My Pet Sokka Ch4

Chapter 4:  Azula's bedroom

   Sokka followed Ty Lee into the palace, his arms dangling limply at his sides.  The promise of the same paralyzation for the rest of his body if he tried anything, still lingering in his mind.  The leash swung loosely between his neck and his master's hand.

    Sokka slowly took in the sight of the palace, doing his best to memorize his movements through it as they walked.  The open rooms and tall pillars were elegant, magnificent...and also intimidating.

    Even Ty Lee seemed somehow subdued inside these walls.  Perhaps it was her clothing.  The bright pink jumpsuit that Sokka remembered her in had been replaced by fine robes of softer pinks, trimmed with deep rose.  Her usual bounce was replaced with a graceful walk.  From just a few paces behind her, he had a very good view of that walk and would have studied it more thoroughly if he didn't need to know his way around.

    The un-narrated tour lasted only a few minutes before Ty Lee led him down a smaller hallway and stopped to knock on an elaborate, gold-trimmed door.  A familiar and cold, feminine voice quickly answered.  "Yes?"

    Ty Lee suddenly dropped her act and began to bounce without seeming to notice it herself.  "It's me, Princess Azula.  I have something to show you."

    A distant and indistinguishable command could be heard from within, followed immediately by the tall door swinging open for their entry.  The servants who had opened the doors stood nearby, neither speaking to or looking at them. Sokka glanced around the over sized sitting room, taking in the refined furniture, marble floors and fancy tapestries.  Before he'd finished sizing the place up, a floor length curtain at the back of the room moved aside and the Fire Nation Princess emerged.

    Sokka didn't have to force the scowl her presence brought to his face.  Even though Aang was still alive, Azula had tried to kill him.  A sudden, sharp jerk on his collar brought Sokka down to his knees, forcing him to pay tribute to the fiery little brat.   A moment later  his escort was back on her feet and dragging him forcibly towards the evilfirebender.

    He watched with disgust as Ty Lee bounced into her friend's arms for a quick hug.  "Azula, look what I found!"  

    Azula stared down at him with obvious disdain.  "Ty Lee, what compelled you to bring this dirty peasant into the Palace?  Dressing him in your Father's robe doesn't hide the fact that he's a mongrel."

    Despite her griping, the Princess looked satisfied with this turn of events.  The complaint was obviously meant only to insult him.  Ty Lee either didn't notice, or didn't care howAzula treated him.  "I thought you'd want to know that I found him."

    The Princess sighed as if this were an unreasonable hassle for her.  "Yes, take him to the dungeons for questioning.  My guards will escort you."

    "Yes Azula...but I was hoping...  Maybe we could keep him here for questioning...  Please?  He's really sweet and harmless...  I could stay and help look after him for you."  Ty Lee pleaded on tip toe, giving Azula her biggest wide-eyed stare.

    "Fine.  Chain him up in back, but if he makes a mess on my imported rug, I'll have you both beaten."

    "What is he doing here?!"

    Sokka turned abruptly at the sharp and demanding voice of Prince Jerk-face.  Just like the girls, the older fire brat was dressed in finer clothes than he'd seen on any of them, luxuries that the spoiled rats obviously didn't deserve for their cruelty.

    Perhaps it was the endless months of being hunted down and put in danger, but it was even harder for Sokka to hold his tongue around Zuko.  Somehow he managed for the moment, even as Ty Lee jerked him back down to his knees.

    Azula answered her brother for everyone.  "He's here as my prisoner.  Our interrogators were never able to get any good information out of Uncle.  They're obviously incompetent.  I'll just have to take care of this one myself."

    "Does Father know about this?"

    "Father doesn't need to know about this, Zuzu.  He has more important things to do."  Apparently Azula had no concerns about this happening and Sokka wondered why she would keep such a seemingly dangerous secret.  "No one invited you in here.  Why don't you go bother Mai?"

    This time, Ty Lee had held his collar tight, keeping Sokka pinned to the floor for the entire exchange, though he did lift his face enough to watch.  Zuko didn't seem to have a response to his sister this time.  He simply stalked angrily out, giving Sokka several dark looks along the way.

    "What an annoying interruption.  Chain him up in the back room."  This time Azula did seem annoyed by the interruption.  


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    The 'back' room was much smaller than the evil witch's sitting room.  The only entry was a heavy, steel door.  There were no windows.  A single, plush chair sat beside the rug, several feet from where Sokka was chained.  It was obviously meant for Azula's use during interrogations.  Sokka wasn't terribly surprised, but was somewhat frightened to find that the 'imported rug'  was already stained with blood.

    This idea of his sister's was starting to feel like a horrible mistake.  Sokka had obviously been left alone in here to stew for a while, but he was doing his best to ignore his fears of being tortured and concentrate on using what he'd learned so far.  Unfortunately, that wasn't much.  He hadn't seen much of the palace at all and wondered if he might talk Ty Lee into taking him for another 'walk'.  The brief interaction between the royal jerks had been interesting, though.  They obviously did not get along.  He couldn't blame them.  Who could stand either of them?