Zuko inhaled deeply as he stood in a large stone like arena… Around him was five fire benders all standing in a circle around him.
The practice grounds of the fire nation palace. Where soldiers, guards and royals would hone their skills.
Often staff and visiting soldiers would venture to the practice ground in the morning as Zuko would train out of pure curiosity.
Today was no different as a couple of newly hired guards were blinking, looking with deep curiosity.
Jee how-ever was casually leaning up against one of the stone pillars looking outright bored… And then the first fire blast came. From one of the training soldiers and Zuko dodged.
The next fire blast was send at him and Zuko quickly dodged again, deflected the fire, send it back to its original caster… Zuko barely even firebended at all and it was so fast that all his poor sparring partners where now on the ground.
Zhau-Li outright tumbling backwards before landing at Jee's feets and he groaned.
Jee lifted an eyebrow as he glanced down at Zhau-Li in front of him.
"That we are supposed to be his bodyguards must be some kind of joke." Zhau-Li groaned as he rubbed his neck.
"Well." Jee sighed. "The kid used to practice for ten hours a day three years in a row. No breaks and no days off." he shrugged. "Do that and I'm sure you'll catch up."
And Zhau-Li groaned as he fell back on the ground laying there with outstretched arms.
"And I really mean no days off." Jee shook his head. "I'll never forget the time when Zuko had this cold. There was mucus enough to fill buckets. And he had a fever! His nose was stuffed, he couldn't breath. General Iroh told him to lay down and take the day off but nooooo. Zuko had to keep practicing until he literately fainted on the deck." he sighed. "I seriously had to consider tying him to the bed after that… Wouldn't have worked though. He would have burned through the ropes so he could train some more."
Zhau-Li sighed as he sat back up with crossed legs just as Zuko came towards them, wiping off sweat with a towel a servant had offered to him. "You guys all right?" Zuko asked.
"I'm fine." Zhau-Li sighed deeply. "I just need to… Practice more."
Zuko turned to Jee. "You sure you don't want to join in the sparring?" he asked.
"Sir." Jee said. "With all due respect… I'm done having sparring matches with you. I'm too old and would respectfully ask for pension in regards to sparring against you."
"Oh… Okay." Zuko finally conceded. "I just… I remember you as being really good and erhm."
Jee looked at him. "You are looking for some actual challenge." he said
"Heh." Zuko blushed embarrassed.
"Should I send a letter to master Piandao so he can come and challenge you until your friends return?" Jee asked a bit dryly.
"No that's fine." Zuko swallowed as his cheeks burned an even deeper red. "I don't want to ask him here just for… That." and Jee sighed deeply while Zhau-Li was seriously wondering what he could do to get on Zukos level.
Just then a voice rang over the training grounds, a familiar female voice.
"ZUKO!"
Zuko blinked and then he grinned as he turned. "Katara! You're back!" he beamed as true enough, a water bender came across the training field. Obviously just having come back from the south pole… how-ever she looked pissed.
"Katara?" Zuko blinked confused.
"Zuko…" Katara hissed. "How dare you?"
"Huh?" Zuko asked confused as Katara stopped right in front of him and then seethed.
"You got engaged and the way I find out about is through the newspaper!" Katara shouted as she pulled up a newspaper stuffing right into Zukos face.
"Oh." Zuko blinked.
"Oh?" Katara asked. "Oh? Is that all you have to say?!" she asked. "We are your family. And you went public before telling us?!"
"It's not a big deal though." Zuko said.
"Not a big deal? Not a big deal!" Katara exclaimed. "You're engaged!" she shouted. "You're going to get married! Of course it's a big deal!"
"Married eventually." Zuko corrected Katara. "Hopefully. It's just way more convenient for both Mai and I to just make it an official engagement." he muttered. "So the nobles will stop shoving their daughters into my face."
Finally Aang and Sokka appeared too, though neither of them looked as worked up as Katara over this marriage issue and Zuko smiled a little relieved. "Hi guys." he greeted them.
"Hi Zuko." Sokka replied. "Engaged huh? Neat."
"Is that all you have to say?" Katara asked. "Seriously?"
"It is pretty neat though isn't it?" Aang asked. "I mean we already know that Zuko and Mai totally love each other. So I think it's neat."
Katara didn't look impressed at all. Then groaned as she rubbed her forehead. "At least tell me you did something nice for Mai when you asked her."
"Like what?" Zuko asked.
"Took her out!" Katara tried. "Got her a present! Give me the details."
"Oh erhm." Zuko hesitated. "I pointed out it would be more convenient and she agreed."
There was silence…. Absolute silence.
"And that was it?" Katara asked.
"Yeah." Zuko replied.
"And then what?" Katara asked. "Then what happened."
"We went to sleep. It was pretty late so." Zuko shrugged and Katara face palmed herself.
Sokka shrugged. "Face it Katara. All of this romance and wedding stuff is not as big of a deal to everybody else as it is to you."
"Of course it's a big deal!" Katara exclaimed. "Mai must be devastated. Where is she? I'll go talk to her."
"Well… We were meeting in my chambers for breakfast after I trained." Zuko said.
"Man I'm starving." Sokka sighed deeply. "We've been flying none stop."
"Oh… Okay. Erhm Zhau-Li." Zuko tried.
"Got it." Zhau-Li stood up. "Avatar Aang, Master Katara and Ambassador Sokka will be joining the fire lord for breakfast." he said as he headed out.
"Thank you." Zuko said and Zhau-Li smirked.
"It's my job. You're paying me to do it fire lord Zuko." Zhau-Li said as he headed off.
And Katara was already on her way to Zukos chambers to lend Mai a shoulder to cry on.
"It's not really a big deal though." Mai shrugged and Katara gaped.
"What?" Katara gaped. "You're going to marry him!"
"So?" Mai asked. "I was hoping to marry him eventually before, and I am hoping to marry him eventually now. Literately nothing changed."
"But… But… but…" Katara tried.
"Marriage doesn't change a relationship Katara. It just makes things official." Mai rolled her eyes. "How-ever the second we marry. They are going to ask where all of the new heirs are at and I am just not there yet." she said firmly.
"So you're planning to have kids with him?" Katara asked. "And that's not a big deal to you?"
"That's kind of part of the contract of marrying the fire lord." Mai snorted. "But like I said. I am not there yet. I'm turning sixteen next week geesh."
Just then the door opened and Zuko came in wearing fresh robes after his morning spar followed by Aang and Zuko.
"Hi Mai." Zuko waved a hand.
"Hi." Was Mais simple reply.
Katara looked from one to the other. "That's it?" she asked.
Zuko looked at Katara. "What else are we supposed to do?"
"You two just got engaged!" Katara reminded them.
The both of them just shrugged.
Then Sokka laughed into this hand.
"What?!" Katara asked annoyed.
"Seems to me these two have pretty much things figured out Sis." Sokka chuckled.
Aang smiled innocently. "I guess there's no right or wrong way to do romance." he said.
Katara pouted as she crossed her arms. "He could at least have gotten her some flowers or something."
"Oh Agni please don't." Mai said. "Seriously flowers? What are the points of those? You rip plants out of the ground only to have them standing in your table where they can just whither away and die in front of you. How is that romantic to people?"
Zuko looked at Mai. "I love so much that I never have to guess with you." he said. "I wish everybody would just tell me exactly what they wanted."
"I want breakfast. I'm hungry." Mai said.
Zuko smiled as he sat down next to Mai then frowned. "Should I get you some sort of engagement present?" he asked.
Mai shrugged. "If you do. Make it something I'll actually get a use out of." she asked. "I hate useless trinkets. How Ty Lee can just fill up her room with sea shells I really don't know." then Mai rested her tongue on the roof of her mouth. "I guess I could use a new dress." she finally said. "For all those dumb banquets. Make sure it's one suitable for hidden weapons though. And moving around."
"Sure." Zuko nodded.
Katara did not look pleased nor impressed.
Sokka smirked. "Face it sis. These two are made for each other. No need to look like that."
And Katara sighed deeply. "Well… If you are both happy with it. Then I'm happy." she said. "Though this is the worst royal romance ever." she pouted.
"I think it's nice." Aang smiled warmly. "I know neither of you think it's a big deal but… Congratulations." he said. "You are very good together. Seriously."
"Thank you Aang." Zuko smiled softly. "That does mean a lot."
Mai nodded. "Yeah." she said as she reached over and took Zukos hand so they were now holding hands. "Also it's nice being able to do this in public and no one gets to say anything." she said as she kissed Zuko on the cheek and Zuko blushed as he grinned down at the table.
That made Katara melt and she smiled.
"See what I told you?" Sokka asked. "Just because those two have their own brand of romance doesn't mean it's not romantic."
"Shush." Katara hushed him. "You're right though… Sorry I wanted to make a big deal out of it when clearly that isn't your thing."
"It's all right." Mai said. "But seriously. There is enough court drama at this place! There's no need to make it more complicated with a messed up romance." she said.
And Zuko just sighed deeply as he looked at Mai. "You're the best."
"I know." Mai shrugged. "You're not too bad yourself either." and Zuko chuckled.
Katara shook her head… Yeah she had been cheated out of the romance between a legit former Prince and his lady love.
But the most important thing was that these two were happy and were good for each other. So as breakfast was served she smiled too and was honestly just happy for this strange couple in front of her.