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"At the word witch, we imagine the horrible old crones from Macbeth. But the cruel trials witches suffered teach us the opposite. Many perished precisely because they were young and beautiful."
Author: André Breton
Two months after the party, the Queen was in her private study, pouring over the castle budget reports and rejoicing at the profit margins made from the taxes that year when Heavensbee came in.
"Your majesty, I know you don't like to be disturbed while you're going over the budget reports..." He trailed off.
"Yet here you are." The queen's eyes narrowed as she looked Heavensbee over, the man was practically dancing on the spot.
"Well, it's only that you have an important guest who wishes to speak with you." He added with another dramatic pause.
"Who, pray tell, is this guest?" The queen asked, curious of who would put Heavensbee in such a state.
"It's King Snow, your majesty." Heavensbee finally revealed.
"Indeed!" The queen marveled on the inside. "Please send him in at once." She stated cooly.
Heavensbee went to the door and opened it to reveal a tall blonde man with blue eyes and fair skin. He smiled very pleasantly, as if he and the queen were old friends.
He walked in following the the announcement of his name and offered the Queen a single white rose.
She took it without a glance and thus avoided its hypnotic powers.
"Your majesty, it truly is both a honor and surprise." She stated gracefully while offering him a seat and some tea.
"Thank you for receiving me so soon, your majesty." King Snow replied smoothly. "I had heard of a recent rumor and wanted to confirm that it was true. Your nephew married a mute girl, one with auburn hair and green eyes?
"Yes, he has." The queen answered curtly.
"I see, so it is true. The little princess survived." King Snow murmured as he took a sip of tea.
"Princess? What are you referring too?"
"Only that the dumb girl is none other than Princess Annie of the - kingdom, of which I am the ruler." King Snow's eyes glittered with amusement at Queen Coin's expression of disbelief.
"But why was she wondering around like an orphan?" The queen had lost all pretense of grace.
"Because I tried to curse her brothers to become mutts and thought the girl had been killed by tracker jacker venom." The king paused and continued in a tone of reproach. "Of course, when I sent my servant to check after no reports of her body being found, I found out that not only had she survived but that her brothers' curse had gone astray too."
King Snow sighed heavily. "I had to frame and punished my valet Crane to ensure that the Queen who believes all her children to be dead trusted I was innocent of the act."
"But they aren't, are they?" The queen asked slyly.
"No, I can see there is no fooling you." The king chuckled. "The brothers have turned into swans."
"But why is the girl mute?" The Queen asked, desperate to know.
The king grinned at her eagerness. He could certainly use her to solve both of his problems.
"It has taken me some time to figure it out. However, after torturing a good many witches, I found out that the curse I placed on the boys can be broken if the princess remains silent for six years and makes them six shirts out of nettles."
He continued at the queen's look of glee. "If she should fail, her brothers will permanently remain swans and she will be mute forever."
"Now, I understand she is under you protection so I can do nothing to her."
At this, the queen straightened in her seat. "Yes, my protection, as my nephew's wife. I will be sure to conceal all that you have told me, to save her reputation". Her lips curled into a most unpleasant smile.
"Would you care to stay for a few days?" The queen offered.
"Thank you but no, I must be on my way." They both stood up.
"I would be most grateful to take you up on your offer, closer to the six year anniversary of the loss of the kingdom's heirs."
"Of course, consider it your right." The queen stated.
"Allow me to escort you out?" King Snow held out his arm and the queen took it.
They walked into the main hallway, where Annie and Finnick had just returned from a picnic outside.
Katniss and Peeta were close behind, having helped host the picnic in the garden.
Their faces were full of joy till Annie saw King Snow.
She went pale in an instant and seemed like she was about to faint.
Finnick looked around for what could possibly be so threatening to his dear wife.
Meanwhile, Katniss had turned pale but resolutely held her ground. Peeta looked and saw King Snow. He moved in front of Katniss protectively at which she rolled her eyes but her eyes softened just a tad.
King Snow and the Queen approached Annie and Finnick.
"Allow me to present my nephew, King Finnick and his wife, Queen Meri." The queen gestured with her arm toward the young rulers.
Finnick bowed while Annie stood still in shock.
He glanced up at her, wondering why she was behaving so strangely when she ran as fast as she could out of the hallway.
"My apologies, I not sure what has gotten into her." Finnick bowed before chasing after her.
The Queen instantly trusted what the king had said and began to devise ways to torment Meri and undermine her with this new knowledge.
King Snow proceeded toward the exit and passed Katniss and Peeta. He gave them a nod and smile which caused Katniss to scowl and Peeta to cross his arms.
He could deal with the girl's insubordination soon enough, after he had taken care of Princess Annie. If he planted the right seeds, he may be able to take over this adjourning kingdom too.
As soon as Snow was gone, Katniss started pacing and rubbing her hands together.
Peeta stopped her in her tracks and grabbed her shaking hands. "So was that King Snow, the reason you and Prim left your home?"
Katniss jerked her hands away and nodded. "He killed my father for refusing to whip his men and our mother died of a miscarriage soon afterwards." She swallowed roughly. "We left before he sent his soldiers to...hurt" her voice cracked, "Prim and I."
"Oh Katniss," and Peeta ignored her tight fists and tough look and hugged her.
Katniss remained stiff for a long time before surrendering to his strong arms.
"We can keep Prim safe together." He murmured and she nodded, glad to have someone on her side.
"We just need to keep an eye on the king when he returns for his visit."
Katniss nodded and blinked tears out of her eyes.
They went back to their separate tasks but a stronger bond had forged between them now in their promise to face King Snow together.
Finnick finally found Annie, crying and shaking with silent sobs in the music room.
"Meri, darling, what's wrong?" He approached her timidly, not sure what to do.
Annie threw her arms around him and continued to sob.
He patted her back and drew her close.
When she calmed down, he ventured to ask her again.
Annie only shrugged, unable to think of how to explain what all she feared from the man.
"But you do know him?" Finnick persisted.
Annie looked down, unwilling to answer.
Finnick started pacing the room. "This is so frustrating!"
He rounded to face her. "Why can't you trust me?"
Annie looked down and placed her hands on her stomach.
Finnick softened as this gesture. "I wish you would let me know." He murmured as he kissed her on the forehead.
Annie nodded, wishing she could tell him.
Finnick put her behavior off to hormones and some previous encounter and thought no more of it besides a frustration toward Meri's inability to speak.
Later that night at dinner, Annie and Finnick and the queen were seated, waiting for the next course when the queen's eyes light up with a malignant joy.
A stuffed swan came out and Annie felt herself becoming so queasy that she gagged and put her fist to her mouth.
The Queen moaned as she cut into the meat. "So very tender."
Annie shook her head and waved her hands at the offer of the meat.
Finnick eyed her with concern about her pregnancy and new repulsions and cravings.
He turned down the swan too and asked for fruit for the queen and himself.
Annie smiled at him gratefully, still feeling sick to her stomach but glad that he wasn't going to question her about it.
"The mute queen has turned you off of good meat?" The queen questioned Finnick. "You must gone a bit mad."
"Not madness Aunt but love." Finnick said as he took some grapes from the fruit he sent for Meri.
The Queen smiled and inwardly gloated that she had confirmed the tale about Meri.
Now, she just had to carefully decide how to use this knowledge. She couldn't rush and tell Finnick everything that night, no she needed to wait until they could catch Meri in the act.
A little over two months later, Annie was trying her best to keep her resolution to work harder on the last shirt since the castle knew she was pregnant and the scrutiny of her every action had increased. She was also getting more tired from carrying the baby and wanted to try to finish before she gave birth.
She knew she could finish the collecting the fibers tonight and start the weaving cloth tomorrow and that gave her extra energy.
However, Ruby had at last found Annie's hiding place since Annie could no longer sneak as gracefully now that she was over six months pregnant.
She ran to inform Heavensbee and he in turn woke the queen.
While Annie was stomping on the nettles, the queen and Heavensbee woke Finnick who immediately asked where his wife was.
They told him to follow them and took him to the mausoleum.
Finnick was shocked at what he saw and he immediately ran to Annie.
"What are you doing? Ow!" He cried as he grabbed the nettles.
Annie took them out of his hand and looked with panic at the Queen and Heavensbee.
She had been found out and she didn't know how Finnick would react.
"Interesting how she feels no pain from the nettles." The queen took some in a gloved hand and hit Heavensbee in the face who immediately flinched.
"That hurts you right?" The queen asked.
"Meri, darling, what are you doing?"
Annie held up the belt with her brothers' pictures and then started to lift the shirts and count them with her fingers.
Finnick looked confused and Heavensbee took advantage of this pause.
"It's the devil's work!" Heavensbee cried with a pointed finger. "It should be burned to free her from demons."
He waved a torch and Annie flung out her arms to protect her work.
"Stop!" Finnick cried as he gathered Annie in his arms and Heavensbee lowered the torch.
"She is with my child and I won't let you harm my wife and the mother of my children." Finnick declared, loyal to his wife even now.
The Queen was shocked and she and Heavensbee slowly left, to decide how to handle this new development of his continued protection even when Annie was caught in the act.
The Queen had been taking King Snow's advice and figured she'd better make use of his gift soon.
Finnick and Annie stared at each other, trying to figure the other out.
Annie went to put a cloth over Finnick's cut but he jerked his hand away.
"How can you touch the nettles, let alone step on them in your bare feet? Why must you do this to yourself?" He cried out in pain, and anger and worry for her.
"What's more important than your life? Or the life of our child?"
Annie gently bandaged his hand and again pointed to her brothers' picture on the belt and the shirts.
Finnick was too shocked and angry and tired to understand her message and he simply walked them back to bed.
The next day, the Queen called Meri to her study.
Annie arrived, very nervous now that she had been found out.
The Queen started the meeting off. "I beseech you to leave now, as I asked you on your first day here." The Queen stood and walked toward her in a threatening fashion. "I know things about you now that I didn't then and this is your last chance to leave quietly."
Annie shook her head and pointed to her ring and put her hand on her stomach as her reasons to stay. She refused to be cowed.
"Very well," the Queen nodded. "I gave you fair warning. Now I shall have to inform the servants of how you killed your brothers out of jealousy and spite and how King Snow chased you out but couldn't kill you out of the goodness of his heart, he let you live."
The Queen continued as horror filled Annie's face while she repeatedly shook her head no. "Then you come here and practice witchcraft and doing the devil's work with nettles." The Queen's lips curled into a crocodile like smile as Annie fled the room in fear.
The next day, the Queen had all of the nettle plants in the castle burned, to remove the evil she said.
Annie was trying not to panic but she wasn't sure she had enough cloth for a full shirt yet.
Finnick was still confused and a divide continued to grow between Annie and him as she reached her seventh month of pregnancy.
She had tried to explain but Finnick was not as good as Peeta in terms of understanding what she meant when she mimed.
Peeta had shared what he guessed with Finnick but it only told Finnick that she had may have brothers, not whether they were dead or alive.
He also grew worried when he discovered her still sneaking out the finished the last shirt. She had moved on to weaving the cloth and he had taken to secretly watching her. She seemed to be intently focused as she worked and it didn't seem like she was worshiping the devil. But he couldn't understand what her end goal was or why she was working so hard.
Annie had made progress and had fully finished the middle of the shirt and one sleeve. However, she needed more nettles for last sleeve and knew of only one place to get them, the graveyard.
Though Annie tried to be secretive about it, Finnick followed her to the graveyard, both out of worry and a need to protect her.
Unfortunately, he was stung by five tracker jackers. King Snow had given the queen a jar, in case she should want to use them and she gave them to Heavensbee who in turn told Ruby to use them to separate the King and Meri.
As he fell to the ground, he saw many strange things, like Meri dancing on flames, his aunt with a giant gold coin for a head, Heavensbee with two faces, his own hands covered in blood, a tidal wave of blood rushing up to engulf him.
He cried out in pain and fear and Ruby and Heavensbee rushed forward to take him into the castle while Annie followed behind until Ruby held out her cross and the king's bodyguards stopped her from entering the room.
Thanks to Ruby, rumors of the young queen's witchcraft and pregnancy and had spread over the castle and within a month, there were two distinct factions formed.
In the first group, Annie's friends and the more level minded people believed that the Dowager Queen was jealous and that Annie was innocent.
In the second group, those who had been jealous of the Annie, or who loved drama, or who were simple minded and insecure believed the witchcraft and grew fearful of Annie.
Annie knew she had to help Finnick but she also knew that she couldn't do anything more for him until it was light enough to seek out help, or try to find the leaves that Mags had used on her.
So, Annie swallowed down her fear and panic and went back to the mausoleum.
Tears shimmered down her face as she started stomping on the graveyard nettles.
The tears never stopped and her heart cried what her voice couldn't as she continued to try to save her brothers while her husband was in agony and she couldn't be with him.
That night, the pain in her heart overwhelmed any pain she felt from the nettles and so by the time that dawn arrived, she had extracted all the fibers from the nettles.
She hoped it was enough for the last sleeve as she gathered up her things and hid them in her bedroom before preparing to leave the castle.
What do you think about Finnick's reaction?