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𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐔𝐃, 𝐎𝐁𝐍𝐎𝐗𝐈𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐏𝐈𝐍𝐆 of the monitor was the only thing she could hear as the young redhead slowly opened her eyes, only to reveal a very dimmed lit medical room. Her head was spinning and pounding like crazy. She felt warm... actually warm for the first time in several days.
Groggy and confused, Sage attempted to raise her arms, but found them bound by restraints. Panic settled within her and a whimper escaped her lips as she flailed around trying to free herself. Immediately, hands were holding down her arms.
"Sage, calm down. Calm down," the soothing voice of her mentor said, causing the redhead to look up, eyes wide and examining him from head to toe just to make sure he was real. He still looked exactly the same, perfect hair and all. Walker gave her a comforting smile. "Hey, there she is. Welcome back."
Sage tried to say something, but her mouth was too dry to form words. Walker instantly sensed this and brought over the cup of water that was waiting for her and let her get a couple sips in. "Here, let's get these restraints off of you."
"That is not your call to make," a new voice said, causing Sage to shoot her head in the direction in panic, only to reveal a woman in a white uniform. Most likely a healer. "That is for the doctor to decide."
"Look at her. Does she still look violent?" Walker snapped, before rolling his eyes when he saw her hesitate. "Then go get the doctor so we can take these off."
The nurse shuffled out of the room quickly. Walker waited until she was out of sight before continuing to take off the restraints. "Don't worry, kid. I'm not going to let them stay on longer than they should."
"W-Why do I have them on?" Sage managed to finally question, feeling relief when her hands were free and watched him as he went for her ankles.
Walker looked up at her nervously. "You don't remember the past two days, do you?"
Two days? Sage repeated in her head before shaking her head slowly. "Barely. I, um... I remember being airlifted out of the arena. I remember being wheeled here but... I think I might be blocking out the rest."
Walker took off the last restraint and moved over to where he had been sitting, pulling the chair closer to her bed. He then stared at her for a several seconds as if he just couldn't believe she was there, before finally finding the courage to speak. "You wouldn't let anyone touch you. You kind of went into a trance-like state. Wouldn't speak, wouldn't eat or drink. And whenever someone tried to examine your injuries, you got violent. Now PTSD isn't uncommon after the games. The workers here are used to it, but their methods to getting you compliant are a bit extreme. They finally had to sedate you to work on you, but they still put restraints on you just to be safe."
Sage processed the information as she lifted her hands. They were wrapped and bandaged around her knuckles and she can see the IV where the morphling was being pumped into her system, which is probably why she didn't feel any pain and was still very groggy. She still felt a bit numb in certain places.
"How bad are the injuries?" She asked after a short time.
"Not as bad as you think. Your nose was broken, but they resetted it though it's bandaged. You have some serious bruising around your neck which is probably why your voice is so scratchy and you have frostbite in both ears and your feet. Um, they had to cut your left pinky toe off, there was no saving it. So learning to balance like you used to is going to be a challenge." Walker paused, reaching out and picking up her hand. "But by some miracle, you protected your hands. You kept the circulation going and always kept them by the fire, so the only thing wrong is you have three broken knuckles on the right hand and surprisingly only a mild case of hypothermia, which has gotten better these past two days."
Sage examined her bandaged hands, an image of Chance's bloodied face flashing through her mind, causing her to close her eyes tightly. She could still feel the phantom sensation of her hand pounding into Chance's face repeated. How she killed Gertie without any hesitation.
Then an image of Lorcan surfaced and Sage quickly brought her hands to her face, slamming her head back into the soft pillow. This is all wrong. She shouldn't still be alive... she was never supposed to make it out of that arena. This was supposed to be Lorcan. Lorcan was supposed to be recovering in this medical bed, having morphling being pumped into his veins while he spoke to his mentor about his injuries. She wasn't supposed to leave that arena breathing... but here she was. Heart still pounding in her chest. Because she failed.
Lorcan is dead and she is alive. How is that fair?
"Sage," Walker's soft voice spoke again, but the redhead refused to remove her hands from her face. "I'm sorry about Lorcan. And I'm sorry... I'm sorry I didn't understand-"
Walker stopped, looking down at the ground. Sage removed her hands and looked over at her mentor, not sure what to say. When Walker looked up, there were fresh tears in his eyes. "I'm just sorry."
"For what?" Sage whispered. "Walker, there was nothing you could have done that would've changed my mind. I didn't want this. I had made my peace with it. I didn't tell anyone. But it was all for nothing because here I am. I failed... I failed him."
Walker shook his head. "You did not fail him."
"I did." Sage insisted, her throat still dry and breaking. "Despite everything he did, I hesitated to kill Chance. It's why I left him when I thought he was unconscious. I didn't want to be the one to kill him. It's my fault Lorcan is dead."
"No, it is not." Walker said sternly. "But I guess it doesn't matter what I say. You are going to blame yourself either way, no matter what I say. It's the price of being a victor. We carry the burden of survivors' guilt and have to live with the blood on our hands."
Sage felt a stab of pain in her chest as she thought about it. Walker squeezed her hand before sitting back. "Oh, I almost forgot." He said, reaching into his back and pulling out a familiar piece of fabric and handing it over to her. "I think this belongs to you."
Sage gently took the item and admired it. It was her dress... the dress Adrian had made for her. The dress her best friend made for her. Sage brought the green dress and inhaled it, holding it close to her chest just like she did the night before she entered the arena.
Walker sighed. "Though I know it isn't what you wanted, I'm really happy you made it out of there Sage. I told you my intuition is rarely wrong."
Sage didn't respond, just held the dress to her and played with the hem. After a minute, she cleared her scratchy throat and looked back at Walker. "What happens now?"
Sighing, Walker leaned back in the chair, prepared for this. "Now, you recover. They'll most likely want to keep you here for a week, just so your injuries can heal more and it will be easier for the prep team to cover up the frostbite and scars. Then, it's the interviews and then you will be crowned by President Snow himself and it will be televised. You are now officially the Capitol's pride and joy. And after the protests and stir you unintentionally caused by your confessions in the arena, you now won over pretty much all of Panem. Then you get to go home."
Home. Sage never thought she'd ever step foot in 9 ever again. Some strange part of her actually misses the damn place, despite most of the containing bad memories.
"Protests?" Sage questioned after realizing what he had said, lifting her head in both surprise and alert. "In what District?"
Walker chuckled humorlessly. "Not the Districts... in the Capitol."
Sage's eyes widened in disbelief and before she could even question him further, the door opened to reveal the doctor and the same woman from earlier. Walker patted her hand gently and gave her a look that said he will explain everything later. He stayed with her through the entire examination, seeing as Sage basically freaked out when they tried to make him leave.
So Sage just layed there, answering the routine questions about how she was feeling and if anything hurt, all while trying her best not to break out into tears. She has cried far too much in the last few days... she needed to get her emotions in check if she is going to survive what's to come.
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"𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐖𝐄'𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐋 been waiting for is finally here. After a dreadfully long but much needed recovery, it is time I present to you all this young lady who has not only shook this nation by her remarkable fighting skills and brilliant mind, but who has also moved us all by her bravery, tragic past and self sacrifice. Not only was this girl willing to give up her life so one of her fellow tributes could make it home, but she so bravely avenged his unfortunate death by taking out the person responsible who she apparently had trusted. Please help me welcome to the stage, our very own progeny and this year's victor, Miss Sage Rowan!"
The cheering was something Sage was not prepared for. She basically went deaf by the screaming and hollering of the Capitol citizens as the curtain opened to reveal her in the position she was told to stand, the spotlight shining down at her just like they had the last time she was on this stage. The Capitol citizens were going absolutely feral, some waving signs that said 'Sage Rowan is our hero' or just simply 'We Love You, Sage'.
Sage put on the same fake smile she had the last time, but this time she was in another dress she admired. This dress was calmer than the last one, not so crazy but still strikingly beautiful. Tatyana had shown her some of her designs that she had made specifically for her in case by some chance she emerged victorious and would need them. Sage loved all of them, every single design her stylist had shown her, but had made one tiny request. She asked for them all to be turned into one particular color.
That is how Sage found herself standing in front of another audience in a stunning ivy butterfly lace dress and light green embroidered straps. It has a corset-style bodice that cinches at the waist and flares out into an A-line silhouette, with a leg slit and mini dress underlayer. Its floor-length skirt is paired with a decorative ribbon belt for a beautiful, feminine finish. That is how Tatyana explained it to her, that is, even if she had no idea what most of it meant.
All she cared about was that it was a very beautiful light green color. That was the only important thing about it.
Caesar Flickerman was by her side with his wide, toothy grin. He extends his hand for her to which Sage accepts, walking with him until they are at the front of the stage where Sage took a tiny bow just like she was told to do. The crowd was still going wild, and Sage did her best to hold her smile on her face even if she felt like throwing up. According to Walker and Bird- who has been oh so pleasant since she waltzed her way into her medical room, insisting on seeing her star pupil- the next few days were very crucial.
After learning exactly what Walker had meant in his notes about stirring things up and the protests, Sage has been trying to process it all. She honestly didn't think people would have such strong feelings about her admitting to being homeless for a year and a half nor did she expect that admitting that she believed her father is from the Capitol was going to cause protests to get her out of the games.
Walker said they weren't so bad to the point the President did anything about them, but she was shocked that some people felt so strongly about it. Apparently, Walker claims it is because the citizens of the Capitol see her as one of their own. If she is the daughter of a Capitol citizen and was forced to participate in the games, what is to stop President Snow from turning on his own people?
It was all absurd, if Sage was being honest with herself. There is no reason for anyone to think that. Walker thinks it will be smart if she tries not to give these people anymore reason to protest. Meaning, she has to avoid topics like being homeless or who her father is or anything to do with her mother. And if those topics are brought up, she is supposed to not make them seem so terrible. Remind everyone how Hyacinth took her in, make it clear she has no idea who her father is as her mother never spoke of him and remind everyone how she wasn't forced to play the games, that she volunteered to save her friend.
Caesar took Sage's hand once again and helped her back to the cushioned chair, Sage taking her seat gracefully, but she felt herself stumbling a little. Her balance from having her pinky toe removed on her left foot wasn't too bad, but she does need to retrain herself to get full control of her balance again. It can make her wobbly at times and she was still limping from the pain, but it isn't as bad as it would have been if it was her big toe that was cut off. She had gotten lucky.
She was almost fully healed, though her ribs were still really sore. Her frostbite was almost gone. Her prep team had done a wonderful job at hiding any of her scars, at least that's what Tatyana claims.
Sage has refused to look into a mirror since she has returned.
As the crowd finally calmed down, Sage brought her focus to Caesar who was looking at her somberly. "I must admit, Sage. This has got to be the most interesting games I have personally seen in all my time of being a host. Tell me, what is going through your mind now that you are out of the arena?"
"Well... for one, I guess I'm just happy to be out of the freezing winter." Sage responded, which caused laughter among the audience, including from Caesar himself.
"I can imagine so. And might I just say you look absolutely wonderful for someone who has spent a little over a week in such harsh conditions. Am I right folks?" Caesar asked, addressing the crowd who all cheered in agreement.
Sage's fake smile never broke. "Thank you, Caesar. I've been well taken care of this past week."
"I'd hope so, you deserve nothing but the best, my dear girl." Caesar said, relaxing back into his chair. "Now, I know I was very upset to hear about your hardships after your mother's untimely departure, rest her soul. You had mentioned you were homeless for a brief period after her death?"
Here we go.
"Um, well, yes I was. It wasn't as bad as you all might think. I'm very resourceful and I managed to get by. How do you think I managed so well in the arena? It worked well to my advantage." Sage repeated what she rehearsed with Bird and Walker about what to say if this was ever brought up. Caesar hummed in agreement, waiting for more, so Sage continued. "Thankfully I was taken in by a wonderful woman named Hyacinth. We were both alone and we took care of each other."
A chorus of 'awes' broke out, and Caesar was once again showing his perfectly white teeth with another wide obnoxious grin. "Well, this Hyacinth sounds like a wonderful woman."
Sage nodded in agreement. "She's the best."
"You are a very lucky girl to have met her," Caesar states, before crossing one leg over the other. "I must say, Sage, you are truly a wonder to us all. And I mean that in a good way. You are incredibly bright. That memory of yours, the way you described it, seems very fascinating. Your freaky brain as you called it."
"Adrian gave it that name." Sage reminded, causing Caesar to chuckle.
"Right. Well, you know, there is a name for someone who has a memory like you do. It's called a photographic memory."
"It's not a photographic memory." Sage immediately dismissed, causing the host to frown in confusion. "I have an eidetic memory."
"What's the difference?"
Sage straightened herself out. "Someone with an eidetic memory can continue to 'see' a certain image in their minds' eye even after the actual image has disappeared. It's there forever. Now someone with a photographic memory may not always 'see' the image, but they can recall its visual details with great accuracy."
"And you can 'see' everything as clear as day?"
Sage nodded. "Yes. It's both a gift and a curse."
"I can imagine so," Caesar mutters. "Why don't you just explain to people that you have an eidetic memory? You never mentioned it in the arena when you were describing it."
The redhead just simply shrugged. "I just prefer saying freaky brain over eidetic memory. It's more fun."
This caused Caesar and the audience to laugh humorously. But if she was being honest with herself, up until the day in the arena, Adrian was the only one who knew about it. Not even her mother knew about it. It was something Sage just kept to herself, not like she had anyone else to tell. Now all of Panem knows... oh how things change in such a short amount of time.
"I think we all prefer 'freaky brain' as well." Caesar said, waiting for the crowd to quiet down before a serious expression fell on his face. "I must say, I have never met anyone like you, Sage. You are truly an extraordinary young lady and your combat skill- wowzah! Truly remarkable. Now, if you don't mind me prying, I have to admit, I've seen tributes give up after a long period of time in the games, but I think this might be the first time we had a volunteer go into the Hunger Games with no intention of actually winning. I have to ask, at what point did you change your mind and decide you were going to fight to save your ally, Lorcan Ellison?"
Sage flinched at the mention of his name. She had been mentally preparing herself for this for days. Even though she expected it, doesn't mean she was ready to talk so freely about Lorcan. But it seems she doesn't have much of a choice. So she brushed her perfectly curled hair back over her shoulder and leaned into the armrest of the cushioned chair. "I guess I should clear that up. Well, Caesar, like I said in the arena, I never planned on making it out of the bloodbath. I only volunteered so I could save my friend who had done so much for me. I didn't really want to win, I didn't see the point. When I saw how Lorcan-"
Sage paused, swallowing the lump in her throat at mentioning his name. "When I saw how Lorcan had volunteered for twin brother, I was moved. But I didn't really decide to change my plans until after the last day of training. I had gotten to know him in those short days and I just felt like... if there was anyone who deserved to win, it was Lorcan. I don't have a whole lot of experience with making friends- but he became mine in such a short amount of time. He should be sitting here with you today, not me."
Caesar reached out and patted her hands that were balled up on her lap. "I know I speak for everyone when I tell you that his death was just simply heartbreaking. There wasn't a dry eye in sight. The way you fought for him, the way you wouldn't give up... I was a blubbering mess. It touched every heart who was watching."
Sage forced a stiff nod, clenching her jaw and staring down at the ground, once again trying not to break down. All she wanted was to curl up in a hole and disappear forever. Now that she is a victor, being ignored like she used to was not going to come as easy as it was. And she doesn't even know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.
"One more question and then we are going to have to wrap things up." With one final pat on her hands, Caesar leaned back and cleared his scratchy throat. Sage finally looked back up at the host and pretended to look interested. "This is honestly just mild curiosity, but when Lorcan confessed to you that he wished the two of you two had more time, that he could possibly fall in love with you if you had more time- do you agree with him? If you two had more time and you had met under different circumstances, do you feel like you two could have been more to each other?"
Sage stared at the man begrudgingly, not expecting that question at all. Why? She doesn't know. Out of all the questions she prepared him to ask, more specifically questions her mother and mystery father, she was not expecting this. She opened her mouth to answer, but hesitated, closing it shut.
"Because if we had more time, if we weren't here, if we had met under different circumstances, I'm pretty sure I would have fallen in love with you. If only we had more time."
Sage sat up and looked directly at Caesar before shrugging her shoulders. "I guess that's something we will never know. Lorcan is dead and we didn't have more time."
"But if you did-" Caesar tried to press, but Sage immediately shut him down.
"Lorcan is dead. We did not meet under different circumstances. We did not have more time. I will not concern myself with questions of 'what if'. This question is irrelevant."
Caesar seemed taken back by her harshness, but nodded nevertheless and smiled again. "Of course, my dear. Forgive me. Ladies and gentleman, please give it up one more time for our wonderful and ever so fabulous, Sage Rowan!"
Sage turned out the cheering and when given the opportunity to leave, she quickly bowed before making a break for it, pushing past Walker and Tatyana who were waiting for her backstage, causing the two to share equally worried looks. Sage didn't care, just went to her dressing room and slammed the door shut behind her.
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𝐁𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐍𝐄𝐃 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐁𝐘 the President of Panem was somehow worse than the interviews. As she stood up by the podium as he made the same speech he does every year before he crowns the victor, Sage felt wrong. Being at the President's podium with some of the most important government people and President Snow himself a few feet away from her, Sage was doing everything in her power not to hurl. Her palms and hairline wouldn't stop sweating and her throat was clogged, no matter how many times she tried to clear it as quietly as she could without drawing attention to herself.
As President Snow grabbed the crown from the velvet red and gold pillow, he walked in front of Sage who did her best to keep her not show any sort of emotion, refusing to look the man directly in the eye as he placed the crown on her head and gave her a sadistically sweet smile.
"Congratulations, my dear." He said in his scruffy tone of voice.
"Thank you." Sage said stiffly, still refusing to meet his eye.
"You are a very impressive young lady. Your mother would have been proud. It's a shame what happened to her. An extraordinary woman, your mother. I guess we know where you get it from." Snow said, to which Sage just nodded nonchalantly, used to hearing all about how her mother would have been so proud if she were still alive. Just goes to show no one knew the real Deirdre Rowan.
Snow then suddenly leaned in, causing Sage to stiffen at his close proximity and the feeling of his breath against her ear was enough to send a chill down her spine. "Your father is very proud of you too. He gives his regards"
Sage flinched back, finally looking at Snow with wide, shocked filled eyes, only to see him smirking cockily as he stepped back, leaving the redhead to stare after him in utter bewilderment.
A million things ran through Sage's mind, but one thing she did know, it meant that the identity of her father was indeed known by the President of Panem, but clearly kept a secret for reasons unknown. President Snow knows who fathered her, but what was the point in admitting it just like he had? Was it some form of scare tactic? How? Was he mocking her? What was the point of even mentioning him?
But it also means something else... her father knew who she was to him. He knows who she is... she can no longer blame ignorance. He knew and chose to not be in her life.
That is when everything moved in a blur. She doesn't even remember how she had gotten on the train or saying goodbye to Tatyana and Bird at the station. She had locked herself in her room and refused to come out since. Not even when Walker tried convincing her to join him for dinner, she just laid in her bed, curled up in a ball in the corner, but she didn't sleep. It was like her body was shutting down again as she hugged the dress Adrian made for her.
Sleep has not been her friend this past week. Everytime she closes her eyes, she is back in the arena, desperately trying to save Lorcan despite it being a lost cause. She saw him everywhere she went. Lorcan Ellison has forever reserved a place inside her. She will forever be reminded of her failure.
Green. It was more than just his favorite color. It reminded him of the garden his mother tends back in District 4, the one he told her during one of the many nights they were curled up together by the fire to keep warm to pass the time.
"Your turn." Sage said after fixing the fire and going back to where they were sitting against a gigantic tree.
"My turn for what?"
"Tell me about yourself. It's only fair, you've pried so much out of me. Tell me about District 4. What was it like to grow up there?"
"Oh, well, since I pried and all," Lorcan says sarcastically, causing the redhead to nudge him softly. Lorcan just chuckled and continued. "We were better off than most. Our home was by the ocean, so Atlas and I would meet up with a few other kids and just go swimming for hours on end to the point our mom would have to drag us out.
"My mom built this garden on the side of our house. Mostly herbs she would sell and pretty flowers she loved to watch grow and attend too. She started it in hopes of giving Atlas something to do, but he didn't like it much. So I joined her, mainly because I just wanted to spend more time with her, but I grew to really enjoy gardening. My mom used to call me her little green helper, but hasn't called me that in years. Maybe because as I got older, I joined my father on the boat more, trying to earn more money. I miss those times."
Sage sighed, trying to imagine the garden. "I bet it's pretty. The garden."
"It is." Lorcan admitted, a look in his eye telling Sage he was imagining it right now. "I just loved the smell and beauty of it. It is what made me fall in love with the color green. Green reminded me of ivy and the stem leaves on flowers. But I also like that greens have so many different shades. They are all lovely."
"I wish I could see it." Sage mumbled. She then thought back to their days in training when Lorcan asked her for her help with the poisonous plants section. She remembers finding it strange that he seemed pretty good at it, but then she realizes he was good at knowing different herbs and plants that were edible or poisonous, he just couldn't read the names on the screen.
"I wish you could too. I think you would love it." Lorcan tells her with a memorable smile.
Green. It was the only color she wanted to wear, as a tribute to him. As a way to feel close to him. Tatyana had agreed, thinking it was a wonderful idea and it would suit her complexion nicely. And until Sage says otherwise, all of her dresses from now on will be made in the color green. Any shade, just like Lorcan liked it.
By the time they arrived at District 9, Walker had to force Sage to take a shower and dress appropriately before she was to face everyone. Sage figured he was ridiculous. There was no way anyone was going to be there to welcome her home. Especially not after what she did to Chance in the arena. Most of her District was probably rooting for Chance in the final battle and hated her for what she had done to him. She is most likely another monster in their eyes just like her mother was. Possibly worse since she had done it to her own District partner and was protecting a complete stranger.
But Sage forced herself up and got dressed. She gripped the dress Adrian made in her hands for comfort and followed Chance out of the train doors and onto the weakened platform. The first thing Sage noticed was the familiar heat. There is nothing like the heat in District 9. It was brutal in the summer, the humidity was a slap in the face.
As she tried to adjust to the blaring sunlight, there were several Peacekeepers all around as they got off and as soon as she moved out from behind them, the cheering erupted. Startled, Sage snapped her head up to see most of the citizens from her District at the train platform, waiting for her arrival. They were all here, just like in the Capitol, they were cheering for her. Actually cheering and celebrating her win. Not booing or throwing things at her, but actually applauding her.
It explained why all the Peacekeepers were around, for protection. There was a camera set up, sent ahead by the Capitol to capture her arrival home.
Sage just stared out into the vibrant crowd, dumbstruck and beyond confused. She was clutching the dress in her hands like her life depended on it, an overwhelming feeling consumed her. She could feel Walker's presence beside her and she knew she should be having a better reaction, she was on camera, she should have the same fake smile plastered on her face, but she couldn't force it this time. She was hollow... empty... broken.
"Sage!" A voice in the distance sounded, but it wasn't until Sage heard her name for the second time that she placed the voice. "Sage!"
Adrian.
Sage searched the crowd frantically and saw the familiar brunette pushing past everyone as she was in the middle of the crowd with her parents. A choked sound escaped her lips, her eyes swelling with tears for the first time since she left the arena.
"Adrian!" Sage called, before jumping off the platform, trying to gain her balance and ignoring the pain in her foot before making a run towards her best friend. Everyone seemed to understand and finally made a path for them and before she knew it, her body collided with one of her best friend's in a suffocating embrace.
Sage cried, holding onto Adrian, terrified that she might disappear. The noise from the crowd was zoned out and all Sage was focused on Adrian, who was also sobbing into the crook of her neck. Sage didn't care that her ribs were screaming in agony or that there were so many witnesses to her being vulnerable. Sage just held the first person who thought she was worthy of a friend as tightly as she could.
"I came home." Sage choked out, exhaling a sharp breath. "I came home."
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𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐒𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐒𝐀𝐓 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐋𝐘 in his pristine chair in the Presidential Office, fingers pressed together in front of him as he watched the projection replaying the footage before him. Witnessing Sage Rowan become victor was definitely a sight to see, but as he watched the girl so hell bent on dying in the arena pound her District partner in the face repeatedly, it was truly remarkable what someone will do for those they care for.
After Sage seems to come out of her trance and pulls away from him, Snow pauses the screen and sets the control down, looking at the man sitting across from him. "That was a very interesting ending, don't you agree?"
The man glared up at the President, anger pouring out of him. "Interesting ending? Are you kidding me?"
"I don't know why you are so upset." Snow stated calmly, taking the remote and changing it to replay her being crowned victor only hours prior. "She won! You should be celebrating. After all the commotion she caused, her dying certainly wasn't going to fly well."
"She was never supposed to be in that arena in the first place!" The man snapped, pushing himself out of the chair to start pacing, running his hand over his face before turning back to Snow. "We had a deal! And I kept my end of it."
"So have I." Snow argued. "Our deal was that I would keep her name out of the Reaping bowl, I have no control on whether she volunteers or not."
"You should have done something." The man spats.
"I did do something. I made sure sponsors took interest in her before she even set foot in that arena. I rigged her score to be a 10 instead of an 8 like Crane originally had given her, though it was clear during her assessment she was holding back hoping for a lower score. Everything besides that was out of my hands."
"Bullshit." The man snapped. "You're the fucking President. You could have come up with some rule preventing her from volunteering."
President Snow leaned forward abruptly. "I don't care who that girl is, she is not worth the attention it would have caused if I were to have prevented her from volunteering. Besides, it seems she is a lot like you then you realize, though she is like an exact replica of her departed mother. A memory like hers... well, you know how much we value such an impressive skill like that."
The man put both hands on his desk and leaned forward. "You already put her through enough. You will not harm her anymore."
"You are in no position to be giving me orders. I should have killed her the moment she started causing a protest outside my home. All because you could not follow a simple order and knocked that wrench up."
"I loved Deirdre." The man argued.
"And you were naive to believe she loved you the same." Snow rebutted.
The man shook his head. "She did love me. You did not know her!"
"Neither did you, if your reaction to Miss Rowan's confession was any indication, however subtle it may have been. It was clear she and her mother did not get along." Snow pointed out, reminding him of when Sage told Lorcan how being the daughter of a legacy wasn't as all sunshine and rainbows. "I told you I would not kill the girl, but I make no apologies for how I chose to handle the mess you created. Because of your ignorance, it has been confirmed that I allowed a possible child of the Capitol into those games and now my own people are starting to question my leadership."
The man tried to get control of his anger, trying to remember who he was talking to. His head shook as he ran a hand over his dark brown hair. After a moment of silence, he turned back to the President. "I don't want her harmed. I know you. I know what you are capable of, especially if a victor is seen as a threat to a possible rebellion."
President Snow stood then, a sadistic grin forming on his thin pale lips. "I would never dream of harming Panem's new Guardian Angel. The public will not have it. But she has some serious damage control to fix. Can't have my own people thinking I'm such a monster, now can I?"
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I'm actually very proud of this chapter guys!
Just to clear some things up because I already know people are going to point this out; yes I got the eidetic memory from The Big Bang Theory. Truth is I didn't know the different between that and a photographic memory until I watched that show. And I always knew I wanted Sage to have the same thing, not a photographic memory, but something much stronger. Imagine going through the Hunger Games and remember every single last detail so vividly?
Also, yes I know Lorcan has the same favorite color as Katniss. No it is not connected, people can have the same favorite colors and green fit the story and idea better for me.
On another note, I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter like I have! Love you all!