I dropped by to visit you, but you weren't home. I hoped to pick up where we left off at the Ball the last time we met, but I wasn't lucky enough to catch you. Still, I figured you'd enjoy a souvenir I left as a hint of the pleasures I'm sure you've been denied for all these years. Don't worry, I'll treat you right, just the way a man like you deserves.
I'm planning another visit once you're home again. I look forward to our reencounter, my handsome warrior…
Your not-so-secret admirer.
Azula breathed deeply as she read the note again, irritated by its content, and by having impulsively crumpled it as she had. A very irrational side of her wanted to set the letter on fire, to set the responsible party on fire too, but… no. That wouldn't resolve anything. It wasn't the right way to proceed with this. She had to stay rational, to think things through.
"So… what do you make of this?" Rui Shi asked, as the Princess stood silently before Sokka's bed.
The Princess glared at the room where her countless passionate afternoons with Sokka had taken place. It wasn't the room's fault, no doubt, but it was driving her mad with rage to stand where she was now, conscious that Hina had been here, breaching Sokka's privacy as she pleased, blissfully unaware that Sokka already had someone else in his life.
But she shouldn't let her mind be derailed by such thoughts: she needed to be calm, she needed to focus. There had been too many invasive incidents lately in her life, and it was hard to respond to them with anything but indignation… But Azula would have to figure out how to do so: Sokka's safety might depend on it.
"I guess it's apparent that Hina is the one behind this incident…" Azula said, her voice cold and dangerous "As much as I'd like to destroy everything she touched and pretend this never happened, we need a real solution rather than an outlet to our rightful frustrations. So… I suspect I'll have to make use of my position to deal with this"
"You'll confront her?" Sokka asked, his voice tinged with hopefulness. Azula glanced at him with uncertainty, hating Hina all the more for making her gladiator feel as vulnerable as he did while sitting on the floor near the door.
All four of them were in Sokka's room, waiting for Azula's decision on how to proceed. Song watched Sokka, Azula and Rui Shi from a corner, trusting they'd figure out how to handle the threat that girl posed… for it was her home that had been violated, even if it had been Sokka's room, specifically. She wasn't feeling any more comfortable with the situation than he was.
"I ought to" Azula said finally, shaking her head "But confronting her outright won't intimidate her enough. She could claim it wasn't her, seeing as she didn't sign with her name, and as we have no hard evidence…"
"Not like there are any other suspects" Sokka growled "I don't know how many other fangirls I may have, but the only one who's this aggressive is her. Everyone else leaves me be. Hell, how did she even figure out where I lived?"
"She's clearly a stalker, she could have followed you home one day without your awareness" Azula said, rolling her eyes and trying not to be further infuriated by the thought "The only other idea I have is that she might have gotten the truth out of Yang, but she's perfectly capable of having figured it out just by following you around, or even after mapping out Xin Long's flight paths to your house…"
"I suppose" said Sokka, grimacing "It's so creepy to think she could have gone that far…"
"She's always been creepy, this is just how she displays it nowadays" said Azula, with a dry grin, before cringing visibly "And she was on your bed, the wretched bitch… curses, I don't think I'll need the sheets as evidence. Burn those, Rui Shi"
"Me?" he said, looking at her in surprise "I thought you might want to do it yourself… it could be more cathartic"
"Nothing will be cathartic until I know I've done away with the threat she poses for good" Azula declared, scowling "I'd spend days setting things on fire to no avail if I started unleashing my pent-up rage with my bending, and it won't affect her one bit if I do that. Well, not unless I burn down her house…"
"That would to send a loud and clear message" Rui Shi admitted, but Azula sighed.
"Right, and my father would have my hide for it, too" she said "He already was displeased when I burned down Chan's house all those years ago, he used to hold their family in high regards…"
"Does he care much for Hina's family, though?" Sokka asked, confused. Azula nodded.
"Her father is a nobleman. Not one I know too well, true, but still one of them" she said "He's from the lesser nobility, to be sure. Possibly one of those people who only rose in society during my father's rule…"
"Then you ought to use that to our advantage" Sokka pouted "Tell him his daughter is causing trouble, and if she keeps that up, he'll lose his good standing with your dad…"
"Not the worst idea" Azula acknowledged, looking at Sokka with uncertainty.
"But you want something more final?" Sokka asked "I guess if we as good as tattle on her she'll just resent you more and she'll keep pretending I'm only rejecting her to stay on your good side…"
"She's got quite an opinion of herself if she expects to be a better offer for you than I am" Azula growled. Despite everything, her words brought a smile to Sokka's face.
"She's not right in the head if she thinks so, no doubt" he said "Still…"
"I know, I know. As far as she's concerned, I'm the evil sponsor of the poor, tormented gladiator" Azula said, rolling her eyes "She must have made up that narrative to pretend she'll save you from my sadistic clutches, no doubt…"
"So, aside from being a stalker, this girl has some sort of savior complex?" Song asked, grimacing "Why, though? I mean… why Sokka, of all people?"
"Well, she may just find him attractive" Azula said, shrugging "For someone who seems as unbalanced as her, that can be enough of a reason…"
"She really doesn't have anything better to do, huh?" Sokka grumbled "I mean, wasting so much time stalking a guy you're apparently attracted to… can't she get a better hobby? A job?"
"She could, I suppose. She won't be likely to, though" Azula said, shaking her head "She's a noble girl, with a father who probably humored her every whim. If she had ever felt the need to make something of her life before, she would have done so by now"
"So, because she's her dad's pampered baby, I have to endure her stalking?" Sokka asked. Azula shook her head.
"I didn't say that" she whispered "But it'll take more than telling on her to scare her away from you properly"
"And if you threaten her, outright, she'll run with the tale to anyone who'd listen" Sokka reasoned "And if she does that, your reputation could suffer for it. You've spent years working to be acknowledged by your people, all that work could go to hell if she starts spreading twisted rumors about you…"
"Well, I doubt it'd all go to waste, but it's true that it would be a cause for concern" Azula acknowledged, sighing "Ugh, at any rate, get rid of those sheets, Rui Shi. I need to think"
Rui Shi nodded, and Song helped him in that endeavor as Azula paced in the room. Sokka watched the other pair leave with the sheets, guessing they'd stay downstairs, waiting until Azula decided to convey her new plans, if she deemed their help necessary. As it was, though, the Princess seemed to be in a bad enough mood that the only person capable of withstanding her was the one sitting by the bedroom door, staring at his own bed apprehensively, as though there was a bomb waiting to explode on it.
"I'm sorry I showed up like that" he sighed, dropping his head against the wall. "I guess you were relaxing, huh?"
"Yeah, well… it wasn't paying off, truth be told" Azula admitted "Things are complicated at the Palace too"
"Why?" Sokka asked, looking at her with uncertainty "Is it your dad?"
"No, it's Zhao" she said. Sokka raised an eyebrow in confusion "Well, not quite Zhao, it's Hahn"
"Hahn?" Sokka repeated, his confusion changing into distaste "What's going on with him now?"
"Zhao is convinced he did something or another to his maid, and he's quite worked up about it" said Azula "I never thought he'd be the type to fly into a rage to defend the honor of his servants, but I've misjudged him before, haven't I? At any rate, he decided he's done hosting him and he gives Hahn's big secret no more credit. He wants nothing more to do with him, but my father still wants to know what he's hiding, so…"
"So he wants you to figure it out" said Sokka, grimacing. Azula nodded "Couldn't he at least wait a couple of days for you to settle down at the Palace? You haven't lived there in over a month and he just dumps more responsibilities on you as soon as you return?"
"In all fairness, he had already asked me to deal with Hahn long before we had our falling out" Azula sighed "But I'm not sure how to do that. Hahn may be an asshole, but he's not that stupid. He's not going to give away his secret for anything less than a ticket into high society, and the higher, the better. I don't know if threats would work with him, but I'd imagine Zhao would have already resorted to that, if there was any chance of success that way…"
"He's a warrior, isn't he?" Sokka asked "As much of a prick as he may be, he's been trained in the North. He probably knows better than to surrender information, whether under torture or simple interrogations…"
"Were you trained to put up with something like that?" Azula asked, surprised. Sokka shook his head.
"Nah, but we're talking about the North, you know?" said Sokka, shrugging "They're supposed to be better at warfare than us southerners, right?"
"According to Hahn's entitled attitude, they're better at anything than you southerners… but rest assured, I don't believe him" Azula huffed "Either way, I don't know how to get the truth out of him, just as I don't know how to deal with Hina. They're both becoming seriously sore thumbs as it is"
"Yeah" Sokka sighed, shaking his head "And simultaneously, too. Their timing is something else"
"They're just the same kind of people, too" Azula grumbled "I suppose Hina does want you, even if in an unhinged sort of way. Hahn only wants to live in luxury to the day he dies, and he's willing to do whatever is necessary to achieve that"
"Yeah… though, huh, now you've brought that up" Sokka said, frowning "Hina and Hahn have met before, remember?"
"They have?" Azula said, looking at Sokka in confusion. He scratched the back of his head.
"I know remembering the last Ball mustn't be fun, what with the crazy mess that happened when Zhao misunderstood your relationship with Rui Shi…" said Sokka "But Hina got all up in my business and Song helped me keep her at bay…"
"Huh, I think I remember you told me about that" Azula said, looking at Sokka with curiosity "You said back then… wait, you said maybe she's just some sort of fetishist, didn't you? That she was looking at Hahn the same way she looks at you?"
"Yeah" said Sokka, nodding promptly. Azula's eyes widened "So, sure, you can say Hina wants me, but… what if she actually doesn't? I mean, who knows why she'd have that sort of interest in men from the Water Tribe, but…"
"Well, considering Ty Lee used to ramble about how good Water Tribe men were supposed to be in bed, I guess it's likely someone got similar ideas in her mind too…" Azula mused, tapping her chin with her finger.
"Who on earth made up that sort of crazy rumor?" Sokka asked, with a crooked grin "I mean, sure, it's flattering as heck, but… I doubt we're all good in bed"
"Well, I for one can certify that you're much better than just 'good'. And that's all that matters to me, as far as Water Tribe men's skills in bed are concerned" Azula said, with a smile too "Either way, leaving that aside… do you really think she's interested in Hahn? If so, why is she still chasing you?"
"I don't know" said Sokka, grimacing "Some twisted sense of loyalty, maybe? I don't know if she got to know Hahn much during the Ball… so my guess is that, if she didn't, she figured she'd settle for me anyhow"
"Settle for you. That's rich" Azula said, with a skeptical smirk "As though you weren't far above her league, to begin with"
"Might be she thinks otherwise" Sokka smiled "Maybe to her, I'm just a charity project of some sort. I mean, if she fashions herself as a savior of some sort…"
"Maybe I need to assess her fully, figure out if that's really what she's trying to do" Azula said, and a smirk slowly appeared across her face "Because if this is how it is…"
"Oh?" said Sokka "I kind of suspected you had something in mind earlier, but… do you have a plan yet? Azula?"
"I think I might. Oh, it might be a little complicated to execute it properly, it's true…" she said, with a soft laugh "But if we're successful… a single fight could win us two wars"
"That sounds ambitious" Sokka said, smiling and pushing himself up. He approached Azula and placed his hands on her hips, delighted by the proud smirk on her face. He knew she'd come up with a solution, and whatever it was, he'd help her with it "When do we start?"
She looked at him with a mix of warmth and determination now, before taking his face into her hands and pressing her lips to his. He responded gladly, surrounding her with his arms and holding her close. This was their safe haven, the one place where they could be together without fear, without risks – at least, without as many risks as anywhere else: the threats they'd dealt with so far were meaningless in the face of what they needed to protect.
Azula stood at the Palace's front door on the next day, watching with nonchalant interest as Zhao nearly shoved Hahn off the carriage that had just stopped at the building's steps. The man stumbled and scowled at Zhao, as the Admiral only climbed off the carriage to dump Hahn's bags next to the man.
"You don't have to be so spiteful" Hahn said, rolling his eyes "I already told you, I didn't do anything to your maid!"
"And I already told you, you failed to prove you were trustworthy for as long as you've lived at my home" Zhao spat at him "Therefore, I have no kindness to spare you. I'm all out as it is"
"Admiral, really, this is just a pointless misunderstanding…" Hahn groaned, but Zhao's attention had been claimed by the woman who was walking towards them.
"I suppose you really meant it when you said you were through with Hahn, then" said Azula. Hahn nearly jumped, startled by running into the Princess so soon "I half-expected those words to merely have been spoken in a momentary fit of rage, but… I suppose not"
"Indeed, you suppose right" Zhao said, his brow furrowed "You didn't have to waste your valuable time checking on him, though, Princess"
"No need to worry, I figured I'd handle our newest guest's arrival myself" Azula said, raising her eyebrows at Hahn. He smiled gladly at her welcoming words, and suddenly Zhao's mistreatment seemed a distant problem, something he could forget about easily now that a brilliant new opportunity for advancement was presenting itself "You needn't concern yourself with Hahn anymore, then, Admiral. Has your maid turned up yet, or…?"
"No" Zhao growled "I'm on my way to look for her again. Maybe now that I've disposed of this fool she'll finally feel inclined to return home"
"Maybe" said Azula, with a small smile. Hahn's irritation returned as he scowled at Zhao, but Azula ignored him "Good luck, then, Admiral. Farewell for now"
"Likewise, Princess. You'll need plenty of luck indeed to avoid having him scare off the help here, too" Zhao grunted. Hahn gasped in indignation as Zhao climbed on his carriage, but the Water Tribesman couldn't get one last word in before the Admiral took off.
Azula watched Zhao's carriage make for the front gates, trying to ignore Hahn's obvious irritation. He turned around soon enough, looking at her hopelessly.
"I have no idea why he got it into his head that I did anything to that girl, but believe me, Princess, I had no interest in doing so!" said Hahn, shaking his head "Truly, all the Admiral did ever since they brought me to him was mock me, ridicule me and then insult me with unfounded accusations! If anything, I'm glad to finally be away from him!"
"I can understand that, it's true that he has been, well, unkind…" Azula said, with a sigh. Hahn scoffed.
"That's putting it mildly. He's done nothing but look down on me, treat me like a criminal… what does he think, that I can't sway a woman successfully? I've done it countless times! If I'd been interested in Rei that way, she wouldn't have been running away!"
"Then what exactly did you do to get her to run?" Azula asked, smirking "Was it you broke her heart instead, and she ran off crying into the sunset?"
"That… no" said Hahn. Azula chuckled slightly "I did nothing. She just… left. That's all"
"That doesn't sound very convincing, Hahn" Azula said, raising an eyebrow "You'll need to practice some more if you want your claims to sound believable…"
"I… oh, say what you wish, but it's still true that I did nothing" Hahn grumbled "Either way, though… thank you for being here to welcome me. I didn't expect anyone, truthfully, going by the things the Admiral was saying…"
"Yeah, well, let's just say my curiosity led me here, nothing more" she said, closing her eyes "It just seems, well, awfully extreme of the Admiral to be this upset about a maid…"
"I know, right?" Hahn snorted "I mean, she's really just a maid. You'd think she'd mean the world to him, going by how mad he is, but all along he always kept her at a distance, and she was perfectly happy that way, too. I don't understand, really"
"Well, some bonds can be more complex than they appear, but it does seem strange for him to be so secretive about what kind of bond it is" Azula concluded "Either way, it does seem fishy to me that she would be his scapegoat in this way. I can understand you two have never gotten along, but… it feels like he was just looking for any excuse to be rid of you"
"I know, right? And that… it's just utterly ridiculous, isn't it?" Hahn asked, shaking his head "With the information I have, I could easily help the Fire Nation win this war… and he has the nerve to act like what I can offer is meaningless to him by now. Truthfully, I had expected Fire Nation commanding officers to be wiser than this…"
"What proof do you have that your information is that valuable, though?" Azula asked, looking at Hahn questioningly "As far as I can tell, the Admiral must have been waiting for you to either prove it was that important, or to just outright convey your secrets, and as you did neither…"
"Well, I can't say I have evidence, not really" said Hahn, sighing "But it's true all the same. I'm selflessly offering them the secret to undoing the Northern Water Tribe, and they just act like it's worthless…"
"You're not offering it so freely, though. You have your conditions, don't you?" Azula asked.
Hahn froze, looking at her with uncertainty. Azula held his gaze knowingly before sighing and waving a hand in Hahn's direction.
"I believe this is best spoken in private, yes" she said.
To her surprise, those words alone were enough for Hahn to smile triumphantly. Though it wasn't as genuine a smile as the ones she was charmed by when Sokka grinned at her: this smile had a hint of malice to it, as though all of Hahn's objectives could be achieved if he only played his cards right in this conversation.
Had she not been in front of him, she would have laughed at such a naïveté.
"As you wish, Princess" said Hahn, proudly.
Azula led him inside the Palace, holding her composure despite knowing the trickiest part of her scheme was about to begin. If she had timed everything right, if she dragged out her conversation with Hahn just enough, all would fall into place as long as she guided things towards her desired outcome… or so she hoped.
She led Hahn to a sitting room, unbeknownst to him, a room she had selected several hours prior. A room she had instructed Rui Shi to bring her next guests to, once they arrived at the Palace. She hoped she wouldn't have to wait too long before the former Captain fulfilled that particular mission.
"We can talk here" Azula said, gesturing at the available cushioned seats. Hahn looked at the accommodations with a pleased smirk "There's some tea, too. If it's too cold I can warm it up…"
"No worries, Princess. I thank you for your generosity" he said, bowing his head gracefully before sitting at the table and helping himself to some tea.
Azula did the same, noticing Hahn now had as good as forgotten about how Zhao had exiled him from his estate. The man's eyes were aglow with greed as he took in the elegant room, the gold-and-red furniture surely every bit as luxurious as he had thought it'd be.
"Very well, then… to the point" Azula said, promptly, surprising Hahn "I've been warned, both by the Admiral and my father, that you likely intended to offer your very valuable information in exchange for a privileged position within our society. A position someone like yourself would be quite unlikely to obtain without the leverage you've claimed to have…"
"That… indeed" said Hahn, biting his lip. Azula nodded.
"Truthfully, you haven't been subtle about your ultimate goal" she said "My gladiator even mentioned you asked him for advice on how to woo me…"
"Heh, so he did rat me out. Just as he said he would" Hahn said, with a cynical smile "Well, seeing as you are taking it so well, I won't despise him too much for spilling my secrets…"
"Secrets? Really?" Azula smiled. Hahn chuckled.
"I suppose it's unlikely that a man could hide his interest in you" he said "Not only are you the most beautiful woman I've seen, but the chance of being your chosen husband… it's a privilege you'll only extend to a man you consider truly worthy of you. Isn't that right?"
"Quite so" said Azula, with an earnest smile. That was the first time Hahn had seemed to say something she could agree with. Naturally, he was right about what kind of man she'd choose for a husband: what he didn't know, of course, was that she had already made that choice.
"Then I'll gladly prove my worth in whatever way I must" said Hahn, bowing his head towards Azula "I've succeeded at this sort of task before, even if with another Princess quite different from yourself…"
"Hmm, yes" said Azula, nodding "You have quite some experience with wooing royalty, from what I understand. Was it hard to win the hand of the Water Tribe Princess too? Or…?"
"Not as hard as you might picture. There wasn't much worthy competition anyways" said Hahn, smirking.
"I frankly don't know much about her" Azula said, casually "Your wife must have been upset when you left her…"
"Oh, perhaps, but I did what I had to do" Hahn said, shaking his head "Yue knew I was losing my patience. Her father, our Chief, should have listened to me. But he never did, and he will pay the price for it eventually. I kept telling him we had to act, to make use of our advantages… but no, that's not appropriate, apparently. And… uh, sorry. I shouldn't be ranting about this, should I?"
"That's quite alright" said Azula, smiling "I'm curious enough as it is. What kind of life did you lead in the North that pushed you to abandon your people, even when you held such a privileged position as the husband of the Princess?"
"It was their stubbornness, most of all, that pushed me so far" Hahn huffed "You could say I opened my eyes to the truth of the war: we were never going to win. Not as we were, at any rate. We had the best defenses, and yet they could occasionally break through them. Our offense failed when it came to large-scale attacks… we were so difficult to organize, and it was frustrating and maddening to be in such a stalemate with the Fire Nation. But every idea I offered them to fix the problem went rejected. Eventually… well, I decided I wasn't going to stay with them just out of some foolish sense of loyalty to our community. Not if this so-called loyalty was going to get me killed"
"Didn't you have a family, though?" Azula asked "Why not bring your wife and your children with you, if you thought this way?"
"Because my wife wouldn't come, and she refused to let the children come along with me too" Hahn huffed "She said I ought to be grateful that she wasn't going to tell on me immediately upon hearing I'd leave, though I was pursued by a group of warriors anyways. I would have taken the kids with me, but… well, I was going to be heading into dangerous territories, myself. It wasn't wise to risk their wellbeing that way, was it?"
"So, you were backed against a wall? Such a difficult situation…" said Azula, sighing sympathetically "How many children were there?"
"Three, or well, there were going to be three" Hahn said "I… well, I never met the third one"
"Your wife was pregnant when you left?" Azula asked. Hahn swallowed hard and nodded.
"I never wanted to leave her like that, but… I thought, if I joined the Fire Nation, perhaps I could arrange things so they could be spared. Perhaps" said Hahn, closing his eyes.
Azula sighed, wishing she weren't quite so talented at reading people. Wishing Hahn's words had more foundation than the piles of lies they stood on. For it was clear he had crafted this fairytale of being the only man with clarity within the Tribe entirely for his own benefit. Had that been the charming tale he had fed Rei, Zhao's maid, before trying to make his move on her? It wouldn't surprise Azula if that had been the case.
"And now you hope to find a new wife" Azula said "One who's less likely to kick you out of your home if you're being more reasonable than she could be, right?"
"Well… yes. Preferably" said Hahn, with a weak smile. Azula chuckled.
"It's not very wise to expect better from one family of royals than another family of royals" she said "Royalty, even nobility, places very little value in the bonds between people, be them friendship or love. And that's true in your Tribe as well as here, from what I can understand. If you expect another highborn wife to hold you as her top priority… you're not likely to get your wish"
"Well… I can understand what you mean, but still…" he said, with skepticism "Isn't it a woman's duty to stand by her husband's side?"
"Not really" Azula said. Hahn frowned.
"What is that supposed to…?"
"You take such pride in coming from a land far more civilized than my gladiator's, and yet you still believe a woman's role in society is entirely defined by her husband?" Azula smirked "That sounds utterly uncivilized to me"
"T-that's not…! No, I mean, a wife should have a duty to her husband, just as a husband should have a duty to his wife! When it came to me and Yue, she refused to uphold her duty, so I…!"
"So you abandoned her, and she you. I can understand, I suppose. It's only a little disturbing to hear it happened with three kids under your belts" Azula said, grimacing "I would have expected you to at least pick your favorites to bring with you before she noticed they were gone"
Hahn snorted and laughed, shaking his head. Azula smiled a little too, despite she wasn't as amused as he was.
"That would have been madness. They would have chased me down, absolutely, and…"
"Didn't you say earlier that warriors had indeed hunted you down?"
"Well, yes, but if their little heirs to the throne had vanished too, the entire Tribe would have risen up to find me" Hahn covered up quickly. Azula smiled sarcastically.
"Right"
"Either way, Princess… you did say you wanted us to get to the point, so I will: what must I do so you can accept me as your suitor?"
Azula breathed deeply and stared at Hahn matter-of-factly. His eager eyes met hers, but she found none of the passionate depth she usually could see in Sokka's… not that there ever was any point in comparing the two men, of course. Hahn was certain to fall short against Sokka in just about every department, as far as Azula could tell.
"You have to follow the procedure, as has been established" Azula said, simply "It's been years now, Hahn. If you're interested in marrying me, you should know what the condition is…"
"Oh, I've been told what it is. I had an argument with your gladiator back during the Ball, he told me about this, but… really? That's it?" Hahn said, with a skeptical smile. Azula raised her eyebrows.
"What, you think you'll have it easy to fulfill it?" she asked. Hahn chuckled "If that's how it is, be my guest. Find a gladiator to fight for you, and if they successfully defeat mine, you'll be the first man who will have the privilege of asking my father for my hand in marriage"
"Find a gladiator to fight for me…" Hahn repeated, still smirking "I just need to find someone who can beat your southerner, then?"
"Indeed" Azula said, shrugging "Though I guess you'll have a hard time finding someone of those characteristics. You may not be aware of it, but my gladiator is in fact quite a talented and powerful warrior by now…"
"Please" Hahn sneered, looking at Azula in disbelief "He's a southern commoner, trained by amateurs. However spirited he may be, he wasn't trained in real fighting techniques as I was"
"Really, now?" Azula asked, with amusement. Hahn genuinely believed Sokka had spent all these years being pampered to no end in the Fire Nation, didn't he?
"I highly doubt any gladiator I hire will fail to defeat him" said Hahn. Azula laughed.
"So many sponsors have claimed the same…" she said, folding her arms over her chest "Do you believe you're the first man who has ever tried to court me?"
"Well, no, I mean, I guess the gladiator rule exists because there have been precedents, but…"
"Sokka recently defeated the second-best gladiator of the League, just when his sponsor got it in his head that he wanted to marry me. However little you may think of the Gladiator League, I advise you not to underestimate my gladiator. You only get one shot, Hahn. If you truly wish to be my husband, you shouldn't waste it by assuming Sokka is a weakling. That's the main reason he's been able to defeat his enemies, you know? They always underestimate him, and that provides him with the perfect opportunity to take them down…"
"You… you say all this with such conviction" said Hahn, smirking "How do I know you're not pulling my hair, just like Admiral Zhao?"
"Ask in the Grand Royal Dome if you don't believe me" Azula said, shrugging "Ask them to tell you what the results were in the fights between the Blue Wolf and the Spawn of the Volcano, first of all. Then against Blast of Death, despite it was an unofficial match… and against Scorching Blades. For good measure, ask about the outcome from the latest Gladiator Brawl, too, they ought tell you exactly what my gladiator did to the second-best fighter… if that's not enough to clarify that I'm not lying, I suppose you'll realize for yourself once your chosen fighter is defeated thoroughly by mine"
"But… well, perhaps it'd be likely, if your gladiator is as good as you claim" Hahn said, though skepticism dripped from his every word "Though, if that's how it is, perhaps I should take matters into my own hands. I think I even told your gladiator as much, back during the Ball. If you want something done right, do it yourself, isn't that the best philosophy to live by?"
Azula raised an eyebrow inquisitively, and Hahn smirked.
"Your gladiator implied he wouldn't mind fighting me, but he shouldn't underestimate me either: I am the best warrior of my Tribe, Princess" he said "If you were inclined to believe I was accepted as Princess Yue's husband only for my good looks, well, you'd be mistaken"
"Even after what Admiral Zhao said?" Azula asked "About that failed assassination attempt from years ago…?"
"I've learned a lot since then" Hahn said, awfully quickly. Azula smiled derisively "I'd be capable of defeating your gladiator, no doubt. So, if I may be so bold, I ask for you to alter your rules, since you expected me to find someone else to fight my battles for me…"
"Well, I did, but… there is something appealing in a man who would rather get his own hands dirty, I admit it" Azula said. Hahn's eyes widened, but soon enough they narrowed with malice.
"Then, you'll allow it?"
"Uh… I could, but only if you find someone to sponsor you" Azula said, nonchalantly "It may seem unnecessary to you, but that's the way of the Gladiator Business. You can bend the rules somewhat, but you cannot break them entirely"
"Oh, well, fine" said Hahn, with a shrug and a casual smile "I'll find someone to do that. Can't be so hard, can it?"
"I suppose not" Azula said, shrugging "Either way, if this is how it will be, perhaps you ought to look for a sponsor right away. I have guests coming over soon, and you should start training so you can be in shape for the fight…"
"Oh, there's no need for that" said Hahn, smiling "A sponsor merely needs to be a sort of legal stand-in for a gladiator, right? I might as well just ask one of your servants if that's all it takes…"
"You might ask them if you wish, but they won't comply" Azula said, smirking. Hahn grimaced "You really think they'd bet against their Princess?"
"W-well, fine, then, I'll find someone who'd do so" Hahn mumbled.
"I guess it'd be easier to find a gladiator, all you'd need is someone willing to fight" Azula smiled "Finding a sponsor willing to defy me… well, I know of a few, but they're not exactly available for you to seek out right now"
"Then… what do you propose?" Hahn asked, looking at Azula with fearful uncertainty. The Princess shrugged.
"Why should I propose anything? You're the one who needs a sponsor" Azula said, smirking "If you're so eager to marry me…"
"If you're so eager to find out the key to defeating the Northern Water Tribe, you ought to cooperate with me a little more" Hahn mumbled. Azula laughed.
"Oh, please, are you truly going to fall at the first obstacle? Find a suitable sponsor and you'll earn even more respect from me than you already did by claiming you'd fight on your own…"
Hahn bit his lip, trying not to let the praises go up to his head, but it was slightly harder than he would have thought. The Princess was terribly persuasive, and it seemed she wasn't quite as opposed to marrying him as he had thought she'd be… well, perhaps it was the effect his good looks had on women. As cold and ruthless as she liked to present herself, perhaps the Princess craved the companionship of a man just like him…
"Very well, I'll…"
Footsteps outside silenced Hahn, and Azula glanced at the door with feigned curiosity. Despite everything was falling into place, bit by bit, some part of her wild heart was anxious, unsettled: the next step of her plan would be the most difficult of them all.
"Princess?" Rui Shi called through the door "Your guests have arrived"
"That… wait shortly, please" Azula said, before glancing at Hahn again "I'm sorry, I thought we'd be finished by the time they got here…"
"Oh, if you hoped to talk some more with me, I can wait" Hahn said, smiling "Is this a very private meeting? I can leave, if that's so…"
"Why… not really" Azula said, shrugging "I do have to deal with some, uh, personal matters for someone, but perhaps… perhaps your presence will help, actually. You could exert some pressure, without your awareness, just by being here…"
"Pressure?" Hahn repeated, amused. Azula smiled again.
"Well, if it's no bother, of course" Azula said. Hahn chuckled.
"As you wish, Princess" he said.
Perhaps he was being forward, but something told him the Princess actually wanted him to beat the Blue Wolf. Why else would she want him present during some meeting that didn't concern him, after all, as though she wanted to spend more time with him? Why would she have issued such challenges to him, as though inviting him to do his best to defeat her gladiator…?
Oh, he really didn't want to jump to conclusions, but it seemed the Princess wanted something her own nation couldn't offer…
Hahn smirked to himself as Azula made her way to the door, sliding it open brusquely. He missed on seeing who the new arrivals were right away, busy as he was dreaming of his bright future as the Princess's husband.
"Ah, thank you for bringing them here" Azula said, nodding towards Rui Shi, who bowed his head curtly towards her. With that, Azula turned towards the two arrivals, her dangerous smile already decorating her face. The older man merely smiled at her: the young woman behind him glared at Azula apprehensively "Welcome, both of you. I'm glad you could come on such short notice, Gao. I do hope you won't mind that we'll have someone else sitting in during our meeting? He's only just arrived too, so…"
"Oh, well, if you deem it fine for him to stay, why would I refuse to have him here?" Gao laughed "I don't rightly know why you summoned us in the first place, but I am ever pleased to visit the Palace and I sure hoped to make your acquaintance properly in time, Crown Princess Azula!"
"It is my honor to host you, of course" Azula said, stepping back to allow both the man and his daughter to enter the room "Please, make yourselves comfortable. I can heat your tea for you…"
"Oh! That's surely inappropriate, your firebending is renowned for how extraordinary it is!" Gao said, looking at Azula in chagrin as the Princess moved to the small table again. He entered the room too, gazing at the luxurious furniture and decorations with admiration even as he spoke at the Princess "A-at any rate, surely someone else could do it for you…?"
"I can certainly handle heating up a teacup" Azula smirked, pouring two more cups now "You can take your leave, Rui Shi. Thank you for your services"
"Feel free to call for me again once your meeting is finished" Rui Shi said, bowing his head towards her "I will lead your guests back to the front gates"
"Thanks again. I'll be sure to do that" Azula said, nodding as Rui Shi closed the door smoothly.
Azula raised her eyes cautiously to assess Hina, ready to analyze the girl: the success of her mission would hinge almost entirely on the result of this meeting. The first step had been achieved, but the problem posed by Hina had yet to be resolved.
And yet it seemed it would be, going by how the girl gawked at Hahn. Her eyes were wide now, and the hatred she held for Azula seemed to have been set aside for the time being as she gazed at the northerner. Hahn drained his own teacup quickly before noticing he was being watched. He raised an eyebrow before glancing at the girl, and he blinked a few times before recognizing her.
"Hey, now… I remember you. Hina, wasn't it?" he said, his voice playful. Azula raised her eyebrows, wondering if he was flirting intentionally or if he instinctively spoke that way to all women who caught his eye.
"Y-yeah, we talked at the Ball. Some time ago" Hina answered, with a nervous smile "I actually didn't think I'd ever see you again"
"Well, fate certainly tends to be quite surprising" Hahn said, smirking "It's good to see you again, Hina"
"As much as you may appreciate fate for reuniting you, can I ask you to sit on the back for the time being, Hahn?" Azula said, bluntly reclaiming the man's attention. Hina shot her a dirty glare for it, unsurprisingly "I have a certain matter to discuss with Hina and her father, and truthfully… I know I said you could stay, but I'm thinking now that maybe it would be for the best if you go take a walk, perhaps, or something else, while I…"
"He should be allowed to decide if he wishes to stay or not, right?" Hina said, gazing at Hahn with a smile "He is a free man, from my understanding…"
"I am indeed" said Hahn, smirking and standing up to his full height "Well, if you would let me stay here… I'll just sit on the back, yes"
Azula raised her eyebrows but sighed and shook her head. Hahn smiled at Hina with complicity before making his way to the back of the room, staring at the books and ornamental vases on display there. Azula stretched an arm out towards the available cushions, looking at both Gao and Hina as she did.
"Please, do take your seats. I'll do my best to be quick about this" Azula said, biting her lip.
Hina regarded her defiantly, while her father merely smiled innocently. The Princess offered them their steaming cups of tea, waiting until they had taken the first sip before speaking.
"As you have been a valuable ally for my father over the years, and one of his favored subjects, I decided I would hold this conversation privately, or, well, as privately as possible" Azula said, her eyes drifting towards Hahn briefly "But the situation has certainly escalated enough as it is, and I need to put a stop to it, however I can. Breaking and entering in someone's house is a very serious crime, regardless if only slaves live there, so…"
"Breaking and entering?" Gao repeated, eyes wide "Well, yes, it sounds like a serious crime indeed. But we've had no such incidents… is it there's a new crime spree in the city?"
"No, no such thing" said Azula, sighing and placing a creased paper on the table before them. She avoided looking at Hina for now, watching her father's reaction instead "This paper was found in my gladiator's room only three days ago. We had been abroad, upon our return he found the front door was ajar…"
"Someone broke into his home?" Gao gasped "That's terrible! Did they steal anything?"
"Not quite" Azula said, shaking her head "It seems they were trying to leave messages instead. Not-exactly-cryptic messages, too. This was only one of the gifts they left behind. The other…"
Hina gasped when Azula moved her hand to her pocket. Only now did Azula look at the girl, raising an eyebrow defiantly. The anxiety in her eyes was plain and clear.
"The other has been destroyed" Azula said finally, and Hina seemed both aghast and relieved at once "By my gladiator's request"
"W-what? By his request?" Hina said, looking at Azula in disbelief "That's absurd! He's a man, he would've…!"
"Hina?"
The girl covered her mouth with a hand quickly, looking at her father in chagrin. Gao's jaw had dropped as he looked at his daughter, who finally seemed ashamed about something. Azula decided to take that as a small victory, for the time being.
"And here I thought it'd be harder to make you confess…" Azula said. Hina huffed and glared at the Princess.
"I'm confessing to nothing! You have no evidence!" Hina declared. Azula raised an eyebrow.
"So, you didn't write this?" she asked, pointing at the paper "If I found a sample of your handwriting it wouldn't match this note, would it?"
"It's outrageous that… that you'd accuse me immediately" Hina huffed "He has lots of fans, heaps of them! Why would you assume it was me?"
"Because, out of his heaps of fans, you're the only one whom he encountered at the Ball" Azula said "He told me as much, and he was certain you were the only one who would have written anything like this. He didn't talk to other women that night either, in case you were going to use that as a potential alibi too, seeing as he retired from the Ball barely half an hour after your conversation"
Hina scowled, shaking her head in disbelief. Her father groaned, rubbing his forehead with his fingertips.
"Hina, why would you do this…?" he bemoaned, but his daughter seemed determined to ignore him.
"You may say I have no alibi, but your claims about him don't mean much to me" Hina declared, proudly "If all this is true, I'd hear it from him. If he wants nothing to do with me, he doesn't have to use you as a messenger. He ought to tell me what he feels or doesn't feel, right to my face"
"Ah, and if he does that, you'll leave him alone at last?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows with interest. Hina huffed.
"He won't do it" she said. Azula rolled her eyes.
"Just how well do you think you know him, Hina, really?" she asked "You've admired him at a distance, idealized him because, I don't know, because he's good-looking, I assume? Why do you like him, truly? It boggles the mind…"
"It's not mind-boggling at all!" Hina exclaimed, blushing "He's exotic, and handsome, and a true man!"
"A true man?" Azula smiled, amused "By nobility's standards, you mean? I guess you weren't paying much attention during the Ball because if you had, his table manners would've dissuaded you from thinking so highly of him right away…"
"M-manners can be learned!" Hina declared stubbornly "I've watched so many of his fights, and he's a gladiator like no other, humble and kind, and…! He helps even his enemies, like he did with The Wraith! He dragged her out of the smoke bomb's area, so she wouldn't suffocate! He's a true man, a good man!"
"And it never has occurred to you that maybe this is all… a stage performance?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows "That maybe this very gentlemanly behavior of his is merely his gladiator persona? That, outside the ring, he might just be very different from that?"
"Different how?" Hina huffed. Azula shrugged.
"Different, as in, basking in the life I've provided for him" she said "Doesn't sound humble, does it? As for how nice he is to his enemies? He nearly killed one of them only a few weeks back. You could confirm it with the League's authorities, if you won't give my words any credit. And you're so sure he wouldn't have done away with your und-… uh, your other gift to him, when he was utterly repulsed by it and desperate to be rid of it. Don't you think you've created yourself one very fancy fantasy about him, with no bearing on reality?"
"You… you said it yourself" Hina said, her eyes narrow now "I give your words no credit. You've been… for all these years, you've treated him poorly, you've made him fear you! He's a slave, he's too scared to turn his back on you because you must have threatened him into behaving exactly as you want him to, so…"
"Well, if something proves you know nothing about him, that certainly does it" Azula laughed, shaking her head as she finally found a chance to stop using half-truths about Sokka to scare Hina away from him "As if threatening that man into doing anything would possibly work…"
"Say what you will, I know I'm right!" Hina declared "You're an oppressor, but I…! I will set him free from you! He deserves better!"
"Set him free? How, exactly?" Azula asked, smirking "Are you going to break into his house again at night, try to drag him out so you can run away together into the horizon? I question you could so much as wake him up before he beheads you out of sheer instinct. Having his house broken into has done a number on him, I've never seen him so paranoid…"
"Lies!" Hina said, her face red now with anger. Azula didn't seem fazed by her raised voice "He'd never do that!"
"Well, be my guest and try it, just don't expect me to mourn you much if my prediction comes true" Azula said, shrugging. Hina huffed.
"It won't, because that's not what I'm going to do anyways!" she said "I… I'm going to marry him!"
"You WHAT?!" Gao exclaimed. He had remained silent as their back-and-forth unfolded, but suddenly it seemed the conversation concerned him again "Now, Hina, I never agreed to this!"
"Oh, please, Father, I'm your youngest daughter" Hina rolled her eyes "I'm not going to inherit anything important, the least you can do is let me marry whoever I want! And he's who I want!"
This time Azula's response wasn't controlled, wasn't carefully planned into perfection: her eyes widened. and she looked at Hina with surprised indignation. Her stomach burned at the sound of those words: no, Hina absolutely wasn't going to marry Sokka. And yet that the woman would speak those words with such certainty was just obnoxious enough to make the Princess see red, if just for a short while.
"Marry him?" she repeated, the vitriol in her voice surprising everyone in the room. She tried to mask it with a bark of laughter, but she wasn't sure that had done the trick "Well, you certainly are forward. And yet I have no idea how you'd possibly achieve that: he is, like you said, a slave. You're not going to find any sages in the Capital who would allow you to wed, and for starters, I can't imagine Sokka would ever agree to this"
"Of course not, you think you've brainwashed him enough, but you'll see you're wrong" Hina declared "He just doesn't know how to stand up to you because you're a terrifying bender! But as soon as he knows he has something else to live for…!"
"He has plenty to live for, mind you. He's simply smart enough to know his goals are best achieved by working with someone powerful" Azula said, with a skeptical smile.
"Oh, say what you will, it makes no matter… I know you won't authorize me to marry him, so I'll make things easier: I'll buy him" she said, curtly. And now Azula laughed again, looking at Hina as though the woman had lost her mind.
"You'll buy him? You just said you're the youngest daughter! What sort of money could you possibly have? Worse yet, whatever you do have most definitely won't be enough to afford him…" Azula said, shaking her head as she continued to laugh in disbelief. Hina gritted her teeth, indignant to see the Princess shutting down her ideas.
"I'm merely going to pay enough for you to get another slave, seeing as that's all you care for!" Hina declared "Once you have another gladiator you can relinquish him, and…!"
"You really think he's replaceable?" Azula asked, raising her eyebrows "Might as well ask you to find another Water Tribesman to fetishize, if that's how it is. If you expect Sokka to be that easily exchanged for someone else, go ahead and do it yourself…"
"I…! How dare you?! Fetishize?!" Hina repeated.
"Not even if you made your father sell his entire estate would you ever have enough money to buy him. That's final" Azula said, curtly. Hina's outrage was on the rise, but she seemed speechless now.
Yet it wasn't Gao who spoke next, even though he seemed tempted to do so, if just to apologize for his daughter's ceaseless insolence. Hina heard footsteps behind her, but she didn't register them until Hahn spoke:
"Wait, Princess… just a moment" he said, amusement in his voice "A man like that, worth so much? You must jest. Surely with whatever sum they could provide you with, you'd find a gladiator worthier of a Princess like yourself…"
"I don't believe I asked for your opinion on this subject, did I, Hahn?" Azula said, with a sarcastic grin "I told you to wait, and wait you shall"
"I would, but… Princess, really" said Hahn, sighing "Can't you reach a compromise, perhaps? Let her marry him, but keep him as your gladiator anyways?"
"Oh, certainly, because he'll do a grand job as a fighter when he's being distracted by wives and who knows what" Azula said, rolling her eyes "Ridiculous. There's an obvious reason why he's never had any relationships of the sort, and it's because it would be utterly inconvenient for him. He'd never be as good a gladiator as he is if he had other matters to deal with, such as a home to provide for. Not happening"
"Then…" said Hahn, sighing and biting his lip "I guess I have another idea. One I'm suspecting the lady Hina would be pleased by"
Hina had to be genuinely starved for male attention, Azula thought: she had been raging mad only instants ago, but after being addressed as 'lady Hina' her expression shifted into utter bliss as she gazed at Hahn with apparently innocent, wide eyes. The Princess shook her head and sighed.
"I'm going to regret this, aren't I? What is it?" she said.
"The lady Hina can sponsor me, if she so wishes" Hahn said. Azula's eyebrow twitched and she looked at Hahn with confusion.
"Wait just a moment…" she started.
"As we agreed, I would need to defeat your gladiator in order to marry you" said Hahn, smirking "So, say… if the lady Hina wishes to marry your gladiator, she can sponsor me. If I win… then I shall marry you, and she shall marry him, and everyone will be all the merrier. Right?"
"What the…? That's madness!" Azula exclaimed, looking at Hahn in disbelief. Hahn chuckled.
"But you said I needed a willing sponsor, and here's a willing one, I presume…" Hahn said, smiling at Hina, who now gazed at him as though he was a birthday gift she had coveted all her life.
"Yes! Oh, that's brilliant!" Hina exclaimed, jumping to her feet "You absolutely have the right idea, yes you do!"
"Oh, for crying out loud, no!" Azula said. Hahn hummed condescendingly "I can't accept this absurd idea either! It's…!"
"Now, now, Princess… like I said, you told me to get a sponsor, I did. And as far as I'm aware, you're not exactly allowed to decline challenges that involve your hand in marriage, are you?" Hahn asked, with a clever smirk "So… I'd say this is perfect. The perfect arrangement for all of us"
Azula glared at Hahn, but he genuinely seemed proud of what he'd done. No threatening glares from the Princess would faze him now.
"You're really setting yourself up for a lifetime of misery if you win, you know?" Azula said. Hahn's enthusiasm waned momentarily "If I ended up marrying you, after this? You'll regret it"
"Well… it wouldn't be the first marriage I regret" Hahn said, shrugging "But I'm hoping you'll reconsider matters before it comes to that"
"Curses, this is ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous" Azula growled, pushing herself to her feet and shaking her head as she moved to the door "But… fine. Fine. If this is how it's going to be, brilliant! Go ahead, play sponsor and gladiator for a few days, I'll arrange a private fight between you and my gladiator at the Grand Royal Dome by the end of the week…"
"You will, then? You'll agree to these terms?" Hahn smirked. Hina giggled happily. Azula huffed.
"Oh, you're right, and you know that you are" Azula said "I can't decline a challenge of this nature. Not on these terms, anyhow. So… sure. Fine. I'll do this. But as you're her gladiator now, she'll be responsible you from now on. I had been willing to host you before, but now? After this? Not a chance. A sponsor is supposed to look after her gladiator, so you're going home with her"
"I'll take better care of him than you ever could" Hina declared, proudly. Hahn chuckled behind her. Azula glared at them pointedly.
"You're both really sure this is going to turn out to your favor, aren't you?" she asked. The words gave both Hina and Hahn pause "Just keep in mind, though… I'll allow you to get what you want if you win. But if you lose… if you lose, you'll be sorry to have pushed me this far. You wouldn't be the first noble whose life I obliterate through a gladiator fight"
Azula's glare bore into Hina's brown eyes, and despite her best efforts to stand her ground, the Princess's rage did intimidate Hina slightly. The girl shrunk somewhat, but Azula turned to Hahn next.
"As for you… you'd better hope you win. You really should hope so" she said "Because if you fail… forget buying yourself any privileges and luxuries with that secret of yours. You've just guaranteed turning me into your enemy just as much as Admiral Zhao is right now"
"Now, now, Princess…" said Hahn, smiling, but Azula opened the door forcibly and stepped outside, looking for any servants she could send for Rui Shi.
"Goodness, Hina, what have you done?" Gao groaned behind them, looking at his daughter hopelessly. Hina raised her head proudly, folding her arms over her chest.
"I'm sorry, Father, but this is what I wish to do" she said "You've wanted me to make something of my life, right? Well, this is how I shall do so!"
"But a gladiator? That's not the kind of man you should marry, even if it's a royal gladiator!" Gao cried out. Hahn chuckled.
"Sadly, true" said Hahn "But the heart wants what the heart wants, isn't that right?"
Azula shot Hahn a glare upon hearing those words. What he wanted had absolutely nothing to do with his heart's desires, unless that was where his greed was located. As for Hina, it was clear her loins were the ones making all the decisions for her instead.
Rui Shi showed up before Azula was tempted to weigh in on Hahn's philosophical monologue about letting Hina do exactly as she wished. The former captain was cautious upon seeing the look of pure rage on his charge's face.
"Shall I escort them to the exit?"
"All of them" Azula said, with a dry grin "It was a very fruitful meeting, Hahn's leaving with them too"
"I see" said Rui Shi, nodding "Well, then, follow me"
Hina seemed quite satisfied, and she gave Azula a proud smirk before following Rui Shi. Hahn bowed his head towards the Princess, apparently unaffected by her clear hostility.
"I guess I'll see you again by week's end, Princess" he said. Azula scoffed.
"If I have my way, it shall be the last time you do" she said.
Her words were ominous, but Hahn smiled as he dismissed the threat entirely. He followed Hina and Gao, still pleased by the meeting's outcome. Perhaps he wouldn't stay in the Palace right away, but it was only a matter of time…
Azula watched them as Rui Shi led her dismissed guests: they soon turned a corner and were gone from view. Even then, she waited. She waited for five minutes until they had disappeared, for it had to be enough for them to be out of the Palace's premises, or close to be…
And then she smiled. She smiled with abandon, even laughing as she shook her head and raced to the Palace's South Wing.
She wasn't surprised to hear her dragon grumbling, let alone to hear a male voice answering his grumbles moments later. She smiled and waited by the door, willfully eavesdropping on their conversation.
"… Grunting and growling like that's how you protect your territory, then?" Sokka was asking. Xin Long answered that it was indeed the way to do so, and Azula snorted when Sokka seemed to understand his meaning, even without a mental bond "Gotcha. The next time a creeper tries to break into my house, I'll make sure to growl real loud. At least she'll think I'm crazy and run because of that, right?"
Xin Long rolled on the ground and laughed, leading Sokka to smile at the dragon's goofy behavior. He shook his head and reached out to scratch Xin Long's mane just as Azula stepped into view.
"Or, you know, you could just drop by and play the watchdog, or watchdragon, at my house, huh?" Sokka suggested next, without noticing Azula yet "Nothing's scarier than a big, mean dragon, right?"
Xing Long nodded and made to hiss menacingly, but upon realizing Azula had arrived his behavior changed radically into what looked like childish glee. Sokka didn't need to ask himself why the dragon was acting this way: his head whipped around immediately to find his smiling sponsor staring at them.
"I think we may yet come up with something even scarier than that, if we try hard enough" Azula said. Sokka's eyes gleamed with hope as he scrambled to his feet, without breaking their eye-contact.
"What happened? How did it go? You're smiling, so…" he said, swallowing hard.
Azula smirked and nodded. Sokka sighed in relief and nearly collapsed on the ground all over again. He settled for kneeling, laughing in relief as Azula stepped towards him cupping his cheeks.
"They made it so much easier than I thought it'd be" she smirked "Faster, too. Hahn fell for it immediately, the fool seriously thinks he stands a chance against you in a fight…"
"And Hina?" Sokka asked, looking at Azula desperately "Did you figure out what I need to do to piss her off enough to…?"
"Oh, I have plenty of ammunition as it is" Azula smirked "But things turned out better yet… I had hoped, perhaps, that Hahn might spontaneously ask Gao to sponsor him. Hahn doesn't know a lot of people who would be willing to do that, so I thought he'd leap at the chance as soon as he met a nobleman that wasn't Zhao…"
"Did he, then?" Sokka asked, swallowing hard. Azula shook her head.
"He surprised me, truly. He asked Hina instead" Azula said, breathing deeply "Mainly because she had the gall to decide she'd marry you, so…"
"Huh?! Absolutely not!" Sokka nearly squeaked, jumping to his feet and looking at Azula in horror. She laughed and shook her head.
"Calm down, silly" she said, clasping his hands with her own "We have everything we need. You're not going to lose against Hahn, now, are you?"
"Like hell I would" Sokka growled now, eyes narrowing "I've wanted to give him a beating for a while, anyhow…"
"Then, as long as you play your part, we'll be rid of Hina for good" said Azula, proudly "He's off with her, too, so…"
"So, if we've measured her right…" said Sokka. Azula nodded.
"And I'm quite sure that we did" she said "But indeed, if so, there's a pretty good chance Hahn will do half the job for us, without even knowing it…"
"If this works, Azula…" Sokka said, finally smiling as he looked at her in disbelief "Curses, if this works, I'll be in even more awe of you, which I thought impossible by now…"
"Ah, nothing's impossible if you try hard enough" Azula said, smugly "We won't be complacent, though. Say, how far are you willing to go to get rid of Hina's pestering?"
"How far?" Sokka repeated, raising his eyebrows.
"I'm not asking you to kill Hahn, obviously" Azula laughed "But… the part you'll have to play will require you to behave a certain way. I just want to make sure you'll be comfortable with that…"
"You'd already warned me this might get dark" Sokka said, sighing "Will it be comfortable? Doubtful. But if it's necessary, I'm up for it. You know I am"
Azula breathed in and nodded. Sokka smiled a little, and she seemed to find courage in his grin, enough to imitate him with her own.
"Then… shall we head to the Grand Royal Dome?" she asked "I think we have a new fight to schedule, gladiator"
"Lead the way, Princess" Sokka smirked. She laughed as they walked to Xin Long's saddle together, the seeds of their plan finally ready to bear fruit.
It had been far too long since Azula had indulged in a manipulative scheme on her terms. She enjoyed the thrill of watching every step of her plan falling into place, the feeling of power that rushed through her when she proved capable of not only predicting others, but of directing them into making the exact mistakes she needed them to make. Mistakes they never recognized as such until it was too late to fix what had gone wrong.
But with Hahn and Hina, Azula had every intention to keep them from realizing there were any mistakes, altogether. Her main plan would work, one way or another, but their main goal would be scaring Hina away from Sokka for good, and after the success of today's meeting, she was starting to suspect that would be a lot easier than she had originally expected. She hadn't forgotten her father's mission either: Hahn would find himself spilling the truth as well before he knew it, even if he didn't realize it just yet.
They had six days before the week ended: six days before they efficiently resolved three different problems through a single gladiator fight.