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Capital City
Mai had not cried since her mother’s death. Her stepfather, Ukano, was an evil man. After her mother’s funeral, her stepfather banished her to her room. Now that her mother was gone, Ukano would do anything to gain political power. He was making many enemies. In order to rise higher, he had to push others down. He had always despised Mai. Michi, her mother, had refused for Ukano to pursue a more powerful role in the Fire Nation in order to protect Mai. Ukano was a low-level political advisor. However, this was not enough for him. He wanted more. Out of respect for Michi, he promised to keep Mai out of it. He was determined to keep her out of the way.
Royal Palace
“Prince Zuko, the time has come. It is time for you to marry,” Firelord Ozai decreed. “You have put this off for long enough. Soon, Firelady Ursa and I will retire and you need to marry now so that the future Firelady can train for her duties.”
“Father, I have courted many beautiful girls, yet none of them have been right!” Zuko exclaimed. “I want to be happy with who I marry.”
“I am afraid you are out of time. We will be holding a ball tomorrow night. Beautiful women from all over the Fire Nation will come to meet you and compete for your hand in marriage. One of these women is your future wife and future Firelady. Please choose wisely.”
Capital City
It was another day that Mai was confined to her room. It was making her crazy. She was glad that Ukano let her keep her knives, books, and violin. Without them, she would have nothing to do. She spent most of her time journaling and dreaming of the day she could escape, but the future seemed bleak. The house was heavily guarded to protect Ukano from attacks. There were many men that he was stabbing in the back in order to get ahead, and they were all angry.
She had heard her father talking about a ball that the Firelord was having to find the future Firelady. Prince Zuko was a highly sought-after bachelor, but he had refused to take a bride. Until now, she thought with a smirk. What if I went to the ball? she pondered. First, I would need a way to escape. I would also need an outfit.
She set to work. She took down the intricately embroidered red curtains that hung in her room. I can make a dress out of this. She was determined to get to the ball. This could be her only chance to free herself from Ukano. Mai began to cut the curtain so she could form a dress. Michi had been a master seamstress, and Mai hoped that she remembered enough to fasten a ball gown.
Alas, Mai lacked the skill to work on such a delicate silk fabric. Frustrated, she threw down her needle and thread. Burying her head in her hands, she began to cry. She cried about the loss of her mother. She cried about the situation her stepfather had put her in. She cried about losing her chance of escape. While she was crying, glitter began to swirl around the room. Mai abruptly stood up. What is going on?
Finally, the glitter settled, leaving two women in its place. One of the women was dressed in a cropped pink shirt and matching pants. Her hair was in a high-braided ponytail. Her wide grey eyes looked upon Mai with worry. “Oh dear,” she exclaimed, “what’s wrong?”
“Who are you?” Mai grumbled, reaching up her sleeve for one of her shurikens. “What are you doing here?
“Why we are your Spirit Guardians!” the other woman explained. “We are here to help you prepare for the ball. It is your destiny to be Firelady.” She looked ready for battle. Her outfit was red and black, with wrist guards and a chest plate. “I am Azula, and this is Ty Lee.”
“There are two of you?” Mai skeptically retorted. “The legends never depict two Spirit Guardians.”
“The legends don’t get everything right,” Azula cackled. “I have been a Spirit Guardian to the Firelady for generations. Ty Lee is a Spirit Guardian for troubled adolescents.”
“I’m not troubled,” Mai scoffed. “I don’t need any protection or help.”
“Mai, you are destined to be Firelady. In order to do so, you need to go to the ball. Please, let us help you,” Ty Lee begged.
“With my superior planning skills and Ty Lee’s magical fashion sense, everything will fall into place. All you need to do is say yes,” Azula continued.
Reluctantly, Mai nodded. The three girls worked all night. Azula came up with a plan for Mai to leave the house without alerting Ukano or his guards. Azula also took it upon herself to give Mai pointers on how to act at the ball. She had been isolated for a long time. Then, Azula went outside and returned with two badgerfrogs.
“Ew, what are those for?” Mai squirmed.
“You’ll see,” she smirked.
Ty Lee finished fashioning Mai’s gown. When she was finished, the dress was beautiful. The vibrant red brought out the warmth in Mai’s skin. It looked like she was glowing. Mai styled her hair and did her makeup. Instead of her usual three buns, she wrapped her hair in curlers. When she took them down in the morning, her hair was shiny, soft, and bouncy. She did a light grey smokey eye paired with a matte lipstick that matched her dress. She was beautiful.
But the most stunning part of her outfit was her shoes. Her black heels were adorned with jewels and gold. They were made of luxurious black velvet. They would be the envy of every maiden at the ball.
“You look gorgeous!” Ty Lee squealed.
“I can’t believe you put this together in one night,” Mai gaped. “Spirit Guardian magic is real. It is my destiny to marry the prince.”
“Now, time to escape,” Azula smirked. She pulled out a pumpkin.
“What are we going to use a pumpkin for?” Mai groaned.
“This will be your carriage,” the sharp girl explained. “First, we need to get to the garden. Ty Lee guarded the door, while Azula and Mai climbed out the window. Propping Mai’s vanity against the door, Ty Lee followed with a gracious leap.
“This still doesn’t look like a carriage.” Mai rolled her eyes. It was stupid of me to get my hopes up.
Ty Lee smiled and closed her eyes. Twirling her finger in the air, she chanted “Bippity boppity boo!” Before their eyes, glitter began to swirl throughout the air again. It swirled around the pumpkin, transforming it into a royal carriage. The carriage was a gorgeous gold metal adorned with burgundy fabric with plum detailing. “Fit for a Firelady,” Ty Lee giggled.
“This is the final touch.” Azula placed a dainty, gold tiara on Mai’s head. “Perfect,” she approved smugly. “You need to arrive home before midnight,” she explained. Your outfit, your ride, your hair, and your makeup have all been enhanced by our magic. It will wear off at midnight and you will be transformed back. The carriage will turn back into a pumpkin with two badgerfrogs. Your dress will turn back into the dress you made. Your hair will fall straight, and your makeup will come off. You must be home before midnight.”
Mai nodded gravely. Her heart was racing, and her palms were sweating. I have to do tonight correctly. My destiny depends on it. She stepped up into the carriage, ready for the trip to her royal palace. “Thank you,” she hesitated. Then she was off.
Royal Ballroom
The ballroom was swarming with beautiful women. Zuko looked around the room, searching for someone to approach. All of the women, while beautiful, only wanted him for status. They wanted to be Firelady, not his wife. Noticing the glare from his father, Zuko sighed and approached the first woman.
“May I have this dance?” he asked politely.
“Of course, my prince,” the young waterbender replied. “I am Katara of the Southern Water Tribe. I am honored to be in attendance tonight.”
“Welcome, Katara. I hope you have a lovely evening,” the prince smiled. The two continued to dance. After the song was over, they parted ways. “It was nice to meet you.”
“I had a fantastic time,” Katara thanked him.
Sighing, Zuko returned to the corner he had been standing in earlier. As lovely as she was, she just wasn’t right. For him, or the Fire Nation. He began to survey the room again.
Mai was terrified, but she was determined to keep that hidden. She had never been to the royal palace before. In a strange way, she thought Ukano would be proud of her right now. He had always wanted a chance to interact with the royal family. The palace was enormous. She could get lost in there, just to never be found. She took a deep breath before exiting the carriage.
Should I smile? Should I be giggling? What do princes look for? she wondered. No. This is destiny. I need to be myself. Her face remained in its normal, stoic position. She headed into the palace. It was filled with many beautiful women. Mai looked around but could not find the prince.
“Hi, I’m Suki,” an auburn-haired girl chimed. “I’m from Kyoshi Island, and I don’t know anyone else here,” she sheepishly added.
“I’m Mai,” she offered. “I don’t know anyone either.” There was a short pause while the two girls eyed each other.
“The palace is beautiful. There are so many people here,” Suki awed. The two girls continued with polite small talk, surprising each other with their similarities. Suki told Mai that she was a Kyoshi Warrior and had spent her whole life training. Mai showed her the few knives she had been able to hide in her ballgown. They smiled and continued to talk about weaponry and training.
Then, Zuko saw her.
She was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She was dressed in a deep red gown and her long dark hair was mesmerizing. The air around her seemed to glitter ever so slightly. It must be her. Zuko stepped back onto the dance floor, determined to meet her. “Can I have this dance?” he smiled.
“Of course, Prince Zuko,” Mai replied. “Excuse me, it was nice to meet you,” she smiled at Suki. Zuko and Mai stepped onto the dance floor. They gracefully waltzed to the music. As they danced, Zuko asked her many questions. He wanted to know everything about her, where she was from, who her parents were, and why she came to the ball. Mai wasn’t used to someone paying attention to her, let alone this much.
Firelord Ozai approached the two to say goodnight. “Thank you for coming, Lady?”
“Lady Mai,” she offered as she bowed to the Firelord.
“Thank you for coming, Lady Mai. Prince Zuko, Royal Advisor Iroh will be overseeing the rest of the evening. Please, have a lovely time.” With that, the Firelord walked away, retiring to his chambers.
“Lady Mai,” the sweet prince began, “would you like to see the royal gardens? They are breathtaking at this time of night, much like yourself,” he flirted.
“Thank you, Prince Zuko. That would be lovely. May I ask the time?” she politely inquired. It had been early evening when she arrived for the ball, but the inky sky indicated a much later time now.
“A quarter past eleven,” he extended her his arm. She placed her hand in the crook of his elbow. “I think you will adore the gardens.” He quietly led her out of the ballroom through the palace to the gardens.
The young couple walked through the gardens in the pale moonlight. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” Mai whispered. “It’s so beautiful. There are so many colors, so many flowers, so many different plants.”
“I thought you might like it,” Zuko smiled. He pulled her close to him and they began to dance again. “Besides, a royal ball can be overwhelming and you said this was the first time you had been to the palace.”
They continued to dance, enjoying each other’s company. Zuko pulled slightly away from her and looked into her eyes. BONG BONG The clock had begun signaling that it was midnight. Zuko started to lean in. BONG BONG He closed his eyes. BONG BONG “I should be going,” she hastily pulled back. BONG BONG
“Why? Is everything okay? I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable” Zuko stammered. BONG BONG
“No! That’s not it,” Mai corrected, inwardly cursing herself for pulling away from his kiss. BONG BONG “I just have to be going.” With that, she sprinted away leaving her left shoe in the garden. As she ran, her beautiful gown turned back into choppily cut curtains, her hair fell straight and began to frizz, and she kicked off her remaining shoe taking it into her hands. Where her carriage had waited, all that would remain was a pumpkin and four badgerfrogs. She sprinted until she arrived home; smiling to the sky, she thanked her Spirit Advisors for the night. Then, she stealthily began to climb through her open window.
Royal Palace
“Firelord Ozai, I apologize for waking you,” Royal Advisor Iroh began. “The young lady Prince Zuko was dancing with has abruptly left. He is adamant that she is his future wife, the future Firelady.”
“What are you doing to find her?” The Firelord demanded. “I have waited long enough for Prince Zuko to marry. If she is not found by the week’s end, I will be forced to choose a wife for him.”
“Of course, Firelord. I will arrange for a team to search for her immediately. It should not be too difficult. She left behind one of her shoes. We will begin at dawn going throughout the Fire Nation to find the other shoe and Lady Mai,” he bowed and then left the room, heading to the Prince’s chambers to see what Prince Zuko had learned about her.
Capital City
Mai softly landed on her bedroom floor. The moonlit was bright enough that she did not have to light a candle.
“Hello, Mai,” Ukano sneered as she turned around. “Where did you run off tonight? Surely, it was not the royal ball. You know what I would do if you were to ruin my political assent.”
Mai fell silent, awaiting her punishment. Her heart was pounding. I’ve been confined to my room since Mother died. What else could he possibly do?
“Well, tell me about your evening. I can only hope that you learned something that would benefit our family. I have loved you as my daughter, letting you stay after the untimely death of your mother. It would be unwise had you betrayed my kindness,” he taunted.
“I met a Kyoshi Warrior from the Earth Kingdom. I danced with Prince Zuko and briefly spoke with the Firelord,” she glumly muttered.
“You met the Firelord?” he murmured. “How interesting, my key to the palace, my key to becoming a Royal Advisor has been you all along. Please, get some rest; I have a lot to think about.”
Mai awoke the next morning to the sound of mongoose lizards outside of her door followed by three rapt knocks. Mai goes to open her bedroom door, but she can’t push it open. Ukano had probably blocked her door. He tended to do that when he had visitors. She turned to the right and had an idea.
Ukano grumbled, heading to the front door, “go away!” Three sharp knocks rang out in return.
“Hello,” Royal Advisor Iroh called out, “I am looking for Lady Mai!” Lady Mai, he thought, being the father of the Firelady could be used to my advantage.
Thudding to the door, he heard Mai’s voice. “Hello, sir. I believe you are looking for me,” Mai smiled as Ukano opened the door.
“Hello, Lady Mai,” he greeted, “It is lovely to see you again.” Looking towards Ukano, he grimaced. “Ukano, it has been a long time.”
“Royal Advisor Iroh, I am overjoyed that Prince Zuko has taken such an interest in my daughter. I have always wanted to attend a royal wedding,” Ukano grinned.
“I am here to see if Lady Mai has the matching shoe,” he nodded to the elegant black shoe in his hand. Both men turned to the young woman. Silently, she held up an identical shoe.
“You are expected at the palace at once!” Iroh announced. “However, your father cannot come.”
“He is my stepfather,” Mai corrected.
Iroh nodded, “I was the Royal Advisor to Firelord Azulon as well. Your stepfather was very outspoken against his rule. It would be a dishonor to the royal family if he were to visit the palace.”
Mai nodded with a small smile. “I am ready to depart for the palace.” Iroh and Mai climbed atop the mongoose geese. “Goodbye, Ukano,” she said while Ukano glared daggers at her.
Royal Palace
Six months later
Prince Zuko and Lady Mai boarded the royal palanquin departing to Ember Island for their honeymoon. They turned to face the crowd.
“I love you,” Zuko said as they waved. The carriage began to take off.
“I love you, too,” Mai smiled; then she turned to kiss her husband, the Prince of the Fire Nation.
And they lived happily ever after.