Back at the castle, Marinette had calmed down enough to take her cloak off, but she was still upset and lying on the bed, hugging her pillow.
Just then there was a knock on the door of her room.
"Who is it?" Marinette asked.
"Don't worry girl it's just me, Alya, not Chat Noir" the voice said calmly.
Trusting the voice, Marinette got up and opened the door looking for the person in question jumping when something hopped in passed her, making her look down to see a tea pot, a cup and a sugar bowl.
"I thought you might like to have some tea," the teapot said.
"But you're... You're a..." Marinette said trying to stay calm backing up into a blue peacock feather patterned wardrobe, waking it up.
"Oh careful," she said smiling.
"This is impossible," Marinette said carefully heading back to her bed.
"I know it is," the wardrobe said leaning on the bed as well "But here we are."
"Told you she was pretty Alya, didn't I?" the cup said, hiding behind her.
"Ok Trix that will do," Alya said calmly as she and Nooroo made the tea for Marinette "Slowly now, don't spill."
"Thank you," Marinette said coming to the floor lifting Trix up to her lips.
"Wanna see me do a trick?" Trix said taking a deep breath and making bubble appear in the tea.
"Trix!" Alya said a little firmly, making her stop.
"Sorry..."
"That was a very brave thing you did you know girl," Alya said smiling.
"We all think so," the wardrobe said.
"But I've lost my Father, my life, my freedom... everything," Marinette said looking at them trying to make them understand why she was so upset.
"Oh come no don't be like that," Alya said coming over a little more "If you don't have hope that everything will be better, then life's hardly worth living is it?" she asked.
"I guess..." Marinette said setting Trix down as she was finished with the tea.
"That's the spirit," Alya said smiling "Now come on you two we need to get back to the kitchen to get supper ready."
"Bye!" Trix and Nooroo called out together as they left, the door closing behind them.
"Well, my name's Duusu," the wardrobe said introducing herself to Marinette as she got up "Now, what shall we dress you in for dinner? Let's see what I've got in my draws!" she said opening herself up releasing a bunch of moths, and quickly closing herself again blushing. "How, embarrassing... Anyway, here you are this will look lovely on you." she said pulling out what seemed to be the only non-moth-eaten thin in there – a long plain white dress."
"That's very kind of you, but, I'm not going to dinner," Marinette said politely giving it back.
"But you must," Duusu said fear coming to her face just about to explain why when there was a knock on the door and Wayzz came in.
"Dinner... Is served..." he said smiling and bowing to Marinette leading her out of her room by a wave of his hand.
In the dining hall, Chat Noir was on all fours in front of the fire pacing.
"What's taking her so long?" he asked Plagg and Alya who were on the mantle peace watching him "I told her to come down. WHY ISN'T SHE HERE YET!" he yelled.
"Try and be patient, sir," Alya said calmly "Remember she's just lost her father and her freedom all in one day."
"Master, have you thought that maybe this is the girl who can break the spell?" Plagg said hope in his voice.
"Of course I have Plagg," Chat Noir said glaring at Plagg for a bit before continuing with his pacing. "I'm not a fool."
"Great!" Plagg said happily "So, you fall in love with her," he said lighting the candle on one arm "She falls in love with you" he said lighting the other "And poof the spell is broken. We'll be human again by midnight!"
"Oh come on Plagg you know it's never as easy as that. Besides things like this take time." Alya said wanting this to work just as much as everyone else did in the castle, but she didn't was to push Marinette into doing something she didn't want to do.
"But the rose has already began to wilt," Plagg said we don't have that kind of time."
"There's no point anyway," Chat Noir said finally stopping in his pacing, his ears drooping and tail twitching "She's so beautiful and I'm... WELL LOOK AT ME!"
"Then you must help her to see past all of that," Alya said gently.
"I don't know how," Chat Noir said grumpily.
"Well, you can start by making yourself more presentable," Alya said coming down and hopping over to him "Straighten up. Try and act like a gentleman."
"Yes. And when she come in give her a dashing debonair smile," Plagg said coming down too "Come, come show me the smile."
Chat Noir tried, but it only showed off his fangs, which in Alya and Plagg's minds were more likely to scare Marinette than anything but they didn't want to tell him that.
To help, him more Alya and Plagg gave him some more hints but it was too confusing for Chat Noir.
"But don't frighten her."
"Impress her with your puns."
"Be gentle."
"Shower her with complements."
"But be sincere."
"And above all..."
"You must control your temper!" they said together bring the tips to an end.
Just then, the door to the dining hall began to open.
"Here she comes," Plagg said hopefully.
But instead of Marinette, it was Wayzz, looking very nervous.
"Good evening..." he said smiling.
"Well... Where is she?" Chat Noir said through his teeth as he smiled.
"Who? Oh the girl yes, well you see... Circumstances being what they are..." Wayzz said trying to find a better way to explain the problem "She not coming."
"WHAT!" Chat Noir screaming in fury as he raced out of the all and to where Marinette was staying Alya, Plagg and Wayzz following after him trying to calm him down.
Outside Marinette's door Chat Noir raised his fist and started banging on it.
"I thought I told you to come down for dinner!" he yelled through the wood.
"I'm not hungry!" Marinette's voice replied.
"You come out or I'll... I'll break down the door!" Chat Noir said.
"Um Master..." Plagg said nervously "I may be wrong but that might not be the best way to win her affection."
"Please... attempt to be a gentle man" Wayzz said begging.
"But she is being so difficult!" Chat Noir said trying to stay calm.
"Gently, gently," Alya said calmly "Take a deep breath and ask nicely."
Following Ayla's advice, Chat Noir took a deep breath and tried again.
"Will you come down to dinner?" he asked.
"No."
Chat pointing this out to his friends, but they just encouraged him to try again.
"It would give great pleasure... If you would join me for dinner," Chat said, then getting a manners hint from Wayzz added "Please."
"No thank you."
"You can't stay in there forever!" Chat Noir said firmly.
"Yes I can."
"Fine. Then go ahead and STARVE!" he yelled at the door then turning to his friends said "If she doesn't eat with me! The she doesn't eat at all!"
And with that he left heading for his room and slamming a door along the way, the force making some of the ceiling fall, landing on Plagg's head.
"Well, that didn't go too well did it?" Alya said.
"Plagg, guard this door, and inform me at once if there is the slightest change." Wayzz said to Plagg.
"You can count on me mon capitanie." Plagg said saluting Wayzz and began to pace in front of the door.
"Well, we might as well go downstairs and start cleaning up..." Wayzz said and started to head for the kitchens with Alya following him.
In the West Wing Chat Noir slammed the door to his room open again on all fours as mad as ever, talking to himself.
"I ask nicely but she refuses!" he said swiping at a broken chair, only one of many in this room, and headed over to the table where the rose and the mirror were "So what does she me to do, beg?" he asked himself picking up the mirror "Show me the girl!" he ordered.
The mirror lit up with a mix of red and black and it showed Marinette in her room on her bed with Duusu talking to her.
"Well the Master's not really all that bad one you get to know him..." Duusu said encouraging her "Why don't you just give him a chance?"
"Because I don't want to get to know him." Marinette said firmly crossing her arms to make her point "I don't want to have anything to do with him."
"It's no use... I'm only fooling myself." Chat said as the mirror cut off "She'll never see me as anything... but a monster..." he said putting the mirror down and watching the rose lose another petal. "It's hopeless."
