Princess of the Sea
By: CyanideMuffins7
Chapter 2: Reassurance
Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Hunger Games, the trilogy or any of the characters Suzanne Collins has created. I only take credit for the characters I have created and the plot I have made.
The anthem began to play and the Reaping was over. Hei and I were taken into custody by the Peacemakers. They brought us into the Justice building and had shoved me into a small room with a red velvet couch and another red velvet couch facing the other.
The moment when I sat down on the couch, Valentine came running in with Dad right behind her. Valentine ran to me and tackled me with a tight hug. She was sobbing into my shoulder, her voice had muffled so I couldn't really hear her. Dad sat down on the same couch and he joined in the hug as well. I manage to free my arms and pat them.
"It's going to be ok." I reassured them.
The two released me and looked straight at me. I guess they knew I was lying.
"Are you crazy! You're being sucked into the Capitol's games! You're going to die out there!" Valentine choked as she glared at me with furrowed eyebrows.
"You don't think I can actually win!" I blurt out, really loudly.
Valentine's face relaxed once I had yelled at her, but her eyes were still on me. I exhale to relax my temper. Then my Dad decided to speak.
"You were always the strong one in the family, even when Ian and Evan were around." I look up to my Dad to see his eyes were a little watery and his cheeks were gleaming in the light like he was crying, "You are my brave little soldier girl, who will march back home with her head held high and smile on her face, knowing she won."
I nod and smile to my father as I tightened my fist, "I will." I say with strength.
I then look over to Valentine to see her taking off the bracelet and handing it to me. My smile faded once she extended her arm out so her hand was in front of me. I close her hand and push her arm to her.
"Keep it. There's always next year." I say to her. I didn't want to cry, for the sake of my family, but this could be the last time I will ever see them. But I continued to keep my eyes dry and smile. The last thing they needed was a weak fool being tossed into the arena. The two gave me one last hug, and I don't hesitate to hug them back. I didn't want to let go, but eventually they did. I watched as they had left the small room, and I was left alone.
The next to enter was my old friend, Esther. We used to be really good friends when we were kids, but we kind of faded apart once she decided to be friends with a different crowd. We talk here and there since we have a few of the same classes in school but we don't hang out like we used to. Esther takes a seat on the coach opposite of me and pats her dress dry. I waited for her to say something, but I guess she was waiting for me to start.
"It's been a while, Esther." I began, but that was all I can think of saying. I stop to try and think of something else to say; no doubt I looked stupid though. But she began to giggle.
"You haven't really changed since we were kids, huh?" She said with a stunning smile.
We reminisce for a while about the time when we were kids and all the trouble I would bring her into. We laugh, we sigh and smile. Esther decided to bring up Hei.
"Do you want to know how Hei is doing?"
Hei and Esther, believe it or not, are actually friends. They're families are tight, so that was how they became friends. When we were kids, Hei would only come to bully me while Esther was left alone. But Esther defended whenever he would though. The time when Esther had made friends with the popular kids, it left me with Hei dogging me constantly. But she knows I enjoy if Hei is suffering.
"Knowing Hei, he's enjoying this." I say with a heavy sigh.
"Spot on. He said that he actually always wanted to be in the Games and that this year was his lucky year." Esther sound disappointed like she had expected it, "His parents are taking it hard though, they're still with him right now."
I imagine Hei is not even sheading a single tear even when his parents are at his feet, crying him a river. But it wasn't much of a surprise to me now that he actually wants to be in the Games.
"Sounds like Hei to cause misery to everyone. It's like a gift." I say sarcastically with a smile.
Esther smiled back as she stood up. We say our goodbyes and she had left. After Esther, there wasn't anyone else. So the Peacemakers came in and escorted me out of the Justice Building and back to the square where Iza stood with Finnick by her side.
"Come come, you two. We need to make it to the station if we want to arrive to the Capitol on time." Iza said with a smile to Hei and I.
We followed behind Iza along with Finnick and Hei as we are led to the station where a train was waiting for us. We enter in the train with the Peacekeepers behind us, to make sure we don't run off. This was the first time I was ever on a train, or ever leaving the District. The train began to start and I was off into the abyss, my death.
Iza had led me to my cart where I would be staying for the trip to the Capitol. She showed me where my room was and told me when I would be expected for dinner. She then started to sniff out something. She then looked at me, from head to toe, then back to my head.
"I suggest you clean up before you head to dinner." She concluded before she left my room.
I smell my forearm once she had left. I could smell the scent of wet sand, fish and mud embedded onto my skin. It's Iza's problem if she doesn't like the smell of District 4, not mine. I rummage through the wardrobe to see a variety of outfits hung up. There were probably enough clothes in here to last two lifetimes, but I only have one. I slip out of my Reaping dress and shoes, and then tossed it on my bed. I decide to go simple with a light blue tee shirt and jeans with leather boots. These boots feel so different than my combat boots back home, but comfy all the better.
I turn to my bed and approach the drapes on the wall from the bed. I open them to see the marshes. It stretched far than I could see. It was a beautiful sight really. I wish I could have explored the marshes more, and go farther than I could imagine. But there would have been no chance that I would survive.
Survive. Now that's a word that I'll be using more often.
I spend the time just staring out the window until I was called to dinner. I left my room and walked down the train and to the dining cart. I seemed to be the last one there since Iza, Hei, and Finnick were already sitting at the table. I just take the empty seat on the far side of the table, closest to the door, where Finnick was sitting opposite of me.
"Now that we, caught, the straggler." Iza began with a smile. Even when the camera isn't on her, she continues with the fish puns, "We can get down to business."
My eyes went immediately to the Avoxs entering the cart with trays of food. The smell intoxicated my senses as they laid it down on the grand table. It was like nothing I had ever seen before. Each dish was carefully decorated with fruits or spices. At home the only food I ever ate was bread, and fish. I've have never had the pleasure of eating anything like this or even a pastry before. I think I had cake once, when I was really young though when Mom was still around. I feel my mouth begin to water, but I keep my mouth shut to be polite. I decide to sample the dishes I think are most delicious which is the roasted duck laced with oranges and lemons on the side, beef that's been drizzled in a dark brown sauce and a variety of vegetables that have been steamed. I know my manners well enough to slowly savor the taste and not just gobble up the meal. So as I eat, Iza informs us about the next tomorrow and today.
"We boarded on time so we should be at the Capitol in about a day. Until then, you two can relax until tomorrow afternoon with the following activities: reading, getting to know your mentor and preparing for the Capitol, which is actually the priority, sleep or anything of your leisure." Iza said before she took a bite of her roast duck.
Our mentor is Finnick Odair. He remarkably won the 65th Hunger Games with just a trident and a net he hand wove from vines. When he came back to the District, everyone rejoiced and I can remember the festival our District had thrown on his return. It was spectacular, fit for a king. The girls then were screaming his name and falling before his feet. All the girls at my school talked about Finnick all the time, and how gorgeous he was. I can agree he's really attractive, but it would be something I would never pursue. Plus, I don't even know him, so when did I ever have a chance?
I look over to Hei who actually went pretty simple by taking the roast duck, lamb stew and the steamed vegetables. He ate pretty much like me, taking slow but steady bites each time. But he wasn't making eye contact with me. I then look over to Iza who was cringing her nose. She grabbed herself a bowl of lamb stew and her nose un wrinkled. Her eyes met mine and I can see in her abnormally golden eyes that I didn't do as I was told. And it was going to be a problem.
Once I finished my duck, I stood up, excused myself from the meal and left the dining cart. I'm still not going to shower. I would rather have the smell of brine and fish than the smell of the Capitol. I walked around the train for a while, hoping I can end up somewhere to my liking, because being in the same room as Iza and Hei was making me sick to my stomach. I stop in a cart that I know I've been in before. I pull the drapes back from the window to see the day was darkening and we were no longer in the marshes anymore. The landscape had changed into a flatter terrain, like an endless dry plain. I don't miss the smell of home yet, I still carry it with me. But I miss touching the warm sand by the beach or the cool mud that runs through my feet whenever I step outside.
"Beautiful out here, isn't it?" said a low drawling tone right by my ear.
I stay still, and try to remain calm, but I can feel the tiny hairs on the back of my neck rise. I look in the reflection in the window, past my reflection and to the man that was standing behind me, Finnick.
"Not really." I respond as I continue to look at the landscape, "It's too dull out here. I need a place with a lot of colors."
Finnick's chuckle makes my spine tingle and my hands tremble. No wonder girls are enamored with him. He makes you feel things you never felt before. I just want to slap myself now to just get a hold of myself, but I know if I would like an idiot.
"Then you'll like the Capitol. It's full of color, from the lights to the people."
I prefer natural colors to be around me and not artificial harnessing the beauty of colors. I can see from Iza that the Capitol's people are rather colorful, strange people.
"It's strange, because I already hate Iza." I say with a small chuckle.
"Yeah, she's a real pain isn't she? But anyways, down to business." Finnick said as placed his hand on my shoulder.
I looked at his tan hand on me. I look pale compared to his pure tan. He led me into another cart where two red velvet couches were facing each other, much like the ones in the Justice Building. He motioned me to sit down, so I do and he sits on the opposite of me and looks at me for a moment.
"You look like the sarcastic, sassy type. But I don't think you can catch the audience with either of those though." He said as he scanned me from head to toe.
He thinks I'm sassy? I maybe sarcastic, but I'm not sassy. Sarcasm runs through my blood, Valentine, Dad, even Mom were big at sarcasm. But Dad always said I'm the worst at it. "Excuse me?" I say while I crossed my arms.
He kept his eyes on my hips for the longest time before he looked back up to my eyes. "In order to get the right sponsors, you need to catch their attention. Depending on your first impression in the interviews, training, the opening ceremonies and in the arena, will decide if you get Sponsors or not. So people usually come up with a personality to impress the Gamemakers and the Sponsors."
"So you think sassy and sarcasm will win over sponsors?" I question. I won't be like Finnick and win my Sponsors or the Gamemakers over with my looks. I'm not drop dead gorgeous. Probably the only thing I can win them over with is my skills, I hope.
"No, No." He said as he shook his head, "Can you flirt?"
That was an odd question. "why?" I ask feeling my legs fidget a bit.
"Convince me to kiss you." He said with a purr in his voice.
I twitch at the request. Dad never really prepared me for this, not at all. I guess he never expected me to be in a situation where I'm forced to seduce someone to save my life. Technically it's not really to save my life, but it could be.
I stumbled a moment to quickly think of a line or something, "Hey, you-"
"Forget it, you can't flirt." Finnick interrupted as he hunched his posture a bit.
Well, thanks Finnick. It's great to know I can't flirt, from the master. I didn't spend my whole life chasing after boys. It was like chasing a lost cause really, no guy was interested in me that way. So I had never had my first kiss, or even flirted with a guy before. I wouldn't really count this moment though since I didn't even begin to flirt.
"Alright then, what do you want me to do?" I say defensively, glaring as I felt even his presence was annoying me.
"Be yourself." He said with a charming grin that made my hate for him dissipate.
"Myself?" I repeated. But I didn't understand myself. How would I define myself in a single word? I'm just quiet, antisocial, mature, naïve, and so on. So what would I choose? I'm not going to get sponsors if I stay quiet and let Hei do all the talking. Now that I think about it, did Finnick talk to Hei about this already? My curiosity has been peaked.
"What about Hei?" I decide to ask casually.
"I don't need to talk to him. He's already sold everyone with the cynical, psycho personality. It's going to catch the Gamemakers' attention, he then just needs to reel them in Training." Finnick explained as he stood up from the couch while keeping his eyes on me, "Oh dear, I'm turning into Iza."
I chuckle slightly as he poked fun at Iza. I guess if you're around her enough, you'll get sucked into her horrible fish puns. Finnick then told me it was getting late and that I should head to my room to get some sleep. Before he could offer to escort me back to my room, I say I can do it myself to avoid any more conversation with him. He says goodnight and I leave to my room.
It takes me a while to find it, and then I enter. I slip out of my clothes, but keeping on my necklace and slip into the soft, silky bed bare. My back aches slightly as I face the ceiling once I lay my weight on the bed.
I began to imagine myself back at the Justice Building where my eyes were on the crowd in the Square. I remember the moment when I looked into Valentine's tear filled eyes met mine, when Iza asked for volunteers. Would Valentine have volunteered for me? But I can imagine that they would pull the twist on us too and take Valentine and me in the Games. We might have shared the same fate as Evan and Ian, and the Capitol would have loved it.