The 11th Regiment landed to some fanfare, as the port town of Zilang had a respectable turnout of colonists who had not forgotten their saviors. As the boarding ramp dropped and armored boots slowly marched down, the governor bowed deeply in respect to the arriving soldiers. When Azula appeared, he and his retinue dropped to their knees with appropriate deference.
"The town of Zilang happily welcomes the royal princess and her valiant warriors," the one-armed governor declared in a clear, unshaking voice once her feet set foot on solid ground.
Azula smiled at the gratitude and respect she was receiving. Deference without too much fear was a nice change. That the colonists were clearly far more enamored with the soldiers of the regiment than worried about her presence here was a novel experience, but one that the princess ignored. After all, it was her regiment, so any accolades and praises it received was also indirectly meant for her.
And based on the briefings, this town had every right to look up to the 11th. Colonel Lidai had fended off a rather stubborn Earth Kingdom force from the region several times, and Xing had concocted a brilliant plan that snuffed the raiders out completely right outside the town walls. Azula had skimmed through the reports, but it basically involved baiting the earthbending marauders into besieging the emptied town, and then crushing them in a decisive flanking attack.
The victory that followed earned Colonel Lidai a main street and a memorial in Zilang when they heard of his passing.
Supposedly, Xing and a group of daring volunteers (Lieutenant Ren and Captain Kai included, because of course they were) served as the anvil, keeping the Earth Kingdom army at the walls. The boy was somehow credited with seizing the heads of five Earth Kingdom lieutenants, two captains, and two champions.
"Most of them were claimed at the same time," Ren had helpfully explained. "You've seen Xing's firebending…uh, your highness. The enemy were running up their earthbended dirt ramp when Xing popped his head up and then exploded the lot of them away. It was just convenient that he aimed for center mass… Left their heads intact enough for the prisoners to identify."
Remembering the white flames, Azula nodded her understanding and couldn't fully keep herself from grinning at picturing Xing adopting a stance and erasing the insolent enemies. And as of late, just imagining the boy in any form made the princess feel…funny.
She had her growing suspicions about it, but it was a revelation that Azula was more than happy to postpone for as long as she could.
Speaking of which, the princess could hear Xing walking up just behind her to salute the rising governor. "Governor Dae, any Earth Kingdom troublemakers nearby to deal with by any chance?"
Azula noted the governor's scarred and mildly deformed face warping into a smile, his right sleeve flat against his sides due to the lack of a whole arm. The princess saw his disfigurement as an impressive display of the man's character. He had survived an early Earth Kingdom raid, cutting off his trapped limb and digging himself out of a pile of rubble. According to the soldiers who were there, Colonel Lidai had appealed for him to retain his governorship, rather than allow for the Colonial Ministry to replace the crippled civil servant.
It seemed to be the correct decision, considering Zilang's relative prosperity. That Governor Dae still served despite several nobles back home eyeing his position spoke rather well of his competence.
"Ah, Xi- Colonel Xing. Unfortunately, none of them have dared trespass too deeply in the region ever since your regiment broke the last group."
"A shame," Xing said, feigning irritation.
Governor Dae's eyes twinkled with dark mischief. "Quite so. It's inconsiderate of them, considering the efforts we've taken to prepare for their next visit."
Azula allowed them and the surrounding soldiers and colonists their chuckles, and then followed the governor to his estate, where she and the officers of the 11th would be housed for the night.
"Are you sure you do not wish to rest a few nights before heading out?" Governor Dae asked.
Xing glanced at Azula, waiting for her nod before he answered. "The 11th Regiment cannot dally about too much. The Fire Lord has ordered us to provide our aid and prove our worth as soon as possible."
"And I would like to see how this regiment performs before I return," the princess added. "There are some who worry that Colonel Xing here might be…a poor choice to lead."
The governor frowned at that, managing to hide most of his disgust. "If I may be frank, your highness… Colonel Xing here is a worthy successor to Colonel Lidai. Many in the colonies would easily place their trust in him despite his youth, rather than rely on a...an untested appointment from the capital."
Perhaps before this, Azula might have found the governor's words to be insolent. Treasonous even, for questioning the decisions of the royal court. But now she only found herself amused and agreeing with the scarred man. Besides, he was voicing his veiled disgust at the corrupt nobles who allowed the travesty of Shiluo to happen, not her or her father.
"I agree," she replied with a firm nod, ignoring how the governor shifted in place. "That is why I have granted the 11th my patronage, and why I will be observing the regiment for a while to see for myself Colonel Xing's competence as a commander."
"Your highness is most gracious to protect the regiment from the politics of nobles."
Huh. Azula blinked. This governor was about the first person outside of father and the regiment to see her patronage as protection from court interference, and not a young princess trying to play general. The princess decided she liked Governor Dae.
Maybe once she returned to the capital, she would see to his own web of politics, see if there were any tangled knots that needed a little royal snipping.
In the meantime, Azula grinned at the genuine praise. "Indeed. So many shortsighted nobles who only see Xing as a mere boy, even if he's already vouched for by several notable commanders."
She then turned to Xing with a smirk of superiority. "See? Governor Dae understands the importance of your regiment's patronage."
Xing rolled his eyes and then slowly stooped into a bow and salute. "I thank you for your trust in my abilities, your highness."
Even with the deadpan delivery, for some reason Azula's heart skipped a beat. It wasn't the insolence of his familiarity…was it? Did she really find the casual treatment so…enjoyable?
"Well…quite. Now, let us move on to more important topics."
Beyond the necessary audience with the more (relatively) influential locals before dinner, the short stay in Zilang was unremarkable. The 11th Regiment began marching northeast as soon dawn broke. Mounted on a mongoose lizard, Azula rode alongside Xing and Mozi on their own reptile mounts at the head of the regiment. Kai's battalion was immediately behind them, followed by Ren's, Weikong, Ping, and finally Rufen.
Looking over her shoulder, the princess had to admit that the line of soldiers in deep red and black with spears and banners bobbing up and down made for a rather impressive sight. Xing had decided to modify the old regiment's banner, interestingly adopting a black scorpion for himself, sat under Lidai's own gold-yellow phoenix, displayed and expanded. Of course, the royal flame was placed above both of them as a sign of Azula's favor.
"The colonel's choice for an emblem aside, it is good that he honors Colonel Lidai," Governor Dae had remarked on seeing the banners. "It reminds friends and enemies alike of the nature of the force they face, and gives time for Colonel Xing to build his own reputation."
As much as the nobles back home snubbed him, Colonel Lidai seemed to have left a mark in the colonies…well, in Zilang at the very least. The subtleties (or lack thereof) of emblem placement was of little interest to Azula, but she did note its significance amongst those in the know. Perhaps the Earth Kingdom would also understand the nuances of the banners.
Hopefully she'll find out soon enough.
The march out east was largely uneventful, though it was interesting hearing the regiment's marching song. The tune was unfamiliar, but the lyrics were rather uplifting.
"I don't recognize the song," she had said, and it was Mozi who answered with some awkwardness.
"Xi- Colonel Xing introduced the tune, along with several others."
Azula glanced at Xing who was pretending not to listen. "Is that so?" She didn't bother trying to ask any further; Xing would probably shrug it off and everyone would say it's the spirits again.
Other than that, Azula learned about the inconveniences of military camping. Though her tent was considered lavish compared to what everyone else was sleeping in, she found the bedding to be too thin, and the smells and sounds of the camp to be too distracting. It took a full week before the princess got used to the rough conditions.
And of course there was the primitiveness of latrines and the lack of proper baths. Water was prioritized for cooking and the far-too-rare laundering. And this was a regiment with optimal supplies. It must have been truly remarkable that Xing and the others survived with scraps before this.
Still, roughing it with the soldiers had its perks. By now, Azula had to admit some fondness for the company of the officers, and the semi-formal respect the soldiers gave her. They bowed lightly in her presence, never letting it stop them from continuing their tasks unless ordered otherwise, but the respect in their voices as they addressed her was far, far preferable to the scraping sycophants and patronizing sneers in the palace.
There was little to no fear of her amongst the 11th Regiment, but it was an acceptable tradeoff. If anything, Azula still envied how casually the veteran soldiers treated their colonel. Xing was far less uptight than he was back in the capital, and ignored the breaches of decorum when he mingled with the older soldiers. They patted him on the back, ruffled his hair, hugged (or in Kai's case, bearhugged) him…
Azula stamped down those thoughts before it could threaten to overtake her rational mind. The affection of the regiment to its colonel was intriguing and nice, but she was a princess after all, and royal distance, royal strength had to be maintained.
Though perhaps some day…
Not for the first time Azula shook her head to banish the stubborn line of thinking, and distracted herself on other issues. Like the prisoner carts between the battalions. It was surprising to see the Water Tribe and Earth Kingdom occupants sitting obediently without chains or stocks, chatting with their guards as if they were just guests. The casual handling of the supposedly valuable prisoners was a slap to the face of conventional doctrine, yet the 11th had no recent reports of attempted escapes.
She did notice Xing seeing to them everytime they set up camp, and heard the muted conversations within their tents. There was unmistakable joviality in the voices, a casual banter like that amongst old colleagues. It was puzzling, but the princess decided to leave it to the regiment. If a prisoner was caught trying to escape, then she'd happily dress down Xing and the other officers.
A sudden stray thought wriggled and screamed in her head: Not that she would mind having Xing dressing down for her.
"Are you alright, princess?" a bodyguard asked with some concern as she coughed heavily at the thought.
"Fi- I'm fine."
Why did she have to think that?
Azula hurried into her tent with orders not to be disturbed. She didn't dare look at the mirror or touch her face.
Why did she have to imagine Xing standing before her and getting out of his armor, and his clothes, and hi-
Argh, she was doing it again. She needed to redirect the…weirdness. Needed to find something else to focus on.
Azula popped out of her tent no less than five seconds after entering, and her guards were professional enough not to question her about it. "Find me the colonel," she ordered. "Tell him I need to train."
It was a great idea indeed; not only did the weird thoughts go away for the time being, but there was a satisfaction to be had from sparring with Xing, even if she inevitably lost. The cheers and commiseration from onlookers was nice, but the rush of combat against him…that was nicer.
Regardless, she didn't get to ponder the new turn of emotions for too much. Fifteen days after leaving Zilang, Azula found something to look forward to.
"Scouts have reported an Earth Kingdom army of some size pushing west," Xing announced in the command tent. "We don't know their destination just yet…" The boy paused and gave a lopsided grin. "...but I suppose there's only one way to find out, right?"