Chapter 14
The three mismatched figures walked into the venue in the garden of a schoolmate of President Snow's named Christine Eisel.
Christine was a peculiar girl by Capitol standards. She did not wear wildly colored hair, crazy make up, and was disgusted by the concept of body-altering surgery.
"That is Louis Cardinal. A pivotal member of the Presidential cabinet and his husband Victor," Snow casually pointed to two men, each with dyed-green skin and vibrant hair holding hands with each other.
Husband?" Katniss looked at him curiously. Homosexuality was a taboo in District 12 but it had not been lost on her. She had even contemplated it's appeal on occasion in the privacy of her room or the woods.
"Yes dear. That is Tigris, a renowned stylist here. She was a stylist for many, many years but decided to retire," Snow said casually. Katniss could tell he was lying through his teeth.
The reality had been that she had been a previous mistress of his as well as a stylist for the tributes of District 1 for many years. Her appearance was that of a tiger. Her wrinkled, aged skin was striped with black and gold tattoos that matched the markings of a tiger and whiskers protruded from her snout-like nose and mouth.
However, she had been released of her duties both as a stylist and mistress. Even though the contractual reason had been stated as being "too altered" to appear on television.
"And Cesar Flickerman as you remember," Snow looked at him with disgust. He never did like the enthusiastic, ridiculous man.
"How could I not? You did poison him after all," she looked at the man almost painted in neon pink.
"For your information Katniss, I poisoned him only because he knew too much. I could not have that happening now could I?" Snow's pointed white brows raised in a smirk.
"Besides my dear, I could have done much worse. Given him nightlock wine," he shrugged.
Katniss could only nod as she reached for a chocolate-covered strawberry from a sliver platter and gobbled it up in two bites.
"Hungry are you?" the white-maned man grinned.
"Don't even think about it," Katniss gave him the evil eye as she bit a strawberry. This made him cringe at the symbolism of her biting the tip of his dick off.
"Katniss Everdeen!" a cheery figure with big blue hair and an outrageous aqua dress with a collar of peacock feathers that she recognized as Effie Trinket, the escort for the District 12 tributes in the Hunger Games.
"Effie, what a um...lovely surprise," Katniss said awkwardly as the woman's bony arms crushed her.
"That's quite enough Effie. No need to squish the future First Lady," Snow emitted a rich, deep-throated chuckle as he drank his wine and juice stained his white beard.
"Yes I had heard! What a lovely affair it will be! Oh Katniss surely I will be the maid of honor. After all I have basically been like a second mother to you dear," Effie's voice squeaked like nails on a chalkboard, much to both their disgust.
"Rigghtt...well, Cori-boo and I are going to dance now so I'll see you around?" Katniss put on the role of the blushing bride to be.
"Well dear, you can't promise things and not fulfill them," Snow yanked his bride onto the floor and flung her across the floor in a steady tango beat that echoed through the yard.
The Mockingjay gasped and her feet planted on the floor with a smack.
"Cori-boo was a nice touch," his hot blood-tinted breath wisped on her neck.
"Think I've convinced them yet?" she grinned, realizing that they had come full circle.
"Today is your chance dear," the old man replied in his deep voice.
Snow spun her toward and away from him in rhythm of the passioned dance. The crowd, and even Katniss herself, were surprised by the president's skill.
By the end of the afternoon, Katniss was dizzy and sick. It was hard to tell if it was the wine or the dancing. But no matter what it was, she had long abandoned those godamnn shoes!
(Sorry this one is boring. But the next chapter will be the big day!)