Chapter 12: Princesses of Fire and Fury
The day after the pirate attack) [Toujin Island]
Anya looked away from her book, out the classroom window, past the village with its white walls and red roofs, past the meadows of green grass and finally to the endless blue ocean that stretched away and way until it met the sky. A group of big black ships was sailing close by.
"Mama... come pick Anya up soon." she whispered to the salty-smelling sea breeze, imagining that her mama was on one of those big metal boats.
She missed her. Missed her mama's warm hugs and tickling kisses to her cheek. Missed her mama's wide smile and pretty red eyes that would light up whenever she'd see her. Missed all those days when they would go out and have breakfast and lunch and dinner... Because mama couldn't cook anything that wasn't poisonous. But that was fine, they always had fun when they went outside. And when she was away for work, Anya always knew she'd come back, and always with a little toy from the far away place she went to. They'd play with it together, and everything would be the best.
Anya thought that it was going to be like that forever... and then it didn't.
"Anya!" The strict old teacher called out, rapping her whipping stick against her desk, "Since you're so interested in the clouds, you must already have the full version of the National Oath memorised! Stand up and recite it to class!"
Nodding obediently, Anya stood up from her seat. And as she did, her pink hair prickled as the entire class' eyes bored into the back of head. She didn't really have the oath memorised just yet, so she just repeated what she heard from Ms. Kwan's thoughts.
~ I want to hear it in her small voice: 'My life I give to my country, with my hands I fight for Fire Lord Ozai and our forefathers before him...' ~
"My life I give to my country..." Anya repeated the old lady's thoughts back to her. Her voice filled the silent classroom as she recited an oath that she didn't bother memorising. Her power to hear what people were thinking made school easy for her. The frowny old lady always liked to repeat the correct answer in her head. But for everything else? Not as much.
Ms. Kwan smiled proudly as Anya finished reciting.
"As expected of our newest prodigy." She remarked before aiming a frown at the rest of the class, "Let that be a lesson, children! If you are unable to be disciplined, then at least let your love for Fire Lord and Fire Nation compensate for your deficiencies like Anya!"
Anya just winced, knowing what was about to come next...
~ Teacher's Pet. Making us all look bad! ~
~ Great... Ms. Kwan is going to want the rest of us to recite it too! ~
~ ... I wish I was as smart as her... ~
~ Anya! Why do you have to make it worse for everyone!? ~
~ ... I feel sorry for her... ~
~ This is why she doesn't have any friends. I don't want to be friends with her! ~
~ I bet she enjoys being so smart! ~
~ I warned you last week not to get the class in trouble! You're so roasted! ~
... the thoughts of her classmates. It wasn't all bad, but the mean thoughts were always the loudest. Especially Hide, the big bully, he had it out of ever since she got here. She had only been in school for a couple of weeks and she already didn't like it here. And neither did they.
*gong*
"Students!" Ms. Kwan demanded their attention over the gongs of the lunch bell, "We will begin our oral examination of the full version of the National Oath immediately after lunch break. Do not be tardy! Class dismissed!"
Everyone rushed out of their seats while Anya just packed her school things and walked away, hoping to find a quiet spot to eat by herself like always. She needed to avoid Hide first, the big kid seemed pretty angry with her.
Her mama had always been the only friend she really needed, but it's been so long since she last heard from her.
When she was still with those scary guards, they let her swap letters. Mama told her she was on a super secret mission to get rid of the bad guys, and when she finished, they could be together again. But then one day, the guards said that... that her mother was gone. They didn't even say any more before putting her on a ship and leaving her here.
Anya squeezed her bag's leather straps in her hand until her knuckles turned white. She didn't believe them- she was never going to believe them! Her mama was definitely still out there! So, she was going to grow big and strong and all-powerful like that Fire Lord Ozzy guy, and she was going to go on an adventure to find her mama! She'll ride a dragon over the Four Nations and make it eat all the bad guy airbenders, waterbenders and earthbenders! Then she was going to fly to the palace and save the princess (her mama)! Just like in the stories that Ms. Kwan makes them read in the scrolls!
Her tummy rumbled. But gotta have lunch first.
As she walked out of the school gates, she caught a loud thought.
~ I'm going to push the little know-it-all and watch her cry! ~
She tried to turn around and look for who was thinking it. But someone pushed and she tripped, her forehead hitting on the edge of a stone bench. Her hands came up to cover her head, and Anya tried not to cry as she felt a bit of blood leaked onto her palm. She wasn't going to cry, but it really hurt. A lot.
"Think you can sneak away from me, new girl?!" She heard Hide's voice shout at her, "What did I say about getting us into trouble with Ms. Kwan?!"
"Hide, what in the Fire Lord's name is wrong with you?!" a girl's voice shrieked, "Anya's not even half your size!"
Looking up, Anya saw the two of them standing over her in their black and red uniforms. On Jin with her brown hair and worried eyes, and Hide with black hair and a sneer like an angry dog showing teeth. Then he reached down at her, his fist tightened around the front of her uniform and dragged her across the grass and around the school where the cliffs were... where no one can see them. Anya punched at his arm to make him let her go, but the older kid was just too strong.
"The twerp started it." He growled at On Ji. "Just a few weeks ago, we were all cruising it easy! But ever since she came along it's been 'high expectations' for all of us! All because the new kid can't keep her pie-trap shut! Well, if she's so willing to learn then, I'll just teach her to shut up!"
He threw her down on the grass, her own red and black uniform dirtying.
*clink* *clink*
"Just let her go, Hide!" Anya heard On Ji shout, "You're going to get in so much trouble!"
"Hah! As if!" Hide laughed meanly, "I keep telling you, On Ji, my father's been promoted to Captain of the coast guard since last week. No ships dock or leave without my father's permission, and you know what that means on this island? He's the lord and I'm pretty much the prince! I can do what I want! I even got the headmaster to force Shoji to apologise to me after I punched him! A pink-haired nobody like her can't do nothing to me."
"A-Anya's not a nobody! Mama's a super assassin!"
"Pft! I don't know who your mother was, but I heard from the headmaster that she's dead."
"i hear voices. maybe guards."
"Mama's not gone!" Anya shook her head. "She's not!"
*clink*
He just smiled, "She's dead. D-E-A-D!"
"we'll clear the ledge. as one."
"Hide, you're going too far with her!"
Then Anya felt her eyes get super big—like when she saw a spider in her tub—as from the edge of the cliff, a humongous metal giant and six ladies with super white faces climbed up. They were so quiet, like ghosts sneaking around! It was as if the giant and the ghostly ladies belonged to a different world. Anya realised they had to be ghosts, just like in the stories! The giant even had a face made of bones! But what made him scary was how ginormous he was- much bigger than any grown-up she'd ever seen. Like a big metal statue that could move! The giant's shadow covered everything, blocking the sun behind his back.
Anya felt her heartbeat in her ears even as she felt like she couldn't breath.
"I like that look on your face, new kid." Hide smirked- not knowing that Anya was looking behind them.
"A... Awawawawa..." Anya stammered, super scared as she tried to point behind them. First, they looked confused at what she was pointing at. Then Anya watched their eyes widen as they finally noticed the shadow covering them. Hide and On Ji turned to look behind them.
"Eeeep!" "Gaaahhh!"
Hide and On Ji jumped back, joining Anya as all three of them pressed their backs against the wall, and clung to each other.
"Are these..." the red-haired painted girl asked while looking at them, and the scary giant nodded his bone face.
"Students. Looks like our infiltration was not necessary." the giant said to the painted ladies. "This place is a school and not a fortified compound as I initially suspected. It is built like one though- must have been a fort or a Fire Noble's estate at one point."
The white-faced pouted their red lips.
"Awww... and I was looking forward to scaling a cliff face to infiltrate a fort! Just like in the books!"
"Yeah, we'd grab people off ledges and send them tumbling down."
"Then we'd sneak around in the shadows, slitting the guards' throats."
"Listen to the main bad guy monologue before we have a katana duel under the setting sun."
"Then we make our getaway while the whole compound explodes in a big fireball behind us!"
"So, a school? Lame."
"You've been saying that since we were five, Suki."
"Then you know I'm Kyoshi Island's foremost expert in not liking school. Let's just go find the girl."
"No need." the giant said, his boney-face looking straight at Anya, "We found who we're looking for."
"Wait, that's it?! Mission complete? But we didn't even see combat!" the 'Suki' girl pouted, kicking a rock over the cliff's edge, "Ugh... We're never going to get a chance to set a new high score."
Realising that they were just people and not evil ghosts, Hide was the first to open his mouth.
"S-stay back, barbarian!" He cried out. "My father's an officer of the Fire Nation!"
"Settle down. I'm also Fire Nation as you can see from the armour." the giant said with a sigh, his finger making metal clinking sounds as he tapped his red metal armour. Anya blinked at that. If someone was 'Fire Nation,' then that meant they were the good guys who were fighting the earthbending bad guys across the sea, right?
"Oh..." Hide stood, clearing his throat and tilting his chin up, "Name and rank, soldier? My father's the Captain of the coast guard and he will be hearing about this!"
"Commander Khan of the 3rd Army's 41st Division."
Hide almost tripped over his own feet while standing still.
"What's a commander doing way out here?!" he shouted like he was in big trouble. Meanwhile, Anya's eyes sparkled as she looked at the giant. So, he's not just a good guy?! He's a good guy big boss?! Waku Waku...
"Standard resupply on our way to the Imperial Capital, but also..." The giant glanced at his pale-looking lady friends, "Kyoshi Warriors, secure the boy for our march back to port."
"W-what did I do?!" Hide shouted as the painted ladies tied his hands behind his back, and his ankles together just loose enough that he could walk.
"The captain of the coast guard, who coincidentally is also your father, has been incriminated by letters found on the flagship of a pirate fleet. They say that it was through his cooperation that allowed the pirates to attack my ship. Your entire estate is currently being investigated by my troops and your local government officials."
Anya's eyes flew wide open. She knew it! Hide and his father were bad guys all along! Maybe they were even earthbenders!
The boney-faced giant looked back at the white-faced girls. "You should take him away before 'she' gets here and discovers what he did to Anya here."
"Yeah..." They nodded with a wince, "I think that's the right call to make. We'll see you at port."
"How... how do you know Anya's name?" Anya asked the giant just as the painted ladies walked off with Hide and On Jin, leaving Anya with him.
"Because..." He began with a gentle voice as knelt down on one knee in front of her. Still taller than her, but it didn't hurt her neck to look up at him. "... we've been helping your mother look for you for a while now, Anya."
Her entire world froze. "Mama... she's here?"
"Yes, your mother has been looking long and hard for you. We've been helping her."
"She's really, really here?"
She... she couldn't believe it. She tried to focus her power on him and find out if it was real. But for some reason, his thoughts were harder to hear. Maybe it was the helmet?
"Yes, really." He nodded, holding out his huge metal arm to point to town, "See that big ship at the docks? Your mother and I were on that just a while ago. She's with my... friend June, and they're riding a big animal called a shirshu that's looking for you. But we found you first by accident, so we'll keep you safe until she arrives. Speaking of which, we should get that cut on your forehead looked at before your mother..."
~ ... Kills everyone on the island out of revenge like the maniac that she is. ~
"... gets upset over you getting hurt."
Anya laughed and cried at the same time. That does sound like her mama! And she couldn't help it, but her laugh turned into sob as she realised that... that her mama did come back for her! She jumped forward, wrapping her arms as wide as she could around the giant's chest and pressing her face into the warm metal as she sniffled. A giant brought her mama home!
The Fire Nation really were the good guys! Just like Fire Lord Ozzy said in their books!
"It's alright. Let me help clean you up for your reunion with your mother." The giant patted a hanky to her cheek, wiping tears away then cleaned her forehead. It stung a bit at first, but then it didn't and he pressed something that stuck to her head. "Bandaid on... Here, drink this sweet berry mix. It's a [Fine] (Small Health Tonic) and it'll help make that cut feel better by the time we get to your mother."
He pressed a thin glass tube filled with red juice into her hands.
"O-okay." Anya sniffled before drinking from the tube and wiping her mouth with her sleeve. The juice was actually pretty sweet and yummy. Seeing her drink it all, the nice metal giant nodded his bone face then punched the air above him with his huge arm. A big orange fireball flew high into the blue sky.
"There. Your mother should be here any minute now." He said softly, and Anya felt her heart beat fast in her chest. Suddenly, she was feeling worried. Does her Mama still remember her? Anya bit her lip and fidgeted her hands, feeling more than a bit scared now. She missed her so much, but being away for so long... she was worried if her mama still cared. What if she found another daughter? What if she was just going to go away-
"A-anya?" A painfully familiar voice called out behind her, and Anya turned around. There standing at the corner was a grown-up woman in a black dress and with shiny gold flowers in her hair, her red eyes staring directly at Anya.
"M-mama?" Anya choked out, but before she could even say anything more, she found herself swept up in familiar arms and in a familiar warmth. Even the metally smell in her black hair was familiar.
"Anya!" She cried onto the top of Anya's head, and Anya couldn't keep herself from crying either. The weight and hurt of all those months without her bubbling up all at once.
"MAMA! Mama... she really came back for Anya!" Anya's voice broke as she buried her face into her mama's chest, her eyes tearing up again. "Mama didn't forget me! You came back... You came back!"
"Mama loves you, Anya." her mother whispered, just like she did whenever she used to tuck her into bed, as she hugged her tighter. Just a bit too tight. Anya felt it getting tougher to breathe, but even that was a feeling she missed. She smiled, "Mama, you're hugging Anya too tight again... just like you always do."
"Mama's sorry..." she hiccuped with a small laugh, "... she doesn't know her own strength."
Anya just clung to her tighter, never wanting to let go. Never wanting to lose her ever again.
I stood at a distance to give them some measure of privacy.
It was touching seeing the mother and daughter reunite; Yor with tears streaming down her cheeks as she cradled her daughter that she had been separated for so long. And from the way the little pink-haired child clung to her as well, I believed that those emotions that Yor was showing were truly genuine- that at the end of the day, and despite her bottomless lust for blood, she did truly care for her daughter...
For reuniting her with her daughter...
{Yor Briar} Reputation : 57 - 87
... And that's not just me hoping that she likes me enough not to turn against me once this reunion is finished. Was I confident enough with my Reputation with her to feel completely safe? No at all, but it was at least less likely now. I handled her once, but I had been one bad hit away from dying.
As these thoughts occupied my mind, heavy footfalls of a large animal resounded on the dirt road right and stopped right behind me. I didn't bother turning around as a big red snout of a shirshu affectionately sniffed my shoulder with a huff.
"Hello, Nyla. June." I greeted with a chuckle as I held out a bit of jerky for the massive shirshu to snack on.
"Spirits, can that assassin run." June's laidback voice commented as she looked at the tender scene a short distance away "So, that's the Thorn Princess' daughter... I'll be honest- I didn't think she was real. Doesn't look anything like her mother either."
"I believe she's adopted."
"Whatever floats her boat. I'm just glad that this is over." She shrugged her slender shoulders, "Being stuck on a ship with an anxious Thorn Princess has got to be one of the tensest things I've ever experienced yet. The fact that- just yesterday- she cleared an entire Fire Nation by herself didn't help."
"Speaking of which..." I glanced at the bounty hunting goth girl in the dark red riding leathers. Bunned at the back with her skull hair tie, her long, dark hair fell in loose waves around her shoulders and framed her regal face- A face that quirked into an expression of surprise as I pulled out that small blue chest of gold from my bag of tools that I had taken with me and handed the chest to her. "...You did a splendid job, June. A deal's a deal. Your pay and a bonus for a job well done."
For proving that you're willing to uphold your end of the deal...
{June} Reputation : 65 - 85
{June} Obedience : 50 - 70
+ R +
"You were carrying this around with you?" June whispered as she traced her fingers over the blue chest, her black-painted fingernails contrasting with the brass gildings. She opened the lid, and lustrous golden light reflected on her face.
My armoured shoulders clinked as I shrugged, "I was prepared for a possible hostage situation and there was a chance that we needed to pay ransom right here and now. I have more than enough back on the ship anyway."
And by 'ship,' I meant 'My Inventory.' I had 2-3 full-sized chests filled with yuan baos for the division's use.
Reputation check succeeded!
90/75 Reputation Required with {June}
June handed the chest back to me.
"... Is there a particular reason why you're declining your pay?"
"Not declining payment, just deferring it." She chuckled, "What am I even supposed to spend the gold on in this little Fire Nation port town? Fresh fish? Nah... I think I'll hitch a ride with the best Fire Nation Division as they make their way to the Imperial Capital instead. So, keep my gold safe until we get there, Khan; you're not getting rid of me that easily."
I opened my mouth to try and refute her, but then I realised something: I had every reason to keep June around. I wanted to kick myself for my short-sightedness. Of course, I wanted to max out her reputation! The [As One!] perk from maxing out reputation with Suki & the Kyoshi Warriors has proven to be indispensable- saving my and their asses several times in combat, not to mention the innumerable number of times it has made things convenient. I can only imagine what June's max reputation perk would do.
So, regaining my composure, I met her teasing head on- looking in her piercing coal black eyes that were decorated in her signature dark, smokey eyeshadow.
"Good, because I didn't want you leaving my side so soon." I said to her, and June almost fell out of her saddle as she jumped in surprise.
"Awww... Careful, Khan." she teased- regaining her composure, "Talk like that will make people think that you care about me."
The goth girl was putting up that wall of wit and snark to hide her own embarrassment again. But her suddenly timid body language and her heavy blush told a very different story. She was vulnerable, and I immediately went for the decisive blow. Lifting up my helmet, I leaned in to kiss the still off-balance June, and her supple body immediately melted onto me.
For making her feel things she hasn't felt before...
{June} Reputation : 85 - 89
{June} Obedience : 70 - 74
+ R +
So close... but in the middle of our stolen moment, I remember yet another reason to keep her around.
"You also still owe me an interview." I murmured into the kiss.
"Mmmm~ I'm open for an 'interview' anytime you want, big guy." She breathed back, still trying to talk tough. But from her sultry tone, sly smile and how her coal black eyes were hooded, it was clear she was promising something entirely different than a completed book. Then Nyla huffed loudly and June pouted her lips at the interruption, "Wait, it looks like someone's coming."
Sure enough, the Lieutenant came walking up the hill with her crimson red armour and feathered face-concealing helmet. June clicked her tongue.
"I'll just be back at the ship when you want to continue that interview, Khan." She smirked to me before trotting off on Nyla. And as she passed by the lieutenant, I heard her say, "This is the second time you've had amazing timing, Miss Lieutenant. But be careful, if you keep blue-balling your commander, who knows what he'll do to you? Hahaha!"
And with those parting words and a crack of her whip, Nyla galloped off with June back to port.
"Just ignore her, Lieutenant." I just shook my head, unable to keep the smile off my face at June's teasing as I walked up to the Lieutenant who was carrying some papers in her hands. I raised an interested eyebrow, "Did you find something of note?"
But instead of replying, she stared up at me as she murmured, "... Ah, it's not fair when you smile like that... "
"Lieutenant, y-" I stopped myself when I realised that my voice lacked the familiar reverberation of my helmet. Promptly putting it on, I continued, "You have something to report?"
She seemed to blink awake from her daydream.
"C-c-commander, sir!" She immediately stammered out, her armoured hand slamming into her helmet's brow with a loud clang as she saluted, "My apol- I was distracted by your sm- I mean! You just have a nice- No! I mean... Uh... THE THING IS DONE, SIR!"
"You mean the investigation into who was behind the pirate attack?"
"Y-yes, sir!" The lieutenant nodded eagerly as she regained her composure, "We finished searching the captain's office, but we didn't find any written evidence of him orchestrating the attack on us. But we did, however, find that he was extorting passing merchant ships with fabricated tariffs. We... haven't notified the local officials of this discovery yet since I thought it was prudent to inform you first."
I accepted the papers from her and skimmed through it.
"Good call, lieutenant." I nodded, "These will help with convincing the local officials to enter into a mutually beneficial trade arrangement with us. Once our newly acquired junks make contact with Yu Dao in the north, we can establish a clear supply route to the North Pole weeks ahead of the siege."
"But who are we supplying there, sir? Do we have Fire Nation troops stationed on the North Pole already?"
"Not Fire Nation, but friends. You see, Lieutenant, we-"
I paused as the sound of footsteps light shuffling on the dirt road resounded behind me, followed by a suspicious voice.
"Khan?"
Turning around, I saw Yor approach, cradling with a sleeping Anya in her arms. Her graceful brows furrowed in suspicion as she traced a finger over the bandaid on her daughter's forehead. My heart beated fast and my hand twitched towards my weapon. I knew she'd notice eventually, and that she'd want answers. And as if on cue, her voice broke the silence, filled with concern. "Khan? Do you know what's this on Anya's forehead?"
"Don't worry about it." I calmly reassured her, not wanting her to go ballistic, "It was a small cut, barely breaking the skin. I gave her some medicine. It won't even leave a mark by this time tomorrow."
Her frown deepened with the frown of someone who wasn't buying what I was selling. Normally, I could hide how I was feeling to her; but apparently, Yor's maternal instincts made her inhumanly perceptive when it came to her child's safety...
"Khan, did someone... hurt her?" She hit the nail on the head. Her blood-red eyes gained an almost luminous intensity, and the rising omen of an imminent slaughter seemed to loom over us.
"Well..." I hesitated, the Lieutenant and I sharing a nervous glance before I spilled the beans to Yor. I told her what I heard while climbing up that cliff, what I saw when I encountered Anya and Hide, and what I suspected had happened. And with every word, the intensity of Yor's displeasure seemed to grow, her jaw clenched tightly and the air itself seemed to prickle with needles of pure malice. By the time I finished my account, I knew that there was hell to pay, because for the first time since I've known her...
... I saw Yor Briar get truly, terrifyingly angry.
(A few hours later) [Toujin Town Hall]
"All this... Because of all the little girls he could have bullied, he had to pick Anya." I muttered under my breath, holding back a deep sigh of frustration.
What should have been a quiet under-the-table deal with the local government had turned into a circus for the local old-fart officials to jockey for influence.
I stood in the crowded interior forum of the Town hall, a modest little stadium with cream-coloured walls and columns decorated with red paint and gilded with polished brass. It was also replete with bleachers to fit the entire town. And apparently, this was one of those times when the entire town did indeed attend. Yes, a bloated local government composing of the official's spouses, cousins, and second cousins- all holding do-nothing jobs. Their murmuring filled the background as they sat there gawking at my armoured frame towering at the centre of the hall with Yor and local government's representative who was speaking.
Wrinkled from age and with great pointed sideburns and a moustache like a koi fish's whiskers, the headmasters spoke with a dignified voice to the watching crowd, "... in conclusion, the council of Toujin Town has unanimously agreed that the captain is guilty on charges of graft and corruption and piracy, with piracy meriting the most severe punishment. Execution by hanging is custom for pirates, but after a period of... discussions with Commander Khan, the officials have chosen to defer the method of execution to him."
Finishing his speech, the bearded old man bowed to me- in deference to the man who was about to line his pockets with gold.
At first, I was surprised by that. Of all the people the local government could have chosen to represent them, they chose the headmaster of Toujin Town's local academy. But then I realised that despite being on the council to ostensibly 'represent the safety and interests of the students,' he clearly had a lot of personal influence apart from that. Couldn't throw a rock in this place without it landing on a property he partially owned. He was the one who I had to carefully negotiate with if I were to get what I wanted to get a headstart on that North Pole plan.
Yor, however, cared none for that. She wanted that boy's still-beating heart on a silver platter.
"And the boy?" she asked- taking a step towards the headmaster. "The one who actually hurt my Anya?"
The headmaster flinched, he had been around long enough to know who she was and what she could do. To him. To this entire town.
It took a lot of reassurance and a bit of grappling to even get Yor into these talks. My armour was still dented in places trying to keep her from going on a rampage. We couldn't even let the girl sleep on the ship, we had to carry a bed into one of the offices. My eyes glanced over to the far side of the town hall where a nondescript red door was being guarded by no less than ten of my {Fire Nation Raiders}, with more mixed into the crowd, patrolling the halls and guarding the exterior. Excessive, but it was what was required to calm Yor down.
But that didn't mean that she was happy. Even now, Yor didn't look at all, her pale slender hands curled in angry fists at the sides of her black dress, and her blood-red eyes staring with murderous intensity at the headmaster.
"W-we'll have Hide sent to 'reform school,' ma'am!" He said with a scared smile, "And by that, I mean the coal mines, he'll have many years of hard labour ahead of him. Surely, that's more than enough time to make him reflect upon his grave mistreatment of your daughter and make him suitably repentant!"
"Not good enough." Yor judged before facing me, "Khan? As Anya's mother, will you let me personally handle both their executions?"
Something told me that she wasn't asking.
"Miss Anya is awake, sir!" one of my {Fire Nation Raiders} called out. The little pink-haired six-year-old peeking through the crack in the door of her office-turned-bedroom. Seeing that she was spotted, she stepped out of the room, and every pair of eyes immediately homed in on her. The murmurs of the crowd
"Anya!" Her mama immediately rushed over, swept her in a hug and brought her here.
"Mama... what's happening?" She murmured into her mama's shoulder, her black hair tickling her nose.
"Oh, it's nothing," Mama replied, a smile tugging at her lips. Her blood-red eyes briefly darted toward the nervous headmaster. "Mama is merely ensuring that the mean boy who bullied you receives the just consequences he deserves."
We all watched as beads of sweat slid down the side of the old headmaster's face, but then, a bright idea struck me.
"... I think Anya would be better to make the decision since she's the injured party." I gently told Yor and the old headmaster just nodded eagerly, his grey beard swaying.
"Yes, that's a brilliant idea!" He eagerly jumped to support my idea, he smiled at the child in question, "Go on, Miss Anya. Tell everyone what you think is enough punishment for Hide for mistreating you."
"Um..." Anya wrung her tiny hands in nervousness, looking unsure. Her bright green eyes looked up at me, her brows furrowed in a look of deep concentration as she decided the boy's fate. I wasn't worried. Anya looked to be a gentle child. And with how much Yor seems to dote on her, she won't be able to refuse her. A child her age is likely going to make him stand in the corner with a funny hat that says 'stupid' or something.
But, as if hearing my thoughts and was unsatisfied with the suggestion, Anya suddenly frowned before looking at the crowd- back to the Lieutenant and the group of {Fire Nation Raiders} who had been guarding her door.
A look of realisation or maybe inspiration lit her face. Her little voice spoke up, "Anya says-"
Everyone leaned in to hear what she had to say and she seemed to be struck by a flash of stage fright.
"A-Anya says... uh..." the six-year-old girl stumbled on her words before inhaling and...
"Burn him at the stake! Then feed his stake to the ostrich-horseys! Yeah!"
The entire building fell silent in shock, so silent that you could hear a pin drop. Even I felt my jaw drop under my helmet.
And all the while, Anyal just grinned, extremely pleased with herself.
I can fully understand wanting to roast your enemies, but she was six! Six! Her arms have only recently been long enough to wipe her own bottom, so now she decided that the next step in her development was burning people at the stake and feeding them to the ostrich-horses? ... What? Why the hell was a six-year-old little girl taking pages from a Fire Nation Warlord's playbook? Where did she even hear that? What kind of household do you even go about turning a very young child into such a murderous, bloodthirsty-
I glanced over to Yor.
Yor, don't give her a double thumbs up, and don't look so proud of the mini-me psychopath that you've spawned. The little pink-haired devil looked up at me, smiled wide and gave me a thumbs up too.
Anya's just like her mother.
"Yeah! Burn him at his stake! Till it's black and crunchy!" Anya's little voice proudly shouted for everyone to hear.
At those words, her mother began quietly crying tears of pride, while everyone else recoiled in horror. All the while, Anya had the brightest and happiest smile on her face as she sentenced a classmate to be burned alive and have his corpse fed to the ostrich-horses.
One shudders to imagine what inhuman thoughts lie behind that smile. What dreams of chronic and sustained cruelty.
(Three minutes ago)
"Mnya..." Anya woke up with a yawn.
Sitting up on a bed that she could recognise wasn't hers, she rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked around the room- it looked like a teacher's office with the desk and all the scrolls, but someone put a comfy bed in the middle of the carpeted floor.
"Mama?" She called out, but no one seemed to hear her. She did hear that there was a muffled murmur of a crowd behind the door to her 'room.'
Putting on her shoes that were neatly left by the bed, Anya tiptoed to the door and pulled it open just the tiniest bit, enough to peek through the crack. The inside was a wide, open space almost as big as the school courtyard. It looked like the inside of that big official-looking building in town where all the wrinkly old people told people what to do. It was also packed full of people: the nice 'Khanmander' guy was standing in the centre- so tall she was the first person she noticed over everyone else, Fire Nation soldiers in cool red armour with feathers on their helmets and swords, the wrinkly old people who were the boss of the village, and her mama was there too- talking with the grumpy headmaster of Anya's school!
But... she didn't look too happy, staring really intensely at the headmaster.
"Not good enough."
Uh oh... Anya recognised her mama's angry voice.
"Khan? As her mother, will you let me personally handle both their executions?" her mama said to Khan. But Anya got the feeling that she wasn't really asking.
"Anya is awake," someone called out, and all attention shifted to her.
"Anya!" Her mama immediately rushed over and swept her in a hug.
"Mama... what's happening?" She murmured into her mama's shoulder, her black hair tickling her nose.
"Oh, it's nothing," Mama replied, a smile tugging at her lips. Her blood-red eyes briefly darted toward the nervous headmaster. "Mama is merely ensuring that the mean boy who bullied you receives the just consequences he deserves."
Anya watched as beads of sweat slid down the side of the old headmaster's face, but then the Khanmander spoke up.
"... I think Anya would be better to make the decision since she's the injured party." his rumbly voice said, and the old headmaster just nodded eagerly, grey beard swaying.
"Yes, that's a brilliant idea!" the normally-mean headmaster declared before smiling at her, "Go on, Lady Anya. Tell everyone what you think is enough punishment for Hide for mistreating you."
Feeling nervous with everyone's attention on her, Anya concentrated her power on Khan to try and hear what she's supposed to say. The old headmaster's thoughts were the first ones she heard.
~ A brilliant move, Commander Khan! Anya has been known to be a gentle child. She just might give a lighter sentence than reform school. And her fearsome mother will be forced to accept whatever her daughter says. Everyone wins! ~
Anya frowned. She didn't want Hide to get away! Her head wasn't hurting anymore, but she still wanted him to stop being so mean. The wrinkly beardmaster didn't have an actual answer; so, she looked over to Khan and focused.
~ ... A child her age is likely going to make him stand in the corner with a funny hat that says 'stupid' or something... ~
She frowned some more. She was almost six- she wasn't a baby anymore! Okay, maybe she was thinking of making Hide stand in the corner with a funny hat, but now that he thought about it? She wasn't going to do that anymore! She was going to do something more grown up like that 'Secutution' thing they said. Anya turned her mind's ear to the feather-headed people who worked for Khan and listened to their thoughts.
~ She's so small. It's hard to believe she's Khan's daughter. She might have him burned at the steak. Captain Tuan Style. ~
~ Let's hope she doesn't let her mother do it. I've seen the wounds that killed those pirates, having Yor perform the execution... it's going to get gruesome. ~
~ The Khan is leaving the sentence to his daughter? I'm not sure if he's being merciful or cruel... ~
~ I wonder what our daughter would look like- No! Bad Lieutenant! But he has such a nice eye colour... Mmm... ~
~ If this kid is anything like her parents, she'll have him burned at the steak like Captain Tuan. That was a night to never forget... ~
~ Well, sucks to be that kid. She's going to burn him at the steak then fed to the Ostrich-horses. ~
'Burn him at his steak?' Anya thought to herself. That phrase kept coming up, but she didn't know what that meant! What did steak have to do with making sure Hide is never mean aga- Oh.
Her green eyes widened as she realised what it meant. She got it now!
++ A ++
Standing tall on the platform, just like her papa, Anya faced a crowd of important people in the big courtyard. Flames danced and crackled nearby, making shadows dance on everyone's faces. She could smell the delicious steak sizzling on the grill, making her tummy rumble.
Taking charge, Anya stepped forward and pointed her finger at the Hide, who looked really scared tied up on a chair.
"Listen, everyone! This big bully, who made people feel bad, is gonna get what he deserves. With papa's firebendy powers, we will make his steak all burned up, right before his eyes!"
"Noooo! That's my komodo-rhino steak!" he shouted as the soldiers took out the big juicy slab of red meat and placed it on the grill. The juicy sizzle loud and clear for everyone to hear, even Anya was getting a bit hungry.
The crowd looked at each other, confused but curious. Anya's voice explained her justice above the crackling grill fire.
"The bully will have to watch, tied up and unable to eat, as his steak gets destroyed! His steak, juicy and tasty at first, will turn black and sad in the fire. The flames will lick and lick, until it's all dried up and ruined. No more yummy flavours, just a sad, crunchy piece of meat! Then when it's all gross and burnt no one else would want to eat it, we're going to feed it to the ostrich-horseys so that even when gross, the bully won't even get to taste it! This will teach him a lesson to not be mean! Not be an earthbender!"
And true enough, Hide's steak started turning black and the smell of burnt steak began to spread.
"Stop! It's already black!" Hide cried out, "You're burning it! It's super yucky now!"
"Keep cooking, feather-heads!" Anya tried to say tough like her papa, and she watched Hide's crying face as the soldiers kept on cooking his komodo-rhino steak on the grill.
"I'm sorry, Anya! I won't ever be mean to you or anyone else ever again! And I won't be an evil earthbender anymore!" He pleaded as papa's feather-heads took the super burnt steak and tossed it to the ostrich-horseys. "No! Don't feed it to the ostrich-horses!"
The big cute feathery animals just gobbled it up. And Anya nodded, the steak was so gross and burnt no one else would want to eat it. But it still
"That's my steak! Nooooo!" Hide shouted again.
Anya's words floated through the air, mixing giggles and wonder among the listeners. Unfazed, she kept going, lost in her own make-believe world.
++ A ++
"Anya says-"
A hundred eyes stared straight at her; and she froze up, unable to make the words that she had thought of come out.
"A-Anya says... uh..." She stumbled on her words, the shorter version should be enough. "Uh... Burn him at the steak! Then feed his steak to the ostrich-horseys! Yeah!"
Everyone was so quiet, and they were making funny faces like they were so surprised. That must mean that she had the right answer! Anya just beamed at her mama who smiled back and even gave her a double thumbs up! Yes, it was definitely the right answer! She smiled up at the Khanmander and gave him a thumbs up too!
~ ... Anya's just like her mother... ~
Hearing her Khanmander's thoughts, Anya felt her cheeks warm up... he thinks that she's just like her mama? That was the nicest thing anyone has ever thought about her! Feeling braver now that she had the right answer. Anya shouted it for everyone to hear!
"Yeah! Burn him at the steak! Till it's black and crunchy!"
Everyone was still quiet, and Anya felt so happy. She was so right that everyone was listening to what she was saying!
~ There is no doubt that Khan is her father... ~
~ She really is her father's daughter! ~
She found it funny that people thought that Khanmander was her papa.
"Oh Anya, I'm so proud of you..." Her mama cried, but Anya knew it was a good cry! She wiped her eyes as she turned to face Khanmander and said, "Well, Khan... You heard her. Burn him at the steak. It's already much more merciful than what I was going to do. In fact... As the mother of the victim, you should let me do it. Now... Someone kindly get me a steak for the boy who hurt my Anya."
"Uh, Miss Yor, with all due respect, the punishment does not fit the cri-"
"Did I stutter?"
The headmaster squeaked as he hid behind Khan.
"Calm down, Yor..." Khan said to her before looking over to the other wrinklies sitting to the side, "Does the council agree with this sentence?"
Her mama's scary face made all the old people nod their heads.
"It's settled!" her mama said with a clap and a big smile. "Do you hear that, Anya?! We're going to burn that mean boy at the steak!"
"Yay!" She cheered as well, excited to see Hide get punished with his steak. But then her tummy rumbled loudly, and she looked up to her mama. "I haven't eaten lunch yet. Can we eat before we burn Hide at the steak?"
Her mama broke into a happy smile as she took her hand, "Okay, let's walk around town and look for a restau-"
"No, you've ruined enough plans!" the headmaster shouted, only to realise what he just said. "I mean..."
His eyes looked over to Khan who just sighed.
"I'll see what I can do." his voice rumbled before he looked over to the feather-head lady, "Lieutenant, did you notice a dining room in their layout here?"
"Yes, sir." Anya heard Lou Teni say back, "It's on the second floor, to the rear of the building. Really posh, looks like it's for hosting occasional dignitaries from the Imperial Capital."
Khan nodded his bone-face helmet to Anya's mama. "Yor, please stay here with Anya while I get the best cook in the division to prepare you lunch. We have exotic spices and ingredients from the Earth Kingdom. I'm sure Anya here will love to try something new."
"Mmm..." Her mama held her hand. "Well, I don't think I've ever had cooking as good as yours... okay!"
Khan was a firebender and he can cook too?! Waku waku... Then she remembered something important, Anya raised her hand as if in class.
"Oh, Oh! Anya likes peanuts!" She announced before adding, "And steak!"
"...I'll make a note. Meanwhile, Lieutenant, have the 2nd squad prepare two pyres." Khan said. And Miss Lou Teni just looked at Anya's mother and back at Khan.
"But sir, really? He's just a stupid kid, I don't think he deserves-"
"I'm not interested in trading 41st Division lives just to save one boy who was too stupid and unfortunate to live. We have bigger, and far more important things in this war to possibly die over than one kid who took things too far while high on his daddy's power. Unless... one of you thinks that they can take on Yor?"
They took one look at Anya's mother before very politely saying, "Lady Yor, ma'am? The dining room is this way. The 2nd squad will have the execution site ready momentarily. "
"Wuh? The Khanmander can cook?!" Anya said in surprise.
"Yes, after someone tried to poison me, I don't trust anyone else to prepare my food. So, you can be sure that it's safe."
"Can I have a lot of peanuts?" Anya asked, and he gave a bark of laughter.
"As much as you want... or at least as much as your mother will allow. I'll go prepare it now. The Lieutenant here will serve your food."
"Sir... they didn't teach us how to wait tables at bootcamp."
"Just help carry food from the kitchen to their table, Lieutenant."
"Yay!" Anya cheered as Khan walked off, most likely to the kitchen. She thought he was so nice. Maybe he was going to be her papa? Her mama looked like she liked him too. He seems to know exactly what to say or do to calm her down. And he can cook; so, they don't have to always go out to eat anymore! And it'd be so cool having a Firebender hero as a papa! He must have beat up a thousand earthbender bad guys! Maybe all at once like Fire Lord Ozzy did!
The nice feather-head lady led them to the dining room. Anya had never seen so much shiny gold attached to red walls! A pretty view of the blue sea stretching out from the big windows. Another feather-head came by with some sweet berry tea.
Anya looked up from her tea cup and murmured, "Khan is really nice..."
"He really is!" her mama smiled as well.
"... Is he going to be my new papa?"
Her mama spit out her tea onto the white tablecloth, coughing as her cheeks turned cherry red. "Anya! You can't just say that!"
~ ... But what makes Anya say that?! Is it obvious that I think he's a good man? ~
Anya nodded, smiling like that time she had all the answers to the history exam. "Anya thinks mama likes him because mama looks at him funny. I has seen it before- it's the look that other mamas make when a muscly sailor man passes by! And they say weird things like wanting to climb onto his mast thingie and-"
"Look, Anya!" Her mama interrupted, face glowing red from the blush, and held up something, "Mama got you a plushie! An ostrich-horse!"
Anya immediately forgot everything she wanted to say as she laid eyes on the toy. It had a brown fluffy body, long white tail, cute ears and a bright yellow beakie. Just big enough for her to wrap her arms around it. And it was the cutest toy ever!
"Uwah! It's so cute!" Anya giggled as she pressed her face into its side, "And shhoooo soft! It's almost like Anya's hands are going to sink into it!"
"Yes, Khan made it himself." Her mama said with a smile, and Anya froze.
"Khan can make toys?" She breathed, her green eyes wide in wonder. She never thought that was possible! She always thought toys were something that appeared in the backrooms of toy stores. Maybe some kind of secret tunnel to the Toy Dimension™ that only strong or clever grown-ups like mama could go to. For someone to be able to make them... The potential was limitless! Khan was already a big and strong firebender boss that scares bullies like Hide; and he was really nice to her and even brought her mama back! But now that she finds out that he can make toys?! Out of thin air?! Like the Fire Lord?!
Anya looked at her mother with a serious expression and vowed. "Anya has made her decision: Khan is gonna be my new Papa!"
"Eh?! Anya, you can't just decide that!" Her mama refused as her face turned really red. "Besides, I don't know the first thing to- um..."
Her mama's red eyes looked down, and Anya didn't need to hear her mind to know that her mama wasn't sure how to make Khan her papa.
"Anya will help Mama!" she reassured. All she has to do is get her Mama to climb up on Khan's mast thingie and that'll make him her papa! ... She thinks? Maybe she'll figure it out after she finds out what a 'mast' is.
There was a knock on the door, and Lou Teni stuck her feathered helmet in. "Lady Yor? The pyres are ready."
"Ah, thank you, Lieutenant!" Her mama stood up and smiled back at her. "Anya, do you want to come with me and burn Hide at the steak, or do you want to wait for the food?"
"I want peanuts," Anya replied with a sure nod. As if there was any question! As long as Hide learns his lesson, she's happy. And thankfully, she didn't have to wait long for her food.
Khan came along, his big metal armour clinking under an apron and carrying a couple of steaming bowls filled with a peanuty smell, and a sizzling plate of meat that made her mouth water. He set them all down in front of her. "Here, a prime cut of komodo-rhino steak and some peanuts. I don't know how you usually eat yours, so I prepared them three ways: stewed, boiled, and fried."
Anya felt her jaw drop as she looked at the bowls of peanuts. There were other ways to eat peanuts?! Maybe Khan WAS the Fire Lord?! Because only the Fire Lord was supposed to be super smart and have secret knowledge! All the books and scrolls in class said so!
Before she could stop herself, she was muttering up to him, "... Can you be my papa?"
"What?"
"Um, Khan, what's a mast?" Anya tried again.
"It's the tall posts on a sailboat that holds up the sails," he explained. "Why do you ask?"
"Can Mama climb to the top of it?"
"I'm sure she can." Khan considered. "People often climb masts, especially when they want to spot something from far away at sea, and considering that your mother is stronger and more agile than most so it shouldn't be a problem for her... Our junk ships have masts, do you want her to fly you a flag on top of one?"
"Uh... Anya doesn't know?" Anya pouted. He said yes to having her mama climb his mast. That should make him her papa now, right? But it didn't feel like it did, and she didn't know why! But it held the secret to making Khan her papa; so, she can't give up now! Mission failed. For now. Maybe she had to make mama want to climb onto his mast? Grown ups were weird...
"... Miss Anya?" The nice Lou Teni called out to her as she walked in, "Your mother is currently attending to Hide's punishment, it might get... loud and pungent. Would you like for me to close the windows?"
Anya glanced at the open windows, catching a whiff of burning wood wafting in. Her eyes widened as she realised what she was smelling and she smiled big at the two grown-ups. "No, it's fine, Anya kinda likes the smell!"
"You... do...?" Khan asked, sounding unsure.
Anya briefly glanced at the window, and nodded with a satisfied smile as she continued eating her steak. "Yep! Anya will never forget this smell, because it's the best day in Anya's life!"
"It is...?" Lou Teni asked as if she couldn't believe her.
~ So, this is what it means to be the Thorn Princess' daughter... ~
~ ... Anya's already like her mother while she's this young... ~
"Yep!" Anya just smiled up at them with her biggest and brightest smile. Of course it was the best day of her life! Her mama returned to take her on a tour around the world. And she was going to get the coolest new papa who can cook, take care of her ouchies and make her all the toys she could ever want. But now it was made even better when, like the cherry on top of an ash-banana shake, the smell of burnt steak filled the air, along with Hide's loud crying and screaming.
Anya just closed her eyes and smiled as she listened to it like music. She explained to them, "With his steak burned and fed to the ostrich-horsey, Hide is never going to be mean to anyone ever again!"
The burnt smell grew stronger; and with an even bigger smile, Anya excitedly added.
"Maybe even for the rest of his life!"
(A few days Later) [Harbour City, Imperial Capital]
Storm clouds darkened the sky overhead, heralding a terrible storm.
Royalty should never be kept waiting by their subjects.
Those that dared to do so often found themselves at the receiving end of their liege lord's displeasure, their titles and lands stripped from them and granted to their more punctual peers. So imagine Azula's delight when the good commander arrived ahead of schedule, ready to serve her at her leisure.
"Oh, if only all of the Fire Lord's subjects were so eager to serve!" Princess Azula mused with a satisfied smile, her amber eyes shining with a glint of anticipation. She lounged in her red velvet-lined palanquin, carried as it was by a dozen strong men and escorted by twice more in number by Imperial Firebenders. Less for her protection and more as a statement of her authority as they went their way- Off to greet the newly arrived Commander Khan and his 41st Division, still fresh from stealing the glory of conquering Omashu from her and making her look like a Zuko in front of her father.
A devious smile played upon her deftly-painted red lips.
Oh, she definitely hasn't forgotten about that grievous slight against her, and she will certainly have her pound of flesh from the commander all in good time. But for now, her royal procession moved at a leisurely pace through the cobblestone streets of Harbour City.
Her elderly royal advisors, the twins Lo and Li, seemed to disagree with the unhurried pace they set. Sitting on velvet cushions, they spoke, their aged voices alternating.
"In the commander's wake, alliances form, and fortunes bloom."
"To hasten and to scheme, for standing still is to face doom."
"So, you must move swift and you must move sly..."
"... For others will not let such good fortunes lie."
Azula only needed a moment of thought to decipher the advice hidden in her advisors' rhyming couplet... and she promptly snorted in derision, "I'm the crown princess. It doesn't matter if other Fire Nation nobles meet with him first. Let them rush ahead to the port and fawn over him for all I care, it won't affect my designs for him one bit. Besides, what do you expect me to do? Hurry over to him like some swooning maiden greeting her lover as he returns victorious from the war? I have a reputation to uphold! No. We'll take our time and command all the attention when we do arrive fashionably late."
Azula peered up for a moment to appraise the buntings- those ropes with little triangular flags- as they criss-crossed over the city streets in between the white and red of Harbour City's buildings. Some saw them as mere decorations for the Great War Commemorations, but the truth of the matter was that they marked these roads as hers. They were symbols of how far her influence had stretched from the royal palace, of how her commands were being heeded, and of how the rabble were obediently toiling for her without question.
"Good, the peasantry should know full well who rules over them." She chuckled with relish.
The cobblestone streets teemed with onlookers as her royal procession passed through, and Azula's lips tugged in a smirk as she drank in their fearful obeisance. Merchants who had been barking their wares moments ago now quieted down, meanwhile common folk obediently bowed with heads low. Even in the few weeks that she had been grounded, her subjects had learned that- in her realm- she did not need their love, only their fear.
An Imperial Firebender lifted the curtain of her palanquin, "My Princess, we have arrived at the harbour district, but there seems to be a... line for Commander Khan's ship. Nobles and officials with their servants and entourages."
Azula frowned. Of course the nobility and the merchants would be fawning over him, of course. After all, he was their generous benefactor who had wooed them into his sphere of influence with generous gifts he had plundered from the Omashu-Gaoling Route, the Earth Kingdom's most lucrative trade route. She herself had been the recipient of an especially fine jewellery box carved from solid jade. But beyond just giving out spoils of war, the Commander was also a war hero of meteoric fame and immense promise. He was someone who was on the fast track to becoming a very important person; or in other words, someone to quickly befriend if one wanted to share in the glory and success he was being showered in. She wouldn't be here- about to personally greet him to the Imperial Capital- if he wasn't.
And apparently, she was at the back of the spirits-damned line to do that. That wouldn't do at all.
"Push us through crowds, brandish your fire in their faces if need be." Azula commanded with a displeased glower as the scent of seawater wafted in, "Those of the royal family do not wait in line."
"Yes, my Princess." the Imperial Firebender bowed and rushed ahead into the crowd, his voice echoing.
"Make way! Make way for the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation! Make way for Princess Azula!"
Squawks and shrieks of alarm rang out from the crowd as her royal procession shoved them aside, and a small smile of amusement tugged on Azula's lips. How fitting that her arrival would be announced by the sound of her lessers being pushed aside.
Eventually, her palanquin came to a halt- She had arrived. Azula stood up and pushed through the silken curtains of her palanquin. The crowd parted before her Imperial Firebenders as they rolled out a red carpet onto the stone wharf for her to walk on.
Silence permeated throughout the wharf. Nothing but the crashing of waves and the caw of sea ravens as she finally laid her eyes on her Commander Khan. A metal giant, just as the rumours said, towering over everyone else like some monument come to life, and his Grim skull-faced helmet staring directly at her. Broad shouldered, barrel chested, encased in spiked plate armour so thick one could line a Tundra Tank with it and call it a Heavy Tundra Tank... Commander Khan looked every bit the living embodiment of the Fire Nation war machine as the rumours said: Fearsome, proud and wholly unstoppable.
... Yes, he will make for a fine centrepiece in her plans.
He was undoubtedly pleased with himself that he arrived earlier than expected, and Azula appreciated the effort, but...
"Took you long enough, Commander." Her voice cut sharply through the silence, "Do you enjoy making your Crown Princess wait like this?"
... it wouldn't do if he was too proud of himself. She preferred her pawns fearful and driven to meet the expectations that she set, not theirs.
"Princess Azula, it is truly humbling to witness your eagerness to welcome me." Commander Khan's voice rumbled, his voice reverberating within his helmet and giving it an almost supernatural quality. "Your graciousness knows no bounds, as you've taken the initiative to bless me with your esteemed presence. I must express my gratitude for your enthusiasm in our meeting. But rest assured, my dedication to duty shall always ensure that I arrive precisely when I mean to."
Azula read between the lines...
'You're the one who rushed over here to meet me, Princess. And I came here as fast as I wanted to.'
... and repressed the urge to lob a bolt of blue fire in his face.
So, the commander can play the game of nobles. It matters little, still within the bounds of her plans.
But before she could retaliate by sinking her own verbal barbs into him, the crowd parted behind her: A new arrival. A Fire Sage, an elderly man in red robes, pushed through the crowd escorted by a small contingent of Imperial Firebenders. A murmur swept through the onlooking crowd of nobles and officials as they all recognised who that was. A royal messenger straight from the office of her father, the Fire Lord.
"Commander Khan of the 3rd Army's 41st Division." The Fire Sage's surprisingly loud and stately voice greeted with surety. "I bear a message dictated to me by Fire Lord Ozai himself."
The flutter of paper resounded as fire sage unfurled a gold-gilded scroll. His beady eyes squinting at it for a moment, then dictated its contents with a surprisingly loud and stately voice.
= F =
"Your Excellency, it is my honour to be in the presence of a true hero. The Fire Lord has heard of your astounding military accomplishments and wishes to extend his personal invitation to you."
"By the decree of His Royal Majesty, Fire Lord Ozai, Lord of all the Fire Islands and exalted ruler of our inextinguishable Fire Nation, it is with immense pleasure that we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Commander Khan, renowned defender of the realm against the Earth Kingdom foe. Your exceptional valour and unwavering dedication in the face of adversity have spread throughout our Fire Islands, inspiring all who have heard of your triumphs."
"By the Fire Lord's request, you are cordially invited to the grand halls of the Royal Palace to participate in a war council composed of His Excellency's most honorable Joint Lords of Staff. The gathering will take place on the twenty-seventh day of this month, at the hour of seven in the evening. The Fire Lord eagerly awaits your presence, wishing to express his gratitude personally."
= F =
Azula contained the snarl of rage. But only barely. His popularity among the rabble mattered little to her. How dare he deceive her father with his peasant-pleasing tactics? Her father's praise should be hers and hers alone! Not with some metal pawn that the crowds of maggots have come to worship! It was an outrage!
"Thank you, good sir." Commander Khan's voice boomed, his voice reverberating within his helmet and giving it an almost supernatural quality. "I am honoured to accept our Fire Lord's invitation and shall make my way to the palace with great joy burning in my heart at the appointed hour. Please convey my deepest gratitude to His Royal Majesty for this distinguished privilege."
With that, the Fire Sage bowed again and left as quietly as he arrived.
And Azula felt it.
All around them, flitting through the bustling crowd of nobles and high-ranking officials, whispers of intrigue swirled like an invisible current. Polite smiles masked a web of ulterior motives and strategic considerations as they vyed to secure their own positions within the intricate hierarchy of the Fire Nation. The eyes of the assembled elite, flickering between her and the renowned commander, meticulously evaluated the dynamics between them. Weighing promises and allegiances against potential rewards and gains in status, desperately attempting to discern the most advantageous person to align themselves with.
Her, Crown Princess Azula, their future Fire Lord whose flaming iron-fisted rule over the Imperial Capital was nigh unbreakable...
Him, War Hero Commander Khan, the rising flame whose presence here carried the undeniable promises of immense glory and wealth...
Amidst this balancing act on the tightrope between fear and greed, the air seemed to crackle with the anticipation of shifting alliances and betrayals. Harkening back to the tumultuous days of Fire Lord Yosor and Avatar Szeto, the shadowy dance of courtiers, spies and assassins have come again. The stakes were high in the treacherous world of the Fire Nation's political landscape and a single misstep could prove... deadly.
Distant thunder rumbled as the storm clouds loomed closer to the city.
"Come! You may escort your princess back safely to the palace, Commander." Azula graced the commander with her most hospitable smile... to hide the burning inferno of anger raging within her.
"It will be an honour, Princess Azula." He replied, and Azula smiled as her amber eyes met with the commander's emerald.
They had already consumed the world in the flames of war. And now... Scant weeks from what was to be the largest naval siege in written history... And mere months away from their total victory in the Great War that has lasted almost a hundred years. A different kind of war erupts within their Imperial Capital... an old dance that the noble houses of the Fire nation knew well.
The Grand Game was afoot once more.
Omake: The Saga of Anya
Pushing down her nervousness, Korra strolled into the temple's library as casually as she could. She flashed a smile and waved at the White Lotus guard stationed near the entrance. Yeah, just the Avatar in her usual blue Water Tribe outfit, nothing suspicious here.
"Korra?"
...And just like that, she was caught. It figures, her luck never seemed to be on her side.
Seated at the far end of the library, basking in the warm afternoon sun streaming through an open window, was Jinora, Tenzin's eldest daughter and Korra's mentor. Her slender form perched on a cushion as her gray eyes peered up from her open book, jaw dropping in disbelief at the sight of Korra.
"Hey, Jinora," Korra greeted the younger girl, attempting to appear calm. "Don't mind me, just..."
"...willingly venturing into the library that you've been avoiding like the plague for weeks?" Jinora arched a critical eyebrow.
"Yeah! I figured if Tenzin's teaching isn't cutting it for me, I might find something useful here!" Korra grinned, trying to divert Jinora's attention. "So, what are you reading?"
Jinora's gaze remained fixed on Korra, her gray eyes silently conveying that she wasn't buying her explanation. "Oh, this?" she replied, holding up the book. "It's a captivating biography of Anya, the Great Khan's daughter. We have an extra copy if you want to read it together."
Now it was Korra's turn to raise a critical eyebrow.
"Reading together? Who does that? I'll pass." She chortled, turning the offer down. "Biographies sound dull... like all books."
At that statement, Jinora just smirked knowingly, and Korra realised that she had just outed her hidden intentions.
"Okay, so you're not actually here because you wanted to start learning from books." Jinora concluded, seeing through her lie, "Why are you really here, Korra?"
"Alright, but keep it a secret," Korra whispered conspiratorially. "I met this incredibly attractive guy—like seriously, he's smoking hot. He's really tall, built like a brick shi-... like a brickhouse!"
"You can swear around me, you know. I won't tell, dad." Jinora winked playfully. "So, what does this mysterious guy have to do with the Avatar going to the one place she fears to tread?"
"Ha ha. I'm getting there." Korra rolled her eyes, "I'm here at a library, because guess what? He's a book lover too. So, I thought, 'Hey, if I read a couple of books here, I might be able to impress him with my bookishness.'"
Jinora blinked, "Wait... is this by any chance the Sato family's bodyguard?"
"Wait, how do you know about that Asami girl's bodyguard?" Korra asked, surprised.
"I have my ways," Jinora replied with a mischievous smile. "Let's just say that I like to keep up with the news around Republic City and keep it at that. So, am I right, Korra?"
Korra threw her hands up in surrender, "Yeah, you're right. But, in my defence, that Asami girl didn't seem all that interested in him! Can you believe it? If I had a bodyguard like him, I'd be all over him."
"But you have the White Lotus," Jinora pointed out.
"Yeah, and if you ever find out that one of them secretly happens to be a seven-foot-tall hunk with abs conveniently at face level for you to grind your face against, AND who also happens to be sophisticated enough to read books in his spare time, let me know!"
Jinora hummed with a sly smile on her face, "Hmm... so he's passionate about books and hot, huh?"
"Hey, I saw him first!" Korra gave her a pointed look, but the airbender girl just giggled it off.
"Alright~ If you want me to recommend a book or two, I can help." Jinora offered, pondering her options before gesturing toward her own book. "I think this biography could be a good first choice. It's non-fiction, so he can't possibly dismiss it as anything 'childish' like other book critics do about fiction. And with its connections to both recent and ancient history, it wouldn't be strange for the Avatar to take an interest. Plus, Anya's story is intertwined with some major battles in the Hundred Year War, so if he's anything like a hot-blooded male, you'll have a good bet starting up conversations about battles."
"That... actually sounds exactly what I'm looking for! Thanks, Jinora!" Korra grinned as she accepted the book from Jinora. "What's the title of this book, anyway?"
Jinora just twirled her finger- gesturing to her to flip the book over.
The Saga of Anya the Evil