Chapter Forty-Three, The Victor
For the few days during which Silyah had been confined to the District 3 suite, the girl had barely been able to pay attention to anything. Even when her prep-team arrived to prepare her for her crowning ceremony, the only thing she could do was to stare blankly at the mirror before her.
"Your hair grew quite a bit since the first time we met you," mentioned the woman brushing and smoothing away her soft dark curls.
"Um?" Silyah shook her head, forcing her eyes to focus back on the real world. She glanced at her silky copper-brown locks, which fell a little past the bottom of her back. "Oh, well…" she then said with little interest, looking back at the woman, whom she believed was called Nephelie, through the mirror.
"You know, I am actually waiting for some amazing deluxe extensions in that exact length. They are a bit slow to arrive, but I should have them before your final interview."
Good for you, thought Silyah, trying very hard to come up with a more civilized reply. "This year's new trend?" she chose to ask.
"Why of course, silly," smiled Nephelie, showing off a bright set of teeth that shined dazzlingly compared to her dark shade of lipstick. "Who wouldn't want to look as fashionistic as they possibly can?"
Silyah raised an eyebrow, for the first time hearing Effie's saying from someone other than the escort or Artemis. "That expression actually caught on?"
Nephelie gave her a strange look. "It had to catch on! It's such a wonderful word; perfect in every way! I use it whenever I can; it's actually spreading amongst the designers and stylists."
"Effie must be ecstatic," mumbled Silyah as the white-haired woman started to work on her hairdo.
As she was getting her hair done in a cascade of curls falling on her left shoulder, Silyah gave meager replies to Nephelie's comments, now and then wondering what the other members of her prep team were up to. Those who had done her makeup and nails had left the room as soon as they had finished their job, leaving Silyah with the hair stylist, as well as a radiating face and eyes colored with various soft shades of purple.
"This will be such an amazing ceremony," said the remaining prep team member with enthusiasm. "People will be mesmerized by you! We have done such a good job; they won't help but to stare."
"I guess Panem will have to get used to my face," nodded Silyah, trying to ignore the fact that the fair-haired woman had used the word "mesmerized."
Nephelie placed one last pin in Silyah's hair and, as if on cue, two people appeared at the girl's bedroom door. The first one was Xarone, which was not much of a surprise, but the second one took Silyah aback.
"Special guest," explained the male stylist with a smile directed towards the lady in gold walking up to the makeup chair.
Ilranor sent him back his smile and looked at Silyah. "They thought that a collaboration between the two District 3 stylists would be appropriate given the circumstances," she said, referring to Artemis and Silyah's relationship, which was now the tragic tale that moved Panem.
The woman with white-blond hair gave the newcomers her place. "I have done everything I could; she is all yours now. Xarone, Ilranor," she gave the pair a flashing goodbye smile as she left the victor and the two stylists alone.
Xarone walked up to the blue-eyed girl. "Beautiful," he stated, his index trailing under Silyah's chin. "The colors are simply perfect."
Silyah smiled slightly. "What have you got for me today?"
"Well," Ilranor took the speech. "You inspired us very much through the Games." The woman gently laid a bag on Silyah's bed, unzipping it.
Without too much theatrics, Xarone and Ilranor unveiled their creation to the new and yet uncrowned District 3 victor.
The attire consisted of a light purple gown, which matched with a surprising accuracy the shades of the aremèsias attached to its left shoulder and right hip areas. The delicately scented flowers which had apparently turned into Artemis and Silyah's official emblem seemed to bloom naturally from the dress that had been made to resemble a toga coming straight from the Greek and Roman eras. Its vaporous fabric would drape over Silyah's body and flow around her in a divine and ethereal way, whereas her waist would be cinched in by an intricate decorative pattern of seam lines. Surprisingly enough, there seemed to be no electrical components on the gown.
"I know what you're wondering," said Xarone, as though he was reading the brunette's mind, "but the dress is not all…"
The man walked to the door, opening it wide to reveal the two members of Silyah's prep team who had left earlier, as well as Nephelie. They were carrying a relatively large object concealed by a thick sheet of plush fabric; the stylist's newest innovation, without a doubt.
"Now tell me, dear Silyah," began Xarone. "What would an angel be without a set of these?"
For the first time in three days, Silyah had some type of facial expression other than a vacant, uninterested one. In fact, her eyes grew wide and she even had to control herself not to let her mouth hang open.
Under the fabric had been a massive set of wings adorned with a stained glass pattern that had been highlighted by delicate gold edges.
Silyah rose from her chair, brushing the glowing wings with her fingertips. Just like her parade outfit and her first interview dress, purple and blue light pulsated from the creation ever so softly. It was a truly beautiful design.
"Let's not make them wait," then said Xarone, carefully taking the dress from its bag to help Silyah put it on.
Sighing, the girl let the designer do his work as he adjusted his garment over her pale frame.
"We're going to have to wait until you are about to go on stage before giving you the wings," explained the man with tattooed hands, "but, for the finishing touch, would you happen to have that necklace Artemis gave you?" he asked, lowering is voice slightly as he pronounced Artemis's name.
Silyah lowered her gaze. "Yes," she blurted. "First drawer of the nightstand…"
"Good," smiled Xarone. "Care to wear it tonight? It was the main inspiration piece for this whole outfit."
Silyah shrugged with a small smile. "I don't see why I should not wear it."
Nephelie handed Ilranor the necklace and the woman dressed in gold tied it around the new victor's neck.
"All set?" wondered Silyah, briefly glancing at everyone in the room.
Xarone spun the girl towards the mirror. "You tell me," he grinned.
"Seems all good," approved the girl, quickly inspecting her appearance. Instead of making her feel powerful and alluring, the teenager's impeccable state made her feel weak and vulnerable. She would have been supposed to spend the last few days in a clinic in which the wounds she would have been supposed to have would have been healed; in which people would have made her look less skeletal while attending to her traumas, but instead, she had spent those days in a perfect physical health, living on sleeping pills to pass the time. The Capitol had not been ready to greet a healthy victor and the girl thus had to remain nearly alone in her suite while the preparations for her crowning ceremony were going on. Even though Silyah had never been a stranger to solitude, the one she had been forced to endure had felt so endless to her… Not to mention that sometimes, her brain would decide to play tricks on her, making her expect to see Artemis wandering about in the suite, as though it was still the old training days… Ever since her return the District 3 quarters were so empty; so quiet…
Once again, Silyah shook her head away from her thoughts, realizing that her hand was clutching the delicate gold pendant at her neck. She turned to face Xarone. "As you said earlier, let's not keep them waiting," smiled the brown-haired girl, heading towards the door.
After having pressed a couple of buttons and crossed a few doorways, Silyah and her team arrived underneath the stage of the Caesar Flickerman's show. The last time she had seen that place, Silyah had never imagined that she would get to come back. Looking around the backstage area, the girl made her way towards Beetee and Effie, suddenly feeling a certain pressure weighing down on her.
"Still holding on?" asked the mentor, fidgeting with the cuff of his jacket as he led the teenager at a certain distance from the rest of her team.
"Do you want the truth or a reassuring lie?" replied Silyah, following the man. From underneath the stage, she could hear the screaming crowd she would soon have to face. "I feel like I'm going to be sick," she admitted. "I feel like running away from this place as fast as I can… But I also need to know what everyone else saw of the Games," she added, her voice fading into a whisper at the end of her sentence.
Beetee tried to contain his stress and be a good role model for Silyah, but he knew all too well that he was just as restless as the girl. No matter the time spent in therapy, facing the élite of the Capitol would always make the man twitchy and now was no exception. In fact, it might have been even worst now; his tribute's safety was still in his hands and as fragile as ever. "If it can help you deal with the tension, I have talked with the concerned people and they judged best to keep quiet about the incident," reported Beetee. "They have arranged something with the Games's available video footage and they told me to tell you to keep your reaction minimal when they will show the last clip they were able to record."
"I can do that," nodded Silyah, trying to convince herself of her statement's truth.
"It might be tough, but have my word, you'll get through the ceremonies. Most of us did." Beetee mentally winced as he went over his word choice; it was not exactly the most encouraging speech he had ever come up with, but it was the truth nonetheless; it was not every victor who managed to hold on to their collected façades during the viewing of their Games.
"I need the prep team on stage!" suddenly yelled a staff member, startling both Silyah and her mentor.
Nephelie and her two co-workers followed the instructions they were given and with heads held as high as they could hold it, they walked up the stairs leading to the stage. "Let's get this show started," had murmured the white-haired woman when she had passed by the two District 3 victors.
After a few minutes during which the crowd cheered for the preparation team, it was Effie Trinket's turn to shine, and quite literally so. The calf-length white dress she wore had been made to look like a three dimensional rendition of a frost-like pattern on which glowed a handful of small aremèsias, twinkling in the iconic shades of blue and purple now associated with the third district of Panem. Added to her blue lips and wig, the outfit made a rather dramatic statement, which, according to the woman, was absolutely perfect for the circumstances. In fact, Effie had made sure that her appearance would be remembered that day, for it was the last day she would get to be presented as an escort during a crowning ceremony.
"It is with great emotion that I have to announce to you all that I am retiring from my position as an official Hunger Games escort," a stunned Silyah had heard her say. She assumed that the woman was smiling brightly, yet in a bittersweet way, perfectly controlling and monitoring her facial expression. "It has been truly enlightening years I have spent traveling around our beautiful country and I am glad that my last year was highlighted by a shining victory! I am and will be forever proud to have been able to represent District 12 and District 3 during my career!"
As surprised as everyone else, or perhaps pretending to be, Caesar exchanged a few words with Effie in order to answer the audience's burning questions about the woman's departure and then moved on to Xarone's presentation, which was way too rapidly followed by Beetee's.
Silyah's heart thumped heavily in her chest as she anticipated what was about to come.
"That's it, there is only one person missing on this stage and I bet you all know who I am talking about!"
That would be me, thought the blue-eyed girl as Caesar teased the crowd.
"She is a brilliant young woman from the third district of Panem; you may know her as Silyah Natho and here on the Caesar Flickerman show, we like to call her the Clockwork Angel, but most recently and importantly, she had been named the victor of the 80th Annual Hunger Games! Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm round of applause to your brand new and shining victor, Silyah!"
A technical assistant helped the girl position her wings on her back and then, since the contraption was too broad to go through the opening of the stage's elevating platform, he opened a door for her and Silyah was left with no other choice but to cross it to take the hand Caesar was offering her.
Giving Effie a side glance, the girl threw on a smile and waved at the chanting crowd in front of her.
"Silyah, Silyah, Silyah! How nice it is to greet you back here with me!" exclaimed the host of show, carefully spinning the young woman around so that his audience could have a clear view of her outfit. "You're looking absolutely divine tonight!"
"Thank you, Caesar. Mind you, you have quite the elegant attire too. Although…" Silyah squinted, hoping that the touch of humor she had planned to add to her greeting would lighten the pinching sensation in her chest.
"Although?" Caesar raised an eyebrow.
"Well, since your official tie-fixer will not be available," she started, trying her hardest not to display how difficult it was to say those words, "he gave me the right to help you out myself." She forced a shy laugh to escape her throat and adjusted Caesar's tie.
The host exaggerated a wide range of expressions, going from a surprised look to a flattered grin. "And she can fix ties too! We couldn't have wished for a better victor, don't you all agree?"
Silyah gave a small shrug, reminding herself not to get rid of her fake smile. Three hours. In three hours you can take a break from pretending, she told herself.
"Speaking of, let's see, without further ado, how the lovely Silyah Natho made her way from District 3 to this very stage where she will soon be crowned as this year's Hunger Games winner!" Caesar led the girl to an ornate chair and her prep team quickly helped her out of her wings, which they attached on the seat's back rest before going back to their assigned places.
Apart from the two spotlights beaming on Caesar and Silyah, the amphitheater's lights dimmed down and Panem's anthem began to play along with the start of the Games' recap.
The first half hour of the video, although a bit bittersweet, was not that much of a problem to watch. Silyah had already seen most of it; the Reapings, the arrivals in the Capitol, the chariot parade, the training scores and the first interviews… The most heartbreaking thing for the brunette was to realize that the people going about on the screen would never be seen again. Caskar's chilly smile was no more, neither were Crelin and Elon's distant looks. The cousins from 4 would never take the water again, Novia and Silver would not be trying to drag Silyah on the dance floor anymore and even Kalheb's flirting time was long over.
The second part of the viewing was much harder for the girl to follow, and that even if for the second time in History, the one who had picked the highlights of the Games had chosen to tell a love story. This year, the tale began with the first bloodbath, as Silyah and Artemis both headed in separate ways, each of them living an adventure of their own before the one moment that changed it all; the moment when the alliances fell, the Second Bloodbath.
Shocked, Silyah watched in silence as she saw herself killing Geneva and as Elon smashed a piece of ice on Artemis's temple to then toss his limp body in the icy river before facing his own end. It was with a sad smile that the victor saw everything she had gone through to save Artemis and even though she knew what would come next, she couldn't help but blush when she realized that her very first kiss had been watched by the entire country multiple times.
After seeing the tender moment she had shared with Artemis by the waterfall, Silyah began to feel uneasy, knowing that the worst deaths were yet to come as she saw that an opalescent snake had arrived in the arena. Even if the girl had been curious about what had happened at the Cornucopia during the Feast, she now wished that she could forget it, preferring her own hazy memory of that day to the horrors she had just witnessed. Kalheb's death at Artemis's hands nearly made Silver's attack on Caskar seem rather clean and Silyah had to admit that it had indeed been a good reason to have nightmares and delusions.
To shake her mind away from what she had been forced to see, Silyah mentally counted the remaining tributes and felt her heart accelerate. After Zinque Chart's death, only four would remain and not for very long. Clutching the aremèsia at her neck, Silyah took a deep breath. It was Silver's turn now. The victor tried to lower her gaze, but she was unable to; Silver had been the closest thing to a best friend she had ever had, not to mention that her death had marked a brand new chapter in the Games. After her passing, the mood in the arena had changed. With three tributes remaining, the atmosphere had gotten heavy and even more so when Artemis and Silyah had decided to part ways… It had remained that way until the last day of the Games…
Holding on to her chair's armrests, Silyah felt as though her heart was running at Artemis's side as he hopelessly tried to escape Caskar. The girl cringed with each stab the boy took until she could no longer look at the screen. It was when she heard the cheers of the crowd that she looked up, seeing herself speeding in Caskar's direction. The rage in her own eyes caught Silyah by surprise and she felt as though she was watching a complete stranger doing something she deemed absolutely barbaric. For a second time, she was glad to hear the cannon announcing the District 1 boy's death, only this time, it was not because she was relieved that he had died, but rather because she would not have tolerated one more minute of her own ruthless behavior.
At this point, Silyah was not exactly sure as to whether or not she would get to stay composed for the remainder of the crowning ceremony. There were only two scenes left to show: Artemis's death and her victory. The girl could hear the sound of her heart very clearly in her ears as she saw herself rush to Artemis. She glanced in her mentor's direction, hoping to find some comfort in Beetee's eyes. Alas, the man seemed to be as nervous as she was.
"I became a murderer for you, Fowl," had said Silyah by the end of the Games. "If I had planned to let you die, I would have never killed Caskar." The tribute looked at the remains of her kill, then back to an unconscious Artemis. "Please!" she yelled over the sound of the drums accompanying the dramatic music that had been added to the scene. There was one final cannon-like drum beat and then, the image faded away into the video that showed the new victor being lifted into the hovercraft that would bring her back to the Capitol.
Silyah let herself sink in her chair, thankful that they had made it look as though Artemis had peacefully died in her arms.
After a brief conclusion, the anthem of Panem played once again and everyone rose as President Snow walked on stage followed by his granddaughter, who had been the crown bearer ever since she had learned how to walk steadily. Silyah's wings were swiftly placed back on her shoulders before the two members of the Snow family stopped in front of her, both of them smiling victoriously.
With her recently bleached blond hair, the resemblance between the president and his granddaughter was unmistakable, however, Snow's expression seemed much more menacing than the pale blond girl's.
"Congratulation, Ms. Natho," whispered President Coriolanus Snow, taking the crown from its cushion before placing it upon Silyah's brow.
The brunette slightly bowed her head. "Thank you Sir," she said as politely as she could, trying not to shiver as her eyes met his.
The president held her gaze for a moment. There was no doubt about it; there was a warning in those eyes. Silyah would soon have to find a very good explanation to protect Artemis's secret…
Before the girl could faint, Snow saluted his audience and went off stage with his granddaughter, leaving Silyah alone with her team to bow and wave at the crowd. The ovation lasted about ten minutes before Caesar had to put an end to it, bidding his spectators goodnight. "As always, make sure to tune in tomorrow for Silyah's final interview!" he reminded them as the victor and her team left the stage to head to the vehicle that would bring them to the post-ceremony banquet.
During the whole ride to the President's Mansion, Effie had been awfully quiet. Her iconic smile was still painted on her face, but that was a standard with the fashionistic woman. It was not until the car pulled in the manor's driveway that she spoke. "Now, Silyah, tonight you might not get much time to yourself. Your generous sponsors will all be there to finally meet the one they have been supporting. Just remember to keep your head high and always wear your smile," she said, as bubbly as ever.
"Understood," nodded the girl as she was helped out of the car and into her wings again. Fortunately for her, Xarone's design was quite light to wear and it would allow her to have some personal space, given her wingspan.
Beetee and Effie followed the young woman out of the car, to then lead her inside the mansion. As soon as the girl set a foot in the building, her presence was indeed requested from all sides of the room. Everyone she crossed took their turn to shake her hand and take a picture at her side. Overwhelmed with the attention, Silyah barely had the time to eat. Not that it mattered much considering that her appetite had been drastically reduced after all she had been through.
By the end of the night, Silyah's eyes were almost burning due to all the camera flashes and her feet were aching since she had not walked in heels for quite some time. Needless to say, she was glad to be back in her room, though she dreaded the moment when she would have to close the lights and go to sleep.
The girl had been sitting cross-legged in her bed for a little while, her aremèsia pendant in the palm of her hand, when she decided to go take a walk around the suite. Ignoring the memories that had been flooding her mind for the past days, she wandered down the hallway, eventually stopping in front of Effie's room.
Ever since the ceremony, there had been something off with the escort… "Effie?" Silyah's hand brushed the door, which slightly opened itself. "Effie?" the blue-eyed girl asked again, this time out of concern.
"Silyah!" surprised, Effie quickly wiped the tear going down her cheek.
"Sorry. I wasn't able to sleep and I thought that we could chat." Silyah feared to be scolded for her manners, yet she hesitated between getting out of the room and questioning her escort.
To the girl's surprise, the Capitol woman opened her arms as another tear rolled down her pale face. "Come here."
"Why are you crying?" wondered the girl, a bit confused. She walked to Effie and hugged her back, concerned by her sudden display of emotions.
"One cannot smile all the time without having to let go of the pressure once in a while," replied the woman as she released her victor. She patted her powdered cheek with a handkerchief and sighed, unable to prevent a few more tears from escaping her eyes. "You should go to sleep. Tomorrow is your last day in the Capitol and we need you to be fresh-faced for your interview."
"Effie, you know that if there's something wrong, you can talk to me, right?" said Silyah, ignoring her escort's suggestion. "I may not be in your shoes, but I bet I could understand a few things."
The woman, whose makeup was surprisingly still holding up, shook her head slowly. "Let's just say that it was the right time for me to retire."
Silyah lowered her gaze and then a small grin formed on her lips. "You're not going to abandon me, are you? I mean, you'll travel with us on the Victory Tour, right?"
A kind and proud smile adorned Effie's face when Silyah looked up. "Of course! I would not let anyone take my place for that celebration!"
"Good," approved the blue-eyed girl. "I wouldn't want to lose another member of my team… Besides, who would wake me up and teach me everything about being fashionistic?"
"No worries; I will still be there for that… And while we are on the subject, remember that I am also there to tell you to get some sleep."
Silyah grunted weakly.
"Off you go; it's an order!"
"Okay," sighed Silyah, rolling her eyes. "Good night," she said as she walked back to the door. Her hand was about to grip the handle when Effie's voice made her turn around.
"Silyah?"
"Yes?"
"I want you to know that I am terribly sorry that you had to go through all this."
For a moment, the girl froze. She had certainly not expected to hear that. "Good night, Effie," Silyah repeated, swallowing back the lump in her throat.
"Time to wake up, we have a big, big, big day!"
Silyah rolled over in her bed, yanking her bed sheet over her head. Clearly, Effie was feeling a lot better than the night before.
"We don't have a minute to lose," added the woman, seeing her victor's motivation to get up. "Your breakfast is in the dining room and your prep team should be here soon."
Grunting, Silyah slid out of the bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She gave Effie a nod and headed for the kitchen. After putting something in her stomach, the young woman was directed back to her room, which had been taken over by her prep team once again.
The stylist's three assistants hovered around the girl, this time putting her hair in a low bun that was accentuated by a subtle clock hand hair piece from which emanated a soft blue glow. They left out a few soft curls to frame her face and then moved on to her makeup and manicure. Once the team was done, Xarone entered the room and dismissed the trio, presenting Silyah with a navy blue halter neck gown. Its collar and bust areas were covered in twinkling sequins and its flowing chiffon skirt was apparently hiding one of Xarone's brand new tricks.
"Incorporating lights within the dresses you have previously worn was all fun and games compared to what I'm about to show you now," began the stylist as he helped Silyah slip in the garment. "This new creation is made of improved electroluminescent fabric; an innovation developed in your own district. When programmed, each fiber of the fabric can contribute to a moving picture which can be projected on the skirt or over it as a holographic display." He gave Silyah a gemstone bracelet. "And this is the remote to activate it."
"You will never cease to amaze me," smiled Silyah as Xarone inspected and retouched her dark makeup.
"And you will never cease to amaze your dedicated followers." The stylist glanced at the watch he wore just below his elbow. "Time to go," he then said, handing Silyah a pair of shoes with heels made of a thick sheet of glass. He let the girl slip them on before opening her door to lead her to the living room in which Caesar Flickerman's team was setting up their equipment.
"Good morning, Silyah," said a strong voice as the girl arrived in the room. Caesar Flickerman himself walked up to the girl, giving her a warm hug. "How are you today?"
"I'm good… Well, a bit better than a few days ago," answered the girl. What was the point in pretending that she felt great?
Caesar gave her a sympathetic look. "It can't but improve from now on," he said cheerfully. "As I told all the other victors, we are going to have a great time!"
Silyah gave the man a nod and as Effie and Beetee walked in the room, the brunette and the host were asked to take their seats. Someone in the technical crew counted down ten seconds and then, the broadcast of Silyah's final interview before her homecoming began.
"Greetings everyone and welcome to the Official Victor Interview of the 80th Annual Hunger Games!" belted out the host with turquoise hair. "Silyah Natho is here with me today to answer a few questions about her experience in the Hunger Games, but before we begin, I have to ask her the question that has been on everyone's mind ever since we woke up; how is my tie today?"
Silyah had to hand it to Caesar, he sure knew how to make someone laugh. "Very nice," she replied. "In fact, there is not a thing to change."
The host seemed reassured. He took a moment to talk about the girl's outfit before diving in subjects that were deemed a little more important. He asked her about her first meeting with Artemis and how their relationship had developed before the Games and then, he had a few questions about the girl's allies and strategies, as well as a few more about her progression during the competition.
"There has been many near-death moments for you and your ally during the Games," pointed out the man before enumerating a few of those said moments. "Was there one in particular that made you think that everything would be over soon?"
"When I fell in the forest while going to the Feast, definitely," replied Silyah. "I knew and completely accepted that without an antidote, I would not have long to live. Artemis, on the other hand, was not so keen on the idea of letting me die there…"
"There was indeed some kind of pattern forming between you and him, am I correct?"
Silyah nodded and gave Caesar a sad smile. "We both wanted the other one to live. When one of us was in danger, the other one would make sure to keep the situation under control, even if we both feared to be the last ones standing…" The girl looked down at her dress. Blooming aremèsias were climbing up from its hem.
Caesar placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, looking at her understandingly. "If this is not too difficult for you, may I ask you what went through your mind on the last day of the Games, when you discovered that Caskar had found Artemis first?"
The brown-haired girl took a short breath. "Truth be told, there was not much going on in there," she said, touching her temple with her index finger. "All I knew was that I had to try to save Artemis one last time. I had followed him all this time, even when I told him that it would be best for us to part ways in the hopes of saving him, but apparently, he beat me at my own game. He was always one step ahead of me, and he was so determined…" The victor looked straight at the camera, wanting to establish a clear fact. "He sacrificed himself to save my life… He didn't want me to do the same for him since he was already in such a bad shape…"
There was a moment of silence, then Caesar let out a breath. "Well, Silyah, we sure wish you a long and wonderful life to honor Artemis Fowl's will to save you, and we would also like to officially welcome you in the Hunger Games' victors' family."
"Thank you, Caesar."
The man in the dark blue suit concluded the interview and the cameras were shut down, putting an end to Silyah's time in the Capitol.
Everyone hugged and laughed away their teary eyes, and after saying her goodbyes to her team, Silyah went back to her room to pick up her few belongings. Effie, Beetee and she were then led to a car, which drove them to the train that would bring them back to District 3.
The train ride was slow and tedious. Almost alone in the enormous wagons, there was not much Silyah could do, except watch the replays of her interview with Caesar and sleep.
In a way, she was glad to be heading back home, but she dreaded to see her family again. They had always seen her as a quiet and stuck up girl with a bad opinion about love, which was quite different from how she had behaved during the Games. Would they see her differently now? She could already hear her brother's teasing as she wondered if her parents would change the way they treated her, or if they would do as if nothing had ever happened…
Eventually, the train arrived at destination and Silyah was told to look cheerful for the cameras' sake. Through the vehicle's windows, she caught a glimpse of the District 3 train station and its current occupants. Of course, the place was flooded with cameras and the girl's family had been brought at the front of the train station to be able to see their daughter's arrival properly. As the train slowly stopped, Silyah's eyes scanned the crowd of vaguely familiar faces before her.
Suddenly, her heartbeat accelerated. In the audience, somebody had caught her attention. Raven-black hair framing a pale face with light eyes… Perhaps blue eyes… The girl blinked a few times and as she was about to look back at the crowd, Effie and Beetee arrived at her side to lead her out of the train. The victor's mind was racing with a thousand possibilities, which were all as equally confusing, but she was forced to bury them at the corner of her mind as the train's doors slid open.
"Welcome back home!" said Effie, gently pushing Silyah forward.