OK, so I only recently read the Hunger Games trilogy and became slightly obsessed by it. Well, I actually listened to the audio books which I enjoyed so much that I ended up having about 3 hours sleep each night for the last two weeks - not something that I recommend...
Anyway, I was intrigued by the idea that President Snow had a family and started thinking about the Granddaughter that Johanna mentioned in Mockingjay. I don't know why but I naturally leaned towards the notion there was more of a 'Snow Dynasty', rather than just one child and one grandchild. And from there I just enjoyed wondering how it was made up, why it was made that way, what influence he would have and how/why Johanna would mention the grandaughter above all other relations.
This story takes place 2 years before Mockingjay, therefore the year of the 73rd Annual Hunger Games, though I don't plan on featuring any action from the games in this story - but honestly I'm not sure where it will lead.
For the moment this is the story of how the President's oppressive and domineering nature influences his family, specifically his Granddaughter.
Hope you enjoy and please let me know what you think
xxx
A Snow family tree:
() = age at time of this story
President Corialanus Snow Married Illidia Vana and had Apollus, Clodia, Pericus and Cornelia
Apollus Snow (43) married Neona Kernow and had two girls Orione (16) and Evanessa (10). She also had two sons who were still born - Crixus and Aganom
Clodia Snow (42) married Emerard Vana and had triplet boys Jesran, Kanner and Isolder (15) and a girl Antonia (11)
Pericus Snow (40) married Hesper Delacey and had twin boys Connell and Cree (14.5). Hesper died in child birth along with the twins she was carrying, a girl, Aster, and a boy, Hestan (5)
Cornelia (19) is not yet married and does not have any children.
I woke up to the soothing chimes of my alarm. I stretched and wanted no more than to snuggle back down into the softness of my duvet and pillows and go back to sleep. Maybe today I'd be allowed to.
I realised that wouldn't happen when I felt the weight of someone sitting on the side of my bed. I sighed and opened my eyes to find my mother sitting looking down on me. I couldn't remember the last time she had been here when I woke up, or even been in my rooms so she looked very out of place.
"Mother?" I croaked in an early morning voice. In response to the sound one of my avoxes brought me a glass of water. I sat up and drank it all down and handed it back to Mairin with a mouthed 'thank you'. She nodded and then left, I wanted her to stay but knew it would not do.
"Happy birthday little Reena" my mother said with a smile, though the only feeling that sounded in her voice was a sad one. She hadn't called me Reena in possibly 8 or 9 years. Perhaps now I was 16 she was finally saying goodbye to her little girl, thus the sadness. She produced a small lavender coloured box and held it out for me.
"A gift?" I asked, taking it and finding it was heavier than I thought it would be
"A birthday present" she said as I opened it.
The box contained a lavishly decorated hair comb. From the weight I realised it must be platinum and the huge blue, purple and clear stones were indeed extremely precious. It was shockingly extravagant. "Its beautiful, thank you." I didn't know what else to say so I kept looking at the comb, turning it over and over again in my hand.
"It was given to me when I was first presented."
I went cold and looked up at her, her face showing only the hint of sadness she undoubtedly felt, but that was my mother's way. She wore masks very well; when she smiled for the cameras her beauty hid the insincerity, when she was with the family she held her face as it was now, still beautiful but unreadable. I had inherited the same skills. But her face now told me quite enough.
"I am to be presented? Today?" She nodded in response "And you couldn't tell me sooner?"
"I was not told, so could not tell you."
I knew that being presented was quite a traditional notion in the Capitol but I had only seen the preparation for my Aunt Cornelia's a few years ago. It had been large, and loud and lasted until early into the next morning. It was also extremely public and had cameras everywhere. Sharing my mother's demeaner meant that I did not like the cameras, did not like the interviews and did not like the hoards of people that would undoubtedly be there. I wanted her to be wrong but looking at her I had to believe her. However big the event was it was unlikely that we would have been told about it; it would only give us more time to worry about it.
I took a deep breath to calm myself, "When will Gretto arrive to greet me? Or is he already waiting outside?" I smiled at our shared joke. Gretto was a little rodent of a man who was the President's Personal Arranger. The President's schedule, appearances etc were all arranged by Gretto, so if this was going to be as big an event as I feared it would be, Gretto would be briefing me.
"Gretto has made all the arrangements of course and will be along later." She stood and held out her hand to me "come have breakfast with me before the madness begins." She smiled one of her rare sincere smiles and I saw a glimpse of the stunning woman she used to be, and could not resist her hand or invitation.
I usually enjoyed breakfast with the family. It was hardly ever televised, so we could be as relaxed as each of us could be, and it was usually too early for any one of them to fully put on their scheming and cinisism for the day. My mother knew this and so always tried to spend the time with me, where the rest of her day was occupied with her work, my Father or my younger sister Evanessa. It would only be 40 minutes at the most, but I greatly appreciated it.
The rest of my day would be rather solitary. This was not out of choice, though I'm not sure how long I could stand to spend with my obnoxious triplet cousins. I knew I was kept away from them throughout the day due to an unfortunate accident of my birth. It wasn't my fault but my Father and Grandfather did seem to blame me for it.
I was meant to have been a boy.
Of course I was supposed to be a boy; the first born son of the first born son would have fit very nicely into the perfect family shown on the propos for all of Panam to see. It was always the plan that my Father take my Grandfather's place, and his son would do the same after him. But not since I was born. My parents tried to have boys, but unsuccessfully. Only two missed pregnancies were publisised, but I knew there had been more. The next in line was now my cousin Jesran, and my Aunt Clodia would have more influence on him than my father ever would. Thus both my Grandfather and Father were very put out by my birth.
Don't get me wrong, my family were fully aware that the President was an elected role, but we were also all very much aware that that did not really matter. Influence could be curried, favour could be won. I knew this from a very early age, and not just through the high officials that were wined and dined at the mansion. The very behaviour of my family towards me taught me that influence and favour are worth far more than birthright or money. What was the point in pretending to like me when the most important member of our family, the President, treated me as a dissapointment?
It was so ironic it almost made me laugh. On television my family was practically perfect, it would never do to be otherwise. And so I laugh and smile and talk to my aunts and uncles, my younger cousins and sister. I must appear to be the perfect older sister to all of them. And in turn they must appear respectful and loving to me, something I know that Jesran particularly dislikes. The Capitol, the districts, the whole of Panam must not know that the oldest granddaughter was an outcast in her own home, which by the way was filled with spiteful, obnoxious and spoilt individuals that could make eachother miserable, and often did.
But breakfast, I think, was a no man's land for all of us. Sometimes my cousin's and I even laughed together. So I went to breakfast with my mother expecting little except a calm atmosphere where I could spend time with the family who would hardly acknowledge me at dinner.
We entered the breakfast room, an informal dining room just off of the kitchen to find it empty. An avox directed us to the formal dining room and I could feel my face set to a mask; we never had breakfast there. I let my mother lead me, feeling very unlike my 16 year old self, and so must have appeared rather childish and weak when we entered the room and were greeted by a stoney silence.
But the silence was more imposed by my Grandfather's presence rather than my immature need for reassurance from my mother. My mother recovered from the surprise quicker than I did, giving a quiet "Good morning Corialanus" and taking me to the two chairs left empty, on either side of the President. She let go of my hand and I took my seat, almost cringing at the loud noise my chair made against the the floor as I shuffled it in.
"Neona" he addressed my mother I looked up to see his cold eyes on me, "and Orione. Today is a big day for you."
I glugged down my orange juice "Yes Grandfather."
"Do you know why?"
My heart stopped, and everyone in the room waited for my response. I was going to say 'because its my birthday', but that would be a selfsh thing to say, and it would mean that he was thinking of me. He would surely be thinking about himself or the family as a whole so it would be a completley different reason why it would be a big day
"I am being presesented today."
"Yes" he drew the word out and exagerated the 's', sounding like a patronising serpent. I was relieved I had gotten the right answer but then I felt almost angry that I was happy. It made me sit up straighter in my chair. My Grandfather took in the movement with a small smile before taking a drink of a red fruit mixture and checking his holo laying on the table beside him. "Ratings have shown that you are not a popular member of this family" he began, as if discussing a new product for sale "you are distant and inaccessible to your demographic". He glanced up from the holo, the light blue light catching in his pale eyes, making them glow unnaturally "this will change tonight."
"Yes Grandfather" I said, while trying to take in the information he was giving me. Distant and inaccessible? I was part of the most famous and important family in Panam, how could I be distant and inaccessible when I was broadcast on to every television screen in the country?
He slammed his hand on the table, making all around the table jump and bringing my eyes back to his "'Yes Grandfather' is not good enough. You will be charming, and talkative. You will flirt and dance and entertain your guests. It is time you become the granddaughter that everyone expects you to be. Do you understand?" His face was calm apart from his blazing eyes and the fact that he had just finished shouting at me.
"I do" I replied, somehow knowing I should not shrink away or blink or behave like a child and run away like I wanted to. He would accept nothing but adult behaviour from me now.
He held my eyes for a second longer, and then took a few more moments to take in the rest of my face and body that he could see while I was sat at the table before nodding. He downed the rest of his drink and stood from the table with a loud scrape of his chair on the marble floor. "I will see you all this evening" and he left us.
I felt like I wanted to collapse into the bowl of citrus slices in front of me, but I couldn't and so didn't. I took a deep breath, sipped at my orange juice which had been refilled without me realising, sat up straight and began eating my breakfast, slice by slice, like the adult I was expected to be. I heard noises of cutlery and noted that the rest of the table had taken a cue from me and began eating. I looked up at my mother opposite me and she was also helping herself to butter for her toast. She caught me looking and gave me a small smile and nod of reassurance.
A welcome but very small gesture in the grand scheme of things to come this day.
I left breakfast before anyone else. I would find no enjoyment in my family's company this morning and to be honest I just wanted to get the day started; the sooner it began, the sooner it would end.
I returned to my rooms to find my two avoxes waiting for me; Mairin and Coral. I immediately felt sorry for them as they were unmistakeably worried about my mother's visit and my presentation gift. Mairin stood first and came over to me, taking me in her arms.
"It's ok" I said, soothing her rather than letting her sooth me. In fact I purposefully disengaged myself from her embrace before I really wanted to. But I had to prepare for the evening, for the rest of my life as an adult. He had been quite clear in that. Mairin looked down at me and signed, asking me what had happened.
Both Mairin and Coral were originally from District 4, where their life had revolved around water and the ocean. It was common for the citezens of that District to learn to sign to each other; all the better to communicate under water. It had become a bitter necessity for the two of them when their tongues had been cut and they had become avoxes. Having them serve me for the last 8 years meant that they had taught me their signs, among other things.
"I must become more popular. More likable. More grown up." I said looking at the two of them "Its starts tonight at my presentation and I guess it will continue from there."
They were silent (or rather unmoving) before Coral began signing, asking More best? I guessed that she meant "more popular?" (the sign language didn't have an extensive vocabulary) so replied "I am inaccessible to my demographic". I sounded glum, and I was. I didn't understand how I could change their view of me. I thought I had been doing the best I could, being all smiles and laughs for the camera but apparently they wanted more. He wanted more.
The heated feeling bubbled up inside me again and I had the sudden urge to throw something at someone. I breathed deeply and looked at my avoxes, the closest people to friends I had. "I have to flirt and dance and be entertaining. How do I even do that?"
They looked at eachother, utterly perplexed which was utterly unhelpful. I flopped face down onto my bed, wishing very dearly that I had not gotten out of bed at all, when there was a knock at the door. I sprang up and rearranged my dress and hair, checked the girls were ok (they confirmed with nodds) and answered the door.
My youngest Aunt, Cornelia, stood radiant infont of me.
"May I enter?" she asked, and walked past me without waiting for a reply. I closed the door behind her and watched her take a seat in my small living area. "Coffee" she said in the general direction of Coral and Mairin, who sprang to life at her request. I frowned at the fact that it was not a request, more an order which I thought rude until I remembered that she was not friends with her avoxes, let alone mine. I sat opposite her, mirroring her rod straight back and hands placed just so in her lap. When I had been still for exactly 3 seconds, she moved her eyes away from the view outside of my window and onto me. "This is an exciting day for you and you are not acting like it."
It was almost a threat, her pale blue eyes (exactly the same shade as her father's) bore into me, but her mouth was set into an easy smile.
"I'm still taking it all in" I replied.
The exchange was paused while Coral poured us coffee. When I knew Cornelia was not looking I gave a small nod of thank you, and Coral receded into the background of the room; present but not imposing.
"You are withdrawn and quiet and reserved. That is why you appear inaccessible" she said, taking a precise sip of her coffee and placing it back on the saucer.
"Those are hard traights to change" I said, taking my own sip and finding it rather bitter for my taste. Coral must have made it to how she knew Cornelia liked it.
"Yes. But you will change." This she said more lightheartedly, possibly because the mere fact that it was true was threatening enough.
I looked at her and she at me. There could be no mistaking that we were family; both ash blonde and pale blue eyes. The same cheekbones and lips appeared on pale skin, indicating our shared relation but she was sharper, her nose and chin more angular like her mother. She had a keeness in her eye as well which belied her age. She was only 3 years older than me but I could see her experience, knowledge, cunning, and I knew that I could not fake that in a million years.
The simple fact that I had been isolated, discouraged from interaction, was a disasterous disadvantage in this.
"How do I do it?" I asked quietly, failing to keep the distress out of my voice. I had shrunk so I was leaning over my coffee cup, just looking into it, and did not know she had risen from her seat unitl I saw her feet in front of mine. I looked up and she was smiling down at me. She looked happy that I was dejected. She sat down next to me, took my coffee cup away and replaced it with her own hands. They were exactly like mine. When I looked up she had made her face into a more sympathic one.
"What you have to remember is that everyone wants to be you." She must have seen how perplexing I found that as she continued "you are a Snow. Rich, happy, you get everything you want and more. You are the epitome of a priveledged Capitol life. And tonight you will be presented as such. You will BE as such. Do you understand?"
She was trying to be helpful but all it reminded me of was my Grandfather's short but viciferol speech to me under an hour ago. I sat up and removed my hands from her, placing them just so in my lap and nodded to her. Yes, I understood.
She smiled so it must have been convincing "It will be a party like you have never been to before; even bigger than my own presentation" she gave a short, tinkling laugh and I wondered whether she was bitter at this. I decided to assume that she was "and all eyes will be on you for the duration." I swallowed at that and decided to take note of what she was saying.
She went through how the evening would run, what would happen and when, what would be expected of me in each part. It was boggling, and I wished I had more time to prepare. Yes, I had spent the majority of my life with a television crew present, but this would be different; they would be there for me and me alone. I would not be able to hide behind a supposed shared joke with my sister, or an invented question whispered to my mother. I would be live on screen all night.
When she had finished, or maybe when she saw my panic peek, my Aunt stood "Now, I will leave you. No doubt Gretto is lingering outside" she said with a wink, "I hope I have helped some."
"Yes" I said quickly, standing and walking her to my door, "you have, thank you."
I was just about to open it when she caught my hand "This does not mean you have to lose yourself." For the first time ever, my aunt looked at me with a semblance of concern. Then she blinked and her cool gaze was back on me "Just be a different side of you. A better side" and she walked out of my rooms in a haze of wintery blonde hair, pale blue skirts and the unmistakebale hint of roses in the air
Gretto entered before I realised he was waiting outside. Today saw him in a pale pink ensemble, with his body art a matching shade. I was going to close the door but others followed him. I was able to close the door after 7 other individuals entered. I don't think I had ever had that many people in my rooms before. They were all chattering amongst themselves until Gretto stuck his holo under his arm and clapped loudly while saying 'come come come come come come" until they were all silent and all attention was on him.
Mairin came up beside me and gave me a nudge. I kept my face still, lest I frown at her and get her into trouble, and moved to the group of brightly coloured individuals.
"Miss Orione, please be seated" Gretto began, gesturing to my small couch opposite the group of strangers. When I sat, he began.
And he didn't stop for two and a half hours. I was dreading a briefing like this but my fear that I would be bored or fall asleep was unfounded; my panic and fear of failure meant I took in every single word he said. Similar to Aunt Cornelia, Gretto went through each stage of the evening, but in a more formal manner, giving me more detail of what I should do and how it would segway into the next part.
He introduced me to the television producer and the two camera men who would be shooting me, preparation and all, starting from directly after this meeting. I kept my face a blank canvas to hide my shock and disappointment that it would begin so quickly. My prep team: the stylist Danica (whose name was actually just a symbol, but the symbol read as Danica) and his team of three assistants. They were extremely dressed in vibrant colours and textures that I hadn't realised could be made into material, let alone clothing. Danica also had extensive enhancements to his bare arms and shoulders; jems and metal of all colours were inlaid into his skin. It looked like he had sleeves made of a magnificent snake and I had the insane urge to touch him to see what it felt like. After the introductions Gretto confirmed that there were going to be the best of the best young people of the Captiol attending to make it a vibrant, exciting and youthful party; the envy of all 16 year olds. I had time to note that that was a good thing, almost exactly what my Grandfather wanted from the evening, and from me, when Gretto handed me a holo. Not only did it contain the guest list (including pictures) but the back catalogue of the band that would be playing, along with the latest recording polls so I could familiarise myself with the music that the DJ would be playing.
"And when does the evening begin?" I asked, scrolling through the holo, seeing the hundreds of guests and the hundreds of songs.
"As I said" Gretto hissed, "you will be presented at 7pm." The assistants giggled at a comment that Danica had whispered but they ceased when they saw Gretto's unimpressed look. "Do you have any other questions?" he asked, obviously exasperated
I thought of the hundreds of questions that were swirling around in my head but stilled as I saw the cameramen raise their equipment and point it at me. I relaxed my body and put on what I hoped was an easy smile and chimed 'No, but I know how to contact you if I do."
He noticed the change in me and made his own adjustments "Of course Miss. I am, as ever, at your call" he made a galant bow and turned so he could be seen on the camera striding confidently out of my room. One camera followed him while the other remained on me, and the producer Orme, not looking up from his holo.
So it would be non stop from now on. Coral caught my eye, smiling, nodding and signing for me to be happy. My only response was the small hand signal for ok, hardly a twitch to anyone who didn't know the sign language.
I turned to Danica with what I hoped was an excited smile on my face, "So what's first?"
First was the dress. Danica had brought a large rack full of them for me to choose from. I studiously looked at all of them, making what I hoped were relevent and engaging comments for the cameras.
Mairin stood behind the cameramen, in the process of clearing the table of drinks when she caught my eye, placing my mother's gift on the table where the empty glasses had been.
"Danica" I interrupted his soliloquy on a bright yellow creation, but he kept his face pleasant, "I was wondering if you could incorporate this into the outfit?" I clicked my fingers and Mairin picked up the box and brought it to me. Dancia hissed at his assistants who were moving to gather round me. They froze and he alone came to me to see the gift. As I opened the box I told how it was a gift from my mother and that it would be greatly appreciated if it could be included. I had a close up on my face for the short story behind the gift, so he could hardly refuse me, though I think he wanted to.
After striking a thoughtful pose and thinking for a moment, Danica strode to the rack and removed a silver dress with great flourish, "This will be the dress" I smiled and the assistants clapped and oohed and ahred while the cameras zoomed in.
Next was my prep, and thankfully the cameramen left as it involved me stripping. The assistants looked me over with critical eyes, Keeno came in closer and stroked my shin "No waxing required for you Miss. You were prepped before we came?"
"No" I answered honestly, making the blue assistant raise his jewelled eyebrows.
"Then you are naturally beautiful" exclaimed the female assistant with a high sing-song voice and a noticably tight smile.
I looked over to Coral who had remained present incase we needed refreshment. She smiled reassuringly and shook her head; nothing to worry about. She brought over a glass of water which I took, drank and gave back to her. She managed to give me a small sign for me to breathe, in other words relax, and I tried to do just that.
When the assistants had finished, I had a dusting of silver over my skin, my eyes were heavily shadowed in darker hues of purple and blue, to match the comb and emphasise my light eyes, and my hair - well, you couldn't see my actual hair. They had attached an extremly large and heavy wig to me, but it was not the curls piled high as I had seen on my aunts and mother when they had been made up. It was high, giving me at least an extra 3 inches of height, but consisted of straight hair ranging from my natural ash blonde tone to actual strands of silver which reached down to the small of my back. I got the impression it would look like a mane of hair.
The cameras returned along with Danica, to see what his team had done and to make sure the dress fit. His reaction was reassuring, as I saw his relief at my appearance, and we both beamed at each other. He took the my mother's gift and arranged it in the wig so it appeared more as a tiara than a mere comb, which I did very much appreciate.
"And now you can see" he said and steered me to my mirror.
I looked and did not recognise. At all. She was gleaming, and sparkled in the light. She was poised on heels that peeped out of the bottom of a flow of silver running down her body. It looked like it had been poured on her, the material somehow showing meandering streams of light. And the hair, I had not noticed that there were intricate braids throughout, giving it the same amount of subtle texture that the dress had. Surely it was just a coincidence that she moved at exactly the same time as I did?
"She's a Snow Princess" Chimed the female assistant.
She was right, I was a Snow. There was no denying the pale eyes, light hair (even if it wasn't my own on show). I even saw my Aunt Cornelia in the way I stood before the mirror. And in a completely different way I was a snow princess, because with the silver tones, the shine of the material and luminescance of my skin, I could be made of snow and ice.
I beamed as I turned, giving my face to the camera while looking over at Danica and his team, clapping at their amazing effort and graciously thanking them for making me feel beautiful.
