Violent Delights, ATLA

chapter seven, the sluggish descent

07
THE SLUGGISH DESCENT

THE ATMOSPHERE IN THE PALACE was like gravity intensified — suffocating the people in it and tugging their feelings down into a wayward spiral. The only ones who recovered quickly within the year after Fire Lord Azulon passed away were the recently crowned Fire Lord Ozai himself and Azula. Iroh was to return home by next week after taking a spiritual trip to the mountains, detouring the Fire Nation. Zuko was scarcely seen around the palace nowadays and mostly had his meals in his room. San was admittedly worried but being Azula's handmaiden spared her little time to personally check up on him. They were friends, she thought, so it's normal to want to know how he was faring after his mother vanished from the palace. Though at one point, her schedule was busy. Azula constantly ordered her around here and there, sometimes rewarding her by allowing her to spend time alone with the princess so they could talk like old times. But something was off. Something was missing.

"San? Are you seriously blanking out again?" Azula's sharp tone snapped her out of it, though there was a teasing undertone.

"No, Princess Azula."

"Oh, don't be shy to tell me what's on your mind." She pushed, taking a seat on one of the scarlet cushions.

"I was only thinking about what coloured lipstick I should use for you." San said, gesturing to the rows of cosmetics on the table. "I know you left the choice to me but I'm a little conflicted."

"Then just go for rouge."

"Alright." She said obediently and grabbed the rouge lipstick. Crouching before the princess and placing a hand under her chin to make her tilt down, she performed her work meticulously.

Azula couldn't help but keep her eyes open, intently focused on the concentration brimming in San's molten gold eyes, her oil black lashes fanning across her cheeks briefly whenever she blinked. She was jealous. San always looked so pretty without makeup and her hair seemed so soft she sometimes desired to run her hands through them.

"Done." San declared, breaking the princess from her thoughts. She stood up and the distance between them broadened.

"How do I look?"

"Beautiful."

"Good." She gave a curt nod. "You're dismissed."

San bowed her head and headed out. Though once she exited the room, she breathed out a sigh. She couldn't believe it had been a year since Fire Lord Azulon died. Azula was more or less the same, like she was completely unaffected by her mother's disappearance unlike her brother, but recently their interactions were incredibly stiff and short. She was starting to treat her as if they had never been friends and it stung her heart. Maybe she had always treated her like this and she was only starting to see the truth now.

"Spirits, I'm so stupid." San cursed to herself, flopping on the mattress and sinking her face into the pillow.

"I told you so," hummed Tai Yang in her dreams as soon as she drifted off into a nap accidentally. "Lesson learned. Dragons are better friends than humans."

"Hmph, you don't have to act so proud about it." San huffed, lying against his side. "I should consider myself lucky Princess Azula hasn't fired me or ordered me to go to the front lines."