Chapter 23
Izara was waiting to speak to Iroh, and she had intentionally worn casual clothes, forgoing her standard uniform. Iroh emerged a little earlier than she expected. It was just past dawn when he came out of his chambers with a knowing look on his face. He must have somehow known she was there, even though she was perfectly silent. She didn't want to wake him, especially since nothing had actually happened yet, and she was more than happy to let the guy she captured sweat overnight. Maybe the longer he was left in a small cell by himself, the more likely he would talk.

"Good morning, Izara," Iroh spoke kindly with a smile, but it faltered quickly as he became serious. "I could feel your worry from inside. What can I do for you?"

"I have reason to believe we apprehended a suspect for espionage. No one has spoken to them yet, but we wanted to ask for your guidance first. I've left him in solitude the whole night." Izara said after a brief bow.

"Of course. Take me to him." Iroh was frowning slightly as Izara gestured for him to follow her. She much preferred his usual, light demeanour and found that he was somewhat intimidating like this.

They walked in silence to the cell where the man was being held in the underground levels of the Palace where no natural light reached. Iroh stared through the small window at him, looking to see if he recognised him. When he didn't show any recognition on his face, she waited for him to speak.

"I do not recognise him. Where did you find him?"

"When you were returning from your outing in the evening last night, he was in the same spot as when you were leaving. I also noticed that he smelt the same as when I fought the Supremacists. Even if I was wrong, I had to do something about it." She answered, but she knew that someone would have to question him. "Would you like me to interview him?"

Iroh nodded once, and Izara bowed in deference before she went to the guards' table and began to remove her visible weapons and their holsters. The bottle of poison was stashed in one of her pants pockets since she had plans for it. Her everyday clothing was designed to make him feel at ease since she wasn't in formal robes or Guard's armour. He wouldn't be able to recognise her since she made she he didn't see her face when she captured him. She took a breath, picked up a chair, and went inside the room, closing the door behind him. The start of the game began before she even entered the room. She kept her footfalls audible, so he didn't suspect her of being anything more than what she would tell him. Anytime she had previously needed to get information out of someone, her actions weren't exactly something she could get away with in her current position. Instead, she had opted for the same style of questioning. Still, she had fully intended to keep her intimidation and fear tactics in place without violence. In the past, some of her interrogations needed to be as fast as possible. Hence, it was crucial to get as many details with haste. Otherwise, it may have cost unnecessary bloodshed.

He was sitting on the small cot when she opened the door, and his head lifted to look at her. The man before her didn't have anything that made him stand out, like the usual Fire Nation hair, eye colour, and somewhat tanned skin. He had no scars or marks that would make it easy to identify him, and he looked like an average man. Perfect for someone who needed to infiltrate and blend in. She guessed his age as maybe ten years her senior.

She sat down across from him in the small wooden chair but didn't say anything for about thirty seconds. Ideally, the point would be to see what happened and how he reacted. So far, he'd been here for about 10 hours, with no one coming anywhere near him, even to bring him water or food. Depending on their first conversation, she would ensure he was given water and something to eat. She would ensure that he was treated well if he was forthcoming with her. If not, she would keep him deprived of sleep, with just a bit less food and water than would keep him comfortable.

"What's your name?" Her voice was blank, with no hint of emotion as she asked him. The voice she heard had not emerged from her in years, but that was the cost of keeping the Fire Lord and Iroh safe.

He scoffed but didn't respond other than that. Izara waited, staring him down expectantly but patiently. He tried to avoid her gaze but glanced back a few times to see if she was still staring at him. Keeping her eyes glued to him, he must have felt uncomfortable enough to finally break the silence.

"What's your name?" He parroted back to her, and she huffed in reply but allowed a corner of her mouth to turn upwards in a hint of a smirk.

"I'm no one interesting." Her answer was just as even and timeless as before.

"Neither am I." The man crossed his arms over his chest and adjusted in his seat. He wouldn't crack immediately after being left to his own devices for a few hours.

"Ah, I see. I'll tell you my name if you tell me yours."

"You first."

Izara stared, trying her best to unnerve the man further before she replied nonchalantly. "Tara." She gave him the same fake name she had used for a few months before she left that life behind.

"Barzan." He seemed pleased that she'd answered first. It was all part of the game, though, to make him think he was holding cards that she sorely needed to see.

"What are you doing in the Capital, Barzan? Business? Pleasure?"

"Business. I'm a trader, so I'm just looking to get some stock before I leave." He wasn't lying, but he also wasn't telling the truth. That was the best way to lie. Maybe he had been trained about what to do if captured.

"Where are you heading after you leave the Capital?" Her words were carefully chosen to sound like a polite conversation with a stranger. Still, her golden eyes were taking everything about his appearance. At the same time, she continued looking for any signs of deception or hint of his true intentions.

"I'll be heading back to the island where my family lives. It's about half a day's journey from here." Barzan appeared to relax a little bit more since the topics of conversation were kept light. For now.

"Ah, tell me about your family. Wife? Kids?"

"Why do you want to know?" His eyes narrowed at her in suspicion.

"I'm simply trying to ascertain the sort of man you are, Barzan. Are you an honest and respectable man who has been caught up with a bad crowd? Or are you the bad crowd?"

"Bad crowd? What are you talking about?"

"Well, surely you want to know why you've been brought here. You haven't asked yet, and you don't seem too upset about it." 'Tara' began to lay out her play, starting to move her pieces across the board.

If she had to play her trump card, she would be unhappy about it since Iroh would also know her secret, not that she didn't trust he wouldn't keep it from Zuko. However, it would be necessary for Iroh to tell his nephew exactly who was serving in his Palace Guard. Indeed Zuko would find out eventually, but she wanted him to keep thinking that she was just a girl who had lost her way, with more skill than she let on for as long as possible.

"I figure that a Palace Guard doesn't capture someone without good reason. That's what I thought you'd come to tell me...So, tell me," he gestured with his hand towards her, and she nodded slowly.

"Did you hear about how a group of the Fire Nation Supremacists were under siege a while ago?" Izara sat forward in her chair, and Barzan subconsciously did the same.

"I did."

"I was there. And I noticed something very peculiar." She inhaled through her nose, using her hand to waft the air towards her face. "There was a particular scent that I smelled when I saw you yesterday, Barzan. So I would like to know why you have the same scent on you as the Supremacists."

"Maybe we just use the same soap." Barzan scoffed at her, laughing softly at her.

"Possibly. So what is in this bottle that you were carrying?" She pulled the bottle from its hiding place in one of her pockets and shook it for good measure.

Unable to stop it, Barzan's eyes went wide before he averted his gaze from the bottle towards the floor. Clearly, he hadn't expected that to be found or identified. The ukoma flower only grew in swampy areas in the southern region of the Earth Kingdom. Funny that a Supremacist was using a weapon created by something that existed outside of the Fire Nation. Izara was resistant to most poisons by her own design, using spare time to ingest them so that they didn't affect her while she was on missions.

"It is an oil made from a flower that is good for indigestion, which I suffer from frequently." Barzan's answer was controlled.

"Really? I'm actually feeling a little upset in the stomach currently. Do you mind?" Izara popped the cork off and tipped the contents into her mouth before Barzan could object.

His jaw dropped, but he quickly pursed his lips together in a thin line to try and hide his shock. After a moment, his eyes seemed to hold a hint of triumph. Still, he didn't realise that by carrying poison, smelling like a Supremacist and stalking the Fire Lord's Uncle, he was setting himself up for a guilty verdict. If she died from ingesting his so-called 'indigestion oil', it would look even worse. That was all part of her plan.

"You don't usually need so much. Normally only a drop or two." His tone was incredulous, but she knew he was more than happy with the result.

"Hmm, hopefully, it helps." She patted her stomach.

"It certainly will." He reassured with a smirk.

"Well, I suppose if this is all a big misunderstanding, then I'll go and get everything cleared up. I'll bring you back something to eat and drink." Izara smacked her hands on her thighs and stood up from her chair.

When she left the cell, Iroh looked at her with the same expression she had on her face. Barzan, or whatever his actual name was, was definitely a Supremacist. Her fears were proven right, and now she was in it for the long haul. Maybe she would request for Kazan to come down and assist her with questioning him since he was also a good interrogator. The Palace probably had its own, but Iroh had allowed her to take charge. Hopefully, this meant that he trusted in her decision to capture him and also in her ability to find out why he was here and what he hoped to achieve. She made a mental note to thank Jay later. His faith in her instincts had paid off, and she wanted to ensure he knew about it.

"So the poison...where is it from?" The Interim Fire Lord asked her, glancing down at the small bottle still in her hand.

"The ukoma flower. It only grows in southern Earth Kingdom swamps, so it's rare to find here." She answered him flatly.

"What did you replace it with?"

"I didn't." She thought, albeit too late, about how it might have been prudent to let him in on her plan, so he didn't worry.

"But-"

"It won't affect me much. Maybe it will give me a fever and a rash at the most. But I don't want to fake the symptoms, so he thinks I will die. Then it will throw him off when I come back, perfectly fine." She explained with a half-shrug, not wanting him to panic.

"You should not risk your health in such a way." Iron's soft scolding was appreciated.

"There are bigger things at stake." Her dark tone forced Iroh to stare blankly before he nodded in understanding.

"What is your plan?" He asked her, linking his fingers together behind his back.

"I'll give it an hour until the poison kicks in, and then go back to him and ask him about what's happening. Then I'll remind him about the circumstances behind his capture. I'm hoping that he will realise that my dying from drinking something that's supposed to be harmless will only make it look worse for him. Maybe he'll fess up. If not, I'll be able to leave him for another night and see how he reacts when I return from the dead tomorrow." Izara's calm explanation seemed to make Iroh relax a little, now knowing that she had planned everything out.

"All right. I will leave this matter in your hands. But I expect updates several times a day. And please take care of yourself in the meantime." He ordered, and she bowed her head in compliance.

Iroh left, heading back up to the ground levels of the Palace to continue on with his day. She felt good about having his trust in this matter. As an extension of the Fire Lord, and his Uncle, she was pleased to have his belief in her and would do everything in her power to achieve her goal of breaking Barzan.

For now, she had promised him food and water. She approached the small kitchen where prisoners' food was prepared. It also functioned as a break room for the guards; two there had cleared out when she came down with Iroh to give them privacy. Although she wasn't sure if it was her place, she would give them orders anyway.

"The man in the fourth cell is to stay under constant watch. I suspect him of being linked to the Fire Nation Supremacists. Only I will interact with him, and if anything happens, you need to summon me immediately." Her tone was authoritative, and they nodded once in understanding.

Before she left the kitchen, she grabbed a piece of fruit, a small bread roll, and a cup of water for the prisoner. It was enough to stop him from starving or dehydrating completely, but she didn't want to be too nice until he started giving her what she wanted. As she carefully pulled open the lock to his door with dropping what she'd brought, she wrenched the door open. Her footfalls were audible again, all playing into her game.

"Here you are." Izara moved to stand next to the cot.

His eyes raked over her carefully, and Izara guessed he was looking for signs that the poison was doing its work inside her body. She gave him a subtle reaction, squeezing her eyes together and rubbing her temple after placing the food and cup down on the cot next to him.

"I'll go and speak to the boss." She offered with a relaxed smile and left him alone again, ensuring she used the metal lock as vigorously as possible so it would make a lot of noise.

Now she needed to go and find Guozhi or Luan and talk to them about what had happened. She couldn't remember who would be at the Palace on duty today, so she went up the stairs to the ground level and headed straight towards the Head Palace Guard Office. Guozhi was there, and he raised his head to see who it was that knocked on his open door.

"Izara. What can I do for you?" His tone was serious as he took in her expression.

"We have a situation, sir. Yesterday after Lord Iroh was returning to the Palace, I captured someone who I strongly suspected of espionage. I did a brief interview with the man, which confirmed my suspicions that he is involved with the Supremacists. Lord Iroh is aware of the situation." Izara sat down as she spoke to indicate that she had more to say, and Guozhi put the paperwork that he was reading down.

She explained everything to him, about what she had smelled, about the poison and her ingesting it to prove that he was lying about its contents. Her plan was laid out, and Guozhi was concerned about her voluntarily consuming the poison but understood her reasoning. It was going to take some cooperation from everyone else to make sure that they didn't interact with Barzan at all, leaving it solely to her. Guozhi told her he would give the order for the guards and prison staff to keep him isolated and stop him from sleeping any way they could.

"I'll stay in the prison to ensure I'm close by overnight. I intend to resolve this within 48 hours, but sooner if I can." Izara said sternly.

"Okay. I trust you, but let me know if you need anything. I'll have a healer on standby in case you need it." Guozhi nodded.

"I appreciate it, but I won't need one. I need to show that I have symptoms, so he'll realise how much trouble he's in." She smiled to reassure him, starting to feel her body temperature rise with the start of the fever.

"There will be a healer regardless." Guozhi hardened his gaze at her, and she nodded in understanding. He would ready a healer, even if she said she didn't need it.

"Thank you, sir." Izara stood up from her chair. "Could I ask for Kazan's assistance if possible? He knows...my methods."

Guozhi nodded to give her permission, and then Izara bowed briefly before leaving his office and going to update the Interim Fire Lord.

He was probably in Zuko's chambers, and Wen was outside as per usual. Wen looked her over critically, probably noticing the beads of sweat beginning to appear on her face and neck and her being out of uniform.

"Here to see Lord Iroh?" Wen asked curiously, and Izara just nodded in answer.

Wen stood up from her chair and moved to the open doorway to get Iroh's attention. He looked up from whatever was in front of him on the desk and saw them before gesturing for her to enter. Izara walked inside and bowed in half before approaching closer.

"I've just let Guozhi know about the situation. I'll still be on duty to guard you through the afternoons, and I will stay in the prison overnight to keep close by. The prison staff have been instructed to not go near him and not to provide him with food or water since I will do that." Izara updated him, and Iroh nodded as she spoke.

"You seem to be feeling warm. Is it the poison?" He asked with concern in his voice.

"Yes, it's taking effect. I'll go back down and wait a little longer before I see him again to give it more time." She was feeling okay aside from the slight fever and expected a rash to break out within the next hour or so.

"I've got some connections looking into his identity to see if Barzan is his real name and to figure out when he arrived and how he got here." Iroh was playing his part of Fire Lord well, and she was pleased that he could start chasing up these leads while she was responsible for the man himself.

"Thank you. I appreciate your assistance. I have also asked for help from Kazan, one of the other guards I've worked with before." Izara asked, hoping that it would be okay. Kazan knew her well enough to follow her lead.

"Of course. Whatever you need is at your disposal. Thank you for your vigilance. I'm glad my nephew has your sharp instincts to trust." His compliment threatened to make her blush, but she couldn't stop herself from smiling.

"Thank you again." She bowed low once more and then left his office.

Once she'd found Kazan, who was usually on duty this time of day, she could update him and pull him into her plan...