Characters are kinda OOC in order to follow the song this is based on. Also, Marinette's appearance will be explained later on in the story; it was changed in order to fit the song better.

It was like the world itself shifted in light.

Everything was the same as it was yet...different. Nothing changed or moved from where it had been before he'd stepped into the fairy ring. The willow branched continued to sway, the pond continued to ripple with subtle life and the nearby bird calls of rang out as before. But the feeling, the very life of the forest seemed to pulse around him in new found harmony. Or, perhaps it was always there and he had simply failed to take notice. It was like his eyes were opened to a world new side of the forest, one that he knew that very few humans have every had the privilege to be a part of.

That wasn't all, however. It was with surprise that the young man realized that he could now understand the very song that that first lured him deeper into the forest in the first place. It was a song of the change of seasons, of the flow of life. The voice sang of the animals, the insects, the pond, and of the air itself connecting into one, twisting and turning through time. When asked later of the specific words of the song, Adrien found himself unable to recall them for fairy songs were never meant for human ears. But it was at that moment that he was finally able to see the source of the melody.

A young woman, no younger than him by a year, laid cradled high among the branches of the willow tree in front of him. Her face was partially turned away from him and her eyes were half closed in serene peace, her flowing knee-length red hair hanging down from the branches. She wore a simple short brown dress that matched the bark of the tree and he could just barely make out the tips of her pointed elven ears sticking out through her hair. Even from a side profile, he could see that she was a beauty among beauties. Her hands which looked softer than any he'd ever seen before idly stroked her hair as she sang. He was so captivated by the young maiden that he stood in silent awe until he was kicked from his gawking silence.

Literally.

Adrien let out an involuntary small yelp of surprise as his small game sack suddenly sprung with life, the content delivering jerky kicks at his hip. In a panic, he hastily undid the fastening and threw the sack to the ground and the small brown rabbit from earlier quickly dashed out of the opening in the bag.

At the sound, the singing abruptly stopped and the maiden quickly turned. At the sight of him, her eyes widened and her body tensed. The two stared at each other for a few seconds in silence. It was Adrien who finally decided to speak first.

"Who are you?"

She turned at the sound, ready to fade back into her tree at a moment's notice. It was a shame, she'd only just come out for the first time in years but she was simply not meant to fight.

A young man, clad in light green clothing, stood not a half a dozen meters away. His blond hair swayed in the wind, his emerald eyes wide with both shock and caution. She hadn't seen a human since, well, never but she had heard stories from others. Humans were known to bring destruction wherever they went and she'd been warned to be wary of the creatures since she was a young sapling.

This human, however, even she could admit that he was attractive. More attractive than some of the other inhabitants of the forest at least. The young man held some kind of smooth branch, bent by what looked like a string pulled tautly. Across his shoulders, he wore some kind of container where tips of many smaller branches stuck out, feathers attached to each of them. A dropped bag laid at his feet.

Instead of answering, she echoed his question back at him. "Who are you?"

He swallowed dryly before answering. "My name is Adrien. I mean no harm, I was simply following your song."

The maiden looked at him quizzically. Despite herself, she began to relax. "And how were you able to hear my singing? You're a human, aren't you?"

"Well...I just heard it I suppose. What does me being human have to do with my hearing ability?"

"Humans were never meant to hear the songs of the forest," she replied with a frown. Even with a frown her face was beautiful and his heart jumped at the sight.

"Well, I suppose I'm just special," he said with a grin. "Now that you've learned my name, may I ask what's yours?"

She eyed him warily. "Why do you need to know?"

Adrien shrugged. "Common courtesy?"

"Human common courtesy," she corrected. "You seem to forget that I am not human."

"Well, don't fairies have similar courtesies?"

She sniffed at this, her head turned upright in slight annoyance. "I am not a fairy."

"Um... You're not?" Adrien cocked his head in confusion. "But you're inside a fairy circle."

"I am a nature spirit. A nymph to be precise. Fairies are not the only ones who use these circles," she quipped.

"Well, forgive me. I was not aware that there is a difference." Then, seeing her brows draw together in further annoyance, he quickly added, "I'm only an ignorant human, after all. So please don't turn me into a frog."

At this, she laughed. "A frog? Where did you get that idea from?"

"Well...stories, I suppose."

"Stories?" She shook her head. "And I suppose you don't have evidence of these stories being true? Or even about nymphs in the first place?"

"No, but—"

"But?" she prompted.

Suddenly feeling foolish, Adrien continued anyways. "I thought that every magic creature is capable of such things."

"Then tell me, does every human possess the same skills? The same knowledge?"

"Well, no," Adrien admitted.

"Then why would we all be the same?"

"I suppose you all wouldn't be the same," Adrien relented. "But enough of that, are you going to tell me your name?"

"No."

"No?" Adrien echoed in surprise. "Why not?"

"Humans may very well give away names without a care. But to us fae, names carry power and humans are notoriously famous for abusing such power."

"Aren't you the one who just said that not everyone is the same?" Adrien challenged. "Why would you assume that I'm the same as other humans? Because of stories you've heard of us? That's unfair, isn't it?"

The maiden frowned. "Well, you don't see us destroying nature as we please or wage war on each other over power."

"But I haven't done any of that!"

"Oh really?" The maiden raised an eyebrow. "And I suppose you're not from that nearby town that just cut down dozens of trees?"

"I was not the one who felled them, nor was I the one who ordered them to be cut," Adrien protested. "Can't you give me an alias to call you by at least?"

She regarded him curiously. Only full names gave power so she supposed it wouldn't hurt. "Mari."

"Mari," Adrien repeated. He grinned. "That's a pretty name."

"Is it?"

He nodded enthusiastically. "It's beautiful. Like you."

Mari smiled at the compliment. "Aren't you a flirt. That's almost cute."

"Almost? Surely I'm much cuter than that."

"Flirting doesn't move me. I get enough of that from satyrs on a daily basis," she replied.

"Then what does move you?"

"What...moves me?" She frowned thoughtfully at the question. In all her years, she'd never been asked that. She was used to being thrown compliments and sometimes gifts for hopeful woodland creatures but not once had they asked her what she liked. "Kindness, I suppose. Intellect is also important."

Adrien's face lit up. As the sole heir of one of the richer families in town, intellect was something he had.

"Would a poem appeal to you then?"

"A...poem?" Mari asked, confused. "What is a 'poem'?"

"Uh...words with rhythm, I suppose. They're similar to songs but instead of singing, it's recitation."

Mari shrugged. She didn't see the appeal in such a thing. What was a song without singing? "I suppose you can give it a try."

Adrien hesitated. Then he launched into the one poem he had memorized.

"Come live with me and be my love,

And we will all the pleasures prove,

That Valleys, groves, hills, and fields,

Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

And we will sit upon the Rocks,

Seeing the Shepherds feed their flocks,

By shallow Rivers to whose falls

Melodious birds sing Madrigals.

And I will make thee beds of Roses

And a thousand fragrant posies,

A cap of flowers, and a kirtle

Embroidered all with leaves of Myrtle;

A gown made of the finest wool

Which from our pretty Lambs we pull;

Fair lined slippers for the cold,

With buckles of the purest gold;

A belt of straw and Ivy buds,

With Coral clasps and Amber studs:

And if these pleasures may thee move,

Come live with me, and be my love." *

When he finished, he was surprised to see Mari looking at him thoughtfully. For a second, he felt hope soar in his chest that he had indeed won the maiden over when she replied, "That's a bit easy to do, isn't it?"

Feeling his hopes dashed, Adrien pouted. "Easy? I'll have you know that words are a way of art for some humans. Why don't you try then?"

Mari laughed. "Words may be art to humans but they're a way of life for some of us. Many spells rely on incantation and sometimes we need to think of one on the spot."

"Really? I bet you can't make one up right now."

"Is that a challenge?" Mari asked, a smirk on her face. Adrien grinned. He liked this girl; she was different from the others in the village who threw themselves at his feet.

"Maybe it is. Do you accept?"

Without bothering to give a reply, Mari began reciting her own poem.

"If all the world and love were young,

And truth in every Shepherd's tongue,

These pretty pleasures might me move,

To live with thee, and be thy love.

Time drives the flocks from field to fold,

When Rivers rage and Rocks grow cold,

And Philomel becometh dumb,

The rest complains of cares to come.

The flowers do fade, and wanton fields,

To wayward winter reckoning yields,

A honey tongue, a heart of gall,

Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.

Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of Roses,

Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies

Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten:

In folly ripe, in reason rotten.

Thy belt of straw and Ivy buds,

The Coral clasps and amber studs,

All these in me no means can move

To come to thee and be thy love." **

As her poem came to an end, she was pleased to see a look of disbelief on the young man's face. Then, it changed to a wide grin.

"That's amazing! How did you do that?"

Mari shrugged, a pleased smile on her face. It had taken so little to impress. She wondered if all humans were like this, so impressionable upon. "Like I said, this is our way of life. Beauty is art and words are, without a doubt, a form of art."

He shook his head. "Do all fae wrap themselves in beauty?"

"We prefer to see the beauty in everything, even in a stinky human like you."

"Stinky?" Adrien asked, confused. He sniffed himself, unsure of what she was referring to. "I don't stink."

Mari shook her head. "The smell is faint but it wasn't here before you arrived. Therefore, it must have come here with you."

"I—oh!" Realization suddenly dawned on Adrien's face. "You must be talking about the cheese!"

"The...cheese?"

Adrien nodded. "My father keeps lots of camembert cheese in the house. I'm not sure why though but because of that, I leave the house smelling like cheese sometimes."

"What is this cheese?" Mari asked curiously.

"It's made from milk," Adrien explained. "There are many kinds but my father prefers to keep camembert in the house. I don't know why we have it; he doesn't eat it himself as far as I know but someone keeps eating it."

"Milk…?"

"From cows," Adrien patiently explained. "Cow milk."

Mari looked at him in both concern and disapproval. "Surely you don't hurt the poor creatures?"

Adrien quickly shook his head. "It doesn't hurt them; I would never hurt any animals!" he lied.

Mari looked at him skeptically. "Humans are infamous for hurting their own kind and animals are no exception."

Adrien held up his hands in defense. "I'm not like that, I swear!"

He knew that he was lying but the guilt that he felt was instantly pushed aside at the smile Mari gave him at the news.

"That's wonderful. You must be very kind." She smiled tenderly at him.

Adrien, despite himself, blushed at the praise. "Haha, yes. Kind indeed. Well, since you said that you see beauty in everything, including stinky humans, why don't I show you just how beautiful we can be?"

Mari cocked her head to one side. "What do you mean?"

Adrien partly turned and gestured to outside the circle. "Back to the town I came from. I can teach you so much about humans, don't you want to learn more?"

Mari was already shaking her head before he finished speaking. "Don't you know it's rude to simply ask a nymph to leave her tree like so?" she teased.

Adrien rolled his eyes but gave a playful bow and extended his hand to her. "Come with me my maiden. Come from thy willow bed."

She looked at him serenely and only shook her head. "I cannot leave this place."

His heart fell at her words. "Why?"

Mari placed her hand upon the bark of the willow of the branches on which she rested upon and looked at the tree with a smile. "I belong to the tree and what isn't meant to leave can never leave without consequences."

"But—"

"You're a kind person, Adrien. Surely you can understand," she said gently. She was looking at him again, the same serene smile on her face. His will crumbled.

"If that is what you wish," he said dejectedly.

Mari laughed. "Don't look so down. At least now you know where to find me. You'll always have a friend in the forest."

At her words, he looked at her in surprise. "A friend?"

She nodded. "You're different from the stories of humans that I've been told. Those horrible stories of humans needlessly killing helpless animals for sport."

Adrien felt a small worm of guilt. "Is that so."

"Yes. I do hope you visit again; there aren't too many humans who come here. But now I need to tend to my duties."

"You have duties?" He couldn't help but feel disappointed at the implication that he should leave soon.

Mari nodded.

"Oh, I see...Will I see you again soon?"

Mari shrugged. "Depends on when you come. I can't leave the forest so our next meeting is entirely up to you."

Adrien grinned. "So tomorrow?"

"Are you that eager to see me again?" Mari teased. To her surprise, Adrien nodded firmly.

"Very."

"How forward of you." Mari raised an eyebrow. "Well, until tomorrow then."

"Until tomorrow."

Author's Note:

* Christopher Marlowe's "The Passionate Shepherd to His Love"

** Sir Walter Ralegh's "The Nymph's Reply to the Shepherd"

A few lines were taken directly from the song "The Willow Maid" by Erutan from which this story is based on, do not watch/listen to it unless you wish for spoilers.

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