Mai whirled around, her wrists tilting to ready her knives in her hands. However, Mai only felt one weapon slide into her palm. Mai swore and pushed herself down the hallway. Of course, of all the times she had left her knives at home, something actually happened.
Mai sprinted down the hallway, gripping the only knife on her person in her left hand. She skidded around corners, launching herself towards Zuko's quarters that she had just been in. Mai's thoughts whirred around her mind. What if he was hurt. What if… what if…
She should have stayed in his room a little longer, Mai decided. Maybe then…maybe then…
Mai violently shook her head, clearing her head of the cluttered thoughts. It felt like there was a drum beating in her chest, threatening to break through as she rushed down the hallway, skidding around corners with her breath held. She barely noticed the panicked guards outside of his room as she pushed herself into the great doors, tumbling into the room.
She looked around, her eyes skidding across the blankets, bedpost, and the upheaval of documents strewn across the room with a slightly smoking figure lying on the ground. Mai's breath stuttered and she took a large gulp of air as she saw Zuko. The Firelord stood in the middle of it all, his chest heaving, and his fists still ablaze as he glared down at the body on the floor. His eyes seemed glazed over as he stared at the lifeless body. Time faltered.
At the sound of the door opening, Zuko's head shot up and he raised his fists as if on instinct, but Mai called out, her voice cracking in her urgency
"Zuko, it's just me," she said as calmly as she could, not wanting to scare him even more, but she couldn't help the panic that crept into her voice.
Zuko stood frozen on the spot as if confused by her presence, his eyes still glassy and unseeing.
His guards finally joined them, looking winded and frightened as they bowed to their Fire Lord. The two guards who had been guarding the door hovered still in the doorway looking unsure as to what to do. "Your highness," all of them puffed, one bending over even more with his hands on his knees breathing deeply.
"Are you alright?" Mai demanded, striding over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder as the other hand scanned his body lightly, only finding one new burn mark on his right bicep, the fabric smoldering. Zuko shook slightly at her touch and he looked at her wordlessly. He shook his head, finally letting his hands fall to his sides. His head sagged forward, but with a breath, he straightened; his trained mask falling over his features.
"I'm fine. This man-" he gestured vaguely towards the ground; "came in through the window. I caught him before he could do much, but he burned his own throat as soon as I injured him. I was trying to keep him alive but-"
Mai's grip tightened on his shoulder, making him pause midway through his sentence. She swallowed audibly but didn't say anything.
"Your highness," one of the guards said hesitantly, scanning the couple carefully. "Do we have your orders to scan the palace and double the guard around your quarters?"
Zuko cleared his throat, shaking his head to clear his thoughts before nodding to the head guard. "Yes, I want you to search for how he got in and see if there are any other perpetrators within our walls. I'll come with you." He slid out of Mai's grip and leaned over to the side to grab his outer robe.
"No you are not," Mai stated, putting her hands on her hips, glaring at him.
"Mai, I have to make sure everyone is okay," Zuko said, exasperated.
Mai felt herself shaking and she forced herself to take deep breaths. "If you go out, you are giving more cause to become assassinated. That is why you have guards." Mai put up a hand to stop him when he opened his mouth. "I know you can protect yourself, but…" Her voice grew quiet. "Just do this for me, okay?"
"Mai, this happens a lot, I'm fine," Zuko insisted, turning around again to get his broadswords.
Mai's gaze darkened and her field of vision narrowed. "What do you mean this happens a lot?"
Zuko was smart enough to look a little sheepish, choosing not to respond.
"Zuko," Mai said in a warning voice, her voice shaking.
Zuko turned towards the guards, ignoring Mai. "Please begin your patrol of the grounds, and make sure some guards are stationed outside my room. Also, please check up on the members of my cabinet to make sure they are alright as well. Update me on anything you find immediately. You are dismissed."
The guards saluted him and bowed to Mai before scurrying out of the room.
"Zuko, you better tell me what is going on right now," Mai demanded, barely able to keep her voice from wavering.
Zuko gestured to the sofa that they had sat at not even a ten minutes ago. "Please sit," he said as his posture collapsed, his mask quickly melting away now that they were alone.
"No," Mai replied, stalking up to him. She folded her arms over her chest and glared up at him, just a head shorter than him.
Zuko looked scared for the first time that night. He wrapped his arms around Mai, and she didn't resist when he pulled her close enough that she could feel him breathing and feel his heartbeat along with hers. "It's only happened a couple times since the coronation," he began gently. "It's mostly been during the day, and none of them got even within hitting range of me. I never told you because it wasn't serious, I swear," Zuko explained.
Mai struggled with what to say for quite a while. She scanned him from what she could see of his chest and neck, up to his head; millimeter by millimeter, committing it to memory. She puckered her lips and let out a deep sigh of relief, but her glare still held strong. "I want you to tell me next time, I don't care how severe it is."
"I can take care of myself," Zuko protested.
"That doesn't mean I can't help take care of you as well," Mai whispered, her voice grating against her throat. She held her breath before saying: "You scared me." She clenched and unclenched her fists, biting her lip to make sure no other secrets slipped out for only his ears to hear. One step at a time, she begged her lips.
Zuko's eyes widened at her words. He stuttered. Mai knew it was her fault that she rarely told him what was wrong, but she was trying. She also knew it was his bastard father's fault for not giving his son support when he obviously needed it. Zuko didn't seem like he was used to the idea of people wanting to put him first. Mai's fingers wrapped around his wrists, reassuring him of her presence; just one step at a time for both of them.
"I'm sorry," Zuko finally said, bowing his head to her, his hair swinging over his eyes.
Mai butted her head against his cheek, forcing him to look up at her. "I'm glad…I'm glad you are alright…that is enough."
Mai guided Zuko to his bed , letting him change with her back just barely turned. They didn't leave each other's side for a while. They didn't say anything to each other, just kept a constant touch as they moved about the room. When Mai had finally convinced Zuko to close his eyes and fall asleep, there was a knock on the door, and the head guard slipped in.
She bowed to the both of them, but she eyed the sleeping Fire Lord. The head of guard gestured with her head towards the study just outside of the bedroom, leading the way inside.
Mai untangled her hand from Zuko's and followed, carefully pulling the door almost closed behind her, purposefully not shutting it completely.
"We were unable to find any other perpetrators within the premises," the woman began, keeping her voice in a respectful whisper. "However, we were able to find this on one of the tower walls, Councilwoman Mai." The guard held out a swatch of cloth with an emblem emblazed upon it in her hand. "We think it may be the symbol of the group in charge of the attempt."
Mai took the slip of cloth and examined it carefully. The symbol was unfamiliar, but the drawing of a phoenix made it self-explanatory. "I'll show Firelord Zuko when he wakes up."
The head of guard nodded, in agreement. "I thought you should also know that we have doubled the number of guards around the palace, but more discretely so the general public are not alarmed. I assumed you wanted to keep this event on the down-low."
"As long as it is still clear that it is treasonous to try and kill Zuko, I am okay with the event not being broadcasted everywhere, and I think Zuko is too." Mai pocketed the slip of cloth, rolling her shoulders back. "What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?"
"Shinto, Inaso Shinto. Head of the Guard ever since Fire Lord Zuko ascended the throne."
Mai dipped her head in assent. "Thank you for your work tonight. I will let Zuko know when he wakes up what you just told me." She patted her pocket briefly. "And I'll make sure to return this tomorrow as soon as Zuko sees it."
Inaso saluted her and jostled the blades by her waist. Come to think of it, Mai noticed that they were throwing knives. Inaso caught the direction of her look and grinned at her, her snaggletooth catching on her bottom lip. "Throwing blades are the best weapon I've found. I thought I'd give them a try when I heard the best in the Royal Academy for Girls used them."
The corners of Mai's lips twisted up. "I wouldn't trust anything else."
"Me neither," Inaso replied with that snaggletooth smile. "If you don't mind me saying," she said, leaning in. "I'm happy to see someone like you standing beside the Fire Lord. You've got a smart head on your shoulders."
Something tingled in the back of Mai's mind, but her sleepy thoughts pushed it away as she bowed her head gratefully to the head of guard. "He deserves support," she said simply. "Thank you for checking the perimeter and everything you have done tonight."
Inaso nodded in understanding. "Goodnight, Councilwoman Mai." She saluted her one more time. "Long Live the Fire Lord." And with that she left the room quiet save for Zuko's snores just beyond in his room.
Mai peered into his bedroom, a tingly feeling twisting itself around her chest as she watched Zuko sleeping peacefully. Mai knew it was too late to go home. She stretched out on the couch at the end of Zuko's bed, pulling a spare blanket over her shoulders with her hand curled around her only blade. She would sneak out and go home in the morning before her meetings.
She tried going to sleep; she tried to not think about what just happened, but sleep never came to her. She was just about to doze off when she heard, or rather felt something move and she shot up instantly. Something touched her arm and she spun around, her fists flying. Familiar hands took hers firmly, but gently, making her pause her automatic reaction.
"Zuko?" she asked, whispering into the darkness. She squinted, trying to see Zuko through the darkness, but her eyes could see nothing.
Arms wrapped sleepily around her waist and a head thumped against her shoulder making her tilt to the side just a little. "Mmmmaisy…" Zuko mumbled sleepily, his words slurring together.
Mai pet his head, smiling unguardedly in the privacy of night at his mumbling. Her shoulders slumped in relief and she felt all tension flee from her body. "What's wrong, Sparky? Why aren't you in bed, hmm?" she whispered back.
Zuko knocked his forehead gently into her jaw, seemingly half-asleep. "Bad dream," he mumbled. "I come find you." His arms wrapped tighter around her waist, sharing his warmth.
Her heart pounded. They were cuddly, yes, and they had gone a little farther, but this was so much more than that. It felt different to be sought out and pulled by his sleepy words into his bed where he curled up next to her, his head against her neck where she could feel his lips murmuring slurred together phrases. In the middle of the night, where she felt just as tired as he was, she leaned easily into his touches, reveling in the shared intimacy. Her mother would be appalled. Mai pressed her smile into Zuko's hair and wrapped her arms tightly around him, hushing him quietly. The wetness from her eyes seeped into his hair, unseen.
He was here. Her hands still trembled with the thought of earlier, but he was here and that was what mattered. He was here beside her.
Hello Readers! Here is another installment on the story! I hope you are enjoying this story so far, this chapter is definitely getting into some of the deeper story lines I want to delve into because the Fire Nation has to be tumultuous after a revolution and a war. Please feel free to leave a favorite, follow, or comment if you would like. Until I write again, TTFN!