Loyal (Male!Azula X OC)

17: Betrayed

"Azulaan?" Mai asked as she walked up.

I released my lips from Azulaan's and sat back. "What is it Mai?" I groaned, unhappy at having to separate myself from the prince.

"I just got a letter from my uncle."

"You interupted us to tell us about a letter from your uncle?" Azulaan rolled his eyes, pulling me back in by placing a hand on the back of my head.

"He says Zuko is on the Boiling Rock."

Azulaan released my head, licking his lips. "That is interesting information..."

"Do we really have to do anything about it?" I asked boredly. "He's already in the most secure prison in the fire nation."

"I want to confront him about tearing out my heart like a coward," Mai said.

Azulaan sighed. "I suppose we can go. We'll leave in a few hours." He waived Mai off before pulling me back tight to him.

***

The door of the interrogation room of the Boiling Rock opened with a creak.  "Sir," said a man, "there's someone to see you."

The Warden yelled angrily as he turned around. "Who told you to interrupt me?" With a look of shock at seeing the Prince in the door way, he fell to his knees. As did the other guards.

Azulaan put one hand on his hip. "I did."

"Prince Azulaan. Ah ... It is an honor to welcome you to the Fire Nation's most exemplary prison." The warden stood as we entered the room. "I didn't realize you were coming."

"Who is this?" I asked looking at the man tied to a chair.

"He's a guard who was involved in a recent and feeble escape attempt," the warden said.

"It wasn't me!" the guard pleaded desperately.

The Warden angrily pointed at him. "Quiet, you!"

Azulaan crossed her arms. "You're wasting your time. That's not one of them." He put his arm around my waist and we turned to leave.

The warden turned, looking surprised and confused, from Azulaan to the guard before looking back to Azulaan again. "How do you know?"

Azulaan smiled and quietly said, "Because I'm a people person." He led me from the room.

***

Azulaan, Tye Lee, and I arrived on the platform to see the escapees on their way out on a gondola. The guards around us bowed.

Azulaan suddenly snatched a pair of handcuffs from a guard's belt and ran forward. Behind him, Ty Lee jumped up and onto the cable, running along it toward the gondola.

"Grab on." Azulaan ordered. I grabbed around his chest as with a huge blue blast, Azulaan propelled us into the air. Azulaan used the cuffs to attach us to the cable and propelled us forward with blue hot fire.

Three figures climbed onto the roof to face us. Tye Lee flipped onto the far end of the gondola. The girl, one we'd captured once, assumed a battle-ready position.

Azulaan and I dropped onto the roof and we faced Zuko and Sokka. The younger Fire Nation prince assumed a battle stance and performed a slicing kick, sending blue fire at his opponents, but Zuko blocked it.

Zuko sent a blast at Azulaan but I took control of the flame, extinguishing it. Zuko continued to wipe out Azulaan's fire blasts, defending the boy behind him.

Suddenly, Sokka charged us with a sword, backing me to the edge as Azulaan dodged. He quickly retreated and Zuko sent a blast at Azulaan.

Azulaan jumped to dodge but as he came down the black sword was tight against his throat.

I sent a blast of fire at the water tribe boy and he retreated behind Zuko again as Zuko attacked Azulaan.
Zuko tried finishing move but Azulaan dodged Zuko's blast. He countered with a blast that narrowly missed striking Suki and Tye Lee fighting on the other side.

Suddenly I heard the warden yell from below us. "Cut the line!"

The gondola stopped suddenly as the guards stop the gondola by jamming the mechanism with metal bars. The gondola rocked back and forth from the sudden stop, disrupting our respective duels.

Nearly losing my balance, I managed to jump up to the line. Two guards were using a saw to cut the wire. "They're about to cut the line!"

Azulaan noticed the other gondola approaching on the other wire, heading inbound. He smirked. "Then it's time to leave... Goodbye, Zuko." He blasted off with a rush of blue flame.

I back flipped to the other gondola, Tye Lee close behind.

When Azulaan reached the gondola, he looked back at Sokka, Suki, and Zuko with a sadistic smile. I looked back at the fugitives with a blank face as Azulaan grabbed my hand.

We turned to see a commotion on the platform. Mai was at the center as the other gondola full of enemies of the fire nation move again.

Azulaan released my hand and clenched his fists angrily. "What is she doing?"

Tye Lee shruged and makes a small sound that said he didn't know as we watched her continue to fight off guards, all of whom were helpless against her. The other gondola made it to the top of the hill, allowing them to escape. Once they were gone, Mai stopped fighting.

Back on the platform, Azulaan glared at her. Tye Lee standing in the middle, looking terrified and concerned at the two as I watched on. What Mai had done was treason.

"Leave us alone," Azulaan orders. The guards gave the customart salute and left. Mai raised her head a little, looking defiant. "I never expected this from you." Tye Lee who looked from Mai to me and Azulaan, tears in his eyes.

"The thing I don't understand is why," I said. "Why would you do it? You know the consequences."

"I guess you just don't know people as well as you think you do. You miscalculated." Mai glared. "I love Zuko more than I fear you."

Azulaan's expression contorted into one of absolute rage. "No, you miscalculated! You should have feared me more!"

Azulaan angled his fingers to create lightning, and Mai readied one of her stilettos for a duel she couldn't win. Before Azulaan can complete his attack, however, he was struck twice by Tye Lee, who chi blocked him. He fell on top of me, keeping me from sending a shot in their direction.

"Come on!" Tye Lee yelled, pulling on Mai. "Let's get out of here!" The didn't make it a single step before being surrounded by guards.

Helping my boyfriend stand, I glared at my cousin. "That's just about the stupidest thing you've ever done," I growled.

"You're both fools!" Azulaan yelled. Mai and Tye Lee were both restrained, looking defiantly at us.

"What shall we do with them, prince?" a guard asked.

Azulaan glared. "Put them somewhere I'll never have to see their faces again, and let them rot!" The guards led my cousin and the girl I'd once considered my friend away.

***

We had already arranged a new air ship pick up when Azulaan began to regain movement in his body. He put his arms around me before kissing me. "You're the only one I can trust..."

I looked at the amber eyes of the young man I loved. "You'll never find someone more loyal, my prince."

Azulaan slipped something small and round into my hand. "I love you, princess."

I didn't bother to look at the trinket in my hand. I simply slid it on my finger without breaking eye contact. "I love you too." I kissed him again, putting my arms around his neck.