The 11th managed to come across and shepherd four refugee trains leaving the colonies in just a week of ranging with no further incident. Kai was honestly relieved that no further trouble was encountered during the whole thing, even if some of the others - the lieutenants that were recruited from ostracized families in particular - were keen to prove their worth.
Going back to Ba Sing Se was something that was a bit overdue, in the lieutenant colonel’s opinion. Even with the Fire Nation armies needing time to deploy, the city state was too vast, and required time for its defenses to be prepared.
Heh. Fire Nation armies.
What did that make the Xing and the 11th? What did that make the princess?
Were they still Fire Nation, or something else? Kai didn’t like the term ‘rebels’ much.
Eh, he’ll leave it for the prince and princess to decide. They’re the brilliant young leaders after all, they’ll think of something.
Speaking of which, Kai also noted a peculiarity in the princess. The brittle confidence that she forced upon herself was still there, but the lieutenant colonel noticed moments of awkwardness in her. Especially as she hung about with her friends.
And come to think of it, the girl Ty Lee also seemed skittish… Before, she was bouncing with annoying bubbly energy, but recently there’s a nervousness in her.
Suki, the Kyoshi Warrior, also became more…stoic. Reserved. Her change was the most noticeable, probably because she was the least trained in obfuscating like Fire Nation nobility.
If Kai had to guess, the girls got into a fight of sorts. But then they still hung out together. Almost clung onto each other, in fact. Ping had her suspicions, but the captain didn’t elaborate any further. It was annoying, but it was a good enough sign for Kai. That meant it wasn’t anything too serious that’d jeopardize Xing or the 11th.
He’ll probably have to figure out a way to (literally) tease out the details from Ren once they got back, because the two captains are bound to share shit like this among themselves.
In the meantime, all Kai could do was keep watch and settle into his promotion. Being second-in-command was interesting, but it was more tedious than Mozi made it out to be. It amounted to what felt like chores to keep the regiment running, constantly ticking off lists in Kai’s head to ensure that nothing was left out and the wheels of the 11th ran smoothly.
He now also had to serve as Mozi’s sounding board in just about everything. And Mozi was far from the mischievous Xing of the past who grinned as he kept his inside jokes or proposed ridiculous ideas. Mozi was usually utterly straightlaced, unless he was being swamped by Earth Kingdom women anyways. Sure he gave faint smiles and smirks when Kai tried cracking jokes, but unless the matter’s really important or someone stepped on the wrong toes (Xing, the princess and the regiment being three of them), the colonel was content to be as minimalistic with his emotions as possible.
Those qualities made for a solid and reliable friend off duty, but boy did that also make Mozi a boring superior to work with.
Or was Kai just spoiled being a captain dealing with Xing’s madness all this while? Hm…
They encountered their final group of refugees on the way back to Ba Sing Se. Interestingly, they were all mounted on either ostrich horses, komodo rhinos, or the wagons that the beasts pulled. And animals and wagons alike bore the ubiquitous green emblem of the Cabbage Trading Company. In fact, its owner, the man Kai once knew as Je-Choi the humble cabbage merchant, was taking up the rear on his own ostrich horse.
The refugees cheered at the sight of Princess Azula, while many of the 11th broke into grins at the sight of an old friend.
“Hail, Princess Azula!” The cabbage merchant was about to lead the crowd in kneeling as old courtesies demanded, but the princess waved it off.
“No, we can skip the formalities. The day is still young, and all of you, all of us, need to get to safety.” Princess Azula then fixed her attention on the Je-Choi. “I see that my investment in you has paid off.”
The food magnate bowed deeply. “I have prospered much thanks to your highness’ rule and gift, it would be most rude to not repay some of the debt when I am able to. I have sent orders to my branches and warehouses throughout the colonies, the provisions owned by my company will either find its way to Ba Sing Se, or it will be destroyed to deny the invaders.”
Kai and the other officers nodded at the man’s impressive show of support. Je-Choi has opted to fully throw his lot in with Azula, even though he was technically Earth Kingdom. Kai doubted that most Fire Nation traders right now would have any qualms serving both sides if they could.
Even the princess was mightily impressed by his dedication. “Once we make it past this ugly chapter, I’ll make sure Xing finds something for you in Ba Sing Se, if you’re interested in it. A position, or exclusive trading rights, at the very least.”
“Your highness is, as usual, most gracious.”
By allocating the bountiful transports for the old, the young, and the infirm, the massive group made faster time towards safety. Spirits were high among soldiers and refugees alike. Kai got to sample the cabbage merchant’s latest iteration of pickled cabbages, spiced and boiled into a damned hearty soup with komodo rhino tail and various forms of sweet nuts. The juicy, taste-loaded crunchiness of the vege as he bit into it was almost sublime.
The princess and her friends might not understand the sheer brilliance of the cabbage merchant, but for Kai and his colleagues - even Mozi, after spending years mostly living off foraged and donated foodstuff, the 11th acquired a more refined palate for the simple and ubiquitous cabbage, especially with how it easily ascended beyond just a crunchy green when cooked with the right ingredients.
Even when it would otherwise be down to roots and bark, Je-Choi appeared with his cabbages to save the regiment. If there were a cabbage spirit out there, the 11th would be venerating it fervently at this point.
They savored the fantastical new dishes from Je-Choi right up until Ba Sing Se’s walls came into view. Already with just a week’s time, some obvious changes had been enacted. The breaches Xing made to the wall remained, and though it was still undergoing tidying up to serve as main gates, jagged triangular pieces of wall now jutted out, looming over the openings like fangs of a maw that were waiting to be dropped onto the entrances.
Up on the walls itself, Kai had to squint to make out the dots that he later realized were Fire Nation-styled trebuchets, and as they got closer to the city, slits now lined the wall at regular intervals somewhere about halfway up the massive walls. Once they reached the breach-turned-gates itself, Kai had to let out an impressive whistle as he saw earthbenders slowly scooping out trenches and molding spiky barriers. A stream of common laborers carted in sheets of metal, for purposes that escaped Kai at the moment.
Xing was taking the security of the city seriously. Even if any force somehow took the walls, The three breaches were the only way to secure a supply line into the city without wasting precious time. According to Yama, even earthbenders would need time in lowering sections of the wall, time that had to be spent fully concentrating on earthbending and could be easily interrupted by simple things like fire bolts and arrows.
So the holes in the walls were now points of utmost importance in accessing Ba Sing Se, and rather than block them up, Xing was making them unignorable points to be fought over.
Pity the Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom fools that were forced to play with whatever toys he had cooked up.
Ba Sing Se’s collaborating soldiers welcomed them in, their once green and yellow uniforms now brightened up with red pauldrons and helmets. With the threat of an approaching invasion, the formerly defanged soldiers were fully kitted out again, some sporting mail undershirts that gave additional protection to their usually exposed armpits.
Work didn’t stop when Princess Azula arrived at the entrance, though many paused just for a moment to catch a glimpse of her. A couple of squads from 1st Battalion formed themselves up around her and her friends as a security detail. This time, orders were to not hold back in case of any surprise attacks.
A welcoming party of administrators came out to greet them, kneeling . “Princess, welcome back to Ba Sing Se. We are all glad of your safe return. Prince Xing is busy with several matters at the moment, but he promises to meet you at the palace gates.”
Kai wasn’t the only officer frowning when he caught the wince from not just the princess, but both her friends as well.
Was it something that happened during her escape from the royal palace? Did someone actually dare?
Mozi sent a subtle glance at Ping, who gave the barest of nods in acknowledgement. They needed more information. If someone hurt the 11th’s royal patron, heads will be slowly grilled before they roll.
*****
Each step closer to the palace felt heavier for Azula. She had to consciously tell herself to take slow breaths, and remind herself that her Xing was far more rational and collected than everyone in the royal family combined.
Except for the moments when someone or something stoked his wrath. The 11th’s imaginative cruelty was all him, after all.
Why did Ty Lee kiss her?
Why did Azula let her?
And worse, why didn’t she mind the contact at all? Did she like it? But Xing-
No, this wasn’t helping matters. The princess stared ahead as she mentally put a lid over her panicking self. She was a damned princess, damnit. An exiled one, but still.
Ty Lee had assured her that Xing still cared, would always care. But Ty Lee also suddenly gave her a kiss…
Azula almost froze as she realized they’d reached the palace gates. Xing was there, walking over with a bright smile.
Why was she feeling ashamed?
Her legs felt stiff and wooden as she forced them onwards towards him. She stopped right as he did, and watched as her Xing put on a playful smirk as he bowed. “Welcome back, my princess.”
His princess. Was she his princess?
“Ah…it’s good to be back, Xing,” Azula mustered just in time. She even found her old brittle mask of confidence. “I’m glad that after the…foolishness from my father, I can still rely on you.”
But will she though, after this?
“The Fire Lord tries to kill his own brother to frame me. Along with his other questionable decrees, especially in denouncing you, there is only one path to take.”
It took almost all the princess had to give a smooth nod. “Welcome home, Princess Azula.”
As the brief welcoming ceremony was done with, she very nearly rushed to Xing’s side. “I’d like a moment of your time Xing. A discreet moment.”
“As you wish, my princess.”
She didn’t care that he noticed something was off. What was important was that he immediately agreed and offered an arm to escort her into the palace.
“Suki, Ty Lee, with me.”
Her prince gave her a curious and concerned look. “Everything alright, Azula?” he asked softly.
Azula drew in a breath, held it for a few seconds, and then exhaled the answer out. “I…I don’t…I don’t think so.”
She felt Xing tense up and heard his voice turn cold. “Does it require certain operations?”
“No. No, Xing.”
His genuine worry weighed at Azula, but she willed herself to follow him into the deeper hallways of the palace and into a quiet study room.
Suki and Ty Lee waited outside, with the bodyguards.
“This room is secure, my princess,” Xing said as the door was locked behind him. “Did someone hurt you? Do I have to prepare an execution team?”
Could she lie? No.
She was a princess. His princess…for now. Xing needed to know. She needed him to know.
So she could get on to pleading for forgiveness. Would she grovel like she made Zuko do?
Would he be as gentle with her as he was with her brother? Or would he be as she was to Zuko?
Would Azula be denounced not only by her father, but her fiance? Her beloved?
Azula took in another steadying breath to stop her thoughts from spiraling out of control. She then fixed her gaze on her Xing, and forced herself to disgorge everything to him. Her pathetic breakdown. Ty Lee stopping her from falling. The other girl’s gentle touch and words. The kiss. The aftermath. Suki’s interruption.
How it happened, how it felt. Everything.
Cold relief flooded the princess as she let it all out. Surprisingly, she managed to keep most of her composure, her voice cracking a little and the muscles of her face contorting into grimaces of regret and disgust, but her vision was clear. Something held her back from bawling in front of Xing.
Maybe she wanted to keep what little dignity she had left before he cast her out.
“And that’s it,” Azula finished with a heavy sigh.
Xing didn’t react throughout the whole debriefing, his face fixed into a faint frown. Even now, as she waited with trepidation, his mask didn’t change much.
“So…Ty Lee kissed you,” he finally said.
“I…I let her,” she agreed.
“Did you?” Xing’s frown deepened. But Azula felt no hostility behind his gaze. “And that’s it?”
“What’s it?”
“Did you and her-”
“No.”
“And that’s all. There’s nothing else you want to tell me?”
Azula shook her head, feeling the tension build up in her core. “No. That’s it.”
A wry smirk appeared out of thin air on Xing’s face. “So this is not the part where you tell me that you’ve decided you prefer girls instead, and we have to negotiate a purely political relationship moving forwards?”
Azula almost fell over at the absurd words. “What? No!”
“No sudden realization that you find me repulsive to be intimate with-”
She folded her arms in front of her. “No.”
“You’re not going to ask me to sleep on another bed while you share one wi-”
“Xing.”
He raised his hands placatingly, the smirk growing a little. “Just making sure.” Xing then closed the distance and held her hands, and Azula found that she really missed his strong, comforting grip. “Tell me, honestly, my princess… When you kissed, and when your friend almost kissed you a second time… Did I cross your mind at all?”
“I…” Azula gulped, unable to turn away from her prince’s deep gaze. “I didn’t,” she admitted in a whimper. “I’m sorry.”
“I should be fortunate that Ty Lee’s a girl,” Xing said with clearly forced levity.
Surprisingly, he then pulled her in for a tight hug, and the princess found herself starting to shake. “I’m glad you’re safe,” was all he said, but somehow she felt his disappointment and relief leach into her, and Azula began to tremble even more. And then finally, her composure cracked.
“I’m sorry, Xing…” she found herself croaking out hoarsely as her vision blurred from the tears. “I’m sorry.”
*****
The long wait was unsettling. Ty Lee fought the urge to fidget as her nerves gnawed at her conscience. Days after that fateful moment, with enough time to herself thanks to Azula insisting on maintaining an awkward not-really-distance between them, the realization of what Ty Lee had done with Azula began to really settle in.
Oh, she didn’t regret following the impulse to kiss her friend…at first. She didn’t mind at all how nice Azula’s lips felt. It was a very nice first kiss, all things considered, and in the first couple of days after that, Ty Lee found it hard to not think about feeling those lips again. Or perhaps maybe more…
Did she like Azula? Really like her? Ty Lee genuinely didn’t know. It was apparent that the old, nastier Azula had been reforged or refocused into someone…better. The princess was also pretty and brilliant by any measure, and the change she underwent had made her a much more interesting person to hang out with.
And that kiss had been something…
So Ty Lee liked Azula, but she didn’t desire her. Not insofar as to envy Xing for being her fiance; she was actually glad that the two were together. They made a good pair.
Except that Ty Lee also found herself looking forward to getting more time to…further explore her fondness with Azula. If permitted. Which leads to the current problem, the problem of Ty Lee kissing Azula (almost twice) without the princess’ fiance’s knowing.
Which counted as not a very nice move.
Plays and songs were written around such premises. Plays and songs that mostly ended with someone dying. Ty Lee did not want either her, Azula, or Xing to be pitied in songs or on stage.
Which more or less led to this moment.
After an eternity of stewing in her thoughts, the door opened, and Xing’s head popped out. “Ty Lee, please join us inside.”
There were no signs of angry reds around him, but the prince carried a worrying band of steely gray in his aura. Ty Lee kept herself calm as she quietly nodded and entered the office.
Azula’s eyes were red as she exuded relief, and Xing had wet patches on his robe’s shoulder area. They both seemed calm enough, but the prince of Ba Sing Se fixed Ty Lee with an unnervingly hard but bland stare.
“Ty Lee.”
“Yes, Xing- Uh, Prince Xing?”
“You’ve been accused of attempting to seduce my fiance.”
Ty Lee gulped before she nodded with all seriousness. “I…did.” It almost took her a second to remember the words. “B-But it was a reckless action. I got carried away, and I wasn’t thinking when I-”
She snapped her mouth shut when Xing raised his hand. He was a font of neutral gray, but there were wisps of yellow anger and cyan relief leaking into his aura. Not enough for Ty Lee to form a decent prediction of the outcome, which admittedly made her way more nervous.
Please let Azula be right about this.
The prince squared up before her, and Ty Lee was almost tempted to take a step back before his steely gaze. “You are Azula’s friend. A trusted friend…once. But you broke that trust by taking advantage of her.”
Ty Lee only nodded silently, grateful to notice Xing addressing her friendship with Azula in present tense.
“You are her friend,” he repeated, “and right now, my princess cannot afford to lose her friends. But I cannot trust you to be with her alone.”
“I understand.”
Xing let out a sigh, and for that brief moment the grayness around him flickered into a prism of warring emotions. “So, Ty Lee. To avoid unnecessary…controversy at this precarious moment, I’m hereby promoting you to a training instructor. ”
Training instructor? Well, it’s much better than court entertainer or mealtime dancer or such…
“You’ll be responsible for introducing your skills into a select number of the palace staff. Staff who could use your agility in their work.”
Xing let out another weary sigh. “You may continue to socialize with Azula in public as your friendship is well known. But outside of that, any time spent with her will be…regulated... Assuming you have the time anyway, once you start your duties.”
“I understand, Xing.”
He gave her a slow nod before turning to the other person in the room. “Azula?”
The princess looked unwaveringly at him and managed a faint smile. “I…I thank you for your decision, Xing.” And she meant it too, Ty Lee clearly saw.
It could’ve gone a lot worse. Like Ty Lee being forced to take the ‘run away until things cool down’ option that they discussed about days ago.
But this was good, more than good enough. She still gets to hang out with Azula (under supervision, probably), while at the same time getting the chance to win over Xing and his people’s trust as more than just the princess’ childhood friend. Then figure out a way to become Azula’s handmaiden or something, with Xing’s permission of course.
And, a niggling thought squirmed at the back of her head, maybe she’d get to ‘balance out the scales’ with Xing later. Azula had presented that as an option - albeit one of the more desperate ones. Who knows, maybe the prince’s lips might be as good as the princess’.
The 11th managed to come across and shepherd four refugee trains leaving the colonies in just a week of ranging with no further incident. Kai was honestly relieved that no further trouble was encountered during the whole thing, even if some of the others - the lieutenants that were recruited from ostracized families in particular - were keen to prove their worth.
Going back to Ba Sing Se was something that was a bit overdue, in the lieutenant colonel’s opinion. Even with the Fire Nation armies needing time to deploy, the city state was too vast, and required time for its defenses to be prepared.
Heh. Fire Nation armies.
What did that make the Xing and the 11th? What did that make the princess?
Were they still Fire Nation, or something else? Kai didn’t like the term ‘rebels’ much.
Eh, he’ll leave it for the prince and princess to decide. They’re the brilliant young leaders after all, they’ll think of something.
Speaking of which, Kai also noted a peculiarity in the princess. The brittle confidence that she forced upon herself was still there, but the lieutenant colonel noticed moments of awkwardness in her. Especially as she hung about with her friends.
And come to think of it, the girl Ty Lee also seemed skittish… Before, she was bouncing with annoying bubbly energy, but recently there’s a nervousness in her.
Suki, the Kyoshi Warrior, also became more…stoic. Reserved. Her change was the most noticeable, probably because she was the least trained in obfuscating like Fire Nation nobility.
If Kai had to guess, the girls got into a fight of sorts. But then they still hung out together. Almost clung onto each other, in fact. Ping had her suspicions, but the captain didn’t elaborate any further. It was annoying, but it was a good enough sign for Kai. That meant it wasn’t anything too serious that’d jeopardize Xing or the 11th.
He’ll probably have to figure out a way to (literally) tease out the details from Ren once they got back, because the two captains are bound to share shit like this among themselves.
In the meantime, all Kai could do was keep watch and settle into his promotion. Being second-in-command was interesting, but it was more tedious than Mozi made it out to be. It amounted to what felt like chores to keep the regiment running, constantly ticking off lists in Kai’s head to ensure that nothing was left out and the wheels of the 11th ran smoothly.
He now also had to serve as Mozi’s sounding board in just about everything. And Mozi was far from the mischievous Xing of the past who grinned as he kept his inside jokes or proposed ridiculous ideas. Mozi was usually utterly straightlaced, unless he was being swamped by Earth Kingdom women anyways. Sure he gave faint smiles and smirks when Kai tried cracking jokes, but unless the matter’s really important or someone stepped on the wrong toes (Xing, the princess and the regiment being three of them), the colonel was content to be as minimalistic with his emotions as possible.
Those qualities made for a solid and reliable friend off duty, but boy did that also make Mozi a boring superior to work with.
Or was Kai just spoiled being a captain dealing with Xing’s madness all this while? Hm…
They encountered their final group of refugees on the way back to Ba Sing Se. Interestingly, they were all mounted on either ostrich horses, komodo rhinos, or the wagons that the beasts pulled. And animals and wagons alike bore the ubiquitous green emblem of the Cabbage Trading Company. In fact, its owner, the man Kai once knew as Je-Choi the humble cabbage merchant, was taking up the rear on his own ostrich horse.
The refugees cheered at the sight of Princess Azula, while many of the 11th broke into grins at the sight of an old friend.
“Hail, Princess Azula!” The cabbage merchant was about to lead the crowd in kneeling as old courtesies demanded, but the princess waved it off.
“No, we can skip the formalities. The day is still young, and all of you, all of us, need to get to safety.” Princess Azula then fixed her attention on the Je-Choi. “I see that my investment in you has paid off.”
The food magnate bowed deeply. “I have prospered much thanks to your highness’ rule and gift, it would be most rude to not repay some of the debt when I am able to. I have sent orders to my branches and warehouses throughout the colonies, the provisions owned by my company will either find its way to Ba Sing Se, or it will be destroyed to deny the invaders.”
Kai and the other officers nodded at the man’s impressive show of support. Je-Choi has opted to fully throw his lot in with Azula, even though he was technically Earth Kingdom. Kai doubted that most Fire Nation traders right now would have any qualms serving both sides if they could.
Even the princess was mightily impressed by his dedication. “Once we make it past this ugly chapter, I’ll make sure Xing finds something for you in Ba Sing Se, if you’re interested in it. A position, or exclusive trading rights, at the very least.”
“Your highness is, as usual, most gracious.”
By allocating the bountiful transports for the old, the young, and the infirm, the massive group made faster time towards safety. Spirits were high among soldiers and refugees alike. Kai got to sample the cabbage merchant’s latest iteration of pickled cabbages, spiced and boiled into a damned hearty soup with komodo rhino tail and various forms of sweet nuts. The juicy, taste-loaded crunchiness of the vege as he bit into it was almost sublime.
The princess and her friends might not understand the sheer brilliance of the cabbage merchant, but for Kai and his colleagues - even Mozi, after spending years mostly living off foraged and donated foodstuff, the 11th acquired a more refined palate for the simple and ubiquitous cabbage, especially with how it easily ascended beyond just a crunchy green when cooked with the right ingredients.
Even when it would otherwise be down to roots and bark, Je-Choi appeared with his cabbages to save the regiment. If there were a cabbage spirit out there, the 11th would be venerating it fervently at this point.
They savored the fantastical new dishes from Je-Choi right up until Ba Sing Se’s walls came into view. Already with just a week’s time, some obvious changes had been enacted. The breaches Xing made to the wall remained, and though it was still undergoing tidying up to serve as main gates, jagged triangular pieces of wall now jutted out, looming over the openings like fangs of a maw that were waiting to be dropped onto the entrances.
Up on the walls itself, Kai had to squint to make out the dots that he later realized were Fire Nation-styled trebuchets, and as they got closer to the city, slits now lined the wall at regular intervals somewhere about halfway up the massive walls. Once they reached the breach-turned-gates itself, Kai had to let out an impressive whistle as he saw earthbenders slowly scooping out trenches and molding spiky barriers. A stream of common laborers carted in sheets of metal, for purposes that escaped Kai at the moment.
Xing was taking the security of the city seriously. Even if any force somehow took the walls, The three breaches were the only way to secure a supply line into the city without wasting precious time. According to Yama, even earthbenders would need time in lowering sections of the wall, time that had to be spent fully concentrating on earthbending and could be easily interrupted by simple things like fire bolts and arrows.
So the holes in the walls were now points of utmost importance in accessing Ba Sing Se, and rather than block them up, Xing was making them unignorable points to be fought over.
Pity the Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom fools that were forced to play with whatever toys he had cooked up.
Ba Sing Se’s collaborating soldiers welcomed them in, their once green and yellow uniforms now brightened up with red pauldrons and helmets. With the threat of an approaching invasion, the formerly defanged soldiers were fully kitted out again, some sporting mail undershirts that gave additional protection to their usually exposed armpits.
Work didn’t stop when Princess Azula arrived at the entrance, though many paused just for a moment to catch a glimpse of her. A couple of squads from 1st Battalion formed themselves up around her and her friends as a security detail. This time, orders were to not hold back in case of any surprise attacks.
A welcoming party of administrators came out to greet them, kneeling . “Princess, welcome back to Ba Sing Se. We are all glad of your safe return. Prince Xing is busy with several matters at the moment, but he promises to meet you at the palace gates.”
Kai wasn’t the only officer frowning when he caught the wince from not just the princess, but both her friends as well.
Was it something that happened during her escape from the royal palace? Did someone actually dare?
Mozi sent a subtle glance at Ping, who gave the barest of nods in acknowledgement. They needed more information. If someone hurt the 11th’s royal patron, heads will be slowly grilled before they roll.
*****
Each step closer to the palace felt heavier for Azula. She had to consciously tell herself to take slow breaths, and remind herself that her Xing was far more rational and collected than everyone in the royal family combined.
Except for the moments when someone or something stoked his wrath. The 11th’s imaginative cruelty was all him, after all.
Why did Ty Lee kiss her?
Why did Azula let her?
And worse, why didn’t she mind the contact at all? Did she like it? But Xing-
No, this wasn’t helping matters. The princess stared ahead as she mentally put a lid over her panicking self. She was a damned princess, damnit. An exiled one, but still.
Ty Lee had assured her that Xing still cared, would always care. But Ty Lee also suddenly gave her a kiss…
Azula almost froze as she realized they’d reached the palace gates. Xing was there, walking over with a bright smile.
Why was she feeling ashamed?
Her legs felt stiff and wooden as she forced them onwards towards him. She stopped right as he did, and watched as her Xing put on a playful smirk as he bowed. “Welcome back, my princess.”
His princess. Was she his princess?
“Ah…it’s good to be back, Xing,” Azula mustered just in time. She even found her old brittle mask of confidence. “I’m glad that after the…foolishness from my father, I can still rely on you.”
But will she though, after this?
“The Fire Lord tries to kill his own brother to frame me. Along with his other questionable decrees, especially in denouncing you, there is only one path to take.”
It took almost all the princess had to give a smooth nod. “Welcome home, Princess Azula.”
As the brief welcoming ceremony was done with, she very nearly rushed to Xing’s side. “I’d like a moment of your time Xing. A discreet moment.”
“As you wish, my princess.”
She didn’t care that he noticed something was off. What was important was that he immediately agreed and offered an arm to escort her into the palace.
“Suki, Ty Lee, with me.”
Her prince gave her a curious and concerned look. “Everything alright, Azula?” he asked softly.
Azula drew in a breath, held it for a few seconds, and then exhaled the answer out. “I…I don’t…I don’t think so.”
She felt Xing tense up and heard his voice turn cold. “Does it require certain operations?”
“No. No, Xing.”
His genuine worry weighed at Azula, but she willed herself to follow him into the deeper hallways of the palace and into a quiet study room.
Suki and Ty Lee waited outside, with the bodyguards.
“This room is secure, my princess,” Xing said as the door was locked behind him. “Did someone hurt you? Do I have to prepare an execution team?”
Could she lie? No.
She was a princess. His princess…for now. Xing needed to know. She needed him to know.
So she could get on to pleading for forgiveness. Would she grovel like she made Zuko do?
Would he be as gentle with her as he was with her brother? Or would he be as she was to Zuko?
Would Azula be denounced not only by her father, but her fiance? Her beloved?
Azula took in another steadying breath to stop her thoughts from spiraling out of control. She then fixed her gaze on her Xing, and forced herself to disgorge everything to him. Her pathetic breakdown. Ty Lee stopping her from falling. The other girl’s gentle touch and words. The kiss. The aftermath. Suki’s interruption.
How it happened, how it felt. Everything.
Cold relief flooded the princess as she let it all out. Surprisingly, she managed to keep most of her composure, her voice cracking a little and the muscles of her face contorting into grimaces of regret and disgust, but her vision was clear. Something held her back from bawling in front of Xing.
Maybe she wanted to keep what little dignity she had left before he cast her out.
“And that’s it,” Azula finished with a heavy sigh.
Xing didn’t react throughout the whole debriefing, his face fixed into a faint frown. Even now, as she waited with trepidation, his mask didn’t change much.
“So…Ty Lee kissed you,” he finally said.
“I…I let her,” she agreed.
“Did you?” Xing’s frown deepened. But Azula felt no hostility behind his gaze. “And that’s it?”
“What’s it?”
“Did you and her-”
“No.”
“And that’s all. There’s nothing else you want to tell me?”
Azula shook her head, feeling the tension build up in her core. “No. That’s it.”
A wry smirk appeared out of thin air on Xing’s face. “So this is not the part where you tell me that you’ve decided you prefer girls instead, and we have to negotiate a purely political relationship moving forwards?”
Azula almost fell over at the absurd words. “What? No!”
“No sudden realization that you find me repulsive to be intimate with-”
She folded her arms in front of her. “No.”
“You’re not going to ask me to sleep on another bed while you share one wi-”
“Xing.”
He raised his hands placatingly, the smirk growing a little. “Just making sure.” Xing then closed the distance and held her hands, and Azula found that she really missed his strong, comforting grip. “Tell me, honestly, my princess… When you kissed, and when your friend almost kissed you a second time… Did I cross your mind at all?”
“I…” Azula gulped, unable to turn away from her prince’s deep gaze. “I didn’t,” she admitted in a whimper. “I’m sorry.”
“I should be fortunate that Ty Lee’s a girl,” Xing said with clearly forced levity.
Surprisingly, he then pulled her in for a tight hug, and the princess found herself starting to shake. “I’m glad you’re safe,” was all he said, but somehow she felt his disappointment and relief leach into her, and Azula began to tremble even more. And then finally, her composure cracked.
“I’m sorry, Xing…” she found herself croaking out hoarsely as her vision blurred from the tears. “I’m sorry.”
*****
The long wait was unsettling. Ty Lee fought the urge to fidget as her nerves gnawed at her conscience. Days after that fateful moment, with enough time to herself thanks to Azula insisting on maintaining an awkward not-really-distance between them, the realization of what Ty Lee had done with Azula began to really settle in.
Oh, she didn’t regret following the impulse to kiss her friend…at first. She didn’t mind at all how nice Azula’s lips felt. It was a very nice first kiss, all things considered, and in the first couple of days after that, Ty Lee found it hard to not think about feeling those lips again. Or perhaps maybe more…
Did she like Azula? Really like her? Ty Lee genuinely didn’t know. It was apparent that the old, nastier Azula had been reforged or refocused into someone…better. The princess was also pretty and brilliant by any measure, and the change she underwent had made her a much more interesting person to hang out with.
And that kiss had been something…
So Ty Lee liked Azula, but she didn’t desire her. Not insofar as to envy Xing for being her fiance; she was actually glad that the two were together. They made a good pair.
Except that Ty Lee also found herself looking forward to getting more time to…further explore her fondness with Azula. If permitted. Which leads to the current problem, the problem of Ty Lee kissing Azula (almost twice) without the princess’ fiance’s knowing.
Which counted as not a very nice move.
Plays and songs were written around such premises. Plays and songs that mostly ended with someone dying. Ty Lee did not want either her, Azula, or Xing to be pitied in songs or on stage.
Which more or less led to this moment.
After an eternity of stewing in her thoughts, the door opened, and Xing’s head popped out. “Ty Lee, please join us inside.”
There were no signs of angry reds around him, but the prince carried a worrying band of steely gray in his aura. Ty Lee kept herself calm as she quietly nodded and entered the office.
Azula’s eyes were red as she exuded relief, and Xing had wet patches on his robe’s shoulder area. They both seemed calm enough, but the prince of Ba Sing Se fixed Ty Lee with an unnervingly hard but bland stare.
“Ty Lee.”
“Yes, Xing- Uh, Prince Xing?”
“You’ve been accused of attempting to seduce my fiance.”
Ty Lee gulped before she nodded with all seriousness. “I…did.” It almost took her a second to remember the words. “B-But it was a reckless action. I got carried away, and I wasn’t thinking when I-”
She snapped her mouth shut when Xing raised his hand. He was a font of neutral gray, but there were wisps of yellow anger and cyan relief leaking into his aura. Not enough for Ty Lee to form a decent prediction of the outcome, which admittedly made her way more nervous.
Please let Azula be right about this.
The prince squared up before her, and Ty Lee was almost tempted to take a step back before his steely gaze. “You are Azula’s friend. A trusted friend…once. But you broke that trust by taking advantage of her.”
Ty Lee only nodded silently, grateful to notice Xing addressing her friendship with Azula in present tense.
“You are her friend,” he repeated, “and right now, my princess cannot afford to lose her friends. But I cannot trust you to be with her alone.”
“I understand.”
Xing let out a sigh, and for that brief moment the grayness around him flickered into a prism of warring emotions. “So, Ty Lee. To avoid unnecessary…controversy at this precarious moment, I’m hereby promoting you to a training instructor. ”
Training instructor? Well, it’s much better than court entertainer or mealtime dancer or such…
“You’ll be responsible for introducing your skills into a select number of the palace staff. Staff who could use your agility in their work.”
Xing let out another weary sigh. “You may continue to socialize with Azula in public as your friendship is well known. But outside of that, any time spent with her will be…regulated... Assuming you have the time anyway, once you start your duties.”
“I understand, Xing.”
He gave her a slow nod before turning to the other person in the room. “Azula?”
The princess looked unwaveringly at him and managed a faint smile. “I…I thank you for your decision, Xing.” And she meant it too, Ty Lee clearly saw.
It could’ve gone a lot worse. Like Ty Lee being forced to take the ‘run away until things cool down’ option that they discussed about days ago.
But this was good, more than good enough. She still gets to hang out with Azula (under supervision, probably), while at the same time getting the chance to win over Xing and his people’s trust as more than just the princess’ childhood friend. Then figure out a way to become Azula’s handmaiden or something, with Xing’s permission of course.
And, a niggling thought squirmed at the back of her head, maybe she’d get to ‘balance out the scales’ with Xing later. Azula had presented that as an option - albeit one of the more desperate ones. Who knows, maybe the prince’s lips might be as good as the princess’.
