Her slumber was filled with disturbing dreams.
When she woke Dawn was breaking through the windows.
The Capitol had a misty, haunted air.
Livia's head ached and she must have bitten into the side of her cheek in the night.
Her tongue probed the ragged flesh and she tasted blood.
Slowly, she drag herself out of bed and into the shower.
She arbitrarily punched buttons on the control board and ended up hopping from foot to foot as alternating jets of icy cold and steaming hot water assaulted her.
Then she was deluged in lemony foam that she had to scrape off with a heavy bristled brush.
Oh, well.
At least her blood was flowing.
When she was dried and moisturized with lotion, she found an outfit had been left for her at the front of the closet.
Tight black pants, a long-sleeved burgundy tunic, and leather shoes.
She put her hair in a messy bun atop her head.
Brutus didn't give them an exact time to meet for breakfast and no one had contacted her, but she was hungry so she headed down to the dining room, hoping there would be food.
She was not disappointed.
While the table was empty, a long board off to the side had been laid with at least twenty dishes.
A young man, an Avox, stood at attention by the spread.
When Livia asked if she could serve herself, he nodded assent.
Livia loaded a plate with eggs, sausages, batter cakes covered in thick orange preserves, slices of pale purple melon.
As she gorged herself, she watched the sun rise over the Capitol.
She had a second plate of hot grain smothered in beef stew.
Finally, she filled a plate with rolls and sat at the table, breaking oil bits and dipping them into hot chocolate, the way Cato did on the train.
Livia's mind wandered to her brothers.
They must be up.
The twins starting their early morning training and Dominic scribbling in a journal before school.
Just two mornings ago, she was home.
Could that be right?
Yes, just two.
And now how empty the house felt, even from a distance.
What did they say last night about her debut at the Games?
Did it give them hope, or simply add to their terror when they saw the reality of twenty-four tributes circled together, knowing only one could live?
Brutus and Enobaria came in joined by Cato. Each bided her a good morning and filled their plates.
Livia grew nervous about the training.
There would be three days in which all the tributes practiced together.
On the last afternoon, they would each get a chance to perform in private before the Gamemakers.
The thought of meeting the other tributes face-to-face made Livia queasy.
She turned the roll she had just taken from the basket over and over in her hands, but her appetite was gone.
When Brutus had finished several platters of stew, he pushed back his plate with a sigh.
"So, let's get down to business. Training. First off, if you like, I'll coach you separately. Decide now." Brutus started.
"Why would you coach us separately?" Livia asked.
"Say if you had a secret skill you might not want the other to know about." Brutus shrugged.
Livia exchanged a look with Cato.
"We know each other's skill." Cato explained.
However confident he'd been with his response, the reality was that she had many- many- hidden skills.
But explaining to Cato that he was wrong was a fight un-worth fighting over.
Livia was aware of Cato's skill- it was something he waved around above everyone else's heads- he was ranked one of the best sword fighters of his class.
"You can coach us together." Livia told Brutus and Cato nodded.
"All right, so give me some idea of what you can do." Brutus started.
Cato went on about his sword training and- on the occasion he let Livia slip in a word- she mention her work with throwing stars.
"One last thing. In public, I want you by each other's side every minute", Brutus started. They both started to object, but Brutus slammed his hand on the table, "Every minute! It's not open for discussion! You agreed to do as I said! You will be together, you will appear amiable to each other. Now get out. Meet Pluto at the elevator before ten for training."
Livia bit her lip and stalked back to her room, making sure Cato could hear the door slam.
She sat on the bed, hating Brutus, hating Cato, hating herself.
It was such a joke- Cato and her going along pretending to be friends.
At some point, they were going to have to knock it off and accept they were bitter adversaries.
Which she was prepared to do right then if it wasn't for Brutus's stupid instruction that they stick together in training.
It was her own fault, she guessed, for telling him he didn't have to coach them separately.
But that didn't mean she wanted to do everything with Cato- who, by the way, clearly didn't want to be partnering up with her, either.
It was almost ten.
Livia cleaned her teeth and smoothed back her hair again.
Anger temporarily blocked out her nervousness about meeting the other tributes, but now she could feel her anxiety rising again.
By the time she met Pluto and Cato at the elevator, she caught herself biting her nails- she stopped at once.
The actual training rooms were below ground level of the building.
With these elevators, the ride was less than a minute.
The doors opened into an enormous gymnasium filled with various weapons and obstacle courses.
They had a cloth square with their district number on pinned to their shirts as they entered.
As soon as they joined the circle, the head trainer, a tall, athletic woman named Atala stepped up and began to explain the training schedule.
Experts in each skill would remain at their stations.
They would be free to travel from area to area as they choose, per their mentor's instructions.
Some of the stations taught survival skills, others fighting techniques.
They were forbidden to engage in any combative exercise with another tribute.
There were assistants on hand if they wanted to practice with a partner.
When Atala began to read down the list of the skill stations, Livia's eyes couldn't help flitting around to the other tributes.
It was the first time they had been assembled, on level ground, in simple clothes.
Her heart sunk.
Almost all of the boys and at least half of the girls were bigger than she was, even though many of the tributes had never been fed properly.
You can see it in their bones, their skin, the hollow look in their eyes.
She may be smaller naturally, but overall her family's resourcefulness had given her an edge in that area.
She stood straight, and while she was thin, she was also strong.
The meat and plants from the woods combined with the exertion it took to get them had given her a healthier body than most of those she saw around her.
The exceptions were the kids from the wealthier parts of the districts, the volunteers, the ones who have been fed and trained throughout their lives for this moment.
The tributes from 1, 4, and- the wealthier part of two- traditionally had this look about them.
These tributes were deemed the Careers.
And more times then not, the winner would be one of them.
Which gave Livia a slight advantage- careers stuck together which would give her exactly what she needed to win.
Trust.
"... and we expect you to be on your best behavior. This is when you can all train to save your lives. Maybe you could all take advantage of that. Now, there are different stations. You must train at whatever station you and your
partner pick. Each station has a
specific skill to train for. You can't stay there all day, though. The limit is 30 minutes per station."
Livia rubbed her temples, watching as Peeta and his brunette companion entered the training area- very late.
"And, after that incredibly long speech, this is where we let you
train."
'Thank god' Livia thought.
"Finally!" Someone cheered.
"Except for District twelve. We need to see you. Andrew, you're next."
The other tributes snickered as they dispersed off to their stations of choice.
Before Livia could even decide where to go Cato was already- gently- dragging her towards the dummies and swords for their first station.
After Cato intimidated the rest of the tributes enough, he finally- out of the kindness of his heart- let Livia choose the next station.
So she picked camouflage.
They ended up at this station with Peeta and his partner.
Cato groaned in boredom, but Livia ignored him.
Peeta genuinely seemed to enjoy this station, swirling a combination of mud and clay and berry juices around on his pale skin, weaving disguises from vines and leaves.
The trainer who ran the camouflage station was full of enthusiasm at his work.
"I decorate cakes." he admitted to Livia.
"Cakes?" She asked.
"In district twelve. My family owns a bakery." He explained.
Livia looked critically at the design on Peeta's arm.
The alternating pattern of light and dark suggested sunlight falling through the leaves in the woods.
His cakes probably looked ethereal compared to the art on his arm.
"It's lovely", Livia muttered, "If only you could frost someone to death."
Peeta chuckled, "Don't be so superior. You can never tell what you'll find in the arena. Say it's actually a gigantic cake."
The pair broke out into laughter and Livia ignored the disapproving glare Cato send her from her peripherals.
The next three days pass with Livia and Cato going quietly from station to station.
They picked up some valuable skills, from starting fires, to knife throwing, to making shelter.
The finished off with the range.
Livia scanned the table of weapons, her fingers stopping as she plucked the discs from the table.
She flicked the star downwards as it sliced down the target. It ricocheted off the ground and rolled.
Livia felt as Cato hovered, his presence obnoxious.
She flicked her wrist sending the disk slicing across the target.
"You missed."
Cato's words were teasing and most likely accompanied by a shit-faced grin.
Livia chuckled, holding the last disk in her hand, "Did I?"
She loaded before chucking the star at the dead center of the target.
With dead accuracy it hit before the entire target crumbled into four equal pieces.
She spun around with her own shit-faced grin, spotting not only Cato watching but Peeta and his partner.
The messy-haired blonde had a smile on his face- and what Livia could swear was a hint of awe.
Her eyes focused from over Cato's shoulder back to Cato.
The look in his eyes was one she had seen often- the look on his eyes was like predator to prey.
As if he was deeming her a fair competitor.
Livia wondered if people cracked under his gaze- if she was supposed to crack.
She didn't. She stared him down with a cold, hard wall of adamant.
And he cracked.
"You might have great accuracy, pipsqueak, but killing a person is not as easy as killing a target." He chuckled.
He spoke to her like a child- downgrading her- and the piece in her brain clicked before she could stop it.
The disk slid from her palm to between her two fingers before it was dangerously close to Cato's neck.
"I'm not your enemy, Distefano- don't make one out of me." He muttered calmly.
Without missing a breath.
"I may be your fiancé, but you do not give me orders." Livia hissed, the word 'fiancé' dripping from her tongue like poison.
It was the first time there had been a label to their situation- the first time she gave it the time of day.
The rest of the training had been tense.
The entire time Livia noticed a little girl, peaking her head out from behind the walk.
She had beautifully natural curls. Her skin was a sweet mocha and her eyes were big and doe-like.
She stood tilted up on her toes with her arms slightly extended to her sides, as if ready to take wing at the slightest sound.
It was impossible not to think of a bird.
She looked so young and Livia's heart-ached at the sight.
All she could picture was her little brother, Dominic. They mustn't have been too far in age.
And neither could tip the scale at seventy pounds soaking wet.
Now that Livia knew she was there, it was hard to ignore the child.
She slipped up and joined them at different stations.
Like Livia, she was clever with plants, climbed swiftly, and had good aim.
She could hit the target every time with a slingshot.
But what was a slingshot against a 220-pound male with a sword?
The Gamemakers appeared early on the first day.
Twenty or so men and women dressed in deep purple robes.
They sat in the elevated stands that surround the gymnasium, sometimes wandering about to watch them, jotting down notes, other times eating at the endless banquet that had been set for them.
Several times Livia had looked up to find one fixated on her.
They consulted with the trainers during the groups meals as well.
They saw them all gathered together when they eventually came back.
Breakfast and dinner were served on the district floor, but at lunch the twenty-four of them ate in a dining room off the gymnasium.
Food was arranged on carts around the room and you served yourself.
The Career Tributes tended to gather rowdily around one table, but Livia quickly found a spot by Peeta's.
One day Peeta emptied the breadbasket and pointed out how they had been careful to include types from the districts along with the refined bread of the Capitol.
The fish-shaped loaf tinted green with seaweed from District 4.
The crescent moon roll dotted with seeds from District 11.
"And there you have it." Peeta spoke, scooping the breads back in the basket.
"You certainly know a lot." Livia huffed.
"Only about bread." He shrugged.
"Who doesn't like bread?" Livia jeered.
Peeta opened his mouth to object, but settled against it.
"That's what I thought." Livia said smugly and they both laughed.
Back on the District 2 floor, Brutus and Enobaria grilled them throughout breakfast and dinner about every moment of the day.
What they did, who watched them, how the other tributes sized up.
Faunus and Vita weren't around, so there was no one to add any sanity to the meals.
Not that Brutus and Pluto were fighting anymore. Instead they seem to be of one mind, determined to whip them into shape.
Full of endless directions about what they should do and not do in training.
Cato was more patient, but Livia became fed up and surly.
On the third day of training, they started to call them out of lunch for private sessions with the Gamemakers.
District by district, first the boy, then the girl tribute.
By that time, Livia was ready to go back to their floor- no matter how silent it was.
Livia had been accustomed to silent dinners- where no one dared talk- but if didn't make them any less torturous.
It was a rare occasion when Livia bumped into anyone on the district 2 floor- the mentors seemed to never be around.
Which meant her and Cato had an entire floor to ignore each other in.
Livia didn't care all that much that she may or may not have pissed her only- somewhat- alley off, and yet as the Games grew closer so did the sick feeling in her stomach.
The next morning the tributes found themselves in a waiting room, waiting to be judged by the Gamemakers.
Livia stared off into space as she slouched on the bench, the room was full of chatter and whispers.
"What's his problem?"
Livia shrugged as Peeta sat beside her.
Cato's eyes occasionally glanced her way- indiscreetly might she add.
"He's pissed because I don't grovel at his feet like the rest of the girls." Livia huffed gesturing towards where Cato stood.
A group a girls huddled around him and giggled with every word he spoke.
"His poor ego." Peeta joked as he leaned her way, knocking their shoulders together.
Livia let the smile creep through her hard adamant.
"Cato Hadley."
Cato sent one last look at Livia before striding into the room for judgement.
"Yeah, well don't be surprised when I'm the first one dead." Livia joked back.
"Don't say that", Peeta snapped, "If anyone is going to win, it'll be you."
Livia looked towards him. Suddenly it took a more serious tone.
"How can you say that? You barely know me." Livia scoffed.
There was a pause of silence where Livia figured he wouldn't speak.
"What can I say? Bakers intuition." He shrugged.
And it was back- the joking demeanor.
"Livia Distefano."
Livia sighed as she pushed herself up from the bench.
"Well Peeta bread, that's my cue." Livia muttered.
"I'll wish you luck, but you won't need it." Peeta assured.
She sent him a appreciative smile and pushed through the doors into the judging room.
It was set up identical to the training, except now there was a box of gamemakers eating and chatting away.
She plucked the disks from the table, heading towards the dummy.
With ease she strikes right at the heart- the disk now lodged into the dummy.
She glanced up at the gamemakers- none payed any attention to what she was doing.
They all laughed like it was a party and ate like Thanksgiving feast.
Suddenly she was furious, that with her life on the line, they didn't even have the decency to pay attention to her.
That she was being upstaged by a dead pig.
Her heart started to pound and she could feel her face burning.
Without thinking, she loaded back.
Within the second, the disk in her hand flew through the air and skewered the apple located in the cooked pig's mouth, before lodging itself and the apple to the wall.
She could hear shouts of alarm as people stumbled back
Everyone stared at her in disbelief.
Now all eyes were on her.
She stood on the complete other end of the room- a throw that far and that precise was shock to most.
"Thank you for your consideration." She said before giving a slight bow and walking straight toward the exit without being dismissed.