Elina is the name of a type of white rose.

My name is Peeta...Mellark.

I am from District 12.

I am a...guest of the Capitol.

I am a guest of President Snow.

I can feel the warmth of the soup from where I'm sitting. My hand shakes a little when picking up the spoon but if I don't fill it all the way I can sip without spilling anything. The President sits across from me, there are four seats between us at opposite ends of the table. He smiles watching me eat.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, after a few more mouthfuls, and dabbing his face with a burgundy napkin, "Dr. Lethate says you were not doing so well."

"The soup is helping, thank you. It's very good."

"Yes, Avaline's tomato bisque is excellent," he smiles, "Makes you feel like a new man."

Unsure, I nod.

"We're going to be broadcasting in a few hours," Snow continues, "These terror attacks must be met with a strong show after all-"

A strong knocking at the door distracts both of us, and it persists for a moment and stops, and then a different knock. There's an exchange of looks between the President and one of the Avox servants who had been hesitating about going to the door. Then someone from outside pokes their nose around the door, "Forgive me, sir, but she's most insistent."

I can just make out a blonde head. She looks...familiar, but I can't quite.

"One moment." The President sets down his napkin on the table and goes to the door, "My dear," I catch, "you're supposed to be elsewhere."

There's muffled talking and then, "but you promised!" comes through very clearly.

Snow is coming back into the room, "This is business as I've said, and besides, he's not been well..."

"It's always business. Last time too! I just want to meet him! I won't be long. I promise."

Snow glances back to the door and then over at me. I give him a reassuring smile that whatever is going on is okay.

"Very well," he says, "but only for a brief moment." He opens the door more widely and ushers in a young girl.

She has blonde hair in two buns around the side of her head and looks very pleased with herself. She's wearing a long white dress. Her face lights up, and then falls a moment and then lights up again and she runs towards me, chattering rapidly and I can't quite make out the words other than "happy" and "thrilled" and she mentions my name several times.

"This is my granddaughter, Elina," the President explains, "She has wanted to meet you for quite some time."

"So I gathered," I manage from underneath the hug she has grappled me in so tightly that I'm almost pinned to the chair.

"And grandfather promised and promised, but you've always been so busy." She releases me and rolls her eyes.

"I am sorry that it's taken so long," I tell her, "because I'm most honored to meet you."

She beams and it lights up her whole face. I wonder where exactly she came from, "I'm so happy to meet you too. I wish I could have met Ka-"

"Elina," Snow says, sharply.

She looks over to him confused and slightly hurt.

"But I do!" she retorts, "but no I was too young to go to any of the parties," she grumbles.

"If you're going to act like this you can leave now, as it is you only have a few more minutes and then we must return to business."

"Okay," she says, softly.

"It's alright," I tell her, "Maybe we can take a picture?"

She calls one of the Avox over to do just that, which appeases her grandfather, as she's reviewing to make sure she approves the pictures someone else knocks on the door and Snow ushers him in and they stand on the other side of the room.

"Grandfather's so annoying at times," Elina says, now that he's preoccupied, "I thought he would understand."

"He has a lot on his mind." I tell her.

She huffs at that, "So must you. I would be devastated being apart. My love being held hostage by rebels and everything."

"Everything?"

She hesitates looking towards her grandfather, but he's still talking so she's not going to get in trouble for bringing up whatever it was she was going to bring up before.

"It's all set at your command," the other man is saying.

"Good," Snow says, "She'll see him for one last time during the broadcast before she and the rest of the radicals in thirteen are decimated."

"Yes, sir. They'll be dead by morning."

"-be hurting Katniss." Elina says. She looks at me but I haven't heard a word she's said.

"I've tried and tried to help her," I tell the young girl, "but they've either got her too confused or she doesn't care anymore." I shake my head. Snow comes back over, "So I have to let her go. Whatever happens she's one of the rebels and they bring their fate upon themselves."

I feel Snow's hand on my shoulder, "You'll understand when you're older, Elina, my dear. Sometimes loving someone means setting them free. Now, say goodbye to Peeta. We don't want any more upset, do we?"

"No, no," I say, "I'm fine."

Elina hugs me, but she's trembling, "You'd be breaking her heart." She whispers, and then with a glare at her grandfather she trounces for the door.

"See that she's taken to three." Snow tells someone at the door.

"Yes, sir."

He turns back to me, "I'm sorry if she upset you."

"No, as I said, everything's fine. You were saying about the broadcast?"

"Yes," he says, "but still I think we should have you checked up by Dr. Lethate before we go on, just to be safe."