A/N: Holy crap it's been a month already. Disclosure: I wrote the first two chapters on my school break, and I am just now rehearing the song after a month of lacking desire and just not wanting to hear the song lest I feel obligated to input on this chapter. Anyway, yeah, I'll add more at the bottom. There is nudity and sexual themes, but it's presented as comedy and nothing really happens, as per the usual.
"What are you doing?" a peculiar servant asks.
Azula remains stationary. The steam finds itself littered throughout the bathroom. The bubbles in the warm water she resides in pop here and there, the wave that formed from her sudden movement moving to and fro.
Of course, this does little to make the scene this…invasive servant entered into without any form of politeness, embarrassment, or tact any less obvious to the common eye.
Azula's left hand remains gripped on her left breast, her pointer and middle fingers pinching her erect nipple. Meanwhile, her right hand remains in the depths below, currently pausing on the button of ecstasy above her womanhood. Her hair, still wet because she was bathing at one point, is behind her, leaving the top portion of her naked body open for the servant to see.
With an exaggerated bemoaning sigh, Azula lets her hands fall into the water, creating a soap-filled splash that forms puddles on the floor around the bath. She turns her attention to the servant who has invaded her most intimate form of privacy.
"Think really hard about it, and if you will figure it out, make sure nobody knows or you will be looking a lot like my brother should you intrude again," she says.
The servant raises a surprisingly well treated right eyebrow. She remains in the doorway, blocking anybody outside of it from sneaking a peek but still leaving her well open for the gust of wind that blows in. Naked and suddenly stuck in lukewarm water with its temperature descending fast, the wind does little to calm her body from its desires.
Azula notices that the servant hasn't moved or said anything. In fact, if anything, the piercing glare Azula is giving her seems to have little effect on the lowly peasant.
Be it a few years before, she'd be dead on sight. Unfortunately, given Azula's current set-up in life and royalty, immediate death for rudely interrupting a member of the royal family's privacy for seemingly no reason is frowned upon now. Shame, really.
"Well?" Azula asks.
The servant shrugs, lowering her eyebrow. Her face sinks, continuing to fail in recognizing the danger she's really in.
It might not be allowed, but as the seconds tick on, it sure as hell is becoming more satisfying than what Azula was doing before the servant arrived.
"You were twiddling the danger zone, that much is obvious," the servant says.
Azula notices three things in that moment. For one, her right eye starts to twitch randomly for reasons Azula is unaware of. Secondly, a strand of her long and beautiful hair suddenly falls out of place and off her head. She sees it land in the soapy marsh below her. Which leads her to the last point, the aforementioned soapy marsh begins to suddenly start heating up again, which does not exactly help her libido calm down.
"If you don't have a reason for barging in, I'll be lenient and give you a five minute head start," Azula says.
"What? It's natural for a woman, especially considering your situation," the servant says.
"Four minutes," she says.
"I mean, you find somebody you enjoy fucking and you're suddenly apart against your will, it only make sense to pleasure yourself," the servant continues.
Another hair falls, joining its other comrade in floating in the bath.
"Thirty seconds," Azula says.
"And considering your taste in men," the servant says, adding in a little playful 'roar' to her statement. "Water tribe boys certainly back up all that wor—"
The servant is silenced by the sound of the bath water being shifted. She notices that Azula has stood up, reached back her right hand, and formed a ball of blue fire.
"Two seconds," is all Azula says.
"RuiShiwaslookingforyouther'sanimportantmeetingtheFireLordwantsyoutoattendsohurryupandstopmasturbating," the servant pukes out.
As she exits the bathroom, the door slams shut. Moments after the thud of the door closing begins, the fire ball hits the wall next to it. Due to the palace's design of basically pure metal, only a black smudge is formed. The attack, if you want to call it that, wasn't intended to be lethal or even harmful, but it served its intention all the same.
If all of Zu-Zu's servants have become this free than she'll need to have a conversation about keeping something of an iron fist.
Or at least boundaries.
A name will be required in order to take advantage of this invasive servant. Nothing too harsh, just a rougher treatment to mold her to be a better member of the Fire Lord's court.
Or at least the ability to knock and speak through a bathroom door.
Azula huffs, blowing the remaining strands in front of her face back where they belong atop her head.
Deciding the moment is ruined and there's no use in finishing what she started, Azula steps out of the bath, making her way towards the clothes her brother so kindly gave to her.
Considering they were what Mai had left and didn't take with her, Azula opts instead for the clothes she was given before she was exiled.
Of all the people to consider a friend, the ex-girlfriend of her lover certainly wasn't on her mind to most likely. But I suppose finding allies in the strangest of places is something Azula is good at, whether she ever intends to or not.
The twilight sky outside the open window rains in, casting Azula in a spotlight she wishes to avoid.
She's seated on a custom-made chair—and cheaply-made at that—her right elbow on the armrest, serving as a post for her head to lean against.
She could move, she supposes, but the desire to move at all just isn't there.
I suppose after being yelled at by people she had begun to see as friends, forced away from somebody she loves with every fiber of her being, and exiled from a city meant to unite the four nations would certainly drive one to lose any desire of much of anything.
She's not depressed because she's not inherently sad. If there's any emotion Azula was feeling, it would be anger. At what, she couldn't pinpoint, but considering the amount of heavy-breathed sighs she's released, she imagines it at just about everything.
Well, almost everything.
Taking notice of her surroundings, she sees her unlikely…friend, she supposes, throwing clothes out of her wardrobe into a suitcase seated on a well-made bed. Shirts, robes, pants, socks, skirts, what, no…
Another sigh escapes from her lips.
"I realize I might be treading on dangerous water here, but could you please stop sighing?" her friend asks.
Deciding it better to humor her, Azula responds.
"I can try," she says.
That's it. Nothing sarcastic or witty. Just…factual.
Her friend turns around, ceasing her incessant packing, her face betraying her feelings. Unsatisfactory. You get zero stars. Leave it to the masters, girl.
"If it helps, I understand what you're feeling," her friend says.
Hm…yes…Azula supposes she does. Leaving in the middle of the night to return to her home village without so much as a note, only to later find out how bad it got when they decided to visit her out of worry, all because her boyfriend decided they should stop being in a relationship because he was more focused on making a city a reality would certainly bare credence to her knowing how she's feeling.
Azula's not quite sure if that was sarcasm or if she was serious.
"For those months before you all showed up, I barely left my house, and if I did, it was only to help train the other Kyoshi Warriors or to go to the market. It was…bad. I can't count the amount of times it felt better to just…end it. Every time I tried, I kept realizing how silly it was, but…than I thought of his smile, his eyes, his genuine passion and kindness…and I kept on repeating it. When the group arrived, I guess I just woke-up. Seeing him the happiest he's ever been in months hurt, and still does, but…I guess I knew that if he was happier without me, doing what he wanted to do, than who was I to stop him?"
"Suki…" Azula starts to say.
"No, no, it's fine. You're in a bad spot right now. Maybe not as bad as I was, but still worse than the normal Azula I know," Suki says.
"Oh? And what's so different about this Azula?" Azula asks.
"Well, for starters, that hair is just way too greasy for my Azula. And that complexion is way out of whack. Not to mention your nails are starting to look uneven and you have bags under your eyes."
Azula lets out another sigh despite her friend's wishes.
"Is this supposed to make me feel better?" she asks.
Suki continues, uncaring about the question.
"But the fire inside of you is fading. That voice of yours that carries an entire room is dim. The wit that usually pisses me off isn't there and your confidence in everything you say or do is…well it's gone. You're not the Azula I've come to consider a friend. And I'll do anything I can to get her back."
Azula glances over to the suitcase seated on the bed. She glances over towards Suki, who has a small smile on her face despite everything.
Letting a small smirk form, Azula shakes her head.
"Thank you, Suki," she says.
Suki nods, her smile growing wider. She turns back around, resuming her search through her wardrobe.
"Now…I obviously can't give you all my clothes, but considering you didn't really have any permanent residence, barring that hotel you two visited…"
"Ha," the sarcasm dripping out of Azula.
"…I think I can afford to go without some clothes until I have enough money to go shopping again," Suki finishes.
She turns to face Azula, her hands together behind her back and a smile unwavering on her face.
Azula notices a pattern in some of her friends. An annoying pattern.
"That smile gets any wider and you'll turn into Ty Lee," she says.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
"Please don't…"
"Now…!"
Suki claps her hands together. She moves towards the suitcase, zipping up all of the clothes inside. Despite the amount of attire she shoved into it, it manages to close fairly easily.
"All of your toiletries and other needed accessories will be picked up by some of Zuko's men once you get settled in a bit at the palace. I'll be there as soon as I can but I don't have the luxury of a royal accompaniment. If you have any questions while you're there, there's this servant who you'll get along with just fine. Otherwise, Zuko will always be glad to help."
"Thank you, Suki, truly. You didn't have to come all the way here from the Fire Nation just because of me," Azula says.
"Nonsense! It was actually Zuko's idea. He figured you would need a friend who you weren't related to in order to keep you from going too far down a place you shouldn't be. It just worked out that I joined his court a month before."
Azula lets her head off her hand. She stands up, letting the blood flow back to her sleeping limb. Rotating her wrist a bit to relieve some tension, she approaches Suki.
Suki opens her arms, allowing Azula to receive a hug. Physical contact still isn't her thing, but she understands the desire for such more than she used to.
Hesitantly, Azula wraps her arms around Suki. The two tighten the embrace, remaining as such long enough for Azula to sink into it.
When Azula starts feeling uncomfortable, she lets go. Suki complies immediately and the two step back.
With both young women standing in the twilight spotlight, a knock is heard on the door.
"That would be your guide," Suki says.
She meanders out of the bedroom, leaving the door open. Azula watches her exit, the smile she had having disappeared completely. She turns her head towards the suitcase, her only real possession barring the clothes on her back.
Letting yet another sigh seep through, Azula hears footsteps approaching. Suki appears in the doorframe, with a familiar face located behind her, a face she hadn't expected to see after the war was over.
"Rui Shi?" she asks.
The soldier dressed in armor salutes the former princess. A genuine smile is across his face. Judging by the badges on this fresh new set of clothes, Azula guesses that he's advanced past captain.
"Hello Princ—oh, um…" Rui starts to say.
Azula shakes her head, approaching the former captain. Suki steps out of the way, allowing the two of them to share an embrace of their own.
"It's nice to see you again," he says.
"I could say the same for you. How…?" she asks.
The two separate, Rui's smile long gone. Instead, he glances towards the floor, avoiding looking directly at his former princess.
"After the war ended, the group you had keep watch at the palace, well…turned you in. We didn't get out of it empty handed but…we avoided prison time and were able to stay in the army, albeit demoted far below where we were," he says.
Azula shakes her head.
"You…you did what you had to do," she says.
Rui looks up at her, their eyes meeting.
"You're not mad?" he asks.
"I might have been at one point, but for now I'm just glad you're alive. But what's that you're wearing? That certainly isn't your uniform. Last we met you were just a captain," she says.
His lips curl up ever so slightly and a sparkle shines in his eye. He begins speaking firmly.
"The Fire Lord knowing me somewhat personally has allowed me a little bit of an advantage in the army. I'm officially a member of his advisors and answer directly to him and him alone. Although, with another member of the royal family officially being returned, I will now also answer to you."
"Oh you poor thing. So…wait…does that mean…?" Azula begins to say.
"I will be serving as your personal bodyguard once more, although this time I'll have a little more pull. It was something the Fire Lord asked of me personally, and who am I to deny him?"
Azula can feel the water start to blur her vision. Trying to save face, she embraces Rui Shi once again. He happily returns it.
Azula stares at the tapestry above her. It's covering the entire wall and was made quite recently considering it has Zu-Zu on it, posing as the Fire Lord. Alone.
How about that? The Fire Lord alone. No wife, no heirs, only a court of trustworthy advisers. Azula is tempted to release a chuckle until she realizes she herself was also alone. Yet another thing the two of them have in common, the list being small despite their time together.
Nonetheless, the tapestry is certainly better than the last one she looked at. All the previous Fire Lords, including her father, looking as strong as can be. She'll take one of Sokka's drawings over that any day. Then again, she'd take one of Sokka's drawings over anything so she really isn't in a position to judge.
The door to her left opens, but Azula doesn't turn to see who it is. The voice alone does enough to answer.
"Lady Azula, the Fire Lord is ready to see you now," Rui Shi says.
Azula closes her eyes. She takes a deep breath and lets it go, allowing the fire inside of her to flow to every portion of her body. It's a relaxation method, a small form of meditation to relax the muscles and allow one to calm the mind and body.
It doesn't work.
"Of course," she says.
She turns and follows Rui Shi into the throne room. The door closes behind her, echoing in the currently empty chambers. Strange, the lack of fire behind the throne really accentuate the acoustics of the room.
She hears two voices speaking from where she's standing halfway across the room.
Okay, maybe the acoustics aren't a good thing.
Azula follows Rui Shi up to Zu-Zu, revealing the person he's talking to…is Uncle.
Not allowing a grimace to show lest her Uncle take advantage, she merely flexes her fist to keep herself occupied
Zu-Zu and Uncle turn to her, stopping their conversation short. Zu-Zu smiles, welcoming her presence like a true Fire Lord should. Uncle, however, merely stares at her, observing her with his eyes like he does everything. Considering she does it too she can't really judge him for it, but it still is annoying when unwarranted.
"My Fire Lord, Lady Azula, as requested," Rui Shi says.
He bows, presenting me to the audience of two.
The lack of applause and cheer is something she's gotten used to.
"Hello Zu-Zu," she says.
She turns to the left, eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
"Uncle."
It was short, curt, simple, and enough to tick Zu-Zu off to the tension. Hm, maybe he has gotten smarter with power.
"Um, Uncle, maybe you should go," he says.
Uncle turns towards his nephew, his eyes remaining ever observant.
"Are you sure?" is all he asks.
"Yes. Return to your quarters. I'll make sure to finish our conversation before you head back to the White Lotus."
Iroh nods, sparing a glance at Azula. It lasts more than it should have, allowing her to further narrow her eyes. The grimace starts to form despite her attempts at the contrary.
"I trust you nephew," he says.
But not her. Of course. Ever the stubborn one, truly not unlike his brother.
"Uncle," its Zuko's voice. "Please…go…"
Everybody hears the desperation in his voice, and not wanting to displease the Fire Lord, Iroh nods. He turns towards the exit, his footsteps echoing across throughout the room.
Once the three of them hear the door open and close, Zuko begins to speak.
"Good morning Azula. How was your sleep?"
"I've had better. Why am I here?" Azula asks.
An apology is probably in order, but considering the circumstances, she'd rather cut to the chase and not fence around the obvious and precise.
"Right, sorry, you're on edge right now. Understandable," Zuko says.
"Not even an argument?" Azula asks, raising her right eyebrow for effect. "I'm impressed Zu-Zu."
"Yes, well, deal with ten other soldiers as antsy to get a meeting done as you are and you're bound to pick up on a few things," Zuko says
He turns towards Rui Shi briefly.
"No offense."
"No, no, I understand my Lord."
Zuko claps his hands together, the sound continuing to echo seconds after the action itself.
Did he pick that up from Suki or did Suki pick that up from him? Either way, stopping it would really make Azula's days better.
"There is a meeting tonight at five. We will then have dinner with some guests upon which we will further discuss what exactly you'll be doing. You're welcome to attend, although I'd recommend not saying anything, lest the other members, um…"
Zuko pauses, putting a finger to his chin to ponder upon the word.
"Retaliate?" Rui Shi pipes in.
Zuko nods, allowing his arms to fold across his chest.
"That'll work. Retaliate. As for now, I was thinking—if you were up for it—letting you head into the market to pick-up any required items Suki couldn't give you. Rui Shi and his guards will accompany you, as well as a personal handmaid."
At this, Azula narrows her eyes.
"What makes you think I need a personal handmaid? I think I've learned to take care of myself at this point," she says.
Zuko waves his hand at her. Bold move. Azula remembers to keep that in the back of her mind if a situation ever arises where she can annoy her brother.
"Think of her more of a servant then if it makes you feel better. She'll do whatever you ask and won't question it. Although, I should probably warn you, she, uh…she can be a bit…um…"
Once again, Zuko finds himself at a loss for words. The Fire Lord. At a loss for words. The irony is actually amusing.
Or it would be if Rui Shi's input didn't damper her mood further.
"Crass?" he ponders.
Azula's eyes widen, raising both eyebrows and forming an official grimace on her face.
"Yeah…that's a start," Zuko says.
A knock on the door breaks into their conversation.
"Here she is now. Yes, come in!" Zuko calls.
Azula hears the door open and close. She remains staring at her brother despite the approaching figure, her face never changing from the last expression.
Once her worst fears appear in front of her, she sees that—yes—it's the servant who interrupted her personal time.
"Hello!" she says.
Either she's oblivious or choosing not to bring it up. Either way is good, it means she can avoid any unneeded embarrassment.
"Azula, this is Midori. She'll be your personal handmaid, as discussed," Zuko says.
The servant—Midori—appears in her eyesight, blocking her from glaring at Zu-Zu.
Midori suddenly speaks.
"Yep, personal handmaid. Although, judging from the pinching and rubbing on yourself earlier, you probably have the 'personal hand' part 'made', right?"
The heat rises to her cheeks. She knows it. And judging by the reaction of everyone else in the room, they also know it.
Zuko allows his right hand to slap against the front of his face.
Rui Shi provides his own input.
"Oh boy," he says.
To distract herself from any further embarassment, she raises a fist, letting a blue flame form.
"Run," she says.
A/N: Not sure when the next chapter will arrive. Won't put a date on it. It's 1 in the morning and I have work in six hours and I need sleep so I'll proofread tomorrow. Sorry for any glaring mistakes or grammatical errors. My eyes hate me right now so blame them. Also yes it's obvious the quality drops towards the latter half. I'll probably also rewrite tomorrow because again my eyes hate me.
Hey I updated and proofread so we're good now.
