President Snow was seated on an armchair parallel to the fireplace with an empty chair facing towards him. He turned his stout head in my direction and fixed his snakelike eyes on mine.

"Katniss," he leered dragging out the last syllable with his heavy Capitol drawl. "Or shall I say Mrs. Mellark. Please, take a seat." He motioned to the vacant chair in front of him.

I walked over cautiously and took my place opposite him.

There was another Peacekeeper stationed by the fireplace, directly behind my chair. I could feel him hovering over me, his fingers rapping faintly against the rifle strapped around his shoulder. The flames to my right flickered and cracked in the silence.

"We have the same system in place I presume? No lies, Mrs. Mellark," he stipulated with an air of caution.

"Yes." I nodded my head weakly. I tried not to wince every time he referred to me as Mrs. Mellark.

"Lovely," he smiled sitting back in his chair. "How did you enjoy your wedding night?"

"It was very…extravagant," I said trying to keep my answers as close to the truth as possible.

"Yes, it was, wasn't it? We exhausted approximately nine million dollars on the feast."

I cringed at the sum. The seven course meal would have been better served to the millions of viewers watching the broadcast of the wedding from their homes rather than the Capitol attendees that threw up half the food and discarded the rest.

"Of course, that is a modest toll to spend on a wedding for two Victors. I daresay the crowds throughout the districts thoroughly enjoyed watching the program." He continued with a note of sourness in his voice. "However, with investments as high as these, particular demands must be met."

Demands? Didn't I already meet his demands by carrying through with the wedding?

"The rules of our time-honored tradition were broken, for the love of two individuals. And a nine million dollar wedding was held to sanctify this union. Yet, the people of Panem want something more…concrete to prove the existence of this love." A sinister smile spread across Snow's fleshy face. "The districts are already buzzing with excitement to witness the birth of child with not one but two parents who are Victors."

That explains the whole slew of questions Peeta and I had to endure in the past few weeks concerning our plans on having children.

"With a love as sure as yours, Mrs. Mellark, I have no doubt you and your husband will manage to have children in no time. The question is, when?"

My husband. Peeta. Where is he when I need him to lie for me? He's so much better at it than I am.

I swallowed anxiously.

I guess I have no choice but to continue sticking with the truth.