"HELLO, MY ROSE," Coriolanus greets.
This is the most luxuriously set up dinner Pearl has ever seen. In all of the time she's been forced to dine with Coriolanus, he's never decorated so elegantly.
The only thing she can smell is the scent of roses, and the candles illuminate Coriolanus's face as he rises from his seat.
She turns to observe everything in the room, and has to admit that it's beautiful. Everything is beautiful here for a second when you forget that you're in the Capitol that is responsible for murdering millions.
"Hi Coryo."
Pearl has become accustomed to pretending.
Without any warning at all, Coriolanus falls down onto his knees. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a shining black box. When it opens, the gleaming of the ring blinds Pearl.
A single Pearl rests in the middle of a gold ring adorned with diamonds around the curve. Pearl feels her heart racing as she takes in the fact that Coriolanus Snow is proposing to her.
A sick smirk rests on his face, knowing that if she says no she might suffer a worse fate than being married to him.
It's a horrible thing to love someone that you absolutely do not want to love. Pearl feels the disgust rising in her chest, while her eyes betray her.
She's admiring the ring and the proposal while also trying to plan her escape. How can she try and use her dagger now?!
Pearl looks at the door, hoping that anyone will walk in and be her saving grace. She is at a loss for words. "Coriolanus..."
"Will you marry me, my rose?"
It can't be a coincidence that he's doing this right before the Hunger Games. Pearl cannot spend the rest of her life being trapped as his bride.
He scoffs. "Do you not love me?"
"I do, it's just..."
Pearl begins to back up, her hand reaching behind her to try and twist the knob. It won't open. How is the door locked when she walked in just fine?
Coriolanus sighs and drops the ring on the table. "I had a feeling you'd do this."
"I give you everything, including the opportunity to be my lovely bride. But you are still stuck on the ideas of rebellion and freedom. You weren't truly free as soon as you entered that arena. And may I remind you, you signed a contract."
Pearl feels so manipulated and confused. She hates him, but he has given her a life in the Capitol. No, he didn't. He killed your family.
"The contract that means you have to marry me."
Coriolanus returns to the dining table and grabs the ring. He stands so close to Pearl that she is physically afraid of removing her back from against the wall.
"I'll ask you again. Will you marry me, Pearl?"
Coriolanus is waiting for an answer impatiently. He might break any second if Pearl doesn't say yes.
Think about this logically, Pearl. Say yes and then escape. If you say no, he could kill you.
Pearl makes the hardest decision ever.
"Yes."
Coriolanus smiles, slipping the pearl ring onto her shaking finger. "Good choice."
It wasn't a good choice. This might be a seal to her life. If Pearl can't finally escape, she'll be bound to him forever. A bride that has no purpose but to fulfill his needs.
"Sit down."
Pearl sits uncomfortably in one of the chairs, rose petals sticking to her dress. She eats in silence until Coriolanus talks to her.
Dont speak unless spoken to.
Pearl isn't sure when to use the dagger, but now might be the right time. If she doesn't act soon, she'll only fall deeper down the rabbit hole.
"Coryo. When's the wedding?" Pearl asks softly, knowing that he likely planned everything himself before she even said yes.
"In three days."
This is why she had to do it tonight. Pearl only has three days until her life is sold.
"You're right, you know."
"Right about what?" Coriolanus questions.
"You have given me a lot."
Coriolanus smiles, and she can see the satisfaction spread across his face. He's so intelligent, yet so blinded by the fuel he gets from others praising him.
He thinks he has Pearl wrapped around his finger and that he's infiltrated her thoughts enough to make her hypnotized. But Pearl knows better.
"I have. I've only ever done everything for you to make you mine and give you the life you deserve."
Pearl is getting ready. She's preparing to do the thing she's always feared doing since one year ago. The dagger feels so right in her hand.
"Yeah, but you've also taken away the only things I ever did love."
The dagger levitates toward his chest. It flies through the air in one swift motion and lands on his skin. It pierces and blood begins to rush down Coriolanus's suit.
His lips part as he looks down at the hole in his suit in disbelief. Pearl knows that she doesn't have much time to escape. Coriolanus is very resilient when it comes to injuries.
"You..."
Pearl was up from her seat. She pulled the dagger out as he winced in pain and then stuck it back in again. "Give me the key to get out."
Coriolanus shook his head, somehow laughing through this. "You think that this will stop anything."
Pearl knows that it will. Coriolanus can't just walk off multiple stab wounds especially with how deep the dagger cut.
She ignored him and reached her hand into his suit pocket that was splattered with crimson. She managed to grasp onto the key, but his hand grabbed hers and squeezed it hard.
Pearl tried to yank her hand away from his grasp, but he kept squeezing it harder and harder until it was her turn to grunt in pain.
"Let go of me. You know you're done for," Pearl spat.
Coriolanus smirks, not even phased by the blood running down his shirt. "I'm never done for, sweetheart. You are the one that is done for."
"You're pathetic," Pearl says.
"What's even more pathetic is your weak attempt to murder me. This won't stop the wedding, it only got you into more trouble. I won't let you get away with trying to kill me this time."
"Let me go," Pearl repeats.
"Why don't you sit down before you make things worse? I'm warning you, Pearl."
"I'm not afraid of you. Not anymore."
Coriolanus kisses her hand, but he isn't gentle. He pulls her hand so hard that the top half of her body is against his chest. Pearl wants to throw up when his blood gets on her dress.
It's soaking through the white material.
"One last warning."
"I hate you so much," Pearl says with so much anger in her words.
"You know that's not true."
Coriolanus kisses her passionately, but Pearl can see in her peripheral vision that he is reaching for the dagger stuck in him. But it's too late.
They now have matching dagger wounds, but Coriolanus's is dug much deeper. Both of them know that Coriolanus is more resilient though. Pearl is crying in agony as Coriolanus holds her against his chest.
The outcome she feared the most is happening. Coriolanus wins just like when she got shot before. Why did she ever think what Mags said was true? Why did she ever think she could leave the Capitol unscathed?
"Now, now. We both know that you can't handle pain, Pearl."
He gets up and picks her up in his arms. Coriolanus is clutching her to his chest as she tries to kick him and free herself.
Coriolanus is carrying her to somewhere she doesn't recognize. It all clicks when she sees a cell.
He put her down and she falls onto the cold ground of the cell. The bars are in front of her and are going to lock with one lock of his key.
His key.
It's in her hand. It must have been ripped out of his pocket with her when he put her down. Pearl smirked. "How exactly do you plan on keeping me in here?"
Coriolanus reaches into his pocket, his face going pale when he realizes that nothing is in there. "Give me it!"
Pearl is standing in the corner of the cell as Coriolanus tries to ambush her. She pulls the dagger out of her chest and points it toward him. Clearly she should have gotten a gun instead.
She screams lowly as the weapon comes out. "Get away from me."
Coriolanus grabs her chin firmly. "One more word out of you, and you're in for a world of pain. I'll kill anyone that you have left. As soon as we're married, you will never leave our quarters again."
"Do you understand me?"
She goes to speak, but his hand covers her mouth and blurs her words. "I don't need to hear you. Nod if you understand me."
Pearl doesn't nod.
"Do you hear me?!"
Pearl nods out of fear. Coriolanus relaxes a bit, and slightly loosens his grip. "Now give me the key, love."
Pearl tries to talk back once again, but Coriolanus surprises her once again by pulling something out of his pant pocket.
A gag that is forced into her mouth so she can't talk. Her cries are muffled as Coriolanus is fighting to open her hand that is clenching onto the key.
Pearl fights him back until he's pushed away. This time the dagger goes in deeper as she pushes it into him. She doesn't stop until he falls onto the mattress in the cell.
Coriolanus attempts to stand up, but Pearl puts him back down with her foot. With her free hand, she rips the gag from her mouth.
"You were right; I do love you. But honestly, you're an awful person. And now, I'm free from you."
Coriolanus is coughing up his own blood. "You won't ever get away. I'll find you sooner or later, and it's better for you to give yourself up now."
Pearl ignores him and locks the cell with the key. Coriolanus climbs up and desperately grabs the bars.
"Pearl, open up this cell right now."
"My rose."
Pearl ignores his words that don't start spilling out. She sees him clutching his bleeding side. The only thing she is focused on is running.
It feels like she has been running for an eternity. Pearl has ran through every Capitol hallway and past everyone. She doesn't care anymore.
Her dress is stained in blood, but no one can catch her now. No guard stands a chance as she flies thought the doors of the Capitol building.
No one on the train would dare to challenge Pearl right now. The adrenaline is running through her veins, and absolutely no one is strong enough to conquer her besides Coriolanus.
Coriolanus is behind bars, and it is a matter of time before he escapes. But by then, Pearl will be long gone and he will never be able to catch her.
The train ride feels quick because she has no burdens. Every other train ride she's been on was for the Capitol, mostly her Victory Tour.
It's dark out, and the train is almost empty. When it stops at District 4, a wave of relief washes over Pearl.
It stops moving, and Pearl is in disbelief as she walks slowly along the pathway lined with sea blue pebbles.
The air smells salty and fresh, and even though the districts aren't the best place, they're home. Pearl hasn't been here in at least six months, but she has honestly lost track of time.
She knows that she doesn't have much time to visit her home, because it's the first place Coriolanus will search.
The only things she grabs in there are the essentials. Some clothes, food, and water all forced together in one small bag.
Then her feet make her take off running again. Pearl doesn't know where she's going, but she's following the current of the water.
She's somewhere that she has never been before. Pearl is surrounded by a wooded area and a large body of water. There's a small cabin, and she's honestly not sure how far she is from the main district.
Hopefully she is somewhere where Coriolanus and the Capitol will never find her.
She takes one look at the pearl ring Coriolanus presented her with just hours ago. There is no reason for her to hold onto this, and there never was. Pearl slips the ring off her finger and throws it into the water. She watches as it sinks further and further just like their relationship.
Of course, she had figured out a way to get rid of her tracker just days ago. Pearl looked down at her wound that was covered in a poor effort of bandaging.
Everything will be ok now. She is free, and her unexplained love for Coriolanus will eventually fade. She will eventually forget him, but never forgive him for everything he did.
Pearl is unshackled and as free as a mockingjay gliding through the air.