Chapter 12: I Love You

Katniss helped Cray over the railing onto the balcony. As she gingerly laid Cray back on the balcony, she did not notice Made, Delly, Johanna and some of the menservants rush to the window from Cray's western chambers.

Cray's breathing was labored, shallow. Gale's stab wound had already left him very weak. It took some effort just to raise his head to look at Katniss.

"Katniss….." Cray's voice was nothing but a wheeze while Katniss smiled down at him with an expression both tender and sad. "You…. you came back…."

"Of course I came back! I couldn't let them…." she swallowed her emotions. "Oh, this is all my fault! If only I'd gotten here sooner!"

"Maybe…. it's better this way…."

Katniss rested a finger on his mouth. "Sssh, don't talk like that. You'll be all right. We're together now; everything's going to be fine, you'll see…."

It took even more effort to Cray to reach a hand up and tuck Katniss's hair behind her ear. "At least….. I got to see you…. one last time….."

Katniss rested her cheek upon his paw of a hand, reveling in its warmth. She felt it slip and she opened her eyes to see Cray flop back onto the cobblestone. His eyes closed.

Katniss choked back her tears. "No….. No! Please, please, please don't leave me!" She wept, resting her head on Cray's chest. Then, through her tears, she whispered, "I love you."

But the girls and servants only watched sadly from the window. It was too late. Cray was dead.

Then -

At first, all that could be heard was Katniss's crying, mixed in with the light drizzle of rain. Suddenly, a shimmer column of light joined the rainfall. Then another. And another. Soon, the air was shimmering in a downpour of magical light, which finally made Katniss raise her head to notice. Her eyes widened in surprise, only to then feel Cray's body shift underneath. There was nothing Katniss could do but get out of the way as the old man's body rose into the air.

Katniss shrank back in fear and amazement, clutching her traveling cloak around her as the wind started to pick up. Cray's girls and servants also watched, mouths agape. As Cray's body rose into the air amongst the hail of magical rain, he started to slowly rotate. His ascent halted a few feet off the ground; by this time Katniss had risen to a standing position, forced to by the magical rain leaving bursts of powder on the stone that made the surface white-hot and left a trail of steam. The huntress was less shocked than earlier but still wary.

One of Cray's hands suddenly extended out. Katniss squinted: the wrinkles were disappearing! A bright flash of light blasted from his fingertips and she took a teetering step back, brushing her windswept hair out of her face.

The same process was happening to Cray's feet. The wrinkles faded here too, leaving behind another flash of yellow light. Cray's body now turned faster and faster, the wind whipping at his Peacekeeper uniform, his cloak and even his hair. And that same hair was now darkening, coloring from white to... the wrinkles and signs of age on his face now melted away...

There was a final, brilliant flash of light emanating from Cray's face. The wind roared around Katniss, billowing back her hair and traveling cloak. She watched wide-eyed and slack-jawed as Cray's body was gently lowered to the wet stone of the balcony now admist a torrent of white powdery rain. His cloak broke his fall, acting as a sort of cradle.

Katniss tentatively approached the still form, but then the clouds of steam were suddenly absorbed by Cray's body as it inhaled, taking the first breath of new life. Startled, she sprang back, just catching herself on the balcony railing.

The figure clumsily rose to its feet, his back to Katniss. He examined first one hand and then another before finally turning to face the young woman before him.

Katniss stared, one hand to her mouth. Whoever this was, it was not Cray. In his place was a handsome young man - broad-shouldered, muscular chest showing from under the now tattered Peacekeeper uniform. What had once been white hair was now wavy red hair that ran down to his shoulders, and was the color of fire. A chiseled jawline completed the look.

"Katniss…." the stranger breathed. "It's me!" He smiled and tried to take her hand, but Katniss shrank away.

Katniss eyed the stranger skeptically, her mouth pursed in an expression that seemed almost amused. Or maybe simply curious, as if she was trying to figure something out. Was it just her imagination, or had she seen this person before? Tentatively, she reached a hand out to comb through his wavy red locks, running the strands through her fingers. Her gaze shifted so that she could peer deep into his eyes... eyes as blue as a summer sky...

And Katniss's eyes widened, an amazed smile of delight illuminating her face. For she recognized the figure before her: it was the man in the painting in Cray's bedroom. And more importantly, this man and Cray were one and the same.

"It is you!" she cried joyously, reaching out a hand to cup his cheek. The young stranger smiled in approval and ran a large hand through Katniss's hair, brushing it back out of her face. She leaned shyly into his touch, smiling.

Gazing into one another's eyes, both of their expressions softened and they leaned closer. Katniss's expression softened; her eyes grew heavy as she now braced her hands against his chest. She knew what was coming, and she wanted it...

Both of them were now centimeters apart. Finally, Katniss and the stranger closed the gap between them, embraced and kissed. As soon as their lips touched and parted for one another, a tornado of blue fireworks engulfed the couple, whipping the wind once more into a frenzy. Katniss deepened the kiss, her hands slinking about the stranger's neck, her fingers fisting themselves into his hair and ripped shirt along his back. She felt the stranger wrap his arms about her waist, pulling her ever closer to him. The wind made both of their heads of hair stand on end, and they closed their eyes, losing themselves in the kiss.

There was a piercing WHEESH as a firework suddenly broke away from the blue tornado, rocketing high above the mansion and setting off a magical display in the nighttime sky.

Even more magic now set to work. The sky instantly brightened, changing from night to day. The dark obsidian of the mansion walls metamorphosed into a blinding white marble; the Gothic gargoyle sentinels transforming into Classical angels.

A rousing cheer made Katniss and the stranger break the kiss at last, as Delly, Madge, Johanna and the others charged onto the balcony. The stranger embraced each of them in turn. Giddy shouts went up:

"The spell is broken!"

"Oh my goodness!"

"It is a miracle!"

Laughing, the stranger picked Katniss up and swirled her around. In what seemed like no time at all, the were back in their ballroom clothes. Sharing another passionate kiss, Katniss and the stranger danced, to the delight of the servants.


Later, Katniss and the stranger were in Cray's chambers. The young woman was still trying to wrap her brain around the events of the day. The Head Peacekeeper whom she had fallen in love with had unexpectedly transformed into a youthful stranger, whom she had then kissed without a second thought! She didn't even know his name! Normally, Katniss would be scandalized by these circumstances - besides kissing a total stranger, she had never kissed anyone besides her husband, unless she counted her illicit kiss with Cray in the library.

But, no, she was not scandalized, just…. curious.

"Who are you?" Katniss finally found the courage to ask. "Where is Cray? What has happened? What does it all mean?"

"It means," the handsome youth replied, "that the spell has been broken. My real name is Darius. I was a spoiled young man, selfish and bratty and not interested in any work to do. So, an enchantress turned me into an old man so that my mouth would no longer whine, but would serve some useful purpose. I had to fall in love with, and be loved in return by, a woman by the time my older self died. It was you, Katniss, who broke the enchantment."

Katniss stared. She did not know how it could be, but something in the back of her mind told her that what Darius said was true. She sat beside him on his bed, taking his hand.

"Whether Darius or Cray, it doesn't matter! I've fallen in love with you! Will you marry me?"

Darius stared. "But…. Peeta….."

Katniss shook her head with a sad smile. "He's gone, Darius. He…. passed away. And I know he would want me to be happy. Let me marry you and be your wife! Prim could come and live with us, even. Will you marry me, Darius?"

Darius smiled. "Of course." And he kissed her softly.


A few weeks later, Katniss and Darius were married in a wedding ceremony in the ballroom. Prim and all of the mansion's servants were in attendance. When the minister pronounced them husband and wife, Darius swept Katniss into his arms. Katniss smirked and made the first move, kissing her new husband fiercely as the servants cheered.

Katniss and her prince would live happily ever after.