Huang smiled as he watched the small princess work with pride. She had come far since she first started coming here, and he was pleased with his part in her progress.
But he would be lying if he said he understood what her current project was.
"...What are you doing, princess?" He asked hesitantly, wincing as he looked at the stockpiled material next to her station. While the palace artisans had no shortage of resources provided to them, his heart was silently grieving the waste of such fine leather.
"I am working on another saddle," Azula said casually, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. Huang almost believed he was making a mistake in the face of her self-assurance, but one look at the pile, which was taller than the girl, set his mind at ease. It was just the princess that was going crazy, not him.
What a relief.
Shaking his head, he prepared himself to question her further, though he knew that there was no hope of convincing her to stop now. Once the girl had an idea in her head, he found it was damn near impossible to stop her.
"And what is this saddle for? Another ostrich horse?" He did not attempt to hide his sarcasm, despite how improper it was in the face of royalty. Thoughts of impropriety had left him in the early stages of this strange arrangement, and this… project did not inspire him to fix that.
Plus it was fun to tease the princess.
Hiding his smile, he watched as her eyebrow twitched, the only indication she gave to her annoyance. She was good at remaining composed, but she had too much passion and pride to completely ignore a slight.
She turned and gave him a sweet smile, though coming from her it looked more like she was contemplating ways to… get rid of him. What an ominous eleven-year-old. "No, this one is for me. It is meant to be for decoration."
That made sense, Huang supposed. The only animal the saddle would fit that he could think of off the top of his head was a dragon, which was impossible since they were extinct. Still, a saddle for decoration? "I worry for the man who has to deal with your decoration skills."
Huang laughed at his joke, oblivious to the distant look that briefly crossed the princess's face before it passed. She scoffed at her older friend. "You are just an overgrown manchild aren't you?" She said in a snappish tone as she focused on her project once more.
The craftsman merely tussled her hair in response to her words, ignoring the resentful glare he received for the action. As much as she expressed her dislike towards such actions, she never actually told him to stop.
"I'm just saying, this saddle is a bit…" He took a quick glance at the sketch the girl had drawn up, the measurements almost comically large. "...Big for furniture." Huang finished lamely.
Apparently, that had been the last straw for the girl who set down her tools, turning towards him to no doubt (dramatically) tell him off. Fortunately for the man, he was saved before the princess could go off on him.
"Oi, lay off Huang. If the kid wants to make a saddle then let her." A raspy, laidback voice spoke from beside the two. Turning his head, Huang spotted his fellow artisan and irksome friend, Jun making his way towards them, one scarred hand holding his smoking pipe with the other behind his back.
Azula huffed imperiously, eyeing the new addition with a look that was simultaneously thankful and irritated. "I am not a kid." She said testily, though this only caused Jun to chuckle, unbothered by the smoke he was releasing as he did so. The man had something of an addiction to the substance.
"Sure you're not, little lady, just like I'm not an overworked middle-aged man," Jun said sarcastically, smirking as he pointed toward his rather deep eye bags. Haung sighed in response to the other man's words as he watched him take a drag from his pipe. As much as he respected his fellow artisan, he had a habit of complaining far too much about actually doing his work.
"Yeah yeah we get it Jun," Huang said tiredly before his curiosity caught up with him. "What are you doing here? Not trying to poach my student are you?" His tone was mostly in jest, but it had a slightly serious edge.
Azula had been coming to the section of the palace grounds dedicated to artisans for over a year now. In that time she had met several of his peers with varying levels of success, though she primarily interacted with Huang. This was partly out of her desire and his own machinations.
While he doubted it would happen, Huang wouldn't put it past some of his peers to attempt to get close to the girl and gain her favor. Luckily that hadn't happened, and he knew Jun would be one of the last to try something like that. Of the people she had met, the sarcastic chain smoker had -somehow- connected with her best.
Besides, Huang doubted a scheme like that would work anyway. The princess was sharp, and she wasn't one to trust that easily. Though it was irrelevant either way in this case. Huang had a pretty good idea what the other man was here for.
"Nothing like that just came to drop something off." For the first time since he joined the conversation, the dark-haired man looked embarrassed. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly as his other hand stretched out, his pipe hanging loosely in his mouth. Huang had to bite back a guffaw at the pink box he possessed, complete with a decorative bow on top.
Noticing his reaction, Jun scowled at him, but soon he turned his eyes towards the stunned princess. She was looking at the box with wide eyes, her mouth slightly parted as she found herself at a loss for words. She looked hilariously out of her depth, and Huang was forced to put his knuckle in his mouth to stifle his laughter as he observed the scene.
The girl took the box, her eyes widening slightly as she got a whiff of the pleasant aroma coming from it. With swift movements she untied the bow and opened the box, her eyes dilating slightly as she laid eyes on its contents.
"Me and some of the guys noticed you were looking a little down lately," He began, taking care not to mention the obvious cause of the girl's recent troubles. "My wife is one of the kitchen cooks and she mentioned you liked mochi, and so… yeah." He finished lamely, looking away from the gift receiver.
He received no response for a few seconds before he registered the sound of movement from in front of him. Looking toward her, his eyes widened slightly and he snorted in amusement as he took in the scene before him.
The princess had enthusiastically torn into one of the deserts, her cheeks slightly puffed out as she ate the delectable treat. She seemed in her own world, momentarily oblivious to the two men who were barely containing their amusement.
Azula finished the first of the mochi quickly with a satisfied sigh before opening her eyes once more. She seemed to remember where she was and, like the proper princess she was, quickly recollected herself once more. Though she looked as regal as always, Huang spotted the slight dusting of red on her cheek at her behavior.
'It's a shame she can't act like that more often.' Huang thought to himself somewhat cynically.
He focused back on the girl as she cleared her throat and gave Jun a slight nod that was accompanied by a smile, which for her may as well have been jumping around in joy. "Thank you for the gift, Jun. Tell your wife that they are delicious."
Jun nodded in acknowledgment as he smiled softly, taking another drag from his pipe. "I'll be sure to let her know." As he released the smoke, he took a look at her design and notes for the saddle, giving an approving hum at what he saw. "You have a pretty good design kid. It would be troublesome, but let me know if you need any help with it."
Azula gave him a fiery scowl at being called 'kid' but still gave a nod that indicated her understanding. "I'll keep that in mind. It would do you good to actually do some work every once in a while."
Her pointed comment, accompanied by a smirk, caused Jun's eye to twitch in irritation. He opened his mouth to respond, but Huang tuned him out, not too interested in their little spat.
In the privacy of his mind, Huang considered the other man's offer of help. He doubted that the princess would take him up on the proposal. The girl was fiercely independent, and at best she would merely ask for his help with the heavy lifting. 'From mentor to a simple aide. Where does the time go?'
Ignorant of his despair, Jun departed with a final goodbye, leaving the two in silence once more. Huang turned his eyes to the princess who was once more staring at the desert, though her eyes were more mystified than greedy. The man sighed as he set a hand on her shoulder, causing her to jolt slightly.
He met her gaze when she turned curious golden eyes towards him, an understanding smile on his face. "Is there a puzzle on the box that I missed?"
Azula huffed slightly at his lame joke, but she seemed to be considering his question. He gave her the time she needed to organize her thoughts, distracting himself by looking over the scroll her designs were drawn on.
Jun was right, they were quite good. The measurements were concise, the design simple but elegant, and with various angles drawn out. The princess had a notable talent for planning things out thoroughly. If Huang was being honest, it was probably better than he could have drawn out, though that was mainly because he was more of a hands-on person.
Still, for simply being 'decoration' the design was very practical. Along with its clear functionality, it also had further additions than her first creation. There were several places for bags on both sides, and it was proportionally longer than the first, almost like it was designed for more people…
If this was just furniture, then why design it with add-ons that would only take away from its appearance? He may have been overthinking things, but this well thought out idea did not match her word.
His thoughts were cut off as he felt the girl move to, almost reverently, set the box down on her workstation. She met his eyes once more, as she voiced her thoughts. "Not that I don't appreciate the gift, but why? Jun said he and the others talked about it, so I assume you knew." She accused without any heat.
Huang smiled as he nodded his head, not bothering to deny the observation. Though he was slightly saddened that such a simple gesture confused her, he would do his best to explain it to the kid.
"It's not very complex princess," He began, getting the girl to narrow her eyes. He almost snorted at her predictable response towards something going over her head. "We, and I do mean most of us, were worried about you."
Though her presence was an odd addition to the small group of master artisans, most of them had enjoyed her company for one reason or another. Seeing her with an almost visible cloud above her head, despite her best intentions to hide it, had been concerning. Doing something, even as small as gifting her her favorite food, had been quickly agreed upon.
Azula sighed, her eyes seeming to dull slightly at his words. She looked almost bored as she spoke slowly and mechanically, "I am fi-"
"I'm not saying you aren't." Huang cut her off, something he would not have dreamed of doing to royalty a year ago. "But what happened to your brother was awful. Anyone would struggle if they were in your shoes."
Huang didn't have any siblings, but he did have his family. The thought of losing any of them was almost physically painful. He doubted he would have handled it half as well as the girl before him did. "You're a strong kid, but it's okay to lean on others. Just like it's natural to want to support those you care about." He motioned to the ornate box that looked out of place amongst the various tools and materials.
The princess relaxed at his words, a softer look making its way onto her face as she once more took in the simple gift. He was glad that she seemed to understand his words, not taking them as an insult to her strength. "Maybe," She said after a moment, her voice warmer than normal. Until it wasn't that is.
"Now, I think it's time to get back to work." She said after a moment, her sudden shift in energy causing Huang to blink in surprise. Before he could say something in return though, he found a paper list being shoved towards his face. "I need you to go fetch these for me."
The artisan stared at the girl, who had already turned back to her workstation, blinking as his mind tried to catch up with her words. When they did, he began to formulate a response before it died on his lips at the sight of the girl reaching for the box of mochi. Sighing to himself, he looked down at the list and slowly made his way to gather the necessary items, ignoring the laughter that came from his peers who had been in earshot.
"Damn kid, no respect for her mentor…" He continued grumbling as he made his way down the list, oblivious to the mischievous and grateful smile Azula wore.
Line Break
Ty Lee watched in frustration as Mai walked away at a brisk pace, leaving her alone with Azula.
This was getting really frustrating.
Ty Lee was a very social girl and, even without the help of her aura reading, could understand people well. She was not oblivious to the growing connection between her two best friends, though she wished she could say the same for them. Her royal friend in particular.
She had caught her older friend staring at Azula with oddly passionate eyes for… years now, though the emotion behind them had shifted recently. Where before there was simple admiration, now there was something more. Affection, bundled together with happiness that had caused Ty Lee to squeal on more than one occasion in joy.
It was clear to Ty Lee that Mai had a crush on Azula, backed by the uncharacteristic brightness that colored her silent friend's aura when near the princess. Her joy had only increased when she realized that Mai also knew if the way she acted when around the master firebender was any indication. It was so awesome!
Unfortunately, Azula was not so quick on the uptake.
Staring at the girl's inquisition with her expressive grey eyes, Ty Lee felt like slamming her face into a wall. Maybe that was a little dramatic, but could you blame her!?
Azula was still staring at where Mai had left them in befuddlement, looking like she was trying to solve some complex puzzle. Knowing her friend as she did, Ty Lee could practically see her genius mind moving at light speed, completely missing how obvious the answer was.
Yes, Mai had long since figured out her feelings, but Ty Lee was beginning to doubt the princess ever would. Maybe it wasn't so surprising. While she had been much more sociable this last year than ever before, she still struggled with social cues. Ty Lee would have found it endearing if it didn't leave her so oblivious.
Taking a moment to breathe, Ty Lee tried to calm herself, trying to find the patience she had always lacked. Maybe if she just gave the princess time she would-
"What's gotten into her?" Azula asked, apparently having given up on figuring the soon-to-be 12-year-old out on her own. Ty Lee met her eyes for a second before casually looking around, desperately trying to find the nearest, sturdiest wall she could.
'You know what? Forget what I was thinking. I can't do this anymore!' She whined in her head, reaching out to grab her friend's hand. "Come with me." She said tonelessly, practically dragging the princess behind her.
"Hey wait! What are you…"
Ty Lee ignored her friend's protest along with the curious eyes that were following them as she made her way to a secluded spot in their school's garden. She would normally never drag her friend like this, but desperate times called for desperate measures right?
After a few seconds, she reached her desired spot, taking a moment to see if there was anyone else around. Seeing that there was no one in the vicinity, she released the iron grip she had on Azula's hand. "This will work."
The princess just raised a curious eyebrow, crossing her arms as she glared at the acrobat. "I hope you have a reason for dragging me over here Ty Lee. I need to get back to the palace soon fo-"
Ty Lee cut her off by raising her hand, unbothered by the way her friend's glare deepened at the action. "You wanted to know what was going on with Mai, right?" Her serious tone reflected her mood. She was done waiting for her friend to understand the situation! This was her least favorite part in the romance novels her mom seemed to adore!
Azula paused for a moment at her words, seemingly weighing her options. Ty Lee felt slightly bad for taking the princess away from her duties, which had once again increased for the past few weeks. Ty Lee didn't know why that was the case, but it left her feeling downcast. She vividly remembered when her friend seemed to be breaking at the seams and she desperately wanted to avoid something like that happening again.
Ty Lee shook her head at the tangent she had gone on. Zoning back in she noticed her friend staring at her impatiently. "Sorry, did you say something?"
Azula rolled her eyes, a wry smile on her face. "You know, If you are going to drag someone somewhere you should at least pay attention to what they say. I asked what was wrong with Mai?"
The acrobat blushed slightly at her friend's words, but quickly zoned in on the second part. "First off Azula, there isn't anything 'wrong' with her." That was a weird way to phrase the question. "Why did you think there was?"
Mai had been slightly more distant these last two weeks than she normally was. Ty Lee would have been more concerned, had she not caught her gloomy friend frequently glancing at Azula just to turn away with red cheeks. The behavior seemed to develop overnight, but the aura reader was at a loss as to why. Maybe her royal friend knew something?
Azula raised an eyebrow, looking at her like she had a couple of screws loose. Slowly she said, "Surely you noticed that she's been more reserved right? Ever since she…"
The princess cut herself off as she blushed faintly, her gaze looking far off. Her hand seemed to drift up towards her face for a second before she caught herself and focused once more. "Since two weeks ago." Azula finished lamely.
Well… if Ty Lee wasn't sure something happened between the two, she was now. Her friend's aura was a faint blue, tinged with a grayish white. She was happy but also confused about something. That was interesting.
Like a seal shark that found its prey, Ty Lee leaned forward, her face becoming slightly mischievous. "Oh? That wasn't what you were saying before. Something happened didn't it?"
Her friend had gone silent, her golden eyes wide as the questions continued. She seemed at a loss before she took a breath and straightened her back, trying to regain her confidence. "I don't know what you're talking about. Nothing happened."
Ty Lee needed to change tactics. If she continued like this then the princess was only going to clam up completely. How could she word it to make her more likely to answer? If Mai were her she would…
"Really? Nothing happened between you?" Ty Lee sighed dramatically, hoping that her idea would pan out. "Darn! I don't know if we'll be able to figure out what's going on with her then." She played up the disheartened tone, hoping to invoke as much hopelessness as she could. Turning around, she began to walk away with her head bowed.
Luckily it seemed that her plan worked.
"Wait," Azula called, causing a hidden smirk to grow on Ty Lee's face as she perked up. "Something did happen a while ago."
'Yes!' Ty Lee almost felt like jumping for joy, though she restrained herself to a silent squeal. Azula always said that her acting skills sucked, but look at her now! One mention of Mai and it was a cakewalk from there!
"I see why Azula likes to do it.'
Taking a moment to restrain her smug joy, the flexible girl turned around an eyebrow raised in innocent curiosity. "What was it?" Her previous excitement was tempered by her interest in the topic. The whole goal of this talk was to help Azula understand Mai's (and her own) feelings, and she would need to concentrate to do that.
The princess seemed to shift slightly on her feet, which was odd. Ty Lee could count on one hand the number of times she had seen the usually composed girl fidget nervously. Whatever this was must have been big.
"Two weeks ago, Mai met up with me after class," Observant as the acrobat was, she missed the girl's seamless lie. "We talked for a bit about some stuff for a bit, but eventually we needed to go. Before she did she…" Azula's embarrassed voice grew weaker by the end of her vague story, her last words inaudible despite their closeness.
"Sorry, I didn't catch that last part." Ty Lee said with barely restrained impatience, her eyes roving over her friend's beet-red face. She was not sure she had ever seen her face so rosy and she was desperate to know the cause.
"I said she… I said she kissed me!" Azula said hurriedly, her words tumbling out quickly.
It took a moment for the words the register in the aura reader's mind, but once they did, she rushed forward excitedly. "What!?" She yelled loudly before she felt a hand over her face and was told to shush.
"Be quiet" Azula hissed, her eyes glancing around to spot for any listeners. The princess closed her eyes for a moment and focused her breathing -something Ty Lee had seen her do when firebending- before relaxing.
Ty Lee did not know what she was doing, but it seemed to be enough for the other girl who removed her warm hand from over her mouth. "I said she kissed me on the cheek," Azula's blush was much less prominent, receding as her confusion set in once more. "And I don't know what it means."
Ty Lee felt her excitement come to a screeching halt, her brain almost visibly frying as she absorbed the firebenders words. "You… don't know what a kiss means?" She was very confused.
Azula shook her head at that, scowling at the girl for that stupid question. Ty Lee felt her hope blossoming. 'Maybe not all is lost.'
"I don't know why she would give me one."
Only for that hope to be squashed instantly and tossed into an active volcano. "...What?" The acrobat questioned faintly, her eyes once again roaming for the nearest wall. 'If the wall is too far at least I'll have this tree.'
Azula huffed at the less-than-helpful response, looking at the ground in frustration. "Why would she kiss my cheek like that? I don't get it, and she's been avoiding me since it happened."
'Wow. This is really happening.' Had her aura, something which couldn't be manipulated to her knowledge, not clearly shown her confusion, Ty Lee would have assumed the princess was messing with her. As it was though… "Azula you are the smartest dumb person I know."
The acrobat ignored the odd, offended squawking sound her friend made as she tried to make this as blunt and concise as possible. "Mai likes you."
Azula blinked in bewilderment, looking at Ty Lee like she had gone insane. "I know. She's my friend. Friend's like each other" She said slowly, as if speaking to a toddler.
"Nonono, Azula she like likes you." Surely that was clear enough right? They went to an all-girls school where talks on crushes were exceedingly common. It would be impossible for Azula to not know-
"What, in Agni's name, does that mean?"
Ty Lee needed to stop tempting fate. She was losing far too often.
"Ok… let's try this," The acrobat decided to try a new approach and guide the painfully oblivious princess to the answer. "Why do people kiss?"
Azula's brow furrowed as she eyed her dubiously, but she answered regardless. "A kiss is a physical way for people to show affection platonically or romantically."
'It's like talking to a book.' Ty Lee thought humorously, conjuring the mental image of Azula excitedly pouring over a dictionary like it was a riveting story. 'I bet she's done that before.'
(She has.)
"Right. I bet her face was red when she kissed you right?" Azula nodded, which prompted Ty Lee to continue. "What does that mean?"
"It's a physiological response that happens when someone feels intense emotions like embarrassment." Azula paused as she considered the question, looking at Ty Lee skeptically. "What's the point of all of this."
"I'm getting there." Ty Lee said wearily. The mental gymnastics she was going through for the princess to understand was much more difficult than the physical ones. "So if you take your answers from those two questions and apply them to Mai, then what do you get?"
Azula was as sharp as they came and had proudly been declared a genius by various people for a variety of topics. She was good at breaking things down and making connections with the information she had. So, with the pieces she was given, she would easily come to the right conclusion.
"Mai… was trying to show me affection?" Azula said, which caused Ty Lee to literally jump for joy. She was just about to pat herself on the back when the prodigy, a title Ty Lee was now doubting, continued. "And she was embarrassed because friends don't do that." She nodded to herself, a smile crossing her face as she 'figured it out.'
Ty Lee did not attempt to stop her head as it lowered down heavily, her forehead smacking into the tree next to them much to the princess's bafflement.
"Owie." Rubbing her head, Ty Lee scowled at the wide-eyed girl. "I can't tell what hurts more, the bump or your denseness." With a silent apology to Mai, she decided to just give her the answer. "She likes you like a girlfriend."
Azula's mouth opened in response to her words, a denial on her lips before she slumped her back against the tree. She seemed to be lost in her mind, which the flexible girl was thankful for. 'This took so long for no reason!'
After almost a full minute Azula seemed to come back to herself, a stern expression on her still red face. "That doesn't make sense. Girls can not do that with each other." The certainty in her voice shook the acrobat who looked stupefied.
"What do you mean by that?" That didn't make sense at all. Why could two people not be together because they are the same gender? "Who said that?"
Ty Lee had never heard of such a rule, if there was one, but taking a moment to think on it, she never had seen two people together like that. Every book she had read, or couple that she had seen, had been between a boy and a girl. 'Is it really not allowed?"
She was about to ask more questions, but the stern look on Azula's face along with her anxiety-tinged aura stopped her short. The girl looked pale, even more so than what was natural for her skin color.
"It doesn't matter." The princess said after a moment, the finality in her tone clear. "Drop it Ty Lee, and make sure not to mention this to anyone. Is that clear?"
The acrobat flinched at her friend's harsh tone, nodding along quickly to show her understanding. Azula hadn't talked to her like that since the incident with Mai over a year ago. For the topic to make her this intense… clearly there was something Ty Lee was missing. "I promise not Azula!"
Ty Lee knew she was a chatterbox, a trait she had long accepted and enjoyed, but in the face of her friend's severity… she would make sure to restrain that tendency.
Her friend looked at her for a moment longer, probably to make sure she was being completely honest before she relaxed with an accepting nod. "Good," She sighed, taking a moment to look at the sky. The girl's eyes widened slightly as she took in the position of the sun, realizing this conversation had gone on longer than she realized. "We should start heading back. It's starting to get late."
The aura reader nodded her agreement and quietly fell into step behind the raven-haired girl, silently lamenting the grim note their conversation ended on. She was never someone who enjoyed silence, and the tense feeling between them was making her go crazy! Maybe she could find a more casual subject for them to talk about.
'Maybe- No Azula doesn't know him. Uhm, how about… oh yeah!' Finding something that was easygoing and interesting, Ty Lee happily broke the silence. "Hey Azula! Have you heard the rumor about people seeing something fly over the city? I wonder wha- hey are you alright!?"
Ty Lee rushed towards her friend and began frantically patting her back, wondering what had caused the other girl to start choking!
'Was it something I said!?'
Line Break
Azula huffed as she tossed down the scroll, her usual consideration for written knowledge found absent.
'The more I learn about my family…' Her fist clenched as she took a moment to steady herself, her eyes boring into the unassuming scroll.
Her talk with Ty Lee the week prior had been… enlightening.
The princess still found herself doubting the acrobat's words. The possibility that Mai could like her as more than a friend was hard to believe to say the least. The idea of love in any form had already been difficult enough for her to understand. It was an elusive concept for most of her life before a certain dragon crash-landed its way into her heart. Since then, she had felt what she assumed to be 'love' several times.
Even so, love in a romantic sense was something she struggled to understand.
The first of her lessons, coinciding with learning how to speak, was what it meant to be a princess. From etiquette to duty, she had learned what was expected of her, internalizing it and following it diligently.
'For the most part at least' She thought to herself, grimacing as she noticed what Sora was currently doing. It had rained recently, and the excitable dragon was having a blast playing in the mud. 'I doubt my tutors would approve of me cleaning a dragon.'
She shook her head, absently considering what she would need to get that undesirable job done, and focused back on her previous thoughts.
While she had now experienced love, from friends, family, and a dragon, romantic love had never been something she considered. It was simply illogical, and would likely only lead to anguish.
A princess, or any heir to the Dragon Throne, married out of duty, not love. In some rare cases, like that of her uncle and her now-deceased aunt, happiness was found in the union, it was very unlikely. Her own parents were a perfect example of that.
Azula did not know why her mother had been chosen to wed her father, but it was obvious that love had not been the reason. She had easily seen the turmoil between the two, just as clearly as she had felt it between her and her mother. No, Azula doubted Ursa and Ozai had ever liked each other, let alone felt love.
The prodigy had always expected the situation between her and her future partner to be the same. A loveless political union meant to benefit both families, regardless of her desires. She would most likely marry a general's son and be expected to produce several worthy heirs for the throne.
Something she could not do with another girl.
She did not know how she felt about Mai, nor did she have any idea how to figure that out. In the end, though, it didn't really matter. Regardless of her own feelings, which was a whole different level of confusion, attempting some relationship like that with Mai was possibly more dangerous than harboring Sora.
Azula had heard of relationships between people of the same gender amongst the disdainful whispers of nobles she had the fortune to be around. Such relationships were taboo and were often kept secret through… unpleasant methods.
Like sending them to insane asylums and washing their hands of their 'disgrace.'
The practice had made her feel uncomfortable before, but knowing there was a possibility of something like that happening with Mai… it made her feel sick. Fortunately, her taller friend was smart, and the distance she was putting between them made more sense now. It still hurt, but the alternative would be much more painful.
She simply didn't understand what was so wrong with a relationship like that, and there was no one she could ask to learn more.
So, she did what she always did when she was missing information that she needed to find herself. She turned to the vast palace library, prepared to spend a mind-numbing amount of time secretly researching the topic.
Only to find the sought-after information almost immediately.
She had gone for a modern scroll on Fire Nation Law and not even 10 minutes later almost set it on fire. Homosexuality, as the relationships were called, was banned about a hundred years ago… by her great-grandfather Sozin.
Azula was not ignorant about the life her her paternal ancestor. He was perhaps the most celebrated figure in Fire Nation history, surpassing even that of the avatars. The man who had led his Nation towards progress, not allowing any to stand in his way.
Azula had at one point looked up to the man and admired him for the similarities they shared, with him also being declared a bending prodigy. That admiration had declined once she had met Sora and had grown a hatred for the dragon hunting he had endorsed. Now, knowing the law he had enacted to 'purify' his nation which might put her best friend in danger…
The princess huffed as she slammed the scroll back into its rightful place, uncaring of the stern look she received from the head librarian as she left. She made a beeline for her room, carefully going over the information she had gathered to calm down her raging emotions.
'So, according to Ty Lee, Mai… like likes me,' Azula cringed slightly at the term she had picked up from her excitable friend, feeling like an idiot for even thinking of them. 'Which is illegal and could lead to her being sent away for good. The man responsible for such laws also happens to be my great-grandfather.'
Azula groaned as she entered her room, her head hurting and confusion settling in. There was too much to unpack there, and that didn't even include her more… personal problem.
Knowing that Mai liked her like that… had caused an odd fluttering in her chest before it was quickly snuffed out by her realization. What had that feeling meant!? It had been pleasant as it was nerve-wracking, and it was something she had no idea how to discern.
'Why are people so complicated!?' She shouted in her head, to the agreement of her dragon who nodded sagely.
The very same dragon who was also caked in mud.
'Then there's that problem as well.'
Ty Lee had mentioned a rumor about some 'mysterious' flying creature above the city. It had not taken much time for her to realize exactly what that thing was. Azula had always known that her flights with Sora were risky, especially with how they had started to fly almost every night since her brother's banishment. It was only a matter of time before someone caught a glimpse of the large dragon, but it was no less unfortunate that they had.
Sora's time to remain in the clearing was growing shorter at a rapid pace, and the princess was still no closer to figuring out a solution than she had been when she first realized that problem. All of these issues, along with the increased workload after her father's unwanted announcement… it was starting to feel overwhelming.
Fiddling with the ruby necklace she always kept on her person, Azula allowed the gentle melody Sora sang to lull her into a more relaxed state. If nothing else, at least her dragon musical skills were progressing smoothly.
'Ok, let's just take things one step at a time.' The girl thought to herself, starting towards the familiar route to the kitchen for Sora's food, and picking up one of the various brushes that lingered in her room. 'Start by taking care of the messy dragon, and figure out the rest from there.'
Nodding to herself resolutely, Azula grimaced as she mentally prepared herself for the less-than-pleasant task, not noticing the curious eyes of a guard following her retreating form.