Shades of Gold and Blue | Finnick Odair

One

I watch onto the Avenue of the Tributes as government officials stand around ordering Avoxes where to go and what to do. They're getting the preparations in place for this year's Hunger Games and from what I've heard, the Gamemakers are determined to make it the most exciting Games yet.

The Capitol looks beautiful at this time of year, the snow has stopped falling and the first blossoms on the trees are beginning to bloom. This is the time of year when everything renews again – the baby animals at the zoo, fresh flowers beginning to bloom in the city parks and the preparations for the games.

"What do you think my dear?" I turn my head as my Grandfather walks out behind me, smiling. He places his hands on top of mine on the balcony and looks out over the city, "Are you excited for the Games?"

"Not really," I can feel him look at me but I don't turn, "Don't worry – everyone else is. Melaina hasn't stopped talking about them for the past couple of weeks now that the preparations are starting and Thaddeus and Felix are throwing a party tonight and they'll be betting on which district the victor will be from this year. Everyone is getting their outfits finalised for games week at the minute too."

"But Melaina, Thaddeus and Felix aren't my concern my dear, you are."

I look at him and I feel terrible, the Hunger Games are such a big part of my Grandfather's life. He's been involved in them since he was my age, he's their biggest advocate. "I just can't bear the thought that if things hadn't gone the way they did for me, then I could be the one panicking now thinking about how many times my name would be in and how I would say goodbye to my family. It doesn't feel right that I'm safe and they're not."

He straightens up a little at my response, looks back out at the people below him and it's quiet between us for a minute, "When I was young, I knew a boy very much like yourself. He had been born into the districts, but by chance, moved here to the Capitol. Now this boy thought of himself as district-born despite having lived in the Capitol for most of his life and he destroyed himself fighting for something which was not worth fighting for. It broke his family's heart." He rummages in one of the flower baskets by his head and plucks a white rose - his favourite flower, our family flower. He places it delicately in my white-blonde curls and smiles sweetly, "You wouldn't break my heart would you, Cassiopeia?"

I give him a small smile, "Never." Sometimes I'm left wondering whether I'm talking to Coriolanus Snow my Grandfather, or Coriolanus Snow the President of Panem. I think in this case, it was likely a mix of both. I'm used to that though, he is both of those people in his one self and that's a fact I've known since I was a small child.

I follow him away from the balcony and into the lift where he's waiting with his army of officials and I smile as he offers me his arm. We go down the huge building in the elevator and take the short car journey to The Mansion just around the back of the Tribute Centre – we're having a family gathering tonight, in memory of Grandmother's birthday. There was no great love between my Grandparents, but they respected each other and they loved the family that they made together.

We're some of the last to get there and I'm delighted as I see my Mother and Father standing there waiting for us, I rush over to them and I'm engulfed in their tight embrace.

"I'm so glad you're back!"

My Father kisses my head, "We were only gone a week darling."

"A daughter will always miss her Mother, whether it's a week or a year." She says as she smooths out my hair, admiring the rose that Grandfather placed there.

"We won't tell your Mother that it was me you missed," Father whispers conspiratorially in my ear. I let out a giggle as he gets a tap to the back of his head and we walk off to say my hellos to the rest of my family.