Chapter Text
In 95AG, there was a siege. A great siege that the Fire Nation had spent nearly a decade preparing for. The siege of Ba Sing Se. The single greatest fighting that the war had seen up to that point. People who knew of its existence called it the war of the best.
The common story is this: The Dragon of the West, Crown Prince Iroh, son of Fire Lord Azulon and Fire Lady Ilah, led the assault on Ba Sing Se. An unprecedented attack on the impenetrable city, which had withstood the test of nearly 100 years of Fire Nation aggression.
Prince Lu Ten, Iroh's son, was killed during the siege, at 24 years of age. When Iroh later learned of this, his heart heavy and his soul torn, he decided to call off the siege. He took his army and retreated in disgrace and despair. The Dragon of the West died that day.
A more gentle soul was reborn out of the ashes.
Even Prince Zuko himself never believed any differently. He never had the heart to ask his uncle about the hardest time of his life.
And Uncle Iroh never felt the desire to bring up the greatest shame of his existence.
For three years on the Wani, neither addressed the siege.
They wouldn't address it for long afterward, either.
However, if one were to ask one of the higher-ranking officers who had been at the siege. One of the survivors. They would tell a different story.
They would tell of a battle between the Eight Legends of the Fire Nation.
And the Ten Heroes of Ba Sing Se.
And at the end of it all, though the commonly accepted result was the unbridled truth, the Dragon of the West suffered a soul-changing loss.
And called off the siege as a result.
Few ever realized that the details were blurred in the lines of history.
In truth, what happened in 95 AG was far more...
Tragically avoidable than what was propagated.
In 95AG.
579 days into the siege.
Iroh did, in fact, break through the western walls.
And in the east, General Lu Ten was ambushed by two heroes of Ba Sing Se: Kihei the Eagle and Jugo the Monkey. It is said the battle was bloody and quick, lasting only ten minutes.
Ten minutes, the single most important ten minutes of the war. At the end of ten minutes.
Lu Ten was defeated.
And subsequently captured.
Taken prisoner inside Ba Sing Se's inner rings.
Soon after, one of the Ten Heroes of Ba Sing Se, Shao Feng, leader of Ba Sing Se's defensive strategy, delivered the Dragon of the West an ultimatum.
One month. The Dragon had one month to take his troops and abandon the siege. Leave Ba Sing Se and never return, Lu Ten would be executed.
The Dragon, believing his destiny infallible. Believing he was destined to have both Ba Sing Se and his son alive. The Dragon of the West...
Burned the request.
And ordered an immediate silencing on the news of his son's capture.
Onomu the Boar took over as temporary General for the Eastern Army. The soldiers of Lu Ten's forces were told that the Prince was injured but not dead.
Simply recovering in a nearby Fire Nation reserve camp.
And Iroh began immediate preparations to free his son and conquer the walled city, once and for all. He planned for three weeks. Prepared meticulously.
And at the end of three weeks.
Seven days before Shao Feng's deadline.
And on day 600 of the siege.
General Iroh led an unfathomable assault on the middle walls. To the foot soldiers of the Fire Nation, it was to break through the middle ring.
To the few who knew the truth...
It was to save Iroh's son, Lu Ten. Who had been captured three weeks prior.
It is said that General Iroh's plan nearly succeeded.
However, at the day's end, the middle walls held.
And Lu Ten was recorded dead. Body lost in the ocean of soldiers at the foot of the walls. One of countless casualties buried under boots and mud.
A single death, which changed the course of history.
Suffering the catastrophic loss of his son, Iroh abandoned the siege. Called it off. He pulled his troops out of the city in disgrace and defeat.
Ba Sing Se was known as the Dragon of the West's one and only defeat in his long and illustrious military career. And by far, one of the greatest defeats the Fire Nation had suffered since the war began. The number of casualties was staggering.
Morale was at its lowest.
And as Crown Prince Iroh called off his siege and pulled his troops out of Ba Sing Se.
Fire Lord Azulon, learning of this terrible loss and the details that could undermine Crown Prince Iroh's reputation, immediately ordered a revision of history.
Dates were changed. Truths were distorted. Soldier accounts were buried and manipulated to shed light on Iroh's subsequent decisions in the best of lights. If one were to look into the official Fire Nation records. They would see a far different turn of events.
Lu Ten was to be reported killed in an ambush. Which the Dragon could not have prevented, as the Dragon was busy breaching the outer walls of Ba Sing Se at the time. And did not learn about Lu Ten's death until after the fact.
And Iroh, in grief for his son, as any father would understand, called off the siege. Despite having the city at his mercy.
Lu Ten's capture and his three weeks of captivity inside Ba Sing Se were erased. Iroh's failed attack on the middle walls was redacted.
Rumors about Ba Sing Se’s Ten Heroes were suppressed in the Fire Nation ranks.
Azulon minimized the siege of Ba Sing Se itself. All so that his son, Iroh, could save a little face in the wake of his most crushing and catastrophic defeat.
Meanwhile, in Ba Sing Se, Long Feng took over the Dai Li.
And did the exact same.
After the siege, Ba Sing Se was weak. Most of the Ten Heroes, those who survived at least, retired or left Ba Sing Se, with little to no intention of returning.
So Long Feng systematically erased and expunged their existence from Ba Sing Se's records.
The Ten Heroes were replaced by fakes planted by Long Feng's hand, known as the Council of Five.
And mention of the war at all was silenced ruthlessly by the Dai Li.
Because under Long Feng's vision of absolute control.
There could be no war in Ba Sing Se.
Ever.
And so the world moved on. The details of the siege were forgotten or erased. The death of Lu Ten was a tragedy blurred at the seams by love and loss.
A painful lesson the Dragon was forced to swallow.
One that could have been avoided if not for his hubris.
That was the truth of what happened in 95AG.
This tale is but one of the many ways...
It could have been avoided.
95AG...
597 days into the siege
In the middle of the night, in the war room under the palace of Ba Sing Se's inner ring, a meeting was taking place. An elderly man with a sharp mind and quiet eyes.
Shao Feng the Underhanded: General of Ba Sing Se's First Army. One of the Ten Heroes of Ba Sing Se. "The Spider."
Shao Feng, director of the Dai Li, glanced at the new arrivals. His grey hair and wrinkled fingers spoke to age and a keen intellect honed over the decades. An elderly man. He stroked his grey beard and murmured to himself. "Still nothing..."
The head of Ba Sing Se's overall strategy was going over reports and defenses. 10 days left until the deadline, and the Dragon had yet to vacate the lower ring.
Shao Feng frowned as he looked over the war map. The bulk of the Dragon's forces were stationed outside the middle walls. Not attacking.
But not moving either.
Waiting. Continuously waiting. A few had been pulled out of the outer ring, trickling each day, but it was far from the entirety of the countless Fire Nation soldiers gathered outside the middle walls. The sea of Ash Makers waited threateningly in the lower ring.
They were waiting.
They were not leaving.
And the Dragon...
Had not made any intention of what his choice would inevitably.
Shao Feng sighed as he looked down at the reports. Settling back in his armchair, he murmured. "The Dragon truly will sacrifice his own son, it seems."
The floor bubbled, stone melting to mud as a slender man in a Dai Li uniform rose out of the ground. Pale skin. His bald head was covered by a disk hat. And he had a fresh cut on his cheek.
Giro the Owl: Lieutenant of Ba Sing Se's First Army. One of the Ten Heroes of Ba Sing Se.
Giro, Dai Li's top agent, tilted his head. He said flatly, purely in observation. "Is that a surprise, master?" Giro blinked. "It's the Dragon."
Shao Feng sighed, "Yes, but I hoped the dragon at least had some sympathy for his own blood." Shao Feng frowned. "I suppose I was ill-informed."
Giro shrugged flatly. "It seems likely."
Shao Feng sighed and tilted his head back, thinking. Shao Feng was always thinking. It was the only reason Ba Sing Se had lasted this long.
Shao Feng asked clinically. "Any word on the reinforcements from Omashu?"
Giro shook his head. "Nothing."
Shao Feng sighed. "I was afraid of that." Shao Feng tapped the table. Thinking. He eventually murmured. "And what of the prisoner?"
Giro said. "He is still under Kihei and Jugo's watch." Giro recounted. "Lower agents of the Dai Li report the trio roaming the middle rings these days."
Shao Feng's brow twitched. He could already feel the headache coming on. He sighed and muttered under his breath. "With or without his cuffs?"
Giro shrugged. "Without."
Shao Feng's lips twitched downward. Shao Feng's plans didn't always go as intended. Details often fell through the cracks.
And new ones arose that he didn't account for.
Kihei and Jugo forming an odd friendship with the Prince of the Fire Nation was one such unforeseen development. An unwelcome one, too.
Shao Feng had already tried ordering Kihei and Jugo to hand over the Prince to Long Feng and his Dai Li. But those two never listened to orders they didn't agree with. And Shao Feng couldn't order another General to force their hand. The last thing the city needed now was infighting. It would be a disaster.
The only solace Shao Feng had was that Kihei's strange martial art, Qi Blocking or something similar, neutralized the prince's bending.
This made metal cuffs a recommendation instead of a necessity. For better or worse.
And General Yiwen often accompanied the trio. With the sole purpose of keeping an eye on the Prince of the Fire Nation. For that, Shao Feng was relieved.
Yiwen was a lot of things. Reliable. Strict. Efficient. Strong. She was pretending to be a man, also. A way to bypass a lot of the Earth Kingdom's traditionally male-dominated military. But above all, she had no reason to trust Prince of the Fire Nation, Lu Ten.
Because General Yiwen, formerly the Lieutenant of the Ba Sing Se's Fourth Army, was only promoted after the outer walls fell nearly three weeks ago.
Because the former General of the Fourth Army, Ko, died fighting the Dragon of the West. Covering the Fourth Army's retreat once the walls fell.
The city lost its greatest hero that day.
And Yiwen... lost her father. General Ko.
So Shao Feng was beyond certain.
The second that Prince Lu Ten tried anything, Yiwen would kill him. Shao Feng was assured. She'd do it without hesitation. It helped to assuage his worries about Jugo and Kihei's... incessantly lax supervision over the prisoner. The key to Ba Sing Se's survival.
As long as Yiwen was there, Lu Ten would die the second he took a step too close to the middle walls.
Shao Feng sighed and asked. "Anything else?" He grumbled, nursing a headache with a glass of water. Never alcohol. His mind couldn't dull. Not yet.
Giro tilted his head and hummed. "Nothing, sir."
Shao Feng nodded and took a sip.
Giro said. "Also, I threw Kihei in jail after he attacked me.” Giro shrugged. “I think he didn’t want me to see how close General Yiwen had grown to the Prince as of late. I wonder why?”
And Shao Feng nearly choked on his tea.
598 days into the siege...
The middle ring of Ba Sing Se was quiet. The air was cold, and the night sky was still and faint. The morning dawn was still minutes away. Most of the city was asleep.
Yet in a small house, cramped between dozens of other small houses, struggling to fit the entire population of the lower ring in its walls.
A lithe and quiet woman lay in her bed. Covers ruffled. The cool air bit her pale skin as she woke. Dark green eyes, nearly black in shade, slowly turned towards the ceiling. Her black, shoulder-length hair was splayed messily across the pillows.
Yiwen the Undending: Lieutenant General of Ba Sing Se's Fourth Army. One of the Ten Heroes of Ba Sing Se. "The Viper."
The air was dry. Her body, honed after years of relentless training, was wired and languid. She sat up, the sheets rolling off her bare skin and pooling at her waist. Her head was ringing slightly, the alcohol from the night prior dulling her senses.
But sadly, it didn't dull her memory.
If only it did.
She could have pretended last night never happened.
The first rays of dawn crept through the window. And the man next to her started to stir as if sensing the rising rays of light and warmth. He shifted. The trickles of dawn danced across his tanned skin. His black hair was free of its usual ponytail or topknot.
When he woke, it was as if the sun itself had stirred him out of slumber. Yiwen rolled her eyes and glanced at the window sourly. Of course.
Typical Fire Bender.
Lu Ten's golden eyes slowly blinked open, drifting towards Yiwen. Lu Ten's expression stilled briefly before he chuckled tiredly. "You know..." He slowly started to wake up. He yawned. "You might be the first person I've slept with that woke up before me."
Yiwen raised a brow, voice clipped. "And how many people woke up after you?"
Lu Ten flinched, his eyes wide and panicked. His own sleep-tilted words seemed to finally register, and he sat up straight, "I didn't mean- well, it's not-, it's not a lot-, no, that was a lie, actually, it's a lot. But they weren't you," Lu Ten winced. "That came out wrong."
Yiwen scowled and grabbed a nearby hair band, tying her hair back into its natural bun. She shifted her feet off the bed, ignoring the Prince's presence.
And Lu Ten, for once, seemed to be unable to think of the right thing to say. If Yiwen were in a better mood, she might have found it... cute. In the last three weeks, she'd learned the prince could lie a pirate out of their ship and treasure if needed.
And that Lu Ten was currently stumbling over words to try to talk to her properly. Instead of giving her the worst pillow talk of her life.
Lu Ten cursed. "Wait, Yiwen." He tried to grab her wrist. "I just meant that you know, you're not a fire bender, so I was surprised. I wake up at dawn and,"
Yiwen yanked her wrist out of his grip. She said clipped. "I don't give a damn about how many people you've slept with, Lu Ten. This isn't about that."
Lu Ten flinched, a momentary relief crossing his face before his eyes narrowed. "Then what's it about?"
Yiwen scoffed, "Take a guess." She scowled. "This was a mistake. We do not mention it to anyone else. Nor do we bring it up again. Ever. Understand?"
Lu Ten flinched, his jaw set and his expression twisted. He growled. "That's it? We just ignore it? We ignore last night? Pretend it never happened."
Yiwen said. "Yes." She stepped off the bed and towards the clothes she had ditched a few feet from the closed door. She huffed. "We ignore it."
Yiwen slipped on her underwear first. Taking extra time to wrap the familiar binding across her chest, it was harder to utilize a man's chest plate if she didn't. She could practically feel Lu Ten's eyes narrowed on her through the entire process.
His lips thinned in disagreement. His jaw set slightly.
Lu Ten scoffed. "Then why'd you do it..." he said clipped, golden eyes now jagged and sharp. He asked. "Why'd you even sleep with me if that's the case?"
Yiwen scowled and rubbed her calloused fingers down her face. Her head was pulsing. Her first instinct was to blame it on the alcohol.
It would have been easy.
Simple.
Less... complicated.
But Yiwen wasn't a coward. She was a soldier. She dealt with fire and death; she could deal with uncomfortable truths.
Yiwen muttered. "Because you..." she sighed, slipping into her pants. "You are nothing like your father." Yiwen reached down to grab her armor.
Lu Ten flinched, silent. His eyes conflicted and his expression quietly torn. He didn't say anything.
Yiwen wasn't surprised.
Three weeks ago, when Lu Ten was first captured, he talked. He had been willing to mention his father with all the respect and admiration a son ought to have.
It had made Yiwen sick to her stomach.
Now Lu Ten rarely brought up the Dragon of the West.
Yiwen ignored the traitorous thought that he might have stopped doing so for her sake.
Yiwen strapped on her last arm bracer, the stone plates heavy and familiar weapons. She turned to leave the room. She grabbed the door handle and hesitated. It was quiet. The room held its breath. The morning air had finally begun to warm the cold, dreadful city.
Lu Ten was silent throughout.
Yiwen ground her teeth and said. "You're not like your father at all." Yiwen gripped the door handle tighter. "Even if a part of me wishes you were."
Because how much easier it would have been if the Prince of the Fire Nation were as vile as his father, the Dragon of the West.
How much easier would it have been to despise Lu Ten if that were the case?
Lu Ten didn't respond.
And Yiwen didn't wait for an answer, nor did she look back to see Lu Ten's reaction. She closed the door behind her and walked out into the halls. She walked towards her living room, steps solid and firm. The sun trickled through the dining room shutters and the kitchen windows.
Yiwen's house was in the middle ring. A temporary abode. She'd lived in the lower ring before the Dragon captured it. She wondered if it still stood.
Probably not.
Now she lived in a quiet, simple house in the middle ring. Squished between the dozens of simple houses struggling to house Ba Sing Se's entire population. The evacuees had placed the people of the lower ring into the depths of the middle ring.
She could hear a family of refugees arguing through the walls. She could hear the morning voices outside, arguing about which corners belonged to which stalls.
But inside Yiwen's living room, it was empty. The air was stale. Her house was quiet as it was most mornings. Ever since three weeks ago.
Her temporary had been empty each and every morning except this one.
Partly because of the fire bender still warming her bed.
And partly due to the annoying pair of intruders who were becoming an increasingly common thorn in her side with each passing day.
Yiwen scowled as she spotted two people currently occupying her house.
The first was a man currently lounging on her couch, dozing loudly. Tan and slightly dirtied skin. He wore no shirt, no shoes, and ratty, old beggar pants. His lanky arms splayed above his head. His long black hair covered his face as he snored against the cushions, unmoving and uncaring about the world.
Jugo the Unsightly: General of Ba Sing Se's Fifth Army. One of Ba Sing Se’s Ten Heroes. “The Monkey."
Jugo was asleep, dead asleep, and wasn't looking to wake up any time soon.
So Yiwen scowled and turned to the other intruder, currently cooking something she hadn't authorized him to. The boy had a green cloak and was cooking a lot of vegetables. Stirring them around in an iron pan. He was twelve years old, with shaggy brown hair and sharp grey eyes.
Kihei the Eagle: Lieutenant of Ba Sing Se's Fifth Army. One of Ba Sing Se's Ten Heroes.
Yiwen crossed her arms and frowned, momentarily wondering where everything went wrong that her best choice of company in the morning was a prodigy child who could behead a Fire Nation soldier one moment, then ask how her day was going the next.
Then she realized that was a dumb question. Everything went to crap three weeks ago.
That much was becoming increasingly clear.
Yiwen sighed and said. "How did you break into my house?"
Kihei shrugged. "I picked the lock." Kihei flashed a needle from under his sleeve, then slipped back under his clothes. He chuckled and continued cooking whatever vegetable scent was currently sizzling through the air. Kihei snorted and said. "Good morning to you too, by the way."
Yiwen narrowed her eyes. "I usually don't say good morning to intruders. Get out."
Kihei shrugged and said. "What if said intruder was making breakfast? A good one too. My Grandma's specialty."
Yiwen marched over to try to kick Jugo off her sofa. "I can make my own breakfast, get out."
Kihei grinned. "What if I were also making an herbal tea that's good for hangovers?"
Yiwen stalled, hesitating briefly. She ground her teeth and glared at Kihei. Yiwen said. "If you're lying..."
Kihei smirked. "When would I ever lie?"
And that nearly got a laugh out of Yiwen. If Lu Ten was the biggest liar Yiwen had ever met, Kihei was damn near second. It was probably why the two had gotten along so well since Lu Ten was captured and detained in Ba Sing Se. Yiwen rolled her eyes and sat at the table.
Yiwen said. "When did you two get here, last night or this morning?"
So that Yiwen knew when she had to start reinforcing her locks.
Kihei chuckled. "This morning, I kind of got into a spat with Giro and spent the night in jail. Jugo busted me out an hour ago." Kihei shrugged, and Yiwen wasn't even surprised. It also explained the cut across Kihei's eyebrow and the mud still on his cheek.
Yiwen sighed and asked. "What was the spat about?"
Kihei shrugged. "Giro was trying to spy on you and Lu Ten."
Yiwen froze, her blood turning cold. She sat up straight and narrowed her eyes. "What for?"
Kihei snorted. "I don't know. I didn't really get a chance to ask between his stupid mud balls. But I distracted him for a night," Kihei finished what looked like a cooked vegetable salad and said. "You're welcome, by the way. I don't pick fights for random people."
Yiwen scoffed. "Somehow I don't believe you." She glanced at the plate and sighed, taking a bite. She nursed her growing headache and murmured. "Thank you," She swallowed her bite and asked. "Did Giro see anything before you were able to keep him busy?"
KIhei shrugged, heading to grab the tea. "I don't think so." He sighed. "But I don't know. Hope not."
Yiwen frowned, tapping the table as she thought. Shao Feng couldn't be allowed to find out about last night. He might question her loyalty or her decisions regarding the prince and the city's safety. And that couldn't happen. Yiwen would protect Ba Sing Se.
Yiwen would protect the Earth Kingdom for which her father died.
A night tinged by emotion and soju wasn't going to change that.
So Yiwen planned to go see Shao Feng and clear the air after the morning settled down. After she finished drinking Kihei's hangover tea and got the Prince out of her house, she'd ensure Shao Feng hadn't heard anything damning. If he had the Dai Li watching her movements last night...
Ugh, she didn't even want to think about that. Yiwen took a sip of tea and sighed.
What a terrible way to start her day-,
There was a knock at the door.
Yiwen stiffened, the cup in her hand jolting. Kihei stiffened in the middle of cooking another plate. Probably for Jugo, Kihei usually ate last. Yiwen scowled and stood up, marching towards the door. She opened it calmly, her eyes narrowed on the individuals outside.
Shao Feng stood, expression stony and two parchments in his hand.
Giro stood behind, hand in his sleeves like all the Dai Li. He had a cut on his cheek and a curious, blank expression.
Shao Feng said, "Yiwen, we need to talk. May I come in?"
Yiwen ground her teeth subtly but nodded. She opened the door, and Shao Feng stepped inside.
Yiwen closed the door on Giro.
Shao Feng glanced back, raising a brow.
Yiwen scowled. "You may enter. Your spy may not."
Shao Feng winced slightly and nodded. Shao Feng said through the door. "Wait outside, Giro. Stand gaurd."
Giro said easily, not at all offended. "As you wish, Master."
Shao Feng nodded and stepped inside Yiwen's house. He glanced curiously at Jugo sleeping on the couch. And even more curiously, at Kihei, setting out another plate of cooked vegetables. Kihei glanced at Shao Feng and waved. "Hey, are you good with vegetarian?"
Shao Feng blinked quietly, surprised, and chuckled, "Yes, I would be fine with it."
KIhei nodded. "Good, that's all I know how to cook." Kihei moved another plate for Shao Feng and grabbed the tea kettle. Kihei sat down at his own seat, eating quickly and idly. Shao Feng sat across from Yiwen, the two parchments still in hand. Shao Feng glanced at Kihei.
Kihei glanced back and raised a brow. "What?" Kihei rolled his eyes, "Monkey feathers, relax, I'll leave soon if this is solely for Yiwen or something. Just let me finish my food, then I can get Jugo and we'll-,"
Shao Feng said, "No, actually, it's good that you're here. I was going to talk to you next." Shao Feng handed Kihei a parchment. Kihei glanced at the parchment suspiciously, but eventually took it, setting it down by his plate before returning to his breakfast. Like he'd read it later.
Shao Feng handed the second one to Yiwen. Yiwen raised a brow and decided she wouldn't read it later. She took the paper, opening it idly. Yiwen asked, "What is this about, Shao Feng? You usually don't make house visits. And my living arrangements were already cleared weeks ago."
Yiwen thumbed through the initial messages. Politics. A draft for a message to the Fire Nation, more specifically to the Dragon of the West. Yiwen glanced quickly at the bottom; it had her name on it and a place for her to sign. Yiwen sighed and went back to reading the bulk of the letter.
Yiwen asked. "Why do you need to see me personally..."
Yiwen got to the crux of the letter and froze. Her eyes widened, as if deciding between outrage, confusion, and denial. Kihei glanced at Yiwen and raised a brow, curiosity now evident on the boy's face. Kihei asked, "What's it say, Yiwen? Are we getting transferred or something?"
Kihei rolled his eyes and set down his chopsticks. He picked up the letter and scoffed. "Good luck with that, Shao Feng. I already told you, Jugo's the only one I'm willing to follow. If you want me to join a different army or something, you're..."
Kihei's eyes quickly got to the bottom of the letter. The space where he was supposed to sign. Kihei's eyes drifted to the bulk of the letter and scanned until he found its purpose. The letter's contents were to be conveyed to the Dragon of the West at the first possible notice.
Kihei stopped, blinking quietly and in surprise. "You're out of your mind."
Shao Feng sighed and hung his head. "Trust me, I would not have brought these to you if I were not desperate. This was not even a plan at all, but considering recent..." Shao Feng glanced at Yiwen, "Developments concerning the Prince." Shao Feng said, and Yiwen flinched. She ground her teeth. So Giro did see her and the prince before Kihei was able to distract him, dammit. Yiwen glared at Shao Feng.
Shao Feng said seriously. "This simply seemed like too good an opportunity to pass up."
Yiwen gnashed her teeth, glancing at the lines in the parchment. There was a lot of political dicta in the beginning, but only a few lines mattered. She read the lines once more.
I, Shao Feng, General of Ba Sing Se's First Army, hereby direct this letter towards the Dragon of the West.
On behalf of King Kuei, our great city wishes to make a formal request for a political union between Prince Lu Ten of the Fire Nation and one of Ba Sing Se's Ten Heroes, General Yiwen of Ba Sing Se's Fourth Army. In return, Ba Sing Se would like to open talks geared towards ending the war between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom on amicable terms. While negotiations are underway, Lu Ten would be granted asylum in Ba Sing Se, but permission to leave would not be granted until negotiations end. However, in return, Ba Sing Se is willing to send another one of our most essential assets to the Fire Nation. So that the Fire Nation can be assured of Lu Ten's safety while residing in our walls.
Yiwen's fingers pinched the page, her face twisted in a glare. She glanced at Kihei, his eyes reading the page on the table like he was trying to figure out which part of it was fake. Yiwen couldn't read it exactly, but she could tell it was the same request as her's was.
On behalf of King Kuei, our great city wishes to make a formal request for a political union between Princess Azula of the Fire Nation and one of Ba Sing Se's Ten Heroes, Lieutenant Kihei of Ba Sing Se's Fifth Army. In return, Ba Sing Se would like to open talks geared towards ending the war between the Fire Nation and the Earth Kingdom on amicable terms. While negotiations are underway, Kihei would be transported to the Fire Nation to ensure neither party breaches the political amity.
Yiwen ground her teeth.
Kihei looked like he was about to lunge out of his seat and kill Shao Feng.
Shao Feng sighed, "I need you two to get married to help end the war on peaceful terms."
At that moment, Lu Ten lumbered out and came to a halt. Confused. He glanced at Shao Feng.
Lu Ten asked, "What did I miss?"
Kihei threw a cooked broccoli at Lu Ten's head, and for once, Yiwen was proud of the brat.