Now Marinette's grandfather, Reverend Fu was a kind and forgiving pastor in Salem. He treated everyone with love and compassion and made sure the church was open to everyone. He was devastated by the deaths of his daughter and son in law but thrilled that his granddaughter was going to live with him. Salem needed a man like Fu for you see Salem was ruled by the power mad Judge Andre Bourgeois. He was both the minister and justice of Salem with very strict rules and severe punishments. In his mind Salem was a perfect town as long as he controlled it. His main goal right now was to have his daughter Chloe Bourgeois marry Adrien Agreste.

Adrien Agreste was the son of Gabriel Agreste Salem's richest landowner. Almost every girl in Salem swooned over him but he had no intention of getting married right now. In fact right now all he wanted to do was just have fun with his friends Nino Lahiffe and Kim. Just this morning he and his friends were about to go hunting.

"Good morning Mr. Agreste." Judge Bourgeois called as the young man got his horse ready.

"Good morning Judge Bourgeois." He said politely.

"Good morning Adrien." His niece Lila Rossi said fluttering her olive green eyes and flipping her chestnut brown hair. Lila was one of the most attractive ladies in all of Salem almost no man could resist her.

"Good morning Adrien." Chloe said giving him a pearly white smile. She was one who possessed many talents and qualities.

"Good morning ladies." He said equally polite but not looking at them. Instead he just got on his horse and rode away.

"You see that Father? He didn't even look at me." Chloe complained obviously not taking rejection well.

"Don't worry Chloe in time that boy will come to his senses and marry you. Mark my words you will become his wife." The judge assured her.

He went to his horse and decided to join Adrien on his horse.

"So Nino I heard you finally proposed to Alya." Adrien said. "Congratulations."

"Thanks we're so excited. She wants it to be as soon as possible."

"All I can say it's over for you." Kim said. "Getting married means the end of all fun as for me I'm a bachelor til the end. Watch out ladies."

"Watch out is right." Nino teased. "Watch out for a brainless brute."

"Hey!"

Adrien and Nino burst out laughing.

"So speaking of marriage." Andre said. "When are you going to decide to marry my daughter?"

"Judge Parish right now I just want to enjoy being young and having fun."

"But you're fifteen now. It's time to start thinking about marriage. My daughter Chloe is very special and talented."

"Forgive me Judge Bourgeois but she does not seem to be the kind of woman I wish to marry."

"But Mr. Agreste-"

"Race you guys to the cemetery." He then shook the reins and his horse took off while Nino and Kim's horses did the same thing. Adrien's horse was a lot faster than theirs so he got there first. "I win!" He cheered.

But his successful victory cheer was stopped when he spotted a figure picking nettles and chrysanthemum flowers by the edge of the woods.

"Hello, what's that?" He wondered. "Stay here boy while I investigate."

He got off his horse and carefully approached the figure. It was a girl, she didn't see him because her back was turned as she was leaning over to pick the nettles and chrysanthemums.

"Excuse me." He said.

Startled she stood up and turned around. Adrien was instantly smitten by her beauty. Her hair was like the midnight sky and her eyes were like a valley of blue belles. He had never seen a girl so beautiful in all his life.

"Hello." He said.

The girl began to back away in fear.

"No don't be afraid. I won't hurt you, please what is your name?"

She didn't answer she stood there looking at him.

"Adrien!" Nino called.

The girl became even more frightened when Adrien's friends and the judge appeared.

"Hey Adrien who's the girl?" Nino said.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. Please tell us who you are." Adrien asked her.

"She's just common beggar girl." Andre said. "Pay her no mind Adrien."

"There's nothing common about her." Adrien said his eyes not leaving her. "She's beautiful."

"She is very lovely." Nino agreed.

"What are you doing here girl?!" Andre demanded. "How dare you trespass on holy ground!"

"Don't yell at her you'll only scare her more than she already is." Adrien said.

"Answer me girl!" Andre shouted ignoring Adrien.

"Judge Bourgeois." Reverend Fu said entering the cemetery. "Is something wrong?"

"This dirty beggar girl is trespassing!"

"Calm yourself your honor. This is my granddaughter Marinette and she meant no harm or disrespect she was only gathering a few plants."

"Why does she not speak?"

"You must understand sir my granddaughter was traumatized by the deaths of my daughter and son in law that she can't bring herself to speak. Come now Marinette you have enough plants we shall go home."

Marinette took one last look at Adrien and then left with her grandfather. After that Adrien and the other men decided to return to town.

"That poor girl." Nino said. "To lose her parents and be so upset about it that she can't speak. God be with her."

"Bah! Whoever heard of someone not speaking due to trama?!" Andre said. "She's a witch I bet."

"If that girl's a witch then I'd gladly join the toads and spiders in her cauldron any day." Kim joked.

"Impossible." Adrien said. "She's far too lovely to be such a thing."

When Marinette returned home she began to crush the nettles into thread and the chrysanthemums into fabric then sewed them into shirts and used the herbs to brew a tonic. While some people in Salem found her strange others grew to like her very much because of her kind nature. Overtime she eventually learned to speak again and it was easier for her to make friends. One of which was Nino's fiancé Alya Cesaire

But there were still others who did not like her at all. Like Judge Bourgeois who didn't trust her and Chloe and Lila. Who constantly kept saying mean things to the girl and teasing her. But she didn't mind them. Adrien on the other hand couldn't stop thinking about her.

Everyday he would ride by Reverend Fu's house just to get a glimpse of Marinette sewing shirts, brewing the tonics, or just playing with the birds and rabbits that came by. Other times he would run into her at the market place and he wanted to talk to her but she always seemed so nervous when he came by.

"Thank you again for the herbal tea Marinette." Alya said as they walked through the market place. "It cleared my sister's cold right up."

"You're welcome." Marinette said.

"Look there's Adrien again." Alya said pointing toward him. He was shopping for groceries with his family's maid Nathalie.

"He's so handsome and kind." Marinette sighed.

"Yes he is. You know I think he likes you."

"Don't be silly Alya he's rich and well-educated. I'm just no one."

"That's not true. Mark my words that boy has been head over heals for you since you first came here."

Marinette only giggled and continued on with her shopping.