The anthem of gemstones and wood

The Ship

Summer arrived in Panem and brought long days and short nights. It was slowly getting warmer and people were spending a lot of time outside. That day, Gilian and Coriolanus were in the stuffy town hall building, attending to their work. Coriolanus had sweat running down his face when she knocked on his door. "The President is in demand." "Let's hear it," he said. “The annual meeting of district mayors will be held in District 4 this year. The official invitation has just arrived." Coriolanus groaned in annoyance. "Do I have to go?" "Yes, you have to. The President is always there." "Are you coming with me?" Gilian rolled his eyes, but smiled. "I'm really your lap dog." He also smiled. "When do we have to leave?" ,,Friday morning. Should Lucy Gray, Tigris and Ivy accompany us?" "Absolutely. It'll definitely be good for them to have some rest. And District 4 is nice." Gilian raised her eyebrow. "Nice?" "Yes, don't you think so?" “Yes, beautiful with the lakes. But that something like that comes out of your mouth..." Coriolanus didn't reply. He never gave the districts a good thumbs up. In Gilian's presence, however, he tried to backtrack, since she also came from District 1. However, his journey through the districts had made him reconsider his opinion. They were greeted with such warmth everywhere, even in the poorer districts. In fact, Gilian looked at the invitation again. "The annual takes place on the mayor's houseboat." Coriolanus nodded. "Then let's hope no one is seasick." Gilian shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know... I've never been on a ship before." ,,Me neither. Be so good and send our promise. Tell them that we take Tirgis, Lucy Gray and Ivy with us." "Very well, Your Majesty," said Gilian with a grin and an ironic bow. She left the office and closed the door behind her.
The working day was largely quiet. Tigris and Ivy were enthusiastic about the idea of coming to the mayor's meeting. Lucy Gray, however, does not. They were worried that things similar to what happened in District 12 could happen. Coriolanus mentioned again that the mayor was dead and that they had a signed letter authorizing their release. Although still a little hesitant, she finally agreed.

Friday arrived quicker than expected. The car picked her up quite early in the morning. The official meeting would take place on Saturday afternoon, there would be a banquet on Friday evening, and everyone would return on Sunday morning. Coriolanus had little interest in this meeting because he didn't know the mayors and didn't want to know them either. The journey to the train station was quiet, as was most of the train journey. Coriolanus and Gilian were discussing important points that could be addressed at one of the corner tables. Lucy Gray and Ivy were playing halma and Tigris was engrossed in a book about fashion. "Can you feel the babies yet, Mommy?" Ivy asked in a whisper. "Not yet, darling," Lucy Gray replied, giggling. "Are you having boys or girls?" "I don't know yet. What do you think?" Ivy shrugged. "I want brother and sister!" she shouted. Lucy Gray giggled. Coriolanus also grinned. Gilian looked at him sideways. "You're enjoying family life, aren't you?" "Yes." "Tell me...did you actually want a second child?" "No...at least it wasn't planned. Why are you asking me something like that?" "Well, it seemed like you were at a distance before the wedding and you suddenly surprised us with such news just a few months later," she explained. He rolled his eyes. "We were drunk. You know that. And besides, we're married. You should remember that in case you storm into our bedroom again." "Oh yes. A trauma that will haunt me for the rest of my life," she said. The two were silent for a while. "Are you planning to stay with Lucy Gray?" "Are you just asking me weird questions today? Yes, as long as I'm alive," he said. “The reports from the districts speak volumes. She is very popular. Everyone hopes that the divide between rich and poor will become smaller," she said with a paper in her hand. "The divide will never become smaller. The districts don't deserve that. Lucy Gray is an exception," he hissed. Gilian looked at him, not knowing how to react. She had hoped he had changed his mind about the districts. "I'm from a district too..." she said, quieter than she intended. "Yes. From District 1. You are very similar to the Capitol, different from those from the other districts. Now, let's not talk about it anymore and talk about the other things." In the hour that followed, Gilian gave himself upmeekly and said little. Coriolanus noticed that he had been a little harsh on her. As she sorted the documents back into a folder, he wanted to take the conversation in a different direction. "What does your name actually mean?" "What?" she asked irritated. ,,Your name. Does it have a meaning?" "Yes...Gilian means something like dedicated to Jupiter...why do you ask?" "Most of the kids in District 1 have luxurious first names, like Glitter or Silver, like your girlfriend. Not you, and neither are the tributes from the last games." "I know. A stupid trend that's getting bigger and bigger. The few people think they have to name their children after what makes our district special. Completely ridiculous." "Well...dedicated to Jupiter is also pretty exaggerated." Gilian chuckled and he joined in. "Admittedly my middle name falls into that category," she said. "You have a middle name?" he asked excitedly. "Yes...Citrina. My mother loved the gemstone. She always had a necklace like that around her neck. My brother's middle name was Onyx. It was the favorite stone my father." "Gilian Citrina and Devon Onyx Hillers...actually not that bad," he said. "No, it's horrible. Please don't call your children like that." He laughed. ,,No."

Friday evening had arrived and the train pulled into the District 4 station. A classy black vintage car was waiting for them and took them to a forest. They passed small lakes where the district's residents fished. The car stopped in front of the forest and the driver announced that he would now take them on foot to the houseboat. It was in a quiet river on the footbridge at the end of the small forest. It looked as comfortable as on the winning tour. The salty sea air mixed with the scent of the forest. A butler in a black suit greeted them and led them up the plank. "The gentlemen are already in the dining room," he said nasally. "Please follow me." They followed him down the hallway, which had white wood paneling on the walls. They stopped in front of a large double door made of dark wood. The butler opened it. "The President of Panem, Coriolanus Snow, accompanied by the presidential family." He stepped aside and let the guests enter. The other guests interrupted their conversations and greeted the newcomers. The mayor of District 4 was the last to receive them. A snobbish man Middle-aged, with a black mustache and slicked-back hair. Coriolanus hated him straight away. "I'm pleased to welcome you." "Thank you," he said and tried to put on a smile. The mayor's gaze fell on Ivy. "Oh, you have your child with you." "Is there a problem?" he asked. "Well...at a dinner party..." "You don't want to disinvite the president's daughter, do you?" he asked lurking. "No. Not at all. Let's get started!" he shouted and clapped his hands. The dinner party was boring. Coriolanus did not want to listen to the mayors' conversations and whispered insults to Gilian about those present. Lucy Gray was visibly uncomfortable and didn't speak much. Ivy behaved in an exemplary manner and answered questions politely and carefully. Those present were impressed and praised the parents. Tigris finally engaged Lucy Gray in conversation. The evening was quickly over and Coriolanus retired to the bedrooms with the others. The rooms were nicely decorated with white furniture and sea blue walls. The journey had exhausted everyone and they quickly fell asleep.

The next day took place in the conference room on the upper deck. The large panoramic windows provided a view of the sparkling sea. Lucy Gray, Tigris, Gilian and Ivy had made themselves comfortable by the large pool. Lucy Gray practiced swimming a little with Ivy and Tigris and Gilian leafed through a fashion magazine. Coriolanus hardly listened to the conversations. The president only had to be present to ensure that no new rebellion arose. It was about the Hunger Games, political decisions and so on. The new mayor of District 12 got into a fight with the mayor of District 1. It took several hours during which Coriolanus tried not to fall asleep. The evening came and after the conference everyone had retreated to their rooms. Coriolanus made his way to the pool. Ivy and Lucy Gray were playing water polo, Tigris was sitting on the edge with his feet in the water, and Gilian was lying on an inflatable mat. When she saw her husband, Lucy Gray stopped and swam to the edge. "Hey, how was it?" He fell to his knees. "Boring. I'll never do that again. Next time someone else will do it." He laughed. "How is the water?" "A dream. You should come in." "Yes, Dad!" Ivy shouted. Coriolanus had a pair of swimming trunks under his pants. He took off everything except these, closem running up and jumped into the pool. Tirgis covered her face with her hands. "Hey, be careful." He swam to her and pulled her into the water. "You better come in." "No!" she shouted and dived into the water. Lucy Gray and Ivy laughed. Tigris took a breath and joined in. Gilian grinned, but had her eyes closed. Coriolanus grabbed a pool noodle from the edge and fed Gilian. He picked it up and hit Gilian several times with the pool noodle. Gilian was startled and fell off the mat. They stayed in the pool until late in the evening. They laughed a lot and played a lot with Ivy. Tired, everyone went to their rooms. Coriolanus and Lucy Gray spent the evening together.