Only a few weeks ago, Ursa's second child had come into the world. Her husband had insisted on naming the girl after his father, and so they had called her Azula.
It was the thought of her daughter, or more specifically, her name, that drove Ursa to the lower ring of Caldera City on that night. She easily could have sent a servant to the market in her place, but sometimes, she needed a break from palace life. Having come from a simple family in a small village, she liked to reconnect with her roots from time to time and escape the pressures of royalty.
She stopped in front of a booth that sold clothing and fabric. It was entirely possible that someone would recognize her, even in the low lighting, so she pulled her hood further down over her face and shifted her scarf up to cover her chin.
"Can I help you, miss?" asked the woman working at the kiosk. Ursa scanned the display, finding that there was indeed a section for children and babies.
But something about it was wrong.
"Yes," she said. "Do you have anything… a little different?"
"How so?" the woman questioned. "Surely you don't mean…"
Ursa leaned in and whispered, "I want something that's a color other than red. I want something… blue."
The kiosk worker stiffened, her eyes widening at the risk of facilitating such a request, but she complied. "Follow me."
Ursa tailed the woman into the alleyway behind the booth. She pulled her cloak tighter around her body, suddenly feeling unsafe in the dingy, unlit backstreet.
All the way at the back of the alley, the worker heaved aside a few bags of her other merchandise to reveal a small collection of fabric straying from the red, gold, and black colors typical of Fire Nation garb. Curious, Ursa couldn't help herself from examining the other black market goods hidden with the pile of clothing — an air nomad pendant, cactus juice, cannabis, birth control pills, the book Old Yeller (banned because the dog dies), the movie Footloose (banned for promoting dancing), The Communist Manifesto (banned for promoting the overthrow of the social order), and the concept of fun (banned because fuck you).
"Please, be quick, and be discreet," the woman told her, rubbing her hands together anxiously. Her gaze darted around to see if they were being watched as Ursa rummaged through the illegal goods.
After a moment, and heeding the kiosk worker's warning, Ursa selected a pale blue blanket from the pile. "I'd like this one," she whispered.
The woman produced a sack and crammed the blanket inside. "Make sure no one sees you with this, and tell no one where you got it!" she warned.
"I won't," Ursa reassured her. "Your secret is safe with me."
She paid for the blanket, and the kiosk worker ranted and raved, "Bless your heart, miss. Why must you tempt fate? I know not whether you are foolish or brave for coming here. Only Agni knows why you need such a thing."
"Thank you," Ursa replied, ignoring the woman's swears and prayers for her, and left the alley the way she had come.
Everyone knew that the royal family was above the law, especially when two of its members were named after blue in spite of the ban on the color. She only hoped that Azula would like the blanket.
And maybe, while she was at it, she had picked up some cannabis for herself.
"Smoke weed every day," Ursa whispered as she lit the fuck up.