Our Love Will Remain - The story after Mockingjay

Chapter 6

Today is the day.

Today is the day that I'm going to marry the love of my life. Tradition in District Twelve is that the bride and the groom are not allowed to see each other at all on the day of the wedding, so Peeta couldn't sleep in our bed tonight. He is sleeping in my old house in the Victor's Village. I didn't want to do that, so he volunteered. I snort. "God, I hate that word." I think to myself. I did have nightmares tonight, but it was mostly because of wedding nerves. I'm just about to get up when I hear a familiar voice.

"Get up, darling, it's a big, big, big day!" I wide open my eyes. No way! She survived the rebellion? I feel a little guilty. I haven't devoted a single thought to her since the war. Effie rushes up to the bed.

"Haymitch called and told me about the wedding. Oh, darling, I'm so happy for you! I always knew you two were perfect for each other!" she says with a smile. She hasn't changed a bit. Her clothes seem a little more discrete, though. But not much. "Let's get you ready, we don't want to show up at the ceremony looking like that, do we?" I sigh. I know that she didn't mean any harm.

"No, I guess not." I say, and get up from bed. Effie claps her hands and they rush through the door. My old prep team. I throw my hands up to my mouth. They're alive too? Maybe Paylor let them live for my sake. They run up to me and start hugging me. Octavia drops a small tear.

"Oh, Katniss, I'm so happy for you! I knew you were going to marry him, in the end!"

"So, you've been told about the love theatre?" I say, because generally, people still think that we got married secretly before the 75th Hunger Games.

"Oh, yes, darling, and we were very shocked. I can't believe you faked it all! But that doesn't matter right now. What have you done to yourself while we were gone!?" Flavius says with a shocked expression.

"Well... I have at least taken care of my hair." I say, picking up a curl from my shoulder.

"Beauty base zero it is!" Venia says, ignoring my comment. "We want him to recognize you, don't we?" I feel relieved. I really don't feel like being covered my make-up right now. My prep team pulls me into the bathroom and start working on me. They only shave my legs, because I only have to be pretty for one day. I'm lucky today. When they are done with my make-up, they start working with my hair. They braid it up to the simple braid I wore on my fifth reaping. When they are done, they bring in the dress. It is beautiful. Plain. It has long sleeves that go a little bit over the back of my hands, and it is made of the same material as the nightgown Peeta bought me a few months ago. Venia says it is silk. It feels like cool water pouring down my skin. The dress isn't backless, but the line goes a little below my shoulders. Otherwise, it is only plain white silk, that follows my curves, and falls down to the floor. The veil is made of simple tulle, and also touches the ground.

"The dress is beautiful." I say, spinning around.

"Cinna designed it." Octavia chirps. I sit down on the bed. I miss him so much. Cinna was my friend throughout the Games, he was one of my only friends back then. But when he helped me become the Mockingjay, they killed him. They dragged him away right in front of my eyes, and then killed him. All these memories make me start to cry. "Why? Why do always the people that I love get killed because of me? Because Cinna was killed because of me. It was me who did the trick with the berries five years ago, and started the rebellion. I start to sob. Venia looks at me compassionately and Effie shrieks.

"Oh, no, Katniss, now your make-up is all messed up! We have to do it all over again!" she says.

"Oh, it's okay, isn't that why we're here?" Venia says with a kind voice.