THE SILVER LINING

Chapter 1:

If Wishes Were Horses

Once upon a time, a king was killed in battle by the wickedest sorcerer who ever lived.

But though the sorcerer was victorious, he mysteriously vanished without a trace.

Many wondered as to the cause.

Had the sorcerer been grievously wounded?

And if so, did he succumb to his wounds, or was he waiting in the shadows, gathering his strength?

No one would know for years to come.

And during that time, the king's wife and son struggled to move on with their dreary lives.

Then, one regular summer day – a year after the king's death – a promising future appeared on the horizon...

"Look, Mother!" Prince Adrien of Agreste cheered from atop his horse. "I did it!"

Queen Vivienne's overly-shocked expression was feigned, of course, but it still made her son beam with pride.

"Goodness, Adrien – you're as tall as a giant!" the little boy's mother exclaimed. "How on earth are you going to fit through the castle doors now?"

Adrien laughed through his teeth, his bright green eyes sparkling with mischief. They were the same colour as his mother's, and he was glad to finally see hers gleaming with happiness again.

The queen had not been the same since Adrien's father, King Gabriel, had died. Her smiles were rare, her eyes were usually vacant, and she found little joy in anything save for her only child. Adrien was the last thing Vivienne had left of Gabriel. She always managed to find time for him, no matter how short.

Adrien's young brown stallion gave a snort and tugged at the reins, almost pulling the little prince out of the saddle.

His mother wiped off her smile immediately. "Careful, dear," she urged. "Remember what I always told you about riding."

"The slightest fumble may make you tumble," Adrien recited with a hint of boredom.

The queen's smile returned. "That's my boy. Now sit tight and wait. Marco, help me with the muzzle please." She beckoned to one of the three stable-hands, who eagerly scampered up to assist her.

Adrien bounced in his saddle, making his horse groan irritably. He fiddled with his blue riding jacket and matching boots, but after a few seconds he got bored.

"Can we go up to Firefly Hill this time?" the prince pleaded, puffing out his cheeks for emphasis. "We could watch the sunset, and have a picnic, and count the number of birds, and..."

His hope faltered when Vivienne shook her head sadly. "Not today, sweetie. I have to be back at the castle in an hour. Council meeting." She added that last part with a sarcastic grumble. "The queen loves her council meetings."

Adrien raised his head to the stable roof. "Aww!" he groaned before looking away with an irritated huff. "We never get to go anywhere fun anymore."

"Adrien," his mother said in that serious tone that always made the boy cringe. "That's not true. It's just..." She sighed, and her long golden hair fell past her face. "The kingdom needs me now more than ever. Without your father, the other nobles are looking to me to help amend their problems."

The prince turned to her, still not satisfied. "Why can't they just solve their own problems?" he enquired flatly. "You're the queen! I thought queens could do whatever they want?"

To his surprise, Vivienne chuckled. "I thought so too when I was your age," she mused as she gave her black mare a gentle pat on the neck. "But then I got older, and I realized that a ruler must put the needs of her people before herself." The queen gave her son a thoughtful glance. "You'll understand that someday, Adrien, when you become king."

The words left Adrien's mouth before he could hold them back: "I don't want to be king – not like Father."

Vivienne blinked at him, and suddenly the young prince wanted to shrink down to the size of a walnut.

Adrien knew how deep of a mark his father's death had left on his mother. He couldn't say the same for himself, however.

Gabriel had hardly spent time with his son at all. Whenever he did, he always had his personal guards with them at all times, watching with emotionless eyes. It had always made Adrien feel uncomfortable, more so when Gabriel acted more like a king than a father towards his son:

Stop daydreaming during your studies. Stop causing trouble for my staff. Stop playing around with that ridiculous cat. Stop acting like a child. Stop, stop, stop...

Adrien honestly couldn't explain why his father had bothered with him at all, if all the boy ever did was become a nuisance to him. Maybe Gabriel had thought he could tame the prince's wild spirit with his consistent lecturing.

There were times when hours spent with the king were bearable, but only when Adrien's mother was around. She had a way of warming her husband's cold demeanour; softening his hardened tone.

Now Adrien was ten, his father was dead... and the only person whose spirit had been snuffed out was Queen Vivienne's.

Lady Nathalie, Adrien's governess, had once mentioned to him that a bond between lovers was like a delicate flower. Without sunshine and water to sustain it, the flower would wilt away until there was nothing left. In this case, without her husband's love and companionship, Vivienne was slowly transforming into something shrivelled and lifeless.

It sounded so absurd to Adrien. Love was just an emotion; something you couldn't touch or taste or see. How could a mere feeling possibly sustain someone? The little prince wasn't sure he would ever find out.

But now, staring uncomfortably into his mother's eyes – his eyes – Adrien wished he hadn't said anything.

Thankfully, Queen Vivienne didn't scold or scowl at her son. Instead, she walked over to him and gave his little hand a soft squeeze.

"You will be king someday, Adrien," she explained in a firm but calm tone, like the sound of a rushing waterfall. "And you will be your own kind of king – one who is brave, kind, smart... and who will love everyone and everything with all his heart."

The prince almost grinned. "I wish I can see the future like you can," he said. It was a joke, of course.

His mother smiled. "I don't need to see the future to know what kind of a man you'll grow up to be, my love." She reached up and tucked a tuff of her son's golden hair behind his ear. "And besides, the only magic you and I will ever need in this world... is love."

There it was again – that weird explanation about that weird, unexplainable feeling. "Love?" Adrien asked, his nose scrunching.

Vivienne nodded. "True love is the most powerful magic of all, Adrien," she said. "It can overcome anything. Remember that."

Adrien's mind was all muddled now. So love was magical too? But if it can overcome anything, the prince thought, why is Father dead?

"I... I'll try, Mother," Adrien finally said. "But I don't really –"

His remark was cut short when the brown stallion he was riding suddenly gave a terrified whinny and started pounding his fore-hooves into the straw-ridden dirt.

Adrien let out a cry and unconsciously yanked hard on the reins. At the same time, the queen tried to reach for the bit in the horse's mouth to steady it.

Both plans didn't work. And before the queen could grab her son, the beast kicked off at a charging speed.

Adrien screamed as he felt himself flying out of the stables and down the hill.

He heard his mother calling for him, but her voice faded away into the roar of thundering hooves.

Adrien panicked and pulled the reins harder, but the stallion would not obey him.

All the while, the prince jerked heavily in the saddle, which made his teeth clamp down hard every time. One of the stirrups came loose and started banging against the horse's middle. This, in turn, made the beast go faster, and that, in turn, made Adrien slide further out of his saddle.

The prince's heart was almost as deafening as the charging horse. Fear exploded in his gut. His throat burned as he let out a blood-curdling scream, "Help! Somebody help me! I can't stop! HELP!"

Adrien fell forward against the horse's neck, struggling to hold on for dear life. But his other foot was slipping, and so were his fingers. He could almost feel the ground drawing closer. Adrien started crying now – crying for his mother, his father... for anyone to help him.

"Hang on, son!" a deep, booming voice called out to him from somewhere.

Father?

Oh god, I'm going to die!

At that precise moment, the little prince felt a strong hand grasp the back part of his jacket.

Then Adrien was flying again... but up instead of forward.

He flew right out of his saddle... and into another saddle!

Adrien gasped. His vision was blurry. He was overwhelmed with dizziness and nausea, and for a moment he couldn't feel his legs.

Then, he was slowing down.

The deep voice spoke again, more softly this time: "Deep breaths, lad."

Adrien unconsciously did as he was told. Breathe in, breathe out, in, out...

"That's it. It's all right. You're safe now. It's over."

Little by little, the prince's head cleared and his eyes refocused. He realized where he was now.

He was being carried off the horse and seated carefully on the soft grass. Then large, gloved hands were patting his shoulders, brushing his wind-blown hair, and rubbing soothing circles on his back.

I'm alive. I'm off the horse. I'm alive.

Adrien had never felt so safe in his entire life.

He looked up to see who his heroic rescuer was... and his mouth fell open further.

The man was undoubtedly human, but he had no hair on his head. The entirety of it was covered in some kind of sleek, silvery substance that Adrien couldn't name. It wasn't fabric, but it wasn't liquid or metal either. The features on his gleaming face were sharp and tight, making it look like a grinning skull.

But his pale, blue eyes were kind and welcoming. It was like looking into a frozen lake, but the ice was unbreakable. It would not let Adrien fall in.

"... you hurt?"

The little prince blinked and squeaked, "Uhh?"

"Are you hurt, son?" the man asked again with heartfelt concern. "Is anything broken?"

"I... I... N-N-No..." Adrien stammered, barely recognizing his own voice. "I... You..." The boy's face melted into astonishment. "You saved my life!"

The silver-faced stranger smiled with relief. "That's just the nerves talking," he said with a throaty chuckle. He stood up and extended a hand to the boy. "Come now – let's get you back on your feet."

Adrien graciously took the man's hand and heaved himself back up. Suddenly, he felt light-headed again and he started swaying in his spot.

"Whoa, easy there, boy!" The man immediately had his arms out to support Adrien. "Are you sure you're all right? Did you hit your head or anything?"

Adrien took a few deep breaths before responding, "No, sir. I'm fine. But..." He stiffened at the sight of the man's massive, grey stallion.

I could have fallen off. I could have... I could have...

The little prince felt more tears coming. He had tried to turn this day into a good one, for his mother's sake. Now he wished he had never set one foot in that stable.

"I'm never going to ride again," Adrien whimpered.

The man stared at him quietly. Then he snorted with a laugh and said, "Nonsense."

Adrien looked up at the stranger, once again losing himself in those icy-blue eyes.

His father had blue eyes, but they were darker, like an angry storm at sea.

This was a gentler kind of blue, like the open sky after a winter snowfall.

"You shouldn't swear off something you love doing just because you're scared," the man continued, kneeling down so that he and the prince were eye-to-eye. "The only way to get over your fear is to face it; to get back up on that horse as soon as possible." He patted Adrien's shoulder again. "Never stop trying, and you'll discover just how brave you truly are."

The prince blinked at him with star-struck eyes.

No man had ever spoken to him with such warm, encouraging words before. Not even his father.

But now, Adrien felt something like hope sparkle inside his chest.

He finally found the strength to smile again. "Thank you..." he breathed to the stranger. "Thank you... um... Mister...?"

The man smiled and bowed his head. "Reginald," he replied. "And who might you be, my brave young rider?"

Remembering his royal courtesies, Adrien bowed his own head in return. Then he replied, "Adrien. My name is Adrien."

The silver-masked man called Reginald was smiling again, only this time it was much deeper than before, as if he knew all along what the prince's name was.

"Well, then, Sir Adrien," he said. "I wish I could stay, but I must return home at once. I can see your fellow riders coming this way. You'll be in good hands now. Take care, and remember to get back in that saddle."

Adrien merely smiled at the man who saved his life, and watched as Reginald climbed back onto his grey horse, winked down at the boy, and then trotted off down the valley.

The little prince watched him go the whole time.

It wasn't until he heard hoof beats from behind him when he finally turned.

Four horses grounded to a halt, but only one of the riders dismounted.

"Adrien!" Queen Vivienne cried as she ran over, fell to her knees and embraced her little boy ever-so-tightly.

The little prince wrapped his arms around her, and once again he felt the satisfaction of security warming his ice-cold veins.

"Mother..." Adrien sighed into the queen's hair, savouring the scent of wildflowers and leather.

"Oh, my baby! My treasure, my sweet boy...!" Vivienne pulled away and cupped her son's face with her hands. "Are you all right? What happened? How did you escape?"

Adrien almost laughed at how hastily his mother was talking. "He saved me, Mother," he said.

The queen blinked. "Who did, dear?" she asked more gently.

"The man in the silver mask! He pulled me right off my horse and he... he saved me!"

Vivienne glanced over her son's shoulder. Her green eyes were alit with relief and interest. "That rider over there?" she asked, pointing out.

Adrien turned around to see his rescuer slowly shrinking into the horizon, and he nodded with pride. "Yes. His name is Reginald."

And Adrien knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that he would never forget that name for as long as he lived.

MB: Chilling, isn't it?

One thing I love about prequels is the subtle hints and nudges towards later stories in the series. If you've read "IWAFY" already, I bet you were thinking, "No, Adrien! It's a trick!" Well, too bad. Mwahahaha!

I used the Once Upon a Time Season 1 episode "The Stable Boy" as inspiration for this chapter. I will also be using scenes/themes/elements from the episodes "Fruit of the Poisonous Tree" and "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" in later chapters.

I do not own Once Upon a Time or the episodes, or Miraculous.

Just to confirm, this is the first of three mini prequels to my first Miraculous/Once Upon a Time crossover "I Will Always Find You". Each of them will have six chapters, some longer than others. But I hope you all enjoy them all the same!