The Officer and the Princess: The Flames Of War

Chapter 61

Three weeks had passed since the "Phoenix Rebellion" had been crushed at the Battle of Tawakonai Valley. Things were slowly to beginning to return to normalcy, things were by no means perfect yet but it was happening. The Rebel Leadership that had survived had all be sentenced to long prison stays for treason, the Rebel foot soldiers however they had been given an official pardon from Zuko, so long as they swore allegiance to not only him but swore to never take up arms against the Fire Nation again.

It had been a rather busy three weeks for Azula, planning a wedding certainly wasn't as easy as she thought it would be, deciding what foods would be served, who sat where, and the seemingly endless invitations. Never in her life did she think she'd be sending out so many. Sung, Goddess help him had been trying his best to help, but in all honesty she was a better organizer than he was. But that didn't stop him from trying.

Azula had taken a break from all of that to do something she had swore she would do when the war ended. She went back to where it had all began for her, she went back to Izui. Not much had changed about the logging town, constables patrolled the streets and people looked lost. She had come here alone, despite Sung wanting to come, she had explained to him that this was something she had to do on her own. He wasn't happy with her answer but had agreed.

She had dressed in a simple red tunic, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows. A pair of black pants, and brown boots. She could remember As she walked down the street she got more than a few stares from men she passed, no doubt entranced by her beauty. Let them approach, she would politely decline all of their offers...and if they didn't take no for an answer...she didn't have to hide who she was anymore. Zuko had given her an official pardon too, she was free of all wrong doing. Legally at least, she still struggled with the morality of what she had done for so many years from time to time. She imagined it would be like that for the rest of her life.

With that thought in mind she had stopped in front of a store front "Madam's Galore" painted proudly on the door Frame. She exhaled sharply as she grabbed the door handle and opened it. The bell above the door ringing as she stepped inside. This too hadn't changed much, same four walls, same cheap tables and chairs.

From behind the counter facing away from her she saw Homura. She was taking stock of the bottles that lined the shelves. "We're closed!" She said sharply, not taking her eyes off her task.

"That's a shame." Azula had said with a sigh. "I would have hoped you would make an exception for your favorite barmaid." She had a smile on her face as she watched Homura stop and spin around to face her.

"Emiko!" Homura shouted with a laugh calling her by her false name. Azula could remember how fast Homura had come from the counter and ran, hugging Azula tight. "Thank the Spirits you are safe child, when you didn't show up for work I went by your house to make sure you were alright. I had this bad feeling that the fat fingered man you pinched your money maker had followed you home, when I saw the door to your bedroom destroyed I called the constables immediately. The fools didn't take me seriously. I took matters into my own hands..." she said coldly.

Hearing that Homura had been worried about her both made her happy that she cared about her but at the same time saddened her that she hadn't had the chance to say goodbye before she left, who knows how many sleepless nights Azula had caused. But then a darker more worrying thought came in to her mind, what did she say she took matters into her own hands. "You didn't kill him did you?" Azula had asked

Homura stepped back and frowned. "I thought about it...but no, give me some credit Emiko. He said he didn't do it...and I believed him, after I was finished smacking him around a little bit. Spent a few nights in lock up for it but..." Homura shrugged. "Then that damned Rebellion happened and I thought you had been foolish enough to join them...now tell me. Where in the name of all the Spirits were you?!"