Good evening everyone! I'm sorry for being so late, but I had some issues with the writing this chapter. I hope you will enjoy though, and please leave a comment!
Chapter XII: The Kingdom that fell into ruin
Mei let her weary body sink into the mattress of the room she had been given and sighed. The bedding of the Fire Kingdom was as disappointing as she remembered; the lack of a cushion was the main defect in her eyes, but she could easily name others. She liked to be comfortably settled so that her mind could concentrate on difficult subjects, and the present state of the kingdom next to hers was one of them. Hiruzen's mind had clearly been overtaken by age. The old ruler had never been pleasant, but his intellect had deteriorated terribly. The sovereign sighed; if he was not replaced soon, he would plunge his kingdom into civil war. The fate of the Kingdom of Fire would matter little to Mei if the economic interests of her own were not at stake.
She would have to choose which pretender to the throne to support in order to ensure that trade is always fruitful and a source of much income for Kiri. Mei found the little Hyūga capable and intelligent but the reputation of the Yggalëns, whose region had been the last to be conquered, was far too bad for her to rule effectively over a kingdom that had just survived a civil war. Such a pity. 'Let's hope she sides with another party or remains neutral, she cannot win a war and settle on the throne of the Kingdom of Fire', the Queen thought bitterly.
There was a knock on the door and Mei quickly combed her hair before allowing the intruder into her chamber. Yagura entered the room and looked quickly into it before making an imperceptible gesture with his head in the direction of the others. Mei understood immediately; what the Mizukage had to say could not be heard by indiscreet ears and she dismissed the young women who left the room after curtsying before her. Mei remained silent, waiting for Yagura to speak. The Mizukage waited some twenty seconds before crossing his arms and leaning against the wall in front of her.
"I observed Konoha as much as I could. We are on the Jiraiya field, and I could not risk a diplomatic incident by being spotted."
"You did well," replied Mei. "The situation here is quite tense. What have you heard?"
"Hiruzen Sarutobi will organise a new Selection. Lady Hinata's grief would prevent him from reigning so early and he does not wish to wrest her from her mourning. Of course, this is the official reason."
"The unofficial is simple, Hiruzen hates the Yggalëns more than anyone else in this Kingdom", sighed Mei. "He won't let this little girl sit on the throne, even if he were to start a civil war."
"Indeed," Yagura replied, nodding wisely. "The Uchihas will probably jump on a chance to reign despite the presence of Jiraiya, the Sarutobis will follow their clan leader. The Uzumakis will also fight for the throne, but the big unknown are the Hyūgas. The Uchihas can raise twice as many men as the Uzumakis, which would force them to ally themselves with either the Sarutobis or the Hyūgas. If Lady Hinata decides to participate. She has just acceded to Great Lady status; she might not want to join a war."
"I don't think so. It doesn't match her temperament and she doesn't seem ignorant of Konoha's hatred of her. She must want to go home to Pearlforest. If she were to win the war one way or another, she would be miserable and would spend her days avoiding assassination attempts."
"Indeed, but you're forgetting something," Yagura sat down, and Mei raised an eyebrow. "The living prison of Suna, the young prince Gaara. She has calmed down The One of Rage, and the boy seems strongly attached to her. He will be able to support her, and his presence would make a difference on a battlefield. You saw as I did how much he seems to be in love with her."
Mei frowned for a moment, a hand in front of her mouth, as she watched the scene unfold before her eyes. The little lady had indeed been able to calm the embodiment of all the evil that humans could do, the ultimate tempter, the god in charge of punishing criminals. If she could use it as a weapon, she could do considerable damage and impose herself. Nevertheless, the if was enormous. The boy was a foreign prince, who didn't even seem to be considered a potential heir, and Rasa Hisuna would surely not let him do as he pleased.
"The chances of this happening are too low", she concluded. How much time do we have before civil war breaks out?"
"No more than two years," Yagura replied after a short pause. "The other heirs need time to arrive, to meet, to gauge each other. The death of Hiashi Hyūga is a long-term poison that will kill this Kingdom as we know it, and the crown's inaction in avenging the death of a Great Lord is one purulent wound amongst too many. A single element will set the powder kegs on fire."
"I see."
Mei stood up and approached the window to look out over the courtyard below. The servants were busy like ants carrying crumbs from the stockings, and she let her gaze rest upon them, looking for any hint of empathy for them. These people would be the first victims of a civil conflict and yet she could not find the sympathy she needed to decide to help the Fire Kingdom. She turned to Yagura, who watched her in silence, and readjusted a string of hair behind her ear.
"Do you think we would benefit from such a situation?"
"Possibly. It would be interesting to discuss this with the Minister of the Economy, however. Some of the subtleties of this area escape me and I cannot provide adequate advice."
"I understand. You will prepare a report on the situation in the Kingdom of Fire in secret as soon as we are on the boat," she decided.
If a civil war in this Kingdom could benefit her, Mei would not hesitate for a moment to start it herself. She had learned long ago to care only for her own. Those for whom she was not responsible should not be variables in her decisions if she wanted to lead her Kingdom towards excellence and wealth. 'I vowed to make the Water Kingdom prosper, no matter what price I had to pay. This land is not mine; this people is not mine. I can't burden myself with remorse to put Kiri's bloody era behind us', she thought, closing her eyes.
Images of those terrible years came back to her memory; her arrival on the throne after years of manipulation, lies and plots to save her people and ensure that those she was sworn to defend would never again be treated like that. Mei opened her eyes again, determined. She would crush the world for her Kingdom, and she would never be ashamed of it. If she had to plunge the Fire Kingdom into chaos for the sake of her people, she would do so without losing a night's sleep. She had sacrificed her innocence long ago for this vow, and she would achieve her goal.
Hinata Hyūga's face came back to her memory. This face so expressive, whatever the emotion felt. She had been so similar to this child many years ago, but her mother had guided her and taught her how to survive and triumph over her enemies. With the help of her name and some powerful allies, she had been able to prevail over her enemies. Unfortunately for her, Hinata Hyūga had neither. Her name and her skin were synonymous with contempt for Konoha, and she was sorely lacking allies. This child would be eaten alive by the court. 'If only you were a little Uchiha, you could have reigned with magnificence,' thought Mei.
"Your Highness, there's something else we need to talk about," Yagura suddenly said, wrenching Mei from her thoughts.
"I'm listening."
"It is about the assassination of Hiashi Hyūga. I don't think Orochimaru or Rasa Hisuna are responsible."
Mei frowned, intrigued. What did he mean by that?
"Hiruzen loathes the Yggalëns, but Lord Hiashi was the only viable solution for the kingdom, as he was easy to assassinate. Thanks to Hiashi's death, Hiruzen was able to restart a new Selection, and this time to call the heirs of the Great Lords. This would allow him to oust the Yggalëns and give power to the Uzumaki or Uchiha."
"Do you think Hiruzen had Lord Hiashi murdered? If this is true, the truth is bound to come out." She paused to think. "Nevertheless, it makes sense. Jiraiya could have prepared the poison, and Hiashi would have trusted any drink given by Hokage."
"I think so, Your Highness. Orochimaru might have been hired to use as decoy, however. From what Roshi told me, they retreated swiftly."
"So Hiruzen has definitely lost his mind. Yagura, we're leaving tomorrow, I don't want to linger here. I want spies in the palace in the moon after our return, I can't ignore what is happening here and the consequences for Kiri."
"It will be done, Your Highness."
Mei nodded her head slightly, lost in thought. She longed to be away from the ruined kingdom, and to be able to observe the collapse of the country from afar. It would not be good to be in the Fire Kingdom for the next few years. This reminded her once again, terribly and fatally, of Hinata Hyūga. This little one did not seem to want to leave her mind. She sighed and decided, for once, to have a little sympathy for a stranger.
"Find a maid and tell her to find me Lady Hinata. I would like to have dinner with her tonight. She can't win, but at least she can survive," she said.
Yagura remained silent and motionless for a moment before nodding his head, bowing slightly, and leaving the room.
Mei looked at herself in the mirror, satisfied with her appearance. She had declined an invitation to dine with Hiruzen to favour her meal with the young lady, but this did not mean that she should not be wearing her best outfit. She had chosen a traditional dress from her kingdom made of blue silk embroidered with gold, and a royal blue shawl hung from her arms with gold bracelets. Her train floated almost like foam around her hips and along her pale legs. Mei smiled and adjusted her tiara. Perfect. If she wanted this little one to listen to her, she had to look as regal as she could.
Mei was guided to the gardens where she would have dinner with Lady Hinata by a next one from Konoha, Yagura on her heels. When she arrived, she found her guest already seated, conversing with a knight from her clan. Her arrival caught the attention of Lady Hinata who immediately stood up and bowed to her. Mei gave her a fake tender smile and sat down in front of her.
"Your Majesty, it is an honour to have received this invitation", the little lady said once seated as well.
"It's not just a social call," Mei replied. "Yagura, please make sure no one is listening to us."
"Of course, Your Majesty."
Hinata Hyūga's face closed immediately and her grey eyes became piercing as her lips discreetly pinched. Mei smiled slightly, amused by the mistrust the girl had immediately shown. This was the reaction that Daimyō expected from the Yggalën, but she still had a long way to go. If she knew how to hide her emotions from the idiots and those who thought her incapable or foolish, she was incapable of doing so in front of someone more trained.
"I do not have the arrogance to imagine that you would wish to spend more time in my company without any further motivation, Your Majesty," replied the young lady, forcing a polite smile to appear on her face.
"No, indeed, you are not foolish enough, my Lady. Tell me, what do you think of Konoha's condition?"
"I don't think much of it, as I only wish to return to Pearlforest and leave this place behind me. The few moons I've spent here have disgusted me."
"What honesty! Aren't you afraid that Daimyō will find out how you feel?" Mei amused herself.
"He did not hide his contempt for the Yggalëns and myself from me, and I already know that the throne of this Kingdom will never be mine," Hinata replied Hyūga. "Why should I tire myself and my hatred for him in the absence of high dignitaries from Konoha?"
Mei blinked her eyes before bursting into a sincere laugh. This little girl had an idea of the danger she was in but refused to deny who she was! Her honour would lose her. Daimyō took a sip of wine and tilted her head slightly to the side. The young lady examined her silently, the dots surely tightened on her skirt to mask her fear.
"You're a very funny child," she says. "Do you even know how hostile Konoha's court is to you?"
"I don't know enough about the court to truly know," admitted the Yggalën. "Nevertheless, I know that every day spent here will be a test. My father's death has left our household vulnerable."
"Indeed. I feel more sympathy for you than I usually allow myself to, so don't forget what I'm going to say to you tonight," Mei replied.
"Any advice from you would be like a blessing from the gods, Your Majesty."
"Neither the palace, nor the city, nor this region will ever be yours. You must never forget this. You cannot win against your opponents here, but I will teach you how to survive."