"I can't have you," Finnick whispered, pressing a soft, parting kiss to Rose's forehead, "because you'll always be Snows, not mine."
Rhoswen (Rose) Snow is the daughter of President Snow, who rescued her from a homeless, destitute life in District...
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
Flashes of light and the shuttering of cameras filled Rose's senses. That and the racous voices of the crowd mixing together into a chaotic symphony she couldn't decipher. Capitol press stood stationed outside the palace, microphones in hand, cameras poised on Rose and her family. Waiting for someone to break down and sob or for one of them to shrug and admit they're just kidding, that this is just a joke. But none of that happens.
The Snow family remained ice cold, their expressions that of statues, marblesque. Even little Celestia doesn't cry, at least not openly. She lets her tears drip silently down her cheeks, clutching onto Agrippina who, for once, didn't push her away.
Snow stood on stage with a black leather suitcase, standing before Rose who was dressed in a sleek white dress. Her family wouldn't be coming with her to Four, it was too dangerous. She'd have a batallion-worth of guards to keep her safe, but it'd be too risky and costly to send her entire family. So instead they would be doing a very public goodbye outside the station, before the train which would take her to Four.
In a very graceful manner, he handed the suitcase to Rose who took it and hugged him. He kissed her on the cheek and the crowd outside the train station errupted into applause, the press shoiting their questions over the noise. It was for that reason Rose didn't smell the metallic scent of blood on his lips.
"What if Rhoswen gets reaped?"
"Should Capitol children be put into the games?"
"Will you be putting your other grandchildren in?"
Snow chuckled and raised a hand, both greeting and silencing the crowd with that single gesture.
"Thank you everyone for coming to see my daughter off." He folded his hands together, his voie ringing out amongst the now-silent space. "It's with a heavy heart I send Rhoswen to Four, but I am reassured by the fact that we are doing what is right. I hear your wishes and have taken them to heart. For my daughter is my heart. But while I love her, I also know what the price of war is, and not even we are exempt from it."
Rose sucked in a breath and swallowed down the aching in her throat. She'd see him again. She'd see him and Celestia, and even freaking Aggripina. She wouldn't get reaped. She wouldn't.
"Wish my daughter well. May the odds be ever in her favor." He reached his arms out once more and Rose rigidly stepped into them, aware that there were thousands of eyes on us. People from Four were probably watching, probably rejoicing. "Your name won't be in the bowl, Rhoswen." Snow's lips brushed against the shell of her ear and she went to pull away but his hands held her tighter. "Act as if you don't know. Tell no one. Act normal." With that, he pulled away and Rose forced herself to turn on her heel, keeping her spine ramrod straight as she walked into the sleek train.
She shot her sisters one more look. And regretted it as soon as she did. Celestia's resolve had crumbled and her face had withered into one of raw pain. Agrippina had maintained her facade, but Rose could see the white-knuckled fist she held at her side, and the rigid way she held onto Celestia.
