The Princess and the Peasant - (An Azula Epic)

Marooned

Azula was the first one to break the horrifying silence.

"What are you fools standing around gawking at! Get her! Now!" Azula roared after whipping around to cast both her closest subordinates and her soldiers a truly terrifying death glare.

"Yes, Princess!" Saro agreed with a grimace before rushing forward with the Dai Li at his back.

The earthbending assassins didn't even so much as respond to the order.

They simply dove into the pit.

And then began sliding down the walls of the open earth searching for any sign of the girl's survival.

"D-do you t-think she made it, Azula?" Ty Lee asked with tears streaming down her cheek while Azula gritted her teeth.

"This is all your fault, Mai!" Azula bellowed before pulling the intimidated woman forward by the collar of her robes.

"N-now that is a little harsh, Azula-" Ty Lee stated only to shudder under the princess's enraged death glare.

"You betrayed me and jeopardized the nature of this mission all for Zuko! The Avatar and his friends may well be dead if you had not thrown Zoi into a mine field! And to top it all off Elle may well be dead because of you!" Azula barked with pure fury dripping from her voice while Mai gazed away with guilty tawny eyes.

"I...love Zuko. What was I supposed to do? Just watch him die?" Mai answered in a quiet voice while Azula's amber golden eyes glared back at her with even greater ferocity than usual.

"I gave Zuko every chance to surrender and he refused! Zuko chose treason over country and you murdered a high-ranking soldier that was only defending her country!" Azula snapped with her face so close that her breath tickling against the other woman's skin.

"T-there has to be some way that you can explain it without losing the Song clan." Ty Lee stammered before shivering when Mai was coldly dropped before the edge of the pit.

"What am I am so supposed to tell her mother!? That she simply tripped and fell to her death?! And what of the soldiers that saw you! You, imbecile! You just cost the Royal Family the support of the most powerful noble family! If I don't kill you! Father will!" Azula boomed with her fists clenched at her hips while she glared down at Mai's sweating face.

Ty Lee limped over with her mouth open in horror while Mai audibly swallowed in understanding.

"I get it, Azula. And I apologize. Not for killing Zoi. But for what happened to Elle." Mai muttered only to release a cry of pain when Azula furiously kicked her in the gut.

"If that girl is dead, you will rue the day that you were ever born!" Azula shouted with her teeth ground together so tightly that blood began to drip down her chin.

It was obvious that most of Azula's rage stemmed from the fear that Elle may have suffered a fatal fall.

And neither of her childhood friends had the bravery to point out how the fact that the princess was not this until Elle had fallen through the dark pit that lay ominously before them.

Or how Azula seemed to be more worried for Elle's wellbeing rather than her newfound function as a threat to the Avatar.

There was no doubt in their minds that the old Azula would have been solely concerned of losing such a valuable power that could very well win them the war.

And yet here the princess stood seemingly fearful over the thought of losing her favorite handmaid.

Not for her newly discovered power.