He felt like a canary. His best and only friend Chloe's Canaries to be exact. The majestic birds were held prisoner behind thin grey bars that were situated just close enough they were unable to escape. He always avoided looking at the birds when he visited her. She had two of them, one named Claudia and the other Junie. They were beautiful birds that had been a gift from a neighboring country. Although the birds sang so sweetly, Adrien always interpreted them as screams to be freed. It felt so wrong to have such beautiful birds behind bars. Only criminals should be behind bars. Murderers, bandits, and assassins.

Like the assassin who poisoned his mother three years prior. The war was yet to begin but there had been mild conflict between them and the country of Eldene across the sea. His father held a seat in the court and Eldene's first move was apparently poisoning families of the court. He, his mother, and three others had been intended to die that evening at the party. Only his mother had.

Why did the person who poisoned his mother's tea roam free, while those two helpless Canaries who only sang, spent their days locked away?

It had never felt right and every time he visited his dear friend, Chloe who was heir to the throne, all he wanted to do was rip that cage to part and set those Canaries free. But if he couldn't break free from his own cage, how was he supposed to help others?

Adrien was relieved when he was told he wouldn't have to see Chloe today. While he used to see her every few days, for the past month it had been every day. He loved Chloe like a sister, sure she had her flaws but everyone does. But that didn't mean he wanted to spend every minute with her and her prisoner canaries.

To the boy's detriment, he was aware of the reason behind this change in his routine. His whole life was and had always been managed by his father. Not that his father had ever been there. For most of his life, his very routine lie went unnoticed by the boy since he always had his mother with him. Every forced task he despised seemed fun when she was with him, but with her gone, he'd quickly realized how all his happiness had come from her. So far that week he'd had two conversations with his fathers, which was the norm. Most of the time his father's assistant and the wife of another court member, Nathalie would give him his instructions for the day but on occasion, Gabriel would.

His schedule was always predetermined by his father and the court. He could never hang around in his bedroom, or go down to the harbor, or do anything that wasn't "useful". Therefore why he spent almost all his time hanging around Chloe.

He and Chloe had been betrothed since they were children. He'd always known and had accepted it a long time ago, but as both of their eighteenth birthdays approached, he was growing more and more uncertain. He'd barely lived, and marrying her and settling into a spot in the court would take away more of the little freedom he had. In just a few months he'd marry his only friend; something he truly didn't want.

"But it doesn't matter what I want," Adrien muttered to himself. He held his head as he paced around his bedroom. His only window looked out onto the village and he could see just a bit of the ocean ahead. He could still remember his mother taking him on walks there, telling him tales of mermaids and pirates that he of course believed as a naive child. Her voice had been the sweetest melody he'd ever heard and even three years later, the soft tone she spoke in still ran through his head.

Adrien stopped himself, looking at his reflection in the mirror propped up in the corner. He looked presentable enough. Clean white button-down tucked into black pants. A relatively bland outfit that was all his father had him wear. Adrien frowned at the sight, kicking at the ground."I can't even pick out my own clothes."

The door silently opened, the only thing alerting him being how his lazy companion, Plagg, shifted on his bed. His glaring eyes he'd gotten from his mother turned towards the doorway. A booklet in hand, her hair held back in a perfect bun, and her skirt perfectly straight, Nathalie adjusted her glasses before speaking."Today you are to attend a meeting at the palace regarding expansions in the North. You will then join her highness-"

"I know, I know," he sighed, grabbing his coat before walking past the woman. He didn't mean to be rude. Nathalie was nice and had been friends with his mother before he was even a thought, still, he couldn't help but let some of his anger out on her. Letting it out on Chloe wasn't an option and if he were to be rude to the King or anyone in the court he'd be in big trouble with his father. His father's wrath was the last thing he needed.

His journey through the desolate home was a disheartening one. Nothing had changed in the past three years, everything from when his mother was alive was the exact same, but somehow his home didn't feel like home. He'd never realized how Emilie had been the source of happiness in the home and his source of joy. With her gone, the home had become nothing but a house, and his happiness was nothing but an old memory.

The sky was clearer than normal and the air around him was a calming mixture of cold and warm. The smell of a fire in the distance filled his lungs and he felt himself calm just a bit. He just had to endure the day. Like he'd been doing for the past three years.

A guard escorted him to the palace that was a short walk away. Depending on the day his father would schedule some form of transportation, but he preferred walking. It gave him more time to enjoy the clean air before being trapped inside all day. Sadly, in recent weeks his chances for walks had been limited. With news of the betrothal spreading, Adrien in particular had been talked about more. The kingdom had only known him as a son of a powerful man, court member, and assistant to the king. He hadn't had to worry about going into town back then, but now he was swarmed wherever he stepped. Be it young ladies, strikers, or curious citizens, going on a simple walk was no longer an option. Most of the time at least.

Since he and his father lived extremely close to the palace, on slower and less busy days he could get in a walk, but most of the time his father didn't risk that.

Adrien kept his head low as they walked, but made sure to savor every breath. The towering castle cast a large shadow that covered the entire front courtyard. The white walls that made up the massive structure seemed to glow in the sun and looking up he could easily spy Chloe's window. As he expected so early in the morning the curtains were drawn. He could picture the canaries locked away in their cage, conditioned to be silent when all the lights were out.

As he would every morning, Adrien made his way to the deliberation room, where members of the court met up to discuss current issues. The room was relatively small with the largest wall being a window that looked out to the part of the coast that sept in, isolating the kingdom on a small peninsula. There was a long table in the middle with chairs surrounding it. By the time of his arrival a few members were already present and reviewing the topic of the week.

If expanding was possible with the war growing more violent.

Adrien had his own opinions on the matter, but of course, no one cared. All he had to do was show up and sit while everyone else deliberated. The only reason he was there was apparently so he'd be prepared when it was his responsibility to help run the kingdom. But wouldn't being a part of the conversation also prepare him? He of course only thought that and would never think of bringing it up with Gabriel. The man was single-minded and even if he begged or threatened to kill himself the man wouldn't change his agenda.

Adrien sat down in the seat farthest away from the two members who were prepared to eat each other's heads off. On occasion, the fights would be amusing but most of the time they were cut off before it could get good.

He tapped his finger on the polished wood table, trying to make the time go by faster. The half-hour it took for the rest of the court members to arrive felt like an eternity and he could only imagine how the rest of the day would feel.

With tired eyes, he watched the calm fight between the eight members. There were a total of nine, ten including his highness, but his father was out of town on business. What that business was he didn't know. Gabriel never explained where he went on these "business trips" that could last a few days, to a few weeks, to a month. He'd been gone four days. Adrien could remember him saying it was a shorter trip but Adrien had learned to never trust his word. A short trip could turn into two weeks and Adrien didn't complain. It took off some of the pressure to be perfect while at home.

As normal, it was left undecided. The choice would most likely be left for the King to decide and knowing him he'd choose to expand. Which Adrien found to be a stupid choice.

Draping his coat over his arm, he took his time walking down the marble halls. On every wall were portraits of past Royals and noble people. It was almost like a reward to get your portrait on the walls of the palace. His fathers hung in the east wing that was mainly used by guests of the King.

The portraits were so lifeless and whenever he focused on one he pictured the sketches his mother would do. She was no artist but always tended to doodle simple drawings when they went on walks. They were nowhere near perfect but there was an essence to them that felt so real.

He smiled, thinking about another person's drawing. Nowhere near as well as his mother, but they captured the same essence in their work. On a technical level, they were more advanced but the work felt more rigid than loose. Still better than he could ever do. He had a pretty face, could handle a sword well, could hide an overwhelming grudge and that was about it.

His smile deepened and he sighed, spying the yellow silhouette approaching."Good morning Princess," he taunted with a grin.

Chloe rolled her ice-blue eyes, ignoring his typical antics."Oh shut up," she sighed, tucking her long blonde hair behind her ear. She was wearing a deep yellow dress that hit above her ankles. The sleeves flared out but tightened around her wrists and it cinched at her waist." You ready to get this over with?" she mumbled, making sure to keep her voice down.

Adrien chuckled, taking her arm with his."Sure am,"

He knew when they were children Chloe had liked him. A small crush she didn't try to hide, or if she did it wasn't done well. But that crush had ended years ago making the entire betrothal situation all much worse.

Personally, he had no desire to marry the girl that was like his sister, and he was well aware Chloe didn't want to either. But he knew she was in a worse situation than him. If something were to happen ending the betrothal, he could get away without marrying or waiting till he found someone, but Chloe would be married off to some other person of high standards, most likely selected by her parents. Adrien knew how hard that was for her, especially if they took into account her Secret. Besides him, no one knew about her Secret and it seemed she intended to keep it that way.

Worry filled his eyes and he frowned down at her. He'd picked up on small things she did when nervous or scared, a tightening grip as one of them. Her fingers tempted to tear holes in his shirt as she clung to his arm."Just remember to breathe. It'll all be over soon,"

Chloe nodded repeatedly, her blonde hair flowing softly in the breeze." Okay," she said quickly, falling pale as they walked out the doors of the palace. As they neared the carriage her steps fell short."Adrien, I'm going to puke,"

"Well if you are, spare me at least," he grinned.

Chloe glared up at him, slapping him playfully.``This is serious." she said, not able to contain her smile."God, you're so annoying,"

"It worked didn't it?" he asked, still grinning. Chloe pursed her lips, ignoring him as they bored the horse-drawn carriage. Sat across from her, he could sense she was still worried. His smile turned more sincere and he rested his hand on hers."Hey, stop worrying. It's just a carriage ride."

"What is he sees me?" she blurted out, true panic in her voice." Adrien, I don't want him to think…" he voice trailed out and she slammed her eyes shut. She fought the urge to cry. She'd gotten good at not crying over the years. You had to be when your mother only ever criticized you. It was something she'd mastered but her Secret always made her want to bawl.

"He knows you're the princess obviously, and he knows about me," Adrien reminded her.

"Ya, but he hasn't seen us together. Like this," she said gesturing to the carriage. She ran her fingers through her hair that had a slight curl to it."I just don't want him to think I don't want to be with him,"

Adrien frowned, giving her hand a light squeeze.``He knows this is a betrothal, he knows you don't want this," Adrien grinned again, "I can assure you I don't," he said in a tone of disgusts.

Chloe narrowed her eyes in on him again, tugging her hand away and crossing her arms."This and you are both so ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous," she said with her chin high in the air.

Adrien chuckled, leaning back into the seat." To be honest, I couldn't agree more," he said, watching as the horse began to trot. With the recent public announcement of the betrothal, the two had been forced to make appearances together. In any other circumstance, it would be enjoyable, but when they were appearing as fiances it was just uncomfortable for both of them. He viewed her as a sister and she was in an unofficial relationship with someone.

Quite the predicament they found themselves stuck in.

Although neither had the desire to, they waved politely and smiled as the carriage rolled past. Most people exited their homes and shops to wave or bow to the two. Adrien finally let his smile cease as they round the corner. Chloe let out a sigh, frowning out at the small bit of harbor they could see."It would be nice if we could have one day to do what we want to," she suggested, frowning at how absurd that sounded. Having a day to themselves was something the two could only dream of.

Adrien nodded, staring between the houses to catch a glimpse of the sea. It sparkled like a thousand diamonds and he could only imagine how spectacular it looked in person. Shouts from up ahead caught his attention and he turned to see a small ring of people. Shouts echoed from the group and multiple guards rushed to put an end to the fighting. The carriage was pulled to a stop and the guard that had been commanding the horse jumped down to assist.

He stared at the torn-up road beside him. It was beckoning for him. For him to jump out and taste what it felt like to be free. So he did.

Without a second thought, he hopped down from the carriage and took off running. In the back of his mind, he could hear Chloe's gasp but assumed she was grinning in delight. Behind him, he could hear some guards notice and begin after him, but did he care? Not at all. He was running. Feel his feet burn through his shoes. His heart race and breaths run short. His muscles burned and his lungs begged for a break but he kept running. Without a single thought, he just kept running.

Until he had to think.

Until he had to think about her. The dark-haired girl who happened to be in his way. She didn't seem to notice him and when he finally noticed her, he was already too close to stop. Not that he would've stopped but if he'd noticed her earlier he might've taken a detour around her. Instead, he grabbed onto her. He was too close not too and he didn't want to topple her over. So he grabbed her by the wrist and began pulling.

Part of him hadn't even realized he'd done it until she spoke up and her pants coincided with his." Sorry," he panted, a smile breaking through."Didn't mean to grab you. But it's best you stay with me or they'll have your head."

Maybe that hadn't been the best wording. It was partially true she could be accused of assisting his escape but decapitation certainly wouldn't be put into place. He cut through what looked to be a narrow street, that winded and would certainly lose the three guards following behind him. Once the shouts had quieted down, he halted, panting and laughing at the same time.

Never before had he felt such excitement. To run from the guards would surely get him in horrible trouble with his father but he didn't care. He'd gotten his taste of freedom and now he wanted more of it.

The girl ripped her hand away from him and he felt a burning sensation against his face. He held his bruised cheek and stared up at her face, red with anger."Who the hell do you think you are?!"

Adrien stumbled back, shocked by the punch to the face." You punched me," he breathed out, genuinely surprised. On the outside, the girl looked sweet but there was a clear anger burning in her deep blue eyes.

She stiffened, continuing to hold her wrist."Who grabs people by the arm and pulls them while being chased by the guards!?"

"I didn't try to grab you, you were just in the way and I did," he protested in his defense.

She seemed unamused by his response."Oh I'm sorry for standing, your majesty," she said with a roll of her eyes. Her eyes paused after completing her sentence and she stared at his outfit. The material was much nicer than she'd seen in many years and it had to be expensive. Nothing some ordinary person could afford. She stared at him, horror in her eyes."Oh my, I'm-I'm so sorry. I didn't know or I-I wouldn't have,"

Adrien looked up, partially confused. Why was she apologizing? She had no reason to?

"You don't have to apologize, You're actually right." He leaned forward, bowing as if he were addressing some noble or royal."My apologise your highness,"

She stared, confused by his actions. He had to be rich or affiliated with powerful and rich people in some way. So why wasn't he mad? She'd punched him, that could get her sent to prison. Why was he apologizing, and bowing no less?

Adrien noticed how she hadn't responded and smiled."Or do you prefer Princess?"

She forced herself to toughen up and push away her surprise. She bowed forward again."I'm sorry for punching you, sir." As she pulled up her head bashed into his. Most of the impact went straight into his nose. His perfect nose that dipped down and rounded out perfectly. His perfect nose that was still perfect even after her head bashed into it.

She cupped her hands around her mouth, horrified by her actions."I'm-"

He chuckled, holding his nose that throbbed."Wow, you've wounded twice since we've met Princess. You might want to consider applying for the military, they could use someone as fiesty as you." He noted the irritation in her face at the mention of the war and he frowned."Sorry, I didn't mean to offend you,"

"It's fine," she sighed, letting it show through that she was still upset with him. She frowned, eyeing his cheek that was starting to swell."Do you want me to fix that up?" she offered.

Adrien thought for a moment, endeared by the offer, even if he'd been the one to be rude. He smiled. He'd do whatever if it meant more time being free." How kind of you Princess," he grinned following as she led the way.

"My name's Marinette so please quit it with the princess stuff," she sighed, tugging down on her shawl.

"Whatever you say, Princess,"

"Lucky me,"

Surprised by Chloe? I didn't want her to be bratty, although she is still stubborn and can have a temper. Chloe and Adrien having a sibling dynamic is one of my favorite things and I really wanted to incorporate it into this.