The following story fits alongside NiceThorn 's excellent story "The Masks We Wear". This chapter coincides with some events in Chapter 8 of that fanfic.

Reading NiceThorn's story to that point is necessary to understand what has gone differently in this Avatar universe, and I recommend it because "The Masks We Wear" is very, very fun.

LOYALTY BY THE BLADE

A "The Masks We Wear" Sidestory.

Chapter 1

People made mistakes. I had discovered this obvious statement early in life and expanded it into a more truthful one: Other people made mistakes to bother me. I considered my usual wardrobe a practical example of this. It starts with mistakes of thoughtlessness. Seamstresses who would proudly sell clothes made with the best materials and following most fashionable patterns that were a requirement for the noble houses. An outfit that would be ruined the moment an inseam snagged against a concealed blade. This was tied to a mistakes of negligence. The Royal Fire Academy for Girls prided itself in providing an education fit to raise noble ladies into the most sought after baubles. All the hours wasted being taught the delicate embroidery following centennial patterns taught me nothing that could be used to prevent even a small concealed dagger from reducing my sleeves to tatters, or how to mend them after this occurred. This meant that I had not only to find an inner layer of fabric that could keep my clothes presentable and not snag on my blades but that I had to learn to fit and sew in the rough fabric myself. There was no ill will intended and yet these mistakes had resulted in a an expenditure of time and effort with no diversion.

And then there were mistakes passed on as tradition. When or how each kingdom decided what colours would represent them is not something I care to investigate. I understood the obvious logic behind the austere reds and golds of our own nation and even the blues of the water tribes. The awful orange and yellows preferred by the Air Nomad Armies could be mystic claptrap but they were still serviceable. However by this point I had decided that the colours assigned to the Earth Kingdom were a mistake manifest in this palace. And I would not have cared to notice had I not started my stay by cleaning after the idiot's pet bear. The overfed beast had been free to poop freely all over the place and it didn't take me long to realize the matching tones between what it left behind and the decor. And as if that wasn't revolting enough the green light from the crystals on the walls made everyone look just green enough to inspire images of plague in the palace. The palace was as revolting as Omashu had been bleak.

That we had triumphed and the city was going to be made to adopt the colours of the Fire Nation would benefit whatever bureaucrat ultimately had to govern from this place, and I do truly and sincerely wish them the best in trying to get rid of the bear stench that still lingers in it, did not improve the amenities. A shame, really, this was the first morning in a long time I did not have to play the role of servant and had the genuine workers actually bring me what passed for succulent food in the Earth Kingdom. Two dozen different plates all containing food that tasted the same. I am not a glutton and I only eat as much as necessary to satiate my hunger and remain combat ready, but that did not mean I did not want what I did get to be as palatable as possible. However, setting aside the horrible architecture, the boring food, the bear hairs that could still be found sticking to everything, the escape of the Avatar's group, the risk of a counter attack or betrayal before reinforcements arrive and the usual risks of playing in Azula's games; the company for breakfast was interesting.

Azula had dared to pursue three different daunting objectives with the same plan was what made following her so entertaining. That she nearly accomplished all three, or all three if this tale of spirit water was a hoax, was only part of what made her so frightening. Of all her recent accomplishments the one that most impressed me is the one that would not be public. That even after years of banishment and months of being chased, more than enough for him to develop into a stranger, she had been right in believing that her brother would take the role that she had prepared for him. Like we all must. Otherwise, had Zuko gone off the secret script she had for him and had he failed to escape after that, then I am certain I would have never found out what happened to him.

Yet here he joined us for breakfast. The very model of efficiency, having exchanged the simplest of greetings before sitting down to devour whatever was placed before him as quickly as manners allowed. His back was stiff and his hands moved in the precise and formal moves that were mandated in the textbooks for breakfast protocols, which was incongruously out of place at a table that allowed Ty Lee to occasionally entertain herself by reaching all the way across the table to pick up a plate using her foot. His one disregard to whatever formality he was following was that he stuffed his face so quickly his cheeks bulged like those of a squirrel-toad. Now he was neither a boring sight nor an unsightly one.

I had not seen the results of his Agni Kai before his ship departed the Fire Nation and some of the descriptions that had circulated after his banishment had described his injuries as massive crippling deformities. It was an injury that was hard to imagine on to the face I remembered from when we were children. A boy who would run seeking his mother when Azula's games went too far for him, which was often.

The present and real prince sitting with us looked neither the mama's boy nor the monster that had become a warning to those that believed they were too important to feel the displeasure of our lord. He was not handsome in spite of his scar, he was handsome with it. His unmarked features were manly, gone was the softness of boyhood, and the injury gave him a feral quality that would be hard for him to have without it. But this quality remained untapped now that the rest of his face expressed little but open suspicion. Sensibly he did not fixate solely on the plates of food. His eyes slowly roamed the room, and in his shoes I too would acknowledge the opportunity for Azula to find amusement in culminating the meal by announcing it would be his last. That this eyes rested on Azula more often than any of us was completely reasonable. That they did not stop on me any more often than they did on the Dai Li was more irritating. Mainly because I was sure I am more dangerous than they could be and secondly because there was history between us. Azula had led me to expect me somebody who would have an emotional reaction to hearing a pin drop.

I let him know I was not bothered by his presence. When he looked my way I nodded to him, a full fifteen degrees of inclination. He blinked, looked quickly to Azula as if he needed further cues of what to do, and finally smiled towards me. It was a small smile but it felt sincere. It did not merit the blatant thumbs-up Ty Lee gave me but I could at least- OhAzula was smiling too. At least there were no apples at the table.

Our most gracious host leaned back and played with the rim of her cup with casualness nobody present would take as not designed. All our eyes turned to her. "If this is truly the best the Earth King's kitchens can come up with then I can safely reassign the Dai Li stationed there. An attempt to poison us would be revealed by an improvement on the taste. Zuko you are the local expert, is the new head chef worthy of his position or are peasants eating better than us?"

He shook his head. "This is much better." He drank deeply from his own cup to make it clear he had nothing more to add.

It was not possible to know what Azula intended with this line of inquiry, but at least she got him talking. Now I had to see if he would talk to me. "If Ba Sing Se follows after Oma-"

"New Ozai." Azula quickly corrected me on this oh-so-important difference.

"The ink hasn't even dried on the new maps, Azula. Forgive my lapse and know that I am sure that your dedication of the city to honour your father will be that against which all gifts will be compared. As I was saying, If Ba Sing Se follows after New Ozai then you can expect the commerce with the Fire Nation to improve the local cuisine. After a period in which the first supplies to arrive are so rotten that they can kill elephant rats, of course."

That caught Zuko's interest, but directed it to Azula rather than me. "You renamed The Stronghold of the West after father?"

His sister shrugged and studied the juice in her cup like the topic meant little to her. "It will inspire the new citizens to embrace new opportunities in service to their Lord. Winning hearts and minds."

"That's not how you would go about collecting hearts or brains, Azula." He drew back and looked at her, and I could see genuine admiration in his gaze. "You want him to name a city after you."

"It would be rude for me to suggest such a thing, brother." She finally returned his glare and it was accompanied by one of her fictitiously innocent smiles. "However, should he ever mention such a kind gesture to honour my services to the throne then I would thank you if you remembered that once conquered the Earth-Kingdom continent could use a new name."

The smile he reciprocated with was entirely earnest and larger than the one he had given me. It was the very same smile from our childhood games, the ones that did not end in alarm. That he could readily present it while Azula spoke of writing her name on the largest land mass of the planet did not set well with the memory of the unsure and often troubled boy that had once bore that smile. "To inspire the new citizens?"

"And win hearts and minds. If we relied on bunting alone it would take us decades until the news of the new reign reached all peasants out there." Azula pointed her pinky finger to the window to regard the millions of new vassals the Fire Nation had just taken.

I stepped into their little repartee. "If you are planning a parade through the streets I want to be there." They all froze and turned to look at at me before I could finish. "When the locals learn the city has been taken there will be resistance, and there will be assassination attempts against you. Those can be fun."

Ty Lee closed her gaping mouth with a snap and Azula toasted my comment by raising her cup towards me. I was sorry to see that the smile Zuko had a moment ago disappeared. With a sober face he glared out the window and after a moment of contemplation spoke in a low voice, probably talking more to himself than to us. "It doesn't have to be that way. This is not like back home. The people of Ba Sing Se are attached to the city, but there is no true patriotism or admiration for the king. Other than the siege," he paused after mentioning the military campaign and when he resumed his voice was gruffer, "other than the failed siege the city has not felt the impact of the war. Their concerns are internal. The fear of the Dai Li may suffice to maintain order until the people begin to feel the benefits of belonging to the Fire Nation and learn how it feels to have something to be worth being loyal to."

It was my turn to freeze and had I not better control over displays of emotion my jaw would have hung open like Ty Lee's had. The assessment he had given was normal in adherence to Fire Nation politics, but it had been made by the wrong sibling. It was like hearing Azula quoted by a masculine voice. And daring to speak to Azula as if you knew more than she did in topics like this one was very, very dangerous. If she believed you to be wrong then she would show you were a fool. But if she believed it was a challenge to her dominance it could result in blood being drawn.

Even more exceptionally Azula responded neither with a tongue lashing nor with the dangerous timbre that made my skin crawl. She just nodded without a hint of disapproval and drank deeply and evenly from her cup. I had seen teachers in The Academy try and fail to have their lessons be as well received by the princess. Once her cup was empty she spoke again. "I am sure we can arrange it so the trade delegation are charitable in their dealings with the natives. At least until they develop a dependency on imported Fire Nation goods."

Zuko turned from the window back to sister and blinked slowly. Either he had not realized he had spoken out loud or he was equally surprised that Azula had deemed his opinion valid. He nodded just as slowly as he had blinked, adding no criticisms.

Before I had time to examine what exactly had ensued her attitude went back to what was a normal pattern with her. "I see you did not just cower in that tea house, Zuzu. You got your fingers on the pulse of this city."

A taunt like that was exactly what would have provoked a tantrum from the young prince in my memory. This more mature prince only grunted. "Its- just a city."

Ty Lee grinned. "Ah, but the city is huuuge. There must be millions of things to see! Could you give us a tour? Maybe introduce us to your friends?"

Before Zuko could answer himself Azula banged her empty cup against the top of the table. "Excellent idea, Ty Lee."

At the praise Ty Lee's grin grew. She now sat on the edge of her seat as she asked Azula for permission. "Oh, can we go today? From the rooftops of the palace I saw what could be a zoo and-"

The princess quickly squashed Ty Lee's glee. "I'm sorry but you and I have much to do today, Ty Lee. The old head chef and the other heads of staff need to be questioned. I can't have loyalists to the old king invite would-be assassins into the palace, however amusing the attempt may to Mai. It sets a bad example."

Having her request denied my friend now looked like she had bitten into something sour. "But Azula you don't need me to interrogate maids. They couldn't possibly know what The Avatar was planning."

"That's a different issue, Ty Lee. One we will need to tackle with Mai's help once the Council of Five has had a bit more time to sweat in their cells. For now you and I will be enough."

"But Azula," whined Ty Lee, "you told me that we should try to get Mai and- Agh!" The acrobat began to rub her knee. "Why did you kick-"

"You can't go with them. We will be busy today, not Mai." said Azula, emphasizing certain words to drive her true meaning across to Ty Lee, and by extension to everyone listening. Azula's masterful manipulation of others in deadly situations was always at odds with her awkward handling of ordinary socialization when she attempted it.

"Oooh," said Ty Lee, her knee forgotten as she glanced between me and Zuko, "yes I will be busy today but you two could go and-"

"QUIET, TY LEE!" Barked Zuko. The silence he received was absolute and awestruck. Ty Lee bit her lips, hard, as if Azula herself had given the order. All eyes went to him. Even the Dai Li that was on the wall behind him raised his head high to stare from underneath the rim of his helmet. The Prince of The Fire Nation gripped the edge of the table and leaned towards his sister. I had been mistaken in believing his healthy eye would have trouble matching the fierceness of the scarred orb. His ferocious eyes met her chillingly cold ones. Neither flinched. When he spoke again, his voice was low, intense and sibilant with disgust. "What is The Avatar planning?"

Finally, after what seemed like an age, Azula responded. "My apologies, brother. I had expected the waterbender prisoner to share her news with you." Her serious delivery was as severe as her words. "He plans to use the next dark day to murder father and destroy The Fire Nation Capital."