Deep lines appeared on his face as he furrowed his brows.

His daughter kneeled before him, eyes on the floor. She was obviously trying hard not to show any of the emotions she must be feeling.

Wordlessly he waved his hand, signaling that she could stand. Just as silently she complied. The Fire Lord had heard what had happened at the Boiling Rock. To say that he was disappointed was an understatement.

His daughter, the perfect one had failed him in ways that he had never imagined. She had proven himself to be weaker than he ever expected. She had lied to him, and those lies had helped push his other child away from him, away from his people. Now all of their carefully laid plans would be laid bare to the enemy because of her failure.

She had misjudged her friends, and because of that she was weak emotionally. He had raised her to have no friends, to simply rely on people because of necessity. She had ignored his words. She had proven that she did not listen.

She had failed to capture her brother and the Water Tribe peasant. She was supposed to be a Firebending prodigy, how could she be beaten by someone who was not supposed to be half as powerful and someone who couldn't bend at all?

Where had he gone wrong? He had raised her to be the image of himself in act and deed, so she should be just as successful as he. But, lately she had not seemed to be herself. How could this be happening? The Fire Lord didn't wish to admit it, however plain facts were staring him in the face.

His daughter was cracking under the pressure.

He hated to admit this. He hated to acknowledge that his own flesh and blood, the being that represented all that was best in him could be this vulnerable. Yet there the truth was, laid out in front of him on a platter. Her eyes were angry, brimming with unshed tears. Her body was sluggish, still not completely recovered from having her pressure point targeted by her acrobat friend who always wore pink.

As he looked into her eyes, for the first time in many years he felt as if he could see what she was really feeling. At first he saw a great hurt, a feeling of betrayal laced with loneliness. But, underneath all of that he saw hunger. Hunger for power, hunger for the throne he was currently sitting on. Ozai had always known that she wanted the throne, but the look in his daughters eyes also conveyed urgency. She just didn't want the throne, she wanted the throne now.

The Fire Lord couldn't help but feel revolted by what he saw. His daughter was a spineless coward! If she wanted the throne so badly, she should be making political maneuvers, or at least doing something to assert her position. Yet she did nothing, she stood by waiting to seize what was hers when he finally died.

Fed up with her, he waved his hand, motioning for her to leave. Heavily she bowed again and slowly walked to the door, pushing back the curtain and leaving the throne room. Ozai felt cold fury boil in his veins. He had coddled his daughter too much, he decided. Perhaps that was why his son, Zuko, was so self reliant and outspoken. Although the boy could occasionally be annoying with his different ideals, however he silently respected the young man for his bravery. At least he said what he meant. Not like his daughter.

Yes, he would have to harden her somehow. However, she was still an essential part of the invasion plan during the time when Sozin's Comet arrived, so he would simply have to continue her education after the war was won.