𝓐𝓬𝓬𝓾𝓻𝓼𝓮𝓭 𝓒𝓻𝓸𝔀𝓷 {𝓐𝓣𝓛𝓐}

Part 22

So much has happened within these past three days.

Fire Lord Azulon has passed and later was descovered that he was poisoned by none other than princess Ursa herself. Prince Ozai, now known as Fire Lord Ozai, ascended the throne while her brother was disgraced for his failure to seize Ba Sing Se.

For the murder of the Fire Lord Azulon, princess Ursa was banished from the Fire Nation. Her existence was wiped clean off of the family archive, her portraits were burned and all her possessions were sold off to the weaker nations.

While all were suspicious of poor little Zuko for his possible affiliation with the assasination. Azula was congradulated for her bravery and honesty, she was viewed as fair and just.

It was her, who brought justice to the assassin.

If it were up to her, she would have sentenced Ursa the death penalty. But what can she say, titles do have power.

Letting out a yawn, she made her way to your room. All day she has been bombarded by reporters and grief written nobles. All who have approached her seemed to have one thing in mind, 'a child would surely struggle with the lack of a maternal figure.'

It's as if she ever had any.

If anything, she feelt at ease. With Ursa gone, there is one less person to be weary of.

Once she made it to your door, she walked in without a second thought. She is not someone who needs permission to enter your chambers. Knowing you her entire life gives her such privileges.

Initially, her mouth opened for a greeting but her words logged itself in her throat.

There stood you, with your bare back turned to her. You seemed to be deep in thought seeing how you half mindedly turned around to reach for a shirt.

Despite standing by the door, she couldn't make herself known.

It was a first for her to see so much of your skin.

Your back was littered with scars and old wounds, stitches from stabs and, what she could guess, impalements. Wounds were your back but your chest was untouched minus the large burn right in the centre.

That's my-

"It's unsightly, isn't it." You didn't seem to mind her as you slowly pulled the article of clothes towards you. Slipping on a shirt as you fixed your hair.

"How... how did you get those scars?"

"Hm, most were from camp. And some?" You gave her a glance, "were from you."

"..." at that, Azula found herself at a loss of words.

To think she had given you a lasting mark. One so big that it alone drew attention to your front. Not your skin, not your muscles, and not even your chest. It was the burn that she gave you that stood out. It alone demanded attention, purely because it was so big, so ragged, so... hers.

She felt almost honored, in being able to leave her mark in a veteran such as yourself. Throughout countless battles and wars you have attended, none had ever left a visible impression on you such as she has.

"So, what was the purpose of your visit, princess?" You were sat on your bed. Your hair, not in its usual neat state, damp with the bath you had taken prior.

"Since mother left, I'm-" she paused for effect, "lonely." Her thought drew back to the marred state of your skin.

She watched you as you sat there, pondering your options of letting her spend the night with you. Before finally, seeing no harm in it, you nodded your head.

Azula wasted no time in getting under the silk sheets. She laid there on her side as you lied back.

Your eyes were closed and breathing steady, you looked so at peace.

She wondered if every night you looked like this. So at peace, so calm and tranquil, it's as if you were a corpse.

Her brows furrowed at the last part. She reprimanded herself for thinking such a thing. There were plenty of things that she could have compared you with. Why must it be death?

It's because of those damned dreams. For the past couple of days she had been frequently having nightmares of loosing you. But most were due to others stealing you away from her. The thought of you leaving her scared her.

You can't leave her.

You're not supposed to.

You won't.

She'll make sure of it.

She'll be the best fire bender, she'll be the fire lord and seize the world. She'll be so powerful, no one would even dare to take you away from her.

She'll be strong for you and her.

Besides...

you are weaker than her.

Your scars just proves it.

As the heir to the throne, it's a given she will have the best training and schooling the world has to offer. She is the same age as you were when you finished your training at that camp. It is by law that she is required to have better education, and with that she had and still has a harder training regimen than you ever did in your younger days.

Your scars proves her point. Compared to her, you are weaker. You need her to protect you, now that she has surpassed you.

Seeing that she has no wounds and having more advanced training than you, she is stronger.

With a hand, she reaches towards you. Her fingers brushing against your hair as you sleep. Toying with the strands, she prop herself on her elbows.

She has more power than you.

She leaned down.

You are weaker, you need her protection.

Pressing the lock of hair to her lips, her eyes locked into your closed ones. With a silent promise, she closed her eyes. Her lips formed into a smile as she breathed in. Her senses greedily take you in.

You can now need her as much as she has needed you.