Incense Vasquez, 17, Victor of the 110th Hunger Games

"Be sure to bring books so you don't get bored, honey." Mother lectures.

"And eat well, you hear?" Father instructs, poking me in the collarbone. Candelabra straightens the sparkly green necklace that went with my sea green frock I'm wearing to my first Reaping as a Mentor.

"I know, I know, I will," I say tiredly. I hear a knock at the door, and Mother opens it to reveal Eurydice grinning from ear to ear.

"Is our darling ready?" she asks in a high-pitched voice, clasping her hands together.

"She sure is," Mother says proudly, patting me on the shoulder. Everyone swarms me before I have to leave with an impatient Eurydice, with Father sniffling and Candelabra ruffling my hair.

"Bring a kid home," Candelabra says sadly, in a pretty purple Reaping outfit of her own. She turned 19 a few weeks ago, meaning she is safe from the Games for life. That relieves me immensely; the last thing I want to do is watch my own sister die, knowing I couldn't save her. But Wick is my age and still has his name in that bowl several times, but the chances of him being picked are slim to none. But then again, I got picked and my name was in there as many times as his were.

Lost in thought, I pull away from my family, who still have an hour or so before they have to attend the Reaping. When that door slams in my face and Eurydice tugs me forward with her bony fingers, tears begin to well in my eyes.

I couldn't stand being away from my family now. I missed them both terribly during the Games and now whenever I'm doing the travelling library. Thank goodness for Belle. I don't know how to drive and I don't really want to know, but she has been helpful enough to escort me wherever I need to go. I just got back from District 5, where I dropped off new books to the children of District 5's orphanage while collecting old ones. I gave them more books than usual because I'm going to be away for mentoring for the next two weeks or so. I might have dreaded that awful Victory Tour but this might be worse. The Reaping day is today. Today the first two kids whose deaths I will have to sugarcoat, and then the next year and the year after that. At least I have Belle with me. That might be the high point of my trip to the Capitol.

The square is just a peaceful car ride away. I notice the windows fogging up, so I start mindlessly drawing hearts on the glass, earning me a swat on my thigh from my strict escort. I just zone out the rest of the ride, sadly noticing the kids playing in the streets in the slum. Those poor children probably have their names in the ball countless times to just feeds themselves. I wonder if I will get a slum kid or someone like me, from the merchant section. I really hope I don't get a young child, I don't have it in me to watch them die.

We arrive to the square after a while, where I'm dumped into a small room with a TV, as well as my favorite Mentor, Belle Chiffon. We embrace at once, until I'm sat down in the TV in front of her.

"What are you watching?" I ask quizzically, eyeing her small TV.

"Just some Capitol talk show. They have endless amounts of tapes of old Games, but I just can't watch them," she says glumly, eyeing the immaculate box containing every Hunger Games to date, most likely. I bet my Games are in there already. I'm surprised it hasn't been placed on my chair, just for me.

The Reaping came before I even knew it. It's a grey morning, a depressing morning, as all the kids in Eight wait nervously as Eurydice rambles through her speech and the boring video plays. It seems like all of this happened just yesterday, when in reality only a year has passed. I still long for the days before the Games. I may have been unhappy with being holed up in that shop all day, but at least I was still an innocent, knowledge-loving carefree girl. I'm only 17 but I'm more mentally worn than any teenager should be.

Eurydice is heading over to the bowl now. My heart feels like it's pumping out of my chest. I'm more nervous than I was at my ow Reaping. She fishes her hand in the bowl, stirring the names around. Finally, she grasps her fingers around a slip, grinning madly as she unfolds the piece of paper and reads the name printed on that small space.

"Adela Chambray!" she cries out, triggering a wail from the 18-year-old crowd. Soon a tall girl emerges from the roped-off pen, her bright green eyes welling with tears. I almost want to comfort this poor girl, but she's one year older than me. I quickly realize how awkward this is going to be.

As Adela steps onstage, trying not to sob, our escort eagerly skips over to the boy's bowl.

"Now onto our gentlemen!" Eurydice squeals, quickly pulling out the first slip she encounters in the bowl, ripping it open twice as fast.

"Kyle Felter!" Eurydice announces. At first, there is complete silence, you could hear a pin drop. Peacekeepers comb through the crowd, confused, until a small boy bursts from the thirteen year-old pen and beelines out of the square. He's soon grabbed by the collar of his shirt and dragged back to the stage, where a large Peacekeeper plops him onstage, a sniveling and shaken mess.

"May I present to you, the District 8 111th Hunger Games tributes, Adela Chambray and Kyle Felter!" Eurydice shouts happily, seemingly unfazed. Belle turns to me, speaking in a tense whisper.

"It's your first year. I'll take the boy."

...

I knew this moment was going to come. The moment when Adela has to go off into this death match with nothing but the knowledge I instilled in her. At first, she was rather cold to me, but over time we mended and actually learned we had a lot in common. I strictly told Adela to avoid the bloodbath, and she promised me a thousand times she wouldn't. I think it's safe to say I can trust her. If she keeps her promise, she'll do just fine. Heck, she might even win, judging from her impressive score of 8. The Careers definitely took notice of this. I can only hope it doesn't place a target on Adela's back.

"I guess this is it." Adela says sadly, looking at the hovercraft that will transport her to this year's arena.

"I guess so, Chambray," I mumble, hugging her tightly until a Peacekeeper tells us to hurry up.

"I'm going to come home, okay? Don't be so sad." she tells me, letting go of my hand.

"Please, please be careful," I say desperately, "avoid the bloodbath." I give her a weary look, trying to keep my composure.

"I will, Incy." Adela states, in a calm voice. She smiles weakly at me before turning around and bravely stomping off into the aircraft, which lifts her inside, where she'll receive her tracker for the arena. I hang my head as I walk back inside, heading for the Control Center, where I will watch these terrible Games.

...

I can see Adela rising up thanks to a unknown camera, she's not shaking. She's staying calm. Euphoria gathers in my stomach as I convince myself that my very first tribute might actually make it far.

But I gasped in horror as I saw Adela rise onto a dark grey, rocky cliff. Volcanoes loom in the background, and giant dragons circle the area, creating ominous shadows above the Horn, all under a fiery sky. I almost want to throw up in this Control Center in front of everybody just so they know how scared I am. Arista, the One Mentor, eyes me deviously as her tribute, Antoinette, is one platform away from Adela. I knew how this was going to end right before it started.

Poor Adela obeyed me until the very end, even when Antoinette lobbed off her head like a soft fruit as she tried to escape the opening slaughter. I collapse in my chair, distraught, as Adela's status on the giant screen on the wall reads dead. She placed 21st. I rushed back into my bedroom upstairs before anyone could stop me, collapsing into my room and locking the door.

I was in my dark sanctuary for days until Belle had the will to check on me. I don't think I've eaten in days yet my stomach is an empty pit. She cracks open the door to tell me to eat something, predictably.

"No," I groan, wrapping myself in my sheets. Belle opens the black curtain blocking the light from my room, informing me Kyle has made it to the Top 8.

"He has?" I ask feebly, feeling a little guilty for ignoring him the entire Pre-Games.

"Yes, Incy," she says reassuringly, shoving the blankets off of me.

"Kyle is in the arena with some outliers and only two injured Careers. He has a chance." Belle explains. I perk up, suddenly feeling obligated. Even if I neglected this particular tribute now doesn't mean I can't help him now.

"Okay," I say, getting up. "I'll help you get enough sponsor money for when he needs it. I do want someone like Kyle to come back."

"He's actually kind of sweet. Poor boy lost both his parents in a factory explosion. The least we can do for him is bring him home." she says, exasperated. I'm a little embarrassed Belle, being the talented Mentor she is, brought her kid to the Top 8 while mine died in the bloodbath. I guess I can't count too much on beginner's luck.

...

Now it's Day 17. The numbers have been shaven down to four, with the tributes being Ryder Bristen from 4, Kleo Marcella from 5, Janalyn Persoff from 7, and Kyle. I don't think I've ever been more excited in my life. Kyle Felter isn't my tribute but I'm helping Belle gather money for him. He is currently unarmed, so if we can just sponsor him a knife, he at least has a chance to defend himself. Harsh fires are drawing the tributes together, and Belle and I grin in joy as we just gain enough money to prepare to press the button to send Kyle his gift.

Sure enough, the parachute rains down by the time all the tributes have stumbled back to the Cornucopia. Kyle looks in relief as he notices his gift flow down to him as the others fight.

But by the time it reaches his hands, both girls have fallen at the hands of half-insane Ryder. I break down sobbing as the Fish boy sends a knife hurling into his throat, causing him to drop his gift onto the ground. After that I was told I simply fainted, but I think it's more like the fact that I died a little inside. Kyle placed 2nd. Freaking 2nd! Thank goodness we can go home now, because home is exactly where I don't think I'll be leaving for a while. All I have to look forward to for next year is a chance to strangle his crazy Four boy to death.

~End~

Congratulations, you have reached the end of Royal Blood. I know this "epilogue" chapter was strange but I liked writing it. It was interesting to go into the mysterious 111th Games which some of you have been wondering about. Please review even thought this chapter seems unimportant. I want to hear your thoughts. :) All that's left is to begin the 112th! Thank you for reading! See ya there!

-Maia