章 44: Chapter 44
The wait this time was shorter, but somehow that made Azula all the more nervous. Xing was returning, dragging along with him a crazy amount of accomplishments. To the palace and the public, it seemed that he had just gone out to really, really prove his case against his naysayers. Azula would've enjoyed all the undercurrent of concern that his acclaim had brought, but the amount of work she had to do to capitalize on the success was, as Ren would say, 'a bitch'.
She met with generals and ministers to ascertain the level of victory the northern campaign had bought her. Compared to the grinding campaign towards Ba Sing Se, the amount of commendations that flowed to the commanders of the Northern Pacification Army - which she indirectly drew some prestige from - was sizable indeed. Even before the victory was assured, other military commanders began to approach her, hoping for scraps of royal favor.
The nobles and officials were not immune to seeking her out either. With cities and castles needing garrisoning, many minor houses and junior administrators sought a place in the colonies for the chance to govern a significant amount of land and even establish new estates.
Azula was barely tolerating the heavy workload, but then Xing had to beat a dragon and find a nests' worth of eggs, and he beat King Bumi to claim Omashu.
The desperate queue of petitioners became a frenzy of greedy courtiers, all wanting a chance at the prestige of ruling Omashu. It'd be easy just to delegate the work, but the princess had an image to maintain. She would glare down the courtiers and generals, she would coldly reject their offers, and she would deride their delusional promises. But Azula made sure to do it personally, face to face.
Sure, there was some pleasure in watching their reactions, but the main goal was to cultivate an air of directness. It helped her assess those that came to her, and severely cut down on the lower politics, ensuring that nobody would dare speak in her name to offer favors. Plus, father approved of her approach, especially when he heard of how often she dismissed the petitioners.
"It is good that you keep a firm hand, Azula," he had praised one afternoon over lunch, "You've learned as I have that the rabble require constant reminding of their place. The less you deign them with favor, the more they will appreciate even the smallest of scraps you throw at them."
The last bit was decent advice, but Azula already knew that; Xing had warned her of overdoing such things, of how it might be fertile grounds for resentment and the shrouded politicking that followed.
Which was why the princess made sure to be generous to those that did gain her approval. Anyone who came with decent suggestions and realistic expectations were given at least some form of consolation if she couldn't meet their request.
Small outskirt regions were assigned to humbler officials who knew not to aim too high, but Azula made sure that those regions stood a chance at prospering under capable administration. Sons and relatives of less deluded generals were given patrol duties in bandit-infested regions to prove themselves, so they might eventually be worthy of actually occupying castles and major forts. Nobles who sought minor, out of the way holdings were given land running along major routes, so that they had a realistic chance of building themselves up.
Azula handed out the more choice assignments and roles to those already aligned under her, of course. Her magistrates were elevated to colonial judges, her nobles were tasked to oversee more prosperous towns. And thanks to the Fire Lord being impressed enough to promise her the Colonial Ministry, she had a small army of rescued, formerly disgraced court officials ready to join her in the ministry. If she played things right, Azula would be the direct ruler of the colonies, answerable only to her father. Which shouldn't be too hard to manage.
And Omashu… As much as she wanted it, Omashu would be out of her hands soon. Xing's idea was good…but Azula didn't like just giving such a prize away. But her colonel had promised her a greater reward, and the princess trusted him enough to deliver on it.
Seeing his face now, with an enigmatic smirk plastered on it as he answered her summons in the royal garden, Azula felt…happy…that she had someone so reliable as her…underling. Xing's company and efforts had allowed the princess to achieve a greater potential, and he's not fail her yet.
But still…
"Your highness," Xing greeted with a formal bow.
Azula grinned and walked over to him. "Xing. Good work out there."
"I am grateful fo-OOF!"
She stepped back from him, withdrawing her fist from Xing's stomach. Her hand hurt far less compared to the first time, unsurprising since he was here only in a nobleman's robes instead of brigandine armor.
"And that's for Omashu," Azula remarked dryly. "What were you thinking?" You could have been hurt, she didn't say. Couldn't say. Not here, not now, where uttering the words risked giving in to the urge to grab Xing and…and…hug him.
"I found it a risk worth taking," the boy said with his trademark smirk as he straightened and recovered from the hit. "I hope you can forgive me for my recklessness…my princess."
Azula startled a bit when she barely picked up the last two words, muttered just soft enough for her and only her ears. Her cheeks felt a bit warm, but the princess fought through the bubbling awkwardness. "We'll see, XIng," she managed, and then quickly shifted topics. "You don't have the dragon eggs with you?"
"I have sent them to the royal alchemists and archivists to verify their authenticity."
How…pragmatic. "Quite so," she replied with a frown of distaste. It'd be nice to see the eggs for herself right now, but Xing was right. Better to have the reveal be done and over with in one instant than allow for whispers to control the narrative. The palace had too many eyes and ears in the walls, after all.
"Walk with me, Xing." She'd have preferred a spar, but the day was filled with more meetings.
"As you wish…my princess." There it was again. Much as she wanted to tell him to cut it out, Azula really liked the tingle of delight when she heard those two words.
"Now, tell me. With the north secured, what next?"
Xing easily fell into a more serious and formal tone as he walked alongside her. "Well, we secure it even more, your highness. The natives would require placating while the region's logistics network is updated to support the Fire Nation's needs."
"Ugh." Azula rolled her eyes. Damnable compliance tending. At the very least the implementation of Xing's 'softer' methods resulted in remarkably lower sabotage rates and overt protests. Who knew that treating the conquered with a touch of lightness made the peasants more cooperative than if they were terrorized into submission?
The two teens continued talking for a while, and then Azula had to return to receiving petitioners and going through reports.
She saw her colonel again two days later, in her father's court. There was a thicker sense of apprehension and excitement among the courtiers than Xing's last appearance, mostly because of the rumor of dragons. Azula stood by the side of the flame-shrouded throne, out of sight and free to stand and appraise the rest of the kneeling court.
"Colonel Xing," her father personally summoned instead of using a herald, a privilege that didn't escape anyone. Azula grinned at that, already picking out the awed glances from the envious.
Xing was garbed in full armor, sans his helmet, and marched to present himself with his usual sharp motions. "Colonel Xing of the 11th Royal Regiment kneels before the Fire Lord."
The silhouette behind the flames leaned over. "It seems that each time you return, you bring more outlandish news for us, colonel."
"I apologize for the trouble your majesty," came Xing's immediate reply, and Azula rolled her eyes. Snarking really was a default stance for him.
Her father didn't deign to pay any attention to it. "Yet you've returned with feats that would have been unbelievable, if not for the proof that came along with it." The Fire Lord raised a beckoning hand, the flames fluttering higher along with the gesture. "Chief Alchemist."
An old man, almost hunched twice over, made his way to kneel beside Xing. Despite his age, Chief Alchemist Zhuang sounded far stronger than he looked. "At your service, Fire Lord."
"What have your tests concluded? Are the colonel's…gifts as they seem to be?"
"Fire Lord, due to the…lack of available stock to compare them to, we had to rely on old manuals to ascertain the authenticity, with the aid of the royal archivists." The ancient official gave a cough before continuing, as if acknowledging the anticipation in the room and letting it ferment a bit more. "We had to dig deeply to find reliable sources of reference, but once we did, it is undeniable that the colonel did manage to come into possession of dragon eggs."
There was a pressure in the room, a bubble of excitement that wanted to burst but was held back by the Fire Lord's presence. Azula herself exhaled with a relief she didn't know she was holding on to.
"The dragon horn too, is authentic, much easily verified thanks to the many trophies around. After some tests, the damage from it is consistent with the colonel's…uh, unique fire."
Zhuang's words were particular, but as careful as he tried to be, it became very hard to deny that Xing did fight a dragon to get himself a clutch of dragon eggs.
The Fire Lord leaned back in his throne, though Azula rather frustratingly couldn't read her father's emotions. "Colonel Xing, it seems once more that you have proven yourself far superior to your peers. And to think that my brother dared to boast of slaying the last dragons…" Ah, that was rare. Father was genuinely pleased and amused at the same time.
"Tell me, how did you manage to keep your men alive against a maddened dragon?" He wasn't trying to test Xing, the Fire Lord was genuinely interested in hearing of the boy's exploits.
Xing gave a stiff nod before glancing up. "Fire Lord, after it was clear that my men would be incapable of beating back the dragon, I risked a reckless attack to drive it back. Luckily for me, I landed a mortal wound on it, and caused it to flee. We chased it back to its lair, where it finally let go of its spirit."
The Fire Lord tolerated the rising murmurs, and Xing waited for it to peter out before continuing.
"We found the nest of eggs there as well. Many were broken, but fortunately, not all. Some…thing guided me to attempt to revive them, and it showed some signs of working. On realizing that there was a chance, I had the restored eggs brought back here, as tribute and further proof of my loyalty to the Fire Nation."
Azula frowned. She knew Xing enough to be confident in reading his tells, and right now something told the princess that he was being very careful with his words.
Father nodded slowly, actually more pleased than he was in ordering Zuko's exile. "Quite so. Quite so. Bring forth the eggs."
At the order, a quartet of palace guards appeared, each holding onto one leg of a large standing tray. On its silk-cushioned surface, sat four large eggs, each almost as big as Azula's head. From where she stood, the things looked like they were chiseled out of stone, save for the abnormal smoothness to their surfaces.
The tray was laid down between Xing and the curtain of fire, and for the first time since Azula could remember, the flames separating the Fire Lord and his court were lowered as he rose up and walked over to it with some apprehension.
Without breaking his gaze from the gift, her father asked almost absently, "You've not requested to keep any of these?"
"No, Fire Lord. I know the value of these eggs is worthless for someone like me."
Azula watched her father almost painfully break away his gaze to give her colonel a questioning look, prompting the boy to explain himself.
"As you know, Fire Lord, I tried reviving a couple of eggs, by circulating chi into them. It showed promise, and the eggs rattled to life." Xing paused with just the right amount of hesitance to make him look rueful. "But then they exploded. It seems that my poor firebending form overdid it."
"A shame," came her father's reply, though he wore a tight smirk. "But we shall forgive your laxness at losing two eggs. Now…" The Fire Lord looked back down at the clutch of eggs and then gestured with a hand. The four guards picked up the tray and lifted it to his waist's level.
Tentatively, the Fire Lord hovered a hand above the eggs. "You said to circulate chi through the eggs, colonel?" Xing nodded, but it was Zhuang next to him that answered.
"There are old texts that write of powerful lords that incubate their own dragon companions, Fire Lord. It matches in essence the…method used by the colonel, though it is more heavily ritualized. Supposedly, it takes days of careful tending…"
Fire Lord Ozai looked to his royal alchemist, and then swept his gaze across the attendees of the royal court who were now practically holding their breaths in anticipation. "So I suppose I should be more careful than the young colonel, then," he muttered aloud, and Azula saw the eggs actually glow as her father channeled his energy into them.
*****
Mozi did his level best not to scream as the false eggs audibly cracked, and then promptly exploded in a mess of ancient egg shells, wax-like goo, and puffs of sulfurous smoke. Silence filled the great hall as the Fire Lord stood stunned and dirtied by the explosion.
There was not a hint of humor to be found at the sight, nobody was suicidal enough for it.
"Explain," the Fire Lord simply said through gritted teeth.
Xing, who was even more smeared by the mess of shell shards and slime, immediately bowed his head. "It is clear that your majesty is far stronger than me. The eggs were not able to handle the strength of the life force you gave them."
The alchemist took a second to seize the lifeline offered to him, and bobbed his head far quicker than his frail frame should allow. "Y-Yes. Yes! That must be it!"
No, that wasn't it. The eggs were painstakingly assembled together by Xing, fragment by fragment, and pasted together with extra powdered eggshells mixed with resin, before being filled with more resin and diluted blasting jelly to keep its shape and mimic the weight and solidity of actual dragon eggs. Xing even had Hyung stitch together abominable skeletons to serve as unhatched dragons within the resin core.
"But I barely put my strength in it."
Mozi was astounded at how Xing managed to keep calm. "If you'll allow me to be honest, clearly your majesty is much stronger than he thinks. If you ask my men…"
Oh, please don't. Please fucking don't take up Xing's dare.
"...it took several seconds before the eggs I tended to exploded."
By actually hatching, not that anyone else outside of the officers of the 11th and the bodyguards knew about it.
"Your majesty caused the eggs - all four of them - to…fail, without exerting much effort."
The head alchemist's head continued bobbing. "Yes, yes. The unhatched dragons were too weak to take your power, Fire Lord! Too weak!"
"And if I may," Xing slipped in before the Fire Lord could properly react and form a reply, "Your majesty has still proven your brother wrong. The last dragons ended under your hands, Fire Lord."
Of course that made the Fire Lord pause in thought and drowned out the visible confusion and anger.
Please believe it... Please believe it… "Pl-"
Mozi almost began verbally chanting, hoping that the flimsy excuse would work. He quickly composed himself, and found to his infinite relief that the minor courtiers around him were still too stunned and transfixed by what was happening to notice his brief lapse.
Finally, the Fire Lord turned his gaze upon Xing. He seemed more confused than angry, which was good. Very good indeed. "It seems we have all overestimated the value of the gift you have offered, colonel."
Xing's head dropped to the floor. "My apologies for disappointing you, your majesty."
The Fire Lord sniffed. "Nevertheless, the feat you accomplished in attaining this…gift is undeniable. Let it be known that the Royal Champion, Colonel Xing, can now officially bear the name of 'Dragon', in bringing down a dragon."
Mozi almost wanted to push through the crowd to reach Xing and smack him when the boy dared to interject. "It is a title that pales in comparison to your achievement of actually rendering them extinct, Fire Lord."
Still, that little reminder made the Fire Lord pause for a fraction of a second, and Mozi fought the urge to slump in relief when he noticed the flash of satisfaction.
"Indeed. The last of the dragons has been ended by my hands." Despite the mess on him, the ruler of the Fire Nation still struck an imposing pose as he raised a closed fist before himself. His gaze cowed every general and noble as it swept across the room. Mozi could imagine how many of them were actually entertaining the notion that the Fire Lord's firebending was truly that much greater than anyone had known. The many interlocking wheels of politics would no doubt turn again to process this new information, and likely a lot of time would be wasted in trying to ascertain the truth of all this.
Court was put on break for a moment, to allow the Fire Lord to get into cleaner attire. As he hadn't been dismissed, Xing remained before the throne, patiently kneeling throughout the entire wait. Mozi picked up on the mood of the courtiers around him, and amazingly, against all odds, the stupid plan worked, and brilliantly at that. There was nobody crying foul, no calls of suspicion. Xing didn't even need to defend himself or string together some dragon moose shit to sway the court. They'd fully believed in the forgeries, and there were already whispers floating around about finding more dragon eggs after this.
The spirits must truly be with Xing.
When court restarted, the curtain of fire rose up once more, and Xing's appraisal continued. "Fortunately for you, there is far more veracity to the fact that you have brought down the king of Omashu." The Fire Lord sounded like his usual self again, as if the mess with the fake eggs hadn't happened.
"Many voices have spoken of how…embarrassing it must be to be outplayed by the Mad King, but the point stands that you did defeat the much feared King Bumi, and you have captured Omashu against all odds."
This time, Mozi let himself exhale with some relief. The Fire Lord wasn't holding the earlier mess against Xing.
"My daughter tells me that the city is a gift to me personally, that you would have it renamed New Ozai, in my honor." That little fact had annoyed the captains of the 11th, ruining their betting pool. Now everyone had to figure out all over again what exactly Xing was aiming for as an engagement gift.
"I suppose that alone should warrant you a great reward, colonel. Even with the earlier…accomplishment aside. However." The flames masked the silhouette of the Fire Lord leaning forward in interest. "Know that we still cannot elevate you to general, Colonel Xing. But we are generous, and we are willing to elevate you instead to a baron."
That was…generous. The Fire Lord really did buy into Xing's dragon moose shit.
"If your majesty allows, I would like to forego that offer."
"Oh? Attaining the rank of baron is not enough for you?"
Xing shook his head. "Your majesty is far too generous to award me the rank. To avoid being seen as abusing your magnanimity, Fire Lord, I hope that you would allow me an alternative."
"You may," came the amused reply.
Xing saluted as he looked up and gazed through the flames. "If I may, Fire Lord, I wish to be able to claim any one Earth Kingdom realm that I personally conquer in the future. So that the effort proves I have earned it, rather than undeservingly receiving the land out of generosity."
"That is…a bold request, colonel." Something about the voice told Mozi that the Fire Lord was at least smirking. "But, we will accept your request. After this, you may claim a single Earth Kingdom state that you have captured."
Xing was dismissed after that, and Mozi saw him headed over to the princess, who once again buried her fist in his gut before half-heartedly berating him. The lieutenant colonel had to wait until court was finally adjourned and he hurried back to his inn room to fully vent the day's tension by screaming into his pillow.
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