Peeta

"What's wrong?" I ask as I am dressed in jousting armor. Katniss has her hands folded over her lap asshe sits in the corner and fiddles with the beads of her rosary.

"I wish you wouldn't compete today," she says. "With all the accidents that happen. My father died beneath a horse. I'd rather not lose you the same way."

"It is perfectly safe, Lady Everdeen," I tell her. "I've raised Excalibur from a colt. I trust him completely."

"To carry you safey across the land, yes," she says. "But Cali can't protect you from a lance. If you get knocked off, he could trample you so easily." I shake my head and go over to my house and get on. Katniss stands at my side and looks at me, worry very clear in her stormy eyes.

"I'll be careful, I promise," I say and she just unties the green lace from her wrist and places it upon the lance I will carry in the competition. I smile at her and she nods.

"If I cannot convince you not to," Katniss says. "At least ride with my favor, Your Grace." I smile at her and ride out into the arena and Katniss goes over into the royal tent to sit with my mother. I ride over to Finnick and stop beside him.

"You're competeing today, Mr. Odair?" I ask and he nods. "You usually don't."

"I felt it best to enjoy in this celebration," he says. "After all, if rumors be true, you intend to spite His Majesty and ask Lady Everdeen's hand in marriage tonight." I shake my head and look at him.

"Well, I don't know about that," I say. "I want to be offically rid of Princess Elizabeth before I do that. But I do hope to before too long. Possibly around Christmas Tide." He nods and then glances over at the ladies sitting off to the side.

"She'll make you a good wife someday," he says. "And a good mother considering all the worrying she does about you." I laugh and look at him.

"Oh you have no idea," I say and we both chuckle. Finnick's name is called and he bids me goodbye as he takes his place. The frenchman easily unbalances a young duke and scores points towards his crest. As he rides back, take my place and watch as a tall, heavyset man rides up upon the other side. I set my lance and kick to my horse and he forges forward, ready to do the job he was trained for.

But for some reason, something goes wrong. My opponent catches my sheild and it shatters. I fall off of Excaliber and feel his back leg come down over my leg. The entire crowd gasps and the last thing I hear as the world goes dark is Katniss' scream.

Katniss

I can't stop my scream as I see Cali's foot come down upon Peeta's left leg, the large Thoroughbred's hoof no doubt crushing the lower bones. I look to where Queen Mary had been sitting and see she is already rushing towards where the people are gathering to serve their fallen prince. I follow her and Finnick holds me back as I watch them carry Peeta's limp body away.

"Let me go!" I scream at him and he just pulls me back and I hit him repeatedly. "You have no right to keep me away!" Queen Mary comes over and grabs my arm, pulling me away from Finnick and grabbing me by the shoulders.

"Please, calm down," she says. "He's going to be fine. You must compose yourself."

"My father died like that!" I say and she shakes my shoulders again.

"Don't think about that!" She snaps. "His Grace needs you to be brave for him now. You need to calm yourself so you can be there and not be disruptive." I nod and she offers me her handkerchief. I wipe my eyes and she tips up my chin. "Okay, now lets go see how serious this really is."  I follow her and we walk together to the small privillian they took the prinve to and we enter.

Everyone bows to Queen Mary as we enter and she goes to her son's side and chats quietly with the doctors while I wait near the doorway. After a what seems like forever, she motions for me to join her. I walk over and can't help but just look at Peeta for a long while before kneeling beside where he lays on a table. I take his hand from his side and hold it to my chest before looking to the queen, asking what I can't bear to say.

"They don't know," Queen Mary says. "He isn't too badly injured, but with a head injury, they never know."

"No broken bones?" I ask. She shakes her head.

"The stallion must not have brought down all his weight when he felt Peeta under his foot," she says and I smile and kiss his knuckles.

"I'm glad," I say. "Not only that he isn't hurt too badly, but that I won't have to hate a horse he loves so much." The room chuckles and I squeeze his hand. "I can watch over him. You should all go back to festivities. I'm sure His Grace would not want you to stop celebrating your harvests for his sake. You can't do anything for him waiting around here." They all look at me in shock. Some of them have heard but 3 words from me before. But they all look at eachother before silently bowing their heads slightly to me and then milling out. Queen Mary remains by my side for a moment.

"You're sure youll be okay on your own?" She asks. I stand up just to sit upon the bench at his side and nod to her.

"I've done this before," I whisper. "I can do it again, no matter the outcome." She smiles and kisses his cheek before gentle brushing my shoulder with her fingers as she goes. I turn back to Peeta and lean forward and gently wipe some of the blood from his face. I find myself quietly humming to him as I hold his hand and next to him I softly begin to sing, a lullaby from a time I can barely remember. The words barely above a whisper.

"I cried a tear, you wiped it dry
I was confused, you cleared my mind
I sold my soul, you bought it back for me
And held me up and gave me dignity
Somehow you needed me

"You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me

"And I can't believe it's you I can't believe it's true
I needed you and you were there
And I'll never leave, why should I leave, I'd be a fool
'Cause I finally found someone who really cares

"You held my hand when it was cold
When I was lost, you took me home
You gave me hope when I was at the end
And turned my lies back into truth again
You even called me friend

"You gave me strength to stand alone again
To face the world out on my own again
You put me high upon a pedestal
So high that I could almost see eternity
You needed me, you needed me
You needed me, you needed me," I finish the song and react out across his chest, relieved as I feel his heartbeat, still steady and strong beneath my fingers.

"I know now, Peeta," I whisper, squeezinghis hand. "I know for sure that I need you just as much as you need me to be in your life. I do want for nothing more than to someday be your wife. I want to give you what you have asked of me. You are not like any man I have ever met. You are everything I have ever wanted. I need you to be here, to love me as much as you say. I need to make up for the time I've taken that for granted. I need a chance to love you back. Now and forever." He gives no indication that he heard a word I said and I just continue to hold his hand and I reach forward to brush his hair away from his face.

I hear the crowds die down outside after a while and I continue to sit with Peeta in the dusty tent. People mill in and out, checking on him, but I don't leave his side, even when the Queen asks that I come to eat. I just tell her to give my share to the poor and continue to watch over my prince charming well into the night as they are too afraid to move him more than they have already until they know he has suffered no severe injury. I lay my head down at his side, exhausted and decide to shut my eyes for just a moment. Before I can stop it, I'm deep asleep.

Peeta

I come to in the dark of a tent, the crickets signalling that I have been out until nightfall. My neck and back feel stiff from laying on the table for so long. I let out a groan and Katniss shoots up from where she must have been sleeping beside me. She looks at me and there are suddenly tears in her eyes as she sees I'm awake.

"You can't scare me like that," she scolds and I smile at her.

"What's the fun in that," I reply and she shakes her head.

"Peeta, not like this again," she says. "I couldn't take you getting hurt like him."

"I'm fine, Sweetheart," I say and she smiles. "You're here, and I'm okay."

"I should get Her Majesty," she says trying to move away but I grip her hand and pull her back.

"Not yet," I say. "Let it just be you a moment." She sits back down and I feel her hand on my cheek.

"I know now," she says softly. "You're worth this pain in my heart. I know what I feel and I've found my clarity." I smile at her and rush the hair away from where it was stuck to her face from her sleep.

"And what do you mean by that?" I ask and she leans down and kisses me softly. She pulls away and leans her forehead against mine.

"I love you," Katniss whispers and I pull her to me, kissing her again and again until she pulls away.

"I love you, too, Princess," I say and Katniss gasps.

"Not yet," she says shaking her head. "Someday, but just not yet." We both smile and then she turns towards the mouth of the tent. "Queen Mary! The Prince has not perished! He is well and knows who I am!" She turns back to me, smiling. I hear people rushing towards the tent and I cup her cheek.

"To be continued," I say and she nods.

"Someday and then for the rest of our lives," she replies just as the people rush in, rejoicing in the fact I didn't get to badly injured.

I rejoice in the fact that finally, my love loves me back.