Chapter XIV: The Coronation
A/N: I apologize for the long wait. I had to change what I wanted to do, since it wasn't working out as well as I wanted it to be. Hope you enjoy! SSD
The past several days had been a blur for Isabel, little Lucian, Damon, and Tylara. After being in the hospital for three days, they were released to the tribute tower to prep for the Coronation.
Lucian would not be brought along to it. The bright lights would not be good for him, so he would be staying in the care of the grey eyed Avox who had been there before the Games. She had already expressed milk for him to be fed while she was at the Coronation. His birth weight was 9lbs 4 ounces and he was 21 inches long.
"I wonder if there is a way to request him. He's so good at helping with Lucian," Isabel thought to herself as Antonio helped her into her shimmery blue dress. It was very flattering to her body.
Against Tylara's wishes, the Capitol had done a procedure that had helped get rid of her belly very quickly. While Isabel was somewhat happy by that, she couldn't help but wonder if there had been some other purpose to it.
Also Tylara had been oddly jumpy around Isabel ever since she'd asked how much of the birth had been broadcasted. Which gave Isabel a very bad feeling.
"I am happy to see that you are alive," Antonio said with a smile. "You'll look good."
Damon walked in shortly after that. He was wearing a matching blue suit with gold edging. Isabel was ecstatic that Damon hadn't died for her, though it had been a very near thing.
He gave her a small bow with his characteristic smirk, "Shall we milady?" as he also held out his arm.
"Yes we will," she replied with a smile of her own. But she could tell that he was acting mechanically until they left the Capitol.
And Isabel knew that she was doing the same.
Damon fidgeted a bit while he and Isabel waited backstage before they were formally introduced as the Victors of the 80th Hunger Games. First their prep teams would come out. Then Gloria and Antonio would come forward. And after them Tylara would come out. She was the second mentor to bring two tributes out of the games, and the first to also bring a newborn infant back out.
Before he could think of anything more Ceasar Flickerman's voice roared out, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the Victors of the 80th Hunger Games: Isabel Storm and Damon Martell!"
He pasted on his best smile, and Isabel did the same.
"They're bantering with Ceasar well. They both just want to get home to District 10, but they're hiding well," Tylara thought of her two newest Victors.
She'd seen a preview of the Victor's Video. And Tylara knew that Isabel and Damon would not be happy at just how much was going to be shown.
As the Victor's Video started she watched as Isabel and Rose ran to the tree line while the boys had gotten to the supplies during the bloodbath. Tylara couldn't help but grin at Nikola's use of pepper spray to impair Achilles and Trident long enough for him to get away with two first rate sleds of food.
She watched Damon flinch a bit when he pushed the boy from 8 out of his way. The boy died moments later.
"I'm going to need to have a chat with him about that. He didn't kill Aron Larson. Freya did," Tylara added it to her mental to-do list.
Day 2 of the Games had been quiet, with the Cave Alliance either hunting for food or setting up traps.
Day 3 had shown Nikola's skill with traps, when his biggest and best one subdued Mirena Blackstone of District 4 via impalement.
Days 4-5 had been blizzard days, which meant down time for the Cave Alliance. The Yeti mutt had stayed far away from them.
Day 6 brought about the first death from the Cave Alliance. Tylara hadn't been surprised it was Nikola, since the Careers had been looking for the trap maker. Not much of his torture was shown with only hints of it, until the crucifixion was shown. Rose ending Nikola's life had been a mercy, since he would have suffered while he slowly died. Isabel had also been gifted with two gorgeous and deadly daggers.
"I *still* haven't figured out who sent them!" Tylara didn't like not knowing who sent her tribute such a valuable and obviously expensive gift. Day 7 nothing much had happened.
Day 8 was where things began to pick up. Two Careers died and Isabel was trapped by an avalanche in the cave, separated from Damon, Rose, and Thomas. Which of course meant that her labor had started a few hours later.
The early morning hours of Day 9 had shown Isabel trying to stay comfortable and Damon trying to get to her and having to be forced to sleep by the two allies who were with him.
Most of Day 9 was slow, except for Trident skewering Serena and twirling her intestines like spaghetti after Freya had left the alliance. Isabel and Damon could now see that the other tributes had been slowly herded towards the cave.
About 20 minutes before the second bloodbath started, Isabel's water finally broke.
Even though she knew the end result, Tylara's heart was in her throat as the final battle between Damon and Trident took place. Tylara had seen Victors like Trident before, and most of them didn't get to enjoy a decade of being a Victor. Never from 10, but mostly from the Career districts.
Meanwhile, Isabel had been working on pushing the baby. How Isabel had even been able to move much less throw the dagger that ended Trident's reign of terror.
Her newest female victor then found out just how many cameras had been on her whilst she was pushing: One on her face, two on her chest and belly, one apiece on the outside of both her legs, and the sixth and final camera... Well it left no doubt as to just how babies were born.
The video cut when Tylara finally chanced a look at Damon and Isabel. Both of their faces were white as sheets.
As much as Damon wanted to berate them all, for thoroughly embarrassing and mortifying his friend, he knew he would have to unleash his anger some other way and later.
Now it was time for the Listing of the Victors:
1st Hunger Games: Henry Outlaw of District 10, 18 (Damon and Isabel exchanged grins at that)
2nd Hunger Games: Sterling Duke of District 6, 16
3rd Hunger Games: Delilah Pratt of District 4, 17
4th Hunger Games: Astraea Bancroft of District 1, 18
5th Hunger Games: Thor Koenig of District 2, 18
6th Hunger Games: May Flanders of District 3, 16
7th Hunger Games: Dwyn North of District 7, 18
8th Hunger Games: Theseus Fisher of District 4, 17
9th Hunger Games: Lin Choi of District 11, 16
10th Hunger Games: Jupiter Stone of District 2, 18
11th Hunger Games: Mags Flanagan of District 4, 17
12th Hunger Games: Flynn Tresor of District 1, 18
13th Hunger Games: Andrew Byrne of District 5, 15
14th Hunger Games: Reina Velasquez of District 10, 16 (Damon had some memories of her, she'd always had a smile for him)
15th Hunger Games: Aphrodite Paget of District 2, 18
16th Hunger Games: Laura Rogers of District 7, 16
17th Hunger Games: Emerald Bute of District 1, 17
18th Hunger Games: Taranis Cooper of District 12, 18 ("Surprisingly 12 had *not* been the last District to gain a Victor", Isabel mused)
19th Hunger Games: Woof Casino of District 8, 16
20th Hunger Games: Pierce Blood of District 2, 18
21st Hunger Games: Karl Vincent of District 1, 18
22nd Hunger Games: Khan Singh of District 2, 18
23rd Hunger Games: Rafaela Cortez of District 9, 16
24th Hunger Games: Sonja Lee of District 6, 16
25th Hunger Games and the First Quarter Quell: Carol Flynn of District 5, 15
26th Hunger Games: Mordred Grant of District 7, 17
27th Hunger Games: Jason Spencer of District 1, 18
28th Hunger Games: Kali Singh of District 2, 16
29th Hunger Games: Olivia Finnegan of District 8, 17
30th Hunger Games: Khalia Holmes of District 3, 17
31st Hunger Games: Logan Summers of District 10, 18
32nd Hunger Games: Anubis Kartal of District 9, 17
33rd Hunger Games: Seeder Howell of District 11, 18
34th Hunger Games: Pele Seastar of District 4, 17
35th Hunger Games: Beetee Latier of District 3, 16 (Both Damon and Isabel were familiar with those Games, as they were shown due to Beetee's ingenuity)
36th Hunger Games: Errol Bruce of District 6, 17
37th Hunger Games: Alderic Frost of District 7, 18
38th Hunger Games: Porter Millicent Tripp of District 5, 17
39th Hunger Games: Priam LaRue of District 2, 18
40th Hunger Games: Scarlett Barante of District 1, 17
41st Hunger Games: Connor Northrup of District 6, 15
42nd Hunger Games: Poseidon Sand of District 4, 18
43rd Hunger Games: Sif Falk of District 2, 17
44th Hunger Games: Zoe Reed of District 4, 17
45th Hunger Games: Chaff Mitchell of District 11, 18
46th Hunger Games: Tylara Donovan of District 10, 16 (Damon and Isabel had also watched these Games, since Tylara was a popular Victor)
47th Hunger Games: Jay Ross of District 5, 15
48th Hunger Games: Brutus Gunn of District 2, 18
49th Hunger Games: Maeve Black of District 3, 17
50th Hunger Games and the Second Quarter Quell: Haymitch Abernathy of District 12, 16 (Everyone knew of how Haymitch won, few knew the price he paid for it)
51st Hunger Games: Robin Fletcher of District 4, 16
52nd Hunger Games: Lyme Walton of District 2, 18
53rd Hunger Games: Janus Hilton of District 1, 17 (He was one Tylara remembered dying around the 60th Hunger Games under unusual circumstances)
54th Hunger Games: Thomas Bogarde of District 8, 16
55th Hunger Games: Perun Valerious of District 2, 18
56th Hunger Games: Blight Callahan of District 7, 16
57th Hunger Games: Hawker Grumman of District 6, 15
58th Hunger Games: Velkan Ardelean of District 9, 17
59th Hunger Games: Gabriel Colt of District 10, 17
60th Hunger Games: Cecilia Sanchez of District 8, 17
61st Hunger Games: Moira Campbell of District 4, 18
62nd Hunger Games: Enobaria Golding of District 2, 18 (She was the one with the teeth filed into fangs, Isabel shuddered when she thought about them)
63rd Hunger Games: Cashmere Constable of District 1, 18
64th Hunger Games: Gloss Constable of District 1, 17
65th Hunger Games: Finnick Odair of District 4, 14
66th Hunger Games: Dimitra Fleming of District 6, 18 (She had aged badly, due to morphling looking many times her age by her death in 75th, Tylara recalled)
67th Hunger Games: Oliver Gould of District 11, 15
68th Hunger Games: Martin Flynt of District 5, 16
69th Hunger Games: Annie Cresta of District 4, 17
70th Hunger Games: Marina Foss of District 10, 18
71st Hunger Games: Joanna Mason of District 7, 17
72nd Hunger Games: Lupa Knave of District 2, 18
73rd Hunger Games: Wilson Ford of District 6, 16
74th Hunger Games: Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark of District 12, both 16
75th Hunger Games and the Third Quarter Quell: No Victor
76th Hunger Games: Aras McCoy of District 11, 18
Out of the corner of his eye, Damon noticed the President coming forward with some guards and the crowns.
77th Hunger Games: Regulus Griffin of District 2, 18
78th Hunger Games: Gloria Sterling of District 12, 17
Isabel and Damon came to their feet, knowing it was nearly time.
79th Hunger Games: Henry Pine of District 7, 15
As the silver crowns with sapphires were placed on their heads, their names were added:
80th Hunger Games: Isabel Storm and Damon Martell of District 10, both 18
"You used those daggers well, Miss Storm," was what the President said shortly thereafter.
The next morning was quiet, as most Capitolians were now sleeping in.
So it was a perfect time in Isabel, Damon, and Tylara's eyes to leave.
When they got inside the train, as she put Lucian down in the travel cot, Isabel noticed the grey eyed Avox.
She asked, "Are you coming with us?"
He nodded in reply.
Damon came into the room and sprawled in a recliner chair with a glass of whiskey in his hands. They exchanged tired smiles.
They would soon be home!
A/N 2: And Breath of Life has ended. To the unanswered questions, there will be a sequel where Isabel and James talk, the Victory Tour will take place, and Mayor Bostwick will get his just desserts! Which district do you all think would be the most uncomfortable for Isabel and Damon to vist? SSD
PS- The Victors listed in the 10th, 17th, and 40th Hunger Games will be Victors a story by TheReaper94. I used them with permission.