The moment Azulon's foot hit the wood of the docks at the capitol, he began issuing orders, demanding that the nation's soldiers be called into active duty. Attendants scattered and rushed to hawkeries to deliver one message after another. People came out of homes and shops and bars all along the dock district, and listened when Azulon began to speak.
"The Earth Kingdom has grown bold," he declaired. "They look at us, and they must consider us weak and stupid. There will be war. Real war." Azulon marched to the carriage waiting for him. "You try to show them some mercy, and they spit in your face." He didn't even mention Jian's death.
Ursa and Lu Ten were ushered into a separate carriage from Azulon, Iroh, and Ozai; no doubt they were already making plans for war. The ride to the palace felt longer than it ever had, and there was no chatter to fill the time. She sat across from Lu Ten, and he would not come when she patted the space next to her. He only stared out the window, clutching the box with his mother's ashes.
The hawks must have reached the palace in record time; Fire Sages were waiting for them along with several generals from all three divisions of the army, several palace secretaries, and more than two dozen attendants. All of the attendants who'd been on the boat with them joined the household staff to receive their orders. Chem looked over his shoulder at Ursa several times, but she made a point of not making eye contact.
"If my prince would entrust to me the ashes of Crown Priness Jian, I shall see to it that they are properly blessed and interred in the family crypt," the most senior sage said, bowing low to Lu Ten.
Ursa ran her hand over his head as she watched him tense. "If it's alright, might we go with you and say our final goodbyes? It might help him to feel better."
The Fire Sage bowed to her. "As my princess commands."
"After you return," Azulon said to her, "you will report to your new office and begin arranging your affairs there."
"Yes, my lord."
Ursa and Lu Ten were carted off the the Fire Sages temple, which was hot and smelled strongly of ginger and sometimes pepper. Lu Ten clutched the box tightly the entire time.
"I want to make sure she gets the best urn," he said to her.
"Of course, sweetheart."
They sat through two hours of ceremony and incense lighting before they even got to choose the urn. The Fire Sages had to recite her lineage and name those she'd left behind. They asked for strength for her family and her people in their time of grief. They asked for safe passage to the spirit world; for Agni not to overlook her because she'd been so far from home. Then they asked Lu Ten and Ursa if they would like to say anything.
"Father and I will see that justice is done," Lu Ten said quietly. "We will honor your memory and keep you in our hearts." He sniffled, and Ursa wrapped her arm around him. "We…"
"It's ok…"
There was so much more that Lu Ten wanted to say, but he couldn't force any more words out, so Ursa took over, and hoped that she could do Jian some justice.
"You were wise in life, and your spirit will be wise. You guided me in a world I knew nothing about, and I wish I had heeded your advice. Your family mourns you, and so your nation will mourn you. They will speak on your strength and your courage and your cunning, and they will say that you were a match for the greatest minds. They will remember that, in the end, it was you who tamed the dragon. Agni keep you safe until we can meet again, but not too soon."
They spent seven minutes in silence, then the Fire Sages showed them to the room where the urns were kept. They gestured to the cases that Lu Ten was allowed to choose from. The most elaborate would be reserved for Fire Lords, and Lu Ten was sad that Jian could not have one of these. Instead, he picked for her an urn of gold and jade with entertwining vines. He inspected every angle of it, then when he determined it was good for her, he held it out to the sages, who took it gingerly from his hands.
It was late afternoon when they arrived back at the palace, and Ursa took Lu Ten to his room so that he might rest and be alone. She made sure the servants knew not to bother him, then headed to Jian's old office. She stopped outside the door, her hand poised to knock before she realized it was hers. There was no Jian to be disturbed. She opened the door, and Iroh was sitting across from her desk. He did not look up when she entered.
"I found myself coming here by instinct," he said, his hand caressing the edge of the desk. He let out a short laugh. "I half expected her to be sitting here, with that stern look of hers. Shuffling papers with a steaming cup of my tea. I used to prepare little batches of it for her so that she could have it with her meals. She almost always refused to drink anything else."
"She loved your tea." But that was inadequate for the depth of emotion Iroh was showing. Would Ozai mourn her if the tables had been turned? If she'd been in Jian's spot, would Ozai have cried so openly for her?
"Here," Iroh said, standing. "Let me be out of your way. I have armies to gather and cities to burn."
He walked out and closed the door behind him, and she set to the task of reviewing all of Jian's unfinished projects. Chem joined her minutes later, and Ursa was glad that he did not talk, only slipping her one piece of paper or another, lists of Jian's responsibilities, and engagements.
It was well after dark by the time she left the office, having taken a small dinner in her new office. Chem guided her slowly down the halls to her rooms, and handed her off to Sun to be prepared for bed. She'd just slipped under the covers when there was a knock at the door, and one of her ladies showed Ozai into her bedroom. The woman bowed reluctantly and left. She didn't close the door all the way, leaving it cracked, thinking Ozai might not notice, but he did. He pushed it harder than was necessary, and it slammed closed.
Sighing, Ursa removed her underwear and sat at the edge of the bed.
"Hurry up and come so we can get this over with," she said quietly and tiredly. "I mean that in every sense of the phrase."
Ozai frowned as he came to stand in front of her.
"Tomorrow, father will make an announcement about Jian's death and the war."
Then he just stood there, and Ursa sat there, and it was awkward between them.
"How many soldiers?" she asked.
"There will be 40,000 here in the capitol. We'll meet up with others once we reach the Earth Kingdom."
Ursa undid his pants.
"It would be good if you were pregnant before I left."
"When are you leaving?"
"The day after tomorrow."
"Shall I lie on my stomach?" She asked after a pause. She hadn't touched him yet, and the silence was becoming even more awkward. It was like this was their wedding night, and even that had more magic than this.
"I won't have people going around saying you've outsmarted me, but I can't stop every rumor about you." He grabbed her chin harshly. "I know that you really can't be trusted, and I'll have to be careful around you. But I am still stuck with you, and I need an heir."
"And I am still stuck with you."
He sat the bottle of oil on the table. Ozai threw her back against the bed, pushing her nightgown up as he rolled her on her stomach. He only used a little of the oil, his fingers no less pinching, his thrusts no softer.
In the morning, she got to see just what 40,000 soldiers looked like from high up in the tower of the Fire Sages Temple. She was speechless as they stretched on and on, spilling out of the courtyard, the drums beating so loud they drowned out her speeding, quivering heart.
A/N: Lol, Azulon's version of 'mercy.' At some point during my writing, I began to pity Ozai. He tries so hard, and still it's not enough. Granted, many of his problems are of his own creation, and Azulon was offering him a chance of being respected and having some power as a governor of an important colony, but he wasn't content with that. Then Ursa came along and proved for him all the reasons Azulon would never make him Fire Lord. In his blind ambition, there were so many aspects of being a ruler, and even being a general, he routinely overlooked.
Writing the scene with Iroh in Jian's office broke my heart. Azulon did do a good job of picking his son's wives. He found two women that would transform them and make them love and respect them. Oh, and there will baby!Azula, tiny big brother Zuko, adorable cuddle time, and Lu Ten bonding time in the near future!