After the Rebellion

Wedding Day!

After almost seven months of extensive planning--mostly on Effie's part--Peeta and I were finally going to get married!

If anyone would've told me 5 years ago that I would be getting married, let alone to Peeta, I would've laughed in their face. Partially because I didn't even talk to Peeta back then. I'm now 19 years old, and there's never been a moment in my life that can live up to how happy I am right now.

I'm standing in front of a three-paned mirror, staring at the dress that Cinna had made for me before he was murdered right in front of me. It's an off-white colour, almost eggshell, and anyone who knew Cinna's work could know that it's his. It had a fitted bodice with a sweetheart neckline (obviously added thanks to Haymitch's nickname for me), and the skirt part flared out at my hip. Over my shoulders, there was a lace shrug that made my dress still look like the old fashioned one that everyone in the district used to borrow for the toastings.

"Brainless, let's go! You're going to be late to your own wedding! You wouldn't want that, would you?" Johanna asked.

"Of course I wouldn't, Johanna. But Haymitch was supposed to collect me to walk down the aisle." At that, someone started pounding on the door, which could only be Haymitch.

I opened the door, and sure enough, it was Haymitch. "Haven't you had your pre-wedding drink yet? You look really tense."

"Haymitch, I haven't drank since the announcement of the Quell, and I don't plan on having a foggy head today."

"Well, Katniss, are you ready?" Haymitch says with a tear in his eye. Never could I imagine that I would see Haymitch cry, and I pretended as though I hadn't noticed so that I could relish the moment.

"Let's go." Only now had I noticed that Haymitch called me Katniss for the first time in what seemed like forever.

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The traditional aisle walking music had begun to play in the lift where the pipe organ was stationed, and I hooked my arm with Haymitch's as the double doors opened leading to the extravagant ceremony that Effie had dreamed up.

The whole room was covered in flowers, which were mostly consisting of primrose flowers. Many draperies were around the room in three distinct colours: white, green, and orange. White for the traditional colour used for marriage, green for my favourite color, and sunset orange for Peeta's favourite colour. After I had finally gotten over the spectacle of the room, my eyes had landed on my soon to be husband.

Effie had almost insisted that Peeta wear a white suit for the wedding, but it reminded him too much of his time in the Capitol when he was hijacked. Eventually, it was settled that he would wear a black tuxedo with a green shirt and handkerchief. Even though I knew what he was supposed to wear to the wedding, I didn't know exactly what to expect.

When our eyes met, I noticed that Peeta too had tears in his eyes. I don't know how I could see that, though, since my vision was also clouded from the joyful tears about to stream down my face. Nobody in this room existed when I saw Peeta, and I started to walk faster than what was permissible. Only when Haymitch pulled me back did I realise this, but I was practically running towards Peeta since I hadn't seen him in almost a day.

Eventually, the ceremony was nearing the end, but first, Peeta and I had to say our vows. We had written them down on cards and they were later approved by Effie. But as Peeta pulled out his card, he put it down, just as he had done on the Victory Tour after our first games.

"Katniss," Peeta said, grasping my hands. "There's no words on a card that can tell you how much you mean to me. Ever since the first day I laid eyes on you, I couldn't get you out of my mind. And when I saw you outside my family's bakery, starving to death, I had to burn that bread. Because if I hadn't, this day would never have come. I'd have gone to the 74th Games with Prim or someone, and who knows what would've happened then!" Everyone laughed at that, including myself. "But when we were put into the Games together, I thought that it was wonderful and horrible at the same time. It was great because you would finally notice me, but terrible because I knew that there was no chance that I could spend the rest of my life with you. And after all this time, I'm so grateful for everything that's happened, because it led me here to you. You ask me to stay with you, and I'll say 'always.'"

Everyone in the chapel starts to 'aww' at his vows, and I start to cry. Partially because his vows were so beautiful, and also because I didn't know how to top it. Obviously, the cards wouldn't even meet Peeta's vows halfway, so I also would have to say impromptu vows.

When I lowered my card, Peeta looked at me, shocked. I just started to try to fumble my way through my vows to attempt to have them live up to his.

"Peeta, I can't even live up to your beautiful vows. You know that I started to fall in love with you in our cave, but I pushed those feelings away since there could be only one victor. When you hit the force field in the Quell, my life flashed before me, and I realised that there weren't enough moments of you and I. Knowing that you could've died then and there was killing me inside. That's when I knew for certain that I loved you, but we were in the arena again. Getting you back after you were captured and rehabilitated was the best day of my life until now. Today is the day to be happy, even though every day that you're here is a day that I can't help but to be happy." Peeta smiles wide at that point. "You'll always be there for me, no matter what, and now I know that I will be too."

Both Peeta and I are crying tears of joy, and as I glance out at those gathered in the chapel, I see that there isn't a dry eye in the place. Even the minister presiding let out a tear.

"Do you, Peeta Mellark, take Katniss Everdeen as you're lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, till death do you part?"

Peeta chuckles, remembering our conversation about Peeta considering marrying me even if I were dead. "I do."

"And do you, Katniss Everdeen, take Peeta Mellark as you're lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, till death do you part?"

"I do!"

"I now present you man and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Peeta pushes the veil hiding my face back, closes the gap between us, and dips me down for the most passionate kiss that we've ever shared. The only one that comes close is the one we shared on the Quell beach two years ago. We pull away, much to my dismay, and the music strikes up again to queue our exit, and our first step as Peeta and Katniss Mellark.