"Father? Can I go for walk?"
Marinette asked poking her head into the side room in which Thomas Dupain skinned animals of all sorts. He was sweating from lugging the carcasses from the woods to the kitchen.
She went to help her father. The job of skinning animals was a disgusting work in which Marinette absolutely hated but he needed her help. Even if he wasn't asking for it.
Prince Adrien waited patiently in the main part of the kitchen. The staff would ask him if he needed anything. He always said no until he got a whiff of freshly baked croissants that Sabine Cheng had made.
Marinette tried to avoid dirtying her apron since Tikki was in the front pocket. She didn't want to burden her with the smell of deer.
"On a walk? You didn't go hunting with me?"
Thomas said as he and his daughter bonded over skinning deer. Servant life consisted of surviving for oneself and keeping the family cared for. A servant didn't have time to go on a walk.
"Sorry."
Marinette apologized. Her father taught her how to hunt since he had no sons to learn such trade. She eventually out shone her father it such a task.
"I needed my sharp shooter."
Marinette smiled at her father's complement. Marinette remember her dad teaching her how to hit targets with an arrow. It was harder to learn how to shoot an arrow then to wield a sword.
"Marinette, are we..."
Prince begin to say with a croissant in each hand. He saw her with bloody hands not from her of course. The deer were drained of blood before brought into the castle but some still remained.
Prince Adrien hunted but he had never seen the process between the animals getting killed and being served on the table. He facial expression was of worry. The scent of death was thick in the skinning room.
"Marinette, are you okay?"
Prince Adrien said worriedly as he dropped his croissants to rush to Marinette's aid. He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tried to wipe the blood of her hands worried in was her's.
Thomas was shocked that a Prince was wiping blood of his daughter's hands. Thomas could see this Prince was genuinely worried about Marinette. She was Thomas's and Sabine's everything.
"Adrien, it's just deer blood."
Marinette pointed out as the Prince tried to scrub away the red liquid before it dried. Thomas was even more shocked when Marinette referred to his Majesty, planning as if they were equals in the eyes of the classes.
"Someone as precious as you shouldn't do such an activity."
Prince Adrien's kind words made her blush, the finest pink.
"Sir, shouldn't your son do such a task? A lady like Marinette should be subjected to such gore."
Prince Adrien said not realizing he was talking to Marinette's father. Prince Adrien thought the man looked intimidating. The man was larger than him.
"Adrien... ummm..."
Marinette was embarrassed. She wanted to tell the Prince that was her father but the words wouldn't pass her lips.
"Marinette, the walk doesn't happen to be with him?"
Thomas asked. She slowly nodded a 'Yes.'
"Your highness, better have no intentions of having my daughter as a consort. I'll gut you like a pig."
Thomas threatened being over protective of his only child.
"Your... her father?"
The Prince stuttered feeling intimidated.
"Father, it's just a walk."
Marinette said trying to defend the Prince.
"It better be."
Thomas said as he stabbed a carcass with a knife. The not so subtle threat made Prince Adrien gulp air nervously.
A/N: Honestly my favorite chapter so far. The reason I can post so much is because I have a notebook with a list of all the things I want to happen. I reorganized them on google docs. It helps a lot. Plus I wear a ladybug beanie it's my thinking cap.