Gladiator

by Seyary-Minamoto

In a world where the Avatar wasn't found, the Fire Nation took over two nations and they strive to overcome the last one. Water Tribe warrior Sokka seeks to fight for his people's rights, but he's captured by his enemies. His life is no longer in his hands as he fights as a Gladiator, and his fate will eventually depend on the Fire Nation Princess, who needs him for her own ends...

149. Chapter 149: Fire Nation Festivals 7

She managed to find him by chance, right after indulging in a bathroom break. Rui Shi had led her to a secluded corridor, seizing their moment of privacy to ask her if everything had been alright and to hold her hand briefly. It was enough for Song, for there wasn't much more they could do right now: that they'd had a chance to be together before his shift ended already felt like a miracle.

"You haven't had to work too hard, or did you?" she asked him, as he escorted her back to the ballroom.

"Only to stop a handful of people from doing highly inappropriate things in utterly inappropriate places," Rui Shi confessed. Song blushed and smiled as he sighed. "I'm actually relieved it was never those two."

"That's great to know," said Song, with a weak grin. "My date shouldn't be caught doing such unseemly things behind my back, right?"

"You have that act down perfectly, don't you?" Rui Shi asked, smiling. "If you could help him get rid of that girl you mentioned…"

"He needed someone else to help him further, though," said Song, sighing. "For a moment I really worried she might do something to either of us. She looked so mad…"

"What exactly is it about him that draws women to him that way?" Rui Shi asked, grimacing. Song shrugged. "I once asked him, he doesn't know either."

"Nor do I," she said, with a weak grin. "It's not that he's not handsome, but… well, he's so goofy."

"I suppose that could be it. The Princess secretly longed for someone who would make her laugh," said Rui Shi, smiling under his helmet. Song nodded and grinned more brightly.

"It's quite likely."

They re-entered the dancing hall together, but to their surprise, neither Azula nor Sokka were in plain sight. The dances unfolded before their eyes, and most people stood watching them, but while Song found Hahn soon enough, smirking as he spoke to the unpleasant girl from before, she couldn't see her friends. She bit her lip, approaching the only other person she had been introduced to, and she tapped Ty Lee's shoulder softly upon reaching her.

"Hi? We only just met, I came with Sokka," she said, when the taller girl turned to look at her. "Do you know where he might be?"

"Oh, well…" said Ty Lee, grimacing. "I don't know where they are, but I hope they're still together…"

"Huh? What do you mean…?" Song asked, uneasily, but Haru cut in.

"The Princess was with us when Sokka showed up, looking, well… out of sorts. I'd never seen him like that," he explained. "She took off with him. We haven't seen them since."

"Oh. That's… well, thanks, both of you," said Song, her smile growing stiff as her concerns increased steadily.

Sokka behaving erratically, pulling Azula away from this celebration? Either it was over something really stupid… or something really serious. For once, Song sure hoped for the former.

She returned to Rui Shi's side: he had stayed back, glancing over people's heads while trying to find either Sokka or Azula. He shifted his focus to Song once she returned, though.

"What is it? Is something wrong?" he asked. Song bit her lip.

"Maybe. I'm not sure," she said, glancing sideways. "Is there anywhere in the Palace those two would sneak off to if they want to talk privately?"

"Her room," Rui Shi mused. "Or maybe the basement? Depends on what they're actually doing, though…"

"I know we may run into something unpleasant, something neither of us wants to see," she said, with an awkward smile. "But… I'd rather confirm they're being their reckless selves than discover something bad is happening. I don't know what's going on, but I'm worried…"

"I see," said Rui Shi, frowning but nodding. "Let's go, then. We'll find them."

They checked Azula's room first. Song surprised herself by remembering its location, even though she was following Rui Shi's lead. She had been there once before, and it was still as luxurious as she remembered it… but it was empty. Rui Shi closed the door and locked it before leading the way through different doorways, some of them hidden in unexpected locations, until he brought them to a basement, full to the brim with objects lined with dust. Yet again, no one was there.

"Maybe they wouldn't go somewhere so secluded," said Rui Shi, frowning before leading Song outside again. "Maybe they're simply somewhere they feel safe in…"

"Like where?" Song asked, struggling to keep up with his pace: Rui Shi slowed down for her benefit.

"Like her dragon's refuge?" he suggested. Song nodded promptly.

The pair headed for their new destination, finding the terrains around the Palace were less crowded than they had been earlier. Everyone wanted to join the dancing, if just for one round: it was the best chance to be noticed in the Fire Lord's court in a peaceful way, after all. Thus, the mantle of the night, though alight with many lanterns, served to hide Rui Shi and Song as they walked together to Xin Long's home.

Rui Shi stopped at the door warily, raising a hand towards Song so she would stop moving too. He could hear some sounds inside, but maybe it was merely the dragon's breathing…

He was startled when the door slid open and he found himself glared at dangerously, by both humans and a dragon. He stumbled back by instinct, surprising Song, but even though Azula had seemed ready to electrocute him, she lowered her defensive hands as soon as she identified them, wide-eyed now.

"Rui Shi? Song?!" she exclaimed. Sokka huffed, wordlessly urging them inside before closing the door behind them. "What are you both doing here?"

"I was just looking for Sokka," Song explained, grimacing as Sokka's hand fell on her shoulder heavily. "I'd already found Rui Shi and talked to him, s-so I figured I'd just go back to him but… he was gone."

"I'm sorry," said Sokka, genuinely. He didn't seem to be able to bear holding her gaze with his own.

"What's going on?" Song asked. Rui Shi frowned too, removing his helmet and looking at Azula meaningfully.

"This isn't like you," he said. "If you two were just sneaking around it wouldn't be like this. What's wrong?"

"It's…" said Azula, her breath caught as she tried to find the right words. But none would be right today, not for this. She huffed and shook her head. "Zhao's basically told Sokka he knows about us. He's going to tell my father; he has confessed those are his plans. So…"

"No," said Song, hands going to her mouth. Rui Shi's eyes widened. "It can't be."

"I wish it hadn't been, too," said Sokka, gritting his teeth.

"So Sokka will be taking a little trip, if just preemptively," said Azula, moving to settle the straps on Xin Long's saddle.

As she spoke the words, both Song and Rui Shi could see Sokka's displeasure. He turned to look at Azula, pain reflected in his blue eyes.

"Can't I just hide somewhere nearby?" he asked. "The tunnels, maybe, or…"

"And risk being caught? Not a chance," she snapped. "Sokka, this is for your own good, and if you don't want to believe that, then it's for mine. If you're not here to take the worst of the consequences for this, I'll be able to think more clearly. It's that simple."

"Even so, I…" Sokka grimaced, stepping towards her and shaking his head. "You will ask Xin Long to come back as soon as everything's cleared, right? You… you would? Because if you don't, I give you a day, maybe two, before I come running right back here against all common sense and reason…"

"If you dare, I'm going to kill you myself," she snapped. Sokka huffed.

"Good. That would hurt less," he said.

Her bravado froze upon his retort. She shook her head and turned to the saddle again, strapping it a little harder than intended. Her shoulders shook suddenly, and Sokka gritted his teeth before reaching to touch her shoulder.

"This is for your own good, damn it all," she said, as he pulled her into his arms. "I want you to be safe, that's all there is to it… I just… you can't die on me, alright? I've kept you alive through too many things for this to be… for him to have… how would he even find out? I still can't understand it, I can't…"

"Neither can I," Sokka replied, gritting his teeth as his tears coursed down his cheeks. Hers were already dripping on his elegant clothes. "I don't get it either, but I just… I don't want this to be the end, okay? It's not right, I can't… I can't just lose you now without being able to fight to stay by your side. Because that's where I belong, where I always have…"

"I should really kill that bastard…" Azula sobbed softly. "I really… I can't believe this. I can't believe…"

Sokka hugged her tighter, burying his face in her neck. Her scent, enhanced by the soaps and perfume she had used today, still intoxicated him. The softness of her skin, the smoothness of her hair… all of it was worth feeling all over again, just so he could imprint them into his memory and never forget them.

But most of all, her lips. Most of all, to kiss her deeply and thoroughly, as her fingers dug into his scalp, nails raking him and branding him as hers, as he always had been. As he always would be, regardless of whatever distance might stand between them…

Song and Rui Shi tore their eyes away from their friends, both flustered but distraught. While there was no doubt Azula and Sokka hadn't been as careful as they should have been, none of them had truly expected this would ever happen. Watching their last intimate moments, when their hearts seemed to break over an indefinite farewell, felt like an act of disrespect.

They were locked in that passionate kiss for what felt like hours to their friends, and what seemed bare instants for the two of them. Azula gritted her teeth as they pulled away, pressing her forehead to his. Her hand stroked his cheek.

"If… if it fails, if everything fails, I'll just… I'll just go find you," she said, with a sad grin. "I don't care what it costs. I don't. I just… I can't let you go just like that."

"Neither can I," Sokka whispered, closing his tearful eyes to prevent more of the tears from spilling out. "I'll… I'll be fine."

"So will I," she said, as his hands found hers, squeezing the fingers gently. "It's going to take more than a few accusations to tear me down. I should be sturdier than that."

"I know you are," said Sokka, smiling sadly too. "I'm just sorry I won't be here to see it."

Azula's smile was more genuine now, and again he kissed her in one rushed frenzy. If only they had known this was coming, they wouldn't have wasted so much time. They would have sought each other out on every single opportunity, without a doubt, to make the most of their love for as long as they could. But if this was how it had to be, then at the very least…

"I love you," Sokka whispered. Azula nodded, pressing her lips into a tight line to stop them from trembling. "I'll come back for you."

"I'll hold you to that," she replied, with one more soft kiss. "I love you, too."

The final kiss was tender, fragile, leaving them both with even stronger urges to cry once they forced themselves to part for the night. Sokka stroked her face one more time, before climbing on the dragon's saddle alone. He picked up the reins, unable to shake off the certainty that it was wrong for him to ride Xin Long by himself.

"Take care of him," Azula said, caressing Xin Long's snout. For once, the dark dragon didn't seem to be in the mood for jests. He nodded, smoke pouring from his nostrils with determination.

Azula glanced at Sokka once more time, reaching out a hand towards his. Sokka took it, leaning close to kiss her knuckles. The knot in her throat came undone yet again, unleashing more tears across her face.

"I love you," they whispered once again, in unison. They shared one last, genuine laugh over the perfect timing of their words, before Xin Long darted off into the sky through one of the refuge's open doors.

Azula watched them keenly, wanting to see Sokka even at the very end. Wanting to see his silhouette on the back of her dragon until it was gone… but the night didn't concede her wishes: he was glancing back at her once they disappeared from sight by blending into the darkness. At least she had the chance to kiss him, to talk to him one more time before he was gone, who knew for how long.

A hole seemed to open inside her chest, making it harder for her to breathe as the gravity of the situation sank in. She shook her head and wiped at her eyes, knowing her makeup would be a disaster by now. Given the circumstances, it wasn't exactly shocking that she had been so careless with it, but she would need to touch up more than just her lips now.

"Do you need us to do anything?" Rui Shi asked, and the sound of his voice startled her; she had as good as forgotten that her friends were still there.

"Just… help me get to my room without anyone noticing?" she said, her voice strained. More tears of despair were welling up, and she fisted her hands as she tried to steel herself. "No one can see me like this. No one else, at any rate."

"Very well," said Rui Shi, nodding. "I'll escort you back. You two should pretend to talk, or talk for real while we go there. People might only notice something's wrong if you're behaving in an unusual way…"

"You're right," said Azula, shaking her head, dreading her makeup's state would be a little more noticeable than her strange behavior. "Let's go."

Song bit her lip as they walked quietly back to the Palace. Of all the things she could have

expected tonight, this had never crossed her mind. Sokka and Azula had taken many risks over the years, so for them to be caught tonight, of all nights…

One glance at the distraught Princess convinced Song to give Rui Shi's suggestion a try. He walked in front of them, barely a couple of steps ahead, blocking the frontal view of Azula's face. It would be up to Song to distract her, so they could keep their ruse while they passed by the clusters of people in the corridors.

"I, uh… really didn't get to eat a lot," Song said, smiling a little. "Or drink, for that matter."

"I could go for something to drink, myself," Azula said, with a resigned grimace. "Or for many things to drink, for that matter."

"I can imagine," said Song, with a weak smile. "Maybe after you've recovered we can do that. Rui Shi could join us later, too. That is, if you don't have anything else to do…"

"My important duties are done for the night," Azula said. "From here on I just have to endure more pleasantries and…"

She fell silent, the weight of an unfulfilled promise coming to mind now. They had talked about it… about escaping together back to Sokka's house, to spending the night and morning there, without needing to take off in a hurry, as it always was… The thought led her to snarl and tighten her fists, nails cutting into her palms. So much for trying to feel like a normal couple, for a single morning…

"Then you won't be missed if you stay in your room for a while. Just to take a break," Song finished. Azula nodded promptly, releasing a deep breath.

"I shouldn't be. Not for now," she agreed, as they took the corner down the hall that led to her room.

They hadn't come across many people, but those who had been around didn't seem to notice Azula's face. As stressed as she was, she had managed to draw no attention to herself, not even as she entered the room, with Song behind her. When the girl turned around, she found Rui Shi closing the door, while still standing outside the room.

"Rui…?"

"Help her. She'll need you. I'll stand guard," he said, nodding towards her before closing the door.

Song took a deep breath before turning towards Azula. The Princess was already ruffling through her dresser, searching for the makeup supplies that would restore her mask of perfection. But one glance at the mirror made her freeze in place. Song approached with uncertainty, never having dealt with the Princess during such circumstances.

That image of perfection that she had looked at when the week had begun, the one Azula had felt disapproval and distaste towards, was gone. As badly as she wanted Sokka, as much as she wished the world would just accept whatever imperfections she had, right now she only wanted to bring back who she had been. To bring back that perfect girl who would never slip up, never disappoint her father, never do anything she knew she'd have to face dire consequences for. There was nothing wrong with a little mayhem, but there was something wrong when that mayhem could bring such devastating consequences with it. What would happen to her guards after this? Would her father settle for berating them for having failed to notice her relationship? Or would he punish them with death, too? What of Song? She was Sokka's healer and cook, what was there for her to do without Sokka, without Rui Shi?

And what about the homeless group they had come across that week? The people she was taking under her wing somehow, whose predicament she had to resolve? The entire nation whose fate hinged on her, her father's heir? The world that she had vowed to change with Sokka by her side…?

All of it caught to her in an instant, with the force of a train-tank, crashing into a mountainside at full speed. She was frozen where she stood, her golden eyes fearful as she shivered, her body hunched slightly. What had she done…?

"Princess…" Song's voice sounded behind her. Azula blinked herself out of her daze, her eyes shifting downwards. "I'm here if you need any help. I know this is so tense, and I understand how worried you are, but… it's not going to end like this. I… I'm sure it won't."

"Good to know one of us is," said Azula, sighing and brushing her eyes with her fingers. "I need to… to clean up."

"Right," said Song, nodding as Azula made her way to her personal bathroom.

Song stood by, towel in hand, while Azula rinsed her face fully. Her skin was red after her scrubbing, surely because of her tears, too. She shook her head after another glance in the mirror.

"There's too much at stake," she whispered. "More than there ever should be. No relationship should ever be burdened with everything ours is. It's… it's really not fair."

"I agree," said Song, sighing. "You two… I can't really imagine either one of you with anyone else. I know why it's so forbidden, but it just shouldn't be. It shouldn't matter where he comes from, or his standing…"

"And yet it does," said Azula, breathing deeply as she buried her face in her hands. "And there's nothing any of us can do about it."

"Can't you try to talk to the Admiral?" Song asked, as they returned to the bedroom. "Maybe convince him that whatever he thinks is off-base…?"

"Knowing that bastard, he's made up his mind to do whatever he pleases," Azula growled. "It couldn't have been someone worse than him, truly. Well, only my father, of course, but… as it's him, my father will find out any moment now. Hell, he might have told him already, for all we know."

Song swallowed hard and lowered her head. Azula breathed deeply and took her seat before the dresser.

"Then again… maybe if that were the case, the physicians would have already come rushing to find me," she mused. "To confirm that I'm, well… no longer pure."

"Would he go that far?" Song asked, as Azula began applying her makeup all over again.

"Of course he would," she whispered. "It's happened to others before. And it's quite ironic, because giving yourself to someone willingly is a crass crime, but sending someone to invade a woman's privacy in such a manner is perfectly acceptable. What happens to her purity if she had committed no crime, despite the accusations against her? Is she still considered pure, regardless of whatever the physicians might do, or would they be the ones charged for destroying her purity, even if they did it under orders? I've always wondered about that…"

"It's horrible," said Song, gritting her teeth and shaking her head. "Disgusting."

"Did they never… do that to you?" Azula asked warily, glancing at Song sideways. "When we bought you, the man who sold you claimed you were untainted… how did he know?"

"The soldiers asked, I told them as much when I was first seized in the Earth Kingdom," Song said, her eyes darkening as she remembered the experience. "They didn't try to check… fortunately. Maybe they were just too busy, or they thought they'd make more profit if they merely turned me in to the slave merchants. The man selling me simply wanted money, he didn't care how he got it. He figured I wasn't worth much, I'm not too impressive, physically, and he figured that my virginity would be my only selling point…"

"He didn't make much of a case to sell you," said Azula, raising an eyebrow.

"He wanted to get rid of more complicated slaves first," said Song, with a weak grin. "The dangerous ones, or the visibly talented or attractive ones. The ones that would earn him better money, or who could ruin his business altogether if left unsupervised for too long. I was none of those things, so he didn't really care for me."

"I see…" said Azula, breathing deeply and nodding. "Well, I'm glad they took your word for it. Nobody should ever endure that kind of humiliation. It's disgusting to think a woman's worth would depend entirely on something that men get away with freely. Those double standards make so little sense that my brother could run off with a slave girl and nobody cared: if I ever did the same thing, most people would demand that I pay for my sins in whatever gruesome way they saw fitting."

Song watched Azula with sympathy, standing beside her in wait for any orders to help her with anything. But the Princess merely continued to take care of her makeup alone, seemingly unwilling to burden Song with more problems than she already had.

"I'm sorry tonight turned out as it did," said Azula, after finishing her lipstick and glaring at herself in the mirror. "It wasn't supposed to. If anything, when you showed up with Sokka I felt… safer, if that's possible. It seemed like the perfect cover and excuse, and a brilliant way to avoid any of us being caught, but…"

"Either Sokka wasn't too convincing, or whatever that Admiral found out was… well, too incriminating," said Song, nodding and gritting her teeth. "I know my opinion isn't worth that much, but… I still think you ought to talk to that man, if you can. Maybe you can stop this before it does get any worse."

"By doing what, hitting Zhao hard enough that he forgets his memories for the last few hours, if not longer?" Azula mused, before frowning with interest. "In truth, if I believed that would work, I'd certainly do it. Suddenly being a memory bender sounds like a brilliant idea…"

Song sighed, and Azula pushed herself up to a standing position. To the girl's surprise, the Princess placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you for putting up with this situation. For coming with Sokka and… well, everything, really," she said, breathing deeply. "Whatever comes next, I'll try to spare you whatever I can of it. If asked, you don't know anything, never saw or heard a thing…"

"I…"

"It's for your own good," Azula insisted, looking at her apologetically. "It's bad enough that Sokka and I are going to pay for it, it's worse if people like you have to take the fall for what was never your crime."

"It's not a crime at all," said Song, with a sad sigh. "Not the way I see it."

"I don't think it's one either," Azula confessed. "But there's very little I can do to convince people that some traditions are worthless. Not everyone would want to overlook this, and even if some did, I know my father wouldn't. And he's the one who makes the decisions in the end."

"I really am sorry that it's come to this," Song said. Azula shook her head.

"It was good… while it lasted," she said, moving to the door. "Better than good. But for now, I… I'll just keep him safe, and far away. Until I know for sure that… that I can see him again without risking everything in doing so."

Song sighed and nodded before following Azula back outside. Rui Shi nodded when they passed beside him, and the three returned to the ball area.

Song lagged behind, talking to Rui Shi about the last few hours of his shift while Azula stepped towards the crowd, eyes scanning everything intently as she looked for that soldier uniform, with dry and flat colors that would stand out in the seas of colorful robes throughout the ballroom.

But she couldn't see any other soldiers aside from the ones on duty. Not one set of army uniforms mingling amid the colorful nobles, who twirled and danced, drinking and laughing together: no sign of the accursed Admiral Zhao…

"Azula?"

Ty Lee's voice brought her back to reality with a start. The Princess turned to find her friends standing behind her, looking at her with confusion. She swallowed hard, trying not to seem overly anxious in front of them.

"Is everything okay?" Mai asked, raising an eyebrow. Azula gritted her teeth. "Where's Sokka?"

"He's… he had to leave," she said, and the words felt like a punch to the gut. He had indeed been forced to go, but not just back home. And she didn't know for how long, either… She blinked herself back from her miserable thoughts, though, and glanced at Mai. "Have you seen Admiral Zhao? Have any of you…?"

Ty Lee shook her head, as did Ruon Jian and Mai, but Haru nodded. Azula turned towards him immediately.

"I noticed him a little after you and Sokka left," Haru explained. "He spoke to your father, I think, and then they left through that door. They didn't come back."

It was all she could do to keep herself from crumbling in front of them. No, not already, not just yet… she could almost hear the soldiers rushing in to restrain her, despite she could see them standing in their stations. She could hear her father's impending order, to arrest and execute Sokka, she could already feel the hole in her chest, the place where a heart had been beating once before, but after losing him, it would be completely empty…

She glanced at the ballroom's backdoor, the one Haru had pointed at. She hoped, foolishly, that they'd return. That she'd get a chance to explain, even if she would have to lie her way through it… but there was nothing to be done, not a thing. She had destroyed her hopes and dreams, her chances to be with the only man who truly loved her… she had no idea what had given them away, but she couldn't stop blaming herself all the same. Who else would there be to blame for Sokka's eventual execution? She had always known exactly what price they'd have to pay for their indiscretions, and she had failed to prevent the worst from happening…

She'd lost. She was doomed. Whatever she'd done, whatever she had forgotten to do, Zhao's choices were well beyond her control. All she could do now was hope Sokka and Xin Long would stay as far from Ozai's reach as could be, and that the worst of the consequences would be hers to confront, with as little collateral damage as possible…

---

Morning came, and his stomach churned at how empty it felt. His eyes burned, after the tears he had shed and the sleepless night he had endured. But Sokka remained where he was, sitting at the countryside, his back against the dark dragon.

He couldn't bring himself to sleep, or eat, or do anything he should do. His numb mind just raced back through the conversation with Zhao and every interaction he'd ever had with the man, through every reckless moment between himself and Azula over the last few weeks… because Zhao had to have discovered them somehow, nobody who knew about them would have told him. Had he spied on Azula's daily routine, perhaps? Or had he overheard them that day, in Azula's bedroom, or the palanquin…?

Xin Long groaned and shifted positions, placing his head on Sokka's lap while the rest of his body continued to encircle the gladiator. Sokka stroked the creature's hair absentmindedly, not in the mood for talking or joking for once.

"Is she okay?" Sokka whispered. Xin Long nodded briskly. "Okay… okay…"

The dragon prodded his chest with his nose, and Sokka patted his scales gently. His eyes drifted to the hem of his outfit, the classy red, brown and black clothes Rui Shi had bought for him. So much for fitting in, for being one of them… for wearing the kind of clothes she liked seeing him in. So much for wanting to be with her all night, to enjoy her company well into the morning. He clenched his fists and shook his head. It could be worse, he knew as much… but that didn't mean his current situation was any good either.

Xin Long audibly sighed and dropped his head on Sokka's lap again. It promised to be a long day for the two of them…

---

She had been waiting to hear the knock on the door, even if she had been dreading it. She had been ready for hours now, wearing her golden armor, without a hair out of place. As though she had nothing to be ashamed for. She was ready to accept responsibility for her transgressions with as much dignity as she could, while rubbing in her father's face that he had trusted her, believed in her. A single decision he would never accept shouldn't simply overrule the ones that had granted her his approval…

But that was a line of reasoning she knew she wouldn't be able to maintain. If she so much as tried to speak her mind, he would silence her and deliver his verdict. Whatever that was, though, she would be ready. She would face what was ahead with her head held high.

So, upon the impending arrival of the sound of knuckles against metal, Azula opened the door to her room, and the Imperial Guard behind it escorted her to her father's study.

---

"I never really thought I'd spend the night here," Song whispered, smiling weakly at Rui Shi. He grinned back, stroking her hair gently.

"I didn't think I'd bring you here either. It may have been a crazy idea," he confessed, but his smile faded quickly. "I just didn't want to risk seeing you off in case soldiers and guards stormed your house, searching for…"

"Right," said Song, swallowing hard. Rui Shi nodded. "But I will need to go home at one point or another, won't I?"

"Hopefully with me by your side," he said, lifting her hand to kiss her knuckles. "I'd like to make sure no one's lying in wait there to ambush Sokka, or so…"

"You always look after me," said Song, sighing and pressing against him, her hand falling on his clothed chest.

Even if they had already moved into a fully physical relationship, it didn't always come easy to indulge in intimacy of such a level. Especially not when the two of them had been so anxious they could barely sleep at all in Rui Shi's room, with thoughts of the Princess and her gladiator constantly on their minds.

But their time together was fated to be cut short: Rui Shi was tightening his hold around Song when a rapping sound at the door startled them.

"Captain Rui Shi," exclaimed a deep voice. Rui Shi sat up with Song, urging her to hide in his closet. She rushed there as silently as she could while Rui Shi stood up, relieved he hadn't removed his uniform entirely.

He froze upon opening the door to find his superior, the General of the Imperial Guards, standing behind it. The man wasn't wearing his helmet, leaving the wrinkles and marks of age on his face in plain sight. His graying hair, his cold, dark eyes… all of it seemed poised in the perfect frown to judge Rui Shi. Did the man know about Azula and Sokka? Was this why he regarded him more coldly than ever before?

"Yes, sir?" Rui Shi said, standing up straight.

"The Fire Lord wishes to speak with you. At once," he said, unyielding. Rui Shi nodded.

"Understood."

He wished he could have reassured Song, kissed her goodbye, anything, but all he could do was buckle on his armor and helmet, and put on his tall boots. What sort of punishment would the Fire Lord hold for him? The thought made him shudder. Was he going to die, just as Sokka would? Perhaps as a stand-in for Sokka, seeing as the gladiator should be well beyond the Fire Lord's reach?

He was bound to find out soon enough. His heart sank as he glanced at his closet, direly wishing he could say goodbye, but there was no point in wishing for the impossible or delaying the inevitable. He had been far too lucky with Song as it was: he would have to cherish that for as long as he had left to live, and hope she would manage to escape the Palace unscathed if anything happened to him…

He followed the General into the Palace, both marching with matching strides. The General stood taller than Rui Shi, and his build was stronger, too. Rui Shi had never been one of his favorite guards, but as far as anyone could tell, the General held contempt and distaste for just about everyone. He was even rumored to have clashed with the Fire Lord in the past, but Rui Shi had never seen it happen. He had suspected Ozai would often make the General's job unnecessarily difficult, the same way Azula would do that to Rui Shi.

By the time they neared the office, Rui Shi's eyes widened under his helmet. Another member of the Imperial Guards was escorting Azula to the study in the corridor opposite theirs. She glanced at him too, and Rui Shi interpreted the steel in her eyes as an attempt to mask her dread and fear.

The General and Rui Shi reached the door first, and the General knocked on the dark wood brusquely. Rui Shi turned to look at Azula once he stopped behind the General, hoping his presence would serve to reassure her, somewhat. Whatever happened next, Rui Shi would remain loyal to her: he hoped she'd know that.

"Come in, General," Ozai called through the door, and the General obeyed, pushing the doors open abruptly.

Azula almost froze where she was upon seeing Zhao standing beside her father. Ozai sat behind his desk, elbows on its surface, fingers intertwined. He eyed both Azula and Rui Shi with calculating eyes before waving a hand at the General dismissively.

"Stand guard outside," he ordered, and the General bowed his head towards him before obeying the Fire Lord.

Azula and Rui Shi entered the study but held their positions near the now closed door. Ozai raised an eyebrow and gestured at the two chairs before his desk.

"Well, please, do take your seats. They're not occupied, as you can see," he said, with amusement.

Azula gritted her teeth and nodded, obeying her father and sitting to the right. Rui Shi took the left chair and removed his helmet when Zhao gestured at him to do as much. Azula shot a dirty glare at the Admiral before turning to her father. Oddly enough, he seemed calm. Too calm. Something wasn't right… well, something other than everything that was very clearly wrong.

"There's no need for both of you to be so apprehensive, really," said Ozai, sighing and spreading his arms. "Admittedly, it isn't the best-case scenario, but it's far from the worst. And as it will certainly solve the problem you've been avoiding ever since you became of age, Azula, I have no qualms with it."

Azula blinked, as did Rui Shi. The wary scowl on the Princess's face shifted into that of confusion at once.

She thought about pinching herself for a moment, for she couldn't believe those words. What sort of absurd dream was she stuck in? The one where she had played Pai Sho with Iroh had made a lot more sense than this…

"Granted, of course, that I trust you did nothing inappropriate, although Zhao's reports suggest otherwise," said Ozai, eyes wide. "But I'd like to think my daughter would know better. And that her guard would know better, too."

The illusion, the foolish hopes that she had nurtured for a brief moment, disappeared with those words. Her guard should know better…? Did that mean he thought Rui Shi would have stopped her from taking her relationship with Sokka into its most physical level…?

Or did it mean that he thought her relationship wasn't with Sokka, but with Rui Shi?

She couldn't control her emotions, not right now. Her reactions were instinctive when it came to matters of her personal bonds, for she was more vulnerable in those regards than in anything else she could think of. So her eyes where uncharacteristically wide, and her mouth opened as if to say something, but no sounds seemed to come out.

"Therefore, I'm open for starting the plans for the wedding whenever you please," said Ozai, breathing out in relief. "I understand a few months of preparation are in order, but I've waited long enough as it is. If the two of you would rather wait longer…"

"Wait…" said Azula, her voice slightly choked. "Father? You're… asking me if I… if Rui Shi and I…?"

"Well, no, I'm not asking anything," said Ozai, shrugging. "I'm merely acting upon the information I was given, and said information claimed you and your Captain might be romantically involved somehow. It is, of course, inappropriate all the same, but it truly could be much worse than this. He's a talented firebender, born to a military family even if not the nobility, so…"

"I…" Azula said, her fear transformed into absolute confusion. She glanced at Zhao questioningly, and found nothing but certainty in the man's face. He had told Ozai she was involved with Rui Shi. With Rui Shi. What on earth was happening? Hadn't he told Sokka…?

Well, she didn't know for sure what he had said to Sokka. Sokka had been too nervous and confused, to the point where he had mostly spouted words that seemed incoherent to Azula. Yet… never did Sokka suggest that maybe Zhao was suspecting Rui Shi, rather than him, of being Azula's secret lover. Had Sokka jumped to conclusions and Zhao had been suspecting Rui Shi all along…?

"It's truly been too long, Azula, and the fact that you apparently found someone to your liking at last is a relief I cannot begin to describe," said Ozai, sighing and smiling at her. "Truly, I was starting to fear you'd only take a husband well after I was dead, and who knew if you would even be fertile by then… if so, Zuko's potential children would be the only available heirs. There would be nothing quite as preposterous as tracking down that fool so his children could inherit our nation. I wouldn't hear of it."

"My lord…" Rui Shi finally said, trembling. Azula glanced at him warily before looking at Ozai anew. The Fire Lord was smiling confidently, looking at Azula with pride.

"Granted I don't expect children anytime soon, I know you're scarcely interested in that, but whenever it may happen…"

"My lord," said Rui Shi again, louder this time. Ozai's eyebrow twitched.

"What is it?"

For a moment, Azula was tempted to lift a hand to stop Rui Shi from speaking. It was one wild impulse, one she would have gone through with, if only she had been a little less shocked and a little more rational. But the ideas were barely starting to take form in her head, and it was only on some superficial level that she was suspecting that taking Rui Shi as her husband could be the best way to proceed…

That moment ended as soon as the Captain spoke his mind.

"I'm afraid you've made a mistake," he said. Azula's stomach sank, and she sighed visibly. "I have nothing but respect for your daughter, and working as Captain of her Guards has been an extraordinary honor, but…"

"You needn't lie," said Zhao, looking at him intently. "I've noticed you two rely on each other constantly. I asked other guards, and they said you fetch the Princess at the gladiator's house on a daily basis, a duty you have never relinquished to another guard. I saw how you were standing unnecessarily close to her palanquin while you were waiting for the parade to begin… it seemed like you were holding some sort of private conversation. Not more private, though, than the one you held on the Barge before dawn broke, of course…"

"That…" said Rui Shi, eyes wide. Azula grimaced. Well, it seemed Zhao had come to such wild conclusions with enough basis, misled as he was…

"It's not necessary to lie and cover it up. We know the truth," Zhao shrugged.

"No. You don't," Rui Shi said, eyes wide. Ozai frowned.

"What, then, were you doing in my daughter's room at such hours in the morning?" he asked.

Azula grimaced and glanced at Rui Shi, who allowed his eyes to shift towards her indeed. He breathed deeply before answering.

"I… well, while the Princess and I may be closer than is expected from a guard and the royal he's meant to protect, it's not in a romantic way," he explained. "The Princess has been a close friend, and support, when it comes to… to my relationship with someone else."

"You… what?" said Ozai, raising an eyebrow and regarding Rui Shi with confusion. The guard breathed deeply.

"It's indeed an inappropriate relationship as well, and I understand if you believe I should be demoted for it. But I've… I've been dating Song, the healer of the Princess's gladiator," he said.

Azula sighed and gave Ozai and Zhao a sarcastic grin. It was the Fire Lord and Admiral's turn to be utterly dumbfounded, as opposed to the Princess and her guard.

"I would fetch the Princess after her training with her gladiator was finished, yes," Rui Shi explained. "She has been known for going overboard, especially if the gladiator is being particularly insolent, so… I started to visit recurrently as to avoid certain incidents that have happened before, such as the Princess wasting an entire night of sleep merely to punish the gladiator for his foolishness.

"It's because of those visits to the gladiator's house that I've grown closer to his healer. But, well, I didn't know who else to ask advice from," he said. "I visited the Princess early in the morning at the Barge because she often wakes up before dawn, and my shift was just ending. I wanted to ask her for permission to forego my place in the parade, so I could spend that day with Song, but she would not allow it."

"Safe to say he resented me quite a bit for it," said Azula, giving Rui Shi a significant stare. He glared back, "Even if he got a pretty nice book of poetry to woo her with, even if he couldn't spend the day with her…"

"I… did," Rui Shi said, swallowing hard. "At any rate, when I stood near the palanquin… it really didn't mean much. She was only trying to suggest other ways for me to show my earnest feelings for Song. It's… hardly anything noteworthy."

"Truly, now?" said Ozai, now looking disgusted. "You… all that is true, Azula?"

She sighed and nodded, giving her father an apologetic smile.

"You may have thought I was reacting adversely merely because I was trying to protect my image of the perfect daughter…" she said, before shrugging. "But I wouldn't wish to marry Rui Shi either, Father. Granted that, so far, he's the first candidate I wouldn't want to stab as soon as the wedding ceremony was over, but still… I don't like the idea of marrying a man who loves someone else."

"Of course you wouldn't," said Ozai, huffing and shaking his head before glaring at Zhao. "And you got my hopes up for nothing, then."

"I-I…! I'm sorry," said Zhao, eyes wide. "I… I truly didn't think I had made the wrong guess. I spoke with the gladiator last night, and with his reaction, I assumed…"

His eyes narrowed again, though, and he glanced between Rui Shi and Azula. Azula raised an eyebrow, and Zhao swallowed hard.

"I'm truly sorry, Ozai," he said, turning to his friend again. "I… I've learned my lesson."

"Indeed. Do not ever get involved with my daughter's love life again," said Ozai, with a deep sigh. "Clearly, there's not enough of it for anyone to get involved with it, not even she."

"Well, seeing as I'm not supposed to have one, I don't see why you're so bothered by that," Azula said, curtly. "It's hardly that shocking, or is it, Father? You didn't marry my mother until you were nearly in your thirties…"

"I was twenty-seven," he retorted, and Azula raised a questioning eyebrow. "And your mother was your age, in fact. So, for that matter…"

"For that matter, what?" Azula said, skeptically. "If I'm comparable to either one of you two, it's to you. I'm the royal, and if my royal father could get married at twenty-seven years of age, so can I."

Ozai huffed and rolled his eyes, while Zhao shrugged but nodded. Rui Shi seemed nervous enough beside the Princess, who caught his eye now.

"All things considered, though…" she said. "Will Rui Shi be allowed to continue to work for me?"

"Well, why not?" said Ozai, shrugging. "If he's so taken with the slave there's nothing to worry about, clearly…"

"It's only…" said Azula, swallowing hard. "Considering the suspicions that Admiral Zhao had, and the potential catastrophe that could have happened if he had spoken about this to others…"

"Catastrophe?" said Ozai, raising an eyebrow. "You mean…?"

"If the masses had heard of the wild assumptions Zhao made, my reputation, so celebrated over the past few days, would be obliterated entirely just because I apparently was involved with my guard," said Azula, shrugging. "So… I am wondering if it's even safe for me to have guards at all, seeing as they could easily destroy everything I've worked for."

"What…?" said Zhao, raising a confused eyebrow. "Now, this was a misunderstanding, Princess. There's no need to assume all your Royal Guards are…"

"Truthfully, I've meant to make this petition for some time now," Azula cut through Zhao's words, eyeing the man warily first before looking at her father. "I have a dragon who flies me wherever I may want to go, after all, and he's rather adept at battle, too…"

"What's your point?" Ozai said, looking at her with confusion.

"My point is, my guards have proven their competence before and I'm sure they'd do it again if it were necessary," Azula said. "Yet, because I seldom need them, their duties are usually as menial as those of lower-ranked soldiers who protect the perimeter around our Palace. It's not right for Royal Guards to only have duties when I'm traveling. On their free time, of which they have plenty since they scarcely escort me anywhere these days, they have absolutely no duties worthy of their stations. And it has been this way for well over a year, Father…"

"Which means you would like to resolve this problem by…?" said Ozai. Azula breathed deeply.

"By requesting that they may be promoted into the duties of Imperial Guards," she finally said.

All three men looked at her in disbelief, but none did more so than Rui Shi. They had spoken of this before, long ago, and he had told the Princess he didn't want to go through with it.

But this had been one wake-up call that none of them had been expecting. Zhao had been wrong, but only barely, and this was only working because Azula had gotten away without any invasive examinations to discover if she was still pure or not. If any physicians had been sent to perform one, whatever story they told would never explain the situation to Ozai's satisfaction.

If it happened again, though… if she was ever caught with Sokka, the consequences would be potentially devastating, but only if she didn't act the way she was acting right now. Only if she didn't fight back against said consequences with everything in her power. While this wasn't the best solution, it was the only one she could think of, at the time, to protect not only Rui Shi, but all her guards.

Ozai looked at Azula with uncertainty and turned his eyes on Rui Shi. The Captain tensed up.

"Well, I certainly can agree to testing them. So that we may see if they are suited to the task of serving as Imperial Guards," he said. "But… all of them, Princess? Really?"

"It's only a merge of two groups, if you think about it," said Azula, with a smile. "The men under your service will have some well-deserved respite when others can take their shifts, too. And I would still bring my old Royal Guards with me whenever I need to travel, as they're the ones who are most used to working for me. But this way they'll have something to do instead of staring at the ceiling and pacing walls like ordinary soldiers, as they have as of late."

Ozai frowned but shrugged, toying with an inkbrush he had on his desk. Zhao kept his silence, apparently unwilling to get involved with matters of Azula and her guards anymore.

"It's quite a promotion. And for all ten guards?" Ozai mumbled, stroking his beard now.

"It's no more than you requested from your own father, back in the day," Zhao muttered. Ozai eyed him with uncertainty while Azula raised an eyebrow.

"You… requested something like this?" she said. Ozai waved a hand carelessly.

"My father's guards were no longer what they had been, often struggling to protect him from threats that should have not posed true danger for him," he said. "I made an offer, hoping he would appreciate that I was willing to relinquish my guards and find new ones, but instead he decided to teach me some sort of lesson by taking only my Captain and turning him into little less than an errand boy."

"At the very least you were able to make it up to him later on," said Zhao. Azula held the urge to ask what Zhao's words meant. Did Ozai take revenge on Azulon…? Or did he mean the Fire Lord had helped his former captain?

"I suppose," said Ozai, sighing and looking at Azula intently. "I understand why you're requesting this, but I would assume that after this mishap, Zhao will certainly stop presuming to understand the nature of your relationship with your guards…"

The Admiral grimaced and looked away, pointedly, and Azula smiled. Ozai rubbed the bridge of his nose with his fingers.

"Nevertheless, you're not wrong about your guards having less duties as of late. They don't even accompany you to the Royal Dome anymore, do they?"

"They don't," Azula admitted. Ozai shook his head.

"Then indeed, either they'll be demoted back to the status of regular soldiers, or they can be promoted to my Imperial Guards, as long as they're competent enough to be part of them," Ozai declared. Azula smiled. "As you said, of course, you may yet borrow them whenever you require them for long journeys, or if you undertake any missions that require a group of soldiers at your disposal, but aside from that, your Royal Guards will be… dissembled, I suppose."

"Thank you, Father," said Azula, bowing her head towards him. "I do hope you'll excuse me for the confusion that brought about this meeting…"

"It isn't you who should repent," said Ozai, glaring at Zhao sideways again. The Admiral tensed up, avoiding eye contact with his friend. Ozai's eyes turned back to Azula before long, though. "Well, then, as the confusion has been cleared up, you're both dismissed. Though, Azula…"

"Yes?" she said, as Rui Shi stood up quickly.

"Please… find a husband before any fools like Zhao try to misinterpret anything else ever again," sighed Ozai, shaking his head. "And do it before you can no longer carry children, too. Truly, child…"

"I think that's still several years away," she said, with a crooked smile. "You and my uncle are over a decade apart, aren't you? If your mother could withstand births so far apart…"

"I suppose that's some sort of argument to be made, but she didn't live long afterwards and who knows if it was because of how late I came into her life," Ozai said. "So take no such risks, find a husband and stop making me fear our legacy will die with you, please."

"I… I'll let you know if I ever do find someone worthwhile," she said, with a dry voice while pushing herself up. "Do excuse us, Father."

He nodded as both she and Rui Shi bowed towards him, and the two of them filed out of the office. Rui Shi placed the helmet back over his head, concealing the confused grimace still gracing his face. Azula breathed deeply, about to convey a command to him when she heard Zhao's voice calling her.

"Princess…?"

They were already halfway down the corridor, and the two Imperial Guards who stood guard at Ozai's study watched them closely. Zhao trotted past them, looking rather anxious once he reached Azula and Rui Shi.

"I do hope you know that I didn't mean to cause you discomfort," he said, grimacing. "I truly misunderstood the signs, and I had believed that… that the two of you could be a good match. I had thought, perhaps, that you feared he would never be accepted by your father because he wasn't of noble birth, so I…"

"I understand, Admiral," said Azula, breathing deeply.

"I truly am sorry for jumping to conclusions," he said, grimacing and bowing his head towards her. "I realize you were growing more patient towards me as of late, but if that changes again, I would certainly deserve it."

"Why, yes, you certainly would," said Azula, with a smirk. Zhao grimaced. "But there was no permanent damage done. If anything, this can turn into an anecdote we can laugh about in a few years, right?"

"Yes. For certain," said Zhao, smiling and nodding. "I truly thought this could make you happy, but… again, I'm sorry."

"You're quite considerate if that was your true motivation," she laughed, nodding. "Well, then, I suppose I'll see you some other time, Admiral."

"Of course. If you need anything at all, I'm honor-bound to see to it, especially now," he said, bowing his head again. Azula smirked.

"Well… I suppose I'll keep you to your word someday. Whenever I need something from you," she said. "Farewell, Admiral."

"Have a good day, Princess."

Azula watched him return to Ozai's office, surely for a stricter scolding than what Ozai had given him so far. Azula sighed and glanced at Rui Shi, who had stood by quietly as she spoke to Zhao.

"I suppose you may not feel up for it, considering what just happened…" Azula said, biting her lip. "But I believe it's in our best interests to head into the city right away."

"It would be, no doubt," he said, nodding, but he lifted a hand to stop Azula from starting on her way to the front gates. "But I, uh… should go back to the barracks first. If you don't mind."

"Go back there? For what?" Azula asked, raising an eyebrow. "Don't you want to see Song and tell her…?"

"Indeed, which is why I have to go back first," he said, glad his helmet concealed his flustered expression.

It took a moment for Azula to understand what he was saying. She huffed and looked at him skeptically, while Rui Shi lifted his hands defensively.

"She merely stayed because we had no idea what might happen to their house," he whispered. "You know, since…"

"I know," she said, smirking. "It's still surprising you kept her in there all morning, though. If I were you, I would have sent her home by dawn."

"I would have, too, but… I couldn't bring myself to do it," he admitted, sighing. "Care for a detour, then?"

"Be my guest."

Eyes fell upon them as they entered the barracks a few minutes later. Azula didn't often visit the building, but she didn't stare back at any of the guards looking at her, familiar or not. She merely followed Rui Shi into his private quarters, where he was quickly greeted by the tight embrace of the nervous Song.

"I couldn't get out, it was always so risky…!" she explained, only noticing Azula was there too when the Princess closed the door behind her. Song gasped. "Princess!"

"Everything is alright," said Rui Shi, with a weak smile. "We'll explain everything when we get home, but for now… we're okay."

"Really?" Song asked, glancing between them both. Azula sighed and nodded.

"It's still hard to believe, but… yes," she said, glancing out the window. "I've let Xin Long know he should come home. They're on their way, so the sooner we can set out…"

"B-but… is it okay for me to just leave?" Song asked, blushing. "Wouldn't the other guards, well… notice me?"

"Considering the Fire Lord himself knows about your relationship now, I don't think it's going to matter whether a few soldiers see you or not," said Azula, with a dry grin. Song's jaw dropped. "Now, come along. There's no time to waste."

Many pairs of eyes followed all three of them as they made their way outside, through the Barracks and the Palace grounds, all the way into the city. The groups of people who were already picking up their stalls and taking down the festival decorations spared a few glances in their direction, pleased to catch a glimpse of the Princess as she strode through her city's streets.

They didn't find any available carriages until they had walked a few blocks deeper into the city. The three of them climbed aboard, Azula in one seat while Rui Shi and Song shared another. Watching them speak quietly, their hands intertwined, only increased Azula's urge to see Sokka again. But he was on his way, she could tell through her bond with Xin Long. The dragon hadn't needed a mental bond with Sokka to communicate that it was time to go: as soon as he had shifted to stand up, the gladiator had leapt on the saddle and they had taken to the skies quickly. Azula only hoped they hadn't been hiding someplace too far away: as relieved as she was already, she would feel a lot better once she was with him.

The house felt too silent and empty when they entered it. Azula breathed deeply as she walked to the living room, her eyes staring through the open backdoors that led into the garden. She heard Rui Shi and Song make their way to the kitchen, guessing the two of them might be famished. Knowing Sokka, he would be desperate for food too once he arrived.

It was well over half an hour when Xin Long alerted her again. She had been sitting on the couch, her face buried between her hands, elbows on her knees, dwelling on everything that had happened. But Xin Long was already flying over the city: they were back, and even if she had seen Sokka barely last night, it felt like it had been years instead…

She rushed through the backdoor, moving towards the place in the garden with the best visibility. She bit her lip, waiting for a sign… and final she saw them, speeding towards the house and growing larger in size with every second that went by.

Her clenched heart seemed to loosen up as soon as she saw him, still wearing his clothes from the previous night, his hair uncharacteristically unkempt. But there he was, and he was safe, alive, in one piece…

"Sokka…" she whispered, smiling as tears filled her eyes.

He was anxious, of course he was. He had no idea what had happened, why Xin Long had brought him back… and she could tell that he wasn't thinking very clearly once he launched himself off Xin Long's saddle, when the dragon was barely entering the house's territory.

Surprised, Xin Long only continued to fly past them while Azula looked at Sokka in disbelief.

"Are you mad?! Sokka!" she exclaimed, racing towards him.

He had fallen on his feet, which wasn't surprising considering he had taken worse falls during his tenure as a gladiator. He stumbled to keep his balance and rushed to meet Azula halfway as she moved towards him.

His eyes had tears of their own when he wrapped his arms around her body and kissed her desperately. She responded with equal enthusiasm, even if her rational side thought that he should have asked what had happened, first of all… but who wanted to be rational? Who needed rationality, when they could have each other right here and now, when they could bask in having returned to one another after facing the horrifying, although misplaced threat, of being torn from each other's side?

They couldn't seem to pull apart, not even when Xin Long huffed at them, surely disapproving that Azula hadn't checked on him after he had lost balance because of Sokka's stunt. Not when gusts of wind picked up around them, not when Sokka's stomach roared in need for food. There was no tearing them from each other, as their hands clutched at one another's clothes and bodies, not with the usual drive of desire, but instead, with the eagerness to make sure this was real… that they were together again, in spite of everything.

Breathlessly, they finally parted so they could look at each other. Their foreheads remained linked, their bodies in full contact. There were bags under Sokka's eyes, as there would be under Azula's if she hadn't covered them up earlier. But those details were hardly important when they had each other still, when they hadn't lost the one thing they would sooner die protecting than ever relinquish.

"You're okay…" Sokka gasped, his voice raspy. Azula nodded, eyes tearful again. "You're…"

"It's fine, Sokka," she said, her voice cracking. "It's all fine, it was… it was all a misunderstanding. We're safe, for now at least, but we're…"

He didn't know the full story, but he didn't wait for her to explain it. His lips were on hers again, and she returned his affections with delight. There was still despair in the kiss, but there was relief as well. She could feel his tension fading, and the power behind the kiss was softer but warmer now. He groaned and hugged her tightly after they parted, burying his face in her shoulder.

"We're okay," Azula said, kissing the side of his neck and rubbing his back. "We're fine, Sokka."

"I don't even know how, or why, but… thank goodness," he sighed. Azula laughed a little and hugged him tightly as well. "How did you…?"

"How did I deal with it?" she finished his question. He nodded before pulling away, but only so he could kiss her while she answered him. She smiled as he did. "Turns out… Zhao had it wrong. He thought… he thought it was Rui Shi, not you."

"He… what?" Sokka said, blinking blankly and slowing down with his kisses. "Why?"

"I can explain inside," she said, smiling and cupping his face. "You must be starving."

"I'm… maybe," he said, with a soft laugh, but he hugged her again. "I didn't even notice."

"You were that worried, really?" she said, smiling and hugging him back.

His hands traveled lower than her back, though, and he lifted her, so she could embrace him with arms and legs. She did as much, even if warily, for she didn't know if he was too weak to handle both their weights, but he was stable enough as he walked back to the house, still kissing her as he carried her with him.

Their exchanges didn't stop once inside, not even when they both knew they had company and that Sokka direly needed something to eat. Azula lost herself in his deep kisses, her tongue twirling around his as they both sought the pleasurable feelings that came from being together…

"Despite it all, I still can't bring myself to get used to that," Rui Shi's voice drifted from the kitchen, along with Song's laugh.

"Cut them some slack. It was a really scary situation."

Their voices made them more conscious of their surroundings, and they laughed together, foreheads pressed once more.

"I love you," Sokka whispered. Azula nodded and kissed him chastely now.

"And I you," she said, tears leaving her eyes now as she embraced him tightly still. If she had tried to bend right then and there, the gold in her flames would have been brighter than ever.

It wasn't long afterwards that Sokka sat at the kitchen table, gobbling down leftovers at haste while Song carried on cooking a proper breakfast. His manners usually were a source of complaints for Azula, but today she couldn't have cared less about his sloppy eating. If anything, watching him devour his meal felt like a privilege to her.

"Alright… I hope this is enough for you," said Song, bringing two more plates to the brim with food for Sokka before fetching the ones for herself, Rui Shi and Azula. The Princess wasn't particularly hungry, but she accepted the food all the same.

"I… do hope so too," Sokka said, smiling before digging into his rice bowl again.

Rui Shi sighed in relief and smiled at Song, thanking her for the food with a kiss to the side of her head. She blushed, awfully self-aware in front of the other two, but even if they noticed them, neither one could be bothered to tease them for their displays of affection, especially not when they kept reaching out to touch each other's hands over the table ever since they had taken their seat at it.

"Alright, so…" said Song, breathing deeply and looking at Azula, "Can you explain yet? Because… I can't understand anything so far. Why did the Admiral think you were with Rui Shi?"

"Because of a string of misfortunate coincidences, I'd say," Azula snorted, shaking her head. "He saw Rui Shi leaving my cabin on the Barge at unreasonably early hours one morning, which…"

"Was terribly suspicious, yes," said Rui Shi, sighing. "I was only there because I saw her creeping back into her room after spending the night with Sokka, and I figured I'd take my chance to make my request…"

"Request I denied, as everyone knows," said Azula, but upon Song's confused look she breathed deeply and started over. "Rui Shi wanted to spend the day with you a week ago, remember? He asked me if I would allow it, I said I couldn't…"

"And that's why the two of you swapped places," said Song, pointing at Sokka and Rui Shi. They both nodded, though Sokka was hunched over his plate as he did.

"Zhao caught Rui Shi when he was on his way out of my cabin," Azula said. "And of course, assumed he'd been there for the reasons you can imagine…"

"No wonder," said Sokka, sighing and shaking his head. "Truthfully… if anyone had caught me doing that, I would be dead already."

"Let's count ourselves lucky he caught Rui Shi, then," said Azula, reaching to caress his hand again. Sokka responded by stroking her fingers with his thumb. "Either way, that wasn't all of it. On the day of the Parade, he, uh… glanced out a window when Sokka was standing right next to the palanquin."

Sokka's eyes widened when Azula gave him a meaningful stare. He had been about to take a bite of his omelet, but it dropped on the plate again as he paled, returning Azula's stare.

"He… just saw me standing there? That's it?" he said. "Y-you mean he didn't see the whole…?"

"I'm assuming he didn't, or else he would've used that as evidence," said Azula, eyes wide. "Granted, we truly are lucky. Had he glanced out the window five minutes earlier he would've seen…"

"He would have seen… what?" Rui Shi asked, grimacing.

They didn't know whether it was his voice tone, or the look on his face, but both Azula and Sokka failed to restrain the bursts of giggles that rendered them both unable to speak for the time being. Rui Shi shuddered, while Song blushed and looked at him in concern.

"N-never, ever, return that uniform to me, please!" he exclaimed, only for the other two to laugh louder.

"I suppose you two really are unstoppable when you want to be," said Song, giggling a little as well.

Both Azula and Sokka struggled to catch their breaths again, smiling apologetically at Rui Shi. He only looked at them judgmentally, shaking his head.

"Truly, I don't know how you were nearly caught. It defies all logic," he said, though he smiled a little either way. Azula shrugged.

"Granted, we were asking for it," she admitted, looking at Sokka. "It's really my fault, I just…"

"No need for details, the mental image of the palanquin's despoiled innocence over whatever you did in there is bad enough as it is," said Rui Shi. Azula laughed again.

"Well, at any rate, if he had seen that, we would be doomed. But as he didn't, it seems he only thought it wasn't normal for me to speak privately with my Captain, or whatever…"

"So, he jumped to that conclusion over two instances?" Sokka asked, raising his eyebrow.

"At least two he considered meaningful enough," said Azula. "I think he kept watching us, hoping to find more evidence. But when he asked you, and you denied it so nervously…"

"Ugh. So he assumed that… that I was nervous because I knew more about you two than I was letting on?" Sokka asked. Azula shrugged and smiled sarcastically.

"I mean… you certainly did know more than what you told him," she said. "You can be a good liar sometimes, but not when it truly counts, Sokka. I have much work to do with you yet."

"Heh, no doubt," said Sokka, smiling a little. "Damn, I suppose he only said something about a dirty little secret, but he never specified that he was talking about you two. If he had, maybe I would have known he wasn't suspecting me, but as he didn't bring up Rui Shi…"

"I suppose," said Azula. "But the point is he told my father of his suspicions and, predictably, me and Rui Shi were summoned to his office so we could discuss our wedding, outright. My father certainly knows no moderation."

"Wedding?!" Sokka exclaimed, eyes wide. "C-can't I take his place again for that…?"

Azula laughed and looked at him tenderly now, giving his fingers another gentle squeeze.

"There won't be a wedding for you to replace him at, sorry to say," she stated. "I was only just beginning to consider that it could work to our advantage when Rui Shi blurted out, to the Fire Lord himself, that he was dating Song."

"You just… said it, just like that?" Song asked, blushing. Rui Shi blushed too but shrugged.

"It was only right," he said. "I couldn't allow that sort of confusion to continue, now, could I?"

"Well… if you had it would have certainly helped me," Azula commented, with a defeated smile. Rui Shi looked at her in disbelief.

"How so?"

"Of all candidates to marry me, you're the only one so far who has known about me and Sokka. Marrying you would have been a perfect cover, and it would have served as a great excuse as to why I'm not pure anymore," said Azula, with a shrug. Rui Shi grimaced. "We could have separated later on, of course, but it would have worked for as long as it had to. We would have been a successful marriage in public, and in private we would have been with the people we really wanted to be with, but…"

"But it would have been too dishonest," Rui Shi said, grimacing. Azula nodded. "It wouldn't have been a bad plan, and… well, in retrospect, it could have been helpful. I just… didn't think clearly when this happened. I just wanted them to know the truth."

"And now they do," said Azula, nodding. "Or, well, part of it. There are some truths they should never learn."

"If we're a little less crazy, they won't learn them," Sokka said, breathing deeply. "I know we always say we'll be more careful, but… this time we should mean it."

"For sure," said Azula, nodding. "We certainly don't need to do anything as risky as, well… the palanquin thing. Or at least, we shouldn't."

"Yes, you certainly shouldn't," Rui Shi said, an eyebrow twitching as Azula an Sokka laughed again.

"But then… everything's okay?" said Song. "Nothing has really changed?"

"Well… something has," said Azula. "Now everyone in the city will know you are involved with Rui Shi. I do hope that makes you happy."

"I… don't know how to feel about that," Song answered, blushing wildly. Rui Shi smiled and reached for her hand, too.

"It will be fine," he said. "Some of the guards already knew, and they didn't give me a hard time for it. But now that everyone does, you'll be able to visit the Palace whenever you like, and no one should bother you for it."

"I would like that," said Song, though Rui Shi's cheerfulness faded quickly. "Rui Shi?"

"Well, just… if I can stay in the barracks after the test, that is," he admitted, shrugging. "Something did change, actually."

Azula breathed deeply and nodded: their sudden seriousness startled both Sokka and Song.

"In order to minimize the damage, in case the worst ever happens for real…" she said. "I've officially dissembled my Royal Guards, starting today."

"You… you mean, what you once told me?" Sokka asked, raising an eyebrow. "Did you… get him a promotion? Or you did you get him fired?"

"I got him, and the rest of the guards, the right to be tested for the roles of Imperial Guards," said Azula, nodding. "Sadly, if they fail, they will be demoted back into lower ranks in the army, but that's hardly likely, especially in Rui Shi's case. All my guards are skilled benders and capable of obeying orders, even if they don't like them."

She smiled at Rui Shi, who rolled his eyes but nodded. She laughed softly.

"So now they'll have a chance to actually work instead of sitting around waiting for me to take off on a long journey," said Azula. "It's what they had been doing over the last few years, after all. My father has, predictably, said they should still come with me whenever I travel, and I agree with that… but otherwise, they'll be expected to uphold duties that aren't limited to watching over me day and night. And so…"

"If anything worse happens, they should be safe," said Sokka. Azula swallowed hard.

"All of them. You too," said Azula, looking at Song. "Like I told you last night, if this is ever exposed or discovered, and you're caught up in the middle of it, lie and claim innocence with everything you have. Never admit the truth. Let them think we fooled everyone and that we were a lot more proficient at keeping a secret relationship than we really are."

"I… I guess I would," said Song, swallowing hard. "But it won't come to that. I'm sure of it."

"I'm not," said Azula, smiling despite her blunt answer. "But even if you're right, and it never does, it's still better to be safe than sorry. I mean, I have no doubts Sokka must have tried to lie to Zhao and claim he wanted nothing to do with me…"

Sokka snorted and Azula grinned at him. He shook his head, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his free hand.

"I wish I'd had the guts, but I couldn't do it. Heck, even without the confusing emotions from last night, I doubt I'd ever be able to say something like that," he said. Azula huffed.

"Now, now, you just have to search your feelings for that residual hatred you held for me back in the good old days and…"

"Do excuse me, Princess, but you saw to the absolute destruction of said hatred and replaced it with something very different, so there's no residue to speak of," he chuckled. Azula rolled her eyes.

"Really, now, you just can't help but be a rebel," she huffed. "I tell you to lie and you tell the truth, I tell you to hate me and you decide to love me. You just find some sort of twisted pleasure in going against me, don't you?"

Sokka chuckled but shrugged. Azula smiled and looked at him with what couldn't shape up into a disapproving glare. She was far too happy to be with him again: everything about him, including his rebellious streaks, was meant to be cherished deeply today.

They finished their meal with occasional conversation, but mostly with teasing and laughter, a celebration of their survival after yet another terrifying ordeal. Their moods had lifted noticeably, and for the first time, all four of them were together in complete comfort. Rui Shi and Song's displays of shy affection were just as natural as Azula and Sokka's more mischievous teasing of one another, coupled with their own kinds of loving gestures.

After breakfast was finished and cleaned up, though, Rui Shi and Song knew better than to stay in the house. Azula and Sokka had clearly held back for their sake through the meal, but it was apparent they wouldn't manage to be so considerate through the whole day.

"You're sure you want to introduce her to your fellow guards?" Azula asked, eyeing them warily as they moved to the front door. "It's not that you shouldn't, but… watch out for Fei Li and his ridiculous enthusiasm."

"I'll try to keep him from overwhelming her," said Rui Shi, smiling as he clutched his helmet.

All four of them stood at the front door's threshold, the midmorning sun gleaming upon them. Azula nodded towards Rui Shi and Song, who smiled at her.

"Just be careful, and make sure those fools are on their best behavior," said Azula, grinning too.

"Will do," said Rui Shi. He breathed deeply, though, and bowed his head towards her. "I'm sorry, Princess. In spite of it all… my actions seem to have caused more trouble than yours. It's unbelievably unlucky, I'd say, but…"

"You needn't apologize," said Azula, shaking her head. "As much as I know Song is your priority now, I prize your loyalty all the same. Yes, this week was madness and I, for one, am glad it's over…"

"Even though it was a bit more fun than last year's," Sokka said, chuckling. Azula shrugged.

"Even so, it was… a little too much for a single week," she sighed, turning to Rui Shi again. "Thank you, Captain. And you, Song. For all you've done for us."

"No need to thank us," said Song, grinning too. "If it weren't for you, we would have never found each other in the first place. We're the ones who should be grateful."

"Well, maybe we can all be grateful to each other, how's that?" Sokka proposed. Song laughed.

"Have a good day, you two," said Azula, nodding. "You deserve your happiness, no doubt."

"As do you, Princess, gladiator," said Rui Shi, smiling before putting on his helmet.

His gloved hand reached out for Song's own, and together they walked back to the streets. Sokka and Azula watched them briefly before closing the front door again. Privacy seemed like such a precious treasure suddenly, and they were in each other's arms again within mere instants.

"We really are lucky to have them," Azula admitted, with a weak grin. "Even though the plan to marry Rui Shi backfired before it even took shape, those two have really helped a lot…"

"You don't even know half of it," Sokka chuckled, stroking her hair. "Song even got Hina off my back, or helped to, at least…"

"Hina?" Azula repeated, pulling away to look at Sokka questioningly. He sighed.

"That crazy daughter of a nobleman, the one from my fanclub?" he said. Azula's eyes narrowed and darkened upon realizing who he spoke of.

"Oh. That Hina," she said, an eyebrow twitching.

"I would have told you sooner, but with all this nonsense, it slipped my mind," he laughed. "She's disturbing, really. I don't think there's a better word for what she was doing aside from harassment."

"She was creeping up on you at the Ball? Seriously?" Azula huffed. Sokka nodded.

"She came with her father, I guess? Well, she was alone when she tried to make a move on me. It didn't matter how I rejected her, she refused to get it… until Song swept in and pretended she was really my girlfriend," Sokka chuckled. Azula smiled.

"I suppose that mustn't have made Hina happy," she mused. Sokka shook his head as he led her back to the living room.

"But she wouldn't go away yet, that's the worst part," said Sokka, sighing. "She kept trying to shoot down the fake relationship, trying to convince me I could do better or so…"

"How I wish I'd noticed this was happening," Azula growled. Sokka smiled weakly. "Seriously, I would have just…"

"Done what I did, and found her a better potential lover to chase?" Sokka said, his grin turning into a smirk. Azula blinked blankly.

"What?"

"Well, turns out Hina's not that selective. I guess she just likes Water Tribe guys," said Sokka, chuckling. "I called Hahn over, and the minute she saw him she seemed to lose her senses entirely. That's how we got rid of her."

"With… Hahn. Well, it was about time he made himself useful," she said, as Sokka laughed while sinking in the couch.

"Though, admittedly, the asshole tried to make me help him woo you right afterwards," he said. "You can imagine how I responded to that…"

"My sweet defender," said Azula, grinning and sitting on his lap. "Always ready to take down anyone who makes any move to marry me…"

"Well, seeing as I already asked you to marry me, and you said yes, I feel entitled to protect your word," he said, smirking. Azula laughed and pressed her forehead to his. "You know just why, after all."

"Of course I do," she whispered, cupping his face and smiling warmly at him. "Goodness, I really had hoped we wouldn't have to fear for our lives again anytime soon… but I guess we couldn't be that lucky."

"It's over, though," said Sokka, pulling her closer for a kiss. Azula complied gladly. "And yes, we'll try to be more cautious, but…"

"But we can set aside caution right here and now," she said, with a wide smile. Sokka laughed and nodded in agreement before pulling her in for another deep kiss.

Their smiles had faded when they parted again. Azula pressed her forehead against his, her breaths brushing his lips. Her fingers trailed over his cheekbones, relieved to no end that they could be together again.

"I had thought I'd lost you," Sokka whispered, his grip around her waist tightening. "For a moment I really…"

"You once told me I'd never lose you," she said, smiling a little. "What makes you think I'll let you get away from me that easily, gladiator?"

"I… I sure hope you won't," he laughed, his voice unsteady, as though he were on the verge of tears again. "The thought of not seeing you again, for who knew how long, was… it was terrifying."

"I know," she said, kissing his forehead. "I couldn't even sleep last night… I kept asking Xin Long if you were alright."

"Well, I asked too but getting nods as a response isn't too enlightening," Sokka admitted, smiling weakly. "When he got up I just… jumped on the saddle and hoped for the best. I can't believe Zhao got that close…"

"Frankly, we got off too easy," Azula said, dropping her head on his shoulder now. "They usually would send physicians to verify if, well…"

"If you were still a virgin or not?" Sokka asked, scowling. Azula nodded. "That's…"

"Disgusting, wrong, and something I won't ever allow if I can avoid it," Azula declared. "But for some reason my father said he trusted me not to be that foolish. I just hope he keeps trusting me that way…"

"I hope so too," Sokka sighed, frowning. "I… I don't want that to happen to you, ever."

"Well, then, we'll be more careful," she said, hand caressing his chest. "No more palanquin escapades, I guess…"

"Yeah, I had figured it was a one-time thing," Sokka chuckled. Azula smiled brightly.

"And we did say some time ago that you had to stop impersonating my guards, but it's a habit you can't seem to break," she laughed, reaching up to kiss him.

"Well, now, I think I'm a habit you can't seem to break either…" he said, stroking her hair while smiling gently. "And I'm certainly not complaining."

"You'd better not," she said, smiling back as he brushed her bangs away and kissed her lips. "You'd better… Sokka…"

"I love you," he whispered, between kisses. She sighed and held him tighter, lips moving against his. "I really love you…"

"So do I," she answered, lips hardly leaving each other. "I love you so much, damn it…"

He held her as they dropped on the couch, lips relentlessly seeking out each other, but the despair decreased with every exchange. They knew the threats were behind them, along with the bulk of their recklessness. Granted that they might do crazy things again in the future, they never seemed to stop doing them… but this wake-up call prompted them to protect each other even more ferociously than ever before.

Instead of losing themselves to passion right away, they remained locked around each other on the couch, breathing evenly with their foreheads together, their fingers intertwined. Amid more soft kisses, they allowed themselves the respite of a nap, one they had needed quite direly: resting was only an option now that they had found their way back to each other. And in that warm embrace, with drying tears and gentle caresses, the two lovers abandoned themselves to relaxation and sleep, basking in the peace and comfort they would only ever find in each other.