The troops were soon ready and the King mounted on his most trusted horse Nooroo, before kicking him and they departed rapidly. Needless to say that the King was absolutely furious at his son´s lack of maturity. He had given him a flawless education, but not one of his professors had managed to get his emotions under control and to persuade him that happy ends didn´t exist. He should know after his mother´s death.
Meanwhile, Adrien had finally some alone time with Marinette. Both had excused themselves to go to the stall in order to feed the horses. On the way there, Adrien reached for her small hand and held it tightly into his. Once they had closed the stall´s door behind them, Adrien pushed her against the wall and started kissing her, putting everything he was feeling into the kiss. Marinette responded soon, her hands finding the back of his neck, her fingers slowly stroked the small strands of hair they could reach.
"I am so in love with you, Marinette. I simply couldn´t live without you." Marinette smiled as he once again told her how much he loved her.
"I just hope my father´s fury will not stand in our way too much." Adrien admitted fearfully as he rested her forehead against hers, closing his eyes.
"Everything is going to be alright in the end, Adrien." She tried to reassure him as she delicately stroked his hair.
After feeding the horses, they slowly made their way back to the bakery hand in hand.
Marinettes´ parents were still sitting at the dinner table, speaking in hushed voices. They finally looked up as they heard the front door open and entered their daughter and their new son-in-law. Both smiled as they saw how close they stood next to one another.
Outside the sun had already set marking the end of another day.
"It´s getting late and we all had an eventful day." Sabine Cheng said, before standing up. Tom nodded before disappearing inside the bakery to close everything. Sabine waved at the young married couple before starting to walk up the stairs. The young couple followed closely, as Sabine entered Marinette´s room and went over to her closet. She pulled out a couple of blankets and pillows, before throwing them on Marinette´s chair rearranging them.
"Since we don´t have a guest room, you will be sleeping here, dear." Sabine said as she would into Adriens´ eyes. "And the door stays open!" She added before walking out of the room with a smirk on her face, leaving the young couple blush bright red.
The King and his guards finally halted for the night in one of the smaller castle that belonged to the King in the countryside.
They picked up the route early in the morning, the sun was barely shining above the horizon and the King already pushed his horse to the maximum. The horde of horses panted under the weight of the men and their armours. The men pushed their horses to run faster across the countryside.
The King barely agreed to any rest period for the horses, they barely had put a foot down that he demanded they continue.
Half a day passed, before the King and his troop arrived near some fields were people were actively working. Suddenly he heard the bells of a church ring further away, which made the King take out his google-glasses. Not so far away anymore appeared to be a small village. He looked over to the soldier who was in charge of the map and showing the route. The soldier had barely nodded that the King forced his horse into a rapid gallop. The field workers´ head shot up as they heard a horde of horses, before they quickly bowed as they saw the Royal Emblem one of the solders was carrying.
The King quickly arrived at the village, closely followed by a few soldiers. He barked at an innocent villager for the directions to the mayor´s office. Once he arrived in front of the small guildhall, the King sprang off his horse and marched inside, ignoring the elderly woman who kept asking what he needed. She had obviously not recognized him in his haste. He slammed the door open of the mayor´s office. The mayor´s -M. André- head shot up at the brusque sound, before he jumped out of his seat in order to properly greet the King. M. André was puzzled as to why the King would be coming to such a small village near the border. There had been no revolt anywhere near his village and everyone always payed their debts and taxes.
"King Agrest – " Before M. André could greet the King properly, the King shot him an hostile look, making him close his mouth directly.
"My son has been missing for three days and I strongly believe he has been hiding here. I sure hope you knew nothing about it, because you would be charged with high treason."
M. André blanched as he carefully listened to his King.
"I-I-I didn´t know anything. I didn´t hear about the Prince going missing. Nobody reported anything!" M. André said, trying to defend himself.
Meanwhile the troops were roaming the streets, looking for any signs of the Prince.
Adrien caught a glimpse of them through the window as he continued to help out in the bakery. Marinette and her mother were taking care of the customers at the shop, while he and Tom were in the back, mostly cleaning up everything since they had baked enough for the day. Tom approached Adrien as he saw that the young man seemed to be distracted by something outside. He reached to close the curtain as he saw the soldiers approaching. Tom rested a hand on Adrien´s shoulder, who´s head hung low.
"I better go, before he starts ordering them to search through the houses. I know he is already sure I am here. I wouldn´t want tohem to destroy everyone´s homes." Adrien said dejected.
He had had only spend less than 2 days with his loved one´s family and now there was a strong possibility that he would be forced away for the second time. He didn't know if his heart could survive a second separation. The only thought to being away from her made his heart race and he felt nauseous. How many times he tried to beg his father for something that was important to him, only for him to crush his dreams, before he had learned that his father would never cave.
He tried to calm his racing heart by breathing in and out deeply, but it didn´t seem to be helping his stress levels. Slowly he made his way towards the shop, he saw Marinette and her mother sweeping the flour covering the ground and the shelves. A smile was on her face, making a smile rise on his lips as well as he observed her. He made his way up to her and circled his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder. She grasped his hands, squeezing them softly.
"Hey, is everything alright?" She asked after he didn´t say anything and she proceeded to turn in his embrace in order to be able to look at him. She rose her hands to his face and stroked his cheek delicately. He leaned his face further into her flour-covered hand, closing his eyes.
"He´s here." He simply said and it was enough for Marinette and her mother to understand. "I have to go meet him before he starts terrorising the whole village." He sighed before opening his eyes to peer into Marinettes´ blue eyes.
"Alright, let me brush the flour off myself and then we´ll leave." Marinette stated before Adrien could object. She came back a few minutes later, wearing another dress that wasn´t covered in flour or frosting. She reached for his hand and intertwined their fingers, before nodding to her parents. With a surge of courage she headed to the front door.
The villagers looked at them with wide eyes as they made their way to the villager´s square. They stepped out of their way as soon as they recognized the Prince. A couple of gasps rose in the crowds as they saw Adrien and Marinette holding hands together. The village being small, they soon arrived at the public open space located in front of the mayor´s offices. A few soldiers were located there and the King that was in the hall was instantly alerted as soon as one of the guards recognized Adrien´s blond mane. Letting go of her hand, Adrien left Marinette in the crowd, kissing her cheek, he left her side in order for her to stay protected in the anonymity of the crowd, before he made his way over to where his father was now standing on top of the stairs. He was overlooking the crowd, looking for him. Adrien stopped as he stood facing the stairs, his father right in front of him. He crossed his arms over his chest, and waited for his father to start.
"Son?" The King asked as he observed his son´s stance and clothes. Adrien stayed silent.
"What are you wearing? Well that is the last of my problems, come in here and change we are leaving." The King simply stated before turning around to go back inside.
"No, I won´t be going back. I´m not going anywhere in fact." Adrien said loud and clearly. His father halted his steps before turning around once again to pear at his son who had not moved a centimetre.
"Excuse-me, I thought I had said it clear enough, we´re leaving, Adrien. Don´t make me waist my time anymore than you already have." The King said as he now waited for Adrien to come to stand next to him.
"As I said: I am not coming back with you, nor I am doing anything you will order me to do." The King stared at his son´s rebellion in disbelief.
Did he really think he could talk to him like that in front of all the villagers? Did he think he could disrespect him like that?
"Stop this nonsense, rebellion… whatever you want to call it. You´re not a teenager anymore, Adrien. You and I have responsibilities and you are hindering me with my work. I have to travel two days straight to come for you and drag you back home. It ends now!" The King anger rose.
"If you are starting to speak of responsibilities, than I would like about those myself. I have other new responsibilities too now, so I can´t and won´t leave. I won´t leave my wife alone." Adrien said with a smirk., as the King let out a fake laugh.
"You´re not even married yet. You won´t have to leave anybody behin-" Gabriel stopped abruptly and his pupils widened as he finally caught on what his son had just revealed.
"Yes! You heard correctly Father, I am a married man. A happily married man might I add!" Adrien said with a bright smile.
"Did you lose your mind?" King Gabriel asked seriously. He took a few steps towards his son descending two steps to look at him better. "Do you know how you make me look like right now? Did you think I would approve of something like that? Your rebellious days are over, you should start to take your responsibilities seriously. Nobody approved of this marriage. But… thank you for letting me know, I will get it annulled immediately." The King stated.
"If I tell M. and Mlle. Bourgeois that I was married, you can be sure that this marriage won´t happen." Adrien yelled, making his father stop again.
"You wouldn´t dare do something as irresponsible as that." The King menaced.
"The marriage can´t be annulled anyway since it was consummated." Adrien lied easily, angering his father even more. King Gabriel escaped the crowd that had gathered around them outside, in order to go back inside. He walked up the stairs and stormed into the mayor´s office. Adrien walked rapidly, following his father into the building. Once he stepped inside the office himself, his father whipped around holding a menacing finger in the air.
"I did everything so you would get a proper education. I got you the best teachers. But you… nobody could… you still kept that wild streak I wanted, needed to break !" The King explained
"You couldn´t be a King with such a lack of maturity. You still can´t now. Look where it got you ! You are here, in the poorest village I own and you married less than a common-"
"Don´t you dare call her that ! " Adrien interrupted his father, he raised his voice as well, his shoulders tensing as his father who didn´t even meet his wife started insulting her.
"She is what she is!"
"Mum would have loved her !" Adrien shouted, anger bubbling inside of him, he couldn´t listen to his father anymore and knew that the mention of his mother would make him shut up for at least a minute.
The King took a deep breath and kept wearing his emotionless mask on his face.
"Don´t you dare bring her into this. Your mother was an extraordinary woman, who liked anyhow. Even your fiancée Mlle. Bourgeois." The King said with a deadly-calm voice. "You can´t stay married to your…" The King sneered in disgust.
"If you don´t approve of my wife, then… I will have to refuse my rights to the throne." Adrien added finally. The Kings´ fists clenched, his jaw tensed and you could see his rapid pulse on his neck. His heart was bumping his blood full of anger and fury rapidly through his body.
"This is unacceptable! " The King muttered as he sat down.
"What is unacceptable? That I married the one I truly love? That I would anything to keep her by my side? Your behaviour is what is unacceptable, Father. Or can I call you a father? You wanted me to marry someone I didn´t love, someone you only found perfect due to her high rank. You wanted me to marry her, after being ignored by you for years! You don´t get to choose what I do with my life anymore! You don´t get to make a single choice in my place anymore! If you can´t live with my decision to have married the one I truly love, then off you go. I don´t need you imposing yourself in my life, I can do well on my own, like I have been since mother died. I have a new family now, I am perfectly happy with them."
"How can I accept this? There isn´t any other heir to the Throne. You are my only son! How could you abandon your rights to the Throne?" His father asked puzzled and confused.
"Just like you loved Mother, I love her. I am willing to do anything for her happiness and she thinks I deserve some happiness too. And I found this happiness with her. My love for her only grows each second and doesn´t fade. Unlike my rights to the Throne, I care about her." The King stayed silent as his son declared his love for another than his fiancée.
"So now, if you could order the soldiers to leave this village in peace, I would be grateful and if you would leave me live my life in peace, I would be even more so." Adrien said, before turning on his feet and exiting the mayor´s office.
Hi!
Here´s another chapter !
As you can probably tell the end is nearing: so the next chapter will be the final one already.
Thank you for all of your nice comments, followers, readers ! :D
Eat chocolate !
