#and i just.... i just want to pet and give my Mochi affection while shes still here

[grither55]

The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic) - Chapter 42 - Mochi, Friendship and History

Team Azula waited patiently while their young friend now knelt putting several small belongings back in her bag that had spilled when the princess noticed her bottle of anti-depressants.

The acrobat smiled while she sat gazing at their chipper companion with fond brown-gray eyes.

While the markswoman also stared after the strange girl with softened tawny eyes.

And the power-hungry princess gazed down at the smaller girl's back once more with her golden eyes conveying her obvious interest in her handmaid.

"What was the point of that list Azula? We all know that you don't need Elle's signature to do as you please with her." Mai pondered in a mildly curious voice while Azula smiled with a finger beneath her chin.

"True. With but one word I could legally render her a slave. Her signature bears no legal meaning. It's just too adorable that she knowingly signed her freedom away. Even if it was all just a game." Azula answered with her arms folded over her breasts while the other woman gazed at her warily.

"Elle's not a slave. Please…don't talk about her like that Azula." Ty Lee scolded with a slight drop in cheer while her spoiled friend sighed once more.

And even though Azula was too proud to admit it.

She knew that the princess was starting to worry about what would happen when Elle discovered that the Royal Family dealt in slaves.

A known fact that unsettled her greatly.

But she was also well aware that not even she could convince Azula to free their slaves after she becomes Fire Lord.

But Elle on the other hand.

The acrobat couldn't help but smile thoughtfully while she gazed between the young girl and the princess's callous face.

If anyone can convince Azula to show mercy it would was Elle and Elle alone.

That was when their collective attentions were gained by a joyful shout from their young friend.

"Azula-sama! I found another bag of sour patch kids!" Elle announced in an innocently victorious voice unaware that Azula was now stiffening with an expression of disgust on her regal face.

The two noblewomen stared at their leader in amusement while they watched the princess's lips curl into a repulsed frown.

'No! I am not eating anymore of that revolting peasant chow!' The princess thought with a disgusted hiss just when her belly rumbled loudly once more.

An ever so slight twinge of pink appeared on her cheeks when her doting pet spun around with an ever-attentive smile.

The other two women sweatdropped when they say their adopted little sister spring to her feet as soon as she heard Azula's stomach growl.

The fact that Azula had trained the poor girl to stand whenever she heard her stomach growl was not lost on either of them.

"Have you now?" Azula questioned with her arms crossed over her breasts while she scowled when the grudgingly adorable girl waved the infernal bag at her.

"Mhm! Your stomachs growling really loud! You should eat it!" The blonde-haired girl offered with a worshipful smile while the princess stared down at her with her lips curling in disgust.

"Be the sour patch lord Azula." The markswoman taunted with the acrobat giggling beside her while their leader tensed up in her anger.

"I couldn't live with myself if I ate your last bag of…vegetarian food." The princess assured with a wave of her hand while her subordinates snickered at her back.

"Oh no! Don't worry about it. It's yours now! You own me." Elle exclaimed with a bright smile while Azula shifted on her booted feet in annoyance.

"I do own you. Still you are much weaker than me…you need it more than me. Take it from me as a gift for your loyal service." Azula ordered with her palm gently pushing her pouting pet backwards while Elle stared down at her rumbling belly.

"B-but your bellies growling the loudest of all of us…" The blonde-haired girl trailed off in a lovably worried voice while her master grunted above her.

"Aww…she really likes you Azula." The brown-haired woman gushed with a gentle grin while her friend pushed her little sister back once more.

"Even so…your health is much more important to me than my own growling belly. Really my pet. It's all yours." The princess spoke with a shrug while she smiled down at her handmaid's tracing her shoe in the dirt.

"Okay…if you say so princess." Elle muttered in a bashful voice only to find herself smiling brightly when a strong hand patted her golden hair.

"Check with Mai and Ty Lee. I hear they love sour food." Azula purred with a cruel smirk on her red lips while the two noblewomen smiled despite their discomfort.

"Okay! Do you want some more candy oneesans?" The blonde-haired girl queried in a happy voice while she dashed over to the two seated women.

"That's so sweet of you Elle! It's so nice of you to look after your big sister's! Isn't it Mai?" Ty Lee shouted with a joyful grin while they sat gazing up at their excited little sister.

"Yeah. It is…" Mai replied with a fond sigh while Elle peered between them with a radiant countenance.

"Would you some more? You're both injured so I bet you could use the sugary energy!" Elle explained with a loyal smile while the two women sweatdropped in fond amusement.

"Of course, we would! But only if you give Azula five more." The brown-haired woman declared with wide smile while the princess rounded around to glare over her shoulder.

"Alright! I'll distribute it evenly among all of us. Five for you Ty Lee…and five for Mai. And five for Azula-sama…and five for me!" The blonde-haired girl cried out while dropped the candy in their open hands.

The two noblewomen eyed the candy in unease before making sure that they were smiling kindly.

"Thanks again kid." The markswoman answered with genuine affection in her voice while she stared at the younger girl in gratitude.

Not just for the candy.

But for how Elle stood up for her twice, once against Zoe and the second time against Azula.

On top of that if not for Elle she may be spending the rest of her life in prison.

"Yeah! Thanks Elle!" Ty Lee assured before reaching out to ruffle Elle's while the younger girl blushed beneath her hand.

"N-no problem. Anything for my oneesans." Elle stammered with a happy smile before joyfully popping a candy in her before she turned to rush back over to her master's side.

The two women stared at the young girl with shared fondness before watching in amusement when their young friend rushed back over to their spoiled friend.

Only to soon find themselves eating the candy with their eyes and mouths showing slight signs of an attempt to conceal their discomfort.

All the while the princess stood with her fists on her hips while her golden eyes shone with aggravation when her young girlfriend dashed back over.

"Take at least five of them Azula-sama!" The blonde-haired girl chirped with a friendly smile while the princess pursed her lovely lips in disgust.

"I said that I…. whatever. I'll eat your…sour peasant chow." Azula grumbled with a cold scowl on her lips while she glared down at the candies being dropped into her open palm.

The mere fact that Azula was willing to eat something that she detested a second time over just to make Elle happy spoke volumes about the princess's bond with the young girl.

"It's a shame that this may be the last time I eat this good stuff!" Elle commented with exuberance lining her voice while she ate a piece with an animated smile.

All the while her three friends stared at her oddly while they swallowed the candy with a shudder.

"Yes. So very sad." The princess snorted with a roll of her eyes before gulping down a piece.

How this girl could enjoy such a disgustingly sour treat was beyond her!

"It's sour then sweet!" The blonde-haired girl called out with an innocent grin while her three highborn friends sweatdropped in amusement.

"Such a strange peasant." Azula commented with a shake of her head while she eyed the candy in her hand in disgust.

"That's so. But I'm Her Highness's pet peasant!" Elle piped with infectious cheer while Azula finally managed to smirk down at her in approval.

"So, you are servant. Look behind you!" The princess advised with a feigned look of amazement in her golden eyes while her pet spun around to peer behind her.

"What is it Azula-sama! Is there something that I am supposed to see?" The blonde-haired girl queried in a warmly naïve voice while she blinked at the thick foliage of trees.

The two noblewomen turned to Azula in disapproval when a small blue flame promptly incinerated the sour candy remaining in her hand.

Even though they knew that Elle's feelings would be hurt if she found out.

They knew that if it was anyone else Azula would have just spat out the candy in contemptuous revulsion.

"You were too slow. That beautiful bird already flew away." Azula remarked with a smile on her lips while she licked her lips when Elle turned around to face her once more.

"Oh…I missed it…" Elle mumbled in an innocently disappointed voice while the acrobat smiled at her fondly.

"What am I ever to do with you peasant? I can see that I will have to look after you closely." The princess sighed with a shake of her head while her handmaid traced her shoe in the dirt once more.

"You'll get to see plenty of beautiful animals out her little sister! Don't worry!" The brown-haired woman assured with a knowing nod while the younger girl smiled shyly.

"If you see any more cool animals will you be sure to point it out to me princess?" The blonde-haired girl requested in a gentle voice while she peered up at her smiling master.

"I suppose I could. Speaking of that. Let's go find dinner." Azula stated with her fingers brushing her bangs from her eyes when her stomach growled once more.

"You ate that candy fast Azula-sama. You must be super hungry. Do you want that ball of mochi now?" Elle conversed with a sly smile on her lips while her big sister's sweatdropped when Azula spun around to murderously glare down at her.

"What? Ball of mochi?" The princess hissed with fire nearly spewing from her lips while her young girlfriend gulped under her glare.

"T-that's so master. I found a ball of mochi in my bag that I packed for us so we could share a picnic together." Elle explained with a radiant smile while Azula golden glare sent a pleasurable shiver down her spine.

"Why didn't you give me the mochi before your peasant food?" Azula demanded after taking an intimidating step forward while she stood towering over her intimidated handmaid.

"W-well I have a lot of stuff in my bag. It was difficult to find it." The blonde-haired girl answered speedily only to find herself being knocked aside by the princess's shapely hip.

"I want my mochi now!" The princess barked in a spoiled voice while she stomped towards the girl's bag only for her servant to chase after her in a panic.

"Please let me get it for you Azula-sama! I have a lot of stuff that I value in that bag! N-no!" Elle cried out in appalment when Azula began to rifle through her bag in search of the mochi.

"Do you have to be so rude Azula? Just let the girl get it for you. Her mother's belongings are in that bag." Mai reminded with a frown while Azula's hand paused in her digging.

"Show me the mochi! Now!" Azula ordered with an entitled scowl on her regal lips while she watched in delight when her pet began to frantically bow before her.

"Y-yes princess!" The blonde-haired girl exclaimed with her face pressing into the grass while the domineering princess glared down at her prostrated form.

"You should have showed me the mochi first." The princess growled in a controlling voice before she seated herself in the grass while her submissive girl rapidly dropped to the ground before her boots.

"S-sumimasen Azula-sama! Sumimasen! I-I just wanted to share my candy with you!" Elle stammered with her eyes closing against the grass while her princess released a heavy sigh above her.

"You are a sentimental little thing. But not one that I dislike. Now get me that mochi now or I will imprison you for all time! Never to rise above the ashes of your shame and humiliation!" Azula commanded with a stern finger pointing down at the small girl's bowing from while Elle smiled brightly up at her.

"Wakarimashita Azula-sama!" The blonde-haired girl shouted in an overly cheerful voice before diving to retrieve her girlfriend's favorite treat.

"You should really try to be more grateful Azula. Elle is the only one with any sort of food on her person. I for one think that she's a resourceful girl!" Ty Lee remarked with a fond grin on her lips while Azula rolled her eyes down at Elle comically searching in her pack in a frenzy.

"Mochi…mochi…mochi. Nope. It's not here. Those are my books…no it's not that. That's my Azula-sama diary. No…that's my sanitizer and that's my travel blanket…" The blonde-haired girl mumbled with a finger pressing against her lip while her three highborn friends watched in amusement.

"Yes Ty Lee. Very resourceful." The princess snorted haughtily yet even so she smiled down at her young friend's small back.

"Where's your backpack Azula? Oh, that's right. You don't have one." The markswoman teased lightly while the monarch turned around to glare at her.

"No…that's my music player! Oh! My lucky coin! Do you want to see my lucky coin princess!" Elle chirped with her head turning around to peer up at Azula's annoyed face.

The two noblewomen chuckled at their leader's expense while the princess released a furious growl.

"For your sake Elle there had better be mochi in that bag!" Azula snarled with her stomach growling thunderously once more while she scowled down at her naïve admirer's smiling face.

"Aha! Here it is! You can count on me Azula-sama! I'm your loyal girl!" The blonde-haired girl exclaimed with an innocently victorious grin while she held up a wrapped ball of mochi before the princess's surprised golden eyes.

She had been begun to think that her handmaid did not truly possess her favorite food.

"My…my…you truly are my loyal girl. I am very pleased by your foresight Elle." The princess spoke with a finger underneath her chin while her handmaid held up the offering before her hungry eyes.

"T-those words make this day worthwhile. I am so honored that you think so…perhaps now would be a good time to have that picnic…" Elle trailed off in a bashful voice only to blink her eyes when Azula greedily snatched the treat from her open palm.

And then the two-noblewomen watched with deadpan eyes when the selfish woman unraveled the treat without even considering sharing it with the person who gave it to her.

"I shall reward you later servant. But right now, your master must silence her growling belly." Azula announced with a spoiled smile on her regal lips before taking a greedy bite out of the mochi while she sat on her backside moaning in approval.

"Azula are you going to share any of that with Elle?" The brown-haired woman inquired in a scolding voice while she mildly glared at her spoiled friend greedily gulping down her mouthful.

And then the princess turned her callous golden eyes to peer back down at her little handmaid almost begging for a bite with a laughably pathetic puppy dog pout.

Only to shatter the poor girl's hopes when she took another large bite with a smug smirk on her red lips.

"As much as I would love to do that. A princess needs to eat. I must have…my energy to lead my people to safety." The princess responded in mid mouthful while she chewed her food with a content smile on her lips.

"Right…Azula. Sure, you do." Ty Lee scoffed with a trace of anger in her eyes while she observed poor Elle's shoulders slump in disappointment.

"What happened to feeling too remorseful to eat more than Elle?" Mai questioned with a roll of her eyes while Azula noisily gulped down another bite before feigning a heavy sigh.

"I assure you…that it grieves me to do so. But such is the burden that I must bear. My apologies tiger monkey. Perhaps next time." Azula commented with a gratified smile before taking another bite out of her treat only for her golden eyes to catch Elle's pitifully saddened face.

"O-okay…" The blonde-haired girl murmured lamely with her bummed eyes averting from her master's cold gaze while the acrobat growled at the monarch is disapproval.

"It's alright Elle. The next time Mai and I have any treats we'll share them with you. And not princess greedypants." The brown-haired woman replied with her boot tapping on the ground while she leveled her now scowling leader with a reproachful stare.

"Fine! I'll share my mochi with my pet if it will make you shut up Ty Lee!" The princess bellowed with an uncaring wave of her hand while the acrobat now smiled back at her.

"It will Azula. It will." Ty Lee assured with a moved smile while she watched Elle peer back upward with childish delight in her adorable amber eyes.

"Arigatou gozaimasu best buddy!" Elle cheered with innocent laughter lacing her voice only to gulp when Azula snapped her finger before her quivering face.

"Bow!" Azula commanded in a beyond smug voice while she watched Elle drop down before her pointed boots only for Ty Lee to sigh heavily once more.

"Azula…" The brown-haired woman muttered with a shake of her head while the poor girl bowed until her face was kissing the grass.

"If you say bow princess! Your girlfriend bows!" The blonde-haired girl answered in a worshipful voice while she blushed when two elegant boots relaxed in her line of vision.

"Sit girlfriend." The princess purred with an arrogant smile while she observed her petite handmaid drop even lower into the greenery.

"S-she's not a dog Azula." Ty Lee protested in a bothered voice while Mai snorted beside her.

"Waste of breath Ty Lee." Mai stated dryly in an annoyed voice.

"Open your mouth…and catch!" Azula instructed in a sadistic voice before dropping a tiny bite into Elle's open mouth.

"Nom!" Elle exclaimed in an adorably cheerful voice before gulping down the tasty treat.

The two noblewomen sweatdropped once more before sighing over their adopted little sister's endless eagerness to please.

"That's it? That's all she gets for all of that?" The brown-haired woman nagged while the monarch rolled her eyes before teasing the girl with another bite.

"Do you want another treat peasant?" The princess cooed in an irresistible voice while her handmaid beamed up at her.

"Yes princess! C-can I please have more mochi?" The blonde-haired girl asked in a subservient voice while she listened to her older girlfriend hum thoughtfully above her.

"Well trained, isn't she?" Azula boasted to her stunned friends before dropping a larger bite into Elle's excited mouth.

"A-arigatou gozaimasu." Elle mumbled with a happy smile while she swallowed her bite only for an overjoyed blush to appear on her cheeks when Azula patted her golden hair.

"Good girl Elle." The princess sighed in a fond voice before she took another bite out of her treat with a contented smile while she continued to pet her kneeling girlfriend's soft hair.

"Like I said Elle…if you ever want to date someone more sensible…" The markswoman said in her usual monotone voice while the acrobat sweatdropped beside her.

Somehow the girl enjoyed everything about Azula.

Anyone else would feel rightfully demeaned and offended by Azula's behavior.

But not Elle.

Somehow this young girl adored the princess so deeply that she would endure anything and everything to stand beside Azula.

And that truly was nothing short of astonishing.

"A-Azula-sama." The blonde-haired girl swooned in a lovestruck voice that had the much taller princess smiling down at her with an unusually affectionate smile on her regal lips.

"Mine." Azula spoke in a beyond possessive voice before bending over with her strong palm greedily sweeping through Elle's golden locks.

Elle laughed sweetly when Azula continued to pet her while she peered up at her powerful girlfriend in admiration.

And over the next few minutes she received several more bites while the princess's palm never ceased gently patting her head.

Until finally the small girl was pushed up by the royal woman's strict hand while Azula gracefully wiped her lips free of any foods.

"Come. We've wasted enough of our time in this clearing. Let's get back to Zoe before she starts to think that the Great Princess Azula coddles her handmaid." The princess declared with a spoiled sigh before pushing herself to her feet while her childhood friends eyed her pointedly.

"But Azula you always coddle Elle." Ty Lee replied with a giggle while Azula turned to pridefully scowl back at her.

"Wonderful. And I was almost beginning to enjoy my day." Mai muttered hatefully while Ty Lee patted her back sympathetically.

"I can't wait to explore the forest! There must be so many lovely sights to see." Elle exclaimed before dashing over to pick up her backpack.

The three highborn women eyed her with a shared fondness in their eyes while they observed their young friend sling her bag over her shoulders.

"What about Ty Lee's broken ankle? She can't walk on it. Not if you want her to be up and moving before Sozin's Comet." The markswoman suggested with her tawny eyes gazing back at the acrobat in concern.

Azula's lips pursed into a thin line while Ty Lee waved a reassuring hand in the air.

"I can walk just fine! Really Azula. I will be okay." The brown-haired woman assured before standing up on her good foot only to wince when she inadvertently put pressure on the bad one.

And before either of them could so much as speak another word they were all taken aback when a blonde blur rushed over to assist the surprised acrobat.

"I'll help you walk oneesan! You can lean on me." The blonde-haired girl announced in a helpful voice while the acrobat stared down at her with a moved appreciation in her eyes.

"Elle…you…don't have to do that." Ty Lee spoke in a compassionate voice only to find herself smiling when Elle put her head underneath her arm.

"I want to. For as long as we're on this island. I am going to help you walk." Elle insisted with a sunny smile while she began to support Ty Lee's taller body.

Once more the whole of Team Azula stood speechless by their strange young friends unwavering loyalty to all three of them.

Even Azula herself felt pause.

"I…don't know what to say Elle. That is…so sweet of you." The brown-haired woman muttered with a tear sliding down her cheek while the smaller girl continued to brace her body.

"It's okay oneesan. Just say that you'll use me to walk whenever you need to go anywhere." The blonde-haired girl offered with a devoted smile while the acrobat smiled down at her in gratitude.

"You're such a sweetie. Thank you, little sister." Ty Lee cooed with a warm smile before she began to walk slowly with her weight leaning onto her petite adopted sister.

"Hm. I suppose that could work. The tiger monkey is the perfect height for a pair of human crutches. Very well Elle. You can be Ty Lee's crutches for the time being." The princess remarked with a finger under her chin while she began to walk beside the two.

Only for her thoughtless words to incur a glare from the acrobat.

"Why do you have to demean an act of kindness into something lowly? I don't like it when you do that Azula. I…don't like it at all." The brown-haired woman complained with her arm around the blonde's neck while the small girl helped her move forward.

Azula just sighed with a finger brushing her bangs from her eyes while she walked alongside Mai.

"I don't mind Ty Lee. It's just Azula-sama's way of saying she loves me." Elle spoke in a seemingly carefree voice while Azula rolled her eyes down at her.

The markswoman walked closely beside the two before turning to smile softly down at her young friend.

"Thank you…Elle." Mai commented with a nod while Elle smiled just as brightly up at her.

And Ty Lee couldn't help but smile with her arm pulling Elle into a side snuggle while Azula turned to cast her a callous glare.

"It was a pleasure to share my food! You don't have to thank me Mai." The blonde-haired girl answered warmly with a blush when her face was pressed into the acrobat's bosom.

"Not just for that. For standing up for me two times now. I appreciate it kid." The markswoman responded softly with a hand affectionately patting the blushing teenager's back.

"O-oh well I would do anything for my family." Elle declared in a gentle voice with her words taking all three of her highborn friends aback.

Mai just smiled fondly in response before she watched in amusement when Ty Lee began to love on the adorable girl.

"Aww! This calls for snuggle time! You're so cute that I just have to snuggle you for the entire walk!" Ty Lee yelled out with a warm grin while pushed Elle's face into pink blouse.

The small girl comically blushed against the acrobat's breast only for the princess to stomp her boot thunderously in display of possessive jealously.

The two noblewomen sighed before turning to face Azula's terrifyingly imposing glare that sent shivers down their spines.

Even if it was all over a snuggle.

"That's my pet! Not your pet! She is not yours to dominate Ty Lee! Only I…may subjugate her!" Azula snapped with her arms folded over her breasts while she tapped her boot angrily.

The other two members of Team Azula couldn't help but groan in returning announce.

"I don't want to dominate her Azula! I just want to snuggle her!" The brown-haired woman protested with a smile while the small girl smiled against her bosom.

"Snuggle me means dominate me. Now cease that at once or I will destroy you!" The princess roared in a furious voice with her finger pointing at the other woman's sweatdropping face.

Mai and Ty Lee could only gaze at their insane leader in comedic bafflement that she thought they were one and the same.

"Azula…a snuggle has nothing to do with domination!" Ty Lee attempted to reason only for Azula to narrow her callous eyes in disagreement.

"Wrong Ty Lee. A snuggle is an act of soft domination. It's about brutally crushing your victim in your arms until they submit to you in your arms. Like…you are doing now." Azula hissed with a puff of fire escaping her lips while the two women gazed back in complete bewilderment.

"That's…not what a snuggle is about Azula. It's about affection and love!" The brown-haired woman explained with an unwavering grin while the other woman glared a hole through her skull.

"Waste of breath." The markswoman advised in a sigh while the acrobat continued to sweat under the princess's possessive stare.

"Remove my girlfriend's face from your breasts now. Or prepare to duel me for ownership over Elle!" The princess ordered with her golden eyes forming a penetrating death glare that had her childhood friend shivering.

"Snuggle hog." Ty Lee grumbled before she shifted Elle's head away from her bosom while the younger girl walked underneath her arm.

And it never failed to escape the notice of the three highborn women when obvious disappointment flashed in innocent amber eyes.

"Good. And you see to it that it stays that way." Azula scoffed before striding on with a pleased smile on her controlling lips.

"So, tell me Elle. It's obvious that Azula's your first love. But did you have anyone catch your eye before you met Azula?" Mai questioned with a curious smile while Azula glared at her through the corner of her eye.

"Hm…did anyone catch my eye before Azula-sama…" Elle trailed off in a contemplative voice with a finger underneath her chin while Ty Lee smiled down at her fondly.

"She's so cute Azula." The brown-haired woman stated in a voice of approval before ruffling the bashful girl's hair.

"The tiger monkey has her merits I won't deny that." The princess sighed with a prideful shake of her head while she continued to eye her young handmaid's grudgingly adorable thinking face.

"I don't know! I once tried to say hello to a boy when I was seven years old. But then he pulled his wiener out…" The blonde-haired girl explained with her fingertip nudging her lip while her three friends sweatdropped over her tale.

"Wiener?" Azula snorted with a roll of her golden eyes while she strode beside her three subordinates.

Once more she was reminded that she needed to get Elle up to speed on her education.

Which she will do just as soon as they get off this wretched island.

"Like I said Azula. She sure is innocent." Ty Lee commented with a soft giggle while Elle blushed under her patting hand.

"Mhm! I left when he tried to touch me with it. And that was the last I saw of him!" Elle exclaimed with an ever-cheerful smile while the older girl's gaze at her in amusement.

"I'll take that as a no." The markswoman replied with a small smile on her lips.

"I once had one of Zuzu's friends try to show me his goods when I was little." The princess recollected with a smug smirk on her lips while all but her young girlfriend shuddered.

"Really Azula-sama? How did you handle it?" The blonde-haired girl pondered naively with admiration in her eyes while the acrobat sighed heavily.

"I heated up a stick with firebending and then I hit him with it as hard as I could. It seemed to cure him of the habit. I recall Zuzu being angry when his friend never spoke to him again." Azula admitted with a violent smile while she scanned her fingernails before her prideful golden eyes.

"I wonder why." Mai stated with a trace of disgust in her voice.

It was just like Azula to never consider another person's feelings and that the boy had simply been too young and immature to know better.

He likely did not grow up to have much success at relationships after Azula scarred his manhood.

"Oh wow! If anyone ever pulls their wiener out on me again, I'll just leave it to you to handle it." Elle quipped with Ty Lee sweatdropping over her shoulder.

"That's right Elle. Just leave it to me. I'll just set it on fire." The princess declared with a cruel chuckle while her childhood friends shivered once more.

"Did you ever think about other girls…instead of boys before you met Azula?" The markswoman inquired with her words provoking a stern glance from her leader in question.

"Think about?" The blonde-haired girl queried in a pure hearted voice while the three women stared at her fondly.

"Yes…did you ever think of someone romantically…even if they were just a construct of your mind. A fantasy." Mai clarified in a sisterly voice while Ty Lee's cheeks turned beet red.

"Mai! She's…she's thirteen." The brown-haired woman protested with her adopted sister listening in curiosity.

"So? Most girls touch themselves long before they turn thirteen." The markswoman scoffed with a composed face while the princess now glared at her.

"Touch myself? I touch myself every day when I brush my hair and eat." Elle answered innocently only for her friends to nearly trip on their feet in complete bafflement.

"Mai." Azula hissed with a hand over her face while Mai gazed down at Elle with astonished tawny eyes.

"No…touch yourself…here." Mai spoke with a cough while she gestured between her legs with a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Oh. No. I've never done that." The blonde-haired girl piped in a breezy voice while her three older friends gazed at her in disbelief.

"Not…even once?" The markswoman queried with shock in her voice only for her young friend to shake her head.

"Nope!" Elle exclaimed with a shrug of her shoulders while Ty Lee gaped down at her.

Only to find herself soon smiling widely once more while she walked with her little sister supporting her weight.

"She…really is pure of heart. Just give her time. Just let her finish growing up on her own…in a safe environment." Ty Lee remarked with a trace of concern in her eyes while Azula still stared down at the girl in bewilderment.

The fact that her admirer has never even tried to pleasure herself before was a truly jarring thought to behold.

But also…so pleasing at the same time.

It just meant that Elle was all the more hers and hers alone.

Hers to shape and hers to mold.

'I suppose…that I will just have to teach her…in time' The princess thought with a fond smirk on her red lips.

Only to find herself glaring at her subordinate when she persisted once more.

"Did…you ever think of boys and girls…in a non-romantic manner. You know…just as friends? Maybe one more than the other?" The markswoman pondered in a still helpful voice while they all watched the young girl hold a palm to her chin once more.

It was clear to all that Mai was trying to assist Elle in helping her find out if she was bi-sexual or otherwise.

"I-I never really thought of boys. Boys…have always seemed so gross to me. But…the only boy I have ever known is Felix. I…still see him in the faces of other boys. So…I don't like to talk to boys. Out of fear that they'll be…like him. I know that they won't…he's just an anomaly. But even so. I think of it." The blonde-haired girl lamented with a frown on her lips while her friends listened in understanding.

After all that they have heard of Felix they couldn't blame Elle for being fearful of boys.

"You don't have to talk about him Elle. I don't want to see you get sad again." The brown-haired woman suggested with her arm wrapping around her smaller friend while the younger girl pulled her along.

"But I was locked in my house ever since I turned ten…so I never really got to get out and talk to people." Elle mumbled with her words causing all three of her friends to stare at her in horror.

"You…spent almost four years locked in a room…and then the first person that you got to know was Azula?" Mai asked in an evidently unnerved voice while Azula pursed her lips in a wrathful scowl.

"Yep! I mean I spoke to Naoki and Rachel briefly but Azula-sama is my first friend that I have ever had!" Elle announced in a childishly prideful voice with all three of her companion's gazing at her in a speechless silence.

The acrobat was already tearing up when she turned to the princess's puzzled face with her eyes silently pleading her to always treat the girl well.

'After all of that…the first face that provided comfort…was Azula. It's no wonder why Elle adores Azula so much!' Ty Lee thought with her finger wiping at her eye while she enveloped Elle in another hug.

"I am your first friend…am I Elle?" Azula questioned in a still taken aback voice while Elle happily nodded her head.

"That's so! And that's why you're my best buddy!" The blonde-haired girl cried out while the acrobat ruffled her hair.

"Right…best buddy." The princess sighed with her sarcasm soaring over her naïve handmaid's head.

Although once more she filed down the possible importance of those two names.

She keenly recalled her servant first mentioning this Naoki several weeks ago as someone that she didn't fear.

And now she knows that this girl has some sort of connection to Elle's childhood trauma.

And she also knows that they met once more upon leaving her brother's estate.

Interesting…

There was obviously more to the tale that she has not been told.

"All the more reason why we have to look after you." The markswoman commented gently while the younger girl smiled over at her.

"But…but I guess I have thought of girls before…" The blonde-haired girl admitted with a hand under her chin while her friends listened in curiosity.

The princess turned to her handmaid with an inquisitive look in her eyes when the teenager spoke once more.

"When I used to read books as a little girl…I always found the female characters especially compelling. Heroes…princesses and warriors. I…used to ponder what it would be like to have someone like that to protect me." Elle spoke in a soft voice with appreciation in her amber eyes that hit Azula hard in the gut.

Not one of the three women spoke a word while they stood in a state of perplexed shock.

It was even clearer than before just why Azula amazed Elle so deeply.

She was…something akin to a twisted version of what the girl was longing for when she read her childhood stories.

"And…and that's why Azula-sama is my dream come true." The blonde-haired girl mumbled with a deep blush on her fair cheeks.

Azula stared at Elle with a strangely pleased gleam in her golden eyes before she found a gratified smile climbing onto her lips.

"Of course, I am. And I am a thousand times better than any princess from your books. If you think otherwise…I will punish you!" The princess warned with her finger snapping in her gulping handmaid's direction.

"N-no Azula-sama. You are the greatest there is…the only princess for me…" Elle assured in a lovesick voice with a hand over her chest while Azula smirked in approval.

"Aww! That's so romantic!" Ty Lee exclaimed with her brown-gray eyes practically sparkling over the touching confession.

"I…don't know about that Elle. Those princess's in your children's stories probably were a good deal less sadistic." Mai sighed with a shake of her head while Azula smiled all the while.

"No. Azula-sama is perfect…all three of you are. If…I could change one thing. I wish that we could have met five or so years ago. Child I was…but it would have only meant that we would have that many more happy years to share together." The blonde-haired girl confided in a sentimental voice while she smiled at her three taken aback friends.

"Elle…" The brown-haired woman trailed off tenderly with her arm still wrapping around the younger girl's shoulder.

The thought of a seven-year-old Elle following after all three of them while they prepared to depart to hunt the Avatar for the first time was a provoking thought to all of Team Azula.

And just as jarring was the fact that a younger Azula would have most likely just left Elle to die on the street.

'Yes. Having you follow me around like a little turtle duckling is just what I needed when I was fourteen.' Azula thought with a finger rubbing the bridge of her nose before sighing softly.

How strange was it that she was actually thinking about how it would have meant that Elle would have been under her protection for all those years?

This one is truly making her go soft.

"But that doesn't matter now. I have you all now." Elle concluded with an ever-present smile before returning Ty Lee's embrace while the acrobat affectionately patted her back.

"And we're not ever going to let you go!" Ty Lee giggled with her arm pulling Elle closer while Azula smirked in agreement.

"Most certainly not. We might even collar and leash you." The princess purred in a devious voice that had her two-childhood friends shuddering in revived pity for the young girl.

"Sure! If that's what you-" The blonde-haired girl answered only to be cut off by the acrobat's palm.

But was already too late.

Azula was smiling at Elle with an unnerving gleam in her golden eyes while Mai sighed once more.

"Kid. When are you ever going to learn to watch what you say in Azula's presence?" Mai scolded lightly with her tawny eyes surveying Elle's chipper face.

"Hm. It is good to know your feelings on the matter." Azula stated with a refined smirk while she walked at a slower pace to accommodate her injured friend.

"Please. No leashes and collars Azula." The brown-haired woman pleaded in a sigh while her sadistic friend just smirked back at her.

"Azula-sama?" Elle began in a young voice in need of guidance while Azula turned to grace her with a sophisticated smile.

"Yes Elle?" The princess purred in a silken voice while her young girlfriend smiled from ear to ear.

"Do you want to see something cool?" The blonde-haired girl asked in an innocently excited voice while her big sister's listened in amusement while the monarch sighed once more.

It did not escape Ty Lee's notice that Elle always sought to impress Azula with her gadgets from her homeland.

And if you asked her it was truly adorable!

"Is it more mochi?" Azula questioned with a finger underneath her chin only to sigh once more when the girl shook her head no.

"No! It's my lucky coin!" Elle declared in a prideful voice with her chest puffing out proudly while Azula eyed her with a bored golden gaze.

"Lucky coin? You have a lucky coin?" The princess snorted in a voice of slight mockery while she turned to survey her beaming pet.

"Show us your lucky coin Elle! We would be happy to look at it!" Ty Lee assured with a sisterly nod while Elle paused in her walk to pull her backpack out.

And so, the acrobat stood patiently while she leaned on her young friends' shoulder.

All the while watching with fond brown-gray eyes when the young handmaid began to dig through her backpack once more.

Mai stopped beside a tree while she turned to observe Elle in mutual amusement.

Only for Azula to groan with her hand massaging her face once more.

"Ty Lee…if you haven't noticed. Every time the girl digs through her backpack, we end up standing here for a half hour longer." Azula complained with her fists on her hips only to quirk a brow when Elle cried out in delight.

There was something about that joyous shout that she has come to grow fond of.

"I found it! I keep it in a secret pocket so it won't be found so easily if a thief should take my bag." The blonde-haired girl commented with the acrobat smiling over her shoulder.

The concept of a 'secret' pocket in a backpack was laughable if you asked Azula.

Considering that all the thief had to do was dump the contents of the infernal bag onto the ground and then all pockets will be visible.

"How kind of you to tell us…in case we wish to steal your…'lucky' coin." The princess scoffed with a hand waving in the air.

"Azula! It's okay Elle. We wouldn't steal from you." The brown-haired woman stated while her little sister beamed up at her.

"Of course, we wouldn't. The rich don't steal from the poor." Azula taunted with a cold smile only for both noblewomen to frown in disapproval.

"Why do you keep demeaning her? She does everything you want. Things that most people wouldn't do. Myself included." Mai remarked with her arms folded over her breasts while Azula turned to stare icily at her once more.

She knew very well that she had to watch what she said to Azula.

But it seemed like it was safe to speak out as long as she was sticking up for Elle.

If only because Azula most likely knew that she often had a valid point. She was just too damn prideful to admit it.

"The rich steal from the poor all the time. It's called taxes!" Elle chirped with a happy nod while Ty Lee giggled once more.

"She's got you there Azula! By that logic you're the biggest thief there is." Ty Lee agreed with a finger pointing at the other woman who just rolled her eyes in response.

"Here it is! Prepare to be amazed Azula-sama!" The blonde-haired girl cheered in a purposefully delayed manner while the princess scanned her fingernails in boredom.

"Hm. The excitement is killing me. I assure you." The princess responded in a still subdued voice only to blink in curiosity when her handmaid held out a small clear case.

With a small silver coin proudly housed inside protecting by a sheet of casing.

"It's my Julius Caesar denarius! It's a coin from the Roman Republic!" Elle declared with a proud smile while she held up the item for all three of her bewildered friends to see.

"Woah. It looks…old." The brown-haired woman muttered with a hand under her chin while she eyed the coin in fascination.

"It is old. Over two thousand years old." The blonde-haired girl answered with a nod while her princess grudgingly found herself stepping closing to view the denarius in greater detail.

"Two thousand…this was that empire that you told us about that collapsed." The markswoman stated with a flicker of amazement in her eyes while she bent over to inspect the coin.

"Yeah. It dissolved into nothing over five hundred years ago. In modern day it is just a lone city. The city of Rome." Elle explained while Azula stooped over to eye the coin with a hand under her chin.

"You said you had no coin for food…why didn't you sell it for food? Or better yet…to buy me a gift?" Azula inquired in a spoiled voice while the noblewomen rolled their eyes over her reasoning.

"Its value is based on location. In the Fire Nation this would be worth about the same as a regular silver. They wouldn't know what it was…so they wouldn't factor in its age. But back home. I was going to sell it to help start over on my own." The blonde-haired girl spoke while her three highborn friends listened in wonderment.

"She has a point. That would be like trying to sell a Fire Nation antique in a land that knew nothing of our culture. She may as well keep it now…. Elle will never have any shortage of coin." Mai replied while Azula shrugged her shoulders in a lazy show of agreement.

"I suppose so. Who is…this Julius Caesar?" The princess questioned in a voice that was hungry for as much knowledge as she could absorb.

The small girl's face brightened up while she beamed up at her as if it was the question that she had been waiting to hear.

"Julius Caesar is one of the most famous historical figures of all time! He was a big deal Azula-sama!" Elle began in an enthralled voice while the princess listened in amusement.

"Was he now?" Azula purred with a fond smirk on her red lips while Elle nodded her little head once more.

"Yes. He rose to power during the final stages of the Republic. In the Republic power was balanced out amongst the Senate. Only men of course! There were no women in power." The blonde-haired girl revealed with her words causing the two noblewomen to gaze tauntingly at the princess's scrunched up countenance.

"Men." Ty Lee scoffed while Azula offered a rare nod of agreement.

"How archaic." The princess snorted with a disgusted expression while she still eyed the coin closely.

"From what I've read…over time the Senate became corrupt. And that is where Caesar came in. After ending a great war with the Celtic tribes, he returned home to Rome. And he decided to try to take the power of dictator for either his own selfish whims…or to save the Republic. It all depends on who you ask. He started a Civil War when he crossed the Rubicon with his legions and he marched on his own country." Elle stated in an animated voice while her three highborn friends listened in a spellbound silence.

They couldn't help but notice that Elle was rather skilled with history.

Given that she only had a home library to read from it must have been of a sufficient size.

"Crossed the Rubicon?" The princess pondered with a grudgingly intrigued countenance while she watched her handmaid slip the coin back into her bag.

"Mhm. It's a river. But it's a term that's used to describe crossing a point of no return." The blonde-haired girl responded while she zipped her pocket back up.

"What happened after he crossed the Rubicon?" The brown-haired woman queried with an interested smile.

"Caesar marched on Rome, and he went to war with Pompey the Great. One of the famous generals that put down Spartacus's rebellion. They were once friends but now enemies. They are both legendary figures. Pompey is probably more similar to Azula-sama than Caesar. He adhered to the laws of the Republic whereas Caesar wanted to change it. Ultimately Pompey lost the war. And he was killed by a treasonous soldier." Elle continued while she closed up her backpack while Azula released an offended scoff.

"You compare me to the loser? I should punish you for that." Azula growled in a playful voice with her fingers tapping along her bicep.

"W-well Caesar was a people's person. He…won the war…because he fought for reforms that gave more power to commoners. Pompey did not. As a result, Caesar had the support of the people and Pompey did not." The blonde-haired girl clarified while the princess's golden eyes flickered with increased curiosity.

It had not escaped her notice that her handmaid and Zoe both have been trying to push her towards such a similar stance.

"What happened after Caesar defeated Pompey?" The markswoman asked in a still piqued voice while the younger girl slipped her backpack over her shoulders.

"Caesar was named dictator of the Roman Republic. And he started a process of changing reforms for his supporters. But sadly, the rich senators he was reducing in power did not appreciate this." Elle answered while Ty Lee peered over her shoulder in fascination.

"Ah. They killed him?" The princess questioned with an almost amused smile on her cold lips.

"Yeah. He was stabbed to death about twenty-three times by almost sixty senators. That marked the death of the Republic and the birth of the Roman Empire." The blonde-haired girl spoke while she began to walk with the acrobat holding onto her shoulder.

The two noblewomen flinched over the clearly slow and torturous assassination that Caesar endured.

It had to be to be stabbed that many times.

"Assassins and traitors lurk everywhere." Azula hissed with her golden eyes peering about in an almost maddened manner while Mai sighed.

They had no doubt that Azula would only grow more paranoid with Elle innocently telling her stories of other murdered dictators.

"But even though he was killed. He is still one of the most famous people to ever live. Because his adopted son continued in his footsteps. Augustus was much more ruthless to his enemies but still good to the common people. And he lived on to be crowned as the first Emperor of the new Roman Empire." Elle concluded with her three friends staring at her in amazement.

As soon as the princess heard that Caesar's adopted son succeeded where his father failed, she couldn't help but consider the man's legacy in a more favorable light.

At least now, it made sense how the man became so famous.

"I confess that you're piquing my interest with these stories Elle. We will incorporate this into our routine as well." The princess announced in a stern voice while her handmaid peered back at her in delight.

"Yes Azula-sama! Maybe you can gleam something useful from the people of the past?" The blonde-haired girl suggested in a bashful voice while the acrobat nodded in agreement.

"That's a great idea Azula!" The brown-haired woman exclaimed only for the princess to release a prideful scoff.

"Like what Elle? So, I can learn how to not get murdered by sixty of my own followers?" Azula sneered with her cold golden eyes remaining locked on Elle's cheery face.

"That's so! You could probably benefit from taking after Augustus! He treated his people well but he was utterly ruthless to his enemies. They say that his eyes were unusually intelligent. Just like you! He learned not to be merciful to his enemies…as his father was. But at the same time, he understood that he needed the support of the people." Elle insisted with an enthusiastic smile while Azula listened with grudging interest.

"Mhm. I know. Sometimes my brilliance amazes even myself." The princess sighed with a haughty smile while the weapons expert rolled her eyes.

"You could really stand to learn how to get the common people to like you. Most of them detest you. Rightfully so. In their eyes you are an abusive tyrant." Mai quipped with her words causing Ty Lee to shiver when Azula's shoulders tensed in renewed rage.

"Watch yourself Mai. Remember that my mercy is…dwindling." Azula snarled with two fingers clasped together to show the other woman just how flimsy her protection was.

"It's true and you know it Azula. The commoners resent you and your father." The markswoman answered while her leader now stared a hole through her skull.

Only for the acrobat to come to her aid once more.

The princess turned to her friend when the other woman gently grasped ahold of her sleeve.

"You have to choose Azula. You can't be cruel to your own people and then act angry when you hear that they despise you. You know this is true. You can either choose to ignore history and become the ruler that the people hate. Or you can choose to become the one they will adore." Ty Lee almost begged in an urgent voice while Azula glared back at her with angered golden eyes.

"It is not your place…to tell me what to do Ty Lee. Nor you Mai and most certainly not my servant." The princess retorted in an icy voice while the acrobat's hand began to slip off of her.

"I-I mean no offense Azula. Look…if it makes you feel any better. I think…that you are doing much better! Just look at Nako! You treated her justly and she…she saved your life. Now. Are you going to tell me that she would have jumped to your aid had you backhanded her instead of promoting her?" The brown-haired woman advised while the monarch grudgingly mulled over her words.

And Azula damn well knew that the answer to that question was a resounding no.

"Fine. I will consider this counsel. Just don't forget that I am the monarch of this nation. Not you." Azula agreed at long last while Ty Lee finally began to smile once more.

It was so strange.

She felt the urge to reassure Ty Lee so that her smile did not falter.

And it did not go unnoticed by her that it seemed to please Elle and Mai both.

"So, what did you think of my coin! It's super rare to have a coin that old! It's my most valuable possession. I could feed myself for a whole year with it back in my world." The blonde-haired girl cried out with the acrobat leaning on her once more while she patted her back.

"It certainly was fascinating! Wasn't it Mai?" Ty Lee responded in a sisterly voice while Elle blushed underneath her arm.

"Yeah. It sure is Elle." Mai stated gently while she walked on the other side of her adopted sister.

"I admit that you surprised me. I expected something…more mundane from a peasant…even though it is just silver. Ancient silver…but still silver. But even so. The Fire Nation Palace holds thousands of artifacts of that age and much more." The princess spoke with a wave of her hand only to realize her mistake posthaste.

Her eyes twitched in aggravation when she already sensed her two-childhood friends staring at her in disbelief.

And the two of them even looked a good bit angry.

"You just did it again. You cut her down again. If you want to cut someone down…then cut us down. Cut Zoe down. Cut anyone else down. But Azula don't you belittle her!" The brown-haired woman called out with her fist balling up in her anger while the small girl stood staring down at the grass in a downcast manner.

Azula's lips curved into a tight scowl while she glared ahead at her subordinates with her fist tightening alongside her sheathed blade.

If anyone else were to dare to attempt to give her an order she would have them swiftly killed.

And if it were about anything else, she would do the same.

But not…when it came to this little peasant of hers.

"S-sumimasen." Elle mumbled in a sullen voice only to find herself being guided away by a pissed off Ty Lee.

"What's wrong with you Azula? Why do you pick Elle of all people to insult? Your most loyal follower…and the only one too emotionally fragile to take it." Mai declared with a scowl on her face while Azula gritted her teeth in her anger.

"It was just a comment in passing!" Azula defended with a dry sensation in her throat while Mai gazed at her in astonishment.

"Well she can't handle it. She's sensitive. She's been abused. When you do that you hurt her. You make her cry. And with each insult you push her back into the same corner that she's been trapped in her entire life." The markswoman argued with her dark hair hanging in her livid face while the princess's golden eyes shimmered in her own fury.

"I…already know that!" The princess barked with her teeth clenched together while she watched the acrobat walk ahead with her young girlfriend.

"Then why do you continue to do it? What are you trying to do? Pick up where they left off and finish breaking her?" Mai demanded with a moody frown before walking past her frustrated friend.

"It's not my fault…that she is so weak." Azula muttered with an angered scowl she stomped ahead.

Only for her foul temper to continue to escalate when she heard her handmaid mumbling to her acrobatic friend.

"T-that… was my father's most prized coin." The blonde-haired girl murmured with her words prompting her two big sisters to turn around to glare at the princess once more as she glared back with a cold scowl.

"It's…okay Elle. Azula's just an ass." Ty Lee comforted with a patting hand while Azula stomped behind her with her golden eyes glaring off to the side.

"I-I…wasn't born in a palace. I…was born in a modest home in poverty. Not everyone can be born with riches. M-most people aren't. I-I don't understand why people who were born lucky look down on those who weren't." Elle confessed with her amber eyes staring down in a glum manner while Ty Lee stared down at her in pity.

And Azula continued to stare off into the tree line with something akin to a spark of remorse in her eyes.

If it was any other peasant, she wouldn't give a damn.

But she did consider the girl her most loyal servant as well as her closest friend.

And a subject of growing romantic intrigue to boot.

"D-does that make me a lesser person Ty Lee?" The blonde-haired girl questioned in a worried voice only for the acrobat to glance down at her just appalled by the query.

And once more the princess walked with her arms stubbornly crossed over her breasts while she ground her teeth together under Mai's judgmental stare.

"What! No! Of course not! You're just the same as us!" The brown-haired woman assured with her bicep protectively pulling the younger girl into her chest.

Azula's eyes sparked with fury while she followed after the two.

All the while attempting to muster the words of apology on her tongue only to find that they died just as soon as she tried conjuring them.

"I-if you say so oneesan." Elle spoke timidly only for a hint of blush to appear on her cheeks when Ty Lee hugged her close.

"I know so! Now don't be sad little sister. We don't like it when you're sad." Ty Lee commented gently with Elle finally managing to crack a smile while crushed the girl in a strong embrace.

"O-okay…I won't." The blonde-haired girl answered with her amber eyes turning to peer over her shoulder at her master's prideful scowl.

Golden eyes momentarily met her gaze while she bit her lip only for her smile to return when she saw a trace of regret in Azula's eyes.

The princess released a proud growl with her fists clenching on her toned biceps while she stared at her handmaid with stern eyes while her admirer began to melt under her strict stare.

All the while she strangely longed to have the girl back beside her.

And curiously enough…the urge to put her arm back around the smaller girl's shoulder.

Just like…Ty Lee was doing.

Elle continued to smile shyly while Azula narrowed her eyes back at her before yelling out at an order at long last.

"Quit being such a cry baby Elle! If you shed one tear, I will send you to prison for the rest of your life!" Azula bellowed with a snobbish scoff while her dominant golden eyes never ceased staring at her pet's brightening smile.

The two noblewomen just gazed at their leader dryly before sighing once more.

"Some apology." Mai snorted with Azula glaring between her and Elle while she watched the monarch stomp closer to the timid girl.

"Although it may not seem like it Elle…that was Azula's way of telling you that she's sorry." The brown-haired woman advised with the petite girl under her arm while she smiled down at the blonde's adorably thoughtful face.

While the princess stormed over with blue fire escaping her nostrils.

"I…know." Elle replied with a bright smile once more when her hair was ruffled by the acrobat's loving hand.

"You see Elle. While Azula may seem cold…and cruel…well she is. But when it comes to you…she's a…" Ty Lee whispered in Elle's ear while Azula stomped up behind her with her callous eyes glaring down at her servant's lovably beaming face.

"She is?" The blonde-haired girl pondered in a naïve voice while the acrobat spoke into her ear with a playful grin on her lips.

"Ty Lee! What are you telling my handmaid?" Azula demanded in a possessive voice with emphasis on 'my' only for her eyes to narrow when Elle laughed sweetly.

"Uh-huh? Oh! I'll keep that in mind!" Elle chatted with a chipper smile while Ty Lee continued to speak to her with a grin while Azula loomed ominously behind them.

And then just like that the princess's boot halted in mid stomp when a look of indignation overtook her cheeks after she heard what her childhood friend was saying.

"A big softie! Just think of her as a big fiery teddy bear!" The brown-haired woman informed with a snicker while the weapons expert also failed to suppress her amused laughter.

A look of rage began to overtake Azula's features while she stared at her giggling friend with utterly murderous golden eyes.

"Ty Lee! I will destroy you! You dare to compare my likeness to a teddy bear!" The princess bellowed with fire bursting aflame at her fingertips while she stared hard at the acrobat's laughing face.

But it was already too late to stop her favorite handmaid from announcing the humiliating words out to the treetops.

"Azula-sama is a tall, angry teddy bear!" The blonde-haired girl cried out with a joyful smile while her words caused the princess to turn a slight shade of pink in embarrassment.

"She is Elle…for you and only you. You see Elle…Azula is the best there is at waging war…and she is also without doubt the best firebender there is. She's flawless at everything…. except dating." Ty Lee explained with a hand waving in the air while Azula's eyes continued to pierce her skull.

"I suggest you proceed carefully Ty Lee." Azula ordered in a foul tempered voice that was only in part abated by the acrobat's praise of her talent.

All the while young Elle listened intently to Ty Lee with a look of deep admiration in her sweet amber eyes.

It was obvious to all of Team Azula that the young girl was quite taken to the acrobat's loving persona.

"When it comes to dating…you and Azula are on a leveled playing field. Actually…she is just as new to this as you are." The brown-haired woman commented in an instructive voice while the smaller girl peered up at her with an attentive countenance.

Once more the monarch stiffed with a sliver of pink on her regal cheeks while she growled at her childhood friend's back.

"I don't think I quite like the way you are depicting me Ty Lee." The princess hissed in a deeply aggravated fashion only for the weapons expert to gesture for her to listen.

"If you haven't noticed Ty Lee's saving your insensitive ass." The markswoman stated with a roll of her eyes while her leader's ruthless eyes glared back at her.

But before Azula could protest even further she furrowed her brows when she turned back to Ty Lee and her young love interest.

"Really?" Elle asked in an innocently curious voice while her big sister nodded with a warm grin still adorning her features.

"Really. What I am trying to say is that…Azula's social skills…are the only area where she is lacking. In all the time that I've known her…I have never seen her like anyone as much as she likes you. She's…just not very good at expressing it. When Azula says that your coin isn't special…what she really means to say is that she likes it very much!" Ty Lee conversed with Elle's brightened face underneath her arm while Azula listened in grudging interest.

The foursome walked while Elle turned her head to peer back at Azula's prideful scowl once more only for her sunny smile to grow even larger.

And even though no one spoke it aloud.

All three members of Team Azula thought their young friends love for the princess was one of the most adorable things that they have ever seen.

Even Azula thought as much herself.

"It's like I said oneesan. It's all about translation!" The blonde-haired girl exclaimed with a happy grin while she continued to beam at her princess's moody face.

"It is! The point I'm getting at…is that you just need to be patient with Azula." The brown-haired woman spoke gently while the proud princess stared at her with her eyes twitching in her anger.

"Just what are you trying to insinuate Ty Lee!" Azula snapped with her fists on her hips while she fixed her subordinate with a terrifying glower.

Yet even so the acrobat had the gall to ignore her ire while she continued her little lesson with her young handmaid.

"It's going to take Azula a long while to learn how to express herself to you. She's…probably going to be an ass to you more times than you can count. But…I think if you're patient…and if you can endure being called a whole host of demeaning names. By the time you reach sixteen…she'll grow into a real gentlewoman for you. Just…give your princess charming some time and I think you two will be very happy together." Ty Lee lectured with a soft smile while Elle now gazed up with her amber eyes agape in boundless joy.

Azula stood with her fists pressing into her hips while she turned away to glare off into the tree line once more.

There was a rare sliver of humiliation in her golden eyes.

And yet…at the same time.

An odd sense of gratitude for her friends' efforts to secure her admirer's interest in her.

Mai walked with her eyes closing for a brief moment while she sighed with a small smile on her lips.

Ty Lee was right.

Elle was a good thing.

For all of them.

"Be patient with me! Please! Elle should be honored to even breath the same air as me!" The princess scoffed with a flip of her hair while her childhood friends gazed at her dryly.

"That's precisely the sort of behavior that Ty Lee was just talking about." The markswoman muttered in a deadpan voice that earned her another glare from the foul tempered monarch.

Only to open her eyes to find herself smiling even wider when she noticed Elle's positively radiant expression.

"Yes! We'll marry when I turn sixteen! I'll be patient for you Azula-sama!" Elle announced with a cheerful nod while Ty Lee patted her back only for Azula to finally stomp up beside them.

"That's enough Ty Lee! Get my girlfriend's face out of your breasts right now! Only I may dominate her!" Azula ordered with a ruthless snap of her finger that had Ty Lee sighing heavily once more while Elle smiled back at her.

"Azula…" The brown-haired woman groaned only for her spoiled friend to rudely shove her aside with her hip.

Despite Azula's extremely possessive behavior she couldn't help but find it just too cute that only ten or so minutes have passed and now she already wanted Elle back beside her!

"That's my princess! She's so authoritative!" The blonde-haired girl chirped with reverence lacing her voice while the princess smirked down at her.

"Indeed I am. Let it be known that you will give her back to me as soon as we make camp! I have need of her services Ty Lee and if I am going to be stranded on this barbaric island then I will at least have my handmaid wait on me hand and food! I demand that my girlfriend pamper my every need! Is that understood?" The princess spoke in a beyond entitled voice while the acrobat just nodded in exasperation.

"Whatever you say Azula. Just try not to overwork her too terribly." Ty Lee agreed in a defeated voice while Elle continued to smile shyly at Azula before lovably averting her eyes from the stern woman's gaze.

"W-whatever I can do to please you Azula-sama…I'll do…" Elle mumbled with a hand grasping at her blouse while Ty Lee smiled as they resumed walking together.

And even though Azula didn't show it.

The merciless princess was now gazing at her young intended with a margin of appreciation in her cold golden eyes.

"Aren't you going to apologize for insulting her late father's coin?" The markswoman questioned in a pointed voice while her leader glared ahead with a proud frown on her red lips.

Before turning to peer down at her shorter companion with her hardened eyes observing her loyal handmaid's bashfully blushing face.

"Yeah Azula. Just because Elle wasn't born into wealth like we were doesn't mean that she's less than us. I bet if Elle had been born in a palace, she wouldn't insult you if you weren't." The brown-haired woman scolded in a disapproving voice while her friend tapped an angry finger along her bicep only to scowl down at the girl once more.

The monarch gazed off into the thick trees before wordlessly planting a hand in the now smiling girl's hair while her childhood friends observed in an amazed silence once more.

No matter how many times they see Azula show kindness to Elle it will never cease to astound them.

Even if the princess had a bad habit of hurting the innocent girl's feelings several times a day.

"You are a fine companion Elle…you…are worthy…of standing beside me." Azula grumbled in a supremely proud voice while she glared off to the side with Elle breaking out into an overjoyed smile beneath her petting hand.

The two noblewomen managed to smile as well when the gentle hearted girl began to laugh sweetly while the princess's palm continued to pat her head.

"Aww…now that's how you should treat her Azula. She's so loyal to us. She deserves to be treated well. It's our responsibility to give her a place where she belongs. She's more than earned it." Ty Lee remarked in a tender voice while the teenager gazed up at her leader with grateful amber eyes.

The princess said nothing while her palm dug into the younger girl's hair all the while staring down at her handmaid's simply delighted countenance.

"I-it is my life's greatest honor to have a place beside you Azula-sama…beside all of you." The blonde-haired girl admitted with her finger wiping at her eye while her lips curved into a truly jubilant smile.

All three highborn women gazed at their young friend with a shared fondness in their eyes while she peered around at all three of them with a beyond appreciation look in her eyes.

That was when Mai stepped forward before offering Elle a gentle pat to the back while she smiled down at the happy girl in approval.

"You're one of us Elle." Mai stated with affection in her tawny eyes while Elle's emotional eyes shimmed in joy.

"A-arigatou gozaimasu mina-san." Elle stuttered with an ever-present smile before turning to peer up at Azula's stoic face while her caretaker released a soft sigh over her.

"You are most welcome Elle. Now then. Let's go make camp." Azula sighed with a refined smile on her lips before withdrawing her hand from her handmaid's golden head.

"What did I tell you Azula? She's as sweet as candy!" The brown-haired woman cooed with her arm reeling Elle in while the younger girl blushed only for her two friends to stare at her oddly over her gushing.

"I am glad you think so oneesan!" The blonde-haired girl cried out while she laughed with her face against the acrobat's elbow.

Only to receive another pat to the head from the protective acrobat who was smiling just as brightly as her.

"Yes Ty Lee. The girl is candy…that only I may taste." The princess purred with a smug smirk that instantly had both of her friends blushing uncomfortably.

"By Agni Azula…" The markswoman trailed off with a shake of her head while the teenager blinked in puzzlement.

"But…I thought that you weren't going to eat me Azula-sama." Elle quipped with a finger under her lip while her three friends' now sweatdropped in puzzlement over her naivety.

"Eat you? No! What I meant was…ugh. Just forget it Elle." Azula answered in a sigh while Elle smiled widely at her once more.

"As you say Azula-sama. Always as you command." The blonde-haired girl hummed with her words earning her a pleased smirk from her master.

"Uh…well! Like I said Azula. She's a sweetheart." Ty Lee spoke with another giggle while Azula rolled her golden eyes at her.

All the while Elle continued to help the acrobat to walk.

While she never ceased gazing between all three of her older friends with an intense smile of admiration on her youthful face.

It was plain as day to all of Team Azula that their young companion greatly admired all three of them.

"I am well aware Ty Lee. You only say it every other minute. Even so. Should there ever be a repeat of you comparing my image to a stuffed animal then I will…silence or I will destroy the both of you!" The princess roared with her face contorting into furious snarl while she glared at the two snickering noblewomen.

"Right Azula. You'll destroy me." The brown-haired woman responded in a chuckle while the princess now glared a hole through her forehead.

"Better watch out oneesan. Her Highness's wrath is nothing to scoff at!" Elle cheered with a fist pumping in the air while Azula's lips curled into a smile once more.

"Humph. At least someone here understands." Azula commented with a proud smirk gracing her royal features before she began to walk ahead of her companions.

As she did so Elle continued to gaze after her with Ty Lee leaning over her shoulder.

The younger girl smiled after her greatest friend while her amber eyes shone with undying love for her powerful caretaker.

Just as the princess glanced back at her for a brief moment with a fond smile of approval still on her red lips before gazing ahead once more.

This one was a fine companion indeed.

The finest in all the world.

#Azula #avatar the last airbender fanfiction #yuri #ty lee avatar #mai avatar