Mai first looked at Ty Lee, who was trembling, and then to Azula, who was smirking.
"I am feeling just fine," she answered.
"Why wouldn't she be?" Zuko asked, clearly oblivious as to what was really going on.
"You said so yourself that she has been getting sick a lot, I just wanted to make sure that my friend wasn't terminally ill with some tragic disease." Azula said. "But, of course, Mai will be alright within nine months,"
"Nine months?"
Refusing to look at Zuko, Mai took this time to mentally throw daggers at Ty Lee, actually clenching one in her hand.
"Would anyone care to bless me with information?" Zuko asked, glaring at his sister.
"Sorry ZuZu, but Ty Lee and I must be going now," Azula said with a careless wave to her brother, holding onto Ty Lee's hand as the two of them left the chamber.
"Mai, what exactly is going on?" the prince slowly turned his head to face her.
She didn't bother to face him, but instead listened more intently as the older women at the party continued to gabber on.
"Oh, her poor mother! Imagine how she is feeling, knowing that her only daughter had to go and get pregnant before marriage,"
"Scandalous!"
"Well, obviously they're going to get married- especially with Zuko becoming Fire Lord soon,"
Upon hearing his own name, Zuko's neck snapped in the directing of the talking noblemen wives, listening in on their conversation, too.
"I don't even think the prince knows,"
"Scandalous!"
Immediately Mai got up from her seat and left the room, slipping away before anyone could see her.
After gaping at the now empty scene before him, Zuko dispersed from the chamber to start his attempt to find Mai. As he walked down the corridors of the castle he heard hurried footsteps behind him. And it was all that he could do to stop himself from slapping his hand to his forehead.
"Don't you women have anything better to do?" he asked tersely to the group of gossiping noblemen wives that had obviously been fallowing him.
"We just want to know what's going on!"
"It's a bit personal, don't you think?"
"Not at all!" replied a rather short woman, who was draped in crimson robes that looked twice her size.
"You are the prince, heir to the throne! We deserve to know the goings-on in your life," another said, who was wearing so much pink it looked as if Ty Lee had dressed her.
The prince was livid. He did not bother to bicker with the women, for it would serve no significant purpose. Instead, he continued down the corridor at a quicker pace, looking behind himself to make sure they still weren't fallowing him. He nearly ran into a pole as he jogged, but the pain caused was deemed worthy when he finally lost sight of the gossiping wives.
"Mai!" he called, hoping to gain at least one sign of where she had run off to. "Mai!"
"Come now, ZuZu, you can't be that thick,"
He sighed. "I thought you had gone off with Ty Lee. Where is she?"
Azula casually looked at her nails as if they were more important than the conversation being held. "I sent her off to my personal chamber for the moment. I wanted some alone time with my dear brother."
Zuko furrowed his brow. "Some alone time…in the middle of the foyer?"
"We're alone now, aren't we?"
"I suppose. What do want, exactly?"
"Well, for starters, I want to make sure that my older brother, and heir to the throne, isn't as unintelligent as he is acting." Azula answered, clasping her hands together.
"Am I?" he asked calmly.
"Mai is pregnant. Only an idiot wouldn't be able to tell." she said flatly. "So, to answer your question, yes. You are as unintelligent as you are acting."
"What? No!" Zuko was outraged. "She can't be pregnant. I would know, in fact, because Mai would tell me."
"Would she, Zuko?" Azula grinned wickedly.
"So it's true!" The many gossiping wives of the many boring noblemen had arrived, all pointing fingers at the royal siblings.
"Scandalous!"
"It is not true, think you very much! And I would appreciate it if you women would return to the ball chamber,"
"And we would appreciate it if you would be quiet and let us learn about your libelous actions!" said the woman that was clad in more pink than Ty Lee.
Zuko gaped open mouthed at the group. How dare they disrespect the prince like that! "Well, if you feel as such, then perhaps next time there is a royal party you can attend it outdoors and just press your ears up against the door so as to hear everything going on, and then chat about it later."
"Prince Zuko, I am astonished! First you impregnate my daughter without first getting married, and then you talk to women as if they were low-life creatures! Perhaps you aren't fit for the throne,"
Azula laughed mischievously.
"You!" Zuko turned to his sister. "You had something to do with this, didn't you?"
"Oh please, dear brother, I had nothing to do with what ever it is you and Mai wish to partake in bed together,"
His face turned a similar shade of crimson as the short woman's robes. "Well," he spluttered. "Well, I suppose…"
"Wait,"
Every single head turned to the top of the stairwell that was behind the main entrance to the palace. Mai walked cautiously down the wooden steps, her hand gliding along the railing.
"Is it true, Lady Mai? Are you having the prince's child?" another woman called for her, receiving a nudge in the side by one of her friends.
"You don't ask, you just talk about it!" the friend hissed.
"I am sorry, Zuko," Mai said once she had descended from the stairs.
He cleared his throat and took her hand. "That's alright. Where were you?"
"Oh, you know." she shrugged. "Throwing up," she added matter-of-factly, as if getting sick was a common occurrence that was often talked about.
A resounding gasp erupted from the group of older woman, murmurs fallowing suit.
"Azula! What's taking you so long?" Ty Lee had emerged from the princess' room, standing defiantly on the top of the stares like a small child. The sash that went with her usual 'fancy-party' outfit had been removed, and she stood with her hands on her hips.
Another group-gasp erupted, and more heads turned back to the stares. Azula looked as if she was more than prepared to commit homicide.
It's been quite a while, eh? I'm not going to even bother apologize for taking over a year to update; it would be useless.