Walking through the Palace casually shouldn't have proven as difficult a feat for Azula. She simply had to be the figure of utter perfection, an art she had mastered from a young age. Nothing was amiss, of course not… especially not her virginity. Everything was absolutely perfect. There was no reason for anyone to suspect otherwise.
She wasn't sure if she was holding up her act properly by the time she reached her room, or if she'd just made a complete fool of herself. She hadn't noticed anyone looking at her in suspicious ways, most people who had crossed her path had bowed down in her direction, so perhaps she was simply expecting threats where there were none. Perhaps.
She sent word for a servant to ready a bath for her and busied herself reading a book while she waited for it to be ready. The servant left quickly after setting up the tub in her personal bathroom, returning to her other chores right away, leaving the Princess to herself. Azula sighed, releasing a tense breath once the girl had closed the door behind her, and she set aside the book she had scarcely been able to focus on. She stripped naked yet again, setting her armor on her dresser before focusing on the rest of her clothes. The thought that Sokka had seen her like this came dancing back into her head, threatening to make her smile to herself foolishly. She'd had no reason to fear he wouldn't like her body, she knew as much, but after seeing for herself the way he could barely keep his hands off her, she felt far more confident than she had been before. Relying on others' perceptions of herself wasn't the way she operated, normally, for she was fairly confident of her best qualities… but knowing how much he liked her, knowing he loved her, certainly made life brighter for the Princess.
She decided it would be best to burn the shirt inside the bathroom, concealing the smoke, if possible, amid the steam. She also picked out a shirt of the exact same qualities, a perfectly clean one, and tossed it in the basket of her used clothes. The servant might notice the absence of the red shirt when dealing with her laundry, so she would have to resort to a clean one to cover up for its absence.
She sunk into the tub and heated it up further until it reached her favored temperature. There was a ghostly prickle on her pelvic area, born after what had happened only a short while ago. She snorted in disbelief and shook her head. It was like someone else would take over her body whenever she was around Sokka. She would lose all caution, rationality and common sense, and even forget the potential troubles of having lost her virginity as long as he was with her. How he caused such an effect on her, she didn't know… but she found was thoroughly fascinated by it. Only thinking about him brought a soft smile to her face, one she didn't want anyone but Sokka to witness.
She washed thoroughly, making certain to rinse away all trace of her last escapades with Sokka. He had left marks on her body; they weren't too noticeable, but they were evidence of what they'd done… she only hoped nobody had seen them. Most the people who crossed her path had bowed down instantly, so perhaps the new bothersome treatment she was bearing with had a few perks to it.
She only burned the shirt once she was done washing. She stood in her bathing gown, in front of the tub, and she incinerated the evidence slowly, so the ashes would fall in the water. Once she pulled the plug, one of the last remaining loose ends was resolved. It was far from an ideal procedure, but it was better to lose a shirt than to lose her head, she reasoned, as she returned to her room and rummaged through her closet for her Crown Princess attire.
She dressed up quickly, settling in her golden armor and feeling rather unworthy of its weight right now. She swallowed hard and tried to keep all negative thoughts at bay. She had disappointed her father, it was true, but she meant to become the best leader the Fire Nation had seen regardless of that. If she succeeded at making everything go her way, she might keep the truth from Ozai for good…
A knock on the door, as she finished applying makeup to the only noticeable red mark on her neck, made her frown. She set down the substance and glared at her door, wondering if the war meeting would begin so early. It wasn't likely, so it had to be something else. She composed her hair quickly, struggling to pull up her half-knot, and she placed the hairpiece in front of it as usual, before walking to the door. The knock hadn't repeated itself, but indeed, there was a servant right outside, waiting for her to come to the door.
"What is it?" Azula asked, and the man flinched. She frowned heavily at him.
"T-the ladies Mai and Ty Lee are here to see you, Princess."
"Wait, you said…?" Azula whispered, her eyes widening. Uh-oh.
It had been a week since they'd last met, she realized. She had forgotten about their weekly encounters, letting herself grow concerned with one too many other matters… to the point where she had promptly lost track of time, and thus, of her newly reinstated weekly encounters with her friends.
"Should I ask them to leave?" the servant asked. "If… if it's an inconvenience for you, Princess, I could do as much…"
"No, no, I'll… I'll meet with them," said Azula, after frowning and pondering her options quickly. Sending her friends away for no reason wouldn't be appropriate. She had made an appointment, she had best keep it. The only way to make it seem as though everything was normal was to stick to her schedule as she would on any given day.
With these thoughts in mind, she returned to her dresser and made certain her appearance was as flawless as could be before meeting Mai and Ty Lee. Putting up a pretense before her friends would not be easy, but she had to try anyways.
Their encounters always had taken place in a living room not far from Azula's own bedroom, and her feet seemed to guide her there on their own accord. She took deep breaths, knowing she had to be the image of perfection once again. She couldn't let Mai and Ty Lee in on this secret now, not after Rui Shi and Song already knew of it. It was bound to be hard enough to keep those two in check… convincing Ty Lee to refrain from telling everyone she knew about Azula and Sokka's relationship would be close to impossible.
Azula steeled herself before entering the room, striding inside firmly and hoping nothing in her demeanor would give away the latest events. She was having an unbearably hard time acting naturally so far.
Ty Lee and Mai were chatting inside when the door swung open. Azula couldn't help but remember how, over a year ago, she had walked into the same room to find the two of them talking about the yet-unborn Yuudai. The mere memory seemed a thousand years away to her. So much had changed since then… she had told the girls of the predicament that ailed her at the time, coming to the conclusion that she had to find a gladiator. Now said gladiator had turned her life upside down so many times she wasn't sure she could make out her bearings anymore. But she found she hardly wanted to…
"Azula!" Ty Lee exclaimed, beaming. "Took you a while!"
"Sorry for the delay," she replied. "There will be a war meeting later today, so I was preparing for that when I was briefed about your arrival…"
"So, you forgot about our appointment?" asked Mai, raising an eyebrow. Azula frowned. "You'd usually be prepared to greet us and to head into the war meeting right on time, wouldn't you?"
"I suppose so," said Azula, shrugging. "Things have been a little hectic as of late, but it's nothing to fuss over. I'm here now, aren't I?"
"You are, but…" said Mai, looking at Azula questioningly. The Princess responded with a glare.
"But what?"
"Mai…" said Ty Lee, blinking a few times as she approached the girl. She looked at Azula with wide eyes before pointing at her. "Are you seeing what I'm seeing?"
Azula paled at those words. No, no, she had made certain she was spotless, not a hair out of place! There was nothing Ty Lee could have thought was wrong, was there? But if that was the case, why was she looking at her like that?
"Uh… is Azula what we're seeing?" Mai asked, with a confused grimace. Azula was relieved to hear that response from her friend. "If so, then yes…"
"No, no, no! Look harder, Mai!" said Ty Lee, urgently. "Just look…!"
"What the blazes am I supposed to be seeing? What is it, you don't like her new outfit or…?"
"Her outfit is fine, that's not it! It's… her aura!"
Azula's eyes widened at that. Oh, hell, she had not foreseen such a ridiculous turn of events.
"Her aura? Ty Lee, what on earth…?" said Mai, rolling her eyes as Ty Lee grabbed her shoulder and shook her.
"I'm serious, Mai! I've… I've never seen it sparkle like that before!" she said, looking at Azula in amazement. "It's like… happy. She's happy. The happiest I've ever seen her! I…"
"She looks virtually the same to me, Ty Lee, honestly. The only rare thing is that she might forget the appointment, but even Azula is human…"
"Fine, be an aura non-believer if you want, but she knows I'm right, doesn't she?" Ty Lee said, approaching Azula. "What happened, Azula?"
"What could have happened, for crying out loud?" Azula growled, looking at Ty Lee skeptically. Ty Lee shook her head slowly.
"You're not tricking me with this. I can tell something's up, Azula, whether you like it or not," she said, squinting as she looked at her friend. "Seriously, I've never seen your aura sparkle like that! Though… though now it's got a few darker stains to it, that's not a good sign."
"Why, if I indeed was in a good mood, for whatever reason, naturally I would stop being so happy when you start harassing me about it, don't you think?" said Azula, crossing her arms over her chest and looking at Ty Lee matter-of-factly. The chi-blocker raised an eyebrow.
"So, you were happy."
"I didn't say I was, I said that if I had been…!"
"No point denying it, Azula, I can see your aura and it speaks for itself! Plus, Mai, you can feel it too, can't you? It's just something… something different about her. Like she's… missing something she used to have before"
"Oh, really?" Azula said, looking at Ty Lee with disbelief. This was getting preposterous. She didn't believe in auras to begin with, yet Ty Lee somehow could tell she was in a good mood through that. Even Mai had said nothing seemed different about her, so she was putting up a good front, but with this absurd matter of the auras now…
"Yeah, there's something that just isn't there anymore. Mai, come on, help me here!" exclaimed Ty Lee, as she grabbed Azula by the wrist and dragged her towards their other friend.
"Ty Lee, would you knock it off?!" Azula snapped, jerking her hand back and glaring at her. Mai raised an eyebrow as she regarded her, curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
"Well, now that you mention it…" she said, tapping her chin with her index finger. "Frustration."
"Huh?" said Azula, looking at her in confusion.
"You lack frustration," said Mai, and Ty Lee nodded energetically.
"I told you, I told you!"
"I don't… hell, if anything I'm growing increasingly frustrated over this conversation," Azula growled. "So if there's something I sure don't lack, it's…"
"Azula…" said Mai, looking at her sternly. Azula froze. "Is there anything you want to tell us?"
"Like hell there is!" she retorted instantly, and Ty Lee's hands flew to her mouth.
"Too fast, Azula!" she said, giggling a little. "You're usually a better liar than that…"
"I'm not lying, because I certainly don't want to tell anything to either of you," she grunted, and Mai smiled.
"So, you are hiding something, but you simply don't want to tell us…?"
"I don't…! Damn it, you two are a pain in the ass," she snapped, surprising them. "You know, the servant had the right idea, I should've just sent you two back home and…"
"Hey, no need to be so stingy, Azula, we're asking because we care about you!" Ty Lee exclaimed, throwing her arms around Azula's neck in a tight hug. Azula grimaced.
"Get off me and leave me alone!" she growled, pushing Ty Lee away brusquely. Far too brusquely for her usual self.
"H-hey… that was mean," said Ty Lee, looking at her with hurt eyes. "We're just curious, Azula! What's…?"
She fell quiet when Mai grabbed Ty Lee's right arm, lifting it to her eye level, inspecting it carefully. Only then did Azula realize Ty Lee's forearm had brushed a certain part of her neck she had done her best to cover up…
"What's the matter, Mai?" asked Ty Lee, looking at Mai in confusion as Mai inspected the makeup residues on Ty Lee's wristband.
"This is," she said, as Ty Lee noticed the small stain on her clothes.
"Hey, isn't that…?" she said, raising her eyebrows before looking at Azula with astonishment.
The Princess found herself breathing heavily, her cheeks flushing when she saw her friends' eyes were directed straight to her neck, or rather, to a very red spot on it. Ty Lee's hands flew to her mouth again as she put all the evidence together, while Mai's eyebrows rose on her forehead slowly. Azula gritted her teeth.
"A-Azula, oh my… you did. You guys actually…!" Ty Lee started, blushing as well as she laughed happily.
The joyful laugh was interrupted when Azula's eyes steeled as she glared at Ty Lee: she stomped her way towards the girl and covered her mouth with her hand, stopping her from making further noise.
"Shut. Up," she growled, dangerously. Ty Lee blinked blankly, thoroughly confused.
"B-but Azula…" she mumbled as Azula pulled her hand away, still glaring.
"Do you realize absolutely anyone could be listening to what we're saying? No protesting, Ty Lee!" she snarled, as she shook her head and lifted her hand to her forehead.
So now two more people knew. Brilliant. She had given the secret away again. How was it so hard to get this right? She took pride in her flawless executions of her plans in so many regards, yet when it came to Sokka she couldn't seem to stop messing things up. The lingering bliss of having been with him not long ago faded gradually as she realized she had to get a grip already. At this rate, her father would be the next to notice what she was hiding…
"Aw, but Azula… it's such a wonderful thing!" Ty Lee said, smiling again. "I can't believe it's finally happened, after such a long time…"
"I'd like to think it wasn't my advice that did it, though, was it?" Mai asked, and Azula frowned and shook her head.
"Your advice did little to help or otherwise," Azula growled, as she walked towards a couch and sank in it, her hands on the sides of her head. She groaned in irritation, not knowing what to make of the current situation anymore.
"That's a pity," said Mai, smiling a little as Ty Lee looked at her accusingly.
"Wait just a moment… you went to Mai for advice?!" she exclaimed, looking at Azula in disbelief. Azula groaned.
"Because I was dead certain Mai would convince me not to do anything foolish. Alas, she thoroughly disappointed me," Azula growled, and Mai shrugged.
"You can't fault me for being honest, can you?"
"B-but why just Mai? You should've come to me!" Ty Lee exclaimed, dropping on the couch where Azula had taken her seat. Her comment earned her another glare.
"You? So your advice would relate merely to what positions you'd recommend? Thank you, but no thank you," Azula said, dryly, and Ty Lee pouted.
"Well, it's a bit late for that now, but I can still give you advice on what to do from here onwards, right?" said Ty Lee, and Azula glared at her skeptically. Ty Lee pouted. "Come on, Azula, you know I can help…!"
"You can help by realizing how delicate the situation is, you know?" Azula snapped, and Ty Lee froze. "See… maybe I was happy, maybe this is thrilling in a lot of ways, but that's not important when you consider that what we did was…! Well, it will likely cost us our heads. At least it will cost us his, for certain, if we ever were discovered. And that's precisely why the less people knew, the better!"
"But we're your friends," said Ty Lee, pouting. "Don't you trust us?"
"I…" said Azula, looking at Ty Lee doubtfully. She groaned in frustration, dropping her head on her hand.
Trusting people had never been her strong suit. She had done far too much of it during the past year, and perhaps had learned, in the process, that trusting some people might be the only way to achieve certain results in the long run. Yet when it came to this, it wasn't just a matter of trust.
"You know all too well what fate awaits me if this were known, Ty Lee" Azula muttered. Ty Lee stiffened and swallowed, nodding. "And if it were known, also, that you two were aware of this, there's no telling what would happen to you either. This isn't just a matter of trust… it's the fact that I might end up ruining a thousand lives at this rate, all because I…"
She huffed angrily and shook her head. She couldn't bring herself to say it, and it might be for the best if she didn't. There was indeed no telling who might overhear her words right now.
"The point is, this isn't just because I'm some sort of prude who refuses to share details with you two…"
"Aw, we didn't think you were, but…"
"The point is you two were better off not knowing, for your own sake," said Azula, sighing and dropping against the backrest of her seat. Every moment that went by there was something new to worry about, it seemed…
"Granted that might be true, but if worst came to worst, there's no reason for anyone to suspect that either me or Ty Lee knew anything," said Mai, shrugging. "We may be your friends, but there are far too many secrets you keep from us. Pretending this is yet another secret we were never told of shouldn't prove that hard, if you're so worried about us."
"Yeah, that's true," said Ty Lee. "If it came to that, of course. Because I mean, you've been so cautious so far, from the looks of it…"
Azula grimaced. No, she and Sokka had been anything but cautious. They were slightly overwhelmed by the magnitude of the passion between them. Merely being around each other was enough to get them started again. By now, she couldn't help but wonder how they had managed to keep their hands off each other for such a long time. Clearly, they had forgotten how to do that by now.
"You've made sure to destroy all evidence?" asked Mai, and Azula nodded.
"Most of it anyways," she whispered. "Some things would be best dealt with later. Getting rid of everything that hosted any evidence at once could look suspicious all on its own…"
"Indeed," said Mai, nodding. "Well, then, if you have already taken care of most things then I'd say you don't have to worry that much. If you're that concerned over our wellbeing, Ty Lee and I can play dumb quite easily."
"No doubt!" said Ty Lee, proudly, before freezing and looking at Mai scornfully. "Hey, was that an insult?"
"Not really. It would have been an insult if I'd said I would play dumb, whereas you won't even have to pretend…" said Mai, with a malicious grin. Ty Lee's cheeks reddened as she glared at her friend.
"Mai, quit being a jerk!" she growled, and Mai chuckled.
Azula watched her friends talk, a soft frown on her face. If this was already irremediable, then she'd best work with it, regardless if she liked it or not. Things wouldn't get better if she merely stuck to berating herself for not protecting this secret as she had intended to.
"I suppose you both understand how important it is to keep your mouths shut, then," she said, and the two girls nodded.
"I'd think you don't even need to ask," said Ty Lee, smiling a little. "I know you think I'm a gossip, but I'm not stupid enough to ruin your life like that. I know all too well what it's like…"
"There's no reason to tell anyone about this," Mai said, shrugging. "So Ty Lee's right, there's no need to ask. We'll keep quiet and pretend nothing has changed."
"Which means I should continue annoying you about getting things on with him, even though I know you have by now," said Ty Lee, giggling, and Azula rolled her eyes and sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her fingertips.
"The thing is… I'm starting to think these meetings can't take place like this anymore, if just for safety's sake," she whispered. "While I'm reluctant to share any information with you two, I realize the topic might come up at some point, whether I want it to or not. So…"
"So… we're not going to meet anymore?" asked Ty Lee, sadly. Azula bit her lower lip.
"It's either that or changing locations to somewhere more secure for the next one" said Azula. "Granted, not meeting anymore might be safer, but seeing how we're trying to start this again, you two might think it's a waste…"
"It'd actually be a little strange if we started and then stopped again for no reason," said Mai, raising an eyebrow. "I don't think people would look too deeply into it, but it still might seem a little random on your part… I'd say changing locations for our encounters would be better."
"Where to?" said Ty Lee, blinking blankly as Azula leveled her with a straight-forward stare. Ty Lee's eyebrows rose. "Wait, my place?"
"You can say you'll keep this quiet all you want, but let's face it: you will tell Haru," said Azula, and Ty Lee blushed.
"I… I wouldn't necessarily do it!" she said, and Azula looked at her skeptically.
"Right. Let's pretend you do keep quiet… for a week, at most."
"You're giving her too much credit," said Mai, smirking, and Ty Lee pouted.
"You two are just… ugh! I could keep quiet, you'll see!" she said. Azula sighed.
"The thing is, you don't have to… but JUST with Haru, understood? And Haru is not to talk of this to a single soul, got it?"
"Oh? He can know?" Ty Lee said, surprised.
"I'm thinking he might notice something's odd if we start meeting at your place suddenly" said Azula, frowning. "Since it's just you and him, it will still be risky but at least I figure Haru can keep his silence. He barely talks to begin with, so…"
"Still could be another loose end, though," said Mai, and Azula sighed.
"I'm forced to trust you all despite I don't feel too inclined to do so," she said. "Still, as long as we give nobody else any cause to suspect us, it will be fine. None of you will be interrogated over this, so long as Sokka and I keep our act together. If we can, of course."
"Well, Haru will have to know if that's the case," said Mai, nodding. "Meeting at Ty Lee's place would be safer than mine anyways. I have too many servants, a baby and a husband. It should be easier to talk elsewhere."
"Then my place it is," said Ty Lee, smiling. "You really do think of everything, Azula, right?"
"If I didn't I'd be in a bigger mess than I'm already in," she said, with a sarcastic grin. Mai raised an eyebrow.
"You did, though? Think of everything, I mean…"
"I… believe so," said Azula, frowning. "Why the question?"
"So, you also had a contraceptive measure, I take it?"
Azula's stomach sank. No, that was the one thing she had forgotten completely about.
Suddenly she felt dizzy, as though she were about to be sick. She grew paler as she stared at the floor in horror. No, no, no… there was no way he'd gotten her pregnant. She refused to believe it…
"Uh-oh," said Ty Lee, grimacing, as Azula started breathing more heavily.
"I… forgot. We forgot. Shit. Shit, shit, shit…" she said, her fingers sliding through her hair as she continued to curse. Ty Lee looked at her in surprise, and Mai sighed.
"Don't assume you're pregnant right away," she said folding her arms over her chest. "It's not a sure-proof thing…"
"Mai, we…!" she said, looking at Mai desperately before holding her tongue. No, Mai didn't need to hear that they'd already done it a grand total of three times. She didn't need that sort of information. Still, considering how many times it had happened so far, the likelihood of pregnancy could only increase… "If I were pregnant, all my efforts to cover up what's happened would be in vain. Who the blazes would believe that I was knocked up magically, with no man's involvement whatsoever?"
"Well… people could blame that sort of stuff on spirits, right?" said Ty Lee, and Azula's groan in response made her grimace. "Okay, okay, sorry…"
"No spirit tale would stand if they were to subject me to a damn physical examination and they discovered the truth," she said. "So all in all, I just had to forget the one thing that mattered the most! It's remarkable of me, isn't it? Hell, I can barely believe…"
"Calm down, Azula," Mai said, as the Princess yanked her own hair. "If worst comes to worst, there are things that can be done to deal with this particular problem."
Azula swallowed hard and looked at Mai, finding steel in her eyes. She knew what Mai was referring to, though the idea didn't appeal much to Azula, despite everything. All the same, though, if there were no other way…
"But if worst doesn't come to worst, you won't be carrying a child. Yet," said Mai, and Azula frowned.
"So, you're saying it's just a matter of time?"
"If you don't do anything to avoid it, yes," said Mai, before smiling a little. "But I can help you with that. You don't think I have garden just for show, do you?"
"Mai makes her own contraceptive tea, Azula," said Ty Lee, smiling too. "She often shares it with me, so I'm sure she could give you some as well, right?"
"I wouldn't mind doing so," said Mai, nodding, as Azula finally felt she could breathe again.
"You… you would, then?" she asked, and Mai smirked.
"Yes, I would. That way you two will be free to carry on with your fun, considering it's pretty obvious you needed it," she said, and Azula blushed.
"It's only… you two have already done more than I should have ever asked of you," Azula muttered. "Demanding this now, it feels like…"
"You just don't like relying on other people this much, is it?" asked Mai, and Azula grinded her teeth.
"Come on, Azula," said Ty Lee, smiling. "We're friends, aren't we? There's no need to be so reserved with us. I know, you want to protect us too, you don't want to be a bother… but you're not one!"
"Ty Lee's right," said Mai, nodding. "We are friends. And friends help one another out when they need it."
Ty Lee smiled sadly at those words, and Azula sighed. She had helped Ty Lee once before when she had been in a similar predicament. She had attempted to help Mai to choose between Ruon Jian and Zuko, and even though Mai hadn't abided by Azula's advice, the Princess had still stood by her friend's decision. In turn, her friends had supported her when she had needed them to, with Ty Lee complying with her unreasonable request to save Suki, with Mai helping her and Sokka after finding them on the deck of the ship after that intense drunken night…
She bit her lower lip, guessing she had brought this upon herself anyways. Had she been more convincing, perhaps it wouldn't have come to this. But all things considered, if she hadn't admitted the truth to her friends, Mai wouldn't have offered the tea that might spare her from ending up pregnant, if she wasn't already with child. Despite her unease, and her usual drive to deal with most matters on her own, perhaps she didn't have to do it this time around. Trusting Mai and Ty Lee had paid off so far: hopefully it would this time as well.
"Can you bring the tea here later, then, Mai?" Azula asked, biting her lip as she glanced at Mai with uncertainty. "I have a war meeting now, but you can come back and bring it afterwards, right?"
"If you can't fetch it yourself, I suppose I could do that," said Mai, nodding.
"The guards shouldn't make a fuss if you come back," said Azula, frowning. "Granted they might think it's weird, but they won't stop you. Sending an envoy with the tea would be far more suspicious than for you to return… so, I'm sorry for the inconvenience, but…"
"It's fine, it's fine," said Mai, nodding. "I don't mind. It will be a small bother indeed, but I can do it. I think I can get you supplies for around two months or so… you'll have to drink it every day, though, you realize?"
"Yes, I think I can do that. Some people might find it odd for me to start drinking tea all of sudden, but I don't need to do it in front of them anyways," Azula said. "I could simply drink it when I'm alone, or whenever I go to Sokka's place…"
"That could do, then. Just don't forget to drink it," Mai said, and Azula nodded.
"I won't. Thank you," said Azula, looking at her gratefully, and Mai smiled.
"What are friends for?"
Azula finally found it in her to smile. The situation was not the best it could have been, but it was what it was. She would have to keep a proper front from now on, set boundaries with Sokka in order to avoid further problems of the sort. She was being pushed out of her comfort zone completely, for she wasn't used to having to rely on others like this. She had already been forced to trust Song and Rui Shi with keeping this secret, which placed them both in perilous situations, and the same was true for Mai and Ty Lee now. Indeed, it wasn't only about trust, but it was also a matter of how much danger her secret posed for both her friends. She would need to tread far more carefully from here onwards…
"But wait a minute, you and Sokka… oh, yes, yes, yes!" Ty Lee exclaimed, clapping as she looked at Mai with a malicious grin.
"What's the matter now?" Mai asked, raising an eyebrow as Ty Lee pointed a finger at her.
"Hand over my money, Mai! I won our bet, fair and square!" she exclaimed, proudly, as Azula groaned and buried her face in a hand. Mai raised her eyebrows.
"Oh, I owe you nothing, Ty Lee," she said, simply, to the girl's surprise.
"You… you do! Of course you do! Don't you dare dodge this, Mai!" Ty Lee exclaimed, pouting, as Mai smirked again.
"I seem to remember we made a second bet not long ago, for the same amount of money. I won that one, remember?"
Ty Lee froze, her mouth agape in disbelief as Azula glanced between both her friends.
"Another bet? Is that how you resolved this problem?" Azula asked Mai, who nodded.
"Yes, by betting that Zuko and Suki would end up together. It worked wonders," she said. "At the end of it, Ty Lee herself was doing everything she could to keep them together, our bet well forgotten…"
"W-well, I'm more interested in love than in money, truth be told, but… but that's not fair!" she exclaimed, glaring at Mai. "I was looking forward to cashing this bet…"
"Tough luck betting against me, Ty Lee," said Mai, shrugging as Ty Lee pouted.
"You are just mean, Mai, seriously!"
"You just don't plan ahead, Ty Lee, it's that simple…" said Mai. Azula sighed but smiled a little again, watching the girls argue with some amusement.
Azula didn't give away more information regarding what had led her and Sokka to succumb to their feelings, yet Ty Lee continued to fawn over the fact that she made a wonderful couple with Sokka, and over how happy Azula ought to be due to this turn of events. Mai didn't annoy Azula as much, but she did tease her whenever she found a chance to do so. Despite it all, Azula didn't feel too threatened, regardless if the circle of people who knew about her not-so-secret relationship with Sokka was growing at a worrisome rate… aside from Rui Shi and Song, only Mai and Ty Lee – and eventually, Haru – could know of this. More than enough people knew as it was and keeping a secret would only become more complicated at this rate. Haru had better not have some long-lost friend he'd tell about this, Azula hoped…
Ty Lee and Mai took their leave eventually, for Azula had to ready herself for the war meeting. Mai had promised to drop by with Azula's package later, and Azula reminded her to wait until the meeting was done so she could hand the parcel directly to her. She couldn't entrust something that important to anyone else.
She returned to her room, reapplying the makeup on her neck that had been rubbed off by Ty Lee's hug, and she proceeded to pull her hair up to a top knot. She pleased herself by succeeding at it without requiring any help, and she took a deep breath as she looked at herself in the mirror. No mistakes now. Nobody in her father's council was likely to notice she was no longer sexually frustrated, as Mai and Ty Lee had. She also hoped none of them could see auras as her friend allegedly could…
She strode her way to the Throne Room when Rui Shi and another guard came by to fetch her. They flanked her until they reached the red curtains and bowed once she dismissed them. She stepped forward through the gateway to find a fair number of officials were already within the Throne Room. From what she could guess from the people present, this would be a regular briefing meeting.
All bowed in her direction as she passed them by, and she nodded curtly towards them. Her father already waited at the far end of the room, sitting behind his screen of flames: Azula couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt upon seeing him. She had been raised by him to be his perfect heir… and yet she had done what she had. She couldn't quite regret it, not when it had felt so right, but she also wasn't ready to face her father's wrath if he ever found out about what she had done.
She stepped into her position at her father's right hand, bowing deeply towards him. Ozai smirked at her and nodded, allowing her to take her seat.
"Good afternoon, Father," she said, crossing her legs and willing her heart to stop racing. Her father wasn't bound to notice something was amiss. The more she worried about it, the more likely she would be to give herself away like a fool. She needed to keep herself in check.
"Likewise, Princess Azula," he said, breathing out slowly.
"A fine day for a meeting," she told him, gazing at him with curiosity. "Is there anything in particular that prompted the occasion, or…?"
"Oh, merely that Admiral Zhao's return should provide us with a proper report on the situation in the North Pole, for one thing," he said. "The rest is mostly routine work, as you might have guessed."
"I thought so," said Azula, nodding. She raised her eyes towards the map positioned at the center of the room: Zhao was already sitting at its top left corner, a position of honor in its own right. The closer you sat to the Fire Lord, the more trusted an officer you were. "Is my uncle going to join us on time today, or will he be late as usual?"
"You may need to tone down your resentment towards him. At least during this meeting," said Ozai, smiling. "I understand you were rather shaken up by that loss you took against him, but you know it makes no matter in the long run. Losing a few battles is unimportant so long as you can win the war."
"If only that were so," Azula muttered, her eyes growing colder for a moment before she glanced tentatively at her father. "You heard, though, about how I…?"
"That you lost against Iroh and were furious with your gladiator about it? Indeed," he said, and Azula nodded slowly. "I can't say I'm surprised. Failing to defeat your uncle is shameful, no doubt."
Azula's nails dug into her palms: she still didn't think that loss had been fair. Sokka would defeat Toph thoroughly the next time, she would see to it…
"And of course, your gladiator deserved to be at the receiving end of your anger. Nonetheless, I'd recommend you show him some mercy. Subjects need to regard their master as a benevolent ruler in order to fear and obey as they were born to."
"It would seem I have been far too benevolent as it is, though," said Azula, frowning. "I have extended more than enough kindnesses to the savage and he repays me with failures. The best way to ensure he will not fail again is showing him the dire price he'll have to pay for it if he dares do it one more time, don't you believe?"
"Indeed. A wise decision," said Ozai, smirking. "There are limits that must be drawn. Certain shortcomings cannot go unpunished. Nevertheless, it might be in your best interest to hold back in the future. The punishment has been delivered, so you had best allow him some relief to ensure that his loyalty and obedience will remain unchanged."
"I shall. It is what you would do," Azula said, smiling at Ozai, who nodded.
Her insides twisted as though she had snakes instead of a stomach. Spouting so many lies to her father's face was far too easy, despite her conscience was screaming at her to stop it. She'd never thought she would have to lie to the man so blatantly. She had his trust, so for the longest time she had been willing to give him her own. Yet now she was being dishonest as never before, as Ozai encouraged her to give Sokka relief after his harsh punishment. Relief! That she would process his words as a euphemism prompted Azula to grit her teeth. While she deeply despised certain cultural practices of the Fire Nation, especially those regarding the role of women in society, she couldn't help but feel guilty. She couldn't help but feel unworthy of her father's words after what she'd done with Sokka…
The meeting commenced soon enough, and as per usual, Iroh only appeared once everyone had taken their seats after the Fire Nation Oath was recited. Azula couldn't help but roll her eyes at his predictable actions. Ozai as well was displeased, but he said nothing. If there was one person he couldn't intimidate into behaving however he saw fit, it was his older brother.
"Very well, now that my brother has finally deemed us worthy of his presence, let us begin," said Ozai, as Iroh smiled broadly. It irked Azula to see him so satisfied with himself once more: she rather liked him better when he was in a foul mood instead of pretending to be a dolt. "War Minister Qin, if you please."
"Thank you, my Lord," said the aforementioned man, bowing deeply towards Ozai once he stood up. He regarded everyone in the room as he spoke next. "The situation at the Former Earth Kingdom remains fairly stable. Our troops in Ba Sing Se have succeeded at keeping the peace after the Dai Li's conspiracy was thwarted. Yu Dao has seen peace for the time being, and so has Garsai. Omashu still holds occasional rebellious outbreaks, but it would seem Governor Ukano has kept the peace as well…"
"I take it the situation is not as smooth in Omashu as it should be," said Ozai, and War Minister Qin shook his head.
"It would seem a steady hand, like Governor Tiang's, would be convenient here…" he said. "But Governor Ukano has succeeded at avoiding dangerous uprisings from rebels as it is. Holding their former king in public imprisonment was a brilliant decision, my Lord."
"Naturally, it was. A man as dangerous as Bumi could not be held otherwise," he said, frowning. "Has he attempted to escape again?"
"Not once since he failed during the eclipse," said War Minister Qin.
"He attempted to escape?" Iroh inquired, curious. "I had not heard of this…"
"The fool seemed to have assumed the total eclipse would take place in the entire world," said Zhao, smirking. "But unfortunately for him, the shadow mostly passed over the mainland…"
"And what little time he thought he had to escape was less than he expected," said Iroh, frowning.
"He will have no such opportunities again," Ozai stated, firmly. "Not in his current imprisonment conditions, for certain."
Azula watched her father warily as she listened to his harsh words, her mind rewinding to her only visit to Omashu. She could recall how shaken up Sokka had been about King Bumi's situation, how she had shut him down harshly for his complaints. That had definitely not been a good time for them… she frowned, wondering how he felt about all his qualms towards the Fire Nation nowadays. Had their relationship's growth somehow made him feel less strongly about those matters? Or had she merely distracted him from his eagerness to see the Fire Nation change its ways…?
She had to count herself lucky, though, that it was change he wanted by now, rather than total annihilation. He wasn't the same man he had been when they first met, for better or for worse. He had changed his ways, just as Azula had changed hers. He had changed to the point of even falling in love with her… she had to repress the urge to smile when that thought solidified in her mind. It wouldn't do to start swooning over Sokka in the middle of a war meeting. Nonetheless, there was something reassuring about thinking of his feelings for her. He disapproved of many of the Fire Nation's actions, but he knew better than to assume that everything Fire Nation-related was rotten to the core by now. Else his feelings for her wouldn't be what they were.
"So, there are no major conflicts in the Colonies at the moment," said Zhao, looking at War Minister Qin. "If that's so, would it be advisable to send some of the troops that aren't needed urgently there to the North Pole?"
"I… I must say it might, but I wouldn't recommend that course of action," said Qin, shaking his head slowly. "Enforcing the Former Earth Kingdom into obedience has been difficult enough. Sending soldiers north might weaken the peace that has been hard achieved…"
Azula's eyebrow rose. Peace? She wasn't entirely sure that was an accurate term for what the situation was. Perhaps she was mistaken, for she had been born in a world at war, but she thought that, if they had been in actual peace, there would be no reason to fear revolts anywhere. Her father had strived to crush the spirit of the Earth Kingdom people, but, seeing how they would often rise and fight against their conquerors, it didn't seem he had crushed it completely. The only way to achieve the peace Qin spoke of would be by obliterating all Earth Kingdom rebels… or for them to be eased into accepting the Fire Nation's authority for good. The first thing didn't sit too well with Azula, and it seemed completely unlikely for the second to take place.
"Is there a desperate need for further troops up north, Admiral?" asked Commander Tsong asked, looking at Zhao in confusion. "I was under the impression that most our naval forces were already concentrated there…"
"You exaggerate. It's only a fragment of our navy, in truth," said Zhao, regarding Tsong disdainfully.
"And it should have been enough to defeat the Northern Water Tribe's forces," said Iroh, and Zhao frowned. "So why did it prove so complicated, Admiral Zhao?"
"A siege of that magnitude is easier said than done, General," said Zhao, turning towards him now. "You should understand as much, seeing how you are knowledgeable and experienced in matters of sieges…"
Iroh's eyes grew colder at those words. Mentions of his loss in Ba Sing Se never failed to irritate him, especially when they came from military officers.
"I do understand as much, but what I cannot understand is that mere squads of waterbenders have consistently defeated the best our fleet has to offer," said Iroh. Zhao swallowed hard.
"If only we weren't fighting under such dire circumstances, we would have defeated them in no time," he said. "There are far more waterbenders than we anticipated, and they are more skilled than we realized, especially under the influence of the moon. Their strength has cost us countless ships and resources, and it stopped us from so much as reaching the bay. They have the seas and the very land in which they stand to aid them in battle… and there is simply no way to cut them from their resources. At a certain point through the siege they proved capable of lifting such a thick barrier of ice that it was impossible for a single of our icebreakers to tear through it…"
"Then are you implying the battle in the North cannot be won?" asked Commander Gon, his eyes widening nervously "Because if it is so…"
"I don't believe I claimed as much, now, did I?" said Zhao, raising an eyebrow. "No, we can win. We will win. But not with our forces as they are now."
"Even if that's so, more ships will represent little to no difference in the outcome of this siege, Admiral," said Azula, her arms crossed. "If you cannot pass through the ice barriers, and the waterbenders are as skilled as you claim they are, no improvements will be made merely by assigning more troops to the scuffle. The lives of the soldiers are likely to be lost in the struggle, all the same as the ships. In short, it would be a waste: success won't be guaranteed by a larger force of attack under those circumstances. And as Qin says, we would leave many other fronts unattended in the Colonies. It would be ill-advised to proceed this way."
"Certainly," said Ozai, nodding and stroking his beard. "Yet if the situation is as Zhao claims…"
"If it is so, the siege cannot be sustained for very much longer," said Iroh, turning to his brother with his ever-unreadable eyes. Ozai frowned.
"Are you hoping we back down from the conflict up north, General Iroh?" he asked, a dangerous hint in his voice betraying that his brother's answer to his question had better not be positive.
"I am hoping you realize certain fights might be hopeless. The North, and the South, too, offer no resources for us to exploit," said Iroh. "So turning the poles into colonies…"
"I never claimed to be interested in settling colonies either at the north or south poles," said Ozai, his arms folded before his chest. "The reason the Water Tribes were to be vanquished was because they would pose the biggest threat to our rule if left unattended. If the waterbenders are as skilled as the Admiral has informed us, then it is imperative to keep them fighting in their territories. Backing down now will give them the freedom and the chance they are hoping for to attack our nation. I will not offer them that leverage, brother."
"Then what do you propose?" said Iroh, raising an eyebrow. "It sounds as though we were outnumbered in all fronts, Fire Lord. How can we find an advantage in a war as hard fought as the one in the North Pole?"
"We may need to change our approach to the conflict. If we haven't been efficient so far, it's surely because we are looking at this matter from a stale perspective," he said. "We need to think of new ideas. Cutting their bending resources, for one thing, could be useful, but doesn't seem viable…"
"I had meant to test a method to achieve that very goal," confessed Zhao, frowning. "Regrettably, I need to reach the very core of their petty Tribe in order to succeed at it, and we never made it past the gates. Their forces are organized quite well for the savages they are famed to be."
"The Northern Water Tribe has always been the more civilized one," said Ozai, with raised eyebrows. "It isn't surprising that they would know how to handle themselves in their element, either. In any case, as I said, a new approach is direly needed for the battle against their forces. What are our options?"
"More forces wouldn't be advisable," said Qin, frowning a little. "And since that's the case, we are at a standstill…"
"Not necessarily. Not all wars are won by brawn and numbers," said Zhao, smirking and looking at Ozai, the spark of an idea in his eyes. "You spoke to me of some aircrafts you were hoping to build? Perhaps an aerial attack would be more suitable for this enterprise…"
"It would be ideal, but it's unlikely to happen," said Ozai, his brow drawing together slowly. "The Mechanist has failed to find a solution for his problem with the hot-air balloons. All his prototypes have been failures so far."
"Is that so…? Pity," said Zhao, disappointed. "Perhaps he requires a little more persuasion?"
"I'm afraid we have been as persuasive as can be with that man," said Qin, with a sigh. "It seems he truly has bumped into a wall with this particular problem."
"Has he, then? And… what of his other technological advancements? Has he developed anything we can use to defeat the waterbenders?" Ozai asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, he designed the train-tank, indeed, and the drill," said Qin, insecure. "But I doubt he can create a version of them that might prove more useful than our ships…"
"Of course not," said Ozai, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.
"And what about sending an actual aerial attack?" asked General Mak, to Ozai's confusion.
"Did you not hear what we just said? The aircrafts aren't functional, General Mak," he snapped, and Mak swallowed hard. "Or is it you have an idea as to how to make them work?"
"No, that's not it. I meant… well, there is one dragon in the Fire Nation once more, right?" he said, his eyes shifting towards Azula slightly. "Wouldn't it be possible for the Princess to carry out an attack against the Northern Water Tribe?"
"If only it were," said Ozai, as Azula stiffened next to him. "But there's no telling if her dragon will prove capable of surviving in the rough conditions in the North Pole. The cold might be far too extreme for a fire beast to handle it."
"Not to mention it would be a ridiculous notion, sending the Princess to the frontlines," said Zhao, looking at Mak with derision. "Capable as she might be, she is still the Fire Lord's sole heir. There's no point in risking losing her up north."
"I don't think I would be that easily lost," Azula said, looking at Zhao with defiant eyes. "All the same, I agree. I'm not certain Xin Long would be capable of withstanding the extreme temperatures. If we had a dragon squad the idea would be more appealing, but sending a single dragon, and the last one we know of…? If just as an exercise in caution, it would be best to refrain from doing so."
"Indeed. We shall rely on technological advancements," said Ozai. "The Mechanist should be capable of providing us with a weapon, perhaps, to make up for his failure with the air balloons."
"A weapon?" Azula repeated. "What sort of weapon do you expect him to procure for us?"
"I'm not entirely certain," said Ozai, thoughtful. "But perhaps… weapons befitting the Fire Nation, yes. Weapons that would set fire to their ice, even at a distance, weapons they wouldn't be able to stop easily… bombs. Those are the weapons we would need him to create."
"Bombs?" said Zhao, raising an eyebrow in approval. "Perhaps it would work. If we can throw those bombs deep into their defenses, we might even take out some of their leaders…"
"It would make perfect sense…" said Commander Tsong, smiling. "Bombs would be the ideal means to improve the siege!"
"Yet… the Mechanist has never provided us with explosives before," said Qin, frowning. "In fact, he seems to be rather unreliable when it comes to them. He claimed he lost his eyebrows after some explosion of sorts. I'm afraid we shouldn't count on him proving capable of crafting bombs successfully…"
"Is that so? Well, what a pitiful inventor, truly," said Ozai, rolling his eyes.
"So, are we left with nothing again?" said Zhao, confused. "There are more inventors in the world than just the Mechanist, Fire Lord. Perhaps another one can craft the bombs…"
"Perhaps," said Ozai, nodding, as his brow contracted slowly and dangerously. His eyes bore the spark of an idea, as he thought about the last time he had seen bombs in action. "Perhaps…"
"I could compile a list of all available inventors, my Lord," said Qin. "While it is true that the Mechanist is the more efficient of them, it might be that other inventors are better suited for bombs than…"
"Now, now. No need," said Ozai, smirking. "Imagine just how expensive it might prove to pay some insufferable Ba Sing Se graduate to design bombs for us…"
"Well, you could always threaten him into service…" said Zhao, smirking, and Ozai chuckled.
"No need. Not when there is a much cheaper and more viable solution right in front of our noses," he said, before turning to Azula, who looked back at her father with confused eyes.
"You… believe I should make the bombs?" she asked, and Ozai shook his head, to her momentary relief.
"Not you. Your gladiator."
Azula had to exert all her willpower not to react excessively at her father's suggestion. All the same, she couldn't hold back a gasp of disbelief as she stared at her father with questioning eyes. Her gladiator? He wanted Sokka, of all people, to aid them in the war? There was no way that would happen, he would rather drop dead than agree to help the Fire Nation in their war effort. Azula had no trouble imagining how a conversation of the sort would unfold between them… he might be so mad that all the recent progress of their relationship would disappear in thin air. Not that this was what she should be worrying about right now, though…
"My gladiator," she finally said, looking at her father skeptically. "My gladiator?"
"I said so just now, didn't I?" said Ozai, smirking with pride.
"My Lord…" said Zhao, surprising Ozai. The man seemed rather disturbed by the fact that such words had just come from his liege lord's mouth. "You hope to put such a delicate mission in the hands of… of a common slave?"
"Ah, but he isn't all that common," said Ozai. "My daughter made a wise decision by electing him to serve as her fighter. I witnessed his fighting prowess myself, and…"
"So did I, my Lord, but I don't think we can defeat the Northern Water Tribe with stench bombs," said Zhao, with a sarcastic smile.
"Well, who is to say a lot of unpleasant odors in the Tribesmen's nostrils might not serve our cause?" said Iroh, chuckling. "Of course, it wouldn't be the most dignified manner to win, but a victory is a victory all the same, is it not?"
Azula was trying her very hardest not to react to Iroh's provocations and Ozai's strange suggestions, but it seemed she had reached a limit regarding how much she could control her body. Her nails dug into her thigh as she shook her head in utter confusion. For the first time in ages, she found herself agreeing wholeheartedly with Zhao.
"Father, as much as you may believe this is a good solution, it actually might not be. As the Admiral pointed out, my gladiator's skills seem to relate exclusively to smoke or stench bombs. I've never seen him use actual explosives in battle."
"His success with crafting other types of bombs might aid him in creating actual explosives, though," said Ozai, smirking. "Your gladiator could be sent to the Northern Air Temple to cooperate with the Mechanist. He understands the workings of bombs, while the Mechanist has some experience with explosives, if not of the best kind. The Mechanist could do most the work, with your gladiator providing assistance wherever it might be needed."
"You cannot be serious," said Zhao, shaking his head in disbelief. "My Lord, you cannot honestly hope a savage will prove capable of what the Mechanist hasn't achieved on his own…"
"That man is a lot more reliable than it looks like, Zhao," said Ozai, folding his arms over his chest. "And after the punishment he has been delivered recently, he might be all the more willing to comply with our wishes, in order to avoid further retribution…"
"Even if that were so, Father, he's more likely to ruin this than anything else," said Azula, looking at Ozai skeptically. "I advise you look through War Minister Qin's list of inventors instead. You're more likely to succeed that way."
"I shall if I must," said Ozai, tapping his arm with a finger. "But if I mustn't rely on any external sources when it comes to this problem, then I won't do so. Your gladiator already aided our nation in a trying moment, sparing us all from strife when the White Lotus attempted that prison break. And he seems to be quite capable of doing whatever it takes to survive… what I saw in the Arena on your birthday was impressive, especially for a non-bending slave. He can be quite brutal."
"Even if he is, I doubt we'll be as fortunate as to have the Northern Water Tribesmen opening their mouths in the exact necessary timing for our soldiers to place bombs in them…" said Azula, and Ozai chuckled.
"That isn't quite what I meant," he said. "If he has proven capable of practically murdering a man through one of his bombs, then he can most definitely be lethal. And it's his lethality and drive to survive what we require now. If he refuses to cooperate, all we need to do is press him into a corner, of course… he is but a slave, after all. Threats ought to make him swallow whatever pride he might still have left. If he values his life at all, he will agree to my demands."
"And what if he didn't succeed, Father?" Azula asked, still looking at Ozai with disbelief. "Perhaps you are right, perhaps he would surpass my low expectations of him… but what if he didn't? As of late he's shown how adept he is at failures. I question that he could prove capable of succeeding at something that not even the Mechanist himself has achieved."
"If he didn't succeed, we might resort to the War Minister's list of inventors," said Ozai, nodding. "After the gladiator has been delivered the rightful punishment he'd deserve for his failure, of course. Just how cross would you be if I were to reduce your fighter to ashes…?"
"Father…" said Azula, looking at him skeptically as Ozai chuckled.
"I'm a merciful man, I would keep him alive all the same…" he said, with a smirk. "Perhaps completely useless for battle, but I would make certain he survives, no doubt."
Azula gritted her teeth. If he were threatening to burn anyone else she wouldn't have been too affected, but Sokka… she was already putting him in a dangerous situation all by herself. Now her father meant to force him to cooperate with the Fire Nation or pay with his life if he either failed or refused? No doubt her latest luck with Sokka was going to run out very soon…
"The inventors shall serve as our backup plan," Ozai declared, stubbornly, to Azula and Zhao's chagrin. "The gladiator's knowledge of bombs ought to be sufficient. If it weren't, we will resort to the others. Would you take him to the Northern Air Temple yourself, Azula, or would you rather he's delivered there by one of our ships?"
"I could do it myself," said Azula, nodding slowly, though she was still rather apprehensive about the entire situation. "There are no more pressing matters I must tend to at the moment. But Father…"
"Very well, then. Make certain to stress on him the need for haste," said Ozai, as Azula gritted her teeth. "It won't do for you to stay abroad for longer than a month or two."
"You have the Gladiator League to worry about as well," Iroh said, softly. Azula held back the urge to scald him with her glare. "Take three months and all your progress so far would be lost…"
"If need be, I'd drag him to fight in the nearest Arena available. I am ever so touched by your concern for my sponsoring career," she added, with noticeable spite in her voice. "But you needn't concern yourself with it. I'm not a novice at this."
"Very well, very well…" said Iroh, smiling.
"Are there further matters to discuss?" Ozai asked, with an air of finality to his voice.
Azula gritted her teeth as she looked at her father hopelessly. She would have gladly continued discussing his latest decision, because, for the life of her, she couldn't find this sudden turn of events agreeable no matter what. Sokka's skills with bombs weren't likely to be of the kind Ozai wanted them to be, and he wasn't going to accept helping the Fire Nation in the destruction of his sister tribe. There was simply no way this would end well for any of the involved…
"It seems not, my Lord. The South has been calm for the last several months," said Qin. "The relocation of the troops to Whaletail Island has been successful so far."
"Good. Proper outposts have been placed to keep track on any naval movements by the Southern Water Tribe?" Ozai asked, and Qin nodded.
"None of their ships will navigate their waters without our awareness."
"Perfect," said Ozai, smirking. "Very well then, that should do for today. If no emergencies arise, we shall meet once more when we have results regarding the crafting of the bombs. Crown Princess Azula, we count on you."
"I will make every effort not to fail you, Father," she said, though hesitation accompanied her words. It wasn't that she wouldn't do her best to keep Ozai pleased… but she couldn't imagine Sokka accepting this. She simply couldn't. She couldn't fathom the cruelty of forcing this mission on him.
The council stood up as the meeting was adjourned. Some members left immediately, others stayed behind to speak amongst themselves in hushed voices. Ozai was amongst those who left, lifting a hand and closing it into a fist to dissipate his flames. He turned towards the backdoor of the room and was gone without further ado; clearly, he would accept no further protests against his decision. Azula watched him leave, still beyond perplexed by the meeting's conclusion. She could barely wrap her head around it…
She breathed deeply and stood up as well, deciding she would think this through overnight. Perhaps she would come up with a way to convince her father that Sokka wasn't up for the task… she could claim he had ended up too battered after her ruthless punishment, perhaps? No, Ozai might demand to meet up with the gladiator to check on his health himself, only to discover that no ruthless punishment had taken place at all. He wouldn't let Azula get away with blatant lies of the sort… what, then? If only their schedule in the Arena had been packed, she could have claimed her fighter had previous appointments, but it wasn't. They didn't have a single pending challenge at the time, and even if they did, any demands from the Fire Lord would take precedence over that. He wouldn't stand for it if she took the Gladiator League more seriously than his direct orders…
She was about to make her way to the curtains when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She frowned and turned swiftly to find it was Zhao's.
"Princess," he said, with a smile. Azula's eyebrow rose as she shook off Zhao's hand as gently as she could.
"Admiral?" she said, and he smirked.
"I had been hoping to find a good opportunity for us to talk at leisure for the past few days," he said. "But until now I hadn't succeeded at finding one. Yet after the latest events, I most definitely need a word with you."
"You mean after my father's… rather strange decision?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, and Zhao nodded.
"There is much about life in the Palace that I don't understand anymore, clearly," said Zhao. "Being away for such a long time naturally brings about such consequences. So, I hoped to speak to you over dinner in order to keep up with all these changes, if you would be so kind as to join me…"
"Dinner, Admiral? Now?" said Azula, raising an eyebrow.
"Well, if you aren't otherwise engaged…"
"I… have one thing to do, actually," Azula said, recalling the quick appointment she had scheduled with Mai. "Though it won't take long. I suppose I could join you indeed…"
"Wonderful," said Zhao, smiling. "I shall inform the servants that we will need a dining room, then."
"Please do," said Azula, nodding. "I will see you briefly."
She strode out of the Throne Room quickly, the thought of Mai's parcel worrying her more than it should. Her friend ought to be back here by now, though she was unsure as to where would she be waiting for her. After asking a few servants, she finally found one who informed her that Mai had arrived around ten minutes earlier, and that she had headed towards Azula's room. The Princess thanked the servant quickly before rushing to her quarters.
"It wasn't that long a meeting, was it?" Mai asked, when Azula closed the door behind her.
"There wasn't much to discuss, though what we did discuss was… unexpected, to say the least," said Azula, walking towards her friend. "You brought it, then?"
"It's all here," said Mai, handing a metallic box to Azula, who nodded as she clasped it in her hands. She couldn't help but wonder if Mai's gesture would be useless in the long run. After her father's great idea to rely on Sokka for the bombs she wasn't sure her good streak with Sokka would last much longer… "Something the matter?"
"No, it's nothing. Thank you," said Azula. "I'll store it safely. I owe you for this…"
"No need to worry," said Mai, smiling. "Though if anything comes up I will hold you to that promise…"
"Alright. I'll keep a wary eye out for any favors you might need," said Azula, smirking as she stashed away the box in her cabinets. It wasn't the safest place to store the tea, but it would have to do for the time being.
"Very well, then, I suppose I'll leave you to the brewing now, you ought to start drinking it right away…"
"Actually, I'll have to leave that for after I'm done with dinner," said Azula, with a grimace. "Admiral Zhao wants a chat with me, looks like."
"Oh. Fun," said Mai, looking at Azula sarcastically. Azula rolled her eyes and sighed.
"It sure will be," she said. "Thanks again, Mai…"
"See you at Ty Lee's in a week, then?"
"Uh… probably not, actually," said Azula, grimacing. "My father just decided he wants me to undertake quite the voyage…"
"Did he, now?" asked Mai, looking at Azula with interest. "Where to?"
"The Northern Air Temple, for a visit to the Mechanist," said Azula. At Mai's confused look she smiled. "An eccentric inventor my father relies on for technological advancements."
"Oh? And you're supposed to oversee his work, then?" asked Mai, surprised. "Sounds… dull, in fact. I suppose such boring duties come along with being Crown Princess, though."
"So it would seem," said Azula, nodding slowly as the two of them left the Princess's room again.
They didn't need to walk too far before Zhao appeared, scanning the Palace with his gaze, in search for something: Azula had no doubts that he was looking for her.
"He's eager to have that chat, huh?" said Mai, smiling slightly. "I'll see you when you return from your trip, then, Azula."
"So be it. Thanks again," said Azula, and Mai nodded as she sped her way through the corridors.
As expected from Mai, she stopped to bow to Zhao and greet him properly. The man returned the greeting, his usual smirk on his face, and Mai left without further ado. Azula approached Zhao slowly as he continued watching Mai's shrinking figure.
"Do you remember her?"
"Oh, of course I do. Ukano's daughter, isn't she?" said Zhao, raising an eyebrow. "She was fairly likeable. Your other friend, though… it defies logic that a human being could be as enthusiastic about everything as she was."
"Well, they seem to balance each other out well enough, seeing how Mai is famed for the exact opposite attitude," said Azula, smirking. "I guess the conversation you wanted to have wasn't about my friends, though, was it?"
"Not at all" said Zhao, his eyes growing slightly colder now as he recalled the matter that had brought him to make this request to the Princess today: the matter of her gladiator.
He lifted a hand and gestured in the direction of the dining room, and he gave Azula one of his usual smirks.
"Shall we?"