A few things about this chapter, first the lullaby sung is adapted from Song of the Sea by Nolween Leroy.
Trigger Warning: Miscarriage
Hi Everyone!
I would like to thank you all for your patience. If you follow me on Instagram you know that my puppy had gotten sick which prevented me from having the time to do final edits on this chapter. Then I had to send it to my beta reader which took a little bit of time to get back. But it's finally here!
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I hope you all enjoy this chapter!
Part Three: The Dawn of Moon and Sun
Chapter Thirty: Summer 105 AG
Azula laid awake sketching, it had been a week since returning from the anniversary summit and her mind kept bringing her back to Bujing's execution. Something didn't seem right to her. The placement was too poised, and the kill was too good for any old earthbender. One would automatically go to the blind earthbender or the King of Omashu for such skill, but for Azula she paused. There was something in the back of her mind that she couldn't quite place.
She looked down at the image of the sword master she had been sketching, her fingertips smudging the curve of his bottom lip. Azula breathed out slowly through her mouth; she could still taste him from when he kissed her. For a minute, she had a small spark of hope that he felt the same way, but then he blamed it on too much to drink, and her hope shattered in an instant.
The Fire Nation Princess threw her sketchbook on her desk as she moved from the settee. She needed to be anywhere but in her room. As she slipped on her dressing robe, she exited her room and began wandering the halls of the palace. Allowing her feet to lead her where she needed to be.
Her knuckles rapped on the door without her realizing she was standing outside his room.
"Azula?" Piandao questioned as he answered his bedroom door. His concern at seeing her grew, her eyes wild and her hair haphazardly up out of her face. The Princess swallowed noisily as she looked over Piandao's bare torso, him having answered the door in only a pair of sleep pants.
"I think I know who killed Bujing," she whispered dragging her eyes away from his body.
"Is that what you wanted to tell me?"
She shook her head because she couldn't quite remember what she wanted to tell the sword master. "I — I need to see Makoto, will you come with me?"
Piandao didn't respond, he shut the door quickly to put on a shirt and grab two cloaks then met the Princess standing outside his room. He handed her one of the cloaks and gestured for Azula to follow him.
The pair walked quickly through the palace and the trail leading to Caldera Prison, nothing was said between them. While most might have been concerned that the Princess was having another breakdown, the sword master suspected that she was just allowing herself to be vulnerable in front of him.
"Who's there?" Warden Poon called out as the pair approached the prison.
Piandao held up a hand to call off the questions and the Warden stopped when he recognized the sword master. "We need to speak with one of your prisoners, Makoto. The Princess believes he may have pertinent information regarding the recent assassination attempt on Prince Lu Ten's life."
"Of course," the Warden moved quickly to allow the entrance of Piandao and Azula. He was a little surprised to see the two here on official business in the middle of the night. But he gathered that whatever happened, Fire Lord Zuko found it important enough to send them at this hour. The warden didn't even think to ask for the Fire Lord's seal to verify the sword master's and the Princess's clearance to see Makoto.
Piandao gestured for Azula to enter the prison first, following closely behind her. He kept his lower hand on her back in a sign of silent support as they walked through the prison. The sword master allowed the Princess to enter the cell after the warden, he didn't doubt her ability to defend herself if necessary. Though Piandao knew that she was in no danger.
Makoto sat with his back against the wall of his cell, legs outstretched in front of him crossed at the ankles. His arms were over his chest and his head was tilted back, eyes closed. "A bit late for you to begin another interrogation, Poon."
"Interrogation? That's a hostile word for a conversation," Azula stated as she moved to sit cross-legged in front of Makoto.
The prisoner's eyes opened to look at the Fire Nation Princess sitting casually in front of him. The only thing separating them was the prison bars. "A visit from Princess Azula, at this hour? Careful or you might become the suspect of treason."
"Warden Poon, if you could give us some privacy," the Princess requested without removing her eyes from Makoto. She noticed he didn't seem to realize that Piandao was in the cell with her. Something she would not bring attention to.
"Of course Princess," the warden bowed and left the cell. He was a little surprised at the request but didn't think much of it as the Fire Lord often requested privacy when he had visited Ozai. Whatever the information was they were trying to glean out of Makoto, it was a matter of utmost security.
"Privacy? Perhaps you are looking to become a traitor," Makoto closed his eyes again and leaned his head against the wall. He wouldn't mind if the Princess tried to take down the Fire Lord, less of a mess for him. And the promises he made to his allies would be kept. Not to mention, if he helped her it could mean his ticket out of prison.
Azula watched the way he breathed, counting the seconds between each inhale and exhale. She adjusted her position to mirror his as best she could. "Bujing made an attempt on the Crown Prince's life. He was sentenced to execution for his crimes, the council not believing they could trust him with you serving a life sentence in prison."
The prisoner chuckled softly, now the council paid attention to what was going on around them. Bujing had truly been the sloppy one in the organization, if it wasn't for him then Makoto wouldn't have been in prison. "When was he executed?"
"He wasn't, not by the Fire Lord at least. Before he could speak his last words, a spindle was lodged in his throat." Azula watched as Makoto's eyebrow twitched, a bored tone overtook her voice. "But you knew that. Everyone thought Bujing was the brains of the operation. In reality, it was you."
Makoto began a slow lazy clap. "Bravo, Princess Azula. Not that the information will do you any good. Poon has used his best interrogation techniques and still has not gleaned any information."
"I'm not here to do anything with the information," the Princess corrected. She was rewarded with his eyes opening in surprise. "I'm here to complement your little band of rebels on silencing Bujing. He always did talk too much."
"That he did," he chuckled lightly at that. Bujing almost blew their cover on multiple occasions. His anger at seeing the new Fire Lord take control of the Fire Nation and the waterbender becoming Fire Lady made Bujing sloppy. If they had gathered intel like they were supposed to and waited a little longer for the assassination, the Fire Nation could have been in their hands by now.
"And he was entirely too involved with his mistress," she studied her nails briefly. "Not to mention he recruited his daughter for help but Hinata was so desperate for affection. It was easy to get her to spill all of Daddy's secrets."
"I told him not to use her," the prisoner grumbled. His jaw tightened at the realization that the Fire Lord could be dead if Bujing had just listened to him and not used his daughter for intel.
"Yes, well it was almost as big of a mistake as using me as your cover in your attempt on Zuzu," the Princess replied with a bored tone. She shook her head lightly in disapproval, "Frankly, I was too obvious of a suspect, really you should have picked someone that was a tad more of a surprise. But I guess you suspected no one would think you were the brains of the operation."
"I would have been successful if you hadn't been so concerned with my proposal," Makoto mumbled annoyed. He looked anywhere than at the Princess, not wanting her to see she was getting under his skin.
"Though I guess we could only expect so much after all you did align yourself with earthbenders," Azula continued. She needed to be very careful with her words. "They are so brutish, I'm surprised one of them was able to have the precision to kill Bujing from that far away. Just a dull bunch of rocks those earthbenders. They almost easily could have taken out half of your supporters in the crowd."
"These earthbenders have been trained in precision all their life," Makoto responded without thinking. He couldn't wait for her to leave his cell. Did she come to gloat?
"An earthbender trained in precision? Imagine that, it's almost laughable," the Princess snickered. She needed him to be just the right amount of annoyed to let his guard down.
The prisoner ground his teeth, "If I remember correctly, you aligned yourself with earthbenders during the war."
"Only because I staged a coup in Ba Sing Se, a successful one might I add in only a week," she flipped her hair over her shoulder. "But I would never use an earthbender for a precision job, only a firebender would do. Even that little blind one isn't as skilled in the art as a non-bending Fire Nation soldier. Too savage. Too sloppy."
"These aren't any earthbenders," he defended his allies. Did she really think she was that much smarter? "In fact, they are skilled in precision and stealth. I expect them to free me soon."
Azula kept speaking, allowing him to think she didn't hear him. "I mean can you even believe an earthbender could do such a thing? Poor little earthbenders couldn't even gain an upper hand in the war in a hundred years. Even Zuzu knows he should not be worried about the Earth Kingdom. And my brother is not the sharpest iron in the fire. This little rebellion of yours has just been a little annoyance, I mean you aligned yourself with Bujing who is very sloppy and then savage earthbenders —"
"You think the Dai Lee are savage? And Long Feng?! You think him sloppy?" Makoto cut her off. The Princess's eyes snapped to his, a smirk gracing her face. The prisoner paled as he realized his mistake.
"Goodbye Makoto," Azula stood not giving him a second glance as she walked out of the cell. Piandao held his hand out for the Princess to take as they exited the prison and made the journey back to the palace, he could tell she needed the comfort only touch could offer.
"Fire Lord Zuko," Akio began as the monarch shuffled through the papers in front of him. The secretary did not want to be bringing this news to the Fire Lord but it was his responsibility. Why did it have to be bad news first thing in the morning, Akio thought to himself.
"What is it, Akio?" Zuko barely looked up at the man standing in front of him. The firebender's brow furrowed as he read the final report on the Chan family investigation, a trial date needed to be set for the labor crimes committed he thought to himself.
"Makoto was found dead in his cell this morning," the secretary informed. He braced himself for the monarch's reaction.
The Fire Lord placed the report on the Chan family on his desk, he looked up at his secretary. "I can't say I'm surprised. I didn't expect him to last this long after Bujing's execution."
"You aren't surprised that it was after Azula's visit to him last night?" Akio questioned, eyebrows raised in surprise. As the Fire Lord's right hand, it was his job to know everything that happened in the Fire Nation.
The tightening of Zuko's jaw was the only indication of his surprise to learn of his sister's midnight meeting with the prisoner. His voice was steady as he answered: "No, it means she was able to learn what she needed. He divulged too many secrets and this was his punishment."
"I guess that makes sense," the secretary nodded. He scratched the back of his head. "I did not see a meeting scheduled with Princess Azula, should I make one?"
"Azula has her orders and I expect she will schedule an audience once those are completed," the Fire Lord replied easily. He looked down at the papers on his desk so as to not bring attention to his surprise. "No use hunting her down while she is still gathering information for her report."
"Of course, Fire Lord," Akio bowed and excused himself. He could see the words for the dismal that they were.
Zuko stood from his desk and moved to stand on the balcony of his office. His hands gripped the railing, the metal feeling cold against his overheated skin. He looked out at his nation before him. The Fire Nation sovereign took a deep breath of the morning air. He trusted Azula he reminded himself, she was not the same person she was during the war. Zuko's words were swallowed by the morning breeze, "I trust Azula."
Across the palace, the Fire Lady was having tea with her sister-in-law and courtiers.
"Chief Arnook thinks I'm sleeping with Zuko," Mai told Azula and Katara over tea. The noblewoman looked over at her lover, a little unsure. Ty Lee had encouraged Mai to come forward with the suspicions of the Northern Water Tribe Chief, even if they were misguided.
"He made his thoughts known at the farewell ball before we left the North Pole," the acrobat supplied for her partner. Even though the suspicion was misled, Ty Lee knew that Mai was uncomfortable with the topic.
"Where would he get an idea like that?" Katara shook her head.
"Desperation would be my best guess," the Fire Nation Princess smoothed the napkin on her lap. Between her late-night rendezvous with Makoto and now this, Azula was emotionally exhausted. "His attempts to rattle the Southern Water Tribe have been unsuccessful, I would not put it past him to begin rumors in the gossip scrolls."
The Fire Lady rocked her son softly as she listened to her courtiers. "He is a fool if he thinks anyone would believe them. The number of compromising positions the staff has caught not only myself and Zuko in, but you and Ty Lee in would make his head spin."
Mai blushed as she looked away from the monarch. She and Ty Lee did their best to be discreet, but that did not mean they had not been walked in on by more than just Zuko.
"In any case, he clearly wants to sow discontent within his sister tribe," Azula moved the conversation on. She briefly wondered if perhaps Arnook was framing the Earth Kingdom, but pushed that idea out of her head. The Northern Chief would not want to create a power vacuum within the Fire Nation, that would leave them at the mercy of a potential Ozai supporter.
"I would not put it past him to do something desperate to merge the two tribes," Mai spoke up. It was something she had been thinking about. "The loss of his daughter caused too many wounds, I believe he is trying to merge the two tribes."
"Your brother had a brief dalliance with Arnook's daughter?" Azula asked as she looked at her sister-in-law. The Princess remembered hearing a rumor in the North Pole when she was staying with Yagoda.
"Dalliance is not how I would characterize it," the waterbender briefly looked down at her son. "He loved her truly, and I believe she felt the same for him. But Yue was betrothed to someone else, a political match."
The Fire Nation Princess nodded deep in thought. "I would warn your father that Arnook is looking for anything to place the Southern Tribe under his thumb. Hakoda's international relationships will be critical this year, if Arnook believes Mai is sleeping with Zuko then he means to act soon."
"Sit up straight," Mai scolded her little brother as Ty Lee adjusted his hair. They were currently waiting to see the headmaster of the Royal Fire Academy for Boys.
Tom-Tom made a face at the correction but did what he was told. It had been a month since his sister had become his guardian.
"It's just a formality," Ty Lee tried to soothe her lover as she retook her seat. "We have the recommendation from Zuko and we are both on the royal court."
Mai nodded, "That doesn't mean I want him to make a bad impression."
The acrobat reached out and gave her hand a quick squeeze. Taking over the guardianship of Tom-To had been a difficult decision. But it was the right decision, and they were going to make sure that he was raised in a home with a lot of love and given every opportunity available.
"Good afternoon Lady Mai, Lady Ty Lee, and you must be Tom-Tom," the headmaster greeted with a nod. "If you will follow me."
The group made their way into the headmaster's office and quickly took their seats.
"Thank you for seeing us today," the noblewoman began. "We understand the fall semester is beginning next week and we were hoping to have Tom-Tom enrolled in the first-year class."
"I would have to check the enrollment roster of the first years to see if we have a spot for him," the headmaster stated with a slight frown. "As you know we like to keep our class size small to ensure a quality education."
"We understand," Ty Lee smiled at the man as she reached for the recommendation from the Fire Lord. "If it helps, we have a few recommendations we would like to submit to Tom-Tom's application."
The headmaster's eyes widened as he took in the Fire Lord's seal. He knew both of these women were on the royal court, but he had not expected a personalized recommendation from the sovereign. His hand extended to accept the scroll, "Of course, we welcome any and all recommendations."
"In addition, we are prepared to pay the full year's tuition today," Mai stated her eyes meeting his. "As well as Fire Lady Katara has a vested interest in Tom-Tom's education as she is still considering private tutoring or enrolling Prince Lu Ten into your academy when the time comes."
"Yes, I am sure seeing how wonderful of an education we can provide to Tom-Tom will ease her worries," the headmaster agreed immediately. He stood from his desk, "If you will give me just a moment I will evaluate the roster and see if we can accommodate Tom-Tom this year."
Ty Lee looked at her lover with a raised eyebrow once they were alone, "Laying it on a little thick."
"Nothing I said was untrue," Mai countered as she picked at the imaginary lint on her clothes.
Before the acrobat could respond the headmaster was already walking back into his office. "Good news, we have one space left for a first year."
"That is good news," the noblewoman replied. She shot the acrobat a sly look at how quickly the headmaster's narrative changed.
"Now we just need to pick his electives. As you both know being alumni of our sister school, we provide a holistic education," the headmaster began his sales pitch. He passed each of the women a brochure. "We have rigorous academics, in addition to a thriving arts program and athletic program. Every student is required to pick an art and athletic spot to be a part of. In addition, each student will be trained in a form of combat training. Traditionally firebenders are trained in their bending, and our non-bending students have their choice of archery, swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, and marksmanship."
Mai turned to her brother showing him the brochure, "Tom-Tom do you have a preference for the art that you would like to take part in?"
"Could I be part of the band?" He asked his sister, eyes big. His mother and father rarely let him have a choice in his studies before.
"Of course," Mai agreed quickly, she shared a small smile with him. "For his arts elective, we will have him in music."
The headmaster nodded as he began filling out the forms. He was surprised at the autonomy that the noblewoman was offering her brother.
"And what about athletics?" Ty Lee asked him from the other side. She was looking over the page with the sports teams.
"Could I do kuai ball?" He asked. Tom-Tom had seen others play on Ember Island and he wanted to learn. This time the headmaster did not wait for Mai or Ty Lee before he filled out the forms.
"And lastly, your combat elective?" The headmaster asked realizing quickly, how the meeting was going. He suspected if Tom-Tom enjoyed himself and the noblewomen were happy, not only would the Crown Prince attend but the headmaster could be on the receiving end of an increase to his budget from the royal court.
"Would you be mad if I did archery?" Tom-Tom looked up at his sister shyly. He knew her skill with knives and stilettos, but he did not want to be a marksman.
"If you want to do archery, then you will do archery," Mai soothed. She wanted Tom-Tom to be his own person and not have the struggles she did regarding their father's political career. Or the pressure from their mother to be the perfect child.
The meeting wrapped up quickly and the noblewomen walked home with Tom-Tom between them holding their hands. They were making their own little family.
"Zuko! I thought you had a dinner meeting with Ukano and the royal advisors tonight," the Fire Lady greeted her husband with a happy smile as he joined his family and Piandao for dinner.
Since returning from the North Pole, the Fire Lord rarely made it on time to have dinner with his wife. He would finish his day in time to help put his son down for the night and have a brief conversation with his wife before climbing into bed. Both of the monarchs were feeling the lack of time together.
Zuko leaned over to check on his son in the cradle next to the dinner table. Now that Lu Ten was a little older, Katara wanted him closer to her. The little prince was on his tummy, gurgling away. Before taking his seat, the Fire Lord leaned over and placed a soft kiss on his wife's lips. "We finished early, so I thought I would join you."
The Fire Nation Princess. looked away from the couple, less because of the public display of affection and more because she still had not told her brother about her midnight meeting with Makoto. Azula had gathered some important information but she didn't understand how all the pieces fit together and she did not want to cause her brother more stress until she had figured that out.
"Well, I'm glad I get to spend the evening with my husband," Katara beamed at him.
"Shall we leave you two alone?" Azula asked as she faked gagging. Piandao coughed behind his napkin as he resisted the urge to react to his student's teasing.
"Azula!" Ursa scolded her youngest child. In the older woman's opinion, matters of the bedroom should stay private. The Fire Nation Princess bit her tongue instead of responding to her mother's scolding.
"Giya, if you could please set a place for my husband and ask the chef to make him a plate," the Fire Lady distracted their dinner patrons with her request to the maidservant.
"Piandao, I understand you were thinking of returning home in the next few weeks," the Fire Lord commented as he waited for his dinner. Zuko didn't think he would have caught the look of alarm in his sister's eyes if he had not been looking for it.
"There are a few things that need to be taken care of in Shu Jing," the sword master explained. He noticed the way his student's shoulders pulled back in surprise, her back stiffening. "But it would only be for a short time so I may return and continue Azula's training. I'm sure she would welcome the break."
"I remember being trained by you, I'm sure she would very much enjoy a break," Zuko commented with a chuckle. "She has become quite the swordsman under your tutelage. I was watching the competitions in Caldera the other day, having observed her training I would say she is miles above."
"She easily surpasses them," Piandao agreed with a nod. He had also seen the swordsmanship competitions in the city and had thought about asking the Princess if she would like to compete. She could undoubtedly top the leaderboard and he thought the competition environment would be good for her.
A servant placed the Fire Lord's dinner down, and before he could turn to thank them the servant was gone from his sight. Zuko took a deep inhale of the food in front of him, a familiar note tickled his nostrils. It reminded him of traveling in the Earth Kingdom with his uncle. As he took his first bite, he instantly tasted the familiar scent on his palate. A nagging part of his brain tried to place the scent, but he fell short. He took another bite, savoring the flavors dancing on his tongue.
It wasn't until the tingle crawled up his throat that he placed the scent.
"I hadn't realized you were thinking of returning to Shu Jing," the Princess said softly to the man sitting next to her. She swallowed awkwardly around the lump in her throat.
"Wanting to get rid of me that easily?" He teased his student with a slight twitch of his lips.
Azula looked down so he would not see her disappointment, "I just had not realized that there were things you needed to take care of in Shu Jing. Though it is to be expected, you need to manage your estate."
He wanted to believe that he heard the disappointment in her voice but he thought it was just wishful thinking.
"As much as Fat can handle himself and take care of the estate, there are a few things that I need to be there for. It will only be for a week or two," Piandao tried to explain though his words fell flat. His butler could handle the estate just fine without him. The sword master didn't want to admit that being around his pupil was intoxicating. He needed a bit of distance to allow himself the ability to continue to be professional.
The Fire Nation Princess turned her gold eyes to his grey ones, searching for something. "I understand."
The sword master suspected he imagined the twinge of sadness in her eyes at the news of his potential departure. But he could not pull his gaze from hers, the reality of his departure coming to the forefront of his mind. It was a necessary step, but one he hated to make.
"Zuko!" Katara exclaimed startled as her husband started coughing and fell from his seat. A rash beginning to form across his face and chest.
Azula pulled herself away from Piandao's gaze, jumping up to help her brother. The sword master followed her lead.
The Fire Lady pulled water to her immediately as she moved closer to her husband, seeking the source of his distress. She took a deep breath as she placed her hands around his throat.
"Is he choking?" Ursa asked as she looked around the room in distress. While her skill with herbs and poisons was incomparable, the Fire Lord's mother did not know how to handle the situation in front of her.
"No, it would be in his throat," the waterbender replied as she continued searching with a hand gloved in water. Her heart was in her throat as she aided the love of her life.
"Poison most likely," Azula mumbled. Her brother's dinner only had a few bites left. That's odd she thought to herself. "It's in the broth!"
Katara's head whipped around to look at the plate at the head of her table, the broth a slightly different color than the rest of the table's. "Azula, Piandao hold him down, this is gonna hurt! Keep his head steady, and his mouth open."
"Malu, find that servant! And take Lu Ten out of here!" The Princess shouted as she moved into position. The Captain of the Royal Guard nodded while issuing instructions to the rest of his subordinates, Malu himself taking the Crown Prince from his cradle.
Master and student made quick work following the Fire Lady's instruction to hold the Fire Lord in place. Piandao's hands trapped Zuko's arms against his body, while Azula held her brother's head still. Within seconds, the waterbender began to bend the liquid in his stomach pulling the poison from his body. As the liquid traveled in the opposite direction, the Fire Lord began to gag and thrash against the hands holding him down.
The waterbender's hand pulled the inky black bile from her husband's mouth, only minutes after he had fallen from the poison.
Zuko gasped for breath once his wife had stopped bending.
"Easy," Piandao advised as the Fire Lord tried to sit up with his assistance.
"Your throat will probably hurt for a little bit, but I'll heal you after the physician looks at you," Katara explained as she looked over her husband. She trusted her healing abilities but wanted the medical expertise of the physician to verify there was no lasting damage first. The last thing she wanted to do was trap the poison in his body.
"It's white jade," Zuko rasped. The itching raced throughout his entire body, though the effects were milder than before. A faint memory of the Dragon of the West being treated by Song in the Western Earth Kingdom flitted through his mind. His nose wrinkled as he remembered the scent of the green paste she had used.
Appa landed with a loud thud just outside the Fire Nation Palace. The Avatar jumped down next to his sky bison soundlessly. Momo flew around the bison as Aang cooed at his companion softly, "Good job buddy."
"Avatar Aang," the Fire Lord's secretary greeted with a respectful nod and slight bow. "Welcome back to the Fire Nation. We hope the journey went smoothly."
"Thank you for having me," the Avatar nodded back to the man. "The journey is always smooth with Appa."
"The Fire Lord is waiting for you in his office, " Akio explained when he noticed Aang looking around. "The royal guard will attend your bison and lemur, a place in the stables has already been prepared."
The Avatar's brow furrowed, if Zuko wanted both Appa and Momo to be catered to then this conversation was a much larger concern than he originally anticipated. He knew his friend had asked him to come as quickly as possible but this seemed to have a level of urgency that he was not anticipating.
"I appreciate that, thank you," Aang waited until the guards led Appa toward the stables before turning back to Akio. "Let's not keep the Fire Lord waiting!"
The two men walked in silence to the Fire Lord's office, many of the royal court were littering the palace grounds and hallways. All hoping to derive some form of information out of a conversation heard in passing to help gain favor with the Fire Lord. Each of them were disappointed when the Avatar and the Fire Lord's secretary were silent in their walk to the Fire Lord's office.
"Welcome, Avatar Aang," Zuko greeted formally as Akio shut his office door, his voice echoing into the hallway. Aang's eyes widened as he took in the fact that his friend was not alone in his office. That coupled with the formality that Zuko greeted him, made goosebumps appear on his skin.
Aang turned to look back as the door shut behind him, once they were alone he whipped around to face the firebender ignoring everyone else in the room. "What the flameo is going on Zuko? Katara? Akio said nothing! And your letter told me to come urgently but not to alert anyone. The anniversary summit was only a few months ago!"
"Take a seat Aang," the Fire Lord gestured to the empty chair in front of his desk. Zuko watched as the Avatar took a seat next to Azula.
The sword master who was standing off to the side, shifted toward the Fire Nation princess. He placed a hand on the back of her chair in silent support.
"Aang, we asked you here because of the recent assassination attempts," Katara said from her place next to her husband.
"So Arnook was right, there was an attempt on your life," the Avatar's eyes widened as he looked at the Fire Lord.
"There was an attempt before the Anniversary Summit," Zuko confirmed with a nod. He didn't feel the need to mention the poisoning from a few weeks prior. His eyes drifted to where his sister sat almost demurely, her eyes downcast. "But the important thing is we think it's time for Azula to have access to her bending."
"I don't know," Aang shifted in his seat. He wasn't a hundred percent sure giving Azula back her bending was a smart idea. "I've never given someone back their bending, I don't know if I could."
"We just ask that you try, Aang" Katara tried to make eye contact with him. He looked anywhere but at the Fire Nation Royal couple. Aang didn't have the heart to tell them no, but he still didn't trust Azula.
"Does Yagoda and the palace physician think she is in a place that if she had her bending she wouldn't be a danger to others?" The Avatar deflected quickly. Hoping his words would be seen as concern for Azula and not apprehension at returning her bending.
The Fire Nation Princess looked away from the airbender, her jaw tightened. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the sword master. Azula hated that she had been working so hard to heal and now here she was being questioned on her mental competency.
"Azula was given a clean bill of health from both Yagoda and the palace physician when she returned to the Fire Nation over a year and a half ago," Zuko stated his voice stern but respectful. "And we asked Master Piandao here if you would like his opinion on Azula's ability to handle her bending."
"Master Piandao," Aang turned to the sword master. "Do you think Azula will be a danger to others if she has her bending?"
Azula's gold eyes met Piandao's grey eyes.
"I have no doubt in my mind that if Azula has her bending she will not be a danger to herself or anyone else," Piandao stated his eyes locked on the Princess. He shifted his gaze to the young airbender. "And if you have any concerns, I promise you that I have already spoken to a few firebending masters who are more than willing to help guide her through the transition."
"I don't know if I can, but I'll try," the Avatar finally agreed after a few minutes. "Azula if you would please kneel in front of me."
The Fire Nation Princess kneeled in front of the Avatar and waited for him to place one hand on her forehead and the other on her chest. Within seconds, Aang's eyes and tattoos glowed.
Her eyes closed. The pressure of the Avatar's hands on her was the only anchor to the world around her. Heat rose through her body in a slow deliberate slither, covering every inch of her in an all-consuming cocoon.
Azula gasped for breath as he released her a few moments later, feeling like for the first time in years she could breathe deeply again.
"How do you feel Zula?" Zuko asked as his sister sat back on her heels. Her eyes opened wide, the gold of her iris glowing slightly.
Piandao watched as her chest rose and fell with each breath. He scanned her body briefly and noticed how her skin had a healthy glow to it that had been lacking before. The sword master had thought she was beautiful before, but now with her bending returned she looked stunning and healthy.
"I can feel the heat of the sun again," she replied softly. The Princess blinked back the tears forming. "And I feel like I can breathe!"
Zuko crawled into bed with his wife with a quick kiss before turning to the scrolls on his nightstand. Within seconds he was writing in the margins and making a list of things he needed Akio to do tomorrow.
"I can't believe you brought work into our bed," the waterbender grumbled to her husband. He was making notes on the tourism plans that Azula had given him earlier that day.
"Me? Look at what you're reading!" He looked up and gestured to the scroll in her hand. "That is the budget for Ty Lee's art school!"
Katara looked down at the scroll and then looked back at her husband. She tried to remember the last time they went to bed without bringing work with them. "When did we become these people?"
"Life got busy," Zuko sighed softly. It was difficult to take a break when the weight of an entire nation was on his shoulders, he thought to himself.
"Do you think we have not delegated enough?" The Fire Lady asked. Since the assassination attempts, the couple was reluctant to bring any more people into their court. But that meant they had to do more work to keep everything running smoothly.
"With three people removed from the council and their spots not filled, I think there is no doubt that we are not delegating enough," he scrubbed a hand over his face. "We have no Minister of Agriculture, no Minister of Defense, and no Minister of Environmental Conservation."
"Not to mention the positions that still need to be filled, Transportation, Trade, Foreign Affairs, and Urban Development," Katara added softly. Vetting nobles for the council was difficult when there had been so much rebellion and treason.
"Maybe tomorrow we cancel all our meetings and spend time with the royal advisors to fill all the positions by the end of the month," the Fire Lord suggested after a moment. Clearly trying to minimize the rebellion was not working, maybe having everyone where he could see them and potentially eliminate the amount of threats. Or at least allow him to be a step ahead.
Katara threw the scroll in her hands onto the nightstand. Between being a mother and leading a nation she was exhausted. "We can't keep bringing work into our bed."
"No we can't," Zuko agreed as he put his own work down and pulled her close. The waterbender instantly melted against his side. She was decidedly quiet and Zuko noticed. Whatever was bothering her, it had nothing to do with them bringing work into their bed. "It's still early, want to climb onto the roof?"
The sparkle in her blue eyes was all the answer he needed. Within seconds the Fire Lord was leading his wife onto their bedroom terrace to climb onto the roof. The waterbender sat between her husband's legs, his chin on the top of her head and his arms wrapped around her.
"I miss my mother," she whispered after a few minutes. "Trying to be there for Lu Ten while navigating the rest of the duties associated with Fire Lady, I wish she was here. To help me, to guide me."
He wasn't surprised by the admission, he was surprised by how defeated and disconnected she sounded. "It's more than just missing her. You're not happy."
"It's not that, I love Lu Ten and I love being married to you," Katara replied quietly. She didn't quite know how to express herself. "I just am terrified all the time, I thought each year things would be getting easier. But it just feels like it's getting harder. And now with Lu Ten, it feels like if I let my guard down something catastrophic is going to happen."
The Fire Lord did not know how to comfort her, he could not tell her that peace would come eventually. Zuko could not tell her that everything would be okay and the attempts on his life would never be successful. And he had his own fears. Fears about not living to see his son reach adulthood. Fears of losing Katara. Fears about the destruction of his country.
So instead he kissed the top of her head and parroted something Iroh had said to him shortly after the first assassination attempt following Zuko's coronation, "We can't live in fear. All we can do is focus on leaving the world a little better than we found it."
Haru looked down at his wife as they walked through his home village. She seemed to be deep in thought as they walked through the different merchants.
"You aren't nervous, are you?" He teased her. This would be the first time she saw his parents since their elopement. And as much as they liked Toph, Haru knew his parents would be disappointed at not being at their wedding.
"Of course not," the Blind Bandit scoffed kicking a pebble. She wasn't nervous, at least not really. A little apprehensive but more because her parents were so judgmental of her life. Her husband's parents had been so supportive this entire time and as grateful as she was for that, Toph was unsure how to act around that kind of supportive loving parentage.
"Good," he leaned down and placed a kiss on her cheek. "Besides I already told them about the elopement."
"When did you tell them?" She asked in alarm. Her hands balled into fists at her side.
"I told them I was going to marry you the day I left to follow you to the Western Air Temple," Haru stated grabbing one of her hands, forcing her to release the fist she made.
"That was almost two years ago," Toph mumbled. She hadn't realized that he knew then he was going to marry her.
"It was, and you had run away with Aang because you thought I wouldn't want you after the display your father made at Zuko and Katara's wedding," he replied. Even now being married for over a year, he knew that Toph doubted why he wanted her. Her father had done a number on her after the war regarding the reason a man would want her.
"You knew then?" She was surprised at the conviction he had in their relationship, so much so that he had told his parents.
"Toph, I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you when we were helping rebuild Ba Sing Se," Haru responded. He thought back to the day he started falling in love with her.
"You did? But when?" Toph's head was spinning with the information her husband had just revealed to her. While loving him had snuck up on her, apparently, it happened suddenly for him.
"Do you remember the day that we were in the Lower Ring? You were sitting on the ground eating beef skewers while I did all the work and you were correcting my earthbending technique," he chuckled at the memory. She had teased him relentlessly about his self-taught skill. "I remember getting so mad because you weren't helping and I started shouting at you."
"I remember that you tried to shoot a rock at my head," Toph nodded thoughtfully. She knew the day he was speaking of. They had been in Ba Sing Se for a couple of months and had gotten close, it was right after her father started sending her lists of suitors. And she was taking out her anger on Haru when they were in the Lower Ring that day.
"I did, and after deflecting it you made two moves and fixed the block we were working on in seconds," Haru chuckled. He remembered staring in shock at her skill, he had known she was good but he did not expect her to be that good. "I was so frustrated, I wandered off to the other side of the street. And then I tried correcting my earthbending form, more to prove you wrong but instead, it worked."
"And I told you that if you really wanted lessons I would give them to you," the Blind Bandit finished for him. She remembered the comment, it was an offhanded one. Toph had never expected him to take her up on the offer, but he had instantly.
"Do you know why I agreed to the lessons?" He asked her after a few minutes.
"Because you wanted to be a better earthbender," the answer was an obvious one to her.
"Because that day I had fallen in love with your spirit and sarcasm. And I was embarrassed that my skill was not worthy of you."
It was the middle of the night and she was practicing, or trying to.
Dark eyes watched as she moved through the katas systematically but each one falling short. The signature blue flame she had prior to her bending suppressed had vanished. And the flame she could create while controlled lacked the life it once wielded.
He had a feeling she was practicing in secret, being embarrassed for struggling. The way she was yawning during their own training sessions had him searching for her this midnight hour.
Piandao watched as Azula collapsed on the floor, her quiet sobs reaching his ears.
The sword master wanted to rush to her aid and comfort her. Tell her he would make it all better, but recognized this was her journey and he couldn't rescue her. So instead he watched as she tried to create the flame she used to master, her sobs echoing throughout the training arena.
Soon she was just sobbing on the floor and shortly after she had fallen asleep. Piandao walked quickly over to the Fire Nation Princess and lifted her into her arms. While he couldn't comfort her, he could carry her to bed.
The sword master brushed back her hair after he placed her on her bed, pulling the covers over her. He entered her bathroom quietly to grab a damp cloth, when he returned to her side Piandao noticed Azula had snuggled deeper into her bed. He gently cleaned off the tear tracks left on her cheeks, he didn't want her to wake in the morning with the evidence of the night before. She looked much younger than her twenty years of age when she was asleep, he thought to himself. The stress and trauma she had experienced evaporating off her face.
As he went to leave, Piandao paused. Azula's sketchbook was left open next to her bed and opened to a page of a perfectly sketched image of the sword master laughing. He looked carefree and happy, something he only experienced around Azula.
His hands itched to turn the page and see if she had sketched him more than once.
Piandao stopped himself before going to turn the page, he had already invaded her privacy enough watching her practice. He would not invade it anymore by looking at her sketchbook. He cast one last look at the Princess before he left her room. He had some correspondence to send via the White Lotus.
A few days later, Piandao sat in the tea shop reading a tabloid while he waited for his friend to arrive. He could understand why the Princess enjoyed reading the gossip scrolls, he thought to himself as he read about the latest scandal.
The sword master knew that Azula was struggling. And having watched her the other night, Piandao suspected that she was embarrassed and frightened. The Fire Lord had offered to help his sister but they were very different people and Azula was reluctant to take his advice. While Piandao could not rescue her, he could offer a teacher.
"Hello old friend," the firebender greeted as he joined the sword master. "I was surprised to receive your letter, more surprised when you asked me to join you in Caldera."
"Jeong Jeong," the sword master nodded at the man who took the seat in front of him. "I know being back here must be strange for you."
The two men stared at each other in silence. Neither making a move. Jeong Jeong lifted an eyebrow waiting for his friend to say what he asked him here for. Finally, the firebending master could not stand it any longer. "Spit it out, Piandao."
"I want you to train, Princess Azula." He watched as his friend blinked slowly a few times.
"In firebending? Was she not a prodigy? Why does she need me?" The firebending master asked confused. He watched as Piandao looked down at his hands quickly, a look of discouragement crossing his face. Jeong Jeong continued, "Besides, I do not teach students anymore. You know this."
"Her bending has been suppressed for years and she is struggling with having access to it again. Her inner fire specifically," the sword master explained as well as he could in the public setting. "I think you would be an excellent person to teach her how to control it."
"I do not teach anymore." Jeong Jeong grumbled, his face hard. But he was curious as to why the sword master was fighting so hard for the Princess. He knew that Piandao had been training her in swordsmanship but this was a much more intimate defense than the firebending master had suspected.
"I know you do not teach, but I think you would find her to be an extraordinary student," Piandao pressed. He knew this was a big favor. "She is someone who understands the life force that is fire. Azula is smart and creative, witty beyond belief. I have never had a student like her before."
The pieces slid into place. "You're in love with her."
Piandao sighed heavily. He knew his friends were gossips but he didn't think they had informed Jeong Jeong of his feelings. "Will you help her?"
The firebending master looked at the sword master. "She will not like my teaching methods. From my understanding patience is not her strong suit."
"She's an incredible artist, I think you will find patience is something she has in spades," the sword master defended Azula. Jeong Jeong raised an eyebrow as Piandao came to the Fire Nation Princess's defense much like a lover. The sword master sighed, "I'm in love with her."
"I'll train her, but I will not tolerate impatience. She will do it my way or not at all," Jeong Jeong stated after a few minutes of scrutiny. He didn't relish the idea of teaching a spoiled princess but he was curious about the woman who had stolen Piandao's heart.
"I would expect nothing less, old friend."
"Hush now, my son,
Close your eyes and sleep
Waltzing the waves
Diving the deep
Stars are shining bright
The wind is on the rise
Whispering words
Of long-lost lullabies"
Zuko watched from the doorway as his wife tried to coax their son to sleep with a Water Tribe lullaby. Hikari was curled up on the floor next to the crib, ever the protector of Lu Ten.
The Fire Lady laid her son down in the crib and slowly backed out of the room, bumping into her husband in the process.
"I knew you were in love with me, but I didn't realize I was still sweeping you off your feet," Zuko teased softly as he caught her. He quickly swept her up into his arms, holding her tight to him. His waterbender instantly wrapped her arms and legs around him as he carried her out of the nursery.
"I thought you had a meeting with Baihu," the waterbender collapsed onto the chaise, Zuko put her on in the private library. She had an hour before her next meeting.
The firebender leaned over his wife, his forehead against hers. "It got canceled and I thought it would be nice to have a few minutes with my waterbender."
She graced him with a dazzling smile. "I'm glad I get to spend some time with my husband." Her fingers tangled into the lapel and pulled him closer to her.
Zuko didn't need any more coaxing from her as he leaned down and kissed her, savoring the taste of his wife. After pulling back, he joined her on the chaise cuddling her close. Just enjoying the closeness to his wife. "I think in the new year we should take Lu Ten to Ember Island."
"Are you suggesting a holiday?" Katara asked snuggling deeper into his arms. With everything going on, the couple hadn't had an opportunity to take a vacation together since their honeymoon.
"I am," he teased with a little tickle to her sides. "I thought we could bring Azula and Mother. Perhaps invite Uncle Iroh and Jun."
"The family time would be a welcome break," the waterbender agreed. "How is Azula doing?"
"I don't know," Zuko replied honestly. Since her bending had been returned Azula had been a recluse. Other than her lessons with Piandao and her royal duties, the Princess had been avoiding everyone.
"Have you offered to help her with her bending?" Katara asked. She couldn't imagine the difficulty in trying to relearn how to bend after having lost access to it for so long.
"I tried and she laughed," the Fire Lord said. He paused before sharing his suspicions, "Though I think it was more bravado than confidence."
"What about Iroh? He was your teacher," the Fire Lady wanted Azula to be supported. The two had become close in the last few years and Katara didn't want the Princess's firebending to cause her to have a setback.
"Piandao approached me a few days ago, he was going to ask Jeong Jeong to come train her," Zuko informed his wife. "He thought that someone who did not know Azula before could be a fresh perspective. And allow her to be more receptive. I think Jeong Jeong is supposed to arrive today."
"I'll speak to Jiang about finding a guest room for him," the waterbender closed her eyes. "Do you think we have time for a quick nap?"
"Anything for you waterbender."
The Captain of the Royal Guard peaked into the sitting room when Akio and Chinatsu began looking for the couple. But Malu didn't have the heart to wake them, all their meetings could be rescheduled. The new parents deserved a break.
"Azula, I would like to introduce you to Master Jeong Jeong," Piandao gestured to the man standing next to him. "He is a skilled firebending master, having been a part of the Fire Nation navy rising to the rank of admiral. Like you, he was a prodigy and I thought he could offer some guidance now that your bending has been returned."
"Master Jeong Jeong, it is an honor to meet you," the Fire Nation Princess bowed in respect to the firebending master. She had a feeling that Piandao knew of her struggle, she suspected he had been the one to carry her back to bed the other night. But she had not expected him to bring in the former admiral to train her, though she was grateful.
The elder firebender looked her up and down, he was surprised by what he saw though his face was free of any emotion. "I have heard of your lack of respect for previous firebending masters. I will not tolerate it, Master Piandao has called upon a favor I owe him for this but I will not hesitate to end your training if you show an inch of disrespect and impatience. If I train you, I will do it my way with no complaint from you."
"I understand, Master Jeong Jeong," Azula agreed instantly. Her entire frame relaxing. She did not realize how much his roughness would be a relief to her.
"I will leave you two, to your training," Piandao stated when he saw her relax. An audience was the last thing the Princess needed to reconnect with her inner fire.
Jeong Jeong watched as the Fire Nation Princess's eyes followed the sword master, a longing in her gold eyes. She gazed at him as if he were her strength and refuge. Piandao was a fool if he did not see how Azula felt for him, every man wanted to be loved the way that she obviously loved the sword master.
"Let us begin, get into your stance," the firebending master commanded once Piandao had left the training arena. His brow raised as he noticed she did what he asked without question. Her stance was perfect, there was no doubt that she knew what she was doing. "Feel the heat of the sun, it is the greatest source of fire and in complete balance with nature."
Azula took a deep breath and her head tilted slightly to the sky as the rays shone down on her. Eyes closed and breathing deep.
Jeong Jeong sat opposite the Princess and watched as she breathed for the next two hours. He was pleasantly surprised that her stand did not shift nor did she complain once. Azula held her position and just focused on her breath control with her head tilted toward the sky.
"We are done for the day," the former admiral stated not unkindly. He was pleased with her control and discipline.
The Princess opened her eyes and stood from her stance. She bowed to the master, "Thank you for teaching me today, Master Jeong Jeong."
"I will meet you every day after your training with Master Piandao," Jeong Jeong informed her. He knew as a senior-ranking royal, she had duties to attend to and wanted to see her reaction to the command.
"I will make myself available for training with you, thank you," Azula replied. She knew Katara would let her training take precedence if needed.
Once Jeong Jeong dismissed her, he noticed how she moved to the side of the training arena to stretch on the soft grass. He admired that she had not complained of stiffness after standing in her stance for so long, just waited until he dismissed her to take care of her aching body.
"I knew you would be watching," the former admiral said as he caught his friend lurking behind the stands.
Piandao rubbed a hand on his face, an uncharacteristic move for him. "I'm so in love with her that my worry has been controlling me. I need to step away so she can find a man worthy of her."
"You do not think you are worthy?" Jeong Jeong tilted his head as he looked at his friend.
"I think, she deserves to have everything that life offers," the sword master corrected. "She deserves to be courted and wooed, what I want is a betrothal and a marriage. But I do not know if she is ready for that. Not that it would matter anyway, I know she does not feel the same way."
Jeong Jeong looked over to where Azula was on the grass, legs outstretched and chest against her thighs stretching. The Fire Nation Princess surprised him and he could see how Piandao fell in love with her.
"Go back to Shu Jing," Jeong Jeong encouraged his friend. "Use the time to get your things in order and then speak to the Fire Lord about courting her, it does not need to be a long courtship before a betrothal. But if you are not serious then tell her, give her the respect of closure."
Suki clutched her abdomen tightly. All she could think about was making it back to her and Sokka's chambers. She did her best to keep a smile on her face, nodding to those around her. Never letting the tears fall as she moved through the tribe, a silent plea on her lips.
The Kyoshi Warrior had been meeting with one of the schools out in the city when the pains began. She stayed only just as long as propriety dictated before taking her leave as diplomatically as possible.
She was walking up the steps to her home when the pain changed. The sharpness came fast and with it a bout of nausea.
"No, not here," she whispered to herself. It was too public of a place and with the Northern Chief trying to find anything he could to merge the Water Tribes, Suki knew how detrimental this would be. "Please, no."
She barely stumbled inside before collapsing onto the floor, crying out.
"Suki?" Pakku asked as he searched out the noise. His eyes widened as he saw the dark red beginning to seep through her outer clothing. The waterbending master immediately called for the only other person around, "Bato!"
"Tu and La," the warrior whispered as he joined the waterbending master, instantly knowing what was happening before him. Straight away Bato went to help his daughter-in-law.
"I'm fine," Suki tried to push off the two men as she tried to stand. Though the moment she stood the pain sharpened and spread. "Ah!"
Before she could collapse onto the floor again, the warrior caught her. "Get Sokka and Kanna. Perhaps a waterbending healer? And tell Hakoda we will watch Keiko for the next few days."
Pakku ran off to gather the necessary people and make arrangements for Keiko to stay with her grandfathers. Bato carried Suki as quickly as possible to her chambers.
The Kyoshi Warrior could feel the wetness beneath her spreading, she looked down quickly and then looked away. Her voice was hollow, "I'm losing the baby."
Bato looked down at her, a somber look on his face. "I'm afraid so."
Senna, the master waterbending healer, arrived before Sokka and Kanna. She had dropped everything to aid the Kyoshi Warrior. Having known the struggle that Suki had during her first pregnancy, Senna feared for the worst.
By the time the Water Tribe Heir joined his wife, the damage was already done.
The healer said there was nothing to be done. A late-term miscarriage, that's what she called it.
A few hours later Sokka was curled up with his wife on their bed as she cried into his chest. Murmuring words of love to her, the tribesman held back his own sorrow to allow his wife the opportunity to feel her pain. He would be her strength as long as she needed him to be.
The sword master sharpened his sword deliberately, he welcomed the distraction of being in his studio. He had been in Shu Jing for almost a month now, he had only planned to stay a week but had extended his trip. Azula needed the time to focus on her firebending and he needed the time to collect his emotions.
In the first few weeks of returning to his home, he had kept himself busy. Avoiding everything having to do with the royal family. Piandao had even spent some time socializing in the city, his time at the palace showing that he was longing for companionship. But as the women of Shu Jing were drawn to him, he found himself wishing for the attention of the Princess.
To further avoid thoughts of his pupil, the sword master had entertained the company of some of the women in Shu Jing who had previously expressed interest. His days were filled with walks through the city and tea accompanied by an eligible woman. But with every passing outing, he found himself wishing for the wit of his student.
He tried to tell himself that this was for the best, Azula deserved to be with a man who could offer her more. Yet he could not get her out of his mind.
Piandao moved to oil his sword as he finally allowed himself to think about Azula. He had done his best not to think about her the entire time he was in Shu Jing, but now that he had set a return date for the end of the week he needed to make a decision.
Azula, he thought to himself, she was extraordinary. He found himself thinking of her dry sense of humor. The way she teased her brother but longed to make him proud. She loved her nephew fiercely and put her life on the line to protect him without pausing to think of what could happen to her. Everything she did, she excelled at because she put her entire being into what she did.
The Princess was far from perfect, but her work ethic and strength made failure not an option for her. It was something the sword master could relate to, being the same way.
Piandao looked down at his sword and sighed. She was beautiful and talented, the best student Piandao ever trained. Her passion and drive were unmatched. The artistic ability she displayed showed the raw emotion she used to bottle up inside. A young woman who had walked through hellfire and emerged a champion.
The sword master thought of the men of the royal court that would make a good match for Azula. He moved through the names of eligible sons of the noblemen and with each name, Piandao's stomach sank.
His Princess deserved to be loved by a man who knew her struggle and had done the same. A man who could not only be her equal but love her without abandon and put her first.
He dropped his sword as the thought moved through his mind, the clatter echoing throughout the studio.
"Fat!" The sword master called out to his butler. He raced back to his home, calling out as he did. "Fat!"
"Yes Master Piandao?" The butler asked in a bored tone. He watched as Piandao hastily began packing.
"Send word to the Fire Lord that I will be returning sooner than planned. And request an audience with him."
Azula hesitated as her training session with Jeong Jeong ended. The firebending master had taken her back to the basics and she welcomed the instruction. But now they had been training together for some time, she thought it was important for her to inform him of her biggest insecurity and failure.
"Spit it out, Azula," Jeong Jeong barked out to his student.
Instead of responding, she created a small flame in her hand. The signature blue color was noticeably and conspicuously absent.
The firebending master looked at the control she had with admiration. It was the first time Jeong Jeong had seen her create a flame. While the fire had a life of its own, Azula was directing the flame to go in the direction she wanted regardless of the breeze moving through the arena. It took Jeong Jeong a moment to notice what was missing because of the control that was being displayed.
"You place too much of your identity on the color of your flame," the firebending master stated disapprovingly. He wanted to teach her the life force of fire and she was concerned with the color.
"Yes, Master Jeong Jeong." The Fire Nation Princess extinguished the flame and looked down at her feet. She swallowed the lump in her throat and blinked back the tears that began to well in her eyes.
Immediately Jeong Jeong felt guilty, Azula had shared her greatest vulnerability with him and he had dismissed her. His next words were much softer, "Focus on your inner fire, the life it wields inside of you and around you."
Azula's head snapped up to meet his eyes. "You think I'll be able to have it again?"
"The attachment to emotion is what allows very few to be unable to yield the blue flame and lightning. I have heard of your skill to be able to master both. But you yielded it because you suppressed your emotion, not mastered it," Jeong Jeong explained. Her expression fell more. "That suppression impacted your inner fire by squelching it, the moment you felt emotion your inner fire was released and spiraled out of control."
"I understand," discouragement seeping into her voice.
Jeong Jeong sighed, he could not understand the Princess. "Why do you want it?"
Azula looked away from the piercing gaze of the firebending master. "I want the skill that comes with it to protect my family. I want to prove that my bending was not the reason for my struggles. I was excellent and I want to be that way again."
His eyes widened at her assertion, he had not expected that answer. "To control the blue flame and lightning again, you must be able to feel emotion but detach when necessary. It will not come easy, very few are able to reach the spiritual and emotional enlightenment to control both the blue flame and lightning."
"I do not need easy," she replied. A spark of hope and determination in her gold eyes.
The Fire Lord was trailing kisses down his waterbender's naked spine. Her gorgeous skin was on display for him, he could barely get enough of her. With Lu Ten now sleeping through the nights and officially moved into the nursery, Zuko was taking full advantage of having his wife to himself again.
"Again?" The waterbender mumbled sleepily. They had only been asleep for an hour after their previous round of lovemaking.
"What can I say? I married a waterbending temptress," the Fire Lord lightly nipped one of her butt cheeks. He was rewarded with Katara arching her back in pleasure.
"You are going to have to do all the work," the Fire Lady replied with a little wiggle of her behind.
"I think that can be arranged," Zuko growled, he shifted her so a pillow could be placed under her hips. He moved his hands to grip her upper thighs, "Now open those pretty legs for me waterbender."
Katara moaned in response as she widened her legs. Within seconds her husband's mouth was on her folds, tasting her from behind. The new angle caused a thrill of pleasure to race down her spine. "Ahhh!"
He chuckled briefly before going back drinking her from the source. The Fire Lord loved the taste of her, heady and intoxicating. He held her hips tight as he tried to savor every last drop she produced. The waterbender's moans and squeals quickly became the symphony to his ministrations.
For all her teasing at his precocious appetite, Katara's body was quickly producing her natural lubrication. Within a minute of her husband's mouth being on her, she was soaked. By the end of the third minute, the waterbender was beginning to feel the climb to her climax.
Zuko's teeth scraped her bundle of nerves followed by his tongue soothing the sting, causing her to buck her hips. His hands moved back to hold her thighs apart, his fingers spreading her folds to allow his mouth more access.
The waterbender tried to push herself closer seeking more friction against her core as her orgasm began to build deep in her belly.
"Zuko, please," she begged. She could feel herself teetering on that edge and all she needed was her husband to take her there.
The Fire Lord pulled back and blew lightly over her sex, he wanted to draw out her pleasure. "Not yet."
He watched as her sex trembled just on the brink of her climax. Once she had calmed, Zuko began tasting her all over again. Building her back to that edge all over again. He moaned loudly sending pleasant vibrations throughout her entire core.
Hearing her husband moan and enjoy her flavor caused a flood of wetness to rush out of her. Which in turn caused Zuko to moan more and seek out every drop.
Katara was once again on the edge when he pulled back, lightly blowing on her. It was enough stimulation to keep her arousal heightened but not enough to fall over the edge of the cliff. Again he waited until she had calmed before diving back in for more.
"Please please please," she began to beg when he began all over again. Being denied twice was not something the waterbender was used to. By now her husband would typically have had her climaxing already.
Zuko ignored her begging and feasted on her for his pleasure. Every lick, nip, and suck was for his enjoyment this go around. He drew out her pleasure with each swipe of his tongue. When he felt the telltale sign of her sex trembling, he pulled back for a third time. He licked his lips, savoring her flavor before crawling up her body.
"No," Katara howled in frustration drawing out the word. Tears pricked at her eyes as she was denied a third time.
"You told me to do all the work, which means you'll get there when I'm ready." The Fire Lord rested his length between her legs and pressed his chest to her back. "And I want to feel you gripping my cock as you fall apart."
He slowly pushed into her, relishing the feeling of how tight and wet she was. Zuko set a slow and deep pace. He wanted her to feel every inch of him with each and every thrust.
"Oh! Right there," the waterbender moaned as he hit that sweet spot. "Tui and La!"
The firebender pulled back her hair as he continued his slow pace. He began placing open mouth kisses against the side of her face down to her neck. In between kisses, he was talking to her, "That's a good waterbender. You like feeling me deep inside of you. So tight and wet for me."
It wasn't long before he felt her begin to arch back into his thrusts. Even shorter when he began to hear the sounds that typically led up to her orgasm.
"Ah," Katara groaned as she got closer to her climax. She didn't think she could take it if he denied her a fourth time. "Please Zuko. Oh Tui and La, please!"
"That's it waterbender, cum all over my cock," Zuko encouraged her. He could feel his own release was not far off. His words were her undoing and she came around him with a low moan, pulling him right along with her.
The sword master looked at the display in front of him frowning, nothing seemed quite right. He knew what he wanted yet could not find it and this was the seventh store he had been to. "All of them are beautiful but . . ."
"But?" The jeweler asked waiting for the sword master to finish.
"Do you have any others? This is for a very special woman of court," Piandao explained as he looked at the jeweler. He was getting tired, he had returned to Caldera only a few hours ago and had not even returned to the palace yet. He wanted to take care of this before arriving. "Nothing too ostentatious, something classic but still large enough to demonstrate her value."
The old jeweler studied the man in front of him, he had heard the rumors and instantly knew the perfect item. With one finger raised he moved to the very back of the store, pausing at the item he was about to select. The jeweler had never anticipated finding the right person to sell this piece to, but he knew without a doubt this would be perfect. After all, it had been designed purposefully for the woman who would receive it, forged in royal fire the day of her birth. He walked back to the sword master, the piece on display. "How about this? It's the only one ever made. Very classic but with a hint of a fire. And if rumors are true, this piece was made specifically for the woman who will receive it."
Piandao picked up the piece of jewelry off the cushioned case and moved so the sunlight from the windows could hit the gems. The stones sparkled delightfully in the rays with the gold setting enhancing the beauty of the piece. For the first time, he could picture himself presenting this piece to her.
The Fire Nation Princess had been about to enter the family jewelry store when she stopped suddenly. Her gold eyes settled on Piandao just inside, a smile graced her face as she looked at her sword master. She hadn't seen him in a few weeks and she was thrilled he was back in Caldera. He moved allowing the jewelry he was scrutinizing to come into view, her eyes zeroed in on the piece in his hands.
Azula's stomach dropped. Because in the hand of the man she had fallen hopelessly in love with was an engagement ring and he had no idea about her feelings for him.
Oof, a lot happened in this chapter. Should I go hide?
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Chapter 31 Coming in 2025