The Roses and Hibiscus Chronicles - Coriolanus Snow

Chapter 6

Indila was unlike any other woman in the Capitol. She possessed an ethereal beauty, an alluring gaze that Snow had never witnessed before. If one were to describe her, she would appear quite ordinary: long black hair, ivory skin, lush and full lips in a light shade of pink. Unlike most girls there, she wasn't thin, and her curvaceous silhouette was accentuated by the dress she wore. Her eyes were long and big, with even darker lashes. Her nose had a round shape that suited her face perfectly. Somehow, the way all these elements came together in her appearance pleased him, and Snow thought Indila was exotically beautiful. Snow noticed he was staring and quickly snapped back to reality.

"Good afternoon, Mr. President," Indila took a bow and then extended her hand. He shook her hand, finding it a rather unusual way to greet his own fiancée. "Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Coriolanus Snow; you can call me Coriolanus. There's no need for formalities between us." She smiled, which was a good sign. "Julliard, would you let us have a minute, please?" "Of course, sir. Call me if you need anything." Julliard closed the door softly. Indila continued looking at him until he realized he was staring again.

"Here, have a seat." He was behind his desk but thought it would be more appropriate for her to sit by the armchairs in the corner. "May I offer you something? You must be very tired from the trip." She confirmed she was and declined any drink. Okay, he knew exactly what to do; it was planned. Snow realized she was nervous, and that made him feel the same way. So there he was, sitting and staring again when it was time to be speaking.

"Look, I know this is not the most comfortable situation for you. It's not the most comfortable one for me either; I lost my wife three months ago. It's very recent, but it's not traditional here that we wouldn't have a First Lady. It's a very important role for Panem, especially in Capitol society." Indila nodded but said nothing. He kept going. "I want you to feel at home here because this is now your home. So, I thought we could take some time, you know, to go slow and get to know each other. I won't force you into anything you don't want to do, and you are free to go back at any time you like." Indila showed a surprised expression. "What about the deal between Panem and the Trastámara crown?" Snow could see that coming, so he lied. "It's okay; I would never take it back. I don't want you to feel like you were some sort of bargaining chip. You are not! You are a person, and you are a princess. The only thing I can assure you is that I'm treating you right, the way you deserve".

"Okay, I understand that, but you've really piqued my curiosity about the 'taking it slow' part. What exactly do you want me to do?"

"Nothing. I want you to do whatever you like, whatever pleases you. I have some suggestions just for us to spend some time together. I don't want to marry a stranger, and I assume you wouldn't want that either."

Indila pondered this, and every time she thought, her eyes shifted to the left, as if she were checking someone's opinion—someone only she could see.

"I see. So, what are your suggestions?" she asked.

"Well, I think we could have our meals together—maybe not breakfast; I wake up really early because of the Garden. But I could ask Julliard to share my schedule with you, and you could have all the meals you feel comfortable having in my company. Today, for example, at five, I usually spend some time with my son, and then after..."

"You have a son?" Indila interrupted, sounding very annoyed by this information for some reason.

"Yes, I do. His name is Crassus; he is the light of my life, actually. I'm looking forward for you to meet him, but I understand that you would probably want to know me some more first, am I right?" Indila nodded, looking calmer.

"So, I was saying? Yes, I have dinner around 7, and I thought we could spend some more time after dinner. We could do anything you want—I don't know, like watch a movie, take a walk, or just talk. Anything you would feel comfortable doing by my side." Indila was thinking again.

"So, in summary, you want us to date..." No, he thought, but kind of, maybe, apparently yes.

"That's okay," she added, "We could meet after dinner tonight. For now, I'm really tired, and I'm sure you have a lot of work as well."

"I sure do, but I will always have time for you, in case you need anything." Indila thanked him, and he could swear he saw a shy smile after his affirmation.

"So, bye for now, Coriolanus. See you later." She got up, and he did as well. When she started walking to the door, he could smell her perfume—it was so tropical, so different from the roses he liked the most. It was delightful anyway. He opened the door for her, and Julliard had already reached his princess. "Take care of her well, Julliard. See you later." The door closed, and there was more work to be done until Crassus' time, and now there was also an Indila time. This thought sounded crazy in Snow's head, but it was the right thing to do.