Disclaimer: I don't own Avatar

Note: Please be patient for the romance. We will be building it up first.


Chapter One

It took more than three years of rehabilitation before the Princess of the Fire Nation was deemed mentally stable.

For the past six months, she had been residing back in the palace. Although free from the mental facility, Azula knew she was not truly 'free' in the real sense of the word. Her brother, the Fire Lord, proved to be merciful enough to allow her back into her old home. However, for the meantime, she was not allowed to leave the premises and was heavily guarded all day and all night in case she does so or in case she tries anything damaging to the Fire Lord.

Despite everything, and despite constant declarations of dissent from his future Fire Lady, Zuko released Azula when her time at the asylum was up. Mai insisted she either be sent to the dungeon for the rest of her living days or banished, but Zuko found this too cruel. He argued that she was still his sister and she was now rehabilitated and the healers had backed him up. Mai countered that if the roles were reversed, Azula would not hesitate letting Zuko rot behind bars…or worse. In the end all her reasoning was ignored, Zuko stated that he was not his sister after all. He would show her mercy even if she did not deserve it.

Azula proved to be docile enough that after the first six months, the number of guards assigned to her was decreased. She was decent to her brother but was still not in speaking terms with Mai.

The Princess was served her dinner in her quarters. She rarely ate with the Fire Lord and future Fire Lady and preferred to stay in her bedroom. Whenever she walked about in the palace, the noblemen and women of the court, the servants, the guards, everyone would suddenly go silent. All eyes would be on her. It was like they were expecting her to snap and rain azure fire on them. They all feared her. And they should, she thought. She spent most of her time in her quarters or in the training grounds honing her bending that was forbidden to her for all her stay in the asylum.

She dabbed a crimson napkin across her lips and ordered her chambermaid to clean up the remnants of her dinner.

News was spreading throughout the palace that the Avatar would be arriving tomorrow. Although four years had passed since he won the war, there were still nonstop issues that the Avatar needed to address. Maintaining peace and balance was proving to be just as hard as fighting in a war.

Azula was unfazed by the news of his impending arrival. Even though this was the boy who defeated her father, destroyed their empire, and ruined everything she worked for, she found that she was not full of rage but… curiosity.

X

Aang was escorted to the throne room. Orange flames separated him and the young Fire Lord.

"It's great to see you, Aang. It's been so long," Zuko greeted, the flames parting as he stepped down from the great platform.

"You too, Zuko," the younger boy shot him a big grin and enveloped him in a hug.

"How was Ember Island?" he asked. Zuko lent Aang, Katara, Sokka, Toph and Suki his beach house a few weeks back.

"Honestly, it wasn't the best," the airbender confessed.

"What happened?"

"It's a long story," he said softly.

"You look tired," Zuko commented, noticing the bags forming under the Avatar's eyes.

"I am," he admitted. "But never mind that. After the issues here in the Fire Nation, I'm going to be free...temporarily."

"I'm glad you came, Aang," the older boy told him. "I couldn't say much in the letter I sent you, but we've recently uncovered traitors in the palace plotting to usurp the throne. There are still quite a number of citizens loyal to Ozai and his ideals."

Aang understood where this was going. "You need me to stay here and keep an eye out for usurpers."

"Yes, uncle recommended it," said Zuko. "A lot of my father's generals and cabinet members were sent to prison, others were banished. But most of the supporters of his regime remain faceless. We don't know who exactly we're dealing with. I'm sorry you had to spend your newly acquired free time here. I know it's asking a lot─"

"No," the Avatar smiled. "I'll do it. Who were the traitors caught?"

"I'm grateful," he replied. "A nobleman of the court named Kozul and his cohorts. My councilors uncovered his plans to overthrow me and place a very distant cousin of mine on the throne as a figurehead."

Aang nodded as he took this in. Zuko recounted more details of the recent treason attempt to the young Avatar.

"I'm really grateful you're doing this, Aang."

"We're friends, Zuko. I don't want anything bad happening to you," he said, "and besides, it'll be nice staying in one place for more than a few days too," Aang chuckled.

"Thank you, Aang," Zuko spoke, pleased. "Think of it as a pseudo-vacation… well, sort of," he added. "I suggest you get some rest. Let the palace attendants lead you to your room. Tomorrow we will have a feast in your honor."

The two bowed before the Avatar turned to leave the great throne room.

X

Three handmaidens were assisting the Princess for the upcoming feast. They dressed her in formal crimson, gold-trimmed robes and arranged most of her raven hair in a topknot, letting the rest of the long locks fall across her back. The topknot was secured by a golden, three pronged flame ornament that was only worn by princes and princesses.

"Must I wear this ridiculous outfit?" she asked, examining her reflection. She preferred the hard lines of the armor that she had not worn in years.

"Y-yes, Princess Azula. The Fire Lord announced that the feast for the Avatar would require formal attire," one of her handmaidens timidly replied as she tightened the waist of the dress.

She bitterly rolled her eyes. Years before, she was hunting him down, now she was attending a feast in his honor. It was all so ironic that she found it hard not to laugh.

With almost shaking hands, a handmaiden painted Azula's lips and lined her eyes. She also applied powder, and stained her pale cheeks with a light pink.

"You look lovely, Princess Azula," one of the younger handmaidens spoke as she sprayed a sweet smelling perfume across the Princess' collarbones.

X

The room the feast was held in was grand and decorated in the finest of ornaments. The noblemen and women of the court were all present. They were wearing all sorts of posh clothing in shades of red, wine, maroon and gold. Azula didn't feel so ridiculous now compared to these people. Some women were wearing silly, gigantic headpieces that made them comically wobble as they walked about. Her Royal Guard and a trail of handmaidens escorted the Princess. She spotted her brother already taking a seat at the head of the long mahogany table with Mai sitting to his right. Even though the men and women of the court were swarming him, a monk dressed in vibrant orange stood out like the foreigner he was.

A steward announced that the guests take the Fire Lord's lead and sit on their assigned seats. Azula saw a few familiar faces as well as new ones. With Iroh's help, Zuko had replaced his entire cabinet from those who were loyal to Ozai to new officials who supported Zuko's rule.

She took her seat, begrudgingly, diagonal to Mai and found herself face to face with the Avatar. He had grown. He was a head taller than she remembered, the shadows under his eyes more pronounced. He was not the twelve-year-old boy she once knew and despised, but rather a lean young man.

He looked utterly shocked to see her. Azula smiled, despite herself, at the amusing look on his face.

"Welcome, everyone," The Fire Lord announced raising a golden goblet, "tonight we dine in honor of my good friend, Avatar Aang."

The sound of clanking glasses and shuffling filled her ears, "Hear, hear!"

Azula was quick to hide the reluctance as she raised her glass and chugged down its scarlet contents. The heat she had grown to love traveled down her throat and into her stomach.

The servants began bringing in their meals. She watched the Avatar as he refused the fish and meat in favor of vegetables and soup. She caught his eye and he quickly turned away, seemingly uncomfortable under her golden gaze.

She smirked to herself at this. Even after all these years, he still feared her.

X

"Zuko, I know you said in your letters that Azula was released from the asylum but I didn't know she'dactually be here," Aang stated, flabbergasted.

"Relax, Aang," Zuko replied calmly, "she's…rehabilitated."

"Do you trust her?"

"Yes," he said, unconvincingly. "Okay, no. But that's what her guards are for."

"I don't think a bunch of guards could take her on," said Aang, almost in a panic. "She…killed me in Ba Sing Se, remember? And she tried to kill you!"

"I know she's done a lot in the past. But she's my sister and she's better now, Aang," the Fire Lord replied. "The treatment at the asylum really did a number on her. She's been here almost a year now and she's done nothing so far. I thought you of all people would believe that people could change. It took awhile, but I did too, didn't I? Now Azula's finding the right path herself as well."

"I don't trust her," Aang started fiercely, "but I trust you. So if you say she's changed, she's changed. But promise me you won't let your guard down."

"I promise," Zuko assured him. "I have a lot to tell you about her progress but let's talk about it another time. Shall we go back to the celebration?"

X

Once the festivities were over, the Avatar walked to his provided quarters. Along the way many members of the royal court greeted him and despite his exhaustion, he amiably greeted them back.

He turned right to a corridor and sensed a dozen or so footfalls headed towards his way. Princess Azula appeared out of the corner flanked by half a dozen guards and a few handmaidens. He stood, frozen against the wall, not knowing how to react.

"Good evening, Avatar," she said with a wicked smile across her face, barely making eye contact with the boy as she walked past him.

"Uh," he straightened himself up, "good evening, Princess Azula."

Her posse of guards and handmaidens showed their respect to him by bowing and he watched as the group disappeared into another corridor.

He had not seen her since the war ended and found that she had barely changed. She had grown taller only by a little and her hair was longer. Her features looked softer but the same sinister golden glint remained in her eyes, and she seemed to put on a little bit of weight. Although a bit too much for his taste, in her gold trimmed formal robes and painted features he couldn't deny that she looked absolutely stunning.

Aang shook his head to rid himself of such thoughts. Even with his recent conversation with Zuko, the Avatar wasn't convinced. With only two brief encounters with her so far, he had a gut feeling that Azula was still the same cold, calculating, manipulating mastermind he knew she was. He mentally told himself to keep an eye out for her. Maybe this was all an act and everyone's been made a fool. Maybe she had something to do with the recent treason Zuko discovered. He would need to watch her carefully from now on.


Note: Please review guys! How's everything so far? Still a little short, the other chapters will be longer. Thank you for reading.