Azula's secret friend

New fire lord

A/N sorry for the mistakes anyways enjoy the chapter.
Aritho POV

I have just gotten back from Ba Sing see, During my time there i have met with someone and now have sent them someone to take care of for a little while. I know that it is a risky operation but i want him out of this nation as fast as possible. And so now here i am sitting at my place by general Fu, in yet another war meeting. It was necessary due to the latest defeat of the fire nation in the earth kingdom territory. This time however we had lost someone of greater importance. Lu-Ten ,Iroh's first and only son, has been killed in the battle for ba sing se. It lead to a lot of disorganization in the troops since it completely broke Iroh. From what i have heard at least i was in a very ferocious fight with the opposing strongest earth bender. Apparently Lu-Ten had been hit by cross fire of our own camp. But i'm not totally sure i believe that. It could very well be a ploy. Knowing what Ozai would be prepared to do to get the throne. It had been a perfect opportunity to kill both his brother and his nephew away in the enemy territory. It would've been a perfect cover to a murder. A very sad accident is quick to happen on a battle field. This death now leaves Iroh without an heir and i have the feeling that Ozai will try and take advantage of that. He has to be careful however about how he's going to approach this. If he makes a mistake during his request to be placed heir of the throne before his brother. We all agreed that the operation will be reported after the funeral of the young prince. The tradition of the two weeks of ceremony and grief would be respected in honour of the deceased prince. Iroh was still missing he had disappeared after the end of the battle. The patrols all around the earth kingdom have been ordered to search and keep alert for the crown prince and to bring him back to the nation as soon as he is found. I however think that he will not be found in the earth kingdom. He will probably go back to the dragons to get stronger and wiser to protect himself and others better. Loosing a child is one if the harder things to experience as a parent. And sadly in a time of war it is a occurrence that happens very often. More that it should be happening. As the war meeting came to an end Azulon asked me to stay behind to talk to me. I have not much to do after anyways so i suppose i can wait a little. The room slowly filled out, the general quietly talking to each other.

"Aritho, I know that you must be tired from the last years that you spent away from the nation. But i am here to request something of you." The fire lord began, "I am aware of your position towards the throne, But i would like to make you my successo-"

"Don't get me wrong i would, but i'd rather not be tied to the throne too much." I cut him off, many would kill to get the place that i already occupy, I don't want to be the first target to an assassination. I still have a lot to protect.

"You are aware that you are already tied to it strongly." Azulon argued. "Why don't you want to rule the nation?"

"I simply don't want to." I lied, i don't really need the throne to control the nation. The best aay to rule is to make the ruler think they make the decision but offer them only some choices so that they have the illusion of making a difference. "And plus I am not even of this nationality. I couldn't care less what really happens here. I am following you because i see opportunities. If it wouldn't have been the case i would've left a long time ago." Now this is partially true. I am sure i would've left once upon a time but now i have too many engagements to leave. He nods but still asks me to reconsider his offer. I have the strange feeling that he has already done the process to put me on his successor list. I reassure him that i would think about it and then take my leave. Oyan who was laying right out of the throne room stood up and began to follow me through the hallway. I was going towards the northern courtyard. It is not as beautiful as the western courtyard, nor is it the best to practice fire bending; the eastern is by far the best for that; nor is it the biggest. Actually it is pretty small and has a smaller pond for some turtle ducks but not as big as the one in the western courtyard. The main reason why a im going there is simply because of the number of statues all over that particular courtyard. It makes this place more serene than the other yards. It makes me think of the gallery of avatars at the air temples. Where i would often hide myself from the rest of the air nomads. I only had a few friends there. Plus who would've been friend with a young blind and 'helpless' girl. Then they found out my secret and even less people wanted to hangout with me. So i turned to Gyatso, but he was more often with Aang, that is mostly how we became friends. He was getting rejected by the other kids so he was mostly spending time with us. We bonded over our rejection. It is pretty pathetic when you think about it. But i suppose that it is the way life is isn't it? As i enter the courtyard a young boy crosses me and runs away leaving me no time to get a good feeling of who it might be. It probably is a kid of one of the servants. I continue my path towards the many statues. One place always intrigued me. The ground seemed to tell that once upon a time there was a statue there, but it has been replaced by air soon after. I wanted to know more about it and i searched but i have yet to find any answers. It might be the mysterious statue that is hidden deep beneath the palace. The royal family probably has a lot to hide. They aren't all perfect like they like to tell the people. In ancient stories it is said that it is Agni that gave the power to the first ever fire lord. Agni isn't really happy about where the same family is going with that power. I sit in front of one of the many statues of Sozin. He might have been nicer in his youth but all by what i know him is suffering. I sat there for almost the whole after noon. It was Oyan who made me snap out of the trance i was stuck in. I petted softly at her head and decided to go see the little ones. Azula and Zuko must have a lot to tell me about, from the last couple of years. I walk back into the palace and wander all the way to the eastern courtyard where i knew they would be. As i had felt they were there with their mother, talking about something. I got closer to them. I was going to wait for the dinner to properly give them the gifts that i had picked for them. When i got closer i also noticed that Azula was holding a familiar book.