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Over the Campfire – Chapter Forty-Eight
The Sun was now finally going down while the two noblewomen sat waiting for their two companions to return from the springs.
"What is taking Azula so long?" Mai asked in a hushed voice while Ty Lee played with her long since dried braided hair.
"Uh…I'm not sure." Ty Lee replied in an equally puzzled voice only to turn her head around when she heard two pairs of footsteps approaching.
The two turned to find themselves gazing at a strangely content Azula walking out of the thick foliage.
Only for the two to gaze on in amusement not a moment later when they caught sight of their young companion emerging alongside their leader.
Azula was clad in her blood red royal clothes while she effortlessly carried her washed royal armor over her back.
And Elle padded after the smug princess with multiple lipstick marks on her cheeks and her backpack strung over her shoulders.
Ty Lee couldn't help but giggle at the sight of the adorable girl walking after Azula in a love-struck haze.
"Hey Elle! I was starting to wonder what you two were up to!" Ty Lee greeted with a wave of her hand while the younger girl blinked in puzzlement.
"Huh? Oh, hello oneesan!" Elle exclaimed with a bright smile while she gazed at the two as if she just now noticed their presence.
"What were you two doing in those woods? We finished bathing two hours ago." Mai stated dryly while the two strode past her.
"Many things." Azula boasted with a pompous smirk just before she tossed her armor on the floor of her tent while the two noblewomen exchanged a knowing glance.
"Never mind. We don't want to know." Mai muttered with apprehension still evident in her voice only for Elle to offer her a helpful smile.
"Oh! Well first I washed Azula-sama's armor! And then I cleaned her boots! And then after that I-I removed her clothes a-and then she removed my clothes. A-and then she wrapped her thighs around my neck." Elle blurted out with her cheeks as red as a tomato while her big sister's nearly fell over in surprise.
"A-Azula." Ty Lee protested with her brown-gray eyes as wide as dinner plates while her leader smirked at her over her shoulder.
"A-and then me and Her Highness shared so many wonderful kisses." Elle swooned with a hand on her cheek while the two noblewomen listened in humor.
"We already gathered that much." Mai replied in monotone while she eyed her leader's back.
"A-and after that I washed her body…and then Azula-sama held me in her lap while she t-touched herself between her legs." Elle announced with unwavering cheer while her big sisters balked at their leader in disbelief.
It went without saying that they were completely astonished to hear that Azula pleasured herself with Elle in the springs.
The rest of the details did not shock them…but that?
"U-uh Azula I uh…thought you were going to wait until Elle turns sixteen." Ty Lee spoke with shock in her voice while the princess rolled her eyes at her.
"Oh, please Ty Lee. It was just one orgasm. I fully intend on waiting…before we go any further. Now if you don't mind Ty Lee…. I would very much appreciate it if you refrained from ruining my post orgasm high." Azula declared in an unabashed voice while she narrowed her callous eyes at her two frightened subordinates.
It was all the two could do to nod rapidly with a hint of a blush on each of their cheeks.
They both knew well enough that it would be a foolish idea to provoke Azula's wrath.
Especially when she was in such a good mood.
"And t-then she washed me…and I washed Her Highness's b-behind…and a-after that I dried her body off and then after that we-" Elle explained only to be cut off by Mai placing a hand over her mouth while Ty Lee smiled at her in amusement.
"We get the point Elle." Mai assured just as she sat back with a heavy sigh while Elle smiled as widely as can be.
Only for Elle to be torn from her reverie when Azula's spoiled voice called out to her.
"Peasant! I demand that you cook me dinner!" Azula demanded with a finger thrusting in Elle's direction while her two lifelong friends stared at her in disapproval.
"That's…rude Azula." Ty Lee scolded with a frown only to sigh when Elle sprang forward as soon as she heard Azula's belly growl.
"Yes Princess! As you command!" Elle cried out in mid bow while the much taller woman surveyed her with an approving amber golden gaze.
"Hm. That's my pet. Diligent and faithful." Azula remarked with a hand beneath her chin while the young girl swelled in pride under her strict stare.
"I am so very glad that you think so Azula-sama." Elle spoke with her chest puffing out pridefully while she beamed up at her mistress's lovely visage.
"Hey…Elle. Is there any chance that you could…uh cook me and Mai a plate too?" Ty Lee requested in a hesitant voice while she turned red in embarrassment when the princess glared daggers her way.
"I would be happy to oneesan!" Elle exclaimed with bounce in her step while the two noblewomen gazed at her fondly.
"Thank you, Elle. We appreciate it. We really do." Mai spoke in a softer voice than usual while the younger girl still smiled at them.
"Yeah. Thank you, little sister!" Ty Lee shouted with a broad grin while Elle blushed under her gaze.
"It's…nothing. Anything for my oneesans." Elle assured in a compassionate voice only for Azula to begin tapping her boot on the forest floor.
"How strange…I can't help but notice that you two…are eager to put her to work." Azula snorted with a roll of her lovely eyes while the two women fidgeted under her cold stare.
"We're not putting Elle to work Azula…we just don't trust Zoi with our meal." Ty Lee reasoned with a hurried nod while the spoiled woman still glared at her.
"If I didn't know any better Ty Lee, I would say that you are wishing you had brought your own pet peasant." Azula scoffed with her arms folded over her breasts while she narrowed her eyes at her now defensive friends.
"Her name is Elle Azula." Mai reminded in a pointed voice while Azula's cold eyes flickered her way.
Only for their young friend to regain all of their collective attentions while she smiled at all three of them.
"I don't mind cooking dinner for my family! Really! Just…please don't fight…" Elle trailed off as she chewed on her lip with her plea hitting all three of her highborn friends in the chest.
Even Azula herself.
"We won't fight! Right Azula?" Ty Lee answered in a cheerful voice while Azula's callous eyes glared a hole through her sweating skull.
"Let us hope not. It wouldn't end in your favor…or yours either." Azula sneered in a glacial voice while she glared at her two nervous compatriots.
"Don't worry Elle. We promise we won't." Mai assured in another sigh while the younger girl smiled at all three of them.
"Well! Then it's settled! I'll go see what I can cook up!" Elle called out with an eager smile before she began dashing down the hill while her three friends watched her run off.
Once Elle had scurried down the hill the two noblewomen turned to their leader with their eyes conveying the still unspoken concern.
"Azula, what are we going to feed Elle?" Ty Lee asked in a worried voice while the princess stiffened in annoyance over the reminder.
"Ugh! I'll think of something to feed the tiger monkey!" Azula snapped with bite in her voice while she began to stomp after her young girlfriend.
"We may as well follow…it's the only way to ensure that bitch doesn't put anything in our food." Mai advised in a hateful voice while Ty Lee nodded in agreement.
"Yeah. Good point." Ty Lee agreed with a sigh while Mai helped her stand up with her arm over her shoulder.
People were eating and talking all over the camp only to find themselves turning their heads when Elle dashed past them.
And not a moment later the soldiers and workers fell into a fearful silence when Azula was seen walking after Elle with her callous eyes glaring at everyone that so much as looked Elle's way.
"What are you looking at!" Azula roared in a venomous voice with her lips pursed in a scowl while the man in question fell silent under her deadly gaze.
The two noblewomen were slowly making their way over only to find themselves gazing on in embarrassment to see that their leader was currently preoccupied scaring the camp into silence.
"N-nothing Princess!" A man called out with his face nearly kissing the grass while the spoiled princess stomped past him.
"That's what I thought." Azula spoke in a frigid voice while her greedy eyes watched her lovely handmaid make her way through the crowded camp.
Within a few short moments Elle came to a stop to find the slain armadillo bear laying on its side behind the cover of the trees.
And for once her amber eyes briefly lost their ever-present spark of joy.
It wasn't long before Azula stood behind Elle with a sigh escaping her red lips while she gazed down at younger girl's bothered face.
It was only now that the girl was standing in front of the animal's carcass did, she consider that her handmaid's diet would be even more of a pain in her ass than she had first thought.
"We are stranded on an island Elle and my people need to eat. If we don't eat…then we will become weak and unable to defend ourselves…much less escape this desolate island alive." Azula remarked with her arms folded over her breasts while she sighed above the smaller girl.
"Sumimasen…" Elle murmured in an upset voice with her fingers brushing against the armadillo bears paw.
And for once Azula was stricken into a speechless silence.
Her mouth dropped open in complete puzzlement while she stared down at her young friends strangely saddened face.
'She's…apologizing to the armadillo bear! That's…preposterous!' The princess thought with a roll of her amber golden eyes while she stared down at the younger girl's turned back.
"Quit moping over that dead creature and fix me a meal!" Azula ordered with a snap of her fingers just when her two-childhood friends approached.
"Azula…" Ty Lee attempted to plea with a heavy sigh while she gazed at the younger girl in concern.
"Fine! I'll cook your stupid dinner! But I am not chopping up bear meat!" Elle declared with her nose wrinkling in disgust while her girlfriend now glared down at her.
The camp was in a state of bewildered silence while all eyes were now on the odd young girl and their scowling princess.
"Did you…just backtalk me?" Azula questioned with a narrow of her eyes while her two-childhood friends exchanged a fed-up glance.
"Yes! I just backtalked you! I will cook it for you…but only if someone else handles the…bloody meat." Elle exclaimed with Azula's amber golden eyes now piercing her skull.
"What do you mean you won't touch it! You have to touch it to cook it!" Azula snapped with her fingers tapping on her bicep while for Elle to imitate her pose with a huff much to her increased aggravation.
Her temper was only further stoked by the coals of her handmaid's rebellion when she heard Ty Lee giggling behind her.
"Elle has a point Azula. The meat in the palace kitchens is already prepared…you can't expect her to cut that up." Ty Lee commented with her walking stick in hand only for her words to incur another penetrating glare.
"Whatever! Mai! You are co-chef! Help this little pacifist cook my dinner!" Azula roared in a spoiled voice while the noblewoman sighed in defeat.
"Yeah, sure…" Mai trailed off in a cooperative voice while she gazed at Ty Lee in uncertainty only for the other woman to smile back at her.
"I'll be alright Mai. I have my walking stick…just go help Elle." Ty Lee assured while she removed her arm from the other woman's shoulder.
"Right." Mai stated with a nod while Ty Lee now held herself up by her walking stick.
And then the princess turned to scowl down at her young admirer once more with her lips pursing into a thin line.
"You do realize…that you are going to have to eat that to survive…don't you?" Azula queried with a sliver of something akin to concern in her frigid voice only grip on her bicep to tighten when Elle shook her head.
"No. I won't do that Azula-sama. I will simply find fruit to eat!" Elle insisted as she turned away from the armadillo bears corpse while the princess's scowl deepened even further.
"Find fruit! Any fruit trees on this island will be at a lower elevation near the shoreline!" Azula shouted with a trace of anger in her voice while the younger girl turned away.
At this point the two noblewomen exchanged a worried glance in growing fear for their young friend's wellbeing.
"Then I will simply abstain from eating until rescue arrives." Elle retorted in an adamant voice while Azula ground her teeth behind her.
"Foolish peasant! If you don't eat you may not be alive when rescue arrives!" Azula snarled with aggravation lacing her voice that only grew when Elle shook her head once more.
"No. I will survive in accordance with my beliefs…or I will not survive at all." Elle spoke in a resolute voice while all three of her highborn friends stared at her in disbelief.
Only for a smile to form on her lips once more despite her distaste over the task at hand.
"Now! Let's go cook that meal oneesan!" Elle chirped after reeling around to face the taken aback Mai while the noble numbly nodded her head.
"Yeah…let's go…cook that meal." Mai answered in a noticeably unsettled voice before she stepped past her stunned leader.
And with that the two began to walk off in the hopes of finding something to cook on.
All the while Azula took off stomping after them with her amber golden eyes flashing in anger over her young admirer's ridiculous insistence in her naïve beliefs.
It wasn't too much longer before the noblewoman sat alongside Elle by a small fire that was far out of sight of the armadillo bears corpse.
And soon enough the two were beginning to cook it while Mai watched her young friend stir it over the fire.
And behind them Azula and Ty Lee observed their young friend cooking their dinner with a shared concern in their eyes.
"Azula…there's got to be some sort of fruits up, here right?" Ty Lee inquired in a sisterly voice while Azula still glared at Elle's seated back.
"If I had seen any fruit on this wretched isle, I would have said so by now." Azula hissed with her fists tightening at her hips while Ty Lee's shoulders sunk in even greater worry than before.
On the other side of the camp the soldiers and workers resumed their eating and talking while Zoi turned her head to gaze in Elle's direction.
As soon as she noticed the girl she wordlessly stood up and began walking over in her direction.
Azula turned to glance at her approaching soldier with observant amber golden eyes that widened ever so slightly when she caught sight of what was in the warrior's hand.
"Elle." Zoi called out in a casual voice that prompted Elle to turn her head only for her amber eyes widen in joy.
Mai's tawny eyes once more flickered with a brief sliver of newfound respect for Zoi upon seeing that she was holding out an apple for her adopted sister.
"A-an apple!" Elle cried out in delight as the fruit was deposited in her hand while her three highborn friends watched in amazement.
"Where…did you find that Zoi?" Azula questioned with something akin to relief in her strict voice while Ty Lee breathed a sigh of relief alongside her.
"On my walk I found an apple tree that is not growing properly due to the shaded forest canopy. Sadly…that was the only ripe fruit that I could find on the entire tree." Zoi explained with her good hand falling back to her side while the princess's amber golden eyes shook with renewed annoyance.
"Only one? On the entire tree?" Azula almost snapped with her lips pursing into a tight scowl while her young girlfriend still smiled brightly.
"One apple is better than no apple! Arigatou gozaimasu Zoi!" Elle cheered in a jubilant voice before she suddenly assaulted Zoi in a joyous hug.
The two noblewomen could only sigh when Azula's cold eyes lit up with a renewed jealousy while she glared at the back of her subordinate's head.
"Think nothing of it…I owe you anyhow…for the shirt." Zoi answered with a nod while she awkwardly shifted on her feet under Azula's terrifying gaze.
"Get off my pet Zoi." Azula growled with her royal boot tapping on the forest floor while Ty Lee gazed on in amusement alongside her.
"Azula…" Ty Lee trailed off with a shake of her head while Azula continued to direct a possessive glare at the other woman in question.
If nothing else at least Zoi was grateful for the shirt.
After a few seconds the warrior gently pushed the younger girl off her while Elle smiled up at her until she caught the hint of something burning behind her.
"Oh no! I…burned it!" Elle exclaimed in a panicked voice just as she rounded around to see that she had overcooked the meat.
"Servant! Pay attention to my food! I absolutely will not suffer burned meat!" Azula bellowed in an ungrateful voice with a spoiled countenance while her two-childhood friends gazed at her in disapproval.
"Seriously Azula…could you possibly get anymore unappreciative?" Mai queried in a pointed voice while the princess huffed with her fists on her hips.
In that very moment the captain turned to gaze down at her while she defiantly met the other woman's wrathful amber golden gaze.
The two noblewomen engaged in a brief stare down before the Song clan warrior turned to walk away.
The meaning behind the glare was all too obvious.
It was Zoi's way of saying that it was not over.
Azula stared on with icy amber golden eyes while Zoi walked in her direction.
Her lips curved into an even deeper scowl while the proud warrior did the same.
And Ty Lee fell into yet another nervous silence while the two firebender's momentarily gazed at each other.
Until the warrior took the princess aback when she bent over and gave her a customary Fire Nation bow of respect.
"I apologize for my earlier loss in temperament…but assassination attempts tend to have that affect." Zoi spoke with a frown on her lips before she arose from the bow to meet the princess's approval gaze.
"So, they do. Try to keep your temper in check Zoi…and I will rule in your favor upon our return." Azula answered in a calmer voice with a wave of her regal hand while the warrior nodded her head in response.
'Mai…I can only hope that you will be okay.' Ty Lee thought with a flash of concern flashing in her warm eyes.
"Understood…Princess…" Zoi agreed as her good hand fell to her hip while Azula's amber golden eyes shone with a pleased shimmer once more.
The princess and her favored warrior stared at each other for another passing moment before the noblewoman finally broke the silence.
"So…Elle is the only one on your team that can cook?" Zoi pondered with a sliver of playfulness in her voice while the princess stiffened in humiliation.
As they continued to watch Elle kneel over the fire while Mai brought over another cut of meat.
"Please! Cooking is a submissive role! One that I demand that my royal servant perform for me!" Azula snorted in a beyond entitled voice with her fists planted on her shapely hips while Zoi gazed at her in unconcealed amusement.
"Really? I will have you know that I am quite the proficient chef." Zoi declared with a prideful smirk while both her princess and her fellow noblewoman nearly fell over in surprise.
"You...are a chef?" Ty Lee asked in a dumbfounded voice with her eyes blinking at the other noblewoman's clearly proud face.
"I find that hard to believe." Azula stated with another snort while she rolled her eyes only for her soldier to smile wryly.
"Not as hard to believe as me being the only one of noble blood here that knows how to cook an appetizing meal without servants preparing it for me." Zoi responded without delay while Ty Lee turned red as she sunk back on her walking stick.
Mai winced in unison with her friend while she sat over Elle as she gazed down at the smaller girl skillfully putting the meat over the fire.
As much as she despised Zoi.
She made a good point.
"Congratulations Zoi. It is good to know that you could find work as a servant should the Song clan suffer a fall from power." Azula scoffed with yet another roll of her amber golden eyes only for the other woman to remain undaunted.
"Perhaps Princess…but it also means that if it comes down to every person for themself that I will be eating much better than you while we are on this island." Zoi taunted with a small smirk on her lips while the princess's amber golden flashed in prideful rage.
And Ty Lee knew better than anyone what was coming next.
"Please Azula…" Ty Lee attempted to reason only to flinch in embarrassment when her spoiled friend began stomping over to the fire.
"There! That should do it…please Azula-sama! No!" Elle shouted in a fretful voice just as Azula swiftly stole her cooking stick before she knocked her aside with her hip.
And Mai could only stare at Azula incredulously as she groaned under her breath.
"Move aside servant! I shall cook it." Azula announced to the horror of her companions and the obvious entertainment of her soldier.
And thus, commenced an amusing scene while the Sun began to finally fade away in the forest encampment.
Many fires were burning around the fire lit camp as soldiers and workers alike engaged in continued conversation while Team Azula's shouts rang into the air.
"Azula! You should really leave the cooking to Elle!" Ty Lee begged just after she plopped down behind her friends while Azula glared at her over her shoulder.
"Quiet Ty Lee! I am confident that my cooking skills are as flawless as the rest of me." Azula insisted with a pompous roll of her eyes while she ignored her little handmaid tugging on her sleeve.
And Nako couldn't help but gaze up in puzzlement from her meal while she and Saro stared across the darkened campfire in surprise.
"Is the princess really going to cook?" Nako asked in a purposefully hushed voice while the man shrugged his shoulders.
"It would seem so." Saro replied with his golden eyes observing the scene in mutual amusement.
"P-please Mistress just leave the cooking to me…" Elle stuttered in a mousy voice while her older girlfriend snorted above her.
"Azula just listen to the girl." Mai commented with an incredulous expression while the princess angrily pounded her fist upon the forest floor.
"Be silent and watch as I dominate this dinner into submission." Azula ordered with a thrust of her finger while her three friends stared at her in disbelief.
And behind them Zoi stood with her lips curving into a slight smile while watched the humorous scene unfold.
"Now this I have to see…by all means Your Highness…show us your cooking talents." Zoi snickered with a hand over her mouth while her princess stiffened in renewed anger.
"A-Azula-sama please." Elle whined with another tug of her mistress's sleeve that Azula ignored with a stern push of her hand.
"Just you watch servant. I am a prodigy by divine right…even at the most trivial of matters. I learned how to forage for food in the wild a long time ago when I was a child during my survival training at the Royal Fire Academy." Azula declared with a smug smile returning to her full lips while her handmaid continued tugging on her sleeve.
Only for Team Azula to gaze on in abject horror when the princess began to cook the meat over the fire.
At this point even the hardened agents of the Dai Li couldn't help but gaze over at the bizarre scene with bafflement in their eyes.
In all of the years that they have spent following the ruthless princess they have never seen her act like this.
"Azula…you're holding the meat way too close to the fire!" Ty Lee advised with her stomach growling in protest only to sigh when she could tell that her friend wasn't listening.
And Mai slapped a hand over her forehead while Azula continued to smirk into the burning flames.
"Humph. See Elle. Even dinner submits to my conquest." Azula spoke as she smugly flipped her bangs from her confident amber golden eyes.
As her pretty handmaid hung onto her well-muscled bicep with her little mouth agape in awe.
"Princess…" Elle mumbled in a love-struck voice while the older girl smiled down at her.
"Yes servant?" Azula purred in a captivating voice that sent a pleasurable shudder down the young girl's spine.
Only for her amber golden eyes to narrow dangerously when she saw that the stick and its contents were now charred black.
The two noblewomen could only groan in frustration behind the egotistical leader while the princess now seethed down at the campfire.
"Y-you shouldn't cook it so close to the fire." Elle quipped with a helpful smile while she scooted closer to Azula while her mistress pridefully huffed alongside her.
And the princess's ire was only further stoked by her captain's amused chuckles.
As she whipped around to glare over her shoulder at the warrior standing above them.
"Elle is right Princess. You need to be more patient. After all that is what cooking is all about. Patience." Zoi chuckled with a shake of her head while Azula still scowled up at her.
"For once I agree with Zoi. Just let Elle cook it Azula. We really shouldn't be wasting food like this." Mai stated flatly while Azula glared at her through the corner of her eye.
"Whatever. Just hurry up with it! I am far too hungry to wait all night!" Azula barked with her arms folded over her breasts while her lifelong friends rolled their eyes at her back.
"Can…can someone get me a new cooking stick?" Elle requested in her usual timid voice only to peer up in surprise when a stick was lowered over her head.
Team Azula could only gaze on in surprise and uncertainty to see Zoi standing behind them with a long stick in hand.
"No. I don't want you anywhere near my dinner." Mai growled with a distrustful look in her stoic eyes while Zoi rolled her eyes above her.
"I don't need to stoop to poisoning a tree branch to kill you Saolin. If I want to kill you…I will just beat you to death with my bare hands." Zoi sneered with her golden eyes flashing in loathing while her two fellow noblewomen shuddered under her cold stare.
Only for Azula to stomp her boot in irritation as she glared between the two of them.
"Enough of this childish bickering!" Azula shouted in an authoritative voice before she seized the stick from her handmaid while she scrutinized it for a brief moment.
Before she nodded curtly as she handed it back to her girlfriend to use for their dinner.
Mai and Ty Lee just sank back in defeat while they continued to eye Zoi with an untrusting stare.
But they knew well enough that they were most likely safe since Azula was eating with them.
It would be nothing short of suicide to attempt to poison Azula's dinner.
It was in that very moment that both Mai and Zoi were taken by surprise when they were pulled into an uncomfortably close hug.
The two feuding noblewomen tensed up in an awkward silence while Elle held an arm over each of their shoulders while she beamed up at them.
"Come my friends let us put the flames of hatred behind us and begin a new friendship!" Elle cheered with both noblewomen leaning over her shoulder as they glared back at one another.
Nearly everyone around the camp stared at the odd scene in amusement.
Even Azula herself seemed comically taken aback by her handmaid's joyful declaration.
"No!" The two noblewomen snarled in unison while the younger girl happily snuggled their shoulders.
"Elle…" Ty Lee trailed off with a renewed smile while she gazed at the adorable sight that was her young friend embracing the two women.
"I just know that friendship will prevail!" Elle cried out with a joyful grin while the two continued to stare hatefully at each other.
Only for both Mai and Zoi to cry out in pain when they were both unceremoniously knocked on their asses and off the teenage girl.
And just as quickly the young handmaid was pulled back under the princess's armpit while Azula's well muscled arm now restrained her blushing face into her growling chest.
"Stay off my pet or I will strike you both into the ashes of oblivion!" Azula roared with blue fire accenting her intimidating visage while she greedily held her love-struck handmaid against her bosom.
"Azula…" Ty Lee sighed in an exasperated voice yet even so she still managed to smile at the heartwarming scene.
"A-Azula-sama." Elle swooned with her face being crushed into her girlfriend's chest while she smiled shyly up at Azula's beautiful face.
"Cook my dinner little handmaid." Azula commanded with a returning smirk on her red lips while Elle numbly nodded in a spellbound trace.
"Y-yes Princess." Elle murmured in a submissive voice that produced an even larger smirk on the princess's lips.
"Just stay away from me Song!" Mai snapped from one side of Azula while Ty Lee stared on comically once more.
"Eat shit Saolin!" Zoi retorted from the other side while Azula's eyes began to twitch in annoyance once more.
Only for blue flames to flare to life behind them while Azula's monstrous eyes glare between the two of them.
"Silence!" Azula bellowed in a deafening voice that caused both noblewomen to wisely fall silent under her glare.
Mere minutes later…
A small orange fire burned once more in place of the princess's azure flame while Team Azula watched their young friend conclude her cooking.
Their stomachs rumbled in unison while they all gazed down at the deliciously cooked meat with unhidden hunger in their eyes.
And even if some of them were too proud to say it aloud. It was obvious that they were all impressed by their young friends cooking.
As was Zoi herself.
"Aha! All done!" Elle announced in a cheerful voice only for Azula to greedily take hold of one before she could begin distributing the food.
"Azula! Stop being such a glutton!" Ty Lee exclaimed while Azula began happily eating her meal.
"As the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation…it is important that I eat first so I can lead my people to safety." Azula remarked with a content smile while she chewed her mouthful only for everyone but Elle to roll their eyes.
And soon enough Elle began handing out food to each of them.
"Thanks Elle." Mai stated in a softer voice while she relaxed in her seat just as Ty Lee grasped ahold of one.
"Yeah! Thanks, little sister!" Ty Lee answered in a kind voice while Elle smiled back at her.
Only for Elle to take all of Team Azula by surprise when she held out a fourth before Zoi's taken aback golden eyes.
"Thank you…" Zoi spoke in an appreciative voice with a look of gratitude in her eyes while she accepted the offering.
The soldiers and workers continued to eat all around the camp only a voice to shout out to them.
Everyone turned their heads in recognition to see that the captain was the one who had called out to them.
Azula tilted her head with a sliver of curiosity flashing in her amber golden eyes while she watched Zoi stand up before the burning fire.
"My brothers and sisters! Tonight, is a special night…for tonight your honorable princess dines among you!" Zoi announced as she pointed down at the princess's stony face while the camp gazed at her in unhidden fear.
Mai and Ty Lee sat in a nervous silence while they watched over eighty faces pale in terror over the foreboding declaration.
Azula smiled menacingly as she took another bite of her dinner while Elle leaned against her arm.
"Now I ask you…to take a moment to remember those lost to us! Think of their names…their faces and those they've left behind!" Zoi shouted to the astonishment of even her princess while the people in the camp began murmuring to one another.
But her words already had the desired affect.
Team Azula gazed on in surprise when soldiers began to yell out the names of the people that the captain strangled earlier.
"Igon!" A soldier yelled out in a furious voice while the captain turned to glance around the camp when more shouts followed soon after.
"Dezin!" Another man hissed with a fist clenched while the stony noblewoman tightened her burned fist in agreement.
"Let us share this night in their memory! Eat as much as you like! Drink as much as you like from our liquor stores! And never forget what awaits beyond the shores of this isle!" Zoi declared in a passionate voice with her golden eyes narrowing into slits while the entire encampment listened in amazement.
And once more Team Azula couldn't help but witness the noblewoman's ability to rally the soldiers in grudging awe.
Even Azula herself was clearly taken aback.
"W-what awaits beyond the shoreline?" Nako questioned in a transfixed voice only for Zoi to unsheathe her blade as she pointed it across the darkened horizon.
"Gloriam!" Zoi roared with her hair swinging in front of her eyes as she gripped the handle of her sword while everyone sat in a speechless silence.
It was obvious that if there was one area where the captain exceeded the princess.
It was her talent at motivating people to continue onward.
Within mere seconds Azula stared up at Zoi with surprised amber golden eyes when shouts soon erupted from all around the camp.
"It is glory that awaits you and the heads of our enemies! None more so than the Dragon of the West and the Avatar himself!" Zoi called out with vigor lacing her voice while she held out her sword while many voices cried out in agreement.
Azula just bit into her dinner with her lips curving into a pleased smirk once more.
Indeed.
At times Zoi may be an insufferable wretch but she was most certainly indispensable.
"Regain your energy my brothers and sisters! Because as soon as we return, we are going to kill them all!" Zoi concluded with a victorious countenance while she held her hand high above her head.
And yet again Ty Lee stared at Mai with a worried look in her eyes.
Their fears for Zuko's safety grew more and more by the hour.
The less violent members of the encampment could only shake their heads.
"Soldiers." Shii sighed under her breath while Nako nodded her head in agreement.
And soon soldiers began to pass around drinks in makeshift cups while Azula quirked a brow in curiosity.
"Is that…what's left of my royal stores?" Azula questioned in a stern voice while the captain sat back down beside her with a wooden bowl of liquor.
"That is correct. Soldiers tend to perform better when they are well fed and rewarded. Would you…prefer I tell them that you wish to keep it for yourself?" Zoi replied without pause while the princess's amber golden eyes briefly burned through her skull only to wave a hand in the air.
Mai and Ty Lee gave Azula a deadpan glance knowing well enough that even someone as selfish as Azula knew that it would be foolish to spurn her exhausted people.
"No. But I demand an unopened, unmolested bottle for myself." Azula spoke in a stern voice that brook no room for argument while Elle still rested against her elbow.
"Ah certainly. Nako. Bring the princess a bottle." Zoi ordered in turn while Nako winced as if she was about to be flogged.
"Of course! Right away!" Nako cried out before she sprinted over to the small crate while the princess stared on with paranoid eyes.
"Do be certain that it is unopened Nako." Azula commented in a spoiled voice as she swallowed her mouthful.
"Uh…is there a certain kind you want Your Highness?" Nako pondered in a nervous voice while Azula rolled her eyes at her back.
"It's all the same kind. Just bring me a damn bottle!" Azula demanded with an entitled wave of her hand while the now fearful girl rushed over.
"Azula." Ty Lee scolded in a sighing voice while the poor pilot dropped down on all fours before Azula's smug eyes.
"H-here Princess." Nako offered in an apprehensive voice while her princess grasped at the bottle with a greedy hand.
"Good. You may take a seat with us Nako." Azula commanded to the further shock of her friends while the bowing pilot peered up at her in confusion.
"With you Princess?" Nako asked in a dumbfounded fashion while Elle smiled at her just as Azula rolled her eyes once more.
"I told you that you had a place among my council…this means that you now have also have a place on my team." Azula explained in a cold voice that contrasted her words while Nako stared up with moved brown eyes.
Team Azula could only stare at Nako in shared amazement.
It was evident that Elle's presence has had a profound effect on Azula.
So much so that the spoiled woman was now willing to look at people in lower standing in a different light.
"I…I don't know what to say." Nako muttered only to cower in terror when the princess glared down at her.
"Just shut up and sit down or I will burn you to ashes!" Azula bellowed with her childhood friends gazing on in amusement beside her.
"Y-yes Princess! I'll sit down!" Nako answered in a clearly intimidated voice before she awkwardly took a seat beside the smiling Ty Lee.
To sit among nobility and royalty was something most commoners could only dream of!
And yet…
As she gazed at Elle holding her princess's arm.
She couldn't help but wonder if Azula wasn't as bad as the rumors say she was.
"Azula likes you." Ty Lee greeted with a grin while Nako blinked in evident puzzlement.
"She does?" Nako asked in confusion while the scowling woman continued to gracefully eat her meal.
"Yeah! I can tell. She's already telling you to shut up." Ty Lee attempted to explain while her fellow noblewoman stared on in humor beside her.
"Eh…that's a good thing?" Nako queried with a blink of her eyes while Azula rolled her eyes once more.
"It sure is! Because if she didn't like you, she wouldn't tell you to be quiet. She would just throw a lightning bolt at you." Ty Lee answered with a nervous smile while Nako frightfully nodded her head.
"R-right. Thank you once again Princess." Nako spoke lamely while the princess regally swallowed her mouthful.
"Just try not to annoy me too much." Azula sighed with something akin to a smile on her full lips before she gazed down at Elle leaning into her belly.
Only for her smile to fade away when she heard her girlfriends belly growl.
Elle's cheeks turned a bashful shade of pink while she reached for her backpack to retrieve her lone apple.
All the while her companions stared at her with varying levels of worry in their eyes.
"Foolish peasant." Azula snorted with a roll of her eyes while she glared down at her handmaid when the smaller girl cuddled up on her left thigh just as she bit into her apple.
"Sumimasen Azula-sama." Elle answered in a timid voice with her face resting against the much taller woman's thigh while she heard her mistress sigh above her.
And once more Nako gazed at the strange couple with ever rising astonishment in her eyes.
They were close. Very close.
"Elle…are you sure that you don't want any?" Mai questioned with a trace of worry in her voice that only grew when Elle adamantly shook her head.
"No. Thank you." Elle insisted while she ate her apple with a strangely unconcerned demeanor that took even Zoi aback.
"You'll be singing a different tune when that apple is gone." Azula stated with a snort while she stared down at her petite girlfriend already trying to worm her way into her lap.
"Oh no Azula-sama. I'll be the last one to cry for food. I can easily go four days without eating." Elle responded in a soft-spoken voice as she ate her apple on her mistress's womanly thigh while her princess stared down at her with taken aback amber golden eyes.
It was a blunt reminder of just the sort of life that the girl led before she met them.
'Elle…' Ty Lee thought with her warm eyes flashing in concern while the younger girl ate her apple with an unbothered expression.
There was ample meaning behind that statement.
It was Elle's way of saying that she was used to going for long periods of time without food.
"Vegetarian huh?" Nako queried with a curious blink of her eyes while the girl proudly nodded her head from her position on Azula's thigh.
"Yep! I haven't eaten any meat for as long as I can remember!" Elle exclaimed with a joyful smile while Azula rolled her eyes once more.
"Considering the size of that armadillo bear…we won't be going hungry at all…. peasant." Azula spoke before she pointedly took a large bite of her meat while smirked down at her handmaid as she did so.
And yet again Mai and Ty Lee exchanged an exasperated glance over Azula's arrogant behavior.
"And we have ample stores of canned fish." Zoi commented with a slight smirk while her princess glared at her through the corner of her eye.
"What will flow will flow! This is just a brief change in the direction of the breeze! I'm not going to let a silly thing like hunger bring me down! I'll be just fine. I just know it." Elle announced in a chipper voice while everyone listened in comical bewilderment.
And then she returned to chewing on her apple with a content smile while the princess's amber golden eyes flickered in aggravation once more.
"Flow." Azula scoffed with a haughty roll of her eyes while she glared down at Elle trying to crawl into her lap like a needy kitten begging for her owner's attention.
Which was a fitting analogy if you asked her.
"That's so Azula-sama! Like a bird soaring in the wind. There's no need to worry about it. It's just a momentary change in flow." Elle insisted with a carefree smile while the group listened in confusion.
"Well…there is surely a great abundance of fruit near the bay. No doubt many banana trees and melons that could feed you for the rest of the year." Zoi quipped with a small smile while the young girl's eyes sparkled in delight only for Azula to glare daggers through her skull.
"Bananas and melons…" Elle trailed off with a hungry look in her eyes just as her belly growled once more while her big sisters gazed at her in amusement.
"Indeed. I have no doubt that our noble princess would be more than happy to launch an expedition to the bay all for your sake." Zoi teased as she began to pour herself a drink in a wooden bowl while the princess's callous eyes shook in fury.
Only for Zoi to release a pained cry not a moment later while Azula glared down at her with her right fist extended before her.
And Nako frightfully swallowed in fear.
And the other two noblewomen quietly savored the other woman's small dose of suffering.
"Shut up Zoi or I will shut you up for good!" Azula snapped in a foul tempered voice before she took another angry bite of her dinner only to stare down with a grunt to see her pet curling up in her lap.
"See! What did I tell you Nako? The more Azula yells at you…the more she likes you." Ty Lee piped with a nod while Nako nodded as she still eyed Azula's scowling face in a degree of fear.
"Azula-sama?" Elle asked in a soft voice with her chin propped up in the center of her mistress's lap while Azula peered down at her in a fond fashion.
Mai, Ty Lee, and Nako awkwardly gazed away from the strange couple after they took note that the young girl was now lounging over the princess's groin.
It seemed as if the innocent handmaid was the only one who didn't realize just where she was laying her head.
And judging by the almost pleased look in Azula's eyes it would seem that the firebender had no qualms with Elle's choice of resting place.
"Yes Elle?" Azula answered in a sigh before she took another bite of her meat while her other hand inexplicably lowered into her handmaid's golden hair.
She chewed on her food while her fingers began to stroke her girlfriend's plush head and casting anyone who dared to gawk at them with a subzero glare.
"Do you think it's possible to replicate sour patch kids in the palace kitchens?" Elle requested as she chewed on her lip only for the princess to nearly choke on her mouthful.
As did the two noblewomen who were gazing at the back of her head with a rare look of discomfort in their eyes.
And Zoi, Nako and all of the others in listening range just quirked a brow in curiosity.
"Sour patch kids?" Zoi questioned in a bewildered voice while Azula audibly gulped down her food with her amber golden eyes grimacing in disgust.
"Oh! It's a yummy candy from my homeland! It's sour then sweet!" Elle chirped with an excited smile only for Zoi to stare at her in even more confusion than before.
"I…suppose it is possible. But it may not be the same. After all I don't have the recipe." Azula grunted with her full lips pursed into a shuddering thin line that her captain took note of.
'Of all the things that she could ask me to replicate! She asks for me to duplicate that revolting peasant chow!' Azula thought with her nostrils snorting out a puff of azure fire while Elle hugged her thigh in a grudgingly adorable manner.
"But you're so brilliant Azula-sama! I just know that if anyone can do it. It's you!" Elle chimed with her arms wrapping around her girlfriend's womanly thigh while the princess's hand continued to pet her hair.
And her two big sisters could only stare on in amusement when Azula's scowl soon gave way to a sophisticated smile.
"Of course, I am. It's quite the burden…being so perfect in a world of inferior people." Azula sighed with a wave of her hand while her two-childhood friends rolled their eyes.
And the captain and Nako made no comment as they continued their meal.
"It sounds terrible." Mai stated flatly in a deadpan voice as she still glared at Zoi through the corner of her eye.
To which Zoi spat at her feet with a hateful sneer on her lips while Azula's amber golden eyes flickered in aggravation once more.
Only for the young handmaid to come to their rescue once again.
"You're the smartest person in the world Azula-sama. I just know it." Elle responded with admiration in her eyes while she nuzzled Azula's leg just as the much taller woman petted her hair.
"Humph. This one sees the situation clearly." Azula boasted in a haughty voice just as she reclined back on her bottom while she smiled down at her lovely handmaid resting on her thigh.
"Mhm! Replicating the recipe should be child's play for a woman of your genius! It has to be." Elle cried out with a worshipful countenance while her princess's smile gave way to yet another scowl.
"Yeah Azula. If anyone can dominate that candy into submission it's you!" Ty Lee called out with a playful grin while Azula glared at her through the corner of her eye.
The two noblewomen knew well enough that their young friend had already roped Azula into saying yes.
Even though the princess was too proud to say as much.
"I'll…see what I can do." Azula grumbled before she bit into her meal once more while her two lifelong friends gazed at her in amusement.
And not a single person that was in earshot so much as said a word on how this strange young girl managed to sway Azula with such a silly request.
A jubilant cry filled the air while many turned to gaze at Elle in bafflement once more to see the girl happily embracing the seated princess's belly.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama!" Elle cheered with sweet laughter lacing her voice while she pressed her face into Azula's belly.
The princess just grunted with a hand still in her handmaid's hair while she stared down at the petite girl in her lap before her ruthless eyes swept about when she noticed many prying eyes upon her.
"What are you fools gawking at! Turn your eyes away or I will kill every last one of you!" Azula roared with her teeth bared while countless heads instantly turned away in terror.
All except for Zoi that was.
"Azula…" Ty Lee groaned while her fellow noble sighed alongside her.
"I-I wasn't staring Your Highness! Honest!" Nako shouted as she bowed rapidly while her princess glared at everyone seated around the fire.
"And you see to it that it remains that way!" Azula barked with her palm holding her little pet's face against her belly while the smaller girl clung to her.
"A-Azula-sama." Elle murmured in a tired voice with her face hiding in her mistress's belly while a strong hand patted her head.
"Hm. You are a good girl Elle." Azula spoke in a marginally subdued voice while her fingers danced in the shorter girl's hair.
"Aww…well at least you have a nice warm firebender to keep you company little sister." Ty Lee gushed with a returning grin while the younger girl blushed under her spoiled friend's protective hand.
All the while people around the camp continued to drink liquor and chat to one another as their campfires lit darkened night air.
Saro and the rest of Zoi's soldiers sat in a circle while they talked with each other knowing full well that it would be suicide to interrupt their captain while she was with the Crown Princess.
And the captain tipped her drink back with a content sigh while she briefly eyed the two through the corner of her eye before gazing back down at the burning fire.
"Care for a drink Nako?" Zoi questioned while Nako turned to gaze at her in surprise.
"A small drink. I am still feeling sick from earlier…" Nako answered with an embarrassed expression while Zoi nodded in understanding.
And then Zoi poured a small drink into a wooden bowl before she passed it over.
"Here's to getting off this wretched island." Zoi stated just as her bowl bumped with Nako's.
"I can't argue with that. Thank you…Zoi." Nako muttered before she tipped the drink back only to sigh as she did so.
"If only we hadn't lost the airship. Not only would we not be stranded on this island…the war may well have been over by now." Azula remarked in a colder voice with her icy eyes turning to briefly glare at her subordinate's guilt-ridden face.
But even so.
Both Mai and Ty Lee knew better that they would only dig an even deeper hole if they said much as said one word.
"Likely so. By the look of it you would have killed the Avatar had your uncle not gotten the drop on you." Zoi agreed with a shrug of her shoulders while the princess's eyes shone in rage once more.
"So, it would seem that way. But then again…had my uncle not done so I would have never known that this tiger monkey was the Avatar's bane." Azula commented with a thoughtful curve of her lips while all eyes drifted down to Elle yawning in her lap.
Even though no one said it aloud.
Each and every person in the camp couldn't believe that such a young girl was the holder to such a supposedly ancient power.
"It is ironic Princess. If what I heard is true…her power only awoke when she thought that…you were on the verge of death." Zoi stated with a small smirk while Azula's lips curled into a pleased smile.
"How interesting indeed." Azula purred with her fingers in her smiling admirer's hair while the younger girl cuddled up in between her thighs.
Nearly one minute later Nako set down her bowl before she turned to her princess to speak her mind.
"Forgive me if this is rude Princess. But I am feeling rather tired…would it be alright if I laid down?" Nako asked in a careful voice while Azula briefly glanced at her only to wave a consenting hand in the air.
"That is fine. Go get your rest." Azula answered in a dismissive voice while her fingers still fiddled with her little handmaid's hair.
"Yes Princess! And I…thank you once more for the honors that you have bestowed upon me!" Nako exclaimed before springing to her feet as she bowed at the waist while the princess observed her in approval.
"Just try not to disappoint me Nako." Azula sighed while Nako's face paled in understanding.
"U-understood Your Highness! I won't!" Nako yelled out as she gave a respectful bow before she turned to sleepily walk off to her tent while the others watched her walk away.
And then soon it was just the three noblewomen, the drowsy peasant girl and the woman of royalty.
"Before you go to sleep Princess. I would like to have a word with you…on the hill…away from eavesdropping ears." Zoi declared as she poured a new bowl full of liquor while Azula turned to gaze at her.
"So be it Zoi. But I can only hope for your sake that you will voice your words respectfully." Azula snorted with her amber golden eyes narrowing at Zoi's aloof face.
The two noblewomen shared an exhausted glance while they gazed up at their tends with a degree of longing in their eyes.
But before anyone could say anything further Azula gazed down into her lap after she felt a hand tug on her blood red shirt.
"Princess?" Elle pondered in a timid voice while Azula glanced down at her with a refined smile on her red lips.
"Yes Elle?" Azula asked in a silken purr while frigid eyes noted that her handmaid was squirming her legs in a manner that would indicate that she needed to relieve herself.
"I-I have to go pee." Elle admitted with a blush while the older girl now rolled her eyes down at her.
"Then go pee." Azula scoffed as she watched her handmaid sit up with her legs wobbling beneath her.
All the while aware that prying eyes were watching them closely.
A thought that prompted her to reel around with her glacial eyes narrowing at her subordinates amused faces.
"W-will…you stand guard and make sure nothing attacks me?" Elle requested with a shy countenance while Azula folded her arms over her breasts as she scowled pridefully.
"That's so sweet Azula." Ty Lee giggled while Mai smirked beside her only for Azula to cast the two of them a cold glare.
"You want me to stand guard? From what? Spiders?" Azula snorted only for her amber golden eyes to narrow when her handmaid peeked around her in a pitiful panic.
"Y-yeah…" Elle trailed off lamely while she listened to her mistress scoff in contempt.
"That is pathetic Elle." Azula groaned with a finger massaging the bridge of her nose as her two-childhood friends now cast her chiding gazes.
"W-what if they spin me in a web and drag me off to suck out my innards?" Elle retorted in a fearful voice as she stood up with her backpack in hand.
While her legs shook beneath her only for Azula to release another haughty snort.
"I still can't believe that you are the holder of the Avatar's weakness." Azula spoke in a frigid voice while her handmaid's shoulders slumped.
"Sumimasen…" Elle mumbled as she turned to walk off only for her girlfriend to stand up with a heavy sigh.
"Ugh! Fine! But only because you are a crucial wartime power!" Azula announced with her arms crossed over her breasts while she glared down at her handmaid as the younger girl cracked a grateful smile.
Both Mai and Ty Lee nearly rolled their eyes after hearing Azula's latest excuse to assist Elle.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama! Arigatou!" Elle cried out as she hugged her much taller mistress around the waist only for a stern hand to push her off.
"Just start walking peasant!" Azula ordered with another roll of her eyes while she watched her handmaid dart ahead.
Azula just sighed with shake of her head before she took to following after her young companion.
As childish and pathetic as it was the girl had a point.
Not about the spiders she mused as her icy eyes glared around on all sides.
It would be foolish to presume that her assassin from earlier had been alone.
If there was one…
Then there was almost certainly another.
And it would not do to risk her girlfriend's safety so carelessly.
No, it certainly would not.
AN:
Alright, first of all. Thank you everyone for the kind words that you continue to leave in your reviews.
I am going to be brief with this afterword.
I want to state that Elle's just one of those people who isn't going to budge on her diet. Even though she may be meek and an all around follower. She is quite dedicated to upholding her beliefs.
She really is the complete opposite of Azula in all aspects.
And yes, Nako is now a member of Team Azula. This is an important learning experience for Azula. She is going to learn how to socialize and become friends with a commoner other than Elle.
And the pressure is quite high on Nako's end. By saving Azula's life, Nako earned herself a place among royalty and high nobility. Unlike Elle, she won't feel comfortable relaxing around three people that function in someway or another as the rulers of her country.
She will feel compelled to be highly respectful at all times, even though Mai and Ty Lee don't care for formality.
It's going to start off as highly awkward for Nako, but it will get more comfortable for her as the story goes on.
And the reason why there was little fruit available where they are camping is that they just climbed out of a dangerous ravine. It's a highly mountainous area, and the fruit trees are mostly closer to the shore. And on flatter land which allows for the sun to be distributed more evenly among the flora.
And yes, I thought it would make for an amusing scene to show Azula arrogantly trying and failing to cook.
Azula is far too proud and haughty to ever admit that she isn't perfect at everything.
The next chapter is mostly about Zoe, and we'll get to know a little bit more about her past.
Stay tuned for next time.
Chapter Forty-Nine! Confessions of a Soldier!