Love at Sea (Finnick Odair)

Chapter 8

"Cut," Plutarch huffed.

Taiya fidgeted in her chair as she tried to suppress her grin. "Oh I'm just really nervous," Taiya fluttered her eyes at Plutarch and Coin, "I'll go again, it'll be better."

"I told you we should have cleared Tyler's schedule," Plutarch muttered to Coin.

"We've made enough exceptions for her already," Coin merely shook her head.

"Tay," Finnick came to her side and leaned down to her ear. "The faster you get this done, the faster you can get out of here."

Taiya huffed. "Good point," she grumbled. "Ok, let's go," she nodded, letting Finnick return to his seat.

"Ready," Cressida nodded.

"This is Taiya Ambersnow, victor of the 67th Hunger Games."

"Can we try it again with more gusto?" Plutarch interrupted.

Taiya let out a loud huff in frustration before she turned her glare to him.

"Or do it your way, I trust your vision," he smiled, throwing his hands up in defeat.

"Hi!" Taiya smiled widely before dropping back to her normal face. "I'm Taiya Ambersnow, victor of the 67th Hunger Games. I'm sure most of you know my story from my fiancé, Finnick, he explained some of my history whilst I was being rescued from the Capitol, but now I'm here to tell it in my own words."

Taiya cut herself off, needing to take a few deep breaths to calm down.

"Why don't you tell us a little bit about your family?" Cressida prompted.

"I was the daughter of the mayor of District 4. Caspian Ambersnow was my father. My mother was Azalea Ambersnow. I was extraordinarily lucky. I know that. I know what a lot of people go through in the Districts. I had a very easy life in comparison. Then when I was 14 my best friend Finnick was reaped, he won. A year and a half later, as you will have heard, on his 16th birthday, he was propositioned by President Snow, which I will not be elaborating on. However, he refused President Snow's order and in retribution both of our parents were murdered in a boating 'accident'. He then accepted the order but backed out, and as punishment, I was reaped. My mother's worst fear was me being reaped, I'm glad she didn't have to see that, she wouldn't have coped. She barely coped as it was with the thought of my name in the reaping bowl. My aunt was reaped in the 50th Hunger Games alongside my good friend Haymitch. She died. I was named in her memory, born nearly a year after. In my games, my other best friend Theo volunteered, he wanted to help me. I lost him. He died in my arms. I had to watch his last breath leave his body, feel his heart take its last beat, hear his last words. And that..." Taiya trailed off. "That broke me. And I developed a fear of snow."

Taiya looked over at Plutarch and Coin with a proud smile which they didn't seem to match. She had to distract herself with a joke so she didn't burst into tears.

"You get it? It's a double entendre. I have a fear of snow like the weather and Snow like the President. It's funny."

Plutarch let out a chuckle, but Taiya didn't believe he meant it.

"Tough crowd," she grumbled. "President Snow wanted more power, power over the Games. He wanted to be able to control them. What happens inside the arena is just about the one thing he doesn't have total control over. So he forced me into a sham relationship with someone who ended up becoming one of my dearest friends. Seneca Crane. I loved him dearly. But it also exposed me to Lucius Creed, and he's an ass, we should all hate Lucius Creed. He should be target number one for the rebels. That's Creed, C.R.E.E.D. Anyway, Snow knew Seneca Crane was going to be promoted to Head Gamemaker eventually and he wanted me in his ear manipulating him and telling him what to do. For half of our relationship, Seneca thought the relationship was real, but he stood by me even after he found out the truth about what was going on. Even after he found out I had always been in love with Finnick. Unfortunately, by the time the 74th annual games came around, Seneca had gotten swept away in the showmanship he always envisioned for the Games. I tried to stop him, but he loved the romance of Katniss and Peeta. The ratings were up. He'd grown detached from the realities of the Games and he only saw it as a TV programme. He wanted ratings, he forgot what the Games symbolised. But President Snow never forgot. So Seneca allowed two winners, and Snow murdered him in retaliation. He forced him to eat the same poison berries that Katniss and Peeta had threatened to eat in the arena. He killed him because he lost control over him. He left him to die alone. That's also why Snow killed most of the victors in the Victor Purge two months ago. If he can't control someone, he can't let them live. Whether you're from the Districts or the Capitol. No one is safe. To our dear President, we are no more than puppets for him to control. I refused to marry Seneca, he couldn't control me, and Theo's cousin Annie was reaped, my cousin Shark volunteered and lost his life so I could be taught a lesson. I agreed to some of his terms and as an incentive he made sure there was a District 4 winner that year. Annie. He put me, his puppet back on its strings."