Eric had silently noted to himself when he first saw her how pretty she was, standing in front of her little brother and seeming to reassure him that everything was going to be okay during the choosing ceremony. She wasn't the one choosing today - her younger brother was. He'd wanted to know her name, but he knew that was very unlikely to happen. She was Candor. He was Dauntless. It was never going to work out between the two of them.
Violet had seen him as soon as she'd walked into the room, but she made sure they didn't lock eyes. He was tall, looming, slightly scarier than all of the boys she was used to seeing around Candor. He was different, but it was expected of him to be - he was clearly Dauntless. She found herself wanting to know his name, but she knew it wasn't going to happen. She was here today for her brother. And only him. Today was the day of his aptitude test and she knew he was nervous.
She stood in front of him, placing her hands on his shoulders and kneeling slightly. He was only 16, and due to the small heel on her boots, she found herself being only a small bit taller than him, standing only at 5'6".
"Henry, listen to me," she spoke, staring him directly in his bright blue eyes, ones she'd wished that she'd inherited. "You are going to be perfectly okay. I'm not lying to you, and you know that. Remember when I chose? Even if you don't choose to stay in Candor, we're still going to support you."
Eric watched as he nodded back at her before she leant forward and pressed a kiss to his forehead and followed her parents to the other side of the room, leaving her brother standing with the rest of the sixteen year olds who were choosing today. He silently relished in the fact that he'd learn her surname too when her brother's name was called.
Violet smiled as she stood next to her parents, folding her hands in front of her and watching as they began to read the names from the list. She was glad that her surname was one of the ones at the end, meaning that Henry would be able to get it over and done with. She hoped he'd choose to stay in Candor, as she had when she had chosen, but she had a feeling he wouldn't.
Marcus Eaton was reading out each of the names, beginning with Z, as usual. Adelaide Zabek. Edward York. Isabella Yang. Henry Windsor.
She watched her brother neared the stage, and could see how much he was shaking. Eric watched as she grabbed her mothers hand beside her, noticing how nervous she was. After hearing her surname - Windsor - he still didn't know who she was.
As Henry cut the palm of his hand, Violet's grip on her mothers hand became stronger and she found herself breathing heavily as Henry's hand hovered over Amity. Though, just as the blood was about to fall, he moved it sideways, letting the blood drip onto the Candor glass.
Violet let out a breath she didn't know she'd been holding and soon found herself with her arms around Henry as he buried his face into her shoulder. She grinned at him. "I'm so proud you, Henry," she murmured into his hair.
Eric stopped himself from smiling and instead continued watching as the remainder of the sixteen year olds chose. He didn't see her as he left. She'd already left with the Candor faction by the time the Dauntless initiates and leaders had reached the doorway and began to run down the stairs at a hurried pace.
