Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own anything in the Hunger Games Trilogy universe. These characters and the books are the sole property of Suzanne Collins and her publishers. I only wish I owned this lovely trilogy, I would be on a hundred foot yacht in Hawaii right now chilling with Jennifer Lawrence if I did...
I spend a few hours in alterations. It's terribly boring, but even then I still have to thank Peeta, because it's a million times better than being with that wretched woman. How on earth did somebody as diplomatic as Peeta come from that beast? His father must have been an angel to even that out.
The dress itself is very beautiful. Unlike most of the gowns that are in style, the dress does not go out ten feet at the hips. There's no expansion at the hips at all instead the dress sticks to a very traditional style. Off white silk, covered in gold embroidered flowers clings to the front of my body, flowing freely at my waist and descending into a twenty foot train. Along the neckline, diamonds line my breasts shining as the light from the windows casts a shadow on my skin. The cost for just the diamonds along my bosom could feed my entire country for a couple of years, that's not even counting the heavy assortment of diamonds and crystals that line the train.
"Duquesa Katniss," Cinna says to me, running his fingers through my hair as he plays around with different styles.
"Yes?" I say, trying not to move so I won't mess anything up.
"If you are worrying about the weight," - I was. The dress was a burden on my back and my arms ached from the jewels lined along the sleeves -"You will only be wearing it for the ceremony. I have designed other gowns an inch above the floor for dancing that only include will be significantly lighter. However, you will be wearing one of Panem's famed jewels, the Aphrodisiac of Taraxacum, a forty carat diamond along your neck for the procession. When I am given the authorization we can attempt to see how to place it in the most comfortable way."
Cinna makes me feel at home with his caring words. He's the only person here who I have met that seems normal and down to earth. He's soft spoken and doesn't carry the accent as harshly. When I am given the power, I will remember to honor him in some way for his good deeds.
It will be my position to reward and punish those in the court when I take my official place as Queen, two days after tomorrow's ceremony. I'm going to have the power to make people live and die, and it frightens me.
After alterations are complete, I am escorted by a servant girl into a long narrow room with dark velvety burgundy walls and carpets that appear to be from the East. Along the walls there are heavy mahogany bookshelves filled to the brim with different editions of classics. I run my hands along them as I pace throughout the room. Books are expensive. The official library in Seam probably had around this many, and this is just a random room. I wonder if I would be given access to the court's library. There had to be some benefit to being a Queen.
Somebody bursts through the door. It's Duchess Effie, in an outfit I have not yet seen. It is a bit more simple than any of her other dresses, just a pink silk dress with a rose covered stomacher. While the dress itself is simple, she has opted for a frame that brings her hips out to around five feet, occasionally brushing up against a vase as she flutters through the room.
"Madame Katniss, it is a pleasure to be reunited with you again," she smiles at me and gives a polite half curtsy. I don't smile back. I'm still annoyed that she left me with Peeta's deranged mother.
"Why am I here, Duchess?" I ask in a plain manner.
She perks up. "As your escort, it is my duty to instruct you on protocol. We have already gone over the basics of the ceremony, where you need to be and that sort. I would like to have the opportunity to work on your walk and manner today. Because of your upbringing I am afraid you aren't well instructed on the manners and customs that are accepted at the Capitol," she says motioning for me to sit on the light blue parlor chair across from her.
It's a bit insulting, and it makes me want to curse at her or be defiant but I know I have to be polite as I'm stuck here for the rest of my existence. It may not be iron bars, but this position and marriage will always be a prison.
"Of course, I'm very interested in the customs of Panem. It's beautiful."
"See, I knew you were a doll! What do they do in Seam again? Coal? You're like a little piece of coal, with enough pressure you can become the pearl of Panem."
It's a diamond, and it's a myth anyways but I don't bother correcting her. She seems quite satisfied with herself.
"Well, first of all. There should no fidgeting of your legs," she says, looking pointedly at my legs, which I have been swinging back and forth.
"I'm sorry," I bring my feet to a halt, allowing them to dangle against the floor.
"It's no problem, dear. We can't blame you for how you were raised. Here, take these two books and walk from the door to the window without allowing them to fall."
I'm not exactly sure what it's supposed to accomplish, but I take the books, The History of Panem: Volume 09 and Philosophies on Modern Gaming, place them on my head and easily walk from the door to the window without dropping the books.
It's not very hard. I'm a hunter and I have developed a light tread over the years of independently scouring the forests with Gale.
Gale. I wonder what he is doing now. I wonder if he misses me. I wonder if-
I'm cut off by Duchess Effie's excited claps. "Marvelous, marvelous! You have far more grace than I expected when you try! Where on earth did you learn to take such lovely steps?"
"Hunting in the woods with Gale," I answer honestly, hoping to get a kick out of her reaction.
She wrinkles her nose. "Hunting? Outside? I heard things but, oh-," she stops herself, "you turned out rather well from that type of life. Letting their beautiful daughter go traipsing through the woods with some male, it's a shame. You poor thing."
Her face once again rushes with sympathy due to things that are nothing to be sympathetic about.
"It's alright. My parents never particularly approved of my actions. But I enjoyed it, and Gale, he's the heir apparent and we were to be wed before this," I say, adding to the scandal of my hobbies. "He enjoyed it quite a bit too."
I know I'm alluding to something that never happened, the brush of my voice hints at something more sexual between my relationship with Gale, but it's fun playing with Duchess Effie's mind. She's not a gossip, so I will not be harmed by it and it makes all my other faults pale in comparison.
"Oh, why don't we stop this conversation and go through the the process of the ceremony one more time for memory's sake."
We end up spending the rest of the day going through maps, itineraries, and a long history of the wedding customs of Panem's royalty. At the end of it, I could probably write a book on the ceremony. It's incredibly complicated. In Seam we have much simpler and meaningful customs, a toasting for the bride and groom. A ball or celebration for the town if you are a noble or a wealthy merchant. We keep everything intimate and special, nothing is really for show. Although I suppose everything is more decorative when you have an abundance of money.
I don't think I'm ever going to get used to the extravagance.
When I lie in bed that night, I rub my hands along the soft fabric of the pale blue sheets, thinking about what tomorrow will bring for me. This is the last night I will spend alone (if you can call one maid on a pallet on the floor and two guards dutifully standing near the door "alone") in my own bed. By tomorrow night I will be sharing a bed with my husband on our wedding night. I've never done anything of that nature before, as a woman I have remained pure until my wedding. Peeta probably has had a lot of experience in that department. He has quite literally the most beautiful women in the world throwing themselves at him. I hope that his experience will make up for my lack. If he knows what to do, maybe it will not be as bad. I know it always hurts the first time, but some women joke about the pleasure that comes from sex.
Soon Peeta and I will be expected to have children. My main duty as his wife will be to give him a legal heir, a son. I've never particularly wanted to be a mother, even though I knew no matter who I married I would end up having to be one. Granted, any child of mine will be raised by a troop of nursemaids and nannies. I will not be expected to do a lot of mothering, which I suppose is a good thing as I can't imagine I would be very good at it.
It's gross, menstrual cycles, having a baby. Having some type of alien creature growing in your body, worst of all giving birth. Even if I survived childbirth I would have to deal with the aftermath of effects to my body.
Suddenly it all hits me, the wave of different emotions fell over my body in a raging storm. In order not to alert anybody, I soundlessly screamed into the pillow, beating my fists against the mattress. I didn't want this for my life! Why did he have to come here and take me away from Prim and everybody else? Oh, Prim, how I would give anything to see her face again. I sobbed into the pillow, wetting it with the salty tears and using my hand to wipe my face.
The momentary loss of control reminded me of the reality of the situation. I had spent the past few days deluding myself into forgetting about all the people I left home and what it would be like marrying this man. It was a lifelong sacrifice, and even though I had to suck up the tears and smile, I had to keep myself aware of everything. I couldn't let myself just go along with everybody pushing me around like this. I had to be strong. I couldn't be the little teenage girl from the backwards country that everybody saw.
I had to be a Queen.
Katniss and Gale illegally hunt to provide for their families, they both get caught and because Katniss is a young female (which complicates a sentence that would usually be placed on a male) she is sent in front of the King (Peeta) for her sentence. I'm not going to give away the catch, but let's just say that his sentence is a bit unusual.
It's a lot more developed than it sounds, I already have the entire plot and relationship development mapped out. I just don't want to give away too much. As you can probably tell, I like King Peeta stories:) This was something I had in my head for a while and I would love to get it out there.
Special thanks to my beta, chicanita11! You can follow me on tumblr at starveinsafety.