Bab 107: Chapter 107
Zuko sighed as he stood by the docks and watched as his sister disembarked. Azula was clearly angry as she stomped her way to dry land. The prince tried not to wince as he recalled the reason for her wrath.
His father's sudden forgiveness had been suspicious (and impossible to refuse) but recalling Azula and practically removing her from her post had made Zuko even more wary of the Fire Lord. The palace courtiers did not help with their simpering and deluded petitions. Zuko didn't need any courtly lessons to see that their relief at his return were as hollow as their smiles, and they were merely jockeying for his favor.
What was surprising though was the barely hidden disdain many of these courtiers had for Azula. It took some hindsight, but Zuko found that the nobles who approached him were largely seeking to build a powerbase around him for some reason. Zuko tried his best to stay out of all the politicking, but he was inevitably made a figurehead of his very own faction.
Or a parody of a faction, when one peered through its thin mask with minimum effort.
In truth the nobles and commanders that sought to lionize the prince were also ardent supporters of the Fire Lord. It was weird and disconcerting to see such support thrown his way out of nowhere, and for the life of him, Zuko could not figure out what his father and the royal court wanted from him.
Hopefully, with Azula now back, they could get this whole performance over with and he'd find out.
Hopefully, whatever the Fire Lord has planned would not harm Azula's station…too much. Zuko doubted that she'd be called back merely for the celebrations that their father had announced. And here's to hoping that prince and princess would not be literally pitted against each other, too.
Zuko had no doubt of his inferior skill compared to Azula, be it in the field of combat or politics. He did not look forward to another punch to the guts.
His sister walked up to him with her meager entourage in tow, her keen eyes barely acknowledging Zuko as they scanned her surroundings. Finally Azula stopped before Zuko, sizing him up with a frown for a second.
"Where are my staff?" she asked in a low, impatient tone.
Fortunately, the woman behind Zuko saved him the trouble and spoke up, her voice a pretty chime that was likely honed in etiquette lessons. "Your highness, I am Lian Yu. Your father, the magnanimous Fire Lord, has appointed me as your new head handmaiden." She then gestured with a sweep of her robed arms. "I have the honor to lead your new servants to see to your needs."
Zuko almost sighed aloud as his sister's imperious attention was drawn away from him and to the gaggle of women behind him. "Is that so? What happened to my old staff?"
Lian Yu bravely answered without flinching. "The Fire Lord has, in his wisdom, sought to reform the palatial staff to ensure that the royal family enjoys the effective service it deserves. Unfortunately, your highness, there were concerns about the old batch of servants who were assigned to you, especially those who were drawn from the colonies."
That last line was probably the flimsiest piece technicality Zuko had ever encountered. It was no secret that Azula had taken in daughters and widows from outcast nobleborn families to serve her in the capital city. It was only because their families relocated to the colonies (under her sponsorship too) that they were all suddenly branded as colonists when the Fire Lord decided on the surprise reforms, with all the negative connotations that came with it.
"They've been fired, then," Azula said bluntly. "Have they been given their due compensation at least?"
"Your highness need not concern herself with matters beneath your station. The Fire Lord has tasked competent overseers to ensure that palace operations run smoothly without any incident."
"Your old staff are still in the palace, Azula," Zuko decided to cut in, sending his sister's gaze snapping towards him. "They're still being…uh, debriefed…along with the others."
That seemed to ease her up a little. "How long will the process take?"
Lian Yu seized back the reins of the conversation. "It is a lengthy process, my princess-" She froze and Zuko took a startled step back when Azula literally growled all of the sudden. Was it the term of address, or the fact that the woman had cut in?
"Nevermind," Azula said curtly through gritted teeth. "I'll seek them later. There are tasks that they have been assigned to, tasks whose progress I require to be updated on."
The new head servant somehow managed to smoothly reinsert herself back to the conversation without the need to cough or clear her throat. "I can see the issue done with, your highness. If it's urgent-"
"I'll deal with it myself," the princess harshly interrupted. "You should not concern yourself with matters above your station."
It was quite impressive how she threw back the words Lian Yu used on her, it even froze the new handmaiden for several seconds before the woman silently nodded and backed away.
Azula instantly ignored her and fixed her attention back to Zuko again. Thankfully, her anger was restrained and dimmed as their gazes met. She might be annoyed at him, but he wasn't the target of her wrath. "I see that congratulations are in order, Zuzu," Azula dryly commented. "Welcome back to the home islands."
"Uh, thanks, Azula."
His sister's eyes narrowed. "Where's Mai?"
Zuko couldn't hide his discomfort. "She's…with her family." Behind Azula, Ty Lee - who had been wearing an uncharacteristic frown ever since she made landfall - immediately looked very worried. It took Azula a second to pick up on his innuendo, and her frown joined her friend's.
"I see. I suppose I'll have to make time later to catch up with her."
"It might be difficult," Zuko hinted, "she is undergoing…education…to be introduced as an upper court debutante."
As expected, Azula was not at all amused by that bit of news. "So, Ukano finally got impatient. Let me guess, she's going to present herself to you, dum-dum?"
Despite the dark undertone of the conversation, Zuko still felt his cheeks flush. "Her…um, eligibility will be decided during her…official introduction."
The dangerous look his sister gave him was proof enough that she understood Mai's predicament. She'd been used both as reward and hostage for Zuko to accept his father's offer to come back.
On paper, Ukano was being rewarded for softening the Fire Lord's heart in ending his son's exile, by granting his daughter the opportunity to marry well above their minor noble station. The emphasis was on the word 'opportunity', because a royal engagement was not guaranteed.
In reality, Mai was used to keep Zuko - and probably Azula - behaving. Whether by Ukano's scheming or their father's, the girl was now forced down a path with very limited options; she'd end up engaged to Zuko, or she'd be married off to some other noble, likely as a mere concubine. And Mai would have no say in the matter, nor alternatives like running away, because she and her whole family were now being hosted in one of the royal palace's guest houses, with all the heavy security that it provides.
And for all that, it irritated Zuko to no end that he was not allowed to see her at all until 'she was ready'. No doubt Azula would suffer the same thing.
"Clearly I have a lot of catching up to do," Azula presently said. She began walking past her bowing handmaidens, ignoring them completely as they fell in behind her. "Zuzu, fill me in."
Reluctantly, Zuko walked beside his sister, and did his best to sneak in what information he could through his limited expertise in courtly doublespeak.
*****
As they finally reached the palace and parted ways, Azula didn't know whether to feel sorry for or annoyed at her brother. It was clear that their father was using him as a pawn to keep Azula in line, though why it had to take place all of a sudden still mystified her.
She knew that he might feel threatened by Xing's string of successes, but surely tying him to the family through marriage should've assuaged most of his worries? By their engagement, Xing's fortunes were now tied to Azula, the heir to the throne. Surely her father, for all his paranoia, for all his worry that Xing might be influencing Azula (however idiotic that notion sounded), surely he could at least understand the lack of threat the union represented?
Or was this whole gesture to wield Zuko as a threat against Azula a more direct message, one solely intended for her? If that was the case, why? Why threaten Azula with demotion in both her ministerial post and position as his heir?
Had the Fire Lord truly gone mad then? Or did he succumb to the whispers of envious courtiers seeking a slice of the colonies' prosperity?
There would be only one way to find out, but with court only being held tomorrow, Azula had other things to deal with first. Like her uprooted operatives, and Mai allowing herself to be turned into a hostage. Really, that girl keeps pretending that she's apathetic about the world around her, but she's clearly staying with her family to ensure their safety.
Azula would have to remember to correct her friend's impassive mask, if the girl actually wanted to get close to Zuko. The self-deceit the princess could tolerate, but no way would she put up with the constant fake apathy from a sister-in-law. Dealing with Mai's insincere denial would be tantamount to bringing work home for Azula.
With the gaggle of minders thinly disguised as handmaidens trailing after her, Azula headed straight for her little corner of the palace. Immediately she noticed the unsubtle changes imposed around her.
The guards she had handpicked from disgraced families were gone, replaced by her father's palatial guard. Servants shuffled about, their inexperience showing through how they seemed a little lost as they tried to discreetly move out of her way. The particular arrangements and facing of vases and ornaments were disturbed, telling Azula that the whole palace wing had gone through an untidy inspection.
Really, what did Azula do to cause her father to suddenly treat her like a spy?
The only bright spot was a small group of nobleborn servants greeting her just outside her room. Lady Su-Wei led the other familiar faces in bowing before the princess. It seemed that they were spared from the mass layoffs. Probably because these were all officially members of the Colonial Ministry instead of her household servants? If that was the case, all might not be lost then. Azula would have to see which other groups survived the culling…
"Welcome back, your highness. I wish the occasion was not marred by such…unruly changes."
"You dishonor her highness with such a disrespectful greeting," the primped-up iguana parrot behind Azula dared to scold. "Deepen your bows, this is the cro-"
Azula turned on the woman with a glare. "Lady Su-Wei and her staff of liaisons have, by their loyalty and excellence in service to me, earned special dispensation in their dealings with me." She focused her glare and fought back a grin of satisfaction as Lian Yu and the other handmaidens shrank back. "I tolerate some laxity in unnecessary etiquette from those who prove their worth to me, unlike newer, untrustworthy servants."
"I…understand, your highness, forgive my impetuousness."
Azula didn't bother replying, turning back to Su-Wei instead and jerking her head to one side as a gesture to carry the meeting in the privacy of her room. The princess only cared about the breach of palace etiquette in the fact that it elicited ill-hidden shock from the supposed handmaidens. Recalling Ren's more blunt thoughts, fuck what these overly powdered and air-filled nobles thought; a bedroom was just a room with a bed in it, and Azula was still the crown princess, damnit.
As the loyal staff filed into her room, Azula turned to the flock of scandalized peacock pigeons. "You lot, either wait for me to finish my meeting, or go be useful somewhere else. Ty Lee, with me."
Unfortunately, Lian Yu had to speak again. "B-But my princess-"
"Don't you ever use that address on me!" Azula snapped, her temper spiking. "Do not presume to be so close to me that you can use such a term."
That got them cowering. Good.
She was nobody's princess…nobody but Xing's.
"Calm down, Azula," Ty Lee suddenly said with surprising concern. "You're letting the evets get to you."
Well, she did have a point. No point in providing further fuel to her father with reports of her breaking into tantrums. Azula gave a slow exhale before nodding. "You're right, Ty Lee." She returned her attention to Lian Yu. "Either wait out here, or go do…whatever it is you're supposed to do. I have an important meeting to take."
"But your highness…" Spirits, that woman was persistent. "...as your handmaidens, we should be at hand to meet any needs you might have."
Azula took slow breaths before forming a reply, but once more Ty Lee was the one to intercede, this time by calling out sweetly for the nearby guards who were doing their best to not look uncomfortable. "Hey, hey there! Yeah, you four. Mind coming here for a moment?"
The men awkwardly marched over as the confused handmaidens watched on. "Thanks. You guys look like properly trained guards, right?" Ty Lee waited for their uncertain nods before continuing. "Sooo…what do you guys do if there's a bunch of…stubborn nobles not accepting an order of dismissal from a member of the royal family?"
One of the guards spoke up after a cough. "We…uh, we escort them off the premises, ma'am."
"I see, I see." Ty Lee gave the handmaidens a dirty smirk, and then glanced back at the guards. "Well, the way I see and hear it, it seems that these nobles here - and servants too, at that - are refusing to obey the crown princess' order to stay out of her business…"
"But we're her handmaidens!" Lian Yu protested.
"And the Fire Lord's own servants stay out of his way unless he calls for them," Su-Wei spitefully chirped in.
"So, what do you say, Mister Palace Guard?"
The guards shared uneasy glances among themselves, and some eventually shrugged before they turned as one to Azula. "Would…would you like us to stop your serv- these women from interfering with royal business, your highness?"
Azula graciously granted them a grateful smile. "Please do, sergeant. Thank you."
Fortunately, Lian Yu knew better than to continue squawking, so Azula was allowed to enter her room in peace. Within the limited privacy of her own room - it'd be delusional to think that the palace did not have its secret backdoors and hidden alcoves - the princess let out a long sigh to vent her annoyance before turning her attention to Su-Wei.
"Report."
The old woman gave a wry smirk as she summarized succinctly. "Well, you've been horribly castrated, your highness."
Azula just rolled her eyes. "I can see that. Just tell me how bad is it. Am I getting fucked with a splintered pole, or a barbed lance?"
Ty Lee feigned a shocked gasp, while the other servants were more genuine with it. Su-Wei though cackled at the choice of words. "Yes." Then the humor fled the woman's eyes and her gaze became heavy. "The throne has ordered for the re-enforcement of old laws, Fire Lord Sozin's laws, to ensure that proper Fire Nation culture be untainted. Anyone from the colonies will have to require thorough 'testing' - whatever that means - before they can apply for a job anywhere in the capital, let alone within the palace."
And because all it took was for a close family member to migrate over for the term 'colonist' to stick, Azula was in danger of losing a huge chunk of her talented staff. And the whole 'testing' excuse was a convenient excuse to hold her old staff, Azula thought bitterly. But she shouldn't be the only one with that problem…
"I'm guessing there are workarounds?" she asked, and Su-Wei nodded grimly.
"The Fire Lord, and only the Fire Lord, may be persuaded to waive the process for particular personnel who he thinks are talented and untainted enough from lowly Earth Kingdom practices. He has thus far not entertained any such petitions, though many courtiers have fortuitously already changed their staff before the decree was made official."
Su-Wei gave a pause and stared at Azula for a silent second. "It should be noted, princess, that the decree was both brought up and then put into immediate effect within an afternoon."
Fuck.
The princess let out another heavy sigh. "I have the whole day, might as well get it over with. Elaborate to me just how much I'm at risk of losing."
And Su-Wei did so, leaving no detail out.
And Azula began to seriously wonder whether it's the whole palace that had gone mad, and dragged her father with it...or if it was the other way around. Mai would have to figure out a way to un-hostage herself; Azula would be too busy trying to salvage whatever she could from this debacle.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone