A/N: Hello, people of ! I'm uuber sorry I haven't been on and updating! My life is craycrayCRAYcray... so enjoy my crappy chapter!

Chapter 4
Clove POV:
I woke up the next morning, my head reeling from the previous night's events. My heart tightened when I realized what I had promised myself to: a life with a man I didn't love. I sat up and hugged my knees to my chest, trying to understand my situation. Just then, Glimmer burst in the room.
"Princess Clove! You are getting married!" she giggled, dancing around the room.
I sighed. "Glimmer, I don't know if I love him."
She stopped her spinning. "How could you not, Princess? He's rich, handsome, smart-"
"But I love someone else, Glimmer," I cut her off.
Her eyes flew open and her nostrils flared with anger. "Clove Reenen, you look at me. Your mother told me to tell you that you are to not even think about that victor Finnick. You have the perfect life and it can only get better, but you don't seem to want it to. Just look at me! I'm a pathetic maid who was born into poverty and will only know poverty. You are a spoiled little bitch who can never be satisfied!" With that, she whipped out of the room and stomped down the hall.
I was in shock. The quiet servant whom I had grown up with has apparently harbored horrible feelings about me for a long time. Nevertheless, it was Selection Day. I had to make the annual welcome speech for the entire nation of Panem, introducing this year's Gladiator Challenge.

Feeling numb, I walked over to the little servant bell and rung it. Shortly after, a maid named Chrysanthemum came over to help me get ready. I guess Glimmer and I weren't on speaking terms anymore, which was fine with me. Maids like her were a dime a dozen.

Chrysanthemum pulled off my nightgown and helped me into the large, poofy gown.

"What kind of dress is this," I asked.

"Oh, Princess, this is the new style! It's not very comfortable but I think you'll like it," she replied.

Apparently, the dress had to be laced up on the back, which I had never seen before. Chrysanthemum wasn't strong enough to do it tightly like the dress required.

"Pull tighter!" I yelled.

"I'm trying, Princess!" she replied with desperation. "Wait, I have an idea! Stay put."

She trotted out of the room, leaving me gripping onto the bedpost. When she returned, she had the guard Thresh with her.

"Good afternoon, Thresh," I greeted.

"Good day, Princess," he greeted.

"Now, just pull those two ribbons as tight as you can, Thresh," Chrysanthemum instructed.

"Wait, what?" I squeaked, but was soon cut off. Thresh yanked on the ribbons so tight I swear my ribs cracked. My knees bent inward and I almost collapsed.

"What the hell is this?" I commanded.

"It's just the dress, Princess," Chrysanthemum replied. "Thank you, Thresh."

He nodded and left. I sat down on my bed- or rather, I fell backwards on my bed.

"Chrysanthemum, I can't. I just can't. This dress- it's just too much. How am I supposed to breath?"

She giggled. "Princess, you don't breath, silly! You just fan yourself and smile."

I rolled my eyes. Today was going to be a long day.

After sitting around while Chrys (as I began to call her) did my makeup and hair, she helped me down the long 36 steps to the dining hall. I couldn't see my feet, and my face was turning blue from the dress, but you couldn't tell from the mountain of make up I was wearing. The Princess always has to look perfect, I thought. Everyone was sitting around the table, making last minute preparations for the speech. Father was pacing the floor, mumbling his lines to himself. Mother was lounging on a couch, inspecting her nails. She wouldn't have to say anything, only go out and smile. I, like I said earlier, was going to wing it.

"There you are, Clove," my father called.

"Here I am," I said faintly.

"That dress is quite becoming," Mother quipped without looking up.

"Thanks," I mumble.

Father stops pacing and looks up. "Do you know what you're going to say?"
"Pffcht, of course!"

"Yes, yes, alright," he mutters as he goes back to pacing.

"They're ready for you," our publicist Cinna says as he comes back inside from the balcony.

"Great," I growl.

Cinna ushers us outside and onto the balcony. At least five thousand people stand outside, anxiously awaiting our, or really my, speeches. They were chatting excitedly amongst themselves, then one noticed our presence uptop and hushed everyone else.

"Good day, citizens," my father called out. "Welcome to the 74th Gladiator Challenge! To give the annual introduction, my daughter Clove!"

Everyone whooped and hollered. I stepped forward nervously and gave a little awkward wave.

"Er, hey-HELLO, CITIZENS," I started. "This is the 74th Gladiator Challenge, as you all know. Last year was the...73rd, duh,... and it was an amazing challenge, with such...strong and... human contestants. So, maybe this year will be even better? Aaaaand, that concludes today's events! Let the games begin!"

Dear Zeus, did that really happen?