The Legend of Percy: Book 2 - Through Grief

4. Reciprocating Help (The Princess Has Way Too Many Problems)

Azula walked back through the trees to the clearing. Once more, she saw Percy slaving away over the tree stump. And once more, she was startled by the normality of his position. Only this time, he didn't even seem too surprised or worried about what just happened. His pet ostrich horse curled up off to the side in the shade of a tree, one eye poking out looking at her.

"Did you come here to help? Or are you just going to keep staring again?"

The princess heard the teasing in his voice, but couldn't deny the irrational urge had just to say yes and begin helping. She felt she didn't have control over her voice at the moment.

"You need help?" Was that... complimentary? What am I doing?

Percy did look intrigued by her question. She might've said it with a little too much admiration. The deep voice was screaming at her, but around the presence of this boy, it seemed to lose all dominion over her brain.

"Everyone needs help, princess. It's just a matter of whether they want to ask for it." Percy stopped his arms mid-swing to look at her. "Or they're just too prideful."

He smirked and just went back to his work. Azula felt a smile coming to her face and it seemed way too natural, one she couldn't stop. The boy seemed very aware of how to deal with people who let pride get in their way.

Percy's answer also seemed to be too poignant to be just about their conversation now. It felt like an invitation to Azula, but she didn't know what for. She decided to ask the questions she'd come here for. At least, after what had happened.

"What was that back there? What did you do to me? Why did you help stop it?" She kept going, without realising she was asking more than one question.

Percy seemed all too pleased that the conversation was going this way. Was this what the invitation was for? To talk about that? Did he actually want to help?

"How about you help me with some of this wood, then we can talk about it?"

His cheery demeanour just after what had happened was beginning to grind her. Well, it was forcing too many smiles to try and break out for her liking.

"No!" Her hand shot out and a blast of fire hit the next log he would've chopped. "I need you to answer me now!"

To her shock, Percy seemed only mildly phased, as though he was expecting such a reaction.

"Now why did you have to go and do that?" With a simple wave of his hand, the fire sizzled out from next to him. "If I'm going to help you, then you may as well learn something during it. Or help me. Isn't that fair?"

"I don't have anything to learn from you." She retorted, indignantly.

"Is that right?"

Percy just looked away from her. Returning to his job of chopping timber. The waterbender seemed all too casual about the smouldering timber a few feet off to his side.

"Yes." She stubbornly continued.

After a considerable pause, where she just awkwardly stood behind him, he spoke up again. Azula was happy he did, because she was almost going to give in to helping him. She really despised the anxious feeling she'd had before.

"I used to get like that a lot." Percy's soft, cosy voice began.

His voice was an odd mix of vulnerable and strong. Like, he seemed to be exposing himself to her, but yet so secure in what he was saying that she couldn't find it within herself to agree with the muffled shouts of weak from inside her brain.

"It got better, but I still get them from time to time." He continued.

Azula realised she was much closer to him before. His much quieter voice pulling her in and making her be in his vicinity just to hear it. She'd never felt the power of a quiet voice. A calm and collected voice yes, but a quiet one, no. The closer she got, and the more clearly she heard his voice, the more she felt like she was being sucked into a whirlpool of emotion.