There was definitely something wrong. Azula felt as though she had already woken up today and yet she was undergoing the experience of waking up for the day yet again. Everything was dark, and she could hear faint voices around her: granted, it had been a long time since anyone had actually had to come and wake her up from slumber. It probably hadn't happened more than once since her mother had left. She was the only one in the past that would have to awaken Azula by calling out to her in rest.
She didn't like to think about that, however. Besides, something else was the matter: she distinctly remembered waking up today. Why was she sleeping again? She knew night hadn't come back around. She had something very important to do today, and she couldn't remember finishing it... what had it been anyway? And why was her bed so hard?
"...cess? ...ight?"
The voice that called out to her that time was male. That was kind of weird. Most of her servants were female. Why was it so cold?
"Azu... might be bad..."
That voice was female. Sounded kind of familiar too. For a moment, she thought she felt a hand touch her face, but she didn't get to dwell on that for long, because following that, she could feel that the other side of her face really hurt.
Feeling that stimulus brought everything back to her. She'd been hit in the face. By Xisheng, who had gotten the better of her in a duel she had demanded. With her eyes still closed, such a travesty seemed more like the stuff of nightmares. And yet, she could tell that things were getting brighter on the other side of her eyelids. The words of her allies were getting clearer. And most importantly, the pain she felt was growing more acute.
"Hey, it looks like she's coming to. Azula? Can you hear us?"
Now that things were sounding a little clearer, Azula recognized Mai's voice. She sounded mildly more concerned than the young Princess was used to, which was a testament to how bad things must have been.
Trying to hold back a groan of pain but failing to do so, Azula opened her eyes to the real world once again, coming to see all three of her companions leaning over her, various expressions on their faces, with a backdrop of clear sky. She was lying on her back, likely left where she had landed after being slugged by her pupil.
Most notable was Xisheng's expression, which was a very distinguishable mix of worry and dread. He was clearly worried about Azula's physical state, but also worried about how she was going to react to what had transpired. He had just laid out the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. Sure, she had been the one to challenge him to a duel, and she wanted him to try his best, but that didn't mean there wouldn't be consequences for actually succeeding. Logic didn't always prevail against people in power.
Mai's expression was only mildly worried, with a cocked eyebrow and a slight frown as she leveled her gaze at what Azula imagined was a nasty bruise on her face. The fact that she was even worried at all meant the hit against Azula must have looked quite devastating.
Ty Lee's expression was by far the most unexpected though. She didn't look worried in the slightest. She didn't look like she was reveling in Azula's pain or anything either, but it did look as though she was making a significant effort to stay neutral. Almost like she didn't want to give away what she was thinking. Chances were, it wasn't something Azula would have appreciated.
Now that she was back in the waking world, the memories of what had transpired just recently were quite clear to Azula, with agonizing sharpness to go with the physical pain she felt. She'd lost, in a contest that she herself had set up. Moreover, that loss was in a terrifyingly embarrassing manner, made evident by the way her companions were gathered around her. Mai even went so far as to raise a few fingers.
"Hey, how many fingers am I holding up?"
Already reeling from what had happened today and feeling patronized by this form of concern from those around her, Azula swatted Mai's hand away as she sat up, a scowl that was only half due to the pain on her face. She could only imagine the bruise that marred her features right now.
"Get away from me! Do I look like I can't see straight to you?!"
Naturally Mai's expression grew less concerned at this, not at all pleased by the response she had been given for her concern.
"I don't think you want me to tell you what you look like right now."
This snark prompted a snarl from the youngest member of the group, who tried to stand to her feet immediately. Unfortunately, she overestimated the vigor of her legs in that exact moment, which prompted her to fall to a knee before Xisheng could move to support her. Even so the sight of it got him to speak his mind through the trepidation of having been the one to cause the problem.
"Princess, don't be hasty. The effects of a head injury can be more severe than they initially feel, so you should-"
A glare from the princess in question stopped Xisheng short, though it wasn't quite as intimidating considering the state of her face at the moment. Her skin had split at the cheek and it was already turning a nasty mix of purple and crimson. Xisheng was fairly certain he could even see some tears forming in her eyes, against her will he was sure. She probably had never experienced this level of pain in her life, what with living the life of a royal and likely trouncing everyone in any type of sparring.
That said, she was still putting up a front. Xisheng assumed that she was hardly the type to admit to any sort of weakness, perceived or otherwise.
"I'm damn well aware of my limits, Lieutenant! I don't need to be told how to stand!"
With that, Azula forced herself to her feet, quite clearly still a little wobbly. However, none of her companions made an attempt to help, since it was pretty obvious to them that she would reject it. The Princess wasted no time in stumbling towards the Overlord. Her three companions watched her leave, saying nothing since they knew she was still within earshot. Naturally they didn't make to follow her either.
As for Azula, she was still reeling when she made it inside of the Fire Nation vehicle, both physically and mentally. She had a lot to unpack following her defeat at Xisheng's hands.
For one, she was in great pain. She wasn't used to that. In all of her years of living, she had never really been injured by anyone. She had only recently engaged in real battle with anyone, and in all the times she had sparred against other people, they had either been unwilling to even try to hurt her or were too incompetent to do so.
Of course the physical pain was difficult to ignore, but it was the manner in which she had been injured that Azula was more concerned with. Xisheng had quite cleanly bested her. Granted, she could have defeated him easily if she had gone all out from the very beginning, but the point was that she didn't think it necessary to take the fight seriously. Not that she didn't appreciate Xisheng's ability, but she knew he didn't hold a candle to her. Or so she had thought.
While Azula may not have been giving it her very best, whether or not she had been didn't change the fact that Xisheng had managed to surprise her twice. Even if she had been giving the fight her all, she still would not have predicted him crashing through a wall of flame to create an opportunity to strike, or whatever technique he had used in the end to land his final blow. She'd been bested in technique and battle strategy. That was what really threw her for a loop.
A very large part of her wanted to rail against that reality. It was unthinkable. Inconceivable. A mere soldier, someone that she treated as a pupil, getting the best of her? Asinine. She wanted to believe that there had been some sort of mistake, some sort of cheat that Xisheng had used. He couldn't have possibly defeated her fairly.
She really wanted to believe that, and part of her demanded that she should deny the truth of the situation. She could punish Xisheng for daring to best her, demand recompense for what was no doubt underhanded trickery and pathetic tactics that only worked because she was going easy on him.
And yet, she knew she couldn't do that. It was illogical. More importantly, it was reality: Xisheng had exposed a weakness of hers. If she truly wished to improve beyond what she was now, she had to accept that. She could use her title to dismiss or silence anyone that could best her, but then she would be best only in name. She wanted to be the undisputed best, to be the strongest. Ignoring one's defeats was a barrier to that, not a stepping stone.
Besides, even though she was reeling from her loss, even though she was stunned by what had happened, she couldn't deny that she was also impressed by Xisheng's performance. She had been calculating so many ways to get out of sending Xisheng away when she inevitably defeated him, she hadn't even considered the possibility that he might win. While she had been focused on the battle at the time, in hindsight, he had truly been impressive. His tenacity, his cunning, his determination... his means of fighting wasn't as graceful as hers by any stretch, and yet something about it was still mesmerizing. He pulled moves she would not have thought of, worked angles that didn't occur even to her, a battle genius.
And the technique he had used at the end... Xisheng had developed a new Firebending technique before she had, a Firebending prodigy. Loathe as she was to admit it, Azula felt she had no choice: there were things she could learn from him. Her own abilities could actually be improved by taking in the techniques of another person. That was something that didn't happen often, and it had certainly never happened in relation to a commoner. Her father was quite literally the only person she had ever actually learned anything useful from.
Saying that she saw Xisheng in a more favorable light than before was a bit of an understatement. Which was weird, since she was still bitter about the outcome of today's duel. But his worth had been elevated substantially in her eyes. Not that she hadn't valued him before: he was loyal, intelligent and capable. But those were things she valued as a vassal, as a soldier. To be defeated by him in a fight... it was infuriating, but something about the notion was slightly desirable as well. Someone who could possibly keep up with her... someone who believed he could even outdo her from time to time. The prospect of an actual challenger should have been insulting, but in fact it was exciting. She had never felt enthralled by the notion of competing with another person. Never actually found merit in the gaze of conviction someone else had offered, because rarely could they back it up.
Still, she didn't know how to go about handling any of this, much less letting it influence her behavior. She certainly didn't feel like admitting any of this to anyone, seeing as how she was barely in the process of coming to grips with it all herself. After all, even admitting many of these good things, she was still pissed about losing, though the anger was more towards herself for losing than Xisheng for beating her.
Thinking about that once again reminded her how much her face hurt, but there just wasn't anything she could do about that. She didn't actually know anything about treating injuries in the first place.
"Princess...?"
Startled out of her thoughts but refusing to jump or otherwise reveal that, Azula glanced over her shoulder from her position on the bed. She hadn't closed the entrance to the Overlord even though she had retreated to it, mostly because she hadn't expected anyone to actually have the gumption to speak to her so soon after what had transpired.
Standing behind her was Xisheng, holding a small bag of some sort that looked like it would be carried around by a soldier. Azula couldn't help but glare at him, not out of sheer anger, but rather because she was disgruntled with his sudden appearance when he happened to be the biggest cause of her inner conflict at the moment. She'd barely put her own thoughts in order, now he wanted to engage her in conversation that was likely about the scenario?
Taking all of that into consideration, Azula's voice probably came across a bit more venomously than intended.
"What?"
Seeing Xisheng's body stiffen, Azula confirmed that she sounded much more furious than she actually felt. Nevertheless, the soldier continued with what he had come for. Azula appreciated the fact that he wasn't so easily cowed. She detested cowards, after all.
"Princess, I'm aware that you likely do not desire company at this exact moment, but I implore you to let me treat your injury. It will only grow more painful and taxing if it is left alone."
If it was anyone else, Azula would have felt insulted, like she was being pitied. But this was Xisheng they were talking about. She knew that he was practical, and that his recommendation was based solely in logic and efficiency.
"You have some sort of medical training?"
Glad to see that she wasn't running him off in rage or something, Xisheng almost smiled, though he instead held up the small pack he was carrying.
"Well, it's more like first aid than real medical training... but every good soldier knows how to treat light wounds, and I am no exception. I can take care of your injury without trouble."
Azula felt a little irked to have her injury called 'light.' After all, her face hurt like hell, and she felt certain that half of it was a very unnatural hue at the moment. But compared to the injures Xisheng must have seen on real battlefields, she supposed even calling it an injury was generous from his perspective. She had no doubt that he had seen people killed in gruesome ways before.
All things considered, she was actually grateful that someone in the group had the skills to treat her physical ailment. She was especially glad that he had actually taken the initiative to offer treatment, because Azula knew her pride would have prevented her from ever stooping to the level of asking for aid. Not that she would ever admit any of this to anyone, least of all Xisheng.
"Well, considering that you caused this, I suppose it's the least you can do. Make yourself useful."
Finding it a little difficult to read Azula's mood all things considered, Xisheng refrained from saying anything further as he approached the younger girl, unwilling to accidentally trigger some greater animosity from her. However, he did give silent thanks to the fact that he had brought along his standard issue first aid pack when they had left the Royal Guards behind. He had felt that it would have a use at some point in their journey.
Undoing the straps and withdrawing the elements that he needed, Xisheng focused on the severity of Azula's wound. Naturally their was some blood since the skin had split, and Azula's entire cheek was a motley hue of purple and black. It would be extremely sore, but honestly it looked worse than it actually was. It was just that it would hurt to talk for a few days.
All in all, the first thing to do was clean up the excess blood so that it wouldn't interfere with the ointments that would need to be applied. Thankfully the first aid kit came with some linens for that exact purpose.
Azula managed to resist the urge to flinch as Xisheng gingerly wiped at her face, but mostly because she was extremely tense having someone do this to her in the first place. She couldn't recall the last time someone had tended to her in such a manner. In fact, there had probably been no one since her mother had abandoned her. That said, she felt immensely uncomfortable with this sort of physical contact. It was much too soft and gentle for her liking.
That said, she could sense that Xisheng was tense as well, though it wasn't hard to guess why that was the case for him in particular. As far as he knew, Azula was plotting some horrific punishment for him. However, Azula actually found it kind of admirable that he would still approach her of his own volition to tend to her needs.
Truly, he was one of the most loyal subjects she had ever had the pleasure of having at her side. He never complained, always did his duty, always fought his hardest, always had some sort of meaningful input...
Really, the more she thought about it, the more ridiculous the notion of sending him away was in retrospect. To get rid of such a valuable asset was the height of foolishness, regardless of her reasons for being irked with him.
Taking all of that into consideration, Azula figured it might be a good idea to clear any misconceptions Xisheng might have had about his immediate future. He was owed that much for his victory, if nothing else. Besides, having a conversation would make it much easier to take her mind off of the awkward physical interaction she was currently having.
"I suppose you're worried about what is going to become of you, Lieutenant?"
Xisheng didn't answer right away, likely thinking of how he was going to phrase his response.
"In a manner of speaking, Princess."
There was a very calm manner to the way he said that, something that made it difficult for even Azula to discern how he was feeling.
"And in what manner would that be?"
Azula resisted the urge to flinch as she felt a twinge of pain in her face. Xisheng had applied some sort of ointment directly to the wound, though it didn't stop him from answering.
"I have no fear of you going back on your word. That is to say I don't believe you will dispose of me at this point. I did meet your challenge, after all."
The young Princess felt a flare of irritation at the matter of fact way he said this, but since he was not actually mistaken she said nothing to reprimand him. This of course allowed Xisheng to continue.
"That said, I am... worried that this may affect your relations with the entire group, myself included. Forgive me if that sounds presumptuous."
Frowning as much as she could in her given situation, Azula made it clear how she felt about his analysis.
"It damn well does sound presumptuous. Do you think I'm some spoiled brat that would rather throw a tantrum instead of face reality?"
Surprisingly, Xisheng didn't seem particularly worried by her ire. In fact, he seemed quite calm as he worked on treating her. Azula supposed it may have had something to do with all that soldiering: he did have a remarkable penchant for staying calm under duress.
"In that case, have you considered apologizing to Ty Lee?"
Recoiling from his touch like she had been outright stung, Azula leveled a fierce and almost flabbergasted expression at her subordinate.
"Apologize?! How dare you imply that I of all people should be apologizing to anyone, for anything! Whether or not you won our little duel has nothing to do with the frivolous way you spend your time with her! There's absolutely nothing I should be apologizing for! Don't let this little victory take your ego to such downright insulting heights."
Leaning back since he highly doubted that he would be able to continue his work like this, Xisheng still looked quite content with the situation. Well, not like he was smiling or anything, but he certainly didn't look as fearful as Azula knew anyone else in her life would have in his shoes. He'd just offended the Crown Princess after all. She could have any number of horrible things done to him.
"Princess, when I leaped through your flame and grabbed your shoulder, you know what that was, don't you?"
Azula grimaced, already seeing where Xisheng was going with this. She hated to admit it, but she could already foresee a logical defeat. That said, it didn't mean she wasn't going to try.
"I know that it didn't work."
"Because the technique is useless or because I was just too unskilled with it?"
Knowing full well the answer to that, Azula didn't give it, which gave Xisheng the opportunity to continue. She really didn't like the way this was going.
"If I had better mastery of the technique, your arm would have been completely useless for the rest of the fight. And what if I had grabbed both shoulders? Could you have won without either arm? Even for a prodigy like you, that seems unlikely. And what if I had learned some of Mai's skills? Would you have been caught off-guard by a knife thrown through your wall of flame? Considering that you were surprised by me coming through it, almost certainly. The fight could have been won right there."
Azula couldn't help but scowl at him. Despite all of his good points, she wasn't particularly happy with this line of conversation. Maybe she was a bit more prone to a tantrum than she had thought.
"If you're trying to get back on my good side after punching me in the face, you aren't doing a very good job."
Xisheng ignored her sentiment to continue with his own. He was feeling quite bold today, wasn't he?
"Princess, isn't the reason you brought Mai and Ty Lee along because they have unique skills to offer? If that is so, then surely you can't believe their skills aren't worth having. That logic would be incompatible."
Azula fell silent once more, because Xisheng had a very good point: she'd been well aware all along that her outward reasoning for this whole fiasco was nonsensical. Sure, she didn't think Mai or Ty Lee's skillsets could match her own, but she still acknowledged that they were very useful. Moreover, she had made it very clear that she wanted Xisheng to push himself to become as useful to her cause as possible. Taking those two things together, from his perspective it only made sense to try and learn what they had to offer.
Of course, while she had made an outward show of inefficiency or some such being the source of her ire, Azula knew that, in reality, her reasons were impossible to defend with logic. She'd simply disliked the idea of Xisheng's attention being commanded by someone other than herself. She could of course argue it as being her right considering her station relative to his subordinate one, but she was certain her allies would simply view it as entitlement or petty jealousy with almost no merit to it.
But she didn't see it that way. She owned this man's career, his very life. He was duty-bound to serve her. Was she not entirely justified in wanting him to focus entirely on serving her and her cause? It seemed perfectly reasonable to her.
"Or, is it perhaps that you are concerned regarding my dedication to both you and your cause?"
Azula was shocked to find that Xisheng had practically read her mind. Had he always been this sharp? Or had he just been thinking about it during the whole week he had to do so? He was the type of person that tried to understand others, so Azula had little doubt that he had put a lot of thought into why or how he had angered her.
"Should I be concerned regarding such a thing?"
She was trying to play things off, but somehow Azula got the feeling that Xisheng saw right through her. His answer certainly made it seem so.
"Azula, please allow me to make this one thing clear, to be kept in mind from today on. I am a soldier in the Fire Nation Army. You are the Crown Princess of my country. By very definition, I am duty-bound to serve you in every possible capacity. However, that obligation has little, if anything, to do with why I serve you in reality."
Needless to say, Azula hadn't expected this to come up so bluntly. Though she had to admit, there was something nice about him calling her by name instead of title. Why was that?
Despite this, she managed to stay focused on the conversation at hand. After all Xisheng had just said something quite questionable, from the perspective of a royal.
"Why then, pray tell, do you serve, Lieutenant? I'm on pins and needles."
While keeping a stoic expression on the outside, Azula had to admit that she was somewhat worried about his answer to this question. He was being awfully candid today: was he about to reveal that he was only in this for personal gain? That he was using her to improve his own strength for his own glory? Surely he wouldn't be that stupid.
"My reason is nothing special, Princess. I serve you because I want to. At the most basic level, that's because I share your cause and believe aiding you is the best way to achieve it. Mutual interest, if you will. But it goes far beyond that. I believe you have the makings of an amazing leader. I feel that you have the potential to reach even greater heights than you are at already, in almost every regard. Leadership, combat, strategy, wisdom... I've no doubt you can go much farther than you already are, great as your current self may be."
Needless to say, Azula had not expected the conversation to take this direction. Where had all of this praise come from? And why was hearing it so pleasant? Usually she just felt entitled to compliments, so they didn't mean anything. Either way, Xisheng continued, perhaps not noticing that he had mildly flustered the Princess. Maybe he didn't think that was possible for him to do.
"On one hand, the realization of your full potential is important to me as a citizen because you are the future Fire Lord. As someone who wants my nation to prosper, I have plenty of reason to aid you in reaching that full potential. However, that too is secondary as far as I'm concerned."
Xisheng paused for a moment, perhaps pondering how to word what he wanted to say next. He had to be careful with Azula after all: it was hard to tell what would or wouldn't be considered an insult to her.
It's not really practical at all... I just want to help you reach that future pinnacle. Not to imply that you need my help to do that, but if I could offer any assistance at all, that would make me happy. Failing that, even just being there to see it happen is enough. I can't really give any logical reason for why I desire this: perhaps I am just personally invested in your future because I am close to you in a manner of speaking. Or perhaps it's just curiosity. We both have interest in martial prowess and strategy. For my own sake, perhaps I just want to see what levels you can reach in those arts and how you get there. Either way, the fact remains: I will continue to support you in all of your endeavors as long as you allow me to, and not because of duty or obligation. I follow and support you of my own free will. Nothing is going to stop me from doing that, so please don't worry about the depths of my dedication to you."
Now that he was finished saying his piece, the cabin of the Overlord was left in silence as the two Fire Nation natives simply looked at one another. Xisheng was clearly waiting for some sort of response to all of this. Azula was trying to actually formulate one.
She really didn't know what to make of this. Honestly, she had never had a subordinate who had so earnestly expressed a genuine desire to serve, and for such reasons as these. Granted, Azula had not actually been in charge of that many people throughout her not so lengthy life, but she had servants and subjects, and it had always been clear that their dedication to their jobs and to her was merely the fact that it was expected of them. None of them really cared about her as an individual, only about her title as Crown Princess.
It was also why she had adhered to the general rule of thumb that fear and intimidation were the best ways to ensure loyalty. After all, if everyone was only doing their job because they were expected to or were paid to, what was stopping them from ignoring their duties? Abandoning their role and running off to live in the hills, or being bought off by someone else? The answer was obvious: if they were afraid of what you would do to them for their disobedience, then they would never disobey, right?
So far that notion hadn't steered Azula wrong in life. She'd yet to be disobeyed by a subordinate as far as she could tell. So naturally, she'd assumed the thought process was perfectly legitimate. So what was she to do about this then? She'd never had someone under her command that had openly expressed a desire to support her, and not just her title, of his own volition. Sure, loyalty was loyalty, but this felt... significantly different. Knowing that her subjects were too afraid of her ire to disobey her was satisfying. Knowing Xisheng supported her because he wanted to, because he really wanted to aid her in achieving her goals, was... uplifting, almost. Azula really couldn't explain it, seeing as how she had never really experienced it before.
That made it difficult for her to really give a response. She didn't really know how to follow up any of this. Really, she wasn't sure she liked this man making her reevaluate her thought processes twice in one day.
"I... appreciate your sentiment, Xisheng. But what does that have to do with apologizing to Ty Lee? Your words have hardly convinced me to do that."
Xisheng looked mildly pleased to be called by name, but he kept it mostly under wraps for the sake of carrying forth the conversation.
"Because, both Ty Lee and Mai are like me. Well, I doubt they have much of an investment in you reaching your full potential as a warrior and leader and all of that, but the reason they are supporting you is not about duty or obligation. They're your friends. Ty Lee put her whole life on hold to come with you on a journey that has been very dangerous. Mai could very well have come along for some form of entertainment in an otherwise droll existence, but she agreed to do so because it was you. She wouldn't have just gone on some adventure through the wilds of the Earth Kingdom with just anyone. She may not admit to it, but she's also supporting you because she wants to help. My point being, we're all here because we want to be. We want to help you of our own volition. You don't have to worry about our commitment to your cause. If that commitment was paltry, we wouldn't even be here in the first place."
Azula thought that Xisheng may have finally finished saying his piece, but evidently he had just a bit more to say.
"We are traveling companions, which means we are going to spend time with each other. That's unavoidable. But that doesn't detract from our support for you. I'll spend time with Ty Lee and Mai, and not always for training or to further some practical goal. But that doesn't mean my support or dedication to you and your cause is any less. I implore you to keep that in mind from today onwards, Princess."
Now that he was finally done for real, Azula wasn't sure what she was supposed to say in return. From a purely logical perspective, she didn't know if she really agreed with everything Xisheng was saying. Who had ever heard of trust and whatnot securing loyalty and obedience from one's subordinates? It certainly wasn't mentioned very often in the annals of history. Could she really rely on something like that when it came down to her role as a leader: as the future Lord of the Fire Nation?
Frankly, Azula didn't believe she could, in the grand scheme of things. If everyone could be trusted to support their leaders faithfully no one would ever be usurped or assassinated. But then again, Xisheng wasn't saying that all of her subjects were supporting her of their own free will. He wasn't saying she could trust everyone. He was only saying that she could trust him, and Mai and Ty Lee as well. And while Azula wasn't one to hand out trust very easily, maybe Xisheng had a point: they were all here, weren't they?
Sure, Azula was pretty certain she could have ultimately coerced or otherwise forced all three of them to accompany her if they had refused. But she hadn't been required to do that for any of them. Xisheng had been more than willing to go to any length to serve her well, and Mai and Ty Lee both could have been extremely difficult with her if they so desired. But they had both been quite willing to accompany her on a very dangerous and time consuming mission, simply because she had asked for their help.
Perhaps they did deserve a little more consideration for that. It just felt weird for Azula to place any faith at all in the good intentions of other people. But if those people had done nothing to earn any suspicion or condemnation, and in fact had only done things to earn trust and some degree of faith, then wasn't Azula being illogical by doubting them so easily?
Taking all of that into consideration, Azula figured that maybe Xisheng's request for an apology had some merit. It was hard to swallow though, the thought of doing such a thing. To so humbly admit wrongdoing was ill-fitting for a princess, or any royal for that matter. At the very least, she supposed the idea deserved some consideration, even though she wasn't going to say that to Xisheng outright.
"I'll bear what you've said in mind, Lieutenant. That said, I hope you haven't forgotten about tending to the injury you so eagerly caused me?"
Donning a mildly more apologetic expression than he had previously, Xisheng stepped forward to return to his ministrations. Really, there wasn't that much left to do, but it still had to be done.
"Princess, surely you would have been more insulted if I had the audacity to hold back against you, correct?"
Even though her face hurt, Azula couldn't help but smirk. This man had some gumption, really.
"Well at least you know your teacher well enough to determine that. I'm sure you also know that I'm going to interrogate you regarding your technique..."
"Shouldn't I be allowed to keep my one advantage for more than a single day?"
"I daresay that you will have more than one advantage if you sharpen your mastery of Ty Lee's techniques. Besides, you know I'd decipher your technique without much trouble anyway, so stop resisting. You're trying to stay in my good graces, remember?"
Sensing that there wasn't actually any danger of Azula getting angry at him at this point, Xisheng smiled as he focused on applying the bandage in his hands to her skin. Considering that he had punched the Princess of the Fire Nation in the face that morning, the day was going quite remarkably. Now, if only he could usher this conversation to a quick close so he could tend to all the burns under his uniform...