Chapter 50

"My daughter" The emperor repeated for the umpteenth time with his head now back up. He forced a smile that disappeared as soon as it flashed over his face.

"I told you I was about to lose my family. I hadn't even known what was going on between the prime minister and the queen. I went to war to protect my family. My daughter was the prize for victory. If I win, I keep her. If I lose…" The emperor paused to sniff and shake off the tears that formed in his eyes.

"If I lost, my daughter was going to be betrothed to the camp of the enemy. It wasn't an alliance, it was a souvenir of victory. I wish I hadn't. I wish there was another way. Again, I knew we had no chance without the prime minister. With him, however, we would have walked the battle in less than two nights on the field." The emperor may have successfully stopped the tears from rolling down, but he couldn't stop the tears from his voice.

"The Fire Nation had a prince who was about to take the throne. He needed a bride for his