Marinette never would have thought she would ever dare say that a war was necessary, yet here she was. Their humble kingdom had once been ruled by a decent man. Hardly kindhearted but generally fair. Up until Marinette had turned sixteen, their kingdom had been fine.
Then the king passed, and his son took over.
Cruel was the best word for it. Indifferent to justice and entitled to wealth, their kingdom slowly began wearing down as the people's spirits were squelched by the ruler of the land. For two years it had gone on, and the town's people, whom were usually very peaceful, were determined to revolt.
Only, someone else did it for them.
Who this prince was who decided he wanted to overtake their kingdom, Marinette didn't know, but as long as the man was fair to them, lowered the outrageous taxes, and encouraged trade with the other kingdoms once again, Marinette would be happy. She and her family and her friends could live their lives in peace.
When the war moved into the town, battles taking place on the streets, Marinette knew she needed to stay inside as much as possible. But Mylene was sick, and heaven knew Ivan was doing all he could to take care of her. Marinette couldn't help but want to go see her friend.
She assured her father she would hurry over and hurry right back. He had sighed but agreed.
Of all the things she thought she might encounter, being suddenly ripped off her horse and falling into the arms of a knight was not one of them.
"Let go of me!" she shouted as a second man came up to grab the reins of her horse.
"It's ours now," the man said as his partner began rummaging through the saddle bags that held medicine for Mylene that Marinette had hunted down herself as well as bread she had helped her father bake that morning.
"Let me go!" Marinette cried once again, struggling against the man's hold.
"She's a pretty thing," the second man commented. "Do you think she's the one the king was talking about?"
"The girl from the foreign land he wants?" the first said, readjusting his hold on her. "Seems like it."
"I'd say we take her back," the second one said. "The money would surely be good."
Marinette gasped as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. "No," she cried, struggling against the man. "No, no, no!"
Suddenly, the man holding her collapsed, and Marinette hit the muddy street with the dead weight on top of her. She struggled to get out from under him, to get away. Mud staining her dress, she raced back to her faithful old mare that had been with her family since before she was born. She scrambled back into the saddle and stole a glance back to see a newcomer dressed in dark leather fighting her attacker. He glanced her direction, tossing her a quick nod before turning back to the man and continuing their fight.
Marinette didn't stay around any longer than need be. Immediately, she kicked her horse up into a run, taking off down the streets and to her friend's house.
Ivan begged Marinette to stay and warm up. However, once Marinette refused that, he asked to see her home safely, another offer Marinette refused. She didn't need to worry him about just how she fell off her horse. And if her parents found out, they'd never let her out of the house again.
So, after taking the goods and thanking her profusely, Ivan allowed her to visit with Mylene a moment before sending Marinette back home.
She'd be lying if she said she wasn't nervous, and she would be lying again if she said she didn't ask Tikki to run all the way home. However, once she came across the intersection she had been assaulted before, she was forced to stop.
How man men now lay dead in the street, she wasn't certain. Many the bodies wore the color of her kingdom while the others bore the colors of the new one. But what caught her eye was the man in the center of the death pit struggling to stand.
His leather outfit was familiar, and Marinette stared far longer than she likely should have as he struggled to push himself up to his hands and knees, coughing all the while. He was covered in mud, but Marinette could see the red that tickled down his temple.
She bit her lip. And blast her caring heart, she couldn't just let him struggle. She dismounted, tugged Tikki toward the man, then knelt on the ground before him, not caring just how cold the mud was. "I'm here to help you," was all she said as she struggled to help the man to stand. It felt like carrying a sack of flour with as much weight he leaned on her, but he could barely keep himself upright. By the time she leaned him over Tikki's back, the man had passed out again.
She hurried home as quickly as she could all while hoping and praying her good heart wouldn't come back to bite her in the end.
"Maman! Papa! Help!"
Adrien hurt all over. A dull ache riddled his body while a pounding headache discouraged him about thinking too hard of the why. He shifted slightly, but that was a difficult task when his body was heavy as it was and a spike was driven though his head at every movement.
Suddenly, something cold was pressed against a spot on his head that drove that spike even deeper into his head. He hissed at the contact, and it was immediately removed. "Sorry," a voice said.
He settled back down into the softness behind his head and sighed, begging the pain to go away. He focused on his breathing for a while, hoping the headache would dull. He didn't know how much time had passed before something cool was laid over his head. It did brush against a spot that stung, but for the most part, it felt nice. Slowly, the spiking pain faded to a dull ache that he could handle.
He cracked an eye open just in time to catch a blurry movement of someone leaving before his eyes drifted shut again and he let the dark world of unconsciousness drag him back under.
The next time he was roused, he was able to hold his eyes open for longer, but his vision was still blurry.
"Shh," a gentle voice whispered. His eyes tried to focus on the owner of that voice. One that had black hair with red ribbons trailing from it. Pretty. "Rest. You're safe. I promise."
With a grumble, he let his eyes drift shut again.
The wet cloth was removed from his head, and he mourned the absence. However, it soon returned, and he sighed contentedly.
Caring hands brushed the hair back from his forehead, and he felt unconsciousness come over him once again.
It had been two days since Marinette had dragged the man back to her house. Her maman and papa had been curious as to why she'd brought him, but once she told them, they were quick to take him in and help him.
As well as ban her from ever leaving the house again.
It came time for her to check in on the man. He'd opened his eyes yesterday, revealing a pretty green interior, but she'd only caught a glimpse before he passed out again.
She slipped into her room, the room they had set him up in. She wasn't surprised to see that he was still out cold. Gently, Marinette touched his forehead with the back of her hand, feeling the lack of heat that greeted her. His fever must have broken during the night.
The man grunted, and Marinette quickly removed her hand. The gash on the side of his head undoubtably produced a splitting headache for him, and she didn't want him to be uncomfortable.
Slowly, and much to her surprise, his eyes drifted open and stayed open.
She carefully took a seat beside him. "How are you feeling?"
"Water?"
She quickly fetched him some, then helped him sit up enough to drink.
After drinking his fill, he leaned back and allowed his eyes to shut again.
"Do you want anything else?" she asked.
He grunted. "No. Thank you."
She nodded, not that he was paying attention.
Eventually, he opened his eyes again to look at her.
"How are you feeling?" she asked again. "It seems your fever has broken."
"Sore," he grumbled. "My head hurts."
"Then I can leave you to rest more."
"Who are you?"
Marinette paused at his sudden question. "My name's Marinette," she answered. "You saved me, so when I saw you injured after a fight, I couldn't leave you."
She could see his mind working in those lovely green eyes of his, trying to process what she'd said.
"What's your name?" she asked.
He took a breath. "Adrien," he answered.
A striking name for a striking man. "Do you want anything else, Adrien? Or would you prefer to rest?"
He blinked slowly, his eyelids keeping shut for a second before opening again. "I…" but he never finished.
She gave him a gentle smile. "I'll leave you to rest, then," Marinette said, standing from her seat. "I'll come back later and ask again, all right?"
If he had an objection, he was too tired to protest.
He felt mostly alert, now, and the throbbing in his head had dulled to the point of manageable. Marinette had brought a bowl of hot soup for him along with some bread. Sadly, he hadn't rationed it out well enough and ate the whole piece before he realized what had become of it.
She grinned. "Would you like some more bread?"
He shook his head, the action only causing a slight increase of his headache. She was already being kind enough to feed him, and while he was hungry, he didn't want to ask for much more than what he was given.
But she simply smiled and handed over her ration of bread to him.
"I'll get some more," she simply said. "Don't worry. We have enough bread."
"Are you certain?" he asked.
She nodded with a grin that he believed was truthful.
He took the bread. "Thank you." He happily tore apart the bread and used it to sop up the remainders of the soup in front of him.
Where did his meal go?
"Do you want any more?" Marinette asked with a smile, her eyes gleaming. "We have enough."
Adrien wanted to say yes, but he knew the struggles of most of the townspeople, especially in this kingdom. He couldn't bring himself to eat more than what they'd so kindly given him.
"Adrien," Marinette said in a way that made him feel like he was a child again and his mother was asking him to tell the truth. "We have enough if you want more."
He held her gaze a moment before relenting. "Only what you can spare," he said.
With a sweet smile, she took his bowl and walked from his room.
He let his eyes shut and sighed heavily. He hated being such a burden to them. When Marinette had told him that she had cared for him while he was little more than dead weight for three days, he'd felt terrible. He still felt terrible.
"Here," she said, returning with a full bowl of soup.
"You have been too kind to me," he said, taking the bowl.
"You saved me," she said, taking her seat on the stool beside the bed he lay in. "It is the least I could do."
"You've done more for me than I have for you, make no mistake," he said before taking another sip of the soup.
She smiled. She had a lovely smile. Placed on a beautiful face to hide a heart of gold. "Depending on just what the king wanted with me, that is debatable," she countered. "Trust me when I say I am the one in your debt."
"I will not let you hold yourself to that," he countered.
"You got injured because of me."
"I was injured because two cads dare think they can have their way with a lady." He scoffed. "And they called themselves knights. Where I'm from, there would be hell to pay for such actions."
She cocked her head to the side as she studied him. "Where are you from, Adrien?" she asked.
His heart skipped nervously as he cursed himself for his slip up. Yet, he simply couldn't lie to her, no matter how she might view him once she knew the truth. "I'm from the Papillion Kingdom," he answered.
As he could have guessed, her eyes widened. "You're part of the invaders."
"I am," he said.
They were silent a moment. "Why our kingdom?" Marinette asked.
He wished to tell her everything, but even now, he couldn't fully divulge the truth. "The youngest prince desired his own kingdom," Adrien said. "His father wanted him to marry, which left two kingdoms that had only female heirs. However, the prince found said females intolerable. However, when he heard of the corruption of this one, he thought he could overtake it without much guilt."
Marinette blinked several times, and Adrien awaited her view on the subject. "As long as he is fair," she finally said. "That is all that matters. To me and everyone else in the kingdom."
Adrien felt a weight that lifted from his heart. "He is," Adrien said. "I promise you, he will do his best to make this kingdom thrive."
"Swear to me you are not lying."
Adrien turned to meet her gaze, and his eyes locked on hers. It was far too easy to get lost in their blue depths. "I swear to you, Marinette," he reverently said. "He is a good man."
Marinette held his gaze a while longer. "Then I hope he succeeds in his quest to take over," she answered, picking at her dinner once again. "We need some relief."
Adrien silently vowed right then and there he would take this kingdom over or die trying.
It wasn't for another three days that the Dupains allowed Adrien to leave.
"I thank you so much for your kindness," he said. "How can I ever repay you? I am a well-off man; I can reimburse you for your time and care if you need the funds."
Mr. Dupain and his wife looked to their daughter for the answer.
Marinette pursed her lips nervously. "You… you mentioned you are a knight," she began. "One I'm hoping is close to the prince you fight for?"
He nodded, remembering that conversation of two days ago. He hated letting her believe half-truths, but when she had asked, he told her about his knight training. As for being close to the prince… "I am."
"There is a man," she explained, "who was imprisoned and being held in the dungeon on a death sentence. He's a good man, though, and my best friend's love. Please, if you win this war, could you beseech the king to free him?"
Adrien nodded firmly. "It will be done; I swear it. Who is he?"
"His name is Nino Lahiffe," she said. "About your height, a slightly thicker build than you, as long as he's not been starved. Brown skin, black hair."
Adrien memorized her words, mentally repeating them over and over again. "Nino Lahiffe."
Marinette nodded.
"I swear to you, I will do everything in my power to free him. I will send him to you to prove it as soon as possible."
Her smile was worth more than gold. "Thank you," she said. "But send him to see Alya, please. Ever since his arrest for conspiring against the king, she has been worried sick. They're childhood sweethearts, and Nino was planning to propose right before his arrest. It would be good for her to see him first."
"He was conspiring against the king?" Adrien asked.
Marinette nodded. "Yes. His father was an advisor to the king, but he knew the king was evil. He was integral to planning the revolt prior to your prince coming to overthrow him. Nino was the second in command."
Meaning that this Nino might be helpful to him in this war. The gears in Adrien's head were turning fast. "Thank you, Marinette. I think you may have just sparked a turning point in this war."
Her brow screwed upwards in confusion.
Adrien merely smiled and bowed before her. "I hope to see you again. But for now, I must be getting back."
"Go," Marinette urged. "I've kept you long enough."
"Only for my well-being." With that, he took her hand and placed a proper kiss on the back. "Thank you."
Her face took on a rosy glow. She likely wasn't accustomed to such pleasantries as a kiss on the hand, but nevertheless, he would treat her the way his mother raised him to treat such lovely young ladies. "Y-your welcome."
Tossing her one last smile and a thank you to all the Dupains, he turned to take his leave.
Now, to find the dungeon.
"Nino Lahiffe?"
Nino looked up to see a man in black leather standing there. "Yes?"
The man stuck a key in the door, unlocking it with a resounding click. He entered the cell with his arms up. "I'm not here to kill you," he said. "I'm here to help."
The man then took the key and unlocked the binds that tied Nino down. "Who are you?" Nino asked as he rubbed his sore wrists.
"My name is Adrien," he said. "I'm from the Papillion Kingdom."
Nino's eyes widened.
"And we're here to take over."
To say he was shocked was an understatement. "What?"
Adrien glanced over the rest of the dungeon. "I have on good authority," he said on a whisper, "you're the man I'm looking for when it comes to knowing the place I plan to overthrow."
Nino simply raised his chin. "By whom?"
"A woman who saved my life: Marinette Dupain."
"Marinette?" Nino repeated breathlessly out of shock.
Adrien nodded. "She asked me to free you in return for taking care of me when I was injured."
Sounds like Marinette, Nino absently thought.
"But when she mentioned you were the son of the king's right hand, I really couldn't help but find you sooner in hopes you'd help me."
Nino knew he was far too trusting of a man. However, on this occasion, he felt like he really could trust this Adrien fellow. "All right," he said, extending a hand. "If Marinette trusts you, then I will give you a chance."
Adrien took his hand with a smile. "I won't let you regret it."
Nino was hesitant to admit Adrien was quickly becoming his new best friend, but after spending a solid month planning and rallying his troops, Nino could see the kind of man Adrien really was.
And he was a good one.
The duo had quickly become inseparable, and Nino couldn't help but spill every secret he knew about the castle in hopes that this prince Adrien supported so thoroughly would take over. Whoever he was, the man had to be better than their king now. Furthermore, the troops of the Papillion Kingdom seemed to be very willingly loyal to the man, every last one swearing he was the kind of man they would to go to battle for. Nino couldn't help but want to assist any way he could. Not only for his kingdom, but specifically for one girl who packed more moxie than half the village combined. If he could make this kingdom better for her, then he would jump on that chance no matter how much of a long shot it was.
Hence why he and Adrien were currently slipping through the secret passages in the back of the castle while the main attack was up front. A distraction to hopefully cause the cowardly king to move to the back of the castle.
And it worked.
The soldiers Adrien and Nino brought with them easily took care of the king's guards. Soon enough, Adrien was standing with a sword at the king's neck.
"Surrender," Adrien ordered.
The king raised his chin in defiance. "I'll only surrender to the new king," he retorted.
"Then you can surrender to me: Prince Adrien Agreste of the Papillion Kingdom."
Three things happened in that moment. One: the cowardly king bowed in surrender. Two: Nino's jaw fell to the floor, his hope now fully restored for the kingdom.
And three: Marinette, Nino thought. Only you would be a woman lucky enough to save a prince and have him feel indebted to you.
"Marinette!"
Marinette braced herself for the constricting hug Alya attacked her with. She just smiled and hugged her friend back. "Hi, Alya," she grunted out, her lungs being squeezed free of air.
"He's home!"
"Who's home?"
"Nino!" Alya finally let go of Marinette, allowing her to breathe again. "He's home and he's alive and well and he came to see me the other day and he asked me to marry him!"
"Alya, slow down," Marinette said with a chuckle. "I didn't hear anything."
"Nino showed up yesterday at my house," Alya said, speaking somewhat slower but still hyper with excitement. "And he said he was rescued and it's all because of you."
Suddenly, a man with blonde hair and green eyes and a dashing smile and impeccable manners entered her mind. Behind her back, she grabbed her hand, one that burned from where he had left a kiss upon it just over a month ago. She felt her heart pick up its pace. He had freed Nino. He'd kept his word and freed Nino.
And Marinette found herself more than just a little infatuated.
Alya's smile widened, nodding all the while, thankfully oblivious to Marinette's inner turmoil. "He said some man you saved freed him from his cell. But that's not all Marinette," Alya excitedly continued. "Nino said he helped the invaders take over. The king has fallen!"
"Wha…" Marinette felt breathless once again. The king had fallen? Adrien's prince had succeeded?
"Yes! And Nino said the new prince is a good man and asked him to be his right-hand man!"
"Are you serious?" Marinette asked, scarcely believing it for herself.
Alya nodded. "It's a miracle!"
That it was. Marinette couldn't stop smiling.
"And Nino came by yesterday to tell me all this," Alya said, now bouncing on her toes. "And then he asked me to marry him!"
"What!?"
"I know!"
Both girls were now squealing and embracing and laughing.
"I'm so happy for you."
"Thank you," Alya said. "Thank you, Marinette. Thank you. This never would have happened had you not asked that man to free Nino."
Marinette could only smile. "Nino is my friend. I couldn't stop thinking about how he was stuck in the dungeon. More so because of how hard it all was on you."
"Still," Alya said, grasping Marinette's hands tightly. "Thank you so much. You changed the tides in this war and brought Nino back to me. You lucky charm."
Marinette hugged her friend once more. "You're welcome, Alya."
Two months under the new king, and the town was ready to throw a celebration. Taxes had been lifted, easing the strain and encouraging commerce again. But the biggest thing to have occurred was a private trial that took place. One where the king had been fair in both hearing everyone out and passing a reasonable sentence.
And when word got out about that, Marinette watched as hope was restored to the village.
It was nothing short of miraculous.
Four months in, and the king supported the town in their desire to throw a celebration, encouraging such cheer and merriment and even subsidizing vendors in order to promote it. There would be dancing and music and vendors selling goods in a celebration that hadn't happened in over two years. Marinette was very excited to go, her still single friends inviting her to come with them. She'd even gotten an invite from one of her friend's (extremely attractive) brother to go with him to the event. It was so unfortunate he had to be pulled away before she could give an answer.
However, that's when a face that had been burned into her mind and heart for months reappeared into her life.
"Forgive me, Marinette," Adrien said, "I've been extremely busy and never once had a moment to come see you again despite my desire to."
Her heart was racing as he held her hand in his. "I… you weren't obligated to."
"I know," he said with a charming smile. "But I wished to. To thank you once again for all you've done for me."
"It should be I who is thanking you," she said. "You kept your word and freed Nino and now he's even the right-hand man of the king. Alya is happily married and settled, and I couldn't be happier for her."
"He changed the tide in the war," Adrien said. "It is I who should be thanking you on behalf of the troop and the king. Without his knowledge, we would not have won as quickly and efficiently as we did."
"It was only in service of a friend."
"I know it was," Adrien said, shooting her a smile that could have knocked her to her knees. "Still, Nino is a good man. I'm glad to have met him.
"But for the reason I am here," Adrien continued. "I've come to ask you to attend the celebration with me. Nino and Alya offered to come with us so you would be more comfortable since I'm little more than a stranger to you, but I'd like to know the woman who saved my life."
Marinette was certain her face was flaming red and her heart was going to beat out of her chest at this rate. "All right," she agreed. "I will go with you."
He grinned, and his eyes gleamed, and it simply wasn't fair that he was so handsome. "Then I will come for you before the event. I'll be anxiously looking forward to it."
"As will I," she said before she could stop herself. "As will I."
Nino was making fun of him for being nervous. "What do you have to be nervous about?" Nino teased. "You're the king."
And that was what he wanted to avoid. While Adrien doubted Marinette was the sort of girl who would suddenly be throwing herself at him once she learned his real status, he didn't want to take the chance. He'd had many a princess and even more noble ladies swarm him and fawn over him. He liked being a simple knight in Marinette's eyes.
Just the thought of her got his stomach turning in knots and his heart pounding. She was a beautiful woman that Nino and Alya had both gushed about, and he was excited to get to know this girl for himself.
Adrien dressed nicely in what a high-ranking knight might wear. Then he, Nino, and Alya took a simple carriage to Marinette's home.
When they arrived, he was happy to be out of the carriage. Alya was a piece of work all her own and Adrien could practically feel her conspiring thoughts. He had begged her—groveled, really—to keep his status a secret from Marinette. She did promise, but Adrien still felt like she was holding a knife that she'd shove into his back soon enough.
He knocked on Marinette's door, and never had he felt as nervous about meeting a girl than he did now.
When the door opened, he was greeted by Mr. Dupain.
"Sir," he said, bowing his head politely. "I've come to see Marinette to the celebration."
Mr. Dupain was a large man, and it was intimidating to be stared at as sharply as he was staring at Adrien now.
"Nino and Alya Lahiffe are here," Adrien assured, "to properly chaperone."
He looked up at Nino and Alya who still sat in the carriage, and the man's glare shifted to something even sharper as he eyed the married duo. Then he turned to call into the house. "Marinette."
"Coming, Papa!"
When she came into view, his heart skipped a beat. Adrien, who grew up a prince and was normally surrounded by women dressed in the highest fashion donning only the latest styles and finest cloth, was swept away by the woman standing in front of him in what was likely her best blouse and skirt.
"You look beautiful," he said, taking her hand and kissing the back.
She blushed a lovely shade of pink. "Thank you."
"Come on you two!" Alya called to them. "I'm excited to see the event."
It was incredible the joy that was collected in the main square of town. Marinette was in awe over the banners people had made and the cheerfulness of children that ran through the streets giggling and laughing while vendors tried their best selling their wares and food. Music radiated through the streets over the general chatter of happy people being, well, happy for the first time in a long time.
Her arm was looped through Adrien's. He was nothing short of a proper gentleman leading her through the streets. Alya and Nino followed behind, Nino having to prevent Alya from yanking him off in ten different directions.
"Have they always been like this?" Adrien asked quietly.
Marinette sent him a smile and nodded. "It's why they're so good together."
"I can tell," Adrien said, sending her a heart stopping grin.
Honestly, it wasn't fair he was so handsome.
Or gracious. Or polite. Or kind and inquisitive and a good listener.
It was all too soon that the event came to an end.
"I enjoyed my time with you," Adrien said. "May I call upon you again?"
"You may," she said, her heart picking up its pace for the umpteenth time that day.
"I look forward to it."
"As do I," she said, her voice just a little breathless.
"I will write you as to when I'm free?"
She nodded, thankful she'd been privileged enough to learn such a skill. "You may."
He beamed. "Then, until I see you again." And just like always, he leaned over to press a kiss to the back of her hand. It made her feel like a proper lady, which was more than she had right to feel.
"Until next time."
Slowly, he backed away toward the carriage. Alya waved one last time in parting goodbye while Nino tipped his hat to her. Marinette waved then slipped inside the house, begging her heart to calm its frantic racing.
Marinette swore she had just blinked and suddenly they were celebrating a full year since their new king took over. This celebration was twice the size of the last one simply because the king whom they were celebrating had livened commerce once again. Taxes did have to be raised back up slightly, but Marinette would not fault the king. Such low taxes in the beginning had allowed the town to recover quickly, and the raise was minimal and still a perfectly fair rate.
"The town's adoration for the king is incredible," Adrien commented, looking around the celebration.
"He's the best king we've had in ages," she easily answered, siding up closer to him and wrapping both arms around his. "And Papa says we haven't been this prosperous since his father was a boy."
"Still," Adrien said, placing a hand over hers. "I've never seen such a celebration over a king."
Marinette felt her cheeks heat up in the cold winter air. Despite the months they'd been courting, she had yet to get her heart to calm around him. He was witty and wonderful and kind and loving yet respectful and patient and thoughtful. He had had Nino, and occasionally Alya, chaperone them for a few months until she had told him specifically she was comfortable with him, at which point they would only not have a chaperone if they were staying in the populated areas of town.
And then there was that one time during the end of summer they had ditched their chaperone to run off and splash in a nearby pond. They had gotten soaked, but oh, it had been so much fun.
She was steadily falling for this man, it was undeniable. Alya had asked recently if Marinette could see herself marrying Adrien, and the answer was yes; yes she could. She'd happily be the wife of this man even though his duties kept him at arm's length surprisingly often. Maybe he wouldn't be at arm's length if they were married and had a home together.
But that was what she hoped.
"What's wrong?" Adrien asked, rubbing the crease of her brow.
"I was just thinking," she dismissed.
"What about?"
She bit her lip and wouldn't look him in the eye, and suddenly, she felt herself being pulled out of plain sight into a nearby alley way.
"Marinette," he asked, brushing the hair from her face and letting his touch linger on her cheek. "What's wrong?"
"How do you know me so well?" she asked, flashing him a smile in an attempt to distract him.
He gave her a smile that warmed her to her core. "I focus on learning as much about you as I can every time we are together. It makes my days brighter when I have so much to think about. But I won't let you believe for a second you can distract me so easily," he gently warned.
She sighed. "I suppose that I'm saddened by the fact that you will have to go as soon as the event is over, and for who knows how long. I enjoy whenever I get the honor of spending time with you."
His smile was warm and tender. He wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her in and holding her closely. "Marinette," he said, using his other hand to play with a free lock of her hair. "If I could spend more of my time with you, believe me, I would. Unfortunately, I have a lot of work that needs to be done. I do try to get all of my work done throughout the week so that I have these days I can spend with you. I adore spending time with you, if you only knew how much."
Marinette sighed and leaned into his embrace, relishing his warmth, both physical and metaphorical. "You never told me exactly what you do, Adrien," she said.
She felt him tense, and something settled in her gut that felt an awful lot like nervousness. "I protect the kingdom," he said.
"That's all?"
"It's most of what I do," he said. "One day, I'll tell you more, but that day is not today." He nosed her forehead in a way that made her eyes close in comfort. "Today," he whispered, "I get to lead a wonderfully loving and beautiful lady around a winter festival and revel in her good company."
It was an automatic response to bury her head in his shoulder. She felt the blood rush to her cheeks. "You flatter me."
"I just like telling you the truth."
She grinned as he parted from her, leaving her chilled even though he never let go of her hand as he pulled her back out of the alley way and into the festival, joking and teasing and laughing all the while.
"I love her, Nino."
"And what are you going to do about it?"
He tapped the ring on the desk. "Is it wrong for a king to take a commoner as a wife?"
"If you believed that, you wouldn't have courted her." Nino then rose a sharp brow at Adrien. "Or at least I'd hope so."
It was those words that made it clear for Adrien. Wrong or not, he had his answer.
"The king is going to take a wife!"
It was the twitter of the town. Normally, people would be interested but not in a complete uproar. No, that was caused by a very special set of circumstances.
"And he's going to take a girl from the village!"
People speculated as to why: everything from he wanted to assure the kingdom that he was solid and stable to he had fallen madly in love with some girl and was already having secret trysts with her.
Marinette didn't care what the circumstances were as long as he didn't call on her. Her heart was already taken.
She sighed over Adrien's latest letter, one full of sweet nothings yet hinting at something large. She hoped it involved a ring and marriage and a family with him. Alya had only just informed her she was with child, and while Marinette was more than happy for her friend, she couldn't help but be a tinge jealous of wanting that for herself.
There was a knock on the door, causing Marinette to leap in shock. However, a smile soon graced her face as she scurried to the door and opened it wide, expecting to see the love of her life standing there.
Her grin quickly faded when she was greeted with a couple palace guards instead.
"Miss Marinette Dupain?"
"Yes," she hesitantly answered.
"The king has summoned you and your parents."
Her eyes widened. Her heart pounded. The king? It couldn't be…
"Maman! Papa!"
They were forced to close shop early. After all, if the king summoned them, they would answer. At least it was getting close to evening and most of their business had already been done for the day.
They rode in the carriage to the palace. It was a small castle but imposing never the less. The moment they were close, Marinette began searching for Adrien. He said he was working often; she hoped he could see him.
But she never did. And the further she got into the castle without sight of him, the more nervous she became. Her papa put his hand on the small of her back. When she glanced up, she saw he was nervous, too. It was a measure of comfort, knowing that her papa and very likely her maman didn't know what to make of being summoned by the king either.
The large doors to the throne room opened. Marinette's heart was pounding. As the doors opened wider, she watched a man stop his pacing to stand in front of the throne.
One of the servants directed her to approach the throne. She only made it halfway before she stopped, her mind registering just who was standing in front of her.
"Marinette," Adrien said, rushing off his stand towards her.
And she could do nothing more than dip into a deep curtsy. "Your Majesty."
"No, no. Please, rise," he said, kneeling in front of her. "Marinette."
She kept her head bowed, unable to look him in the eye.
"Marinette," he said again.
And that's when she felt his hands cup her cheeks, guiding her face upwards to look at him. She opened her eyes, only for her world to be blurry with unshed tears. Even in that haze, she could tell he was smiling. His smile was unmistakable.
She sniffed, and those tears fell. Adrien was quick to wipe them away, which only spurred on more tears.
"You're the king," she whispered.
He nodded. "I am."
No words came to her.
"I hope you understand my secrecy," he said. "And I hope you will forgive me for lying to you. I know what I did was wrong. I should never acted that way."
Suddenly, her heart was tight again. He was sorry. Sorry for the way he acted with her.
He was regretting every moment.
"Did you mean any of it?"
Adrien's brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"You courted me," she said, her tears starting fresh. "Yet here you stand asking for forgiveness for acting in a way you claimed you should have never—"
"No!" he interrupted, his eyes now wide with understanding and hands tightly cupping her cheeks. "No, no, no, Marinette, no. No. That's not at all what I meant. Yes, everything was true. I swear to you on my life, it was true. Ask Nino. Ask Alya. I swear to you, everything I did and said to you during our courtship was true. The only—only—thing that wasn't was surrounding my job. You always assumed me to be a nothing more than a knight, so I simply let you believe that, and that was wrong of me, and I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Marinette, for lying to you in that way."
She finally looked at him. Really looked at him. The regret in his eyes was clear, and the apology in his tone was sincere.
"I love you," he whispered. "Our courtship was not a lie. Not to me. I would never have pulled you along. Nino would have killed me for that. No, Alya. She would have killed me for that."
It was true; had Nino figured out Adrien was simply pulling her along for his pleasure, he would have stopped it. To be honest, Nino should have stopped it from the beginning. But he didn't.
Which left her here, the king kneeling in front of her and professing his love for her: a simple baker's daughter.
And that's when the rumors suddenly slammed to the forefront of her mind. "Adrien," she said. "The rumors… the ones about the king marrying a commoner…"
He grinned, widely. And Marinette's mind stopped functioning.
He pulled out a brilliant ring encrusted with a ruby. "It's not my mother's engagement ring," he said. "But it is one of her favorites, one she wore all the time. And should you accept me, I would like it to become your engagement ring."
Her breathing was rapid yet her mind was blank. Frozen. She felt numb, mostly because she wasn't sure how else she could possibly feel.
"Will you please say yes?" Adrien begged, shifting so he was on a single knee. "Marinette? Will you be my wife?"
Slowly, she grinned. "You really want me?"
"Yes," he said. "I do. I don't care about your status. You are a remarkable woman whom I've loved since you stubbornly cared for me when I was no more than a stranger to you. One from a different kingdom, no less. You had me enamored since then, and with every passing meeting, I fell more in love with you."
She blinked several times to process that.
"However," Adrien said, turning around to look over his shoulder. "I suppose I should have informed your father of such plans first."
Marinette met her papa's gaze. He was smiling. "If my little girl has caught the eye of the king," he said, just slightly choked up. "And he wants her for noble purposes, then I have no objection to my daughter having such a life."
Marinette grinned widely. When Adrien turned back to her, he wore a smile that could only be described as giddy. "Marinette, will you marry me?"
It took her far too long to formulate an answer. "Yes," she said, nodding. "Yes, I will marry you."
He took her hand, slid the ring on her finger, then placed a long, lingering kiss to the back. And another. And another.
He warned her the wedding would not be an extravagant affair. However, their ideas of extravagant were vastly different. She was almost overwhelmed at the people in attendance, furthermore, that her life was now on display for the village. Everyone now knew about Marinette Dupain: the daughter of two bakers yet caught the eye of a king simply out of kindness.
She still wasn't able to process that fact.
"I now pronounce you man and wife."
With the officiant's final words allowing Adrien to kiss his bride, Adrien gave Marinette a smile that almost sent her to her knees and lifted the veil from her face. Her breath was coming in rapid pants as he tenderly took her cheeks in his hands and leaned closer to her. She allowed him to pull her closer, using his shoulders as a balance to keep her standing upright because she felt like she wasn't going to be standing very long with how weak her knees were.
And when his lips landed on hers in the very first kiss he would ever bestow upon her, she melted into a puddle like snow in the sun.
The crowd roared in approval. The church bells rang. And then Adrien pulled Marinette toward their awaiting escape carriage as quickly as possible.
He helped her in before climbing in himself and shutting the door.
"Oh, my princess," he purred, causing heat to pool in her stomach and cheeks and chest and everywhere. "No, my queen. You lovely, beautiful woman."
She couldn't speak, not when he was looking at her like that or dousing her in compliments. She settled for leaning closer, pressing her forehead to his, and letting her eyes drift shut out of pure bliss. "How did I end up so lucky?" she finally whispered. "To have married such an incredible man?"
He cradled her head lovingly. "I tend not to look too deeply into such happy circumstances," he returned. "I much prefer to simply appreciate them."
She hummed, smile on her face widening.
"May I kiss you again, my queen?" he asked.
She brushed their noses together, then tilted her head, dragging her nose along his cheek invitingly. "I dare say you never have to ask."
She could feel his smile brush against her lips. "Then I'll cherish such a privilege," he said before pressing his lips briefly, chastely against hers. "So you never regret giving it to me."
The next kiss could not, by definition, be defined as chaste. However, as Marinette allowed his hands to carefully roam her body as his lips covered hers again and again and again, she scarcely minded.