A/N: I really have no idea where I came up with this; I think I had a dream? Regardless, this is pretty AU. There might be a war later on, but you can definitely count on some conflict and at least a few fights. For now the rating is T for cussing and some minor kissing to occur later, but there is an incredibly strong possibility of that rating being bumped up.
Let me know what you think and if you have any constructive criticism to make this story better in a review.
Disclaimer: Trust me, I don't own Divergent or any of its characters or else Allegiant would have ended very, very differently.
Now, without further ado, Not So Dainty, Tris.
TRIS
Head up, shoulders back. Dainty feet and a large bosom. Gowns two sizes too small. Corsets. Pointy shoes. Hair pins. Powder. Lip stain.
All aspects of my life that haunt me daily.
In other words, it's bullshit.
My name is Beatrice Prior and I'm the princess of Abnegation. Although I am a princess, I still live a relatively humble life. My "palace" is shared with the factionless in the Abnegation nation, however there aren't many due to the fact my parents—and the other nobles—give the majority of their wealth to giving the factionless homes and bits of land to farm or raise livestock.
"Beatrice!"
My head snapped up. I was laying on the broad bark of a tree in our palace grounds, which was prohibited by my father, King Andrew.
I peered over the edge of the branch and saw my older brother, Caleb, standing below it, a grin on his face. "Beatrice," he laughed, "Mom's looking for you!"
I swung my feet over the branch and dropped to the ground. "Why?"
He shrugged. "Women things, I assume."
Groaning, I grabbed my shoes from the base of the tree and shoved my feet into them. I winced as I stood up on them. "Stupid shoes," I growled.
He smirked and offered me his arm. "I'll escort the lady."
I rolled my eyes and linked my arm through his. "I'm charmed."
My mother was waiting for me in the main parlor. "Ah, Beatrice. How are you?"
"I am well, thank you for asking. May I inquire as to why you called me?"
"Well, you're sixteen now. And I think you know that is the customary age young women marry at-"
My eyes widened with shock. "Mom, are you suggesting that I get married? I-I haven't even done anything worthwhile yet and you want me to get married?"
"It's the selfless thing to do-"
I shook my head. "I won't do it."
"Beatrice. It isn't really your choice. As king and queen of Abnegation, it is our duty to marry you to a young prince from another kingdom in hopes of a lasting alliance."
"Who's the 'young prince'?" I asked, bitterly.
"His name is Peter, and he is a prince in Candor. He's a charming young man."
"Mom, I won't do it. I refuse."
She sighed wearily. "Just consider it. He and his family, along with some of their servants, will be here tomorrow to meet with you. Just please, try and keep an open mind."
I groaned and threw my hands in the air. "Yes, I'll try and keep an open mind whilst meeting the man that I have to spend the rest of my life with regardless. What's the point of being open-minded if my opinion doesn't even matter?"
"Beatrice, please."
I lifted my head and pushed my shoulders back. "May I be excused?"
She nodded. "Yes, but please be prepared for introductions tomorrow."
The next morning I woke up already dreading lunch. I bathed and donned my least favorite dress. My hair was braided down my back and only at my mother's request did I also paint my lips a dull red.
I glanced at my reflection in the mirror. My blue eyes were too large for my face, but at least my nose didn't seem so long since my face has developed more. I flashed a smile at myself. No one that looks like this will woo a prince.
I heard the sound of trumpets and knew the Candor entourage had arrived. I made my way to the throne room where I stood in between my parents thrones, next to Caleb. He glanced at my sympathetically, and I wished he wouldn't. I don't need pity.
Introductions were made and soon Peter stood before me. He was tall with dark hair and green eyes. "Hello, Princess. I am honored to meet you." He took my hand in his own and kissed it, bowing his head slightly.
I tried my best not to glower down at him as I replied, "Charmed, I'm sure."
He straightened before bowing to Caleb. "Sire."
My brother offered only a slight nod in response, and I could see the contempt in his eyes. He didn't like him, either. At least one person's on my side, considering my parents were gushing over the arrangement with his.
Caleb and I met eyes and he nodded briefly to me before excusing himself from the court room. I sighed as Peter held his arm out to me. "Shall we walk?"
I hesitated. "I think-"
"Oh, Beatrice would simply love to show you around!" my mother called, placing her hands over her heart and giving her best 'aww' expression. His mother did the same before the two women clasped hands and started discussing wedding plans. I did my best to hide my grimace as I took Peter's arm.
I led him out to the garden where he began talking about himself. He discussed all of the tournaments he's won, the men he's killed in battle, the most amount of game he's ever brought down… It went on and on and each time he tried to impress me, I found my disdain for him grow.
"So when we get married, I think we should have three kids. But only boys. No offense, but girls don't really do much, not for the kingdom anyway, and I need knights. Strong, brave knights… Do you think you can produce kids like that? I know it's a lot to ask and Abnegation isn't known for being that strong, but maybe combined with me…"
"Enough." I pulled away from him. "I can't believe you're insulting women, my kingdom and me in that way! There's no point to this conversation in the first place because I'm not going to marry you."
Peter looked affronted. "How dare you speak to me that way? I am a prince!" he seethed.
"And I a princess!" I shouted, angrily. I took a shuddering breath. "And now, if you would be so kind to join me, we are expected back for dinner."
He nodded, although his eyes still burned angrily. He offered his arm to me. "My lady," he muttered coolly.
After supper I made my way up to my bedroom, where I lay on the balcony. I was looking up at the stars when I heard a small noise.
"Psst. Hey, Princess." I looked over to the edge of the balcony and saw a dark-skinned girl hanging there. She flashed a smile, her white teeth dazzling. "A little help?"
I nodded, reaching over the balcony and pulling her up. "Who are you?"
"My name's Christina, I work with the Candor royals. I'm somewhat of a guard for them."
"Right, well, pleasure to meet you Christina. Not to be blunt, but why were you climbing my balcony?"
"Oh," she said. "To warn you. Peter's a no-good, stuck-up, arrogant maniac. He stabbed a man in his eye once because he scored higher in a hunting trip. If I were you, I'd do my best to get out of this marriage."
I scoffed. "I'd do anything to get out of it. My mother's bent on my being married, there's not much I can do, I'm afraid."
Christina seemed thoughtful. "How much do you like it here?"
I shrugged. "It's okay."
She laughed. "You hate it here! Okay, this works nicely then. My proposition to you is that you run away. I'll go with you."
"What? I don't even know you. Why would I run away with you?"
"To save yourself from a lifetime of cruelty and shit." She shrugged. "I thought it was obvious."
The gears started turning then. Everything I knew, everyone who had been a part of my life was so bland and repetitive. Head up, shoulders back. Dainty feet and a large bosom. Gowns two sizes too small. Corsets. Pointy shoes. Hair pins. Powder. Lip stain.
I grinned at Christina. "What'd you have in mind?"
We were in my bedroom and I was putting on an outfit Christina had brought up for me: black pants, a black tunic and a black belt complete with a place for a sword. I had snuck to the armory and picked a sword with my family's crest on it; not everything had to be left behind. Christina sat on my bed looking at a map. "What about Erudite?"
I shook my head. "They would bring me back because that would be the logical thing to do."
"Hm. Amity?"
"Nope. They'd bring me back for the sake of maintaining peace within the kingdoms."
She scrunched up her nose. "Well, Candor's obviously out, since we're basically running away from them, too." She cracked a smile. "Guess Dauntless is our only hope then."
I blanched. "Dauntless?"
"I know, it's not ideal, but think about it. It's a known fact that the people in Dauntless are borderline insane. They love danger and crazy shit. It's honestly our best bet."
I sighed, knowing she was right. "Fine. I guess I shouldn't be bringing my gowns then."
She grinned. "No. You and I definitely need to go shopping. Hope you plan on bringing plenty of gold."
"I wasn't planning on it. I didn't want to have to steal from my family, but I guess I haven't got much of a choice." I moved to a jewelry box near my bed and opened it. Inside was my mother's old necklace, a gift for my sixteenth birthday. It was a plain, simple chain with a small raven charm. I clasped it around my neck, and then turned my focus back to the box. I lifted the top off, revealing one hundred or so gold pieces. I began shoving them into a small bag. When I had finished I turned towards Christina. "Okay."
"I'm fairly certain that your family won't be too happy with you leaving the palace at midnight, so I'm afraid we'll have to jump from the ledge."
"The ledge? Christina- my room is on the highest floor. I- that can't be safe."
"Hey, I know. You're scared, I get it. But you can't back out now. Besides, if we're going to Dauntless we'll need to get used to behaving recklessly. Are you in?"
I nodded. "Of course."
"Good. Do you want me to jump first?"
"No. I'll go." I moved to the edge of the balcony and stared over. Christina moved to my side and helped me onto the ledge.
"Be brave," she whispered. I closed my eyes and thought of the raven charm I wore around my neck. I touched it before spreading my arms and falling forward. The sensation of falling filled me and for a moment, just a fleeting moment, I thought I was flying.
I landed with an 'oof' on a pile of hay. I stood and brushed off my pants. Christina dropped down moments later, my bag on her shoulder. "Our chain mail is in here, as well as the money, the map, canteens and some various fruits and bread." She glanced at me and smiled. "Ready to escape?"
I smiled back and we turned, heading into the wood. Christina gripped the map tightly in her hands. "Dauntless isn't far, it's actually the closest kingdom. I think we can make it by dinner time tomorrow, but it would help if we had horses."
"Don't worry about horses," I whispered. "The stables are up ahead."
We soon reached said stables and Christina and I chose our horses. Hers, a chestnut mare with a white nose and me, a black stallion. We rode for a few hours before stopping to eat. Christina sat at the base of a tree, eating her apple whilst carving her name into the bark.
I glanced back at the palace, which could barely be seen on the horizon as the sun peeked up. Although the castle was bland, it looked beautiful illuminated in the sun's rays. "Hey," Christina called. "You aren't getting cold feet, are you?"
My features molded into a scowl as I regarded my old home. I turned towards her, shaking my head slowly. "No. Now come on, if we want to get to Dauntless by supper we need to get going."
TOBIAS
I yawned, stretching my arms out. I lifted my nose away from the musty pallet I slept on and looked around my small cottage. It wasn't much, but it was home. I jumped up and threw on a black tunic and black pants. I looped my belt around my waist and stuck my sword into the cover.
A quick glance in the mirror told me that I looked good, even with my larger than normal ears. I had let my hair grow out from its usual neat crop cut. It was wavy and dark brown, in contrast to my bright blue eyes. I shook my head, smirking. I was getting a big head.
A knock sounded at my door and I pulled it open. Zeke and Uriah stood against the frames. "C'mon, Four!" Zeke said. "How long does it take a man to dress himself?"
I shrugged. "You can't blame me. It takes work to look this good."
He scoffed. "As if. Let's go, Shauna, Lynn and Marlene are probably out there already."
I nodded, grabbing my leather coat from the hanger and shrugging it on. I greeted Uriah who slapped my back before punching his brother, resulting in a chase. I jogged alongside the two brothers, laughing at their antics.
We stopped at the edge of our cliff. The girls sat lazily on the ground. "Took you long enough," Shauna muttered before Zeke pulled her up and into his arms. Uriah greeted Lynn and Marlene, although his exchange with Marlene was a lot friendlier than that of Lynn's. I also greeted the ladies, grinning when Lynn slapped Zeke for kissing her sister right in front of her.
"Shall we jump?" Marlene asked suddenly.
This was our daily routine. Meet at the cliff, jump, hang out in the waters and then start our patrol. This was only interrupted if Zeke or Uriah were called in for official knight duty, or if Shauna and Lynn's grandmother had fallen ill again.
The response was unanimous, all in accordance. I walked back a few meters before all out sprinting to the edge and launching myself into the air. I heard a few shouts of disapproval, as we had never agreed who would go first, but it was too late by now. I soared for a few more seconds before splashing into the waters beneath me.
I have to go first, or else I'll chicken out. My head was submerged in the water, so I kicked up to the surface, taking a deep breath. Zeke and Shauna held hands as they made the jump, followed quickly by Lynn.
Uriah seemed to be offering Marlene the next jump, but she seemed to also be offering it to him. They looked awkward and flustered and I cracked a smile. Zeke caught my eye, and the two of us erupted with laughter.
Eventually, Marlene jumped, followed quickly by Uriah. The six of us splashed around gaily, the occasional splash fight coming up, which I always won. After a few hours, the sun was high in the sky and it was time to start patrolling.
I made my way down my particular route, same as I always do. The afternoon heat came and went and I hadn't encountered anything exciting, spare a few Erudite thieves that I quickly got rid of. Nothing eventful had occurred and I returned to the cliff, bored and disheartened. I sat on a rock near the edge, placing my head in my hands. I was pretty exhausted, despite the day's lack of action.
I heard a loud horse whinny and shouts suddenly, and I glanced up. Two girls on the other side of the cliff were struggling with a huge black stallion. A second horse, a chestnut mare, began to run off and the darker girl yelled something before chasing after it.
The other girl struggled with her horse, grasping at the reigns desperately and trying to reach its nose. She was dangerously close to its hooves and I had seen instances like this where an owner had been killed due to being struck by the hooves.
I heard the scream before I saw it happen. The hooves connected with the girl's abdomen, sending her flying back over the cliff. I heard a shout as the others ran back into view. I groaned, slipping off my tunic and removing my sword from my belt. I ran to the edge of the cliff and dove in, making my way to the struggling girl beneath the waves. I grabbed her around her waist and pulled her up to the surface.
I began to swim for the shore when I heard another splash to my left. I looked over and saw the dark skinned girl surface, swimming towards us. "Who are you?" she yelled as she swam next to me.
"It doesn't matter," I muttered. We reached the shore and I dragged the girl to the sand. I bent over, catching my breath.
The girl fell to her knees next to her friend. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, I'm fine, Christina. My stomach's a little sore, but I'll live." She looked up at me, and her eyes widened.
"I know you from somewhere!" she exclaimed.
What the hell was she talking about? I stared at her before the realization that I recognized her, too, dawned. "Yeah," I muttered. "What'd you say your name was?"
She turned to her friend, Christina, with wide eyes. "Uhm," Christina started. "Her name is… uh…"
"Tris!" the other girl said. "My name is Tris, and you are?"
"My name is Four," I responded. "Now come on, let's get you two somewhere warm."
TRIS
Christina and I were finally in Dauntless territory after what seemed like days of travel. The sun was starting to go down, and Christina was worried that we'd be stuck in the dark with Dauntless criminals.
We reached the side of a cliff and my horse started to go ballistic. He was rearing up on his hind legs and whinnying and snorting. I tumbled backwards and landed on my butt. "What the hell?" I cried, until I saw what had worked him up. A small snake slithered towards me, away from the horse from hell.
Christina's own horse began to whinny so she jumped off before she met the same fate as I. She reached my horse's reigns, missing by a hair when he jerked his head back. I stood up and held my arms out in front of him. "Sh," I cooed. "Calm down,"
Christina shouted something along the lines of, "Now my damn horse is going crazy!" before running into the wood after her cantering mare. I rolled my eyes and turned my focus back to my own insane stallion. "Please, calm down!"
Before I even knew what was happening, my stomach ached and I was falling over the edge of the cliff. I think the bastard may have kicked me. I hit the water with a slap before sinking under. I tried to kick but kept drifting downwards. My fingers fumbled for my belt buckle, but I couldn't get it undone. I tried to pull my sword out of its pouch but it wouldn't budge.
Panic seized me and I began to kick and thrash in the water, frantic air bubbles escaping from my mouth and nose. A strong arm was suddenly wrapped around my waist and pulling me up to the surface. When my face was above the water I took in a huge gasp, coughing and spluttering.
There was another splash to my right and Christina was swimming towards us. "Who are you?"
"Doesn't matter," came a gruff reply. So my savior was a man. I suppose that was evident by the arm hair, but I was always taught never too assume in Abnegation.
The man dragged me over to the shore and I slumped against a rock, coughing still. Christina dropped beside me. "Hey, you okay?"
"I'm fine, Christina. My stomach's a little sore, but I'll live." I glanced up at the man who saved me and my eyes widened in surprise. I knew him! I don't know from where, but his face was incredibly familiar. "I know you from somewhere!"
He looked at me like I was crazy before his eyes widened slightly, too. "Yeah. What'd you say your name was?"
I glanced at Christina. We hadn't actually thought of a name, or any sort of plan beyond our initial plan of running to Dauntless. ""Uhm, her name is… uh…"
An idea sprung to me and I yelled it out without even thinking. "Tris! My name is Tris," I said firmly, looking back at the man. "And you are?"
"My name is Four. Now come on, let's get you two somewhere warm."
Okay! First chapter, sorry if any of your Fourtris shippers were disappointed with the lack of this chapter, but trust me, it's coming, as well as some WillxChristina!
I'll try my hardest to post at least every other day, but I might be busy with school and stuff. But definitely expect updates on the weekends.
Please leave a review and spill your thoughts about this. Thanks for reading and I sincerely hope you enjoyed!
_Al
