Katherine

Pictures speak louder than words.

Nothing needs to be said, no screams need to fill the silence as I watch a sharp blade trespass Peter's stomach. I stay frozen in my spot, unable to react. I forget the battle, my eyes can only see him collapsing to the ground when the sword is removed violently. He clutch his stomach and I see a red stain growing bigger and bigger by the second. I want to run to him, beg him to calm down, that everything is going to be alright... and then I want to get mad at him for leaving me when he promised he would never hurt me.

I can't.

I watch as his body loses its strenght and exhales its last breath.

...

I open my eyes and sit up, gasping for air. My palms are sweaty and my body is trembling with cold and fear. I quickly glance down at Peter and search for the wound on his stomach. His shirt is clean. I rest my hand on his stomach just to make sure there isn't anything there.

Why did I dream that? Why did I dream of Peter's death?

"Katherine?"

I glance up and his eyes are watching me, concern shinning in his blue eyes. Even the night can't weaken their glow.

"Is everything alright?"

I take my hand off of his stomach, not wanting to make this more awkward between us, and look away to watch the trees in the distance.

"Yes... Yet, I had a strange dream." I mumble the words to myself.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No." I give him a look, warning him I don't want to talk about this ever again.

"Okay." He consents and close his eyes.

We have been traveling for three days since we left that unusual village. We still have many hours of ahead of us, possibly two days in minimum, but I can almost smell the sea air. It's a calming scent and it takes me back to the times my father and I would walk the shore by the castle collecting random sea rocks. He would always explain what every sea rock meant and I would marvel at the wonders such a small object could have.

"Go back to sleep, Katherine." Peter whispers.

I lie down and place my head on Peter's chest, right over his heart. I get comfortable against his body and fall asleep.

...

A soft pressure on my forehead wakes me up. I blink before tilting my head back to see Peter already awake. His eyes are sleepy, but he smiles and wishes me good morning.

"What time is it?"

He looks up at the sky and studies it through the naked tree branches.

"It's still early. Possibly seven in the morning."

I move my fingers to his neck on instinct and touch a scar that wasn't there before. It's only a faded red line, but I should have noticed it before do to its size. He quickly looks down startled with my touch.

"Where did you get this?"

"It's just a scar." He swallows. "It doesn't matter how it happened."

"Was it..." I say, knowing my words can be a possibility. "... Coin?"

"Why can't you leave it alone?" He grumbles. "Yes, it was one of Coin's men. The same one who wounded me on my cheek."

"You weren't planning on telling me what more she did to you, were you?" I lift my head from his shoulder and sit up straighter.

"I'm here, aren't I?" He sits up as well and rests his arms on his knees. "They are just scratches. I didn't lose a lot of blood, unlike you. Have you seen your wounds?"

"I can't simply take off my clothes and ask you to look at them." I say, sarcastically. However, I know there's some red on my cheeks.

"Maybe I can take a look at the ones on your collarbone." He chuckles.

I fist the blanket when I think of him looking at my skin and touching it with his fingertips. I shiver inside and decide to stand up, wanting to break the strange tension in the air. I'm letting myself get closer to him and I don't bother to put a stop to it. I enjoy the feeling of his closeness and the way his body guards me from harm during the cold nights. Tonight was a peaceful night, despite de bizarre dream.

"We should definitively keep going."

He stares up at me, a smile forming on his lips. "Alright."

He stands up and we pack our belongings. I fold the blanket and put it inside my satchel, dress my cloak and grab my bow and quiver and wait for Peter. When everything is settled, Peter helps me mount the horse and then he sits behind me. The woods are coated in an early morning dew and rays of light of a sleepy sunrise. These are my favourite days during winter. There isn't much cold and the sky is a soft blue and cloudless. They are days of joy and good hunting, days when there isn't no one chasing me and days I can forget my stepmother hates me.

We leave the woods and enter a field of endless snow. There aren't trails to guide us and so we follow the trees scattered around the fields. I don't worry about being in the open where we are easily spotted. There is something about this day that hasn't even started that is making me not so alert to sounds and movements. The horse moves at a normal speed since we aren't in a hurry to reach Baluster.

"Do you have any idea of what will happen once we reach Baluster?" I ask, breaking the silence.

"Actually," He begins, scratching his neck. "My father will probably throw me in the dungeons as soon as I step inside the castle walls."

"What?" I don't understand at first, but his words slowly make sense. I sigh, amazed at his recklessness. "Is there something I should know?"

"I was going to tell you eventually." I glare at him. "I left immediately without warning anyone when I heard the news of the recent discovery of your whereabouts."

"You are such an idiot."

"My body forbade me from going. He said I shouldn't get involved with the queen's problems." He admits. "However, I couldn't possible leave the matter alone. I didn't want another person searching for you. And so I left, breaking my father's order, and made a plan along the way to Saldrian."

I stare at him, speechless. He is an idiot. Why did he bother with so much trouble just to find me? I could have handled another assassin. Haymitch would have been there to help me...

"I don't know if I should be mad or not."

"You can be mad all you want, disagree with my choice, say it was an idiotic and deadly decision. Yet, you need to know this." The horse has stopped and Peter lets go of the reins to hold mine. His arms trap me in a warm hold. "Everything I do, no matter how dangerous it seems, it's to keep you safe. You are my closest family, besides my father, and I would do anything to protect you. I protect you and I will, no matter the cost."

I close my eyes and two tears fall down my cheeks. I hate crying.

"I will also protect you." I say out of the blue and remove my hands from his.

...

Peter

There's something different about her since we left the woods. She is more open and carefree, except she keeps hiding her tears. I sigh. I will keep believing she feels something for me, but she just hasn't figure it out yet.

Perhaps she can figure it out when we reach Baluster. Yet, that's a lot to ask. I imagine my father will probably thrown me in the dungeons as soon as he lays his eyes on me. He's understandable, pacient and kind, but I would never dare break his orders. Which I did... He understands I have been going insane without knowing about Katherine for more than three years. However, he doesn't understand I need to find her and bring her safely to Baluster. It's the only place I can watch over her and protect her from any threat.

And because I also love her.

I ignore the thought and push it to the back of my mind.

We take the entire morning wandering the fields until we find a main road. Naked trees line the road along with skeletons of small bushes. We dismount the horse to rest for a bit. I pour some water into my hands and offer it to the horse. I glance up to find Katherine staring into the horizon, her profile silhouetted by the rays of light. She turns her head and her eyes meet mine. The wound on her temple is a small circle of scarred skin and the other one on the right side of her face is a faded crimson line. Still, her natural beauty mesmerizes me.

I look away, smiling and pet the horse between its eyes. We mount the horse once more and ride down the road. I order the horse to pick up the speed and soon the horse is galloping down the road. It's the middle of the afternoon when I catch the sight of rooftops. I slow down and try to evaluate the landscape.

"Are those houses?" I ask Katherine, after hours of silence.

She shields her eyes against the low sun with her hand.

"I think so." She guesses. "Maybe we can get to them before the sun sets."

The horse picks up speed again and gallops down the road at full speed, a soft breeze whipping past my face as the houses get nearer. There are some houses scattered around the fields and I know Baluster is just a few miles ahead. The sun is setting when we reach a familiar stone bridge and stone walls. Behind those walls is Baluster. We pass under the arched entrance of the walls into the village. Houses made of wood, stone and bricks with two or three floors line the graveled roads and torches have already been lit along the streets. There aren't many people walking around the village, but some look our way when we dismount.

Katherine suddenly grabs my hand as we immerge into the village. I glance at her, ready to ask what's wrong, but she silences me with one look.

"Don't ask questions." She whispers, not wanting the people who pass by us to hear her words.

I entwine our fingers and pull her closer to me. There is a strange mood around the village. Something has changed since I left two months ago. I find some posters with a drawing of my face and big letters warning people of the disappearance of their beloved prince nailed to the walls of several houses. This isn't good. Katherine glances at me, her eyebrows raised.

"I think you have caused more trouble than just breaking an order."

I swallow hard and keep walking, wanting to get to the castle quickly but dreading the moment I face my father. There is a paved clearing ahead of us and then the castle walls rise before us. The wide moat around the castle walls looks dangerous at night. The wooden drawbridge isn't down and I look up to see if there is any guard up in the wall or in the towers.

Katherine lets go of my hand and I watch her load her bow with an arrow.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting attention."

She raises the bow and with one try, shoots the arrow. It makes a perfect arch as it lands on the other side of the wall. Out of the shadows, two men appear at the top of the left tower with loaded bows, too.

"Who's there?" One asks, its voice full of warning.

"Prince Peter of Baluster..." I hesitate at the last word.

"The prince?" I hear them murmur in astonishement.

"Just open the god-damned gate or the next arrow will land on your heads." I glance at Katherine as she shouts the threat.

"What?" I shake my head, amused with her words. "I apologise for not behaving like a princess. Perhaps, I need to be teached the ways of a royal, again."

I turn my head when I hear the sound of the chains lowering the drawbridge. The iron bars of the portcullis open up, granting us passage. The guards watch us as we cross the bridge and pass under the wide archway of the barbican. At the beginning of the gardens are three men waiting for us, the one in the middle looks at me with a grin.

"Everyone believed you disappeared or you were kidnapped. I knew there was a higher purpose for you to leave without warning."

"It is good to see you, Finnick." I give him a one-arm hug.

"You look like horse shit." He mocks. "I bet there were a lot of fights and damsels to save in these last two months."

"Not really, but I guess, now, I have more experience at fight than you." He laughs.

"I doubt that." He smiles and then looks at Katherine. "You are very quiet. Did the cat eat your tongue?"

"Maybe." She teases Finnick.

"I like her." He glances at me. "Well, enough talking. I'm Finnick Odair, Commander of the Royal Guard and there's no need for you to introduce yourself. I have known who you are for a long time."

Katherine grabs my hand, discretly. "Maybe we should head inside." I suggest to Finnick.

"Of course." He agrees. "Lower the gate! Retreat the bridge! You will want someone to take your horse to the stables."

"Yes." I hand the reins to one of the guards.

We follow Finnick with two guards flanking us through one of the graveled paths. There's still some light from the twilight for me to see the trees around the guardens. The two pine trees are the only ones with foliage.

"How was Baluster when I left?"

"Very complicated." Finnick says. "The entire kingdom went insane. The maids and servants looked for you in every corner of the castle. Your father even sent guards to the fields. This kept going for three weeks."

"I am in big trouble."

"I'm sure your father will understand." He assures.

"Has there been any attack?"

"You are already worrying about your kingdom's safety and you haven't been here for half an hour." He teases. "There hasn't been any attack, but there are some news flying around about the queen's decision."

"It seems she has finally decided to build an army to attack us." Finnick's voice turns hard. Katherine's hands tighten around mine.

The queen's words echo in my mind. This is a game and I dictate the rules everyone plays by. When I take your father's throne, you will understand. She is already playing her game and it's time for Baluster to fall under her ruling.

"And this is the part where you step in as our leader?" He stops in front of the entrance of the castle and looks at Katherine.

"It's better if we discuss this subject once we get our rest." She lets go of my hand and squares her shoulders.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

Finnick opens the doors and lets us in, while he talks to the guards. The wide vestibule is badly lit, yet nothing has changed. The same old brown hues, high ceiling and naked walls. I can lead us to the throne room where my father must be, but now that Katherine is here we must be announced. Finnick meets us and leads us through the halls, some dark, others lit with dozens of torches. The few paintings that hang on the stone walls make me feel finally at home. We pass by the spot where my mother's painting used to be. A few months after her death, my father decided to remove the painting. There wasn't love in their marriage or he wouldn't do that. Perhaps, in the beginning, he cared for her, but it didn't last long. It was only fair to remove the painting. There was no need for a ghost to be hanging on the wall.

I immediately recognize the hall. Finnick leaves us at the entrance to the Great Hall and enters it. The chatter suddenly stops. I turn to Katherine, but she is looking outside.

"Are you okay?" I place a hand on her shoulder.

"A bit." She murmurs. "Now - now everything will be revealed and everyone know I am alive. I can no longer hide or run."

I block her view from outside and hold her hands.

"Do you remember when I told you I would protect you?" She nods. "I won't let anything happen to you. Not here, not today, not ever."

She searches my eyes for a possible lie, but she doesn't find it because my words are true. There's a moment where she leans forward and her lips are like a feather's touch against mine.

"You can come in." Finnick's voice startles us and Katherine turns around, embarassed with being caught.

We enter the Great Hall. Katherine walks in front of me, her back straight and her head raised. The six long wooden tables form a wide corridor in the middle. I ignore the people who have stopped eating to stare at us and focus on the table at the end of the corridor. My father has risen from his chair to look at us, specially me, with a neutral expression. I don't know if he is happy to see me alive or if he is angry and he will decide to throw me in the dungeons.

The open space between my father's table and the other six behind me feels like a cage. My father leaves his sit and rounds the table to stop in front of us at a reasonable distance. Finnick stands on my side looking at the people who eye us with judgmental eyes.

"His Highness, Prince Peter of Baluster." The herald's voice echoes around the grand room. "And Her Highness, Princess Katherine of Saldrian."