Measure Each Step to Infinity

by paxbanana

Azula's growth from loss to victory, one little step at a time.

21. When yes and no are both wrong

Chapter 18: When yes and no are both wrong

Kota had packed Azula's armor for her trip. When Azula had discovered it on the way to the South Pole, she'd laughed at the absurdity. Azula wasn't laughing anymore. She doubted her servant could have guessed she would return to the Fire Nation with a dragon, but the formal armor would come in handy when they docked.

Zuko had sent a fire hawk to intercept their ship when they were back in Fire Nation waters. His letter was short and to the point:

Only you would go to the South Pole and tame a dragon. And then write to me and not tell me a damn thing about that! If it was a prank, I will kill you. Your letter was open when it came to me, and the news has spread like wildfire. People have been arriving in droves to Capital City to see your dragon. They're sleeping in the streets, and Capital Bay has shut down with all incoming vessels.

Expect a rowdy crowd when you get here. I'll be ready to greet you, but I'm worried we'll have a riot if we don't handle this right.

Why are you always such a headache, Princess Poopy Head?

Azula sat in her under-armor clothing and watched in the mirror as her family ate dinner. The sailor that attended her pulled her hair up into a tight topknot and applied Azula's makeup. Ana, who had been watching everything in the mirror in fascination, reached out and touched the triple-flame hairpiece on the vanity with wide eyes.

The trip had passed quickly because of that little girl. Ana had wanted to see everything all at once. They'd explored every corner of the ship and every corner of her dragon. Rakka had been off the ship more than on it, but when the dragon was in sight everything else played second fiddle.

Azula could easily guess what Ana wanted as she looked at that hairpiece. "You may pick it up," she said. It wasn't like Ana could break it. It wasn't like Kota hadn't packed six others.

Ana cradled the hairpiece in her hands. Her eyes were wide. "It's heavy, Azuwa!"

Azula stood up to accept the under-cloak and then the heavy armored tabard. She buckled it at her side and shifted its weight across her shoulders. "That hairpiece is gold-plated zinc. Never use another kind if you can help it. It's a very useful trinket, no matter what your grandmother may tell you."

The predictable response was: "Why?"

"A hairpiece like that once saved my life." Azula pushed her feet into her boots and buckled on her armguards. "With it and a bit of firebending, I saved myself from falling to my death from an airship."

Everyone at the table but Katara was surprised by her words. Ursa's surprise turned to anger, but that anger was softened by her antiemetic medication. Her eyes went owlishly wide. "What? How in the world...?"

"That had something to do with Zuko, I presume," Iroh said dryly.

Katara shook her head with a faint smile. "Azula and Zuko were fighting, as usual." She addressed Azula indulgently. "You're indestructible."

"I'm ingenious and tenacious," Azula corrected, pulling on the last dragon-embroidered tunic. Tailors had a hard enough time thinking of a different design. Now she would be inundated with dragon-themed gifts from every artisan crafter of the Fire Nation. Azula paused to adjust her betrothal necklace. After the difficulty of getting it back last time, she was never taking it off again.

"And modest, as always," Katara retorted playfully.

"What's ingenious?" Ana asked.

"Clever and smart. Intelligent even in difficult situations."

"You're ingenious." Ana was just trying out the word, and she laughed and pointed as she did so.

"Yes, and you're a clever little girl," Azula replied, earning a giggle. She lifted her arms for the heavy belt the sailor fit snugly across her waist. Ana held out the hairpiece carefully, and Azula took it from her. "Thank you."

"You're wecome." Ana looked up at her with wide eyes. "Pretty."

Armor was pretty and war didn't exist. This was the future the world was paving for its children. Azula glanced at Kanna; no doubt 'pretty' was the last word in her mind. Azula turned back to Ana and smiled. In this humidity her unruly brown hair had increased in volume, and it had a cute effect. "Thank you. You're pretty too."

Ana giggled shyly. Azula bent her head, and the sailor stood on her tiptoes to slide the hairpiece firmly into her topknot. She turned to look at her reflection and approved. But…

Azula took a long breath and gathered her dignity and presence beneath her shoulders. Her face settled and her shoulders straightened. Katara made a soft noise and met her eyes through the mirror. "I still don't understand how you do that. You just look bigger."

"I watched Ozai do the same thing for years." Azula studied herself in the mirror one last time. "He usually carried his presence deep in his belly, but when he stepped on the throne, he drew it up into his shoulders." Azula glanced at the little girl standing next to her regarding herself in the mirror seriously. "Ana."

Ana looked up at her. Azula hoped that Kanna would heed her warning as well.

"There will be a lot of people, a lot more than you've ever seen before. They're going to be very loud. But they won't hurt you. There won't be any reason to be scared."

Ana nodded, but then she asked to see Azula's hairbrush immediately. Who knew if the information actually registered. Azula handed over the hairbrush. Ana immediately dropped it, and the polished back cracked. Ana picked it up and didn't seem to know if she should cry or not. Katara winced at the table, but she didn't offer an opinion. Azula was hardly going to be angry about a measly hairbrush.

"All it does is brush hair, and it can do that with a cracked decorative panel. Ana, you may have that one if you like." Probably not the best solution, but it made Ana's face light up. She ran to Katara to show her the new toy. Katara smiled gently at Azula over Ana's shoulder. Of course she turned it into a quick lesson starting with: "We have to be careful with our things."

That crisis averted, Azula sat down and accepted the cup of tea Iroh poured her. It would be a long wait, but she was ready. Azula didn't participate in their quiet conversation, but she enjoyed hearing Katara describe all the things she wanted to do with her grandmother and her daughter in Capital City.

Eventually Azula registered the din of her people waiting for her, and she knew they were in Capital Bay. She imagined briefly what it would be like: the bay, city, and capital full of Fire Nation civilians who wanted to witness the first dragon seen in Capital City in nearly a century.

When the ship docked, Fung Tao, Azula's Dai Li captain, strode into the room with his usual partner. Instead of their customary bows the two men dropped to their knees, pressed their elbows to the ground, and placed their foreheads on their flattened hands. Their hands were covered in rock for the first time in many months.

Sometimes these gestures were silly, but Tao had every right for this. Azula left her spot at the table to stand over the two men. She commanded, "Rise." When they did she continued, "I suppose you have some fear that I will dismiss you now that I can firebend and have a winged protector."

Tao said nothing, but he lowered his head to block his expression with the curve of his wide hat.

"That fear is foolish. I like useful servants, and you have proven to be exceedingly so. You and your partner may attempt to keep track of me today, but the rest of your agents will ensure my family makes it to the palace without incident."

Tao's strong shoulders straightened in quiet relief. "The crowd is enormous, Princess. There could be danger."

"Not for me. Not today. But I would suggest taking my family through the catacombs."

The catacombs had been expanded and stabilized by her Dai Li through the years. It would be a comfortable walk to the palace, full of interesting Fire Nation decorations and paraphernalia. Hopefully they would enjoy it. In the very least Ana would appreciate the preserved dragon skeleton that stretched along one hallway.

Tao understood the command in her voice, and he bowed to confirm the order. "Yes, Princess."

"Will you be safe?" This question was from Katara.

Azula felt the pull of the crowd; it was so easy to be something more knowing what awaited her. She looked at her wife and couldn't comprehend her concern. "My people want to see my dragon. They will be happy to see it."

As Azula spoke, the crowd gave another great cry. Perhaps they'd seen Rakka circle high above the bay. Katara's face shifted in nervous fear at the sound. "They don't sound happy to me."

"Katara." Iroh placed his hand on her arm. "Azula has been groomed for this for many years. She and her brother know how to handle a crowd. Trust her." He looked at Azula. "Go. Enjoy your triumph."

Azula stood at the doorway and lowered her head in a vague nod. "I'll see you all at the palace."

The narrow hallway opened onto the deck with a burst of noise. What was a muted roar within the ship was a deafening din here. Her Dai Li agents created a path on the deck of the steamer. They bowed as she walked between them. When Azula stepped onto the raised dock, she had a full view into the bay city. The yellows and reds were bright but soothing on her eyes used to white and blue. She was home again.

The city before her was filled with people—people who increased the volume of their shouts at the sight of her. Her people.

Zuko was waiting at the edge of the rise. He was a strong presence in his Fire Lord robes and crest. That powerful presence did something unprecedented: he put his hand in his palm and bowed to her.

Azula's emotions assaulted her: pride, power, and odd humility for the honor her people bestowed upon her now. She returned her brother's bow and hoped he knew she meant it. Zuko met her eyes and smiled. The smile wasn't for the crowd; it was for her. He motioned to the city and stepped back to allow her the limelight.

This place was designed for speech-giving. The practice had fallen out of place since Sozin's rule—he had preferred the balcony overlooking the bay instead—but these bay steps were designed to start a triumph for a returning victorious general. Ozai had used them, but he'd claimed his triumph before a battle that he lost. It was fitting that she and Zuko properly returned to a tradition from before Sozin's time for this triumph.

Azula lifted her hands, and a hushed silence fell. Every eye in that crowd was on her, and every ear was cocked to hear her words.

"I have been on a journey," Azula said. Her voice—rough but strong—was audible to everyone within this first curve of the bay. However, Azula could barely hear herself over her own heartbeat. "I return from this journey with a sign that our country once again deserves our place in the world!"

The crowd roared because she'd paused. Azula gave them and herself a moment before she lifted her hands to command silence and continue.

"Sozin started the downfall of our nation. He believed the only show of power was in the destruction of all others; he was a fool! It is no surprise that such a fool started the hunt for dragons, the first firebenders, the very symbol of our nation. Sozin claimed greatness was in the destruction of the dragon too. But I have seen a dragon bow to me, and I have been carried on that dragon's back high enough to see the world bend, and there is no greater glory than that!"

The crowd boomed, and she gave them a few minutes to cheer before she raised her hands for silence to fall again. Rakka was circling the bay now, waiting for her call.

"My brother righted one wrong by ending a war that would have destroyed us completely. I have righted the other! My greatest pride is my role as the Princess of the Fire Nation, and it is my duty to bring our country glory. I have finally fulfilled that role! I present to you the first dragon, a sign that we have regained our roots and once again deserve our place in this world!"

Azula whistled and raised her arms. Either Rakka heard her or she felt Azula's call. Her dragon landed beside Azula, massive and graceful in one. Rakka raised herself high in the air, opened her wings, and breathed a burst of blue fire into the sky: a sign of joy. She was beautiful. There was no doubt in Azula's mind that her dragon felt her exultation.

The boom of the crowd shook the ground. Shouts rang out, feet thundered in stomps, and hands were clapped into a roaring din. And within it pulsed the call of Azula's name. She heard the call of Zuko's name too; A-ZU-KO her ears picked up several times. It was only right. Zuko had awakened this dragon so that Azula could tame her. They shared this triumph.

With her chest hollowed from the cries of the crowd—a sound that was almost tangible in its power—Azula climbed her dragon's body and settled behind her horned head. Rakka roared and took wing in a burst of undulating energy, and they flew in a loop over the crowd. Faces upturned: cheering faces and crying faces, all reflecting the joy and pride Azula felt for her people and her country. It was sweet; she would never forget this moment. Her dragon took her higher, and Azula watched the ground fall away. She saw her people, her city, her nation.

It was a heady sensation flying so high. It would have been a temptation to try to reach the setting sun, but Azula wanted what waited on the ground for her more. She gently coaxed her dragon to turn down, and they began their descent.

---

Azula groaned in pleasure as she fell on the bed. The mattress was luxuriously soft. After weeks of sleeping on a wood floor and a thin mattress in the steamship, she was home again. Katara sighed too as she settled on the bed. A bearded cat joined them with a happy trill and began to knead the soft coverlet with happy blinks.

"Hi, Tonky." Katara smooched at the cat, who was happy to start kneading her. Katara leaned down to kiss Tonk's head and rub her back. Tonk's purrs deepened, and she began to trill as she purred. Katara spoiled that cat rotten.

"We can convert one of the other rooms for Kanna if she would prefer to sleep alone."

Ana and Kanna had retired into Azula's hastily rearranged study only a few minutes before. Ana was perplexed that the bed was raised from the floor, but she liked its softness. She'd called it a cloud.

"I think they need each other in this new place." Katara dropped the now unhappy bearded cat on the floor. She cupped the back of Azula's neck and pulled her close for a deep kiss. "And I need you."

They would both have to be quiet with a toddler and a grandmother across the sitting room. The thought didn't deter Azula's ardor. Katara was especially demanding that night, but it was an uncharacteristic need: she wanted Azula to take control.

Still high from her victory, Azula was more than willing. She lay on her back and watched Katara rock against her fingers, but at Katara's whispered demand she was happy to roll them and take over. It was rougher than either one of them usually preferred, but Katara kissed her hard and urged Azula's thrusts with gasps and murmurs. She was beautiful in her need, as beautiful now as when she took her own pleasure, and Azula wanted to take her there. She wanted to give Katara everything, hold her close forever, and she wanted to make Katara as happy as Katara made her.

"I love you," Azula gasped. Katara's hands tightened on her shoulders, and she clenched around Azula's fingers.

They lay together in relaxed silence. Katara reached out to run her fingers across Azula's lips with a long, sultry look. Azula bent her head to kiss Katara's breasts, eliciting a murmur of pleasure. Katara didn't seem inclined for another round, and Azula was tired too. She settled her head against Katara's belly. Katara fingered the scar on her ear and reached down to touch Azula's necklace.

Azula was still mindful that a child or grandmother might need them in the night. She got up to retrieve their robes before she was too sleepy to bother.

Lying in bed, Katara said, "You were amazing."

Azula appreciated the compliment, but it was uncharacteristic. They'd never patted each other on the back after successful sex. She belted her robe and spoke dryly. "I've been perfecting my technique for ten years so I should hope so."

Katara laughed. When Azula got back into bed, she shoved her shoulder gently. "I didn't mean that. I meant with the crowd. What you said. You managed to inflame them while talking about peace."

When had she spoken about peace? That was a misconception that Azula wasn't inclined to correct. She also didn't appreciate that her Dai Li agents had let her family loiter with an excited mob nearby. "You should have been well away by then."

"I listened from the ship. We left after you started walking through the crowd."

In that case, Azula could see why her guards had chosen that option. The crowd's attention had been riveted on her and her dragon. Azula was a little surprised that Rakka hadn't eaten someone in chaos, but as excited as the crowd had been, they'd been reverent too. Zuko had walked on one side of Rakka's head and Azula on the other, and the crowd had melted from around them, content to cheer and watch as they made the long walk from the docks to the Royal Palace.

Even now Azula could hear the faint din of the happy crowd that still remained outside of the palace walls hoping to catch sight of the dragon curled up on Azula's balcony. Fireworks had been going off since sunset and would likely continue all night. Ana's original fear had melted into pleasure at the sight of the lights in the sky. Hopefully she wouldn't be afraid in the night.

There hadn't been time to speak with Zuko when they finally walked into the palace gates, but they'd confirmed an appointment for a private breakfast tomorrow morning. Zuko's formal invitation had come only a few minutes after Azula walked into her apartment. She'd been too tired after that to do much but take a bath and drop into bed.

Katara's smile faded into a somber look Azula didn't like. "You really were born to do this."

"I was trained to do this," Azula corrected. "Lu Ten was to inherit the throne after Iroh."

"You were born to do this," Katara said more firmly. "And you've found your glory."

Glory was nothing if Katara wasn't happy, and right now she didn't look happy. Azula didn't know what she could say. "Katara…"

"I love you, and I'm proud of you." Katara kissed her gently and rolled away to settle on a pillow.

Azula wanted to soothe Katara's doubts, but she wasn't sure she could. Zuko would have to pose the question, and she wasn't ready to answer him. A part of Azula hoped he wouldn't ask her; she anticipated he would. He must know how much she wanted this, and she knew he probably didn't anymore. If there was to be a switch, it would have to happen in the wake of this triumph.

There had to be some way for happiness, but she wasn't sure she trusted herself to find it past her own selfish desires.

To be Fire Lord...

She reached out to pull Katara against the curve of her body and imagined what it would be like to accept the Fire Lord crest. It wasn't the title that she hungered for but the responsibilities. She wanted to protect her nation, to lead her people into a strong future, and to fulfill her responsibilities as part of the royal family. It was a good wish, but Azula's imagination shifted to the memory of Katara's tears as she looked up at the fireworks during Zuko's wedding party. She wanted so much…

Azula hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep until Katara's short scream of alarm woke her. Azula surfaced from sleep with long, bristly fur in her mouth. She opened her eyes and gasped as she looked into her dragon's happy golden gaze.

"No. Out! You're too big to sleep here!" Azula pushed at Rakka's head, and her dragon unwound from their bed with an unhappy groan. She'd fit a remarkable amount of her body into their bedroom. Rakka's ears drooped as she settled back on the balcony, and she huffed unhappily.

Azula's guards were alarmed and amused in turn. Azula wasn't in the least amused. "Be useful. Make up a bed for her. And you!" She pointed at her dragon. "Stay."

Katara was looking under the bed when Azula stepped back into their bedroom. She cajoled, "Tonky, it's alright."

Tonk's tail was three times its usual size when she raced from under the bed into the sitting room. Katara sat down on the floor and laughed helplessly. She looked over her shoulder at Azula in good humor. "I'm tempted to join her. If you let that dragon sleep on our bed, you won't be sleeping with me anymore."

"Notice the dragon is on the balcony and I am in the bedroom."

"I don't know if I can fall back asleep after that," Katara said as they slipped back under the sheets. Despite her words, she did. Azula didn't. She brushed her fingertips over Katara's skin and wondered.

---

"You know," Zuko said over their private breakfast. Despite the formal invitation, all they'd been doing was jawing. "Only you would find and tame a dragon during a vacation. All I ever do when I go on vacation is lie out on the beach, get sunburned, and drink watermelon juice."

"I also tackled a polarbear dog, helped flense a whale, drove a dog sled, hunted seal, ice fished, and tanned leather. Oh, and I adopted a child and got married."

Zuko goggled at her. "How are you not dead on your feet?"

"A dragon," Azula said.

Zuko mirrored her grin. "That was a stupid question. Did your dragon really try to sleep on your bed last night?"

No doubt the story had circulated around the palace in less than an hour, and probably all of the servants were inventing excuses to be by Azula's apartment to catch sight of Rakka.

"I wouldn't mind so much, but I'd rather not lose my bed privileges." Azula took a sip of tea and sobered. They hadn't spoken of her trip to the Sun Warrior ruins, but surely he guessed that was where she'd been. "Why didn't you tell me about that place?"

Zuko slumped in his chair and cradled his teacup in his hands. It was clear he took her meaning. Zuko looked her in the eye when he answered her. "Mom told me you couldn't firebend after the wedding, before your Agni Kai. I honestly had no idea before that. I was going to tell you when things settled down. And then Ozai…" He glanced away with a frown. When he looked back at her, there was apology in his gaze. "You were weak for a long time."

"I got stronger."

"Yeah." Zuko set his teacup down and folded his arms, taking a stronger stance in his chair. "But you're my little sister."

"I fail to see how that impacts anything." As she said it, she knew how it did. He'd wanted to protect her. It occurred to her that Zuko could have been threatened by her firebending or even her dragon—how strange that she hadn't even considered it before now—but he didn't appear to be. It pleased her more than she could have guessed.

"When I went with Aang, it wasn't that I couldn't firebend. My fire was just pathetically weak. I thought even if we went together it wouldn't do any good if you couldn't firebend at all. You seemed happy with the way things were. And honestly, I could see you being stupid enough to think it's a good idea to fight the old masters instead of dancing for them. I really don't want to be eaten by a dragon."

Her lips twitched into a smirk that matched Zuko's. He was right. "Did you see Ran and Shaw?"

Zuko nodded. "Did you?"

"No. My dragon—their little one—chased them away, apparently. Chased everyone away. The entire island was deserted except for her...though I ended up having the pleasure of meeting the residents." Azula met her brother's eyes. "Thank you."

His brow crinkled in question.

"Without your touch, my little dragon wouldn't have woken up in her egg, and we wouldn't be here right now."

Zuko's eyebrow shot up. "It was an egg!"

"You will have her first offspring," Azula promised.

For one moment his expression was transparent in absolute shock; he hadn't expected the offer. His resulting smile was uncharacteristically emotional, but he shook his head. "Nope. I appreciate the thought, but I don't think having a dragon with my boy is a great idea. I wouldn't mind taking a ride on yours though."

"Done." He would change his mind. She would honor her offer.

They were quiet for a few minutes. Azula's mind flickered through various topics she was uncharacteristically hesitant to broach, especially with Zuko watching her as he was. How odd that she wasn't sure what was going on politically. She settled on a vague question. "How have things been?"

Zuko gave her an odd look before his mouth pinched into a scowl. "I hate this damn job. The council's going to vote on reducing my power today. I don't understand why they've pushed it through this far. I'm just going to veto it. It's a waste of time, a waste of money, and it pisses me off that I can't just fire them all."

She could guess what this was about: the council wanted to say the Fire Lord was an evil dictator that would veto a bill that would reduce his power. The bill was probably spearheaded by nobles who claimed to want a republic. Sometimes you had to play into their hands, just not in the way they expected. Azula was the perfect person for that role.

The timing though… Perhaps the council also expected Zuko's next move. Maybe they thought Azula already controlled this nation. Since her return to the capital years ago, there had been silly whispers about her bending her brother's will. While Zuko's manner wasn't as aggressive as Azula's, he had just as strong views about his nation and his rule. Their good politician, bad politician strategy probably hadn't helped things, but it was so much fun.

"How many of them are behind this?"

"A slim majority."

That slim majority could easily become minority. "That's fixable."

"What do you think I should do?"

"Actually, I'll lead the council meeting this morning. Don't tell them though." It wasn't the first time she'd made the request, but this time would certainly be unique. Zuko's shoulders shifted in anticipation; he was already smirking. "Can I watch?"

She smirked back at him. "Why not? Be ready half an hour early, and wait for me before you go in. Full formal wear."

When Azula returned to her apartment, Katara looked up from her efforts to pull Ana's hair into a ponytail. Kanna sat on the settee with a cushion behind her back and a cup of iced water in her hand. To see them all in Fire Nation silk flushed Azula with quiet possessiveness.

"My armor," Azula called. The temporary Kota, a young woman named Miza, materialized and bowed. So far she didn't have the talent of reading Azula's mind like Kota did. She proved that by asking, "Formal wear, Princess?"

"Yes, with all the little decorative bits. I'll need it for the council meeting."

"You're wearing armor for a council meeting?" Katara asked her dubiously.

"I'm not going to hurt them, of course," Azula said airily. "I've just managed to train them all. I'm sure they had a grand vacation in my absence and walked all over Zuzu. They just need a little reminder that I don't allow that kind of behavior." Azula caught Kanna's eye. "Have you tried the bath yet, Kanna?"

Kanna smiled quietly. "Quite a luxury for these old bones."

"You promised you wouldn't work today," Katara objected.

"I said I would be free, and I will be."

"Council meetings take hours."

"This one will take less than an hour."

Katara remained dubious.

Half an hour later, Azula strode through the palace to the west wing's council room. Zuko rarely used the throne room anymore; it was too hot and dark for political sessions. The council room was on the first floor with open windows for good circulation. Its wide entrance hallway opened into a pretty courtyard that was wasted on the council.

Rakka settled on the ground in the courtyard and cracked a toothy yawn. Two gawking servants opened the double doors of the hallway. Azula stalked into it with her dragon on her heels. Zuko was waiting there. His eyes widened at the sight of the dragon that followed behind her. With Rakka's wings folded, her short legs and the strong muscles of her belly propelled her. She probably looked quite snake-like.

Azula didn't look at her brother as she spoke. "Walk through the center of the room and sit down at your place. Let me talk."

She settled herself and smoothed her expression. Zuko mirrored her.

They shared a moment of stillness as they faced the doors. Then Azula slammed those doors back with a bang. Since they'd arrived early, the council members were all idly chatting; their official robes were either undone or not on at all. They all jumped at the bang of the doors slamming on their hinges and turned to look, but their eyes darted away at the sight of every flame in the room flaring blue.

What a delicious feeling.

Zuko strode through the center of the room, but Azula stalked along the edges where much of the council loitered. They took one look at Azula and her slithering dragon and scrambled away in terror. They scattered scrolls and papers as they crawled over their high tables in retreat. Azula continued around the perimeter of the room and herded the council back and forth before she finally took her seat by Zuko. Rakka coiled behind them on the debate platform.

Contrary to everything that had occurred in this room so far, Azula's tone was genial. She smiled as she spoke. "Good morning, councilmen and councilwomen. It's such a joy to be back that I couldn't wait to get back to work. What's on the docket today?"

The man in charge of organizing their docket cleared his throat as he stood up. He was still new at his post; his predecessor had been dismissed by Zuko for taking bribes. "We're discussing…" His eyes widened at the sight of what was on his paper. Azula sensed this one would be dismissed soon for incompetence.

Dead silence encased the room.

"Yes?"

"That is, um, Princess…"

"Have you lost the ability to speak?" she asked sharply.

The man chewed his mustache—disgusting habit—and tremulously said, "We will be voting on revoking the veto power of the Fire Lord."

Azula feigned a light laugh. "Really? That must be a joke!" She turned to her brother. "Fire Lord, has anyone explained why they want such a foolish thing?"

Zuko's expression was placid, but his voice was cutting. "Someone has yet to explain it to me."

"Does anyone care to explain this to us now?" she asked quietly.

Predictably, there were no volunteers.

Azula no longer masked the ire that sharpened her tone. "Since over half of you are moronic enough to need this explanation, I will deign to give it." She swept her eyes across the room and pinned several men beneath her gaze. "The Fire Lord rules this nation. He is your sovereign monarch. You, Council, exist to assist the Fire Lord; you help Fire Lord Zuko consider every part of this widely varied nation with his decisions. You do not rule this nation in any way.

"You have wasted taxpayer money, my brother's time, and already have stepped upon my last patience. This matter will rest now. My brother is bound by a certain…" She paused to study her nails and enjoyed the silence in the room. "…etiquette to not respond to this violently."

Azula lifted her gaze again, and Rakka shifted behind her. "I am not bound by this etiquette, and I will respond if I feel this council threatens the Fire Lord's power in any way." Azula adopted a glib tone. "And right now this bill is as much of a blatant coup attempt as the men who wielded daggers at my brother's wedding. Remember how they ended up…and think very, very, very hard on your vote today."

Azula turned her eyes across the room. She smelled their fear. Her dragon did too; Rakka produced a threatening rumble. Azula reached out to finger her dragon's horn. Rakka's golden eyes were bright and they flickered around curiously. She was a beautiful, dangerous creature in this setting.

No doubt all of the council members behind this bill thought of all the promises and posturing they had made to each other. Their pride would be warring with their sense of self-preservation. She knew they feared her; they feared her temper and her power in the wake of her triumph. They feared her dragon most of all.

She also noted the quiet smiles from some of Zuko's allies. A few of them met Azula's eyes and lowered their heads in subtle bows.

"Call the vote." Azula's voice was sharp enough to cause a few flinches.

They called the vote. While Azula would have relished a unanimous decline, she didn't expect that miracle. Eleven men and women yay'ed. It was a measly minority, and the bill was tossed out immediately. The only surprise was one of Zuko's allies, Tuon, had voted for the measure. Zuko's knuckles tightened at the sound of that strong 'yes', but he didn't react.

Azula and Zuko left immediately after the vote. Rakka swept out after them in a wide slither of shocking movement that raised a few shouts of fear. Rakka took wing immediately, probably to continue the nap that Azula had interrupted for the council meeting.

Because they'd done absolutely no work over breakfast, Azula should have suggested she and Zuko hold their own meeting. But she'd promised Katara that she would be free today. Azula ignored the part of her that itched to get things done and made good on her promise.

Katara looked up in surprise when Azula walked into the sitting room less than an hour after she'd left. Azula turned her nose up and said, "Ye of little faith."

After changing into a casual robe and trousers, Azula sat down on the floor in the sitting room and spied her bearded cat under the settee. Azula smooched and ignored Katara's affectionate grin at the noise. Tonk hesitantly crept out from her hiding place. Ana gasped in delight.

"Do you want to pet her?"

Ana scrambled forward. Tonk's ears folded back, but she remained where she was.

"Be gentle," Azula warned. The last thing this poor cat needed was another shock. A loud toddler with a penchant for tail-pulling might be as much of a shock as a dragon for her. This morning had been all poofy tail and dilated pupils at the slightest noise.

Ana gasped when she put her fingers in Tonk's fur. She looked at Azula with wide eyes. "It's soft!"

"Yes, she is soft. Tonk is fed five drops of essential oils everyday to keep her skin healthy. It wouldn't do for the royal bearded cat to have a scraggly beard."

Predictably, Ana had stopped listening. She gasped and snatched her hand back in alarm. "It's growling!"

"Tonkara is purring. It means she's happy. Her vocal cords are vibrating to produce a purr at around fifty hertz. Some zoologists believe it stimulates growth and healing."

"Dork," Katara muttered quietly.

"Now, now, Katara. I think that's very interesting," Kanna rebuked gently.

Before Azula could comment on the pleasure of finally meeting another scholar, her majordomo stepped into the room and bowed. "The Fire Lady and the Royal Prince and Princess are calling."

When Mai walked into the room, her eyes went to the balcony where Rakka was already asleep. Her head and tail hung off of the balcony and her legs stuck straight up in the air.

"Impressive," Mai said sarcastically.

"Why don't you come along at mealtime to see her eat an ostrich horse whole?"

Mai's mouth pulled with nausea. Ah, the joys of morning sickness.

Tozin and Rina were far too concerned with Ana to care about their aunts or the dragon or even the bearded cat that immediately escaped under the settee again. There was a moment of frozen delight for all the children as they regarded each other. Azula could imagine their thoughts: new playmate! "Hi," Tozin said. Rina smiled shyly. Ana's face broke into a wide grin. She abandoned Azula for her new friends.

No doubt they were bonded for life. They were going to destroy the palace in no time.

Tozin walked towards Ana. "Can I play with you?"

Ana nodded shyly and ran over to the toy chest that Azula kept stocked for her niece and nephew. She pulled out Azula's cracked brush instead of a toy. Rina giggled and dropped to the floor with a thump next to Ana. Tozin shuffled through the chest. He pulled out his favorite toy and presented it to Ana. "This is the best one!"

Their play would probably degenerate into some sort of tugging match, but for now, they were happy to share. The children managed their own introductions. Azula kept her seat on the floor and suffered Katara's irritation that she hadn't been told before now that Mai was pregnant again.

"Thanks for dealing with Ursa for a month. I had to have breakfast with her this morning, and she reminded me why I've been so happy recently." Mai gave a long-suffering sigh.

Azula was about to comment when Ana ran to her and kissed her cheek. Azula had learned this game. She seized Ana and elicited a happy shriek when Azula dragged the little girl into her lap to kiss the ticklish spot on the back of her neck.

"Forgive me, Princess," her majordomo murmured.

Azula looked up to see a massive man standing in the room. Councilman Tuon was flanked by Azula's servants, and his eyes were wide. Azula's own eyes must have widened in anger. Her temper flared, but she gently released Ana. Azula turned to her majordomo. "Why did you allow him in here?"

"I could not send him away, Princess."

Tuon's eyes swept around the room. No doubt everyone was watching him, including the children who offered waves. His wide jaw tightened at the sight of Azula's guards stepping into his line of sight, but his voice was calm as he said, "I declare Agni Kai against you, Princess Azula."

Mai broke the shocked silence with scornful laughter. "Seriously? Did you see what happened last time?"

"I'm better than Lam," he said with some offense.

Azula's anger was heady, but her voice didn't betray it. "But you didn't declare Agni Kai against Lam, did you?"

He was a dark-haired man, built like an earthbender, and over a head taller than Azula. Tuon had served for ten years during the war, and that service had riddled him with scars. He was an intimidating looking man, but when Azula stood up Tuon took a step backward. Azula was shorter, smaller, and barefoot; but he was intimidated by her.

"Walk with me." Azula strode out of her apartment without turning to see if he followed her. None of the children had any business hearing this talk. Azula's voice was sharp but steady as they walked down the wide hallway. "Tell me why you plan to waste your life, Tuon. Is it related to your surprise vote this morning?"

Again his great jaw bunched beneath the black wolf-chops on his cheeks. "I support Fire Lord Zuko."

She was losing more patience by the second. "Contrary to your vote to revoke his veto power."

"Not his." Tuon's dark eyes turned to hers in a rude stare. "I know what you're planning, and I'll do everything I can to stop you."

"Planning," Azula said quietly. A sconce on the wall beside her flared blue before she managed to calm herself.

"I know what you want. You'll make the Fire Lord a dictatorship again. You're a bully."

Those words were amusing enough to provoke laughter. A bully? She was almost insulted by that silly term. "Is this because I convinced the council that the Fire Nation isn't a republic? It isn't, you nincompoop."

"Bringing your dragon into the council room—"

"Tuon, let me tell you a little story."

"You—"

Azula's patience was gone. She seized Tuon's ear and yanked his head down. His eyes went wide in shock at her audacity, but he remained where she'd dragged him when she twisted his ear harder. To his credit, he didn't yelp. Azula settled her face close to his and met his dark eyes as she spoke softly.

"Your Royal Princess commands you listen, and you will listen to me or by Agni I will kill you where you stand. Given your outstanding rudeness in barging into my apartment to declare violence against me in front of my daughter, I have every right to bring formal punishment against you, Agni Kai or no."

Tuon's mouth remained closed, and he dropped his still-wide eyes in submission. Azula released him, and he offered no further protests.

"Did you see the last Agni Kai fought in the capital, Tuon?"

He straightened and met her eyes. "You know I did."

"How long did it last?"

He was silent.

"Answer me," she snapped.

Tuon's jaw flexed again before he said, "A few seconds."

"Seconds. An Agni Kai between a firebender and a princess who could not firebend ended in seconds. Lam knew it, and he still lost in record time." Tuon's eyes widened at that admission. "How long do you think you'd last against the same princess who now can firebend? Because I'm certain you wouldn't last longer than Lam. And your death would be a waste, a waste on my hands, unlike Lam, who was more a waste alive than dead."

His eyes flickered to hers in surprise once more. Azula motioned for him to begin walking again. Tuon took a hesitant step down the hallway and she fell into step beside him. Azula wondered if she could cow this scarred veteran. Azula's voice was calm when she spoke again.

"Before my third birthday, I awoke with my coverlet on fire. That was my first flame, and it was the first time I was burned. My father, Ozai, put me in his lap, and we sat there until sunset the next day. I wasn't allowed to get up, to have my diaper changed, to drink or eat. He made me sit and breathe against his diaphragm until I could produce flames with my breath. He made me consciously firebend before I was trained to hold my bladder and bowels. That is my first memory."

Tuon's brow furrowed in obvious antipathy to that story. His step faltered.

"When I was ten years old, I changed the intensity of my fire." Azula lifted her hand and showed him the hot orange flames of her childhood. She sharpened her chi until the fire in her hand roared and flashed blue. "Ozai beat me hard that day. He told me it was to keep me humble. I knew he would beat me again the next day, but I refused to produce my flame at a lesser intensity. Every day I survived him. I got a little better, a little stronger, gained a little more endurance. I didn't give up, but Ozai eventually did. Do you know why he really beat me?"

Tuon looked her in the eye. "He was afraid of you."

He was close, but he wasn't right. "No. Ozai was afraid of my power."

Tuon's long breath was that of understanding.

Their walk took them down an open hallway in an older area of the palace. Tuon probably had never been down this passage. The columns were carved into muscled gargoyles that climbed their height. This time of day, the shadows were long, and those decorations were malevolent. They had scared her as a child.

"I created a firebending move with my blue fire: the fire wheel. Unlike earth and water, fire rarely cuts anything. My technique breaks that limitation. The first time I used my fire wheel, I split a komodo rhino in half. It squealed until I ended its misery. Ozai told me I was weak for showing mercy; he was right. Whoever challenges me to Agni Kai next…I will let them squeal."

Azula had Tuon's undivided attention and none of his earlier defensiveness. There was no fear in his face though. Maybe that was why Azula now spoke to him as an equal.

"My wife describes me as a paradox. I love her. I love my family, including my brother. My father is Iroh, a gentle man by nature. But Ozai raised me. Ozai was not a gentle man; he was never gentle with me. He taught me many useful lessons, like how to rule absolutely. There's a certain carriage, a certain diction, a certain way to cow and humble. But sometimes absolute cruelty is required. I suppose that is what you call bullying. I call it necessity.

"The Fire Lord rules this country. This nation is not a republic and it is not a democracy, but it is not a dictatorship. Most nobles claim to want a republic unless one has the slightest aspiration to become Fire Lord himself. There is no doubt in my mind that such a man or woman would turn that title into a dictatorship.

"My brother and I love this country. We will protect it and our people. I will do so with violence if I have to. That is what my next Agni Kai will be about: protecting this nation."

Azula faced Tuon. He looked at her like he'd never seen her before.

"During my next Agni Kai, I will cut my opponent here." She tapped his lower abdomen, and he flinched. "His diaphragm will still work so he can draw deep breaths and scream the scream of a dying man. He will look down at his body in two parts, viscera and blood spilling out onto the tile of the arena, and he'll scream. He'll scream as my dragon eats his lower half right before his eyes. And all the nobles watching that man will think, 'I'm glad that's not me.' They will look at me, and they'll know that they cannot take this nation from my family."

Azula met Tuon's eyes and continued, "You're going to tell me that you would rather be a spectator at that Agni Kai. You are one of the rare few men in this nation that actually cares about the people over your money-purse. You're worth far more alive than as a lesson to your peers."

He was still watching her with intense curiosity. His question wasn't defensive, but he didn't drop his rude stare. "Do you plan to usurp Fire Lord Zuko?"

The question didn't surprise her, but the fact that she hadn't considered doing so did. Azula's fire could easily kill Zuko; she could not. That was a part of her that had died with Ozai. "If that was your motivation for your silly Agni Kai declaration, you're a fool. You can't support or protect my brother as a corpse. That's why I'm ignoring your challenge. Declare Agni Kai again, and I will meet you in combat without hesitation and I will make you suffer for it."

Tuon didn't walk away, and he didn't cower. The big man went to his knees. He placed his palms on the ground and pressed his proud forehead to them. "Forgive me, Princess. I am your man. If you ever have need of me, I am here to serve you as I serve your brother."

The man who had challenged her to Agni Kai for fear that she would take the throne had just declared himself her ally, and he hadn't done it out of fear. Azula turned that truth over in her mind. She hadn't anticipated this reaction. "Noted, Tuon. You are dismissed."

Three curious adults watched Azula walk into the sitting room of her apartment. Azula was obliged to say, "Tuon has rescinded his challenge."

"Is Tuon still alive?" Mai's question was purely rhetorical. Katara studied Azula for a moment, but what she saw seemed to satisfy her.

"Azuwa, pway!" Ana demanded. Azula sat back down on the floor. How strange to shift from politics to family so easily. This was what her life would be like from now on.

Children's games defied logic; Tozin and Ana both had extraordinary imaginations that they managed to mesh despite their different backgrounds. Rina was still too little to fully participate, but she babbled happily as she played alongside them. Azula served as a landmass that the children could run their toys into, but that role satisfied Ana.

Katara and Kanna left to meet with the wedding planner. Azula begged off for the morning to complete some paperwork. She had a list of things she needed to do; the first was to strongly suggest the Fire Sages start a catalogue of the coming generations of dragons. They would have their hands full trying to keep the lines from inbreeding, but Azula had no doubt the Sages would relish this opportunity.

More importantly, she needed to file the paperwork for Ana's adoption and submit an application for the upcoming marriage to the Fire Sages. A servant could fill out the forms as easily as she, but she wanted her own handwriting on those pages.

So Azula sat in her sitting room, listened to the children play, traded veiled insults with Mai, and claimed Katara and Ana as her own.

---

A few hours later, Azula changed into more formal clothing and walked down to the airy sitting room in the East Wing to take lunch with Katara and her grandmother. Ana was eating lunch happily with her cousins under the supervision of Ursa and Iroh and would have her first lesson with her cousins that afternoon. Hopefully that would go well.

Katara stared at her plate and shook her head. "I had no idea there were so many shades of red. Or so many different types of sauce. She kept asking me about noble families. Who cares where everyone sits? No wonder wedding planning takes forever." Katara sheepishly asked, "Are you sure we can't just ask your mother to do it all?"

Azula quickly finished her first helping of rice and fish with spicy whelk sauce and flicked her hand for a second serving. "You're not from the Fire Nation so my mother's very Fire Nation tastes aren't appropriate. Do you like the sauce, Kanna?"

"It's fruit." Kanna carefully doled out more on her redfish. "I didn't know fruit would be good on fish."

Azula had never liked the combination, but she wasn't surprised to see Kanna enjoy the sauce that Katara ate like candy. Katara had abandoned her main course to wipe up her fruit sauce with bread. Katara said, "I love the food here. Just wait until dessert."

The servants must have relayed the comment to the chef because the kitchen sent out an elaborate chocolate concoction with an array of sweet fruit sauces. The entire dish was almost too pretty to eat. It also appeared to defy the laws of gravity. The servant bowed and said, "The chef's compliments, Lady Katara."

Kanna and Katara shared it after a few compliments that probably made the chef swell up like a pastry in the oven. Azula was content with a teacake and kanzai, rice-in-tea, to end her meal. "We should go to the hummingbird gardens this evening. Mai finally repopulated it after Tonk got in a few months ago."

"The poor hummingbirds," Katara said with a sigh.

"What's the point of being a bird if said bird can't escape a cat that's quite grounded?"

Katara's expression shifted, a sure sign this would become a playful argument, but Kanna asked, "What are hummingbirds?"

Katara was sidetracked. "Oh, you'll love them, Gran Gran."

The meal put Katara in a better mood, but she frowned when the planner flounced back into the room after their respite. The woman immediately began to pepper Katara with questions about noble family seating arrangements. Honestly, how did this woman call herself any kind of planner when she couldn't make a single decision without Katara's input?

"How many tables—"

"No tables," Azula said. The planner goggled at her, but Azula didn't give the woman any time to remark. She didn't look up from her tea and spoke now in a quick run of sentences.

"Chairs for those who wish, during the ceremony as well. I see no reason for all the nobles to suffer their knees and heels during the blathering of the Fire Sage. And no place cards. I refuse to add to whatever juvenile noble drama that may exist because of seating arrangements.

"I want a Fire Sage that can speak in more than one tired tone. My brother's wedding ceremony was pointlessly monotone. I don't want to see any nobles nodding off." The planner had more control over nobles' sleeping habits than the head Sage, who was elected to his post by his peers. The woman's eyes went huge at that demand, but she wrote everything down furiously. Azula was delighted by the thought of this energetic woman arranging a meeting with the Fire Sage to teach him diction.

"Cuisine should sample every nation. I am not a chef; it is your job to know what is good; I don't want to hear another useless question about sauces or ingredients. You will sample each proposed dish personally to be sure it passes muster. If I don't like something served, you will eat it all."

The planner's eyes went even wider. Azula sipped her tea and ignored the tremble that shook Katara's shoulders.

"Whatever isn't eaten at the ceremony or by you will be distributed to the public in an orderly fashion. Supplement rice and soymeat if that doesn't suffice to feed everyone in the capital. Contact Riko of Fireplume Vineyards and tell him to concentrate on producing his fruit fizzy drink for the wedding. We will buy out his entire stock. Are you listening?"

The wedding planner looked up from the paper she'd been scratching on. Her eyes widened. "Of course, Fire Lord."

Azula curled her lip, and the woman baulked. "Do I look like my scarred male brother, you idiot?"

"O-of course not, Princess. Please forgive me; it was a slip of the tongue."

"Slip again, and I'll make sure you lose it."

The woman's jaw dropped; her shoulders trembled.

"Azula!" Katara gasped. She didn't entirely hide her amusement. Kanna had a hand over her mouth; by her wrinkled eyes it was to cover laughter not shock. After all, this woman had tortured both of them all morning with pointless questions.

Azula rolled her eyes and waved her hand. "Fine. Because my wife insists: keep your tongue. There will be a tiled canal that passes around the temple grounds and out onto the street and back. Pass out paper candles that well-wishing pilgrims can light and put in the river from outside. The canal will be perfectly round, exactly twenty centimeters deep and two meters wide. It will flow clockwise at exactly two kilometers per hour. The water will be imported from the South Pole."

The planner's mouth was open again. "Two kilometers per hour," she repeated weakly.

"I liked the cards at the last wedding. Add a little trinket to them, perhaps a ribbon or a braid, red on blue or some such motif. I don't want decorative dragons on anything. My dragon will be enough decoration. And as to what we wear…"

The planner scrambled to find more paper to scribble her notes down on.

Azula rolled her wrist and sighed airily. "My wife will be in charge of that. Instead of bombarding her with names of colors, choose a few samples. Include cool colors as well. A mix of Fire Nation and Water Tribe is only appropriate. My wife is welcome to change any of the plans I have already outlined. I hope there won't be any more problems," she warned.

The planner swallowed thickly. "If I may, Princess, Lady Katara, I will use the rest of the day to prepare these plans and come back tomorrow with clothing samples."

"Dismissed."

The woman's shoulders slumped in relief. Azula paused. "All of this should be ready in four months. Be sure to choose a sunny day."

"O-of course, Princess." She dropped her papers and scrambled to pick them up. Since the woman wasn't looking her way, Azula didn't temper her smile as she heaved an exaggerated sigh. The woman immediately fled with her rice papers fluttering over her shoulders like streamers.

When the planner was out of the room, Katara put her head on the table and began to laugh helplessly; Kanna joined her. Azula was smug. "I think she'll be very nice to you now. If she isn't, just mention you may need my input."

Katara lifted her hand and pointed. It took her a minute to gather herself. "You're in big trouble! You've been planning this. I can't believe you made me sit through the meeting this morning!" She started to laugh again. "E-exactly twenty centimeters deep."

---

They had a busy few days. Katara dealt with the much nicer wedding planner, and Azula was up to her eyeballs in requests and donations for her dragon. She hadn't anticipated how much planning it would take to fit Rakka into her daily life in Capital City. Azula was careful to make time for her family, especially with Ana in such a new environment. For her part, Ana adapted quickly to the Fire Nation.

Though the council had been dismissed for an unprecedented holiday, Zuko was as busy as ever. Azula could guess why, especially with the number of trips he made to and from the Fire Sage Temple. He would need their approval first for any transfer of power.

Azula was no closer to an answer. She was hovering over a figurative cliff. Her ambivalence was uncharacteristic, but for every reason Azula could name to accept Zuko's offer, she could name one to decline.

She disliked the stress this quandary had obviously placed on Katara too, but Azula was hesitant to bring it up. Katara fluctuated between genuine happiness and feigned happiness, and it hurt Azula that she had to try at all. So when the temporary Kota, Miza, announced that Kota had delivered her baby late the night before, Azula resigned herself to a visit if only to see Katara relax for a little while.

They went that evening after a rushed dinner and a temper tantrum from the youngest member of their household. Their carriage was surrounded by Dai Li agents for the short trip, more for the protection of the poor ostrich horse than for Azula. Well-wishers had been numerous, and traveling outside the palace had proven difficult for all the fuss. Capital City was gradually returning to its normal population, but people from as far away as Ba Sing Se were still flocking in for a glimpse of the Royal Dragon. The city council had wisely increased its tourist tax a full two percent.

Kota's family owned a lavish house on the edges of the trade district. A single servant greeted them at the door. She probably handled most of the house's affairs. The old woman's eyes widened at the sight of Azula and Katara and the line of Royal Guards behind them, but she recovered to bow.

"We've come to call upon Kota," Azula announced. She also added, "I command her not to serve me."

"Hi," Katara offered. "I hope we aren't imposing, but Miza said Kota had her baby."

The old woman looked at Azula owlishly as she ushered them inside the house into a comfortable sitting room. She bowed as she stepped out. "Princess Azula, Lady Katara… I, um…will let the Little Miss know."

"Little Miss?" Azula murmured to Katara after the woman left.

Katara smacked her gently. "It's cute."

"And a little too young."

"Everybody was a kid at some point."

"I refuse to believe that Lo and Li were ever children."

Katara began to laugh quietly. Her merriment continued as she put her head on Azula's shoulder. "I'm sorry. I just pictured them as wrinkly babies."

How horrifying.

"Princess Azula, Lady Katara!" Three surprised people stepped into the room. They all had haphazard appearances: both of the men had hair sticking straight up in the air, and Kota's mother had more hair out of her topknot than in it. Apparently this day had been insanity for the family, but they wore outrageously happy grins.

"Good day, Zhong," Azula addressed the younger man. "Congratulations."

Zhong, Kota's husband, was a stablehand of the Royal Palace. He worked more with their small collection of komodo rhinos than the mongoose dragons, but she knew him by sight. The fact that Kota noticed the man despite her terror of mongoose dragons amused Azula greatly. Zhong now beamed at her. "Thank you, Princess. Would you like to see our Jun?"

"That would be acceptable."

Zhong returned to the room carefully cradling a small bundle. The noise that emerged from that bundle made Azula feel soft; it was the unmistakable sound of a newborn baby. He sat down next to her. Zhong's eyes remained on his child, and he carefully handed Azula the baby.

She supported the baby's head with her hand and couldn't resist running a finger across the velvety dark hair on his head. The baby's head was still misshapen from its passage through the birthing canal, and his round cheeks were marred by a few pimples. He was perfect. Azula touched his knuckles and brushed a finger over his pursed lips. He rooted in response. His blue eyes opened. They would probably cloud and darken in half a year.

Azula's throat went tight.

Katara rubbed her shoulder, and Azula turned to her wife. Katara met her eyes, and from that one soft look Azula knew that this was a certainty for them. She carefully handed the baby over. Katara gasped and began to baby-talk.

When Katara handed the baby back to Zhong, Azula glanced to Kota's parents. She raised her eyebrows; they were both crying. How sentimental. "Would it be appropriate to speak to Kota?"

"Oh, of course," Kota's mother said. She got to her feet, and as they stepped into the hallway, she gasped. "Oh, we haven't offered you tea or—"

"I'm not thirsty, thank you. We don't plan to impose on you long enough to warrant sustenance."

"Sustenance," Katara echoed softly behind her.

Azula sighed. Katara had been in a particularly annoying mood that day.

Kota was sitting up in bed and was far more appropriate for company than her family, but she seemed self-conscious until Katara rounded the bed and hugged her. "Congratulations. He's beautiful."

"Thank you, Lady Katara." Kota smiled a small, proud smile.

Azula dryly added, "Yes, my wife was quite happy to note that your son wasn't born a mutant with any number other than ten fingers or ten toes."

"She thinks he's cute," Katara said.

"He's not as hideous as most newborns," Azula hedged. Kota turned her eyes to her, and Azula could tell she was fighting the instinct to bow. "Please. You'll have plenty of opportunity to bow to me when you return."

"Is Miza meeting your needs, Princess?"

"She's adequate. But she isn't you."

Kota smiled.

"That means she misses you," Katara said.

Azula loved Katara, but sometimes she could be irritating. "I'm sorry. I wasn't aware I was speaking in another language." Azula turned back to her servant and ignored Katara's glare. "I'm sure you're exhausted from forcing that little person out of your body so we'll be leaving. But since you probably didn't have the opportunity..." She reached into her robes and withdrew a small scroll of rice paper bound in red silk. She handed it to Kota.

Kota untied it and opened it, and she actually gasped in delight. It was a small water painting of Rakka. When Kota lifted her head, she met Azula's eyes. The fierce pride in her gaze sharpened when Azula coaxed the flame of the candle beside her to flicker blue.

"Enjoy your vacation. I imagine we'll be busy when you return."

Katara stiffened, but her smile didn't waver. She went so far as to kiss Kota, who stared at her in evident horror. They saw themselves out after that; the household was otherwise occupied. Apparently it was the first diaper changing, and Katara happily informed Azula that was a horrific moment. As if Zuko hadn't already described that in gory detail. He hadn't changed the diaper, the coward, but he'd watched.

Her Dai Li had managed to disperse the crowd for the most part, but they were quick to walk from the house to their carriage. When Katara settled on the back bench, she said, "I got a letter from my brother."

Azula paused halfway in the carriage. She continued on and sat down beside Katara. She flicked her hand, and Captain Tao—who had been her shadow the last few days—slipped out of the carriage without comment. They were on their way home a moment later.

Katara watched her carefully. "Sokka said you asked him if he would be willing to help us have a child."

Azula realized she hadn't told Katara. She couldn't imagine that Katara would be unhappy about her suggestion to Sokka, but… "Is that acceptable?"

Katara's expression didn't change. She was studying Azula intently. "You said your mother's been making lists of Fire Nation men."

"I want to have a child with you, not them."

Katara's tears startled Azula. She couldn't tell if these were happy tears or sad tears, and Katara's emotions had been all over the scale the last few days, probably for good reason. She wondered too if Katara wanted to carry their children, but she'd never breathed a hint of having such a desire.

"That isn't our only option."

Katara understood her implication. She wiped her face with a laugh. "I know you think I'm all about mothering, but whether or not I carry a child isn't a big deal to me. I'd love to see you pregnant. I know I can at least take care of you during the pregnancy." Her smile shifted into a teasing grin that put Azula at ease. "Sokka said something about a komodo rhino."

"Artificial insemination," Azula replied with a long-suffering sigh. "I made the unfortunate comparison to komodo rhino breeding. I'm sure he's been drawing some unpleasant comparisons."

"Yeah, you are not having sex with my brother."

"As if I'd want to."

Katara laughed. "Anyway, Suki's upset."

"Your brother has been instructed to deal with that on his own, but if he can't keep his mouth shut for a few weeks I have my doubts. When can we expect the Kyoshi assassins?"

"They're already trying to have a baby."

Well, that had worked out well for Sokka, hadn't it? "She knows it isn't a competition, doesn't she? Sokka would be our hypothetical second child's uncle."

"It's not so cut and dry as that for her. It might not be for Sokka either, but he wants to do this for us." Katara took Azula's hand. She met and held Azula's eyes. Katara was beautiful in this light. "I'm going to write him back. Should I ask him to come early for the wedding?"

So soon? What was an eventuality suddenly became a short-term projection. Azula raised her eyebrows as she considered it. "That's your decision."

"I want to know what you want." Katara was studying her again.

"I want to have a baby…as much as the pregnancy aspect horrifies me."

Whether by her words or what Katara saw in her face, Azula caused her to smile. Katara kissed her neck and murmured, "You'll love being pregnant. You'll want to do it again and maybe a third time."

"Let's not get overzealous." Her words prompted a laugh and another kiss.

Still, Katara didn't seem entirely happy, and Azula guessed why. She needed Katara to know she understood. "You don't have to give anything up for us to have a family."

Katara squeezed her hand. "Sacrifices are part of a relationship. We can't have a family with me in the South Pole."

Hakoda had been right.

Azula opened her mouth to say maybe Zuko wouldn't ask her, that if he did she would say no, that Katara meant more to her than the throne, but Katara put a finger over Azula's mouth. "Don't make promises you can't keep."

"You can ask me anything," Azula replied quietly. She wanted a way out. She didn't know if she could take a way out without Katara's help. It wasn't just about her own needs and desires, as great as they were; it was about her nation too. To be Fire Lord… She wanted it so much, but not more than she wanted Katara's happiness.

Katara smiled at her sadly. "I can't ask you this."

"Katara—"

"I want you to have this. Don't you dare think about martyring yourself for me. I want a family, and you want glory. We can both have what we want." Katara held Azula's gaze without flinching. She was telling the truth.

"I want you to be happy too," Azula said quietly.

Katara kissed her. "You make me happy every day."

This time, Azula was the one who didn't believe the lie.

---

Despite his obvious wish to see Azula's dragon, Zuko didn't come by her apartment until almost a week after she'd returned. He was in his full formal clothing with his hair drawn up into a loose topknot, but he still grinned like a little kid when he reached out to touch Rakka.

"She's warm."

How silly. "Of course she's warm. She's a dragon."

"Ran and Shaw had ears." Zuko brushed a finger along one furred pinna. Rakka opened one eye as she flipped the ear he'd touched.

Apparently he lost all of his brain power at the sight of her dragon. Azula adopted a patronizing tone. "Of course they did. They created this one."

Zuko was undeterred. "And tusks."

Azula raised her eyebrows as she tried to picture it. Maybe that was an aging change. This dragon was much different than the dragons their great-grandfathers had ridden. Azula reached out and placed her hand on the white and blue velvet that lined Rakka's cheeks. Rakka sighed and shifted closer against her touch.

"Did you really name her after a Water Tribe myth?"

Azula shrugged carelessly. "My bearded cat is also named in the Water Tribe tongue."

"You are a weird mix of nationalism and internationalism." Abruptly, he stepped back and lost his smile. "I want to show you something."

They walked out of her apartment and through the palace to the throne room. As always, the room was polished and dusted, but it had a certain emptiness that betrayed it hadn't been used in a long time. Zuko motioned for her to step up on the throne.

This was it. She knew how this exchange would end, even if she still fluctuated between two unhappy answers.

With a sigh, Azula set the massive throne alight with her blue fire. This room was designed for the warm tones of red and orange, and it shifted into dark shadows with her blue fire. Azula expected to feel a shiver of unease, but she only remembered the look of helplessness on Lo and Li's faces as they accused each other of speaking against her. She smiled.

"The last time this room looked like this, I must have banished hundreds of servants and guards." She pointed at her brother childishly. "For old times' sake: You're banished!"

Zuko rolled his eyes without a hint of anger or discomfiture. "Very funny. How long have you been waiting to say that?"

She smirked at him. Azula didn't release her fire, but she eased the heat with careful control. Zuko's eyes followed the line of blue-to-orange that swept across the stage, and he rolled his eyes. "Now you're just showing off. Come on."

She stepped off the stage and released her fire, plunging the room into shadow. Zuko was a dark silhouette in front of her, and she recalled an odd memory of following Ozai like this. Zuko looked like his father from behind, but she trusted this man.

Zuko led them on a meandering walk to the Royal Gallery. They started at the oldest tapestries first and continued on to where his tapestry ended the row. As always, she recited their names silently as she walked by each. She would be able to choose if she would add another name to that list.

Zuko had beaten her to it. There was already a new tapestry hanging beside Zuko's portrait.

Azula stared up at her likeness, allowing herself a long moment to study it in full. Her visage stood with arms raised, blue flames pouring from her right hand, an open scroll in her left. The hem of her robes was embroidered with the Dai Li sigil—which coincidentally represented Ba Sing Se. Clever. Below her feet were sweeps of water and around her neck was her flaming betrothal necklace. A blue dragon circled Azula's shoulders and was designed to draw the eyes from anywhere on that tapestry.

It was rich with symbolism and fuller than most tapestries on this wall. She'd managed this even after losing the war and managed most of it without her firebending. It was better than she'd ever imagined. How could she say no?

"You can have it all," Zuko said quietly. He was watching her intently as he spoke. "As you've always wanted. Full title of Fire Lord, full control over the nation. All of my allies will back you. That should be enough for an easy transition."

'Easy' was an exaggeration, but it could work. She'd participated in most of Zuko's domestic duties already, and she'd worked with the ambassadors of the Earth Kingdom enough to have established at least a tenuous relationship with them. They relied on Fire Nation industry, and they wouldn't be able to hold rice exports over the Fire Nation's figurative head much longer. Neither Water Tribe would protest the switch. Azula's reign would work if she wanted it to.

"Is it so easy to give up?" she asked Zuko just as quietly. She shivered between two answers that would both cause unhappiness. Zuko's answer could make this harder or easier, but she had to know before she could give him her own, for her brother and her country. Azula wanted this so much, but Katara…

Zuko's smile was tight. She saw that even after all these years of complaining about the title and the stress it brought him, he had trouble letting go. It was a relief and disappointment in one.

"I want a new home," Zuko said, only half-believing it. "Aang doesn't have the time to work on Republic City like he should, and Toph isn't going to be worth anything as a bureaucrat. Azula, I know you want this too. I'm not just saying this because I want to throw all of my responsibilities on you, but with everything that's happened... It's not that you can firebend again; it's that you returned with a dragon. The Fire Sages look at it as a blessing from Agni, and the public worships the ground that you walk on right now. If you want to be Fire Lord, this is probably the only time we'll be able to make the switch."

The only chance. This was her only chance, but…

Azula hadn't gone to the Sun Warrior's island to regain her firebending for the throne. She hadn't tamed her dragon for the throne. She'd gone for Katara, and she'd done the rest for herself. This was simply an unanticipated repercussion. Katara wouldn't forgive her if she said 'no'. Azula wouldn't forgive herself if she said 'yes'. And they both would be unhappy with whatever she said now.

Azula looked back at her tapestry. It was the only one on this wall that was defined by cool colors: far more blue than orange or red. She glanced at Zuko's contrasting orange tapestry beside hers. His portrait also contained a first: his right hand was empty, held palm forward in the universal gesture of peace. Theirs wouldn't be the only brother-sister tapestry combination on this wall, but if she accepted, their transition would be the only one without blood.

Oh. Azula stilled as she replayed her thought.

Every bit of her ambivalence melted away in disbelief. Azula laughed at herself. Why had she been waffling about this? She'd known her answer to this question all along, the answer to everything.

Once upon a time, Ozai had drilled into Azula his belief that compromise was a dual loss. To him there had been nothing but winning or losing, yes or no. Ozai had been wrong about most things, hadn't he? Compromise could be a victory in itself.

Azula turned to her brother and proposed her idea.

---

Ana puffed out her cheeks and went red as she tried to force air across her tongue. Tozin and Rina giggled as they watched. They were so young they didn't understand race. Azula hoped it was an understanding they would never truly gain, but she knew all of her children would be exposed to such talk through their lives. She hoped she and Katara could raise them to be impervious to that worthless criticism.

Azula enjoyed this time in which she didn't have to worry about Katara's certain disapproval. She shook her head. "No, not from the top. From the bottom." She put her tongue between her lips and forced air out of the bottom, producing a rude, wet noise. Tozin flopped on his back, laughing, and Rina bounced on her toes, waiting for Ana to try again.

Ana tried again unsuccessfully.

"Hold your tongue tight to your upper lip. Blow out of the bottom."

This time Ana managed. She also managed to spit as she did it. She laughed in delighted pride and raced from the balcony into the curtained sitting room. Her cousins followed her. Despite being tiny human beings, they sounded like a stampede of komodo rhinos.

"Mommy!" Ana shrieked. Apparently Katara was back from her appointment. It sounded like Katara was greeted with wet raspberries from all three children.

"Children, that is incredibly rude." Katara had an even better mommy voice than Mai. Azula felt a bit guilty imagining the downcast expressions on the kid's faces.

"But Auntie Azula told us to," said Tozin. Azula no longer felt guilty. Her little nephew had ratted her out quickly. The rest of the conversation carried out too quietly for Azula to hear, aside from Kanna's laughter.

When Katara stepped onto the balcony, she wore a sour expression. "You taught her that, huh?"

Azula leaned back in her chair and blew a raspberry.

Katara rolled her eyes. "I can't believe I used to think you were uppity."

Azula held out her arms, and Katara settled in her lap. Azula offered, "I'll have a talk with them about when it's appropriate to do those things."

"You'll just teach them to do it during a royal procession."

Well, she hadn't planned on it, but now that sounded like an excellent idea. The thought must have been visible on Azula's face. Katara smiled, but it was a wan expression. Azula knew there could be many reasons for Katara's subdued mood, but she was triumphant that she could now soothe her unhappiness. She asked about one matter she couldn't help: "Are you still upset about the Avatar?"

"If you mean 'spitting mad' when you say 'upset', of course I am." Katara sighed and softened against her. "I'm going to invite him to the wedding. If Aang behaves himself, we'll see."

"I meant what you did to him."

"I know you think I feel guilty about everything, but I promise you, I never was upset about it. I did it for you." Katara fingered Azula's necklace. "I talked to Zuko."

"What did you talk about with Zuzu?" She knew what they'd talked about, but that didn't explain why Katara seemed so glum. Azula felt a shiver of uneasy doubt. She'd been so certain that her answer was the perfect solution.

"He showed me your tapestry. It's beautiful. I can't believe they put a little bit of me on it. Did you ask for that?" Katara wouldn't meet her eyes as she said it.

"I had no idea the tapestry was even made. It was probably Zuko's influence. Or Mai. She has a good eye for those things, shockingly. I'm terribly sorry to tell you this, but I think she actually likes you."

The joke didn't soften Katara's serious expression. "I can do it, Azula."

"Do what?" Azula asked, surprised by Katara's determined tone. There really was nothing to be done.

Katara took a deep breath and finally lifted her gaze. "The village can survive without me. Hama and Verack and Nema are great waterbenders. Dad will come visit me with Sokka and Gran Gran, I know it, and I can teach Ana what she needs to know about—"

Azula put her hand gently over Katara's mouth. "What are you talking about?"

"I can be your Fire Lady," Katara said fiercely. She took Azula's hand to kiss it. "I will. I can do this."

That response only reiterated to Azula that acceptance would have been the wrong answer. Azula shook her head, sad that after all this Katara still thought she would ask it of her. "Zuko didn't tell you my answer, I take it. I didn't say 'yes'."

Katara sat up. Her eyes were wide in shock. "What? He said your coronation was going to be in a few weeks!"

Azula held her eyes. "Yes, only with your approval."

Katara continued to stare at her, and Azula elaborated. "I didn't say 'yes', but I didn't say 'no'. Zuko won't be abdicating. Ruling will be a shared responsibility. It's probably foolish, but we've managed well enough these last few years. It won't be much different than what we've been doing, but Zuko will be free to travel to oversee Republic City's growth."

Zuko had been as dubious towards the idea as the Fire Nation on a whole would be. Two Fire Lords spelled disaster, unrest, and civil war; but times had been changing since the end of the war. Family no longer equated enemy, and the trust they'd built in each other would bear them through the distrust that their nation would likely turn on their coregency.

Proving those doubts wrong would be worth it.

Azula kissed Katara's knuckles. "And I'll be free to travel with you to the South Pole at least once a year, possibly two shorter trips per year given all the fun customs you have during the spring and autumn. I would prefer we avoid deep winter. I'm not sure I'd stay sane with constant nightfall, but we can certainly work out what will be best for both of us. I may not be able to stay as long as you need to, but we'll only spend a few weeks apart instead of months."

Katara's eyes filled with tears. "You would give this up for me? It's everything you've ever wanted."

"It's a hairpiece, a tapestry, and a title; and I didn't give them up at all." It was a great deal more than that, but it was easier to reduce after her decision. "And that isn't even close to everything I've wanted. In fact, I have several demands."

Katara's brow tightened in confusion.

Azula took a long breath to gather herself as she met and held Katara's eyes.

"First: We will stay together no matter what continent we may be on. Second: We will marry here so that my people know you're my wife. Third: We will raise Ana as our daughter so that she knows both nations are her home. Fourth: We will have a baby…maybe two. Finally: We will make a good life for our family until we're old and gray and wrinkled and we die in our sleep together as happy, deaf great-grandmothers."

Katara's expression broke with a wide smile and tears, and she laughed when Azula continued, "Congratulations, that's my allotment of romantic declarations for a decade."

Katara kissed her hand and met Azula's eyes. There was only happiness in her face now, and that was the greatest victory of all. Katara said, "You know what? I want all of that too."

-TBC-

Epilogue to follow.