a slight miscalculation

Chapter 13: Book Two: Chapter 4

"Forgive me, My Lord?" Lisa's eyes narrowed to slits, but otherwise, her face remained smooth and motionless. She fixed Khanan with an intense stare, too angry to fear the consequences of her blatant show of disrespect. "I must have misunderstood you. I thought you just said I wouldn't be accompanying the Fire Nation's finest troops to the Northern Water Tribe?"

Khanan returned her look, his face even more of a blank slab than her own. "There was no misunderstanding." He turned, nodding toward a bulky, sour-looking man seated a few spaces away. "As I said, I have chosen General Zhao to take care of this... minor diplomatic incident."

Lisa gritted her teeth. General Zhao was an idiot among idiots, thirsty to prove himself as an alpha and not nearly terrified enough of her for her liking. She had hated him before, but her father's announcement made her loathe him twice as much.

"With all due respect, father, I thought you said the Water Tribe rebels were a serious concern? And what about the reports of an Airbender with them? Fire Lord Sozin wiped them out a century ago." She aimed another look at Zhao, who hadn't quite managed to mask his annoyance either. "Don't you think this situation requires a more... adept touch?"

"You mean your touch?" Khanan asked. "Your arrogance is speaking for you, Lisa. General Zhao is one of my most capable soldiers. He will lead our forces, and he will ferret out this "Airbender"—assuming he exists."

To her disgust, Zhao bowed his head, pressing a flattened palm over his fist. "I will do everything in my power to stabilize the situation, My Lord, and I will not return until I am successful."

Lisa clenched her hands beneath the table. "You're just keeping me here because you want something to control," she snapped, ignoring Zhao in favor of her father. She hadn't always despised him, and as much as she hated to admit it, Khanan's lack of faith in her hurt. "If Rosé hadn't left, you wouldn't hesitate to send me. Then he could be your punching bag, and I could be your fist again."

It was a stupid thing to say. Anger flashed across Khanan's face, and he rose to his full height, growling at her from over the table. "Do not speak that name in my presence. He no longer exists. You are the last scion of our bloodline, and you must learn to accept what that entails."

Lisa rose as well, baring her own teeth as fire flickered around her fists. "I have accepted it. I chose an omega, just like you asked. I made you the litter you wanted. Everything I've ever done has been on your orders. I am the head of your army. I conquered Ba Sing Se for you, something your own brother couldn't do. You don't need to keep me prisoner in my own home anymore!"

Khanan remained unmoved. While her fury blazed hot, his remained cool and controlled. "I have countless warriors to make our nation great. I only have one heir. Until those pups are born, nothing is guaranteed. You will stay here, as I have ordered."

Lisa's stomach roiled. It would have been different if her father was actually concerned for her safety, but he had never hesitated to send her into dangerous situations before. Khanan might have treated her better than Rosé when they were pups, but she was under no delusions that he loved her. He had always seen her as something he could use: first as a weapon, and now as the only means of continuing his legacy. It was her misfortune that Rosé was no longer around to take the brunt of his bullying.

For a moment, she considered challenging him. She was destined to become the Fire Lord anyway. She had been a child prodigy, the most talented Firebender in the century since Lord Sozin's time. True alphas settled their differences with an agni kai, not petty snarling. But even though her instincts as an alpha urged her to fight, her instincts of self-preservation won out. Khanan was older, stronger, and far more experienced than she was. No matter how fiercely she fought, her victory would not be guaranteed. Not yet, at any rate.