Mai was fuming.
Throughout lunch, this Jin girl managed to ask out Zuko to see some fountain lanterns a couple of blocks from the restaurant. She was nothing but persistent. Zuko, of course, didn't think anything of it. He was shy and rambling. It was probably one of the first times he has spoken to a girl, not as Prince Zuko but as 'just a normal teenager' Zuko.
Mai felt sick. The food from the restaurant was nothing short of delicious and mouth-watering. She could easily throw up all that food to waste.
It was sunset, the orange glow of the dying daylight seeped into the infrastructures. They have been walking for a while now. Jin walked in front with Zuko, leaving a smirking Suki with a grumpy Mai.
"Look, we really need to head back." Mai grumbled to the pair in front of her. "It's sundown, we still have to catch the train."
"Oh, but we're so close! Please, a couple more blocks. I really want to show Lee the lanterns by the fountain!" Jin reasoned as she barely looked back at Mai. Mai thought the girl was despicable, her undivided attention was all on 'Lee'. She barely acknowledged the two girls with him. Disgusting. How obvious can she get?
Mai shot Suki a murderous look, begging her to back her up. However, Suki just smiled weakly and shrugged.
"It's ok, Mai. We'll head for the train station right after we see the fountain." Zuko reassured her with a smile. Mai's features softened with a look from Zuko.
"So, Lee." Jin tucked a hair behind her ear. Mai's features immediately soured once again. "If you need to catch the train to go home, would that mean you live in the Middle Ring or Upper Ring?"
"Uh, yes." Zuko cleared his throat, "We do."
"Aw, that's amazing! I heard the houses and land are much bigger, and it's not as crowded." Jin sighed. "I've never been anywhere but here." She said softly.
"Well, maybe you can go with us! You showed us around, maybe we can show you around in return!"
Mai sent Suki a panicked look, which the Kyoshi Warrior shared.
"You mean it?" Jin expressed happily, grabbing on to Lee's sleeve.
Reflexively, Mai grabbed Jin's wrist and parted the duo. "No." She said firmly. Mai faced Zuko, "We can't bring her with us! It's nearly night time. We have to go home, and she does too."
Jin pulled her wrist from the girl, "Well, I'm actually living alone right now! My family was visiting our hometown when the Fire Nation overtook the city. They haven't returned yet." The shine on the girl's eyes dimmed for a second. Jin shook her head and her eyes found Zuko's. "Also, maybe I can just share a room with your sisters!"
There was a pregnant pause. Mai's eyes twitched. "Are you that dim? Do we look alike at all?" Mai's voice pierced through the night, oozing with annoyance.
"They're not my sisters." Zuko quickly defended.
"Yeah, and I work for them." Suki's head nodded causing her short strands of hair to bounce.
Jin scratched her head, "So if you have servants, you must be pretty well off, huh?"
"I guess?"
"Then who's she?" Jin pointed to Mai.
"She's my... uh..."
Mai blushed furiously, slightly embarrassed. Zuko certainly knows how to make a girl feel special. "Where is this fountain you're talking about anyways? We're wasting time." Mai quickly averted the subject.
"We're here."
Crickets. In front of them was a dark square, on the equator was a fountain. The sun was already resting, and so were the occupants of this town. The square was empty and was nothing like what Jin described.
"Aw! The lanterns aren't lit up!" The girl's features dropped and so did her shoulders. "Sorry, for wasting your time."
"Cover your eyes."
"Huh?"
"Don't peek." Zuko ordered. Jin moved her dainty hands to cover her eyes.
"Z- Lee, don't." Begged Mai in a commanding whisper.
Zuko ignored Mai. He looked around to see if the square was truly empty of citizens. Expertly, he shot fire from the tips of his fingers to the candles of the lanterns. When he was finished, the scene was undoubtedly beautiful.
"Open your eyes."
Jin gasped, "Wow- I- how?"
Zuko shrugged. He was glad he could make this Earth Kingdom girl happy. His smile instantly melted off his face when his eyes detected Mai's expression. He turned his face towards Mai, suddenly, he felt warm lips tickle the corner of his mouth. The offender missed by a centimetre.
Shocked, Zuko turned his head towards a flushing Jin. "Thank you." She smiled kindly.
"N-no problem." Zuko's voice cracked and he gulped to refresh his dry throat.
"Um. We really should head back now," Suki interrupted the couple. She also directed their gaze by pointing at Mai's figure slowly getting smaller in the distance.
Needles. That's what it felt like. Mai's heart felt like it was being pricked by needles. The train ride back to the Ba Sing Se Palace was a bore. Mai experienced feelings she has never felt before. Zuko nervously twitched his head to glance at Mai. However, Suki was sitting between them and she was sitting forward, as if she meant to block his view of Mai.
The Kyoshi Warrior hurt for her fellow Order member. Mai never showed expression, and this was normal, everyone knew that. Her face was perpetually blank. She's not comfortable with people knowing of her thoughts and feelings. Thus, the reason why Mai never let expressions betray her face.
Right now, her expression betrayed her face. She looked in pain. Suki felt for her. The least she could do is to protect Mai from Zuko's burning stare.
Jin was sitting next to Zuko. Suki wondered how they could've let it get this far. Suki felt annoyance for the ever clueless Zuko. It was obvious he didn't even consider that Jin liked him. And to invite her to go back with them? Reckless. They didn't even have a cover story. When they arrive at the Palace, what would be their excuse as to why they live there? Telling the truth would be a risk of its own.
They arrived at the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. By this time, Mai regained her flawless blank expression once again. As soon as they got off the platform, Mai grabbed Zuko's arm, allowing Jin and Suki to walk in front of them.
"Mai, I-" Zuko started. He was aware of how the situation with Jin affected Mai. She couldn't even look at him. Zuko's heart felt a pinch. Mai was his only friend, really. He can't lose her.
"What's the plan?" Mai's voice was as hard as steel.
"Oh yeah. But first, I just want to say I'm sorry-"
"Well, you should be. You put yourself in danger when you decided to firebend for some girl you met two minutes ago. Did you ever consider what Azula would do if she found out about Jin being inside the Palace? You were reckless." As she said those words, her voice shook.
"I know." Zuko looked at the floor, defeated. "I-I shouldn't have asked her to go with us. But she looked so hopeful and I just- I just wanted to give her this. I wasn't thinking, I'm sorry Mai." He reached to hold her hand, Mai snatched her hand back at contact.
All this for a girl he met a few hours ago.
"Your 'sorry' won't save Jin from the situation you put her in." Mai whispered angrily, as she noticed Jin glance behind her. Zuko felt as guilty as he looked, and he should.
Mai has lost herself in jealousy the whole way back to the Upper Ring. She let her guard down and she shouldn't have. She failed to keep personal feelings and her duty separate. She had to remind herself that there was a bigger picture to keep in mind. Mai sighed. "As far as she knows, we are Earth Kingdom. We can pretend we are nobles visiting the Palace. Our parents are here for a diplomatic visit."
"But that would never happen. Ba Sing Se is controlled by the Fire Nation now." Zuko was concerned about the authenticity of their fabricated situation.
Mai sighed exasperatedly, "Zuko, who cares? She's a waitress from the Lower Ring of Ba Sing Se. What does she know about politics?"
Zuko frowned at Mai's description of Jin. Call it privilege, but the girl's heart ached. At that moment, Jin was as worthless as a person could get in Mai's eyes. And she refused to feel sorry about it.
"I can sneak her to my room tonight. Tomorrow morning, we show her around and then send her home. As soon as possible." This was the best plan Mai could muster in a small amount of time. She found it vexing to even sleep in the same room as that girl. But nonetheless, sacrifices needed to be made. Now, she prayed to Agni they can successfully deliver the plan without anyone knowing. Especially Azula.
Zuko knew better than to argue. The night went as planned. The four teenagers entered the sleeping Palace. Jin's eyes grew wide and her jaw dropped at the sight of the towering structure. She was in the Palace! The Ba Sing Se Palace! Jin could not manage to express her curiosity as to who these people were. She was filled with too much excitement and giddiness. She wanted to squeal, but Mai's deadly glare prevented her from doing so.
When they reached the entrance, the group parted ways. Zuko claimed to be heading to his chambers and promised Jin that he will meet with her first thing in the morning. Suki headed to the servant's quarters while Mai and Jin left to go to Mai's chambers. Zuko tried to send Mai a look of apology, but the girl avoided looking his way.
Mai firmly gripped Jin's wrist as she dragged the dazed girl to her room. As soon as Mai locked her chamber door closed, a million questions left Jin's big mouth, "Wow! You guys live in the Palace? Who are you people? Look at the size of this room! Wow, those linens look expensive-"
Mai covered the other girl's mouth. "Be quiet, will you?!" She whispered aggressively. Mai removed her hand from Jin's mouth.
"Sorry!" Jin whispered apologetically. She still had a million questions going through her head. Yet she refused to ask any of them. Mai scared her, why couldn't she have bunked with the other girl instead? Why did she have to be stuck with the scary one?
Mai disappeared through her bathroom door, after a couple of minutes, she returned with her clothes changed to a silk burgundy sleeping robes. In her hands was a beige sleeping robe, she tossed it across the room to Jin. Mai signalled her to get dressed in the bathroom.
When Jin was clad in sleepwear, she entered the bedroom again. She scanned the bedroom. There was a big canopy bed in the middle, as well as a desk to the far side, and a couch against the wall next to the window, the whole ensemble was united with a dark olive rug. Mai was already tucked under her bedsheets. On the couch, Jin noticed clean linen and pillows neatly placed on the armrest. She guessed that that's where she was meant to sleep. She tiptoed across the room and arranged her makeshift bed. Jin laid on the couch. It may only be a couch in a whole chamber full of exquisite furniture but it was already a hundred times more luxurious as the bed she was used to sleeping in.
The deafening silence embraced the two. Jin's mind raced, she still couldn't believe she was inside the Palace! She felt like royalty. How lucky she was to encounter Lee. Oh, Lee. He was everything a girl wanted. He was kind, generous, impressive... Jin's heart pounded in her chest, it has been a while since she has felt this secure and joyous.
Mai's mind also raced, she couldn't believe that one trip to the Lower Ring could turn into this big of a disaster. She was irritated. How dumb was Zuko for letting this girl go home with them? Stupid Zuko. He irked her, he was one of the very few that could affect her demeanour. He acted on his feelings, he was rash... Mai's heart clenched. For a girl who could have everything in the world, it was the first time she was embraced by the green monster called Jealousy.
The sun was barely up. As planned, the foursome met up in front of one of the smaller gates of the Ba Sing Se Palace. Jin expressed she wanted to see the residential area of the Upper Ring. She kept close next to Zuko as they walked in a square formation. Zuko answered all of Jin's burning questions while Mai nudged Suki, attracting her attention.
"Hey," The quiet girl started.
"Are you feeling better?" Suki asked softly.
"Yes," Mai gave Suki a firm nod, she was back to her composed self, "I want to apologise for last night."
"What for?" Suki scrunched her eyebrows, confused.
"I let you down. I let my guard down. I left all the work to you. It won't happen again." Mai promised with determined eyes.
Suki chuckled, "Mai, it's okay!" The short haired girl nudged her friend sideways. "I get it. Really. How was last night, by the way?"
Mai scoffed, "She snores. I wanted to smother her with a pillow."
Suki snorted. "Don't worry, it'll be over soon."
After an hour, the tour was over. The four teenagers stood in front of the Palace's main gate, saying their farewells.
"I can walk her to the train station," Volunteered Suki. The Kyoshi Warrior knew that Mai and Zuko needed to be alone to sort out the damage done by Jin.
Mai nodded. Jin launched herself at Zuko, burying her face in his chest. "Thank you for this, Lee." She removed her head from his chest to look at the boy's stunned expression. "I know you can't tell me who you really are..." Jin said softly, "That's alright. I will always remember the Lee who showed me great generosity. For that I will always be grateful. And I just wanted to say- if this is the last time we see each other. That-" Jin's eyes sparkled. Zuko gulped. He could predict what she was going to say next. Reflexively, Zuko's eyes darted to the other girl next to him: Mai. She was looking at the distance, posture flawless, face completely rid of any emotions.
"Uh, thank you, Jin." Zuko quickly pried Jin's hands from his robes and took them in his own hands. He held them in the space between their bodies, creating a larger gap between them, "I had fun. Thank you for showing us the lanterns, it is an experience I will never forget. I wish we had more time and you could have stayed longer."
"Why, she can stay for as long as she likes, brother. We do have tens of rooms to spare." Mai, Zuko and Suki's skin crawled as Azula appeared from behind them. A phoney welcoming smile was plastered on her face. "Hello, there. I'm Azula, Zuzu's little sister."
"Zuzu?" Jin questioned.
A/N: Hello again everyone! This update is two days late and I'm sorry about that. I realised that I will have school again soon, meaning I might be a few days late with my weekly updates. I'm also on Wattpad, this story is published there too. I do post on Wattpad whenever a chapter is going to be late. My user name on Wattpad is bashful_babe if anyone's wondering.