Hello fellow readers. I am so sorry it has taken me this long to update, I had a final that I really needed to do well on and studying took up almost all of my time.

That being said, the pace of the story will really pick up here so, I will do my best to update as regularly as I can.

Disclaimer: I own what you don't recognize.

Review with guesses as to what will happen next or what you liked and didn't like.

"All women speak two languages: the language of men and the language of silent suffering. Some women speak a third, the language of queens."
Author: Mohja Kahf

The day after Annie and Finnick returned from their month long honeymoon, as soon as Finnick was swamped in meetings about his upcoming coronation, Annie went to see Katniss in the garden.

She looked around and spotted an open plot in the garden. She caught Katniss' eye and then walked over to it and pointed.

Katniss joined her. "I am not sure what to plant there just yet."

Annie pointed to herself and then to the plot.

"You want me to plant you?"

Annie shook her head, smiling a bit at how literal Katniss was and repeated her motions.

Katniss frowned and then guessed. "You have an idea, your highness?"

Annie nodded.

"Well, alright, it's the royal garden after all. Just bring me the seeds and I will plant whatever you want."

Annie smiled, relieved she had a spot to plant some nettles for the last shirt.

Next, she visited Peeta in the stables for she'd need his help to carry out her task of saving her brothers.

He was whistling a song, very off key, but merrily.

He stopped when he saw Annie and smiled broadly. "Good day, Queen Meri, what brings you down here?"

Annie smiled back in greeting and pointed to a saddle.

"A ride?" Peet asked even as he started to ready her horse.

Annie nodded.

"Is King Finnick coming?" Peeta asked.

Annie shook her head no.

"May I accompany you then?" Peeta offered, holding out his arm.

Annie giggled on the inside and accepted his arm, shifting a large burlap bag to her other arm.

Peeta looked questioningly at the bag but decided he could wait and see what it was for.

Peeta followed Annie as they rode to the beac where she used to live.

They tied up their horses and Annie started to venture into the woods with Peeta walking loudly behind her.

However, when Annie pulled up some nettles, Peeta reached out an arm to stop her.

"What on earth are you doing Queen Meri?" He asked, indignantly. "Doesn't that hurt?"

Annie nodded without emotion, she was used to the pain by now and it was nothing more than routine though it did still hurt her to the point of agony as the curse demanded.

"Then why do it?" What are you even doing?" Peeta asked, his voice growing more agitated.

Annie paused in her gathering and looked up at Peeta, helplessness filling her eyes because she had no idea how to explain.

Peeta seemed to read this from her look because he calmed slightly even as he ran his hands through his hair in frustration.

"Can you tell me anything?" He pleaded.

Annie thought of her belt and nodded. She could show it to him once they were back at the castle.

She started her task again when Peeta interrupted her once more. "Wait, what were you going to tell me?"

Annie made a not now gesture and pleaded with her eyes him to be patient.

Peeta frowned but started helping her. Soon her bag was full and they rode back to the castle.

"Now can you tell me?" Peeta asked, eyes full of concern and worry.

Annie made a wait gesture and then pointed to the flowers Peeta kept in the stable and made a shooing motion.

"Flowers...the garden?" He guessed with curiosity joining the mixture of emotions in his eyes.

Annie nodded seriously.

"Alright, I'll meet you there."

Annie nodded and then walked as quickly as she could back to the castle mausoleum, trying to avoid Ruby.

She pulled out almost all of the nettles and hid them with her other supplies. She kept the one with roots attached in the bag.

Annie walked quickly to her room and grabbed the belt with her brothers' portraits.

When she arrived at the garden, she saw Katniss looking worryingly at the scratches on Peeta's hands and heard both of them talking in very low, serious voices that cut off when they saw her.

Annie didn't smile when she saw them this time and pulled out the nettle plant.

"What?" Katniss questioned. "That's the plant you wanted to plant?"

Annie nodded and knelt down to start digging a hole. She soon was able to plant the nettles and didn't even react when they pierced her skin and blood started to run down her hands.

Peeta spoke up. "Can you tell us why nettles? Why must you continue to hurt yourself?"

Katniss grew angry then. "What is he talking about, your majesty?"

Katniss grew bold then and grabbed Annie's arm and pushed up the sleeve.

She and Peeta both gasped when they saw the scars she had accumulated over the years.

Annie snatched her hand away and looked down in shame.

Peeta's hand on hers surprised her and she looked up.

Peeta smiled a soft smile. "It's okay, you can tell us, we will still love you, Merri."
His use of her first name without any titles was his way of showing her that he was there for her as a friend and Annie observed this choice.

Katniss nodded her agreement.

Annie nodded and then slowly pulled her hand free to pull a primrose from a nearby bush.

She gave it to Katniss.

"A primrose?" Katniss asked.

Annie grabbed Katniss's hand and put it over her heart. She then nudged the flower.

"Prim" Katniss breathed out. "You're doing this for her?" She asked bewildered and at once on guard.

Annie shook her head no. She held out her belt.

Peeta's eyes lit with recognition. "I remember painting these. Six boys, brothers I think, approached me before I lived at the castle. They asked me to paint a picture of each one of them, said it was important I finish as soon as possible. I agreed and asked if they wanted to come on different days. The eldest one shook his head and bitterly chuckled. He told me I'd have to work from memory since they had to leave before dawn."

Peeta continued. "So, I offered to work through the night. I sketched each one of them so I'd have a reference. I worked all night and the next day to finish. I set the belt out to dry and sat down, for just one minute. One of the younger brothers had said that they'd be back to pick it up once it was done. I wasn't sure how they'd know when it was done and had planned to see if they were staying in the village. But when I woke up, the belt was gone. In it's place, they left me some fish and a pile of swan feathers, the best I'd ever seen. I never saw them again, though I've kept an eye out during all my time with the Royal Navy."

"How do you know them?" Peeta questioned her.

Annie pointed to the primrose flower and Katniss. She paused and then pointed to herself and the belt.

Peeta and Katniss looked confused but just then the clock rang out six times.

She was supposed to have dinner with Finnick soon to discuss the official coronation, Annie put one finger to her lips and races off, hoping that their trust in her will hold.

Peeta and Katniss turned to look at each other.

Katniss speaks first. "I guess we should get ready for the dinner ourselves."

Peeta waits for a bit and then sighs. "Yeah, I guess we'll have to figure out what Queen Meri meant later." He had some thoughts that just wouldn't settle in his head. Everytime he got close to understanding what she meant, it twisted away from him. Perhaps he could paint out his feelings and then see what she meant.

"Don't tell Finnick." Peeta warned Katniss. "He would explode and she had a hard enough time facing us and trying to explain.

"But if she's hurting herself, he has a right to know." Katniss argued. "We have to help her."

"He may already be helping her." Peeta ventured.

Katniss snorted. "Prince Pretty boy? I mean, this is the first that we've even noticed anything so how would he have noticed?"

"He's definitely seen her scars." Peeta asserted. "So, he knows something."

"What, how could he have seen them? We just saw them for the first time today!" Katniss scowled darkly.

"Katniss" Peeta's eyes twinkled with amusement. "They're married."

Katniss turned bright red a beat later.

"For now, let's trust that she has a reason, maybe even one she has shared with him."

Katniss sighed but nodded.

Peeta turned nervous and one hand went to run through up his hair. "So, umm, would you like to go to dinner with me?"

Katniss decided that since they were both going there anyways, she could go with Peeta, it wasn't like it was anything special.

So, the young couple headed off to dinner, still wondering how to help the young queen.

Annie was sleeping peacefully when she felt something tickling her nose.
She guessed it was a leaf that had drifted down to her spot on the group so she brushed it away.

Then, she felt another leaf and she brushed that one away with a little frown. Hopefully, she would be able to get a few more minutes of sleep before she had to resume making the shirts.

She felt another leaf and her eyes popped open...and she realized she wasn't in the forest anymore.

It took her a minute to remember that she was in the castle and married to the man who looked entirely too innocent on his side of the bed.

Her eyes narrowed a bit in suspicion while she smiled at him because she couldn't resist his smile.

His smirk grew and Annie decided two could play at this game.

She leaned over and started kissing him and when she felt he was distracted enough, she sat up and grabbed the feather from his hand and started ticking him with it.

Disbelief warred with amusement and amusement won out as he lunged up to grab her in a bearhug and placed her back by his side.

As Annie laughed silently, she remembered one of the nights on their honeymoon.

Annie had been so nervous at first to show Finnick her scars but he had several of his own.

They had spent one night of their honey tracing over them and kissing them.

Finnick asked her about hers and she could only shrug and put her hand on her heart when he guessed that she got them from years of living alone in the woods with no one to take care of her.

Though the scars saddened him to see what she'd suffered, he also loved her even more for her strength to look at each day with the joy and peace she had.

Annie felt the same about Finnick's scars, both visible and invisible and he appreciated that she knew he was scarred from war on the inside too but still loved him, broken as he was.

They laid there for a minute more, each in silent thought, before Finnick spoke. "Good morning Meri."

Annie squeezed his hand in silent greeting.

Finnick squeezed back and then groaned as Annie got out of bed to start the day.

She turned and pointed to his clothes with a mock stern look on her face.

He pouted and it was so adorable that Annie spun around so he wouldn't see her smile and lure her back to bed.

She felt his eyes watch her as she put on a dressing gown and he got up as she went to return to her chambers to get ready for the day.

She turned her face toward him for a kiss and he leaned him so close she could feel the heat from his body, smell his unique musk, hear his heart beating... and then kissed her on her forehead and smiled as he walked away.

Annie looked up at him in confusion and confusion changed to irritation as he smirked at her disappointment.

She got up to flounce away when his arm shot out and he pulled her close and bent her over and gave her such a kiss that she felt boneless.

He smirked again as Annie slowly broke out of his grip to walk to her quarters but Annie was too dazed to care and gave him a wave as she left the room, still holding the feather.

They had been married for a little over six months now and still remained in the honeymoon phase.

The castle was divided into two minds about it.

Some, like Rue, Prim, and Peeta, were simply happy for the couple and more eager to find to find love in their own lives.

Others, like the Queen, Heavensbee, and Ruby were nauseated and jealous and sought to separate the couple at any chance.

Heavensbee had even tried to get them to have separate bedrooms as was the usual convention but Finnick's response to that idea was so scary that soldiers standing guard outside the door quivered when Finnick emerged from the chapel.

The Queen had thought that after Finnick's coronation as king, he would tire of Meri and want to use his power to return to his philandering ways. She had underestimated his affection for the mute girl, and now that girl was queen instead of her! She seethed as she paced in her study, wondering how she could regain her power, the power that was rightfully hers, that she could wield to expand their kingdom and become the most powerful queen in the realm.

The Queen was doing everything in her power to find out who this Meri was but had no success and she had lost many of resources when Finnick took over. He reorganized and downsized her spy ring and increased the amount of diplomats instead, to help promote peace.

He kept the army at the same size but drew them closer to home so as to avoid any conflicts in no man's land out at sea.

The Queen could still command respect and intimidate people but the changes were coming and she didn't like it at all.

She knew if she could get rid of Meri, Finnick would be much easier to manipulate.

Ruby spied on Annie but Annie had not had time to make much progress on the last shirt so, she doubted Ruby saw much.

However, Annie was wrong in underestimating Ruby. This morning, after Annie and Finnick had gone to their separate rooms, Ruby ran to Heavensbee.

"Sir," she panted. "Queen Meri was out again. This morning, her legs were scratched and her ankles red and swollen. Her hands were red and chapped too."

"Anything else my child?" Heavensbee drew a finger across the lower part of Ruby's face and brought it to his lips.

She shook her head no.

"Wear your cross, my precious Ruby and the Lord shall protect you." Heavensbee said as he traced her collarbone to the necklace he gave her.

Ruby nodded with a meek look in her eyes as his hands dipped below the necklace even as she grinned inwardly, that he was falling for her scheme to make herself irreplaceable.

Heavensbee thought to himself. "Now if only Queen Meri could be proven as a witch or caught in a torrid love affair, he could get rid of her and please his Queen."

Annie was forced to wait till Finnick fell asleep to sneak away and work on the last shirt.
Her supply of nettles was alright now, thanks to the nettles planted in the garden.

Her pace was much slower and at first Annie was puzzled as to why she was so tired. Then, one morning it came to her and she knew she'd have to work even harder just to finish the shirt before the deadline.

She headed out to talk to Peeta and Katniss to make sure that the little party she was throwing for Finnick and their friends today was going according to plan.

Annie ran into Katniss first. She noticed how Katniss had started to relax somewhat at the castle though her smiles were still rare.

She smiled brightly at her and held out her hands in question.

Katniss nodded back and bowed slightly.

Ever since her marriage to Finnick, the castle staff had taken to bowing or curtseying in her presence. Annie found it a bit strange after all this time had past since the last time she was treated like the princess she used to be prior to the curse and now she was a queen.

She was slowly getting used to it and now was able to see that only Ruby was mocking her with her deference. The rest of the castle seemed to respect her.

Her attention was returned to the present time when Katniss answered her question. "Everything seems to be going well. Prim and Rue have ensured that the kitchen staff has plenty of mead, wine, meat and cheese platters, and they even have little cakes shaped liked seashells." Katniss made her face neutral while her eyes softened. "Peeta gave them a sketch and everyone loved the idea."

Annie smiled again and nodded her approval. Then she made a strumming motion and then a motion like she was playing a lute.

"The musicians have arrived and are sequestered away in library until the party starts. "

Annie then pointed her Katniss and then her throat and opened her mouth and closed it again.

"Sing, your majesty?" Katniss guessed.

Annie nodded and pointed to Katniss once more.

"You can't mean me...I...I...what makes you think I can sing anyways?" Katniss sputtered

Annie looked around and walked them over to a rose bush.

Katniss sighed. "Prim".

Annie put her hands in a pleading motion and made her eyes very big.

Katniss scowled and looked away. After a minute or so, she muttered. "I guess one song would be alright, for you."

Annie clapped her hands and hugged a surprised Katniss who patted her on the back awkwardly.

A few hours later, the party was in full swing.

Music and laughter floated through the air and the castle was once again filled with happiness.

Annie and Finnick had danced most of the night except with Katniss sang.

Everyone stopped to listen to her beautiful voice and Peeta looked an adorable mixture of shocked, proud and in love.

He even managed to convince Katniss to dance with him, after he danced with Prim and she threw them together.

Annie had a hard time at first, getting Prim and Katniss and her other servant friends to be invited.

Peeta had the idea to make the ball a public one and anyone who would be offended by such company would be discretely asked to leave or have something spilled on them (Rue had giggled over that last part.)

Annie also dance with many of Finnick's naval officers while the Queen cornered him to lecture him on propriety.

Annie came over to spare Finnick the full brunt of the Queen's anger.

As the Queen continued to lecture, Annie felt herself getting dizzy with all of the smells of food and the heat and she swayed a bit.

Finnick cut the Queen's diatribe off, "Are you alright Meri?"

Annie nodded, a bit embarrassed but made a motion to go outside.

"Fresh air?" Finnick asked and then he gripped her carefully as they made their way onto terrace despite the Queen's glare.

Annie breathed deeply and felt a bit better.

Finnick did not and asked anxiously. "Are you sure you are alright?"

Annie nodded though she shivered a bit from the night air.

Finnick stood behind her and hugged her to keep her warm. "What's going on?"

Annie took his hand and drew it over her stomach.

She heard a sharp intake of breath before Finnick appeared in front of her and crouched down.

"Are you sure, my love?"

Annie smiled and nodded.

"A baby?" Finnick asked, eyes wide in his handsome face as he put his hands on her stomach.

Annie smiled and nodded.

Finnick repeated "A baby!" Then he twirled Annie around and lifted her bridal style.
Annie was breathless with joy and surprise. She hadn't been sure how Finnick would take the news that she was pregnant.

She had missed her monthly cycle for two months and had started to notice some other changes.

Finnick meanwhile couldn't stop talking. "This is so wonderful Meri. We will have to start work on a room for the baby, and you are never to walk anywhere again until the baby's born."

He continued to babble on about promise to treat Annie like a queen and how she needed to rest until Annie's silent shaking laughter in his arms caught his attention.

He smiled sheepishly and kissed her. "A baby, my darling Meri, how wonderful."

Annie smiled at his joy, which matched her own.

"Let's tell everyone." Finnick grabbed her hand as if to race in and shout the news.

Annie shook her head. She didn't want the Queen to know just yet. She wanted to finish more of the sixth shirt.

"But why?" Finnick asked.

Annie took his hand and place it with her hand on her stomach and gestured a circle.

"Just us for now?"

Annie smiled and kissed his hand.

They returned to the party and told no one but everyone remarked on how happy the future king looked and how his new wife seemed to have a glow about her.

So Peeta and Katniss now know (sort of ).

Keep reading since Snow will soon re-enter the tale.

Also, I need your opinions on what story to start writing next!

Should I write:

Kit Centric one where I combine Grimm Brothers Bearskin with Cinderella 2015?

Or an Ella centric one where I combine Grimm Brothers Allerleirauh (thousand kinds of fur) with Cinderella 2015?

Or an Ella centric one where I combine Grimm Brothers Goose Girl where Ella is a princess but forced to work as a goose girl while another one pretends to be the princess who is to marry Kit?

Or an underdeveloped one but I would use the Hans Christian Anderson version of the little mermaid with Kit and Cinderella from Cinderella 2015?

Please let me know which one you'd like to read most in the comments below!