Maybe the next updates will be quicker because I finished the semester, but I don't promise anything. I really love procrastinating, so that's a big factor there.

Also, thanks for the reviews, favorites, and follows!

I like this chapter more than the past one, but maybe people like the last one better. Idk, but I hope you enjoy it!
And please comment where you think this story is going if you can. Sometimes I have no idea what else to write, so reading comments and getting ideas is a really helpful way for me to keep writing.

Thank you!

When Lee Ten lived in Ido, he imagined the Fire Nation palace as this magnificent castle with servants going around, and gold columns holding the high ceiling.

What he saw in front of him was…different, but still magnificent.

From the ceiling to the walls, everything was Fire Nation red, but made with something that seemed like wood. It wasn't a castle per se, but it was still a very extravagant palace. It had a high tower with triple eaves at the center, and three distinct wings joining it. The servants wore different clothing than he had imagined, as they had some weird pointy hats on them, while the females wore some sort of robe. The palace stood in the middle of Caldera, which from the sky seemed to be a very big and busy city.

The journey had been far too long for anyone's liking. Because Aang was under orders from Azula not to fly at a high altitude, the two-day ride from the palace to Ido was made a four-day one. This would've been hard if it had been a journey with friends, but it was unbearable with the tension within the group.

To be fair, the only strong tension had been between Azula and Suki, Lee Ten and Suki, and Lee Ten and Zuko. The Avatar, Sokka, and Ty Lee had all behaved appropriately and even tried to engage in conversation with the mother & son. Zuko, for his part, tried to create some sort of relationship between him and his nephew, but the son of Azula seemed to be denying any sort of familiar relationship.

Azula felt weird in all that ordeal. Sokka had been nice, which had never happened before. He cared when Lee Ten was unconscious and seemed to be very worried for his and her well-being. The Water Tribesman had even begun to talk to Lee Ten about his culture and cool things he was now entitled to. At first, the weak hearted firebender was adamant to accept any culture that wasn't Fire Nation, but by the third day, he started to listen to the lessons Sokka gave him.

Ty Lee had tried to talk to Azula, but Suki was making that a little too impossible. When Suki wasn't paying attention or was simply too tired, the acrobat started to talk to Azula, only to find this somewhat hard. Every time Lee Ten came into view, Ty Lee could only remember Azula's affair and how terrible and brokenhearted she had felt at the time. She tried to put it aside, but it was very hard. Still, the Fire Nation noble could not hold that against the teenager. It was not his fault that he was born from an affair.

As Appa descended from the sky, the group could make out four figures standing waiting for them. The first one was a small old man with a beard that was pointy on the sides. He had a big belly, and overall looked nice. The second figure was a tall woman, who must've been around 50 years old. She was wearing a red dress and her hands were clasped together in front of her.

The third figure was another tall woman, but this one had a crown on her hair. Well, the flame thing Fire Lord Zuko also had on his hair. Her clothes were very elegant, but her stance was too poised. It was obvious that this woman was not happy or comfortable with the passengers up on Appa.

The fourth and final figure was a young woman of twenty-something. Her hair was short and brown, and she held a resemblance with the second woman. The woman held a big smile and was the only one who seemed genuinely happy about Appa landing.

As soon as the sky-bison touched land, the Avatar jumped off the animal and greeted everyone with a bow. The next one to get off the animal had been Ty Lee, who jumped gracefully to the ground and enveloped the woman with the crown with a big hug.

Suki glared at Azula before getting off Appa and walking to be besides the youngest woman.

Sokka turned to Lee Ten and gave him a quick smile. "The easiest way to get off Appa is by sliding off the tail. It's also pretty fun, so I truly recommend it."

"I'll get off with my mom, but thanks for the tip." Lee Ten replied

"It's no problem. Water Tribe look out for each other."

"I'm Fire Nation."

Sokka waved his hand. "Whatever you say little guy. In my heart, you're one of us."

The Water Tribesman slid off Appa by the tail, then made his way to greet every person with an awkward bow. It was clear that he was only bowing everyone for the show, and that he was in a more familiar standing with the people standing on the ground.

With only three left on the saddle, Zuko turned to face Azula and her son.

"I know it's hard, but we have to get down. You won't get arrested once you set foot on the ground, I swear on my honor." Zuko said, putting his hand on Azula's shoulder

The princess sighed. "That's not why I'm worried. I just don't want to see her again."

Zuko squeezed her shoulder. "It's not going to be pleasant, but hopefully you can start from zero? This can be a new opportunity for you."

"She has had too many opportunities Zuzu."

"Mom don't worry. I'll always be by your side, so nobody can do hurt you." Lee Ten said

Azula lifted her gaze and smiled at her son, who returned the gesture. "Alright, let's get off this Agni forbidden beast."

Zuko slid off Appa's tail first, then was followed by Azula, who was followed by Lee Ten. The three royals approached the group, who all had different looks on their faces.

The old man smiled at the Fire Lord and gave him a hug. His friendly demeanor changed completely when he faced Azula, who stood glaring at all the figures in front of her. The older woman also gave Zuko a big hug, but she added a kiss on the cheek.

The princess eyes narrowed at this interaction, and Lee Ten noticed his mom's actions. He guessed that woman was Ursa by the interactions between the Fire Lord and her and how his mother had reacted.

"Zuko, I already told you to stop trying to set me up with random guys. He's more handsome than the past ones you've presented, but I don't know him!" the youngest woman whined. Aang, Suki, Sokka, and Ty Lee tried to suppress their laughs. Zuko's face turned red, and Azula raised her eyebrows.

Lee Ten's face turned into one of confusion. "I'm sorry, but who are you?"

"Really Zuzu? You couldn't even tell him before you brought him here?" the woman laughed

"He's not-" Zuko tried to say before the woman interrupted him mid-sentence

"I'm Kiyi, Fire Lord Zuko's sister. Better question is, who are you?" Lee Ten's eyes widened as he tried to form a sentence. "Well? Aren't you going to answer?"

"I know Lee Ten has developed at a faster rate than other boys, but he is still only fourteen years old. And if that's not a red flag, maybe I have to tell you that he's my son. Refrain from trying to marry or spend the night with your nephew." Azula said stoically.

Uncapable of holding it in any longer, Sokka burst out laughing, which made Aang, Suki, and Ty Lee also laugh out loud.

Sokka walked up to Lee Ten and patted his shoulder. "Oh, you truly have Water Tribe in you. I have got to teach you how to use your natural charm."

"You will do no such thing." Azula snapped

"Why isn't she in chains?" the woman with the crown asked.

"Hello to you too Mai."

"We talked it over and determined that there was no reason to imprison her or make her go to trial. Instead, she will help the Fire Nation return to its former glory." Zuko replied with authority

"Are you sure that's a good idea nephew? Her past ideas have brought much…violence." The old man, who Lee Ten now figured was General Iroh, expressed

"Yes, I'm sure. All of us were wary at first but Azula has showed us that she has changed for the better."

"Wait wait, are you General Iroh?" Lee Ten asked the old man, trying to see if his suspicions were correct.

The old man turned to the teenager and nodded stiffly. "Retired General. Now I'm only Lord Iroh."

Lee Ten smiled. "Of course. If that's the case, I don't think you're in a position to judge my mother for her past actions. After all, didn't you lay siege in Ba Sing Se for more than 600 days? How many people died there? You only stopped when Lu Ten died, but how many people gave their lives for their nation in battle before him? I doubt you cared much back then about bringing violence in your ideas. And don't give me that I changed bullshit. When you reclaimed Ba Sing Se for the Earth Kingdom at the end of the 100-year war, only like six years had passed since you laid siege on the city. My mom has been away for fifteen years. If you say anything against her because of her past actions, if you say she couldn't have learnt anything, I'll just say that you are a hypocrite."

"Great, another over-analyzer. Just what we needed." The woman with the crown sneered

Lee Ten turned to the woman with a curious look. "Who even are you?"

"Fire Lady Mai. You should've learnt to show respect to royalty."

"First of all, I've only heard of you like once in my life, therefore your life is irrelevant. Second of all, I'm royalty too, so I won't show my respect if I don't think you deserve it."

Mai narrowed her eyes. "You're not royalty, you're a bastard child."

"At least I have the blood of Fire Lord Sozin and Avatar Roku flowing in my body. Who do you have? Some dull politician who probably profited from the war?" Lee Ten replied tauntingly

"Every time he speaks I understand more why the kids beat him up at school." Suki whispered to Zuko.

Lee Ten heard this and turned towards the Kyoshi Warrior. "The only reason they beat me up was because they were racist pieces of shit. I'm only saying what everyone is thinking but is too afraid to say."

"As much as I'd like for you all to learn your place, I must say that I'm pretty tired from the four-day ride up on the smelly beast. Can someone show me my room? That is, if I even have one anymore." Azula spoke up.

Everyone's gaze fell on Azula, who just crossed her arms waiting for someone to show her to her chamber.

"I can show you to your room if you want," Ty Lee was the first one to speak up.

Azula gave the acrobat a quick smile. "Sounds good. Shall we head now?"

The acrobat nodded and went to grab Azula's hand, who stiffened by the touch. Against her better judgement, a deep scarlet blush rose up to her cheeks.

Lee Ten looked at his mom's face and grimaced. He didn't want to see his mom become this blushing entity. She was Princess Azula! His mother! Nobody wished to see their mother like that.

"Wait, where will I go?" Lee Ten asked

Azula turned her face towards him. "Stay here with Sokka and Zuzu. You should get to know your family."

"Shouldn't you reconcile with them, or at least try to?" Lee Ten argued

The princess raised her hand. "That's beyond all realistic possibilities. For now, we should be happy that they're not asking for my bed to be inside a prison."

"I still think she should be arrested." Mai interjected

"And I think that your input is unimportant. Your only job is to make babies, and maybe being an advisor. However, if you are an advisor, I must tell you that you're doing a horrid job at it." Azula replied. "Shall we go now?"

Ty Lee nodded, and the two women walked away from the group.

"Well, that was fun. Unfortunately, I must also get going because I don't want to spend another minute around you people, so goodbye." Lee Ten began to walk away before being grabbed by the shirt.

"Don't walk away. Introduce yourself to everyone." Sokka said, grabbing the young man by his shoulders.

The teenager wrinkled his nose. "You're not my mom. You can't tell me what to do."

"But your mom put you in my charge, so it's as if I were your parent. Now, introduce yourself to your family."

"Fine," the fourteen-year old rolled his eyes. "my name is Lee Ten. I'm from a small town called Ido, and I've lived there all my life. I didn't know my mom was a princess until like a week ago, and I still don't know how to fully feel about that. I'm half Water Tribe, but I'm sure you can all see that. I liked using my spear, which is back home, and writing poetry, which is also back home.

"Let's see what else…I've read a lot about economy, so I have a good idea on how to solve the problems the Fire Nation is having. My mom also has good ideas, but I doubt you'll actually pay mind to what she has to say. Not that you'll listen to me, but there's a greater possibility. I read a book about economic globalization and how to use it in your favor, but that book is also back home. Now that I think about it, everything I own is back in Ido. I think we should go back to Ido and bring my stuff back, along with getting a doctor to the town."

"Why would the town need a new doctor?" Zuko asked

"Because mom was the doctor there. Without her, everyone in town will be left without a physician. Do you know how many people already had appointments with her, and now that she's gone, they'll probably die?"

"Did she have some sort of apprentice?" Sokka asked

Lee Ten rolled his eyes. "Yeah, me. And I'm gone too."

"I'm sure they can go to another doctor." Mai said in monotone

"You mean the nonexistent one in Ido, the dead one, or the one in Ulina? If you mean the one in Ulina, then I must remind you that Ulina is located in a nine-hour journey by Dragon moose, and the road is filled with bandits. If you're a pregnant woman, or simply a person who's sick, I doubt that you'll want to make a dangerous nine-hour drive to Ulina of all places. Besides, the doctor in that shit town is horrible. I think he has harassed almost every woman, little girls included, and he's just a horrible doctor overall. Mom was extremely good at her job, so good that people came from different parts of the nation to get treated by her.

"I just remembered, a classmate of mine is pregnant and mom was going to help deliver the baby. There aren't any midwives at the town, so she'll probably die giving birth. So good job Fire Lord Zuko, you have managed to screw up the Fire Nation even more." Lee Ten sarcastically clapped his hands, making the Fire Lord furious.

"Isn't fourteen a little young to be having a baby?" Aang spoke up, clearly uncomfortable with the topic.

Lee Ten shrugged his shoulders. "Eh, some people conquer cities at fourteen, others get pregnant. Besides, what did you think was going to happen when you mix poverty with bad education? Teenage pregnancies, that's what. And to think you all doubted me when I said that the Fire Nation is in decline."

"How old was the youngest girl to get pregnant in your town?" Kiyi asked, curious at this side of the Fire Nation she didn't know about.

"Twelve, and she was a bitch. Her name was Yaling, and nobody knows who the father of the baby was. When her family found out and asked her about it, she told that I had impregnated her. They believed her because of my Water Tribe heritage, and so her brothers came to my house and tried to kill me. They almost did, but then mom arrived and beat the shit out of them. They came out of my house with 3rd degree burns and mentally scarred. Then my mom healed me, and Yaling came crying and apologizing for lying and almost causing my death. Unnecessary story, I know, but I just love making all of you uncomfortable with tales of my childhood."

An awkward silence followed the story, as nobody knew what to say after such a tale.

Zuko cleared his throat before speaking. "Um, Lee Ten, this is my Uncle Iroh, but you already met. Next to him is my mother Ursa, your grandmother. Then is my wife, Fire Lady Mai. And finally, there's Kiyi, my sister and your aunt."

Lee Ten bowed down, even though he didn't want to.

"Not a pleasure, but still it's good I met you all. I just have one thing to say to each of you. Stay away from me pedo," he pointed his finger at Kiyi. "anything you say is irrelevant in my mind," he said as he pointed at the Fire Lady, "you're a hypocrite but I like tea, so I'll try to be civil towards you." Lee Ten pointed his finger at Iroh.

He then turned towards Lady Ursa. "You. You have no excuse for having treated my mother the way you did. I mean, who the fuck decides to just forget their children. You left them with an awful man, and then took the conscious decision to just forget them. They probably waited for you to return one day, to show them you loved them, but you just said 'Oh, my life was too hard. Let me just restart.' And forgot all about them. And I know that Ozai was a bad man and whatnot, and that my mother's conception was not under the best conditions, but that still doesn't mean that you get to treat her like you did.

"Little kids are impressionable, so if you didn't spend time with her, who do you think she was going to behave like? Again, I know that her conception was not good, but that's still no excuse for you to treat her like you did. My conception wasn't wanted either, and my mom lost everything when she created me, but she still loved me and raised me all by herself. You can try to mend your relationship, but I don't think my mom owes you another chance. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the bathroom."

Lee Ten walked away while everyone stood paralyzed by the shocking words of the insufferable teenager. He didn't seem to know when it was proper to say things, or what things should be left to the mind. His sense of societal interactions seemed to be none, but they really couldn't expect better from the son of Azula.

The teenager turned around and stopped in front of Sokka.

"Where's the bathroom?"

"I'll show you. And maybe later we can do something together." Sokka replied.

Lee Ten nodded. "Sure, just make it away from them. Except Aang, he's cool."

The Water Tribesman and the half-Water Tribe teenager walked towards the palace together, leaving the Royal Family, Suki, and Aang standing still next to Appa. So far, their interactions with the son of Azula had been expected, but the rejection still hurt. What hurt the most, however, was that everything he had told them was the truth (except for Kiyi's bit, that was a simple misunderstanding).

As this happened, Azula and Ty Lee walked towards the west wing of the palace, where some of the bedrooms where located. The bedrooms inside the palace were all elaborate and big, with lots of decoration and space befitting the Royal Family and their guests. Of course, the guest bedrooms were a little smaller and less intricate, but they were still high class and well-above the average Fire Nation citizen's bedroom.

The pair walked in a comfortable silence. There wasn't a necessity for them to convey in a conversation. Whatever they had to say to each other could wait until they were both settled in and actually have time to dig into the topic. They had parted on bad terms, and fifteen years apart was not the best thing to mend a relationship.

Feelings still existed between the two of them, but now other factors came into play. They were no longer teenagers who suffered through the trauma of war; now they were adults with different responsibilities. Azula was no longer the cold princess who only showed tenderness towards Ty Lee, she was now a mother who put her son in front of everything. If their relationship was to start again, it would be under the assumption that the acrobat would have a role of the stepmother. Neither of them wanted to dig into the schematics of such a scenario, so they simply walked towards the bedrooms.

They stopped in front of a tall door.

"Here we are. It's your old room, with everything still intact inside. The servants have come to clean, but they left everything just like it was when you left." Ty Lee said.

Azula reached the door handle slowly, grabbing it with great force. Behind that door was everything she had before she had found her destiny. The princess slowly opened the door, her eyes roaming through every inch of her old bedroom. Her scrolls still laid on her desk, and her bed still stood with the 2cm separation from the wall.

"I didn't think my property would still be here." Azula said, touching her scrolls with her fingertips, trying to captivate the happy memories of her time at the palace.

Ty Lee entered the room and stood in the middle of it, her gaze following Azula as the princess inspected the room. "A lot of people thought the room should be cleared, but Zuko didn't. He said that even though you were probably evil, you were still his sister. Kiyi also defended you with all her might."

"Zuko always had the hope that we could become a perfect little family, and Kiyi was a sweet child, as hard as it is for me to admit it." Azula sat on her bed and lifted her gaze to meet Ty Lee's eyes. "What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Did you want my room to be cleared, or were you hoping that I might return one day?" Azula asked

Ty Lee stayed silent for a moment, diverting her eyes from Azula and looking at the ground.

Azula sighed. "I see."

"You have to understand Azula, I was heartbroken. All I wanted to do at the time was destroy everything that reminded me of you and wallow in my own despair. You hurt me, and sure you apologized, but you still left that same day. You abandoned me." Ty Lee explained, making eye contact once again when she said the last statement.

"It's not like I had a choice Ty Lee. Mother told me that I had to leave the palace, and so I did."

"But you have never cared what your mother told you… You know what I think?"

Azula scoffed. "Enlighten me."

Ty Lee narrowed her eyes. "I think that you just chose that as an excuse to escape and avoid the consequences of your actions."

"Come on Ty Lee, you can't be this ignorant. I lost everything when I had to go away from the palace. I had to raise a child on my own and make a living on my own as a peasant. Not everything is about you."

"You still left me alone!" Ty Lee yelled, tears coming out of her eyes. "You hurt me, faced me once, and fled. Do you have any idea what I felt at that time? Even now, I still feel like you would not change anything if you had the chance. How can I know that you won't do that again, if given the chance?"

"Well first of all, alcohol is illegal now, so I doubt I would have the opportunity to do it again."

"Is this just a big joke to you?" Ty Lee questioned

"No, but you're blowing it all out of proportion."

"You cheated on me."

Azula nodded her head slowly. "And I apologized for hurting you."

"But you don't regret it." Ty Lee stated.

"No, I don't." Azula said, daring Ty Lee to reply. The acrobat simply stared at the princess, her vision blurring due to the tears in her eyes. "Can we talk about this later? I'm really tired right now."

"Fine. We'll talk about this tomorrow over tea." Ty Lee said before she walked out the room, closing the door with her.

Azula sighed and stood up from her bed, making her way to the desk filled with scrolls. The princess sat down on the desk chair and relaxed. If everything was left untouched, then there was a document that was supposed to be left in her desk.

On one of the drawers of the desk was a secret drawer, where a special scroll was placed. Azula smiled when she saw that the scroll was still intact. She rolled open the scroll and looked at the content of the scroll with melancholy. It read Ideas for proposal to Ty Lee, but it didn't really matter now.

Their relationship was over, and she doubted they could ever reconcile as they once were. But she couldn't just throw away the scroll. Maybe it was wishful thinking, but Azula didn't want to believe that she would have no use for this. She had spent so many hours on that scroll, perfecting each and every option to the last detail, only for it to be in vain.

Azula closed the scroll and placed it on the secret compartment. There was no use dwelling on the past or regretting the past. She couldn't change what had happened, and even if she could, she wouldn't. That was the thing with life. When something good leaves, another thing comes. It's a give and take, and everything that happened helped Azula become the person she was now.

With a sigh, the princess made her way to the bed and laid down. It had been ages since she laid down on such a comfortable bed. Azula closed her eyes and relaxed, feeling all her anxiousness wash itself on the comfort of the bed. Tomorrow would be a dreadful day, and she needed to be well rested to be able to deal with it. And if Lee Ten kept behaving as he did today, the princess needed to be ready to spend her entire day doing damage control.