She does not want to be his wife. She does not want to bear his children.
Somehow he should have expected that. And that was bad enough. But now she does not even want to touch his body or share his bed.
She said it as if he should have known that it would end like this, as if he should have seen this catastrophe coming from a long way off.
Zuko rages. She was one of the few steady and supportive people in his life. She was supposed to hold him up but instead now she has thrown everything into chaos all around him and within him.
For what? Is there another man? Or has she come to despise him? Does the very sight of him sicken her?
For the first time in a long time Zuko feels like he contains an inferno. It is all he can do to stop himself from setting fire to every scrap of silk hanging in the room. He wants to frighten her. He wants to burn off the perfectly sculpted locks of hair that frame her perfectly emotionless face.
Mai ignores his anger in favor of staring beyond the wall, distance in her eyes.
It's not that I want to leave you, Zuko, she says each word slowly. I don't want anything. No, I want to feel... something. ...I do feel something for you, Zuko.
It's not enough.
It's not enough to take the job.
She would hate it.
More than she already hates it.
She says something more, something about staying in the palace, something about how someone has to keep things in control.
It's enough. Zuko can feel the flames rising in his throat, scorching his eyes. "I am the Fire Lord, and I banish you!"
Rather than flinching away in fear, Mai just meets his gaze for a few throbbing heartbeats and finally sighs. You'll get over me, Zuko.
If that was meant to hurt him, Zuko is too furious to feel the pain. "Go!"
Mai holds herself even more still and Zuko can see what little interest their discussion held for her depart from her eyes. In one graceful sweep, she bows to the floor, then turns and leaves the room without a backward glance.
Mai is gone.
Zuko feels his world rock and shift and slowly settle back into place.
Another supporter has left him, betrayed him.
Soon Zuko will be all alone on the board. One lone, remaining, undefended king.