The Officer and the Princess: The Flames Of War

Chapter 57

Last night was a bit of a blur. What he had experienced that night was like nothing he had ever experienced before. What bits he could remember involved him and Azula...well doing what two people who loved each other did, or at least what people should do together only if they loved each other, at least that was Sung's opinion on the matter.

The tent was shadowed in darkness save for a small enclosed lantern that was burning dimly at low light as Sung laid in his cot, Azulas body curled up practically on top of him. How the two of them had been able to fall asleep on a one man cot was a miracle in and of itself. Sung looked down at her, her head resting on his chest as she softly breathed, a few strands of her loose hair covering her beautiful face. Sung lifted his right arm, the one that wasn't currently trapped under her body and gently brushed away those strands. She looked so innocent when she slept, so at peace. "I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She said just as softly, opening her ember eyes to look at him.

He let out a silent curse. "I didn't mean to wake you up." He said. He was going to attempt to get out of the cot without stirring her, though with how she had been laying on him he hadn't been sure exactly how he was going to do that.

"I was already awake." Azula replied. "I didn't sleep very much, I was to fixated on...watching you sleep, hoping my presence would keep the nightmares away for at least one night...like you did for me." He was confused only momentarily. It was their last one of their last nights together before the Hundred Year War ended. Sung had just left a late night meeting with Ozai and the war council to go over the last few "finer points" of his mad man's quest to burn to the Earth Kingdom. Sung had been walking past Azulas room on his way to his own quarters when he heard her scream out. He ran inside and found her thrashing about in her bed, having a nightmare. He had attempted to wake her up as gently as he could but hd had startled her, his hand getting burned in the process.

When Azula had seen what she had done she looked like the definition of fear, begging him over and over for forgiveness, telling him that she was a terrible person. Sung had fought through that burning he felt that some how had felt cold at the same time. Telling her over and over that what she had done was an accident. She said that she was afraid to stay alone that night and had asked him to stay with her. He had done it without question. "You still talk in your sleep." Azula said. "But you don't move as much as you used to."

He smiled at her. "I hope that Isn't a deal breaker for you." He said. "We're going to be sharing a bed together for many years to come."

She laughed softly. "No...if you snored however...then maybe." She reached up and bopped him gently on the nose. The two of them sharing a laugh. "I suppose it is time for you to depart." She said somberly.

"It is." Sung replied, running his finger through her hair. "It will be dawn in a few hours and the darkness will be the only thing that can cover my movements. I need to get set up before the battle starts."

Azula nodded. "Then I'm glad I was awake to see you off." She sat up, using the blanket they had been sharing to cover herself, as she fished around for her clothes that had been thrown about the tent during their night of mad passion.

Sung sat up on the edge of the cot, pulling on his undergarments and redressing himself in the same uniform from last night, he didn't see the point in wearing a fresh one since it was more than likely going to be dirty in a few hours. He pulled on the boots and tucked the end of his trousers into them. Sung then pulled his hair into a top knot. It was by no means a perfectly uniform as it once had been, but he hoped with enough practice he would relearn how to do it properly.

He then stood up, putting on the leather skirt and gauntlets that made up his armor. He then picked up the chest plate and put it over his body. "Wait." Azula said. He looked at her and saw she was also dressed in her uniform from last night, though she had yet to style her hair or put her boots back on. "I want to tie it for you." She said, stepping over to him and beginning to lace the straps under his arm that kept the armor from becoming loose. "I heard you tell Zuko that this was an old Yang Custom, how you trust the person who ties the knots with your life." That was an old custom, he doubted it had any real value out of being ceremonial but in the days of old Yang Warriors would help a companion or a loved one get dressed for battle, it was a very personal bonding experience between two who trusted each other above anything else.