Hello everyone.
I am back with another update.
Unfortunately, the hospital was unable to break my continuous migraine cycle with the lidocaine medicine. Now, I have to wait three more months, and go back to another location in Philadelphia for a second hospital stay. This time they are going to use ketamine, which is a much stronger drug than lidocaine. And also with a great success of breaking long running migraine cycles like mine. It is one of my last options to relieve the pain. And I hope it works.
I want to thank everyone over the past week and a half for all of the reviews, favorites and follows. I am very delighted that the story has finally reached over one hundred reviews, favorites and follows! Please continue to do so as you read.
And as usual please enjoy the chapter!
The Fire Mountain University Hospital – Chapter Sixty
Several hours later.
Nako had left to go get something to eat.
And Zoi had left off in search of her younger sister.
And Team Azula was now walking through a massive Fire Nation medical building while Elle padded behind Azula with her mouth ajar in wonder.
Elle followed after the three highborn women while the princess walked about as if she owned it.
And if you asked Azula she would say that she did.
That was when the princess came to a stop before a desk while she glared down at a worker whose back was turned to her.
Only to thunderously slam her fist down on the wooden tabletop while the two noblewomen sighed when the poor woman spun around to face their spoiled friend.
"P-Princess Azula!" Ao exclaimed in fright as she speedily lowered to the floor as she prostrated herself while Azula gazed imposingly down at her.
"I demand an appointment with Doctor Shima!" Azula announced in an entitled voice with arms folded over her breasts while her handmaid stood behind her.
"Y-yes Princess! As you command!" Ao answered as she sprang to her feet before she began rifling through the list of doctors.
All the while Azula's piercing eyes continued to stare down at her as a bead of sweat dripped down her cheek.
"F-for you or one of your friends?" Ao asked as she respectfully inclined her head only to blink in surprise when her princess gestured to a young girl standing behind her.
"For this one here." Azula remarked as she gazed down at her bashful handmaid with a hidden fondness in her callous amber golden eyes.
The two noblewomen mustered a smile as they stood supportively behind their adoptive sister while the woman briefly glanced her over.
"Certainly Princess. What is the child's name?" Ao questioned as the three highborn women nearly fell over.
Azula stiffened with something akin to embarrassment in her eyes while she gazed down at Elle's pouting face.
"I'm not a child! In one month, I'll be fourteen years old!" Elle insisted as she puffed out her chest in an attempt to look older while Ty Lee patted her shoulder.
"Fourteen? I thought you were under ten." Ao commented in an amazed voice while the three highborn women turned to gaze down at the mortified girl.
"Under ten?" Elle mumbled as she adorably slumped with a saddened countenance while her mistress sighed over her.
"It's alright little sister." Ty Lee consoled in a comforting voice with her hand on her little sister's shoulder while she balanced her weight on her crutches.
"Her name is Elle." Azula informed with her amber golden eyes gazing down at her serving girl's sulking face before she turned back to the woman.
"Elle?" Ao repeated as she began flipping through papers on her desk while the young girl kicked at an imaginary pebble at her feet.
"I can't help it that I've always veered on the small side…" Elle trailed off as she chewed on her lip while Mai offered her a small smile.
"And your relation with the patient? P-please don't get angry Princess. I am required to ask these questions." Ao pleaded as another droplet of sweat fell down her cheek while the princess's eyes briefly narrowed down at her.
"Any answers that I give you had better remain confidential. For your sake." Azula remarked in a frigid voice with her fists on her well-toned arms while she fixed the rapidly nodding woman in a soul piercing stare.
"I-I assure you Princess that we never break the rules of confidentiality with our patients." Ao assured as she inclined her head while Azula shifted on her feet with a regal scowl on her lips.
"She's…my ward." Azula grumbled as she turned to glare off at the nearest wall while her serving girl peeked up at her with moved amber eyes.
And both Mai and Ty Lee were just as astonished to hear their leader openly refer to their little sister as her ward.
"I see. So, you are her legal guardian then?" Ao asked while turning a page while Azula turned to scowl down at the young girl's beaming face.
"I just told you I was. Don't ask me the same question twice…Ao." Azula commented in a colder voice as she tilted her head to gaze sternly down at the intimidated woman's face.
"Azula…" Ty Lee sighed as she watched her unsocial friend continue to cause the poor worker to sweat under her stare.
"O-of course Princess. My apologies. It's a habit of conversation." Ao replied in a hurried voice as she recorded notations with her free hand while she turned the pages of their appointment book.
Only for her amber golden eyes to light up after she found the girl's name.
"Ah! You sent us a letter to schedule an appointment for your ward…by the name of Elle." Ao exclaimed as she gazed up at Azula's stoically nodding face.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama…" Elle trailed off shyly as she averted her eyes from her big sisters smiling faces while she gripped her robes.
"So, I did." Azula stated in an authoritative voice while she glanced down at her childish girlfriend through the corner of her cold eye.
Only to turn her eyes back to the receptionist when she nervously cleared her throat.
"Our records indicate that your ward… had an appointment with Doctor Shima…six days ago." Ao quipped with an apprehensive smile while all but Elle stared back at her incredulously.
'You have got to be kidding me. She had an appointment…and we missed it because we were stuck on that miserable island?' Mai thought with annoyance in her eyes only to stare at Azula warily as the other woman stepped forward.
"Sumimasen. I should have been here." Elle spoke as she chewed on her lip while Azula's amber golden eyes twitched in aggravation.
"I apologize Ao. But I was engaged in leading a royal task force against the greatest enemy of our nation…the Avatar. Somewhere along the line my airship got shot down and we were stranded on Shantu Island. And that's why we missed our appointment." Azula explained in a smooth voice while she scanned her fingernails with a practiced smile on her red lips.
The two noblewomen just sighed as they watched their friend begin terrorizing the unfortunate desk worker.
"O-oh I meant no disrespect Your Highness. I-I really didn't." Ao squeaked as she gulped when her princess loomed high over her desk with her imposing amber golden eyes never leaving her sweating face.
"Azula…do you remember how we talked about not terrorizing the public?" Ty Lee advised as she leaned on her crutch only to sigh once more when her friend ignored her.
Like always.
"I am sure you didn't. Do you think that you could make a special exception for me and put me through?" Azula asked with her hand on the woman's desk while she gazed hard down into intimidated eyes.
"I-it's not a matter of putting you through Princess. I can put you through to see another doctor. But not Doctor Shima." Ao answered as she inclined her head while the princess rose an inquisitive brow as she glared down at her.
"And why is that? I am your Crown Princess and you won't bump me through his stupid scheduling book?" Azula inquired in a menacing voice with her eyes narrowing down at the receptionist's terrified face.
"N-no! B-because it's his day off!" Ao exclaimed as she cowered while the two noblewomen gazed at Azula's irate face.
"His day off?" Azula hissed with her amber golden eyes shimmering in aggravation while Ao rapidly nodded her head.
"Erm…he has this day off every week…" Ao replied in a submissive voice as she paled under the princess's soul piercing stare.
"Is it really that big of a deal Azula? Can't she just see another doctor?" Mai pondered only to stare on when blue fire began to burn from her princess's fists.
Ao's face turned even paler as she fell onto her backside on the floor below.
All the while staring up with intimidated eyes at the blue flames now burning from the princess's fists.
Workers left and right stopped what they were doing in favor of gazing on in rightful awe of the power that their Crown Princess literally wielded in her hands.
"Then go get him. Send a carriage. Send an airship. I don't care how. But you will bring him to me for her appointment within one hour!" Azula demanded with fire blazing from her fists while the hospital workers stared on intimidation.
Mai and Ty Lee just gazed at their entitled friend as they took her controlling nature in stride.
And Elle grasped the sleeves of her robes while she gazed at her girlfriend in boundless appreciation.
"I-in an hour Princess?" Ao responded as she bowed with her face kissing the floor while Azula loomed high above her.
"An hour! Or I will send for the Royal Procession to gather him here personally!" Azula announced with a hardened narrow of her eyes.
"Y-yes Princess! I'll go get Doctor Shima right away!" Ao cried out as she sprang to her feet in a panic as she watched in relief when the flames in her princess's hands dissipated soon afterward.
"Good. See to it that you do. I will settle for nothing less than the best for this one." Azula spoke with her fists falling to her womanly hips while she watched the woman sprint away in a mad rush.
"Was that really necessary Azula?" Ty Lee asked in a chastising voice while the princess's lips curled up into a smug smirk.
"I don't halt my conquest for anyone." Azula scoffed with her fists on her hips while Mai rolled her eyes.
"Great. Now the entire hospital thinks that we're freaks. Thanks for embarrassing us, Azula." Mai stated in deadpan with her spoiled friend briefly turning to glare at her from over her shoulder.
Only for the sound of joyful clapping to resonate into the air as Azula turned to face her handmaid with a sanguine smirk now adorning her beautiful lips.
While the two noblewomen gazed down in humor at their little sister's exuberant face as the young girl continued enthusiastically clapping for their insane leader.
"You go Azula-sama! You're the best!" Elle cheered with a hand in the air while Azula smiled down at her in approval.
"Humph. This one sees the situation in clarity!" Azula huffed with a finger twirling in her hair while she smirked as her handmaid scampered over to her side.
"That's my princess! She's the goddess of the Fire Nation!" Elle declared in a voice of profound admiration while her mistress's smile grew by tenfold.
Mai and Ty Lee groaned in defeat as soon as they heard those words.
"Why did you have to call Azula that little sister?" Ty Lee questioned in a sigh as she gazed at Azula's beyond gratified face.
"Of course, I am little servant." Azula remarked with her arms folding over her breasts while she watched her pet adorably kick at an invisible pebble at her feet.
"Azula-sama…" Elle murmured in a lovable voice as she bit her lip while her mistress gazed down at her with a callous stare that thawed for her alone.
"Yes Elle?" Azula pondered in an attentive voice with a refined smile adorning her lips as she peered down at her small girlfriend.
"A-arigatou gozaimasu…" Elle stuttered as her big sister's gazed at her fondly while she traced her shoe along the flooring.
"Aww." Ty Lee cooed with a returning grin while Mai sighed beside her as they made their way forward.
"Just don't go thinking that I'm going soft on you peasant. Because I'm not!" Azula snorted with her arms crossed over her chest while she glared down at her bashful handmaid through the corner of her eye.
"Of course, you're not." Mai stated with a barely suppressed snort of amusement while Azula scowled back at her.
"Y-yes Princess…" Elle mumbled as she averted her eyes from her mistress's dominant gaze while the princess loomed over her.
"The only reason why I am doing this is because you are a prized war power!" Azula barked with a finger pointing down at Elle's blushing face.
The two noblewomen just rolled their eyes as they cast their leader a deadpan glance.
"Wakarimashita Azula-sama." Elle spoke as she bounced into a curtsy while her girlfriend scowled down at her.
"It's not as if I like you peasant!" Azula grumbled with her fists on her lips while she glared down at her bowing serving girl.
And Ty Lee just giggled while she continued gazing fondly at the strange but oh so adorable couple.
"As you say Azula-sama. Forevermore as you say." Elle agreed with her arms neatly tucked it at her sides while she stood in a perfect curtsy before Azula's approving gaze.
"You…just be sure that you continue being a good girl for me." Azula sighed as she reached down to place a fingertip on her handmaid's bow tie while her amber golden eyes shimmered with a momentary sliver of fondness.
"I am your good girl Azula-sama!" Elle cried out with bounce in her step while a sophisticated smile formed on her mistress's red lips.
"Servant! Your bow is crooked!" Azula bellowed without warning with her hands grasping her handmaid's bow tie while her girlfriend's amber eyes widened in horror.
"I-it is? I didn't know." Elle asked in a timid voice as she stood straight while Azula sighed over her as she began retying her bow.
The two noblewomen watched the scene with amusement in their eyes while the princess shook her head in a disapproving manner.
"Why does that not surprise me?" Azula snorted with a roll of her elegant eyes while she smiled down at her little girlfriend's reddening face.
"Sumimasen…Azula-sama." Elle answered in a bashful voice as she smiled up at her mistress's strict visage.
"Oh, whatever am I going to do with you Tiger Monkey?" Azula sighed with a shake of her head while she gazed down at her young girlfriend's joyful face.
"I don't know Azula-sama! What should you do with me?" Elle chirped with a bright grin as her big sisters listened in amusement while Azula's smirk grew by tenfold.
"Hm. Whatever I please. Your free will belongs to me now Tiger Monkey. I own you…and that means that I choose for you." Azula declared in an unfathomably domineering voice while she smirked down at her excited little girlfriend.
"Please do! You own me Azula-sama! You're the ruler of me!" Elle cried out with adorable enthusiasm lacing her voice while her mistress placed her long fingers upon her neck as she smiled down at her.
And the two noblewomen just shuddered as they shook their heads.
"You're one strange kid Elle." Mai stated with fondness in her voice while Ty Lee grinned alongside her.
"Yeah! But we wouldn't have you any other way!" Ty Lee exclaimed as she smiled at her blushing little sister.
"There we are. Just how I like it." Azula purred with her finger brushing against her quivering pet's fair cheek.
"I-I am so happy that you think so Princess." Elle muttered with a shy smile while Azula's hand gently touched her cheek.
Only to slide off her face not a moment later when she watched the much taller woman turn to proceed toward their destination.
"Come along now Elle." Azula ordered with a loud snap of her controlling fingers while she strode onward with a cultured smirk on her lips.
"Yes! If you say follow Azula-sama! I follow." Elle responded with great excitement in her voice as she followed after her powerful girlfriend.
"Are we going to go sit in the waiting area?" Ty Lee questioned with a warm grin while she walked on her crutch beside her little sister.
"I suppose we should. It would not do to be late for this one's appointment." Azula spoke in a dignified voice as she strode with the younger girl padding after her like a lost puppy.
"Azula-sama?" Elle pondered as she hurried after her mistress with her hands grasping the straps of her backpack.
"What is it Elle?" Azula answered without delay as she gazed over her shoulder at her girlfriend's adorably contemplative face.
"I don't really look like I'm under ten…do I?" Elle requested as she chewed on her lip while her older girlfriend paused in her step.
The princess stiffened as she glared at her two childhood friends who were casting her incriminating looks that said it all.
"Well…you are quite scrawny. Sometimes I wonder if we need to start feeding you plant fertilizer to boost your growth." Azula remarked in a haughty voice as she glanced down at her handmaid's pouting face.
"Azula…" Ty Lee sighed as she patted her adopted sister's back while Mai walked alongside them.
"I'm not scrawny. I'm just…vertically challenged." Elle mumbled as she bit her lip while the three highborn women gazed at her in good natured amusement.
"Don't worry about your height Elle. You're perfectly fine just the way you are." Mai assured with a softened countenance while Elle smiled gratefully up at her.
"That's right! We like everything about you! Even your super-duper adorable shortness!" Ty Lee cooed as she slipped an arm around Elle's shoulder while she grinned down at the younger girl's reddened face.
"A-arigatou…minasan." Elle spoke in an abashed voice as Ty Lee leaned over her shoulder with a bright grin on her lips.
All the while Azula glared at the two from the corner of her eye before she turned away with a sigh.
"Foolish peasant. I wouldn't be getting naked with you if I thought otherwise." Azula scoffed with her fists on her womanly hips while she gazed down at her handmaid's bashfully blushing face.
And the two noblewomen turned red as they wisely kept their mouths shut on their friends' obvious sexual interest in their companion.
And with that the foursome resumed their walk while the handmaid took to kindly helping the injured noblewoman walk.
And soon enough they arrived in the waiting area.
About a half hour later…
Elle timidly sat in a chair between Mai and Ty Lee while her big sisters rubbed her shoulders to ease her worries.
And Azula stood at the door with her arms crossed over her bust while she turned her head to walk the doctor finally walk in.
"Doctor Shima. You are fifteen minutes past the allotted hour." Azula commented in a controlling voice while she watched the man close the door behind him.
Shima was a middle-aged man of average height.
His short hair was the usual Fire Nation black.
With a small top-knot to hold it in the traditional style as seen with most men and women of Fire Nation ancestry.
He wore red doctor's robes and a pair of glasses over his face.
His eyes were a light shade of brown.
The physician lowered himself to the floor to momentarily prostrate himself before the standing princess while she studied him with strict amber golden eyes.
"Greetings Your Highness. But with all respect I am not late. It was my day off." Shima responded with a smile as Azula turned to cast him a cold stare as he stood back up while he stepped past her.
And the two noblewomen stared on in amusement over how their leader wasn't expecting the man to be bold enough to speak his mind.
"Are you…complaining doctor?" Azula asked in a terrifying voice as she rounded to follow the man's movements with an icy amber golden gaze.
"No! Most definitely not! Elle is the patient is she not?" Shima pondered as he turned to face the nervous teenager while the princess still stared back at him.
"Of course, she is." Azula stated in a cold voice with her fingers tapping her biceps while she stared at the doctor in mild annoyance.
She specifically chose this man because she heard that he was the best there was.
But she had hoped that the stories of his brazen personality were an exaggeration.
"I see. Hello Elle." Shima said as he turned to face the seated teenager while she cracked a bashful smile between the two noblewomen.
"Hello Doctor Shima!" Elle exclaimed with a cheery countenance while her big sisters smiled at her as the man cracked a smile back at her.
"How are you today?" Shima inquired as he held a paper in his hand while Azula still glared at his back.
"Quite well! My flow is bright today!" Elle chirped with a happy smile while Ty Lee grinned down at her.
And Azula just groaned as she crossed her arms over her robed breasts.
"Enough about your flow servant! This isn't a leisure visit!" Azula snapped with a boot tapping on the floor while she watched in approval when her handmaid bowed her head to her.
"Yes Azula-sama!" Elle cried out as she inclined her head while her mistress's lips curled up into a pleased smirk.
"You are Princess Azula's ward, is that right?" Shima queried as he gazed down at the letter on his clipboard while he skimmed over the medical letter that he received from his princess.
"I am! Her Highness saved me from the cold rain and she gave me a home at her side. In return I am their team servant!" Elle announced in a still cheery voice while Azula stiffened with her cold eyes glaring back at her.
And the two noblewomen just stared at their little sister in unhidden amusement at their friend's agitation over the girl telling the doctor how nice she was.
"The team servant? Is that right?" Shima asked as he still read the letter while Elle smiled from ear to ear.
"Mhm! I serve Princess Azula, Lady Ty Lee and Lady Mai with pride. I go where they go! And I help out however I can." Elle explained as she smiled at each of the three highborn women while they returned her gaze with a look of fondness.
"Like with what?" Shima conversed in more sociable voice than with the princess while she still stared at him in mild annoyance.
"Well! I make Azula-sama a hot cup of tea and breakfast every morning…and then later on I make her lunch. And even later I make the group dinner. And lots more!" Elle answered with a wide smile while Ty Lee patted her shoulder.
"Sounds like a hard job." Shima commented.
While the three highborn women tried their best to put on their sternest faces.
"It is! But I usually manage." Elle spoke with cheer as she sat fiddling her thumbs together while the man offered her a small smile.
"Hm. Could you go sit on the table for me Elle?" Shima requested as Elle peered away from him to gaze at the older girls for direction.
It was readily apparent that the girl was no ordinary servant.
"It will be alright Elle. We'll be here with you the entire time." Mai assured as she stared down at Elle as the girl bit her lip as she stood up.
"Go sit on the table servant." Azula commanded from where she leaned on the wall as she watched her handmaid begin to pad towards the table.
"Has she had a bad experience with doctors?" Shima questioned as he gazed down at the two noblewomen's frowning faces.
"She's been abused…so we keep her close by so we can look out for her." Ty Lee replied in a concerned voice with a protective countenance as she held onto her crutch.
All the while never even paying Azula's reproachful stare over her admission that they coddle their young friend.
"I understand. And the bandages?" Shima pondered as he looked to the princess's stoic face as he moved forward.
"We were ambushed by Earth Kingdom rebels…they took her as their hostage." Mai answered first with renewed shame in her eyes while the man glanced back at her.
"The leader stabbed the girl in the chest." Azula remarked in a frigid voice with her nostrils almost releasing a puff of flames in her anger.
"How is it healing up Elle? Does it still hurt?" Shima pressed in a calm voice while Elle chewed on her lip.
"It still hurts but Azula-sama has been very understanding. I'm not worried about it because the princess told me that it would be okay." Elle piped as she smiled at her mistress's scowling face while the man leaned down to listen to her breathing.
"Well, that's good to know that the princess is an understanding employer." Shima commented as Azula tensed up with her childhood friends casting her amused looks behind his back.
"She is! Very much so. Azula-sama and I are the best of friends!" Elle blurted out with cheer just as her mistress's narrowed eyes nearly set the room on fire.
Both Mai and Ty Lee hid their smiles when Azula loudly clapped her hands to gain the doctor and their young friends' attentions.
"That is enough. Focus on the girl's health. Not her work life." Azula ordered with her domineering eyes conveying the great harm that would come if the man disobeyed her.
However, to her satisfaction the man nodded as he turned back to her handmaid.
"Princess Azula writes that you have a severe breathing condition. Could you describe it for me?" Shima asked as he stepped back with his attentive brown eyes staring down at the young girl's thoughtful face.
"My chest hurts if I run too fast or do pretty much anything intensive. I run out of breath really easily. And Azula-sama has me use a breathing machine at night to stabilize my breathing during my sleep." Elle answered with her hands folded in her lap while her big sisters gazed on in unconcealed concern.
"Does it help?" Shima continued as he made a note on his notepad while Elle chewed on her lip with a contemplative countenance.
"It does! It seems to help me be more active in my daily duties." Elle admitted with a carefree smile while the doctor turned to her stoic mistress.
"Recently she was off it for almost ten days as a result of unforeseen circumstances. She developed a heavy cough and she fell ill as a result of it. I want you to investigate and determine the cause of this." Azula commented with her fingers grasping her sleeves while her harsh eyes never left the doctor's thinking face.
"I see. What else?" Shima pondered as he continued writing while he gazed back at the princess's stony face.
"Earlier today she fainted in the shower." Azula responded with a wave of her hand while she detected a concerned look flash in the man's eyes.
"Do you remember anything in particular that happened before you fainted?" Shima asked with his writing brush in hand while Elle rubbed a finger on the underside of her chin.
"Hm…before I fainted." Elle mumbled as she chewed on her lip while Azula and her big sisters gazed at her patiently.
"Yes, servant before you fainted." Azula snorted with a regal roll of her eyes while Ty Lee cast her a sisterly stare.
"Um…I don't remember much. But I know that I was thinking about Azula-sama." Elle admitted with a relaxed smile while her girlfriend's lips curled up into a gratified smirk.
"Elle…I believe that he was referring to your medical symptoms." Mai advised flatly as she stared fondly at Elle's adorably blushing face.
"Oh. Sumimasen." Elle murmured with a finger scratching her nervous cheek while Ty Lee grinned over in her direction.
"Lady Mai is correct. Medical symptoms. Not related to Princess Azula." Shima stated in a patient voice as he shifted on his feet.
"This one doesn't do well thinking for herself. Usually I think for her." Azula sighed with a haughty smile while she gazed at her handmaid's flushing face in a domineering stare.
"Well…I think I was having trouble breathing…" Elle trailed off shyly as she fiddled with her shirt while her mistress's powerful gaze continued to make her fidget.
"I suppose I will just talk in the girl's place. Things go much more smoothly for the girl when I do." Azula with a shrug as she still eyed her bashful pet in a possessive gaze.
Mai couldn't help but eye her friend in slight annoyance.
Azula has got to be the most controlling 'girlfriend' on the face of the entire planet!
"No. Speaking to the patient is the only reliable way that I can make my diagnosis." Shima insisted with a shake of his head while Azula eyed him coldly once more.
"Please. I am her mistress. I am more than capable of speaking for her." Azula snorted as she stood with her hands on her womanly hips while her childhood friends sighed.
"He has a point Azula…maybe you should…let Elle speak?" Ty Lee suggested with her hands on her lap while her spoiled friend cast her a rigid stare.
Although she wouldn't deny that it was adorable watching Azula try to take care of Elle!
Even if her friend was more than a little bit oppressive.
"Elle…does Princess Azula's presence distract you from our discussion?" Shima pondered with a sigh while the princess in question eyed him icily as Elle bit her lip.
"N-no. Azula-sama doesn't distract me…not in the least." Elle answered in a timid voice while Azula gazed at her with a pleased smile on her red lips.
"I see…well for the sake of this appointment going smoothly. For the next five minutes I want you to pretend like the princess doesn't exist." Shima instructed with his brush in hand.
And the two noblewomen could only gaze at their now horrified little sister in amusement.
"Azula-sama doesn't…exist?" Elle repeated with her eyes wide in despair while her mistress smirked in her direction once more.
"Next we'll perform a series of breathing exercises." Shima stated as he withdrew a stethoscope while the young girl's mouth hung open in panic.
"Azula-sama is absolute. She'll always be here." Elle mumbled in a voice of bottomless worship as she hung her legs over the table while Azula strode to sit beside her big sisters with a broad smile on her lips.
And then the princess plopped down in a chair beside her two friends while she crossed her arms over her robed breasts.
All the while her full lips curved into a proud smirk while her two childhood friends directed her reproachful stares.
"Take a deep breath Elle." Shima commented as he held his tool to Elle's chest while the young girl did so with a still worried countenance.
"Azula-sama is home." Elle murmured as she inhaled and exhaled as instructed while her big sisters turned to gaze at her sighing mistress.
It went without saying that it took all three highborn women aback to see the girl become upset over being told to act as if Azula wasn't there for a few minutes.
It just showed how attached Elle was to Azula's presence.
"And again." Shima said in a calm voice while his brown eyes surveyed the girl closely as she took a deep breath.
Only for the two noblewomen to gaze on in obvious concern when Elle coughed after doing so.
And Azula stared on with cold amber golden eyes as she tried her hardest to suppress the concern in her eyes while her handmaid coughed after doing so a third time.
Until finally the doctor removed the stethoscope while he turned to meet their apprehensive gazes.
"I concur with your letter. I would like to take her to perform a chi reading and a few other tests. I would begin now. If I have your approval Princess." Shima declared in a composed voice as Elle turned to gaze nervously at Azula's stern face for guidance.
"Fine. I will allow it. But do so delicately. The last thing I need to deal with is her waterworks." Azula remarked in a seemingly insensitive voice as she sat back gazing hard at her handmaid's anxious face.
"I understand. Well then Elle. Shall we go begin? We will only be away for about thirty minutes." Shima assured as he stared down at the seated girl's distraught face.
"T-thirty minutes?" Elle stuttered as she chewed on her lip while Azula released a heavy sigh.
"It will be okay Elle! We'll be right here when you get back!" Ty Lee exclaimed with a reassuring grin while Elle sent her a conflicted look.
"Yeah. We will." Mai agreed as she offered the girl a comforting nod while Elle hesitantly placed her feet on the floor.
"Just go get your tests done servant." Azula ordered in a feigned voice of detachment while her cold eyes watched Elle turned around to face her.
"Y-yes Azula-sama. As you say…always as you say." Elle stammered as she bent over to curtsy her seated mistress while the princess gazed at her in approval.
The handmaid stood with her arms tucked in at her chest while Azula stared back at her with a refined smile now returning to her lips.
"Don't worry your little mind over it. My reign over you is absolute…whether I am in the room with you or otherwise." Azula announced with a smug smile on her full lips while she observed her handmaid's smile return in full force.
"I'll be back in thirty minutes minasan!" Elle called out as she bounced after the man while she waved over her shoulder at her family.
The two noblewomen offered her affectionate smiles and the princess just smirked after her as she followed the doctor through the door.
After the door closed the two nobles turned to their friend's smug face as the princess held a finger beneath her chin.
"Yes. My rule over this one is omniscient." Azula spoke in a conceited voice as she reclined in her seat while she ignored her friends' exasperated faces.
However instead of replying the two noblewomen just sighed under their breath.
They both knew that attempting to reason with their friend's ego would only prove to be futile.
About forty minutes later.
The princess sat tapping her boot on the floor while her two childhood friends sat in a mutually worried silence.
Only for all three of their heads to face the door when the doctor opened the door.
"I have some test results to show you Princess. If you would like to follow me." Shima informed as he shifted under Azula's penetrating stare.
"I-is it anything bad?" Ty Lee found herself pondering as she gazed on with sisterly worry in her brown-gray eyes.
"Where is the girl?" Azula questioned as she stood up with her arms crossed over her breasts while her two friends quickly followed suit.
"Elle is finishing up with her chi reading." Shima replied as he inclined his head while the princess frowned back at him.
Mai gazed in unconcealed concern to her leader before the princess began to walk forward.
"Mai. Ty Lee. Come." Azula commanded with a lazy wag of her hand while the two women followed after her.
And soon enough the three women followed the doctor through to the hospital testing area.
A door closed behind them while the princess gazed hard at the doctor's stoic face.
In the center of the room was a medical device with a chi reading that that was currently showing the girl's vital organs.
And behind a window into the next room the girl was patiently laying down on a table under the chi reading machine.
"What aren't you telling me? Speak now!" Azula snapped with a trace of anger in her voice while the man flinched as he turned to gesture through the viewing window.
"Alright, well first off…this seems to be worse than you first thought." Shima began in a slightly hesitant voice while the three stared at him in increased apprehension.
The three highborn women felt an increased sense of worry creep up over them as soon as they heard those words.
And Azula's lips pursed into an evener deeper scowl as she turned her head to glare coldly at her handmaid's results.
"Explain." Azula commanded with just a trace of something akin to alarm in her otherwise perfectly stoic voice.
"For one thing she seems to be holding in her cough in front of you and your friends." Shima replied as the three women gazed at him in a questioning manner.
"What? Holding in her cough?" Azula asked with aggravation oozing from her voice as she narrowed her eyes at her serving girl through the window.
"It would appear so. Her cough worsened once I brought her back." Shima answered while Azula's lips entrenched into a furious scowl.
"Why would she hold in her cough when she is around us?" Mai questioned in a noticeably bothered voice while her concerned tawny eyes stared through the window.
"It is quite common for a person to hide the severity of their illness from those closest to them. And judging by your reactions it is obvious that Elle is more than a house servant." Shima responded in a composed voice as the princess's amber golden eyes now pierced his skull.
And the two noblewomen exchanged a distraught glance before they gazed through the glass with a shared worry in their eyes.
"The girl is a servant and nothing more. The only reason I tolerate her weakness is because she performs impeccable work." Azula remarked in a cruel voice as she crossed her arms over her robed breasts only for her two friends to gaze at her incredulously.
"Well, you should know this girl is far too ill for the life of a heavily worked royal servant. Her body simply cannot take the strenuous stress that nobility expect of their servants. This girl could die performing heavy labor." Shima stated in a serious voice while the princess listened with a trace of alarm in her amber golden eyes.
And both Mai and Ty Lee stood in an unnerved silence as they slowly digested what the man was trying to say.
The statement hit all three highborn women like a brick to the stomach.
The two nobles could only gaze on with their stomachs twisting up in agonizing apprehension.
And despite the fact that they both knew that Azula would never do that to Elle.
It was a horrifying thing to be told all the same.
And the princess pursed her lips in displeasure over the prospect that she would ever work her handmaid to death.
'I would never do that to my Elle!' Azula thought with her nostrils releasing a puff of blue fire.
"Her condition is a precarious one. If she is more than a house servant this is going to be something that you will have to manage rigorously." Shima stated as he turned back to the results while the princess rolled her eyes.
"Tell me something that I don't already know." Azula snorted in a haughty voice as she crossed her athletic arms over her breasts while her two childhood friends listened in rapidly growing concern.
"If you look closely here you can see that her airways almost seem…inflamed." Shima announced as he pointed to the chi reading while the trio gazed down in obvious apprehension.
"I-is she going to be, okay?" Ty Lee questioned in a worried voice with her mouth agape in sisterly concern.
"With the correct treatment plan this may well be something that can be managed and even corrected. That's the good news. The bad news…is that we don't know the cause." Shima admitted as he frowned down at the reading of the chi of the girl's internal organs.
"I explicitly told you that I wanted you to find the cause…and you are telling me that you don't know?" Azula inquired in a menacing voice that had both her friends and the doctor shivering in unease.
"Not yet I don't. The problem is that her condition and her symptoms mirror that of many disorders. It could be anything from a severe case of asthma…to exposure to poisons or toxins as a child or even…" Shima trailed off with a deepening frown while the three listened in rising uncertainty.
"Or what?" Azula asked in a forceful voice with her cold eyes expressing a sliver of protectiveness while she tightened her grip on her biceps.
"A progressive disease that weakens her body as she grows older." Shima answered in a thoughtful voice while the three highborn women stared on with widening eyes.
It was a completely jarring statement that hit both noblewomen hard in the chest.
So much so that Ty Lee almost fell over in a sorrowful shock.
And Mai's mouth dropped open in a mixture of both anger and worry for her adopted sister's wellbeing.
A tear streamed down Ty Lee's cheek as she turned tightened her fist at her hip.
And even the princess herself had been hit by the unnerving suggestion.
Azula stared on with an unusually worried face while her regal lips creasing into an unsettled scowl.
For reasons she couldn't explain the mere thought of her handmaid being stricken with such a life altering debilitating illness made her frozen heart twist up in despair.
"You…don't think it's that do you?" Mai queried in an uncharacteristically distraught voice as she gazed through the window at her adopted sister with protective tawny eyes.
"Statistically it is unlikely. On the upside I haven't detected any traces of cancer. So, I feel that it is safe to rule that out." Shima responded in a more upbeat voice as the trio's posture relaxed after hearing those words.
"O-oh well that's good." Ty Lee muttered with a finger wiping at her eye while she turned away from the results.
"Was she ever exposed to any breathing irritants?" Shima questioned as he turned to their disconcerted faces.
"I have only had the girl in my service for a little over a month…so I can't say for certain." Azula grumbled in a prideful voice as she clenched her jaw in her anger for her little girlfriend's safety.
She has barely known this peasant girl for more than a month.
And yet…
She was irreplaceable.
"I see. The only reason I say that is because her airways look…irritated. Which could be indicative of a respiratory infection. I am going to prescribe a medication that should help with that. If it goes down then we will know that it was the case. And her possible asthma condition should lessen up as well." Shima revealed as he held onto his clipboard while Azula's anger abated ever so slightly.
"Fine. What else?" Azula asked as she tapped her fingers along her toned biceps while she eyed her little girlfriend through the glass with possessive amber golden eyes.
She would see her pet taken care of at all costs.
"Continue using the nighttime breather. And I am also going to supply you with a sustainable daily inhalant to go along with her emergency inhalant that you mentioned in the letter." Shima stated while the trio listened with relieved expressions.
"This…this is good news isn't it Azula?" Ty Lee spoke with a smile returning to her lips while her proud friend just scowled back at her.
"She's just a servant Ty Lee. Stop getting so emotional over a mere peasant." Azula scoffed with a finger twirling in her ebony hair while the two noblewomen rolled their eyes at her back.
"You mentioned in your letter that she was taking pills for the pain?" Shima queried once more as Azula turned her cold eyes to him.
"She was. She said that she only needs them when she is off her nighttime breather." Azula informed with a displeased frown on her royal lips while the doctor continued writing.
"I will supply an herbal replacement that will also serve to help open her airways when she is having one of her asthmatic attacks." Shima responded as he turned to face the princess who was now gazing back at him with less anger than before.
"Good. Just see to it that you remember one thing." Azula remarked with her arms folded over her chest while the doctor gazed back at her.
"Yes?" Shima answered as he turned to face his princess's strict visage.
"See to it that you remember that cost is no object. If there is a treatment, I will pay for it. I don't care how much it costs. I don't care if you have to travel the world to obtain it. If it exists Doctor Shima she will have it. Is that understood?" Azula announced in an authoritative voice that brook no room for argument while her childhood friends listened in astonishment.
The fact that Azula was willing to say those words spoke volumes about the princess's feelings for their young friend.
And the doctor just stared back at his princess with amazement flashing through his brown eyes before he recovered soon after.
"I understand Your Highness. Now regarding the wound on her chest. It is healing up nicely but it is still tender. Try to avoid having her do anything strenuous. Otherwise, it will reopen and then the healing cycle begins all over again." Shima advised as he inclined his head while he reached out to hand Azula his report while the stern princess accepted the paper.
"Please. Like I don't already know that." Azula snorted in a refined voice as she turned to gaze hard through the glass at her obedient handmaid as the girl began fidgeting on the table.
"Good. I think that just about covers it. All that's left is to discuss her long-term medical restrictions." Shima quipped as the princess stared at his back with irate amber golden eyes.
"Long-term medical restrictions?" Azula asked in a return to her foul tempered voice while her friends smiled alongside her.
"Yes. I would like for you to provide me a list of her duties and I will advise you on which jobs are medically acceptable and which ones aren't." Shima explained as he nodded while Azula's shoulders stiffened as she stared back at him.
"That isn't necessary. The girl performs her job without flaw despite her…condition." Azula declared in a possessive voice while she tapped her boot on the ground as she glared back at her friend's deadpan faces.
"Uh but you do have a habit of overworking her Azula." Ty Lee reminded in a worried voice as the princess turned to glare a hole through her skull.
"That's an understatement." Mai scoffed as she turned to level her scowling leader with a sisterly stare.
"You both forget that I am the girl's mistress. Not you. Only I may dictate her little life." Azula huffed as she folded her arms over her robed breasts while her friends groaned in frustration.
Only to turn around and glare at the doctor instead when the man cleared his throat before he extended his hand with paper and brush.
"Here. Just write down an abbreviated summary of her daily chores." Shima requested as his princess glared at him with narrowing amber golden eyes.
"I don't overwork the girl." Azula insisted in a prideful voice with her lips entrenched in a regal scowl while Ty Lee happily took the brush and paper from the man's hand.
"Please just do as the man asks Azula. It's for Elle's own good." Ty Lee spoke in a softened voice as Azula glared at down at her open palm.
Only to take the brush and paper from her hand while she grumbled under her breath.
"Her daily duties are modest really. A few chores here and there." Azula commented in a dismissive voice as she wrote down her handmaid's daily duties while her friends stared at her incredulously.
About ten minutes later.
The two noblewomen watched in amusement as the doctor's eyes nearly fall out of his head as he read over their young friend's list of duties.
All the while Azula smirked as she stood gazing down at her clenched fist while she observed the man through the corner of her smug eye.
"This is modest?" Shima asked in a stunned voice as he gazed back at Azula's smiling face.
"I know that it is…rather small. There is more that I would like to add but…I have refrained from doing so. Lest I overwork her little heart." Azula purred with a fingernail pushing into her chin while her friends gazed at her in a deadpan silence.
"Princess Azula…this list is medically unacceptable." Shima stated as the princess's smile fell from her lips while she stared back at him once more.
And both Mai and Ty Lee just shared an amused look while Shima started crossing over duty after duty before Azula's annoyed amber golden eyes.
Until he finally handed the paper back to the princess as she glared down at it with twitching amber golden eyes to discover that it had been whittled down to a mere five duties.
The two nobles peeked over their friends' shoulder with small smirks on their lips as they gazed at their leader's indignant face.
All that remained was very basic handmaid duties like refilling Azula's drinks and bringing meals to her study.
"Do you actually expect me to abide by this ridiculous list? She is my servant. Her job is to serve us." Azula inquired with a scowl on her beautiful lips while she stared hard at the man's shrugging face.
"The choice is yours Your Highness. But if you value her wellbeing, you'll take it easy on her and avoid any heavy labor that would put undue stress on her body." Shima responded with a shrug while Azula still glared a hole through his skull.
And the two nobles just turned to sigh at their spoiled friends displeased face.
"Come on Azula…you'll do it for Elle. Won't you?" Ty Lee questioned in a concerned voice as she watched Azula angrily shove the paper into her breast pocket.
"Ugh! What a weak little peasant! She's nothing but a thorn in my ass." Azula growled with a haughty scowl while Mai cast her a mild stare over the unflattering remark.
"You have such a kind heart Azula." Mai muttered as Azula's amber golden eyes glared at her through the corner of her vision.
Only for the sound of a muffled voice to prompt all three of them to turn their heads towards the glass window.
"Can I get up now?" Elle requested from where she lay as she chewed on her lip while her three highborn caretakers gazed in after her.
"The poor girl's been in there for almost an hour! Can she come out now?" Ty Lee exclaimed with a sisterly frown on her lips as they turned to the nodding doctor.
"I don't see why not. I believe we're all finished here. Unless you have any other questions?" Shima pondered as he bent over in a deep bow while his princess waved her hand in the air.
"In two weeks, she will see you for a recheck at the Royal Palace. At noon. Sharp." Azula replied in a controlling voice as she placed her fists on her womanly hips while she gazed at the bowing man.
"Got it. Now if that will be all. I am going to resume my day off." Shima muttered as he stood up from his bow as he turned away while Azula's cold eyes stared through his back.
"In exactly two weeks from today, on your day off." Azula added in a sadistic voice that had her two friends sighing behind her.
'Leave it to Azula to find a way to torment people even in the smallest of ways.' Ty Lee thought as she sighed before she moved to go assist her baby sister.
"Of course. On my day off." Shima answered with in a controlled voice while the princess smiled after him.
"Have a pleasant day. You'll be working it every week from now on from here on out." Azula informed in a tyrannical voice while the doctor tensed up as he headed for the doors.
"I'll keep that in mind." Shima answered under his breath as he offered the smirking woman a final bow.
"See to it that you do. Goodbye Doctor Shima. It has been wonderful meeting you." Azula called out in a honeyed voice as her smirk grew when the man rushed for the exit.
Only for the door to close shut not a moment later while Azula stood with a gigantic smirk on her lips while Mai gazed at her pointedly.
"I have to say Azula. You have a strange way of saying thank you for coming in on their day off." Mai stated in her usual monotone voice as they both moved to retrieve their young friend.
"Please. It was just a slight adjustment of his schedule." Azula scoffed with her fists on her hips as she strode towards the testing room.
Not a moment later Ty Lee opened the door with her warm eyes instantly honing in on the adorably confused teenager from where she lay on the testing table.
"Oneesan!" Elle cried out in a lovable voice as Ty Lee smiled back at her.
"Little sister!" Ty Lee cooed as the princess rolled her eyes while she approached from behind.
"Am I done now?" Elle pondered as she smiled shyly while she watched Ty Lee stand over her table with a wide grin on her lips.
"Yep! All finished now!" Ty Lee exclaimed as she pulled the smaller girl to her feet while Elle smiled up at her.
And then the young handmaid turned to beam brightly at Mai as the weapons user offered her a small smile as she gazed back at her through the doorway.
"Mai!" Elle chirped in an adorably excited voice as she walked under Ty Lee's arm while the noblewoman smiled back at her.
"Hey there kid." Mai greeted as the two walked forward while Ty Lee gazed down in surprise when the petite girl started to help her walk.
"You don't have to help me walk Elle." Ty Lee assured in a gentle voice only for her eyes to soften when the handmaid held her up anyway.
"I don't mind oneesan! Really." Elle piped as she smiled ahead only for her eyes to sparkle in delight when she saw the face of her favorite person glaring back at her.
"Hurry up servant! Ty Lee can breast feed you another time!" Azula barked in a jealous voice with her domineering eyes narrowing at her pet's cheerful face.
"Azula…" Ty Lee growled under her breath with a scowl as Elle walked under her arm.
"Azula-sama! I missed you so much!" Elle squealed as she padded along faster with Ty Lee peering down at her fondly.
"You haven't even been away from Azula for more than an hour." Mai informed in a deadpan voice as they strode out of the examination room while a pleased smirk returned to Azula's lips.
"An hour away from my princess charming is far too long!" Elle answered in a happy voice with a gentle grin while Ty Lee ruffled her hair.
"Whatever peasant. You best consider yourself fortunate that I am fond of you. I wouldn't tolerate this weakness from anyone else." Azula grumbled as she twirled a finger in her dark hair while she stared down at her handmaid with possessive amber golden eyes.
"A-arigatou gozaimasu minasan." Elle mumbled in a timid voice as they walked out another door while all three of her friends gazed at her with some level of affection in their eyes.
And even though no one wanted to say it aloud.
All three members of Team Azula were very much worried about their youngest teammate.
The very thought of the sunny girl one day suffocating as a result of her ailment was a horrifying prospect to consider.
Even to a woman as ruthless and cruel as Princess Azula.
"Elle…" Ty Lee trailed off with unspoken concern her voice as she hugged the younger girl under her arm.
"Is something wrong oneesan?" Elle asked as she chewed on her lip while Ty Lee stared down at her with worried brown-gray eyes.
That was when she noticed that Mai was staring at her in obvious concern as well.
And her mistress was glaring at her through the corner of her eye as they made their way through the halls of the medical complex.
"Did something happen?" Elle pondered in a naïve voice as she peered about with worried amber eyes only for Ty Lee to hug her tightly.
"Nothing happened. We are just…relieved to see that your tests came back okay." Ty Lee spoke as she wiped a tear from her eye while the younger girl smiled up at her.
"Oh. Well, that's good to hear!" Elle chimed as she smiled once more while Mai offered her a still concerned stare.
"You are being punished Elle." Azula announced in a beyond strict voice that had her childhood friends reeling around to cast her a scolding stare.
And the young girl peeked back at her with suddenly horrified amber eyes.
"O-oh I am? What did I do?" Elle stuttered in a submissive voice while Ty Lee turned to cast the princess a sisterly glare.
"Azula. Can't you just leave the poor girl be?" Mai questioned in a mutually defensive voice as she folded her arms over her breasts while she fixed her leader with an annoyed stare.
"No Mai. No, I will not. I own her. She is my property. Not yours. And I will do with her as I please." Azula snapped in a pompous voice while the two noblewomen stared at her in exasperation.
"Elle isn't a piece of property that you can claim Azula." Ty Lee lectured as she frowned at Azula's spoiled face while the other woman released a snide snort.
"But oneesan! I'm the princess's pet. Her Highness is the boss of me!" Elle cried out with a bright smile as her big sister's shook their heads while Azula's full lips curled up into a smug smirk.
"The girl knows her place…for the most part." Azula stated in a beyond stern voice as she turned to glare at her handmaid's fretful face once more.
"H-have I displeased you Azula-sama?" Elle queried in a glummer voice as she bit her lip while Ty Lee still hugged her close.
"As a matter of fact, you have. I would have thought that you would know by now that you are not entitled to any secrets. Which is why I find it curious that you have been suppressing your cough in our presence." Azula declared in a disciplinary voice as she glared hard at her pet while the younger girl's shoulders slumped under her stare.
"Sumimasen Azula-sama…" Elle muttered as she turned away while Azula scowled down at her.
"Why would you do that Elle? We care about you. We all do." Ty Lee pondered in a genuinely concerned voice while her adopted sister shrunk under her arm.
"I…don't want to worry anyone…and my mother always taught me that it was rude to spread germs in the air. The last thing I want to do is to get anyone sick…" Elle murmured as she averted her eyes from her friends' concerned gazes.
"We're not going to get sick from your asthma Elle. If you have to cough…just cough." Mai assured in a sisterly voice while she gazed at the younger girl with affection in her stoic stare.
"Even so servant. You leave me no choice but to punish you." Azula spoke with a finger in her hair while a smile appeared on her red lips.
"If you say so Azula-sama." Elle replied in an obedient voice while Azula smiled down at her.
"I don't know Azula. It almost sounds like you are making up an excuse to subject Elle to a degrading punishment." Ty Lee muttered as she turned to fix her smirking friend with an accusatory stare.
"Hm. Just a little fun here and there Ty Lee. Nothing that would violate the tiger monkey's medical restrictions." Azula remarked in a smooth voice as her young girlfriend's bright amber eyes peeked up at her in innocent confusion.
"Medical restrictions Azula-sama?" Elle inquired in a naïve voice while she watched her mistress's smirk give way to a regal frown.
"Doctor Shima gave you this list. You must abide by it. And avoid any activity that would put a strain on your little lungs." Azula announced with a scowl on her red lips as she withdrew the paper before she shoved it in her handmaid's curious hand.
And then all three highborn women paused for a moment while they watched their young friend open the paper as she began to read with inquisitive amber eyes.
Elle chewed on her lip in the lovable manner that her friends had come to adore while she read every detail of her restrictions.
All the while a worried frown began to form on her lips.
"No heavy lifting. No bending…how will we do lapnaps if I can't bend over?" Elle murmured in a puzzled voice while her big sisters listened in humor as Azula sighed a few paces away from her.
"Just refrain from doing anything strenuous servant. The last thing I need is your feeble body giving out on me." Azula sighed with a wave of her regal hand while she shook her head.
How did this little peasant girl ever get this close to her heart?
Only to turn her head in surprise when she heard the sound of paper tearing in two.
Her amber golden eyes widened ever so slightly as she watched her handmaid rip the document in half.
The two noblewomen watched in an equally confused silence as they observed their little sister destroy her list of medical restrictions.
"I don't need a list of medical restrictions to tell me what I can and cannot do. I have a mighty princess and two wonderful oneesans to take care of me. I know that I can count on my family to steer me away from all harm." Elle declared in a passionate voice as a wide smile appeared on her bright lips while her three highborn friends stared at her in a taken aback silence.
"Elle…" Ty Lee spoke in a moved voice as she placed a protective hand on the smaller girl's robed shoulder.
"What's wrong with you Elle? Doctor Shima got Azula to back off on overworking you. And then you go and tear it up." Mai stated in a bewildered voice as she stared at her younger sister with puzzled tawny eyes.
Only to shudder ever so faintly when she noticed the pleased smile that was climbing up onto her friends red lips.
"Isn't it obvious Mai? The girl craves my rule." Azula boasted with an arrogant flip of her hair while her childhood friends just sighed in defeat.
Both Mai and Ty Lee knew well enough that there was no point in arguing with their spoiled friend.
Only for a blonde blur to dash out from under Ty Lee's arm and promptly assault the taller girl around her stomach.
Ty Lee gazed on with a grin returning to her lips while she watched Azula quickly look around to make certain that no one else was watching while Elle happily pushed her face into her upper belly.
"I trust in you unconditionally Azula-sama. That's just how our bond works. Your guidance is all that I need in this life." Elle mumbled as she embraced her older girlfriend's robed belly while Azula gazed down at her with a sliver of fondness in her callous amber golden eyes.
The emotional statement hit all three highborn women hard in the chest.
Even Azula as well.
Even though she was too proud to say as such aloud.
"Then you are a fool peasant! And don't you think for a moment that you are exempt from my wrath!" Azula bellowed while she scowled down at the smaller girl hiding in her belly.
The two noblewomen exchanged an amused glance as they cast their prideful leader a disbelieving look.
"Y-yes Princess." Elle stammered as she grasped onto her mistress's fine robes while the princess loomed over her.
"For the time being I have decided to spare you. But if you ever defy me. I will burn you to ashes without a second thought." Azula snorted with a puff of blue fire escaping her nostrils while she gazed down hard at her serving girl's peaceful face.
"Of course, you will Azula." Mai stated with poorly suppressed laughter while Ty Lee giggled alongside her only for Azula's penetrating gaze to briefly glare their way.
"O-oh Azula-sama." Elle murmured as she clung to Azula's stomach just as she felt two strong palms gently lower onto her hair.
"That's my handmaid." Azula grumbled as she placed her hands in her handmaid's hair while she pulled the girl's face into her belly with a proud scowl on her lips.
As she stared down at the girl as Elle remained bent over with her head pressed into her robed stomach.
"My ruler…my Azula-sama." Elle stated with a content smile on her lips while the princess held onto her blonde head.
"My little girlfriend…my Elle." Azula muttered with her fingernails in her pet's golden hair while she held her innocent girlfriend into her upper belly.
Her domineering eyes never ceased peering down at her serving girl's contented face.
With her stern hands holding onto the back of her handmaid's head she found herself unable to fight the satisfied smile that formed on her lips.
Yes indeed.
She would spare no expense for this little tiger monkey.
Even if it cost her the entire world.
She would see to it that this one breathed normally.
No matter the cost.
AN:
I don't have a whole lot to say in this afterward.
Though Doctor Shima is just a minor character. I tried to make him a wry sort of character. I wanted to give him a bit of personality, and show that he was annoyed over being called in on his day off. I also wanted to show that he had a bit of an unpleasant reputation as a rude character of sorts. But because Azula believes that he is the best. She is willing to put up with a bit of lip here and there.
Elle is going to be okay in the end. Her health problems will eventually get worked out just like grudge between Zoe and Mai.
But because this is such a massive, slow burn story it will take time. Some people consider a twenty chapter story a long fanfic to read. And I have written eighty so far. The first book will probably end at around 150 chapters. Once I get done with the latest arc the last five arcs of book one should follow more smoothly.
That said, things will take times to work out.
For the time being Elle cannot engage in heavy battle activity but she needs to learn how to master her power anyway because using it by mistake heavily drains her chi.
Eventually in the series, Elle will learn self defense martial arts and other aerobics. But for now, until she gets control of her lung condition she must use her energy sparingly.
The more Elle gains control of her stamina, and energy level, the stronger she will become. And by extent the greater threat she will be to Aang and the others.
But even then, I want to once again stress that the Component State functions differently than the Avatar State. The Avatar State is much more physically destructive and impressive in terms of shear force.
People like Zoe, Azula, Aang, and other high tier characters who we have yet to learn more about like Rieko will always be much stronger than Elle in terms of physical might.
But Elle will still be strong in her own way.
Elle's primary power is to disrupt the otherworldly plane, and once she masters it further she can form a combat style and even create techniques that center around her ability.
Her power is more than just a stop switch for the Avatar.
But for the time being I won't say anymore. As that would be venturing into spoiler territory.
Over the coming chapters I will be expanding my mythos of the world and all of the characters in it greatly.
Thankfully, I can only hope that those of you who have made it this far will enjoy my original changes that I am incorporating into the Avatar mythos.
In canon it is never really questioned if the world truly needs the Avatar. And in my story, this is a central theme in my story.
Is the Avatar bad or good? Are they better off without Aang? Would people be less self reliant if the Avatar cycle died and learn to solve their problems on their own? These are the sort of questions that I love to contemplate as I write the story.
But anyhow, I think that is about it for now.
Stay tuned for next time.
For chapter sixty-one! Hotel Stay!