Second Coat of Paint

Chapter 4

"I wouldn't want to be you right now," the Princess said before the giant door opened before them.

But if I were you, I would play it smart from now on.

oooooooooo

Azula was used to the sight of the Fire Lord, sitting on his throne, his face covered in shadows, but she couldn't imagine how it looked to someone new. Her teacher wasn't a commoner, but being at the mercy of the Fire Lord couldn't have been pleasant.

The announcer spoke their names. Her father had the wall of fire, separating the throne from the rest of the room, burning quite high today, no doubt to seem more threatening. Azula hoped that meant he'd chosen intimidation over punishment, while she followed Zyra to the flames. To her credit, the woman's step never once faltered.

Once they were right in front of the Fire Lord, they both bowed deeply. Azula told herself she came to be able to interject if the woman told any untruths, but she knew that was not it, entirely. She also doubted her father would do anything really bad to Miss Omori while Azula watched.

The wall of fire disappeared, and the Fire Lord stood up slowly, gracefully. Azula was still on her knees, awaiting his word to raise, but the teacher straightened of her own accord.

"And who died and made you Fire Lord?" she asked, smiling, and Azula's stomach sank, fearing she was about to witness her first murder. But to her surprise, when her eyes darted to her father, she saw a smile forming on his face. And she wasn't sure if she'd ever seen him smile like that at anyone but her.

"Zyra, it's been far too long... But a nice surprise seeing you here."

"It's hardly a surprise, your guards came to my house."

"I meant, I was surprised to learn of your return to the capital and the subsequent hiding."

"Hiding?" The woman chuckled. "I walked the streets every day, Fire Lord."

"Well, you look well. The capital agrees with you."

"And absolute power agrees with you..."

Azula stood up, since she realized no one was paying attention to her, then stared blankly at her teacher.

"Matches your eyes." Miss Omori added.

The Princess shifted her gaze briefly to her father, who was somehow still smiling, and then back to her teacher.

"I think Azula is more than a little confused," the woman said.

"I understand she thought she'd gotten you in some kind of trouble."

Azula hated this. This felt like an adult thing, and if it was, she was completely out of the loop. And she hated very few things more than that. What was happening?

"I did break the law," Miss Omori said, and her father actually laughed slightly, waving her words off. "I repeated to those kids exactly what you told me about the Air Genocide when we were their age."

"It's no problem. I was going to tell Azula soon. In a year, perhaps."

Azula still took turns staring at each of them. Her confusion must have been painfully obvious since they finally turned their attention to her.

"You see, Azula, Zyra and I are very old friends," her father explained. It wasn't enough.

"I told you I went to the Boys' Academy. I met then-Prince Ozai during my first week." The woman smiled before delivering the last part. "And I beat his face into the dirt."