Disclaimer: I don't own the Hunger Games plot, but the President belongs to me
A/N: Another way of submissions, thank you – in case you want to submit a character, I've put the tribute and mentor/escort/stylist submission form on my profile.
Spaces left: If you have submitted a character, they have been accepted into either your district or back up district, but here's a quick summary of the spaces I have left.
Female tribute – 11 (Though I'm pretty sure that district nine may still have an opening unless I hear back from another writer :S true true)
Male tribute – 3, 5, 6, 7, 9
Mentor – (any except 4 and 11)
Escort – (any except 4)
Stylist – (any!)
Chapter 04
President Phoenix held the device to her ear in shock, never in her lifetime did she expect to hear that her plan to protect her only grandchild and living relative had been foiled. Never. With the reaping happening in only a mere few hours, there was a microscopic chance that the President would be able to organise a new volunteer for Arianna.
"Arianna, everything will be alright, Teagan was disposable in the overall scheme of things."
"Disposable?" Arianna squealed over the phone. "Grandma, what do you mean disposable?"
"She was put in your house to protect you – at any cost. Now I have sent a team of Peacekeepers to take the body away."
"What?"
"Enough!" Phoenix snapped. "You listen to me now, young lady. You are nearly at the end of the time that you can be reaped in, so whatever happens, you must promise me that you will not volunteer on any accounts. Promise me!"
"But what if-"
"I said promise me Arianna." The President of the games listened and waited for a reply, before prompting one.
"Fine Grandma…" Arianna sighed. "Grandma, I'm not going to be chosen. In all the years I've been in the reaping bowl, I've never once been chosen."
That wasn't strictly speaking true. When she was fourteen, I had a plan orchestrated before Teagan was used to protect Arianna. I had the escort signal another tribute to volunteer instantly, should my granddaughter's name be chosen. As soon as I had watched the escort click her fingers on the screen as if she was trying to say the name, I knew what the name was on the parchment. Arianna Phoenix. I had her name changed to Phoenix soon after her parents died.
"Yes, Arianna." President Phoenix nodded slowly. "I wish you luck in the reaping. Goodbye."
It tore Phoenix apart knowing that she couldn't help her own flesh and blood, she couldn't protect her granddaughter.
"My, my, what a predicament you are in right now…" Fox stood in the doorway and taunted the president. He looked down at the cuff of his white blazer. "Oh, look at that, a speck of blood. Pity, because now I'll have to get a new suit."
"What are you doing here, Fox?" Phoenix walked towards the door and past the gamemaker on the way out of the room. "So how is Horatio's son?"
Fox clenched his jaw shut for a moment before opening his mouth. "My son is not Horatio's. Thalia would not betray me after I married her. And my son has a name, it's Paris, and you know that. Thalia is a faithful wife, and she may have indulged in encounters with her colleague, but that does not mean that Paris is not my son."
"Is that so?" Phoenix raised an eyebrow. "Come along then, let's go and see if our colleagues have managed to set up a projection link with the districts. I would very much like to hold Thalia and Horatio's son in my arms."
Fox's fists shook, but rather than confront the president, he walked away.
"I thought so," President Phoenix mumbled to herself.
She took her private transport shuttle towards the viewing centre. The viewing centre was a new building that had been constructed in the last year so that the President and her entourage of assistants could watch the Games and analyse Fox's gamemaker abilities.
President Phoenix met Thalia Siren- now Fox – on the private balcony holding her baby son in her thin and fragile looking arms.
"He's growing so big lately, and you grow so thing, Thalia… May I hold him?" Phoenix held her arms out for the child.
"Of course- he looks more and more like his father every day." Thalia looked dotingly at her son as she placed him into the President's arms. "Babies are such wonderful creatures."
"You say he looks like his father – but which one do you mean?" President Phoenix glanced at Thalia, eager to know the honest answer. "Well, you told me all those years ago about your so called meetings with Horatio, and also with Leo. But what I'd like to know, is who the real identity of your son's father is…"
"I don't know," Thalia replied bravely. "It doesn't matter though, because Leo is my husband and Paris is my son. By marriage, Leo will always be Paris' father. Besides, Horatio has already moved on, and with an Avox girl at that. It's a disgrace."
"Oh, well I knew Horatio was a promiscuous character, but I know that you will do what is best for Paris. Though I'm sure that the tributes and youngsters of Panem would love to see the little guy growing up like this… Perhaps you should bring him along when you're commentating about the Games," Phoenix suggested, before forcefully adding, "I would very much like for that to happen."
"Yes ma'am." Thalia took her son back before leaving Phoenix on the balcony by herself.
"Well, well Thalia… This is an intriguing situation you have put yourself in, now I know that not even you have the knowledge regarding Paris' biological father, I have something over all three of you. Be careful who you decide to cross little girl, because you do not want to mess with me. I can ruin your life in seconds."
At this point, the escort from district one was just approaching the microphone, ready to read out the name of the female tribute. Before they had even gotten there, a male tribute had volunteered to be put forwards. He was now standing at the escort's left side waiting to hear who his fellow tribute and probably most trusted ally would be.
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = What a cold heartless person President Phoenix has become… Well, make sure to review and submit a character if you'd like to! quickly whilst spaces last!