A/N so I was recently given a list of fic requests and decided to get through as many as I can. Most of the prompts will be combined into one fic. This fanfic will be touching up on the prompts "Cheating," "Arranged Marriage," and "Affair." It's a modern day AU involving the noble families and rankings. Not everything in this fic is true when it comes to certain ideals in French nobility but that's part of the AU. I did as much research as I could to make this fic.


Queen Elise paced around the hall. She held her shoulders high and her hands were placed gently behind her back. She was rambling on and on about things like: "Learning to be more prompt." and "One cannot be left waiting for royalty. What does that look on our family?"

Her lady-in-waiting stood at the corner of the room with her head held high as she listened to the frantic Queen, trying to assure her that everything would turn out okay. "The guests have yet to arrive." and "The ball is still hours away." she pointed out a few times. Queen Elise would just shake her head and remind the lady that he was asked to be escorted down for a briefing on his rules, duties, and behavior at the ball.

"So far he is proving himself to be a poor Prince. How can we trust him to rule one day when he can't even show up to a simple meeting on time?" the Queen was trying hard to keep her calm on her surface, but it was becoming increasingly obvious that she was panicking. After all, the person she was waiting for was nearly a half hour late for whatever this meeting was supposed to be about.

"Marinette!" she suddenly stopped her pacing and raised a hand in the direction of her lady-in-waiting. "Could you please go fetch me a glass of water?"

Marinette nodded and left to go retrieve what her Queen desired. As soon as she was out of sight, Queen Elise slumped down in the tall arm chair that sat in a corner of the hall. She rested her head in her hands and shook it. "Oh Adrien," she sighed, "why must you be so careless? You are a Prince!" she murmured.

"Uh… mother?" her head shot up when she heard the young man speak.

She stood up straight, trying to pretend like her son did not just see her like that. "Adrien." her voice was slightly cold to her son, mostly from the annoyance that he brought her at that moment. "Where were you?"

Her son scratched the back of his neck sheepishly, a blush forming on his cheeks as he tried to come up with a reason why. "Uh - you see - it's really a funny story actually - haha." he tried to hide his guilt with a chuckle.

She cut off the Prince by waving a hand dismissively. "I don't have time for excuses. We must prepare you for tonight's ball!" Queen Elise goes towards her son and places her hands on his shoulders. She starts guiding him to the arm chair that she was just sat at.

Prince Adrien shook his head and asked why he had to do this when he had attended many balls in his life. "I already know all the proper etiquette involved in attending one." he crossed his arms as he took his seat. His mother raised an eyebrow at that so he quickly fixed his arms to rest his hands on his lap. He straightened his posture and hummed in a way that said: "See?"

"While I trust that you can handle a ball, this one will be quite different for you. It's the party our family throws from generation to generation when the first heir officially meets their betrothed." she informed him. "Your father had to go through this when he met me, and his father when he met your grandmother. Now it's my duty to prepare you for yours."

"Why must we stick to these old customs, mother?" he asked seriously. "It's the twenty-first century! Why must we be subjected to arranged marriages and live like we belong in the old days before me, you, dad, grandpa, or grandma?"

"Because, we are the top of a hierarchy, Adrien! If our people were to see us just being with anyone then what would they think? We must keep our status!"

"But I'm only sixteen, mother! Most kids my age are just going out and having fun without worrying about marriage or status." Adrien pointed out. "You're making it like I'm just going to get married tomorrow!

"You are a young adult, Adrien!" Elise told him. "It's time you proved to our people that is still true."

"Kids my age also aren't typically betrothed to someone they haven't even met yet since they were a baby."

"Because they are not of royal blood." Elise was starting to get fed up with her son. "And in our status it's best to secure you a suitor before someone else takes them away."

"My Queen." Marinette spoke soflty behind Elise. The Queen turned around to look at her lady-in-waiting who held out the glass of water she was asked to fetch.

Prince Adrien looked past his mother and at the young lady on the other side of the room. He watched as his mother walked farther away from him and approached her lady-in-waiting. She took the glass of water from her and thanked her. Adrien was just able to catch the name his mother used. Marinette. He was glad he did, so now he could put a name to that face - the face of his mother's lady-in-waiting that he met for the first time in his life just now. Queen Elise excused Marinette and there was a hint of sorrow as Adrien watched her nod and leave.

Queen Elise took a sip of the water that Marinette had handed to her then set it on the table next to the chair Adrien still sat at. "Where were we-?" she began their conversation again.

"Mother?" the Prince interrupted her. Elise acknowledged her son so he continued. "Would it be appropriate for a royal to marry a member of a Noble Family?" he asked her.

Elise took the question into consideration for a moment before giving her son an appropriate response. "Yes. It is typically acceptable for the royal to marry a Nobleman or Noblewoman. However, it's better to choose the child from another Royal Family to keep more power in both families. Nobles usually only marry a royal if there are no current heirs to another Royal Family or if an heir after the first is being suited for a husband or wife and all the royals have been betrothed. Marriage arrangements are more loosely chosen when you are not the first born because it is unlikely that heir will take throne so they don't need as much power in their engagement.

"You, however are the first and only born in our family. Therefore, we found you a suitor from another Royal Family before someone else found them."

"Oh. . ." Adrien tried to hide his sigh. It either worked or his mother ignored it as she continued rambling about how he was going to properly approach his bride-to-be and how to act accordingly to the guests and maintain a good image around his fiancee. Adrien was only half listening.

He wanted to also ask his mother if any heir has ever been reassigned to a new bride or groom even if they were of a lower ranking. He wanted to know because he want to try and be with his mother's lady-in-waiting. Marinette stood beautifully at the end of the hall with her dark hair pulled up into a tight bun and her white and light blue pattern jumpsuit. If he could choose his future wife, he would marry Marinette. Even if the lady he was arranged to marry would be of a higher social status he would bet that she'd never compare to the Noblewoman.

So what if she was the lady-in-waiting to his mother? What would be the problem there?

"Do you have any questions, Adrien?" Elise finished her spiel with that question.

Adrien was alerted back to his present situation with the inquiry and he jolted into a standing position. "N-No ma'am." he stated a little too loudly than what was acceptable but his mother excused him anyways. She reminded him on his way out that he should start preparing for the ball right now. Adrien gave a nod with his back still turned away from Elise and said an "Okay" before pushing his way through the door that Marinette had left through just a few moments earlier and made his way up to his chambers.


He straightened his bowtie in the mirror and gave one more look over at his formal wear. It was a black suit that was tailored less than a month ago to fit him as perfectly as it did. Under that was a red and black pattern vest over a white dress shirt and a matching bowtie. He adjusted the hankie in his pocket and his outfit was complete.

After admiring his appearance in the mirror and fixing the loose string of curly blond hair that stuck out of its spot, Adrien slipped on his freshly polished dress shoes and then a servant escorted him down to the hall - where he met with his mother and laid eyes on Marinette for the first time earlier that day - to meet up with both of his parents.

Both the King and Queen were waiting for him alone. Not a single servant or lady-in-waiting was by their sides. No Marinette. Will they not be tending to their majesties during the ball? Now Adrien felt out of place.

His mother looked him up and down and gave him a small smile. "Very presentable for your betrothed." Elise smoothed her Cranberry gown out with her hands.

They decided earlier in the month that the theme would be red. "Red is the color of love." the Queen had told the planners. Adrien also knew it was the color of blood. Was this a bad omen?

The King clapped his hands and dismissed Adrien's servant. "Yes, your majesty." she curtsied and made her leave.

Adrien watched her go, his attention straying away from his parents. The Queen snapped her fingers towards her son. He jumped slightly and looked up at his mother. "We're going." she told him and he followed his parents towards the ballroom.

Elise started relaying the duties Adrien would have to complete as the Prince at his own ball. Adrien nodded like he was listening. He couldn't care less. Adrien wondered if he'd ever see that lady again. How would she even compare to his bride-to-be. Can he change his marital plans and become engaged to the Noblewoman that attends to his mother?

Prince Adrien could hear chattering as they came closer to the ballroom. Their guests were waiting for their entrance. Two guards stood at the entrance, swords held over the doors in the shape of an X. They see the Royal Family approaching so they open the doors.

An announcer stood in the room on the other side of the door. He nodded his head and faced the members of the room. He silenced the crowd with a loud whistle.

They reach the doorway. "Now presenting our Royal Family!" he shouted so the entire ballroom could hear. The family started walking down the makeshift aisle trying to keep their posture and look presentable to all the Lords and Ladies, Dukes and Duchesses, Barons and Baronesses. "King Gabriel Agreste, Queen Elise Agreste, and the young man who we are celebrating tonight: Prince Adrien Agreste."

The crowd clapped for the Royal Family but did nothing else as the royals made their way up to a small platform that sat their thrones. They found their respective seats and stood for a moment in front of them as they waited for the noise to die down.

All three took their seats. Adrien looked over at his parents. His mother cleared her throat trying to remind him what he must do now. He was confused until she nodded her head up. Adrien swallowed and looked back out towards the guests in the ballroom. With eyes wide in fear, Adrien quickly stood back up. He just wanted to go back up to his bed chambers and lock himself inside from the sheer embarrassment of messing up one thing already. Maybe he should have listened to his mother that morning in the hall. Her eyes felt like daggers on his back. He knew she started to feel disappointed in him.

The announcer made his way up to the platform and stood next to the Prince. "Now to present the young woman who we are celebrating tonight. Prince Adrien Agreste's lovely betrothed: Princess Chloe Bourgeois."

A young woman the same age as Adrien made her way to the aisle. She wore a ruffled red and black ball gown with a small train trailing behind her and red gloves that came up to her elbows. Her long blond hair was put up into a French braid and bounced a little as she made her way down the aisle and up to the platform. She stood in front of the young Prince and gave him a snobbish smirk.

She was beautiful, Adrien had to give her that much credit, but there was still something ugly about her.

Adrien gave his parents a sideways glance and tried to hide his disgust towards his fiancee. Chloe hummed which made him realize what he was supposed to do next. Screw up number two.

She outstretched her right hand towards him. He took it in his, bowed and gave a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. He looked back up into her eyes and asked her: "May I have this dance?" in his most polite-sounding voice.

"Yes." she even sounded like a bitch to Adrien.

He led her out to the dance floor and the orchestra began playing a slow string piece.

He couldn't look at his betrothed in the eye throughout the dance. He looked over Chloe's shoulder and spotted Marinette with a few servants and some Nobles. She was even more stunning than when he saw her that morning. Her dress was made of chiffon, it was slim and red, and went down to her feet. A black shawl was added to her outfit that draped so perfectly over her dainty shoulders. Marinette's hair was still in a bun but this time he noticed a little twinkling. She had sparkles in her hair. Sparkles! She just got even more adorable with that addition.

How much he actually wished he was dancing with her instead. How much he wished he could marry her instead. How much he wished that as the Prince he could change his path.

Number three!