Chapter Fourteen

-Entering the Resistance-

Being Chat Noir for this long was not what Prince Adrien had planned after his escape.

For what seemed like hours, he used the casting shadows of the forest that led towards the back side of Lower Creatruae for an escape route. Each tree offering its own form of protection like they knew what he was running from.

What exactly was he running from?

Was it the threat of death? The fact Marinette now knew who he was under the mask and that she might hate him for it? Or was it just running to run? Flee from the torment and confines of all of his obligations, and make a new name for himself.

The smell of food alerted his stomach, a gargled rumble from Chat's lower half startling him.

Well, that's not really surprising considering I haven't ate for almost 8 hours…

Oh shit... Has it really been that long?!

Popping his head out of the forest line to look beyond the canopy, he realized that, indeed, the sun was a little past the halfway mark now. He also found himself near the poor district of Lower Creaturae, with mud caked, small, tightly packed apartments and hundreds of laundry hanging from shared drying lines across the main streetway.

Clinging to the casted darkness of the homes, he followed his nose to the corner of an alleyway. He found himself eyeing a pastry vendor's cart, full of puffed croissants, breads, and various sweets. Another deep inhale made his mouth water, and Chat lowered to a crouching position to consider his next move. He could bet on the fact that no one here in Lower Creaturae could have seen Prince Adrien's face, but that might be too risky. Maybe darting between buildings and snatching a piece of food when the vendor wasn't looking would work?

No, Adrien contemplated, I only want to steal the ring and not steal from these people.

But he had no money, and he was getting dizzy from hunger. Taking the plunge, he removed his mask and pulled his hood around his face more. He even tied up his magical tail-belt so it wouldn't hang low and get caught. As he stepped into the sun, the heat attacked him.

Oh right…I am wearing all black aren't I?

The stares of the various busy townsfolk confirmed this. Many mothers averted their children's gaze from him, some older gentleman straightened their backs and their forms to give him death glares. Never in his life did Prince Adrien feel so scared and so very much alone at the same time.

His hood was half in his vision when he came up to the food vendor, who he found out was a older humped back man who had a receding silver hair line and a brightly flower printed tunic on. The cart was obviously a traveling one, and Chat happened to notice the humming wind chimes that somehow gave him a nostalgic feeling.

All the rows of perfectly placed pastries caused Chat's eyes to blossom, and his stomach to once again repeat its previous demand. The cart merchant flashed a wide brimmed smile, his wrinkles bending his face.

"Hello there, what can I get for you?"

The older man's voice was kind, and he seemed to not have any form of hostility towards the hungry alleycat.

Lifting his head up more to connect his gaze with the vendor's, Adrien whispered, "I-I'm sorry, but I-I have no money."

The vendor didn't flinch once, keeping his smile, "Oh I know, sir. But here-" He grabbed a steaming puffed dumpling with a napkin, and handed it over to Chat, "-this is on the house."

With a doe-eyed expression, Adrien grabbed the offering with trembling hands.

"Thank you, but-" his hood retreated back a bit causing a blonde strain of loose hair to fall in his face, "-why?"

The older man closed his eyes in a whole mouth laughed and winked, placing his arms behind him in a wise posture.

"Come with me, Chat Noir," the man replied in a whisper, his words causing Adrien's stomach to drop. Without hearing a reply, the man turned his back and began to walk into the open door of a apartment building that was nearby. Taking a bite of his free meal, Adrien didn't hesitate to follow him.

The dumpling was gone by the time the two reached the top of the stairs of the lobby. They went all the way to the last set of doors, and the old man approached the farthest one.

He knocked three times, then again four times. Adrien figured it was some sort of code, because as soon as the man pulled his knuckles away from the doorframe, the latch of the knob clicked open. A man with a rather large nose and rosy cheeks, peered his head from the edge of the slightly opened door.

"Password?" The man asked, scrutinizing the two of them with his eyes.

"Miraculous" Chat's guide said nonchalantly.

"Enter," the reply came swiftly, as the door creaked open further.

They made their way into a crowded room, full of various sized people and even a few kids. Many were dirty, with mud caked faces and torn tattered clothing. The smell of sweat and body odor curled Adrien's nose, but luckily there was an open window with a tight knitted black fishing net covering it. Pests unwelcome, Adrien concluded, tugging on his suit to let in some cooling air.

All eyes turned to the new comers, and some even let out gasps. The one who opened the door to let them inside didn't let them approach any further into the room, lifting his arm up to divide them. Adrien wasn't sure if it was to protect him from the people or to protect the people from him.

"Andre, what is going on?!" one middle age man spoke up, protectively standing in front of his family. "Isn't that Chat Noir? Why is Monsurier Cheng with him?"

"You'll cause them to find us," someone else said, and others mumbled amongst themselves in agreement.

In a nervous gesture, Adrien rubbed the back of his neck under his hood. His thoughts raced madly, I am a monster to these people. But... I don't want to be anymore.

As the Prince of Death, he was used to others looking at him begrudgingly, but this…This was as if he was Death itself. Making the call, he dropped his hood completely releasing his blonde hair from its confines.

Half of the room let out massive exhales at this new revelation. The color of his hair was undeniable to his identity, especially with how clean and shiny it was compared to the rest of them.

Adrien found his voice, letting it take him far, "I am Prince Adrien of Mortem as well as Chat Noir."

The room was silent, a clock on the wall the only noise that held within the walls. Adrien kept his head held high, letting the continuous thumping of his heart in his ears drown out the complete silence. It wasn't until the larger man they called Andre turned to the front of the Prince, and took his hand in a massive friendly shake.

"Welcome, welcome! The fiancé of the Princess is always welcome here."

Andre's courage loosened the posture of the others, some even let out heavy sighs as if they were holding their breath. Adrien swallowed, licking his dry lips to explain further.

"I was actually told to find you, Monsieur Andre," the Prince began, "Princess Chloe assisted me to escape and told me to seek you out. Who are all of you?"

Behind Andre, two teenagers exchanged some money with one of them letting out a deep throat groan.

Andre's face light up brightly, and he guided Adrien over to a nearby empty pillow on the floor. The Prince was sat - pushed - down, and Andre began to explain.

"We are the Resistance," he gestured to the crowd of people, and while many smiled to greet Adrien's gaze, some avoided him entirely, whether from uneasiness or untrustworthiness.

"Princess Chloe was the one who brought the first of us together about a year ago. She found Scarlet and Jean Pierre there, along with Monsieur Cheng, trying to stop some goons of Hawkmoth from keeping food from the people of Lower Apis."

Adrien couldn't believe it; the Resistance of the Seven Kingdoms was right here. His father, - no, Hawkmoth - caused so much pain and sorrow for these people; it was written all over their faces. Many Mortem meetings Adrien had to accompany detailed the usurpes that these people caused Hawkmoth, though, the naivety and uncaring that the young Prince held at the time truly guilted him now.

Andre let out a hearty laugh as he began to dance around them all, and sang in a simple melody:

Away from the Hawk

We run we run

Crown the Queen before before its' done

We save those who can't be saved

Until the day, Until the day, Until the Daayyy

Lady Luck finds a way

Others joined in with him, with clapping and patting on their legs to the beat, finishing the lines up completely. The melody lifted their spirits, the code they lived by giving hope back into their eyes.

Mister Cheng came closer, his arms almost never leaving behind his back. "Our number one goal is to get Princess Marinette to the throne. Princess Chloe helps fund us in secret, and we try to sabotage many things Hawkmoth has tried to do to the various kingdoms."

Prince Adrien scanned the room again with all the information trying to process. The faces of families; single mothers and fathers, grandparents, and even children with no homes, became permanently ingrained in his mind.

They are doing all of this for her, The Prince pondered, For Marinette, for her to become Queen, for this haunting terror of Hawkmoth to end.

The Princess's words from the first time she met him as Chat echoed in his mind for some reason.

No one deserves to be in pain…

He asked, truly wanting to know more of their goal, "Why is all of this for Princess Marinette?"

A small child, around four- or five-years-old, let go of her mother's hand and approached Adrien. She placed her hand on the Prince's shoulder and said, "The Princess is so kind to all of us. She makes sure we can eat."

The mother of the child crawled to sit beside her daughter, taking the tiny child into her arms to cuddle, "Princess Marinette has even built homes for us, and made the Senators lower taxes."

A flash of the moment when Marinette healed Chat Noir's foot cascaded through the mind of the Prince. I noticed her smile first, that beautiful look she gave me. And then her kindness, something I was so blown away by.

Andre chimed in, approaching the Prince with shaking hands and with sorrowful eyes, "Hawkmoth sent out a mist of death into my small village outside of the capital of Testudo. My family became refugees, but my daughter continued to be sick from the plague."

He pulled out an artist's drawing of him and his family, which showed a cute, chubby little girl standing between him and his wife. "Princess Marinette learned of my daughter's sickness and came to our home herself. She healed my daughter, and I sworn from that day on that I would do anything I could to help the Princess."

Another memory danced through Adrien's mind, this time when Marinette was with him at the gardens after their crazy family breakfast.

That accident at breakfast was the best excuse to talk to her personally, and when I handed her that rotten rose, I was so afraid she would walk away from me right then and there.

"I covered you, I mean- I got you covered," she stated with brightness. My heart soared at her words, as I watched the rose spring back to life in her hands.

Andre put away his family portrait and smiled wholeheartedly at the Prince, "Word spread fast how you defended the Princess at the Council meeting. Some of us were there, you know? You stood up for her like you two were already married."

Already married...

Prince Adrien stared down at his hands, the destruction that usually threatened to reveal itself was seemingly waiting for an answer of its own. All the things the Princess has done, for these people and himself, made dealing with this power of death and decay small in comparison.

Was the Ring of Plagg so important now?

What was more important, what truly captivated his thoughts, was Marinette's need to ascend to the throne. She was so good to Creaturae, and not just her people, but all the people who come to this land from others. No matter the kingdom, no matter the way the people looked or acted, she still showed them undeniable amounts of kindness.

When she kissed him in what seemed like weeks ago, Prince Adrien felt so connected with her at that moment. It was so wonderful, so calming, so thrilling. If he thought about it hard enough, he could still feel her lips on his.

It was then, in front of all of those people, that the world suddenly seemed so colorful to Prince Adrien. A new energy surged through him, though it was not magic. He stood up in front of all of them, full of determination.

"I vow, on the legacy of my mother, that I will do whatever it takes to get Princess Marinette on the throne. Even if she doesn't end up marrying me to do it."

Monsieur Cheng, with a knowing smile, placed a hand upon the Prince's shoulder, "You love her, my boy. You being beside her will help. You don't have to vow anything to us."

When he heard those words, when the concept became reality, Adrien knew the old man was right from the very depths of his soul.

I am in love with Princess Marinette Dupain-Cheng.