When fireprince Riza heard the news, he couldn't believe it. From the hardened, glaring looks his parents were giving the fire sage, neither could they. There was absolutely no way that Prince Riza, heir to the throne of the Fire Lord, could be the Avatar. But that was exactly what the fire sage was earnestly saying.
"We wish to take him to the temple of the Avatar, and there train him to mastery in firebending. No harm will come to him, we guarantee his safety. You can trust in our abilities to protect him." He kept repeating, reassuring the outraged Fire Lord, and the near hysterical Fire Lady.
Throughout it all, the fireprince could barely keep himself from shouting with excitement. Only years of diplomatic training kept him sitting cross legged on his throne.
"Mother, Father, I wish to go," he said, matter-of-factly. To tell the truth, he would have taken any excuse to leave. Life could get very boring if one was never let outside the palace. And infrequent public processions were little more than sitting in a box, looking out at the assembled citizens. No, he thought, I'd rather gargle cactus juice than stay here for another year.
Riza's statement had silenced the argument. His mother looked pleadingly at him
"Please, Riza, you can't go. You can't leave your position as heir," she said. His father had an excuse as well.
"You don't need any help learning firebending! Especially not from a group of moldy old sages, sitting on that island meditating all day. I'll teach you personally. With my help, you'll be a master in no time." The Fire sage quickly shot down this line of argument with a small piece of additional information.
"I believe that you misunderstand. Not only will the boy receive training in Firebending, but he must also be coached in spiritual matters. Sitting around and meditating may be precisely what keeps him from losing control of his power and doing something terrible."
"Please, I will go with him. I want to train with the sages," Riza said yet again. This time his parents seemed to take notice.
"But, son, you are the only heir to the throne! What will-," The FireLord was cut off by the Sage.
"Being the Avatar will not affect his position in the Royal Family, your Lordship. Young Riza here shall remain heir as long as he is the only child capable of taking the throne. And I am quite certain that being the living embodiment of the elements will not detract from his standing in the eyes of the citizenry." After a few more hours of similar back and forth, the monarchs were finally beaten down by the Fire Sage's incessant righteousness and their son's quiet insistence.
"Very well," the Fire Lord said, hanging his head in exhaustion and defeat, "Riza may go with you, and train at the Avatar's temple. However," he said, and his eyes lit up with a barely controlled heat, "If I hear that anything, anything has happened to my son while in your care, the power of a thousand volcanoes will be nothing in compare to the punishment I will bring down upon you!"
And so began Riza's journey into the wide world, and along the twisting, intangible path of the Avatar.