Boiling Point
Fate

The surprise attack honestly didn't feel like a surprise, given the fact, there was always that inkling in the back of Lu Ten's head that his past actions would come back and haunt him. Except, he'd not expected his men to pay for his past actions nor could he do anything as his vision blurred and he found his knees buckling underneath him, the cacophony of battle going on all around him as he lost consciousness.

When he came too, the din of battle was no longer heard. More importantly, the place he found himself was inside rather than outside and dimly lit. He lay on the floor, his hands bound tightly behind him, bagged so he couldn't use his Firebending. Blinking his eyes, Lu Ten made out a pair of boots, Fire Nation rather than Earth Kingdom, but he also saw the edges of wooden walls and a door.

"I see you're awake Prince Lu Ten."

"What is this about?" The words didn't come out of his mouth easily, his mouth dry and in need of a drink. He turned his head slightly so he might see the face of the person who spoke, recognizing the voice as the voice of the person who stabbed him from behind under his uncle's orders. The man wore a mask, meaning he couldn't recognize him even if long strands of black hair weren't falling in front of Lu Ten's eyes at that moment.

"You already know what this is about Prince Lu Ten."

"Actually, my mind is a bit foggy." Those words shouldn't have come out of his mouth, but even before the man stood and stepped over so he might place one of his Fire Nation boots firmly onto Lu Ten's wounded side, Lu Ten knew he'd slipped back into acting like his younger, clever self.

"I'm sure you remember my message, that Prince Ozai sends his regards, Prince Lu Ten." The man clicked his tongue. "He also said you would know what this is about, a betrayal for a betrayal. That was a rather interesting thing for a royal to say, don't you think?"

Lu Ten did indeed know quite well what he'd done to gain his uncle's ire.

"Princes Ursa seems lonely of late, completely dejected to be exact." Lu Ten commented in an off-handed manner to his father.

"You would feel the same way as well if your husband not a week after your wedding decides chasing after the Avatar is more important than keeping the bed warm, so to speak." Iroh let out a sigh, his normal smile twisting into a scowl which was enough to tell Lu Ten his father was highly disproving of his brother's actions. "Not that Ozai's ever been an affectionate person. He refused to hold you when you were born."

"To Prince Ozai's credit, he was only five when I was born, but I imagine I would have acted the same if I'd gotten a new sibling at that age."

Iroh let out a rather indignant huff. "Except you weren't a younger sibling he'd gained, but I actually suspect you would have been delighted at having a sibling. I mean, you begged me for one as a child until I explained to you that wasn't possible."

"Yes. A mother, as well as a father, is needed for that, so you explained to me." Lu Ten continued walking alongside his father. "Plus, if affection is what Princess Ursa needs, I can be her friend like I have since she and I first met."

At that moment a laugh escaped from Iroh's mouth. "Lu Ten, a husband is more than just a friend, though to be honest, Ozai doesn't act even like that I must admit." His father patted him on the shoulder. "I know you mean well, but you don't know of what you speak. And to think, at your age I was nowhere near as naïve as you were regarding the fairer sex."

Lu Ten's nose wrinkled up slightly, his mouth forming into a frown. "I'm not sure if I should be taking your advice on the fairer sex, what with how you're known to one and all for flirting with anyone of the fairer sex who is of age."

"Actually…" His father let out a laugh. "I even flirt with the young ladies who aren't of age. You'd be surprised how doing so brings a smile to the face of someone in need of a bit of cheer. It's actually a rather innocent past time."

He'd certainly taken his father's words to heart, thinking himself quite clever ever since he'd joined the Fire Nation army at age sixteen and only two years passed since then, but there was no way he was going to admit to the man working for his uncle what he'd done to earn his uncle's ire, for in truth he wasn't the only person who'd have earned Ozai's ire over the misdeed which felt as right as it felt wrong.

"Honestly, I actually don't know why my uncle would want me dead." The words were cocky, much like how he was when he first joined up as a soldier at sixteen or even how he was at eighteen when Ursa and Ozai married. The misdeed started innocent enough, childish enough, but repeating the cycle enough…

"What's with the sad face Princess Ursa?" Lu Ten found Ursa in one of the gardens, staring out at a duck pond watching the Turtle Ducks as they swam, a mischievous smile playing across his face. The day started like the other days he'd approached her. "Shame that Uncle Ozai felt chasing after the Avatar despite grandfather and great-grandfather never finding him is a far better pursuit than spending time with his beautiful new bride."

She turned her head, her mouth twisting into a smile where only a few moments earlier she'd been sighing dejectedly at the Turtle Ducks. "Shame, Prince Lu Ten. I didn't think you such a rapscallion to, of all things, attempt flirting with your uncle's wife."

"Why can't I have an innocent conversation to cheer you up?" He'd asked, letting out a sigh, picking up on the admonishing tone in her voice despite the fact she did find amusement at his antics.

"Innocent?" Ursa let out a snort, folding her arms in front of her while he still didn't understand what she found so amusing. "So you're taking after your father now, flirting with every one of the fairer sex, are you? What cheek, Prince Lu Ten."

"It's not a laughing matter," Lu Ten murmured, his cheeks burning slightly from the admonishing he'd received, having thought he'd been doing the right thing, the innocent thing as his father put it. "Leaving you alone right after your wedding like that. Even the staff are repeating what father says about Prince Ozai leaving his bride in a cold bed not a week after their wedding. There's no telling how long he'll be gone either."

"Do you even know what that means Prince Lu Ten?"

His mouth twisted slightly. "To be honest, I'm simply repeating what I've heard, but when grandfather and grandmother are displeased with his actions of not paying you proper attention…"

"Careful. I'm not sure if you understand how our meetings will be misconstrued, particularly with you acting more like your father in regards to the fairer sex around me, and I'm suspecting only me."

"Why? Are you and I not friends? Of does marrying Ozai mean you and I can't have a civil conversation anymore? That we can't play Pai Sho or drink tea together. That's how we met, wasn't it? Over one of grandfather's Pai Sho games while grandmother served tea. I was what. Thirteen?"

"Ten actually, as I was twelve."

"That long ago?"

"Don't speak like an old man like your father, but how can you not see how someone might misconstrue this?" She turned her head, looking him in the eye. They somehow came to be leaning closer. At that moment, he didn't understand why they mutually leaned in to kiss, something he'd almost instantly pulled away from knowing he'd crossed the line yet also thinking he'd been the only one to lean in, still shocked he'd done such a thing. But then, Ursa said, "I see we're on the same page regarding our feelings for each other."

Fate.

Fate was what made Ursa the first female child born to Roku's line since Roku's death. Fate was what put a prophecy in place that Azulon latched onto which in turn made him arrange for her to be brought to the palace at only a year old, promised as a wife to Azulon's second born. Fate was why they didn't realize how they'd felt already for some time until after Ursa submitted to the duty of the arranged marriage everyone expected her.

And fate now brought Lu Ten to the moment of his death, but he certainly wouldn't say anything which would bring her to the same fate. He watched Ozai's man lean back, noticing the object the man fiddled within his hand – the headpiece of the Crown Prince. "Actually, Prince Lu Ten, you're not going to die. No. Prince Ozai wants you to live, to see everyone you care about think you've died. After all, what need of a body do we have when we have the headpiece of the Crown Prince to send off to your doting father."

Lu Ten's emotional high at protecting Ursa from a similar fate quickly sank, thinking of what kind of effect his supposed death would have on his father.