Chapter 16

"Did you hear?" Michi asked, her voice hushed as she looked around the room to make sure nobody was listening to them.

"Hear what?" Ursa asked, her eyes widening.

Michi glanced to the side one more time before she leaned across the table. "Someone saw Meiko and her family leave the city under the cover of darkness last week. Their house is abandoned and there are a ton of rumors about why they left. I heard from someone that she's pregnant."

"What?" She exclaimed.

All eyes in the room moved to her and she felt her cheeks turn pink. "Sorry," Ursa murmured. A few people's eyes lingered on her for a few moments before they went back to their conversations.

Ursa felt her stomach drop. Meiko was pregnant? She hoped so desperately that it wasn't true. She wasn't dumb, she had noticed the way that Meiko looked at Ozai and she had never forgotten what Meiko had said to her when she first met Ozai, the bitterness in her voice. She had long suspected that something had gone on between Meiko and her husband but it had not been her business, and she didn't want to know. Perhaps it was naïve, but Ursa wanted to believe that whatever had been going on between Ozai and Meiko had ended after their wedding.

"That's what they're saying. Senna's husband saw them boarding one of the warships, nobody knows where they went."

A warship? Why would they leave on a warship unless they were going on official business? Maybe Michi's Intel was wrong and Meiko's father was leaving on Royal business? Her father was an advisor to the Fire Lord so perhaps Azulon had sent him and the family somewhere on official business. Yes, that was what Ursa was going to believe until otherwise.

"You should ask Prince Ozai what he knows," Michi pushed.

"Ask Ozai?" Ursa repeated. "I don't know."

"What's there to lose?"

Ursa glanced across the lawn at Ozai who was in the middle of a conversation with one of Azulon's advisors. It was Fire Lord Azulon's birthday and all of high society was in attendance today. It was easy for Michi to say that there was nothing to lose because it wasn't her relationship. She didn't know that she and Ozai had only just recently gotten to a good place and Ursa wasn't looking to ruining it. She didn't know if Ozai would think that she was accusing him.

"I have everything to lose, Michi," Ursa responded. "We're in a good place, what if he thinks that I'm—I'm accusing him or something? It could ruin everything."

"I didn't realize things…haven't been good between you."

Ursa felt her cheeks turn pink. "It's not…it's not that things aren't good. It's just…sometimes it's awkward, you know? We haven't known each other for that long and it's just…we have a lot to learn about each other."

"I understand," Michi replied.

She felt panicked. Had she done the wrong thing opening up to Michi about this? Could she trust her? Ursa wanted to believe that Michi was someone that she could trust but she had been so quick to gossip about Meiko, would she do the same to her? Ursa hadn't expected that she would have to worry about things like this. It made her miss Elua's friendship that much more. She would be coming to visit in a few days and Ursa could barely wait. It had been awkward last time she had visited but she hoped that this time would be better.

"Please don't tell anyone, Michi," Ursa said softly.

"I promise I won't," Michi said.

"Promise what?" Ozai asked, appearing beside Ursa.

"Nothing," Ursa said lightly with a laugh as Michi bowed to Ozai.

"Prince Ozai," she greeted.

"Hello, Michi," Ozai replied. "Ursa, walk with me?"

"Of course," Ursa said with a smile. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Michi nodded her head.

Together, Ursa and Ozai walked away from Michi and Ursa looked up at her husband. Was Meiko really pregnant? And did Ozai know anything about it? She wanted to know, but also didn't want to know.

"What's on your mind?" Ozai asked.

"What? Nothing," Ursa replied with a smile.

"You have nothing at all on your mind?" He asked, sounding amused.

"Well…not nothing," Ursa laughed. "But nothing important. I was just thinking that today's a beautiful day for your Father's birthday."

"Yes," Ozai agreed, looking down at her. "It's a nice day for my Father. I know that he wishes Iroh was here, but he couldn't leave his men."

Ursa noticed the hint of bitterness in his voice. "You wish you were gone too?"

"Not gone. Just…doing something more useful than what I'm doing now. Iroh always gets all the glory."

"If it makes you feel any better, I'm glad that you're here with me."

"I'm glad to be here with you too."

Ursa saw her Mother and Father standing a few feet away in deep conversation. She wished that her siblings were there today, it felt like she never got to see them anymore. She missed them so much. But she was sure that her Mother wanted to enjoy the day without having to worry about her siblings running around, especially the younger ones. Ursa could admit that this party wasn't meant for young children. Lu Ten was there, of course, but he had to be on his best behavior. She saw him sitting at one of the tables looking bored, and she felt sympathy for him. It would have been nice if Ukano and Afiko were there so Lu Ten could have some friends to play with.

"I can't wait for the day that we have children to run around the palace."

Something flashed in Ozai's eyes for a moment and then he nodded. "Yes. Hopefully, it will happen for us soon."

Was that flash the confirmation that she didn't want? Did Ozai have a child with Meiko? Ursa felt her stomach turn. Why had Michi told her about Meiko? Why would she put those thoughts into Ursa's head? She didn't want to know.

"I hope," Ursa agreed.

Rina spotted them from across the lawn and made a beeline towards them. She bowed to them and then leaned over to kiss Ursa's cheeks.

"You look radiant, my daughter," Rina commented.

"Thank you, Mother," Ursa replied, knowing what she was doing. She was trying to pry.

"It's a lovely day for the Fire Lord's birthday."

"That's what your daughter said," Ozai mused, looking down at Ursa.

"Smart girl," Rina replied.

Ursa was uncomfortable with her Mother's praise. Ever since she had married Ozai it had become more and more frequent. It was like she was trying to make sure that everyone knew how much her mother loved her and that she was the Mother of a Fire Nation Princess. She wished that her Mother would stop and would treat her like she used to before she married Ozai.


Ursa paced back and forth as she waited for the servants to bring Elua to her chambers. Ozai and Azulon had gone for a few days to Fire Fountain City to check on the war effort and Ursa had stayed behind with Lu Ten. It was nice to have a break from all of the Royal duties that she constantly had to do when Ozai was around. She had been feeling more tired than usual after Azulon's birthday party and she was enjoying having a relaxing few days.

"Princess Ursa," a servant bowed to her and a moment later Elua walked into the room.

A smile formed on her lips when she saw her best friend standing there.

"It's so good to see you," Ursa said.

"You too," Elua replied.

"Please, come and sit," Ursa exclaimed, gesturing to the seat beside her. She watched as Elua walked across the room and sat down next to her. "How are you?"

"I'm good," Elua replied. "I finished all of my training to become a teacher, and now I'm just waiting to hear back from which village I'm going to."

"Congratulations," Ursa smiled. "That's so amazing. Do you have any ideas of where you're going to go?"

"Not yet," Elua answered. "I'm hoping somewhere that's not too far away from my family. I want to be able to come back and visit."

"I'm sure they would love that. I'll miss you when you go."

"I'll miss you too," Elua admitted. "Have you um…have you heard from Ikem?"

Ursa felt her stomach drop. She tried not to think about Ikem and about how everything had happened. Ever since she had married Ozai, things had been awkward with Elua and she wished that she could make things go back the way that they used to be. She didn't know why things had gotten so strange between them, she wished that they were still the same young girls that they had been when they met years ago. Now there was awkwardness.

"No," Ursa whispered. "I haven't heard anything from him. Have you?"

Elua looked the other way and Ursa felt her heart start to race. Had Elua been in contact with him? Did she know how he had been?

"A few weeks ago he sent me a letter," Elua admitted. "He's okay. He's in the Earth Kingdom somewhere."

It was a relief to hear that he was okay. She missed him so much and late at night her mind usually wandered to him and where he was and how he was doing. She knew that she shouldn't think about him and that she was married to another man but she couldn't help it. She knew that she was never going to forget her first love and she was never going to not feel guilty for her part in getting him sent to the army.

"I'm glad that he's okay," She whispered, looking down at her hands. She sighed. "I miss him all the time even though I know that I shouldn't think about him anymore."

Elua stared at her, unblinking. "The Ursa that I know wouldn't let anything stand in her way."

Ursa was taken aback. "Elua I'm married. I need to move on from Ikem. I have a husband…and hopefully, we'll have a family someday. I can't think about Ikem anymore, he needs to move on and so do I. A part of me will always love him but I can't think about him anymore."

"The Ursa I knew would never have turned her back on someone that she loved. Marrying Prince Ozai changed you."

Ursa's eyes widened. "I'm the same person I've always been, Elua! I can't believe that you're saying this. We've been friends for our entire lives, you know me! I'm still the same person that I always have been!"

"If you're the same person than you wouldn't have turned your back on Ikem. You would have fought for me to be in your wedding, or to even be at your wedding. Since you've married Ozai I've barely seen you. You don't even write to me. My mom always said to watch out for you, that your family was better than us and I never believed her. I knew that your mom thought that she was better than us but I didn't think that you would ever feel like that. But since you've been married I think that you do. I think becoming a Princess has gone to your head."

She narrowed her eyes, hurt cutting through her. She couldn't believe that her best friend was saying all of this. They had been friends for so long and now Elua had turned her back on her, clearly. Was she jealous that Ursa had married Ozai? That didn't seem like Elua, but this woman in front of her didn't seem like her best friend. She didn't want to hear anything else from her. Ursa didn't want to listen to her spew her poison any longer and so she stood up.

Her hurt quickly turned to rage. How could she judge her like this? Ursa had done what she did to protect Ikem. If she hadn't agreed to marry Ozai than she would have sentenced Ikem to death after he stupidly tried to attack the Prince. She had had no choice but to marry Ozai. And yes, maybe her feelings for Ozai had grown over the past few months, but she had learned that Ozai wasn't so bad and that he wasn't the monster that she had thought him to be when she first met him. It hurt to hear Elua say all of these hateful things to her. It was like her best friend had changed and turned into someone that she didn't even recognize anymore.

"Guards!" Ursa called as she stood up. Three guards rushed into the room. "Please escort Elua out of the palace," she said coldly.

Turning her back to her best friend she rushed from her rooms and towards the gardens. She collapsed on her knees in front of the pond and buried her face in her hands as she sobbed. She had never felt so alone before in her life. Through all of this, she had thought that Elua would stay her friend but it was clear that that wasn't the case. She didn't want to see Elua ever again.

"Auntie Ursa?" A small voice said from behind her.

Turning her head, a smile formed on her lips when she saw Lu Ten standing there.

"Hi," she greeted her nephew, wiping at her face.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Ursa lied. She patted the grass beside her. "Come sit."

Lu Ten walked across the grass and took a seat beside her. He started to pull at the grass under him as turtleducks swam in front of them. He stayed quiet and Ursa occasionally sniffled.

"Sometimes I get sad when I miss my dad," Lu Ten admitted.

"Yeah?" Ursa asked with a small smile. "I miss my dad sometimes too."

"Really?"

"Of course. And my mom and my brothers and sisters. It's okay to miss your dad. But he'll be back soon, right?"

"I hope so," Lu Ten sighed. "I can't wait until I'm grown up and I can go be with him."

"You want to join the army?" Ursa asked, surprised.

"Of course!" Lu Ten said emphatically, nodding his head. "The Fire Nation army is the biggest honor in the Fire Nation! I want to be a general just like my dad."

It was sweet to hear Lu Ten think so highly of his father and the army. She hated to think about this sweet little boy going to war one day, but if that was what he wanted then she would support his decision. Of course, he was only eight and there was a lot that could change, but she had a feeling that this wasn't something that would change for him.

"Then that's what you'll do," Ursa said, leaning over and hugging him gently.


Lying in bed later that night, Ursa felt guilty for sending Elua away like that. She had been so angry and upset and she didn't understand it. She shouldn't have been so offended. But that rage that had taken over her had been unlike anything that she had ever felt before. She knew that her friendship with Elua was probably over; she didn't think that Elua would ever forgive her for what she had done. She needed to accept that her old friendships were over.

She was almost asleep when she jolted up in bed. It suddenly hit her. Her monthly courses hadn't come and she couldn't remember the last time she had had them. Ursa's heart began to pound. Was she pregnant? She tried to think back to when she had it last and she couldn't remember. It had been at least two months, she suspected. Her mother had always said that if you missed it for at least two months it meant that you were pregnant.

Her heart was racing but she placed a hand on her stomach. Was she carrying a baby? She hoped so. She hoped so much that she was pregnant and she would get to be a mom soon. It was what she had wanted more than anything.


"I think that I'm pregnant," Ursa announced, a smile on her lips.

Ozai turned to face her, surprise on his face. "You think you're pregnant?"

"It's been two months since my monthly courses. I think…I think that I'm pregnant."

Ozai walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. "Let's hope that it doesn't come and that you're pregnant."

Ozai had been gone for three days with his Father and she was so glad that he was back. It had been so hard keeping this to herself but she hadn't wanted to tell anyone before she told him. It hadn't seemed right to tell anymore before her husband, but she didn't even know who she would want to tell. Elua was gone and she didn't want to tell Michi. She didn't know if she could trust her, although as far as she could tell nobody was talking about what she had told Michi, so perhaps it was safe and she could be trusted.

"Let's wait a few more days before we tell anybody," Ursa said after a moment.

Ozai nodded. "We'll tell them if you miss another course," he agreed.