A/N: This a gift for my friend DarcyBeDippy85, I hope you like it :)
Iroh watched the children play in the palace garden. Azula was joined by her two friends, who Iroh had met briefly earlier that day. While Azula and the cheerful girl, who he had gotten to know as Ty Lee, were doing cartwheels the third girl of the group was sitting under a nearby tree.
"Are you drinking tea again, uncle?" The voice of his nephew pulled Iroh out of his observations.
Smiling brightly at the boy, Iroh gestured for the young prince to join him and when he sat down poured him a cup of tea.
"Of course. There it nothing more calming than letting the flavor of a good tea put your mind to rest."
Zuko nodded thoughtfully at that and drank the offered tea, but Iroh was sure that the young prince was far from calm. Later that day he would take part in his first war meeting. It was an important day for Zuko, but Iroh was not sure if the young prince was ready. While Azula was more like her father than most were aware of, Zuko was a gentle nature like his mother. Confronting him with the ongoing war would surely make Zuko feel conflicted and that at his age. If it was up to Iroh, Zuko's first war meeting could still wait a little. Unfortunately his brother thought differently about this matter. Trying to shake the uncomfortable feeling away, that something meaningful would happen today, Iroh focused back on his nephew.
Despite having seemed nervous when arriving, the prince was now watching his sister and her friends in the palace garden with a serene expression. On even closer inspection Iroh could see that he wasn't watching them all, but rather the quiet girl under the tree. A gentle smile found its way on Iroh's face.
"She is quite the special girl, isn't she? What was her name again-"
"Her name is Mai." A blush was slowly staining Zuko's cheeks. "She is amazing when she throws her knives."
"That's certainly not a usual talent for a young lady." Iroh mused. "Have you seen her throw knives before?"
"We train together sometimes. She is already so good, but she wants to become even better and throw three knives at a time." Then he smiled in Mai's direction. "I'm always better when she is around when I train."
"So you want to impress her." Iroh watched amused how Zuko's face turned redder by the second. "A young man is always more prone to give it his all when around a beautiful woman who he admires."
"It's not like that, uncle. Mai and I are friends." Then he hesitated for a moment. "You wouldn't tell Azula what we're talking about, would you?"
"Of course not. Whatever it is that his bothering you will stay between us."
"Okay." Iroh saw the young prince take a deep breath before the next words left his mouth. "I want to court Mai, but only if she wants that. She is forced to be a certain way by her parents, so I don't want to force this on her if she doesn't feel that way about me. After the war meeting I want to tell her and ask her if she feels the same."
Iroh watched how Zuko kept his eyes on Mai while confessing all this to him and how the girl was now looking up at the balcony they were drinking tea on. The same blush that was visible on Zuko's cheeks was now dusting the girl's cheeks as well.
"Why not go down to her and spend some more time with her before the meeting. I'm sure she would appreciate it and it seems like your sister and her friend are about to leave."
As soon as Iroh had spoken, Azula and Ty Lee were leaving the garden and leaving Mai behind.
"You really think it's alright for me to see her so shortly before the meeting?" There was longing but also insecurity in his nephew's eyes.
"Of course." Iroh smiled gently.
After a moment of consideration, Zuko smiled brightly and Iroh watched how Zuko almost ran to the gardens. There was so much the young prince had to face in his role, but Iroh was glad that he could sometimes be just a boy. Not only that, but that he was already experiencing the wonderful feeling of his first crush and by the looks of it maybe even his first love. Maybe Zuko would be the first gentle Fire Lord after his family had forced war on the nation for years.
A few hours later however Iroh found his hopes crushed. He was on the way to see his nephew again after the physician had treated him after the fateful Agni Kai against his father. When he was there he saw Mai standing in front of Zuko's room. Her hand was shaking when she was about to knock, only to decided against it. Slowly Iroh approached the young girl.
"Are you here to see Zuko?"
"How is he?" Her voice was soft and Iroh could see tear stains on her face when she looked up at him.
They young girl must have heard about what had happened to his nephew and it was clear to Iroh how much Mai was affected by it. So far he had not really spoken to her, but he had hoped that Zuko would introduce them properly after he had confessed. Now a peaceful meeting with two blushing kids was never going to happen. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. They were too young to experience this and there was only so much he could do. He would go with Zuko on his banishment in hope to lessen his pain, but the young girl would be left behind. For now the least he could do for Mai was letting her see Zuko one last time.
"My words wouldn't calm your concern, so why not see for yourself?" Iroh said gently and opened the door.
Mai hesitated for a moment before she followed Iroh. The older man could see how his nephew was about to deny any visitors until his good eye fell on Mai. There was so much emotion in it that it was hard for Iroh to interpret it all, but there was so much longing and shame in that one expression that it was hard to miss. Clearly Zuko wanted nothing more than to be close to Mai, but he was too ashamed of his lost honor and banishment to voice that longing. Iroh looked from his nephew to the girl besides him. Fresh tears were flowing down the girl's cheeks and Iroh could see that she wanted nothing more than to be there for Zuko, but wasn't sure if he wanted her close.
"Be there for him. He is too ashamed to face you, but he needs you." Iroh whispered softly to Mai and lay a gentle hand on her shoulder. "He has lost so much today, don't let him loose your feelings for him too."
"I'll always care for him." Mai's words were just as quiet as Iroh's had been, but with a determination that Iroh had never seen in such a young person.
It seemed that her own words had giving Mai strength when she gently removed Iroh's hand from her shoulder and went over to Zuko. When she reached his bed, the young prince faced her again after having averted his eye before in shame.
"This doesn't change how I see you." The tears were still flowing down her cheeks, but Iroh had never seen someone so strong in his life.
That was all it took for Zuko's true emotions to come to the surface and he pulled Mai into his chest and on the bed, tears now leaving his good eye as well.
In any other situation this would have been inappropriate, but this scene was too heartbreaking to care about such matters. Iroh had seen a lot during his days as general, but seeing his nephew and Mai together like this didn't come close to any of what he had seen. This was true heartbreak. Tomorrow Zuko had to leave and he was leaving behind not only his home and his position as crown prince, but something more important. Mai, the girl who truly cared for him. That realization would come later for Zuko, but Iroh already saw it and his heart broke for Zuko and Mai.
The next time Iroh saw Mai was in the Jasmine Dragon a few days after Zuko's first official speech as Fire Lord. However before he got to talk to Mai again, he wanted to tease his nephew. This should have happened years ago, but it still wasn't too late.
"It's quite surprising to find you stand here by yourself." Iroh greeted his nephew when he stepped out on the balcony.
"With me being Fire Lord this won't happen often now." Zuko replied almost wistfully.
"You'll be the best Fire Lord this nation has ever had. It'll be a long and hard way for the Fire Nation to find peace, but I have faith in you and I'm sure that our nation will soon be willing to trust you as well." Iroh lay a gentle hand on Zuko's shoulder.
"I hope you're right." When Iroh squeezed his shoulder softly before letting go, Zuko smiled the slightest bit. "Thank you for everything, uncle."
"You don't have to thank me, I only helped you be the one you were always deep inside."
The two shared a comfortable silence after that, looking out on the Earth Kingdom which lay peacefully in front of them.
"Do you remember how we talked about your intention to court Mai shortly before the war meeting?" Iroh asked after a while.
"So what?" There had been years gone by, but the blush when teased by his uncle still stayed the same.
"When are you planning on marrying her?" Iroh smiled over his tea cup. "It's quite obvious that your feelings have only intensified and she would make a great Fire Lady, don't you think?"
"Didn't we just talk about what a long way it's going to be until the Fire Nation is truly at peace. How can you think about something like this now?"
"It's going to be a long way to peace, but you don't have to go it alone. You'll always have me and your friends, but you also need someone who will always be by your side."
Zuko was still blushing, but Iroh saw him slowly calm down before a soft smile stole its way on his lips.
"Maybe you're right. It's not like I ever gave up on marrying her. Even during my banishment I wanted to come back for her. Since then we had our hardships, but I could never imagine myself marrying anyone but her."
"I thought so." Iroh smiled at him and gently pulled out a necklace from his sleeves. "This is the engagement necklace of the royal family or more important the one of your mother. She left it behind for you for the woman who you chose to love." Almost hesitantly Zuko took the necklace from him and Iroh saw the emotions swimming in his nephew's eyes. "I'm sure she would approve of Mai."
"Thank you, uncle. I'll treasure it."
Iroh was glad that he was able to give Zuko such an important symbol from his mother. He had meant it, Ursa would be proud of Zuko and not only because he had chosen to love such an amazing woman as Mai.
The opening of the balcony door pulled Iroh out of his thoughts and he saw Zuko quickly hide the necklace in his robes. When he saw who had joined them Zuko reaction made sense as did his loving smile.
"Lady Mai, it's so great to see you again. I apologize in advance that I have to cut our meeting short, but I'm sure that my nephew would like to spend some time with you alone. However before that, I have to ask you a favor." The young woman didn't seemed surprised by his words, so Iroh continued. "My nephew has a heart of gold, but sometimes he can be very impulsive."
"That's a mild way of putting it." There was the slightest hint of amusement in Mai's expression.
"Maybe you could look out of him. He needs a woman by his side to make him see reason when his emotions are taking control of him."
"I'll keep him in line. There is nothing you have to worry about."
Iroh smiled to himself at hearing that. The confidence from her younger years didn't seem to have vanished.
"Why are you two talking about me like I'm not here?" The Fire Lord looked between his girlfriend and uncle.
"In this case your opinion doesn't matter, Fire Lord. This is a conversation between your uncle and me." Mai smirked at him, but Iroh could see the fondness and love that the young woman was directing at his nephew.
"The conversation is still about me." Zuko almost pouted, now wrapping an arm around Mai's waist and pulling her closer. "And the Fire Lord has a right to know everything that is going on in his nation."
"We're in the Earth Kingdom." Mai smirked at him.
Iroh watched smiling how the young couple got lost in their own world. There hadn't been marriages based on love for any of the previous Fire Lords, but these two would change that, he was sure of it. After being through so much, Zuko deserved happiness and someone who loved him for who he was and Iroh could see Mai being that someone for his nephew. From Ty Lee he had heard what Mai had done at the Boiling Rock for Zuko and even without that knowledge he could see how much Mai loved Zuko. As for his nephew, he had fallen for Mai long ago and since back in the palace garden wanted to court her. Sure, there would be hardships, especially with Zuko being the new Fire Lord, but they would heal this nation together. Leaving the now kissing couple alone and joining Toph at a nearby table, Iroh couldn't wait to be invited to the wedding and hold the first royal baby, who was born out of love.
A/N: Please review and tell me what you think :)