THE GOLDEN AGE, sejanus plinth

001. the reaping

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CHAPTER ONE
THE REAPING
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AURORA CRANE WOKE up to the loud and annoying voice of her cousin Arachne. It was Reaping Day, the beginning of another few days full of remembering of the war and who had won.

Normally, she didn't really mind them, the Hunger Games, she kept trying to ignore them because viewing was only encouraged, not mandatory, but this year she hadn't gotten a chance to avoid them.

"Aurora!" One could think that Arachne was yelling, but it was her normal tone of voice, always louder than everyone else. She opened the door to Aurora's room, still dressed in her nightgown, pure excitement written on her face.

"Today's the day!" She let out with a giant smile and her older cousin buried her head in her pillow. Yeah, today's the day.

It wasn't even dawn yet and Arachne had already too much energy. That was unusual of her.

There was only one more project between her and graduating, only a few more weeks until she would hold her diploma in her hands.

Her cousin still stood in the doorframe, waiting for a more cheerful reaction, but Aurora didn't dare to look at her. Arachne didn't mind to be reminded of the war that had ended ten years ago, she wasn't the one who had lost her parents.

Mentoring a tribute was the project that only the twenty-four best students have been given to. And sadly, the grade dependent on how the mentor presented their tribute to the audience and on how excited the audience was about the Games.

Heavensbee Hall was filled with the chatter of students and faculty and Aurora quickly took a turn to get rid of her cousin. She didn't mind her presence usually, but she hadn't stopped talking on their way to the Academy and all the girl wanted now was a little peace. An Avox near her stopped so she could snatch herself a glass of posca, which she emptied in one go.

She grabbed a new glass and tried to slow down or otherwise it would start to get to her head. Aurora was torn between wanting to get a tribute from the good districts, like One and Two, so she had a chance at winning (because let's be honest, the winning tribute would get the most attention), but she also wanted it to be over as soon as possible.

She didn't need the prize that came with excelling this project, she already had good grades, and her uncle had enough money to pay for Arachne's and her tuition at the university. They had had welcomed her in their home immediately after her parents' death and still cared for her like she was their own.

So she couldn't disappoint them now, she knew how the Cranes thought about the districts, about how they should pay for the war.

And really, was there anything more heartbreaking than disappointing those you loved?

Her second glass was empty now too and she looked around the hall to find another Avox as her eyes landed on Coriolanus Snow and Sejanus Plinth.

Coriolanus was her oldest friend. Not only did he live on the other side of the Corso, right across from her, but their families had been old friends as well. Needless to say that they had attended the funerals for each other's parents.

Sejanus on the other hand... Aurora had exchanged exactly three sentences with him in the past ten years that he's lived in the Capitol now, aside from meaningless school talk while working on projects together. She didn't mind him, unlike her cousin who despised him for simply being a district boy, but Aurora was a loner by choice.

"Aurora," a rather pale Coriolanus greeted her as she walked over to the two, trying to be gracefully. She desperately needed another glass of the drink.