The first thing I hear when I walk into the house where Peeta is staying is Reyna excitedly saying, "Katniss Everdeen! You are an inspiration! We need more good people like you," as she comes over to shake my hand.
Peeta moves to embrace me, and it seems like Reyna is going to say something more when Gale walks in unannounced.
He sees us.
I can only imagine what's going through his head. Regardless, the thought quickly leaves me as Reyna extends her hand to Gale, "Reyna. Reyna Ravinstill," she says politely.
Ravinstill. Like President Ravinstill, who led the Capitol even before the Dark Days and instituted the Hunger Games.
I see the look on Gale's face. Reyna doesn't seem to notice, or if she does, she doesn't show it.
If the past few months have taught me anything, it's that you shouldn't be so quick to judge a person based on things outside of their control. I don't think Gale has come to the same realization.
"Gale Hawthorne," he says evenly, shaking her hand.
"Well," Peeta says before the tension boils over, "can I get us something to drink?"
"Water, please," I say.
"Got any alcohol?" Gale asks. Under his breath, I hear him murmur, "I'm gonna need it."
He seems to have gotten over his aversion to taking anything from a Capitolite rather quickly.
"Of course," Peeta says, "What would you like?"
"Whisky."
"Coming right up."
"I'll have what he's having," Reyna says.
Peeta looks at her skeptically.
"Okay." He replies
Gale and Reyna awkwardly move over into the living room as I offer Peeta help with the drinks. When we arrive, drinks in hand, we find Gale brooding and Reyna sitting in polite silence.
"So, Reyna," Peeta begins, "how's progress coming along on that Freedom of Movement and Residency Act?"
"It's coming along nicely; we've mostly got the Act itself finished, now we're just working on how to present it." Peeta nods.
"Reyna's been working on an Act for me that would allow folks to travel around the country freely and establish residency wherever they'd choose," Peeta explains.
"What kind of folks?" Gale asks skeptically.
"Anyone, assuming they can afford it," Reyna says.
"So no one, then." Gale shoots back.
"Not exactly," Reyna counters, "while leisure travel may be out of reach for most, anyone would be able to apply for a job in another district, and the employer would pay their relocation fees."
"Uh-huh," Gale replies disbelievingly.
"Let me show you," Reyna says, grabbing her tablet off the table.
She turns down the device's screen's transparency to make the document easier to read and hands it over to Gale.
Gale begins scrolling through the document.
"See? I get you a hard copy," she offers.
"No, no," Gale says, "I believe you."
But it doesn't sound like he does.
"Peeta!" Portia calls from in the kitchen, "food's ready!"
"Excuse me for a moment," Peeta says. Reyna says something about helping and leaves Gale and me in the room alone.
"What was that!" Gale spits out as soon as Reyna is out of earshot.
"What?" I ask.
"You know what," he says accusingly, "I come in here and find you getting close with him. Don't tell me you actually likehim."
"I-"
"Don't answer that," He says, incensed, "I don't want to know."
"I thought you were smarter than that, Katniss." He says, shaking his head
"Gale-" I start.
"You've changed, Catnip." He says, shaking his head and downing his drink.
We make our way into the dining room. Peeta and I sit on one side of the table, and Gale and Reyna sit on the other. Gale stares daggers into Peeta while Reyna tries to make polite conversation with Gale and me in between sips of her drink.
When it becomes clear that polite conversation isn't working with Gale, Reyna changes tack.
"So I met that Head Peacekeeper Cray coming in. What's he like?" She asks.
I notice that Gale has finished his drink and that Peeta is activating and placing one of his jamming disks in the center of the table.
"Evil," Gale replies, seemingly eager to speak ill about the government.
To Gale and I's surprise, Reyna responds in kind.
"Figured. Seemed like a slimy bastard."
The look on my face must be one of pure shock, and Gale's is one of amused skepticism. Reyna continues, "my father used to be Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, so I've spent a lot of time around dirtbags who joined up just to get their sick thrills."
Gale is staring at her in shocked disbelief that quickly gives way to amusement. Reyna smirks back at him. "See," she says to Gale, "not all of us are brainwashed sadists."
"Cray is the worst of the worst," Gale goes on describing some of Cray's worst offenses. Reyna appears deep in thought, "We'll have to do something about him," she says to Peeta.
She pours more of the brown liquid into her cup, and Peeta leans over, puts his arm around me, and whispers in my ear, "she loses her filter when she drinks." I laugh at the obviousness of the statement.
The rest of the dinner goes like this Reyna and Gale taking turns bashing the Capitol, and Peeta and I sharing private moments laughing at the absurdity of the situation, Capitol royalty and a coal miner living it up, airing grievances into the night.
Gale agrees to have Reyna trail him for a couple of days, saying to her, "you'll work harder than you've ever worked in your life." Reyna quips back, "we'll see about that."
Peeta comes by the house before he heads back to the Capitol to tell me goodbye, "thank you, Katniss. It has been a pleasure."
"Don't mention it," I say, giving him a small smile.
"See you a few weeks!" He says before giving me a quick hug. I feel the urge to look over my shoulder to see if Mother or Prim can see. After all, we should be playing it up.
I step back inside and immediately see Prim.
"He likes you!" Prim squeals.
She saw. There's no point in denying it.
"He does, Little Duck."
"Do you like him back?" Prim asks giddily.
"I think I do," I reply honestly, not knowing what else to say.
She smiles big, "I think it's so romantic, you with Peeta. Panem's Prince," She says with a dreamlike wistfulness.