The Prince and The Witch: A Divergent Fairy Tale | ✅

Chapter 2: I believe in you

The first few weeks are hard on Tris. She was never used to working out or pushing her body to the breaking point. As an Abnegation dependent she often helped wherever needed, usually helping the faction less, those who live on the streets and don't belong nowhere. But this is different. She learned so much already, but it still seems like she is the weakest one here.

It's needless to say that she still needs to work twice as hard as anyone else here, not because she is a girl, but because she is smaller than everyone else. At times, her shortness made her question herself and the decision to join the warrior faction in the first place, but she felt like this is where she needed to be. Yes, she wanted to help people, but Abnegation just wasn't the place for her to be. Maybe if she becomes a warrior, a soldier she can fight bad people or even evils beyond the wall, like the wizard in the ice castle, north of their borders or the dragons in the south, if they attack. But was she really cut out for this life? Maybe she made a mistake.

She was just punching the bag, when someone touched her middle. Startled, she looked up to look into two dark blue orbs that belonged to none other than Four.

"Keep tension here," he tells her. She stares at him, unable to say or do anything but that. "Are you alright?" he asks, his voice low and concerned.

"Why do you ask?" she manages to reply.

"You seem distracted," he says.

"No. I mean yes. I mean I'm fine," she stumbles over her own words.

"Meet me by the net after supper," is all he says and leaves her. Why would he ask her there? Is she going to be kicked out? Is she doing so badly that Dauntless leadership will get rid of her? Is that it?

The entire day Tris tries to be better than before. She punches harder, kicks higher, runs faster, but still she seems like she's not good enough. The fact that her instructor asked her to meet him in private isn't helping her nervousness either.

Supper is excruciating. Between listening to Christina talking about dresses and balls and Al staring at her like a love sick puppy, because yes she noticed the boy likes her, the dark cloud hanging over her head turned into a storm that has been raging on for quite a bit. She prolongs her stay in the cafeteria as much as she can, but she knows that Four is waiting for her. Better not give him more reasons to kick her out. And if that's the case better she takes it with dignity. There is, if she finds it.

The walk to the net is slow and she feels like a heavy burden was put on her shoulders. Why did she ever think choosing Dauntless was a good idea? She should have listened to her father. He wanted to marry her to Robert, the blacksmith's son. The boy was nice and good looking too, but something was missing. She knew that he liked her and that he would have made a wonderful husband, but she just couldn't picture herself being his wife.

Tris opens the door toward the room where the net is. It's deserted, except for one man who is sitting on the platform, reading a book. Four doesn't look up as she approaches him, but he acknowledges her by asking her to sit next to him. She does so.

"Now, tell me what is bothering you," he says, his tone gentle.

"Nothing is bothering me," Tris says but doesn't look him in the eyes.

"Tris, I can tell something is wrong, you can tell me. As your instructor I'm in charge of all my initiates, help you pass the tests, but I can't do that if I don't know what the problem is," he says, setting the book down. Tris glances toward it and recognizes the royal seal. She looks up and he stares at her. It's not the first time he does that and each time he does her heart seems to pick up the pace and beat faster than ever before, running a marathon toward her death.