97 A.G
The sea had been calm, the voyage quicker than expected. From the deck of the iron-hulled frigate, Lin had watched the coastline of the mainland come into view, its black cliffs and tiered stone towers cast in pale orange by the rising sun.
She had not seen this port in over two years. As they had arrived earlier than expected, she had taken the opportunity to return to the Renshi estate and greet her family.
The streets of the capital were quiet at this hour, the noble quarter still shrouded in early fog and the scent of smoldering coal. She made her way through the inner gate without presenting her crest. The guards recognized her, obviously. Her body was unmistakable, after all.
The front garden had been recently trimmed, its red-leafed hedges pruned into sharp geometric patterns that mirrored the family's sigil. Two of the estate workers saw her approach and hurried forward with startled, but warm, expressions, bowing low as they offered brief greetings and took her satchel. She nodded in thanks at them and continued forward into the manor.
Inside the grand hall, the air was drier, scented with lacquered wood and incense. Her father was already waiting.
Her father Kaien stood by the tall window that overlooked the inner courtyard, a stack of parchment and a cooled teacup beside him. He turned as she entered, expression cold as always, but his eyes gleamed with a measure of satisfaction. He did not move to embrace her as usual, but she liked it more this way if she was honest, the few times he had were quite awkward.
"You've arrived ahead of schedule." he said, folding his hands behind his back. "Good. I hoped you would stop by before your appointment."
She inclined her head. "The seas were still."
"Auspicious." He gestured toward a low table. A servant stepped forward to pour fresh tea.
"Your new posting is of considerable importance. The Fire Lord himself selected you for this task. That means eyes are upon you, both from the palace and from rivals. By your merit, our family will keep shaping our nation's history."
Lin sat without comment. She sipped once from the tea; she liked coffee more, but alas, it had not been discovered yet, it seemed. Or maybe, since this world had many of her own's world's Asiatic cultures and nothing else beyond that, the plant simply didn't exist, which was a shame. She craved a bit of bitterness at times.
Kaien continued without pause. "I have prepared a list of individuals currently positioned to influence court dynamics. Advisors. Mid-level tacticians. Promising heirs. Young nobles with ambition but no discipline. Befriending them is optional, but it would be beneficial."
"I will do as you advise, Father." she said quietly.
"Good." Kaien replied, pleased. "Visibility is influence. The crown princess is not the only one in need of training. The families surrounding her will shape her decisions in the years ahead, and those families will surely come to know Renshi's might."
Lin nodded in understanding. Her father placed a scroll on the table before her.
"This is the princess's schedule. Locations. Private instructors. Known companions within the academy. Weak points and strengths. Some of these are confirmed. Some are projections. Use them."
"This is exactly what I needed to get the first picture." Lin said, scanning the contents.
"I must warn you, the servants around the palace fear her, she resents many things and is said to be quite cruel. But, I would advise not to coddle her. Better that she resent competence than incompetence." His voice softened by a degree.
"You are not to antagonize her directly, but you are not to defer to her whims either. The Fire Lord has placed his daughter's training in your hands. That is a trust very few are given."
She nodded once. "Understood." Antagonize her it is.
Before he could say more, another presence entered the chamber. Her mother moved with quiet grace, her robes trailing the scent of dried plum blossoms. Her eyes lit up the moment she saw her daughter, and in contrast to Kaien's restraint, Shyno stepped forward without hesitation and placed both hands gently on Lin's shoulders, leaning close.
"Look at you." she said softly. "Our brightest ember, all grown up and glowing with fire. You are making our family proud."
Lin remained still under her gaze, her mother had spent hours teaching her postures and she had almost relaxed in her father's presence. Luckily, she didn't make that mistake.
"I hear you'll be working with the young royal herself." Shyno continued, taking the seat beside her and placing a hand over hers. "She's very bright. I've seen her at royal events, although too stiff, far too sharp for her age, but brilliant. You must befriend her, Lin. She is a girl, after all, and a growing one still, I will give you some guides and tips."
"Please, my dear…The Fire Lord wanted our daughter to instruct her in firebending and war matters." Kaien corrected.
"She needs guidance as well. She is just turning twelve, my husband." Shyno said, unfazed. "And companionship. You'll be spending so much time with her, you might as well find some joy in it."
Lin blinked slowly. "My objective is her training."
"Which may go more smoothly if you can… bond with her." Shyno said cheerfully. "She's at that delicate age. Have you spoken to girls your age much, recently?"
"No, you know that."
"Well, no matter." Her mother gave a little clap. "I'll teach you. Courting tips, how to navigate those awkward pauses, how to read a smile from across the room. Just in case. The princess may be a bit high-strung, but that doesn't mean she's immune to charm."
Lin's face did not change, but something behind her eyes dulled faintly.
Kaien cleared his throat. "That's enough, Shyno."
"Oh, come now, don't be so grim," she said. "It's important to prepare our daughter for all forms of diplomacy, not just training and schedules."
Lin had to think hard, trying to avoid angering or disappointing her mother and father.
"Our family has always used every tool available, as long as it's honorable." Lin said quietly.
Her mother beamed at her. "You'll thank me later."
Lin stared down into her tea and wished the sea had been rougher.
----0000----
The scent of ash always lingered in the training yard. Princess Azula stood just outside the colonnade, arms crossed and eyes narrowed, listening to her father's final instruction before he turned to leave.
"You are to meet your new instructor here." he said, voice flat with finality. "She will arrive shortly. You will focus on improving, and I expect you to learn and grow more powerful with her help. Do not waste time."
She bowed slightly as he turned, already walking away from her. Azula watched his cape retreat, a flare of resentment blooming behind her eyes. She tried not to feel disappointed, she really did. Azula had trained under several masters already. None of them had lasted long.
She rationalized that this feeling was not about wanting her father to stay, no, she had simply assumed he might finally take personal charge of her training. It was only logical. She was the most gifted firebender of her generation. It made strategic sense for the most powerful bender to teach her.
It was not because she wanted his attention either. That would be foolish. She made her way to the training ground, still heavy with thought.
Something simmered in her as she stepped forward and scanned the grounds. The yard was quiet, the floor scorched in streaks from yesterday's drills. She had expected to be the first to arrive, yet someone was already there.
At first, she wasn't sure what she was looking at. The figure stood near the far edge of the yard, back turned, the long black coat giving no hint of rank or name. Arms behind her with a perfect posture, keeping absolutely still.
The sun caught on polished metal where her sleeves ended. Metal plating along her back reflected the sun into Azula's eyes. They had a weird mixture of colors on her head, silver-white hair at the bottom, black at the top, cropped short, caught in the morning breeze. The girl turned slightly, and Azula caught a glimpse of her face.
She blinked once, surprised by the girl's gaze. It was hard to tell what unsettled her more, the golden eyes that didn't flicker at her presence, or the metal plating that ran along the sides of her limbs like armor pressed into skin.
Was this a weapon? A machine? A servant? She couldn't tell. She was skeptical of a slightly older girl to instruct her, but she had never seen anything like this one before, so it likely didn't matter. Her father hadn't even mentioned her name. For the briefest moment, she marveled at the sight.
'Was this another wonder the Fire Nation could make?'
She had seen elite soldiers, firebending masters, war scholars, and inventors; but nothing like this.
'Was she even human anymore?' she thought.
In a sense, the idea that the Fire Nation's might could defy even life sounded great.
'Was this instructor… hers?'
The thought sent a pulse of satisfaction through her chest. That was fitting. Of course it was. She was the crown princess. It made sense that someone would build a mentor specifically designed to help her become more powerful.
The moment passed, however. The girl still hadn't bowed or even spoken. But then she saluted her like any regular officer would salute their superior. Saluted her? She hadn't acknowledged her royal status beyond that.
Azula's admiration curdled. She stepped forward slowly, her boots brushing against the stone with a subtle scrape. Her voice came out calm, controlled, but colder than intended.
"You are in the presence of the heir to the Fire Nation. Shouldn't you kneel?"
She gave her no answer beyond moving her eyebrows in mild confusion.
Azula stood a little taller. She was used to silence from servants, but never from soldiers. Never from instructors. So used to receiving deference, the little princess was stunned. Then disbelief began to settle in. She was not just a student, she was royalty. And this… thing… this weapon… dared?
Her golden eyes met Azula's again. They seemed almost detached, aloof was the better word, and Azula felt her skin prickle. She hated that feeling, of not being in control, of not being seen exactly as she wished to be seen. She took another step forward, her chin lifted.
"You know who I am." she said again, more sharply this time. "Why haven't you bowed?"
The girl tilted her head slightly, her second movement since Azula's arrival. There was no expression, no sarcasm or amusement. Just that endless, dull stare, not mocking or amused, just emptiness.
Azula narrowed her eyes. She had never been treated this way. Not by her tutors. Not by generals. Not by the palace staff. Certainly not by an instructor who was presumably designed to serve her.
Azula's hand twitched, a curl of flame dancing briefly at her fingertips before she extinguished it with a breath. She wouldn't strike just yet, she wanted this girl, this… thing, to explain herself. To justify her disobedience in her sacred presence.
"I'm a merciful princess, if you bow now I won't punish you." she tried again.
The girl bowed slightly, then resumed her rigid posture. Azula almost preferred it when she hadn't bowed at all.
"I'm here to instruct you, my princess. The first lesson has already started, can you guess what it is?"
So this was indeed her new instructor. She clearly was looking to get punished then, and Azula's mind was already planning how best to make her suffer, she would make it as cruel as possible. She smirked to herself, the girl truly didn't know who she had angered.
----0000----
The courtyard was bright and growing hotter as the morning sun finally climbed overhead. Much like the princess's temper.
Captain Lin stood at ease, feet shoulder-width apart and hands clasped behind her back. The crown princess paced before her, sharp steps clicking against the stone tiles. So far, she was failing the first lesson.
Lin was getting into her head easily simply by withholding the respect she was used to receiving. She could see the outrage in her eyes and surely, the little princess was planning ways to use her Royal influence to get back at Lin.
Matters worsened when Lin handed her their schedule without further words. Azula stopped mid-step and whirled to face her.
"This schedule is unacceptable." she hissed. "Three hours in the morning and only two in the evening? That's all?"
Lin met her gaze calmly. "That will suffice."
Azula took a step forward. "My previous masters trained me through midday and returned in the evenings. At times I even trained through dinner. My stamina is more than adequate."
Lin tilted her head slightly. "I am not concerned with your stamina. I am concerned with efficiency. By the end of each session, you will take the time to learn from it."
"You dare…" Azula snapped, golden eyes narrowing. "I'm telling you, that's not enough time."
"You are welcome to add sessions in between, with someone else." Lin said flatly.
The girl stared at her, stunned for a second by the implication.
Lin didn't move. "You were not assigned to me for familiarity´s sake. You were assigned to me for results. My schedule is structured to minimize wasted effort."
Azula's nostrils flared. "I'll have this changed."
"You may try."
"I can have you reassigned."
"You may try that as well."
There was no challenge in Lin's tone. Azula didn't know how to respond. She opened her mouth, closed it, then paced another few steps before turning back.
"I could have you imprisoned." she muttered. "You've disrespected the heir of the Fire Nation. That is treason."
Lin blinked once, slowly. "I was told to train the Fire Lord's daughter, not flatter her."
"You are speaking to royalty."
"And yet." Lin said evenly, "You are not speaking to a servant."
Azula's fists clenched. The fire didn't appear this time, but Lin could see the tension in her fingers and the anger that hadn't been calmed since their introduction. The girl wanted to strike her, which, in retrospect, had been the point of the lesson.
"In the training grounds." Lin continued, "I recognize only discipline and outcome. Titles do not grant strength."
Azula's voice shook. "Do you think you're stronger than me?"
"I have no reason to think that."
The silence that followed was brittle, and Lin expected a flame to come any second. Instead, the girl composed herself in seconds, the rage crystallizing behind her eyes. That control was impressive. Misplaced, but impressive.
Azula lifted her chin. "You will bow to me before this day is done."
Lin considered that, then gave the faintest nod.
"If that matters to you, I offer a compromise." she said. "We spar. If you exceed my expectations, I will bow to you. Here in this courtyard and beyond it."
Azula stared at her like she'd spoken a different language. Then she smiled. It was the wrong kind of smile for a child to have. But she couldn't really judge, people had often said that whenever she smiled it looked terrifying. The main reason why she didn't really, unless the better tactic was intimidation.
"You think I won't accept?"
"I know you will."
"I'll make you kneel by the end of the lesson. And then your family as well."
Lin didn't respond. She watched the child with steady eyes, analyzing her. If she was to instruct her properly, she needed to know what was her basis to build upon, for that, she needed to find every flaw in her first.
Azula's voice dropped to a whisper. "You'll regret this."
"Let's hope so." Lin said quietly. "And that you don't either."
Azula turned away with a sudden jerk, flames spitting from her heel as she pivoted back toward the edge of the courtyard.
Lin remained still. The princess had already revealed enough. Lin closed her eyes for a moment, then reopened them, metal limbs clicking softly as she adjusted her stance.
"Begin when ready." she said aloud.
----0000----
The heat rolled around her like a breath from a furnace. Azula stood at the edge of the courtyard, arms loose at her sides, fists already tingling with chi. Her muscles were tense, coiled with anger and anticipation. Across from her stood the girl, calm and unconcerned. Azula hated her already.
She should have been scared of disrespecting the nation's princess. But in a spar, she could make her understand, by force. She had trained hard and she was confident that she could best her. She didn't look like much.
No one spoke to her that way. No one refused to bow. And certainly no one ever dared suggest she was lacking. She would fix that with her flames and wipe clean that calmed face off her.
Azula's foot slid back across the tile, grounding her weight. She raised her arms in fluid motion. The first strike was meant to test her defenses. Flames roared from her palms in twin arcs, sweeping across the yard toward the young instructor.
The girl moved way faster than expected, like a shadow behind sunlight, her coat flaring slightly as she sidestepped her attack without issues. Azula narrowed her eyes and adjusted, feet gliding into the next motion as she sent a sharper burst aimed at her center. The girl ducked and dodged, yet she didn't fire any flames in return.
Azula's second breath came faster. She launched another blast, this one wider, forcing Lin to hop backward. Her metal limbs clanged softly on stone, but again there was no counterattack and still no change in her face.
Azula growled under her breath and pushed forward, bringing her hands together in a wide sweep. Fire arced outward in a crescent, brighter now, hotter. This time the instructor didn't dodge cleanly, instead, she stepped into it, letting the outer flame wash harmlessly across her upper plating before twisting sideways, closing the gap.
Azula's heart skipped. Most firebenders kept their distance, especially in practice duels. At range, there were more advantages for firebenders. But the girl wasn't playing by those rules. She was already too close.
Azula jumped back, barely avoiding a sweeping leg. Her heel scraped tile, and she steadied her breath, fingers already burning again. This time, she didn't hold back. She inhaled deep, chi pooling behind her teeth and lips, and with a guttural shout, she sent three successive fireballs streaking through the air.
She had focused on making them as big and fast as possible, infusing them with that blue hue that had begun appearing in her bending. The fireballs momentarily blinded her. For a second, she felt triumphant. Surely now she would take her seriously.
But the second was over and she found herself with a metal palm hovering just in front of her face, inches from her eye. She could feel the heat coming from it, and she closed her eyes expecting a fire blast, but it never came.
"You are dead." the girl said quietly, making Azula blink. "You blinded yourself with your own attack and didn't see me get in front of you when dodging it."
Azula stood frozen, caught between fear and disbelief. Her body was still locked in stance, her arms halfway to forming another strike, but it would have never landed. She blinked once, the adrenaline still roaring behind her ears as the instructor stepped away without a sound.
Azula turned slowly, her breathing now uneven. She looked at the girl, who had resumed the same posture as before, hands behind her back, eyes calm, limbs steaming slightly where her body had absorbed heat.
Where Azula expected gloating, mockery or a look of superiority she found the dull boring face again, the same she had when they started. The princess would have preferred mockery. At least that would have meant something.
Azula's pride wavered behind clenched teeth. Her entire life, she had been the fastest, the fiercest, and every master she had ever learned from had praised her. And now this creature, this… tool, had outmaneuvered her in under a minute, without even drawing fire.
Azula stared at her palms. They still burned faintly with unspent chi. She hated her even more than before.
And yet, beneath the anger, behind the humiliation, she felt the sting of failure for the first time and her eyes watered with tears she blinked away as fast as she could. She wanted to bolt, but before she could move, her instructor bowed.
----0000----
The princess blinked, her face betraying her. Lin saw her frustration, briefly vanishing beneath the surprise.
"My princess." Lin said, her tone as steady as ever, "That was your first lesson."
Azula tilted her head, guarded and wary. "You call humiliating me a lesson? You didn't need to bow." Azula crossed her arms, almost pouting.
"I bowed because we agreed I would if you exceeded expectations, which you did, and no. The lesson was not about what ultimately happened." Lin said, "I managed to rile you up easily. You got easily distracted, you were not focused. You let your anger guide your decisions. That's why you lost so quickly."
Azula's brow furrowed. "Our flames are fueled by anger. That's what makes them strong."
"That is one of many things that makes them strong, yes." Lin said, "But anger and frustration also affects the mind, not only your flames. You overextended your attack and underestimated your opponent in one move because of it, and that is all it takes in a battle for your enemies to win."
Azula paused, her expression unreadable for a second. She didn't like hearing it, but she did lose the spar.
Lin continued, calm as ever. "I'll be training you in more than firebending. Manipulation and taking control of a situation is one of many things I will teach you. Strategy and command will also be part of your lessons. The Fire Lord told me to instruct you in every aspect of war." she said.
"I can see that you have many questions but they can wait for the evening where we won't be physically training." Lin added.
"You are making these lessons sound terribly boring." the young princess said, exasperated.
Lin chuckled slightly.
"You did exceed my expectations, that was no understatement, you are a powerful bender, Princess. With me you will learn how to fully use that power and talent you already have, how to manipulate your opponents, how to sharpen your mind and body to best those even more powerful than yourself."
Azula rolled her eyes. "You're not the first to say that."
"Maybe not." Lin replied, "But I'm always true to my word."
Lin turned slightly, thinking about what training they could start with right away. But then she added one more thing.
"I know it's a bit late for introductions but I am Captain Lin. I do serve you, Princess. I'm part of the military, and as such, we serve the Fire Nation and its rulers."
Azula watched her for a long moment, lips curling slowly.
"So all that rebellious attitude earlier… was part of the lesson?"
"Yes."
She gave a short, satisfied huff. "Well, I still don't like you."
Lin gave her an amused look. "You don't need to."
Azula's eyes narrowed again. "I will make you regret that when I beat you."
"Do you believe you can manage it?" Lin said.
Azula's smirk was sharper this time.