A/N: Hey guys :) So I'm posting one day early again because you are all so amazing and I really appreciate the amount of support I've gotten for this story so far :) Thank you so much. Hope you enjoy this one!


Chapter 3

TRIS

I align the lone, white flower that sits on the right side of my perfect Abnegation bun. It's the only adornment I wear. My wedding dress is simple; my mother's. It's a grey and white robe that flows all the way to my ankles. I personally think the thing is hideous, but of course I would never say so. It had to be taken in and shortened to better suit my size, and even so there's enough cloth on me to make a decent collection of blankets.

I take one last look at myself before following my parents to the meeting place. It's been a while since I've seen my reflection in the mirror. And it may be a while before I see it again. I don't expect that living with Tobias will be any different from living in any other Abnegation home. But I've prepared myself for it. I'm not afraid anymore. I'd do anything to keep my parents safe.

It wasn't too long into the morning following our dinner together when Marcus came over to discuss wedding arrangements with us. He seemed in a rush to get it all over with. I can't imagine why. After the stir up I caused at dinner, I doubt that Tobias found me that impressive that he felt the need to make me his wife in only a matter of weeks. A part of me wonders if Marcus somehow benefits from the union, but I don't see how. It may be that he really does want what he thinks is best for his son, as awful a person as he is. Maybe this is his own psychopathic version of 'parental guidance'.

I take a breath to clear my head and then I step outside of my small dressing room to find too many polite smiles and nods, or at least more than the one representative per household that I was expecting. Abnegation weddings are usually small and short ceremonies, taking place in the evenings. It would be selfish to dedicate an entire day to such a thing or to rob our faction-mates of their mornings, a time when most of the day's work is done.

But it seems as though Marcus invited everyone, since they'd never have come uninvited. He's lucky the Abnegation aren't people who pry or condone curiosity. He'd never be able to explain why Tobias and I never followed the normal courting timeline practiced by the Abnegation. It's no wonder he can get away with anything. Nobody ever questions him.

I don't make eye contact with anyone as under the evening sun I walk down the short, undecorated aisle alongside my parents. Instead I focus on the beautiful mental images of what I'd always imagined my wedding would be like. I remember I saw a Dauntless wedding celebration once. They were on the train, almost dangling out of it as they sped past us. Everyone was laughing and dancing. I'll never forget the bride's dress. It was elegant and beautiful, white with what looked like black jewels of some kind, glistening as the light would hit them.

They were so happy, and I think that was the first time I ever saw what real freedom was. I had wanted to be Dauntless ever since. Yet here I am, all dressed in grey and about to be cursed by the eternal bondage of Abnegation marriage, and to a stranger and his malicious father at that. I feel numb, barely present at my own wedding.

I arrive front and center and Tobias smiles nervously as my parents set my hand in his. I get goosebumps though his hands are warm and not particularly soft. I've never held a man's hand before. Except for my father's, when he'd walk me and Caleb to school when we were in lower levels. It feels strange. Nice, but strange.

Tobias, like me, wears traditional Abnegation wedding attire. But unlike me, he makes it look stunning. I try not to stare at him, so I shift my eyes from his body to his face to the crowd and then I begin again.

Councillor Anderson, who is also the faction's main spiritual advisor, then clears his throat softly and smiles as he opens the Bible. I wonder if Tobias is religious.

He begins to read some nonsense about the duties of a wife and the qualities of a good woman. I should probably listen, considering that I am nothing like what the good book describes. But I can't seem to because I see his eyes for the first time. They're dark, but not brown or black. Blue actually, with a small patch of lighter blue on the left iris, right next to the corner of his eye. They look innocent and warm, thoughtful but guarded at the same time.

He's beautiful and I can't help but think that maybe he's being forced into this too. A man that looks like him would never willingly marry a girl that looks like me. Would he?

Suddenly, I feel a sting on my hand and I realize that Tobias is squeezing it.

"Beatrice?" Councillor Anderson says, and I'm sure I jump. "Would you repeat your vows, please?"

Already?! I think.

I nod nervously, unsure of just how long I've been standing there, lost in my head, staring at Tobias. I shudder, but no one could ever see it under all this cloth, and then I repeat the standard Abnegation vows spoken at every wedding.

"My dearest Tobias Eaton," I say sweetly, as if I didn't just meet the man. I feel ridiculous. "I, Beatrice Prior, give myself to be your wife and I humbly accept you as my lawfully wedded husband. I do solemnly swear to love and honour you, cherish and obey you, serve and please you, and to esteem you highly, higher always than myself. May pride and selfishness have no place in our home, neither in our hearts. May the teachings of our fathers be the light that guides us and may the virtues of our faction be the rock that grounds us. I take this sacred vow before my household, before your household and before our faction. May they always hold me accountable."

I say the words without thinking them through, because if I do I might self-destruct. Because though there is something undeniably beautiful about completely giving yourself away to someone else, there is also the irrefutable reality that I am selfish. And I am a liar.

"My dearest Beatrice Prior," Tobias begins after I place his ring on his finger, and I can't help but look away. "I, Tobias Eaton, give myself to be your husband and I humbly accept you as my lawfully wedded wife. I do solemnly swear to love and honour you, cherish and obey you, serve and please you, and to esteem you highly, higher always than myself. May pride and selfishness have no place in our home, neither in our hearts. May the teachings of our fathers be the light that guides us and may the virtues of our faction be the rock that grounds us. I take this sacred vow before my household, before your household and before our faction. May they always hold me accountable."

Tobias' voice is sultry and sincere, and I look up to find his beautiful blue eyes piercing into mine, almost like he wants me to know that he means every word. But how could he?

My hands tremble as he slips the simple grey band around my finger. If there ever was a time to change my mind about this, that time has passed.

Councillor Anderson blushes as he says, "I now declare you Mr. and Mrs. Tobias Eaton. With the blessing of your faction, you may now share a kiss as man and wife." And I just stand there, unsure of what to do. I know this is a wedding after all, but we are Abnegation. I never imagined in my wildest dreams that they'd ask us to do that. My heart races at the thought of kissing him, this beautiful stranger, and in front of so many people at that. But Tobias leans in, taking my face in his right palm, and he ever so gently presses his lips to mine.

Immediately I stiffen, paralyzed by the jolt of electricity that rushes from my lips to the very tips of my fingers and toes as his soft, wet lips glide against my own. My fingers ache and I quickly realize that it's because I want to touch him. But too quickly he pulls away, leaving me wanting.

"Beatrice," he says softly. "If you'll allow me," and he slowly bends, reaching beneath my horrid dress to remove my shoes. Beside him is a bowl of water, placed there by my father. I hesitate to set my foot in, but when I do I find that it's comfortably warm. And I feel the muscles in my leg become weak as his hands slowly caress and wash my feet, a custom only practised in Abnegation weddings. It is a symbol of service to one another, a sacred one.

I shiver as Tobias' thumb glides against my toes, and I become aware of nothing but the feel of his skin against mine. It feels incredible and I find myself wishing that his hands would climb higher and higher. Then all of a sudden I can't control my thoughts and I go from imagining what he must look like naked to picturing his beautiful body over my own, kissing me longer and harder than he just did.

I only wake from my trance when I hear the sound of light applause. Tobias looks up and smiles at me, a genuine smile. I blush, embarrassed, afraid that he could somehow see my thoughts. When he sets my foot back in my shoe, I stand stiff and stare at the evening sky as I try to will the images out of my head.

I wonder if this is why the Abnegation are so guarded when it comes to touch. Is this what everyone feels when they are touched by another person? Or is this a different kind of touch, provoking a different kind of feeling? I don't believe that anything this sensational could ever be typical.

"He will make a good match for you," my mother had said when they told me that I was to marry Tobias. But how could she have known that my mind and body would yearn for his the way it does only after a single touch? I've never thought of such things before; even when she reticently implied that at some point things will become physical with me and Tobias. She assured me that he'd never force or rush me, and from what little I've seen of Tobias' behaviour, I believe her.

I certainly didn't think I'd be needing to worry about sex for some time but I'd be lying to myself if I didn't admit that I'm taken with him. Maybe more than I should be considering that I barely know him. It wouldn't be wise to harbour such feelings for Tobias. At least not yet. I don't even know how he feels about me, about this wedding, which not before long is all over.

I actually feel relieved when little by little the crowd begins to dwindle after wishing us well. My parents are the last to leave, and my mother hugs me for longer than she ever has before saying goodbye. She also hugs Tobias and whispers something in his ear. Whatever it is, I don't ask. My mother has never spoken ill of Tobias and she seems to trust him entirely. That's enough to make me trust him too.

Eventually my parents leave and for the first time ever, Tobias and I find ourselves alone. But instead of it being quiet and awkward like most things Abnegation, my husband wastes no time in turning to face me. I suddenly feel nervous.

"Beatrice," he says warmly. "I was hoping to talk to you before today but… it wasn't possible." He looks away as he rubs the back of his neck. I wonder if I make him nervous too.

"That's ok," I say. "We only have the rest of our lives to talk to each other, right?" I shrug and then smile.

Tobias laughs a little and then smiles back, looking relieved. "Yeah, I guess you can so say so," he says, the deep sound of his voice putting me on edge while his easy demeanour makes me feel more comfortable around him all at once.

Maybe being married to him won't be so bad after all. Maybe Marcus' ploy in some twisted way worked out in my favour, since I probably wouldn't have gotten married by any other means. At least not to anyone like Tobias. I'd dare to say I've hit the arranged marriage jackpot.

"Tobias," Marcus interrupts our first personal moment. I hope this isn't a preview of what the rest of our marriage will be like. "May I have a final word with my son for a moment?" he asks me. I could have sworn he had left already.

"Of course," I reply. It's not like I could say no.

Tobias smiles a little and then they both walk back up the aisle, but not too far away from me. I see as Marcus presses a firm hand into Tobias' shoulder, but unlike what happened at dinner, he doesn't shrink under his father's touch. He stands tall, firm, handsome.

Marcus is doing most of the talking while Tobias listens keenly. I'd imagine him giving his son well wishes, but I already know he's incapable of such things. Curious to hear what he's saying, I take a couple steps closer, hiding myself behind the conveniently large podium where Councillor Anderson once stood. I shouldn't interfere, but who am I kidding?

"They really thought I'd sabotage them if they didn't go through with the wedding," I hear Marcus say. I immediately lean in closer. He must be talking about my parents!

"You mean you weren't going to?" Tobias asks.

"I'm not entirely sure I would have been able to," Marcus replies. "Andrew has no idea how much influence he holds over our faction. The people respect him. It would have been a great risk trying to deface his character. It seemed like a much smaller risk hoping that the girl would sacrifice herself to save her family. She is Abnegation after all."

I almost throw myself over the podium as Marcus words fill me with rage. All this time he's been making empty threats! And all of a sudden everything makes sense. Marcus was never afraid of me seeing the real him. He was counting on it. He was preying on what little selflessness I have by threatening my parents because he knew that there's no other way that they would agree to an arranged marriage unless it was my decision. He baited me!

"And now, you, as my son, with Andrew Prior's daughter by your side, there is not a man in Abnegation that wouldn't follow you."

"You manipulated them all?" Tobias says, but there's no anger in his voice. It's like he is asking a simple question like the time of day or what's for dinner. At least now I know what little regard he has for us.

"Yes I did, Son," Marcus says. Then quietly he whispers something else that I can't make out until he says, "You'll thank me when you not only control Abnegation, but this city." But no one person controls the city, so how could that possibly make sense? "The girl seems a bit more mouthy than I would have anticipated," Marcus adds. "But that can be dealt with. Try being nice to her at first, as unpleasant as she is. See if that gets her to cooperate."

Tobias doesn't protest, verbally or otherwise, and I gasp in disbelief as I realize that he has no problem with this at all. That's all this was to him; politics. They were playing us this whole time, and Tobias played his part so well. He almost had me fooled.

I want to spit at him. How could I have been so stupid to believe that we had some strange, inexplicable connection, to think that there was any good in him considering the man who raised him? He is as horrible as his father is!

My heart begins to ache, and with tears flooding my eyes I quietly sneak off until I'm far enough away to safely run.

You don't know him Beatrice! I scold myself as I run. I never should have trusted him. I had no business feeling all that I'd felt for him.

Well now I hate him!

And now I'm stuck with him.


A/N: Hope you guys liked this chapter (even though Tris was kinda in her head for most of it lol) :) Please review if you did. They make me happy ;)