Reaping day

Carroll Park (28)- Sponsor

It's a wonderful, sunny day outside… another perfect day in the Capitol… clouded only by the Reaping. Stating that I hate the Hunger Games would be inaccurate. A good businessman can acknowledge the potential of something, even when it's made by someone else. However, one cannot help but wonder whether all this violence is necessary, especially after living in the districts for a while. As a matter of fact, the Games didn't prevent the districts from joining forces and standing up against the Capitol, no matter if they're meant to trigger egoism and competition. Tributes may find allies and sympathize with them, but it's all against all, in the end… at some point, one needs to realize that they'd better think only for themselves, since there can be only one victor. I think the new president is well aware of this dynamic. Considering that the Capitol failed at keeping the districts separate through the Hunger Games, a change in trend was necessary. That's why the Repopulation Project was launched, in the end. With this project, President Smith has proved to be a good master: he knows when to reward, he knows when to punish.

I look at the TV screen. The Reaping of District 10 is over. Honestly, its tributes didn't impress me, but their mentor, Charmant Lefauve… well, his surname rings a bell. I've heard rumours of this family. They're said to be middle-income people, but they manage to have one of them in the most important sectors, nonetheless; this patina of resourcefulness may, however, be just a mask… a mask to hide their connections with the world of crime. These are just rumours, and yet they could be true. I didn't want to support District 10 before the Reaping, and I don't want it even more now. I've already had trouble recently, and now that things are more or less getting back to normal, I'd better not screw it up, right?

"And now let's move to District 11!" says the grinning face of Cinnamon Nicewarble on TV.

I immediately get tense. The sight of the colourful orchards of Eleven is evoking a mixture of memories and emotions in me, a strange mix of melancholy and aversion. I lived there for a while, since I wanted to invest in research into biotechnology in order to optimize crop production. At first, it was just business, but then I gradually learned in what dire conditions the majority of the population lives and works. One would never suspect it by watching the TV; they don't show poverty and suffering, of course. That's why I started to resent the Capitol, and I even used money to support resistance groups in secret. When the proper rebellion broke out, I was still in District 11. I was captured by rebels. At first, they wanted to kill me. After all, the majority of them didn't know about my secret investments; to them, I was just a Capitolite and an enemy. Luckily, they realized that a Capitolite hostage could be useful in some way.

"Now, let's go down to business! We have no time to waste, after all!" chirps the escort of Eleven, who's now getting closer to the girls' Reaping ball.

Eventually, she picks up a slip of paper. "Livia Marigold!" she reads with a smile, putting emphasis on every syllable.

As soon as the name of the female tribute is announced, I hear the sound of shattering glass behind my back. I immediately turn around, scared and annoyed at the same time. I see that my avox has dropped a tray with the glass of black Pinot I had ordered. The wine has stained the red marble floor of my loft.

"What are you waiting for? Why don't you wipe the floor?" I ask her, more annoyed by her clumsiness than by the fact that she scared me to death.

She doesn't move, though. She seems to be staring into space, while shaking like a leaf. I stand up and get closer to her. In response, she lowers her gaze, still trembling.

I roll my eyes. "Glory, I'm not going to punish you, if that's what you fear. Just… clean up this mess, okay?"

I tried to speak as gently as I could, but my words had no effect. Glory is as still as a statue. What distinguishes her from a statue is that she's trembling. She's also producing inarticulate sounds, sort of sobs, and her shoulders quickly get up and down, as if she couldn't control them … is she crying?

"Glory?"

I can hear a hint of concern in my own voice. At this stage, she looks up, and I can see that she's crying for real.

"Oh, come on! What's wrong with you?" I say.

In response, she repeatedly shakes her head, covers her mouth with one hand, and then points at the TV screen with the other, still trembling as if she felt cold. I look at the screen, where they're now showing both tributes of District 11.

"Dear citizens of Eleven, I give you your tributes… Livia Marigold and Lavender Sunnart! Happy Hunger Games! And may the odds be ever in your favour!"

That's when I realize what's wrong, and this realization hits me like lightning. Glory's family name is Marigold like that of the female tribute!

I turn to her again. "She is… s-she is your daughter, isn't she?"

Glory nods in response.

I take a deep breath, then I go switch off the TV. I don't turn to Glory though, I just stare at the black screen, while thinking of what to do. I met Glory during the rebellion, when I was captured. She knew that an unknown Capitolite had supported resistance groups in District 11, and she suspected me. She convinced her fellow rebels not to kill me. As a sort of punishment, they made her guard me. We would talk a lot at that time. She told me that she had sacrificed anything- even love and family- for her ideals. She had convinced her husband to lie about her death, so that their daughter Livia wouldn't look for her and get in trouble. I was fascinated by her tales and by the fact that Glory was independent-minded. Despite being a rebel, she was not affected by the wrath of the mob. She fought for a better world… a better world for everyone… but to her this didn't mean that every citizen of the Capitol deserved to die. When the Capitolite army reconquered District 11, they wanted to execute Glory along with her fellow rebels, but I managed to return the favour: I told them that Glory had saved my life, therefore I wanted to reward her with a job. But they would never let a rebel get away with it, right? They decided that she could work for me only as an avox, otherwise she would be executed. I accepted with a heavy heart. Glory would lose her tongue but not her life, and yet… I know she doesn't blame me, but she cannot see her family any longer, and… ah! I shouldn't think about the past right now! I must do something in the present!

I turn to Glory again. "Okay, listen. I cannot promise you anything, but I'll support District 11 and especially Livia. Considering what they know about me and you, supporting only one tribute would be too suspect… I'll need a strategy to avoid suspicion. I'll try to make her win, but again… I cannot promise you anything. The Hunger Games are hard even with plenty of supplies."

Glory nods in response, and a sad smile forms on her lips. She's still sobbing, her eyes are still watery. On the whole, she suffers in a heart-breaking way. She can express her sorrow through her sobs and tears, and yet… I can feel that her sorrow is deeper than it seems… there's a sort of silent grief that she's not able to express, because only words could express it.

Okay, time to lighten the mood…

"I'll think of a strategy, but now… Glory, wipe the floor, please. Have you got an idea of how much red marble costs?"

As promised, I introduced a sponsor and there was also a tragic turn. By the way, Carroll Park was submitted by Luthien'sLight. To be sincere, when his creator decided to support District 11 and especially Livia, I immediately started thinking about a way to link together the stories of these characters. I hope you liked the solution I found. Apparently, Glory Marigold is not dead, unlike what her daughter believes*. What do you think of this tragic turn? Do you like Carroll and Glory?

Since this chapter was an interlude, submitters cannot assign points.

Thank you for reading and please leave a review!

*For more details on Livia's backstory, see chapter 6 (D11 Reaping)