I wiped my eyes as I hobbled over to where Effie was standing.

“My dear! What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, I’m just a little emotional.”

“Well don’t rub off your make up dear! Clarina!” So I sat for another fifteen minutes while she fixed my eyes, I’m sure they looked fine.

Effie had me climb into a carriage and attempt to stand as I drove down the road between the stands full of my admirers. I waved and smiled as brightly as I could even though I didn’t mean any of it. I acted like I was smitten with the thrill of it all, so absorbed in the attention from all of them.

I just wanted to leave.

We stopped at the bottom of the stairs to the podium and I walked up, albeit clumsily yet still waving, until I reached the top. I stood on my mark and put on a determined face. To my left, President Snow was approaching with a golden tiara. He almost seemed to approach in slow motion, his face with the same expression as always; proud, in control, powerful.

He stopped to stand in front of me. My heart was beating ferociously.

“Congratulations Miss Hanspark.” He said softly, the faint smell of blood drifting towards me from his breath.

“Thank you, I hope I’ve done the Capitol proud.”

“It is safe to say that you have done just that. Once again, congratulations.” I don’t think I would ever be able to trust a man with eyes so cold.

He placed the crown on my head and used his hands to gesture to me for the crowd. They just applauded and cheered, drunk with the excitement of the games.

The rest was a daze; the whole night has been as I look back. I was shepherded out to my prep room where the three members of my team fussed over the crown and how sparkly it was. Maybe not that last part but they were definitely drawn to it like a moth to a flame.

There was a knock on the door and one of the stylists flitted over to answer it, when she saw who it was she didn’t know how to hold herself. Seneca Crane stood in the doorway, his blue eyes sparkling in the bright lights of the prep room.

I stood up to face him, obviously he was here to see me.

“Good evening, Miss Hanspark.”

“Mr Crane, what a pleasure to see you.” I said politely.

“I’m just here to inform you that you will be attending a celebratory gathering tonight, hosted by President Snow. You will, of course, be the guest of honour.”

“I would be delighted.” I smiled warmly, not meaning it at all.

“Excellent, a car will be around to pick you up in about an hour.”

“I look forward to it.” We exchanged pleasantries and he left.

I know he could tell I was being false, but something tells me that he was too. My prep team babbled on around me, thrilled to be in my company. I just want to take some time out, maybe be alone; take a shower. Something tells me that I’ll never be as alone as I’d like, but I volunteered for this.

“Oh my dear we must refresh your make-up!” Claudine gushed as she forced me into a chair.

I didn’t even have time to search for Peeta to apologise again, before I even realised it I was being whisked off to a party hosted by the person I hate the most.

People stared at the car again, pointing and cheering. We reached the homestead, one of the many that are owned by the President, this one was reserved for the many special occasions and celebrations that he holds. I was a large house, immaculate in design and exquisitely decorated, even just walking down the entrance hall I was stunned.

Everything was lined with gold, the walls and floorboards were the best from district 7, a deep mahogany. The smell was rich and it seemed to calm me down, it was enchanting. The furniture was a deep red colour with gold fringing, there were no photos or sign that the house had been lived in, all the bedrooms have been converted to different gathering room. One for the people who liked to sit back with some dark liquor and their cigars, one for a clean conversation and sparkling liquor with a strings band, and the main room holds the large bar and has some classic dancing, there are avox’s walking around with plates of finger foods and high tables with a few stools.

When I entered the main room the guests gave me a modest round of applause, they were all flawlessly dressed in black tie and formal dress. Thank god for Cinna, he had a more formal dress for me once the prep team had re-applied my make-up. It was a black, floor length, one shoulder gown. Very classy.

As I looked around the room the first faces I recognised made my eyes light up.

“Caledon! Margery!” The pair walked over to me from across the room, Margery in a bright pink tight wraparound dress and Caledon in a black suit with a bright purple tie.

I threw my arms around them, not even realising how much I had missed them. Well, I had missed Caledon a hell of a lot, Margery I missed a little less.

“My girl, you did it!” Caledon cupped my face in his hands and kissed my forehead.

“Oh you were just so brave! I can't believe that we are here!” I chuckled a little; she was absolutely thrilled at being a part of the high society’s party.

“I’m so glad to see you, it’s all been a big nightmare really.” I held their arms tightly; glad to see the familiar faces.

“Make sure you mingle, let them know that there’s more than a pretty face here.” Caledon winked.

“I will.”

“We’re off to talk to the head of the higher education institution, it’s so very rare that I get to socialise in the same circles.” Caledon looked so very proud and put an arm around Margery.

“His wife has just started a vintage Old World clothing range, it’s positively marvellous!” I gave a small laugh at her triviality and let them be.

“Well, well, if it isn’t our latest victor!” A man’s booming voice came from behind me and I put on my biggest grin and turned to face him.

I recognised him as one of the game makers, Polonius Templeton. “Mr Templeton, it’s wonderful to see you, at last we meet, I’ve admired your work for years.” I gushed.

He was a reasonably short man, about my height and quite portly. His two chins wobbled as he gave a small chortle.

“Well my girl I don’t suppose you admired it so much this time around!”

I laughed, “Well I wasn’t as appreciative of it as the years before, but I know your handy work when I see it. You can't tell me that you didn’t have a hand in that mudslide.” I said with a hint of flirtation in my voice.

“Oh you know my work too well my dear, but may I ask what compels a beautiful young lady such as yourself to volunteer for such an event?” He pulled an avox over and grabbed two glasses of champagne. I took one from him with no intention of drinking it.

“Well I’ve been watching the games since I was a child, almost taking notes if you will, and one day I just thought, how marvellous would it be if I could volunteer and become a part of it all, really get some glory for the Capitol, and myself of course. Though I have to congratulate you, it was much harder than expected, even with careful studies of the previous games.”

“Well I say you did very well, especially against previous winners of the games. Why, it’s positively remarkable that you made it here today!” I saw him eyeing my dress far too closely and I gave him a sickly sweet smile.

“To be honest I really don’t have a clue how I did get here.” We laughed together and I took the smallest sip possible of my liquor.

I can’t stand the stuff; it’s fouler than anything else I’ve tasted.

“Well I’ll let you get back to circling the room, I expect you have many people to talk to. Congratulations, again.” He toddled off to speak to someone else and I let out a sigh of relief.

I knew many of the other game maker’s names and showed off my knowledge as they came to congratulate me, along with other members of high society, such as the owner of the largest hover craft designing company in Panem, the designers from the top Capitol fashion labels, and the dean of the most prestigious advanced learning facility in the Capitol. I had done my research of course. I knew enough about them to impress and make casual conversation.

When I finally escaped their clutches I had the chance to look around the room, I saw Seneca Crane on the dance floor with a woman I didn’t recognise, he was eyeing me cautiously as they twirled to the symphony playing through the room. I looked away and my eyes finally fell on Peeta, she was so elegant in his black suit and tie, and he looked so confident. He was talking to some of the men from the wealthy businesses, I could see he had some dark liquor in his hand but he seemed as reluctant to drink it as I am.

He didn’t show any signs that he was unhappy, he was laughing and joking and chatting with an air of excitement and thrill. He was so good at hiding himself; I know that underneath he’s feeling everything else.

“I have to say…” the cool crisp voice appeared beside me, a voice I know very well. “I was surprised when I saw the footage of you volunteering, but I never really should have put anything past you. Silly of me really.”

To say that she was beautiful was an understatement. Katia LeRose was what I would call the most beautiful and powerful woman in Panem. She was only a year older than me, we attended the same school, and yet she had control over more of the Capitol than anyone would like to admit. Her grandfather was the man who first started training men as peacekeepers. When her father died three years ago, she was twenty-one; she inherited the company that had been built up from the ground. It was worth millions. She owned the centre where the peace keepers are trained and housed, she is paid to plan the entire learning curriculum and enforce the rules of Panem in the barracks.

She is like an old world army general, she runs the entire thing. She is invited to every high class even, she has feet in every door, fingers in every pie; there isn’t much you can hide from her. She gets what she wants whenever she wants it. The only person she reports to is President Snow, she keeps him informed of everything the peace keepers hear, see, even what happens within the ranks. She recently set up an operation to keep tabs on the streets, bugs and cameras, that made her Snow’s number one informant and so he gives her free reign to do just about whatever she pleases. She is about as untrustworthy as they come.

“Well if anyone were to know me, it would be you.” I gave her an obviously fake smile and she gave an equally uncaring expression.

She is about six foot tall in her heels; she has long brown hair and golden brown skin. Her eyes are always a different colour, contact lenses; I’m not even sure what her real colour is. Tonight they were a sparkling azure and her lips were a rich crimson colour. She was very slim with any and all body fat falling in exactly the right places. Her dress was a navy blue and hugged her figure tightly with a long slit up the side.

“That it would be, and don’t care to forget it.” I have a theory that her eyes are black beneath those contacts, beady black eyes like a snake.

“Oh believe me, I don’t care.” We exchanged cool and collected smiles before she swayed off to find a wealthy man to invest in her latest project, something about personal security.

“Oh my dear!” I turned quickly to see Effie scuffling over to me.

“Yes Effie?”

“Have you heard?”

“I don’t know, you tell me.” I’m not sure what she was so flustered about but she seemed anxious to tell me.

She looked horrified.“They’re sending you to district 12!”