Ozai skims over the latest draft of his schedule for the week. Head Clerk Dar Ling waits for the Fire Lord's approval at his shoulder and Senior Clerk Wen Li, the second-ranked clerk, sits ready nearby with brush and parchment at hand to begin scrawling out yet another iteration should this draft not meet the Fire Lord's approval.

There is a strong family resemblance between the two clerks. Ozai suspects the middle-aged woman is either the Head Clerk's daughter or niece, but he can't fault the work she produces. Wen Li's brush is fast and accurate with a skill that she likely honed at the old man's knee. The ink at the beginning of each draft has barely dried by the time the clerk carefully hands them over for Ozai's inspection. As a result, and rather ironically, there are more ink stains decorating the Fire Lord's hands than there are on the near spotless hands of the Senior Clerk. (Wen Li had begun to leave wider margins around the edges of the sheets after the first careless smudging of her work and Dar Ling had immediately offered up a fine cleaning cloth from a pocket with a polite, "My lord.")

"And in this version, how long will it take to catch up with the rescheduled appointments?" the Fire Lord asks.

He's already settled on dealing with the nation's regular needs in the mornings and focussing on de-escalation efforts in the afternoons, but he'd displaced the last half of yesterday's and all of today's planned events almost as soon as he'd been dropped into this time. He'll be displacing even more in this week's upcoming series of afternoons as he works on starting to shift the Fire Nation from being a country at war with its neighbors to one pursuing peace. He needs to meet those delayed obligations at some point, if he can.

"Discarding the cancelled appointments," Dar Ling says, voice creaking from age like old floorboards, "just under a month will see everything tended to. Any appointments yet to be arranged will, of course, either see that time extended or else have to be scheduled further out."

Ozai hums in response, eyes still reading over the lines. Of all his father's faults, keeping up with the minutiae of ruling the nation apparently hadn't been one of them. This is his second time taking over the role of Fire Lord from the same man and neither time had the former monarch's schedule or desk been inundated with work waiting to be done. He wonders if his father had been more efficient at the job or merely more willing to dismiss and delegate matters he deemed to be of lesser importance. He recalls often feeling like he was drowning under the paperwork alone, especially during the first few months after his coronation.

"If any of the cancelled appointments seek to be rescheduled, make sure to note that in the proposals," Ozai instructs.

"As you wish, Fire Lord," Dar Ling says.

There is an interior meeting with the ministers of the Mother Islands scheduled for the day after tomorrow. He'd expected to have to wait almost two weeks to arrange an emergency meeting with them. It takes a messenger hawk two or three days to reach the farthest islands and a little over a week for the ministers from the most distant islands to comfortably make the trek to the capital. He'll still need to wait to meet with any of the colony governors. Unlike the island ministers, colony governors rarely travel to the capital to discuss the general operations and daily running of their assigned territories directly with the Fire Lord. It might not be feasible to speak with most of the governors face-to-face until after negotiations are fully underway with the nearest Earth kings. Until then, messenger hawks and envoys will have to do.

And now that the thought has crossed his mind...

Ozai keeps his eyes trained on the proposed schedule in his hands as he says, "Just to confirm, the orders to cease aggressions have all been sent out?"

"Yes, my lord," Dar Ling answers promptly, "Every scribe worked late to ensure the appropriate number of copies of your orders were finished with all haste last night. The birds were released at first light this morning."

"Good. Thank you."

The afternoons of the days before and after the ministers' meeting are dedicated entirely to war meetings with the generals, in case one meeting is not enough to iron out the details of their first steps. There's a good chance that he will end up sending some of the more trustworthy generals out to assume control over certain theaters. A part of him that has never fully grown comfortable with delegating tasks to others wishes that he could go to personally oversee everything, but that isn't practical in the least and the Eastern Continent isn't where he is most needed.

In the coming weeks, he is also hoping to arrange meetings with the state industrial administrators, trade guilds, farmers, archivists, and school administrators. After almost a century, the war has become entrenched in nearly every aspect of their culture. Failing to address the more subtle branches of the war had threatened to plunge the country into open violence or financial ruin or any number of other stumbling blocks that had plagued his first year as Fire Lord. Ozai would prefer to ease some of those national growing pains this time around if at all possible, and it starts by addressing those issues before they begin to cause problems big enough to draw attention.

Ozai reaches the last line of the schedule. For the most part, he's pleased with what he, Dar Ling, and Wen Li have constructed.

"There is one more thing..."

"Of course, my lord," Dar Ling says and Wen Li picks up her brush, hovering its tip over the inkwell.

The Fire Lord holds up a stalling hand. "It won't require a complete rewrite for the draft," Ozai promises and instead lays the copy in his hand down on the table near the seated clerk, "With the appropriate exceptions for conflicts in scheduling, I'd like to make having breakfast with the prince and princess a regular occurance."

He remembers the two years between his mother's disappearance and his banishment as being particularly lonely, despite being continually surrounded by servants and instructors. Father had always been distant and only grew to be more so during that time. Uncle had spent a year completely out of contact before he finally returned, and by then he had been closer to being a stranger than family. Lu Ten was dead. As was Grandfather. For all they fought and snapped at each other, Zuko and Azula had been the closest family either of them had known for that span of time. He wants them to have more than that. He doesn't want children -- especially children that are now his own -- to feel as if they have been abandoned by every adult in their lives.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

Wen Li ducks her head as she writes a quick note in the margins of the draft. He thinks the clerk might be smiling.

"An excellent idea, your majesty," Dar Ling offers his praise.

"And..." Iroh did mention his determination to fix the Fire Lord's underdeveloped appreciation for tea. "Make a similar arrangement for lunch with my brother."

Both clerks look at him in surprise and Clerk Wen Li is definitely smiling when she again ducks her head and adds a second note. Ozai is a bit surprised himself when Wen Li finally breaks her silence to say, "It is good to see the royal family beginning to heal, my lord."

"It heartens the nation when the royal family is well," Dar Ling agrees.

Ozai flushes faintly and resists the urge to rub the back of his neck sheepishly. "Right... That should be everything. Thank you. Have the official schedule drawn up and send out the corresponding notifications and requests to the necessary parties."

"As you wish, Fire Lord," Dar Ling says, looking pleased to have successfully arranged the schedule to the satisfaction of the nation's leader.

"There is one more matter, my lord," Wen Li speaks up softly, meeting his eyes. She looks nervous but determined all the same. "There have been... certain whispers floating about the palace," she says, "Should the 'Herald of Agni' title be reinstated amongst your other titles?"

Head Clerk Dar Ling frowns. "Wen Li," the man chides, "you shouldn't pay those ridiculous tales any mind. The great spirits left us many centuries ago."

"Forgive me, Head Clerk, but should we not --"

Ozai raises an arm between the clerks and summons a handful of white fire. "Yes, reinstate it. Have it listed first among them."

"It's true!" Wen Li gasps in delight.

Dar Ling's expression drops in shock before he bows deeply and pleads, "Please forgive my disrespect, Herald!"

Ozai dismisses the flames and allows his hand to fall back to his side. "Please, rise. Your skepticism was understandable. It has been a very long time, but Agni has returned to us."

The head clerk tentatively straightens, seeming to very much expect some kind of greater penalty for his doubts.

"A real Herald of Agni," Wen Li says, drawing the men's attention, "In our lifetime! Can you believe it, Father?"

"It would be rather difficult to deny it at this point, dear," Dar Ling admits. The man clears his throat. "B-but we are still at work and this talk is unprofessional, Clerk Wen Li."

The woman blinks and then flushes, "O-of course! Please forgive my lapse, Fire Lord, Head Clerk!" She offers her best bow while awkwardly caught between her chair and the table.

"Neither of you have done anything that requires my forgiveness," Ozai assures, struck anew by the strong family resemblance the two share.

"This... is good news, isn't it?" Dar Ling muses, tugging lightly at the neat goatee he keeps, "Our patron spirit has returned to us. This is good for the nation. We'll need to scour the archives for the old ceremonies." He drags his rambling thoughts back to the present and refocusses on the Fire Lord. "Will we be reinstating the old ceremonies, my lord?" he asks.

Ozai frowns as he considers that. "Have a list made," he decides, "I'll ask Agni which ones he wants brought back and when." He has no idea how much of their culture and ceremonies they've lost since the time they openly revered and celebrated Agni.

"And..." Dar Ling hesitates, "Should we also prepare a list for the other great spirits? Are they likewise returning to our world?"

La and Tui are up to something somewhere, he knows that much. And Agni had said that more spirits would want to help, but the Sun Spirit hadn't provided him with any further names. Still... "It's probable that other great spirits will also return. Prepare the second list, but prioritize the one for Agni."

"Of course, Fire Lord. We will begin to compile that information immediately!"

"Is there anything further?" Ozai asks.

Dar Ling and Wen Li share a quick glance. "No, your majesty," Dar Ling answers for both of them.

"In that case, you may return to your other duties." The clerks bow and Ozai takes his leave.

Wen Li does not wait quite long enough to ask, "Do you think the Avatar will also return, Father?"

Ozai stops to listen.

"Avatar, bah!" Dar Ling says in response, "If we are lucky, that is one spirit that will stay gone."

"Szeto was beloved by the Fire Nation!" Wen Li objects, "And Yangchen served honorably!"

"And Kuruk was a troublemaker, Kyoshi a tyrant, and Roku a traitor. Each worse than the Avatar that preceded them," Dar Ling refutes, "With the way things were going, far better for the world to be free of the Avatar altogether. Who knows how disastrous the next would have been? And do not forget what Sozin had done to the airbenders. If there is another Avatar, our nation will not be regarded well in their eyes if they are born to any people other than our own. No, far better for us all if the Avatar never returns."

"I suppose," Wen Li sighs.

"There are days I wish your mother had not filled your head with quite so many spirit tales while you and your brothers were young," Dar Ling says, "You have a good life here in this world, dear girl."

"Father, I am quite happy with my life but I am no 'girl,'" she huffs, "Have I not given you six grandsons?"

"Indeed you have!" Dar Ling agrees happily, "And I look forward to spending my upcoming retirement encouraging each of your handsome boys to find lovely wives of their own while you deal with the paperwork here. Spirits willing, I shall see all of them and their cousins well settled before I journey to the next world and join the spirits. When is young Tom's wedding, again?"

"The week after next," Wen Li answers, "And you would do well not to embarrass your grandsons. They will find wives faster without your interference."

"Nonsense! I am an excellent wingman!" Dar Ling says, "But, because it is your request, dear daughter, I shall attempt more subtle methods."

Wen Li giggles. "Thank you. I'm sure the boys will appreciate your restraint."

Ozai frowns as he leaves the duo to their chatter and continues on his way.

Dar Ling will not be the only one to hold such an opinion on the Avatar's return. If anything, Ozai would bet that it is a fairly common stance to hold on the issue, among his people. As far as he's ever cared to research the matter -- which, admittedly, hadn't been much -- Avatars Kuruk and Kyoshi had been largely unpopular outside of their respective homes. Roku and Sozin -- historical figures he has researched more thoroughly, if only because of his personal connection to both men -- had lived in an uneasy stalemate for decades, and Sozin had most of the records on Avatar Roku scrubbed from the Fire Nation's history scrolls after the other man's death. What remains of him in the cultural psyche of the Fire Nation is little more than the shadow of a disloyal villain.

In short, the Avatar has not been a widely acclaimed figure in the Fire Nation for centuries, long before Sozin and Roku came to be entangled in a very public feud over the nation's expanding borders.

He sighs. It seems he's found one more thing he needs to bring in line with the future he's trying to build for his nation. Hopefully, he can do so before Aang wakes up from the stasis the Avatar Spirit has him in.