Would basic facts also, in relation to our own history, expunge Azula of all authority and leave her as Princess in name only? To the contrary, she bossed grown men around and was fully eligible to become Fire Lord without contest, in spite of being female. Avatar doesn't adhere to every real-life historical basis ever conceived. This is partly why I cited the need for blood heirs to be an assumption. As something that was never stated in canon text, you can assume it to be true, but you can't prove it so, particularly when Fire Lord Azulon himself subverted the idea by upholding Iroh's birthright after Lu Ten died. Had blood heirs truly been a necessity, he would've been forced to rule in Ozai's favor regardless of personal opinion, but he clearly did not do this.
Re: civil war breaking out after Azula's death: this operates under the assumption she would care what happens after her reign. Neither proven nor disproved by canon text.
Again, canon has explicitly shown that, for whatever reason (as Azulon's motive was never clarified), one who lacks children is still fit to rule without the pressure of producing blood heirs. Maybe Azulon intended for Iroh to keep his title because he could pass the throne to his nephew. Maybe he assumed Iroh would rush off and have more kids before he died. We don't know any of this; we only know what we were shown, and unless Bryke sees fit to clarify either way, it's all we ever will know.
As far is this story itself goes, Iroh didn't have children of his own to take Lu Ten's place, and if the author refutes this by inserting a desire for him to suddenly have children, or having a civil war break out because Zuko isn't "his" and the nation demands a blood heir, I stand corrected. He seems fully intent on passing it directly to Zuko, his nephew. Not a son, but a nephew, a "lesser" relation in the eyes of many, even in our own society. As this is permitted, it would then stand to reason that Azula could do the same with a "lesser" relative.
no subject
Re: civil war breaking out after Azula's death: this operates under the assumption she would care what happens after her reign. Neither proven nor disproved by canon text.
Again, canon has explicitly shown that, for whatever reason (as Azulon's motive was never clarified), one who lacks children is still fit to rule without the pressure of producing blood heirs. Maybe Azulon intended for Iroh to keep his title because he could pass the throne to his nephew. Maybe he assumed Iroh would rush off and have more kids before he died. We don't know any of this; we only know what we were shown, and unless Bryke sees fit to clarify either way, it's all we ever will know.
As far is this story itself goes, Iroh didn't have children of his own to take Lu Ten's place, and if the author refutes this by inserting a desire for him to suddenly have children, or having a civil war break out because Zuko isn't "his" and the nation demands a blood heir, I stand corrected. He seems fully intent on passing it directly to Zuko, his nephew. Not a son, but a nephew, a "lesser" relation in the eyes of many, even in our own society. As this is permitted, it would then stand to reason that Azula could do the same with a "lesser" relative.