A/N: I wasn't expecting those kinds of reactions to giving Percy a trident. I did it because I have plenty of other stories being written and others planned where he has Riptide and wanted to do something different. There are also other PJO/Avatar ones where he uses swords. If you don't like the trident, then I apologize but it's staying. I write for myself more than I right for you guys (as evident by Immortalized's lack of popularity but I'll finish that one above all others). So please, enjoy my work but what happens in the story is between me and my beta reader. At least I didn't give him a Katana.

Percy stepped into Azula's confinement, where he found the princess immersed in her firebending practice. Though no flames materialized, she executed a series of katas with unwavering precision. Percy lingered in the doorway, captivated by the display of fierceness and grace, the seamless dance of power that mirrored Azula herself. She embodied elegance, precision, and unbridled strength. He had expected nothing less from the Jewel of the Fire Nation. As she completed a meticulous movement, her hands traced intricate patterns, fingers extended. With a forceful thrust of her right hand and a pointed left, her perfect bangs swayed in rhythm.

"What's that kata?" he asked, leaning against the wall. It had been a week since she had been brought here and yet she managed to maintain the sense of strength, power, and confidence that she seemed born with. Her hair was kept in its neat tightly pulled bun with two bangs framing her royal features, and her three-pronged head piece secured in her bun. Percy idly wondered how she would look with her hair down.

Azula straightened out before turning, her face a mask of indifference. If she was surprised by his appearance or annoyed that he was watching her, he couldn't tell. "It is an advanced form of firebending," she explained, tucking a stray hair behind her ear. "You'll find out what it does when it cripples you for life."

Percy quirked an eyebrow at her before shrugging. "If you say so," he turned and revealed the still open door to her. "Let's go for a walk."

If Percy didn't know any better, Azula would have looked miffed at his dismissal of her claim. Her eyes flickered between him and the open doorway. She could see one of the guards outside, standing ever vigilant in his duty. "Is this your attempt at getting on my good side?" she asked as she stalked the room.

Percy thought her new green tunic and trousers fit rather well. The garments were modest, but her form filled them out nicely. It was better than letting her continue to stew in torn and dirtied clothing. Though many of his people might have been okay with that given her reputation and the crimes of the Fire Nation. Percy was not. "I shiver at the thought of what could get me on your good side Azula," Percy responded as he crossed his arms.

Azula actually smiled. "You'd be surprised how little it actually takes," her voice a low purr as she slowly approached him. Was she… trying to seduce him? Or just throwing him off balance? He knew her to be a manipulative woman, but this was a bit heavy-handed. "So, if you don't expect to get on my good side, what do you want?" Her eyes bored into his, a challenge hidden behind the facade of amusement

"I am just offering for you to stretch your legs, maybe get some sun," Percy told her as he stepped away slowly like she was a dangerous animal. Which, to be fair, she was.

Azula's eyebrows raised minutely before crossing her own arms. Her attempts to get under his skin forgotten momentarily. "Let me guess, we are going to be followed by a host of guards, including your personal hound."

"That's a way to describe Balo," the prince mumbled quickly. "But no, no guards, no Balo, just you and me," he promised.

Now Azula's interest was piqued. "They trust you to keep an eye on me all by yourself?"

Percy smirked, "I can handle you." He turned and left the room, the door staying open

Azula watched him leave skeptically. Nonbenders could be dangerous in their own right, her two best friends were proof enough of that. However, she was the princess of the Fire Nation, she was a prodigy firebender. Surely, they were not stupid enough to leave her alone with him. Azula decided she didn't have anything better to do and it could give her valuable insight into her prison should she escape.

She exited the room to find Percy standing and talking to Balo. The captain eyed her critically, like he was daring her to try something, before saluting to Percy and departing. Percy turned to her with an irritating smirk. "You ready?" he asked, nodding his head towards the exit.

"Lead the way, Crown Prince of Omashu," noting his slight, yet present irritation at her words. She couldn't help but take a small sense of enjoyment from his discomfort.

Percy forced a smile as he walked to the exit of the prison cells, the princess quick in tow.

Azula strolled alongside the prince of Omashu, who was chatting about the history of his kingdom for reasons she didn't understand. This was her first time seeing the interior of the building with any great detail. Her last trip through these halls she had been a little too tied up. She could see the appeal of the modestly decorated halls and different rooms throughout the palace, though she preferred a more extravagant and ostentatious décor. What was the point in having wealth and power and not showing it? Commoners should stand in awe of the nobility, give them something to strive for.

Her gaze eventually shifted toward Percy, Perseus, a name as unique as it was intriguing. What did it mean? Though she herself was tall for a girl, the prince stood a good head over her. His body was built like a swordsman, with taunt, corded muscles beneath his green and black clothes. His disheveled black hair perfectly framed his handsome features, a concept that irked her. Maybe other girls would crumble at the sight of his troublemaking grin, but she was Princess Azula. It would take more than a pretty face and a dazzling smile to make her swoon. Though… those eyes… she quickly shook her head of those thoughts. It was unbecoming of royalty like herself. She didn't care how handsome he was, she was still the princess of the Fire Nation. Even if she wasn't betrothed, she would never stoop so low as to court an Earth Kingdom mongrel.

During her time in captivity, she had gleaned much about the prince, both through observation and the limited information provided. Unlike her own brother, Percy carried himself with the regal pride and strength befitting his station. Beloved by his people, he defied the typical arrogance of nobility. To him, equality prevailed. It was a stance she despised. Royals should remain above such riffraff. Why, then, did he willingly consort with them?

The prince broke from his retelling as he felt her eyes on him. He turned his head and sea green met golden amber. "You're not listening to me, are you?" he asked with that same grin.

Agni, how she had grown to hate that grin. It was a grin that was used to getting him what he wanted. Though, what he wanted in this situation was beyond her. "I do not know what you mean," she responded, looking away. "You were describing the rule of King Harathogh, your great grandfather."

Percy's grin stretched into a smile. Azula knew she would hate his next words. "Sure Zula," he agreed easily, though the playfulness in his eyes betrayed the truth. She was far off the mark.

"Zula?" Azula squeaked before clearing her throat. "It is A-zula, Dirt Muncher," she corrected him quickly. Oh, how she wished she could wipe that smile off his face.

"Dirt Muncher?" Percy questioned as they crossed a threshold onto one of the walkways that rimmed the outside of the palace walls. The expanse of Omashu stretched out before them. From the palace walls to the outer defensive walls and beyond rose buildings of every shape and size, crafted from centuries old earthbending techniques passed down the generations. Percy leaned against the railing, still smiling. "That was a good one. Did you think that up out of boredom in your room?" He chuckled as Azula glared at him. "Anyways, I wanted to show you something."

Azula quirked an eyebrow at the prince. "What do you wish to show me?"

Percy turned around, resting his hands against the stone railing. "This," he stated simply. "What do you see?"

Deciding to humor him, Azula approached the rails and looked out over the city. "I see an Earth Kingdom city-state, a mountain range, and rolling farmlands," she answered him before squinting. "I think I see a storm brewing on the horizon."

"Yes, but what else?" he asked her, looking down on the city. He spotted a group of children playing at an intersection. "Look down there, at the intersection. What do you see?"

Azula looked before her gaze shifted to Percy questioningly. "Peasant children, playing some game of some kind."

Percy hummed. "I see people, a free people, willing and able to pursue a life they choose for themselves." He turned to face Azula. "That is a path you and your people are attempting to take away from them." His tone was not accusatory, but merely making a statement.

Azula frowned. "The Fire Nation brings order to the places it conquers. We do what we do to bring peace and prosperity to the world at large," she said with a confident certainty.

"Tell that to the Earth Kingdom refugees we get, telling tales of Fire Nation troops burning down their villages with ruthless efficiency. Tell that to the Southern Water Tribe, who had their homes raided and pillaged, and every waterbender taken away. Tell that to the Northern Water Tribe, who regularly are forced to repel your invasion fleets, or your citizens who are conscripted to a war your family started a century ago," he stopped briefly, his eyes gaining a hard edge. "Tell that to the airbending monks, who your great grandfather wiped from the face of the realm." He sneered at her before turning back to look at the horizon. "That's some peace you are building."

A fire burned in Azula as she felt the need to retaliate. "This is war. Terrible things happen in war. The ends justify the means, and if you live long enough, you will see the grandeur of my father's vision."

"Your father has got his claws deep in you girl," he said to her before taking a breath. "The world is not perfect, but that does not give you the right to try to subjugate my people and the free people of the world."

Azula scoffed. "A free people," she said, looking out to the horizon. "Is that what you call the Air Nomads? Who separate children from their parents to promote freedom from attachment. How about the Southern Water Tribe that live like barbarians as the Northern Water Tribe does nothing to help them? Even the Earth Kingdom, as high and mighty as your people proclaim, you all squabble over which scraps of land are yours while a king stands in the center of his impenetrable fortress without a clue that there is a whole world out here," she shouted in opposition. "Yeah, that sounds like a free and happy people."

Percy crossed his arms as he looked at the princess, his eyes brimming with disappointment. "And you're so free? A princess, under the thumb of her father, and betrothed to a man for no other reason than because he is powerful. How free are you, princess?"

"I serve my father and the Fire Nation because I was born to do it. My betrothal will strengthen the throne and continue the royal bloodline with the strongest benders," she argued, her face a mask of anger but her eyes flickered about with nervous energy.

"But is that what you want?" Percy asked. "I mean, from what I understand from our previous conversations, your visit to Fong's Fortress was the first time you had even met the man. Can you really marry a man that you don't know? That you don't love?"

Azula shrugged. "Love is a weakness. I don't even think my father and mother loved each other and yet they produced me, a prodigy firebender."

Percy rubbed at his face. "A lot about you makes so much more sense now," he mumbled to himself, though Azula seemed to have heard him.

"Don't tell me that you think your mother and father actually loved each other?" she questioned him. "Marriages amongst royals and nobles are almost exclusively marriages of convenience."

Anger quickly rose through Percy who bit down on it. He refused to allow her to rile him up. "I wouldn't know, I am adopted," he stated simply.

Azula's eyes widened, and she took a step back defensively. "You… were adopted?" she repeated, looking him over again. It all made sense now. His form, his lack of earthbending, his beautiful sea green eyes that differed so greatly from his father.

Percy nodded. "Dad found me in a crib floating down a river on his way back from Ba Sing Se with nothing to my name but the clothes and blanket I was wrapped in and this pendant," he told her, gripping his silver pendant. He popped it open, revealing a picture of a beautiful woman with flowing curls and bright, happy eyes. "This is all I have of my mother. Of my birth father, I know nothing." He then looked her in the eye. Azula found his restrained anger, but also sadness. "Attached was a letter, giving my name and asking the person who found me to take care of me. I got lucky that my father was the one who found me. My life could have been very different otherwise."

For once, Azula was unsure of how to proceed. "Why are you telling me this?" she asked in confusion.

Percy smiled, "Because I believe that you are heading down river with no way to control your path, and a waterfall might just be waiting for you at the end. I want help you reach the shore, if possible."

Azula crossed her arms. "And what do you think reaching this shore would mean for me?"

"That you can pick your own path," Percy answered. "I don't really care what path you pick. You could even get back in the river if you wanted, so as long as it's your choice.""And what makes you think I don't like the path I am on?" she asked.

"Because, if there is anything I have learned about you Azula, you hate not being in control," Percy reasoned before heading back into the palace. He stopped at the threshold and looked to the princess expectantly.

Azula looked out to the horizon again. She could escape. She could leap the railing and launch herself across the city in a wave of fire. What would Percy be able to do about it? But she couldn't. She was alone, in unfamiliar, enemy territory with no idea of where the nearest Fire Nation outpost was. Assuming she wasn't captured, she would likely face starvation and the beasts of the wilderness. It wasn't worth the risk. Azula released a breath before following the prince into the palace.

Percy followed his father down one of the many busy side streets of Omashu, stopping by different shops and homes and conversing with their constituents. The prince roamed the street in his dark green tunic that matched his eyes and black trousers, eating a red apple he had purchased from a vendor. Movement caught his eye and Percy looked to see one of the palace guards keeping pace with them, weaving through the crowds close enough to intervene, but far enough for their privacy.

Bumi munched on his jenamite, sharing his maniacal grin with all of his subjects. "We have received reports of Fire Nation ships in Southern Water Tribe territory," he told his son.

Percy frowned at that. "They haven't been there since they cleared out the last of the waterbenders there, and that was back when I was a boy. What are they doing there?"

"We've received reports of a beam of light and a small boy taking down one of the Fire Nation's ships on his own," Bumi reported as they followed the streets. "The prince of the Fire Nation was there."

"Prince Zuko?" Percy asked, surprised. The prince had wandered the world for years searching for the Avatar. If he was at the South Pole… "Do you think he found the Avatar?"

Bumi shrugged. "It is possible. The Fire Nation has always assumed the Avatar to be the last airbender. Maybe they have given up on that theory. Maybe he or she had already passed in old age and so they are searching the water tribes."

Percy hummed in thought. "Maybe. Bit of a coward don't you think? Dying of old age while the world burns."

"We all have our time, Perseus. Everybody has their struggles, even ones that are unseen," Bumi scolded him before changing the subject. "How goes wooing the princess?" the king asked with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

Percy cringed at his father's words. "You make it sound like I am trying to court a girl I fancy instead of interrogating a prisoner of war," he argued. He watched a group of children run past them and into an alleyway, their laughter filling the street. "But so far, I haven't gotten much of importance. Just a lot of small talk. Apparently Komodo chicken is her favorite dish."

Bumi snickered before breaking off another piece of candy. "Then it sounds like you are making progress. Any attempt to gather information requires a degree of trust and familiarity between you and your prisoner. For her age, she is strong willed and is a master manipulator. You must ensure you remain on guard around her."

"I think I can handle her," Percy claimed. "She hasn't been that difficult, but she won't likely crack any time soon. Do we have any more information on the Fire Nation forces leaving Fong's Fortress?"

"They have been recalled to the Fire Nation," Bumi informed his son. "General Fong is planning to retake his fortress in their absence."

Percy stopped at that. "Recalled? Why? You would think they would be tearing the countryside apart looking for Azula," Percy reasoned. "They had the momentum and everything."

Bumi shrugged. "Who knows what the Fire Lord is planning. But we will take this chance to reinforce our position. They will come for us eventually."