Origins of a White Rose: A Hunger Games FanFic

Chapter 15

I attempted to fix Maia's long white dress.

We were supposed to be on camera in seconds.

She almost looked like a bride without a veil.

"Just leave it," Maia said, not unkindly.

One of the hems looked horrid.

I straightened myself up and we entered the garden party. There was a round of applause throughout the backyard of the President.

"Keep your head up," I said, through a clenched smile. She was slouching slightly.

The Capitol was in love with her and I didn't want them notice something like that. She was on a good path if the fashion designing thing worked out. She could earn enough money to live comfortably in the Victor's Village for the rest of her life. But a part of me reminded me that Maia would never settle for a quiet life. Not after she had seen the glitz and the glamour and the fashion of the Capitol.

People came up and congratulated her and began talking to her.

Once I felt save that she could handle herself, I snuck off to the rose garden.

It was only a small section of the massive backyard of the mansion but it was my favorite.

It was a rotunda with thick rose bushes surrounding it. There was only one entrance to it so you were encased in leaves and beautiful red, pink, and my personal favorite, white, roses.

Twinkle lights hung from the top of the rotunda. It was a beautiful and quiet area. You almost couldn't hear the noise of the party.

Cori was waiting inside, wearing a black suit and tie.

"Evening," he said, charming as ever.

I ran straight into his arms and he picked me up, spinning me around like a child. I always forgot how fit he was, his tone muscles hidden away beneath layers of stiff clothing.

"It's been too long," he said, setting me down.

"Before you say anything more," I said, "I wanted to say thank you on behalf of Plutarch Heavensbee."

Cori smiled slightly, nodding.

"Just because he couldn't work here, didn't mean he should have disappeared back in his district."

"Thank you," I said. "I promise he won't be a problem."

"I know," he said. "How was the Victory Tour?"

"It's not over yet but it's been exhausting."

"Hopefully not too exhausting?"

"No," I said, suggestively, putting my head against his suit. We resumed our dance from two weeks ago.

Right step, back step, left step, forward step.

"Good," Cori said.

We danced quietly for a few moments.

"Could I ask you a question?" Cori asked.

"Of course," I laughed.

"Would you marry me?"

"I already told you yes," I said. He stopped dancing and took a step away from me.

"But if I asked you for real," he said, getting down on one knee, "would you say yes?"

His brown eyes stared up at me hopefully.

"Don't you have a ring?" I asked, jokingly.

"I knew I was forgetting something," he said, fumbling around in the pocket of his suit. He opened the ring box. It was a beautiful silver ring with a decent sized diamond. But the size didn't matter.

"Oh yes," I said. "Of course I'll marry you."

He jumped to his feet, kissing me, before slipping the ring on my finger.

It felt odd having unfamiliar weight on my finger. But it was a good kind of odd.

We held hands, staring lovingly into one another's eyes for a few moments.

I was finally getting a happy ending.

For a moment, I thought that everything might truly be right in my little world.

"I feel bad that I don't have anything for you," I said.

He shook his head.

I let go of his hand and walked up to the prettiest white rose in the garden and plucked it off it's stem.

I smelled it; artificially scented but a beautiful smell, none the less. I placed it in the breast pocket of his suit.

"So you won't forget me tonight, Coriolanus Snow," I said.

"I don't believe I'll ever forget you, with or without the rose, Cassia Luxeri," he said.

I do believe he meant it.