Valencia Widad
People used to look down on women who used their charms to get what they wanted. Now we had more of an economic view on the matter. It was simple supply and demand. No one was getting lied to or cheated in my relationships. I knew I was only with Royal because he was strong. He knew he was only with me because I was pretty. We both benefited. That's just capitalism at work.
It wasn't like I had any other chance in the Arena. Not against Thompson and Royal and Venus. Not even against most of the others. I was a pretty dresses and shiny rocks sort of girl, not a fighting and planning kind of girl. I was made for luxury. I just wasn't made for the Games.
I wasn't entirely just a pretty face, either. It was me who saw that Venus was the one to beat. I was the one that convinced Thompson and Royal to take her out. I was also the one that hid behind the Cornucopia while they fought. It wouldn't have helped anyone for me to fight. I would have gotten in the way. What a pity. Thompson died during the fight, but so did Venus. It was all the better for me and Royal. One less ally for him to have to kill.
Royal and I knew our duties. Royal watched for attackers and got rid of the competition. I was more of a homemaker. I did the cooking and I kept the camp clean. I kept Royal warm at night and told him how strong he was. Sometimes I kept watch at night while he slept. He knew he could trust me, because he knew I couldn't live without him.
Every day Royal went out to hunt. I sat in the camp and ate bonbons while I waited for the cannons. I spent a lot of time doing laundry, since Royal was always muddy. I wasn't made for chores, but a lady had to make do. I did like washing his shirt, because that meant he had to be shirtless. It wasn't all an act when it came to him. If I'd been living the life I should have been living- as a rich socialite in One- I'd even have hired him. I'd have paid him for what I currently did free out of necessity.
The cannons rolled on. One day, I heard Royal setting off the twentieth cannon. There were only four of us left. He came home from hunting and I served him some of the soup I'd heated up. While he bent over it, I clobbered him with a mace. I wasn't strong enough to kill him, but it sure as heck knocked him out. I finished the job at my leisure. He never had time to look at me with betrayal. It would have been more romantic to use a knife, but it might have been messy. It might not have worked at all. Royal was strong and his reflexes were good.
Royal thought he didn't have to worry about me. He thought I'd wait until we were the final two, and surely he planned to kill me when we reached that point. I had other plans. I didn't have to wait for him to kill every Tribute. The last two weren't a worry for me. I didn't need to go out and hunt them. I didn't need to do anything at all. I had a Cornucopia full of food and supplies. I had sponsors ready to send me any bauble or treat I asked for. They knew I'd pay them back when the time came. Supply and demand. The other two had mud and starvation and crocodiles to deal with. I sat in the camp and ate bonbons while I waited for the cannons.