In the wide courtyards of the Royal Academy for Girls, Princess Azula walked with her usual confident stride. Her eyes scanned the open space until they landed on her two closest companions, Mai and Ty Lee, sitting under the shade of a cherry blossom tree. From afar, Azula could already tell something was unusual.
Ty Lee was wearing the widest smile Azula had ever seen on her. She was practically glowing, chatting with more energy than usual with Mai, who, for her part, looked both amused and faintly exasperated. Intrigued, Azula approached.
"What did I miss that made you extra happy today?" she asked as she came to a stop beside them.
Ty Lee finally noticed her and gasped with delight. "Azula!" she chirped, reaching out and grabbing the princess's hands excitedly.
Mai glanced over and said, deadpan, "You won't believe it."
Azula raised a brow, curiosity piqued. "Try me."
Still holding her hands, Ty Lee practically bounced in place. "I'm engaged!"
Azula blinked. "Really? When? I just saw you yesterday."
Ty Lee nodded enthusiastically. "I know! It was sudden. All of it was done yesterday."
Mai added dryly, "The fastest proposal and answer I've ever heard of."
Azula was clearly surprised, her expression momentarily faltering before she composed herself. "Well… congratulations," she said with a smile. "So who's the lucky guy?"
Ty Lee's grin widened. "Tai Lung."
Azula froze.
"As in Admiral Lung's son?" she asked slowly, her voice slightly weaker than usual.
Ty Lee nodded brightly. "Yep!"
Azula was beyond shocked. Her mind reeled. "How…?"
Ty Lee began to explain, still caught in the high of the memory. "Yesterday, Mai and I went to visit him, you know he was away for two years. And then out of nowhere, he proposed! Just like that! I said yes, and by evening, Admiral Lung came to my house and everything was made official." She giggled. "Tai Lung is my fiance now."
Azula gave a small nod. "So that's why you're happy."
Ty Lee shook her head. "Not exactly." She leaned closer, eyes sparkling. "Last night, my sisters and I decided to play a little joke on him, since we're seven identical sisters. We lined up and asked him to pick me out."
Azula blinked, she knew how impossible it was to find Ty Lee among her sisters.
Ty Lee went on, dreamy-eyed. "He got it right away. Every single time. He had no doubt as he signaled me out. Even my parents can't tell us apart, but Tai Lung could. Like it was nothing. It was… I don't know. It just made me feel so special."
Azula forced a smile, keeping her face perfectly composed. To both Mai and Ty Lee, her reaction was understandable. Anyone would be surprised at such a sudden engagement. It was sudden, after all, and not to mention the bad history between her family and Tai Lung.
But what they didn't know was that Azula had plans.
She had been planning to approach Tai Lung later today. Not out of affection, Azula didn't waste her time on that, but because of what the Minister had said: Tai Lung was the ideal candidate. The son of an admiral, a prodigy in his own right, and one of, if not, the strongest benders in this era. She was the princess and she deserved only the best of everything, including her future partner. And her father's orders had only made her more determined.
And now… he was engaged. To Ty Lee.
Azula listened as Mai and Ty Lee chatted on about the engagement, how Tai Lung had apparently always viewed Ty Lee as the right choice. Every word stung. Every laugh Ty Lee gave felt like a slap. She was the princess. She was the prodigy. And yet Tai Lung had proposed to the girl who could do cartwheels and handstands. Her pride felt hurt, especially when she remembered she was going to initiate the contact with Tai Lung.
The anger and bitterness boiled inside her like a pot on the verge of spilling. A flame of competitiveness roared to life.
Still smiling sweetly, she tilted her head and asked with feigned concern, "Are you sure Tai Lung is the right person for you, Ty Lee?"
Ty Lee blinked in surprise. "What do you mean?"
Azula kept her voice gentle, almost sisterly. "He's a firebending prodigy, and usually, firebenders look for partners with strong bending potential to strengthen their bloodline. What if he changes his mind? Or what if his parents pressure him to?"
Ty Lee froze, the joy draining slightly from her face. Mai's eyes narrowed.
"Tai Lung is not the kind of person who cares about that," Mai said firmly. "And his father didn't hesitate to make things official."
Ty Lee nodded slowly, smiling again, but this time the light in her eyes was a little dimmer, her enthusiasm slightly restrained.
Azula gave a nonchalant shrug.
But inside, she was smirking.
___________
Later that day, Ty Lee met with Tai Lung for their first official date as an engaged couple. She smiled brightly as they walked side by side.
"So," she asked playfully, "do you have anything planned?"
Tai Lung looked ahead calmly. "We'll eat at a nearby restaurant. After that, it's up to you, choose whatever you like."
Ty Lee giggled. "You're not very good with dates, are you?"
Tai shrugged. "Never thought about them before. The first time I even asked what I was supposed to do… was today."
He said it so plainly that Ty Lee couldn't help but smile more.
"I thought of picking a few things," he added, "but then I decided against it. You can choose whatever you want to do for the rest of the day."
"Leave it to me to make it fun!" she said, giving him a wink.
They shared a quiet meal at a cozy restaurant, where Ty Lee did most of the talking and Tai Lung listened with occasional nods or questions. After eating, Ty Lee dragged him to go shopping, pointing at clothes and trinkets while Tai Lung followed without complaint. The day ended with them attending a small circus, Ty Lee's eyes sparkling with excitement while Tai Lung observed in silence. He didn't object to any part of it.
By nightfall, Tai Lung was walking Ty Lee back to her home under the faint glow of lanterns.
"That was fun," Ty Lee said, smiling as she looked up at him.
Tai Lung nodded. "It was new."
Ty Lee tilted her head. "What counts as fun for you?"
"Training," he replied simply.
Ty Lee laughed. "You haven't changed at all."
But then her smile faded slightly, Azula's words from earlier echoing in her head. The insecurity crept in, and despite herself, she asked:
"Don't you mind me not being a firebender? Shouldn't you be looking for a firebender to continue your bloodline?"
Tai Lung blinked. "Never really thought of that. I think you're good without being able to bend fire."
Ty Lee froze. His first sentence struck something in her. He never thought of it? But he could, couldn't he? What if he changed his mind?
Tai Lung noticed the change in her demeanor. "What's wrong?"
Her gaze dropped. "Noble families with strong firebenders… they usually choose partners who can also bend fire, to strengthen their line. I'm not a firebender."
"So?" he asked, clearly confused.
"You should choose someone who can firebend… not me."
Tai Lung's brows furrowed. "That's a stupid way of thinking, why…"
"You think I'm stupid?" Ty Lee interrupted sharply, hurt flashing in her eyes.
Tai Lung blinked. "That's not what I said."
But Ty Lee turned and ran, disappearing into the night before he could say anything else. He stood there, dumbfounded.
[What was that? Did I say something wrong?] he thought.
___________
The next day at the Academy, Ty Lee walked in without her usual brightness. The change was immediately noticed by everyone, especially Mai and Azula.
"What's wrong?" Mai asked.
Ty Lee hesitated before relaying everything that had happened the day before. "He said I was stupid," she mumbled.
Azula raised an eyebrow, suppressing a smirk. "He called you stupid?"
"That's what it felt like," Ty Lee said softly.
Azula folded her arms and feigned anger. "How dare he. That's unacceptable."
But Mai looked skeptical. "It sounds like you're misunderstanding something."
Azula gave her a pointed look. "What's there to misunderstand? He called Ty Lee stupid."
Ty Lee lowered her head further, her sadness deepening.
The mood stayed the same for the rest of the day. When the Academy finally let out, the three girls walked out together, only to stop at the sight of Tai Lung standing outside the gates, holding a small bag in one hand.
Ty Lee hesitated at first, but with Mai and Azula by her side, she slowly walked forward.
Azula was the first to speak, voice sharp and confrontational. "Are you here to apologize after calling Ty Lee stupid?"
Tai Lung looked at her calmly, then shifted his gaze to Ty Lee, who still refused to look at him.
"No," he said evenly. "I'm not here to apologize. I didn't call her stupid. She interrupted me before I could finish and ran away."
Azula narrowed her eyes. "Trying to change your words now?"
Tai Lung ignored her. "I think considering bloodlines just for firebending is stupid. I could beat the Fire Lord with the so-called divine bloodline without even needing to bend fire."
Azula froze, eyes flashing with barely-contained fury.
Ty Lee, meanwhile, looked up at him, startled.
Tai Lung stepped forward and extended the bag toward her. "But it seems you value this bloodline way of thinking," he said. "So… these are martial arts scrolls. If you learn and master them, I'm sure you'll be stronger than most benders. A bloodline of martial arts for you, instead of firebending."
Ty Lee blinked, stunned.
Then she threw her arms around him.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I misunderstood you."
Tai Lung rested a hand on her back. "It's fine. Just… don't run off next time. Fighting in a war was easier than figuring out why you were upset"
Ty Lee laughed through a sniffle. "It won't happen again."
Azula stood there, silently glaring daggers at Tai Lung, but he didn't spare her another glance.
Mai, meanwhile, smiled faintly, just a small amused curl of her lips.