"Alright you two, rise and shine, you'll miss breakfast and it's quite good this morning." Ty Lee groaned and sat up rubbing at her eyes from the sudden light in the room. She spotted Ursa through bleary vision by the window, the one responsible for the sun making its unwanted appearance.

"How late is it?" Ty Lee questioned stretching her arms above her head, back popping in relief.

"Nearly the afternoon." This bit of information surprised the acrobat, was it the afternoon of the next day? She hadn't thought she was that tired.

"Oh man. I have things to do." Ty Lee was quick to stand up already thinking about practicing for the speech again. She had to make sure it was perfect, Azula expected that much.

"Well you get going I'll rouse the sleeping beast." Ursa joked. Ty Lee gave her a thankful smile and headed to her own quarters eager to wash up and change clothes. "Azula it's late. You're going to miss breakfast."

"I don't want to go to breakfast." The princess mumbled hiding her face in her pillow.

"I know it's been a bit rough but you need to eat, it's good for you." Though Azula wasn't looking, she sensed the shift in weight as her mother sat next to her on the bed.

"I don't want to see anyone." Azula insisted.

"That's alright, they've already eaten. It'll just be Ty Lee and perhaps Mai. She slept in late today as well." Ursa explained resting a careful hand on Azula's shoulder.

"I wonder why. Were they loud this time?" The princess was never one to be particularly sensitive to touchy subjects and that wasn't about to change anytime soon.

"Azula," Ursa sighed. "No, and I don't dabble in your brother's business where he doesn't want me. He's old enough to be responsible on his own by now."

"Right." Azula finally moved until she was sitting upright. "I'll get changed, I guess, but I won't be staying out long."

"That's alright." In truth Ursa was relieved that Azula seemed to be in slightly better spirits. She'd heard what had happened and it made her anxious not being certain of the details. Thankfully, there was Ty Lee who seemed quite keen on keeping an eye on Azula, when Ursa herself, could not.

The princes dragged herself from the bed and slunk over to the wardrobe. She used to have servants dress her, but she found them insufferable now a days. Shimmying out of her infirmary clothes she pulled something simple but elegant; and more importantly combat efficient from the wardrobe.

Ursa sat quietly keeping an eye on her but her gaze drifted to the blade shaped scar that had been hidden for years. She noticed Azula had grown thinner again since Ty Lee's arrival. Part of her knew it was good the acrobat had returned, but the other part of her, the mother side, was worried it had been a negative impact.

"You'll look very confident in that outfit. I'd wear it if it were in my size," Azula hummed in acknowledgement of her mother's attempt for conversation. "Would you like me to do your hair?"

"Ty Lee can do it. She's an expert at it, never a hair out of place." Azula informed her mother straightening even the slightest crease in her outfit.

"You're probably right. I am a bit out of practice," Ursa laughed softly.

"You could always practice on Kiyi. I'm sure she has the patience for it," With a sigh Azula turned towards the door.

"If anything she is more curious than you were at her age." Ursa stood following her daughter into the hallway.

"Right, but not about strategies and warfare." The quip was meant to be rude, but it had, in fact, opened Ursa up for an opportunity.

"Actually she's eager to learn bending. I asked her who she'd like as a teacher. I thought she would pick-"

"Zuko. How... unpredictable."

"Well yes, but simply because he's firelord." Ursa laughed nervously. "She wanted to learn from you. I can't blame her, you are very gifted. Not to mention you were the one, despite the bad circumstances, to discover she was a fire bender. She's also fascinated by how blue it is. Not-"

"Fine I'll do it. Just, stop-stop rambling please." Azula couldn't handle processing this much so early after waking, she understood why her mother was so eager to talk, but she wasn't in the mood.

"Of course. Sorry," Ursa paused in their walk to the dining room, and left her daughter be. Azula sighed running a hand down her face. She made her way to the table where there was still plenty of food. Ty Lee ,however, was busy with Kiyi.

"There you go, I'll hold your feet." The acrobat smiled as the young girl attempted a handstand.

"If she falls she'll learn faster." Azula sighed, ignoring the pastries on the table and selecting an apple.

"Or, get hurt and be scared." Ty Lee countered helping Kiyi balance.

"Fear does wonderful things."

"So does trust." The acrobat gave Azula a pointed look and Azula conceded the win to Ty Lee.

"I'm gonna practice on the grass so if I fall I don't die." Kiyi laughed falling over before scrambling to her feet and running off. Azula watched her go, not too eager to be the energetic girl's mentor.

"Remember the time I put an apple on my head and you shot it off?" Ty Lee's voice called Azula's attention once more.

"Yes. I never missed." As if to prove her point Azula tossed the apple into the air before incinerating it with a thin jet of blue fire.

"Never said you did." Ty Lee winked, observing the multiple choices of food. "Now...what's the best thing to eat?"

"The best as in quality or taste?" The princess questioned.

"Whatever you like. Surprise me." Azula hummed in thought before gesturing to a specific dish. "Alright, the princess has spoken."

"I was thinking...well more like subconsciously assessing..." Azula began her approach to the topic warily.

"Of course." Ty Lee mused.

"Is there a way I can...get better without having to resort to medicine?" Ty Lee hid her surprise as best as she could and ate a bit of breakfast to stall for time.

"I would think so. You're experiencing something along the lines of a spiritual imbalance. You can correct it if you find some sort of peace." Azula nodded but she didn't seem pleased.

"You're sounding awfully like the Avatar." The princess' statement nearly made the acrobat laugh.

"I did learn a thing or two. Just trust me okay?" Ty Lee's expression was one of sincerity, one Azula could believe.

"Alright, but first we have to work on your speech." Of course, Ty Lee had expected that, it had been the source of Azula's focus for quite some time.

"Right, perhaps after lunch you could join me outside?" Azula gave a curt nod and the two set forth as if the previous evening hadn't happened.
---
Ty Lee had expected Azula to break the promise, in truth it had been a bit of wishful thinking. What Ty Lee hadn't expected was to find Azula standing in Zuko's room and for the door to be cracked open.

"I care about you, I do, but I can't-Azula I can't have you here. Not in the palace. You're endangering others and yourself. It's not a safe environment," Zuko sighed.

"You think I'm stupid?" Azula scoffed. Despite the challenge present in her voice Ty Lee noticed the way her shoulders slumped downwards. "You want me to go back to that damn cell!"

"It's not like it was before, I promise," Zuko insisted.

"Your promises mean nothing to me. You don't know what it's like to be pent up like an animal."

"I know exactly what that's like." Zuko frowned, "How many times did father lock me in my room?"

"And how many times did mother come free you?"

Silence settled in the room for a moment and Ty Lee thought the discussion was over. She was ready to bolt, or to make it look as if she were about to knock just as the door opened, but neither sibling was finished just yet.

"Stop holding mother's actions against me. I thought you put all of this in the past."

"I thought a cell was part of the past as well but it appears we're both mistaken. I won't argue. I can't change your mind, " Azula hissed, "but that damn speech you wanted...consider it rejected. Figure it out yourself. And that little United Forces situation, not my responsibility anymore."

"You can't do that. Ty Lee already prepped for it. She'll have the speech memorized by now." Zuko shook his head.

"Joke's on you brother, she never saw it. I was always good at establishing collateral, wasn't I?" Zuko's expression turned into one of brief panic before he masked his original response.

"I have faith in her. Now, you can take anything you'd like. As I said before it'll be much better than the firs-"

"No different than you moving Father up to a luxury institution isn't it? You know Zuko, you expect me to believe that I can be someone good, and yet you're so quick to banish me?"  Ty Lee winced at Azula's words. She shouldn't have said that, Zuko knew what it was like to be banished.

"I'm giving you an opportunity. One slip up and everyone will have your head. I'm protecting you! And don't talk about banishment with me." Zuko crossed his arms and set his jaw. The discussion was over. There was nothing Azula could do.

"I'm beginning to believe that there is no difference between protection and persecution." Azula paused, "It seems everything in life is too good to be true."

"You're being ridiculous," Zuko snorted. He waved away the remark with little more than a thought. Azula didn't make a move to leave. Instead she straightened her shoulders and captured that intimidating and beautiful aura she'd always held.

"The word garden is nothing more than an anagram for danger. Just as heart is to hater, live is to evil, present is to serpent, and secure is to rescue." Azula noted with a cool yet calm tone. "Think on that...brother."