Chapter 34:

Amelia Zedmore, District Four, Age 18

Victor of the 109th Hunger Games

Amelia is not a stranger to difficult situations. Every day of her life has been a struggle for the last few years, from before she had a diagnosis and then after as they struggled with figuring out a treatment that worked for her. Hell, that's how she knew she'd be able to actually handle the arena. She wasn't scared to enter the arena. She knows what she is capable of doing and is going to show everyone that doubted her that she was not going to be defined by her disease.

But getting called down to speak to an unknown person, only knowing that he is high ranking enough to command Peacekeepers to do what he asks without question… Now that frightens Amelia.

"You swear you haven't lied to me about anything?" Okeanas whispers harshly at her side, refusing to back down when they asked for Amelia alone. The younger girl had thought the victor was being a bit dramatic about not moving out of the way of the elevator until they let her come, but now she's glad to have her by her side. "If you did and are about to make a fool of me, I swear you won't make it out of that arena."

"I have nothing to hide," Amelia reassures her, not feeling scared by the victor's threats, just comforted by her presence. Even Okeanas has claimed there's something wrong with her not being afraid of her, but she just respects the hell out of her. "Whatever this is about, you know about it. If not, I don't even know about it."

Okeanas is quiet for a few seconds as they approach a closed set of doors with two guards standing on either side, before finally speaking up, "Alright, but I'm sticking with you."

"Thank you," Amelia answers quietly, not sure how she earned the fierce devotion of Four's toughest victor, but she will not turn it away. She needs it right now.

The guards with them slow and the two in front of the doors nod before opening the doors, stepping aside to let the two in to the room. She freezes in the door in shock because whatever or whoever she was expecting to see, it was not the man greeting her with a warm smile and cups of tea waiting.

"Amelia, welcome, and of course, should have expected you as well, Okeanas," President Xavier greets them and gestures for them to take some of the seats at the conference table he stands behind. "Please, come in. I promise it's a good chat I'd like to have."

"President Xavier," Amelia says in quiet greeting and steps in first, followed by a silent Okeanas. They've done it. They've made Okeanas speechless.

Amelia takes her seat quietly but Okeanas stands behind her, putting her hands on her shoulders tightly. Amelia understands the trepidation. Xavier's only been President for five years and after the turmoil of previous Presidents and how he came to office… Well, no one really knows yet if he's as good as he seems to the country.

"Tea?" he offers politely and Amelia nods her head, feeling foolish to refuse the President even something as simple as a beverage. He pours the cup for her and hands it to her with a warm smile. She wraps her hands around the cup, taking in the comfort of the warmth as she sits in front of a man who could undoubtedly decide her fate in the coming days. "So, this is a bit of a bizarre situation, I'm aware of that. I don't think any of my predecessors have done this – well," he pauses, cutting himself off in thought. "Korrina might have but I don't know for sure."

Amelia clears her throat before taking a sip of the tea to clear the dryness. "Pardon me for asking…" she starts slowly and Okeanas tightens her grip on her shoulders. "But may I ask why you have called me here? As far as I am aware, I have not done anything to warrant a summoning by the President…"

"Yes, of course you may," Xavier smiles at her, starting to settle some of the nervousness in her stomach. He folds his hands in front of him and for a moment, she could almost picture him as just a kind dad, not the President of Panem. "I'm trying to do things differently than my predecessors. They were too focused on entertainment and they forgot that the tributes are still people. I want to start a new precedent of making sure we give everyone a fair shot towards winning, starting with you."

"Me?" Amelia asks in confusion. "Forgive me for my bluntness – blame Okeanas for teaching me that," she adds and gets a small chuckle from the President, making her pause and watch him curiously. "But I'm not a weak little girl from, say, Nine or Eleven."

"No, but you are a citizen of Panem," Xavier tells her and stares at her in silence for a few moments. "And so I'd like to offer you the top medicine the Capitol can offer for your diabetes before you enter the arena. It would require a small procedure but we can make sure your insulin levels stay regulated throughout the entire arena."

Amelia doesn't know what to say to his statement, feeling like it's too good to be true.

"What's the catch?" Okeanas asks, unafraid to hide the sharpness in her voice even from the President. "If you want to sell her to the richest bidders after she wins, you can forget about it. She can win without your help."

Xavier's eyes lose their kindness right away and are replaced with anger, but he keeps his voice steady as he addresses the victor, "I want to be very clear right now that I will never make victors do that as long as I am President. There is no catch. I am trying to make a change in how our tributes are treated. That's all."

"But you want me to talk about it in my interview," Amelia says, filling in the blanks of what he's saying. Of course he wants her to brag about his kind act.

"Not required at all," Xavier answers honestly before there's a twinkle in his eyes. "But, one would be foolish to not take any positive publicity."

"Of course," Amelia says quietly as she contemplates his offer. Part of her wants to say no just to prove she can win on her own. But if the Capitol and the President himself is offering her what is undoubtedly an advantage…she'd be so foolish to not take it. "When can we do the procedure? And more importantly, will I be fully recovered before entering the arena?"

"Absolutely," President Xavier says with a grin, clearly pleased with her agreement. "And we can do the procedure right away."

"Then let's not waste time."

Whoops, forgot to update this yesterday. Anyways, there's Amelia Zedmore (named before Senseless Amelia lol), victor of the 109th Hunger Games! It was fun switching up the format for this chapter and showing an important shift with how tributes are treated.

Anyways, not much else new to say. See you next week with another career from D2 (shocker lol)!