The Future Queen and King of Dauntless

Chapter 47

Tris POV

It's been three days since everything happened with Shauna and myself. Tobias has been by my side as much as he can and if it wasn't him it was Eric. Eric also has placed guards with Shauna and Marlene. Today I am allowed to leave the infirmary, though I will have to return in a few days to have my stitches removed from my leg. I get up out of the bed I have been stuck in for the first time and nearly fall flat on my face, and I would have if Tobias wasn't there to catch me. I realize that I can't put full pressure on my one leg, it feels like I will pop all my stitches and reopen the wound on my leg, forcing me back in that awful bed, and away from Tobias again. I think he notices me struggling and bends down placing an arm under my knees and his other behind my shoulders and lifts me up, carrying me bridal style to the dining hall, being careful of my leg. I feel slightly embarrassed by his actions but I love the closeness this creates. He places me gently down into a chair and sits next to me kissing my forehead before turning to Uriah.

Tobias POV

I can't wait for Tris to finally get out of the infirmary. Our bed is lonely without her and the truth of the matter is I can't sleep without her. These past three nights have been torturous without her, and yet I feel so guilty feeling this way while Zeke and Shauna's lives are drastically changed. Shauna is learning to get around the castle in her chair. Zeke carries her up and down the stairs numerous times a day, but he always has a smile on his face, Shauna smiles up at him each time with nothing but love in her heart. I am happy I told them she could stay. I have had some of the castle workers put together a wedding gift for the two of them, I have designed a small cottage that will be put in the garden and a ramp into the castle so she can get into the dining hall, ballroom and meeting rooms. I hope they will like it.

I decide to stop trying to sleep yet again and head to the training room. I take out my frustrations on one of the many punching bags that reside there. Soon I am lost to the rhythmic sound of my flesh hitting fabric, I don't stop till the sun has risen high in the sky, I finish and look down at my now red and swollen knuckles. I sigh deeply and head back to my room to shower and get dressed. The warm water soothes my muscles and I breathe a sigh of relief. As I slip my shoes on a small smile creeps onto my face, in a matter of moments Tris will no longer be confined to a small room, to a bed, I will get to eat with her again, and Eric will no longer be watching her at night. Instead she will be wrapped in my arms lying beside me in our bed.

I enter her room with a new vigor, excited for the rest of our day together without being separated by means beyond our control. I will not let her out of my sight as long as it can be helped. I can't live through that experience again, I almost lost her completely, and it nearly killed me in the process. We can't allow these people to win, and the only way to insure that is to make it to our wedding and our crowns. I watch her as she gets up out of the bed, I stay close by in case she needs the support and I am glad I did. As soon as she tries to put pressure on her legs she loses her resolve and almost lands on the ground face first. I see her face contort in pain as she tries to take a step even with me supporting her and I just can't take it. I bend down and place my one arm behind her legs being careful of her stitches and the other behind her shoulders lifting her up bridal style. I smile inwardly thinking about when I get to do this for real. With her small frame in my arms I feel complete and warm as I walk us to the dining hall. When we reach our destination I gently place Tris into a chair and kiss her forehead, before seeing Uriah and begin a conversation with him as I wait for breakfast to arrive.

"How you doing?" I ask him.

I feel like conversations between us is foreign and always has been. He just seems to always be where Zeke is and I have just been accepting the fact he is there. But to actually strike up a conversation with only him seems awkward, and I feel bad about it. He looks at me a little shocked, and I feel even guiltier that I have treated my other cousin so poorly. How can one feel like a brother while his brother feel like a cousin? I have been raised with the both of them, always together playing pranks on me on each other and yet our relationship is skewed.