Edited by: Bieverdog AO3: GalavantingGoose

Book I

失衡

Act II: At What Cost?

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Chapter II

Before entering the main hall, Zuko could hear the din of the party. It was as if he wasn't necessary at his own party. For a second, he thought about going back to his room to process what his father had told him; but duty called.

He gestured for the guards to open the door, and a servant announced his entrance. "His Majesty, Fire Lord Zuko."

He was met with applause and cheers from the throng of red speckled with green and blue.

Aang rushed over to him. "Zuko, how did it go? I was just showing the guests here some airbending tricks."

Toph punched Zuko's arm. "Cheer up, Sparky! This is your party."

Another guest approached the Fire Lord. She wore a flowing red dress with a gold necklace paired with a curling-dragon bracelet. She threw out her arms, accidentally shoving Toph away, who gruffly puffed out her bangs. "Fire Lord! It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. Imperial Secretary Jing at your service!" She bowed profusely.

The Fire Lord stared at her for a moment. "Uh… Likewise."

"I hope there are no hard feelings between us; you know we are all bound to do our duty."

He nodded. "I understand. I know that you did what you did in fear of my father, but I promise things will now change."

"Indeed, they already have. I have to say you show much wisdom for your age. Please come; you must meet the others. They will be very happy to see you! I'd like to introduce you… if Your Majesty would allow me, of course." She extended her hand expectantly.

Already feeling lost in the crowd, he took a deep breath and followed. "Uh… sure."

The secretary held a polite smile. "Your Majesty, let me tell you how good it is to have you here. We'll achieve great things together. Our nation will forever be in your debt for ending the tyranny of Ozai in a swift, bloodless victory, no less. A victory fit for a hero of legend."

Chief Hakoda strolled up to them and held out his arm in greeting. "Congratulations, Fire Lord. I wish you a prosperous reign."

The Fire Lord shook it firmly, reassured to see a familiar face. "Thank you. I am glad you could attend."

"I hope our people can work together to mend the wounds of our past and look to a better future." Hakoda's gaze darkened, tinged with grief. "The spirits know we've had enough war already."

"It is my wish as well, Chief Hakoda." He smiled sourly, already regretting his words. Did he have to be so formal if he already knew him? But he had been formal to him just now, so that had to be right.

Hakoda stood there silently, unaware of his lapse, then he chuckled warmly. "Oh, the title? Just Hakoda's fine; you did save the world with my kids."

"Uh… Okay. "Zuko let out a nervous sigh, and the secretary quickly took over.

Jing nodded to Hakoda in indication that their time was short, and he walked over to his children. "A charming man… Anyway, Minister Renhao and Overseer Taiku." She gestured to a coal-eyed woman who was perhaps the same age as Jing but had a youthful face. She had long black hair, with only a part of it braided. Her dress was distinctive from her peers', with shades of crimson and pearl. The man standing to her side was elderly, stern-looking. His hair as white as snow, complimented by a thin mustache and beard. He wore a long black tunic with a red trim and a hat with the sigil of the Fire Nation emblazoned in gold. It seemed to make him taller in appearance.

They bowed politely to Zuko. Renhao held her bow a beat longer. "It is an honor to meet you, Fire Lord." Zuko nodded.

Taiku's smile faltered, revealing a hint of uncertainty. "Your Majesty," he began, his voice hesitant. "If I may, how can I be of assistance? I understand the situation in the colonies has been... challenging, to say the least. But I assure you, I am prepared to shoulder whatever burdens may arise."

"There won't be any burdens, Minister, but I would be lying if I said the work ahead of us will not be difficult."

"Indeed, a thought we will all do well to keep in mind. Now, please enjoy the meals, Your Excellencies, I hear the jelly-fugu is particularly delicious." Jing gestured to another group, leading Zuko towards them. "Those three handsome devils are in charge of the military: General Bujing, Admiral Chan, and Minister Qin."

Anger flashed in Zuko's eyes for an instant. The man whose plan he had questioned that fateful day. The man that had earned him his scar. His eyes were fixed on the general. "I believe we've already met."

Bujing's lips twitched into a grimace before returning to a stone frown. He saluted him. "Certainly, though I wish it was under better circumstances."

The Admiral swooped in, breaking the tense situation with a warm smile and a bow. "I haven't had the honor. Admiral Chan. My son tells me you are friends with him." The Admiral's sharp jaw was all the resemblance Zuko needed to make the connection.

Friends? "Your son," Zuko repeated slowly, his eyebrows furrowed with guilt as he recalled what happened in Ember Island. "We have met." He hung his head slightly. "Oh, I uh… Yes, it is an honor to meet you too, Admiral."

The War Minister bowed stiffly. "I am at your service, Your Highness. I have many interesting projects for you to see–"

Jing chuckled. "Minister Qin, already going straight to work?" Leaning in close to the Fire Lord's ear she whispered, "That is just like him." A playful glint in her golden eyes, she turned back to the Minister. "Let the Fire Lord enjoy this auspicious day before you bombard him with your plans for hours on end, dear." The Minister's polite smile faltered for a moment before nodding his head and returning to his conversation.

Leading him gently by the arm, Jing directed him toward another group of officials, and she casually gestured at them. "Oh, that over there is Minister Hiyori with Minister Lee." Hiyori's hair was short but smooth. Her robes were long, reminding him of the ones Mai often used, though much more ornate. Her skin was pale in contrast to that of Lee, who looked serious and dull. Even his robes were bland. Completing the odd picture were his small square spectacles.

The Ministers were near the main table, along with Sokka, Suki, and Katara. "Excuse my brother; he is always like this." There was a hint of exasperation in her voice.

Sokka smiled loosely. "What? It's food, Katara; it's meant to be eaten. Look, they even have this weird red meat!"

Suki eyed him sternly with gritted teeth. "Sokka, haven't you had enough?"

"Suks, it's a feast! We're supposed to stuff ourselves sick."

Hiyori muttered, "Has anyone told him that's spicy?" The three of them turned to her with wide eyes.

"Agh! It burns!" Sokka frantically looked for any drink that could ease the spiciness.

"No! Not the dragonfruit punch!" Zuko snatched at it but was too late.

Sokka chugged his cup, and his yelp of agony rose an octave. He spat out the drink, spraying it all over Katara's dress and hair. "I'm never eating or drinking anything from the Fire Nation ever again! Ever!"

Suki pinched her nose. "Sokka…"

Katara glared at him as she bent the punch out of her dress and hair. "Ugh! Come on; I'll get you some water. Sorry."

Jing tried to suppress a laugh as she noticed Zuko's worried expression, quickly reassuring him. "Poor kid. He'll be alright; don't you worry. It usually wears off in a day or two."

Sokka's eyes bulged as he chugged his third cup of water. "A day or two?!!"

Zuko sent them to the healer's ward with a servant, his friend muttering and moaning as they left. Suki was looking at her boyfriend like a naughty lizard-dog. Well, that could have gone worse. He sighed.

Then, Jing guided him to the middle of the room. "Fire Lord, if you don't mind, since we are all reunited here, I'd like to propose a toast." She raised a cup of dragonfruit high. "May peace reign for a thousand years! Long live Fire Lord Zuko!"

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"Long may he reign!" Cheers erupted as the guests joined in on the toast.

A servant carrying an ornate jade box entered the hall, his footsteps echoing across the polished floor. At first, he went unnoticed, but as he approached the center of the room the murmuring of the guests grew louder, they all fell to a hush when he faced Zuko.

The servant knelt before the Fire Lord and presented the box with a bow. "Fire Lord, an urgent message from the Earth King," Zuko was surprised by the arrival of the message, but he remained composed. He took the box and examined it closely, his fingers tracing the intricate carvings and the seal bearing the Earth King's emblem. He opened the box and pulled out the scroll inside. The ministers who had been cheering moments before fell silent, their faces tense with anticipation.

Zuko took the scroll and turned to face Jing. "Excuse me for a moment."

Jing smiled politely. "Sure... take all the time you need, Your Majesty."

The servants opened the doors for Zuko, and he went straight to his room, already feeling overwhelmed by the party already. Besides, if the Earth King had an urgent message, it would be best if he checked it privately. The moment he closed the doors in his room, he unfurled the scroll.

From His Majesty Kuei, Lord of Ba Sing Se, and High King of the Earthen Realm:

Greetings.

I wish to congratulate you on this auspicious day. May your reign be long and prosperous, Fire Lord Zuko. I would have preferred to attend personally, but my obligations keep me bound to Ba Sing Se.

I greatly appreciate your desire for peace. Even though our understanding is mutual, I cannot claim the same for our peoples. Their trust will take some time to be regained, but I believe we can work together towards that goal. We may have found peace through our common understanding; but in my travels, I regret to tell you I have learnt that the people of my Kingdom feel ill at ease with the Fire Nation.

Your troops remain on occupied lands, and my people live in fear of them. Heinous rumors have spread in Ba Sing Se that your nation is biding its time. However, I know this not to be your reasoning. For the sake of this common goal of ours, I must implore you to do your utmost to help assuage the insecurities of my people; otherwise, I'm afraid that my advisors may take matters into their own hands, rallying our armies and creating unnecessary tension that could threaten to destroy any chances of peace and mutual cooperation. In two days' time, we will be holding peace celebrations here. I would be honored if you could assist. I'm sure that if my advisors could speak to you, they would sympathize with your commitment.

Sincerely, Earth King Kuei.

Zuko heard muffled voices growing louder outside of his room. The door opened to reveal Overseer Taiku and the Imperial Secretary, Jing.

Jing bowed respectfully. "Pardon our intrusion, Fire Lord. I could not help but notice your urgency, and I would not have come if it weren't for the concerns of my esteemed colleagues. Matters regarding foreign powers must be handled with great delicacy during these uncertain times." She eyed Zuko with concern. "We have information from the colonies that might be helpful to Your Majesty." She gestured to Taiku.

Taiku's stern features highlighted his frown sharply. "There have been reports of raids originating from Earth Kingdom towns neighboring the colony of Hong Sha. Our local forces repelled these attackers and managed to capture one of the raiders. We have discovered that these orders originated from high command. In protest of our 'illegal occupation,' the Governor requested a regiment to secure the border." The Overseer took a deep breath, exhaling tiredly. With a glimmer in his eyes, he continued, raising his tone slightly. "Your Majesty, these people will go to any lengths to make you comply with their demands. They have no regard for the lives of our citize-"

Fighting?! After we had just achieved peace? Zuko snapped back at Taiku. "You will remove those troops immediately!" Sending more troops there would only make matters worse.

Taiku's eyes shifted, looking as if he couldn't comprehend what he had just heard. "But Fire Lord–"

Zuko raised his hand. "I will confront King Kuei personally concerning the matter. This is an isolated incident; maintaining peace is what matters now."

Jing nodded with conviction in her eyes. "A wise decision, Fire Lord. Whoever perpetrated this shameful act must be brought to justice. It is in the King's best interest that he is made aware of the rogues within his own government." She stepped closer to Zuko. "Your Majesty, if you would allow me, I am fully apprised of the need for reform. Wartime necessities have changed the structure of our government. I believe a new department tasked with channeling our diplomatic efforts would greatly improve our standing among the world, helping to maintain relations and mediate our replies in tense moments."

It would be a step in the right direction. Zuko considered her words before replying. "It is a commendable initiative; I will have to think about it. Have the plans ready when I come back from the Earth Kingdom."

"You will be pleased to know that I have already spoken about this with Ministers Hiyori and Renhao. They fully supported the idea and helped me draft a plan to implement this initiative. I'll make sure to send you the draft with the set of documents that need Your Majesty's approval."

Taiku eyed her suspiciously, flaring his nostrils at her, but he refrained from speaking.

"Very well, send them over." She nodded, and both of them bowed again to Zuko before leaving. Zuko sighed. Bickering advisors. I hope I don't have to get used to that…

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At dinner that evening, the Gaang had descended into small talk, the clinking of utensils and the sound of their voices filling the air. Katara eyed Zuko curiously. "So, Zuko, how did your first day as Fire Lord go?"

Toph, who was preoccupied with toe maintenance, took the opportunity to chime in. "Well, Sweetness, if you ask me, apart from Secretary Prissypants, I think it was great."

Aang was engrossed in his vegetarian sushi, but he managed to add to the conversation. "I also had fun, though the people here think I'm going to suck the air out of them or something."

Sokka, on the other side of the table, was still nursing his wounded taste buds. "Don't even get me started! You people are crazy, Zuko. Do you even think of pointing out the spicy food around here? Like 'Warning: may cause loss of tongue'? I mean, I almost died there!"

Katara rolled her eyes. "Oh, don't be a baby, Sokka; you're fine."

"You tell that to my tongue; I won't be able to taste anything for weeks!" He got up to complain, but Suki eased him down.

Zuko let out a heavy sigh and dropped a bombshell. "The Earth Kingdom, uh, may have… attacked… one of our colonies… today…"

The Gaang's carefree chatter turned into stunned silence as they stared at Zuko in disbelief. "What?!"

Zuko tried to reassure them. "It might just be a misunderstanding… It's too early to know."

Sokka grumbled. "Oh, that's great. I've lost Space Sword and my sense of taste. And now there is another war? I don't even know what's worse."

Katara was adamant. "I'm sure King Kuei had nothing to do with this. We have to tell him."

Toph groaned, having moved on to facial-maintenance-that-will-not-be-named. "Please tell me we are not going to Ba Sing Se again."

"Well, I would surely love to give poetry another try. Ahem. I make smooth haikus. I've been practicing a lot; not gonna lie." Sokka rolled up his sleeves, giving a smug grin.

Toph flicked a small pebble at his forehead, sending him crashing to the floor. "Missed a syllable, Snoozles."

"Not again…" he moaned into the carpet.

His sister shot him a Mom-Mode look. "Guys, this is serious. We cannot let this turn into another war."

"We could also visit Uncle… He would surely give us some advice. The King told me they would be holding peace celebrations in two days. That's when all of his advisors will be there."

Aang brightened up. "Then what are we waiting for? I'll get Appa ready, and we can leave first thing in the morning. Don't worry, Zuko; I'm sure this is all a big misunderstanding."

He could only hope his friend was right.