CHAPTER TEN:
CAUGHT REDHANDED
"Prepare yourselves!" Plagg announced like a magician on stage. "What you are about to see is not for the faint of heart! Ladies, I suggest you hang on to your boyfriends."
There were giggles around the table, Alya included. On her left, at the head of the table, King Gabriel watched wordlessly, his eyes crinkling with amusement. On Alya's right sat Nino, who gulped when he saw Plagg unsheathe an assortment of kitchen knives.
Further down, Master Fu and Wayzz watched with calm expressions, though the corner of the Great Guardian's lips lifted up a little.
Adrien and Marinette sat together on the other side, both of them grinning and rolling their eyes at the black-cat kwami's presentation. Lady Nathalie and Marinette's parents were a bit more apprehensive about the whole thing, holding their breaths as Plagg juggled the knives.
"All right, Tikki – you're pitching!" Plagg called across the table.
The ladybug kwami nodded and lifted several vegetables up with her magic. "Batter up!" she said.
Alya cringed when a carrot went shooting towards Plagg.
His knives spun around wickedly fast, slicing the carrot into small pieces. "Hye-yah!" he stated as the orange chunks went flying and landed neatly on King Gabriel's plate.
The king's eyes rose up, but then he let out a relieved laugh and applauded the kwamis. Everyone else did the same, especially when the chopped food fell onto their own plates.
Once the last of the vegetables were sliced and served, however, Plagg's excitement got the better of him, and he let out a "Ta-da!" while swinging his knives beside him. One of them slipped out of his control and went sailing towards Tikki, who ducked with a shriek. Everyone let out a unified gasp as they watched the knife zoom through the dining hall doors and down the hallway.
Nino whistled. "Dude, nice throw!" he complimented.
Marinette checked to make sure Tikki was all right, and Adrien frowned playfully at Plagg.
The black-cat's green eyes blinked... and then he loosed an uneasy chuckle. "Sorry," he murmured to the king as he began backing up. "I'll just, uh... go get that." With that, his knives disintegrated and he flew through the door and out of sight.
Nathalie let out a sigh, wiping her forehead. "That was... most amusing," she noted dryly.
Gabriel smiled as he picked up his fork. "Now then, to business," he said, causing all heads to turn to him. But the king had his sights set on only one person at the table. "Alya..."
The redhead paused before putting a bite of venison in her mouth, her pulse quickening at the mention of her name. "Ah... Yes, Your Majesty?" she said as calmly as she could.
Across from her, she saw Marinette trying in vain to hide her excitement.
"In the short time you and Marinette have been here," Gabriel explained with something that sounded like pride, "the both of you have proven to be young women of strong, moral character."
Adrien cast a sly, romantic smile at his fiancée. "Can't argue with that," he said.
Marinette smirked and elbowed him in the ribs. "Don't you forget it, Kitty," she snapped playfully. Beside her, her father chuckled.
"Furthermore," Gabriel continued, still looking at Alya, "Marinette has told me how your support and solicited advice has benefitted her in the past. With the royal wedding well on the way," he smiled at his son and his future-bride when he said that, "I need people with wisdom and good council to be a part of Adrien's inner circle once he takes the throne. Nino, of course, shall inherit Lady Nathalie's position of Royal Steward."
Nino cast a prideful grin at Alya, who returned the gesture.
"Now, I have decided to make you, Alya," the king declared with a proud gesture, "the new Chief Advisor."
Alya registered those words three times before a joyful smile spread across her face.
"All right!" Nino cheered, giving his girlfriend a celebratory side-hug. "See, hon? I told ya!"
Alya could barely speak. When she did, she looked over at the king as though checking to make sure he wasn't kidding. "Me? Really?!"
Gabriel nodded.
"I don't believe it!" Tom exclaimed with a big, broad grin on his face.
"That's wonderful!" Sabine said.
"Isn't it?" Marinette beamed at her best friend. "I can't think of anyone better for the job."
"Me neither," Adrien said to Alya. "You went to great lengths to help Marinette, my family, and the kingdom. Now, we want you to be a part of our family too." He took Marinette's hand in his as he spoke.
Alya felt her eyes watering. Family. She hadn't heard that word in many years.
Marinette had told her months ago that she wanted Alya to be her Chief Advisor. She could still recall those touching words from that night on the grand balcony overlooking the city:
I wouldn't be here if it weren't for you. Whenever I'm in doubt or losing my mind, you're always there to lend me your opinions or encouragement. Not only that, but when I really needed you the most, you were there to grab onto me and pull me back up... literally.
This was what Alya had been hoping for, but she never truly believed the king would go through with it. Apparently, having a prince's fiancée for a best friend had its merits.
"Mari... Adrien..." Alya said, too stunned and thrilled to say anything else.
"Congratulations, Alya," Master Fu said with a kindly dip of his head. "You've certainly earned it."
In a blur of red light, Tikki zoomed over and gave Alya a cheek hug. "Yay! Alya's going to be the Chief Advisor!" she cheered.
There was a flash of light, and then the ladybug kwami was dressed in a pink tuxedo, handing Alya a tiny golden trophy. "Alya would like to thank the Academy for this great honour," she said professionally.
Another flash, and Tikki was a tourist vendor, waving merchandise around. "You want 'em, we got 'em: new Chief Advisor dolls, caps, and T-shirts!" she announced.
Another flash, and Tikki was a medieval royal herald blowing hard through a long horn. "All hail Alya, the Chief Advisor!" she declared in a thick accent.
Alya covered her face with embarrassment as Tikki returned to her normal self and flew up to King Gabriel.
"Um, quick question," she whispered, her eyes darting back and forth. "What's a Chief Advisor?"
Alya, Marinette, Nino, and Adrien burst out laughing.
Gabriel chuckled before explaining calmly, "Well, simply put, Alya would be Adrien and Marinette's most trusted aide and confidant," Gabriel went on. "She will monitor the comings and goings in the kingdom, and she will have a say in what is to be done about them. As a girl who has previously lived among the peasantry, her influence will be most beneficial."
Alya let out an exasperated breath and sank into her cushion. "Gosh, Your Majesty... that sounds very overwhelming," she said nervously.
"Nonsense," Nathalie stated in a surprisingly-motherly tone. "If anything, you're bound to be better than..." She paused, her jaw clenching. "Well, better than that traitor, Lila."
Everyone stiffened at that name.
The air in the room seemed to grow thick as Gabriel's face darkened. "Quite so," he affirmed.
Tikki huffed with an adorable frown. "And Trixx – ick!" she exclaimed. "Talk about a flying rat!"
Nino almost choked on his beans and covered his mouth.
Alya looked like she was about to choke too. Not good, she thought as she looked over at Tikki anxiously. "Um... Tikki?"
But the kwami seemed more interested in talking. "Whoo! That little fox was nasty!" she growled with pupil-less eyes.
At that moment, she transformed her head into Trixx's and a stringed puppet looking like King Gabriel appeared in her hands. "Would His Majesty like a puppet show? Nah-nah-nee-Nah-nah!" she mimicked while playing with the puppet.
Alya winced and looked away, sweat forming on her brow. Really not good!
Tikki returned to normal and looked back at the king. "Remember that?"
Gabriel shuddered angrily. "I can still feel the tug of those strings," he rumbled, a thunderstorm appearing in those blue eyes. "That fiend!"
Adrien quickly reached out and touched his shoulder. "Relax, Father," he said. "It's all over now. It's in the past."
Sabine sighed. "I just hope we never have to endure the wrath of those two villains ever again," she said.
Marinette frowned. "But Trixx is still out there, and she has Volpina's amulet," she stated, rising up in her seat. "Astruc knows what that devious little trickster will do with it."
Alya gulped. What do I do? What do I do?
"Well, one thing's for sure," Tom declared optimistically, waving a broad hand at Alya, "you don't see this girl hanging around with evil kwamis."
Alya and Nino both blinked, and then they burst out into a fit of awkward laughter, causing everyone to eyeball them concern.
Well, it can't get any worse than it already is, Alya thought as she took a deep breath.
"Actually," she stated bravely, laying her palms flat on the table. "It's... funny you should mention Trixx."
A few minutes earlier...
"... one-thousand four-hundred thirty-seven, one-thousand four-hundred thirty-eight..."
Trixx was plopped on Alya's bed, counting the fancy little laurel leaves engraved in gold on the emerald ceiling.
"... one-thousand four-hundred thirty-nine," she drawled in a bored monotone, "one-thousand four-hundred forty... Or was that one forty..." She growled with annoyance and rolled over onto her little belly. "What could possibly be taking that kid so long? Dinner with Gabe can't be all that great." She scowled. "And if it is, Miss Rena owes me another serving of macaroons."
Speaking of which, she was getting hungry again. Trixx had half a mind to sneak over to the dining hall and swipe some caviar, if there were any. However, the idea of being anywhere near Gabe made her fur stand on end.
Maybe there was something in the palace kitchens she could snatch up and bring back to Alya's room.
Trixx fazed right through the doors. Then she looked down both ends of the hall. It was completely empty. There wasn't even a breath of a sound to be heard.
The fox kwami fazed through more walls, making sure no guards or servants had spotted her before moving on. Trixx followed her keen nose to the scents of roast chicken, warm spices, and fresh bread.
Finally, she arrived in the kitchens: a steaming room littered with rows of fire-pits and long tables. Trixx dodged the gazes of a few cooks while making her way stealthily to the storage room.
Slipping right through the door, Trixx sighed with satisfaction. "Now, that's what I call a "clean getaway"," she said as she turned around to find some food.
Only to realize, with a terrified gasp, that someone else was in the storage room with her.
And that someone was munching on a block of cheese. Well, he was... until he heard Trixx's voice and glanced up at her.
Those oblong pupils of his shrank.
Trixx's normal ones did the same. Uh oh.
Plagg let out a low, feral "You."
Trixx let out a high-pitched, barely-audible "Meep."
A second later, Trixx fazed right back into the hallway screaming "ALYA!" as she flew as fast as she could away from the furious, black-cat kwami on her tail.
Back to reality...
Knowing eighteen apprehensive eyes were all on her, Alya opened her mouth to break the awkward silence.
Instead, something came shrieking down onto the dining table.
CRASH!
Everyone leapt to their feet with startled cries as plates, goblets and dishes of food were flung into the air by the pair of colourful blobs that were now rolling along the disturbed tablecloth.
Once the commotion finally settled, Alya caught a glimpse of two tiny figures among the spilt food. One of them was Plagg, his swirly eyes doing loop-de-loops as he fell onto his stomach. The other had fallen inside an empty teapot, the lid clamping down hard.
"Ow, that hurt," groaned a tiny voice.
Alya didn't have to wonder as to who it was.
Thankfully, the others were too focused on Plagg to notice what was in the teapot.
Adrien loomed over the table, his golden eyebrows drawn together. "Plagg!" he scolded. "What's the matter with you? You know better than to tear around the palace like that!"
The little kwami shook his head of dizziness. Then he looked up with crazed eyes, panting hysterically. "But... Adrien... she... palace... Tri-!"
Nino reached over and pinched his fanged little mouth shut with his thumb and forefinger. Then he gave the king and Adrien an uneasy smile.
Alya wanted to kiss him right then and there, but this was far from over.
"So, Alya," Master Fu said, not at all frazzled by the disrupted dinner table, "why did you bring up that deceitful fox?" His voice was kind, but his brown eyes were narrowed suspiciously.
This time, Alya couldn't hide her nervousness. "Uh..." she began, her voice shaking as she glanced around the room. "Everyone, I have to tell you something about Trixx. She's..."
As she was speaking, Plagg – though still having his mouth clamped shut by Nino – was still able to use his magic. Lifting a large handful of pepper from the spilt shaker beside him with a wave of his paw, Plagg sent it swirling through the nozzle of the teapot.
The teapot started singing "Ah...Ah...Ah..." before letting out a cacophonous "ACHOO!"
The lid burst open, and Trixx came soaring out of the teapot and bouncing along the table to land right at King Gabriel's table spot, her tail flopping right over her head.
A collective gasp resounded through the hall.
Nino winced, letting Plagg go as he did so.
Alya smacked her forehead in defeat. "She's here," she squeaked.
Trixx sniffled and rose up, her tail slipping off. Then she met the king's gaze... and shrank back with an unconvincing smile.
Like a giant waking from its slumber, King Gabriel the Merciless rose up. "Trixx!" he growled with contempt. Then he shouted across the hall, "GUARDS!"
Panic flared up in Alya's chest, and she waved her hands. "Your Majesty, wait! This is a mistake!"
But it was too late. Three men immediately filed into the room. At their head was none other than Captain Roger.
Marinette, her parents, Adrien, and Master Fu quickly hastened out of the way.
Trixx cried out and tried to escape, but she got tangled in her tail and tripped over herself.
"Get that traitorous kwami!" the king bellowed, pointing at Trixx.
Roger stepped forward, his sword already in hand. "Yes, Your Highness," he said with a cruel sneer. "It would be my pleasure."
Before she knew it, Alya leapt onto the table, rushed over, and grabbed Roger's arm.
"No!" she shouted, wrestling with the guard. "Leave her alone!"
"Alya!" Nino cried.
Roger growled at the redhead. "Out of my way, girl!" With that, he easily flung Alya away from him, his strength no match for hers.
Alya slid onto her side, and something tumbled out of her pocket – her pendant.
The former thief glanced at it briefly before looking up to see the captain's sword lifting high over the table.
Trixx curled up into a tight ball, whimpering.
At that moment, a kernel of anger burned in Alya's core. She wasted no time in grabbing the pendant, and the kernel within her flared with unnatural, raw power. Orange light gleamed through her clenched fingers as she stood up slowly. Her amber eyes radiated like twin suns.
"I said STOP!" Alya yelled, thrusting her free hand forward, palm facing out.
Tendrils of light, like ribbons of compressed air and fire, exploded from her hand and collided with Captain Roger and his two guards. They flew backwards and landed hard on the marble floor, their weapons clattering to the ground.
Nino froze.
Tom and Sabine gasped.
Tikki blinked several times.
Plagg whistled.
King Gabriel breathed, "What?"
Nathalie covered her mouth with both hands.
Master Fu and Wayzz exchanged a mildly-surprised glance.
Adrien's eyes were wide and incredulous, and he had both hands on Marinette's shoulders.
As for Marinette herself... well, let's just say she was more concerned with the glowing object in Alya's hand than the fact that her best friend had just used magic.
Trixx, realizing her life had just been spared, got back up and zoomed over to Alya. She buried herself within her partner's auburn hair, shivering like a frightened puppy.
The magic vanished completely, and Alya panted with awe, staring at her outstretched hand like it was a brand new limb.
What... did I just do?
As she watched Roger and his men heave themselves back up, Nino immediately ran to her side and pulled her into his arms. "Aly, are you all right?" he asked.
"Alya," Marinette's voice cut sharply through the air, "what is that you're holding?"
Alya's thieving instincts kicked in, and she pressed the dimming pendant firmly against her chest. "It's not what you think!" she insisted.
Just then, King Gabriel's thunderous tone sounded. "What is the meaning of this?"
Adrien looked over at his father with concern, and then he turned back to Alya. He looked more scared than angry.
Surprisingly, it was Master Fu who stood up for Alya. "Don't fret, Your Majesty," he said with watery softness, looking over at Alya with eyes that were both serious and full of understanding. "I'm sure Alya has a reasonable explanation for this... unexpected surprise."
Marinette folded her arms, giving her best friend a look that could cleave right through her. "She had better," she snapped.
Alya gulped. She could feel the heat simmering from every person looking at her.
Well, everyone except Nino... and Master Fu.
Rule Number One of being a thief: you're only in trouble if you get caught.
Well... I'm in trouble.