Stand up for something, or you will fall for anything
~Unknown
Luten and his servant Mushin were relieved to finally make their way out of the tailor chambers. After hours of mending and fitting the future crown prince and Firelord finally had his inner garment on. Due to Fire Nation's scorching heat, the outerwear would not be brought until the ceremony which was in three hours. As he passed the meeting room the prince overheard voices coming through the door.
"Why are the officials still in there? The ambassador meeting was supposed to end hours ago"
Mushin gave no reply until the Prince changed his course to see for himself.
"Your majesty no you can't!"
The servants and guards by the door bowed timidly in response avoiding eye contact with the prince as he ran up to the doors.
"Why are the ambassadors still in there?"
"Please forgive us, your majesty"
Voices filled with anger and frustration continued to ring in the room.
"Your majesty the colonist in our home have schemed to and interfered with our system and corrupted the legitimacy of our culture"
"Firelord Iroh, please they are trying to use the authority you have, against us your own royal Fire Nation subjects to slander our name. Please reconsider and give us a wise and fair judgment."
Luten took it upon himself and quietly pulled open the door to see the commotion and was shocked by the sight of his father. The flame meant to shield the Firelord was dwindling and did not shield him enough. Luten could see his father crouched in pain, with his hand on his head about to fall from his chair. He remembered the pain when they had tea this morning.
"I thought he said he was fine"
The officials, however, took no notice and kept bombarding his father.
"Your majesty please give us your ruling"
"Your majesty, don't listen to these savages!"
The more they pleaded the more pain Iroh felt.
"Enough!"
The officials quickly silenced themselves from the Firelord's outburst. Luten rarely ever saw his father lose his temper.
"No matter what ruling I give, any one of you here is ready to start an uprising."
Iroh managed to stand up from his seat, his vision blurring.
"Therefore, I cannot give a decision unti- "
His vision began to fade, the face of the officials and ambassadors spun, Pakku looked at his old friend with hardened concerned. The last face he saw though, was his son Luten masked with fear and his eyes rolled to the back of his head.
"Father!"
The prince called out as he ran across the meeting room trampling the world map of the four nations and scurrying through officials. He bent the fire out of the way and grabbed a hold of his father. Iroh's eyes lazily opened and looked at him, his breath coming out fast and shallow.
"What are you doing? The prince called to the servants "Get the physicians!"
He looked back to his father, who began to be vomiting blood. "Father, please hold on."
He realized the council were still watching and addressed them in anger and panic,
"Stop all this behavior this instant! All of you!"
Zhao stepped in to respond to the prince.
"This meeting isn't something you should interfere in yet prince Luten"
The prince glared at the commander, disbelieved by what he had heard.
"I am not speaking as a prince, but as a son who cares for his father!"
Another voice spoke up and Luten noticed it was Official Ukano stepping in to defend his Fire Nation counterpart.
"Interfering in council discussion when you have not been crowned or given special invitation by the Firelord disrespects the order and traditions of the palace.
Luten scoffed in annoyance, he could not believe what he was hearing. Since when did the officials have the power to decide what a royal could do. He let go of his father and stood up with authority to address the officials and ambassadors.
"Even if you ask me a hundred times over, I have not done anything wrong. How is being filial and concerned for my father wrong on my part?!"
Zhao spoke up smirking at the childish prince.
"This behavior in an official meeting is without a doubt against the regulations of the palace Prince Luten. Therefore, what you have done is wrong and offends us as the Firelord's loyal subjects."
The former admiral turned to the rest of the officials, raising his voice for them to hear.
"If the throne cannot uphold the rights of the cabinets and officials how can there be any justice? Talking back to an official dishonorably when his Majesty has not been crowned as the crowned prince just shows how he may treat us if he even becomes Firelord!"
The Fire Nation officials murmured in agreement, while the Earth Kingdom ambassadors looked at each other confused. Pakku, on the other hand, frowned at how the prince was being used as a political bait and being concerned for his father was falling for it. Luten retorted back to the outrageous accusation, he would not back down.
"What about the Firelord's crown? all the power comes from the Firelord. However, forgetting about the Firelord's rights how can everything be accomplished with such heartless officials?!"
Luten looked back at his helpless father as the official's expressions clearly showed offense by the Prince's remark.
"Is that what you truly think?" Xiao Lou the colonial governor of the Yi State asked.
"That all the power comes from the Firelord?"
"I- uh well-"
"If that is what our Majesty believes". Ukano stepped forward bowing to the Future Crown Prince.
"We as officials of the Royal Court reject your position as the Future Crown Prince of our beloved nation."
Luten blinked and stared at the officials in shock. His hands trembled and his heart racing wildly by what he had just heard.
"Y-You can't do that! I-"
Before he could finish all the Fire Nation officials clad in red took their positions and bowed along with Ukano. Zhao looked up from his position and made eye contact with the prince smirking at his helpless expression.
Poor Luten, Do you think he was in the wrong? Heads up if you haven't noticed chapters are beginning to get longer and longer ;)
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