Chapter 1:

"Azula. Did you know that your traitorous brother claims that he has sighted the Avatar? The Avatar may have returned. And you know what that would mean." A dangerous voice, delivering a dangerous message, is always a dangerous way to wake up. However, Azula rose leisurely, draped in her long, flowing bed robes, and pinned her amber eyes to the figure in the doorway.

"Of course, Father." She answered nonchalantly, with calm she did not feel. Her father was too unpredictable for her to relax in his presence. However she took a deep breath, cleansing herself of unwanted emotions, and continued speaking. "Our only possible downfall has finally arrived. This is what the entire royal family has been preparing for through the past 100 years, training our finest benders, inculcating loyalty in every one of our soldiers, and mercilessly destroying anything in our way to greatness. And with Sozin's comet due at the end of the summer, what could go wrong?"

"Your faith is commendable my daughter, but there is still danger. The Water Tribes and the Earth Kingdom are still strong enough to rebel successfully, and now that the Avatar has appeared, they have hope. A symbol to rally around, so to speak. And if all three invade jointly, we shall fall."

"Well then", Azula furrowed her brow and gracefully sauntered to her Father's side. "We must destroy their hope. It shall be easier to do so before he is seen by many people. The Avatar will fall. I am your most loyal servant, Father." In one smooth motion, she knelt at her Father's feet, awaiting his command. How many times she had done this before.

"My Dancing Dragon." Azula smiled; it was her pet name which referred to both her sweet looks and her fearsome firebending prowess. "The Avatar is beyond even your powers, he has had over 100 years to train and prepare for this encounter. Instead, we must approach this situation with a bit more…. finesse…. than usual. This shall be a good exercise for you, daughter. I expect you at breakfast in an hour with stratagems of how we could keep control." The Fire Lord strode away. Just as he was about to turn the corner, he paused. "And Azula, you shall be a key component of the eventual plan. Keep that in mind as you plot".

Azula slid into her seat at breakfast, punctual as always. She avoided her Father's eyes, quite a feat at a breakfast table seated only for two, and instead preoccupied herself with blithely spreading jam on her toast, daring him to make the first move. And predictably, after about 2 minutes, he cleared his throat loudly and began to speak. Azula smiled to herself, a small, predatory grin. He was always so impatient.

"So, daughter, what do you propose we do?"

Azula smirked and leant forward nonchalantly, resting her elbows on the ornate breakfast table. "Together the Earth Kingdom, Water Tribes, and Avatar have the power to topple us from the throne. But if we could sow doubt between them, it would be possible to remain in control. Since I, one of the most elite assassins this nation has to offer, am supposedly unable to kill the Avatar, we shall have to assume he is beyond our reach. And there is no reason to worry ourselves over what we are unable to control. The Water Tribes are likewise untouchable; we could never sway them from attacking us. The South is too weak to make any difference in the impending war and the North is set against us because of the destruction of their sister Tribe. However, I believe the Earth Kingdom can be persuaded to join us. Quite ironic, that the element notorious for being unmovable could in actuality change its stance and ally with us."

Azula took a dainty bite from her toast, the perfect image of a princess. " Father, I would be honored to be in charge of the negotiations. I can be very, persuasive, at times. Perhaps we could propose an alliance with the Earth Kingdom to destroy the meddling Water Tribe? Or perhaps just negotiate a ceasefire. When they accept, we focus all our energies upon the Northern Tribe and Avatar. Then, at the end of the summer we reveal our secret weapon, the comet, and burn the trusting Earth Kingdom fools to a crisp." Her amber eyes gleamed disconcertingly at the thought, at odds with her young, teenage body. But it did not surprise her father- he had always thought something older lived in Azula, a vengeful spirit which lived only in her eyes. And as his daughter Azula returned to methodically eating, she shot covert glances at her Father to judge his response to her idea.

Finally, he nodded his head. "Your plan is acceptable. I reached the same conclusion, save one thing. You shall be more than a diplomat. You shall be the reason the Earth Kingdom does not back out of our agreement."

"Father, I do not understand."

"I did not expect you to. But you are 15 years of age, and it would not be unheard of to send you into an arranged marriage with the Earth King."

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Hey! This is my first fanfiction, especially in the Avatar fandom. Please read and reveiw! It would mean a lot to me :) All feedback is always welcome!

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