Tai Li (Part 3)

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Not long after Yoaru left the princess went to meet Tai Li.

Another flash of light in the sea appeared and disappeared in a fraction of an instant, and a couple of seconds later, the princess's sweat-dirty hair was dishevelled by the force of the shockwave. Her training had been going on for over an hour now, and the results were not particularly satisfying. Berkrut had been silently watching her the entire time, rarely showing perfect mastery of conquering the blast. Deciding to take a short break, she caught her breath, leaning on the handrail and gazing out into the sea.

- 'Azula,' the princess heard her friend's familiar voice.

- May? Are you also attracted by the sounds of explosions? - Immediately suggested the girl, turning to her childhood friend.

- Partly. I came to inform you that Yoaru has been spending time with Tai Li for almost half an hour now. I'm worried about that. Who knows what he might do with our frivolous friend? - The girl calmly voices her concerns about her friend, standing up beside her.

- 'I know, Lee has wanted to talk to him for a long time,' Azula's reply made her friend arch an eyebrow in slight surprise.

- How do you feel about that?

- How am I supposed to feel about it? - Azula interjected, beginning to suspect something amiss between her childhood friend and the familiar spirit.

- Hmm. I hope you know who you trust, but forget it. I just came to let you know that. And lastly, what was that rumbling sound? Lightning sounds different. - The girl spoke in a calm tone without a trace of emotion.

- It's a sub-species of fire magic I'm learning," the princess explained, not taking her eyes off her friend. Her golden eyes pierced the girl as if looking through her.

"Yoaru doesn't like her. I wonder. When did he have time to mess things up with Mei?" - thoughts flashed through Azula's mind a moment later after analysing her friend's behaviour. She knew that Yoaru had gone to Tai Li's place, and she could even guess why they had locked the door. It would be strange if someone discovered her friend talking to the air.

- I see, in that case I won't bother you. I'll go back to my quarters and do some boring reading or throwing daggers at the wall," Mei left the deck, and soon the princess was back to her training.

- 'Yoaru... Don't tell anyone about him,' Azula said to the mercenary as she returned to her training. The man had heard the girls' conversation perfectly well, but was in no hurry to ask questions.

His reputation went a long way. Berkrut was known not only as the best mercenary in the land of fire for always seeing things through to the end, but also as a man who could keep secrets. Nodding briefly, he took the new information to heart, not giving much thought to such trivialities as the absence of a man with such a name on the princess' imperial vessel.

There was still a full day ahead, which Azula decided to devote to her self-improvement. She continued to work up a sweat and honed her technique to her cherished perfection. Berkrut did not react in any way to her changed magic skills. It was Yoaru who learnt the technique first and her afterwards. Soon the princess was able to come close to the spirit's results, learning to set off an explosion at any point in the beam. But that didn't stop her from further training. It was the only way to achieve perfection, shedding rivers of sweat and blood in training, building skills into reflexes, so that they could be repeated in any condition and situation, without thinking about unnecessary things.

After another hour, when her muscles were burning like flames, shuddering from the strain and further effort was doing more harm than good, Azula decided to stop training, having finally squeezed herself to the max. Berkrut was sent off to do his business while the girl decided to do a breathing exercise to regain her strength.

Evening was approaching, but it was still a long way from nightfall. The princess decided to do another workout, for which she needed Yoaru. In search of him, her first order of business was to visit the quarters of her friend from the circus. Walking down the stairs and corridors of the ship, the girl quickly found herself in front of the closed door of Tai Li's quarters.

No one could be seen through the small window of the door, but the door could only be closed from the inside, so Azula was sure that someone was present in the cabin. But listening closely, she heard nothing. A habit developed since childhood brought no information. Making a fist, the princess springs into action.

Knock, knock, knock.

Knocking on the room, the princess immediately heard a slight creak of the bed, and some rustling. Then there were sounds of quick footsteps, as if someone was rushing around the room in panic. After that everything went quiet, and only a quiet rustling with a slight creak came to the princess's sensitive hearing.

"I wonder what she's been doing in there that took her so long to open," the thought flashed through the princess's mind before she knocked again.

Knock, knock, knock.

- I'm coming, I'll be right there," came the muffled reply. Though the metal walls did a good job of muffling the sounds, Azula was able to recognise her friend's worried voice.

Soon the door opened, her sweating friend appeared out of the door. Tai Li was dressed in only a sleeping dressing gown, her face was red, her hair was loose, and drops of sweat were dripping down her forehead. However, far more than the acrobat's appearance, the princess was interested in the smell of alcohol that hit her nose.

- Azula! What a pleasant surprise, hee-hee. You come in, don't just stand in the doorway, - the acrobat lets the princess inside.

Azula wastes no time and takes a quick look around her friend's room, wrinkling her nose at the not-so-pleasant smell. Her weekday pink robes were lying crumpled on a shelf as if they had just been thrown there in a hurry. There was a pair of shoes on the floor, which the girl had forgotten to remove by putting on her slippers. The sheets of the bed were badly crumpled, as if someone had had a good gallop on them. And at the end, the windows were open wide, letting fresh air into the room.

- Tai Li, I expect an explanation! - Azula threateningly demanded, turning to the girl who was sitting on the bed, who was doing her best to look like an innocent victim: flapping her eyes, looking away and smiling stupidly.

- Hello to you, too. Again. And the explanations... what explanations? - Lee replied in a cheerful tone, trying not to look her interlocutor in the eye.

- I smell alcohol. You drank on my ship?

- Well... yeah, you see, I wanted to practice in my quarters. You know, work on my flexibility. Don't get any ideas, it's just for practice, to warm up my muscles," the girl started to justify herself, gesturing vigorously with her hands.

- Your hands are wet.

- I was careless with the bottle of Sake and spilled it. It happens to no one," Lee replied in an even more excited tone, blushing and trying to wipe her wet hands on her clothes.

- You have to remember that I know all the poses and possible muscle workouts? There's no workout in there that requires alcohol," Azula adds with a sniff: - "and it's quite expensive. I recognise the smell, it's the kind of sake that the highest ranks of the army used to drink at meetings. Where did you get it?

- Our circus has been to many places, I bought it once. And then I forgot, the bottle was lying around amongst my things for a long time. I found it and I thought I'd try some. I tasted just a little bit, there was more than half of it left in the bottle. Shall I show you?

- No, I believe you. However. It's not just alcohol in the air. You were doing something for a long time before you opened the door. I'm sure you were undressed, as evidenced by your clothes. Lee, what were you doing in a room all alone? - Azula presses her friend, not taking her eyes off her.

- Well... - the acrobat blushes even more, averting her gaze, - it is not customary to talk about it in decent societies.

- We are friends, and friends can share everything with each other. Does our friendship mean nothing to you? - The princess knew exactly where to push to get her way. Any more and Lee would give up.

- I... I'm ashamed to talk about such things, - continued to crumple the girl, but Azula insisted and after a few phrases Tai Li gave up her position. Alcohol gives courage, dulling other silly feelings like shyness and timidity.

- Can I whisper in your ear?

- Sure.

Tai Li leans in to the princess's ear, starting to whisper what she was doing here. With each, word, Azula's cheeks started to get redder and redder. When her friend told her in detail what she was doing here all alone, the princess' face was intensely focused. The still red cheeks with her ears, however, spoke of great embarrassment. She had caught her closest friend doing something as inappropriate as self-satisfaction.

After finishing her story, Tai Li pulls back, watching Azula's face change with a smile, as if looking over the work of her hands.

- Ahem," Zula comes to her senses, coughing. - I've been looking for Yoaru here, do you know where he is?

- 'No, he left about half an hour ago, he said he was on his spiritual business,' Lee replied easily.

- I see, I'll go to my quarters then, he usually spends his time there," Azula answers thoughtfully, as if in a trance, getting up from the bed and heading towards the exit.

- Come back if you need anything," the acrobat replied into the princess's back.

The door to the room closed. The sounds of Azula's quiet footsteps fell silent. After a few minutes of silence, Tai Li's quiet voice came out, "She's gone. You can come out now," With those words, the ghost of the man she was looking for flew out from the girl's back.

- Do you think she understood everything? - Asked the acrobat at the spirit that appeared, which simply radiated joy.

- Yes. I think she understood. The question is how much she understood," Yoaru said thoughtfully, reflecting on what had happened recently.

- We did things like that, I'm so ashamed. No one will take me as a wife now! You have to take responsibility! - The circus girl spoke in a playful tone, adopting a more seductive pose in front of his interlocutor: putting her foot on his leg.

- Lee, not now, - one serious look of the spirit, immediately calmed her down.

- Okay. I think you should hurry up and talk to her. She won't get to her quarters right away, you could be there before she gets there. If you use the walk through walls," the girl said, wanting to help her... friend? Or lover? The girl was still undecided.

- Hmm..." Yoaru looked at her thoughtfully, "I think I'll do that.

- And Yoaru, let's do it again sometime. I enjoyed our time together, too," Lee says with a smile.

- I will, Lee. You are the best girl in the world," with those words, Yoaru flew through the ceiling, leaving the girl alone.

The smile on the acrobat's lips grew wider, grabbing a pillow, she snuggled her face into it, falling onto the bed.

***

It was the best thing that had ever happened to me in my entire life as a spirit, or maybe even my entire life. The emotions I got from Tai Li will keep me warm for a long time. The girl was very flexible, very positive, a little shy and timid, but that only gave her a special charm. At the same time Tai Li behaved very confidently, I think it was all the consequences of a slight intoxication. She was a virgin, and still is. In fact, it was so, the girl did not lie down with a man, she did not let him into herself in the usual sense, the whole process took place with the help of fingers of the girl herself. And the absence of a hymen is easily explained by gymnastics training. Azula also has no hymen, but I know that the princess is innocent. Ahem... if a girl like Azula can be innocent in principle.

I wonder what the princess has realised? Looks like we're going to have a difficult conversation. I still haven't talked to her about her jealousy. Hmm, maybe the girl is starting to have some special feelings for me? With all the explosion training and healing, I completely forgot about the promised conversation. Better late than never? I think it's time to ruin my good mood. Anyway, I don't regret it at all. To get a taste of life like that... yes, how much I miss my emotions that other people's emotions are like a drug to me.

А? Zula seems to be coming, I don't have long to think about it. The sound of the princess' footsteps I always recognise, it was getting closer. Soon the door opened and we immediately met gazes.

- Yoaru...

- Azula.

A meaningful silence. From just her look alone, I knew everything, not to mention the quietly angry voice. She knew everything. There's no fooling a girl like that, even if I know her better than she does. Standing there, silent, not knowing where to start, feelings tearing me up inside. Standing there, silent, a minute, two minutes, okay, we have to take matters into our own hands, otherwise she's not gonna do anything.

- Let's skip the emotional stuff and get straight to the point. How do you feel? - I'm taking the first step in our conversation.

- You were in her, - the princess answers dryly with a voice devoid of any emotion.

Yes, that's how she talks when she doesn't know what to do or what emotions to feel. Just as I thought, on the way the girl realised all the facts and got to the point. It wasn't hard, considering Lee's character, and how quickly we found common ground, even from the first time we met.

- Does that make you angry?

- I guess so. I'm angry.

- Is it jealousy? - I ask, already guessing what it is, but needing to be sure.

- Why would I be jealous? And jealous of who? You? Her? I don't understand... and that makes me even more angry," Azula replied in a tired voice, not showing any emotion. In her mind, they were still a weakness. Ozai's upbringing would not be beaten out of her that easily.

- You've given a lot of thought on the way to your quarters. Please, come here," I move closer to the bare wall, beckoning to the princess. - I want to check something.

But Zula was in no hurry to comply with my request, glaring at me with a puzzled, angry look. As if I was guilty of something. However, I was far from that simple and had no problem withstanding her pressure and not feeling guilty about anything.

- Come on, this won't take long, and it won't hurt you in any way. On the contrary, it will help to clarify the situation, - I continue to persuade the girl, but showing reasonableness and listening to my words, she did not hurry to fulfil my request.

- What next? - asks the princess, standing next to the wall.

Without saying a word more, I spring into action. Having made myself completely material, I smoothly touch the girl, making her lean against the wall, and then pressed against it. In fact, I was now pressing the girl against the wall, her hands reflexively resting on my chest in a futile attempt to push me away. We were as close to each other as was possible in principle. Our gazes joined, neither willing to look away. Not attacking, that's a good sign.

- What do you feel? - I calmly spoke directly into her lips, stoically enduring the frown in return. I was now stepping on very thin ice, very thin and very fragile ice of our relationship.

- Right now? I want to hit you.

- Is there something else?

- Yes. There is something else. Strange feelings, longing, resentment, desire for something more and disappointment? I'm not sure what I'm feeling right now or why I'm talking to you in this humiliating position. I'm cold, move away.

- Well, then use the flame," I suggest to her with a wry smile.

- If you say so," the girl inhaled, and the next moment a small fountain of blue flame burst from Azula's lips, which passed through me without harm, leaving only a slight warmth.

- Feel better? - A slight smile creeps onto her face.

- A little, and now, would you mind pulling away? You have amazing strength for a disembodied spirit," and to prove her point, she once again tried to move me, but I put too much force into the materiality of my body. And I had a lot of strength in me. As it turned out, I was able to recharge from Tai Li almost as well as Azula.

- That's good. Now, I ask you to imagine that I have already realised my dream and become human. Question. Would you like to be my wife? A mistress? A girlfriend? Someone who would certainly be close to my heart? - I asked her in a serious tone.

- What?" she was surprised, for a moment, losing control of her emotions, a little confused. - I... don't want to answer that question.

- You don't want to answer it. I'm not rushing you. Just think about it. Jealousy doesn't just happen out of nowhere. Analyse yourself and your feelings and make a decision. That's all I want you to do. Be honest with yourself," I tell the girl, pulling away. Was it just me, or was she unhappy with that action? She's so complicated.

- Don't worry, I'll think about it. Now I'd like to go and practice fire healing. I need your help.

What I definitely respect about the princess is her ability to control her emotions, to separate the personal from the necessary. Soon I was back in her body, and we began training. Azula always resorted to them, trying to distract herself from her emotions and the unnecessary thoughts that kept coming into her head after everything that had happened that day. I even offered to help Tai Li with her hangover, but the princess was not ready to meet with her friend. I had to make do with the maids. There was even a conversation between us about treating the mercenary for the sake of gaining his loyalty. But I doubted I could help him grow arms and legs with my skills, and his voice was fine without it.

Evening was approaching, and this rather long day for me was finally over.