AN:
Warning! To anyone with triggers there is light mention of sexual assault and a rape attempt in this chapter. It is a very light mention but I just wanted to warn people.
Also this is about where the chapters start to become longer in length. Starting next chapter and onward the average word count per chapter is 10,000-12,000 words. I have written about 324,000 words so far. I hope everyone can handle the longer chapters. Because it is hard to break the chapters up since I end all of the chapters on a specifically chosen point.
And please review after you read! I like it when people favorite and follow my story, but I would really like to hear from you. Just please try to keep in mind that the story is already about seventy percent written.
A Poem for the Princess - Chapter Five
After Elle had finished eating Azula had dismissed her.
She had been sent back to her servants' quarters where she spent the remainder of her time laying on her back working on her artbook.
Elle quirked her lips while humming thoughtfully as she continued to paint her princess's divine face.
"Hm. It could be better…. couldn't it?" Elle pondered while tilting her head adorably in deep thought.
Even when she was alone her primary thought was always Azula.
She spent so much time on it that she fell asleep with her book in full display upon her lap.
In the early morning Azula strode through the halls of the palace before coming to a stop before the girl's servant quarters.
It was nearly a full hour before her servant was scheduled to get up.
But after waking up herself for some reason she felt like checking to see if the girl was already awake.
Could it be that she actually sought the company of a mere commoner?
For reasons that escaped her she opened the door quietly almost as if she was concerned with waking Elle up too early.
She chalked it up to being concerned about effecting the girl's coming labors in the day ahead.
When the door opened Azula glanced inside the modest room only to sweatdrop when saw Elle sprawled out on her bed snoring.
Elle was laying upon her back with her legs stretched out and a blanket half covering her robed body while her mistress observed her in amusement.
'I am not sure why I expected her to be up earlier than scheduled. Though…I will admit. She is…cute.' Azula thought as she began to close the door.
Only to pause when her amber golden eyes caught the glimpse of a large sketchbook lying face up on the girl's belly.
With her curiosity piqued Azula began to silently stride into the room with her arms folded over her breasts.
And then very carefully as if still fearing waking her pet she lit a small flame in the palm of her hand.
With the room lightly illuminated by her blue fire she gazed down at the petite servant's snoring quietly face.
What she saw in the opened pages of the artwork caused her eyes to widen in surprise.
Paint supplies were scattered about on the floor beside a small container.
And gazing up at her on full display was a painting of her by the lake!
The detail of the piece was simply astounding.
It was almost comparable to the paintings that lined the halls of the palace!
In the painting she was sitting with her legs folded beneath her while she gazed out over the waterside.
The title was in a puzzling foreign print with characters that she was unfamiliar with.
Princess Azula Lakeside.
It took a great deal to take her by surprise but this…
Her little servant had been painting her from the bushes!
And just like that the blue fire vanished while she stood over the slumbering teenager with her cruel eyes once more conveying a rare fondness.
'She…really likes me.' Azula thought with the hints of a blush upon her cheeks as she turned away from Elle while the girl began to roll over in her sleep.
Without further delay the powerful princess began to exit just as quietly as she came.
Her stoic eyes glanced back at the girl's snoring face for a final time before silently closing the door behind her.
And with that Azula walked away with her palms folded behind her back.
Somewhere deep inside of her hardened heart.
She…was truly flattered by Elle's innocent adulation.
She decided that she would keep the details of this little visit to herself.
And she also could not help but wonder…will her handmaid paint her again?
One hour later.
Azula was seated in her study as she listened to the sound of light footsteps approaching her room.
She turned expectantly to see Elle kneeling before her chair with her head bowed low at her feet.
"Ohayō gozaimasu, Azula-sama!" Elle greeted happily while huddling onto the floor with her mistress staring down at her in approval.
"Is that a good morning?" Azula asked in an amused voice while setting her paperwork down.
"It is so, Princess. How may I please you this morning?" Elle answered while the woman turned to gaze down at her with her arms resting on the sides of her throne.
"Go fetch me a hot cup of tea." Azula commanded in a stern voice while peering down at the girl with imposing amber golden eyes.
"Yes, Mistress!" Elle exclaimed before rising from her bow while smiling warmly at Azula's hardened face.
"You may get yourself a cup as well." Azula informed curtly before turning away to focus on her paperwork.
Elle's face broke out into the widest smile that she could manage as she cried out in gratitude.
"A-arigatou gozaimasu! Arigatou, Azula-sama!" Elle cheered with an innocent grin adoring her lips while her mistress glanced at her over her shoulder.
"Keep your voice down! And keep this to yourself, and make certain that you close the door when you return." Azula hissed with her eyes narrowing as she watched the younger girl bow at the waist.
"Understood, Princess! Your secrets are safe with me. I won't tell anyone. Not even under threat of torture." Elle assured as she smiled warmly back at Azula who simply rolled her elegant eyes in response.
And with that the young girl left the study with purpose in her step as she departed for the palace kitchens.
"This peasant has me going soft." Azula snarled under her breath before returning to her morning work.
But even so.
She recalled what she saw this morning…and despite her best efforts to be colder to the girl.
She was finding that she truly enjoyed their interactions as it stands.
If she raised a hand to the pure-hearted girl…then her little handmaid will no longer labor with such undying adoration in her eyes.
Perhaps…fear wasn't the only reliable way.
It was not long before a cup was placed before Azula while she glanced at Elle through the corner of her eye when the girl seated herself beside her throne.
"Don't you want to sit in a chair?" Azula questioned calmly while reaching for her cup.
"No. I would rather sit beside you, Azula-sama. I don't mind the floor. It is closer to you." Elle stated in a genuine voice while sipping her cup.
Azula made no comment to that as she observed the girl lean against the side of her throne.
It was a sight that she decided seemed almost fitting.
"You will receive more training today. This time though…ignore any order that contradicts my will." Azula declared while regally drinking her hot beverage.
"Yes, Azula-sama!" Elle chirped while beaming up at the looming throne when a hand lowered to pat her head.
She began to blush as she sunk back into the base of the large throne as her mistress petted her.
It was a truly strange thing but she didn't mind it when the woman treated her like a precious pet.
"Good girl…" Azula found herself muttering as she ran her fingers through plush blonde tresses while reading the upcoming war plans.
"I-I am Princess Azula's good girl." Elle stuttered in a love-struck voice while closing her eyes in serenity.
For the first time in all her miserable life…she finally felt like she found a place where she belonged.
"I can see that." Azula stated with smugness lacing her voice while clutching the girl's head beneath her palm.
"Azula-sama?" Elle began in a hesitant voice while the older girl closed her eyes with her tea cup in hand.
"What is it, servant?" Azula pondered while making an honest effort to maintain their amicable relations.
"U-um…w-well I…" Elle stammered lamely while she listened to the taller woman snort snidely above her.
"I am a busy woman. I may be…fond of you. Because of that…I am granting you privileges that no other servant will ever taste. I have even been so generous as to allow you to sit beside me. In order to retain these privileges…you will have to learn to be silent when I am working. So, spit it out already." Azula announced while glaring down at her pet with imposing amber golden eyes.
"S-sumimasen, Mistress. B-but I wanted to give you a gift." Elle admitted as she fiddled with her thumbs while Azula peered down at her with marginally widened eyes.
"A gift for me?" Azula asked while turning in her throne to glance down at the shy girl with returning fondness in her gaze.
"T-that is so. I-I wrote you a poem." Elle confided to the princess's surprise while fishing in her pocket for a small paper.
Just as held up the wrinkled paper between her nervous fingers while she averted her eyes from her mistress's taken aback amber golden gaze.
Azula found herself bending over to peer down at the offering with her hardened eyes now staring down at the parchment with a flicker of moved emotion in her gaze.
Once again, her servant's writing was in a compelling foreign print.
'Another land….' Azula thought with her regal brows furrowed in contemplation while she recalled the girl's earlier words.
Before she returned her surprised gaze to her handmaid's bashful face.
"I am not familiar with this manner of writing. Is this the language that your people write in?" Azula questioned in a cold voice with her strict eyes gazing down at her servant's abashed countenance.
"T-that's so, Azula-sama. One of the languages that we write in anyhow." Elle answered in a soft voice as she avoided gazing into the older woman's hypnotic amber golden eyes.
One thing that she noticed ever since she arrived in the Fire Nation was that all text seemed to be written in something similar to Chinese.
And yet somehow, they still spoke the same language.
"I command you to show me how to decipher this foreign written language." Azula ordered in a voice of absolute authority with her domineering eyes gazing down at her pet's lovely face.
Just as the young girl peered up at her with a small smile on her lips.
"Y-yes, Mistress! As you command." Elle piped in a lovably loyal voice while the princess sat above her with a pleased smirk on her lips.
"In the meantime. You will read it for me." Azula spoke in a tone of charismatic dominance as she sat back against her throne with her callous eyes masking her curiosity.
"O-okay. Just p-please don't laugh at me…. I know it is not the best." Elle mumbled in a self-conscious voice while her innocent amber eyes peered down at the paper in her hands.
She just couldn't help herself.
She truly has fallen for this beautiful princess.
"I will do as I please. Such is my right as your mistress." Azula stated in an unfathomably harsh voice with her cold eyes gazing down harshly at her serving girl's nodding face.
Before Elle swallowed the lump that was in her throat as she anxiously held the poem in her shaky fingers.
"I-it is called My P-Princess." Elle announced in a love-struck voice with an adorable shade of pink on her youthful cheeks while the princess fell silent over her shoulder.
And then she chewed on her lower lip after she found the will to continue reading.
"M-my p-princess is the most b-beautiful. For there is none other so r-regal. M-my p-princess your fire burns b-blue. T-there is nothing I want more than to s-serve you. M-my princess beside you I wish to s-stay. T-throughout each and every day. I-I feel that this is where I belong. B-beside m-my p-princess so strong." Elle stuttered in an insecure voice while Azula now sat over her in a speechless silence.
It was all Azula could do to gaze down with a sliver of moved emotion in her ruthless eyes over the little poem that her devoted servant had written for her.
And then she found herself plucking the poem out from between her handmaid's quivering fingers.
Before she set the poem beside her war documents.
While she turned to gaze back down at her embarrassed serving girl with astonished amber golden eyes.
She was truly taken aback by the girl's seeming undying adoration for her.
Not only did her pet paint her by the lakeside.
She has even written her a poem.
"Servant." Azula spoke in an authoritative voice while she peered down at her self-conscious pet.
"M-Mistress?" Elle answered as she still sat nervously twirling her thumbs.
While the princess found herself unable to fight the fond smirk that crept onto her lips as soon as the girl called her mistress with such a lovable stutter.
And then she sipped her tea once more while she casually planted her palm down upon her servant girl's lovely blonde head.
"That was well written." Azula commented with her lovely lips curving upward in approval while petting the girl with a possessive hand.
"I-I am overjoyed that you think so…w-would it be inappropriate if I wrote you more?" Elle requested as she sat against the throne with her face as red as a tomato.
"Typically, it is considered improper for a servant to make advances on her mistress. As it is beneath a princess to accept gifts from a commoner." Azula remarked aloofly while she felt the girl glumly slump beneath her hand.
"S-sumimasen, Azula-sama…if I have offended you." Elle murmured in understanding as she clutched at her cup.
She understood that the princess was far above her…
It was just so difficult to resist expressing just how much she adored Princess Azula.
She could only scold herself all the while mulling over that she was fortunate to even have a place beside such a wonderful woman.
"That being said…it is just as inappropriate for a commoner to give a princess a flower. You have been breaching laws of common conduct ever since I met you. If I had any issues with it…I can assure you I would have corrected your behavior by now." Azula announced as she took another drink of her beverage while patting Elle's stunned head once again.
"I…am glad. Then I will continue to write you more…my princess." Elle answered in a meaningful voice while a warm smile spread across her lips as she savored the head pat.
The princess peered down at her new companion with hardened amber golden eyes while silently wondering why this peasant of hers was so loyal.
"Tell me, peasant…what is it that you like so much about me?" Azula inquired in a curious voice as she shifted in her seat to glance down at the girl.
"Uh…" Elle trailed off lamely while gulping with the woman seated above her with a smug smirk on her lovely lips.
"Other than my divine beauty of course." Azula stated with evident hubris in her voice while waving a hand before her.
"You won't…make fun of me, will you?" Elle requested shyly while Azula peered down at her with her usual imposing stare.
"Kindness isn't a trait that I am known for…and yet I have been merciful with you. When I ask you a question…you will answer it. Is that understood, servant?" Azula spoke with her spare hand resting on her thigh as she gazed down at the nervous girl.
"Yes, Mistress Azula." Elle agreed with a rising smile on her lips while the woman patted her head once more.
That was her princess's way of letting her know that she won't mock her.
"Good girl…now that pleases me." Azula purred in a seductive voice while running her fingernails through her trembling pet's soft hair.
Even she can't deny that this girl made for a fine pet.
A lovely little handmaid that worshiped her with every fiber of her being. What's not to love about that?
"Everything really…there is…so much that I like about you. But…the of the traits that I admire most…is that you are so fearless." Elle mumbled with pink twinging her cheeks while Azula glanced down at her in amusement.
"Of course, fear is for the weak." Azula stated pridefully while puffing out her chest as she continued to toy with her servant's hair.
"We are polar opposites…and I think…that is why I am so drawn to you." Elle commented while peering up at the seated woman with stunningly peaceful amber eyes.
"Is that it? You admire my strength because you are weak?" Azula questioned curtly while glancing down at the younger girl with unyielding eyes.
"I…don't fit in with the rest of the world. I am…not like the rest…you see. But I feel like I belong right here…beside you. It…probably has a lot to do with my mindset." Elle admitted quietly while staring up at the older girl's stony countenance.
"Your mindset?" Azula found herself pondering while leaning back upon her throne placing one leg over the other.
Who would have ever thought that she would spend this much time talking with a peasant?
"Ever since I was little, I've found myself inevitably drawn to the darkness…I have the ability to empathize with the sort of people that…most people consider immoral…or bad." Elle answered while sinking into her knees with the older girl glancing down at her with curiosity in her gaze.
"You can empathize with me? You do know that I am not a kind person…don't you? This…is not how I usually treat people…" Azula remarked while waving her right hand before her yet finding herself intrigued by the girl's personality all the same.
Perhaps…there was more to this simple peasant girl than she had initially thought.
"I can, Azula-sama. It is as I just told you. I am rather gifted at…understanding things from an angle most would never consider." Elle spoke softly while peering up at surprised amber golden eyes.
"I must admit you've piqued my interests…tell me more, servant." Azula purred while leaning down over her handmaid's tiny form.
This was yet another first for her.
No one has ever told her that they could emphasize with her.
"I have heard people muttering on the street…I have heard people talk about you. Your own citizens…in this very capital talk about you." Elle stated quietly while amber golden eyes narrowed with faint anger in her stare.
"Oh? Just where are these people?" Azula asked in a glacial voice while glaring down at her petite pet's still smiling face.
"Some people in the city…say that the Royal Family is cruel. They say that you and your father don't care that the wartime tax is hurting people." Elle responded while still peering back up at the princess's thin scowl.
"They are not wrong…I am a monster. Though…I very much doubt that these detractors would ever have the courage to say as such to Father or myself." Azula declared with her eyes gazing ahead with a callousness to their glint.
Perhaps…it was time to search for traitors in the Capital?
"Yes well…when you wander the streets of a city for several weeks you tend to hear things. Things that you never would have heard as if you were nothing more than a wandering ghost. But I disagree with them." Elle announced to the princess's disbelief as she peered up into her mistress's eyes.
"You do?" Azula pondered in a calmer voice while finding it baffling that she even cared what this peasant thought of her.
And yet…somehow, she did. She…didn't want Elle to think less of her.
"I can't speak for your father. But I don't think that you are a monster at all! I think that you are a person…neither good nor bad…a result of your circumstances." Elle assured as she reached up to grasp at her shocked mistress's hovering hand.
The princess sat with her hand being grasped by the smaller girl while letting the words sink in.
"An interesting deduction…but incorrect. Though I do enjoy your naïve little musings…" Azula trailed off with her lovely lips curving into a cold smirk.
"Arigatou gozaimasu, Azula-sama! I enjoy your company as well!" Elle cheered up at her mistress with an expression of warmth in her eyes.
"This isn't a leisure hangout, peasant! You are my servant. I am your mistress. Never forget that." Azula spoke in an unyielding voice while grasping at her pet's hair with a sterner grip.
"How could I ever forget? I…am so happy to be yours, Princess. May…we talk for a while longer?" Elle giggled out softly while Azula's icy eyes peered down at her grasping at her head.
She blushed once more when the dominant woman compressed her beneath her stern grip as if stating once more that she was hers.
"I will permit it. If only because you are a well-behaved pet." Azula sighed while brushing her hair from her eyes.
"Your Highness, may I tell you more about myself?" Elle questioned while beaming up at the ruthless woman's cold countenance.
"Why not? You must have some riveting peasant tales to tell." Azula commented dryly while scanning her fingernails with haughtiness in her stare.
"Mhm, you know I once aspired to study psychology…either that or become a professional artist. When I got older…I was going to seek greater enlightenment by pursuing higher education." Elle confessed in a softer voice while she glanced up into Azula's taken aback eyes.
That…she did not expect her servant to say.
The girl's desire to become a professional artist did not surprise her.
But her handmaid's interest in psychology on the other hand. That was another matter.
"Is that so? What stopped you? Did you decide that you wanted to serve me even before we even met?" Azula remarked with a strangely at ease voice as she mulled over her servant's words.
"No. It was all ruined…by one of the only two people that I fear." Elle replied in a quieter voice while swallowing with evident discomfort in her voice.
"Just two people? Is the second individual me?" Azula questioned with a guarded voice while glaring down at the smaller girl once more.
"No, I do not fear you, Azula-sama. Nor do I fear your father. Two people with superhuman ability that could kill me with ease, and yet I can speak to one of two without trembling. It is…ironic really." Elle explained in a reflective voice while Azula narrowed her eyes imposingly down at her.
And then without speaking the princess removed her hand from the girl's head.
As she then hovered it methodically in the air with a small flame that she began to masterfully generate at her fingertips.
"I should burn you just for saying those words. Then peasant…we will see how fearless you truly are…" Azula hissed as she trailed her fingers inches above the girl's hair with fire burning at her fingertips.
Yet even with her fire coated palm hovered above Elle's head she found herself surprised by the handmaid's lack of fear.
Any other servant would have been pleading not to be burned by now.
"The man that I fear most…is much more frightening than anyone else. He…possesses no superhuman ability to speak of. He is not an assassin…and he is not royalty. He is…a man of average height…he wears glasses. His…hair is blond…and his smile…" Elle trailed off while staring down at her feet with evident discomfort in her stare.
"How terrifying…and for a moment there I thought that you were onto something." Azula snorted while rolling her elegant eyes down at her trembling servant.
Though it was clear that this man did something to her servant to leave such a long-lasting impression.
Even with her bending burning above Elle's head she was shaking not out of fear of being burned.
But…out of fear of this man!
"I grew up with him. After my mother died…when I was little…and then soon after…Father. He became my legal guardian." Elle explained while trembling ever so faintly even when the woman's bending was extinguished.
"So, you were abused by an adoptive parent?" Azula questioned as she frowned while pondering why she even cared if the girl was abused.
She's just a servant…and nothing more.
"H-he used to hold me over a cage of beasts…if I fell, they would have eaten me. But he would smile and taunt me all the same. A-and he would never stop until I cried." Elle announced with a noticeably glummer voice with the princess gazing down in surprise.
Suffice to say Azula was not expecting abuse…that graphic.
Yet once again…she couldn't help but feel a twinge of concern for her doting servant.
"Ugh. Quit your cowering, peasant. This man is not present with you. I am." Azula declared in a stony voice while frowning down at her shaking pet.
"B-but, Azula-sama. He…tried to take my clothes off…" Elle whimpered while averting her frightened eyes from her mistress's harsh gaze.
For reasons that Azula could not explain her eyes were shimmering with a margin of anger as she reclined in her throne with her lips pursed in a thin line.
Perhaps it was because she has taken an interest in the younger girl or maybe it was because she has already claimed the peasant as hers.
The girl belonged to her and it did not please her to hear that this man tried to touch what was hers.
'Even if the girl should prove to be of no interest to me romantically…she is still mine. Even if she is but a palace handmaid…this girl belongs to me.' Azula thought with her amber golden eyes narrowing into an imposing death stare.
"Did…he…" Azula trailed off while finding herself strangely watching her tone of voice as she glanced down at the trembling girl.
"N-no. I tried to stab him. He…would not get off of me so I tried to put a knife in his neck." Elle stuttered with a tear streaming down her cheek.
All the while the princess listened…finding herself strangely hesitant to speak.
Azula glanced down at the smaller girl with a thoughtful countenance finding herself rather surprised by the girl's admission.
If she were being honest…Elle did not seem like the sort of person to have it in her to harm someone.
Perhaps…that was yet another peculiar thing about this girl that has drawn her interest?
"Sumimasen…P-Princess. I'll shut up now." Elle muttered while Azula glanced down at her rolling her eyes.
"Servant…you don't have the right to make your own decisions. You gave that up the moment you knelt before me." Azula remarked casually while taking another drink of her tea.
To her puzzlement, the small blonde glanced up at her briefly sniffling with a bit more cheer than before.
It was odd to Azula…to see someone so happy to be in her presence.
"T-that's so. I defer to Azula-sama's will." Elle responded while peering up at the older girl with loyal amber eyes.
"Hm. In that we are in agreement. Now…I am being generous enough to listen to your…blubbering. The least you could do is refrain from it consuming my entire morning." Azula announced while turning to peer down at her seated servant.
"As you say, Azula-sama. My…attempt was poorly executed…he was mostly unharmed. I…locked him in my bedroom, and got out. He…is the only person that I have ever tried to harm." Elle spoke as she peered back down at her knees with a frown still adorning her lips.
"Well then, it is a good thing that you aren't my bodyguard." Azula snorted snidely while staring down at the girl with cold amber golden eyes.
"We truly are opposites…you see. I don't believe in violence. I suppose you could say that I am a pacifist. I…don't ever want to harm another person…or any living creature. I believe…that one day people will come together as one…instead of butchering each other." Elle confided while chewing on her lip as she listened to the woman laugh derisively.
"A pacifist? You are even more naïve than I first thought you to be." Azula sneered while still peering down at the girl's huddled form with grudgingly intrigued eyes.
"I know. But that is just how I am. I…try to see the best in people. Even…the darkest sorts of people." Elle answered while gazing over her shoulder at her princess's looming throne.
"Is that it? You think that there is…good in me…but not this man?" Azula replied while holding her cup with her stony face never leaving the tiny girl's face.
"Yes…he is a wretched man devoid of any redeeming qualities. He exists…solely to derive pleasure off of other's fear." Elle said while her mistress quirked a brow in amusement.
"Really? It sounds like me and him may have a good deal in common." Azula commented while smirking as she watched her servant shiver in evident fear.
That will teach her to say that she doesn't fear her.
"No…Your Highness…no you do not. He…is a perverse predator of the worst sort." Elle stated as she clutched at her cup.
"Oh, there is more than one kind?" Azula asked aloofly while gazing between her handmaid and her paperwork.
"Felix…likes them young. Very young. He…used to invite little kids out to the family estate…just to make them cry. Usually…he would tell them that their parents have abandoned them. I…once saw him wipe the tears from a little boy's face…and then…he tasted it." Elle explained to the woman's further surprise.
The man was perhaps more twisted than Azula first thought…
"Licking tears? That's highly unhygienic. As if I would ever lick the faces of dirty commoners." Azula scoffed with her nose wrinkling in a margin of repugnance.
"I…had acquired the means to pursue my dream. But…he stripped me of all access to my education when I started telling people what he was…doing to the little boys and girls." Elle spoke while taking a nervous drink of her beverage.
"And what then?" Azula pondered in a stoic tone while finding herself somewhat taken aback by the girl's experiences.
"I…ran away on that very night. And then I traveled for a month or two…mostly by myself. And then at some point…I passed out in a forest, and then I somehow awoke to find myself in the Fire Nation." Elle told her mistress while swallowing her drink.
"I see. I must say that was quite the intriguing little tale. More than I expected…anyhow." Azula remarked while resting her face in the palm of her hand.
"That man…is my brother…my brother Felix." Elle admitted in a trembling voice at long last with tears trailing down her cheeks while the princess's amber golden eyes widened in surprise.
Even a person as frigid as Azula knew that it was disgusting for a brother to try to take his sister's virginity.
Azula wasn't certain why she even bothered to do so.
But…
"Servant. I command you to look up at me." Azula commanded while leaning over her throne to peer down at the cowering girl.
"I-if Her Highness says look up. I look up." Elle stuttered while turning to peer up at her princess's towering form.
For some inexplicable reason Azula found herself greatly pleased by Elle's devoted response.
"That's a good girl…now I want you to calm down." Azula cooed in a soothingly charismatic voice as she shifted her bottom upon her throne while possessively grasping ahold of the girl's chin.
"Yes, Princess…I obey." Elle mumbled as she sunk to her knees before her mistress's seated form with her controlling hand forcing her to peer upward.
'Playing the kind mistress with this girl does get a bit tedious …yet I cannot deny that I enjoy the girl's worshipful behavior…I suppose I will just play along…' Azula mused before shrugging as she grasped at her pet's fragile face.
"No more waterworks. Is that understood, servant?" Azula declared in a domineering voice while staring down at the bowing girl.
"Wakarimashita…Azula-sama." Elle agreed while falling forward with her face pressed into the older girl's knee.
Then her heart began to speed up when she felt fingers dance through her hair.
"Good. You are a needy little peasant…consider yourself fortunate that I have taking a liking to you." Azula sighed while petting the smaller girl's head as she savored the girl's kitten like behavior.
"Azula-sama…may I make a request of you?" Elle pondered with her head inclined in a show of respect for her princess.
She didn't even dare to look the woman in the eyes.
She knew that it was only proper to bow her head when asking anything of her mistress.
"Ordinarily…it is considered impetuous for a peasant to make a request of her princess." Azula replied while finding her lips curving into a gratified smile as she enjoyed how Elle melted beneath her palm.
"Sumimasen…Your Highness." Elle murmured while lowering her eyes to peer down at the woman's elegant boots.
"But I am feeling charitable…so out with it." Azula stated while waving a hand before her as she smirked down at her prostrated pet.
"W-would you…would you protect your loyal servant…if s-someone tries to take her shirt off?" Elle requested timidly while Azula glanced down at her with marginally widening eyes.
Though as always Azula was fast to recover instead gazing down at the younger girl with a domineering stare.
"If any other servant were to be so brazen as to ask for my protection…I would banish them in retaliation…" Azula trailed off in a contemplative voice while furrowing her brows down at Elle's kneeling form.
The small blonde said nothing as she felt her breathe hitch when the divine woman grasped roughly at the back of her head.
Then she was forced to gaze upward once again while a twinge of redness shot down her cheeks as she shivered under Azula's piercing gaze.
"But you belong to me now…you are mine. Do you understand? If anyone should be so foolish as to touch what belongs to me…I would kill them without hesitation." Azula announced while glaring down at her quivering handmaid with a possessive countenance.
It was strange…but has decided that this handmaid was hers and hers alone.
She will serve only her.
She will give flowers to no one but herself.
She will write poems for only her princess.
And she will paint no one. No one but her mistress.
She was hers and hers alone.
"A-arigatou gozaimasu, Azula-sama." Elle whispered happily while she began to peer up at her mistress with a rising smile.
"Just…keep up the good behavior…do not displease me." Azula grumbled with her lips pursed into a scowl as she held onto her handmaid's little head.
"I…would never. You know…I think I finally have my answer…I know what it is that I like most about you." Elle spoke gently while still gazing up at Azula's frowning face.
"Hm? Tell me." Azula demanded while leaning forward as she loomed over her small handmaid.
Somehow…she was eager to hear just what it was that had this peasant so love-struck by her presence alone.
"All of my life I have been afraid…afraid of my own brother. You…you are so bold…so mighty. You…y-you give me courage, Azula-sama. Y-you inspire me." Elle confessed in a heartfelt voice while staring up into taken aback amber golden eyes.
Even a woman as cruel as Azula…couldn't deny that she felt a twinge of moved emotion somewhere deep down inside of her.
It was yet another first…of many from this bizarre girl known as Elle.
Someone…was inspired by her.
Someone…innocent.
"I see…you find comfort in my superior strength. Well…you are a feeble little girl. I suppose that makes sense. If standing in my shadow makes you feel better…then so be it." Azula answered as she set her empty tea cup down upon her desk before turning to meet her servant's smiling face.
"This is where I belong! With Azula-sama!" Elle cheered with a widening grin on her lips as she beamed up at her mistress's reclining visage.
"On that we can also agree." Azula purred while petting her handmaid's hair with long fingers that conveyed who owned the girl.
"Oh…P-Princess…" Elle murmured while flushing shyly as the strong palm patted her head dominantly.
That was when a loud growling sound reverberated through the air as both girls suddenly found themselves peering at the princess's stomach in response.
Elle knew her place by gaze alone when Azula's eyes shifted down to her with her eyes already conveying her desire.
It was her place to satisfy Azula's each and every desire.
"Servant! I am hungry!" Azula barked with sadistic delight in her voice as she watched the girl scramble to stand as fast as possible.
If she didn't know any better her pet was already starting to stand before she even opened her mouth.
"Yes, Mistress Azula! How may I please you?" Elle exclaimed as she leaped to her feet before she bowed while her mistress stared back at her in approval.
"Go fetch me a suitable breakfast. Bring it back here within…oh thirty minutes. If you are late…I will punish you." Azula explained with a smirk adorning her refined lips.
"Yes! I will not be late! Her Highness's belly must be nourished!" Elle cried out with a genuine cheer while the woman gazed at her with entertained eyes.
"Indeed, it must. It pleases me that you see things my way." Azula stated sternly while leaning back upon her plush throne before staring on curiously when her pet reached into her robe pocket.
"Is…there any particular beverage that Her Highness desires?" Elle asked with an attentive demeanor as she withdrew a small pen and book much to her mistress's satisfaction.
"Are you recording my likes and dislikes?" Azula questioned with smugness lacing her voice while her servant clutched at the book with an adorable bashfulness about her.
"I-it is so." Elle mumbled with redness traveling down her heated face.
"What a splendid little pet you are." Azula purred while nodding in approval as she watched her handmaid bow rapidly much to her pleasure.
"I am overjoyed that you think so, Princess." Elle replied shyly with her arm held out before her as she smiled softly.
"I would like orange juice…" Azula remarked lazily with her face in the palm of her hand.
"Orange juice. Understood." Elle muttered while opening her eyes as she recorded the note while humming joyfully.
"And if you can keep it to yourself…you may bring yourself back a plate as well." Azula commanded while peering at her servant with a stony countenance.
"I-I get to have breakfast with you, Princess?" Elle inquired in an awestruck voice while Azula glanced back at her rolling her eyes in the manner she has come to savor.
"I just said as much. Did I not? Now get going. I am dreadfully hungry." Azula spoke while adjusting herself in her seat as her belly growled once more.
"As you command, Azula-sama! I will see the mission through no matter the cost!" Elle shouted while saluting the woman's callous form before turning to rush out.
"Oh, and I almost forgot…I will tolerate this…behavior when we are in private. But at any other time…this will not be acceptable." Azula called out with her hand resting in her lap as she gazed at the girl's back.
"Yes, Princess, this servant understands." Elle agreed while turning to bow once more with amber golden eyes lazily peering back at her.
"Good. And you keep your little…writings between us. My father would not approve." Azula declared while reaching down to collect the poem with a cold gleam in her eyes.
"Between me, and Her Highness only." Elle repeated with her back bent as she nodded her head in understanding.
Then her ears picked up a third and final rumbling of the princess's belly before she rapidly straightened already sensing the dominant woman's demanding eyes upon her.
"The timer starts…now." Azula informed while glancing at her clock before turning to her handmaid as she smugly observed Elle speed out the door.
"I promise that I will not be late, Azula-sama. I shall return to your side promptly." Elle assured while she turned to respectfully bow a final time.
Then she closed the door behind her while Azula sat with the poem curled up within her palm.
Now that she was alone, she unraveled the poem while she gazed down at the contents with unnaturally moved amber golden eyes.
While she found herself having great difficulty fighting the blush that arose onto her regal cheeks as she recalled her little servant's heartfelt words.
Then without further delay she slid the paper into her pocket while sinking back upon her backside as she sighed once more.
'Father cannot hear of this…if he does…' Azula thought as her lips curved into another frown.
He would not approve of another girl making little romantic advancements on her.
Much less a little foreign peasant girl no less.
And even worse.
He would not approve of her taking such an interest in this new little exotic handmaid of hers.
A girl showing interest in another girl was not approved of in the eyes of society.
Especially for a woman of royal birth.
Much less the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation.
While she knew that he would not execute the girl because of the enigma behind her existence.
She has no doubt that he would punish the girl severely regardless for making advancements on her.
Yet most puzzling of all…
Why did such a thought bother her?
She was not certain…
But it was how she felt all the same.
AN:
The text for the poem is below:
My Princess,
My princess is the most beautiful
For there is none other so regal
My princess your fire burns blue
There is nothing I want more than to serve you
My princess beside you I wish to stay
Throughout each and every day
I feel that this is where I belong
Beside my princess so strong