Private Departure
Tajha sailed to the palace again, but this time not to read palms, but to retrieve Ursa.
It was daylight outside and the wind was soft and crisp.
Tajha rushed through the palace pushing past guards, maids, and servants. She went through stairways and hallways until she got to the garden, and found Ursa sitting by the pond with her feet slowly swaying in the water.
When Tajha got closer to Ursa she knelt by her to see that she was crying.
"No, Ursa don't cry, Zuko is going to be okay, I will make sure of it, this is all for a reason."
"Today is not a good day, Tajha; the troops in Ba Sing Se are withdrawing due to the death of my nephew, now I have to leave…"
Tajha felt slightly guilty for taking her joy from her she felt sympathy for her.
"Please, Tajha, one more day with my children."
Tajha didn't have to hear Ursa beg, her eyes did that for her. "Ursa, I cannot, but I can wait for you late in the night at Nezzhel Dragon Dock, there my ship will wait for us."
Ursa let out a cry and began to weep into her dress. The fortune teller wrapped her arms around Ursa, "It going to be okay, if it makes you feel better, I will let you and Zuko meet in the future, he is not out of your life yet."
Tajha patted Ursa's back sympathetically. Just then Zuko walked into the garden and spotted his mother crying by a strange lady.
"Mom, who is that?" Ursa looked up to find a curious Prince Zuko standing almost above her. With one look at him she broke out with a new batch of tears.
"Mom, why are you crying?" Ursa replied with more sobs. Tajha looked at zuko and he looked to her in bewilderment.
The fortune teller whispered into Ursa's ear "I will wait for you by Nezzhel Dragon Dock, tonight when the moon is high and the sun is not visible, no one must know you have left." The fortune teller walked out of the garden and into the main palace to find angry guards, maids, and servants.
"Mom?"
Ursa threw her arms around Zuko "Oh Prince Zuko!"
Later that night------------------------------------------------
Ursa looked at her Son's sleeping form. He was seven now. She had to leave. She had already visited Azula's room and gave her, her last words.
Ursa gently shook Zuko awake.
"Huhh? Mom?"
"Yes Zuko."
Zuko could barely see his mother's form through his half-closed eyes.
"Zuko, don't forget me, don't ever forget me, do you understand?!" she had a hushed tone, but her voice was stern.
"Mmhhhmmm."
"Don't forget who you are, your fate lies with God and Tajha now, no longer will I be in charge of you."
"Never forget who you are, Zuko I love you so much." Ursa hugged her half sleeping son.
"I love you too."
Night guards could be heard approaching Zuko's room. Ursa quickly pulled her cloak over her head, and stood from the foot of Zuko's bed. Zuko fell back onto his bed and fell asleep. Ursa rushed out of the room.
She crouched by a laundry basket outside of Zuko's room and let the guards pass, from there she proceeded to the grand room. She quickly took of her high heel shoes so there wouldn't be a lot of noise made. She then ran down flights of stairs and hallways occasionally ducking for night maids, servants, or guards. Once she reach the grand room her legs throbbed, and she was out of breath, but she needed to meet Tajha.
She slowly opened the backdoors which were left unguarded during the night. She slipped on her shoes again and set off. Making sure her cloak kept her identity concealed.
She had no idea where Nezzhel Dragon Dock was, the only time she has ever been out of the palace was to the royal garden which was really still in the palace.
She saw a passing cabbage man on the side of the dark road. "Excuse me merchant, do know where Nezzhel Dragon Dock is?"
The cabbage man winked an eye at Ursa which made her gag with disgust.
"Of Course I do miss I'm a merchant, my specialty is docks and cabbages." He had flirt in his voice. Ursa didn't want all of this she just wanted to know where the dock was, she wanted her children, but since that wasn't an option she wanted the dock.
"Follow this street down until you see the Drakstender Bar then you make a right from there and go straight ahead, there will be a big sign that says Nezzhel Dragon Dock."
"Thank you." Ursa walked faster to get away from that man. She found the Drakstender Bar shortly after and turned right, to find two drunk men sitting on the side of the building.
She tried to rush past them.
"Hey pretty lady, whyyyy youuuu iiiiss outta hereeere sooo lat?" he voice was slurred
Ursa said nothing and kept walking. As she moved on one of the drunk men stood up and jumped in front of her.
"My freeeiind hererer askeded you uu a question!" Ursa still attempted to walk past them.
The drunken man grabbed her wrist and tried to place his lips onto the crease of her neck. Ursa struggled against him, but her efforts were futile once his friend joined in the game.
"Please, I need to go," she screamed as one of the men wriggled his arm like a snake onto her waist.
"No, don't touch me!" she pounded on one man's chest.
"Don't touch her!" the mysterious voice caught all of their attention. It was a guard from the palace. Apparently Ursa's hood fell off in her struggle with the two men.
The men quickly released their grip on her.
Ursa took that chance to run. Her heels clicked on the dark road. She desperately searched for the Nezzhel Dragon Dock sign.
"Hey, capture her, It's Princess Ursa, get her you drunken bastards!" the guard cried.
Both of them lunged to grab the Princess but Ursa was no longer between the two of them and the drunken men bumped heads and passed out.
"IDIOTS!"
"GUARDS! THE PRINCESS IS THIS WAY!"
In the distance Ursa looked back to find a group of guards hot on her trail.
"Ursa!"
It was Tajha yelling to her from the ship.
"Thank you God!" Ursa cried in relief. She ran towards the ship and climbed the stairs up to the deck.
As soon as she was aboard, the small ship set sail into the night logged waters.
They watched the swarm of guards on the dock from the deck of the ship.
They could barely hear the faint cries of some of the guards.
While they heard things like;
"DAMN!" or "Ozai is not gonna like this." or "Why did she leave?"
"I knew that this would happen." Tajha said with a pained expression.
In between gasps Ursa finally managed to say "What did you know would happen?"
"I knew that guards would chase you and you would almost be raped."
"How did you know about the drunken men trying to rape me?"
"I'm a fortune teller, and I have read your palm before."
"You knew that and you didn't help me?!"
Tajha had a smug grin on her face
"We need to get some rest; we have to get you a place to stay tomorrow."
She began to walk to the lower part of the ship to the bunks.
Ursa breathed in heavy and remembered her children.
"I miss them already, Tajha." She stated as she followed.
Tajha stopped and turned toward her, "You are doing this for the better, and you will appreciate the sacrifices later in life."
They reached the bunks and Ursa lay on the right bunk while Tajha lay on the left bunk.
Ursa rolled away from facing Tajha as silent tears fell down her red cheeks.
A/N: Did you like? I enjoyed this chapter! Too bad Ursa disappears after that…or does she…LOL!
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