A/N- Happy Friday! Hope everyone had a great week! Tris hasn't had the best start to her week, but! It will get better. Tris, just like you all, doesn't have a clue how she burnt that man or why it happened, she's going to have to use her Erudite mind to figure it out. Enjoy the chapter, and look forward to the next one, where it's going to be Four's POV! Bethany x

Chapter 14.

Days pass at the palace with no real meaning. I keep to myself in my room for the most part, unable to shift my upset stomach. Four comes up once a day, trying to get me to talk. I know he's concerned, but I can't bring myself to talk to him. My mind's full of foggy memories, no way for them to come forward. I try to think back to the day at the lake, barely knowing what had happened. The only thing that has taken root, is the deep red burn mark on that man's hand, his skin already discolouring and peeling. Something in me hurt him. And I don't know what. I alternate between thoughts, trying to figure out what happened. I think of Arthur's sapphire ring. This wasn't like the cold burns on his finger, these were heat burns. There's no denying that his palms were not burnt before, I could see the welts forming where he held me.

I haven't told anyone what happened down by the lake, not even Four. When he had interrupted those men at the lake, my relief overtook me and it had slipped my mind. My head has been a jumbled mess since then, the more I think of that day, the less I seem to hold on to. I'm sure if I was more cognitive, I would have told Four straight away. But now that I've had time to dwell on my situation, I'm not sure what to do.

The puppy whines next to me, bringing me out of my thoughts. I reach out, subconsciously going to smooth it. I stop just before we make contact, remembering my dilemma. I go back and forth, at war with whether I should take the risk. I would never harm him intentionally. Maybe it's about mental control. Maybe if I just think happy thoughts-

"Ow!" I exclaim, trying to snatch my hand back. I stare at the little devil, seeing him now gnaw on my fingers. His baby shark teeth pierce as he uses me as a high quality teething toy. I grab him one of the many toys strewn on my bed, trying to get his attention off of my flesh. It doesn't work. What is it with dogs and absolutely obsessing over chewing on human skin?

Knowing the toy is a lost cause, I reach over to my bedside table, grabbing the treats I have stored in the draw. As soon as he hears the bag rustle, he stops, sitting up straight. I grin at him, shaking my head. "You fat little shit." I feed him a few, then shove the rope toy in his awaiting mouth, tugging on it to keep him occupied.

I smile down at the dog, knowing that my self quarantine would have been so much worse without him here to ruin my peace. I realise, then, that nothing happened to him. I touched him, well, he bit me, and he's not got any blisters forming in his mouth. I lean over and finally rub his chubby belly, pleased with his undying persistence for flesh.

I still haven't chosen a name for him, which is starting to be a downfall. I know I need to start calling him something other than puppy if I want him to recall to it but-

There's a knock at the door. I look at the large wooden entryway, wondering who it could be. Christina and Four have both been giving me space, even when they don't actually know what they're giving me space for. "Who is it?" I say, raising my voice slightly. The puppy barks as the door gets pushed , but doesn't open. It's been locked for the past few days, keeping everyone out. The puppy needing the toilet became a slight issue, with a few accidents inevitable. But, I had discovered an outside staircase at the back of the tower, allowing a quick escape. I've, with effort, made myself remember the exit; it may come in handy at some point.

I undo the lock and open the door. Standing on the other side is Myra.

She curtsies and smiles shyly at me. "Your Highness," she begins. "The Queen wants to meet with you in the throne room." I nod, grabbing a cardigan to go over my dress; I can already feel the temperature change in the hallway from the door being open. I grab the already hefty puppy, hoisting him up into my arms. He's growing like a weed.

We make our way down the stairs, Edward accompanying up as we make our way through the castle. I put the dog down as soon as there are no steps to walk down, my arms screaming at me to let go.

Myra and Edward chatter quietly among themselves whilst I go on ahead. They seem to have gotten closer over the time I've been gone. It's nice, seeing Edward find something meaningful in this new life. But, as they talk to themselves, I think of how unnecessary their presence is to me at this moment. I know where the throne room is by now.

We make our way back to the foyer and walk under the grand double staircases that line the walls. There's a large arch just behind the staircases, in the middle of the wall. The doors are closed, with two guards at either side. They see me approach and push open the smooth wood. The room is intimidatingly large. It's circular, with staggered benched lining the walls. The benches circle in the two thrones that are sat in the centre of the room. People fill the space, some staff members are doing daily maintenance, others- higher up officials, are chatting on the benches, in deep discussions.

Queen Evelyn's eyes meet mine from across the room. She sits on the throne to the left. She looks stressed, people talking at her from all angles. "Quite down!" She projects. Her voice is hard enough to travel through the room. "The room is needed for family business. Please leave through the back door." Everyone is up and out in a flash, the room becoming an empty vessel without the patriots.

I make my way forward, hearing the doors shut behind me. The puppy runs ahead, pawing at the Queen's legs. Some of that tight strain breaks off of her face as she picks the golden puppy up. She laughs as he licks her face, then settles him back down to roam around.

She smiles warmly at me as I come closer. "Tris." She says, extending her hands to me. I take them and she squeezes gently. "Thank you for coming so quickly. I don't know what I would do if I had another Nita around here at this moment." She sighs and pats my left hand.

I look at her with some concern. "Are you okay, Your Magisty?"

She gives me a tight smile, shaking her head. "Please call me Evelyn, Tris. We are family now." I nod, keeping quiet. It's going to take some time getting used to calling her that. She begins again, rubbing her forehead, "One of my ladies has been ill for the past few weeks. She's not getting any better and it's wearing on me." I watch her, feeling the tension in the air. "I'm behind in so much work and there's no time to visit her. She's my oldest friend and I just feel so terrible about it. I don't know what I'll do if-" She cuts herself off, but I already knew where she was going. I can't imagine fearing for someone's life and not being able to see them.

I clear my throat, "Is she close by?" I ask, wondering if there's anything I could do to help out. Maybe there's some tasks of the Queens that I'd be capable of doing.

She shakes her head. "No. She's usually at the palace, with me. But when she got sick, I sent her home. She lives in Abnegation." I nod, knowing that it would be a two day round trip if she was going to go visit.

She leans back in her seat, her shoulders sagging. "I also feel terrible that we desperately need her husband here. He goes back on the weekends and I can see that it's starting to exhaust him-"

I interrupted her without thinking, "What's her husband's name?" I think I know who we are talking about.

Her brows scrunch together. "Andrew. He's Marcus's main advisor. He also chaperoned you for part of your trip until he had to leave."

Intrigue fills me. Andrew has always been weird when I have brought up his wife. I mean, he's odd around me anyway, but he's even worse when I try to talk about her. Maybe she's so ill that it's a sore subject? But I can't let go of the nagging feeling that that's not all there is to it.

"I know it's not the same," I begin, not even really knowing why I'm offering this, "but I still haven't done my tour of Abnegation. And with Al now feeling better, maybe I could go in the next week. I could visit your friend whilst I am there, tell her you're thinking of her?"

I hold my breath as she thinks over my suggestion. I need to do this. I'm not sure why, but I need to.

She nods her head solemnly. "That's very thoughtful of you, Tris. I appreciate it." I nod in response, not sure what else to say.

She seems to perk up slightly, sitting up straighter in her seat. She reaches across to the long table sat in between the two thrones. "I'm sorry for rambling. That's not why I called you down here." She flicks through the papers until she finds the one she's looking for. "Ah, here it is." She skims her eyes over it whilst speaking. "I took into account your choices for advisors." Oh. That's what we're going to be talking about.

When I had gotten back from Dauntless a few days ago, I had given the Queen a list of people I thought would be good for the job. She had also asked me to give the names of my ladies in waiting. That one was simple, seeming I could only muster up two people I'd like to spend time with in that way.

Evelyn looks up at me, turning on her queen persona. "Now, these choices are good for now. But as the people's Princess and future Queen, you'll need a better variety in your picks." I nod, already knowing this. It's just hard to pick people for the job when you know not a lot of people from the other factions. I wonder how Nita's doing in Athua?

"It's going to take some time to get to know and trust other people from the other factions," I say, "but it will be done."

Seeming pleased, she puts the paper back on the table. "Good. Your choices are waiting for you in your office. I haven't disclosed why they're there, that will be up to you."

Our conversation ends quickly after that and I rush out of the room. The Queen asks to keep the puppy for the rest of the afternoon, which I was happy to oblige; the time alone is more than welcome.

I make a right out of the doors, taking another right until I come to the end of the hall. I've only been in here once, when I was given a speedy tour of the palace. It's a nice space, but I haven't really needed to use an office.

I push the door open and smile, seeing my Dauntless friends all seated around the circular table in the centre of the room. They look up as I walk in, smiling back at me.

Uriah stands up, raising his eyebrows. "This is, uh, different." He says, pointing up and down at me. I think about the last time I saw them, dressed in Dauntless black, wearing trousers and a top.

I look down at my lavender, flowy dress and roll my eyes. "Get used to it, Uriah. This is how I keep up appearances."

Marlene perks up at this, jumping a bit in her seat. "Oh! We actually brought you some Dauntless clothing! For the next time you visit." She grabs the bag off the floor and hands it to me.

I smile at her. "Thank you, Marlene. This is really ki- thoughtful." I stop myself before calling her kind, not thinking a Dauntless would appreciate being compared to an Amity.

I take the bag over to my desk at the far end of the room, placing it on the chair. Walking back over to the group, I sit at the top of the table, between Will and Uriah. I open my mouth to start speaking, when the door bangs open. Christina walks in, acting like she didn't just make a dent in the wall. She looks over the group and frowns. "You weren't going to start without me, were you?"

Resisting the urge to roll my eyes again, I shake my head. "You don't need to be here Christina." I say, looking at her as she sits down next to Will.

She shrugs, leaning her elbows on the table and resting her chin on her palms. "I didn't want to miss out on a group conversation."

I leave her be, knowing there is no harm in her listening in on the discussion. She'll be working closely with them all soon enough. An idea passes through me, my eyes flickering to Christina. Maybe there is a way to make her an actual part of this conversation.

"Right." I say, getting all of their attention back on me. Lynn, out of all of them, looks the most intrigued in what I'm about to say. It's weird to see any emotion except discontempt on her face. "The Royal House of Tosken has called you here today because we have some job roles that need filling." I look around their faces, trying to hold back my smile. Will and Lynn's eyes have lit up, and Uriah and Marlene are grinning, looking towards me. "I know you were feeling unfulfilled about your job roles back at the compound, so I'm going to offer you something different." I can't resist prolonging my offer, increasing the anticipation.

I look at Christina and see she looks smug, grinning around at our friend's faces. She's known since our conversation at the dining hall where my mind was heading. We then talked about it when we got back to my apartment in Dauntless.

"So-"

"Please get to it, Tris," Uriah begs, looking jittery, "I don't know how much longer I can sit still."

I laugh, conceding. "Fine, fine. I've got positions for advisors and ladies in waiting. Now, don't let the name fool you. The positions are open to everyone." I take a breath and carry on. "I want you all to choose something you want to do, not something you think is expected of you." I look pointedly at Lynn. She meets my gaze and I see her give me a small nod.

"I'll walk you all through the positions vaguely and I'll give you some papers to read through to fully make up your minds." I stand, walking over to my desk. I had seen the papers there when I dropped the bag on the chair. I caught the words 'positions' and 'advisor' on them, making it obvious what they were about. There's a sticky note on the top of the paper pile. 'To give' is scrawled on it. I pass them around, and put the rest in the centre of the table. I sit, not taking a sheet. I may be new here, but I have extensive knowledge on the way a royal household is run.

"Let's start with the advisors." I see that I have everyone's attention. "As you may know from your older siblings, you will be a big part in my decision making." I see a few nods, letting me know they're engaged. I suppress my grin, feeling the excitement vibrating through the room. "Advisement is the key word. I will be the one to make the final decision, but I'm replying to you to have more knowledge than me on a range of subjects. You'll join me when I leave the Palace for Royal duties, but you'll also be here 5 days a week to keep me company." I joke, finally smiling at them.

Uriah, Marlene and Lynn laugh. Will, raising his eyebrows, speaks up. "Isn't that a job for your ladies?" He goes to nudge Christina in the side, but she grabs his elbow before he can land it.

"Don't even think about it, Will." Rubbing his elbow, he returns to his prior position, feigning pain.

"I'm only messing with you, Tris." He says, his expression changing to amusement.

I wave him off. "Now for the Ladies in waiting positions." I turn to Christina, a bit nervous. "Christina." She hums in response, looking back at me. I can tell she hasn't been listening too well, as her position is already set for her. "I want you to have the option, too." I say slowly, keeping eye contact. She's quiet, surprised coasting her face. "If you want to go down the Advisor route, you're more than welcome. I want you to find the position that's right for you." She breaks our eye contact, looking back down at her sheet of paper. I don't know why I feel so nervous about her answer. Maybe it's because I've been so certain for my whole life that Christina would always be by my side. The Advisor will be leaving the castle without me far more than a Lady would. But I can't not give her the choice, her happiness means more to me than my own selfish needs.

After what feels like an eternity, she looks up. Her face gives away nothing, which is odd for her Candor affiliation. "So just to set this straight." A pause. "Being an advisor means doing actual work and homework and travelling and talking to officials all around the world?" I nod, not sure which side she's leaning towards. She's an outgoing person, she would do well in all those situations. She's also brilliantly smart, she would have no trouble with the extra work needed.

She leans back in her seat, relaxing. "I think the position I hold is right for me." I let out a breath, not hiding my relief. "Anyway," she begins, "I have just as much influence over you as a lady without all the work as I would as an advisor." We all laugh at that and I nod my head, knowing it's true.

I quickly read over the information for Ladies in waiting. Company is the main one, but they will also be in my meetings. They may not have written influence, but that doesn't mean they can't express their opinions to me.

I let them all know that they'll all have a room on the floor below mine, where Christina resides. They'll have the weekends to travel home and have time away from the stressful responsibilities that lie ahead. Holidays are advised, a month and a half for them to do as they please.

"For those of you who pick the advisor role, you will have tutoring from 9am-12pm every weekday. This will last 6 months, when you are at the palace. Education will have to wait whilst we're away." They don't seem surprised, probably remembering Zeke and Shauna going through the same. "Now, for the Ladies," I scan the group, amusement filling my voice, "I will be your teacher." Christina laughs and I grin at her. I see Marlene smile to herself, looking over her sheet once more. I look next to her, to Lynn. Her sheet is down, her hands in her lap. She looks like she's made her decision.

Uriah and Will both seem at ease, like they have been for our whole meeting. I'm 99% sure I know what they'll choose.

Anxious to hear their choices, I say, "Have you all come to your decision or do you need some time to mull this over?"

I look at Marlene, getting that she's the only one to look like she's on the fence. "I'm ready." She finally says, flooding up the information paper and placing it on the table. She looks at me and grins. "I'd like to become one of your Ladies in waiting."

I hear Christina woop and I laugh. "I'll look forward to getting to know you better, Marlene." Uriah squeezes her shoulder at the same time Lynn squeezes her arm. The pair don't seem to notice, but Marlene and I do. We catch each other's eye quickly before ignoring what just happened. I'll be sure to talk to her about this situation when we're alone.

"Uriah." I say, bringing the attention off of Marlene.

He says proudly, "Is this even a question? I was born to advise, remember?" I nod, knowing it wasn't all that long ago that he had said it.

I turn to Will and he seems relieved that I have finally gotten to him. "Adviser." He doesn't elaborate. What would I expect from a prior Erudite? I just told him he has to go back to school for 6 months.

I nod to Will, pleased with everyone's decisions so far. I turn to Lynn, unsure what she'll pick. Will she choose what is expected of her, or take a risk?

"I'd like to work as one of your advisors." I beam at her, glad she took the risk. Uriah gets up and rushes to Lynn, hugging her from the back. Surprisingly, she doesn't push him off. She smiles instead as the room breaks out in excited chatter.

Uriah pushes his physical contact for a few seconds too long, and Lynn removes his hands, pushing him away. "That's enough now."

I cap my hands together, getting their attention back to me. "It's a Friday, so you'll have the weekend to prepare. I'll meet you back here at 8:30 Monday morning-" A knock at the door interrupts me. Gathering my thoughts, I say, "Come in."

The door opens and Four pops his face in, taking into account the group of people. "Am I interrupting something?" He asks, not sounding like he cares if he did.

"No, I was just finishing up." I reply, looking at him questionably. How did he know I was in here?

He nods, opening the door wider and enters the room. He moves to the sofa in the corner and sits down, getting comfortable. I feel my eyebrows pull together but try to ignore him, knowing I don't have anything left to say to my friends. "That's all, I'll look forward to seeing you all on Monday."

They all get up, saying their goodbyes before walking out the door. Before she leaves, I see Christnina give me a knowing look. I ignore her, shutting the door as she passes the threshold. I stare at the closed door for a few seconds, thinking about how this conversation is going to go. I've been avoiding him since we got back from the lake, paranoid that my emotions will change so quick that I'm at risk of harming him-

He's behind me, his hand on my shoulder. I turn around fast, making him drop his arm. The dog's one thing- but Four?

His arm falls to his side and he looks down at me, concerned. "What's going on, Tris?"

My eyes scan the room, looking for a distraction or another way out. I see nothing. I reach behind me and touch the door handle. His hand is out like a flash and he's holding my wrist, pulling it towards him. I suck in a breath, waiting for him to drop it in agony. I count to 10, and nothing happens. He's looking at me again, his patients slowly wearing thin.

I open my mouth to try and fib my way out of this situation, but he beats me to it. "Talk to me, Tris. And no lies- I can tell when you're not telling the truth."

"Didn't realise you were a Candor." I mutter under my breath. He hears, and by the looks of it, doesn't find it funny.

I huff out a breath, not sure what to do. I go down the route that I'm sure he's guessing at. "I just needed some time, Four. I needed to process what happened- it's obvious you just don't get it." I know he's thinking of what happened with the men, but he wouldn't even be able to conjure up the real reason for my aloofness. The fear I had when the men surrounded me, their hungry eyes ravaging me when I was hopeless on the floor- that was traumatising. I'm not lying when I say that I needed to process what happened, but the burn of that man's face? It's completely overridden those memories. I can hardly remember the aftermath of that day, my memories blocked by my own self preservation. I'm surprised I remember anything at all.

He looks hurt by my accusation, and I regret saying it. I'm silent, not wanting to say something that will hurt him more.

He takes a step back, dropping my arm. I had forgotten he was holding it, it had felt as normal as my own arm connected to my body. I resist reaching back out, respecting his decision. I can't say it didn't sting.

"You're right. I don't know." He says, emotionless. "But I can't do anything about that if you don't let me in, Tris."

I look at him, conflicted. Should I tell him the truth? What would he think of me? How could I expect him to treat me the same when I don't even know who this person is?

I take one final glance at him and I can see the hope simmering in his eyes. That look pushes me over the edge. I nod.

I can visibly see him relax. He goes for the table to sit, but I grab his arm before he can. He looks at me in question. "Not here." Is all I say, looking briefly at the camera in the corner. He follows my eyeline, and nods. I can tell he's now wondering what's so secretive that a security camera can't witness.

"The stables, then." He ends up saying. I trust that the stables are camerless, seeming the structure is separate from the palace.

I nod and brace myself. We leave my office and I don't relax for the rest of the journey.