I really hate how my updates usually take at least a week, but real life and the holidays can be thanked for that (Although I do love them) I wasn't sure if I wanted this chapter to be long or short, but here is my compromise with myself. I kept on revising this.

Forgive me if I give the characters some extra personality traits to fit in with this story. I'm trying not to make them ooc (By the way, this chapter is rated M for a reason because it has some details and this will not be a happy-go-lucky story, you have been warned)

Prim was worried. The dank place only seemed to grow danker and darker. The biscuits were as tough as ever, the water warm and rather stale. She could not keep giving the little boy her biscuits-she could only endure starvation for a short while before the toll of death, and death, in this case, was not an option. Her mother needed her and she needed Katnis. She needed to make sure Katniss would be alright. She wasn't sure what she could do, but she knew she loved her sister very much and would never want to see anything happen to her. The dear practically raised her on her own after their father had perished in battle.

Prim looked at her mother and suppressed a weak smile. Even though this woman emotionally left her and Katniss after the death of their father, Prim was sure that deep down, her mother was still in there, still cared about them. She'd forgive her any given second. In fact, Prim decided she couldn't really blame her. She couldn't imagine what she would do if the love of her life was taken from her in something so corrupt and wicked. That was like having the weight of the world collasping upon your shoulders! And that sure didn't sound like a very nice feeling.

Prim adjusted the blankets a little so her mother's frail body was completely covered. Her head rested on Prim's fragile lap-Prim had laid her mother down so she would be more comfortable. Mrs. Everdeen was growing sicker by the minute, and Prim didn't know what to do. She desparately wished that Katniss was here-if only Katniss was here, everything would be alright. Gale being here would be nice too; he, at least, was another familiar face. Even though most of the people in this cell were from District 12, Prim had never really associated with them except to help her mother with a few wounds. Who was to fix the wounds of healers when they needed help?

Silent tears dripped from Prim's sad blue eyes, and every once in a while, they landed onto the head resting below. Then Prim's gentle, soft hand would lovingly brush away the tears from the frail face, but then more tears would fall again.

Gale Hawthorne was furious. He had not had meat in a long time. To him, meat meant more than meat. Meat was, however crude it sounded, to him a form of expression, a symbol of freedom. All his meat were fresh and caught by either him or Katniss Everdeen. Meat meant he had the ability of a hunter, of a predator. Meat provided a sense of strength and power, battle and survival.

It drove him crazy when he had no meat. Gnawing on the flaky lumps they call biscuits did nothing but itensify his hunger. This place very much so reminded him of the wilderness back home, and left a sense of homesickness and helplessness hanging about him. The other men in his cell usually devoured theirs and then preyed upon those too weak or hungry to defend themselves when the Peacekeepers turned the other cheek. They reminded him of creatures that roam the wild, creatures too hungry to be tamed. Unlike them, Gale sat alone in a corner, deep in thought and protecting his own mere morsel of life. He worried for his family, whom he knew were serparated into different cells. He worried that his mother and younger siblings could not fend for themselves. He had never felt so helpless as a hunter before.

But worst of all, he feared for Katniss. He didn't see her among the women and children sitting in the opposite cell. But Prim and her mother were there, their faces so gaunt, hollow, and miserable. He desparately hoped that Katniss was placed in another cell, maybe with his siblings or mother. There, that's it. That had to be it. He didn't allow his mind to think come up with other theories.

CREEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAKK. The prison gate harshly swung open. Two Peacekeepers rushed in and grabbed a snivelling boy that looked so much like Rory, it made Gale's heart skip a beat. Then they passed a dim ceiling light, and Gale breathed a sigh of relief that it wasn't his brother. But his teeth clenched when they dragged him out of the cell and pulled out from each of their belts long, flashing whips. The boy's cries left echoes in Gale's ears that would probably haunt his dreams tonight.

"How dare you scoundrel steal from another scoundrel!" roared one of the Peacekeepers, his tongue flicking out in laughter.

"I-I-I'm s-sorry! I-I-I..." The wails ricocheted off the cold stone walls of the prison.

"Shut up! We don't care, rat, we just like beating you!" sneered the other Peacekeeper.

"NO! NO! Please don't hurt him, he's just a child!" screamed a woman with a round belly from the cell across.

Something flared inside Gale.

If there was one thing Lavinia hated, it was when the cooks were extra busy. Busy seemed to be an understatement. King Cato had ordered so much food for the feast and on top of that, he also ordered an extra meal to be ready tomorrow. The cooks needed all the help they could get, and there was nobody else who could deliver food to the prisoners.

That meant Lavinia had to go down, down, down into the dungeons. And that place gave her the creeps. She felt bad for thinking about this way, but it was difficult for her to toss biscuits to the huddled groups of ragged, starving prisoners whose faces bore close resemblances to living skeletons. Seeing their decaying souls through their empty, dead eyes made her feel their misery as well. She wished there was some way she could help them, but since her king ordered them to be there, then they probably deserved it. After all, His Royal Majesty did know best. He was the best.

Lavinia took a deep breath, and pushed open the small door behind the kitchen. She held her breath as she slid down the chute, trying to keep her skirts tucked underneath her so the cold metal could not meet her skin. She landed with a soft thump and brushed herself off. Then she hurried down the rather empty hall, determined to get out of there as quickly as possible. Ignoring her thudding heartbeat, she pushed opened the door.

What she saw made her stop in her tracks, until one of the Peacekeepers barked at her to "get it on and moving, girl." She did her job as quickly as she could without looking anybody in the eye. But that didn't mean that she didn't look at them. Once her pockets were empty and half the people still weren't fed, she turned and hurried away as fast she could in the way that she had come, slamming the door behind her with a BANG.

Now, were His Majesty's chambers in the East Wing or West Wing again?

"Anything?"

King Cato couldn't fight off the smirk in his voice.

Katniss's heart skipped a beat. What have I done? She mentally screamed at herself. Then she took it upon herself to think a bit more rationally. I'm doing this for my baby sister, who I love more than anybody in the world. And Gale, my best friend. I can't let them be hurt anymore than they are.

"Just don't hurt my friends and family," she found herself pleading with the king.

King Cato's smirk appeared on his face this time. He didn't have to hide it anymore. This was too easy.

"If you truly mean anything, I will not hurt a hair on their heads," he said in a gentler tone. It startled Katniss and made her look at him. He only smiled at her with a genuine smile. Katniss's brain grew a bit fuzzy. No one had ever smiled at her like that before-except for Prim, only it was a couple of years ago. The smile was dazzling, enhancing, enrapturing. She began to smile back before she remembered what situation she was caught in.

Inwardly, King Cato laughed. She was so naive, so innocent. She'd be his and there was nothing she could do about it. He swiped something off the floor and then scooped her up as well. She stiffened like a doll in his arms. He dropped her onto his bed once again and leaned down. Breath tickling her ear, he whispered, "Put the corset on." Then he threw the shameful piece of lingerie in her face.

Katniss trembled as she stretched into the tight scrap of satin. She was always very self-conscious about her body, but never had she been so self-conscious as of now with a man watching her dress. And not just any man, but him. The man behind the recent merge of the kingdoms, the man who had betrayed the districts, the man who had imprisoned her family. Her mind was plagued with rage and shame on herself. And how dare he applaud after she finished!

She whirled around, furious. King Cato stopped applauding, but he smiled at her, and she wanted to scream. He was torturing her and she knew it, and yet she was too fearful to do anything about it. She hated herself for this.

Without warning, King Cato's hand slapped the back of Katniss's thigh with a heavy force. She fell to the bed, lying on her back, breathing hard, recovering from the shock. She could feel anger radiating off of herself; this man was pushing her too far. He knew it, too, and he enjoyed it very much.

He pressed his lips against her ear, to her great discomfort, and said against her soft flesh, "Now, fair maiden, do tell me your name so I may address you."

Oh, the temptation to spit and tell him to piss off! But the shadow of threat hovered there, ironically enough, and threatened her. Katniss swallowed the bile in her throat and whispered hoarsely, "Katniss Everdeen. My name is Katniss." Another enemy she told her name to!

King Cato's lips stretched into a malicious grin. "Ah, Katniss," he rasped, "I, King Cato Aufidius, am pleased to make your acquaintance. Call me Cato. You are going to love what I'm going to do to you."

Katniss felt her breath hitch. She froze physically, but her mind was running around in all directions. She didn't want to call him anything except for tyrant. Having seen too much for her age, she had ideas of the meanings behind his words and she did not like them, did not like them at all. "Please-" she didn't want to beg, so she attempted to talk in a casual manner, as if he had just offered her a simple tea and she was declining his offer.

This was a mistake. King Cato was expecting her to be submissive or to at least beg-ask him what he meant. He saw her rather confident tone as a challenge to her authority, as if he had offered her a gift and she simply turned up her nose and said, "Oh, please, that?" He leaned close to her face.

"Do not challenge me," he hissed through gritted teeth (Katniss saw his eyes flash dangerously), "You better sit back and obey, Katniss, or you can watch all those you love suffer, call out to you, and you would be helpless to save them." He said this with so much venom that Katniss felt as if she had just been backhanded across the face.

Her throat dried up and her heart felt as if it were being squeezed. This man truly was a monster. He had no scruples, no morality, and absolutely no mercy, she concluded. He was capable of anything, he knew as well as she did.

King Cato was thrilled. He loved pushing her buttons. Seeing how far she would go before she cracked under his power. He leaned his head closer and closer to hers, dipping down until their noses almost touched.

"Kiss me," he whispered huskily.

She couldn't-she'd never let herself live it down.

He pressed his lips against hers. A gasp emitted from Katniss, and he took the opportunity to shove his tongue into her mouth, deepening the kiss. She didn't kiss back, but he wasn't worried; he'd have plenty of time to bring reactions out of her. He smiled to himself as he kissed and sucked at her tender neck, moving lower and lower.

Katniss was afraid of where this was going. She had never so much hugged a man before; some boys back home had attempted moves on her before, not many because she always had her arrows with her, but some did. She had harshly rejected all those who tried. She saw it as a waste of time with Prim to protect and her district at war. She didn't have her arrows now (another thing she dearly missed) and the war was over. Surely, surely maybe just once she ought to enjoy what pleasure a man could offer her...

NO! What are you thinking! She furiously told herself. He is your enemy, nothing more than a brutal monster. He wants to get revenge on you for slapping him in front of his court. He despises you...as much as you despise him.

Katniss glanced down, feeling a sudden chill. He had peeled her corset off of her so that she was lying stark naked underneath him. Her arms automatically crossed her chest, and she quickly clamped her legs together. But he overpowered her with his strength. He straddled her and uncrossed her arms from her chest, giving each of her breasts a kiss. She tried to struggle but only one look of warning flashed at her, and then she laid limp and allowed him access to her chest. "Good girl," he breathed as he squeezed and massaged her heavy breasts. She bit back her whimpers, despising herself for feeling this way, for succumbing so easily to him, for allowing him to touch her as he liked. It's for Prim, she reminded herself.

He left her breasts pink and sore as he trailed light kisses down her torso. When he reached her waist, she couldn't take it anymore. It felt so dirty and wrong and she didn't want her first time to be like this. "Stop," she said, trying to push him off of her.

His eyes narrowed as she pushed harder against his lean torso (only one layer of robe was left on him, the rest discarded sometime ago). "Pardon?"

"We can't do this," Katniss cried, "I can't do this. It's gone far enough, it has to stop here, right now."

"And what if it doesn't?"

"Then I'll stop it."

"Do you really think you can?" His voice was nothing short of husky. He took one of her nipples into his mouth and sucked on her breast, emitting a gasp from her.

"I-I can. I can, and I WILL!"

He laughed. "You may speak strongly, but down there you know you don't really want me to stop." He sucked on her other breast.

She shuddered when he said "down there" (his sense of humour was dark and obscene to her). "Try me." She said before she knew what she was saying.

"Katniss, you will regret defying me." Without much warning, he slipped a finger into her warm center. Katniss yelped with surprise. "But don't worry, you're going to like it, I'll make sure of that."

Katniss pathetically tried to pull herself away from his finger. He began moving it slowly, curling and uncurling it inside her. She gasped as pleasure spasmed throughout her body, releasing foreign sensations into her very core. He rubbed quicker, adding a second and then a third finger. Voices echoed around in Katniss's head. I can't...no...this is wrong...can't like it...

The voices disappeared when his fingers lightly treaded her rosebud. Whimpers escaped her throat, making him up his speed. It took what little was left of her self-control not to buck against his hand. He would alternate between fast and slow, heavy and light. Katniss saw stars and white lights flash in her vision as he nearly milked her with his hand.

Cato pulled his fingers out of her. A smirk lit up his face as he gazed at his glistening fingers. "It looks as if you want this after all."

Trying not to bemoan the loss of friction, she whispered hoarsely, "I-I don't want this."

"You lie."

He pinned her wrists above her head and spread her legs further apart until he could lower his head in between her thighs. "Beautiful," he crooned softly against her pinkness. His tongue flicked out and gave her rosebud a light fleck.

Katniss let out a whimper. She decided that if he was going to take his time, she wasn't going to enjoy it. She wasn't ready to be intimate with this man and though she would never admit it, this intimacy had built a wall of bashfulness in her. Here he was, breathing on her most sensitive spots, and it made her both self-conscious and angry. She wouldn't let him seduce her into submission. She'd just turn her head to the side and ignore him. It was much simpler thought than done, though. The minute Cato's tongue swirled around her sacred place, she could feel her body arching up to him as if it had a mind of its own. Fluid pooled between her legs, all that of which his tongue eagerly took care of. Sometimes he gave a long hard stroke and she squirmed in ecstasy, letting out little whines. She knew she couldn't help her body's natural reactions, but she hated herself for this nonetheless, hated the sick part of her that was enjoying this.

When he finally withdrew his tongue and raised his golden head from in-between her thighs, her body clouded with a very unfamiliar but amazing sensation. It made her uncomfortable but at the same time she really wanted to let go; it would be the only way to relieve herself of all that tension. She glanced up.

The king was smiling at her with not a cruel smile, but a smile that softened his sharp features. It made Katniss want to smile back, but she forced herself not to. She realized he was not only screwing with her but her state of mind as well. Unintentionally her eyes trailed down until they landed upon the very thing she had been trying to avoid. She didn't realize his robe wasn't tied. Her eyes flew back up and she flushed a pale pink.

Cato had been caressing her thighs, but he looked up just in time to see her flush. When she blushed, her breasts also turned a shade of light pink. He found himself getting more turned on than he already was, and he took one of her supple mounds into his experienced mouth again. Katniss couldn't seem to hold back the moan that detached itself from her lips; the part of her that yearned for his touch only grew stronger. She felt him rubbing her in her intimate spot again, this time so gently that she was soaked through.

She decided that she had had enough. If there was any way she could prevent it from happening, she would. She didn't dare to slap him or do him any physical pain. She feared he would lose his temper and then she would lose Prim. She decided to try reasoning with him, even though she had never been very good at it, if she thought so herself.

"P-please, wait..." her voice was hoarse from all the pressure she was holding in. He didn't stop, but he did slow down, and now he was looking down at her, his eyes directly trained on hers. Internally, she took a deep breath.

"S-stop...I c-can't go any further," she said, her voice shaking badly but not from fear or cold. A pang of disgust welled up in her when she realized what it was from.

He didn't reply at first. He looked carefully into her eyes, and then down at her trembling form. "You don't want me to stop," he said softly. He let his hand caress her side.

She shivered, wanting to close her eyes but not daring to. His hands were rough and warm and so big. As much as she tried to convince herself otherwise, she did want him to continue. She just didn't want to acknowledge it, and there was no way she was going to allow herself to accept it.

He'd be lying if he said that her vulnerable and naked body beneath him didn't make him harder. But he didn't deny it; instead, he welcomed those thoughts.

"Face it, Katniss," he breathed. "You want me as badly as I want you." And with that he had a grip on each of her ankles, prepared to pull them further apart.

"No, wait," she croaked, trying to move her wrists (they were still being pinned down by his other hand). "Please. Don't. DON'T! HELP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!" She screamed frantically.

Katniss realized her mistake when she saw a shadow of anger creep over his handsome features. "No one can hear you," he hissed through his teeth. He then yanked her up harshly by the arms and threw her back down. She was thrashing and flaying wildly by now, afraid of stopping and afraid of what would happen if she stopped. He easily dodged her lashes, but his patience was wearing thin. "And even if they could, they won't be able to help you."

But he didn't want to rape her. Even in a kingdom like District 2, the act of rape was against the law. However, the laws of District 2 only protected citizens born and raised there, saying nothing about other citizens of other districts. Although he would face no consequences, the last thing King Cato wanted to turn out like was his father. It would be a lot more favorable to make her beg for it instead. He had an idea of how much it could break that fiery attitude, how much it could take away from her.

"Only you can help yourself, Katniss. Only you can end this." His breath was low and musky and it screamed to her.

His job didn't look that difficult. Katniss's head was spinning. She felt her center throbbing. She felt a fire burning in her, spreading flames until it reached the tippity ends of her toes. She wanted it. She wanted it really bad. All she needed was a little encouragement.

Cato provided it. He allowed his hands to caress her everywhere with the softest, most sensual touches. He brought his muscular, warm body close as possible to hers without physical contact. He brushed himself against her center once, and she let out a gasp at the feeling that came with the contact. He pulled away quickly, and Katniss whimpered at the loss of her friction. Even his smirk was sensual-Katniss's new guilty pleasure was imaging those warm pink lips meeting her flesh again...

He continued to maneuver her, barely managing to contain himself. At last he made a show of peeling his robe from his golden muscles, finally showing her his smooth, well-endowed chest. He flexed his muscles and let out a deep, rumbling growl that seemed to echo from somewhere deep within his throat. Katniss couldn't take it anymore; she had melted into a puddle by now, a hot, panting puddle that trembled with need. Tentatively she felt that muscular chest...

And there was the signal he'd been waiting for. His lips came crashing down to meet hers, and the kiss that resulted consumed both of them in a wild, frenzy passion. She made no attempt to stop him as he spread her legs wide and gripped her hips firmly with his large hands and finally did the deed that he had wanted to do for a long while.

Katniss felt as if something went out with a POP! Fiery infernos of pain attacked her body and she screamed so long and loud that the stars flickered in the sky. But the pain subsided quickly and gave way to pleasure as he thrusted in and out, her hands gripping onto him for support.

Cato had never felt so good in his life. She was a virgin; it was pretty obvious, but she was the tightest he had ever experienced. His hands held her hips in place. He moaned and grunted like a starved animal finally being rewarded for all its suffering in hunger.

Katniss's mewling turned to screaming when he threw her legs over his shoulder. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head when he hit her sweet spot. She felt her response building up, second by second, and the pressure seemed heavy enough to kill her weakened body. She couldn't deny how good this felt, especially since he was making his bed- the giant canopy king bed-rock.

A new inferno burned in their bodies, one of lust and longing and satisfaction. The fire consumed both of them, the intensity and heat leading them to a new ecstasy. To say it was passionate was an understatement. Feelings and emotions, ones of lust and rage and longing and anger and desire, ones that had been locked up for months, all poured out.

Admist this, a chambermaid was passing by, carrying a bundle of towels. She hear the noises inside, took one glance at the expressionless guards standing near the door, and made a run for it. Nobody chased after her, but she decided that she was not going to be around when His Royal Majesty stormed out of there raging for blood.

His Royal Majesty was far from angry this time, in fact, quite the opposite. He had never been this pleased, and he left a reward, a warm, thick reward that seeped into Katniss. She rewarded him too, and this added to his pleasure. Both of them laid there, panting in the aftermath of what glory they had just experienced. One of them wore a rather smug expression with arms tucked underneath him, while the other quivered with hunger and weakness and the consequences of her actions. The smug one noticed his partner's discomfort. Smiling at her, he wrapped his arms around her, enveloping her in the warmth of his body.

"So beautiful," he murmured into her ear, "Thank you. So beautiful."

His words brought a strange comfort to her-nobody had ever called her beautiful before. Tears welled up in her eyes, and he leaned forward to taste them. After her cheeks were dry (or semi-dry), he stroked her lovingly and held her until she fell asleep, her body exhausted. He then quietly removed himself from their embrace and tiptoed out of the room after tucking her in.

He sighed as he lowered himself into the tub, the steam purifying his senses. What an interesting day he'd had. And not to mention, one of the pleasant in a long time. He was in a delighted mood as of now.

There was one thing that was puzzling him, however. He was a king, a powerful king, and things he could not understand bothered him. The fact that he was king made this bother him even more. What he could not figure out was why he did what he did at the end. Normally after he had been with a wench or some poor rat with no nobility, he would've left them weeping and buried in shame without a second glance. But he had comforted this particular wrench, even called her beautiful. He hated admitting it, but he did mean it. She didn't seem so special upon the first glance, but once he looked closely at her face, he saw the beauty that adorned it. And when she slapped him, he was humiliated and angry alright, but he didn't miss the fire in her eyes. It spoke out to him, left him a message he could not understand, and he was fascinated by it, the chance to put out her flame.

He took a sip from the sparkling wine glass that sat by his side, along with the tray filled of dried cheese and cherries that resembled ruby chips. Her attitude was fine but no match for the satisfaction that she had given him. He was happy that he didn't have to rape her (in District 2, the usage of fingers and mouth did not count) and it was a windfall that she consented, or at least didn't complain. He smirked, reveling in his skill. Only he could break her, he thought as he took another sip.

It was a common practice to torment enemies-that was the way to show your power over them, he had been taught. The more brutal, the better. Show less mercy, more people will learn to fear you. Show no emotions-feel no emotions. Emotions were a weakness. His father had taught him all of this and more. He cringed as the memories came flooding into him like a river. He peered at his wounds, old scars that still clung to him all these years, serving as a reminder. They didn't hurt anymore physically, and he had learned to drown out his emotions. But although he didn't feel anymore pain, there was an emptiness that took its place.

Cato blinked out of his memories. Fuck, all this delight left him to be sentimental. He leaned back against his arms. His gaze landed on the bouquet of roses that sat in the corner on a platform supported by the tub.

Cato loved roses. It was something he did not say, but his castle stated it. His room consisted of many bouquets and so did nearly every other room in the castle, except for the three kitchens. He didn't want there to be smoke hanging around precious roses. There was an entire garden dedicated just to roses. He knew that the old shit King Snow, the ruler of the Capitol, also loved roses, but he highly doubted that Snow loved roses for the same reason as him. Cato loved roses because to him they are to him a symbol of hope, a hanging dream, a second chance. If he closed his eyes, he could see every detail from that fateful day...he shook his head. Now was not the time. Besides, the past was the past.

And here he was stuck with spitfire girls like Katniss Everdeen. Well, Katniss wasn't so bad. Not bad at all. He planned on paying her a visit tomorrow. He'd bring a "gift" just for her.

Hmm, what's the story behind the rose? And what is Lavinia up to? How will Prim and Mrs. Everdeen and Gale fare? What is Cato's gift? Coming up next chapter!

[Keep in mind District 2 and 12 are (or were) enemy kingdoms, and every character has a backstory (at least every main one).]This chapter took such a long time because I kept on revising all the details (I DON'T want this story removed, I've worked so hard on it). And I hope it's not too wordy, also worked really hard to sculpt that into shape. If you guys didn't like this, I have a cleaner version, just let me know if you want that to replace this.

Thank you thank you thank you so much! I got 24 reviews on the first chapter and expected much less on the second, but you guys decided to be amazing and give me 25! I can't stress how much I appreciate that. I also really appreciate all the favorites and followers. And this story just got added into the Catoniss Club community, so thanks so much for that.

To all my reviewers in the last chapter: Abigail25, youcantbandagethe-damage, dragonflame, we burn brighter together, vampirebooklover09, Juliette, rayleen14, thepinkmartini, jackie1565, Guest, Hidden in Dreams, Blackdove085 (BrieflySweet accepts your love and thanks you for it! Wow, I don't know what to say about the favorite :D I'm touched, you rock!), Darlene87, Clover2000, me myself, emmy, Catniponfire, Jawsome (As always loved reading your review thank you for putting so much work and thought into it. The only question I can answer without giving away anything is that District 2 rules itself and the Capitol rules over the rest of the districts), ripe (sorry, I'm still kind of new to fanfic and so I'm a bit unfamiliar with all its terms), Guest, Fish Flapper (awesome name btw!), and Ultanerd, I personally thank each and every one of you :)