Princess Divergent

Chapter 20

Tris POV
"Tobias, I-I can't."

His smile immediately lowers like an anchor off a ship. He stands up and walks to the window. I grab his arm to stop him.

"Tobias wait! It's not that I don't want to marry you! It's been so long since I've liked a guy but thugs are complicated right now!"

His face contorts with sorrow.

"But I'm willing to be with you through it. Can't you see that I love you ?"

He doesn't understand. He doesn't understand anything. I would love to marry Tobias. Sure- we just met but I love him. The way we just were a few minutes ago, it wasn't sex. We made love and that's more than any guy I've dated had ever done for me. They were in it for my crown and to be dating a princess.

He doesn't know the real me. He doesn't know Tris. I can't marry him with all these lies.

"You're just saying that because we had sex. I'm not a fool."

His eyebrows furrow and it makes creases in his forehead.

"We did not have sex." His voice quiet and low but filled with anger. "We made love, ... or at least I did anyway."

He feels the same too.

And with that, he pulls himself out of my tower and down the stone wall.

My vision blurs as tears well up in my eyes. My knees wobble. I hang on to my bedpost for support.

I hear a thud at me window and look over to see my messenger bird. I stumble over and take the note it was carrying. I gently stroke it's back and open the message.

Princess Beatrice,
How are you doing so far ? As you know, the Kingdom Festival is in 2 days. I am currently on my way to your kingdom as your reading this. I have your dress in my carriage and all your wedding plans.

You're getting married in 4 days! I have most of your wedding plans. You need to start packing for dauntless. No clothes though. You dress so...plain. Dauntless is bold. I'll see you tomorrow morning!
Your lady in waiting,
Lady Christina

That does it for my knees. I fall to the floor next to the window. I reread the letter. This can't be right ? I put my hand over my mouth and let out a soft sob. Well- it starts out soft but I end up sobbing up a storm.

I can't get married. I'm not ready. I haven't met him and I don't love him.

I'm too weak to walk to my bed so I lay there on the floor, drowning in my own cries until slumber takes me over.
__________________________

The next morning I wake up to Johanna shaking me vigorously.

"Princess Beatrice! Wake up!"

"JOHANNA! Why on earth are you shaking me so hard?"

She sits up and smiles softly. "I'm sorry Princess but I had orders from your father to wake you up. Lady Christina will be here any minute and you've yet to eat or bathe."

I groan and sit up. I look to my left and see the letter from Christina. It soaked up all my tears from last night so it's a crinkly mess.

I pick it up and I'm about to chuck it out my window when I see something on the back. It's a special message. I can barely see it through the mush though.

You don't want to go through the with this do you? Meet me in the library.

I look farther down the paper to see the page has been ripped out of a book.

The History of Dauntless - Page 241

We have that book in the library...but it's in the restricted section.

"Is everything alright Princess?"

I forgot Johanna was still sitting here.

"Oh yes! Everything is fine, um, thank you for waking me up. I think I'll skip breakfast and just take my bath now."

"Would you like me to help you this time ?"

I let out a small sigh and give her a smile. "Thank you but no. Like I said before, I'm more than capable of bathing myself."

"Are you sure? I haven't been feeling much like a lady in waiting and I wouldn't mind at all if it helps your day go along smoother."

"Really, I'm fine."

Johanna smiles at me but it quickly falls. I understand she wants to do more. I can do my own bathing, and cooking, and even cleaning. Sometimes I would help the cook when my dad isn't looking. I would purposely make a mess so I could clean it up.

And the thought of someone else bathing me gives me shivers. Johanna must want something to do.

"But can you lay out my clothes for the day?"

She gives me a grin. "Of course."

And with that, I walk to my large bathroom that has my own personal water bucket that runs from the well. It was given to us by the erudite. I press down on the pump and let the tub fill with water. As the water starts to fill, I light a match on the burner under my tub to heat the water. I used to think, when I was little, that I was being cooked in soup. But now it heats the water slowly soothing every muscle in my body.

I get in and I immediately sink down to the bottom to let the heat absorb all my pain away.

As I emerge, I hear a scream. And a shatter.

Hey guys. So this chapter was really a filler for what is about to happen. I'm sorry it took so long for me to write. I had a HUGE writers block. A 7 day writers block to be exact and I couldn't find the will to write something good. But kudos to you if you read this! See you next chapter ! ✨