Marinette stared at herself in the full-length mirror that leaned against the wall. She wore a baby pink gown embroidered with white flowers, and her blue hair hung in two loose braids that fell almost to her waist. Her makeup was slightly smeared from rubbing her eyes in nervousness, but she hoped no one would notice.
"Hurry, or you'll be late!" her mother called from outside the door. Marinette quickly pulled on a navy blue shawl, grabbed her handbag, and hurried out to the front room of her house.
"How do I look?" she asked her parents, who stood next to each other, admiring their daughter.
"Beautiful, honey, but come on, you don't want to be late to the prince's ball!"
Marinette kissed both of her parents on the cheek and rushed out the door. Her family wasn't rich enough to get her a carriage, so she would have to walk. She didn't mind. The autumn air was cool and crisp, but not so much that she was cold. It hadn't rained for a while, so there was no danger of dirtying her soft pink slippers, which were so thin that she could feel the gravelly road beneath her feet, which wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It would be good to stay on her toes when she was dancing. If, she thought, she was lucky enough to be asked to dance.
Her handbag rattled. Marinette opened it, and out popped a tiny, cherry-red face, and two wide eyes to go with it. "Don't worry Tikki, I'm sure there will be plenty of sweets at the ball," she said to her kwami. On the outside, Marinette was just a normal girl with a normal life, but there was something about her that no one knew. About a year ago, she'd found a mysterious box in her bedroom. Inside were a pair of earrings that looked completely ordinary, but really had the power to turn Marinette into Ladybug, a superhero that magically showed up whenever there was any kind of trouble, and defeated all evil with the help of her dorky partner, Chat Noir.
However, it was really all Tikki, who was responsible for turning ordinary Marinette into majestic Ladybug. "Just remember Marinette, if there's any trouble you have to get away as soon as possible, even if you're dancing with the prince!"
"Of course. Hide!" Marinette told her tiny friend as she bounced up the steps of the palace, so excited that she was skipping steps. She tried not to look as amazed as she was at the brilliantly decorated room, but couldn't help staring at the brightly colored tapestries on the walls, the crystal chandelier, and even the dark blue velvet carpet on the floor.
Since she wasn't a noble, she didn't have to be introduced to everyone, so she stepped quietly into the ballroom, her eyes scanning for her two best friends, Alya and Nino. She found them on the other side of the room, talking to a tomato-haired boy that, as always, held a small stack of paper and a charcoal pencil.
"Hello, Nathanael."
"Oh! Hi Marinette! I didn't know you be here tonight," he stuttered, which was ridiculous, because she'd told him just yesterday that she hoped to see him at the ball. He was in love with her, and she knew that since she had no chance with the prince, she would probably have to marry him.
Adrien crouched in the small space behind the tapestry and peeked out at all the guests at the ball. He hated making appearances at public events, and he often wished he had a sibling that could be announced first, but he wasn't that lucky.
"Cheer up, kid. It won't be so bad. Maybe Ladybug will be there," said a small, black creature with lime green eyes that hovered around Adrien's head. He smiled.
Being a prince wasn't the only thing that separated Adrien from other normal boys. He was also secretly Chat Noir, a superhero that fought of all evil with the help of his true love, Ladybug. Adrien cheered up at the thought that his lady might be there to dance with him.
"Your Highness," called Nathalie, Adrien's assistant, from the other side of the secret passage. She was the only one that knew about his hiding places, and, upon orders, never told anyone, especially his father.
"Coming," said Adrien, sighing and crawling back into the hallway where Nathalie stood waiting. She wore a navy blue overdress with a deep red overdress, and her hair was pulled back in an elegant bun. Adrien was almost sure she was in love with his father, but of course she would never admit it, especially since his father was still grieving the death of his wife, the queen. It had happened over a year ago, but the king had never seemed to have gotten over it, forcing Adrien to become his own support group. He had Plagg, of course, but he only ever seemed to want cheese, which was what energized him so he could turn Adrien into Chat Noir.
"Your father would like you to be announced first. He will join you later. He needs a moment alone."
"Of course he does," Adrien muttered. His father always needed 'a moment alone,' but what could he do? Gabriel was the king, and Adrien only the prince. Nothing.
He walked down the steps, hoping no one would notice his sadness. He looked around at all the guests, and his eyes fell on a girl in a white and pink gown with two long braids of hair so black it looked blue.
They met eyes, and he smiled. Her eyes widened and her cheeks turned a lovely color of pink. Adrien made a mental note to find her and dance with her, and he kept his eyes to the the floor the rest of the way down.
Marinette immediately looked at her best friend, her eyes saying, Did you see that? Alya nodded excitedly. "He likes you! Girl, if he doesn't ask you to dance I'll go crazy."
"Lady Chloe!" The two girls looked to the top of the steps to see a blonde girl in a yellow and white gown waving at the people below her as if they were all commoners coming to see only her. Marinette scowled. The one time she'd encountered Chloe the lady had scoffed at her and pushed her into the muddy road, muttering about how filthy peasants were.
Alya wasn't a fan of her either. "What a brat. She acts like she's a princess, but honestly I don't know anyone who actually likes her."
After all the important nobles had been announced, Alya was whisked away by Nino for a dance, leaving Marinette leaning against the wall, trying to avoid Nathanael so she wouldn't have to dance with him. He was nice and all, but she wasn't in love with him.
"Marinette!"
"Hush, Tikki. There's too many people here," Marinette whispered to her kwami. She stayed against the wall, dodging behind girls in extravagant gowns toward the door to the palace gardens. Once outside, she took a deep breath of the cool air and headed toward the fountain.
She felt her hand being grabbed. Marinette turned around and came face to face with a blond-haired boy in a fancy white and black shirt embedded with yellow, green, and purple jewels. The prince.
The girl gasped when she saw who it was. "Pr-Prince Adrien!" she stuttered. He smirked.
"The one and only. And you are…" he paused, and she opened her mouth to tell him, but he stopped her. "Don't tell me! Hmmm…"
He thought back to a few weeks ago, when he'd been riding through the village for some reason or another. It had been raining, so not many people had been out, but one girl was walking on the road, covering her face and hair with one arm, and holding a loaf of bread wrapped in cloth in the other. For some reason, he'd stopped.
"Your Highness!" she'd said, curtsying.
"What's a lovely girl like you doing on such a rainy day?" he'd asked, handing her the extra umbrella he'd alway kept with him. She took it nervously.
"Well, uh, just bringing this bread to my friend. My parents own a bakery, you see, and-"
"What's your name?" he'd asked.
"Oh, it's, um-"
"Marinette!" Adrien exclaimed triumphantly. "Your name is Marinette."
"Yes, how did you- oh the umbrella! You remembered?" the blue-haired girl blushed.
"Of course I did. Now, you know, this ball is for people to dance, not for people to sit by fountains feeling lonely." He kissed her hand. "May I?"
Marinette nodded, too surprised to say anything. The prince grabbed her hand and led her back inside to the center of the room. She tried to ignore the murmurs coming from around the room, wondering who Prince Adrien was dancing with.
When they passed by Alya and Nino, the brunette girl winked, making Marinette roll her eyes and look to Adrien, who smiled at her. Her legs turned to jelly and she felt herself start to fall, only she was stopped by the prince's strong arms holding her waist.
"I'm guessing you haven't had much experience dancing?" Marinette looked down to hide her embarrassment and shook her head. "That's alright, just hold onto me and you'll be fine."
"Oh. Okay," she managed to say.
"Adrien!" came a voice that Adrien knew all too well. He tried to dance away from the direction it was coming from, but it was impossible to do without running into the other dancers. Chloe didn't seem to mind this, as she pushed through a couple toward Adrien. "You said you would dance with meee!" she whined.
Adrien sighed, and then looked to Marinette, who was also glaring at Chloe, for reasons he suspected went beyond just stealing her dancing partner. "I said I would dance with you, but I didn't say I'd dance with you first. I've already asked Marinette for this dance and the next."
"But she's a filthy peasant! Have you even looked at her hideous dress?"
"I think it's a beautiful dress. I already said no, Chloe. I'll find you later." Chloe scowled at Marinette, then flounced off in the other direction. Adrien turned back to Marinette. "I'm so sorry. She thinks she can be as mean as she wants because she's a noble. Unfortunately I'm probably going to have to marry her."
Marinette squeezed his shoulder, making him look at her face. He was tall enough that she had to look up to meet eyes with him, but he found her shortness comforting. "I'm sure your father will let you marry for love. He loved the queen, did he not? Surely he wouldn't want to take that away from you."
He thought about this. It was true, his father had loved his mother more than anything in the world, and still did, even a year after she had died. The king loved his wife even more than his son, but Adrien chose not to think about that aspect of his father's feelings.
"Adrieeen!"
He turned around. "I told you, Chloe, I-"
Adrien looked for the blonde girl in the yellow gown in the people around him, but instead found her hovering over his head. "I am not Chloe! I am the Queen of Dance!" She flew down toward the ground and started dancing with everyone around her. As soon as she danced with them, they began to disappear, fading away until they were completely invisible.
"I, uh, I think I should go outside for some fresh air. I'm feeling claustrophobic." Adrien turned to Marinette, who had already let go of his hands and was beginning to turn away.
"Oh, okay." Good. Now he wouldn't have to disappoint her when he left to transform into Chat Noir. As soon as the blue-haired girl was out of sight, he bolted for the closest wall, ducking behind a tapestry into the secret tunnels that he used to hide in as a child, and still did.
"Plagg, claws out!"
"Tikki, spots on!"
As soon as she was alone Marinette transformed into her alter-ego Ladybug, flinging her yoyo at the palace and swinging inside.
It wasn't proper for women to wear pants, but both she and Chat Noir wore Robin-Hood-like outfits, though his was black and green, and hers, of course, red with black spots. The kitty was already there, perched above a tapestry and waiting for her.
"Why, hello m'lady. I was hoping I'd see you at this lovely ball here tonight, but it looks like you've got more cat-astrophic things to deal with."
Ladybug rolled her eyes. She had to admit, sometimes his puns were funny, but right now they needed to focus. "Do you have any idea where the akuma could be?"
"In her necklace. But don't let her touch you! Life wouldn't be as claw-some as it is without you, bugaboo."
"Chat!"
"Sorry."
"Ladybug, help!" Marinette looked down to see Alya and Nino running toward the door, with the Queen of Dance hot on their heels. Ladybug flung her yoyo and wrapped it around her two friends, pulling them toward her.
"Put them in here." Chat pulled the tapestry aside to reveal a small crawl space, pushing them inside and then pouncing to the side before the supervillain could dance with him. Ladybug wondered how he knew about the passage behind the tapestry, but shook away the thought. She had more important things to think about.
She threw her yoyo at Chloe who easily dodged it. "You'll never defeat me!" Then she looked around. "Where is Prince Adrien?"
Ladybug suddenly had an idea. "We know where he is!" she shouted. Chat looked at her, alarmed.
"We do?"
"Shut up, Chat." She turned to the Queen of Dance. "We'll take you to Prince Adrien, come with us!" She grabbed her partner and pulled him up the stairs and down the hall. She opened the first door she came to, pulling Chat inside.
"Lucky Charm!"
A key fell into Ladybug's hand. Chat suddenly knew exactly what she was going to do.
"Cataclysm!" he shouted, destroying the one candle that lit the room. He stuck his head out of the door. "Prince Adrien is hidden in here!" he called, then ducked back in. It wasn't a lie. He was, just in a different form.
The Queen of Dance came into the room. She looked around, but it was too dark to see anything. "Where is Adrien?" The door slammed shut, and she ran to it, shaking the doorknob, but it was locked. A yoyo wrapped around her, and her arms were trapped against her sides.
Chat Noir grabbed her necklace and handed it to Ladybug. "For you, m'lady."
"Thanks, kitty." She dropped the necklace on the floor. "Oops," she said, stomping on it. A purple butterfly flew out. "No more evil-doing for you, little akuma. Time to de-evilize!" She caught the akuma in her yoyo, and then opened it up, letting the now white butterfly flutter away. "Miraculous Ladybug!" she yelled, tossing the key into the air and letting it restore everything back to normal.
The Queen of Dance had become Chloe again. "Ladybug? Chat Noir? What am I doing here?"
"You were akumatized," Ladybug explained, "I know you wanted to dance with the prince, but next time, just wait your turn, okay? I'll take you back downstairs." She turned to Chat Noir. "You're about to change back."
"Oh, yeah. See ya." He ducked back into the room moments before he detransformed into Adrien. Plagg flew in circles around his head.
"That was a close one! Go back downstairs where the food is, I need cheese," the kwami groaned. Adrien smiled, tucking Plagg into his shirt and rushing downstairs back to where Marinette was probably waiting, wondering where he'd been all this time.
Ladybug ducked outside behind a bush and destransformed into Marinette. Tikki flew in front of her face. "Marinette, you left Adrien by himself on the dance floor! Go find him!"
"Oh! Thanks, Tikki." The kwami crawled into Marinette's handbag as she rushed back inside. The prince waited in the middle of the room, smiling when he saw her.
"Marinette! I'm so sorry I didn't find you. My bodyguard made me hide upstairs and wouldn't let me go anywhere!" The music had begun again, and people had started dancing. "Shall we?"
"Actually…" Marinette looked over at Lady Chloe, who leaned against the wall by herself, not meeting eyes with anyone who passed by her. "I know someone else who would love to dance with you. Wait here and I'll get her."
Prince Adrien nodded, and Marinette turned and walked toward the girl. "Lady Chloe?"
The blonde looked up. "What do you want?" she asked darkly. Marinette took a deep breath, using all of her willpower to not start yelling at her.
"Actually, the prince wants to dance with you. He's too shy to ask you himself, so he sent me." Chloe raised her eyebrows, and Marinette grabbed her arm, pulling her arm toward where Adrien was waiting in the center of the room. "Plus, you're a much better dancer than me anyway."
She pushed Chloe toward the prince and then leaned against the wall where Chloe had been a few seconds ago, grabbing a few cookies from a table on the way and putting them into her handbag for Tikki.
"Marinette?" She looked up to see Nathanael in front of her. "May I, uh, have this dance?" His face looked so hopeful, so loving. Marinette sighed and took his hand.
"Sure."