lia. aquarius. she/her. daughter of aphrodite (i think). seventeen. hufflepuff. straight. multifandom. i hyperfixate too much. kaya scodelarios’s #1 fan. i like to sleep and watch tv. ginny potter, claire biggs, piper mclean and teresa agnes defender 4 life. i have a habit of obsessing over shows so there’s that aswell :)
current 📖:keeping 13
current 📺: one tree hill
🎧: frank ocean, olivia dean, doja cat, daniel caesar, sza!!
fandoms :)
the hunger games,the maze runner,harry potter,mcu,percy jackson,heartstopper,modern family,obx,boys of tommen,tsitp,stranger things,gossip girl,bridgerton,mlwtwb,avatar,teen wolf,lord of the rings!!
watching the pjo fandom constantly undermine piper mclean when realistically she always just wanted to be a normal teenager because funnily enough no it’s not normal being told you have to save the world at 16
here's a lil sneak pic cause i can't contain myself @blissckre12
inspired by the lovely mind of @wishesfromwithin
-
I’ve never been inside the President’s mansion before. Snow graciously lent us his courtyard when we stopped here during the Victory Tour, but I’ve never set foot inside before. I never thought I would either – why would I? I’ve never had a reason to until now.
Two peacekeepers lead me down the glamorous halls decorated with gaudy chandeliers and awful displays of wealth. The walls almost seem dipped in gold, and diamonds wink out at you from every conceivable surface. I hate it.
I keep my head down as we turn down hallway after hallway. I can’t stand to look at it. More wealth is hanging from a portrait on a wall than we make in two years back in District Twelve. Every shadow in every corner haunts me. I picture Rue’s small frame, Prim’s skeletal body, Foxface’s emaciated frame, and me collapsing against that tree the night Peeta threw me the bread.
I suddenly long for Peeta’s warmth beside me. Just his presence is enough to keep me strong, to fight these thoughts and keep them at bay. Peeta and Haymitch both wanted to come with me, but the Peacekeepers were very strict in carrying out their orders.
President Snow wanted to speak with only me.
Eventually, we stop in front of a set of ornate doors. From under them, I can sniff a smell I’ve only smelled a few times before: the awful mix of potent roses and the metallic scent of blood. Although I hate for my senses to be filled with that rotten smell, I take a deep breath to steady myself. I remember Cinna and how he tapped his fingers under his chin when he was getting me ready to launch into the arena. Automatically, I straighten up and raise my chin.
As if on cue, the peacekeepers open the doors, and then I am left facing the familiar face of President Coriolanus Snow.
“Leave us,” he waves two fingers in the air, and the peacekeepers follow his orders, closing the door behind me and leaving me alone with the snake.
His gaze pierces mine, and I swallow down the bile that threatens to come up my throat. As if catching my reaction, his lips turn up at the corners, and I notice that they’re puffier than the last time I saw him, just a few days ago at the City Circle.
I take a look around to buy myself some time. I thought I would be led to an office, but I’m in the greenhouse of the mansion. Roses are planted everywhere, and I notice that it’s only roses. Nothing else. Each plot has a different color, with white being the largest. Hues of blue, purple, red, yellow, and even green surround me. Peeta would love it here. I can almost hear him explaining how to mix the paint to achieve the exact shade of every rose in the room.
It seems Snow runs out of patience because the clearing of his throat draws me back into his gaze. His eyes are cold, unforgiving, but there’s something else there, too. Something I can’t quite make out.
“Forgive me, Miss Everdeen,” he pauses, and his lips twist in a cruel smile. “Or is it Mrs. Mellark now?” He’s testing me, and I refuse to let him win.
“Mrs. Mellark, please,” I answer, though it feels weird on my tongue. Mrs. Mellark is Peeta’s mother, and as much as I hate to be associated with that witch, I hate the thought of Snow getting to me more.
“Very well, Mrs. Mellark, I had hoped we wouldn’t meet again. I’m sure you understand.” He inclines his head towards me, the cruel smile still dancing upon his lips. I understand what he’s not saying. He thought I’d be dead by now.
“Yes, it is entirely too soon for another meeting,” I say, my voice steady despite my racing heartbeat.
“You see, I have a predicament. As you know, the Games not only serve as a reminder of what the Capitol suffered during the Dark Days, but also as entertainment. Without the Games, the Capitol has nothing to look forward to. It seems your…baby announcement has caused quite the stir.”
His eyes drop down to my stomach, and I involuntarily move my hands to cover. If he’s surprised by the movement, he doesn’t let it show. It’s what I used to convince the audience last night, but it seems I didn’t quite convince him. His eyes narrow, and just like Haymitch, I can see the wheels turning in his head.
The silence stretches for a moment too long before I realize that he’s waiting for me to speak.
“It was quite unexpected for the both of us, but it was a welcome surprise,” I say, hoping he can’t pick up on the slight tremble in my tone.
“I thought we had agreed not to lie to each other,” his voice is hard, and I know I have been caught.
My shoulders sag, and I let out a heavy breath. This conversation is much harder than our last one, in a way. At least then, I could tell what he was expecting from me. He wanted me to convince everyone of my love for Peeta, and I had failed. But so many things have happened since then. Peeta and I weren’t as close as we are now, and I was too concerned about doing things the right way when it would’ve gone wrong anyway. Now I know that I have people on my side, that nothing I could have done would ever have tamed the districts. They would have fought with or without me.
“What do you want from me?” I ask dejectedly.
“Now that I have canceled the Games due to your predicament, the country is expecting something else.” He raises his eyebrows at me.
Everything finally clicks into place. His plans for me, the true reason he canceled the Games. He doesn’t just want me, he wants a child. My child.
I want to scream. I want to throw things, and cry, and tell him that he’s wasting his time. I want to tell him that I’m not pregnant, that there is no baby he can rip away from me. I want to claw his eyes out and watch him bleed. I want to kill him.
I can’t do any of that, though. Not without some serious consequences.
“I will be deploying a camera crew to follow you around and film your pregnancy as entertainment for the Capitol.” He breaks me out of my murderous thoughts.
The news settles heavy in my chest. This is the price I have to pay for finding a way out of the Games.
“I see,” my voice sounds strained, even to my ears.
“That shouldn’t be a problem, should it? Mrs. Mellark?” The smirk is evident in his tone. He knows he has me in his grip, there is nothing I can do to get out of this.
“No.” I swallow down the sobs that threaten to escape. “How much time do I have to prepare?”
He nods approvingly at the question, though his approval means nothing to me.
“You have one month.”
I let out a breath. It’s not ideal, but it’s more time than I thought I’d have.
The conversation must be over, because Snow starts moving past me to walk out. As he passes me, he stops, and my heart stops with him. He leans in close to my ear and it takes everything in me to stay still and not flinch away. He delivers one final blow.
“And as soon as they are able, they will be reaped.”
It’s only when the doors slam behind him that I allow myself to crumble.
@apathetic-fangirl has done such an amazing job with this idea and turned it into something so so good…i hope u guys enjoy this little sneak peek and i can’t wait for the full story 🤭
thank u so much again for bringing this vision to life it’s amazing :)
@starlightbelle i remembered to tag for once lmao ;)
