It was a beautiful morning in District 3, the sun was bathing everything in golden light, when Beth stepped out of her house. She had no particular destination in mind but the fresh air made her feel good so she had made a habit out of going for walks in the mornings. The soft breeze was dancing through her hair and around her legs. It was warm enough for a dress and Beth enjoyed every second of it.

She walked past the other houses in the Victor's Village and out of the neighborhood, down the nearly empty streets of the district. The children were already at school, adults were at their jobs, she had picked the time specifically for that reason. She wanted to avoid bumping into people.

Beth felt unusually well rested, she was in a good mood, and letting her thoughts roam freely.

Even her appetite was slowly coming back. So when Beth walked past a store showing off their delicious strawberries she just had to treat herself. Unbeknownst to Beth a hovercraft passed over the store and made its way towards the Victor's Village right after she entered said store.

Something felt off when Beth got back from her walk and stepped onto the grounds of the Victor's Village. Her gut was telling her that something was wrong even though her eyes didn't. Beth was on high alert. Goosebumps covered her whole body and the sight of her house stopped her dead in her tracks.

Two peacekeepers were stationed outside her front door.

Beth racked her brain for a potential explanation but she drew a blank.

It didn't take long for the peacekeepers to notice Beth. One of them gestured for her to hurry up. She turned her head towards the houses of Beetee and Wiress silently asking them for help before she walked up to her door.

Being invited into her own house, the peacekeepers unlocking the door and ushering her in, felt like a weird reminder to Beth that none of this was really hers.

There were two more peacekeepers in the entrance hall that Beth was handed over to. Beth knew the best course of action would be to just shut up and go along with whatever they wanted and wherever they were about to take her, it wasn't like she had another choice anyway.

One of the peacekeepers grabbed Beth by the arm and led her deeper into her house. They were heading for her study. Adrenaline was cursing through Beth when the peacekeeper opened the door for her and gestured for her to enter. Her thoughts were running wild as she took the last few steps. And then her mind fell completely silent when she realized who she was in the room with.

'How thoughtful of you to bring me strawberries, Miss Black, or whatever is left of them'

The once perfect rectangle that was the box containing the strawberries was now dented, a majority of the contents were reduced to mush. Before Snow had pointed it out Beth hadn't even noticed that she was still holding on to what was supposed to be a treat for her. She slowly unclenched her fist and put the box on a shelf near the door.

'President Snow, it is a pleasure to welcome you in my home.'

Beth lowered her head while she cringed at her choice of words. She wasn't welcoming him into her home, he had just waltzed in like he owned the place - admittedly he did and he knew that, but that was beside the point.

'Take a seat.'

Snow was comfortably seated behind her desk and was watching her closely as she pulled out the chair and lowered herself into it.

There was a moment of silence before Snow started speaking.

'Leading a country is all about balance. Minor things that people might consider insignificant could tip the scales, causing destruction and harm to the whole population. Rules are in place to ensure that the balance is kept. But just because people know about rules doesn't mean that they will follow those rules. Do you know what ensures people follow rules, Miss Black?'

Beth hesitated. She knew what her answer was going to be, but she felt like she was setting herself up by saying it out loud.

'Rewards and consequences.'

Or maybe it was supposed to be a warning.

'Very good.' His praise hit something deep inside of her. 'Rules without consequences for those that chose not to follow them are worthless, but there is more to it. Any guesses?'

Beth pondered the question for a minute, she chose her next words carefully.

'Enforcing rules through consequences keeps people in check, but that only applies to a certain group of people and it is not the first but the final step.'

'What do you consider the first step then?'

'There has to be someone at the top, someone people trust, or fear, a leader has to be established. Someone charismatic enough for people to follow.' Beth swallowed the lump in her throat before she continued. 'Part of the group will want to follow the rules simply because they trust their leader. Another part will follow the rules because they know the consequences, it will keep them in their place. Following the rules has to be rewarded in certain ways, another incentive to follow the rules. But there will always be a group of people that will not follow the rules, those people will face the consequences and pose as an example for the rest.'

Snow seemed pleased with her answer.

'Indeed. And it is important to understand where those rulebreakers come from. They come from a place of jealousy and anger, unhappy with and ungrateful for what they are provided with. They can't relate to the person in power and feel treated unfairly because of it.'

Beth looked down at her hands, unsure where Snow was going with this.

'Why are you telling me this?'

Snow inclined his head and gestured for Beth to stand up and come closer. She slowly walked around the desk and only stopped when she was standing in front of Snow. He looked her up and down and then answered.

'Humans think in tribes. There's always an 'Us' and a 'Them' and consequences will only do so much, unless they have someone to identify with to lead them by example.'

Snow leaned forward in his chair, his hands reached for her, landing on her hips. He seemed lost in thought for a second, his fingertips drawing circles on her body.

'You did quite a magnificent job convincing the other tributes to trust you, every word out of your mouth taken for fact without a second thought. The people of the capitol adore you.'

The hands on her hips slowly traveled up to her waist. Snow stood up so fast that it startled Beth. The grip on her hips tightened and Beth's hands shot up to hang on to the lapels of his suit jacket for support when he lifted her and put her on the desk. Beth's thighs opened on instinct and welcomed Snow in, letting him step in between her legs.

'People need someone they can relate to in order to be able to follow them.'

Beth's mouth opened and closed without a word coming out. She still wasn't sure what he was trying to tell her but she was sure that he was building up to something - something was definitely building up in her.

'I have only spoken highly of the Capitol and the Games.'

For a second she wondered if the show she had put on had not been good enough but she shooed away those thoughts. She knew she had been convincing.

'Yes, Miss Black, and the people of the Capitol have been soaking up every word that you said.'

Beth tried to take in his words, but his hands moving along her back, one of them making its way up her neck and into her hair, the other one down to grip her thigh, made it hard. Snow's strong grip pulled her closer to him while the hand in her hair moved her head back. Her front was flush against his. Her core felt incredibly hot and for a second she wondered if she would leave a wet spot on the front of his pants. Snow took advantage of her exposed throat, leaned in and almost touched his lips to it before continuing. Beth was shaking helplessly in his arms.

'You would do well to try harder with the people in the district.'

Somewhere in the back of her mind Beth wondered if Snow's handprint would be visible on her thigh tomorrow, his grip was so tight it almost hurt. His lips moved along her throat. He dragged his teeth over her collarbone, a bite pulled her back to reality.

'I have only spoken highly of the Capitol and the Games when addressing the people in the districts.'

Beth was fighting for her eyes to stay open. She could feel the muscles in her core spasm, her hips started to move automatically desperate for relief. Beth felt sick. Her body shouldn't be reacting to him the way it did. It was twisted but somehow that knowledge did nothing but stoke the fire inside her even more.

Snow started moving his hand again. He released her thigh and ran his hand up to her belly. Slowly hiking up her dress and slipping his hand underneath. Beth felt like she was about to explode when his fingers touched the seam of her underwear. Snow lazily stroked along the top, teasing, before moving down further. He rubbed her clit in small circles through her underwear. Beth felt her cheeks burn, she knew he felt that she had already soaked through her panties, there was no way he could have missed it.

'Actions are more effective than words.'

A moan escaped her mouth when he pressed the palm of his hand against her clit, his fingers moving back and forth relentlessly.

Beth's words mixed with soft gasps and heavy breathing.

'What should I do?'

Her hands were still on his jacket, gripping it like a vice, almost as if to ground her and lead her through the whirlwind of feelings she was experiencing.

The tear of fabric was deafening when he ripped her panties and discarded them on the floor and the sound that left her lips when his hand touched her bare skin sounded nothing like her. It sounded primal.

His palm was back on her to apply pressure on her clit while he ran his fingers through her folds.

Beth found herself back in a position where she begged him for more, but this time she knew what she was asking him for. When his fingers finally slipped into her, her cunt welcomed him in. Her muscles contracted around his finger, desperate to keep him there. He complied and gave her a moment to get used to the feeling. It felt like torture to Beth when he slowly started to move his finger in and out of her and then added another one.

'Please.'

Beth could feel her legs starting to shake, the pressure on her clit was too much.

'Please what, Miss Black?'

'Please, I need more.'

Beth closed her eyes, she tried to concentrate only on the feeling of his fingers inside her. She was so close. Her hips were moving to meet his thrusts.

He added a third finger at the same time that he finally answered her question.

'You will marry me.'

Her orgasm hit her like a wave trying to swallow her. Beth squeezed her eyes shut when the bubble of heat that had been forming in her belly burst and spread through her body. Sobs were leaving her mouth as she fell against him shaking in his arms from the shocks and aftershocks of her high.

Beth barely registered him slowly pulling away but she was hit with a feeling of emptiness when his fingers slipped out of her. It took her a couple deep breaths to steady herself before she closed her legs, her knee brushing against him as she did. Her brain was foggy but she clearly felt his painfully hard cock against her leg. Her eyes shot up to meet his once she registered what she had felt.

Snow looked incredibly smug and satisfied with what he had just done. Beth was just confused. He had made her cum and was clearly aroused himself but he made no move to do anything about it. Surely he wanted her to pleasure him as well?

Beth hesitantly lifted her hand from the desk and moved it towards his belt but Snow caught her wrist.

'Your things have been packed. You should get ready. We will leave for the Capitol in a couple minutes.'

The confusion must have clearly shown on her face because although he looked unhappy about having to repeat himself Snow elaborated.

'We are getting married soon, what image would it portray if my wife was living in the district instead of with me in the presidential palace.'

It was a rhetorical question.

Beth slowly got off the desk, her dress falling back down her legs, covering her. She looked at her destroyed and discarded panties on the floor.

'Can I… change … or at least … get dressed?'

Snow's gaze followed hers, a chuckle rumbling in his throat as he looked at what she was staring at.

'I hardly think that that will be necessary, you will have more than enough clothes in the Capitol.'