And so the weeks passed, with little in their way. The days rather all resembled one another, all following the same routine. It was easy to settle into the flow of life when it was so regular.
It was late morning now, and Azula was out training, as usual. Suyin, having finished her work, sat and watched her as she sometimes did. And Lian, too - as he sometimes did - came to join her, sitting beside her on the bench from where they watched the princess train. She'd grown comfortable with him over the passing weeks, slipping into jokes and conversation that resembled that of friends. He was good company during what little time they found to spend together. They were both busy, after all, but it was nice to know that she could always rely on a friendly smile, should she need it.
Even Azula seemed to warm up to him, a little. They were far from friends, but more often than not, she'd stop to exchange a few words with him after her training, if he was still around at that point. Most of the time those words were friendlier than they'd been that first time around, too. Or if not friendlier, then at least less harsh.
"For how long were you stationed in the colonies, Lieutenant?" Suyin asked casually as they sat together.
"Please," Lian turned to her with a friendly, yet somewhat exasperated smile. "Let's not be so formal with one another. May I call you Suyin? Under the condition, of course, that you call me Lian. I am "Lieutenant" to everyone in this city - I'd like to have at least one friend with whom I can just be myself. What do you say?"
There wasn't really any reason for Suyin to decline him, so she nodded, "Very well- Lian."
It was strange, to say his name so casually. It felt as though she were doing something wrong, something she shouldn't be doing, but the smile he gave her when he heard his name on her tongue made it all worth it. He was right - this way, they were friends. She was on a first name basis with Linhua and Chiyo and a couple of other maids, but that was about it. Certainly not with the princess - though Azula, of course, called her whatever she liked, name or nickname or anything.
"There. That's nice, isn't it?"
"It is."
"Then, what was your question, again?"
"How long were you in the colonies?"
Lian hummed. Closed his eyes for a moment, as if to mentally calculate. "Seven years. Though I moved around a lot between different towns, every six months or so. Sometimes I'd stay in one place for a year, but never longer."
"I've never been outside of the Fire Nation." Suyin admitted. In fact, she'd hardly been around her home country, either - the only places she'd ever been to were the capital city, Cheojin, and the few villages in between those two places, where she'd sometimes stop during her trips between her work place and hometown. She'd certainly never been off of the mainland, though she longed to one day visit some of the smaller islands. Maybe at some point she'd have the chance. It would be nice to visit more of the Fire Nation, for its communities and cultures were as diverse as they were beautiful, united under one nation.
But in all honesty, Suyin didn't really feel any urge to visit the Earth Kingdom. She'd learned enough about it in school to know that it was a savage place, filled with uncouth people and a messy history. Why would she ever want to go there, when the Fire Nation was already the greatest country in existence? She was lucky to be born here, and felt absolutely no need to see whether there was anything better out there.
Still, it was intriguing, to be able to speak with someone who'd been to those barbaric lands and had experience first-hand. "What is it like? Is it true that they can't read or write there?"
"Well, not quite. I was stationed in colonies that have belonged to us for at least a decade, so they were already more prosperous than they were before. There are Fire Nation schools set up for all the children, so they have learned to speak and read and write our language." Lian explained. "But the older generations are about what you'd expect. Only the scholars can read. The others didn't even want to learn. They're content to share their stories by word of mouth, as if that would ever last. They can't even think ahead far enough to realise how pointless that is."
"And the Earth Kingdom children, do they learn well?"
"I didn't observe the schools much. But I heard about them from the colonial teachers. They're nowhere near as smart as our children, of course. They tend to be lazy and skip out on their education. But with a bit of discipline, they are able to learn the basics at least, and will grow up to serve the Fire Nation just as well."
The thought made Suyin smile. It was a shame, of course, that the older generations would not be able to adapt so well, but at least the children were given a good opportunity. It was easiest, after all, to shape young minds. At that age, even those Earth Kingdom peasants would be able to receive a good education and make something of themselves, to be useful to their communities, to their nation. Did those children realise just how lucky they were? What great of an opportunity they'd been given? Perhaps not, but surely once they were older, they would understand, and be grateful that the Fire Nation had reached out to and shared with them their greatness and prosperity.
It was inevitable, of course, that they had to use a little bit of force at first. People were needlessly afraid of the Fire Nation soldiers, and fought back in a panic, not understanding that they came in peace. Not understanding that they were simply there to help, that if they were to give in, the transition from an Earth Kingdom village to a Fire Nation colony would be so much easier. There was no need for any bloodshed, if only the colonials did not resist the coming of the soldiers. But even if there was an initial period of disquiet, the end result would bring about peace - and would certainly justify the means of getting there. Of that, Suyin was certain.
"There was a girl in Mingyu's class who came from the colonies." Suyin reminiscened. She used to pick her ward up from school every day, and she'd sneak a glance at that little brown skinned girl who always stood alone, waiting for her nanny to pick her up.
Mingyu had told her all about it when they received a transfer student from the colonies: that no one wanted to play with her during recess, that she was always the last to partner up with anyone for group projects, that she didn't know the Fire Nation pledge they recited every morning… That some parents were indignant that they'd allowed a foreigner into their school, and were afraid that their children would catch some strange diseases from the little ruffian. In truth, Suyin had worried about that as well (for who knew what sort of diseases she brought from the colony!) but the teachers had been insistent that this integration with a colonial would, ultimately, be good for everyone.
But the first time Suyin had seen her, she was honestly surprised. She'd been expecting to see a rough little girl, more beast than human, with shaggy, unkempt hair and scrappy clothes, but… the girl looked completely normal. Just like any other little girl out there. She could hardly believe that someone from the Earth Kingdom looked so completely regular - and rather supposed that she'd quickly acclimated to how things were in the Fire Nation. Surely it was only thanks to them that she looked so much like a little Fire Nation girl. And how lucky she was, that she'd been saved from those barbaric lands and brought, instead, to the capital city! Her parents must have been incredibly important people back in their home, and must have paid a lot of money to allow their daughter to attend this rather prestigious Fire Nation school, rather than the public ones that most of the colonials attended.
"She was the only person I ever knew who came from the colonies. Well, I guess it's a stretch to say I knew her - I saw her every now and again, but I don't think I ever spoke to her." Suyin mused. "Mingyu never asked me to set up a playdate with her. I don't think her mother would have allowed it, either way. But she looked so normal. I don't know how else to describe it. I wouldn't have known she was from the Earth Kingdom at all if Mingyu hadn't told me. If all the other kids hadn't called her all sorts of things."
"Ah, that's the thing." Lian said. "They look just like normal people, but they're not. It's genetic, you know? They're just not as strong or intelligent as we are, but it's nearly impossible to tell them apart from us at first glance."
"But surely there are some things that tell them apart? Like- I heard they can't use chopsticks, right? So what, do they eat with their hands?" Suyin asked.
"That's right. But many can use chopsticks. The Fire Nation introduced it decades ago, though I heard some people in Ba Sing Se vehemently deny our influence. They're so caught up in acting self-sufficient that they refuse to acknowledge what bits and pieces they've stolen from our culture."
Oh, those poor Earth Kingdom peasants - how lucky they were, that the Fire Nation took them under its wing! Along with Ba Sing Se, there were still a few cities that were resisting the Fire Nation, too stubborn to give in and too simple to see that they would be so much better off with them. If only they understood that the Fire Nation would share their prosperity with them! Then they would surely welcome them with open arms and kiss their feet for bringing civilization to their door.
"Lieutenant." Azula approached the both of them now that her training had finished. She was hardly breathing any heavier than she usually did - in fact, it looked like she'd barely broken a sweat, even after all this time. She gave them both a pleasant smile as she interrupted their conversation, "Perhaps you'd like to spar with me today, hm? What do you say? I've run out of partners, but I'm still itching to have a go."
"It would be my pleasure, princess." Lian smiled in return.
But before he stood and walked up to the sparring ground where Azula stood, he turned and grinned at Suyin, speaking loudly enough for Azula to hear, too. "You'll cheer for me, won't you?"
Suyin giggled to herself. "Why, Lieutenant, are you asking me to betray my princess? Certainly not." She joked. By Azula's smile, she seemed pleased with her response. Lian, on the other hand, pulled the corners of his lips downwards, making an obviously exaggerated sad face.
And so the match started. Lian was an impressive opponent as well, though his fighting style was much closer to that of the other soldiers, rather than Azula's. Even to Suyin, who knew little about fighting at all, the difference in styles was clear enough that even she could sense it and tell it apart. Lian's style was heavier, somehow, all fists and bent knees. Azula was much lighter on her feet, nimble and agile, and she dodged his every attack with great precision.
They did not use any fire at first - it was a sort of warm up, Suyin could only assume. But it didn't take long until Azula announced that firebending was allowed, and suddenly the entire courtyard was as if aflame, enveloped in that intense heat. Lian's red fire was a stark contrast to Azula's blue - though then again, Suyin had long since become accustomed to this sight, for there was no one else - in the world, perhaps - who wielded fire like Azula. All the training sessions she'd ever watched were like this - a cacophony of teal and crimson, dancing, intertwined.
The fight did not last long. It surprised no one that Azula won. She tripped Lian, using his own momentum against him, and pinned him down, pushing a knee into his back. He did not get up quickly enough, though he struggled, admirably, against the way she held him locked down. It was almost comical to see: a teenage girl having knocked down an adult man twice her size. Rather than using brute strength, she relied on agility, and oh, she certainly knew how to use it well.
Azula smirked, "I win."
"So you do, princess." Lian wheezed. She had clearly knocked the air out of him, leaving him breathless and panting.
Azula pulled away, withdrawing gracefully and releasing her hold on the much older man with a pleased flick of her head, her topknot bouncing with her movement. Lian got up, first onto his hands and knees, and then he climbed up to his feet, patting and dusting the dirt off of his usually perfectly kept uniform.
"It seems I still have a lot to polish up on." He sighed, and for some reason, that amused Suyin. He was being so good-natured about this entire ordeal, about fighting - and losing - to the princess, that she couldn't help but wonder whether it was, in part, fabricated. He almost felt like a big brother, going easy on a younger sibling. But their fight had been hard-fought, and it certainly didn't look like he'd been going easy on her - nor the other way around.
"So it seems." Azula hummed and walked off-side, to where Suyin sat, observing them. "But you did well, Lieutenant."
Suyin handed her a cup of iced barley tea, knowing to do so without any words, without any orders. It stood on a small table by the bench, in easy access. In the heat of the Fire Nation mid-morning sun, it was important to stay hydrated, after all. She'd taken up to serving the princess her drinks during her training sessions whenever she attended them, and Azula took the cup gracefully, albeit without thanking her.
"We were just talking about the colonies." Suyin circled back to their previous conversation, her curiosity getting the better of her. "Have you ever visited any, princess?"
Azula did not rush to finish her drink. Now empty, she returned the cup to Suyin, who refilled it, and then handed it to her again. "I have." She said finally. "On a few occasions. They were just for closing up some political deals, nothing major at all. I didn't exactly have the chance to do any sight-seeing."
"Still, that's more than I ever saw." Suyin mused. "What is it like?"
Azula shrugged. "It's about what you'd expect. Nothing spectacular, really. I mostly met with the Fire Nation representatives stationed there."
Suyin pouted. It was nearly the same answer Lian had first given her; she understood very well that there was little to talk about, but their answers still left her wanting more. "What about the Earth Kingdom nationals?"
"I didn't see much of them. But it's true that they're crude and primitive, if that's what you're asking." Azula said. "But they've all taken to our culture very well. You'd be hard pressed to say that some of these villages were ever Earth Kingdom to begin with."
Suyin looked to Lian, as if to confirm with him. Not that she didn't trust Azula to be telling the truth, but rather that two sources of information were better than one. He nodded along as she spoke, and wiped his brow with the fabric of his shirt sleeve.
"But it's naive to underestimate the enemy." Azula continued. "Why, just the other day came news from Admiral Zhao that he'd captured the Avatar - only to quickly rescind his accomplishment. Apparently some Earth Kingdom would-be hero broke into the fortress and kidnapped him. Though I'm not sure whether that says more about the skills of that peasant, or the sorry state of our own military." Azula sighed, as if to say that if it had been her there, she never would have allowed for such a thing to happen.
Lian laughed, "Admiral Zhao got much too excited. It was too early for him to celebrate, much less to write to the Fire Lord."
"Yes, Father was less than pleased." Azula mused, pressing her lips together in a thin line. Clearly, she didn't find this situation anywhere near as amusing as Lian.
"It was right after he'd gotten his promotion too, wasn't it? Zhao's going to have to do something big to make up for this blunder." Lian grinned.
Suyin listened with interest. Obviously, she wasn't privy to the information shared at war council meetings, but Azula and Lian attended nearly all of them together. Sometimes, she'd hear about the major military movements from one of them, or from the rumors that floated through town, or through the servants, but mostly, she knew little about what was going on on the other side of the world. Their military accomplishments were celebrated and talked about non-stop in the entire nation, but failures like these? Or on-going, slow missions? Hardly ever. It was almost jarring to hear about this - to know that even they suffered defeats, humiliation. She wondered just how much was going on beyond what information the military shared with the common folk.
"I'm certain we are all as eager for the admiral to redeem himself as he is." Azula said and handed Suyin her empty cup. She gave her a pointed look, "I'm done here - let's go. Goodbye, Lieutenant."
"Princess." Lian nodded his own farewell.
Suyin placed the empty cup on the table by the teapot, leaving it there for a maid to clean up, eventually. Azula had already gone off towards the palace, leaving in her typical fashion without even turning around to make certain that Suyin was following her. She took half a moment to give her friend a smile.
"Bye, Lian." It was still strange to use his name so casually, and Suyin figured she ought to say it more, just to get used to it, to acclimate to it, so that one day it would not feel so foreign to her.
"See you, Suyin."
She turned her head, smiled to herself, and rushed after the princess.