The Legend of Percy: Book 2 - Through Grief

6. A Satchel, A Blanket and A Traitorous Uncle (What an Odd Collection)

Azula returned to her Fire Nation ship after a day straight, riding on her mongoose lizard. She'd gotten a surprising amount of sleep riding on its back. The fur blanket was just so comfortable, it seemed to keep her stuck in unconsciousness. Not to mention her sleep was completely undisturbed. The princess hated that for a different reason and didn't want to consider any kind of correlation.

When she arrived at the ship, the princess was extremely well rested. It was strange to her. After so long being sleep deprived and considering herself weak, it was refreshing having a clear mind. What it did do, though, was allow her to focus on her problem. Her main one at the moment being her father. Well, not him specifically, but the whole marriage ordeal.

The princess had always thought she'd be able to find a way around it. That once she was 16, she'd be able to select someone for herself. Kind of like the way that her father had, the way that all the Fire Lord's did.

He's doing this for your benefit. When has he ever led you wrong?

Her freshly invigorated brain poked quite a number of holes in that. She didn't want it. Not now, not when the she could be Fire Lord. It was all she'd ever wanted. Azula definitely didn't want some other person coming in and taking even a little of that power for themselves.

The letter had been explicit though. She was to return to the Fire Nation at once because a suitor had been found for her. Azula hated every bit about it, and she was only beginning to feel the extent of that.

Returning to the capital without Percy, that was the other thing that worried the princess. She felt like it was the right thing to do, although couldn't exactly figure out why. At no point in her stay with the infuriating waterbender did she even really consider fulfilling her father's orders. That was a weird, almost weightless sensation. But the reality of her situation came crashing down on her.

No, he can't do that to me. He can't treat me like Zuko. I'm his favourite, his prodigy. He'll listen to me.

The princess stood on the deck, calmly avoiding the captain. He seemed to be hesitant, probably hearing of her reputation as did everyone in the Fire Nation. She stuck her chest out pridefully at that.

And they should fear me.

The day was spent convincing herself that, yes, her father wouldn't treat her like her failure of a brother. She'd never put a foot out of line for him, that was worth something. And as the day drew to a close, it seemed that she definitely did think that. But there was a voice at the back of her head, one that didn't really let her settle. One that wasn't aggressive, but softly pushing her. It seemed to guide her towards an idea.

The idea grew on her, just pushing its way outwards in her mind. From weeks ago, when Percy claimed to know what war was like more than her, to challenging her divine right to rule in Ba Sing Se, and then finally to challenging her father's words to her at their every interaction. Percy had pushed his way into her mind irreparably changing it.

As the princess went to her chambers, she felt her sleeplessness return with her raging thoughts. The boar-q-pine fur blanket sitting over on the back of a chair by her desk. It oh-so-innocently dangled with the swaying of the ship, hypnotically wafting in the enclosed space of her room.

After an hour or so of tossing and turning, the scent of the blanket finally reached her. It filled the room, but not with a memory of that annoying waterbender... well, slightly, but that wasn't what it reminded her of. It reminded her of a long time ago, relaxing on a beach. It didn't allow her to ignore the seeds of doubt planted by said waterbender and let her sleep either. No, it welcomed them. She gained comfort from allowing those seeds to bloom in her mind.