Swords Crossed

Chapter 1

The party was in full swing and everyone was having a fun time. Mai stood next to her mother, impeccably dressed in clothing suitable for a noble girl. Her silk, red robes were new and her hair was adorned with red bows. She was too young for makeup and her pale skin and dark hair were striking enough as it was. Mai looked like a mirror image of her mother.

Mai knew she looked like some sort of porcelain doll but didn't care. This was the first "grown-up" party her mother was letting her attend and she was dying for something to do. Perhaps something here would be worth her time.

"Mai." Her mother said, a little sharply. Mai stopped daydreaming and looked at her mother, suddenly nervous. Her mother inclined her head to the woman she had been conversing with.

"This is Lady Illah. Her husband is the governor of the Fire Fountain City." Mai curtsied, making sure to drop to the level appropriate of the woman's rank. To bow only slightly would be an insult, but to sink too low to the floor would be too much of an honor.

"It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." Mai recited carefully. She subtly glanced at her mother to see if she had said the appropriate thing. Her mother's slight smile told her that she had. Her mother then began to query Lady Illah about her gardens. They must be pleasant in the summertime, a true display of the Fire Nation's beauty...

oOoOoO

Mai had eventually drifted away from her mother after the conversation turned to dull matters, like gardening and cooking. Such topics were boring and of no interest to Mai. She noticed her father discussing politics with other nobles at a nearby table. Mai was prepared to walk by them until one of the men pulled out a ceremonial sword.

"As you can see gentlemen this sword is truly unique in design." Mai could see herself that the blade was finely crafted and decided to get a closer look. It would be more interesting than conversations about flowers. She was so intent on getting a closer look that she allowed her long skirts to trip her up and crash into someone.

Crash!

All eyes turned to Mai and to the servant she had collided with. The servant had been carrying water and other drinks to the table where Mai's father was and it had spilled on some of the men there. Mai herself was completely drenched and her hair was ruined. One of her hair ribbons had fallen out and her hair was now half up and half down. There was a long pause of silence where no one said anything. Then Mai's mother appeared and there was a flurry of activity.

"Lady Zhing I am most sorry..." The servant babbled, prepared to take blame for the incident. Mai rose to her feet, meeting her father's eyes. His face was red and he was livid. He seemed about to yell but her mother got to her first.

"Mai that was incredibly clumsy of you. You seem pale. Perhaps you are ill?" Mai didn't respond right away so her mother addressed the crowd of guests. "My daughter seems to have fainted. It was probably a combination of the heat and her nerves, right dear?" This time Mai nodded and lowered her head. Her mother turned to the servant and assured him that it was just an accident. The other servants began to clear away the glass and began to wipe up the floors. Meanwhile, Mai's father had directed those who were soaked to another part of the house to clean up. Her mother made a joke about the whole occasion and soon the guests were laughing. Mai might have thought the whole thing had been her imagination except that her mother had sent a servant to accompany her back to her room.

OooOoO

It was late evening now and all the guests had left. Mai sat in her room, miserable. Neither of her parents came to see her and that confirmed they were truly angry with her. Her mother had instead sent a note, informing her daughter that her presence would no longer be required at the next party. The note also informed her of her enrollment at the Royal Fire Academy for Girls.

I have decided it best that you are enrolled in school. Other children have already begun their schooling and I would not want you to be left behind...you will learn much there that you cannot learn here and will interact with your peers. Your father and I are concerned...must implore you to remember your manners...above all you are to be seen but never heard. These various sections of the letter had told her all she had to know. They were punishing her. Mai was rewarded whenever she was quiet and didn't cause them trouble. But if she did cause them trouble there was always some kind of punishment. Usually she was ignored until she could no longer bear the silence. But Mai had grown accustomed to the silence and even embraced it. Now they were sending her off to school, where she would have to be a model, noble daughter.

She hated them.

Author's Note: This is my first story centered on Mai. Her childhood was rarely touched upon in the series and I always wondered why she became so stoic. This will eventually be a Mai/Jet fic and I think the next chapter will focus on Jet. This will probably be a long (for me) fic. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter!