(E)06/11/22 Original A/N- Here Chapter 6! I hope this one comes up in your inboxes! The last chapter didn't show up in mine and none of the reviews did either? If this keeps happening just know that at some point on a Friday I'll be uploading! Let me know if you have any questions, and also if you want to see any specific tropes? I'll see where I can slot them in. Enjoy!
Chapter 6
The ride from the docks to the palace took just over an hour. We kept south of the country, riding along the coast. It's not hard to admit that Tosken is breathtakingly beautiful. I've never seen so much life in a country. Rows upon rows of trees line the roads, with the lively aqua sea just off in the near distance. I've never felt such a pull to a body of water as I do now when looking at Toskens shoreline.
The sun beams outside, to no one's disappointment. The temperature is just tiltering on uncomfortable, even with it only being spring. I can't imagine how I'm supposed to deal with anything hotter if I'm just barely getting through this. Before I left the ship, I made sure to slap on the suncream given to me this morning. Knowing my pale skin, I would be burnt in less than 5 minutes.
I look over to Christina and see her looking out of her own window. At the docks there were multiple cars waiting to escort us to the Palace, meaning Christina and I were able to ride together on our own. She looks over to me, always knowing when I'm looking at her. I can see the excitement taking over her stunning face. Her dark brown skin already glowing. I can't help but smile as I see the joy on her face. If Christina can find some delight in our situation, I'm sure I can try, too.
The Palace looms ahead, slightly elevated from the beach. I can just about make out a stumpy staircase making its way from the building to the sand. Fantasies bombard my mind. Images of myself on the beach, the sun rising over the water, taking some time to be alone. My chest aches, surprisingly. It almost feels like I've missed out on this my whole life. I shake the feeling off, unable to properly place it. I turn my attention back to the palace, taking in the giant structure. It's unlike anything I've ever seen. Contrary to Athua's palace's rigid structure, Tosken's palace is all curves and cylinders. There are multiple towers of different heights and widths, all built with a type of pale sandstone.
As we come around the curving road to the front entrance, I can see that all the towers link together, with the largest tower backing off of the entryway. We come up the driveway and stop at a set of gates. A 10ft or so wall runs along the sides of the gates, I assume circling the whole palace. When the gates open, I can get an unobstructed view of the drive. It's circular, with a sizable, intricate fountain in its centre. I look closer as the car drives past it, finding that the carved statues are actually merfolk, the water spraying upwards out of the fountain, making them appear to be floating on the waves.
The car finally stops at the doors to the palace. A plethora of people are standing on the steps, waiting to welcome their royals back home. My hand hovers over the door handle, unable to open it. This is it. It's really happening. I feel Christina squeeze my hand before opening her own door. It shuts being her, and a few seconds later, I find it in me to open mine.
When I get out of the car I see the royals and Christina have gathered by the steps. All eyes fall onto me when I shut the door, leaving me feeling very self conscious. I wrap my arms around the chest, willing myself to shrink away. When that doesn't work, I walk quickly over to the family, hoping their bodies will shield me from the prying eyes.
"You'll be lucky to disappear here, Tris." I hear Four say from behind me, coming out of nowhere. "You're going to be the talk of the palace- no, wait, the country- for the rest of your life." My head turns, glaring at him fiercely enough I hope he feels it through his thick skull.
I turn back around, trying to ignore his taunting. Annoyingly, I can still feel his stupid grin through the back of my own skull. My hand starts to twitch, begging me to use it to wipe the smirk off of his face. I'm just about to give in when I see King Marcus gesturing me forward. I clamp my hands into fists and try to push Four out of my mind, reluctantly joining the King and Queen at the front of the crowd. They both smile at me, and I give them a small smile back. I've been lucky with these two, who knows what they could have been like. I feel King Marcus's hand on my back, bringing me forward slightly.
"I would like to introduce the newest member of our household, Princess Beatrice. You are all to give her the warmest welcome possible, I don't want to hear anything about unfriendly staff." I see head nods throughout the group. "I know we all will mourn the departure of Princess Nita-" I see a few eye rolls and a splutter of muttering, interesting, "- but this is what the Divinity have planned for us, so we will embrace their choice. I, for one, know our newest family member will fit into Tosken's dynamic very easily." He finishes off with a squeeze of my shoulder. I look up at him, thinking about how I'll forever be grateful for their kindness.
"Now," he begins again, "I hope the palace has been readied for our arrival." He ends his speech and starts to walk towards the entrance. A small group of people begin rushing towards him, holding loose papers and expensive electronics. They start a discussion right away not waiting to get inside. Looks overwhelming. The Queen follows after him at a leisurely pace, a few more people surrounding her. I assume they're her advisors by the way they're dressed. A few ladies in expensive looking dresses follow behind her, chatting softly to each other.
After the Queen and King make it inside, a few people greet the Princes. I see two girls and a boy approach Four, the boy embracing him. They must be close for them not to do the proper royal greeting. I turn back around, feeling like I'm invading their privacy. I see Christina approach and give her a small smile. She gives me a large smile back. "This is beyond my imagination." I nod my head in agreement, turning in a full circle to take it all in again. It's all so different from what we are used to back home. I know we're all used to opulence, but this is on a completely different scale.
I turn back to the castle in time to see two girls, around our age, approach us. When they get to where we're standing, they go down into a curtsy. "Your Highness," the pretty girl in a light pink dress addresses me. She looks up and gives me a friendly smile, showing off her perfect teeth. "Welcome to Tosken." I smile back, her smile infectious. Her and Christina are going to get on like a house on fire. She looks like she radiates kindness, her honey blonde hair bringing life to her already warm features. Her brown eyes and full lips sit perfectly on her face, making it hard to not be slightly jealous.
I crouch down and slowly bring the both of them back up, finally looking at her quiet companion. I see she's chosen a pair of long, loose, black trousers instead of the common gown. She wears a black shirt, tucked in slightly at the front. Her head is shaven, which brings out her compelling features. A delicate nose, honey brown eyes and full lips. The two make a striking, yet unlikely, pair.
"You two don't need to ask for permission to stand after a curtsey, at least not with me." I see the two look at each other, then nod to me. "I'm Tris." I say, wanting the people I meet to use my chosen name. "And this is my best friend, Christina." I gesture towards her.
They incline their heads at each other. "It's so nice to meet you two!" Warm honey says. "I'm Marlene and this is Lynn. We were some of Princess Nita's choices for her ladies in waiting." I nod my head, I could already tell they were from wealthy families just by the way they're dressed. "We thought we'd show you two to your rooms, we've been beyond excited to meet the new
Princess!" That might be true for Marlene, but Lynn looks like she'd like to be anywhere but here.
"Looks like it." I say, smiling towards Lynn. Marlene looks back, jabbing her friend in the ribs with her elbow. I see Lynn roll her eyes before putting on the fakest smile I have ever seen. Before even thinking about it, a laugh burst out of me. "Don't pull a muscle, Lynn."
Her smile falls in a blink, she then turns around and stomps back into the Palace. The grin stays on my face as I watch her leave. Marlene's face falls slightly.
"Don't mind her," Marlene says, "she's never warm to newcomers."
We make our way inside, stepping through the enormous stone doors. "Was she close to Princess Nita?" I ask, thinking it would be a valid reason to come across so cold.
Marlene laughs sharply before looking at me, "No, no. She hated Princess Nita. Absolutely despised her, actually." I nod my head, feigning understanding. In reality, I'm completely lost. She must see the look on my face and starts explaining. "Lynn's always been closed off to strangers. When we were 5 she blanked our friend, Uriah, for 6 months before finally accepting that he wasn't going anywhere." A smile appears back onto her face when she talks about her friends. I wonder what it would be like to have a friendship group? I find Lynn interesting. I've never had someone not be overly friendly to me before. I find myself thinking how refreshing it is.
We walked into the foyer. There's a decorative circular table with a vase in the middle. I'm slightly underwhelmed when I see that the rest of the room is empty. My disappointment only lasts a few seconds until I look up. The roof is domed, with a big mural made out of stained glass on the ceiling. I can tell there are multiple different scenes depicted. Bloodied battles, sailing ships, crashing waves, and, in the middle of all the chaos, a wedding. My attention diverted back to my companions as we leave the hall. We make a right, walking down a long hallway. Every so often, we come across grand spiral staircases that lead off up the wall. A set of guards are stationed at each entrance. They bow slightly as we walk past, their attention never completely deflecting from their duty. The hallway is lit brightly, with towering windows taking up most of the north walls. Sunshine floods in, leaving a golden glow in its wake.
We come close to the end of the main hallway, but turn right up a wide staircase before the hallway ends. The upward staircase is unlike anything I've ever seen, with the marble steps large enough for giant feet. The only spiral staircases we had back in Athua were the Staff's stairs which just about fit one body through. The space inbetween the spiral is empty, leaving light to filter its way to every dark corner. To my left, on the solid wall, are windows peering into a courtyard. It seems to be a well kept garden, with trees and flowers and bushes I've never seen before. Very intrigued, but slightly overwhelmed, I decided exploring the palace will be a tomorrow job.
We make our way up to a landing with a corridor leading off the left. A few doors lead off the corridor. Marlene turns to me, eyes sparkling. "This is where your future staff will sleep. Christina, your room is the first on the left."
I can feel Christina buzzing with excitement, the anticipation of a room reveal almost too much for her. I grin over at her, "Weird of you to assume I want her as one of my staff." Christina laughs, pushing my shoulder. I grab her hand and hear a small chuckle from Marlene. She starts moving back up the stairs, "We'll show the Princess her room first." We make our way up a short amount of steps, coming to a small landing. At the end there are double doors leading to the room. I start to get nervous, for an unknown reason. It's just a room, Tris. The door opens and Marlene steps aside, letting me enter first. I step in and am stunned.
The room is huge, with an ornate bed on the east wall- if you can even call it a wall. The whole room is surrounded by seamless windows, giving me a 360 view out of all of them. The door and about 5 ft of wall at the bottom of the windows are the only things solid in this room, even the roof is made out of clear glass. There's a few tropical plants dotted around the room, a seating area and a couple window seats. There are bookshelves dotted around the room in front of the short wall. They're already filled with a few books, making me curious as to what sort of reading material they assume I'm into. There are mismatching rugs strewn across the floor, and a long set of sheer curtains that are gathered by the door. I'm absolutely speechless, this room is beyond anything I could have ever imagined.
I turn to look at Christina and see her jaw, too, has basically hit the floor. I see Marlene grin, looking around the room. "It's amazing, isn't it?" I nod, unable to form any words about how amazing this room is. The view allows me to see both the sea to the south and the forest to the north, with the mountains peeking out behind them.
Marlene walks over to the seating area and plops herself down on the sofa situated to the west of the room. Christina and I make our way over, sitting opposite her. "This room has always been for the Princess, the Queen lived here before she moved into the monarchy residence."
"What could be better than this?" I ask, unable to think of anything that could top this room.
"Who knows? I've never gone into the monarchy residence, obviously. I guess you'll find out in a few years." I feel my cheeks slowly start to get warmer, thinking about living in the monarchy residence, with the connotations that come with it. I try to look anywhere but Marlene's face. In the long run, it was worth it, as I noticed one other thing about the room.
"Are those doors?"
Marlene turns around, then jumps up. "Oh yeah! I completely forgot. Come, I'll show you." Me and Christina get up and walk towards the south windows. Marlene unlocks the unsuspecting glass doors and pulls them open. We step outside, realising there is a large balcony wrapping around the entirety of my room.
"How could you forget this." Christina says under her breath. I nod, agreeing with her. I finally feel the heat of the Tosken sun on my skin, coming up to midday at its strongest. The unobstructed breeze coming off the sea is a welcome relief. I walk over to the edge and am unable to see any tower higher than the one we're in. The plethora of towers and buildings in front of me are shorter. They may be smaller in height, but they reclaim their opulence in grandeur and largeness.
I turn back around to look at my new balcony. There are more seating areas out here, and to my own delight, a swing seat, this time it's an egg shaped one, with the comfiest looking cushions.
"This is actually insane, Marlene." I say. She nods her head, agreeing with me.
"You're lucky Nita never stepped foot in it, she definitely would have torn it to shreds."
"Was she really that bad?" I ask, still not getting the full picture of the Princess. Our brief meetings didn't give away all that much.
Marlene nods, stuck in thought. "She's the rudest person I've ever met. And I know a lot of people."
My heart drops suddenly, unable to not think about the situation my Athuan Princes must be dealing with now. I feel sick, knowing there is nothing I can do for them.
Christina comes up beside me, looping her arm through my own. "They'll be okay, Bea."
I nod my head, not trusting myself to speak. I hear Marlene shuffling around behind us and turn around. "I think I'll leave you two to it! One of the maids will show you where the dining room is. Christina, I'll be up for you after Tris leaves." She gives us one final smile, curtsies, then moves to leave. "Oh! One last thing. We passed a door on the way up here. Those are your bathing chamber and your dressing room."
She leaves right after that, me and Christina alone, once again. My best friend turns to me, grinning. "Let's go see this dressing room."
...
The dressing room and the bathing chambers are slightly smaller than the bedroom, and with a lot more privacy. A few stained glass windows have been placed around the rooms, letting an array of colour seep in. I don't spend too long there as I want Christina to see her own room.
We basically run down the stairs, coming to the landing and then we are standing in front of her door. She reaches for the brass handle, twisting it, then pushes the door open. We walk into a spacious room, with three tall windows looking out at a slightly obstructed view of the sea. Her four poster bed is placed along the stairwell wall, with a built-in closet and a door leading to a bathroom, I assume. It's light and airy, almost reminding me of my room back home. I can see a few bookshelves encasing the door, and a long sofa just below the windows. These rooms are beyond my imagination. At home, I thought my swing seat on the balcony was extravagant. But the Tosken royals take it to a whole other level.
I look at Christina, slowly making her way around the room, "How'd you like it?" I ask.
She looks over at me, her smile taking over her whole face. "It's amazing! Have you seen the wardrobe space?" I laugh and walk over to stand next to her, looking into her walk-in wardrobe. It's definitely more than enough space for all of Christina's belongings. I just know that she'll use the extra room as an excuse to buy two times the amount of clothing when she finally gets her Lady's salary.
"Is that a couple of dresses already in there?" I ask, stepping into the wardrobe. I run my hand through the airy dresses, watching as the fabric dances back down. "So pretty, yet so different." I'm finally getting used to the lightweight fabric hanging off of my body, obliviously grateful not to be wearing my heavy Athuan wear. I walk back out of her closet, my eyes falling on her few bags that she brought with her onto the ship. "I'll leave you to unpack, I've got a few things that I need to do."
She looks at me, her eyes softening, "You sure you'll be alright by yourself?"
I roll my eyes half heartedly, "I'll be fine Christina, I promise I'm not leaving my room. Come up if you'd like when you're finished." She nods her head and I turn to leave, feeling her gaze on me until I shut the door. It's only just past lunch, but I'm not feeling very hungry. I make my way back to my bedroom, stepping into the conservatory. Weird that it's not boiling hot in here, it must be a special kind of reflective glass.
I go to my bag and pull out my phone. I've completely forgotten that I broke it the day Peter jumped off the ship. I feel a pang in my chest, knowing that my Athuan family is further away than they've ever been. I drop it on the bed, telling myself the next time I see a maid I'll ask if they know where I can get it fixed. I wince slightly, remembering the last accidental call I made. Xav must be going insane.
I put my suitcase that holds my clothes next to the door, ready for me to unpack later. I don't want any of the staff to touch my few items I have from Athua. I rummage through my bag, finding my mother's necklace. I place it in the jewellery box on my dressing table, facing the forest. I guess I better ask about a jewelers as well. I've never been this unlucky with items breaking. Sounds like a great start for a new beginning. I take out a few of my novels, a couple writing pads, a scrapbook and a photo album. I place them under my bedside table, feeling better that they'll be close to me when I'm sleeping.
The last thing in my bag is a few loose photos that I didn't have time to put into my album. I flick through them, seeing that there's one of me and the boys at Gideon's 19th birthday dinner this past January. I can remember Ash having a bit too much to drink and falling into the table with Gideon's birthday cake on. It's unsurprising to say that Gideon was not pleased. I find myself smiling for the first time when thinking about the boys which makes me feel uneasy. It's almost as if they're already just a memory.
I put the picture to the side, quickly thumbing through the rest. I saw one of me and Christina at the royal summer fair. We had just come off the ferris wheel, and Xav had snapped a photo of us both rosy cheeked and grinning.
The next is of me and my parents. They're both looking down at me whilst I smile ahead at the camera. This was one of my 16th birthday portraits, late last year. The photo hits the pile on the floor. Why am I going through these?
I go to put them on my shelf when I catch a glimpse of the last photo. I slowly bring it up to my line of vision, seeing that it's of me and Xav. Two crowns are perched precariously atop of our heads. Our eyes shine, both looking taken with each other. We're facing one another, rather than looking at the camera. I remember this day more vividly than the rest. Mum and Dad had just gone to do some kind of business abroad and Ash had gone into the vault and 'borrowed' the coronation crowns. I was very unsure about the whole plan, and very scared to be holding such an important piece of our history in my hands. But, as soon as Xaver put that crown on my head, every thought vanished and I completely forgot we were just playing dress up like children.
A water droplet lands on the image. I quickly rub it off, looking up to the roof, searching for a leak. It's not even raining?- oh. I wipe my hand across my face, fed up with all the crying. No more. I put the pictures on my shelf, and make a mental note to frame them. Even if they're hard to look at now, I know I want them with me.
Before I feel fully composed, I hear a knock at the door. Knowing that it's Christina, I don't bother trying to make myself look like I haven't been crying, she could tell if I was crying two weeks ago. I open one of the doors and am met with a hard looking chest. Oh god. I lift my face slowly, already knowing who stands before me.
Four is looking down at me, his brows furrowed. He opens his mouth to say something but I cut in before he can make some snarky comment about my face. "What do you want, Four."
His eye brows shoot up and his arms go up, defensively. "Whoa, there. I'm not here on my own accord. Mum told me to give you a tour. Take your aggression out on her."
"I'm not in the mood for a tour."
"You ever in the mood for anything?"
I glare at him and start to shut the door. His foot pops out, diminishing my efforts. He pushes it back open and walks into the room like it's his. "I've always liked this room, but could never imagine Nita living in it." He moves to the sofa and lazily flops down onto it.
My eyebrows pull together, confused and annoyed that he's making himself at home. "What are you doing?"
He grabs a book off my shelf and thumbs through it. "Well if you won't come on my tour I'm going to sit here and enjoy the view."
I groan and flop down on my bed, staring up at the sky. "You're beyond annoying."
I hear him hum, still pretending to read. I lean up on my elbows, looking at him. "Look. I've been around people non stop for, like, the past 4 days. I've finally had time to recharge and then you waltz in like you own the place. You don't really expect me to want to go on a tour with you."
He finally looks up, making eye contact. "You're going to need a tour some time soon. If you're that opposed to my company this fine day, I'll be back up here bright and early tomorrow morning- but I can't promise there won't be a storm." I stare at him, wondering why he's so adamant about taking me on this stupid tour.
"What's your deal, Four? Why do you want to take me on this tour so badly?"
He looks caught out for a second before the look vanishes, making me wonder if I had even seen it. "I obviously don't want to let my mother down," he replies emotionlessly. I look at him for a few seconds before a laugh bursts from my chest.
"Right, I'm really going to believe that, with you all being so close. Stop bringing your mother into this." I get off the bed and walk out onto the balcony. I lean on the railing hoping Four will get the gist and leave me alone. Wishful thinking has never been one of my strong suits.
He is soon standing next to me, leaning his muscular body next to mine. "I'll be on the beach at sunrise. If you want that tour, meet me then." He then decides that he's pushed his luck enough and walks back into my room. I hear my door shut a few seconds later. My head drops, my forehead resting on the flat railing. Talking to that boy is beyond exhausting.
I head back inside to grab my journal and a book, deciding that sitting on the balcony with the option of writing or reading is the most inviting option to do whilst I wait for the dreaded dinner this evening.
Christina soon joins me, a fashion magazine in hand. We spend the next couple hours in a comfortable silence. I even forget to mention my encounter with the Dauntless Prince.