Marinette awoke the next day on her own, relieved that no one had bothered her sleep or attempted to awaken her. Her stomach growled, and she wandered around the castle, trying to find the kitchen. Most of the doors were locked, and refused to budge.
She didn't see Sunshine or Chat Noir anywhere.
"Mreow" The tiny black cat had found her once again, and stared up at her accusingly.
Marinette scowled right back, "I don't suppose you know where the kitchen is?"
The cat simply walked away, turning once to look at her, and then wandering off.
Marinette glared at it a moment more before reluctantly following the cat.
She mostly was following the cat out of boredom and was astonished when the cat led her straight to the kitchen, which was surprisingly well lit with plenty of windows to let in the daylight.
Marinette whirled and pointed at the cat accusingly, "You! You're not a cat! Chat Noir?"
"Really princess? I know he's a literal black cat but even I don't have the power to shapeshift,"
Marinette whirled around to see Chat Noir grinning at her, his white canines gleaming.
"Who is he? What is he?"
"Again with the rude questions, princess. That's Plagg. He's a black cat, as is obviously apparent,"
The aforementioned Plagg was grooming himself quite innocently, looking for all the world to be just your plain basic black cat.
"But he led me to the castle earlier! And I asked him where the kitchens were and he took me here!"
"You asked a cat for directions? Wow. I really know how to pick my wives, huh?" Chat shook his head in mock horror.
"About that! Why am I here?"
Chat's grin grew as he advanced on Marinette, pinning her against the wall. He lazily leaned against her, bending his head to nuzzle against her neck. Marinette shivered in disgust.
"It can get paw-fully lonely in this castle," he murmered in her ear, "sometimes I need a distraction or a warm body or two."
Marinette shrieked in disgust and forecefully shoved Chat away. He backed off easily, still grinning like her actions just amused him. She tried not to think about what would inevitably happen…
"I didn't ask why you took wives, you monster!" she managed, "Everyone knows Chat Noir likes to take girls away from their families and do who knows what to them, never to be seen again. I'm asking why you took me. My parents never made a bargain with you! I'm not even the prettiest girl in the village! Why me?" Marinette struggled not to sob. It wasn't fair, she had just wanted to become a seamstress, her parents didn't even get any benefit from her being taken, it wasn't fair.
"Awww… don't sell yourself short purr-incess," Chat crooned, patting her head condescendingly, "you're plenty pretty."
"But not the prettiest. Lila Rossi and Chloe Bourgeois won our village's beauty pageant. Don't give me false flattery, being pretty isn't even important unless you happen to be a bride-abducting monster. Why me?"
"The mayor made a deal that I could take as many of his villagers as I please. I happened to choose you first. When you die, I'll choose another girl… Ms. Cesaire was a close contender, I'll tell you that."
Marinette gasped in horror, "You stay away from Alya."
"Then don't do anything stupid to get yourself killed. I'd be quite content if you were my last wife."
Marinette scoffed in disbelief, "What stupid things did your previous wives do? Did they pet you the wrong way so you clawed off their faces?"
Chat Noir hissed and his ears went flat against his head in displeasure, "Hiss-terical, princess. I had nothing to do with it. I just find them dead in the butterfly room. A room, which, by the way, you are forbidden from for obvious reasons."
"Why didn't you forbid them from the first place? How am I supposed to know what room that is?"
"It's the only room that's locked. And I did forbid them, after my first wife I've kept the door locked. I've tried warning them, I've tried showing them the room to avoid, I've even tried not telling them anything about it whatsoever. Yet they always end up in that damn cage." Chat Noir grabbed his head is blatant frustration, his tail twitching wildly.
Marinette was astonished to realize that Chat Noir did appear to be telling the truth… and didn't seem to be very happy that his wives kept dying. Perhaps they were intentionally killing themselves? Marinette quite enjoyed being alive (even if it was mostly to spite Chat Noir), thank you very much, but perhaps being married to the Lord of Destruction with no way out was simply too much. But it seemed unlikely that all his wives chose to commit suicide in the same exact manner…
"Why can't you get rid of the cage?"
"Oh gee, princess, thanks, wish I'd thought of that," Chat Noir spat bitterly, acid green eyes slitting, "I can't get rid of it, it has to be contained and I'm the only one who can do that."
"Contain what?"
"SEE YOU'RE DOING IT." Chat Noir borderline shrieked, waving a finger in her face accusingly, "FIRST comes the questions, then comes the 'oh please, Mr. Noir, can't I see the cage of pretty butterflies?' and then comes DEATH."
Marinette stared at Chat Noir, who had taken to pouncing across the room on random pieces of furniture in his agitation. She was sincerely rethinking the whole "terror" aspect of Chat Noir.
"So… it's a cage of killer butterflies?"
"YES AND IF YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOOD FOR YOU YOU'LL STAY AWAY FROM IT"
Marinette was taken aback by the borderline desperation in Chat Noir's voice.
Chat Noir stared at her eyes wide, and breathing heavily. He laughed bitterly and shook his head.
"But of course…" Chat's voice was calm and controlled, "asking you won't do any good, will it? If I see you anywhere near that room I'll go ahead and take Alya Cesaire ahead of schedule and lock her up. After all, she won't have long to wait for you to die."
He slowly raised a hand, dark matter swirling around it. He touched a nearby vase and watched it crumble to dust with a bored expression on his face. He left the room.
Marinette gulped, thoroughly creeped out. Chat Noir's terror factor was back.
