The Rebel Queen

18

As I tie the top of my long, blue dress trimmed in white fur, I feel my heart racing. I'm nervous and terrified of the reactions upon the council meeting I plan to hold tonight.

It is the night I will formally announce that Peeta and I are betrothed, that there is an intention that he will ask for my hand in marriage within the year. My skin crawls with nerves, still unsure whether this is a good idea or a disastrous one.Either way, I know that it is only fair to Peeta that I make the effort to show that he is the one who will lead these people beside me.

My long black hair, which Peeta had lovingly braided before he left to help get things settled, is in long soft curls underneath, brushing my bare shoulders . The golden bird glitters on my chest and I take a deep breath, smiling at it. Glancing in my mirror, I carefully clip the serpent belt around my middle  and straighten the fabric over my flip flopping stomach. I know this is the right choice, but that make me no less terrified as I pull the shawl of grey fur around myself and duck out of my tent.

I look around, seeing people, soldiers with a lady on their arm mostly, walking towards the center of camp where I can already see the glow of a bonfire. They chat happily and laugh with one another, happy to be able to relax and not feel the strain of war for just one night. I smile and start to walk after them but hands suddenly wrap around my waist, pulling me back into the shadows. I grip onto the hand and pull them off, spinning around to face my captor.

"What are you doing?" I say and he just chuckles a little.

"I wanted to see you," Peeta says and I sigh.

"You would have seen me at the festival," I say and he shakes his head, reaching for my cheek and running his thumb over the still healing scar on my cheek.

"You look really," He stops and shakes his head.

"What is it?" I ask and he smiles.

"Whenever I would think of you, of what you would have looked like when we grew up," Peeta says. "This is what I always imagined. You are so, beautiful, radiant even in this moonlight." I blink at him and smile.

"Well, while I didn't ever quite picture you like this," I say, setting my hand on the furred vest he wears over his white shirt and thick black pants. "I think I like you better like this than in a baker's apron." 

We both laugh and I run my fingers across the braid I keep retrying each morning at the nape of his neck. His hair has grown to about shoulder length since coming here and I work hard to keep the curls twisted and tied back out of his face. I smile at him and he grips my hand, gently kissing my fingers. I look up at him and feel my cheeks grow red.

"Are you going to walk me to the dance like a proper gentleman?" I ask and he chuckles, letting my hand down.

"You mean it?" He asks and I nod, grabbing onto his arm.

"Yes," I say. "Seeing as we are going to go tell them about this anyways before the dancing starts." He chuckles and links his hand in mine. 

We start our way back into the camp and go towards the glow of the fire. I can feel eyes on us, but I don't give it a second thought. I'm gonna be announcing the fact that I intend to one day let this man marry me. I'll have plenty of eyes on me. Johanna and Finnick are off to the side, chatting with the rest of the council and I can feel the glaring gaze from Gale burning into me. 

"I think he noticed," Peeta says and I shake my head.

"Ignore him," I say. "Let's just go tell them. I have a feeling that the others will be a little more receptive to the idea." He takes a deep breath and I walk forward, half dragging him behind me. Johanna notices us and smirks, flicking her spiked hair to the side.