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The gala upon the roof of the Sovereign’s tower is modeled as a winter fairyland Snow falls from invisible clouds It dusts the spearlike pines of manmade forests and frosts my short hair with snowflakes that taste like cinnae Breath billows in front of me

The ArchGovernor’s appearance is noted with truer lancers cut the Falthes off, obstructing their path so Augustus can enter the gala first A body of pale gold and bloody red, we reens The pride of Gold culture awaits us A terrible sea of faces that have seen things the first limmers of our shared past at the Institute The charmers of Apollo The killers of Mars The beauties of Venus

Beneath the spire, the Citadel sprawls, and beyond those grounds glisten the cities with all their uess that beneath that sea of twinkling jewels lurks a second city of filth and poverty Worlds within worlds

"Try not to lose your head," Victra whispers toto speak with friends of hers from Earth

I walk toward our table Great chandeliers hover overhead on sht sparkles Dresses move like liquid around perfect human foroblets of ice and glass

Hundreds of long tables spread concentrically around a frozen lake at the center of the winter land The Pinks wear skates to serve here Beneath the ice, shapes move Not sexualized perversities as one would find entertaining Pixies and lowColors But litter like the stars In another life, it would have been Mickey’s dream to have a creature commissioned for this feast I smile to myself I suppose in a way he already has

The tables are neither nareat lion seated upon the center of our table, nearly il There are griffins and eagles, ice fists and huge iron swords The lion purrs contentedly as Tactus steals a serving tray of appetizers from a Pink and sets it between the beast’s massive paws "Eat, beast! Eat!" he cries

Pliny finds ht, co, for once, is as severe as his pointed nose, like he means to impress the Peerless about him with his hawkish features and sparse accoutre you to several interested parties later in the evening When I signal for you, I expect you to joinimportant persons for his own aims "Till then, cause no trouble and asus pendant "On"And what a noble faala Hundredsshould I wait? It is difficult to hold on to the rage that made me embrace this decision They killed my wife, I tell er I su myself, I cannot burn away the fear that I steer the rebellion toward a cliff

This will not be for Eo’s drea To sate their lust for vengeance rather than honoring those who have already sacrificed everything And it will be irreversible But so is the course that has been set

Sotoo much That makes a bad soldier And that is what I aave asus and slap it on the underside of Augustus’s table, just near the table’s end

"A toast?" someone says I turn and find myself face-to-face with Antonia I’ve not seen her since the Institute, when Sevro pulled her down from the cross she was nailed to by the Jackal I flinch away, ht she cut Lea’s throat, all to drawpolitics," I say

"We’ve graduated," she replies "I did enjoy your christening Watched it several times with et out"

Nature was cruel toas olden yarn from that storybook about the princess of cinders All a mask for the wretched creature beneath "I can tell you oblet of wine "So let us toast to good reunion"

It makes little sense toher evil hen round to ash and shot into the sun

"Fitchner once said so to oblet in a polite toast

"Oh, Fitchner," she sighs, her breasts rising aggressively froolden dress "The bronze rodent has beena name for himself here Whatever did he say?"

"‘A man can never miss chlamydia’" I durabs h that I feel the heat of her breath "They’re co for you You should run now" She looks at h with that to beat Cassius in a duel?" She releasesan ape at the ball More than Mustang will, at least"

I pay no attention to her words and wander ailling ala so that I may end this soon A host of Praetors, Quaestors, Judiciars, Governors, Senators, fahts, and a thousand others co These older men talk of Outrider attacks on Uranus and Ariel, a foolish ru the arent strain of plague on one of Earth’s dark continents Light fare

Many others take h a hundred eyes did not watch their every move, and with voices like syrup, tell hierous tides The ustus has fallen out of favor with the Sovereign the same way I have fallen out of favor with him