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PLUTARCH was in his element when he began to plan the wedding. Although they agreed to a quick ceremony, he was doing his best to make it Capitol-worthy. He had a lot of negotiations with Coin about it. Due to the President's upbringing in Thirteen, she believed a wedding was simply two people signing a piece of paper and moving into a compartment together. Plutarch, on the other hand, with his standards, wanted a three-day celebration with everyone dressed in their finery.
They eventually came to an agreement. It was decided that they would host a one-day, traditional District Four ceremony. No one in Thirteen had the finery that Plutarch imagine, so they would wear their plain, grey jumpsuits – decorated if they pleased – while Kai and Annie's outfits would be made for them by Effie and Phoenix. Bex's old escort was ecstatic. He never expected to become a stylist in the lost District Thirteen, out of all places. But the course of this rebellion was beginning to surprise them all.
The ceremony was held three days after the decision had been made, right in the center of Thirteen, where they usually congregated for President Coin's speeches. Strings of hand-cut autumn foliage were hung up along the walls and rafters. A large group of the children had cut them out of colorful paper and tied the leaves to tiny lights. They even cut a large oak tree and glued more of their leaves to it, before hanging it up at the altar. It was a dream of autumn.
Bex stood next to Johanna near the front. Phoenix was in the first row, smiling proudly with Effie, while Coin and Plutarch stood to their right. Everyone looked to be in high spirits, just as according to plan. At least every citizen in Thirteen was in attendance, beaming from ear-to-ear. All except Finnick. He was nowhere to be found.
She hadn't even seen him at breakfast this morning. Bex had hoped he'd at least find her in the crowd and stand with her during the ceremony. She understood his absence, though. She had just hoped a little too high. Finnick Odair was still shattered on the inside and prideful, even with her hand to hold.
From the other side of the hall, Cressida and her team had their cameras in hand, capturing every movement. Kai waited at the makeshift altar with Dalton, a refugee from District Ten, who Bex worked with in the kitchens. Dalton was conducting the wedding. District Four ceremonies were, apparently, similar to the ones in Ten. He looked like he'd been doing this for a long time; his long beard matched his bushy brows, entwined with different shades of grey and white.
