Chapter Ten: Covered By Roses

A/N: Finally a new chapter! So now the story will be heading into the 73rd Hunger Games - this chapter takes place close to a year from the start of the story, so it's been quite a few months since Miri and Finnick said goodbye. Please do review, I love hearing your opinions :)

"What is this?"

Miri stormed into her father's dining room with her digital pad clutched so tightly in her hands that she thought it might break. She shoved the pad down in front of her father – despite Seneca being obviously occupied. She clenched her hands into fists and watched him, her breaths coming out hard and fast as if she'd been running a marathon. Seneca sighed heavily and inspected the article that his daughter was referring to.

"Panem's New Power Couple?" Miri scoffed derisively at the article's title. Beneath that, there was a picture of herself and Cobryn – which she had known all about, of course. Nothing she and Cobryn ever did together these days was anything but deliberate. When they were out in the public eye, their actions were all for show. However, that didn't excuse the fact that the article mentioned a pertinent fact that Miri was not aware of.

"You knew about the picture, and the fact that it would be front-cover news, Miri." Seneca sighed heavily.

"Engaged." Miri jabbed an accusing finger at the disgusting word. "Since when have Cobryn and I been engaged?"

"Since I told the media."

Obadiah walked into the room, and both Miri and Seneca lapsed into silence – the blonde girl more resentfully so than her father. He examined Miri with that cold, disappointed glare he always seemed to switch to in her presence. She lifted her chin and narrowed her eyes. Yes, she and Cobryn were pretending to date for the lead-up to an eventual engagement…but so soon? She wasn't yet seventeen.

"Why would you tell them that?" Miri demanded.

"Because it's the truth." Obadiah took a seat opposite his son. "You and Cobryn are now officially engaged. The media has been buying your story for months, almost a year. I didn't see the point in waiting forever to announce the inevitable."

"Didn't see the point?" Miri couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was still a teenager, the last thing she wanted was an arranged marriage that she would have to stick with for the rest of her life. The thought of all the false smiles, the feigned affection…it made her feel suffocated, knowing that every time she appeared in the public eye, she would have to wear a mask. She would have to pretend to care about a young man that in private, she made no secret of despising.

"You will have the chance to show off your ring at your birthday party," Obadiah stated smoothly. He drew a box from his pocket and slid it across the table to Miri. Inside was the hugest diamond ring she had ever seen in her life. She cringed. It was admittedly a beautiful trinket, but it was so large that she thought it must weigh down her hand.

"Oh, how romantic," Miri muttered mutinously, ripping the ring free to inspect it. "So Cobryn couldn't have possibly, you know, proposed in the traditional romantic sense…"

"Damn your ignorance, girl!" Obadiah slammed his hand down on the table, making Miri jump and nearly drop the lovely ring. "Do you really think sentiment plays any part in this? In public, yes – you and Cobryn are deeply in love and that's why after almost a year of being in a relationship, you are engaged. But in private, this is no more than a smart political match."

All that Miri could think was that she was glad that he was being honest about it. However, she did not look forward to her upcoming seventeenth birthday party. It was only a few days away now, and everyone who was anyone was invited. They would all congratulate her on her engagement to Cobryn and she would have to laugh and smile and pretend to enjoy every moment of it, even though she just wanted to scream. She felt trapped, and wondered if Obadiah had arranged this to atone for Seneca's foolishness in his youth, including Miri's own conception.

Finnick liked the ocean the most when it the sun was just rising. Everything was just starting to stir, and so the sea was a flat, glassy expanse extending out in front of him. Perfect for skipping stones across the stillness, as he was doing now. It seemed to keep him calm. When the waves started gently lapping across the sand, he would go swimming. But that wasn't for another few hours, so he enjoyed the quiet while he could.

"You've been down here a lot lately."

The voice made Finnick start, pushing himself to his feet. But it was just Annie Cresta, slim and shy. She had her arms wrapped around herself and she offered him a small smile. A fellow Victor, Annie was quite close friends with Finnick, and over the past year they'd become – well, he wasn't entirely sure. He didn't want to hurt Annie, particularly when a certain blonde Capitolian teenager seemed to linger on his mind.

"Just thinking. The Games will be back on soon."

A shadow crossed Annie's face, and he wished that he hadn't mentioned it. Some Victors coped with the struggles better than others and…well, Annie found it difficult. Finnick and Mags and the others tried as hard as they could, but not even time could heal the wounds that the Games left behind.

"I don't want to mentor, I don't know if I can…"

"Annie." Finnick walked over and gripped her by the shoulders gently. They all knew how hard it was for her to cope with mentoring, and so they had agreed to take the burden off her shoulders. "You know you don't have to."

In some odd way, Finnick had a small light in the darkness, a beacon of hope amidst the debauchery of the Capitol. Despite being Seneca Crane's daughter, it was evident that Miri was struggling to break free of the social beliefs that had been imbedded in her mind. It was part of their culture to look down upon the Victors, and Finnick had always despised them for it. Only when he'd met Miri did he realise that some of them could potentially be changed.

He looked forward to the opportunity to see her again. That was why he didn't mind mentoring. Because through Miri, he felt a glimmer of something like hope. He only hoped that in his absence, she hadn't forgotten their friendship. He heaved a sigh and released Annie's shoulders, turning to pick up another smooth stone and cast it over the ocean's smooth surface.

It caused ripples where it bounced, but wasn't that the point?

The hall was teeming with people that Miri barely knew. She swallowed hard and looked down at her dress. It was a soft baby blue and fell just past her knees, the neckline accentuating the gentle curves she had developed over the past year. Her hair had been elaborately curled and pinned so that it cascaded around her in a blonde fountain. She knew that she looked stunning, but she didn't feel it. How nice it would be to feel stunning and look like crap.

Cobryn sauntered over to her, and Miri took care to make sure that she didn't grimace. His dark eyes glittered as she descended the stairs and he stepped forward to kiss her cheek. It felt so difficult to her to pretend that she didn't find him repulsive. Even in her heels, he still towered over her. Perhaps she'd developed a bit over the past year – her scarecrow-slim, waifish figure had developed some semblance of womanliness – but she had barely grown taller.

"You look stunning, my love."

"Thank you," Miri replied, attempting to sound more sincere than she felt. She was fully aware of everyone's eyes on her, and so was Cobryn. He leaned down and kissed her, and she accepted it without complaint. It was hardly the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last.

When she drew away, feigning shyness in front of her guests, she crossed over to the drinks table. It might be her seventeenth birthday, and she might not be legally an adult just yet, but she thought she was entitled to a glass of champagne to distract her from her thoughts and feelings. The first time Cobryn had kissed her had taken her by complete surprise, before her mind had drifted inexplicably to a certain green-eyed Victor.

Friends. They had both agreed upon that, but somehow Miri knew she wanted more. Not that she could ever have it, for she was engaged to Cobryn now. Looking down at the winking diamond ring on her finger only reminded her of that. She and Finnick were both trapped in very different prisons. Hers might be full of wealth, parties and glamour, but it still made her feel sick to the stomach.

"He's watching you." Ithaca appeared at Miri's side. Miri didn't have to guess at who she meant.

"I'm his fiancé. Isn't he meant to?"

"No, but I mean really watching." Ithaca smirked, and her tone indicated what she meant. Miri pulled a face. She hadn't thought Cobryn was interested in her that way. Their engagement was all a show, after all. "I think it's since you got those."

Ithaca gestured at Miri's chest, grinning gleefully. Miri didn't exactly have much in the way of boobs, but they had definitely grown over the past year. She wrinkled her nose, quite disgusted at the thought that something as ridiculous as growing curves could possibly be the reason Cobryn was starting to notice her in a different way.

"That's gross."

Ithaca shrugged nonchalantly. "He's a male. It's what they do."

"Have you ever…" Miri couldn't help but flush, struggling to put what she wanted to say into more delicate words. "You know."

"Oh, yes." Ithaca nodded sagely. "A few times."

Miri glanced across at Cobryn, and true to Ithaca's word, he was staring rather intensely at her. She turned back to the drinks table and took a sip of her champagne. Surely Cobryn wasn't expecting that their relationship would become sexual. It was a political marriage, Obadiah had made that much clear. Children weren't a necessity. Miri wasn't even sure how she felt about kids – at seventeen, the thought of having one still made her wince.

Suddenly, she felt completely overwhelmed at the responsibilities she was facing. Perhaps it was just the champagne getting to her head, but she felt that she needed air. Taking a deep breath, she set down her glass and headed out onto the balcony. Outside, she was greeted by the glittering bright lights of the Capitol. It made her head hurt just looking at it all. She wished that she could visit the districts, see what life was like there – but of course, that would never be allowed, not with the knowledge that was where her mother was from. Even if Seneca said yes, Obadiah would forbid it.

Miri's hands curled tightly over the stone railing that stretched the length of the balcony. She wished there was a way that she didn't have to go through with all of it. That there was a way out of marrying Cobryn. It would be a cold and loveless thing anyway, and the thought of being in his presence nearly constantly for probably the rest of her life almost suffocated her. Tears sprang to her eyes, but she quickly wiped them away.

"It's your party, don't you think you should be inside with your guests?"

Miri spun around at the familiar bored drawl of her fiancé. He seemed to have a habit of confronting her on balconies. He walked towards her with a slight stagger to his step that indicated he'd had a lot more alcohol than her. She watched him warily, frowning when he laughed.

"You look so cold. Like an ice queen."

He walked over and traced his fingers down her cheek, causing Miri to flinch away. Was he drunk? Was that why he was behaving so oddly? When she attempted to push him back, Cobryn simply grabbed her lips and pulled her close. His breath reeked of alcohol and it was hot on her cheek.

"Come on, sweetheart. How about a kiss for your fiancé?"

Cobryn forced his lips upon hers and Miri responded automatically, biting down hard. She hated him, hated that he seemed to think he could treat her like dirt if that was what he wanted. Snarling, he drew back, pushing her away so hard that her back collided with the stone railing. She yelped in pain, hoping that he would leave her alone.

"Little bitch," Cobryn muttered sourly, before he stormed off inside.

Miri took a deep breath, rattled by what had just happened. Was this typical behave for Cobryn when he was intoxicated? She was not sure, and she didn't think she wanted to know. He was highly aggressive, and violent when he didn't get his way. Despite being shaken, Miri knew she needed to go back to the party. As much as she may not look forward to it, tonight wasn't about her. It was about impressions, about how people would perceive the newly engaged couple. So far, she wasn't doing a very good job.