The Legend of Percy: Book 2 - Through Grief

19. The Fire Lord (He Can Burn)

A/N: So, another chapter! Don't worry, this story is most certainly not dead. I've recently had a family tragedy so writing has been tough to prioritise with everything going on. The next few chapters will be slow to come out because of that. Also, more importantly...

**TW**: This chapter involves mentions of and depictions of child abuse. I'm aware that this potentially spoils some things in the chapter, but I believe it's more important that no one is triggered by anything that is written. This is the heaviest chapter so far, so if you're triggered by it, I will bracket the part of the story it involves.

As soon as she stepped through the doorway, Azula felt singed by the fire. Surrounding her father rose columns of heat that sucked all the water from her mouth. Using every ounce of her willpower not to flinch under his gaze, she strode to the spot where she knelt in front of him. His eyes seemed to bore holes into the back of her head as she lay arms out.

"I send you off, to remind yourself of what it means to be a princess."

He spoke with such quiet vitriol that Azula felt herself shaking even more. He'd negated their ordinary protocol of even asking her what had happened or if she knew why she was in the throne room. She was terrified.

"Then I hear you leave before you've learnt your lesson."

Azula thought about that. She hadn't done that. The princess had left to find Percy after their trip to Ember Island had finished. But she couldn't bring that up. Not only would it do her no good and cause her more punishment. Not only did she believe that she hadn't learnt her lesson so she couldn't argue with it. But the main problem was she found herself incapable of speaking. She didn't trust her voice. One of the things that she'd trusted her whole life to say exactly what she wanted, to get exactly what she wanted. And she couldn't trust it.

"And once again, you return home empty handed."

She felt more than heard her father rise to move towards her from the throne. His steps echoed around the columns as the fire kept raging. She couldn't see anything, as her head was bowed deeply into her kneel. Her knees up to her chest and she didn't dare to look up.

"Rise, Azula."

She almost winced at his tone, pushing herself to sit back on her heels and then stand up in front of him. She didn't meet his eyes, placing her hands behind her back and holding them together to stop their shaking.

"Do you remember what I said?"

Her father lit his hand on fire, holding his palm out between them. Of course she remembered it.

It would be a mistake to think that you can fail me again, without consequences.

I deserve this. I deserve this.

The soft voice that had been so predominant in her mind in the past few days was nowhere to be found.

**TW**: CA

She nodded, slightly meekly. He placed his hand on her left shoulder, the flames extinguished against the metal. Azula still flinched as it hit her pauldron. She knew her father saw, and her stomach dropped.

"I'm willing to give you one last chance, to prove you can serve the Fire Lord well." Her father spoke down to her so she still held her breath. "But I can't have my daughter being weak."

His hand moved off her shoulder, but she couldn't be at ease. It came up and brushed through her braided hair. The princess winced slightly, knowing how un-princess-like it looked.

"And you show yourself to me, looking like a commoner."

He pulled on the hair slightly, making the braid come loose, before his hand returned to her pauldron. Azula felt a heat on her left side but still didn't look up.