Hello, before you read I feel the need to state that this is just a trial thing, I want to see how the dear readers of this site react to this first chapter before writing anymore on it.
This is set in the past and there will be no Kwamis or such, I simply wanted to have fun with the characters in a Beauty and the Beast esque fashion and I am basically writing until I can get to a scene I have in my mind between them. This story will have mature themes and language so I am rating it M if I post the second chapter. However that is up to you my dear readers.
Much Love;
Ad
P.S:
For all of you coming from my previous story, the next chapter is in the beta reading phase. If you would like to beta read for this story (once again if I do end up continuing) then please leave me a review or pm saying so.
Now without further ado...
Chapter 1, One little slip:
In the city of Paris France there was three major noble families. Of these three the Bouregois and Agreste families held the most power in the city. One could not truly call themselves a Parisian without knowing that you simply do not cross anyone from those two noble houses without the effects of your actions following you through the rest of your life, and following your family even after your death. The noble family that you wanted to be associated with if any would be the Count Kurtzbergs family. He was a kind elderly man with a lovely wife and a wonderful son who was just as artistic as he was kind. Many girls from all around the city would feel their hearts pound frantically when he was seen out and about be it with his father or alone. However if one of the Agreste twins were seen out and about it was common knowledge that you should duck your head and not meet their icy green eyes. Then there was the daughter of Duke Bouregois. A beautiful yet terrifying young woman who was not above ruining an entire family just because she is bored.
Marinette Dupain-Chang knew all too well that her own family could suffer far worse than anyone around her if she stepped out of line. Since they were very young Chloe Bouregois had done her best to torture her at every turn. They were constantly running into each other due to the young duchesses love of extravagant parties and the Dupain-Changs profession. Her mother and father would often bake delicacies beyond her wildest imagination for the honey blondes parties. She would often be sent with her father to help set up and afterwards be tortured by the blonde and her red haired maid. They always found a way to get the poor young bakers daughter alone, that's when they would strike be it verbally or otherwise depending on the Duchesses mood.
Today was no different apparently.
"Oh look it's the little halfie." Marinette winced at the sound of Chloe's voice, the young duchess had taken to calling her a halfie after her mother decided to help with party preparations over a year ago, the way the word sounded coming from the blondes mouth made her feel ashamed of who she was and that in turned made her feel even more ashamed for thinking that way.
"Good evening duchess, I hope that the set up is to your liking." She stated in a flat voice. She was nearly eighteen now, she couldn't run away and hide from the other girls teasing anymore. If she did she feared she would be doing it forever.
"I can't believe the halfie would come to something as important as the young Counts birthday party then try to act all righteous." Sabrina's red hair shook as she giggled out the words.
"I assure you I am only doing my job ma'am." Marinette made sure to stare at the space between the two higher classed girls feet as she spoke.
"I know you did not just address us like we are some old maids or something. You filthy little halfie, you should be happy to lick our shoes yet here you are acting as if you aren't some piece of scum on my ballroom floor." Chloe snapped then. Marinette knew what was coming next even before it happened. The blondes hand connected with her cheek and a loud smack echoed off the marbled floors and ornate walls of the ballroom around them.
"I'm sorry Duchess." She stated in a low hollow voice as her eyes caught sight of her father who had turned to view the source of the sound. Her cheek pounded and her eyes watered as they once again became glued to the marble pattern below her feet.
"You are sorry, a sorry worthless pig." Chloe huffed shortly before Sabrina whispered into her ear, "oh my!" She exclaimed as she turned to face the entrance, "my lords I did not expect you to come to such a small intimate event!" Marinette chanced a glance up as the ladies moved away from her and caught sight of the three that had stolen Chloe's attention. They were all tall and slim with peach complexions and golden blonde hair. The eldest of the three had piercing blue eyes like ice while the two younger males at his sides each sported emerald green hues. They could have been royalty for all the attention that the duchess showed them however the young bakers daughter knew all to well of the Duke Agreste and his twin sons.
"You would think this party is for them." She turned to find the owner of the kind voice that reached her ears. Red hair and blue eyes invaded her vision as well as a smile so sweet that she felt as if she could melt into it at any moment.
"Count Nathaniel." She slipped into what she hoped was a graceful curtsy and felt herself blush as his joyous laugh echoed in her ears.
"Ah Marinette, it is always nice to see your lovely face." She smiled as he spoke and righted herself to stand before him. The two shared a smile for far longer than they should have and she found herself subconsciously looking down and away from his face.
"It is nice to see you as well sir, you have been absent from the shop and I was beginning to fear that your taste had changed." She fought through the urge to stutter as her cheeks burned. The memory of the stolen kiss between herself and the young Count was fresh in her mind and she feared that it may have caused his sudden absence when he had been a regular at the shop before hand.
"Of course not, though I have been craving far more than pastries lately my dear." His voice was sweet in her ear but did nothing to help the redness of her cheeks.
"Count Kurtzberg, how are you on this fine day?" Both turned to the sound of Duke Bouregois' voice and Marinette took a few steps away from him self consciously.
"I am doing quite well my lord, and might I add your daughter throws a lovely celebration. I am more than happy to be here on my birthday." Marinette watched silently as the two men began to discuss diplomatic matters that she did not have the right to be apart of. She could see her father handing out treats that they had spent the last three days on and smiling brightly at the party goers as he did so. He did not need her help any more, that much was clear to her, but she did not want to be trapped by the blonde and her friend yet again, she was nearly a full fledged adult now after all and should not allow such things to happen anymore.
She made her way carefully through the party guests and slipped outside to the warm spring night air that caressed the balcony that the large windows of the ballroom looked out upon. She allowed a soft sigh to escape her lips as she leaned on the railing and stared out to the darkening twilight sky. Her cheek rested on her fisted hand as she allowed her thoughts to shift once again to the shared kiss between her and the young Count just a month before. He had caught her by the hand at the side of her parents small shop and pulled her into a quick chaste kiss that left her breathless. He then promised her there was more to come before slipping out of her sight moments later. It was true that she as well as many other young women around the city had flirted with the young Count before that day, but the fact that he was her first kiss in the end drove her mind wild. She found it hard to focus on her work for many days afterward and felt as if that same amount of mental distraction would happen again now that she had seen him once more.
"Here I thought that I was the only one bored with the festivities." She turned quickly to find the owner of the sensual yet playful voice that drifted from behind her. One of the two Agreste twins stood there in the doorway with a small smirk on his lips and his bright green eyes boring into her own deep blue ones. She quickly looked away from his face and moved to one side of the balcony as he approached the spot she had been standing in.
"I assure you Mademoiselle I do not bite." He chuckled a bit as he watched her crowd herself into the corner of the banister. She was fidgeting nervously with the apron draped across the front of her dress and did not seem to be able to meet his eyes once again.
"Apologies my lord but I-I am sorry for invading your private moment. If you will excuse me." She mumbled quickly as she inched her way towards the door. He watched her as she moved slowly along the wall of glass with curiosity behind his bright green eyes.
"You did not intrude on me my lady," he stated when she was close the large open doors, she stopped short and turned her gaze towards the now lounging man by the banister of the large balcony. On second glance she noticed much more about him, the way his hair was slightly askew due to the breeze that drifted past them causing him to look less like an unapproachable lord and more like a playful boy next door sort. His emerald eyes were bright with playfulness she had not noticed when she first saw him and his smooth clear skin stretched up into boyish dimples as a smile spread across his lips, "however if you wish to intrude I personally would not complain about it."
"I-" she began as her cheeks melted into a rosy pink hue. She looked away from him quickly as her heart rate increased what felt like ten fold in her chest. What was this feeling that she was experiencing? It was different than anything she had felt while being around the young Count Kurtzberg yet strangely felt the same, "I apologize my lord, I-I have to go aid my f-father inside." With that she was rushing back through the crowd towards her large and jolly father without even the knowledge of who she had spoken to seconds before.
"Adrian, come on you haven't paid any attention to me all night and I thought you came here to see how lovely I looked today." Chloe whined as she leaned on the arm of the blonde male beside her.
"I am Felix. Duchess I fear for your future if you cannot keep the one you admire straight in that lovely blonde head of yours." The male that she had captured sighed irritably as she pulled away from him in shock at his words.
"Felix, but, but where is my Adrian!" She nearly shrieked causing all nearby them to turn towards the commotion she was making. Felix straightened his jacket and took a few unnecessary steps away from the young blonde. He did not get women in the least, especially not this one. She was so loud and obnoxious and clung to his brother (and him whenever she thought he was his brother) at any given opportunity. He would speak to his father after the party about making arrangements to never have to be in the same room as that banshee again. He sincerely felt bad for his younger twin, he did, but this woman was just too much to bear and he was not about to go through another headache because of her.
"Please compose yourself, else you shall be the talk of the city in the morning." He scolded her like he always ended up doing and felt the eyes of everyone in the room turn on him. He needed to act fast or his family image would be in jeopardy, he could not become apart of this vile woman's scene, "why don't you step outside for some fresh air and I will bring you some refreshments to help clear your head. A lovely young woman such as yourself should not allow such crude emotions to cloud her judgement after all." He could be a stage actor for all of the showmanship he put into his words, even offering her the arm she had clung to when she was confused nearly moments before. The cold stares melted into hushed whispers about his chilvary as he lead her towards the large glass doors that looked out upon the balcony.
"Adrian!" As soon as they stepped out into the crisp air she released him and practically fell into his brothers arms. The twins exchanged nervous and wary glances before Felix turned on his heel and made his way back into the ballroom. Good riddance, he thought as he made his way over to a table lined with drinks and pastries, at least she won't be causing a scene anymore.
"Oh, s-sorry." He glanced up at a young woman who would not meet his gaze. She did not wear any formal attire and the apron draped across her faded pink dress was covered in flower and icing stains that he quickly assessed where far older than just a day. Her hair was tied in two silky black pigtails that brushed her shoulders as she hung her head and used an equally stained cloth to wipe up the drink she had knocked over near him, "I-I apologize Monsieur. I-it won't happen again." He did not know why his heart dropped at the sight of her pitifully attempting to clean up without meeting his eyes, yet he found himself leaning forward to catch the slightest glimpse of her down-turned face.
"It is alright." The words were out of his mouth before he could control himself and the two where soon staring at one another in equal shock. He noticed her eyes where a striking blue like the ocean and could feel himself being pulled into them as if the tide was coming in for him and him alone. Her hues flashed with recognition for a split second before a curious look overcame her face.
"You aren't him." She stated softly before shaking her head.
"Excuse me?" He was taken aback by her sudden statement.
"Apologies sir, I had you confused for a moment with the one who spoke to me outside." So she thought he was his brother as well, he couldn't help the thought crossing his mind, "however n-now that I see you, your um, y-your eyes. T-they are green, ah- um, grassy green like a field while yo-your brothers are more, more like the color of a gem." She began to murmur halfway through and he found he did not mind the fact that he had to lean closer to hear her words.
"I feel I must apologize now for fooling you." What was he saying? Women irritated him to no end due to their silliness and uncanny love for toying with others emotions. So then why was he taking the time out of his day to entertain this woman who was so obviously lower class?
"N-no, it was all my fault my lord, I-I will do well to mind my manners in the future. Excuse me." As he watched her walk away it dawned on him just why he found her so interesting.
She was being sincere. Speaking to him with no ulterior motive and no hidden agenda. He chuckled to himself as he reached for a glass of wine next to the one she had spilled, that young commoner had more class in her than any of the ladies he had been forced to be around since he could remember. She was a strange enigma wrapped in a lovely box surrounded by a peasants packaging. A true wonder right there in the heart of Paris. He watched the girl interacting with the large man she had been hovering nearby and tilted his head slightly to the side as the man patted her lightly on her head. A large smile spread across her face after this and he could feel his eyebrow raise in curiosity. What an odd family to be acting in such a way at such a social gathering. Felix was concerned but not for his own image finally. A truly lovely young lady such as she should be acting the part and yet there she was jumping excitedly and hugging the large man after a few short words were exchanged between them.
"Felix, we are leaving shortly. Collect your brother." His fathers voice reached his ears causing him to straighten his shoulders and nod his head submissively. He made it a point to never look directly at his father; not out of fear, it was more of a personal rebellion that he was expressing only for himself. He blamed his father for his mothers disappearance years before and refused to believe that it was simply a case of missing persons. His father was a cold cruel man who raised both his brother and himself to be the model of high society, nothing could be out of place from their hair to their attitudes or there would be hell to pay. He found it highly likely that his eccentric and loving mothers disappearance was less of a random tragedy and more of an inside job.
"We will meet you at the door, father." He had to control himself so he would not spit the words at the tall and foreboding man.
"See that you do." He turned with his eyes on the floor and made his way past his father silently. A light giggle that reached his ears when he was halfway across the ballroom caused him to glance back once, the big man who had been speaking with the young lady was wiping a pile of icing off the table while she offered him rag after rag and giggled at whatever he was saying to her. Felix felt his fists clench, if only his own family acted in such a way even in privacy then maybe his mother would still be around.
"Papa, you have to get yourself together, too many spills and this whole ball could come tumbling down." Marinette chuckled as her father grumbled again about how the silk tablecloths with glass wine glasses was a terrible idea anyway and how it was not his fault the little cakes had to be arranged in such an "unstable heap".
"Honestly, if the Mademoiselle did not pay so well I would honestly stop taking jobs from her." Tom Dupain was grumbling his words but the small smile on his lips told her that her teddy bear of a father was not actually angry at all.
"We should be packing up soon anyway Papa, the ball seems to be coming to an end." She added a smile of her own to the conversation as she shifted past his frame to gather a tray of nearly full wine glasses. She honestly did not understand the higher class, no one seemed to finish anything at all and yet they wasted all their money on silly parties and food that was barely touched. She turned to take the tray to the kitchen when a suit covered back stopped her progress. She let out a soft "oophm" as the collision happened and cursed herself when the wet feeling of lukewarm wine seeped through the front of her dress to her skin below. Her eyes widened as she noticed a deep stain seeping into the jacket of the male before her as well. Her eyes drifted from the spill to the back of the males neck where soft blonde hairs brushed the collar of his suit.
"I-I-I-" she began to stutter as the man turned around slowly. Grass green eyes bored into her own and she quickly adverts her gaze, "I- I am s-sorry s-sir. Please l-let me t-take care of your jacket and, and y-your shirt before it stains." She stammered out without looking at him.
Felix was shocked he was just thinking of how he could find a way to better train the young woman who had invaded his thoughts for the last twenty minutes or so. He was planning on talking to his father about hiring her as a maid in a few weeks when he could get an appointment with the busy Duke, however with this little slip-up that the clearly terrified young lady had he could get her under his wing much sooner.
"Do you realize how expensive this suit is?" He asked a bit loudly as he placed his hands firmly on his hips and glared at her in his best reenactment of his fathers own cold stare.
"Brother it was simply an accident." He shrugged off Adrian's hand and took a confident step forward causing the young lady to take a step back in response as a small squeak escaped her lips. His arms slipped from his waist to cross before his chest as he adjusted his chin slightly to look at her down his nose. Inside his mind he was ecstatic, he really should look into sneaking behind his fathers back and becoming a stage actor.
"This suit is worth more than a hovel that you would call home peasant girl, I would not trust untrained hands such as yours to deal with a matter such as this." Her eyes were watering and she was clearly distraught.
"Apologies my lord." She squeaked as she placed the now empty tray before her as if it could shield her from his anger.
"How do you expect to pay for repairs to my suit then?" He questioned in as cold a tone as he could muster.
"I- I-" her voice was so small and soft that he almost gave in and simply left her at that. He did not particularly enjoy scaring an innocent young lady after all.
"Just whip her and get it over with." The earsplitting laugh of Chole Bouregois reached his ears and caused his brows to crease in anger once again.
"Chloe-" Adrian began.
"Enough." Felix cut them both off as he shot them a warning glare. When the two behind him fell into silence he turned his eyes on the still cowering young woman before him, "you will report to the Agreste Estate tomorrow at dawn and you will serve under me until I feel your debt has been repaid. There will be no excuses and I expect only the best from my servants. Do not disappoint me and do not attempt to flee your duty." He made a point to turn on his heel and march out of the ball room before the terrified girl could stutter her words once again. He did not mean for things to happen exactly like that, but that damned duchess just seemed to always be on his last nerve lately. It would be a cold day in hell before he saw her married into his family. That was for sure. He looked back once as he took his first step into their coach to see the blackette still in tears as her father patted her back tenderly. A pang crossed his chest at the sight, but he quickly turned away and made his way into the coach. He didn't think of himself as a bad guy, he simply manipulated the circumstances to fit his needs. He wasn't deliberately hurting anyone.
His eyes narrowed slightly at the older man who took his seat before him.
He was nothing at all like his father.