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Serving Princess Azula - Chapter Four
Azula sat in her study with war preparations in hand when her cold eyes shifted to the doorway pleased to see that Elle was now fully cleaned up and bowing on her floor.
Elle's face was touching the floor of the study while discerning eyes swept over her form searching for any margin of error.
The girl was now wearing traditional Fire Nation robes that suited her nicely while the princess set her paperwork down.
Not only was Elle as clean as can be the girl had even arrived early.
"Early…I like that. I value punctuality. And you no longer smell like a sheep-dog. You are off to a good start. I dare say you look presentable now." Azula remarked in a haughty manner while placing her hands in her lap as she gazed down at the girl.
While doing so she carefully noted that the girl's hair still hung over her shoulders free from any sort of restraint.
If it were any other servant, she would chastise them for disregarding Fire Nation custom.
But…not this one.
She had…a certain otherworldly charm to her that she wanted to preserve.
Her golden hair was unlike anything she has ever seen before.
And she decided that she liked the way her golden hair hung down her pet's shoulders.
And so that was how it would stay on her golden pet.
"I-I am glad that I please you, Azula-sama. How may I serve you?" Elle pondered while she timidly remained in her bow.
"Come closer, girl. Kneel…right here." Azula instructed while pointing at the foot of her throne with an evident love for control in her eyes.
"Yes, Princess!" Elle exclaimed in a genuinely joyful voice that amused Azula as she scrambled forward before dropping onto her knees before the looming woman's throne.
"Your training begins now. I suggest you listen closely, servant. I have many likes and dislikes…and I expect you to remember them all." Azula stated with her lips curving upward as she peered down at her handmaid.
"I-I will write down every single one." Elle spoke to the older woman's gratification as she turned to stare down at her.
"You are to go receive instructions from the head handmaid. I eat dinner in two hours. My friends will be dining with me. You will serve my dinner with the other servants. Is that understood?" Azula explained while staring down at her lovely pet with a cold countenance.
"Wakarimashita!" Elle exclaimed while amber golden eyes surveyed her in amusement.
"I am glad that you are so overjoyed to serve me. One can only hope that you prove worth my time." Azula replied as she watched the smaller girl shift on the floor.
"I shall aspire to please my princess!" Elle cried out abruptly while peering up at her taken aback mistress with innocent amber eyes.
"Now that is what I like to hear." Azula answered before bending over to inexplicably pat the girl's head of soft golden hair.
"M-Mistress Azula…" Elle murmured dreamily while kneeling as low as she could while Azula ran her fingers through her hair.
"I hope you keep me pleased, pet." Azula purred while giving no thought to how strange it was to call another human her pet.
Such were the privileges of being royalty…
And if she were being truthful…the girl was rather…adorable.
She has never met anyone so eager to bow at her feet.
That alone…was a marvelous quality in her eyes.
"As…do I." Elle responded happily while closing her eyes under the controlling woman's petting hand.
And then just like that the princess removed her hand and set it upon her thigh just as soon as she heard her friends walking down the hall.
Though she had the impulse to continue petting the girl…it would not do well to risk letting others walk in on them.
It would not due to show such weakness.
"You are dismissed now, servant." Azula concluded while waving her hand before her as she watched Elle retreat low on the floor.
"I-I shall see you in two hours…Your Highness." Elle spoke before rising as she peered shyly back at her lovely mistress before departing into the hallway.
As she vanished down the hallway.
She passed Ty Lee and Mai as they briefly glanced at the girl through the corners of their eyes.
Ty Lee and May gazed at Elle for a moment with expressions of amazement in their eyes over the color of the new servant girl's hair.
Like everyone else.
Neither of them has ever seen a person with golden hair before.
Mai ended up shaking off her interest in the girl's exotic hair color soon after as she gazed away while Ty Lee continued to gaze after the girl.
The bruise did not escape Ty Lee's notice but it was something that Mai paid little mind to.
They were puzzled to find Azula once more seated in her study.
Only…with a much more pleased expression than before.
What was most puzzling of all was the fact that their friend had stated that she needed to go take care of something.
And then she returns with a new royal servant.
And one with golden hair at that.
"Azula…did you go out just to hire a new servant?" Mai asked in a monotone voice while Azula turned to gaze back at them with icy amber golden eyes.
"What business is it of yours, Mai?" Azula snapped with clear bite in her voice as her two friends winced.
"None. It is just unlike you to select a servant." Mai stated while the princess rose from her seat.
"I grow weary of incompetent servants. So, I brought back one that seems…promising. That is all." Azula replied while striding forward with her hands folded behind her back.
"Huh…well I hope she works out!" Ty Lee exclaimed with her hands on her hips while smiling at her stoic leader.
"Indeed." Azula remarked while striding out of her study with her two friends in tow.
As they walked out Ty Lee's eyes shifted to the princess's desk as she noticed that the fire lily was no longer on display.
Ty Lee held a hand to her chin while she quietly mulled the matter over.
She could only wonder if there was a connection between the flower and the new servant girl.
'Given the bruise on her face…probably not.' Ty Lee thought before following after her two friends.
Elle waded through the kitchens while she smiled happily at the other sullen faced servants.
As the head of the princess's staff of all-female servants continued to bark orders to each of the girls.
Her thoughts were solely focused on how she could best please her princess.
The most beautiful girl in the…
"Why aren't you wearing a top-knot! The princess will be furious if she sees this!" Chia shouted while the small blonde turned to her with surprised amber eyes.
Gazing down at her was a stern-faced middle-aged woman of Fire Nation descent.
"But the princess picked me herself. She…didn't say that there was anything wrong with it." Elle protested meekly as she peered up at the older woman's scowling face.
The other handmaids turned to briefly gaze upon the scene already under the belief that the smiling girl would be dismissed by the days end.
"That's because the princess is far too busy to waste her time on trivial details like this! I feel that I can speak for the princess by saying that she expects you to fix it before you disgrace her at dinner." Chia barked while jabbing her finger into the girl's shoulder.
"B-but she seemed pleased earlier…I don't want to displease her by changing without her prior permit." Elle insisted while she backed away as she frowned up at the overbearing woman.
"You will displease Princess Azula much more if you do not adhere to standard Fire Nation custom! Now change it." Chia ordered as she roughly forced a hair tie into the girl's hand.
"Alright…but if she is doesn't like it. I am letting her know that it wasn't my idea." Elle mumbled while she pulled her hair up as the older woman glared back at her with her eyes narrowing.
"Just shut up and pay attention." Chia stated coldly before gliding to the other side of the kitchen.
The timid girl's mood plummeted while she continued to diligently sort the cherries removing the pits carefully.
Within moments her aggravation was gone.
It had faded into but a distant memory.
She was smiling softly once more as she hummed quietly to herself while recalling that the other servants told her that the princess despises cherry pits.
Naturally she already knew that small detail…she mused with a blush on her bashful cheeks.
Ever since her arrival in the Fire Nation Capital she began researching Azula after she first laid eyes upon the young goddess of a princess.
"Why are you so…happy?" Another servant girl asked quietly beside her as she turned to peer at her smiling brightly.
"Because I am serving Azula-sama. She brought me in herself…it was cold outside…and now I am warm. That is all the reason in the world to smile." Elle spoke joyously to the other girl's puzzlement.
"Right…just try to watch yourself around here. It is…not as a joyful as you think." Lao muttered while Elle blinked innocently with her words seemingly soaring over the girl's head.
"Aren't you happy to serve Azula-sama as well? I think she is just wonderful…" Elle confessed while placing cherries in the bowl as her words that caused other servants to turn their heads.
"O-of course I am." Lao responded quickly before wisely clamming up as she turned away trying to mask the displeasure in her eyes.
It was foolish to say anymore to the foreign looking newcomer.
The girl clearly did not know how to keep her own mouth shut.
"How does the princess like her meal?" Elle asked with enthusiasm in her voice as she concluded with the bowl of cherries.
"Never overdone, and never underdone. Everything must be flawless." Lao informed while gazing over her shoulder at the younger girl.
"Flawless! Understood!" Elle chirped before striding after the head servant to study the cooking procedure.
The other servants exchanged baffled glances as if they were silently wondering what was wrong with her but she paid it no mind.
The princess's opinion was all that mattered she mused while nodding resolutely.
Two hours later…
Azula sat at a dining table with Mai and Ty Lee in a palace room that she used for having private gatherings with her friends.
While her judgmental eyes watched carefully while several servants brought in their dinner.
"It sure smells good, Azula! It must be delicious!" Ty Lee exclaimed while sniffing the air with a smile on her face as her friend sat in her throne glancing about with emotionless amber golden eyes.
"Let us hope so." Azula scoffed while gazing across the table with observant eyes as she watched Elle pile in after the other servants.
She truly didn't care much for the other handmaids.
It was this one…the strange girl with golden hair that she brought in that caught her eye.
The others…were just servants.
But this one…that flower…could it be something more?
As the plates were set on the table by the servants that was when Azula took note of the change.
Her lips pursed into a frown as she held a finger to her cheek pondering why the girl had put her hair in a bun.
Hadn't she told her that she was presentable?
Elle continued to maneuver in and out of the room while Ty Lee's gentler eyes followed her bruised face.
"Azula…did you do that? That is…a big bruise." Ty Lee muttered while Mai gazed over at her as they watched the princess straighten in her seat.
"No, Ty Lee. I did not. She was already bruised when I found her." Azula answered in a colder voice while glaring back at her friends with imposing eyes.
The princess's reply took the two aback as Elle reentered while pouring Azula a drink with a meticulous hand.
Azula's cruelty was well known by all throughout the land.
Suffice to say the princess has been less than kind to her servants in the past.
So, it was a bit of a shock to Ty Lee to hear Azula get…even mildly defensive over the bruise.
"Your hair…" Azula trailed off as her friends turned their heads in interest as she gazed coldly at Elle's smiling face.
"Yes Princess?" Elle responded in a joyous voice that put even Ty Lee to shame.
"Why did you alter it? I do not recall giving you an order to make any changes." Azula remarked while reclining in her seat with her palms folded before her.
At this point even Mai was puzzled by Azula's interest in the handmaid.
"I thought you might say that. Miss Chia told me that you were surely expecting me to change it before dinner. She says she speaks for you…as, Your Highness, has no time for such…trivial details." Elle admitted while she beamed back at the older girl's countenance as her lovely lips sunk into a scowl.
"Really? She speaks for me." Azula spoke with a clear sadistic undertone to her voice that already had her friends nervous.
Elle simply bowed at the waist as she held one hand in a straight fashion and the other in a fist underneath it just as she has observed the other servants do.
She has learned through her observations that it was the customary way that the people of this nation bowed to a superior.
She has already come to understand that her position…was a bit different than the other servants.
Chia reentered while she prostrated herself low on the floor while amber golden eyes focused in on her causing her to begin to sweat fearfully.
"You speak for me? Is that right, servant?" Azula questioned in a taunting voice while the older woman paled as her eyes drifted to the beaming girl's face.
How dare that newcomer tattle on her!
"Azula…" Ty Lee pleaded while leaning back as she sighed heavily.
Why her friend can't just eat a meal without tormenting the staff was yet another trait that always had her on edge.
"N-no, Princess! I-I do not! B-but I thought that you would want her h-hair corrected." Chia replied while Lao gazed on with mutually wary eyes.
"If something needs correcting, I can assure you that I will correct it. It is not your place to speak for me…servant." Azula declared while gazing between the servants as she began to drink her wine.
"Y-yes, Princess Azula! I-I understand…p-please forgive me." The older woman pleaded with her face touching the floor.
"Oh, very well. I suppose I could take your long tenure into consideration." Azula purred while she gazed out across the tabletop with merciless amber golden eyes.
"T-thank you, Princess! T-thank you!" Chia cried out while Ty Lee shook her head once more in pity.
"You are dismissed. Leave the Capital City at once." Azula commented while glaring down at the now distraught woman with a sneer on her lips.
"B-but y-you said…" Chia stuttered only to be silenced with the princess's dangerously narrowing eyes.
"I said that I would take your tenure into consideration. I have. Instead of banishing you to the colonies…I have opted to show mercy. You are banished from the Capital City. Now go!" Azula barked in a terribly imposing voice while she waved her hand in the air.
As Chia cowered on the floor her emotional gaze shifted in Elle's direction while the naïve girl remained kneeling before Azula's throne.
She stared at the girl with fury in her eyes before gulping as she shrunk even further under Azula's stare.
"Y-yes, Princess. As you command." Chia responded in a broken voice before departing with her tail between her legs.
Ty Lee and Mai exchanged a glance as they both began to quietly eat hoping that the incident had passed.
"In the future…servant. If it didn't come from my lips…ignore it. I am your master now…your only master. Remember that." Azula announced while she peered down at Elle's prostrate form with stern amber golden eyes.
"As you say, Azula-sama. Always as you. Is there anything else I can do for you?" Elle questioned while peering up at the girl's as they ate their meal.
"All of you clear out…except for you. You will remain to serve us." Azula stated while she grasped at her chopsticks with grace.
The other servants quickly retreated with Lao glancing over her shoulder at Elle's kneeling form silently hoping that the girl didn't dig herself an early grave.
If you asked her...the less attention from Azula the better.
Azula seemed to have taken an interest in her new coworker…
Poor Elle had yet to understand that she will be held to an even higher standard than the rest.
And that…was not worth the cost of being Azula's favorite servant.
'It is not like Azula to order a servant to linger as we eat…' Mai thought while sighing as she continued to eat the hot dish.
Ty Lee was the only one to fidget as she shifted in her seat feeling rather uncomfortable eating before the young girl.
It was one thing when they cooked it and left…but it felt rude to eat the girl's cooking and force her to watch.
"Pour." Azula ordered while holding her hand out lazily as Elle knelt before her throne with a bottle in hand.
Her callous eyes followed the girl's movements.
She begrudgingly admitted that the girl was quite skilled for a new handmaid.
"So…what is your interest in this one? Is it the golden hair?" Mai questioned in a bored voice while peering back at her friend.
"I am not certain I understand what you imply, Mai." Azula spoke while glancing down at her food with cold eyes as she began to cut into it.
"Oh, come on, Azula. This is not like you." Mai stated while gazing down at Elle kneeling before Azula with a baffling cheerful smile about her,
"As I said before. I grow tired of incompetent servants. This one…I have decided to train myself." Azula explained coolly while she turned to peer down at the girl with a refined smile on her lips.
The two friends exchanged puzzled glances when the innocent girl continued to gaze up at their controlling friend with an unnervingly relaxed demeanor.
"She is well behaved…isn't she?" Azula pondered while turning away from the girl to gaze at Ty Lee's uncomfortable face.
"Yes, she is, Azula. Very well behaved." Ty Lee replied while eating her food musing it was indeed delicious.
Finally.
Elle watched Azula take a bite out of the dish that she had been in charge of cooking while her heart began to race dreamily when the princess hummed in approval.
"I don't recall seeing this dish before…" Azula trailed off while her eyes almost lit up as she swallowed a mouthful.
"Hm. You know…neither have I. It is really good!" Ty Lee remarked while gazing at Mai as she nodded quietly in agreement.
"It's a recipe from my homeland, Princess." Elle spoke gently while Azula turned to peer down at her with faint surprise in her gaze.
"Is it? You made this, servant?" Azula questioned in a leveled voice while staring down at her blushing pet.
"Y-yes, Princess. I…heard that you like spicy…so I…thought I would give it a whirl. Um…do you…approve?" Elle mumbled meekly while averting her eyes from the princess seated above her.
"It is…. not bad. I have had better." Azula stated before staring down at her plate while Elle nodded with her cheer still in full force.
She knew that the princess liked it.
When she bit into it…her face said it all.
Once more Azula's friends were taken aback.
It was not like Azula to socialize with a servant.
The princess returned to her meal while periodically ordering Elle to refill their drinks all the while Ty Lee continued to smile at the girl in hopes of expressing gratitude.
By the meals end Azula sat with a fully belly while glancing down at her empty plate for once seemingly satisfied.
"Wasn't that good, Azula?" Ty Lee asked while grinning at her friend as she pushed her plate away.
"I suppose so. I am shocked that there were no mistakes." Azula spoke while holding a hand to her belly as she began to relax in her seat.
She wiped her lip gracefully while gazing down at her kneeling servant through the corner of her eye.
"Refill my drink, servant." Azula commanded while holding her cup to the side as the girl reached up upon command.
"You know, Azula…you should give her a plate." Ty Lee began hesitantly as the princess turned to her with her eyebrows raised elegantly.
Elle blinked over in Ty Lee's direction in surprise while she poured her mistress more wine.
"And why is that, Ty Lee?" Azula answered callously while turning to her childhood friend.
"She has been on good behavior like you said…and it doesn't seem right not to. She has been sitting there quietly watching us eat…it only seems fair." Ty Lee explained while gazing past Mai's calm countenance.
"She is a servant, Ty Lee. My servant. It is her job. And I don't share my food with commoners. That would be beneath me." Azula sneered while glaring down at her silent handmaid with harsh amber golden eyes.
Elle said nothing as she remained on her knees while Ty Lee gazed back at Azula with her mood noticeably plummeting.
It didn't offend her in the least…she was just grateful to be indoors.
So, it puzzled her that the princess's friend would become upset over it.
"I…am going to go home to lay down. I'll see you later, Azula, Mai." Ty Lee stated out of nowhere as both girls gazed on in surprise as she stood up.
"Really? You don't look tired." Azula snorted while rolling her eyes as the other woman smiled warily.
"It has been a long day." Ty Lee responded before striding out of the dining hall with her smile vanishing as soon as she exited the room.
'Why…why does Azula always have to be so mean?' Ty Lee thought with a look of disappointment on her features.
"Whatever. It is not like I care." Azula muttered while swirling her cup with her lone friend sighing heavily.
"I am going to go home as well. Not because I am upset. But because this is beginning to bore me." Mai announced while standing up with Azula staring at her coldly as she strode out as well.
The door closed behind Mai and then just like that.
It was now just Azula and her new handmaid seated with her head bowed before the older girl's throne.
"D-did I do well today, Azula-sama?" Elle pondered timidly while gazing down at Azula's booted feet that shifted in her line of vision.
The princess took another drink of her wine before turning to gaze down at the peasant girl with grudging approval in her stare.
"You have yet to displease me. I suppose…you have been a good pet." Azula admitted in a noticeable break from her merciless sternness that she was using just minutes ago.
"G-good. I am glad. I…want to please…my princess. Always." Elle mumbled only to turn a shade of crimson when a strong hand patted her head.
"Good girl." Azula grumbled grudgingly while peering down at her new pet.
"I adore my princess! I strive to make her smile!" Elle exclaimed innocently while grinning underneath Azula's petting hand.
"How did you get that bruise, servant?" Azula inquired while reaching into her bowl of cherries.
She popped one into her mouth while staring down at the younger girl with a trace of fondness in her eyes.
Now that her friends had ditched her.
She may as well make use of her servant's company.
"Oh! I was living on that street for about seven days. On the first day a man approached me. He told me that he wanted me to come with him because he wanted me to help him with his business." Elle confided while shivering noticeably underneath the woman's hand.
Azula's amber golden eyes continued to peer down at the innocent girl narrowing ever so slightly after hearing those words.
It was just as she thought.
That little golden head of hers.
If she had not claimed her when she did.
Others would have soon claimed her for more…unsavory purposes.
"I-I told him that I was fine. He…eventually left me alone but he kept coming back every day or so. When he came back on the sixth day…I-I told him to please leave me alone. And then he punched me. H-he said that he would be back again the following day to take me away. T-that was supposed to be today, b-but Her Highness rescued me!" Elle stuttered while staring up at Azula's callous visage with a tear trailing down her cheek.
"I…see." Azula sighed while gazing down at the girl's crying face.
She truly was a sensitive little rabbit mouse.
"A-arigatou gozaimasu, Azula-sama. I-I am forever grateful." Elle whispered while the hand patted her head once more.
She sat on the floor with a peaceful smile on her lips as she began to understand that Azula wasn't that bad.
She was just too proud to let others see her kinder side.
"That is good to know, servant. Now no more tears. It annoys me." Azula ordered while glancing down at her handmaid as she continued to stroke her head.
"Yes, Princess! Elle is your good girl!" Elle cheered while wiping at her eyes as she sat on her knees staring up at the elegant woman's pursed lips.
And then to her surprise her princess reached into the bowl of cherries before lowering her hand before her face.
She peered up at the towering princess's callous face with puzzled eyes while the older girl rolled her amber golden eyes in a manner that made her heart race.
"Eat, servant." Azula snorted before staring down in amusement as the girl opened her mouth swallowing the cherry with her little eyes gazing back in gratitude.
"Arigatou gozaimasu Azula-sama!" Elle cried out once more while licking her lips.
It didn't bother her in the least that most would see this as degrading.
She was able to look past that and instead see it as Azula's awkward attempt at showing her kindness.
"You are a cheery little peasant. If that little story that you told me is true…I can't help but notice that you don't even seem too worried about returning home." Azula stated before she fed the girl once more while her new handmaid happily accepted the offering.
"I am a simple soul. I have all that I need now. There is no need to return home. Because I serve Princess Azula now." Elle declared with joy lacing her voice as Azula glanced down in surprise.
"You…would rather stay here to serve me?" Azula questioned with a carefully controlled voice as she gazed down in shock.
"T-that is so Mistress. I don't want to be anywhere else…nowhere but here." Elle spoke with an emotive voice while beaming up at the woman's stern face.
The princess's palm lowered into her hair one more time while she giggled innocently under her strong fingertips.
All the while the ruthless woman gazed on with her lips pursed into a thin line.
"You may take a plate. Feed yourself." Azula announced as she sat back before removing her hand from the girl's head.
"R-really?" Elle blurted out in lovable voice that Azula was quickly finding herself fond of.
"I just said as much did I not?" Azula scoffed while reclining in her seat as she watched the girl shakily stand.
Her cold eyes were scrutinizing the young girl's face once more pondering if she was ill.
Perhaps the girl needed to see a royal physician.
Ordinarily she wouldn't concern herself over a servant's medical care but there was no point in letting a perfectly good servant whittle away.
Especially such a lovely golden servant.
Despite being new.
Elle already seemed more capable than most of the other servants.
"W-where do I eat…on the floor or…do I leave?" Elle requested nervously while the older girl drank her wine regally.
"In a chair. But I warn you…should word of this escape this room…" Azula trailed off while fixing Elle with a terrifying death glare.
"Yes, Your Highness. My lips are sealed." Elle assured as she bowed politely at the waist while smiling warmly at the seated woman.
If there was one trait that Azula was coming to love about this girl.
It was the fact that Elle not only addressed her with the upmost respect.
But the girl put such joy into her every labor.
She could not say the same…for any other servant.
"You are respectful. Possibly the most respectful peasant that I have ever met. Have you interacted with royalty before?" Azula remarked while observing her servant timidly scoop food onto a plate.
"Well, I met a female emperor briefly...only briefly though. But this is how my mother raised me. At least…until she…died…but even so! I was taught to always be polite. It's a skill that has gotten me far in life." Elle answered before shyly seating herself beside her mistress.
"Hm. I see." Azula conversed as she ate another cherry somewhat surprised to hear the girl say that she met a female emperor.
Even briefly.
This was the longest that she has ever spent talking to a peasant.
The most peculiar trait about this peasant was the fact that the girl did not annoy her.
This was the first time that she has had a servant that did not constantly grate on her nerves.
"Did I get all of the cherry pits?" Elle asked slyly causing Azula to glance over with curious amber golden eyes.
In fact.
The princess was almost smirking.
'What a splendid little pet this one is…' Azula thought while inspecting the bowl of cherries to note that each was served flawlessly.
"It would seem that you did. I wasn't aware that you had cooking experience. I must say…you've surprised me." Azula muttered before drinking more of her wine.
"Well, that's good! My research paid off." Elle stated while peering at the princess's furrowing eyebrows.
"Research?" Azula repeated in a deadpan voice as if she was just recalling that the girl had been stalking her.
"Mhm. I was trying to find out what you liked. I…wanted to find a way to give you a gift. I spent a few days scouring the city for as many details on what you liked, and did not like. I heard a cherry pit rumor…so I thought it best to avoid that. Sadly though…I had no funds to purchase you a gift…sumimasen." Elle confessed with reddened cheeks as she gazed over at Azula's taken aback countenance.
She wasn't sure if she should be pleased or angry that the girl essentially spied on her.
Given that it was all to offer further worship at her feet.
She decided on the former.
"Let me see if I have my facts straight. You devoted all of your time and energy in the hopes of sending me a gift…instead of attempting to find a roof to sleep under?" Azula inquired with evident disbelief in her voice.
"T-that's so, Azula-sama. I-I am a whimsical soul. I-I focus on what feels right. G-giving you a gift seemed more important than fussing over my sleeping situation." Elle stammered bashfully while blushing under the woman's scrutinizing stare.
"That doesn't seem very logical. You could have starved trying to afford a princess a proper gift." Azula stated dryly while rolling her eyes at the flushing teenager.
"I-I know, b-but y-you are so beautiful. I-it was all I could think about." Elle admitted lamely while listening to Azula's lovely chuckle flow through the air.
Though Azula did not let it show.
Somewhere deep down she appreciated the girl's sweet words.
"Fix your hair, servant. I liked it better…before." Azula commanded as her lips curved upward while peering at her blushing pet.
"Y-yes, Princess. I will do so at once." Elle assured while reaching behind her to release her hair from the bun.
Then the golden hair spilled down her shoulders in the manner which Azula had come to prefer.
It hung elegantly over the smaller girl's chest while the servant began to eat once more.
Happily smiling all the while even when callous amber golden eyes scrutinized her every move.
It was baffling to Azula but somehow…she enjoyed her time with Elle more than she did with Ty Lee and Mai.
She could not help but think of how bizarre that was while she set her empty cup down.
She found the company of a strange foreign peasant girl to be more desirable.
The girl met her gaze while she folded her palms before her while she sighed under her breath.
Her mind had already come to a conclusion as to why that may be.
This particular peasant wasn't half bad.
Not half bad at all.