CHAPTER EIGHT:
FIRST NIGHT IN THE CAPITOL
"So, this is your home?" Lucy Gray asked in amazement, gazing up at the antique apartment building, its architecture typical of the classical style before the rebellion. Posted on the entrance door was a sign that read "Rooms available for rent." Coriolanus reddened.
"Oh, no. This is where my family is staying for now. They were... evicted recently," Coriolanus let on. He was not quite sure why he felt embarrassed. Lucy Gray had never seen his old penthouse, and besides, to her this probably looked like the President's mansion.
"Oh. Does your family know that we're here?"
Coriolanus focused on Lucy Gray's gaze and noticed the uncertainty in her eyes. He felt a bit nervous as well, his stomach twisting. It was a momentous step, bringing her into his home and introducing her to his family. Grandma'am wasn't going to take this well. He recalled her once routine lectures about district savages. He needed to prove her wrong. Lucy Gray wasn't low and uncivilized. Her value had transcended the place that she had come from.
"Uh... they will soon, but don't worry. They'll love you," he told her, clasping her tense hand. He then found the buzzer next to the door and ringed their apartment number. Too late to turn back now. The soft voice of his cousin overtook the intercom, and his heart swelled.
"Hello? Who is this?"
"Tigris, it's me," he blurted, struggling to contain himself. He would have shouted the news with joy if he hadn't an ounce of self respect.
"Coryo!!" She cried on the other end. "Wait-" Then, she cut out abruptly.
"Tigris? What happened...?" He muttered to himself. He pressed the button again, hoping to regain contact with her. The front door swung open with a bang and a pair of arms draped in faded silk seized him, nearly knocking him over. It was her. Tigris.
"It's you! You're here! But how? I don't understand!" She sputtered, still gripping him tightly in an embrace. The words Coriolanus had been aching to say for weeks spewed out of him with near giddiness.
"I got transferred back as an officer. They first sent me to Two and then changed their minds and sent me here. I made it. I made it home, Tigris!" He leaned back and shook her, causing fresh tears in her eyes to spill down her pale cheeks.
"I can't believe it. This is just like magic, Coryo!" Tigris exclaimed before dabbing at her face with the tassel of her robe. Then, she noticed the meek shadow of Lucy Gray from behind Coriolanus, his tall frame nearly blocking her from view. He looked over his shoulder.
"Oh, Tigris. This is Lucy Gray," Coriolanus announced, wrapping an arm around his girl. "You've never officially met her, but here she is in the flesh," he chuckled. He had foreseen how Tigris might react upon meeting Lucy Gray, and he was pleased to not be mistaken. Tigris immediately grabbed the girl's hand, shaking it eagerly.
"Lucy Gray. It is so nice to meet you. I've heard endless things about you from my cousin. He was absolutely lovesick from the first day he heard you sing at the Reaping," Tigris smirked, glancing over at Coriolanus. Lucy Gray let out her charming laugh, her stiff composure relaxing at the encouraging exchange with Tigris.
"I'm glad to finally meet you as well. I know how much Coriolanus missed you," she spoke genuinely.
"Well, both of you please come in. Coryo, Grandma'am may have a heart attack when she sees you. I probably should announce that you're here before you enter the apartment," she forewarned as all three of them stepped into the elevator. Lucy Gray, bewildered by this advanced contraption, grabbed hold of Coriolanus' arm.
"Don't worry, it just lifts us to the upper floors. Just like the ones the miners use in Twelve," Coriolanus assured her. They reached the 6th floor and stepped out into the narrow hallway.
"We're right here, number 621. You two wait here a moment while I speak with Grandma'am," Tigris told them, entering the apartment while keeping the door cracked open. Coriolanus and Lucy Gray stood close by, overhearing some unintelligible murmurs before his Grandma'am crowed his name quite loudly. He took this as an order to step over the threshold, discovering his grandmother rising from a battered sofa in a cramped living space using her black cane, her ice colored eyes watery.
"It's me, Grandma'am," he spoke with tenderness, reaching out to take hold of her cold and withered hands.
"My dear boy. You came back to us," she murmured, reaching up to stroke his cheek. Her maternal touch at last released a deep tension within him, for so long restraining him like an iron grip. He briefly allowed to indulge himself in the sweetness of being a little boy again, returning to the comfort of his grandmother. He recalled the last time she had held him dear like this when he was about two feet shorter, wearing his purple velvet suit, and his heart naive and free from all worries.
"I won't ever leave again," he whispered his promise to her.
"I just knew you'd find a way," she declared, shaking a finger at him. "You're a Snow. And Snows don't let one mistake mark their downfall."
"You're right, Grandma'am. And I won't let you down again. I'll fix all of this," he professed, his eyes surveying the drab apartment. The Snows had fallen rather low. Crassus Snow's boy a peacekeeper and his family renting in a middle class borough. But Coriolanus would climb the latter to the top again for all of them. He was convicted of this, it burned deeply within him.
"And who is this?" His grandmother gestured. She had discovered his unfamiliar guest. She did not recognize Lucy Gray's face, especially with her simple dress and lack of rouge. Now, this would be the real trial. His girl must be painted in the best light for the Grandma'am.
"Grandma'am, I would like you to officially meet Lucy Gray Baird. You remember, she was my tribute. The winner," he praised, escorting Lucy Gray over to his grandmother. She cordially bowed her head, almost in a curtsy, before extending her hand out to the cynical old woman.
"How are you, ma'am?" She greeted her with the upmost respect, playing her proper part as Coriolanus had hoped. His Grandma'am did not take her hand, but examined Lucy Gray with a burning gaze, nitpicking every ounce of her appearance. She blinked, finally speaking.
"I don't understand."
"I brought her to the Capitol with me, Grandma'am. She's not a district girl, not anymore. Her family were never from District Twelve in the first place," Coriolanus explained calmly, having rehearsed his argument many times in his head. "She belongs here, with our people. I've taken her away from that place for good."
"For good? Coriolanus, surely you don't mean to have this-this girl stay here? With us?" His Grandma'am asked in astonishment, gathering her billowing robe close to her.
"Please, Grandma'am, remember your manners. She's not an animal. She's a civilized, talented-"
"The peacekeepers put them in a zoo for a reason, my boy. They're not our kind and never will be. We don't belong in the same quarters," his Grandma'am dictated, refusing to give Lucy Gray another glance. The poor girl stared at the tile floor, her hands wound tightly in front of her until her knuckles turned white. Coriolanus steadied himself, taking a breath before pushing back.
"Well, they shouldn't have been kept there. Besides, she can be one of our kind. Capitol is in her blood. She'll make a great performer here and a well liked young lady amongst our friends. I imagine your friends might even like her, too," He added smoothly.
"I don't believe that, Coriolanus. She'll have to leave immediately," she demanded.
"Please, Grandma'am. I... I love her," he confessed, sounding like a stupid romantic school boy and yet hoping that this tact might soften her. His grandmother shot him an interrogating look, her lips pressed in a tight, thin line. Then, she relaxed.
"My boy, I understand that infatuation is quite common at your age, but love will truly come for you when you find a suitable Capitol girl for yourself, like your father," she assured with her compelling matronly tone, even reaching out to pat his arm. Despite all of his years of listening to her sound advice, he knew his heart would direct him better than her reason. It was his turn to instruct her in new ways. No-not in new ways-but rather to help her recognize that being with Lucy Gray was actually in accordance with her ways. She wasn't the girl that his grandmother suspected.
"Grandma'am, you know I always appreciate your advice, but it's no longer relevant. I've chosen Lucy Gray. According to Panem's standards, we're... married," he announced delicately, foreseeing the blow she would experience at this declaration. "And I intend to stay by her side," he concluded, taking Lucy Gray's left hand, feeling the cold metal of her ring against his skin. The slight color drained from his grandmother's wrinkled cheeks coated in her old powder. For a moment, Coriolanus feared that she would fall over unconscious. Fortunately, she was able to get some words out, clutching her cane for support.
"I need a moment. I must lie down..." she wandered back to the sofa, refusing Coriolanus' arm when he offered it to her. Tigris approached her and helped settle her onto the cushions. "My dear, please go fetch me a glass of water," she instructed her granddaughter. She struggled to maintain her composure, folding her hands tightly in front of her. Tigris rose, glancing over apologetically, not at Coriolanus but at Lucy Gray. She refrained from offering any words of consolation in front of the Grandma'am and headed over to the small kitchen in the corner.
"Grandma'am, I apologize for upsetting you. I assure you, I will prove to you that this is good arrangement," Coriolanus entreated, about to take a step forward. She held up her hand abruptly.
"Please-don't allow that girl into my sight again tonight. Your room is to the left. I'm sure Tigris will make sure you're comfortable," she directed with a power so strong that despite her frail voice and nonthreatening position on the sofa, Coriolanus immediately assented. He led himself and Lucy Gray away to the bedroom, dragging their things behind him. He felt his face grow hot, embarrassed by his Grandma'am's dismissal. He felt like a child who had been sent to his room without supper. He certainly did not feel like he had earned his proper respect as a married officer.
The room itself was nothing to admire. A mattress lay on the floor, although made up neatly by Tigris. But surely, they hadn't expected him? Who did they foresee staying with them? A boarder? He felt humiliated by the thought. There was a dresser and a table with a single chair beside the window peering out over the city street, the faded buildings glowing orange from the sunset. Coriolanus set the trunk down at the foot of the mattress and hung Lucy Gray's bag over the chair. He couldn't bare to look at her. He was ashamed for being put in his place by his grandmother, that she had insulted her, and that this is where they were forced to spend the night.
"I'm sorry," he muttered.
"I've heard worse insults," she replied in a surprisingly even tone, wandering over to the window to look outside. "And I prepared myself for this." she added.
He didn't know what else to say to her. At the moment, he had no further plan. They had made it to the Capitol, and he was likely expected to report to the Peacekeepers Head Department in the morning. Once he began work, he would be able to start saving every ounce of his earnings for a better future for all of them. He could help sail the ship if he stayed here. His grandmother hadn't kicked them out-for now. He didn't think she was the type of woman to turn her own grandson away, but that depended on how far she thought he had fallen. He he felt very low considering what state he was in back in the Capitol, but at least he wasn't in the districts anymore.
"I'll see if Tigris can spare us any food," he mentioned before stepping out of the room. He discovered the sofa his Grandma'am had once claimed now empty. She must have retired early for bed. He couldn't blame her. He had fully expected her push back and would have been concerned if she hadn't given it. That woman had been set in her ways since she was a child. She was a pure blood, raging Panem patriot, instilling in his father the desire to become a general long before Coriolanus was born. She also had drilled into Coriolanus' mind from a very young age the unmergeable gap between the Capitol and the districts.
A single kitchen light was on, illuminating the slender shadow of Tigris sifting through some mail. Likely bills, he thought. How they were scraping by, he wasn't sure, and he was afraid to ask. She caught sight of him approaching her.
"Hi. You both hungry?" His cousin asked quietly.
"You read my mind," he offered a small smile. "And we'll eat whatever you have to spare." He didn't want her to feel pressured to cook up something fresh or waste anything precious on them.
"I have some leftover stew. And stale bread. If I toast it, it shouldn't be bad," she told him before cutting some slices. "How is she?" Tigris asked after a moment. She was referring to Lucy Gray. Coriolanus knew that his cousin's soft heart had empathized with her immediately. Somehow, the Grandma'am's instruction on the barbaric nature of the districts had never made a lasting impression on Tigris.
"I think she's alright. It's-it's been a lot for her to move away from her family. And she worries about being... different from people here," he explained, the same worry tugging at him as well.
"But you said it yourself. She's not all that different. She's a human being, like us. And she... possesses a spark that makes her seem Capitol born," Tigris posed thoughtfully. Coriolanus nodded.
"She definitely has a spark. The people loved her during the games. I just want them-and Grandma'am-to believe that she can belong here. I want them to see what I see in her," he confessed. He was more prideful about preserving the integrity of the Capitol than most other people he knew, and yet he found himself for once in his life going against the common rule about the districts. He had actually gone and married someone who had lived there. Even when he had first met Lucy Gray, he never would have imagined that he would be in this position now. But everything had changed since then. He wanted so badly to make the exception for his girl. His girl who was born for Capitol life.
"Coryo," Tigris spoke, giving him a pat on his cheek. "I do. I see it. And I'll try to make Grandma'am see it, too. If I being honest... I think marrying Lucy Gray might be one of the best things that has happened to you. I can already see how she brings out the best in you," his cousin revealed, a warm look in her eyes.
"Here, take the food to the bedroom. I don't want Grandma'am to scold you if she sees you and her eating in the kitchen," she chuckled, shoving a large tray of food into his hands. He returned to the room where Lucy Gray was undressing for the night. As she pulled on her thin nightgown, he studied the ghastly burns on her back. They seemed red and swollen. He set down the tray on the table and approached her, carefully parting her hair to get a better look at her injuries.
"What is it?" She wondered.
"Have you been putting on the burn cream? The wounds seem... irritated," he examined, delicately probing the red areas with his forefinger. Lucy Gray grimaced.
"It hurts?" He quickly pulled back his hand.
She nodded before pulling up her sleeves. "I think I forgot to put it on durin' the train ride. I was... stressed and not thinkin' clearly. I just remembered to do it tonight," she admitted.
"Well, don't forget again otherwise it might get infected. I'll try and help you remember. Here, I brought us some food," he gestured to the table. The ate in silence, both rather hungry and exhausted due to the long journey. Coriolanus then stripped down for bed, too hot from the lack of air conditioning in the modest apartment to pull on his issued peacekeeper pajamas in his trunk. He crawled onto the mattress with Lucy Gray, careful not to rub up against her back and cause her more pain. He felt her hand on his chest and cupped it close to him. At least, he could hold her like this tonight.
"This was not how I imagined our first week together," he breathed.
"I know. But we also didn't know you'd be relocated to the Capitol. I thought I was goin' to sing in Two for a while," Lucy Gray admitted.
"Me too. I'll find a way for you to sing here. Pluribus, one of my Grandma'am's old friends, owns a nightclub downtown. He thought you were talented when he heard you sing during the games. I'm sure he'll get you a gig," Coriolanus promised. He had to give her something hopeful to cling to.
"That would be wonderful."