A/N: There's a lot of named mentioned in this chapter. I'm not saying remember them all, but keep them in mind ;)
KATNISS POV
It was Yule now, at the end of December, and festivities were being celebrated across the district. District Twelve was in for the best Yule they'd had since Haymitch won his games, thanks to Parcel Day, so families would finally get to have the feasts that our ancestors used to have. Yule in the Mellark household was very cozy, compared to what it had been in the Everdeen home. We'd invited both my family and all of Peeta's family to dine with us - his parents, his brother, Rye, his brother, Christos, and his new wife, Aaricia, his Aunt Maidie and Uncle Archer, his cousin, Alice, and her eight-month-old daughter, Bella. His other aunt couldn't make it this time, as she was with her husband's family, but that was all right with us, considering how full our home was. We'd also invited the Hawthornes to come, but they declined, stating that they wanted to have a Yule dinner in their home with Cascade, Gale's aunt and my fellow district midwife.
"Do you do any Hebridean Yule traditions, Katniss?" Maidie had asked me, pulling me aside halfway into the evening.
"Yule sort of is a Hebridean celebration, isn't it?" I asked her. It was true, although there were some things that we did in Hebridia that we didn't do in Panem, such as give each other gifts and the burning of a rowan twig to dismiss any bad feelings between guests.
"A lot of holidays we celebrate are Hebridean, I believe. Yule, the running of the wreaths, Hogmanay... My mother used to love celebrating Hogmanay."
"Hogmanay?" I asked. "But that's banned here! I haven't celebrated that since I lived in Hebridia!"
"Our mother still celebrated it. Mine and Mellie's." She glanced across the room at her sister, who could be seen sitting on the sofa awkwardly beside her husband, who was chatting away with their youngest son.
"Are... are you Hebridean?" I asked Maidie, who smiled and nodded.
"Our mother was from Skye," she told me.
"But... Mellie hates refugees. She hates everything Hebridean. If she's Hebridean, how can she hate her own people?"
"You know as well as I do how Hebridean children are treated. It wasn't any different when we were young. But of course, that didn't stop me from being proud of my culture. Her, on the other hand... well, I don't know her reasons," Maidie told me. I stood against the wall, my eyes on Mellie, when she turned her head and met my eyes. I could see then her Hebridean features - the Celtic nose, the red in her hair, the stormy grey colour of her eyes. She then turned away, her eyes darting to the floor, hiding the brief flash of shame that I saw dance across her eyes.
Peeta suddenly got up and crossed the room to me, having noticed his mother and I locking eyes, and wrapped a protective arm around my waist. "Is my Aunt Maidie giving you a hard time?" he asked me, giving his aunt an affectionate smile.
"She was asking me about Hebridean Yule traditions," I told him, relaxing into his arms, and he gave me a kiss on the cheek.
"Are you two ready for the Victory Tour?" Maidie asked us.
"As ready as we can be... Big Capitol wedding that we can't invite our family to? Looking forward to it," Peeta replied as cheerfully as he could.
"Peeta, it's all right," I said.
"It must be exciting. I've heard the Capitol is quite the sight," said Maidie.
"It really is," said Peeta.
"We want our baby born there," I said, mindful of the cameras. I knew Snow would be listening, especially since we were talking about the Victory Tour. Peeta stiffened behind me and I turned my head to kiss his jaw, meeting his eyes and silently reminding him of the microphones. He then glanced up at his aunt and nodded.
"Yes... we do," he said without emotion.
"Oh, that's... interesting," Maidie replied. Of course we didn't want our daughter born in the Capitol, but Peeta and I were past trying to make our lives our own. Our lives now belonged to Snow, and if we stepped out of line, our children would pay the ultimate price.
Not long after Yule, I found myself trying to go out for a walk in the woods. I was having difficulty with my pregnant belly being in the way of my bow, so I'd decided to stop hunting until the baby was born, but that didn't stop me from wanting to take walks in the woods. It was a Friday, and the snow had piled high - high enough for the mines to close, a fact that I had forgotten, and I was surprised when I saw Gale's form checking one of his snares. When he heard my footsteps in the snow - heavier now, thanks to the added weight of the baby - he turned to look at me, his eyes widening with surprise.
"Hello, Gale," I said, hoping he didn't notice my very obviously swollen abdomen, but he did, and he narrowed his eyes at me.
"'I'm never getting married'. 'I'm never having children'. What else has that townie changed about you?" he spat at me with venom, and I then narrowed my eyes at him.
" Peeta has changed nothing about me. I didn't want children, but this was... a surprise, to say the least," I told him.
"A surprise, huh? Last time we talked, you said you weren't fucking him. It's obvious now that you were," he spat back.
"One time, before our marriage, and that was during the Games when we both thought we were going to die!" I hissed at him. "I was going to have to do it anyway - have children. Snow demands that of married victors."
"It could have been us."
"No, it couldn't have. It never would have been. Peeta and I... We would have happened anyway. I know we would have. Gale, if you can't be happy for me, then... I don't know. I guess we can't be friends."
"You gave up our friendship a long time ago."
"Oh, because I fell in love? With someone that isn't you? You're not entitled to me, Gale. I owe you nothing! Don't open your mouth and don't speak to me again." I stared at him, the hurt evident in my eyes. "Goodbye, Gale." I turned on my heel and left, fighting the urge to cry. I wanted to run to Peeta's warm and comforting arms, but I didn't want to talk about or even think about Gale anymore - it hurt too much. I took a moment to compose myself before passing back through the fence, returning to the new life that I was living without looking back.
The Victory Tour started about two weeks after Yule, after the New Year had rung in 2160, and Peeta and I braced ourselves for what we would have to face.
PEETA POV
I wasn't happy about our situation at all, but I understood what needed to be done. If Katniss and I didn't blindly worship the Capitol, our children would be in danger, and even though my daughter wasn't even born yet, I loved her more than anything in the world and I would do anything to protect her, even if it meant going against everything I believed in. Even if it meant changing who I was. Snow really found a way to make me - and Katniss - a piece in his games after all. He'd broken us beyond repair. As I lay in bed on the train, Katniss cradled in my arms, I couldn't sleep as I realised that my life was no longer mine, and it hurt to think like that.
My life would be different if Katniss and I weren't together, or if our baby didn't exist. God, how could I think such horrible things? I loved Katniss and I loved our child, and they both needed me now more than ever. I rolled over to look at my sleeping wife, her head resting on my chest and her hand resting on her stomach, cradling our baby. I reached out a warm hand and placed it over hers, protecting both the love of my life and my child.
It was so easy to forget how young we were. We were sixteen years old still, and already, we lived as if we were thirty. I would be turning seventeen in about a month, and Katniss wouldn't even be seventeen until May. We were just kids, and we held the weight of the world on our shoulders. We were just kids, and we were having a kid of our own. It sickened me to think how our youth was ripped away from us by Snow and the Capitol. If Katniss weren't pregnant, or if I could find a way to get Katniss and the baby far away from Panem, I would start a rebellion myself.
Suddenly, I felt Katniss's hand stir beneath mine and I realised I had squeezed her hand quite firmly, and I loosened my grip before letting her hand go. Her head shifted next, and her silvery eyes fluttered open as her hand moved to my chest, rubbing gentle circles on it. "Hey..." she whispered sleepily. "Are you all right? Did you have a nightmare?"
"I couldn't sleep," I replied, staring at the ceiling instead of meeting her eyes.
"Are you okay?" she asked again, and I glanced down at her and gave her a reassuring smile, placing my hand over hers.
"Yeah... The train's giving me motion sickness," I lied, and she could tell instantly that it was a lie, but she didn't say anything. She only nodded, then removed her hand from under mine to take mine in hers and bring it to her lips.
"We've got a long day tomorrow... Try to get some sleep, if you can," she told me.
"I will," I whispered back, pressing my lips to her forehead. A moment of silence passed between us before I spoke again. "You know I love you, right, Katniss?"
"Of course I do, Peeta, and I love you, too. What's the matter?"
"And you know I'd do everything I can to protect you and our baby, right?"
"I know, Peeta, and I'd do the same. We protect each other. Peeta, my love, talk to me. What's on your mind?"
"I just wanted to make sure you knew... I guess I can't shake the feeling that I'm going into the Games again, and I have this constant feeling that something's gonna happen."
"Nothing's going to happen now, Peeta. We're safe, and we're together." That was a lie, that we were safe.
"I know..." That was a bigger lie. Another moment of silence.
"We're getting to the point where we need to think of a name for our little girl..."
"Isn't the Capitol gonna run some naming contest? Like they did with your wedding dress?"
"I don't know... all I know is I want us to have the privilege of giving our beautiful girl a name. What do you have in mind?"
"I don't know... I've always liked the name Lark. Larks were the birds that stopped to listen to you sing the day I fell in love with you."
"You want to call our daughter 'Lark Mellark'?" I chuckled a little, recognising the rhyme.
"I like it. Little Lark Mellark..."
"I like it, too. What'll you think she'll be like?"
"Strong, like you, and beautiful like you, too. I hope she looks just like you with your beautiful brown hair and silver eyes... Basically, I hope she's just like you."
"I'm not cloning myself, Peeta. She has to have a bit of you in her, too," she teased. "I hope she has your heart... No one has ever loved so wholly and unconditionally as you, and I want her to someday find someone to make her happy the way you make me happy." I kissed her forehead again and wrapped my arms around her even tighter.
"She's gonna be the most beautiful girl in all of Panem," I whispered to her. We dozed off eventually, both of us falling into a dreamless sleep as we cradled each other with our baby safe between us.
KATNISS POV
The first stop of the Victory Tour was District Eleven, the agriculture district. When we arrived, it was almost shocking to see how drastically different it was from District Twelve. It was warmer, larger, lighter in colour, and felt like a labour camp more than anything. The fence was high and heavily guarded and the gate towered over the District, visible from any part and always looming off in the distance. Peeta and I were being prepped separately before our speech, and my prep team could not get over my pregnant belly.
"It's just so sweet! This baby is going to be so beautiful!" Octavia, one member of my prep team, was saying.
"Oh, Katniss, it'll be a perfect combination of you and Peeta! With your beautiful complexion and his handsome face, there's no reason this baby won't be the little darling of Panem!" Venia chimed in, and I could only smile and nod at them. For the sake of my child, I hope they never met her. I was dressed in a wheat yellow dress that really emphasised my baby bump, which made me feel just a little uncomfortable, and I tried to find a coat that I could wear over myself that would hide it just a little.
"...and to think that we're being treated like prisoners!" I heard Effie shout, and her form soon followed her voice into the room. "Katniss, dear, are you ready to go?"
"As ready as I'll ever be," I answered her, trying to position the jacket over my bump nervously. I could see the expression on Effie's face in the mirror change, and through her Capitol makeup, I could see that she was worried for me. She took a few steps towards me and started to adjust the jacket over my bump.
"You're so strong, Katniss," she whispered to me, taking my hands and giving them a reassuring squeeze. She was giving me what must have been a genuine smile hiding under all that makeup, and I couldn't help but smile back. I could tell Effie wasn't a fan of sending children to their deaths every year, and she was likely just as afraid of Snow's wrath as the rest of us were. And suddenly, as if flipping a switch, she let go of my hands and turned on her heel. "Now, come along, dear! We're on a tight schedule!"
Peeta met me by the doors of the train just as we were about to exit onto the platform of District Eleven and he took my hand to give it a firm squeeze. "You ready?" he asked me, and when I gave him a nod, he pressed a chaste kiss to my lips and the train doors opened, the two of us descending down onto the platform together and being met by flashbulbs and Capitol reporters.
"Katniss Everdeen! How far along are you in your pregnancy?"
"Star-Crossed Lovers, look this way!"
"How does it feel to be an expectant father, Mr. Mellark?"
The questions bombarded us, but Effie shuffled us along as the peacekeepers kept back the crowds. Peeta's grip on my hand was firm and he refused to let go, even as I struggled to keep up with him on the golden heels on my feet. They were incredibly difficult to walk in, given their height as well as the fact that my feet were swollen from my pregnancy. We were ushered almost immediately onto the stage, but were pulled aside first by Haymitch.
"All right. Things ain't what they're like in Twelve here. Stick to the cards, and everything will be okay," Haymitch told us. "And remember, don't forget to mop the floor with that romance shit y'all got goin' on. Tug on them heartstrings."
"Thanks, Haymitch," Peeta said, and then we shared a brief glance before we, hand in hand, exited the doors of the Justice Building and stood on the makeshift stage.
"Smile, you're on camera," Effie whispered to us as she ushered us out. Before us were easily thousands of people - the District was huge, after all. It made me even more nervous, but Peeta's grip on my hand was firm as he glanced down at the cards in his hands. He'd spent the majority of the day before memorising the cards so it didn't look as if he were reading off of them.
"Citizens of District Eleven," he began. "We want to express our deepest gratitude for the warm welcome that we have been given." There was silence - no warm welcome. These people were eyeing us like pieces of meat. "We also wish to give our sincerest sympathy to your fallen tributes, Rue Warren and Thresh Sellers. Thresh was strong and clever, and Rue was sweet and incredibly resourceful, and she was a great help to Katniss in the arena." He paused for a moment, and when I looked at his face, he met my eyes, silently asking for permission to deviate from the cards. In his peripheral vision, he could see my hand make its way to my belly to rest on it, and the expression in his eyes changed and he looked forward again. "We are eternally grateful to the Capitol for allowing us the privilege of being able to have both won the Games. Katniss and I found ourselves struck by the most unfortunate of circumstances, having fallen in love and having both been reaped. The Capitol has given us the blessing of a life together, and we are privileged to announce that we are expecting an addition to our new family in early Spring." He paused again, and I took this moment to analyse the crowd. On the platforms beneath banners with Thresh and Rue's faces were their families - Thresh's had his mother and sister, both tall and strong, and Rue's had a lone mother with four young children, all too young to be reaped. It was this poor mother's - poor Mrs. Warren's - first reaping as a mother, and she lost her child. Mr. Warren was nowhere to be seen, and I could have sworn I recalled Rue mentioning her father in the arena. Peeta cleared his throat one more time. "Thank you, and once again, we are honoured and privileged to be standing here before you. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever."
With that said, he began to turn, tugging on my hand to pull me back into the justice building. I had locked eyes with Rue's image on the banner, wanting so badly to say something, but knowing that anything I had to say could tear down everything that I had worked so hard to build up. A little kick inside of my womb reminded me that I had another life to protect, one that was helpless and needed me to survive, so I followed Peeta back into the justice building without uttering a word.
After the speech, we toured the district, being led by the surviving District Eleven Victors - Seeder Palmer from the 33rd Games, Chaff Lemell from the 45th Games and Cytherea Lewes from the 54th Games (District Eleven had also won the 5th Games, but that victor had passed away before Peeta and I were even born) - and for the first time, I got to see the orchards and wheat fields that Rue had spoken so highly of. Afterwards, we had dinner at the home of the mayor of District Eleven and we were interviewed and photographed some more before we were finally ushered back onto the train. As soon as Peeta and I were alone in our room, I collapsed into his arms, holding onto him tightly as he rubbed my back. "It's okay... We did okay," he whispered into my ear. "We only have to do this ten more times..."
Ten more times. I didn't know how I would survive.
District Ten was much the same - we gave a speech, we kissed onstage for the cameras, we toured the district with the the District Ten Victors - Parker Poole of the 26th Games, Rufus Ripley of the 44th Games, Shelley Dunn of the 66th Games (she actually won the year I came to Panem in 2151 and I remember her victory tour), and Rodney Fuller of the 72nd Games (District Ten also had the privilege of having the first ever victor of the Hunger Games, but they died a very long time ago) - and Peeta and I, for the first time, saw cows. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
District Nine was no different - speech, kisses, interviews, photographs, dinner with the mayor, tour of the expansive wheat fields by their surviving victors - Pascasia Mazarinne of the 39th Games, Lalla Addison of the 42nd Games and Benedict Albion of the 56th Games. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
District Eight was, you guessed it, the same. We spoke, we kissed, we interviewed, we were photographed, we dined with the mayor and his family, we toured the clothing factories of the urban district along with District Eight's victors - Woof Darwin of the 28th Games, Zosia Verity of the 49th Games and Cecelia Ember (and her three children) of the 60th Games. At dinner with the mayor, I couldn't help but pull Cecelia Ember aside. "What's it like, knowing your children will likely be reaped?" I asked her quietly.
"I try not to think about it," the older woman confessed. "I give them as much love as I can and hope I get lucky." Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
District Seven was interesting, to say the least. I really liked how wooded it was, but of course, I wasn't allowed to just run off into the woods. We toured the district along with the District Seven Victors - Blight Duluth of the 51st Games and Johanna Mason of the 71st Games. Johanna was the closest to our age yet, but she was certainly not overly friendly. She was quiet and didn't speak much to me, but she and Peeta seemed to get on well, so much so that I tightly gripped his arm to remind him that I was by his side.
"Oh, relax, Brainless. I've got no use for bread boys," she told me with a snide laugh, but my grip on Peeta's arm was relentless. Johanna Mason had won her Games by pretending to be frightened and shy and helpless before proving to be the deadly killer that she was with her axe, resulting in her win. She was a fearsome thing to behold, and her fire reminded me a lot of Gale's. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
District Six was the transportation district, so we were shown the factories that made the hovercrafts, the trains and the Capitol cars. We met their surviving victors - Laurel Andrews of the 18th Games, Ellorah Harpernet of the 47th Games, Lily Taupe of the 58th Games and John Sellers of the 69th Games (both Lily and John seemed absolutely fried from years of morphling abuse, and what made that even more sad was that John Sellers' Games weren't all that long ago). We dined with their mayor and his family, and then we were shuffled along to the next district. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
District Five - Foxface's District - was the district of electricity, so we toured a power plant along with District Five's victors - Dawn Fodor of the 29th Games, Eddie Barker of the 43rd Games, Odeon Avisdee, a very proud man, of the 55th Games, Imogene Walker of the 67th Games and Clarabella Dustin of the 68th Games. I learned that Clarabella Dustin was actually Foxface's - or rather, Finch's, older sister, and she was trying her best to be friendly.
"Just know that I don't blame you," Clarabella told us firmly. "She was clever - too clever for her own good. She could have won easily."
"Yes, she really could have," I agreed with her. Dawn Fodor, evidently, had had a child in the Games the year Haymitch had won, and she patted my shoulder affectionately without saying a word.
"Her daughter was very clever, but she couldn't outsmart eight careers. They ganged up on her, and that year, one of the male careers, well... I don't even wanna say it. It was too horrible. He was killed by the Gamemaker because of it," Haymitch had told us on the train. I didn't bother to ask for more details. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
District Four was by far my favourite district to visit because it had the ocean. As soon as I stepped off the train, wearing a turquoise blue dress that fell loosely to my knees, I closed my eyes and I smelled the ocean air, being brought back to memories of Hebridia. I remembered running the rocks with my brothers and friends. I remembered sailing out into the Paible Harbour to check the crab and lobster traps with my father. I could remember diving down to the bottom of the sea to fetch a trap that had had its line cut. I could remember feeling the salty breeze in my hair. District Four was warmer than Hebridia by considerable standards, but it was the closest that I had ever come to home, and the closest that I would ever come to home again. I'd probably never get to see District Four again after this, unless Peeta and I managed to get another tribute to win.
We met the victors of District Four - Mags Flanagan of the 11th Games (the oldest victor we'd met yet), Sebastian Creole of the 19th Games, Oceana Spritz (I know - what a name) of the 34th Games, Chase Winters of the 59th Games, Finnick Odair (the famous Finnick Odair) of the 64th Games, and Annie Cresta of the 70th Games. Annie Cresta was shy and Mags Flanagan didn't really speak, but I soon found out why. As soon as Mags heard my Hebridean accent, she smiled and pulled me into an embrace.
"Long live Hebridia," she whispered into my ear in Gàidhlig, and I knew straight away that the reason she didn't speak much was because she didn't understand English. Perhaps, long ago, there was a time when learning English wasn't forced on refugees. I learned that Mags was also born in Uibhist, but had come to Panem as a child, same as me, only younger. Her sister had been born in the District, therefore make her eligible for the reaping (apparently back then, the president at the time didn't require refugees to participate in the reaping, which was why Mags, a Hebridean-born child, was not eligible but her sister, a Panem-born child, was), and her sister's name had been reaped for the 11th Hunger Games, and also like me, Mags had volunteered for her sister and won. She didn't tell me how she won her Games, and I didn't ask.
"Charming, how you're able to communicate with Mags," said Finnick Odair, surprising me. "You're Hebridean, too, correct?" He had been the youngest victor to ever win the Games at fourteen, and was also known to be one of the most sensual.
"I am, born and bred," I replied coolly, eyeing him suspiciously. He was circling me like a shark did it's prey.
"Yet raised under the clouds of coal dust of District Twelve. You must have missed the clean, salty air of the sea," he told me.
"I'd be lying if I said I didn't. Hebridia was colder, but the sea is the sea," I answered.
"Why don't I take you and your... fiancé... for a sail?" the bronze-haired glowing man said to me.
"Why don't you find me a boat myself and we'll have a race?" I suggested, daring him to accept my challenge with a cocked eyebrow, and he smiled.
"You've got yourself a race, Miss Everdeen," he said to me, and sure enough, half an hour later, Finnick Odair and I were on two sailboats, with Peeta in my boat and Finnick's fellow victor, Annie Cresta, in his.
"Is this really a good idea?" Peeta asked me, looking a little green from the rocking motions of the boat, and I chuckled.
"Absolutely," I told him. "Have confidence in your wife, Peeta Mellark. You're married to a Hebridean, and we're the best sailors in the world." I was in my element on a boat, even though I hadn't sailed in over eight and a half years. Finnick Odair was trying to show me up, but my Hebridean roots wouldn't allow that. "Prepare to tack!" I said to Peeta in Gàidhlig, a phrase I didn't know in English, before I pulled the mainsail and pulled the tiller towards the sail, tacking right in front of Finnick's boat and giving him a salute as I passed him - he seemed quite amused. Peeta, on the other hand, did not at all appreciate the sudden movement and started wrenching over the side of the boat, and I tried not to laugh. "I'm sorry, love! Don't worry, it'll all be over soon," I told him, standing over him and rubbing his back. In the end, I won the race.
As the evening approached, Peeta and I were given an hour to ourselves to do whatever we pleased, so we decided to sit on the beach together. I'd pulled him up onto the rocks, which were used to prevent the erosion of the beach, and I let my feet dangle in the sea as the waves lapped up against the rocks. Peeta sat behind me, holding me between his legs, and he rested his chin on my shoulder as we watched the sunset. "Maybe we can ask about taking a vacation here. Married couples are supposed to go on honeymoons after weddings, and we are having a wedding in a few days," Peeta whispered into my ear.
"I don't think they'll allow that," I told him, settling into his arms.
"Why not? We're practically Capitol citizens at this rate."
"But we're really not, Peeta... We're still district. The Capitol will never hold us to the same status as the people of the Capitol."
"Maybe not..." He let out a sigh, then pressed a kiss to my outer ear. "Finnick gave me this earlier," he said suddenly, and he shifted to pull something out of his pocket and he placed it in my hand.
"An oyster?" I asked, giving the Gàidhlig word for it.
"I don't know what an eesh-ihd is but he said it was called an oyster." I chuckled gently.
" Eisir. 'Oyster' must be the English word for it." I admired the little oyster in my hand. "Why did he give it to you?"
"He told me to open it and find out," Peeta replied, and he took the oyster back from me and reached into his pocket for a small pocket knife that he'd started carrying around. We shifted a bit so that he was now sitting next to me, and I watched as he struggled to open the oyster. When he finally succeeded (thankfully without cutting himself), he opened it and gave off a disgusted expression at the mucousy mass inside, then picked something out of it. He smiled when he realised what it was, and then he reached over to drop the little pearl in my hand. "For you." I smiled, looking at the little pearl in my hand.
"Thank you," I said, realising exactly why Finnick had given Peeta the oyster. " Pèarlaichean , or pearls, are a Hebridean marriage tradition. A newly married man shucks an oyster and fishes out the pearl to give to his new wife, and the colour of the pearl represents his marriage to his wife. A white pearl symbolises purity and sincerity, as well as innocence. Pink pearls promise good fortune and success. Purple pearls promise passion and wisdom. Blue pearls represent honesty and trust. Green pearls represent balance, hope and renewal - they're very rare, but green was the colour of the pearl my father gave to my mother. Yellow pearls represent optimism, clarity and happiness. Brownish pearls represent harmony and dependability."
"What about that one?" Peeta asked me, referring to the pearl in my palm that was black in colour, and I smiled as I met his eyes.
"True genuine love and strength," I replied. He smiled at me, then pulled me into his arms to give me a warm and passionate kiss. We both knew how full of love our marriage already was, and to be given the promise of the black pearl meant that we were meant to be together. I vowed to never, ever lose that pearl.
All good things come to an end, and just before the sun sank below the sea, we were summoned to prepare for the mayor's dinner. Annie Cresta, evidently, had heard my Gàidhlig phrase while we were sailing, and when she approached me rather nervously at the mayor's dinner, she said to me in Gàidhlig, "I'm Hebridean, too. My parents came from Barraigh."
"That's not far from where I'm from, I'm from Uibhist," I told her in Gàidhlig, and she smiled.
"Just like Mags," she said sweetly. Mags, Annie and I were the only three victors in all of Panem who were of Hebridean descent. From what little I knew of Annie, she won her Games by being the best swimmer, but she had watched her district partner be beheaded and supposedly went mad at the sight.
The beauty of District Four, however, was lost as we remembered why we were there - to celebrate the deaths of twenty-two children. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
After District Four came District Three, the technology district. We toured around technological labs and watched as they tested some new equipment. We also met the District Three victors - Cormac Roche of the 25th Games (and First Quarter Quell), Beetee Latier of the 40th Games, Dravius Pillock of the 41st Games and Wiress Maslow of the 46th Games. While in one of the factories, my eyes fell upon a young man who looked about my age with dark curly hair on his head working at some station wearing a white lab coat. He glanced up at me - his eyes looked strange, and oddly familiar. I could have sworn one of them was darker than the other - and he gave me a soft smile, then a wink, and then he turned and walked off. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
District Two was exactly what I expected it to be. Militaristic, fierce and six feet up the Capitol's ass. We toured the military base, which looked like a rather large beehive or an upside down acorn, along with the District Two victors, of which there were many. The oldest victor from Two was Milla Darwin, who won the 24th Games, and Talin Barkley was the next oldest, who won the 30th Games. Other surviving victors included Nova Teller of the 36th Games, Reglin Grigg of the 37th Games, Lenerok Kifflin of the 48th Games, Brutus Athens of the 52nd Games, Magnow Rose of the 53rd Games and Enobaria Heller of the 62nd Games. District Two proudly displayed that they had won the 2nd, 9th, 13th, 21st, 23rd, 24th, 27th, 30th, 32nd, 36th, 37th, 52nd, 53rd and 62nd Games, but have not had a winner since Enobaria won her Games. One of the Careers, whether they were from District One, Two or Four, was more likely to win, but they of course did not win every year.
District Two was the district that Cato was from, and I worried about setting foot in District Two. I didn't want to face Cato's family, but they seemed proud of his actions, but also glad that I had put him out of his misery before the mutts could harm him even further. Clove's family seemed just as unforgivable as she had, but I would never see them again, so I paid them no heed. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
District One was the district of which both tributes had died at my hand - Glimmer died from the tracker jackers that I had dropped on the careers and Marvel I had killed with an arrow when he'd killed Rue. Both of their faces looked down at me from the banner when Peeta and I delivered our speech, and I felt as if they could see right through me. District One was the luxury items district and was basically the Capitol's lapdog, and all of its surviving victors seemed cold and neutral to our existence. It was a known fact how little respect the higher number districts held in District One, and most of the other districts, with the exception of District Two, saw District One as they ultimate ass kisser of the Capitol (Peeta referred to District One by this title on the train and it took us ages to suppress our laughter).
The surviving victors from District One included Lemma Price of the 17th Games, Alpha Heuron of the 31st Games, Shimmer Stephens of the 38th Games, Prodigy Prelius of the 57th Games, Gloss Horne of the 61st Games, Aristotle Archer of the 63rd Games, Cashmere Horne (Gloss's sister) of the 65th Games and Glitter Pash of the 73rd Games - the year before Peeta and I. Prodigy Prelius had had a daughter in the 70th Games, the one that Annie Cresta had won, and she claimed to be proud of her daughter, who had volunteered, but I could see in her eyes - the eyes of a mother - that Prodigy Prelius was putting on a show. There were equally many tributes who had children that were too young to be reaped, but inevitably would be in the future. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever.
With the tour of the districts finally over, we were left with one more tiger cage to face - the Capitol. The knot in my stomach was easily the size of the baby that grew inside of me, which was easily nearing two pounds in size. I dreaded bringing my child into the Capitol, despite the fact that she was conceived there. Peeta sensed my discomfort as we passed the border into the Capitol and he embraced me tightly, affirming his promise that he was going to keep myself and our baby - our little Lark - safe. The banners on the walls of the tunnel fluttered in the breeze as we rode by.
Panem today.
Panem tomorrow.
Panem forever.
I desperately hoped we'd succeeded in pacifying the districts.
A/N: Was it enough? Did they pacify the districts?
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