Chapter Text
He’d been twenty-four years old when he returned from war for the last time.
Twenty-four, a newly made orphan, a wounded soldier incapable of standing on his own, a disgraced commander who hadn’t been able to rally the troops following his father’s (disappearance) death.
Crown Prince, for a matter of mere hours, before the missive arrived bearing news of his grandfather’s death and his uncle becoming the new Fire Lord.
Not until he reached his nation’s shores did Lu Ten also hear about his aunt vanishing the same night Azulon passed away, the night before Ozai received a polished crown in his topknot. It was the final pai sho tile on the board, the last tick of a tumbler’s lock for him to understand.
When Lu Ten found himself before the Fire Lord’s throne, he knew all too well that his choices were to kneel or die. So, despite the continued stiffness of his healing muscle and bone, despite the raging, crying, grieving fire in his heart, the twenty-four year old made himself get down on bended knee.
He later thought to himself that Ozai seemed almost disappointed.
-Where You End-
Lu Ten was newly turned twenty-five and finally (mostly) recovered when he took over his cousin’s training and lessons.
“It’s tradition that the former heir passes on the important stuff to the next,” he said with a teasing grin, Zuko tucked against his side by the turtle-duck pond Aunt Ursa so loved. “And that’s technically what we’re still doing, even though it’s really meant to be parent to child.”
Ozai made a point of making sure Lu Ten knew he was watched at all hours; servants who lingered a little too long in his chambers, guards who shifted slightly as he walked by. And because of that, the young man didn’t doubt there were plans in store for his cousin, because if the Fire Lord truly considered Zuko his heir, Lu Ten wouldn’t be allowed nearly so much close personal contact. As it was, he pretty much only saw Azula at meals and royal functions, or on the rare occasion she still deigned to ‘play’ with her brother.
So. He oversaw which tutors taught Zuko his history and strategy lessons, the calligraphy and numerical practice, court etiquette and diplomacy. They spent a couple hours every day firebending, followed by sword combat and strengthening exercises. Despite being hindered by his stiff leg and bamboo cane, Lu Ten watched with sharp eyes, led by example when possible. He did what he could to hammer home the importance of basics, of knowing a move so instinctively that no time needed to be wasted thinking it through during a fight. Sometimes, he knew, his cousin felt impatient to move on and try the advanced techniques Azula added more of to her repertoire every day, but Lu Ten only ever needed to recount another battlefield example of a basic trick saving his life to get the kid back on track.
And still, they always made time to sit by the turtle-duck pond.
-Where You End-
Being allowed in the Fire Lord’s war meetings always felt a bit of a joke to Lu Ten; the disgraced royal, no longer in the line of succession, never promoted past a minor command position and yet given opportunity to voice an occasional tidbit of advice to grey-haired generals and an uncle that discounted his opinion regardless.
He thought letting Zuko in to join him would be a good eye-opener for the kid, and present an opportunity to commiserate later.
A mistake.
-Where You End-
Every bedroom in the royal family’s wing of the palace contained at least one secret entrance, all of them connected by twisting, booby-trapped tunnels that led down into the catacombs beneath the Caldera. Not every family member knew about them; the passages would be perfect for conducting assassinations, after all, so traditionally, the Fire Lord only revealed the secret while on their deathbed to the heir.
Lu Ten never did figure out how his father knew about the passages, long before Azulon’s passing, but he thanked Agni that Iroh saw fit to share the knowledge with his teenage self. The look on Ozai’s face alone when he entered his innermost private chamber to find Lu Ten leaning against the bed made the entire awkward ordeal of getting inside worth it. “You’re going to have him killed, aren’t you.”
To his credit, Ozai merely glared. No side-stepping by asking who or what do you mean, no diversion through demanding how did you get in here. He glared, and strode towards his wardrobe, and flicked a dismissive hand. “You provided an ideal opportunity.”
Lu Ten clenched his jaw so hard he nearly cracked a tooth. “Counteroffer. Let me leave with him, tonight. We’ll disappear like your wife, never to bother you again.”
His uncle scoffed at that. “And allow you to go seek out dissidents who think they should intervene with matters of succession? I think not.”
“Just Zuko, then. Send him somewhere out of the way, declare Azula the new Crown Princess.”
“Are you truly suggesting I banish my own son, nephew?” Ozai sounded amused. “I thought he was your favorite.”
Lu Ten didn’t dare let himself move, because overreaching in his anger would be the quickest path towards his own execution. “I’d prefer banishment over death, if we’re talking about my never seeing him again.”
“Mm.” For a few minutes, Ozai went about disrobing and donning his sleep garments, not paying his main political rival the slightest bit of attention. Perhaps it was the cane, resting pointedly at Lu Ten’s side; maybe he just thought the younger man had truly become weak and toothless in his two years since returning from war.
Not for the first or last time, Lu Ten wished desperately for his father’s help.
“...no,” the Fire Lord finally pronounced. “No, my son has offered insult within my own throne room, and fighting an Agni Kai is his only way forward. It would be an even graver dishonor for him to vanish in the night like a skulking rogue. But I do appreciate you seeking me out to voice your thoughts, nephew; perhaps we will discuss them again after the duel tomorrow.”
He remained in place for a few moments longer despite the obvious dismissal, just to prove he could. Then Lu Ten picked up his cane, and slowly stalked out of his uncle’s chambers.
(Not even halfway down the hall, and he could hear the sounds of furniture being shifted so Ozai could search for the secret entrance; it made him smile grimly.)
-Where You End-
Lu Ten was twenty-six years old when he watched his uncle burn a child’s face for refusing to fight.
He’d been twenty-five when he swore to ensure said child survived the machinations of their remaining family members.
He was a mere twenty-four when an airbender saved him from assassination outside the gates of Ba Sing Se, only for her to turn around and end his father’s life.