Kiss of Fire

Chapter 31 – Trial

I'm happy you liked the last chapter. I got a couple of comments mentioning the lack of apparent Zutara-ness. Rest assured, this will not be like that for each chapter.. Believe me, I have plenty of Zutara planned for upcoming chapters – steamy and/or sweet.

Several reviewers have been asking me if Katara would ever give Zuko a child. I cannot say yes or no, as this would lead to too much speculation either way. You'll just have to wait and see.

As for Enki's punishment, I got lots of nice suggestions. Exile, execution, castration (haha) Omashu being pwned by Fire Nation, etc. I still have yet to decide, and am still taking ideas.

Remember before when I talked about the Ming and the Qing dynasties of China and how much of Ba Sing Se was borrowed from that? I watched a Chinese movie a while ago which was set in the Tang dynasty (r. over China 618-907 CE) The clothes were beautiful, and I noticed the startling similarity between the fashion of the women of the Court, and Toph's mother's own clothing. Look up 'Tang Dynasty women's fashions' online, and you'll see how these women look like Mrs. Beifong. The hair piled on top of the head, the flowers in the hair, the loose/flowing robe over a A-line dress that had the tie/band across the breasts (rather than the waist or hips) Toph's dress was similar, with the band over her chest rather than her hips, with her hair piled up and having flowers in it, and she had a sash along her arms (another mark of Tang fashion)

I'll be watching the show more closely, to see if there are other dynasties which Avatar borrowed from (The dynasties that ruled China were widely varied, with the founders of each dynasty being Han Chinese, Manchu Chinese, or Mongolian) and the fashions and other details also varied as much as the dynasties did.

Also, a few people have asked me about Capture of the Maiden and whether it is done or not. No, it is not done... it has at least several chapters to go, plus an epilog. So yes, it will be updated. :)

o0o0o

The robe that had been brought out for me to wear to Court and the trial today took my breath away. I had a good number of formal robes to wear for any kind of public occasion, but before I could ask for one of my formal robes to be brought to me, Hana told me that the Fire Lord had something for me.

I was sitting in front of my mirror, my hair being done by the twins as I sat there in a white silk chemise and matching loose pants that reached midway down my calves. Hana retreated for several moments, and returned with blue silk in her arms.

It was surprising for me, since I always wore reds and blacks to Court. She gingerly unfolded it to show me a stunning blue robe with intricate gold threading. When she held out the robe so I could get a full view of it, I realized that the pattern and placing of the gold threading was designed after a phoenix..

“The Fire Lord wants you to wear this today.” Hana said as she brought it closer for me to view. The design was rich and elegant but not overly so, and suited to my tastes. I could only imagine how much work it took to sew the beautiful design. The royal tailors were never kept out of work, what with the clothes they kept the Royal Family outfitted in.

Hinode and Hinoiri cooed with surprise and pleasure as they glanced at the robe.

“It matches the color of your eyes! So lovely!”

“No other lady in Court will have a robe as lovely as that!”

Not only that, but the robe came with a couple of new hair ornaments and earrings for me. When I was dressed and bejeweled properly, I glanced at myself in the mirror. Indeed, it would be hard to rival this outfit. No doubt my husband would be pleased with how I looked in the gifts that he had chosen for me. The hair pieces were also inspired from a phoenix, and the fine wrought gold work rose from my hair gracefully. With my chin raised and my shoulders back, I looked every bit the Fire Lady that my husband had made me.

And more importantly, I also felt every bit like one.

The trial was to be held in a large and infrequently-used chamber that was specially designed to hold audiences like this. The atmosphere was foreboding as I was carried there in my small palanquin. Countless eyes fell on me as I stepped down, my chin high as I moved to my seat. My husband sat on his throne, looking coolly regal in robes of ebony silk threaded with gold, his face set in a hard mask. His scar, added to that expression of his, made him look threatening, which was a appropriate effect for these circumstances.

Kuzon sat near me, dressed in a similar fashion to his father's. His hands were on his lap, his expression somewhere between calm and curious. My heart was pounding even as I calmly surveyed the audience. Red was mixed in with green and blue, so I did not stand out so much in my blue robes for this fact.

I let my eyes move along the room. Sitting in the middle and back rows of the audience seats were various Fire Nation citizens from nobility and government officials to peasants and workers. Up front were the delegates from the various cities and tribes, as well as the Fire Lord's own council. The audience bowed to me as I took my seat, according to my position. I inclined my head slightly as Hana had taught me so long ago.

Enki's men were already here, shackled and seated. None of them looked the worse for wear, though many of them looked nervous.

An angry shout preceded Enki's arrival into the room, and I almost let my jaw drop when I saw him physically dragged into the room by several burly Fire Nation guards. So much for acting dignified, I thought to myself. He was acting like a boy that was being dragged to his father's lap to be spanked.

With a rattle of chains, he was forced into his seat, the guards keeping at his side.

“This is a outrage! I do not belong here! I am the King of Omashu, and this is not how you treat a King!” he roared. I'd have thought he would have the common sense to act humble or even penitent in front of my husband and all the delegates that had come to decide his fate. Was he truly so blind to the consequences that his actions would have caused, or was he just plain stupid?

My husband was short in his opening speech. Since all of the delegates and him had already discussed Enki's actions and possible punishments, there was no need to rehash everything that the King of Omashu had done. Zuko's summation of the events was to the point, for the benefit of the citizens attending.

“You are all here today because this man, through his thoughtless actions, risked another Great War. He was so blinded by his own petty grievances that he refused to consider the grief that would be visited upon us all had he been allowed to carry his plans to fruition. Two innocent people – my wife and son – had their lives placed at risk by the man you see before you. And far more innocents would have been at risk had I not acted so quickly.” My husband's tone was cold and regal.

“And what charges do you bring against me?” Enki spat out contemptuously. His brother, several seats away from him and unchained, was unable to hold back a wince. Were I him, I'd be wincing too. If the Fire Lord decided to annex Omashu, he would be within his rights to do so – and every person in Bumi's bloodline would lose all claims to the throne, including Enki's sibling. They would all become peasants, outcasts – even exiled or executed.

Kamas stepped forward, full of coolness and dignity, a scroll in his hands. This paper came unrolled and the charges were listed out loud. Breach of hospitality and diplomacy, kidnapping of the Fire Lady and Prince, harm to the Lady and Prince's person, intent to use them as hostages, attempts at extortion, the deaths of several Fire Nation soldiers – they had been killed during the melee on Enki's ship and had been given proper burials and full honors afterward – insults to the Fire Lord and Lady. There were several other charges on the list. Altogether, it was enough to guarantee that Enki would never see the light of day again, should the Fire Lord desire it.

“I deny all of these charges.” Enki stated petulantly. Shockingly, there was a small ripple of laughter throughout the courtroom. The audacity to make such a statement was galling, and after a moment, the laughter suddenly seemed rather appropriate.

“That does not change things.” Kamas replied coolly as he took several steps closer to Enki, “There are far too many witnesses to what you did. Not excluding the Fire Lady and the Prince themselves. You breached the rules of hospitality and diplomacy. You were prepared to throw away two decades of peace – a peace that we have all worked for.” With this statement, he gave a respectful nod to the delegates.

“I don't need to be lectured by a half-breed scum like you. Whoreson.”

This time, there was no laughter. Kama's past was not talked about. Most people here did not know of Kamas' mixed heritage. His service to the Fire Lord, and his prowess in the Council room and out on the battlefield were exemplary. The “stain” on his heritage was insignificant. And to bring it up in this setting was a huge breach of both the rules of the courtroom and of common sense.

“The fact that you would call me such a thing here only reflects on how poorly you were raised. I was certain that as King of Omashu, you would have displayed more courtesy to myself and everybody else here. Are you sure you're not the whoreson here?” I mentally congratulated Kamas on turning Enki's words back at him.

“I don't need you lecturing me. I don't need to be lectured by Fire Nation filth! You should be crushed into the ground for what your country has done to the other nations!”

“Keep in mind that the Fire Lord has been generous in his hospitality and diplomacy to the other nations in the last two decades. No one here will deny that but you. Look around you, your Majesty...” here, Kamas' voice was tinged with a bit of sarcasm as he referred to Enki as that, “The son of the chief of the Northern Tribe. The chief of the Southern Tribe. Suki of Kyoshi. Toph of the Beifongs.” And he rattled off the names of the delegates one by one, a respectful nod to each one in turn.

“All of them are allied with the Fire Lord. Not through threats, coercion, or war. You were given chances again and again to become an ally. Yet, the Fire Lord never forced you. He did not have to return Omashu to your grandfather. And you came here to Sozun of your own free will. I suggest that you carry yourself with more decorum here.” With that, Kamas inclined his head to my husband.

“Feel free to plead your case.” Zuko stated. This was a mere formality, I knew. I could see it in the faces of the delegates. None of them thought of Enki too highly, and were impatient for this to be over.

What followed was a pitiful, winded speech of how the Fire Nation had the War on the other Nations for a hundred years and how they had to be punished. How frightened his family had been when Omashu had been annexed and Bumi taken prisoner. It didn't garner any sympathy from me, and it didn't garner any from anyone else, if their faces were any indication.

Recess was called, so that we might all get some fresh air and have some tea. Enki's sentence had not been handed out, but his part of the trial was over. Next, we would be bringing forth the Fire Nation citizens that had aided Enki in his plan. It seemed ironic to me that even though he looked down at Fire Nation, he had to have the help of some of its citizens.

I sat on a bench with Suki. I found her company far preferable to most of the women of the Court, and I would be sad when she left. The recess was short, but it was necessary. Nearby, I saw delegates and Fire Nation citizens alike doing the same. Servants milled about with tea and cool snacks for the warm day.

I was silent as I saw several Court ladies approach me, Miharaki and Hau in that group. All bowed before me.

“My lady, it gladdens me to see that you are well.” Miharaki stated solicitously. I remained aloof. The investigation had cleared Miharaki of all wrongdoing. She had been used by the real culprit, the tea party at her family's estate meant to set her up as part of the kidnapping plan. But I gave no indication that I knew of her innocence. Her family had taken a risk in coming today, knowing that the fact that I had been kidnapped off their estate did not cast them in a positive light.

For now, I had to keep a cool face, and keep what I knew to myself. My almost complete withdrawal from Court and public life was as much for show as it was for my own safety. I had to act the part of the shell-shocked woman who had 'nearly lost her life and/or virtue' in the kidnapping attempt.

“I am as well as I can be, given the circumstances, I suppose.” I replied coolly. I saw her flinch and did not acknowledge it. Let her think that I held her responsible. We all had our parts to play.

The large room was no less stuffy than it was before. Even though my robe was of summer-weight silk, I still felt warm. Gracefully I fanned myself, seeing several other women doing the same.

Enki's turn in the spotlight was over. Now, onto what I considered to be the real fun.

“Of course, the disgraceful deed that the King of Omashu and his men participated in could not have been pulled off without inside help. The Fire Lady and Prince had to be drawn out of the Palace to make it easier to kidnap them, and the Gates of Azulon were not pulled up to prevent the Omashu ships from leaving the bay.” Kamas stated. I could feel my pulse pick up a little.

“It is disgusting and shameful to think that even just one of my countrymen might have assisted Enki in his wretched deed. But it is fact. A thorough investigation has been conducted, and has turned up several key facts and witnesses.” His gaze was penetrating as they slowly moved over the audience. Even though I already knew who the culprits were, I still found myself waiting with bated breath to hear Kamas' proclamation.

His gaze fell on the unfortunate Miharaki and the family members that were with her. I saw them flinch.

“Not only would these people involve themselves with a plot to kidnap the Lady and Prince, they would also set up their fellow citizens to take the fall.” Now, his gaze fixed on the members of the Iyashii clan. I had to hide a small smile behind my fan.

“You would betray your Fire Lord. You would assist in the kidnapping of his wife and son. You would try to ensnare unsuspecting citizens to take the fall for you. You would risk the safety of our Nation!”

Even though Kamas was not pure Fire Nation, he still loved his nation fiercely, and his loyalty to Zuko had no rival. His love for his Nation and his Lord was clear in the words he spoke.

“Why would accuse us of such a thing?” a middle-aged man in rich red robes demanded. He was Hisaki, son of the head of the Iyashii clan, and Hau's father.

“I do.” the Fire Lord replied as he rose from his throne. He stood regally, his black silk-encased form powerful and commanding.

“Ever since I have become Fire Lord, you have made it apparent that you wish I was more like my ancestors. You still thirst for war. You refuse to understand that the world must be kept in balance. Out of your hatred and bigotry, you saw the chance to get rid of my wife, didn't you?”

“We only did it because we thought the Fire Lord deserved better!” Hau wailed, breaking down under the Fire Lord's gaze. Her father looked as if he wanted to whip the skin off her back, and given the opportunity, I had no doubt that he would.

“The Fire Lord is the descendant of Agni. For two decades he has kept this country prosperous. Agni smiles on him and blesses him. He is the Son of Heaven. He has more than earned the right to choose the wife he wants. By thinking that he has made the incorrect choice, you do him a great disservice.” Kamas replied calmly.

“And wouldn't that be treason?” he added. Hisaki was practically purple in the face. Treason against the Fire Lord meant death.

“Forgive my foolish daughter. She was young and rash. I had no knowledge of this.” he stated, “Punish her as you see fit.”

Hau let out a scream before she spun around to face her father. Before she could speak, he cuffed her.

“Foolish girl! You let your jealousy get the better of you! I am ashamed to call you my child!” he roared. This was a act, I knew it.

“Ah, but we have several witnesses saying that you and your father orchestrated this plot. Your daughter was but a small part of it, was she not?” Kamas asked. Murmurs rippled through the room as Fire Nation citizens turned to look at the members of the Iyashii clan.

“Fah! Anyone who would accuse me of such things is a liar!” Hisaki stated, trying to maintain his composure with so many eyes on him.

“So you deny having the harbor master drugged so that he could not raise the alarm and have the Gates of Azulon raised?” Kamas pressed. When Kamas had revealed it to Zuko and I in private, I was shocked that the Iyashii clan would actually go that far, to risk the security of the Fire Nation Capitol. It turned out that a servaqnt had been sent to the harbor master with wine and a few other gifts from the Iyashii clan. There was still some wine left in the jar after the harbor master and a couple of his men had passed out, and it was with that that Kamas' men had figured out that it was drugged with a rather potent drug that could have killed him had he drunk the entire jug on his own. It had been made to look as if he had simply drunk himself into a stupor. Had the plot not been revealed, the poor man and his underlings would have been punished severely. He had spent several days in the dungeon before being cleared, protesting his innocence all the while.

“I had nothing to do with such a thing!” Hisaki protested loudly.

“The servant who delivered the gifts testified that it was you who sent them, after I sent my men to question your servants.” Kamas replied coolly. I held back a smirk. It was a given that the servant would lose his job after a beating... if he was still there. As it was, Kamas has removed the servant to safety the day before, making it look as if he had run away.

“It would appear that some of your servants disapprove of you being so... disloyal to the Fire Nation.”

“How is sending gifts disloyal?” Hisaki asked, contradicting his earlier statement.

“I'm not talking of the gifts... I'm talking about the plot itself.” Kamas replied.

With a motion of his hand, he sent a guard scurrying out of the court room. I know that Kamas told me that a servant had heard Hisaki and his father plotting, but I didn't know who. My eyes widened slightly in surprise when I saw a figure limp between two guards. I had seen this young male once before, at the tea party where I had been kidnapped. He had been one of Hau's personal servants, and she had berated him loudly for not being fast enough. Hau had said that some of the personal servants had taken sick from a bad dish the night before, and the poor boy had been but one of several servants still standing, so she was stuck with him as her parents and grandparents had taken the others, her tone full of disdain. She had even gone so far as to call him a worthless cripple in front of the other ladies. I had felt pity for the boy for having a mistress like that, and remembered holding back a cringe as she had berated him for not being quick enough to bring her her fan and a few other things.

The boy dropped to his knees, albeit a bit haltingly because of his limp, and he kowed to Zuko and myself, giving us the proper greetings.

“You may rise.” the Fire Lord stated. He did so, again with some difficulty.

“Be seated.” Kamas stated, his tone warmer to this boy than he had been with the Iyashii family. With some relief, the boy took the offered seat. He did not appear to be older than ten or eleven, and had large eyes the color of dark amber, his hair black. He was scrawny, and his clothes were worn but maintained.

“Please tell the people before you how you came to be part of the household.” Kamas asked. I doubt anyone had ever said 'please' to the poor boy before.

“My father... he died when I was young. My mother was sick and unable to find someone willing to hire her for her poor health. We had no relatives wealthy enough or willing to help us out. So we lived on the street, begging. She... died not long after that, and I was left on my own.” His thin hands twisted together as he took a deep breath. Kamas nodded at him patiently.

“I was begging in the market when one of the servants of the Iyashii household saw me and took pity on me. She let me go with her, and begged the lord to let me stay. I was to be a servant, for food and a roof over my head.”

“How long have you been there?”

“Three years, sir.”

“This is irrelevant!” Hisaki snarled. There was no doubt that he would have beat the boy if he could – or that he had done so in the past. Guards had to hold him down.

“When did you hear of the plot?” Kamas asked as if Hisaki had never spoken.

“Not until after the Lady and Prince had been kidnapped. It was a day after they had been brought back home. I was sweeping the hallway outside Karki's apartment.” he explained. Karki was Hisaki's father, and head of the Iyashii clan. So often could information fall in the hands of servants, I mused to myself. I was always careful to exercise discretion in front of the servants – my personal ones or that of the general household staff.

“I heard Karki yell at his son. How the plan to take the... Lady away had failed and that it was all Hisaki's fault.” he continued. I did not miss his hesitation, and neither did Kamas.

“What did they call the Lady?” Kamas asked.

“I would not wish to offend the Fire Lady. It was something I never would have said or thought.” Kysh pleaded.

“Tell us what they called her.” Kamas looked up at me, and I nodded.

“You will not be disciplined for telling Kamas something that someone else had said.” I replied, lowering my fan slightly.

“They... they called her Water Tribe trash and a stain on the royal family, sire. Karki was yelling, and he threw something against the wall. He then said wished that it was 'the barbarian whore's' head that was being smashed against the wall and not the teapot – I had to clean it up after Hisaki left.” He quickly bowed his head.

“You little brat! After I took you in and fed you!” Hisaki yelled. The boy was now trembling slightly, and I saw pity on a few faces. I quickly looked over my shoulder at my husband.

“My lord, if I may ask him questions?” I asked. He gave me a stiff nod, and I looked down at the boy. My asking for permission was a mere formality, I knew that my husband would allow me to speak. Still, asking him was a public display of respect, wife to husband.

“You offered Kamas that information at great risk to yourself. What gave you the courage to do that?”

“They were not good masters and very... disloyal to the Fire Nation. I remember my father telling me that loyalty was a very important thing, and that honor was irreplaceable.” Kysh said quietly. I nodded slowly.

“They complained that the Fire Lord was too... peaceful and said that the Fire Lord Sozin would be ashamed of him.”

I knew that comment hit my husband harder than it did me. When he was younger, I understood that he had been raised to follow Sozin's footsteps and conquer the world if Ozai had not done so at that point.

After a couple more questions, the boy was led away to the sound of Hisaki berating him. I had to stop myself from shaking my head slowly. A couple more people were called to the stand, including a couple of Enki's men, who had testified to acting as liaisons between Hisaki and Enki. Apparently, Hau had picked up on Enki and my previous relationship and gone to her father, who saw a opportunity to be rid of me and have a chance to put his daughter in Zuko's bed... and profit from the conflict that would without a doubt ensue had Enki been successful in his plan. None of the Iyashii clan had any high enough positions, and unlike many of the other noble houses, they had no current business venture to keep their coffers full.

At least, not legitimate ones. Before the War ended, they had profited enormously from weapons manufacture, which predictably had dropped sharply after the War ended. Now, many soldiers were used as police officers and guards, and the weapons that had existed before the War were kept maintained or improved on per the Fire Lord's command to maintain resources, greatly cutting the need for mass production of new weapons or vehicles.

Now, the Iyashii clan was secretly padding their coffers with the sale of opium. The substance itself wasn't illegal, and was used mainly as a painkiller, but there were strict rules and regulations regarding its use and sale due to its narcotic effect and the consequences of addiction. It turned out that the clan had large fields of poppies on other islands, registered under different names to hide their connections. The drug was then shipped to various parts of the Fire Nation, but most of it went to the Earth Kingdom, at a hefty price because the Islands were a better place for poppies of a high quality to grow. The ships carrying the drug were also registered under different names by different agents, often members of the clan in disguise. A month of steady investigation by Kamas and men that he had sent turned all of this up for the Fire Lord's knowledge.

Since this was done under cover, it also ensured that the enormous profit did not show in the Iyashii account books... preventing them from paying taxes to the Fire Nation. This added another crime to the list of offenses that the clan had against it.

Ashen-faced after Kamas had flushed all of this evidence out into light, Hisaki sat there, his head bowed. He knew that he was done for, and so was his family.

“Have you anything else to say for yourself?” Kamas asked him coldly.

“The Prince wasn't supposed to be kidnapped.” Hisaki offered weakly, clearly hoping that it would help his case, even just a bit.

“Really?” Kamas replied, his voice wry.

“The agreement... was for the King of Omashu to kidnap the Fire Lady. Nobody else. Kidnapping the Prince was entirely his idea.” Hisaki stated, his eyes narrowing at the King of Omashu, as if Enki were the sole cause of the troubles that had just befallen the Iyashiis.

“You sought to betray the Fire Nation... and you were betrayed in turn. A harsh turnaround, wouldn't you say?” my husband asked as he rose from his seat.