Prologue

ONCE UPON A TIME, in the far-away land of Panem, there was a humble coal miner from District Twelve with six sons and six daughters. Their names were Gloss, Darius, Finnick, Thom, Marvel, Cato, Johanna, Glimmer, Delly, Madge, Primrose, and Katniss Everdeen. The family lived in a secluded cottage in the woods, near the poor side of town known as the Seam. Despite their poverty, the Everdeens were known for their pride. Each Everdeen had a special talent, and all of them possessed a great and unique beauty. Gloss, Cato, Glimmer, Delly, Madge, and Primrose were all fair-haired with cerulean eyes and porcelain milk-colored skin and were the envy of the town, for they took after their deceased Merchant mother. Darius and Finnick were the handsome gingers, who were said to look like their great-grandfather; and Thom, Marvel, Johanna and Katniss were the dark-haired, olive-toned siblings who resembled their father.

It was not a surprise, then, that some of them were rather vain. Glimmer would always demand new dresses while Delly was obsessed with shoes; Cato, Marvel, and Johanna always seemed to need another weapon, and Gloss, as the oldest, often complained about their lack of riches and thereby his nonexistent future inheritance. But Mr. Everdeen did as best as he could to provide for his children, hunting on some mornings, working long shifts in the mines, and then coming home to help his children tend the crops. It was only thanks to his other, more caring and selfless children that he found the strength to go on. Oftentimes his face would sadden as he recalled that it had been a long time since he had been out hunting with his sons until he would remember that it was actually his daughter Katniss whom he missed hunting with the most, for she was the one who was best with the bow and arrow.

Yes, his beloved Katniss was his heart and pride although he loved all his children the same. And yet it was Katniss who always put her siblings before herself, bringing home the most prey so that they could eat stew for dinner on the nights that Finnick wasn't able to catch enough fish, and it was she who always sang in the woods alongside her father, so that even the birds would stop to listen. Her head would always also be buried in a book, and Madge and Primrose would follow suit, always eager to discuss these books with their grey-eyed sister while braiding her long, dark hair.

One night, as he came home from the mines with his sons, Darius and Thom, he announced to his children that he had excellent news. His in-laws had decided to retire and bequeath the apothecary to the Everdeens, but he had to travel to District Four to reclaim it, for that was where his late wife's family resided. He told his children that he would bring them back gifts from District Four, and it was then that they all made a list of jewels, shoes, dresses, and fancy shields and weapons for him to bring back; only Katniss was prudent enough to think that they wouldn't be rich enough to have all of that. And thus when her father asked her calmly what it was that she desired, she only asked for a single white rose, for she had not seen one of those in a long time, much less possessed it. Her father smiled and promised to bring her back her rose, not knowing that it would cost him more than he could have ever imagined.

He did not know that the rose would come from the enchanted castle outside the district, where a hijacked prince held on to it for dear life.

Katniss

I missed my father already. He had only left this morning, and as I strolled into town with my sisters to get a new book from the library, I scowled at the sight of the egotistical Gale Hawthorne. He thought he was the best hunter in this town, but I knew I could take him any day. Not that I needed to prove myself to him.

"Hey Catnip!" he called out cheerfully as my sisters swooned over him.

I groaned inwardly. I detested that stupid nickname, but at least it was better than Cat Piss, which is what my brothers used to call me when we were little, and still did sometimes, only to test my wrath as I threatened them with my bow.

"Oh, Gale!" My sisters gasped and fanned themselves.

"Hey, Gale," I said resignedly. I had long ago accepted that Gale wanted me instead of my more beautiful and willing sisters. It was not something I was happy about, and I hated him more for it.

"What are you reading now?" he scoffed as he ripped the book from my grasp, ignoring my protests.

"The Hunger Games? Is this a book about food? How come there are no pictures?" he frowned as he flipped through the pages impatiently.

"You could say that, Brainless," Johanna smirked at him. She was the only one besides me who didn't fall over herself when she saw him, but I knew that she found him attractive. This, I knew, was her way of flirting with him.

I sighed. "No. It's a book about a post-apocalyptic world where one young man and woman from each district between the ages of twelve and eighteen are reaped to fight to the death…"

"That's awfully morbid, Catnip," he cut me off, wrinkling his nose in distaste.

"Oh no, you don't understand! There's this boy, and he's in love with this girl, and he does everything for her, but she doesn't realize she loves him even though he brings her hope and they end up getting married and having babies as they heal and grow together," I said dreamily. Gale raised an eyebrow. "Oh, never mind, you'd have to read the whole series!"

"She's read those books like ten times already," Glimmer rolled her eyes at me as she stroked Gale's bicep, Delly giggling as she squeezed the muscles on his opposite arm.

Gale laughed boisterously, "Oh, Kitty-Kat. Always with your head in the clouds. One day you'll be my wife and bear all of my children, and you certainly won't have to fight to the death for that." He winked at me as my sisters nearly fell at his feet, as if his words had been somehow poetic or romantic.

I scowled once again in distaste, taking my book back from him. "I highly doubt that, Gale," I said tightly as I pulled Madge and Prim along with me, their eyes wide as they looked back at Gale. Ugh. I would never understand what any of them saw in him. Was it so wrong of me to want a man who respected my decisions?

"Honestly, Katniss, do you have to be so rude to him?" Glimmer chastised me as we walked back home.

"He's so dreamy; you should marry him," Prim added.

"If I were you, I would ride that stallion so hard…"

"JOHANNA!" we all yelled at her before she could finish her sentence. She shrugged unapologetically.

"Oh, what I'd do to have those lips on mine!" Madge sighed.

"Did you feel those abdominals?" Delly bit her lip in yearning.

"Ugh, why don't you all marry him, then?" I exclaimed impatiently, running away from them before they could respond, angry tears stinging my eyes as I clutched the book close to my chest. None of them understood me, and neither would Papa. He would marry me off to him as soon as he came back and Gale asked him for my hand in marriage, and there was nothing I could do about it. Even my brothers would be happy to get rid of me, to have one less sister to care for. Everyone expected me to marry Gale Hawthorne, and that, most of all, was precisely why I didn't want to marry him.

I wanted a choice. I wanted love. I wanted the man who brought me hope, the one who I could not even survive without. I wanted my own sweet baker, like the one in my book, but the only bakers around here were pudgy, middle-aged men, and they just wouldn't do. I sighed as I finally reached my meadow and sat down amidst the dandelions, resting my book on my lap as I propped it open and ran my fingers through the beautiful words on the parchment, re-reading the cave scene for the umpteenth time.

The words hunger and kiss and fire floated through my head, and I closed the book and wondered, not for the first time, what it would feel to kiss someone. I picked up a dandelion in bloom and blew the seeds as I began to sing, closing my eyes and imagining what it would feel like to have someone's soft and tender lips descend upon mine, and I let myself dream.

Peeta

I only needed one kiss to break the curse. I clutched the vase holding my precious white rose as I looked at the sunset outside my window in desperation. I was a broken man, and I knew it. My soul was in pieces, my mind bent and twisted. I could not go outside to look for a wife in this state. She would have to come to me, but what fair maiden would tread into the treacherous woods and walk into an enchanted castle? How could anyone ever love someone like me, an unstable murderer full of scars with a wooden leg? And that was not to mention my occasional episodes where I wanted to strangle anyone in sight. I hated myself. I hated everybody. I hated this stupid curse that had fallen upon my castle and all of its inhabitants. I knew I would die like this, broken and alone.

A single petal fell from the rose, as if to further prove my point. Every day that passed was a day wasted. I would never find my true love like this. Who was I kidding? King Snow had known that when he had cursed me with his stupid roses. As if killing my family and messing with my mind hadn't been enough, he cut out all my servants' tongues and gave me two years to break the curse that had fallen upon me. If by the end of the two years all of the petals from the rose had fallen and I still hadn't found my true love, I would die along with it. More than anything, I wanted to recover my sanity. I wanted to be a good person again, to know what was real and what was not.

But I knew I would never be the same charming prince, the one who everyone loved and admired. Not since the rebellion. No, the evil King Snow would never forget that we had refused to form an allegiance with him when Queen Coin had invaded his kingdom. My father had always refused to involve himself in conflicts, and my mother had never been afraid to show her distaste for any of the other royalty. Feeling betrayed, King Snow sent his witches to curse us, leaving only me, the obvious successor (since neither of my older brothers had been the least bit interested in running a kingdom) alive. When I had asked him why he had allowed me to live, cursed, instead of killing me off with the rest of my family, he had calmly replied, "Hope. It is the only thing stronger than fear." And with that, he had left, leaving me to ponder and realize that I had been played. I was simply an example for the rest of the kingdoms who dared to defy him, and no one had refused him since then.

As night fell and I continued to gaze out of my bedroom window longingly, this time pleading at the stars, I noticed a horse galloping towards the front gates, and I stood up and went out into the balcony to take a closer look. Could it be that someone had actually come to see me? I squinted and noticed that it was the figure of a man, and he proceeded to dismount his horse and knock on the mahogany doors, which opened automatically for him. I went back into my room and rang for one of my Avoxes-which was what my servants were known as now that they didn't have tongues- and the red-haired Lavinia swept in a few minutes later, awaiting my command.

"Take care of my visitor," I said calmly. "Make sure he has everything he needs, but make sure he is gone by morning. What I need is a maiden, not a man." Lavinia nodded obediently and exited promptly to obey my orders.

The next morning I went out to tend my roses- Snow's roses, really, because tending them had been part of the deal, and refusing to do so would make my white rose die faster, as it drew strength from its sisters. But when I reached my garden, I was astonished to find that my visitor from last night was still here, and gathering my roses, no less! I clenched my fists and tightened my jaw in anger as I stomped towards the man, my limp becoming more apparent the faster I walked, and the man looked up in shock when he met my eyes.

"How dare you gather my roses?" I growled. "Was it not enough that I allowed you stay at my castle? Was my hospitality not enough for you? Is this how you show your gratitude, by stealing my flowers? Your insolence should not go unpunished!" I roared, and before I knew it, my hands were closing around the old man's neck, his grey eyes wide in terror as I saw the light leaving them, just like all of those others who had dared to defy me…

No.

I let him go, horrified that I'd allowed one of my episodes get the better of me again.

"P-please," the man wheezed out as he tried to regain his breath. "Forgive me, noble s-sir, I did not know…"

"Save your flattery, I have no time for it," I spat out impatiently, wanting to tear out my hair as I fought for control of my own head.

"If only my dear Katniss knew what her gift has caused me…I was not able to bring all of my other children their lavish gifts, and I did not think that you would be angered by me taking a single rose from your garden. Please forgive me; I am very grateful for your hospitality."

I considered his request for a moment. "Fine, I will spare your life if you promise to bring back one of your daughters and have her live with me forever."

"But I could never be so cruel as to trade my life for one of my daughters,' and even if I were, how would I do that? I could never force them to take my place."

"I will give you a month. If by the end of that month neither you nor one of your daughters comes back, I will come get you myself. But if one of your daughters decides to take your place out of love, she must come here willingly. Otherwise you will come back here alone, and I will decide your fate then. In the meantime, take any of the riches you may need to take for all of your other children; my Avoxes will show you a room where you may find these. Eat your breakfast and then you may leave."

Thus the man accepted my proposal, more frightened than anything else, and did as he was told. It was obvious by his gestures that he did not really expect any of his daughters to be courageous enough to take his place. And although I had been harsh on him and I did not deserve it, I allowed myself to hope that one of them would stay with me. I was running out of time.

Katniss

"Papa!" I cried out as soon as I saw his somewhat distant figure in the distance, riding our horse, Mockingjay, at full gallop. I had been outside feeding Prim's goat, Lady, and I ran back inside the house to announce his arrival to my siblings.

As we all gathered to welcome him home, he took the horse to its stable and then hugged us all tightly. When it was my turn to hold Papa, I heard the slight croak in his voice when he said that he missed me, and I knew then that something was off. "Papa, are you all right?" I asked, concerned as he held me at arm's length, his grey eyes meeting mine.

"I am afraid that I come with grave news," our father said tiredly, and we all went silent.

"Were you not able to bring us back our gifts?" Glimmer broke the silence first with her shrill, high-pitched voice.

"Oh, I brought those and more—" He was caught off by the screeches of excitement coming from my siblings. "But they came with a condition," he finished.

"Were you not able to claim the apothecary?" Finnick asked, concerned.

"Yes, yes, it all went well with the apothecary. However, halfway through my journey I stumbled upon a grand castle, and it was there that I spent the night. The next morning I went out to the garden to gather a rose for Katniss, and it was there that I infuriated the owner of the castle, a young yet bitter Prince who threatened to kill me for having done so."

We all gasped in horror, and I felt my stomach lurch and my chest cave in as I became overwhelmed with guilt. This was my fault, and indeed my siblings did not fail to glare at me and point it out. "Why couldn't you just have asked for a dress or jewelry," they said. "Your silly rose nearly cost Papa his life."

"Please calm down," my father begged them. "I am not done with the story yet. The prince of the castle let me go with the condition that if one of my daughters takes my place within a month, I will go free. However, I could never ask any of you to take my place, and thus I am afraid that I must go back, for the prince asks that I give away one of my daughters to stay with him forever."

My brothers bellowed in outrage that they would kill this prince for issuing such a threat, and my sisters nearly fainted in terror, save Johanna, who was looking straight at me, expecting me to say something when little Prim offered to take Papa's place. It was then that I knew that the answer was obvious. I could not let Prim go, for she was the youngest. And Papa could not break his promise to the prince, for he was an honorable man and he never broke any of his promises. "I volunteer." I finally called out, and the room, which had been full of chaos before, went silent once more. "I volunteer as prisoner to the prince," I repeated with more confidence.

"No, Katniss, you can't…" my father protested, heartbroken, and my brothers added to the protest, exclaiming that under no condition would they let me go into that terrible castle.

I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I must. It was my fault that Papa took the rose, and I must be the one to fix this mess." My siblings looked amongst themselves, knowing that I was too stubborn to be convinced otherwise, and my father's lips tightened.

"Very well, then. We shall go back there together."

I knew that this was his way of saying that he would try to get me to change my mind once we arrived, but I was not going to let my Papa die, and I was not going to allow one of sisters to take his place. This was my sacrifice to make. I was going to the castle to live there forever. And I would never see my family again.

A/N- So this was supposed to be a one-shot, but it got away from me. There will be about two or three parts in total. Thank you so much to my beta, Court81981 for looking this over for me. I hope you guys enjoyed it, let me know what you think so far? Thanks!