Chapter 40
The Fire Lord's first stop in the colonies was the governor's mansion in Yu Dao. Governor Morishita welcomed her and her entourage. After a meal, she ended up in his office, talking over drinks.
"Tell me about this independence movement, Governor," she demanded, hoping he would tell her it was an obscure crusade by radical fringe elements, with little mainstream support.
He shattered that mistaken notion, describing a multi-faceted campaign that consisted of several well-funded organizations, backed by the press, schools, religious groups, and several local celebrities.
"What if you give the movement leaders an audience?" the Fire Lord suggested. "Pretend to hear them out, thank them for coming, explain why things must continue as always, and then see them out with a few nice gifts."
"I've tried that," the governor replied, exasperated. "Multiple times."
"Then we'll grant their minor requests," she proposed. "Give them just enough of what they want to keep them quiet."
"Accommodation has been my policy from the beginning," the governor answered wearily. "It hasn't been enough, either. They see through it, and are motivated by the principle of self-governance." He showed her the stack of papers that consisted of the petition for a referendum. "Thousands have signed it. They represent over 25% of the population of Yu Dao."
"Who are these people?" Azula asked Morishita, with rising alarm and confusion. "Just Earth Kingdom loyalists? Don't they know that King Keui didn't even want these territories when I signed the treaty ending the war? If there is a referendum, how do you think they will vote?"
There followed a detailed discussion of the demographics of the community, with charts and graphs. The fastest-growing segment of the population was the group of mixed families. The Water Tribe minority was growing as well, attracted to the port cities by the prosperous maritime trade. But when they tried to apply those numbers to the election, things got murky.
"It's not only a question of demographics," the governor's assistant clarified. "Whether people want to remain part of the Fire Nation's empire has more to do with their individual characteristics than their family background. It's not about blood loyalty, but about people's own politics, employment, education, neighborhood, the experiences they've had with the different groups they've come into contact with."
"If the population is so evenly split, then surely no group could win a majority in an election, and the status quo will continue," Azula conjectured.
"They thought of that," Morishita answered with a wry smile. "The proposed referendum would be decided by ranked-choice voting. Each citizen would mark the three options, continued colonization, reunification, or independence, as their first, second, and third choices."
"It's assumed that independence will be the second choice of both those who want to rejoin the Earth Kingdom, and those who wish to remain part of the Fire Nation's empire," the assistant explained.
Azula nodded, understanding that this was indeed the logical conclusion. The partisans of both nations would prefer founding a new country to unity with their historical antagonist. If the referendum was allowed to happen, independence would win, not because it had majority support, but because most people would find it an acceptable compromise.
"Then we need to buy their loyalty," Azula decided. "We won't just grant minor requests, but major ones, while still maintaining control. What is it that these rebels say they want to do once they have an independent government? We'll offer to do those things for them, at our expense, if they stay with us."
She and the governor got to work.
After a day and a half putting together the proposal with Miroshita, the Fire Lord was ready for the meeting. With her maid Peony's help, she dressed herself well, putting all of her womanly charms on display. She painted her lips red, and pulled on a skirt with a long slit, revealing her pale thigh. She wore no armor, but a cloak denoting her rank, her cleavage on display and her trim waist emphasized by the dress's gold accented sash.
Together with the governor, Azula took a carriage from the mansion to City Hall, where the meeting would take place. When they arrived at the public building, they saw it was surrounded by protesters. They marched peacefully, holding signs that said things like "Independence now!" "Let us vote!" and "We're not Fire Nation. We're not Earth Kingdom. We're US." Raiden and Takeo flanked her as they made their way through the crowd. People called out to the Fire Lord, some in angry tones, others appearing happy to see her. She gave a closed lipped smile and waved, walking quickly up the steps and through the door. The demonstration did not faze her; these activists were sweet compared to the New Ozai Society and other Fire Nation conservatives.
Once in the building, she was ushered upstairs to the lobby outside the conference room where the meeting would be held. That was where Azula saw Aang for the first time in over a year. He had grown even taller, so that his bald head loomed higher than all the other men in the room. He wore flowing yellow robes and a necklace of wooden beads, giving him an air of dignity. Tense with elation, she squared her shoulders and approached him.
"It's good to see you, Aang." She wanted to reach out her hand for his, but decided not to, since his hands remained clasped behind his back.
"And you, Azula." He gave a curt nod. "I'm hoping this meeting will be productive." He seemed all business.
"And perhaps after the meeting, we could meet privately? For dinner?" she offered, smiling softly, reminding herself of Naoki's flirting lessons: she should keep her posture open, but not intimidating.
"We'll see how the meeting goes," the airbender answered noncommittally.
It hurt that he didn't immediately accept, but she covered it up and tried to entice him with a smile. "I have so much I'd like to tell you about all the good work I've been doing."
"Yes, I think both our lives have changed quite a lot since we last saw each other," he replied shortly, as if she were merely some old classmate of his.
"It's been a while," she nodded acknowledgement. "Where have you been this whole time?" She wondered, hoping to keep the conversation going, and to satisfy her curiosity.
"I've traveled a lot. All four Air Temples, Ba Sing Se, the South Pole, North Pole, Omashu, Gaoling, back to the Air Temples," Aang listed.
"Sounds exciting. I've mostly been stuck in the palace." The mention of the South Pole rang an alarm bell, but she focused on the way it was embedded among all the other far flung destinations, not singled out as especially important. She asked another question she'd been wondering about. "Say, have you kept in touch with Mai and Ty Lee? Or my brother?"
"Yes. Last I heard, they were all in Ba Sing Se. Your uncle opened a tea shop there. It's called the Jasmine Dragon."
"Oh. Thanks for telling me." There was an awkward pause. "I like your beads," Azula went on, complimenting him on the first thing she had noticed about his ensemble. Her fingers itched to touch them, but his body language was so guarded, overcoming that reserve to reach for him would have required much more flirting expertise than she had.
"Thank you. They're from the Southern Air Temple." She waited expectantly for him to return her compliment. His eyes cut to the side as he searched for something to say next. She fluffed her hair to give him a hint. "Your, um, hair looks nice," he mumbled, too polite to leave her hanging.
She smiled brilliantly, as if he'd just handed her a fabulous gift. "I knew you would like it!"
That was when the ambassador started ushering them into the conference room; Aang looked relieved. They took their seats around a long table: Azula on one end, Aang on the other, the various diplomats and local leaders in the middle. Morishita had briefed her on each of the attendees. She recognized Heng and Rong, heads of two different organizations in the independence movement, by the emblems they wore on their shoulders. Of the two, Rong, the woman, was the more militant, the governor had said.
Azula opened the meeting with a description of the set of improvements she had discussed with Governor Morishita. She spoke at length about the programs she was proposing to fund in the colonies: a new university, parks and community centers in the cities, modernization of the docks and ports, a railroad to link the towns together. She thought that surely if she took care of the people's needs this way, they would be content to remain in her empire. She addressed her remarks to the entire table, but her gaze fell most often on Aang. She kept watching him for signs of approval, but he remained impassive.
She concluded her presentation and waited for the fawning thanks of her subjects. But, to her surprise, the conversation moved on as if she had not said a thing. She had a disorienting sense that she was not actually the one in charge of this meeting.
Heng began talking about the referendum petition, speaking as if it were already decided that the election would be taking place.
"Excuse me, but I have not agreed to hold any election," Azula objected, feeling as if the meeting had already run away without her.
"The vote will happen through official channels, or we will administer it ourselves," Rong declared.
"And that would be fair," the Fire Lord scoffed sarcastically.
"If you don't trust us to perform the vote, then you are free to order your governor to hold the election," Heng challenged.
"None of you understand the position I'm in!" Azula exclaimed. In her exasperation, she threw most of her cards on the table. "When I made peace with the Earth Kingdom, the loss of our honor and territories gave rise to an internal resistance movement that I have only barely squelched. I have been striving to change the Fire Nation's culture, but it's slow work and I'm still a new monarch. Moving too quickly on these colonial matters puts my domestic agenda and my entire reign at risk. Didn't you know that I've survived two assassination attempts? It's a lucky thing for you that they failed, and I'm the one you're negotiating with, because if I'd been killed, whoever took power next would have enslaved you. If I just give away these last pieces of our once-vast empire, I'll face a renewed rebellion from my own people."
"None of that is our problem," Heng intoned with maddening calm. "We can't let reactionaries in your country set the timeline for our freedom."
Azula stared at the revolutionary. She didn't seem to care at all about the unrest her little colonial uprising might cause in the mother country. "I can't allow–" she began.
"Are you threatening us, Fire Lord?" Rong interrupted.
Azula's jaw dropped at her rudeness and presumption. "No," she stuttered.
"You say you won't allow the referendum. Does that mean that you will send soldiers to prevent it from happening?" Rong pushed.
"Are you willing to go to war to keep control of these colonies, Azula?" Aang interjected, his voice deep and serious, before she could respond.
She gaped at him, unable to believe he would demand she answer such a question. It was unfair of him to put her on the spot! Surely he understood that she would lose all her leverage if she admitted she wouldn't declare war to keep the territories.
"It would depend on a lot of things," she answered carefully, lifting her chin with dignity.
But she couldn't bear to have Aang think she was a warmonger like her father. She tapped the table twice with her knuckles, a private sign from a card game he had taught her, meaning no.
It was morally objectionable for her to threaten with military force. So she wouldn't use a stick; instead she removed her carrot.
"You do understand that if there is a referendum, and the people choose to leave my empire, then I will not make the investments I just proposed?" the Fire Lord inquired pointedly.
"If you wish to hold your money hostage, then that is your choice," Heng replied, untroubled.
That word, hostage, struck her, reminding her of General Fong. She touched the short hair just behind her crown.
Azula shook the memory from her head, then regrouped. "What I would like to ask you colonials, is what I could do for you, to make you content to stay within the Fire Nation's empire. I made a proposal earlier, and apparently it wasn't good enough. If you're holding out for a better deal, then I invite you to name your price."
Heng shook his head, bemused. "You truly have no understanding of us, Fire Lord. The principle of self-governance is more important to us than any of your programs or investments."
"Why don't we just hold the referendum, find out what the people want, and then decide where to go from there," Aang suggested, ever the peacemaker.
He must not be as well informed about the likely results of the election as I am, or he wouldn't talk about it like it's up in the air, Azula realized.
"If you trust that your rule has been so benevolent, then why not allow the vote?" Rong suggested, smiling in a self-satisfied way.
"Because these people obviously don't know what's best for them," the frustrated Fire Lord muttered to herself. A few people must have heard, though, because an offended murmur swept the table.
"Watch it, Azula," Aang snapped. His gray eyes had turned to steel.
In dismay, she remembered her primary objective here, more important even than keeping her empire: to win back her love. The rebels were distracting her, and bringing out her worst. She needed to get rid of them, to avert disaster.
Besides, the room had turned against her. Her only hope at this point was to get Aang on her side. They respected him, and they didn't respect her. She assumed that was because of history, because of her father, and a part of her couldn't blame them for that. But if the Avatar took her side, the colonists would follow him. It all came down to this, to convincing Aang that she had changed. To making him love her. Finally.
"I'd like to speak with the Avatar. Alone. Please." she requested, as politely as she could.
Azula's word was not enough to make the diplomats leave; they looked first to Aang to see if he agreed.
"All right," the airbender nodded, and the others cleared the room.
From opposite ends of the table, the Avatar and the Fire Lord regarded each other, as they finally readied themselves to confront the tangled mess of history: the world's, and their own.
Author's Note: What do you think will happen next? Take a guess and leave me a review! Thanks for reading!