CHAPTER 12
"Kind of…" Azula muttered, resting her chin on her hand, not bothering to glance in his direction, too focused on her thoughts.
"Me too," Sokka replied, looking around the kitchen. "I couldn't stop thinking about that buko pie from dinner. Have you seen if there is any left?" he asked, his eyes already hunting for the aforementioned dish. Azula slid the plate from the one she was eating. "Oh, great! Have you seen the spoons?" he inquired, opening and closing some drawers.
"Third drawer at the left." she replied, digging her spoon in the pie, more focused on the dessert than her company.
"Thanks," said Sokka, and after grabbing a spoon he sat next to her to devour the pie. "What's... bothering you?" he said after swallowing the first bite and glancing at her expression.
Their arms rubbed against each other. Yet, instead of finding his closeness uncomfortable, she found it a little comforting, warming even. She didn't move.
The Princess met his gaze. "How do you know something is bothering me?" she questioned him, taking another bite, intrigued about how he had reached to that conclusion so quickly.
"I didn't. I just took a shot," he admitted, "But from, the way you seemed so distracted back in the studio, and the way you're frowning right now, I could tell that you weren't exactly thinking about your brother and my sister having a thing, as you said." he noted.
Azula stared at him, wondering since when he could read her so well? He amazed her every day more and more; he was quite the observant one.
"Plus, if that was the case, you wouldn't be here right now." he stated.
"How do you know that I wasn't just hungry?" she replied.
Sokka shrugged. "That was also a possibility too. But when I walked in, you seemed troubled. So, what is it?" he insisted, leaving his spoon aside to rest his hand on his chin and focus on what she might say.
She sighed, leaving her spoon on the table. "It's just… It keeps bothering me what happened on our way to Yu Dao," she admitted, rubbing her forehead with her fingertips. "And the posters and… all of it, I guess."
"You're worried they might try another attack?" he raised an eyebrow.
"No… I mean, it's obvious they are going to try to attack again," she said, firmly. "This is not... Is not a onetime only thing."
She was fully aware that neither the Rough Rhinos nor the Dai Li were going to give up that easily. They had more under their sleeves. They were planning something bigger, but what?
"So, you think there is more behind the attack?" he asked, taking her spoon and taking a piece of the pie.
"Yes," she confirmed, "And it bothers me that I don't have all the pieces, so I can't…"
"Look at the full picture?" he finished for her. He had felt the same way.
"Yes," she sighed, reaching for her spoon. "I mean, nothing makes sense." she said, frustrated.
He tilted his head. "What do you mean by doesn't make sense?" he asked, frowning.
She took a moment before explaining. "I mean, Zuko has been Fire Lord for years now. If they would have wanted to dethrone him, why wait so long? Also, all the propaganda? The False Royals, thing? What does that mean? And how could that be linked to the Dai Li and the Rough Rhinos?" she mumbled, growing more and more thwarted the more thought she gave to the matter.
"Well, the Rhinos are mercenaries. They'd work for anyone who pays them well." said Sokka, recalling how they had worked for Toph's father back in the refinery in Cranefish Town.
"I know. It's just…" she ran a hand through her loose hair with exasperation. "I feel like... Like we are..."
"Looking at a puzzle?" he said, quirking an eyebrow. He had thought the same thing, and he had also been pondering the matter in his head, but he had gotten to the same conclusion; it didn't make sense.
"Yeah…" she muttered, glad that at least someone else could see the matter the same way she was looking at it.
"And you have missing pieces." he stated, calmly.
"Exactly," she affirmed, "And I know it's all part of the same picture, but…"
"You still don't know how."
She shook her head and mumbled. "No, I don't know yet," she sighed and rested her chin on her hand again. "I understand why the Dai Li would hold hate towards me," she acknowledged, introducing her hands in her pockets and looking for her ribbon. "But it's the…"
"False Royals thing, right?" he inquired. That part had been the one that had been troubling him the most, too.
Azula nodded. No matter how she looked at the matter from different angles, from different forms, it just simply didn't make sense. She had even thought if it was remotely related to the Camellia- Peony War that had happened around at least 400 hundred years ago, during Avatar Kyoshi's life.
The Camellia-Peony War had been an internal war between the two wealthiest clans of the Fire Nation where they had disputed the succession of the throne, between Fire Lord Chaeryu sons, Soryu and his illegitimate son, Chaejin.
Eventually, Soryu became Fire Lord while Chaejin and all the Saowon Clan was disgraced and had to spend the rest of their days on the Ma'inka island. After the death of the heads of the clan, the rest of the members had fled the island which now remained uninhabited.
However, Azula was considering the idea of looking more into the history of the Fire Nation once they returned to the Capital. Starting from what had happened to the remaining members of the Saowon Clan, and maybe even, take a short trip to the tower Prison. But that was a detail she was going to keep secret for the time been.
"Zuko said; he burned the fake letter from my mother. But still… What if someone else read it and misunderstood it?" she pondered, tightening the ribbon around her hair in a high ponytail as she usually would wear for bed.
"Maybe your father told someone else about it?" Sokka suggested a possibility, staring at her mesmerized as she tightened her hair up.
"I doubt that," she said, her bangs tugging free from her ponytail and falling at each side of her face. She tucked them behind her ears and grabbed the spoon from Sokka's hand. "He's too proud. He had spies following my mother all the time back then. And even if he had suspected that the content of the letter was real, he would have chosen to take that secret to the grave than letting anyone find out about his wife cheating on him." she stated.
"Y-You... think?" he stammered a little, looking at her profile. The ponytail really suited her, highlighting her perfect profile. He couldn't deny that she looked beautiful with her hair tied like that. And she was just as pretty without makeup as she did with.
"I… think. I mean, I never truly knew my father," she recognized a little, dejected. "I always thought he was someone but in the end, he was…" she stopped herself from saying the word monster because by calling him that, it would put him in the same category her mother had placed her since she could remember, and deep down, a part of her, she hoped to no longer be in the same classification Ozai was.
"A horrible human being?" said Sokka, with a side smile.
She shrugged. "Yeah… That's a way of seeing it." she said, glancing at him.
She noticed he was wearing his hair down, which made him look ten times hotter. Damn it! This bastard is even more handsome with his hair down, she cursed, and her eyes couldn't help but observe his shirt which was loose and allowed her a perfect look at his firm chest. She gulped. It wasn't the first time she was seeing it, but still…
"What is it?" he asked, after noticing her fixed glance on him.
Azula glanced away, hoping that the darkness of the kitchen would help her conceal her blushing. "Nothing," she replied, calmly taking the spoon. "I can't stop thinking about this matter." she half-lied.
"You should take it easy," he advised her, "The warriors are doing their best to find any lead. And we've only been here for a couple of days. We will find something. We will solve this mystery." he assured her, reaching for her hand over the table with a comforting smile.
Talking to him, having someone that would listen to her about what was troubling her, it was… reassuring. Somehow, it made her feel a little more relaxed, more at ease. Like, if she could share the burden of her problems. It was something that had never happened. It was something she had never done before.
Something made her return his smile. Maybe his confident tone, or his warm touch, or his stupid smile, but something inside of her told her to believe him. To trust in his words.
"I have amazing detective skills, you know? I once helped to clear Avatar Kyoshi's name." he said, proudly and haughtily.
The Princess frowned and quirked a brow. "The Earth Avatar before Aang?" she inquired with incredulity at his statement.
"Yeah…" he assured.
She leaned into his direction, narrowing her eyes. "The same Avatar who has been dead for at least 300 hundred years?" she asked with disbelief.
"I know that look!" he pointed, accusingly. She was being skeptical of his words. "You don't believe me! But really... She was framed for murdering a certain Chin "the Conqueror". Katara and I found evidence that she couldn't have done it because the footprint didn't match her shoes, but later, she took over Aang's body and confessed to killing him. But those are minor details." he rambled, waving a hand carelessly.
She smiled, amused, shaking her head at his nonsense.
Sokka smiled, warmly. "There it is." he said, softly.
"What?"
"An honest smile," he said, "I've managed to make you smile twice already. And I mean, a genuine smile. Not that quizzical smirk or that sarcastic smile you do pretty often. I mean, an authentic smile." he explained.
"Well, with all the nonsense that comes out of your mouth, I can't avoid laughing at it." she said teasingly, her smile growing.
He raised his eyebrows. "Oh, it grew," he noted, "Let me tell you, Princess, by the end of this month, I guarantee you, I'll have made you laugh out loud at least once." he warned her, surely.
"So, now am I going to be some kind of homework or what?" she quirked a brow with a side smile.
"Kind of," he replied, "I'm going to have you all figured out by our last night on the city." he stated firmly and sure of his words. She was a complicated girl, but nothing he couldn't handle.
"Really?" she quirked a brow. "Well, just so you know, I laugh when people try to figure me out. Like good luck, I can't even figure me out."
Sokka smirked. "Well, just so you know, I enjoy challenges." he said, playfully smudging a little bit of pie on her nose.
"Hey!" she whined with a little amusement. "Don't waste it!" she said, whipping it off. And taking the spoon back.
"It is good, right?" said the warrior changing the subject.
"Yeah." she said, taking a bite.
"Azula," he called her, making stare back at him.
"Huh?"
"Why did you say to Hahn at dinner that I wasn't up for a fight yet?" he inquired, "You knew that I'm in perfect shape thanks to Katara's healing." he stated.
She shrugged. "I guess, it was just in case Hahn wished to fight you, if he believed that you were injured and managed to win, he would feel worse about it, and if you lost, you could tell him it was unfair and that he had an advantage over you."
"That is…" he made a grin. "Really clever, actually," he conceded, "We finished the pie. Do you want the last bite of the pie?" he asked her, when he noticed that it was only one small piece left.
She nodded, grabbing the spoon. She quirked a brow. "Have we... Have we been sharing the same spoon all this time?" she inquired, tilting her head.
A side smile escaped his lips. "I suppose we did."
Azula huffed. "This friendship is moving forward extremely fast. We're already sharing the same spoon. I wonder what's next?" she said quizzically, eating the last bit.
Sokka shrugged. "I don't know. We've already shared the same room, maybe next time we would share the same bed." he teased her with a mischievous smirk.
The Princess choked a little bit. And Sokka snickered.
"Hey!" she squealed.
"It was a joke. A joke." he replied, diverting the blame.
She rolled her eyes and poked him in the ribs. "Yeah, well, if someone like Toph would've listened to your little joke, she would annoy us about it until death," she said, "Not to mention that you would have probably caused a seizure to our siblings… which by the way, now that I think about it, it doesn't sound that bad." she said mischievously, "It might be amusing just seeing their reactions to it."
Sokka chuckled. "I have to agree with that. I'd pay to see their reactions." he said, "Who do you think would react the worst?" he asked.
She placed a hand under her chin. "Hmph… Judging by how dramatic it is, Zuko. He would surely have an attack. While your sister, she would probably explode."
"Probably the vein in her forehead would pop out and no doubt she'd scream at me, non-stop." said Sokka, imagining his sibling's reaction.
"Damn it!" Azula cursed, "Now, I really want to see that." she said, jokingly.
They laughed again just imagining that.
"Anyway," said the Princess standing up and ready to head to bed, feeling a little more at ease. "I think this is our cue. Tomorrow is going to be a long day."
"Agreed," said Sokka, as they headed back to their rooms. The hallways were only illuminated by a few torches, somehow giving it a cozy feeling. "I never thought these kinds of meetings would be so boring and draining." he complained.
"You say that because you've never taken part in a Fire Nation council meeting," she replied, "Those are a nightmare. Just having to listen to a bunch of old men whine and whine, it's… Ugh…" she grimaced.
He raised his eyebrows. "Really?"
"Yeah, today was like a walk in the park for me." said Azula.
"Ugh… I can only imagine it and I'm already feeling sleepy," he said with a grin, "By the way, I have been wanting to ask you; why do you keep messing with everyone's names?" he asked, curiously, "You know everyone's names perfectly."
She shrugged with a little smirk. "I like to mess with people. Plus, I find it hilarious pissing your sister off whenever I call her by the wrong name." she said, amused.
Sokka smiled and shook his head. "You are unbelievable."
"I know, Sora." said Azula, mockingly.
"Shut up," he said, repressing a smile as they reached the dorms. "Have a good night."
"You too." she replied, but before heading inside she called him. "Sokka."
"Huh?" he glanced back, stopping by his door. He raised his eyebrows.
"Thanks." she mumbled, pressing her lips into a thin smile.
"What for?" Sokka asked, confused. He had done nothing.
"Just… for this," she said, "For listening."
Nobody had done it before for her and she was really thankful with him for being the first one to do it, full-hearted and willingly. It meant a lot.
He gave her a nice, warm and soft smile. "Anytime, Princess."
"Good night, Sokka."
"Good night, Azula." they wished to each other farewells, before heading inside their rooms to get a pleasant night of sleep.
And she did. She was capable of sleeping better than the first night and truly get a full night of rest.
…
The following days went by with ease. Nothing major happened during the meetings other than a few disagreements between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom, but nothing that couldn't be resolved at that moment.
All the participants would usually have breakfast and then get into the saloon, to spend the entire day revising every aspect that was pending. They would have lunch and dinner in the room and once the dinner would be concluded, everyone would be dismissed to rest.
The meetings were exhausting, mentally speaking. It drained everyone's energy to an extent that everyone would mostly head to bed for rest at the conclusion.
The Kyoshi Warriors had headed the next day -and every day after that- to the lower ring, as they said they would. They would leave very early in the morning and would return after dinner. Unfortunately, they had found no new leads or any clues about the Dai Li yet.
Hahn kept insisting on maintaining small chats here and there with the Princess, but Azula would keep ignoring him, uninterested, and Sokka, -of course-, would not lose a second to make fun of him and his failed attempts with the Princess.
During the meetings, Azula had come to notice that Sokka and Katara's father, Hakoda, was a very analytical man. He was intelligent and witty, always asking the right questions and contributing with smart, clever suggestions. He was also very respectful when addressing anyone else at the table, and some of his proposals were very useful. For some reason, every time she heard him talk, - for her - it was like hearing an older Sokka speak.
Sometimes she would look at them from the corner of her eye, sitting side by side, and she would notice the amazing resemblance between them. Even some of their gestures were identical, and she had to admit that their physical resemblance was also very notorious, almost like her own with her mother.
As for Zuko and her, Iroh kept going every morning, before the opening schedule of his shop, to train with them. It mostly consisted of Iroh giving them corrections and repeating himself about working together and learning from the other one to get a better understanding of their different firebending styles and - of course - drinking some tea. It would be an exhausting training, but it would be worth it.
After a week of daily trainings, they had almost perfectly mastered the first set, they still had a few mistakes to take care of, but their progress was evident. Even though they still were far from being close to having a full understanding of each other bending, they were working better together than they had ever been.
"Morning everyone." greeted Zuko, arriving at the saloon after the daily training with Iroh, Azula trailing behind him.
The Avatar yawned, sleepy, his head resting on his hand at the table. "Morning, guys." he replied.
They were still waiting for some missing people to start that day's meeting. At the moment, it was only the young ones at the table.
"How was the training?" Katara asked, looking a little tired and trying to repress a yawn.
"Fine," said Zuko, "But I have to say, I feel more mentally exhausted from the meeting than from our training." he complained, massaging the bridge of his nose.
"Same." said Aang and not bothering in repressing his loud yawn.
Sokka raised his face from the table, his eyes still glassy from sleep. "Ugh… These meetings are draining me more than 10 hungry leeches." he whined, rubbing his eyes and dropping his chin on the table.
"Well, at least none of you have your little sister kicking your ass every day, first thing in the morning, too." the Fire Lord yammered, glancing at his sister at his right.
Azula rolled her eyes. "I have been doing that all of our life. I don't know why you keep bitching about it after so many years, Dum-Dum." she said, "But next time you should all come and see me beat his ass. It's something that always puts me in a good mood. Maybe for you, it would help you to have a little amusement at his expense." she mocked.
"I'm in." said Toph, with her head hanging on the backrest of her chair and her eyes closed.
Zuko pouted. "Ha ha." he said, furrowing his brows.
Sokka snorted. "At least you have a partner to train with. Katara and Toph can spar with Aang whenever they feel like it, but I can't…" he straightened his posture when an idea hit him. "Zuko, we should totally sword train together." his eyes sparkled with excitement at the proposal.
He had actually thought about asking Azula to help him train again, but after what had happened the last time, he seriously doubted that she was going to agree again.
"I told you already; I had years of training. You are not nearly close to my level." he said smugly, with a smirk and crossing his arms.
Azula smirked. "Whoa… Being too confident, don't you think?" she muttered, tilting her head.
"You know what I mean." the Fire Lord replied.
Sokka quirked a brow, annoyed. "What does that mean, huh?"
"It wasn't evident the last time we spared, Sokka?" Zuko inquired, "I beat you without a sweat. And also, didn't you lose your sword for a couple of years?"
"Yeah, but…"
"So, you must be a little stiff after all that time," he said, "You should practice more, before challenging me."
He huffed. "Buddy, for me it seems like you are afraid I would kick your ass." he said, trying to provoke him.
"Ha ha, like that were to happen." Zuko muttered, haughtily raising his chin.
"Then prove it," he dared him, "Scaredy-cat." said Sokka with a mischievous smile. He knew how and what buttons to press with Zuko.
The Fire Lord's eyebrow twitched, and his face turned red of anger. "I'm not scared!" he snapped.
"Really?" Sokka said, provoking him more and more. He was about to get want he wanted just by choosing his words carefully and taunting him.
Zuko slammed his hands on the table, standing up. "Alright! Let's do it! If that's what you want, let's spar!" he bellowed, "Right now!"
The Water Tribe boy smiled, pleased but he quirked a brow. He hadn't expected that response. He does want to fight him, but not right now. "Now?"
"Now!" he stated, "Why? Are you backing out?" he said, teasingly. He also knew what buttons to press with Sokka.
"Fine!" Sokka acceded, standing up as well. "Let's go! Whoever wins buys the other one dinner. Whatever they want." he proposed as a bet to make their duel more interesting.
"Umm... Guys?" Aang called them, nervously, when he noticed the other two pairs of eyebrows twitch.
"Deal!" Zuko agreed, "Whatever the winner wants." he said as they headed towards the door, forgetting everything else.
"Oh, you're in, Fire Lord!" said Sokka, "Little warning, expensive meat, it's my go-to dish." he said, focused on his conversation with Zuko.
"Umm… Guys!" the Avatar called them again, as he noticed the furious glances Katara and Azula were giving them, as they headed towards the door. Neither heard him.
They both looked scary as hell, with their arms crossed and their eyebrows twitching. He could swear he had seen some sparks in Azula's fingers and that his girlfriend was about to snap.
"Ha, trust me, I know that, pal. But you'll be disappointed when you lose." said Zuko, sneering.
"Oh, really?" Sokka raised an eyebrow haughtily, "We'll see about that."
Aang opened his mouth to call them a third time, but before he could he froze at his girlfriend and the Princess's expressions.
"Hey, you two idiots!" Azula and Katara bellowed at the same time, standing from their chairs. Their older siblings froze at that moment.
"Why am I suddenly so scared?" Zuko mumbled to Sokka, who didn't reply, just as afraid. A shiver ran down their backs, and a sudden and cold sensation arose behind them.
"Turn around. Now," Azula commanded, and they both did as told, slowly. "Come here. Get closer, Dum-Dum." she called her brother over closer.
"Sokka, you too." said Katara, with a nod. Sokka could see the vein in her forehead popping out.
"I don't want to." Zuko replied, taking a step to hide behind Sokka.
"Neither do I." he said, trying to push Zuko away so he could hide as well. They struggled trying to push each other towards the front.
"Tsk! You idiots!" Azula grunted with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Have you totally forgotten why we're here? Not for sword fighting or making bets!" Katara snarled, walking towards them and pinching one of her brother's ears, painfully.
He bent over due to the pain. It was just as painful as when they were kids.
"She's right, and as you dragged me into this, I'm not letting you slip out of any of the meetings." Azula grunted, pinching one of Zuko's cheeks like she used to do when they were younger. He whined, trying to free himself from her grip.
"Oww, oww… Katara it hurts." Sokka complained as she dragged him to his chair.
Both girls let go of their brothers.
Zuko cleared his throat. "You both are right," he conceded, "Sorry, we might have gone a little off-track. But, did you have to pinch us so hard?" he complained, rubbing his sore cheek. Sokka did the same with his ear.
"You weren't paying attention," Azula retorted, "And for spirits sake, you are the Fire Lord, could you behave like a grownup… at least for 10 minutes?" she pleaded, turning around to return to her seat.
"Sorry, sorry." he apologized in his childish manner.
Zuko was not even close to being a perfect Fire Lord. He was way too forgetful and sometimes he would procrastinate too much on his paperwork, but when it was about serious matters, he was really focused. If he was around his friends however, she would come to believe they all shared one brain cell.
"And you," Katara glanced at her brother, "Sokka, are here not only as a representative of the Tribe, and one of dad's advisors, you are also one of Aang's closest friends. So please, don't make me embarrassed that I'm your sister." she said.
"Okay, okay," he agreed, "Jeez, girls are crazy." Sokka muttered, only for Zuko to listen.
"No kidding." he replied, under his breath.
"What did you just say?" both girls roared, giving them deadly glances.
They both shook their heads quickly. "Nothing, nothing…." they said, denying frantically with their heads and hands.
"J-Just, that you are always right, and we are always wrong, right Sokka?" Zuko stammered nervously.
Sokka nodded vigorously and nervously.
"Come on." said the waterbender, dragging her sibling by the ear to his seat.
Azula sighed and nodded towards a seat. Zuko got the meaning and headed to sit, without saying another word.
"Sit straight, will you?" Katara scolded her brother.
Sokka snorted, annoyed.
"And stop pouting!" she reprimanded him.
"Jeez…" complained Sokka under his breath.
"Mmmm… Sweety." Aang called her, softly.
"Huh?" she looked in his direction, "Stop slouching and speak louder!" she chided him.
"Yes, mo… M-My love." the Avatar replied with a nervous smile, straightening his back and rubbing the back of his neck.
Everyone else snickered, earning an ugly glance from Katara.
"Chill out, Sugar-queen," said Toph, leaning back on her chair, "You and Fire-lily already scolded these pair of morons. Don't take it on Twinkle-toes too."
"I…"
"Hey, younglings." said Chief Hakoda, walking into the room, greeting everyone with a smile.
"Good morning, Chief." Aang, Toph, and Zuko replied.
"Morning dad." Katara and Sokka said at the same time.
Hakoda took his place and frowned at his son. "Sokka, why is your ear all red?" he inquired, "And for that matter, why is the Fire Lord's cheek also red?"
"Don't pay attention to that, Chief," said Azula, waving her hand carelessly, "Dumb," she pointed at Sokka, "And dumber," pointed at Zuko, "Deserved it. These two need to focus."
Hakoda turned to his daughter. "Do I want to know?" he asked her.
Katara sighed and shook her head. "No, you don't." she said.
"Alright. I'm not going to ask." he said.
Minutes later, King Kuei and his old advisors arrived at the room, as well as Chief Arnook and Hahh, the latter bearing an arrogant look. He walked like he owned the place.
This time they discussed topics regarding Cranefish Town. Specifically matters pertaining to logistics and politics.
For the next two days, they discussed the future of Cranefish Town and what adjustments to the small city in quick development need to be done.
Also, they touched the topics of Yu Dao and other colonies with citizens from all the nations. The matters ranged from simple things like import and export, to the type of currency, and laws that would apply.
"I'm sorry," said Chief Arnook, before sunset came, "But would there be a problem if we finished affiars early today?" he asked, politely.
Kuei shared a quick glance with the other nation's leaders as well as the Avatar. All of them nodded in agreement. "Not at all Chief, but may I inquire why?"
Arnook smiled slightly. "It's just..." he began, his tone betraying a note of melancholy, "Tonight there is a full moon."
Katara, Aang and Sokka shared a sad, understanding gaze. They knew the reason behind the request of Chief Arnook.
"No problem, Chief," said Aang, "Go ahead."
"In that case, we will retire as well." said Kuei.
Arnook bowed, thankful. "Thank you for your understanding." he said, before leaving the saloon, followed by the Earth King and his counselors.
"He is so unprofessional," Hahn complained with disapproval, looking towards the exit the Chief just went through. "He should just retire now. Let the younger ones take charge." he grunted, crossing his arms.
"Like you?" said Sokka, raising an eyebrow with disdain, still fighting to ignore his words.
"Yeah. He gets distracted so much." said Hahn.
"Distracted?" said Katara with disbelief, "He is grieving his daughter."
Sokka clenched his fist. Hearing him talk like that infuriated him to no end.
"So? It's been years since that happened, and it's not like there is no moon every night," he said in quite a careless tone. Sokka suddenly stood up, strode over and grabbed him by the neck of his shirt.
"Are you serious?" he snarled in contempt at Hahn.
Katara and Aang took a step towards them, in case a fight broke out. The rest remained still in their places, staring at the scene, confused. Hakoda glanced around trying to understand what was happening. Sokka wasn't one to act so violently just because...
"I knew you were a scum, but can't you at least have some sympathy for him? He is grieving Yue, his daughter!" Sokka told, his words laced with anger. He gripped his shirt so hard his knuckles were turning white, and his face was turning red from anger.
"Let go of me, scum from the South!" Hahn spouted with disgust.
"Listen, you jerk…" Sokka began warningly.
"Sokka, please stop." Katara said, deciding to try and defuse the situation. She placed a hand on her brother chest.
He clenched his teeth before letting him go abruptly. "Damn it! You're not even worth it." he said, revolted.
Hahn fixed his shirt. "I'm just saying my opinion. I know she was his daughter and all that, but it's been years since her passing. If he wants to spend the rest of his days grieving her, that's fine by me. But in that case, he should give his seat to someone else. He shouldn't interrupt important meetings like this one to go..."
The sound of his voice disappeared in the air and instead, the echoing of a slap filled the room.
Hahn's face had turned because of the impact of a hand on his cheek. His eyes and mouth were wide open.
Everyone stared at the figure responsible for slapping him, startled.
Azula had walked towards him and without a warning, she had slapped him so hard that her fingers left a visible mark upon his face.
Hahn gazed upon her, with his eyes wide open and astonished. "Y-You… You slapped me." he stammered, still in shock.
"And I will do it again if you don't shut the fuck up," Azula grunted, before grabbing him by the neck of his shirt, pulling him down to her height. "Don't you ever make fun of a parent grieving their kid. Not everyone is lucky enough to have loving parents."
And like that, the Princess turned around and left the room, leaving everyone behind open-mouthed due to her actions.
"Stupid bitch, what's her problem?" Hahn spouted once she was gone, rubbing his slapped face.
"What was that?" Sokka stepped forward, grabbing him again by the neck and raising a fist, a renewed sense of wrath filling him.
Zuko joined the fray too, angered. "What did you just call my sister?" he bellowed. He didn't understand the situation entirely, but he wasn't going to allow anyone to insult his sibling.
"Guys, guys calm down!" said Aang, stepping between them, stopping Zuko with a hand at his chest. Toph was also grabbing him by the arm.
"Sokka." Katara called her brother, trying to calm him.
Hakoda placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "Son, stop it." he said, softly.
"Zuko, he's not worth it." said Aang, trying to ease the situation and get through his friend's tempers.
The Fire Lord took a few deep breaths to try to collect himself, then his attention turned to his other friend. "Aang is right Sokka, he is not worth it." he said, even though he was giving a death glare to Hahn.
"One more of those and I'll break your face." Sokka warned him. He was tired and sick of him by now.
"Sokka, please, violence, it's not the answer." said Aang, trying to calm him down.
Unwillingly, Sokka let go of him, before storming out the room, still furious.
…
The Princess had left the salon without a specific course. She only wanted to leave that room and stop listening to that stupid peasant's words.
The thought of him uttering such words at a father in mourning infused her with anger. He was an idiot for doing that. He had probably been raised by loving parents, and he probably took it for granted.
If only he knew, that not everyone shares the same luck, she thought, I bet he wouldn't complain about a parent showing his mourning for a child.
She needed fresh air, Azula knew her rage was not going to go anywhere anytime soon, so she needed to take a little walk around. And somehow, she ended up in the gardens of the Palace.
She saw the place where Ty Lee had once helped her to set up the table dinner for Mai and Zuko's date, years ago. The gardens remained mostly the same. The pavilion in the middle of the lake, the small wooden bridge connecting to it.
She was staring at the lotus floating in the water of the lake, leaned on the railing, when she heard footsteps behind her.
"Don't even dare tell me I should apologize, Zuzu," she warned him, frowning, "I'm not going to apologize. I don't give a damn about who the hell he thinks he is. He deserved it." she stared in front of herself, irked.
"I'm not Zuko," he said, making her glance over her shoulder. He was smirking. "And I would never ask you to apologize to that scum. In fact, I couldn't agree more. He deserved it," said Sokka, leaning on the balustrade next to her, "Even though I feel a little frustrated."
"Why?"
"Because I wish it had been me who punched him." he admitted.
"Well, for the way he talks, I'm sure he'd give you more than one opportunity to do it so…" she replied with a grin, "And by the way, I'm sorry for calling you the most annoying person on Earth. I hadn't met him."
Sokka snickered, his anger and foul mood vanishing in a moment. "Well, well, well, so it looks like I'm not that annoying after all." he said, amused.
"Technically, you are no longer the most annoying person on Earth, but…" she said, "You are still pretty annoying."
"Hey!" he complained in an amused way, bumping slightly against her. "We both know I'm starting to grow in you."
"Yes," she acknowledged, "Like mold."
They remained in silence for a moment. Until Sokka spoke.
"Aren't you going to ask me?" he inquired.
"What?" she frowned.
"Why there is bad blood between me and Hahn?" he asked, prying. She had noticed the animosity between them in an instant, but she hadn't asked him about it yet.
"I know this is going to be hard to believe, but, Sokka, not everyone is as nosy as you," said Azula, "If you don't want to tell me on your own, I get it. As for the meantime, I'm led to believe that you and him were involved somehow, and had a pretty nasty breakup. And your hate towards each other is a consequence of breaking each other's heart."
"What?!" he squeaked, aghast, widening his eyes. "You think I would have that poor taste in guys?" Azula raised her eyebrows, quizzical, trying to repress a chuckle. "I mean… If I liked guys. Which I don't." he rushed to clarify.
She shrugged. "Hey, I never said you did… But judging by your reaction, maybe I'm not that mistaken." she said, teasingly.
"Tsk!" he smirked, "Why? Jealous?!" he said, sneering and leaning closer to her face. "Are you jealous, Princess?"
Azula swallowed hard due to his closeness. He was just centimeters away from her face, too close for her comfort. She could notice the blue in his eyes even in the little light that surrounded them. They were really pretty.
She huffed and glanced away, hoping that the lack of light helped her to conceal the redness of her face. She could feel her cheeks burning.
"You wish, wanker." she replied.
"Anyway, you said once you wanted to know about what happened in the north, right?" he raised a brow.
She raised her eyebrows, stunned that he remembered that. "I did. Wait… Is he involved somehow?" she asked.
"Sort of..." he muttered, "It's actually more that he was involved with Yue, Chief Arnook's daughter. But it's..."
"Complicated?" she finished for him. It seemed that for him, talking about that specific time was confusing matter, and she wasn't going to insist.
"Yeah," he whispered.
Maybe one day he'd be able to tell the story of Yue.
"Either way, Hahn is an idiot." Sokka said.
"Agreed," Azula replied, "Every time I think he can't surprise me with his stupidity anymore, he just goes and proves me wrong."
"Yeah, he's an idiot."
"Well… you're also an idiot," she stated. Sokka pouted. "But… you compensated with other qualities."
"What aspects?"
Your looks, for instance, she thought.
She made a grin. "Never mind, it would go to your head."
Sokka smirked and raised an eyebrow. "What would go to my head?" he inquired, curious.
"Nothing." she said, dismissing the topic.
"C'mon, tell me." he insisted.
"Forget it." said the Princess, shaking her head.
"Don't want to," he pouted in a childish manner. "C'mon, Azula. Tell me, what qualities?" he leaned forward.
"You should know by now that it doesn't matter how much you insist, if I don't want to tell you something, I'm not going to do it," she said, leaning back to put some distance between them. "The Day of Black Sun was a firm proof of it."
"Yet, you should know by now, that if I want to know something, I will keep bugging you until you tell me." he said with a smirk, leaning forward again.
"You will, won't you?" she raised an eyebrow with a grin. She took a step back, but her back bumped against one of the pillars of the pavilion.
"Uh-huh," he nodded, trapping her between his body and the pillar, with his arms at each side of her body.
She sighed. "Fine. I-I'll tell you. But... C-Can you take a step back?" she asked him, a little nervous for his closeness. She was glancing everywhere except at him in case she might blush. "I'm not going to run." Sokka frowned, skeptical. "Really."
Sokka agreed to take a step back, and once he did, she rushed away from him.
"I lied," she said, shrugging playfully with a little smile, walking through the bridge backward. "You should have seen that one coming."
He shook his head and smiled with amusement. "Get back here, you mean liar." he said, trailing behind her.
"No." she quipped back.
…
Azula was a few steps ahead of him, as they headed towards their dorms to rest, when the Princess came to a halt instantly.
The door of one of the rooms was half-open.
Normally, she wouldn't have peeked, but something had told her to do it. And she regretted it almost instantly when a knot formed in her throat because of the scene that was happening in the room.
Inside, Ursa was tucking in Kiyi in bed, joined by Zuko and her husband. It was a beautiful picture. They all looked like a happy family. A family she was not a part of.
Ursa placed a soft kiss to Kiyi's forehead, wishing her good dreams and a good night.
A strong sensation overtook her as her eyes filled with tears, and she couldn't tell if they were angry tears or sad tears, but whatever the sensation was, it overwhelmed her.
She never did that with me, she thought, feeling a little pressure in her chest. She clenched her fists, wishing to interrupt their family moment, to ruin it. But she couldn't. Instead, she just remained there, standing outside the door, looking inside. Like a stranger.
A single tear escaped from the corner of her eye. She quickly wiped it off and blinked, vanishing the tears from her eyes. She wasn't going to cry. She wasn't going to cry for something stupid like that. She wasn't.
She turned around, deciding to go escape from their charade of a perfect family, when she crashed against the fixed glance of Sokka.
She had totally forgotten about him and that he was standing behind her. He had seen it all as well.
"Is everything alright?" he muttered when he saw her face.
She didn't reply. She just avoided his eyes and turned around and strode away in the direction she wanted.
"Wai…" he tried to call her, but she was already gone.
He had gotten a glimpse of her watery eyes, and he couldn't help but feel terrible for her. If he let her go like that, he was going to have the remorse of not having done anything to make her feel even just slightly better.
So, he was going to - or at least try - to cheer her up however he could.
…
Azula wiped her face clean of the tears that had fell down her cheeks. For some reason, her eyes couldn't stop filling with tears, making her sob. And she hated it.
She hated feeling a mixture of anger and sadness, and she hated not being available to tell which emotion was the one making her feel like shit. Or maybe it was jealousy, jealousy of Kiyi for having everything she ever secretly wished for. A loving father, a mother that would never consider her a monster, and a brother that cared for her.
She never had those kinds of things, - those kinds of attachments -, she had never cared about them, yet she wanted them so desperately. But couldn't have them. For years her father had made sure to tell her that those kinds of attachments were useless and pointless, and she had grown to believe him.
Then why did she long for them? Why did she wish for them?
She had tried digging her nails in her palms as hard as she could to make the pain distract her at least a bit, but it hadn't worked. Her tears keep falling and she couldn't stop them.
She felt pathetic, stupid and weak.
And she was none of those things.
"Stop crying. Stop crying," she repeated to herself, "Spirits! Stop… crying, it's pathetic. Stop it... Sto..." she said between sobs, wiping her tears frantically. She hid her face in her palms. She was alone, sitting on the roof. "Please… stop crying. Stop crying, nobody cares. Please…" she muttered to herself over and over. Her shoulders were shaking uncontrollably. "Nobody… cares…"
She didn't notice when someone found her all curled up on the roof. She didn't hear the steps on the tiles, and she only noticed his presence when he placed something over her shoulder, wrapping her up.
"I care." he said.
She raised her face, startled only to find Sokka offering a warm cup of tea with an affectionate smile.
"I figured a warm drink would help." he said, softly.
Her heart stirred. She couldn't understand the nature of his gesture. It was sweet and well-intentioned, and it was a gesture no one had ever had with her. And it touched her.
The Princess glanced away, embarrassed that he had found her in such a pathetic situation. She wrapped her arms around herself more tightly, bringing her knees to her chest and not reaching for the cup.
"Go," Azula muttered, "I want to be alone," she said. It was a half-truth. Yet, he didn't leave. Instead, he sat next to her. Not too close to touch, but close enough to feel his body heat. "Didn't you hear?" she grunted when she felt him sitting next to her.
"I did. But still, I can't leave you." he replied, calmly.
"It's okay," she mumbled, resting her chin on her knees, as she brought them even closer to her chest. "I don't feel alone." she lied.
He sided, smiled. "Alright," he said, but something told him she was lying. "However, I will stay, just for a little while. If that's okay with you?"
Azula remained in silence.
Deep down, she was thankful that he hadn't had what she told him to. In reality, she didn't want to be alone, but she would never say it out loud.
They remained in silence for a while. And she thanked him for that, for not forcing her to talk about what was the reason behind her tears. She was thankful because she had managed to stop crying.
From where they were sitting, they could see a big part of the city. The lights of the houses around the Palace gave them a beautiful sight. It let them appreciate the life in the streets of the city and the magnificent night sky. Yet, there were no clouds in the sky. Only the moon and the stars shined above them.
"The stars look so pretty tonight," said Sokka after a while in silence, staring at the sky, leaned back on his arms with his legs extended.
Azula looked up. There was only the moon and the stars. "Yeah," she muttered, agreeing, "You can travel at night and not lose your way," she said, making Sokka chuckle. "What?" she stared at him, confused on why he laughed.
He looked away from the sky and stared at her. "It's just... you're always so rational and pragmatic. While you think that, there are people who see them and imagine stories around them." he said, leaning back, supporting on his arms.
"That's childish." she replied. It was like staring at the clouds during the day and trying to find the shape they resembled. Not even as a child had she found amusement in doing that with her cousin.
"That's the point." he said with a side smile.
She grabbed the cup he had left next to her.
Sokka straightened his back. "Can I ask you; why were you crying? Was it because what you saw in Kiyi's room?" he inquired warily, hoping not to bother her or not sound too obtrusive.
Azula remained silent, staring at the cup in her hands. "I don't think you're the ideal person to convey my problems to." she said.
"I'm a good listener." Sokka said, calmly.
"Sokka, what are you doing here?" she asked, interested in his true intentions by being there.
"I'm just here," he said, shrugging. "I figured you could use some company. Company always helps whenever you're feeling down."
She didn't say a word. She only drank the warm drink in her hands, and tightened the blanket around her shoulders when a breeze brushed against her skin.
"It's actually really chilly tonight, huh?" Sokka asked when he noticed this, straightening his back.
The Princess had been distracted, trying to ease her sobs, that she had forgotten to use her inner fire to warm herself. And now, she was just too tired to do it. But it was, indeed, a chilly night.
"I thought you southerners liked the cold," she said, deadpanned, leaning her chin on her knees dejectedly. Sokka snickered. "What's so funny?"
"Zuko made the same assumption a while ago actually," he sighed," I guess we've been away far too long," he replied in the exact same way he had done back then, shrugging. He cleared his throat before talking. "Listen, I know you might not want to talk about it, but…"
"If you know, then why are you asking?" she snarled.
"It seems like the right thing to do," he said, "Also, it seems to be troubling you." Sokka stared at her fixedly. He could see the streaks her tears had left down her cheeks. She wasn't crying anymore, but her eyes were still damp and troubled.
"A lot of things are troubling me right now." she admitted, unwillingly. She couldn't just say one thing was bothering her. and she certainly didn't wish to talk about them. At least, not out loud.
"Then why don't you share one? Sometimes it's good to share your problems with others." he suggested.
Azula raised her eyebrows. "So you can use them against me or blackmail me? No thanks."
He widened his eyes. "What?" he squeaked in dejection. "No… to help you! Seriously, what's wrong with you?" he muttered.
"A lot of things actually." she acknowledged in irony, dropping her gaze.
"Yeah, I get that," he said without thinking. He cursed immediately. "I mean, that's not what I meant. I mean…" he tried to correct his mistake. He didn't want her to feel worse.
"Leave it," the Princess cut him, "I don't care what you meant." she stated, expressionless.
He needed to fix his mistake. "Listen, I'm an idiot, okay? And sometimes, -I mean most of the time- I say things I really don't mean…" he tried to apologize for his poor choice of words.
"Sure." said Azula, ironical.
"Spirits!" he said, raising his hands, exasperated, "Why is it so hard for you to believe in people?"
She frowned. "Are you being serious?" she said, perplexed. "Like, are you really asking me that?" she stared at him with disbelief. "Maybe because every time I trust someone, they show me why I shouldn't."
"Maybe it's because you've been trusting the wrong people."
"Perhaps..." she whispered, almost inaudibly so.
"Then, what would it take you to trust in me?" he inquired, choosing his approach carefully. He did not wish to antagonize her any further with being too overt.
She glanced at him, studying his expression and digesting his words for a moment. He really wanted her to trust him. "I trust nobody."
"Why?"
"Because, those who we trust the most, are the first ones to betray us."
Sometimes it's better to be alone. No one can hurt you that way, she had told him at the barge. On the deck back at the barge, he had been meaning to ask her what that meant, but now he could connect the dots by himself.
Mai and Ty Lee's betrayal had affected her more than she would ever acknowledge. Their betrayal had left her with an aftermath that prevents her from trusting anyone and instead, choosing to remain alone to seemingly avoid the same conclusion.
That was probably why she acted so bitter against Ty Lee and so sullen with everyone else.
"I would never do that." he assured her that.
One of the corners of her lips raised with incredulity. "Everyone always says that, but in the end, they always either leave or betray you."
And for her, her mother had left her, her father had left her, her brother had left her and her only two friends had betrayed her.
"Well, some people are fools and give up at the first challenge," he said, "But I love challenges."
"I can be pretty challenging." she said.
"Even better. Otherwise, I might get bored," he joked, a little chuckle escaped from her lips. "So, care to tell me why were you crying? Precisely?" he tilted his head.
Azula denied with her head. "No," she replied, "... But maybe one day I will." she muttered.
"If I tell you about everything that happened in the North, would you fully trust in me?" he inquired, glancing at the Moon shining on the night sky.
She shrugged. It seemed like a fair deal. "Maybe. I could try."
Sokka side smiled. "All right. Then it's a promise."
Another cold breeze brushed against their skin, making them shiver. Maybe it didn't snow in the Earth Kingdom during winter, but the cold winds could make anyone get chilly.
She brought her legs closer and Sokka rubbed his arms, trying to warm them up.
"It's getting cold out here," he said, "Why don't we head inside? We can finish this talk inside if you wish." he proposed, standing up and offering a hand to help her stand.
The Princess hesitated about taking his hand. "And if I don't want to?"
Sokka gave her a warm smile. "That's fine too."
His reply was all she wanted to hear right now. Azula reached for his hand. She hadn't noticed the first time, but they were steady and strong. He was wearing his gloves, but she could still notice the warmth on his skin that was still exposed in his palm.
He helped her get inside through the window. He even placed his hand at the edge of the window to protect her head in case she bumped against the window frame. A small gesture but he felt like it was right. He didn't let go of her hand.
"Still, I believe you should talk about it," he said giving her a little squeeze. Azula slowly removed her hand from his. "I mean, who knows? It might help you feel better," he shrugged before closing the window and heading back to their dorms. "And if talking doesn't help you, I might let you beat my ass." he said, teasingly, bumping his shoulder with hers.
She quirked a brow, quizzical. "You might let me?" she smirked.
"If that helps you boost your mood, I will," he stated, "That's what's friends do, if talking doesn't help make you feel better, they find a way to make you feel better."
Unconsciously, they were walking slowly to prolong their talk as much as they could.
Azula had removed the blanket from her shoulders, feeling much warmer between the walls of the Palace and she was carrying it in her arms.
"You know," said Sokka, when she remained in silence. "Showing vulnerability, it's fine. Showing strength, it's fine. What isn't fine however, is bottling up everything you feel. Even if you are the strongest firebender out there, - which you probably are - it's okay if some days you don't feel like that." he just hoped that maybe one day, she would let her walls and shields down, and would allow herself to be more open in terms of emotions and thoughts.
She bit the inside of her cheek. "I lived under my father's tutelage for fourteen years and he used to say that: If you show your feelings, they will know your weakness. Make them fear you, so everyone will respect you. Fear is the only reliable way." she quoted her father. She could almost hear his voice, repeating the same phrase over and over.
Sokka made a grin. "You know, if I used to believe that your father was horrible now, I can confirm that he was also the biggest jerk on Earth." he stated, slightly irked.
"Still, he was the only parent I had," she muttered with her eyes focused on the floor. "And during Zuko's banishment, you could say that he was my only close relative."
Sokka's heart stirred at her words. They had always assumed that Zuko had been the one that had taken the brunt of the pain, but it wasn't until now, that he could understand that there was much more than just physical pain.
"Would you take it badly if I told you that I'm kind of glad he's not around you anymore?" said Sokka, warily but honest. She looked at him. "I mean, once Zuko was out of his influence, he became a completely different person. And from what I could witness, you too had truly changed."
She frowned. "Is that good or bad?" she inquired.
"It's good. Truly good," he said with a smile. She sighed. "Why? You don't want to change?"
"I don't know," she muttered. And she truly didn't know what she wanted. She had lived under this mask moulded by her father for so long, that she wasn't even sure of what she wanted anymore.
They stopped by her door.
"Anyway, thank you for another nocturnal chat." she thanked him, lending him the blanket.
He took it with a side smile. "You're welcome," said Sokka. "I guess this is turning into our thing, right?" he teased her.
Azula rolled her eyes. "We don't have a thing. Beast." she replied with a little smirk. For two nights he had managed to make her feel better. How? And why?
"Yet." he joked, winking an eye towards her.
"Shut up, and just go to bed, you fool." she said, a little amused.
"As you wish, Princess," he said mockingly and making an exaggerated bow. "Good night." he wished her, before, without a warning, he placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.
Her heart jolted as she blinked in astonishment. Frozen in place, while trying not to blush. "G-Good n-night." she said to him before rushing inside and closing the door of her room and feeling much calmer and at peace with herself than she realized.
Unconsciously, she took her hand to her cheek, and with her fingertips, she caressed the exact same spot where he had placed the kiss. She could still feel his lips against her skin. And it was a pleasant feeling.
She bit her lower lip, but yet, a little smile appeared on them.
At the other far end of the hallway, unknown to both of them, someone had witnessed the exchange. He had gone for a little walk to take some fresh air when he had seen them walk back. He had observed them talk with such intimacy and confidentiality that anyone could have rushed to the wrong assumption.
He is gaze has lingered until they had both walked into each room. He couldn't believe that the Princess of the Fire Nation and the boy from the Water Tribe might be involved.
A/N:
I seriously can't thank you guys enough! The amount of love for this story is overwhelming! Thank you thank you so much.
Btw, nobody had guessed the real reason or the why of the title of the fic. And I can't wait to share the chapters with you. I'm currently working on them and I'm just going to say damn...
If one of you guess it right, I would send you a spoiler by DM.