"Bodily exercise, when compulsory, does no harm to the body; but knowledge which is acquired under compulsion obtains no hold on the mind."
― Plato
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It had been two weeks since Azula started to see that boy Zhan. 'Oh, by Agni did she hate it. She had initially wanted to learn, his unique fighting, being who she is she didn't fancy being bested. Been on par with her firebending training, she also had private hand-combat courses with him.'
'Slowly her physique improved if only by two weeks, she could feel her body better and more in controlled, breathing sure came with a couple of aching muscles.'
'The Courses she didn't mind, what she hated was his attitude: always cheerful, joking, laughing and he wasn't fearful of her even, which gave her almost no leverage against him, except for her firebending. He was like a copy of Ty Lee, she shuddered at the thought, minus the hugging and pink.'
'Agni...and that was only the tip of it. The retainers, guards, and maids had all started to talk about her and him. Damn gossipers. Even her father had encouraged her with his blessing.'
"Oh, could they all just shut up!'
She was currently practicing on some wooden targets, with her fists.
"OW!" yelled Azula, hitting the target, the wrong way. "This is inefficient, just let me burn the wooden puppet's them."
"Azula, it's just practice, don't go all, steaming," replied Zhan, smirking.
"Yeah, because I'm gonna fight men made out wood, out in the war," said Azula sarcastically.
"Bones and flesh, are tougher than wood; this is the easy level," he replied.
"I'd like to see you do it. Without utilizing your gauntlets," Aula seethed at Zhan.
"Easily," he replied, removing them.
He took up a position near the wooden target, giving a few quick jabs then with one swift punch crushing the dummy in half.
"See," said Zhan with a wide smile.
"Show off," she mumbled.
"Alright, I think we need a break," he said.
"You're kidding, right?" asked Azula.
"Nope, a good walk can do us some good," he replied, smiling.
"Good walk? My interest only sets in, mastering combat arts and perfecting my fire-bending, this means, no spending it on walks. Perfection demands sacrifice," said Azula confidently.
"If you don't take time to rest then, your limbs will go numb, you need to take a break otherwise your, joints won't heal, and Woody will still be standing there," "you know I can burn you right," she said, looking him straight into his ash-gray eyes.
"And I can still sweep you off your legs," he replied casually.
'Oh, you will regret one day, messing with Fire Lord Azula.'
"Fine, let's go before I decide to hang you," she said.
"Don't worry. You'll have your chance later," he replied, coming without his trade-mark gauntlets on. Guess those things do get HOT.
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'It was close to the evening, so most people and shops had been closed up, he had opted for a tour around the Capital city and then the park, and to her eternal annoyance, she was getting stares from the remaining people still around. Agni, there goes my dignity and reputation.'
They had finally arrived in the city park, and to her luck, they would soon head back.
"C'mon now, don't you wanna feed the turtle-ducks?" asked Zhan playfully.
"Do you wanna burn in a volcano?" replied Azula.
"Okay, don't go all setting my head on fire," he, replied chuckling.
'If only I could,' she thought.
Their boring walk continued for a while until Zhan stopped suddenly.
"What now? A bird caught your attention?" she asked, but getting hushed by Zhan.
Faster than she could see, Zhan had grabbed turning her around and shielding her, 'from a...fireblast?'
He had grabbed her into a tight hold, both of them are rolling down the hill, fireblast following in their track until they stopped near a lake, on open flat terrain.
"Show yourself, TRAITORS!" yelled out Azula.
Out of the bushes appeared four people: three males and one female, one of the males wielding a sword, the other three in bending stances. All of them wearing red leather robes face covered.
"Give up Princess, your outmatched and outnumbered," said the female, their leader.
"This princess is analyzing how long this can go without saying yes," replied Azula sarcastically.
"Then we're forced to take you by force. Zin, handle the boy," said the female, to the one holding a sword.
"Excellent, you deal with him Zhan if you can do that," replied Azula.
Azula took a position opposite of the (renegade) firebenders, Zhan, behind her with the swordsman. She struck first legs kicking fire at the female. But she managed to block counter-attack soon enough, 'Azula found out that these traitors were more than simple bandits...More like assassins. She was focused on the firebenders so she, didn't know how Zhan was doing.'
'She was getting tired-out since, all the constant attacks and it shows how experienced they are. From, Azula blind-spot she got hit, sending her rolling onto the ground.
"Surrender or el..." said the man, before he was quickly interrupted.
Azula could see Zhan, fly-kicking him into his shoulder, bones cracking, then legs swept.
The second one got a kick to his knee, and an elbow to the face, both times bones cracking.
The female tried to counter-attack but got her hand grabbed and broken, then a jab to the ribs, cracking them, finishing her with a strike to the neck, knocking her unconscious. 'Azula could see that the goofy, lively boy replaced by someone else. His face in anger, teeth-baring, fists clenched, checking on the defeated. A few feet away, she could see the swordsman, lying unconscious, his right hand in a very wrong angle.'
A few city guards soon arrived running, while Zhan was helping her up.
"GUARDS! Arrest these traitors under charges of attempting to capture and kill the Crown Princess inform the Fire Lord, and don't treat their injuries until they've revealed who hired them!" said Zhan in a deep, commanding voice surprising the guards and Azula.
"You heard him," added Azula, when they seemed, frozen still.
"Of course, Princess Azula," replied the guards, starting to drag the traitors away.
"I think we should head back to the Royal Palace," said Azula.
"Agreed, Azula," he replied, a slightly angry look on him, and she started to like this side of him.
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Arriving back at Palace Azula could see it a buzz with activity guards running around and his father waiting with three squads of Imperial firebenders outside.
"Azula! There you are. I heard about the attack, are you alright?" asked Ozai, checking on her.
"I'm an alright father," replied Azula, "Forgive me, M'Lord, I took the Crown Princess for a stroll, causing her to be open to these types of attacks. I take full responsibility from this action," said Zhan, bowing to the Fire Lord.
"Is this true?" asked Ozai, a bit angry.
"This is nothing father, I needed to clear my head, and those rebels have been easily killed or capture," said Azula plainly, waving her hand, pulling her father away. "By me and Zhan, who broke a few of their bones with ease. He's just covering for me, and I can say his faithfulness is not misplaced.
"Which involves my training courses, come along," said Azula, pulling Zhan along. "Also, I think you need a healer."
"For what?" he asked.
"This," she said, touching a scorch mark on his clothes back, making him wince.
"It's nothing," he, replied shrugging.
"Oh, yes, it is. Now come along," Azula said, dragging him to her Royal Chambers.
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"Can't take you to a healer, because that will make them question about the scale of our little traitor bunch," she said, pushing him onto her bed. "So I'll have to care of you myself, unfortunately. Now, shirt off!"
"Pardon?" he asked, confused.
"I can't put this salve on your shirt?" asks Azula, stating the obvious, getting some Euca-salve, for his burns.
Turning around, 'she could finally see Zhan's naked upper body: he had a strong athletic build, focusing on strength and speed but being agile enough. Adorning his back beside the burn mark, Azula could see many scars.'
'Guess, he's full of surprises,' though Azula, applying the salve. 'An ally like this can do wonders, loyal, self-sacrificing...and maybe he can be tolerable enough.'
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