The Roses and Hibiscus Chronicles - Coriolanus Snow

Chapter 24

Snow felt deeply sorry for Julliard; he genuinely liked him, and Julliard had served the palace very well. It wouldn't be easy to replace him. Snow was aware that both Indila and the children held a fondness for Julliard, and it didn't take long for them to notice his absence.

"Babe, have you seen Julliard lately?" Indila asked after two days. "He's in district 3; I had to reassign him and forgot to tell you." She looked upset. "Oh, he didn't say goodbye." "It was urgent; I needed someone I trust." Snow knew she was not happy, but he smiled at her nonetheless. He took care of Julliard as soon as he found out, and tomorrow, after the announcement of the Quarter Quell, he would address the situation with the others.

"Darling, tomorrow we are having dinner with some friends to celebrate the announcement of the Hunger Games. You remember that, right? ndila nodded. "Yes, let me show you the dress I'm wearing." She made her way to the closet and returned holding a black dress, as usual. "You are going to be as gorgeous as always, but here's the thing, please don't drink anything, right?" Indila looked confused; she enjoyed drinking. "Why so?" she asked. "Well..." Snow got up to hug her and whispered in her ear, "Because, I think you are pregnant." She laughed. "Are you mad, Coriolanus? Why would you say that?" He was prepared. "Because you have been looking too beautiful these last few days, just like when you were pregnant with Elana." She blushed and laughed again. "I'm not pregnant, I know for sure, but I guess it wouldn't hurt if you had this feeling. Maybe you are correct." She ran her fingers over her belly, indicating she would heed his advice.

The next day followed its usual routine, with the only difference being the significant event in the evening. Snow had invited all the individuals on his list, including powerful people opposed to him, such as Festus Creed. He had known this guy forever; you can never assume these kinds of things, he thought. Snow ensured that everything was set for the big moment. This night, the Capitol would face a severe flu, resulting in 23 deaths. It was risky but deemed worthy, as he had already taken care of the less important ones.

In the evening, on the way to the balcony, he encountered Indila, who was holding Crassus by the hand while carrying Elana. The kids were excited. "Hi, daddy!" Crassus yelled as soon as he saw Snow. "Hello, little one," he hugged Crassus, who ran over to meet him. "And hello to my little princess," he kissed Elana's forehead. "And for the love of my life," he kissed Indila's lips; she was wearing the red lipstick he liked. Snow took Crassus by the hand, and they all walked to the balcony.

As the door opened, the crowd applauded their arrival. Indila took her place with the kids, once again holding Elana and guiding Crassus with her other hand. She was smiling, and Snow knew she despised the games. She had never watched them, but her supportive demeanor was enough to make it seem like she did.

Once the crowd fell silent, Snow began to read:

"Good evening, esteemed citizens of the glorious nation of Panem.

Before we proceed with the announcement, I would like to remind you of the Treaty of the Treason.

'In penance for their uprising, each district shall offer up a male a female between the ages of 12 and 18 at a public reaping. These tributes shall be delivered to the custody of The Capitol. And then transferred to a public arena where they will fight to the death, until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as The Hunger Games'".

Snow took a pause before continuing.

"When the laws of the Games were laid out, they dictated that every twenty-five years the anniversary would be marked by a Quarter Quell. It would call for a glorified version of the Games to make fresh the memory of those killed by the districts' rebellion."

People seemed to be very surprised as he continued.

"This year, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of The Hunger Games, as a reminder to the rebels that their children were dying because of the choice to initiate violence, every district shall hold an election and vote for the tributes who will represent it."

There was applause, and Snow waited until they hushed again.

"Having said that, I, Coriolanus Snow, the president of this nation, announce that the 25th edition of the Hunger Games has begun. The reaping with the results for this election is taking place in three days. Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

Snow bowed to the people and said goodbye. When he turned back, he could see his family waving goodbye to the crowd as well. The announcement had succeeded, and he felt very proud of the idea of the Quarter Quell. Nobody would have time to rebel against him; they would be too preoccupied trying to protect their children and attacking the children of others. Fortunately, his children would be safe. Snow and Indila put Crassus and Elana to bed, and now it was time to deal with the Capitol rebels.

They headed to the banquet hall. Before opening the door, Snow had to remind Indila of their deal.

"You two look so beautiful this evening," he remarked. She smiled at the ground, saying, "Stop being silly; you're making me believe this." They entered the room, conversed with everybody, and welcomed their guests as the great hosts they were. People were expressing how honored they felt to be there, but Snow knew the truth. It was time to make a toast.

Everybody took their places at the table, and Indila sat by his side. "Follow my lead," he whispered in her ear.

"I'd like to make a toast, to the great success of the 25th edition of The Hunger Games and to the Quarter Quell. I'm pretty sure these games will deliver the best edition that has ever been made," Snow declared. People smiled at him, but it seemed fake.

"And I would like to make one other announcement, perhaps an even bigger one," Snow put his hand on Indila's waist, embracing her. "I'd like to announce that my beautiful and loved wife, Indila, is carrying our third son." People applauded excitedly. "To the Hunger Games and to my child: Cheers!"

Indila didn't drink; he took a sip himself and waited until he heard the first cough to discreetly take the antidote from the pocket of his suit and drink it.

When Indila realized, she screamed in horror. He whispered to her ear one more time, "All these people were planning to kill me, sometimes you have to do what you have to do." She nodded but remained pale throughout the entire way back to their bedroom. She hadn't said a word. Snow was coughing himself; once they got to their room, he took his blazer off and ran to the bathroom to get more of the antidote. His mouth was bleeding, but he was going to be okay.

When Snow returned to the bedroom, he could see Indila taking something out of his blazer pocket. He could not believe his eyes.