Till The Mockingjays Sing

Chapter 3 - The Victor of District 2

(A/N I know a lot happened between the Victory Tour and the Quarter Quell announcement, but I think I might skip a lot of them)

Revenge is sweet? What did that mean? My head was spinning. I watched as Clovis herded Caddie and Carl away. Caddie nodded at Clovis and said something. Clovis said something back, and Carl chipped in. As soon as he did, Clovis and Caddie seemed to get back to a normal not-secret conversation.

"Katniss?" I jumped. I hadn't even noticed Peeta had snuck up on me. He laughed. "Don't sneak up on me like that ever again, you hear me?" I snapped.

Peeta snorted. "Sure. What was that about?"

I tensed and went stiff. "What?" Peeta looked at me, confused. "That conversation with Clovis."

He knew her name? "You know her name? I said, abandoning all attempts to snap.

Peeta looked surprised. "Didn't you?" He asked. I shook my head. "No." He nodded. "Hmmm. You know, she-" he was cut off by Prim.

"Katniss, President Snow." She said. Peeta and I embraced one last time  before our hands lost touch.

President Snow was on the stadium, looking as proud and vain as ever. It was a natural tradition that after the feast, the President shake hands with the victor, and tell he or she how proud they were, how they were all expecting a wonderful mentor, and have more victors from the following District in the future.

When it was a "normal" year, as in having one victor, you just dragged the victor on stage and got on with the ceremony. However, when it came to the seventy-fourth Hunger Games, where there were two victors, you didn't bring them both on stage like the Victory Tour. Instead, since it was a declared rule that the ceremony had to be for each victor individually, one of us would go first while the other last.

So, if you're wondering why I'm going first, like Effie says, "Ladies first." So I go first, then Peeta.

I took a deep breath, and with my beautiful turquoise gown swishing against my ankles, I stepped up on the stadium, and accepted President Snow's hand.

He smiled at me, but I knew that smile. It was fake. I knew it was. Even so, I smiled back, my best, proud, winning smile.

He cleared his throat and the chatter quieted down completely.

"Ladies and gentlemen " he said, his voice ringing over the stadium. "Today we would like to honor one of the victors of the seventy-fourth anual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen!" Great round of applause.

"And so on," he continued. "Here she stands, having the beautiful win of this year's Hunger Games! And there she battles great pain, but all in the end, she survives. She survived for her sister, she survived for her family, she survived for her District, but most of all, she survived for the person who meant most to her in the world! Let us give her an another round of applause!"

I smiled and bowed. The audience were going crazy, whooping and cheering.

"Now, if she wouldn't mind, what about giving us a little spin, princess?" He bent down and gave me a kiss on the cheek. I smiled, acting like I liked it. But honestly, it felt as awkward and strange as dancing with Plutarch Heavensbee. There was something else unnerving too, but I didn't know what.

I smiled graciously and spun around, faster and faster as my dress danced around me, the flames dazzling, the gentle light following me around.

Finally I was too dizzy to continue. The audience were beyond themselves, stamping and cheering.

President Snow smiled. "Thank you, Soldier Everdeen. Now, Mr. Mellark, if you will?"

Peeta nodded and stepped on to the stage. The audience roared again. Peeta bowed and President Snow rambled on and on about how he sacrificed himself for me, how he was brave enough to hand over his life in Cato, Clove, Marvel, and Glimmer's hands.