Kyra gazed at her reflection, knowing that in mere moments, at least a hundred lenses would be trained on her, capturing her every step in hopes of snapping a picture of the blushing bride.

She stared into the glass, barely recognizing the person staring back. The woman before her was a complete stranger, a facade meticulously crafted for this moment. She attempted to conjure a smile, but the reflection in the mirror responded with a lopsided grimace, a poor facsimile of joy. She had meticulously orchestrated every detail, each decision guiding her to this moment. Yet, an unsettling unease gnawed at her core.

A knock at the door signaled the start of the show. She knew she might not convincingly portray the happy bride, but she was determined to shield her unease behind a flawless façade. As her fingers touched the doorknob, a voice in the back of her mind whispered a desperate plea to turn back, to flee to the safety of home. Yet, her resolve was unshakable. Her determination was as unyielding as ever; she could not abandon her final mission now that success was within reach.

"Let's get you hitched," her father murmured in her ear as they awaited their cue. Though meant as a jest, the term sent a shiver down her spine.

The phrase seemed so crude to her—'getting hitched'—a jarring contrast to the sacredness of the moment. Kyra had always wondered who would use such a stark term for something so profound. But now, as the first notes of the traditional Panem wedding music began to play, she was starting to grasp its underlying meaning.

The grand double doors swung open, revealing an extravagant hall that seemed to stretch endlessly. Rows of impeccably dressed Capitol citizens filled the space, their eyes darting between the future President and his soon-to-be First Lady. The entire room was draped in a sea of white roses, their pristine petals covering every surface like a snowy winter landscape. Scattered throughout the hall, at least a dozen cameras clicked and whirred, capturing every moment.

Her senses were immediately overwhelmed by the spectacle that had become her life, yet she masked her discomfort with practiced grace, stepping forward with her head held high and an air of belonging she did not truly feel. Kyra crossed the room with a few swift strides, though she would have been even quicker if her father hadn’t gently restrained her with a light pull and a smile, likely attributing her haste to youthful enthusiasm.

She scanned the crowd with intense focus as she made her way toward the front. At last, she found what she was searching for—a pair of blue eyes that tracked her every movement. Coriolanus met all her expectations during the ceremony; his gaze was as vacant as the emptiness she felt within. Yet, with a touch of satisfaction, she observed the beads of perspiration forming along the line of his meticulously combed and pomaded hair. It was a small victory to see a crack in his composed façade, a fleeting hint of vulnerability amid his usual air of conceit.

The ceremony unfolds smoothly, as everything her husband planned seems to fall into place effortlessly. And, as Coriolanus slides the cold platinum band onto her finger, her father's earlier expression takes on a new clarity. Her husband's touch feels as detached as a handshake in a business deal, and Kyra comes to the stark realization that, indeed, she is being hitched—like a horse to a cart or a plough.

As the words "man and wife" are spoken, she watches the familiar, proud swell of his chest. Linking his arm through hers, he leads her down the aisle, his broad smile a show for the cameras that encircle them. Outside the hall, where the applause gradually fades into a distant echo, that same voice returns—now laced with bitterness and sarcasm—whispering menacingly in her ear: “May the odds be ever in your favor.”

✶.ᐟ DEDICATIONS! This book is dedicated to everyone who reads my stories and support me! Know that i love and appreciate each and everyone of you! Thank you for making me smile!

✶.ᐟ DISCLAIMER! I do not own the characters or the original plot to TBOSAS or any other book in the Hunger Games trilogy, but I do own my original characters and plot lines.

✶.ᐟ TRIGGER WARNINGS! This story will contain mentions of guns/machinery, war and authoritarian governments, a minor mentions of death. If any of those topics trigger you, please do not read! your well-being comes first! <3

✶.ᐟ NOTES! Hello and welcome to the new and improved version of 'Family Jewels'! It's about time that I give this book a revamp and since it's been getting a bit of attention lately (thank you so much for reading my silly little story <3), I decided to give it some attention.

I just wanted to thank you for 2K views! I haven't updated it in a while (since October -- yikes!) but the fact that people are reading and actually enjoying something I wrote is mind-blowing! The comments warm my heart and I swear I will answer them all soon! I've been hyperfixed on my gif shop, but I plan on updating this book soon!

That's it for now! Thank you so much for reading! Hope you gave a lovely day/night! Hopefully we'll see each other soon.