The Governor of Omashu—and Mai's father—was a lean man somewhere between forty and fifty years old. His wife, meanwhile, looked no older than thirty, though if she was younger than her husband, it couldn't have been by very much.
The ruling couple greeted us at the palace entrance.
They were dressed in traditional formal attire. Mai stood at her father's right, while her mother stood to his left, holding a baby with an amusing little mohawk.
"Your Highnesses," the man said, bowing to Azula and Zuko. "Fire Herald," he added with a separate bow toward Blast.
They acknowledged him with polite nods.
"What brings you to these distant lands?"
"Oh, nothing more than a desire to visit an old friend," the princess replied lightly. "Although... I do happen to have a few questions."
"If it is within my power, Princess, I shall gladly answer anything you wish to know," the governor replied with another respectful bow.
"Excellent. Herald, please make the necessary arrangements for our people. We'll be remaining in the city for some time," the Fire Lord's daughter instructed.
Blast nodded and, with a few quick gestures, sent Suki and the prince's men off to arrange quarters for everyone, while he himself headed for the quartermaster. Heh. The experience of a seasoned mercenary was unmistakable. He knew his way around the Fire Nation bureaucracy like the back of his hand.
Meanwhile, the governor ordered tea to be served in one of the smaller reception halls and invited his distinguished guests to rest after their journey, graciously pretending not to notice the meaningful glances being exchanged between the prince and his daughter.
Which made perfect sense.
A man who had climbed so high in the imperial bureaucracy was hardly a fool. If the "rebellious prince" was now traveling alongside the princess and the Fire Herald, then his status had clearly changed from that of a disgraced exile.
***
A little later.
The dining hall hardly qualified as "small." Massive tables stretched across the room, the ceiling had to be at least thirty feet overhead, and the walls disappeared somewhere in the distance. Then again, considering the Earth Kingdom's love of grand architecture, perhaps this was their small hall. Which made me afraid to imagine what the large one looked like. An indoor stadium?
The guests took their seats and ceremoniously partook of the freshly brewed tea and light refreshments.
For the first half hour, no business was discussed. Everyone simply rested after the journey and enjoyed the meal. But once the proper courtesies had been observed and every unwritten rule satisfied, the negotiations finally began.
As etiquette demanded, from a safe distance.
"Was your journey pleasant, honored guests? And what news do you bring from home?" As custom dictated, the first round of questions belonged to the host, who, incidentally, kept glancing at me with equal parts curiosity and bewilderment.
Not that I blamed him.
At the table sat Zuko, with Iroh beside him—both members of the royal family. Across from them were Azula and Ty Lee. And then there was me, sitting calmly between the two groups, sipping tea as though I belonged there, while both sides accepted the arrangement without the slightest objection.
In short, my status was a complete mystery to the governor. Though the mere fact that I was sitting comfortably at the same table as all these royal personages probably suggested a few things to him.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Governor," Azula said with a gracious nod. "We had a few minor skirmishes with Earth Kingdom forces along the way, but they weren't worth mentioning. At home, everything is proceeding splendidly. Now that the North has fallen, we can commit additional troops to the siege of the Earth Kingdom's last great stronghold. Sooner or later, Ba Sing Se will fall as well. But enough about us. Would you tell us how things stand in Omashu? I must admit, I was rather surprised to see the city in its present condition."
"We are doing everything in our power to strengthen the Fire Nation's control over these lands, but unfortunately it has proven no easy task. Our enemy is both cunning and resourceful."
"But I'd heard that King Bumi surrendered, and judging by the condition of the city, it seems it was taken without much difficulty. Or is that not the case?" Azula asked, feigning surprise.
"Oh, no, Your Highness! King Bumi did indeed surrender. Unfortunately, however, he left behind apprentices, followers, and soldiers. Not all of them laid down their arms. As recently as last night, my family and I were the targets of an assassination attempt! There was even a waterbender among the attackers."
"How interesting..." Azula murmured thoughtfully.
"Could you describe this waterbender?" the prince interjected.
"Unfortunately, the attacker was too far away, and it was already dark outside. But Mai almost came face-to-face with him."
"With her, Father," the girl corrected him before taking another sip of tea.
By the way, she was quite pretty. Thick black hair, well-proportioned features... though the expression of profound boredom and I'm so completely done with all of this written across her face spoiled the overall impression a little
"It was a girl," Mai continued. "Not very tall. Dark chestnut hair. Tanned skin. A slightly upturned nose. Blue eyes. Narrow cheekbones. A round face."
Interesting.
Did she secretly work for the Fire Nation Intelligence Bureau or something?
That verbal portrait was remarkably professional.
And she kept going, describing the distance between the eyes, the shape of the jawline... by the end of it, she'd delivered an impressively detailed description.
"Katara," Zuko hissed through clenched teeth. "That means the others are here too."
"I see. Interesting." Azula nodded slowly. "But that can wait a little. How many Earth Kingdom soldiers refused to surrender?"
"I can't give you an exact number, but no fewer than several thousand."
"So..." The princess leaned forward, her gaze pressing down on the governor. "Are you telling me that there are currently several thousand potential insurgents inside the city?"
"N-No, Your Highness!" The official broke out in a cold sweat at once. "We've managed to capture most of them and lock them in the dungeons. Another portion fled the city and joined other Earth Kingdom forces. No more than one or perhaps two hundred remain inside Omashu itself. We've instituted patrols and a curfew. Sooner or later, those still at large will be found and captured."
"I see..." Azula visibly relaxed. "It appears you're handling the responsibilities entrusted to you quite competently."
"Thank you for such generous praise, Princess." The governor bowed. "May I be of any further assistance?"
(End of Chapter)
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