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"Your Majesty?"
Yue looked up from her paperwork-laden desk expectantly. "Yes?"
The servant looked down quickly, shyly. "I- uh- we-"
"What's wrong?" Yue asked with a tinge of compassion for the poor man.
"Well, uh, the Fire Lord- she, uh-" the man could not meet her eyes. To be fair, most servants didn't, but that was normally out of excessive deference to the Fire Lord. This man was stuttering from fear, but rather from extreme embarrassment.
Yue smirked internally, face betraying nothing. "Anything destroyed yet?"
The man sagged in relief. "Not yet, ma'am, but she's been pacing for an hour and a half."
Yue closed her eyes for a moment. "I see." She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a long and thin sheet of fresh, creamy white paper. With a short message inscribed in a flowing brush, Yue placed the paper into a small envelope. With a flourish, she rubbed a small stick of clear scented wax over the front of the envelope, imparting a light aroma of gardenia flower.
The servant accepted the envelope gratefully, taking pains to avoid touching the wax with his fingers, and departed.
--
"She refused your summons, your Majesty," the servant reported, an hour later.
"Refused it or got distracted by something else?"
The man hesitated, but spoke. "Her secretary received a large pile of mail just as I delivered your missive, my Lady."
Yue sighed. "Distracted, then. Any green envelopes?"
Green envelopes were high-priority messages and packages that were carried exclusively by messenger hawks. Old folk wisdom said the green color was chosen for high-priority mail because it was the only color the hawks could see - 'even the birds could tell the message was special.'
"No, my Lady."
Yue checked the clock on her wall - a new invention from the prosperous Earth Provinces - and made up her mind.
"Run ahead and tell Secretary Chan to cancel the rest of the Fire Lord's meetings today. If he has an issue with that, apologize on my behalf and offer him one of our courtesy vouchers for the Caldera Spa." She chuckled. "Spirits know that poor man needs it."
The servant bowed. "Yes, my Lady."
"And one more thing - please ask the Kitchens to send a pitcher of ice water, a tea service and some plain rice to the Consort's Chambers."
--
"Hello, my love," Yue said softly as she entered Azula's office from the side entrance that led to their bedroom.
Azula grunted and waved a distracted hand, not pulled from her attempt to wear a hole in the beautiful, abused wood floor of her office.
Yue watched as Azula paced across the room like a caged animal, anxious and frustrated and exhausted and furious all at once.
It was worse than she thought.
"Azula," she said, louder. When no response was elicited, she said even more loudly, "Azula!" The name was said quickly and tersely, like a thunderclap.
Azula jumped a bit, and ceased her pacing. "What?" she asked, just short of snappish.
"It's time for you to be done for the day," Yue explained.
Azula glanced at her own wall clock and scrunched her face in confusion. "It's not even late afternoon."
Yue stepped closer and said, "I know, but it's still time to be done for the day."
Azula grimaced. "I have so much to do!"
"And you can start working on it in the morning."
Azula opened her mouth to argue, but stopped when Yue raised a finger and gave her a significant look. The raised finger changed to an outstretched hand, into which Azula pressed her face, a touch desperately. "You need to take a break, love."
"At least let me finish the Economics Reports," Azula weaseled. "That'll be an hour at most."
"One hour will turn into two into all night," Yue chided. "You know that." Yue rubbed her thumb under Azula's eye. "You look so tired."
Azula made no move, trying to stay resolute despite the fact she was literally putty in Yue's hand.
"Why don't we go take a break?" Yue asked. "Take your mind off your worries."
Azula's eyes opened, cutting curiously to Yue's lips. "I'm not sure if that's really possible."
"We can eat," Yue said, smile slowly growing, "and rehydrate and enjoy each other's company."
Azula's eyebrow raised with interest, but her gaze dropped quickly. "... There's just so much happening right now. Everyone and everything needs my attention."
"I agree, sweetheart, but you can't be Fire Lord every second of every day."
"I was literally bred for this job, Yue."
"Ha ha," Yue said dryly instead of actually laughing. "There will always be something that 'needs' your attention. But that doesn't mean you don't need attention too. Mind, body and soul."
When Azula still looked conflicted, Yue added, "Please let me take care of you, my heart."
Azula's eyes were particularly liquid as she looked Yue in the eye. "... okay."
--
Azula was confused when Yue pulled her through their shared bedroom and into the general area of their chambers, but realization struck as Yue unlatched the discreet door to the Consort's Chambers.
The Fire Lord and Lady each had adjoining private apartments in the Royal Palace, though most Royal couples lived exclusively in the larger Fire Lord's suite. There were, of course, some times when the Royal couples slept apart, with times ranging from days to decades. When not in use, however, the Consort's Chambers were often used as a nursery.
But Fire Lord Azula, first of her name, the Bearer of the Blue Flame, Liberator of the Earth Provinces, and the Dragon who Encircles the World, had no children. No babies yet slept in the Fire Lady, nor her rooms.
That is not to say, however, that Fire Lady Yue Moon-Chosen, Queen of the Earth Provinces, Rightful Chieftain of the Water Tribes North and South, the Lady Merciful, the Jewel of the North and the Dragon's Treasure, slept in 'her' bed. Ever.
Their bed was where Azula had assumed they were heading - it was the obvious place for rest. And if she were lucky, some of what Azula thought Yue meant when she had said "enjoying each other's company."
Azula blinked owlishly after they stepped into the dark rooms of the Consort's Chambers, eyes landing on the incongruously steaming teapot on the low tea table.
"Please sit," Yue ordered, gesturing at one of the ground cushions around the table.
With a wary air, Azula sat. A tea party was hardly the peak of enjoyment when compared to some wife-on-wife quality time. But Yue was acting in her Queen role right now, making Azula curious.
"Would you like hot water or cold?" Yue asked, already pouring herself a glass.
"Cold," Azula said slowly. Maybe not a tea party, then. A beverage soiree?
"Good," Yue said, moving to kiss Azula on the forehead. Azula hummed at the contact, accepting the glass when it came.
With deft hands, Yue removed Azula's hairpiece, crown and the little capelet that lay over her shoulders. "Does that feel better?"
Azula nodded, but then verbalized a short "yes" when Yue motioned for a verbal request. Again, Azula received a kiss to the forehead.
"It's time for one last decision," Yue said. "After that, you're all done for the day. Can you do that for me?"
Before Azula could get too puzzled or offended by Yue's tone, a napkin-covered plate was set in front of her. "O- okay," Azula managed, suppressing the treacherous hope that the plate conjured.
Yue removed the napkin, revealing a white bone pendant affixed to a maroon ribbon. A flame was carved into the polished surface, hovering over a sharp crescent like a fire in a brazier. The carved sigil stood out brilliantly from the white of the bone due to the grey ink Yue had painstakingly needled into the cut sections.
Unlike Yue, Azula didn't wear her betrothal necklace all of the time. Image was a key component to bring Fire Lord, and seeing their absolute monarch in such a meaningful piece from another - allegedly inferior - culture would do the population of the Fire Nation any good.
And the necklace was made all the more meaningful for that very reason - it was only worn in private, intimate moments. Moments the world would not see. Moments that the citizens of the world wouldn't believe if they saw them anyway.
Azula stared up at Yue with eyes the size of saucers, naked appreciation and awe on her face.
"You can choose to wear it or we can go straight to bed to sleep," Yue explained. "No hard feelings either way. This is for you, my heart."
Azula stared at the necklace for what felt like hours, but was in reality less than a second. With a slightly shaking finger, she touched the necklace.
"Good girl," Yue purred.
An almost manic desire crashed into Azula's hands, but she kept them folded in her lap, instead staring up at her wife.
"So good, waiting," Yue praised, petting Azula's head softly. "You can put it on now."
While Azula was unquestioned ruler - sometimes tyrant - of the world, she was not always the one with all the power. When she wore her necklace, Azula was not the Dragon who Encircles the World - she was just a girl, desperately hoping to be good.
Azula gasped, breathy, when Yue's manicured finger slid under the silken ribbon around Azula's neck.
Yue smirk grew wicked. "What a good girl, wearing her betrothal necklace."
Azula could barely breathe - not from the tightness around her neck, but rather the tightness in her chest at the sensation. Her entire world had narrowed to the woman in front of her and her sharp-tipped fingers.
"But you haven't been very good, have you?"
Despite her normal pride, tears leapt to Azula's eyes. "I have!"
Yue shushed her sharply. "Good girls don't work from dawn until dark every day."
"But the Nation needs me," Azula whined. Internally, she cringed at her tone and how stupid she sounded already. She hadn't even taken off her boots yet!
Yue tugged lightly on the necklace, capturing Azula's eyes. "The Nation needs a healthy Fire Lord. Not one who is minutes from a stress aneurysm."
Azula whined again, the sound wretched from guilt. "I know."
"It's not all your fault, though, is it baby?" Yue cooed.
Azula shook her head as much as she could.
"Everyone else is just so needy," Yue continued. "And you're trying your best to make them happy."
Azula nodded, eyes stinging.
Yue moved to whisper in Azula's ear. "But they don't know that you're needy too."
A whine, sob and gasp combined into a ragged cough, which only brought out an even more wicked smirk from the white-haired woman.
"Oh, baby, it's okay," Yue said lightly, teasing, "I'm here now. Let me take care of you."
"Please."