Since the beginning of recorded history the Sen Wi family had maintained its position as one of the Fire Nation's most powerful and influential institutions. The family had done so through a tried and true method of absolute non-interference.
Throughout Fire Nation history the Sen Wi lineage had seen the Bo Feng's support and facilitate countless open coups by younger royals. The Sen Wi's had witnessed the unending tears shed over suspiciously closed caskets of rulers who had died of mysterious and unexpected 'natural' causes.
A Sen Wi had always been in attendance when a royal hunting trip ended in tragedy- when surefooted ruler found themselves inconveniently arranged at the bottom of a public well- at dinners where unfortunately rare allergies would suddenly strike monarchs dead- and on the surprisingly significant number of royal nature walks where the seemingly genetic clumsiness of the royal line saw the current Fire Lord flying off a cliff face.
While the Bo Feng's were known for their unlimited support for recently ascended rulers, the Sen Wi's were known for their consistently ferocious support for the recently usurped. It was through the combination of passive non-interference, privately implied unhappiness, and public admiration that the Sen Wi's were able to capture the favor of each new ruler without any actual action or effort. When the nation inevitably accepted the new ruler the Sen Wi's were granted automatic gratitude- everyone was happy.
Yun Sen Wi, the current head of the Sen Wi line had just heard rumors of the one thing that could disrupt the family's clockwork system of royal indebtness. The newly risen Fire Lord Zuko was considering choosing his childhood sweetheart- Mai Bo Feng- as his consort.
The Bo Feng line had joined with the royal line only twice in Fire Nation history and both times had resulted in a severe blow to the Sen Wi power position for at least a generation after. The Bo Feng's would never support a royal takeover while one of their own was married to the ruling Fire Lord- meaning that the crown would only be passed on naturally. This would inevitably diminish the impact of implied unrest during a royal turnover- invalidating the only well-practiced stratagem in the Sen Wi arsenal.
While Yan would undoubtedly no longer be in a position to be affected by such circumstances, he refused to sit idly by while the future of his offspring was put in the jeopardy by the unforgivable laziness of the current childish Fire Lord.
So when Yan received the expected and inevitable invitation to sit with the Fire Lord, Yan immediately amended his planned program to include subtle insinuations that the young boy should 'keep his options open' when it came to choosing a life partner.
As the meeting neared the two hour mark the substantial entourage of young women that Yan had brought with him was almost completely depleted- and things seemed to be proceeding exceptionally well from where Yan was sitting. Daughters of nephews,
cousins and of relatives with murkier distinctions were dressed in outfits ranging from traditional to modern to outright revealing.
Outright luck had seen the nefarious Bo Feng girl depart almost immediately as she was introduced by the young Fire Lord, allowing Yan the ability to move far more aggressively than he could otherwise.
"... and lastly this is Si Yong Sen Wi. She has come from the far province of Yoshenju to meet you." Yan pronounced proudly. The girl came forward was stunningly beautiful and almost painfully embarrassed- presumably due to her outfit being designed more for the beach rather than a royal greeting room.
"It is a pleasure to meet you Si Yong, I hope that you are able to enjoy the sights of the capital while you are here." Despite Zuko's simmering annoyance empathy for the young girl retempered his will to remain composed as he had promised Mai that he would.
"... Councilor Sen Wi, I appreciate you allowing me the pleasure of being introduced to all the fine young ladies of your clan- and while I am sure there is much left to discuss- I must now move on to other matters for the time being."
"Of course my Lord. And may I offer once again the full support of myself and the entire Sen Wi clan in dealing with the tempestuous time that we find ourselves in."
Zuko gave a slight nod and Yan exited the room filled with a deep sense of accomplishment. As Zuko left through a different door he found Mai reclined lazily upon a lounge.
"Did you kill him?" The words were accompanied by a dreamy yawn from the young woman.
"No, I was... nice. The nerve of that fossil, parading girls in front of me." Zuko sputtered, the built up anger beginning to pour out of him.
Mai's eyes turned upwards in a sign of internal amusement, and pulled Zuko down on to the seat to stop his rapid descent in to a tantrum. As she interlocked a hand with his, a heavy sigh escaped Zuko's chest.
"...he must know that we're... together. Why would he bother with that show?" The Fire Lord's voice was now filled with curious confusion. Mai simply lay back in to a grove of the seat, closing her eyes- a restful expression passing across her face.
"It's complicated. And unimportant. Just like most politics."