VII. Blades Behind Your Back

29th Hunger Games, Day 9

"Do you trust me?" Regal asked

The bluntness of the question sent a wave of doubt through Augusta. Did she? She did not exactly have any reason to distrust her… not until now anyway. Her sudden accusation against their allies was the question she had just been asked. Of course, she heard of the capriciousness that Ones were prone to from Artemis but she had thought Regal had proved herself otherwise. She had thought that Kingsley had as well, yet she was confronting the prospect of his potential betrayal.

Augusta hesitated for a moment. "Yes," she answered.

"Good." she said "It critical that you do."

"So who is the traitor?" Augusta questioned. "Tell me, now so that I gut them like the cowardly rat they are."

"I believe that Fours, are planning to strike us down."

"Freyja and Prosideon?"

Regal nodded.

"Then let us not hesitate. We should strike them down, stop their treacherous deeds before they start bearing fruit!" Augusta spat

"Wait. We should approach the situation with a little more discretion." Regal insisted.

Augusta hissed in frustration. Regal did have a point. Slaying the Fours so suddenly would make her look like the traitor and the children of Two are not traitors. "What did you have in mind?" Augusta asked, trying to conceal her frustration.

"We keep the separate, as much we can. Separate hunts, separate night watches. Leaves them less time for their scheming."

"Wouldn't that not alert them, but suddenly prevent spending time with each other?" Augusta inquired.

Regal smirked. "Not if it applies to all of us."

"Wait, Does Jove know? I mean we are separating into district partners that is…

"Kingsley would have filled him on the details by now," Regal interjected

But was he talking to Prosideon earlier? If the Fours were planning on treachery why he not straight herself or Jove? Unless he was also in it. No that could be right then Regal would also be in on it. If she was she would come to her, just play along and slay the unsuspecting and honourable warriors. But how did Regal come to learn of this plot?

"If you don't mind me asking… how did you…

"Come learn of this plot. I overheard them one night, it bet they thought they were safe with everyone else asleep, but they did account for my restlessness. Did they." Regal interrupted

"Then you went straight to Kingsley," Augusta stated.

"Of course, he is my district partner, would you have not told Jove first?"

She would have told Jove first, that it made sense to confide in the other person who was from home, someone you'd trained alongside for a year before the Games yet she had got the impression that Regal and Kingsley were exactly… close. Quite the opposite in fact, back in training she had recalled some tension between them, some petty squabble between from back in One. Although it was possible that the Games could have changed things, and taught them to put aside such meaningless quarrels.

"I would…" Augusta paused for a moment. "And I suppose that you should would have done the same."

"So the plan gets the Augusta seal of approval, then."

Augusta nodded.

"Excellent," Regal said with a sense of high spirits that put Augusta on edge.

Augusta could feel the tips of blades behind her back she could only hope that she could find out who wielded them before she could see the tips of them through her chest.