Have a Beauty and the Beast AU, because why not? I'm a sucker for fairy tales… There are, of course, changes. This is sort of a mash-up of the Disney film and the original fairy tale, with some of my own ideas sprinkled in. Hope you enjoy!

"Marinette! We need some more apples—would you mind picking some up while you're out?" Tom called from the kitchen as Marinette tied her shawl around her shoulders.

"Yes, papa," she replied with a wide smile. "Anything else?"

"Nothing for me. Remember Monsieur D'Argencourt wants that blue tunic fixed by tomorrow. Do you have the right threads?"

Marinette paused in the doorway. "Uh, no. I'll pick that up as well."

Tom flashed her a grin, which she returned then hurried out of the kitchen. She passed her mother, Sabine, working in the front shop where trays of freshly baked rolls sat, their delicious scent wafting through the room. Marinette stopped to take a sniff, quickly hugged her mother, grabbed a small wicker basket for her shopping, and left.

It was a bright day; the last dregs of summer were falling to earth in the form of blazing sunshine before the cooler autumn could set in. As usual, the main street was bustling with people, buying and selling goods from little market stalls set up on the cobblestones. Marinette remembered years ago when she was a young girl and she and her mother would spend their days behind a wooden table, arranging baguettes and loafs. Now their reputation for fairly-priced, delicious bread was so big they could sell straight from their house.

As she went, Marinette waved to people she knew, often stopping for short chats if they weren't busy. She bought a peck of apples from the grocer, then spent a while by the shabby stall selling threads and fabrics. She eyed several spools of cotton, holding them to the light and squinting before making up her mind. Her gaze lingered for a few seconds on a swatch of red silk—what she would give for a whole ream to make a beautiful gown out of—but she pulled herself away. Although not dirt poor her family could hardly afford for her to make rash purchases like that.

The village of Bordue-De-Bois was built next to a forest, deep and impenetrable. Tales of people who had gone in and never returned were popular, and widely believed. So too was the legend of a terrible beast who prowled the trees at night before returning to a dark tower in the centre where he resided as the forest king.

To Marinette they were nothing spooky stories to stop young children straying too close and getting snatched by a wolf. Nevertheless, she took care to avoid it at night. During the day, however, she happily wandered down to the forest's edge, sometimes picking sweet black berries which grew amongst thick bramble. As it was the afternoon and she still had hours of daylight left, she decided to walk home the long way by the trees.

She hadn't taken two steps when someone appeared in front of her. A man her age with thick red hair and twinkling turquoise eyes. He grinned nervously.

"B- uh, bonjour, M-Marinette. How are you to-uh-today?"

Marinette smiled kindly back, adjusting her grip on her basket of purchases. "Bonjour, Nathaniel. I'm fine, thanks. How are you?"

"Uh, good." He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his head. "So, the, um, village fête is soon. I was wondering if, uhh, maybe you would consider going with, uh, with…with me?" He flinched.

Marinette was silent for a few moments, stunned, then bit her lip. "Um. Gee, that's so sweet of you to ask, but I told Alya I'd go with her. She's new to the village."

Nathaniel let out a long breath. "Oh, I see. That's okay. No problem. I'll probably see you there anyway." He tried to grin again, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Bye then!"

Marinette watched him hurry away and groaned quietly at how awkward the encounter had been. It wasn't that she didn't like Nathaniel—she did—just not in the way he liked her. Fortunately he was too shy to make any bold moves when attempting to court her. And her excuse was a legitimate one; Alya Césaire had recently moved to the village and Marinette had agreed to go with her to the village fête.

Marinette made it to the expanse of grass outside the forest when she was stopped again. This time by Adrien Agreste. He was sitting on a grassy knoll, green eyes like emeralds in the sunlight. He waved when he spotted her and gestured for her to come over.

"Marinette, you shouldn't be this close to the forest," he said. "The wolf-king might get you."

Marinette grinned a little too widely in reply. "Kolf-wing—I mean wolf-king! Hahaha, you know that the wolf-king doesn't exist..."

"Maybe not a literal wolf-king," Adrien returned, smiling pleasantly, "But there are dangerous things in the forest, Marinette. I'd hate for you to get hurt."

Marinette flushed and bit back a dreamy sigh—Adrien was too sweet, looking out for her safety like that. "Don't worry," she said. "I'm not going into the forest. I just like walking back home this way."

"As long as you're careful," he said. "Oh, and before you go, Marinette, I have something to ask you."

"Oh?" Marinette prompted, feeling her heartbeat pick up slightly. "What is it?"

"The village fête. Are you going?"

"Are you going?" she replied incredulously. Gabriel Agreste, a local Duke, never allowed his son to go to any of the village's events. In fact, she was surprised to see him near the forest unsupervised.

Adrien laughed. "Can you believe it? My father's actually letting me go for once! I think Baron Bourgeois had something to do with it… So, are you going?"

"I- yeah!" Marinette nodded her head vigorously. "I'm going with Alya. I promised I'd take her around."

"She's the new family's daughter, right? I think it's great you're reaching out to her. I'm sure you two will have a good time—and maybe I'll see you there anyway."

Oh. Shoot. He had been trying to ask her to go with him and she... Marinette forced herself to smile and hoped her disappointment didn't bleed into her voice. "That would be nice."

"Anyway, I have to get going. My father thinks I'm with Chloé and Chloé thinks I'm with Félix. I need to get back before he realises I'm not with either of them. Hopefully I'll see you at the fête, Marinette." Adrien stood and offered her one last smile before heading back up to the village. Marinette waited until he was across the field and out of earshot before groaning loudly. If there was one man she wouldn't mind saying yes to, it was Adrien. Sweet, kind, thoughtful, handsome Adrien.

But she had promised Alya. And she couldn't back down on a promise.

The sun was slowly dipping in the sky, sending gold scattering across the tops of the trees. It wouldn't fully set for a while, but it would still be best to get home sooner rather than later. Marinette resumed her journey, walking at a brisker pace, but still taking time to enjoy the beautiful scenery and the earthy smell.

"Marinette! Marinette!"

Marinette stopped and glanced around, eventually spotting a figure in the distance waving an arm above her head. Tendrils of sienna hair fluttered in the breeze. "Alya!"

With a tinkling laugh, the girl ran over, lifting her skirts so she wouldn't trip over. "Marinette! What are you doing down here?"

"Walking home. What are you doing?"

"Picking berries. I promised Ella and Etta I'd bring them some if they behaved today."

Marinette laughed. "This is the best spot for it."

"Oh, you'll never guess what happened today! You know Nino Lahiffe?"

"Mm-hmm."

"He asked me to go to the village fête with him!"

Marinette's smile dropped. "He did? What did you say?"

Alya's grin shrunk into a smirk. "At first I said no—I've only spoken to him a few times—but then I thought if I want to make more friends then I have to give people a chance, and he was really determined. So I said yes. You don't mind do you? We can get someone else and go out as a four?"

Marinette nodded slowly, wishing she'd bumped into Alya before Adrien. "Sounds good to me. I'll have to think of someone."

"Don't leave it too late; it's only a few days away!" With an affectionate pat on the head, Alya held up her basket, filled to the brim with berries. "I think I've got enough now, so I'm going to head home. Ooh, maybe you should ask Adrien? But you said Chloé's always all over him. What about his cousin, Félix? He's new to the area too, right? And he's handsome."

"I don't know… He is good looking, but…" Marinette faltered.

"I think he likes you," Alya continued.

"Well, I don't like him," she replied. "He's arrogant and proud and looks down on everyone else."

"Maybe he's shy?" Alya suggested. "You could give him a chance. I don't know Nino that well but I'm giving him a chance. Anyway, it's your choice." Flashing a final grin, she waved goodbye and set off across the grass.

Again, Marinette waited until she was far away before moaning and slumping against a tree. She felt guilty for the part of her that wished Alya had turned Nino down outright; it wasn't that she didn't like the man, but rather she didn't want to be third-wheel on their courtship. Perhaps she could hurry back and catch Adrien...

"Marinette."

Or not.

She turned, pasting on a smile. "Bonjour, Félix."

A man stepped out from behind a large bramble. He had blond hair like white gold, swept back from his face. Other than his cold, pale eyes and menacing disposition, he could have been Adrien's twin. "I hear Alya's found a companion for the fête on Sunday."

Marinette forced herself to nod, but couldn't help but think that he'd only heard because he'd been hiding nearby to eavesdrop. "Yep, that's right."

Félix smirked. "Which means you'll be needing a companion too."

"I suppose…"

"Today is your lucky day." Félix's teeth gleamed white in the afternoon sun. "I would be more than happy to accompany you, Marinette."

Marinette blanched and took a step backwards. "Uh, that's…that's so kind of you, Félix…"

"Then say yes."

"I… I would but I, that is…" She swallowed thickly, taking another step. "I need some time to think about it."

Félix's smirk faded. "Very well," he said, eyes narrowed. "Let me know tomorrow." He went to walk past her, his body close, brushing his arm against hers, then paused. His breath was hot on her cheek. "Careful you don't stay out on your own. If you get in trouble, there's no one nearby to help."

There was a strange glint in his eye, akin to threat. Marinette's heart stopped and her body flushed cold, but Félix only smirked again and continued on his way.

When he had disappeared out of sight, Marinette released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

The sun was sinking ever lower. Marinette wiped her face – she could still feel Félix's breath lingering on her skin – and began marching along the forest's edge. Although it would be quicker to head up through the field she didn't want to risk bumping into Félix again.

She had been walking for a few minutes when she was stopped again, this time by a noise just beyond the tree line. A whine? Or a growl?

Fear turned her blood to ice. Marinette picked up her skirts to run but then she heard the noise again. This time it was distinctly human. A groan of pain.

"Who's there?" she called, cautiously stepping towards the woods. She peered around a tree, scanning the area for signs of life. The crunching of leaves, a scrape of something heavy on the ground, a pale hand.

An old man crawled into sight, dragging himself along the forest floor. His dark grey hair was messed up and muddy, his skin was scratched. He bleated helplessly. "Please, help me."

Fear and basket forgotten, Marinette darted into the forest to help him up. He was short but with a stocky build, and leant heavily on her. He smiled up at her gratefully.

"Thank you, mademoiselle."

"You're lucky I was walking this way," Marinette said, stooping to support his weight. "Not many villagers come this close."

The man nodded. "Indeed. Might I ask you for further kindness? I have injured my leg. I can heal it, but I need to get to my cottage."

"Of course. Where is your cottage?"

The man pointed deeper into the forest. "This way. Don't be afraid; I assure you nothing will harm you."

Marinette cast a wary look at where he was pointing then nodded resolutely. "Okay. Let's go."

It was a long and laborious journey. The old man, who introduced himself as Fu, was slow. Each step on his shaky legs took an age, and he stopped frequently to rest his injury. The last dregs of sunlight were bleeding through the canopy by the time they reached his cottage.

It was a tiny building, amateurishly constructed from wooden planks and covered in moss. The front door creaked open without being pushed, but Fu didn't seem worried by this at all. They clambered through and Marinette deposited the man in a wheezing wooden chair by the empty fireplace.

"Thank you," Fu said, taking her hand. "You have shown me great kindness."

"It was nothing," Marinette replied. "Do you need me to do anything else?"

"No, I can manage. Please, return home before your family misses you too much."

Marinette smiled and nodded deeply then slipped back out the door. It shut behind her firmly, and a second later the tiny window was illuminated by bright, yellow light, as if hundreds of candles had simultaneously burst into life inside.

Drawing her shawl tighter around her shoulders, Marinette set off through the forest. The first few minutes were quite pleasant; beams of gold shone between branches, and the summer evening air was warm on her skin. But soon it grew dark, and Marinette realised she had taken a wrong turning somewhere. It wasn't cold, but she began shivering. Each snap of a twig made her heart stop, and the whispering wind made her breath hitch.

When it grew too dark to see, she knew she was in trouble. She tried looking up to find the moon and stars, and maybe use them to navigate her way out, but the thick canopy obscured the sky. She stumbled blindly for a few minutes more, using her arms to stop herself walking into trees. Then a howl split the air.

"Oh no," Marinette breathed, stopping in her tracks.

Wolves.

The howl sounded quite far away; the chances were they didn't even know she was there. Marinette shut her eyes for a few seconds, squishing down the mental image of a huge, black wolf with a crown throwing her over its shoulder and carrying her to a crumbling tower. Of course there was no such thing as the wolf-king, and certainly nothing was going to cart her off to some grotty old tower.

No, if anything found her it would eat her then and there.

Marinette took a few breaths, deep and shuddering, before continuing to walk. If she went in a straight line, she'd end up somewhere eventually. Or perhaps she should turn back, try to find that cottage. Maybe Fu would put her up for the night? Surely she'd be able to spot the bright light of his window. Another howl, quieter now.

"This one looks lost," a voice hissed.

Marinette bit back a gasp and walked faster. There, ahead, a patch of moonlight. Twinkling stars. Open space. The way out!

"And she's not in the village."

The voice was following her. It drifted above her head, travelling on the wind. Marinette began to run. The end of the forest drew closer and closer—nearly there…

Then suddenly the voice was in her ear. "She'll do nicely."

Something sharp grabbed her shoulders and yanked her back, no, up. The feel of the forest floor disappeared from beneath her feet. Marinette looked up.

A pair of bright green eyes gleamed in the moonlight, then the night darkness swirled in and everything went black.

Fun fact! A peck of apples is 10-12 pounds/32 medium apples. I wanted to say bushel but at about 125 apples, I figured that would be ridiculous. 32 is a lot too, but they probably get through a fair amount making fruit pies and tarts.

I initially had Théo as the nasty suitor - but that seemed a little unfair. He always seems to end up as the villain when all he really did was let his jealousy get the better of him. Then Félix came along as a lovely, gift-wrapped baddie for me to use. Lucky me. Not that he'll be in this that much so barely matters.