Dangerous Charm - THG [2]

07

|SAFRON|

Her skin was red raw after being washed down with hot water, scrubbed twice over, waxed, plucked and scrubbed again. She'd never been so clean in her life and the perfumed scent she was now lathered in was giving her a headache. They'd even healed her scarred hands with a weird smelling paste that was unnervingly purple. Sitting on a metal bed in a dress made of paper to cover her exposed skin as they'd taken her clothes and probably burned them, she waited in dread for the stylist to arrive.

Soon enough the large door opened and a tall pale woman with hair so bright blonde that it was almost white stepped into the clinical room, her neon yellow jumpsuit brightening the room so significantly it was as if she was glowing.

The impossibly high heels on her feet clicked echoing against the granite floors as she approached Knox with a giddy smile, the feathered false eyelashes on her eyes, which matched the colour of her outfit and protruded three inches away from her face, touched her eyebrows when she blinked.

"Hello!" She beamed in a sing-song voice. Knox thought she might do well as an opera singer. "I'm Safron! It is just wonderful to meet you my dear. I believe they said you're Knox? Yes?"

Knox nodded, "Yes. That's me." She confirmed, her flat tone making Safron wince.

"Ooh!" The woman squeaked, "You don't sound very happy." She commented and Knox wasn't sure how to respond to that and bit her tongue instead. Of course she wasn't happy; she was going to die. Safron then smiled as bright as ever, "I'm sure I can fix that. Let's get you all dressed up for the parade."

⚔️

Knox tried her best to hide her expression of bewilderment as Safron stood her in front of a mirror after she'd finished her work but all that Knox could think about was that she looked the most ridiculous she ever had and was about to be on television for the whole of Panem to see. Benson would wet himself with glee when he saw.

"Well," came Roland's voice from the door as he stepped inside of the room, "Don't you look nice."

"I look like a lost a fight with a cow," Knox snarked as she glanced over at him before returning her gaze to the mirror. Her long black hair was hanging down by her ears in two braids with a black cowboy hat on her head that felt much more expensive than the one she owned. She had on a pair of bright white cowboy boots and extremely short cow print shorts that she wasn't confident covered anything and mentally noted not to bend down at any point. Her top half was only covered by a small, black leather waistcoat which was quite tight, showing off way too much cleavage and left her midriff exposed. Her father was bound to have a heart attack. To add to the cow theme was her makeup; black painted lips and white and black cow print on her eyelids with false eyelashes that were startlingly heavy.

"Or won," Roland offered, "Since you're wearing a lot of leather."

Knox sighed while Safron clapped her hands together excitedly, "Doesn't she look fabulous?" She exclaimed and Roland nodded, eyes widening a little at the woman's volume.

"Oh, yeah, definitely."

Roland escorted her out of the dressing room down to the chariots where Lenox was waiting with Enoch. Maxus was nowhere to be seen, lucky, Knox thought. Lenox was wearing an outfit almost identical to her own with the exception of a longer waistcoat and a bullwhip on his belt. The realisation that he looked as ridiculous as she did made her feel a bit better.

"You look...um..." Lenox trailed off, not sure what to say. They both looked terrible.

Knox nodded, "Yeah, you too."

An announcement over the PA system instructed them it was time to mount up and prepare so they climbed up onto the chariot, standing side by side, "Hold hands." Enoch instructed, folding his arms over his chest, "They love that."

"And remember to smile, wave, wink, blow kisses, whatever." Roland added, "Anything that makes them think you are happy to be here. It'll help you get ahead of the others if the crowd thinks you love the games as much as they do."

Knox clenched her jaw and nodded, "Okay."

"Atta girl."

She looked straight ahead as a countdown began and Roland and Enoch walked off without another word. Lenox took her hand, threading his fingers through his, "You ready?" He asked her quietly as the large doors at the front of the line of chariots slowly opened. Knox shook her head, "Nope."

"Neither." He said, "You'll be fine though. You can charm just about anyone."

Knox tsked, "I don't need to be fine." She muttered.

"Knox—" whatever Lenox was about to say, Knox never got to hear it as the chariot jolted beneath their feet and began to move forward. Knox gripped the side of the chariot tightly to keep her balance as she swayed unsteadily but her focus was quickly pulled to the deafening cheers of the crowd once they exited the doors onto a long pathway leading to the front of President Snow's mansion.

Seeing her face be projected onto one of the banners as they passed, Knox forced a smile onto her face, trying to be as convincing as possible that it was a real one. Taking Roland's advice she even winked cheekily at a random caption citizen in the crowd that she accidentally caught eyes with.

Beside her, Lenox waved to the crowd on his side with a fake smile on his face.

As the chariots slowed to a stop in front of the mansion for Snow's speech, Knox could only think about how exhausting the next few weeks were going to be.