Chapter 55.3- And So The Dragons Danced

He gave him a hug then, whispering his question into his friend’s ears— “Is it done?” He asked, and Toji nodded against his body. He smiled. That was some good news at least. Toji’s letter had reached him upon arrival and it had contained what was his plan for dealing with the fools that had sought to kill him, and while Natsu wasn’t the biggest fan of the chaos that the executions would cause, preferring that they just disappeared with no trace, he could recognize the value in a public execution. Setting an example for the rest of the lot with a few rilled heads would be useful. It would be the first public execution since Sozin left the throne, but being compared to the Greatest Fire Lord in history wasn’t the worst possible thing out there.

I took a step back from Toji, and then came Toph breaking all forms of protocol to barrel into my midsection. I smiled as I wrapped my own arms around her, bragging her close to me and enjoying the way she breathed in my scent. Someway, somehow, I had come to love this girl like a daughter. It probably didn’t make much sense to most others considering there was only a physical eight year gap between us. The mental gap, which they would never know of, was far more substantial, and raising her in this universe allowed me to eight some wrongs from my old one. An Olympic level gymnast had no time for distractions, and so even when I did have children on the way, it was understood by everyone involved that I would be involved as little as possible.

I allowed those memories wash over me before I locked them away where they belonged and waited for Toph to let go before doing so myself and turning to the next person in the line. Zhufu had begun showing. Not much, just the barest amount. Enough for people to notice, but not enough for them to comment without risking causing offense. It took some time before a pregnancy could easily be distinguished from the effects of a snack or two too many and so they would wait until that time arrived before commenting. That gave us time. Time to figure shit out. I returned her bow with a nod rather than one of my own to show my rank before I moved on to the next person on the line. I had finished greetings in five minutes and moved on to the meeting room where the last of the planning for my coronation would take place.

—

“Twenty-Eight days of feasting to represent the dance between Agni and Soma” One of the lords suggested and I felt a headache building.

“More wine, my lord?” The cupbearer asked, and I waved my hand too say yes. Anything to get this thing to move even quicker. I sipped from the glass while a Fire Sage suggested two twenty-eight day fasts rather than feasts. Who the hell were these idiots?