art III: If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber'd here, While these visions did appear.

The first snow fall came down in mid-October. The flakes were light and melted the moment they tapped the brown, orange, red and yellow leaves in the pile Cashmere had raked.

"Can I jump in it?" Twinkle asked, her periwinkle eyes eagerly awaiting her sister's approval. The two of them had been working on clearing the large, front lawn most of the day.

With Gloss spending his days attending the Academy and their parents working diligently at their jobs, Cashmere and Twinkle were left to do chores.

Cashmere glanced between her half-sister and all her hard work. All it took was a roll of her shoulders and flick of her wrist, and next thing she knew, Twinkle was giggling up a storm as she flew into the pile of leaves. Two year olds and their simple pleasures.

"Again!" she cried after rolling off of her back and onto her warm, sheep skin boots. Those shiny teeth were irresistible as they stretched into the most charming little smile Cashmere had ever seen. Picking her sister up once more, she threw both of them into the pile of leaves. The little girl squirmed as Cashmere's gloved hands tickled her in the sides.

"Cash-mwere! Stop! Cash!" Twinkle giggled loudly.

"Nuh-uh! You wanted to jump in. I can't help it if the tickle monster wants you out of her leaves." Cashmere gripped a little harder into her sister's body; she could feel the small ribs surrounding her fingers.

"Ouch! Cash-mwere!" Twinkle whined, her small elbows pushing at Cashmere's thin sides, "Get off!"

She did not. Cashmere continued to dig her thin fingers and pointed nails into her sister's chubby body unconsciously harder. It was only when Twinkle began to wail and tears fell down her face that Cashmere truly removed her hands from her sister.

The toddler's wails were sharp and loud as they rang through open windows and bounced off the bricks of homes. Fellow Victors' popped their heads out their windows, their ears tracking the scream. Cashmere could feel the multi-colourful eyes honed in on her, evaluating her. What is the little prissy Victor going to do next? Twinkle squirmed out of her sister's touch, the moment Cashmere tried to lift her out of the pile of leaves. Then the crying amplified to be twice as loud and shrill.

"HELP! CASHMERE!" Kaiser screamed until his voice cracked as he swam against the current.

It was no use though; there were only four of them left in the Games, Syn and Julia working together to kill off her and Kaiser before they could kill them. The District Two teammates had chased them towards the river. Kaiser the stronger swimmer took his chance and drove into the rushing water, attempting to escape. What he had not anticipated were the creatures that dwelled in the river.

"CASHMERE PLEASE! HELP!" he continued to shrill as the 16 foot alligator mutt slithered its way towards him at an alarming speed. However, she could not move since the thick and heavy mud beneath her feet suctioned her to the ground. Attempting to lift one foot at a time, she found the mud had a quicksand like quality, bringing her down further every time she struggled.

"KA—AH!" Her answer was muffled with a shriek as Syn, with his grip of iron, pulled out a third of her matted blond curls from the root. She fell to her knees, her clothes soaking with mud and a dirty, hefty boot crunched down onto her spine, popping her spinal discs out of place.

"CA-CA- CASH - MERE!" Kaiser yelled over gulps of murky water. "CA-!"He tried again to grab her attention. As Syn pulled her head up and towards him, with what remained of her hair, the mutt sank its 80 teeth into Kaiser's thigh and ripped his leg clean off his body.

It was a battle of screeching between the two of them until Kaiser's canon sounded. It was music to everyone's ears.

Her fingers slipped from around Twinkle's waist, placing the girl gently onto the pile of leaves. Crouching down around herself, fists balled into her eye sockets, Cashmere rocked herself on the balls of her feet. She could not have saved him that day. It was her life or his, eventually he would have lost. It was better this way. It is better this way.

"It's better this way," she cooed to herself. He's in a better place. They both could not have gotten out of there alive. It was impossible. "It's better this way, Kai, it's better."

"Cas," Gloss' silky smooth voice filled her head, replacing all the dull sounded screams. She felt his strong hand relaxingly rub deep circles into her back, as well as calloused finger tips rub the ends of her hair between them. "It's much better this way. You're home. You're safe. Kai's… safe too. It's over."

Her eyes darted up to meet Gloss' shimmering silver ones. The grief, sorrow and helplessness tugged at the edges of his irises, causing her stomach to curdle. Uncurling her fingers from around themselves, she rested one finger at a time into her brother's gleaming, outstretched hand. The smile that graced her lips happened without even her knowledge; pushing all her weight down into his clasped palm, this time she found herself not tripping over her feet.

"Are you alright now?"

Cashmere shook her wispy curls, "As alright as I'm going to be today. Where's Twinkle?"

"She's fine; Mom came out and grabbed her after you let her go just now."

Cashmere sighed with relief as she rested her head on Gloss' shoulder, "Thank you."

"You have impeccable timing, you know," Gloss chuckled a little before he kissed the top of her head. "I had just walked through the gate when it happened,"

"Well aren't I lucky?"

The rest of the evening was quiet. When Gersemi came home for dinner that night, he greeted his wife in the sunroom with the expected kiss. Where he would have given Cashmere a kiss as well, he just smiled carefully at her and placed his knobby hand on her shoulder and squeezed.

"Can you go make me some tea, Cas? It's been a long day." She returned his smile and nodded. Before leaving the room she placed a short kiss on his hollow cheek.

"Honey and milk?"

"That would be perfect."

No more, no less was said. Gersemi did not need to ask inane questions to piece together that something had gone horribly wrong today. Since Cashmere's return, Twinkle had spent a great deal of her waking hours in her oldest sister's presence. It was rare for her to be wrapped in Gloss' arms watching a movie and eating popcorn.

So he sat there with his girls, his steaming tea in his hands and his thoughts straining to stay on the current situation. All this turmoil, this was not something Gersemi ever remembered the Academy preparing them for.

To his grave misfortunate, Gersemi was the one to silence the blaring house phone at seven o'clock the following morning. His face lost its colour as all the sultry, but authoritative 'good morning' found its way deep inside his ear drum and echoed off the walls of his skull.

"Good – Morning," Gersemi coughed ever so lightly.

"Starting your day so soon?" a gentle cough on the other end mirrored his own.

"Yes, Mr. President, sir. I could not get the day's preservatives out to the grocers if I didn't."

"Very well, my son and I look forward to that delicious organic apricot jam, in those quaint glass bottles my wife used to adore, for brunch." President Snow coughed gently once more, "Speaking of brunch, I have decided to invite Cashmere to grace our table. May I speak with her in order to pass on the invitation?"

"One moment, Sir, I will go wake her." Gersemi carefully placed the phone on hold, leaving the receiver facing down on the kitchen counter. He found Cashmere curled up, yet again, against her brother, her blonde hair splashed over the pillow in waves while her smooth face rested peacefully on his chest. Having to wake her was cruel.

"Cashmere," Gersemi whispered and nudged her ever so gently, taking a step back every time. "President Snow is on the phone, he'd like to speak to you."

Her eyes shot open, giving him a start and unconsciously causing him to stumble backwards a few steps. She had thrown the black converter and bound down the stairs, nearly tumbling down them head first, without realizing who had woken her. It seemed not to matter to her.

Following along behind her, at a much more leisurely pace, Gersemi stood outside the doorway, ear open. He did not believe in eavesdropping, he normally respected his children's space, but when they receive phone calls from the President, personally, that is a whole 'nother story.

"Good Morning, Mr. President, sir," Cashmere politely greeted into the receiver, her voice void of all implications that she had woken up no more than five seconds prior, "How may I help you?" There was a short pause, what Gersemi assumed was the President putting forth his invitation. "Eleven thirty? Yes, I can be in the Capitol on the next train. Yes, sir, see you soon. Goodbye." Hanging up the receiver, Cashmere wasted no time in preparation. Swiftly, she passed by her father, up the stairs and the water for the shower started moments later.

Having a second cup of tea, Gersemi waited for his daughter. As he placed the mug down in the titanium basin, the clacking of heels had touched the kitchen tiles. She was dressed in a stark white, backless, lace summer dress with a silver shawl covering her shoulders and three quarters of her arms. Her face was free of blemishes as they were all covered with a thick powder, which made her vibrant eyes sparkle.

"You look wonderful, Cashmere." He smiled. She barely smiled back as she crossed the room towards him. Planting a kiss on his cheek, Gersemi felt the smallest amount of gloss touch his skin.

"Is it too much trouble if I ask you to drop me off at the station? Will you be late for work?" She was off to see the President, and yet Cashmere stood before him, worried about his schedule. He could not be more proud.

"Of course not, it is on the way anyways."

"Thank you," this time, she smiled a little more.

"I should be home for dinner," she called back to her father as she exited the car the moment they arrived at the platform. "If I am not, I will make sure to make a phone call, alright? Please, tell Mom and Gloss not to worry. I will be fine."

"Of course, my dear. Have a safe trip." With one final kiss, they parted ways and Cashmere boarded the train. That sinking feeling in his chest cleared rather quickly as Gersemi drove away. Cashmere was going to come home again and again. She was a Victor. Victors survived everything.

The two hour trip south was silent. With not a soul to chat with, Cashmere found herself watching the passing scenery absent-mindedly. There was nothing to think, consider, worry or contemplate. There was only what President Snow needed of her. Her nightmares did not matter, they were not real. Kaiser was not alive to join her in her home in Victor's Village, where they laughed over a cup of coffee as they watched Twinkle play in the yard. Kaiser could not have Snow rip his life away from him because she was a careless girl and ignored him. He had no life left to give.

She was thankful for the lack of bodies of water the mountains had. Cashmere would not have been able to keep from crying if she saw one.

Luciana and Nero greeted her on the platform when the train arrived in the Capitol. She had an hour to spare before brunch was to begin.

"I told you, you should have come back right away," Luciana tisked as her nails drummed gently against her clipboard. Cashmere pursed her glistening lips, on the ready to part so that she could rip the escorts head from her neck with her teeth.

"It's better this way, though," Nero interjected before she lost control, "I have been informed that Caius will be joining you today. That alone is a treat!"

"Caius? Caius who?"

Nero chuckled as he ran a hand through his sculpted bright red hair, "Caius Snow, darling. The President's youngest son. Beautiful man if I do say so myself; quite the heartbreaker and Hunger Games enthusiast." Cashmere was not sure if it was the bright sun as it bounced off Nero's hair, or if the man applied too much rouge but his face was nearly as red as his hair. Luciana shot the stylist a stony look. He most likely was blushing then. "What? Am I really not allowed to toot my own horn? He asks for me specifically every time but even without my expertise he is dashing."

Luciana rolled her eyes, "Only someone sleeping with him would say that. I would never put my trust blindly into a national playboy, especially one with a reputation like Caius'."

Nero snorted, "I wish I was sleeping with him, honey. He won't lay a finger on me no matter how hard I try," Nero wrinkled his nose as ran his hand through his hair again,"Cashmere, regardless of how I am personally acquainted with him, he is wonderful company. He is courteous and a true gentleman." Nero proclaimed proudly. "I am happy to work with him. His taste is simple. Though, I would never say no if he wished to go above and beyond. Then again, this is only brunch. Maybe I will make a suggestion at his next function." Cashmere watched as Nero sunk into a world of designing, his eyes going blank and feet misguiding him.

Luciana continuously shook her head as she pushed Cashmere and Nero into the car, "I suppose we don't need to prep you before you go. You did make yourself rather presentable before you arrived."

"Your faith in me is most reassuring," Cashmere rolled her eyes.

"Oh, getting snippy now. You stay away from Mr. Abernathy. I am not a masochist like Effie; I have no tolerance for crude behaviour."

"I know, Lucy. Don't have to tell me twice."

When they arrived at the mansion, Avoxs were littered all along the front yard, scurrying in the entrance hall as well as up and down flights of stairs. They carried large buckets of cleaning chemicals, mops, dust rags and sponges in their too small arms. They crinkled like paper under her curious gaze. She had never seen an Avox truly at work before. Taking her eyes off them, Nero pushed them deeper into the Mansion. More paintings decorated the walls and supposed 'famous' sculptures lay rest in the corners of hallways; collecting dust. That is until an Avox comes and wipes and polishes it clean.

Nero escorted her into the dining room, where the President sat at the head of the table, papers splayed out in front of him as a phone rests between those boney fingers of his. Eyebrows knit together as his other hand pinched the bridge of his nose. She would definitely need to be on her absolute best behaviour today.

"Do not fight with me, you fool! Just make sure it happens!" and he hung up the phone, loudly, causing the Avox who held the machine in his hands to nearly fall forward. Cashmere watched as the flicker of tension in the air evaporated and absorbed into the ground.

"So nice to see you again, Ms. Reitz, I hope the trip up was pleasant." Snow turned to her, the disinterest in his eyes defying his tone.

"Very much so. Thank you for inviting for brunch, it's quite the honour."

Snow smiled, those puffed lips of his spilling with blood. It did not last long, this moment of decomposing. With a short wipe of his lips, hard lines etched themselves back onto his face as false delight became his mask once more.

"I am sorry you had to see me like that. Now, all we're waiting on is that inconsiderate son of mine. If only he would have chosen a better time to be entertained." Snow breathed out, exasperated. Shifting his work into a messy pile, he handed the papers to a waiting Avox. "Just leave them on my desk. Do not file them, do not look at them. You are to be in there no longer than 30 seconds, do I make myself clear?" The President seethed. The Avox nodded his head repeatedly before leaving the room diligently.

Cashmere plastered on the best smile she could, using just the appropriate number of teeth.

"Please, child, sit down. You standing around is making me anxious," Snow ushered her into a chair, that a third Avox had pulled out for her at the ready. "You look marvelous today though, was Nero responsible for your choice in outfit?" He glanced up at the stylist and gave Nero the largest grin she had ever seen on him.

"No sir, but Nero did make the outfit." She claimed. The President's smile did not shift a fraction, his dark brown eyes boring wholes into his skull.

"Very nice. Why don't you go help that lazy, worthless son of mine out of bed before I rip that reptile's neck open and see how she likes dying from a jugular wound?"

"Yes, of course sir! Right away sir!" Nero scampered off and out of the room.

Snow sighed, "Never have children, my dear. Their selfishness alone can be the death of you."

"Twinkle can be quite demanding, sometimes I wished my parents would spoil her less."

"Isn't it you who does the spoiling though?"

"Hardly. I had her do chores with me yesterday."

"Ah, yes. I'm so sorry about what happened. I do hope your mental state has stabilized."

Cashmere forced her smile not to falter at his forced sympathy, "For the moment, I am alright. Thank you."

"I'm glad to hear that. Wouldn't want the perfect princess to be breaking down at impromptu opportunities, now would we?"

"No sir. It is all under control," At least for the time being.

Avoxes pushed their way through the swinging doorway, connected directly to the kitchen. Golden carts were pushed beyond the doors, carrying assorted jams, district breads, bagels, cakes, fish and chicken spreads, as well as every flavour of coffee and tea Cashmere could think of.

"Caius is incredibly fickle. He can never decide what he wants. It's tiresome really. We're much too old for these games." Snow sighed. He took the napkin from the Avox's hand and folded it over his lap. A steaming biscuit was placed on his plate, while a bowl full of crab salad lay in front of him, knife at the ready for spreading it on the baked bread.

The same Avox then came over to her, the girl's brown eyebrows raising in question as she held a napkin in her hand. Cashmere shook her head and took the piece of cloth and placed it into her lap gently. It was so hard to choose what to have first. Assortments of sliced and rolled meats arrived next on a trolley; there was no doubt in her mind why Caius would be so indecisive.

There was a crash in the distance, sparking Cashmere's back to stiffen and eyes open wide. The uneven steps of a person came closer towards them, until finally the grand doors of the main entrance way flew open. The man looked undeniably frazzled. His suit jacket lay open for the world to see his crisp, white dress shirt hanging loosely over his exposed chest. Black slacks hung lose around his hips, his white belt loosely clasped around it. It had looked as if he had thrown everything together without much care of how presentable he was. With a scoff, Cashmere's emerald eyes sweeped back up his exposed body, to his identical bright green eyes that shifted frantically around the room and his head of pristine snow white bed… Oh!

"You!" Cashmere rudely pointed at him. Caius' eyes locked on hers, the hazy frantic expression honing in on her. His own realization of her presence seemed to put him into a much larger panic. Caius nearly tripped over his own, untied shoelaces to get to Cashmere. "I saw you last month, at the din-" but he would not let her finish. Having made his way across the room, he towered over her seated body. Head bent low, his thick, manly hand cupped her chin ever so slightly as his full pink lips crashed into hers. Teeth and all. She blinked once, twice, until her eyelids closed and she kissed him back. Definitely not the most refined kiss, but she has had much worse.

"I'm so sorry I'm late, darling," Caius' voice was sultry even with its tinge of morning raspiness. "If I knew you were our guest of honour, I would have met you at the station." Panic and uncertainty melted away and hid behind a thin layer of charm. Cashmere found herself giggling softly under her breath. Capitol people, how easily they believe they fool others.

"Your tardiness is unacceptable," Snow calmly directed to Caius, who had properly buttoned and straightened up his clothes.

"I apologize wholeheartedly, Father. Last night's … happenings did not end as swiftly as I had hoped."

Wiping the crumps of biscuit off his mouth, Cashmere felt the atmosphere change once more upon Snow looking directly at his son. Searing hatred whirled around them like electric currents inside a force field. "I would put your head on a spit, if you were anything but my son, Caius." The President spat at him, rising from his chair and throwing his splotched red napkin onto the empty plate. "You are to hand me your report after your meeting with Ms. Reitz. You have no later than tomorrow morning to do so, is that clear?"

"Crystal clear, Father," Caius nodded, the fear seeping back onto his face. Cashmere watched as the President gave his son one last, long look before he left the dining room. Not even one of the many Avoxes so much as blinked after the President left. It was not until Caius let out deep breath that everyone got back to work.

"Sincerely, I am truly sorry I was so late. Sometimes Father does things so short notice that even I can't prepare for it." He gently smiled at her. "Congratulations on your victory this year! You and Syn put on one hell of a show! It was nearly impossible for me to take my eyes away from the screen. My friends had collected quite the sum of money from their bets after you pierced his dirty, rotten heart with that sword. We celebrated for 3 days!"

Cashmere looked up at him, fork idly resting between her fingers with the smallest bit of Eggs Benedict sitting on the prongs. His eyes were glowing with thrill. She could feel a mixed sense of pride and disgust trickle through her veins, "Thank you. You are not allowed to bet in the Games, Mr. Snow?"

"Please don't call me that, it's so formal. Caius is best." He wrinkled his perfectly sculpted nose and served himself deviled eggs and a salmon slathered bagel. "To answer your question, no I can't. I wish I could though, but as the Assisting Director of Player Affairs, I am not allowed to dirty my hands and affect the odds. Fate is fate, my dear, nothing can change that." Caius' face had dropped a fraction, his mask of contentment switching out for sorrow. Cashmere may have caught even a hint of shame in his voice, but she was not certain. "But that is not anything your gorgeous head needs to worry about. How have you been this morning? Your family doing well?"

"I'm quite well, thank you. I believe my family is doing well. My mother seems less anxious than she had been after I came home the night of the party. Though Gloss is a little more on edge, he seems to follow Twinkle and I around."

Caius' chuckle filled every corner of the room, "Gloss, he's a very interesting fellow, isn't he. Always so attentive towards you, so understanding. It's odd really, that he cares so much about a young woman who he's not related to by blood. He looked unnaturally flustered when Caesar interviewed your family during the quarter finals of your games."

"We're the other's best friend, of course. It's normal." She narrowed her eyes at him. A sigh parted through his lips as he rested his head on a set of curled knuckles.

Caius other arm reached across the table, placing his hand on top of Cashmere's, "If you say so, darling," he brought the hand up to his lips, "That means more for me then."

"What about Enobaria?"

Caius' raised his brow and pulled his hand away from Cashmere's, "Oh, we're just well acquainted, that's all."

"So it's just colleagues having sex?"

"Nothing more, nothing less," Caius shrugged. "She frightens me too much to be anything more. Enobaria also lacks a sort of elegance." He took a sip from his coffee that lay resting in his other hand, "Having her as my date to formal functions, especially with those teeth of hers," He shuttered, "would leave a sour taste even in my mouth."

"Some gentleman you are," She huffed, "Sleeping with women and then tossing them aside. I will have to inform Nero he is sadly mistaken about his crush."

Caius blinked. He got from his chair and waltzed around to Cashmere's side of the table. He really was quite tall and now with his suit fitting properly across his upper body, he looked like one of those sculptures she passed by in the hallway. All beautiful smooth lines and chiselled features.

He kneeled down in front of her, bringing him down to her eye level. Those manly hands of his that had touched her face early that morning, wrapped themselves under her jaw. His thumbs stroked her cheeks as his head tilted ever so slightly.

"You don't know," he whispered against her shinning lips, "None of them told you." She pushed her lips into his, her hands gently keeping his in place. "Now that's…not fair." Caius kissed her with more power, pulling her closer towards him. "Let me show you around the Capitol, Cashmere. There are so many gorgeous places that so many Victors don't get a chance to see." He pulled away and pushed himself onto his feet. "I don't want you to associate the Capitol with all your negative experiences. It truly can be a wonderful place!"

Cashmere nodded before she realized exactly what she was agreeing too, "You have witchcraft in your lips, did you know that?"

Caius chuckled as he guided her out of her chair, "Today is the first I've heard of it."

By the end of their day, Cashmere retracted her ill thoughts of Caius. Nero had been right; he was nothing short of a gentleman as he weaved her in and around the busy streets of the Capitol. He took her shopping down the accessories district. The windows were filled with trinkets she knew were only handcrafted by those people from home. They seemed to cost the most amount of money, though in comparison to the cheap knock offs Caius pointed out to her, even the citizens from the Capitol cut corners where they could.

He took her through: the largest botanical garden in the Capitol and bought her a large bouquet gardenia; through the zoo, where mutts not genetically engineered to be rabid lay rest under the midday sun and along the base of the Rocky Mountains where she got her first gulp of truly clean air.

"Is there somewhere you would like to go for dinner? A type of food that you have been craving for a while?" Caius asked from across the way at the café table they occupied. They had stopped to take a short rest and enjoy the budding night life of café terraces. Cashmere shook her head as she sipped her coffee.

"Today has been absolutely amazing, but I really should get home for dinner."

"I insist, please! The dinner menus in some of these restaurants fail in comparison to home cooking of any sort."

Cashmere stared at him pointedly, "How would you know? You've never had your mother cook you a hot meal before have you?"

Hurt clouded his eyes and the smile fell from his lips for only a brief moment before he chuckled, "My darling, Cashmere. You haven't had a meal until a five star chef has made you a meal."

Cashmere sighed, "Do you have a phone I can borrow, I need to call home."

"Tonight has been absolutely incredible," Cashmere thanked him. Her arm looped inside of his, gripping onto the thick fabric of his suit jacket while the other held a bouquet of gardenia. He had walked her down to the train station, upon her request. Staying the night in the Presidential mansion after spending the day being treated on his dollar was too much already. Cashmere had no wish to impose, plus, she would rather sleep in her own bed. Caius may have been the most enjoyable company she had in awhile, but she did not want to give him the wrong impression of her. She was in no way an easy catch.

"It was my pleasure, truly. It really is a shame you won't stay." Was that a pout forming on his lips?

"Hopefully we will see each other after the Victory Tour. If not then, most definitely at the 62nd Games," Cashmere smiled. She honestly did look forward to it now.

"Sounds like a very promising plan." Caius murmured, placing the thousandth and first kiss onto her lips that day. "Safe trip home." He smiled as he touched his forehead to hers. Cashmere hummed in agreement, the hazy spell his lips entranced her in fading slowly.

Having timed the arrival perfectly, Cashmere boarded the train at exactly half past ten. She did not know how he did it, but she finally understood how Nero was so enamoured with this man. Caius Snow really was something else.

The following morning, Caius practically pirouetted down the hallway to his father's office, nearly crinkling the file folder containing his report from his meeting yesterday. His knuckles barely drummed on the door, when he pushed himself inside the office.

"Good Morning, Father," he chimed, this time spinning in place. The President did not look up from his paper work.

"Do you have the report?"

"Yes sir," Caius smiled and slipped into the armchair adjacent from the desk. The President snatched the folder from his son's hands and flipped through it quickly.

"Everything went according to plan I'm assuming?" The President asked. He had put the folder on top of another set of folders that were being filed by two Avoxes.

"Not quite," if anything, Caius was truthful, especially when it came to his father. Lying also proved to have dire consequences. "I took her to the train. She had no desire to spend the night. I feel that makes her all the more interesting though. The harder to catch, the more thrilling in the end."

The President looked up at his son and leaned back against the soft leather of his oversized chair. "Is that so? Then she has not been informed about her situation?"

Caius mirrored his Father's hard, blank stare, "I will inform her, personally, of the services she is required to perform for the Capitol."

"Very well."

"Father," Caius started, shifting nervously in his seat, "May I be so bold as to ask for myself to be her first client?"

"Caius, my beloved son," Snow smiled in a way that was as endearing as he could be, "Happy 29th Birthday."

"Thank you, Father."