It had been a small, quiet ceremony in front of the turtle duck pond. But the size of it was irrelevant to its beauty. Not one person exited the garden with a dry eye. Two people had finally been bound in marriage after all the turmoil they went through. Now she would take her role as Fire Lady, next to her Lord's side. And after the war all discrimination against the Water Tribe had vanished . . . yeah right.
"Water Peasant!" "Scum!" "Go back to your ice hut!" The jeers of the crowd could be heard as the newly married couple walked onto a platform overlooking the square. They were supposed to be here to celebrate, but many people hadn't been as taken with a water peasant marrying their leader as the Fire Lord was.
She lowered her head as they continued their attacks on her and her tribe. Not in shame, but in rage. Her husband put his arm around her shoulder comfortingly. She started to calm down until a rather nasty remark about her mother was made, heard above all the other insults. Her head snapped up, fire in her eyes. Her husband cautiously stepped to the side muttering something that sounded like 'Oh no he didn't'. A few people backed away from the loud mouthed man, and a few brave others moved closer just in case it got violent.
She stepped forward on the platform facing the angry crowd. "I really don't believe it's your business what my mother did or didn't do," she stated in a forced calm voice. "And for that matter I am appalled at how the noble and refined Fire Nation acts when their great leader marries someone he loves. I am not dishonoring your country, in fact, the Water Tribe is much more civil then the liked of you! If you don't like here leave! No one is going to stop you; your nation seems to like the Earth Kingdom an awful lot so why don't you just live there because I'm not going anywhere!" Her voice had raised to it's peak and she was shaking with anger.
The crowd stared blankly for a moment and then a light of new realization reached their faces. Almost as one the people turned and started marching for the docks at the edge of the city. Everyone on the platform stood their in shock. Eventually they saw dozens of ships pulling out from the harbor until they were looking at nothing more than a ghost town.
Katara muttered only one word, "Oops."