To Lose or to Gain: Boiling Point (Avatar: The Last Airbender Fanfic)

Betrayal

The Earth Kingdom was filled with dust, or so his men complained.

In reality, Earth Kingdom was no dustier than the Fire Nation during this time of year. Of course, knowing this made Lu Ten remember a time when he freely joked about the Earth Kingdom being so filled with dust, his sixteen-year-old self simply thinking he was being clever like his father, witty even.

Now, though, he saw the words as the prejudice they were, ingrained into him by propaganda which was starting to wear him thin, which in turn felt like so much of a betrayal giving the fact he was the heir apparent to the crown prince of the Fire Nation, one General Iroh. But then, he felt he'd already done so much betrayal over the last eleven to twelve years and now he was in his thirties and thinking more for himself.

Watching his men while leaning up against a tree, his hand absentmindedly reached up for his top not, freezing upon touching the band which held his hair in place. The frown on his face deepened, his mouth opening ever so slightly as his mind contemplated the gift.

~

"Here," Ursa said, shoving something into his hand and wrapping his fingers around something which felt like a hairpiece. The piece felt a bit intimate for someone who wasn't her husband or her son, yet in the back of Lu Ten's mind he knew – he knew without her saying anything, that the intimacy was meant to be there. Ozai, after all, didn't know how to be intimate with his wife which was 'how' the entire mess started.

Opening his hand up though to get an ever so brief glance at the headpiece so that nobody's suspicions might be aroused by Princess Ursa giving him any form of a gift, particularly the suspicions of Ozai. Yet, his hand remained open, the surprise evident at seeing the headpiece reserved for the crown prince. His head darted up, looking Ursa in the eye with his own, his mouth opening as the fire in his belly flared with excitement. "Where? Where did you come by this? How?"

A finger touched his lips ever so gently, only as he knew Ursa could be, yet his mind corrected himself, reminding himself that Ursa managed to pass on said gentleness to Zuko which only reminded him of how much Ozai wanted to break Zuko of that very thing that made the boy who he was. A smile flittered across her face, reminding Lu Ten of his late grandmother's own beauty and how it made him think they both could be spirits from the spirit world.

It fit, given how forbidden Ursa was supposed to be.

"I've told you before that I'm descended from Avatar Roku, but this was given to him by another Crown Prince as a token of friendship and was the one thing he took with him despite having been told to take nothing. My great-grandmother Ta Min, she told Lady Ilah to tell me growing up here in the palace that it wasn't something his teachers objected to, but it also brought him luck and she wished that luck be passed onto me, and now I wish for that luck to be passed onto you."

"Yes, but this gift is..."

"Quite fitting for someone who will one day himself by Crown Prince, as it is the headpiece of the Crown Prince, is it not."

It was also something that wouldn't raise any suspicions, meaning nobody would expect, yet he and Ursa both knew the real sentiments behind the said gift.

~

"You should tell your father."

"You promised you wouldn't say anything to anyone Akio."

"It's not my place, but I think your father of all people would be understanding Prince Lu Ten." His childhood friend let out a laugh. "The person I'd worry about is actually the Fire Lord."

There was indeed no telling how the Fire Lord would react to such a transgression, but the way things were – they definitely weren't right. He still remembered Zuko's golden eyes looking up into his own, twinkling at the promise of actually being properly taught Fire Bending once Lu Ten had the chance to, though now with how long the war was lasting and how little time he was able to spend at home due to this duties, he didn't see this happening any time soon meaning Zuko would fall further and further behind his peers, and all because of Ozai.

"Duties..." Lu Ten found himself scoffing at the word, remembering the naïve sixteen-year-old who thought duty to the Fire Nation alone would change the world, clever as his sixteen-year-old self was. His mouth twisted.

A pat on the shoulder from his friend didn't make him look up and instead he found himself looking at the hand which touched the crown. "I'm going ahead to deliver the message to your father that you and your contingent are approaching, but the report you relayed to the Fire Lord went over quite well and that you'll regale him of more details regarding the matter, and of home when you arrive." His friend didn't move right away, but then said. "And Prince Lu Ten, you know I'll support you whatever your decision on the matter."

He thus found himself left alone to his thoughts, looking forward to seeing his father again, which...

The war was starting to make even him feel tired, but then one might argue at age thirty his bones were starting to become old like the other members of the Royal family. There were few things he looked forward to: his father, his grandfather, Ursa, Zuko. After all, his uncle and Azula weren't the sort to extend the warm heart Lu Ten found himself eating up and feeding his flames that he used to Firebend.

Glancing up, his eyes narrowed, suddenly sensing the mood in the camp changed, almost as if someone were waiting for Akio to leave as if that person knew Akio was highly trusted by both Lu Ten and General Iroh. A gasp of breath escaped from Lu Ten's mouth as he felt a sharp blade pierce his side from the back, but his eyes went down to where said blade protruded, the blood pulling around the wound while the person stepped closer, so they might whisper into his ear as he heard the cries of his men as they were attacked.

"Prince Ozai sends his regards Prince Lu Ten."