She set next to the tree, watched the pond and the young turtle ducks swimming around after their mother. She envied them a little, envied their freedom. Playing with her new knife she got for her birthday a few days ago from Zuko she throw it into the water to see if it will float. It took the knife a moment or two but eventually it floated, with an apple on its edge.
Mai leaned forward and took the knife, taking the apple off of it, she noticed that the apple was slightly burned on its top. She almost forgot what has happened yesterday, how Azula has abused her feeling for Zuko and made him knock her down to that pond. Mai's face turned red with anger and she stabbed her knife into the apple, making it break into four not so even pieces.
She looked at the apple and calmed down, taking one piece and cutting it to smaller pieces to feed the turtle ducks, Mai cleaned her knife on her golden dress she wore and fed the turtle ducks the apple she just cut.
"Hey! Mai!" a familiar voice called her name from afar "Mai! I looked all over the place, why weren't you waiting at our meeting place?" Zuko asked Mai with a confused look on his sweet face.
"I…" Mai looked away "I thought that you wouldn't want to go to your party with me…" she turned to look at him but found she couldn't look him in the eyes.
"Why wouldn't I? After all, I asked you out. And a prince sticks to his words!" Zuko said proudly and gave Mai his hand to help her to her feet, she hesitated at first, but then placed her hand in his and got up. "Now let's go, everybody must be wondering were have I disappeared to." Zuko smiled sweetly at Mai and started pulling her toward the palace. They walked a few steps and then, as Mai's face wore an expression that resemble a smile, Mai tripped only to be caught by Zuko at the last second, they stood like that for a second, their faces so close to each others, Zuko's arms wrapped around Mai's back, both of them slightly blushing with mouths slightly open, looking into each others ember eyes.
"Are you, okay?" Zuko asked after a long moment of silent, moving his face a bit closer to Mai's.
"Yeah, I think so." Mai said in almost a whisper "now that I'm in your arms" she added in a low whisper and moved her face even closer to Zuko's, closing her eyes, Zuko closed the gap between them and their lips touched, both of them with eyes closed and a long kiss.
"It may not be tongue, but it still count as his first. I believe I won the bet." Iroh grinned at Ursa's happy yet sad face and happily received his bag of gold coins as a reward.
"I can't believe you were this correct, you guessed it will be on his birthday with Mai next to the pond. Iroh, you are truly a master when it come to love" Ursa grinned and placed a hand on Iroh shoulder, walking with him back into the party that was held inside for Zuko's birthday.