The kingdom was slowly being torn apart by the war that loomed over them. Every available man was being called to join the army, and those with training were being asked to serve as knights. His father would be furious, hence why he had to be careful. Mother, on the other hand, had caught wind of his plans and stopped him before he could slip out into the night. However, instead of stopping him, she gave him a large, emerald encrusted ring—a gift passed down for generations—and kissed his forehead, wishing him the best of luck. He returned the gesture before swearing he would bring honor to their name again, something they had lost in a careless act by his father.

Signing up was easy. He hid his identity well and signed up under a fake name so word wouldn't reach his father. He asked people to call him Felix Agreste because, unfortunately, he had to keep the last name in order to restore honor to his family line.

That's when a gangly looking youth came in. The older men laughed at him. His black hair was only just long enough to tie back into a little queue and his face was devoid of any sort of hair. Yet here he was, signing up for a leadership position. They didn't want to let him in at first, but the man with a surprisingly high voice was persistent. Eventually, they called up one of the men to participate in a swordfight with the lad.

Adrien was about to protest, saying it was almost unfair because the man they chose had to have at least ten years of experience on the gangly fellow. But the lad shocked everyone when he quickly and effortlessly beat the older man.

"Next time, I suggest putting up a fight instead of underestimating your opponent."

No one dared questioned the young man again.

Adrien was quick to befriend him. He was known as Plagg Dupain, he learned. An odd name, but he looked a little odd. Adrien forced himself to recall the familiar last name, finally realizing that he was the son of Tom Dupain, the man famous for traveling to the eastern kingdoms and bringing back an exotic looking wife. He was aware the wealthy businessman had a daughter, one who was the talk of many town and the pursuit of many men, but never had he heard of the man's son.

Still, they quickly became friends. They both had similar skill levels for their young age and worked well together to create battle tactics. Though they were paired with someone much older and wiser for now, they worked well on their own with very little interference from their older co-leader.

They pressed hard and far into battle, changing the tides of the war and significantly weakening the other kingdom.

Until that kingdom sent assassins.

Akuma, they were known as. Silent and deadly demons.

They took out most of the squad and scattered the ones who remained. Adrien stayed by Plagg's side, unwilling to leave the man he'd come to think of as a brother. They managed to make it to the outer rim of their kingdom, where they were convinced they lost them. Still, they had to hustle back to their central base. They were targets, that much they knew. They had a reputation of being the greatest warriors in the king's army and had overheard of the bounty on their heads.

They were just making it over the bridge leading from the outlying countryside to Agreste territory when the arrows flew. The second round hit Plagg in the shoulder. He nearly fell of his horse from the shock of it, but Plagg was hearty. He pulled himself back up on the horse and rode well.

Until the third round hit Adrien's horse's flank.

The horse reared from underneath him, nearly sending him flying, but it spooked Plagg's horse, who sidestepped in surprise. Plagg already had poor balance from the strike of an arrow. He didn't have a chance when his horse started bucking, too.

A fourth round of arrows, and this time, one flew directly by Adrien's torso, getting trapped the fabric of his uniform. And in the chaos, he went tumbling over the side of the bridge.

The rushing water was cold. That was the first thing that registered in his mind. He popped up out of the water, sputtering as he reached for the nearest rock. He held tight, sputtering and choking out the water he'd taken on. He quickly wiped his eyes, just in time to see the flash of red rolling down the river.

Plagg.

Adrien let go of the rock in a heartbeat, allowing the current of the rushing river to take him closer and closer to his best friend. He was able to grab Plagg by the tunic, then, some hundred meters down from the bridge, finally got him to a bank.

Apparently, the way Adrien lugged Plagg upon the riverbank by his torso forced the water from his lungs. Plagg was coughing and sputtering as water poured from his mouth. Adrien smacked his back a handful of times, helping Plagg rid his lungs of the river water.

But the arrow was still in his shoulder, and Adrien knew he had to take it out.

He didn't warn Plagg, going for the element of surprise and not giving him any time to prep for the pain that it would undoubtedly cause him. With a cry in that high-pitched voice of his, he collapsed back on the bank, passed out.

With the wound bleeding out, Adrien knew he had to wrap it, then get Plagg to a healer as fast as humanly possible. Looking around, he tried to locate where they were, and that's when he remembered the hunting shack that sat at the edge to this particular property. One he'd been to a handful of times when he went hunting with a friend. It was at least a safe spot for now, so it would have to do.

He lifted Plagg up on his shoulder, carrying his friend the short distance to the hidden hideaway before dumping him on the bed. First things first, he had to wrap that wound. He stripped Plagg of the dark red cloak he favored so much, then of his outer shirt. The inner shirt was next, and Adrien paused to stare at the way his chest was bound tightly.

Adrien stared in surprise. When had his friend been injured? He'd been at his side the entire time. But as he looked him over, noticing the thin waist, the small frame, everything else began falling into place. The high-pitched voice, the childish features, the fact he never undressed with them or bathed around them…

Plagg was a woman.

Everything hurt. Marinette groaned as she felt a throbbing in her shoulder. That paired with the burning in her lungs and the throbbing of her head made it hard to keep conscious.

"Take it easy," a familiar voice said.

Cool water pressed against her forehead, and she sighed at the relief. She was too weak to open her eyes right now, so she allowed herself to sink into the softness beneath her.

The nauseous feeling slowly ebbed, though the pain in her shoulder remained. She tried to open her eyes, but the lids were still heavy.

"Rest for now," the voice repeated. "We'll get you to a healer soon enough."

"What happened?" she grunted, trying to recall where she was.

"You were hit," the voice said, one she came to realize was her partner. Her very handsome, green-eyed, kind-hearted partner. "You took a tumble in the river."

She grunted her acknowledgement.

"You hit your head pretty good, and that shoulder is going to need to be looked at."

Slowly, she found the strength to open her eyes, immediately recognizing Felix's face in front of her, reaching over to drape a cool, wet cloth across her forehead.

Slowly, she shifted, the pain in her shoulder immediate spiking.

"Stay still," Felix urged, his hand pressing against her opposite shoulder to keep her down.

It took far too long for her mind to register that his skin was on hers.

With wide eyes, she looked down to find she was shirtless, her bound breasts covered only by a blanket she now clutched and pulled up tighter. The pain in her shoulder was roaring, but her panic was stronger.

He continued to stare at her, his expression unreadable. She swallowed hard as her heart pounded, a new realization kicking in. She was caught.

Her stomach twisted and she dropped her head in shame. "You're going to turn me in, aren't you?"

"No," he said easily.

She lifted her head back up. "But… but I'm a woman. The law states—"

He shrugged. "I'm not turning you in, Plagg."

She cringed at the bite at her fake name. One she'd chosen and was able to pass off thanks to her heritage. "Even though you'd be killed too if they found out you let me go?"

He nodded.

She stared at him again.

"Why are you surprised?" he challenged, handing over a canteen of water. "I thought you knew me better than that by now."

Hesitantly, she took it. "But that was before you knew my identity."

"Well, Plagg, for your information, I don't really care that you're a woman considering that you're a skilled strategist and have saved my life and the lives of several others on more than one occasion."

Again, she didn't miss the bite in his tone. "Marinette," she said. "My name is Marinette."

"Marinette Dupain?"

She nodded. She hadn't lied about her last name.

"The merchant trader's daughter."

Again, she nodded before taking a drink of the canteen.

"Explains a lot."

She handed the canteen back to him. "What do you mean?"

"Never heard that Thomas Dupain had a son. Only a daughter."

"So my reputation precedes me?"

"And it's quite well known," Felix explained. "I know many of my friends had their sights set on the exotic daughter of a wealthy merchant."

She bowed her head. "That's why I joined," she admitted. "So I wouldn't have to be the wife of whoever offered the best prospect."

"But you'd have more of a choice than most women," he countered. "One would say you were better off than most."

"I didn't care for any of the men my papa picked out. Normally, he's good at listening, but when I've turned down as many men as I have, he's more worried about seeing me happily settled with a family than if I love the man."

Felix stared at her a long while before standing form his seat. "We should get you to a healer," he said. "I don't want that shoulder wound to fester."

Her bottom lip quivered. "But… you're going to have to explain —"

"That you got caught in the crossfires," he finished for her. "That's all that happened."

She frowned, and her gaze sank to the bed she lay on.

"Are you awake enough to ride?"

She nodded.

"Then let's go."

He tossed her some dry clothes, then turned to allow her privacy to dress. After that, he helped her out of the hut and to her horse. She had no idea just how weak she was until she was in the saddle.

"You listen to me," Felix warned. "If you think you're going to pass out, you tell me."

"I can handle myself," she said, forcing herself to sit tall as though to prove it. "I'm not weak."

"Never said you were," he insisted. "Frankly, if anyone else was as pale as you are right now, I'd insist you stay off a horse."

She watched him easily hoist himself up into the saddle. "Thank you, Felix," she said.

He looked to her. "Adrien," he said. "My real name's Adrien."

Her eyes widened as she stared at him, the name coming to the front of her mind. "Adrien Agreste? As in—"

"You aren't the only one with a secret to hide," he said. "I'm here to clear my family name. I just couldn't do that if they didn't allow the son of the infamous Gabriel Agreste to enter the army."

They held each other's gaze a while longer before Marinette looked away. "Your secret's safe with me."

She looked at him out of the corner of her eye just in time to catch a grin. "Come on. We should get you to a healer."