Chapter 69. Friends.
*Wan. Fire Lord's Palace.*
Less than a week had passed since that meeting, during which we'd gathered twice. Only one of those gatherings was without the two spies lurking in the shadows. At the first meeting, we discussed the party's policies and outlined a rough plan. At the second, with more members present, we "decided" to join Ozai. It was amusing to watch the spies' faces contort in surprise.
Afterward, I had a conversation with the Fire Lord himself, where I shared everything I knew about the Fire Sages. When he predictably asked about my sources, I lied without hesitation, claiming my great-grandfather had gathered the information, and my father had uncovered more. Why had I waited so long to reveal this? Because I couldn't be sure if you were a puppet of the Fire Sages or not.
As I'd suspected, Ozai wasn't surprised by the information—he likely already knew most of it. But he appreciated my gesture. In the end, he insisted I keep this knowledge to myself. I calmly agreed.
He didn't suddenly trust me afterward; I doubt he'd even trust his own shadow. But the constant surveillance was lifted. Occasionally, they'd glance my way once a day and leave, which I was very grateful for. Those unpleasant people had even spied on me in the bathroom. Sometimes, I felt like I was on a reality show, which only made my mood worse. I couldn't stand those programs that took up half the screen time.
"Teacher, I've been looking for you everywhere! Come quickly," Azula rushed over, grabbing my hand and pulling me toward our training grounds.
"We agreed to use informal speech, and you can just call me Wan," I reminded her as we hurried through the palace corridors.
"Yes, I'll try," she nodded, but I'd heard that promise every day. It seemed like she was keeping a distance, but that was hard to believe. It felt more like I'd already earned a place in her heart, and she was uncomfortable being too casual with me.
"I've mastered the techniques you showed me last time," she boasted, tilting her nose upward, waiting for my reaction.
"I never doubted you, Azula," I smiled, prompting an equally sunny grin from her.
The little princess found any excuse to spend more time with me, always under some pretext. She still seemed too shy to seek me out without a reason.