The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic)

Return to the Capital

The following day.

The ship was now sailing through the ocean to the Fire Nation Capital.

And Azula now sat on a lavish sofa in her royal lounge.

She relaxed with a content sigh escaping her lipstick painted lips.

As Mai sat opposite of her fiddling with her knives.

Mai gazed down with a profoundly ruminative expression in her tawny eyes.

"Azula.... there is something that I want to ask you." Mai spoke in a quiet voice while the princess turned to gaze at her through the corner of her eye.

"If you are going to try to beg me to get out of your prison sentence. Don't bother. I have already shown you more mercy than you deserve." Azula answered in a callous voice as she stared coldly back at the noblewoman's apathetic face.

Only to find herself raising a brow in slight surprise when the other woman shook her head.

"No. That's not it. I wanted to ask you if you would allow me to spend the night with Elle...before I depart for prison tomorrow." Mai admitted with a twinge of emotion lacing her monotone voice while Azula's amber golden eyes stared back at her in bewilderment.

"Mai. Are you actually asking me to grant you permission to snuggle with the tiger monkey?" Azula snorted with her frigid eyes staring tauntingly back at the noblewoman's embarrassed face.

As a tiny sliver of pink now graced Mai's cheeks as she avoided meeting the princess's questioning gaze.

Only for the princess to let out a sigh as she lounged back on her pile of pillows.

"If you continue to behave yourself...then I suppose I will allow it." Azula remarked with a wave of her perfectly manicured hand while Mai glanced up with a grateful expression in her tawny eyes.

Under normal circumstances she wouldn't be willing to cede her pet for a night.

Most especially on the final night before their return home.

At which point she will no longer be able to allow the girl to sleep beside her in her royal chamber for as long as they remain home in the palace.

But she knew well enough that her girlfriend was not going to be take well to her friend's departure.

And allowing the two to spend an evening together may serve to help soften the girl's inevitable reaction when the moment comes for Mai to part ways with them.

"I will, Azula. Thank you." Mai replied with genuine gratitude in her voice while the princess stared imperiously back at her.

As a tight scowl pulled onto the princess's regal lips while her callous amber golden eyes flashed with a possessive gleam.

"See to it that you do...and for your sake you had better make sure that you refrain from touching what belongs to me." Azula stated in an absolutely glacial voice while her imposing amber golden eyes glared greedily back at Mai's snorting face.

As Mai rolled her tawny eyes over her friend's possessive behavior.

Only for the two to find themselves snapped from their discussion when they heard the door open.

The two highborn women turned to gaze towards the door.

Only to find themselves raising a brow in amusement when they saw the acrobat doing a handstand on the other side of the door.

And behind her their young companion was doing a poor imitation of the woman's upside-down walk.

"What are you two doing?" Azula questioned with a roll of her eyes while she gazed dryly back at the two as they made their way into the royal lounge.