"Stupid titles! Stupid crowns! 'It's getting dark, your highness.' Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Marinette had been wandering around the valley, not caring about the dragons getting ready to fly about. If Plagg saw her, he paid no mind as he hadn't come to herd her back the cave. And she didn't want to be in the cave right now.

She wished she could talk to Plagg, but he would probably only say he knew Adrien was trouble and she should have stayed away.

But Adrien wasn't trouble. He was sweet, considerate, brave, and engaging. She could talk to him for hours and never grow tired. He had endless patience with her as she attempted to do his exercises. He didn't baby her when she insisted on grabbing the fish out of their pond. He treated her as a person, not a princess. And she loved it. She loved him.

But then he had to go reminding them of the sour fate that awaited them when they went home. He only wanted to be her knight. Nothing more.

Marinette found a rock laying on the shoreline, hastily picking it up and chucking it into the water. "Stupid man."

Finding another rock, she threw it in the lake. "Stupid feelings."

Finding a larger rock, Marinette picked it up, only to drop it when she was surprised by the weight, so she kicked the dirt next to it.

"Stupid!"

"Um, are you alright?" Marinette whipped around to find herself confronted by a red dragon speckled with black scales. The dragon was smaller than Plagg, with blue eyes much like Marinette's.

"Um, sorry. Was I bothering you?"

"Not really. I'm an early riser and was curious when I saw you condemning innocent rocks to the bottom of the lake."

Marinette awkwardly chuckled, not certain how to respond to the dragon. She hadn't talked to any dragon other than Plagg, and right now all confidence was drained to respond something witty.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Talk about what," Marinette looked up to the dragon who had a knowing look in her eye. Marinette sighed and sat down in the dirt, the dragon coming up beside her to stare at the lake reflecting the evening light.

"I ran away from home because I don't want to get married. In my mind I thought it would be a good idea to say I was kidnapped by a dragon that way the man I was to marry, he's a prince, wouldn't blame my family for not going through with the wedding and start a war. But now I'm here, and there's a sweet man here that was sent to find me by my father. Is this making any sense to you." Marinette turned to the dragon, who was watching her.

"A bit. Although getting a dragon involved sounds a little reckless."
"I know, but what else could I do? We were engaged before I really had the chance to get to know the prince, and once I did, the wedding planning was well under way."

"I see. What about the man you met in the valley?"

Marinette could feel her cheeks warm up at the thought of Adrien.

"He is absolutely wonderful. We have been spending time together these past few weeks. Months? I can't keep track anymore."

"It's been 45 nights since the winter began."
"I was never really good at math," Marinette chuckled, the red dragon smiling at her.

"But I loved spending every moment with him. Our endless conversations, learning new things, exploring the valley. Everyday was an adventure with him."
"What changed?"
Marinette sighed, slouching as she did.

"I'm a princess and he is a knight."

"So?"

"He only wants it to be that. To him I'm just the princess, someone he is suppose to dutifully serve. Nothing more."
"More?"

Marinette slouched even more, burying her head in her arms that rested on her knees.

"Is it crazy to fall in love after knowing someone 45 nights," Marinette mumbled into her arms.

"Not necessarily. I personally don't know anyone falling in love in a shorter span. But I'm sure it happens," offered the dragon.

"You heard that?"
"Of course, dragons have to have good ears to hear each other over the wind when flying."

"Figures. While I appreciate him being my knight, I want to be more with him. I don't know if it just from spending my time constantly with him is making me feel this way, or if what I feel is true."

Marinette felt a darkness creep around, looking around to see the red dragon spread a wing over her, pulling her closer to the dragon's side.

"From what I know, love can be tested in a lot of different ways. It can be tested when you are always around each, or when you are far apart. It can also be tested when things are going easy or being difficult. If after all that, you still want him, then I'd say it's love."

"So you think it would be good to spend some time apart?"

"Maybe, to see how you really feel."

Marinette smiled, slowly leaning onto the dragon.

"Thank you."

They both stayed like that for awhile as dragons began popping out of their caves to fly.

"Do you have a cave you need to get to?" The dragon turned her head to look at Marinette, who felt as if she was falling asleep.

"Yeah, but I don't want to go just yet."

"How about I take you to another cave then to sleep for tonight?"

"Please." Marinette looked up as the dragon folded her wing. Marinette wobbled as she stood up, slowly climbing up to the base of the dragon's neck, right before her wings.

"Is this fine?"

"Perfect."

The dragon spread her wings and took off towards the sky. Marinette kept her head up high so the wind would keep her awake. She looked over to see Plagg leaving the cave below, glancing up in their direction before diving into the water. Marinette hoped he wouldn't kill Adrien for this.

The dragon landed in a small cave opposite of the lake from Plagg's cave.

"You think this will work?"
Marinette and the dragon both stuck their head in, the cave deserted of any dragons.

"Do you not live here?"
"Me? Oh no, I live with my pride in one of the larger caves."

"Oh, this looks fine." Marinette stepped inside, remembering her old cape with still at Plagg's cave. The place felt foreign and lifeless without her dragon.

"Are you sure?" The dragon poked her head further in, finding Marinette on the brink of tears.

"What's wrong?" The dragon nuzzled her head against Marinette's side, Marinette grabbing onto the dragon's muzzle.

"I miss Plagg! And Adrien! And home! I want to go home!"

"Oh Marinette," the dragon comforted, nudging the girl towards her body, where she was immediately wrapped up between the dragon's tail and neck.

"Plagg will get you home once the winter's over. You'll see your family soon."

"I'm so stupid. I should have just talked to maman or even Alya."

"Why didn't you?"

"Everyone was so happy, I didn't want to disappoint them."

"If your parents love you, they won't be disappointed. Only happy when you return home safe."

"You think so?"

"I know so. It's the same with a dragon pride. We are so happy when someone returns home."

"I like your dragon pride. They sound nice."
"They are, they are my family."

"They are lucky to have you."

Marinette curled up in the dragon's tail, some of it used as a pillow while the rest was used as a blanket.

"I know this is a strange request since we just met, but can you stay with me tonight?"

"Of course." The dragon laid her head down so it was close to Marinette, spreading her wings to catch the moonlight.

"What was your name by the way, I never asked."
"Tikki."

"Tikki? What a lovely name. I'm Princess Ma-Awwww-arinette of Madrin," Marinette yawned as she succumbed to sleep.

"I know," Tikki mumbled as she nuzzled the girl's hair, noticing out of the corner of her eye a black dragon watching them.