Short littel story based on a fairy tale from when I was little. This first chapter is when Zuko was young, just before he got his scar. Oh yeah and watch out for Mai Su.
He watched her from across the pond. She was walking with her friends across the bridge to the royal gardens. They weren't like his sister or her friends. They always seemed happy, had smiles on their faces. He smiled as they looked his direction, but they turned back the other way quickly. He blushed as he looked down to the turtle-ducks and tossed another crumb to them. Her name was Mai. But that was such a popular name among girls his age. His sister even had a friend with a similar name, but she didn't matter. Mai Su mattered. She was the daughter of one of his father's most fearsome admirals.
She was perfect. Her hair was the darkest black he had ever seen and in the right light it had a blue sheen. Her ivory complexion only boosted her beauty. True they were still young, and she didn't have her womanly beauty yet, he could tell she was going to be breathtaking. Even just one look at her golden eyes, would set his heart to pitter patter.
"Zuko, what are you doing out here all by yourself?" He turned to look up at his mother as she sat down next to him. He smiled at her and shrugged.
"Feeding the turtle-ducks." She smiled and cocked her eyebrow at him. She looked over to the bridge where the girl's were chatting among themselves.
"Ah, I see." Zuko's cheeks brightened as he smiled and looked down at the pond.
"When you married father, were you happy?" Ursa looked down at her son for a moment then smiled warmly.
"Of course I was. You are a little young to be thinking of marriage though Zuko." He shrugged.
"I only have four more years.." Ursa shook her head with a smile.
"Which girl is it?" Zuko blushed again.
"mai su." He half whispered. Ursa smiled and hugged her son.
"She is a pretty girl, and she has a good family." Zuko smiled and looked up at his mother.
"You approve." She smiled. Zuko frowned for a moment.
"I want to give her something special." Ursa stood up and straightened her sleeves. Zuko stood up as well forgetting his loaf of rice bread. His mother set her hand on his shoulder gently.
"Then give her something personal that is precious to you." She said and walked off. Zuko's mind began to course over the possibilities. He thought for weeks. Things didn't go as he planned though, before he could decide what he wanted to give to Mai Su, hell broke loose in the palace.
It had been a week since his mother had been missing. He sat up and pulled his mother's pillow close to him. She was his only saving grace in the palace. She didn't look down on him because he wasn't a very good bender yet. She loved him, and now she's gone. He stood up and set her pillow back at the head of
the bed. He walked over and ran his hand over her marble vanity. He stopped as he looked at the dried fire rose that hung on her mirror. He pulled the silk ribbon and untied the flower from the mirror. He held it in his hand and looked over the fragile petals, darkened but still a deep read. He smiled and ran his finger over the thorns. His mother's father had given it to her on her wedding day, regardless of the thorns, she worn it in her hair. She treasured it, because it wasn't but a few years later that her father had disappeared. That was it. This was a treasure to his mother, and now it was a treasure to him. This was the something precious he could offer Mai Su.
He hurried through the great halls, down the steps, into the royal garden. There she sat with her friends surrounding her, under the shade tree. He cleared his throat, holding the rose behind him. The girl's chattering stopped and all turned to look at him. He bowed, as his mother had taught him.
"I have something for you Mai Su." The girl looked at him with bright eyes. She stood up and bowed to him.
"Prince Zuko. What gift do you have for me?" He smiled and handed her the flower. She took it and looked down at it in awe.
"This is the most realistic silk flower I have ever seen, the craftsman must have worked for years to get it to appear dried." She fawned over the gift, but Zuko's smile faded. Her friends looked at the flower and shook their heads. One girl, Ki-My, spoke up softly.
"But Mai, that is a real dried fire rose." Mai Su turned to look at the girl, the back at the gift. She snarled her nose and looked at the Prince. She held the flower out with her fingers as if it were the most vile of creatures. She dropped it to the ground and looked at him.
"How cheap." Zuko frowned.
"I thought girl's like flowers." Mai Su pulled her skirt up from her foot and stomped the dried fire rose, till the entire bloom was ground into the earth. She looked up at his shocked face and smirked.
"You thought wrong. For a Prince you sure are dumb." She laughed and turned, her friends behind her, and walked away. Zuko stared after the girl his jaw slack. He bent down and picked up the remainder of the flower. He frowned as he stared at the red stained grass. He looked after her and shook his head.
"Bitch.."
So was Mai Su, Mary Su enough? She's going to get worse. R&R let me know what you think.
