Suddenly out of the corner of my eye a flash appeared and, startled out of my previous reassuring thoughts, I whipped my head around. It was a couple walking parallel to Jamel and me. As I looked closer I realized that the man walking with the little pixie fairy creature next to him was Roman. I had nearly forgotten about him. He walked behind the little thing, looking giant and deadly as ever. He must have come from his own "Roman Price" personalized room as well for he sported the same blue silk robe I wore. I couldn't spot much of a difference in him, maybe his hair was slightly shorter, maybe his skin looked a little tanner, nothing drastic. I doubted they had to peel away his skin and scrub mercilessly at his pores. He and his team had probably laughed around in a circle and drunken their fancy drinks and eaten sanglier as they debated how he would go about killing his competitors in less then a week. Once again bested by the handsome and powerful Roman. I doubted I would live to see the day that I came out victor if ever a day existed. He noticed me then also and in between the rooms and walls that separated us there was always at least one quick hallway where we would catch a glimpse of each other. I had looked away after a while and assumed he had as well as he followed his pixie stylist to his own dressing room. When I was sure he was far enough away as not to over hear me in anyway I leaned into Jemal slightly.
"Did you see Roman just then?"
Jamel blinked and looked around slowly as we continued to walk.
"No I didn't but his dressing room right next to yours. I wouldn't be surprised is they are starting his makeup at about this time also"
I nodded and looked down at the floor thinking for a moment and then asked.
"I wont see any other competitors before the parade will I?"
Jamel shook his head and his pink dreadlocks swished heavily from across his back.
"No not unless you leave this compartment and go to the ones next door, but you aren't encouraged to do that"
It wasn't ten seconds before I piped up again.
"Do you and the other stylist teams ever get competitive. The ones within the same district?"
Jamel smiled to himself, his eyes twinkled and shone.
"You certainly ask a lot of questions don't you?"
I smirked then to myself. My mother had said things like this to me when I was younger. 'Why do you need to know why a banana has to be peeled' 'When will you ever use information on rocks in your life?' I had never really stopped asking these questions only would reclined from trying to get my answer from her. The history book in my basement had quenched my thirst for knowledge for a time but after I'd memorized it it had only left me more curious then I had been before. Now it was information about the Games that was suddenly interesting, clever of me.
"It is a perfectly plausible question Jamel"
We turned another corner.
"Of course, all of your questions are, there are just a vast amount of them"
I decided then that Jamel was a good person. I liked him, I thought he enjoyed me enough as well.
"Will you answer the question or not?"
He chuckled softly.
"No we are hardly ever competitive. Usually the two teams from each district work together the majority of the time, a team within a team, but never on the first day. That's when we have to focus on our own Tribute"
"Who is Roman's stylist?"
"His head stylist will be Hurit, accompanied by Otheo, Alina, and Tegan. I doubt if you will see much of his team but Hurit will be staying with you in your suite, as will Nanzeene."
I must have made a face because Jamel laughed again, this time from in his gut.
"I doubt she will do little more then nag, she wouldn't dare insult a Tribute, especially in front of her mentor"
We had arrived at my dressing room, Jamel opened the door for me and we both stepped inside a very wide and plain room. The walls were a mild yellowish gray and had no windows, it was possible that we were underground. All that filled the room was a hanger with a human sized bag hanging from it was well as a seat pushed off to the side accompanied by a very large black box. A few mirrors, only one full length one, coated the walls. I looked around again; Nanzeene was nowhere to be seen.
"I'll be starting your makeup" Jamel said and grabbing my hand led me toward the stool. I was surprised at first when he touched my me which, of course, was silly given the fact that just ten minutes ago he had been massaging moisturizing oil to my entire torso but still. I usually didn't like it when people touched me. Jamel's hands were warm and dry and I didn't mind too much.
"Where is Nanzeene?" I asked as he sat me down.
"She'll be here in a minute" he placed a strand of hair properly back in the dozens of rollers now crowned on my head and then simply pushed a button on the big black box. It opened, as if by magic, and formed four shelves in itself. I stared at it in surprise and then in shock as I realized it was completely filled with make up. Bottles and tubes and pencils and weird little metal things I eyed in doubt.
"All of that? That's all for me?"
"Don't sound so offended Cora, we wont be using all of it on you, mostly just this shelf" he pointed to the biggest shelf at the top.
Applying my make took almost as long 'fixing me up' had. Surprisingly enough I eventually grew to hate it much more as well. I greeted Afet and Lewa as they came to finish assisting Jamel. Nanzeene, unlike Jamel's statement, did not show up until I was completely done with my makeover. I hadn't been too worried about the excessive amounts of eyes shadow, liner, mascara, concealer, blush, toner, lip stick, gloss bronzer, and other little tubes of things I didn't know the names of but when Jamel pulled out a tuber ware of little glass orbs the size of quarters I began to be concerned.
"What is that?" I asked eyeing it suspiciously, he was now searching though his bag eventually pulling out a bottle of clear liquid glue. Afet and Lewa who were doing my hair smiled, I could see them through their position from the mirror.
"They are your scales of course" Afet beamed in excitement. I ended up with about thity flexible plastic circles of different degrees of blue covering my forhead and right side of my face.
"I look ridiculous! Jamel take them off please I look more like a disco ball then a fish!" I had cried out when he's applied the first few. The point had been lost as no one in my team of stylists had any idea what a disco ball was and I resigned to frowning in annoyance as they continued. Afet explained how it had been Jamel's idea to not just apply my dress as a costume but also my make up. The circles, my 'scales', grew lighter and lighter as they moved to the center of my face.
"We wanted them to be able to see your features while still making the scales very prominent. That's why we are only doing the right side and most of them are transparent anyway. The crowd recognizing you latter is essential to your success" Afet had now left Lewa to finish my hair, which was up in a high braided ponytail which hung loosely on my head. My hairline they decided looked best as I had done it for the Reaping with a braid running across the front of it. Loose strands purposely escaped my hairdo.
"It cant look harsh, it has to look-", Lewa closed her eyes and smiled softly searching for a correct phrase, "Like you have just come out of water. Beautiful but natural also"
"Is it very natural for humans to resemble fish?" I had tried to say it in an annoyed voice but I couldn't help but smirk at Lewa's goofy smile. She giggled lightly at me.
"Cora you have to stop looking so knowing all the time! I swear every time you smile I think you now some valuable secret about me" she continued to laugh lightly.
I cocked my head to the side.
Afet was starting to apply the bigger scales, the size of small sand dollars mixed in with quarter sized ones as well, to my right arm. They climbed all the way to my shoulder with a few spare ones dotting around my neck. They were dark blue and gold.
"They make me look like a Queen Angelfish" I mused after a while, when the scales had almost all dried, "Especially with my hair being so blond now"
"What do those look like?" Lewa asked curiously. I looked up at her reflected image in the mirror to see that she was very serious.
"Weren't you all born in District 4?" I asked very seriously. She smiled in a confused sort of way.
"Well no, no of course not. Jamel and Nanzeene were but that's only a coincidence as for them working here. I was born in District 7,'' then she made a moaning noise, "lumber".
Afet chuckled
"I couldn't imagine it Lewa, all that work. Ugh!"
She laughed.
"Afet here was born and raised in the glamorous District 1! Luxury items" she shimmied and the four of us laughed together.
"Is it mandatory that you know all of the names of fish in District 4, makes sense I suppose being the fishing district" Afet mused.
"No, well we have quizzed on the fish in Marine Science classes but it is something of a joke. Everyone knows them just from swimming and being on the boats for so long" it seems extremely foreign to me that these three characters would not know the simple name of a fish. It was so basic, knowledge three years old knew in District 4. It reminded me again, in a cold sort of way, exactly where I was. The people here had not been raised on boats with the salty wind in their hair, pointing at curious fish under the water in their 'beginner' diving gear. I had always known that people had of course lived differently, were raised differently, but I had never thought about it in detail before. It made me sad, I missed home, I realized after a while. My ocean and the sound of it at night before I drifted off the sleep safe in my bed. I touched my fingers gently to my collarbone, I'd place that in my own chest as well. The sound of the ocean crashing on rocks.
"How strange" Lewa mussed, "Jamel did you know what a Queen Angelfish- that's what it's called right Cora- was?"
I'd forgotten she'd said he was form District 4 also. He nodded looking down and adjusting a scale on one of my fingers.
"Yes, it was my inspiration for the outfit"
I watched him until he looked up at me and I was staring at his brown eyes. I could feel his eyes probing mine and I felt for a moment that he might understand my position, my sadness. He simply nodded to me and I tried to smile but couldn't do it correctly.
"She will look like a queen" Afet beamed breaking our connection. I smiled up at him to meet his huge eyes and even bigger smile. They were sweet, each and everyone of them genuinely wanting me to beautiful and perfect, not just because it was there job, but because of me. I smiled at Lewa then too, not the smirk that came so naturally, but a real one and she beamed back.
"You liked that didn't you? Being a queen?" she was laughing.
Nanzeene walked through the door then, angry as she had been the six hours prior. She was clad in what appeared to be the same outfit as before but here hair was now in a very high and messy bun. It reminded me of how many longhaired girls would simply yank their hair out of their face before a dive or while fishing on windy days. She looked tired now also. She walked through the door and just as she saw me the hard lines to her face appeared again.
"You're not in your dress yet?" she barked. I tired to pay in mind that she was suffering from the humiliation of derogation but all it did was hold me back from snapping at her. Jemal answered her then in his quiet peaceful voice.
"We were just about to Nanzeene, you're just in time."
She 'humphed' and walk quickly over to the dress unzipping the bag in one fluid movement as she talked.
"I was just in Roman's dressing room talking with Hurit about the parade. They had a minor wardrobe malfunction because that stupid twit Alinna had not crafted his sandals correctly. We decided that we'd just have the two of them go barefoot. It's simpler and works well enough with the theme." She was pulling out some light blue fabric now, there appeared to be yellow glass orbs hanging from them in random areas," I wouldn't be surprised though if Hurit kicks her off his team. Honestly her complete laziness isn't just a reflection on their team but ours also." She threw the bag to the ground and then looked at me in concentration.
"What is your bust size?" I was unsure of what she was asking and gave her a confused look. Afet jumped to my safety.
"I measured her before, it's a '6', the dress will be a little snug up top but she'll be fine"
Nanzeene nodded to herself and when she wasn't looking I saw Afet wink at me, I gave him a thumbs up back. Lewa giggled girlishly into her hand.
"Alright Jamel hold this side"
The two of them folded and held the fabric in such a precise way that I was unsure at first as to what they were doing. Then the form of a dress started to appear and Nanzeene called me over. With Afets assistance I stepped under the cloth and stood completely still as instructed, while they now folded the dress around me. Nanzeene seemed only to flick her wrist and I felt all the air leave me.
"Ehh!" I cried out in pain as the tightly tied the thing around my chest, compressing it painfully to my breast. I had to take very short little breaths to maintain circulation and air flow through out my body. I was about to comment about Nanzeene job being to make a dress that actually fit me but then I saw Jamel's expression, warning and cautious, and I snapped my mouth back shut in frustration. I could feel my brow knotted above my eyes, it made the scales on my skin clash against each other unnaturally. I wanted to slap her about as much as I assumed she wanted to slap me.
The door opened again then and I looked up to see Ezra walking easily through the door.
"Ezra!" I exclaimed enraged. He looked at me, my face all scaled up, glaring at him in anger as my team of bee's working around me and I saw his face break out into an extremely natural grin. I was surprised to see him actually smiling, it lit up his face giving him the same baby and child like appearance I had first recognized him for. He looked very much like pictures of angels from my History books description of the paintings of Michelangelo and Da Vinci.
"It's not funny!" I hissed humiliated and angered.
He put a hand up as if to excuse himself and, still smiling, looked me right in the eye.
"Oh no of course not"
He was even laughing now.
"I hate you" I sniffed simply and looked away from him to myself in the mirror, at least I was dressed now and despite my scales and makeup I thought I looked almost nice. The dress was pretty. Next to me Lewa frowned.
"Our team does not appreciate your laughter Ezra, we have been working all day on her and she looks beautiful!," she turned to look at me then a smiled, " like
a queen".
Ezra nodded hugely at us.
"I assure you it is not your work Lewa but simply my Tribute" his smile was teasing then and I turned to Lewa proudly.
"And I assure you myself Lewa your work is superb it is only my mentor who does not recognize it" I put my nose in the air and ignored his chuckle.
"We must be heading up soon, Roman is already waiting by the chariot" he was looking at the little clock on his wrist that he called a watch. My team was now sewing little things to my dress. It would take a while. Instantly my proud expression dropped and my eyebrows rose.
"I have enough time though right? I won't be late?" I asked in alarm, just imagine that, the chariots go out everyone is cheering and there is no female for District 4, just Roman standing all by him lonesome. What a great way that would be to start the Games. Ezra sighs annoyed and is now back to his old self as he rolls his eyes.
"If you don't hurry you will be"
Nanzeene pipes up then from where she is kneeling at the hem of my dress and sewing.
"Do not rush our work Ezra" she states simply and that is all that it takes to shut my mentor up. I glance down a Nanzeene, the concentrated frown she has as she sews, and even though I have decided I hate her a certain amount of respect goes out from me to her. She must truly be an amazing stylist if she can get even Ezra to shut up. After a moment she growls at Jamel.
"There are to many of these shells to sew on. You should have done it before she put it on Jamel, you had more then enough time." Her hiss is harsh and I want to protect Jamel like Afet had protected me. In her hands and I see four little yellow shells, holes covering the top of them meant to be sewed in at the hem of my layered dress. Lewa Jamel and Afet all have these shells as well and are sewing them frantically on as well.
"We thought we'd have more time, we didn't know how the dress would fall on her before she put it on" he replies simply.
"I know how to sew, I can put some on"
Ezra makes an annoyed sound but it is Nanzeene who snaps at me first.
"I will do my job Cora and you do yours alright?"
They scurry around my feet quickly and this time I cannot help myself from responding.
"It will be hard for me to do my job if you cannot even finish yours on your own" I snap. Lewa, who is behind me, gasps.
"Cora! Don't you ever speak to your stylist like that" Ezra barks in a fury, "don't you realize what she's done for you?" I refrain from looking at him but instead mutter harshly.
"She wont have done anything at all if it is by her mistake that I make a first bad impression."
Nanzeene looks up at me and I think for a moment that she really will slap me, her brown eyes are in flames, she opens her mouth to yell. Jamel beats her to it.
"Cora, you will do well to know your place when speaking to Nanzeene. How dare you question her," the look of disappointment in his eyes makes me look away, "and Nanzeene we need about every hand we can get right now" he pulls out a needle and instructs me wears to sew three small shell handed to me.
Nanzeene glares at him.
"This is not my fault Jamel, it was you who took too long washing her and it was you two,"- she points fiercely at Lewa and Afet, "who didn't help him to make it on time. Don't think this will go unforgotten" she threatens.
I try to ignore her as I sew in my instructed spots. It is easy work just time consuming, as the shells have to look clean as they hang of the edges of my dress. When I finish Ezra is starring at his watch and nearly drags me thought the door. Lewa gives out a silent shout of "good luck" but is instantly hushed by Nanzeene. I hope the wont be in too much trouble. Ezra must see the look on my face as he pulls me along through the maze of hallways and up some stairs to where the chariots await.
"If you listened to me about as half as much as you listened to Jamel then these Games would be no trouble for you" he mutters, the annoyed and for a moment I think offended, tone he uses makes me rip my arm away, a scale from my hand falls off but we both ignore it.
"Maybe if you tried actually treating me with respect then I'd listen to you" I bark back. He snorts and then continues in his same irritated tone.
"Don't worry about Nanzeene, her bark is far worse then her bite" we are in the room now that the chariots are waiting in. Almost every other tribute is already standing on theirs listening intently to their stylist or mentor. I break away from Ezra as I spot Roman and the District 4 chariot. I jog over to him and step up on the chariot before he even realizes I am there.
"Sorry I am late" I apologize without looking at him. It just seems the right thing to do. He only looks at me and nods, the same as usual. Ezra has caught up with me now and instead of looking merely annoyed now appears to be extremely frustrated.
"Don't you run away from me again Cora!" he hisses in my ear. Roman watches us and from behind I notice Debir as well. I huff at my mentor and stare ahead wishing Jamel, Afet and Lewa were here instead. Maybe they would at least have some comforting words. All around me I see the other tributes on their chariots, one I spot from District 1 is even larger then Roman and stronger as well. They have him dressed in some silver shinny thing. Behind us is a girl who, when I turn around, grins at me wickedly. This is where the Games begin I think bitterly. Now. I stare as strongly back at her as strongly as I can. When Ezra calls for my attention again I give her one last menacing look and turn away. Ezra's icy blue eyes are even more threatening then the girl from District 5's were. His voice is low as he talks.
"Ignore the other Tributes, at least for tonight" he is demanding at first and when he see's me pull away from him he continues but in a slightly softer tone, "to make enemy's now because of a simple staring contest would be foolish, I'm sure you can see that"
I look at him and then nod down at where he stands beside me.
"Fine" I state simply and look back to find Debir staring at me. His large eyes are knowing. I look away again quickly. Suddenly from out of nowhere I can hear the voice of the President of Panem and then muffled clapping. Music, more voices. Cheering on and on and on and on as the music clambers loudly. I think of Debir's eyes watching me and I have a flashback to the Reaping. All the eyes staring at me, my own face ginormous on the screens for everyone to study and to watch. Or worse, not to care about. To think that face is weak, that it will die off quickly. I remembered Constantine and the way her face had looked when they'd killed her. A spear through her belly as if she was made of nothing heavier then a fish. No one had believed in her either and they had been right. What if they hated me? What if they forgot about me? I seized the bar to the chariot fiercely. I could feel the mussels in my hand bulging painfully. The doors were opening now, the two huge doors that lead us out through the huge gathering centers one hundred times bigger then District 4's Justice building. The parade had started; up ahead of us I could see District 1 and their Tributes slowly riding to the opening doors, ready to go through any second. With both hands now I was gripping the bar.
"Ezra", I asked quietly. He seemed to already understand and in a voice that carried little feeling he stated quickly.
"You'll be fine, don't worry"
He had probably said it hundreds of times before. Or maybe just nineteen times. It had no emotion, none at all and instead of feeling angry like I would have normally now I suddenly felt very small and very stupid in my fish costume. They would think I was ridiculous. All they had to do was look at my face, at my scales. The short painful breaths I had had to take before were now escalated into jabs of oxygen that hardly got through my body at all. It was like being under water and drowning.
"Ezra, what did thy dress you as your Tribute Parade?"
Our chariot was now moving, Ezra had to walk briskly beside me to keep up. He didn't answer at first and I thought maybe he would just stop walking and desert me again to the Capitol, alone and frightened but finally after a moment he answered.
"I was a crab" his tone was so painful at the memory I couldn't help but look back at him, to see his expression, it was twisted in embarrassment, "It was horrible" he added. He even laughed painfully at the memory.
"Goes well, you being so crabby and all"
He had had to stop walking now beside me as our chariot was just before the gates. I caught him utter on last shout above the cheering of the crowd.
"You look much better!"
Then I was into the bright lights of the stadium. I was blinded, unaware and scared. I felt like a lobster at market, its claws bound unable to defend itself, only waiting for some hungry man to come along and point at him so he could be taken home to be eaten. Thinking of the lobster then reminded me of Ezra and his crab costume. I was staring to be able to make out the shapes of people cheering, their bodies dwarfed in the mass of the crowd. Ezra in his horrible crab costume. I could just see it, the claws they'd have made him wear, dressed all in red, maybe even antennas. I couldn't help but give a little giggle of laughter at the mental image. Everywhere around me the screams of excitement swirled as our chariot speed down the runway, lights flashed, music boomed. We weren't even half way down. I tried to concentrate my thoughts on Ezra, how ridiculous he had probably looked. And think, despite his horrible impression at the parade, despite how silly he must have looked, he had won. He had gotten his sponsors and he had fought hard and he had won to live another day. If Ezra could have participated in this stupid parade then I could to. He had even said I looked good, better then he had, in his crab costume. I pictured him again, baby face and burning red claws for hands and could not help but to giggle furiously. Releasing my left hand I covered my mouth to try and hide it, I'd look like a stupid little schoolgirl not a competitor! I tried to stop but I couldn't and I was giggling hugely, my fingers covering my mouths, the thought of Ezra in a crab costume stuck in my head when Roman next to me turned. At first he looked confused as to why I was laughing. His face was littered with scales as well only his where sharp where mine where rounded and they accented his cheekbones menacingly. I hadn't noticed that before. Suddenly his face broke out in a grin as well when he saw me laughing into my hand. I didn't know where is smile came from but just to look in his smiling eyes made me giggle even harder. We were smiling now at each other like we were friends. It was almost nice, just for a second. I took my hand away from my face then and still smiling looked forward. I felt confident. Ezra had done this, Debir had done this, even Roman was doing it. They were strong, I could do this. Looking up I saw on one screen a flash of the other flamboyant Tributes and then instantly it changed to a huge picture of the District 4 chariot. The girl smiling beautifully into the crowd did not seem at all scared or insecure as she had felt just seconds before. She looked proud, light bouncing of her face as even her District Tribute remained smiling at her with admiration.
"Roman look!" I gasped and pointed to the screen. The girl pointed back at me with excitement and beauty, light in her eyes, her dress flying back behind her, the scales on her arm glistening. The boy next to her tore his eyes from her beauty and was now looking at the audience from the screen also, they smiled and he too stood striking. Together they appeared to be gods, one fierce even through his grin, the other an image of beauty. The camera flashed to another set of tributes clad in red and I now looked into the crowd. I imagined my parents, what they would do if they were sitting in those seats, cheering for me. I imagined Grifith and Blasé also and instead of seeing executors demanding my death as I had seen them before I forced myself to think of home. Of my neighbors my friends, my choir, even the fish that lived off the little reefs near my house. I thought of Ezra again in his costume and I could not help but smile. I even waved. The chariot was coming to a stop, slowing as it pulled its way to the front of the stadium. The horses brought themselves to their assigned places, I loosened my grip on the bar as it slowed down but didn't let go. My pulse was beating quickly still. I had to take breaths so short and quick I suddenly feared I might faint. I bent my knees as I was instructed to do in choir when feeling faint. It helped slightly. Somewhere among the noise and screams of the crowd I could for a few moments hear the huge chant of "FOUR, FOUR, FOUR, FOUR". I beamed in that direction. It was not only Roman now they cheered for. I had demanded their attention as well. They had not forgotten me. I would not be cast aside like a weak little doll; I would demand an importance in this game. I would demand their attention and they would not forget me. I needed them to know me, to recognize my face and see Roman and me powerful and beautiful on our chariot, my face shining in their minds when they thought of District 4. I waved in the direction of the chant and it broke with excited screams. I saw Roman waving awkwardly himself and when we caught each other's eye he smiled shyly. I couldn't help but grin back, I didn't know why but I couldn't stop it.
The president is a rather small man with brown hair that is greying quickly. He speaks for a while but I find that it is hard to keep my focus on his words. The adrenaline from the parade still courses through my veins quacking my heartbeat and making my breaths ever more difficult. Still I make sure my eyes are locked on his. I will not have the cameras viewing me as some simpleminded girl who cant even listen to a speech without losing interest. They've already caught me giggling, hopefully that will come off as excited or cute or something like that though. Next to me Roman shifts once or twice and I wonder if his outfit, a light blue tunic that reveals most of his strong torso dangling with matching little shells, is uncomfortable. I study it slightly out of the corner of my eye, it looks extremely comfortable. Unless he doesn't like how revealing it is. I shrug in my mind. I don't need to be worrying about him. The speech goes on for a short time, President Snow honors the Tributes he has condemned to die, there is much clapping and I clap politely along with the crowd (Roman quickly follows my lead). After the president is done the horses pull the chariots around in a circle, showing us off to the crowd that hoots and hollers. I wave again but have to constantly remind myself of my family and friends, of the home in my chest, to make it convincing. At one point Roman nudges my and points to the main screen above the cities Justice Building in the stadium. Flickers of the event race across the camera every so often I will catch a glimpse of myself or of Roman smiling and waving. Other Tributes wave as well, some glare fiercely, yet others simply stand there in shock. That might have been me had Ezra not gifted me with his embarrassing story. I will have to thank him for that. Even if I looked silly and foolish at least I did not look scared. That was the worst thing I could appear to be at this point, forget what was on the inside raging protests in my mind, the crowd had to see a confident Cora, a beautiful and powerful Cora. I still might be able to accomplish this. The actual Games would be a different story to weave. As the pictures of the screen started moving faster the ending of the video got closer until he audience could barely make out the clips at all and then in one relaxing frame the cameras stopped on one picture titling "52nd Annual Hunger Games" above it.
"Cora!" Roman whispers excited.
The frame has stopped on a picture of the two of us in our chariot. The shock of seeing myself frozen on camera with the Hunger Games symbol above my image wears off fast and I am able to study the picture. It is of Roman and me, our faces turned to each other so that you can see the scaled sides of our cheeks and forehead. It must have been taken when I was giggling because I am covering my mouth shyly as I laugh in what appears to be a 'sweet' sort of way. My eyes are fixed on Roman who's eyes are just as fixed on me. For the slightest of moments I feel a pang of jealousy fill myself as I look at Roman's picture. He scales combined with the lightening make him look so fierce. Even with him smiling at me it is evident that he is a powerful enemy, a willing choice for a sponsor. I try and erase the feeling and do mostly but there is still an uneasy after taste from it. I wish bitterly that I could have come across half as striking as him. Still it is our picture. They are staring at our faces and even I can tell that there is a certain distinct beauty in my eyes, on my cheekbones exaggerated by the scales. Jamel, oh Jamel, I will never be able to thank you enough for this gift. Lewa will be so happy; I certainly look like a queen. Beautiful and extravagant. I try and concentrate on that as the frame slowly goes black and it is only the shouting of the crowd that I can hear. Slowly the horses pull each carriage around and we head back through the doors. The chanting in overwhelming and the dark shadows and seclusion of the cave is the most welcoming thing I feel that I have felt since the Reaping. The horses direct themselves to a post where Ezra, Debir and a very short and almost adorable man wait for us. Both mentor's faces are expressionless though it is easy to see that by Debir's twinkle in his eye he is pleased with Roman. When the carriage stops Roman hops of off it and turns around politely trying to assist me. As if I am some little girl. Already that damn giggle has diseased his reputation of me, maybe it would have been better to have looked scared. I frown at him annoyed and slide off the chariot as gracefully as possible. Ezra is at my side in a second, his blue eyes watch me and he puts his hand on my back to guide me somewhere.