The Officer and the Princess: The Flames Of War

Chapter 42

Azula was escorted to an area of the complex that seemed far more like empty space compared to the rest of the facility. Here there were rooms only every so often seeming to be just one long hallway that stretched on and on, but security was tighter here than anywhere else she had seen. Here Solider's dressed in Black versions of the Royal Procession Armor stood guard. This told Azula that she was getting close to where her father dwelled. The Royal Procession after all had been founded to protect the Royal Family.

It took everything she had in her not to run as she came across two large two guards on either side totaling four. The two closest to the door each grabbed a handle and pulled exposing a well lit chamber adorned with Fire Nation flags on a stage carved of stone...was Ozai. He was dressed in long flowing red robes, in his hair was a replica of the Fire Lords crown. He looked like he had lost weight from the last time she had seen him that wasn't all that changed, he looked pale from lack of sunlight. His eyes went wide as he trained them on Azula. Like he hadn't expected her.

Kurn dropped to one knee in front of the stage. "My King, your daughter has come to join us." He said keeping his head pointed to the ground. She noticed had referred to him as "King" instead of "Lord" in the same fashion that the Earthbender had when she first reached the Black Cliffs, no doubt after being rescued Ozai had insisted that Kurn and others called him " Phoenix King" Kurn most likely did it just to keep Ozai happy, keep him cooperating.

"Leave us General." Ozai said calmly. Kurn stood up and looked at Azula as he walked off, giving her a nod. No doubt he expected her to be the only one to walk out of this room alive. As the doors closed Ozai frowed at her his surprise gone. "Have you forgotten how to bow?" He asked.

Of course he had expected to bend the knee to him, why wouldn't she? She was his perfect daughter after all. She had been expecting too much from him to at least ask her how she had been after so long. She dropped to her knees and bowed her head before him. "Forgive me father." She said reluctantly. "I am...just overjoyed to see you that I forgot my place." She said in a submissive tone. The words tasting bad in her mouth.

Ozai laughed. "I see you haven't forgotten that silver tongue of yours after so long. Rise daughter." Azula did as instructed. "What are your thoughts on my complex?" He asked. What on earth was he talking about "his" complex? It wasn't anymore his than it was hers. He hadn't had a hand in the construction of this place. This was all Kurns doing.

"It is impressive." Azula said with a smile. A false smile but a smile none the less.

"It is." Ozai said with a nod. "What Kurn has done is nothing less than impressive." Ozai reached up and scratched his chin. "Though I would have expected you to free me from my prison...not him."

Azula swallowed, suddenly feeling like she had eaten a mountain of salt. When she had commanded the Fire Warriors...and when part of her had still though her father had hung the moon she had humored the thought of freeing him on an occasion or two. But in her mind the easier of the two choices had been to focus on Zuko. Take part in plots and ploys that would eventually turn him into the Fire Lord that Azula had wished herself to be. One that ruled with an iron fist. One that ruled with fear and intimidation. She would have been a terrible Fire Lord. Even with three generations worth of clinical conditioning in the population eventually they would have grown tired of her fear and rose up against her. Azula knew you can only push a person do long before they start pushing back. "I apologize father...the years have not been kind to me." That wasn't a total lie after all, it had been the truth until she settled down in Yamagishi. It was thanks to Homura that she had even been able to get back on her feet. Just then she made another promise to see her again after all this was over, and thank her for all of her kindness.