‘’ President Snow’s POV:

‘’ So how about after the tribute’s final feast we head back to the condo for some quality time before the Games tomorrow?’’ I ask and Piper nods her head slowly at me – she really does love me.

‘’ Yeah...OK...’’ She replies and I smile as I snap my fingers. As I do, two avoxes rush to us with wine bottles in their hands and refill our glasses.

We sit at a large table at the top of a huge feast room, the place is packed with people; escorts, possible sponsors, Gamemakers, peacekeepers, government officials, avoxes and waiters that are frantically preparing for the feast.

After about ten minutes of small talk with people I really couldn’t care less about, and some drinks with Piper, the doors of the huge room open and the tributes appear. They enter in twos, paired according to the pairs they will be with in the arena, led by Gauze Weaver and Bliss Dixon.

As they enter the room, I stand up and smile. ‘’ Welcome tributes! It is with great pleasure that I greet you here tonight, for your final feast! Please, take a seat – you will notice that your seats are assigned so please sit there. At each table, there are two pairs of tributes, along with your escorts and also some possible sponsors you can impress during the meal. So please sit back, relax and have a wonderful last supper, as tomorrow is a very important day.’’

Lilly Cullen’s POV:

I quickly find my assigned seat – which happens to be with Caspian, Ethan and Ellie – along with the escorts from District Four and Five and a few unfamiliar faces that are obviously the aforementioned sponsors.

‘’ Good evening tributes.’’ Smiles a suited old man with grey hair and a tidily shaved beard and moustache. ‘’ My name is George Dempsey, CEO of Panem’s Peacekeeper Industry, I am one of the sponsors for this year’s Hunger Games. This is my seventeenth year participating and I have seen some talent over the last few years. I have sponsored four successful tributes who went on to win the Games, so tell me...why should I sponsor you?’’

‘’ Well like you’re probably aware of, I achieved a rating of nine in the training among the guys – that’s fourth place. The four of us also are very prepared for the arena, we have a game plan set out and plan on going very, very far.’’ Explains Caspian as the rest of us remain relatively quiet momentarily – unsure of what to say.

‘’ Interesting, what plans have you made?’’ He questions.

‘’ Nice try, but that’s a secret.’’ Replies Caspian and the man chuckles, although he sounds irritated.

‘’ Well how do I know you’re not just saying you have a plan to achieve my sponsorship?’’ Questions the man.

‘’ Well how am I supposed to know you won’t just listen to our game plan and then sponsor another tribute and tell them our strategy?’’ Retorts Caspian and the man laughs again, as do some of the others at the table as food is placed in front of us.

‘’ Touché.’’ He smirks. ‘’ I like you.’’

Very little is said as we eat our starters, leek and potato soup with brown bread and goat’s cheese with champagne in an iced cooler beside the table. Ethan and Ellie whisper a bit during the meal, although I can tell it is because of the other guests at the table as opposed to myself and Caspian.

Echo Sparks’ POV:

I slurp down the soup in large spoonfuls – Osmo and I agreed earlier today that we would stock up on as much food as possible to ensure we have some body weight on us for tomorrow. The sponsor obviously notices, because she giggles as she observes me.

‘’ What?’’ I question defensively, Ravina stare at me hatefully from across the table with Adaline beside her eating as much as me.

‘’ It won’t make a difference you know. It will only slow you down, make it easier for me to kill you tomorrow.’’ She spits venomously.

‘’ We’ll see.’’ I respond and Osmo places his hand on my leg to try calm me down.

‘’ Easy girls.’’ Laughs the sponsor. ‘’ Save this for the arena. Tell me though, why should I sponsor you?’’

‘’ Well, I think-‘’ I begin but Ravina cuts me off.

‘’ Let’s get real. We all know that the only chance of survival lies in which District you came from. Anyone outside District One, Two and Four are unimportant and shouldn’t even be considered for sponsorship, except Min or Gauze perhaps. But these two nerds from Three have a better chance of winning the lottery than they have in winning the Hunger Games. It’s clear, don’t pretend you don’t think so too.’’

The sponsor doesn’t reply to Ravina, instead she looks at me – to see how I will react to this.

‘’ Ravina you talk awfully loud for such a small person.’’ I reply and her face contorts with confusion.

‘’ I’m taller than you?’’ She states.

‘’ It was metaphorical. You let on to be so big and mighty, like you deserve to be here, like you were chosen. You are here because you cheated the career system in your District and you act tough to make up for the insecurities that plague you.’’ I respond and she flushes red with anger.

‘’ Insecurities? What insecurities? I-‘’ She begins but this time I interrupt.

‘’ You cheated the system and you act tough to make up for the fact that you weren’t chosen to come here. You are here because you wrongly put yourself forward to enter the Games.’’ I continue.

‘’ Shut up.’’ She spits.

‘’ I guess what they say is correct, the truth hurts.’’ I respond, Ravina seems to be every girl that has pushed me around my whole life all in one person. I have never in my fifteen years stood up for myself, I guess this outburst is a result of my anger building up.

‘’ Mark my words, I will hunt you down and I will kill you. And your pathetic excuse of a boyfriend too. Or perhaps I will let Adaline do it.’’ She vows angrily and all our eyes fall on the young girl, spooning spoonfuls of the delicious soup into her mouth – oblivious to the conversation around her.

‘’ What?’’ She asks.

‘’ Nothing Adaline, we were just commenting on how nice the soup was.’’ I smile before Ravina frightens the poor girl.

‘’ It’s beautiful, I’ve never tasted anything like it!’’ She beams and I laugh, pretending not to notice the hateful glares from Ravina.

‘’ Don’t mind her, she won’t get the better of us.’’ I whisper to Osmo and he kisses me on the cheek.

‘’ I know. We have each other’s backs.’’ He smiles and I wink at him.

The sponsor obviously notices, because she questions us as she twirls her spoon idly in the remains of her soup, she’s obviously not as starved as us. ‘’ How long have you two been together? The Capitol loves a good love story.’’

‘’ Since coming here.’’ I answer.

‘’ But I’ve had feelings for Echo long before then.’’ Adds Osmo and I blush.

‘’ You two are just too cute.’’ Grins the sponsor as avoxes remove our plates and cutlery and replace them with the main course – chicken encased in palma ham, with dollops of buttery mash on the side with vegetables scattered across the plate. The whole thing is coated in beautiful gravy and the scent is simply mouth-watering. My eyes enlarge as the plate is put before me and I smile spreads across my face.

Bliss Dixon’s POV:

‘’ So Bliss, how are you enjoying the Capitol lifestyle? You like the food?’’ Questions one of the possible sponsors the President mentioned, although I forget her name.

‘’ The food is really nice.’’ I smile, shoving a huge spoonful of mash into my mouth along with a piece of the bacon encased chicken and swallow. ‘’ I love the people too, everyone’s really friendly.’’

‘’ Aw thanks deary.’’ She smiles and squeezes my cheek. ‘’ And why should I sponsor you?’’

‘’ Well because I’m with Gauze and he is awesome.’’ I smile and Gauze pats me on the head.

‘’ Thanks girlo.’’ He grins to me and then turns to the sponsor. ‘’ She has a point.’’

The sponsor bursts into laughter and sticks her thumb up at us. ‘’ You two really are awesome. I think you can expect something from me.’’ She explains with a wink.

‘’ Thank you so much!’’ Gasps Gauze.

‘’ No problem. You both deserve to go very far. I am routing for you.’’ She replies and raises her glass to us with a quick wink.

I glance at Ike and Acacia sitting at our table, they haven’t said a word since we have sat down apart from the general greeting and introduction we each gave when we first sat down. I feel bad for them. Are they too nervous to talk? I am lucky to have Gauze.

Alistair Balentine’s POV:

‘’ So Bruno, have you and Pious got a plan for the arena?’’ Asks the sponsor at our table, a young sandy brown haired man – no older than thirty – with a white tuxedo on.

Earlier on in the meal he explained that his grandfather was the inventor of the Peacekeeper hovercraft used so widely in Panem and this is why he has so much money. He also highlighted the fact that unlike most other sponsors here, he has enough money to sponsor more than one tribute if he wishes to do so.

‘’ Well we definitely plan on running to the cornucopia to get supplies, then we’ll be hunting.’’ Smiles Bruno, his facial expressions somewhat malicious – this boy is as twisted as the people who run this ‘Game’.

‘’ Interesting.’’ Replies the sponsor. ‘’ Any targets you plan on searching for first?’’

Bruno grins and winks at the man. ‘’ Now that’s a secret.’’

‘’ Tell me, why should I sponsor you?’’ He questions Bruno.

‘’ Well I was the highest scoring boy. Unlike Echo, this score isn’t hindered by a crappy partner. Pious here did pretty well, unlike Osmo so I think we have a very good chance. All we are missing is the backing confidence of a sponsor to take us the whole way.’’ Explains Bruno, sounding more intelligent than I’d ever give him credit for.

‘’ Interesting. And what about you Alistair? Why should I sponsor yourself and Arianna?’’ Questions the man in the tux.

‘’ Well both myself and Arianna have proven we are able to fight. Not only did we both achieve high scores in the training, but I’m sure you’ve seen the footage of our attempted escape. Both of us use long ranged weapons and we are both very skilled with them.’’ I begin, despite how cocky I feel as I speak, I urge myself to keep selling us – it is the only way we can have a hope of surviving.

‘’ Oh yes, I saw the clips. All of us did, you are correct. Both of you are very skilled.’’ He explains and I smile.

‘’ Thank you.’’ I beam excitedly. ‘’ Does that mean-‘’

‘’ Although I was part of the team that designed the machines you destroyed.’’ He continues and my face drops. I notice Bruno smirking at me in my peripheral vision but avoid eye contact with him, making sure he can’t get the better of me.

Piper Papillon’s POV:

I sit next to Tiberius quietly as he chugs down another glass of wine as the remains of our dinner is removed and replaced with dessert. A lovely triple scoop tower of ice-cream – a rich, gooey chocolate, a fresh strawberry and finally a luxurious vanilla – with orange peels grated on top of it and showered in a variety of sauces.

I scoop a generous spoonful of the thick chocolate and stick it into my mouth, which erupts in an explosion of flavour. The taste is truly heavenly, nothing like I’ve tasted in all my years in the Capitol, so I can’t imagine how it tastes for the tributes.

‘’ You like it?’’ Chuckles Snow and I nod with another fake smile.

He disgusts me. I spot a smudge of chocolate ice-cream in his beard and fight the urge to vomit. Everything about him is sickening and I get to spend the night with him again tonight.

‘’ Who do you think is going to win the Games?’’ He asks after a few moments.

‘’ Unfortunately, I think Bruno will. But I really don’t want him to.’’ I answer honestly.

‘’ Why not Pip?’’ He asks, I try to hide the shudder caused by him referring to me by a pet name.

‘’ There are other, nicer tributes I’d rather see win.’’ I explain.

‘’ Like?’’ He persists.

‘’ Well Echo and Osmo, Alistair and Arianna, Gauze and Bliss.’’ I begin, listing some tributes that I love that are also clear crowd favourites.

‘’ Firstly, half of the tributes you named are here as punishment. We can’t let them win. It wouldn’t be a good example for the country to follow.’’ He argues.

‘’ I disagree. Everyone loves an underdog. Everyone needs hope.’’ I respond, adamant to change his mind so all the tributes have an equal chance at surviving.

‘’ Well that’s your opinion.’’ He replies to me, then gets to his feet again to address the room. ‘’ Attention guests, I just want to say a good luck to all tributes tomorrow. It is a very important day, which I am sure you are all very much looking forward to.’’

He really is clueless. How could they be excited?

‘’ This time next week, twenty two of you will be dead and we will have our two winners. I am very eager to see how you all perform tomorrow and for the duration of the Games. So please, enjoy the rest of the night and good luck once again!’’

I sigh and pour myself another a glass of wine. Those poor children.