So here is the chapter you've probably all been waiting for ;-).

It was windy that night, especially up on the tower. Two of the seven windows that offered a view over the plains surrounding the castle were broken, so whenever the prince made his way up here, he had to pay the view with being exposed to the elements. He liked the place nonetheless, because it was always deserted. Nobody else ever bothered to ascend the spiral staircase with its many cracked and uneven steps while the torches cast an eerie light on them. He had made sure to light every single one of them though. He very well knew how to avoid stumbling on the worn off stones, but he couldn't say the same for Beatrice.

While climbing the stairs, Tobias had wondered if choosing the tower as a meeting point for tonight had been a mistake. It was far away from where the girls slept, and there were several deserted hallways Beatrice would have to take to reach the bottom of its staircase. And even with the torches lighting the way, there were still some dark sections, and he hadn't lit the two lowest torches to make sure they wouldn't be found by whomever wandered around the castle in the middle of the night. Now he wondered if that had been the right decision. Would Beatrice be brave enough to join him despite it? Would she try at all?

It had seemed she might want to see him, but the more minutes passed, the more restless Tobias became. He paced up and down the circular room, and every time he passed the arch that marked the end of the stairs, he stopped to listen for footsteps or breathing or anything that would announce the arrival of his nightly guest. He pulled his red cloak closer around him as a gust of wind made him shudder. Perhaps he should have taken a better effort thinking this through and told her to bring her cloak, too. Or he could have brought another one of his. He had several that were all more or less in good state, whereas, being from Abnegation, Beatrice probably only had the old patched one she had worn upon her arrival at the castle this morning.

But it was too late to leave now. He wouldn't be back in time, given he expected her to show up every moment. He could still offer her his cloak if she didn't bring hers. Kindness was not a concept he was especially familiar with, but he assumed that gesture would be accounted as such.

Tobias was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't hear Beatrice's steps coming closer. She had to have sneaked up the stairs in perfect silence, almost as if she was used to hiding and trying not to draw attention to herself. That was how it came that they just both stood there quietly, suddenly face to face with each other without the observant eye of the queen and dozens of other onlookers.

Tobias didn't care about her rather used-looking clothes and her old cloak. He was simply glad that she had followed his invitation and come to meet him, and that he wouldn't be responsible for her catching a cold. Her smile and the spark in her eyes as she looked at him were all that mattered. She didn't need to wear one of the fancy dresses Shauna put the girls in for the balls at the queen's behest.

"Ehm... hello," she said after a few moments, and he realized he hadn't greeted her yet. Where were his manners?

"Hello Beatrice. Thank you for coming."

"Thank you for inviting me."

Alright, that was a good start, wasn't it? But what now? Out of the ballroom, he felt hesitant to just reach for her hand. The formality of an official dance had given him confidence and provided safety. Taking her hand meant so much more now that it was just the two of them. He would offer her a glimpse of what he felt, and she had every freedom in the world to decline his touch. But she had come, hadn't she? Hopefully not only because he was the prince, and she felt obliged to follow his invitation.

"This place is very far from the rest of the castle," Beatrice stated, and he wondered why she would say this. She looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for an answer, even if she hadn't asked a question.

"Yes, I know. Maybe that is why it's one of my favorite places."

And maybe he had just shared more than he had meant to. Again.

To his surprise, she said, "I think I can understand that."

Before he could say anything else he didn't want to, he changed the topic. He pointed to the broken window to the North.

"From that window over there, you can see all the way to where Abnegation begins."

"Really?"

"Yes. I can show you. Come here."

And there he had found a reason to take her hand, without consciously planning it. He held out his palm for her, and she took it without hesitation. Her hand, small and warm, already felt familiar in his.

Tobias led Beatrice over to the other side of the tower, which was only a few steps across the room, dark except for the two burning torches on either side of the archway. There was a stone in front of the window which he guided Beatrice to stand on, so she would have a good view. The fields were covered in snow, and apart from the wind that caressed the treetops now and then with a soft rustle and swept the snow off them, the world was quiet and peaceful.

Just like this moment with her.

Tobias stood right next to her, close enough that their shoulders touched now that they were both the same height.

"Those huts in the distance... Do they belong to Abnegation already?" Beatrice asked.

"Yes. They are actually easier to see tonight against the white of the snow. And someone still keeps a fire burning. There, on the left. Can you see it?"

Beatrice just nodded. The view appeared to make her happy, at least until a particularly strong gust of wind made her shiver.

"Are you cold?" Tobias asked, a little worried. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable.

"Just a little. My cloak is alright, but I just didn't get much sleep these last weeks."

"Would you let me...?" he began and held out his right arm behind her.

She nodded, smiling up at him - a lovely, shy smile.

And so he put his arm around her shoulders and shuffled close to her side under his own cloak that he now shared with her. Ever so slightly, Beatrice tilted her head until it rested on his shoulder, as if it belonged there. Slowly, he laid his cheek on her head, and together they looked out into the night. It was the most comforting feeling, letting someone be this close to him and not feeling the urge to pull away.

On the contrary. He began tracing little patterns on Beatrice's shoulder where he held her, and when at one point her left hand travelled across his lower back until he was tucked safely to her side, he dared to turn towards her until he could hold her with both of his hands. She didn't hesitate to sling her other arm around him, too, and he knew that if he didn't kiss her now, he would regret it for the rest of his days. He leaned in slowly, giving her a chance to stop him if she didn't share the same desire, but she didn't interrupt him. No, she closed what little distance was left between them and pressed her lips to his. It was the softest touch he had ever experienced.

They started out gently, their wandering hands exploring each other. When that wasn't enough anymore, they pulled each other closer. No wind would have been able to blow between them anymore as they stood in a tight embrace underneath the red cloak that sheltered them both from the cold and the cruelties of the world, and opened their mouths to each other to deepen their kiss. Their broken breaths were carried away by the night, as were their doubts and fears. For some precious time, nothing else existed but them.

Beatrice tasted of hope and salvation, and the flame she lit in him was so strong that he wouldn't be able to extinguish it. Not now that he knew how it felt to kiss her, how it felt to be kissed by her. She somehow was the only person who saw more in him than the cold-hearted prince that he was, the only one who was willing to give a piece of her to him and accept a piece of him in return.

However, at the other end of the castle, the queen had noticed the flicker of a flame on the highest tower. She knew the prince used to go there sometimes, but she was sure that tonight he wasn't there alone. She had eyes and ears, and she used them.

So she, too, saw more in Beatrice than just a girl from Abnegation. She was turning into a threat to her plans, but she wouldn't sanction it. She didn't even have to give it much thought. Her possibilities were endless, and she simply had to pick one that was promising.

Chances were high that Candor would be the girl's next task, so the queen stepped up to the respective bowl and spread her hands above it. She focused all thought and energy on her spell. It was hard, even for her, to keep up the concentration and power it required, even if it was a simple incantation. There wasn't much left of her magical powers, and she had to pace herself when it came to using magic. No more spring meant no more magical flowers, and thus no more magic. So far, she had refused to lay hands on her hidden reserve, and she hoped she wouldn't need to touch it until she held sway over the kingdom as its single ruler.