Trial by Fire
Chapter 9: Making Plans for Mai, Part 1
Mai awoke late the following morning. Sunlight was streaming in through her bedroom window and as she rolled over, shielding her eyes, her stomach growled. She was slightly surprised that her mother hadn't woken her for breakfast, but then again, old routines didn't seem to quite fit anymore. Mai was no longer attending school. She had no master as of yet to train her in the art of throwing knives. So what reason was there to get up?
Briefly, both Zuko and Ty Lee came to mind and she smiled. She had her friends, at least, and her uncle. Where was he, she wondered? Knowing him, he was probably outside, trying to avoid his sister. Snickering a bit at the image, the eleven year old entered her bathroom and faced her reflection one more time. She sighed heavily. A night of sleep had not improved her appearance. Nothing had changed. Nothing ever would change. That reality was slowly sinking in. "Better get used to it, Mai," she told herself harshly, no pity in her voice. "You'll have enough other people staring at you like you're a freak." An unpleasant thought if there ever was one, Mai shuddered at it. Part of her wanted to stay locked up in her room forever. It was a safe existence, dull and unchanging, but safe. But the other part was itching to get outside, away from her room and the house and the ever-watchful eyes of her parents, and experience something, anything really.
Sighing again, she poured some water into the basin and began to wash up. She was extra careful of the fresh scar tissue, dabbing at it gently. She cleaned her teeth next and then gave her hair a good brushing, deciding to leave it down for once. Mother could complain all she liked today. It felt good, hanging loose, silky hair against the thin silk of her nightgown. She might just wear it like this from now on or pulled back simply. The buns and ribbons belonged in the past.
Changing quickly then into plain pants and a tunic, she slipped out of her room and down the stairs. As her foot hit the bottom step, the sound of ladylike chatter reached her ears. Her mother had guests, some of her noblewoman friends, or acquaintances, no doubt. And yes, they were talking about her. Taking the final step, Mai then tiptoed to the parlor and hovered outside the doorway, keeping out of sight.
"What about Mr. Mori? He still hasn't married and I'm sure that he wants some heirs. Mai could still provide those, at least." Mai knew that voice. It belonged to Mrs. Ando, a nasty sort of social climbing woman, married to a successful businessman, and mother to a son and daughter, both nearing marrying age. Mai hated her, and her children. They were cruel and stupid. She dug her fingernails into her palm and waited for her mother's response.
"Mr. Mori is over fifty, for Agni's sake. That's simply not acceptable. I would rather Mai never marry, find something else to do with her life." Akira's voice was firm, dismissive.
"Well, from what I've heard, she certainly can't be fussy, and neither can you," Mrs. Ando insisted. "Goodness, at least she would be looked after, Akira. And she would have children to focus on."
"She's not twelve yet," Akira said coldly. "Children are hardly a worry. I simply want to set up a betrothal for Mai, find someone decent she can live with eventually. I'm not out to set her up for a lifetime of misery."
"Beggars can't be choosers," the woman retorted in a sing song voice. "Be sensible, Akira. Invite Mr. Mori over for tea. Have a nice chat with him. Explain the situation."
"I said 'NO'!"
Mai could clearly hear the anger in her mother's voice and for the second time within the space of one day, the woman had surprised her. She felt that flutter of hope in her chest again.
"Well," Mrs. Ando huffed. "You'll be the one who suffers; you and your daughter. I won't make any more suggestions."
"That's good," Akira said, all calm and cool now. "I was thinking of the Kojima boy. He's sixteen, I think, and still isn't betrothed. He didn't do well in military school, or so I've heard, and he's not the handsomest fellow, but from all accounts he's decent and would treat Mai well."
"Yes, yes, but what makes you think the Kojima family would ever consider your daughter?" It was Mrs. Hara who spoke up now.
"I don't know, but I have to try, don't I? Honestly, none of you are being any help at all."
Mai listened as her mother poured everyone a cup of tea. How did the discussion about her future suddenly stop and turn into a tea party? Mai would never understand these women. No, that wasn't it. She understood them well enough, what made each of them tick. Mai had been around that sort of woman all her life. She had observed them quietly from the sidelines, knew how they spoke and what petty things concerned them. She simply couldn't tolerate them and always wondered if, like her, they ever longed for something different.
Taking a deep breath and gathering her courage, the young girl decided to enter the parlor and say a quick hello before heading off to the kitchen and her much needed breakfast.
"Good morning, mother," she said in the most dignified tone she could manage. "I heard all the talking and decided to take a look." She stared at Mrs. Ando then, her eyes hard and cold. 'Just say something,' she willed the woman. 'I dare you.'
The group of them, all five, gasped, eyes wide, hands over mouths, as soon as they caught a glimpse of Mai's face. "Oh, Akira, you poor thing," Mrs. Ando cried. She spoke as though Mai didn't even exist, like Mai wasn't worth talking to directly.
"I'm over here," Mai called. "Can't you say anything to my face or is it too hideous to even look at for more than a moment?"
Most of them had the good sense to stare down at their feet or hands, obviously ashamed but the Ando woman sneered at Mai. "Think about all the trouble you've caused your mother and your father. Maybe you should be considering them instead of yourself."
Every fiber of her being wanted to smack the woman good, but Mai opted for restraint instead. She shot Mrs. Ando a glare, informed her mother that she would be eating breakfast in the kitchen and left, making sure every step was sure and confident. "Nasty, miserable, old hag," Mai spat out as soon as she was far enough away from the parlor. Tears formed but she forced them back. This encounter was only the beginning. She had better get used to it.
"Uncle, does she have to be here?" Zuko whined as he threw an angry stare Azula's way. "I thought just you and me were having lunch together."
"Oh, get over it, brother," the princess replied dismissively. "I'm hungry and there's food here. It's not like I wanna spend any time with you or Uncle anyway." She waited for a servant to dish out her meal and then dug in. "Training makes you hungry."
Zuko growled at her and crossed his arms over his chest.
"What?" Azula asked innocently as she took another bite.
"I know you, Azula. You're here to make fun of me or you're going to listen in when you leave or something like that. You always have a reason for everything you do." He turned to Iroh then. "Can we eat later, Uncle?"
"I will not let anyone chase me away from my meal or my tea. I'm staying right here. You two can get along for a few minutes. We'll talk after, Zuko. I promise." Iroh gave his nephew a bright smile and then looked sternly at Azula. "Mai's bandages came off yesterday. I spoke with Miyaki and he said that she's doing well. The scar is quite severe though. I thought you should know."
The princess shrugged and took a sip of water. "I don't care."
"That is all too evident," Iroh said sadly, shaking his head. "But you should care, Azula. You should care about the affect your actions have on others. You've ruined a girl's life.
"Oh, please, she'll do fine. Zuko will look after her." Azula giggled then and wiggled her eyebrows at Zuko. "He's in love with her."
"I will look after her,' Zuko declared, standing up and pounding his fist down on the table. "I will!"
"Calm down, nephew; come on. Sit." Iroh tugged on Zuko's sleeve and the boy sat. He was shaking with anger, fists clenched, all his urges telling him to punch Azula. She simply smirked and got on with her meal.
When she left, Zuko let out a breath. "I try to like her, Uncle. But I can't. I don't. I hate her."
"I understand. She's not an easy little girl to like. Hmm, little girl," the retired general mused. "It's hard to think of her as one. She's unlike any child I've ever met. Your father has played a big part in that."
Zuko twisted his lips and narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, he likes her. She's perfect and can't do anything wrong. I'm the screw up."
"Their temperaments are similar and he's taking advantage of that, nephew. Anyway, there's not much I can do about Azula. I've expressed to my brother how much her behavior distresses me, how wrong it is. But he doesn't seem to care and I have no rights over you children. Now, let's talk about something more pleasant. What did you have to say, Zuko?" Iroh settled back, tea cup in hand and began to sip. "Ah, that tastes good."
"I want to marry Mai." The boy was completely and utterly serious.
Iroh almost spat out his tea. His kind amber eyes widened and he stared at his nephew. "I hope you don't mean now? I have nothing against youthful marriages, but twelve and eleven is pushing it."
Blushing just a bit, the prince chewed on his lip, took a deep breath and then spoke, all in that order. "I don't want her married off to some guy she hates just because of what Azula did. And I care about her, Uncle. I care a lot. The scar doesn't bother me a bit. I kind of mentioned it to Mai yesterday."
"Oh, and what did she say?"
"She seemed happy. Look, can't we be betrothed? Her parents won't care; I mean a prince is better than anyone else in their eyes. And why would Father care? I want to do this."
Iroh scratched his head and thought. "I'll need to speak with your father and with Mai's parents. I'll do all I can to make it happen."
Zuko looked at his uncle gratefully. "Thank you. We could always just run away, you know, I mean if the whole betrothal thing doesn't work out."
"Let's see if we can do better than that." Iroh sipped at his tea again and contemplated his nephew's proposal. He had no objections. At least the two young people cared for each other, deeply if what he had observed meant anything. Both would benefit from a betrothal and marriage. The more he thought about it, the more Iroh liked the idea. He would speak to Ozai today whether the Fire Lord was receptive or not.
Ty Lee glanced over her shoulder. Her friend still stood in the foyer, seemingly frozen to the spot. "Come on, Mai. It's okay. I'm with you. And my mom's expecting you. She'll be disappointed if you don't come over."
Mai said nothing and did not move. Shutting the front door to Mai's home, the acrobat walked back to where she stood and grabbed hold of her hand. "I don't care. Zuko doesn't care. The rest of the people can go jump in the ocean." Ty Lee was putting on a brave face. She knew that if it were her going out into public with that scar for the first time, she would be terrified.
"I know. I just, I don't know if I can….." Mai closed her gold eyes and tried to muster up yet more courage. "Oh, all right. Let's get this done." She moved from her spot, walked briskly to the front door and pulled it open. Shoulders thrown back, her body straight and tall, she walked out onto landing, took one look at the crowded street and then calmly negotiated the stairs.
Ty Lee was right behind her and as soon as their feet touched the street, she took Mai's hand again. "I'm here," she whispered.
Mai held on tight, a testament to how nervous she was. People certainly noticed the lovely young girl with the disfiguring mark. Some knew who she was and some didn't, but for all the people, there were only two reactions; pity or repulsion. Those of a kinder nature looked at Mai with sorrow and sympathy while those harder people wrinkled their noses or shuddered or outright pointed, staring hard and gossiping with their companions.
"Isn't there something else for them to stare at?" Mai hissed. She felt like pinning a sign to her chest that read 'freak'. In a nation of firebenders, burns were common enough. Add war into the mix and they were even more prevalent. But young, pretty girls who weren't firebenders should be immune. Mai hadn't been.
She plodded forward relentlessly, staring right back into all those brown and grey eyes. It took all she had, every scrap of strength not to simply run. And when it was finally over, when she stood inside Ty Lee's home, she almost dropped to her knees in relief.
Kaori took the girl into her arms and simply held her, stroking the long, black hair over and over. "You're very brave and very strong. We're all so proud of you. And, Mai, you are always welcome here, okay?"
Trembling, Mai nodded.
"Into the kitchen with the both of you; cook made some biscuits. And don't mind the other girls. They're just curious, that's all." Kaori ushered them into the warm, inviting room and gave the cook a nod. Soon a plateful of fresh baked goods sat on the table in front of them, the smell seeming to draw Ty Lee's sisters.
They peered at Mai, but without malice. Little Mimi peppered Mai with innocent questions, and Mai replied as best she could. Katone, sixteen, inwardly counted her blessings and wondered if Mai would ever find a betrothed as great as hers. She smiled kindly at Mai, though and managed to steer the conversation to something less inflammatory and hurtful.
"So, Mai, how do you get your hair to look so good?"
Their discussion almost sounded civil. Iroh and Ozai sat across from each other, the wide expanse of the Fire Lord's desk separating them. The older of the two steepled his fingers and watched his brother carefully.
"I hope you're not going to profess some affection for your son, some sudden concern for his well being, Ozai. Why are you hesitating?"
"There's the royal family's reputation to think of, Iroh. Marrying someone disfigured is beneath one of us. It's as simple as that." He tapped his perfectly manicured fingernails against the polished surface of the mahogany desk.
Iroh shook his head, mild disgust now evident in his eyes. "Even if one of our own disfigured the girl? Don't we owe Mai more than that? And your son loves her, as much as a twelve year old boy can love an eleven year old girl. I've seen it with my own eyes. The worry of finding a match for Zuko would no longer be yours. You win, Ozai."
"Love," the Fire Lord sneered, his handsome face twisting into something much uglier. "What does love matter? I only want what is best for our family. We have an image to uphold, Iroh. Sympathy and compassion are not part of that image. Didn't our father teach you that, dear brother?"
"He certainly tried, but I, fortunately, resisted. That's where we differ. I think compassion and sympathy and love should be part of our image. It's such a shame. Zuko is wasted on you." Iroh was leading Ozai, hoping he would take the bait.
The Fire Lord chuckled coldly. "Oh, and I suppose you could do a much better job? Is that it?"
"I believe that I could, yes. I think that Zuko would flourish under my care. I have somewhere to take him, somewhere far away from the palace and Capitol City. He wouldn't be a bother to you anymore. And his betrothal to Mai could remain a secret if you wish." The older man kept his face neutral, but inside he was all turmoil. He desperately wanted his little plan to work.
Ozai smiled and examined Iroh closely. "I see you've been giving this a bit of thought. How devious of you. You do realize that Zuko would be giving up his right to the throne. That would be one of my conditions, the only one, I believe."
"I'll take care of all that. What he gains will be far more than what he loses. Do we have a deal?"
"We have a deal," Ozai nodded. "Convincing the girl's parents will be your job, though. I'll have no part of it.
Iroh contemplated Mai and Mai's parents. "That shouldn't be a problem. I think that her uncle will be a much bigger worry."
Ozai gave his brother a dismissive sort of wave and went back to his work. Getting up from the hard wooden chair, Iroh left the office and headed back to his rooms. "I'll tackle Katashi tomorrow," he said to himself. "Now, it's time for a nap."