A/N: I am glad people were intrigued by the prologue. This is the first proper chapter of the story and I will warn you now that Katniss is a bit OOC but as you will see she has had a very different upbringing then the one she had in the books. She will become more like book Katniss as the story progresses. Hope you enjoy!
Chapter 1
Katniss
"Wake up! Wake up! It's a big, big day!"
My royal escort, Effie Trinket, bursts into my room, rattling off my schedule and exclaiming how important this day is. The palace servants follow promptly behind her as they begin preparing my room for the morning. I groan slightly as the maids yank the heavy curtains open bathing my room in sunlight. The morning light and Effie's bright pink hair blind my sleepy eyes as I wake from my slumber. As usual Effie is in another extravagant and luminous outfit. The rosy pink colour of her hair closely matches the colour of her gauzy and frilly dress. Numerous gold bangles jangle and chime as she waves her hands about the air.
My childhood nurse, Sae, enters behind and brings me a mug of steamy hot cinnamon tea. I smile gratefully at my childhood caretaker who is now so old her features almost disappear in her wrinkles. I take the cup of tea and greedily slurp it down. Effie catches sight of my not so delicate method of drinking and scowls.
"Katniss! That is no way for a princess to take her tea! Whatever will Prince Gale think if he sees you drinking tea in such a common manner!" she exclaims.
I roll my eyes as I make a great show of placing the cup daintily down on its saucer. Sae shares an amused smile with me as she goes about preparing my gown for the day.
"I am sure there are far greater misdemeanours I could commit that would offend the Prince more. You are always telling me that I should love the whole person, faults and all. The Prince will just have to love this fault of mine," I reply a little cheekily.
Effie narrows her eyes at me. She knows I am not taking her complaint seriously. She is a stickler for manners and detests anyone who does not meet her high standards. I have spent all 16 years of my life being told how to talk, walk, sit, stand, laugh, drink tea. It becomes a tiresome chore to maintain it all the time.
"Today is a very important day. This is the first time you will meet the Prince. You do not get a second chance at a first impression. Do not come sobbing to me if he refuses to marry you for being indecent and vulgar!" Effie exclaims.
I roll my eyes again which just earns me another scowl from Effie.
"The travelling party is scheduled to arrive at noon. I would advise you to be fully dressed and groomed by the time he arrives," she adds tersely before barking orders at the remaining servants and storming out the room.
The atmosphere calms once she is gone and I take it upon myself to get up and prepare myself for the day. Effie is right about one thing. Today is a big day.
Sae looks at me with a smile as she adds the lavender bath salts to the large marble bath tub in the corner of my room.
"You know the more you antagonise her, the more she will harass you about it," Sae says with a knowing smile.
I let out a loud sigh as I perch on the edge of the tub and skim a hand across the top of the warm water.
"I know. It is just tiring having to maintain the image all the time. Part of me just wants to burst out of the palace grounds and run about naked in the woods. Have no binds or responsibilities," I say.
Sae puts a sympathetic hand on my shoulder. She has looked after me since the day I was born and my father before that. She is well aware of the pitfalls of being an Everdeen. She has always been there to lend a sympathetic ear or comforting hug. There is no one else I trust more with my troubles.
"It is just all part of your royal duty. Do not let anyone tell you being a princess is easy," she replies.
I place a hand over her withered one on my shoulder and give it a thankful squeeze. I know I can always rely on her to support me. However my thoughts soon turn back to what Effie had said earlier.
"What if what Effie said is true? What if I offend the Prince and he does not like me?" I say.
Sae gives me a small smile and tucks a strand of my long dark hair behind my ear.
"How can he not like you? You are the most beautiful girl in District 12. You are smart and kind. He would be a fool not to fall in love, with you" she says.
I blush a little at her compliments.
"I hear he is handsome. Even more handsome than his older brother. And he is brave. They say he got chased by a pack of wolves but managed to slay every single one. I have heard that he captured the golden stag with a single shot," I say.
Sae smiles again.
"He sounds like a fine young gentleman. I am sure he will make a wonderful husband," she replies.
I smile at her, patting her hand and then getting up to ready myself for my bath.
I have been eager to meet Prince Gale of District 3 for a few years now. My father is King of District 12 and has had an understanding with King Hawthorne of District 3 for many years. It had been agreed between them that King Hawthrone's second son, Gale, would marry me when I came of age. Prince Gale will become my king and help me rule the District while at the same time maintaining a close link with his home District.
With my 16th birthday last month it was decided it is time that Prince Gale and I meet for the first time and begin our courtship. I have heard many stories about the 18 year old Prince and how brave and handsome he is. If the palace gossipers are to believed he is the most eligible bachelor in all the Kingdom. I have excited butterflies in my stomach at the thought he will be mine.
Sae helps bathe me, dress me and arrange my hair into elaborate braids that are pinned to the top of my head. She dusts down the flyaway hairs that have landed on my deep green velvet dress. The dress has to be the best one I own, designed by the newest palace designer, Cinna.
The dress has long sleeves and a scooped neckline that enhances my womanly curves and a floral motif on the bodice. I cannot stop looking at myself in the tall mirror. I have dressed in many pretty gowns over the years but this has to be my favourite. I feel like the most beautiful girl in the whole world in this dress.
There is a knock on the door and I turn round to see my parents standing in the doorway. My mother actually sighs as she catches sight of me and comes over to tell me how beautiful I look. I reply with a big smile as I get giddy at the thought of the Prince seeing me like this.
My father stands back for a moment as he takes in the sight of me in this dress. He has a smile on his face but I can see the sadness in his eyes as he sees his little girl all grown up.
"You have grown into a marvellous young woman," he says as he comes over to join my mother and I. He takes my hand once he reaches me. "Prince Gale will not know how lucky he is to have you."
I smile at him gratefully and pull him into a warm embrace.
"You will always be my favourite man," I say into his ear as I hug him.
I have always been close to me father. We are similar in many ways. I share his dark hair and grey eyes and we both have a love for the outdoors and music. Being an only child means all his love and attention is pinned on me. He taught me to sing and dance and ride a horse. I have huge respect for the man who by day ruled the District but by night became my knight in shining armour as he fought make believe beasts with me.
Father chuckles lightly but this soon turns to a coughing fit and he is bent double as the raggedy coughs take over his body.
"Papa are you okay?" I ask as I bend down to rub soothing circles on his back.
Sae, my mother and I all share a worried look. It is getting worse.
My father developed a lung infection last winter after a bout of pneumonia. The illness left his lungs severely weakened and the healers say it is only a matter of time before they give out completely. It cannot be predicted when it will happen, only that he will slowly deteriorate, becoming bedridden before eventually passing on.
The thought of losing my father terrifies me. Your parents are one of the few constants in your life and life without him is unimaginable. But as each month goes past I see the illness take a greater hold of him. I know sooner than I will like I will have to come to terms with him gone.
My father's illness is another reason for my meeting with Prince Gale. As sole heir to the throne I will have to rule the District once my father has passed. It is written in old law that a Queen cannot rule the District without a King by her side. My marriage to Prince Gale has to happen quickly to ensure I have my king before my father's passing.
Eventually the coughing ceases and my father, a little unsteadily, pulls himself upright. He places a loving hand on my cheek as I look at him with concerned eyes.
"All is fine my Little Mockingjay. Everything will turn out well. Trust me," he says.
I give him a small smile but cannot help but worry that it will not.
At noon I stand beside my mother and father outside the palace gates with our royal sigil, a mockingjay on a royal blue background, flapping behind us. We watch Prince Gale approach with his riding party as they begin their ascent up the hill. Our palace is located a top of a grassy hill, looking down at the crowded capital city at the bottom. Colourful flags can be seen gently flapping in the streets as a welcome for the Prince.
District 12 is the smallest District in Panem. We specialise in coal and music that we supply to many of the other Districts in return for the various goods they provide. The coal mines are located in the tall Snow Mountains that mark the southern boundaries of our District and where the majority of our population lives. The rest of the District is made up of dense forest with a scattering of small villages hidden within. We may not be the richest District in the Kingdom but my father has created a close sense of community and unity amongst the people and we are a relatively jovial District with a passion for singing and dancing. I can only hope and I can maintain his legacy once he is gone.
The Prince rides towards us with his own sigil, a lightning bolt on a black background, displayed proudly. Even from a distance I can make out the purposeful way the Prince rides up the hill.
The butterflies in my stomach continue to grow as the Prince gets nearer and nearer. Eventually the Prince and his party make it to the top of the hill and he dismounts gracefully from his black stallion.
He plucks his leather riding gloves off as he makes his way towards my father and greets him with a courteous bow.
"King Everdeen. I have to thank you for kindly offering your hospitality. I am very much looking forward to meeting your family and seeing your grounds," Prince Gale says politely.
His eyes drift to mine as he says this and I blush a little and look away. He really is as handsome as the gossipers said. He is tall, almost a foot taller than me, with a lean but muscular physique. His dark hair is cut short and his face is clear of hair. He has steely grey eyes that send a little shiver down my spine.
My father greets him warmly and introduces him to my mother and I. Suddenly he is standing directly in front of me. He smiles at me warmly as I do my best to remember and curtsy to him.
"It is lovely to meet you Princess Katniss. Words have not done justice to your beauty. You are even more beautiful than they described," he says.
I do my best to hold his gaze and try and remember everything Effie taught me about meeting a young man.
"You are too kind. I am very much looking forward to showing you the palace and getting better acquainted," I reply.
The Prince gives me another smile and a nod of the head before my father introduces him to some of the senior staff of the palace.
I keep my eyes on the handsome Prince as he makes his way down the line and politely introduces himself to all the people of importance. Every now and again his eyes flick back to mine and we share a small smile.
The Prince asks if he can be excused to rest after a long journey and my father happily obliges but not before arranging for me to give the Prince a tour of the palace after he has been properly refreshed. Prince Gale states he looks forward to it before giving me one last smile and bow and disappearing to his chambers.
I am nervous at the beginning of the tour with the Prince. I have been around adults my entire life but I have rarely spent time with a person my own age and most definitely not with a boy. I stumble over my words as I take him through glossy ballrooms and dusty libraries. As much as Effie annoys me her words about making a good first impression ring through my ears. I want him to like me but I fear I am coming across as a bumbling idiot.
However things improve once we enter the outside grounds. I have always preferred the open gardens to the confines of the palace walls. I enjoy the sweet aromas of the perfectly preened roses, the enchanting melodies of the mockingjays and the vibrant pops of colour.
I relax as we walk comfortably through the grounds and I manage to talk more eloquently about the various plants and flowers that we grow.
"You seem to have a great knowledge of plants," Prince Gale muses as we walk through the hidden garden.
This garden has been allowed to grow wilder than the rest of the grounds, with a weeping willow and tall grasses. It is one of my most favourite places.
"My mother's family owned a large number of apothecaries and she has trained me to learn about plants and their many uses," I reply.
Prince Gale nods his head.
"I think it is great that natural remedies have not been forgotten here. Back in 3 everyone is so focused on making the next technological breakthrough that they have forgotten that sometimes the simple remedies are the best," he says.
I nod my head in understanding. District 3 is the leading District in terms of technological developments. Carriages that run on steam, machines that can manufacture products without man. It seems baffling to me.
"Your grounds are beautiful," he adds. "I could spend all day exploring them. Is the game any good? I bet I could hunt down some impressive beasts."
I smile at him.
"We have a good herd of deer and a lot of grouse. I am sure father would be delighted to take you out," I say.
This seems to please the Prince and his eyes continue to scan the surroundings and take in the sounds of the bumblebees and the sight of 100 year old gnarled oak trees.
"The grounds are my favourite place too. There is something soothing about feeling the wind on your back and smelling the freshly cut grass," I say.
Prince Gale stops looking at the trees to turn round and look at me with a smile.
"I look forward to exploring these grounds with you," he says his grey eyes locked onto mine.
The butterflies do somersaults in my stomach as he looks at me intensely. I have read about love in novels and surely this giddy feeling must be something akin to it.
The rest of the tour is spent with the Prince asking me lots of questions about the grounds and the best places to hunt and ride. He seems to share my enthusiasm for the outdoors and amazes me with his many adventures in his lands back home.
We part ways in the small stone courtyard in centre of the palace. I can see my mother watching us carefully from the door as we come back.
"I had the most lovely walk with you Princess. Thank you for showing me around. I hope to see you at dinner," Prince Gale says.
He picks up my hand and gently brings my knuckles up to brush them with a soft kiss. The blush rises in my cheeks and the butterflies jump and swirl in my stomach. A small tingling runs through my body.
As they do a wilting bush of roses beside me perk up and rise in full bloom again as if by magic. Prince Gale raises a surprised eyebrow at the sight.
"Did you see that?" he asks. "I am convinced those roses came back to life!"
I try not to let the panic show in my eyes and pretend to laugh it off.
"I think you are imagining things," I tease. "Those roses were in full bloom when we arrived."
I do not know if I convince him but he seems to accept my weak answer and wishes me a good evening.
I watch him go with a relieved sigh. Why did that have to happen today?
As soon as he is gone my mother sweeps through, grabbing my wrist and yanking me behind a pillar.
"How many times do I have to tell you to keep your emotions under control? We cannot have the Prince discovering your little secret," she hisses.
I yank my arm away from her and rub the spot where her nails have dug into my arm. I scowl at her. It is not like I choose for these things to happen.
Ever since I was a child I have made strange things happen whenever my emotions are particularly raw and strong. I managed to shatter 3 huge glass windows when I was 6 after I got angry at the maid for ruining my favourite dress. When my first pony died I made it rain solidly for 3 days over the palace grounds. Every time I let my emotions get too much for me something unexplainable happens around me. I guess I can now add bringing plants back to life to the list.
I have no idea why these things happen. I do not consciously choose for these things to occur but I find I cannot stop them once I have started. All I know is that I get a small tingling sensation just as it is occurs.
Not many people know about these strange happenings. Not even my father. Only my mother and Sae. Mother encourages me to hide these instances, stating they bring no good and I will be classified as the District freak if it is ever exposed.
This has lead to many frayed arguments with my mother. She scolds me whenever things like this occur and makes me feel like an insolent child. Part of me suspects that she knows more than she is letting on but I am too ashamed of it to push her any further. As a result my relationship with my mother is not as harmonious as it is with my father.
"I did not mean for it to happen. I guess I was just happy after spending the day with the Prince," I reply.
My mother lets out a frustrated sigh.
"I have taught you how to deal with this. Whenever you feel a strong emotion you need to stop and count to 10. You cannot risk this happening again," she says sternly.
She is really annoying me now. I have just had a perfect afternoon and she is spoiling it with her criticism.
"Well maybe if you were more honest with me I would not have anything to control. I know there is something you are not telling me. Do not spoil a good afternoon," I say before storming off to my quarters.
The next few days I spend more time getting better acquainted with Prince Gale. As he suggested we explore the forests that surround the palace. I take him to the tall, tumbling waterfalls, the wide grassy meadows and the perfectly preened rose gardens. He amazes me with his ability to shoot squirrels and grouse with a single shot and I share my vast knowledge of plants. I revel in spending time with someone my own age and look forward to the moments we get to spend together. The butterflies are still present and I think I fall in love with him more and more each day.
I hear the palace staff gossip about the possibility of our upcoming wedding. The other young girls mutter their jealousies behind my back. I smile secretly when I hear these words. It makes me happy to know I have got the man who every girl wants. I know a lot of royalty in the Districts marry for convenience and not love. I cannot believe how lucky I will be to marry a man as strong, handsome and rich as Prince Gale. I can see my father is relieved that such a match has pleased me so.
During the second week of the Prince's stay it is decided that he shall accompany me on a routine trip to one of the local villages.
As future queen I make these visits once or twice a month to keep in touch with the people and in the process assure their loyalty to the throne. Although we are not officially engaged there is an understanding that an engagement will follow shortly and it is beneficial for the Prince to meet his future people.
We do not have to travel far as we plan to visit one of the villages on the outskirts of the palace boundaries. A small party of guards sets off to escort us to the village.
I sit in the closed carriage with the Prince and Effie who as usual jabbers on about schedule and giving us a minute by minute run down of what we will be doing on the visit.
"12.24 we will visit the school. Katniss you will read a story to the children and Prince Gale you will throw a ball with the boys…at 12.58 we move onto the butchers…" Effie babbles.
The Prince sits opposite me and pulls a funny face as Effie speaks. I stifle a laugh behind my hand. I have heard some of the palace staff whisper that the Prince is too stern and does not smile enough. I have not found this to be true. He is guarded when in public but I have found that he can be quite silly when we are alone.
Effie continues to drone on as the Prince and I pretend to listen and pull silly faces at each other. However Effie is stopped when we feel the carriage rock suddenly. I stick out my hands to steady myself against the carriage walls and Effie drops her schedule on the floor.
"Goodness me! Whatever was that?" she exclaims.
The Prince frowns as the carriage suddenly comes to a stop. My eyes widen in surprise. We cannot be there yet. The carriage stops for nothing.
We all freeze in silence as we strain to hear what is happening outside but we only find silence.
"I will check what the holdup is," the Prince states after a while.
Effie begins to shake her head frantically.
"You must not. Protocol states that royalty stays in the carriage at all times. I cannot be the escort that allows the Prince of District 3 to be killed!" she shrieks.
"I am sure it is nothing as dangerous as that. Probably a fallen tree blocking the path. I will go and see if there is anything I can do to help," the Prince states.
I am a bit wary of him getting out of the carriage. Something does not quite feel right but I cannot think of an argument that will make him stay.
"Be careful," I say.
The Prince catches hold of my eye and smiles at me cheekily.
"I have taken on a pack of wolves. I am sure this will be child's play," he says with a grin.
I try and smile back at his joke as he prepares to go outside. Effie is still rambling about protocol and how her head will be served on a silver platter if she lets anything happen to him. The Prince takes no notice and gingerly opens the carriage door. I peer round his side to see if I can catch what is going on but I do not get a chance to see anything as the Prince is hauled out the door and banged against the side of the carriage.
Effie shrieks and cries as the Prince slumps to the ground. My heart begins to pound in my chest and I press my back against the carriage wall. We are under attack. The Prince may be dead. Someone might be trying to kill me.
I try to unscramble all the thoughts running through my head as I try to come up with a way to escape but the next thing I know is some canister has been thrown into the carriage and it begins to fill with some white foggy substance. Effie's screams get louder and I suck in my breath trying not to breathe any of the smoke in. I try to stand in the small carriage and attempt an escape but the fog is overwhelming and I find myself becoming drowsy as a result. I begin coughing and spluttering as I slump against the floor.
I feel the weight of the carriage shift as someone else gets in. I cannot think now. I do not know how to get out of this. I do not know how to stop someone from killing me. Effie's cries have stopped suggesting she has already been overcome by the fog.
I can feel my eyes getting heavier and it gets harder for me to keep them open. I fight to keep them open as long as possible. I know I must not close them.
However as the fog continues to swirl around me my eyelids droop lower. I can feel the fog dragging me under and I realise this is it. This is how I am going to die. On the side of the road in a foggy carriage. No family around and way before my time.
I feel someone kneeling down beside me and placing a strong arm under my back and legs. I look in the direction of the person determined to see the person who takes my last breath.
The last thing I see before I am pulled under is a pair of bright cerulean blue eyes.