After Dark
Part 7
It rained the next day, and Mai slept in. No one bothered her. She suspected that her uncle had something to do with that. By the time she washed and dressed and went downstairs it was almost lunchtime.
"Did you have a good rest?" Katashi greeted her as he poked his head out of the kitchen.
"Mmm," Mai answered vaguely. "Where is everyone?"
"Your father is working in his office and your mother is upstairs with the baby. The new nanny is up there with her; poor woman…the nanny I mean."
Mai bit back a giggle as she joined her uncle at the rustic kitchen table. The cook was working on lunch and Katashi was sneaking tastes of the various dishes.
"You'll spoil your appetite, sir," she chided gently.
"Nothing spoils my appetite," he replied with a loud guffaw. "Mai, you must be hungry. Grab something to tide you over until lunch is served. After we eat, you and I are going to have that talk."
"It's raining," Mai replied dryly.
"You have umbrellas, don't you?"
"Well, yes…." The knife thrower replied.
"I get the feeling that you're not looking forward to our talk."
He was right, for the most part anyway. A small part of her wanted to confess to her uncle, tell him about the rowdier section of the city and her visits to it, while a larger part of her feared his disapproval. Of course, there was always the chance that he would tell her parents. Masami would have the fit of the century no doubt and suggest sending her off to a far away institution of some kind, be it a school or the military. Either that or she would force Mai into a marriage right away. Whatever was decided, things would get ugly.
She shrugged.
"Don't worry, Mai. I'm sure it can't be that bad."
"Depends on your definition," Mai replied.
"Eh, I'm not worried. Here, eat an apple," he said and tossed her one from the fruit bowl.
Mai made an easy catch and then ate the apple quickly. She was hungry, ravenous in fact, and couldn't wait for lunch. It was always served at exactly one hour past noon, not a minute sooner or a minute later. She still had fifteen minutes to go.
"Oh," Katashi exclaimed. "I forgot about presents yesterday. I have something for you and something for Tom-Tom. I'll run up to my room and get yours. Be back shortly."
She didn't have time to reply before he jumped up from the table and bounded loudly up the staircase.
"Shh," Masami said as he thundered by the nursery. "There's a baby in the house."
"The real world's full of noise," Katashi replied. "He needs to get used to it."
He handed over the gift for Tom-Tom when he passed the nursery again, and then ran back down the stairs.
"Here," he said and handed a small box to Mai.
"You bought me stuff yesterday."
"Mai, I've actually had this gift for a long time. I just think it suits you better now."
She pulled off the lid and found a simple necklace of gold. A Fire Nation symbol, tiny and delicate hung from the end of the chain. It was beautiful.
"It's, it's really pretty, Uncle. Thank you."
"I think it's important to show love for our great country and loyalty to it. Wearing this necklace will do that for you."
Theirs was the greatest nation; that's what Mai had been told for as long as she could recall. It made sense to be proud and she was. Flaunting that feeling wasn't really her style but she would wear it for her uncle's sake. It was long enough to fit right over her head without untying the clasp. She put it on and showed it to Katashi.
"It looks great," he exclaimed. "I'm going in to the dining room to wait for lunch. Are you coming?"
Mai nodded and left the kitchen with her uncle. Sen and Masami soon joined them while Tom-Tom remained upstairs with the nanny. The table was set and the food was served as soon as everyone was seated.
Sen gave his daughter a nod along with a small smile. Mai curved her lips upward in imitation of the same.
"How is the nanny working out?" Sen asked his wife.
"She'll do," the woman replied. "But she's not as good as the one we had for Mai. The Kochi family has her."
Mai recalled a humorless, slightly frightening behemoth of a woman. Maybe the behemoth part was an exaggeration, but the woman was definitely no fun. Tom-Tom was lucky to escape her.
"Mai, what do you plan on doing for the rest of the day? You wasted the morning sleeping. Your uncle insisted that we leave you alone."
Masami looked pointedly at her brother and frowned.
'It was him,' Mai thought and smiled behind her hand. To her mother she said, "I'm spending some more time with Uncle."
"That's fine. No sleeping in tomorrow, though. Remember, the naming ceremony begins early. And we have to travel to the temple."
"I know," Mai replied.
"I shouldn't have to tell you to look your best. You're pretty when you smile. Too bad it didn't happen more often."
"Yeah, and lots of important people will be there. I know, Mother."
Masami sighed heavily.
"Your uncle thinks that I'm too hard on you. Perhaps I am. But I do want the best for you, Mai. Going easy on you and letting you do what you please won't accomplish that."
'Too bad your version of best doesn't match mine,' Mai thought.
"He convinced me to let up on you a bit, not push the idea of betrothal so much. I'll do my best."
Mai almost fell off her chair. Her mother making concessions, no matter how reluctantly, was virtually unheard of. She wasn't sure what to say. Sen stepped in and gave her an idea.
"Your mother is reaching out to you, Mai. You should be thankful."
"Thanks," Mai stated automatically, but looked at her uncle rather than her mother.
He was the one she was grateful to.
"That doesn't mean I'll stop looking for good matches for you. And it doesn't mean that you can run wild either. You just have a bit of a reprieve. With the baby to look after, it's just as well I don't worry so much about you."
'Run wild,' Mai thought. 'If she only knew…..'
"How is work going for you?" Sen asked Katashi, in an effort to change the subject.
His voice was polite but he looked as though he really didn't want to hear the answer. Katashi, however, didn't care whether Sen was interested or not. He loved talking about his job as warden of the nation's most notorious prison. He loved his job, period.
"Just the other week, twelve new prisoners arrived. They were mouthy at first and rebellious. I can't have that in my prison so I'm tough on them, even cruel sometimes. If they don't conform, chaos reigns. Chaos in a prison is a disaster."
"I don't know how you can deal with those people," Masami stated. "They must be so, so, disgusting."
"Someone needs to deal with them. I'm proud of my job," Katashi retorted. "Would you rather have the criminals running around our country, in the streets of our cities, robbing and killing?"
"Perhaps they should all be executed," Sen suggested.
"That's not for me to decide. The Fire Lord makes the rules and I follow them. Whether the prisoners are innocent or guilty, whether they had a good reason for their crime and so on, is not under my jurisdiction. I run a prison and I want it to function smoothly. Once you're there under my rule, you will do what I say."
Though she rarely saw this tough side of her uncle, Mai had no problem imagining the man as iron fisted ruler. She wouldn't want to be his prisoner.
"Do we have to talk about this?" Masami whined. "The toy you brought for Tom-Tom is adorable, by the way. He'll love playing with that when he gets older."
"Glad you like it," Katashi replied. "Did you see what I got for Mai?"
"No," Masami replied. "Where is it?"
"She's wearing it," the warden replied.
Both Sen and Masami peered at Mai but didn't notice the pendant.
"Here," Mai finally said and held out the necklace for them to see.
"Oh, it's lovely. Did you thank your uncle, Mai?"
"Yes, Mother," the knife thrower said exaggeratedly.
"Wear it tomorrow," Masami instructed.
Mai rolled her eyes.
"Speaking of tomorrow, we're leaving right after breakfast. The sage will perform the ceremony and then we'll all come back here for a celebration. The servants will be working long into the night, making food and setting the table. I want everything to be perfect. That means good behavior from both of you."
She looked sternly at both Mai and Katashi.
"Mai, no sneaking up to your room; remember that the princess and Ty Lee are coming. I expect you to stick with them."
"Are the Ibarakis coming?" Mai asked.
"Yes, they are. You wouldn't be interested in Kenji after all, would you?" the woman asked, hope obvious in her tone.
"No," Mai replied neutrally. "I just wondered."
"The Tanakis are coming and the Fujiwaras and the Moris. It's going to be wonderful. If only the Fire Lord would make an appearance. That would make my day. Think of how our status would increase."
"I wouldn't count on that, dear," Sen said, patting his wife's hand.
"A woman can dream, can't she? The Fire Lord in our house…..I think I would faint."
"Azula will have to do," Mai stated dryly.
"Of course, it's an honor to have the princess in my home. I'm so thrilled that you're a friend of hers," Masami added.
"I know; you've told me," the ebony haired girl replied.
Katashi cleared his throat. "Mai, are you finished? Let's go out in the garden and you can throw some more. I enjoy watching you."
Glad to get away, Mai pushed back her chair and excused herself. Masami tsked but didn't complain. Snatching another apple from the kitchen, Mai walked through the house to the back door, her uncle close behind.
"I forgot the umbrellas," Mai stated and ran back to the foyer to grab two.
Once outside, Katashi turned to look at her, eyebrows raised and a slight frown on his face.
"Confession time," he stated.
Mai hadn't given much thought to what she would say. She could lie and Katashi might never know the difference. But she didn't want to lie to him. She owed him more respect than that. So, she began her story.
"A few weeks ago I was out shopping with Mom and I saw some girls go down an alleyway. I don't know why I did, but I followed them. At the end of the alley there was this completely different part of the city. I didn't know it was there. It looked a lot more interesting than this part and the people seemed less, um, less uptight. I decided that I would check it out one night. I went out onto the roof and climbed down the front overhang."
"Mai, I don't think you realize exactly what goes on there. Those people aren't your kind of people. They're gamblers and prostitutes and con men."
"I know more than you think and I've been there more than once, about five times actually. I can handle myself."
"People would as soon kill you there as look at you," Katashi insisted. "I know that you're smart and I know that you can look after yourself, but you are still thirteen years old. Some men would love to get their hands on you. Mai, you're putting yourself in danger."
"But, I've even gone into the gaming houses and played. I have to show them that I belong first, but I don't have any problems. I even won money."
"I don't like it, Mai. I don't like it at all. What if something happens to you? I don't want to lose you and neither do your parents, despite what you think."
"So, you don't want me to go back. Are you going to tell my mom and dad?"
"I should tell them. They would be horrified. But I won't. I trust you to stop going there, Mai."
"I don't want to stop," she said quietly. "I can be myself there. No one cares about manners or appearance or marrying me off. I can look at things and watch people and throw my knives in contests. And trust me. I'm not the only noble who goes there."
"I'm sure you're not, Mai. But I'll bet that you're the only thirteen year old girl there who isn't a prostitute."
"I don't care," she said defiantly. "I won't stop. I feel alive when I'm there, Uncle."
"And what do you feel when you're here?" he asked.
His broad face was full of concern and his hands clenched and unclenched at his sides.
"I feel like I'm smothering. I can't say what I really want to say. They want me to be a perfect noblewoman, a perfect doll with no thoughts and no feelings, except the ones they say I'm allowed to have. I hate it."
Sighing, Katashi walked over to a bench, wet now from the rain, and sat down. Mai stayed standing, but moved over beside her uncle. She looked down at her nails and then over at him.
"I'm sorry that you feel smothered, Mai. I really am. I know that your mother likes things her way and she has certain expectations of you as a daughter. I understand your need to find something of your own. But I'm not happy with what you've chosen."
"I'm sorry," Mai said sadly. "I don't want to disappoint you too, Uncle. You're the only one now who understands anything."
"Let me see you throw again. Maybe it will make me feel better," Katashi smirked.
Mai folder her red umbrella and put it down on the bench. She readied herself, breathed deeply and then let every knife, every arrow fly, one or two at a time. Her results were very impressive.
"Agni, girl, you are amazing."
"See, I really can take care of myself. No one will get near me, Uncle. No one's tried. And I won't go that often anymore."
"I shouldn't be allowing this, Mai. Masami will kill me if she ever finds out."
"She won't. I know what I'm doing."
"Grrr, why can't I say 'no' to you? I never could. You better stay alert every minute, every second that you're there. That's all it takes to hurt someone. I've seen it, Mai."
"I will. Thank you, Uncle."
Mai smiled, tucked some untidy strands of midnight black hair back into place and sat beside him on the bench. The dampness made its way through her outer layer of clothing. It was cold, but she didn't care.
Mai went to bed early and dreamed of Zuko. Sometimes before bed, she lit a candle and tried her hand at meditation. She wasn't an expert, but the tiny flickering light in the darkness of her bedroom soothed somehow and her thoughts would lose some of their turmoil. She slept better then and wondered why she didn't meditate every night. The nights she dreamed of Zuko were the nights she didn't meditate.
She knew nothing of where the prince was or what exactly he was doing. All Mai knew was that Zuko had a ship, he was with his Uncle Iroh and he was searching for the long lost Avatar. Ozai had mercilessly burned his face during the Agni Kai, but Mai had no idea just how bad the wound and its scar were. Imagination could be a terrible thing and dreams even worse.
In her dream, she saw a small ship tossed by the waves. Zuko stood on the deck alone, his hair whipped about by a fierce wind. One side of his face was completely charred, bits of white bone showing through the ruined flesh. He looked at the water and then up at the sky, a hopeless expression on his face. And then he jumped.
Mai was crying when she jerked awake. She closed her fists tightly and prayed that Zuko wouldn't give into despair. Even if she never saw him again, Mai wanted Zuko to get what he desired, what he deserved and to have a good life. But, of course, she also hoped that he would have these things along with her.
Restless now, she got out of bed. A cup of chamomile tea might calm her nerves. Noiselessly, she opened her door and crept along the hallway to the staircase. A light was on in Masami's room and Mai couldn't resist taking a peek through the open door.
Her mother sat up in her luxurious bed. The upper part of Masami's nightgown was open and Tom-Tom was cradled in her arms, nursing peacefully. She was singing softly to the infant and stroking his head with great tenderness. Mai felt as though she were invading her mother's privacy, like she was intruding on something very intimate. But still, she stood transfixed and wondered if her mother had done the same with her.