A/N: So excited to finally get this story underway! This is just a short prologue to give you guys a feel for my writing, as well as to introduce you to some new characters, and finally of course- reveal the twist! Hope you guys enjoy!

Galavant Redding, 31, Victor of 87th Hunger Games

February 25th, Year 101

102 Victors Village, District One

"This is a stick up, give me all you got!" My over-enthusiastic daughter threatens, waving the cardboard tube inches from my neck as her light brown eyes bear down on me menacingly.

Rolling my eyes, I tug on the tube and yank it to the left, May lurching forward a moment before letting go and letting out a soft, "Ow," as I lightly thwack her head with the cardboard.

"No fair," she complains, snatching the make-shift sword from my hands and turning away from me.

"How so?" I laugh, leaning back into the sofa.

"You're not allowed to fight back," she declares with a thoroughly snobby head tilt.

"You're eleven now kiddo, I think that rule is out the window."

"Well maybe if you got your butt off the couch and let me practice I could stand a chance," she says, pointing the tube at me accusingly.

"Fair enough," I sigh, leaning back even further into the couch.

May just rolls her eyes and drops the cardboard, jumping up on the couch next to me. "You are the laziest man alive."

I shrug, keeping a straight face that only cracks up into laughter after she hits me on the shoulder. "Sorry kiddo, I'll be sure to play with you more tomorrow, but there's a special announcement from the president on in a few minutes."

She lets out the loudest yawn of all time just as I finish speaking, holding it for a solid ten seconds before turning to me and deadpanning, "Boring."

"You're telling me," I sigh, throwing an arm around May's shoulder. "Trust me, there are a million things I'd rather be doing right now."

"Well then where's Melody-" she cringes, shaking her head. "Sorry, mom."

I ignore the slip-up, understanding fully well that she's been trying her hardest to keep things straight lately, even as confusing as things have gotten. Even if she may not understand it, having the Capitol find out about Melody and I is just about worst case scenario. Telling them we're married is pretty much synonymous with throwing our privacy straight out the window. So adjusting between calling her mom and by her real name when she's talking to anybody but the two of us is understandably tricky.

"She's popping in to wish Glory a happy birthday."

"She's turning ten right?" She asks, and when I nod, she smiles and says, "Cool. So, you what did you get her?"

Before I can respond, the front door opens and slips shut, Melody limping out through the hallway and into the living room with an easy smile on her lips. "Hey you two, did I miss anything?"

"Nope," May chirps up. "Unless you count dad being a lazy bum."

"Oof," Melody laughs. "No, I don't think that's anything new."

I just roll my eyes, "Not like I got a twelve training score," I remind her in a mutter.

"Yeah, like. . . eighty years ago," May teases, climbing up and walking over to help her mom, taking her forearm crutches as she eases Melody onto the opposite end of the couch from me. I look over at her for support, but she just offers a half-smile and a shrug as May hops back on the couch in-between us, sitting cross-legged on the middle cushion.

"Fourteen years," I defend myself, lightly tapping her on the head. "Not much older than you."

"Ya, which means I wasn't even born yet," she taps me on the chest. "That's pretty old."

"Or maybe you're just young?" I toss up.

She shrugs. "I dunno," she says, turning her eyes to my hair. "I think I see some grey hairs there."

May brings a hand up to my hair, and I lightly swat it away, rolling my eyes. "You're gonna be thirty someday too, ya know."

"Hopefully not," she jokes, barely holding in laughter as she turns back to the TV.

I decide to not respond, and just let her have this one. She wanted me to help her train tomorrow, so we can see who's out of their prime then. Until then I just shake my head as she rests her head on my shoulder, eyes tiredly set on the television screen, where the president is just moments away from addressing the nation.

After another few seconds of delay, Delilah Choice finally steps out on stage to roaring applause, a somber look on her face as she steps up to the podium. "Hello Panem, I am here to bring you all some very exciting news."

"Doesn't sound so exciting," May yawns, tugging on a loose strand from my jeans.

"Many of you have undoubtedly felt the impacts of some of the recent changes we've made in the district's. Numerous opportunities to work, study, perform, and compete in the Capitol have been opened, and I am proud to announce a drastic decrease in poverty and crime since my takeover as president." This earns another thunderous round of applause, and she holds up a hand, not even so much as cracking a smile at the display. "But there is still one exciting change yet to be announced." She pauses for a moment, a sly grin appearing on her lips for just a moment as a young boy walks up the president, handing her an envelop with the number 101 marked on it.

"What-" Melody breathes out, a concerned look shining in her eyes.

"To celebrate these massive improvements, for the One-Hundredth and first Annual Hunger Games, we will be having our fourth official quarter quell!"

The applause is deafening even through the television, and all three of us are all frozen in shock, mouths hanging open at the bombshell. Another quell twist? Right after last years? What in the world are they thinking? They already made that stupid rule change a month ago that extended the ages from eight to twenty-two, but that wasn't enough for them?

"So it is my pleasure to announce, that for the fourth every quarter quell. . ." She opens up the envelope and sets the slip of paper down on the podium. "To remind the districts how just a few's disobedience caused such pain and suffering for so many, the reaped tribute must choose their partner in the games."

With that, the television clicks off, and the three of us are left in a thick silence, all of us still digesting the words that were just spoken. Unsurprisingly enough, it's May that's the first to speak up. "Whoever gets reaped is gonna choose someone they hate. . ." she pauses for a moment, then swallows a lump in her throat. "Or someone famous," she shakily chokes out, leaning more heavily into my shoulder.

I give her other shoulder a squeeze, and offer a reassuring smile. "Nobodies gonna pick you, kiddo, we'll make sure to let the whole district know the name of the top Career candidate so they can pick them if they get reaped."

May doesn't look even remotely convinced, but slowly nods anyways, holding my hand in place around her shoulder when I go to bring it back. Letting out a sigh, I pull her in tighter, rubbing a hand through her hair with my free hand as I turn to Melody, who is still staring at the blacked out television.

"I see that look in your eyes," I tell her cautiously. "I know what you're thinking."

"You know we can't let her go in alone," she says as she turns to me, a fiery look in her eyes that tells me that nothing I say will ever convince her otherwise.

"You're talking about breaking a District One tradition as old as the Games themselves," I caution her.

"Actually, I'm talking about not letting a ten-year-old girl with PTSD and survivors remorse be forced to mentor by herself during a quell with kids either younger than her or over double her age."

"So what's the plan then," I sigh, giving up on trying to convince her to see reason. Getting her to not take a train to the Capitol to fill in as the mentor last year was already hard enough, and she seems to have come particularly attached to Glory. I should have known that she wouldn't be willing to send her off by herself, really. "You want to go in with her?"

She raises an eyebrow at me, and I groan, shaking my head. "Now you're talking about breaking an unwritten rule of the Games."

"Well, then maybe they'll write it down next year," she smiles. "With the twist, odds are the tributes will want to be trained separately, and I already need to focus on teaching Glory how to mentor, I wouldn't have the time to do that."

"So you want me to train whichever one of the tributes is a spoiled brat that's never trained a day in their life while you and Glory both take the other?"

"Pretty much," she shrugs, flashing me a smile.

"Melody-"

"Dad," May cuts me off, taking her head out of my shoulder and looking at me for the first time, her eyes wide and bright and so innocent that it just about melts my heart to even look into them. "If it were me that got reaped, you wouldn't care about the rules, would you?" She asks, and I mentally curse myself for having to adopt such an adorable daughter. How am I supposed to say no to that face?

"Of course not," I sigh, already knowing what's coming next.

"Then why won't you do it for her?" She murmurs into my shoulder.

Turning to Melody, I droop my shoulders and give in, shaking my head. "Alright," I mutter. "But I get to give the news to Glory- I forgot to get her a birthday present."

"Knew it," May murmurs tiredly.

As gently as possible I pry May from my shoulder as I stand up, letting her slouch in the opposite direction as she leans into Melody. I get to the hallway and turn around at the pair, and sigh. "You know," I shake my head. "Sometimes I forgot why I ever married you."

Melody smiles back at me cheekily. "And then I always remind you."

An easy smile forms on my lips as I look back at her and see the same girl as the one that I first laid my eyes on all those years ago. The same girl that made life worth living those few months after the Games. The girl that from the moment I saw, I knew that I would spend the rest of my life with. "Yeah, you sure do."

A/N: And there's prologue one of two. Next prologue I'll have a finished tribute list, and will post the blog! So if you haven't yet submitted be sure to get that up, because you only have until August 1st until I publish next chapter!

That aside, I hope you guys enjoyed this prologue, and make sure to let me know what you guys think of Galavant, Melody, May, and the quell twist! I'll see you all in a few days!