𝓐𝓬𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓒𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓷 {𝓐𝓣𝓛𝓐}

Part 11: Payback

As months passed, the sense of debt did nothing but grow. The more you care for her the more she wants to prove herself to you.

She has seen parents praise and flaunt their children, and their mediocre achievements, as if they were war heroes. She has also noticed how her father had been bringing you more and more to his meetings and war functions. Even her grandfather had sent you on a siege on one of the Earth kingdom's territories(you of course came back victorious.)

The two have been shoving new titles and privileges onto you. And knowing full well they can't simply hand it to you, they have been forcefully sending you out for war so you could earn them.

Every other week there seems to be a party for your success behind the palace walls. And since no self-respecting noble wears an outfit more than once, each month they have been ordering new and more complex designs. truly a golden age for tailors and designers.

It was wonderful to see you shine and have the recognition you deserve but the peaceful times where you would train her or cook for her have been sacrificed. Rather than every day, her training sessions with you have decreased to once every five days.

She missed spending time with you. She missed having you do her hair. She missed your flavourless cooking that was rich in vitamins and minerals. She missed your hands on her head.

Soon, the little time she would spend with you diminished when she was sent away to the Royal Fire Academy, you couldn't even send her off(her grandfather had sent you away for yet another mission.)

She missed those moments more when her environment changed. Azula was born and grew up within the palace, with countless servants, large halls, and expensive decor that had years of history. All that was now replaced with cheap replicas and her room -may be the biggest in the student dorm- now thrice smaller. She couldn't even have her meals within her room and was required to be in the dining halls during meal time, surrounded by leeches who wanted to suck up to her.

Though it is fun watching them try but the ones that did approach her simply could not fully comprehend her greatness. All they knew was that she was the princess, nothing more and nothing less. They didn't know the fact that she was a bending prodigy or that she had been receiving special training from one of the elite soldiers within the kingdom.

Once, prior to her attending the academy, she requested from her grandfather if she would be able to accompany you to one of your battles. Her grandfather didn't allow it, stating that she is far too young and though the battle experience would aid her but the facts still remain, her bending skills leave much to be desired.

She knows that she isn't at your level yet. But she also acknowledges that she is ahead of her peers. With just a bit more training, she knows that she will be qualified to attend the war meetings alongside you, gain more experience, and be more skilled than her brother could ever imagine. Someone who is strong enough so that even you would show no shame in relying on.

So with her goal set in mind, she did her own training. Every day for up to five hours, she trained, and for the remainder of the time she would study war tactics and history books.

Her everyday life had become a routine, and while being so far away from you was troubling, time seemed to fly by. And before she knew it, she was on her way back to the palace for break. She had no recollection of the events that took place during her school days. The days simply sped past her and there were no memorable moments to look back to.

She guessed the only lesson she received from the academy was that month-long falconry class.

Once her ship had docked, Azula was quick to hop off to be greeted by her home. Her servants and guards stood by in a neat formation, all with their heads down, bowing to her.