The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic)

by grither55

Princess Azula believes that she was born with a divine right to rule, and she rules through fear alone. Until, a commoner girl enters her life by giving her a fire lily. Through this act, Azula finds herself undertaking a life-changing journey with her new companion to ascend the throne, save the world from an otherworldly threat, and find her humanity. Femslash.

34. Deliverance

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Deliverance – Chapter Thirty-Four

Elle now sat with Ty Lee's arm around her shoulder while the noblewoman held her in a sisterly embrace.

Ty Lee patted her young friend's back while she gazed down at her adopted sister adorably resting with her head propped up on her breast.

'She sure is a real cutie! I can see why she drew Azula's eye.' Ty Lee thought with a grin on her lips while the tired girl cuddled into her breasts.

All the while she watched the princess and her fellow noblewoman surveying the extent of the damage.

"Damn you Uncle. I'll see to it that you suffer for this." Azula hissed with her fists clenched at her sides while Mai gazed down at her feet in a remorseful silence.

And then the princess turned to gaze over her shoulder when she noticed the young pilot rushing out to speak to her once more.

Only for the sound of a familiar line entrenching into rock to pull her focus from her damaged ship.

All eyes present stopped what they were doing to gaze up to see the captain skillfully sliding down the rocky hillside before skidding to a stop before the destroyed airship.

And both Mai and Ty Lee couldn't suppress the shiver that was traveling down their spines upon gazing at Zoi's clearly enraged face once more.

Nako darted forward with her panicked eyes gazing between the composed princess and the captain striding over to speak to her princess.

"Ah Captain Zoi! May I speak with you for a…moment? O-oh my…" Nako trailed off pitifully just as Zoi stopped to gaze down at her with murderous golden eyes.

"It will have to wait." Zoi answered curtly before pushing past the terrified pilot while she marched towards the now rightfully sweating Mai.

"O-of course! Take your time!" Nako exclaimed in a shuddering voice while the princess turned to sigh while she watched the enraged soldier march over.

"For the time being I want you to put your anger towards Mai aside. Once we return, she will face punishment for her actions." Azula announced with her arms folded over her breasts while gazing back at Zoi's blood-stained face.

For a fleeting moment she almost thought that Zoi would listen to reason.

Only to grit her teeth in anger when the captain leaped straight towards Mai.

Mai stiffened with a knife in hand before speedily raising it to defend herself.

Only for the enraged soldier to tackle her with terrifying speed before slamming the back of her head into the steel warship.

"Mai!" Ty Lee shouted in alarm with Elle spinning around to gaze at the scene in horror.

"I am going to fucking kill you!" Zoi roared before taking even the princess aback when she began brutally punching the other woman's face.

"I said stop Zoi!" Azula barked in anger over the disobedience before jumping over to break up the brawl.

All the while Saro shook his head alongside the rest of his comrades.

"I told you that you were fucked." Saro stated ominously while he watched his leader savagely beat the other warrior's face in.

Mai's back collided with the wall once more while she desperately fought to push the stronger woman off of her.

Only for Zoi to ram into her once more before she found herself gasping when a brutal hand slipped around her throat.

"You were so bold when you stuck a land mine on my back! You are no warrior! You are nothing but a pathetic cock sucking coward!" Zoi screamed with her enraged hands crushing the other noblewoman's throat just when Mai drove a knee into her groin.

She briefly grunted in pain but never relented in her savage attack.

Not even when Azula began furiously pulling her backwards off her gasping prey.

Mai sunk back against the wall with a hand on her throat while she gazed after Zoi with widened tawny eyes.

She knew that Zoi would be pissed. Furious even. And to be honest she didn't even care.

No. The only reason she even felt any sort of guilt was for the lack of response her attack on Zoi may have had on the soldiers when the ship was downed.

But even so…

The wretched woman was even more psychotic than she had taken her to be!

It was no small wonder Azula liked her so much!

"Zoi I will not say it again! Get a hold of yourself!" Azula bellowed with her eyes shimmering in annoyance while she dragged the shouting woman through the dirt.

"Get a hold of myself! I was thrown down a fucking pit of mines! And you want me to get a hold of myself!" Zoi snarled with her enraged eyes glaring over her shoulder at the princess's glaring face.

The small group of soldiers watching dropped what they were holding in shock to hear that the captain had the gall to backtalk their Crown Princess.

"You had better watch how you speak to me Zoi! I will not tolerate this disrespect!" Azula called out in a beyond strict voice while Zoi simmered in anger with her strong arms restraining her.

Only to release a grunt of frustration when the woman continued to thrash in her grip.

Restraining her was as simple as she had first thought it would be.

That was a feat in itself.

There weren't many people that could make her put this much effort just into pinning them down!

"Why should I respect someone that is siding with a woman that threw me down a minefield!" Zoi yelled just before breaking free of the princess's arm lock while the princess gazed back at her with increasingly angered eyes.

All the while aware that the warrior had a valid point.

"You will respect me because I am your princess! And I have already assured you that I will see that you receive justice! Now you will stand down and wait for my ruling when we return or I will reduce you to a pile of ashes on this very ground!" Azula hissed with her imposing eyes glaring back at Zoi's livid face while the soldier trembled in rage.

And then she watched through the corner of her eye while her handmaid dart over with Mai in tow to tend to the noblewoman's wounds.

Elle slid to a stop before the panting woman while tawny eyes glanced down at her in surprise.

"Are you okay oneesan?" Elle asked in a worried voice while Mai managed a small smile despite her own furious mood.

"I'll survive little sister." Mai assured before reaching out to pat the girl's golden head while Ty Lee stared down at her in a mixture of concern and fright.

"You may be my princess. But you must earn my respect. Just as I have with my own men!" Zoi retorted to the horror of even her own subordinates while Azula's amber golden eyes began to narrow into murderous slits.

"Silence! You will not speak to me with such disrespect! Continue to do so and you won't leave this island alive!" Azula growled with her fists tightening up at her shapely hips all the while glaring furiously between the two feuding women.

The captain clenched her teeth before stunning the gawking onlookers by pointing an outraged finger at the increasingly stunned princess's face.

"And the Song clan will not tolerate this insult! Push me Princess! Push me! And the Song clan will use all of our influence to take as many soldiers as we can back to Fire Mountain and there we will remain! While you and your father find yourselves struggling to defeat the Earth Kingdom without the support of the most powerful clan in the Fire Nation!" Zoi declared with conviction lacing her voice while everyone gaped at her in disbelief.

All the while Ty Lee began frantically gazing about with worried eyes before she gulped in terror at the look of pure rage in Azula's eyes.

There was no doubt about it.

Whatever was in store for Mai, it would not be pleasant.

"You…dare to threaten me." Azula breathed with blue fire at her fingertips while Zoi's bangs hung in her sweaty eyes.

"And then you will find yourselves in an interesting predicament. How will you win this war without the mightiest noble clan at your side? You'll be caught between invading the Earth Kingdom and sieging Fire Mountain." Zoi continued with equal rage in her own voice while Azula looked as if she were about to snap her neck.

"You! I'll kill you before you even get a chance to play your little threat!" Azula barked before stomping forward while Zoi bravely stood her ground.

"Go ahead. Mother knows full well where I am. I am sure that she will be overflowing with love for you if she receives word that her firstborn died under your watch." Zoi boasted even when the princess's enraged fists reeled her in.

"You…you threaten me not once. But twice! You will pay for this disrespect! You and Mai both! I'll incinerate the two of you together!" Azula shouted with her palms grasping at Zoi's ruined armor while the warrior released a scoff of defiance.

"Are you telling me that you wouldn't have done the same? And if I were to throw you down a pit of land mines…. what would you do?" Zoi inquired with her teeth gritting together while Azula's amber golden eyes trembled in her anger.

And the realization that she was correct once more.

"What I would or wouldn't have done is not relevant!" Azula exclaimed venomously before pushing the other woman back against the steel wall.

"I thought as much. You would have gone straight for the throat as well. We're alike in that regard." Zoi muttered as she nursed her neck while her princess stood glaring down at her.

"You have the gall to threaten me and then attempt to butter up to me afterwards?" Azula inquired before mercilessly punching Zoi across the cheek while the warrior slumped back against the wall.

"I didn't threaten you Princess. I simply gave you a warning." Zoi stated with a hand on her cheek while blue flames accented Azula's wrathful visage.

"They are one and the same!" Azula snarled with her angered eyes glancing about before turning back to her battered subordinate when she heard the woman snap her fingers.

"No. They are not. Saro. I want you to kill that bitch and the acrobat both if they so much as even take a step forward." Zoi commanded to the disbelief of many while the princess watched in outrage when several of her soldiers dropped down over the alarmed trio.

"Understood Captain." Saro agreed with a stoic countenance while his men stood at his back while Mai pushed Elle behind her.

"You are soldiers of the Royal Procession! You are sworn to obey me! You will stand down or I will have all of you executed for this defiance!" Azula shouted with anger in her eyes while the Dai Li took up defensive positions opposite of the soldiers.

And yet to her rage and disbelief.

Zoi's soldiers would not stand down!

She couldn't believe that a squad of Imperial Firebenders were willing to obey an order from their squad captain over a command from their own princess!

"That was a threat. The other was a warning. Do not stand down. The Dai Li are just as tired as we are. Cut their throats if they proceed forward." Zoi called out while pushing herself to her feet while Azula turned to seethe down at her.

And the two noblewomen could only gaze on in shock to see that Zoi's squad of Imperial Firebenders were willing to disobey Azula on Zoi's order.

Such a thing did not bode well when they were stranded on this island with no means of contact with the outside world!

"I said stand down! Now!" Azula bellowed with her outraged eyes glaring back at the captain's almost smug face.

"You don't know much about loyalty do you Princess? My mother taught me about loyalty. Did your father teach you about loyalty?" Zoi pondered with a tilt of her head while she stood opposite of the furious woman.

"You shut your mouth. I know plenty about loyalty." Azula hissed with her callous amber golden eyes briefly flickering over Elle's fearful face before narrowing back at her defiant soldier.

"No, you do not. Your so-called elites aren't loyal to you. They are only here because they are afraid of you. The only loyal one of the three is your servant." Zoi stated with a hand on her hip while Azula turned to glare back at Ty Lee's now terrified face.

"A-Azula, that isn't true." Ty Lee pleaded with fear in her voice while she sunk even lower under Azula's paranoid glare.

"Tell me Princess, what have you done for these men?" Zoi continued with the princess gazing back in anger.

"What?" Azula growled with her eyes narrowing in anger while the young chief pilot ran up behind her.

Nako fearfully glanced up with her brown eyes watching the ensuing conflict.

"Your orders Princess?" Nako asked in an easily intimidated voice while the princess briefly turned to gaze at her over her shoulder.

At least she could take comfort in the fact that her princess seemed to approve of her.

Only a suicidal fool would stand against Princess Azula!

"Stay where you are. I need you alive for repairs. You're no use to me dead." Azula answered coldly before turning away from her new subordinate's rapidly nodding face.

"U-understood Princess! Know that I am behind you all the way!" Nako cried out in a bow while Azula glanced back at her once more.

Although Azula did not say it aloud.

She couldn't help but feel greatly pleased by the pilot's devotion.

"Have you spent the last year fighting with them in the frontlines? Have you stood neck and neck with them through seaside storms? Have you eaten fish with them every night for the last twelve damn months? Did you drink with them over the fire after a long hard-fought battle?" Zoi queried with pride in her voice while Azula callously glared back at her.

"No, Zoi I have not. I am not obligated to campaign for the love of every individual soldier. My command is simple. Obey me! Or die!" Azula snapped with her burning fingers at her hips while the captain's soldiers flinched under her glare.

"You are wrong Your Highness. A poor leader assumes that she has loyalty by default. A good leader takes action to win the loyalty of her subordinates. They may be Imperial Firebenders. But I formed this squadron of soldiers. I won their loyalty. And now they are willing to do anything for me. They are even willing to defy an order from their princess to avenge my honor. They will obey any command I give them…short of harming you. That…is loyalty." Zoi explained with a proud countenance while her princess snarled back at her as she digested her words.

Azula could only stand there in fury as she realized in disbelief what the issue was.

All soldiers of the Royal Procession are sworn to serve and protect the Royal Family.

And yet this entire squadron of Imperial Firebenders was personally formed by Zoi herself!

And now they are all willing to go so far as disobey her to kill Mai to avenge their squad captain's honor!

And yet as much as it infuriated her that they were disobeying her.

What angered her the most was that she could understand why Mai's treasonous actions provoked such a reaction out of these soldiers.

She could tell by the expressions on the soldiers faces that not a single one of them was willing to hurt their own princess.

They weren't willing to put so much as a single scratch on her.

But they were willing to kill Mai.

And she had a feeling that if Zoi and her squad stood before her father and explained to the Fire Lord that the reason that they disobeyed his daughter was to take the head of a traitor.

Her father would almost certainly view their actions as just and instead accuse her of protecting a traitor.

"You have the gall to not only defy me but publicly lecture me!" Azula snapped with pure wrath in her voice while Zoi's enraged eyes met her glare.

"Yes! I not only lecture you but I do so gladly! We would have succeeded in this mission if you hadn't brought along these two liabilities! Elites! Don't make me laugh!" Zoi ranted with a maddened rage in her eyes while she leaned in to meet Azula's murderous gaze.

Mai and Ty Lee continued to gaze around with nervous eyes while the two warriors continued in their standoff.

"They don't give two shits about ending the war! All they care about is your treasonous brother! All of the world's best laid plans don't mean anything if you bring along traitors that are sympathetic to your enemy!" Zoi screamed in the princess's reddened face while blue fire glistened before her eyes.

What infuriated Azula the most other than Zoi's disrespect was the fact that the woman was right.

And that angered her more than anything else!

"Zuko! Zuko! Zuko! Who gives a shit about Zuko! The next time you order me on a mission with you leave these idiots behind! I have completed over thirty successful missions in your name and this is the first time that one of my so-called allies tried to assassinate me!" Zoi insisted with her fists clenching while Azula began to stomp closer towards her.

"You would have gotten a lot further speaking that to me in a respectful tone!" Azula hollered before backhanding Zoi once more.

"Your subordinate just tried to murder me and you're angry about my tone!" Zoi argued violently with her golden eyes flaring in outrage while she knelt at the princess's pointed boots.

"I already told you that Mai will be punished! What more do you expect me to do!" Azula roared with a boot stomping into the dirt while she stood glaring about in boundless fury.

"I expect you to recognize my loyalty! I have fought for you! I have bled in your name! And you act as if she spilled wine on my shirt! I almost died and you don't even care! Why should I fight for you any further if you don't care if I get blown apart!" Zoi growled with her golden eyes agape in humiliation while she punched the ground before the woman's pointed boots.

"Oh please! You speak as if we are lovers and I am supposed to cry tears of sorrow! You are being melodramatic Zoi! Get ahold of yourself!" Azula instructed with her arms folding over her chest while she narrowed her eyes down at her enraged subordinate.

"Melodramatic? That's a good one. It's only an assassination attempt. Nothing serious. Certainly, no cherry pit." Zoi hissed under her breathe only to receive a boot to the face.

"I will not listen to any more of this! I have dying and wounded to take care of and the sooner you are done throwing a fit the sooner they will receive aid!" Azula announced with a foul tempered huff while she glared down her most useful soldier kneeling in the dirt.

If anyone else had spoken to her in such a defiant manner they would have been killed as soon as the words left their mouth.

But not Zoi!

She was far too powerful to be disposed of so casually and the Song clan far too vast to be done away with at such a crucial point in the war.

"Of course! But before we do, I would like to lay down the ground rules for the camp arrangement!" Zoi barked in just as moody a voice while Azula tilted her head with her patience giving way to flames once more.

"Ground rules?" Azula snorted in disbelief while she turned to glare back at her two shivering childhood friends' before turning to watch the woman slam down a map at her feet.

"This right here is the Song clan side of the island. This side is the Saolin clan side of the island!" Zoi shouted in a deadly serious voice while the princess slapped her palm over her forehead.

The small audience of soldiers and workers stared on in humor while they watched the captain draw a line across the middle of the island.

"You can't be serious. Lines in the sand?" Azula scoffed with her palm on her forehead while she exhaling yet another furious snort.

All of the sudden she began to long for her little handmaid to massage her feet until she managed to calm her nerves!

'I am going to need it after I am done dealing with this miserable mess!' Azula thought with her possessive eyes glancing back at her pet's worried little face.

There was something about her innocent handmaid's labors that calmed her foul mood.

It would likely prove to be the only high point of this miserable day!

That was when the angered princess discreetly sniffed above her shoulder before turning away with a sliver of disgust in her eyes.

She will have to have the girl give her a bath as well judging by the sweat that she's managed to work up.

"Oh, I am deadly serious. If you must speak to me. Leave that bitch in her doghouse or I will hang her like a peach from an Agni damned tree!" Zoi growled before standing up with her hateful eyes glaring at Mai while the other woman mustered up a hateful scowl of her own.

"Good. I won't miss you. Cunt." Mai snarled while Elle continued to snuggle up to her.

"And try to watch out for the tribal savages." Zoi stated darkly with hatred lacing her voice while the princess continued to groan in annoyance.

"T-tribal savages?" Nako squeaked with an easily frightened demeanor about her.

"You haven't heard? There is a small tribe of uncontacted savages that reside on this island. Vicious lot of them I tell you. Keep your eyes alert when you pull your pants down to relieve yourself. Lest you get raped in the ass." Zoi declared in a sadistic voice with Mai and Ty Lee staring at her in disbelief of the public rape threat.

"W-what? Is t-that true Princess?" Nako stammered only for the princess to reel around and roll her eyes at her.

"There are no tribal savages on Shantu Island Nako! So quit cowering!" Azula commanded with her lips curled into a scowl while Nako gulped in understanding.

"My sources say different. Regardless. Keep your eyes peeled Mai. I hear it hurts taking it up the ass." Zoi sneered in a malicious voice while her piercing gaze caused Mai to shiver alongside the enraged noblewoman.

"You would do well to steer yourself from such talk in my presence. Now stand down before I have you all put to death!" Azula ordered with her terrifying gaze causing the soldiers to finally back away.

Ty Lee couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

At least she knew that Azula would never allow that to happen to them.

"Her fate is sealed Princess. Maybe it will be today…or maybe tomorrow…or maybe even a year from now. I will have my due." Zoi informed with her lips curving into a cold smile while she gazed into Mai's narrowing eyes.

'Damn you Mai! None of this would have happened if you could have kept your feelings for Zuko in check!' Azula thought with her eyes glaring at her subordinate only to furrow her brows in puzzlement when she watched Elle stand up in anger.

"No! You will not! You will leave Mai alone!" Elle cried out to the surprise of her three highborn friends while Mai observed her with surprised tawny eyes.

"Really? And how are you doing to do that runt?" Zoi inquired in a frigid voice while she glared into the petite girl's amber eyes.

In that moment then and there both Mai and Ty Lee sensed that Zoi had made a big mistake.

As soon as Zoi said those words Azula was already reeling around with flames spewing from her lips and her eyes narrowing murderously.

It was almost ironic.

Zoi could threaten their lives many times over but as soon as she calls Elle a runt Azula was already on the defensive!

"With the power of the Component! You weren't present to see it but I have the power to slice through the Avatar's spiritual energy! If my oneesan is brought to harm I will not use my power to assist the Fire Nation!" Elle announced to the astonishment of the two women seated beside her.

The two noblewomen gazed up at their young friend with their eyes widening in shock while the princess also gazed on in disbelief.

After all of the time that they have spent around this girl this was the first time that they have ever witnessed Elle attempt to blackmail anyone!

The princess could only stare on with her amber golden eyes gazing at the girl in a speechless silence.

She couldn't even decide if she should feel angry or proud.

As she watched her girlfriend continue to shout at Zoi's taken aback face, she ultimately decided that she would settle for proud.

"I heard about your little showing…but I don't need you to kill the Avatar. We'll be just fine without this power of yours. Your words have not swayed me." Zoi retorted only to blink in surprise when Elle took a shaky step forward.

"Maybe it can be used on more than the Avatar. Maybe I can use it on you. Perhaps, I can even use it with the Avatar? Who knows? I guess we'll find out if you kill my big sister." Elle spoke with her best growl while Mai still gazed at her back in bewilderment.

All the while touched that Elle would risk her own safety to protect her.

The captain narrowed her eyes after hearing those words before taking a menacing step forward only to gaze on in disbelief when the petite girl darted straight at her.

It was almost comical!

"What are you doing Elle!" Mai called out in sisterly concern before pushing herself to her feet.

Ty Lee looked just as shocked for the girl's safety while Azula also stared at their young friend as if she had just grown a second head.

'What is that peasant trying to do!' Azula thought with her nostrils releasing a protective snort of blue fire.

Only to blink in disbelief when a blonde blur impacted with the mutually bewildered captain before the sound of a slap echoed into the air.

Zoi's head was tilted to the side with a small hand print on her cheek while she gazed down at Elle in shock through the corner of her eye.

"Take all the gold that you want from her but you leave her alone! Got that! You leave Mai alone!" Elle shouted with her little fists furiously shaking on the stunned soldier's robes.

"Elle…" Mai muttered in a voice of fondness while her tawny eyes softened immensely after hearing her adopted sister's passionate cry of defense.

And Mai too was gazing on with moved brown-gray eyes at the baffling sight.

It was a humorous sight that had every soldier and worker gawking.

Azula had turned to stare down at Elle through the corner of her stunned eyes while she marveled over her handmaid's pitiful attempt at intimidation.

It was laughable, pathetic even!

And yet even so.

She was finding that she couldn't fight the sensation of pride swelling up from within her belly while she gazed down at her little girlfriend in approval.

Her little love had a spark of fire within her.

This was good.

Because the girl would need it if she becomes her Fire Lady.

The captain stood staring down at the tiny girl with her golden eyes observed the girl closely while Elle emotionally tugged on what was left of her shirt.

And for the briefest of moments the two gazed into each other's eyes.

And suddenly Elle began to feel her courage sap away while Zoi stared down into her paling amber eyes.

Only for Azula to come to her rescue once more.

Zoi stiffened in surprise when she felt a shiver travel down her neck while a callous voice flowed into her ear.

"If you even so much as touch that girl with a lick of flame. I will crucify you on these very grounds." Azula commented in an eerily calm voice while she stood with her fists balled up on her hips gazing at the still motionless woman.

A unanimous shiver was felt by all while Azula gazed on with her dark hair blowing in front of her sweaty cheeks.

And her amber golden eyes all the while conveying a murderous warning that her pet was never to be harmed.

Only then for the tension to be broken by the sound of Zoi laughing in apparent amusement.

And Elle gazed back up at her with renewed courage in her eyes before gripping Zoi's shirt once more.

"I understand Princess. Not a scratch on her." Zoi agreed with a slight smile returning to her lips while Elle pulled on her shirt.

"And, there's more where that came from!" Elle exclaimed with a childish puff of her chest only for Zoi to stare down at her in amusement while Azula now released an embarrassed groan.

"You tell her little sister!" Ty Lee cheered with a grin alongside the amused Mai before they soon breathed a sigh of relief.

For a moment there it almost seemed like Zoi was about to strike Elle.

"It would appear that you've defeated me. Very well. I will stand down for the time being in recognition of your swing." Zoi declared in a serious voice while Azula rolled her eyes beside her.

"You better be afraid because Azula-sama taught me much more than that!" Elle piped with her little fists cuffed up before her while the captain turned to cast a questioning smirk in the direction of the scowling princess.

"Is this your student Princess?" Zoi taunted with a calming voice only for her glaring princess to ruthlessly backhand her across the cheek once more.

"Shut up and get to work inspecting the wounded and what remains of our supplies!" Azula barked in a tyrannical voice with a fist on her shapely hips all the while nearly swelling in height when Elle began to clap alongside her.

"You go Azula-sama! You're the boss!" Elle chirped before pumping a fist above her head while Azula's strict eyes peered down at her in approval.

"Humph. I am indeed the boss." Azula commented with a smug curve of her lips while her handmaid smiled up at her in admiration.

"Very well Princess. Congratulations on landing such a lovely catch." Zoi answered with noticeable sass before smacking Azula's shoulder pad while the other woman glared a hole through her skull.

"You have some nerve Zoi. You publicly challenge my authority and then you try to play the part of the loyal soldier afterwards. If there should ever be a repeat of this incident. I will kill you and your entire squad." Azula spoke with a merciless glare gracing her features while Zoi turned to meet her gaze.

"Understood. But just the same…but please remember that the Song clan will be eagerly awaiting your royal verdict." Zoi stated with a spark of anger flashing once more in her golden eyes while the annoyed princess turned to meet her stare.

There was no doubt in her mind that there was no way that the Song clan would let Mai's transgressions slide.

If she fails to rule in their favor they will simply go to her father.

And she damn well knew that her father would not hesitate for a moment to sentence Mai to death!

This just makes Mai all the more a fool for thinking she would ever get away with such a stupid stunt to begin with!

"I am well aware! You've only told me about twenty times!" Azula snapped with a scoff while her amber golden eyes briefly swept over the other firebender's burned torso.

All the while silently musing that Zoi was right.

If anyone had done that to her, she would not rest until their head was on a spike.

That…is the only reason why she was willing to let Zoi's public defiance slide.

Just this once.

"Make no mistake Princess, I am your loyal warrior. I have sworn a vow to serve you until my dying breath. But I expect you to understand that loyalty comes at a cost. I expect you to recognize my devotion." Zoi responded in a quieter voice while Azula listened with a regal brow raising curiously.

"You have a strange way of showing me loyalty Zoi." Azula commented with a scowl while the other woman's hand still lightly gripped her plating.

"What can I say? I am a peculiar woman. There will be days when you want nothing more than to kill me. But trust me when I say this Princess. I am more than worth your while." Zoi continued in a purposefully softer voice while her princess gazed back into her golden eyes.

"For your sake you had better hope so." Azula sighed in a calming voice while her handmaid stood faithfully beside her.

"We can achieve great things together you and I. There is much that you can teach me…and much that I can teach you." Zoi assured with Azula's brows quirking inquisitively while she gazed back at her.

"You teach me? Just what is there for you to teach me?" Azula snorted with a conceited countenance only to gaze curiously at the other woman's confident face.

"Loyalty. I can teach you about loyalty. You've led a sheltered life. You know little about your own people. I can show you how to gain the favor of the troops…and the love of the people." Zoi whispered gently while the princess turned to stare at her incredulously.

"The favor of the soldiers and the love of the commoners and the peasants?" Azula pondered almost mockingly while the captain nodded sagely.

"If you don't have both. Your rule will be short and brief. Rulers that are not loved by their own people…do not live very long. So, watch closely Princess. This is your chance." Zoi informed with her lips curving into a knowing smile while Azula grudgingly found herself listening closely.

"My chance? My chance for what." Azula asked coldly only to follow Zoi's finger when the woman pointed in the direction of the small gathering of workers and soldiers.

"This is your chance to step outside of your extravagant palace and show your people that Princess Azula stands beside them. Speak with them. Eat with them. Sit over a fire with them. Treat them well. And they will tell stories of you to everyone they meet. Of how Princess Azula fights beside her own. Unlike her predecessors." Zoi explained in an urging voice while the princess pondered her counsel with a contemplative look in her amber golden eyes.

The advice was both sensible and tempting at the same time.

Even Azula couldn't deny that much.

Any chance to stand higher than her father and her ancestors was a worthwhile endeavor to be sure.

"So be it. I will take your counsel into consideration. But don't you ever contradict my will before the eyes of my soldiers ever again." Azula warned in a glacial voice with a beyond stern countenance before reaching out to painfully grasp the other woman's almost bare shoulder.

"Got it. But before I forget. I have a gift for you." Zoi announced abruptly while Azula stared back at her with a cynical narrow of her eyes.

"You insult me, and give me counsel afterwards, and now you are trying to bribe me?" Azula demanded with a puff of blue fire exuding from her nostrils only to gaze on curiously when Zoi reached into a pouch at her hip.

The princess watched with mildly inquisitive amber golden eyes to see her subordinate withdraw a small white cloth.

And the two noblewomen gazed at the woman they both despised only to find themselves their feelings of hatred transforming into fear once more while the captain slowly unraveled the rolled-up cloth.

And just like that Zoi's amicable demeanor began to transform into something even more terrifying than Azula herself.

They found themselves gaping in disgust at a torn out eye ball resting in the palm of the noblewoman's hand.

Even Azula seemed completely taken by surprise.

The only ones unfazed by the offering were Zoi's own squad and the hardened men of the Dai Li.

Mai sat back with her eyes agape in rapidly rising worry while she and Ty Lee sat staring at the bloody eye in horror.

'What is wrong with her! She…cut out someone's eye and brought it back as a gift for Azula!' Mai thought with revulsion in her stare.

Azula stood in surprise gazing down at the severed body part before turning to gaze down at her young servant's nauseous face.

Without even giving it a second thought.

She shoved her handmaid aside with a stern hand before returning her attention to her seemingly pleased subordinate.

"What is that?" Azula asked with some disgust in her voice while wrinkling her nose in a questioning manner.

"An eye, Princess." Zoi answered without delay only for her princess to glare a hole through her skull.

"I can see that! I was inquiring who the owner was and why are you giving it to me." Azula snapped with her hands on her hips while Zoi turned to gaze over her shoulder at Mai.

"Someone in your family is down an eye." Zoi stated vaguely with her words causing Mai to gaze up in unfathomable rage.

The declaration hit both of Azula's childhood friends harder than any punch ever could.

The two could only stare on in a mix of anger and horror while the princess now gazed down at the eye with her amber golden eyes widening in suspicion.

"Is…that my brother's eye?" Azula queried with a barely noticeable sliver of emotion in her voice only for Zoi to shake her head.

"Your uncle. He underestimated me. As did your so-called elites. Even you too underestimated me. Do you still wish to kill me now?" Zoi spoke with an unnervingly pleased smile while the princess stared back at her with grudgingly recognition in her eyes.

"You fought your way onboard my uncle's ship…in the process killing many of his men. Just to carve out an eye?" Azula questioned with traces of approval in her cold voice while she raised her impressed eyes to meet the other woman's proud gaze.

"An eye for an eye Princess. An eye for an eye." Zoi declared with her fists clenching before her chest while a smirk finally began to grow on Azula's lips.

"Well done, Zoi. Well done." Azula purred with a hand beneath her chin while Zoi turned away to meet Mai's unnerved stare.

For reasons she couldn't explain found herself relieved that the eye did not belong to her brother.

At the same time, she was pleased that her uncle paid a price for his arrogance.

She had never been very fond of him.

And any fondness she may have had has been squashed in favor of a desire to see his head on a spike after the stunt that he pulled destroying her airship.

And with that Zoi smirked in Mai's disgusted direction before startling the two women by tossing the curled-up rag at their repulsed feet.

"You deranged bitch." Mai hissed with hatred in her voice while meeting Zoi's victorious gaze.

All the while Zoi managed a darkly sardonic chuckle at her expense.

"Keep it as a memento traitor." Zoi taunted with prideful sneer only for Mai to furiously kick the rag away.

"The sooner we get off this island and away from her the better!" Ty Lee shouted with her fists clenched in anger while they watched the captain turn away.

The most unnerving thing of all wasn't how ruthless Zoi was.

No, it was the fact that Azula seemed far too fond of the woman than they were comfortable with!

The shouts of another soldier running up the captain finally drew Zoi's attentions away from them.

"Princess! Captain! Your swords!" A soldier cried out before dropping into a low bow with the swords held up to be returned to their owners.

The princess reached out to grasp her blade with a refined smile on her regal lips before sheathing it at her hip while her subordinate did the same.

"They are just as sturdy as you claimed. Although I never had a chance to test out your other claim on the earthbender." Azula commented with a hand on her hip while Zoi turned to meet her gaze.

All the while musing that it was best to keep the details of her one-time mercy to herself.

Although after learning about the extent of their situation she was beginning to wish that she had done otherwise.

"You will soon discover that Songs do not made idle boasts Princess. Now…perhaps we should go assess the situation as you suggested earlier?" Zoi quipped with her arms folding over her injured chest while Azula nodded in agreement.

"Very well. Elle…go sit down with Mai and Ty Lee for now. I have business to attend to. I will come for you after we are finished." Azula ordered with her strict eyes peering down at her handmaid's adorably pouting face.

"If you say so Azula-sama. But if you need me to get you anything…just let me know." Elle muttered softly while her princess stared down at her with domineering amber golden eyes.

"I will remember that. Now run along now." Azula spoke in a stern voice with her palm briefly patting her girlfriend's shoulder while Elle nodded happily.

"Yes Azula-sama as you command!" Elle cried out as she quickly bowed at the hip before she darted over to rejoin her big sisters.

"See it to that you two keep a close eye on this one. Is that understood?" Azula commanded with her possessive eyes watching her handmaid take come to a stop before Mai once more.

"We'll look after Shorty. Just get that bitch out of my sight." Mai snorted before narrowing her eyes at Zoi's smug face while she watched the other woman walk away.

Azula just sighed in annoyance before turning to depart after her most skilled yet likewise insufferable solder.

The two noblewomen gazed at their leader walking away only to peer down at their young companion in surprise see the girl had retrieved a box of first aid supplies.

Mai watched Elle open it with softened tawny eyes.

While Ty Lee smiled softly down at Elle when the girl reached up to wipe the noblewoman's cheek.

"Elle. You don't have to do that. I can do it." Mai spoke gently while she stared down at her little sister cleaning the blood from her cheek.

"No. I want to." Elle assured in a dedicated voice while she patted down the noblewoman's bruised cheek.

"Thank you…. you're sweet Elle." Mai answered with fondness lacing her voice while Elle continued to clean her wounds.

"Very sweet." Ty Lee agreed with a returning grin while she observed Elle tenderly wipe the other woman's bloodied cheek.

"You're my oneesan. And I don't want you to be in pain." Elle responded while chewing on her lip in a bothered manner only for Mai to place a palm upon her head.

"Not just that…for defending me." Mai mumbled with her eyes reflecting her appreciation while she gently patted the blushing girl's head.

"O-oh well what sort of friend would I be if I just sat there quietly through talk of killing you." Elle murmured in a bashful fashion while the two women gazed down at her fondly.

"You know Ty Lee. I couldn't ask for a better little sister…" Mai trailed off in a tone of affection before patting Elle's head while the petite girl continued to clean her face.

"Nor could I! She's the pinkest little sister there is." Ty Lee cooed with a giggle while Elle's cheeks turned a shade of the mentioned color.

"And I have the best oneesans there is." Elle declared in a loving voice while both noblewomen gazed down at her moved by her words.

Only for Mai to ruffle her hair in response while she leaned in to sit closer to the gloomy noble's side.

"You're getting bolder." Mai remarked with observant tawny eyes while the girl sat close to her.

"Is that a good thing?" Elle replied in a reflective voice while Mai reached out to pat her back.

"It is Elle. You can't bottle your emotions up forever like that." Ty Lee advised with concern in her voice while Elle peered up at her thoughtfully.

"I suppose not." Elle agreed with a nod of her head while Mai regarded her through the corner of her eye.

"Now if you could just learn to not let Azula walk all over you." Mai sighed only to sigh when Elle peeked up at her with almost horrified amber eyes.

"Oh no. Azula-sama looks after me. I don't mind it when she gives me orders." Elle spoke with a warm smile while her two big sisters just shook their heads in the way that older siblings do when educating their younger.

"I know you don't Elle but Azula really wouldn't mind if you asserted yourself just a little bit. She really likes you. Like really, really likes you. She won't be mad if you do!" Ty Lee instructed while she smiled down at the smaller girl's now thoughtful face.

"Are you sure Ty Lee? I don't want to upset the dynamic of our relationship." Elle insisted while Mai gazed down at her sighing once more.

"Absolutely sure!" Ty Lee exclaimed with another nod while Elle held a finger to her chin.

"Relationships are two-way streets. One person doesn't just please the other. Both parties involved have a duty to please each other equally." Mai lectured with a nod while their young friend sat between them.

"I see. Well…I'll think it over. I just hope she won't get angry with me." Elle muttered only for Mai to pat her head once more.

"She won't. Next time she tells you what to do. Just say no." Mai explained with a slight smirk on her lips while Ty Lee grinned in shared amusement.

"Okay then. I'll give it a try. Maybe I can bargain for daily snuggles." Elle answered with an increased smile while her two big sisters listened in humor over her.

"I suppose you could." Mai continued with amusement lacing her voice while the petite girl continued to clean her cheek.

"Yeah Elle. You just tell Azula that she needs to stop being such a snuggle prude." Ty Lee giggled while their young friend began to look excited at the thought of cuddling with the princess.

"I will!" Elle piped up with a bright smile while she washed off her big sister's cheek.

"Oh, and Elle. Nice swing." Mai complimented with sisterly approval in her voice while Elle turned a bashful shade of red.

"Yeah! I think you really impressed Azula when you did that." Ty Lee spoke in a warm voice while Elle turned to peer down at her feet.

"I am not sure what came over me. It was a spur of the moment thing but I won't lie…" Elle trailed off while the two older girls listened attentively.

And then she gulped fearfully while they stared down at her in puzzlement.

"For a moment after I slapped her…I felt as if the life was fading from my body…and I…almost pissed myself. If not for Azula-sama. I…think I would have." Elle admitted with a chagrined expression while the two noblewomen gazed down at her in understanding.

Neither Mai nor Ty Lee could blame the girl for feeling that way.

In all honesty there were multiple times that they felt the same way.

Zoi was a terrifying woman and it was clear that only Azula could control her.

Zoi and Azula strode towards the wreckage while soldiers and workers knelt on all fours in bows of respect to their passing princess.

That was when the hesitant Nako raced after them before fretfully calling out to the two-commanding women.

"Excuse me Princess but may I have another word with you and the captain as well?" Nako called out already in a bow while Azula turned to regard her with a stern eye.

"Speak Nako." Azula commanded with a wave of her hand while she turned to stare down at the kneeling young woman.

"U-uh it's about the injured and the state of our supplies." Nako answered with her head gesturing to the downed ship while the princess quirked a brow curiously.

"Fine. Just come with us." Azula spoke with a wave of her hand while the skittish girl peeked up from her bow.

"O-of course Princess!" Nako exclaimed before leaping to her feet while she rushed after Azula's heels.

All the while making certain that she maintained a respectable distance between the Crown Princess and herself.

"I recall that you wanted to speak to me earlier." Zoi stated casually with her hands on her hips while gazing over her shoulder at the younger girl's anxious face.

"Y-yes I did. But you were preoccupied with other matters." The head pilot replied in a nervous cough with a hand over her mouth while her two superiors glanced back at her.

"So I was. And now I am not. I take it that this one is our new chief pilot?" Zoi pondered with her playful eyes turning to her princess's mildly annoyed expression.

"Yes Zoi. She is. The others displeased me. So, I replaced them." Azula commented in an uncaring voice while Nako gulped in renewed fear behind her.

"Ah! Well, we can only hope that you work out…and that you can at least halfway manage to steer an airship." Zoi teased with a small smile on her lips while Nako began to sweat hesitantly.

"Y-yes. One can only hope. When we have a viable ship that is…" Nako trailed off with a troubled frown only to jump in fright when a hand roughly slapped her back.

"Oh, don't look so grim! You're alive and well, and you aren't even missing any limbs. You're already off to a fantastic start!" Zoi exclaimed with a grin while the young pilot shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

The princess turned to gaze back at her soldier with a puzzled gleam in her eyes only to turn away sighing under her breath.

Even by her standards Zoi was a strange woman.

"Erm…good point. I suppose." Nako agreed warily with another gulp while they walked up to the ruined ship.

"Have we met before today or is this our first time speaking to each other?" Zoi queried in a social voice while Azula once more turned to glare in her direction.

"I've seen you here and there…but I think this is the first time that we've spoken one on one. Pardon me for asking but why do you ask?" Nako answered with a finger on her cheek while Zoi shrugged her shoulders carelessly.

"Have you? I wasn't sure. I confess that I don't remember half of the people that I meet." Zoi commented with a dismissive face while Nako's shoulders slumped.

"Well…that's understandable." Nako responded awkwardly only to cough when the captain hit her back a second time.

"We'll just pretend that we've met before then. That's what I do with anyone that isn't royalty. I just smile and act like I know them. It works wonders." Zoi declared with a knowing smile while Nako nervously laughed in understanding.

"I can see the merit in such a tactic." Nako muttered only to jump when Azula banged a fist on the side of the steel ship.

"Are you done now Zoi?" Azula snapped with her glare causing her new pilot to cower yet the captain remained unfazed.

"Of course, Princess. I was just trying to enjoy a brief moment of humor before what comes next." Zoi remarked with her smile fading away while the princess's brows furrowed in a questioning manner.

"Really? Humor. I hadn't taken you to be that sort of person Zoi." Azula sighed with a shake of her head while Zoi stepped up beside her.

"You haven't done this sort of thing before…have you Princess? Once you do it. You'll understand what I mean. It…steels you for the task ahead." Zoi spoke in a glummer voice while Azula stared at her in increased puzzlement.

Before the princess could even ask the pilot sighed depressingly in agreement before speaking to her once more.

"Let's start off with the small stuff. As I told you the ship is ruined beyond repair." Nako began before sliding open the steel door while the princess gazed in with rage flashing in her eyes once more.

Smoke was still blowing into the air while the ship now rested at an uneven tilt.

As a result of that and the crash itself the door was halfway blocked by a large pile of broken equipment.

And not just that.

The angle that the ship was resting on made it nearly unsuitable to use it as temporary housing!

"As you can see Your Highness. Even if we cleared the wreckage out of the way. We would slide down the flooring and possibly injure ourselves on the jagged debris. We…. are going to have to make camp." Nako explained in a downcast voice while Azula stood over her shoulder with her teeth clenched in her anger.

"Make camp." Azula snarled with her amber golden eyes shimmering in fury while the captain gazed up calmly into the wreckage.

'Iroh is going to pay for this! When I get my hands on him! I'll take much more than an eye!' Azula thought with her nostrils releasing blue fire while she clenched her fists at her hips.

"Yes…camp…. outside of the chasm preferably. It would be…foolish to presume that we have seen the last of the enemy. S-so I suggest the forest. It will at least provide cover." Nako advised with sweat dripping down her brow only to jump once more when the princess punched the steel door in her anger.

"How did they get our location! We were hunting them! I was under the impression that your data on the Order of the White Lotus was correct! So how Zoi!" Azula barked in a foul tempered voice while her captain still gazed up into the lopsided corridor of the destroyed vessel.

"My information was correct. Their headquarters is in the Misty Palms Oasis. It…would seem that they received word of our movements…and your uncle set out to ambush us…and save the Avatar while he was at it." Zoi answered with a hand on the bent door while her princess continued to fume before her.

"How convenient! But that still doesn't explain how they obtained our location." Azula hissed with her voice causing Nako to shiver.

"A spy network I presume. Likely someone high up in status. Possibly in the Capital…or otherwise." Zoi stated with her lips curving into a frown while Azula's eyes took on an utterly livid tint over such an implication.

'Uncle…has spies in the Capital? I will find out who these people are and send him their heads!' Azula thought with a resolute nod while Nako peered up at her.

"A-all the more reason why we should seek cover…and stay together. I…very much doubt that the Dragon of the West will return. He's…likely far too preoccupied whisking the Avatar away to safety. But…even so. We cannot rule out the possibility that he had outside help." Nako muttered before turning away while Azula glanced down at her with a grudgingly impressed gaze.

"My chi will be recovered soon enough…and then if anyone shows themselves. I will just kill them all. But even so…we will camp scale the cliff…and camp in the forest as you suggested." Azula spoke in a calmer voice while Nako peered up at her in surprise.

"I-I am honored to have a position among your council Princess." Nako assured before she bowed while the princess surveyed her in approval.

"You have a capable mind Nako. And I will not allow it to be said that I do not recognize the capable." Azula commented with her arms folding over her breasts while staring down at her new subordinate bowing before her.

"T-thank you for your kind words, Princess. I…will not let you down." Nako replied in a devoted voice while Azula's stern eyes gazed down at her.

"See to it that you don't. Now stand up…and let's move on." Azula ordered with a scowl before turning away while her two subordinates followed after her.

"A-and I would like to inform you Your Highness…that although most of the food stores are indeed destroyed. Including your own personal food stores…that…there is some canned fish left." Nako informed with a flinching countenance only to shrink even further when the princess paused in her step.

The princess's boot stomped into the dirt beneath her feet while her lips curled up in extreme disgust.

"Canned fish." Azula growled with pure revulsion in her eyes while she turned to glare back at the now gulping woman.

"Y-yes Princess. Canned fish." Nako stammered in a nervous voice while Azula spat at her feet in disgust.

"How revolting! I have to eat peasant slop. Could this possibly get any worse!" Azula complained in a voice of pompous loathing while she resumed stomping ahead.

Only for her eyes to narrow into slits when Zoi set a palm on her shoulder.

"If you eat their food without complaint, they will respect you much more than if did otherwise. I caution you to remember that these are your people. They are willing to die for you. And all they want in return is your approval." Zoi implored in a near silent voice while Azula gazed back at her through the corner of her contemplative eye.

The princess's lips creased into a frown before turning to gaze ahead.

Once more her captain was offering her valid advice.

"Let's go" Azula commanded once more with a callous expression once more before resuming her walk once more while the two continued to follow her.

As Azula walked it did not take long for her to begin to understand just what Zoi had been referring to.

She gazed on with stoic amber golden eyes to find herself gazing at a make shift nursing station.

And for reasons she couldn't explain she found herself unable to fight her lips pursing into a thin line.

"How many won't make it?" Azula inquired stonily with her hands at her hips while Nako began to read from a small paper.

"I-it's hard to say Princess. At least fifty have broken bones that inhibit their ability to travel…most of them will likely survive. Provided we get them to a suitable medical station before fatal infection kicks in. But…b-but there are around twenty who will not make it." Nako announced grimly with sorrow in her eyes while her princess nodded in understanding.

"See to the less fortunate before treating the others." Azula instructed with her hardened eyes gazing down in distaste.

'I have ordered the deaths of countless traitors and enemy soldiers. But this is the first time that I have sentenced the loyal to death.' Azula thought with a displeased sigh while rubbing a finger against the bridge of her nose.

She continued onward before coming to a stop before the first tent only for a young nurse by the name of Shii to step out.

As soon as she saw Azula she dropped down on all fours while the frigid woman gazed down at her with expectant amber golden eyes.

"Well? Spit it out. What is the status of this one?" Azula demanded icily with her head gesturing inside the tent before swiftly sweeping the curtain open.

Only to freeze up with unnatural shock in her eyes to find herself gazing down at a young man burned far beyond recognition.

"An Engine worker Princess…. caught up in the explosion." Shii explained in a saddened voice while the captain stepped up to glance inside with grim golden eyes.

"Do we have the necessary supplies to give him a lethal injection?" Zoi questioned without delay in a solemn voice unlike her usual uncaring voice.

All the while standing beside Azula whose cold gaze was now flickered between the dying man and the slumped over nurse.

Only for her arms to cross over her chest in an odd show of frustration when the woman shook her head.

"No. Unfortunately, most of our medical supplies burned when the ship caught on fire." Shii answered while gazing up at her princess's scowling face from her position on the floor.

In that moment in time Azula turned to glare down at the maimed man with an inferno burning in her amber golden eyes.

But it wasn't the usual spark of war that was now ablaze in her eyes.

No.

She was furious with her uncle's hypocrisy.

'You are such a hypocrite Iroh. You butchered thousands when you tried to take Ba Sing Se whereas I killed none. Look at you pretending to be a tea loving sage! You may have fooled Zuko with your sanctimonious hippo cow shit but you haven't fooled me!' Azula thought before angrily exhaling blue fire from her nostrils.

But before she could even so much as speak another word Zoi spoke up beside her once more.

"I see. Do we have liquor, chloroform and a towel?" Zoi pondered with her hands clenching over her burnt shirt while Azula turned to her in slight surprise.

Yet again Zoi takes her by surprise.

She…never would have thought that she would be the type to care about the dying.

"I-I think so." Shii murmured in a stutter only to shiver when Zoi turned to glare down at her.

"Then what are you waiting for? Get it now. I will not allow these people to suffer a single moment longer than necessary." Zoi ordered with her eyes narrowing dangerously down at the frantically nodding nurse.

"O-of course! Straightaway!" Shii cried out before sprinting through the opening of the tent just when Nako stepped in.

Her reaction was not quite so composed as that of her two superiors.

The young woman held a hand over her mouth in horror while Azula glanced down at her through the corner of her eye before sighing under her breath.

"Go. I will call you if I need you." Azula commanded with her callous eyes peering back at the now nauseated pilot.

"Y-yes Princess." Nako blurted in a traumatized voice with tears in her eyes before quickly turning away from Azula's strict gaze.

Just before the girl rushed out of the tent she froze in her step when she heard her princess call out to her.

"Actually Nako, there is one thing you can do for me." Azula commented with her angered eyes gazing down at the dying man's charred face.

"W-what is it that you wish me to do?" Nako replied with a hand over her mouth to keep herself from vomiting.

"Go tell both Mai and Ty Lee to come to me for punishment. And while they're away…I want you to watch the girl." Azula remarked with a frown on her regal lips while she turned to gaze over her shoulder at the confused woman.

"The girl? You…mean the young golden-haired royal servant?" Nako asked in a tone of complete astonishment only to stare on in increased disbelief when Azula curtly nodded her head.

"Yes…that one. Be sure to look after her closely. She is irreplaceable and it would displease me if something were to happen to her." Azula informed with a snarl on her lips that had poor Nako trembling in renewed terror.

"A-absolutely! I-I promise you that I won't let her leave my sight!" Nako stammered in a frantic voice before shakily bursting from the tent while the two women watched her run out in a frenzy.

Only for the princess to grunt in annoyance when the distinctive sound of the girl vomiting flowed into her ears.

'Damn that peasant. She's making me go soft on other commoners now!' Azula thought with a displeased scowl on her lips before turning to gaze back down at the man moaning in agony.

And then she turned her head in mild surprise when she noticed her captain taking a step closer.

Only to take her by complete surprise when she watched Zoi seat herself over the dying man's bedside.

All the while staring down at the worker's burned face with unnaturally solemn golden eyes.

What a strange woman indeed.

Just after Elle had concluded cleaning her wounds.

Mai glanced up in unison with Ty Lee and Elle when they saw the pilot from earlier come rushing up to them.

The girl was hurriedly wiping her cheek off with a cloth before clearing her throat while the two women exchanged a knowing glance.

"Did Azula send for us?" Ty Lee inquired in her usual amicable voice while Nako shifted uncomfortably on her feet.

"Erm yes she did Lady Ty Lee. You and Lady Mai are to report for punishment without delay." Nako announced with a cough while the two noblewomen shuddered unanimously.

"P-punishment? But I didn't do anything wrong." Ty Lee protested with a fearful gulp while their young friend held a worried hand against her elbow.

"Be that as it may. I distinctly recall Her Highness saying both not one. While you two are being punished. I have also been ordered to look after…your companion." Nako explained with a heavy sigh while she stared down at the young handmaid's concerned face.

The statement both unnerved and puzzled the two highborn women.

'I get punishing me. But why Ty Lee?' Mai thought with a frown on her lips while Ty Lee began to shiver in fear of the unknown punishment to come.

"I must ask that the two of you immediately do as the princess ordered. Under normal circumstances. A commoner of a lower station such as myself cannot order the detainment of nobility. But in this case, I am authorized to have soldiers ensure that you both report to Princess Azula promptly." Nako declared in a serious voice only for the two noblewomen to hastily spring to their feet.

"No. That won't be necessary." Mai assured with a sigh of her own before gazing down at the smaller girl tugging on her pant leg.

"M-maybe I can come with you and dissuade Azula-sama." Elle spoke while chewing her lip only for Mai to pat her head reassuringly.

"No Elle. We'll be fine. I promise that we will return shortly." Mai answered in a gentler voice while Elle continued to peer up at her with distressed amber eyes.

"B-but." Elle stammered while Mai tried her hardest to smile gently down at her only for Nako to clear her throat once more.

"No. Her Highness said you remain here. So, you will remain here. It's better that you don't go anyhow. It's a gruesome sight." Nako muttered with the rag in hand only for her ominous words to cause the two noblewomen to flinch in growing fright.

"W-what!" Elle cried out in alarm only for Ty Lee to push her down.

"It's okay little sister. Like Mai said. We'll be back before you know it!" Ty Lee exclaimed with false cheer before ruffling her adopted sister's hair.

"Yes. It's not like they're walking to their deaths. I expect that they will even return without injury." Nako stated before taking a seat next to the distraught Elle.

Mai and Ty Lee quirked a brow over Nako's words before sharing another uncertain glance.

"No injury…well that's good. May I ask what the punishment entails." Ty Lee pestered only for Nako to flinch which only served as fuel for their worries.

"I'll only say this. Get a bucket…because you're probably going to vomit." Nako advised eerily with a nauseated countenance while the two unnerved women turned to walk away.

"Get a bucket. Well that sounds promising." Mai grumbled before walking off with her fearful friend following after her.

All while the young girl watched them walk off with her loyal amber eyes shimmering in concern for her big sister's.

"They'll be alright." Nako commented softly while Elle sat beside her with her little face buried in her knees.

"I…hope so." Elle murmured glumly in a bothered voice before swallowing deeply.

She didn't like being away from her princess and both her oneesans at once.

It felt…wrong.

"Your name is Elle. Is that right?" Nako pondered in a curious voice while the smaller girl peeked up over at her.

"That's me." Elle answered in a voice lacking her usual enthusiasm while the older girl gazed over at her sighing.

'It would seem that there is some truth to the rumors of the princess's possessing a romantic interest in this girl. She's no ordinary handmaid. That much is for certain.' Nako thought with her brown eyes gazing away from the girl's quiet face in favor of gazing down at her feet.

What a miserable day.

But somehow, she managed to win the princess's favor.

One can only hope that she was able to keep it that way.

The two noblewomen walked together to the other side of the crashed airship only to feel their stomachs drop when they saw tents for the wounded up coming up in their line of vison.

All the while recalling the young pilot's advice to get a bucket.

Ty Lee audibly gulped down her unease as she approached while a voice called out to them.

"The princess is in the first tent! She says to walk quickly!" A soldier shouted with haste in his voice while gesturing to the aforementioned tent.

The two nodded while they walked quickly up to the flap of the tent before Mai opened it with her left hand.

Only to freeze up in shock when her tawny eyes landed on a young man lying on a cot with his entire upper body nearly burned off.

Ty Lee's eyes grew wide in horror with tears already beginning to sting in her eyes.

Azula stood over the man's bedside with her back turned to them and Zoi sat before the dying man with an unusual expression of regret in her gaze.

The princess turned to gaze over her shoulder at Mai's now guilt-ridden face with her amber golden eyes expressing her fury.

"Take a good long hard look Mai. You too Ty Lee. You are both so quick to judge my methods. And yet you seem to consider my uncle a peaceful tea loving fool. Well…" Azula trailed off with her arms crossed over her breasts while the two stood in a speechless silence.

Neither woman could find the nerve to muster up a reply.

It was that much of a harrowing sight.

"When my beloved uncle blew up our engines. This engine worker was caught up in the explosion. Memorize this sight Mai and think of it whenever you are feeling sympathetic for the enemy." Azula remarked in her usual callous voice while they two women gazed hauntingly between her and the maimed man.

"I-isn't there something you can do for him Azula?" Ty Lee inquired in a torn-up voice with a hand over her mouth.

"A lethal injection would have been possible…had the majority of our medical supplies not been burned in the fire." Azula stated with a wave of her hand while Ty Lee's crying face gazed at the back of her head.

Ty Lee could only gaze at her friend's back with her brown-gray eyes agape in disbelief that Azula could act so casual when one of her people was laying there dying before her own eyes.

She wasn't sure what was more horrifying.

What happened to this poor man or the way Azula seemed to be regarding it as a great inconvenience!

That was when a nurse sped through the flaps of the deck before rushing over to the captain's side to hand her three items.

A rag.

A heavy bottle of liquor.

And a bottle of chloroform.

The two noblewomen felt a shiver travel down their spines as soon as they realized what was about to occur.

"Do…do you wish for me to send for a guard?" Shii asked in an almost silent voice only to stare down in surprise when the captain shook her head.

"No. It's better that I do it. I've…done this before. You may go." Zoi muttered with her golden eyes still peering down at the man's tortured face while the nurse quietly departed from the tent.

The princess and her two-childhood friends gazed down at the ruthless soldier in surprise to hear her announce that she has 'done this before'.

And then they stood silent while Zoi opened the bottle of liquor before leaning down to offer the man a drink.

The warrior briefly glanced down at a paper in her hand before her eyes flickered down to the engine worker closed eyes.

Yet even still he continued to breath with a pained wheeze while Zoi lightly touched his shoulder.

"Good work Doren. You did your duty well…. have a drink to ease the pain." Zoi spoke in a soft voice unlike her usual ruthless manner of speaking that stunned her small audience.

An agonized moan was the only response that she received from the dying man.

And then gently, so very gently she tipped the bottle back against his lips.

And suddenly without warning he released a pain gasp before taking a large swig of the liquor.

Mai stood frozen while she gazed at Zoi with utter astonishment in her tawny eyes.

She never would have even dreamed that such a merciless woman would be this compassionate to a dying ally.

And despite her previous disgust for Zoi's savage battle tactics, and indiscriminate way of killing her enemies.

She couldn't help but begin to ponder if she'd misjudged her.

Ty Lee wasn't able to say a single word.

All she could do was lean against the wall of the tent with her eyes welling up in tears at the horrible sight before her.

The calmest of them all was of course Azula.

She watched the scene with seemingly unfazed amber golden eyes all the while sighing under her breath.

Yet somewhere deep inside of her cold heart Azula felt a stab of something akin to remorse for failing her own people.

Make no mistake. She was not going to let her uncle get away with this.

Zoi held onto the bottle before glancing up into the princess's amber golden eyes that were still gazing down at her closely.

Almost as if Azula was stricken by a morbid sense of curiosity by her subordinate's baffling display of mercy.

"Princess Azula even came here in person to personally congratulate you. Didn't you Princess?" Zoi announced abruptly to the shock of the others while she gazed up into Azula's sternly taken aback eyes.

Once again Mai and Ty Lee were both stunned by Zoi's surprisingly respectful behavior that the otherwise cold-hearted soldier was showing this dying engine worker.

Both women turned to cast an imploring glance in Azula's direction.

Ty Lee swallowed sorrowfully before meeting Azula's strict gaze well aware of what was likely running through her friend's mind.

Praise from Azula was even rarer than snowfall in the summer season.

And even then, it was only after you've went through unimaginable lengths did you even stand a chance of winning her approval!

The only person who seemed to be exempt from this rule was Elle.

But even then, the poor girl spent the majority of the hours in her day busting her ass to hear a few small words of gratitude.

With that being said, she knew well enough that Azula was having great difficulty voicing those words.

'Please Azula! Just say it! These people that are dying are your people! Just show that you care about them!' Ty Lee thought with desperation in her eyes while the princess turned to gaze down at the man's closing eyes.

By now Mai was glaring a hole through Azula's back after witnessing the princess's hesitation to voice those words.

'I can't believe you Azula! Now is not the time to pick apart a person's flaws!' Mai thought with her hands grasping at her elbows in her anger.

Azula stood silently as she briefly mulled over Zoi's words before pursing her lips into a regal frown.

"Yes, well done Doren. You performed your job with upmost efficiency. And…your sacrifice will not be forgotten." Azula declared with her hands at her sides before gazing down at the young man's burned face while the two noblewomen gazed at her back in amazement.

They were both completely shocked to hear Azula actually voice words of comfort.

They knew all too well that the princess may not have even meant those words.

But judging by the peaceful expression in the young man's dying eyes they could tell that hearing those words in his final moments meant more than they would ever know.

And then the princess and her two-childhood friends observed speechlessly while the captain drenched the rag until it was soaking wet with the chloroform.

"It will all be over in just a few moments. And I promise you that it's going to be quick…" Zoi trailed off with a grimace before swiftly placing the cloth over the now gasping man's mouth while the others watched in a shocked silence.

And then she placed a pillow over the man's wheezing face while the other three women observed in shock as his face vanished beneath the pillow.

On reflex the man began to thrash while Ty Lee began to back away with her brown-gray eyes unable to handle the horror of what she was witnessing.

Mai stood petrified to her spot with her mouth agape in a similar state of apprehension.

Azula stared down at the writhing young man with her amber golden eyes widening ever so slightly in a spellbound silence.

She had been so caught up in the warrior's act of deliverance that she barely noticed Ty Lee bursting out of the tent unable to cope with it any longer.

"Ssh…shh. Go… to sleep. It's almost over!" Zoi grunted with both hands restraining the now furiously flailing young man to the bed in a vice grip.

All the while his muffled cries continued to stun even the normally cruel Azula.

The princess and her subordinate watched in a paralyzed silence while Zoi pushed the bulk of her weight upon the thrashing young man.

About a second later his kicking began to slow down while the captain gazed down at the pillow with unnaturally frustrated golden eyes.

"Farewell…you will forever be remembered as Fire Nation strong!" Zoi assured in a strained voice with a rare emotion flashing in her eyes while she suppressed the fading man's final movements.

And then the dying engine worker took his final breaths while she gasped in unison from her position above him.

Azula and Mai stared on with unusually stunned eyes when the man slumped into the cot lifeless while Zoi now lay on top of his corpse with uncharacteristically disturbed golden eyes.

The panting soldier slowly slid off of the corpse with her eyes widened in a truly unnatural display of apprehensive emotion.

Even the princess couldn't deny that she was taken aback by the blunt and brutal scene.

Many people have died by her own hands, and she has sentenced even more to death.

But this was the first time that she ever witnessed a mercy killing.

Mai stood frozen with her tawny eyes wide in sorrow all the while gazing down at the woman, she has long despised in disbelief.

To see a woman like Zoi so torn up over this was just surreal.

In all the time that she has spent hating and feuding with Zoi she never expected that she would have such an emotional reaction to performing a mercy killing.

"Zoi…are you alright?" Azula questioned to Mai's surprise with her amber golden eyes furrowing down at the wide-eyed woman now seated on the floor against the tent wall.

Zoi sunk back with her head pressing into the side of the cot with her eyes still agape in something akin to trauma.

"It's…it's so easy to put my sword through the neck of my enemy. I…can do it almost on reflex…it's like cutting through butter. I…don't even give it any thought. It…doesn't even feel like I'm killing people. It's…just butter." Zoi muttered with her golden eyes gazing up at the ceiling while the other two women gazed down in a bewildered silence.

Mai shuddered before gazing away from the lifeless man all the while pondering Zoi's unnerving words.

Just butter.

Meanwhile the princess listened with an expression of puzzlement in her cold eyes while she surveyed her most skilled soldier in a degree of something akin to concern.

Zoi may have an unrefined tongue on her and she may have infuriated her with her earlier show of disrespect.

But she couldn't deny that Zoi had been right once more when she told her earlier that she was worth her while.

In fact, she had no doubt in her mind that her captain was irreplaceable.

Zoi was a once in a century soldier.

It was exceedingly rare for a firebender to be born with the likes of her talent.

All the more reason why she can't afford to have Zoi fall apart on her.

"But…to turn my hand against an ally…a loyal citizen of the Fire Nation…that is a hundred times more difficult. And no matter how many times I do it…I will never get used to it…" Zoi spoke in a troubled voice before reaching up for the bottle of liquor.

"Now really isn't a good time for you to get drunk." Azula sighed with a palm rubbing the bridge of her nose while Zoi began to drink it like water.

"My princess…I would be lying to you if I said I gave a shit. And you know me…I am an honest sort." Zoi commented with an expression of aggravation while Azula's faint concern began to give way to a glare.

"You know Zoi it would really do you a good deal of good if you learned how to lie! You would anger me far less if you knew when to hold your tongue!" Azula snapped in a sterner voice with her hardened eyes staring down at the recovering soldier.

The captain said nothing in response instead she just took another healthy drink of the liquor.

Her golden eyes gazed up at the ceiling for a final moment before slowly pushing herself to her feet.

For once she didn't even seem to notice Mai or express any desire to torment her fellow noblewoman.

The princess's strict eyes followed her just as she began to aimlessly walk out of the tent.

Outside the tent Ty Lee sat with a hand over her face crying in a state of shock while she watched Zoi exit the tent with the liquor bottle in hand.

Only to halt in her step when the nurse came running around the corner once more.

"What now?" Zoi almost hissed with her fist gripping the bottle while the nurse gave her a panicked bow.

Azula stepped out of the tent with Mai in tow while she listened in anger to the medic frantically explaining the severity of the next one.

Mai could only gaze on with her eyes wide in shock before gazing down at her feet in shame.

She didn't shoot down the ship or inform the rebels of their location.

But now she couldn't help but wonder if any of these people would be alive if she hadn't had thrown Zoi down the minefield.

"O-one of the soldiers broke his back in the crash…and he might possibly have a brain injury." Shii answered with a despairing countenance while the four highborn women gazed back in a speechless silence.

"B-by Agni Azula." Ty Lee stuttered with tear stained eyes while Azula turned to glance down at her in a rare show of concern.

The princess's lips curled into a frown while she began to regret ordering her acrobatic friend to come here.

"Go back and sit with the girl." Azula grumbled with her fists on her hips while Ty Lee numbly nod in response.

"Oh, well you win some and you lose some." Zoi remarked with a shrug before taking another drink only for her two fellow noblewomen to gaze at her in disbelief.

"W-with all due respect Captain you should probably slow down on that bottle. It…is our only painkiller." Shii advised warily while the princess released a conceited snort before turning to gaze at Zoi's back.

"Are there other bottles?" Zoi pondered over her shoulder while the nurse peered about nervously.

"A-a few but…" Shi trailed off only to tremble under Zoi's frigid gaze.

"Then get another damned bottle." Zoi snapped with a hand over her forehead while she listened to Azula sigh heavily once more.

"And…there are others beyond the next one." Shii continued glumly with her words causing Zoi to gaze back at her.

"Are you certain that we don't have any supplies to create even one lethal injection?" Zoi inquired once more with a scowl only for the nurse to solemnly shake her head.

"No…we do not. As…it would turn out our medical supply room was placed in close proximity to the engine boilers." Shii revealed while sinking lower into the dirt when Azula's pissed off eyes flickered her direction.

"What fool puts medical supplies by an engine boiler!" Azula roared with her voice causing her subordinates and the unfortunate nurse to tremble in fear.

"I-I don't know Your Highness. I-I am just a nurse. O-out of all of the people present I have the least authority in making such a decision." Shii stuttered in a bow on all fours while the princess's callous eyes gazed down at her before turning away in a scowl.

"How many?" Zoi queried almost casually before placing a hand on the steel wall of the downed ship.

It was obvious to everyone listening just what the captain was referring too.

"W-well…" Shii trailed off while Zoi exhaled under her breath.

"I repeat. How many times do I have to do that?" Zoi demanded with her golden eyes glaring down at her boots.

"I…would say…at least sixteen more times." Shii muttered in a crestfallen voice with her words causing even the frigid princess to turn back in disbelief.

"Sixteen more." Mai spoke quietly with a look of horror in her eyes while she gazed at the captain's stiffening back.

Again, she can't help but ask herself.

Has she misjudged Zoi?

"Give me a moment." Zoi mumbled while before taking away once more while the others stared at her silently.

Zoi stood gazing ahead with a haunting look in her eyes only for her fist to begin to crush the mouth of the bottle when she sensed the lingering gazes on her back.

"I said just give me a damn moment!" Zoi bellowed with yellow fire flaring to life at her fingertips while she reeled around to stare icily at the now cowering nurse.

"O-of course. I-I'll be in the n-next tent when you're ready Captain." Shii assured with a frightened look about her before running away as fast as her legs could carry her.

A moment of silence passed them by while Azula watched Zoi closely before pushing her fists off her hips with her amber golden eyes reflecting on her dying people.

'It's strange…when I ventured out on this mission…I never considered the possibility that some of my people would die. It…didn't even occur to me. And now that they are…why does it bother me so?' Azula thought with her red lips curving into a displeased scowl once more.

In the corner of her eye she observed Ty Lee hastily making her way in the opposite direction while Mai still stood gazing on with a saddened countenance.

Only to turn her attentions back to her most skilled soldier slowly walking towards the next tent.

"Do you want me to send the Dai Li in your place?" Azula offered with a tilt of her head while Mai turned to gaze at her in surprise.

"No. They are Fire Nationals…and it must be done as painlessly as possible. It's…the least that we can do." Zoi remarked in a far-off voice while Azula stared after her with unusually taken amber golden eyes.

All of this time she has only given thought to how she can cause as much pain as she could.

She has always taken a special sort of delight in watching the suffering of others.

She never gave any considerations to mercy.

Only destruction and domination.

Not until she met Elle.

And now the objective was to do the opposite.

Zoi placed a hand on the flap of the next tent before stepping inside without further delay.

All while her princess gazed after her with her amber golden eyes narrowing in renewed anger.

It was both ironic and infuriating at the same time.

And make no mistake.

She will not forget this slight.

Most certainly not.

AN:

Alright, so things are starting to become tense for Azula and her people.

But before my brief summary, allow me to reply to the reviews.

Yes, Zoe is very strong. But she has her weaknesses, and she is not invincible. Just how Azula was born with abnormally high chi. Zoe was born with an abnormally high stamina.

Toph is definitely the most pragmatic member of the Gaang. Katara and Sokka are too emotional. And Zuko doesn't trust Azula. And Aang is used to the idea that the Avatar will restore balance eventually.

Thank you again for the praise Agent Banana!

They will go through a great deal on this island while they await rescue.

Now there isn't as much to discuss this chapter.

I just want to state that in case anyone finds it questionable why Zoe is still alive after talking to Azula like that. Keep in mind that Zoe knows that she can get await with it within reason.

She knows that Azula can't have her killed because she is irreplaceable. And she also knows that such a thing would cost Azula her loyalty with House Song.

A murder attempt with bombs would piss just about anyone off. And Zoe is angry that Azula won't let kill Mai. As a result of this, Zoe will begin pushing Azula to decide on a more ruthless punishment.

As for Zoe's soldiers moving to threaten Mai and Ty Lee. I have an explanation for that as well.

The Imperial Guard are sworn to the Royal Family yes. But this is a special sect that Zoe brought with her into her war against the White Lotus.

Those men have been though so much with Zoe that they are willing to temporarily defy Azula as long as it won't bring Azula to harm.

This is because they have absolute faith in Zoe and they believe that she has good reason for her decision. Zoe was trying to show Azula that it pays to get to know your subordinates. This contrasts directly with Azula's belief in ruling through fear.

And as for Elle standing up for Mai. I want to clearly state that Zoe and Elle are not enemies. Zoe won't be going after Elle because she knows that it would get her killed.

This is just another way that Elle is slowly growing bolder. And it also earned her Zoe's respect.

And we also saw how Zoe showed a surprising level of compassion for her dying comrades. She made Azula tell all seventeen that they did well.

And it helped Azula to learn a little bit more about showing her people kindness.

Anyhow, that about covers it.

Stay tuned next for chapter thirty-five!

Ascent!