Disclaimer: All characters and things associated with The Hunger Games belongs to Suzanne Collins and Lionsgate. This writing is for pure entertainment only.
Summary: Sequel to A Far Worse Games To Play. Emberly survived the Games, but at what cost? She has distanced herself from the family that loves her and the people who need her causing Katniss and Peeta hold onto hope that their daughter is more than a Capitol Puppet, but all signs point to their daughter being the destruction of Panem.
CHAPTER 11
KATNISS POV
After two days on the train, we finally pull into the Capitol. For the most part, Sarah has kept to herself, even eating meals at different times then the rest of us, so Peeta, Haymitch, Galen, and I have had a somber trip.
But once the train stops in the Capitol and we can hear the crowd on the platform cheering for our arrival, any peace we had is clearly gone.
Sarah joins us now, all of us looking stylish in the newest Capitol Couture provided to us by the small group of stylist on the train with us.
"Remember, we all need to be civilized," Haymitch whispers to the four of us.
Sarah glares down the line but says nothing and we all seem to take the same deep breath before the doors to the train open and we are bombarded with screams of joy, flashes of cameras, and hands trying to grab and touch us.
Haymitch, Peeta, and I are used to this, and Sarah seems to numb to care, but it isn't until I feel Galen's grip on my fingers that I realize he is overwhelmed by it all.
I follow Peeta through the crowd and smile when I hear my name being yelled. It still amazes me how much the people of the Capitol seem to care about Peeta and I. They reach out and try to touch us and I can feel Galen's grip grows tighter on my hand.
EMBERLY POV
Mason and I have not had much time to discuss what it really will mean with our families as well as all of the fallen tributes families at our Victory Ball. Since Snow announced that our families would be at his mansion for the party Mason and I have been paraded around to other prominent figures of the Capitol's homes and interviewed multiple times.
Tonight, however, is the big interview with Caesar that will be the official kick off to the Ball and our permanent stay in the Capitol which means we have spent the last five hours getting prepped for the interview.
My prep team has worked tirelessly to get me into a beautiful black and red dress and make sure my hair, pulled off my face, looks flawless, but they are still struggling with my makeup.
"You're eyes look awful! You look just so tired. Have you slept at all the past few days?" Flavius accuses me.
I cock an eyebrow at Flavius. "Not exactly."
"Well be thankful that I am magic with makeup!" Flavius says and takes a brush to my face.
"And that there are three of us," Octavia adds.
I stay silent while the prep team works and it isn't until I hear a sob that I realize Octavia and Flavius are both crying.
"WHat's wrong?" I ask, confused.
"You just look so lovely! So so lovely!" Octavia says, looking at me in the mirror.
I must admit they did a good job with the make-up and kept it as natural as possible aside from the deep dark colors they put around my eyes, but still i am not anything to look at.
"Why don't you both take a break?" Venia suggests. She is not crying and, in fact, I am almost positive she is disgusted by her other team members.
Flavius and Octavia both leave the room and I am alone with Venia who adds some finishing touches of diamonds to my hair.
"There. All done," Venia says after a long moment.
I look myself over in the mirror and am satisfied, though that isn't hard to do since I could really care less. I am too worked up about the ball and about my parents being there as well as the other tributes families. I don't anticipate tomorrow night to be easy.
"Worried about the interview?" Venia asks.
Her words break me from my thoughts and I quickly look at her in the mirror and shake my head. "No. The interview is the easy part. I am worried about tomorrow night."
Venia nods seeming to understand and then thinks for the next few moments before speaking. "I think I know what you need…"
I am confused as I watch Venia walk over to a bag near the wall and pull something out. It isn't until she puts the small vial in my hand that I realize what it is. Morphling.
I take a deep breath, remembering what happened the last time I started taking this stuff back in District 12. I nearly killed myself on it.
"It will help with the nerves," Venia says.
"I am sure of that," I say quickly, knowing how relaxed the Morphling makes me. I will have no problem getting through the next two days with that in my system. Still, I know that Mason would not approve, and further more, I know I can easily become addicted.
"Don't take it if you don't want it. I just thought it might take the edge off," Venia says after I don't respond for a moment.
In fact, she is just about to put it back in her bag when my hand reaches and snatches the vial from her grasp. She seems just as surprised by my sudden movement as I am. In fact, I am not even sure when I made the decision to grab for it, but I did and it is now in my hands.
"Can I get a drink with it? A strong one?" I ask Venia.
Venia now seems to regret her decision to hand the vial over to me, but if she does so, she says nothing, instead watching me sip down the vial before my glass of wine even arrives.
KATNISS POV
We manage to get through the crowd and into the tall building that had been constructed to house the tributes for the newest games. We board the elevator in silence only to learn that Haymitch will be staying on the third floor while Sarah will be alone on the fourth and Peeta, Galen, and I will call the fifth floor our home for the next few days.
We are brought to our floor to find it laid out nearly identical to the one we had stayed in while Emberly was in the Games. The only difference is the view and the color scheme; this one is all blues and teals.
"I hate this place," Galen mumbles as he tosses himself down onto the blue sofa in our sitting area.
"Can't say I disagree," I tell Galen as I sit down next to him and brush the hair off of his forehead.
Before we can even get settled, however, the door to the Penthouse opens and Effie enters. her hair is a pale shade of pink and her eye shadow matches.
"Good, you are all here!" Effie says, making her way into the living room to kiss Peeta and I hello. She gives Galen a pat on the head before sitting down.
Peeta leans over the couch behind Galen and I and all of us look over at our former escort.
"Where is Emberly?" Peeta asks.
"Getting ready for her interview. She and Mason will be on with Caesar later tonight," Effie explains though her voice does not seem as chipper as usual and there is something in her eyes that is telling me she wants to say something more but I am not sure what.
"So we won't see much of her then?" I ask.
"You act like that's bad…" Galen mumbles.
Before I can a word though, Peeta leans over and gives Galen a squeeze on the shoulder which silences our son.
"They have been fairly busy, as you can imagine, but you will see them at the ball tomorrow," Effie says.
"Is that all?" Galen stands and pays his legs. Suddenly he seems so much older. "I am pretty tired."
I know Galen is far from tired, he is just not interested in what Effie is saying. I can't blame him; he didn't want any part of this and no matter how much that breaks my heart, I know my son does not want to know his sister anymore.
"You can go," Peeta tells Galen who quickly heads down the hall to the room that is his.
Peeta and I steal a glance in a quick moment of silence and Peeta can instantly tell I want to talk to Effie on my own so he makes up a short excuse about needing a shower and heads off, leaving Effie and I alone.
"How is Emberly?" I ask Effie, searching for the truth. I need to know that she is okay and healthy and maybe even happy, though I don't want to believe the last one. If Emberly is happy in the Capitol it means that there is a part of Emberly that is happy with the sick and twisted life the Capitol wants for her. There is something dark in her, and I don't want to believe that.
Effie gives me a soft, sad smile and sighs. "She is doing well."
"Effie…" I press more. I can tell Effie is struggling with what else she can say instead of what she wants to say.
Effie sighs again and leans in closer to me, gently patting my shoulder. "Katniss, she is okay. Just let that be."
Before I can say another word, Effie leaves me standing in the living room alone and I feel like I just lost another part of my daughter. Effie was my connection to her and even Effie has cut that off.
EMBERLY POV
Mason and I stand backstage, waiting for Caesar to bring us out for our interview. We can hear the crowd cheering for us and I know if I hadn't taken some of the Morphling, I would be as nervous and fidgety as Mason. He continues to shift his weight from one foot to the next, his dark blue suit making his eyes look nearly grey.
"Are you ready?" Mason asks me.
I just give him a tight smile. I don't want him to realize I am calm because of the drugs, and I am afraid if I speak he will know.
I don't have to worry too much though because within a few seconds, Caesar is calling our names out and we are being ushered onto stage, hand-in-hand, like the happiest couple in all of Panem.
The crowd cheers loudly and it takes a moment for Caesar to calm them down as he motions Mason and I onto the same small couch.
"Welcome to both of you!" Caesar grins madly at us once the crowd silences. It's clear they are eager to hear our every word.
"Well, thank you for having us, Caesar," Mason starts, his charm on full-blast.
"As always, it is our pleasure! We just couldn't wait to see you back in the Captiol!" Caesar says and the crowd cheers.
"And we certainly couldn't wait for you to come back! Now, please do tell us...there are rumors flying around, do you all plan to stay in the Capitol? Join us here permanently?" Caesar asks and again the crowd cheers.
"Well, put the rumors to rest, Caesar. We will be moving to the Capitol!" I say with what I imagine is a wide smile. The morphling has made this all surprisingly easy. The whole act is easier.
The crowd goes wild at the news and it takes Caesar awhile to calm them enough that we can hear his next question.
"And what else does the future have in store for you two lovers?" Caesar asks on the edge of his seat.
Mason and I share a love-struck gaze which the audience and Caesar eat up.
"Well...truthfully...someone wants to get married," I say never taking my eyes off of Mason as he smiles back at me.
I can hear the crowd going wild and I try my best to hold my smile but the drugs are making it a little harder to concentrate. All I know is that by the sound of the cheering crowd, the audience is eating our romance and fairytale up.
KATNISS POV
I sit in the living room of the penthouse with Peeta and Galen as we watch Caesar introduce Emberly and Mason on the large screen in front of us. The crowds of the Capitol seem to adore them both. It is eerily similar to the cheering that took place when Peeta and I used to walk out on that stage, however there is a major difference, Emberly seems to be enjoying her time in the spotlight.
We watch for a few minutes as Emberly announces that she and Mason will officially be living in the Capitol. I can't lie that Galen and I seem almost relieved about this. It makes me feel guilty as a parent, to want my daughter to move away from me, but I want Galen to have as normal of a life as he can from here on out and I know if Emberly stayed in District 12 that could never happen. We will never really be normal, but Galen shouldn't need to be singled out because his sister made mistakes.
Peeta, on the other hand, seems to tense uneasily about the offical move news. It seems odd; we knew this was what Emberly wanted. I want to ask Peeta why he looks so concerned but before I can, Emberly drops another bombshell on us. This one even takes me by surprise.
"Did she say that she is getting married?" Galen repeats the news that Emberly just announced on TV. His eyes are wide and he looks so much like Peeta in that moment.
Peeta and I exchange a quick glance and I know he is thinking what I am thinking - we don't know our daughter at all anymore. I guess that was true the second she took her first life in the Games because I never raised her to be a killer. A hunter, yes, but a killer no.
And now she is adding wood to the fire. She is seventeen and she is now getting married.
"If it's what she wants," Peeta says as the interview ends and the screen goes blank.
Peeta stands and moves toward the large window, looking down at the streets of the Capitol who seem to be celebrating the announcement of their newest neighbors and the upcoming wedding. I know he wants to speak but I have never been good at coxing the words out of him.
"Galen, why don't you go and take a shower," I suggest.
Galen is a smart boy and seems to understand Peeta and I need to speak and so he complies and heads down the hallway, leaving Peeta and I alone.
I move slowly toward Peeta and wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head on his shoulder.
"What are you thinking?" I ask quietly.
"I don't think we are going to be able to get her back," Peeta says quietly. "It's like I don't even recognize her anymore. I mean...I held her in my arms when she was first born, I watched her grow up and I had all these plans for her in my head and now…"
I realize now that Peeta is trying to hold back tears which only make tears form in my own eyes.
"Peeta…" I whisper softly.
Peeta stiffens at his name and it reminds me of the times when he had his attacks, and so I do what I always do when this happens, I hold him and don't let go.