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So I love @captainkirkk’s ATLA veiling headcanon, and I have a burning need to give Lu Ten a political marriage, because he looks old enough for one and also The Drama
Zuko has been Fire Lord for one or two months, everything is going well but its a lot and he’s very stressed and most of the nobles are not helping and all his fathers all advisors need to be replaced but by whom? There's a few good options in the younger nobility and the smarter military officials, it's fine, they’re all fine.
Anyway, a servant comes into the big meeting room to announce a noble requests an audience with the Fire Lord. Okay? Sure? He’s been meeting what feels like all the nobles in the whole world, how are there any more left?
A veiled woman walks in, leaning on the arm of a guard, looking delicate and fragile. And everyone expects her and her guard to move to the front of the room to bow to the Fire Lord as usual, but Zuko jumps up and meets the woman half way, and then hugs her, and now their both crying???
The GAang are confusion. The guards are Confusion. The nobles want to demand to know whats going on, but one of the older ones who was in Ozais court a few years ago (unhappily), glares them all silent.
Zuko, who is this?
What do you mean your cousin?
Lu Ten was married?! With kids!!!!
Turns out Lu Ten was just old enough for an arranged marriage before he left for war. That picture looks young, but to me, it looks between the ages of 19-22, perfectly reasonable age for a noble to marry, or join the war effort.
Now, I’m undecided as to the ages of the kids, because which causes the ultimate angst. Option the first: twins, both girls? I think this would be cool, and also I can’t think of many instances of twins in atla. In this case, the wife, who I can’t think of a name for, would have gotten pregnant right away, then Lu Ten gets shipped out (its implied B Sing Se is his first major campaign. He’s a bit experienced, but not that much) and then dies before he can meet his daughters.
Option the second: One daughter, just before Lu Tens first campaign, between deployments he gets to come home to meet her, support his wife, be all adorable (just because it was arranged doesn’t mean it wasn’t a very loving relationship), then he gest shipped out again. He gets a hawk saying his wife is pregnant again, and he is overjoyed, just sad he won't be there to help (again. Shut up guilt think of your people). But then the Six Hundred Day Siege ends. Lu Tens two daughters will never know their father.
Again implied, but I think Lu Ten dies two or three years before Zuko gets banished? Lets roll with it: Wife stays at court, doing her best amid the disgrace of Iroh’s ‘defeat’ and the fake pity, and she is trying, okay, she liked Ursa and these are Lu Ten's baby cousins, but- Ozai really hates any interference.
For interfering with the education of a royal heir blah blah blah, lies and pontifications- She’s banished from court. Is she sent back to her family? Married to a lesser noble on a quiet island? Sent off to a nowhere Earth Kingdom barony run by a minor noble merchant. Who can say!
Most importantly, she’s back, Zuko is crying, everyone is confused. Between LT Wife and the GAang, they get Zuko calmed down enough for explanations.
Former-Princess-now-just-a-regular-Noble explains she made the rather desperate opinion to oppose Ozai, it didn’t work, and for the war she passed info on to Jeong Jeong and Piando, and prayed to the spirits for Zuko and Azula's protection. Now Zuko is Fire Lord she has come to offer her help, she was raised to be the future Fire Lady after all, she knows how court works.
Yay! Added to inventory: One (1) Competent Trustworthy Adult!
Okay, so thats politics solved, at least partially. Zuko asks about the kids, and they’re brought in by a trusted lady in waiting/LT Wife's bestie. At this point I think the oldest is 8 or 9, if they aren’t twins? But LT Wife did not raise her kids the same way Zuko was raised, obvi, so both girls rush over and hug Zuko, excitedly explaining how they heard “all ‘bout his adventures, and did he really sneak a fire ferret into the palace, and can we see the turtle ducks???” Girls please, your cousin needs to breathe. Zuko is embarrassed, but its fine, these are his cousins and they are cute. The GAang is won over immediately.
What does all this mean? LT Wife takes a position on Zuko’s Council, and given his relationship with Iroh, as his unofficial big sister. They work together to try and help Azula (with mixed success). Wife also helps track down Ursa (insert favorite headcanon here about what she’s been up to). Three extra FN Royals means more stability, and also Zuko doesn’t have to panic about getting married and producing/adopting heirs yet, so that's a weight off. Also Wife is actually in the capital almost all the time, unlike Iroh, who is needed elsewhere and doesn’t want to weaken Zuko’s authority.
The two younger princesses are delightful little towers, uncontainable but good intentioned, and they get along way too well with Toph; Lets continue the tradition of under age vigilante justice! They say. Please don’t. Beg Zuko and LT Wife. The girls train firebending with Aang sometimes, and pester all the GAang for cool stories when they visit Caldera City. To everyone’s amusement, Hakoda is labeled “Favorite Uncle” which is confusing for him, but sweet.
Wars over, much work to do, but Zuko doesn’t have to carry it all himself… he doesn’t in canon, but being the only royal not dead, missing, politically inviable, or clinically insane is a bit too much of a burden. It’s still heavy, but LT Wife has experience and political authority (thanks to Zuko reinstating her and her kids in the succession). They are going to be fine. Its all okay (Iroh and LT Wife with threaten anything that makes it not okay for Zuko).