DOUBLE UPDATE! – Make sure to read previous chapter!
Chapter One-Hundred-and-Fifty-Seven; Rescuer
The fact that he had essentially had her dragged in front of him, immediately made Stephanie uneasy. But then she knew she wouldn't be able to avoid him forever. She had just hoped not to be forced to face her interview with King directly after fainting and being accused of cold-blooded murder orchestration by Tain Thorne.
Stephanie swallowed nervously, trying not to wince at the lingering pain aching in her chest still or to let her troubled thoughts show too clearly on her face.
She saw Haymitch, Electra and Frenkin take places of silent support in the customary gathered crowd of onlookers. Isa sent Stephanie a huge thumbs up, grinning enthusiastically as she simultaneously tried to elbow Electra out of the way.
"Hello dear," King, the bumbling Gamemaker held his podgy hand out to her, snapping her back to the current situation.
Stephanie smiled thinly as she slid her hand into his. "Hello Mr King," she replied tightly. How many people like me had he killed without a second thought?
"Oh my, what delicate wrists you have!" King suddenly exclaimed as he turned her hand over, examining it, his fingers grasping hers with a crushing intensity.
Stephanie sent a mildly alarmed glance over to Haymitch but it was Electra who gave Stephanie a curt nod of encouragement while Haymitch remained looking grim.
"Oh and such lovely fingers as well!" King added, holding her limp hand up to his eye-level. Stephanie tried her hardest to conceal her frown, knowing a camera was trained on her.
"Oh my, oh my, I mean I could just…snap every little fine bone so easily," King conjectured airily as his meaty fist released Stephanie's suddenly trembling hand.
Stephanie swallowed convulsively, clutching her hand that he had touched to her protectively.
She now knew only too well what Haymitch had meant when he had said appearances were deceiving. The Gamemaker King before her may have looked like an incompetent fool but Stephanie could see the sheer cruelty burning in his eyes.
His eyes travelled hungrily over her form, his gaze straying towards the dipping neckline of her dress where it lingered. Stephanie may have blushed angrily any other time at such blatant leering but now she shivered. For it wasn't any base desire in King's eye, he wasn't looking at her lasciviously at all and his words confirmed it.
"You have a most wonderful breastbone my dear and your collarbones are simply divine – like little glyphs…pity there is so much flesh in the way…"
Stephanie felt every last drop of blood drain from her face, she felt her heart thump painfully in her chest with fright.
She had barely spoken a few words of greeting to the man and already she felt like fainting…again! She knew this had been a bad idea; to tumble directly from one dismal situation into the next and expect things to run smoothly!
Stephanie frowned lightly, raising a hand to discreetly massage the sore spot on her chest; her heart felt like it was thrashing about like a caged animal inside her.
"The human skeleton is such a fascinating form isn't it, my dear?" King enthused.
Stephanie stared at him in mute horror, her words having failed her.
"Yes," she answered numbly.
This man was a – a…monster. Utterly vile and doubtless guilty of unforgivable crimes. And a sudden memory Stephanie wished she could forget flashed before her mind's eye.
It was one of the most horrendous Games just over seven years ago; the year her niece Eldi had been born. One of the tributes; a willowy girl with high cheekbones and flame red hair – she was from District 9 Stephanie recalled hazily. But it was her death – the skin melted from her very bones after she had jumped into a pond unthinkingly, half-mad already with dehydration. Stephanie remembered it now, because just before her brother had forcibly clapped a hand over her eyes she had saw one hand break the surface of the pond; bleach white long-boned fingers of the girl's skeleton stretching hopelessly.
Stephanie looked over to Haymitch and Electra again; desperate, pleading.
She didn't care about the interview she was meant to be giving, she couldn't endure this a second longer.
She could almost feel King's eyes on her, stripping away the layers of her skin with relish –
"Why my dear – you've almost gone as white as bone!" King exclaimed laughingly.
"I-I'm, I – " But it was no use, Stephanie could barely produce a single syllable and the cameras were still watching her.
King was waiting patiently before he chuckled indulgently.
"I know what it is. These young ones – I see it all the time…" he chuckled again but he was no longer looking at Stephanie, but to the cameras instead. "I'm just old and boring," he said teasingly and the Capitolite crowd gathered laughed with him, "it's the young, attractive ones like Seneca Crane they're all interested in."
Stephanie snapped from her locked stupor then as Seneca's name crashed upon her senses like icy water on a hot fire. King's words registered with her.
Seneca Crane…King was a Gamemaker, but Seneca was Head Gamemaker. How much more of a monster did Seneca have to be than this man to be above him in rank?
"I'm not interested in that blue-eyed arrogant Gamemaker for anything!" Stephanie seethed.
It was over in seconds.
Horrified gasps were sucked in all around. King blinked at her in open shock. Electra was suddenly there, making polite excuses. Haymitch was there, the heat of his hands on her arms chilling the ice that had set in her veins.
Haymitch wore than faux charming grin as he lead her firmly away and Stephanie wanted to wipe it from his face with a kiss or a slap or whatever it would take. She needed someone to look at her, with the same horror and revulsion on their face at King's vile words. To let her know that she was still sane, and that she would never become used to things as horrifying as that.
When they finally stopped walking Stephanie realised they were once more on the walkway behind the waterfalls. She was really beginning to dislike this place; below her feet the water roiled relentlessly and Stephanie averted her gaze.
Stephanie didn't want to be here. Here made her think of Seneca as her own words rang in her ears. She knew they were lie. Because she had spent the whole party wishing Seneca Crane would walk through the doors.
Stephanie shut her eyes tightly for a few moments, trying to slow her racing, hammering pulse.
"What the hell were you thinking?!"
Stephanie looked up. Electra was there and livid, the ravished side of her face stretched taunt and white. "I'm going to pretend that fainting beforehand impaired your judgement – "
"Do they really expect us to actually like the damn Gamemakers?! –What's the point in pretending otherwise!" Stephanie spat sardonically over Electra.
Electra glared hard at Stephanie. "You damn well tell them that Snow is your life's idol if it comes to it," she snarled.
Stephanie scoffed, tossing her head.
"That's enough Ellen," Haymitch said, stepping protectively closer to Stephanie.
Electra noticed and gave a bitter laugh, "oh you don't need to pretend to be disappointed in her words Haymitch – even though you know it was a stupid thing for her to do!"
"I wasn't going to pretend," Haymitch replied sharply, "but I won't deny it wasn't a stupid thing to do either."
"I don't care," Stephanie muttered, frowning at both of them.
They were from her district – like her! They, of all people, should be able to understand how she felt, not condone her for it. Of course she knew it was stupid! But scolding from those that she most needed comfort was making Stephanie feel worse.
Electra's one good eye flashed blue fire. "You damn well will when your popularity in the Capitol plummets. Slena's sentence hangs over all of us from the districts. Whatever has been decided about that girl will be to serve as a warning to the rest of us – and you decide to pull a damn stunt like that!"
"I hardly said anything!" Stephanie protested vehemently.
"It was enough," Haymitch muttered quietly, by Electra's shoulder.
Stephanie turned her head sharply, closing her eyes for a brief moment.
"Fine. How do I fix it?"
"With a hell of a lot of grovelling," Electra replied sharply, "-now. Get out there and make whatever damn apologies necessary to King before he singles you out in his mind as his next prize skeleton to hang on –"
"Ellen!" Haymitch barked as Stephanie paled further.
There was no apology in Electra's eyes as they rested on Stephanie however.
"Go," Electra spat.
Stephanie gritted her teeth, "I can't go back to that monster – "
"I frankly don't care what – "
"Both of you shut it!" Haymitch said, eyes flashing angrily.
Stephanie breathed heavily, feeling anger boiling within her and she swayed a little unsteadily.
Haymitch's hand rested lightly on the small of her back.
His eyes met hers, the same question plain in them as it had been all night.
Stephanie swallowed thickly, trying to push back the rising nausea, even as a sharp pain tore across her chest.
"I'm fine," Stephanie lied.
"You need to make an apology Stephanie," Haymitch told her seriously, but evidently forcing the words out.
Electra sighed in relief while Stephanie gaped in horror at him.
"You're taking her side Haymitch!" Stephanie accused, feeling petulant but unable to help it.
Electra scoffed. "It's not about taking sides Stephanie," she said firmly, "it's about doing what needs to be done."
"I can't," Stephanie begged, forfeiting her pride begrudgingly in those moments, "please not him – I'll do another interview with some other Gamemaker."
"It has to be King – you have to apologise to him because it was him you snapped at," Electra said uncompromisingly.
Stephanie looked to Haymitch half-desperate. He had been the one who had protected her since she arrived in this Capitol hell. She inwardly pleaded that he would be able to do so again.
She had spent nights in his arms feeling that not even all the Capitol forces could tear her away from him.
But Haymitch looked at her, mouth set in a grim line, grey eyes almost pitying. It reminded her of one of the first expressions he had looked at her with on the train to the Capitol; when he had told her about the Fourth Quarter Quell.
The same thought arose to Stephanie now as it had then.
His pity couldn't help her. He couldn't help her.
She was on her own.
Stephanie inhaled a wavering breath, feeling a stabbing pain in her chest. She couldn't tell if it was an imagined sting or an actual one.
"I know it's hard – " Electra began to say sympathetically as she saw Stephanie had accepted her defeat essentially.
"Let's just get it over with," Stephanie muttered hollowly.
This was the Hunger Games afterall and no one would be able to protect her against twisted individuals like King. She was on her own.
King was waiting as were the cameras when they emerged.
Stephanie didn't hear the expert excuse Electra and Haymitch prattled off this time for her rude lapse. The Capitol seemed used to the idea that Stephanie being the 'regular mistress of scandal' would always be causing some sort of incident.
It sickened Stephanie to think of it. Most of the people looking at her truly believed she had had Fas Clearwater killed somehow, at worst. And at best, the rest believed she had lovers popping up everywhere.
She couldn't protect the things she had held important; her pride or dignity from these Capitolite people.
And now as she stood before King she felt like she couldn't protect herself physically either.
"Well my dear you've returned!" King announced and a ripple of giggles sounded around the crowd gathered.
Stephanie gritted her teeth; she was on her own, unable to protect herself; just like she would be in the Games.
King smirked fleetingly as his gaze flitted over Stephanie's form. Stephanie had never been more aware of her jutting elbows and hips at that moment. Then King licked his lips almost hungrily, preparing to speak. Stephanie prepared herself also, tamped down her pride, followed the advice Electra had given her and pushed it to the back of her mind, locked it away. She prepared herself to make the most grovelling apology she would ever have to make.
King grinned widely, "now my dear where were – "
"King, what do you think you are doing?"
Stephanie jolted, her breath leaving her in one huge whoosh of surprise as her gaze helplessly flickered around.
Gasps sounded sharply. Stephanie felt her heart almost beat right out of her chest as Seneca brushed his hand against her hip, squeezing lightly in reassurance almost as he effortlessly slid past her.
The touch was inconspicuous; if any camera did catch it, it merely seemed that Seneca was moving her out of the way to get past her.
"Seneca?" King exclaimed in surprise, "we weren't expecting you," he added more confidentially.
Seneca arched a brow coolly, "and let you be the front for my Games King?" he murmured scathingly.
King flushed even redder as cameras rushed eagerly in, and reporters jostled one another to speak to Seneca. Amongst the frenzied fray Stephanie was lost before a hand on her upper arm tugged her sharply backwards.
Stephanie imagined she saw Seneca's gaze flit towards her for a moment, then his usual Gamemaker smirk curved his lips as he answered one of the many questions raining down on him effortlessly.
Stephanie turned and the hand on her arm released her. Haymitch.
His gaze was dark as it flickered over her shoulder towards Seneca.
Electra's expression was harder to read, but there seemed to be an almost worried sheen to her eyes as they rested on Haymitch.
Clarity or some form of it was brought to Stephanie as a small hand slipped into hers.
Frenkin offered her a sympathetic smile at Stephanie's shell-shocked expression.
"King is a scary Gamemaker," Frenkin said sombrely, his round blue eyes wide behind his glasses.
Stephanie squeezed his hand tighter, "yes he is," she agreed, her throat feeling suddenly tight.
"But you didn't have to talk to him for long," Frenkin encouraged seeing Stephanie's strained expression and surmising King was the reason for it.
Stephanie managed a brief fleeting smile, "no, not too long," she agreed again. Long enough all the same her thoughts whispered bitterly. But she didn't voice it, as Frenkin was doing his best to comfort her.
A sudden impish grin claimed Frenkin's face as he squeezed her hand tighter. He strained up towards her and Stephanie leaned down slightly so he could whisper in her ear.
"You were rescued from the evil King," he rushed, leaning back with a bright grin.
Stephanie felt the smile freeze on her face. She knew that Frenkin inevitably meant Haymitch when he had pulled her away from the crowd.
But Stephanie's eyes drifted past Haymitch – locked as he was in conversation with Electra about something seemingly serious.
Stephanie felt her heart beat quicken as her sights landed on her rescuer.
Seneca Crane looked up, his eyes meeting hers for a split second.
Damn was Stephanie's only thought.
Thanks to girlworthfightingfor for the review; yep, Wirin is…yea, he's bad. :P oh, I don't want to give anything away but…there's plenty more drama to be had :P