Attention, dear readers! Here I declare that this Fic has officially become a multi-chapter story, not just a one-shoot (well, in the current setup, that would be a two-shoot. Nevertheless, I suspect a lot of you were counting on this to happen. what you wanted, gentlemen and beautiful ladies.
In this chapter, you will finally find out about the task Fire Lord Ozai will assign to his middle descendant, but the prospect will be much different than you might have expected. It is also the beginning of the arc where Azalon will carry out his mission, and the background will mention (from time to time of course) world events as well as those related to the original story.
In the meantime, however, I will respond to your comments:
- QCoffee - Well, your expectations was made flesh, I sincerely hope you won't be disappointed.
- guytrouble76 - Yes, this change will have quite a lot of importance to the story, but I will not reveal how big the change will be.
Now, I invite you to read and comment.
There was a sigh in the perfectly tidy and perfectly clean room, and after a while it was possible to hear a yawn. In less than five seconds, a certain young and unusually beautiful - even for a fairly young age - fourteen-year-old girl emerged and immediately stretched out from under the covers.
The beauty of the aforementioned girl was undoubtedly royal, which perfectly reflected her status. Princess Azula, despite the lack of makeup and not yet fully arranged appearance, gave the impression of an imperious person and always ready to perform the task entrusted to her by her father. She started her day with simple breathing and stretching exercises to prepare for the day ahead. Then, she refreshed herself and prepared herself to perform her daily duties. It all took her less than half an hour.
However, even after doing all of these exercises and getting yourself in order - seemingly perfect - one thing was out of place. Azula's eyes narrowed in annoyance as she noticed a few tufts of hair falling freely over her face.
"One thing out of place." She stated with obvious irritation in her voice, then immediately straightened her hair. As it turned out, she did it on time, because there was a knock on her room fairly quickly. "Come in!" She ordered, and a moment later one of the royal guardsmen, whose face was hidden behind a white mask resembling a skull, entered. "What happened?" She asked as soon as the guard obediently bowed down to her.
"Forgive me for disturbing you, Princess, but the Fire Lord demands your immediate presence in the throne room." He answered her question calmly and in a way that could be considered submissive enough, at least for the princess' tastes.
"Excellent." She stated it after a short while, but a thought flashed in her mind. "Will anyone else be present?" She asked, looking authoritatively at the guard and demanding an immediate answer. Honestly, the princess was extremely interested in this, if you still want to prepare yourself mentally.
"Yes." He replied impassively, then began to say what he knew. "With me, there was another royal guardsman, my fellow servant. He, in turn, was tasked with summoning his Highness, Crown Prince Azalon, to the throne room."
Azula's eyes widened at the memory that her older brother would be there. Her older and equally hated brother. While they used to be kind to each other, after their mutual confrontation - after receiving information about their cousin's trash during the storming of Ba Sing Se - their relationship gradually deteriorated. What was once rivalry between loving siblings has slowly and gradually become distorted. The desire to improve his abilities turned into an obsession, and this eventually turned into a fierce struggle for power, even if it were only a thin and small scrap of it.
Honestly, the princess wasn't sure when it actually happened or how. Nevertheless, the fact remained that neither of the royal siblings was going to give up and give up their aspirations to become Fire Lord or Fire Lady. This fight had been going on for about a year, but was strictly limited to simple licks and parlor tricks. In other words, nothing happened that could have resulted in a potentially fatal outcome. Significant in all this were also their speeches at state receptions, where they could gain their supporters and seek the favor of more powerful nobles.
However, in the field of gaining allies, Azalon had a great advantage over his younger sister for some time, for he never used fear to win new supporters to his side, or to keep old ones with him. For quite a long time, Azula thought her brother had such respect and support in the royal court because of his position as Crown Prince. It took a while for Azula to understand his strategies. While she initially ridiculed all kindness while not taking advantage of fear, ultimately she could not argue with his results. Ultimately, the princess decided to observe her brother for a while and very quickly understood his way of gaining allies.
Where Azula exercised her authority and pure fear, Azalon showed understanding of people and, above all, their desires, aspirations and ambitions, often helping some influential personalities gain what they wanted, as long as it did not weaken his position or position of central authority. Today, Azalon had on his side not only a third of the royal court, but also several ministers, including a minister of war with whom he shared an interest in new inventions and technologies.
However, the default approach to gaining allies wasn't the only thing that set Azalon apart from his younger sister. What irritated and irritated the young princess most was the attitude of her older brother to the relationship with their father. Because where Azula sought his favors, Azalon treated him coldly and as if he weren't his father at all. He just coolly followed his orders and orders, even if he didn't quite agree with some of them. Additionally, her older brother did not care about perfection in his fight and manner at all, but only to make everything look elegant and theatrical.
Honestly, the princess guessed from whom her older brother had inherited his love of theater and theatricality. That person was undoubtedly their mother. Once upon a time, Azalon had a great passion for all kinds of performances, especially Love amongst the Dragons. He always admired the performances presented before him, the magic of the theater, and always cried at the end of each performance of his favorite play. His and their mother's favorite art. Once, he even asked his father to perform in the theater, which, however, ended in a rough and sharp refusal on the part of Fire Lord, to say the least.
"Tell my father that I will come to the throne room as soon as possible." She replied, then the guard bowed down to her and left her room.
Azula decided to look at herself in the mirror. This time everything was perfect and in place, that's exactly how it should be, nothing more and nothing less. Then she left her room and, walking along the vast corridors of the palace, began to walk towards the throne room. She walked towards this great and long-standing place with a confident and authoritative step, and the guards and servants she passed would bow their backs to her with due respect, but she paid no attention to it. It is as if none of the servants were really a physical being, but just another addition to this great complex.
She stopped in front of the hall after a few minutes of walking, but the royal guards on guard blocked her way. Needless to say, it caused her to experience an unprecedented rush of irritation.
"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked without even trying to hide her annoyance.
Even if two of the guards flinched or were otherwise influenced by emotions, neither of them showed even the slightest degree of it. This attitude only irritated the princess even more, but the next voice irritated him even more.
"It means, my beloved and litty sister, that they will not let us one by one before His Majesty."
Azula turned, and her older brother, Crown Prince Azalon in all his glory, stood before her. An athletic man, dressed in a long, knee-length tunic, perfectly fitted to the body, made of high-quality black leather, which additionally featured a high collar and dark gold ornaments that lent her brother's royal majesty. Besides, the prince was almost a head taller than she was, and his long, black, loose hair trailed behind him like a cloak. What always surprised Azula, however, was the lack of a princely crown in her hair. Always been like that. Once, even the princess asked her brother about the reason - in a rather malicious way - but he said that: "No one who has power has to wear the insignia, he only has to show by his actions that he has power. But if only insignia make him ruler, then he have no any power. "
"Hello dear brother." She replied completely insincere, and he bowed to her politely. The princess immediately seized the opportunity and attacked him. "What's this?" She asked in an evidently playful tone of voice. "Could you at last recognize my power and choose to bow to me like any humble servant?"
The guards guarding the entrance to the throne room exchanged glances that were beyond doubt more than annoyed. But Azalon only laughed heartily and jovially.
"Not really, dear sister." He replied, and his smile grew even more intense and malicious. "It is the domain of strong people with real power and power to humble themselves from time to time, to elevate the little and weaker than themselves. Because they can and want."
Azula's blood boiled immediately - and this was by no means the case due to the use of the element of fire - but her calm facade and insincere smile remained. She hated him, mainly for always being able to find adequate answers in their word games. Maybe she didn't hate him or their older brother, but they both had something she didn't have. Zuko was weak in her opinion, but he always had their mother's love. Azalon, on the other hand, had a natural charisma and something that made people want to ally with him of their own free will.
"But I suspect you would already like to go in and know the will of his majesty." He stated, then walked over to her side and looked directly at the entrance to the throne room. "So let us find out what exactly is the will of our noble father." As he spoke the last three words, there was something very much like venom in his voice, mingled with something very close to contempt.
"Of course." Azula thought with a malicious smile on her lips as soon as she fully realized the reason for this. "You have always had pity for Zuzu and you watched in shock as our father presented him with an award for his insolence and disrespect. Despite numerous and undoubted talents, you are as weak as he is if you show any compassion. Our father taught me that, and that's how he works. the world, it must be so. "
The two approached the guards almost synchronously, who immediately stepped back and left a free passage for the royal siblings. The attitudes of these two revealed the fundamental differences between them. Azula was imperious and authoritative, while Azalon was elegant and theatrical. Both were opposites. While Azula strictly specialized in manipulation, intrigue, combat and deception. Azalon was strictly focused on engineering, tactics, and mastering his black fire, which could bend into a variety of forms. Once she even asked her younger brother why his black flame took such shapes, but the answer was extremely predictable. It all boiled down to his sense of elegance and high ego, willingness to impress everyone around him. Needless to say, this only made the young princess even more angry.
They walked towards their father's throne slowly, with carefully measured steps. As they looked towards the flameless ditch in front of the throne, they had no doubt that it would be much more private than the usual audience hall meetings with their father. They both gave each other confused glances, but kept walking.
"Well, that's undoubtedly surprising." He whispered softly to her so that the echo wouldn't spread throughout the room. There was a malicious note in the tone of his voice, however. "Rather, I expected his Majesty to try to show his superiority and majesty over his humble servants." He chuckled as the last words left his mouth.
Azula didn't immediately respond to his teasing, but she did so with narrowed eyes in the end. "Apparently he has decided to make an exception to his own standards and has shown us quite a bit of indulgence."
"Against you, undoubtedly." It was all Azalon replied. "As I said before, it is the domain of strong people with real power and power to humble themselves from time to time, to elevate the little and weaker than themselves."
His words caused an irritated hiss. He irritated her so much that she bit her lip, holding back a much louder reaction.
"So I'm right?" He asked rhetorically and undoubtedly pleased with himself, even on his face, a smile full of satisfaction and superiority appeared, and the gleam in his eyes further confirmed his feelings. "You humbly accepted your position and place in the food chain of our nation, right behind me?"
"Stinker." She growled softly, a flash of pure anger in her eyes that she could hardly hold back. "A self-righteous and bloated bastard, and your jokes are out of place."
"You can do better, dear little sister." He replied, struggling to refrain from bursting out into a loud laugh. "Besides, those weren't even the best of my jokes yet, and you're already reacting in such an aggressive manner."
Azula sighed as she realized there was no chance of winning this exchange of words. For the next few seconds, they both continued their walk in complete silence until they were a few yards in front of the ditch, then almost simultaneously knelt on one knee in front of the throne on which their father and current Lord of the Fire Nation sat. Forty-fifth Fire Lord Ozai. Even without the flames in front of the throne, he looked extremely imposing and imperious. Though his face was bathed in darkness at that moment, neither Azula nor Azalon had the slightest doubt that his father was judging them with his watchful gaze, looking for the slightest sign of imperfection.
"Rise up, my children." He spoke after a short while, but it was not a scream, not even a raised voice. It was almost a whisper, but heard enough that both siblings would be able to hear and obey their father's command.
"What is an urgent matter that compelled you to summon us before your glorious face, Your Majesty?" Azalon put a question to Fire, but did so with a respectfully bowed head. But it was quite easy to notice a mocking smile on his face, the presence of which was not even noticed by the tone of his voice
Azula was staring at her brother with lightly narrowed eyes. Azalon practically always made such gestures and displays of mock respect to his father, clearly intended to appease their father's ego. She had to admit to her brother that he always knew what to say and in what circumstances, this moment was no exception to the rule.
Azula looked up into the face of her father hidden under the shadow cloak, who seemed slightly amused by the display of his middle child's submission. However, this moment passed quickly, as Fire Lord began to explain the reason for the sudden summons to the throne room.
"I have missions for you to do." He announced, then turned his attention to the middle descendant. "Prince Azalon, for many years you have practiced your skills in the field of strategy, tactics, combat with melee weapons, as well as the extremely versatile use of black fire and engineering. The time has come for you to prove your worth to our people, and above all, yourself. You will receive from me. my command of the Thirty-sixth and 40th Infantry Division, as well as the Fourth Mechanized Division Your task is simple, you are to conquer for our nation one of the last great cities that dare to oppose our world domination and our progress. Omashu, preferably until spring comes. "
Out of the corner of her eye, Azula noticed that her brother was clearly surprised by this task, as well as by the relatively small number of forces assigned to him to complete the mission. Nevertheless, as the shock subsided, there was a twinkle in his eyes, and probably a few ideas. It was known that attacking Omashu by land is the only way, if you take into account, of course, the city's excellent location to defend itself. As if that were not enough, on the closest road to the city, there were two great strongholds, still under the control of the Earth Kingdom.
Despite their fierce rivalry, Azula did not envy the task entrusted to her brother, and even felt something that she herself could not even name. Perhaps it was some kind of sibling concern? It's hard to say, but at the moment it didn't matter much, so the princess didn't bother any more. While once he and she were completely inseparable, and Azalon was often extremely caring towards her, the need to fight for power effectively separated them from each other, perhaps permanently.
"I will do my best to accomplish this noble task, Your Majesty." Azalon responded to their father's command, then bowed respectfully. Appropriate to some extent, but also somewhat exaggerated and theatrical. However, confirmation of readiness to obey orders were not Azalon's last words. "However, I am concerned that the technology at our disposal may not be sufficient to ensure the success of this mission."
"What are you getting at?" Fire Lord asked dispassionately, and Azula could have sworn that his eyesight became even more intense and alert than it had been a few moments ago.
"I humbly ask for permission to bring some prototype devices that could prove extremely useful in the upcoming campaign."
Their father seemed to consider his suggestions for a moment, but the answer was not what the young prince had expected. "And why would I let you take machines and inventions whose efficiency is at best disputed for this campaign?" The question was quite right, but the next one was even more important. "Especially since there is a highly probable possibility that the prototypes could fall into enemy hands?"
"Because, it allows to eliminate all current and yet undiscovered disadvantages." Azalon began, lifting his head and glancing directly at the silhouette of his father hidden in almost impenetrable shadows. "And even if the prototypes invented by me and my engineers fall into enemy hands, I assure you that Earth Kingdom soldiers will not use them."
"Why do you think so?" Fire Lord asked, not concealed by his own son's reasoning. Azula had no doubts that something was very wrong here, but she didn't have enough information yet to draw the appropriate conclusions.
"Because average soldiers have virtually no idea how to handle the inventions my genius mind spawned." He replied impassively, and with great difficulty Azula kept herself from sneering at him. Sometimes her brother's ego was almost caricatured to her. "Only people with sufficient mechanical engineering knowledge would be able to handle or understand my brilliant inventions. In Earth Kingdom, such people physically do not exist, or they can be counted on the fingers of one hand, and only at best."
Azula struggled to refrain from criticizing her older brother. It is true that he was extremely gifted, but his visible flaw was his arrogance and a great ego, which was as great as the power of his flames and importance at the royal court. The young princess had no illusions that his pride would at some point be crucial to his possible defeat.
Fire Lord, however, seemed pleased with his second son's response. "Excellent, do what you see fit." Then he seemed to lean back a little on his throne. "Don't let me down like your pathetic brother. Don't hesitate, don't show weakness or remorse, for it will be your undoing. Now go away."
Azalon obediently obeyed his father's command immediately after he bowed respectfully. It didn't take long for the father and daughter to be alone. Fire Lord stared at the departing son for a few seconds, then focused his eyes on the youngest of his three children. For a brief moment, they both looked at each other in total silence, but Ozai decided after a while to break this state of affairs.
"Follow me, Azula!" He ordered calmly, then rose from his throne and began to make his way to the side exit of the throne room that led directly to his private chambers.
"Why are we going over there and not talking in the throne room, Father?" She asked eagerly to know the intentions of her ruler and one of the two givers of her life.
"Because I don't want anyone to overhear our conversation." He replied impassively and brusquely. Then he looked at his daughter sidelong. "I trust your training is getting better and better results, Azula."
"Yes." The princess smiled at the mere mention of her training and the opportunity to present her progress. "Lo and Li make my power and skills grow week by week. I have no doubt that in a few months I will become a true master of the element of fire." She uttered the last words with so much pride and unhidden complacency that she could easily recall her older brother. She mentally chided herself for it.
"I see." It was everything her father said until they were both in his office. Fire Lord took his place almost immediately behind the desk with a pile of papers, while his daughter took the seat across from him.
Azula stared at the pile of documents for a long moment, which caught her father's watchful eyes.
"Paperwork isn't that bad." He stated unexpectedly, thus attracting his own daughter's attention. "You don't really need to read all the documents, you just need to read the key elements. Then all this work becomes child's play and requires no more than approval, incineration or rejection."
The princess nodded at his words, but asked him a question shortly after. "Why are we talking here and not in the throne room?"
The question did not remain unanswered for long. The current Fire Lord was not someone who liked to waste time on small things, small games or theatricality. Which was quite a stark contrast to his middle son and crown prince. "Because I want to make sure that this conversation about the future of the Fire Nation and your next assignment remains a secret. The throne room is huge and many things can be heard thanks to the echo, and I don't want some of this conversation to go into the wrong ears."
Knowing that dragging on this topic was pointless, Azula decided to change it to something else. "So, what exactly are we going to talk about together?"
"About reason of state, of course." Her father replied impassively, intensifying the gaze he cast at her. "I have been watching you and your older brother over the past few months, directly or indirectly. I have watched your struggle for power as well as for influence within the state and among members of the royal court."
Azula showed no emotion, but was internally panicked. It is true that by copying her brother's efforts, she was able to gradually catch up in gaining influence, but only in recent times has it become most evident. The princess did not even have the slightest doubt that the words spoken in a moment would not be pleasant.
"I am disappointed in you daughter." Fire Lord said dryly, looking his child straight in the eye, an expression of obvious disapproval and obvious disappointment that was more than painful for the young princess. "I have trained and taught you for many years, all just to see your big brother gain an advantage over you." Fire Lord's next words were more painful than the whipping of a red-hot chain. "Not only that, Azalon is capable of provoking you to act exactly as you wish. Nevertheless, you are my true heir, even if you do not have the official title of Crown Princess."
The words of Fire Lord caused mixed feelings and emotions inside the princess. On the one hand, she was still devastated by her father's deserved criticism, but on the other hand, the mention of being the actual successor to her father made her quite surprised.
"What do you mean, father?" She asked, and within her there was a struggle to fully understand the words as well as any potential meanings.
"I mean, daughter, your brother is totally out of control, I can't control him, and I don't trust him at all." Fire Lord replied, slightly softening his gaze directly at his daughter. "Perhaps your brother is extremely gifted, but you are to be my main successor because I trust you completely. However, I cannot make you crown princess yet. Your brother's position is still too strong for me to make any move against him." After these words, his face twisted into a malicious smile. "Nevertheless, I have made sure that my middle child's position weakens. Eventually, it will become much stronger than before, and trustworthy from my side."
Slowly, all the pieces of the puzzle began to fall into a single and logical whole. It all boiled down to weakening her older brother's position as much as possible. While Azula fought fiercely with him for power, about the background she could not fully understand her father's motives towards Azalon. The young princess was well aware that her brother's power was almost comparable to her own. So why weaken someone like that in his struggle for power when he has the power to rule?
"But be under no illusions, daughter." Fire Lord snapped her out of her thoughts in one quick moment and thus bringing her back to reality. "I would prefer you to receive the throne after my death." His words began to ignite the young princess with pride, and she could barely hold back a huge smile from appearing on her young face. "Nevertheless, I am still not sure who should ultimately succeed my successor. At the moment, Azalon qualifies for this position much more than you are, as evidenced by his numerous followers and network of alliances. he did not fail. Under the latter, neither you nor he failed me, unlike some exiled and impudent prince whom I will not mention. " As soon as he talked about his eldest son, the mood in the office cooled significantly, which did not escape his daughter's attention.
"With all due respect, father." She started out very diplomatically and with the hope of getting an answer to a certain question that has been bothering her for some time. "Why do you despise Azalon so much?" The question caused a great surprise on the Fire Lord's face, because so far his youngest child agreed with his every word and was obedient to him, exactly as it should be. "I know and have seen many times that Zuko has been a disappointment to both you and the legacy of Fire Lord Sozin, but Azalon is powerful, though he admits it with great difficulty."
The giver of the young princess' life nodded in understanding, as the chill atmosphere in the office subsided completely. Fire Lord blinked and once again looked straight into his daughter's eyes, calmer than those few fractions of a second a moment ago.
"I understand your confusion." He replied, but it wasn't over. "Nevertheless, while Azalon is not as pathetic as his older brother, he still has one trait that is his greatest weakness." He paused for a moment and allowed the words to reach the mind of his youngest child and be processed by her. "This weakness is his kindness and compassion, although he is not as naive as his older brother and he can undoubtedly be calculating if the situation forces him to be like this, he still shows too many weaknesses. It is exactly as I said, don't hesitate, do not show weakness or remorse, because it will be your doom. Either he will learn the lessons or he has no chance of becoming my successor. If I allowed someone so weak to become the next Fire Lord, this empire was shaped over several generations it would fall apart in just one. Not by external forces, but by fierce power struggles inside. "
"I understand, father." He replied with a nod, then quickly moved on to another point. "What is my task then?" She asked.
"Very simple and easy for you to use even a fraction of your power as a Firebender. You are to thoroughly infiltrate Azalon's allies. I want complete knowledge of his political and economic powers."
Azula nodded understandingly. "I suspect our intelligence is totally unsuited to the task at hand."
"Indeed." Fire Lord replied. "I have no doubt that your brother foresaw the possibility of infiltrating his activities, so he put his trusted people in the intelligence and counterintelligence structures to inform him of any move against him. Only you can be trusted for this type of task."
After these words, Fire Lord was silent for a moment, then closed his eyes and sighed heavily. "I may be in my full strength now and at the height of my power, but I have no doubt that my days will eventually end. Whatever happens, I will eventually die, but what is left behind. My legacy will last much longer and he will outlive me for generations. " He opened his eyes and stared at his only daughter once more. "Azula, I want to be sure that my legacy will be handed over to the right hands. In the hands of a man or woman who will be prepared to rule, strong and steadfast in mind. A fight begins, a game for power and reign over the most powerful nation in the history of the world. And if you are fighting for power you only have two options, you win or you die, there is no middle ground. " He paused for a moment so that the weight of his words reached Azula. "That's it, you can go."
"I understand, Father. I will obey the order as quickly and accurately as possible. I will not fail you." Realizing that this was where their conversation ended, Azula stood up and immediately headed for the exit, leaving the Fire Lord alone with his thoughts.
Leaving her father's office, Azula had no doubts that this was a silent admission to the beginning of an official and open fight for a place in the line for the throne. The princess was, on the one hand, incredibly excited, because she could finally start trying to take control of the Fire Nation as an undisputed Fire Lord. However, the other part of it was filled with something she couldn't even define and name. It was as if she felt depressed about what was soon to come. Because of having to fight my own brother. But it made absolutely no difference to her now, it only mattered to obey her father's orders and secure his favor.
AN: In my original intention this chapter was supposed to be much longer. However, I have concluded that it is better to divide story into smaller and compatible parts, than to confuse and unnecessarily extend each individual chapter.
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