Katniss

"Katniss," I hear Johanna call from the door of our room as I make my bed.

"Yes?" I ask. She walks over with a folded paper.

"You've a letter," she says handing it to me. I open it and smile as I see the careful, elegant written french by Peeta's hand asking for me to meet him upon his arrival from his house in Winsor at his mother's agreement. "It is under my cousin's seal, the Prince's writing. What does it say?"

"He has asked for me to meet him on his arrival," I say. "He even got Queen Mary's permission. I don't know why he bothers. He knows very well I want no business being a mistress and cannot be his wife. It is like he enjoys toying with me."

"He has not written the other ladies he tries to pretend to admire before," she says taking the letter from me. "And in French, the lanuage of love. You know he struggles the most with writting French more than any of his other languages." I chase after her as she reads my letter.

"Johanna, please give it back!" I yell at her as she walks to the window. She holds me back laughing.

"'I wish to see moon reflecting off your raven hair as I take you through my Father's woods and see your lovely smile greet me upon my arrival back to court. Your hand in mine and to kiss your soft lips again as we did in my Mother's garden!'" Johanna stops and looks at me. "You kissed the Prince of England?"

"No, I didn't," I say reaching for my letter again but she yanks it from my reach. "He took me by surprise. I barely kissed back." She smirks and then reads the closing.

"'Your faithful servent in this life and the next, Peeta Mellark, Prince of England'" she hands me the letter and steps down from the window sill, walking past me. "Katniss Everdeen, he's in love with you."

"He is infatuated with me," I say folding the letter and sticking it in my pocket. "I wouldn't call it much. A walk in the garden and a letter do not say true love." She shakes her head and grabs my shoulders.

"He kissed you in the royal garden," she says. "He wants to take you out tonight when arrives dispite probably being tired from his ride. He called himself, a prince, your servant. He is courting you. Im surprised he sent no jewels ahead." I walk over and sit on the bed we share.

"If he does than I wish he did not," I say. "He will never marry me. I have nothing and he has a country. No doubt that no matter how much His Highness may care for me, His Majesty King Edward would never allow me, a common peasant girl with no dowery to speak of, to marry his son." I hear the fanfare declaring Peeta's arrival and run to the window to see his coach riding up.

"Just go out there and see him," Johanna says. "You don't want to disappoint him. If he does care for you as he says, there will be hope in his entertainment. Imagine a girl of your stature Princess of Windsor, future Queen of England. " I shake my head and straighten my pale orange demask.

"Johanna, I shall give you this," I say as I head to the door. "You are a very imaginative woman." I walk out amd down the hall and to the entranceway. Many people are in wait for the prince and I cannot help but smile as he is brought into the room. He stops in front of me and bows, taking my hand in front of all of them.

"Lady Everdeen," Peeta says. "You look lovely this evening." I curtsey to him.

"Thank you, Your Highness," I say and Peeta grabs my arm, whispering in my ear.

"I must say hello to my Father but I shall meet you in the courtyard within the hour," he says. "Two of my horses are being made ready for us. You may pick one for the evening." He pulls away smiling and I nod and stay still until he leaves. After he is gone, people begin to mill about and I use the chance to sneak out.

Beneath the setting sun, I see a groom holding two horses, one sorrol and the other and the other a bay. The groom turns as I approach and I realize I recognise him.

"Gale?" I ask and he looks at me in surprise.

"Catnip?" He says, "now I understand how a mortal woman could capture His Grace's eye as it has been. I did not know you were at court."

"I have been one of Queen Mary's ladies for a few months now," I say. "I can't believe I had forgotten you are one of Prince Peeta's servents." He nods and I walk over to the large bay and stroke her nose. 

"I'm a groom," he says. "I still can't believe I hadn't caught your name. His Grace is very discrete about you, I suppose but still, he seems to talk nonstop about you." He bows suddenly and I notice Peeta walking up through the fading daylight. He turns to me.

"How do you like her?" he asks. I smile and walk around the mare.

"She is lovely, Your Highness," I say. "Both mounts are a tribute to you." Peeta smiles and walks over to help me up onto the horse. Once I am settled upon her back, he walks around and swings up onto the other horse and takes the reins from Gale.

"Lady Everdeen and I shall return in an hour or two," Peeta tells Gale and he nods.

"You need not worry, My Lord," he says. "I will cover for you." Peeta turns to me.

"How well do you ride?" He asks.

"Well enough, I think," I say. "Though it has been a long time since I last did ride."   We begin to ride slowly out of the courtyard and off torwards his father's woods.

"I am happy to see you got my letter," he says and I nod.

"It was very eloquently written, Peeta," I say. "I was happy to recieve it though I wish another had not read it as well."

"Oh really," he says. "Who?"

"The Lady Johanna Mason," I say. "She shares my quarters and read it over my shoulder."

"She is my cousin," Peeta says. "She knew it was me without even seeing the bottom. She can be trusted."

"She believes you are in love with me," I say. "I suspect she thinks I return that favor."

"Do you?" Peeta asks. "You can speak freely with me, Katniss." I shrugg.

"I do not know," I say. "I enjoy your company, but I know not what you intentions be. I told you, I can't be what you may want because I do not intend to be your mistress." Peeta haults his horse and grabs my reins.

"Katniss, I told you, I would only ever intend to see you be my wife," he says. "You are a lady deserving of every splender this world has to offer." I turn to him, almost angry at his insistance.

"Peeta, with what do you expect my family to pay you and your father to support me?" I say. "I have lived for five years on a dirt floor after our money ran out. My dowery is one pitiful goat that my sister sees as her pet. I am not of the caliber of the ladies lining up to be your queen. I am just a girl who got lucky once to get hired by your mother and get enough to feed my sister."

"And I told you before I care not what you have to offer me in return unless it be your heart," he says. "What must I do to prove to you I care only to please you." I look at him and then at my hands.

"Peeta, even if you win my affection, there is still your father. He must approve of the pairing and even the wealthy of other countries cannot offer enough," I say. Peeta lets go of my reins and looks at me sympathetically at me as we start to ride again. He is silent but then surprises me when he speaks.

"Have you read the works of Shakespeare?" He asks and I nod. "Then you know the story of Romeo and Juliet?"

"If I recall, it was a three day courtship that did not end well for either parties," I say. "What is your point?"

"Only that I believe in fate," he says. "I believe that it will be your destiny to be my queen. There have been commoner Queen's before. You will be no different. I will not give up on you." He gestures to the horse beneath me. "Take this mare as a token of my favor, Lady Everdeen." I shake my head.

"Peeta, I cannot take your horse," I say. But he shakes his head.

"It would offend me if you did not accept this gift?" He says and I try to object but he stops me. "At least agree to exercise her with my mount so that they may both stay healthy and strong?" I think a moment before reluctantly nodding.

"If it is your pleasure," I say. "I guess I can accompany you on rides." He leans over and kisses my cheek.

"It is time we go home," he says. "Will you allow me to take you into dinner with my father tomorrow so he may begin to learn your great grace and talent?" I shakily nod, taken aback.

"Are you sure?" I ask.

"Of course," he says. "I am courting you, whether you will admit it or not and I will have you meet my father sooner rather than later." We ride back into the courtyard and I smile a little as Peeta helps me up off the back of the beautiful royal horse and pushes me up against the stable doors after the grooms who fetch the horses go inside. "What are you doing, My Lord?"

"Doing as I promised in my note," he says before pressing his lips to mine. But this is not as before. I kiss him back as I feel him slip a parcel in my pocket. "I would like to see you wear this tomorrow at dinner if I will see my affections returned." He kisses me again befor turning to leave me, obviously not wanting to embarass me by walking into the palace with me at his side. As he reaches tge steps he calls back to me. "Goodnight Lady Everdeen. I shall count the minutes until I fetch you to dinner."

"Goodnight, Your Grace!" I call back before I run to the side and go up the back steps to the servent's quarters. I am careful not to wake Johanna as I enter our room but I fail. She sits up and rubs her eyes.

"His Highness kept you late," she says. "I hope you didn't do anything foolish." I sit on the end of the bed and pull the velvet pouch from my pocket. "A present? You lucky girl."

"He offered me a horse," I say. Pulling the necklace from the back and we both gasp. "And I said it was too much."

"That probably cost much more than a horse," Johanna says touching the fine pearls on the necklace. It is a pattern of grey and white pearls as well as small green peridot all leading down to a pendant of what I believe to be a real emerald.

"He need not try so hard," I say. "It would offend him to return it, but my Lord, how extravagant it is. It must cost half the kingdom. Johanna leans back lokking satisfied. "What?"

"I do not think anything anymore," she says. "Now I know for sure."

"What?" I ask.

"You will be Queen, Lady Everdeen," she says. "For the Prince of England to put this much effort into a girl, I believe he truly intends to have you. And if there be any issue of your dowery, hand King Edward that necklace because it should more than pay for your care." I laugh and lay down on the bed looking at the glittering stone of the necklace.

"If he really does love me as he says," I say. "It will take more than pretty things to truly win my heart."