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The long lacquered walls of the Firelord's palace held onto secrets which were known but not talked about.
It knew the quiet cries of princess Ursa as she showed up with stuffy clothes to hide her husband's anger. It told the story of princess Azula as her childhood burned into ashes.
It also knew the screams of a hopeful prince as he was burned by his father. The people watched and smirked as he began wailing like a young child in its formative years as he begged his father to forgive him.
Among the tarnished secrets the walls whispered as it suffocated the one who passed.
It also witnessed the blooming infatuation between a young prince and a young noble girl. It watched them hide on the derelicted wing of the palace as they exchanged letters and or when their hands hovered over each other when the eyes of the surrounded went unnoticed.
It was a cloudy day. The sun hovered behind the grey clouds as the atmosphere dimmed with sadness.
Two of the princess's closest friends hung out in the royal garden, one doing handstands while another fiddled with sharp knives under the shade of an old oak tree over watching the turtleduck fountain.
“Ugh I'm so bored” ty lee whined as she sat near Mai. “Where's Azula?” She asked again as Mai shrugged.
All of a sudden, Azula came running into the garden before stopping in front of them, catching her breath.
“Come, hurry” she just said before grabbing ty lee's hand who grabbed Mai's.,
Mai sighed, rolling her eyes as she followed.
They entered a room full of old ministers and advisors gathered around a stage. There was an agni Kai to happen, Mai thought as she squinted her eyes.
Ty Lee and Azula were preoccupied with something, giving Mai the perfect opportunity to slip out and perhaps run into Zuko on the way, the thought of the young prince giving way for a red hue to spread over her cheeks.
Slipping out of the room, pushing away old men who cursed at her as she passed. Mai muttered something under her breath as she escaped before her eyes caught zuko waiting by the next end.
He was in a dressing Mai knew too well.
Agni kai was a practice Mai found disgusting as someone who observed a lot being friends with Azula and her family's habit to book tickets for whenever there is one.
“Zuko?” Mai called out as she ran across the room to him, who turned his head.
“Mai what are you doing here?” His eyes widened as his hands lifted to her shoulders. “You shouldn't be here” he hissed.
“What are you doing?” She asked him, completely ignoring his question. Mai felt her heartbeat start to rise as she looked at zuko.
“I'm going to fight an agni Kai” he said as if it was something simple, a normal procedure even with a smile spread across his face.
“Are you insane? “ Mai hissed as she hit his chest. Anger and fear mixing a troublesome concoction within her heart.
“Dont worry” he reassured her as he pecked her forehead, his lips brushing against the soft strand of her hair. “It's just an old man, I don't even have to go all into my classes” he smiled at her.
An attendant came out of the room to notify him about the start, his eyes slowly reigning suspicion as the prince hid someone behind his back.
“I'll be there” he said as his eyebrows knitted together with annoyance.
Zuko turned his back as the attending disappeared into the sea of people waiting to watch the agni Kai.
“Don't worry, I'll be fine” he said as he pecked her cheeks this time. “after I defeat that old man, I'll finally prove myself to my father and then I'll send over a proposal to your house and the day we become adults, I'll marry you” he said as he cupped Mai's cheeks bedore pressing a kiss into the tip of his nose.
“I'll be safe” he smiled at her.
Mai looked at him, her eyebrows raised as her eyes glistened with worry. She stepped on his feet before raising herself on her toes, pressing a kiss onto his warm lips. “You better” she said, her fingers punching into his chest.
Zuko's face was red as Mai pushed back a strand of hair.
“I need to go back before your sister releases her wrath on me” she said as she got off, her face equally as red, walking away before getting tugged back.
it was zuko, he was grasping her hand.
“Mai, I…I lo—Zuko!” He began before getting interrupted by uncle's voice as he got closer.
“I need to go and so do you it seems, you can tell me after this” Mai said, pressing another hurried kiss onto his cheeks before rushing off.
Mai rushed back into the room, once again earning the cursing of the old men as she pushed through them.
“Where were you?” Ty lee asked as Mai came closer, earning the attention of Azula as she spoke.
“Um I went to check if my mother had sent for me” Mai lied as she scratched her neck.
“Isn't your mother in shihon island” Azula voiced with suspicion as her eyes squinted with Mai.
“Um, I—” Mai stuttered before the announcer's voice saved her from embarrassing herself.
The announcer's voice ruptured through the room as Zuko came out of the curtains. His eyes scanned through the crowd before spotting her in the crowd as a smile appeared on his face as it initiated one on Mai's face as well
“We are here to witness and experience the agni Kai between the crown prince, prince zuko” the announcer began as he read off a parchment. “As he will fight and prove his worth through an agni Kai, against his father!”
His father? Mai thought as her eyes widened. Looking up at zuko, he was equally as surprised as he looked back into his uncle who stood next to Azula.
“No, I'm supposed to be fighting that minister, "Zuko said as he grabbed the announcer's shoulder.
“I'm sorry my prince, it says so in this paper” Mai swore she saw a smirk.
His father's shoulders pushed aside the curtains as he entered.
Zuko's head fell into the floor as fear blanketed his chest.
“I'm sorry, I'm sorry” he repeated as he sobbed against the floor, his tears forming a pool beneath his face.
“you will learn respect and suffering will be your teacher”
Zuko's head lifted into the eyes of his father.
His golden eyes flickering away meeting against Mai’s terrified glistened eyes.
His screams echoed through the walls of the palace as Mai looked away from the sore sight playing in front of her.
Her eyes shut tight as tears escaped the gaps.
The smell of skin burning creeping up her nostrils unwarranted.
Her eyes continued shut as she felt people pushing past her. Her ears picking up the thud of her beloved.
the people dispersed.
The prince who collapsed out of pain was rushed into the healer’s room, but the side of his face was probably still scarred.
Azula informed her.
She wasn't sure as to why she was telling all this, unsure whether this was of concern or just to mock her, kick her while she's down.
Mai's hand balled into a fist as Azula went on and on.
During the week, Mai was able to slip out of azula's watch under the guise of ‘going to the ladies room’ or ‘checking if her mother had sent her letters’
As Mai ambled lightly through the chilling walls the portraits of the Firelord's looked at her with fury—cursing her for defying his authority and her desire to mingle with his ‘dishonored’ son.
Zuko's name had become a taboo across fire nation as stories of his agni kai spread across the fire nation and into its territories.
Her mother and family praised the Firelord for ‘teaching the prince respect’
For a family who sang praises about prince ‘zuko’ they uttered his name with equivalence to a curse. Hushing the younger kids who accidently spoke his name
She quietly sneaked into the healers room, her eyes darting as she searched for any presence.
Zuko was sleeping.
Half his face was covered with white gauze.
Mai walked over to his side quietly and carefully as if he was a mist of air, dissolving into the atmosphere at a single disturbance.
The mattress sinked slightly as she sat next to him.
Her fingers carefully grazed on his skin as she observed in silence.
His lips were pale as he panted silently, his pale skin sheened with sweat and his cheeks flushed.
He slurred in his sleep before his eyes fluttered open.
“Mai?” He croaked. He was half awake, his eyes had opened before opening completely. An expression of surprise occupying his face. “What are you doing here? Someone will see you” he said as he sat upright against the headboard.
“Is that what you're worried about?” she said anxiously. Her fingers carefully lingering against the white gauze hiding his eye.
“Does it still hurt?” she said as she felt the texture of the cloth.
Zuko leaned into her touch, holding his hand over hers, “it used to, the painkillers are doing a lot of favor”
“Zuko, I—”
“Mai, I'm going to get banished” he said, his voice sharp against the room's atmosphere. “My father said I should only come back if I successfully capture the avatar” he sighed.
“The avatar? That's just a myth” she cried, as she held onto him tighter.
He just smiled at her and Mai knew.
She knew this would be the last time she'll ever see him for a very long time.
The smell haunted her years after. Years after he had returned, become the Firelord and they got wed. A smell which would haunt her dreams as she consoled her husband when he woke up in cold sweats in the middle of the night.