Can I help you?" she asked.
The woman smirked, which made her look strangely like Azula, as she eyed the candle and said, "No, but I can help you."
Ty Lee looked at the candle, her arms still positioned over the uchikake. She had the decency to blush and put the candle back where she found it. "It's not what it looks like."
"Hey." The woman said dismissively. "You do what you have to do. I know at the last minute of my wedding Une destroyed her robes."
"She did?" Ty Lee inquired, finding that bit of information amusing.
The woman nodded with a fond smile. "Yeah, she said it didn't suit her anymore. And the poor seamstress' had to work all through the night to make her a new one." She sighed at the memory, still smiling. "Anyways, I have something for you." She handed Ty Lee the box. "I know Une doesn't like to talk about her personal life but I'm something of a historian. Some time ago I stumbled upon an underground storage bunker that was hundreds, maybe even thousands of years old." Ty Lee couldn't be sure but she thought the woman was lying. However, she didn't inquire about it, after all that could be considered rude, as she set the box on top of the one with her mother's uchikake. "From what I could gather from the scrolls and tombs it belonged to either your family or Azula's directly."
Ty Lee fingered the neat thread keeping the contents of the box a secret from her. "What?" She asked, that last statement confusing you.
The woman shrugged. "Family lines are all mixed now days. But either way what's in the box is yours. Your ancestors would want you to have it."
The acrobat thanked the woman, whose name she never asked for, her attention on the box. She had gasped at the garment in the box that seemed to glow. "Ty Lee." Azula called, a hand running past Ty Lee's face.
"Oh! Sorry. I zoned out." Ty Lee apologized.
"We noticed." Azula countered her tone cross but Ty Lee could hear the playfulness in it.
But from the look in her mother's eyes she was the only one to hear it. "Nothing was wrong with yours, mother." Ty Lee intoned and changed the subject back to the one it was on. "This was just a gift from a really close friend." From Azula's chuckle, Ty Lee knew she knew that she was completely lying. "I would feel bad about not wearing it."
Had it actually happened that way she would have felt bad for not wearing it. But as it were she was just glad to have it. Changying looked unconvinced but decided not say anything. Her daughter had looked beautiful after all. She'd be the talk of the entire nation for weeks. "Regardless, I'm just glad you finally settled down." The older woman said, kissing her daughter's cheek before walking off to find her husband.
Ty Lee scowled at the back of her mother's head. "That face is unbecoming of you." Azula remarked.
"I'm not settling down." Ty Lee whined lightly. "I married you, how is that settling down?" Azula smiled as her wife circled her arms around her neck. "I think we should retire for the night." Ty Lee whispered. "These robes are getting heavy and hot."
"You know," Azula answered. "I was thinking the exact same thing. Good to see we're on the same page."
"Yes, well, as nice as that is." The familiar voice of the water bending doctor interrupted, pulling them apart. "I would like to talk to Azula alone for a second. Is that okay, Ty Lee?"
Ty Lee nodded, "Just bring her back soon. And tell your wife thank you for the uchikake."
Une nodded. "I won't be long." She paused before she started to take Azula away and turned to her charge's new wife.
She whispered something in the acrobat's ear that had her cheeks flushing. Ty Lee nodded. "Azula, I'm going up to the room first, okay."
Azula only nodded slightly, watching her wife sneak around officials to the exit. "What did you tell her?"
Une smirked. "Nothing." She lead her charge into a relatively private area. "Now for the reason I want to talk to you. I won't take you long, I know how much you want to get to your room. First, you've come a long way, Azula. I'm very proud of all that you've accomplished."
Azula quirked an eyebrow, unsure of what she should to say. So, she guessed, "Thank you?"
The water bender chuckled. "I am sorry that your brother was unable to find your mother in time for your wedding. She doesn't know what she's missing. I would have loved to talk to her. We could have worked out some of those issues."
Azula rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "I'm glad he couldn't find her."
"Now, Azula." Une chided lightly. "You know that isn't true."
"Whatever." Azula remarked, this was the absolute last thing she wanted to talk about.
Internally Azula admitted that she did want her mother to be there for her wedding but she'd never say as much out loud. Une read this in the princess' eyes and sighed lightly. "I won't keep you much longer. I only wanted to give you this gift." From a bag under her formal blue robes Une produced a tall dark blue bottle. "It's from my country. Drink it with her later tonight. It's suppose to bring about miracles." She chuckled at Azula's disbelieving expression. "Yes, I know. It's only a legend."
Azula took the bottle, watching the dark liquid inside swish slightly. "Wait. Are you leaving?"
"Yes." Une answered honestly.
"Will I see you again?" Azula inquired before asking any further questions.
Une smiled, "It's very likely." She placed her pale cold hands on Azula's shoulders. "If you need me for anything just tell a messenger hawk and I will get the message and come. Do you understand?"
"I'm not an idiot." Azula scowled before sighing. "I'm going to miss having you around."
"I'm going to miss having you as a charge." Une admitted and in an impulsive moment she hugged the younger woman. "Now, you be good." She said when they broke apart.
Azula chuckled. "No promises."
The princess watched as her doctor walked away from her, feeling sadness well up in her. She swallowed it back and looked down at the bottle and then at the crowd of people. A smirk crossed her lips as she easily weaved through them, following the path that her wife had taken. She opened the door to her room without giving any notice, taking the time to read the small label on the bottle. "Ty Lee." she called, feeling the acrobat's presence in the room so she didn't look up. "Une gave us this bottle of…" she looked up and all words left her.
Dozens of candles littered the room, casting in into a soft warm, romantic glow. The bed was made but the covers turned down with a few petals of some flower or another on them. All of this was overly romantic and if Azula had been paying attention to it she would have rolled her eyes. Instead, her golden gaze fell on her wife, who was lighting a candle. The white robes were still on but completely open. The uchikake had been neatly folded and placed in a box, not that Azula knew that.
Ty Lee smiled warmly at her wife as she blew out the fire from the lighting stick. All of her jewelry still donned her body and was cast in a nice blue against the golden glow of the candles. With more seduction then Azula thought naturally possible Ty Lee walked to her, taking the bottle from her hand before she dropped it and blindly placed it on something. "Do you like what you see?" Ty Lee whispered in a low seductive voice.
Azula nodded before coming to her senses and smirking. "You tease."
Ty Lee's smile widened. "I work with what I have." She answered, pressing lightly against her wife. "Will you join me this night, Your Highness?" Ty Lee asked demurely.
"I have nothing better to do." Azula remarked offhandedly, though the smile on her lips and her lust filled aura told another story as she pushed Ty Lee back until she fell against the bed. Knowing hands roamed over the long memorized flesh of the acrobat's toned stomach and defined ribs as a warm body hovered over her. Azula leaned down, her lips a breath's width away from her lovers. "Well, my wife." She loved how that sounded. "Whatever shall we do with this night?"
"There are so many things." Ty Lee agreed, wrapping her arms around Azula's neck.
"Yes there are." Azula remarked. "But we do have all night."
"And morning." Ty Lee added. "I'm sure being as smart and perfect as you are you can come up with something."
Had anyone else said that Azula would have been offended and angered. But her Ty Lee was nothing but sincere. Without another word spoken Azula lowered the few centimeters and kissed her wife.
~A Year Later~
Ty Lee roamed around her shared room with her wife, rearranging the room for her plans. Everything had to be perfect for their first year anniversary. Just moments before Ty Lee had thought that Azula would be overseas dealing with delegates for their anniversary. But a hawk had came in that morning informing her that Azula had wrapped things up early and would be back around sunset. Ty Lee would take what she could get and that's why everything had to be perfect.
She moved the bed slightly, the wooden leg bumping into something cylinder shaped. Confused, Ty Lee put the bed down and looked under it. To her surprise she pulled out a dark bottle of liquid. "To Azula and Ty Lee." she read the label on the bottle out loud. "Congratulations from Une." She paused. "Has this been under here for a year?" Shrugging she placed the bottle on the table where dinner would soon be placed.
If it was still good they would drink it with their meal. Ty Lee checked the time when a nock came on the door. It was almost time! The acrobat let the servants in, watching and directing where they were to put everything. The last servant to leave informed her that the princess's ship had landed at the docks just a short while ago. Ty Lee thanked him, closed the door, and quickly dressed in a simple light negligee one of her sisters had given her as a wedding present. The thing was pink and thin enough to see through with a low dip to show her cleavage and rode high on her hips, barely covering their intended area.
The heavy, determined footsteps on the marble floor told her that Azula was coming before the princess slammed the door opened. Azula noticed the room first. "You're such a romantic." She remarked, still dressed in her royal armor.
"I missed you." Ty Lee commented, enjoying the way her wife's golden eyes roamed over her body.
"I missed you as well." Azula agreed, taking the only woman she loved into her arms and kissing her thoroughly. "Let me get out of this armor and we'll continue our anniversary activities."
"Let me help you." Ty Lee offered and though Azula knew that with Ty Lee 'helping' it would take twice as long as it should she didn't say no.
She like those hands on her as the acrobat slowly unlaced the armor, tracing Azula's ribs as she did so. "Did you report to Zuko?" Ty Lee asked, just to distract Azula.
"He can wait." Azula answered, removing her armbands and tossing them on the floor, that being the last of her armor. "I have more important things to do."
"Oh?" Ty Lee questioned coyly, unable to keep the smile from her lips.
"Oh yes." Azula replied, smirking as she pulled the acrobat against her. "Something much more important." She whispered, her hot breath on Ty Lee's neck as her lips ghosted over her jaw making the shorter woman shutter.
Her heart beat against her ribs like a drum as those dark painted lips lingered over her own. Just as painted lips brushed against Ty Lee's, promising so much more than a simple kiss Ty Lee's stomach growled. The acrobat blushed violently as Azula chuckled. "Sorry." She replied meekly.
"Don't apologize." Azula scolded lightly. "When was the last time you ate?"
Grey eyes cast down to the floor in embarrassment. "Last night."
"Ty Lee."
"I was sad that you weren't going to be here for our anniversary. When I found that you would be I was so excited I…forgot." She defended.
Azula shook her head and chuckled, "Only you, Ty Lee. Only you."
"I know." Ty Lee sighed, allowing herself to be pulled to the low table and the still warm food.
Azula set across from her wife and uncovered the plate in front of Ty Lee. "Eat." She ordered. "You're going to need all the energy you can get."
The acrobat couldn't help but smile. "Of course Azula."
The princess watched for a moment before the dark bottle grabbed her attention. It looked vaguely familiar. She picked it up and read the label, her eyes lightning with realization. "I was wondering where this went."
"I found it under the bed." Ty Lee answered, placing rice in her mouth. "Was it a wedding present?"
"Yes." Azula answered as she unscrewed the cork. "Une gave it to me before she left." she sniffed the smooth sweet smelling liquid. It still smelled good to her.
"I miss her." Ty Lee said as if she had just thought of the water bender at that moment.
Azula nodded in agreement as she poured the content of the bottle in her glass, admiring the dark red of the liquid. "She told me that this was from her country and legend has it that it can create miracles."
"Really!" Ty Lee exclaimed as Azula pulled some into Ty Lee's cup. "What kind of miracles?"
The princess shrugged. "She didn't say."
"Well," Ty Lee started, taking the glass in her hand, "whatever. Happy anniversary."
Azula smiled and clinked her glass against Ty Lee's. "Happy anniversary." Azula repeated.
~x~
She had never hated the sun more at that moment as if fell on her face waking her from a peaceful slumber to a pounding headache. Azula groaned, along with a headache apparently her muscles in her back decided to cramp. Still half asleep Azula tried to get up, finding a body firmly resting on top of her, both covered in the red silk of the covers from her bed. Something was off, Azula realized, ignoring her headache as she forced herself to wake. "Ty Lee." She called the sound of her own voice jabbing knives into her head. "Ty Lee." The acrobat groaned. "Ty Lee."
"Could you keep it down, my head is killing me." Ty Lee answered, wincing at the light and burying her head in Azula's shoulder.
"Ty Lee, we need to get up." Ty Lee groaned again and rolled off her wife, but made no move to get up.
Azula sighed but set up, the movement causing a moment of vertigo to rush through her. "What the hell happened?" She whispered, because anything louder hurt her head.
The feel of marble under her hand registered to her mind and she looked down. It took longer than it should have to realize that she and Ty Lee were on the floor, all the covers and pillows littering the room. With more effort than ever before Azula stood, using the bed as leverage, and finding the room in ruin. Somehow the table that had held their food the night before had broken, most of the little knick knacks that were located on the vanity had found their way to the floor along with their clothes, and the mirror of the vanity was cracked. Try as she might, and she tried with all her might, she could not remember much after drinking that wine Une had given them. Vaguely she remembered Ty Lee commenting on how strong the liquid was and only flashes of them kissing after that.
She sighed, she was not in the mood to deal with this. So, with much effort she picked up her wife – covers and all – who groaned in protest, set her on the bare bed, grabbed a few pillows, closed the curtains to the windows, crawled back into bed and wrapped her arms around Ty Lee when the acrobat snuggled against her. A few more hours of sleep and she'd be fine.
The next time she woke it was to Ty Lee's loud gasp and she couldn't stop herself from chuckling when the acrobat groaned. "What happened to the room?" the acrobat asked a hand on her head. "What happened last night?" Azula didn't answer, her head still ached, though it wasn't as bad as it had been. "Azula." The acrobat called, shaking her shoulder. "The sun is setting."
"What?" Azula yelled making both her and Ty Lee flinch. "We slept all day."
"Apparently." Ty Lee answered. "Do you remember what happened?" Azula shook her head in the negative. "Wow, whatever was in that bottle was super strong. Remind me never to take alcohol from a Master Water bender."
"So noted," Azula agreed as she set up.
"My back hurts." The acrobat whined. "I don't think we should sleep on the floor anymore."
Azula nodded in agreement but caught sight of deep red scratches running down her wife's back when Ty Lee leaned over. Unexpectedly, Azula wrapped her arms around her wife, kissing the angry marks she had more than likely made the night prior. "I don't think it was only the floor." Azula remarked, smiling against the reddened skin when she felt Ty Lee shiver. "Whatever we did last night must have unimaginably good for me to leave these kinds of marks."
Ty Lee didn't know what she meant but when she turned in the embrace she noticed heavy bruises – the size of her mouth – along her lover's upper torso. "I see." She said with a smirk. "It's too bad we don't remember."
"Too bad indeed." Azula agreed, pressing her lips to Ty Lee's throat. "I think we should stay in bed today, well the rest of the day. To make up for lost time."
The acrobat whimpered lightly. "I like that idea." Ty Lee agreed, pulling Azula up and into an open mouthed kiss.
~One Month Later~
The meeting, as Azula was officially referring to it, was suppose to be the first actual 'family' dinner of the Royal family, which was odd considering it had been more than a year since she had returned to the palace. She had been assured, despite how tense the atmosphere was now, that this would be 'fun'. Sometimes Azula had to wonder what her wife was doing to make her so happy and optimistic all the time and if she could have some.
Her golden eyes cast to her right, where her wife was sitting, looking pale and like she wasn't having a good time at all. Ty Lee hadn't been feeling well for weeks now but it was an off and on thing and she refused to go to the healer. Occasionally, she would make a face at her nephew and make him giggle and shy away from her, all smiles. But her food had barely been touched, which was not like her at all. Azula caught Mai eyeing her friend worriedly before catching Azula's eye. "Ty," Azula called lightly, placing a hand on her lover's back. "If you're not feeling well, go to bed."
Dull grey eyes looked back at her before a small forced smile came to her lips. "Okay." She looked at her brother and sister-in-law and smile apologetically. "Sorry. I'm just really tired."
Ty Lee stood, using the low table as leverage before standing straight. Azula, Mai, and Zuko were up the instant Ty Lee begun to loose her balance. Azula, because she was closest, picking the acrobat up before she could fall. "You're going to see the healer." Azula remarked in a tone that was not be questioned.
Ty Lee only nodded, feeling dizzy. She still didn't think she was ill, but something was wrong.
~x~
To her utter annoyance Azula had been forced to leave the room as the healer examined her wife. And to make matters worse the only person with her was her brother, holding his son, as Mai was allowed in the room. She seriously would have attacked that doctor if her brother hadn't stopped her, telling her not to make matters worse. If Ty Lee hadn't given her that pleading look Azula would have brushed her brother off and attacked the doctor anyways.
Despite her brother's protest Azula put her hand on the door knob, turning it. Really what could Zuko do to stop her with a baby in his arms? "There's nothing wrong with you." The healer informed with a smile, just as Azula opened the door. "You're pregnant."
The princess froze, heart and everything, at what she had just heard. "What, but that's not possible." Ty Lee argued lightly, no one yet noticing Azula at the door.
The sound of liquid dropping on the marble floor drew everyone's attention to Azula as the gold door knob melted in her hand. "Azula." Ty Lee said worriedly, reading the confused, angered, and betrayed emotions in her aura.
Azula's eyes were shadowed as she released what was left of the doorknob, turned and walked away. Try as she might, Ty Lee did not get up quick enough to stop her lover from walking away. Nearly falling off the bed as she tried to stand didn't help her at all either. "What happened?" Zuko inquired, following the path his sister had taken with his eyes before turning back to Ty Lee.
~x~
Azula rushed, while keeping a walking pace, down the halls of the palace, trying to stop herself from thinking of what she just heard. She wanted to cry, to curl up in her bed and cry. She could feel the tears pricking at her eyes but she pushed them back, allowing anger to replace the other emotion. For a second she stopped and slammed her fist into the wall, breaking the skin on her hand and putting a large hole in the wall. The pain allowed her something to focus on as her knuckles quickly bruised. Pain was something she knew and understood.
The princess made her way to a room, just a random room and went to the balcony, throwing the doors open. The sun was close to setting, burning the city below. Now that she knew she was alone she allowed a few tears to slip past her guard as she thought about what she had just learned. At first it had crossed her mind that Ty Lee betrayed her, again. Had found some random male and…she didn't want to think about what they did. Then reason kicked in, Ty Lee looked confused when the healer informed her that she was with child. Azula ground her teeth together at that thought. Her wife was going to have a child.
Breathing in and out heavily, Azula continued to stare at the city. This wasn't Ty Lee's fault, she decided. She truly believed that Ty Lee loved her and wouldn't do this to her, not willing. Une had assured her that Ty Lee loved her and would stay with her no matter what and the water bender had never lied to her before. She trusted Une and she trusted Ty Lee. Someone else did this. Someone had the nerve, or death wish, to get her wife pregnant and they would pay. A cruel smirk donned her lips as she glared out at the city.
END….Well continued in Of Fire. ;}
A/N: 1st, if you noticed the end of this chapter is a lot like the first chapter of 'Of Fire'. If you didn't then you need to read Of Fire.
2nd, There are pictures of Ty Lee and Azula's wedding outfits on my deviant art. Also, I have to thank 'How to Draw Manga Costume Encyclopedia Volume 40-something: Gowns and Kimonos' for all the names of the clothing Azula and Ty Lee got married in.
Something funny I just learned: Having a Pink Aura means this: self-love, tenderness, female energies, gay energies, emphasis on physical appearances, being 'nice' at expense of being 'real'.