Port Capitol
By: Michelle Rose Landau
Synopsis: A chance encounter with the ailing matriarch of one of the world's most powerful families will pave the foundation Katniss Everdeen, the girl who will inherit the keys to a wealth unimaginable, and set her on the path to the love of her life...
Pairings: Peeta/Katniss, Gale/Johanna, Finnick/Annie, Thom/Delly, Clove/Cato, Cashmere/Seneca, Gloss (short for Glosslatis)/Glimmer, Haymitch/Effie
Disclaimer: I do not own the Hunger Games series, nor any of its characters. They are the sole creative property of Suzanne Collins.
A/N: It's been a long time since I've updated anything, and now I'm starting a quite ambitious project. I've always been in love with the beach and the coastal life in general. This love, paired with my love of fictional family sagas, served as an inspiration for the saga I'm beginning here. I will get to my other stories some time this summer, but mostly, since it's summer, I'll be working on this. I've also begun to write some original fiction, so I've been drifting away from the fandom in order to work on my collection of short stories. In short, the Port Capitol Saga will occupy my time, as well as my original work.
Breakdown of the Saga:
Port Capitol is a fictional township/island off of the coast of Massachusetts.
Book I: Port Capitol Heiress
It's autumn 1949, and in order to earn extra income, Katniss' mother Terra recruits her to work in the house of Azura Winchester, one of the nation's and Port Capitol's-the New England coastal town for the elite-wealthiest and connected families. While working for the family, Katniss learns of the secrets and struggles within the Winchester family.
Classism, loyalty, and legacies will begin in this first book in the saga.
~one~
October 1949
THE air was bitter cold as Katniss stepped out of the cab and onto the gravel drive. She looked around, and she saw the waters of the bay lapping at the rocky beach some yards away. It was the last house on the outermost curve of Port Capitol Island. The sign on the gate read Old Windy, Winchester House. Katniss pondered the name, wondering if they were indeed relatives of the Winchesters, the creators of the rifle that'd been part of the stuff of legend. They certainly had to be in order to live in such an opulent mansion.
"Come on my dears," Terra Everdeen urged her two girls.
Thirteen year old Prim bundled into her overcoat, then she grabbed her one suitcase and hurried along after her sister.
"You better keep up, Little Duck," Katniss whispered as she took her sister's hand in her thinly gloved one. "We're likely to get lost in this big ol' place."
They entered the house through a small vestibule which then opened up into a busy servants' quarters: a washery, a kitchen, an eating area, then some rooms further down the hallway.
"I'm Sae," the heft older woman introduced herself. "I'm the head house maid for the Winchesters. Welcome to Old Windy. I trust that your train ride was pleasant?"
"Yes, Mrs. Kettering," Terra grinned. "It was lovely."
Lovely wasn't the word that Katniss would use; they'd been in cramped quarters, and the food had been horrid. Her mother had scraped up every last penny in order to afford the train ride to come to Massachusetts for this job with the Winchesters. The stable owners in Kentucky had connections, and they put a reference in for her mother because they were moving permanently to Europe. The family had been nice, but they didn't pay very well. It took months to save for a single important item that her girls needed, and last year, Katniss quit school in order to help in the stables while her mother worked in the house. Prim still went to school, because Terra was absolutely determined for her youngest to reach her goal of being a nurse. It was Katniss' determination as well out of sisterly love and care.
"I know enough," Katniss had said of her own education. "I had no big plans, really. Maybe get married to Gale, but...since he left to find better work, that's just a pipe dream. But you've got a real dream, Little Duck. You can actually achieve something."
"Now, here are your quarters for you and your daughters," Sae explained as she opened up the door. "Here's your key. If you need duplicates for your daughters, just send word to Mr. Titus, and he'll get it taken care of."
They set their suitcases down, then they followed Sae through the servant quarters.
"We awake at six every morning. This is the assignment board. Now, you mentioned that your oldest will be part of the staff as well?"
"Yes," Terra confirmed.
"Have you worked in house service before, girl?"
"No ma'am," Katniss said.
"Then you'll be training with Rue," Sae said. "You're quite a small girl, so you could probably easily fit into one of the other maids' uniforms. You'll be assigned to Mrs. Winchester's daughter, Clove. Just shadow Rue, then you'll take over that assignment."
It was overwhelming, all of the information that Sae spouted out so quickly.
"We're expected to work until ten every evening. We only get Sundays off, so we must have all three meals prepared the day before so that Mrs. and Miss Winchester can help themselves."
They were taken upstairs into a receiving room.
"Mrs. Winchester will be down to meet with you shortly."
"Sit down, girls," Terra said softly.
"I'm afraid to," Prim commented.
The receiving room was light, with tan furniture, white, patterned carpet, and there were touches of dark blue and gray in the room. There was a bar for drinks, and a radio sitting on an end table.
Katniss and Prim sat down anyway.
After about five more minutes of waiting, a tall woman, with dark hair, sharp nose and cheeks, with a pointed jawline, and a shorter version of that woman came into the room.
The girls stood up.
"You must be the Everdeens," the woman said.
"Yes ma'am, I'm Terra, and these are my girls, Katniss and Primrose."
Mrs. Winchester extended her hand out.
"Azura Winchester," she introduced herself, shaking hands with Terra and the girls. "Pleased to meet you. Well, the Undersees failed to tell me how beautiful your daughters are."
"Thank you," Terra said.
"This is my daughter, Clove Patricia."
Clove, with her pinched lips and pointy jawline, forced a smile and shook their hands. She had freckled cheeks and a glint in her eyes that told Terra and Katniss that she was going to be something to contend with.
"Welcome to Old Windy," Clove said haughtily.
The Everdeens nodded.
Clove took in Katniss a little more closely. Her hair was long and silky, her skin was tawny, darker than that of her mother and sister, and she wondered for a moment if she was part Negro. Given Terra and Primrose's complexions, she wasn't sure. Perhaps a lover who was Negro? Then a second marriage to a white husband for the youngest to turn out blonde haired and blue eyed? Either way, Clove felt the clench of competition, and she felt foolish. Katniss Everdeen was here to work for her, and a shot of glee ran through her at the thought that this girl, who was probably the same age, was going to be at her beck and call for however long she could last.
"Follow me please," Azura said. "Old Windy has been in my family for three generations now. It has weathered storms, waves, and wind and has stood the test of time. She'll be around for a long time coming. Let's begin in here. This is the formal reception. This is were all of our guests meet first. Through here is the formal dining room that seats twelve. Through here is the serving nook, all courses are to be laid out here for serving, and through here we have the kitchen. Mrs. Seeder is in charge of the cooking..."
"Nice meetin' y'all," Mrs. Seeder nodded before she went back to her cooking.
"Rue is her niece, she also helps to cook, and she assists my daughter when needed," Azura explained.
The tour took over an hour: ten bedrooms, eight bathrooms, Clove's spacious room, Azura's suite, the study, the living room, the den, the attic, the library...it was overwhelming walking through the halls of Old Windy, and Katniss wasn't sure if she would be able to handle the job set before her.
She'd worked stables, and she was excellent with horses, but she's never been a house maid, and she she wasn't too skilled in the art of people.
"Well, that's Old Windy," Azura said, then she looked at Katniss.
"How old are you?"
"I'm eighteen, ma'am," Katniss lied.
Katniss was seventeen, but her mother needed her to work.
Azura inspected her closely, and for a moment, Katniss was afraid that Azura would find her out, and possibly make her go back to school. She'd already been out of school for over a year, and she was used to working now. If she had to go back to school, it would depress her deeply because she never could catch up, she wasn't proficient enough in any of her subjects, and the idea of having to sit for a sustained period of time when she could be working made her antsy.
But she knew that Azura knew that she was lying; she'd never been a great liar, and she hoped that it wouldn't affect her mother's job.
"Well, as long as you're cooperative and you do well, I'll add you to the staff," Azura consented. "As for little Primrose, she'll be attending school as usual. The ferry into the city comes quite early to take the children into town, then onward to the public school. Primrose will be allowed to have access to the study to work on her school lessons for an hour each day, in order to get some quiet, but afterward, she will have to go below stairs."
"Yes, Mrs. Winchester," Terra said.
"It's good to have you here," Azura said. "We hope that you will be with us for a long time."
"Yes ma'am," Terra said.
Katniss followed her mother below stairs, and she sighed.
"I think she knows I'm seventeen instead of eighteen, mother," Katniss whispered. "Do you think she'll send me to school?"
"I'm not sure," Terra said in a hushed voice as they went to their quarters. "But you're mature, and smart in your own way. I think she'll let you on the staff."
"You'll get started bright and early tomorrow," Sae reminded them.
They unpacked, settled in, and soon after, they fell asleep for the evening.
Katniss got up before everyone else and took a long, hot bath. She normally didn't bask, but she needed the time to just be by herself and think. She thought about Gale, about where he was, what work he was doing. He was always good with meat and herbs, so he probably found a job as a butcher or gardener somewhere. He sent money home to Hazelle and the little kids, but once they saved up enough, they moved to Ohio to live with other relatives.
Gale was really the only friend she had growing up, and there was a dull ache in her heart when she thought about him. She missed him deeply, and it hurt her that he never thought to stay in touch with her. If he'd stayed in Kentucky, though, they probably would have still been good friends, he probably would have married by now. He was attractive, strong, tall, dark haired...just the type of man every girl dreamed of.
Panem County, Kentucky was one of the poorest counties in the state, even with the wealthy families that lived beyond the hill that separated the rich from the poor. Every poor family: the Hawthornes, Everdeens, Cartwrights, Donners, Abernathys, and so on, worked for the wealthier families. Everyone worked for someone, and some families, like her own, barely made ends meet. The Undersees had been good people, but they believed that servitude was a choice, and that it deserved a certain pay, and if it wasn't enough, then you were ungrateful. Her mother took what she could get.
Her mother used to be a nurse, and she made a pretty good living, along with her father, a bookkeeper for the county, and they lived on modest means. Her father unexpectedly died, and eventually, her mother was fired for not coming to work. Terra's depression was so severe, she wouldn't come out of bed for days, and Katniss and her sister nearly starved. That's when Gale came along, taught her how to hunt and cure meat, how to garden, and it saved their lives. They became friends, though she knew that she was pain to him. She tagged along wherever he went, and if it weren't for his doting on Prim, he probably would have tried to shirk her presence because he was older, and he had his friends and his girlfriend, Cressida. Still, he stuck around with her scrawny little self, and taught her how to survive.
Now, she wasn't as scrawny, she looked like a woman: curvy hips, narrow waist, good sized breasts that weren't too big or too small.
She dried off, grabbed her uniform and pulled it on, then she fixed up her hair. By the time she was finished dressing, everyone else was up and moving around.
She had a quick breakfast of toast, orange juice, eggs, and fruit preserves, then she found Rue.
"I'm Rue Jackson," she introduced.
Rue was slightly older, nineteen, maybe.
"I'm Thalia Seeder's niece," Rue continued. "I've been told to show you what you need to do. The first couple of weeks are exhausting, I'll tell you that much," Rue assured as she tied up her apron and fixed her hat, "but you'll get used to it."
She quieted and leaned in a bit.
"Mrs. Winchester is very nice and gracious," elaborated Rue. "But Clove is the meanest little heifer if I ever did see one. She'll try to get under your skin, but don't let her. You're her maid, not a slave. It's okay to put her in her place. And if she gives you any trouble, just go to her mother."
Katniss nodded.
She followed Rue to the bells.
"These bells are connected to each of the rooms in the house. If we had guests, then these would ring, but since it's just Mrs. Winchester and Clove for now, only these two will ring. As you can hear, neither one of them are up yet. Clove will be up in about twenty minutes, so we better get her outfit from Mrs. Wiress and get it pressed before she wakes up. Mrs. Winchester likes to sleep in. Your mother is assigned to Mrs. Winchester."
Katniss pressed Clove's outfit for the day: a tweed skirt suit with a silky white shirt and stockings. Mrs. Wiress even had to fix up the hat that went with it.
The bell from Clove's room rang, and Katniss finished pressing the outfit, then she carefully put it on the delicate hanger before heading upstairs.
They went into the kitchen, where Thalia was finishing up Clove's breakfast tray.
"You're going to go ahead and put the tray in the dumbwaiter," Rue explained. "Take Clove her outfit first, then grab her breakfast."
Katniss did as she was told, and Clove didn't say a word, except to criticize.
"Good morning, Miss Winchester," Katniss said jovially as she sat the tray onto the end table shakily.
"You are new to service," she commented when Katniss began to make Clove's bed.
"Katniss, you tend to Miss Winchester's needs first, then you tend to everything else," trained Rue.
"Forgive me," Katniss said quickly.
"Ugh, did you allow her to press this, Rue?"
"Yes ma'am," Rue said. "I'm letting Katniss shadow me."
"Well, your little shadow missed a whole side," Clove growled. "See?"
The wrinkles were minor, but Rue noted Cloves anger. "Yes ma'am."
"You stupid girl," Clove hissed. "Draw my bath, then press it again, and it better be right the next time."
"Yes ma'am," Katniss said.
Rue had been right about Clove.
Katniss drew Clove's bath, then she went all the way back down to the washery, pressed Clove's outfit again, making sure to iron out ever last wrinkle, then she inspected it closely, just to make sure. The bell connected to Clove's room rang incessantly, and Katniss was sweaty already. It wasn't even eight am, and Katniss ran back upstairs and into Clove's room.
Clove was sitting at her vanity, pinning up her hair, robe on.
She got up and snatched the outfit then she inspected it again.
"Hmph," she scoffed. "It'll do. You better learn quick, Everdeen."
"Yes ma'am."
It felt strange to Katniss, calling a girl her own age "ma'am", and part of her felt degraded by Clove's treatment.
"You can't take any of it personally," Terra said to her later in the evening when it was time for them to retire.
Katniss felt the wetness of a tear on her face.
"She's so awful to me," Katniss cried quietly so as not to wake Prim. "How will she be when I'm used to her, this job?"
"It doesn't matter," Terra said firmly. "You chose to do this job with me, so you're going to stick with it, or go back to school."
"Yes mother," Katniss said obediently with a sniffle. "What was Mrs. Winchester like?"
"I don't know how such a strong, but good woman like her gave birth to such a demon child," Terra lamented.
"Are they really related to the real Winchesters?"
"Yes," her mother confirmed. "Well, at least, that's what Sae told me, but until I hear it from Mrs. Winchester herself, I can't be sure myself. I want to say so, though, through marriage."
"Well, maybe Clove's being aggressive has something to do with growing up around guns," Katniss mused.
"Probably," Terra chuckled. "Go to sleep, dear."
The thought of day two made Katniss cry all over again.
For the first time in many years, she shared her mother's bed, letting her mother comfort her.
Thank you so much for reading. Please review and let me know what you think so far.