"So, how was your secret tryst?" Alya asked me as we headed towards the main hall.

I rolled my eyes and ignored the question.

"Okay, okay, be like that, but just know that eventually I'm going to get the juicy details out of you whether torture is involved or not."

I pushed her lightly and we both laughed. Outside the doors to the dining room Nino was leaning up against the doorway picking at his fingernails when he looked up and saw us, he smiled.

"Ladies! Nice to see you both this fine morning, what are you planning to do for the day?"

He was officially addressing us both but his eyes never left Alya and she paid him the same attention.

"That's so kind of you to ask Nino, we just so happen to be heading to our lady's room. How about you Nino, what are you doing on a fine day like this?"

I almost laughed at her thick flirtatious manner, content to be ignored in the back.

"As it just so happens, me and Adrien were planning a sort of lunch out on the town and it could be dangerous."

"Really? Maybe you need a few women to protect you."

He took a step closer and smiled, "That's exactly what I was thinking."

She linked arms with me and walked past him, "That's quite the conundrum, tell me when you've found some. Meanwhile, we really must be getting to the Princess."

"He quickly closed the gap between the two of them and grabbed her arm softly, "I seem to recall that you all arrived with enough women to protect the whole castle, surely the Princess could spare a couple for the afternoon."

Alya smiled, "You never know know when disaster could strike."

"Disaster is already striking, it's ruining my lunch plans."

"I'd hate to seed that happen, maybe we could spare a few hours."

They had gotten extremely close and my arm was still linked with Alya's, and not wanted to be a third wheel in such an intimate moment between the two I coughed loudly, interrupting the mood in the room.

"Aaallrighty, it's settled. We'll see you during lunch Nino, we ought to be going."

I pulled hard on Alya's room and she followed me with a quick good-bye to Nino.

I stared at her with a pointed look on my face.

"What?" she asked ignoring the scene that had just unfurled between my eyes.

"You blame me for withholding from you, what was that? You both seemed awfully... close."

she smiled wickedly. "Some of us take our job seriously Marinette. And if it just so happens that the Princess is always following around the Prince and Nino is never far behind, it would be rude not to have some polite conversation."

I snorted, "Polite conversation."

"Okay," she said, "Maybe it was very polite conversation."

We checked in with the Princess who luckily had torn her favorite dress nearly in half and refused to leave her room without having it mended so there would only have to be guards posted at her door.

We stood guard until our relievers came around ten and we both went outside to saddle the horses and Nino was already waiting, holding our horses.

Alya took them from him graciously, "you're a saint."

He smiled, "I'll admit, my reasons were entirely selfish." He winked at her and she laughed and I rolled my eyes, I had seen my share of Alya's relentless flirting but Nino seemed to bring out the worst in her and it seems she did the same with him.

Adrien rode from across the courtyard and joined us. Nino nodded to him and Nino turned to Alya, "shall we?"

she nodded, "let's go."

Alya and I rode in front of Adrien and Nino, as was customary for guards. Nino led us through the city to a familiar bakery that I had found the day before. We dismounted and walked in.

I was hoping that they wouldn't recognize me from the day before but I realized how silly the thought was as soon as we entered and all eyes instantly were drawn to Adrien. The establishment owners instantly forgot their clients in line and personally welcomed the Prince, and the forgotten clientele didn't seem to care, they all looked starstruck.

Adrien blushed deeply trying to brush off all the flowery praise that came his way when suddenly in an instant he was led to the counter and offered multiple samples at once. We finally left nearly an hour later after he had tried nearly everything there and had given the proprioters his high praise for his baking.

We left carrying more pastries than we could possible eat and I secretively stuffed a few into a pocket in my cloak for Tikki to snack on.

We sat a table and a few chairs placed outside of the bakery where we put down our spread.

"So, ladies." Adrien said, "What do you think of our beautiful city?"

I opened my mouth to reply but as soon as I met his eyes my mouth went dry and I couldn't find the words.

"It's- it's-"

"Different." Alya said, interrupting my foolish stuttering. "Not wrong, not ugly, just different."

"How so?" he asked, with interest in his eyes. I loved that about him, he always seemed so interested to hear others speak even though he's a Prince and we're just guards. He didn't act like our opinion was lower than his.

"In Aristol, The streets are flooded with people, their are vendors that cover every inch of the streets, there's always some sort of performance happening at the city square, it's louder more colorful and more crowded."

"and it's like that everyday?" he asked

"Yes, except holy days, holidays and-"

she stopped short and I knew why. She was about to mention the topic that we had all successfully avoiding talking about so far.

"It's also hot here."

I managed to finally get out, it wasn't the most eloquent statement but I was proud of myself.

"Well I hope you are both getting acclimated to the weather."

Nino stood up suddenly, "Alright I think it's time to take this, to the beach

"The beach? You have beaches here?" Alya asked, surprised.

"No, not exactly but it's the closest thing we have to a beach."

We packed up and rode out the city gates and continued south for a little while until we came up a slight hill with a straight drop off on the other side.

"Wow, what a nice beach." Alya said sarcastically.

"That's nice, coming from a landlocked country."

Alya hit Nino in the arm and dismounted and I followed her lead. I walked up next to the edge of the cliff face. Master Fu said that it was a temple carved into rock overlooking an ocean so it has to be down there somewhere.

"Well I hate to say it but this is a pretty romantic spot." Alya said and Nino walked up next to her.

"Is it?" he asked, and he put his arm around her.

I sat down on the edge, letting my legs dangle over the cliff face. One thing I love about being Ladybug is that heights no longer bother me.

I grabbed a pebble and threw it down into the churning ocean thinking about how I would get away from the castle, get on a horse, ride all the way out here and then search the cliff face.

I felt a tingling in the back of my neck, and looked over my shoulder to find Adrien heading this way.

I thought for a second about jumping over the cliff but then decided that it would probably hurt without having my yo-yo to catch me.

"Do you mind if I join you?" he asked politely and I patted on the empty spot next to me.

"No you're fine. Well I don't mean that you're fine fine I just meant that you can sit down, not that you aren't fine but yeah-"

I should take a vow of silence, I'm so embarrassing. but he just laughed and sat down sending my nerves crazy.

Stop it! I told myself, You've been around hundreds of Royals before. You can do this!

"Alya and Nino seem... close." he said breaking the silence.

I turned back to see them sitting in the grass together watching the ocean bellow.

"Yeah, they do." I nearly cheered for my newfound ability to say three words without stuttering.

"I'm happy for them, Nino deserves to be happy."

"Alya too."

Speaking of Alya and Nino, she stood up and walked towards us,

"Hey, we're going to go for a walk, are you ok here by yourself?"

"Yeah girl, no problem. Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

She snorted and walked back to Nino.

I looked one last time over the cliff face, I wanted to go down there and investigate but I couldn't just leave Adrien here alone.

As if reading my mind, Adrien stood up.

"I'm also going to go for a short walk."

"Would you like company?" I asked, praying that he would say no.

"That is a tempting, but no. I will leave you to your thoughts."

He turned to leave and I smiled, it could not have gone better. Tikki flew out from under my cloak.

"Do you think that the temple is down there somewhere?"

"It has to be."

"How long do you think Alya and Nino will be?"

"Long enough to check it out."

"Perfect."

"Tikki, Transform me."