The cliffhanger on the last chapter resolves in about three lines. Actually, it does resolve in three lines. This chapter is stirring up the romance and is for all of you Lumina and Hercules lovers. Now, I had this sudden unexplained urge to make this huge thing happen and I thought "I can't do that" and then thought "why ever not?" so I have. You'll find out what I'm talking about when you read the chapter. I am sorry I haven't updated in a couple of days as well, you know how it is. And I'm working on my SYOT as well, but I will try and ensure it doesn't disrupt this. Please review and tell me how you feel about this huge revelation revealed in this chapter. ;D
It's Zen and the girl from twelve. They're the first non-career alliance of the games. I just wish he'd picked better. Though she did have some useful items, and being in his 'state' he couldn't seem to be picky. So he allied with the little twelve year-old who really should have died in the bloodbath, causing us all to pull up everythign we can about her but we mainly pulled up a blank overall.
The rest of the day is pretty uneventful. No-one dies quite yet. I expect overnight someone might but Indi and Zen have hidden quite safely in separate small clumps of trees. Safe for now only though, no-one needs to even concoct ideas of what will burst through on the horizon, the Gamemakers have got it covered. I collapse into my bed with an almighty sigh, after having quickly slipped into my smooth silky rich purple pajamas so not to have to stay up one more second than before. I almost jolt as just as I am about to sink into tranquil dreams the door knocks frantically, the sound ricocheting around the room. With a huff I ungracefully pull myself out of bed, gritting my teeth in an inpatient grimace.
I reluctantly tug open the door to find Lumina there, eyes red, swollen and brimming with tears. She's trembling and I put out my arm to steady her as she almost collapses onto it in a fresh torrent of tears. I have no idea what's going on but I do know that it must be something big to be making Lumina upset. Out of all this time I don't think I've ever seen her cry before. In fact no, I haven't. She's always seemed so shy and reliant, steady yet quiet. I never would have expected this to happen. I carefully guide her over to my plush purple bed and help her sit up carefully, using my free arm to steady her body racking with sobs. I smooth down the creases in her shirt awkwardly, busying my hands to cover up the fact that I don't know what to do. She looks almost pitiful, sore read eyes, puffy lips and flushed red cheeks.
"What is it?" I eventually ask while uselessly patting her on the back, unsure of what to do. I've never had to do this before, comforting upset friends. I guess it's because I never really had friends, true friends. They would never show any real, true emotion around me and now I am confronted with comforting Lumina I have no idea what to say, but by the look on her face and the grunted answer she managed to croak out to me it looks like my comforting must have been just about acceptable.
"It's, it's Hercules. You know that he and I, that he and I are-"
"Together, yes." I prompt her, listening inventively.
"Well I was just, you know, chatting to him like usual, as you do. And then suddenly he, he..." Lumina falters and looks up at me, "Can you promise not to tell anyone?"
"I promise." I swear and give her what I think is a reassuring smile; evidently it seems to work because Lumina's sobs die down to a few sniffles.
"He suddenly, out of the blue, went down onto one knee, brought out a little box and took out, took out a ring. And then he said, he said," Lumina pauses, hurriedly drawing in more breath, "he said 'Lumina Carter, would you do the honour of making me, Hercules Stayton, your husband?'."
I gape at Lumina in shock. "Hercules proposed? What did you say? What did you do?"
"I bolted. I ran away as fast as I could and ran straight here, to you. What should I do Kara?" she pleads and grasps my hands tightly.
"Do you like him?"
"I love him Kara, and that's the problem. If the Capitol were to know about our relationship they'd exploit it, break it down and use it against us, against him. And I don't think I could bear that. We've always been free of fear that the Capitol would do anything to our family because both of us never had any real family in danger of being reaped. He never had anyone in reapings age in his family after he won and I clearly disowned my whole family in the interviews before my games so any of them going into the games would barely add any spice at all, so little that there's just no point really. But if we were to settle down and make ourselves our own family then, then I can only fear what would happen to them. The children of two victors, they're bound to be reaped Kara. And I couldn't handle that; it would blow my world apart, to smithereens. And I couldn't bear to share Hercules' pain either. I love him Kara, I really do. So the best thing I can do for him is stay away or keep our relationship a secret, but it looks like he doesn't want it like that anymore. We agreed Kara, we promised that we would always hide it and I was beginning to get settled, get used to it. And then suddenly he comes along and turns my world upside-down. And I could never decline him Kara; it's my heart that wants to say yes. But my brain is telling me to say no, but I can't Kara, I just can't. Oh Kara, what am I to do?"
"Say yes," I say almost automatically and the promptness of what I just said hits me right in the heart. It's true, what I said and how I feel. This is how true friendly advice should be, the first advice I've ever given and it just feels so right.
"If you truly love him and want to be with him then the Capitol can't spoil that. You might never have children anyway Lumina, you could always adopt over eighteen year-olds just after their last reaping or something, you can face that problem when it comes to you. But think about now, you can continue in secret, hiding everything or you can just let it be known and accepted. Maybe you could have a neat little wedding, tell the Capitol yourself in a little letter that will be stacked in files and files, shoved in the back of the President's wardrobe and be forgotten about. Just have a simple little district eight wedding and then you're with him Lumina, you're married. You'd become Mrs. Stayton then, wouldn't you?"
"Mrs. Stayton," Lumina smiles, "It has a nice ring to it."
She stares at bed for a while, massaging the covers between her forefinger and her thumb absent-mindedly as she stares off into the distance. Suddenly she jerks back into reality and hugs me tightly, wrapping her arms around me. She hugs me so tightly I can feel almost all of the air being wrapped out of me.
"You're my best friend Kara, thank you so much."
I smile warmly at her, "best friend. It has a nice ring to it."
I've never had a best friend before; I barely have even had a friend and I feel a warmth spread across my chest with the words and a proud sigh escape my lips.
"Off you go then, you better tell Hercules the good news." I say, nudging her off the bed.
"Oh no!" exclaims Lumina as she springs to her feet with a sudden sense of purpose, "I left him waiting there on his knee, ring in hand. It was a really nice ring as well, sparkling silver with a bold ruby in the shape of a heart smelted into it. I think there might have even been some engravings on it, imagine what they could say..."
"Well off you go then Lumina Stayton," I say with a wink and Lumina hurries out of the room to go and find Hercules. When she leaves the room it suddenly feels more empty than before and a cold shiver vibrates down my spine, fear burrowing its way inside me. Yet I feel more happy than I usually do when I feel that, at peace and ease with myself. I think about it carefully and nod warmly to myself as I replay the conversation in my mind and all the twists and turns it could have taken shape into if I had reacted differently. I smile again to myself and plunge back into bed, my head hitting to soft feather filled pillow with a soft flump. Ease seeps out of me and I feel both calm and tired as the two days without sleep catch up without me.
The smile remains on my face as I remain muttering to myself quietly under my breath with a feeling I said the best total possible thing I could have done, 'say yes'.