peacekeeper•coriolanus snow ✓

𝟎𝟏𝟕. plinth fortune and dead ballads

chapter seventeen
plinth fortune and dead ballads

The next couple of months have been a lot.

Avery can barely recognize Coriolanus anymore. He's become practically become a slave to Doctor Gaul, caring more about his future as the possible president of Panem rather than actual people.

He has told Avery that she is able to stay with him if she obeys all of his and Gaul's rules. Avery had to betray all of her beliefs and morals and pledge her allegiance to the Capitol.

Despite having killed his son, a clueless Strabo Plinth has accepted Coriolanus as his new son and has shared his fortune with the Snow family, which now includes Avery. She isn't officially a Snow, but over the past few months she has learned that she is essentially Coriolanus's property.

He's never said that directly to her, but he's implied it enough. Others have implied it more than him; specifically Gaul.

She calls Avery "Snow's little pet" and it infuriates her yet also makes her blush every single time.

She feels horrible living in all of this elegancy. Avery was also very shocked to learn that the Snows were concealing their money struggle before the Plinths took them in.

Avery was being fed full meals and being dressed elegantly while the people in the districts are starving. She worries more about her sisters and Lucy Gray every day.

Coriolanus's icy blonde hair has grown since his buzz, and he hasn't lost his handsome charm. He walks around as if he owns the Capitol, bathing in his elegance and confidence.

Avery was stuck in a difficult position. She loves Coriolanus, but she's not sure if he's in the right anymore. They've shared more romantic moments, but she still feels as if she's his property rather than his significant other. Nothing's been made official in her mind.

While living in this new fortune, Avery has met the other members of the Snow family. She met Tigris first, Coriolanus's older cousin who is a flawless fashion designer. She has been completely accepting and nothing but kind to Avery.

Then she met Coriolanus's grandmother who Tigris nicknamed, "Grandma'am".

She didn't like Avery very much. She was insulted to find out that Coriolanus brought home a District 12 girl. But she and anyone else who opposed Avery very quickly found out just how protective Coriolanus is of his girl.

Avery is currently alone in the Snows' new penthouse that is covered head to toe in roses. She is just relaxing as much as she can in this cruel world until the door opened.

"Love?" he asked in a stern voice, searching throughout the apartment until he found Avery.

Without saying anything else, he smashed his lips against her passionately. Coriolanus has an interesting and also very pleasurable way of greeting her.

Avery still melts at his touch and at the sound of his voice, and she assumes that's why she fell victim to his manipulation and controlling ways.

She's become a loyal pet to the Capitol, and she has lost the life she had before. Coriolanus is her Sun; she has no one else. And she knew the day she met him in the Hob that there was no going back after looking into his blue eyes.

"Why hello, my beautiful rose," Coriolanus mumbled, stroking Avery's hair.

Avery unconsciously smiled. "Coryo, are we together?" she asked suddenly.

His eyes widened as he chuckled lowly. "Yes. You are mine and only mine, Avery Spade."

These words were the words that made Avery feel butterflies but also the words that made her feel trapped.

She loved to hear this words from Coriolanus because she loved him back in every way possible. Being with Coriolanus also means giving up your own freedom and opinions, and Avery hates that. She loves freedom.

Avery is constantly showered in riches and roses, but she is jailed in the penthouse of the Snows.

He continued to shower her in kisses until she stopped him. "Coriolanus, I want to return to the districts."

His entire expression changed. He was infuriated.

"Wait! Let me explain, I don't want to stay there, I just want to see my sisters-"

Coriolanus put his hand above her on the wall and then did the same with his other hand. He leaned above her, tall in figure and angry at heart.

Coriolanus. Snow. Is. Gorgeous.

"I've given you a life here, Avery. You're willing to throw all of that away just for the districts?"

Before he could continue, Tigris opened the door. Her eyes were wide when they spotted Coriolanus and Avery so close in proximity.

"There's something on the news you might want to see, Coriolanus..."

He nodded as Avery followed behind him. The TV was blasting Capitol news. Avery took a seat in between Tigris and Coryo on the smooth white couch.

"Good evening, I'm Lucretius," he began to speak as he tossed a coin into the air. "-Lucky Flickerman. As the first ever host of the Hunger Games, I bring news that may be surprising to many annual viewers of the Hunger Games."

Avery recognized Flickerman; she remembered seeing him in the interviews for the 10th games. She wondered what news he brought today that were relevant to the games. The next reaping is months and months away.

"All of you may remember Lucy Gray Baird as the victor of the 10th annual Hunger Games." Flickerman chuckled. "She put on quite the performance with her singing."

Why is he bringing up Lucy Gray? The Capitol rarely recognizes district citizens after the games, including the victors.

Coriolanus looked at the screen in annoyance. Doctor Gaul said she was erasing records of these games.

"We have been informed by Mayor Lipp of District 12 that she has passed away."

Avery gasped, tears hitting as soon as the image of Lucy Gray in her rainbow-colored reaping dress appeared on the screen.

Flickerman didn't say how or where she died, he just said his goodbyes and ended the news broadcast. Lucy Gray persevered and fought for her life in those games only to die a few months after.

She was a good friend. Her voice could start a rebellion.

Avery's next thoughts were horrifying. If Lucy Gray was dead, who was taking care of Gretchen and Gwynn? She wanted to defy Coriolanus and go to them. She couldn't let District 12 suffer.

Everything Avery touched seems to turn into ashes. She was breaking down, trying to ignore how optimistic Flickerman seemed to be about the whole situation.

The Capitol doesn't care if she's a victor or not. They don't care about the districts at all. They don't even see Lucy Gray or her as human.

That's why they force children to fight to the death every year.

Avery is so done with the Capitol and everything about it.