Western wing of the palace, the reception room.
Mai and Azula enter the room. I floated in after the girls like an invisible and inaudible shadow. As we arrived, the captain put his tea aside and stood at attention. He did it so quickly and harmoniously that the man's military training was clearly visible in every movement.
— Princess Azula—the man bowed respectfully, according to all the rules of etiquette, only glancing at Mai, who was standing behind the princess. But the girl remained unrecognized and, it seems, was mistaken for a maid.
— Commander…—the princess replied coolly, her sharp gaze examining the large man with typical Fire Nation features: dark hair, tanned skin, brown eyes with a slight golden sheen. He was dressed in a standard Fire Nation army officer's uniform, in red and black colors. What made him stand out was a scar that covered almost his entire face and a slightly bewildered look.
— I don't have the words to express how excited I was to receive your letter. After my demotion, I had no hope anymore…
— Commander Chan—Zula interrupted his tirade calmly.
— I've heard the story of your transfer to the rear guard, but my final decision will depend on what you tell me. And you'd better tell the truth, even if it's a little… rude to some high-ranking officials of our country. Now, you can stand up straight and tell me how a man who brilliantly proved himself in the war against the Earth Kingdom, a candidate for admiral, ended up in… what's the name of the place you were sent to?
— I was assigned to guard a metallurgical plant on the Ai-si River, at the head of a few dozen of my subordinates. And I am a former commander, Your Highness—Chan sighed, straightening his back.
It was clear from the officer's eyes what he thought of such an appointment, but Azula just nodded her head, urging him to continue. I remained a silent listener, as did Mai, who stood indifferently behind the princess, not reacting to anything.
— I'm sure, Princess Azula, you know my history as a Fire Nation army commander, since you invited me here. You're right to say that many highly valued my decisions and methods of warfare. I'm a military man, not a politician, Princess. This, in the end, ruined my career. On the occasion of the founding of a new colony in the Earth Kingdom, I was invited to the palace, where a celebration was being held. I tried to behave appropriately, but a high-ranking official noticed me and started a conversation about military operations. To put it simply, he believed that since the army was constantly winning, its funding in certain parts of the front could be cut and the funds redirected to some of our nation's islands. I didn't know much about the balance of power in the palace, so I was careless enough to express my thoughts on the matter to him and…
— And soon, after your serious injury, you were surprised to learn that you were being transferred to the internal army—Azula finished for him with a slight smile. — You did find out whose stupid ideas you managed to criticize in the presence of a large number of witnesses not from the lowest strata of our country's society?
— Yes, Princess—Chan bowed his head again. — It was your father's former classmate—Fire Lord Ozai—and his long-time friend since his academy days…
The situation was quite interesting. Someone had clearly used their position for selfish purposes, which resulted in a very qualified military officer being humiliated by such a demotion and transfer to the reserves, and the injury was just a pretext. And the injury itself wasn't that terrible; Jay Chan could still be of great use, both to the country and to the Fire Nation army. The commander had received an arrow in the knee during another battle, but nevertheless continued to fight and soon got his scar across half his face. And while the healing process was underway, he was transferred and demoted without his knowledge.
For someone who was a successful commander and almost became an admiral, being demoted to captain of the guard was extremely humiliating. But Jay Chan could do nothing about it, since a simple stroke of the pen, and the then Prince Ozai decided the fate of a promising person, depriving the army of a very qualified military man with an excellent service record, forever closing the road for career advancement.
Of course, Azula studied him for a few more minutes, talking and finding out all the details of this incident, but her attitude to the whole story was… indifferent. She was completely indifferent to the commander's fate. In principle, so was I, but this case perfectly shows Ozai's qualities as a ruler. Personal interests and "friends" come first, and everything else, if not separately, then after.
However, he acts exactly like all the tyrants I know who have seized power in one way or another. First and foremost, he helps the loyal people he knows well to get important positions, which strengthens his position at the top of power. There was nothing surprising in this, but I am too familiar with the consequences of the long rule of such people. Rulers like Ozai will not bring anything good to their country.
Of course, I didn't stay silent, indulging in memories of my homeland. On the contrary, I tried to participate in the conversation, although only Azula could hear me, while her friend began to slowly meld with the armchair she sat in soon after the princess occupied the sofa.
I was interested in Azula's next actions and what guided her in making a decision. I advised the girl to show compassion, to become a defender of justice, to help a man who found himself in a difficult situation, and to punish the criminals in the future.
However, Azula remained at best indifferent, and even began to get annoyed at my words, giving very eloquent looks at the place where I was floating, which began to slightly tense the commander. Alas, the princess did not possess compassion and mercy; rather, the opposite.
She was completely indifferent to his fate and my sentimentalities; the soldier's problems were terribly distant and incomprehensible to the princess; she had never been in a similar situation and could not show even a hint of empathy. She was much more interested in his skills and personal achievements. The only thing she could regret was that such a professional was being used for the wrong purpose, and his talents were being wasted. A kind of rationalism.
I had to change my tactics and remind her that by offering Jay Chan a helping hand, she would first gain his loyalty, and only then a professional with great experience.
She liked that, which was even reflected on her face, although only I could notice such tiny changes. Of course, we had already discussed all this, but I was interested in her reaction to my words. I wanted to see the changes in her character, and they were almost non-existent. What was present was more likely a consequence of her father's attempt to kill her. Even if she pretends that nothing happened, a little worm of doubt has settled in her heart. She has recovered from all the shocks of the past weeks. Having returned to a familiar environment, she began to behave almost as she did before we met.
Meanwhile, their conversation was coming to an end.
— Having spoken with you personally, I am only convinced of the correctness of my choice—Azula said calmly, after the commander's long speech, which she interspersed with clarifying questions. Details always help to distinguish lies from the truth.
— Princess, does this mean…—the man's eyes lit up with hope.
— Yes, you are hired—the princess delivered her verdict. — You will familiarize yourself with all the necessary papers tomorrow, when the sun is at its zenith. Night is approaching; for the last few minutes of our meeting, I would like to talk about other team members, and possible candidates for it…
Azula confirmed her decision to accept the captain into her service, which he was very happy about. Afterwards, there was a short conversation about who the old soldier could recommend. The new captain recommended a few people who had served under him. I even laughed at the name of his former first mate—Na Liwei. Oh, these Fire Nation names, they just make me giggle.
After discussing the future team and the personalities of all the newcomers, the captain was sent from the palace to the capital, so as not to say anything extra to someone important again. Partially, this was a rude excuse. Partially, Azula simply didn't want to give him quarters in the palace. They were not on such terms, unlike with Mai. At the same time, there was a chance that the captain would repeat his mistake and be rude to someone important again. There are a huge number of hotels in the capital; he will be able to find a place to spend the night without any problems, and there he will have much less chance of causing problems for the princess. A logical, though somewhat rude, move.
Meanwhile, the girls were left alone in the waiting room. Jay Chan had left their company. Azula saw him off with her eyes, still sitting on the sofa. While Mai was sitting in an armchair by the window, a couple of meters away from her friend, playing with a throwing knife almost the entire time of the conversation with the captain.
"Discuss this with Mai; it would be interesting to hear her opinion on this story"—the princess subtly glanced at me, raising an eyebrow in a silent question. — "Listening to other people's opinions can be a useful exercise; it broadens one's horizons"—I explained to her, in response to the silent question.
After looking at me for a little longer, she turned her attention to her friend.
— Mai, what do you think about all this?
— It's a bore—the girl replied without any emotion, stopping her play with the throwing knife, skillfully hiding it in her sleeve. — He's finally gone; I was beginning to think it would never end.
"Talk to her about this. The abuse of power, corruption, Ozai's inner circle who think they can do anything as long as they remain loyal to the Fire Lord. After all, you will soon go to check how your father's will is being carried out and how accurately people are following the letter of the law. I'll give you a hint: they are far from doing it perfectly"—I said with a smile, right to Azula's face.
Being right in front of her, I watched how my words about perfection touched the princess. She has a special quirk about this. The girl absolutely hated it when someone didn't give their all and didn't strive for perfection. She herself lived by these principles and forced everyone around her to conform to them. My words about corruption didn't bother her at all, no. What angered Zula was that the law was not being perfectly followed by her people. This was in contrast with the core of her personality, with Azula's basic principles, and this made the princess terribly angry.
— What do you think of his story?—the princess said coolly, allowing her voice to reflect slight notes of interest.
— Nothing interesting—Mai replied with the same minimal emotion. — Such cases happen quite often among all strata of society. It's simply difficult for some people not to take advantage of a benefit when they have it. However, this Jay Chan could have challenged him to a duel, or even an Agni Kai, if he's a bender, but he didn't. He must have been quite content with the place where he ended up.
"Or he was threatened with reprisal before the duel. Honor is a very peculiar thing; if no one knows about a stain, you can safely lie that it is clean"—I added for the girl, but it was no longer necessary. Azula was clearly interested in the topic and had already continued talking with Mai without my help.
The friends talked not so much about politics as about minor violations of the law, so minor that it was customary not to notice them. Azula didn't really understand such trifles, unlike her father. The girl went too far with her subordinates and punished them even for the smallest mistakes. But the princess is far from the entire Fire Nation, and many officials, military men, and other people in power quite a lot abuse their position and connections. In addition, despite all the achievements of their country, there was still inequality in society, at least between the rich and the poor. An ideal society does not exist and, of course, will not arise under the rule of a tyrant.
The friends talked until sunset, sometimes jumping to the most diverse topics. The girls discussed the future route, Azula's mission, and many other things. The princess and I had already discussed all this. They also discussed other crew members for the protection of the princess's ship, among whom the most famous was the archer squad of the Yuan. The girls took this with all seriousness, as the ship would sail not only in the safe waters of the Fire Nation, but also near the colonies, and even enemy lands, so the chance of encountering the Earth Kingdom fleet or pirates would not be small. And among the Fire Nation military, there are rumors that the Earth Kingdom covers all pirates, since their fleet is quite pathetic.
The topics changed, and the girls continued to talk until sunset, and even a little after. During this time, I only once again noted Mai's depression and the meager emotions that both girls demonstrated during the conversation. It was as if they weren't friends at all, but rather considered themselves distant acquaintances. In a way, that was the case. Both had some problems with communication and showing emotions. Azula considered it a weakness, and her friend... I didn't know about her friend, but I think I'll find the answer to that question soon.
Meanwhile, the friends walked down the corridors and reached the wing with the princess's chambers, where the maids had already prepared a room for Mai. All this time, I only inserted a couple of biting comments, mostly limiting myself to the role of an outside observer. Both girls were very smart and strong-willed; listening to their conversation was surprisingly pleasant.
— Here it is. Brings back memories, doesn't it?—Zula changed the topic with a slight smile of nostalgia, reaching the right door to the chambers.
— It's already late; the remaining invited people will arrive in the capital soon, and then the ship will set sail. My chambers are just down the hall; don't bother me with trifles—the princess continued, going inside and inspecting the furnishings and suitability for a night's stay in the room. The servants had tried and done everything perfectly, as they usually do with all the princess's orders.
— Familiar room—Mai noted calmly, looking around the room that Azula had allocated for her.
— Yes. We used it to do homework and for other childhood games.
— That was a long time ago—from the pleasant memories, a barely noticeable smile appeared on Mai's face, but it soon disappeared. Her childhood with Azula must not have been so happy.
— Not so long ago, less than half a decade ago. Make yourself at home...—the princess was about to take her leave, heading for the exit, when her friend's voice stopped her.
— Azula…
— What?
— You've changed—Mai noted without emotion, looking calmly at her companion.
— You think so? I don't think so—the princess stated confidently, even cockily, turning around.
— You never used to care about other people's opinions—Mai was calm, even when Azula gave in to anger, which was reflected on her face with a fiercely furrowed brow and pursed lips.
— Good night, Mai—the princess snapped irritably, leaving for her own chambers.
— …
That night, the princess was not in the mood for conversation, indulging in her own reflections. I didn't bother her, understanding that sometimes we all need time to be alone. Leaving to attend to my own business, I left Azula to herself.
Deciding to brighten my leisure time and find answers, I visited Mai's dreams. Alas, I couldn't figure out why she was so calm and even somewhat depressed. To be honest, I didn't understand anything at all in her dreams; there was too little time to view all her memories. I only understood that her life was one continuous bore, as the girl herself often stated. Only rare skill tests and training brightened up her life, and she did them out of boredom, reaching great heights. Surprisingly, the girl spends a lot of time throwing weapons at targets, almost all her free time.
After Mai, I recharged from the princess, glancing at her dreams along the way, and the very next day, the ship's crew was fully staffed. Or rather, almost fully. Two people sent their replies to the princess's offer. Ty Lee refused, writing that she had found herself in the circus and her Aura had changed, becoming "pink." The mercenary we needed was on a mission, and only after it was he ready to discuss the terms of the deal.
The princess was a little angered by Ty Lee's refusal. But she was still firmly determined to recruit her. For this, she had to change the travel schedule, as well as for one special mercenary. As a result, after calculating all the possibilities and sending a couple of letters, Azula ordered the head of the circus, with whom her friend had left, to arrive in Yu Dao in four weeks. At the same time, she arranged a meeting with the mercenary Berkroot in the same colony. Yes, the princess does not accept refusals, and I could once again see her brilliant talent for manipulation and creating the necessary events with my own eyes.
Time flowed on. The ship's crew was assembled. A small squad of archers from the Yuan and some other narrowly specialized experts joined the ship's crew. Every detail of the vessel was checked and rechecked; it was loaded with supplies, coal, medicines, and other vital necessities. All the necessary papers were collected. Notices of a special inspection were sent to all the governors of all the cities.
The ship of the newly-minted inspector-auditor set off on its journey, leaving the capital's harbor.