Death of a Thousand Cuts 2

MAIKO MONTH 2014
DEATH OF A THOUSAND CUTS: THE SECOND DAY

08 - Dreams

It came to Azula in a dream.

Of course, that's not really what happened. Azula decided years ago to stop dreaming. It was pointless, at best highlighting mental concerns that a quick bit of self-analysis could pinpoint just as effectively, and at worst being silly. Instead, Azula had her brain apply itself, while she slept, to solving all the various problems she had not yet solved by the end of the day. Since she had already made some time in her schedule for her Fix Zuko project, his issues were at the top of the list for pondering, and as expected she had a solution by the time she woke up.

(Azula made a note to tell Zuko that while he had so much trouble with everything life threw at him, she could literally solve his problems in her sleep. He'd like that. Or growl and spit smoke, which was even better.)

The logical process spoke for itself. Zuko had everything he claimed he wanted, and yet he wasn't happy. Obviously, he was missing things from his old life that he was stupid for liking, and some simple substitutions could plug the gaps. He was missing Uncle, but only because Father was not yet in his life to tell him what to do all the time. To address that, Azula resolved to make more of Zuko's decisions for him until they got back home and Father could take over. He was also likely missing the chance to fight people, because that was how he worked out his frustrations, but Azula had seen his Firebending the day before, and she wasn't about to risk him on the front lines of the war. No, better to channel those urges elsewhere. But how?

The revelation came to Azula when she opened her eyes that morning, an answer both simple and effective. Zuko's opponents in his recent battles had been a young boy with a high-pitched voice, a Waterbender girl with big blue eyes, and Azula herself. Naturally, he needed a female in his life to kiss or argue with or whatever. That's why most people got married, after all. Azula herself was not about to volunteer for that duty, despite what the history books said her ancestors had gotten up to (she got queasy just thinking about it), so she had to find another girl, one with plenty of time to waste.

Azula resolved to speak to Li and Lo about taking out an advertisement in the local publications.

---

When Zuko woke up, he had to take a moment to remember what was real and what was a dream.

The defeat of the Avatar was real. (Probably. Katar- the Waterbender's magic water couldn't be that powerful.)

The conquest of Ba Sing Se was real.

Uncle- what had happened with Uncle was real.

Azula's offer was real. (Probably. She would have betrayed him by now if that was her plan, right?)

The restoration of Zuko's honor was... well, his worries about it were real, at least.

Mai was real.

Ty Lee's warning was real.

The dinner he shared with Mai last night was real.

His long search in the Earth Palace for Uncle and Mo- Mother, while Mai called from somewhere he couldn't see, was not real.

With that all established, Zuko had to decide what he wanted to do. He rose from bed and began his morning exercises, a routine that gave him time to... what was the word Azula used? Brood? No, that sounded immature. Ponder? Yes, Zuko pondered his situation. He had the possibility of being able to go home again, the possibility of becoming the Prince of destiny, and the possibility of a girl who liked him and could actually fit into his life. All of those possibilities, though, had great risks. Risk of getting home to find out that he'd been tricked, risk of having his destiny denied to him forever, and risk that letting Mai into his life would hurt her the same way it hurt... lots of people.

Yesterday, Zuko had been sure that he could solve these problems and eliminate the risks. His dream had given him an idea, but it, too, carried lots of risk.

He could just stay in Ba Sing Se, ruling the captured city as a representative of the Fire Nation. He could retain his title of Prince, because it was appropriate that someone so highly ranked would rule over the capital of the Fire Nation's greatest enemy. He wouldn't have to go home and risk Father's wrath, and could enjoy the benefits of having helped Azula against the Avatar without challenging the terms of his banishment. And maybe...

Maybe Mai would stay with him, at least for a while. If things didn't work out, she could always go home, and never have to worry about him again.

The more Zuko thought about it, the more it seemed like a good idea.

---

Mai had never liked mornings. She always had a hard time waking up, and the first few minutes of consciousness were swirled with the remnants of her dreams. It was an unpleasant blurring of what was real and what wasn't.

People like Ty Lee thought that sounded grand, but Mai was of the opinion that Ty Lee's mother had smoked too much mistweed, and Ty Lee's whole life was probably the result of a genetic addiction o some kind. (Mai was sure that genetic addictions were real things.) Mai's dreams, however, were usually nothing special, just incoherent weirdness and tritely psychological stuff like wearing balls and chains that spoke with the voices of her parents, and junk like that.

Last night had been of the same character, except this time it had featured Zuko and her falling into a giant pit full of soft apples that exploded and squished whenever they were so much as touched. She and Zuko had wound up sinking together into a vortex of sticky applesauce.

Mai had a dread suspicion that this dream, too, had been tritely psychological. She felt mildly scandalized by it.

While she dressed and got ready for Azula's stupid morning briefing meeting, Mai considered telling Zuko about her dream and seeing if he would laugh, blush, or both.

---

Ty Lee had woken up at the crack of dawn, shot out of bed with an energy that had bloomed within her the second she opened her eyes, and took a moment to giggle at her memories of her dreams before starting her morning exercises.

She had dreamed of pink elephants.

Pink elephants on parade!

---

---

09 - Reunion

Zuko sat through almost the whole morning briefing without hearing a word that the Firebender commander said. (Well, he did catch three words near the beginning, but "hog-monkey uprising" sent Zuko retreating back to his own thoughts.) He was too distracted by the idea of simply staying in Ba Sing Se when Azula and the others left, and it wasn't until the briefing was almost over that he realized that if he was going to rule Ba Sing Se, he probably should have been paying close attention to the briefing.

He restored his attention to its proper place just as the commander was bringing the meeting to a close. "Lastly, the expert consultant from New Ozai, the Deputy Governor, has arrived to advise our occupational government here. I've advised her that a preliminary meeting can be scheduled for today."

Zuko looked over at the girls. Ty Lee was napping, of course, while Azula was nodding as if she expected the news. Mai, however, was leaning forward with something that might have been interest, and her eyes were wide with surprise. Zuko wondered why, and resolved to ask her later.

For now, he said, "I'd like to meet with the consultant."

Azula and Mai whipped their heads around to look at him, both of saying, "Why?" Mai actually managed to be the squeakier-sounding of the two.

Zuko shrugged as nonchalantly as he could. "I'm a Prince of the Fire Nation, just like Azula is a Princess. I've been wasting my time, but I should start acting worthy of my station. I can handle the meeting with the consultant and brief her on what we're facing."

Mai was staring at him, and he almost thought he could see hurt in her eyes. Azula eyed him with her typical calculating expression, and turned to glance at Mai before facing Zuko again and giving a smile that sent shivers up his spine. "I don't suppose you got much news about New Ozai?"

"I-" No, this wasn't the time to lie. Azula would catch it. "No, I've never heard of it. But I'm sure anyone who works in a city named for Father must be quite capable."

Azula's smile turned into a toothy grin. "Indeed. Yes, Zuko, why don't you handle the preliminary meeting? Take Mai with you."

It felt like a lump of ice had suddenly sprang into being in Zuko's stomach (something that he was sure Katara was planning to do to him the next time she saw him). If Azula was so eager about this, it couldn't be good.

What had he walked into?

---

It wasn’t until Zuko was literally walking into the meeting room- once again, the same exact chambers where he and Uncle were supposed to pour tea down the Earth King's ashy throat, the same place where he and Mai had enjoyed their first conversation- that Mai finally explained what was going on. She started with a sigh. "You should know, New Ozai used to be Omashu. Azula renamed it when she picked me up to help chase down... everyone she was chasing down. And the reason I was there was because the governor is my father."

It was like the clouds had parted to reveal the sun, a sun with a smiling face that was ready to explain everything patiently in small sentences. Now Zuko understood why everyone was choking and grinning. Mai's father had sent the consultant, and Mai had father issues. He didn't know what Mai's specific issues were, but he was sure that issues did in fact exist between father and daughter. Everyone he knew had father issues.

"I understand," he said, and gave Mai a confident, understanding smile. He hadn't tried to smile that way since before Mother had... left, and he hoped it didn't look too scary. Mai just gave him a flat expression, and didn't say anything more as they knelt together on one side of the table in the center of the room.

Zuko turned to the servant at place by the door. "We are ready. Send our guest in."

The servant bowed, disappeared through the door, and then-

-and then a toddler with a single lock of black hair on his bulbous head came tearing through the door with a look of pure bliss on his face. "MAAAAIIIIIIII!!!" The child ran across the room, climbed up onto the table, and then literally launched himself at Mai's chest. She caught him deftly enough, her expression never changing.

Zuko blinked. "Um... who... ?"

"Oh, this little guy? He's just my illegitimate spawn."

"WHAT?!?!"

The child covered his ears and shouted back at Zuko, "I gitty mit spawns!"

Mai's mouth quirked in a smile. "Sorry, couldn't resist. This is actually my little brother. You've never met him."

All at once, Zuko could breathe again. He grabbed for the cup of tea that a servant was placing down on the table and took a swig. He needed some calming influence after... that.

Mai continued, "The timing of his birth suggests that my parents celebrated your banishment a little too vigorously.

Zuko chocked on the tea and spat it out all over the table.

It was into this scene that the consultant from New Ozai entered. "Oh, I see Tom-Tom found you. Hello, daughter." Mai gave a half-hearted wave. The child- Tom-Tom- waved much more enthusiastically.

Zuko said a quick chant begging the Agni Warrior to share some of his dragon-strength. Mai's mother?! He quickly wiped the tea dripping off of his chin and stood. "Uh, welcome to Ba Sing Se. I am Prince Zuko."

"Yes, dear, I recognize you." Mai's mother- ashes, what was her name? Zuko wasn't sure if he had ever heard it. He didn't want to sound like an idiot by asking. Bereft of a name in Zuko's thoughts, Mai's Mother kneeled down on the other side of the table. "I'm so happy you're no longer a dishonorable savage forced to wander the Earth. I always said you were such a nice young boy."

"Er, yes. I mean, thank you." If this was what diplomacy was, Zuko wasn't sure that ruling Ba Sing Se for Father was such a good idea. "So, you're here as a consultant?"

"Oh, yes. Thank you for reminding me, dear. As I'm sure you're aware, Ba Sing Se is the most important conquest in all the war. Everyone wants things to go smoothly, here. And since New Ozai is the Fire Nation's most recent hostile enemy acquisition, the leadership back in the Fire Nation thought that we might have some good information and experience to share with you."

Mai shifted Tom-Tom in her lap so that she could look at her mother. "Didn't you and dad lose complete control of Omashu and let the entire population walk out of the city to set up an insurgency in the hostile terrain surrounding your position?"

"Yes, of course. Thus we know a lot about what not to do, and I'm happy to share that with your own ruler. Tell me, when will I be meeting with Princess Azula?"

Zuko cleared his throat. "Actually, I intend to start taking on more of the leadership duties here in the city."

Mai turned to stare at him. "You do?"

Tom-Tom followed her gaze and pointed at Zuko’s face. "Why him ugly?"

Mai's Mother gasped. "Tom-Tom, that's rude! You're not supposed to ask people why they're ugly." She gave Zuko a quick smile. "My apologies, Your Royal Highness. He's just a child, and doesn't know what he's saying." She looked back at her son. "Prince Zuko is ugly because he was bad and his daddy had to punish him."

Tom-Tom squealed and grabbed his face. "I good!"

"Yes, you are. And Prince Zuko has grown into a very nice young man."

"Yes," Mai said softly, "he has."

Her mother leaned forward. "Oh, really? Does that mean-"

Zuko stood up. "Well, this has been a great... introduction? Yes. We'll let you get settled in your rooms, and then I'm sure you have much advice to share with me and Azula. We'll bring in the military commanders, too. Thank you."

Then he made another one of those socially acceptable retreats he was getting good at.

---

Mai watched Zuko run away like a scared child, and then passed Tom-Tom back over the table to Mother. "Well, great, thanks for that. How long will you be staying? A few hours, hopefully."

Mother smiled. "As long as you're here in Ba Sing Se, I will be, too. And don’t slouch; it makes you look like a drooping willow with bark-rot."

---

---

11 - Sunlight

It was late in the spring, and Ba Sing Se had been dealing with something of a heat-wave for as long as the Fire Nation had been in control of it. Mai wasn't sure if this was because of something the Fire Lord had actually arranged or it was just terrifying serendipity, and the fact that she was actually wondering this at all disturbed her to no end. Mother, of course, just saw it as a good reason to take dinner out on one of the Earth Palace's garden patios, under the cloudless sky and shining sun.

It would have caused trouble to refuse Mother's company at dinner, and while Mai normally rather liked trouble, she preferred the kind that came from blades and enemy assassins and leaping fights on fragile scaffolding. Family trouble, in comparison, wasn't any fun at all. Mai, however, refused to surrender completely, so even though she was out there on the patio with the rest of them, she had brought a servant to shield her from the sunlight with an umbrella.

"That's a really good idea," Ty Lee said from beside Mai, as she eyed the servant with one of those heavy-lidded looks that undoubtedly made her so popular at the circus. "I should get some servants to shade me, too."

"Servants are a big responsibility," Mai retorted. "You have to walk them, and feed them, and chase after them when they run away."

Mother rolled her eyes. "Oh, Mai, stop being so silly."

"Mai silly!" Tom-Tom squealed, clapping his hands. Ty Lee giggled at his antics, and began clapping her hands in time with his. Tom-Tom got a big grin when he noticed this, and clapped his hands even faster. Ty Lee put on a grin that was a disturbing match to his, and both of them descended into a clapping fit that only petered out when both of them started laughing too hard to do anything else. When he could breathe again, Tom-Tom babbled, "Tlee good sister!"

Mai rolled her eyes.

Mother gave Tom-Tom a pat on the head. "No, dear, Ty Lee isn't your sister. Ty Lee is just Mai's friend."

"No! Tlee sister!"

Mai snorted. "I think I've been replaced."

"Don't worry, Mai, I'd never replace you!" Ty Lee reached over, completely forgetting about her dinner, and took Tom-Tom to sit in her lap. "But I'd be happy to be his honorary sister! I've always thought a brother would be better than all my sisters, and then you and I can be honorary sisters, too! It's perfect!"

"Wee, my family just keeps on growing." Mai returned her attention to her dumplings, but felt some heat on her head and turned to find that her servant had let the umbrella drift while he watched Tom-Tom climb up onto Ty Lee's head. "Hey, bring that shade back. You're not here to be entertained."

Mother watched long enough to make sure that Ty Lee wasn't going to let Tom-Tom fall, and then turned to look at Mai, bringing the respite to a sad close. "It's a shame the Prince and Princess couldn't join us for dinner, hm?"

Mai popped a dumpling into her mouth and gave a dismissive wave. "Azula’s preoccupied this evening with some secret personal project, Zuko never eats with us. He's too busy."

"Doing what?"

Mai wondered how she could phrase it so that it didn't sound like he was out of his mind with anxiety. "Cultivating... inner peace?"

Mother frowned. "Is that a euphemism for something scandalous?"

"Bwah!" The dumpling Mai had just swallowed caught her throat, and she had to pound her chest to dislodge it. "Mother! Zuko is nice."

Ty Lee giggled, although whether it from Mai's conversation or the way Tom-Tom was wrapping her braid around his own head was an open question. "Zuko's our friend, but I don't think I'd call him nice."

Mother turned to look at the acrobat, and Mai could see a subtle transformation in her demeanor. She was still graceful and smiling, but there was an edge to her expression and motion that Mai usually only saw in a mirror. "Oh, really?"

"Yeah, Zuko's been kind of cranky. His aura is all black and he's become an unhealthy void pulling on everyone around him." Ty Lee shrugged. "He's dangerously out of balance."

Mother blinked. "Um, well, yes, I'm sure he is." She shook her head. "But he's not seeing anyone?"

"Mother!"

"What? Boys will be boys, Mai, but if you two are serious about being together, he's going to have to learn to give you priority."

Ty Lee's back suddenly went straight, and Tom-Tom tumbled down from her had to land her lap. "You and Zuko are getting together?!"

"Ty Lee!"

"Mai getty Zu," Tom-Tom squealed.

"Tom-Tom," Mai and Mother hissed simultaneously. They looked at each other, and Mai slumped in her shady seat while Mother continued, "Is there a problem with that, Ty Lee?"

"Wellll... I warned Mai that Zuko isn't really ready for a healthy relationship. Since Mai is new to this kind of thing, I'm worried she'll get herself hurt. You know how it is when girls get their hearts set on a prince who doesn't turn out to be all that princely?"

Mother actually smiled. "Only too well. But it's all part of growing up."

"No, I can't believe that." Ty Lee shook her head, sending her braid wagging, and Tom-Tom grabbed for it unsuccessfully. "Love is supposed to be a good thing, and a relationship that's hurtful will poison your spirit and keep you from ever really knowing love! It's like... it's like living so long in the dark that your eyes can't stand the sunlight anymore!"

Mother gave a chuckle. "Ah, Ty Lee, you're such a dear. I'm sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but there's no such thing as a relationship that doesn't hurt. Even the people who live together in the dark can enjoy the sunlight that filters through screens and windows, but those who spend all their time outdoors with no protection will find that the sun simply burns their skin." She waved a hand at the servant standing beside Mai with the umbrella. "My daughter has been raised properly, and even though she's a dour spirit who sometimes needs her attitude adjusted-"

"Thanks, Mother."

"-she's still smart enough understand the benefits of shade."

Ty Lee and Mother actually glared at each other, but Mai wasn't interested in anything more they had to say to each other. She got up, grabbed Tom-Tom from Ty Lee's lap, and made her way back inside.

---

---

12 - Mask

Azula set her latest set of notes aside and got a clean sheet of paper. Once it was perfectly centered on the desk in front of her, she looked up at Li and Lo. "You can send the next one in, now." The old women bowed their acknowledgement, and backed out of the office.

So far, Azula was disappointed in the quality of the applicants. When she had put out her advertisements for a female companion for Zuzu, she had of course expected all kinds of gold-diggers to come applying for the position, as well as weak-willed opportunists who wanted to 'prove' how loyal they were to Ba Sing Se's new Fire Nation occupiers. However, she had at least expected some kind of personality in the applicants, not an endless parade of simpering ninnies who Zuko would be hard-pressed to notice through his perpetual personal angst. Perhaps she shouldn't have had an artist's sketch of Zuzu's face included in the ad? That might have turned off any women who actually wanted to look at the boy with whom they were spending time. Azula had heard of the prior day's meeting between Zuzu and Mai's mother, and how Mai's little brother had called the prince "ugly." Azula had laughed long and hard at that, but then realized that if Zuzu scared babies, it was going increase the difficulty of finding a properly hostile girl for him.

Still, Azula had not yet given up. If there had been some middling possibilities among the applicants thus far, she would be despairing, but a complete lack of suitable applicants, after so many hours of interviewing? Those were long odds, and Azula always won when she went for the long shot.

The next girl shuffled into the office, and Azula had to hold back a sigh. This one was just as wary and skittish as the others, and as an added complication, her robe looked like it had been passed down through a long dynasty of beggars. Still, Azula wasn't shopping for a wife for Zuko or anything like that, so low-birth wasn't really a disqualifier. Yet. "Yes, come in. I'm royalty, so you should also bow. Um, forehead to the floor, I'm a Princess. Good, you may rise. Now, what's your name?"

The girl kneeled across the desk from Azula, and ran a hand over her bristly ponytail in a pathetic nervous gesture. "Um, I'm Jin."

"Hello, Jin." Azula wrote down the name. "Now, do you understand exactly what this position calls for?"

"N- no, not really. Like, I'm supposed to spend time with some prince?"

Azula frowned, and made a note that this girl had come to the interview completely unprepared. "Well, Jin, that's correct in a general sense, but it doesn't speak well of you that you didn't exhaustively research this opportunity before applying. The Prince in question is my brother, and he needs someone with the vision to keep him on track. A girl who's smart and opportunistic. A girl who can see all the possibilities in a situation, evaluate them on the fly, and pick the best from amongst them. A girl who understands his weaknesses and can-" Azula frowned. She was rambling, wasn't she? And not saying anything particularly useful. "Well, never mind."

Jin raised a hand. "Can I ask a question?"

"You may."

"Thanks. So, um, by 'companion,' do you, like, want a wife for your brother?"

"No, this is a temporary position. Ideally, my brother will eventually straighten out his life to the point where I will have the time and energy to manage it for him. If not, then I can find a suitable wife for him amongst the Fire Nation nobility. Still, this is a job that could last some years. Are you able to leave home and come to the Fire Nation with us?"

"Yeah, that's fine." Jin wrung her hands together. "So, um, will the companionship be... like, romantic, or is this just a friends-type thing?"

Azula wasn't sure what she was more disturbed by, the thought of this trash getting cozy with Zuko, or her tortured sentence structure. "I'll leave that as an on-the-job tactical decision." She briefly massaged her forehead. "You need to understand, your primary role will be as a distraction for Zuko. He's alone with all his anxieties, and has no outlet for them. If you can solve that by kissing him all the time, then so be it. If you have to develop a rivalry, either intellectually or physically, that's fine, too. Whatever form it takes, I need you to be a presence in my brother's life, not just a toy he comes home to at the end of the day. Do you understand?"

Jin nodded. "I getcha."

Azula wrote down that Jin understood, but also that she used the word 'getcha' in speech. "Wonderful. Tell me, do you have experience being a companion?"

Jin blinked. "Um, not professionally? I've always had lots of friends." A smile grew on the girl's face. "And I've had a few boyfriends, you know?"

"I see. And can you provide references?"

"Well, your brother is kinda one of them. You can ask him."

Azula was right in the middle of writing down Zuzu as one of the girl’s references before the full import of the statement hit her. It slammed into her with the force of one of her father's punishments, back when Azula was weak enough to earn punishments. "I beg your pardon?"

"Your brother? Zuko's his name, right? I took him out on a date." Jin stared back with honest, open eyes.

Azula blinked. "You know Zuko?"

"Yeah. Well, not by that name. He told me it was Lee. And his Uncle was Mushi."

"wut"

Jin's smile turned positively cat-like. "Sure, they were living in the Lower Ring for a while. Lee worked at a tea shop in my neighborhood, and eventually I got him out on a date." Her smile waved for a moment. "It didn't really end well, but that wasn't my fault."

Azula felt laughter bubbling up within her. Zuzu had gone on a date with a peasant girl? That was the most delightful thing she had ever heard. And now this girl was here, applying for the job of Zuzu's companion? Azula couldn't have planned this better. "And you recognized his face in my advertisement."

"Yeah. It's pretty distinctive. But not bad-looking, you know?"

Azula almost nodded. "Well, this changes the situation. But you say the date ended badly?"

Jin leaned forward. "Well. See, it was going pretty well. Lee was a dork, but I kind of like dorks. It's cute, and he was trying so hard! But then my plans for the date fell through, but he suddenly got so suave and romantic, and fixed it somehow." She frowned and tapped her chin. "Now that I think about, I should have been more suspicious about how he could light that many candles across such a large space so quickly. Anyway, that's when I kissed him."

"You kissed him?!" Azula wrote that down. "What was it like? Was he a good kisser?"

"Kind of? He wasn't, like, taking the lead or anything, but he was good. Sincere, you know?"

Azula did not know, but she wrote all of that down anyway. "And then what?"

"Well, I think that's why he'd give me a good reference. He said things were too complicated, and he ran away. Boys don't do that if they don't like you, you know?"

Azula wrote that down, too. "Go on."

"So, like, he was obviously afraid of being an evil Fire Nation infiltrator sent to help take over the city, right? But if that wasn't in the way, we could be together. So, here I am."

"I see." Azula finished making her notes. "And that's why you've come. To try again with Zuko."

"Sure."

"So you wouldn't mind if we don't pay you?"

"I was going to get paid?"

Azula made a note of that. Then a horrifying thought occurred to her. "You're not... with child, are you? Zuko's child?"

Jin paled. "What?! It was just a kiss!"

"That's a no?"

"Babies don't come from kisses!"

Azula wrote that down. "Very well." She put her brush down, and sat back to really examine Jin. "Do you know what I think?"

Jin quirked her head. "Um, no?"

"Of course you don't." Azula brought her hands together and steepled her fingers, the way Grandfather used to when he was annoyed. "I think you're a liar. Yes, you might have had this 'date' experience with my brother, but that's as far as it goes. You're not here to get more kisses from Zuko."

Jin slumped, and offered something like a smile. "Okay, you got me. I'm really hoping for... you know, true love and stuff with a Prince. I'm deeply in love with him, and I'm hoping he'll choose to stay with me forever instead of marrying a cold noblewoman."

Azula smiled. "That's cute. No, you're still lying. You're exploiting an opportunity, and just as coldly as any noblewoman I've ever met. Even the most besotted peasant girls don't spend the money for a train ride from the Lower Ring to the Upper Ring just on the hope of love. Besides, there's no passion in your voice, even when you talk about... doing things with... my brother."

Jin crossed her arms over her chest. "I'm not trying to marry him for his money!"

"Of course not. You didn't ask about the pay, and a girl chasing her dreams like this wouldn't betray her nation so blithely; she would be maintaining a fantasy about seducing the enemy prince to her side so that he could liberate the city, or something equally inane. No, you're obviously an assassin."

All the color drained from Jin's face.

Azula continued, "You recognized Zuzu in my ad, brought your past with him to the attention of some local rebel groups, and they ordered you to come here as an assassin. If you got the job, you would kill Zuko and then as many of us as you could, and if not, then you would at least have a shot at him here. They furnished you with the train fare, as well as the knife up your left sleeve- a short butterfly sword, if I'm not mistaken. Sadly, they didn't provide you with any training; that much is evident in the way you walk. Thus, your mission was a failure before it even began."

Jin sprang up, yanked the knife out of her sleeve, and lunged for Azula.

Expecting the move, Azula rose smoothly, reached around the blade to grab Jin's wrist, and twisted it. She didn't apply any real strength to the maneuver, but the angle put enough pressure on Jin's poor grip to make her drop the weapon. Then Azula let go with a throwing motion that sent Jin plopping back down into her kneeling position.

Azula calmly kneeled again. "As I was saying, you're perfect for the job. You have romantic tension with Zuzu, but you're also an assassin looking to end his life. Whether he takes pleasure in your company or simply spends his time dodging your pathetic attempts to kill him, he'll finally get his mind off of his anxieties. Is that a satisfactory arrangement?"

Jin was breathing hard, but she struggled to remain calm in the face of her failure. "Are you serious?"

"Of course."

"You're not going to have me killed?"

"I could do it right now if I really wanted to end your life. It wouldn't be a bother."

"And you're not going to make guards watch me around your brother or anything?"

"A little threat of death is exactly what he needs."

Jin's eyebrows scrunched together. "Are you trying to get your brother out of the way?"

Azula smiled. "Remember what I said about doing my own killing? That goes for family, too."

"You're crazy, lady."

"So they say. And you will address me as 'Princess.' I wouldn't expect you to know this, but a Lady is a lower rank in the Fire Nation. So, will you accept the job?"

Jin looked like she was expecting Azula to change her mind and kill her at any moment. Which, of course, was entirely reasonable. It seemed that the girl could learn. Finally, she said, "I guess?"

"Wonderful. Li and Lo will get you settled. Welcome to the staff, Miss Jin." Azula smirked. "This is where you bow, again."

TO BE CONTINUED