Chapter Text
Swallowing the thick hot air, her robes heavy on her frame as she looked out the large open palace windows to the small court yard, Azula cursed the room silently.
The attacks had been more frequent as of late, random groups, never seemed to be traceable. So here she sat.
In a room with guards at the door.
Her ability to leave had vanished as if over night.
All she was left with was to be consumed by her own thoughts.
Clicking her tongue, she snapped her fingers creating small flames just to blow them out. Her fire bending training had been put on halt with the new safety rules and she missed her training. Just as well the energy in her needed to be consumed. It was building and soon she would feel the burn that only those of royal blood felt when their powers weren't used.
"Azula."
The dark embellished doors opened at the same time as the deep booming voice echoed in her rooms, a chorus of clashing sounds.
Not pleasant sounds either.
"Yes father?" She said with the soft grin she carried so well. One that hid her previous annoyance that she knew had been clear on her face.
"You have been held up in this room to long, and you need to be able to travel to your soon to be betrothed that is decided in a week."
Trying to not sit up straighter with to much excitement about freedom, ignoring the comment on her to come wedding, she nodded. "Yes, of course father."
"Well, the Avatar Katara," there was obvious disdain in the name as he spoke it, "was so kind as to send a private guard for you. He should be arriving soon."
"Private guard?"
"Yes, the Avatar believes they would be the best fit and trusts them to be able to keep you safe while she continues to fix this aggravating mess."
The one great-grandfather started, she thought but kept her lips shut and only agreed. "Of course."
"So if you leave this room the guard must be with you at all times. No exceptions Azula."
His eyes darkened as he said this and turned before she could say anything more. Her father had always hated the Avatar, of course one of the previous ones stopping her great-grandfather from killing all the air-nomads. It wad lucky her family was even able to hold on the the throne with everything.
However Ozia believed it all belonged to them, that his father and grandfather were correct. This ideal was spread through parts of the nation. A sense of superiority over the other lands that she never understood fully.
What she did understand was their want for power. Her full power taken since she was second born, her elder brother in line for the throne. Maybe it was the fire that physically burned in her blood, or maybe she was to much like her father, she knew that.
"A guard huh?" She said as fly passed her face. A scowl formed on her lips and she shot a thin flame like an arrow at it. The insect burned, falling in ashes as she stood, her robes brushing it away as she went to her mirror.
Her hair fell below her waist in a cascade of midnight. Braided gold chains -- so thin they looks like string -- were attached to the golden hair pins stuck in the pulled up half of her hair and fell over her shoulders and loose hair perfectly.
Tilting her head the charcoal May had lent her lined her top lid, her lashes already pitch black and long, her face lightly flushed from the heat. Her robes were crimson, with ravens embroidered in black ans gold thread, swirls and fire lilies spread over the train.
She looked presentable.
Going back she sat.
And waited.
And waited.
And waited.
Clearly frustrated she looked over at the sun dial and setting sun with a deep frown put a crease in her brows.
Where was this special guard?
The Avatar was always so punctual. So why was this guard she trusted so much this late? Sure her father had not given her a specifics on a time besides today, with such late notice. But surely they should be here by now. By the time they were here it would be to late for her to do anything outside the room as it was.
Laying over the window frame watching the sun set slowly as she felt her irritation build.
She almost lost her composure when her maids entered to dress her for bed, sat her down removing her hair ornaments, brushing the hair smooth and leave with a bowl of water to wash her face. Her intracite bow on the robe undone so she could remove them, and her thin sleeping gown draped over her bed for her to change into.
"Would you like help undressing and dressing today miss?"
"No. You are dismissed." She said in a voice that almost sounded deflated with a hint of annoyance. She was always so good at keeping her composure, of making everyone around her do as she pleased with sweet words and sly actions. It had always been easy. But today...
Maybe it was how hot it was.
Or being stuck in this room all day.
Everyday.
Alone.
Or her upcoming marriage she always tried to forget and ignore was going to happen soon no matter what she tried.
Having already tried for years to get out of it.
But she was 18 now and that meant that she had run out of time, and she knew it, even if she wouldn't admit it.
As she pulled off her robes, she stood in her underwear for moment letting the cold air hit her scalding skin. Stretching she walked over the platform that her bed was place on, stepping up and over to her bed. She fell back on it next to the laid out night gown, her arms wide. Huffing she looked up at the ceiling she had scorched over the years, the black marks visible even after the attempts to clean it.
"Wish I could have got to go out today." She mumbled to herself. Breathing a small ball of fire she let sit almost on her lips as she practiced changing the temperature, the color changing. The light from it illuminating her face as she watched it change from orange to blue to white.
"I apologize for my tardiness princess but Sokka has arrived!"
The fireball went out immediately as she shot up.
Honestly she sort of thought that the Avatar was sending one of those Kyoshi warrior women she had mentioned before for palace protection.
Not a man that barely looked to be in his twenties.
It then acurred to her the state she was in. Not looking down, using her bending to make sure her cheeks didn't flush of embarrassment by heating her body to the same tempeture carefully.
"How dare you enter into a woman's room without proper escort. Especially of the royal family."
Her eyes full of fire as she looked down at him from the platform that she stood.
His eyes moved down, his face turned scarlet, his eyes moving away, in any direction that wasn't her. as he backed up.
"Of course. I'll report the the firelord, I-I-"
"Get out."
He scrambled from the room quickly, the doors closing behind him, her knees bucked. The marble floor felt cool against her hot skin as she sat here and her hands found her face.
She had held it together till he left, but so much for meeting her guard in a presentable manner. Who was this guy? Why did the Avatar trust him so much? He seems clumsy, and not well thinking. He was wearing water tribe clothing so there must be a connection there.
No.
Tomorrow she would ask for a different guard.
She needed a true guard that wouldn't be in the way. She could protect herself, but she would do what she needed for show.
This choice however was unacceptable.
Whatever, it didn't matter, she would make sure to get a new guard tomorrow, and this stupid moment would just disappear like everything that even slightly put her in a bad light did.
Standing she headed to her bad, looking at the nightgown she rolled her eyes, threw it across the room before she crawled under the red silk sheet. Her father would deal with all this she knew he would. She would just tell him that this...guy won't work.
What had he said his was name Sock? Zaka?
"Right. Sokka. Awful name." She mumbled as she drifted off, her core uncomfortably hot from the unreleased energy.