Rewrite, Rewind

Chapter 26


Day 6 on the sea, en route to Ba Sing Se


"What are you doing?" Hai He grinned in the direction of the voice, it was boyish and vaguely familiar. Most likely one of the soldiers she got along well with.

"Mimicking my sister." Hai He answered cheerfully. "She's blind but never gets lost! I'm trying to figure out how."

"Uh-huh," the voice was softer, filled with amusement.

"What?" she narrowed her eyes behind her blindfold, wondering if there was a challenge in that tone of voice she could hear.

"You look ridiculous," the solder retorted bluntly.

"Hah," She scoffed at the soldier, "at least I'll be able to see in the dark."

"That's not how you see in the dark," the soldier retorted calmly

"Well… we don't know if we don't try!"

"You're not thinking of making everyone on the ship attempt this madness are you?"

"What? No, it's just me!"

"Thank Agni."

"Whatever you say, soldier boy," Hai He huffed, moving to stomp away only to smack her forehead into a low pipe.


They had finally made shore, the soldiers all disembarked from the ships, leaving them behind for the day they were to return home. They traveled through the Earth Kingdom on foot, on Komodo rhino, on mongoose lizards, and in the carriage. It took them another eight days to reach Ba Sing Se outer wall. During this time the soldiers were entertained by their own imminent little worlds, whatever romances that were growing, silly rumors created for sheer entertainment and of course Prince Lu Ten and his personal maid. Hai He rejected no challenges and could be seen on more than one occasion soundly beating a soldier into the ground at one point or another. She was still on the kick of traveling while blind but she took no such risks during a fight, she obeyed the request to keep both eyes open during a spar. While Hai He traveled blind, unaware of her fellow soldiers obediently moving around her for convince sake, Lu Ten pretended to be a soldier that followed her around.

Hai He was having a grand time with her soldier friend, nearly always laughing at something he was saying. During mealtimes Hai He and Lu Ten were left alone to eat in peace, more than one soldier gossiping about their relationship. On the afternoon they arrived outside of Ba Sing Se, the army stopped to set up camp, knowing they wouldn't be able to attack until everyone was well-rested.

"So wait, let me get this straight, you still haven't figured out who I am?" Lu Ten asked they were sitting in a tent to eat their lunch out of the summer sun and in peace compared to the rest of the soldiers.

"Huh? No," Hai He answered, setting her spoon of mush down. "Does it bother you that much? I thought there was a reason you never told me your name."

"No, I just thought you'd figure it out by now," Lu Ten answered with a chuckle. "The commanders say we'll be attacking at dawn tomorrow when everyone is at their strongest."

"You mean when we're wide awake and everyone else is dead asleep." Hai He chuckled. "Alright, well, I guess my blindfold will have to be set aside now."

"It will?" Lu Ten asked.

"Uh yeah," Hai He turned towards, a big smirk on her face, "I can't go to war with a blindfold on. I need to see my enemies in order to fight at my highest protentional."

"…oh,"

"What's with that tone? Did you want me to be blind forever?"

"Huh? No! no! it's just that… when you're not blindfolded we talk in a different manner." Lu Ten admitted, "I like the conversations we have now."

"Wait a second, you're someone I talk with on a regular basis?" Hai He asked, "damn it, you brat! Why haven't you said anything?!"

"Because I was sure you'd act differently when you weren't blindfolded anymore." Lu Ten answered. "I didn't want you to grow distant… or get angry…at me…"

"hah! Fat chance of that!" Hai He laughed, "you'd have to screw up royally for me to go 'distant' or 'angry'!"

"…alright then," Lu Ten stared at Hai He, "Then before you take off your blindfold, make me a promise."

"A promise?" Hai He frowned at him, "What kind?"

"That everything that happens when you're blindfolded stays a secret."

"Oh, that's easy, not like anything real—" Hai He stopped talking feeling something warm and fleshy touching her cheek. In a heartbeat she reached up and ripped her blindfold off, staring at the boy previously sitting beside her.

"Before you get mad," Lu Ten was already back away

"Did you just?" Hai He was touching her cheek, her face already flushing

"You promised—" he was reaching behind himself for the flap of the tent

"Did you just?" she was standing, now furious as she searched for something to throw. "I'm your AUNT!" Lu Ten yelped, diving out of the tent as Hai He managed to lift the table and chuck it at him. "YOU RAT!" Lu Ten was running for his life, leaving Hai He behind in the destroyed tent, hoping she wouldn't give chase but knowing she would.

She didn't. Lu Ten found himself panting halfway through the hospital section when he realized Hai He never gave chase. He wondered briefly why she didn't, he learned years ago that giving chase to someone who angered was her fall back response. Hoping to put space between him and Hai He for now, Lu Ten wandered around the base camp, meeting new soldiers and having pleasant conversations with everyone he met. It was dusk by the time he decided that it should be safe enough to return to his tent, hoping that Hai He had returned to her own by that time. As he walked he noticed more and more people talking about Hai He, who else went stalking through the army looking like a she-demon on the hunt?

"I just can't believe anyone would do that," there was a group of female soldiers gossiping around their meal table.

"What if the 'Personal Maids' are just orphans and didn't know any better?" that made Lu Ten slow his steps, pretending to listen to the jabbering soldier he hadn't previously noticed walking beside him.

"But to make them sterol just to make them better guards for the royal family," a cold shiver ran up his spine at that the notion, he wasn't aware of that.

"I bet that commander 'zero' or whatever his name is, felt really stupid after Lady Hai He explained that."

"How could he just blurt out that she was trying to seduce Prince Lu Ten like that?" he was walking past the group now, trying hard to ignore their loud voices.

"uh because he's an idiot,"

"Have you ever seen those two interact? Like a couple of rabid cats and dogs." He was past the giggling group, his attention drifting, hoping to find something else to occupy his mind. Lu Ten took even breaths as he walked, trying to clear his mind as he made way to his tent.

"Yeah but when Lady Hai He was blind folded, Lu Ten has never been calmer." one of the four female soldiers observed with a fond a smirk

"Same with Lady Hai He," her friend giggled

"Maybe she could still be Fire Lady," their more somber friend said thoughtfully.

"No councilmember will accept a sterol woman as Fire Lady," the first female soldier scolded.

"But there are medicines all around the world that help with fertility," the third replied. "maybe after the earth kingdom gets conquered, we could get some healers from the north pole and get Lady Hai He treated."

"Oh hell yeah!" the second soldier laughed, "I'll be a part of that mission!"

"After Ba Sing Se, let's go to the north and get a healer for Lady Hai He!" the women laughed and cheered.

Unbeknownst to the three royal members of the army, many soldiers were rooting for Lu Ten and Hai He. Many more were convincing their commanders and captains to plan ahead for Lu Ten's eventual assentation. The soldiers were gathering, spreading rumors and hope. Plans were being made, their excitement at pulling off a Military wedding spreading like wildfire through their ranks. All they had to do was conquer Ba Sing Se, then they could go north and get a healer for Hai He. After that, the military would support Hai He and Lu Ten's marriage. Surly the Council couldn't refute a marriage the entire military was literally gunning for.


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