Zuko x OC : The Phoenix Princess

Chapter 7

It's been three weeks since Aria started working as a personal servant for princess Azula and it, already, seems like it's been months. Aria hoped that her nightmare will soon end once the princess leaves for Ba Sing Se but luck was not on her side. This morning she learned that the princess's trip is going to be delayed due to some royal duties she had to go through in the Fire Nation these days. Aria did not understand and did not really care what these 'royal duties' were, she just wanted Azula to leave. 

She was curently cleaning the princess's room with the other servants while she was away. It was the only time of the day that they could relax just a little since she was not hovering over their heads making them do things over and over again, taking her anger out on them.

"...wait, WHAT?" wispered yelled a servant a few steps away from Aria. Everyone turned around to see what the whole commotion was about. "What is going on with you two?" asked another girl who was making the princess's bed 

"Anna just told me that the princess is going to choose two of her personal servants to go with her in Ba Sing Se."

"What? Why? There are other servants for that! She never needed to take one of us before!" exclaimed another girl. Aria was stunned. That meant that there is a possibility that she was going to be one of the two servants. No, that can't happen! That trip was her only chance of having some peaceful days and now she might, possibly, have to follow the princess there? 

Aria was once again on the beach. Sha just finished her practice with Lia but she did not feel like going back home yet. She was thinking about Azula's trip, her possibility of being chosen to travel with her and the possibilities she has to escape from it. She could fake being sick but Azula didn't care so it wouldn't make much of a difference. She couldn't find any solution to escape from this trip in case she was chosen. And she wasn't so sure if she could stand Azula without burning her face to a crisp and runing away in the streets of Ba Sing Se. 'Wait that's it' she thought. She could go to the trip and then try to escape. She could run away from the princess, the palace , the servant's life, the Firelord, everything. It sounded crazy and next to impossible but she was willing to try. She had to try and escape. There won't be many guards since the princess is going under cover, if she had understood correctly. The only problem was her friends , Mei and that Ty Lee girl. She could even save the other girl who will be chosen as the second servant. 

All that seemed as a dream come true to Aria but she also had to be realistic. There will be little to no chances for her to escape in a big kingdom which she has never seen. If she was going to escape she needed a really good plan that big part of it included the knowledge for Ba Sing Se's streets. And even if she managed to find some roots once they get there, she doupted that she would have enouph time to perfect her plan and complete it. It was crazy and impossible but she was willing to try. With that thought she went to bed.

The next day found Aria troubled. She couldn't understand if her luck was on her side or not. She was chosen, her and another girl, to travel with the princess. They did not know when they were leaving but the important thing was that there was no way out of this. And Aria couldn't decide if that was her big chance or her doom. She decided to tell her mom before she had to go to Azula's room. She found her cleaning the windows.

"Mom, I have to tell you something" she said kneeling beside her 

"I was chosen to travel with the princess in Ba Sing Se as her personal servant, but there is something I want to do."

Her mother looked at her worried and confused but she let her continue. Aria was hesitant at first but she explained everything about her crazy plan to her mother. She didn't know if that would make her mother more worried or not but she had to tell her.

"I am going to figure out a way for you to come with us if you want. We can escape this place. I know it sounds impossible and crazy but trust me I know we can do it. We have to do it." Aria wispered with wide eyes looking at her mother who sighed.

"Listen Aria, what you are thinking about is next to impossible and I don't want you to risk your life. That's why I can't come with you, both of us can't escape" Aria was stunned by her mother's words 

"I do not agree with your plan 100% and there are a lot of things that could go wrong but I need you to promise me that you will stay alive and if you feel like you can't escape don't attempt to do so. Just come back. Promise me that, please" 

"Mom I promise, but I want to get you out to I-" Aria protested

"We can't do that. It's too risky plus I will slow you down. If there is a chance for you to escape then that's ok. But promise me that you will stay alive." her mom told her not leaving much room for nagotiations. 

"Right, I promise" Aria said, still feeling disappointed and defeted that her mother was right that she could not come with her. It was wishful thinking, Aria knew that, but she still wanted her mother to come with her. She got up and headed towards the princess's room after giving her mother a hug. Her mother smiled at her retreating figure. She knew about Aria's firebending without, of course, Aria telling her anything about it. She found out from Lia, the same way she found out about her husband. She didn't blame Aria for not telling her, it was understandable. But that was the reason she was willing to let Aria go. She knew that Lia would protect her child and she trusted that Aria was responsible enouph to not do anything too crazy. She knew it was dangerous and as a mother she was really worried, but if there was a chance for her daughter to get away from here and live without fear then she was willing to let her go.

Aria was shaking from head to toe, from excitement, fear and the feeling that something which she fantasized about but was impossible for her to pull of was actually happening. It is still some what impossible but now she has a chance. It was happeing, it was really happeing , she was really going to do it. She will try to escape in Ba Sing Se.