NOVEL NEXT Chapter 25: Manipulator vs Manipulator
Late afternoon, and the city's great dining hall had been prepared as if a festival might break out at any moment. Lanterns glowed against polished floors, low murmurs drifted among long tables set with porcelain and jade, and delicate dishes stood in careful arrangement. At the head of the largest table sat Joo Dee, her posture rigid, her expression taut behind a polite mask. Around her, aristocrats in richly embroidered robes exchanged guarded looks, each weighing their words before speaking.
The girl who poured tea and refilled bowls appeared an afterthought. She wore Earth Kingdom attire—unadorned green cloth, no hints of foreign finery—and remained near the periphery, head bowed, shoulders small. She did not meet anyone's eyes. She circled the table, always ready to serve, as if her identity lay somewhere in the steam of a teapot or the folds of a simple apron.
Joo Dee addressed the gathering in careful tones.
"Crime problem in lower ring, yes? Aristocrats worry. They fear it spread."
A ripple of agreement. They did worry. The lower ring's troubles threatened to stain their comforts. A merchant lord dabbed his mouth with a silk napkin and cleared his throat.
"Crime grows unchecked. With no earthbenders left to maintain order, we risk chaos."Another aristocrat nodded, voice strained.
"The Fire Nation occupies us, yet allows us to keep wealth, position, and trade. Fine. But what use is privilege if bandits and thieves roam free below?"
Joo Dee set down her cup with a muted click.
"Fire Nation is kind. They protect upper, center rings. You still have your lives, your business. Better than resistance, yes?"There was a tension in her words, as if insisting they count their blessings. The aristocrats bristled.
"What good is it if crime rots the foundations of the city?" demanded one, voice sharp as a snapped reed. "Soon it might climb the walls, reach our doorsteps."
Joo Dee's brow furrowed, her composure faltering. She had no easy answers. If the Fire Nation cracked down harshly, that would appear as cruel oppression. If they did nothing, disorder would spread. She pursed her lips, but the room offered no help—only impatient faces and rustling sleeves.
One aristocrat, frustration twisting his features, noticed the silent girl standing off to the side. Her presence made for a convenient target.
"You!" he snapped, beckoning with an imperious flick of his wrist. "Pour my drink."
The girl stepped forward at once, eyes lowered. She lifted the jug and poured, steady and respectful. Yet the moment the cup brimmed, the aristocrat jerked his arm, sending the liquid splattering across her front. He made a sound of mock surprise.
"Oh dear, my hand slipped."
Joo Dee's jaw tightened. She nearly spoke, then checked herself. The ruse must hold. She clenched her hands beneath the table. Meanwhile, the girl bowed her head deeper, voice mild and conciliatory.
"My apologies, sir. I will clean this at once."
A cloth wiped at the puddle on the floor, and then the girl retreated without a word of reproach. The aristocrats muttered to one another.
"A Fire Nation servant? Disgraceful. Everything changes too fast. We remember Ba Sing Se before the occupation—why must we endure this?"
Joo Dee exhaled, struggling to maintain authority.
"Reality different now. New order under Fire Lord Ozai. We must accept changes."She gave a tight smile that did not warm her eyes.
"You ask solution for crime. I think. I find answer. Soon."
The meeting broke with no resolution. Frustration lingered in the aristocrats' voices as they left. Joo Dee stared at the empty dishes and scattered crumbs, her mind heavy with the day's demands.
Later, behind closed doors, Joo Dee and the girl met in a dim side chamber. The girl stood calmly now, no trace of the timid servant. When she spoke, her voice was poised and assured.
"Crime in the lower ring dominates their minds. This is their chief concern."
Joo Dee crossed her arms, shoulders hunched.
"They say no manpower. No earthbenders left. Fire Nation guards protect upper rings only. Lower ring festers."She sighed, voice low. "You have plan?"
The girl's eyes narrowed slightly, as if considering an intricate puzzle.
"If criminals cause unrest, then remove the criminals. Without mercy."
Joo Dee flinched.
"You mean... Fire Nation soldiers burn them all?" Her voice grew quiet, worried. "That look bad. Foreign rulers murdering locals. Make worse trouble."
The girl shook her head. A small, patient smile curved at the corner of her mouth.
"Not Fire Nation, Joo Dee. I require a local face. Someone with ties to this place. Let it seem as though Ba Sing Se's own people enforce their peace. The world must see Earth Kingdom justice cleansing Earth Kingdom streets."
Joo Dee's brow knitted. She pressed her fingertips to her temple, thinking hard. Eventually, she spoke in a near whisper.
"There is... one in prison. An earthbender. Strong, feared. If he free, maybe he do your will."
The girl nodded, satisfied.
"Arrange a meeting. I will speak to this individual. Soon we shall have order in the lower ring."
Joo Dee swallowed, then bowed stiffly. Outside, Ba Sing Se's evening lights shimmered in quiet lanes. The city turned inward, ignorant of the plans taking shape in close, lamplit rooms. In the silence of that private chamber, the girl and the administrator formed an unspoken pact, both knowing that before dawn broke over these high walls again, the shape of their world would shift just a little more.
* * *
Kaiya sat alone in the interrogation room, a silent presence surrounded by piles of scrolls. Her fingers traced the delicate parchment of one scroll, eyes scanning its contents with an intense focus. The door creaked open, and Fire Nation guards escorted Long Feng inside, the tension palpable in the air.
Long Feng, hands cuffed, took a seat across from Kaiya. His glare was unrelenting, eyes fixed on her with unwavering intensity. Yet, Kaiya did not acknowledge his presence, her gaze never lifting from the scroll before her. She seemed lost in the words, oblivious to the man who had just entered the room.
The silence that enveloped them was suffocating, broken only by the faint rustle of parchment as Kaiya continued to read. The guards stood by, their expressions stoic, flanking Long Feng as they maintained their vigilant watch.
Long Feng's eyes never left Kaiya, but he remained silent. He observed her closely, noting her youth and calm demeanor. He believed he had the upper hand, confident in his own patience and temperament. He waited, calculating, determined not to reveal his own hand until he had seen hers.
There was a pause as she awaited his response, still not looking up. Long Feng grimaced slightly but remained silent.
"And just a year ago, you had a tooth removed. Feeling a lot better now, yes?" Kaiya continued, her tone unchanging.
Long Feng maintained his silence and temperament, though he slightly clenched his fist, the uneasiness starting to get to him.
"I say all this because it seems that I know everything about you, yet, you know nothing about me. That puts you in quite the disadvantage, doesn't it, puppetmaster?" Kaiya's words were sharp, carrying a subtle edge of mockery.
Long Feng had finally heard enough. His pride as a man and the former leader of the Dai Li urged him to respond.
"You can wear all the green robes you want, girl, your eyes reveal the truth," Long Feng sneered, noticing Kaiya's vibrant yellow eyes, a clear indication of her Fire Nation nobility heritage. "You're one of her minions, aren't you?"
The recent memories of Azula outplaying him remained ever sharp in his mind. "What does she want from me? She's taken the Dai Li, she's taken the city, she's thrown me in a cell... Please, do elaborate."
Kaiya slanted her head, staring directly at Long Feng, her emotionless demeanor unflinching. "My name is Kaiya, and I'm going to be ruling Ba Sing Se on behalf of the Fire Lord. You and the Joo Dees will aid me in this effort."
Long Feng began to laugh at Kaiya's demands. "You think reading from some parchment is going to intimidate me, little girl?"
Kaiya's eyes narrowed slightly. "Isn't a 'little girl' the reason you fell from grace in the first place? You don't seem very keen on learning from your mistakes, do you?"
Long Feng turned to one of the guards. "Take me back to my cell. Even in my current state, I'm above entertaining Ozai's boot polishers."
The guards looked to Kaiya for orders.
"You heard him, did you not? Take him back. I am one to respect my elders," Kaiya said, her tone even.
Long Feng simply grunted at Kaiya, recognizing her words as a manipulation ploy, but giving no reaction. He stood and turned around, heading towards the doorway.
As he reached the threshold, Kaiya made one final remark. "You should know that the Fire Lord plans on turning his prisoners to ash soon. Keeping all of you alive and relatively comfortable is a drain on our resources, of course. As to when? I'm not certain, though. I will leave you to your thoughts."
Long Feng stopped walking, clenching his teeth and shutting his eyes tightly. He turned back around and slowly sat down at the table once more.
"So my life in exchange for my compliance, is that the deal?" he asked, his voice tight with suppressed anger.
Kaiya's lips curved into a slight smile. "Not just your life, a life you remember. A lavish manor in the upper ring, servants catering to your every whim. My words and your voice is all I am requesting."
Long Feng's eyes narrowed. "And the details of my compliance?"
"Nothing out of the ordinary. You have spent your entire career lying to the people of this city, and that is what you will continue to do."
Long Feng sneered. "If that's all, you can have your guards escort me to my manor."
"There is one final thing," Kaiya said, sliding a scroll down the table. Long Feng cautiously took it and began to read.
As Kaiya spoke, Long Feng's eyes widened. "It's an order, approved by Fire Lord Ozai himself. Should either of us disappear, or should any harm come to me during our... collaboration, this order is to be executed immediately."
Long Feng's hand started to tremble as he set down the scroll, his head lowered.
"It wasn't easy obtaining the names of your relatives, but we managed. Though it was me who suggested not only burning their village to the ground and everyone within it, but also the surrounding ones as well, as an extra precaution."