Mornings never started too early for Sokka, but today was fated to be an exception. The gladiator slept soundly while Song prepared their breakfast, and he usually wouldn't wake up until midmorning. Yet someone needed him right away, and it wasn't the person he would have expected to be woken by.
Song's masterful work with omelets improved every day. She had just finished a set when she heard a knock on the door, and her face brightened immediately: Rui Shi hadn't been able to visit yesterday, busy overseeing everything regarding the arrival of Azula's Barge into the capital's port. She had looked forward to seeing him again, though. Five days away from him seemed like far too many ever since their relationship had become official.
She rushed to open the door and smiled brightly at the guard standing before her, his helmet already removed. He smiled back just as happily.
"Good morning, Song," he said, as she stepped aside to let him in.
"It is good now," she said, closing the door before hugging him tightly.
Rui Shi sighed blissfully and held her close, his hand sliding up to the nape of her neck. Song shivered pleasantly at the touch, and she raised her head to kiss him. Rui Shi was smiling, his eyes closed, even as they parted.
"I missed you," Song admitted, blushing weakly. Rui Shi chuckled.
"I missed you too," he said, cupping her face now. "I hope you weren't too bored over the past few days."
"Well, I did read a lot," said Song, biting her lip. "But I also visited that sweets' shop you showed me last month. We should go again soon, they told me they're going to have new pastries starting this week."
"Of course, because of the festivals," said Rui Shi, nodding. "They surely will set up a stall to sell those new sweets, too."
"Ah, then I could go by their stall and buy a few of them there," said Song, but she seemed apprehensive upon further consideration. "Although I'm not sure about what I should do during the festivals. Can a slave just walk by the stalls to buy things, and no one would mind?"
"I would assume so, as long as you can afford them," said Rui Shi, sighing. "Still… we'll see what we'll do about the festivals later. For now, we should have breakfast, right?"
"Of course," said Song, beaming. "If you want you can help me with the food, I'll wake Sokka when we're finished and…"
"Uh, I… can I go wake him now, actually?" Rui Shi asked. Song blinked blankly.
"Huh? Why would you want to do that?" she asked. Rui Shi swallowed hard.
"I just, uh, have something to discuss with him," he said. "It's nothing dangerous or worrisome, so rest easy…"
"Huh," said Song, raising an eyebrow. "It's not every day that you want to talk with him like this. Did he do something wrong?"
"N-no, I just want… uh, his advice," said Rui Shi, gulping. Song's eyes widened.
"His… advice?" she repeated. Rui Shi nodded and kissed her brow.
"I'll be back downstairs shortly. Don't worry," said Rui Shi, stroking her cheek before moving to the stairs.
Song swallowed hard as she watched him go, uncertainty pooling inside her. Rui Shi wouldn't willingly ask for Sokka's advice, not unless he thought he had no one else to go to. As much as he had grown to respect the gladiator more in the last few months, Song doubted they were in such good terms that Rui Shi would need his advice in any regards…
In any regards except one, actually. The thought sent blood rushing to her cheeks and she covered her mouth with a hand. Surely Rui Shi wasn't that forward, not when he had been a perfect gentleman ever since they'd known each other… but perhaps Rui Shi thought they were ready to take a new step in their relationship. And chances were they could be… although Song hadn't really thought about it yet. If Rui Shi asked, or if things suddenly heated up between them, what would she do…?
She surprised herself by realizing she didn't mind the idea at all. She returned to the kitchen, blushing deeply and wondering if she was making too much of a fuss over something meaningless. But the thought that Rui Shi might want to take their physical relationship further had brought her to realize that she might actually want that, too.
The Captain of Azula's guards knocked hard on Sokka's door, guessing the gladiator would know who to expect from the harshness of the sound: a soft yelp from inside the room told him the gladiator had been woken by the noise.
"Are you decent yet?" Rui Shi asked.
"U-uh, I will be! I'll be downstairs in a moment…"
"I need to talk to you first," Rui Shi stated, closing his eyes.
"W-wha-…? You do? About what?"
"Let me in once you're dressed and you'll know," Rui Shi said.
After about three minutes, Sokka opened the door clumsily. He was still tying up his sash, and he glanced at Rui Shi with confusion. The guard nodded in his direction before entering the room and closing the door behind himself.
"Is this about Azula's escapade with me on the Barge?" Sokka asked, grimacing. "I know she shouldn't have done that, but I was a little miserable and…"
"I… don't need to know any details of what happened," said Rui Shi, raising a hand to stop Sokka. "That's between the two of you, as usual."
"U-uh… okay, then," said Sokka, happily surprised. "Then… that's not it? I thought maybe you were mad because it was so risky, what with Zhao around…"
"Well, no doubt he was lurking quite early in the morning, I bumped into him myself after I visited the Princess around dawn," said Rui Shi, crossing his arms over his chest. Sokka frowned. "I don't know, maybe he makes a habit of waking early. At any rate, though, I don't have anything to do or say about that escapade of yours. You two are clearly well beyond my control and I've given up hopes of telling you what to do. Your recklessness cannot be held back."
"I suppose not," said Sokka, with a guilty grin.
"But given that you're both that reckless, I'm hoping you won't begrudge me for, well, wanting to be a little reckless too, for once," said Rui Shi, averting his gaze. Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"What sort of recklessness are we talking about?" Sokka inquired.
"To be frank, well…" said Rui Shi, running a hand over his hair. "I wanted to spend the first day of the festivals with Song. It's traditionally a day for couples to spend time together and, well, the ideal day to… t-to show her how deep my feelings are for her. There's a gift that men are meant to give their beloved, and…"
"And you wanted to do that with Song?" said Sokka, smiling. "Well, that doesn't sound all that reckless, unless you're worried she might think you're moving too fast? But really, Rui Shi, if you just want to give her a gift, that's just the kind of stuff she'll love. And…"
"And I won't be able to do any of this for her," Rui Shi cut Sokka off. The gladiator's enthusiasm waned quickly. "Because… I'm expected to lead the Princess's Procession during the parade after the temple's ceremony is finished. I can't shake off these duties, apparently, even though I asked the Princess if she would allow me to do so…"
"Oh. That's… I'm sorry, Rui Shi," said Sokka, grimacing. "You told her what you wanted to do?"
"Of course. She said she was sorry that she couldn't let me do this, but I must be there for protocol's sake," said Rui Shi, rolling his eyes. Sokka gulped.
"And you're here because you want me to convince her to change her mind?" Sokka asked, scratching the back of his neck. "I mean, I can try, but sometimes she's as stubborn as…"
"I don't want you to change her mind," said Rui Shi. Sokka frowned.
"What do you want from me, then?"
"I want you to swap places with me."
Sokka blinked once, twice, then thrice. He stared at Rui Shi blankly, while Rui Shi looked right back at him with determination, undeterred by Sokka's cluelessness.
"I… think I need more information than that," said Sokka, eyeing him warily now. "Swap places with you how? You want me to be her Captain of the Guards while you're her gladiator, or…?"
"Yes, and no," said Rui Shi, huffing. "You aren't expected to do anything tomorrow. The Princess won't be the one performing the ceremony this time, so you won't have any reason to watch it. The Procession doesn't need a gladiator in it, so it would be no surprise if her gladiator simply… stayed at home for the day, as far as everyone else could know."
"And that helps you how?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If you switch places with me, take my place as Captain of the Guards for one day, you get to spend the whole day with the Princess," said Rui Shi, looking at Sokka eagerly. Sokka bit his lip, wishing that suggestion didn't sound as appealing as it did. "Meanwhile, I'll wear casual clothes, and as only a few people could recognize me, no one would notice I'm not where I should be. So, I can surprise Song, and take her with me to enjoy the festival. I could give her the gift as intended, and…"
"And we both get to spend this apparently romantic day with the women we love," said Sokka, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "I mean, I won't lie, it could be a good plan… but isn't it very risky? Especially coming from someone like you?"
"It is," Rui Shi admitted, lowering his gaze. "But I don't know what else to do. I… I want to be with her, Sokka. I know my duty to the Princess is supposed to go first, but frankly, I'm not expected to do anything tomorrow other than walk at the front of the Procession and make sure all guards and palanquin bearers are in their stations. They usually do their jobs without any meddling, too, so…"
"Okay, but if I ever needed to say anything while I'm you…" said Sokka.
"You won't," said Rui Shi, frowning sternly. "You'll keep your mouth shut at all times. In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not all that talkative in general. Nobody would bat an eyelash if I spent an entire day in silence."
"Huh," said Sokka, biting his lip. "A-and you don't think Azula would find it weird?"
"Why would she? She'd likely think I'm just mad at her for making me do my job," said Rui Shi, shrugging.
"You're not expected to do any firebending demonstrations?" Sokka asked, looking at him warily. Rui Shi shook his head. "Because that's one big problem, you know…"
"As long as nothing dangerous happens during the parade, you'll have no need to bend or fight at all. But you're a proficient fighter in hand-to-hand combat, aren't you?" said Rui Shi. "Not to mention you've proven you have an instinct that leads you to protect the Princess at all times. Call me reckless if you will, but you've kept her safe so many times by now that I think I can entrust her protection to you."
"B-but… oh, goodness," said Sokka, rubbing his forehead. "I'm actually considering this. I am. And, damn, if she finds out what we did…"
"She's going to kill us," said Rui Shi, with a dry grin. Sokka looked at him desperately. "And I intend to enjoy my day with Song before she tries. As for you, well… you should probably just run very fast, very far away."
"That's really reassuring, you know?" Sokka grumbled, but he was petrified when he saw Rui Shi was actually laughing. Had he ever heard him laugh so casually before?
"I'm sorry. I wish I could propose something that will be a little less dangerous, but this is… it's the best I've got. You've already posed as a Royal Guard before," said Rui Shi, gesturing at Sokka's closet. "And I'm sure you still have your stolen uniform in there somewhere."
"I guess so," said Sokka, but he frowned. "Yours is different, though. If I'm going to pretend I'm you…"
"You'll need one of my uniform sets, yes," said Rui Shi. Sokka sighed.
"How am I supposed to get one of those?" Sokka asked. Rui Shi nodded.
"Can you wait outside your tunnel before dawn tomorrow?" Rui Shi asked. Sokka blinked. "Don't act like a fool, we both know that's how you snuck in and out of her room for as long as you did."
"Eh… yeah, I guess," said Sokka, smiling weakly. "She always opened it for me, though."
"I'll open it this time, from the inside. I'll give you my uniform there, and you can return to the Palace easily enough. Though, of course, you can't go to her room. There's a tunnel near the guards' barracks, I'll draw you a map to it…"
"And once I get there, I'll be you," said Sokka, biting his lip. "You'll have to walk me through everything you have to do on a daily basis, Rui Shi. I don't want to make any mistakes that might give me away…"
Rui Shi sighed but nodded. It was his idea, so he had to take responsibility for it. They'd have a higher chance of success if Sokka's performance was top-notch.
Song was waiting for a good twenty minutes before the two men finally showed up. She was blushing still, wondering just how in-depth Sokka's advice had been. The two of them seemed to have some sort of unspoken camaraderie once they were on their way downstairs, and as Sokka greeted Song she felt uneasy about how casual his hello was.
Rui Shi smiled warmly at her, and he sat beside Song while they ate. Sokka was unusually quiet, eating as many rations as he always did, but his brow was lightly furrowed, deep in thought. Suddenly a thought occurred to Song: was he worried about her? Did the two of them have an argument about whether Song and Rui Shi were ready to take this step or not? She gulped down some rice and considered how strange it could be for Sokka to be so protective about her. She knew he had often said they were like siblings, but would he take it that far…?
Rui Shi helped with cleaning up after breakfast while Sokka, as usual, walked off to train, read, or wait for the Princess. But the Royal Guard couldn't stay for long:
"I'll be back by sundown, I have patrols today," said Rui Shi, cupping Song's cheek again and kissing her softly. "I hope you have a good day, Song."
"You too," she said, smiling weakly. "May those patrols end faster than you think."
"I sure hope they will," said Rui Shi, smiling warmly and squeezing her hand before moving to the front door.
Song watched him go apprehensively. It wasn't the first time Rui Shi dropped by only briefly because of his duties, but her suspicions regarding a possible argument with Sokka only increased now. She spotted the gladiator sitting leisurely on the couch, a book on his lap, and she rushed to sit beside him, her face a mask of determination.
Sokka nearly jumped as he lifted his gaze away from his book: in the blink of an eye, his housemate was next to him, looking at him intensely. He couldn't recall ever seeing Song like this before.
"Something wrong?" he asked, inching away from her with an awkward smile.
"D-did you tell Rui Shi not to…?" she asked, blushing. "B-because if you did, y-you know, this isn't really your business! S-so…!"
"Uh… what?" said Sokka, eyes wide. "I didn't tell him not to do anything, I actually agreed to… wait. Wait just a second. He said he was going to surprise you… so you don't know what's going on."
"I… surprise me?" Song asked, blushing. Sokka raised an eyebrow.
"What exactly are you expecting, Song…?" he asked, setting the book aside and looking at her eagerly. "What isn't my business, pray tell?"
"I…! Well, you know what I mean!" Song retorted, her blush growing more intense. "Y-you know more about this than I do! He asked you for advice, that's what he said, s-so I figured he meant for… w-well…"
"Oh. Oh, this is gold," said Sokka, smiling wickedly as he judged Song's blush accurately, profoundly amused. He covered his mouth with a hand, trying but failing to conceal his laughter, and Song's embarrassment only seemed to increase.
"What are you talking about?! W-what's gold?!" she exclaimed.
"You know, you, assuming that Rui Shi's after… ah, spirits, and they say it's men who're always thinking about sex," he said, laughing more openly now. "I knew women were just as bad! Heck, maybe even worse! This is hilarious…!"
"It's not funny! A-and if that's not what he wants, then what does he want?" Song exclaimed, grabbing his arm and shaking it. "Sokka!"
"I'm not saying, it's a surprise!" said Sokka, chuckling. "Oh, how easy it is to mislead you…"
"You're misleading me now, I bet!" Song exclaimed, almost pouting now. "I-I mean… what else could Rui Shi want your advice for, really? He's a talented firebender, if he wanted advice about that he would ask the Princess! And if he wants advice on work ethics, well, clearly you're the last person to ask…"
"Hey!" Sokka cried out, looking at her in disbelief. "I have been a very successful gladiator, mind you!"
"A very successful gladiator who beds his sponsor, makes sense…" Song pouted. Sokka huffed.
"Still with the mind in the gutter? Well, it's fine, really, Song, I don't want to judge you for being in touch with your inner desires, but…"
"Oh, shut up!" Song cried out, jumping off the couch and rushing back to the kitchen. Sokka found himself smiling again.
"Come on, Song, no need to be so shy! We're like family!"
"That's why talking about this with you is so gross! So, shut up!" she retorted, and Sokka could only laugh out loud as he dropped against the couch's backrest.
The girl was in for quite a surprise tomorrow, that was for sure. She seemed nervous about the wild idea that Rui Shi might want sex with her already, but she seemed to want it all the same: telling Sokka not to get involved with the progress of their relationship spoke for itself. Still, Sokka knew them, and he knew they weren't as forward as him and Azula had proven to be. Perhaps tomorrow's surprise, a romantic one, would suit Song much better than what she was expecting.
It was yet another hour before Azula came by, and Sokka beamed brightly upon watching her dragon's arrival. Somehow, their fragile sense of normalcy seemed to be returning: there were no earthbenders to train, no uncles to wage cold wars with, no hunts for White Lotus enemies… though of course, Sokka was still shaken up by Zhao's revelations regarding his mother's death and the Water Tribe raids, but he was sure all things would be back on track soon. He would set his concerns aside for now, and focus only on the marvelous girl crossing his house's threshold…
Though, considering that he had agreed to join Rui Shi's scheme tomorrow, maybe life wasn't going back to normal as smoothly as he had thought it would.
"Ah, I was hoping you were sleeping in," Azula said, smirking as she walked towards him. Sokka beamed as she leaned down to kiss him, settling on his lap right away. "Good morning."
"Morning to you too," he said, smiling and prodding her nose with his. "You're more beautiful than ever."
"Or so you claim every time you see me. Perhaps your vision is failing you gradually, Sokka," said Azula, smirking. "Might be you can't see me as well as you think you can."
"Nonsense, if anything it improves every day. And that's why I can see you're gorgeous," he said, stroking her hair and smiling happily at her.
"Such optimism," Azula said, stroking his chin. Sokka chuckled. "So, are we alone, or…?"
"Not quite, no," he said. "Song's over there, fuming, but…"
"Fuming?" Azula asked. Sokka smiled guiltily.
"I, uh, may have teased her a bit too much, but it's not really my fault…" Sokka said, trying to put on his most innocent façade. Azula snorted.
"Right. Like I'd believe that," she smirked. "What did you tease her about?"
Sokka froze for a moment. He couldn't explain everything fully, not quite… else Azula would find out the truth beforehand, and she'd kill Rui Shi's scheme long before it hatched. He couldn't let that happen…
Or could he? Some strange, law-abiding part of him wanted Azula to be as content and calm as she could be. He was already throwing enough wrenches in her life, whether intentionally or not. Would this one feel like one too many wrenches?
But the chance to be with her for a whole day, even if just under a disguise…
"Well, Rui Shi wanted my advice for something," said Sokka, biting his lip. Azula frowned.
"Oh. Rui Shi?" she said, her voice darkening. Sokka flinched.
"You okay?"
"I am, it's just he and I had a… wait, he wanted your advice on something?" she asked, looking at him warily. Sokka blushed.
"Why does everyone think that's impossible? Seriously!" Sokka huffed. Azula smiled.
"If you want me to be perfectly honest, it just doesn't seem entirely likely for him to want your advice on anything," said Azula. "Well, unless he was asking about…"
"About what?" Sokka asked, frowning. Azula bit her lip.
"Well, that one thing you have plenty of experience in, and that I assume he has none…?"
Sokka squinted at Azula inquisitively, wordlessly demanding that she spoke plainly. She rolled her eyes before blurting it out:
"Sex?"
She never expected his response to be what it was. But Sokka snorted and a lashed out with the loudest laugh he could muster, leading her to climb off his lap while covering her ears.
"What the hell is wrong with you?!" she exclaimed, as he kept laughing.
"See! See! I told you so, Song, I told you…!"
The girl showed up at the kitchen door and glared at Sokka, as he continued to laugh and pointed at Azula.
"She assumed the same thing you did, so see? Girls are…!"
"Shut up, I said!" Song exclaimed, her face redder than the Fire Nation's flag, and she slammed the kitchen door as though to block Sokka's words entirely. His booming laughter could reach her all the same.
Azula was astonished by Song's unusually explosive behavior, but she took to watching Sokka, her arms crossed as she waited for his laughter to subside. Eventually it did, and he smiled before shrugging casually. She raised an eyebrow.
"Girls are… what?" she asked. Sokka smirked.
"Perverts," Sokka said. "See, it's pretty common for girls to say that guys only have one thing in mind, but when Rui Shi came to me I knew he wasn't going to ask for something like that, and of course, he didn't! But both you and Song have assumed the same thing, so… the stereotypes have been disproven! It's a fact that women are just as filthy-minded as men, if not more so!"
"Oh please," said Azula, smirking. "You're just focusing on that to avoid facing that Rui Shi genuinely has no business asking you for advice in regards of anything else. He got advice from us just once, when he had no idea what to do about Song, but that's it. Other than that, he's handled his relationship just fine, and very differently from how we handle ours because he has more possibilities than we do. So, really… if you weren't talking about sex, care tell what you were discussing?"
Sokka blinked blankly, and Azula's raised eyebrows seemed to compel him to speak or face consequences. He smiled awkwardly.
"Um… say, it's such a nice day! We totally have to go out to train, yes we do!" he said, jumping to his feet and walking to the stairs.
"What the…? Oh, sure, for the first time in around a year you only want to train? Sokka, what are you hiding?" Azula asked, following him upstairs, to his unease.
"I'm not hiding anything, it's just, Rui Shi's business is his own! Y-yeah, ask Song, she thinks so too!"
"Why, and here I thought our relationship was so tight that you knew there was nothing you couldn't trust me with," Azula said, closing the door to Sokka's room once they were inside it.
Sokka gulped as he looked at her, wondering if his only means of escape would be his room's balcony. He could survive the jump, of course, but he didn't think running away from Azula would help his case much.
She was far too perceptive, and not nearly as emotionally involved as Song was when it came to Rui Shi. Being accused of having a filthy mind would only faze her for around two seconds, just before she started analyzing the situation again. Sokka actually found himself smiling in awe as he looked at her now.
"I trust you, Azula," he said. "But I think he trusted me to keep my mouth shut too…"
"And what makes you think I'll blab about anything you tell me?" Azula asked. Sokka grimaced and scratched the back of his head.
"It's not really that you might talk, in your case…" he said, looking at her with unease. "You just, uh, might be shaken up by the news and give away what he's up to without noticing it."
"Oh? Really?" Azula asked, skeptical.
"Yeah. You see, it's a surprise for Song," Sokka said, biting his lip. "Something he wanted to do for her tomorrow, but as you won't let him… he asked me to help him arrange something else."
Azula frowned with uncertainty. Sokka felt his stomach sinking. He didn't often lie to her, but what choice did he have? It wasn't an actual lie, as long as Azula didn't poke the holes in his words… oh, who was he kidding, she would poke them anyways, and after she did…
"That's surprisingly reasonable of him," she said, suddenly. Sokka raised an eyebrow. "He was so upset when I told him no that I thought… well, it's good that he recovered from that, then. He needs to understand some traditions simply can't change. If I show up at that parade without the Captain of my Guards, my father will be beyond displeased, and I'd rather not give him cause for anger, especially considering, well, the potential disaster you and I have been brewing for ages now."
"Well, our relationship could also not end up being a disaster," said Sokka, smiling weakly. "But I get it. Still, though…"
"I know, I know, he'll spend quite some time hating me for ruining this for him," said Azula, sitting by the edge of Sokka's mattress. He walked towards her, standing before her. "I can't deny I feel bad about it, it's quite possibly the most hypocritical thing I've ever done, but…"
"There's no other choice," said Sokka, patting her shoulder gently.
His stomach churned, badly. He had lied to her, and she seemed to have believed him. He didn't like the feeling at all, but things would be cleared up tomorrow, surely… or not. If he played his part right, he would manage to trick her again.
Still, just how well could he play that part? The thought made him grimace. Azula knew him better than anyone, she would see right through his act immediately, but it would be too late for them to change anything even if she did. If she figured things out, there'd be nothing left to do, for Rui Shi wouldn't be within their reach by then…
"I'm glad he's found some sort of alternative, then," said Azula, sighing and glancing up a Sokka. "But you're really sure he's not trying to have his first time with her?"
"I… come on," said Sokka. She smiled.
"If that's not it, what, is he going to ask her to marry him?" Azula asked, shrugging, but her brow furrowed soon enough. "Huh. He could actually do that."
"Heh, and see, he definitely could ask me for advice on that since I proposed to you already. Like, um, twenty times," said Sokka. Azula chuckled. "I actually haven't done it for a while now. Would you marry me?"
"You never do tire of asking, do you?" she said, as he sat beside her and smiled weakly. "Yes, I will, even if you spend your time scheming with Rui Shi behind my back. I'm not comfortable with this, you know? You're only allowed to scheme with me."
"Oh, is that so?" Sokka said, smirking and leaning close to kiss her cheek. "Alright then. After this plan's finished, I'll make sure I'll only ever scheme with you."
"Good. As you should," Azula declared, with a small smile. "Well, then, you were fetching your armor and weapons…?"
"I… guess?" Sokka said. Azula smirked. "Um, but I mean, we're already here, and…"
"And you didn't trust me earlier, so you're paying the price," she said, standing up. "Come on, we're wasting daylight and you'll lose strength if you don't train…"
"Darn it," Sokka pouted, but he smiled and obeyed her commands all the same.
The rest of the day slipped by without much ruckus, although Song was still more reserved, moodier and far more stubborn than she had ever been. But since Sokka was quite distracted by Azula, he hadn't teased his housemate anymore: his focus was only on defeating his sponsor, as ever, but the firebender proved an impossible challenge for him. Her skills with the blade had improved just as Sokka's own power had built up, and tried as though he might, he still couldn't seem to outdo her.
"Okay… okay. I surrender," he caved in as she pointed the tip of Wolf's Bane to his neck. She smirked down at him.
"We'll have to switch jobs at this rate, you realize?" she said. "I'd clearly be a much more efficient gladiator…"
"I would agree, but being your sponsor would likely drive me mad," said Sokka, chuckling as he pushed the sword away and stood up. "Watching, powerless, while you fight crazy, dangerous people who are trying to defeat or kill you? I think not."
"Ah, but it's fine when I'm the one in that powerless position, right?" Azula asked, waving her sword back to point at his neck. Sokka chuckled and shrugged.
"What can I say? Life isn't fair," he teased her, walking away so she would stop threatening him.
"You can say that again," said Azula, lowering her sword. "I suppose that's the real reason why you're not getting lucky today, yes…"
"Wait, what?" Sokka asked, smiling in disbelief. "Hey, now, we have at least an hour or two left, we've been training all day…!"
"And you've misbehaved quite a bit," said Azula, smirking. "I can't say I feel inclined to humor you in the bedroom. No, not even if you pout or beg, so don't think about it."
"Ha! Me, beg for sex? Who do you take me for?" Sokka snorted, turning his chin up… before pouting just as Azula had said he would. "Pretty please?"
She laughed and rolled her eyes. Sokka sighed in defeat, but the spark of an idea came to his mind as Azula fetched her sword's discarded scabbard. He rushed away to the bathroom before she could register the sound of his footsteps: she turned to find he wasn't anywhere around. She crooked an eyebrow but shrugged, sheathing her sword and picking up Space Sword too for good measure.
It took around two more minutes for Sokka to reappear by the bathroom door, and Azula's eyebrows rose when she noticed he had discarded his shirt inside the small hut: he was carrying a large water bucket, filled to the brim. Azula's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, no, don't you dare…" she said, but Sokka raised his left hand and undid his wolf's tail.
Azula tried to look away, she absolutely did. But watching him throw that water bucket over himself was just as mesmerizing as the first time. Her fists clenched harder around the swords as he allowed the water to wash over him, the droplets glinting under the orange sunlight. She wasn't sure if she ought to feel outraged, skeptical or aroused… in the end, the least likely option won out: amusement.
She shook her head as she laughed, finally looking away when he was done. Sokka smirked and wiggled his eyebrows in her direction.
"Still not interested, Princess?" he asked, uttering her title with the sultry voice tone he always used to get his way. Azula looked at him sharply.
"Oh, believe me, I'm quite interested… but I think my pride is still stronger than my sexual frustration," she said, smiling sarcastically and tossing the sheathed Space Sword at him. Sokka scowled as he caught it in midair. "And, truth be told, it's a little less appealing when you do that someplace with loose earth like this backyard. Your legs are all splashed with mud now."
"Uh-huh, sure. You're just saying that," Sokka pouted. Azula smiled while sliding her sword into its place in her belt. "There's no way my best seduction technique failed on you, not a chance!"
"I guess you'll have to expand your repertoire," said Azula, beaming. Sokka huffed and shook his head, stomping up to her while slinging his sword over his uncovered back. Her amusement didn't decrease in the slightest.
"Well, I have to say, I think you're being very senseless, Princess," he said, folding his arms over his chest as he towered over her. "In case you forgot what day it is, it seems those festivals are beginning tomorrow and if our luck continues to be as bad as it has been, we won't have chances to be together as we want until, well, I don't know. Until the week is over?"
"I suppose that's true…" said Azula, raising her eyebrows. "Though I doubt I'll be that busy every single day. But alright, point taken…"
"So…?" Sokka asked, eyes widening as a smile spread over his face.
Azula was about to give him an answer when there was a knock at the front door. Azula didn't speak: instead, she glanced over at the house through the backyard's open doors to discover who had just arrived.
The tension on her shoulders, the unease in her eyes, the way she seemed to forget all they'd been talking about… Sokka frowned over it all before he glanced as well, to find the new arrival was Rui Shi. Song welcomed him with nervous laughs, and he greeted her quite cheerfully too. Sokka gulped and looked at Azula.
"Uh… you okay?"
"Yeah, I… yeah," she said, shaking her head. "Though, if he's here, it means I probably shouldn't be."
"What? But…" said Sokka. Azula shook her head.
"Trust me, I… I already feel bad enough about what I'm doing to him," she said. "I don't need to rub my recklessness in his face. If I keep doing things like that it won't be long before he decides being loyal to me just isn't worth it."
"I doubt he'll ever decide that," Sokka said, but Azula shook her head again.
"I should go," she said. "I'm… I'm actually sorry. You made a good point. I guess part of me just wanted to punish you by proving you're a lot more desperate and eager for sex than I was, so I could refute your earlier claims, but…"
"Heh. I figured that was your goal," Sokka smirked. "It's why I thought tempting you somehow might work, but sure, a muddy lover can't be very appealing…"
"Truth be told, it wasn't that much mud," Azula said, smiling. "It is a fool's mistake to leave you wet and eager for me, no doubt… ah, just why did I grow a conscience, again? Really, what good does it do?"
"Oh, Azula…" said Sokka, chuckling and embracing her shoulders. Her head fell perfectly on the hollow of his neck.
"Ugh, damn you, Sokka," she said, running a hand over his wet chest. "You and your body and your scent and your wicked schemes, and…"
"Heh, wicked schemes?" he repeated. She nodded.
"Making me want this just when I can't have it. You're an expert when it comes to that, to be sure," said Azula. Sokka smiled.
He held her tightly for a moment, only pulling away to kiss her softly. To his surprise, the Princess responded with more enthusiasm than she should have mustered, succumbing slightly to the urges she had accustomed her body to obeying. She wanted him right now, but she had to settle for this, if just for the moment. One kiss, wild and passionate, and maybe she would be able to sneak out of tomorrow's royal feast, after the parade was over, to finish what they'd started…
She ended the kiss, her arms still locked around his neck. She smiled warmly at Sokka before one more peck, and she pulled away, waiting for Xin Long to land. The dragon wasn't far, as she had summoned him as soon as she saw Rui Shi. But Sokka followed her to where she stood, wrapping his arms around her from behind until the dragon arrived.
"I'll try to be back as soon as I can tomorrow," she said, sighing. "Though it will be an eventful day."
"Sounds like it's going to be an eventful week, rather," said Sokka, raising his eyes to watch as Xin Long landed right before them. "Are you sure you'll be able to make it?"
"No, but I have to try," said Azula, turning in his arms to kiss him once more. "I guess I shouldn't have trained you as hard as I did today, huh?"
"No, you really shouldn't have," he answered playfully, smiling before kissing her deeply again.
Xin Long had to groan to bring the lovestruck pair back to reality. It was true that he liked to stash away Azula's most embarrassing and intimate memories so he could tease her with them whenever he wished to, but Xin Long still didn't mean to witness the way his rider fondled her lover's bare chest and arms, moaning willfully into the brush of their lips.
"Alright, alright…" said Azula, sighing and climbing on the dragon's saddle. Xin Long huffed and waved his head in disapproval.
Sokka smiled as he took Azula's hand to kiss her fingers. The Princess smiled sadly and stroked his jawline.
"I love you," she said. "I'll see you soon."
"I love you too," he replied, warmly. Azula grinned, but Sokka only caught a glimpse of her smile before the dragon took off.
He sighed before turning back to the house, walking with his head slightly hunched. He'd be seeing her much sooner than she thought, but if everything went according to plan, she wouldn't know it. His innards burned upon the thought, and he felt more nervous than he could justify about the plan. It wasn't the first time he had impersonated a guard, let alone for an escapade with Azula, but the circumstances scared him all the same.
Rui Shi was smiling as he helped Song with dinner, but Sokka's intrusion upon the scene soured his expression quickly. Sokka jerked his head to ask for a private word, and Song scowled at him for it.
"Whatever you have to say, you should say it right here," she said, stubbornly. Rui Shi looked at her in surprise.
"Um… it's quite alright, really," said Rui Shi, rubbing her shoulder gently. "I'm sure it won't take long."
"B-but Rui Shi…" she whispered, blushing. Rui Shi smiled reassuringly.
"Everything's fine, I promise."
Sokka had to hold back a chuckle, for Song's embarrassment would only worsen if he didn't contain his amusement. Still, he successfully led Rui Shi away while Song stayed in the kitchen, begrudgingly.
"What is it?" said Rui Shi. "Please don't tell me you told either of them, or that you're not sure of it now…"
"I'm not sure of it, no, but I'm not unwilling to do it anyhow," said Sokka, sighing. "It's just… the two of them were onto me right away, Song knew you couldn't be asking me for advice regarding anything…"
"Really? She thinks so?" Rui Shi asked. "One would think she could assume I had grown interested in non-bending fighting all of sudden, perhaps…"
"Well, that's not what she thought," said Sokka, with a dry grin. "And Azula found it hard to believe too, for that matter."
"Why did you tell her anything, though?" Rui Shi asked, sternly. Sokka huffed.
"It's not like I wanted to," he growled. "She sees through me so easily, which is why I can't understand how she bought it when I lied to her…"
"Oh? She did?" Rui Shi asked. "Astounding…"
"I know, right?!" Sokka squealed, lifting a hand to his forehead. "And I… I feel so awful about it. Just, so awful. Every single time I've lied before she's seen right through me, and yet this time it's like she didn't and… goodness, I hate lying to her."
"Maybe she's the one lying to you," said Rui Shi, shrugging. "Might be she knows you were lying, but is pretending she doesn't know so you won't feel bad."
"Uh… you know, she's done stuff like that before, but it didn't feel like that was it today," said Sokka, frowning. Rui Shi sighed.
"Well, I doubt it's any consolation, but I will say she's not the most honest person in the world either," said Rui Shi. "And with all the sneaking around you two have done, without ever consulting me, I suppose she'll simply have a taste of her own medicine with this."
"Still, it's different," said Sokka, pouting. "It's usually her and me against the world, not…"
"Think about it differently, then," said Rui Shi, raising his eyebrows. "If she finds out, well, yes, she might react poorly. But if she doesn't react badly, she might just be ecstatic to spend the whole day with you, just as I will be doing the same with Song. It won't be the two of us against everyone else, but rather, me and Song, you and the Princess, against the world, as you put it. See?"
"Your concepts of double dates are a little weird, Rui Shi," said Sokka, grimacing and sighing as he folded his arms over his chest. "Then again, it's not like we can do much better, seeing as me and Azula can't really just… date."
"Indeed. This is as good as it gets. Make the most of it, so that, if we die for our boldness, it will have been worth it," said Rui Shi, with a dry grin. Sokka snorted.
"Say, I will warn you… Song may have odd ideas about what you're up to. Just saying. She's well off the trail, but she's got a very active imagination…"
"Huh," said Rui Shi, perplexed. "Well, I hope she'll be happy with this surprise all the same."
"Yeah, knowing her, she will be," said Sokka, smiling. "At any rate… when should I expect you to open the underground passage?"
"Uh, by four in the morning, I guess? Can you get up by then?" Rui Shi asked. Sokka nodded.
"If I go to bed right after dinner, sure," said Sokka, smiling a little.
"As I said, I'll bring the uniform with me," said Rui Shi. "You'll just change into it and climb out, then head to the guards' barracks. If you follow the map I'll prepare for you, you'll reach my room easily enough. You'll find other instructions to follow inside my desk's drawer, detailed explanations for all you'll have to do for that day in the festival. Anything else you'd like to know?"
"Uh… well, if you'll write everything down, I guess not," said Sokka, sighing. "Honestly, I can't help but think that if anything goes wrong…"
"We'll be in deep trouble. Me worse than you, though," said Rui Shi, shrugging. "You can always claim I forced you to do it, it wouldn't be too far from the truth."
"But I agreed to…"
"It's my idea, I can take the fall for it," said Rui Shi, patting his shoulder. "Now, shall we help Song with the meal?"
Sokka smiled and nodded, guessing Song wouldn't find his help too agreeable right now. But as she focused on Rui Shi only, once they returned to the kitchen, Sokka's presence didn't seem to bother her too much. She seemed determined to ignore him, and Sokka made it easier for her by not drawing attention to himself, for once.
He ate quite silently, still pondering the chaotic mess the next day was likely to be. He ate hurriedly and excused himself to go to bed right after finishing his food. Only then did Song acknowledge Sokka with a confused stare.
"Is he okay?" Song asked Rui Shi, once Sokka had retired. "I-I mean, you've talked a lot with him and… I was wondering if he's caused you any trouble."
"No, he's actually going to help me with something," said Rui Shi, smiling a little. "Yes, I have pushed him into an awkward position, but I think he'll be fine."
"Really?" Song asked. Rui Shi nodded and rubbed her back gently.
"Everything will be revealed within… uh, hours, I guess," he said, enigmatically. Song couldn't help but smile a little. "By then, all of our whispering in corners will make sense for you, I promise."
"I'll be holding you to that, then," she said, leaning closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder.
Rui Shi's duties were finished for the day, but just as Sokka needed early rest, so did he. Song seemed reluctant to see him leave, but Rui Shi's warm smiles appeased her easily enough. He held her by the door, cupping her face with his gloved hands.
"I'll see you soon," he said, stroking her bangs gently.
"I hope so," she replied. "It does sound like you'll be very busy for the next few days."
"Maybe not as much as you think," he said, smiling. "Take care, dear."
She smiled brightly as he leaned close to kiss her. She sighed in bliss as he stepped away, his fingers grazing hers even at the last moment, and he walked through the threshold leading him outside.
Something strange was happening, Song could tell as much. It was something that seemed harmless, maybe, but she had the feeling it might not be: whatever Rui Shi and Sokka were up to, she suspected she was being kept out of it for a reason. She frowned a little as she watched Rui Shi walking down the street, but his firm posture and strong body made her smile soon enough. Whatever their secret was, she trusted Rui Shi wholeheartedly.
It was a restless night for the two conspirators. They were both ready to execute their bold move at least an hour before the appointed time: Rui Shi opened the trapdoor and was surprised to find Sokka had already been waiting nearby.
"Eager to pretend you're me?" Rui Shi asked, smirking.
"Eager to escape your duties?" Sokka replied, with raised eyebrows. Rui Shi surprised himself by chuckling.
"Actually, I am," he admitted, pushing the trapdoor fully open so Sokka could jump underground with him.
The guard handed a package to Sokka, along with a helmet. Sokka nodded as he received them, guessing he'd change into the clothes once Rui Shi was gone.
"Here's the map," said Rui Shi, waving a scroll in front of him. "I also brought a lamp, I figured you might need it. Make sure to leave it underground, though. You shouldn't be caught using lamps when you're supposed to be a firebender."
"I understand," said Sokka, nodding as he took everything Rui Shi had offered him. The Captain sighed.
"Alright, then. I'll wait in the tunnels until morning," he said. "You have fully detailed instructions in my room, as I promised."
"Well, if anything, I'm glad you've been so thorough," said Sokka, grinning.
"Let's just hope all this thoroughness pays off," said Rui Shi, sighing. "Some part of me thinks… well, that she'll notice it's you, and then I'll be out of a job starting tomorrow. But I suppose another part of me thinks I'd deserve that, for doing something like this."
"I'll try to keep things from coming to that," said Sokka, with an attempt to reassure him with a smile. "Honestly, I can barely recognize you right now, Rui Shi… but I'm grateful. This could be amazing, if it works out the right way."
"Let's hope it does. Good luck," said Rui Shi.
"You too. Have fun today," said Sokka, smiling as Rui Shi lit the lamp before walking away from Sokka.
It didn't take long for Sokka to get dressed, putting on the uniform over the clothes he already wore. It was strange to clad himself in Rui Shi's actual uniform rather than wearing that of a random guard. Still, the clothes and armor fit perfectly on Sokka – the two of them were narrowly of the same height and build, so, as long as Sokka delivered a good performance as Rui Shi, no one should suspect anything.
He walked to the Palace through the tunnels while trying to move with the same stiffness Rui Shi did. He even practiced imitating his voice, in case it might be necessary. He wasn't sure he'd be able to act like Rui Shi all that smoothly, but he hoped no one would pay him much mind. The Captain often seemed to eavesdrop on people by accident, in virtue of most of them forgetting he was standing silently there to begin with… Sokka could only hope the same would happen to him today.
He slowed down when he reached the trapdoor Rui Shi had marked for his exit, and he only pushed it open after listening carefully to make sure there was no one nearby. He stepped outside the tunnel smoothly, as though his presence in the tunnels had been absolutely reasonable, and he closed the trapdoor behind him…
"Ah, that's very smart of you, Captain!"
He nearly had a heart attack at the sound of a voice, drifting from the Palace wall, where a common soldier was currently patrolling. The man was waving at him.
"Those tunnels need more vigilance, after all!" he yelled.
Sokka only nodded curtly in his direction before making his way to the guards' barracks. His pulse was still out of control after that soldier had spoken to him as he had. It seemed he had done well enough so far in his imitation of Rui Shi, but how could he know if he would continue to be successful? Anyone closer to Rui Shi might notice the deception, but he had to stay positive. This would be over soon, he had to believe that…
There wasn't much activity yet in the guards' barracks, but he could hear a few sounds inside. Some of the men were still snoring, while others were waking up. He walked fast to Rui Shi's room, glancing quickly at his map to ensure he was on the right track. After following every indication, he found an empty room: he entered it as casually as possible and closed the door behind him.
He nearly dropped on the floor in relief: he had done it. He had survived so far, astoundingly. His body was overheated under all those layers of clothes, and he was still nervous, but he had succeeded at the first part of the plan. The next ones, if they were as simple as Rui Shi had described them, should be easy enough…
Sokka moved to Rui Shi's desk quickly, though, scrambling through the cabinet to find the instructions Rui Shi had mentioned. He scanned the set of pages quickly, grimacing over how many items there were on each one. He had to fetch his breakfast quickly in the barracks' common room, eat it in his room so no one would see him, then he had to check the rooms of every member of Azula's Procession, to ensure they were awake and eating their own breakfast. After confirming everyone was where they had to be, he would head to the Palace and fetch Azula in her room, accompanied by two other guards of his choosing.
The rest of the words seemed to scramble after that: finding Azula in her room… oh, such a stressful idea. He swallowed hard and tried not to think too much of it, but he couldn't stop worrying. The Princess had it in her to see through him immediately…
He shook his head and forced himself to focus. Lead Azula to the Temple west of the Palace, stand by outside during the ceremony unless she expressly requests otherwise, lead her back to the Palace once the ceremony ends, supervise the palanquin to ensure everything's in order for the parade, stand by until summoned for the parade, lead the procession through the parade, stand by while the Fire Lord addressed his subjects in his inaugural speech…
All in all, it didn't seem too complicated, Sokka reasoned. While it would be nerve-wrecking, not a lot was expected from Rui Shi today. Their ruse could pay off, so long as no one spoke to him directly. Not a lot of people spoke with Rui Shi while he was on duty, anyways.
He hurried to pick up his breakfast and gobbled it down at haste in Rui Shi's room, successfully avoiding being recognized by any of the other guards. He checked every room and confirmed that all the guards on his list were fully uniformed already and brightly awake. His silence didn't come off as a surprise to anyone, and they mostly nodded towards him as a greeting before heading to the common room.
He resolved that, for his next task, he would take the first ones who finished eating. Fortunately, the two who were done first were guards he wasn't too acquainted with. Going by the descriptions in Rui Shi's instructions, those two were Shuren and Wuhan. They moved towards Sokka without needing any words, putting on their helmets and bowing their heads towards him. Sokka led the way out of the barracks with steady strides and the pair followed him dutifully.
The two guards were perfectly silent as they walked and Sokka was grateful for it. Had his partners been Taro and Fei Li instead, he would have a hard time keeping his mouth shut while the other two bickered. But Shuren and Wuhan seemed to be the quiet types, and that was exactly what Sokka needed right now. Two men who wouldn't speak much, who would be content to simply stand in the background…
But Azula's room was rapidly approaching, and the snakes twisting inside Sokka's stomach made him more apprehensive than he ever wanted to be. Seeing her right now would only boost his anxiety…
He knocked on the red door, firmly enough to ensure he would be heard. He caught the sound of footsteps and voices inside the room.
"She's almost done!" called an unfamiliar voice. Sokka bit his lip and waited silently.
After a minute, the door opened. Sokka held his head high as a couple of maids filed out of the room hastily, muttering quick greetings for the soldiers before scurrying out of the way.
And there she was, in her golden armor, with her hairpiece in place on her perfect top-knot. She strode towards him, brow slightly furrowed as she kept her gaze low. She stopped before him.
"Well?" she said, startling him. "Will you lead the way or are we simply going to stand here while the ceremony is underway, Captain?"
The impulse to respond to her almost overwhelmed him. He repressed it, though, and bowed his head towards her instead.
Azula frowned, but didn't ask any questions as Rui Shi turned and started on the path to the Temple. She fell into step behind him, with Shuren to her left and Wuhan to her right. The Captain's silence wasn't uncommon, generally, but it was odd for him to stay quiet when she addressed him directly. Why hadn't he said anything? Was he going to give her the cold shoulder now? She had no time for such pettiness, though, truly. She knew she risked getting on his bad side after what she'd done, but this level of unprofessionalism was unparalleled for Rui Shi. He had never…
He had never walked like that, now that she thought of it. She frowned, realizing the man's rhythm was not the same steady rhythm as that of his fellow guards. Shuren and Wuhan seemed lost in their own thoughts, so Azula only glanced at them to watch as their every controlled, disciplined step contrasted fully with Rui Shi's. He was stiff, not disciplined. He seemed… tense? That walking rhythm wasn't as stable as expected from a soldier's stride…
Azula's eyes narrowed as she studied him intently: something wasn't quite right here. And as they moved to the internal street that would lead them to the Temple, she resolved to discover what was going on with the Captain of her Guards… if there was something to discover, of course.
The Temple grew more crowded as the time for the ceremony approached, but the triangle formation of the three guards enabled Azula to enter the building easily enough. Wuhan and Shuren bowed their heads once they reached the entrance, and Sokka was ready to bow his head too and stay behind…
"What are you waiting for?" Azula snapped at him. He froze. "Get moving, Captain. We don't have all day."
She was bringing him in? But she never took Rui Shi anywhere, if she could help it! Sokka's stomach sank as he followed her, warily, noticing she seemed rather unsettled right now. Had something happened? Was she upset for any reason other than him? Or, rather, Rui Shi?
The urge to pin her to a nearby wall to soothe her with endless kisses was almost overwhelming. He held back his impulses, though: taking off the helmet would have given away he was an impostor in the faces of all the nobles within the area. There were so many of them, gathered in the Temple's vestibule and the steps that led to the ceremonial hall, that there would likely be no empty corners in the building. Azula greeted a few of them with small smiles that didn't reach her eyes, and Sokka's restlessness increased as he watched her intently.
He followed her into the ceremonial hall, keeping a fair distance between them as he stood with his arms behind his back, as he had seen the guards do a few times before. The Princess seemed determined to ignore him right now, and while his rational side knew that was for the better, his heart ached all the same. Was this what other people felt like when they were with her…?
The realization that Azula could be this cold, this different in her treatment of others, brought Sokka to cherish his role in her life even more. Being despised by her back when they had their worst conflicts had hurt, but right now… this indifference was well beyond coldness. He grimaced under his mask but tried not to betray how conflicted he was about what he was feeling right now. As long as his expressions remained hidden, no one would be likely to recognize his discomfort for what it was.
Ozai arrived soon afterwards, and awed silence spread through the hall. Azula approached him, meaning to stand beside her father, who smiled down at her. Sokka ensured to stay near her, trying to hold his position a couple of steps behind her, just as Ozai's Imperial Guards were behind him.
"A pity it won't be you performing this ceremony," said Ozai, and Azula smiled more genuinely at him. The sight relieved Sokka a little. At least she wasn't so upset that her father's compliments wouldn't reach her…
"I can't perform twice in a row, as far as I'm aware," she said. "In fact, I can't remember if anyone has performed the ceremony more than once…"
"You've broken every expectation and rule placed upon you, I'm sure you can break this one too," said Ozai, smirking as someone else walked up to him.
"Good morning, Ozai," Zhao said, and Ozai turned his proud smile to him.
"Out of bed on time, I see. Good to know you were punctual this year, Zhao," said Ozai. "I was just telling Azula what a shame it is that she won't delight us with another ceremony of her own making."
"I regret it even more, as I wasn't here to see it last year," said Zhao.
"It's quite alright, really, I won't begrudge you for missing it," Azula said, waving a hand carelessly. "Let us simply hope whoever performs this year will be up to the challenge."
"Believe me, Azula, the bar you've set will likely never be matched again," said Ozai.
The streak of pride that crossed Azula's face wasn't unfamiliar for Sokka. She always sported it when Ozai complimented her, as he often did. His affirmations, his reassurances, always proved a great method to cheer her up when she was miserable, or to strengthen her self-image whenever it crumbled.
Yet… her eyes darkened again soon enough, and the smile disappeared. She glanced at her father briefly as he spoke with Zhao, and then she seemed to focus on something else entirely. Sokka watched her, wondering what she was doing. For anyone else, her behavior would be absolutely normal, but he could read every single movement of her body, every mark of expression, every change in her demeanor. He knew her better than anyone. Whatever she was doing…
Her eyes snapped open wide, and she turned to stare straight at him. He almost flinched, wanting to inch away from her.
What was she looking at him for? Did she read his mind, notice it was Sokka instead of Rui Shi? Did he give himself away by staring at her so fixatedly? Was it obvious he was staring at her at all, considering he was wearing the helmet and hood of her guards? What was going on with her? Why did she seem so confused, so outraged…?
Then, the intelligent serenity kicked in again. Her eyes scrutinized him for an instant, before she turned forward without another word. Sokka's stomach sank and he instinctively raised a hand to touch her shoulder, only stopping inches away from doing so. He gritted his teeth and dropped his hand again. Whatever was going on with her, he still needed to play his part…
The ceremony began not long after. It was performed by a man in his thirties, wearing a handsome robe of crimson and gold. Sokka watched eagerly, hoping he would be a dazzling bender, but while his fire was quite beautiful, it lacked the spirit that had been so strong in Azula's. He smiled to himself, convinced, as ever, that the woman beside him was the best at everything she ever did. No one could compare, not a chance.
He glanced at her impulsively, wishing to see her face as she watched the ceremony…
… And he found she was watching him, too. He stiffened and turned forward, not knowing if she had done the same thing. The awkwardness was only increasing, and he direly wished he could have simply stayed outside, as he had wanted to… why did everything become unnecessarily complicated whenever Azula was involved?
He couldn't bring himself to focus on the performance anymore, not with those sharp eyes bearing into him as they were. He tried to remain calm, silent, unnoticed, as was his job… and he thought he might just start succeeding at this once the ceremony ended. The ceremony's beacon was lit, and the fire was shared with every torch and lamp in the Temple. As soon as it was over, Azula turned to speak to her father and Zhao about what had transpired, all of them commenting on the ability of the ceremony's performer.
"He wasn't a complete failure… yet he couldn't compare to you, my child," said Ozai, smirking proudly at Azula. She smiled back at him. "I suppose you shall run along for a few hours now, then? You won't sneak out of the parade this year over some gladiator fight, or will you?"
"Of course not," said Azula, smiling. "My gladiator has no pending fights this week, Father."
"Good," said Ozai, nodding. "Then I suppose I shall see you again during my speech later today."
"Yes, Father. Do enjoy your palanquin ride in the parade," Azula said. Ozai smirked.
"Well, the adoration of the commoners certainly has its charm, somehow," said Ozai, still smiling at his daughter.
"I shall take my leave then, Father, Admiral," said Azula, nodding towards Zhao. He bowed his head towards her as well.
Just as Sokka was readying himself to follow Azula, someone addressed him directly. He tensed up at the sound of Zhao's voice:
"Take good care of the Princess, Captain."
Sokka glanced at him warily. There was no way Zhao had seen through them, was there? The man was surely not as sharp as to have noticed that Sokka was below that mask and uniform, let alone to know that Sokka and Azula had a closer relationship than they should…?
Sokka resolved to only bow respectfully towards Zhao before following Azula. She had walked away already, trying to ignore all the nobles who wanted a word or two with her. She shot him a meaningful glare as he approached, nonverbally scolding him for taking too long.
While he had been quite aware of her judgmental glares before, right now she was giving him the coldest shoulder she could muster. They progressed through the Temple in silence, and he tried not to fidget too much as he followed her. Her previous, unprovoked reaction towards him still worried him: if he hadn't given himself away from the start, what had he done in the Temple that had brought her to scowl at him as she had?
They returned to the Palace soon enough, with Shuren and Wuhan still following them. Once they were in the massive, marble corridors, Azula stopped in the main hallway and turned to her guards.
"You two are dismissed," she said, gesturing at Shuren and Wuhan. They bowed their heads towards her. "Go prepare for the Procession."
"Yes, Princess," they said in unison, before taking off, side by side, in the direction of the guards' barracks.
"As for you, Captain…" she said, looking at Sokka with sharp eyes. "We need to have a word. Privately."
Sokka's heart sank. He wasn't sure he wanted to be completely alone with Azula right now, which was something new, entirely. He usually was desperate for such occasions, but not when he was doing something she would be displeased by…
Still, he had no choice but to nod and follow her to her room, where, to his chagrin, she locked the door. He had no means of escape, but it wasn't like he was planning on running either way. If he even tried to do that, he might as well just shout that he wasn't Rui Shi.
Azula walked through the room, arms folded across her chest. Sokka swallowed hard, watching her with uncertainty as she paced. At last, she slowed before the windows and drew the drapes across them, darkening the room further. Sokka breathed deeply.
"It's interesting that you would begrudge me so, Rui Shi," she said. "That you would give me such cold treatment when you knew this was exactly what your job entailed, ever since the moment you signed up for it. To think that you could be so miserable, that you would behave as a spoiled, arrogant child whose relationship is far more important than the safety of your Crown Princess…"
Sokka's heart sank as she turned to look at him. Her narrow eyes seemed ready to firebend all on their own.
"I'm actually thinking of demoting you right now," she said. Sokka's eyes widened. "In fact, I'm considering kicking you out of the Fire Nation's armed forces altogether. A man as troubled and conflicted as you are now, with his heart in one place while his body is in another? It's only a hindrance for me. I can easily find a better Captain."
He had the urge to talk, to tell her not to do this, but if he did, she'd have more reasons to do exactly as she was threatening to. His heart churned as he thought he had ruined Rui Shi's life altogether… though it wasn't as if Rui Shi hadn't seen it coming. He had joked about it, but had he considered this might actually happen? Sokka doubted it…
"No protest, then?" she asked, with a small smirk. "Not a word to beg for your job? Not even a thank you, for cutting you loose and allowing you to indulge in whatever pathetic relationship you have with your girlfriend?"
Sokka frowned. Pathetic relationship? Girlfriend? Why was she talking this way? She respected Song, and Rui Shi too for that matter, but if she had unraveled Rui Shi's pretense, Sokka wasn't all that surprised that she'd treat Rui Shi poorly. Yet, why attack Song, or their relationship?
Suddenly the realization hit him: she knew he wasn't Rui Shi, but she wasn't sure of who he was. This was why she was feigning not to know or understand anything about Rui Shi's weakness for love. This was why she was being as unsympathetic as possible: she was acting the way anyone else would expect her to act if she found out Rui Shi had a relationship with someone.
She wasn't hiding that fact, though, because she was assuming that whoever hid below that mask would know why Rui Shi had sought out a substitute for a day. But right now, she only wanted a reaction, and as long as he didn't give her one…
"It's quite pathetic indeed, that this has damaged you so much that you've lost your ability to bend," she said, casually. Sokka's eyes widened. "Didn't you know I can tell who's a firebender and who isn't, Rui Shi? It's quite a handy ability, I'd say…"
That was it. That was what she'd done: the fire resonance. She had used it in the Temple, trying to find out if her father's strange spirit stalker was around, but instead… instead she hadn't sensed Rui Shi's inner fire, the fire every firebender would be expected to have, and the one thing Sokka couldn't possibly imitate Rui Shi in, no matter what. He couldn't stop himself from lowering his head and lifting a hand to his forehead.
"All the more reason to fire you, I guess," she said, shrugging. "What use is a guard who can't bend, truly?"
Sokka's pride flared suddenly, though. What use was a guard who couldn't bend, she said? He was a gladiator who couldn't bend, and he had been quite useful! He scowled at her, but she met his anger stoically.
"If anything, I'm glad you're making this so easy, Rui Shi," she said. "I guess you really do understand how unworthy you are, after all. A shame, truly, as I did come to trust you, but as it has come to this, I'll inform my father and…"
"D-don't…"
The sound of his voice, even if he tried to deepen it, compelled her to close her eyes and grit her teeth. She clenched a fist, before turning her furious golden glare towards him.
"Shouldn't I?!" she said, stomping up to him. "Shouldn't I really, Sokka?!"
Sokka jumped back, but she was faster. One hand grabbed the neck of his uniform, while the other jerked the helmet off his head quickly, and the hood fell off his head right afterwards. Oh, of course. His voice was absolutely recognizable: she had heard it almost on a daily basis for two years now. If she had suspected Sokka from the start, the sound of his voice was more than enough to confirm those suspicions.
"I… I really should fire him." Azula said, dropping the helmet on her bedroom's floor while glaring ferociously at her gladiator.
Sokka raised his remorseful eyes towards her but found no mercy in hers. It was safe to say that he and Rui Shi had dug their graves through the Captain's not-so-clever scheme…
A/N:
It's been forever since I last wrote one of these, as you may have noticed. Alas, I'm only writing one now to let you guys know Gladiator's coming up on its Fifth Anniversary, but given my updating "schedule", I probably won't update on the very day of the Anniversary... so, at any rate, starting in three days I'll be posting a ton of art on my blog to commemorate these five years. A lot has happened through these years, but the one constant in my life was always this story, and to this day I'm still absolutely invested and devoted to it, as I was from the start.
I hope you all enjoy this new story arc, it's shaping up to be one of my favorites (don't I always say that? :'D), and I hope you continue to enjoy the fic, too. Thank you for all the feedback through the years, the good and bad and in-between alike, and for your endless patience and dedication to the story. As the compulsive writer that I am, it really surprises me to this day to see readers who are still following this story after all this time. It also surprises me that new readers have been springing up even when this massive word count daunts a lot of people, but they're eager for more anyways! That only fuels my urge to write this fic; I'd keep writing this fic even if not a lot of people read it, but I count myself lucky to have readers who continue to follow the story and interact with me as you do.
I'm truly grateful for all these years, I don't know what I'd be doing if I weren't writing Gladiator but frankly, I don't want to know. I've never written anything else on Gladiator's level, as a writer it's my biggest privilege and joy to create something I can be so passionate about.
Thanks for reading Gladiator!