SIXTY ONE

THE WHITE ROSE

Pain. It was all she had felt since the day her name was picked from the Reaping bowl. She had killed so many, their names not known or long forgotten. She had watched people die for her. Had done it all to secure her family a better life. Now her brother, her darling little brother, was gone. His body unrecoverable.

The rebels had stormed the mansion, finally taking the Capitol for themselves. Coin was on her way to claim her new throne. Snow was under constant guard, secured in the glass rose garden in the courtyard below. Katniss was okay, unconscious from the blast. Gale, who had known the plan of District 13, to send in the hovercraft marked as Capitol aircraft, had confined himself fo his own room.

Finnick had been the one to tell Talia of that plan. While in 13, when training in the weapons basement, he had overheard Beetee, Bobby and Gale discussing the plans. He had warned her, had told her of the potential. What Talia was not prepared for was seeing her little brother- so precious, so innocent, so willing to help others- out there, trying to save the lives of Capitol children.

Thats what hurt her the most. They were trying to end the Hunger Games, they were trying to end the murder of innocent children- by killing other innocent children? To Talia, whether they were Capitol children or not, they were children all the same.

Capitol doctors had seen to her when Jamie brought her in, the baby was fine, its heart was racing and it was restless, but it was okay. Jordan had come with Finnick to the mansion, and had stayed with Talia while Finnick underwent re-constructive surgery on his back. He would have scars forever, and he was glad to wear them, but the pain would subside once the surgery was complete.

They were going to be okay. Now all Talia had to do was survive the political chaos that was bound to ensue.

Talia was sitting in her bedroom- one of many inside the mansion- when a knock sounded at the door.

"Come in," She calls, she was staring out at the courtyard, at the frosted glass of the rose garden.

"So, you survived,"

She looks round and see's Commander Paylor standing beside Gwen Baker. Talia stands and immediately walks over. She hadn't seen Gwen since District 13. She had been in a coma when they rescued her from the Capitol training centre, and had been in a coma when Talia had left for the Capitol the second time.

Talia pulls the blind woman into her arms, holding her tightly. "I'm glad you're here,"

"Not for long," Gwen says, "I'm returning to District 9 tomorrow, my sister and my nephews await my return,"

"I'm glad you're going home," Talia says quietly as she pulls back from the hug, "Do you know the status of District 9? Did they do okay through the war?"

"They're on the outskirts, they faced food shortages at first, but then District 10, who borders us, broke down the walls and fences separating us...The grain and livestock got both of the District's through," Gwen explains.

"I'm happy to hear that," Talia says, she looks at Commander Paylor, "Do you bring news for me?"

"Snow has asked for you," She says. Talia's blood runs cold.

"Why?"

"Not sure, he said he would speak to you and only you," Paylor says, "Well, you or Katniss, but she's still out,"

"I see," Talia says, contemplating it, "You know I want to kill him,"

"We all do," Gwen chuckles, "I think you should go,"

"Why? What could it possibly do for me, except antagonise me?" Talia asks.

"The power is yours now," Gwen says, she reaches out a hand and places it on Talia's shoulder, "Face him, make him feel how you once did...How we all did,"

Talia looks at Paylor, who nods her agreement with Gwen's statement. Talia takes Gwen's hand and squeezes, "For the Victors who survived, and for the tributes who didn't,"

The rose garden is cold. The glass doors are closed behind Talia once she's inside and the guards lock it too. Snow was not getting out. Talia had no weapons, though, she would not have killed him here anyway. Panem deserved to see the poisonous snake be killed.

She walks along the brick floor to the centre of the greenhouse. Every rose inside it was white, and they all gave off the overbearing scent that Snow always smelled of. She reaches out her hand, holding a rose in her fingers.

"Ah," The voice sounds. Her fingers judder, slicing on a thorn. Blood drips onto the rose's petals, staining it red. She looks around, hand lowering to her side, he's stood in a robe, his hands clutching a cup of tea. She almost scoffs at the image. How he was nearly at the point of facing his death but was still arrogant enough to be strutting around. She glances back at the blood covered rose and plucks it from its stem.

"Do you remember my dress?" She asks, meeting his eye for the first time.

"Yes," He says, sitting down on the bench just metres from her. How easily she could overpower him and kill him with her bare hands. She could strangle him. She could push her fingers into his eyes. She could stomp on his skull until it smashed, until his brains coated the brick floor. "I recall that your stylist got away with that act of treason. Katniss's wasn't so lucky,"

"The blood roses," She says, throwing the rose in her hand into his lap, "Symbolised how I would one day make you pay. How I would one day make you bleed,"

"Ah yes. I understood correctly then. The Capitol people didn't quite get it. The Districts though, undoubtedly noted your little rebellious symbolism," Snow smirks. He picks the rose up in his fingers, plucking the bloody petals off one by one. "I must say, it was very smart, what District 13 did,"

"I don't agree with the murder of children," Talia says sharply.

"I understand it that you are carrying your own," He gestures to her bump, "And to think once upon a time, Finnick Odair told me you were nothing but another tribute he had to mentor,"

"I was, once," She says, "Just another tribute. Then I was a Victor, then I was a symbol of hope. Now I hope to be nothing more than a wife and a mother,"

"So, no politics for you, Mrs Odair?" He asks.

"As soon as Coin's presidency begins, myself and my family will return to District 4," She says, "And we will never come near this forsaken city again,"

"Ah, Alma Coin...The woman who will take my place...What do you make of her?" Snow asks, he was smiling again, as if he already knew the answer.

"May the odds be ever in her favour," Talia replies, her voice cold and sharp. Snow's smile turns to a grin.

"You would make a brilliant President, Mrs Odair," He remarks, all that remained of the bloody rose was the centre, the petals scattered on the floor surrounding him. "Will it be you, Pearl of Panem or will it be the Mockingjay?"

Talia shrugs, "I think you and I both know that the final blow, no matter who it is delivered by, will change everything,"

They both know they are no longer talking about Snow's death, but Coin's. Talia couldn't fault Snow's intelligence. He was a wicked, evil man who had his own twisted, malicious reasons but he was smart, meticulous and every word he spoke had a thousand meanings.

"I hope you know, I was displeased to learn of your brothers death," Snow says.

"You don't need to lie," She says, "Honesty is what we're both best at,"

He smiles again then, "A tragedy all the same,"

She could kill him, so easily, but she doesn't. She can't. Talia meets his eye, "Goodbye Coriolanus Snow,"

He nods his head once to her, "Goodbye Miss Riverthorn,"

And with that she walked away. Once upon a time, him calling her "Miss Riverthorn" would have struck fear in her heart, would have chilled her to the bone...Now it only served to give her more power, her name meant more now than it ever had before. She would always be known as Talia Riverthorn, the Pearl of Panem, who made the white rose bleed red.

_____________

This book is coming to the end and i just...wow what a journey!!!

i started writing this book in May of 2018, its now May 2021! But before that, this book existed as 3 separate books- Little Bird, Stitches & The Queen (yes, Talia used to be known as The Queen of Panem, rather than the Pearl) which are no longer published, and were re-written as Together.

Together has been 6 years in the making if you count the original books. That is crazy!

Anyway, thank you all for the continued support on this book, whether you're a reader from the original trilogy days, or have been here since 2018, or are here in the last few days- it couldn't have been what it is without you guys, so THANK YOU!

~cupidlies
❤️