"She was by far the most beautiful woman in all of Panem,"
⎯ Effie Trinket

The roses came daily. Each perfectly trimmed, petals all symmetrically bloomed and the brightest shade of white she had ever seen on a flower. She stared at them. Twirling her pen in hand she continued to stare at the uncomfortably.

Drusilla would tell you how much she could understand a person by the type of present they would send someone when infatuated with them. It was a common practice when particularly a man from the Capitol of the upper class would send a streaming line of gifts to the person of their infatuation or desire.

There were people like Festus and Felix who had dumped progressively extravagant gifts to women such as jewellery that could cost a year's rent at the finest hotels. Men like them only wanted quick stability and poor rationality.

There were also people like Urban Canville and Florus Friend who sent thoughtful grand gestures; nothing scandalous but enough to make a person swoon. Those were the ones who struggled with hesitation instead of gunning for it. The thoughtful ones, the dreamers held back by compassion and kindness. Rule followers.

But then there was Coriolanus Snow, an overly ambitious man but silent. He sent only roses. Terrifyingly perfect ones. She could tell he was not the wasteful one. No, he made sure everything counted to the last detail.

He paid attention to the most unexpected of things. Things like the size and length of each rose petal or what angle he slices his stems. But she couldn't decide whether his need for perfection was his hubris or greatest weapon. Men like him scared her the most. Whether reading him was her best asset or if she had opened a pandora's box.

Yet how do you control Pandora's box if it keeps coming to you?

Drusilla sighed, picking up the roses before stomping her way to the other side of the room and throwing them in the bin.

There she thought, roses all die eventually. There's no harm in giving them a head start.

Making her way to her desk she begins to hum the same tune she use to hear from district two, the same tune he use to hum every now and then.

I should really visit soon she realises forgetting how long it as been she visited him.

Too long.

⎯⎯⎯

The moment Clemensia announced that she was pregnant to her parents, her and her mother had spared no expense, well at Festus' expense, on celebrating the announcement by renting out the grounds of the Capitol botanical gardens and transformed into well heavens with decorations of white and gold. The fountain rumoured to be spewing twenty-four karat liquid gold.

Originally, Drusilla had found an excuse to skip the pregnancy news celebration but one call from Festus had changed it all.

According to what she could comprehend - from all the panicking and yelling from Clemensia - Festus had invited the Cranes who insisted to invite the Cardews in hopes for an upcoming promotion. He insisted on Drusilla coming to keep her from personally slitting Livia's throat and pushing her into the twenty-four karat liquid fountain.

"—please Drusilla, I beg of you. I need you there. Clemensia has been up my arse recently and I don't think even the servants can cop it anymore either! I've replaced the servant five times in a week" she remembered the call.

"Remember Dru dear, Coriolanus Snow's 'adoptive mother' —"

"Aunt Esme remind me why you're telling me this?" she huffed locking in her peal earrings as two other servants fixed her hair into a loose ponytail woven with plaits and pink roses. The tulle, of baby pink, styled like rose petals flowing down whimsically onto the floor.

"Foolish child! Don't you understand? Coriolanus has already staked his claim—"

"Staked his claim," Drusilla laughed swivelling in her chair as she turned sending the two servants to walk out by a simple look. "My goodness what am I? A piece of meat? I told you before Auntie I have no interest in marrying."

"You don't understand Dru! If you don't marry soon what other reason will you father let you stay before you have to return?!" she cried. "Not even Dr Gaul can sway you from your father!"

Drusilla chose not to say anything. She was right. It wouldn't be long till her father had reason for her to come back. To put her skills into proper use as he told her when she had told him she wanted to teach in the Capitol. She probably would last a year at best. Before her father would be marching into the Capitol and forcing her to return.

She knew her had tried to have her best interests at heart, even if their ideas were far different. Esmerelda knew that someone like Coriolanus, that something about that boy, was far beyond this world could comprehend. Someone that could perhaps might rival her father.

"I better leave now, probably half the guests are already there," she got up in a swift manner. "Is the driver ready?"

"Yes," she said simply. Knowing well that her niece had a way of putting on perfect natural front.

⎯⎯⎯

The moment Drusilla had stepped out of the car, she was met by a small gush of wind billowing the tulle of her skirt in a fantasy-like manner that made her almost faerie like. Others staring at her as their eyes followed her to the entrance; lined by high ranking peacekeepers, both on front and undercover as gardeners or waiters that Drusilla had easily spotted.

Festus must have taken extra measures for Clem's safety Drusilla counted in her head how many she recognised were undercover. She had never seen so many undercover peacekeepers.

"Drusilla! Is that you?" she recognised the voice, whipping her head to her right to see Lysistrata donning a pale lavender silk dress with embroidered purple diamonds and amethysts shaped like flowers, arm intertwined with her husband Hilarius in a matching suit. Drusilla remarking how oddly the colour suited him.

"Oh Lysistrata," she smiled. The two though not meeting as often had gotten relatively close to hold a conversation in the crowd when they crossed paths. Lysistrata had secured a job as secretary officer of education in the ministry and often saw Drusilla when she visited Dr Gaul. "Hilarius," she greeted. "How are you both?"

"Well," Hilarius sighs. "The ministry has been buzzing recently."

" So I've heard," Drusilla chuckles.

"I must say, you look positively lovely!" Lysistrata doted her appearance, thinking she looked like one of those fashion couture models she read as a teenager back in the academy.

"Thank you, lavender looks lovely on you. On both of you," she corrects herself at the end playfully.

"I tend to look good in every colour," Hilarius remarks sending his wife into scoff followed by an eye roll.

"Whatever makes you sleep at night," Lysistrata shakes her head. "We should get going, I heard that Clemensia managed to get the Georgiano Wonks out of retirement." Hilarius leading his wife followed by Drusilla on the left.

"Who?" Hilarius frowns in confusion.

"Darling! He's a really big star chef! He retired just before the war," she slapped his shoulder.

"I heard he makes the best macrons," Drusilla adds.

"Indeed— well Clemensia certainly outdid herself," the three half of them at the steps, taking in the main pavillion's transformation into a heavenly euphoria. Performers dressed like the old world's religious deities and golden statues—, Drusilla was particularly caught off-guard by the almost naked people painted with gold.

"When I heard there was a twenty-four carat liquid fountain I didn't imagine it being that big," she starred awestruck by the ten-tiered fountain.

"Don't be silly Drusilla, this is Clemensia we're talk about it's probably more," Hilarius snickers.

"That's not possible—"

"With Clemensia anything is possible," Lysistrata chuckles as the two of them descend to the middle of the steps and are photographed. Of course there's photographers—, for the Capitol Couture magazine she zeros into the photographers camera type that was only reserved for the Capitol Couture magazine.

"Miss von Tougaard! Look over here!" she snaps out of her thoughts as all eyes were on her from the several photographers huddled on the side bending their bodies in outrageous angles to get the best shot. She begins to walk down slowly gracefully, imitating old videos of her aunt and mother on the runway.

"Give a twirl!" one calls out, Drusilla raising a brow in confusion. The photographer, a skinny pink coloured hair woman, gesturing to the skirt of her gown. Oh she mouths before momentarily planning what she was going to do.

Drusilla does a gentle twist enough for the bottom of her dress to look like cloud of pink, as she takes on hand pretending to fix a hair out of place.

"Beautiful!" she heard and took it as a signal to leave from the satisfying the photographer. Walking into the sea of people dressed in vibrant spring colours.

Thank Panem the vulture hasn't spotted me yet she sighed in relief, strategically finding the most secluded area—, the finger food section.

They look so good her mouth practically waters wishing she had brought her bag with her.

"Those look good," a gentle voice appears. Drusilla turns to her side to see a woman who had matched the tone of her voice adorned in a simple attire of a white summer dress and hat.

"I know, I should have brought my purse," Drusilla jests, the woman chuckling with a warmth that Drusilla had been abandoned of. "I just tried the apple tart—, it reminds me of this bakery in two that I would my beg my governess to get me."

"Oh goodness I knew it wasn't just me! It tastes just like—"

"Godswoon's pastries," the both of the said in unison as their eyes widen.

"You've had them?"

"Of course! I practically wanted to live in that bakery when my father was stationed in two and when my brother was stationed there he would send me some every week. Oh the tarts were so good!" Drusilla rambles like a child.

"I've been trying to replicate there pastry for years! When I was girl I would always buy and split the danishes with my friends," she recalled fondly.

"Oh I was completely obsessed with the croissants! They would just melt in your mouth and had the most crunchiest texture outside—! Oh but I heard the son took over and the recipe for the croissants aren't the same as it use to be," Drusilla sighed. "Pardon me, I'm Drusilla. What was yours?"

"Lucreita Plinth," she shook her hand. Drusilla blinked before recognising the familiar person.

"Mrs Plinth? Ma Plinth it's me, Dru, I was friends with Sej back in two. We stayed at your old house before you moved to the Capitol," Drusilla looked at her. She had barely recognised her. Her eyes looked hollow and filled with some healing sadness and her face had looked tired from perhaps a lack of sleep. She had heard what happened to her old playmate, Sejanus. Hung for treason against the Capitol.

She remembers crying that night. Crying for the friend she hadn't seen in so long and were meant to reunite at his eighteenth birthday party. They had sent emails to one another, attempting to keep in touch. She heard stories about his hard time adjusting to Capitol life and he heard stories of the aftermaths of war in the districts.

Ma Plinth froze, how had she not recognised her? She had grown into such a different woman yet still had the same free-spirited look in her eyes.

"Oh Panem!" Lucretia had pulled her into a tight hug. Drusilla hugged her back too, she could practically hear her governess screaming at her in the back of her head for violating almost five rules of social etiquette.

"Oh my! Oh look at you!" she held her shoulders. "Oh my, you've grown so beautiful!"

"It's so good to see you—! I'm so sorry I haven't kept in touch!"

"No, no it's fine dear—! What are you doing in the Capitol?" she asks.

"I work at the university. I teach honours political warfare," she informs.

"Oh then you must have met Coriolanus then!" she smiles. Drusilla's face freezing.

"Yes, we're actually colleagues; I'm helping out with picking interns for him," she blinks confusingly. How the hell did she know someone like him?

"Oh this is wonderful! He always talks an awful lot about you! I feel ashamed I didn't know it was you! Sejanus always called you Dru so I always assumed that was your name—! Oh Coriolanus!"

Coriolanus dressed for once in a non-red attire had looked like he was god-send in his aristocratic white suits and pants. When Coriolanus had laid eyes on Drusilla he had truely believed he had laid eyes on a princess, the moment she turned her head around he could feel his body go numb and his desires racing in his head.

"My dear Scilla you look absolutely beautiful," he smiled gently kissing the top of her head that had caught her off by surprise, sending him a slight grin before wrapping an around her waist.

What the fuck is this man doing? Drusilla cussed attempting to subtly shake his hand off but was of no use. A dangerous moved he played, she was cornered by the rules of social etiquette. Never show discomfort in front of a mutual person, she could see Ma Plinth practically going ecstatic.

Don't ruin this for her, don't ruin this for her.

"Oh look at you two! Coriolanus darling I had no idea you knew Dru! She was Sejanus' playmate back in two—, oh Sejanus had the biggest crush on you know! He was always so shy!" she rambles. Drusilla could practically feel the eyes staring at her— Can this man stop! She felt him rubbing small circles with his thumb.

"Oh he did?" she chuckled sheepishly slightly nudging him. "I had no idea?"

"Oh well dear I won't keep the two of you waiting from talking to others! Please Dru come over for lunch or dinner some time!"

"Of course, how about next week? Hmm Scilla?" he looks down at her.

"Of course," she grits her teeth with a smile. What are you now, my husband?

"Splendid, well I leave you two lovebirds alone," she chuckles taking her leave.

Gem of Panem can people stop looking? she looks around to see everyone whispering, forfeiting her plans to shake him off.

"Scilla, what's wrong dear?" he quips.

He's staking his claim she hears her aunt in her head. Publicity. A dangerous game played by a dangerous man.

"Nothing, dear," she seethes rolling her eyes. Coriolanus smirks shaking his head, "You should have told me that you were coming, I could have picked you up."

"It was last minute, I'm babysitting Clemmy because Festus invited the Cardews," she informs.

"Ah," he tuts, "well I'll babysit with you."

"I don't need a co-parent," she huffed.

"Shame, I've been a default babysitter to Festus since forever so we are now my dear," he guided her to find Festus.

"You can let go of my waist now," she snapped.

"Oh I'm quite content, my hand is quite comfortable here," he teases.

What is wrong with you?! Get the hint already!

"I'm not interested Coryo," she glares.

"I don't follow."

"what do you want from me?" she stopped turning towards him.

"And what is it that I want from you?"

"I don't know to fuck me or something?" she huffed.

"My darling I will admit I've had my desires for you at times but I don't just want to bed you my sweet rose, I want to court you," he raises her hand and kisses her knuckle. From the corner of her eye she could see Lucky Flickerman dropping his jaw as his trusty photographer sneakily snapped a photo. "I love you."

Her face fell. She hadn't heard those three words in a long time, slowly retracting her hand from his.

What did he want from her exactly?

Did he want a trophy wife out of her? Her father and her wits? Bed her before he got bored? What did he really want? her mind raced trying to search for answer.

"I'm sorry Coriolanus I'm flattered really, but I'm not interested. It's inappropriate as colleagues," she feigns a smile, aware there were still people looking.

"Scilla," he gripped on her waist harder, his tone had scared her. Terrified her.

"Cor—"

Before she could even finish the sentence allowed scream could be heard, followed by a loud crash. Lucky Flickerman racing towards to the scene where he found as Festus' had predicted Clemensia with bloodshot eyes glaring down at Livia whose dress, the very same dress as Clemensia's, soiled by the liquid gold from being pushed by Clemensia.

"You fucking bitch!" Livia screeched.

"Clemmy my sweet dewdrop!" Festus sheepishly smiled, attempting to calm his wife down and trying pull her away from the scene.

"Out of the way Festus! This is your fault!" she jabbed her finger at his chest.

"Of course my beautiful diamond it's my fault! Uh, let's just get security to take her away! We don't want the baby watch their mother sweat over her right?" he reasoned fearing his promotion was going down the drain.

"This baby is going to watch their mother beat up this wench!" she took off her heels and shoved it into her husband's hands as she slapped Livia who only pulled her in by her hair.

"You're baby is going to turn into a freak like you you know? Fucking snake-eyed bitch like their mother!" she yelled clawing at Clemensia's arm.

"You little wench!" Clemensia shrieked as she had now tackled her by the throat as Livia's mother who had screamed had fainted at the sight of the fight.

"Coriolanus help me!" Festus yelled. Before Coriolanus had registered his friend's words he had realised the empty space of his hands with Drusilla nowhere to be seen.

She had escaped in the midst of all the drama.

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hehe... sorry for the late update. Didn't know how I wanted to end this. Also this is the dress cause I don't know what is happening but for me the image I put above doesn't appear.