Book 2, Sequel to "The Concubine's Apprentice"
"Are you done?"
Her blood ran cold as she realized she wasn't alone. She looked up and through the reflection, she saw the source of her suffering, the bane of her existence.
Her mentor.
"Ye...
"Where have you been?! We've been waiting in this hell-hole for, like, an hour!" One of the women removed her mask and threw it onto the table carelessly.
"Yeah, and how much longer are we gonna have to do this?! I didn't sign up to run a daycare, Azula!"
"Patience, Zirin..." Azula handed the unconscious Kiyi off to another person before slumping into a seat at the head of the table, clearly exhausted and preoccupied. Her eyes were glassy and rimmed red around the edges. "I broke you out of that horrible nuthouse, remember? Watching over a few brats is the least you could do for me. Anyways, ladies, can you give me a moment with Ukano? He and I need to discuss the next steps."
The women, though all equally displeased and impatient, stood up to leave. They knew better than to disobey Azula.
Once they had left, Ukano stood up from his seat and finally spoke. "Princess Azula... Zirin is right. We can't sustain this for much longer."
"Tell me, Ukano. How much do you love the Fire Nation?" She studied the mask in her hand intently.
Ukano stuttered out his reply. "Y-you know my commitment! I emptied my bank account to build this headquarters for you! A-and I subjected my own family to horrors beyond imagining! I'm willing to do a-anything for the sake of my nation! B-but every time I see Tom-Tom in that dark little room, it breaks my heart—"
"Oh boo hoo, get a hold of yourself, will you?!" Azula clutched the mask in her grip and it shattered, chunks and splinters of wood falling to the floor. "Just do one last thing for me. I want the Safe Nation Society to lead a protest in the city streets."
"B-but we just did that last—"
"Yes, yes, but this time, make it as chaotic as possible!"
The former governor sweated profusely, not from the heat of their hideout, but from Azula's crazed expression boring onto him. "The citizens are already turning against Zuko! It'll only be a matter of time before they demand that he steps down—"
"Ukano, Ukano, Ukano, don't you get it?!" The scraping of the wooden chair was piercing as Azula stood up to grab Ukano by his collar, dragging him down so that she towered over him. "For you to get what you want, I need to get what I want. And I. Want. A. Riot."
Azula shoved him to the floor and he scrambled to get back up, dusting his robes before leaving and muttering. "Fine... But I still don't see how this will get Ozai back in the throne..."
She was left all alone in the dark room illuminated by a single lantern hung from the low ceiling. "Idiot. Ozai was never part of the plan."
"For the sake of our old friendship, do me a favor, Azula. Never show your face in front of me ever again."
She rubbed her slightly swollen eyes and willed herself to forget the chance encounter that happened in the Capital.
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