Alya was having a crummy day.
Ideally Alya would have spent her day chasing after Ladybug with Nino being her cameraman and she would have something ultra-amazing to put on her blog. Sadly, though, reality was a lot harsher. It might be Princess Day and all girls are to be spoiled but that meant nothing when you're the eldest of four girls and both your parents work.
Alya was a princess all right, she was Cinderella, as she and Nino were both subjected to the whims of little girls as young as five.
This meant, of course, that she missed out entirely on signing up for the Queen of the Princesses competition. As soon as she heard one of the prizes was a collection of Ladybug and Chat Noir dolls from different historical periods, she wanted to at least snag a photos of them so she could blog about it.
Instead she had to make do with just going to the competition (her sisters were firmly shoved onto her Dad the moment he walked through the front door and her babysitting duties were over) and hoping to persuade the winner to let her take a photo and blog about the dolls, and the winner of course, while enjoying a peaceful moment without a little girl screaming that she wanted ice cream.
She just hoped to God that the winner isn't Chloe because Lord knows that selfish snob of a cow would never let Alya take a photo of the dolls.
Nino happily tagged along with her, and she was happy to see that they were some of the first to enter the 'stadium' (using those words very loosely as it was a stage hastily built in the middle of the park with lots and lots of benches and seats placed around it) and could snag one in the front row.
That was when the day picked up because sitting right there in the front row was none other than Chat Noir!
"OH MY GOD!" she squealed. Chat Noir jumped and turned round with startled green eyes that made him look like Bambi or something equally innocent. "Chat Noir! What are you doing here? Are judging the competition? Is Ladybug competing? Are you here to support her? Have you spent the entire day being her knight errand? Can I have an interview?!"
"Alya," Nino placed a restraining hand on her shoulder as he chuckled, "let the poor dude breathe!"
"Sorry," Alya smiled sheepishly, "I'm just so excited! I've never really had a chance to have a one on one with Chat Noir before. So," she pressed eagerly, "is Ladybug here?!"
"Alas," Chat Noir grinned, his swagger returned in full blast, "I cannot say if Ladybug is here or not because I do not know. I have been accompanying my Princess all day."
Alya froze at that.
As the number one source of all information relating to Ladybug and Chat Noir, Alya knew that Chat Noir was besotted with Ladybug. He flirted with her, he pined for her, he sent her adoring looks that she ignored, and protected her with his very own life. The idea that Chat Noir had someone else was a very bitter pill for Alya to swallow.
The Anti-Ladynoir fans on her blog couldn't be right!
"Your Princess?" she said. "Who is your Princess?"
Before Chat Noir could answer though another voice called out to them. "Alya! Nino!" Mrs Dupain-Cheng cried out cheerfully as she and Mr Dupain appeared with three picnic baskets. "I didn't know you were going to be here too!" Mrs Dupain-Cheng smiled delightedly, as if it was the best thing ever to see Alya and Nino here in the park, "Have you come to support Marinette as well?"
"Marinette?!" Alya and Nino repeated dumbstruck.
"Yes," Mr Dupain said, "Marinette is going to be in this competition thing. We had closed the bakery down early so we can come to support her. Not that it matters," he grinned ruefully, "this Princess Day malarkey has brought it more profit than an average week. We can afford some time off."
"We brought the leftovers," Mrs Dupain-Cheng said as she opened a basket, "Chat, dear, I believe you said you wanted to try an éclair?"
"Yes!" Chat beamed eagerly. "Thank you Mrs Dupain-Cheng."
"Sabine," Mrs Dupain-Cheng corrected firmly. "Chat Noir here," she said to Alya and Nino, "has been an absolute angel. He had bumped into Marinette on the street," for some reason Chat Noir looked really shifty and guilty at that but Alya ignored it in favour of concentrating on Mrs Dupain-Cheng, "and decided to help her with her packages, you know what she's like when she's been to the fabric shop," Alya nodded sagely while Nino looked utterly confused, he has never seen Marinette in a fabric shop and quite frankly he should be grateful because Marinette was a force to be reckoned with when there was silk on sale, "and then he's been helping her all day to get ready for the competition. How lovely is that?"
"Yeah…" Alya narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Chat Noir, "lovely," she agreed.
It struck Alya a rather odd thing.
She knew that Chat Noir and Marinette had met at least twice and both were in dire circumstances. So it didn't make sense to her why Chat Noir would suddenly want to spend a whole day with Marinette, unless….unless….
Don't be ridiculous! Alya scolded herself silently as she shook her head. There's no way Marinette could ever be Ladybug!
Alya had learnt her lesson the hard way. There was no way in hell she was jumping the gun on someone being Ladybug especially when, if she properly thought about it, there was evidence to say otherwise.
Alya decided to focus on what was really important and crucial at this moment….
"So," she said stubbornly as she met Chat Noir's alarmed Bambi-like green eyes, "can I have an interview? It is Princess Day after all," she added slyly, "and this princess here would be honoured to interview such a knight."
"Sorry Mademoiselle Journalist," Chat Noir smirked, "but this cat only has one Princess."
Alya would have argued but the competition had started up as a presenter bounced on stage, loud cheesy music blared through the speakers, and the sudden crowd that had been building up behind Alya (not that she had noticed because she had been so busy with Chat Noir) suddenly roared with cheering and applause.
"Welcome to the Queen of the Princesses first ever competition," the presenter boomed over the cheering, "This competition is to determine which Princess of Paris is the true princess and, my, don't we have a lovely selection to choose from? Whichever one of this beautiful girls wins will win…."
At this point Alya tuned out as the presenter went through the prizes (which she instantly understood why Marinette would enter. Marinette would have subjected herself to hell itself, which arguably she had by entering this competition, in order to spend a minute with Adrien let alone a whole shoot), the structure of the competition, and the rules.
It was all very boring and mundane stuff.
"…And now, without further ado, the Princess Parade!"
Alya tried to not laugh when the actual song Princess Parade from the Swan Princess suddenly blasted out the speakers. Oh dear God this was too cheesy for words! The presenter announced each pretty girl as she came on stage. Most of them were non-entities where Alya was concerned. They all looked gorgeous, too skinny, and wore stunning dresses that no one would wear on an ordinary day.
"…and now presenting Miss Chloe Bourgeois," Alya spluttered on her own laughter as Chloe flounced on stage in some god awful gold taffeta monstrosity and far too much make-up, both Nino and Chat Noir seemed to have choked on their cakes as they laughed at the same time of taking a bite out of them, and Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng looked extremely constipated as they did their very best not to laugh. "Miss Chloe Bourgeois is the daughter of our esteemed Mayor and is the inspiration of our new-found holiday." Chloe posed and pouted for the audience. "She is perhaps the closest thing Paris has to a real princess and certainly looks like one too!"
"Urgh," Nino groaned, "pass me a bucket. I'm going to barf."
"And finally last but not least," the presenter carried on as he ushered Chloe off the stage, "I would like to present Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng." At this both Mr and Mrs Dupain-Cheng jumped out of their seats and started to clap madly. "Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng is the daughter of two highly reviewed bakers and she is certainly as sweet as their treats."
"God," Chat Noir said scathingly, "is that the best he can come up with?"
Alya didn't reply, her jaw was too busy dropping.
There has never been a doubt that her best friend was pretty, in fact Alya would go as far to say that Marinette was the prettiest girl in class, but the Marinette that stepped out on stage was downright gorgeous! Her black-blue hair was sleek and smooth as Marinette had it pulled out of its regular pigtails and pinned up with a Chinese hairpin, revealing how slender her neck was, and bringing attention to her high cheek-bones. Marinette was also wearing the most stunning pink Chinese silk dress embroidered with a duskier, darker, shade of pink cherry blossoms, which hugged her curves and had the most daring slit up on leg revealing more pale skin to the world.
Besides Alya, Chat Noir suddenly inhaled sharply, and Nino looked thunderstruck as if he couldn't believe his eyes.
"WHOO!" Mr Dupain suddenly bellowed. "THAT'S MY BABY GIRL!"
"YOU GO MARINETTE!" Mrs Dupain-Cheng shouted her encouragement. "I KNOW YOU CAN DO IT, SWEETIE!"
Marinette's serene expression immediately evaporated for one of sheer mortification but Alya was proud to say that she brazened it out as she strutted her stuff on stage. She waved to the cheering crowd and blew a kiss in the general direction of Alya and the Dupain-Chengs. Alya was about to make an exaggerated mime of catching it and returning it when Chat Noir moved suddenly in the corner of her eye.
She gaped at him in surprise as he made a show of catching Marinette's kiss and holding it close to his heart.
Seriously, what the hell?!
The 'Princesses' all paraded across the stage together in which the one in front of Chloe suddenly tripped and accidentally knocked the girl in front of her (three guesses on how that had happened, Alya rolled her eyes), and they soon all stood before the audience as the judges eliminated people out based on their looks, dress, and grace. Unsurprisingly the two girls that were tripped were the first to leave.
Marinette, however, passed through the first round much to the audience's adulation and her own parents' delight.
All thoughts of Chat Noir and his suspicious behaviour was driven out of Alya's head as she stood up to cheer her best friend on.
After all, if Marinette won those dolls then Alya would most definitely get a photo of them.
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Marinette felt like she was going to die from nerves.
Her stomach was all twisted up inside which made her feel sick and nauseous. To top it off dread was slowly filling her bones like ice and she suddenly felt chills down her spine. She wished she had Tiki with her or, better yet, Chat Noir, but her dress was so tight, which also served to make her feel uncomfortable and exposed which did nothing to help her nerves, that she couldn't hide Tiki under her collar, and she had no pockets or bags for Tiki to hide in either, so unless Tiki wanted to hide under her dress (which….Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!) they had no choice but to leave Tiki with Marinette's normal clothes in the dressing rooms. And Chat was obviously in the audience, held captive by her parents and Alya, and therefore couldn't soothe her with his nice, warm, presence or distract her with his ridiculously stupid puns.
One of the contestants, a feisty brunette, had stepped out to do a ribbon dance only to discover last minute that someone (three guesses who) had cut her ribbons into pieces. The girl looked as if she could die of shame and kindly asked to leave the stage as she was gently, as possible which wasn't very much, disqualified from the competition.
Marinette's hand tightened over her secret weapons. She was immensely pleased that she had the foresight to go and grab them before Chloe could get her mitts on them and now, after the fiasco she just witnessed, there was no way in hell she was letting them out of her sight.
Which meant the only way this could go wrong for her is if she screws it up herself.
Marinette chewed her bottom lip anxiously as she felt her palms begin to sweat, her stomach churn, and her heart sink somewhere down to her feet.
She can't do this!
"Don't worry," soft, soothing, voice murmured in Marinette's right ear which caused her to jump, "I'm sure you'll do great."
She whirled round to see Nathaniel standing behind her with the shyest, sweetest, smile on his face.
"Nathaniel!" Marinette gasped. "What are you doing here?!"
Nathaniel's smile disappeared at that. "Someone had to help Chloe in her dress," he said in a dead-pan voice, "and make sure the right music was being played for her song," Chloe's talent was singing, and Marinette hated to admit it but the girl had a fantastic voice despite her taste in music being so soulless and lifeless with what was currently in the top twenty. "And that she had lemon and water in her dressing room."
Nathaniel and Marinette rolled their eyes at that in perfect unison. This was a slap-dash competition put together at the last minute not a special, international, event like the Eurovision, there was absolutely no need for Chloe to act like such a precious little diva.
Dread flooded Marinette's stomach again as a horrible thought popped into her head. "Sabrina isn't here too is she?" she asked anxiously.
She wouldn't put it past Chloe to send her little minion to sabotage everyone.
"No," Nathaniel shook his head and Marinette sighed in relief, "her Dad got off work early and she told Chloe she was a princess too and she was had a right to be pampered just as much as Chloe." A look of admiration flickered across Nathaniel's face. "It was rather impressive," he informed Marinette, "I've never seen Sabrina stand up to Chloe."
"Yeah," Marinette said slowly as she remembered the incredible force of Sabrina's temper, "Sabrina has claws on her when she wants to have them. You know," she said slyly, "Nathaniel, no one is stopping you from making a quick getaway now. I can cover you if you like."
"That's all right," Nathaniel declined politely. "You know…" he said hesitatingly as he stared out on the stage where Chloe was currently singing her heart out. "He might have declared this holiday for her but her father hasn't spent any time with her all day. He's not even here to cheer her on. Something about a council meeting."
Marinette felt a twang of sympathy but she quickly suppressed it. Chloe might have Daddy Issues but so did lots of other people. Adrien, for example, had the biggest Daddy Issues ever and yet he doesn't walk all over people and make them feel like rubbish. Chloe not getting enough attention from her Dad was not a good enough reason to be such an awful person.
She was just about vocalise this when someone accidently bumped into her.
"Sorry!" a musical voice said apologetically behind Marinette. She turned and was suddenly shocked into silence at the beauty that stared back at her. The girl was just so utterly perfect that Marinette felt like a hideous troll of a sudden. The girl smiled politely at Marinette and was suddenly a billion times more beautiful than she was a mere second ago as her smile lit up her face perfectly. "Pardon me!" the girl cried out as she struggled with her two, long, thin, white sticks and two plates. Marinette and Nathaniel instantly side-stepped and were rewarded with another radiant smile as the girl nodded her head respectfully at him. "Thank you."
Chloe finished singing and the audience exploded into a round of applause and cheering as the blonde girl smugly bowed and blew kisses to the audience,
"That was Miss Chloe Bourgeois with her amazing voice," the presenter boomed into his microphone, "and now, presenting Miss Victoire D-Albert and her spinning plate act!"
Chloe stomped off the stage with her head held up high just as Victoire walked past. Chloe glanced at her and took in the beautiful silver-blonde hair that shimmered and flowed down her back like a river, and the big, violet, eyes, and her perfectly turned up nose and plump lips, and perfect complexion, and instantly sniffed disdainfully as if she was staring at a rat or something.
Victoire looked utterly unbothered as she smiled pleasantly back which seemed to further irritate Chloe as she stormed off and immediately bossed Nathaniel into getting her a glass of water.
Marinette stiffened as Chloe stood next to her glowering at Victoire as Victoire smoothly, elegantly, moved into her act. The plates were suddenly spinning on the sticks as the beautiful girl walked up and down the stage with them.
"How boring!" Chloe yawned mockingly. "Who cares for spinning plates?"
That was when Victoire suddenly swapped the plates over. One minute they were spinning on their sticks, the next they suddenly crossed the air to the other stick, it was so fast and perfectly manoeuvred that the whole audience gasped in delight and Marinette's eyes widened in fascination.
Chloe snarled silently beside her.
Victoire then balanced herself perfectly on one, shapely, leg, her blue silk gown's slits gave her the flexibility as she swapped the plates again underneath her uplifted leg.
The audience burst into such an applause that Marinette thought her ears were going to explode. Chloe fumed furiously beside her as she crossed her arms and scowled hideously at the beautiful blonde on stage.
Victoire kept spinning her plates right until she walked off stage and another, extremely nervous and put-out looking, contestant took her place.
Victoire lightly chucked the plates in the air and caught them with ease in one hand before she slid them under her arm. "That was amazing!" Marinette cried out ecstatically. "Absolutely brilliant!"
"Thank you," Victoire blushed lightly, "that's very kind of you to say."
"I don't think I can top that."
"Oh don't say that!" Victoire cried out as she clasped Marinette's hand between hers. "I'm sure you will be just as amazing if not more," she said with a sincere, sweet, smile, to which Chloe snorted in response (she was immediately ignored). "Besides," her smile turned sheepish, "as impressive as spinning plates are to you, not every judge considers it a great talent," she dropped Marinette's hand and looked a little dejected at that, "because it's not exactly something someone does every day."
She sounded like she as quoting someone and Marinette stared at her thoughtfully. "You make it sound like you compete in these all the time," she observed.
"Oh I do!" Victoire said cheerfully. "I have come second and third in many competitions like this before but today I have my heart set on first," she leaned in with a secretive smile, "I really want those dolls," she confessed in a whisper, "I'm such a fan of Ladybug and Chat Noir!"
"Yeah…." Marinette said shiftily. "Me too."
Which was a big, ginormous, fat lie of epic proportions. She was totally doing it for the photoshoot with Adrien. Not that she would admit that to anyone out loud (apart from Alya, and Tiki, of course,), she didn't want to come across as a creepy, crazed, fan.
Victoire smiled radiantly. "I'm Victoire D'Albert," she introduced herself as she held out a hand.
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng," Marinette replied as she shook Victoire's hand, "and this is my…classmate," Marinette managed to get out as she couldn't exactly say enemy without causing drama and wouldn't say friend when it was a bigger lie than the one she already told, "Chloe."
Chloe sent a superior, huffy, look at both Victoire and Marinette. Marinette rolled her eyes as she got Chloe's silent 'I'm better than you' message loud and clear. Victoire, however, didn't appear to notice as she kept smiling sweetly. "Pleased to meet you both," she said.
"And now," the present boomed, "Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng and her amazing yoyo skills!"
Marinette gulped nervously at that.
"Amazing!" Chloe snorted. "Pah!"
Victoire squeezed Marinette's forearm comfortingly. "Good luck!" she trilled.
Marinette beamed back suddenly feeling at ease and even a little confident. Victoire, Marinette decided, would most definitely win because she was just one of those charismatic people that pulled others in. she wouldn't mind losing to Victoire, she suspected Victoire would never rub it in her face like some other people she could mention. "Thanks!" she chirped back.
And then she walked onto the stage.
The audience applauded her, her parents cheering could be heard from the other side of Paris (please kill her now!), Alya could be seen clearly recording this, and Nino whooped loudly for her. Her eyes landed on Chat Noir and he shot her his best, mega-watt, grin that rivalled Adrien's for the most gorgeous smile she had ever seen.
She smiled back and took a deep breath.
Just focus on Chat, she told herself silently, pretend that this is just one big Akuma battle and that you're Ladybug.
The audience fell into a hush and Marinette felt her breath catch in her throat.
I'm Ladybug, she reminded herself.
She started simply with one yoyo, up and down, up and down, up and down, and then suddenly she flicked it back into her hand with a gravity pull and then both yoyos came out. She had a cheap and cheerful Ladybug look-alike in her right and a black yoyo with a green paw-print in her left. She and Chat had a giddy time picking them out. She did several gravity pulls with boy yoyos before she dropped them into sleepers and had them spin just above her ankles.
She then kicked both yoyos back into her hand and then shot them out in front of her before she criss-crossed them, spun them round either side of her, and then finished off with spinning them over her head creating red and black blurs just as she would in battle making a shield to protect herself.
The crowd cheered their approval and Chat Noir sent her a thumbs up.
Marinette practically collapsed in relieve when she finally got off stage and was instantly met by a beaming Victoire who looked awed and amazed, a sneering Chloe, and a stunned Nathaniel who finally came back with Chloe's water by the looks of things.
"That was amazing!" Victoire squealed. "You were just like Ladybug!"
"Heh," Marinette smiled sheepishly. Was it cheating that she was totally using her superhero abilities for her talent? She couldn't help but think it was. Just a little bit. "Thanks."
"I thought you were brilliant," Nathaniel said softly, "Marinette."
"Hmmph!" Chloe huffed as she pursued her lips. "Just cheap parlour tricks."
There was a brief moment were the presenter told some nauseatingly cheesy jokes as the judges murmured between themselves before finally the presenter turned to the side stage. "Can all the contestants come back on stage?" the presenter asked. All the girls obeyed and much to Marinette's disgruntlement she found herself standing next to Chloe. "Our judges have deliberated and they have decided our three finalists shall be…Miss Victoire D'Albert," Victoire stepped forwards and the audience applauded and cheered. "Miss Chloe Bourgeois," Chloe smugly stepped forwards with a whole dramatic, fake, humble routine that made Marinette want to gag. "And…." The present paused melodramatically and all the other girls leaned forwards eagerly. "Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng!" the presenter cried out. Marinette couldn't help a surprise squeak of delight. "We shall now take a quick interval before the final round which shall be our question round. Please give these wonderful ladies a round of applause."
The audience obeyed and Marinette left the stage feeling a lot lighter.
Just one more round to go.
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Chloe was determined to win this competition.
It was her right to win the competition.
The day, the shopping sale deals, the restaurant bargains, the competition, the whole thing had been her idea. It was so she could have a day about her not so the likes to this Victoire D'Albert or Marinette Dupain-Cheng (bleh!) could swoop in and take her crown.
She was pretty, well dressed, talented, and was a real princess of Paris with her Dad's job, she deserved this win!
Her real competition was this Victoire D'Albert girl. The pretty, sickeningly sweet, girl had been and placed in competitions likes this one before and therefore she was a genuine threat to Chloe's crown.
Marinette Dupain-Cheng, however, was nothing and Chloe was confident she could beat that clumsy klutz on a bad hair day and one hand tied behind her back. After all the only reason Marinette had won the class president elections had been because Chloe had gracefully backed down when she discovered she was unable to handle to the responsibility, and Marinette had only won that stupid hat competition because Sabrina messed up. So yes, Chloe could beat Marinette but first she had to get Victoire out of the way.
It should be easy enough. Victoire may be beautiful and graceful and talented but she was sweet, disgustingly so, and obviously sensitive. Chloe was instantly reminded of Rose when she heard the girl and Marinette converse. She just had to thoroughly humiliate the girl into leaving the stage and therefore forfeiting from the competition.
They all paraded across the stage one last time after the interval. Victoire stood between Chloe and Marinette which allowed Chloe the opportunity to examine her stunning blue gown. She wasn't an expert in design like some people might claim to be but she did know an old, fragile, dress when she saw one. Despite her airs and graces Victoire obviously didn't have lots of money and her gown was fraying at the ends.
One good yank and it would probably fall apart.
Chloe smirked as her new plan perfected itself in her mind.
"…And now we're on to the question round," the presenter said, "we will ask our princesses one question and whomever answers it the best shall win the crown and be the first Queen of the Princesses." The audience applauded at that. "Miss Victoire D'Albert, would you like to go first?"
"Yes," Victoire smiled radiantly (and Chloe instantly wanted to claw her eyes out), "what is the question?" she asked as she stepped out towards the audience.
That was when Chloe made her move.
She stomped down hard on the end of Victoire's dress just as the girl stepped forwards and then –
RIP!
The bottom of the dress tore off complete revealing the girl's white lace knickers to the world.
The whole audience gasped.
Victoire, however, let out a shrill scream as she suddenly ducked to cover herself with her arms. Chloe could only see the back of her head but she could easily imagine Victoire's face had turned bright pink with embarrassment and humiliated tears were welling up in her eyes.
The audience were buzzing amongst themselves. Some were muttering, some were catcalling the girl, and some were even laughing.
Victoire let out a choked sob before she suddenly dashed off the stage as quickly as she could.
Chloe tried her best to look horrified on the girl's behalf but it was a struggle….after all victory was nearly hers.
"It appears Miss Victoire D'Albert has forfeited from the competition," the presenter said after he finally gathered his wits, "and therefore we are down to two contestants."
"Erm," Marinette suddenly spoke up as she glanced anxiously at the exit, "Shouldn't someone go after her and make sure she's all right?"
Chloe felt irritation bubble up inside her. Marinette Dupain-Cheng had to be such a goody-two-shoes with her caring and niceness, it was annoying as hell. But then Chloe remembered something and couldn't help but smile in satisfaction.
"Oh please," she said encouragingly, "do, and then you can forfeit as well."
Marinette narrowed her eyes at Chloe as a small frown etched itself into her face. "I wouldn't give you the satisfaction," she murmured darkly.
Chloe just smiled in reply.
It didn't matter if Marinette forfeited or not because the main competition was gone and the crown was going to be Chloe's no matter what.
"Miss Chloe Bourgeois," the presenter cleared his throat, "what would you consider to be the most important quality in a princess?"
"To be just," Chloe answered promptly, "I think that a Princess should be just and do right by her people. That she should be fair-minded, and open to the truth, and strive for equality for all." Marinette's eyes blazed furiously at that and Chloe smiled sweetly in her direction which served to make the klutz shake with barely suppressed fury. Chloe had no doubt Marinette would soon lost her temper and the competition all in one stroke "She should seek that everyone gets what they deserve while up-keeping the peace. Her main priority should be the justice of the people."
The audience cheered at that and Chloe did a pretty little bow which served to make people cheer even more.
She was going to win this. She just knew it.
"An excellent answer," the presenter praised Chloe once the cheering finally died down, "and you," the presenter turned to Marinette and held out the microphone to her, "Miss Marinette Dupain-Cheng, what do you consider to be the most important quality in a princess?"
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In a dark, dusty, room, the shutters round the window slowly, automatically, moved back into the frame to let the sunlight shine on the many, beautiful, white butterflies that gathered on the dust-covered, rickety, wooden floor.
A man stepped into the stream of sunlight and many of the butterflies flapped their wings in response and scattered away. He held out his leather-gloved hand and one flocked to it instinctively.
"Ah the broken heart of a Princess who has been humiliated and cheated from her victory," Hawk Moth murmured sinisterly as he read the pain, humiliation, utter fury and distress of Victoire. "Such a tender soul ripe for the picking," he smirked, "perhaps this one could triumph where others have failed." He curled his hand round the butterfly carefully as he channelled his magic through it. He painted the white butterfly a dark purple-black with the negative emotion. "Go my little Akuma," he cooed as he released the butterfly, "and bring back what rightfully belongs to me."
The little butterfly flapped its wings with a slow, patient, ease but travelled through the city at an incredible speed. Victoire was still sobbing in the dressing room when it landed on her contestant sash and immediately her head snapped up as a purple outline of a butterfly appeared on her face.
"Princess Victory," a persuasive voice rang in her ears, "I am willing to make you a bargain. I will give you the power to have your revenge and take your crown back and in return all you have to do is bring me back these Miraculous stones," he sent her the mental image of Chat Noir's black ring with the neon green paw-print and Ladybug's red and black polka-dotted earrings, "do we have a deal?"
The deal was incredibly appealing, Victoire was being offered her heart's desire – the Queen of the Princesses crown and revenge on that callous, spoiled, bitch Chloe Bourgeois – and the powers to achieve this, and all Hawk Moth wanted in return was a ring and a pair of earrings. Victoire didn't even hesitate when she gave her answer;
"Yes!" she hissed.
"Excellent," Hawk Moth purred, "now then rise Princess Victory and take what is rightfully yours….but don't forget, I want what's mine in return."
There is a puff of dark, poisonous, pink smoke and within an instant Victoire has disappeared and in her place stood Princess Victory.
Revenge was going to be hers for the taking!
