The chambers assigned to me were impressive.
Luxury, luxury, and more luxury.
Five enormous rooms opening into a common hall; a separate bath complete with proper plumbing, a small pool, and special stones for creating a hot bath.
In the central hall, a fresh ceremonial outfit already awaited me on a specially prepared stand. Something resembling a Chinese changshan—or what I thought one looked like, anyway, though I couldn't say for certain. I'd never had much reason to study the national attire of a foreign country. Not that it mattered. It looked good, they definitely had my measurements, so I was willing to bet it would fit me flawlessly. The fabric was exquisite. What more could a man ask for?
Well, aside from having Suyuki nearby. But there was nothing to be done about that just yet.
I spent the time remaining before the audience bathing, dressing, combing my hair—it had occurred to me that I could have summoned servants, but only after I'd already gotten my unruly mane into reasonable order—and contemplating my upcoming conversation with the most influential man in the world in a decidedly informal setting. Half an hour after I finished preparing, I was invited to follow yet another faceless guardsman.
He led me to an unremarkable door and silently departed.
Hm. I was supposed to assume they were already waiting for me on the other side?
Well then, no sense keeping Ozai waiting too long.
Exhaling as though preparing to dive underwater, I stepped through the doorway.
Beyond it lay a relatively modest hall draped with scarlet silk "wallpaper"—perfect for concealing secret passages, observers, guards, weapons...
Hm. Easy there, paranoia.
Gilded brazier-lamps hung from the ceiling, while additional light spilled through a partially open door at the far end of the room, presumably leading to a balcony. The furnishings were not nearly as lavish as those in the guest quarters—less gold, darker tones—but everything had been selected with taste. Nothing assaulted the eyes or irritated the senses.
All in all, it looked very much like a proper office or a reception chamber for important guests. A teapot already steamed gently upon the table, and seated behind it...
"Greetings, my lord," I said, giving the bow required by etiquette to the man before me.
"Herald," the Fire Lord replied, the corners of his lips lifting slightly as he inclined his head. "Take a seat."
He made a small gesture, and a servant who seemed to materialize from thin air appeared beside us, setting a teapot and cup before me and pouring the tea.
A delicate herbal aroma reached my nose.
Spiced Tea. One might call it the signature beverage of the Fire Nation. It also had the convenient quality that, thanks to its bouquet of herbs, one could conceal all manner of things in it that were considerably less beneficial to one's health.
All right, enough. My imagination was clearly wandering into dangerous territory.
"Thank you."
For several minutes, we simply drank tea, appreciating the subtle flavor and the silence. No signs of displeasure or favor. No meaningful gestures. No revealing expressions. Just two bricks drinking tea.
Yeah...
But all things come to an end.
This prelude ended as well, and the real conversation began.
"I have reviewed the preliminary reports and am somewhat... hm, intrigued," Ozai began calmly. "And I have quite a few questions."
I see. So while I'd spent those hours preparing for this audience, Ozai had spent them familiarizing himself with the situation—through my official reports, through conversations with staff officers, and, no doubt, through his own people among the crews. And now I was here as the cherry on top.
"I will do my best to answer them, my lord," I said, taking a sip of tea.
Yeah... whoever was responsible for preparing this brew at the palace definitely knew their craft.
"Let us begin with the anomalies. The Ocean Spirit."
Then he fell silent, giving me room to maneuver and provide the clearest possible answer.
"By itself, it's merely a fish. But when interacting with the Avatar, it transforms into a water giant the size of a palace, wielding control over liquid within a certain radius around itself. It also exerts intense pressure simply through its presence."
"Is that where your hair turned gray?" the ruler asked in the same calm tone.
"Yes."
"I see." He took another sip of tea. "Why didn't you destroy the fish after the Avatar escaped?"
"Zhao attempted to destroy the Moon Spirit. That resulted in a strange lunar eclipse, the loss of waterbending, and some very unusual behavior from the sea. The Fire Nation is a maritime power, and what might happen if the spirit embodying the ocean were to die—and what sort of catastrophes it could trigger... I decided that confining the spirit to its oasis and keeping it under constant guard was the safer option."
"Good," Ozai nodded. "Which brings us to the second question. The colonization of the North Pole. As you should know, the original orders called for the elimination of the threat posed by the Northern Water Tribe. You eliminated that threat and preserved the fleet from the consequences of Zhao's stupidity and arrogance, and for that you will be rewarded at tomorrow's official ceremony. But the founding of a colony? Why? It's too far away, too expensive, and holds little promise."
"In the current situation, yes. But the war will be over soon. Another year or two, and the Earth Kingdom will fall. At that point, our people will need more than just warriors—they will need craftsmen, physicians, and farmers to settle the new lands.
"The waterbenders managed not only to survive but to prosper in the harsh conditions of the far north. Making use of their talents would benefit the Fire Nation. You should have received my report regarding casualties and injuries among our forces. Even by the roughest estimates, employing local healers reduced permanent losses by a third."
"But the war will be over soon—you just said so," the Fire Lord remarked with a faint smile. "There will be no need for such large armies, nor for these healers whose loyalty is highly questionable."
(End of Chapter)
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