In Marinette's opinion, the village of Blossoms wasn't always so bad. Sure, it was the only place she had ever lived but she had traveled a few times with her parents during her childhood, so she had other experiences. The citadel was amazing, no doubt about it, with its gigantic buildings and roads that were always busting with life. And yet, she liked the peace of her village. In reality, it was called a village because it didn't have more than fifteen hundred inhabitants, but even then, it was quite a number.

It would be perfect if it wasn't for that stupid rule of betrothal.

She huffed, kicking a pebble off the road as she entered the square of her home, a big open space that was surrounded by some market stands and a fountain right in the middle, said to sprout water from deep the woods, a gift from their current village president (she had heard his daughter call him mayor but Marinette rolled her eyes every time, they weren't that big to have a mayor).

"Someone is in a mood," a voice said next to her, pulling a smile out of Marinette "the date didn't go well?"

"The date didn't even happen," Marinette turned to Alya, her best friend since a couple of years ago when she had moved in with her parents, as her dad was a beast keeper and had been hired to track down wolves that were attempting to reach their village.

Alya was like Marinette in sharing the opinion that the betrothal was a stupid tradition, stating that she was not going to let some dumb system dictate her future like that. Besides, she was at luck, not being a natural citizen of the village of Blossoms.

But still, Marinette couldn't help but think of her friends that had already crossed that bridge. There was Alix, daughter of the village's historian, who didn't even bother to look for courtship and decided to help out her father. Since he had a high position within the village, the Church made no qualms against it.

There was also Max, who didn't want to be in marriage and had found a way out, being accepted to study at the citadel's High Institute of Science and History and leaving as soon as he turned the adult age. They got to hear about him often since Kim was the one that received the majority of his letters. He had been married off to Ondyne, a peaceful girl that could keep up with his insane amount of energy, the couple quite a sight when it had been Ondyne who asked for his hand.

Her friend Myléne on the other side had found love in the blacksmith's son Ivan, the two being together since they were fourteen, a relationship so strong that it was no surprise to anyone to see them be the first married couple as soon as Myléne turned eighteen. Marinette remembered that day, she had been asked by the girl to create her wedding gown and Marinette was beyond excited to do so, putting all her effort into it that her family still had plenty of sacks of corn and grain in exchange for Myléne's parents for the work of the gown.

"Too bad, Rose on the other hand had a very good date," Alya shrugged, snapping Marinette out of her thoughts "I heard Juleka was the one that went and asked for her hand this very morning."

"What?" Marinette turned to face her friend "Juleka did? That's amazing!"

"Hmhm, and I heard her brother is coming from the citadel."

Marinette's heart skipped a beat. She knew Luka Couffaine, Juleka's brother, who had left a few years ago to try his luck at the music halls of the citadel. Word was that he was doing well, if not famous, well known to play in important events, and while he was two years older than Marinette, he had left while young to the citadel, escaping the stupid rule.

Luka had been such a close friend while she grew up, everyone thought it was going to be him the one Marinette would eventually choose to marry, only for them to be disappointed with Luka's departure without a proposal in between them.

And now that he was coming, Marinette had to wonder if the rumors would be brought again. She liked Luka, yes, cherished him and cared for him. And there was no doubt Luka would be an excellent spouse, a loving and respectful partner.

'But it doesn't make your heart flutter' a part of Marinette's mind said.

"Anyway, better for them, of our generation there aren't many left,"

"Not unless you count…" Marinette looked at the people gathered by the fountain and held back a groan "…them."

Marinette liked to think she didn't hate people. But everyone had their limits, and hers was none other than Chloé Bourgeois, the daughter of the village chief. She was, in a few words, a spoiled brat, no doubt about it. She had her hand in marriage to an apparent lord of another place and always bragged of how he would come to pick her when her birthday arrived.

Marinette found it hard to believe, but the liar of the village was not her, but Lila Rossi, a girl that claimed to have travelled all around the world and seen so many things, but Marinette knew the girl was lying through her teeth, as she had seen some of the places Lila said in her tales and were nothing like she mentioned. The disregard of cultures and the inaccurate descriptions were just a part, Marinette had overheard the girl once claim an ailment on her wrists, claiming to be weak to do chores, only to see her minutes later acting as if nothing was wrong with her, only switching when she spotted Marinette looking at her.

Since that day, the girl had it against Marinette.

The only thing that kept Marinette sane was that neither of the two girls, Chloé and Lila, could stand each other.

"Hm, I bet a full piece of gold Lila has a new bachelor" Alya rolled her eyes when she also saw the two girls by the fountain "from the South this time."

"I accept that bet, I say it's from the North," Marinette said, but didn't try to approach where the girls were bickering, because their argument was so loud everyone around would be able to hear.

"Ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous Rossi!" they heard Chloé snap "contrary to your tales I do have a lord waiting for my hand."

"As if," Lila scoffed "you are just jealous I have dozens of letters begging for my hand, why this morning I just received word from the duke of the Southern Isles-"

Alya stretched a hand for Marinette to place the golden coin, the girls trying to move faster to avoid the quarreling.

"Oh, Marinette!"

'No such luck, Marinette sighed.

"How awful of you to reject poor Theo like that" Lila's overly sweet voice reached her ears "you could have been nicer to him, no wonder no one wants to court your hand."

"No girl" Alya held Marinette's wrist "she's just trying to rile you up."

"And getting better at it," Marinette passed her free hand down her face "how did word travel so fast already?"

"Small place," Alya shrugged.

"Leave it to Dupain-Cheng to screw up a proposal" Chloe turned and snapped her fingers to call for her friend (if Marinette had to call the poor girl that) Sabrina "we are leaving, I have an important letter to write."

Marinette glared at them, but Lila just smiled and waved as she walked away.

"Ugh, I hate them" Marinette groaned.

"I know, hey how about we go gather some wild berries instead? Mom wants to try a new recipe and –"

"You got me at wild berries, anything to get some fresh air" Marinette pulled at her hand and almost ran towards the edge of the village, where a moorland divided it from the woods.

Marinette loved that place because she was certain that deep in those woods was the pond of Balance, one she had read in legends since she was a child. She itched to go in and investigate, but the woods were forbidden because of the wild beasts, only certain people were allowed to traverse through it and even when she traveled with her father, it was under strict regulations.

Yet a part of her knew there was something magical in it.

"There, found one!" Marinette pointed at a shrub, but just as she was about to reach, a scent of vanilla invaded her nostrils again.

It was sweet and yet wild, not like the extract they used at her bakery. Her hands tingled with an odd sensation and for a moment, just a glimpse of a second, she could have sworn a red-figure had appeared through the woods.

"Marinette?" Alya placed a hand on her shoulder "are you ok?"

"Ah, yes," Marinette smiled and kneeled next to the shrub "just got a little distracted."

The girls got to their task of selecting wild berries, unaware of the red figure that smiled from behind a tree and disappeared, only to reappear again in the ruins of a castle, one that still stood in the heart of the forest, where a blond prince looked throughout the highest window.

Adrien sighed from his seat; the window opened to let air breeze through but it didn't help his mood at all. It had been years since he had been in his predicament of transforming every night, making it nearly impossible to get out of the castle. Even worse, the people that lived with him weren't exactly… people to begin with.

He had promised to break the curse his father had cast on them, but now that he was almost an adult, the answer was nowhere to be found. Which was why the option of venturing out coming, but Adrien feared, for if people were to found about his monstrous form, who would save his friends then?

"Are you still moping?" he heard his best friend Nino call from behind "dude, you said you were going to give it a shot."

"I am not moping" Adrien turned to see no one in front of him, except for a violin that was, for some reason, standing on top of his desk. But Adrien was no fool, for the violin was no one else but Nino, whose soul was trapped in the instrument since Adrien could remember "I'm…nervous."

"We've made the calculations man," Nino swayed to a side "it's at the most a three-hour trip from here to the nearest village, you can have plenty of time to go, mingle and come back without anyone figuring out about your furry side."

"Ugh, why do you call it that?" Adrien snorted "but are you sure the village will… I don't know, have an answer?"

"Maybe not an answer but a lead would be ideal," a new voice said from the door, a mirror leaning on the doorway "any type of information."

"Yeah, I know" Adrien looked above the mirror to the frame where he had to believe his other friend, Kagami, had her eyes now "but I don't want to leave you alone in this place."

"Adrien please, what will happen? At the worst someone stumbles in, will see an abandoned place and be spooked," Nino said.

"Fine," he stood up "I still have a few hours before making my way, right? I'll just go take a look around."

Adrien rushed out of the room, not like Nino or Kagami would be able to catch up to him on time, since they didn't have feet, to begin with, and reached the gardens. They were still wild, unkempt, and filled with weeds and flowers, but Adrien liked it that way. Or, more like he didn't particularly care.

"Yo~" a now-familiar voice said behind him "looking sharp prince,"

"Hi, Plagg" Adrien turned to see the magic of chaos "came for your stack of cheese?"

"Who would have thought you humans would have such a delicacy" Plagg grinned.

Adrien tried not to roll his eyes.

"But no, I come here in favor of my loved one," his eyes took a bright glint "the answer to solve your predicament."

"Really!?" Adrien almost beamed "you mean it?"

"Hm, again, I will tell you just a few, but if you venture out of the woods tonight a clue will appear, for sure."

Adrien bit the inside of his cheek. For everything Plagg was, a liar was not in his list of traits, but venturing through the woods was still extremely risky.

"Ok," he clenched his fists "ok, I will do it, I will go tonight."