Team: Ember Island Eel Hounds
Position: Airbender
Task: Bishop - Write about someone close to someone in power.
Word count: 851
Prompts used:
1 point - (word) ebony
1 point - (object) clock
2 points - (location) Fire Nation Capital
Plot
Jin walked leisurely down an ornate hallway in the Fire Nation Royal Palace. She was right to be pleased with herself. Only 3 years ago was she a simple peasant in the lower ring of Ba Sing Se. Now, however, she was the most powerful woman in the Fire Nation.
Jin opened an ornate door of ebony with golden decorations. Her purposeful stride gave way to a more refined and dignified stroll. Men sat in a circle, with Zuko at the head. A small gap broke the circle next to the Fire Lord.
"Ah, Jin," Zuko did not turn to face the new arrival, "how good of you to join us. If you would sit next to me..."
Jin wasted no time in sitting by his side. Zuko's men frowned and raised their eyebrows. They stiffened up and looked at her with unease. They shifted their eyes from side to side and they murmured amongst each other. Zuko pretended to take no notice.
"So what are we talking about?" Jin blurted out, prompting the men to roll their eyes.
Zuko was either oblivious or very restrained, "We are discussing the colony problem."
Jin pretended to be indifferent. "Okay then. Can you remind me exactly what the problem is with the colonies?"
Zuko smiled. "Good to see you are interested. Would someone care to explain our situation?"
A young man was all too eager to explain. He blurted out rather hurriedly, "His Majesty the Earth King has agreed to back down on what was called the 'Harmony Restoration Movement,' a plan to destroy our colonies on his continent. This leaves the question - what do we do with them?"
Zuko nodded in approval, "Thank you, Lee." He turned to Jin and explained, "That is Lee, he is fresh blood with a heart devoted to peace. That makes him the perfect minister for foreign affairs."
Jin nodded and spoke in a tone that slightly masked her true enthusiasm for the matter, "I see. But if Kuei has backed down, what is the problem with the colonies?"
"The colonies remain a point of dispute," an older man with a scar running through his nose said in a more deliberate manner, "the people of the Earth Kingdom strongly detest everyone from the colonies, fire and earth benders alike. We fear it may cause another war."
Zuko nodded and whispered to Jin, "That's Kuzon, he is the minister of... lets call it... foreign affairs by old fashioned means."
"War?" Jin guessed what Zuko meant.
Kuzon frowned and nodded. "Alas, the least honourable of the positions."
Jin smiled reassuringly, "Well, somebody has to do it."
Kuzon cracked a weak smile.
Zuko cleared his throat.
Jin folded her arms and put on her refined voice once again, "So what are our possible solutions?"
"Not good," Lee said, "we can't give it to the Earth Kingdom."
"Why is that?"
"During the war," Zuko explained, "the colonials fought for the Fire Nation. The Earth Kingdom would execute them as traitors."
"Why don't we just keep them?" Jin asked.
Kuzon answered this time. "That would provoke a war. Believe me, that's the last thing we want."
The rest of Zuko's ministers remained silent. Some of them glared at Jin. Some were angry, others were worried.
"Have you thought of granting them total autonomy?" Jin suggested.
A young man who had previously remained silent and gave Jin funny looks finally spoke, "With respect, that would never work. We can't just pull a king out of nowhere, can we? And besides, there would you be nothing to stop them turning against us or being bullied by the Earth Kingdom. Independence is out of the question."
Zuko rubbed his hairless chin, "He does have a point about the king and the intimidation. Jin, is there anything you would suggest?"
Jin thought about it for some time before finally asking, "Are there water tribe people in the colonies?"
"Yes," Lee answered.
"Well then," she said, "we could have a council, in which members of the five nations have a say in how the colonies run."
The old man had beaten down her argument looked confused. "Five nations?"
"I think she means us, Earth, Air and the two Waters." An old man whispered to him.
Zuko jumped to his feet and almost shouted with joy, "That would solve the king and intimidation questions. Yes, we shall establish a republic... a united republic... it shall be done. Cabinet dismissed."
The dozen or so ministers stayed behind a bit after the royal couple left. Some of the men who were hostile to Jin approached Lee and Kuzon. "This is the third time she has manipulated Zuko against our interests. We need to do something about it."
Lee exchanged a concerned glance with Kuzon and said "Whatever you have planned, you can count on our opposition."
The silence that followed was so deafening, only the agonisingly slow ticking of the large grandfather clock. Lee and Kuzon moved to the right side of the room, while the others moved to the left. Slowly, the remaining ministers formed groups behind them.