The Kingdom of Eternal Winter (Divergent Fourtris Fanfiction)

Chapter 3

At the same time in Abnegation, there lived a girl who worked hard every day to keep her family alive. Her father was a carpenter and helped the people in the small village close by to repair their humble homes. Her brother often accompanied and helped him, especially when they had to look for good trees they could cut. Their growth had slowed down since winter had fallen, and they had to walk deeper and deeper into the woods to find trees they could use. The girl's mother had used to sell knitted garments at the markets in all the provinces, but had often given away a piece or two without asking for anything in return when she had noticed that someone couldn't afford to buy clothes, yet still needed them. But then she had turned sick, and now she had to stay at home most of the time.

"Thank you for cooking, Beatrice," she said to her daughter, who had prepared a soup on the stove and just passed a steaming bowl into her hands.

"You're welcome, mother. The soup will warm you up, and then you'll feel better."

Beatrice watched her mother eat while she kept working in the small kitchen. She had to keep the fire going. They couldn't afford to lose the flame. They only had a few matches left, and they needed to safe all the money they could for her mother's medicine.

She cast Natalie a worried look. Her mother had become so thin and pale. The color of her skin had almost turned into the same grayish white that covered the world outside. Beatrice would have to scramble up some silver and go to visit the alchemists at Erudite again soon to get a little more of the elixir that brought back the rosy touch on her mother's cheeks. Therefore, she'd have to leave for a few days to visit the markets in the other provinces. The people in Abnegation almost all lived in poverty, and while visiting their markets was still an obligation, she couldn't expect to make a lot of silver there.

She would have to travel again, like she had done a few times already. It was alright, she even enjoyed seeing the different places and watching people live different lives. She had always accompanied her mother to the markets throughout the whole kingdom since she had been a little girl, and she knew the provinces and the customs of their people quite well. Her mother had trained her to be a good observer, and it had always helped her to adapt to wherever she was and to whomever she was with.

Beatrice let out a sigh as she watched the piece of wood she had just put into the oven catch fire. Bemoaning her situation didn't change anything, that much was clear. Tomorrow, she would have to leave again, and she wouldn't be back for at least two weeks. Her father and brother would have to take care of Natalie while she was away.

***

After the sun had risen the next day, her family was still reluctant to let her go, but they had to.

Her father pulled her into an embrace and gave her a small notebook before he left to fix a roof in the next village to the south.

"Take good care of yourself, child," he said and kissed her forehead.

"I will," Beatrice promised and smiled at him softly. What else could she have said or done?

Her mother ran her fragile hands up and down her back and gave her a knife before she had to lie back down in her cushions.

"I know you'll take good care of yourself, daughter," she said and kissed her forehead.

"I will," Beatrice promised and smiled at her softly. What else could she have said or done?

Her brother ran after her, took her hand, squeezed it gently and gave her a box with three matches before he had to go into the woods to collect firewood.

"Be smart enough to take good care of yourself, sister," he said and kissed her forehead.

"I will," Beatrice promised and smiled at him softly. What else could she have said or done?

She hadn't made it far yet with her handbarrow full of garments when she heard a group of girls talking excitedly. That was a remarkable scene to come across, since it wasn't common for people in Abnegation to speak loudly. They usually kept their voices down out of courtesy and respect.

Beatrice knew she should ignore them, but her curiosity got the better of her. Her parents and her brother weren't here to watch her, and maybe she could get some valuable information from these girls.

"Hello, I'm sorry to interrupt. Did you just talk about the prince?" she asked, and the next moment she wanted to bite her tongue for accidentally admitting that she had listened in on the conversation. But the girls didn't seem to mind.

"Yes, the prince is looking for a girl who wants to marry him," the first one said.

"They're arranging a ball tomorrow night. Every girl interested in becoming his wife is invited," the second one said.

"Rumors say that he'll put everyone through a test to find out who's worthy enough for his majesty," the third one said.

"Do you know if the girls have to bring anything with them? Do they need a dress?" Beatrice asked curiously.

"I heard he isn't keen on presents. In fact, I heard he isn't keen on many things in general," the first girl said.

"I heard you just have to turn up and you'll be given a dress and shoes and whatever else you might need," the second girl said.

"I heard it was the queen's idea. She wants him to get married, but he's too presumptuous to choose a girl himself, hence the test," the third girl said.

"And are you going to the castle?" Beatrice asked.

"I don't know yet," the first girl answered.

"Maybe I will," the second girl answered.

"No," the third girl answered.

"No? Just imagine you could live up there. You'd have servants to keep the fire going and to prepare your food. I bet they have better food than we do. I'm sick and tired of those snow potatoes. They're almost all we ever get here," the second girl said and looked back and forth between them.

"That sounds wonderful," Beatrice agreed, and she kept painting pictures on the canvas that was her imagination with the pure power of her thoughts. They helped to keep her warm and moving as she pulled her handbarrow over the snowy path towards the street leading up to the castle.

Maybe this was the solution to all her problems. Maybe, just maybe, she'd be able to safe her mother and her family like this. She wouldn't let this chance pass her by.