So this chapter is about 10k words. Uh... I got a little carried away. Fair warning, it gets a bit graphic at the end and I can already guess some won't like the way I end it, but I'll say it now and I'll say it again: I HAVE NO SHAME!
Enjoy this ridiculously long chapter and as always, please drop a review.
Disclaimer: Divergent was written by Veronica Roth (as it says on the cover); thus I am not the owner nor do I claim to be.
TRIS
I was confident. Too confident. I thought I could outsmart Peter and get myself out of this mess. I was so wrong. "I'll jump!" I warned. "Then you can't marry me. It's illegal to marry a corpse in Abnegation and in Candor, I'm willing to bet."
His appearance had frightened me. His eyes were wide and angry and everything about him screamed maniac. I should've knocked him out or even killed him, but instead I tried to bait him. I should've known you can't outsmart the insane. He grabbed Christina roughly by the arm and pulled her up. "Fine," he had called. "Jump. And take your whore of a traitor with you."
What the hell was he talking about? But as soon as I heard Christina shout and saw her sailing towards me, I knew.
He had called my bluff. Christina collided hard with me, her elbow landing in my stomach. I tried to catch her and my balance, but I couldn't. Then we were falling over the edge of the cliff. I couldn't even scream; it was happening too fast. Christina was gripping my arm tightly and screaming, I think.
We plunged into the darkness; the water hit us like a hard slap. I kicked to the surface and took a deep breath, looking around for Christina. She wasn't surfacing. I dove back under the water and saw her drifting towards the bottom. I swore inwardly before propelling myself towards her. She was sinking faster than I could swim and it was only then I realized she had her sword on her. I reached her and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling with all my might. She had stopped sinking, but I couldn't pull her up. My lungs burned and my head was starting to get fuzzy. My fingers were frozen and hard to move as I fumbled with her belt buckle. The water was making it hard to maneuver.
I reached into my boot, praying I had my dagger on me. I felt a huge surge of relief despite the impending death I faced when my fingers came in contact with a small hilt. I unsheathed it and began sawing on Christina's belt. After a few moments, it slipped off of her waist and began to sink, the metal of the buckle twinkling.
I grabbed Christina's waist again and began to kick. My head was pounding and I could hear my heartbeat boom in my ears. I pushed as hard as I could until I realized I wasn't going to make it. It's weird, facing death. If I had thought about it before, it would have terrified me. Death was the unknown. But here, now that I was facing it, I almost wanted to laugh. Because wasn't death the ultimate relief? Wasn't it an escape from everything that had hurt you, or would hurt you? Death is calm and death is good.
I closed my eyes, allowing the water to take me. I intertwined my fingers with Christina's. She was my best friend, even if I had only known her for a week. I wanted to be with her, even in death. A rough, jerky movement pulled me from my thoughts. I felt Christina's hand slip from my own and my eyes snapped open, suddenly in a panic. An arm was wrapped around my waist and I glanced up. Uriah.
I looked over and saw Zeke pulling Christina up towards the surface, as well. I began to kick, suddenly wanting to live again. Life and death are funny in that way. As soon as you're within inches of either, you do everything you can do get there.
We broke the surface and gasped for air, a small, relieved smile plastered on my face as the burning in my lungs slowly subsided. Uriah dragged me over to the beach and we crawled out of the water. Zeke was already there and had Christina on her back, attempting to plunge the water from her lungs.
"I don't know how to fucking do this!" he cried, frantic.
"I do," someone called. I turned to see Cara, along with Marlene and Shauna, jogging towards us. Lynn hung back, her arms crossed and her face molded into a scowl. Cara dropped beside Christina and began to press on her chest. After a few beats, she pinched her nose shut and opened her mouth, blowing air into Christina. She began to pump her chest again, and then repeated the cycle. Eventually, Christina began to cough. Her eyes opened and she turned to the side, coughing and puking up water.
Cara sat back on her heels, laughing a relieved sort of broken laugh whilst Zeke basically tackled Christina in a hug. "I thought we had lost you two!" he scolded.
I shrugged. "I don't die easy," I muttered.
Christina was grinning, too. "Where's Will?" she asked.
Zeke sighed, shaking his head remorsefully. Uriah and Marlene shared a glance and Shauna placed a gentle hand upon Cara's shoulder, whose face had melted into a mask of sorrow. "They took him," she muttered darkly. "Peter's guard took him with them."
I felt rage seep into my face and I balled my fists. "Leverage," I hissed. "Don't worry, Cara. I'll go after them tomorrow—I'll do whatever it takes to get him back."
She glanced at me, her expression softening. "I appreciate it, Tris, but it's not worth it. We don't even know if he'll survive his injuries. It's illogical to risk your life for his, as much as I'd like to."
"Illogical?" Christina exploded. "Peter- he's a ruthless bastard! Do you know the torture he'll put Will through? Do you-"
"Christina," Uriah interrupted. "Enough. Cara's his sister, I'm sure she understands the consequences of her decision."
Christina's face reddened. "I'm sorry," she muttered. She stood up and began to run up the cliffside. Marlene looked like she was going to go after her but I shook my head at her.
"Let her grieve," I murmured. "Where's Four?"
Zeke shrugged, his expression angry. "He basically disappeared after that Peter guy left. I don't know where he went. I mean, it's one thing to be mad that you kind of lied to us, but to not try and help you guys? I know we didn't help much but-"
"Sometimes it's not worth it," Lynn interjected. "I happen to feel the same as Four. Why waste your time trying to save someone who lies to you? I mean, Tris made us all think she was our friend and then she ended up being nothing more than a traitor."
"Lynn, shut up," Shauna scolded. "Tris didn't betray us. She hid a piece of her past and I can kind of understand why. If word got out that the missing princess was in Dauntless, we'd be dealing with a load of crap from bounty hunters and knights from all over the five kingdoms."
Lynn shrugged. "Sounds kind of selfish to me. Is that you ran away, Stiff? You were too selfish for your selfless subjects?"
I glared at her. "I ran away to get away from Peter. I didn't want to marry some asshole you thinks I'm only good for bearing children, which apparently I wouldn't even be good at, thanks to my Abnegation roots. Regardless, I don't love him and I refuse to marry out of convenience."
Lynn had her hands over her heart and her face was screwed up into some bullshit expression. "How sweet. Isn't she just adorable?" she asked Marlene.
"Leave me out of this," she muttered. "You can be mad at Tris for whatever stupid reason you want, but don't drag me into your petty argument."
Lynn scoffed. "You guys are full of shit. I'm out of here." She turned on her heel and began to march up the cliff, before turning and adding one last thing. "And when Tris major betrays you and hands you your asses on a silver platter, don't come crying to me."
I sighed, placing my head in my hands. Everything had come crashing down in the span of an hour. I felt a comforting hand on my shoulder and looked up. Zeke stood behind me, offering a small smile. "Don't worry about her," Shauna called. "She's pissed off and therefore behaving dramatically. She'll come around and even if she doesn't, I wouldn't waste time on her. She's quick to judge and slow to forgive."
I smiled appreciatively at them. "Thank you, guys. I- I really appreciate this."
Zeke patted my back, resulting in a loud, resonating thud. I winced and he laughed. "Come on, Princess. Let's get you to bed."
I grimaced. "Please, don't call me that."
"What? Princess?" Uriah grinned. "Whatever you say, Princess."
Shauna smiled. "Don't tease her, boys."
I glanced at these five people. Shauna, Cara, Marlene, Zeke and Uriah. Even though I had basically been dishonest from the moment we met, they still had stuck with me and had risked their lives to save mine. I glanced at Cara, who was swallowing tears. Lynn was right. I had been selfish in running away; it was time to be selfless.
...
I lay down next to Cara and Marlene. They were both sound asleep, their breathing slow and even. I quietly got to my feet and made my way to the corner where Christina lay. "You up?" I whispered. I could see eyes twitch before she offered a small nod. "I'm leaving. I'm going to offer myself in replacement of Will."
Her eyes snapped open and met mine. "You're sure?"
I nodded, breathlessly. I felt surer about this than I had running away in the first place. For once in my life, I was given the chance to be truly selfless. "Of course."
She hesitated before sitting up. "I'm coming with you."
"No way, Christina. I can't let you risk your life for me."
She scoffed. "It's not for you, dummy. It's for Will." She cocked her head and smiled softly. "Are you in?"
I chuckled. "Of course." I stood up and held out my hand for her. She grasped it and stood next to me. "This would go much faster if we could just find those damn horses," I muttered.
She nodded in agreement and began tossing her belongings into a bag. She crept over to where Uriah lay and grabbed his belt, fastening it around her waist. When I gave her a questioning look, she merely shrugged. "He's the son of a knight, I'm sure he has plenty extra."
We gathered all of our belongings and offered one last look to our friends. We shared a glance before slipping into the woods, back towards where this all began.
I was going home.
TOBIAS
I don't know where I was going. But as soon as Tris had disappeared under the waves, I ran. Once I had gotten over the initial shock of it, that is. I don't know why I had cared so much. She turned out to be the enemy—an Abnegation royal. They're all the same. Rude, full of themselves, cruel… I would know. I was one of them for the majority of my life.
But I was falling for her. I really did like her. She was mysterious- but I suppose that was only because she was harboring secrets from us. As angry as I was, and as angry as I wanted to remain, I couldn't help but understand why she had kept this from us. I understood what it was like to have a secret that you couldn't share. I'm sure she had felt angry and bitter that she couldn't tell me-
Stop, Tobias. You can't make excuses for others who wrong you anymore. I had spent too much of my life making excuses for my father. He took mom's death hard; he's just releasing his anger. Or, it's just his way of showing his love for me. He's a more physical guy. I scoffed at myself. I had been so naïve back then. As soon as I had wised up, I got myself the hell out of there.
I stopped running for a moment and leaned against a tree. I had no idea where I was, which might prove to be a bit of an inconvenience. I had eventually hoped to return to my friends, maybe Tris, and find out what exactly had happened.
I heard voices and quickly scampered up the tree, pressing myself on top of a branch. Two Erudite soldiers walked past, quietly speaking to each other. "I heard we're going to breach the Abnegation palace. Jeanine promised no casualties, but I don't know if I can keep that promise," the taller of the two chortled.
His partner laughed, as well. "Those filthy Stiffs are going to get what's coming to them, eh? I can only hope I get the honor of beheading that little twerp Caleb. Wasn't he the most obnoxious thing?"
"You bet he was. Who do you think is going to pull the plug on the king and queen?"
"Jeanine, most likely. She's one of the most ruthless people I've met- if she wasn't queen I'm sure she'd have more kills than the whole army combined."
"I think she already does." The two men erupted into laughter and continued. I however, felt heavy. They were going to attack Abnegation. I didn't care, but that was Tris' world, even if she ran away. I had to warn her.
CALEB
My heart hurt. I mean, I'm sure it wasn't my physical heart, but figuratively, it was broken. Beatrice and I had obviously had our differences, but I never wanted things to end this way. I never wanted to see my baby sister die.
And now I was stuck with her murderer, pretending everything was okay. I was filled to the brim with hatred for Peter but there was nothing I could do about it. At least not until after the attack. I suddenly felt ill to my stomach. I was riding with my sister's killer to help him lead an attack on my own family and people. It was too late to pull out now; if I did, even more people would suffer. This way, Jeanine swore to me she would do her best to minimize the killing. She promised me that my parents would definitely not be amongst the dead. That was the only thing that kept me going at this point.
I don't know how long we rode for, but we never stopped to rest. I think we lost two guards along the way, but the one holding Will, his name was Drew, never stopped pushing forward with us. At one point I offered to let him ride my horse, but he refused. The days and nights passed by uneventfully, although I didn't really notice their passing, I was too caught up in my own grief. Soon, we reached Abnegation and began our shameful tread through the city to the palace. My parents greeted us at the front gate, but their smiling faces soon disappeared when they took in my sad and disheveled state. I knew that if I attempted to utter a word I would break down and sob and admit everything to them, so instead I merely shook my head.
My mother nearly collapsed and my father had to wrap his arms around her to keep her upright. She sobbed broken sobs and my father allowed a few tears to leak from his eyes. Peter told everyone how she had died, miraculously sacrificing herself for him to live. That bastard, romanticizing her death like that. Each time he opened his mouth, every fiber of me begged me to scream that he was a liar and a killer, that he was the one who pushed her over that cliff.
After a few days, when I had found my voice again, the first words I said were a proposal to have a kingdom-wide funeral. All were welcome to come mourn for their princess, together. Nobles and factionless alike. My parents agreed immediately, most likely assuming this would help my grief. Little did they know it would only add to it.
The funeral was planned to happen in four days, just enough time for the Erudite army to get here. How they planned to get here undetected, I had no idea. I would leave that up to Peter and Jeanine. I wanted no more part in this than I was already playing.
The days continued to pass and I found myself growing number. My chest didn't ache as much; unless it did and I had grown so accustomed to it I no longer felt it. My thoughts were less frequently plagued with her face and her voice. On the day of the funeral, I stood in her room.
"Oh, Beatrice," I murmured. "Please forgive me." I lay on her bed and sobbed. I was pathetic and I was no man. I sobbed into her pillow and breathed in her smell. My baby sister and my best friend was dead to the world and it was my fault.
My mother called me, telling me it was time to prepare for the funeral guests to arrive. If only she knew how many guests would really be attending tonight, she could've been truly prepared for the horror that lay in store.
The day was a blur. The funeral was halfway through and it was incredibly melancholy. Each guest had brought a candle and of those who could, some small gift. People who hadn't even known her were crying. My parents had set up a sort of shrine for Beatrice, considering we didn't have a body.
I was standing near the back of the room when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I turned and saw Peter there. He nodded at me. "It's time."
I took one last, deep shuddering breath. I stole a glance at my parents. This could be the last time I saw them. My mother caught my eye and offered a small smile. I nodded to her and held my hand over my heart, an old gesture she used to make towards Beatrice and me. Her eyes were questioning, but she returned the gesture without hesitation. I fought back the urge to cry as I turned away from her. "Let's get this over with," I muttered.
Peter and I headed down the servants corridor, where the underground tunnel connects to the palace. I produced a key and taking a deep breath shoved it into the lock. I unlocked the door and opened it, revealing a smiling Jeanine in front of a huge army.
"I have to say, Caleb. You continue to surprise me. I thought for sure you would back out last minute. Peter dissuaded me of that and I must admit I didn't believe him. His confidence in you is inspiring," Jeanine said, pressing her hand over her heart.
I hated her.
I hated Peter.
I hated Erudite.
I hated the men standing with Jeanine, ready to kill my people.
And I hated myself for allowing this to happen.
Jeanine shoved past me and linked arms with Peter. "Shall we ride?"
He nodded. "Let's do this." Jeanine reached for me with her free arm but I jerked back. There was no way I was going to let this vile woman touch me. She pouted slightly before giving commands to her army. We began a slow procession down the halls of the castle towards the throne room where the funeral was being held. No servants were about; they were all in mourning with the rest of the kingdom. No one was to work today; even my mother's chambermaid and my father's manservant were given the day off.
We stopped behind the huge doors to the throne room. Jeanine smiled maniacally before pulling Peter and me to the side. "Attack!" she hissed.
There was a loud roar as each soldier screamed his battle cry. The doors to the throne room were shoved open and screams and gasps of horror were heard as the mourners were attacked. A few knights drew their swords and attempted to defend themselves and others, but were easily slain. My heart ached and my head throbbed as I watched my people die because of me. My parents were soon at the center of a circle, swords prodding at them from all angles.
When the slaughter was over and all but my parents lay dead or dying, Jeanine strode into the room, Peter and I in two. My face burned with shame and I trembled with rage as I looked into the faces of the dead. My own hands were drenched in blood now. For I was these people's murderer.
"I think you'll find that I control Abnegation now," Jeanine called, sitting on my father's throne. She gestured for Peter to take the one next to her. She smiled cruelly at my parents, my father in particular. "Ah, Andrew. Not a day goes by that I don't wonder about you. How you're doing, how you're running the kingdom and whose back you're going to stab. I suppose I won't need to wonder for much longer, since you'll be dead."
I stared at her in shock. "You swore to me they would live!" I screamed.
"Oh, no, dear Caleb. I promised they would not be amongst the casualties of the attack. But I never promised I would allow your dear parents to live. No, no. They will receive a special execution. I suggest you hold your tongue or you will be joining them." I couldn't even process what she just said, instead I stood, staring dumbfounded at her. I stole a glance at my parents, who were now looking at me. My father seemed angry, rightfully so, whilst my mother simply looked sad. Just like when Beatrice ran away.
Jeanine snapped. "Guards, take them to the dungeon." She smiled at me as they were dragged out. "Now wasn't this fun?"
TRIS
Christina and I were almost to Abnegation, we had but a day's journey left. We didn't speak much, both our minds preoccupied with other things. Hers with Will, presumably, and mine with Caleb. I couldn't help but feel betrayed by him. I don't know what exactly had led to the series of events that occurred those few days ago, but something about it didn't settle right with me. Caleb didn't like Peter and Caleb is very hard to convince once he settles on an opinion. The fact that he was seemingly close to Peter riled me up and I found myself incredulous to the idea that Caleb actually did like him. Something else was going on and I intended to find out as soon as I reached Abnegation.
Night had settled in and Christina and I decided to make camp in the wood. She started a small fire, a task most likely used to take her mind off of Will. I wanted to reassure her, but I didn't know how. Cara had been right, we had no idea the extent of his injuries and if he was going to make it. He could be dead, for all we know.
She lay down, her back to me. Her shoulder shook a little and I knew she was crying. She did so softly, I knew she didn't want to bother me. I cleared my throat. "Goodnight, Christina."
"Goodnight," she whispered.
"And Christina," I said, "I think everything is going to be okay."
I fell asleep eventually, after spending what seemed like hours gazing at the stars. A frantic tapping on my back woke me and I turned over to see Christina kneeling beside me. "I think someone's been following us," she whispered.
"What? Why?"
"Well, for one thing the fire was put out. It didn't just die out; if it had the embers would still be burning a bit. Someone intentionally put it out and there are footsteps around it, footsteps that are much too large to belong to either of us." She glanced around her. "I was woken up by a loud snap, like a branch being stepped on. Can we please get going?"
I nodded. I could tell she was frightened. Although she would never admit it, she was vulnerable right now with the loss of Will and as her friend I was going to do all I could to help ease her worry. "Let's go," I whispered.
She smiled at me gratefully before moving to collect her things. I helped, throwing my things hurriedly into my bag. My body protested with each step I took as I was very much sleep deprived, but there wasn't much I could do at this point. We each shouldered our bags and she had her sword drawn. We began to walk through the woods and I found I could recognize parts of it.
We stopped in front of the gates to Abnegation and my heart fluttered nervously. I reached out a hand and my fingers had barely grazed the iron bars when a voice stopped me dead in my tracks. "Don't go in there. It's not how it was two weeks ago."
TOBIAS
I had to follow them. I had found their tracks outside of what I recently decided were Dauntless woods. They stopped to rest and I had made a fool of myself by dousing their fire. I didn't want it to spread and hurt either of them. Whilst heading back to my own resting spot, I somehow managed to step on the loudest stick, causing Christina to bolt upright.
She had almost immediately moved to Tris' side, waking her up and discussing something with her in hushed tones. Then they began to pack up and I realized that Christina somehow knew that I was following them. Well, not me, necessarily, but someone.
They moved quickly through the remaining wood and were soon at the gates of Abnegation. Tris was reaching for it when I called out to her. "Don't go in there. It's not how it was two weeks ago."
She turned, her mouth falling agape when she saw me. "Four?" she whispered, incredulous.
I nodded, opening my arms. Even though we had never been touchy feely before or even very forward on our feelings towards each other, I found myself desperate for her touch. She immediately ran into my open arms, flinging her own around my waist and burying her face into my chest. I pulled her tighter against me and buried my nose into her hair. I met eyes with Christina who was smiling sadly at us. She nodded once and nonchalantly turned her back. I reached down and gently touched Tris' chin. Her face was stained with tears and I wiped her cheeks with the pad of my thumb. "I'm so sorry," I murmured, pressing a kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes and nodded.
"I should've been honest with you, Four."
I took a deep breath. "I should've been honest with you, too. My name's not actually Four. It's Tobias. Tobias Eaton."
She gasped. "Wait, Eaton as in Marcus Eaton?"
I nodded slowly, looking into her eyes for some sign of anger. Instead, I found only warmth as she crashed her lips against mine. I was slightly taken aback by her sudden forwardness, but soon my lips softened and I kissed back.
She pulled back, too soon for my liking, but jerked her head towards Christina. I nodded, understanding. "So what were you saying about Abnegation having changed?" Christina called, turning back to face us.
"Erudite soldiers attacked. I- they killed almost everyone. Your parents are imprisoned currently, but other than that most are dead."
"What about Caleb?" she whispered, her eyes already filling up with tears again. I hated this. I didn't want to upset her, but I knew my next answer would shatter her heart.
"Caleb's fine," I muttered. "But Tris, there's something you need to know. Caleb led the attack."
I didn't mind holding her as she sobbed.
TRIS
Once I had calmed down, I convinced Tobias and Christina to enter the city with me. Everyone wore blue, but you could tell who was native Abnegation by the individual's demeanor. If one walked with confidence and superiority, there were probably Erudite. But if one shrank with fear and seemingly hid in their blue jackets, they were Abnegation. I was enraged to see my people like this but at the time there was nothing I could do for them.
Tobias had went to get us blue clothing so we would fit in better. He was wearing blue pants and a blue tunic, Christina and I blue dresses. He brought me a head scarf to hide my face in. It wouldn't do well for people to recognize me as princess.
We walked amongst the people, observing their treatment. Erudite soldiers were awful to them and quite often we witnessed a public flogging for the mildest of offenses. One person was being beaten for wearing a gray glove on his right hand, another woman for wearing gray slippers.
We sat in a local bar that was teeming with people. Christina disappeared to try and find news about Will whilst Tobias went to get us supper. A drunken man stepped up behind me, grabbing my hand and twirling me about. "Aren't you pretty?"
I frowned. I had known this man—he was the palace gardener. "Elias," I whispered.
"Who are you?" he muttered.
I sighed, rolling my eyes. I pulled my head scarf back a little. "It's me."
He looked at me suspiciously before breaking out into a smile. He yipped and grabbed me into a hug, swinging me around before setting me down. "Princess-"
"Sh, Elias. Please, call me Tris."
He nodded. "Tris it is, then. In case you haven't noticed, this isn't exactly Abnegation anymore."
"Of course it is!" I hissed. "I need to know what happened."
"Well, it started when your traitor of a brother let Erudite soldiers in through the servant's quarter. They stormed the castle and killed almost everyone inside, spare a few nobles and your parents."
"Where are they?"
"In the palace dungeons. They're- they're to be executed tomorrow morning at dawn."
I shook my head, incredulous. I had already lost Caleb and now my parents were going to be ripped away from me, too? It wasn't fair. I stepped back and my foot landed on the foot of an Erudite man who swore angrily at me.
Elias grabbed me by the arm and led me out of the tavern. "Princess, keep level-headed. If anyone is going to be able to save them, it's you and you know it. Now, I will be willing to offer my services in any way, but-"
"Tris!" Tobias and Christina came rushing out of the tavern then. Tobias rushed forward and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me away from Elias. "Who are you?"
"He's a friend," I muttered. "Tell me, Elias. What dungeon are they in?"
He shook his head, sadly. "I'm afraid I couldn't tell you. But I know someone who can. Can you meet me back here tonight at dusk?"
I nodded. "Of course. And thank you, Elias. Your loyalty will not go unrewarded."
He smiled at me. "Long live the selfless, Princess."
After a brief conversation with Christina on what she discovered about Will's whereabouts, she decided to stay and scope out the city. We agreed to rendezvous at dusk at the tavern, despite Tobias' refusal. Christina left us and Tobias led me out of the city and back into the woods. "Tris! Are you crazy?" he exploded once we were about a half a mile away from the city gates.
"What are you talking about?" I hissed.
"You shouldn't reveal your identity like that. He could be a traitor!"
I scoffed. "I grew up with Elias, I'm certain I can trust him. He's a good man and a loyal subject."
"You grew up with Caleb," he pointed out. "But we couldn't trust him."
I gasped. "How dare you? How dare you use my brother against me?" I glared at him and he returned my gaze. I screamed in frustration and turned on my heel, pressing my hands against my temples. Everything had come crashing down so suddenly. My brother had betrayed me and now my parents were going to die.
"Tris, I'm just being realistic, here. You can't trust anyone anymore. You don't know whose allegiances have changed."
I sighed. "Tobias- enough. I'm going to meet him."
"Why? Why do you feel the need to be a hero?"
"Because my parents are going to hang tomorrow if I don't do something about it!" I screamed, turning on him and shoving him. I shook my head and my knees buckled. I sat in the dirt with tears pooling in my eyes. "They're going to die and it's my fault."
"Tris, it's not your fault."
I nodded sadly, looking up at him. "If I had just married Peter, Caleb would've never left with him. He never would've met Jeanine and betrayed my parents. If I hadn't been so damn selfish none of this would have happened."
He sank down beside me and wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into his chest. "You can't know that," he murmured. "You can't possibly know that if you had pledged to live an unhappy life that none of this would've happened." He pressed his lips to my forehead softly and I grabbed fistfuls of his shirt and rocked.
Soon, dusk was almost upon us. I glanced up at him, pleading with my eyes. He sighed. "Fine. But I'm not leaving your side."
TOBIAS
I stood with Tris next to the tavern. We were waiting for Christina and the Elias guy, as well as whomever he had promised to bring. Tris was anxious and kept hopping from one foot to the other. I was beyond worried about her. People don't just get thrown off of a cliff only to come back and find out that their brother betrayed her parents who are now facing execution and remain sane. She was going to do something bad and I knew the only thing I could really do for her right now is to stay by her side.
Tris grabbed my hand, excitedly. "There he is!" she whispered. True enough, Elias came sauntering up to us with a man in tow.
"Princess," he murmured, bowing. "I present to you James. He was a servant in your household."
She nodded eagerly. "One of Caleb's, yes?"
The boy, James, nodded. "It's my pleasure to continue my service to the Prior household, even if not through Sir Caleb."
Her expression soured at that and I squeezed her hand reassuredly. Elias cleared his throat. "James has excellent knowledge of the palace and is still trusted by Caleb."
Tris glanced at him. "You still work there?"
James nodded. "Yes, I am Sir Caleb's manservant now. And if I may be so bold, Princess, but I don't think Sir Caleb is happy with how things are. He spends a lot of nights crying and he sneaks into the dungeons to see your parents nightly. I don't think he intended for things to go so wrong."
She took a shuddering breath. "Your loyalty and friendship to my brother is admirable, James. I need to know if you can help sneak me in to the palace though."
He nodded, hesitantly. "Yes, I can."
"Then I suppose the real question is whether or not you'd be willing to," she murmured.
He squared his shoulders and lifted his head, staring her in the eye. "Of course I will, Princess. Long live the Selfless."
Tris' eyes lit up and she gripped James' hands in her own and kissed them. "Thank you so much, James. Thank you."
Elias wrapped an arm around James and smiled. "I knew he would pull through for us."
I cleared my throat. "Tris? Can I talk to you in private?" She nodded, glancing apologetically at Elias and James before following me out of ear shot. "You're sure you trust them?"
She gave me an exasperated look and crossed her arms. "Yes, Tobias. We've already established this. I trust them, okay?"
"I'm going with you."
She shook her head. "No, you need to find Christina and help her. Besides, if I get captured then I'll need someone to save me. If you're there, you'll just be captured alongside me."
Her logic was sound, but she didn't believe it. I know she didn't, because she was so damn confident. She firmly believed that her plan was fool proof and that she wasn't going to get caught. I also know she just didn't want me along because she was afraid I would judge her if I saw her at her most vulnerable, which broke my heart. Going against all of my instincts I nodded. "Fine. But if I hear even a whisper of trouble-"
She smiled at me and kissed my cheek. "I know, I know. Knight in shining armor. Now c'mon, we need to make a plan."
CALEB
I sat outside of my parent's cell. My father still refused to talk to me, hell; he wouldn't even look at me. My mother was more understanding. She claimed she knew why I did it, that she understood the pressure I was under. I couldn't be blamed because I was a child who had been lied to. I thought I was doing right by them.
But she was wrong. I'm not a child anymore and hadn't been for a while. And I knew it was wrong. From the moment Peter dragged me into Erudite, I knew how wrong it was. But I chose not to listen to my conscience. I chose to trudge forward anyway and now look at me. Sitting in a dank, dismal dungeon giving my final goodbye's to my parents.
I was still enraged at Jeanine's dishonesty, but I don't know what I expected. She was a tyrant, a force of pure evil. Why I ever believed she would allow my parents to keep their lives I'll never understand. One thing I did know, however, was that I would do whatever it took to kill Jeanine and Peter.
"Mom- I am so sorry," I whispered, grasping her fingers through the prison bars. "I never meant for any of this to happen, but I can't make excuses for myself. I don't blame you if you never forgive me; I doubt I'll be able to. But please, just know, what I did do, the evil I committed, I thought I was doing it out of love for you."
She nodded tearfully. "Oh, Caleb, honey. I know. I want you to know that I died a proud mother, of both my children. Of you for being honest and selfless in the end, as well as Beatrice. Even though her sacrifice was for an evil man, it was still brave-"
"There's something you need to know about Beatrice," I interrupted. "She didn't sacrifice herself. She was trying to get away from Peter and he got angry. He shoved her over that cliff. He killed her and then lied about it, to gain your sympathy's. And I let it happen."
My father was livid then, his body slammed against the cage bars. He reached out and grabbed my tunic, pulling me close. "You listen here, Caleb. If you ever, ever get a chance to avenge your sister you take it. You kill Peter and you make it hurt."
My mother glanced at him, shocked. "Andrew-"
"No, Natalie. I was selfless all my life and I sacrificed a great many things. Now, on my last night on this Earth, I want to be selfish. I want to die knowing that my daughter's murder will be avenged and her murdered laid to rest by my son."
I nodded. "Of course, Father. Of course I'll kill him."
He returned my nod, sinking back onto his haunches. "Leave now, Caleb. You've been down here too long."
I sighed, standing. "I love you both," I said.
He looked up and met eyes with me. "And I you, my son. And I you."
CHRISTINA
Finally someone had seen some sign of Will, I was about to go insane. A boy by the name Robert had showed me a tavern in the shady section of Abnegation where Erudite soldiers liked to have their women. I shuddered at what Will could possibly be doing here, but I knew I needed to find him, regardless.
I stepped inside of the tavern and immediately had to dodge a glass, which shattered behind me. The place was buzzing with activity, ranging from prostitutes to complete drunks. I made my way through the crowd, shoving and elbowing past people whilst attempting to avoid stepping in vomit. The place reeked.
I stopped at the bar and slammed my hands down on the table. The bartender raised an eyebrow at me, questioningly. I smirked. "I need to find a boy named Will. He's about this high and he has blonde curly hair. Probably being tossed around my some Erudite soldiers."
The bartender laughed loudly. "I know your boy, but you've got it all wrong. Tossed around, you say? Well, I'd say he's doing most of the tossing. See for yourself." He pointed to a crowd of people who were all standing in a huge circle, surrounding two men who were battling.
I made my way over and began shoving my way through this crowd until I reached the front. Will and some kid were battling it out and people were shouting wages and whatnot. Will's jaw was severely bruised as well as his ribs, but the other kid was definitely in worse shape. His nose and mouth were bleeding so that the blood combined into one, messy glob on his chin and his eyes were both pretty swollen. Both competitors had loosely wrapped bandages around their fists, which were sporting bloody knuckles.
"Will!" I screamed. He turned and glanced at me, his eyes widening in surprise. His opponent took the chance and delivered a blow to the side of the face, sending Will to the ground. I gasped and tried to run to him, but was held back by the crowd. The scraggly boy stood over Will, raising his foot over his face. "No!" I yelled, jerking my arms free of the drunken crowd and throwing myself against the boy, knocking him over.
A large man grabbed me by the collar of my dress and lifted me up. "What's a pretty girl like you doing fighting?"
"I can fight just as well as any of these men," I spat. "Now put me down, I want out of here and I want to take Will with me."
The man guffawed. "Young Will has been fighting for his freedom, my dear. Now you can join him in his quest." He dropped me down next to Will and called for two new fighters. Two huge men stepped out of the crowd, grinning.
"We take the challenge!" the man with the fiery red hair boomed.
His partner grinned, Hook, I decided to call him, shared a confident glance with the redhead. I called him Firecrotch. The man who had grabbed me smiled at the two of them. "You ready to fight?" he asked me.
I glanced at Will, who looked pretty pissed off. "Yeah," he muttered. He stood up and offered a hand to me, which I took. "Stay out of my way," he whispered.
That bastard. I crossed my arms as he charged the two men, only to result in him being kicked in the stomach by Firecrotch, which sent him flying back into Hook's arms. I rolled my eyes at him when the two of them threw him back down by my feet. "Still want me to hang back?"
"I can handle this, Christina. I don't want you getting hurt. What are you doing here, anyway?"
"Is now the time to discuss this? And Will, both those guys are twice your size. You can't take them on at the same time."
"Watch me." He was being so difficult and ridiculously overprotective. I could handle myself and balled my fists, ready to show him. Firecrotch currently had him in a full nelson while Hook punched him hard in the stomach. Again, he was sent rolling back to my feet.
"Can I help now?"
"Whatever," he growled, charging them again
I sighed and walked up to Firecrotch. "Hey, big guy!" I yelled.
He turned and snarled at me, reaching for me. I ducked away from his meaty paws and neatly slid under his legs. I kicked him in the back and then swept his legs out from under him with my feet. He slammed onto his back, leaving a crack in the floor. I grabbed a fistful of his hair and held his head up before rearing back with my free hand and slamming it into his head, hard. He slumped down, unconscious. I glanced at Will and saw he had taken out his opponent, easily now that it was a fair fight.
He came to me and cupped my cheek. "You okay?" he asked.
"Duh," I retorted. "Now come on, let's get out of here."
"Not so fast," the host man said. "You two have yet to win your freedom." Two more lumbering guys stepped into the circle. Will and I shared an exasperated glance.
This was going to be a long night.
TRIS
James, Elias and I crept through the servant's quarters. It was dim and most of the torches were on the ground, probably smashed under the feet of Erudite soldiers.
Those bastards.
We reached the end of the tunnel and James produced a small key from his pocket. He unlocked the door and swung it open, ushering us through. I stopped, looking around me. It was incredibly off being in my old home. I wasn't particularly nostalgic about it, but I can't say I liked the way Jeanine redecorated. James led us through the corridors of the palace and to the back staircase, which led to the shallow dungeons, the ones where small offense criminals were put. At least my parents weren't in the dark and musty underground dungeons.
"If you don't mind Princess, this is where I'll leave you two," James said, opening the door for me.
I smiled at him. "Of course, James. Your loyalty is appreciated and will not go unrewarded when we have control of Abnegation back.
He smiled gratefully at me before kissing my hand softly. "Long live the selfless," he murmured, before turning and jogging back the way we came.
Elias cleared his throat. "I'll stand guard if you'd like, give you some privacy." I nodded and thanked him before moving past him into the dungeons. Thankfully there were windows, allowing in some sunlight so that I could see where I was going. I stalked past the various cells, most of them empty. I came to the end of the hall and peered into the cell. My mother and father sat, cuddled together against the wall.
I broke into a huge grin and dropped to my knees outside of their cell. "Mother, father!" I hissed.
Their heads snapped up and my mother cried out, her hand fluttering to her mouth. Tears shone in her eyes and she scooted forward, pressing her hands against the bars. "Beatrice- you're alive? Caleb said-"
"Caleb left before I was saved. He's a coward," I spat.
She shook her head. "Oh, no, Beatrice. You have it so wrong. Please, try and talk to him before they kill us tomorrow, you two will need each other."
"Mom, I won't let you two die. That's why I'm here—to bust you out."
My father sighed. "Beatrice, no. I just spent the last week believing you were dead. You're alive now and you need to stay that way and take back our kingdom. By trying to save us, you will end up dead. There's no doubt in my mind that your mother and I will die tomorrow. But we can die content, knowing that our children are still here."
Tears pooled in my eyes. "I don't want to lose you," I whispered.
My mother reached her hand through the bars and took mine. "My dear, we will always be in your hearts. We love you so much and are proud of you, despite everything."
"I'm sorry," I cried. "I'm sorry I ran away and acted so selfishly. We could be safe now if I had just agreed to marry Peter."
My father shook his head, smiling sadly. "We should never have pushed you, Beatrice. Go from here now and live out your days. Find someone who makes you happy and when you're ready, take back Abnegation. Long live the selfless."
I stood up and raised my chin and pushed my shoulders back, elongating my neck like my mother had always taught me. "Long live the selfless."
The next morning, I was woken up by the sound of the execution drums being beaten. I had fallen asleep in my tree, sprawled out on the broad branch. I stood up and looked over into the court yard where my parents were currently being lead. Jeanine had set up an extravagant scene. A gallows was the centerpiece, surrounding by blue flowers. I looked over at the raised platform on which she, Peter and Caleb stood and met eyes with my brother. He looked genuinely shocked and before I even knew what I was doing, I was waving him over.
He shook his head and my patience grew thin. I harshly jabbed my finger at him, then again at my feet. He hesitated a moment before nodding. I saw him say something to Jeanine before shooting me one last incredulous look and beginning to make his way over to me. He needed to hear what I had to say and I didn't care if it hurt him or not.
I was almost certain I hated him.
CALEB
The morning of the execution was a blur. I woke up, bathed, ate breakfast and donned my clothes for the day. I met Jeanine and Peter on the observatory platform and stood quietly beside them while they made idle chit chat. How they both behaved so casually merely moments before ordering someone's death, I would never understand. I was glancing around, trying to look anywhere but the gallows in the courtyard when a small figure on Beatrice's tree caught my eye. Upon further inspection, I realized it was she.
It took all I had to swallow the huge grin threatening to break out across my face. She began to wave me over and I don't think she meant to, judging by the way she looked at her own hand like it had a mind of its own. I shook my head at first, there was no way I was getting away from Jeanine and Peter, but she was insistent. I sighed and strutted over to Jeanine.
"I'm going to take a few moments to myself," I muttered. She glanced at me curiously but nodded after a few moments.
"Hey, Stiff," Peter called, grinning. "Don't be too long, you'll miss the show." I felt ill to my stomach and I wanted nothing more than to draw my sword and slash his throat. What was most sickening was the fact that he wasn't saying that to be malevolent, he was honestly concerned I would accidentally miss the execution of my parents. As if any child wants to watch as their parents' necks snap and their legs kick before simply dangling, lifeless.
I shook my head and made my way out of the courtyard and to the tree. I quickly scaled the trunk and pulled myself onto the broad branch. "Beatrice!" I exclaimed.
She crossed her arms and glowered at me. "Caleb. How could you do this?"
I gulped. "Wait- before you go on. I just want to make sure you understand-"
"What's to understand? That you betrayed your people and your family? That you're the reason Mom and Dad face execution and as far as I'm concerned, you're the one killing them."
"Beatrice, please. I only did it because Jeanine promised she would keep you safe from harm. You and Mom and Dad. She swore she wouldn't kill them, but she went back on it. I thought I could trust her."
"I thought I could trust you!" she whimpered. "You were my best friend and my older brother and you betrayed me."
My heart broke then, because she was right. "Oh, God. Beatrice, I am so damn sorry. So, so sorry. I know that no amount of apologies will ever make this up, but I hope that one day you can forgive me."
She almost looked like she was about to nod when she suddenly collapsed against me, crying out painfully. I looked down and saw an arrow protruding from her calf and next thing I know we were surrounded by Erudite soldiers, along with an oddly smug Jeanine and a very angry Peter.
Well, shit.
CHRISTINA
After about ten rounds of fighting and a lot of nasty hits and blood, Will and I had finally "earned our freedom". Whether that was because the majority of the crowd had passed out or the host had finally gotten himself piss drunk, I don't know nor do I really care.
Will and I exited the bar and immediately he pulled me into him, kissing the top of my head down to my nose and over to both cheeks before placing a soft kiss on my mouth. "I can't believe you came," he murmured.
I smiled at him. "Of course I did. Of course, Will." His lips came crashing down on mine and I wrapped my arms around his neck and he wrapped his around my waist. He was so enthusiastic that he lifted me off my feet and spun my around, all while keeping his lips firmly pressed against mine.
After a few moments he set me down and stroked my cheek. "You're insane, woman."
I pushed his chest gently. "Not as insane as you."
"Christina!" a voice called. I turned and saw Four sprinting towards me.
"Four? What's going on?"
"Tris is in the palace now searching for her parents. She promised me she would be back by midnight, but she still hasn't come out. The execution's soon and I'm worried she's going to try something stupid."
Will set his jaw. "Then we'll go to the palace now and find her. It's not too far and I learned a shortcut during my week imprisonment in the city. Let's go."
He grasped my hand in his, intertwining our fingers and pulling me down the street, Four following closely behind. After about a four minutes run we stopped outside of a huge fence. Will smiled softly at me before pulling away moving part of a bush aside, revealing a small hole. "Go through," he instructed.
Once inside, we stopped, looking around. Will shrugged. "I have no idea where to go from here."
Four took a deep breath and squared his shoulders. "I do. Follow me."
TOBIAS
I recognized this place. My father used to bring me to dinners at the palace and this garden happened to be where a lot of them occurred and I knew that there was a small, white stone paved path that would lead back to the main courtyard, where I was about ninety two percent sure this execution was taking place.
I lead Will and Christina to down the path and when we got closer to the edge of the garden, the crowd began to thicken. Guards and people alike were rioting and screaming and as we pushed through them I saw what had them so riled up.
Elias was lying on the ground, bruised and bloody with the word 'Stiff' carved into his forehead. I felt sick to my stomach knowing that this man had been a good man, loyal to Tris. I couldn't imagine what would happen if they found out she were here.
A small voice in the back of my mind spoke up then, reminding me of the incredibly strong possibility that "if" could quite possibly be "when". I shoved people out of my way, suddenly enraged and began to sprint to the courtyard. People were shouting inside and I couldn't see past the crowds. I attempted to push through, but the crowd was too thick and much too excited.
I screaming in frustration and I felt a small hand on my shoulder. Christina smiled reassuringly at me. "She'll be fine, Four. Don't freak yourself out, okay?"
I nodded, taking a deep breath and exhaling through my nose. In a few moments, the crowd grew silent. I could hear Jeanine shouting something about the execution, which caused uproar. I grew impatient and started to shove people again and for whatever reason, a path split much easier this time.
I stopped dead in my tracks when I reached the front. Jeanine held a knife over a small, pale arm. She began to carve into it and screams could be heard throughout the courtyard. I willed my eyes to look at the face of her victim and nearly fainted.
Tris.
TRIS
The soldiers had pulled Caleb and I into the courtyard, throwing us on the ground in front of the gallows. My mother and father stood upon the platform and my father trembled angrily. "Jeanine! Release them at once!"
Jeanine simply sneered up at them. "Before I execute the king and queen, should we not give them a sort of going away present? Should we not send them to the other world with the screams of their children echoing in their minds?"
The crowd screamed and my stomach clenched in nervous anticipation of what was coming. Jeanine grabbed me by my hair and pulled me away from Caleb. I winced as pressure was forced onto my wounded leg and Jeanine held me. "You will marry Peter as soon as I remind you of who you are." She snapped her fingers at a guard who handed her a dagger with a silver hilt, adorned with sapphires.
She unsheathed it and pressed the tip against my wrist. "This," she hissed, "is what you are and what you will always be. A stiff." She began to carve against my skin and the pain was so intense I began to scream. I didn't want to give her the satisfaction, but I couldn't help myself. I began to thrash and attempt to pull away from her but two guards stepped up and grabbed me around my waist, holding me in place.
She had finished the letter 'S' and was currently working on the 'T' when she snapped again. "Someone take the honor of decorating our dear friend Caleb."
He yelled and protested as guards reached for him and threw a punch, actually connecting with Jeanine's jaw, causing her to jerk the knife, leaving a long gash in my arm. Blood seeped out and stained my clothes.
Caleb was soon pinned on the ground and a guard knelt beside him, carving into his flesh as well. My mother was sobbing and begging for it to stop and my father screamed vulgar profanities at Jeanine. Nothing stopped her though and when she had finished I was seeing black around the edges of my vision due to the pain. The guards released me and I dropped down next to Caleb, who was gripping his wrist in his free hand, blood flowing through his fingers.
Jeanine's perfectly sculpted hair was now a frenzy, stray strands flying out everywhere. She panted and lifted her arm. "Pull the lever!" she screamed.
It happened in an instant. The man in the black hood pulled and my parents' dropped, their bodies bouncing for a moment before seemingly floating. Their faces turned blue and soon their tongues had swollen so much that they stuck out of their mouths.
Caleb put an arm around me and pulled me into him, shielding my eyes. I trembled and pressed my face tightly into his shirt, hot tears spilling down my cheeks.
TOBIAS
The guards took her away after that. After forcing her to watch her parents die, they just took her away. I have no idea where, maybe to a prison or whatever. Either way, a part of me thought I would never see her again. This part was saddened beyond belief and could barely function. Another part of me hoped she could die tonight so that her despair and whatever torture Jeanine had planned for her would end for her. She could be light as a feather and be content, maybe.
Christina tried to comfort me, but nothing worked. I wanted to be left alone, honestly. Tris was gone. She was gone from me and there was nothing I could do about it.
CALEB
Beatrice and I had been shoved into the same cell our parents had been held in. She curled into my chest and I held her, letting her cry. I wanted to do anything to ease her pain, but there was nothing I could do. My own chest ached and my throat was tight and constricted. I had caused that horrific scene out there. I had reacted too late to save my sister from having her arm carved and I had been the one to get her caught in the first place.
I was an awful brother.
TRIS
There are no words. No words to express my feelings right now. Everything hurt, emotionally and physically. I just wanted to close my eyes and sleep for forever. I never wanted to come back into this world.
PETER
Dammit. I was in love with that idiot Stiff. I knew I had to save the two of them or else I would never forgive myself. Dammit, dammit, dammit. The things love makes you do, eh?
I was walking down the corridors on my way to the dungeon. I was going to set them free and I hoped I could only get the Stiff to forgive me for everything I had done. I stopped outside of the dungeon door.
By opening it, I was throwing away everything I had worked for. I was finally important. I was basically the ruler of all of this mess, alongside Jeanine. I had so much power at my hands.
And I didn't want it, not if meant I couldn't have that Stiff.
Dammit. I threw open the door and stalked down the row of cells until I reached the last one. She looked up at me, her gaze sad and distant. I jammed the keys into the lock and opened their cell. "Let's go," I muttered.
Caleb looked up at me, surprised. "Peter-"
"I'm busting you out, okay? Now let's go, before I change my mind, Stiff."
He nodded and pulled Beatrice up with him, pulling her along behind him. She had an awful limp and was incredibly slow. I rolled my eyes and hoisted her up into my arms. I met eyes with Caleb and he nodded appreciatively at me. We made our way up to the palace corridors and back through the servant's entrance.
When we exited, I handed Beatrice over to him and stole a glance at that stupid Stiff's face. By god, I loved it. I could only hope that I could be forgiven for pushing his sister down that cliff.
I STILL FEEL NO SHAME! Although I do feel really bad for Tris and Caleb, poor guys. ;(
Also, if you didn't get my little thing at the end, Peter is in love with Caleb. PLOT TWIST. The plot continues to thicken and as sad and depressing as this story is (only four chapters in) I promise that either in the next or next next chapter there will be a happy rendezvous.
Also if you noticed this chapter kind of sucks in certain parts, that is because I wrote certain parts incredibly late in the evening.
Please, please review because it means so, so much to authors!
Also, I would like to dedicate this chapter to a friend of mine whose mom recently passed away. Her dad died when she was younger, so she's now been orphaned at only 16 years old. My heart goes out to you, Holly.
Have a great (enter time of day here)!
_Al