Chapter 30

Akira silently fumed as he listened to a minor Fire Nation noble babble about grain production. It was bad enough that he didn't get to sit with the family during the wedding ceremony; now, he was relegated to a back table, far from the family or foreign dignitaries or anyone remotely interesting.

The thing was, whoever had arranged this was stupid as well as petty. How was he expected to engage with military officers or foreign officials when he was so publicly disregarded? Zuko couldn't give him a job and then make it impossible for him to carry it out.

Akira stabbed a piece of pork belly with his chopsticks, and was vaguely disappointed when it tasted delicious. It didn't fit with his sour mood. Up at the front table, Zuko talked earnestly with the Avatar while the Avatar waved his hands over his head. Akira couldn't believe Zuko would deliberately slight him like this; it wasn't his style. But the fact that Zuko had forgotten him stung even more.

"And so the secret to increasing grain production is actually human manure!" concluded the noble to Akira's right triumphantly.

"Fascinating," said Akira caustically. "If you'll excuse me." Everyone was still eating, but he couldn't stand it any longer. He rose abruptly, and the motion attracted Mai's attention from the head table. They briefly made eye contact, and Mai narrowed her eyes before Akira looked away and stalked off to the drinks table. He needed some alcohol to get through the night.

He poured himself a cup of punch and downed it, wincing slightly. Evidently Zuko wanted all his guests to be drunk by the end of this, because there was a truly alarming amount of rice wine in the cocktail. Akira poured himself another. Head already starting to feel light, he slouched against the beverage table, surveying the crowd.

The Firelord's guests laughed and drank, blissfully unaware of the dark underbelly of Fire Nation society, where children starved because their parents were off fighting the war. But Akira knew. And he knew that soon this would all change. He finished his second drink, and thought ruefully that in just a short time he had already become like the nobles, moaning over the fact that he was seated at the back. Being looked over was nothing new for Akira; he just had to make the best of it. Although after spending time with Zuko, he had thought…

A clinking sound from the head table interrupted Akira's dark thoughts.

"Thank you all for coming here today!" said Zuko loudly. Akira noticed his brother surreptitiously clutched the back of his chair to support himself as he stood. "Thank you for witnessing and sharing in our happiness." He smiled down at Mai, who remained seated, and her usually dour expression softened. "An especial thank you to our friends who came from far away to attend my wedding. To the Earth King, Chief Arnook, and Chief Hakoda, I hope this is the first of many celebrations we can share." He raised a glass. "To friendship!" The whole room echoed him.

"And to family—to those tied to us by blood and to friends who have become our family," continued Zuko.

"To family," Akira toasted sardonically. Up at the head table, Zuko frowned and scanned the crowd, likely realizing for the first time someone was missing.

"I won't bore you with more toasts or speeches," said Zuko, still looking distracted. "So I'll just say this: enjoy yourselves!" A cheer broke out, and the band started to play. A few people began to make their way on to the dance floor.

Finally. Something he was actually good at. Setting his half-empty third glass of punch on the table, Akira spotted a woman from the Yu Dao delegation who he'd noticed at the reception the night before. Unlike most of the guests, who wore their nation's colors, the colonists from Yu Dao were dressed in an eclectic mixture of reds and greens to symbolize their allegiance to neither the Fire Nation nor the Earth Kingdom. The woman in question was dressed in a dark olive with shockingly scarlet embroidery and blood-red nails, which she tapped idly on her drinking glass. The effect might be intimidating to some, thought Akira as he made his way over, but not to him. She looked over as he stopped by her table, crimson-painted lips twitching upwards.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, knowing what the answer would be.

"Of course," she smiled. He took her hand, and before she knew what was happening, spun her into his arms, her lips only inches from his. She blushed, but didn't pull away. The drummers picked up the pace, and, without speaking, Akira and the young woman twirled into the center of the dance floor. Navigating them through spinning crowd of couples, Akira was reminded of a very different party he had attended years ago.

Once, when the factory where he and his mother worked had had a particularly good year, their foreman had organized a large celebration in one of the warehouses. The workers weren't as well dressed as the guests at Zuko's wedding, nor was the food as good. But the music was just as exuberant, and the liquor was just as strong. Akira remembered another girl in his arms, and how her cheeks had flushed as they danced until their feet were sore.

That was one of the last happy times Akira could remember before his mother died.

The music ended, and Akira dropped his current partner into a deep dip. She gasped in surprise, and Akira smirked.

"Who are you?" she asked as she rose, breathless.

She'd die of shock if she actually knew, thought Akira. "Just a commoner," he said, boldly letting his hands drop to her waist. "An ordinary person, as we all are."

She raised an eyebrow. "An odd thing to say," she mused. "It sounds as if you're calling us all ordinary commoners."

"I do think we're all the same." Akira leaned forward so that his mouth almost brushed her ear and lowered his voice. "Does that offend My Lady?"

She turned to look him straight in the eyes. "I'm from the colonies," she said. "Where I live, ideas of 'nobility' are quickly becoming a relic of the past."

Well that was interesting. Looking at his dance partner in a new light, Akira stepped back. "What's your name?" he asked curiously.

"Fengxia," she replied. "I work for the Mayor of Yu Dao. But I asked you first—who are you?"

"My name's Akira," he answered. "I'm a counsellor to the Firelord. Current commoner, former soldier."

The music started again, slower this time and almost melancholy.

"Shall we go again?" Akira asked. She nodded. In his peripheral vision, Akira noticed Zuko slowly getting up, supported by Mai. So he'd leave without saying hello, then. Akira was surprised to note how upset that made him. Just because he let you live in his house doesn't mean he likes you or trusts you, he reminded himself. Besides, he wasn't here to make friends. He was here to enact drastic change. Although that would be easier if Zuko trusted him.

"Are we dancing or not?" asked Fengxia.

"Right, sorry," said Akira. He flashed a winning smile. "Tell me more about the classless utopia of Yu Dao."

"I wouldn't call it that," said Fengxia, pursing her red lips as they revolved slowly in a circle. "There are still those with power and those without. But in Yu Dao, the former Fire Nation colonists and the original Earth Kingdom inhabitants have merged. Strict social protocols and a tiered social structure have fallen away over time, which is an improvement. But now the powerful are the wealthy, rather than those with noble blood."
"And which are you?" asked Akira, intrigued by this woman who seemed to agree with many of the things he believed.

"A commoner with rich parents," she said frankly. "They were able to afford to send me to Ba Sing Se university." Akira felt a pang of jealousy as he thought of the hours he was now spending trying to memorize simple characters.

"Now I work in city development in Yu Dao," she said. "And if you're a counsellor to the Firelord, I'll tell you frankly: the only way to avoid war between the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation is granting Yu Dao and the other former colonies full independence."
Akira didn't think a war could be avoided, not after a hundred years of trauma and fighting. But he didn't say that. "Are you trying to take advantage of me?" he asked mockingly. Her ears turned red, but her gaze was steady.

"Are you trying to take advantage of me?" Fengxia countered. What a fascinating person.
Akira started to reply, but the music ended and everyone clapped loudly, making it impossible for Fengxia to hear anything he might say.

The Mayor of Yu Dao tapped on Akira's shoulder. "Mind if I interrupt?" he asked.

Yes, I do mind, thought Akira. "Of course not," he said smoothly. Fengxia shot him one last look before she walked away with the Mayor, leaving Akira alone. Now that she was gone, Akira remembered his ill humor from earlier, and felt resentment creeping back in.
But he wasn't left alone for long. Someone grasped Akira's arm tightly, nearly pulling him to the ground.

"Akira!" shouted Sokka. His face was bright red; clearly he had been hitting the punch a little too hard. "Akira, teach me how to dance!"

Akira laughed. "Like how couples dance? Or just generally?"

"All I know is the Wolf Warrior," complained Sokka. Akira snagged a drink from a passing waiter. This sounded good.

"Well let's see what you can do," Akira said seriously. "I need to know what I'm working with."

Sokka backed up, bumping into several people. "Sorry, sorry!" he said loudly. But they didn't seem to notice; the party was quickly spiralling into full-on drunkenness. Sokka spread his hands out to either side and then brought them together in a prayer-like pose. Then, abruptly, he raised his hands above his head, fingers crooked like claws, and lifted up one knee. Still keeping his hands bizarrely aloft, he switched his weight and kicked with the foot he had previously been standing on. He fell.

Choking on his laugher, Akira helped Sokka up. "We'll start with the basics," he promised. He downed his shot and shuddered slightly. Though his vision was getting hazy, he picked Fengxia out of the crowd easily. The night was still young. He had time to help Sokka and circle back to her. Akira grinned.

"Just do what I do," he told Sokka. The music started again, and Akira began to dance.