𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚃𝚠𝚘

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To say it was miserable being Azula's personal slave was an understatement. Doing the most mundane things like opening doors for her and tracking down a servant to fetch the princess some fruit was simple. But most, if not all, of the servants despised La'kea for obtaining the coveted title of Royal Handmaiden. Something they, a born and bred Fire Nation citizen, had worked their whole lives toward.

La'kea knew Azula wouldn't reward a slave the position of handmaiden just for helping her take down the Avatar. In truth she hadn't done much, and the princess was too cunning and conniving. It didn't take long for the islander to figure out what at least one of Azula's reason were.

One early morning, she followed the princess at her request to the top of the volcano the Fire Nation Capital was situated in. It became jarringly colder the higher they climbed, and La'kea had to restrain from wrapping her arms around herself, not daring to show any weakness to the princess. 

La'kea suddenly felt the faint rhythm of a new heartbeat, growing stronger the closer they got. Just as they were about to step around the boulder blocking the view, Azula held up one hand and she froze in place. "Wait, here."

And so La'kea did wait as the Princess continued onward. For several minutes the faint sounds of a strained civil conversation were muffled until-.

"Oh, La'kea!" Azula suddenly called out, "Come here."

The islander quickly obliged, picking up the hem of her hanfu as she walked forward quickly, but even for all her caution she almost tripped over her feet at the sight of Zuko standing glumly at the edge of a railing. The princess was standing next him with her arms crossed triumphantly, a cold-blooded smile on her face.

"I thought it would be best to introduce you to my new handmaiden," Azula waved a hand flippantly in her direction. "Of course you two already know each other, but traditions are traditions. She spends the whole day with me, doing whatever I want," Zuko paled considerably, not meeting her eyes. 

"Anyway," Azula shrugged like she hadn't just implied the fact that she would happily murder the islander if Zuko stepped out of line. "I wouldn't speak with Uncle again."

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La'kea saw the fist swinging towards her and deftly ducked underneath it, sliding along the outside of the guards arm until she slammed her shoulder against his. Locking his arm as she hooked her foot around his ankle and pressed her weight against him, allowing her to send him toppling to the ground where he would be prone to any number of attacks.

Barely panting from the quick demonstration of what she knew for combat, the islander straightened as Azula clapped slowly from the wall. "That's impressive and all," The princess drawled, "But where's this famous black magic of yours, were you're able to make your opponents arms move against their will."

She winced, wiping a cloth against her forehead, "My apologies," She needed to work on her sincere tone, "But I can only control the blood of another person when I am fully comfortable using the violence mana. It either takes a great act of rage, or a build up to achieve the feat."

Azula rolled her eyes, "All I hear is excuses." Prowling across the training arena, La'kea had to stop herself from bolting as the princess stepped toe to toe with her. "Either you show me or..." A thought passed over her eyes, and a cruel smile slithered onto her face. "Or I will execute an islander slave."

La'kea's hands flew to her face out of instinct, feeling such deep-rooted fear she realized she hadn't been this afraid since she had left the Fire Nation three years ago. The princess knew she had her handmaiden on the end of a string, and chuckled. "For every day you do not show me, I will erase one slave."

She had to quickly shove down her despair and disgust, swallowing thickly, "Is... There a day in particular my princess requires my... skill set?"

"Now that you asked," Azula hummed pleasantly, folding her hands behind her back. "There aren't any other loyal waterbenders to the Fire Nation. Your primary bending is uncivilized and barbaric, but the ability to control another person's limbs... That is useful." She began strolling away, and at the snap of her fingers, another guard took a stance on the opposite end of the arena. "I plan to showcase your skill to the Fire Lord, and if you embarrass me..." She didn't need to finished the sentence, the threat was clear enough.

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La'kea couldn't sleep.

Tossing and turning as Azulas words hung over her head. While she know knew why the princess was so adamant about seeing her bend the blood within another person, she didn't know when the deadline was.

Furthermore, was this going to be a practical display to showcase it's effectiveness, or simply entertainment? Knowing the princess' sadistic tendencies and the fact that the Fire Nation finding enough loyal waterbenders to use this tactic in battle was slim, had her leaning towards the latter option. She would just have to heed Iroh's instructions and play along, do whatever it took to survive in this place.

She rolled onto her back, staring up at the ceiling, and closing her eyes started taking deep even breaths. At this point, the islander could almost fall into a meditative trance at will, finding the limbo where the spirit of her friend always greeted her. By some higher power's mercy, her physical body managed to fall asleep while her conscious was speaking with the dead.

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"Okay," La'kea shook herself as she held out her hands to the guard facing her. "I'm going to start slow." Was she reassuring him, or herself? From the side of the arena, Azula pressed a hand to her mouth as she yawned pointedly.

The islanders heart hammered rapidly, pulsing in her ear drums. The princess' promise was overwhelming all other thoughts. Someones, one of her people, life hung in the balance. Earlier that morning she had been violently sick out of terror.

It wasn't hard to lift her hands towards the guard shivering from across the arena. Part of her screamed in protest, this was wrong, this was unprovoked. Every time she had bent someones body it had been in self defense of her or another person. But it was even easier to let herself slip into that bottomless pit of anger, and hate.

Fingers rigidly splayed, she jerked her wrists down and the guard fell to his knees with a strangled cry. As Azula stalked forward, La'kea could see the perplexed expression on her face. But as the princess circled the guard, the confusion morphed into delight. She held up a hand, "That's enough."

The guard dropped to the floor with a gasp and La'kea let her hands fall, swallowing thickly. She shivered, reeling herself back in from the all-consuming depths of anger.

"How do you do that?" Azula inquired evenly, looking genuinely curious.

She flexed her hands as much as she could, the fingers barely twitching. "By bending the water in a persons blood I suppose."

The princess quirked a brow, "Without seeing it?"

"It takes a... Certain amount of skill," La'kea admitted with a small shrug. "Not many can do it, and even fewer have the willpower." She didn't feel the need to explain the healing capabilities of that branch of bending.

"But you did it without much effort."

The islander was silent for a beat. "I have... Willpower." And the needed rage.

Azula hummed, hands behind her back as the guard slowly got to his feet. "You haven't done much experimenting with this, have you?"

"No, your highness."

"Then now you will." She glanced over her nails nonchalantly, "I want to see how far this can go."

La'kea could only nod through the heavy weight on her chest, pressing down on her lungs. It hurt to breathe.

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Despite it being only early evening, the hall outside the Fire Lord's throne room was dim. Barely lit by flickering torches lining the massive pillars along the wall.

La'kea had always hated the Fire Lord. Even before she had known how he had treated Zuko. Before she had been exposed to the war that had ravaged this world. Before she had heard of the heinous treatment of the islanders forced to work even in the same building as him. She had hated the Fire Lord the moment chains were slapped over her wrists.

Yet here she stood, in front of the massive and ornately decorated doors. Dressed in a dark almost black dress that weighed down on her, as if she was in mourning. Two masked guards stood unmoving, spears gripped tightly in their hands as they awaited the signal to allow her in the throne room.

To steady her nerves, the islander ran through a scenario of how she would disarm the guards, steal one of their spears and escape. Of course it was unlikely to happen, but it was still soothing to assure herself that if she wanted to escape she could.

The doors suddenly swung inwards, a matching set of guards awaited her. "The Fire Lord will see you now." She inhaled steadily, clenching her hands at her sides as she followed the faceless guards into the chamber that was somehow dimmer than the hall outside. The only light source from the massive wall of fire she could see stretching from one end of the room to the other. And seated behind that wall of fire... Her heart started hammering, behind the wall of fire sat the Fire Lord on his throne.

When she had reached the end of the pillars, the islander fell into a low bow, kneeling as low as she could. Only rising when the Fire Lord bid her to, bile rose in her throat as he spoke.

"Azula," His voice raked it's way down her spine. "Is this the special interrogator you've provided?" La'kea tentatively glanced up past the wall of fire, and almost was almost knocked over at the sight of the princess knelt beside her father's throne with a cruel smile, and the prince on his right side.

Zuko's brows were pinched in barely concealed grief as he stared down at her. His hair pulled out of his face in a topknot adorned with the insignia of the crown prince. Broad shoulders covered by the wide plated and ornamental armor. Her mouth grew dry.

"Yes, father," Azula purred, sharp eyes trained on her handmaiden. "I've overseen her special... Techniques personally."

La'kea kept her eyes trained on the floor, not even daring to glance at the face of Ozai as he rumbled. "Very well, bring in the prisoner."

Prisoner, her stomach twisted, or slave? The prince had once thought she was simply a prisoner.

But a door to the side slammed open, and dragged in by two guards, kicking and struggling was a man. Her heart pounded against her rib cage so violently she was afraid it would beat itself to death. She recognized the man as one of the Earth Kingdom soldiers of Ba Sing Se.

The guards dragged the man in front, between her and the Fire Lord, and forced him to his knees. He looked exhausted, and angry, he looked how she felt.

For a moment, there was silence. Until Azula leaned forward, "La'kea, this man has been withholding information. Maybe you can convince him to do otherwise."

She felt her face twitch in an effort to conceal her emotions. Put the soldier in such unbearable pain that he would reveal any secret to make it stop. May the spirits give her strength, she swallowed thickly and took a slow step forward. The man glared up at her defiantly, the chains around his wrists clacking told her he was an earthbender.

He cursed at her, "I don't fear any fire." Pity and disgust welled inside her as she lifted a hand, and splayed her fingers.

The guards struggled to hold him up as his back suddenly arched, the soldier choked on his scream as his eyes bugged out of his head. La'kea held it for two seconds before dropping her hand, and the prisoner sagged in relief.

Ozai was leaning forward in rapt interest, Azula had a smug smirk on her face, but Zuko's ashen face was directed towards his hands folded in his lap.

"No," The prisoner gasped weakly for air as she raised her hands a second time. "Please."