Hey everyone. I decided to post this one sooner than usual!
I want to thank everyone who reviewed since the last chapter. And as always please continue to do so.
And without further ado. Please enjoy!
Breakfast with the Team – Chapter Sixty-Two
The following morning.
Team Azula sat at a breakfast table while the other two noblewomen took note of their friends strangely annoyed mood.
Azula was always annoyed about something.
Her annoyance was usually accompanied by a dangerously cold aura that terrified everyone around her.
Even them.
Except right now…Azula almost seemed calmer than usual.
Almost as if…her annoyance was something more…mundane that didn't involve taking over the world.
"So Azula…how did your night with Elle go?" Ty Lee asked with a small smile on her lips while Azula took a sip of her hot tea.
Only to grunt in mild irritation a moment later.
"Ugh. Terrible. I had to put up with that girl clinging to me for twelve hours!" Azula complained in a spoiled voice as she scowled back at her two amused friends.
"Twelve hours? That's quite the snuggle!" Ty Lee quipped in a cheery voice that prompted the princess to turn and glare her way.
"Of course, the only reason I even put up with her weakness is to preserve her wartime use." Azula remarked in a haughty voice as she drank her tea while her friends exchanged a deadpan glance.
"Of course." Mai stated with barely suppressed amusement in her monotone voice.
"She's a pesky little peasant. I am considering destroying her." Azula spoke in a frigid voice as she paid her friends amused faces no mind.
"Don't do that Azula! She's too cute to destroy." Ty Lee exclaimed with a giggle while Azula glared at her through the corner of her eye.
"Azula, is that a new friendship bracelet on your wrist?" Mai questioned in a taunting voice while the princess swiftly pulled up her sleeve with a callous snarl now adorning her features.
"I strongly caution you to watch your mouth Mai. You will be departing for prison upon our return to Hari Bulkan. Test my temper and I just might make it a family package." Azula declared in a cruel voice while the other woman sank back with renewed displeasure in her eyes.
Ty Lee shivered as she gazed between her two friends but she knew better than to protest the matter any further.
Especially not when Azula was already being lenient with Mai.
"Are…are we going straight back after this?" Ty Lee asked in an attempt to change the subject while the princess scowled.
"No. Tomorrow we leave for the Forgetful Valley to find this peasant sage to see if she can shed some light on the tiger monkey's power. After that we'll part ways with Mai." Azula explained in a businesslike voice while the two noblewomen gazed at her in surprise to hear that they were seeking out the sage.
"Is…it really a good time to be looking into this Azula? She's having a lot of health problems. Can't…we just leave it be for now?" Ty Lee attempted to reason while Azula's scowl deepened as she turned to glare at her.
"Tell me Ty Lee. If using this power for a short period of time makes the girl black out. Then how do we know that her power won't randomly activate again. Only this time with more devastating effects." Azula retorted as her two friends grimaced as they exchanged a knowing look.
"You…make a good point." Ty Lee muttered in a worried voice while the princess sipped her tea.
"An unknown factor is an unknown risk. And my brilliant mind has concluded that Elle's health will be better off if she is in control of her power." Azula spoke in a strict voice as she grasped her tea cup while Ty Lee finally began to smile once more.
"You sure have thought this through Azula." Ty Lee complimented as a large smirk grew onto Azula's lips.
"I am her master Ty Lee. Dictating the life of my pet is what I do." Azula commented with an arrogant smirk adorning her full lips while her two childhood friends sighed in exasperation.
"Well! At least she's happy. I for one think that you two make a lovely couple." Ty Lee replied in a giggle while Mai sighed beside her.
"Yes, she is a lovely dear. I confess that I almost sat on her little face last night." Azula announced with a proud smile on her red lips while she took delight in how her two friends nearly fell out of their seats.
"A-Azula! But you said that you were going to wait until she turned sixteen!" Ty Lee cried out with redness overtaking her cheeks while Azula's smile grew by tenfold.
"Hm. So I did. And I assure you I will. It's just that…she looked so sweet bowing before me in the shower. I just couldn't help shoving her little face between my legs…even if only for a moment." Azula sighed in a heavy voice while the two noblewomen balked at her incredulously.
"Wait. You just shoved her face into your crotch without asking beforehand?" Mai questioned in a monotone voice with her tawny eyes reflecting disapproval over her friends brazen behavior.
"I fail to see your point Mai. She's a peasant. And I'm a princess. The girl should be honored to receive a face full of my flawless body." Azula snorted in an egotistical voice as both of her friends now gazed at her with deadpan eyes.
"Um…well! Elle couldn't find anyone more beautiful. That's for sure. I just hope that you're taking her innocence into consideration. She may be thirteen Azula. But she is a super innocent girl…more so than most girls her age." Ty Lee advised as she coughed beneath her hand while the spoiled woman coldly rolled her amber golden eyes.
"I am well aware Ty Lee. The girl is pitifully naïve. She doesn't even know what oral sex is." Azula complained as she drank her tea while her friends stared at her for what seemed like a long moment.
"Did you ever consider that is because Elle's still living her childhood? And maybe she isn't ready for sex yet?" Mai pondered dryly as she gazed pointedly at the other woman's selfish face while the princess scowled back at her.
"She's my pet girlfriend. Not your pet. Only I may rule over her little life. And you would do well to remember that." Azula scoffed in a conceited voice as she waved a dismissive hand in the air only for Mai to roll her eyes out of her line of vision.
"Yes Azula. We all know that you're the ruler of Elle." Ty Lee sighed as Azula smirked over in her direction.
"Of course, I am. But even so. The girl is a vexing little thing. Last night I finished up in the shower without her…I even went so far as to freshen up for her." Azula complained with her tea cup in hand while her two friends gazed at her in puzzlement.
"Freshen up for her Azula?" Ty Lee repeated in a baffled voice while the princess scowled once more.
"Mhm. I put on my finest pair of bra and panties for her." Azula answered with a spoiled wave of her hand while the other woman nearly fell over once more.
"I have to say Azula. You sure are putting a great deal of effort into seducing a girl that has no interest in sex." Mai stated flatly with her arms crossed over her bust while Azula's scowl deepened as she leaned back in her seat.
"Mai has a point Azula. Elle just wants to share a snuggle with you. She isn't thinking about sex at this stage in her life." Ty Lee commented in an awkward voice as she scratched her cheek while Azula pursed her lips into a proud scowl.
"I don't need you to tell me that Ty Lee! Because when I came out to surprise her in bed! She was snoring away in dream land." Azula exclaimed with her palm before her face while her two friends listened in amusement.
It only served to reinforce their point.
"Aww. That's so cute!" Ty Lee gushed with a giggle while Azula released a prideful growl.
"No! It is not cute! The girl should consider herself blessed to have me pay a visit to her bed. Much less the privilege of massaging my divine body." Azula remarked with a finger twirling in her hair while the tiniest hint of a flush briefly appeared on her regal cheeks.
And once more the two noblewomen sighed as they shared another knowing look with one another.
There was no doubt that Azula truly adored Elle.
The princess just had a strange way of showing it.
"Just be patient with her Azula. She'll get there in time." Ty Lee attempted to reason with a smile while she giggled over her friends attempt to woo her little sister.
"I just don't understand it. I have already told her that she can touch me wherever she pleases. She has the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation as her girlfriend…and all the girl wants to do is sleep…" Azula grumbled in a perplexed voice as she leaned into her clenched fist while her friends listened in a bewildered silence.
"Elle's love for you goes much deeper than a desire for the body Azula. That should make you happy. Not angry." Ty Lee replied with a grin while Azula sighed in the palm of her hand.
"It does Ty Lee. Still. I can't help but wonder if the tiger monkey ever thinks of anything but snuggles. She woke up halfway through the night. I thought that she might take an interest in my wear. Instead…she just migrated to my belly for the remainder of the night." Azula huffed with a haughty sigh while Ty Lee giggled once more.
"You must have a really comfy belly Azula." Ty Lee stated in a teasing voice while the princess released a proud scoff as she reclined in her throne.
"Please! Everything about my body is perfect! I am clearly the prime marital candidate for Elle. There is no one more suitable." Azula snorted with a returning smile while her friends gazed at her in unconcealed amusement.
"Clearly." Ty Lee agreed with a widening grin while Azula's smile increased by tenfold.
"And there is no woman more dominant than me. Only I can give the girl the subjugation that her little heart longs for." Azula declared in a smug voice as she twirled a fingernail in her hair while she took a drink of her tea.
"Obviously. There is no one more overbearing than you." Mai stated in a taunting voice that had Ty Lee gazing on in humor beside her.
"Well, Azula. I for one think that it is very pink that you two slept together for twelve whole hours." Ty Lee quipped in a good-natured voice while the princess still sat with her fist against her cheek.
"The girl wanted a snuggle Ty Lee. So, I conquered her in a suffocating embrace that left her reeling from her defeat all night long." Azula boasted with a haughty smirk while Ty Lee gazed at her oddly once more.
"I can only hope that you really aren't suffocating the poor girl." Ty Lee sighed once more while Azula seemed to pay her words little mind.
"Even if she wanted to move…she wouldn't be able to. Because I have already mastered the appropriate amount of force that is required to prohibit escape from my grip." Azula announced in a sadistic voice as she leaned back in her seat while her two friends shuddered in renewed pity for her handmaid.
It was just like Azula to make a hug into something tyrannical!
"Look Azula. I know I told you this before but I really think that you are misreading Elle. Snuggle me isn't a plea for domination. It's an adorable plea for physical comfort." Ty Lee explained in a helpful voice while her leader scrunched up her nose in her seat.
"Waste of breath Ty Lee." Mai stated in a monotone voice while she scanned her fingernails in her boredom.
"Are you telling me that the girl has no interest in domination whatsoever and that all she wants is a cuddle?" Azula questioned in a scrutinizing voice as her two friends gazed at her incredulously.
"Yep! That's precisely what it means!" Ty Lee yelled out as Azula wrinkled her nose before she rolled her eyes back at her.
"That's absurd Ty Lee. But I suppose I should expect as much from you. It is obvious that snuggle me means dominate me." Azula spoke in a dismissive voice as she waved a hand in the air while Ty Lee sunk back in defeat.
"Or not." Ty Lee muttered with a still present smile as she shook her head once more.
"Told you." Mai scoffed in deadpan as she rolled her eyes in Azula's direction.
"But enough about the tiger monkey's snuggles. I have special plans in order for today." Azula declared with a refined smile on her red lips as she took another drink of her beverage while her friends listened in curiosity.
"Are we going to the beach like you said we would?" Ty Lee inquired in a hopeful voice while her grew grin when Azula nodded her head.
"That's right. Today we are going to show Elle how we dominate the beach! We will defeat all who oppose us! Only those who submit to our conquest will be spared from our wrath!" Azula shouted as she pounded her fist on the tabletop while her childhood friends gazed on as a comical silence swept over the room.
"In other words, we are going to sit on towels and bath in the sun." Mai spoke in a mildly interested voice as she gazed up from her seat.
"Are you going to teach Elle how to swim Azula? I would but my foot hasn't quite healed up yet." Ty Lee asked with excitement in her voice while her friend held a contemplative finger under her chin.
"Perhaps Ty Lee. After the girl is finished rubbing oil on my back." Azula answered in a smug voice as her smirk grew at the thought of her little girlfriend marveling over her divine curves in her bathing suit.
"Well…like I said the other day. At least she'll get to see the beach." Ty Lee said with a still present smile while Azula reached for a stack of papers at their table.
"In the meantime, I suppose I should verify that these posters are ready for circulation." Azula spoke in a thoughtful voice as she unraveled the finished posters with her cold eyes scanning the page.
Only for her amber golden eyes to spark in outrage while her two friends gazed at her in puzzlement.
"What! Damnit Elle!" Azula barked in a glacial voice while the two noblewomen glanced up in bewilderment.
"What did she do?" Ty Lee inquired in a baffled voice as she scooted closer.
The mere prospect of Elle even behaving improperly was a foreign one to all three of them.
Not that Azula would ever say as much aloud.
It was only when the two noblewomen peeked over their annoyed leader's shoulder.
Only to find themselves gazing down in humor at Zuko's wanted poster.
By now all three of them possessed some level of understanding of their young friend's foreign writings.
And while their reading ability was not yet as advanced as the princess herself.
They could still make out the girl's writings all the same.
"Wanted former Prince Zuko. For the crime of abandoning Mai and for being mean to his beautiful sister. Return to Hari Bulkan for a makeup kiss with Mai and to undergo family relations therapy with Princess Azula." Ty Lee spoke with a giggle while the princess's eyes twitched in aggravation.
And Mai for her part found herself unable to resist the slightest softening of her stoic expression as she gazed away from the wanted poster.
It was just like Elle to worry about everyone else.
She truly was a sweet girl. Of that she had no doubt.
"Stupid girl! She ruined the posters with this scribble!" Azula growled as she turned away from her friends smirking gazes.
"Did you read the last part Azula? Elle recommends that you and Zuko partake in snuggle therapy to mend your damaged family relations." Ty Lee informed in a cheerful voice while Azula cast her a murderous death stare.
"I read it Ty Lee! As if I would do something so undignified as to lay beside my brother!" Azula snorted in a haughty voice while her two friends smirked in shared amusement.
"Don't worry Azula. I really doubt that Zuko has any desire to be in the same room with you much less in the same bed." Mai taunted as she folded her arms over her robed breasts while the princess just briefly glared at her from over her shoulder.
Only to soon release another hiss of anger when she moved her brother's poster side to see herself gazing down at the earthbenders poster.
"Wanted…Toph Beifong…for saving Princess Azula's girlfriend. Please report to the Fire Nation palace for your reward." Mai muttered with a growing smirk on her lips while Azula ground her teeth together.
"The only reward the earthbender will receive is a gruesome death. And that is not up for debate." Azula hissed before she shoved the posters away while her two friends sat back down in their seats.
"That must be why you let her go before." Mai stated as she gazed at her friends scowling face.
"Please. I only let the earthbender go as a one-time courtesy. The next time I see her I will not be so merciful." Azula scoffed with her hand grasping at her tea cup once more.
"Azula…have you considered that it might to your benefit to be lenient with Toph?" Ty Lee pondered as she flinched when her friend's amber golden eyes lit up in fury.
"The Earth Kingdom has engaged in full rebellion against me and you want me to be lenient?" Azula snapped in a cold voice as she glared at Ty Lee's wincing face.
"I know Azula. But look at it this way. Toph likes Elle. And Elle likes Toph. Therefore, it stands to reason that she may help you again in the future. That is…as long as you refrain from sending assassins after her head." Ty Lee advised with a sigh while Azula's regal lips pursed into a deeper scowl.
Although as much as she hated to admit it Ty Lee had a point.
"She is an earthbender Ty Lee and a friend of the Avatar. And now that this…Princess Ling has besmeared my family name I will show her and her people no mercy." Azula stated in a colder voice while Ty Lee sighed once more.
"Besmeared your family name?" Mai asked in a curious voice only to find herself shivering over the utterly livid look that overtook Azula's eyes.
As did Ty Lee.
Both noblewomen shuddered as they gazed between one another.
"Chancellor Terak has informed me that her filthy rebels retook the town Shaoyaing…removed both my royal portrait and father's portrait from our portraits on display in the town hall…smashed both before the populace and…then the savages decorated them in platypus bear excrement." Azula remarked in a frigid voice with her murderous amber golden eyes staring ahead at both of her friends' stunned faces.
An unbelievably awkward silence passed over them that was so profound that they could have sworn that they could hear crickets chirping in the background.
The two noblewomen sat in a fearful silence as they swallowed down any temptation to laugh at their friends' expense.
If only because they knew well enough that even they couldn't get away with openly laughing at such an insult to Azula and the Royal Family.
"Oh…" Ty Lee spoke in a lame voice while Mai still struggled to kill her laughter alongside her.
"And they were even bold enough to commission a childish drawing of the scene." Azula snarled as she crushed her tea cup in her palm while her childhood friends sat in a floored silence.
"Well, that's shitty." Mai stated dryly as she killed the urge to laugh while Ty Lee forced herself to remain composed.
And amber golden eyes turned to glare at her in clear disapproval over her pun.
"Yes well…I am currently tracing the artist involved in their…childish taunt and I have already given the order to raze Shaoyaing." Azula commented in a ruthless voice as she took another drink of her tea while the two noblewomen shivered in their seats.
And Mai couldn't help but ponder.
What sort of person would be foolish enough to taunt Azula and her father in such a brazen manner?
"W-well so…about the beach?" Ty Lee coughed as she tried to suppress the shiver that was traveling down her spine.
Only a fool would challenge Azula to be even more ruthless than before.
It was then that they turned their heads when they heard the door open.
All three highborn women were not surprised to find that it was the nervous pilot.
"Erm…pardon my interruption Your Highness but I was told to report here for breakfast or…brace myself for destruction." Nako announced as she read from a paper while all but Azula gazed on in amusement in their seats.
"Yes. You have the choice of either sitting down for breakfast as I told you to do or your screams will quench my flames! The choice is yours." Azula informed in a sadistic voice with a cruel smirk while Ty Lee stared at her in disapproval as the now frightened Nako ran to sit down.
"Azula…" Ty Lee trailed off in a sigh as she turned to watch the poor woman shakily pull out a chair.
"I-I'll eat breakfast with you Princess! Just please don't kill me!" Nako exclaimed as she sat down while Mai groaned over the princess's behavior.
"Well then Nako. The solution is clear. Do as I say." Azula ordered with a finger pointing at Nako while the woman speedily nodded her head.
"Yes Princess!" Nako agreed while Azula smirked over in her direction.
"You know Azula…you could be a little nicer to Nako. She's a nice girl." Ty Lee pleaded in a sigh only for Azula to release a pompous scoff.
"These are my commoners, Ty Lee. Not yours. And not Mai's. I will manage them as I please." Azula snorted in a supremely egotistical voice while Ty Lee gazed back at her in exasperation.
"It's strange…I have more coin than before but I feel as if my dignity is slowly withering away…" Nako muttered in a comical voice that had the two noblewomen gazing at her in pity while Azula cast her a victorious smile.
"You just described hanging out with Azula." Mai stated with a bored countenance while Azula still smiled smugly.
"Yeah! But you'll get used to it eventually. Azula's not so bad! I mean yeah, she can be a major ass and she has almost no social skills! But she means well!" Ty Lee assured in a happy voice as she leaned on the arm of her chair smiling at the now frightened pilot.
Only for a plume of blue flame to explode from Azula's hands while she glared back at the grinning acrobat with narrowed amber golden eyes.
"Ty Lee!" Azula snapped with her teeth ground together while Mai smirked in clear pleasure over her annoyance.
"What? It's true." Mai snorted with a roll of her eyes while the princess now glared her way.
"Regardless of how Princess Azula chooses to speak to me. I am honored to have a seat at her table." Nako spoke with a nod while her princess's amber golden eyes turned to gaze her an approving gaze.
"At least one of you is grateful. Better watch out for this one. Her future just may be brighter than either of yours." Azula spoke in a controlling voice as she pointed a finger at both of her sighing friends while a twinge of pink spread across Nako's cheeks.
"Thank you for your generosity Your Highness. I will endeavor to not let you down." Nako replied as she bowed her head in respect while Azula smirked in approval.
"See to it that you don't Nako. Although that reminds me. There has been something that I have been wanting to ask you." Azula remarked in a stoic voice while Nako gazed back at her with blinking brown eyes.
"What do you want to know?" Nako pondered with an obedient countenance about her while the princess gazed at her curiously.
"Back on the island you piqued my interest with your quick thinking with that crate of liquor. Tell me…was that your first time in combat?" Azula questioned with an elegant brow rising inquisitively while Nako nodded her head.
"Yeah. That was my first time in combat. Like I told you before…I'm craven. I'm not like Zoi or the others. I am just a nonbender pilot. Nothing more. Nothing less." Nako answered as she shifted in her seat while her new highborn friends listened in curiosity.
"Craven you say? Yes. I can see that. But still…that was an impressive little trick. And gruesomely effective." Azula spoke in a cruel voice with a smirk on her red lips while her lifelong friends shuddered in their seats.
"Eh…it was nothing special. I just…wanted to make it home alive. And it seemed like a good idea at the time." Nako stated in a dismissive voice as she folded her hands on the tabletop.
"I was only asking because it almost seemed like you had…done it before." Azula commented in a smooth voice with a hand under her chin while she gazed back at her skittish subordinate.
"W-well. In sense I have. But not in combat. I uh…mix things in my free time." Nako admitted sheepishly as all three women turned to her in newfound puzzlement.
"Mix things?" Ty Lee asked in a voice of evident bewilderment while Mai gazed at the girl in curiosity as well.
"Y-yes well I…am a mechanic and in my spare time I take apart motors to see how they tick. And…sometimes I mix fluids and put things together." Nako confessed in a self-conscious voice while her princess's amber golden eyes shone with even greater interest than before.
"You're an inventor Nako?" Azula queried with noticeable intrigue in her callous voice as she stared at the other woman's nervous face.
It would seem that this mechanically minded pilot of hers has more uses than she first thought.
"I…wouldn't go so far as to call myself an inventor Your Highness. But I tinker. However, it is nothing that is worthy of your time." Nako explained in an anxious voice as she fidgeted under Azula's brilliant amber golden gaze.
"I see. How interesting…" Azula trailed off only to turn her head when the door was opened by her handmaid.
All heads turned to the teenage girl pushing in a cart of delicious food.
Only for all four of them to gaze on in humor when they noticed Elle smiling widely as she bobbed her head to music.
It was only then that Mai and Ty Lee noticed that Elle was wearing…a very peculiar uniform.
More specifically…a maid uniform.
Their little sister entered wearing a lovely red skirt with an accompanying black apron.
All complete with her usual golden bow tie.
Both women turned to Azula to cast her an incredulous stare.
Judging by the smirk on her lips it was obvious that she had been waiting for their reaction to their young friend's wear.
"Servant! It's about time you got here! I'm hungry! Bring me my food!" Azula bellowed as she reclined with her stomach growling loudly while her childhood friends gazed at her in disapproval.
"Seriously Azula? A maid uniform?" Mai queried in deadpan while her spoiled friend smiled with her palms folded in her lap.
"If my princess says to bring her food! I bring her food!" Elle cried out as she removed her headphones before she scurried forward with the cart in hand.
"That's a fascinating musical device Elle. I have never seen anything like that before." Nako commented in amazement as she gazed at the handheld music player in awe.
"Thanks! It's from my homeland!" Elle exclaimed as she rushed over to serve the food to her impatient mistress.
"Hurry up servant! Must I punish you once more!" Azula shouted from her throne while her friends sighed as they watched her girlfriend scurry over.
"I'll help you set the table little sister." Ty Lee offered as she stood up on her good foot only for Elle to gently push down on her arm.
"No oneesan! I can handle it. Please! Remain seated!" Elle assured in a sweet voice as she started setting items on the table while the noblewomen reluctantly sat back down.
"Aww. You're such a sweetie." Ty Lee cooed before pulling the blushing girl against her breasts while the princess glared at her with narrowing amber golden eyes.
"Ty Lee." Azula warned in an icy voice while Ty Lee grinned with her serving girl's face in between her breasts.
"I-I love you oneesan. I don't mind serving you while your foot is healing." Elle stuttered in a mousy voice with a twinge of pink on her cheeks while muscular arms held her in a brief embrace.
All the while Mai too gazed at Elle with evident fondness in her stoic yawny eyes.
The girl really was the most lovable person that she's ever met.
"If you want. But you don't have to." Ty Lee spoke in a tender voice as she beamed down at Elle while the bashful girl hid in her chest.
"I-I would like to…" Elle mumbled with her face against Ty Lee's breast while she savored the older girl's protective embrace.
"Okay little sister! You can serve me. But I want you to take it easy." Ty Lee ordered before she ruffled the serving girl's hair while she grinned down at the smaller girl's adorable face.
"If you say so Ty Lee…" Elle answered with a timid smile as she stood up while she started setting plates on the table.
Only for an entitled fist to slam into the tabletop while both noblewomen turned to sigh in the direction of their spoiled leader.
"Focus on my needs! The lesser people can wait! Serve me first." Azula commanded with a haughty huff while both of her childhood friends rolled their eyes.
"Yes Azula-sama! Always as you say!" Elle chirped as she continued setting the table while Azula observed her with an approving smirk on her full lips.
"Is the maid uniform really necessary Azula?" Mai pondered dryly as she watched her adopted sister set the table with fond tawny eyes.
"Absolutely necessary." Azula replied in a smug voice as she lounged back on her posterior with her possessive amber golden eyes following her pretty handmaid's every move.
"Well! I for one think that she looks just too adorable in it!" Ty Lee gushed as she reached out to muss Elle's hair once more while the younger girl turned a bashful shade of red.
"Ty Lee! Hands off my pet." Azula spoke in a controlling voice with her domineering eyes staring hard at Ty Lee's mischievous face.
"I-I am so glad that you think so oneesan." Elle stammered as she placed hot food on the table while Ty Lee offered her a warm smile.
"You're just too cute. Later on, we'll just have to share a snuggle!" Ty Lee exclaimed with a grin while her words elicited lethal glare from the princess when the teenager cried out in delight.
"I want to snuggle with you Ty Lee!" Elle cried out as she beamed back at her big sister's tenderly grinning face while she set jars of juice on the table.
"There will be no snuggles of any kind. Most certainly not while the girl is being punished for her recent…insubordination." Azula declared while she held her tea cup before her smirking face.
"Oh, come on Azula! How can you punish someone this cute?" Ty Lee questioned in a cheerful voice while Azula's smile grew by tenfold.
"Easily." Azula purred with an arrogant smile while she watched her handmaid move her way.
"This seems like a strange punishment." Mai snorted as she gazed up from her fingernails at the young girl's strange choice of dress.
It would be an understatement to say that Azula had strange tastes.
"Yes well. The girl needed a reminder of her place in this relationship." Azula spoke with a hand waving in the air while Elle flushed as she began setting her food down.
Only for her pleased smile of approval to widen when her lovable handmaid bent over to bow to her at the waist.
"How else may I serve you this morning Azula-sama?" Elle asked in a devoted voice as she stood in a loyal bow as she averted her eyes from her mistress's stern amber golden gaze.
"Like I said Azula…" Ty Lee sighed with a giant smile still on her lips as she shook her head.
Elle was so loyal to all three of them.
And she was more than deserving of their protection.
"Hm. Set out my cherries servant." Azula ordered in a tone of absolute authority as she reclined with her folded palms over her rumbling belly.
"Y-yes Princess. At once." Elle mumbled as she reached for a bowl of cherries while Azula observed her with a sophisticated smile on her lips.
It was then that her blonde hair swept about while both of her big sisters and Nako suddenly gazed at her neck in surprise when they caught hint of her necklace.
"That's a beautiful necklace Elle. It looks so lovely on you!" Ty Lee remarked in a tender voice as she smiled knowingly at Elle's bashful face.
"T-thank you oneesan. It was a gift from Azula-sama." Elle admitted with a hand on her cheek while all eyes turned to her mistress's cold visage.
The powerful princess glared back at her two childhood friends while they gazed at her with teasing smirks on their lips.
"It really does suit you Elle." Mai complimented with a small smile on her lips while Elle smiled shyly as she set a large bowl of cherries before Azula.
"This one belongs to me." Azula growled as she reached out to stroke a fingernail along her handmaid's quivering cheek while Elle bounced in another bow.
"I am yours Azula-sama! How else may your loyal girl serve you this morning?" Elle chirped as she stood in a devoted bow while Azula's domineering gaze sent a pleasant shiver down her spine.
"Pour my drink servant." Azula commanded as she withdrew her hand with a growing smile as she watched her pet pour her a tall cup of juice.
By now the other three women began to reach out to serve themselves while the odd couple continued their morning routine.
The two noblewomen knew by now that there was no point commenting on Azula and Elle's strange interactions.
And just the same Nako knew that it was not her place to question her princess's choice of company.
"Is there anything else you need Azula-sama?" Elle questioned with a jubilant smile while the princess surveyed her with a satisfied amber golden gaze.
"No. You may sit down Elle." Azula spoke with something akin to a fond grin on her full lips while her cold eyes studied her handmaid's bright face closely.
Only to find herself grunting a moment later when the girl suddenly hugged her around her neck while Ty Lee smiled at the scene.
"I am so overjoyed to have you in my life Azula-sama." Elle stated in a moved voice with her arms around Azula's neck while the older girl sighed over her.
"Now that's pink." Ty Lee commented with a grin as she giggled while the princess scowled at her through the corner of her eye.
"As you should be peasant. It truly is a rare honor to serve me so intimately. I expect you to remember that." Azula huffed as she grasped her utensils in her right hand while she her handmaid still hugged her neck.
"Wakarimashita Azula-sama!" Elle cried out with warm laughter as she hid in her older girlfriend's dark hair only for the princess's hand to gently push her back.
"That will be all for now peasant. Eat your food." Azula ordered with a finger pointing at her handmaid's pouting face while the others observed in amusement.
"Yes Princess." Elle agreed before she pulled her chair closer while Azula watched her with callous amber golden eyes that shone in a sliver of affection.
"Just…be a good girl for me Elle." Azula remarked in a regal voice as she took a drink of her juice while she watched her handmaid plop down in a smaller chair beside her throne.
"I'll be a good girl Azula-sama. You're the boss of me." Elle chirped as she beamed up at her mistress's smirking face while she listened to her big sister's sigh in the background.
"That's my girl. This one here understands that I am absolute." Azula boasted in a pompous voice as she popped a cherry between her lips while she delighted in how her handmaid peered up at her with lovestruck amber eyes.
"You are so full of yourself Azula." Mai stated in a bored voice while Azula chewed on her cherry with a broad smirk on her lips.
"So…Azula are we going straight to the beach after this?" Ty Lee pondered in a cheery voice while Elle peeked up at Azula with the most adorable sparkle in her eyes.
Only for a shout of joy to split the air while Azula's amber golden eyes began to twitch in annoyance as she glared down at her serving girl's hand tugging on her sleeve.
"Are we really going to the beach Azula-sama!" Elle exclaimed with childlike excitement lacing her voice as she pulled on her mistress's sleeve while a deep growl escaped Azula's lips.
All the while the other three women ate their breakfast as they watched the duo's comical interactions continue to unfold.
"Tiger monkey…" Azula snarled in a cold voice as she took a bite of her meal only for her amber golden eyes to glare down at her handmaid when the girl continued to tug on her arm.
"Will you teach me how to swim Azula-sama? Will you? Please! Please teach me how to swim!" Elle whined as she hopped in her seat as Ty Lee laughed in amusement while her mistress's amber golden eyes narrowed down at her.
"Yes peasant! I'll teach you how to swim!" Azula bellowed as she rounded on Elle with her amber golden eyes taking on a truly terrifying glare while she loomed over her cheering pet.
"We're having a beach day!" Elle cheered in an animated voice with a radiant expression on her face as she pumped her fist in the air while her mistress groaned above her.
"Eat your breakfast before it grows cold! Now!" Azula snapped in a strict voice that brook no room for argument as she glared down at her pet's gulping face as the girl shrunk back with her face in her bowl.
"Y-yes Azula-sama." Elle stuttered in a meek voice as she began to nibble at her meal while her mistress's red lips curved into a pleased smile once more.
"Good girl. Such a well-behaved pet." Azula commented in an approving voice as she swallowed a mouthful with a dominant grin on her lips.
And like before.
Both Mai and Ty Lee knew that there was no use trying to convince Azula from her rather insane idea of dating.
Most especially not when their young friend did everything possible to encourage the princess to control every aspect of her life!
"I agree with Elle! I think that a beach day is a marvelous idea." Ty Lee stated with a nod while she gazed up from her plate.
"Yes. I'm sure it will be a real joy swimming in Song clan waters after meeting Yoko's pet." Mai muttered in a bitter voice as she scowled down at her plate while all but the princess shivered as they recalled the beast down below.
Only for a fist to slam into the tabletop once more while all four girls turned to gaze at their team leader's glowering face.
"Oh please! Spare me the sob story! Perhaps if you ceased in your Zuko obsessed treason then maybe then maybe people would stop trying to kill your worthless family!" Azula sneered in a cruel voice as she leaned back in her throne while the noblewoman averted her eyes from her piercing stare.
And just like that tension began to spread through the air while Ty Lee sighed as she gazed between her two friends.
"Can we please not do this Azula? Can't we just have a fun day at the beach together?" Ty Lee requested in a pleading voice while Azula's regal lips pursed into a prideful scowl.
"Fine! But I had better not hear another word of complaint from you." Azula scoffed as she turned back to her food while she chewed on a bite with a refined scowl on her lips.
"I think I'll stick to the shore anyhow. I've never been much for swimming." Nako spoke in a nervous voice as Azula briefly gazed at her before returning to her meal.
The princess ate her meal with a moody scowl on her lips only for a hand to tug on her sleeve as she gulped down another mouthful.
No one commented when the powerful woman turned to peer down at her handmaid's joyful face with a protective look in her callous amber golden eyes.
"I like the tofu scramble Azula-sama! It's very good!" Elle cried out as she gazed up at Azula's strict visage while the princess released a sigh over her.
"It pleases me that you like it peasant." Azula grumbled in a prideful voice as she allowed her young girlfriend to link her arm into her own.
"A-arigatou gozaimasu…Azula-sama…for bringing me here." Elle mumbled in a lovable voice as she chewed on her lip while she listened to the princess swallow a mouthful above her.
"You're my most loyal servant. Where I go. You go." Azula spoke in a voice of grudging fondness as she chewed on another mouthful while her pet swooned against her muscular bicep.
And Ty Lee watched the scene through the corner of her eye with a returning smile on her lips.
No matter what anyone said about the two's way of bonding.
Azula and Elle truly were an adorable couple!
"Azula-sama…" Elle trailed off with a hand on her cheek while she hugged Azula's elbow only for a stern voice to bark down at her.
"Peasant! You can faun over my flawless body to your little hearts content at the beach. But first you must finish your food!" Azula barked with her lips pursed into a strict thin line while she watched in satisfaction as her handmaid shrunk under her cold stare.
"O-oh sumimasen Azula-sama." Elle murmured in a bashful voice as she took a bite of her meal with a shy smile gracing her lips.
Only for her amber eyes to bright when a hand lowered into her soft hair.
"Good girl Elle." Azula sighed as she patted her serving girl's hair with her left hand while she chewed on her most recent mouthful.
Her cold amber golden eyes briefly glanced down at her handmaid when the smaller girl giggled beneath her palm before she returned to her breakfast.
The princess swallowed her food while she gazed down at her little admirer through the corner of her strict eye.
This peasant of hers truly was a fine companion.
She'll have to keep this one on hand at all times.
And if anyone has a problem with her handmaid.
They will find themselves dealing with her personally.
It was just that simple.
AN:
First off, I want to respond to Agent Banana's review.
Yes, the M rating was very much deserved for that chapter. And scenes like that are why I couldn't rate the story as T for teen. Eventually, Azula and Elle's relations will get more steamy. But not until one of the later books. That's as sexual as we're going to get for book one...
Azula did indeed say that she loved Elle. But Elle was asleep, so Elle didn't hear it. Eventually, Azula will say those words to Elle when she is conscious. But knowing Azula, that is a ways off.
I don't have much to say in this afterword. This chapter was mostly comedy relief and just team bonding while expanding a little bit on Nako's character.
Anyhow, that's it for now.
Stay tuned for next time.
For chapter sixty-three! A Day at the Beach!