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Portrait – Chapter Twenty-Eight
Many hours later in the royal airship…
The imposing princess sat in her throne staring back down at the soldiers of her Royal Procession prostrated on the floor before her.
All except for the absent Zoi and her squad.
The Dai Li too knelt silently beside the Fire Nation soldiers while they listened to the princess's latest order.
Blue flames accented the room while both Mai and Ty Lee stood obediently to the side of Azula's throne.
"Continue on course. But maintain a day's distance between Captain Zoi's patrol. Under no circumstances are you to disrupt the nature of this operation." Azula announced in a voice of absolute authority while her soldiers flinched under her callous gaze.
"Yes Princess!" The soldiers answered in unison while a well-manicured hand wave for them to disperse.
"That will be all then. Scurry off now." Azula ordered in a dismissive manner as watched in disinterest when they arose and bowed to her in unison.
Before they turned around and scattered on command.
Azula stared on with bored amber golden eyes while the last of the soldiers exited the room before the doors finally pounded shut with a thunderous clang.
"Well that was boring." Mai stated in monotone with her arms folded before her.
"Perhaps. But history's greatest conquests are brought to fruition with precision and patience. Our efforts will pay off in due time. Just as it did with Ba Sing Se." Azula replied with her regal lips curling into a proud smirk while she leaned into her clenched right fist.
"If anyone is capable of defeating the Avatar. It is you Azula. But anyhow now that we're alone…" Ty Lee trailed off with a cheerful grin while Azula turned to gaze at her through the corner of her brilliant eye.
They were both well aware that even though the princess's cold exterior made it seem like she didn't miss their young friends' presence…
"You are going to pester me about my handmaid, aren't you?" Azula questioned in a seemingly uncaring voice while scanning her balled fist with aloof amber golden eyes.
"Yep! Elle told me to tell you when you have the time that she has something to show you." Ty Lee answered from where she leaned on the side of the throne while the spoiled woman gazed up at her in concealed interest.
"Really? Is this another tribute or is this just another peasant trifle?" Azula commented with a smug smile all the while mulling over just what her little submissive could have made for her this time.
The two women nearly rolled their eyes over how the princess spoke about it as if she thought that she was a deity receiving offerings from her most devout mortal worshiper.
Knowing Azula that was almost certainly the case.
"Why don't you just go see? It's not like you're doing anything but sitting on your ass." Mai suggested with a pointed stare while the princess gazed up at her with colder eyes than before.
Luckily for Mai.
Ty Lee was quick to come to her rescue.
"Just go look Azula. Elle's your girlfriend. You should be interested in what she has to show you." Ty Lee almost pleaded while her lifelong friend gazed back at her in consideration.
"So be it…. where is the tiger monkey anyhow?" Azula sighed while pushing her backside off the seat of her throne.
"In her room." Ty Lee quipped with a returning smile while the princess quirked a brow after standing up.
"I see. I had work for the girl to do anyhow. So, I suppose I will go collect her…" Azula spoke with a haughty slip of her hair before striding down the steps.
The two noblewomen said nothing while they watched their leader depart through the doors before sharing a knowing glance with one another.
"It's beyond me how that girl has the patience to put up with Azula." Mai muttered while Ty Lee nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Neither do I. But regardless…I think that Elle is a good thing for Azula." Ty Lee responded warmly while Mai quietly gazed at her in understanding.
Azula came to a stop with her hands clasped behind her back before her handmaid's chamber door.
Then she tilted her head to observe in satisfaction when the door began to open no more than seconds after she had stepped before the doorway.
Azula couldn't fight the smile of approval that crept onto her regal lips when she was greeted with a courteous bow.
"Hello Princess!" Elle greeted with a bright smile in mid bow while Azula stared down at her with pleased amber golden eyes.
"Hello Elle." Azula stated sternly with a slight undertone of fondness permeating her voice before stepping past the bowing girl.
"Is there anything I can do for you this evening Azula-sama?" Elle asked in a diligent voice before closing the door behind her.
Azula's lips curved into a content smirk upon hearing those loyal words before promptly taking a seat at the girl's desk.
Just as she always did.
Whenever she visited her pet it was an unspoken rule that this chair was her throne.
"Pour me a cup of wine." Azula commanded with her palms folding in her lap while her smug amber golden eyes watched her pretty pet scamper forward on command.
"Yes Princess! Straightaway!" Elle cried out before rushing over to a small cabinet that housed a bottle of her princess's favorite wine.
Only to jump when the regal woman snapped her fingers in her direction.
"Foolish girl! Walk! Not run!" Azula barked in a beyond domineering voice while narrowing her icy gaze at her bashful handmaid's blushing face.
"A-arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama." Elle stuttered before walking much slower than before while the older girl rolled her lovely eyes at her.
"It's not as if I care or anything…the last thing I need is for you to have another breathing fit on me." The princess remarked sighed before lazily brushing her fingers through her hair while the younger girl smiled softly over her shoulder.
"As you say Azula-sama. Always as you say." Elle answered dutifully before grasping a cup while Azula observed her begin to pour the wine through the corner of her eye.
"So…what is it that you wish to show me?" Azula pondered in a seemingly disinterested voice while strategically examining her fingernails.
Who would have ever thought that the day would come when she would find herself visiting a peasant girl on a daily basis?
"I-I made something for you Princess." Elle admitted in an adorable stutter that the princess just adored.
"Have you now?" Azula purred in a pleased undertone before turning to watch in amusement when her timid girlfriend shakily handed her the drink.
"That's so Azula-sama…" Elle spoke meekly before averting her eyes to her feet all the while missing how Azula glanced at her with a flash of fondness within her hardened eyes.
"Well…aren't you going to show it to me?" Azula questioned in an alluring voice before reaching out to teasingly swipe her fingers through her little girlfriend's golden hair.
The handmaid turned red while she raised her eyes to meet the older girl's entrancing amber golden stare.
And then she smiled brightly while she beamed up her princess's beautiful face.
"Yes! I will show it to you Your Highness." Elle chirped sweetly before giggling innocently when the princess's strong palm briefly patted her upon the head.
"Hm. Such a well-behaved girl…" Azula trailed off with a softened smirk upon her graceful lips while she peered down at her pet's grudgingly lovable face.
"I-I am yours Azula-sama." Elle stammered with a love-struck blush on her young cheeks before trembling pleasantly when Azula leaned in to breath lightly in her eyes.
"So you are." Azula stated sternly before sliding her backside forward while she sat looming above her pretty little girlfriend.
"Oh Azula-sama…" Elle swooned like a love-struck schoolgirl while the much taller princess released a mighty growl.
"Mine." Azula snarled dominantly with her fingers grasping her beautiful handmaid by her cheek while the tiny girl submitted to her touch.
"Mistress?" Elle asked in an adorably bashful voice while Azula stared back at her with an approving smile on her strict lips.
"What is it my pet?" Azula cooed with sanguine smirk on her lips while she continued to purposefully breathe in the younger girl's trembling face.
"W-will you spend the night with me Azula-sama?" Elle requested in a hopeful voice while the woman furrowed her brows thoughtfully.
"Spend the night with you?" Azula repeated in a refined sigh while her handmaid smiled shyly back at her.
"Just the two of us enjoying the night together." Elle answered softly while Azula stared down at her with strict amber golden eyes.
"Show me what you made for me and I will give you my answer afterward." Azula declared in a silken voice before teasingly withdrawing her hand from her handmaid's now brightening face.
"My princess wishes to see her gift and I will see it done!" Elle cried out while she puffed out her chest before dashing over to the door of her closet.
'The girl is strange but to my liking all the same.' Azula thought before taking a relaxed gulp of her wine while she watched in amusement when her young companion began rifling through her closet.
"It's in here Azula-sama!" Elle shouted out with her tight backside sticking up into the air while Azula's dominant eyes remained locked upon her backside.
"Hm? Is it now?" Azula replied while she continued shamelessly ogling her handmaid's small bottom with a trace of desire in her eyes.
Oh, how she wanted to take this pretty little thing into her chamber and sit on her lovely face…
But she would wait until the girl was of age.
She is above all a woman of class and she would not have it known that she took her girlfriend before the girl was of age.
She had no qualms killing thousands upon thousands in war and mercilessly destroying all that stood in her way.
Yet…strangely when it came to Elle. She found herself for once caring for another's wellbeing.
"Yep! Here it is Princess." Elle announced triumphantly before carefully grasping ahold of the painting while the princess's eyes finally glanced up from her backside.
The princess's amber golden eyes focused intently before widening ever so slightly when she noticed the sight of a framed painting.
"Is that…a painting?" Azula queried with a carefully concealed inquisitive edge to her voice while she observed her servant turn red her gaze.
"I-it is so Azula-sama…I-I finished my first painting." Elle confessed in more bashful voice than before shyly turning to meet Azula's taken aback eyes.
And not a moment later Azula found herself staring on in a truly uncharacteristic display of astonishment when her eyes finally landed on the simply stunning art piece.
She was a woman rare taken by surprise.
But this…
She was gazing at the finished work of the very same painting that she had stumbled upon in her handmaid's chambers just after bringing the girl in.
It was her seated by the lakeside!
The completed piece was even more detailed than what she had seen in the girl's artbook.
The girl may be weak.
But when it came to art Elle was a prodigy!
"W-what do you think of it Azula-sama?" Elle inquired with a stutter that snapped the woman out of her reverie.
Being vastly pleased by the offering and not wanting to make the girl cry she quickly regained her composure.
"Elle." Azula spoke with her strict gaze locked on the girl's hopeful face.
"Y-yes Princess?" Elle asked in a fretful voice while she smiled timidly under the older girl's gaze.
"Come here." Azula commanded after setting her wine cup down before sighing fondly while she watched the young girl happily leap to her feet.
"As my princess commands!" Elle exclaimed after gently propping the painting against the wall before she began eagerly padding over to the princess's side.
"It is a simply flawless portrait." Azula purred with a sophisticated smile upon her lips before leaning forward while she allowed her little girlfriend to grasp at her hand.
"Really? It is that good Azula-sama?" Elle requested with an adorable blush while she lovingly held her older girlfriend's hand.
"Foolish girl. It is magnificent. You have a true talent. I approve of this tribute." Azula remarked with a refined smirk gracing her lips before standing up while her petite handmaid peered up at her with adoring amber eyes.
"I-it means so much to me that you think so Azula-sama." Elle stammered while she craned her neck to stare up at her princess looming above her.
"Now…you wish to spend the evening with me is that correct?" Azula cooed with her strong hands grasping ahold of Elle's hands while she stared down at her spellbound pet.
"I do. I was hoping we could dance together." Elle answered in a swooning voice while Azula quirked an intelligent brow over her.
"Dance? In this room?" Azula questioned flatly while she towered over her brightly smiling girlfriend.
"That's so. I can put some music on and we could share a dance!" Elle cheered with excitement in her voice while she listened to her princess sigh above her.
"If I say no…you're going to pester me all night until I say yes, aren't you?" Azula snorted with a regal roll of her eyes only to find the girl begin to pull her across the room.
"Yep!" Elle exclaimed with warm laughter while Azula began to take control of her movements.
"Oh, very well. But only if you follow my lead." Azula remarked with a sophisticated aura about her while she led her young companion forward.
"I will always follow your lead. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else…nowhere but beside you Azula-sama." Elle declared with an expression of great adulation while she peered up into her princess's stoic amber golden eyes.
Although Azula was too proud to show it.
Somewhere deep down she truly appreciated the girl's gentle words of loyalty.
Perhaps, that was why has found herself so fond of this little peasant girl.
"Well then consider your little hearts desire granted. You are mine and beside me you will stay." Azula spoke with a pompous smirk adorning her royal lips while she stood staring down at her swooning admirer.
"O-oh Azula-sama. My heart beats so wonderfully when you stand above me." Elle admitted in a timid voice with a twinge of pink to her cheeks while her heart continued to race under Azula's domineering gaze.
"Hm. That's just my superior charms taking hold of your little mind." Azula purred before placing one of her palms against her young handmaid's quivering cheek.
"M-may I ask something else of you Princess?" Elle requested with submissive adoration lacing her voice while she melted under the princess's possessive touch.
"What is it now little lady?" Azula sighed with a measure of fondness permeating her callous voice while she continued to hold the much smaller girl's dainty cheek.
"C-can I…can I try wine again?" Elle inquired with nervousness in her innocent voice before gulping meekly under Azula's now beyond imposing glare.
"The last time I gave you alcohol you spend five hours crying on my thigh." Azula commented icily with stern disapproval in her controlling voice while she stared coldly down at her red-faced handmaid.
"But that was when I had three cups and a sorghum liquor! Just a sip Azula-sama? Please!" Elle pleaded after tugging on the taller girl's robes while she listened to her princess grunt above her.
"A sip and only a sip!" Azula barked before thrusting a well-manicured fingernail in Elle's brightly smiling face.
"Yes Princess! Only a sip!" Elle chimed as she gave a bow of her head while Azula still scowled down at her.
"And if you get sick, you'll spend the morning in bed. Not on my leg." Azula spoke with a final narrow of her eyes before reaching to open the beverage cabinet.
"As you say Azula-sama. Always as you say." Elle agreed with a warm smile while she stared up at her princess pouring her a small cup of wine.
"So well trained..." Azula trailed off in a silken purr before handing the cup to her blushing admirer.
"You know me Princess. I s-strive to please." Elle answered in an adorable stammer before turning pink when she took a drink of the wine.
"I can see that Elle." Azula cooed with a refined smile growing upon her crimson lips while the petite girl handed the drink back to her.
"Shall I go get my music play now?" Elle asked with a slight buzz to her voice while the older girl regarded her through the corner of her eye.
"Oh, very well. Go get your little commoner toy." Azula commanded with a conceited sigh before swallowing a generous gulp of wine.
"Yay! We're going to have a lot of fun together tonight. I just know it!" Elle called out happily before scampering over to her night stand unaware that amber golden eyes were staring at her backside once more.
"Of that I have no doubts." Azula stated dryly with amusement lacing her voice while she watched her pet speedily grasp her music player.
"May I have another sip Azula-sama?" Elle questioned softly before blushing even deeper when the cup was tipped back against her lips.
"Drink Tiger Monkey." Azula ordered with a pompous smirk while she peered down at her little girlfriend taking an inexperienced sip.
"I-it tastes better than before." Elle stuttered with a lovely blush to her heated cheeks while she stared up at Azula take another swallow of the wine.
"See? I told you that you would get used to it." Azula boasted with a victorious smirk before setting the cup on the stand behind her.
"You were right. You never steer me wrong. I trust you more than anyone I've ever met." Elle confessed in a heartfelt voice before her hand out to grasp ahold of the princess's own.
Azula glanced down at her young girlfriend's hand before her cold gaze flickered to the girl's naïve face.
Once more…she didn't let it show.
For reasons unknown she found those words pleasing to her ears.
Perhaps it was because Elle was the only one that she can bring herself to trust?
"Then you are a fool." Azula remarked harshly before taking ahold of her handmaid's hand while Elle just smiled knowingly.
"Maybe so. But at least I'm your fool." Elle responded with a joyful giggle before turning the speakers on her mp3 player and pressing player soon after.
The powerful princess quirked a brow while she listened to romantic music begin to float into the air before turning to scoff down at her younger companion.
"Soft hearted girl." Azula snorted with a regal roll of her eyes while she took the girl's other palm in hand.
"(Turn around) every now and then I get a little bit lonely. And you're never coming 'round. (Turn around) every now and then I get a little bit tired of listening to the sound of my tears." Bonnie Tyler sang only for Azula to roll her amber golden eyes once more while she began to lead Elle in a slow dance.
"That's so Azula-sama." Elle answered softly with a serene smile while the princess elegantly spun her alongside her.
"You are weak Elle. You wouldn't survive without me." Azula declared with a sophisticated scoff while she stared down at Elle leaning her head into her chest.
"You are right Azula-sama…which is why it is good that I have you here to protect me." Elle spoke with a bashful countenance while Azula elegantly swung their arms to the side.
"(Turn around) every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by. (Turn around) every now and then I get a little bit terrified. And then I see the look in your eyes." The song continued to play throughout the airship chamber while the princess gazed down at her young girlfriend with possessive amber golden eyes.
"Consider yourself fortunate that it is the case." Azula stated sternly while she danced with the smaller girl's face pressing into her breasts.
"Would you like to hear about the first time I laid eyes on you?" Elle requested shyly while the older girl peered down at her curiosity in her brilliant eyes.
"Was it on the bridge?" Azula found herself inquiring with an uncharacteristic sliver of affection in her cruel eyes only to find herself blinking in surprise when Elle shook her head no.
"(Turn around, bright eyes) every now and then I fall apart. (Turn around, bright eyes) every now and then I fall apart. And I need you now tonight. And I need you more than ever. And if you only hold me tight." Bonnie Tyler's voice continued to ring out into the air while the regal princess held her young girlfriend into her chest just as they moved in sync to the music.
"No. That man I told you about. He was going to take me away. But he stopped when he saw you Azula-sama." Elle confided with her amber eyes misting up while Azula stared down at her with widening amber golden eyes.
The princess's eyes reflected a rare flash of emotion while bright blue flames suddenly burst to life behind her.
Her eyes were already narrowing with a dangerous flash of rage before suddenly finding herself protectively drawing the smaller girl into her bust.
"I see." Azula growled with her teeth bared much like a wrathful dragon while snaking her arm around the emotional girl's small back.
"We'll be holding on forever and we'll only be making it right. 'Cause we'll never be wrong. Together we can take it to the end of the line. Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time). I don't know what to do and I'm always in the dark. We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks. I really need you tonight. Forever's gonna start tonight. Forever's gonna start tonight. Once upon a time I was falling in love but now I'm only falling apart. There's nothing I can do. A total eclipse of the heart." The song played throughout the room while the young girl lovingly pressed her face into the princess's robed chest.
"Your litter happened to pass us by chance. A-and that was when I saw you…a beautiful princess straight out of a dream. Y-you saved me Azula-sama…before we even met you saved me." Elle spoke with passion lacing her innocent voice while she felt her body spin in rhythm with the music.
For once the callous princess did not speak.
Azula was finding that when she tried to muster up a reply that the words would die in her throat.
Damn this girl for making her feel such weakness!
All the while grateful amber eyes continued to stare up at her while they sidestepped to the romantic music.
"Once upon a time there was light in my life. But now there's only love in the dark. Nothing I can say. A total eclipse of the heart." Bonnie Tyler's voice continued play while the younger girl hid with her face in the princess's soft bust.
"And so, I took to sitting in the alley watching as you passed me by every day. E-each and every time, you protected me without even knowing it. And that's why…t-that's why I had to thank you with the fire lily." Elle explained with a relaxed countenance while she peered up into Azula's taken aback amber golden eyes.
"Why…didn't you tell me this before?" Azula pondered at long last with her strong arms still holding her admirer tight while she allowed the girl to seek haven in her bust.
"(Turn around, bright eyes) every now and then I fall apart. And I need you now tonight (and I need you now). And I need you more than ever and if you only hold me tight (if you only). We'll be holding on forever and we'll only be making it right (and we'll never). 'Cause we'll never be wrong. Together we can take it to the end of the line. Your love is like a shadow on me all of the time (all of the time). I don't know what to do, I'm always in the dark. We're living in a powder keg and giving off sparks." The music continued to resonate while the princess stare down at her partner with her amber golden eyes still reflecting her anger.
"I am your servant Azula-sama. It is my duty to serve you. Not to burden you with unneeded details." Elle answered with limitless reverence in her voice while the princess's regal lips began to curve into a thin line.
"It is not for you to decide what is unnecessary Elle. Only I…may make that call." Azula hissed with her hands gripping Elle's dainty palms in a vice grip while her young girlfriend fell face first into her chest.
"I really need you tonight. Forever's gonna start tonight. Forever's gonna start tonight. Once upon a time I was falling in love but now I'm only falling apart. Nothing I can say. A total eclipse of the heart. A total eclipse of the heart. A total eclipse of the heart. Turn around, bright eyes." Bonnie Tyler's voice concluded with the music slowing to a stop while the princess gracefully danced with the petite girl tucked safely into her chest.
The princess skillfully spun around one more time while her timid lover closed her eyes to savor her girlfriend's protective embrace.
Azula's callous eyes gazed down at Elle hiding face first into her bust while her strong arms remained latched around her girlfriend's fragile frame.
Elle clung to Azula with a serene look in her eyes only to shiver pleasantly when she heard the princess release a growl above her.
"Wakarimashita…Princess." Elle replied meekly with her wet cheeks drying up before she felt Azula crush her face even deeper into her bosom.
"You belong to me Elle." Azula growled after stooping over her small lover while she breathed possessively into her shivering girl's neck.
"I-I am yours." Elle stuttered in a heartfelt voice while she savored the much taller woman leaning down to breathe into her neck.
Long fingers began to sweep through her hair while she clung to the princess's robes as if she was her last lifeline.
"I have told you this before but I will tell you again. If anyone should dare to lay a finger on what belongs to me…I kill them." Azula purred with her palms now cupping Elle's cheeks while the girl's lips curved into a smile of gratitude.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama." Elle spoke with a radiant countenance while gazing up into Azula's striking amber golden eyes.
"Now then…. shall we dance once more?" Azula remarked with a refined smirk on her crimson lips while she tenderly traced her fingers against her lovely handmaid's cheek.
"I would enjoy that very much Princess." Elle answered sweetly in a cheerful voice only for her heart to flutter when a soft kiss was planted upon her forehead.
The young girl blushed an adorable shade of pink while she peered up into her princess's protective amber golden eyes.
All the while the woman remained stooped over her with her strong palms holding her face affectionately.
The princess's lips slowly brushed against her face while she gazed down at her with a possessive smile on her regal lips.
"That's my girl." Azula commented with a sliver of affection in her hardened expression before lowering a palm into her girlfriend's hair.
And then she patted her handmaid atop her little head while she continued to gaze down at the girl with a strict countenance.
Elle swelled with innocent pride while Azula petted her head all the while enjoying the way that the princess's long fingers grasped at the top of her head.
"O-ooh Azula-sama." Elle swooned with a hand on her cheek while she stared up at Azula's smirking face like a love-struck puppy.
"Such a good girl. I am pleased to own you." Azula stated in a domineering voice with her palm compressing the girl before her while she allowed her handmaid to grasp at her robes.
"I-I am Her Highness's good girl." Elle agreed in a warm giggle while the princess stared down at her with controlling amber golden eyes.
"Hm. That you are peasant. That you are." Azula sighed with her hand remaining in Elle's hair while she continued to affectionately pet the girl's golden head.
To think that she would be going this soft on a peasant.
It was a good thing that they were alone.
"I love you Azula-sama…" Elle murmured dreamily with her hands clutching the woman's robes while the sound of music began to float into the air once more.
The princess gazed down at her handmaid with her callous amber golden eyes never revealing just how much she appreciated those sweet words.
"Believe me Elle. I can tell." Azula declared in her usual cold voice before placing her palms on the girl's shoulders while she began to guide her handmaid in yet another dance.
Elle leaned in with her face pressing into the bottom of the taller woman's chest while they began to slowly sway to the music.
It did not bother her that the princess had yet to say that she loved her back.
The way Azula held into her chest was more than enough.
The two continued to dance while the minutes passed them by.
Until a whole hour had passed.
The princess now sat lazily with her back against the wall on the girl's bed while she drank from a cup of wine.
The young girl now lay with the back of her head on her thigh while she petted her handmaid's soft golden locks with her other hand.
All the while glancing down at the girl with possessive eyes while she observed her pet rifling through some of her childhood belongings.
"Do you want to see something cool Azula-sama?" Elle conversed with her amber eyes peering upward while she listened to Azula swallow another mouthful of her wine.
"I imagine that you're going to show me regardless of what I say." Azula spoke with her usual pompous sass all the while unsurprised when her tone soared right over the girl's little head.
"Aha! Check this out best buddy!" Elle cried out innocently with a childishness about her while amber golden eyes gazed down at her.
"I expected as much." Azula snorted rudely yet even still she found herself gazing down to see just what it was that her girlfriend had to show her.
Her brows furrowed in curiosity when the girl held up a small paper with an image of three people on it while she reached out to take ahold of the foreign item.
Azula sat staring down at the photograph with growing interest.
Once again, she felt a renewed desire to see Elle's homeland for herself while she scanned the item with intrigued amber golden eyes.
It was an image of a blonde-haired woman hugging a young boy with glasses and a pitifully tiny girl that was all too familiar to her.
The cause for her fascination was obvious.
This was an image of Elle when the girl was only a few years old.
There was no mistaking it!
"What manner of documentation is this?" Azula inquired aloofly with her strict eyes peering down at the girl laying against her belly.
"It's a photograph. You can take a picture of someone and preserve a moment in time on paper. When they are gone…it's something to remember them by." Elle explained in a reminiscent voice while Azula scanned the picture with a flicker of concealed wonder in her hardened eyes.
"I suppose I can see how that would be appealing to the weak." Azula scoffed with her ruthless eyes glancing between her handmaid's face and the image of the girl's younger self.
"That's me with my mother and my brother." Elle stated softly before the princess handed the photograph back to her.
"I already deduced as much Tiger Monkey." Azula remarked with her amber golden eyes staring down at the girl's face while she watched her handmaid slip the item back into her box of belongings.
"That was…back when me and Felix used to get along…before…before my mother died." Elle muttered while she felt Azula begin to play with her hair once more.
"So, I see." Azula replied before taking another drink of her wine while she scowled down at her young servant.
All the while trying squash the twinge of inner anger that she felt at the mention of the girl's brother.
It was best not to dwell too much on such sentimental emotions.
"Somewhere along the line…he started killing small animals…and…he was never the same after that…" Elle trailed off with a frown while she cuddled up on her princess's thigh.
"That's enough servant. I don't need you bursting into tears on my leg." Azula grumbled with a snarl while she glared down at her handmaid curling up in her lap.
"Y-yes Princess." Elle agreed with a stammer with a returning smile while Azula's stern hand remained planted atop her head.
"Mhm. Just do as I say…and I will take care of the rest." Azula announced while she stared down at her pet with imposing amber golden eyes.
"I'll be a good girl Azula-sama. I always will." Elle assured before yawning adorably while she relaxed underneath the princess's petting hand.
"I know you will Elle. I know." Azula sighed in a voice reserved for her little girlfriend alone while she continued to caress the girl's golden locks.
"Azula-sama?" Elle pondered in a sleepy voice while Azula tilted her head to peer down at her with unusually attentive eyes.
"Yes Elle?" Azula answered with her fingernails dancing through her pet's hair while she allowed the girl to crawl even further into her lap.
"Do you think…that we can take a picture together someday?" Elle asked to the princess's surprise while she felt the hand briefly pause in her hair.
Once more the princess found herself staring down at her handmaid with taken aback amber golden eyes.
It was yet another first for her.
Not only were these photographs a new thing to her.
But…this was the first time that she has ever heard anyone voice a desire to preserve a memory with her.
It was yet another mystery in the enigma that was Elle.
And strangely enough it felt good to hear.
"Perhaps Elle. Perhaps." Azula spoke before setting her empty wine cup aside while she reclined with her strong hand holding her handmaid against her belly.
"I would like that." Elle yawned with a sleepy smile before she yawned once more.
"Go to sleep now girl." Azula ordered in an almost parental voice while her pet pressed her face into her stomach.
"A-are you going to stay with me Mistress?" Elle requested sleepily with her head propped up upon the princess's robed belly.
"I should think my answer to that should have been obvious." Azula snorted with a pompous roll of her eyes before pushing her smiling pet's face back into her stomach.
"Oyasumi nasai Azula-sama…" Elle whispered in a lovable voice with her eyes just as she began to nod off.
"Oyasumi nasai Elle." Azula responded with her callous eyes staring down at the girl while she draped a blanket over her curled-up handmaid.
Elle closed her eyes just when a breathing mask was slipped over her head while she murmured drowsily with her face nuzzling the princess's toned belly.
A hand lowered into her hair once more at the same moment that the lamps dimmed until they were but a faint glimmer of light.
The princess leaned back against the wall before closing her eyes herself while she began to breath in a focused manner.
Mere moments later her body began to output a comfortable warmth while she resumed petting her mumbling handmaid.
"A-Azula-sama." Elle whined while she breathed serenely against the woman's stomach with a strong hand tenderly stroking her head.
"Peasant." Azula mumbled in an almost protective voice with her hand remaining clamped down on her submissive girl's head.
As the girl girl remained peacefully sleeping with her little face nuzzling her belly.
Azula held Elle in her lap before she began to fall asleep with her young girlfriend adorably curled up against her stomach.
Soon enough the powerful princess had fallen asleep but she never once removed her protective hands from the younger girl's head.
And when the girl cried out in her sleep the princess's hands would grasp her close before releasing a dominant growl to quiet her girlfriend's whines.
And Elle would whimper with her face against the princess's belly while Azula would continue to growl until she quieted her cries.
And just like that the handmaid began to murmur calmly once more while the ruthless princess slept with her well manicured fingers resting in her golden hair.
After her cries vanished the princess's lips would curve into that of an unusually content countenance while she periodically petted the smaller girl in her sleep.
And if one looked closely…the princess almost looked…happy.
It wasn't too late in the evening.
At least not yet.
Ty Lee had been walking to see what Elle and Azula were up to.
Just as she was about to knock on the door only to pause upon noticing the quiet.
At first, she had been puzzled. After all it was unlike Azula to fall asleep at this hour.
That was when she carefully, oh so quietly opened her young friend's chamber door.
Only for her mouth to fall open at what she saw.
In the dimly lit room sat Azula asleep on the girl's bed with her back against the wall and in her lap slept Elle.
Elle was curled up adorably with a breathing mask over her mouth, and covered in a small blanket while she slept like a baby on the princess's stomach.
The petite girl dozed with two hands resting in her hair while Azula's belly continued to rise and fall with her every breath.
Ty Lee didn't make a sound, she just stood there silently marveling at the lovable sight.
Azula exhaled calmly in her sleep with a far more relaxed expression than she had ever seen her friend adorn when she was awake.
Ty Lee briefly observed the sight with a warm grin on her lips.
This just may be the most adorable thing that she has ever seen!
And then her survival instincts kicked in when she saw the princess just barely turn her head in her sleep.
'I should probably go…Azula won't be looking that peaceful if I wake her up.' Ty Lee thought with a brief shiver trailing down her spine before closing the door just as quietly as she had arrived.
And with that she walked away as silently as humanly possible with a hand over her mouth to quiet her giggles.
Only when she was at a safe enough distance did she openly chuckle over the adorable scene.
Elle was most definitely a good thing for Azula.
Perhaps the greatest thing that has ever happened to her.
Of that she was certain.
The following morning…
Mai and Ty Lee sat opposite of Azula while they watched the spoiled woman drink from a cup of steaming hot tea.
"Did you sleep well Azula?" Ty Lee asked with a grin while Azula glanced up from her cup.
"No. Unfortunately I did not. Elle was being a cry baby so I had no choice but sit to with her through the night. That peasant is nothing but a pain in my ass." Azula complained while she lazily waved a hand before her face with a cold scowl on her regal lips.
"Oh well that was nice of you Azula." Ty Lee stated with a smile well aware that it was a lie.
"Please! I was only humoring her to avoid a disruption in the service that she provides me." Azula snorted with a pompous huff while both women stared at her in disbelief of her words.
"Right. Of course." Ty Lee replied with a giggle while Azula glared at her through the corner of her eye.
The fact that Azula was claiming that she allowed a handmaid to sleep in her lap in order to continue receiving the highest possible service spoke volumes about her bond with Elle.
"What…is that on the wall?" Mai inquired in a deadpan voice just after finally noticing a framed painting seated high above the princess's chair.
Ty Lee blinked before gazing upward alongside her friend only to find her mouth hanging ajar in shock.
It was the finished work of Azula sitting by the waterside.
Mai gazed up at it with her tawny eyes agape in amazement while she silently took in the many meticulous details of the art piece.
Unlike Azula and Ty Lee this was the first time that she had seen Elle's painting skill with her own two eyes.
Based on what she's heard so far, she expected the girl to be good.
But not this good!
"Hm? Oh that. That's 'Princess Azula at Lakeside'." Azula purred with a conceited smirk on her regal lips all the while she took delight in their silent awe.
"I…don't even know what to say Azula. I would say that it's really good but I feel like that's cutting Elle short." Ty Lee admitted with astonishment in her brown-gray eyes while the princess smirked in agreement.
"I am going to hang this one in my quarters in the palace. Later today I am going to ship it back to Hari Bulkan to ensure that it doesn't get damaged in any subsequent battles with the Avatar." Azula commented before setting her tea cup down.
"You…have got to be kidding me Azula. She's this skilled…and she's only going to paint you a thousand times over?" Mai pondered with a frown while Azula turned to stare at her coldly.
"Yes, the girl will be known as the famous painter of Fire Lord Azula." Azula scoffed in a haughty voice while Mai stared at her flatly.
"With a talent like that she could paint a wide variety of subjects and make a fortune off her work." Mai insisted with her arms folded over her chest.
"Mai has a point Azula." Ty Lee sighed while knowing full well that Azula enjoyed the attention far too much to ever permit such a thing.
"Ridiculous. The girl can make just as much painting me." Azula retorted with a widening smirk.
"Whatever you say Azula." Mai answered in a monotone voice while the princess reclined upon her throne.
"Elle belongs to me. And I will do with her as I please." Azula declared with her lips curving into a smug smile that adorned her graceful features.
The two women knew better than to argue with the princess any further, knowing full well that it was an argument that neither of them could win.
The princess peered down into her hot tea with a sophisticated smirk on her lips.
And then she reached down to grasp her cup before taking another content drink.
The girl was hers and hers alone.
And that was how it will remain.
AN:
The song Azula and Elle listened to is Total Eclipse Of The Heart by Bonnie Tyler. Yes, I know. 80's ballads can be cheesy but I have always liked that one.
Romantic songs fit Elle's innocent personality and they accurately convey her inexperienced interest in romance. In many ways Elle desperately looks to Azula as her protector. This very much coincides with the themes of protection often offered in romantic music.
I am trying very hard to keep Azula as in character, and convey her feelings for Elle in a believable manner as possible. I do not want any of her actions to come across as out of character or goofy.
Azula is slowly falling in love with Elle, and she is discovering what it means to feel compassion for someone else. But at the same time she is trying to preserve her cruel image. And we have already seen that Azula is still Azula.
She is cold, and she is cruel, and she does not care that the Watertribe and Earth Kingdom are suffering because of her and her father's actions. As I said before, Azula will not be joining the Avatar.
And Azula feels no remorse for the pain that she has inflicted on Aang, Katara, Sokka, and the others as a result of Aang slipping into a six-year coma because of her actions.
In this way I feel that I am keeping Azula in character, unlike in the other stories where she all of the sudden starts pitying the Gaang for seemingly no good reason.
They are not friend's, they are enemies.
The only one in Team Avatar that may not hate Azula completely is Toph. And that is only because Toph is a pretty easy going person. Kind of like Elle.
More than anything through, I hope to express how touching it is for Azula to come to care about Elle more and more as time goes on.
By the time the first story is through, I want Azula and Elle's bond to feel like timeless.
Anyhow!
Next chapter Elle is reunited with Toph and the battle between Azula and Team Avatar finally begins!