The Traitor Princess

Chapter 44 - The Earth King

The group all looked at each other for a moment. Aang dropped his staff, Katara streamed her water back into its pouch, Sokka dropped his machete, and Toph lowered the boulder she was holding up with her bending. Eziri wasn't actively bending and she wasn't about to hand over her hidden knives so she just shrugged and put her hands up in surrender.

"See? We're friends, Your Earthiness." Aang said with a nervous chuckle. Eziri slapped her forehead.

"Detain the assailants!" Long Feng ordered. Eziri dodged and tossed out one of her knives just as the Dai Li tried to slap rock cuffs around her wrists. The knife hit the flying rock and she avoided capture.

"Wait!" She pleaded. "My name is Eziri and I'm a Princess of the Fire Nation. Second child to Fire Lord Ozai and current heir to the throne...sort of." She mumbled the last bit and shook her head to keep on track. Surprisingly, the King was actually listening. "I come here as an ally, Your Majesty. We're here with the Avatar, so that–"

"The Avatar?" King Kuei pointed at Sokka. "You're the Avatar?"

"Uh, no. Him." Sokka tilted his head towards Aang. Aang temporarily broke out of his earth cuffs and raised up his arms.

"Over here."

"Like I was saying," Eziri continued. "We're here to ask for your help in an important matter."

Long Feng scoffed. "What does it matter, Your Highness? They're enemies of the state."

The Earth King thought it over. "Well, it's been quite some time since Ba Sing Se has had a visit from another Nation's leader." He looked over at Bosco and saw the bear licking Aang. "Plus, Bosco seems to like the Avatar." He glanced at the teens before him and shrugged. "I'll hear what they have to say." Long Feng glared at Aang and Eziri.

Aang stepped forward. "Well, sir, there's a war going on right now. For the past one hundred years in fact. The Dai Li's kept it secret from you. It's a conspiracy to control the city, and to control you."

"A secret war? That's crazy!" The King said.

"Completely!" Long Feng agreed.

"With all due respect, Your Majesty, how would you know what goes on outside of the city?" The King narrowed his eyes at Eziri but she continued. "My family is responsible for this war. The Fire Nation has been attacking and conquering Earth Kingdom territory for almost a century. Ba Sing Se is the last major city standing. It's only a matter of time before they conquer your city too."

"Long Feng didn't want us to tell you, so he stole our sky bison to blackmail us." Aang added. "And blackmail is the least of his crimes; he brainwashed our friend!"

"All lies." Long Feng said. "Even if the alleged Princess were telling the truth, then she should be arrested for crimes against the Earth Kingdom." Eziri tensed slightly but kept her composure. "Your Majesty, don't waste any more of your time speaking with these children. Secret war? Conspiracy? Sky bison? It's all nonsense. I've never even seen a sky bison. Frankly, I thought they were extinct."

The King sat back down on his throne. "Your claims are difficult to believe. Even from an Avatar and a Fire Nation Princess." Long Feng whispered in the King's ear. The group watched on nervously. Long Feng took a step away and the King thought to himself for a moment. "I have to trust my advisor." The agents started to lead the group away and one guard went to grab Eziri.

"Wait!" Sokka protested. "I can prove he's lying. Long Feng said he's never seen a sky bison. Ask him to lift his robe."

"What? I am not disrobing!" Long Feng said with disgust. Aang and Sokka shared a sly grin. Aang blew a large gust of wind towards Long Feng and the man's robes flew up, revealing Appa's bite mark.