EDITED: Updated 02/25/19
~o~0~o~
PROLOGUE
~o~0~o~
"Hǎo yī duǒ měi lì de mò li huā, Hǎo yī duǒ měi lì de mò li huā. Fēn fāng měi lì mǎn zhī yā, yòu xiāng yòu bái rén rén kuā – oh!"
Five-year-old Marinette smiled as she shoved her tiny, hand-picked bouquet into the woman's face. "For you, grandma," she chirped, waving the magnolias and pink chrysanthemums in her tiny fist. "Do you like it?"
Chuckling, the slender, fair-skinned woman smiled as she picked up her granddaughter and place her on her lap, shoving the guzheng to the side. "They're beautiful my little, húdié," she plucked one of the flowers and tucked it behind her ear. "Thank you."
"That word means 'butterfly', right? That's what mama says," Marinette asked, plunking the strings of the guzheng and producing off-key notes.
"Correct. Húdié means 'butterfly' because you are my beautiful, free-spirited little butterfly. Fluttering around the world, enchanting everyone with your beauty and grace," her grandmother cooed.
Marinette laughed as her grandmother, Cheng Xi-Feng, pressed kisses onto her temple. Despite being in her mid-fifties, Xi-Feng possessed the beauty and grace of someone half her age. The elder woman fiddled with her granddaughter's hair, removing her ivory comb to secure her braided bun. All the while, little Marinette was tracing the outline of the embroidered phoenixes along her sleeve.
"What are these birdies?" she asked.
"Those are phoenixes. Powerful birds made of flames that reborn themselves from their ashes," Xi-Feng answered. "They represent the might of the empress. Although…I much prefer the all-mighty dragon as my creature."
Marinette tilted her head as she examined the embroidered animal. Xi-Feng could tell her granddaughter was more interested in the image than its meaning but was eager to indulge her curiosity. Sad that she couldn't have met Xi-Feng's oldest and dearest friend. He was far more knowledgeable about such subjects. She had no doubt that Marinette would have adored him as she had herself.
"When will mommy and daddy come back from their trip outside?" asked Marinette, glancing up at her.
"Once Brother Wang finishes collecting all the ingredients he needs for tonight's feast," replied Xi-Feng. "Well, that and your mother and father were quite adamant about sampling the local delicacies in Beijing. Probably looking for something exotic to serve in their bakery back home."
"Mooncakes!" Marinette suggested. "Ice cream mooncakes!"
Xi-Feng laughed. "Ice cream mooncakes sounds delicious right about now."
On cue, several footsteps were heard running away from the pair, heading towards the western area of the land. Ice cream mooncakes would take a while to be made from the imperial kitchen so Xi-Feng suggested a walk in the garden in order to stretch their limbs. Hand in hand, the pair stepped outside the pavilion and into the jungle of freshly blooming flora.
The Pavilion of Ten Thousand Spring sat at the east of the Imperial Garden – a massive collection of plants both native and non-native to the region of China. Many of the original plants that were cultivated centuries ago encompassed the landscape. Others were gifts from allied nations used as tokens of appeasement and to place a piece of their country within its walls. Newly constructed rivers cut through the paths carrying multiple colored carps throughout the area. Xi-Feng kept a tight grip on Marinette's arm to prevent her from accidentally jumping to see the fishes.
"Careful," Xi-Feng sternly warned. "You wouldn't want to get that lovely daxiushan of yours getting wet."
"I'm careful," she pouted, grabbing a fistful of her skirt in her hands. "Let's go see more of your garden!"
Marinette slipped out of her grandmother's hand and ran down the center path. Xi-Feng shook her head in good nature as she calmly followed the tiny girl. She made a gesture towards her granddaughter and the guard stationed behind the pavilion ran out after her. How fortunate was she to have dozens of guards surrounding the perimeter? Made chasing after an energetic five-year-old much easier.
Up ahead, Marinette lost herself among the flowers and shrubbery. Her attention was captured by a particularly large jasmine shrub growing near an upright rock formation. With its sweet aroma, Marinette tried to climb into the patch, getting down to crawl inside. Unfortunately for the playful child, a large hand on her shoulder halted before she could start crawling
Looming over her, much taller than the jasmine shrub, was one of the men that continuously followed her grandmother. He glanced at her then up towards the jasmine and shook his head. "Non," he said and gently pulled her back out. Marinette sighed but didn't argue. Her grandmother appears in the next moment and thanks in the man in Chinese before dismissing him.
"Was someone doing something naughty?" Xi-Feng gave a playful smile.
Marinette reciprocated that smile. "Maybe~" she replied back in a sing-song tone.
Xi-Feng wagged her finger at her. "Bad girl. Remember, one must always be respectful when in someone else's home. Especially in the gardens."
"I just wanted to see the flowers more closely," Marinette explained as she pointed towards the jasmine bush.
"Even if the flowers are pretty, you can't just go where you like. You have to ask first." Xi-Feng took hold of her granddaughter's hand. "You're just like your mother when she was your age. You even went towards her jasmine patch."
"Those are mommy's flowers?"
Xi-Feng nodded. "Your mother loves jasmine. Planted this bush herself when she was just a bit older than you."
"Did you and mommy plant all these flowers, grandma?"
"No my húdié. Most of these plants have been here long before I was born," Xi-Feng answered. "Cultivated by the most talented gardeners and passed down through generations. Some are gifts, like the frangipani and the bottlebrushes, but most are from our ancestors."
"What about you?" Marinette asked, gently pulling at her grandmother's arm. "Did you plant something?"
"Yes, China roses. Would you like to see?"
Marinette squealed and rapidly nodded her head. She all but dragged her grandmother towards a random direction in search of the roses until Xi-Feng led her down the correct path. The Gate of Earthly Tranquility separated the garden from the palace of the same name as well as the rest of the city. Its stone and brick walkway overflowed with decorative shrubbery. Leading up to the stairs were two brightly colored pink shrubs that more resembled fireworks shooting outwards than normal plants.
Once Xi-Feng pointed them out, Marinette raced over towards them. The elder woman smiled as her granddaughter gently touch the flowers and smell them. So carefree, so innocent, turning back to her and motioned for her grandmother to join her. Moments like these made Xi-Feng forget the burden of her position.
Spending time with Marinette, swapping stories with Sabine and her husband, it gave her a sense of normalcy. As though she was just a normal mother and grandmother having her daughter's family coming over to visit. But those illusions were quickly shattered by the appearance of a guard circling the area or a group of servants coming over with golden platters.
'One must never forget who they are,' Xi-Feng thought as she picked a chocolate mooncake from the tray. 'Or what they possess.'
She glanced at her granddaughter happily eating her treat. 'Best thing I can do is keep my distance from them. Make it easier for them to live without fear.'
After finishing their snacks, Xi-Feng sent the servants away while she was left along with her granddaughter among the plants. "You're lucky that you have your own garden, grandma," remarked Marinette. "All we have are the potted plants on the roof at our house."
"Oh don't be so upset. I'm sure those plants are just as lovely," Xi-Feng replied.
"Nuh-uh! They're really tiny and your flowers are so big!" Marinette threw her hands up in exclamation.
Xi-Feng giggled before leaning closer. "Do you want to know a secret? I used magic to make all the plants here grow bigger."
"Really?" Marinette eyes grew wide.
"Oh yes. You see I had a friend," she whispered. "He was a dragon!"
"A dragon…" Marinette looked at her in amazement. She glanced around and pointed at the bronze statue depicting the creature. "Like that one?"
"Oh no! You see, my dragon wasn't big or angry-looking like that one. He was actually really, really tiny. No bigger than a mouse," Xi-Feng used her thumb and pointing finger to give a height of a few inches. "He was red with glowing yellow eyes and horns all over his head."
"He sounds scary…but he's really tiny?" Marinette pursed her lips in confusion. Obviously, she couldn't comprehend an often vicious-looking creature being so small.
"He was actually very kind and helpful. He was my best friend," Xi-Feng gave a wistful smile but it faded away. "Sadly, he had to leave me a few years ago."
"Why? Did he move away?" Marinette asked.
"In a way…" she answered before she composed herself. "But he helped with a lot of things. Like my garden. When I was your age, he would use his magic to make the flowers enormous! We would play and explore and he very good at playing hide and seek. He would always find me but I could never find him. The two of us would just play among the green for days on end."
"He sounds nice. I wish I could have met him," her granddaughter smiled.
"Yes, I wish you could have," Xi-Feng agreed.
"Xi-Feng nǚhuáng," the two turned around to see a bowing attendant at the top of the steps, her eyes never leaving the ground, "Zhèngfǔ guānyuán yāoqiú nǐ chūxí."
"Hěn hǎo. Nǐ kěyǐ líkāi," replied Xi-Feng.
The attendant bowed again before returning towards the entrance doors of the palace. Rising up, Xi-Feng held out her hand towards her granddaughter. "It seems I've been called to yet another boring meeting."
"Aww, but you just had a meeting this morning!" whined Marinette, stomping her feet. "You even missed papa's famous pancakes!"
"I know, I know," Xi-Feng rubbed her granddaughter's shoulders in an attempt to placate her. "But you know I cannot miss these meetings. It's part of my job."
"But you never have enough time to spend with me and mom," tears of frustration collected in the corners of the little girl's eye.
"'Mother and I,'" corrected Xi-Feng. "And you know there is nothing I want more than to see you every day and to spend all my time with you. But as long as I'm in China, I must fulfill my duties with the government."
"Then come to Paris with me!" Marinette concluded. "If you have to do all that boring stuff when you're in China then you can come live with me and mommy and papa in Paris! Our gardens are just as nice as yours."
Xi-Feng, giving a weak smile, shook her head. "I'm afraid it doesn't work that way, my dear."
"Why not?!" Marinette was getting more and more frustrated. "You have a plane. Can't you just fly out?"
"My húdié, you don't know how many times I've wished I could get on a plane, whether it be mine or commercial, to go visit you in Paris," began Xi-Feng.
"Then why don't you?" Marinette lips quivered.
"I wish I could explain it to you, my dear, truly I do," stated Xi-Feng, "But you're too young to completely understand the gravity of the situation. I can't leave China freely. The government won't allow it. I'm too important to abandon my post. People will notice if I was gone. They'll start searching and they'll discover you and your mother."
"Why is that so bad?" Marinette didn't understand why she couldn't tell people who her grandmother was. Sabine had forbidden her from ever speaking about her grandmother with other people.
"You can mention you have a grandma, but you can't tell anyone about her," her mother had told her, "Just tell them that she lives in China."
"Why are mom and me a secret?"
"Mom and I," corrected Xi-Feng, "And you'll understand when you're older."
"Why can't you tell me now?" mumbled Marinette.
Xi-Feng kissed Marinette on the top of her head before picking her up and carrying in her arms. "Marinette, we don't tell you these things to hurt you, we just want to protect you. I know it doesn't seem this way for now, but as you get older and wiser, you'll finally understand."
"…okay," Marinette replied dejectedly.
With her granddaughter in tow, Xi-Feng crossed the threshold into the gates, her servants and bodyguards not too far behind. "Don't worry. One day, we'll both be free of these burdens and we can visit each other freely. You'll see."
"When?"
"…soon, hopefully."
~o~0~o~
"One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Lift your chin! Back straight!" ordered the tight-faced older woman, dressed in all black. She used her cane to lightly tap underneath Marinette's chin upwards. "Good. Now repeat the steps."
"Yes, Lian lǎo shī," replied Marinette, fixing her ballet slippers before returning to the starting position.
"From the top," commanded Madame Lian before turning to the nearby musician holding a pipa lute. "Start."
Just as the music flowed from the strings, everything was halted by three sharp raps at the door. Lian huffed indignantly allowing the visitor to enter. A young maid timidly entered the room, head down as she refused to look directly at the angry ballet instructor.
"Marinette gōngzhǔ," she squeaked, glancing up to meet Marinette's eyes. "Her Imperial Highness has asked that you join her for dinner tonight. Shall I have the servants spread out your garments and dress you at 5?"
"Yes please," smiled Marinette. "And thank you, Ju."
"Will that be all?" questioned Lian, tapping her foot. Once the maid nodded, Lian shooed her out the door before turning back to Marinette. "Back to the lesson. Music, please."
Sighing, Marinette complied and went through her routine, her instructor nitpicking her performance from start to finish. As a child, she envied the grace and poise of ballerinas, how they danced across a stage. So much so that she would mimic them from time to time. Same with the whole 'princess walk' thing where she would place several books on her head and tried to walk across rooms without dropping them. But the actual practice was very boring and tedious. Or, in the case of ballet, painful. By the end of it, she would be soaking her feet in ice for a good hour or so.
And she considered these 'fun' lessons.
Long gone were the days where she and her grandmother would traverse the gardens of the palace. Now those days were replaced with lesson plans, multiple fittings, and traditional Chinese education. Etiquette lessons and ballet with Lian were a daily event, followed by literature, calligraphy, geography, Mandarin – though that was swiftly abandoned after about a year of awkward mispronunciations – music, sewing, and combat. That last one wasn't typically taught to females but her grandmother insisted on it.
She blamed the advisors who had pushed her grandmother into agreeing with all of this. They said it was beneficial for her, to 'teach her what her mother, her mother's mother, and her ancestors have been taught for generations.' Even though she wasn't directly in line for the throne, they believed that she must take part in the duties of a noble lady. Marinette only hoped that those 'duties' didn't end in an arranged marriage.
And thus her once excitable trips to China turned into a mixture of dread and isolation. Security had tightened during the years, confiding her to her palace when outside guests and diplomats visited. Though she did meet a few children of said diplomats, they didn't stick around much afterward and rarely kept in contact. Despite being surrounded by bodyguards and servants and teachers, Marinette became very lonely.
Even her cousins, Shen and Tingzhe, rarely got to see her due to all their schedules being meticulously managed down to the last second. It was understandable, one of them would end up the emperor after their father. But it was tough to even speak with them without first consulting their assistant and setting up an appointment. She really wished she was kidding about that.
But she pressed on, not wanting to seem ungrateful and tackled every lesson and teaching she was given. By the time she hit her teens, her knowledge of the country, culture, and customs went from mediocre to slightly above average. In Paris, she was just old clumsy Marinette – a normal girl living above her family's bakery with dreams of becoming a famous fashion designer. In China, Marinette became a 'proper, traditional Chinese maiden' – elegant, polite, graceful and respectable, basically what the advisors wanted her to be. Not as well taught as previous princesses before her, but enough for the advisors to get off her back and put all their focus onto her cousins.
Which was fine with her!
Of course, she didn't just drop all her classes the minute the advisors said they found her satisfactory. Marinette continued the ones she enjoyed, like ballet and music. Martial arts – the lesson her grandmother pushed on her – was by far her favorite. Xi-Feng insistent that her grandchildren learn how to defend themselves should the need arises. It was interesting, to say the least. Learning how to take down a man twice her size really got one's blood pumping.
"Good, good," Lian nodded as Marinette finished her routine. "Next time, turn at your ankle, not at your waist when you spin."
"Yes, Lian lǎo shī," replied Marinette almost robotically. Best to just listen to Lian and agree then try to complain. Marinette knew that well after years under her tutelage.
"Well," Lian stomped her cane on the wooden floor – her signal for ending the class. "This concludes today's lesson. I'll be back tomorrow at 1 pm on the dot. I'll let the monks outside know you'll be coming to their lesson next. Try not to strain your legs when you're fighting or, gods forbid, break them."
Marinette bowed her head sheepishly. "Understood."
Lian bowed before snapping her fingers and the musician followed her out the door. Marinette let out a sigh of relief and quickly changed into her blue robes. Four Shaolin monks were already standing in front of the gate. The eldest monk, her main instructor, stepped forward and bowed. She reciprocated it.
"Good evening, Marinette gōngzhǔ," he greeted. "We'll be going over the basics today. Nothing too strenuous. Do not want to bring upon the wrath of Lian on you."
He chuckled a bit before leading the group towards the training grounds for her lesson.
And so the years went on: Xi-Feng always busy with business-related work, her cousins in deep study and the rest of her family separated in the large city the Chengs called home. By that time, Marinette fully started to understand who her grandmother was and what she did for China. The importance of her grandmother and her and her mother's relations hit her like a ton of bricks.
What would happen if such knowledge was made public? What would become of her quiet and peaceful life back in Paris? How would people treat her if they knew? What sorts of changes will occur once the world knew? She speculated – and the results were never pleasant.
The best thing she could do was keep her mouth shut.
Her only hope is that by the time her identity was revealed – if it was revealed at all – she would have lived pass the time when it could have drastically impacted her life. By then it wouldn't have mattered as much as she would be further down from the line of secession. Sure she would probably have had to deal with noisy reporters, gossip blogs and possible fame-hungry 'friends', but that'll die down after a while.
For now, Marinette was content with visiting her grandmother and keeping their relationship hidden. Better for everyone, especially for her. She didn't want the attention or the fame or the status of being a princess. Marinette was content with her simple, day-to-day life free of schedules, looming bodyguards, and possible marriage plans.
And for the time being, it was pretty easy to stay hidden. Cheng is a fairly common surname in China so it didn't raise any obvious flags. And since Sabine never made herself or her name public everyone assumed she was just a normal Chinese foreigner who immigrated to Paris as a young adult. No one ever imagines that the daughter of the empress would just walk away from her privileged life to marry a baker. No, that only happens in stories.
Besides, she had seen what a sheltered life had done for Adrien.
Yeah, she'll pass on that.
Earlier this month, Xi-Feng publicly announced that she would be stepping down within the next two years. Her son, Jianguo, will be crown emperor of China. Public focus would soon turn on them as they begin their reign. Good thing for Marinette since she would be 'out of the running' – so to speak – for the throne and forgotten. Unless both her uncle and cousins were unable to rule which she doubts that would ever happen.
Besides she was the foreign daughter. The daughter with mixed blood. Not that Tom Dupain was treated with hostility when he married Sabine. At least not much – mainly due to his class status. It's just the ministers preferred a pure-blooded princess to continue the bloodline rather than a half-Chinese half-French female. Even with an empress that is loved and hailed as a savior, there were some that still kept the traditional gender and race bias.
Whatever, it wasn't Marinette's issue.
As far as anyone was concerned, Marinette Dupain-Cheng had no relations with Empress Cheng Xi-Feng of China.
~o~0~o~
"Hǎo yī duǒ měi lì de mò li huā," Marinette sang soften as she struck her needle through a piece of silk fabric. "Hǎo yī duǒ měi lì de mò li huā. Fēn fāng měi lì mǎn zhī yā, yòu xiāng yòu bái rén rén kuā."
"Marinette? Are you speaking…Chinese?" questioned Tikki. "I thought you didn't know Chinese?"
"Huh? Oh! No, no, that's just a song my grandmother used to sing to me," replied Marinette, looking up from her design. "She always sang it to me whenever I visit, to the point it got stuck in my head. I honestly don't know what the words even mean. I just know the song is called the Jasmine Flower."
"It's pretty!" Tikki said, landing on top of her wielder's head.
"Yeah, I think so too," the pigtailed girl smiled.
"Marinette!" the muffled voice of Sabine echoed through the room, "Marinette, come downstairs. There's a package for you."
'Package?' thought Marinette as she set aside the embroidery she was working on.
Marinette made her way downstairs to see her petite mother hauling in two large boxes covered in tape and stamps. She quickly ran over and took the top box into her arms.
"Thanks, sweetie. That one is yours," Sabine gesture to the box her daughter just took. "Your grandmother sent it."
"Grandma?" Marinette perked up. Glancing at the return address she saw a bunch of Chinese letters.
Yep, definitely from China, hence from grandma Xi-Feng.
"Thanks, mom! I'll open it upstairs," said Marinette as she ran back up to her room, shutting the trap door behind her.
Tikki, still fluttering in the air, swirled around the girl and her newly brought package. Marinette wasted no time putting it down on her worktable and started rummaging around for something sharp.
"The box cutter is in the left drawer," Tikki pointed it out. "So your grandmother sent this gift? Grandma Gina?"
"No, not my dad's mom, my mom's…mom," Marinette explained. "She lives in China with my uncle, aunt, and cousins. My parents and I go to visit them every year. Usually, she would send us gifts in the mail."
"What's the occasion?"
"No occasion, just a gift. Aha, ~!" Lifting the box cutters up from their hiding spot, Marinette swiftly cut across the cardboard, breaking the seal.
Digging through the flood of packing peanuts revealed a smaller intricate gift box decorated with various Chinese patterns and characters. Inside was a beautiful handmade qípáo, or cheongsam. Intricately woven lace wrapped around the upper half of the torso and created cap sleeves. The lace fused with the silk at the waist forming a trumpet skirt that stopped at the ground, leaving a train of lace at the back.
"Gorgeous!" gushed Tikki, circling the dress. "Your grandmother must have paid a lot of money to buy this for you!"
'Or she asked the royal seamstress to make me another qípáo in red this time,' Marinette thought as she carefully pulled the garment from the box.
Marinette didn't want to tell the little kwami that this was actually her sixth qípáo her grandmother had sent to her in the past few years. Just a month ago Xi-Feng had sent her a blue ruqun along with a collection of lovely handcrafted hairpins, combs, and clips. Marinette held the dress up to the mirror, imagining herself wearing it. Maybe to a fancy gala or a fashion show.
'I could wear it when I visit grandma again this year,' Marinette thought.
Sabine had planned for their family to visit her mother for Christmas this year. They would stay for three weeks, celebrating the Winter Solstice and leaving after New Year's Day. Xi-Feng hosted small gatherings during each celebration. Members of the family and royal courts only, free to mingle within the city wall. No reporters. No camera. Just her and her family and the staff – all sworn to secrecy.
Although…
Marinette side-eyed Tikki. 'I'll probably have to tell Tikki about my grandma's 'occupation' before we leave. That way I don't have to explain the private jet or the limo or the palace…'
"You should thank her for the gift," said Tikki, snapping Marinette out of her thoughts.
"I should. Let me go call her," Marinette agreed as she carefully folded her dress back in the box before heading downstairs. "Mom, do you mind if I call grandma?"
"Of course," replied Sabine, admiring the silver and turquoise earring and necklace she was gifted. Both were crafted to look like dragons wrapping around her ear and neck. "Let me go grab the phone."
First rule of the Dupain-Cheng household: if you wish to contact family in China, you must use the secure, government cellphone. Since Sabine Cheng, formally known as Sabine Cheng gōngzhǔ, was technically NOT removed from the Cheng family, only in hiding due to her marriage, any connection from her family to Xi-Feng had to be through secured connections. And by 'secured measures', it meant Fort Knox times Area 51 type of security. At least that's how her cousin explained it.
One of the 'secured measures' was a Chinese government issued phone protected by some of the most sophisticated security equipment on the planet. It had a design similar to that of a smartphone but thicker and heavier with a fingerprint scanner encrypted passcode. Only Sabine and Marinette's fingerprints could open it. Extreme but necessary.
After her mother retrieved the phone, Marinette placed her index finger on the center of the screen as the screen scan her print before it opened. It didn't take long for her to punch in the numbers before a familiar voice angered.
"Hello."
"Ni hao, wài pó," replied Marinette, hoping she didn't butcher her Chinese greeting.
"I see you've been studying," Xi-Feng said, speaking fluent French. "A bit shaky on the pronunciation but I'm glad you're finally learning your motherland's language again."
"It's a …a lot harder than I thought," she admitted sheepishly.
After the Kung Food incident last year with her great uncle, Marinette thought it would be best if she finally started learning Mandarin again. Not just so Marinette could learn her mother's language and make it up to the servants who had learn French for her, but to avoid another future mishap.
And by 'mishap,' she meant having Alya call Adrien out of the blue and making her look like an awkward idiot.
"They're just so many characters to learn and trying to keep track of which is which…" Marinette rambled.
Xi-Feng's laughed echoed through the speaker. "I know, I know, but have patience. Soon you'll be able to speak and converse with me in perfect Mandarin, my little húdié!"
Marinette winced at her grandmother's pet name for her. Before Tikki and the Miraculous business, she loved when her grandmother called her 'butterfly.' It had been her nickname since as long as she could remember. Now with the akumas and Hawkmoth running around, it sounded less cute and sweet and just a bit sinister. But despite the uncomfortable feeling she got from being called butterfly, Marinette didn't have the heart to ask her grandmother to stop.
"I hope so," chuckled Marinette awkwardly before picking herself back up. "Anyway, I wanted to call to thank you for the dress you sent me. It's absolutely beautiful. Send my regards to Xue for her work. She really needs to teach me how she creates her laceworks."
"I'll see that she gives a lesson when you visit again. I – oh! Hold on, my dear."
Marinette heard a bit of static before her grandmother's voice shouted in rapid Mandarin to someone nearby. "Cheng Shen, get Bella back in her cage! Why is she out? She's frightening the maids."
"I apologize, grandmother," answered a male voice. "The lock was very weak and she broke free. I've called for the lock to be replaced so she won't do it again."
"This better not happen again! Apologize to the maids as well, poor things almost fainted when they saw Bella roaming the halls," berated Xi-Feng. "And speaking of troublemakers, where is your brother?"
"…Koi pond."
"He better be appreciating them and not fishing in it again," replied the elder woman. "Those were gifts from the Japanese envoy!"
Marinette giggled as she heard her grandmother going back and forth with Shen. Despite not understanding a word they were saying, she could tell her grandmother was angry and scolding at Shen. Most likely to do with Bella, his pet and gift from their grandmother Gina. She could probably guess that she either got out of her cage or was leaving scratch marks on the wooden tiled floor.
"Sorry about that, dear," Xi-Feng replied, back on the line. "Shen had an issue with Bella and I'm hoping that Tingzhe isn't messing with the fishes again. Hopefully, no problems more will pop up for today."
"Tell them and Uncle Jianguo and Aunt Mei I said hello," Marinette asked.
"I'll be sure to have them call you back later today," her grandmother replied. "Now enough about our boring lives, how's everything in Paris? Are you keeping up with your school work? Do you still have an issue with that 'Chloe' girl?"
For the next half hour, Marinette chatted away with her grandmother, swapping stories and generally catching up with one another after months apart. Xi-Feng bid her granddaughter goodbye as she had to attend a meeting with the officials from the financial affairs department.
"Give your mother my regards. Until we meet again," ended Xi-Feng.
Marinette ended the call and stored the phone back in it's hiding place before returning to her room and to Tikki. The little kwami was busying herself with a near-empty plate of cookies.
"Sounds like you and your grandmother are really close," remarked Tikki. "More so than you and Gina. How come I haven't heard of her before?"
"Because she lives in China all her life and can't really leave the country," she explained. "You see, my mom's family is kind of…'important.' My grandmother can't step foot outside China while my aunt, uncle, and cousins can leave but not for extended periods of time, even to visit."
"Why?" Tikki gave her a puzzled look. "Do they work for the government or something?"
"…I guess you can say that," Marinette responded. "My grandmother has a very…'significant' position in the Chinese government. As well as my uncle who's been preparing to take over my grandmother's job when she retires."
"Your uncle Wang?" Tikki looked confused.
Marinette shook her head. "No, no, I mean my other uncle. Uncle Jianguo. My grandmother married twice. Uncle Wang is her brother in law from her first marriage and Uncle Jianguo is her son and my mom's half-brother from her second marriage. It's all pretty confusing if you don't know the family tree."
"Oh, I see." The kwami fluttered about as Marinette changed into her new gown. "You look like a dream!"
"Feels like one too," Marinette spun around a couple times, enjoying how the skirt floated in the air before resting comfortably back against her skin. She loved how the fabric felt, how it fitted her perfectly. With the right pair of shoes, she would look like a true princess.
'Though I guess that was the intention grandmother was going for,' she thought.
"Sweetheart, you look stunning!"
Marinette jumped as her mother peeked her head through the door. Thankfully Tikki heard the footsteps before Marinette did and quickly hid behind the mannequins in the corner.
"Thanks, mom. Grandma really wanted to top her last gift," she said.
"If she keeps this up, you'll be getting you a gold plated car with your own driver," Sabine joked.
"Yeah, because that's what I need: people questioning why my grandmother can send me a car and a chauffeur," Marinette replied drily.
"I hope you're not planning on letting that dress sit in her closet. It's too beautiful not to be worn."
"Well…" Marinette thought. "I was thinking of wearing it when we visit grandma this Christmas. But there is a fashion show coming next month. Maybe I'll wear it there."
"You could, but you might be confused for one of the models," Sabine smiled.
Her daughter rolled her eyes, but in good nature. "Yeah right. But that does give me an idea."
"I'll leave you to your 'idea' then. I have to give your father his gift anyway. Just make sure to put away the dress properly," Sabine kissed her head and exited the room. "Though I wish mother and Mei would stop sending Tom gold-decorated cookware. Like we need more dragon-shaped knives and gold leaf plates…"
Once she couldn't hear her mother's voice anymore, Marinette called out to Tikki and quickly changed into her normal clothes.
"Come on, I need to go to the fabric store."
"Inspired by your dress?" asked the kwami.
"Yep! This dress needs a good pair of shoes to go with it," smiled Marinette, grabbing her purse. "And I have an old pair of heels I want to revamp just for this occasion. Come on, Lafayette Saltiel Drapiers has a great selection on Chinese patterned fabric!"
~o~0~o~
It's been over a year since I've updated and I'm revamping the entire story! After getting swamped in senior year of college and now having season 3 showing up, I'm rewriting the two chapters of Glass Slippers so it could better fit with where ML is currently at. That and I want to fix a lot of issues that I saw when reading this. Grammer, pinyin, proper Chinese titles, the works. I am, and still am, no means an expert on Chinese culture, language, and politics. I'm trying to do research as best I can so that I can have a better understanding of how Eastern monarch ruled, their laws, their culture and how they would work if they still existed in modern civilization. I apologize in advance if I write something and it offense my Chinese readers due to my lack of knowledge.
That being said, the history of China will be GREATLY ALTERED in my fic so do not take anything that is said here as factional. That's kind of what fan-FICTION is about. So no hate mail about 'this isn't what happened in China' or 'that doesn't fit with what is happening in China now.' I know, it's a work of fiction. Sorry for the rant, I'm just tired of people sending me that.
In any case, I'm still doing research so it will at least be accurate to Chinese culture but if you find any issues, do not be afraid to message me (NO HATE MAIL) to correct me.
I DO NOT KNOW CHINESE SO PLEASE DON'T KILL ME IN THE COMMENTS! I tried my best with online translators to get the most accurate working for this. I won't be using Chinese sentences very much in the fic but I do want to sprinkle some here and there just to have a more authentic feel to the story.
Another thing for people to note: Xi-Feng is technically the 'Empress dowager' since her husbands have passed but still keeps the title of 'Empress' as she is called in this chapter due to her ascending the throne before she married (I'll explain this in later chapters).
TRANSLATION:
Húdié = Butterfly
Wài pó = grandma
lǎo shī = teacher
Xi-Feng nǚhuáng = Empress Xi-Feng
Zhèngfǔ guānyuán yāoqiú nǐ chūxí = Government officials have requested your attendance.
Hěn hǎo. Nǐ kěyǐ líkāi = Very well. You may leave/You are dismissed.
Marinette gōngzhǔ = Princess Marinette
Sabine Cheng gùlún gōngzhǔ = Princess Sabine Cheng (this title was usually given to the daughter of the Empress)
Also to note: Lafayette Saltiel Drapiers is a real store in Paris. Just thought some people might like to know.
CHAPTER 1 WILL BE UPDATED LATER THIS WEEK!