Chapter 61

Raiden's regular timetable had him off duty the day after his opera date with the Fire Lord. That schedule had seemed lucky when he was thinking he'd spend the day sleeping late, and perhaps not alone. But he hadn't slept much at all. He spent most of the night pacing his apartment, wondering what he could do to explain himself and convince Azula that he had done the right thing when he spied on her. Maybe it had been the wrong time to confess, but he couldn't imagine that it would have been any easier if he'd waited.

He had already forgiven her. Her outrage was completely understandable. It was true that he had deceived her and broken trust. The worst part was that she had drawn some logical, but entirely false, conclusions about his intentions. For her to overlook his duplicity would require her to admit her own fault, and it seemed she wasn't ready to do that. She had changed a lot, but apparently not quite that much. He hoped that when she cooled down, she would remember who he really was, and call him back to talk.

He still loved her, and she still didn't know. He wondered if it would have made a difference, if he'd said it before confessing. If he told her now, it would be a weak attempt to change her mind. But never voicing his love seemed worse than having it dismissed as an insincere, self-serving protest.

Around noon, there was a knock at his door. It was a messenger from the army's central office bearing an official scroll. After exchanging salutes, the young man left the captain with the piece of paper that would tell his fate.

Expecting a summons to court martial, or a dishonorable discharge, he gulped and opened the scroll.

"The Boiling Rock," he murmured in disbelief. At first he thought he would be a prisoner, but then he read more carefully. He was being reassigned from the palace to the notorious prison, to work as a guard. The airship from the capital to the prison would take him there the following morning. The name of the officer who signed the order was none other than his nemesis, Colonel Karai.

Raiden cursed, and crumpled the paper. Then he began to pack.

That evening, Takeo burst into Raiden's room and found him stuffing a suitcase.

"I didn't believe it," he murmured, stunned.

"Believe it," Raiden told him, grimly.

"I thought you and Azula were getting along really well? Did your date take a bad turn?"

"You could say that."

"What did you do? Insult her accidentally? Refuse another date?" Takeo questioned, at a loss to explain this situation. "You didn't, like, push her too far?"

"Of course not." Raiden sighed, and sat his friend down on the bed. "I don't have a lot of time to explain, but I'll try. I'm a member of a secret organization. Over a year ago, I sent info on the Fire Lord's habits and plans to people she considered her enemies."

Takeo gasped. "Is that why you got promoted? Was this group powerful enough to make that happen?"

"Yes. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you before. I shouldn't be telling you now. But Azula already knows, so I guess it doesn't matter."

"How did she find out?"

"I confessed." Raiden shrugged helplessly, knowing how foolish he sounded. "I thought it was safe because she seemed so happy with me. And I felt guilty for deceiving her for so long, even though I know I was doing the right thing, for her as well as for the world. But I miscalculated. She's been betrayed before, and she's sensitive about it."

"But still–the Boiling Rock?"

"I know." The thought of Azula banishing him to that dishonorable place stung more than he wanted to admit. He'd thought she wasn't that vindictive. Not anymore, at least. But that wasn't the worst part about it. "And remember who's in charge of it now?"

"Colonel Karai!" Takeo's expression of horror showed he knew exactly how his friend felt.

"There's one good thing that will come of this." Raiden mustered a smile for his friend and patted his shoulder. "You'll be promoted to my position. Congratulations."

"Raiden—"

"I have two requests. First, keep her safe. And second—" He pulled an envelope out of his breast pocket. "Would you give this to her?"

"Of course. But you—"

"I'll be fine," Raiden insisted, showing his friend out.

At the door, Takeo wondered, "You would have gotten away with spying if you hadn't confessed. And you wouldn't have even felt guilty about it if you hadn't dated the Fire Lord. Do you wish—"

"No," the captain shook his head. "I don't regret a thing."

Azula woke the next morning completely at a loss for what to do. She had canceled all the day's meetings, assuming she'd want to sleep in, after staying up late kissing. She had indeed remained late in bed, but that was because she hadn't fallen asleep until nearly dawn. Her usual time for training and breakfast were already past when she emerged. When she glanced in the mirror, she looked haunted, much as she had in the early days of her reign, when her father's ghost troubled her. The sight chilled her.

When she passed her desk, she found that her scroll with Raiden's new order had already been delivered.

The Fire Lord wandered her palace dazed, looking for refuge and finding none. All of her favorite places were now tainted with memories of her captain. The library, the portrait gallery, the council chambers, the training grounds, the dining room, her own couch—all spoiled. She ordered the couch to be replaced, and chose her mother's old sitting room as a new haven. She sat there most of the day hugging a pillow, staring into the fire, occasionally sipping tea.

The following morning, she slept through training again, and was woken by a knock on the door of her royal apartments.

It was Takeo. He handed her a scroll.

"Official notice from the army that I'm assuming command of the palace guard," he explained, without meeting her eyes.

"Very well." She nodded curtly at him. She should have realized someone would have to take Raiden's place. Takeo was the logical choice: he'd helped save her from that assassin, after all. And his family was influential in the military.

"Captain Raiden asked me to give you this." The newly promoted officer pulled a letter from his jacket.

"Oh." She accepted the letter, holding it awkwardly, as if she'd never seen anything like it before, and had no idea what to do with it. "Congratulations on your promotion, Takeo." she said, to fill the strange silence.

"It's Captain Takeo, my lord," he corrected her, looking straight ahead.

She paused, then nodded. "Of course." So she had lost another friend, as well as her boyfriend. No, Takeo had only ever been Raiden's friend, not hers. "You're dismissed, Captain Takeo."

With a correct salute, the new captain disappeared.

Azula held the letter in her hand and contemplated setting it on fire. But that seemed a misuse of the element. Reading the letter was impossible, though. It would be too painful. She hid it in a rarely-used drawer in her desk, along with old council minutes and receipts from her tailor.

Less than an hour later, she had another knock on her door. It was Naoki.

"I wanted to ask you— the guardswoman began.

"Raiden betrayed me," Azula cut her off abruptly, going straight to the point. She didn't want to endure some long scene. Just as Takeo had taken her ex's side in this breakup, Naoki was sure to do the same.

"Do you mean he cheated on you?" The young woman gasped, hand on her heart. "I'm sorry, Azula! I thought he really liked you, but he always was kind of a player. I would certainly understand your dumping him and sending him away from court for that. But the B–"

"You misunderstand." Azula interrupted. "Raiden's betrayal was not romantic, but political. He was a spy."

Naoki's face went slack with disbelief. "He would never…."

"He did."

"Are you sure he's the one? Is your information good?" Naoki pressed.

"He spontaneously volunteered a confession," Azula informed her. The girl's shocked face irritated her, so that she lashed out. "Who are you to question me? I am Fire Lord. I do not owe you an explanation. Get in line, or I'll send you away as well."

Naoki bowed, her eyes dull and voice cold as she answered, "Yes, my lord."

Author's Note: Thanks for reading! Please leave me a review!