And hop ! A new chapter in the process! I'm in a generous mood! ^^ Enjoy !
Chapter : Burning
The already scalded temperature in the Council Chamber rose a few notches as the rumor of the conversations intensified, and the discontent or disbelief among the assembly grew.
Furious phrases and cries erupted from either side of the large oval table they were seated around.
Some stood up, arms outstretched in front of them to express their anger and incomprehension. The meeting had suddenly plunged into a chaotic atmosphere since Katashi delivered his report on the situation in the Earth Kingdom settlements.
"It's up to Ba Sing Se to remedy the situation and restore order to this chaos!" one shouted.
"The Fire Nation can't handle the problems of all nations! We have already given enough since the end of the war! We will not bear the responsibility for the brunt incompetence of the Earth Kingdom police force!" added another.
"The colonies, as long as they exist, are under the responsibility of the Fire Nation", indignant lied a dignitary from Omashu. "It is up to you to send your troops to pacify the region. Ba Sing Se doesn't have to pay to bring order to land that was stolen from it decades ago!"
"He's right! It's up to the Fire Nation to assume control of the troubles that shake the colonies as long as they have not gained their independence."
Applause and "Bravos!" followed this intervention and the man who had just spoken sat back down, his arms crossed fiercely on his chest, visibly satisfied with his effect.
Zuko, in the midst of all this mayhem, struggled with the headache by rolling his temples under his fingers, straining to hold back the fire he was about to burst from his fists in order to restore calm.
If only Azula was there. She would have known how to calm the situation; she would have found the right words. Or thundered the insolent ... He couldn't say.
The firm but soft voice of General Kadao, Zuko's right-hand man, rose to his right:
"The question at the moment is not who pays to bring order to the colonies," he tempered. "Our priority is to restore calm for the safety of our fellow citizens and that of the natives. If we asked the Avatar..."
"The Avatar is far from here! He no longer cares about the problems of this world since he's been busy rehabilitating the Air Nomad Temples, stubbornly trying to rebuild a shattered nation with no future! We can no longer count on the Avatar to sort out Earth Kingdom issues now that he spends all of his time between Air Temples, the Fire Nation, and the Southern Water Tribe."
It was Lu Fang who had spoken, the minister of the armies of Ba Sing Se, whose hostility towards Zuko and the Avatar had been notorious since they had refused him their support in his project of annex the lands of the Air Nomads to the Earth Kingdom, preventing it from carrying out its plan to expand the territory.
"You can't ask an eighteen-year-old boy to fix all the problems of this world, Avatar or not," Kanak, the representative of the Northern Water Tribes, replied reasonably. "It is time for each nation to take its responsibilities and stop relying on the arbitration of a single spiritual entity. It is up to the Earth Kingdom and the Fire Nation to resolve the situation, until decolonization is completed. It is the responsibility of the two nations. The population does not have to endure the conflicts of interest of the leaders of this world and only aspire peace!"
"Tell that to the secret militias that have formed in the Yu Dao, Yue Bay and Hu Xin provinces and are terrorizing the settlers! Everyone knows perfectly well who finances and supports them!" Admiral Inoue said fiercely, casting a murderous glance at the group of Ba Sing Se representatives in front of him.
"These are just vile accusations! You have no proof!" Lu Fang said, banging his fist on the table. "How dare you?"
"That's enough!" suddenly yelled Zuko who stood up, "Everyone be silent!"
In order to be sure he was heard, he shot a column of blinding flames from his fist which he had raised above his head that frightened his nearest neighbours who abruptly moved away.
The silence returned gradually, vaguely disturbed by some furious whispers among the ranks of leaders of Ba Sing Se.
Zuko already regretted having had to resort to intimidation. Azula would not have needed to be so radical.
Gods, how he missed her! Already two weeks had passed since that fatal night and she still did not deign to receive him, despite his repeated attempts to go talk to her, pressed by Mai who was still waiting for a reaction from Zuko.
There was at least an improvement compared to the previous week. Azula ended up agreeing to see Taïma and talk to her for a few minutes.
The young healer was able to tell Zuko that his sister's mental state seemed stable but that she looked pale and very depressed. Not knowing how to react to this information, Zuko thanked her and asked her to continue to keep an eye on her.
But now he had to focus on more pressing issues.
The political summit, which endorsed the creation of the treaty formalizing the founding of the capital city of the United Republic of Nations in Yue Bay, was not well received in the Earth Kingdom. A significant number of residents of the Bay had expressed their discontent with the idea of becoming the welcoming city of all nations, in particular with the idea of welcoming new citizens of the Fire Nation, as they still demanded the departure of the current settlers.
Nationalist factions, born at the end of Ozai's reign, gained momentum under the leadership of a few charismatic agitators.
Pogroms had been organized against the settlers: shops looted and reduced to ashes, landslides no doubt caused by earthbenders destroyed entire neighborhoods inhabited by settlers and violent demonstrations and disturbing disappearances were reported everywhere in Earth Kingdom.
These events had taken place in several provinces in recent weeks and had seen an upsurge just after the ratification of the treaty.
This was the content of Katashi's report to a dumbfounded assembly after the Council of Four Nations had been urgently convened.
Aang hadn't been able to join them soon enough and the other Representatives found the matter too urgent to wait for the Avatar's arrival.
Zuko felt terribly helpless without the support of his uncle, who remained in Ba Sing Se, Aang, Mai, who refused to speak to him until he fixed Azula's question, and of course, without that of his sister whose advice he most wanted.
Amid the awkward silence that followed Zuko's muscular intervention, a sarcastic voice arose:
"Let's see what our young and respected Fire Lord has to say… You've been very silent since the start of this meeting. Perhaps not to underline the Fire Nation's incompetence in emptying the colonies of its citizens since the abysmal failure of the Harmony Restoration Movement? If this project hadn't failed miserably, we wouldn't be in such a catastrophic situation today!"
It was Lu Fang who had just spoken of course. The rest of the Council all turned to the Fire Lord, watching for his reaction.
Zuko tried to keep calm:
"The failure of this plan, as you say, has sufficiently shown us how the issue of decolonization is sensitive and requires careful and subtle actions. A forced transfer of all settlers is not a viable solution in the short or the long run. Families have lived on these lands for generations and feel at home there, some having united with peoples of the Earth Kingdoms."
He ignored Lu Fang's ostensibly disgusted grimace and continued, turning to Kando, his Minister of Finances:
"Indeed, too quick a withdrawal would destabilize the local economy. Much of the craft and industry in the Colonies relies on Fire Nation's citizens. Which is why my Republic of Nations project was proposed: the citizens and residents of all nations will be free to settle there as they wish to work and cooperate in good understanding. Each nation will use its skills and knowledge to ensure security and prosperity for the Republic."
"A utopian project which only leads to frustrations among the indigenous populations!"
"Nationalists, terrorists!" Zuko said angrily. "Which side are you really on, Lu Fang? And you, who are so prompt to evoke my disengagement or my silence, what does Kuei say about it?"
"His Majesty the Earth King trusts me to manage the situation, as you know, he gives me carte blanche to take all the necessary decisions, as long as they benefit the maximum number of citizens."
"As long as they benefit the maximum number of citizens of which nation exactly, Lu Fang?" Zuko asked fiercely.
Lu Fang looked uncomfortable when he realized that all eyes were on him.
Suspicious eyebrows started to rise even among the ranks of the Earth Kingdom and approving murmurs were heard in the other groups. If the retrograde views of the Minister of Armies were not notorious to all the members gathered here, they nevertheless contrasted with the ideals at the origin of the very foundation of this Council.
"His Majesty knows that the Earth King cares about peace and equality between all citizens of the world. And I am loyal to him." he said in a more moderate tone, bowing towards his peers then towards Zuko who seizes the opportunity to keep the advantage.
Zuko moved his seat back and straightened to his full height before announcing: "The Fire Nation will not remain deaf to current events and will assume its responsibilities in the disturbances currently shaking the colonies. But the Earth Kingdom will have to cooperate. I am suspending this Council. We'll meet tomorrow at noon to continue these discussions and to come to an agreement."
All the members of the Council nodded respectfully, and he was about to say goodbye when Lu Fang's voice rose again: "And can we ask what demands your attention so much that you interrupt an emergency Council meeting before an actual decision has been made?"
"Nothing in particular," he said, turning his head towards the minister. "I just think we all need some reflexion time and rest. Why this question?"
"Nothing in particular, Your Grace" he echoed him. "Except, I don't think I'm the only one here to have noticed the notable absence of a person you would be too happy to receive advice at this time..."
Zuko saw where he was going with this and immediately felt the fury surge in him.
"If you're talking about Azu..."
"Where is the Princess now?" Lu Fang asked in a naive false tone. "Why isn't she by your side, as usual, whispering your words in your ear?"
"I really don't see how this concerns or interests you. You know perfectly well that the Princess is only an honorary member of this Council and isn't invited to emergency meetings."
"Yet I was told that her speech made a great impression at the Summit and some people even whisper that she is the source of a significant number of proposals and decisions you ratified concerning the future of the four Nations. Apparently, you can't act without her anymore!"
Zuko clenched his fists and took a deep breath before answering: "Azula is a keen politician and I take a great interest in her advice which has benefited both pour nations so far. So I don't see what's wrong. Unless you are implying that I am influenced by my manipulative sister?"
Around them, the assembly held its breath and watched the game, waiting to see when the Fire Lord, well known for his fiery temper, was going to lose patience.
"I don't know if influenced is the best word to describe the situation..."
Zuko didn't like his sly gaze, nor the way the minister's lips curled up in an evil smirk that disfigured his face.
"I encourage you to clearly express the substance of your thoughts, Lu Fang. I'm afraid I don't have the patience for your games."
"I would only like to draw the Council's attention to the advisability of leaving so much power and credit to a young woman, known for her mental instability ; a girl who, at the age of only fourteen, knew how to play on her charm and her strategist qualities to bring down a reputedly impregnable city that had been resisting for centuries."
Zuko noticed, dumbfounded, that the minister had managed to capture the attention of the audience. Some exchanged worried looks while others approved of the Minister's words, nodding vigorously. A few quiet applauses were heard from the ranks of Ba Sing Se representatives.
"Is it wise," he continued, "to place our trust in the man who has betrayed all his ethics to join his sister as soon as he had the opportunity, simply because she asked him to? "
Ba Sing Se… They always came back to that. The capital of the Earth Kingdom had never digested the humiliation Azula had inflicted on them.
General Kadao intervened, "Lu Fang, the loyalty of our Fire Lord hasn't been in doubt for a long time. He actively participated in the fall of Fire Lord Ozai at the risk of his own life, and his efforts to maintain peace are undeniable. What are you playing at?"
"Kadao, I have the peace of this world at heart as much as you do, and probably more than any other in this assembly ..."
Zuko couldn't help but let out a small sceptical exclamation that Lu Fang brilliantly pretended to ignore.
"However, I think I speak for all in saying that we would be more serene without Princess Azula around, whispering her caressing words in the ear of a so-called ruler who has repeatedly shown how he was not insensitive to her ... how shall I put it ... um ... arguments ..."
He accompanied the last word with a knowing look and a knowing smile that spoke volumes about what he thought or suspected about the real nature of the relationship between Zuko and Azula.
His allusion escaped no one. Zuko understood it when he saw how some had sneered and others had looked away with a look horribly embarrassed, even disgusted.
He could have sworn that Kadao himself, usually so impassive, had turned pale.
Was it possible that they knew about it? But no one knew what had happened, apart from Mai who did not know all the details and who would never have told anyone...
Unless Azula herself...
Mai's words came right back to him: "She could manipulate you, blackmail you, ruin your reputation forever!"
No. He refused to believe it.
Azula had not left her room according to the servants. No one had seen her for two weeks, except Taïma.
But suddenly he remembered that she had dismissed the guards. Could it be that she took the opportunity to discreetly exit her room and...?
He was pulled from his thoughts by an indignant whistling. Looking around, he saw that all faces were frozen and turned to him, waiting for his reaction. Obviously, Lu Fang had just said something that shocked the congregation.
"What did you just say?"
The tone of his voice was perfectly smooth and calm but a mad fury shone in his eyes. Zuko already felt the fire crawling in his veins, ready to annihilate this insolent creature that dared to pretend ...
"I was just saying", Lu Fang interrupted his thought, swaggering, advancing towards Zuko to demonstrate his imposing stature, arms crossed in his back, "if the rumors are true, perversion and corruption run in the Royal Family's blood for generations. Just like madness. If your father, grandfather, and little bitchy sister seem like they haven't been spared, I find it hard to see how you could have escaped it yourself. That would explain very well why you were so determined to spare the princess's life even though she tried to kill you on multiple occasions... Even though she is stripped of all her political powers, you obviously still find... some use… in her."
Zuko was too stunned to answer. It seemed for a moment that he heard nothing more. Only the sound of his heart, which was now pounding in his chest, still reached him. His throat was extraordinarily dry.
Those horrible insinuations, the way he talked about Azula, as if she were just a common used object that he would use for his own pleasure, pushed him to the edge of the abyss.
"Let's be clear," Lu Fang said in a false cordial tone, "I think everyone here understands you. Although raving mad, I can't deny she has some assets on which we wouldn't spit ourselves, doesn't she gentlemen?"
He gazed at the assembly to call the men to witness. Some laughter erupted but died immediately. Then he concludes: "It must be frustrating to live under the same roof as such a creature and to be the only one not having the right to enjoy it… Who would blame you for claiming your share?"
The spray of fire had sprung before he could even think of holding it back. Almost at the same time, a huge block of stone erupted from the ground, lifting Lu Fang out of reach of the deadly flames. With both arms stretched out in front of him, clenched in fists, Zuko braced himself for another attack.
But he was immediately surrounded by many hands pulling him back.
"No, Sire, no ! I beg you! Stop!"
Distantly, he thought he recognized Kadao's voice. Close to him, Kanak stood in a fighting stance, visibly ready to step in if Zuko lost control of his nerves again.
"Evacuate the Fire Lord!" Kadao ordered.
Too dumbfounded to react, Zuko let himself be dragged out of the Council Chamber by guards who held him tight.
The block of stone that Lu Fang had thrown resumed its place in the ground and Zuko had time to see the delegates and representatives of the Earth Kingdom who stood up and gathered around their commander to inquire about him.
While he reassured them by rubbing his armor, throwing a murderous glance in his direction, Zuko thought he distinguished the words "crazy family" and "pervert ".
Then he was in the hall. The huge double-leaf door slammed shut in front of him with a loud crash.
Kadao had followed him.
"Sire!" he inquired immediately. "Are you alright?"
"This… this son of a bitch! That bastard! I'm going…," Zuko fumed, still held back by two guards. "Let go of me, fools!"
The two men did so immediately and after a nod from the general, bowed to Zuko and slipped away.
"Sire, calm down. You are the Fire Lord, you can no longer let your anger dominate you. You shouldn't take his words seriously. He was only provoking you."
"You heard him like me, General! He said… he implied that… that me and Azula…"
"Vile calumnies that no one believes! Lu Fang was upset that you put him in his place in front of all the members of the Council. He seized on the first pretext that came. You know the resentment toward the princess is still very strong among those of Ba Sing Se. Everyone knows how involved you were in your sister's defense during her trial. They are just trying to reach you through her."
"But... but..." he panted, "Why this way? Why these insinuations?"
Kadao looked confused but he finally replied:
"It seems that... lately... since your sister stopped appearing in public, rumors have been circulating in the palace..."
"What kind of rumors?" Zuko pressed him, fearing the answer.
Kadao took a deep breath before continuing reluctantly: "They say that you were seen the other night, leaving her room without… how to put it? Without your jacket and your tunic. Apparently, the princess was drunk when you entered there a few hours earlier… It is also said that since that night, the princess has not left her rooms and refuses to see anyone, including you. That she dismissed the guards stationed in front of her door that night as if she had something to hid."
"I... I don't..."
Seeing his embarrassment, Kadao hastened to reassure him:
"Sire, I and your ministers don't believe any word of it, you can be sure. These are only murmurs, vile rumors spread by the servants in need of sensationalism. Unfortunately, your enemies jumped at the chance to use it against you. You're aware of the sad reputation the princess suffers unfairly."
"Azula has changed, she's no longer who she was when she took Ba Sing Se!"
"I know, Sire, unfortunately people are less inclined than you to be convinced and to forgive. They will use any pretext to discredit her and push you to get rid of her."
"How is it", retorted Zuko, perfectly indignant, "that I was not informed of all this?"
"Sire… These reports were given to me by the spies of your wife who explicitly asked me to show the greatest discretion on this subject and especially not to bother you with it… I… I thought that you were aware of this fact."
Zuko looked at him for a moment, dumbfounded. Then his gaze moved automatically towards the arched openings which gave onto the royal garden. There, Mai, clad in a crimson dress with loose sleeves and a black jacket cinched around her waist, strolled broodingly in the company of her mother and her seven-year-old brother, Tom-Tom. running around them, picking up stones.
Obviously, a little marital discussion was in order.
The palace was in effervescence.
Servants ran from one room to another, their arms laden with boxes and chests containing wine, jewellery, incense, silverware and other trinkets intended for the reception hall where the festivities would take place.
With an elegant and nimble movement he owed to years of airbending practice, Aang dodged at the last moment a clumsy valet who just emerged from the hall, his arms loaded with a stack of chairs covered with silk.
"My apologies, Lord Avatar," he stammered, realizing who he had nearly run over.
Aang laughed and reassured the poor boy, using his airbending to help him transport the chairs to their intended places, where they landed lightly on the carefully waxed floor.
"Thank you very much my Lord!" The valet said with gratitude. it was a lanky young boy who could not have been more than fourteen or fifteen years old.
"Call me Aang. I am not the Lord of anything at all!" Aang replied cordially.
"Very good, Lord Aang," the boy replied.
Outlining a new smile, Aang gave up and instead asked where Fire Lord Zuko was.
"His Majesty is in the Throne Room. He asked that no one disturb him, under any circumstances, not even with regards to the preparations for his party! "
Aang saw that the boy's eyes widened with an incredulous expression. Apparently, he couldn't understand that someone as important as the Fire Lord didn't display exuberant enthusiasm about celebrating his birthday.
The fact that Zuko does not manifest a particular joy to the idea of celebrating his twenty-second birthday in the company of hypocritical courtiers, his ministers - notoriously greedy mens - and boring ambassadors, wasn't a surprise. Aang knew that social events infuriated the young Fire Lord who had spent too much time away from the high society to appreciate its comfort and decorum.
What worried him more was that, apparently, Zuko didn't want to be disturbed. That was never a good omen. He was already imagining his friend, hidden behind a wall of orange flames in the Throne Room, brooding over the latest events that precipitated the Avatar's return to the Caldera.
First, it was wiser to collect some information. So he asked the young valet where he could find General Kadao. The latter told him that he would certainly find him in the training yard where he reviewed his troops in order to organize the traditional firebending demonstration show organized each year by the Imperial Guard on the occasion of the Fire Lord's birthday.
Aang thanked the boy and with a quick step, crossed the reception hall towards the courtyard, followed by Momo who hovered around him. Better to inquire about the latest news from Kadao before finding Zuko.
On the way, Aang again felt the anguish that hadn't spared him since he hawked the news of the emergency council that had gathered the week before.
The current troubles in the colonies reminded him too well the failure of the Harmony Restoration Movement and the complications that ensued.
By now, a minority of settlers had joined the Fire Nation, while most had chosen to stay in the Colonies where they were born, had their jobs, friends, and even family. This failed attempt at decolonization fostered the rise of some nationalist currents, both in the ranks of settlers and natives, and conflicts began to arise, threatening the hard-won peace for which he and his friends had worked so hard.
Aang had been positively horrified by rumors of pogroms and violence taking place in several provinces against groups of settlers and mixed families, accused of treason against their own blood.
As Bumi grew older, it became difficult for him to stabilize Omashu region, and the advisors his eldest son had surrounded him with did not seem sympathetic towards the settlers.
The Order of the White Lotus displayed a certain energy for keeping the peace but their numbers were largely insufficient and the phenomenon seemed to be spreading like wildfire. Demonstrations of anger, encouraged by the news of what had happened in Yu Dao and Hu Xin, were now taking place all over the place.
In just a week, the phenomenon had become almost epidemic and Aang was starting to panic.
Moreover, if rumors were to be believed, Zuko had lost his temper during the emergency council he had convened himself a few days earlier and came to blows - or rather flames - against Lu Fang.
Although the monks had taught him compassion and love for his neighbor, Aang didn't like Lu Fang and didn't trust him. His appointment as the closest advisor to the influential King Kuei had not been good news for the Earth Kingdom and for peace effort between nations.
Aang didn't know what really happened during this council, as well as the reasons having made Zuko lose his temper. But Azula's name had been mentioned and sordid rumors had been going around for some time – calumnies – Aang thought, about a dark matter involving the royal siblings.
Aang couldn't deny having noticed the way Azula had grown closer to her brother over the past few months. Sokka, Katara and himself were worried about it, convinced that she was planning something.
That the Fire Princess, known for her amorality and emotional instability, could have behaved inappropriately was likely. But Aang knew Zuko too well to believe he could have let something so… so disgusting happen.
It was also said that the Fire Lady, Mai, had left the palace a few days ago and returned to her parents'home. Aang knew Mai well enough to know that only a serious argument with Zuko could have compelled her to spend more than an afternoon with her family, whom she claimed to love but whose company she hardly tolerated.
Aang didn't want to guess and decided to wait and see.
At the same time, Kadao appeared in the hallway, passing a rag over his forehead, impressive in his scarlet Imperial Guard armor.
Aang had always felt great respect for this man who fought alongside Iroh in his youth and often said that he learned everything from the great General: from military tactics to compassion for the oppressed people and a certain taste for the simple things of life. Zuko couldn't have surrounded himself with a better advisor, outside of Iroh himself of course.
"Avatar Aang!" he greeted him with deference as he came up to him. "What a pleasure to see you! The Fire Lord will be relieved of your arrival. He is awaiting you with great impatience."
"Thank you General," Aang replied with a smile. "It's a shared pleasure!"
Aang was now about the same height as the general, but although his musculature had grown considerably in recent years, he had not yet his build.
"I was told," Aang continued, "that Zuko was hiding in the Throne Room and refused to see anyone. If that's true, that doesn't seem like a very good sign to me…"
Kadao sighed and nodded in confirmation.
"The Fire Lord is very upset since the emergency council and his altercation with Lu Fang. Although he announced the postponement of the proceedings until the next day, he has not attended any meeting since. He had two of my guards imprisoned without giving me an explanation. Lady Mai's hasty departure and Princess Azula's silence made things worse. Council members are getting impatient... it's about time you arrived!"
"So, Mai is really gone?"
"I'm afraid yes. The Fire Lord had a rather unpleasant discussion with her following the emergency council and since then she has decided to stay with her parents for a while. He didn't try to hold her back. I doubt their argument will last long, but it has the effect of considerably darkening our sovereign's mood."
"What about Azula?" Aang asked cautiously, careful not to allude to the horrible rumors circulating about her and Zuko's.
The General looked down in confusion. Aang realized that he too had heard the gossips.
"The princess has not appeared for almost three weeks. The Fire Lord is very worried about her health. You may be aware that disgusting allegations are being spread about them right now. The poor boy is deeply affected. Please don't believe a word of it!"
"I don't!" Aang assured him, raising his hand in front of him for more emphasis. "Do you think I can go see Zuko?"
"Of course. In my opinion, you are the only person he will agree to see for the moment. But don't tell him about Lady Mai or Princess Azula. He refuses to bring up these subjects for the moment."
"Of course, General. Thank you. See you later, probably before the party!"
"It will be my pleasure, Avatar. Have a good day."
And he continued on his way, in the opposite direction to Aang's, which was determined to worm Zuko's secrets out.
Retrenched in the Throne Room, hidden behind a wall of dancing flames, Zuko was thinking.
All around him, he knew, the palace was busy completing the preparations for his birthday party which was to take place in two days.
Zuko had never wanted to party so little.
His friends were absent, scattered around the world. His wife was gone, and his sister still hadn't given him a sign of life. It had been three weeks now. Yet he had tried. The day before he was banging on her door screaming, ordering her to open but she pretended not to hear him. He imagined her with her back to the door, blocking it with her body to prevent him from entering. He couldn't stand her silence any longer and was now ready to have this discussion with her he dreaded so much at first. But apparently Azula did not share his opinion. Without Taïma to reassure him about his sister's health, he would undoubtedly have broken down the door a long time ago.
He wondered if Azula had started to plunge back into madness. He knew there were rumors about it. The way she had dismissed all of her maids reminded everyone of her strange and paranoid behavior during the passage of Sozin's comet.
Azula had agreed to let Taïma in, once, so that she could give her her treatment and examine her. Which was rather reassuring. But she had refused to confide in her and Taïma had suggested to Zuko that he brings in Ty Lee. Maybe her friend would manage to get her to talk or at least convince her to exit her room.
Following her advice and for lack of a better solution, he had therefore sent a hawk to Kyoshi Island and was still awaiting the answer.
But Azula was not his only concern.
There was Mai of course.
Mai who had betrayed him and who was gone. Mai who, seeing that Zuko was not acting, had followed through on her threat and decided to deal with the situation in her own way, with the resources she had.
She had summoned the two guards who were stationed in front of Azula's room that evening and questioned them at length about anything they had seen and heard of the exchanges between the Fire Lord and the princess.
They told her everything they knew: the way the very tipsy Azula had leaned over her brother, snuggling up to him in the hallway, the caressing tone she used to talk to him, the way she took him by hand to invite him in her rooms. The sound of broken glass and the Fire Lord's cry of rage, a few minutes before he left his sister's room, shirtless, panicked. How he had stammered incoherent words before fleeing. The sobs that reached them from the princess's half-open room. The petite figure prostrate on the marble floor of her bathroom, her hair undone, holding Zuko's abandoned clothes against her chest … Her fury when she saw them rushing to inquire about her, and the flames she launched in their direction, screaming at them to leave her apartment, her lovely face ravaged by tears.
They obeyed, returned to their posts, being careful to close behind them, bewildered by the scene they had just witnessed, immediately starting to speculate on what had happened.
Yes, that's right, they had told a few colleagues about it, but only the closest, the most trustworthy. They were sure they hadn't said anything. After all, they didn't really know what happened. And they didn't want any fuss! May the Fire Lady please forgive them for their clumsiness, mercy! Mercy!
Mai had forgiven them. And she had done worse. Zuko still felt rage flow back by waves when he thought about it. Having obtained the information she wanted, sure that Zuko would do nothing, and as she herself had no direct power over Azula, she had asked the two guards to tell their little story to all the staff: to the other guards, to the valets, to the cooks, to the royal gardener… She assured them that if they did what she commanded, she would forget all this history and would assure that Zuko never knew anything about it. She would secure their transfer to a higher-ranking post in the colonies before Zuko could get his hands on them.
When Zuko thought back to that horrible conversation with her, the last they had, he felt a great void inside him. The feeling of an appalling betrayal.
But what could he do? She had gathered enough evidence to claim that he had lied to her while largely downplaying the gravity of what happened between him and Azula.
For a horrible moment, she forced him to confess the truth, to describe to her the way Azula had seduced him, kissed him on the neck, run her lips over his scar, on his stomach, how she had started to untie the knot of his pants.
The fact he pushed her away at the last moment wasn't enough to convince Mai that Zuko had never wanted this. That he was horrified by what happened and that he regretted every minute of that evening.
And then, for his part, the feeling of betrayal had been such that he had not found in himself the strength to try to redeem himself.
Mai had put him in this situation. She tarnished his reputation and Azula's in order to force him to get rid of this sister who dulled his image, who aroused suspicion among the members of the Council.
The rumors had reached the ears of the emissaries of the Earth Kingdom and Lu Fang used them against him to damage his credibility.
And she had the audacity to think that this would help regain the confidence of his peers! By doing this, she had hoped that Zuko would rush at the opportunity to expel Azula, marry her to the first comer or, why not, blame her for what happened, publicly accuse her of amoral behavior, send her back to the asylum where she should have stayed. So, he would have silenced the rumors. The Azula problem would have been solved and they could have resumed their quiet little life.
At some point in the conversation, Mai told him that she didn't want anything to do with him anymore and he replied, very calmly, "Then leave."
In the following minutes, the maids had packed her main belongings, her clothes, her impressive collection of knives, daggers and shuriken and a palanquin had brought her back to her parents' house in front of the palace.
They had not seen each other since then and Zuko had the two guards imprisoned, accusing them of high treason. He had refused to give more details to Kadao when the latter questioned him about the reason for the incarceration, but he suspected his general knew more than he was willing to admit.
Since then, he avoided the other members of the Council, claiming he was ill and that Kadao replace him at meetings. However, without him, no decision could be made or ratified and despite repeated requests from his closest advisor, he had refused to discuss and desperately awaited Aang's arrival.
So, when the door to the Throne Room opened, interrupting his train of thought, he felt, for the first time in three weeks, a deep relief.
He watched happily as the tall, bald-headed young man crowned with a blue arrow, stepped forward, stick in hand. His lemur fluttered, circling around him.
"Aang!" He gave him a big smile as he half stood up. "Here you are at last!"
"Hello Zuko. How are you?"
"I've seen better days," Zuko muttered, resuming his usual scowl and sinking down on his throne, with a careless gesture of his hand towards the wall of flames that separated him from his friend.
"Tell me Zuko, and we will find a solution to your problems."
Zuko looked at him for a moment. He still couldn't believe how Aang had grown over the past two years he himself had spent at the Caldera. He was definitely no longer a child and he had also gained wisdom. Zuko often told himself with a little bitterness that Aang would have made a much better ruler than him and he was saddened that the Avatar could not always stay with him to give him the benefit of his wisdom and valuable advices.
Especially since despite his great maturity, the boy had remained the happy and tolerant friend he had always been.
Zuko wondered for a moment how far he could test his tolerance. Could it transcend such a taboo as the one he had been about to transgress with Azula? Could he tell him the story leaving out the sordid details?
A glance at his friend's worried face told him that he certainly already knew a lot anyway.
So, after taking a deep breath, he began to speak. And Aang, with all the patience, understanding and the acceptance of a thousands of years old soul, listened to what he had to say, without interrupting him once. He didn't show disgust, or at least hid it, when Zuko told him what had happened with Azula.
When Zuko, exhausted, tears on the edge of his eyes, slumped shoulders, finished his story, Aang, who had sat beside him under the canopy stretched over the throne, placed a friendly hand on his friend's arm and said to him, with a smile full of sweetness: "Everything is fine Zuko. Nothing irrevocable happened. There is nothing that can't be fixed."
And Zuko smiled back at him and decided, for a few moments, to believe him.