Bought Love

Chapter 1

Katniss

"Come along dear!" the annoying women in pink who has been escorting me around since the Mellarks bought me. "Its time to go get ready for your wedding." I step out of the carriage carefully and follow her into the house obediently, hanging my head. I have lost most all my will to live after last night's punishments for trying to sneak out. My long skirt skims the ground, the violet color picking up ash and dust from the ground.

"You will make an exceptional wife," she says as we reach the dressing room where I will be prepared for my wedding to youngest Mellark son. The three who wait to prepare me quickly usher my behind the blind and get to work taking off my dress and putting me into fresh white undergarments to be worn beneath my wedding gown, being very careful not to open the fresh scars from my punishments last night. "Relatively obedient. Beauty that will bring admiration to your new husband, wide hips perfect for bearing children..."

The lady in pink continues to warble but I can't help but shiver at the thought of having to bare children for the man who bought me to be his wife. How many will I be expected to give him? Will they be nothing but objects to him like I most likely am? What would happen to me should I be barren and unable to give him children? Would I be cast aside as some sort of maid while he finds a new wife who can?

The lady in pink yelling at the maidens dressing me that brings me back to focus.

"Tighter!" she squawks. "You need to keep that corset tight! If she can breath easily, she'll slouch during the ceremony!" I let out a groan as the laces are pulled tighter and the corset rubs against the raw wounds on my back and stomach. I feel her forcefully lift my chin so I'm forced to look at her. "Do not make such noises. It is not lady like and shows bad manners."

"I'm sorry," I say defiantly. "But I can barely breath and my back hurts."

"Then maybe you'll think twice before disobeying orders," she says referring to my disobedience in trying to run away. She then looks past me to the maids. "Be careful not to open those wounds. We don't need her bleeding though the dress. I also want you to put enough powder on her to hide that disgusting tan."

"It isn't a tan," I say. "It is just how I look. My father was Cherokee."

"Well it is a flaw that cannot be revealed until after the marriage," she snaps.

"I have never seen it as a flaw!" I say standing in front of her, seeing for the first time how much smaller she is than I. I'm nearly a foot taller than her. "I'm proud of my father and our ancestors!" She slaps me across the cheek.

"You have nothing to be proud of you halfbreed," she says. "Your ancestors are nothing but drunks and murderous savages."

Before I can say anything, she slips out of the room and I'm pulled back to a seated position by the maids as they begin covering me in pale colored powder to hide my heritage, scars, and the bruise forming on my cheek. They apply color to my eyes, cheeks, and lips. They then start to tie my hair into an incredibly tight bun and lead me to the elegant lace dress hanging in the corner. They slip it over my head and get to work buttoning and tying it together so it stays in place. Then they all stand in front of me.

"Something old," the first says clipping a necklace with a blue teardrop shaped gem on it around my neck. "This has been worn at every Mellark wedding for generations. Yours being the last of this family so far, it is now yours." Before I can say a word, the next comes forward with a pair of white boots that she quickly buttons on my feet.

"Something new," she says and then the final maid comes forward with the ribbon that was just tied in her.

"Something borrowed," she says as she ties it around the bun in my hair. "And don't worry about returning it. I have many like it at home." After the ribbon is secured, they work together to pin the lace veil into my hair and let it fall over my face. Then one of them places a bouquet of Bluebells and Indian paintbrushes in my hand.

"And finally, something blue," she says. "For good wishes on your wedding day and high hopes for a happy and long lasting marriage." They all bow slightly and leave the room. I watch them go and fight back tears. A happy marriage? That will never happen. Not in my life. If my new family is anything like the woman escorting me, they too will insist I constantly cover up the fact that my father was a noble Cherokee named Crow Feather who loved me more than life itself, who still watches me from the hunting grounds of the dead.

I'm interrupted from these happy thoughts by a knock on the door.

"Come, come darling," the annoying pink woman says. "We don't want you to be late for your wedding." I open the door and walk out, following her out with my head hung. The driver opens the door of the coach for me and helps me in before doing the same for my escort. We ride to the justice house where the ceremony will take place and I feel a knot begin to form in my throat. In the matter of less than an hour, I will be married to a complete stranger. I look at the pink woman and force myself to speak.

"What's he like?" I ask.

"Who? Peeta?" she asks.

"Is that his name?" I ask.

"Your future husband, yes," she says. "Though I'm not sure if he would like you to call him that. You are to follow his every command."

"Do you know him well?" I ask.

"Not really," she says. "I know his father better. Children are better seen than heard and he just turned eighteen a few weeks ago. He's still a child, like you. Which is why these arrangements were made. To help you both grow up." I remain silent after this, not wanting to hear anymore. We pull up to the justice house and I'm ushered inside.

Its quiet, people talking here and there when I'm walked over to a young man with ash blonde hair sky blue eyes. My hand is taken from my side and laid in his. I cannot even lift my head to look at my future husband. I just repeat the words of the minister as he tells me, no emotion in my voice. The gentle grip on my hand is surprising to me and as he makes soothing circles with his thumb, I feel myself feeling a little calmer. Just a little though.

I fight back the lump in my throat as I feel him slide the ring on my finger and as he raises my veil, I force myself to look at him. He smiles at me and I try to do the same, but I can tell he doesn't buy it. He gives me a quick kiss, which I don't really return and he gently leads me out. People cheer at us but I don't even acknowledge them as my new husband helps me into the coach I arrived in. He climbs in behind me and shuts the door. I hear the whip crack and the horses begin to move forward.

"I'm really sorry about this Katniss," he says. "If I could have stopped this before it happened, I would have." I sigh and feel a tear run down my cheek that is already swollen from my escort's abuse.

"I'm sorry too," I say as I stare out the window, longing for the woods that I may never get to return to.

"Maybe