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Chapter 1: A Dress for a Princess .*~*~*~*~*The sun rose to the small kingdom of Papillon, but it was not the start of the day for its citizens. The capital city was in a great hum of work and preparation, most of them continuing from the night before. The butchers and fishermen were packaging their goods for shipment, while the bakers had no time to make their daily bread because their ovens were filled with decadent cakes and treats. Even the tailors and cobblers were in a never-ending bustle of orders requested by many lords and ladies. Some of them didn't even have time for new customers. It was such a situation that a young woman named Socqueline came up to when she reached her usual fabric shop. Apparently, this lady in front of her needed some mending to her ballgown, but the worker was not able to accept her request. "What sort of business are you running here to have to turn down your loyal customers!?" The lady said in outrage. "Do you know who I am?" "I'm terribly sorry, madame, but I have too many orders piled up as it is to mend your gown in time for the ball. All of my staff will be too busy as well." the tailor tried to reason. "This is dress came all the way from Paris. It will be a waste if it is not presented for the ball the night after tomorrow." she started to fan herself desperately. Witnessing this, Socqueline wondered if she was actually going to faint. "Again, I'm terribly sorry." the tailor apologized once more. "Perhaps you can find another tailor in the city that has some extra time to help you." 'Marinette is probably going to kill me for this.' Socqueline thought to herself before addressing the lady. "Excuse me, madame, but I couldn't help but overhearing. Can you please tell me what it is that you need done specifically?" "The dress was meant to have pearls sewn into the gold finish. But in order to prevent thievery, they were sent to me separately. Now the final touches of my dress will not be completed, and it will be a complete disaster!" she fanned herself some more. "If you like, madame, my employer is a very successful seamstress that works a few blocks from here. If you would bring the dress to her shop, I would be happy to finish the dress for you." "How much is that going to cost me?" she snapped her fan shut. "I would have to speak to my employer, but I could see about offering you a discount." Socqueline offered. The lady didn't seem impressed, however. "And what guarantee do I have that your employer is reliable enough. You come here to purchase material from another shop." she snubbed. "Most of my business is providing the fabrics for the clothing shops, madame." the shop owner made himself known again. "Socqueline and her employer, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, are loyal customers and highly recommendable in their own business. Mademoiselle Marinette is actually one of the personal designers to his majesty, the king." "The king?!" the lady said shocked. "Indeed. We do have a few orders at present, but we are always willing to include some patchwork when asked." Socqueline added. "Well, if Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng is willing and able." the lady tried not to look too excited. "Excellent, just bring the dress and pearls down whenever you are able today, and I'll have it ready for tomorrow." the young woman smiled, and after sharing the boutique's address, the lady bid farewell before returning to her usual shopping. Things went at a similar pace everywhere she went. All of the other trades were overrun with customers needed some work done for the ball that's two days away. The wigmakers powdering and curling their pieces on the mannequins, the cobblers selling the last of their extra fancy shoes and having to deal with the shouts of the lords having to settle for the more mundane styles. Even the blacksmiths were busy fixing horseshoes for the carriages that would be riding around through the night, picking all the lords and ladies up. Socqueline was lucky enough to finish all the items on Marinette's list. She needed some new needles for sewing, and some special golden thread for the ballgown commissioned by the Duchess of Bourgeois. Now she just had to make it back to the shop without any mishaps. She was walking across the town square when she heard a familiar voice echoing in the center near the fountain. "That's right, citizens of Papillon. In two nights time, everyone is cordially invited to attend His Majesty's Royal Ball." Alya Cesaire's voice carried out, gaining the attention of anyone passing by. "For one night even you will feel like royalty. Take this opportunity to enjoy delicious food, dance to wonderful music, and maybe even have a chance to meet the king and prince themselves. So put on your Sunday best and come join this momentous occasion!" Alya allowed the crowd to cheer for a minute before stepping off the fountain to leave everyone to continue with their day. Socqueline weaved through the crowd to address her friend. "Alya!" Hearing her name, the announcer looked around find the voice. "Hey Socqueline! What are you doing out here!? I thought you and Marinette were too busy to step out into the sunlight." she joked. "I'm just gathering some supplies we needed for the orders." she showed her basket. "That was some speech you gave. Do you think everyone will be attending now?" "No doubt. I mean, come on, most of these people will be happy to have a free meal." Alya shrugged. "But it's always good to show that everyone is included, and that the king is willing to be a part of it." Socqueline nodded in agreement. "Anyway, I'm just on my way back to the shop now if you want to join me?" "Sure, I haven't seen my girl in a while." Alya followed behind her to head for Marinette's shop. Along the way they could see the bakery next to the tailor shop. It was owned by Marinette's parents, Tom and Sabine. They were one of the only stores that still managed to prepare the daily bread for the city folk as well as the orders made by the palace for the ball. Alya wondered if maybe they needed some extra hands to help with all the chaos. Both women passed the bakery, and entered the tailor shop with a little bell ringing at the door. "Marinette, I'm back!" Socqueline cried out into the building to get her employer's attention. "I got everything you asked for." "Oh, you're a lifesaver, Socqueline! Thank you so much!" They heard the voice before the young woman came in from the next room. Marinette was a beautiful, petite woman with long, dark hair that she kept in two low pigtails, like Socqueline, only hers was more of a midnight blue rather than a dark black. Her blue eyes were tired from working late for several nights trying to finish all her orders. She had several threads and fabric pieces attached to her pink skirt that Alya was pretty sure could be put together to make a whole new spool. "Hey, girl, you still surviving?" Alya asked teasingly. "Oh, Alya, I didn't see you there." Marinette got busy going through Socqueline's basket and use the golden thread she needed. "I'm sorry I can't chat right now, I'm really busy." "I can see that." Alya smiled. "What all do you have left to do?" "Just some finishing touches for everything else, but the Duchess of Bourgeois made a change to her order, again." the seamstress sighed. "What does she want this time, diamonds?" the announcer half-joked. Whenever it came to the duchess, you never know what she could ask for, and if you didn't comply you would be discharged right away. "No, thank the heavens, but she did insist that I include sequins everywhere on the dress. Sequins! Does she have any idea how long that's going to take!?" Marinette cried out looking at all the tiny golden flakes and beads she had to sew into the gown. "I'm just glad we don't have anymore orders after this." Her words made Socqueline wince, remembering the little business she made earlier. "Ummm, Marinette.... about that....." Marinette turned to her assistant in disbelief. "Oh Socqueline, tell me you didn't..." she begged. "It wasn't a big deal. This lady just needed the pearls that went with her dress to be added to the fabric." she spoke quickly before Marinette could get upset. "I'll take care of it, I promise. I'm sure it won't take any time at all." Marinette thought it over for a moment. "Well, I guess as long as it's not a whole new dress, it's alright. Well, come on, we got to get to back to work." she took the sequins and brought it over to the golden gown resting on the mannequin. "Yes, ma'am." the assistant got to work with some of the other commissions that just needed some patchwork. "And I'm sorry Alya, did you need something?" she turned her attention back to her other friend. Alya could only smile. It was just like her Marinette. She could be buried in work and yet still find time to help her friends if they needed it. No doubt it was one of the reasons Socqueline liked working for her so much. She took a look around the shop, admiring Marinette's wonderful pieces. Then a thought occurred to her. "Did you finish your dress yet, Marinette?" "Not yet. I'll be lucky if I finish all this stuff before having a chance to work on my own. But you know, I have a lot of dresses collecting dust around here. I'm sure I can fix one of those up in time for the ball, and I'll just wear that." she waved an idea around. "What about the prince?" Alya smirked, and watched her question make the seamstress freeze. "W-well, I hope that the prince will like whatever I wear." Marinette dropped some of the sequins and hurried to pick it up, trying not to let her friend see her flushed face. "I'm sure he'll like what ever you wear. Maybe even more of what you don't." Alya whispered that last part, but Marinette still heard it. "Alya!" she whined at her friend making fun of her. Still, she did hope that Prince Adrien would like what she wore. She wanted to make a good impression for him, after all. Her heart was racing whenever she thought about him, and she was lucky her hands were still able to work properly with the needle and thread. She prayed the Duchess wouldn't reject the dress, since she was widely known for always showing disappointment and appalment toward other tailors. Marinette was so busy that she barely heard the bell ring on the door of her shop. "I'll be with you in a moment." She said with several pins between her teeth. "No please princess, take your time." the familiar voice nearly made her prick herself with the sewing needle. She hurriedly set everything down, and turned to see the handsome, well-dressed young man with golden hair and the greenest eyes she had ever known. "Oh, your highness, I- I'm so so sorry..." "It's alright Marinette, I didn't mean to interrupt you." Prince Adrien held his hand out to stop her apology. "And you know you don't have to call me that, princess." "Well, you shouldn't be calling me that." Marinette ran her hands down her skirt in an effort to straighten herself up. "I'm anything but a princess." Adrien wanted to tease her further by saying not yet, but instead chose to say, "I believe you are a princess in every way that counts." His words made her cheeks flush, and she brushed a strand of hair from her face. "You're too kind, Adrien. What brings you here today, anyway?" "I wanted to see if you were prepared for the ball in a few days." Adrien took a look around at all her wonderful creations. "Everything looks beautiful. Which one is your dress?" Marinette felt embarrassed, but she didn't want to lie to him. "I actually haven't gotten around to making my own dress, I've been too busy." she went back to adding more sequence to her current work. "Really?!" Adrien was shocked by her admittance. "But the ball is only two nights away!" "I know, and I have three gowns after this one to finish." she stated cutting away any loose threads she left of the bodice. "Actually, make that four since Socqueline picked up repairing another lady's gown." "I'm sorry, Marinette, I just thought that you would have done the same thing if you saw her." Socqueline said guiltily, then remembered to curtsy to the crown prince. "Your royal highness." "Hello, Socqueline, it's nice to see you again." Adrien greeted the other woman in the room. Marinette sighed again looking at all the orders she still had to complete. "With all that's been going on, I may just end up fixing one of my old dresses and go in that..." "No, that simply won't do." the prince said firmly as he stepped over and yanked the scissors out of Marinette's grasp, and took hold of her hand. "Come with me." he commanded. "What!? Right now? I can't, I have all this work to do..." she tried to refuse. "You can take a break for an hour or so, your shop's not going anywhere. Please, princess, it's important." he held her hand as he begged. "I.... I don't know..." Marinette didn't want to lose any extra time she could be spending on her commissions. "Marinette, you can take a break for an hour and spend it with Prince Sunshine here." Alya saw Marinette turn to her in surprise, and just laughed. "Yeah, I'm still here, by the way. Hello, your royal highness." "Oh, I'm sorry, Alya, I didn't see you there." Adrien blushed a bit for his rudeness. "It's fine. I know how it is." The prince had a habit of not noticing anything but Marinette when she was in the room. "Marinette, I can take care of the shop until you get back. You deserve a break." Socqueline said insisting. "Are you sure?" Marinette asked, still apprehensive about leaving. "Absolutely." "Come on, princess, you'll be right back here before you know it, I promise." he gave her a warm smile, making her surrender to him pulling her out of the shop and into his carriage. Her shop and her parents' bakery were not that far from the palace, which made it easier for the bakers since they were the main suppliers for the breads and pastries. It was a lucky break for Marinette as well because she had been able to gain a business as a seamstress for many nobles that visited the royal family. The carriage stopped at the front gate. Adrien stepped out first, and like the gentleman that he was, held his hand out to help Marinette out. The way he was looking at her made her heart thump like a rabbit's foot. "Your highness, do you promise this won't take long? I really do have a lot of work to complete." she insisted. "You have my word, princess. I just have something that I think will be a great help to you." he presented his arm for her to take, and they made their way into the palace to the wing that had Adrien's rooms. Marinette would never get over how extravagant the royal palace was, or that she was even allowed in such a place to begin with. She had been through these halls ever since she was a child. A child that disobeyed her parents and stepped away from the kitchens only to find a lonely little prince that wanted someone to play with. Ever since then, Adrien and Marinette were inseparable whenever they could see each other. They made their way past Adrien's rooms and to the area Marinette knew to be the late Queen Emilie's old rooms. Adrien hardly ever went this way, or let anyone else for that matter, so it must be important. "Right through here." the prince gently instructed her past a set of doors to what looked like a bed chamber. Then they went across the room to some more doors, and Adrien slipped his arm away from hers to open them. "Now let me see if I can find it." "Find what?" Marinette asked as she observed him looking into several chests. "Something very special to help give you a break-- Ah! Here it is!" he called out as he picked up a bundle of pink material from the chest. When he shook it off to open it up more, Marinette was able to recognize what it was. It was a beautiful ballgown, and he held it out for her inspection. The gown had a soft cherry blossom color with a heart shaped bodice and a small group of black stitching at the center arranged to form a six point flower with vines. The skirt was in light silk layers that frilled and overlapped each other to look like flower petals, like a carnation or peony. The sleeves were small, off shoulder, and petal like to go with the skirt. Finally, the trim of the fabric was blacklined to match the stitching on the bodice. Marinette couldn't help but gasp at such a lovely dress. "Oh Adrien, it's so beautiful." she stepped closer to admire the stitchwork. "It was my mother's." he responded. "My father had it made for her in the early days of their courtship, so I think with some adjustments it would be about your size." Marinette's head shot up at his words. "Wait- what!?" He could only smile at her shocked expression. "I want you to have this, princess." "Wha- But- A-Adrien... highjesty... err- your mightness I c-can't..." Marinette held her hands up at the thought of such a generous gift. "Why not?" Adrien was unaffected by her reaction. "It would be perfect for you." "But... but it was your mother's, the queen..." she turned sad, knowing it always hurt him when his mother was brought up. "It's special." "Yes it was, and it is special, which is why I want the girl that matters most to me to have it, because she is even more special." he set the dress aside to take hold of both Marinette's hands. "Oh, Adrien." she didn't know what else to say, and she didn't need to say anything when the prince reached down to give her a gentle kiss. She barely had her voice when he pulled away after a moment. "Are you sure it's okay for me to have the dress?" "Absolutely, my princess is going to be the belle of the ball, and the dress is going to make sure everyone else knows it, too." he smirked at her. She didn't even have the strength to deny him calling her a princess again, and turned away holding her heated cheeks in embarrassment. She pretended that she was going to get a better look at the dress to give herself more time to get her heartrate under control. Really looking at it closer, it truly was a beautiful gown. The late queen must have looked radiant in it, and he was right about it needing adjustments. Marinette was a bit shorter than the average woman like his mother was, so she would have to shorten the skirt. But the bodice looked close enough to her size, so she didn't have to worry about that too much. She turned back to the prince and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Adrien, this is perfect." "Just like you." he said without missing a beat, making her blush come right back. "Oh, you are so shameless, my prince." She picked up the dress and held it to her chest. "I only speak the truth." "Well, I should really head back to my shop and finish those dresses." she got ready to head out the door. "I'll have the carriage give you a ride back. I have to take care of some things here, but I hope to see you before the ball." he walked beside her as they headed back for the front. "I hope so, too." They both saw the carriage pull up, and Adrien took that last moment to take Marinette into his arms and give her a quick but passionate kiss. Marinette felt like her whole body would melt every time he did that. How did she ever get lucky enough to win the heart of the crown prince? She knew how he was everything to her, but to have that reciprocated still felt like a dream. "I love you, Adrien." she whispered. "I love you, too, Marinette." he replied as he reluctantly let her go into the carriage and it drove her away. He could still see her looking back at him and waving goodbye, giving him one last look at her sweet smile. She really was the most amazing girl. .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Adrien hadn't been able to wipe off the goofy grin from his face. He was so happy that his princess liked his gift. While he knew that she would want to make her own ball gown, this would help shorten her time greatly. Plus, she could alter the dress any way she wanted. Even more important was the other gift he had planned to give her at the ball. He couldn't wait to see her reaction then. He was so lost in his daydreams that he almost didn't hear one of the footmen calling out to him. "Your royal highness...." "Huh? Oh, yes Jacque, what is it?" he turned to the young man in uniform. "His majesty, the king, has requested an audience with you, sir." he bowed and waited for the prince with his response. "Yes, of course. Where is my father now?" Adrien wondered what his father wanted to see him about. Probably something about the ball preparations. "In the east drawing room, sir." "Great, I'll go straight to him. Thank you, Jacque." Adrien took off before the footman could give a final bow. He found King Gabriel at his desk in the drawing room, going over his usual affairs of state with that same stone-cold expression the prince had always known him for. The king had always been a stoic ruler, but that wasn't to say he didn't make time for the prince, and he was a much warmer man during those times. It did get darker for them when the queen passed away and Adrien was still a young lad. If it hadn't been for Marinette, he wasn't sure where he would be. Marinette had actually been the one that broke the king from his depression, saying how he still had his son as the last piece of his wife, and that father and son were able to mourn and heal together. The young prince came up to the desk to greet the king. "Father." "Hello, Adrien." Gabriel set the papers aside before looking up at his son. "Have a seat." Adrien obeyed by taking the lounge chair beside the desk. "You wanted to see me?" "Yes, I heard we had a visit from Ms. Dupain-Cheng earlier. I take it that means you gave her the dress?" "Yes, father, I did. Thank you again for allowing me to give it to her." Adrien made sure to add his gratitude. He knew how reluctant his father was to part with anything that belonged to his mother. "I'm sure she will look marvelous in it at the ball, which brings me to the matter I called you for." he looked through some more state papers as he spoke. "Yes, sir?" "As you know, many lords around the kingdom will be attending the ball with their families..." Gabriel started. "Yes, it will be the first real extravagant gathering we've had since..." Adrien paused. "Since the one your mother hosted." the king finished. "Yes, which brings me to the matter of our guests. Many of the lords and ladies will be bringing their daughters that are about your age, Adrien. I know you haven't voiced your intentions openly to the public and I feel that this ball would be an appropriate time to do so. That is, if you are truly set in your final decision?" he looked at his son again. Adrien kept a firm look of determination. "I haven't changed my mind, father. Marinette is the only one I could ever want." The king laced his fingers together and held them against his chin. "If that is your wish. However, I hope that you understand some of the negative effects a union with a commoner rather than titled bloodline will have." "I'm not worried about that, father." the prince said, not backing down. "Marinette has had business with some of the most elite throughout the kingdom with her designs and creations. And even before that, she was always helping others around the town in some way. She had great relations with all sorts of classes, from the simple folk to the Baron von Stone and the Duke of Bourgeois themselves. So, from a political standpoint, Marinette is good for the throne." "Hmmm, I can see that you have thought this through diligently." Gabriel said impressed with his son. "And even if she wasn't all those things, Marinette would still by my choice. I've been in love with her since we were children. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else."Gabriel smiled, thinking how he once felt the same about his dear departed wife, and turned back to his work. "Very well, son, you have my support. Now you'd best meet with some of the tailors about preparing your suit for the ball, and then the musicians need to be reviewed for the composition choices." he handed Adrien some paper. "Yes, sir. And thank you, father." Adrien got up to bow and make his exit, but then another thought occurred to him. "By the way, father, has there been any news on Nathalie's condition?" Gabriel wasn't surprised by his son's inquiry about the royal advisor. Nathalie had been struck with an illness for some time now, and they feared for the worst after the loss of the queen. She had become somewhat of a strong column that the king could lean on during tough times, and she became somewhat of a second mother when Adrien needed guidance. Both men had prayed for her recovery. "The physicians have told me recently that she has been improving. They also said she would be able to attend the ball for a short time as long as she doesn't overexert herself." the king gave his answer. Adrien gave a sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. I'll take my leave now, sir." with that, he slipped out of the room. He didn't even care that he had to go over the ball plans some more. Nothing could possibly ruin this day for him right now, nor the days to come. .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Outside of the capital was a small inn that was a great deal more busy than usual. Some nobles were taking residence for the night before heading to the palace, so the innkeeper and his wife had their hands full. The innkeeper was currently working in the stables while his wife, Hildegarde, was serving ales at the bar, having her full view of all the town gossip. "Did you hear about the ball at the palace that's happening in a few nights?" One man asked after taking a swig. "Who hasn't? It's all I've been hearing about this past month." Hildegarde said in reply. "It's very good o' the king to invite everyone in the kingdom, and not just the rich blokes." a second man added. "I heard their announcing a match for the prince so the whole kingdom would hear the news right away." said a third drinker. "Is that right?" Hildegarde asked intrigued. It was always good to hear new stuff on their little side of the road. "Probably one of them rich blokes given their spoiled rich daughters to 'em." The fourth and final man, Francois, said in a slight slur. It seemed apparent he had one too many. The men at the bar discussed several different things for a few more minutes when suddenly the front entrance opened to reveal the innkeeper holding what looked like a young woman in his arms. Hildegarde was surprised to see the state of her husband. "Dear, what on earth happened?!" "This poor girl got thrown off her horse a little ways back, and she hobbled all the way to our inn to get some help. I think she hurt her knee." the innkeeper answered as he set the girl at one of the dining tables. Hildegarde came from behind the bar to get a better look at the girl. She was a young and pretty thing. She had long burgundy hair and fair olive skin with green eyes full of tears. Her dress was dark forest colors, but was also smeared with some mud and grass stains proving her husband's tale. She was also clutching her right knee in pain. "Oh, you poor sweet thing. Is there anyone else with you?" the innkeeper's wife took her wet and tattered cloak off to dry. "Well, not right now, ma'am." the girl answered in a soft voice. "I sent my valets ahead to the capital while I was helping this poor, deaf milkmaid with her work so she would have enough money to feed her starving children." "Really?" the innkeeper wasn't expecting that answer. "Oh yes. Luckily, I was able to finish in time before the milk spoiled. But then when I tried to take a short cut through the woods my horse got spooked by a mouse and threw me off..." then she suddenly gasped. "What's wrong, sweetheart?" Hildegarde asked concerned. "I was so distracted by the pain in my knee that I didn't even think about all my horse ran off with. My clothes, my money, my jewelry..... Oh, no! And my invitation to the king's royal ball!" Now the girl got more upset and started crying again. "There, there, dear." Hildegarde gave her a pat on the shoulder. "What's your name?" "Lila, I'm the daughter of the Duke of Rossi." she answered as she wiped away some of her tears. "Well, Lila, why don't I prepare a bowl of soup for you? It will make you feel better after you've had something in your stomach." "Oh, that's so kind of you, madame, but I don't have any way to pay you right now." "Call me Hildegarde, and don't think about that right now, dear. Just focus of getting yourself right." the innkeeper's wife took off into the direction of the kitchens. Lila turned to the men at the bar smiling. "She's so sweet. She reminds me so much of my mother when she was alive, may she rest in peace." she said that last part more to herself, but everyone still heard her. The third man at the bar chose to talk with her first. "So, you got your own invite to the ball? I thought everyone was allowed to come?" "Oh, they are." Lila answered. "The invitation was more of a formality. I received it with one of the letters I got from the prince." "Wait, Prince Adrien you mean!?" The first and second man both said. It was at that moment that Hildegarde came back with a bowl of vegetable soup. "Here you are, dear, fresh from the pot." "Thank you so much, Hildegarde, this looks delicious." Lila set the cloth napkin on her lap and took the spook to stir the broth around for a moment. The first man left his seat from the bar to get closer to Lila. "Were you really exchanging letters with the prince?" "Say what now?" the innkeeper's wife asked surprised. What had she missed while in the kitchen? "Yes, we've been exchanging letters for over a year now." Lila answered. "We haven't really met face to face yet, but the letters he has sent me are so romantic and personal, I feel like I would know him even if I were blind." she placed her hands over her heart and let out a long, dreamy sigh. "So then all those rumors about the prince wanting a bride must be for your pretty little head." the second man tipped his ale mug to Lila before taking another drink. The young woman giggled at the man's words. "Most likely. The prince tries so hard to prepare surprises for me, but he's never been able to fool me. He just doesn't have a good poker face." Everyone laughed at her joke, and then Lila let herself wiggle in her seat in anticipation. "Oh, just the thought of being together at the ball just fills me with exhilaration!" She flung her hands out to emphasize her feelings, but unfortunately her bowl of soup took the front of it and flew onto the floor in a loud clang. Everyone paused and looked to the noise seeing the large splatter of broth and veggies. Lila gasped and held her hands over her mouth."Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. How careless of me." she tried to make a move to get on the floor to clean it up, only to wince in pain from her knee. "No no, don't you move now, deary, it was an accident." Hildegarde beat her to it and started to pick up the pieces of vegetables and put them in the dirtied bowl. "I feel just awful, and you went to so much trouble to prepare that for me." Lila said guiltily. "It wasn't any trouble. I tell you what, why don't I get a nice meat pie for you to make up for it?" the innkeeper's wife said as she started wiping away the rest of the soup with a cloth. Lila gave a yawn before finally rising from her seat. "You're most gracious, but I think I would much rather have a room and then get some sleep. I can always have something for breakfast in the morning." "If that's really what you want, ma'am." Hildegarde got back up to face the young woman. "I'm sure, it's best if I just rest my knee anyway." Lila replied as she rubbed her hand against her left knee. The innkeeper chose that moment to step in. "In that case, I shall prepare our finest room for you." "Please sir, no. You don't have to do that." Lila held her hands up trying to refuse. "Come now, not every innkeeper can say that they served the future queen of the kingdom." he gave her a wink. "Oh, that's so sweet, and I know it wouldn't feel true without your support." Lila tried to follow the innkeeper up to her room, but seeing her struggle made the innkeeper pick her up again and carry her to the room. When the two were out of sight, Hildegarde was left to return to her place behind the bar, and the men back to their drinks. "What a nice young lady, and she seems like a perfect match for Prince Adrien." Hildegarde commented while cleaning off one of the mugs. "Are yo ssssure 'bout tha..?" Francois finally spoke up again. "What do you mean?" a man beside him asked. "I dinno... sumthin seemed offf with her..." he struggled to say through his slur. "And Immm pretty shhure there was someone else..... Tha the prince has summon else..." "Who?" Hildegarde asked. "I dunno.... no one sways names around there....." he waved it off. "Well, I think you've had one too many, my friend." he gave the man a pat on the back, and everyone laughed before continuing on with their night. Conversation continued on through the night, now with the inclusion of the apparent suitor for the Crown Prince of Papillon that will one day be his queen. .*~*~*~*~*
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Chapter 2: A Dress for a Queen
.*~*~*~*~*The morning was working in such good favor for one young woman. Of course, as the so-called daughter and heir to the House of Rossi, how could it not? If only Lila could say the same thing for her accommodations. She was lucky the innkeeper and his wife, Helga or whatever, were such simpletons. She even got the wife to wash her clothes to be ready for today. The woman might have been up half the night for it, but it served her right for trying to serve her that bowl of dishwater she called vegetable soup. Lila gathered herself by washing her face and slipping on her freshly clean dress. At least this run-down inn had the decency to use soap. Then finally, her most prized possession was placed around her neck; an oval shaped gold locket with a rhombus cut amethyst gemstone in the center. Yes, she never went anywhere without this. She made her way quickly down the stairs and into the dining area with a bar. The only person there was one of the men that had spent their time drinking ale last night. No doubt he was nursing the aftereffects of such indulgence. Lila thought this would be a good opportunity to spread her reputation a bit further. "Good morning, good sir. How are you uhhhh..... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name." she came up to the man with a big smile on her face. "I'm Francois, and I feel like I'm dying." the man grumbled, his head resting on his folded arms over the bar. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I wish I had some of my remedies to heal you. I have quite an accomplishment with cures for ailments and illnesses." "I doubt that." the man replied finally lifting his head to look at her. His response caught her off guard for a moment. "I beg your pardon?" Instead of repeating himself, he nodded his head down to her feet. "How's your ankle?" "Oh, much better, thank you. I usually recuperate from small things after a good night sleep." she recovered quickly by giving him a reasonable answer. "Huh, funny. First it was your right knee, and then it was the left, and now the injury was on your ankle. Is this some sort of new illness called jumping pains?" he gave the girl a scowl, both from her lies and the pounding of his head. Lila could see where she had faltered, but how dare this drunkard come up to her and point it out. He was supposed to follow along with her lies, just like all the other fools. Well, this fool certainly wasn't going to get the best of her. "Sir, I think you are a bit confused. You did drink quite a bit last night." she gave him a sweet smile, which seemed to anger that man further. She liked that. "Maybe I did, but I still know that you made the innkeepers work harder than they needed to, and you don't have any money to pay them." he turned the rest of his body to face her squarely. But Lila would not be swayed and kept the bright smile on her face. "Now what kind of future queen would I be if I didn't keep my word?" "Now I know for a fact that's just a load of shit your spouting." he pointed angrily at her. This time her smile did drop. "And what makes you say that?" "I know that the prince hasn't been courting with you, or any other ladies in the kingdom. I know there might be some in the capital, but not outside it. I'm one of the messengers to the palace and I would've seen any letters from him at some point." Francois allowed the smirk to cross his face when the little liar frowned at being caught. "I wonder what the innkeepers will think after I tell them." "Don't fool yourself into thinking someone like you is clever. Why would they believe a lowly messenger boy over a lady of high standards such as myself?" Lila regained her composure and smiled back at the man. No one threatened her and got away with it. Francois was about to tell her off when Hildegarde came into the room surprised to see some of her guests already up. "Well, good morning, Lila. Did you get enough sleep? How's your leg?" the innkeeper's wife walked up to look the young woman over. "Very well, thank you, and I feel much better." Then she gestured to Francois. "This young man was kind enough to offer me help in looking for my traveling party if they haven't reached the capital already." Hildegarde turned to the man surprised. "Really? That's very kind of you, Francois?" "What!? But I -" he tried to deny it, but Lila stepped in too fast. "Of course, I wouldn't think about asking for your services without paying you. But since I'm a little empty handed at the moment, I do promise to pay you back the moment I can, along with some extra so that you may send back what I owe to this lovely inn." she turned to Hildegarde to let her know she was thinking of her. The innkeeper's wife was so moved by the girl's kindness. Too often she came across the rich and privileged that thought only about themselves. So, it was nice to know there were some out there that really cared for the common folk. She really hoped this girl would end up being their queen one day. "Thank you, mistress, and please feel free to pay us back whenever you are able." she took Lila's hand and bowed to her in respect. Lila tried not to be too quick to pull her hand away from the old woman for touching her, she had to keep up appearances after all. Plus, she had to act fast before Francois got another word in. "Well, if you don't mind, I would really like to continue our journey. Shall we saddle up your horse, Francois?" Francois was frozen stiff at what was happening in front of him. Then Hildegarde snapped him out of it by giving him a shove toward the door. "You better hurry, lad, we don't want to keep the prince's intended waiting." she shoved him again. "But wait a minute, she -" he pointed to Lila. "Oh you're absolutely right, Francois, we should have some extra provisions for the trip. If you have anything left to spare, Madame Hildegarde..." Lila held her hands together in a sweet plea. "Certainly, you two get the horse ready and I'll take care of it." the innkeeper's wife hurried back to the kitchen. "Shall we?" Lila hurried out the door and toward the stable, knowing the man would follow her. And follow her he did in a great huff. Just who did this upstart little bitch think she was? He had no doubt that she was a pathetic liar, but to go so far as to think he was going to help her, the nerve! Francois marched right up and took hold of his horse's reigns before Lila could get a hold of them. "Just who the Hell do you think you are!?" he shouted at her. The woman had enough sense to back away from the man, but she held on to her arrogant smile as she spoke to him. "I am the Lady Delila of the house of Rossi, a woman of high birth and I will become the new Queen of the Papillon Kingdom once I marry the prince." "The only thing you are is delusional, and I'm not going to help you whatever schemes you're going to create at the palace. I'm going to take my horse and warn the king about you..." He pointed at her to affirm his warning and was more than ready to get on his horse whether it had a saddle or not. "I think you'll find that rather difficult." she responded as if not hearing his threat. It did worry Francois how she held no sign of fear at being exposed. "Why?" he asked wearily, holding on to the reigns tighter. "Well, mostly because that's not your horse anymore." Lile then took her jeweled amulet from under her dress, and held it out toward the horse. A strange purple glow flew out of the gem and started to circle the poor animal. The horse neighed and bucked against whatever was covering him, and then he started to make cries of pain. The smoking light quickly engulfed the horse, and Francois backed away worried whatever was happening would effect him if he stayed too close. He didn't know what his eyes were witnessing, but he looked back to the woman to find her smiling cruelly at her deeds. "What kind of sorcery was that!?" He cried out, wishing he had a weapon to use against her. "Just a little spell that will still get me to the palace, and to keep you silent along the way." she answered cryptically. "What do you mean!?" What did you do to my horse!? Dupont!?" he looked back to the purple light and noticed there was a change. The strange magic was fading away from the body, but in its place was no longer a horse. The magic was now circling around the ground and surrounding a naked man. The man was on all fours looking around himself in complete confusion. He had deep brown eyes and silk black hair that Francois had only ever seen on one living creature. "Dupont?" the man stepped closer to the man whom he was sure used to be his horse. The bare man looked up, familiar with the name, but didn't say anything outside of some neigh sounds, which sounded unusual coming from a now human mouth. So, Francois stepped closer. What he failed to realize was that he stepped on the magic glowing ring and disrupted the pattern, causing the light to now engulf him. The smoke was sharp and hot against his skin. He could feel his bones shift and his muscles spasm. Everything felt like it was moving and freezing at the same time, from his hair to his toenails. Then when he tried to cry out for help, words would not form in his throat. Instead, they were the strong wails of a horse. Finally, through all the pounding of his ears, he could hear that witch of a woman cackling away at his expense. When the magic settled, Francois looked over himself and his normal human body was now the form of a stallion. He could see the coat was different, and his mane was the same brown his hair has always been. It was as if he had made a complete trade in bodies with his own steed. "Wonderful, now both of you will be useful to me without ruining my plans." Lila stepped up to the two creatures. Francois had half a mind to try out his new back legs and buck the little whore through the barn wall. How dare she do this to him! What was worse was that she was heading for Papillon to make herself Queen. No telling what sort of evil spells she was planning to use on the prince. He had to stop her. He wasn't too familiar with how this new body works, but maybe he could just charge and trample her, that would be enough. "Don't even think about trying anything unless you want me to do the same spell to everyone else in the inn." Lila threatened as if reading his mind. He did worry for everyone here and ceased any ideas of crushing her. Then as if on cue, Hildegarde made herself known by dropping the bag of supplies on the ground. How long was she standing there? How much did she see? Hear? Was she in danger? Lila let out a long sigh at the new witness to her doings. "Perfect." "Wha...... wha..... What are you!?" Hildegarde struggled to get out, every bone in her body trembling with fear. Lila didn't even bother to justify anything and used her amulet to force Hildegarde into a deep sleep. Luckily, there was someone in the inn that was still resting. They're going to find themselves wide away unexpectedly. "Now that that's taken care of, Francois, Dupont, let's be on our way to the capital now. And don't even think about any double-cross, or I'll simply use my magic to make all the humans here into animals. At least then they might be more useful to me." Francois felt trapped. He had no choice but to follow the witch's orders. Dupont, now human, did as he was told by putting on Francois clothes, and saddled the horse that was once a man. All three left the barn with the innkeeper's wife sound asleep on the haybed. Perhaps when she wakes up, she can report to someone that can warn the palace about the wicked enchantress. He would just have to endure this for as long as necessary. The magical lady took one last look at the inn behind her, thinking about the same innkeeper's wife. There was the possibility that Hildegarde would write off what she witnessed as a strange dream, but Lila wasn't going to take any chances. Touching her amulet once more, she envisioned the hot coals that still remained in the hearth of the main hall and traded its place with an equal bundle of straw in the barn. It would take a few moments, but eventually the inn will be engulfed in flames, and the innkeepers will have too much to worry about her. Perhaps if they survive and are still good and obedient, she could promise them a new inn when she becomes queen. She could just picture them now; on their knees and begging pathetically for her help. Oh, how she would relish in those moments if they were granted to her, and then simply throw them away for daring to ask their queen for such a favor. The three travelers spent their journey in silence, each having their own thoughts on the situation. Though his human mind stayed intact, Francois felt there was little to think about other than the road ahead, and wondering if and when he was going to be fed and watered. Dupont, on the other hand, was having several revelations about his new form. He could use his hands for all sorts of tasks, he could walk and run on two legs, the speech wasn't graspable yet but still it was a new skill worth exploring. That is as long as the scary woman didn't do something else to him like she did to his former master. These thoughts were interrupted when the woman pulled on Francois reigns to bring him to a halt. "Ahhhh, the Capital of Papillon. Soon to be my new home." Lila observed the city gates before her, then turned to Dupont and held out an empty satchel to him. "Dupont, I want you to take as many pebbles off the road as you can to fill this bag." she ordered. Not seeing much choice in the matter, Dupont took the bag and filled it with several small rocks on the edge of the road. It was amazing how his new body knew what to do even though he had never made such actions in his life. The bag was about halfway filled before Lila told him that it was enough, and he handed it back to her. Lila noticed the horse was looking back at her strangely and gave a small laugh at the dumb animal. "No doubt you're curious as to what I would need all these rocks for?" The horse gave a loud huff through its nose as a reply, so she spoke again. "Well, I can't very well claim to be a great lady without having the wealth to show for it." Francois had the thought that the girl was clearly insane if she expected to pass off some simple stones as currency. That is, until she opened the bag wider and touched the locket around her neck again. The magical light spilled into the bag until the strange purple hue turned into a bright yellow shine. The man and horse weren't sure what happened until Lila showed them the inside. The small pebbles had been transformed into shiny gold and silver coins. "Now I'll have all I need to win the favor of the people, and then the heart of the prince." Lila said before tucking the satchel away. Francois and Dupont were in a great stupor as they followed their new mistress. So, not only did she have a great and powerful magic, but she could also make riches to help her blend into the court. What if she truly succeeded in all she promised? What was to become of the kingdom? .~~~~~~~Things could not have gone better for Lila even if she had been trying. Everyone she met on the street was easily entranced by her and her tales. For the blacksmith, she spoke of how her horse was a wonderful gift from the prince of the Eastern Desert for the time she rescued his son from a vicious tiger, to which the smithy said he would be more than happy to grant new horseshoes for her steed at no cost. Lila gave her gratitude anyway by presenting one of the gold coins from her bag. Continuing through the city, she met up with some other locals in the market. She could hear all the buzzing about the royal ball occurring tomorrow night. Then when the rumor about the prince looking for a bride started up again, she saw her chance to step in again. "I do hope I met up to the prince's expectations." she held her hand to her chest giving the impression of anxiety. Some of the townsfolk turned to her intrigued. "So, it's true? The prince is looking for a wife?" "Well, I believe he is looking for possible suitors." she answered. "But the prince and I have exchanged letters for a while now, so I'm hoping I can still be what he was looking for." Lila spotted a local beggar and dropped another coin into his cup, making sure everyone was watching. "Someone as generous as you, mademoiselle, would definitely make a good queen." one villager said. "Oh, you're all too kind." She gave them a bright smile. "Now, can anyone point me to a tailor? I still need a gown for tomorrow since I had to sell my other dresses to feed an orphanage on my way here." "You'll want to go to Marinette's." "Oui, Marinette is the best. My wife's been raving for weeks about the dress she made for her." "She's wonderful, and such a sweet young girl, too." Lila wasn't too sure she appreciated this Marinette person getting such praise. For some reason, it made her want to grind her teeth. None the less, she asked for directions to the tailor shop, and discovered it was next to a bakery. It wasn't a very impressive building, rather second rate looking. Hopefully the designs inside will be a bit more interesting. She stepped inside, a little bell at the door announcing her presence, and looked around. There wasn't much in the ways of display, but then again the ball was tomorrow night. It was possible that this Marinette had been selling out. She did see a few men's wears, all finely decorated with gold or silver lining and dyed in royal colors. There were a few simple ballgowns as well, but nothing that would suit her beauty. There was a yellow frilly one that didn't work well with her skin tone, a sky blue one she deemed too immature, the dark green one was nice, but it wasn't fabulous enough to catch the prince's attention. Then she saw it. The absolutely perfect dress. It was tucked away within a glass case, but she could still see it in full view. A deep royal blue at the bodice that bled into an emerald green at the bottom of the skirt. there was gold stitching around the center framework of the bodice that mimicked peacock feathers. Then the shoulders and back trailing had actual peacock feathers on them. And for the final touch, a peacock feather hairpin to decorate one's head. Lila even spotted a feathered fan as an extra accessory. Yes, she was sure this would do quite nicely. A dress fit for the new queen. "Hello, can I help you?" a soft voice came up behind her and Lila turned to see a young woman covered in strings and trimmings from several dresses. The seamstress, no doubt. "Oh, are you Marinette?" she put on an excited smile. "That's me. What can I do for you?" Marinette answered as she brushed herself off a bit. "My name is Lila; I am the daughter of the Duke of Rossi." Lila introduced herself with dignity. "I've come here on a personal invitation from the King and prince to attend the ball." "Oh, it's uhh..... a pleasure to meet you ma'am." Marinette gave a quick curtsy to be polite and kept her business posture. "I'm afraid if you're here to commission for a dress, I won't have enough time to have one ready for you." Lila felt a little put off that the girl didn't respond the same way as other people did in her presence. She should be ready to please her, care to whatever task she asks. Perhaps Lila will have to play more of the sympathy card, with a hint of doubt. "Oh, I understand. I would never expect too much from one so young. You must be very new to the business." Lila walked over to fiddle with the blue dress. She could see Marinette's eye twitch at her little jab. Good, that meant she hit a nerve. "Actually, I've been -" Marinette tried to say. "Of course, it's no wonder. With the ball happening in a little over twenty-four hours, there's bound to be mistakes if you were to start from scratch. So, I suppose I can make do with whatever you have on display, and money is no problem." she gave another sweet smile waiting for the little tailor's response. Either she will view her words as a challenge and make her a brand new dress, or she'll offer her the peacock dress. Marinette went to where Lila thought would be the display case, but instead she reached for the dark green dress. Now Lila was getting irritated. Was this girl stupid? She was supposed to offer the best, she thought nastily. Marinette held up the dress to give her a better view. "I believe this one would complement your looks best, and I have some jeweled shawls that will help give it more glamour." The enchantress wanted to throw the dress back in the girls face, but held back her temper and tried a different route. "Well, it is lovely, but I was hoping for something that stood out more in the crowd. I want to make a good impression being beside the prince and all." Marinette stopped to face her again. Ah, another fool Lila gets to impress with the knowledge that she will be the future queen. "The prin-.... you mean Adrien?" Now for once, it was Lila's turn to be surprised. This little nobody had the gall to talk about the prince so informally. Lila would have to make a note of that for later. "Of course, his royal highness will want nothing but the best when he presents me as his new bride." she flipped her hair and turned her head for the peasant to gaze upon her in a new light. "I- I- I didn't know that was the prince's intentions." Now Marinette appeared sad. Aww, the poor creature was smitten with the prince. She had heard rumors that he was beyond handsome, so it wasn't that unexpected for many girls to be attracted to him. Maybe the young prince had actually chased some peasant skirts for pleasure and gave them false hope, which Lila could commend. But for this pathetic little tailor to think she would ever have a chance? It was almost too laughable to comprehend, but she had to hold back to continue her business. Lila started to walk around like she was browsing some more, and at the same time play on the seamstress's feelings. "Well, naturally there hasn't been an official announcement yet. We were hoping to wait until everyone was gathered to the ball. So, it's important that I have the best gown out of everyone. Something elegant, something extravagant..." She turned to the case and gave an exaggerated gasp. "Something like that! It's perfect!" Marinette looked at what the lady was facing and stepped in front of the case. "Oh, I'm so sorry, mademoiselle, but this dress isn't actually for sale." The cunning woman expected this, but she knew how to handle a stubborn salesclerk. "I already said money was no option." "It's not about the money...." Marinette tried again. "If there's another buyer, then I'm willing to pay double." She shook her coin purse, making it chime. Marinette just shook her head, "No, you see, this had actually been a commission for her late Majesty, Queen Emilie..." "That makes it all the more suitable for me if it was meant for a queen." Lila stated. This was almost too perfect. A dress that was made for the queen that obviously wasn't given to her before she died, or else it would have been in the palace collection. And this seamstress was going to give it to her whether she liked it or not. "But the thing about the dress is that the prince..." Marinette tried one final time, which made Lila had enough of her defiance. "Listen you little peasant." Lila hissed through her teeth but kept her smile. "You're lucky enough that I even bothered to waste my time by coming into your worthless little shop. I come from a very wealthy and respected family, and I more than earn the right to have the favor of the prince. So, you are going to sell me that dress, or else I'm going to be forced to tell everyone what an incompetent designer you are and have this place torn down. His royal highness will do anything I ask just to please me." She witnessed the look of shock and fear spreading over Marinette's face. It was usually the easiest way to get what she wanted by threatening the business. Marinette twiddled with her skirt and looked down on the floor before facing the lady again. "Very well, ma'am. I just need to take your measurements to see how much the dress needs to be modified and I'll have it ready by tomorrow." she sighed in defeat. Lila went back to giving a kind smile since she finally got her way. "That's more like it, and if you do a good job, I'll be sure to mention your fine work to the royal family." She lied, then took a few coins from her purse. "Here, a little something for your trouble." .~~~~~~~When the Rossi woman finished her business with the seamstress, she made her way toward the palace. Now all that was left to do was to introduce herself to the King and the Prince. No doubt rumors of her generosity to the people have spread to their royal ears, and it will be the perfect subject to distract them from her plain traveling garments. The simpler the better for the time being. Once Prince Adrien has had the sample of the original beauty, her true spell shall be complete with the peacock dress, and his heart will belong to her. She continued to ride on Francois with Dupont right behind her as they passed through the front gates. She gave her name to the doorman, and instructions to Dupont that he is to tend to Francois and never leave the stables. There was no further need of them for the time being. Lila then made her way through the front hallway of the palace, following the doorman. She took a moment to admire the beauty and elegance of the halls. The golden decor, the vast number of paintings on the walls, and a servant at every turn. Yes, this was definitely to her tastes. She was going to have so much fun messing with the staff here. A silver spoon in a pocket here, a missing cake at the banquet there, maybe even a touch or two of some missing jewels from the royal treasury. She wondered how long it would take for the whole staff to be dismissed. Although, she could easily change it to be a punishment by hanging or beheading, that would make it all the more fun. She was broken out of her daydream when they stepped through the final doors and into the meeting room that had both the king and his son looking over some papers together. "Your majesty, the Lady Delila of the house of Rossi has arrived." the footman announced once King Gabriel gave him attention. Gabriel did look at her a bit confused, not too familiar with the name. Lila spotted his expression, and stepped up quickly before he could object. "Your Majesty, it is a pleasure. Although I feel I must apologize. I did not expect to be arriving a day before the ball." she curtsied. "That's quite alright Lady Delila, are you the only one in your company?" Gabriel asked as he looked for the file that contained the expected guest list; the dukes, their ladies, or any such person of that nature. "Yes, sir, I arrived with my loyal servants who are in the stables right now. My father was not very fit to travel, and he still had some affairs that required his attention at our estate. I hope you will find it sufficient enough for me to represent the House of Rossi." she kept herself poised and collected showing all the signs of a proper education. The king did seem impressed. "Very well then, we shall arrange a room for you here in the palace, and if you require anything in preparation for the ball, do not hesitate to call upon the staff." he gestured to one of the doormen to collect her belongings. "Your Majesty is most gracious. I just hope I can find my way around such and extraordinary castle. I'm afraid I don't have a great sense of directions." Lila looked around the room to the doors nervously. "I'd be happy to show you around if you'd like, Lady Delila." Adrien took the moment to be polite and speak up. "Oh, would you, your royal highness? I'd be most grateful, and please, call me Lila." she clapped her hands together and gave him a sweet smile with an innocent tilt to her head. Adrien held his arm out of her to take. "Right this way then, mademoiselle." No opportunity could've been more perfect than this. Here she was, alone with the prince and he was taking her to the guest room. She could work her magic all the way and get him to fall in love with her right now, but no. It was best to make it appear more natural. On the other hand, he would be pretty easy to seduce into the bedroom. If all goes well, she could play with him right now. They walked down the many hallways until they came to the guest living quarters. Adrien opened the door to let her in. Now this was far more superior to that musky old inn she was forced to sleep in. And to think, soon enough she will be in much better rooms once she becomes queen. It was just a matter of catching the prince's attention and then keeping it. "This is wonderful, sire." Lila twirled around the room, taking it all in. "I know it's not much..." he started. "Oh not at all, this is perfect." she brushed off his modesty. "And I can't thank you enough for taking your own precious time to help me." she stepped closer to look up at him. "It's no trouble." he tried to step away, only for her to step closer. She was practically right under his nose. "You're so humble as well." she looked him straight in the eye." I must say you are far more handsome than any rumor could've conjured up." "Ummm, you're too kind." He seemed nervous, which in Lila's eyes was a sign of attraction. She knew he wouldn't be able to resist her, but it was amusing to watch the struggle. As a final touch, she fidgeted with her locket to change his focus. He let himself look down to notice it and went straight to the subject. "That's an interesting necklace." he got out quickly. "Oh, this old thing." she lifted the jewel more to his face. "It's one of the last things I have of my mother." He looked more at the gemstone, admiring the color and shine. Good, Lila thought, now he just has to keep looking into the jewel long enough for her to place the suggestion in his head. "Is- i-is your mother no longer with you?" Adrien managed to say, still not taking his eyes off the trinket. "Yes, it's something you and I have in common. In fact, the dress I picked out may seem familiar to you." she hinted. "Familiar?" Why did his eyes feel so heavy all of the sudden? "Yes, there was this nice little tailor shop next to a bakery that had a dress that would've been worn by your dear mother, so I promise to wear it with dignity and grace." she kept her voice low, letting the magic work its way further. Once he was completely under the trance, Lila can give the prince instructions to only pay attention to her at the ball. "Tailor..... bakery..." he suddenly looked away from the locket and smiled, much to Lila's bewilderment. "You must mean Marinette's shop! She really does have such wonderful work!" Lila didn't know what shocked her more. That he was able to break away from the spell before she would finish, or that he knew the name of that little nobody seamstress. She didn't understand, he shouldn't have been able to do that. "Y-yes, Marinette, she was so nice to me. Do you know her personally?" Lila tried to get the words out without sounding disgusted. "We've known each other a long time. She became the apprentice to one of my mother's tailors before he retired and left the shop to Marinette. I always heard there were still some designs meant for my mother, but I haven't seen all of them." he explained. Marinette's reluctance to sell it made a little more sense now. "Well, I hope I can do your dear mother justice by wearing one of them. I think you'll find it's a perfect fit." she boasted. She tried to get him to look at the locket again, but Adrien turned away toward the door. "Well, I'll leave you to rest, Mademoiselle Rossi. Please ring for one of the servants if you need anything."Frustrated to see him leave, she still held her own and gave the prince a final curtsy. "Thank you, your royal highness." Once the door was closed and she was sure he was out of hearing range, Lila took her anger out on some unfortunate pillows on a nearby loveseat. She beat and pulled upon it, driving her nails through it until the cotton stuffing came out. Rather cheap choice, she thought crudely. Most royal houses filled their lounge items with feathers. Was the king a penny pincher? She started pacing the room now, still not understanding what broke him away from her spell. Cooling herself down some after a while, she decided it was probably for the best. It might have looked suspicious if he only had eyes for her before the ball anyway. She'll place the spell on him fully once he sees her in her new dress. With the help of her magic, it will be just like in the fairy tales. The prince will see the beautiful, mysterious maiden in her beautiful dress. He'll want to dance with her, speak with her, and never want to leave her side. Then once he announces their courtship, getting to the wedding will be child's play. All that would be left is getting King Gabriel out of the way, and the thrown will be hers with the handsome Prince Adrien as her puppet. Of course, there was still the matter of the Marinette girl. She hadn't expected a worthless little peasant to be so close to the prince. And if Marinette said so much as one word against her, Lila would have too much fun destroying her. She let herself get carried away when she threatened the tailor's business, but it was Marinette's own fault for not agreeing to sell the dress right away. As long as none of this would get back to the prince, she was secure. She already made a good impression around the town, so it's more than enough to discredit Marinette. She had nothing to worry about. .~*~*~*~*~*~
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 3: The Pebble in the Gold
.*~*~*~*~*"And thread, bead, up and over, and Done!" Marinette exclaimed out loud as she added the very final sequins to the Duchess's dress. It felt so good to give her fingers a rest at long last. She had to break away from this one to finish the others in time since Madame Bourgeois wanted such meticulous details. At least with the other dresses it was a matter of fitting. She took a seat nearby to look at everything she'd accomplished. She felt the happiest that the dress Adrien gave her was finished. She couldn't wait until tonight to wear it, be able to dance with Adrien, and spend time with all her friends. It really was wonderful of the king to arrange this even for the simple folk. Looking at the dresses for a while longer, she then turned her attention to the peacock dress that Rossi woman wanted. She felt disappointed in herself for yesterday. Why hadn't she stood up for herself better? Why did she let that awful woman have her way and accept her money? The small collection of coins felt so heavy in the little purse resting on her thigh. Marinette wondered if she should give the money back and insist that Lila choose a different one. Then there was all those lies she was spouting about practically being betrothed to the prince. She heard the same lies in the streets and among her parents' bakery. As if someone as pure as Adrien would ever have an interest in someone like that. Marinette took a deep breath to fight off getting upset again. Lila's lies were not going to hold, she knew that because she knew Adrien and she loved him. Gathering herself together, she got up to unlock the front door and open the shop. Her clients should arrive very soon, and then she could check to see if her parents need any more help. She tried to make herself busy by looking for any loose threads or out of place details. Socqueline had gone home to get some much needed sleep, so Marinette was by herself in the shop right now. She hoped her work would live up to all her clients' expectations. As if on cue, Audrey Bourgeois stepped into the shop followed by her daughter, Chloe, and their servant Sean-Armand. Marinette straightened up a bit then stepped forward to greet them. "Good morning, Duchess Bourgeois, good morning Chloe." "Dupain-Cheng." Chloe snuffed back, not really caring for pleasantries. "Tailor, I assume you have finished our gowns." The duchess said in a way that she shouldn't even be bothered to ask. Marinette was pretty sure the elite woman felt it a chore just to show up herself. "Yes, your grace, they're right here." she led them over to the mannequins with the dresses on full display. "I hope they are to your liking." Audrey walked around the dressed mannequin giving it a close inspection. She looked at every stitch, every seam, and felt the texture of the material, all the while her expression never changing. Marinette didn't know if she approved or not, and the silence was starting to get to her. She could also see that Chloe was enjoying every minute of her expense. Chloe never liked Marinette for reasons, she believed, were to do with her closeness to Prince Adrien. Chloe also loved to follow behind her mother like a shadow. So, if the duchess didn't like the dress, then neither would her daughter. "This gown..." Audrey started. "Yes, ma'am?" the designer waited for her to continue. "Is Absolutely Stunning!" the duchess allowed herself to look excited. "I'm certainly going to be the envy of the other wives at the ball. And with the glory of my daughter's dress right behind me, it couldn't be more perfect!" Marinette felt both relief and elation at her words. "I'm so glad you like it, your grace." "Hmm, I guess you do know what you're doing, Dupain-Cheng." Chloe said her way of giving a complement. "Very good. I'll just have them packed up and ready for you in a few minutes." Marinette went to retrieve the boxes. Jean-Armand was kind enough to give her a hand. When everything was ready, Audrey took out her little travel purse to pay the seamstress, only to be repulsed at what she discovered inside. "Jean-Claude, is this your idea of a joke!?" she shouted at her servant rhetorically. "Madame?" he asked quizzically, not sure what was wrong. "I thought I ordered you to pack the right amount to pay the tailor before we left!" Audrey's voice got higher. "I did, madame, and I triple counted the amount." the man kept his posture calm and sure. "Then how to you explain this ugly little rock in my bag!?" She flicked the offending pebble at the man, and he caught it on reflex. "I- I don't know, ma'am. I assure you." it was the only answer he could give. "Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Chloe added for good measure. "That's happened a few times this morning." Marinette said out loud, making everyone turn back to her. "What are you talking about?" Audrey asked curiously, but still annoyed. "At the bakery, there were a couple of different customers finding rocks in their bags instead of coins." she explained. "Hmmm, perhaps there is some sort of pickpocketing thief on the loose, ma'am. One that replaces the coin with stones so no one will notice the change in weight." Jean-Armand supplied a theory. "It doesn't matter because now we can't pay for the dresses!" Chloe complained. Marinette just smiled. "If I may, Duchess, I can put a note in my books, and you can pay be back after the ball." she went to one of her logbooks for the order receipt. "Very well, then." Audrey placed her signature in the book and paid the girl what she could. "Camilla, Sean-Pierre, we're leaving." "It's Chloe." she grumbled but followed her mother. Marinette sighed in relief, glad that was finally over. She questioned if the duchess would actually remember that she still owed her money. She had a tendency to never bother with trivial matters. Well, at least Marinette got most of her payment, so she wasn't too worried about it. She spent the morning cleaning up around the store in between customers retrieving their orders. It wasn't until near noon that she saw the Lady Lila come inside. To be honest, Marinette just wanted to get this one done as quickly as possible. "Bonjour, Mademoiselle, I have your dress all ready for you." Marinette greeted politely and presented the already packed dress to her. Lila eyed the box skeptically and opened it while it was still in Marinette's hands. She lifted the dress with two fingers as if she was touching something grotesque. "Are you sure this is the same dress?" Lila asked. "Yes, ma'am, this was the only dress of its kind, and I adjusted it to match your measurements." Marinette responded in full confidence. "I should hope so." Lila replied as she let the dress fall back into the box. "The last thing I want is to be unpresentable when I stand beside the prince." "Umm, ma'am, there's something I feel I should tell you...." Marinette started to say, thinking she would feel worse if the woman wasn't informed. "Oh, you mean about your little acquaintanceship with Prince Adrien?" Lila smiled cruelly. Marinette guessed that Adrien must have talked about her when they met. "No, it's-" "I'm sure you think you're something special meeting someone so important close up." she interrupted again. "I'm also sure that you must realize that whatever fantasies you have about the prince are completely pointless." Her words froze the seamstress, and she almost dropped the dress. But Lila wasn't done with her yet. "The prince deserves someone of high birth. Someone that will be a good match for his image. Someone with the perfect amount of grace and beauty to stand beside him as his queen. Not even a common lord that's deep in debt to try and sell his daughter off would bother wasting the prince's time, let alone a simple little needleworker such as yourself. So, I think it's best if you move on with your life, Marinette dear." she let out a laugh at the crestfallen look that spread over the young woman face. She expected the little seamstress to run away crying, but instead Marinette took a deep breath and looked Lila straight in the eyes. "You're right, I am a simple peasant seamstress that couldn't possibly have a chance with the prince. I know this..." she said softly. "Of course I'm right- " Lila wanted to savor her victory, but Marinette had more to say. "But despite what you believe, I also know Adrien." Marinette set the box on the table to face Lila more squarely. "Adrien is the kindest, most caring, and loyal man I ever had the pleasure of knowing, and him being a prince has nothing to do with it. I also know that he's smart and thinks for himself, and the last thing he would do is pick someone unworthy for the throne. No fancy dress will ever make him choose otherwise." The skin on her forehead was aching with how deeply Lila was frowning, she even felt angry enough to spit. "Why you insolent little urchin, do you have any idea who I- " She was actually getting ready to strike her, but was disrupted by the shop doorbell ringing. "Bonjour, ladies, I have a delivery for a Marinette Dupain-Cheng." a young messenger walked in. "Bonjour, Nino." Marinette addressed him, glad he showed up when he did. She decided to end things with her client and picked up the still opened box. "Here's your dress, Lady Rossi, and your payment is accepted in full. I hope you enjoy." Lila would have done something far worse than say a few nasty words to the little insect, but she couldn't risk it with a witness. So, she put on a light smile and accepted the dress. "Thank you so much, Marinette. I just know my dear prince is going to love it." She allowed the messenger to get a good look at the dress before closing it up and heading out the door. "What was all that about?" Nino asked confused. Marinette didn't really want to talk about it, but she didn't want to worry her friend either. "It's nothing, just another spoiled rich girl that thinks the world owes her a living" "Ah, that living being a bride to the prince." Nino added in understanding. "Probably a good thing I didn't say who this package was from right in front of her." "Oh right, you said you had a delivery." Marinette allowed herself to cheer up. The box was small, near the size of a jewelry box. And that thought made her sigh. "Nino, did Adrien send more gifts? I already told him the dress was enough." "I know you did, which is why our dear royal friend knew that you would reject this if he gave it to you with the dress." Nino laughed, and Marinette just smiled with him. They both knew Adrien so well. "He swears it's nothing too fancy, just a little decoration to go with the dress you're wearing to the ball. Marinette accepted the package and pulled apart the ribbon. She opened the case to reveal a simple string of black pearls with a pair of single pearl stud earrings to match. She gasped at the beauty of them. "Nino, I couldn't possible accept this..." she tried to return it."You know, if it had been anyone else in the royal family, I'm pretty sure you would be insulting them with rejecting a gift. What kind of punishment do you think you'd be given?" he teased. "But I.... I'm not..." "Come on, Marinette, you know that Adrien thinks the world of you, and he only wants to make you happy. Just let him." His words were meant to encourage her, but considering what Lila had said earlier, she couldn't help the doubts bubbling to the surface of her mind. It must have shown on her face, because Nino gave her a worried look. "What's the matter?" he placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's that lady, Lila, and the dress she bought." she confessed. "I saw it. Wasn't that dress...?" "Yeah, I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't give me a chance. All she cared about was dazzling the prince with it." she answered. "Hmmm, I'll let Adrien know ahead of time, okay?" "Alright." she smiled, then went back to the pearl jewelry. "Thank you for delivering this to me, Nino. I've got to get back to work and then help my parents finish at the bakery." "Actually, that's another reason I came by. King Gabriel has ordered some help to finish preparing the catering so you and your parents can head over to the palace now to get ready. Ah-ah, this is an order from the king after all." He stopped her from trying to protest. "The carriage will be at here in about two hours so you better grab what you need for the evening, and maybe some things for overnight so you can stay in the guest bedrooms." "Ummm, alright I... I'll go tell my parents." she answered in a bit of shock. "Great! I'll see you later, Marinette." he waved as he made his way out. Marinette waited for one last client before closing up shop and headed toward the bakery. Her thoughts went back to how her family will be escorted to the ball later on. Part of her probably shouldn't be surprised since they were in close connections with the king and prince. But on the other hand, it still felt so surreal for simple folk such as them to get the extra treatment. Many a nobleman would kill for such an honor. That thought brought her back to the Lady Rossi, and Marinette held on tightly to the case with the pearls. Even though Marinette loved Adrien with every beat of her heart, there was always a side of her that thought about the hopelessness of it all. No matter what they felt for one another, no matter how close they were as lovers, there was still the matter of politics. As the crown prince, Adrien would eventually have to agree on an arranged marriage with a woman of good quality to become his queen. Her heart broke at the thought of anyone else becoming his bride, spending his days and nights with them, having children with him. Would he still want her around as a secret lover, or would he stay true to the woman that became his queen? At least she knew she was telling the truth when she said he would never choose someone like Lila, he had much better sense than that. But every duke and duchess would be thinking the same thing coming to the ball. Most saw it as an expensive party, but the higher ups saw a chance to catch the prince's interests. And then what would it mean for Marinette and him? Would they drift apart? Marinette was so lost in thought that she hadn't realized she made it to the bakery until she heard her mother's voice. "Hello, Marinette. Nino stopped by earlier saying we should pack up and get ready for the ball. Now, if only I can get your father away from the ovens." Sabine giggled as she watched her husband. "I just want to make sure everything is set for the boys the king is sending. Don't want them to leave something behind now." Tom replied as he changed out the pans of croissants. "They'll be fine, mon cher, we just have to worry about ourselves now." she reassured gently. "But what if-" "Now you march upstairs and start getting ready. Nino said we should expect a carriage soon. I'll watch the ovens." "Thank you, mon amor." his kissed her cheek and did as he was told. Sabine turned back to her daughter to find a very melancholy look on her face. "Is something wrong, dear?" "I'm alright, Maman." Marinette gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Come now, Marinette, you can tell me." She led her over to some chairs and they sat down side by side. Marinette wasn't sure where to start, her mind was thinking different things at once. So, what she ended up saying probably sounded a little random. "Maman, would you think less of me if I ended up being a mistress?" That wasn't on the list of what Sabine thought her daughter would say. "Whatever do you mean, darling?" "It's just, that seems like the only option for me if I ever want a future with Adrien." Marinette's voice felt weak, and her eyes swelled with tears. "Marinette, you can't possibly think that Adrien would ever..." she tried to comfort her. "I know he can't marry me, Maman. I'm a simple seamstress, and the daughter of a poor baker family. He's the crown prince. If not a princess, then he has to marry a noblewoman and have a family with her. Once that happens, the only way I'd get to see him anymore is as his mistress." Marinette hunched over and cried into her hands. Sabine felt her heart break for her beloved daughter. She wished she could say what she wanted to ease Marinette's worries, but some simple words of wisdom would have to do. "I know things seem hopeless now, Marinette, but we just have to think about the positives. You know that Adrien loves you, and he would never do anything to hurt you." "Yes." she sniffed and took out a handkerchief to wipe her nose. "And I'm sure that if he needed to, he would look for a way for you two to be together." "But the crown..." "Is just a lump of metal that people put on their heads to show who's in charge. It has nothing to do with what our hearts tell us." She smiled as Marinette gave a wet laugh at her words. "Have faith, my dear, things will work out in the end." "Heh, thanks Maman. I've been hearing so much from the rich maidens saying they will win the heart of the prince, that it made me discouraged." "I think they'll find it's very hard to win something that's already lost to a very special girl." Sabine took hold of her daughters face and kissed each cheek. "Now, why don't we finish up here, and then join your father and packing our things?" "Okay." .~~~~~~~~~~"I have to admit for a stupid, peasant seamstress, she does know how to stitch a dress." Lila said to herself as she twirled around in her full splendor. She had the gown in a perfect fit, a feathered fan in her hand, her hair done up in a loose curled bun with a lone peacock feather to match. And the final touch being her locket resting nicely above her breasts. Any hot-blooded young man would be mad not to look there, and once the prince did just that she shall put her spell to work and begin their fairytale. She headed outside and was escorted around to the front of the palace for the introductions to be made to the whole ballroom. Already she could see the commoners arriving in the gardens, many of them making their way to the free food and drink. She wondered if the seamstress was here already. Maybe once she has her way with the prince, she'll bring him out here as well to show that he belonged to her. Lila could just imagine the heartbroken look on poor Marinette's face. It would serve her right for thinking she could talk back to her betters that way. Several dukes and viscounts were in front of her, and she made sure to be the last announced; the grander entrance she could present, the better. One group in particular she recognized in front of her was the Viscount Robert Roth, with his son Xavier and his niece Aurore. This viscount was notorious for his greed, rumored to have overtaxed his tenants just for the feeling of the coin filled satchels. Perhaps she could make use of the man one day. "Stand up straight, you two, we can't afford to have you make us look like fools in front of the royals." Roth growled to his family. "I don't see why I had to come here." Xavier complained. "Aurore probably won't even be picked by the prince.""Nonsense, all princes go for the small, innocent look." The viscount sounded so confident. What a fool, Lila thought. She could also see that Aurore was terrified to be here. She wondered how old the girl actually was, because she looked younger than what anyone would assume. "Uncle, I don't think I can do this." the girl squeaked out. "You can and you will. And then we'll have our hands on the royal treasury. We will be immortalized with wealth." Lila saw this as a moment for fun. "Oh my." she gasped loud enough for them to turn and face her. "Surely you don't intend to trick the royal family, do you? I'm afraid I would have to inform my beloved prince of your deception, Viscount Roth." "And who are you?" Roth crossed his arms, obviously not feeling threatened by her. "I am a dear friend to Prince Adrien. My family has made quite a fortune in trading with the king for many years." she opened her fan to hide her smile. She could see the curiosity in the man's eyes when she mentioned a fortune. "And how much of a profit has your family made?" he asked. "One large enough to extend a seat in the royal court when the prince asks for my hand." In other words, don't even bother with your niece, and be on Lila's side when she calls on you. The family could read what she wasn't saying. "Understood." Roth said, then turned back around for the announcer to give their names. Lila let the Roth family continue on ahead, then thought it wouldn't hurt to make more of an entrance for herself. She didn't want to do too much, or it might look suspicious. With a touch of her locket, she took away some of the light from all the candles in the ballroom to make them dim slightly. Then she used it to brighten the lanterns that were at the door as she entered, and her name was called. "Presenting the Lady Delila de Rossi, daughter to the duke and duchess of Rossi." She smiled as she watched several people gaze upon her brilliance. She looked up to beam at the king and prince as they witnessed her glory. King Gabriel gave her a nod, and Prince Adrien smiled warmly. She kept her eyes fixated on him, and he didn't turn away from her. Good. Now she just needs another chance to get close enough to get him to dance with her. She had to be patient, however, and wait for the king to make the announcement to begin the ball. There were a few more names called out and greetings given before King Gabriel rose from his thrown and addressed the whole ballroom. "I welcome all of you. It has been some time since we were all gathered like this. The last being organized by my dear late wife, the Queen Emilie." he paused to let everyone say their prayers that the queen may rest in peace. "And now we come together in good tidings of friendship and prosperity from the common to the wealthy. My son and I invite you all to eat, drink, dance and make merry!" "Long Live the King, Long Live the Prince!" the voices thundered throughout the palace, and the music filled the room. This would surely be a night to remember. ~*~*~*~*~*~
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.Chapter 4: No One Else in the World .*~*~*~*~*Adrien never gave much thought about being the crown prince outside of his royal duties, but it was moments like this when he really disliked it. Father had warned him this would happen, and he had been prepared for it, but it still was a nuisance. He was having to listen to each of the young maidens introduce themselves and try to make small talk. Of course, he couldn't be rude and say he didn't want to speak with them. For now, he just had to make it look like he was busy meeting each guest and move on to the next one. The only lifeline he had was that it was customary for the prince to ask someone to dance, not the other way around. And he was saving that for his dear princess. He hadn't seen her yet, but he would have someone pull him aside so he could 'meet with her.' The next young woman to come up to him was Delila de Rossi. Nino had warned him about her, and how he was pretty sure she had upset Marinette. Adrien had no desire to speak with her, and lucky for him he had the perfect excuse not to. His personal guard, Maurice, stepped in to take care of it. "Sorry, ma'am, but I can't let you come closer." "What? Why? Did I do something wrong?" Lila asked discouraged. "Your dress." Maurice answered simply. Adrien could see the girl's eye twitch. "And what is wrong with my dress!? I'll have you know it was made by the finest tailors in my hometown." "Is that so?" King Gabriel, still sitting beside his son, chose to speak up. "Yes, your majesty." Lila bowed and tried to step closer, but the guard still wouldn't let her pass. "What a coincidence. I seem to recall a similar dress made for our late queen by Vincent. You remember him, Adrien?" he turned to his son. "Yeah, he took Marinette on as an apprentice before retiring. I remember the dress had been a birthday gift for mother." Adrien answered, then turned to the king's advisor resting near the thrones. "Isn't that right, Nathalie?""Indeed, your highness." Nathalie answered as she rose from her seat to better address everyone. "Unfortunately, Vincent had not been made aware of the inconvenience the dress design created, and he stored it away only for display." "Inconvenience, sire?" Lila asked the king, still wasn't sure what the problem was. "Nathalie." Gabriel flicked his wrist to give the woman permission to explain. She straightened herself up in attention before answering. "His royal highness, Prince Adrien, has a terrible allergy to feathers." Adrien had to bite his cheek so he wouldn't laugh at the god smacked look on Lila's face. Then the laughter flew away and left a scowl with her next words. "I'm so terribly sorry, your majesty. The seamstress Marinette told me that this dress would be something the prince would love. Obviously, she thought to play some sort of cruel joke to humiliate me." Adrien wanted to yell at her for saying such nonsense, but Gabriel spoke up in a calm and clear voice first. "I'm sure it was a misunderstanding, Lady Rossi. Marinette is nothing if not a master to her craft, even at a young age. At any rate, I am a bit confused as to why you would seek her skills when the dress was from your hometown, as you said." "I-It was." her voice wavered for a second. "It just needed some mending, which is why I sought the services of a tailor. The feathers actually weren't on before, but Marinette insisted it would be a nice touch, and I paid her extra for it. But surely, she would have known about his highness' allergy. I can't imagine why she would do this on purpose." "She did know, and she wouldn't do that, ever." Adrien stated proudly. He really wished this woman would go somewhere else already. The dungeons seem fitting, he thought in the back of his mind. "Be that as it may, I'm afraid you will have to enjoy the evening at a distance from my son, Mademoiselle Rossi." Gabriel flicked his wrist again to have Maurice escort her back to the other guests. "Your majesties." Lila gave one final bow and left. Adrien could swear that he saw her smile drop right when she was turned away from them, and judging my her walk she wanted to stomp off like a child throwing a tantrum. It made him all the more agitated. "How pathetic." "Don't let it get to you, Adrien." Gabriel spoke softly. "You know how the people of the court can be. She was just trying to save face for her blunder." "Yes, and discredit Marinette in the process." he practically growled at that thought. No one talks ill about his beloved princess. "Nathalie, do we know anything about the Rossi estate?" "Not much, I'm afraid, sir." she answered taking her seat once more. Despite making it through the worst of her illness, she still didn't have as much strength as she would like. She would have to retire before too long. "I've only heard small successes from the family, but they're always spoken with positivity in conversation." "I just don't want to give her the chance to ruin things for Marinette. She always works so hard." "Anyone that has a business connection with Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng knows the truth, and so do we." Gabriel placed a hand on his son's shoulder. Adrien took a deep breath and forced himself to relax. "You haven't seen her yet, have you father?" he asked looking among the cluster of fancy clothes. "Not yet. Perhaps she is in the gardens with the other townsfolk. Would you like me to send for her?" "No, if she's having fun right now, I don't want to take her away from that." the prince sighed. He missed her so much. Gabriel couldn't help but smile at his son's lovesick expression. Ah, to be young and in love, how he remembered those days. "Tell you what, Adrien. Why don't you go and mingle for a while, and I'll send someone to look for Marinette. If and when she's ready to join you, the two of you can begin the dancing." Adrien thought it through for a moment. "Alright, I see Nino there, so I'll go converse with him. When they find Marinette, would you tell them..." he whispered the rest into his father's ear. Gabriel had to hold back a chuckle. "A little devious, don't you think?" "Yes, and maybe a little selfish, but I want to enjoy the night too." Adrien had an equally mischievous grin on his face. "Hmm, very well son." "Father." he gave him a bow and went to his friend who was enjoying the hors d'oeuvres table. "Hey there, Nino." Nino almost choked on a bite when he heard the prince. "Adri- I - I mean, your royal highness." he always forgot to do that first when he saw his friend in public. Adrien wanted to say he didn't have to do that, but his father wouldn't be pleased with anything less. Protocol and all that. "Enjoying yourself, my friend?" he asked instead. "Sure am, everything is great. And look, I swiped some of your favorites." he showed him a small plate of macarons. "Passionfruit?" the prince could already feel his mouth watering. "What else?" "Thank you, Nino. Is Alya around somewhere?" he asked before taking a bite. "Yeah, she's hanging out with Marinette outside. She started getting swamped with compliments about all the dresses she made." "Hmm, that's good, she deserves it." he finished his treat, then they both started walking around the ballroom. "Hopefully Marinette will come inside soon, I can't wait to get everything started." "Nervous?" Nino nudged him on the arm. "Yes, and excited. Hopeful and panicking. I mean, what if she says no?" he whispered that last part to not get any attention. "Not a chance." Nino shrugged his worry off. "You two are made for each other, and no one can say otherwise." "Prince Adrien?" A voice called behind them, and they turned to find Lila giving Adrien a bow. He thought his father's warning would've been good enough to keep her away. Maybe if he started sneezing it would be good enough to send her off. However, when he got a better look at her, he saw that she was wearing a completely different dress. The peacock dress was replaced with a deep purple ballgown that had more cleavage, and the whole front was decorated with a gold ivy pattern. Even her hair was different. She couldn't have been gone more than ten minutes. How was she able to change so fast? "Hello again, Lila." he greeted politely, deciding that he didn't care about her sudden change. It was best that he gives her a short conversation, then state that he has other guests to greet. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for my poor choice in garments. I would never do something that would cause you discomfort, sir." she gave him sad, pleading eyes that begged for forgiveness. "It's alright. You don't have to worry about me. You should just enjoy the party." he gestured to the people surrounding them. Nino had kept on walking to look for his intended, so he didn't see that he left the prince behind. "This was a better selection for me anyway." Lila responded as if she didn't hear what he said. "Goes much better with my locket, don't you think?" Adrien let her wave the little bobble in front of him again. He didn't understand why she wanted his attention to be on it since it was a simple little trinket. The gem was beautiful, he would admit. It glimmered and shined in a way that he had never seen on any other precious stone. Maybe he should look for a similar gem to give to.... give to..... Give to who? Not Lila, she already has one. She doesn't really need it, she's beautiful enough without jewelry. So what was he thinking about?..... There was the gem.... then.... what?..... Maybe he should..... should..... "Excuse me, your royal highness." a voice broke him away from his hazing thoughts. Adrien had to shake his head out of this strange fog he felt all of the sudden and turned to the footman. "Yes, Jacque, what is it?" "I am to inform you that the princess has arrived, sir." Jacque replied, following the instructions given to him by the king. "Princess!? What Princess!?" Lila said stunned. "Of course. If you will excuse me, Lila, I must give this princess my full attention." Adrien strolled away, taking a dark pleasure in seeing the jealous scowl on the woman's face. .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Marinette was, in fact, having a great time in the gardens. She and her parents wanted to spend some time with the townsfolk now that the king had relieved them of the catering duty. Already she had received thanks for her work and praise for her own dress. Of course, Marinette didn't take credit for it, saying the dress once belonged to the queen. After a while, she left her parents to go and talk with some of her friends. "And I heard that Chloe Bourgeois got smitten with a certain musician we all know and wants to run away with him." Alya was loudly whispering to everyone in the group. Marinette could only sigh. She loved her friend dearly, but sometimes her gossip streak could really get the better of her. "Come on Alya." their friend Alix said. "Do you really think Luka would go for a spoiled brat like Chloe." "He's much more smitten with his music." Rose half joked, and the other girls giggled. "I think he likes Zoe." Juleka muttered about her brother quietly. "Really? I didn't know that." Marinette gasped. "Does Zoe know?" "He wants to write a song for her and tell her." she answered. "Oh, that's so romantic." Rose practically swooned. The other girls were going to agree when Alya broke them out of the conversation. "Oh, no. Who let that guy in here!?" "Who?" they all asked looking around. "Sheriff Jackass over there." Alya pointed to the food tables, and they all turned to find Sheriff Adolphe carefully sniffing the desserts on his little plate. Everyone's mood went gray as if a dark cloud went over them at the sight of the man. "Everyone was invited to the ball, Alya." Marinette said reluctantly, but also trying to stay neutral. "Maybe they should've been more selective about that." Alix grumbled displeasingly. "Just let it go, girls. Let's not spoil the night, okay?" Marinette said trying to take her own advice. She was wishing the sheriff wasn't here more than the rest of her friends. "You're right. We should just ignore him and have fun at the ball." Alya agreed. "On that note, shouldn't you be inside dancing with his royal highness?" Marinette's heart took a leap to her throat at the question. "I- I didn't want to distract him while he greeted the important guests." she answered quickly, trying not to make it sound like an excuse. "Knowing Prince Sunshine, he's probably waiting desperately for you to come and save him from the fancy stiff shirts." Alya laughed. Then, as if hearing her, one of the doormen came up to the young women and addressed Marinette. "Pardonne-moi, mademoiselle, but the prince has requested your presence in the ballroom when you are available." "See, told you." Marinette's heart dropped to her gut at his words. "O-okay. I'll head over there right now. Can you take me to the prince, please?" "Certainly, ma'am, right this way please." He made a low bow, and turned in the direction of the palace with the two young women following behind him. "See, I knew he couldn't last one more hour without you being near him." Alya smirked, and Marinette could only nod unenthusiastically, which did not go unnoticed by her friend. "What's wrong?" "Nothing, I'm really excited. We get to see the best part of the ball, and I get to be with Adrien." she forced a smile. "You're not still worried about the other girls around here, are you? Your mother said it was bothering you." Alya held her shoulder firmly in support. "Maybe a little." she admitted. It felt good to have her friends and family there for her, no matter how sad or anxious she felt. "Don't think about it anymore, and just focus on having fun with your prince for the rest of the night." Her prince. No matter how much time had past, or how long her and Adrien had been together, it still felt so foreign to think those words. Still, the truth of it made her feel so warm. "Okay." They made it to the entrance of the ballroom when the doorman stopped and turned to face them. "Please wait here, ma'am, and I shall fetch the prince to meet you." And off he went. Marinette suddenly felt like a little mouse cornered by a hungry cat and started to fidget with herself for anything that felt out of place. A hair out of place, a piece of her skirt bunched up. Was her rouge still neat? Did she put on enough perfume? Did she remember to use the mint leaves for her teeth and breath?! What if she tumbled in front of the prince and everyone started laughing at her, and then he'll never want to speak to her again....."Marinette!" Alya whisper yelled. "What!?" she snapped herself up and looked at her friend. "Stop thinking." It was a silly command, but for some reason it seemed to help her. Marinette took a deep breath and tried to relax. She looked around the room and noticed people stepping aside to clear a path for the prince. There he was, and he looked just as handsome as ever. She'd offered to make his suit for him, but he would have none of it saying he didn't want to give her any extra work. But what he wore now worked very well for him. His golden hair had been oiled and brushed back slightly. His outer coat was ivory with a golden rope trim, and he had dark green trousers with black high boots. His posture was high and proud, proving to everyone present that he was every bit the crown prince she always saw in him. His lovely green eyes were searching for her as she stepped forward to greet him. Adrien had imagined Marinette in his mother's dress for the past few days, but nothing could've prepared him for the vision of loveliness that stood before him. It fit her perfectly and matched the soft paleness of her skin. Her long midnight hair was down with the front braided and tied to the back, and there was a wave in her locks meaning she must have ironed it a bit. She was wearing a rouge that really brought out her smile. Her brightness was a flower that sprouted in a bed full of weeds. Surely, he was unworthy of this angel among mortals. It took all of his strength to not simply fall at her feet and worship the princess before him. Instead, he walked towards her and met her in the center of the dance floor. After making a low bow, he greeted her. "Beautiful princess, I bid you welcome." Naturally, there were sounds of shock and disbelief around them, no one expecting there to be a princess at the ball as well. Marinette wanted to flick Adrien on the nose to wipe off that smug look from his face. He's doing this on purpose, she thought in slight annoyance. She knew she couldn't publicly correct him, so instead she gave a deep curtsy in return. "Thank you for inviting me, your royal highness." Adrien rose again, then held out his hand. "Fair maiden, would you do me the honor of the first dance for the evening?" "It would be my pleasure, sire." she answered as she took his hand. Adrien pulled her closer into the waltz position, then gave a signal to the orchestra to start playing. They began with a gentle melody, allowing the pair to sway and turn in each other's arms. Then the pair started to move faster as the music picked up tempo. Everyone around the ballroom stepped back to give the prince and his partner more space. Marinette could see it on some of their faces that they were questioning if she was in fact a princess. "I don't think you should have done that, Adrien." she whispered as they danced. "Done what, princess?" he played ignorance. Curse him. "That! It's one thing if you're calling me princess when it's just between us, but to address me as one in front of all these people...." "Alright, I admit, I did have a motive behind it this time." he gave her a twirl. "And what is that?" she asked as she leaned back against him. "Now no one can cut in between us. They wouldn't dare interrupt two royals dancing." "Adrien, that's deceptive!" she whispered scoldingly. "Maybe, but if it means I get you all to myself, then I would do it again." he heard the music start to pick up further and had an idea. "In fact, brace yourself for what I'm about to do." Marinette knew what he was planning. "No." "Let's give them a show." "No!" she tried not to raise her voice. "I'm gonna do it." "Don't you dare!" "In three..." "Adrien!" "Two..." "I'm gonna - Oh!" she cried involuntarily as he picked her up by the waist and twirled her around the dance floor. It was a silly little routine between them whenever they were dancing in during his lessons. Adrien would hold her up and spin her around like a graceful ballet par de deux. The trick was that he wouldn't stop spinning until he got a laugh out of Marinette. She had half a mind to slap him to make him stop, but she didn't have it in her to be mad. Plus, she was getting really dizzy. So, in a feeling of full elation, Marinette let herself go and threw her head back with her arms out, laughing away. Adrien joined her in laughter as the music came back down to a softer melody. Marinette then wrapped her arms tightly around the prince's neck, and they just held each other like there was no one else in the room. They didn't even notice when others started to dance around them. They continued to dance for about another hour before Marinette finally obliged to her protesting feet. "My prince, could we rest for a moment?" "Of course, Marinette." He led her off the dancefloor and toward the refreshments. He offered her a glass of champagne and they had a few of the treats so there was something in their stomachs. "Are you enjoying the evening so far, Princess?" Adrien asked. "It's wonderful, and I'm so glad everyone liked the gowns I made. Maybe by tomorrow I'll have a few new clients wanting their own clothes." she smiled. "I saw several of them, it's good to know all your hard work paid off." Adrien loved how her creativity made so many others happy because that's what she cared about the most. Nino and Alya joined them a moment later, giving them time to talk about everything and nothing. Adrien looked around and saw his father talking with a few delegates and what he assumed were their daughters. Three guesses what their conversations were, he thought dully. It's probably best he pushes things forward now while he can. He turned his attention back to his friends and interrupted the jokes and laughter by asking, "Marinette, would you like to join me outside for a bit? Get some fresh air?" "Yes, that sounds nice. Alya, Nino, do you want to join us?" she asked the pair. "Actually, I think I had a little too much wine. I should probably go eat something to balance myself out." Alya answered. "And I'll stay with her to make sure she's alright." Nino placed an arm around her shoulder in support. Adrien gave a silent thanks to his friends, then escorted Marinette back out to the garden area. They kept near the fountains as they watched several guests talk among themselves. "This has been a huge success." Marinette complemented. Then she saw a few young ladies staring intently at them and giving her the evil eye. Adrien saw it too. "There's going to be a lot of disappointed young ladies here tonight, though." "But you invited everyone in the kingdom neutrally. Wouldn't they have understood it's a good political move instead of these lords and dukes throwing their daughters at you?" "Whether I said I wanted a candidate or not doesn't matter. All they had to do was introduce the eligible young women to me, and if I liked them, I would call on them to continue courtship." he grinned, "Too bad they don't know that I'm not eligible myself." "I hope they won't be too disappointed, or maybe they'll find their own true loves here tonight." she said honestly. She had noticed a few couples that looked like they were enjoying each other's company. "Let's hope so." he shrugged it off, finished with the topic. He saw there were more people gathering around the garden, and Adrien still wanted things to be more private with his princess. They'll have to go somewhere quieter, and he knew the perfect place. "Why don't we go see my mother for a bit?" he asked suddenly. "Are you sure you want to step away from the ball right now?" Marinette asks surprised. "Come on." he took her hand and led her through a hedge maze that led to a stone wall with a wooden door. It was a small sanctuary the king had built after his wife passed. Not many were allowed back here save for a couple trusted gardeners. The area was closed off with stone walls that were covered with vines and wisteria. Most of the ground was grass with a decent sized manmade pond filled with lily pads and frogs chirping away on them. Surrounding the pair as they walked through the garden were several rose bushes all in different colors. And on the far wall from the door was a statue in likeness of the late queen. The statue held itself modestly in a sitting position with one hand on her lap, and the other up and over her chest, but not touching it. Her face was turned and seemed to be looking at the hand. Marinette stepped away from Adrien to pluck a perfect white rose from the bush and handed it to him. He took the rose gratefully and then placed it in the outward hand of the statue. Now it had the appearance of Emilie admiring the rose given to her. It had been Marinette's idea to start this tradition. The king had planned to place something else in the statue's hand, like her scepter to match the crown. But when the young girl placed a flower, Adrien liked it so much that he pleaded his father to leave the statue as is. This way it felt like he was always giving his mother flowers in a more meaningful way than just leaving ones on her grave. The couple admired the statue for a moment, then went over to the west wall with the stone bench that was arched by pink roses. Marinette leaned her head on his shoulder just enjoying the peace of resting her feet and being with the man she loved. "Did you know that my mother was the first one to call you princess?" he asked quietly. Marinette shot her head up to face him, not sure she heard him right. "She did!? When?" "After we first met." he answered smiling. She still couldn't believe it. "Why would she call a simple little peasant girl that snuck away from her parents to wander around the palace, a princess?" "Oh, probably because of the way I was going on and on about the cute little girl that played with me, and we didn't have to worry about manners, or politics, or any of the lessons they were forcing into my head." he grinned and let her have a moment to remember that day as well. "Then when I finished telling my mother about it, the first thing she said was, 'Well, darling, it seems you've found your princess.' "She gasped, "She didn't say that!" "I swear." she held his hand up as if taking an oath. "And she was right." "Come on, your highness." she shrugged him off. "You know I'm not really a princess, and don't say I'm one in the ways that count." He snapped his mouth shut to stop from saying just that, so she continued. "I'm not a princess in a way that would matter to anyone in court, including your father." "I could change that easily, you know." he took hold of her hands, feeling ready to start with the right words. Marinette, on the other hand, couldn't tell if he was being serious or comedic. Either way made the truth stab her in the heart. She didn't pull her hands away, but she couldn't look him in the eye right now. "You shouldn't say such things, Adrien." she didn't want to cry, but the stinging behind her eyes made it very hard not to. Lila's words once again came back to haunt her, making her feel these few special moments wouldn't last forever. Adrien didn't understand what made her upset all the sudden. Had he said something cruel? Had he insulted her? Maybe he took a wrong route on the conversation. He tried to backtrack and start things over. His mind went back to their first meeting, and he thought more about what he wanted to say. "You know, when we first met, I don't think you realized how much you saved me then, Marinette." he reached over to brush a loose hair from her cheek. She looked back at him, her troubles replaced with confusion. "In what way?" "That was the first time I had real fun as a child. Everyone always thinks being born the crown prince is the luckiest thing on earth. There are some that recognize it as a lifelong occupation, like if one's father is a blacksmith, then the son is expected to be a blacksmith." Marinette nodded in understanding. She could relate to that on a small degree. When she was younger, her parents did have the thought that one day she would take over the bakery. But then she gained such a passion for sewing and designing clothes that she couldn't imagine anything else. Rather than discourage the idea, her loving parents supported her and planned to pass on the bakery to whomever had a passion for baking bread. "But it's much harsher than that." Adrien continued. "Even at such a young age, I was having to learn about politics, language, even warfare. And I had to behave just the right way all the time. Stand up straight, be polite, be perfectly cleaned and groomed, and always know the right thing to say." "But then for that one short hour we had, you didn't have to do any of those things." she added. "I begged and begged my parents to let me play with you again. My father probably never would have agreed back then if my mother hadn't compromised by saying as long as I kept up with my studies, we could have our playdate together." "And that was it. Every Sunday afternoon, we would have a different adventure around the palace. What was your favorite?" Adrien leaned back against the ivy covered wall to think for a moment. "Hmmm, probably that time I was a prince locked in a tower, and you were the brave knight that saved me." "Really?" Marinette snorted at that memory. "I would think it was that time we played pirates looking for treasure, and we actually found it..." "In the royal treasure room." they said together and laughed uncontrollably. "We were in so much trouble for that one." Marinette said after catching her breath. "It was worth it. Every day I got to spend with you was worth it. I even made sure to study extra hard throughout the week so as not to give my parents a reason to deny your visit. Then, as we got older...." he stopped. "Yeah..." she didn't need to say anything. She let her head rest on his shoulder again, and he wrapped an arm around her to pull her closer. As they got older, naturally things started to change. Their bodies and minds made them see each other differently. Adrien was introduced to young girls to see if they would catch his interests while Marinette stood to the side and watched. Though he did as he was told and spent time with the ladies of the court, he never gave them more than polite conversation and always went back to his real princess. At thirteen when his mother started to become ill, he was declared second in command to the crown, and directly in line in the passing or stepdown of the king and queen. He took strongly to his responsibilities while Marinette gained the apprenticeship to a tailor that eventually retired and passed down the shop to her. "You were my first of everything." Adrien broke the silence with his soft voice. "My first real friend, my first kiss, my first love... My first lover...." he whispered in her ear."And you were mine." she said back, and gasped when he placed a kiss on her neck. "I even made more friends because of you, like Nino and Alya." "Hmmmm, they love you for you, Adrien, just as I do." she spoke only the truth. "When I was given the title of second in command, my mother and father said they would grant me a request as a reward, and I said there was only one thing I wanted from them." Marinette looked up at him. "What did you ask for?" her voice felt weak. Adrien gave her forehead a kiss before looking her in the eye. "I asked that they not arrange a betrothal for me. That I would be free to choose whomever I wanted as a bride, no matter their background." The young woman gasped, her heart making such a leap that she held her hand to her chest to keep it in place. The prince slipped away from her to drop down to one knee. "Marinette, you are the princess that holds my heart, you always have been. Would you grant me, a humble prince, the honor of becoming my wife?" She wanted to scream yes more than anything in the world, but instead her words squeaked out of her like a mouse. "C- can I?" "Of course you can, that is if you want to?" He gave her time to adjust, it was a big question after all. He didn't bother showing her the ring yet for fear of putting extra pressure on her. "B-but y-your f-f-father... the king..." Surely King Gabriel had no intention of agreeing to this. "My father has our full support, and no one will deny the king's approval." he smiled and rubbed her hands in comfort. "A-are you sure? I'm just a simple seamstress, the daughter of a poor baker family." she tried to make sure he was open to all the facts. The prince had expected this kind of reaction from her. Despite her confidence and courage, there was always a side of Marinette that doubted her self worth. But she would often rise above that doubt and continued forward anyway. And that's what made him love her all the more. "You know my father started from pretty humble beginnings as well. It was my mother that had the royal bloodline." He pointed out. She did know that, the whole kingdom knew. It was a great love story of the king and queen that everyone shared. She didn't say anything back, so Adrien continued. "They married for love and held each other strong on the throne. My mother saw the same thing with us. She wanted me to live my days with someone I could be happy with. So Marinette, my princess, would you stand beside a prince that will one day be king, with you as his queen?" She looked deeply into his eyes, seeing the boy she had fallen in love with when they were little children, and shook her head. "I don't want to marry a prince..." Adrien thought his heart would snap, feeling the panic that everything would be over after this. But then he let himself breathe again when she spoke the rest. "I would marry the boy that was lonely in a grand palace. The boy that was laughing after getting his fancy clothes wet in the rain. The boy that spent his time in the market streets and saw the citizens that needed help rather than the expensive goods. The boy that became a loving, passionate man worthy of being his country's ruler. The man that I would marry is all those things and right before me, and I would be his wife if he would have me." He shot to his feet, and pulled her up with him to hold her in a tight embrace. "I love you so much, Marinette. You are the only one in the world for me, and I don't think I could survive without your love." "Then I will never deny you. I love you, too, Adrien." They pulled together in for a strong kiss full of love. Adrien held her tighter than ever for fear she would disappear if he ever let go. Marinette felt like she couldn't get enough of him as they kissed each other harder with his hands around her waist and her fingers in his hair. This was a kiss beyond what they felt previously. In this kiss, their souls were touching, become one under the stars of their secret garden. The memory of the late queen being the witness to this blessed moment of two soulmates and their greatest love for each other. .~*~*~*~*~*~
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.Chapter 5: What's a Little Memory to a Queen? .*~*~*~*~* Lady Delila de Rossi found herself in a concoctive emotion that contained anger, frustration, jealousy, and worst of all puzzlement. Most of the anger was targeted toward that pathetic Marinette girl and the dress she sold her. Then, of course, that stupid prince had to have an allergy for feathers, ruining her chance to make a good impression on the king. She had to move fast before any future opportunities were lost, so she used the locket to switch the material of her dress with a beautiful loveseat in one of the resting rooms. Disaster removed, and now she could gain the attention of the prince once more. She found him talking to that messenger she remembered seeing at the tailor shop. He better not have spoken anything against her, or she'll have a special message for him. Lila had a little more trouble getting Adrien's attention, no doubt the bustle of the party causing distractions. But then he finally glanced at the amulet, and she had her hold on him. Now just ask me to dance. She ordered in her mind eagerly. She needed that one special moment with him. And then he will be all mine. "Excuse me, your highness." Someone had dared to interrupt them, and the prince turned away from her again. Then she heard the rest of what the man said. A princess!? There weren't supposed to be any princesses at the ball. She knew there wasn't any princesses in the royal family save for the late queen's sister, but she lived in Paonne. This event was meant to invite only those in the kingdom. What kind of foreign tramp was waltzing in here and stealing the prince away!? And he left without a single thought! How dare he! Lila would've yelled and screamed at the audacity of it all if that useless messenger man hadn't still been right next to her. Instead, she bit her tongue to force any cursing out of her thoughts and addressed him curiously. "I didn't know other royalty was attending the ball tonight." "There isn't." Nino informed her. "That's just what Prince Adrien calls a girl that's very special to him." Very special to him!? A girl that's very special to him!? The words kept repeating in Lila's head. How was this possible?! She had certainly never heard anything about the prince having a suitor intended. And even if he did have someone, he never should have been able to resist her spell. Nothing had ever fought against her magic before. She needed to know more about this. "That sounds really nice. I'm glad the prince has someone so dear to him." she tried to sound as sweet as possible without having the urge to vomit. "Really?" Nino asked surprised. "Of course, now if you'll excuse me." Lila slipped away through the crowd and went back to the resting room she fixed her dress in. There still wasn't anyone in here, which was suitable to her needs. She pulled the locket off and opened it up. The strange lilac colored magic seeped out of the jewelry and rose to form a small creature that appeared to be sleeping. It was the size of a canary, with the head much larger in proportion to the body. It was the same lilac color, had small arms and legs, with two pairs of wings like a dragonfly, four antennae on its head, and a blue diamond marking between its closed eyes. "Wake up you worthless insect!" Lila flicked at it, making the creature jolt awake and looked around in a panic."Huh? What? When? Where? Who? Why? How?..... Oh, it's only you..." the being said when it focused its attention on the woman. "What do you want this time?" "You've got some explaining to do." Lila growled. "Why should I have to explain anything to you?" The magical being yawned flew around the room. It couldn't go far because the smoke-like magic was still connecting it to the locket like a leash. "Why isn't the prince falling for me, Gimmi!?" Lila demanded. Gimmi only laughed at the woman. "I told you I can't completely change someone's heart, not without something being sacrificed." "I know that! It's not about a silly thing like love." Lila sighed, annoyed at hearing this speech again. "I just wanted to keep his focus on me so he will think it's love and want to marry me." "So, you make him pay attention to you, then he'll mistake it for attraction and make him lose interest in someone else. Sounds about right." the being didn't see the problem. "Except it's not working!" she shouted this time. "Why isn't it working!?" "Could be a number of reasons. Maybe you're not concentrating enough. Maybe the prince has no true interest in you." Gimmi smiled when Lila scowled at him for that one. "Or maybe some other magic is going on here." "Other magic!? But you're supposed to be the strongest one of your kind." she grabbed the creature and shook it in anger. "That doesn't mean... other kinds of magic.... can't be stronger than mine." Gimmi struggled to break from her grasp. "You mean like a witch?" Lila thought about it for a moment and released her servant. "Yes, it could be possible. It could be that princess he was talking about. She might have a spell on him already." "I dunno." the being shrugged. "We'll just have to see who is better skilled when it comes to bending people to their will." she closed the locket, trapping the creature again, and walked out to the ballroom. Several people were dancing now, so it took her a moment to find the prince dancing with this so-called princess. They were smiling at each other, whispering into one another's ear and laughing. The princess, or whatever she was, wore a simple pink dress, hardly extravagant enough to be worthy of the title. Then when the music changed, and they slowed down, Lila was able to get a better look at the little troll's face. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. It was Marinette! Why did things keep going back to Marinette!? First, she ruins things with her dress, then she has the nerve to insult her by gaining all the attention of the prince. Her prince! Now, no one else can come between them because he called her a princess. They would have to separate on their own. And judging by the way he was looking at her, that wasn't going to be an occurrence anytime soon. "She must be the one with the magic." Lila concluded. It all made sense. Marinette had been sabotaging things from the start so Lila wouldn't interfere with her own plans. She must have the prince under some sort of love potion. Knowing that now, how was Lila going to make her own spell work? Obviously, she had been too hasty when she first came here. She should've made some inquiries on the prince's relationships to the people of Papillon. Too often the rich and powerful were separate from the common, so she had no thought to believe otherwise. She wasn't beaten yet; this new information does present the opportunity to spread whatever lies she wanted. She watched the two dance for a while before they slipped away to talk to some other nobodies like that messenger, and another woman. It seemed as though all four of them were friends. This could be useful. She waited for Marinette and the prince to leave for outside before making herself known to the other two. "Good evening. Lovely night, isn't it?" "Good evening." Nino greeted politely. "Yes, it is nice." Alya replied happily, not noticing how Nino stood himself a little straighter at the presence of the woman.Lila pretended to look around in search of something. "What happened to the prince, and that beautiful woman he was with?" "The prince and Marinette went to get some air." Nino said shortly, not forgetting how this woman had upset his friend. Lila noticed this, and she knew just how to play it out. "Oh, that was Marinette! I didn't know she would be here too. I almost didn't recognize her with that beautiful dress she was wearing." she said excitedly."She was invited by his royal highness personally." Nino felt if he emphasized it enough, she would take the hint and move on. Instead, she turned her head to the side and looked worried. "Is something the matter?" "I don't know, is there?" Alya asked, not sure why Nino had his guard up like this. He crossed his arms before answering. "This is the one that gave Marinette a hard time in her shop." Alya turned back to Lila with a scowl. "Is that right?" Lila sighed in defeat. "Alright, I'll admit my behavior was less than desirable. I was really only thinking about having a beautiful dress for tonight." "And catch the eye of the handsome prince?" Alya added dryly. "Well, yes in a way--" Lila tried before the girl interrupted her. "Listen, darling, I don't know what you're used to, but around here our prince has had his eyes on one girl, and that's my best friend..." she stepped closer. "Really?" Lila played curiosity, but not backing down. This peasant didn't scare her. "So, if you're thinking you can pull off trying to steal him away..." Alya pointed a finger at her chest to make good of her warning, but she didn't expect the surprised look on Lila's face. "What!? Oh, goodness gracious No!" "Uh-- Wait, what?" Nino asked confused. "The last thing I wanted was to steal the prince's heart. I could never have the stomach to be a queen. I feel faint enough when I have to talk to more than five people at once." She fanned herself at the thought of it. "But then why were you so concerned about meeting the royal family?" he asked. Lila took a deep breath to calm herself. "My family isn't very high in social standing, especially with my father's health starting to wane. So, we thought that if I could at least have a good impression to the royal family, my name could be mentioned to someone of good marriage material." "You're saying you came to the ball to hunt for a husband?" Alya supplied the rest skeptically."But not his royal highness, I promise. Not that it wouldn't be flattering, he is very handsome and charming after all." Lila held her hands up to extent her surrender of the notion. "And if you wish, I will apologize to Marinette about the dress." Alya thought it over and decided to let go of her anger in a long sigh. It would probably be better to give the woman the benefit of the doubt. "Alright, and if you want, I can tell you who to definitely not choose for a husband." she grinned. Lila put her hands together and gave her an adorable smile. "Oh, would you really?" "Sure, let's start with the ones you immediately cross off the list." Alya locked an arm with Lila and led her to a spot where they had a good view of the ballroom. Nino trailed behind them, hoping that his lovely Alya would point Lila in the direction of an eligible lord and be done with it. Then they could return to their own enjoyment of the evening. He wasn't really paying attention to them until Lila pointed at one man in particular. "What about that gentleman?" she gestured to Sheriff Adolphe. "Oh, it's best you stay away from that one." Nino advised. "Why? What's wrong with him?" Lila asked innocently. The couple explained how Sheriff Adolphe was one of the law enforcers of Papillon. Most of his job consisted of tax collecting and settling disputes around the city. The problem was that he was a very pugnacious man. Too often was he quick to label someone a thief or conspirator to treason just to gain the credit of putting them behind bars when they tried to fight back. "Were none of his claims accurate?" Lila asked. "That's the worst of it." Alya said in frustration. "He did actually arrest a group for arson. They were trying to burn down the Duke of Bourgeois' home. The duke was so grateful that he lets the sheriff carry on with his actions." "Even when someone tries to speak against the sheriff, Duke Bourgeois always vouges for him. Adolphe keeps trying to make himself look good with claims that could ruin businesses." Nino said. "He even tried to go after Marinette's mother." "Oh my, whatever for?" Lila gasped. "He tried to accuse Madame Cheng of poisoning the bread in their shop just because she's foreign." Nino answered. "If Adrien hadn't been there to witness the whole thing and stop him, things would've been a lot worse." "The prince?" Lila was genuinely surprised this time. "Yep, at least Sheriff Jackass was worried enough about his actions reaching the king, but he still has the support of the duke. The prince did what he could by declaring that the sheriff should always have irrefutable evidence before making an arrest, but it still didn't stop him from being a complete piece of shit!" Alya felt like scratching someone's eyes out at the thought of that horrible man. Lila, on the other hand, took everything to note. This sheriff was not only paranoid and antagonistic, but he was practically an enemy to Marinette. He could prove to be very useful to her, along with this duke the sheriff had in his pocket. She talked with the pair a while longer, letting them tell her about the other guests. There was mention of the Viscount Roth again, and Lila made a note for him as well. She could always play things off his greed. Then she looked toward the hallways that were partially covered by curtains. It was the prince and the tailor, and they looked like they were sneaking back into the palace. They looked so unbelievably happy, too. Holding hands and laughing like a pair of mischievous children. Lila would have to do something about that. She turned back to her companions and smiled. "Well, I think I've bothered you two enough for tonight. You should enjoy the rest of the evening together." "Thank you, Lila, and I'm glad we settled things earlier." Alya said honestly. "As am I, good evening." She slipped away in the direction of where the two other love birds were hiding. .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Adrien wished more than anything that he and Marinette could just spend the rest of the night alone together, but he still had a duty to keep his attendance with the rest of the ball. At least now he can enjoy it with his fiancé. He felt so delighted at the thought of calling her that, and he'll be even more ecstatic when the day comes that he'll get to call her his wife. They were making their way back as quietly as possible, but it was a challenge to hold back the laughter trying to escape them. Marinette felt drunk with jubilation. If Adrien hadn't been holding her hand right now, she was pretty sure she would collapse from the lightheadedness she was experiencing. "Shhh, stop laughing Marinette, someone will notice us." he told her while holding back his own chuckle. "I can't help it." she held her free hand over her mouth hopelessly. "I'm so happy I feel like I need to scream!" "As do I, but we have to hold back until my father makes the announcement." They stopped at a quiet area in the hallway where Adrien could easily sneak through back to the throne where Gabriel still sat. "Wait here a moment. I'll tell him he can address everyone and I will get to present the kingdom with my new bride to be." He gave her a quick kiss before stepping into the crowd. Marinette did the only thing she could think of to stay quiet, and that was twirl around the empty hallway. She was going to marry Adrien. The love of her life was going to be her husband. She looked at the sparkling pink diamond ring on her finger that he managed to give in between the kisses and tears of joy. This had been a dream she experienced so many times, though never spoke it aloud to be anything but. Her dear mother and friends had been right all along. Their love will rise above whatever life threw at them. And Marinette promised that she will do everything in her power to be worthy of her dear sweet prince. "My, my, Marinette. You certainly made quite a show with the prince, didn't you?" A voice that sounded sweet yet frozen crept up behind her. She turned around to see Lila Rossi coming up to her. She wasn't sure what to say at first, then notice the woman's dress. "Hello, Lila, that's a beautiful gown you're wearing. Did something happen with the one you bought?" "Humph, as if you don't already know." Lila dropped her smile and scowled at her darkly. Marinette did know, and could take an easy guess to what happened. "I am sorry. I tried to tell you about the feathers..." "I'm sure you did." Lila interrupted. "I bet you also thought that I wouldn't notice any of your own tricks at work here." "Huh? What tricks?" she asked, not understanding what she meant. "So, which is it?" Lila ignored the question. "A spell? A secret word? Or perhaps something more practical like a love potion?" "What?" Marinette asked dumbfounded and concerned. She took a steady step back from the woman. Lila let out a heavy sigh at the girl still playing ignorant. "With the prince, of course. Whatever spell you're playing on him is the only explanation to him thinking you're a princess, or that he would even be interested in you in the first place." Realization spread across Marinette's face, and did the only thing she could think of. She laughed. This only irritated the elegant woman further. "And just what is so goddamn funny!?" The young seamstress got herself under control before answering. "What's funny is how hard it seems to be for everyone to believe the simplest things. They come up with these outrageous stories that make less sense than the truth." "What truth would that be?" Lila asked crossing her arms. "That the prince loves me, and I love him." she held herself straight and kept a soft smile on despite Lila's face getting more hateful. Her smile dropped to fear when Lila came up to her in three long strides and whispered to her venomously, "Listen you worthless little tramp, you have no idea who I am, or what I am capable of. I have more power than you can ever imagine. More power than the royal family ever wished they had. If I wanted to, I could simply--" "Simply what!?" They both heard a voice coming up to them, and the women turned to find Prince Adrien looking very angry at what was before him. Lila took a quick step back and tried to play it nice once more. "Oh, your royal highness. I didn't see you come in." "No, I'm sure you didn't." He quickly walked up to stand next to Marinette. Lila had to play it quick before the seamstress got a word in. "I don't know how much of that you heard, but it wasn't what it sounded like..." "Really!? Because to me it sounded a great deal like you were threatening my fiancé!" he wrapped an arm around Marinette and held her to his chest. "Fiancé!?" Lila repeated. "The prince has asked me to marry him, and I accepted." Marinette stated, finding her voice again and showing this woman that she wasn't afraid of her. "Marry?" Lila said as if she wasn't believing them. "That's right, and if you want to be spared any further embarrassment, I'm going to let you return to the ball peacefully, or else I will have you publicly escorted off the grounds. And I better not see you anywhere near us again." His voice was strong and commanding, the voice of a real ruler. This only infuriated Lila further. No one talks to her like that and gets away with it, not even the prince. However, she decided to heed his warning and strolled away back into the ballroom. When Lila was finally out of sight, Marinette released the breath she didn't realize she was holding. For some reason, she felt more afraid of Lila causing a scene and getting thrown out. So, it was a relief that things ended quietly. But what did she mean about having more power than the royal family? Was she just bluffing? Was she just trying to scare her? "Are you alright, Marinette?" Adrien turned her body to face him, but he didn't let her go. "I'm fine, Adrien." she tried to convince herself more than him. The prince could see she was still upset about the encounter. "I could still have her thrown out if you want." "No, it's alright. I'm not going to let her ruin our night." She smiled warmly at him and reached to kiss his cheek. "Good. Are you ready to address your new subjects, my future queen?" He said half teasing. "Let's just start with the engagement." She giggled at him. "Of course, princess." He kissed her hand. The pair made it through the ball to come up next to King Gabriel. He had been waiting patiently on his throne working through his speech. When his son and intended arrived, he rose from the throne, held a hand out to the musicians to cease their playing, and then gave a signal to one of the announcers. "Praise silence for his Majesty, the King." The man called out over the room causing all the guests to quiet down and turn their attentions to their monarch. "My welcomed subjects." Gabriel began. "I would like to begin by expressing my wishes that everyone here is having a memorable evening." The audience gave a small applause in answer, and Gabriel waited for them to finish before continuing. "Second, I would like to share a truth that has been rumored but never been confirmed before now. My son, his royal highness, the crown prince Adrien has informed me of his proposal of marriage to Mademoiselle Marinette Dupain-Cheng, and she has accepted. So, now I would like to officially announce this royal ball as an engagement party, and I would like to give the best of wishes to my son and his bride to be. To Adrien and Marinette." The crowd roared in cheers of happiness and congratulations as the couple stepped closer next to the king. Then Gabriel concluded the speech. "I invite everyone to share in their happiness, and joining me in wishing them a long, prosperous, and most of all loving marriage." Adrien turned to Marinette, and she looked back at him. He pulled her hand up to his lips, never taking his eyes off hers. Marinette barely heard the crowd anymore. It was only her and her dearest love in the room right now, and nothing else seemed to matter. .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"HOW!!?? How is this POSSIBLE!?!? What is wrong with you, You Stupid Creature!? Why wouldn't your magic work!?" Lila was screaming at her magical slave in a private room. But rather than being frightened, the strange being was just cackling away. "What are you laughing at, dammit!?" "Because you clearly don't understand what's going on." Gimmi breathed, only to start laughing again. "This is more fun than when the earthquake cut off the fumes that gave the oracles visions." "What's there to understand!?! You were supposed to break whatever spell that Marinette witch was using! You have the strongest magic! But you didn't do anything, and now you're telling me you can't use your magic to break it--" "I can't break what's not there." the being interrupted. "Why do humans always think magic comes from nothing?" "Gimmi, I am your master, and I order you for the final time to break Marinette's spell." Lila spoke clearly as if it was suddenly going to work the way she wanted. "That's what I'm trying to tell you. There is no spell for me to break. What's happening between the prince and that girl is stronger than any magic." Gimmi wasn't laughing anymore. "And what is that?" she asked shortly. "Love." "Oh, please...." she rolled her eyes. "It's true!" Gimmi insisted. "I can do a great many things, but I can never interfere with love. Love is the greatest form of creation and destruction, of gain and sacrifice, which is the very core of my being. That's why your little tricks weren't working on the prince, because he already had the girl deep in his heart." The creature's words only made Lila want to boil over with rage. Some unfortunate flower vases met such a fate against the lavished walls. This was all Marinette's fault. She knew she didn't like the little seamstress the moment she met her. Now that stupid, ugly, scrap of a whore was going to take away everything from her. She hated her more than she ever felt hatred for anything else. "I want her dead." Lila hissed. "I wouldn't recommend that, you know the rules. I can't just kill anybody." Gimmi said unaffected by her anger. "My laws of balance would have to replace a life for a life." "I don't see why you can't kill anyone with all the power you have." Lila said. "Because you humans can kill each other easily enough without using any magic, so there's no point in me getting involved." the creature said, bored that they had to explain this sort of thing all the time. "What about just wishing that seamstress out of existence?" She went over to the brandy tray for a much needed drink. "That would be even worse. You'd have to bring something unknown into the world, and there's no telling what you could bring forth. Plus, everyone would be suspicious of you if Marinette disappeared." "Ugh, how useless can you get!?" Lila yelled after downing another mouthful. "Hey, it's not my fault the prince was already in love, and from what I was hearing, they've known each other for a long time." Gimmi chose to indulge in the horse o'derves tray and left the witch back to her pacing. Lila had come too far to allow herself to be thwarted like this. There had to be a way to get Marinette out of the way. If only the prince hadn't shown up when he did, then maybe she could've caused some sort of accident without anyone suspecting her. Then those other two, Alya and Nino, were quick to defend their friend and the prince, so they might cause further problems. Marinette was just too involved with everyone. They knew her too well. It would be better if everyone just forgot about the insignificant little tailor. That thought gave her an idea. "What if you just make them forget about her? If you can't erase her from existence, then would it be easier for everyone to never know she was born?" "Hmmm, well it's not impossible.... But it's not that easy either." Gimmi replied while munching another treat. Lila wasn't pleased with the cryptic answer. "Can you do it or not?!" "It's not that I can't do it. I'm just saying that there's no guarantee that it will stick. A memory is different for every person. There are those that will have one memory for their entire lives, and those that have many fleeting memories. Whether or not those memories ever completely go away depends on them." "So, you're saying that even if I make the prince forget Marinette, there's the slight chance he will remember her." Lila started to understand. "Also, there's not much of an equal sacrifice with the mind for my magic to work." Gimmi pointed out. "What about burying the memories? I'll lock away all knowledge of the girl, and make the spell hurt them if they try to remember. After that, getting her out of the city and finishing her off will be easy." Lila thought about who she could use to help her in the process. "Well, if you do that, then once she's gone the spell won't have anything to focus on. You might have to make another spell immediately afterwards, or they'll remember this Marinette girl again." "That's fine. By then there'll be nothing left to find. I could either come up with the story that the girl ran away, or was kidnapped. And afterwards I'll be there to mend the prince's broken heart." "I can make that happen, but there's still the price to pay. And this one will have two conditions." Gimmi informed her reluctantly. "What are they?" Lila asked, unaffected by the warning if it meant she was going to get her way. The creature used the magic smoke to create the outline image of a man. "You will be placing a spell on everyone that has knowledge of the girl, including the prince. Therefore, you won't be able to cast anymore spells on him or it will cancel out." The image looked like it was filled up with magic and that no more could be added. "That's not a problem. With Marinette gone, the announcement of the prince's engagement can be to me instead. Everyone will only remember that I was the one that danced with him all night, that I was the one he proposed to. I'll go back to my original plan of making myself the only option for a bride." Lila could see how things needed to play out in her head. "What's the other condition?" "The laws I live by will still have to be met...." Gimmi didn't want to say more, but Lila held firmly to her binding on him. "Tell me, Gimmi, how do I make the spell a success?" she took hold of the chain that connected her magical slave to the locket, and pulled them closer. "Tell me, or no food for a week." "You will have to offer something in exchange for the spell. Some memories will work." Gimmi looked her in the eye, determined for her to understand the seriousness of their discussion. Lila saw no real harm in it. Why worry about old memories when her future would be set? Still, she knew she had to play things carefully when dealing with this otherworldly being. "Very well, Gimmi, you may take away memories you need from me in order to make my wish come true. However, you are not to take away anything that will matter to my plans, is that understood?" she ordered. "Don't worry, you won't even know you're missing anything unimportant. Shall I begin, mistress?" Gimmi looked down in defeat, waiting for the command. Lila thought about it for a moment. "Not just yet. I still need a few more pieces before I'm ready to begin the game." After straightening herself back up, she walked out toward the ballroom once more. She spotted the couple once more engaging in conversation with other people. There was the king, and who Lila assumed were Marinette's parents. She also saw several around them that seemed genuinely happy for the pair, and others that had a look of disappointment, mainly young women. Obviously, those were people that thought they had a chance with the handsome prince. Lila walked along the edge of the ballroom and noticed the Duke of Bourgeois trying to calm his daughter down. "Ridiculous. Utterly Ridiculous!" Chloe said in a violent whisper, but Lila could tell what she really wanted to do was scream. "Now now, Chloe dear, if this was a decision that the king himself approved of, then there's nothing I can do." Andre said nervously, hoping his distraught daughter wouldn't start to make a scene. Luckily for him, Chloe stomped away to complain to her mother. "I think it's an insult to the court." Another man invited himself into the conversation. It was the Viscount Robert Roth. "The crown prince should marry someone like my niece. Someone with a good social standing and background, not a penniless patch worker that's the daughter of some lousy bread makers." "Not to mention they are criminals." Sheriff Adolphe added as he swirled around his wine glass as if there was something swimming around in it. "If it wasn't for the girl's connections to the crown, I would've arrested them properly ages ago." "Now now, Sheriff." Duke Bourgeois intervened. "You are a man worthy of your position, but there was simply no evidence to confirm your suspicions." "What about the boy that was ill after buying bread from the bakery?" the sheriff debated. "A mischievous lad that snuck one too many sweets. After that, the matter was closed and shall remain that way." the duke said as an order this time. Sheriff Adolphe nodded his head in defeat, and didn't say another word as the duke walked away to join his family. Lila chose this moment to step in and include herself in their conversation. "It does seem strange." she got their attention. The viscount recognized her immediately. "You! You said you had connections with the royal family, with the prince himself. Looks like you're nothing but a pretty face with a mouth full of shit!" Lila let him have his laugh before speaking. "Well, at least I had more to offer him when we both know your only concern was the wealth of the palace." "What's your point?" he asked, not bothering to deny it. "It seems to me that this baker family did all of you a great injustice. You lost your chance at endless riches," she turned to the sheriff. "And they escaped your righteous hand of the law." "Absolutely!" Sheriff Adolphe agreed. "What if I told you there was a way to right all these wrongs? For us to get what we want?" she could see she had their attention. What perfect little pawns she picked. "How would you do it?" Roth asked. "Obviously, this Marinette has a strange influence on the royal family, otherwise the king would not have made such a rash decision in making a match for his son. Without the approval of his court, no less." "You're right!" Roth called out. "One might question his judgement..." Lila walked around the two men as she spoke. "Indeed." the sheriff was nodding his head in agreement. "One might even wonder if the poor man is still fit to be king, if he ever was in the first place. After all, it was the queen that originally had royal blood..." Lila stopped and the men both turned to face her. They were now talking treason, and there would be no turning back if they continue. "The only option would be for Prince Adrien to become king." Viscount Roth said lowering his voice so no one else would hear. "With me as his queen." Lila gestured to herself. "I can give you both strong positions of wealth and power if you obey my orders." "And how will you accomplish this with the prince being engaged to that baker's daughter?" Sheriff Adolphe asked in disgust. Lila showed them her amulet and allowed it to glow as a show of power. "With a little help from my magic, that baker's daughter won't be a problem for very long." "What!? Sorcery!?" The sheriff took a few cautious steps back and was ready to call for some guards before Lila's next words stopped him. "Consider your next actions carefully, noble sheriff. I could just as easily find someone more suitable and make sure you are left with nothing, not even your life." she threatened. "You... you won't use your magic on us, will you?" he ducked behind the viscount for protection. "Only if you don't give me a reason to." Lila smiled and addressed Roth. "What about you, monsieur? What say you on using magic?" The man merely shrugged and shoved the sheriff away from him. "I don't care as long as I can be rich." "Perfect." Lila turned to get ready to leave, but gave her new minions some final orders. "Tomorrow morning, I will give you instructions on what to do, and all you have to do is follow my lead. Understood?" "Oui, Lady Rossi." they both said together. Lila finally retired to her room and opened her locket in the solitude of the chambers. Gimmi was revealed once more, this time looking discontent at the woman they were forced to call mistress. "You're really going to separate two people in love with each other?" "No, my dear kwami, you are." Lila gave Gimmi a mischievous grin, then got ready to say the right words for her desires. "What is your wish?" Gimmi asked in defeat. "I wish for the memories of Marinette Dupain-Cheng to be lost to everyone that knows her personally. And to those that know her socially, she will be nothing more than a stranger. I also wish for certain memories, like the prince's engagement or the owner of the tailor shop, to be replaced with myself." "And what will you sacrifice?" "You may take away any memories necessary that will be of no importance to me." "So be I...." .~*~*~*~*~*~
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
.Chapter 6: All is Lost .*~*~*~*~*The newly engaged couple would be the first to admit that they were having too much fun. They had received one congratulations after another, and once that was over, they met with Marinette's parents to share in their joys. Tom went on a rampage about planning their wedding cake and all types of treats, while Sabine went into a heavy daydream about grandchildren. That thought made Marinette blush, then she felt a little outraged when she learned they knew all along that Adrien had planned to propose. "You let me worry my head off for nothing!" she whined at her mother. "No, I gave my daughter some sound advice that everything was going to work out." Sabine countered. "Were you really worried that we couldn't be together?" Adrien asked concerned. He hated the thought of causing her any distress. "I wasn't sure what the future would bring for us." Marinette answered honestly and took hold of his hand for comfort. "Well, the future is going to be about you and me, even if the whole world is against us. I swear by it." He kissed the hand he was holding, and they went back to talking with their friends and family. Tom and Sabine left for home not long after to get some much deserved sleep. Other people had started to retire when it reached past one in the morning. At that point Marinette could hardly stand up anymore, much less talk and dance. Adrien noticed this and called for one of the footmen. "Eugene, is Marinette's room prepared?" "Yes, your royal highness, everything is ready." Eugene answered with a bow. "Adrien, you didn't have to do that." Marinette tried to turn the offer down. "I can make it home." "You've had a very long week followed by a very eventful evening. You deserve a nice rest." the prince replied as he escorted her out of the ballroom and toward the guest chambers. "Plus, I was hoping that whenever you wake up, we can have breakfast together." Marinette had to fight off a yawn before answering. "I'm not sure when I will be waking up. We might miss breakfast." "We can always make it lunch instead, just as long as I get to spend it with you." he reached down to kiss her head as they arrived at the door to her room. "I'd love to." Marinette said warmly as she left her own kiss on his lips. She meant for it to be a quick peck, but apparently Adrien was having none of that as he pulled her closer to deepen the kiss. He urged her against the door as their bodies molded together in feeling and tasting each other's lips. Eventually, the need for air became too strong for Marinette, and she pulled away to whisper his name. Adrien didn't stop there however and went to kissing and nipping at her neck. He relished in the little gasps she made when he did that, and he didn't want to stop. "You know, I could come inside for a while.... Help you out of that dress.... Maybe tuck you in....." He whispered against her skin. Marinette was in a fog. Her prince's strong body was holding her against the door, rubbing and caressing everywhere the dress would allow, with his mouth all around her neck and near her breast. She wanted more, wanted to beg for more, but as much as she was loving this, she didn't have the energy to give him her full attention. She nudged at his shoulders to get his attention. "A- Adrien.... Adrien slow down..." That snapped him out of his daze, and he looked her in the eye. He worried that maybe he had taken things too far, but the look of euphoria on his princess's face told him otherwise. He thought maybe she would take things further into her room, but then he saw how she was practically falling asleep standing up. Actually, she was hardly even standing because he was holding her up in his arms. This told him it was best to save their romance for another night, and let her get some much needed rest. He led her off the door and they both straighten themselves up before giving a final goodnight. "Wa -well.... g-goodnight Adri-mnn." she said weakly, wondering where her voice went. "Do you want me to help you into bed?" he asked not in a seductive way, but genuinely wondering if she was going to make it even that far. "No, no, I'll be alright, I promise." she in between a long yawn. "I'll see you tomorrow, love." "Alright then. Sweet dreams, my beautiful princess." he gave her one final kiss before heading out of the room. Marinette didn't take her eyes off him as she slipped into the room and closed the door. He really was so wonderful, she thought as she let out a long sigh of adoration. Looking around the room, there was naturally some expensive, lavish furniture and she expected the lit fireplace, but what came as a surprise was the kettle over the fire and the large basin by a chair. Taking a look in the iron kettle, there was water in it for her to soothe her aching feet. She guessed this is what the prince meant when he asked if everything was prepared. After pouring the hot water into the basin to let it cool a little bit, Marinette slipped out of her gown and into a loose shift they provided, removed the jewelry and washed her face before finally relaxing her feet in the warm water. She had to fight falling asleep then and there, and the bed looked far too comfortable to pass up. She settled herself under the blankets and rested her head on the pillow with the expectance of beautiful dreams of the future. .~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Though the windows were covered with dark curtains, there was a single sliver of sunlight that slipped through the cracks and right onto Marinette's face, breaking her deep sleep. The seamstress didn't know what time it was when she woke up, but she was pretty sure it was too late for breakfast. There was a big part of her that didn't want to care because she was too comfortable to move a muscle. Eventually, she forced herself up. It would be very rude to keep the prince that was now her fiancé waiting after all. Thankfully, they placed the bag where she kept her regular clothes in the room as well, a simple dark gray bodice and a pink skirt. Once she was dressed, Marinette carefully place the ballgown into the bag. She left the black pearl necklace and earrings on, fearing she'd lose them in the bag or that they might fall out. Then she stops to admire her engagement ring for the dozenth time, just picturing the promising future it represented. Judging by the light in the windows, it had come close to being noon. She didn't know where Adrien would be right now, since his usual schedule was closed for the next few days following the ball. So, she strolled down the halls for several minutes until she finally caught sight of the footman Jacque. He spotted her as well, and he looked very surprised to see her out. "Good morning, Jacque." she greeted politely. He still seemed shocked to see her, but even more so when she said his name. Marinette wondered why. "May I help you, mademoiselle?" Jacque straightened himself up. "Yes, can you tell me where the prince is right now? I'm afraid I slept too late to share an early meal with him." Marinette smiled and looked around the area, not noticing the confused look on the man's face. "Prince Adrien, ma'am?" "Yes, of course. Who else would I mean?" she looked at him this time, and now he seemed to have his guard up for some reason. "And what business do you have with his royal highness?" he asked firmly. Now Marinette was the one confused. "Jacque, are you alright? You seem out of sorts." "Please answer the question, ma'am. What business do you have with the prince?" he repeated. Marinette could tell he was being serious, so she answered with a blush. "The prince and I are engaged, remember? He proposed to me last night and the king made the announcement. Then I stayed the night, and he wanted to share a meal with me today." The right side of his face suddenly flinched, and he reached a hand to rub his temple as if something suddenly struck him. "What's the matter? Does your head hurt?" Marinette tried to step forward to see, but Jacque just took a step back away from her. "I'm fine, ma'am, but I must insist that you come with me." "Umm, sure." Marinette wasn't too sure what was going on, but she followed the footman's lead. Or rather, she would've liked to follow his lead. Instead of walking ahead with Marinette right behind him, Jacque kept her in front of him and held a hand on her shoulder. He wasn't hurting her, but he did keep a firm grip on her like he was expecting her to run away at any moment. She didn't know what would cause him to behave this way, but she hoped when they met up with Adrien things would be sorted out. They made it outside to the front area where carriages were leaving to take several of the guests home. Marinette saw King Gabriel and Prince Adrien wishing safe travels to their visitors, while several others were waiting for their turn. One thing that stood out to Marinette the most was Lila Rossi standing awfully close to Adrien right now. Not making contact, but she looked like she was saying farewell alongside the prince. What business did she have being near him like that? It spiked something in Marinette she didn't like, so she tried call out to get the prince's attention. "Adri--" "Please be silent, mademoiselle." Jacque stopped her and held both of her shoulders this time, tightly. "Huh, what? Jacque, what has gotten into you?" she didn't struggle, but she was worried as to why he was holding her down now. He led her up to the king and his son, interrupting their conversation with the Bourgeois family. "Begging your pardon, your majesty, but I have a matter that requires your attention." The king turned his focus away from the duke and his family to assess the situation. "What has happened, Jacque?" "I found this unknown woman wondering around the halls earlier, sire." Jacque gave a simple answer. "What? What do you mean unknown!? Practically everyone in the palace staff knows who I am!" Marinette called out, thinking this is some kind of joke. "And just whom might you be?" Gabriel spoke coldly to her. She had only ever heard the voice when he was addressing someone that acted against the crown. But he had never, ever spoken in such a way to her. "You.... your majesty, don't you recognize me?" she asked a little scared. "If I did, I would have no need to ask such a question, and I do not make a habit of repeating myself." Marinette could hear the growing anger in his tone. She tried to swallow the nervousness growing in her throat, but her voice still sounded strained when she answered. "I'm Ma- Marinette... Marinette Dupain-Cheng... I'm engaged to your son....." A loud and exasperating cackle broke up behind them, and everyone turned to find it was Chloe Bourgeois. "That is positively the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my Life!" "Your majesty, I have to agree with my daughter." The duke spoke over his girl's laughter. "This young lady has some nerve speaking such lies." "What!? But I am. Adrien proposed to me last night during the ball. His majesty made the announcement..." Marinette tried to explain while pulling away from Jacque, but he wouldn't let her go. "That's enough, young lady." Gabriel commanded. "I won't have you not only insulting my son, but also insulting his betrothed." "Father, what's going on?" The prince stepped up to all the commotion with Lila on his arm. "Adrien, you recognize me, don't you?" Marinette called out to him. Even though he was looking right at her, Marinette had the feeling like he wasn't seeing her. "I... I'm sorry... but I don't believe I do." "Who is this young woman, your highness?" Lila asked concerned. "It's me... Marinette, remember?" Marinette was fighting off tears as her own words were breaking her heart. Adrien reached to rub his temple as if a sudden headache came upon him. She remembered Jacque doing the same thing. The look on his face still seemed like he had no idea who she was, and it wasn't just him; everyone, even the Bourgeois family looked unfamiliar with her. Was there some sort of force at work here? Surely her prince wouldn't have forgotten her completely. She needed to reach Adrien, there must be some way. "Don't you remember? We've known each other since we were children." she tried again. "I... I can't..." Adrien felt like his head was a pounding drum and he couldn't think straight. "Son, are you alright?" Gabriel walked toward him, but Lila stepped in. "My poor prince, you must still be feeling the effects from all that celebrating over our betrothal." Lila moved herself closer to him in a half embrace, with one hand behind his back and the other gently touching his chest. "That's a lie!" Marinette finally slipped away from the footman's grasp and got in front of Adrien to hold his face in her hands. "Adrien, you have to know me, just think. I love yo---" She was suddenly forced back with a sharp sting left on her cheek. She looked to find Lila's hand raised, her face beaming with hatred. "How dare you insult his royal highness by being so personal with him!" Lila scolded, then turned to the king. "I don't believe this woman is in her right mind, your majesty." "I fear you may be right. Jacque, please escort her off the grounds." the king agreed, and the footman moved to follow orders. Marinette tried to reach Adrien again. He was still holding his head in pain, and she didn't want to make things worse. But he was the only one that could make her claims true. "Adrien..." Jacque took hold of Marinette one more and gave her a quick shake in discipline. "You will address a member of the royal family accordingly and be grateful for their mercy in letting you leave." She wanted to fight off more, and she might have if not for the new voice that rang out among the courtyards. "Your Majesty! Your Majesty!" Everyone turned to find Sheriff Adolphe marching up to the nobles with Viscount Roth next to him. "Your majesty, I'm afraid I must inform you of a crime!" Sheriff Adolphe bowed to his ruler. "What crime, sheriff?" Gabriel asked collectively. "There's a thief in your castle, that's what crime!" Robert Roth answered for the sheriff in a great fit. "Oh, yes that certainly makes sense." Lila commented out of the blue and got everyone's attention again. "Would you care to explain, Lady Rossi?" Duke Bourgeois asked this time. "This woman obviously snuck into the palace to look for anything valuable, then went on to saying such ravings so she would be dismissed from the castle and get away with whatever she stole." Lila stepped away from the prince and got closer to Marinette. "What!? No, I haven't stolen anything! I would never do that!" she denied right away. "Heh, first thing a thief would say." Chloe remarked. "But I haven't taken anything...." Marinette pleaded again. "Then you won't mind if I search your bag." Sheriff Adolphe yanked the strap from Marinette's shoulder before she had a chance to answer. He nearly tore the bag apart as the pink ballgown fell onto the ground along with her shoes and lip rouge. "That's..." she tried to explain but was cut off by the Viscount's outcry. "Those are my niece's belongings! How dare you, filthy peasant!" he looked like he was going to strike her, but held himself back. Sheriff Adolphe then grabbed Marinette by the wrists. "You're under arrest, mademoiselle." "NO! You've got it all wrong! I'm not a thief! The dress was a gift from Adrien, he told me it belonged to his mother..." "Gasp, the nerve! Dirtying our beloved late queen's memory with your wicked lies!" Lila said as if she was the one being insulted. "This seems like a crime punishable by execution, does it not?" she addressed the present lords and ladies. "It seems fitting." Duchess Audrey agreed. "I'll be sure to take care of her, your ladyship." Sheriff Adolphe started to drag Marinette away, but she wasn't going to give up without a fight. "NO! Let go of me! I'm not a thief! Adrien, HELP ME!! ADRIEN!!" she cried and begged for her prince and tried to reach for him as the sheriff started binding her hands together with rope. Adrien couldn't concentrate well enough to really understand what was going on. There was a lot of yelling, and he really wanted that to stop so maybe he could think if it was quiet. It looked like they were going to hurt that girl. He tried to think about why that bothered him. But it seemed like the more he tried to remember, the more his head would ring like a church bell. One thing that was getting through to him were her cries for help, and he felt the compulsive need to do something. He got up and tried to stop the sheriff. "Halt, let her go!" he ordered. Sheriff Adolphe hesitated, then addressed the prince. "Your royal highness, this girl is a thief and must be punished accordingly." "I said let her go!" Adrien said through his teeth, still feeling the pulsing ache in his brain. "But sire...." Viscount Roth tried this time, but it was Lila who spoke up again. "No no, the prince is right. We must be wise about this and show an act of good will to a member of his majesty's kingdom." "But she is a thief, your ladyship." the sheriff insisted. "No, I'm Not!" Marinette yelled. "His majesty invited everyone in the kingdom." Lila ignored Marinette's cries. "And while that was very inclusive, there was still the matter of those that were not welcome. Those poor unfortunate people that beg on the streets for scraps and coins...." The lords and ladies scoffed at the idea of mentioning such a group, but didn't interrupt her. "And now here comes the perfect moment for someone of that nature to come to the palace for a hot meal and merriment for the first time in heaven knows how long. She probably thought that since all these wealthy folk have so much, surely one little dress would go unnoticed, and she could sell it for some more meals." "That's absurd! I don't need to steal anything! I have my own busine---" "That doesn't make her any less of a thief." Sheriff Adolphe shook Marinette a bit to shut her up and say what he wanted instead. "That's why we should show her some mercy." Lila replied gently. "No one was hurt, and Viscount Roth, I'm sure your niece can find much nicer dresses and any shop in the city if you like. I can even offer you a look into my shop..." Marinette made a jerk at that. What did Lila mean her shop? "I guess that's true." Viscount chose to agree. "I shall help the sheriff in escorting this poor woman somewhere she can feel safe, and I'm sure she won't be a bother to anyone ever again." Lila made a signal for someone to bring her horse. The sheriff had placed the gown back in the bag did the slightly decent thing by putting it over Marinette's shoulder since her hands were still bound. "I'm glad to see you showing some dedication to your new role, Mademoiselle Lila. It's just the sort of thing this kingdom needs in a future queen." Gabriel commented as he helped his son to sit back down to ease his aching head. "Of course, your highness. I want only to do the right thing when beside my prince." Lila touched a hand to Adrien's cheek like she was caring for a pet. It made Adrien pull back suddenly, and ask firmly, "You won't hurt her, right?" "Of course not, my prince, she's in perfect hands." Lila then mounted her horse and led Sheriff Adolphe and Marinette away from the courtyard. Marinette wanted to protest further that this was all a misunderstanding, but she worried that any further denial would only make things worse. Plus, there seemed to be something seriously wrong with Adrien, and if she was the cause of it, then maybe she should wait for things to calm down. Maybe if she could convince Lila and the sheriff to go to her parents' bakery, they could tell them who she was, and things could be settled. Then once she was free, she could go back to the prince to help him remember her. Course there was still the matter of everyone else. What had happened over the space of one night? How had she been erased from everyone's mind like this? She had to negotiate with the two people holding her, make them understand. "Lila," she tried to talk to the woman on the horse. "Yes, what is it?" Lila didn't look at her, but since she was listening Marinette continued. "I don't know what's happening right now. It's like no one knows who I am anymore. And then there's all this about you being betrothed to the prince. I'm sorry if this hurts you, but Adrien really did propose to me last night. We love each other and we wanted to get married. You have to believe me." "Oh, but that's the thing, Marinette, I do believe you." Lila did look at her this time. Marinette wasn't sure what made her skin crawl more; the way Lila was giving her a wicked smile, or the fact that she said her name like she knew her. "Sheriff, you can finish tying her up now." "What!?" She struggled against the sheriff once more as he finished what he started. He ended up tightening the ropes too much, and they were digging into her wrists, but Marinette didn't care about that right now. "You knew who I was the whole time!?" "Of course I did, you stupid girl. Didn't I warn you that I have more power than you could ever dream?" Lila let her think on the words for a moment. Marinette did remember what she said to her before. How she was saying she was more powerful than the royal family. Surely that had only been an attempt to scare her. But then Marinette thought about before that, when Lila was accusing her of putting some sort of spell on Adrien. Who would think something like that, unless...."What have you done?" Marinette demanded. "You'll find out in due time, but for now I think the town should see you for the little thief that you are." Lila urged her horse forward, and the sheriff dragged the wrongfully accused seamstress down the street. The cruel woman was good at her word. The sheriff had attached the ropes to Lila's horse, pulling Marinette behind. The animal wasn't galloping, so she was able to keep up, but she couldn't take a rest otherwise the ropes had a chance of yanking her off her feet. When they passed into the main street of the city, Lila began calling out how they had discovered a thief in the palace, one that meant to do harm to their beloved king and prince. Marinette tried to deny it, of course, and was answered with a spoiling tomato busting into her hair on impact. A few others threw some more fruits and cabbage while saying harsh words that she couldn't really make out because of all the yelling. She only truly felt afraid when she heard someone shout for her to hang. They weren't going to do that, were they? They made a promise to Adrien that they would take her somewhere safe. But what if that was a lie too? She looked up at Lila again, and the woman was looking back to her. Did she hear the citizen as well? The sadistic smile that spread on her thin lips gave Marinette her answer. Yes, she did hear them, and she liked that idea. "Seems your fellow townspeople weren't so keen on you marrying the prince after all." Lila taunted. "They would rather believe you were a dirty little thief that gets what she deserves." Marinette knew it wasn't true, but a small dark part of her mind wondered if it was possible. If whatever spell Lila was using caused people to behave this way, maybe there was a part of them that didn't want Adrien to love her. She was just a simple girl after all, what did she have to offer the kingdom? That thought reminded her of the king's words he gave her privately the night before.
"I realize the extra burdens marrying my son will bring upon you. I myself felt the same thing with his mother. Emilie could have easily run the kingdom on her own, and I have faith that Adrien will be the same. I came to the conclusion after we married that the crown is just our occupation, and our lives are still how we choose to make them. Just focus on making him happy, and the rest will fall into place."
Gabriel was right. Marinette made a promise from the beginning that she would always love Adrien no matter what. It didn't matter what the people thought of her right now, she knew the truth. She had to get away. She had to run. The words kept repeating in her head as she looked around for anything or anyone that might help her. If only she had something sharp to cut these ropes. "That's right! I, Sherriff Adolphe, single-handedly apprehended this dangerous thief and saved the royal family." the foolish man boasted about himself for the hundredth time. Forget the dungeons, or even the hangman's noose, Marinette found having to listen to this arrogant snake a much greater punishment. Seriously, even to those that are truly strangers to her, does she really look like a dangerous criminal? A small, young woman that was tied to a horse? And he was treating it like he defeated a troll and brought back its head. Surely no one was buying all this, right? Well, Lila certainly seemed to be getting tired of him at least. "Hey, Sheriff Jackass, you resorting to picking on little girls now?" A familiar face came up to the road. Marinette had never been so happy to see her best friend. "I didn't know you were that desperate if you're resorting to arresting cute girls to get their attention." "Stand aside, peasant, this does not concer--" the sheriff tried to say before Marinette pushed him to the side and tried to reach for her friend. "Alya, Help me Please!" "What!?" the dark redhead gave a look of shock and confusion when she heard her name. "Do I know you?" Marinette tried to ignore the pain in her heart the question caused. "Alya, it's me, Marinette. These people have done something to everyone to make them forget me. Even Adrien doesn't know me." "The prince?" Alya clarified, but then was suddenly hit with a sharp pain to her temple, then same as the others. What was going on here? Why did that keep happening? The sheriff tried to pull her back with the ropes, but Marinette fought against it. "Please, you've got to know me, Alya. You're my best friend...." "I apologize for the girl, Alya." Lila interrupted, still remaining on her horse. "She was caught stealing and tried to hurt our dear prince in the process..." "That's Not True!" Marinette denied once again. She took hold of Alya's hands hoping to keep her focus. "Think Alya, you have to remember me." "Enough of this!" This time Sheriff Adolphe grabbed Marinette by the arm to fully yank her away from Alya. This time he really did knock her off her feet. "Hey, stop that! You're hurting her!" Alya shouted. The sheriff didn't comply, but he did address the citizen questionably. "Do you know this woman, mademoiselle?" Alya forgot about her sudden headache and was prepared to start a fight with the sheriff if necessary. The last thing she was going to do was make it easy for him. "Maybe I do, you pompous old piece of shit. What are you going to do about it?" "Why you vulgar little..." he reached for the woman getting ready to arrest her as well. "That's enough, good sheriff." Lila ceased him, then addressed both women. "Although, I'm afraid this is a serious situation." "What are you talking about, Lila?" Alya asked as Marinette tried to pull herself back up. "I know that you are too good of a person to be involved with this criminal. But if any part of what she says is true, then I'm afraid we will have no choice but to give you the same charges." Lila made herself look guilty with the explanation. "You can't do that!" Marinette cried out. "Well, if you admit the truth and renounce this good woman, then we can end this discussion and be on our way." Lila looked Marinette right in the eye was if telling her to try and challenge her. The seamstress could see the move the lady made. Any attempts she made at claiming her innocence was going to cause her loved ones to be punished instead. She stopped fighting it as the sheriff once again pulled her to behind the horse. "Do you have anything else to say?" Lila asked, rubbing it in. "I.... I... N-no, you're right. I don't know this woman." Marinette lowered her head in defeat. "Wait!" Alya called out and walked up to stand beside the poor girl. She took her hand and then turned to face Lila. "I don't know what's going on here, and I'll admit that I don't know this girl. But I do know the sheriff and what kind of man he can be. Lila, I want you to promise me that you won't let anything happen to her." "You have my word." the lady smiled gently to ease her mind. Marinette wasn't falling for it. This was just more lies. She looked Alya in the eyes to silently beg her to understand that she wasn't safe with these two. While the dark toned woman did look at the seamstress with pity, there was still no recollection. "It's gonna be okay." Alya tried to comfort her with a pat on the forearm, and Marinette just accepted it. Then she felt something slip into the sleeve of that same arm. She didn't look down, but she noticed Alya winking at her as she walked away. When all three continued down the road again, Marinette felt around her sleeve to find out what she was given. She jerked her other hand away at one point when she felt something sharp against her skin and realized that Alya had snuck a knife on her. Thank you, Alya. she thought gratefully, not feeling as afraid now. "Why didn't you let me arrest her? She was interfering with sheriff business." Sheriff Adolphe complained to Lila when they reached the outer wall of the city and were now crossing the bridge. "Because, my good man, we must stick to our promises. After all, this little thief renounced any involvement with that woman, so we have no reason to arrest her. And I know the same thing will apply if she were to name off associations with anyone else in the kingdom. Say, the bakers? Or perhaps that assistant of yours in that ugly little tailor shop?" Lila looked back at Marinette once more, her threat evident. "How about it, dear? Is there anyone else who can defend you?" Marinette looked back and forth from the woman to the sheriff. She knew very well how much of a grudge Sheriff Adolphe had against her family. He wouldn't hesitate to have the chance to get revenge on them if there was a cause that the king could not object to. Then there was that threat against Socqueline. Lila was using all her friends and family against her so she wouldn't have anyone left. "Well!?" Lila urged her to answer. "No, there's no one." she said softly. "That's right." They crossed the gate bridge and went a short way into the woods before Lila finally dismounted and ordered the sheriff. "Tie her to that tree." Marinette let him do as he was told. She didn't struggle on the off chance that he might discover her hidden weapon. Luckily, he separated her hands and tied them behind a small tree so she could still reach the knife and cut herself loose. But first, she wanted some answers, and Lila seemed like the type to gloat. "Tell me Marinette, how does it feel knowing you've lost everything?" she grinned at the helplessness of this little seamstress that almost ruined her plans. "You never really explained to me what exactly it was you did." She kept her face neutral, not wanting to give into anger or fear. "I've erased you from existence. Nobody remembers who you are, and they never will." Lila laughed at her own cleverness. "How?" "I have my ways. And now the dear prince will be all mine..." "That's not true. I saw Adrien, he was trying to remember me. If I can get him to see me again....""Then you risk killing him." Lila finished for her. "What?" "That's a little bonus part of the spell. Didn't you notice how people would be in pain when you started to tell them who you were?" She watched as Marinette went through the events in her mind. "If you try to prove to anyone of your identity, it will counteract the spell and destroy their minds, either driving them mad or killing them. I can't be sure which it will be, but I don't think you'd be willing to take that risk. And I'm certainly not going to remove the spell." Marinette felt foolish for asking this, but she couldn't stop herself. "Why are you doing this? If you're really so powerful, then what's the point of all this effort to get rid of me?" "To become queen, of course." The answer was obvious, but Lila took pride in the opportunity to bask in her eventual success. "With my beauty, charms, and the most powerful magic at my disposal, I will be the most beloved woman that will stand beside the future King of Papillon." "I already told you that wouldn't work." Marinette found herself with a new form of courage because she knew the truth. "Adrien has more sense than you give him credit for, and he would never love a narcissistic, pathological liar like you!" "Hmmm, who said anything about love?" Lila's amulet began to glow, and she made a sharp dagger appear in her hand. This spiked a few fears in Marinette. One for Lila telling the truth about having magic, and another that this crazed woman was armed now and walking toward her. "D-didn't you say you w-want Adrien to be yours?" she made a weak attempt to stall Lila by keeping her talking so she could take out her own knife to cut the ropes. "Heh, I only need him alive long enough to marry him and make sure he passes everything to me. Getting Gabriel off the throne will be child's play. Then after an unfortunate accident to the new and young king, his beloved bride will step in as the rightful queen." Lila laid out her plan like she was telling a bedtime story. Marinette felt her insides freeze at the thought of someone hurting Adrien. "Don't you dare lay a finger on him!" "Oh don't worry, I won't let anything happen to him yet. Like I said, I need him around until I get him to marry me. The only thing that was making it difficult for me was you." Lila hissed at that last part, not holding back how much she hated the little seamstress. "M-me?" she asked trembling. "Indeed." Lila stepped up and pulled out the pink ballgown from Marinette's bag. The young woman watched helplessly as the witch finally used the dagger to tear up the dress. "I thought I would only have to deal with some cute little countess the prince was lusting after and be able to change his interests right away." She tore off a layer of the skirt and split a sleeve. "But then the prince had to be a fool thinking he was in love with a filthy little commoner like You!" She threw the remains of the dress back at Marinette, and it rested on her shoulder. Marinette was sure her heart rate could be heard back at the palace. Her legs were shaking, and it was taking everything in her to not burst into tears as Lila pointed the dagger at her throat. She worried more about dropping the knife in her hands, and it felt like she was only halfway through the ropes. "You must think you're so special just because a prince gave you a fancy dress and some jewelry." Lila lifted the black pearl necklace with the dagger. With one tug she broke the cord, causing all the beaded gems to scatter on the ground. "I don't know why such a handsome prince would spare a glance at an ugly, worthless bitch like you. It was even more insulting that more people in the town talked so highly of you rather than acknowledge my good deeds." Lila grabbed one pigtail roughly, making a sudden cry in pain escape Marinette. "Then you have to go and make me waste my magic on everyone just to get you away from the city so you wouldn't ruin my plans further!" She yelled with another yank on the seamstress' hair and cut it away in one swipe. Marinette watched as half of her beautiful midnight hair fell away to join the remains of her pearl necklace. She tried pulling at the ropes around her wrists. She still hadn't broken through them, and judging by the menacing look in Lila's eyes, things were only going to get worse. "Now that I have you away from everyone, I can get rid of you properly. Whether they remember you or not after your death makes no difference to me. They'll just write you off as a simple disappearance and not be able to find you anywhere. Then I'll simply be the little shoulder for the dear brokenhearted prince to cry on and he'll forget about you completely. Everything will continue according to my plan, and you'll be reduced to nothing." She clutched the front of Marinette's bodice and raised the dagger above her head. "Any last words, tailor?" "NO!! Please!" Marinette cried out in vain. The next few seconds happened in a blink. She wasn't sure if it was the fear of her life, or that the knife had finally done its job and cut her free, but once her arms were out, she made a lunge for the sorceress and knocked her off her feet. Lila tried to compose herself and look for the dagger that fell out of her hands. The sheriff, who was sitting by waiting for his next task, made a move to restrain Marinette once more. This was when a fight or flight moment kicked in for the seamstress. She didn't want to be taken down by this wretched man again, or killed by a mad woman. She swung the knife at anything she could, which happened to by Sheriff Adolphe's face. "Ahhhhh!!!! You Goddamned Bitch!" The man screamed and dropped to the ground in pain. Marinette was in shock to what she just did. The knife was still in her hands, dripping with the sheriff's blood, and her torn dress still hung over her body somehow with her bag at her shoulder. She didn't know what to do now. Horrible man or not, he was still a man of the law and she attacked him. Lila was trying to get back up at that point while touching her amulet to make a strange purple smoke come out of it. Was that her magic? Was she going to use it on her again? Would she kill her? This time the flight took over, and Marinette made a dash for it deeper into the woods. She clutched everything close to her chest, not looking back even as she heard Lila's voice fade away. "You Little Bitch!! If I Ever See You Again, I'm Going to KILL You the Slowest Way Possible! I Swear! Your DEAD If You Ever Come Back! EVER!!!!!" .~*~*~*~*~*~
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
.Chapter 7: The Seven Kwamis .*~*~*~*~*A group of birds fled from the safety of the trees after hearing a thundering noise come from the ground below them. The cause was a lone pair standing outside the city borders. They had remained in a fit of anger and frustration for some time now. One was a woman that let her prey slip away from her. The other was a man writhing in exaggerated agony, which was only causing further agitation to the woman. Lila was taking slow, deep breaths to try and calm down. She had just finished yelling into the woods where Marinette ran off. Now she was kicking herself for letting the tailor get that far. Things would only stay challenging the longer that girl stayed alive. "What are you waiting for, Sheriff!? GO AFTER HER!!!" she ordered the man that was still crouching on the ground holding his bleeding face. "Can you not see I am wounded?! That girl deliberately tried to Kill Me! I'm going to be blinded for life!!" he took his hand away to reveal the damage. Lila resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It actually wasn't that bad. Yes, there was a cut from his nose to his right ear that had a slight angle and it was bleeding pretty bad, but it wasn't too deep. And it wasn't even close to his eye, so he was in no danger of losing his sight. Yet he continued to complain like a toddler. So, just to shut him up, she touched the gem on her amulet until some purple magic covered her hand like a glove. Then she brought the hand to his cheek and rubbed over the cut. Relief hit the man instantly, and not a blemish remained when she removed her hand. "There, happy now!?" the lady smiled at the sheriff, and when he nodded in astonishment, her smile dropped. "Then Get Your Act Together, Be a Real Man, and Go After That Whore!" Sheriff Adolphe shook himself out of his stupor, looked in the direction Marinette went, and scowled back at Lila as if appalled by the order. "Are you out of your mind!? I'm not going into that filthy forest by myself! I won't survive in a place filled with dangerous animals! What if I get attacked? What if there are highwaymen waiting to rob me? And I've heard the rumors about the haunted marsh..." "Perhaps you have forgotten the seriousness of your situation, Sheriff Adolphe..." Lila interrupted his panic. "I recruited you and the Viscount de Roth for the sole purpose of getting that girl away from the palace and get rid of her without any witnesses. Now I can't remove the spell while she's still alive!" "So?" "So, if I can't remove one spell, then I can't do my original one to make the prince fall in love with me. Which means we will have to keep up the charade of a betrothal, and if that fails, none of us will get our wishes granted. No throne for me, no endless riches for the viscount, and no fame as the kingdom's greatest sheriff for you. And if we happen to lose such an opportunity, then I promise that you both will suffer greatly for your ineptitude! Are we understood?" she dug her pointed finger into his chest to get her point across. "I-I-I-If you're so powerful, then why didn't you just use your witchcraft to take over the kingdom, or kill the girl yourself?" The sheriff didn't want to give her the satisfaction that she frightened him, so he held himself straight. "History likes it better when it thinks these things happen naturally. And I was more than prepared to kill Marinette last night if the prince hadn't been in love with her so much." Lila answered rolling her eyes. "Well, I'm still not going into the woods. I have no way to track her." he crossed his arms. "Besides, she'll probably die out there one way or another." "I can't afford to wait..." Taking hold of her amulet once more, she activated some magic to make a creature appear before her. At first it seemed like nothing more than a little cloud of purple smoke. In a few moments, the smoke reformed itself into the shape of a large wolf. The smoke condensed to the creature's body until it was a more solid mass. When it was done, the hound opened its eyes to reveal a pale blue nothingness and its mouth was oozing out smoke between it long fangs instead of saliva. It snarled at everything around it, looking for something to hunt. Sheriff Adolphe cowered away behind a tree, while Lila picked up a piece of Marinette's dress and presented it to the beast. The hound sniffed at the fabric, and growled deeply at the scent. "Find the owner of this scent, and kill them. Don't let anyone or anything get in your way." Lila commanded the beast and watched it take off into the woods. .* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Marinette didn't know how long it had been, but ever since she escaped Lila and Sheriff Adolphe, she never stopped moving. Even when she couldn't run at full speed anymore, she kept a steady pace through the trees. She didn't know which directions she was going, or if there was a chance she could find somewhere safe in these woods, but it was certainly better than what awaited her in Papillon. It took all the falling down and scratching from the trees and bushes to let her know that maybe she'd gotten far enough away. Every muscle in her legs were aching and her lungs felt like they were filled with thorns. She leaned against a tree trunk and rubbed off the sweat from her brow as she took a look around. The forest was thick, and she didn't see a road, which told her she was probably a good distance from the city. She heard some running water and located a small stream; the perfect place for her to collapse. She set everything in her arms aside to dip her hands into the cool water. The stream was clean enough, so she took the chance to have a drink and catch her breath. She turned her attention back her belongings and picked up her once beautiful ballgown. Now it was ruined. One side of the skirt was completely gone, and some of the seams to the bodice were unraveled. She felt horrible for letting this happen to a gift from Adrien, and one that once belonged to his mother. It wasn't beyond repair, she could easily fix this in her shop. But that thought brought up the realization that she could never go back to her shop. She couldn't go back to her parents' bakery. She might never see her maman and papa again. Everything she had been holding in came rushing out of her faster than the running stream. Her breathing went ridged at the memory of Lila with the dagger, ready to kill her. Anxiety built up in her heart, making it feel like it was freezing and burning at the same time. She hugged the dress close to her chest as the sobs waved through her whole body. Her tears were absorbed into the fabric, and Marinette just doubled over to scream at nothing. When she felt a pigtail cascade over her shoulder, she remembered the other half of her hair that was sheared off, and only cried harder. She didn't know how long she cried for, only that she didn't stop until there just weren't any tears left. Then she looked around the forest she ended up in, thinking about everything. The poor seamstress was distressed with the questions that kept repeating in her head. How could this have happened? Is any of this really happening? When is she going to wake up from this nightmare? But her surroundings were answers enough that this was no dream. Everything that happened was real. In the space of under twelve hours, she went from feeling like the happiest woman in the kingdom, to becoming a fugitive running away in exile from all she knew and loved. If Lila's words were true, then not even her parents would recognize her. She was nothing but a little nobody now. Then there was her sweet Adrien. Once Lila got what she wanted and had control of the kingdom, his life would be in danger. She could try to warn him, maybe send a secret message about the witch's spell. But again, she was nothing to him now, so why would he pay her any mind? Part of her felt like a failure. She wasn't even given the real title of princess yet, and had already lost the kingdom. Adrien would be so disappointed in her. Surely, he would refuse to marry her if he could see her now. Filthy, exiled, useless..."No, Stop it!" she scolded herself and felt for the pearl earrings still attached to her ears. It was the one thing Lila failed to ruin. She still had her engagement ring as well, but now she felt sick looking at it with that future feeling as far away as the moon. Her mind did go back to Adrien. Her precious prince that wouldn't speak a negative word about anyone that didn't truly deserve it. She wouldn't need her whole hand to count how many times he lost his temper with a person. And he was smart, he would do everything possible for his subjects. He was prepared to help her even when she was being declared as a thief. If not for that spell, she was sure he would have believed her. "That's right. I know Adrien, and I know how much he loves me. Nothing will ever make me think otherwise." Feeling a new strength, Marinette splashed some water to her face trying to get her thoughts together. She couldn't give up and leave Papillon in the clutches of someone like Lila de Rossi. She had to find a way to stop her. If she couldn't turn to anybody in the city, then maybe there was someone on the outside that would listen. Maybe a traveling knight or lord wasn't affected by the spell, and they could save the king and prince. Thinking this would be the best plan for the time being, Marinette turned back to the direction she came from. "Adrien, I promise to come back to you somehow. Please, don't forget about me. I love you, my prince." Then she gathered her things and took off up the stream, determined to find a way to break this curse. She could do this, she will do this, whatever it takes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Two Hours LaterMarinette slumped against a tree trunk, utterly spent and completely lost. Her earlier statement had been easy enough to say, but the truth was she had no idea which direction she should go. Apparently, her desperate attempt at fleeing from those horrible people had turned her around more than she assumed. She figured following the stream would put her back on the road where a bridge connected the two, but she must have followed a different branch of the stream. Now she ended up somewhere near the Fool-Eating Marsh. It was a very dangerous area, filled with legends of the earth opening up and swallowing people into the muddy water. Some say the water holds a monster that hides grass over itself to deceive travelers to walk right over it and drown them. Of course, the king ordered some investigating a while back and determined the soil was just very loose after the heavy rain season, and the grass acted more like a large lily pad over the mud. Still, he declared it was too dangerous for travelers, and only the current main route to Papillon was used. On the one hand, Marinette dreaded being in a place like this. But on the other hand, it most likely means no one will come here to look for her. As long as she watched her step, she should be fine. Her stomach took that moment to let her know it was still there and very empty. That's right, she had skipped breakfast and was meant to have lunch with Adrien earlier. Plus all that crying she did made her head ache above her busted body. Maybe after resting a little bit, she could look around for some berries or something. It would be more helpful if she was near a town. Reaching into her bag, she found she still had her payment for Lila's dress. She hated herself for keeping it, but she also knew it was more sensible to have it for the future. She wanted to get moving again, but her feet were protesting against it. She's definitely not wearing the right shoes for all this hiking. She wasn't wearing anything good for traveling. Her clothes were all muddy from when she kept stumbling and her skin felt sticky in this humid marsh. More than being clean or fed, she wished she could sleep. At least it was peaceful here, not a soul in sight. The insect noises were a little annoying, but she wouldn't let that be what bothered her above everything. It was a strange sound, though. Not the consistent buzzing most insects gave off. This was muffled and random, almost like a humming. She didn't know what kind of bug that was, but it didn't sound like any kind of bird either. It seemed like there was more than one, too. Then Marinette sat up in her reclined position when those noises had words in them."Nnnnhm uuumnn....... sure....... gghmmm.... right way....." "Hmmm.... -lling you.... mmhmmmm.... -mi this way....." There were people here! Marinette gathered up everything as fast as she could and listened closely to try and locate them. If they were travelers, then maybe she could pay them for a ride out of the marsh. "Hello!" she called, letting them know she was there. She could still hear the voices, though it didn't sound like they were responding to her. "Hello! Anybody out there!? Please Help Me." she tried again. "Hello?" she heard a small, high pitched voice answer her back. Was that a child? Oh no, what if it was a bunch of kids lost out here like she was! "Just stay where you are and let me come to you! Please keep talking!" Marinette told them. "This way! We're over Here!!" She was hearing a whole group of voices this time, all sounding like small children. Being careful where she stepped, Marinette made it through the trees and back out into the sunlight, only to have something small and black come flying right into her face. "Ahh-Hah! Finally Found You!" the creature spoke. Marinette screamed and swatted whatever this thing was away, flinging it into a bush. "What was that!?" "Plagg was right, there was a presence in this marsh." Another strange animal showed up this time and flew close to Marinette as well. This one was red with black spots and antennae. "Ahhhhhh, Giant Bug..... Mouse!?..... Giant Bug Mouse!!" she panicked, waving her hands to helplessly shoo it away. "How rude!" the red being huffed. Marinette was able to get a better look at it this time, but she still didn't know what it was. She backed away and lost her footing, falling to the ground. Then the black one came out of the bush, and more of them joined the red one, all different colors. "I told you I would find it!" the black creature addressed the others then started circling Marinette. "Gimmi! Gimmi!" "What do you want from me?" Marinette cried out in desperation. What did he want her to give him? "Don't try to hide it! Gimmi!" he shouted again. "What are you!?" "Heh, don't go thinking you can fool us, especially me!" One of the other creatures came up to her face this time. It was orange with big, pointed ears and a long furry tail, like a fox. "I'm the Master of Deception!" "Gimmi!" the black one shouted some more, which Marinette realized looked like a cat. "I'm not trying to fool anybody, and I don't know what you're talking about!" she cried out again. "Haha, tell that to the magic you have oozing off of you." the black cat hissed this time, making Marinette try to crawl back away from them. "Plagg, perhaps we are going about this the wrong way." a green one with a turtle shell on his back said. "Oh don't even start, Wayzz!" the cat, Plagg apparently, brushed off the turtle. Then two more of the strange beings floated toward Plagg with concerning looks on their faces. One was a light lilac purple with small wings on it's back like a butterfly. The other, a deep royal blue with bright red dots on a group of tail feathers. It reminded Marinette of a peacock, which brought her back to the dress that started this whole nightmare she fell into. "Wayzz is right, Duusu and I can sense the pain in this woman's heart." the moth one said timidly. "Such sadness, and heartbreak. But also anger and fear." Duusu looked like he might cry. "Of course she's scared and angry, Nooroo!" Plagg said annoyed. "She took something that didn't belong to her, meddled with powers she has no real control over. And now we can finally take it back. GIMMI!" he turned back at Marinette, shouting louder. "Check all her pockets, maybe it's in there." the fox suggested. "Hold on, Trixx." the red one with black spots stopped the fox. "Ugh, not you too, Tikki." Plagg sighed, but all the creatures turned their attention to Tikki. "Ummm, guys...." a yellow one tried to say. "Not now, Pollen." the black cat waved her off, then went back to Tikki. "Come on, Sugarcube. You can't tell me you don't sense the magic from her." "Of course I do, same as you." Tikki huffed in annoyance. "That's proof enough that she's the culprit." "Guys...." Pollen tried again. "Not Now, Pollen!" "Plagg, it doesn't prove anything." Tikki argued. "She could have something that belonged to the real thief, and that's what we're sensing." "Well, that's why we need to search through her stuff, and I'll bet you we'll find....." "GUYS!!" "WHAT POLLEN!?" both finally turned to the bee. "She ran away." Pollen answered, pointed to the spot Marinette had been sitting. She had, indeed, slipped away while the creatures were arguing. "WHAT!? Why didn't anyone stop her?" Plagg looked to each of his companions. "We were waiting for you and Tikki to settle things." Wayzz answered. "I can still sense her confusion and distress." Nooroo said and showed the direction the woman took. "Well, what are we waiting for? After Her!" Plagg flew on in the right direction, with all the different colored creatures behind him. .* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *"Come on, Marinette, wake up. You can do it, just Wake UP!!!" Marinette told herself for the dozenth time as she walked through the marsh again, trying to get away from the flying bug-animals that appeared before her. Having such an unusual encounter led her to believe that the only explanation for all of this was that she was dreaming. Yeah, that's right, she was still asleep in the guest chamber of the palace, and any minute now to was going to wake up and go have lunch with her dear prince that will one day be her husband. She would tell Adrien all about her dream while they ate. He would listen, and while he would probably find the story of her dream interesting, he would also take the time to reassure her that this would never happen in real life. Now if only she would just wake up. Repeatedly pinching her arms didn't seem to be working so far. "It's okay. This is all just a bad dream." she continued talking to herself, but was believing it less and less. "Maybe if I sleep too long, Adrien will come into the room and wake me up. I mean, come on. Why else would I be in a situation where everyone I care about doesn't remember me, I get chased out of my home, and then get cornered by strange talking bug-mice things. Yep, absolutely a dream!" She stopped her rant to get a better look at her surroundings. All the sweat, dirt, and hunger she was feeling in the bug ridden, humid, lonely swamp was finally letting her admit that it was too real to be a dream. So, Marinette went back to trying to survive. She was still somewhere in the marsh, but she wasn't too sure which direction she took. The ground felt looser, so she was careful about where she stepped. Looking ahead, she could see some wreckage half submerged in the muck. No doubt some poor travelers that never made it out of the swamp. There were bits of the carriage and some sort of cased goods under a moss filled tarp. Marinette took a better look at the wreckage, careful not to fall in herself. If there was any food in the cargo, it wouldn't be of any help to her now. But maybe she could use some of the wood and the tarp to make a temporary shelter for the night. The seamstress took a strong, long tree limb to reach for the tarp and pull it toward her. She really hoped there weren't any snakes and things hiding in this somewhere, that would just be the salt in the wounds that has been her day. When she was finally able to reach the tarp, she ended up pulling it too hard and half of it tore off. Being outside in the elements for too long made the material brittle and unusable, and was only able to get about a yard worth away from the wreckage. Marinette sighed and let her shoulders slack at her bad luck. Then it only got worse when she heard some familiar voices coming her way. "THERE SHE IS! GET HER!!" Plagg called out, and all the creatures flew in her direction. Marinette dreaded having to run away again. There was hardly any energy left in her system to do this one more time. But she also had no idea what these creatures were capable of, and she wasn't going to wait around to find out. She tried to keep to where there was a larger cluster of trees since that had to mean the soil was firmer and she had less of a chance of falling in mud. Weaving left and right between the trees, she hoped that maybe they would lose track of her. But the creatures followed her every move, separating when the trees got too thick and then regrouping to continue their pursuit. "You can't get away from us!" the little black cat called after her. Marinette believed he was telling the truth, and she couldn't run forever. Picking up speed as best she could, she got a good enough distance away from the creatures and ducked behind a large rock to come up with a plan. She still had the piece of tarp in her hands, and looked ahead to spot some sturdy looking branches. An idea struck her, and she leaped up the nearest branch to snap it off the tree. This one had a good split at the end, so it worked well when she tied the tarp to the ends to make a net. "Now where'd she go?" she heard one of the creatures say, and got her makeshift net ready. "I can still sense her emotions this way." "Hurry, we can't let her escape!" Marinette heard whom she assumed was the one named Plagg. She peeked from behind the rock and saw them coming toward her. When they were close enough, she swung the branch around to trap them in the tarp. She didn't stop swinging the net so the momentum would keep them inside. She wasn't sure if she got them all, but she wasn't going to look inside to find out. Finally, Marinette brought the net down to the ground and tied it closed with a lone string from her bag. "What tha-.... Let Us Out!!" Marinette could hear he voices within the bag. "I'm sorry to have to do this, but you gave me no choice." she took the rope around the tarp and hooked it to a lone branch on a tree. She was going to walk away from them when something started pulling on her remaining pigtail. "Ouch!" "Let my friends go now." she heard a voice and her hair was being pulled on once more. It seems that she had missed one of the creatures, the red one with the black spots. Marinette tried to get it off of her, but the bug was persistent. "Is that you, Tikki!? STOP HER AND GET GIMMI!!!" Plagg yelled through the bag. "Oww, Let Go of My HAIR!!" Marinette cried out as Tikki continued to tug at the strands. "NO!" Tikki held on tightly, even as Marinette tried running away from the others and shake her off. They made a good distance away from her group, and Tikki still held strong. "I Said Let Me Go!" the seamstress had had enough and took the hold of Tikki into her fist, pulling it from her hair, and tossing her into a thorn bush. "Now all of you weird little bug things just leave me alone!" Tikki tried to get back up, but was too tangled up in the thorns. She still wasn't going to let that stop her. "I won't give up until you return what was stolen from us!" she cried out to the woman. "I haven't stolen anything!" Marinette finally lost her temper about the whole day. "I've already had the worst goddamn day of my life! I've lost everything I ever cared about! And now I'm stuck out in the middle of nowhere with some creepy little bug animals chasing me around and wanting something I DON'T HAVE! I'M DONE, GODDAMMIT!!!" Marinette marched away in a huff, when a scream from the one named Tikki stopped her again. "Oh, don't even start..... I'm not going to...." She turned around to say more, but was halted by the sight before her. Tikki was still trapped in the thorns. She was struggling to get away, and at the same time was frozen in terror at the snake that was slowly slithering toward the red being. No doubt the animal was confusing her with a small rodent, and meant to make a meal of her. Tikki was trembling in knowing that the snake had seen her and she couldn't break away from the thorns. "PLAGG, WAYZZ, SOMEBODY HELP ME!!" she cried out as the snake rose up and opened its mouth ready to strike. Tikki could only close her eyes waiting for the inevitable. After a moment, rather than feeling the sting of the snake's fangs, Tikki heard a subtle stomping sound in front of her and looked to find the snake was pinned down by a long branch. Its head was trapped under the wood, so it couldn't reach to bite its assailant. Tikki looked up to find it was the girl that held the branch. She had saved her. Marinette took caution in making sure the snake wouldn't have a chance to strike her or the red bug. Moving to hold a knee on one side of the branch, she used her free hand to grab the snake by the head and keep its mouth shut. Then with her other hand she held the tail end of the animal and lifted it up away from Tikki and tossed it away into the woods. That danger out of the way, she went back to the spotted creature that was still trapped in the thorns. "Alright, now I'm going to help untangle you if you promise to stop attacking me. Do we have a deal?" she crossed her arms. Tikki was still shocked that she wasn't snake food already, and the fact that this girl had helped her at all. She gave Marinette a subtle nod. "I promise." The seamstress took care in breaking away the thorns one by one to give Tikki enough space to pull away from them without being scratched. When she was free, Tikki floated up to face Marinette and just look her over more closely. "Thank you for saving me." Tikki said while still studying the girl. "You're welcome. Now does this mean that you will leave me alone now?" Marinette asked in equal suspicion. "I wish I could, but you still have something that doesn't belong to you." "Then do you mind telling me what it is you want? That black cat one just kept saying 'give me, give me,' as if I was supposed to know what it was." she sighed, wishing today would end already. Tikki held back a giggle at the misunderstanding. "He wasn't saying 'give me.' He was talking about Gimmi, the Kwami of Reality." "The who of the what?" Marinette was completely lost at her answer. Tikki you see no hint of recognition in her eyes either. "You really have no idea, do you?" Plagg and the others came stumbling out of the remains of the tarp bag, which was now crumbling away into dust somehow. The black cat was the first to come up to Tikki and look her over. "Are you okay, Sugarcube? Why did you scream like that!?" "There was a snake...." Tikki tried to answer softly, but it only made Plagg panic more. "A SNAKE!!....." Plagg looked around for the offending viper. "Great Gouda in the Morning! I knew I should've held off using my power!" "Plagg, calm down." Tikki tried to ease her friend. But the little black cat wasn't listening, and instead flew up into Marinette's face, who could only stand there wide eyed. "YOU!! Do you have any idea how long it takes to gather up what little magic we have in this state! It took me Seven Years just to have enough energy to make that little hole in the bag!!" Marinette frowned at the cat and shouted right back. "No I don't know, and I don't want to Know! I've had more than enough of my share of magic for one Lifetime!" "Then return Gimmi to us, if you're so sick of it!" he screamed. "I DON'T KNOW WHAT A GIMMI IS!!!" Tikki took that moment to intervene. "Plagg, she's telling the truth." "It's true, I sense no deception in her heart." Nooroo added. "Then what about the magic....." Plagg tried again, only to find Marinette throwing her hands up in defeat. "Magic, magic, magic! I'm sick and tired of all this magic that just decided to spring into my life over night! First some creepy magic makes my loved ones forget me. Then some crazy bitch with powers tries to kill me by making a knife appear out of nowhere and tried to stab me in the heart with it! Now here I am running for my life with some creepy bug birds chasing after me for something that, for the final time, I DON'T HAVE!!!" "Wait, go back to that part about a bitch with a knife." Plagg said ignoring the rest of her rant. "Ugh, this crazy woman named Lila, some daughter of a duke, she said she cast a spell over the city to make everyone forget me and then she tried to kill me with this dagger that appeared out of her locket with some strange purple smoke." Marinette explained tiredly. Her answer made all the creatures look at each other. It seemed like they were having a silent conversation until the turtle looking one, Wayzz, finally said. "We have finally located her." Then Tikki was the one that addressed Marinette again. "Can you please tell us more about this woman that used magic? What was the magic like?" "I don't know, like I said it was some weird purple smoke." Marinette tried to describe it. "It all happened so fast." "Where is this Lila at now?' Trixx asked. "She's probably back at the castle by now. Lord knows what she's going to do to the kingdom, and my poor Adrien." Marinette answered, fighting off crying in front of them. All the creatures observed her for a moment, and then Tikki spoke up again. "We need to take her to Master Fu." "Are you sure, Sugarcube?" Plagg asked skeptically. "For the first time in decades, we have a real lead to finding Gimmi, and I believe that this girl is the key to finally setting us all free." she responded hopefully. "Plus, this girl has been through so much. It wouldn't be right to leave her out here all alone." Duusu said empathically. "All those in favor." Pollen raised her little hand, and the other six soon followed. "Good, come with us, miss, and we'll take you to the master." "The Master?" Marinette asked. "Yes, he's the only one that can help you right now. And maybe if we're lucky, we'll all be able to help each other." Tikki said as she floated to a direction that she wanted the girl to follow. Marinette wasn't sure if she could trust them or not. They were just accusing her of thievery and chasing after her not ten minutes ago. Now, all the sudden they want to help her? Could she really believe them? On the other hand, she didn't really have much of a choice. She was still stuck in the middle of the Fool-Eating Marsh with no food or supplies, and was still a wanted fugitive from her own kingdom. If there was someone out there that could give her sanctuary, it would be crazy of her to turn it down. Making up her mind, she followed the seven strange beings through the marsh and into whatever lies before her. .~*~*~*~*~*~
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
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Chapter 8: Meet Master Fu
.*~*~*~*~*Things continued in a relative silence as Marinette followed the strange creatures out of the marsh and through some woods. At least they knew where they were going, because she was completely lost at this point. If they hadn't shown up when they did, who knows where she would have ended up. The ones called Plagg and Tikki seemed to be the leaders of the group, and the rest were mostly following close behind them. Now and then, a couple of them were diverge from the rest to play around the trees and tall grass for a few minutes, then joined them back on the trail. Marinette was still a little confused as to what they were. At first, they seemed like some kind of insects. Tikki, Nooroo, and the yellow one named Pollen looked like bugs, but the others had features like different animals. It was stranger how they were floating around without wings, and how their heads were larger in proportion to their little bodies. She wondered if it would be rude to ask them what kind of creatures they were. "Is something the matter?" the deep blue one, Duusu if she remembered correctly, asked concerned. "Umm, no, it's nothing." Marinette tried to make it seem like she wasn't starring at them. "You are curious about us, are you not?" Wayzz floated in front of her. "Maybe a little bit." she admitted. "Not to be impolite, but what exactly are you?" "What do you think we are?" the turtle inquired. Marinette thought about it for a moment. "Well, with all this talk about magic, I would think you were all some type of fairy, but you don't look like anything I've imagined from the children's stories." "And how do you know it is the children's stories that have the correct description of such things?" Wayzz questioned her answer. "Yeah, everyone thinks fairies are supposed to be these little people with bug-like wings. And others say the faire folk are young, beautiful beings with pointed ears, but has anyone ever really seen them?" Trixx added. It did leave the girl puzzled. "So, you are fairies?" "Heh, of course not." Plagg answered for the turtle and fox. "But it was easier for people to believe that for a time. In another country we were known as djinn, powerful otherworldly beings that could grant wishes." "But you're not that either?" Marinette was getting a little more confused. "No, we are so much more than that. More than your little human brain could comprehend." Plagg got closer to her with a devilish grin on his face. Marinette was suddenly regretting how she trapped them all earlier, fearing she may have evoked some god-like wrath upon herself. "Alright, that's enough Plagg. Don't scare the poor girl." Tikki slightly scolded the black cat. "Ahhh, come on Tikki, at least let me have a little fun." he pouted. Seeing the creature act so childish did make Marinette a little less afraid. "Well, whatever you are, I do think that you're very cute." she told the truth. Plagg flushed at the endearment and tried to brush it off. "I'm not cute, I'm the fierce Kwami of Destruction." "Kwami? You said that word before when you were talking about someone named Gimmi." Marinette remembered Tikki's words. "Correct." Tikki smiled. "We were given the title of kwami many centuries ago. It was a play on the word another country had for a god." "So, you are all deities?" Marinette's anxiety came back. "If it is the easiest word you have for us, then yes." Wayzz said. "But it would still pale in comparison to our true natures." Then he floated on ahead with the others, leaving Marinette to her thoughts. The thick tree line finally split open and revealed the sun. It blinded Marinette for a moment form being in the deep shade for so long. But when her eyes adjusted, she beheld a gentle, welcoming sight. There was a small cottage in the middle of the clearing. It was a homey little building with a clay tiled roof and interlocking log walls. The windows were small, but the door was wide and open to the long porch area that was shaded by part of the roof, no doubt meant to enjoy nice weather when it happened. There was a beautiful garden next to the house as well, filled with all sorts of vegetables. That's when Marinette finally noticed in the garden, plucking weeds and watering the soil, was a little old man. He was gray-haired and slim with age, and was wearing a large straw hat, one that had a slight point to the middle to make it seem cone-like. Marinette wondered if this was the master. The kwamis gave her answer when they started flying around the old man. "Hello, Master." each one greeted him. "Ahhh, there you are my little ones. I was starting to worry that you've wondered off too far this time." The master held out one hand for Nooroo to rest on and used his other hand to gently pet the kwami. "We brought a new friend, Master." Wayzz was the first to bring attention back to Marinette. The elderly man turned to finally notice the new stranger on her property. All Marinette could do was wave at him nervously. "Ummm, h-hello?" He gave her a look over, as if trying to determine if she was a threat or not. Sure, she was a little worse for wear, but Marinette didn't think she looked like someone to be cautious of. Then again looks could always be deceiving. Today's events had proven that. So, she waited patiently for the man to decide if she was welcome or not. Plus, there was still the matter of Lila's spell. What if her earlier assumption had been wrong, and this man would be affected just as deeply as the whole city? She held her breath, waiting for the master to respond to her presence. She felt more relaxed when he walked up to her and gave her a warm smile. "It would seem you have been through quite an ordeal, young lady." he spoke so calmly to her, it reminded Marinette of warm tea and honey. "You could say that." she agreed, feeling relieved that the man was greeting her. "What is your name, my dear?" He asked politely. "Marinette, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, sir. Your kwami friends led me here thinking you could perhaps help me." she said more nervous. What if she was asking too much of the old man? What if the kwami creatures were wrong about her involvement with this magic spell, and he couldn't help her? "Hmmm, my name is Wang Fu." he smiled at her, then removed his hat, picked up a cane, and stepped away from the garden. "You must be tired after such a long journey. Why don't we step inside for some tea, and you can tell me all about it?" He walked toward the house before Marinette could accept or refuse his offer as if he was expecting her to follow him anyway. Marinette was surprised by the sudden invitation of the elderly man, considering how she was treated so harshly just this morning. At first, she couldn't move because she was worried something else would go wrong and she would end up alone in the woods all over again. But after some encouragement from the flying beings, she followed Master Fu and walked through the front door. The cottage was just as homey on the inside. It was all one large room with a bed to the left side, a small dining table with two chairs in the center, a kitchen area to the right, and a small cackling fire in the rear wall with a log lounge chair in front of it. Master Fu was putting the kettle on by the fire before taking some bread and cheese to the dining table. "Come, sit." He called her over. Marinette obeyed and took a seat. "Please help yourself while I prepare some tea for us." He went over to the fire again, leaving Marinette to the bread and cheese. She tried to be polite and not devour the whole thing right in front of her. She didn't even care that the bread was a little stale, it felt like the best food in the world once it hit her stomach. Having one need satisfied at last made her tears come back anew by the time Fu came back with her tea. "Are you alright, my dear?" he placed a hand on her forearm to try and calm her. "Ye-- yes, I'm alright." she tried to get out between her sobs. Master Fu finally took the seat next to hers and handed her the cup of tea. All the kwamis sat on the table together enjoying bits of the food. "Why don't you tell us how you came to be out in the woods all alone?" Marinette tried to compose herself and explain what happened, but she didn't have the strength to explain. Plus, even if she did tell him the whole story, who's to say he would even believe her? What if her worst fears were realized, and Lila's spell made him believe that she didn't exist, that she wasn't engaged to the crown prince? That she was nobody? Seeing her struggle, Tikki felt she owed it to the young woman for saving her life and spoke for her. "Master Fu, we sensed Gimmi's magic coming off of her, and she told us how a witch cast a spell on her that got her exiled from the kingdom of Papillon." The elderly man looked surprised, but kept his composure and turned back to the girl. "Is that true?" "Well, I think so, but I'm not positive it's this Gimmi person they were all talking about." Marinette tried to explain. "All I know is there was this woman named Lila Rossi that caused my life to be turned around and stolen. Now everyone I know and love doesn't remember me, or they think that Lila is the one that has my life. Even the man I love didn't recognize me." she wiped away her tears to keep herself from crumbling again. "I am sorry that happened to you, Marinette. I know what it is like to have so much taken away from you in an instant. If it is within our power, I'm sure we can look for a way to help you." Master Fu expresses his sympathies. "Yeah, Marinette, maybe you can finally help us get Gimmi back!" Tikki said hopefully. "How would we do that?" Marinette asked, wondering what they could possibly do against a powerful person like Lila. "Well...." Master Fu began but was interrupted by a terrible howling coming out of the woods. "What was that?" Duusu asked trembling. "A wolf?" Wayzz suggested. "That didn't sound like any wolf I've ever heard." Master Fu replied before getting on his feet and taking a look out the opened door to see if he could find the source of the noise. Marinette followed him to see for herself as well. At first, they don't see anything. Marinette looked to the east, and she didn't see anything odd within the trees. There was a breeze that rustled the branches and tall grass, but she didn't see any other movement. She heard no birds and waited for the howling to continue. Still there was nothing. Maybe the animal had moved on. She turned her attention to the west to be sure, and it was a little harder to see with the late afternoon sun in her eyes. She was able to see something there, however. Underneath the sun was another small light hiding within the grass. Marinette thought it could be a small fire and that she should warn the elderly man, but looking at the closer she could see it was no ordinary light. It had a bright purple hue to it, and it was moving out of the brush toward them. It appeared to have limbs and had more of a shape the closer it got. "Master Fu, Look!" Marinette pointed to the strange animal that was snarling at the sight of them. The man caught sight of the creature and was astonished. "What in the world...?" The obscure shape became clearer when it was out in the open. It had the appearance of a large snarling wolf with dripping fangs and large paws digging into the earth. Why it was glowing and appeared smoke like, Marinette couldn't say, but she did recall where she saw such a look before. It's piercing blue eyes were looking in the direction of the cottage, growling at the two humans as if they were some sort of threat. The animal lifted its head for another earsplitting howl before making a charge for the two humans. "Quick! Inside!" Master Fu yelled as they both made it through the door. The kwamis had already flown in and watched Marinette bolt the door down. A large bang against the wood made her jump away several feet, but the door remained intact. The wolf didn't give up there, however. It continued to hit its front legs against while scratching and digging its claws trying to get in. So far, the door was holding strong. "Don't worry, it cannot get in." Master Fu tried to reassure his little friends and the frightened young girl. They all believed him until the wolf started digging at the bottom of the door. Marinette could see its teeth and claws gnawing through the cracks. Then that strange smoke that seemed to seep off the animal was getting into the room. Her panic came back when that smoke started to turn into the shape of the wolf, meaning it was getting in somehow. "What Kind Of Wolf Is That!!?" Marinette took hold of a chair to get ready to defend herself if the animal had succeeded in getting inside. "Master." Wayzz spoke up. "That creature looks a great deal like Gimmi's magic." "I agree, Wayzz." Master Fu said more fascinated than scared. "But something is strange. This creature seems to be made of pure magic, which shouldn't be possible." "What does that mean!? What do we do!?" Marinette asked frantically. "It means that if it is all magic, then there's no real tangible form. That's how it seems to be getting in." Master Fu answered as the strange smoke finished taking the form of the wolf's head. When the wolf's head snapped its head at Marinette, she quickly dropped the chair and reached for the broom to smack it in the head. But rather than making contact, the broom fanned away the shape like fog being dispersed. Seeing that it was working, Marinette continued to swing the broom until the smoke was all gone. It seemed like they fought the strange animal off, but then they started hearing it scratch at the door and walls again. This time Marinette could hear it coming from door and the windows next to it. Sure enough, the smokey animal was trying to get in every available opening. The window was shut, but the smoke was still sneaking in through the cracks. Marinette would fan the window away only for the wolf to try again with the door, and vice versa. Each time it's head would come close to forming, it would bite and snarl at the poor girl. Master Fu tried to help by waving a blanket at it to fan it away. The animal wouldn't snap at him as harshly and mostly focus on Marinette. That's when it hit Tikki. "Marinette, I think it's after you!" "Me!? What does it want with me!?" she cried out still swinging the broom. "Since this is Gimmi's magic, and you got mixed up in it, the one casting the spells probably wants to get rid of you." Nooroo deduced. "What are we going to do, then!?" Plagg yelled. "If this thing was meant to kill her, then it won't stop until succeeds." "Or if it thinks it succeeds." Trixx said more to himself. "Do you have a plan, Trixx?" Master Fu asked. "I think so. Marinette, follow me and do exactly as I say!" the little fox flew over to the window on the opposite side of the house next to the bed. "But what about the others? Master Fu?" Marinette finally stopped swinging at the broom to look at the kwami. "We'll be fine. It's you the wolf wants." Tikki reassured her. "Go now!" Marinette dropped the broom and hurried over to the orange kwami. "What do we do?" "Open the window and climb up to the roof." Trixx ordered. When there weren't any more obstacles in the wolf's way, it came through the cracks in full force. All the other kwamis tries to delay it by throwing what they could find around the cottage at it. When that had little to no effect, Master Fu picked up one of the chairs to keep the beast back, to which it took a large bite and broke the chair into splinters. It probably would have finished the old man off if it hadn't been for the girl he saw climbing up the window. The wolf phased its way across the room and went out the same window to find Marinette reaching the roof of the house. It made it to the top easily and finally found its prey at the edge. Marinette was frozen in terror at the horrible monster before her, creeping and snarling up to her slowly. Any moment now it was going to pounce and sink its fangs into her. She should run or jump off the roof, but she couldn't bring herself to move. Closer and closer it got, and she had nowhere to go. The wolf snapped its fangs at her, which made her jerk back, and that had been her fatal mistake. Her quick step back made her foot slip on the tiles, and caused her to fall backwards off the roof. There was a sudden scream, and then nothing. The wolf walked to the edge to find the girl lying flat on the ground. It hadn't been that great a fall and she would've been fine, but there had been a few large rocks by the house that she had landed on, one of them breaking her skull open. The magical creature could see the blood pooling around the girl, the life completely leaving her eyes. Its task was done. With a final howl, the wolf had dispersed into the wind, never to be seen again. There was a silence, until the little fox kwami came out of his hiding spot to look around and make sure the magical animal was gone. "Okay, it's all clear, Marinette." "Are you sure?" a voice came from seemingly nowhere. "Positive." Trixx went down to the dead Marinette on the ground, and swished his tail to break the illusion. In a puff of orange smoke, the corpse disappeared, and the real Marinette was letting herself down after hanging on to the edge of the roof. Marinette's heart was still racing after that ordeal. The wolf had been right in her face when it looked down from the roof, though it was only seeing the illusion. Trixx had told her not to move a muscle and keep absolutely quiet. She was so scared she was going to give herself away, and the wolf would bite her head off then and there. Luckily the trick had worked, and they were all safe now. "Thank you for saving me, Trixx." she gave the little fox her gratitude. "How were you able to do that?" "I told you, I am the Kwami of Illusions, Master of Deceptions." he said proudly as he groomed his fluffy tail. "Once I realized it was a magical creation meant to kill you, I knew it wouldn't go away until it thought you were dead." "Marinette, Trixx, are you guys okay!?" Tikki came around in a panic, looking around for any sign of the wolf. When she heard the howl, she didn't know what to expect. "We're fine." Trixx waved her off. Tikki sighed in relief. "Good, why don't we all go back inside then?" Marinette saw Master Fu at the front door again and felt bad that all this happened because of her. "I'm so sorry for causing you such trouble, sir." "There's no need to apologize, my dear. Now, why don't we all go back inside, and you can tell us the whole story." he invited her back in. .* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "Here we are, your royal highness, this tea will soothe your headache." The physician held out a steaming cup to the crown prince, who was reclined on the lounge in his chambers. Adrien had insisted that he didn't need to go to bed. "Thank you, doctor." Adrien answered as he sipped the brew. It was bitter, but the aroma did make his head feel clearer. "Will you require anything else, sire?" the doctor asked as he packed up his tools. "No, thank you. I'll just relax for a bit, then I'll be good." the prince answered, taking another sip of the tea. "Your royal highness." After a final bow, the man left the room, leaving Adrien to his thoughts. His mind wandered to that girl he saw earlier, the one being arrested for thievery. He didn't think something like that would happen here in the palace. Not that he was blind to those less fortunate than others. There were plenty of people that had harsher lives in Papillon. Still, his father had taken several lengths to make sure things were treated fairly in his kingdom. He made arrangement for the leftover foods to be donated to the poor. Anything in the palace that was going to be replaced for something new, he would have them sold for cheap like furniture or clothes for the people to make into clothing or bedding. So, what could have made the girl so desperate to sneak into the palace and steal a dress? His heart ached for her for some reason. Maybe he should have tried harder to do something for her. He just hoped that his new fiancé would treat her with compassion. His new fiancé. That thought made him squirm, and all the sudden he didn't want the rest of the bitter tea. He knew it was decided a long time ago, but he still couldn't get used to the thought of an arranged marriage to the Lady Delila de Rossi. It was so strange, last night he felt so happy to be near her. They had a pleasant evening dancing and talking, and spending time together with his friends. Then the next morning, it felt like something was wrong, like he was seeing a complete stranger. Technically, that was true, they had only truly met the night before, but now it's as if that sudden spark he felt with her was spent and any further connection with her felt unfortunate. A knock came at the door to break his thoughts, and he allowed entrance to find his father coming into the room. Adrien got up from the chair to give a quick bow and acknowledge the king. "Father." "Son, are you feeling better?" Gabriel asked taking the seat across from him. "Yes, father." he said right away as he sat back down. "I guess yesterday's festivities had caught up with me." "It was quite memorable. And it was refreshing that everyone accepted your betrothal to the Lady Rossi." Gabriel hummed his approval, but he noticed that his son was not sharing his enthusiasm. "Is something wrong, son?" "I don't know father." the prince sighed. "I know I was trained for this sort of thing, but it's as if all the sudden the thought of an arranged marriage is nauseating to me." "I'm sure it can be overwhelming to every person that's experienced it. Even engaged to your mother, I felt like the ground was going to crumble beneath me." he smiled, and watched his son do the same. "But Mademoiselle Lila is a charming young woman, and will make a good queen one day. You just have to take some time to get to know her and build a good relationship. You won't have to marry right away, wait until you are both comfortable with each other." "Yes, father." he obeyed, then had the one last thought he felt he should share. "I guess I always wished I would be marrying for love like you and mother did." "You never know, that could end up being the reason you marry her." Marrying Lila for love. Why did that sound so impossible to him? Was his heart really not in it to give her a chance? Should he tell his father this? Adrien cleared his throat before continuing. "Father...." "Your Majesty," one of the footmen interrupted. "Lady Delila de Rossi has returned and wishes to speak with you." "Very well." Gabriel flicked his wrist, and the footman went to fetch the young lady. Lila strolled into the room in a great confidence and curtsied to the two royals. "Your majesties." "Lila," Adrien acknowledged her, then thought about the young girl she took away again. "How did it go?" "Oh, very well. I took the unfortunate girl back to her family. The poor thing wanted to get some extra money to buy some medicine for her dying baby brother. I didn't have any coin on me, so I gave her one of my bracelets to sell for a doctor. Things should be better for them now." Lila dabbed her eyes with a handkerchief as if she had just finished crying. "I see." Gabriel hummed in understanding. "Why didn't she say anything before?" Adrien said concerned. Something about this didn't feel right. If the story was true, then why didn't the girl tell them as much? He would've listened, his father would've listened. And he didn't remember Lila wearing a bracelet earlier, was he just not paying enough attention? "I think she was just desperate and confused, but it's nothing you need to worry about now, my prince." Lila reached over to put a hand on his shoulder. Adrien got back up from his seat, mostly to get her hand away from him. "You're sure she's safe?" He had to be sure. "You have my word." Lila held a hand over her heart and smiled at him. Why didn't this make him feel better? Maybe he was just tired. He turned back to address the king. "If you'll excuse me, father, I think I'll turn in for the rest of the day." "Of course, son. You get some rest, and we can continue with your work in the morning." "Yes, father." He bowed, then turned the lady next to him. "Lila." "Rest well, my prince." she held her hand out for him to take. He didn't want to, but it was the polite thing to do. He took her hand and gave it a light kiss before departing from the room, leaving the lady and the king alone. Gabriel didn't stay longer, however, and got back up to go back to his office. "If you'll excuse me, Lady Rossi, I have some other works so complete." "Of course, sire." she curtsied again. "I must say I was impressed with your good judgement today. You showed good leadership and understanding with our people, something that will stand proud beside my son when he is king." "Your majesty is most kind." she replied not looking up at him. "Well, good afternoon, Lila." then he left the room. "Good afternoon, your majesty." Now Lila was alone. It was nice to know that she was in good graces with the king. Now it was just a matter of getting the prince into her clutches. She wondered how long it would take for Marinette to be dead. Once that happens, there was no telling how long the spell would continue, or if it would at all. If everyone does end up remembering her again, she would have to act fast and work another spell on the prince and king to make them believe she was the one he loves, and the little seamstress will be a fleeting memory. Anyone else's word was going to be meaningless against the royal family. She was going to relish in her victory. Maybe she'll even make the prince suffer a little by letting him know his precious Marinette was gone before working her spell on him. She laughed to herself at the thought of him crumbling at her feet. A sudden flash of light caught her attention, and Lila looked down at her necklace. The gem was glowing to let her know the spell had stopped. She summoned Gimmi, and the little kwami looked very worn out for some reason. "Well, Gimmi, has the little rabbit been caught by the wolf?" Lila asked. "I don't know." was all the kwami said, really wanting to go sleep right now. "What do you mean you don't know?" she asked annoyed. "The spell stopped, that means it's task was done." "It might or might not be, I can't tell you." Gimmi grumbled. Lila didn't like the attitude the kwami was giving her. "Gimmi, if you're trying to trick me...." "I'm not tricking you, I'm just stretched out." now the kwami was annoyed. "You got me working this whole stupid memory thing, and then you made me make a wolf to hunt the girl down. I could only keep track of it at a certain distance. After that, the wolf was on its own. I don't know if it's still out there hunting Marinette, or if it killed her and just went away. My connection is gone." "So, either Marinette is dead, or she's far away out of Papillon." Lila concluded. "Yep." "Well, Papillon would remember her if she were dead, correct? The prince would be running back in here as well." "Maybe, I told you it was a hit or miss when I do stuff involving memory." Gimmi sighed, wishing they could go back to sleep. Lila started pacing, thinking everything through. "On the one hand, it is a nuisance not knowing if I completely got rid of Marinette. On the other hand, she's probably far away from Papillon and will never come back. Either way, I'm still betrothed to the prince and there's nothing that little seamstress can do about it. One way or another, he will be all mine, whether he liked it or not." .* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
.Chapter 9: Something's Missing .*~*~*~*~*The little cottage at the edge of the Fool-Eating Marsh was quiet with reflection as Master Fu helped Marinette by fixing her mangled hair. After getting all the leaves and twigs out of it, then washing it to clean off the soiled fruit from the townsfolk, he brushed it out to get a better look. Half of her hair was sheared away to her right ear, while the other half cascaded over her left shoulder. Since it was cut violently from a pigtail, the ends were very uneven. Master Fu wasn't sure what he could do to make it better, other than.... "You can cut off the other half." Marinette said dully as if reading his mind. "Are you sure, Marinette? I can try to..." "No, I'd rather we just get it over with. My hair will grow back." she said as if trying to encourage herself more than the elderly man. Reluctantly, Master Fu took some scissors and severed the remaining midnight locks. He tried to make it better in appearance by evening out her whole scalp and ended up styling it into a more boyish fashion. It wasn't the best, but it didn't look terrible to him. He fought through hearing the poor girls sniffles the entire time. He could see her watching her locks fall away from her body and wondered what she was really thinking. When he finished, he brushed the hair away with a broom to get it out of her sight and took out a small mirror for her to see herself. "Have a look, my dear." He handed the mirror to her trembling hands. Marinette held the little mirror in front of her, but right now the reflection only showed her chest. She swallowed the lump in her throat trying to gain the strength to just get it over with. Moving the mirror to where her hair used to be, her tears started falling when she saw nothing. Going further up to her ears, she saw where her hair finally was. It was so short now, even shorter than her mother's. She almost looked like a boy now. That part didn't really bother her, because she remembered her friend Rose had a very similar style. No, it was the fact that this was one more thing she lost among everything else to Lila. The whole of her life was clipped away as fast as her hair, and the only evidence she had of her existence was her engagement ring and her black pearl earrings. She mourned her loss until she heard a commotion near the fireplace. Master Fu was taking the remains of the unfortunate chair the wolf had devoured over to the pile of wood, all the while with an amused smile on his face. "What's so funny?" she asked smally. "It is ironic." He answered her. "I finally have an opportunity to use this second chair because we have a guest, and it gets destroyed by a magical animal." Marinette guessed that was a little funny and let herself chuckle with him. She did feel bad for causing him so much trouble. "I can help you make another one, if you like?" she offered. "That's very thoughtful of you, Marinette, but right now I think we have other things to discuss. Why don't you help me with the supper, and we can go over what to do next." The seamstress got up right away, more than relieved to be able to keep herself busy and not think about anything else. They settled on some vegetable soup, and Marinette made some bread to go with it faster than Master Fu could ask her. Being the daughter of a baker, she could have done it blindfolded. The kwamis did their part by taste testing the food as it was cooking, each one having their own opinions. Pollen and Tikki wanted the soup to be sweeter, while Wayzz and Trixx wanted it to be more on the spicy side. Nooroo and Duusu were indifferent and cared more about the delicious smelling bread in the oven, and Plagg didn't care one way or the other; he just wanted the cheese Master Fu kept in the pantry. Marinette felt better after watching the little deities and their antics. If it weren't for the kwamis, she was sure Master Fu would be pretty lonely all by himself on this little farm in the woods. They were all like a family, they took care of each other. She was actually watching Tikki and Pollen as they took several herbs from different jars and added it to the master's tea. She wondered what it was. "Master Fu, your medicine is ready." Tikki announced and she stirred the cup with a small spoon. "Thank you, Tikki." Master Fu used his cane to step away from the soup and slowly sip his brew. Marinette didn't think about it before, but the elderly man did look a little winded right now. "Are you going to be alright, sir?" "Yes, yes, don't worry about me, Marinette." he answered between sips. "My heart just isn't what it used to be, and today's excitement was a little more extra than what I am accustomed to." She felt her heart spike in fear. "Don't you think you should lay down, or something?" "It's alright, that's what this medicine is for." he finished his cup and went back to completing supper. When she took out the bread to let it cool, Master Fu started adding more vegetables to the soup and let it simmer. It was going to be a little longer before dinner was ready, so the kwamis thought this would be a good time to ask Marinette some more questions. "So, Marinette, no one in your hometown remembers who you are because of this Lila's spell?" Tikki asked for confirmation. "That's right." the seamstress sighed. "She also said that if I tried to tell anyone who I was, it would hurt their minds, maybe even kill them. I saw it happened when I tried to talk to Adrien and Alya, it was like all the sudden they were getting terrible headaches." "It makes sense." Wayzz contemplated. "Creating spells on the mind is not an easy task, even for Gimmi. The pains must be used as a backup to keep the people in control." Master Fu listened to the conversation as he watched the soup boil and something occurred to him. "Marinette, can you tell me if anything unusual happened before all of this, anything specific." "Like what?" she asked, not sure what he was getting at. "Was there anything that Lila did or said that seemed off to you? Or perhaps something else was happening when she was not around?" he asked as he stirred the pot. Marinette had to think over the past few days. "Well, she did say some things like how she had more power than the king himself. I thought she was a little crazy before all of this happened. But other than that nothing really happened..... Wait, there was something odd." "What was it?" Tikki asked this time. "Around the town, people were saying how they were finding small rocks in their coin purses." This caused Master Fu to step away from the pot and face Marinette again. "You said that Lila paid you money for a dress, correct?" "Yes, that's right." "Do you still have the money?" "Yeah, right here." she took out the small bag from her satchel and showed him the money by spreading it on the table. "I wish I had never accepted it, maybe none of this would've happened." Master Fu and all the kwamis looked at the money intensely as if suddenly the coins were going to come to life. Then Master Fu turned to the black and red kwamis. "Tikki? Plagg?" "Yep, that has Gimmi's magic on it, alright." Plagg hissed angrily. "The small rocks must have been the exchange." "It also must be what we were sensing off of Marinette, and that's why we thought she had Gimmi." Tikki added. Marinette listened closely to them then had some questions of her own. "What do you mean by exchange?" Plagg and Tikki looked at each other, deciding if they should explain or not. Then when they got the nod from Master Fu and he went back to the soup, Tikki answered first. "What you need to understand is what we kwamis are." She began. "What are you?" Marinette asked. "All our magic is based on a concept." Plagg answered. "That's right." Tikki nodded. "Each of us has a specific skill and laws we must obey by that skill." "For example, I am the Kwami of Protection." Wayzz included himself. "I am all about shielding those in need." "I am the Kwami of Action, I decide who moves forward and who must be stopped." Pollen smiled cutely. "You already know me as the Kwami of Illusion." Trixx said smugly. Marinette smiled at the little fox knowing full well that she owed her life to the kwami with his deceptive magic. "I'm the Kwami of Emotion!" Duusu said enthusiastically. "Transmission." Nooroo said more calmly. "And what do you do?" Marinette asked. "Basically, our powers are what made some of the famous legends of heroes and monsters. Not that the others haven't played a part in them, and I'm sure you would recognize them if we named a few. But I feel that will be for another time." Nooroo explained without going into full detail. Marinette smiled at everyone sharing a part of themselves, then she turned to Tikki and Plagg. "And you two?" "We are the Kwamis of Creation and Destruction." Tikki said proudly. "We're also what makes up Gimmi." Plagg said with a bit of regret. His words also made Tikki a little sad. "What do you mean?" Marinette asked seeing their distress. "Gimmi is the Kwami of Reality. They are the combined concept of creation and destruction, what Tikki and I are when we are one." Plagg said. His words seemed simple, and it made Marinette question if she really understood or not. "So, Gimmi is like.... your child?" she hesitated to say. "This is one way to look at it, but at the same time it's not how we kwamis work." Tikki supplied. "Think of it as mixing two ingredients to make something new. Gimmi has the combined consciousness of Plagg and me, and is a completely different kwami all on their own. They were also the one that was most important to us and our realm." "Realm?" "The realm of the kwamis, our home dimension." Plagg started, but then saw the confused look on Marinette face and tried to rephrase. "Umm, it's kind of like the world of the fairies. It's a different plain from the world of mortals, and it's where we get all our magic." "Gimmi was the one that creates the doorway that bridges our world with yours." Tikki added. Marinette was starting to understand, but then she remembered Master Fu and asked him. "What part do you have in all of this, sir?" Master Fu stirred the soup for another minute before answering her. "Every few years, Gimmi would open the doorway from their realm to ours and allow the kwamis to spread their gifts to certain people who are worthy. Much of their work is what created those stories of heroes and magical creatures that you probably heard as a child. My family was tasked with guarding the doorway until all the kwamis returned to their home, and Gimmi would close it for several more years." Everyone looked dispirited now, and Marinette could take a guess to why. "What happened to Gimmi?" Master Fu made a long sigh and sat down on the small stool by the fire, "We were deceived by a woman with strange magical abilities." "She trapped Gimmi and separated them from our realm, forcing the doorway to remain shut and locked us away from our home." Tikki continued. "We would've been able to stop her by working together with our powers, but she used Gimmi to make a seal that limited our abilities, especially me and Plagg. Now it takes so long for us to focus enough energy to use it, like when Plagg had to create that little hole in the bag you caught them in." Marinette nodded in remembering when the black cat kwami said that. "If it hadn't been for that seal, we would've stopped her right away and make that bitch suffer." Plagg growled menacingly just thinking about it. "Is there a way to free all of you, even Gimmi?" Marinette asked. "The only way to free Gimmi would be if all the seals on the kwamis were broken," Master Fu answered. "But after a number of years, I have yet to find the solution." Marinette felt disappointed that they didn't have an answer for her, but this did prove one thing. "So the woman that stole Gimmi is definitely Lila, right?" "She went by a different name back then, but yes, I am certain it is the same woman." Master Fu agreed. "Marinette, while your encounter with Lila is tragic, it does present some light to our current situation." "How so?" "That wolf creature, it was made out of pure magic, which is something that should not be done with Gimmi." Master Fu started smiling, thinking of the possibilities. "Why is that impossible?" Marinette asked trying not to shiver at the memory of that frightening beast. "Gimmi's laws of reality is all about equivalent exchange." Tikki jumped back into the conversation. "Whatever you wish to make or change, something has to be given in return, like what happened with those coins. Lila couldn't just create money from nothing, she exchanged the currency from other people and replaced them with the rocks." Even though she understood the kwami's explanation, it still didn't explain everything to Marinette. "If that's the case, then what did she trade to make everyone forget me?" "We don't know." Plagg answered this time. "But whatever it was, it must have been something that made her desperate enough to use Gimmi's magic to make that wolf. And using Gimmi's magic without a price will have an even greater toll." "Okay, but what does that mean for me? What am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Marinette asked hopelessly. "We don't have the answers right now, but I have a feeling that we will someday." Master Fu took the pot off the fire and placed it on a pad at the dining table. "In the meantime, you are welcome to stay here with us. We can give you a place to sleep in exchange for some help around the garden and barn. My old bones aren't what they used to be." She smiled at the old man and shook his hand to seal the deal. She may have lost everything, but at least she was no longer stuck in the woods all by herself anymore. .* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * "There is still the matter of the Baron Von Stone. He has added another request about building a moat around Castle Noir and have a pet alligator in the water. While he has the finances to do so, he does need permission from the royal family. The property is in contract with the Agreste family, and your parents named you the tenant to the estate. Baron Von Stone is willing to pay the rents extra in advance should he receive approval." Nathalie Sancoeur read through the documents assigned to the prince for the day. "Why would the baron want an alligator for a pet?" Adrien asked in disbelief as he flipped through several documents on his desk. "I don't know, sir." the advisor sighed. "Perhaps he simply wishes to do something exotic with the property." "Well then why not add swans, or make it a good fishing moat? Putting an alligator in the water is likely to get someone killed." Adrien had to get up and walk around the desk to reach some of the other papers and look around them. "Shall we decline the baron's request then, sir?" she asked already preparing to make a note. "Umm, yeah sure, that sounds fine." Adrien answered without looking at the advisor, and continued to look around everything on his desk, in the drawers, and even underneath the desk. "Sire, if you are looking for something, perhaps I can be of some assistance." Nathalie offered. Adrien stopped in a huff, and had his hands on his hips while just looking around the room. "I don't know what I'm looking for." "Sir?" "It's just," he ran his fingers through his hair trying to get his thoughts together. "I don't know, I feel like there's something that I'm forgetting, but for the life of me I can't think of what that something is. Have you even had this happen to you before." "I make it a point to keep track of all documents and records in my care, your highness." Nathalie gave a rehearsed answer after adjusting her glasses, then did her part by looking through her schedule, "I don't have anything in the reminders, sir. Was it perhaps something that you forgot to write down before?" "No, it was more like I woke up this morning and something was missing." he let his body fall back into the chair and leaned his head back to just look at the ceiling. "Maybe I'm working too hard." "Is there anything I can do, sir?" Nathalie tried one more time. "No, thank you, Nathalie. I think I'll just finish up here and then go get some air in the gardens." he straightened himself back up and got to work. "I'll leave you to it, sir." the advisor then bowed and turned to leave the office, leaving the prince alone with his thoughts. Adrien finished the rest of the paperwork fast enough. It was mostly standard state papers given to the prince because they were so miniscule that they didn't bother giving it to the king. After that, he decided to pack everything up and stayed in his seat. He knew he said he would get some fresh air, but right now his heart wasn't in it. It was a nice day out today, but for some reason there was this restlessness coursing through his body. He thought back to his conversation with the advisor. What he failed to mention to Nathalie was that the nagging thought that something was missing was leaving his heart with a great rooting pain. What's worse was that he knew it wasn't about missing something, but someone. It was as if there was a person that should be around, but he didn't know who, or why he was missing them. There hadn't been a loss in his life recently, only new faces. It wasn't about his mother. Her loss had been a lingering ache he'd learned to live with, and this was something different and felt much worse. He tried to think about the people he hadn't seen much of since the ball. He hadn't seen Lila yet today, he realized. Was that the problem? No, that couldn't be it. Why would he be missing Lila? In fact, he did anything but miss her. That woman completely escaped his mind when she wasn't around, and then when she showed up he found himself in misery. He didn't know where she was right now, and he didn't really want to see her, which made him feel guilty. He just didn't understand his own thoughts, he was so confused. "Hello, my prince!" a familiar voice echoed through the room. Lila came sprinting pass the doorway to throw herself over Adrien before he could have a change to respond. "Did you miss me?" Adrien didn't know how to respond to that. The truth was no, he did not miss her. But he, without a doubt, could not say that. So instead, he replied with, "I thought you were going to your shop today to work on some dresses?" "Oh, I was, but then I decided to leave it to my assistant. She's always ready to work a few extra hours, plus it will be good for her to earn some more credit with the customers." Lila helped herself onto Adrien's lap, and fiddled with his golden locks, which left him feeling annoyed and uncomfortable. He tried to distract himself with keeping the conversation. "That seems a little unusual. I thought you lived to work on the clothes in the shop?" "Yes, but I have a lot of responsibilities now, and I can't afford to waste time sewing. All my time should belong to you, after all. Don't you think?" She cupped his cheek and tried to lean in to kiss him. Adrien felt like his heart was trying to jump out of his body, but in a bad way. He couldn't get up fast enough and help Lila onto her feet. "Well, uh.... While I appreciate your dedication, I don't want to take up all of your time. You should be allowed to do the things you love whenever you wish." Lila stared at him for a moment, as if not believing he just did that. Then she blinked and finally spoke. "If that is what you want, your highness." Before he could say anything else, she was gone. Now Adrien felt like he could breathe again, but it wasn't enough. All the sudden he felt the need for that fresh air and hurried off into the gardens. He didn't stop there and continued on to the secret area with his mother's statue. He sat down in front of the likeness of the late queen, trying to get his head on straight. He just didn't understand what was wrong with him. Why was he so confused about everything? Why does his heart ache? Why does Lila's presence seem to make it worse? Why is there something missing? And..... why is something missing from his mother's statue? He took a closer look at the figure, and he definitely remembered there was supposed to be a scepter in her hand. How did that happen? No one else was allowed to come in here save for the gardeners. Was there a thief? Did his father or Nathalie know anything about this? He goes back to the palace and heads straight for the advisor's office. "Nathalie?" She gets up from her seat and bows to the prince. "Your royal highness." "My mother's statue in the private garden, was there not supposed to be a scepter in her hand? Cause it's not there." he asked, hoping that at least something around here would start to make sense. Nathalie did a quick look through several of her record books until she finally found the right one. "Well, sire, it says here that there was a scepter being made, but the king changed his mind at the last minute, though my records don't say why..." "Do you remember the reason?" Adrien asked trying to think of one himself. Nathalie looked like she was about to answer, then stopped herself to rethink. "Actually, I don't believe there was one. Not that I can remember anyway. Do you know, sir?" "I..... I don't know..... why can't I remember?" Great, just one more thing for the prince to be frustrated about. "Oh, My Prince!" Make that two. "There you are, I was looking everywhere for you. I was hoping we could go have lunch together. It's such a beautiful day outside, we could have a picnic." Adrien watched her come up and stare into him with big, innocent eyes as if saying no was going to crush her. He looked over to Nathalie, giving her a look that was begging her to have something for him, so he doesn't have to go with Lady Rossi. Luckily, Nathalie was very good about reading a room. "If I may remind you, sir, you do have a fencing lesson in about half an hour, and afterwards there are some updated state papers about the taxes." "Right, Taxes!" Adrien said almost too enthusiastically. "I'm so sorry, Lila, but this really needs my attention right now. Perhaps I can join you for lunch some other time?" "Of course, your highness." Lila tried to keep a smile on, but her tone was still very venomous. That smile completely dropped when the prince all but ran away from her. .* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Lila didn't bother acknowledging the advisor now that the prince was no longer in the room. She tried to keep her posture, but it was a battle to not take her anger out of the first thing she could see. Like that little cleaning maid crossing her way. No, if anything it was the prince's duties that were becoming more of an obstacle. It was keeping him from falling for her charms and developing attraction to her. He should be giving her flowers, writing poetry, and even sneaking into her bedchambers by now. Maybe she should do what she can to lighten the prince's load so that he will have to spend more time with her. She made her way through the halls and into the area where Viscount Roth was partaking in some delicious sugary treats. "Viscount Roth?" she got his attention. "Vvwha ish it?" he asked with a mouthful of eclairs. "There is something that I wish to discuss with you about the kingdom." she helped herself to the seat across from him. "What?" he asked impatiently after wiping his mouth with a napkin. "Taxation." she rested her chin on her entwined fingers. Roth was surprised by her sudden interests, and tried to gather himself together to find the right answer. "Wellllll...... uhhhhh...... P-Papillon's citizens are actually pretty good about paying their debts to the king, and the king's financial advisors are very trustworthy." "Is that so?" a clever smile creeps onto the woman's face. "Y-yes?" the viscount was nervous that maybe he wasn't saying the right thing. "Well, then, I suppose we shall have to do something about that." "Uhh, wait, what?" now he was confused. "You did say you wish to become rich, did you not?" she appealed to his interests, and the viscount joined her in smiling wickedly. "Absolutely." .* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * King Gabriel sat at his throne with his son at his side, not sure what to expect of the situation. Apparently, Lady Rossi and Viscount Roth had called a meeting with the counselors and other members of the court claiming that an urgent matter has arisen. While he had no desire to be unfair and not hear them out, the king had his doubts on what the new lady of the court could have discovered in such a short amount of time. "What's all this about, Viscount Roth? Lady Rossi?" his voice silenced all others. "Your majesty, I felt it was most important to inform you about some certain matters that the viscount has shared with me." Lila made a curtsy before the king. "What matters?" Prince Adrien was the one to ask. "I believe the viscount will be able to explain it best." She steps aside and lets the man step forward. "Your Majesty." Viscount Roth begins. "It has come to my attention that several records have not been matching up with the accounts in the royal treasury. I believe you have a thief among your counselors...." "That's Absurd!" One of the men interrupted the viscount, then turned to the king. "Your majesty, you know that we would never steal anything from you. We have been your most loyal servants for twenty years." "Yes, I am aware of that, counselor." King Gabriel agreed. "If anything, you should question the honor of the viscount." Another accountant pointed out. "Why should we take the word of a man that everyone knows to be the greediest nobleman in all of Papillon?" "I think we can all agree that Viscount Roth is a rather avaricious man." Lila stepped forward in agreement. Viscount Roth actually thought she was going to turn things against him until she continued. "But he is no more in wanting than any other man in existence. Everyone has their own idea of when enough is enough, and often that is have more than others. But that does not mean we should take what belongs to our beloved king." The counselors could see that things were turning back to them, and were quick to defend themselves. "Sire, I swear that we haven't stolen anything from you. We never have and we never will." Gabriel hummed in agreement, and went back to the other two. "Lady Rossi, these men have served me loyally for many years, and I am more than inclined to agree with them. Perhaps this is a simple matter of miscalculation." "Your majesty is generous and just, and you are most likely right." Lila gave her praise. "If I may make a suggestion, maybe we could assign the viscount to overlook the taxes and be supervisor to the treasury. I'm sure he is more than capable of insuring everything will be sorted out." Gabriel turned to his son to silently ask if he had any objection. While Adrien didn't see the harm in it, there was a part of him that felt he should keep a better eye on things with the treasury and other duties. It would be best if he overlooked other things Lila got involved in, something told him he had to be careful. Plus, this may give him an excuse to stay busy and away from her. So, the prince gave a nod to his gather to say he was in support of this. "Very well, Lady Rossi, the viscount will be granted accessor and overseer to the taxes of Papillon. I expect full reports on his progress within the week. That will be all for now, everyone." He waved off for everyone to leave, then stopped the young woman. "Lady Rossi, if I could have an extra moment of your time alone, please?" "Of course, your majesty." Lila gave another curtsy, then waited for everyone to leave the room including the prince. "Was there something else on your mind, sir?" Gabriel contemplated what he wanted to say for a moment. It didn't escape his attention that the prince had completely disregarded the young lady's presence. Adrien didn't even acknowledge her as he left the room. It led the king into believing something else was going on, something that he needed to address. "I am aware it has only been a short amount of time, but I was hoping you could enlighten me on the status of your relationship with my son." Lila allowed herself to appear nervous. "Well, your majesty, if I may be completely honest...." "I would prefer nothing else." he said squarely. "I believe that this whole betrothal situation is still very new to both of us. Even though we made a good first impression, we are still essentially strangers." "I can agree on that. Still, that should not be the reason for you two to not spend time together anymore." he held his fingers together to look at her intensely. "I'm not sure I know what you mean, sir." Lila said legitimately confused. "I'm just referring to when you two were younger...." Gabriel started to say then stopped himself. "No, wait.... that couldn't be right since this was your first time in the capital, was it not?..... But then, that tailor shop....." "I believe you are confused, your majesty." Lila said quickly trying to stop his train of thought. "Perhaps you have been working too hard." "Hmmm, perhaps your right." Gabriel tried to think it over, and decided he needed confirmation. "Tell me, you own one of the tailor shops in town, do you not?" "My family does, yes, but I only came by to check on the status of the books and such, but this is the first time I came to the capitol, and the first time the prince and I met." Lila made sure to clarify to the king and keep the story straight. Hopefully the memory spell will keep him from fighting against the memory further. She needed to get out of here before he questions her further. "If that is all, I shall take my leave." "Yes, you may leave." he waved his wrist without looking at her, and Lila was out the door. She hurried into an empty room to let her little kwami slave out of the locket. "Gimmi, what happened back there? It looked like the king was starting to remember things he's not supposed to." Gimmi have a bored sigh before answering. "May I remind you that memories are something that act on their own. You buried all the memories about Marinette, but then you said that you own the shop when you just came to the city, and that contradicted the spell. You should keep better track of what you say." "So the king could end up remembering that his son was in love with another woman? Why wasn't he in pain like the others?" Lila asked agitated. "I told you the spell can't completely stop what happens naturally. Next time it could be something you randomly say or do that can make the king, or even the prince, remember." "Alright, I'll just have to stick with the story of that shop being family owned, and make sure the royals don't think about the details." Lila smiled at the plan forming in her head. "In fact, maybe I should speed things up a little bit in making the prince into a king. Make sure his mind stays on the present me, as well as the building weight of the crown." Gimmi could see the wheels turning in the twisted woman's head. Already they could tell they were not going to enjoy one moment of this. Looking out the window, the kwami held the lingering hope that somewhere out there was Master Fu and the other kwamis searching for their lost friend. That one day they will find them and put an end to all of this. Gimmi even wished for things so go back to a happy lifestyle for the prince and his little seamstress. A phenomenal cosmic being could only dream. .~*~*~*~*~*~*~
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Chapter 10: Market Day .~*~*~*~*~*~There was something so comforting about doing morning chores, at least to the young seamstress. Maybe it was the start of the new day and finishing the work early, or maybe it was how the environment around her seemed to share the tranquil mood. The chickens were satisfied with the daily feed Marinette was spreading around the ground for them. After this she had to feed the sheep and groom the horse to get him ready for Master Fu's trip into town for supplies, plus he had to sell some of the yarn he made from his sheep's wool. Some of the kwamis were behaving mischievously around the chicken coop trying to collect the eggs for the day and scaring some of the grounded birds. Marinette didn't mind, though. It was moments like this that made her forget her worries for a short while. It had been a couple of weeks since she was accepted into the home of Master Fu and the kwamis. He made things more comfortable for her by separating some of the house with a screen to make her own private area. Marinette kept her promise in helping around the house and gardens, and even made things easier for the elderly man by taking care of some of the more demanding chores that his old bones couldn't tolerate anymore. She was grateful to be welcomed as a friend and was able to bare her losses a bit more. That wasn't to say that she didn't miss her old life. She worried for her family, and for the castle with Lila taking over the way she did. No doubt it was only going to get worse. Then she worried for Adrien, wondering what Lila was doing to him right now. Was she seducing him? What if he had accepted her into his bedchambers? What horrible lies was she telling to him? Worst of all, was she going to keep her promise and do something terrible to hurt him? Every possible outcome ran through Marinette's mind and made her feel sick over and over again. She tried to be patient with Master Fu, hoping that he would think of a solution for her curse, but so far nothing had come to his mind. So, here she was, living the day to day as if her life had never been a part of Papillon. "Ahhhh, Fly for your Life!" Marinette heard a tiny voice come out of the chicken coop, and saw Pollen and Trixx come out of the small openings. She rushed over to see what all the fuss was about. "Pollen, Trixx, are you two okay?" "Those stupid birds just can't take a joke!" Trixx lashed out and made some of the hens flap away. "I told you not to pretend your tail was a worm." Pollen tried to scold the fox. "Well, you could've helped me, ya know. Why didn't you try to freeze that chicken when it attacked me!?" Trixx complained, and Marinette watched him tend to his apparently ruffled tail. "And waste my power on a stupid thing like that, no thank you." the bee kwami turned around with her little arms crossed and her nose turned up. Marinette held off trying to laugh at them. "Maybe you guys should stay away from the chickens from now on. What if one day they decide you guys are a juicy lunch?" "It was his idea!" Pollen pointed to Plagg, who just came out of the coop unharmed. "Was not!" the black cat denied. "Was too." Trixx agreed. "Was not!" "It totally was your idea, stinky sock, just admit it." Tikki said as if she caught him. She went over to rest on Marinette's shoulder, and the young woman welcomed her company by petting her little head gently. "Oh, so what if it was, it's not like we can do much else without our powers." Plagg grumbled. "You may not, but some of us still have some skill in reserve that we wish to keep for emergencies." Wayzz said. Though they had explained it before, there were still a few things that Marinette didn't understand about the kwamis abilities. "What other kinds of powers do you guys have?" she asked. "Oh we can do many things." Tikki answered proudly as Plagg took a seat beside her, also eager to talk about themselves. "Besides our concepts, there are a number of spells we can work with so we can blend into your world." "Yeah, when we have our full power again, we can be both astounding and terrifying at the same time." Plagg tried to sound menacing to scare the woman, but it didn't seem to be working. If anything, Marinette was just more curious. "What do you mean by blend in?" "How we look now is only a disguise to our true forms." Tikki explained. "If we wanted to, we could take the forms of humans to blend into society. We can also become the animals we represent. I'm sure you noticed how all of us resemble different animals?" "Yes, I did." she agreed as she saw Trixx groom his fuzzy fox tail. "Then there were all the other kwamis back in our realm." Nooroo added to the conversation while sniffing some pretty flowers. "Huh? There are more of you?" Marinette asked amazed. "Oh sure, there were tons of different kwamis." Plagg shrugged. "But because of that witch, they were closed off from the world as well. We don't know how many of them are back in our realm, or how many of them are stuck out here." "That sounds terrible." Marinette sympathized. So, all the kwamis were in the same boat as her, completely separated from their homes and loved ones. Then she thought about something else, something that no one ever really explained. "How was Lila able to seal you guys off in the first place if you have so much power? What was Master Fu's involvement?" All the kwamis looked at each other before Tikki finally answered. "Master Fu was supposed to be the one guarding our way back home." "Then what happened?" Marinette tried to encourage the kwamis to tell her more, but they all seemed reluctant. "That part of the story belongs to Master Fu, and I think he should be the one to tell you." Tikki left it that. "Hey, Marinette, are you really going to marry a prince!?" Pollen flew up to the young womans face with her eyes sparkling at the question. She could tell the kwami was trying to distract her from her line of questions, and though she did not want to be swayed, she did not want to be rude by refusing the cute little bee. Maybe if they realize she was willing to share her problems, they will eventually reciprocate. "Well, I was, but now everyone thinks Lila is going to marry him." she answered sadly. "I don't blame him though. I know he loves me as much as I love him, he just doesn't remember me right now. If I'd had the chance before they took me away, I'm sure I could've helped him recognize me." "Ooooh, it's just like in the fairy tales!" Pollen spun around Marinette's head. "Destined lovers torn apart by a wicked witch's spell. Hey, maybe only true love's kiss can break it! You must climb the walls of the tower, and into the chamber where he slumbers, and with one sweet kiss, his dreams shall awaken him to find the true love of his life standing over him! That Would Be Sooooooooo Romantic!!" "Ugh, come on Pollen, that's way too cheesy, and coming from me that's saying something." Plagg said in disgust as he flew off Marinette's shoulder. "I don't care, it would still make a great story. After all, Love Conquers All!!" she declared in a mighty determined pose, or at least as mighty as she could appear given her small size. "That would be nice if that was all it took, but you know that's not the cast, Pollen." Wayzz tried to calm her down. "I know." The little bee sighed in defeat, making Marinette giggle at her antics. "Do you think Master Fu will figure out a way to stop Lila?" Marinette tried asking again thinking this would be a good time to show she was willing to try anything, even follow along with Pollen's dramatic story. "Maybe he couldn't before, but if I can help..." "Don't worry about it right now, Marintte. We'll talk more about it some other time." Tikki said almost in final,"But..." "Come everyone, we shouldn't bother Miss Marinette any further." Wayzz agreed with Tikki, and the rest of the kwamis left Marinette alone as she went back to finishing her chores. The seamstress had worried that maybe she had overstepped. After all, what business was it of hers what Lila did to them in the past? She argued with herself that it was all connected to her own misfortunes, but at the same time she shouldn't try to force them to talk about their experiences. She debated back and forth if she should keep talking about it, even as she started loading up the wagon to get it ready for Master Fu's journey into town. She started packing him a lunch in silence, but apparently it was still loud enough to catch his attention. "Is something on your mind, Marinette?" Master Fu took a seat at the dining table while she wrapped up the bread and cheese. "I- It's nothing, sir." Marinette didn't want to talk about it if she was going to end up upsetting the poor man like she seemed to do the kwamis. "Are you sure?" he asked again. She thought maybe she should ask anyway, but she kept stopping herself thinking this wasn't the right time. So, she tried changing the subject. "I guess I'm just worried about my family, and I wish I could see them." Master Fu smiled at the poor girl, understanding her turmoil. Then he offered her a lifeline. "You know, you could always come with me to the market if you wish." Marinette wanted to jump at the chance of going into town, but then she thought about the ones that wanted her dead. "But what if the sheriff sees me? He'll arrest me on the spot and take me right to Lila." "That would be fine by me," Plagg spoke up. "I can take them both out with one shot and solve all of our problems." "Now, Plagg, you know you don't have enough power right now, and it won't be the answer to freeing Gimmi. We can't afford to be reckless." Master Fu scolded the black cat, then turned back to Marinette. "You can come to the market with me, and we can keep a low profile. As long as we don't attract any attention, you can check in on your family and maybe ask around to see how things are with your fiancé." It did sound like a simple plan, but Marinette still felt apprehensive about coming along. "Are you sure it will be okay?" "Of course," Master Fu said right away. "Now why don't we finish saddling up the horse, and we can be on our way through the marsh before it gets too late." "Yes, sir." Marinette said with a new confidence and got right to work. The seamstress made quick work of the wagon and loaded up the wool that Master Fu wanted to sell. She also packed a lunch for them later in the day, and had a special hiding spot for the kwamis to accompany them. Master Fu only allowed a few to come along at a time, fearing that all the kwamis would cause too much mischief. This time it was Tikki and Plagg's turn. Master Fu also provided Marinette with a dark gray cloak to hide her face in case they did happen to run into the sheriff in town. After a double check that everything was in order with the house, the small group set out into the marsh and return to the city. Master Fu explained how he created a secret and safe way to pass through the Fool-Eating Marsh. After much trial and error, he was able to create a trail where the ground was the firmest, and cut a large limb off the right side of each tree that leads into town. All Marinette had to do was stay to the right of each tree and she would remain on the path. It turned out the way through the marsh was much shorter, and she had ended up going in circles more than she realized on her first day. It only made it a near two hour trip by wagon. The seamstress paid close attention to the man's instructions, and could tell that he had made this trip several times, which made her wonder. "How long have you been living in this marsh, Master Fu?" she asked. "It has been a few years now." he answered. "The kwamis and I have been able to make this place a nice and comforting home." She didn't doubt that, but something wasn't adding up. "Were you still searching for Gimmi when you came here?" Master Fu had to think about it before answering. "Yes, we were, but we didn't have any leads for so long, that we had almost given up. That is, until you came along." he smiled at her. "Yeah, Marinette." Tikki agreed. "Now that your here, I'm sure we can find a way to free Gimmi once and for all." "We've certainly waited long enough." Plagg grumbled, and Tikki looked at him disapprovingly like he shouldn't have said that. "How long have you been looking for Lila and Gimmi?" Marinette asked. "Umm, it has been a sev--" Tikki stopped herself. "S-several years. There would be times where that woman would create chaos in another town, like a mysterious sickness or a scandal with a lord or something. Then afterwards before she could be caught, there would be a fire or something to distract everyone and she would escape. We tried following her trail, but Lila was very good about covering her tracks. She always made sure to use Gimmi's magic for things that, to the normal eye, would be something that happens naturally. We were worried that we were never going to find them. But now that she cast this spell on you, and started using Gimmi's magic carelessly, this gives us a chance to gain the upper hand." "How do you plan on freeing Gimmi? And how was the kwami even trapped in the first place?" Marinette asked Master Fu more than the kwamis. "As we have said before, Lila used a spell to trap Gimmi. The only way to break it would be to create a counter spell." Master Fu answered but didn't go into detail. "What kind of counter spell?" Marinette wanted to know desperately. If there was some way she could help, she had to know the details. But instead of giving them to her, the elderly man held up a hand to stop the conversation. "That's enough of that for now, we are coming up to the front gates. It's best we not discuss such things in front of the townsfolk, less they think we are involved in some sort of witchcraft. Tikki, Plagg, your hiding spots if you please." The kwamis obeyed, and Marinette was left with more unanswered questions. She felt like there was still a lot more they did not want to share with her, specifically how Master Fu played a part in all of this. She didn't pressure the matter further, believing that they would eventually trust her with the truth. Plus he was right, they had finally come up to the front gates of Papillon, and the last thing that should be overheard is magic. There hasn't been a witch trail in about fifty years, and King Gabriel did his best to keep it that way, believing that more rational investigations should be practiced rather than superstition. That wasn't to say that it didn't still happen in other neighboring countries. A decree had been made by the king that overwhelming evidence had to be presented if such a charge was made, and not just here say. This caused most to not use the words witchcraft, and call it anything else. This is also what made it so surprising when Marinette had witnessed Lila's wrongdoings right before her eyes. It made her frightening and powerful, and Marinette was helpless to stop her. That memory of the dagger at her throat, and then the hungry wolf that tried to take a bite out of her, made the poor woman shiver so hard her skin ached from the goosebumps. She brought the cloak tighter around her shoulders as if to break the nonexistent chill in the air. Her fears also arose when they went further into town. She kept her hood up and looked around for anyone that might recognize her. She knew that wasn't possible with Lila's spell, but there was still the likelihood that Sheriff Adolphe would notice her. She just had to stay low, and stay beside Master Fu. It will be okay, she could do this. Master Fu drove the wagon to the area where me made trading deals with the local weavers. He owned a couple of rare black sheep, which brought a good price for the raw wool and the material he spun into yarn because it was a natural color that didn't require dyes. When he was able to gain some profits, he and Marinette went to the local markets to trade some of their other goods for items they couldn't find in the woods. Master Fu traded several of the vegetables from his garden with the milkman for some butter and cheese, camembert to be specific for his little black cat friend. Marinette did her part by trading the herbs, nuts and berries she gathered for some sugar and flour. She had promised the kwamis to make some tasty treats for them when they got back to the cottage. "Merci, Monsieur Roux." Marinette thanked the man handing her the bag of flour. She knew him well because he was the one that always provided supplies for her parents' bakery. He was a very jolly man that was always kind to his customers, even got into the habit of letting children call him Oncle Roux, herself included. "Yes, very good. Now please continue on." he waved her off like he was in a rush.She guessed that he was very busy today, and tried to be quick in checking on her parents. "Say, has there been anything new at the Dupain-Cheng bakery? I've been wanting to look for a new dessert...." "I don't know, ask them!" replied bluntly and hurried back into his shop. Marinette was left shocked by the wagon. Oncle Roux had barely talked to her and tried to get her business over with like he couldn't be bothered with her. It was so unlike him. Come to think of it, everyone around her seemed to be acting reserved. There was a sense of paranoia in the air, where the shopkeepers still tried to do their jobs, but no one was really talking to each other. Even the people shopping didn't have their usual conversations she would always find in the market. Everyone was so tightlipped and looking at each other suspiciously. What was going on? This made her worried for her parents, and she waited patiently for Master Fu to get back. It took several minutes before he finally returned with his basket filled with butter and two wheels of camembert cheese. She could feel the vibration from the little box next to her where the kwamis were hiding. No doubt it was Plagg just itching for the chance to devour his favorite treat. Master Fu loaded his supplies and got ready to get back in the wagon when he noticed the young woman's distress. "Is something wrong, Marinette? Did someone recognize you?" "No, but everyone is acting very strange today. It's like they're all really nervous about something." Marinette gave him a chance to look around and confirm her observation. "I'm worried about my parents. Can we please go and make sure they're okay?" "I don't know if that's a good idea, Marinette...." Master Fu hesitated. "Please, Master Fu. I won't talk to them unless it's unavoidable. I promise, I just want to check on them." Marinette begged. "You know they probably won't recognize you..." he made sure she was aware of all the facts. "I know, but I still want to see them, even if it hurts." she tried to say through her aching heart. It would hurt immensely if her parents didn't know who their own daughter was, but she wasn't going to hold it against them. This was all Lila's doing, and it wasn't going to stop her from loving about them. Master Fu reluctantly agreed and they headed toward the bakery. Tikki and Plagg tried to come out of their hiding spots, mostly Tikki because she wanted to see the sweets in the bakery. But the elderly man reminded them that they had to stay down and keep anyone from seeing them. Marinette kept thanking him for giving her permission to do this, and she kept promising that she would stay low. She probably wouldn't even have to talk to them. Along the way she did start to notice some more unusual behavior with the townsfolk. The stock in the food booths were so much less than normal. She didn't notice it with the other places because they were the ones that also provided to the castle, so their business was always successful. Here, she noticed that one of her favorite meat shops that held the best sausage and meat pies was closed down. There was also a blacksmith that had a sign that said cash upfront only, which was unusual because they always allowed credit or trade for their work. It was the same in several other spots; coin only, no credit. "Something's not right. Slow down here, please." Marinette spoke out loud. "What is it?" the man beside her asked. Instead of answering him, Marinette tried to get the attention of a local, and Master Fu helped by stopping the wagon. "Excuse me, monsieur, is something going on with the shops? Why is everyone saying coin only?" "Pff, where have you been, under a rock?" the man replied rudely, but still stayed around to answer her question. "The king's taxes has been taking a hard toll on the shops. He assigned a new tax collector, the Viscount Roth. No one really has any coin because we do a lot of trades, so Roth says he'll just take supplies instead." "Really?" Marinette was surprised at this. King Gabriel never did anything like this before. Papillon relied on trading goods, and any coins made for taxes was provided for the palace and army. Was something else going on? Was there a risk of war that no one knew about? Either way she could see where it was a problem with the people. With the supplies being taken for taxes, the low stock is hurting the shops because they can't keep up with supply and demand. No wonder everyone is on edge. "Then there's Sheriff Adolphe!" the man spit in anger. "That bastard keeps questioning anyone that can't pay their taxes. Says they are under investigation for suspicious activity! He's ruining all our businesses!" He didn't give the seamstress a chance to respond and decided to go drown his anger in a local pub. All this sent of warnings in Marinette's mind. If Sheriff Adolphe also played a part in this, then everything had a whole meaning. He was in league with Lila, he helped in trying to have her killed. What if that meant this whole tax thing was Lila's doing? Then her mind went back to her parents and suddenly it felt like there wasn't enough air in her lungs. "Master Fu, we need to get to my parents fast." she breathed heavily while urging him to move the wagon. "Of course." he flicked the reigns and they continued on. Her old tailor shop was the first building to come into view. She took a quick look inside through the windows, and saw there wasn't much on display just like all the other shops. What did that mean for her assistant? She got more nervous the closer they came to the bakery. The sign said they were open, but the curtains were drawn. She was also pretty sure she could hear some shouting from inside the building. Marinette didn't even wait for Master Fu to completely stop the wagon as she hopped off and went through the door before the man could get a word in. Once she was inside, she froze at the sight before her. Sheriff Adolphe was inside with two other soldiers holding Tom and Sabine in restraint. The man was knocking over containers, ripping apart loaves of bread, and smashing cakes as if he was looking for something. She looked at her parents, and found Tom struggling to hold himself back as the sheriff was tearing through his shop. Her mother looked terrified however, making Marinette think that the sheriff had probably threatened her if Tom tried to resist. She couldn't stand it, she had to do something. She grabbed hold of the man's sleeve before he could knock another tray of macarons on the floor. "Sir, stop this! What do you think you are doing!?" Fortunately, Marinette still had her hood up, so the sheriff didn't recognize her right away. As far as he was concerned, she was just a peasant that was getting involved in things she shouldn't. "Stay out of this, woman, you are interfering with official royal business!" Sheriff Adolphe yelled at her before shoving her to the floor and into the mess of desserts. Marinette didn't let that stop her. "Why are you doing this? What is it that the bakers have done?!" Feeling like relishing in his imminent success, the sheriff replied. "These bakers have not paid the proper amount of taxes owed to the crown, so a warrant of investigation has been issued. I also have some damning evidence that the Dupain-Chengs are traitors to the crown." "That's a lie!" Tom cried out, finished with being silent. Marinette had heard enough as well and got back on her feet to get right in the sheriff's face. "The bakers are anything but traitors! They are good, hard-working people and have always cared about others. Anyone would tell you they make the best pastries in the kingdom, and have always been loyal to the king! He has trusted them to provide bread for the castle for years, and they would never jeopardize that! You're just a stupid little man that always want to look for trouble where there Isn't Any!!" Sheriff Adolphe was stunned into silence at the young lady that dared to yell at him. He didn't even move with Marinette moved up to the bakers to stand beside them. The other soldiers had let go of them at that point, seeming to agree with Marinette's defense for the couple. "Yeah, what she said!" Tom agreed thunderously. "I do make the best pastries in the kingdom. His Majesty himself said so!" Sabine looked at Marinette with gentle gratitude and pulled aside the hood to get a better look at the girl's face. "Your words are very kind, young lady. Tell me, have we met before?" It broke her heart to be asked that question from her mother, but Marinette knew it was going to happen. Like she thought before, she wasn't going to hold it against them. She was really just happy to finally see them again. "YOU!!" Sheriff Adolphe found his voice again and pointed to Marinette in shock and recognition, ruining the moment she could've had with parents. "You're that dirty little Thief." This made the seamstress realize where she messed up. She had allowed her mother to move her hood, exposing her face. Marinette never knew for sure if Lila had worked the memory spell on the sheriff and he still knew her as the baker's daughter, or if he was just following the woman's orders. But what he did know her as was the woman that Lila wanted to get rid of to gain access to the throne. He also knew her as the woman that swung a knife at him and cut his face. "You are charged with High Treason to the Crown, stealing from a elite viscount, Resisting Arrest, and the Attempted Murder of a Sheriff of Papillon!" he named off what he could at such short notice, then addressed his fellow soldiers. "Arrest Her!" The soldiers made a move to pass the bakers and grab hold of Marinette, and she had no time to run away from them. Then, as luck would have it, the mess the sheriff had been making earlier cause the two men to trip over the custard and frosting all over the floor. Sheriff Adolphe would have seized the girl himself had it not been for Tom accidentally dumping a large bag of flour over the man's head. Marinette saw her moment and ran out the door. She ran up to the wagon with Master Fu waiting patiently for her to return. "How did it go?" he asked hopefully, then saw the panic in her eyes. "We need to leave, Right Now!" Marinette jumped into the wagon and urged the man to take off. Master Fu didn't need to be told twice, and whipped the reigns to hurry the horse down the street. Marinette took a chance looking back and saw the three dessert covered officials step out of the bakery to look for her. She witnessed Sheriff Adolphe pointed to their wagon and he demanded his men to go after them on their own horses. They obeyed quickly and were soon giving chase. "Master Fu, hurry, they're going to catch us!" she cried to the old man. "Who's going to catch us!?" Tikki came out of the box with Plagg behind her, but they still stayed low where no one would see them. They got curious from all the commotion going on around them. Plagg looked over the wagon bench to see what was chasing them, then laughed at the two men on horses that were covered in frosting. "Haha, who are they? The dessert police?!" "They're Sheriff Adolphe's men!" Marinette answered, worried that they were gaining on them. "The sheriff that helped Lila when she tried to kill you?" Tikki asked. "Yes." she answered, then looked at the old man that was still trying to drive through the streets as fast as possible. "I'm so sorry, Master Fu. I know I said I wouldn't attract attention, but he was going to hurt my parents...." "It's alright, Marinette, I understand." Master Fu made a hard right, and then a turn around near the fountain to make a hard left hoping to lose the soldiers. "We just have to make it out of the city and we will be safe in the swamp." "I think that's easier said than done." Plagg commented. "Those guys seem pretty determined." Marinette looked around the street to try and think of a solution. They were back in the market district. Several people were trying to get out of the way of their wagon as they continued to race down the street. She could see several men trying to protect their booths, and she noticed some of the fruit crates that were unbalanced in their stacking. This gave her an idea. "Master Fu, quickly, veer the wagon more to the right." Marinette ordered him and she stood up and took one of the wooden polls he kept in the wagon. "Whatever for?!" Master Fu called out while trying to pay attention to the road in case anyone popped out in front of him. "Trust me!" was all the seamstress said as she did her best to keep her balance and had the poll ready to swing. The elderly man did as he was told and made a slight turn to the right until he was at the very edge of the road. When the food cart came into view, Marinette took a good long swing at the towering crates until the whole thing tumbled over after they passed, leaving all the fruit and wood pieces spread out on the road. The two men's horses forced a stop against their riders' orders, and refused to go further with all this obstacle in the way. The Sheriff forced his horse more to the sidewalk and he made it passed the fruit crates to continue the chase. "We still got one more on our tails, guys!" Plagg updated their progress. "Don't worry, we're almost there!" Master Fu cried out as the city's gates came into view. Marinette sat back in her seat as he urged the horse to run faster. They were going to make it out of here, she just knew it. Sheriff Adolphe knew it too, and made a call out for the guards at the front gates. "CLOSE THE GATES!! DON'T LET THEM ESCAPE!!" The guard pulled the lever to close the large wooden doors. It was slow, but Marinette and Master Fu could tell they were too far away to make it through it time. "We're going to be trapped!" Marinette said in a panic. "No, we can make it." Master Fu said staying collective and calm. "Tikki, Plagg, you know what to do!" "On it!" the two kwamis took off up to where the gate guard was. Plagg did his part by messing with the man by moving his helmet to where it covered his eyes. It was only a moment, but the guard mistook the kwami for a giant insect, and started waving his arms around to shoo him away, and that made him let go of the lever. Tikki's job was to switch the mechanism gears to reverse the gates when she pulled the lever back. Luckily it wasn't too heavy for her to move it herself, and the gates opened back up in time for the wagon to make it through. The kwamis made it back to Master Fu and Marinette, but the sheriff was still following them. He only made it passed the bridge before pulling his horse back because he knew they would go in the direction of the Fool-Eating Marsh. He would lose them real fast if they got away.In a final desperate act, he got the attention of the archers standing at the castle gates. "SHOOT THEM!! TAKE THEM OUT!!" Arrows started raining down on them, and Marinette tried to act fast by shielding them with the bags of flour in their cart. One of the arrows grazed her arm, but she focused on protecting the old man while he continued driving. "Keep going! You're almost there!" Tikki cried out. Master Fu made a cry out in pain, making Marinette look to see one of the arrows had embedded into his shoulder, making him lose control of the reigns for a moment. They almost veered off the road before he fought of the anguish and get them through the trees. "I think we're safe now." Plagg called, not seeing any more arrows coming toward them. "Master Fu, you have to stop! We need to look at that shoulder!" Marinette tried to take the reins away from him, but he continued on. "No.... no.... not until we make it back to the house." Master Fu said through some labored breathing. Marinette wanted to argue, but he could see the old man was stubborn and determined. So, she stayed quiet as they made their way through the marsh again, and tried to mentally prepare herself for what she had to do to save her elderly friend. .* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Sheriff Adolphe made orders to his men to try and find those criminals that escaped into the woods, then rode back to the castle in a panic to break the news to the Lady Rossi. She was not going to like this. There was no telling what sort of wicked sorcery she was going to use, but if he played it off like the girl had attacked him after stupidly coming back to the city, maybe they could both finish her off this time. He made it passed the front gates and through the front halls before Viscount Roth saw him approach and stopped him to demand where the tax collections were. "What happened to you!? You were supposed to be collecting debts from the bakers? And why are you covered in flour!?" Roth asked finally taking notice of the state of the sheriff. "That girl came back!" Sheriff Adolphe cried in outrage. "She interfered with my job, got in the way of the tax collecting, and she Tried to Kill Me Again!" "What girl?" the viscount asked at a loss. "The girl Lady Rossi wanted to get rid of, she sneaked her way back into the city." he answered softer this time so as not to be overheard. "I must inform her of the situation." "Hold it!" Roth grabbed him by the collar of his coat before he could get away. "What do you think is going to happen to us when she learns the baker girl got away again?" "Ummm... she'll try to kill her again?" Sherriff Adolphe guessed that's where he was going with this. "Yes, that. But what if she also cuts ties with us for failing to get that little peasant? Then we'll be left with nothing!" he stood over the smaller man, making him tremble a bit. "What are we going to do, then? We can't just keep this a secret! What if she uses her magic on us this time!? What if she turns us into frogs!? Or into stone statues!?" The sheriff wasn't sure who he should be more afraid of. The viscount towering over him, or the possibility of a magical demise. Roth eased off the sheriff and gave him a pat on the shoulder in reassurance. "Lady Rossi doesn't have to find out. This is a no loss, no gain situation. Plus, the baker girl took a lot of risks coming back, and it landed her into more trouble. Surely, she wouldn't be stupid enough to come back again. Right?" "I supposed that's true." the sheriff said trying to convince himself. "Then we're in agreement. Nothing happened today, and we will go back to collecting the taxes." Roth led the man back to his office, and they got back to the work they were assigned by the powerful witch. .~*~*~*~*~*~
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
.Chapter 11: You Break Our Curse, We Break Yours .~*~*~*~*~*~The once peaceful cabin that had been filled with happiness and contentment was now overwhelmed with dread and worry. The kwamis all looked at their eldest friend as he laid down on his bed trying to fight through the pain in his body. Each kwami was flying this way and that around the cabin looking for some sort of method that could aid him. Though he wasn't crying or loudly suffering, Master Fu's silenced proved to be more upsetting, and each of them just wished there was something more they could do. "Would you like some more water, master?" Pollen asked concerned. "That's alright, Pollen, thank you." the man replied tiredly. "Perhaps some tea or broth to help you get you strength back?" Wayzz tried this time. He would've been more than happy to prepare his favorite brews. Master Fu waved his hand weakly to decline the offer. "No, thank you. I believe some more rest will suffice." "Yes, master." the bee and turtle kwami left him alone and went back to join the others at the dining table. "How is he?" Nooroo asked. "His wound is healing, and there is no sign of fever, but his heart is not getting any stronger." Wayzz answered sadly. "Can't we try something else?" Trixx asked looking though the master's collection of healing herbs and journals. Despite having a vast knowledge from all the years he spent collecting, there just didn't seem to be a method that would work this time. "I don't think it'll do any good." Plagg said in defeat. Pollen looked around for their other friend, but she was no longer in the house. "Where did Marinette go?" "Outside to feed the sheep." Duusu answered. "I think she needs some time to herself after such an ordeal." "Yeah." all the kwamis said in agreement. Master Fu and Marinette had returned to the house at a dangerous speed on the wagon with arrows riddled all over their transport. It was lucky that no arrow had hit the horse, otherwise they might not have made it back. The old man, however, had no such luck. The young seamstress had fretted over him about the arrow embedded in his shoulder. She had been almost too hysterical to do anything until Tikki made her take some deep breaths, and Master Fu assured her that he was going to be alright. Once Marinette got past her panic, she got to work. While she had no experience in healing, she did her best to follow the instructions all her friends gave her. Pollen and Wayzz helped her prepare a sleeping draft to keep the old man stable and calm. Then Tikki walked her though getting the arrow out and cleaning the wound before stitching it up. That was the one thing Marinette didn't need help with being a seamstress, though she did have to fight the nausea coming from sewing flesh together instead of cloth. Afterwards, everyone hoped things would get better as Master Fu regained consciousness, but they didn't. In the middle of trying to keep the wound from getting infected, he started feeling some chest pains. The kwamis taught Marinette how to make some remedies that could calm his heart rate and keep it from overworking his body. Then they each took turns watching him constantly. For the next few sleepless nights, the old man remained weak and in pain no matter what kind of remedy Marinette made for him. He later explained that his heart had felt like it's been struggling for the past couple years, most likely due to his old age. Now it was as if his heart was too calm, and it would eventually stop, and the kwamis were just waiting for something to happen. Marinette didn't give up, however. Every morning, she and the kwamis went out into the woods for different herbs used for healing to try and get his strength back up. So far nothing seemed to be working. Marinette also made sure to keep up with the garden and animals. She was currently tending to the sheep just to get out of the house. She couldn't bear the looks on the kwamis' faces when they watched their elderly friend suffer. Guilt ate away at her as she trudged back to the cabin after closing the gate. This was all her fault. She should've stayed out of the city and left Master Fu to his business. He and the kwamis took her in, and all she seemed to do was cause trouble. She probably made things worse for her parents back in Papillon. There was no telling what the sheriff was going to do after her interference. Would he report to Lila? Would she make good of her word and hurt her family? The thought of anything else happening to them because of her made her sick. Then there were the extended taxes. She witnessed how the people of Papillon were struggling. Did things get worse after their visit? Surely, King Gabriel would be made aware at some point. Both the king and prince were wise and alert, they would've noticed the unhappiness of the city. If only she could warn them in some way. She made it back into the house, still dreading the current events. The kwamis were keeping themselves occupied with some snacks and a game of chess. Master Fu was sleeping right now, which Marinette was grateful for. He still looked to be in a great deal of pain, which only added the extra weight to her helplessness. "Marinette, are you okay?" Tikki flew up to face the girl. The little red creature looked very concerned. "I'm alright, Tikki." Marinette tried to put on a smile, but she knew she wasn't fooling anybody. "You know we don't blame you, right, kid?" Plagg said as he engulfed a large piece of camembert. "Yeah, well, I blame me." Marinette sighed while taking a seat at the dining table. "If I had just listened and not attracted the sheriff's attention, Master Fu wouldn't be in the state he's in right now." "You don't know that Marinette." Nooroo protested. "The sheriff could've noticed you a separate time you went into town." "Which is all the more reason why I should've stayed here!" she dropped her head onto the table, feeling like the slight thumping pain was a decent punishment. "Now I learn that the people of Papillon are in trouble, my parents included. How could the king and Adrien let this happen!?" "Perhaps they are not aware of the people's welfare at this time." Wayzz pointed out. "Yes, if the royal family have not greeted the people for a while, and are only looking at the reports given to them, what else do they have to go on?" Pollen agreed. Marinette lifted her head back up to look at the kwamis. "Lila said how she had more power than the royal family could imagine. I'm sure she's playing a part in all this." "With Gimmi in her clutches, it wouldn't be difficult." Tikki moaned. "I'm positive that's what's going on." "Guys! It's the Master!" Duusu flew over and cried out to get their attention. Marinette hurried out of her seat and went over to the old man's bedside. His breathing was labored, and he seemed very weak, as if keeping his eyes open was challenging enough. She looked over to the kwamis, waiting for anymore instructions on how to help him. But they were all looking down solemnly, not saying a word. "What do we do? Tikki? Plagg?" The seamstress urged them to give her an answer, trying to by optimistic, but they still said nothing. "Come on, isn't there anything else we can do?" "No," Tikki answered at last. "I'm sorry Marinette, but he's not going to last much longer." "No, no there has to be something else! We can't just give up!" Marinette tried to deny it, but when she looked back at the old man, she could see that even he didn't see another way for him to make it through this. "My dear kwami friends..." Master Fu struggled to get their attention. "Please forgive me for failing you..." "Stop right there, Wang Fu!" Trixx interrupted him. The other kwamis gasped at the fox for speaking so informally, but he ignored them. "None of us ever blamed you for what happened!" "But it was because of my weak heart..." "No! That witch fooled us all from the beginning!" Plagg spoke up this time. Marinette was a little confused. "What does his sick heart have to do with anything?" This made the black cat clamp his mouth shut and avoid eye contact with the seamstress. Marinette looked at the other kwamis, and they all seemed tight-lipped all of the sudden. Apparently, there was more to the story than what they had already told her, and they were reluctant to share. She looked back to Master Fu, who looked like he was going to cry now, which made her feel worse. "I'm sorry, it's not my place to ask." "No, Marinette, you have a right to know the truth..." he whispered and gave a nod to the kwamis as permission. "Are you sure, master?" Duusu asked for confirmation. "Tell her about Marianne." he said, then closed his eyes to let himself rest some more. "Marianne? Who's that?" Marinette asked waiting for the kwamis to start explaining. Plagg chose to be the first. "You know how we told you about Gimmi being the kwami responsible for the doorway to our realm, and how Master Fu helped guard this side?" She nodded yes. "The fact is that there was more to it than that. It wasn't just him." "How so?" she asked giving them her full attention. "Fu was part of a group of guardians that looked after the doorway and kept it safe from anyone that might want to steal the kwamis and gain their power. It was an honor that passed down through their generations." Wayzz said. "The problem was that they kept it as such a guarded secret that there weren't many of them left by the time it was Wang Fu's turn. He had to do a lot of it on his own." Pollen looked at the old man sadly. "Where was this doorway?" Marinette asked realizing they never got into full detail about that. "In a secluded area high up in some mountains in Tibet. The guardians separated themselves from the small village at the bast of said mountains. Not the best place to make friends." Nooroo commented. "Master Fu got to spend some time in the village in between guarding the door, and that's where he met Marianne." Tikki said. It wasn't hard to guess what this woman meant to the old man. "He loved her." "Yes, she was very dear to his heart." Duusu answered in near tears. "It was so tragic! A love that could not be because of his duties to the guardianship. The others were so against them being together..." "Why? Couldn't they just be together when you guys weren't here?" Marinette remembered them telling her how the gateway would close for several years. And even when the kwamis were here, surely that wouldn't get in the way of Master Fu's happiness. "The guardians said it would be too risky. That someone should always be there when we arrive and leave, and that personal feelings shouldn't interfere. And since the guardianship was such a secret, they were reluctant to gather more volunteers for the task." Wayzz answered. "Fu told Marianne as much, and then she shared an idea with him." Trixx said grimly. "What idea?" Marinette leaned forward, waiting for the next part of the story. "Kwamis have the ability to bind themselves to an object so we can remain in this world and the human that holds the object can use our powers." Tikki said. "So, Marianne said that if Gimmi were to make such a bond, then they could travel the world and live their lives together while still guarding the doorway." "It was all a lie, and we fell for it!" Plagg hissed. "Once Marianne had Gimmi, she used their powers to destroy the door and seal us up!" "What about the other guardians?" Marinette asked and her question was returned with some very bleak faces. "It was horrible!" Nooroo cried out. "She broke Master Fu's heart and then poisoned all the others. We tried to stop her, but without our powers, she was just too strong to fight." "We believe she spared us and Master Fu to cruelly remind us of our failure. She fled the mountain after that, only to use Gimmi's magic for selfish purposes." Tikki finished. "We've been looking for them for seventy years, now." Wayzz calculated. "At one point, Master Fu became too old to travel, so we settled in this part of the Fool-Eating Marsh." Marinette had to stop them because something didn't add up. "Wait, then how does Lila fit into all of this?" Tikki sighed. "Several times, Marianne would use the magic to make herself a fortune and buy herself into the higher societies. Another part of the schemes was changing her appearance and even keep herself from aging." "Ugh, it wasn't hard to do, either. My guess was that she traded years from several people to make them older, and then herself younger. Then trading hair and eye color is a piece of cheese." Plagg explained more of the witch's tricks. It was then that the answer came clear, and Marinette gasped in understanding. Marianne was Lila using the kwami magic to stay young forever. The woman she had met was probably completely different to how she was supposed to look. "We kept trying to find her and Gimmi. Sometimes we would lose the trail for several years. Often, she would weasel her way into a royal family to become the next ruler. One time a small kingdom wouldn't accept her, and she ended up killing everybody before we could warn them. Then she just slithered away like the miserable little slug she was!" Plagg ranted taking his frustration out on some of the fruit on the table, turning it into mush. "How was she able to get away with all of this for so long?" Marinette asked, finding it hard to believe that someone would be so cruel. "She was very good about covering her tracks. She used Gimmi to get rid of anyone that would try to stop her, maybe even frame them so people would think they were witches or something. It's not hard to make large groups believe in superstitions. Sometimes we would find traces of magic like when we found you, but it was never enough to track her. She always made herself blend in." Tikki said. "And now she's set her eyes on Papillon... on Adrien." Marinette gasped. "She has done this many times, hurting so many innocent lives." Master Fu got their attention again. "I was a fool. I believed her to be kind and caring, willing to accept my feelings, but even that was a lie. And now my ignorance has harmed a sweet girl like you."Marinette's heart bled for the poor man, and she reached out to him. "I'm so sorry, Master Fu, you didn't deserve any of this." He accepted her hand and held it as tight as he could. "Neither did you, Marinette, and now I believe you are the only one that can put an end to all this." "Me?" "Yes. If you truly wish to gain back the life that was stolen from you, then you will have to fight for it." "How? I don't know how to fight Lila's magic. I have no power of my own." Marinette didn't want him to rely on her only to fail again. "You don't need magic." he smiled at the dear girl. "You have something far more special." "Are you sure she can do it, Master Fu?" Tikki asked next to the seamstress. "I'm sure Marinette will be the one to free us all." he smiled gently as if there wasn't a care in the world. "How will I do that?" Marinette asked, still unsure what she could possibly do by herself. Instead of answering, the old man waved her off and changed the subject. "I think I should very much like to have some of those fresh fruit pastries you had promised us, Marinette. Now that we have all the ingredients." The seamstress just nodded and stood from the side of the bed. "Alright. Do any of you guys want to help me?" she asked the kwamis. "I do! I do!" Most of them cheered out and Marinette got to work. She looked back to see that Master Fu had fallen asleep again, so she left him alone. She would wake him again once the pastries were done and they could all enjoy it together. .* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * The next morning was bright and beautiful, but no one was feeling cheery about it. Half of the kwamis were sobbing away with the other half trying to console them. They were all watching as Marinette placed the body of their departed friend into the freshly dug grave. Master Wang Fu had seemed in good spirits when he woke back up to enjoy the baked goods Marinette prepared for everyone. They were all happy and having a good time. She tried to ask again about how she could help with the kwamis' curse, and he only replied with she must break the kwami curse before breaking her own. He never went into further detail after that, and went back to sleep saying he would explain things in the morning. He never woke up again. Marinette and the kwamis put him to rest near the garden and under a yew tree. All the kwamis said their final goodbyes before she filled the hole up. The seamstress felt bad that they didn't have any spare wood to make a coffin, so the best she could do was wrap him in a sheet and gently place him on a light bed of straw in the earth. When it was finished, she sat beside the grave feeling a great sense of emptiness around her. Despite having the seven little deities beside her, Marinette was feeling more alone than ever. She troubled over the thoughts of her friends, her family, her beloved prince, and also for the dear little kwamis that also became her friends. They were all counting on her, but how could she ever accomplish freeing them from their sealing spell? What did she know about magic? She stared at the grave, wishing desperately that Master Fu was still here to help her, that anyone out there was still on her side. Tikki sat on one of the large rocks and looked out at all her friends. Wayzz was trying to sooth the extremely emotional Duusu, while Trixx was letting Pollen and Nooroo snuggle on his big, fluffy tail. Plagg was beside her purring away to comfort the both of them. This experience had affected her and the kwamis differently than before. Normally, they would've made friends with several humans during their visit, then say their goodbyes and come back in another time to find completely new faces. They had never before been around long enough to watch a friend throughout their lifetime. To watch them grow old and fade away. This cut through each deity deeply. Tikki scratched one of Plagg's ears as she looked back at Marinette, thinking about how her fragile life was ruined by their powers. They had to make this right. The red kwami nudged Plagg to get up and gave a nod for him to follow her over to the seamstress. She was still looking at the graveyard with tears streaming silently down her face. The ladybug and black cat didn't say anything to her. They took a seat on each shoulder and nuzzled her cheeks. Plagg did a little extra by purring gently, making Marinette lean toward him for comfort. "Tikki? Plagg?" Marinette spoke at last. "Yes, Marinette?" Tikki got off her shoulder to face her directly. "Do you think Master Fu was right when he said I could break your curse?" Marinette wiped away the rest of her tears to get herself together. "I'm sure you will be able to do it." Tikki put on a big smile for her. "He believed in you and so do I." "But I've never done anything magical before. What if I mess something up and your curse gets worse?" "Trust me, kid, it could not get any worse." Plagg answered as he floated up to be beside Tikki. "Plus, once you break our curse, we'll be able to break yours and you'll get your life back." "Are you sure it would work?""That will all depend on you, Marinette. On your own strength and determination." Tikki tried to urge her to accept the task. Though she still wasn't sure of herself, Marinette felt it wouldn't hurt to at least know all the details. "What would I have to do?" she asked in a new curiosity.Both kwamis smiled at the brave girl, and Tikki began explaining. "First, in order to break the seal, you must construct a special cloak. One cloak must be made for each kwami." "Oh, that shouldn't be too hard, since you're all so small..." Marinette started thinking this was going to be easy, then she heard Plagg snort at her comment. "Hold it there, pigtails, it's not going to be that simple." Plagg teased her since her hair was too short to be up like that now. "We told you that how we look now is just a disguise for convenience. You'll have to make the cloaks for our true forms." "We're about two meters in height, so they'll have to fit to that." Tikki supplied the measurement. "And these cloaks have to be made with a special plant that can repel magic." "What kind of plant is that?" Marinette asked, eagerly to get things started if the supplies were easy to come by. "It's a rare stinging nettle that grows best around graveyard soil and under moonlight." Tikki explained. "So, what you have to do is take the nettle plants, spin them into a hemp-like thread, and then knit that threat into cloaks. The nettle plant will scrub away the seal and renew our connection to the kwami realm, everyone will have their full powers back and, we can free Gimmi from Lila's torturous hold.""Okay, I think I can do that. I've never made thread from scratch before, but I know how it's done." Marinette replied thinking through the process she had witnessed once or twice. "There's one more thing, Marinette." Tikki said a little nervous about saying the rest. "The last condition is that you must make a vow as you make the cloaks, and you have to keep that vow for the whole duration. If you break it at any time, all your efforts will be null and void, and you'll never be able to finish the cloaks or even have a second chance to start over from scratch." "What kind of vow do I have to make? And why is making a vow so important?" the seamstress questioned why keeping a promise would affect magical creatures so much. "When it comes to magic, a little thing like a promise can mean all the difference in the world." Wayzz said joining the conversation. "Any time a witch or sorcerer makes a spell, they must create rules that will help them put an end to them when they wish, otherwise the magic will just keep going. Since this is a matter of fighting a magical spell without any magic of your own, laws and contracts are made that keep the spells intact. The nettle plants are the rules given to us to wash away the seal we were forcefully trapped into." "Okay, so what kind of vow would I have to make?" Marinette asked understanding. "You could swear to never eat cheese again." Plagg smirked. "I'll be happy to help you with that, so you'd never break it." "I'm sure you would." Trixx smirked at the black cat. "But you know as well as I that it cannot be as simple a promise as that, Plagg." "She could vow to not sleep as she makes the cloaks." the bee kwami suggested. "No, Pollen, humans need to sleep. It's not a luxury for them like it is for us." Nooroo countered. "Oh, right." "I still say swearing not to eat cheese is the best idea...." Plagg spoke up again. "Think about it, it's the easiest thing to keep track of, and she could have plenty of other things to eat, leaving all the good stuff for m- uh, I mean us." "No, Plagg, you know it has to be something more significant than swearing off certain foods. It has to be something that ties to her reason for doing this task in the first place. It has to matter to what she's fighting for." Wayzz gently scolded the kwami. "What's your big idea then, Wayzz?" Plagg stuck his tongue out at the turtle. "I have an idea." Tikki spoke up instead. "What is it, Tikki?" Marinette asked because she wasn't sure what a good idea for a vow would be after listening to Wayzz. "Well, it's like Wayzz said, the vow has to mean something to fight against the spell Lila placed on you. Because of her, all your words were viewed as a lie, and hers were seen as the truth. If you were to make a vow of silence as you make the cloaks, then all your efforts will eventually reveal the truth without a word necessary." Tikki explained. "So, I wouldn't be able to talk at all while I make the cloaks." Marinette made sure she understood the kwami's suggestion. "Yes, that would be a good vow." Wayzz agreed. "Another reason it would be a good idea is that Gimmi has an extra sense about these sorts of things. If any of your progress and the reasons behind it were spoken out loud, they might be able to hear it. If Lila forces Gimmi to tell the truth, then all your progress could be lost, and we will never be free." "So, even if I manage to begin working on these cloaks while keeping a vow of silence, there's a chance I could mess all this up and ruin everything for everyone." Marinette let her whole body slump. Surely there was no way she would be able to pull this off. She wasn't the right person for this kind of thing. Maybe the kwamis should try and find someone else. "Marinette." Tikki's gentle voice broke her thoughts. "Master Fu believed you could do it, and so do we. Yes, it will be hard and challenging, but you seem like the kind of person that likes a challenge." "But what if I don't do it right, or I end up making things worse?" she twisted her fists into her skirt nervously. "I think you can do it pigtails," Plagg said. "It's gonna be really boring if you do take that vow of silence though. You sure you don't want to go with my suggestion?" "Plagg!" Tikki said annoyed at the black cat, then turned back to the seamstress. "The choice is yours, Marinette. Whatever you decide." Then all the kwamis left to leave her to her thoughts. It certainly was a great deal to process. On the one hand, Marinette finally had a way to fight against Lila. If she wins this, she'll have her happy life back. Everyone will recognize her again, and she'll go back to planning her wedding with Adrien. Then again, who's to say she would actually be able to do this? What if she doesn't do it the right way, the way they need it to be done for the magic of these nettle plants to work? What if she forgets to keep quiet at any given moment and says something stupid that will ruin everything for her little friends? Or even worse, what if she doesn't finish the cloaks in time and Lila destroys Papillon? What if Marinette takes too long, and Lila does what she promised to do to Adrien? That thought made her heart sink in fear, and tears started to fall from her eyes again. She couldn't do this. There was no way she could do this. The kwamis should try and find someone else, someone more reliable than her. "Marinette?" Tikki came back to check on her to find the poor girl crying again. "I can't do this Tikki." she sniffled. "I know things seem hard right now, but I'm sure you'll be able to do it." Tikki tried to give her some more confidence. "What makes you so sure I'll succeed?" Marinette asked. "Well, I don't, but I may have something that will help you along the way. Lucky Charm!" Tikki called out into the air, causing some strange swirling magic to appear create something that fell in front of Marinette. She caught whatever it was out of reflex and looked to find a pair of knitting needles. They were red with black spots all over them, a good quality too. Though the purpose of them was still a little lost on the seamstress. "What are these for?" she asked the kwami. "These are a part of my magic of creation." Tikki smiled. "I can make anything that will be useful to a person's task, and give it a little bit of extra luck so they can succeed. These needles will help you make the nettle cloaks successfully." Marinette looked at the tools hopefully, then a thought occurred to her. "But didn't you say that those plants repel magic? Won't that make it where these won't work?" "No, that's different. See, another sorcerer and I used a type of healing spell to make the seeds of those plants many millennia ago, so they and these knitting needles are part of the same magic. You're fighting against something that is a part of Gimmi, a part of Plagg and me." Tikki explained. So much was running through the young seamstress's mind. She continued to question whether or not she could accomplish this. If Master Fu was right to believe in her. "Tikki, do you know what Master Fu meant when he said I had something more special than magic?" "I'm sure he was talking about your good heart." Tikki answered quickly, which made Marinette wonder if that was the real answer. "Your kind, caring, and you seem to always want to help others and do what's right. That tells me that you have the determination. Even if this had nothing to do with you, and you were still living your happy life, you would still be there to try and help us. Am I wrong?" Marinette felt a spark of realization run through her mind. Yes, she would have done that. If she had gotten wind of this sort of thing happening to someone else, she would be fighting tooth and nail to try and help them. She would even try going through the king himself to correct the injustice. She had done so on a few separate occasions in the city. Adrien always told her how proud he was of her, that she seemed to be an Everyday Hero of Papillon, to which she would lightly scold him for teasing, and he would reply that he was only telling the truth. Adrien was always the support she needed to make her feel like she could do anything, and now here she was needing him again. He couldn't be with her physically, but she still felt him in her heart, and she knew her prince would be telling her the same thing that all the kwamis and Master Fu had been telling her. The young woman stood up then, feeling as tall as a tree. She made a quick stride back to the house to fetch the small knife Alya had snuck onto her person, and walked back outside to the fresh grave. The kwamis looked at her in confusion and followed her out to see what she was going to do. She didn't say anything at first and looked at the grave sternly. This grave was the proof about one person causing so much pain. Now it was Marinette and the kingdom of Papillon that was going to suffer because of that same person's selfishness. She wasn't going to let this continue. She will fight. Taking the knife against her left hand, she ran the blade against the side of her palm away from the thumb, and cut into the skin until there was a good few drops of blood. Hissing through her teeth, she had to take a few deep breaths to keep herself from passing out. She never liked blood or violence, and mostly looked for a way to avoid it, but there was no helping it this time. She fought against the pain and took a few deep breaths before holding her injured hand over the loose soil, reciting her vow. "I, Marinette Dupain-Cheng. . . by my own blood and upon this grave of my dear friend Master Wang Fu . . . . do hereby swear a vow of silence for the duration of fashioning seven cloaks of nettle for the Seven Kwamis to free them from their magical prisons. . . . Let no word be made from me until my task is complete." She turned her hand to let the drops of blood fall onto the freshly dug soil with all the kwamis as her witnesses. There was a silence, and then the black cat spoke up. "Ummm, you know you didn't have to do that right away. You could've kept talking until you had the plants." he smirked at her. Marinette just smiled at him, knowing he was fooling with her, but Tikki still took the opportunity to scold him. "Knock it off, Plagg, you know it is more meaningful this way." "So, you really won't say a word for as long as it takes?" Pollen asked innocently. Marinette just shook her head. "No matter what?" Duusu asked with big wide eyes. She shook her head again. "Hey, pigtails! Knock Knock?" the kwami went up to her ear to bug her further. "PLAGG!!" This time all the kwamis were scolding their friends, all except Trixx who was laughing with the black cat. Marinette had to hold her hand over her mouth to keep form laughing. "Honestly, you two!" Tikki sighed, then left them alone to their childishness. "Well, anyway, we should get that cut cleaned up, Marinette." Marinette looked at her hand that was still bleeding a little bit and took out a handkerchief to cover it up. She followed her friend back inside to take care of herself and thought through what she was going to make for dinner. They could worry about the cloaks tomorrow, for now it was a time to relax and mourn their losses. She still had doubts on whether or not she could do this, but looking back at her wounded hand and saw her engagement ring. It was a good reminder of what she was fighting for, what she wasn't going to let Lila have while she was still breathing.
'Hold on Adrien, my love. I promise I will come back to you.'
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Chapter 12: The Grave Nettle Garden
.~*~*~*~*~*~"The hero grabbed hold of the beast, used its own claws to kill it, and skinned the pelt to complete the task. Finally, he returned to the king to ask for the next labor." Nooroo finished his tale about the hero that he had apparently granted extraordinary strength to.Marinette was cleaning the old spinning wheel Master Fu used for his wool as she listened to the kwamis' stories. Nooroo had explained how his concept was granting peoples desires to a small degree. Most of it involved turning a warrior into a champion, one of them being the legendary Heracles. Apparently, the little kwami took part in several legends of magnificent deeds she remembered reading about with the prince. What was even more impressive was how Duusu played a part in popular myths as well. They explained how the peacock's power was magically creating whatever a person could imagine, be it people, animals, or even monsters. And some of the popular mythical creatures were part of the kwamis work, several of them are even out there to this day."It was horrible! That poor lion was killed and then his beautiful fur was stolen!" The peacock cried out hysterically.Nooroo rolled his eyes at the same routine he was forced to go through every time his champions were brought up. "Come on, my friend, that lion had eaten too many people at that point. You know it was for the best.""So what!? Plenty of my other beings were killed horribly, and they didn't deserve it!" he said angrily."Hey, I can't help it if we had people that wanted to make names for themselves. To become heroes." Nooroo shrugged."He's right, Duusu." Pollen spoke up. "Many great stories involved slaying monsters and rescuing damsels. What's better than a story about a princess locked in a tower guarded by a fire breathing drag-..." The bee tried to stop herself when she saw other kwamis shaking their heads, but the damage was already done."That's Another Thing!" Duusu pointed back at the butterfly with his tail feathers spread out. "You made all those champions kill my beautiful dragons! They were supposed to be the next best thing after horse riding! Instead, you made dragon slayers! Dragon! Slayers!""Ugh, Duusu, when are you going to let that go!?" the butterfly kwami sighed."Never! So much tragedy! So much loss!" Duusu was making himself cry now."Oh come on, Feathers, other places saw dragons as sacred, so not everyone killed them." Trixx tried to calm his friend. "Plus, there were still plenty of other creatures that people loved. Like... there's the faire folk and mermaids... Oh, and what about unicorns!?"Duusu sniffled before giving a small smile. "The unicorns were nice.""Right!? Not to mention all the different beings that happened in other countries, like all the ones I got to help with about ghosts and superstitions." the fox said proudly.Duusu tried to cheer up, but he still looked disappointingly at the butterfly. "Still, the dragons should've been loved everywhere.""Well, at least I wasn't the one responsible for the dinosaurs." Nooroo said trying to get then attention on something else.Marinette just kept listening intently. Dinosaurs? She wished she could ask more about what they were talking about, but her vow forbade it. For the past few days, the seamstress had taken great care in trying to keep that vow. Much of it was easy while she kept herself busy with the chores around the barn and garden. She tried to set her mind to the idea of remaining silent by binding her mouth shut for the entire day save for meals. At night, she didn't trust herself to stay quiet and possibly talk in her sleep, so she kept the cloth in bed as well. Then, being the little gremlins that they were, Plagg and Trixx thought it was hilarious to try and make her talk by jumping out and surprising her. She hasn't fallen for it so far, and they eventually stopped once the others scolded them harshly for teasing the poor girl. Now, she was just enjoying them talking to each other."Hey, don't drag me into your little drama." Plagg exclaimed between bites of cheese."Why not? You've caused a lot more damage than we ever could." Trixx pointed out."I haven't done that much." The black cat tried to wave them off but was met with several looks of disbelief."Seriously?" Wayzz asked."What!? It was only a few little accidents!" the black cat tried to look innocent, but Marinette was pretty sure he had the most guilt."Oh, a few little accidents. You mean like Atlantis!?" Trixx said."They said the city would float!" Plagg countered."The black plague?" Wayzz tilted his head."I thought it would get rid of the rat problem! And it wouldn't have killed everybody to take a bath once in a while!""Pompeii!?" They all said at once."How was I supposed to know it wasn't just a mountain!?" Plagg yelled with his little tail ruffled up. "And besides, you can't blame that whole thing on me! Volcanoes were Tikki's idea to make new islands!"His words made the other kwamis stop and think for a moment. "I suppose that's true..." Wayzz said contemplating.Marinette had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing at her little friends. It was amazing hearing about how much they have gone through together. It made her wonder if Gimmi had ever played a part in all of this other than being the doorman that let them into this world. That also made her thoughts go to how she had to get started on making the cloaks. Tikki told her she had to looks for some nettle plants to make the cloaks, but the question was where would she find them?"Everything alright, Marinette?" Tikki asked when she noticed that Marinette had finished the spinning wheel and then was just standing there.Since she couldn't give a direct answer, Marinette did the only thing she could think of and pick up the two knitting needles the kwami made for her. She gave Tikki a look of concern as she held the needle out to her."Oh, you want to get started on the cloaks?" Tikki asked, and the seamstress nodded yes. "That's good. There's a full moon out tonight, so it would be a perfect time to harvest the nettles.""The only problem is, where are we going to find them?" Plagg asked."The plants grow best near graveyard soil. Is there perhaps a cemetery around Papillon?" Wayzz asked Marinette.Marinette wanted to say yes, but there was a little detail she needed to share, but she wasn't sure how to convey it to the kwamis."What's wrong? If you know were some is, we can gather as much as we want." Trixx said, not seeing the problem.Marinette started to head outside and urged the kwamis to follow her. She walked toward the garden and plucked out a few stray weeds from the soil. She waved a hand over the garden and then showed them the weeds she pulled, hoping they would understand her message."Oh, you're saying they keep the graveyard in Papillon very clean, meaning there wouldn't be a lot of weeds there, least of all grave nettles." Tikki figured it out and was feeling down when Marinette confirmed it with another nod."That can't be the only spot." Plagg said. "We're talking about a graveyard that people can pay for. What about the common folk? There has to be another spot where they bury their dead."That sparked a realization in the seamstress. There was actually a spot. She picked up a stick and drew into the dirt a quick outline of Papillon. On the far northwest of the castle, there was a field about eight to ten acres wide. It was where the churches took their goats to graze, and horses for the palace were given some free range to prevent being cooped up in the stables all the time. It was also were the regular townspeople would bury their loved ones. It's what helped make the land so fertile and the goats were well fed. The only problem was there was a high stone fence that guarded the area to prevent grave robbers and horse thieves, and the only way to the field was through the city. The only one that tended to the graves were the living relatives, so there was a possibility that some of it was left unattended. So, if ever there was a chance for grave nettles to exist, it would be here. She tried to explain all of this with several quick drawings in the dirt, and the kwamis picked up on it pretty quickly."This is wonderful!" Duusu cheered looking through the diagram in the dirt. "We can go walk through the town when it gets close to dark. Marinette, you can make it seem like you're visiting a departed relative, and we can look for the nettles letting the guard think you were just cleaning up the grave.""And then we can come back here, and you can make the cloaks!" Pollen joined in."And then it'll be goodbye curse, and goodbye Lila!" Trixx grabbed Wayzz's paws and spun around with him."Yay!" Duusu and Pollen joined the fox and turtle in a little dance."Hold on guys!" Nooroo called out above their excited voices. "You're forgetting one thing.""What?" they all stopped and asked."Marinette is sure to be arrested the minute the sheriff spots her in the city again." Plagg answered for the butterfly.Marinette had to agree with the black cat. She kept wishing over and over again that she hadn't made such a huge mistake. Not only would Master Fu still be alive, but she might've been able to see her parents as just a customer. Now, there was no way she could make it along the streets without the sheriff spotting her. She can't just hide under her travel cloak either because that man loves to call out anyone suspicious. Maybe if she tried a more elaborate disguise like making herself look like a man, or something. She tried to explain as much to the kwamis by drawing in the dirt again. The best she got was a quick drawing of herself and then adding a mustache."You think a disguise would work, Marinette?" Tikki asked.She just shrugged her shoulders to say she didn't know if it would work or not."I could make a disguise for you." Nooroo suggested. "My ability is to make people into something greater, but I can focus on just making you different.""That won't work for long, Nooroo." Wayzz took the idea down. "If you use your power, you'll only be able to do it for a short time, and then it will take too long for you to gain your strength back and do it again.""But we will only need to do it once. All Marinette has to do is get enough nettles to fashion the cloaks with." Nooroo said still willing to do his part."We don't know how many were going to find in that field, if there's even any there at all. Marinette might have to go back there several times before we have enough." Plagg said agreeing with the turtle.This was quite the predicament. Even if Marinette somehow made it passed the sheriff and into the field, there was still the chance of the guards not letting her in at all. If she tried to sneak in, she would risk getting arrested again and taken to the sheriff, then everything really would be over. Once again, she was just kicking herself for her foolishness. If only there was a way for her to go through without being seen."There might be another way." Tikki spoke up and everyone turned to her. "I used up my power in making the knitting needles, but there still one more magical thing I could do that doesn't require any additional power.""Sugarcube, you're not thinking of..." Plagg looked at the ladybug with wide eyes."I am." she smiled like it was no big deal."Are you crazy!?" Several of the kwamis said at once."What other choice do we have if we want Marinette to get those plants?" Tikki asked ignoring their question."Tikki, this is exactly the sort of thing that trapped Gimmi in the first place. Why would you risk it by trapping yourself in the same way?!" the black cat took a hold of her to look her straight in the eye."This is different, Plagg." Tikki argued. "Marianne tricked all of us to bind Gimmi by force and then used our friend for her own selfish reasons. I'm offering it freely and with the intent of helping everyone. I'm also offering it with the knowledge and trust that Marinette will use the bond for the right reasons."Marinette just listened to all the kwamis go back in forth in their debate. So far, the best she could pick up on was some kind of bond Tikki was willing to make, one that was similar to Gimmi and Lila. She wanted to deny it at first if it was something that would cause harm to the red kwami, but Tikki seemed pretty determined to go through with it. If she was sure, then Marinette was willing to help as well, she just needed them to explain. She tapped on the bug kwami's head to get her attention, then held her hands out with her shoulders up to say she didn't fully understand what they were talking about.Tikki realized they hadn't said anything to her for some time. "I'm sorry, Marinette, we didn't mean to exclude you."Marinette smiled and nodded that it was okay."Like I said, I have a way of using a type of spell that can disguise you from the people in the city." Tikki started. "First, I need something of yours that holds value, something that you can keep close without losing it easily."The seamstress had to think about it for a moment. At first, she thought to use her engagement ring, but she didn't want to change the one thing that reminds her of the future she was fighting for. Then she remembered that she still had the black pearl earrings Adrien gave her and removed them to hold out to Tikki."These will be perfect, Marinette. Just hold them in your hand, and don't move." Tikki instructed.Marinette did as she was told, and watched as the ladybug kwami took a deep breath and blew on the earrings. It didn't seem like anything was happening until the earrings started to glow, changing from the iridescent black until they were a bright rose red with black dots on them, like a ladybug. Tikki stopped blowing on the earrings and placed her paws on them as she spoke in a clear voice."I, Tikki, The Kwami of Creation, surrender my will to these trinkets to forge an everlasting bond. I invoke my power with these earrings and swear fealty to the holder until they may release me." When she finished, the glowing magic came alive and twisted itself to stretch from the earrings to form a smokey red chain and tied itself to Tikki.She looks back and forth from the kwami to the jewelry, not sure if there was something she should do now. She waited patiently for Tikki to say something, so far it looked like she was trying to get use to the new bond she had to the earrings."The connection was successful." She spoke calmly. "Now all we have to do is pick out some clothes. Your travel clothes should work just fine."She still didn't understand it, but Marinette did as she was told and went to fetch them. She didn't have much, just the remains of the garments she arrived in and the small gray cloak Master Fu gave her. She laid them on the bed and waited for further instructions with the earrings still in her hand."Put the cloak on." Tikki said and waited for the woman to finished before continuing. "Once you put on the earrings, with what your wearing, the spell will activate and change your looks so no one will recognize you."Excited for the idea, Marinette quickly put the earrings back on her lobes and watched as the magic come to live. Her once bright pink skirt changed into a deeper gray while her bodice went completely black. The gray travel cloak bled into the same red as Tikki and even gained large black spots on the back to give the appearance of a ladybug shell. Marinette wondered if her face looked any different and hurried over to pick up a small mirror. Holding the mirror at arm's length so she could see her whole face, she found that nothing about her had changed. Her face was still the same as it's always been, and her hair was still short and the same color. She thought Tikki said no one would recognize her. Did Marinette do something to mess up the spell? She tried to look for the red kwami, and couldn't find her anywhere. She wasn't around the other kwamis, and Marinette didn't see her anywhere in the cottage. Where did she go?"I'm still here, Marinette." she suddenly heard a small voice right beside her left ear. She jerked her head to look for the voice, but there was nothing there. She then turned to the other kwamis for help."Tikki's still here, pigtails." Plagg answered her unasked question. "She's bound to the earrings and merged with them to keep the spell going. If you want to see her, just rub the earring you hear her voice in, and she'll be able to come out."Marinette gently rubbed the left earring, making the same chain of red smoke come out with Tikki at the end. It was almost like she was leashed to the stud."Isn't this great, Marinette!?" Tikki asked excited. "Now I can keep giving you my ladybug luck with the earrings and while you use the knitting needles. The earrings will also disguise you from other people as long as you wear them. I can even move the ladybug magic to other clothes if you change into them. Right now, it will make the cloak look like this even when you aren't wearing it."She decided to test this out by taking off the cloak and placing it on the bed. The spots remained. While this was all fascinating, Marinette was still concerned that her face was the same as before. She pointed to the mirror in her hand, and then to her face and shrugged her shoulders in confusion."What's wrong?" Tikki asked not seeing the problem."You didn't explain the disguise part." Plagg pointed out."Oh, right, sorry." Tikki giggled. "Your face will still look the same, but the magic will make you blend in with the crowd."Marinette tilted her head to show she wasn't quite getting it."Ummm, you know how sometimes you don't notice something until someone points it out." Plagg made an example. Marinette nodded for him to continue. "It's a little like that. It's a little trick we like to call the glamour. When you wear the earrings and the ladybug cloak, people will look at your face, but it won't clue into their minds on who that face belongs to. Since they don't remember you anyway right now, it doesn't matter. But what's important is that you won't look familiar to Lila and the sheriff unless you tell them who you are, which we all know you can't do right now." he smirked at that last bit.Marinette picked the cloak back up and held it closely. With this, she will be able to go back into town and just be another shopper. Maybe she could even go into the bakery and see her parents again. She may not be let back into the palace to see Adrien, but there definitely won't be anyone to stop her from going into the field to get the nettle plants.See her hopefulness, Tikki smiled and rubbed the young woman's cheek. "What do you say we get ready to go into town before it gets dark?"Marinette nodded yes and quickly slipped the cloak back on. She headed outside to start saddling the horse to make the journey back to Papillon. She was so excited right now, she could barely hold it in..* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *The seamstress felt like she really couldn't hold anything in right now. For the whole ride through the marsh, she felt calm and collected. But once she dropped her horse off at the gate stables to pick it back up later and stepped into the city, it felt like her stomach was twisted into knots. Her heart wouldn't stop hammering and her legs felt so heavy they she couldn't step forward into town. This wasn't going to work. This was a very foolish idea. She should just gather her horse and get out of here before the sheriff or someone else notices her and calls her out. She had to leave, right now."Marinette, calm down." She heard Tikki's voice in her ear. As comforting as it was, it wasn't enough to make Marinette's heart slow down."Psst, pigtails!" she heard another voice in the hood of her cloak. She looked at the black cat kwami hidden away. "Just take a deep breath and move forward."She shook her head that she couldn't do this."It'll be okay. No one will recognize you, we promise." Tikki spoke again. "Just think about getting to the field and work your way from there."Taking a few deep breaths, Marinette tried to stay calm. She felt the other kwamis moving around in her satchel trying to quietly cheer her on. Everyone had insisted on coming along and they promised to stay hidden. She did feel better knowing all of her friends were with her for this. She just had to relax and think about how she was doing this all for them. She just had to start walking down the street.It took a few extra minutes before her feet were finally obeying her. She walked along the street and paid attention to the people around her. So far, they just saw her as another shopper. They noticed her ladybug cloak, but they didn't view it with suspicion or other negative thoughts. She spotted a couple of guards, one of them being the man that was with Sheriff Adolphe at her parents' bakery. He saw her face, but didn't pay her any mind. That must mean that the spell was working, and that she was going to make it.She walked further along the street until she felt something tug on her cloak. Thinking she must have snagged something, she turned to find that it was actually a little girl pulling on her. She smiled at the little girl and gently pulled the cloak from her grasp.The girl smiled back and said proudly, "I like your cape. You look like a pretty ladybug!"Marinette just smiled at the girl and waited for her to run back to her mother after she said what she wanted to.Feeling a little calmer and surer of herself now, she decided to play it as a real market goer and looked around the wide variety of shops. She was still seeing a great shortage of supplies. Some of the businesses had signs of foreclosure for failing to pay taxes. There were some that were still doing okay, but it wouldn't be long before Lila and her allies hurt them as well if this continued. She made it to the town square and saw a crowd gathering around some unrest going on near the fountain. She walked over to the other side next to a fish cart to get a better look. It was a little hard to make out what they men were arguing about over the sound of the crowd. From what she could gather, it sounded like the first man owed money to the second man who was yelling that he needed to be paid back immediately.Marinette was ready to ignore them and walk away, when the second man started shoving at the first and that man stumbled backwards until he hit the fish cart. All of the fish was flipped over, and the sudden motion spooked the horse attached to the cart, making it take off before the fisherman could get a hold of him. Several people got out of the way, and Marinette could see that the horse was just planning to circle the fountain, so they would be able to catch it eventually. However, when the horse was coming back in her direction, she could see that the little girl that spoke to her earlier was right in the middle of the horse's path, and she wasn't paying attention to her surroundings.Making a quick sprint for the girl, Marinette quickly picked her up and out of the way as the horse was passing them. The girl screamed in surprise, but then realized it was the pretty ladybug woman that grabbed her and gave her a big hug. Marinette was just relieved the girl wasn't harmed. She looked back down the street to find that some locals finally circled the horse and slowed it down enough to grab the reins."Manon! Sweety, are you alright?!" A woman came up to Marinette and took the child from her. The girl's mother, no doubt."I'm okay, Mommy! Miss Ladybug Saved Me!" Manon said in between her mother's kisses and tight hugs."Thank you, miss. You saved my daughter's life." the mother finally turned her attention to Marinette.Marinette just nodded to accept the woman's gratitude. Even if she could say something, she doubted her words would be heard over the angry voices that rose up around them. The townsfolk started taking some of their outrage out on the two men that were still bickering, and she worried a fight was going to break out soon. The silent seamstress thought it would be best to lead the mother and daughter away from this area, especially when a new voice rang out above all the others."WHAT IS GOING ON HERE!" an annoying but familiar voice shrilled out, and the crown divided to let the owner of the voice through. It was Sheriff Adolphe, but he wasn't alone this time. Behind him was Prince Adrien and Lady Lila, who had taken the time to come to the market together. The sheriff saw the display before them as the most insulting behavior to show a member of the royal family, and under his jurisdiction. "You Filthy Peasants! How Dare You Behave In Such a Grotesque Manner in Front of the Prince! I should throw you all in the...""Sheriff Adolphe, that is quite enough!" Prince Adrien's voice was calm but firm, and it not only shut the sheriff up but the rest of the people around them. He waited for everyone to quiet down before continuing. "Now, will someone please explain to me what has happened here?""Your Royal Highness!" The fisherman raised on hand while holding on to the reins of his regained horse. "Those two men were having a squabble that scared my horse and destroyed my stall. They cost me my whole trade for the day!""Oh, no. What a shame, I was hoping to find some nice fish for a meal at the palace." Lila decided to include herself in the conversation."I'm sorry to hear that, good sir." Adrien tried to be neutral and ignore Lila's input. He turned his attention to the two men that were apparently fighting. "May I ask what the disagreement was about?""As if you don't know, your highness." The first man said with venom, which caused everyone to gasp at his boldness for talking to a royal like that."Such insolence!" Sheriff Adolphe acted like he was the one that was insulted. "I think a few days in the stocks will teach you a lesson.""I think that would be best." Lila agreed.Adrien slipped away from the woman's grasp to interfere with the sheriff's arrest attempt. "Both of you, please. Let's settle this rationally.""Of course, my prince." Lila obliged right away and gave the sheriff a look for him to step back.Adrien then turned his attention back to the two men. "Gentlemen, please explain to me what has you so worked up."The second man spoke first. "This man owes me a debt and it is far overdue. He says he doesn't have the money and refuses to pay, but I'm sure he's holding out on me.""I don't have the money, and I don't owe you anything!" the first man protested. "I've paid my debt ages ago, you just wanted to gain some extra cash where you thought you could get it like a common crook!""How Dare You..." the man tried to turn things around with another fight, but the first man was staying calm in front of the prince."You're not the only one suffering here!" he put his last word in before Adrien stepped in again."Sir, if this man has indeed paid you back, then there is not further need to hound him." Adrien said.Seeing how he was losing the argument, the second man tried to put one last word in. "Well... Well, none of this would've happened if the king wasn't enforcing such heavy taxes on the whole city!"This caused several voices in the crowd to speak out in agreement. Some of them even started shouting at the prince that the king wasn't being fair and demanded justice for the people. Sheriff saw the unrest rise up and thought this would be a good opportunity to make some arrest. He was getting ready to step forward and protect the prince, but Adrien held his arm out in front of the man to order him to stay where he was."Please, everyone be silent for a moment!" Adrien commanded and waited for the voices to die down before continuing. "Now, I will admit that I have been made aware of the lack of stocks in the market as of late, but I was not informed of the expanded taxes being the cause of them. Under normal circumstances, I'm sure my father would be made known of them and would settle this matter instantly. However, I feel I should inform all of you that my father has not been in the best of health for the past few days..."News of the king being sick forced everyone into a complete silence."Some of his work has fallen behind until he recovers, and I would like to extend my apologies at the unhappiness it has caused all of you. Therefore, I shall look into the financial matters myself and correct any errors made. In the meantime, I shall encourage the approval from your king to withhold taxation on the citizens of Papillon for two months, so that you may all put yourselves back on your feet. And let's all stop trying to get money out of people where there are none." he addressed the two men more than the crowd on that last sentence.The people applauded the prince's decree, and he gives a gentle order for them to disperse and go about their businesses. Some of the people left, and some remained as he wished to have one final word with the two men."Sirs, I hope you will think better about causing such an unrest to the market. And I'm afraid I will have to hold you both responsible for this fisherman's stall." he scolded them. "You could've caused serious harm to someone here.""You almost got my daughter killed!" A woman holding a little girl came up to the group ready to give the men a good thrashing."Is she alright, Madame...?" Adrien asked not knowing her name."Nadja Chamack, your royal highness, and yes she is alright. Thank the heavens for that young lady.""What young lady?" the prince asked."The Ladybug Lady!" Manon answers enthusiastically."Ladybug lady?" Lila arched an eyebrow at the girl's strange statement."There was a young woman wearing a red cloak with black spots. She jumped in and saved my daughter before the horse trampled her." the mother explained."Oh, her cloak looked like a ladybug, I get it." Adrien smiled at the girl."And where is this Ladybug heroine?" Lila asked in suspension.Everyone looked around for the young woman, but she was nowhere in sight."Oh, the poor dear must have gotten scared from all the commotion. Maybe she wasn't such a hero after all." Lila commented nonchalantly."No offense, ma'am, but I owe that young woman my daughter's life. She was definitely a hero." Nadja insisted."I would have to agree with Madame Chamack, Lila." Adrien said, then smiled at the little girl again. "It's too bad the Ladybug lady had to leave. I would've liked to thank her for saving such a sweet little girl."Manon shied into her mother's shoulder at receiving the prince's attention, and Nadja took that as a sign it was time to go. "Your royal highness." She then walked off with her daughter in her arms.Adrien kept a gentle smile on his face until he turned to his companion. "Lady Rossi, would you come with me for a moment?""Of course, my dear prince." Lila let's him lead her toward an empty ally way..* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *"Marinette, what's wrong? Where are you going?" Tikki tried to communicate with her holder, who was moving frantically down the street.One minute, Marinette was fine and feeling good about herself for helping some people. She was even excited because she saw her beloved prince step into the crowd to help handle the situation. But then when Madame Chamack and her daughter were talking about her, and Lila asked about the woman in a ladybug cloak, she could not run fast enough. Suddenly, all Marinette was seeing was that dagger at the ready to pierce her heart, and Lila's cruel smile looking down at her. She felt like she was in a small, closed off room rather than outside and she had to get away. The seamstress didn't know which way she was going, and she kept bumping into things fighting to keep her footing.She finally settled for hiding in an empty corner and slumped down to the ground with her back to a wall. She tried to keep telling herself in her mind that she was okay, that she was safe. But Lila kept entering her mind, and all Marinette could think about was if that woman spotted her, she would kill her. It felt like her heart moved into her ears, and she couldn't breathe right. All around her it was too noisy and too quiet at the same time. Everything was closing in..."Marinette... Marinette calm down..." Tikki tried to reach the young woman, but it didn't seem like she could hear the kwami. She needed help, so she tried to get the attention of the other kwamis. Since she was still in the earrings, she couldn't come out without Marinette summoning her. But the kwamis could still hear her. "Plagg, everybody! Do something!""But we made an agreement that we must stay hidden..." Wayzz tried to protest."Forget that, she needs help and she's not listening to me!" Tikki insisted.Plagg was the first to come out from the hood of the cloak, then the others followed behind out of her satchel bag. "Pigtails, can you hear me? Just calm down and breathe."Marinette was in a fetal position against the wall, holding her head and tapping her foot nervously. She was also crying now. It was actually a miracle that she hadn't spoken a word in the middle of her breakdown. She was sort of hearing the kwamis talking to her, telling her to breathe. She followed their instructions without thinking and slowly breathed in and out. In and out. After a few minutes it felt like things were quieting down and she could see straight again."That's it, nice and slowly." Nooroo rubbed the girl's cheek for comfort. "How about you let Tikki out and she can help you feel better, too."Marinette did like that suggestion and rubbed her left earring. Tikki came out in a swirl of magic and looked around to see if her holder was hurt."It's going to be okay." Tikki joined the others in holding the young woman while she continued to cry.Marinette felt so ashamed of herself. How could she let herself fall apart like that after only seeing a glimpse of Lila? Was she that much of a coward?"What happened, Marinette? One minute you were okay, and then all of the sudden there was so much fear in your heart." Duusu said."Yeah, I could feel a great panic in you as well." Nooroo added.That's right, the butterfly and peacock kwamis were able to sense the emotions coming off of a person. Marinette wished she could tell them, but there was no easy way of explaining it without words. She tried by showing them her engagement ring to give them a clue."Did it have something to do with the prince?" Wayzz guessed. She shook her head yes and no."No, I believe it was the woman the prince was with. That was Lila, was it not?" Nooroo asked. Marinette nodded a yes as she wiped her remaining tears away."So, that's what the worm looks like now, huh?" Plagg spat at the thought of the woman. "Just say the word, and I'll scratch her eyes out.""Not now, Plagg." Tikki shot him down, then went back to the girl. "Marinette, did you get scared that Lila would see you?"Marinette nodded yes."Remember, she can't recognize you as long as you wear the earrings." The kwami reminded her, but Marinette didn't look convinced. "I know it's not easy after everything she's done to you, but I promise that I'm going to keep you safe with my magic."Marinette smiled at the little kwami and held her close to cuddle her against her cheek."Maybe it was too soon to come out here to the city. We could always get the nettles another night if you wish, Marinette." Wayzz suggested.That thought finally made Marinette get her thoughts together. She couldn't stop now, and she could delay her promise. Adrien's life depended on it after all. Getting back on her feet and straightening herself up, she put a real smile on for the kwamis to let them know she was okay."Do you want to keep going?" Tikki asked to be sure, and Marinette gave a proud nod yes. "Okay then."She was about to get everyone back in the satchel and exit the corner when she heard some familiar voices coming toward them, and it made her stay put."My my, dear prince. If you had any lecherous plans, you could've picked a more secluded spot. Of course, I'm all for being adventurous." Lila in a teasing tone as Adrien continued to lead her further down the path.Marinette kept herself hidden as she watched Adrien come to a stop and turned around to face Lila squarely. She almost wanted to vomit when Lila spoke so seductively and started putting her hands all over him. Then she heard a growl next to her ear and saw Plagg looking right at the woman. Marinette barely had time to grab him when he tried to take off. She held onto his body with one hand, and held the other over his mouth so he wouldn't give them away. Then she looked back to Adrien and Lila."Couldn't wait to get me all to yourself, could you?" She leaned against him to wrap her arms around his shoulders, but he stopped her and pushed her keep her at arm's length."We need to talk." he spoke firmly."Whatever is the matter, my prince?" Lila feigned innocence."I would like you to explain something to me." Adrien crossed his arms and looked Lila right in the eye. "Viscount Robert Roth came to you about some financial miscalculations, which ruined the reputations of some very loyal people my father has known for years.""Well, it's to be expected. When you have the same people working for you for so long, there bound to think that a few mistakes aren't going to affect them." Lila shrugged like she was only half listening."Did you really think we weren't going to notice you and the viscount's actions, or Sheriff Adolphe for that matter. I've heard it from some of my closest friends how the people are suffering." Adrien said raising his voice. If it wasn't for Nino and Alya giving him some reports about the city, he would've been completely in the dark and never had the urge to go into town today or hear the frustration from the people themselves."Don't you think their over exaggerating just a bit?" she sighed, wishing this conversation was over already."No, I Don't!" Adrien yelled this time, which made Lila and the hiding Marinette jumped. "My father has always prided himself in never taking more than necessary from Papillon. You three have been causing nothing but misery, and you all but destroyed the people's trust in the monarchy. If they hadn't been so willing to listen to me just now, I'm sure there would eventually be riots in the streets. So, unless you have a reasonable explanation for all of this, I will have no choice but to look at it as treason."Lila gasped at the accusation. "How could you be so cruel, your highness!? Surely, you wouldn't let anything happen to your fiancé?""If anything, I'm only seeking justice for the cruelty you and the sheriff have performed." Adrien did not bend to Lila's show of surrender.Lila looked like she was thinking something over very carefully, then gave a long sigh as if she had given up. "I will admit, I thought having the extra money would be a good idea for our future. That we could have a little nest egg and do what we wanted to do when we got married. I never imagined that Viscount Roth would be so much greedier about it. I never even saw how much was being pulled into the accounts, or how much was being taken away from the people, I swear." She took hold of the prince's arm to begin her plea for forgiveness."Lila, you're going to be queen one day. Whatever you desire can be provided without all these desperate schemes." Adrien pushed her off of him again. "My father may not be able to handle it right now, so I will be taking charge from now on. I will stand by my promise and withhold the taxes until further notice. Any amount that you've collected will be used for the palace staff, and whatever's leftover will be to tend to the subjects that are in most need of it. Are we understood?""Of course, your highness, anything you say. And I shall personally give the viscount a good talking to." Lila said determined. "Perhaps your dear friend Nino can help by making sure Roth does not do anything to hurt the people further.""I can agree to that." he then held an arm out for her to take. "Now let's head back to the palace.""Lead the way my prince." With that, they both left the area, leaving a silent seamstress and seven kwamis alone to absorb what just happened."I like him." Plagg spoke up first.His statement surprised Marinette. Normally, it would take more than a first impression to get on the black cat's good side. The other kwamis seemed impressed with the prince as well. Right now, Marinette was just so proud of Adrien. She knew that there was no way he was playing a part in the extended taxes, and now as the rightful future king, he was setting everything right for his people. Her heart swelled at his leadership and determination. Then there was that side of her that felt a guilty pleasure in observing how he doesn't seem to like Lila's attentions very well. That told her maybe things weren't running as smoothly as the sorceress had hoped."So, that was your Adrien, huh?" Trixx asked. Marinette gave him a nod as she gazed dreamily down the road where Adrien left."He certainly was handsome, but it's nice to know that he has brains, too." Tikki commented.Marinette smiles slightly in agreement but then felt sad at the thought of her prince having to deal with someone like Lila. Then earlier she remembered him saying that his father wasn't feeling well. She wondered what could be wrong with the king. Was it something serious? What if Adrien loses his father the same way he lost his mother? Or even worse than that, what if it wasn't something naturally wrong with him? What if his illness was the work of Lila's magic again? Her mind went back to Lila's words about making Adrien the king would be the simplest part of her scheme. This made her all the more determined to get to the field fast and find that grave nettle.She opened her satchel to urge all the kwamis to hide again, and then made Tikki go back into the earrings. She walked back into the street and kept to the edge to stay away from the crowds. This time she made sure not to stop for anything. It was near sunset and the overnight guards were starting to light the lamps. Luckily, it was the full moon so she would have no need for a torch. When she finally reached the field, she could see several people exiting the fence after visiting their relatives' graves. There was one guard there watching the entrance, and he paid Marinette no mind as she walked through.The field was very wide and open. The goats kept to one end while the graves rested on the other. There weren't any people there now, so it gave Marinette a good chance to look around. She made one last look around to make sure no one was coming around before she let the kwamis free again. Everyone did their part in looking for the right plants. There were a few areas left unattended, giving plenty of room for weeds to sneak their way in. Mostly it was up against the stone wall or close to the few trees that grew in the field. Marinette took her chances around the graves and followed the markers along to the wall. There she found a few hundred weeds that were almost as tall as her. Looking closer, she found the stocks had small, hair-like needles growing near the leaves. She rubbed her earring again to summon Tikki and pointed to the plant to find out if this was the right one.Tikki didn't answer right away but flew up to the plant and sniffed the tiny flowers that bloomed at the very top. Then she went back to her holder."This is it, Marinette. These are the grave nettles." She nearly cheered but tried not to be too loud. She did, however, attract the attention of her kwami friends."You found them!" Trixx said."There's no many!" Pollen called out as she flew around each of the plants.There was a great number of plants, but Marinette wasn't sure if there was going to be enough for her to make the cloaks. She may have to make several trips back and forth just to finish one. She would have to make sure to leave some of them so they would be able to grow more."Well, we better get started." Nooroo said as he took out the knife from Marinette's satchel and handed it to the girl. "Here, use this."Marinette smiled at the butterfly kwami in thanks and began to cut down the nettles at the base. She left a little bit without taking out any roots so that it may grow again."Watch out for the stinging hairs." Wayzz warned her.The nettle plants only had the stinging fibers on the small stems connecting the leaves to the stock, and the rest of it was just a sturdy plant. This made it easy enough to avoid, but sometimes her hand would accidently brush one of the leaves, and she could do nothing about the lingering burn that dug into her skin. Marinette fought through the pain and continued to cut down more plants. When she had about fifty of them, she decided that this would be enough for now and tied her harvest together with a strand of string. She then wrapped the middle of the bundle in a cloth so she could carry the whole thing over her shoulder without getting stung.The kwamis went back to their hiding spots as Marinette passed through the front gate again. The guard paid her no mind, possibly thinking she was just a young girl keeping the graves clean. She walked through the town without anyone paying her any mind until she made it back to the Papillon city gates. She paid the man that looked after her horse and wrapped the nettles up further to keep it from rubbing against the animal. Then she mounted her horse and left the city once more to go back through the marsh. The kwamis flew around her, and with their guide as well as the light of the full moon, they made their journey back to the cottage with the final first step to breaking the curses..~*~*~*~*~*~
----- CHAPTER BREAK -----
Chapter 13: The First Cloak
.~*~*~*~*~*~Marinette stepped away from her progress and hurried over to the bucket of cool water she kept on the porch. Every bit of her hands felt like it was on fire right now. Her fingers were so swollen that she could hardly bend them, and there were little bumps all around her palms and wrists where the nettle fibers were digging in. It almost felt too painful to dip into the water bucket. Once she finally did, and her skin got over the shock of the sudden temperature change, there was an easing relief that made the pain more tolerable.She wished she'd had the foresight to purchase a pair of gloves to get he leaves off the nettle stalks. Master Fu hadn't owned any with all the years of labor in his garden toughening him up. No doubt these nettles wouldn't have bothered him in the slightest. Marinette just wasn't use to the burning sting of these plants. She'd stuck herself with sewing needles countless times, but this was different."Are you alright, Marinette?" Tikki asked floating above the seamstress' head.Marinette nodded yes as she tried massaging her hands in the water. Maybe the rubbing will get some of the nettle hairs out."We're sorry, my queen. I wish there was an easier way for you to do that." Pollen said guiltily.Marinette smiled gently at the bee kwami, and pet her little head to show she didn't blame them. They had tried a few different way to get the leaves off. The problem was these grave nettles weren't made the same way as the usual weeds. They had a good inner bark that made them grow tall, but the outer layer she needed to use for the string was more susceptible to breakage, and more fused to the stems so she had to be careful. She tried to use a worn out piece of leather, but it was tearing up the stalk too easily. Next, she tried it with a rag, but it still wasn't working too great. Plus, the stinging hairs were still getting her through the rag. At that point, Marinette had finally had enough and went straight to breaking the stems and leaves off bit by bit with her bare hands. She might feel like she needed to chop off her hands to make the pain stop right now, but at least the stalks were all clean."Maybe you should take a break." Wayzz suggested as he held out a towel for her.Marinette accepted the towel, but shook her head to say that she would keep going. There was still a lot of work that needed to be done before she got to the actual knitting. Right now her hands felt like she shoved them into a wasp nest, but it wouldn't last forever. She was just going to have to get use to it.The seamstress made it back inside to find the kwamis had continued on without her. While they weren't permitted to handle anything to do with the cloaks, they still did a part by taking care of the other bits of the plant. Plagg, Nooroo, and Duusu gathered all the leaves to put them into a basket. With a quick boil and cooling to get rid of the sting, the leaves were valuable for making different dishes. Or if she let them dry out, Marinette can make a nice tea with honey."Look, Marinette, we gathered all the seeds for you." Trixx called out with Wayzz and Pollen showing her the bag filled with their hard work.Tikki had the great idea to have more than one crop to harvest from. If Marinette planted the seeds near Master Fu's grave, as well as bury the remains of any game she hunts, it would give the soil the right nutrients for the grave nettle seeds to grow. It was also in a good open spot with some partial shade from the yew tree, so it would get plenty of moonlight. If this plan worked, Marinette could harvest from her home, and then give the field in Papillon more time to grow more. This might even cut her time to make the cloaks in half. Even though there was still plenty of work to get done, having more than enough materials always felt comforting to her. It was like she always said in her tailor shop; there was no such thing as too many supplies."Pleh... Blagh... Disgusting... And it Burns!" Plagg cried out suddenly with his tongue hanging out. Marinette turned to him quickly to find him spitting out the remains of a raw leaf that rested on the floor. Did he really try to eat that?"I told you that was a bad idea, Plagg." Nooroo said with his paws crossed, not bothering to feel sorry for the black cat."Bu Teehee sa I coo eaa eehh..." Plagg tried to say with his tongue sticking out, which had already doubled in size from the swelling."I said you had to prepare it right, then you can eat it. Why don't you ever listen, you stupid stinky sock!?" Tikki shouted angrily at the deity of destruction."I mm no doopid..." Plagg said glaring back at the little bug."This is why you should stick to cheese." Tikki sighed, choosing to take pity on her friend. She reached over and petted his head. "Don't worry, it'll wear off in a little while.""Dis Suss!" Plagg tried to cry out, but ended up making a raspberry noise with his enlarged tongue.The rest of the group, Marinette included, were trying really hard not to laugh at the poor kwami. Even Tikki was biting her lip to keep it all in while Plagg tried to wipe off any remaining residue with his paws. Marinette thought she should help a bit by putting some water into a bowl. Plagg accepted the bowl and dipped his tongue into the water, blowing bubbles of relief. At this point, not one could hold it in anymore and let themselves laugh away. Marinette still had to restrain herself because she was still holding the bowl.Once everything calmed down, Marinette got back to work. She lined up several off the stalks evenly on the floor, and started stepping on the stalks. With each step, she heard a satisfying crunch under her feet. This was allowing the stalk to loosen up and separate the outer layer from the bark-like insides. When she didn't hear as much crunching, Marinette took a stalk and bent it to split it open and peel off the outer skin into strands. She then continued splitting the strands until they made nice small ribbons. The kwamis explained that she didn't have to break them all down to the fine fibers, the grassy ribbons were perfect. The rougher the string, the better to break their seal, they said.When she finished that stalk, she moved on to the rest of the batch on the floor until she had a good handful of ribbons. She lined them all into a bunch and hung them out to dry a bit on the hooks where they kept other herbs. The process was repeated until her whole harvest was made into ribbons.By that time the first batch she made was dried enough, Marinette started to twist it into string. Taking a couple of ribbons and folding it in half, she twisted one end a bit, crossed it with the other, and twisted the second end to cross it again. And that was the start of it. Just twist and cross, twist and cross until she was close to the end of the ribbons and added more to keep it at the same strength. Twist and cross, twist and cross again. She kept going until she had to go for another batch that was dried and kept going, making a continued long nettle string."That's coming along greatly, Marinette." Tikki praised her holder's progress. Already she had several yards of string."How much do you think this is going to make?" Plagg asked looking at the rest of the harvest."Hmmm, I guess if Marinette sticks to a simple knit, this batch might make one cloak." The bug kwami took a calculated guess."Only one!?" Duusu and Pollen both whined."Don't worry, friends, this is only the start of Marinette's work." Wayzz said calmly.The kwamis continued to watch Marinette twisting until they got bored and went on to do something else. The seamstress worked continuously, only getting up to retrieve another batch that was done drying. After a few hours, Tikki finally told her to stop and eat something. It was just as well since she had to check on the animals afterwards. She had a slice of bread with some butter while looking around the grounds to make sure all the animals were safe and still fed. Then she got back to work with the string knowing that everything was still in order.Not that she had to worry too much with her little friends around. Each kwami took turns watching the barn and the garden, only pulling her away from the nettles when it was necessary. Trixx and Wayzz kept an eye on the sheep and chickens, while Pollen and Nooroo looked after the garden. The rest of them decided to help make dinner for everyone when it got late enough. Tikki couldn't move too far away from Marinette or the earrings, but she helped supervise Duusu and Plagg as they used the nettle leaves to make some soup."Is this enough, Sugarcube?" Plagg asked as he finished up chopping some celery and onions with a small knife."Yep, that's plenty. Now we need some shallots." Tikki answered while shredding up some freshly washed nettle leaves. Pollen, Nooroo, Trixx and Wayzz came back into the house at that point. Nooroo joined Plagg as he was gathering all the vegetables for the pot while the rest continued to watch Marinette work."One Potato, two potato, three potato, four..." Duusu sang rolling the golden spuds to the cutting board. "Four potatoes for the Soup, Do we need some more?"Tikki giggled at the peacock's antics. "Hehehe, no I think that will be enough, Duusu. We just need to dice these up, too.""What about the cream?" Nooroo asked carrying a small jar of thyme. "All we have is sheep's milk. Will that be okay for the recipe?""Well, you don't have to add the cream, that's mostly for texture." Tikki answered. "But we can just use some of the butter instead.""Great, I think that's everything." Plagg announced looking at all the ingredients and what was in the pot already.Tikki looked everything over in agreement, and went back over to Marinette. She could see that the seamstress was almost done with making the string with the ribbons she had. Within the next day she could start on the first cloak. The kwami felt she had done enough for today and flew up to give her a kiss on the cheek."Marinette, why don't you help us with dinner? We need to put some water in the pot to boil, and then we can add the ingredients." she informed the young woman.Marinette carefully set the end she was twisting down, and moved the bundle of string over to the side. She would have to roll all this string up into a skein so it wouldn't get tangled. At least the ends weren't unraveling when she let go, so that proved she was doing it right. There was about one batch left for her to twist, so she should be able to get it done after supper. She got up and observed the kwamis preparations. Everything she needed to make the soup was diced up and ready for her to throw in the pot. She started with some seasonings and butter to sauté some of the vegetables before putting in the water and bring to a boil. After some simmering, they added the remaining ingredients, nettles included, and Marinette tested the broth by adding some sheep's milk like Nooroo suggested, which helped to make it creamier. Within the hour, the nettle soup was ready for everyone to partake in. Marinette served the soup into tiny little clay bowls Master Fu made for the kwamis before filling her own."This looks delicious." Pollen said sniffing the soup.All the kwamis agreed saying something similar. Marinette held up her bowl to signal everyone to enjoy as she took a spoon to test it out herself. The taste, to her, felt like something similar to spinach. Add that with the flavor of the seasonings and vegetables, it had a wonderful creamy zip to it. As she devoured the dish, she couldn't help but think of all the different recipes she could try to make with the nettle. Maybe if she caught some fish, she could try replicating her father's spinach salmon quiche recipe. The flavor wouldn't be the same, but it might be close. She should surprise this idea with the kwamis. Right now they were all slurping away at the delicious soup. Some of them even went back for seconds."It's amazing how that painful weed can make such a delectable dish." Wayzz said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin."It makes a great sauce for camembert, too." Plagg said dipping a wedge of cheese into his bowl. Marinette stared in wonder thinking he must think the soup is really good to want to alter his favorite food that way."I wanna try the tea with honey next." Pollen said as she licked the bowl clean."Me too." Nooroo agreed.Marinette nodded to the kwamis that she would try that next, and they finished with their meal. Once the dishes were finished, Marinette made one last round outside to check on the animals. Then she got herself ready for bed before going back to the ribbons and finish the string with the last of the ribbons she had. Her hands felt very rough after she tied off the ends. She left a little bit untwisted so she would be able to tie together some more when she had more nettle plants. She would have to make another trip into town shortly if she wanted to keep up the same pace. She wanted to keep going and roll up the string, but she was fighting to keep her eyes open."You can stop for today, Marinette. You've done enough." Tikki said landing on her tired hands. She could easily see how exhausted her holder was.Marinette fought against a yawn and decided the ladybug kwami was right. She can keep going in the morning after her chores. The kwamis helped her put away what they needed to, bolted the door, and felt the fire one last log to warm the cabin up. Marinette fell asleep by the time her head touched the pillow, and the rest of the kwamis smiled down at her before joining her into dreamland..* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *"Your Royal Highness, please reconsider..." Viscount Robert Roth was making one final attempt to plead his case about remaining on the tax collections."My decision is final, Viscount. You shall no longer be assisting the accountants. Be thankful I don't see to it that you are criminally charged." Adrien said, putting a stop to the man's groveling.He had spent the past week looking over all the records and reworked the financials to put the city back on track. With the help of the king's advisor, and the reports he got from Nino and Alya going through town, it looked like the numbers were finally starting to make sense. Now it was just the matter of relieving the viscount from causing anymore damage, but he and the Lady Rossi were not making it easy."My dear prince," Lila spoke up beside him. "Please do not place all the blame on the viscount. This was my fault as well.""I'm aware of that, Lila, but this is a situation that requires more than an apology. My people have suffered, and they're going to expect repercussions." Adrien wasn't going to be swayed by the lady's dramatics. Nino, Alya and Nathalie were all in the room with them, but they stayed in the background so as not to interfere with his judgement."Then perhaps the viscount can continue working beside the accountants, free of charge, of course." Lila suggested, and gave Roth a quick look to be silent before he had a chance to protest. "In fact, he should donate some of his fortune to those in need. I shall even take it upon myself to give the people anything I can. Like you said, I'm going to be queen one day, I should always give more than I take."Adrien thought about it for a moment, and decided this was the best scenario to take. "I will allow this, but I expect a full report of your accomplishments. I will also be assigning some of the accountants to double check everything. And I better not see something like this happen again.""Of course, my love." Lila planted a kiss on the prince's cheek. Adrien allowed it, but did nothing to reciprocate."But my lord..." Roth tried to make an argument again, but Lila ran up to stand next to him and take his arm."Come, Viscount Roth, we have so much to get done." She nearly dragged him out of the room before he could say another word, leaving the small group alone in the office."I'm glad that she owned up to her mistakes." Alya said trying to break the ice first."I would rather she never made such a mistake in the first place. Who knows what could've happened if we hadn't caught it when we did." Adrien responded as he leaned back in the chair and tried to rub some of the stress off his face."Relax, man, everything turned out alright." Nino said trying to ease his friend. "It's a good thing you and Lila went shopping that day.""Yeah, super lucky." Adrien sighed. He hadn't truly wanted to go with Lila that day, but now he was grateful for it. Any day further, and the people might not have been willing to listen to him."Speaking of lucky, can you tell us more about this Ladybug woman that saved a little girl?" Alya asked hoping the prince would have more information. She had heard several rumors about the heroine wearing a ladybug cape, and that she spoke to the prince himself about the injustice the sheriff was causing. One rumor spoke about how she fought Sheriff Adolphe and kicked his butt into a pile of horse dung. Alya desperately wished that one was at least true."I'm afraid I know just as much as you do, Alya. This Ladybug disappeared before I had a chance to talk to her." Adrien smiled, sorry to disappoint his friend."Maybe we can all get another chance to see her the next time we go into town." Nino suggested. It had been quite a while since they spent a day together as friends."That would be nice." Adrien agreed while closing up some of the files, then turned to the advisor. "Is there anything else I need to look over, Nathalie?""That was the last of the state papers, sir, but this report was just given to me from the physicians. It's about your father." Nathalie said as she held out the folder to him nervously.A grim feeling washed over the prince, and he was hesitant to take the paper.Nathalie took this as a sign that maybe the prince wanted to be alone before reading it. "Shall I clear the room, sir?""No, Nathalie, they can stay. I trust them." he smiled sadly at his friends before finally opening the report. He took a moment to skim through the physicians notes before reaching the end. The results written down left a frustrated scowl on his face. "Diagnosis: Inconclusive! What is that suppose to mean!?""It's the doctor's fancy way of saying they have no idea what's wrong." Alya commented."How can they not know!?" Adrien got up form his seat and started pacing the room.They didn't tell the people how sick the king actually was, and Adrien worried about his father's lack of recovery. Some days he seemed to be getting better, and then all the sudden there was a relapse. He had listened closely to the physicians when they examined Gabriel's symptoms. His lungs were clear, yet it seemed like he had trouble breathing, and there was a continuous cough. His heart didn't sound abnormal, but for some reason it was weak. He also had trouble keeping food down, so it was even harder for him to keep his strength up. The doctors thought perhaps the illness was related to the one the royal advisor suffered from, but Nathalie's symptoms didn't match. She had also been able to recover on her own in a shorter amount of time, this illness continued to linger."I don't understand it. They're suppose to be the best doctor's in Papillon. How can they not help their king!?" Adrien said agitated. It was taking everything in him to not collapse in front of his friends."Adrien, new diseases happen every day." Nino reached over to place a hand on the prince's shoulder. "They can't know about ones they've never faced before.""I know, I know. It's just so frustrating that we can't figure out a way to help my father." Adrien sighed accepting Nino's comfort. "We've tried medicines and bloodletting to help his heart, but it hasn't been improving. And it's so hard for him to keep things down, he's never going to fight this on his own if he can't eat.""Perhaps if we restrict him to simple broths and teas, his body won't rebel against it." Nathalie suggested."Ummm, Adrien?" Alya held a hand up nervously."What is it, Alya?" he looked at her."Is it possible... I mean, have the doctor's looked into the possibility of... poisoning?" she struggled to say the word out loud."Yes, we have." Adrien said, slightly disappointed that poison wasn't the answer.It was actually the first cause the prince and the advisor suspected. They ran each meal given to the king with three different taste testers, and nothing happened. They also tested the health of several people that had the same meal, or at least the same ingredients, for the possibility of a blameless contamination such as rotten meat, or maybe even rodents. There was still nothing to indicate the cause of the king's failing health."What if this is just like my mother all over again? Something that can't be cured?" Adrien asked hopelessly."No, Adrien, don't think like that. There has to be something we can do." Alya said hoping to find another answer. "Maybe Nathalie has the right idea. All we have to do is help him keep some food down, and maybe he'll get better on his own.""Perhaps." Adrien went back to his desk to pick up the book about herbal remedies. He had been reading this in his free time hoping to find an answer. He handed the book to the advisor. "Nathalie, I want you go into town, and ask a few apothecaries for some medicine ideas. For right now, let's focus on ones that can help his heart and fight nausea so he can keep some food down.""Yes, your highness. I shall step out into town right away." Nathalie obeyed, ready to head out the door before Nino stopped her."Wait, ma'am, why don't we help you look as well? We can cover more ground that way." he volunteered."That might be a good idea. There's only a handful of apothecaries in town. It would look less suspicious if you only looked at one or two. No one would think twice about Nino and I browsing in the others." Alya agreed."She's right, the less people that know how bad my father is, the better." Adrien picked up a pen and parchment. "I'll make a list for each of you on what could be useful.""Very good, sir." Nathalie nodded."We won't let you down, Adrien." Nino and Alya said together, making the prince smile at there loyalty as he started writing down the list..* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *Several people stopped what they were doing to get a glimpse at the famous Ladybug that was finally being seen walking through the streets. Dressed in her dark clothes with the bright red cape with black spots, it was just as the rumors had said. She had a throw bag over her shoulder filled with something, and seemed to be browsing at several different stores. No one walked up to try and speak to her, and the shop owners left her to her own business, waiting for her to speak first. Of course, none of them knew that she couldn't do that. Many of them just observed and marveled at the mysterious heroine.Marinette could feel all the eyes starring at her and wasn't sure if all this attention was a good thing. She guessed she must have been the real talk of the town after she saved that little girl. Starring or not, she was grateful everyone was at least keeping their distance. She also felt comfortable knowing that Tikki and Plagg were with her right now. The other kwamis had stayed behind to look after the house, much of them were still in shock when she ran out of supplies. Marinette smiled, still remembering the looks on their faces when she went through the nettle string so fast. Though she had never before now made string from scratch, the knitting she could have done blindfolded, with one hand. It still took a couple more days between her usual chores, and she had to get the hang of it with the string being rougher than normal yarn. Once she got the technic started, the rest was easy. Using up the whole line made about a quarter to a third of the first cloak, giving her a good estimate of what the rest is going to take. If she gets double the harvest this time, it might be enough to finish it. Hopefully, with the supply in the field being bountiful and the seeds she planted by Master Fu's grave grow within the next few weeks, she will have finished the rest in record time.Now there was only a matter of the nettle leaves. Despite making the delicious dishes for the past couple days, there was no way she and the kwamis were going to tolerate eating that constantly. So, they had the bright idea to sell some of the leaves to an apothecary to make tea and medicine. Which was why she was walking through town right now, other than getting more nettle stalks. Plus, it would be a good idea for her to earn some extra coin instead of only relying on trade, just in case. She stepped into the shop of one of her old friends, the smell of several herbs and flowers wafting into her nose. There was also the strong smell of bees' wax and honey. It was just like Marinette remembered it. The shop owners not only made good remedies, but they were also beekeepers with the best honey and candles to sell. Marinette could see there was already a customer waiting in the center, so she decided to look around a bit before getting to her own business.A curtain in the back was pulled aside to reveal a small, plump woman with several braids in her hair and flowers in all her pockets."Hello and welcome. What can I interest you in today?" The shop owner, Mylene, asked the waiting customer."I'm looking for some medicines." A woman answered simply.Marinette let herself walk around the several shelves filled with all sorts of herbs and fungus as she listened to the customer. Right now she was out of sight for the other two people in the shop."How can I help you, ma'am?" Mylene asked."I was hoping to discuss finding a remedy for... a friend. He hasn't been feeling very well." The woman spoke carefully, like she did not wish to give too much away. Marinette didn't give much thought to it while the owner inquired on the customer."Say, aren't you...?" Mylene started to ask, but was interrupted."I am, but I would like to keep this business as quiet as possible." Now that voice was really starting to sound familiar to the seamstress."There's been a lot of talk around town. Is it about... his majesty?" the shopkeeper whispered as softly as she could.Marinette was still able to hear her, however, and the question made her stop in her tracks. She took a peek through the glass jars to see the customer was none other than Nathalie Sancoeur."I'm under orders from the prince to search for anything that can help the king, but he would like to keep how serious it is out of the public knowledge." The royal advisor said sternly, more or less giving the shopkeeper an order that she is never to repeat what happens in her shop.Marinette kept herself hidden away, mostly because she didn't want to get into trouble, but also because she wanted more information about the king. Gabriel had the best doctors in Papillon at his disposal. So, for the advisor to be browsing around an apothecary for the king felt like a very bad omen. Did this mean that he wasn't getting any better? And what did this mean for Adrien?"O-of c-course, ma'am, I understand. C-can you tell me his... Umm, I mean, can you tell me the patient's symptoms?" Mylene asked timidly."There doesn't seem to be a fever, but there is a cough. His body is weak, and he can't keep anything down." Nathalie named off a few.Mylene thought about it for a moment. "Well, it doesn't sound like anything sickness I'm familiar with. Is it possible there is another reason behind it?""We have looked into other probable causes, but nothing has been proven yet." Nathalie answered."Oh, well, the symptoms do sound a bit like arsenic, and if you have someone tasting the food, the effects wouldn't happen right away." Mylene tried to reason."Again, we have looked into it, and the results were the same. Right now we are just focusing on keeping his strength up, but he has to be able to eat first.""Very well, ma'am. I have a few remedies that help with nausea, maybe I can come up with some teas to help settle his stomach." Mylene started looking through several jars of herbs.Marinette listened to the conversation very carefully and came to a certain conclusion on her own. She needed to talk to the kwamis right now. She treaded carefully through the shop until she reached a far corner that she knew Mylene wouldn't go to right now. It was where she kept the pest control powders, including arsenic and other poisons. She opened her bag and rubbed her ear to let Tikki and Plagg out, but held a finger to her lips to let them know they had to be quiet."What's going on, pigtails?" Plagg whispered."It sounds like the king is being poisoned." Tikki answered for her, having heard the whole conversation between the advisor and the shop owner."Do you think Lila is a part of it?" the black cat growled under his breath.Marinette nodded her head and pointed to one of the arsenic jars while shaking her head to try and tell them it wasn't an ordinary poison."What do you think it is, Marinette?" Tikki asked as she watched the woman try to mime her theory.Marinette didn't know how to explain that she thought perhaps Lila was using her captured kwami's magic to make the king sick. She first tried waving her fingers at them to indicate something mysterious and sinister was happening. Then she pointed back to the jar while repeatedly tapping her earrings. To put more emphasis, she waved her fingers at her other hand that she pretended was holding a cup, and acted out drinking from the invisible cup. In a final dramatic affect, she stuck her tongue out with her head tilted to the side to imitate death."You think Lila is using Gimmi to use a magical poison on the king?" Plagg asked arching one brow."It is possible." Tikki said grimly. "If that is what's happening, then that means whatever that advisor gets is not going to do any good. A magically made poison is not going to have a cure."The seamstress' heart sank at the information. She thought that maybe Tikki or Plagg would know a way to heal a king. But she supposed if you hurt someone with magic, there wouldn't be a nonmagical way to fix it. The only exception would probably what she was doing right now with the nettle cloaks. That thought sprung an idea in her head. The grave nettles were meant to repel magic, so would that mean it could repel magical poison? Marinette reached into the bag to take out a handful of leaves and show them to the kwamis. She held it in front of them, desperately hoping they would understand her question of if it would work."Yeah, you could use the nettles." Tikki said, but she didn't sound sure of herself. "But you need to understand, Marinette, this wouldn't be a permanent cure. If the king eats the nettles, it will help him fight it and he would last a little longer, but the only way for him to be completely healthy again is if Lila, or someone else with Gimmi, wishes for him to be better."That felt like a good enough answer to her, so she put the leaves back in the bag and encouraged the kwamis back in their hiding spots. She quietly made her way back to the front of the shop where Mylene was still trying to offer different remedies to the advisor. So far, Nathalie was rejecting everything the small woman had to offer because it was either something they had already tried, or something she knew wasn't going to work."Perhaps it would help to give him a sleeping draft. If he has a good rest, then maybe that will help his body settle down and he could gain an appetite again." Mylene said as she looked for some lavender and chamomile."Perhaps, but I would still like to have something for his nausea, just in case." Nathalie agreed.Marinette felt this was a good moment to make herself known, and walked up to the two women with her bag full of nettle leaves in her hands."Oh, hello and welcome, miss. I'll be with you in a moment, I just have to finish with this customer here." Mylene addressed her, thinking the young woman must have just walked into the store without her realizing it.Marinette waved her hand to show it was no trouble, but then turns her attention to Nathalie. The advisor wasn't looking at her at first, so she took the initiative and tapped her on the shoulder. Nathalie turned to her and looked her up and down, rather disinterested in the woman trying to speak to her."Can I help you?" she asked politely.Since she couldn't speak, Marinette did the first thing she could think of and bowed to the advisor respectfully. She then held out her back for the older woman to inspect."What is this?" Nathalie asked, but the woman in the red cape didn't answer. She merely held out the bag for her to take. She decided to humor her and took the bag to open up, only to find it full of some sort of leaf. Nathalie wasn't sure what to make of the offering. "Do you expect me to do something with this?"Again, the young woman did not answer. She did a deep curtsy to the advisor, pointed to the bag, and then made a gesture of putting something on her head, like a hat."Can you not speak?" Nathalie asked, getting a little impatient.Marinette could see it as well, and tried to explain it again by looking around the shop. There was a set of crystals on a table, one of them with several spikes like a pointed crown. She supposed that would be close enough. She picked up the crystal, held it on top of her head with one hand, and pointed back to the bag of nettles with the other. Nathalie looked back and forth from the bag to the woman trying to decipher the message.Mylene seemed to be the one to figure it our first. "Ma'am, I believe she's trying to say she wishes to offer her bag to the king."The seamstress pointed to Mylene and nodded her head to say she was right."What purpose could a bunch of leaves serve?" Nathalie sighed more irritated this time.Realizing the advisor probably didn't recognize the plant, Marinette reached over to take some of the leaves out, and handed them over to Mylene for her to inspect. Nathalie took a good look at her while she did this, and realized that the woman was wearing a red cape with black spots on it. Was this the famous Ladybug she had heard so much about?She was broken out of her thought when the shopkeeper made a gasp of recognition at what she was given. "Oh, this is stinging nettle!"The young woman, Ladybug apparently, nodded again that Mylene was correct, and the shopkeeper continued to explain it to the advisor. "This plant is great for making teas and soups, and it's not too strong to it would probably be the best thing to help the king.""You are certain this will help?" Nathalie asked for confirmation."Absolutely! Whatever is ailing his majesty, at the very least this will help him get his strength back. Plus, if this is a matter of poison, the nettles would help to get it cleaned out of his system." Mylene started to name off the properties, but then slapped a hand to her mouth when she realized she had just started talking about the king in front of a stranger when she had just been ordered not to."It's alright. Her offering this must mean she heard our conversation beforehand." Nathalie said noticing her panic, then turned her attention to the silent woman. "Tell me, are you the one known as Ladybug?"Marinette nodded yes, deciding this would be the best identity for her right now rather than the exiled baker's daughter that no one remembers."I've heard quite a few things about you. It seems you are quite generous in committing selfless acts." she commented as she watched Mylene empty the back to put the leaves into a basket. "I shall accept your offer to the king, and am willing to pay both you and the shop for the product.""Oh no, ma'am, you should only pay Miss Ladybug here. It is her trade after all." Mylene tried to decline."Perhaps, but think of it as compensation for you not gaining it as a profit. I believe this shall cover the both of you." The advisor handed several coins to both women, leaving them a little slack jawed, but she wasn't done yet. "Should your offering prove to be fruitful, I trust that you will continue with your original plan of selling to the shopkeeper so that I may retrieve some more for the king?""Absolutely, I'd be happy to continue business with both of you." Mylene said, then addressed Ladybug. "You can bring back some more nettle leaves whenever you are able, then I'll send for the advisor to pick them up.""Very well." Nathalie agreed while taking out a few more coins for the two of them. "Please also consider this a separate reward. For your services to the crown, and for your silence. The fewer that know about the true nature of the king's health, the better.""Yes, of course. You have my word, Mademoiselle Sancoeur." Mylene bowed again, and Marinette ran a finger across her lips to show they were sealed. Not that she could tell anyone if she wanted to, anyway."Very good. Also, Miss Ladybug, I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the palace. I'm sure his royal highness, Prince Adrien, would very much like to meet you himself." Nathalie inquired. She was sure the prince would be more than happy to see the rumored hero of the town, much more now considering she was also helping his father.Marinette wanted to accept, but it was too dangerous. She couldn't risk Lila catching wind of her when she was trying to work on the nettle cloaks. No matter how desperately she wanted to see Adrien, it was best if she stayed clear of him right now. She hoped Nathalie wouldn't say anything to Lila about giving her the nettle leaves. Maybe she will just say that she got them from the shop, and leave it at that. She tried to say as much to the advisor by holding a hand to her finger to keep things quiet."You wish to remain anonymous?" Nathalie guessed, and Ladybug nodded yes. "Very well, shall I at least tell the prince of your deeds?"She didn't see the harm in it as long as he didn't see her, so Ladybug said yes again and made one final bow before leaving the store. This whole experience felt very productive. The shopkeeper will make a good profit, and Marinette makes a good use out of the nettle plants, beside the cloaks, that will be secretly helping the king. Hopefully this will keep Lila from hurting the royal family for a while longer, and give her more time. She made it through several shops to finish getting some supplies before making it back to the field once more to harvest more nettles and continue her work..~*~*~*~*~*~