"I can understand the reasons for this ploy of yours, Azula, however…"
The princess sighed. "The risks are tolerable and well worth it, uncle. You know that."
Iroh paused for a moment to mull the whole idea over again, and once more he couldn't fault her logic. "You won't be coming with me, then?"
She shook her head. "I still have to investigate the damaged ship in Hai Sin. I'll send a report to father, though. No doubt the whole debacle in the North Pole is still being picked apart within the palace."
Iroh nodded at that, and wondered how his brother would take such news, particularly the unvarnished truth of Zhao's madness. General Tachi's and Admiral Gao Ning's solid reputation within the conservative faction should be enough to convince Ozai and the high generals, but there was always a chance that such a tale would prove too hard to believe.
If he still remembered how the wheels spun behind the screen, experienced generals and admirals would be piecing together as many details as they could before, during, and after the botched Siege of the North Pole.
The contents of orders and how they were disseminated would be dissected so that blame could be properly apportioned. Officers and random sailors and soldiers would be visited or dragged in for questioning. Troop discipline and morale would be recorded throughout the invasion, and any the meeting minutes (or lack thereof) at every level would be investigated.
Iroh was satisfied with the thoroughness of the advice he offered Zhao, though he knew that all it took was one strategist to question why he didn't insist harder, or rally the support of the other commanders under Zhao to protest, to turn some of the blame on him. As it was about the most accessible political move within the war council, it'd been done plenty of times back in his father Azulon's time.
A good thing then that he had no quarrel with the high generals or those in their clique, and was practically harmless as an exiled prince himself with no position of power. Ozai might try to raise those questions, but there were enough surviving commanders to testify of Zhao's dismissive attitude for anything to properly stick.
And Iroh returning to the palace to answer any questions personally should fully negate any chance of trouble brewing his way. His brother might think himself shrewd, but even with years away from the royal court, Iroh still had a generally untarnished reputation, Ba Sing Se aside.
He just didn't like going back, not now especially. But needs must, as they say.
"I suppose I'll be returning alone then," Iroh sighed. "I'll charter my own ship back tomorrow."
His niece smirked as she gave a short nod. "Good. It adds to the illusion. You're free to disparage me in court as much as you like to sell it. I have the excuse ready for not sending Xing or anyone to call you out for it."
The old prince groaned at that. Azula was playing a rather intricate game here, and he'd admit that she set the cogs and wheels of intrigue rather skillfully.
Perhaps better than Ozai and himself.
The problem with games of intrigue, however, was that it relied on having sufficient fallbacks when things went wrong, and as talented as Azula was, she still did not have the experience to anticipate everything.
"I'll refrain from that," Iroh said. "It is better that you do not draw attention, lest someone acts beyond your expectation."
To her credit, Azula took the advice in thoughtful silence for a few seconds before she nodded. "You're right, uncle. Better not poke lamprey mantis nests unnecessarily."
"Quite so." Despite their shadowy topic, the prince gave his niece a weak smile. "You've…done well, Azula."
She rolled her eyes. "Of course I did. I might have my…differences and disappointment with Zuko, but that doesn't mean I'm going to condemn him."
Iroh's smile grew. "I know, but it is not what I meant. You've made a formidable reputation for yourself, and have proven your talents."
"The brains of the family had to go somewhere." Despite the words, there was no heat or venom in them. She glanced away then, staring into nothing. Iroh noted how her voice became distant and tinged with regret. "The only shame was that our education was focused too much on firebending that it almost stunted everything else…"
Iroh couldn't help but feel some guilt. He didn't know of her aspirations, didn't care to find out, and had treated her too much like the gentle daughter he wished for himself, rather than the princess she was.
"I'm sorry that I couldn't be there for you," he offered.
Azula glanced at him, her mind still trapped somewhere else. "How could you? You were looking after Zuko." She shook her head and returned to the present, shrugging off whatever melancholy that had settled on her. "Anyway, we'll need to corroborate our stories just in case. What kind of protest will you have, and what are my rebuttals going to be like?"
It didn't take too long for their discussion to finish, and it was only starting to get into the afternoon when Iroh left Azula's office within her regiment's barracks. He paused to offer friendly smiles to her two friends as they passed him, friends that poorly hid how puzzled they were at the princess' rather drastic change.
Azula had become far more than Iroh had expected, and the prince had overlooked her qualities.
Did she perceive his visits back then as belittling?
Did she resent him for how he treated her like a typical maiden?
Maybe he should have taken Ursa's concerns about her daughter a bit more seriously, and taken Azula under his wing as he did for Zuko.
Alas, it was too late now. She'd found a place for herself here, among soldiers whose loyalty was lethal, and whose respect was given in earnest.
Iroh stopped as he got within yards of the main gate, brought out of his musing by the sight of Zuko fully armored and running laps around the compound with a large sack tied to his waist. The younger prince was panting hard, and his body bent over awkwardly as he endured the weight on his back. Yet Iroh caught the glimmer of determination and focus in his eyes, fueled further by Captain Ren's crass urging.
"If he keeps it up, he'll be within reach of the regiment's record," Xing said as he appeared by Iroh's side. The colonel gave Iroh a bow and salute before continuing. "Don't worry, Prince Iroh. I've made it clear that the prince will be held to the same standards as every other prospective recruit."
"Thank you, Xing. But I'm not really worried about Zuko. He has you and Azula to look out for him, after all."
Iroh gave the colonel a faint grin, which was accepted with a small smile. "Thank you for your confidence, Prince Iroh."
"And thank you for all you've done for us so far," Iroh replied with a deep bow that made Xing shift awkwardly. "And for finding a place for Zuko in the spirits' grand design."
The colonel glanced aside and eventually settled with a nod. "I'll…I'll do what I can so that he…um…at least gets the opportunity to shine."
They exchanged parting bows as equals (as uncomfortable as Xing found it), and Iroh left with a rather ornate lacquered box stuffed with Gaoling green tea leaves. Out of courtesy's sake, the prince accepted the gift and feigned ignorance about the nature of the floral decorations etched on the box. It's not as if the other members of the White Lotus were any subtler, Piandao especially.
[center]*****[/center]
With her own rescheduled itinerary confirmed, Azula had only one more day to wrap things up in Zilang before she continued for Hai Sin. Thankfully, the days spent in the town and barracks were not too boring for her friends. Ty Lee was happy to just wander about when Azula was occupied, while Mai spent most of the time sitting around the 11th's compound for obvious reasons.
What the girl saw in Zuko still baffled Azula, but then maybe the princess had a biased view considering how high her standards were.
It's hard to compare anyone to Xing, after all.
And on that topic, Azula waited for the sun to set before she headed for Xing's room, mustering her nerves with each step. He'd been having his meals earlier and faster ever since the whole thing with Zuko, which didn't affect Azula but disconcerted the officers a bit. Whether it's because of how everyone acted without his knowledge, or dealing with the spirits' plans, or both, Azula couldn't really guess.
Which was why she decided to opt for the more direct route. She can't have her colonel wallowing or needlessly overworking now, can she?
Giving a respectful nod to Koshi and his team, Azula had her own bodyguards stand guard before she knocked at the door. Xing answered quickly enough and welcomed her in with far more courtesy than familiarity.
"What can I help you with, Azula?"
She would've tossed him an annoyed look, but Azula was too distracted scanning the room.
Where were they?
As if answering her, two scaly, horned heads popped out from underneath Xing's bed. Orochi and Quai Yin swam towards her in mesmerizing spirals, their wings beating lazily as they greeted her in soft yips and gentle nuzzles against her cheek.
"It's good to see you two too," the princess said as she affectionately scratched on the back of their heads for several seconds. Quai Yin as usual then settled for draping herself around Azula's neck like a scarf, while Orochi let himself be cradled in her arm.
The princess then returned to the reason she was here and leveled a look at him. "You can start by telling me what I have to do," she bluntly said.
Xing gave a puzzled 'huh' and exchanged glances with the dragons. Azula could swear they were somehow shrugging even with their lack of noticeable shoulders.
She gave a sigh. "I went around your back with your officers. It's obviously still gnawing at you, whether it's because I acted without your knowledge, or the unintended consequences of what I did." The dragons unfurled themselves and flowed away from the princess as she put her hands on her hips. "So. Tell me what I must do to-"
It's not exactly making things right, since it was arguable that there was anything to really be righted in the first place. How'd she know of Xing's plans for Zuko if he didn't tell her about them? And how was she going to let anyone get away with insulting her Xing without consequences?
"-fix this."
Xing blinked at her a few times, before he shrugged lamely, betraying a flash of emotions before it was smothered. "I… It'll pass, I'll get over it."
Azula's eyes narrowed into slits. "I'd rather we resolve this now. Your men and women are worried about you, Xing." She glanced at the two dragons hovering nearby. "Can you talk some sense into him?"
Both reptilian heads shook from side to side, and let out yips that sounded a bit like complaints. Azula sighed, steeled herself and then walked right up to Xing.
"Look, if you want to be angry at someone, be angry at me. Blame me. I overreacted, and shouldn't have assumed you'd be too soft on my brother. There. If it helps, you can do to me what I did to him."
Fortunately, Xing looked utterly aghast at that suggestion, as much as Azula was ready to accept that worst case scenario. "What? No!"
"Then what can I do to apologize?" she asked. "What can I do to get my old Xing back?"
They locked stares for a few seconds, before Xing broke it with a sigh. "I'm sorry Azula."
"No," she cut in, resisting a whisper to slap him and rile him up. "I'm the one apologizing here. Make me earn it, just as I made Zuko earn his."
"Does it really matter that much to you?"
Azula nodded firmly. "Of course. I'm not that daft. I can't have my colonel resent me. I-" She paused, and then felt the need to gulp before the rest of the words left her lips with a frailness that surprised herself. In her head as she rehearsed it, she was declaring everything so boldly.
"I can't have you hate me."
Xing's eyes locked onto hers once more as Azula forced herself to bear his gaze and leave her moment of weakness exposed. Whatever apathy or lingering haze of anger in him faded noticeably, softening his attention. For some reason, the princess' breath hitched as he raised a hand to gently caressed her cheek, smiling gently as he did so.
"I don't think I can ever hate you, my princess," Xing said softly, but loud enough for her to etch every word into her memory.
She found herself whispering when she should be more decisive and bolder. "Let me make it up to you."
Without realizing it, Azula was suddenly leaning towards him, just as he was doing the same towards her. Their lips met, and the princess sighed into the kiss, and then she felt his strong hands holding her by the shoulders to stop her legs from failing her.
Xing abruptly broke the kiss, staring into Azula's confused eyes for a second before he went to the door. "Koshi, can you and the others… Check the perimeter?" she heard him order before locking the door again and facing her.
Azula felt her heart speed up, but she didn't hear the thundering of blood in her ears. Instead her attention was taken up by Xing who strode towards her with a purpose. There were soft yips in the edges of her hearing, but she gladly ignored them as well as her colonel wrapped an arm around her waist to pull her towards him.
It didn't take long to tidy herself up, and Azula was confidently leaving Xing's room and calling her bodyguards (who had been keeping to the colonel's last order) over. A part of her was worried that they'd notice her slightly disheveled state. Another part of her didn't care, and was more than happy to have people know she and her colonel had done…something, however tame that something might be.
Thankfully, Azula heeded the former sentiment and kept down the urge to drag Xing out to give him a more public show of affection. She left the barracks with a giddy happiness she didn't know she could feel. And she knew that Xing was feeling the same, with how he kept grinning right until he saw her off.