I added some family names because I feel like noble class girls would have family names. They're basically just Japanese names twisted a little.
Katara feels like she's lost her mind somewhere over the course of the day. One minute, she's spotted Zuko inside the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se and running to tell the Earth King of the infiltration, and now she's working with Zuko and his uncle to defeat his sister because while Zuko had gotten into the Upper Ring, she had gotten into the Palace. And everything had been looking up before then. It was just like Zuko to come crashing in and ruin everything.
The guards to the military building recognize her and let her pass with barely more than a glance at her present company despite even Zuko's scar. They must blend in better than she realized as the new hair and the green outfit seemed to be enough for everyone else. She leads the way back to the war room and finds the generals still in the room, loitering and discussing other matters with lower ranking military members while she'd been gone. She doubts that it's been more than an hour since she'd left.
"Master Katara?" General How asks. "We hadn't expected you to return so quickly."
"We have a problem," she says, skipping over pleasantries. "The Fire Nation has infiltrated the Palace. Princess Azula has disguised herself as a Kyoshi Warrior and is currently in the throne room, likely waiting for the Earth King. I left before she could notice me. We need to respond now before she realizes she's been discovered."
"What?" the general asks, and murmurs break out between the other generals and the lower ranking staff. "Who are these men? They shouldn't be privy to such sensitive information."
Katara glances at Zuko's uncle, and he gives her an encouraging nod. He'd recommended that she lie with the truth, but she still isn't sure what to say. Zuko, however, gives no help or encouragement with his attention totally focused on the generals. "This is Mushi and his nephew, Lee. The Avatar and our group has crossed paths with them before in the Earth Kingdom. They've fought more with the Fire Nation than we have. I needed Lee to help confirm that it was Princess Azula."
"You're soldiers?" General How asks, sounding suspicious. She'd hoped he would assume they were Earth Kingdom soldiers and were here to help on her word.
"We are no common foot soldiers who have abandoned their posts," Zuko's uncle says, and Katara realizes her mistake. "My nephew and I have...specialized, so to speak. We came to Ba Sing Se when our last operation failed in order to recover and resupply. I assure you, we are competent, and we can help you defeat Princess Azula."
The general seems mollified, but not totally sold on the explanation. He crosses his arms and asks, "And what exactly did you specialize in?"
"Fire Nation war strategy. I have knowledge of Princess Azula's masters and tutors. I know what tactics she has learned and which she prefers to use," he explains, and Katara realizes that it's probably true. As her uncle, he would know who had been chosen to train her and what they were like as teachers and fighters. He continues, "My nephew specializes in stealth and sabotage, but he is no slouch in combat either."
"Stealth," the general says, stroking his beard. "That's helpful only to a certain extent in a surprise attack. We don't have time to plan anything more complicated than a frontal assault if she's already in the Palace."
Katara also doubts Zuko's supposed stealth. He rushes into battle loud with blazing flames like every other Fire Nation soldier she's ever met.
"I can do more than sneak around, General," Zuko says, gone back to the deferential tone he'd used with her when he'd been trying to hide from the people around them. "I just need a pair of dual dao to prove it."
"Very well, the greater the numbers the better our odds," he says. "Mushi, how likely do you think we are to succeed with the dozen or so master earthbenders we have here, Master Katara, and you and your nephew? We'll also bring along as many guards as we can spare from this building."
Iroh considers this for a moment. "So long as we don't underestimate the princess and her two companions we should have a good chance of success. The princess is capable of generating lightning and while proud, capable of playing the long game. You must not allow her to escape and regroup with the men I am sure she has stationed outside the city walls. I would recommend her capture so that she may be used as leverage against the Fire Lord."
Katara looks at him for saying such a thing about his own niece, but Iroh shows no sign of conflict. She glances at Zuko, but she can't see enough of his expression to tell what he thinks of the plan. She prefers it, but she also feels a twinge of discomfort at working with people who can plan such things against members of their own family. Then again, Sokka isn't anything like Azula.
"Do you have any information on her companions?" General How asks.
"Yes, they are Ty Lee Hironata and Mai Kogo. Neither are benders, but they are by no means burdens to the princess. Ty Lee comes from an aristocratic Fire Nation family with ties to the Fire Nation's ninja clans. She is a master of chi blocking and can fell a man with one well aimed strike. Do not let her in close. Mai is the opposite. She is weak in close quarters but is extremely proficient in the use of all manners of small projectile weapons. Neither girl can truly be called a warrior, and both will surrender at Azula's defeat. Ty Lee only follows the princess out of fear, and Mai enjoys the thrill of small skirmishes but cares little for putting in effort or the gory realities of genuine battle."
Katara realizes he's right about Azula's companions. They give up easily compared to other Fire Nation soldiers, and they don't hold a candle to Zuko's determination. They had seemed so intimidating in their encounters with them, but those had all been relatively short battles and it still had been easy to escape them. A longer battle with heavy weight fighters, and they'd likely crack like thin ice.
"The Fire Lord was a fool to send such spineless combatants into the field," General How says.
"He sees Princess Azula as an extension of himself and has blinded himself to her faults. It is one of very few weaknesses," Iroh says, and Katara can't imagine what faults the princess has because she has yet to see any. "She would have done better to have chosen well trained soldiers she trusts rather than aristocratic girls who learned their narrow skills out of fancy rather than necessity or desire to succeed. Princess Azula is also weak in defensive tactics. She will not be able to protect her companions, and if they perceive she has abandoned them they will retreat or surrender."
"We'll need to separate and isolate them," he says. "What about the Dai Li? Why haven't they acted against the Princess already?"
"We believe Long Feng is still in control of them," Katara says. "We think it's possible that he's waiting for a way to use her to be freed and seize power again."
"That's likely," he says, stroking his beard. "I never liked him much, but he's always been a shrewd man. We'll have to cast him out of the city, separate him from the Dai Li. They're the only unknown right now, but it's not like they're the only master earthbenders in town."
"We should get moving," another general says. "We've sent for most of the guard to meet us at the palace using different paths. We don't want to give ourselves away."
"Might I suggest then," Iroh says diplomatically, "If you all will be going in as a frontal assault, Master Katara, my nephew, and myself enter the palace through another means? We may not be able to perform a true pincer maneuver, but we may be able to catch the princess unaware if she suspects a guard has discovered her and not us."
"Only if Master Katara leads the attack," the general says.
"I can do it," she assures him. She might not be able to take on both Zuko and Iroh on her own, but they seem committed to defeating Azula. If they abandon them and flee, though, it might not be the worst thing to happen. They've already delivered useful information, and Katara won't have to watch over them during battle.
"And the dual dao?" Zuko asks.
"Here," one of the general says, taking a pair from of his own belt and holding them out to Zuko. "I use them for decoration, but they are fully functional and sharp. Use them well."
"I will, thank you," he says, accepting the weapons and bowing deeply to the general like he had to Katara earlier.
"Let's go," General How commands, striding towards the door.
Katara takes the lead out of the military headquarters. "Do you actually know how to use those?" she asks Zuko when they're well away from the guards and generals.
He looks at her with surprise, but she thinks it's a reasonable question. Firebenders never use weapons. "The Avatar didn't tell you?"
"Tell me what?"
"He freed the Avatar's bison with just dao," Iroh says. "My nephew studied under Master Piandao as a child. He would not have been allowed to carry a weapon without the necessary skills to use it properly."
"Not everyone knows who your friends are, Uncle," Zuko says.
"Surely she has heard of such a renowned swordmaster," he counters.
"You know what other benders are like," he says rolling his eyes.
Iroh shakes his head. "It is not the point. Nephew, Master Katara, it is important that you understand Lee's bending may not be as it was."
Katara turns to Zuko, but he's only frowning in confusion. She asks, "What do you mean?"
"My chi is fine. What would be wrong with my bending?"
"Your recent transformation may have caused it to weaken," he says. "Your drive fuels your spirit and you have recently given up what has driven you for the past three years. Your flames may be weakened by that change."
"That's just perfect," he says, shaking his head. "We don't have time to wait for me to recover. The dao will have to do."
"Azula will be unfamiliar with such weapons as well," Iroh adds. "There is still a silver lining."
"That's because she's useless with any weapons," Zuko says, rolling his eyes. "Not that she needs them."
"Any weakness is still a weakness. It is always better to know more than your enemies," Iroh says. "In this instance, their superior specialization will be their downfall against our broader skill set. Though, perhaps if the generals perform better than expected we may still keep our firebending secret. It would certainly make things afterwards easier."
"What good would that do?" Zuko asks. "Azula would expose us to turn our allies against us."
Iroh sighs. "Perhaps we were too quick to abandon your mask."
Katara opens her mouth to ask because she's never seen Zuko in a mask, but he speaks before she can get her words out.
"No, it's fine where we've left it. Besides, it wouldn't help you any."
Iroh smiles, beaming at his nephew though Zuko doesn't seem to notice, completely focused on the palace wall ahead of them. Katara follows his gaze and notices the guard is missing from his post. "I think the generals have arrived already."
"Quickly then," Iroh says, picking up his pace and moving faster than Katara had expected him to be able to.
Zuko settles into position beside Katara with both of them before Iroh. Katara is surprised to find it more comfortable to have him at her side now than it had been the first time they had gone into the palace. Perhaps the saying the enemy of my enemy is my friend was true after all.
Zuko begins to take off his outer robe as they move, casting it onto the ground between the palace wall and the kitchen. Katara catches sight of his bare arms and wonders if he had always been so lean. Somehow, she doubts it for how could he have worn his armor without some additional weight?
This time when they enter the kitchen, they find it empty. The cooking staff had abandoned their posts just as the guard had. Katara could feel a tremor in the foundation of the palace. "I don't think the Dai Li stayed neutral."
"But we don't know what side they've picked," Zuko says.
"We should proceed with caution," Iroh adds, "Surprise will work just as well on the Dai Li as it will on Azula."
"Should we take the same passageway to get to the throne room?" she asks Zuko.
"Yes, it's probably the fastest way to the throne room from here."
"Okay," she says, and she almost says something about him taking the lead. Then she realizes it might be better to have both firebenders in front of her and motions for Iroh to follow Zuko.
Iroh must trust her or not consider her a threat because he goes in front of her without hesitation. Zuko finds the door they had left from early and pulls it open. "This way," he tells his uncle.
Katara follows the two men into the passageway, and she finds it just as creepy as she had going out. It's almost worse knowing that they're headed into the heart of the palace. The tremors get stronger the farther they go, and Zuko picks up the pace. Katara relaxes momentarily when Zuko finally opens the little door into the dining room again and there's sunlight again.
"Is it alright if I lead?" Zuko asks.
"I think it best," Iroh says. "Water is not so offensively strong as going in blades first. I will be of less help though if we are avoiding firebending."
"What if the Master and I go first, and you follow a few minutes after?" he asks. "Fire isn't so effective against stone anyways and you can watch our backs."
"That plan's fine, let's go," Katara says, impatient to get moving and see what's going on.
"Go," Iroh says, and Zuko is off running. Katara chases after him and reminds herself that she should be protecting his back for now.
They are halfway down the hall when Zuko says, "Footsteps."
Katara uncorks her water skin, but Zuko doesn't unsheath his swords, just keeps running towards whoever is coming towards them. A girl in Kyoshi garb comes running into the hallway, and this time she's close enough for Katara to tell that she's not from Kyoshi. She's one of Azula's Fire Nation friends.
"Zuko," the girl says in shock, stopping almost mid stride.
Zuko says nothing and doesn't stop. He delivers a solid punch to the girl's torso before she recovers from the shock. Katara hears the breath leave her lungs. Zuko grabs one of her wrists and twists it behind her back, far enough that it looks like it hurts. The girl makes a pained noise in between her gasps for breath. "Where's Azula?"
Katara stops in front of the girl and she looks on the verge of tears.
"I don't know, I swear," she says, and her voice is softer and higher than Katara remembers. "She said to scatter when the generals said they were going to arrest her. I think she's hoping the Dai Li will crush them because they said they were going to get their leader guy, Long Feng, too."
Katara looks to Zuko to see if he can tell if she's telling the truth. He gives her a nod.
"Sorry, Ty Lee," he says then delivers a quick blow to her head, and Katara gasps. "We can't tie her up. She can dislocate her wrists and shoulders to escape."
It feels terribly mean, but what else could they do?
Zuko leans her unconscious body against the wall so she's not just sprawled in the middle of the hallway. "We need to find Azula. We can let the Dai Li and generals battle it out among themselves."
"Where do you think she'd go?"
"Not far enough from the action. She'll want to know what's happening."
"So let's search the surrounding rooms," she says, and Zuko nods.
They start opening doors. Zuko opens one, looks in, then shuts it and shakes his head. Katara opens the next, sees an opulent but entirely still and empty room, and shuts it as well. On they continue down the hall, one room after another until the only door left is the throne room and the rumbling earthbending occurring within.
"We'll have to cross the throne room," Zuko says. "I'm sure Azula is in the other wing. She won't leave without knowing the outcome."
"And how do we do that without getting accidentally crushed?" she asks, already pulling her water out for defensive use.
Zuko shrugs. "Run fast."
Katara doesn't have any better ideas that don't include Toph. Zuko sets himself up against the throne room door and looks at her.
"Go," Katara says, and Zuko pushes open the door.
He bolts through the door, and Katara follows right on his heels. The throne room is unrecognizable, the jade and marble splintered and warped from all the earthbending. Katara comes to a short stop as a rock flies in front of her, nearly taking off her head. Zuko stumbles as one of the Dai Li shifts the flooring to shove a general into the waiting attack of another agent. It is a lot of dodging and some mad scrambling over abandoned boulders to get across the throne room without any broken bones.
Katara is less than a foot from the door when a wall of stone slides up to cover it. She turns to see a Dai Li agent with his arms raised. Before either of them can move, Zuko jumps off a nearby boulder and smashes his elbow into the agent's head. The agent drops to the ground.
"Now how do we get the wall down?" she asks.
"I don't know," he says, joining her in front of the walled off door. "How thick is it?"
"Thick enough."
"Duck!" one of the generals' aids shouts at them. They leap out of the way as he bends a boulder through the wall and the door behind it. "Go!"
Katara examines the hole as she tucks her water back into her waterskin. They are probably going to get splinters, but it's big enough for them to fit through.
"No time for finesse," Zuko says as he looks at the damage dealt.
"You first."
"What? Not ladies first?" he asks as he's already boosting himself into the hold.
"Is that supposed to be a joke?" she asks because Zuko was definitely the sort of person to be wound too tight to ever crack a joke. This is also absolutely not the time for one.
Zuko doesn't answer as he drops down on the other side of the hole. "Be careful of the splinters."
"I got it," she says, checking with her hands before climbing through the hole.
"Ready?" he asks once she's dropped down to the other side.
"Yes, let's go," she says, pulling her water out again.
He takes the lead again and opens the first door. Instead of coming back out again, he shoves the door open wider and draws his swords. Katara enters the room, and Azula is right where Zuko said she'd be, in a room near the action. She stands next to the wall that's shared with the throne room so they'd likely interrupted her eavesdropping.
"I didn't expect to see you here, brother," she says condescendingly and adding extra emphasis to 'brother'. "And you've brought a little friend, too."
Zuko doesn't answer her and brings his swords into a defensive stance. Katara prepares her water. Azula strikes first with a punch of flames. Zuko jumps in front of the fire and bends the flames away. Katara hits back with a water whip, but Azula knocks it away with a little heat.
"What a pair you make," she says, studying them as she carefully maneuvers her way to the open space in the room.
Katara doesn't have enough water to trap her against the wall. Zuko follows her, but doesn't attack, likely taking his uncle's words to heart about his bending. It might be two on one, but Azula controls the space.
She launches another volley of flames. Zuko redirects or dissipates the flames, and Katara strikes back, trying to knock Azula off balance. As Azula deals with her water, Zuko rushes forward with his swords.
He's quick and has more reach, but Azula twists and weaves away from his strikes. While Azula's focus is on Zuko, Katara runs around behind her, searching for the moment to strike.
Azula finishes a kick, coiling back into herself with her feet back below her shoulders and her arms defensively in tight. Katara freezes her feet to the floor. Azula holds her hands out for balance. Zuko slashes at her arms.
Any thought Katara had of Zuko holding back against his sister disappears as she hears the cracking of Azula's armor under his blades. Blood splatters onto the floor, but also back onto Zuko. Azula shrieks, and Katara can't tell if it's with rage or with pain. She brings her arms around in front if her, and Katara can't see how bad it is.
Azula falls in a dead faint, and Zuko drops his swords to catch her. Katara unfreezes her feet and puts her water back into its skin. Zuko lowers Azula to the ground and asks, "Can you heal her?"
"Let me see," she says, helping him roll her onto her back. She then starts pulling the cracked vambraces off. With the armor gone, she can tell that it wasn't just the vambraces that had cracked. The bone had been exposed from the cut, and it was clearly broken as well.
"It's not good," she tells him, looking up. She's surprised to see him cradling his sister's head in his lap. It's weird to see him caring for her when he'd just sliced her arms open. When he'd never seemed to have an ounce of caring in him.
He nods. "What can you do?"
"Keep her from bleeding out," she says as she draws on her water. "I can fix some of this, but I'm not sure her hands will be completely fine after this."
He says nothing for a moment then quietly says, "It's probably for the best."
Katara stares at him for a moment, wondering what sort of person thinks that their sister being potentially crippled is for the best? Then she turns to Azula's arms because she's not exactly heartbroken over her losing some dexterity in her hands. She would still be able to bend.
She works quickly with the blood, knitting together the vessels in both arms to keep her from bleeding out slowly. Then, she focuses on the arm nearest her to deal with the larger issues. She's nearly done with it when the door creaks open. She has the water back in her hands forming ice daggers before she looks up and sees Iroh. She relaxes and returns to Azula's arm, leaving Zuko to explain.
Iroh moves to sit beside Zuko and says, "I ran into Mai on my way over here. We had quite the battle in the corridor. I used a little bending, but no one was around to notice. I tied her up and gagged her. Then I found Ty Lee unconscious but unbound so I had to tie her up as well."
"She can escape any ropes, Uncle," Zuko says, sounding tired.
"Perhaps she may, but better to at least try," Iroh says with a shrug. "The generals are arresting the last of the Dai Li. They had to send the guards for something to bind them with other than earth. We have done well today. How is Azula?"
"She'll have to wear splints for a few weeks once I've finished, but she's fine otherwise," Katara says, moving around to her other side to deal with her other arm.
"We should be less worried about what she'll do as with what she'll say," Zuko says. "She won't stay unconscious forever."
Iroh sighs. "I know. This puts us in a very difficult position. We need Azula captured as much as the Earth Kingdom does so we have to give her to the generals as a prisoner of war. Once caught, though, she can expose us to the generals and then we'll be prisoners right along with her. Even if we tell them she's a liar, we won't stop looking like ourselves."
"We would have to leave before she wakes up, but we don't exactly have anywhere to go," Zuko says.
Katara would prefer it if they left, but she feels guilty for saying that after how they've helped. Zuko might have been a huge pain in the ass before this, but he and his uncle had just proven themselves worthy allies. She would hope the generals would feel the same, but she doesn't doubt Iroh. The generals would make them prisoners even though the Fire Lord said they were traitors and they'd helped to defeat Azula. "There has to be other options," she says.
"Of where to go?" Zuko asks. "Ba Sing Se is it."
"I don't believe that is what she meant, nephew," Iroh says. "I believe she means other options for getting out of this conundrum."
Katara nods, taking a break from healing to stretch her hands as Azula is well out of any danger. "However temporary this truce may be, I can't say you weren't helpful. Also, I have questions, a lot of them, and I can't ask them if you leave."
Zuko opens his mouth to respond, but Azula stirs, twisting her head in his lap.
"Hold her," Katara says, putting her water over her forehead as Zuko holds her head still. "I can put her to sleep, but that also won't last forever."
"If you have any ideas, I'm open to them," Zuko says.
"Is there anything we can do to stop her from talking?" she asks.
"Short of cutting out her tongue?" Zuko asks. "We also have Mai and Ty Lee to take care of."
"Azula will have very little to lose once she's in custody," Iroh says. "There isn't anything we could do to keep her quiet."
"Okay, so I know you said calling her a liar wouldn't work," Katara says. "But is there any way to get the generals from listening to her?"
"No, they'll want information from her. She may not be allowed in war meetings, but she knows more than the average soldier, and more importantly, she knows my brother," Iroh says.
"What if we told them the truth before she can?" Katara asks.
"No!" Zuko snaps instantaneously.
"Master Katara, what my nephew means to say is that such a course of action would only put you in danger with us, honorable though it may be," Iroh says, and he looks worried. "You vouched for us to the generals. If we tell them the truth, you would be our accomplice. I don't know the generals well enough to say exactly what your punishment would be, but you could be deemed a traitor regardless of our success or the necessity of our mission."
"There has to be a way," Katara says as she returns to healing Azula's arm. "Why did you even come if you knew this might happen?"
"She would have come for us anyways. Whether or not we defeated Azula there are only two outcomes: run or be imprisoned. At least it wouldn't be Azula imprisoning us if we came," Zuko says.
"Gives very little reason to not do it," Iroh adds. "Among other reasons to do it beyond the impact it has on us personally. I had considered the consequences of coming, but I can only solve one problem at a time."
Katara sighs as she finishes with healing, sitting back and wiping sweat from her forehead. "I don't see what option we have aside from telling the truth. I know the generals, and they know me. There has to be a way to spin this so we don't all end up in prison."
Zuko tilts his head. "Maybe, if we don't hand over Azula first. We'd have to keep her out of their sight so they don't just take her from us, and Master Katara would need to do the talking. It would give them reason to listen, give us some leverage."
Iroh makes a noise of consideration and runs his hand over his beard. "Perhaps. We could say the subterfuge was due to the timing, and the necessity of quick action and say we'll hand over Azula as an act of goodwill."
"And we technically didn't lie aside from your names," Katara adds, "They could have vetted you more thoroughly so they can't say the timing wasn't important or that your help wasn't valuable. If they trusted me before, perhaps they'd trust me now."
"One of us should go with Master Katara," Zuko says. "Then the other will stay and guard Azula."
Iroh looks down at Azula. "A difficult choice to be sure, but I think it must be you, Nephew. I think we can agree that I am the better orator, but you will not offend the generals as greatly as I will. You as a young man and the son rather than brother of the Fire Lord would also be the more valuable piece to sway to their side."
"You would have me name myself traitor?" Zuko asks, tone sharp.
"You have already been named a traitor. It would be wise to have Earth Kingdom generals as allies now that you have bested Azula. You certainly don't have any Fire Nation generals aside from me on your side."
"You're right," Zuko admits quietly, and Katara feels she has missed something though she has been planning alongside them. "At your leave, Master Katara."
"I've done as much as I can with her arms," she says, pulling the water away from Azula and back to her waterskin.
"Then go," Iroh says, "Before Azula wakes, and we have more trouble on our hands."
Zuko carefully extracts himself from underneath Azula and gently sets her head on the ground. Katara leads the way out of the room, and she feels suddenly lost and full of doubt outside of the secrecy of the closed off room.
"Do you know what to say?" Zuko asks as they walk back towards the throne room.
"Not really," she says, her throat feeling tight.
He looks at her like she's hopeless. "Just be as polite as you can because there's not any time to teach you the formalities."
"Thanks," she says dryly.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful for what you are doing for my uncle and I, but we'll be walking on a razor's edge and your words will decide what side we land on. You weren't raised in court. It's not an insult, merely a fact."
"I'm the daughter of a chief. I do know a little about formality," she argues even though her memories of the last formal functions in the South are hazy. She certainly wasn't formal in the North, acting predominantly as an upstart.
Zuko makes a choking noise. "And you let me call you a peasant?"
She gives him a weird look. "I thought that was just what you called water tribesmen."
"It's what we call those without titles, land, and family ties who work for the noble houses."
"Oh," she says, but it really doesn't give her any clearer of a sense of the word. The Water Tribe doesn't have noble houses.
Thankfully, they don't have to go back through the giant hole in the door as someone had taken down the earthen wall that had blocked them initially.
"Master Katara," General How says, spotting them as they enter the room. "Were you unsuccessful in capturing the Princess?"
Katara glaces at Zuko and he nods. "No, but there is something we must discuss first."
General How frowns and shifts his weight into more defensive posturing. His tone is icy when he asks, "What is there to discuss?"
Katara takes a deep breath and says, "Forgive us, but the timing made some level of deception necessary. We needed your support quickly in order to succeed in defeating the princess, and we have."
The other generals and their aids were certainly paying attention now even as they had to guard the conscious members of the Dai Li. How clenches his fists, but keeps a tight rein on his anger. "What deception, Master Katara?"
"The men I brought before you today are not named Mushi and Lee. They have the knowledge necessary for us to succeed today against the Fire Nation Princess because they are members of the royal family. Mushi is General Iroh, the Dragon of the West. Lee is Crown Prince Zuko."
Gasps burst out among the generals and even the Dai Li. They say nothing, deferring to How. General How looks fit to pop a blood vessel. "You brought relatives of the Fire Lord into the Palace?"
"Princess Azula was already inside it. We had no choice if we wanted to defeat her," Katara insists. She feels whatever control she had of the situation slipping from her grasp.
"General How," Zuko says, stepping forward. "You are aware that my father has declared us traitors, are you not? My Uncle and I are willing to offer you Princess Azula as a political prisoner as an offer of goodwill. We have been successful thus far in our alliance. We ask only that you do not spoil it."
Then, Zuko removed the dual dao from his belt. He bows, even more deeply than he had to Katara, and offers the weapons to General How. How studies him in complete silence. He glances at Katara, and she looks at him fiercely. She never once thought she would defend Zuko in such a manner, but she'd already thrown her lot in with his to defeat a greater enemy. Her heart pounds in her chest with how desperate she is for General How to forgive their initial deception.
"Very well," General How says taking the dao from Zuko. He hold them out and the general who had given them to Zuko rushes to take them back. "I'll see that you're made a ward of the Earth King after we have Princess Azula safely in custody and overlook however it is you and your uncle got into the city in light of your actions today."
"Thank you," Zuko says, straightening from his bow.
"As for you," General How says, turning to Katara. "Do not lie to me again. I don't care what privileges you think being the Avatar's master provides you, but I cannot abide liars."
Katara nods, swallowing down her fear. "Understood. Princess Azula is in the first room on the left down that hall being guarded by General Iroh."
General How sends the aids to capture the Princess and returns his attention to the Dai Li as palace guards return with iron shackles. Katara slumps now that the tension is finally gone and over with.
"That went far better than I expected it to," Zuko says, taking a seat on a boulder that had yet to be cleared away. "Meeting your father should go even better then."
"What does my father have to do with any of this?" she asks.
"Even if you didn't intend it, you just made me the ward of the Earth King," he says as if it was obvious, which it was, but not in whatever way he meant it. "It would be better to also have the Chief of the Southern Water Tribe's support. Chief Arnook's as well if he cares about the goings on beyond his borders at all."
"Support for what?"
"To make me Fire Lord instead of Azula," he says, giving her a look like she was painfully missing the point. "You've basically made yourself my kingmaker."
Katara stares at him and thankfully the generals' aids return with Azula and she doesn't have to come up with an answer for him.
I think Katara could arguably be called Zuko's kingmaker in the series considering she bested Azula in his stead. I made it more of a joint battle here because it isn't an agni kai or for the throne.
Gonna try not to say what will come up for discussion in the third chapter, but I basically pulled from European history where foreign royals support certain heirs for political/religious reasons like with the Jacobites in the 18th century with France wanting a Catholic king in England (and it doesn't hurt that the two royals were related). The Avatar would be like the Pope in this analogy wanting a 'Catholic' king (one who believes in world balance) instead of a protestant one (one who doesn't give a shit about world balance). I picked this because it aligns with the show's plan which was always to commit a coup against Ozai and defeat him and replace him to end the war rather than defeating the Fire Nation itself. This is just like the more politically savvy way of doing it where instead of basically a group of kids put a kid on the throne they get a bunch of adults with authority to back the kid they want to put on the throne. They just didn't do that because atla is a kids show and adults just get in the way in those yknow.
