Zuko paced the corridor, waiting for the news that his…fiancée has arrived. He didn't quite remember the days leading up to this, just a blur of constant insistence he needed an heir to secure the lineage of Fire Lord, and for that, he needed a wife. And somehow, he had eventually agreed to marry the woman his advisors saw best fit.
He knew little of her, just that she came from a village a distance from the capital and her name was Mai. Their first meeting was only moments away, and their wedding tomorrow. With their busy schedules, only one meeting had been planned before they were to say their vows.
He thought about backing out—it wasn't too late, no ceremony had been held yet. Her boat hadn't even arrived. It would be easy to take it all back and pretend—
"Lord Zuko?" a voice interrupted his thoughts, "Lady Mai has arrived."
He nodded, dismissing the servant and taking a deep breath to calm himself, as if it was possible to be calm in a situation such as this. Still, first impressions were important, and he didn't want his future wife thinking he was a complete buffoon.
The guards followed him up until the room where they waited outside, allowing him some privacy. Being there first, Zuko took another moment to attempt at composing himself. But suddenly, his robes were too itchy and his hair felt out of place. The room was too warm, so much so that sweat began to form on his brow. Dammit, he was nervous.
The wait was agonizing. Minutes felt like forever while he waited to see what his future held. Finally, finally, there was a sound at the door before a young woman slipped inside.
Zuko didn't know what he has expected her to look like, perhaps like the women who flirted too obviously with their breasts nearly slipping out of their dresses and their lips puckered. She—this Mai, was the opposite of that. Her hair was as black as he had ever seen, but her skin was pale in stark contrast. Her expression seemed bored while she bowed her head in respect before sitting across from him. Mostly, he was struck by her words.
"Do you always sit with your mouth open, or were you trying to catch flies today?"
He blinked in surprised before rushing to close his mouth and recompose himself. Perhaps he should've taken some offense to her words, but instead he lowered his head in greeting.
"I'm Zuko, it's nice to meet you."
She was silent for a moment before answering back with her own name, but nothing more than that. She didn't want to be here, didn't want to be marrying him, and didn't want him thinking she would be friendly just because she had to treat him with respect due to his position.
The tension was thick in the air, making conversation stiff. Neither were sad to see Zuko called away for a meeting, ending their own time together.
Mai followed the servant along to her quarters for the night, as tomorrow she would be moved into her new husband's room. Even though it was merely a guest room, both in size and decoration, it far surpassed her room at home. The thought sent an odd ache through her, knowing she'd never sleep in that bed again. Living with her parents hadn't been fun, but it was familiar, and none of this was at all. Even the smells were off. It all sent a sense of unease throughout her.
Tomorrow she would be married to a stranger, and while he seemed nice, it wasn't her choice. This had been laid out before her by her parents as it would bring them more status. She was a simple pawn for her father's career.
This might be her last night alone, she knew. And so she allowed herself to weep for the freedom lost. There was deep pain in knowing she wouldn't be allowed to have her first date. That her first kiss would be to someone she barely knew, and would be for show. Ty Lee had been the romantic friend, but it didn't mean Mai didn't yearn for the young love she read about in so many stories. Even her parents had chosen to marry each other, despite the lack of affection they seemed to carry. She simply wanted a choice. A way to life her life the way she wished, but such a simple thing had been ripped away from her. Mai felt pathetic, crying over it all, but couldn't stop herself. Her mind spun out thousands of things she was missing out on, thousands of ways being married to the Fire Lord would be horrible. She felt as if she would never be Mai again—just the Fire Lord's wife instead.
Mai didn't think she has slept at all during the night, but eventually morning had come and servants began swarming around her, slipping her into intricate clothing and adorning her hair with golden accessories. They painted her face so thickly with makeup that she no longer recognized the girl in the mirror before her, but the buzz was good. A constant distraction to keep her mind off the ceremony that was getting closer with each moment.
Her mother slipped in several times, fussing over loose hairs and reminding Mai to be on her best behavior. Mai smiled slightly as she let her mind wander with the idea of creating a scene and refusing to marry Zuko in front of everyone. Her parent's faces would be hilarious. But, she knew, such a thing wasn't an option if she didn't wish to be disowned. Obeying was the only option.
Finally, she was rushed along to stand in front of a heavy door where Zuko waited, donned in special robes as well. He smiled, trying to reassure her, but Mai didn't return the gesture. Instead, she looked straight forward. Behind the doors, she knew, waited a crowd full of people waiting to see their wedding.
The ceremony passed in a blur. She felt out of touch as she repeated the vows, promising herself to the boy in front of her. Her body felt numb as they leaned in for a kiss and as the crowd cheered. The only thing she could truly notice was how Zuko's disconnected expression matched her own.
Soon, they were seated at a table facing the rest of the reception. She smiled and thanked the people as they passed, giving their congratulations.
When everyone had been seated, Zuko turned to her with a shy grin, "Well, it's finally time to eat. It's the one thing I've been looking forward to all day."
Mai paused for a moment, analyzing his words and try to make sense of him. He seemed just as reluctant as she did for this ordeal, but certainly he must've asked for it, she figured. He was Fire Lord after all—people had to listen to him. But the pieces wouldn't come together, so she decided to let it go for a moment and enjoy the dinner being brought out to them, "—I've been looking forward to the desserts," she answered back, causing his grin to grow into one of satisfaction that he pulled a response from her.
Mai sneered at the pathetic excuse for clothing that was laid out for her in the bathroom that night. Lace, tight, see-through, and looking terribly itchy. Without a second thought, she cast the lingerie aside and slipped back out of the bathroom.
"Has my clothing been brought in yet?" she asked, her arms crossing. She could picture her mother chastising her perfectly, but it wasn't a concern—her mother wasn't here, and she knew she would not be consummating a marriage tonight.
Zuko looked up from where he messed with the covers, not understand the annoyance in her tone. But, she didn't seem to like him very much, so it wasn't very surprising. "I don't think so, but they said they left you something to sleep in?" he replied, a slight uncertainty in his voice.
"They left me nothing I'd be caught dead in," Mai snapped back, venom on her tongue. The thought of a stranger touching her ignited a rage deep within her chest. Politeness or respect for his authority meant nothing anymore.
He simply frowned back, still not catching on to the fact Mai thought he would expect sex tonight. He knew it was expected of a married couple, but the idea left him uneasy, even more so with how reluctant his wife seemed to be near him. "I'll have the servants bring you a robe, then? Would that be alright?" Relief swept through him when Mai nodded with a softer expression, although her guard stayed up.
After finally changing into something she felt more appropriate, Mai made her way to the bed. It was large—truly too large for two people, but she wouldn't complain tonight as it gave her plenty of space to keep away from Zuko.
She began to push the covers aside, sending him a sharp glare. "Don't even think about touching me tonight."
Zuko flushed red, finally understanding the bitterness seeping from her words. "Oh, oh, I wasn't—I mean, you're very pretty, but I didn't want to-!"
The furrow in her brow began to smooth, one corner of her mouth turning up in amusement. He looked more panicked and flustered than she felt. "Well, alright. Then goodnight, Lord Zuko," she sighs out before curling up as close to the edge as possible.
Zuko did the same, although sleep didn't come. His mind reeled over the day's events and what might be to follow next. Disdain seeped from the girl sleeping at his side. While he knew they wouldn't be in love by any means, he still felt disappointed that she didn't even want to get along. Even though she was far from kind, he didn't find himself disliking her. Rather, he wanted to win her acceptance in a sense. To prove he wasn't as awful as Mai appeared to think he was.
Eventually, exhaustion won over and Zuko found himself waking with the sunrise. For a moment, he forgot someone lay next to him, until he saw her form under the covers. The sight almost made him laugh aloud—the cold woman from the day prior was sprawled out across the bed, her hair spread out in every direction and her mouth agape. She looked much nicer when she was asleep.
For once, he wasn't expected at any meetings, and Mai was still asleep, so he enjoyed the time on his own to relax until she stirred from their bed. It must've been nearing lunch time, he figured, but Mai still seemed exhausted as she rubbed her eyes and blinked against the sun pouring in from the windows.
Her demeanor was different already as she gave a simple wave and stepped closer to his side, peering at the book in his hands. "You like to read?"
Zuko nodded, closing it enough to show her the title. "I don't usually have much time to read anything but political documents, though."
In her mind, being Fire Lord seemed like a life of luxury, doing nothing but ordering other's around. It was odd to remember he had plenty of work on his plate, especially as Zuko was new into power. Politics had never interested her, but she was a bit curious to learn more about his work. The ending of the war had left her confused, with her parent's complaints of Ozai leaving and their hatred of the new ruler that had quickly changed when they realized she had a chance of becoming his wife. She had already finished school before the change of power, leaving the lessons of what was happening to her parents, but she knew better than to trust what they cited as what had happened. They wanted her to follow their own beliefs rather than make her own.
Zuko noticed her quietness and pensive look, causing him to raise a brow. "What is it?" he asked, looking to meet her eyes.
"I was just curious about what you actually do," she answered, taking a seat next to him. "My family used to say that Fire Lord Ozai was a powerful leader, and at first I always heard you…well, that you were doing nothing for the Fire Nation. But that can't be true, lots of things have changed since last year. So what do you do?"
Her words caught him with surprise. Zuko searched for an answer, excited to have an open line of communication with Mai where she actually seemed interested. He knew if it took too long to answer, he would likely lose the chance. "Well—I've been working with the Avatar on the Harmony Restoration Movement. It's difficult to end a war, harder than I thought it would be. You'd think when it's over, it's over, right? But there's so many colonies to work with and treaties to sign—I have to listen to what everyone wants. I'm just trying to find the best ways to make things peaceful, I guess that's my job."
He held his breath after finishing, nervous to see her reaction. But she gave none, just a nod. No hint of anything else given away in her body language. At least it was better than her making fun of him, he supposed. "It's almost lunch—I could have them bring it here, or we can go to the dining hall, whichever you prefer."
Mai pursed her lips, trying to think which would offer the least discomfort. Dining alone with Zuko would be awkward either way, but maybe if they stayed in their own room, there would be less pressure. "Let's eat here, I guess," she shrugged.
Soon enough, trays of food had been brought in from the kitchen. If there was something to be happy about, it had to be the food. Everything she could ever want and more than she could ever eat. Thoughts of her mother's chastising left her as Mai stuffed her face with what the palace had to offer.
"I think that means you like it," Zuko noted after a while, a bit in awe at her capacity to eat so much despite her size. Unfortunately, Mai didn't appreciate his comment and sent back a sharp glare.
After the plates had been cleared, Mai sat at the vanity and started fixing her hair up for the day, casting back glances at Zuko. "So what am I even meant to do here?"
"You can do what you wish," he shrugged back. "You're free to do what you want. There's gardens, the library, lots of things. Today they intended us to spend together, but you don't have to stay—or maybe we could take a walk around the city since you aren't from here. Or you could go by yourself."
It almost annoyed her that his answer was so different from what she had expected, despite it being more freeing than she ever thought it could be. Somehow, her mind had conjured images of marrying Zuko to be days spent waiting in boredom for him to return and ask for activities related to making children, the only thing she figured he'd see her as good for.
And since his reply had been better that she thought, Mai decided to give him a chance and take him up on his offer to see Caldera together.
The servants finally brought her clothes in, although they were much nicer and more feminine than what she was used to, it felt nice to be in more normal clothing. Much more like herself than the day before.
When ready to go, guards flanked them from all sides, strange to Mai.
"Sorry about that, it's just for safety. It's pretty easy to get used to it, though."
After passing through the palace gates, the city at night came into view. Her eyes widened at the beauty. Her own town had been much smaller, much less lively, but here lanterns lit the streets that seemed alive with shops. The smells from street vendors filled her nose, carrying her in their direction. Zuko grinned, happy to buy her the fire flakes he caught her eyeing and happy to earn a thank you from her. He was still struck in surprised as she held them out to share while continuing to explore. The crowds parted easily when they noticed the Fire Lord coming down the streets, reminding Mai once again how different things were. How they would never be the same.