Reborn as the first daughter of Prince Ozai, Tanya finds herself embroiled in another seemingly endless war. No stranger to these odd circumstances, Tanya is determined to be on the winning side
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Second Child Of Agni [Avatar The Last Airbender/Youjo Senki]
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Chapter 1
New
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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General Hao ran a hand through his greying beard with a heavy sigh. Spread across the table in front of him, the yellowed lines of a well-used war map stared back, confounding his senses in such a way that even his warm tea could not calm his aching head.
He had been on this particular issue for nearly a fortnight and felt no closer to solving it than he had when he began. But solve it he would, unless he wished to suffer the wrath of the ever-venerable Fire Lord Azulon.
The crux of his issue came down to the complete and utter lack of supply lines within the bowels of the Earth Kingdom. The staunch defence of such a fractured nation could be praised if it weren't causing the deaths of good, patriotic men and women of the Fire Nation. For their conquest to continue, the forward battalions needed to be well-supplied or else they would simply break themselves against the Earth Kingdom's walls. It was a simple matter on paper, but in practice, everything seemed to fall flat on its face and as General, he was up to take the blame.
He stewed over the matter for hours. As light faded and his tea quickly grew cold and tepid, he found himself no closer to the solution to his problem than when he had started. He glanced at the candle lighting the room to find the wick burned down to the wax. Maybe it was time to call it a night and revisit the issue with the rising sun as company.
He reached over, preparing to snuff the candle and end his pain for the night, when the door opened. He turned with a furrowed brow to find a small girl standing there, silhouetted in the dying light. A shock of golden atop her head caused his heart to skip a beat. He stood, fear in his voice.
"P-Princess Tanya!" He said, cursing his stutter. Getting over his surprise, he bowed, smoothing his voice into something much more respectable. "Ahem, forgive my reaction. It's just that this is unexpected. What are you doing in this part of the palace so late?"
Sharp blue eyes stared up at him. Yet another trait that set her apart from the rest of the royal family. Though Hao knew that she was theirs by blood; no small amount of tests had been had the day she emerged into the world.
"I was restless so I decided to take a midnight walk," she said. "The night is beautiful this time of year. I was in the garden when I noticed the light on and decided to investigate. What are you doing pouring over maps at this hour, General?"
She spoke with the tone of a child, but her cadence gave away the frightful intelligence hidden behind those blue eyes. If General Hao were of a lesser mind, he might think he was talking to one of his colleagues rather than a girl who could barely produce a spark.
He smiled gently. "It's a matter your grandfather assigned to me, Princess. There is no need to trouble yourself, I was just about to put the books away, so to speak."
He turned to begin rolling up the map, but paused as a shadow fell over it. The Princess had come to his side and was pouring over the war map with a curious expression. As he watched, her brow furrowed and her hand came up, the edge of her thumbnail resting gingerly underneath her teeth in an expression of intense thought.
His heart warmed at the sight. So, the little princess wants to play battlemaster? Maybe I should recommend some texts from Fire Lord Sozin's later years. Best to start them young so they don't lose that spark of interest.
Hao opened his mouth to do just that, when—
"You should pull your forces back."
He blinked. "E-Excuse me, Princess?"
"You're having issues supplying your army, correct?" She pointed at a spot on the map where red converged with green. "Assuming this map is accurate, maintaining your current border with the Earth Kingdom will be costly and ultimately useless. You should pull at least half of your battalions back and instead divert your attention here."
She tapped a figure on the map. It was a coastal town surrounded by mountains that was almost completely inaccessible apart from a river leading through its valley. Hao had ordered his forces to ignore it as it was a civilian encampment and according to local information, a poor one at that.
"That is a slum town, Princess. There's nothing to be looted there," he attempted to explain. She turned to him, one brow raised in a manner that suggested she thought very little of his words.
"It would be a suitable staging ground for an active supply line. That town feeds directly into Mua Ting sea which means our ships can access it without needing to send troops over to the mainland. On top of that, it is small enough that it can be garrisoned by half a few squads of competent firebenders to keep the civilians under control."
She turned back to the map, gesturing to the border. "In the meantime, the bulk of your army can fall back and take up a defensive position here, on the other side of the mountain pass. While they're waiting for you to regroup and attack, you can set up a direct supply line to feed fresh troops to the front line."
Hao was prepared to dismiss her out of hand. She was a child, what could she possibly know about running a war? But something in her words gave him pause and he found himself considering her proposal despite himself. He looked down at the map, glancing over the points she had made, and found himself leaning closer.
He found that her idea had merit. He stroked his beard, the tactician in him weighing the pros and cons of a retreat of that magnitude. "That would leave the front line undermanned. If the Earth Kingdom catches wind, they will attack us from behind and plow right through us.."
"And we would lose half the men that we inevitably would when they do that anyway in a week's time, when all of our men are weak and exhausted from the constant fighting without supplies," Tanya replied with a swiftness that surprised him. She pointed at the forward line. "If we leave a dummy force behind composed of the healthiest and fastest of our men and supply them with animals to escape, we should be able to hold off any response until they are safely behind the mountain pass. At which point, the Earth Kingdom will not follow for fear that we might bring the mountain down on top of their heads."
It didn't escape him that she had begun to refer to his men as her own, or as if she were somehow a part of them. It made him happy to see one of the royal family display such patriotism. That she had a tactical mind to rival her uncle was even better.
Hao chuckled, stepping back from the map and looking down at the girl. "Though it shames me to say it, your plan is sound enough that I wish I could have come up with it myself. Perhaps you would do me the honor of allowing me to present it in the war room tomorrow? I will be sure to mention where I received the inspiration for such a brilliant strategy, of course."
The princess's eyes widened at the notion and she gave him a bow. "It would honor me, General."
"Stand up, Princess, there's no need for that." He laughed nervously, glancing toward the door as if the royal guard would burst in at any moment to see their charge bowing to someone below her station.
Thankfully, the girl rose to her full height a moment later. He released a breath, and then glanced out the nearby window, watching moonlight stream down into the courtyard. "It is getting late. I believe it is high time I retire for the night. You should get to bed as well, Princess. I hear you have lessons tomorrow. You need to be well rested if you want to keep up with your siblings."
The girl nodded, a yawn sounding from the back of her throat. "Sound advice, General. Thank you for considering my proposal. And good night."
General Hao watched her turn to leave, the whisp of golden hair disappearing into the darkened halls. He turned to his map, staring at the issue that had confounded him. To think that a child would bring him the solution to his problem. Perhaps she was even more special than her appearance would suggest.
With a slight smile, he snuffed the candle and went about his business, his spirits higher than they had been in weeks.
This new life was… strange. That was not to say that my last one was anything ordinary, but there was certainly something to be said about sleeping in lice-ridden sheets one night, and waking up in the softest silks only weeks later.
I'm not sure what killed me, or even if I died in the first place. What few memories I have of the beginning of this new life were shrouded in the clouded haze of a postnatal existence. They blurred together until sentience began to spark itself to life within developing neurons, and suddenly I was Tanya again. But it was a different Tanya, in a place that was quite different, yet oh-so similar.
"Lift your leg higher, princess. Remember, straight as an arrow. It won't do to have you trip over yourself from lack of balance."
The nasally voice of my instructor, Shu, was met with a quick roll of the eyes just out of his view, and then a slight adjustment to my leg. The sun beat down on my feverish skin, though I was not uncomfortable with the heat. Lessons would have run longer if I was.
"Very good. Now, onto the next form in the sequence."
At his command, I turned and slipped into a sweeping motion that sent fire and smoke skittering across the pavement. I could feel the instructors frown. A firebender producing smoke was a great shame. If Ozai had been present, he certainly would have had something to say.
That was perhaps the biggest difference from my previous life; I had a family. Not only that, but I was born into the highest of high society, silver spoon and all. The notion of being a princess or even a lady had been a laughable one in both of my lifetimes, yet here I was with the title and crown to match.
I was born the middle child of three. My older brother, Zuko, and my younger sister, Azula, were as different as the night and the day. Zuko's constitution could best be described as a wet noodle quivering in a thunderstorm, though his heart was gentle. Azula was… a budding sociopath. I recognized the signs well. I exhibited them myself, after all.
That was not to say we shared common ground. Indeed, the girl seemed to find me as distasteful as she did Zuko, and much for the same reasons, though warped through a different lens. Zuko had our mother's attention and her love, leaving us to fight over what little our other source of such things deigned to give us. Needless to say Azula was very much a "daddy's girl" and did not take kindly to the idea of sharing, no matter how much I made it clear I simply could not care less about such things.
I had everything I could possibly want in this life with room to grow. So many paths laid before me that it was almost mind-boggling. I'd spent my last life clawing for every chance to prove myself and earn a promotion to a cushy existence, only to find myself thrust into that position completely by chance.
Truthfully, it was a bit infuriating. After all, it was not as if I could say my good fortune was a result of my labors.
A new presence on the courtyard called a halt to the lesson. Shu turned, expression of supreme annoyance on his mustached face as he glared at the red-clad armor of one of the palace guards. "Yes? What is it? In case you haven't noticed, we are a bit busy at the moment."
The masked visage of the guard was completely stoic in the face of his annoyance. "Princess Tanya is to come to the war room, by order of Fire Lord Azulon," he said.
I was given the immense pleasure of watching the blood drain out of Shu's face. He hastily backed away, bowing slightly. "O-Of course. You may take her with you and please, give my regards to the Fire Lord."
The guard did not respond, turning to me instead. I ran through a quick form to calm my roiling chi, schooling my expression. With a nod, I followed after him, leaving the courtyard behind for the war room.
Internally, I was smiling as my efforts bore fruit. There was no doubt in my mind that this had to do with the strategy I had imparted on General Hao just last night. It was a moment of impulse, but if it helped me toward my goals, I was more than happy to indulge.
I had every intention of making a considerable effort to enjoy this new life. There was just one pesky issue that needed to be dealt with before. A matter that had been plaguing the nation for a hundred years too long.
Thankfully, I was no stranger to dealing with senseless wars.
Get chapters to this fic and others early at Sadguychet | Patreon! Chapter 6 has been posted!
He had been on this particular issue for nearly a fortnight and felt no closer to solving it than he had when he began. But solve it he would, unless he wished to suffer the wrath of the ever-venerable Fire Lord Azulon.
The crux of his issue came down to the complete and utter lack of supply lines within the bowels of the Earth Kingdom. The staunch defence of such a fractured nation could be praised if it weren't causing the deaths of good, patriotic men and women of the Fire Nation. For their conquest to continue, the forward battalions needed to be well-supplied or else they would simply break themselves against the Earth Kingdom's walls. It was a simple matter on paper, but in practice, everything seemed to fall flat on its face and as General, he was up to take the blame.
He stewed over the matter for hours. As light faded and his tea quickly grew cold and tepid, he found himself no closer to the solution to his problem than when he had started. He glanced at the candle lighting the room to find the wick burned down to the wax. Maybe it was time to call it a night and revisit the issue with the rising sun as company.
He reached over, preparing to snuff the candle and end his pain for the night, when the door opened. He turned with a furrowed brow to find a small girl standing there, silhouetted in the dying light. A shock of golden atop her head caused his heart to skip a beat. He stood, fear in his voice.
"P-Princess Tanya!" He said, cursing his stutter. Getting over his surprise, he bowed, smoothing his voice into something much more respectable. "Ahem, forgive my reaction. It's just that this is unexpected. What are you doing in this part of the palace so late?"
Sharp blue eyes stared up at him. Yet another trait that set her apart from the rest of the royal family. Though Hao knew that she was theirs by blood; no small amount of tests had been had the day she emerged into the world.
"I was restless so I decided to take a midnight walk," she said. "The night is beautiful this time of year. I was in the garden when I noticed the light on and decided to investigate. What are you doing pouring over maps at this hour, General?"
She spoke with the tone of a child, but her cadence gave away the frightful intelligence hidden behind those blue eyes. If General Hao were of a lesser mind, he might think he was talking to one of his colleagues rather than a girl who could barely produce a spark.
He smiled gently. "It's a matter your grandfather assigned to me, Princess. There is no need to trouble yourself, I was just about to put the books away, so to speak."
He turned to begin rolling up the map, but paused as a shadow fell over it. The Princess had come to his side and was pouring over the war map with a curious expression. As he watched, her brow furrowed and her hand came up, the edge of her thumbnail resting gingerly underneath her teeth in an expression of intense thought.
His heart warmed at the sight. So, the little princess wants to play battlemaster? Maybe I should recommend some texts from Fire Lord Sozin's later years. Best to start them young so they don't lose that spark of interest.
Hao opened his mouth to do just that, when—
"You should pull your forces back."
He blinked. "E-Excuse me, Princess?"
"You're having issues supplying your army, correct?" She pointed at a spot on the map where red converged with green. "Assuming this map is accurate, maintaining your current border with the Earth Kingdom will be costly and ultimately useless. You should pull at least half of your battalions back and instead divert your attention here."
She tapped a figure on the map. It was a coastal town surrounded by mountains that was almost completely inaccessible apart from a river leading through its valley. Hao had ordered his forces to ignore it as it was a civilian encampment and according to local information, a poor one at that.
"That is a slum town, Princess. There's nothing to be looted there," he attempted to explain. She turned to him, one brow raised in a manner that suggested she thought very little of his words.
"It would be a suitable staging ground for an active supply line. That town feeds directly into Mua Ting sea which means our ships can access it without needing to send troops over to the mainland. On top of that, it is small enough that it can be garrisoned by half a few squads of competent firebenders to keep the civilians under control."
She turned back to the map, gesturing to the border. "In the meantime, the bulk of your army can fall back and take up a defensive position here, on the other side of the mountain pass. While they're waiting for you to regroup and attack, you can set up a direct supply line to feed fresh troops to the front line."
Hao was prepared to dismiss her out of hand. She was a child, what could she possibly know about running a war? But something in her words gave him pause and he found himself considering her proposal despite himself. He looked down at the map, glancing over the points she had made, and found himself leaning closer.
He found that her idea had merit. He stroked his beard, the tactician in him weighing the pros and cons of a retreat of that magnitude. "That would leave the front line undermanned. If the Earth Kingdom catches wind, they will attack us from behind and plow right through us.."
"And we would lose half the men that we inevitably would when they do that anyway in a week's time, when all of our men are weak and exhausted from the constant fighting without supplies," Tanya replied with a swiftness that surprised him. She pointed at the forward line. "If we leave a dummy force behind composed of the healthiest and fastest of our men and supply them with animals to escape, we should be able to hold off any response until they are safely behind the mountain pass. At which point, the Earth Kingdom will not follow for fear that we might bring the mountain down on top of their heads."
It didn't escape him that she had begun to refer to his men as her own, or as if she were somehow a part of them. It made him happy to see one of the royal family display such patriotism. That she had a tactical mind to rival her uncle was even better.
Hao chuckled, stepping back from the map and looking down at the girl. "Though it shames me to say it, your plan is sound enough that I wish I could have come up with it myself. Perhaps you would do me the honor of allowing me to present it in the war room tomorrow? I will be sure to mention where I received the inspiration for such a brilliant strategy, of course."
The princess's eyes widened at the notion and she gave him a bow. "It would honor me, General."
"Stand up, Princess, there's no need for that." He laughed nervously, glancing toward the door as if the royal guard would burst in at any moment to see their charge bowing to someone below her station.
Thankfully, the girl rose to her full height a moment later. He released a breath, and then glanced out the nearby window, watching moonlight stream down into the courtyard. "It is getting late. I believe it is high time I retire for the night. You should get to bed as well, Princess. I hear you have lessons tomorrow. You need to be well rested if you want to keep up with your siblings."
The girl nodded, a yawn sounding from the back of her throat. "Sound advice, General. Thank you for considering my proposal. And good night."
General Hao watched her turn to leave, the whisp of golden hair disappearing into the darkened halls. He turned to his map, staring at the issue that had confounded him. To think that a child would bring him the solution to his problem. Perhaps she was even more special than her appearance would suggest.
With a slight smile, he snuffed the candle and went about his business, his spirits higher than they had been in weeks.
This new life was… strange. That was not to say that my last one was anything ordinary, but there was certainly something to be said about sleeping in lice-ridden sheets one night, and waking up in the softest silks only weeks later.
I'm not sure what killed me, or even if I died in the first place. What few memories I have of the beginning of this new life were shrouded in the clouded haze of a postnatal existence. They blurred together until sentience began to spark itself to life within developing neurons, and suddenly I was Tanya again. But it was a different Tanya, in a place that was quite different, yet oh-so similar.
"Lift your leg higher, princess. Remember, straight as an arrow. It won't do to have you trip over yourself from lack of balance."
The nasally voice of my instructor, Shu, was met with a quick roll of the eyes just out of his view, and then a slight adjustment to my leg. The sun beat down on my feverish skin, though I was not uncomfortable with the heat. Lessons would have run longer if I was.
"Very good. Now, onto the next form in the sequence."
At his command, I turned and slipped into a sweeping motion that sent fire and smoke skittering across the pavement. I could feel the instructors frown. A firebender producing smoke was a great shame. If Ozai had been present, he certainly would have had something to say.
That was perhaps the biggest difference from my previous life; I had a family. Not only that, but I was born into the highest of high society, silver spoon and all. The notion of being a princess or even a lady had been a laughable one in both of my lifetimes, yet here I was with the title and crown to match.
I was born the middle child of three. My older brother, Zuko, and my younger sister, Azula, were as different as the night and the day. Zuko's constitution could best be described as a wet noodle quivering in a thunderstorm, though his heart was gentle. Azula was… a budding sociopath. I recognized the signs well. I exhibited them myself, after all.
That was not to say we shared common ground. Indeed, the girl seemed to find me as distasteful as she did Zuko, and much for the same reasons, though warped through a different lens. Zuko had our mother's attention and her love, leaving us to fight over what little our other source of such things deigned to give us. Needless to say Azula was very much a "daddy's girl" and did not take kindly to the idea of sharing, no matter how much I made it clear I simply could not care less about such things.
I had everything I could possibly want in this life with room to grow. So many paths laid before me that it was almost mind-boggling. I'd spent my last life clawing for every chance to prove myself and earn a promotion to a cushy existence, only to find myself thrust into that position completely by chance.
Truthfully, it was a bit infuriating. After all, it was not as if I could say my good fortune was a result of my labors.
A new presence on the courtyard called a halt to the lesson. Shu turned, expression of supreme annoyance on his mustached face as he glared at the red-clad armor of one of the palace guards. "Yes? What is it? In case you haven't noticed, we are a bit busy at the moment."
The masked visage of the guard was completely stoic in the face of his annoyance. "Princess Tanya is to come to the war room, by order of Fire Lord Azulon," he said.
I was given the immense pleasure of watching the blood drain out of Shu's face. He hastily backed away, bowing slightly. "O-Of course. You may take her with you and please, give my regards to the Fire Lord."
The guard did not respond, turning to me instead. I ran through a quick form to calm my roiling chi, schooling my expression. With a nod, I followed after him, leaving the courtyard behind for the war room.
Internally, I was smiling as my efforts bore fruit. There was no doubt in my mind that this had to do with the strategy I had imparted on General Hao just last night. It was a moment of impulse, but if it helped me toward my goals, I was more than happy to indulge.
I had every intention of making a considerable effort to enjoy this new life. There was just one pesky issue that needed to be dealt with before. A matter that had been plaguing the nation for a hundred years too long.
Thankfully, I was no stranger to dealing with senseless wars.
Get chapters to this fic and others early at Sadguychet | Patreon! Chapter 6 has been posted!
Gmuc72
Your first time is always over so quickly, isn't it?
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I wouldn't really classify Tanya as a sociopath. A quick Google search has them as impulsive and erratic. Tanya could sometimes be this way but it usually was when under the influence of the type 95 computation orb so not her normal behavior. Sociopath's also seem to disregard rules. Tanya sees rules as a shield to defend her actions and sometimes something to work around when needed. Sociopath's are also considered antisocial but Tanya actively cultivates relationships. Admittedly she does this to use people but it still shows that she doesn't have an adversion to people in general, just incompetence.
Renko
Look closer ~☆
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Does anyone else feels annoyed when some authors insists on keeping Tanya's name to still be the same despite of her being reborn in a world where said name shouldn't be possible due to the difference in culture, language, and society?
Because I don't see why she can't have the same f#cking local name just like any citizen of the Fire Nation!
Last edited:
FateFan110
Not too sore, are you?
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Pixie of the Hidden Leaf. Tanya Umino, Iruka's little sister.
At least in the fics where Tanya is reborn as a Airbender her name if Tenya or Tanza.
Renko
Look closer ~☆
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See? At least the authors that did it made an effort to localized her name to have her blend in more with the setting!
Here, it's just a lazy copy-paste without any regard whether it fits or not!
All for the sake of dumb character recognition for a dumb audience.
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captainloser
Getting sticky.
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I'm actually of the opposite opinion it's not really an issue for me but I prefer when the first name transfers and she picks up her local family name. In my experience I feel like when she has a different name the author kinda drifts farther from the original character than those who use Tanya. That might be like a placebo or something but it is my experienceDoes anyone else feels annoyed when some authors insists on keeping Tanya's name to still be the same despite of her being reborn in a world where said name shouldn't be possible due to the difference in culture, language, and society?
Because I don't see why she can't have the same f#cking local name just like any citizen of the Fire Nation!
Nate Carrion
NatetheGreat
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Well, I suppose that Tanya will eventually become Fire Lord instead of Zuko in this timeline? Will she more or less be the power behind the throne?
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unitedluck
Not too sore, are you?
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nether Azula or Tanya are sociopath
. i wish people stop using that stupid wordaveragejoe32
Versed in the lewd.
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Azula definitely has a lot of the traits associated with ASPD though. It gets a bit messy because she's a fictional character and a child, but she hits of lot of the beats for some sort of personality disorder.nether Azula or Tanya are sociopath
View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=R4544ZUr_gA&pp=ygUQYXp1bGEgcHN5Y2hvbG9neQ%3D%3D
unitedluck
Not too sore, are you?
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sociopath and ASPD are two different things.
One is a useless term that has no actual meaning and the other one is a actual recognise diagnosis.
And my problem with people using sociopath is they use it as a dismissal means to explain why she is the way she is and ignore the fact the vast majority of her behaviour and views come from her father and culture she's raised in and not because of some personality disorder
averagejoe32
Versed in the lewd.
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Sociopath is literally an outdated term for ASPD.
Signs of a Sociopath
"Sociopath" isn't an actual diagnosis, it's an outdated term for antisocial personality disorder, and even "psychopath" describes the same underlying condition.
www.webmd.com
A personality disorder is a diagnosis, not a cause. Her behavior can still be caused by environmental factors and she could still be diagnosed with ASPD.
Plus as much as nurture played a part Azula had a heavy dose of nature too. Even without Ozai doing his best to turn her into his pet monster she still would have been fucked up. Just not burn an entire kingdom down to win daddy's approval fucked up.
Chapter 2
New
Sadguychet
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Since the day he was born, Fire Lord Azulon had known nothing but war.
In the wake of his death, Sozin left a world ablaze with the fires of his ambition. The four nations, once harmonious, were fractured, and the banner of the Fire Nation was to blame.
Azulon carried his forefather's torch with a heavy heart and a heavier hand. Under his rule, the world learned to fear their great nation, to respect their power and dread the inevitability of their expansion. Had carefully tended the seeds of greatness, though he knew he would not see the sprouts flourish.
From his place upon his throne, he listened to his gathered general bicker amongst themselves about the next move to make. The siege his son was heading had shaken the Earth Kingdom's will, but they were not giving in just yet. There were still moves to make on the board before this victory could truly be called.
"—And we are being destroyed on the western front!" Li grunted, gesturing to the map spread out before them. Green clashed with red in a stalemate that had not changed in several weeks. "Our men have not marched forward a single foot; General Hao, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"The Earth Kingdom commanders are proving to be more stout than we have anticipated. Our enemies are clearly fielding veterans who are familiar with our tactics."
"That's no excuse. They have been stalling us for weeks. We cannot afford to commit this many resources when the siege is still underway."
To their surprise, General Hao nodded. "I agree, which is why I would like to propose a strategy that might get us out of this pickle. You see…"
He spread his arms about the table, and Azula listened with a quiet frown as he detailed his proposal. It was a sound strategy, but it left a bad taste in the mouths of everyone present.
"I never thought you of all people would suggest something so cowardly, Hao."
A hush fell over the room at the words as all eyes turned to General Li.
"You have concerns, General Li?"
The man in question straightened as he was called upon, looking to his Fire Lord with some amount of fear. General Li was not a very brave man. Azulon knew he would prefer to speak his mind in the safety of his own home, ranting at the walls like some sort of gossiping housemaid. That he had spoken up in the first place spoke to his anger.
"Speak your mind," Azulon commanded, his tone brokering no disobedience. The General's throat bobbed under his stringy beard.
"My Lord, such a tactic would bring dishonor upon any who employed it. Retreating would be the same as saying they bested us!" He slammed his hand on the table, his voice becoming more impassioned. "We do not cower at the might of savages! If my troops returned to the mainland with this kind of defeat on their hands, I would send them right back to the war!"
A murmur of agreement met his words as the other generals imagined their own commanders returning with such a stain on their hands. Azulon felt his own face twitch with a frown at the notion of entertaining such cowardice.
Hao frowned from his side of the table as the crowd turned against him. He moved to speak, but he was stalled as the doors to the war room suddenly swept open, drawing everyone's attention. It was a rare thing for the war council to be interrupted in such a manner. They did not know that Azulon had called for it.
A royal guard stepped inside, hands clasped behind his back as he stood in front of the door to admit his charge. Princess Tanya submitted herself to the gazes of the war council without so much as a twitch in her expression, striding forward until she stood at the head of the table. Confusion circled the table at the sight of the princess. Ozai frowned.
"What are you doing, daughter? You have no right interrupting—"
"I called her here, Ozai," Azulon interrupted his overeager child. Ozai turned to him with wide eyes, but Azulon only had eyes for his granddaughter. He took her measure with a glance, noting the careful way she held herself, shoulders loose but not without tension. She understood the opportunity she had been given, and Azulon felt she would not waste it.
He gestured with a hand. "This child is responsible for the strategy General Hao has brought before us today. He confided in me as such just before this meeting began, so I felt it would only be appropriate that she joined our procession today."
"You honor me, grandfather," Tanya bowed in his direction, showing him the proper respect. Just to her right, General Hao was staring at her with some relief.
"My Lord, this is highly irregular," General Li spoke up. "Children in the war room? I mean no disrespect to the Princess, but if she talked to the wrong person and revealed our strategy, it could easily find its way back to our enemies."
"Are you insulting the Fire Lord's intelligence, General?" Ozai growled.
General Li paled. "I meant no disrespect. I just wanted to point out—"
"Enough." Azulon's voice rang through the room and silenced everyone present. General Li swallowed and sat down as Azulon's eyes strayed to him.
Asulon turned to regard his golden-haired grandchild. "Granddaughter, you will tell me what you were thinking, presenting such a strategy to General Hao."
Tanya's face and tone were carefully polite as she spoke. "Forgive me if I overstepped, Grandfather; I meant no insult to this council. I only did as my tutors have taught me. I looked at the map and asked what I would do if I were the enemy."
Reaching forward on the tips of her toes, she placed one small finger on the red line where it bled against green.
"The crux of the issue is that the western front sits on an open plain. There is no cover that we do not make, and every inch of ground beneath our soldiers' feet is a weapon for the enemy. Any line we hold won't last very long."
She traced the green lines behind the enemy's position, her finger moving inland, into the vast sprawl of the Earth Kingdom that they one day hoped to paint red.
"On top of that, they have the benefit of being in their own territory, meaning they will be much more well supplied than we ever could. If we throw everything into a full advance, it's possible we'll win a battle, maybe even two. But we will not win a game of attrition against a nation known for their incredible stubbornness, not when they're far more well supplied than we are."
She withdrew her finger and folded her hands behind her back. "Our nation houses some of the greatest minds in the world. Surely we can do better than mindlessly throwing ourselves at the enemy?"
The gathered men looked contemplative. All except for one.
"This is absurd," General Bujing's face was red with anger as he stood. "We are being lectured on the art of war by a child who can barely produce a flame! My Lord, I must protest. This is an insult to every man who has bled for the Fire Nation on that front. To suggest that their sacrifices were in vain brings great shame upon us all!"
Azulon remained silent, his eyes boring into Tanya. He wished to see how she would handle this.
"I apologize, General," Tanya began after a moment, "You seem to have misunderstood what I was saying. I would not dare to besmirch the sacrifices our soldiers have made for their nation. I am simply stating that valor without vision is waste. Our soldiers are brave; no one in this room questions that, but bravery does not fill stomachs, and it does not transport medicine to the wounded."
She turned to the gathered men. "If I told a unit of soldiers to hold a position with no food, no medicine, no reinforcements, what recourse could they possibly have? Would their bravery see them through starvation and the weapons of our enemies? Would their courage rouse Agni himself to help them win the day?" She waited for a moment, and then shook her head. "I doubt it. I personally believe they would die, and that their deaths would serve nobody except the enemy."
Her voice was almost condescending as she looked to Bujing, though it was also just polite enough that the general could not properly call her out on it without seeming as if he was overreacting. Azulon was impressed by his granddaughter's poker face. She said exactly what she wanted, yet gave nothing away. If he did not know any better, he would think her an old hand at courtly intrigue.
Azulon felt a sliver of pride worm itself into his wrinkled heart. Then Ozai rose from his seat.
"General Bujing raises a good point. While I am… proud that my daughter shows an interest in the affairs of our nation, she is a child. She has not set foot on a battlefield. It is improper for her to lecture grown men on matters she could not possibly understand."
Azulon watched his son carefully. Ozai was ambitious, that much had always been true. For him to speak like this, his daughter must have done some damage to his pride.
The Fire Lord wondered if his son even realized how transparent he was.
"She has not set foot on a battlefield," Azulon repeated slowly, his tone blatantly displeased. "And neither have you, Ozai. While your brother leads our armies to a great victory, you languish here, doing just what you accuse your daughter of doing. What right do you have to speak up like you have?"
Silence followed his words. Ozai's jaw tightened at his father's words. To his credit, he didn't flinch or cower, but he also did not speak again.
Azulon turned his attention back to the table. The generals sat in discomfort, none willing to be the next to draw the Fire Lord's ire. He studied the map, pondering, then raised his gaze to Tanya who had not moved an inch since her last words. She stood with her hands still clasped behind her back, watching the proceedings with those strange blue eyes that seemed to absorb everything and reveal nothing.
"The Princess makes a sound argument," Azulon said, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "The plan will be utilized. General Hao will carry it out. That is final."
He rose from his throne, and the room bowed as one. Azulon turned to his golden-haired progeny. "Come with me, granddaughter. We must speak."
Azulon stepped into the corridor, long robes flowing behind him. Tanya followed beside him, her steps quickening just enough to compensate for her lacking height so she could match his stride.
"You showed sound judgement today."
Tanya's lips twitched, though her head remained on the path ahead as she said, "Thank you, Grandfather."
"Your tactics could still be refined, however. You will work under General Hao to do so. Furthermore, you will attend meetings just as you did today. Absorb what you can, and do not disappoint me."
Tanya's smile grew. "I will do my best."
I watched as Azulon disappeared around the corner and released a breath, letting my shoulders privacy he'd left behind.
"That went better than I expected," I muttered quietly. I'd expected to earn some brownie points with the Generals, but I hadn't imagined that the Fire Lord himself would demand my continued presence in the war council.
On top of that, I was being ordered to shadow General Hao, which would doubtlessly present even more opportunities to steer the war in the right direction. All these doddering old fools were so obsessed with maintaining their "honor" that the notion of gaining victory over the other nation in any real amount of time was almost laughable. The war had already been raging for a hundred years. I didn't intend to die of old age under siege.
I turned, intending to return to my room and compose a letter to General Hao, when I caught sight of a shock of black hair fleeing down a nearby corridor. Frowning, I hurried closer, already having an idea of what I was going to find.
As I expected, I found none other than Azula leaning against the wall, pretending as if she hadn't been eavesdropping. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she immediately gave up the game, adopting a more curious expression on her face.
"Good evening, Sister," she said politely. "I didn't realize that our grandfather was in the habit of allowing children into the war room."
There was a hint of jealousy behind her voice. Azula did not care for the idea that I had been chosen for the honor above her.
"I was called on to discuss a strategy that I proposed to General Hao last night," I explained. "Grandfather wanted to hear my thoughts from my own mouth, and now it seems he wants me to be present for future meetings.."
Azula frowned, watching me as I walked past her. "Are you sure it's a good idea to be cozying up to grandfather of all people? It's not like he's going to be around for much longer. I doubt he'll make it to the end of our siege of Ba Sing Se with how old he's getting." she smirked. "And then it will be father you have to please. Uncle will be too busy with the war to entertain you once he becomes Fire Lord."
Azula was incredibly smart for her age, but she was still a child, and it was moments like these that reminded me of that. In her eyes, I had made a play for Azulon's favoritism and had become an enemy. She was trying to scare me with the idea of Ozai's wrath, like a toddler threatening to tattle.
"I'll leave the honor of pleasing father up to you, Azula," I said as I strode down the hall. "I have more important things to do."
"You and Zuzu need to figure out your priorities," she huffed as she walked alongside me. She looked me up and down, her scowl softening a bit. "At least you're not as bad as him. He'd prefer to play with the turtle-ducks instead of working on his atrocious firebending. At this rate, he's never going to amount to anything."
"Don't let Ursa hear you say that," I said idly, though I privately agreed. Zuko was practically attached to Ursa's bosom despite his age, and the woman had done little to break him of his gentler habits.
Azula's expression shifted into a slight scowl and she glared out of the nearby window. "Mother doesn't listen to anything I say anyway. She's too busy doting on Zuzu to notice anything else."
She tried to come across as uncaring, but it was impossible to hide the note of hurt hidden deep in the back of her voice. If ever there was a dysfunctional family relationship, it was one the one between Ursa and her youngest. I probably should have said something, but I was not a therapist. The moment passed, and Azula's face smoothed into her usual smirk.
She glanced at me. "Anyway, I have a lesson to attend. You should make sure to keep up with your practice too. Your firebending isn't as bad as Zuko's, but it could definitely use some improvement."
"I'll take that into consideration."
She nodded primly. "Make sure you do. I want to have at least one useful sibling."
With that, she marched down a nearby hall. I watched her go with some amusement, before turning and continuing on my own way. I still had a letter to write and the day was not getting any younger.
Perhaps a year after my admittance to the war room, our family was struck with an unforeseen tragedy. It was a day like any other when the message arrived, informing us that Prince Lu Ten, son of Crown Prince Iroh and my cousin, had been slain in the siege of Ba Sing Se.
It was a somber day. The death of a member of the Royal Family was a cause for mourning, and mourn Caldera did. There was a procession, though Lu Ten's body was cremated long before, and nearly every soul in the city attended his wake. It was the expected reaction to such an event.
What was not expected was that the siege of our most stout enemy was put on hold for the event while we were winning. And that, in a frankly baffling turn of events, we would withdraw from the territory entirely, right on the brink of victory.
The Dragon of The West lost his fangs that day, and the Hundred Year War raged on, much to my chagrin. If we had managed to capture Ba Sing Se, it would have been an incredible victory for the Fire Nation. It would have emboldened our forces and bolstered the patriotic spirit in the mainland, leading to a boom in enlistment across the board. It was entirely possible we could have ridden the wave of that through the rest of the Earth Kingdom and then to the Northern Water Tribe's front doorstep. In a few short years, the Hundred Year War could have been over.
But alas, human sentimentality won the day again, it seemed. And now I had even more work to do if I wanted this war to end in any reasonable amount of time.
Late evenings became normal as my work chained me to my desk well past dusk. It was as though I was in the Empire once again, drafting plans and private correspondences. The chair was much nicer, though, which was probably the only silver-lining considering that coffee simply didn't exist on this planet. Tea was a poor substitute, but I learned to stomach it out of necessity if nothing else.
It was during one of these sleepless nights that the door to my room creaked open silently and a figure slipped into the darkened room. The candle on my desk flickered as careful footsteps sounded behind me.
Laying the final stroke of ink on the paper, I moved it to the side to begin on the next while it dried. I didn't turn as I said, "I hope you're not here to scold me about staying up past my bedtime."
The figure behind me stiffened, their footsteps stuttering to a halt. "I didn't expect you to be awake."
I paused mid-stroke at the sound of the voice. It was rough and wet, a far-cry from the composed sonnet that I was used to hearing. After a moment, I dipped my brush back into the inkwell. "I could say the same to you, Mother. It's well past midnight."
She didn't respond. I rolled my brush across the page, the ink seeping into the parchment and spreading through the fibers, a stark black on tinted yellow. The candle flickered as Ursa sighed.
"Tanya, do you remember what I used to do when you were little? When I'd come to check on you at night?"
I did, though the memories were hazy and tinted by the addled mind of an infant. Ursa had been a constant presence in those early days, checking on me, ensuring I was fed, humming me to sleep. It had been an odd experience, being cared for in such a way. I had no such memories in my first life, and the second... Well, the one quiet child among dozens rarely got special attention.
"I remember how you'd tuck me in," I answered. "I believe you'd even read to me to help me fall back asleep if you woke me up."
"Yes." Her voice caught for just an instant before she steadied it. "I'd always tell you how much I love you. Because I do, Tanya. I love you so very much."
I hummed noncommittally, still not looking up from my work, though my brow furrowed at her words. What was this?
"You've always been so mature for your age," she continued. "More than any child should have to be. And I'm sorry that it had to be like this, but I need you to keep being that way for your brother and sister."
My brush paused on the page. Ah, so that's how it is.
I set my brush down and turned to face her for the first time. Ursa stood in the half-light, dressed in simple robes. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her hands clasped in front of her. There was a resignation on her face, hidden behind layers of grief. She had done something, or was about to do something, and I knew from the look in her eyes that she would not be around for much longer.
"Please take care of them," she pleaded, her eyes glistening in the flickering candlelight. "I fear what will become of them if you don't."
I studied her for a long moment, then turned back to my desk. "I'll do what I can. They're my siblings, so it's only natural that I look after them."
Ursa let out a breath that shuddered on the way out. "Thank you, Tanya. You don't know how much that means to me."
I nodded as I picked up my brush once more. "One more thing, Mother."
"Yes? What is it?"
"I'm sure you've already talked to Zuko, but you should visit Azula before you go as well."
The silence that followed was telling.
"Azula is... strong. She'll be fine without me here."
I stared at the half-formed character on the page, watching the firelight dance over the ink. Well, that told me all I needed to know.
"I see," I said simply, dipping my brush back into the inkwell as the heat dried it out. "Well. You do what you think is best."
"I will. I...." She took a shaky breath, creeping toward the door. "You're such a good big sister, Tanya. I love you. No matter what happens, remember that."
"Mm."
As the door creaked shut behind her, I set my brush down and stared at the candle flame. It danced in the stillness of the room, casting shadows that writhed against the walls like living things.
As I looked inward, I found that I had no strong feelings about what had just occurred. It was quite callous to think, but for all that Ursa had been a good mother to Zuko, she was barely present in my memories of this life. Certainly, there were times I felt warmth at the thought of her, but I had never been one for sentimentality, and my success in this life did not hinge on forming bonds with a woman so keen on playing favorites. If anything, her absence would make things a bit simpler.
And yet, it would make things more difficult in some regards. Azula, for all her posturing. was still a child who wanted her mother to look at her the way she looked at Zuko. Ursa's departure would leave a wound that would fester and exacerbate the tendencies Azula was already beginning to show.
I sighed, pulling the finished page aside and reaching for a fresh one. There was nothing I could do about it now.
Get chapters to this fic early at Sadguychet | Patreon! Chapter 7 has been posted!
In the wake of his death, Sozin left a world ablaze with the fires of his ambition. The four nations, once harmonious, were fractured, and the banner of the Fire Nation was to blame.
Azulon carried his forefather's torch with a heavy heart and a heavier hand. Under his rule, the world learned to fear their great nation, to respect their power and dread the inevitability of their expansion. Had carefully tended the seeds of greatness, though he knew he would not see the sprouts flourish.
From his place upon his throne, he listened to his gathered general bicker amongst themselves about the next move to make. The siege his son was heading had shaken the Earth Kingdom's will, but they were not giving in just yet. There were still moves to make on the board before this victory could truly be called.
"—And we are being destroyed on the western front!" Li grunted, gesturing to the map spread out before them. Green clashed with red in a stalemate that had not changed in several weeks. "Our men have not marched forward a single foot; General Hao, what do you have to say for yourself?"
"The Earth Kingdom commanders are proving to be more stout than we have anticipated. Our enemies are clearly fielding veterans who are familiar with our tactics."
"That's no excuse. They have been stalling us for weeks. We cannot afford to commit this many resources when the siege is still underway."
To their surprise, General Hao nodded. "I agree, which is why I would like to propose a strategy that might get us out of this pickle. You see…"
He spread his arms about the table, and Azula listened with a quiet frown as he detailed his proposal. It was a sound strategy, but it left a bad taste in the mouths of everyone present.
"I never thought you of all people would suggest something so cowardly, Hao."
A hush fell over the room at the words as all eyes turned to General Li.
"You have concerns, General Li?"
The man in question straightened as he was called upon, looking to his Fire Lord with some amount of fear. General Li was not a very brave man. Azulon knew he would prefer to speak his mind in the safety of his own home, ranting at the walls like some sort of gossiping housemaid. That he had spoken up in the first place spoke to his anger.
"Speak your mind," Azulon commanded, his tone brokering no disobedience. The General's throat bobbed under his stringy beard.
"My Lord, such a tactic would bring dishonor upon any who employed it. Retreating would be the same as saying they bested us!" He slammed his hand on the table, his voice becoming more impassioned. "We do not cower at the might of savages! If my troops returned to the mainland with this kind of defeat on their hands, I would send them right back to the war!"
A murmur of agreement met his words as the other generals imagined their own commanders returning with such a stain on their hands. Azulon felt his own face twitch with a frown at the notion of entertaining such cowardice.
Hao frowned from his side of the table as the crowd turned against him. He moved to speak, but he was stalled as the doors to the war room suddenly swept open, drawing everyone's attention. It was a rare thing for the war council to be interrupted in such a manner. They did not know that Azulon had called for it.
A royal guard stepped inside, hands clasped behind his back as he stood in front of the door to admit his charge. Princess Tanya submitted herself to the gazes of the war council without so much as a twitch in her expression, striding forward until she stood at the head of the table. Confusion circled the table at the sight of the princess. Ozai frowned.
"What are you doing, daughter? You have no right interrupting—"
"I called her here, Ozai," Azulon interrupted his overeager child. Ozai turned to him with wide eyes, but Azulon only had eyes for his granddaughter. He took her measure with a glance, noting the careful way she held herself, shoulders loose but not without tension. She understood the opportunity she had been given, and Azulon felt she would not waste it.
He gestured with a hand. "This child is responsible for the strategy General Hao has brought before us today. He confided in me as such just before this meeting began, so I felt it would only be appropriate that she joined our procession today."
"You honor me, grandfather," Tanya bowed in his direction, showing him the proper respect. Just to her right, General Hao was staring at her with some relief.
"My Lord, this is highly irregular," General Li spoke up. "Children in the war room? I mean no disrespect to the Princess, but if she talked to the wrong person and revealed our strategy, it could easily find its way back to our enemies."
"Are you insulting the Fire Lord's intelligence, General?" Ozai growled.
General Li paled. "I meant no disrespect. I just wanted to point out—"
"Enough." Azulon's voice rang through the room and silenced everyone present. General Li swallowed and sat down as Azulon's eyes strayed to him.
Asulon turned to regard his golden-haired grandchild. "Granddaughter, you will tell me what you were thinking, presenting such a strategy to General Hao."
Tanya's face and tone were carefully polite as she spoke. "Forgive me if I overstepped, Grandfather; I meant no insult to this council. I only did as my tutors have taught me. I looked at the map and asked what I would do if I were the enemy."
Reaching forward on the tips of her toes, she placed one small finger on the red line where it bled against green.
"The crux of the issue is that the western front sits on an open plain. There is no cover that we do not make, and every inch of ground beneath our soldiers' feet is a weapon for the enemy. Any line we hold won't last very long."
She traced the green lines behind the enemy's position, her finger moving inland, into the vast sprawl of the Earth Kingdom that they one day hoped to paint red.
"On top of that, they have the benefit of being in their own territory, meaning they will be much more well supplied than we ever could. If we throw everything into a full advance, it's possible we'll win a battle, maybe even two. But we will not win a game of attrition against a nation known for their incredible stubbornness, not when they're far more well supplied than we are."
She withdrew her finger and folded her hands behind her back. "Our nation houses some of the greatest minds in the world. Surely we can do better than mindlessly throwing ourselves at the enemy?"
The gathered men looked contemplative. All except for one.
"This is absurd," General Bujing's face was red with anger as he stood. "We are being lectured on the art of war by a child who can barely produce a flame! My Lord, I must protest. This is an insult to every man who has bled for the Fire Nation on that front. To suggest that their sacrifices were in vain brings great shame upon us all!"
Azulon remained silent, his eyes boring into Tanya. He wished to see how she would handle this.
"I apologize, General," Tanya began after a moment, "You seem to have misunderstood what I was saying. I would not dare to besmirch the sacrifices our soldiers have made for their nation. I am simply stating that valor without vision is waste. Our soldiers are brave; no one in this room questions that, but bravery does not fill stomachs, and it does not transport medicine to the wounded."
She turned to the gathered men. "If I told a unit of soldiers to hold a position with no food, no medicine, no reinforcements, what recourse could they possibly have? Would their bravery see them through starvation and the weapons of our enemies? Would their courage rouse Agni himself to help them win the day?" She waited for a moment, and then shook her head. "I doubt it. I personally believe they would die, and that their deaths would serve nobody except the enemy."
Her voice was almost condescending as she looked to Bujing, though it was also just polite enough that the general could not properly call her out on it without seeming as if he was overreacting. Azulon was impressed by his granddaughter's poker face. She said exactly what she wanted, yet gave nothing away. If he did not know any better, he would think her an old hand at courtly intrigue.
Azulon felt a sliver of pride worm itself into his wrinkled heart. Then Ozai rose from his seat.
"General Bujing raises a good point. While I am… proud that my daughter shows an interest in the affairs of our nation, she is a child. She has not set foot on a battlefield. It is improper for her to lecture grown men on matters she could not possibly understand."
Azulon watched his son carefully. Ozai was ambitious, that much had always been true. For him to speak like this, his daughter must have done some damage to his pride.
The Fire Lord wondered if his son even realized how transparent he was.
"She has not set foot on a battlefield," Azulon repeated slowly, his tone blatantly displeased. "And neither have you, Ozai. While your brother leads our armies to a great victory, you languish here, doing just what you accuse your daughter of doing. What right do you have to speak up like you have?"
Silence followed his words. Ozai's jaw tightened at his father's words. To his credit, he didn't flinch or cower, but he also did not speak again.
Azulon turned his attention back to the table. The generals sat in discomfort, none willing to be the next to draw the Fire Lord's ire. He studied the map, pondering, then raised his gaze to Tanya who had not moved an inch since her last words. She stood with her hands still clasped behind her back, watching the proceedings with those strange blue eyes that seemed to absorb everything and reveal nothing.
"The Princess makes a sound argument," Azulon said, his voice carrying the weight of finality. "The plan will be utilized. General Hao will carry it out. That is final."
He rose from his throne, and the room bowed as one. Azulon turned to his golden-haired progeny. "Come with me, granddaughter. We must speak."
Azulon stepped into the corridor, long robes flowing behind him. Tanya followed beside him, her steps quickening just enough to compensate for her lacking height so she could match his stride.
"You showed sound judgement today."
Tanya's lips twitched, though her head remained on the path ahead as she said, "Thank you, Grandfather."
"Your tactics could still be refined, however. You will work under General Hao to do so. Furthermore, you will attend meetings just as you did today. Absorb what you can, and do not disappoint me."
Tanya's smile grew. "I will do my best."
I watched as Azulon disappeared around the corner and released a breath, letting my shoulders privacy he'd left behind.
"That went better than I expected," I muttered quietly. I'd expected to earn some brownie points with the Generals, but I hadn't imagined that the Fire Lord himself would demand my continued presence in the war council.
On top of that, I was being ordered to shadow General Hao, which would doubtlessly present even more opportunities to steer the war in the right direction. All these doddering old fools were so obsessed with maintaining their "honor" that the notion of gaining victory over the other nation in any real amount of time was almost laughable. The war had already been raging for a hundred years. I didn't intend to die of old age under siege.
I turned, intending to return to my room and compose a letter to General Hao, when I caught sight of a shock of black hair fleeing down a nearby corridor. Frowning, I hurried closer, already having an idea of what I was going to find.
As I expected, I found none other than Azula leaning against the wall, pretending as if she hadn't been eavesdropping. I raised an eyebrow at her, and she immediately gave up the game, adopting a more curious expression on her face.
"Good evening, Sister," she said politely. "I didn't realize that our grandfather was in the habit of allowing children into the war room."
There was a hint of jealousy behind her voice. Azula did not care for the idea that I had been chosen for the honor above her.
"I was called on to discuss a strategy that I proposed to General Hao last night," I explained. "Grandfather wanted to hear my thoughts from my own mouth, and now it seems he wants me to be present for future meetings.."
Azula frowned, watching me as I walked past her. "Are you sure it's a good idea to be cozying up to grandfather of all people? It's not like he's going to be around for much longer. I doubt he'll make it to the end of our siege of Ba Sing Se with how old he's getting." she smirked. "And then it will be father you have to please. Uncle will be too busy with the war to entertain you once he becomes Fire Lord."
Azula was incredibly smart for her age, but she was still a child, and it was moments like these that reminded me of that. In her eyes, I had made a play for Azulon's favoritism and had become an enemy. She was trying to scare me with the idea of Ozai's wrath, like a toddler threatening to tattle.
"I'll leave the honor of pleasing father up to you, Azula," I said as I strode down the hall. "I have more important things to do."
"You and Zuzu need to figure out your priorities," she huffed as she walked alongside me. She looked me up and down, her scowl softening a bit. "At least you're not as bad as him. He'd prefer to play with the turtle-ducks instead of working on his atrocious firebending. At this rate, he's never going to amount to anything."
"Don't let Ursa hear you say that," I said idly, though I privately agreed. Zuko was practically attached to Ursa's bosom despite his age, and the woman had done little to break him of his gentler habits.
Azula's expression shifted into a slight scowl and she glared out of the nearby window. "Mother doesn't listen to anything I say anyway. She's too busy doting on Zuzu to notice anything else."
She tried to come across as uncaring, but it was impossible to hide the note of hurt hidden deep in the back of her voice. If ever there was a dysfunctional family relationship, it was one the one between Ursa and her youngest. I probably should have said something, but I was not a therapist. The moment passed, and Azula's face smoothed into her usual smirk.
She glanced at me. "Anyway, I have a lesson to attend. You should make sure to keep up with your practice too. Your firebending isn't as bad as Zuko's, but it could definitely use some improvement."
"I'll take that into consideration."
She nodded primly. "Make sure you do. I want to have at least one useful sibling."
With that, she marched down a nearby hall. I watched her go with some amusement, before turning and continuing on my own way. I still had a letter to write and the day was not getting any younger.
Perhaps a year after my admittance to the war room, our family was struck with an unforeseen tragedy. It was a day like any other when the message arrived, informing us that Prince Lu Ten, son of Crown Prince Iroh and my cousin, had been slain in the siege of Ba Sing Se.
It was a somber day. The death of a member of the Royal Family was a cause for mourning, and mourn Caldera did. There was a procession, though Lu Ten's body was cremated long before, and nearly every soul in the city attended his wake. It was the expected reaction to such an event.
What was not expected was that the siege of our most stout enemy was put on hold for the event while we were winning. And that, in a frankly baffling turn of events, we would withdraw from the territory entirely, right on the brink of victory.
The Dragon of The West lost his fangs that day, and the Hundred Year War raged on, much to my chagrin. If we had managed to capture Ba Sing Se, it would have been an incredible victory for the Fire Nation. It would have emboldened our forces and bolstered the patriotic spirit in the mainland, leading to a boom in enlistment across the board. It was entirely possible we could have ridden the wave of that through the rest of the Earth Kingdom and then to the Northern Water Tribe's front doorstep. In a few short years, the Hundred Year War could have been over.
But alas, human sentimentality won the day again, it seemed. And now I had even more work to do if I wanted this war to end in any reasonable amount of time.
Late evenings became normal as my work chained me to my desk well past dusk. It was as though I was in the Empire once again, drafting plans and private correspondences. The chair was much nicer, though, which was probably the only silver-lining considering that coffee simply didn't exist on this planet. Tea was a poor substitute, but I learned to stomach it out of necessity if nothing else.
It was during one of these sleepless nights that the door to my room creaked open silently and a figure slipped into the darkened room. The candle on my desk flickered as careful footsteps sounded behind me.
Laying the final stroke of ink on the paper, I moved it to the side to begin on the next while it dried. I didn't turn as I said, "I hope you're not here to scold me about staying up past my bedtime."
The figure behind me stiffened, their footsteps stuttering to a halt. "I didn't expect you to be awake."
I paused mid-stroke at the sound of the voice. It was rough and wet, a far-cry from the composed sonnet that I was used to hearing. After a moment, I dipped my brush back into the inkwell. "I could say the same to you, Mother. It's well past midnight."
She didn't respond. I rolled my brush across the page, the ink seeping into the parchment and spreading through the fibers, a stark black on tinted yellow. The candle flickered as Ursa sighed.
"Tanya, do you remember what I used to do when you were little? When I'd come to check on you at night?"
I did, though the memories were hazy and tinted by the addled mind of an infant. Ursa had been a constant presence in those early days, checking on me, ensuring I was fed, humming me to sleep. It had been an odd experience, being cared for in such a way. I had no such memories in my first life, and the second... Well, the one quiet child among dozens rarely got special attention.
"I remember how you'd tuck me in," I answered. "I believe you'd even read to me to help me fall back asleep if you woke me up."
"Yes." Her voice caught for just an instant before she steadied it. "I'd always tell you how much I love you. Because I do, Tanya. I love you so very much."
I hummed noncommittally, still not looking up from my work, though my brow furrowed at her words. What was this?
"You've always been so mature for your age," she continued. "More than any child should have to be. And I'm sorry that it had to be like this, but I need you to keep being that way for your brother and sister."
My brush paused on the page. Ah, so that's how it is.
I set my brush down and turned to face her for the first time. Ursa stood in the half-light, dressed in simple robes. Her eyes were red-rimmed, her hands clasped in front of her. There was a resignation on her face, hidden behind layers of grief. She had done something, or was about to do something, and I knew from the look in her eyes that she would not be around for much longer.
"Please take care of them," she pleaded, her eyes glistening in the flickering candlelight. "I fear what will become of them if you don't."
I studied her for a long moment, then turned back to my desk. "I'll do what I can. They're my siblings, so it's only natural that I look after them."
Ursa let out a breath that shuddered on the way out. "Thank you, Tanya. You don't know how much that means to me."
I nodded as I picked up my brush once more. "One more thing, Mother."
"Yes? What is it?"
"I'm sure you've already talked to Zuko, but you should visit Azula before you go as well."
The silence that followed was telling.
"Azula is... strong. She'll be fine without me here."
I stared at the half-formed character on the page, watching the firelight dance over the ink. Well, that told me all I needed to know.
"I see," I said simply, dipping my brush back into the inkwell as the heat dried it out. "Well. You do what you think is best."
"I will. I...." She took a shaky breath, creeping toward the door. "You're such a good big sister, Tanya. I love you. No matter what happens, remember that."
"Mm."
As the door creaked shut behind her, I set my brush down and stared at the candle flame. It danced in the stillness of the room, casting shadows that writhed against the walls like living things.
As I looked inward, I found that I had no strong feelings about what had just occurred. It was quite callous to think, but for all that Ursa had been a good mother to Zuko, she was barely present in my memories of this life. Certainly, there were times I felt warmth at the thought of her, but I had never been one for sentimentality, and my success in this life did not hinge on forming bonds with a woman so keen on playing favorites. If anything, her absence would make things a bit simpler.
And yet, it would make things more difficult in some regards. Azula, for all her posturing. was still a child who wanted her mother to look at her the way she looked at Zuko. Ursa's departure would leave a wound that would fester and exacerbate the tendencies Azula was already beginning to show.
I sighed, pulling the finished page aside and reaching for a fresh one. There was nothing I could do about it now.
Get chapters to this fic early at Sadguychet | Patreon! Chapter 7 has been posted!
WeissSaber
Versed in the lewd.
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Well damn, I'm curious about how Tanya and Azula's relationship will develop from this and how Azula maybe different from it
NerdLord
Getting out there.
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Does it actual ruin your immersion in the story that much to have an out of place name??? Because that seems like way to much wasted emotion over a very minor thing.See? At least the authors that did it made an effort to localized her name to have her blend in more with the setting!
Here, it's just a lazy copy-paste without any regard whether it fits or not!
All for the sake of dumb character recognition for a dumb audience.
wtdtd
Not too sore, are you?
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Dumb audience here, i prefer no change Tanya to an original name. Yes, a somewhat stylized Tanya would be best, but if the choice is between no change Tanya and an completely original name, no Change wins out every time. At least that way i know who is who.See? At least the authors that did it made an effort to localized her name to have her blend in more with the setting!
Here, it's just a lazy copy-paste without any regard whether it fits or not!
All for the sake of dumb character recognition for a dumb audience.
Seprith Li Castia
Your first time is always over so quickly, isn't it?
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Now we have reached the "Ursa makes things worse" portion of canon. The Fire Lord is dead, Long Live the Fire Lord!
Any efforts of Tanya's to handle the war effort will be severely limited by Ozai's abject incompetence, and that is not even touch on the magic-but-not insanity that is the Avatar. Honestly, at a certain point she might have to pivot to a controlled demolition coup.
Any efforts of Tanya's to handle the war effort will be severely limited by Ozai's abject incompetence, and that is not even touch on the magic-but-not insanity that is the Avatar. Honestly, at a certain point she might have to pivot to a controlled demolition coup.
Chapter 3
New
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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There wasn't a damn thing that could make guard duty actually exciting. Private Juzo cracked a heavy yawn, leaning on the edge of his spear as he stared out over the vast waters of the Mia Ting sea, keeping vigilant for Earth Kingdom ships that were surely just over the horizon.
"Any day now, right?" He glanced towards his fellow lookout, Yun. The other man snorted, looking about as bored and miserable as he felt.
They both knew that it was bullshit. Their job could have been performed by a scarecrow if it came down to it. Nothing was going to happen all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. This town was so deep into the Fire Nation's claimed territory that it'd be suicide for anyone to attack it, even from the sea.
Which means long days watching the ocean and waiting for nothing to happen. Juzo sighed and shifted his weight to take the ache off of his feet. He needed new boots. Maybe if he filled he form in now, they'd get here before winter.
"Hey, Juzo. Check it out."
"Hm?" Juzo turned. "What is—"
A ship crested the waves on the horizon. It was a warship, bigger than any he'd ever seen. It was painted in the colors of the fire Nation, but the head was a spike of painted red and bright gold, arcing towards the sky in defiance.
"That's one of ours, right?" Juzo asked, watching as it rolled across the waves towards them. He'd never seen a ship like that before.
"Wait…" Yun leaned forward, eyes squinting. "That's… that's a royal sloop! That's one of the ships the Fire Lord's family uses to get around!"
Juzo's stomach did a little flip. Why would a royal ship be here of all places? This post wasn't that important.
"Are you sure?"
"Am I-yes, I'm sure!" Yun straightened. "Go get the commander. They're probably here for him anyway."
Juzo was already halfway into the base before the command left his friend's lips. He didn't have to be told twice. He was eager for this to be someone else's problem.
The dock seemed to be populated by the entire base by the time the sloop anchored itself. Juzo was above the procession, and had a great view of his commander sweating in his armor as the gangplank lowered into the dock.
A pair of soldiers walked down the gangplank and onto the dock. Their armor was unlike anything Juzo had ever seen, red as blood with golden trim, as if they were royal themselves. They sported white masks, meaning they were firebenders. Though Juzo knew at a glance that they weren't anything like the rest of the firebenders on base.
Another head crested the edge of the sloop, and Juzo had to blink to make sure he was really seeing what he was seeing.
It was said that members of the royal family were blessed by Agni himself. Legends said that the great spirit granted one of their own special attention centuries ago, and that blessing had trickled down through the generations. Juzo wasn't sure he believed in Agni—hell, he barely believed in spirits at all. But he might just start believing today.
Her hair looked like it was cast in molten gold, glowing in the sun. He thought it was a helmet or some kind of headdress at first, but then the wind picked up and he realized that he was mistaken. Eyes brighter than the ocean the ship sailed in on scanned the procession before then. Though the girl looked barely out of her teens, her very bearing commanded the respect of a general. This was no ordinary child, that was for certain.
Commander Hayashi was practically quaking in his boots as the princess (because who else could it have been?) descended onto the deck. Her high-collared tunic shone with the resplendent gold silks of Fire Nation royalty, buried between black and crimson as it was, and her royal hairpin glinted within strands of gold, denoting her station and the privilege provided by it.
Hayashi bowed at the waist as she approached alongside two more imperial firebenders. This high up, Juzo could just hear the conversation over the waves:
"Princess Tanya. It is an honor to have someone of your station visit our humble outpost. I… must say though, this visit is quite unexpected."
"I'm sure it is, Commander."
There was a pause. Hayashi cleared his throat, seeming a bit more nervous than before. "M-May I show you around? The amenities aren't quite up to royal place standard, but I can assure you that—"
"I'm not here for a tour; this is a business trip. We will speak in your office. Now."
Even from so high up, Juzo could see Hayashi pale. "I… of course. Right this way, Princess."
"The rest of you, back to your stations," Princess Tanya called to the gathered soldiers, before following after the commander with the rest of her contingent.
As they disappeared into the heart of the base, everyone slowly drifted off to go back to what they were doing. Juzo lagged behind a bit to watch Princess Tanya leave, before turning away.
"Wonder what that was about," Yun said as he returned to his post. Juzo shrugged, leaning his spear against the wall as he performed his solemn duty of keeping an eye on the boring sea.
"No clue. But whatever it is, I have a feeling the commander is in for it."
Yun chuckled. "Makes you kinda want to be there for whatever he's going through, doesn't it? Hey, didn't Lee say he wanted someone to take his cleaning shift?"
"Which one?"
"The one who didn't get deployed last week, smart guy. He's in charge of the upper halls this week. That's right by the commander's office."
Juzo nodded slowly. Cleaning that side of the base was a pain in the ass because Commander Hayashi didn't like the noise. If he was getting chewed out right now…
"...I think I'm gonna go talk to him."
"Let me know what you see," Yun called as he left.
A short while later, Juzo had traded his spear for a mop and was slowly but steadily making his way through the hall. As he neared the commander's office, the sound of shouting reached his ears.
"—took it upon yourself…ezzle and…office."
"I don't …alking about! Princess …ssure you I would never…"
Juzo grew closer, carefully minding the royal guards standing outside the office in constant vigil. They glanced at him but didn't warn him away. Still, he made sure not to get too close as he perked his ears towards the door.
"—explain why three hundred gold pieces earmarked for the colonies' supply have vanished from your ledger, Commander."
Juzo nearly dropped the mop in shock. Three hundred gold pieces!? He'd be lucky to see that much in his lifetime.
"Y-you don't understand, Princess! The colonial accounts are… complicated! Supply lines, local contractors, these things can rack up quite the fee, you see. Why, the cost of maintaining the garrison alone is—"
"I'm not in the mood for your excuses. Guards."
"N-no, please!"
Juzo jumped as the door crashed open with a resounding bang. He turned as two of the royal guards dragged Commander Hayashi out into the hall by his arms
The man's face was a mess of tears and snot, as he blubbered like a baby. "Please, Princess! I beg you! I can explain everything!"
"There is nothing to explain." Juzo turned as the princess emerged after him, her expression set in a deep frown that seemed almost unnatural on such a young face. "Embezzlement is a serious crime and the facts do not lie. You're in for quite the punishment when we return to the mainland, Commander."
"No! Please!"
Juzo pressed himself against the wall as the royal guards passed him by. As Princess Tanya strode last, she paused, her eyes sliding to him. They were blue, he noted. He'd never seen that shade before.
She scrutinized him for a single moment, and yet it felt like an eternity to Juzo. There was something about her look that stuck him in place, as if he were being judged by some higher power.
"G-good evening, Princess!" He stammered, and immediately wondered why he didn't keep his mouth shut.
One golden brow arched towards the ceiling. "Indeed," she said, before nodding to his right. "You missed a spot."
Juzo blinked, then looked to his right. A small puddle of dirty water had pooled against the baseboard where his mop had missed.
"R-right! Sorry!" He scrambled to dab at it with the mop head and only succeeded in spreading it a bit.
After a little bit of working at it, he finally had it cleaned up. Sighing in relief, he looked up only to watch the princess turn the corner a good distance away.
He watched her go, then glanced back to the office door that had been left open after Hayashi had been dragged out. He eyed it for a moment, then shook his head.
"Maybe boring is better." He decided, dragging his mop across the floor.
"Six long days at sea, just to arrest one man," I muttered as I strode through the open courtyard of the palace. The sun was beginning to make its lazy descent in the sky, casting long shadows across the carefully cut stone even as I dirtied them with my boots. I turned my eyes up to the sky, watching clouds drift listlessly across my vision, and sighed. "What errand will you have me run next, Ozai? It's not as if I don't have more important things to do here in Caldera."
Such as winning his war for him. I heaved another, heavier sigh, wondering what I could have missed in the week that I was away. Surely they couldn't have screwed up my hard work already? Right?
"I'll need to speak to General Hao to see what I've missed," I said aloud as I walked into the palace proper.
To my surprise, someone was there to meet me. Or at least, we seemed to run into each other at the right moment. Azula had no way of knowing I was on my way home and the girl seemed as surprised to see me as I was to see her in the moment. After a second, her expression smoothed out into her usual calm. One arched brow rose.
"Back already, sister?" Azula asked, wiping a strand of hair from her face. I noticed that her neck and forehead were shining with sweat. She must have been training quite intensely for her appearance to be so disheveled.
If there was one thing that set Azula apart from either Zuko or me, it was the sheer zeal with which she pursued her own firebending abilities. It had been apparent since we were children that the youngest of us was also the most prodigious in that regard, but Azula had taken that notion and run with it since Ursa disappeared in the dead of night. Most hours of the day were spent training in the effort of attaining Ozai's approval. I would commend her, had the man's praise not reinforced the worst traits the burgeoning sociopath already exhibited.
"How was your trip to the colonies? I assume they are still as rundown and hovel-esque as ever?"
"You would be mostly right." I nodded as I passed my sister by. Azula turned to join me, apparently deciding that my experience was more interesting than what she was doing. "The base I happened to visit was poorly staffed and even more poorly maintained. Though, I can't say that was their fault. Their commander was embezzling quite a large sum from their monthly stipend."
Azula's eyes glittered with fascination. She was rarely involved with affairs like this, but I felt there was no harm sharing. "Is that so? Did that fool think that we wouldn't notice?"
"Considering he'd been doing it for almost a year by the time he was caught, I'd say he was right." The only reason we'd noticed was due to a particularly neurotic governor wondering why the contractors for his mansion couldn't get the proper supplies. That said supplies weren't supposed to come from the nation's coffers didn't seem to occur to him at all.
"He probably thought he could hide from attention thanks to the war." Azula's lips curled in an expression of childish excitement. "So, are you going to have him executed?"
Raising a brow at my sister's excitement, I shook my head. "It's not up for me to decide. He'll be brought before Ozai to stand trial, and I'll present the evidence I've gathered. Then, we'll figure out what is going to be done to him."
Azula laughed. "So he's doomed, then. Father isn't going to let a thief get away with stealing from our nation, commander or no."
She was right. If there was anything that Fire Lord Ozai didn't stand for, it was traitors to the nation. Though I didn't quite expect a public execution, I wouldn't be surprised if I heard reports of his prison carriage "mysteriously" disappearing some distance from the capitol. His body would probably be recovered only a few weeks from now and it would be chalked up to some unfortunate accident or an escape attempt gone wrong.
As Azula and I turned a corner, we happened to run into someone in particular. General Hao blinked down at us from his rather intimidating height, before a grin caressed his grey beard.
"Princesses, good afternoon." He bowed low, rising with a smile. "Tanya, it is good to see that you've returned home safe and sound."
"The ocean was a bit turbulent, but no more than usual." I eyed the scrolls filling the old man's hands. "Are you on business? What could you possibly need all of those missives for?"
Hao looked down at his full arms and then back to me. "Ah, a war council is convening this evening so I'm simply getting my affairs in order. You returned just in time; I was wondering if your business would have you missing it. We're set to go over the forward march towards the heart of the Earth Kingdom. Our commanders are growing restless."
"They'll learn. Wars aren't won on speed alone."
Hao chuckled. "The very fact that you've learned that at your age speaks volumes of you. That I didn't have to pound it into your head is even better." He hefted his armload. "Now, I must be going before these tired arms give out. I'll see you this evening?"
I nodded and Hao stepped past us. Azula watched him go, a frown on her face that she quickly turned towards me. "He's quite familiar with you."
"I've been studying under General Hao since before Azulon passed. He was the one who taught me most of what I know today." I lied. I gestured and we began walking again. "I'd consider him a friend, or at the very least, an equal."
Azula turned her nose up, scoffing at the very notion. "We're princesses, Tanya. Our only equals are those within our family, assuming you don't count the ones who are borderline senile."
We passed by the war room. Two royal guards were already standing watch, and both saluted us as we walked past. Azula gave me a smug look, gesturing as if to say "see?"
I ignored the gesture. My sister still had quite a bit to learn about the delicate intricacies of a royal court. Even I could barely wrap my head around the ties of authority within the Fire Nation royal palace, though I admittedly tried to give it as little thought as I possibly could to save myself the headache.
"Speaking of which, where is Iroh? His letter said he'd be in town this month."
Azula's expression soured at the mention of our uncle. "He's probably drinking tea with Zuzu. You know how the two of them like to waste time sitting around instead of doing anything productive."
I was as unsurprised by the jealousy in my sister's voice as I was by my uncle wasting his day away. Iroh had spent years wandering around like a leper after his disgraceful abandonment of the siege of Ba Sing Se. Lu Ten's death had clearly afflicted the man with more than just a bad case of heartache. That he hadn't just disappeared into the vast forests of the Earth Kingdom never to be heard from again was about the only surprise the man was capable of these days.
It was almost a shame that I needed to pick his brain about something important, but I could stave off his anecdotes for a few hours at least. Days at sea had scrubbed my skin raw and I could still smell salt. I needed a bath more capable of scrubbing away the journey than what I had on my ship.
"I'll find him before the council, I suppose," I decided.
"I don't know why you waste your time with that old fuddy duddy." Azula huffed as we neared her chambers.
"Old or not, he was still a great general at one point. He has some valuable insights into the Earth Kingdom's ways once you get past all the… excentricities."
"I prefer senility, but that's one word for it." Azula muttered. We came to my room and she straightened, watching as I pushed the door open. I could sense that she wanted to say something and so paused at the threshold, waiting. After a moment, Azula said, "You'll be at dinner?"
"If my schedule allows for it."
"Be there." Azula commanded, using the same tone that she tended to employ on servants or those friends of hers. She seemed to think better of her tone as I turned to her, saying, "I was by the kitchens earlier and the chefs said we're having roast turtle-duck tonight. I remember that's your favorite."
It was. Two years ago. I found myself a bit more partial to red meats and fish these days. But I didn't say that, instead giving my sister a scrutinizing look. After a moment, I nodded slowly. "I'll see about clearing my schedule."
Azula's face lightened a tad, and she nodded. "Good. See that you do. I want to hear all about how you made that commander quake in his boots."
"You're assuming he was scared of me."
"He'd have to be the biggest idiot in all of the nations not to be," Azula sniffed, turning away. "I'll see you at dinner, sister."
After a thorough bath and pampering by my personal servants, I found myself with just enough time to make it to the war council. A life of luxury made time management much easier. And my skin had never been softer in all of my lives.
As I approached the war room, the warmth that had been buzzing in my stomach died a bit as I was met with a curious sight. My uncle, Iroh, was standing just at the cusp of the entrance. By his side, adorned in full regalia as if he was ready to attend court, was my other sibling, Zuko. The boy was sporting a look that was equal parts nervous and excited. Frowning, I made my way over.
"Good evening, Uncle." Iroh turned to me as I announced my arrival, his tense expression lightening a tad at the sight of me. I nodded to his hanger-on. "Zuko. I assumed you'd still be attending lessons at this hour. What are you doing here?"
Zuko seemed to draw himself up a bit as I approached. "I'm here to attend the war council."
I paused, glancing at Iroh who looked a bit guilty. When I looked back to my brother, Zuko was watching me with narrowed eyes. Regardless, I asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Iroh went to speak but Zuko stepped forward, a small scowl on his face. "I'm older than you, Tanya. There's no reason why father should allow you to attend the war council and not me."
There were several, actually, but I felt that listing them would do very little but make my brother angrier. My and Zuko's relationship was… tense. Ursa's departure had left its mark on the boy, and he did not take kindly to the fact that the one parent he had left seemed to prefer both of his little sisters over him. Azula had somewhat mellowed out, at least as far as her jealousy was concerned. Zuko was much the opposite.
The war room was not a place for feelings. If Zuko got it in his mind that this was the way to earn Ozai's favor, he was sorely mistaken. And I feared he had, and that he was.
I turned to Iroh. "This is a mistake."
While Zuko's scowl deepened, Iroh gave me a placating gesture. "He'll be perfectly well-behaved, I assure you. As Crown Prince, he needs to learn of these matters sooner rather than later. Besides, you were much younger than him during your first council."
I wanted to argue that point, but it wasn't as if I could reveal the truth, so instead I just sighed, gripping the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. My authority over this matter was practically nonexistent, so I had no choice but to acquiesce, no matter how bad of an idea I thought it was.
Iroh noticed me give in and his smile widened. He reached forward, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Things will be fine, Tanya. Zuko is mature enough to handle these matters."
"You'll find that your opinion in that regard means very little to me, Uncle." I brushed his hand off and turned to Zuko. "You will be sitting beside me."
"But—"
"That is non-negotiable, Zuko. You have no idea what you're walking into, and I doubt Iroh's gentle hand has done much to prepare you for the games these old men tend to play." I gave Iroh a sharp glance. "If I need to stop you from doing something foolish, I can't have you all the way across the table."
"You can't tell me what to do." Zuko protested, but Iroh's hand on his shoulder stalled any further argument.
"Perhaps it's best to listen to her, Zuko. I worry your heart may be a bit too soft for the conversations ahead."
Zuko stared at him in shock. "But Uncle!"
I nodded, glad the man had seen some sense. I glanced at the window. The sun had almost fallen below the palace walls, meaning the session was due to begin any time now. "If we're going to do this, let's go. We don't have time to waste arguing in the hall."
I turned and moved towards the war room. Hushed whispers came from behind me, before two sets of footsteps followed closely behind me.
Hopefully, I can stop him from doing something foolish, I thought as I swept into the most dangerous room in the palace.
"Any day now, right?" He glanced towards his fellow lookout, Yun. The other man snorted, looking about as bored and miserable as he felt.
They both knew that it was bullshit. Their job could have been performed by a scarecrow if it came down to it. Nothing was going to happen all the way out here in the middle of nowhere. This town was so deep into the Fire Nation's claimed territory that it'd be suicide for anyone to attack it, even from the sea.
Which means long days watching the ocean and waiting for nothing to happen. Juzo sighed and shifted his weight to take the ache off of his feet. He needed new boots. Maybe if he filled he form in now, they'd get here before winter.
"Hey, Juzo. Check it out."
"Hm?" Juzo turned. "What is—"
A ship crested the waves on the horizon. It was a warship, bigger than any he'd ever seen. It was painted in the colors of the fire Nation, but the head was a spike of painted red and bright gold, arcing towards the sky in defiance.
"That's one of ours, right?" Juzo asked, watching as it rolled across the waves towards them. He'd never seen a ship like that before.
"Wait…" Yun leaned forward, eyes squinting. "That's… that's a royal sloop! That's one of the ships the Fire Lord's family uses to get around!"
Juzo's stomach did a little flip. Why would a royal ship be here of all places? This post wasn't that important.
"Are you sure?"
"Am I-yes, I'm sure!" Yun straightened. "Go get the commander. They're probably here for him anyway."
Juzo was already halfway into the base before the command left his friend's lips. He didn't have to be told twice. He was eager for this to be someone else's problem.
The dock seemed to be populated by the entire base by the time the sloop anchored itself. Juzo was above the procession, and had a great view of his commander sweating in his armor as the gangplank lowered into the dock.
A pair of soldiers walked down the gangplank and onto the dock. Their armor was unlike anything Juzo had ever seen, red as blood with golden trim, as if they were royal themselves. They sported white masks, meaning they were firebenders. Though Juzo knew at a glance that they weren't anything like the rest of the firebenders on base.
Another head crested the edge of the sloop, and Juzo had to blink to make sure he was really seeing what he was seeing.
It was said that members of the royal family were blessed by Agni himself. Legends said that the great spirit granted one of their own special attention centuries ago, and that blessing had trickled down through the generations. Juzo wasn't sure he believed in Agni—hell, he barely believed in spirits at all. But he might just start believing today.
Her hair looked like it was cast in molten gold, glowing in the sun. He thought it was a helmet or some kind of headdress at first, but then the wind picked up and he realized that he was mistaken. Eyes brighter than the ocean the ship sailed in on scanned the procession before then. Though the girl looked barely out of her teens, her very bearing commanded the respect of a general. This was no ordinary child, that was for certain.
Commander Hayashi was practically quaking in his boots as the princess (because who else could it have been?) descended onto the deck. Her high-collared tunic shone with the resplendent gold silks of Fire Nation royalty, buried between black and crimson as it was, and her royal hairpin glinted within strands of gold, denoting her station and the privilege provided by it.
Hayashi bowed at the waist as she approached alongside two more imperial firebenders. This high up, Juzo could just hear the conversation over the waves:
"Princess Tanya. It is an honor to have someone of your station visit our humble outpost. I… must say though, this visit is quite unexpected."
"I'm sure it is, Commander."
There was a pause. Hayashi cleared his throat, seeming a bit more nervous than before. "M-May I show you around? The amenities aren't quite up to royal place standard, but I can assure you that—"
"I'm not here for a tour; this is a business trip. We will speak in your office. Now."
Even from so high up, Juzo could see Hayashi pale. "I… of course. Right this way, Princess."
"The rest of you, back to your stations," Princess Tanya called to the gathered soldiers, before following after the commander with the rest of her contingent.
As they disappeared into the heart of the base, everyone slowly drifted off to go back to what they were doing. Juzo lagged behind a bit to watch Princess Tanya leave, before turning away.
"Wonder what that was about," Yun said as he returned to his post. Juzo shrugged, leaning his spear against the wall as he performed his solemn duty of keeping an eye on the boring sea.
"No clue. But whatever it is, I have a feeling the commander is in for it."
Yun chuckled. "Makes you kinda want to be there for whatever he's going through, doesn't it? Hey, didn't Lee say he wanted someone to take his cleaning shift?"
"Which one?"
"The one who didn't get deployed last week, smart guy. He's in charge of the upper halls this week. That's right by the commander's office."
Juzo nodded slowly. Cleaning that side of the base was a pain in the ass because Commander Hayashi didn't like the noise. If he was getting chewed out right now…
"...I think I'm gonna go talk to him."
"Let me know what you see," Yun called as he left.
A short while later, Juzo had traded his spear for a mop and was slowly but steadily making his way through the hall. As he neared the commander's office, the sound of shouting reached his ears.
"—took it upon yourself…ezzle and…office."
"I don't …alking about! Princess …ssure you I would never…"
Juzo grew closer, carefully minding the royal guards standing outside the office in constant vigil. They glanced at him but didn't warn him away. Still, he made sure not to get too close as he perked his ears towards the door.
"—explain why three hundred gold pieces earmarked for the colonies' supply have vanished from your ledger, Commander."
Juzo nearly dropped the mop in shock. Three hundred gold pieces!? He'd be lucky to see that much in his lifetime.
"Y-you don't understand, Princess! The colonial accounts are… complicated! Supply lines, local contractors, these things can rack up quite the fee, you see. Why, the cost of maintaining the garrison alone is—"
"I'm not in the mood for your excuses. Guards."
"N-no, please!"
Juzo jumped as the door crashed open with a resounding bang. He turned as two of the royal guards dragged Commander Hayashi out into the hall by his arms
The man's face was a mess of tears and snot, as he blubbered like a baby. "Please, Princess! I beg you! I can explain everything!"
"There is nothing to explain." Juzo turned as the princess emerged after him, her expression set in a deep frown that seemed almost unnatural on such a young face. "Embezzlement is a serious crime and the facts do not lie. You're in for quite the punishment when we return to the mainland, Commander."
"No! Please!"
Juzo pressed himself against the wall as the royal guards passed him by. As Princess Tanya strode last, she paused, her eyes sliding to him. They were blue, he noted. He'd never seen that shade before.
She scrutinized him for a single moment, and yet it felt like an eternity to Juzo. There was something about her look that stuck him in place, as if he were being judged by some higher power.
"G-good evening, Princess!" He stammered, and immediately wondered why he didn't keep his mouth shut.
One golden brow arched towards the ceiling. "Indeed," she said, before nodding to his right. "You missed a spot."
Juzo blinked, then looked to his right. A small puddle of dirty water had pooled against the baseboard where his mop had missed.
"R-right! Sorry!" He scrambled to dab at it with the mop head and only succeeded in spreading it a bit.
After a little bit of working at it, he finally had it cleaned up. Sighing in relief, he looked up only to watch the princess turn the corner a good distance away.
He watched her go, then glanced back to the office door that had been left open after Hayashi had been dragged out. He eyed it for a moment, then shook his head.
"Maybe boring is better." He decided, dragging his mop across the floor.
"Six long days at sea, just to arrest one man," I muttered as I strode through the open courtyard of the palace. The sun was beginning to make its lazy descent in the sky, casting long shadows across the carefully cut stone even as I dirtied them with my boots. I turned my eyes up to the sky, watching clouds drift listlessly across my vision, and sighed. "What errand will you have me run next, Ozai? It's not as if I don't have more important things to do here in Caldera."
Such as winning his war for him. I heaved another, heavier sigh, wondering what I could have missed in the week that I was away. Surely they couldn't have screwed up my hard work already? Right?
"I'll need to speak to General Hao to see what I've missed," I said aloud as I walked into the palace proper.
To my surprise, someone was there to meet me. Or at least, we seemed to run into each other at the right moment. Azula had no way of knowing I was on my way home and the girl seemed as surprised to see me as I was to see her in the moment. After a second, her expression smoothed out into her usual calm. One arched brow rose.
"Back already, sister?" Azula asked, wiping a strand of hair from her face. I noticed that her neck and forehead were shining with sweat. She must have been training quite intensely for her appearance to be so disheveled.
If there was one thing that set Azula apart from either Zuko or me, it was the sheer zeal with which she pursued her own firebending abilities. It had been apparent since we were children that the youngest of us was also the most prodigious in that regard, but Azula had taken that notion and run with it since Ursa disappeared in the dead of night. Most hours of the day were spent training in the effort of attaining Ozai's approval. I would commend her, had the man's praise not reinforced the worst traits the burgeoning sociopath already exhibited.
"How was your trip to the colonies? I assume they are still as rundown and hovel-esque as ever?"
"You would be mostly right." I nodded as I passed my sister by. Azula turned to join me, apparently deciding that my experience was more interesting than what she was doing. "The base I happened to visit was poorly staffed and even more poorly maintained. Though, I can't say that was their fault. Their commander was embezzling quite a large sum from their monthly stipend."
Azula's eyes glittered with fascination. She was rarely involved with affairs like this, but I felt there was no harm sharing. "Is that so? Did that fool think that we wouldn't notice?"
"Considering he'd been doing it for almost a year by the time he was caught, I'd say he was right." The only reason we'd noticed was due to a particularly neurotic governor wondering why the contractors for his mansion couldn't get the proper supplies. That said supplies weren't supposed to come from the nation's coffers didn't seem to occur to him at all.
"He probably thought he could hide from attention thanks to the war." Azula's lips curled in an expression of childish excitement. "So, are you going to have him executed?"
Raising a brow at my sister's excitement, I shook my head. "It's not up for me to decide. He'll be brought before Ozai to stand trial, and I'll present the evidence I've gathered. Then, we'll figure out what is going to be done to him."
Azula laughed. "So he's doomed, then. Father isn't going to let a thief get away with stealing from our nation, commander or no."
She was right. If there was anything that Fire Lord Ozai didn't stand for, it was traitors to the nation. Though I didn't quite expect a public execution, I wouldn't be surprised if I heard reports of his prison carriage "mysteriously" disappearing some distance from the capitol. His body would probably be recovered only a few weeks from now and it would be chalked up to some unfortunate accident or an escape attempt gone wrong.
As Azula and I turned a corner, we happened to run into someone in particular. General Hao blinked down at us from his rather intimidating height, before a grin caressed his grey beard.
"Princesses, good afternoon." He bowed low, rising with a smile. "Tanya, it is good to see that you've returned home safe and sound."
"The ocean was a bit turbulent, but no more than usual." I eyed the scrolls filling the old man's hands. "Are you on business? What could you possibly need all of those missives for?"
Hao looked down at his full arms and then back to me. "Ah, a war council is convening this evening so I'm simply getting my affairs in order. You returned just in time; I was wondering if your business would have you missing it. We're set to go over the forward march towards the heart of the Earth Kingdom. Our commanders are growing restless."
"They'll learn. Wars aren't won on speed alone."
Hao chuckled. "The very fact that you've learned that at your age speaks volumes of you. That I didn't have to pound it into your head is even better." He hefted his armload. "Now, I must be going before these tired arms give out. I'll see you this evening?"
I nodded and Hao stepped past us. Azula watched him go, a frown on her face that she quickly turned towards me. "He's quite familiar with you."
"I've been studying under General Hao since before Azulon passed. He was the one who taught me most of what I know today." I lied. I gestured and we began walking again. "I'd consider him a friend, or at the very least, an equal."
Azula turned her nose up, scoffing at the very notion. "We're princesses, Tanya. Our only equals are those within our family, assuming you don't count the ones who are borderline senile."
We passed by the war room. Two royal guards were already standing watch, and both saluted us as we walked past. Azula gave me a smug look, gesturing as if to say "see?"
I ignored the gesture. My sister still had quite a bit to learn about the delicate intricacies of a royal court. Even I could barely wrap my head around the ties of authority within the Fire Nation royal palace, though I admittedly tried to give it as little thought as I possibly could to save myself the headache.
"Speaking of which, where is Iroh? His letter said he'd be in town this month."
Azula's expression soured at the mention of our uncle. "He's probably drinking tea with Zuzu. You know how the two of them like to waste time sitting around instead of doing anything productive."
I was as unsurprised by the jealousy in my sister's voice as I was by my uncle wasting his day away. Iroh had spent years wandering around like a leper after his disgraceful abandonment of the siege of Ba Sing Se. Lu Ten's death had clearly afflicted the man with more than just a bad case of heartache. That he hadn't just disappeared into the vast forests of the Earth Kingdom never to be heard from again was about the only surprise the man was capable of these days.
It was almost a shame that I needed to pick his brain about something important, but I could stave off his anecdotes for a few hours at least. Days at sea had scrubbed my skin raw and I could still smell salt. I needed a bath more capable of scrubbing away the journey than what I had on my ship.
"I'll find him before the council, I suppose," I decided.
"I don't know why you waste your time with that old fuddy duddy." Azula huffed as we neared her chambers.
"Old or not, he was still a great general at one point. He has some valuable insights into the Earth Kingdom's ways once you get past all the… excentricities."
"I prefer senility, but that's one word for it." Azula muttered. We came to my room and she straightened, watching as I pushed the door open. I could sense that she wanted to say something and so paused at the threshold, waiting. After a moment, Azula said, "You'll be at dinner?"
"If my schedule allows for it."
"Be there." Azula commanded, using the same tone that she tended to employ on servants or those friends of hers. She seemed to think better of her tone as I turned to her, saying, "I was by the kitchens earlier and the chefs said we're having roast turtle-duck tonight. I remember that's your favorite."
It was. Two years ago. I found myself a bit more partial to red meats and fish these days. But I didn't say that, instead giving my sister a scrutinizing look. After a moment, I nodded slowly. "I'll see about clearing my schedule."
Azula's face lightened a tad, and she nodded. "Good. See that you do. I want to hear all about how you made that commander quake in his boots."
"You're assuming he was scared of me."
"He'd have to be the biggest idiot in all of the nations not to be," Azula sniffed, turning away. "I'll see you at dinner, sister."
After a thorough bath and pampering by my personal servants, I found myself with just enough time to make it to the war council. A life of luxury made time management much easier. And my skin had never been softer in all of my lives.
As I approached the war room, the warmth that had been buzzing in my stomach died a bit as I was met with a curious sight. My uncle, Iroh, was standing just at the cusp of the entrance. By his side, adorned in full regalia as if he was ready to attend court, was my other sibling, Zuko. The boy was sporting a look that was equal parts nervous and excited. Frowning, I made my way over.
"Good evening, Uncle." Iroh turned to me as I announced my arrival, his tense expression lightening a tad at the sight of me. I nodded to his hanger-on. "Zuko. I assumed you'd still be attending lessons at this hour. What are you doing here?"
Zuko seemed to draw himself up a bit as I approached. "I'm here to attend the war council."
I paused, glancing at Iroh who looked a bit guilty. When I looked back to my brother, Zuko was watching me with narrowed eyes. Regardless, I asked, "Are you sure that's a good idea?"
Iroh went to speak but Zuko stepped forward, a small scowl on his face. "I'm older than you, Tanya. There's no reason why father should allow you to attend the war council and not me."
There were several, actually, but I felt that listing them would do very little but make my brother angrier. My and Zuko's relationship was… tense. Ursa's departure had left its mark on the boy, and he did not take kindly to the fact that the one parent he had left seemed to prefer both of his little sisters over him. Azula had somewhat mellowed out, at least as far as her jealousy was concerned. Zuko was much the opposite.
The war room was not a place for feelings. If Zuko got it in his mind that this was the way to earn Ozai's favor, he was sorely mistaken. And I feared he had, and that he was.
I turned to Iroh. "This is a mistake."
While Zuko's scowl deepened, Iroh gave me a placating gesture. "He'll be perfectly well-behaved, I assure you. As Crown Prince, he needs to learn of these matters sooner rather than later. Besides, you were much younger than him during your first council."
I wanted to argue that point, but it wasn't as if I could reveal the truth, so instead I just sighed, gripping the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. My authority over this matter was practically nonexistent, so I had no choice but to acquiesce, no matter how bad of an idea I thought it was.
Iroh noticed me give in and his smile widened. He reached forward, placing a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Things will be fine, Tanya. Zuko is mature enough to handle these matters."
"You'll find that your opinion in that regard means very little to me, Uncle." I brushed his hand off and turned to Zuko. "You will be sitting beside me."
"But—"
"That is non-negotiable, Zuko. You have no idea what you're walking into, and I doubt Iroh's gentle hand has done much to prepare you for the games these old men tend to play." I gave Iroh a sharp glance. "If I need to stop you from doing something foolish, I can't have you all the way across the table."
"You can't tell me what to do." Zuko protested, but Iroh's hand on his shoulder stalled any further argument.
"Perhaps it's best to listen to her, Zuko. I worry your heart may be a bit too soft for the conversations ahead."
Zuko stared at him in shock. "But Uncle!"
I nodded, glad the man had seen some sense. I glanced at the window. The sun had almost fallen below the palace walls, meaning the session was due to begin any time now. "If we're going to do this, let's go. We don't have time to waste arguing in the hall."
I turned and moved towards the war room. Hushed whispers came from behind me, before two sets of footsteps followed closely behind me.
Hopefully, I can stop him from doing something foolish, I thought as I swept into the most dangerous room in the palace.
Chapter 4
New
Sadguychet
Just a Sad Guy
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To my pleasant surprise, Zuko managed to play the part of a perfect prince for the assembled council. As the war council dragged on, I noticed that he seemed to be listening with more than half an ear. He was actually paying attention to the proceedings, filling his mind with knowledge of the war effort and the goings on in the Earth Kingdom.
Maybe I had underestimated him. He was older than I was and with Iroh as his mentor, he would have at least some knowledge of how to behave himself.
Whether or not that knowledge would stick as the hours passed remained to be seen.
Since Iroh's change of heart at Omashu, our efforts in wiping away the staunch resistance in the Earth Kingdom had seen middling progress. We weren't stalling, per se, but every inch of ground was hard fought, and holding it was an exercise in and of itself. The people of the Earth Kingdom had grown up under constant threat from the Fire Nation, so there were no small number of rebel cells scattered throughout the colonies that we had to deal with on top of the forward line marching towards the heart of the nation.
I had found myself mostly in charge of such operations, alongside General Hao, of course. As my mentor, it was he who presented my plans to the war council and my father. Though, that was not to say I hadn't earned my own measure of respect. I knew these men and even their families, had shared tea and strategies in the homes of more than a few. Many of them knew that my age was not even a consideration in these halls.
I could not say the same for Zuko, however. I noticed eyes sliding to the young prince more than once. They were wondering what he was doing here, but none of them would dare to voice it out loud.
Minutes turned to hours as we discussed the current state of affairs with our greatest enemy. We'd hit a wall on the western front: battalions headed by a great Earth Kingdom general had turned us away at every point and the whole offensive was beginning to stagger. We couldn't divert attention without weakening other battalions and if we continued forward on other fronts, we risked an attack from behind our own lines.
It was a pretty pickle, and the main topic of today's discussion.
"The largest of the Earth Kingdom's forces are concentrated here," General Bujing used a thin stick to point at a specific place on the map. "They are a dangerous battalion of earthbenders—fierce warriors, one and all. They've managed to stall us for weeks now, and if something doesn't change, they'll continue to do so."
"Could we perhaps tire them out? Strike in other places to deny them the supplies needed to rest?" General Li suggested.
"Most of our forces are concentrated in that area just to keep the stalemate," Hao chimed in. "We don't have the manpower to divert attention like that and we won't until more battalions arrive from the mainland."
"Which is why I suggest a new tactic." Bujing moved a piece on the board. I leaned forward in my seat, my eyes narrowing as the man smirked. "We'll use the forty-first division."
"That division is entirely new recruits." Hao frowned. "How do you expect them to defeat a battalion that's been giving us so much trouble?"
"I don't." Bujing's smirk widened as he moved another piece on the board. "They'll be used as a distraction while we mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait than fresh meat?"
I saw what was coming long before it happened. I heard Zuko inhale, felt his muscles tense in outrage. I turned, grabbing his hand, but by then he was already halfway out of his chair.
"How could you say that!?" He cried. Every single eye in the room turned to him but he seemed completely ignorant of what he had just done as he pointed to Bujing. "Those soldiers love and defend our nation, you can't sacrifice them all just for a chance to attack the enemy!"
Silence followed his proclamation, so intense that I could practically feel it pressing against my skin. Just like the growing heat that was emanating from our father's burning throne.
Idiot I seethed, Absolute, irredeemable idiot.
I had maybe seconds before Ozai's rage made itself known. He wasn't going to let something like this go without punishment, and it would be harsh. Zuko was not Azula, and he was not me. Ozai held no favor for the boy; there was no room to wriggle out of the consequences. Not on his own.
For a single moment, I considered leaving the boy to stew in his foolishness. But the hand against mine was small and sweating and suddenly clenching back just as hard. Zuko seemed to realize he'd made a mistake. If only he'd realized before.
I released my brother's hand, and stood.
"My brother raises a valid concern, though perhaps his delivery leaves something to be desired." I spoke into the silence. As eyes turned to me instead of my brother, I turned and bowed to Bujing. "I apologize for his outburst, General, but I believe you haven't fully considered the ramifications of your proposal."
Bujing regarded me with narrowed eyes. "And how is that, Princess Tanya?"
His tone was displeased, but Ozai's throne simmered instead of flaring. Hopefully I'd be able to soothe flared tempers before they could burn out of control. "I merely ask you to look to the future. Have you considered what will happen after the forty-first is used as bait?"
Bujing frowned. "After?"
"Yes, think about it." I all-but pushed my brother back into a sitting position, taking the attention in his place. "Even in the event that your plan works perfectly, and reinforcements sweep in from the rear to crush the Earth Kingdom forces, what happens when those battalions arrive and find the broken bodies of their comrades scattered across the battlefield."
I gestured to the map. "Moreover, what happens to the survivors of the forty-first once they link back up with their saviors? Many of them will realize what has happened. They're young and patriotic, but that only goes so far when your own nation stabs you in the back."
I watched as Bujing's jaw worked, color rising in his cheeks as he glanced around the table and found no allies. His pride demanded that he argue, but he was astute enough to recognize that pressing further would accomplish nothing.
"The princess... makes several points worth considering," Bujing managed through what appeared to be a clenched jaw. "Perhaps my proposal was hasty in its construction."
General Hao cleared his throat. "If I may, I believe the western front requires a more nuanced approach. Rather than sacrificing the forty-first, we might consider holding the line and using them to shore up our forces for the time. We have the benefit of…"
"That will be enough, General Hao."
Ozai's words rendered the elder speechless, alongside everyone else in the room. I stiffened as the fire burning around his throne crackled in the hall. Ozai rarely spoke during these councils, preferring to let his generals debate and scheme before rendering his judgment. That he had chosen to speak now was not a good sign. Not for Bujing. Not for Zuko.
And certainly not for me.
"This council is adjourned." Ozai said. "I will hear no more tonight."
Bujing bowed immediately, as did the rest of the table, before the gathered generals rose as one and began to file out.
I rose from my seat, Zuko following a half-second later. I kept my expression carefully poised as I moved to follow the procession out of the room...
"Prince Zuko, Princess Tanya."
I stopped in my tracks alongside my brother. I closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply.
"Yes, Father?"
"You will see me in my throne room before morning court."
Of course.
"T-Tanya, let go of me!"
I ignored my brother's whinging as I stalked down the hall. Though smaller, my grip on his wrist was unbreakable as iron. He let out small noises of discomfort and confusion but I ignored them all as I dragged him into a nearby room that I knew would be empty, shutting and locking the door behind me, before flicking my wrist to light a nearby candle.
As the flame flickered to life, I whirled on Zuko, staring him down as he stared at me warily in turn. He massaged his wrist with a pained expression. "What are you doing?"
"Have you lost all sense, brother?"
Zuko flinched, confusion flashing on his face as the question left my lips in a hiss. I'd never been anything but polite in front of him, so hearing me so fed up must have come as a shock. I imagined he was in for several during this conversation. "What?"
"You must have," I continued. "if you thought what you did during that council was in any way acceptable. I knew that you've been lax on your studies, Zuko, but I thought you'd at least manage well enough to sit there and keep your mouth shut for four hours or so. Now I realize it was stupid of me for thinking that the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation would manage not to embarrass himself in front of the most esteemed men in his entire nation!"
"I–"
"No, be quiet." I dragged a hand down my face, trying to get control of myself after the clusterfuck I had just taken part in. I could hear Zuko's breathing, the sound of the gathered generals passing through the hall. They would gossip about this, doubtlessly. I imagined everyone in the palace would hear about it before the sun set, and maybe all of Caldera by the end of the week. If they were lucky.
"Do you understand what kind of mess you nearly tripped into back there? You cannot just speak your mind without due propriety in a setting like that, Zuko. The blatant disrespect alone—"
"He was suggesting that we sacrifice our people!" Zuko defended. "Our countrymen risk their lives for this nation; we can't just throw them away. I thought you agreed with me!"
"There is a difference between bringing up the flaws in a plan in a respectful manner, and blurting out your unfiltered opinion like you've just learned how to form them!" I replied harshly. "Your heart may have been in the right place, but you couldn't have reacted more childishly if you tried." I crossed my arms, pinning him with my stare. "Interrupting a war council is already a serious offence, but doing so in the way that you did was a blatant act of disrespect to the presiding party. I don't think I need to tell you who that is?"
From the draw of Zuko's lips and the pallor of his expression, I knew I did not.
"You are lucky our father was feeling especially merciful today. I sighed, "As it stands, you're still in hot water, and you've forced me to step into the pot with you. We're both in trouble now."
Ozai had not been happy with either of us, but my handling of the situation had mitigated the worse of it. Even so, we were still due to be punished; our father had made that extremely clear, though what punishment awaited us was still up in the air.
"I was just…" Zuko looked away, fists clenching at his sides. "I was just trying to look out for our countrymen. They don't deserve that."
My expression softened just a tad. "That's all well and good, Zuko, but you don't know nearly enough about how these things work to speak up on matters like you did. General Bujng's proposal would have never gone through. It was poorly thought out, as I would have stated once I got the chance. This whole thing could have been avoided, but now we'll both have to suffer the consequences of what happened there."
To his credit, Zuko looked properly contrite. His eyes were downcast, and his lip was wobbling. A child playing at an adult's game. The exact opposite of me. "...I'm sorry."
I turned and unlocked the door. Snuffing the candle with a gesture, I opened it and strode out.
Iroh was standing in the hallway. His wizened face was twisted with concern and guilt. I paused just next to him, eyes sliding to meet his.
"Talk to him. I'm afraid I'm not… equipped to make him understand just how badly he screwed up in there."
Iroh nodded and I left him there to deal with the mess. I had to figure out how I was going to salvage this situation, and worry after its consequences.
The very next morning, as the sun rose, I was called to the throne room.
I entered to find it completely empty, except for the Fire Lord himself propped up on his throne. A curtain of crackling fire divided the two of us, and I strode up to its edge, falling to one knee and bowing my head low. The heat washed over my face with each breath Ozai took, but they did not burn. He was displeased, but not furious.
"You've arrived, my daughter." Ozai's voice resonated above the flames, settling in my chest as a low rumble. It was designed to intimidate, that voice. Just as Azulon's had been. My head lowered another fraction.
"As you commanded, Father."
"Yes... You have come a long way." Ozai's voice was sweet as grenadine and just as sickening. His approval slid over my skin and left goosebumps that his fire refused to warm away. "Just like Azula, you've exceeded your brother in ways I never expected."
I kept my head bowed. "Father, I apologize for Zuko's behavior during the war council. I tried to stop him from attending at all, but he insisted and I lack the authority to forbid him outright. Had I known he would act as he did, I would have tried harder."
Ozai's flames rose an inch before settling.
"Your brother dishonored himself, speaking as he did," Ozai growled. "Worse yet, he dishonored me. A prince who cannot control his tongue is one I have no business with. He will have to regain what he has lost, if he ever wishes to set foot within Caldera again."
Ah, so it was banishment. A harsh punishment for a first infraction, but not beyond what I expected. Ozai was the epitome of narcissistic power, and Zuko had threatened his image in front of his most esteemed generals. I was honestly somewhat surprised that Zuko wasn't facing down Bujing in an Agni Kai at this very moment.
"I see." That was all I said. Ozai seemed pleased by that.
"There is another matter that requires attention," Ozai continued, "As you know, rebels are threatening the prosperity of our colonies. They strike our supply lines, harass our garrisons, and sow dissent among the local populations. The commanders I've sent to quell them have been fools unworthy of the title, failures.."
I lifted my head just enough to see the silhouette of my father through the wall of flame. He raised a hand toward me. "Hao tells me that you've done well managing such things from here, but it is clear that well is not good enough. I wonder if you might be more effective in taking a personal role in things."
I carefully concealed the panic that his words caused me. This bastard was trying to send me off to the war. I had spent a lifetime fighting in the trenches to earn myself a position overlooking it all, I'd not give up that same position to be sent back to the mud pit.
"I believe that I work best when all my resources are laid out before me." I kept my voice as respectful as I possibly could, even though inside I wanted to curse him out for even suggesting such a thing. "The contacts I've cultivated find residence in Caldera, and General Hao is more a partner than a mentor for all the years we've been working together. The war effort would suffer if I were to simply leave it all behind."
Ozai's flames flickered. "Are you refusing me, Daughter?"
My expression tightened, but I did not bow my head at the man's anger. "No, Father. I am merely suggesting—"
"From this day forth, you will be taking a more active role in the war effort," Ozai commanded. "You will have two weeks to prepare, but once that time is up, you will be departing for the Earth Kingdom. And you will stay there until I see fit to call you home. Is that understood?"
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from cursing. Of all the asinine...
I should have let Zuko face the consequences of his actions alone, I thought bitterly as I stood to have everything I worked for ripped away from me.
"Answer me."
"...Yes, Father. I understand." I bowed my head, resignation on my face and in my voice. "May I chose my attendants?"
"You may."
"Then I'd best get started." I said as I rose.
"You will have access to the resources of the colonial garrisons, but do not expect reinforcements from the mainland." Ozai continued. "The war effort requires our forces elsewhere."
In other words, you're on your own.
"Of course, Father. I won't disappoint you."
"I know you won't. You are not your brother."
I walked back to my room straight-faced and marching. Every servant that crossed my path ducked to the side, allowing me to walk all the way back to my room without interruption.
The door to my chambers shut with a soft click. I stood there for a moment, back pressed against the wood, staring at nothing. Then, I turned and punched the wall as hard as I could.
The royal palace was built with the help of the finest architects and masons in the history of Caldera. It had withstood rain, lightning, even the occasional earthquake when the nearby volcanoes decided to be a bit more active than usual.
All that was to say, my fist was hurt far more than the wall was.
I stared at the split skin on my knuckles, and the red smear I'd left behind on my bedroom wall. My fingers tingled and my wrist hurt like hell. I closed my hand and then opened it again, relishing the pain. It wasn't broken, but I'd be feeling that for a few days.
Good. That should prevent anymore outbursts like that.
I let the pain carry me to my desk and sat down carefully. My bleeding hand rested on the table's surface, crimson bleeding down my knuckles. I put a spare piece of parchment below my hand to soak it up, but didn't make any move to actually wrap it. The sting was refreshing, clarifying.
On a nearby shelf, the scented candle I'd lit earlier this morning stirred to life. It was nearly burned down to the base, the wick drowned in honey-scented wax, but the dregs of fire felt my anger. They fed on it. The smoldering flame rose and climbed higher than it had any right to. It licked at the air with hungry tongues, stretching toward the curtain that hung beside the window where the fabric singed, the edges curling black.
I watched it, momentarily imagining what might happen were I to let it burn and take everything with it.
It was a pretty thought, but not one that I entertained for long.
With an exhale, my rampant emotions were forced under lock and key. The flame shrank back down to a reasonable height, and I reached over with my uninjured hand to pinch out the singed curtain edge before it could catch properly. The fabric crumbled between my fingers, leaving a blackened smear on my fingertips.
I steepled my hands over my mouth, watching smoke curl from the snuffed candle. The pain in my knuckles throbbed in time with my heartbeat. My breath came out shaky, then steadier as I reasserted control.
Everything had been going so well, too.
And now it wasn't. All because my idiot brother couldn't keep his mouth shut for a few hours.
No. That wasn't entirely fair, and I knew it. Zuko had been the catalyst, but Ozai had been looking for an excuse. I'd been doing too well, garnering too much interest with the generals while staying well away from his own influence.
A daughter who was too useful in the heart of power was a daughter who might start to think she deserved more of it, and sending me away solved two problems at once. It got me out of Caldera where my influence might continue to grow, while at the same time appearing to outsiders as if I was being rewarded for my diligent work by being put over a situation most commanders would jump to take.
Say what you will about Ozai, but manipulation was certainly his strong suit. If only I wasn't the one being forced to suffer its cruel whisper.
Get chapters to this fic early at Sadguychet | Patreon! Chapter 9 has just been posted!
Maybe I had underestimated him. He was older than I was and with Iroh as his mentor, he would have at least some knowledge of how to behave himself.
Whether or not that knowledge would stick as the hours passed remained to be seen.
Since Iroh's change of heart at Omashu, our efforts in wiping away the staunch resistance in the Earth Kingdom had seen middling progress. We weren't stalling, per se, but every inch of ground was hard fought, and holding it was an exercise in and of itself. The people of the Earth Kingdom had grown up under constant threat from the Fire Nation, so there were no small number of rebel cells scattered throughout the colonies that we had to deal with on top of the forward line marching towards the heart of the nation.
I had found myself mostly in charge of such operations, alongside General Hao, of course. As my mentor, it was he who presented my plans to the war council and my father. Though, that was not to say I hadn't earned my own measure of respect. I knew these men and even their families, had shared tea and strategies in the homes of more than a few. Many of them knew that my age was not even a consideration in these halls.
I could not say the same for Zuko, however. I noticed eyes sliding to the young prince more than once. They were wondering what he was doing here, but none of them would dare to voice it out loud.
Minutes turned to hours as we discussed the current state of affairs with our greatest enemy. We'd hit a wall on the western front: battalions headed by a great Earth Kingdom general had turned us away at every point and the whole offensive was beginning to stagger. We couldn't divert attention without weakening other battalions and if we continued forward on other fronts, we risked an attack from behind our own lines.
It was a pretty pickle, and the main topic of today's discussion.
"The largest of the Earth Kingdom's forces are concentrated here," General Bujing used a thin stick to point at a specific place on the map. "They are a dangerous battalion of earthbenders—fierce warriors, one and all. They've managed to stall us for weeks now, and if something doesn't change, they'll continue to do so."
"Could we perhaps tire them out? Strike in other places to deny them the supplies needed to rest?" General Li suggested.
"Most of our forces are concentrated in that area just to keep the stalemate," Hao chimed in. "We don't have the manpower to divert attention like that and we won't until more battalions arrive from the mainland."
"Which is why I suggest a new tactic." Bujing moved a piece on the board. I leaned forward in my seat, my eyes narrowing as the man smirked. "We'll use the forty-first division."
"That division is entirely new recruits." Hao frowned. "How do you expect them to defeat a battalion that's been giving us so much trouble?"
"I don't." Bujing's smirk widened as he moved another piece on the board. "They'll be used as a distraction while we mount an attack from the rear. What better to use as bait than fresh meat?"
I saw what was coming long before it happened. I heard Zuko inhale, felt his muscles tense in outrage. I turned, grabbing his hand, but by then he was already halfway out of his chair.
"How could you say that!?" He cried. Every single eye in the room turned to him but he seemed completely ignorant of what he had just done as he pointed to Bujing. "Those soldiers love and defend our nation, you can't sacrifice them all just for a chance to attack the enemy!"
Silence followed his proclamation, so intense that I could practically feel it pressing against my skin. Just like the growing heat that was emanating from our father's burning throne.
Idiot I seethed, Absolute, irredeemable idiot.
I had maybe seconds before Ozai's rage made itself known. He wasn't going to let something like this go without punishment, and it would be harsh. Zuko was not Azula, and he was not me. Ozai held no favor for the boy; there was no room to wriggle out of the consequences. Not on his own.
For a single moment, I considered leaving the boy to stew in his foolishness. But the hand against mine was small and sweating and suddenly clenching back just as hard. Zuko seemed to realize he'd made a mistake. If only he'd realized before.
I released my brother's hand, and stood.
"My brother raises a valid concern, though perhaps his delivery leaves something to be desired." I spoke into the silence. As eyes turned to me instead of my brother, I turned and bowed to Bujing. "I apologize for his outburst, General, but I believe you haven't fully considered the ramifications of your proposal."
Bujing regarded me with narrowed eyes. "And how is that, Princess Tanya?"
His tone was displeased, but Ozai's throne simmered instead of flaring. Hopefully I'd be able to soothe flared tempers before they could burn out of control. "I merely ask you to look to the future. Have you considered what will happen after the forty-first is used as bait?"
Bujing frowned. "After?"
"Yes, think about it." I all-but pushed my brother back into a sitting position, taking the attention in his place. "Even in the event that your plan works perfectly, and reinforcements sweep in from the rear to crush the Earth Kingdom forces, what happens when those battalions arrive and find the broken bodies of their comrades scattered across the battlefield."
I gestured to the map. "Moreover, what happens to the survivors of the forty-first once they link back up with their saviors? Many of them will realize what has happened. They're young and patriotic, but that only goes so far when your own nation stabs you in the back."
I watched as Bujing's jaw worked, color rising in his cheeks as he glanced around the table and found no allies. His pride demanded that he argue, but he was astute enough to recognize that pressing further would accomplish nothing.
"The princess... makes several points worth considering," Bujing managed through what appeared to be a clenched jaw. "Perhaps my proposal was hasty in its construction."
General Hao cleared his throat. "If I may, I believe the western front requires a more nuanced approach. Rather than sacrificing the forty-first, we might consider holding the line and using them to shore up our forces for the time. We have the benefit of…"
"That will be enough, General Hao."
Ozai's words rendered the elder speechless, alongside everyone else in the room. I stiffened as the fire burning around his throne crackled in the hall. Ozai rarely spoke during these councils, preferring to let his generals debate and scheme before rendering his judgment. That he had chosen to speak now was not a good sign. Not for Bujing. Not for Zuko.
And certainly not for me.
"This council is adjourned." Ozai said. "I will hear no more tonight."
Bujing bowed immediately, as did the rest of the table, before the gathered generals rose as one and began to file out.
I rose from my seat, Zuko following a half-second later. I kept my expression carefully poised as I moved to follow the procession out of the room...
"Prince Zuko, Princess Tanya."
I stopped in my tracks alongside my brother. I closed my eyes, and inhaled deeply.
"Yes, Father?"
"You will see me in my throne room before morning court."
Of course.
"T-Tanya, let go of me!"
I ignored my brother's whinging as I stalked down the hall. Though smaller, my grip on his wrist was unbreakable as iron. He let out small noises of discomfort and confusion but I ignored them all as I dragged him into a nearby room that I knew would be empty, shutting and locking the door behind me, before flicking my wrist to light a nearby candle.
As the flame flickered to life, I whirled on Zuko, staring him down as he stared at me warily in turn. He massaged his wrist with a pained expression. "What are you doing?"
"Have you lost all sense, brother?"
Zuko flinched, confusion flashing on his face as the question left my lips in a hiss. I'd never been anything but polite in front of him, so hearing me so fed up must have come as a shock. I imagined he was in for several during this conversation. "What?"
"You must have," I continued. "if you thought what you did during that council was in any way acceptable. I knew that you've been lax on your studies, Zuko, but I thought you'd at least manage well enough to sit there and keep your mouth shut for four hours or so. Now I realize it was stupid of me for thinking that the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation would manage not to embarrass himself in front of the most esteemed men in his entire nation!"
"I–"
"No, be quiet." I dragged a hand down my face, trying to get control of myself after the clusterfuck I had just taken part in. I could hear Zuko's breathing, the sound of the gathered generals passing through the hall. They would gossip about this, doubtlessly. I imagined everyone in the palace would hear about it before the sun set, and maybe all of Caldera by the end of the week. If they were lucky.
"Do you understand what kind of mess you nearly tripped into back there? You cannot just speak your mind without due propriety in a setting like that, Zuko. The blatant disrespect alone—"
"He was suggesting that we sacrifice our people!" Zuko defended. "Our countrymen risk their lives for this nation; we can't just throw them away. I thought you agreed with me!"
"There is a difference between bringing up the flaws in a plan in a respectful manner, and blurting out your unfiltered opinion like you've just learned how to form them!" I replied harshly. "Your heart may have been in the right place, but you couldn't have reacted more childishly if you tried." I crossed my arms, pinning him with my stare. "Interrupting a war council is already a serious offence, but doing so in the way that you did was a blatant act of disrespect to the presiding party. I don't think I need to tell you who that is?"
From the draw of Zuko's lips and the pallor of his expression, I knew I did not.
"You are lucky our father was feeling especially merciful today. I sighed, "As it stands, you're still in hot water, and you've forced me to step into the pot with you. We're both in trouble now."
Ozai had not been happy with either of us, but my handling of the situation had mitigated the worse of it. Even so, we were still due to be punished; our father had made that extremely clear, though what punishment awaited us was still up in the air.
"I was just…" Zuko looked away, fists clenching at his sides. "I was just trying to look out for our countrymen. They don't deserve that."
My expression softened just a tad. "That's all well and good, Zuko, but you don't know nearly enough about how these things work to speak up on matters like you did. General Bujng's proposal would have never gone through. It was poorly thought out, as I would have stated once I got the chance. This whole thing could have been avoided, but now we'll both have to suffer the consequences of what happened there."
To his credit, Zuko looked properly contrite. His eyes were downcast, and his lip was wobbling. A child playing at an adult's game. The exact opposite of me. "...I'm sorry."
I turned and unlocked the door. Snuffing the candle with a gesture, I opened it and strode out.
Iroh was standing in the hallway. His wizened face was twisted with concern and guilt. I paused just next to him, eyes sliding to meet his.
"Talk to him. I'm afraid I'm not… equipped to make him understand just how badly he screwed up in there."
Iroh nodded and I left him there to deal with the mess. I had to figure out how I was going to salvage this situation, and worry after its consequences.
The very next morning, as the sun rose, I was called to the throne room.
I entered to find it completely empty, except for the Fire Lord himself propped up on his throne. A curtain of crackling fire divided the two of us, and I strode up to its edge, falling to one knee and bowing my head low. The heat washed over my face with each breath Ozai took, but they did not burn. He was displeased, but not furious.
"You've arrived, my daughter." Ozai's voice resonated above the flames, settling in my chest as a low rumble. It was designed to intimidate, that voice. Just as Azulon's had been. My head lowered another fraction.
"As you commanded, Father."
"Yes... You have come a long way." Ozai's voice was sweet as grenadine and just as sickening. His approval slid over my skin and left goosebumps that his fire refused to warm away. "Just like Azula, you've exceeded your brother in ways I never expected."
I kept my head bowed. "Father, I apologize for Zuko's behavior during the war council. I tried to stop him from attending at all, but he insisted and I lack the authority to forbid him outright. Had I known he would act as he did, I would have tried harder."
Ozai's flames rose an inch before settling.
"Your brother dishonored himself, speaking as he did," Ozai growled. "Worse yet, he dishonored me. A prince who cannot control his tongue is one I have no business with. He will have to regain what he has lost, if he ever wishes to set foot within Caldera again."
Ah, so it was banishment. A harsh punishment for a first infraction, but not beyond what I expected. Ozai was the epitome of narcissistic power, and Zuko had threatened his image in front of his most esteemed generals. I was honestly somewhat surprised that Zuko wasn't facing down Bujing in an Agni Kai at this very moment.
"I see." That was all I said. Ozai seemed pleased by that.
"There is another matter that requires attention," Ozai continued, "As you know, rebels are threatening the prosperity of our colonies. They strike our supply lines, harass our garrisons, and sow dissent among the local populations. The commanders I've sent to quell them have been fools unworthy of the title, failures.."
I lifted my head just enough to see the silhouette of my father through the wall of flame. He raised a hand toward me. "Hao tells me that you've done well managing such things from here, but it is clear that well is not good enough. I wonder if you might be more effective in taking a personal role in things."
I carefully concealed the panic that his words caused me. This bastard was trying to send me off to the war. I had spent a lifetime fighting in the trenches to earn myself a position overlooking it all, I'd not give up that same position to be sent back to the mud pit.
"I believe that I work best when all my resources are laid out before me." I kept my voice as respectful as I possibly could, even though inside I wanted to curse him out for even suggesting such a thing. "The contacts I've cultivated find residence in Caldera, and General Hao is more a partner than a mentor for all the years we've been working together. The war effort would suffer if I were to simply leave it all behind."
Ozai's flames flickered. "Are you refusing me, Daughter?"
My expression tightened, but I did not bow my head at the man's anger. "No, Father. I am merely suggesting—"
"From this day forth, you will be taking a more active role in the war effort," Ozai commanded. "You will have two weeks to prepare, but once that time is up, you will be departing for the Earth Kingdom. And you will stay there until I see fit to call you home. Is that understood?"
I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from cursing. Of all the asinine...
I should have let Zuko face the consequences of his actions alone, I thought bitterly as I stood to have everything I worked for ripped away from me.
"Answer me."
"...Yes, Father. I understand." I bowed my head, resignation on my face and in my voice. "May I chose my attendants?"
"You may."
"Then I'd best get started." I said as I rose.
"You will have access to the resources of the colonial garrisons, but do not expect reinforcements from the mainland." Ozai continued. "The war effort requires our forces elsewhere."
In other words, you're on your own.
"Of course, Father. I won't disappoint you."
"I know you won't. You are not your brother."
I walked back to my room straight-faced and marching. Every servant that crossed my path ducked to the side, allowing me to walk all the way back to my room without interruption.
The door to my chambers shut with a soft click. I stood there for a moment, back pressed against the wood, staring at nothing. Then, I turned and punched the wall as hard as I could.
The royal palace was built with the help of the finest architects and masons in the history of Caldera. It had withstood rain, lightning, even the occasional earthquake when the nearby volcanoes decided to be a bit more active than usual.
All that was to say, my fist was hurt far more than the wall was.
I stared at the split skin on my knuckles, and the red smear I'd left behind on my bedroom wall. My fingers tingled and my wrist hurt like hell. I closed my hand and then opened it again, relishing the pain. It wasn't broken, but I'd be feeling that for a few days.
Good. That should prevent anymore outbursts like that.
I let the pain carry me to my desk and sat down carefully. My bleeding hand rested on the table's surface, crimson bleeding down my knuckles. I put a spare piece of parchment below my hand to soak it up, but didn't make any move to actually wrap it. The sting was refreshing, clarifying.
On a nearby shelf, the scented candle I'd lit earlier this morning stirred to life. It was nearly burned down to the base, the wick drowned in honey-scented wax, but the dregs of fire felt my anger. They fed on it. The smoldering flame rose and climbed higher than it had any right to. It licked at the air with hungry tongues, stretching toward the curtain that hung beside the window where the fabric singed, the edges curling black.
I watched it, momentarily imagining what might happen were I to let it burn and take everything with it.
It was a pretty thought, but not one that I entertained for long.
With an exhale, my rampant emotions were forced under lock and key. The flame shrank back down to a reasonable height, and I reached over with my uninjured hand to pinch out the singed curtain edge before it could catch properly. The fabric crumbled between my fingers, leaving a blackened smear on my fingertips.
I steepled my hands over my mouth, watching smoke curl from the snuffed candle. The pain in my knuckles throbbed in time with my heartbeat. My breath came out shaky, then steadier as I reasserted control.
Everything had been going so well, too.
And now it wasn't. All because my idiot brother couldn't keep his mouth shut for a few hours.
No. That wasn't entirely fair, and I knew it. Zuko had been the catalyst, but Ozai had been looking for an excuse. I'd been doing too well, garnering too much interest with the generals while staying well away from his own influence.
A daughter who was too useful in the heart of power was a daughter who might start to think she deserved more of it, and sending me away solved two problems at once. It got me out of Caldera where my influence might continue to grow, while at the same time appearing to outsiders as if I was being rewarded for my diligent work by being put over a situation most commanders would jump to take.
Say what you will about Ozai, but manipulation was certainly his strong suit. If only I wasn't the one being forced to suffer its cruel whisper.
Get chapters to this fic early at Sadguychet | Patreon! Chapter 9 has just been posted!
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Did you mean into her teens? I doubt she is 20 yet.