I'll try not to over-exaggerate things this time. Only a little exaggeration.
She opened her eyes, the sun barely peaking through the window. Rolling over to her side, she noticed that the room was still moving.
Mai groaned, and almost fell out of the bed as she stumbled to the bathroom. Every morning for the past three days. It was starting to become a routine.
"Mai, just let me get one of the healers." Zuko said, knocking on the door.
"I'm- fine!" She called back, coughing.
Zuko sighed, shaking his head. Mai walked out of the bathroom, her face paler than it usually was.
"You look ill." Zuko stated.
"I'm-"
"Fine?"
"Yes." She sat back down on the bed, looking quite exhausted.
"Well, Ty Lee said she was going to stop by today."
"That's n-nice." Mai yawned.
"And I'm being forced to help Uncle prepare for the 'party' in two days."
"You have fun with that,"
"Don't worry I will." Zuko smiled sarcastically. "Oh, by the way, your mother, father, and brother are back from re-establishing New Ozai. Now it's back to being Omashu."
"Nothing can express the loathsome emotions I feel for my family." She sighed.
"I think the fact that you say that whenever you're around your family may express your loathsome feelings."
"If I enjoyed the company of my family, I would live with them. But, I chose to live with you instead." Mai pointed out.
"And we were constantly mocked by Azula too." Zuko said.
"Yes, well, she governs the Colonies now, along with Ty lee."
"Unclehad to give them something to do. If it were my decision, though, Azula would have been sent to exile. Besides, she's home remember?"
"No, I don't recall you ever telling me." Mai said wryly.
"I told you Ty Lee was here, she wanted to tell you something." He replied.
"I didn't know Ty Lee coming back meant Azula as well."
Zuko shrugged. "C'mon, let's get breakfast and you can meet up with Ty Lee."
"You go, I'm not that hungry."
Shaking his head, Zuko closed the door and walked down to the dinning hall.
Mai, whose upset stomach had now subsided, slowly undressed from her night gown. She sighed upon glancing out the window when she saw her mother outside with Tom-Tom as she tied the sash on her robe. Tea with her mother would be arranged later that day, and there's no way she could get out of it, therefore Mai would have to sit through her mother talk about nothing important- and pretend to care.
Turning her back to the window, Mai rolled up the sleeves of her robe in order to clasp the bands that held her stilettos to her wrist. It wasn't that she felt safer with them, or that she just liked having them around, it was that Mai knew she might need them since there would end up being an engagement with not only her mother but with Ty Lee- and supposedly Azula- as well.
There was a knock on the door, and Mai quickly turned her head, her neck cracking in the process. Grimacing at the pain, she went over to open the door, only to be shoved to the ground in an unbearably tight hug.
"Mai! It's so good to see you!"
"Geroff me! I Cnt brweve!" Mai gasped for breath underneath the pink mound on top of her.
"Oh, sorry," Ty Lee giggled, getting up, and then helping Mai up from the ground.
"So, Zuko said Azula was with you?" Mai gestured her Ty Lee to sit in one of the chairs by the window, fallowing suit with the one beside.
"Yes, but she's off torturing him right now. She always seemed to complain about not being able to do that while we were In the colonies."
"Finally, something worth watching."
"I though you liked living with Zuko?" Ty Lee questioned, cocking her head slightly.
"I do, it just gets so boring sometimes- like I was living with my parents in Omashu." She replied, sighing.
"Oh! Speaking of Zuko!" Ty Lee said suddenly.
"We were talking about Zuko?" Mai asked.
The contortionist ignored her friend and continued. "He wanted me to make sure you were okay, and that you ate something today."
Mai rested her chin on her hand, rolling her eyes. "I'm fine." She muttered.
Ty Lee looked at her skeptically. "Is everything alright?"
"I'mfine!"
"He said you were getting sick in the mornings."
"So?"
"Your appetite has been strange,"
"And?"
"Oh, Mai! You've been drinking!" Ty Lee gasped, clasping her hands over her mouth.
"What? I don't drink." Mai said, crossing her arms.
"Hey- I've been around the circus. The platypus-bear trainer knew his Dragon Whiskey."
"I don't drink!" Mai snapped. She was glad she had her stilettos concealed in her cloak. Obviously by the way Ty Lee was acting, she would need them.
"Relax, I was only kidding."
Glancing back out the window, Mai noticed that her mother was no longer outside, and gave a relieving sigh. Squinting, she could see a small figure running around in circles in the grass, laughing as something furry fallowed it. She had almost forgotten how old her brother had gotten.
"We should probably save Zuko from his sister." Mai said, breaking their silence.
"Can we watch some of the torture before stopping it?" Ty Lee asked, hopping up from the chair.
"If you must,"
Fallowing Ty Lee out the door, Mai paused for a moment, the sickness feeling passing through her. She shivered as the need to vomit passed, and slowly bounded down the stairs.
"Ty Lee, they're most likely in the ball chamber." Mai said, reaching the bottom of the staircase.
The contortionist walked over to her, a grin plastered on her face.
"What? Did I miss Azula embarrassing Zuko?"
"You two are getting married!" Ty Lee exclaimed.
"No, we're not." Mai said scathingly, the daggers in her sleeve pressing harder against her wrist. Ty Lee could be such a nuisance sometimes.
Huffing, the pink clad girl stalked off to the ball chamber, attempting to guess as to what was wrong with Mai.
"Oh, I know! You two are-" Buy she was cut off by a silver stiletto landing point-down in front of her feet.
"If you must know Ty Lee," Mai said, flushing, "I'm pregnant."