The mischievous couple spent a few more days at the Firelord's palace, but didn't continue to torture Zuzu the same way that they had the night of Azula's arrival. They were out of rockets after all.
Mostly they were having fun just being together. Despite his status, Kuei had very few close friends. He was an awkward sort despite his culture and refinement, and had trouble connecting with people on a deep level. If he were not born a king, he would have been considered the playground nerd and snubbed. General Fong was a good confidant and friend, but he was busy. Kuei had some courtesans in the palace for a while, but he dismissed them after he fell in love with Azula. It didn't seem right to give a woman this kind of attention when his heart belonged to another, even if they were well paid.
Kuei had trouble trusting the rest of his court. He wasn't stupid. He'd heard the rumors and while they varied a little, they all agreed on one thing: he was incompetent. There was even talk of some attempting to assassinate him. Thus, why he connected so well with his bear; he knew he could trust Bosco.
Azula also had trouble connecting with people. She too was socially awkward and easily disliked, but for very different reasons. It wasn't difficult to imagine that some would want to kill her.
Azula was still hesitant to open herself up to the Earth King; like always, complicated things brewed inside of her. But the Earth King was patient and steady. He didn't mind initiating most of the affection between them, and Azula always responded with some hesitation though he could tell that she genuinely enjoyed his touch. She also enjoyed his company more than she could remember enjoying anyone else's, and there was a part of her that truly didn't want to leave him.
They were two little misshapen peas in a mutated pod, and there was something about their chemistry so strange and off that it translated into cute. Their love was like the winner of an ugly dog contest, a dog so ugly it was beautiful.
Eventually to Zuzu and the palace staff's delight, the two had to part ways. Azula had to build her grand bison army after all, and Kuei had to get back to his Kingdom. Azula promised to visit the Earth Kingdom palace once things were straight with her ladies.
When he kissed her goodbye it was like fire, the first she remembered being unable to control.
# # # # #
It took some time, but eventually the ladies did warm up to the idea of mating and eventually becoming mothers. Azula also took it upon herself to get to know the males a little better, and even gave them names.
Jezobel, the timid fawn that she was, would make a good mate for Appa, and Azula knew it would be best to wait until the Avatar arrived. Lillith and a husky male by the name of Avarice were spending time together, and Delilah and Inferno were getting along quite well. All the ladies had paired up, all with the exception of Dominatia.
She became an absolute bear, and not the Bosco kind. Normally a somewhat docile but mischievous therapy animal, Dominatia turned incredibly cranky and disgruntled. Her temper flared at unpredictable moments. Rather than keep company and chatter with Azula, she stayed off in corners by herself, muttering and growling. She rubbed her head raw against the stone cliffs of the temple and nervously bit her nails down to the quick.
Azula had had to file them several times. "You're so miserable because you're in season, Dominatia and you're being stubborn," her Lord reprimanded. "You know Rampage has taken an interest in you," she gestured with her nail file at a steady male with grey spotting on his back. Azula thought his coloring was quite unique and that the pairing of him with Dominatia would make some lovely babies. Presently he stopped a few hundred feet away from them and set down something he'd been carrying in his mouth. He raised his head to regard them both with a large bison grin before he nudged his offering forward with his nose.
"Now isn't that thoughtful? He brought your favorite!" The sake bottle rolled toward Azula's feet. The Bison Lord picked it up and brandished it for Dominatia.
Rather than being delighted, Dominatia fixed Azula with an angry grimace. Her lips curled back ever so slightly and for a few seconds she shook. Then her mouth snapped open and she growled so viciously at Azula that the princess felt her hair blown back from her head.
Azula closed her eyes and put up her hands in defense, but when she opened her eyes again, her beloved bison was gone.
She heard Rampage scuffle the rocks beside her and grumble sympathetically at his Lord.
"I'm fine, thank you," she told the male, panting a little, but Dominatia clearly was not. She stayed out in the plains and the mountains the rest of the day, and it wasn't until later that night that Azula heard her fly in.
But her Lord didn't greet her. Azula gave her her space.
Later that evening, Azula went for the book again. She'd gotten a little advice from it right when she arrived at the temple, but just when she started to delve into its secrets, her other bison had fallen into line. At that time she had shelved it, thinking Dominatia would eventually do the same.
But it was time for more of its wisdom. She started sifting through the back for solutions when a slip of paper fell from the ancient leafs. Azula picked it up.
Azula,
I'm glad you were so nasty to me at breakfast that day. Otherwise, I would have been like this King, who searched forever to find his bride.
Thinking of you always,
Kuei.
Azula didn't have the foggiest idea what he was talking about until she saw the legend in the Air Nomad volume. She delved into it, amazed at how similar this Air Nomad Peasant's story was to hers. She too had attended a masked ball and lost a shoe. She too had tried to conceal her identity.
Still, Azula and this lady were very different. The tale wasn't exactly a complex novel full of deep characterization and trial, but the heroine struck Azula as every other typical fairytale-princess-heroine-clone. She was demure, kind, and so sugary sweet she'd either give the reader diabetes or force an epic upchuck by the last page. The only quality Azula shared with this Air Nomad woman was her ability to lie. According to the legend, she had lied about being an Air Nomad Princess, when in reality, she was only a peasant. Unbeknownst to the Fire Lord, the Air Nation didn't have royalty.
What amazed her more was that Kuei thought her worthy of chasing, on the same level as this girl who had clearly not committed any atrocities and was kind through and through.
I'm glad you were so nasty to me…
The sweet little thing always got her man. The evil queen received a deserving fate. So which one was Azula?
I'm glad you were so nasty to me…
When she couldn't answer her question, Azula's brow knit together in frustration and her lip trembled. Overcome with sudden self-loathing, she slammed the volume shut.
# # # # #
She asked Avatar Aang about the legend. "Have you ever heard of this story, Avatar?" she snarked, haphazardly tossing the book at Aang when he arrived with Appa a few days later.
"Oh, wow the legend of Cin Fa Che! I haven't heard this story since I was a kid!"
"Is it real?" Azula asked pointedly.
Aang shrugged, "Naa, I'm pretty sure it's just a legend. I mean after all, falling in love with a King, losing a shoe, then running away and lying about who you are," he giggle-snorted. "Who does that, right?"
Azula's eyes widened, and she force out a laugh so fake and obnoxious it made the one at Chan's party look like a baby's giggle.
Aang scratched his head and looked at her. "Are you OK? I mean, you're not off your meds or anything again are you? 'Cause I can tell Zuko that you need some more."
Azula coughed back her laughter and then waved her hand in dismissal. "Oh, no, Dominatia would have my head if I don't follow doctor's orders. She says I'm unbearable when I don't."
"I can't imagine why," Aang deadpanned, the faintest of smiles on his lips.
Azula looked at him and then busted up laughing. "Oh, good one!" she congratulated. When she stopped laughing she said: "The bison usually go into canyon or plains to mate, Avatar, and they stay gone for a few hours. So you're more than welcome to read over your people's knowledge while you wait, but I'll need that book back when you're done. I'm going to the plains to bend and shoot at clay palls, since I can't use you for a target anymore."
Aang blinked then laughed in spite of himself. "Good one!"
# # # #
Lillith was taking a break from her trysts with Avarice, so she was more than happy to accommodate Azula's need for a clay pall launcher. The large bison bent the clay pieces up into the air and then punted them with couple of gusts of wind from her gigantic tail. Azula's lightning neatly shattered the clay targets and helped her to think.
Usually Dominatia was Azula's targe launcher, but the bison had been very scarce ever since that day when Rampage had tried to win her affections. Azula saw her fly in at night and then lay on her back to sleep, but she was gone in the morning, often right after Azula woke up. Azula didn't try to approach her; she sensed Dominatia needed her space. She just hoped that her therapy pet would come out of it soon.
Azula was about halfway through her shot supply when she saw an Earth Kingdom balloon approaching in the distance. She felt her heart speed up a little, but as it got closer she realized that it wasn't King Kuei. It didn't have the right royal markings.
She stopped shooting for fear she might hit it, but she lit a small bonfire on the top of the plains so the operator would know where she was.
When it docked against the plains a simple man with graying hair and an earnest smile stepped out. Azula thought he looked like a young grandfather. He bowed slightly. "Bison Lord Azula, his Majesty King Kuei wishes you well and sent me to give you this token of his affection." He handed the Bison Lord an object wrapped loosely with green silk.
Azula opened the cloth and let out a little gasp. It was a solid gold necklace crafted into tiny linked cherry blossoms and dotted with dozens of tiny rubies and garnets. Her throat constricted; she'd never gotten a gift from a man before, and it was so beautiful. "It's very fine," she choked out.
"His Majesty wishes you to know that it was crafted for you after he got back from the Fire Nation. It's why it took so long for him to send you a gift. He wanted it made especially for you so you could remember the cherry blossoms."
Azula put the necklace on immediately and bowed with all formality, trying her best to blink back her tears. "Give the Earth King my thanks, and tell him the bison are nearly mated. I should be able to leave the temple in a couple of weeks."
"His Majesty will be pleased to hear it," the messenger said as he climbed back into the balloon.
Azula waved him off, then turned to Lillith. "We should head back down and check on the Avatar."
# # # #
The Bison Lord found Avatar Aang comfortably propped on a bed of temple moss and snoring like mad. The book was carelessly open beside him, his cloak haphazardly flung across him, the tiniest stream of drool draining from his mouth.
Lillith snickered deviously beside Azula, and Jezobel nodded her head in agreement. The latter was in a particularly mischievous and energetic mood after her successful courtship with Appa. The giant male bison, equally sated from his romance, just rolled his eyes at the two females. Appa may not agree with their suggested antics, but he wasn't about to tell his new girlfriend "no."
Neither was Azula. "Oh very well, since you ladies insist," and she sent a tiny stream of lightning at Aang's rump.
The Avatar jumped up in alarm, his staff at the ready, his cloak landing beside him. "Who what….?" His eyes fell on Azula's necklace, and suddenly the alarm he felt was replaced with raging curiosity. "Wow! That necklace is gorgeous! Azula where did you get that?!"
Azula straightened with pride. "It's from my boyfriend. A messenger brought it not too long ago. You must have been asleep."
"YOU have a BOYFRIEND?" Aang was slack jawed, but excited nonetheless. "Who is he? You've got to tell me!"
"Absolutely not!" Azula said firmly.
"Well whoever he is, HE'S LOADED! Azula that's the prettiest necklace I've ever seen and I'm engagement shopping for my girlfriend right now! Seriously, who is he?"
Azula's eyes narrowed. "I'll never tell! Besides, it's not serious."
"NOT SERIOUS!?" Aang exclaimed. "Once again, are you OFF YOUR MEDS, Azula?! In some cultures accepting a necklace is agreeing to an engagement!"
Azula fidgeted. Kuei had said something about them being engaged, several times in fact, but there was a part of Azula that still couldn't believe Kuei would want to take it that far. "Well, how am I supposed to know that?" she said defensively. "It's not like that little Water Tribe Wench of yours shares anything with me other than daggers."
Aang face palmed and let out a breath. "Ok, you don't want to talk to me about it. I respect that. Just do this guy a favor and figure out where you stand before you really break his heart, OK?"
"Break his heart?" Azula choked. Her face fell. She hadn't thought about that.
Aang shook his head as he climbed up on Appa. "Azula, take it from another guy. Men don't give women presents like that unless they're really in love." Then he ordered Appa skyward and they descended into the twilight, leaving Azula still blustering with her thoughts.
# # # #