Thank you for taking interest in this story. I'm very happy to finally be able to share it with all of you, and I hope you'll enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Before we start, I'd like to thank ladyofthenoodle, misscongenialityofmlb, and mostlovedgirl for beta reading. Thank you, guys! This story wouldn't be the same without you, and I greatly appreciate not only your help with grammar but the support and motivation you've given me over the last few months.
Note that this story is rated M because, like in every good story, there is a final, epic battle that will contain certain aspects that might be upsetting to some, such as blood, bodily harm, and similar. I tried to keep the description as non-graphic as possible, but all the chapters containing such matters will contain a warning at the start of the chapter. You're welcome to skim over it or skip it. This, however, relates to only about 5-10% of the story and will take place closer to the end.
Happy reading and I hope to hear your thoughts in the comment section or on any of my social media.

Adrien

His feline ears twitched. He'd been spotted. No choice but to run.

Something zoomed centimeters above his head, slicing into the tree just ahead. Using the shower of leaves to his advantage, Chat Noir ducked and broke into a sprint. Low to the ground. As quiet as was humanly possible. Fast.

An avalanche of the disks chased him.

Not too far away now. He hid behind a tree to catch his breath.

A shadow lurked to his right. Red dots glided across the trunk of the tree to his left, searching for their target.

Chat halted his breathing and closed his eyes. Birds sang above him. Wind caressed the trees. A squirrel—no, a few of them and something larger to his left. A snap of the branch to his right, and another disk ripped into the tree next to him.

His eyes snapped open, lips pressing into a thin line. Too close for comfort. He had to move. If he didn't, he'd be a goner in a matter of minutes, if not seconds.

One last glance around; Chat leaned to his left from behind the tree. A few disks sliced the air above him, followed by a laser beam just below where his heart would have been had he moved.

Chat pulled back. His chest tight, lips pinched together. This was getting out of hand. No more running on foot, then.

He pressed the green paw-pad button on his baton and dropped it, activating the tool's hoverboard feature, pouncing on it before it reached the ground. Eyes constantly scanning the area, Chat zoomed ahead, swift and careful. Prowl like the cat he was.

A handful of disks sliced the air. Cut branches, leaves, grass filled the space, giving him the perfect setting to blend in. He pushed on, laser beams dancing along his path. On second thought, some extra protection wouldn't hurt.

Without stopping, Chat let his power consume his body, dark energy crawling up his skin, creeping down his veins, enveloping his form with a green halo. The infamous shield of destruction. Indestructible. Impenetrable. For as soon as an object touched it, whatever it was would disintegrate. Even lasers and force fields didn't stand a chance. Chat was quite proud of getting a hang of it before he reached his teenage years.

One of the lasers cut through a large tree ahead, its trunk falling and blocking the road. Chat directed some of his energy to his right hand, shooting a beam of his own. No obstacle was impossible for him to overcome. They should've known that by now.

The shower of flying blades around him intensified. He zipped around, trying to evade rather than destroy them.

Just a tiny bit more.

A few more meters…

"Cataclysm!" Chat snatched his prize from its pedestal as soon as the protective force field around it disintegrated under the destruction his hand wielded. "I win."

He grinned, turning to his pursuers, biting into the pastry. "Oh! That's a good one. Fluffy and delicious." Chat chewed slowly. "Is that… almond spread? My favourite. Nino, I officially love you."

Both of the men beside him ignored him, their attention glued to the pedestal.

"I can't believe he was able to break through this one too. I thought it'd be indestructible for sure. Even for him."

"I'll analyze the data for a more accurate assessment, but from what Markov is transmitting to me already, I dare to say the shield held up zero point zero, zero, zero five seconds longer than our last try. We're on the right path, Nino."

Chat rolled his eyes, stretching. "You'll give up one of these days. Ultimate Destruction, guys. Ultimate."

Nino grumbled, giving Chat a look. "Just watch us. Everyone has a weakness and one day we'll find yours."

"Good luck." Adrien patted his friend's shoulder in encouragement. "Want to grab a bite? I'm starving."

"Sure." Nino turned to his partner. "Max?"

The man shook his head. "I need to gather a few samples. You two go ahead."

"Claws in!" Chat commanded. His black suit, cat ears, and tail disappeared, morphing into a grumpy kwami by his side. "Hungry, Plagg?"

"Duh," Plagg yawned and swiftly nestled into the crook of Adrien's neck. "Wake me up when there is Camembert on the table."

"You were awfully distracted today," Nino noted as they neared the dining hall. "Something's on your mind?"

Adrien glanced his way. "No. Not really."

"You let yourself be discovered at least three minutes earlier than usual, and then you just made a frantic run for it instead of vanishing again. If we were seriously pursuing you, you'd be dead meat now. Not to mention Max hit you twice. Thank Plagg for his protection. You escaped by a sliver."

Adrien said nothing. Hands in his pockets, he kept on walking, the echo of their steps haunting the empty hallway before them.

"Adrien? This isn't like you. What's going on?"

He let a heavy sigh escape his lips. "Sorry. I… have a lot on my mind."

"I'm here if you need to talk. You know that, right?"

Adrien hummed, nodding slightly. Nino was not only his best friend but also one of the few people who knew of his "predicament". Perhaps he should share. Maybe Nino would be able to suggest something.

"Ladybug's getting annoyed with this whole situation. There have been some… complications, I guess?"

"As in?"

Adrien slowed his walk, his heart heavy. A few more steps and he stopped, staring out a nearby window. "There is a guy she knows. They've been friends since school. Her classmate's older brother. I think his name is Luka."

Nino quirked an eyebrow, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. "Do I smell jealousy?"

Adrien glared his way. "Would you feel fine if someone else was courting your soulmate?"

"It's not like she's going to fall in love with him." Nino shrugged. "She loves you—even if she doesn't know about it yet."

Adrien looked back out the window. The view was painfully familiar: castle grounds, walls, towers, gardens, a fountain in the middle of the square, people rushing about. His life-long prison.

"She likes him enough to go on a date with him. Tonight."

For a moment, Nino fell silent, leaning on a nearby wall. "It's just a date, though. It'll be fine. Most people go on dates with different people before finding their special one. Didn't you have a girlfriend before too?"

Adrien glanced his way. "Kagami? We never really dated. We just hung out a few times after fencing lessons back when I was fifteen, and that was before Ladybug and I got involved."

"You did like her, though, didn't you?"

"Love and like are two different things, Nino. I liked Kagami. I love Ladybug."

"And Ladybug likes this dude but she loves you, right? Nothing to worry about."

"Actually there is something to worry about," Adrien grumbled. "I've told you already that this whole 'soulmate' thing is not love at first sight, and doesn't stop us from falling in love with others. It also doesn't mean we'll succeed in our relationship should we choose to pursue it. Being soulmates simply means that out of all of our options, we're the most compatible and have the best chance of a successful relationship."

Nino frowned. "So, technically, she can fall in love with this Luka guy?"

Averting his gaze, Adrien resumed his walk toward the dining hall. "She says she likes him but that's about it. For now, at least."

"You should talk to Master Fu." Nino scurried after him. "Maybe he can come up with something with all his potions and magic stuff."

"I tried that already. He can't do anything without the Butterfly Miraculous."

"And your father?"

Adrien gave him an unimpressed look. "Do you even have to ask?"

Nino grunted. "Awesome. The most powerful human in Paris—perhaps the whole world—and you can't even leave your house to tell your girlfriend you exist."

"Exactly."

"Adrien." Nathalie appeared out of thin air beside him. She had a gift for that. Perhaps Adrien should take a stealth lesson from her. Nino did say he had to up his game if he wanted to meet his father's expectations come spring.

"Your father would like a word with you in his study. Now."

Great. Recently, Father never summoned him to his office unless he had a scolding to dish out or an order to give. And never in the middle of the day. He was way too busy for that.

"I'll be in the dining hall," Nino said, giving him an apologetic smile. "Talk to him about it."

Adrien shrugged. "I can try, but I don't think I'll get a better deal than I already have. I'll see you later."

Adrien had never liked his father's study. Heavy, dark furniture and little light. There was no life in here, save for the man himself. Not even a plant. When Mother was well she would have at least opened the curtains for him. Father never bothered with those now.

"You called for me?" Adrien asked politely. Always the dutiful son.

Plagg stirred in his slumber, a low hiss rumbling against Adrien's skin. He must be dreaming of something.

Gabriel nodded, his sorrow-stricken demeanour unmoved by the appearance of his only child. "I believe you've met Mlle Rossi, Adrien?"

Adrien's eyes darted to the figure he hadn't noticed at first in the corner of the room. Lila Rossi. She'd always been nothing but nice to him, held herself with dignity and grace, and was objectively pretty. Everyone had judged her to be so. She was finishing her degree at one of the best Parisian universities. Her family had close connections to the Italian monarchy, which was one of the main reasons his father had always kept the Rossis close. Felix liked Lila. They weren't officially dating, but they were almost inseparable as of a few months ago. Adrien trusted his cousin's instincts on people more than his own, and yet something about her made his skin crawl.

"We've met before, haven't we, Your Highness?" The girl batted her eyelashes at him, her smile just as fake as it was overly sweet.

"We have." Adrien nodded and, as was expected of him, gave her a slight bow of his head. "I hope you've been doing well, Mlle Rossi?"

"Just Lila will do. And, yes, I've been doing splendidly. Thank you for asking."

Plagg hissed in his sleep, driving his claws into Adrien's neck. The young man kept on smiling, but reached for this collar and flicked Plagg's ears as soon as he could do so subtly. The kwami yawned and migrated to Adrien's jacket. He never liked company. No one apart from Nino, Max, Master Fu, and his parents had even seen Plagg in the last few years.

Gabriel motioned Adrien to take a seat in the chair across from his desk. "You will be married to Mlle Rossi next spring."

Adrien glanced at Lila, then back to his father. "Um… I must have misheard you, Father. Can you repeat that?"

"You're getting married to Mlle Rossi this coming spring. What is there to mishear?"

His mind blanking, Adrien stared at his father in shock. "I can't do that."

"You can and you will," Gabriel replied, his face colder and even more emotionless than usual. "We'll announce your engagement at the New Year's Gala."

"A May wedding sounds wonderful," Lila spoke, laying her hand on Adrien's shoulder. "Don't you think so, darling?"

She wasn't worth a reply; nor even a glance. Adrien glared at Gabriel. He wasn't the kindest or most loving parent, but as a bearer of the same "soulmate blessing," he should've known that marrying anyone but Ladybug was not an option for Adrien. And even if Gabriel somehow suddenly had forgotten that, he'd promised to let Adrien go search for Ladybug after he passed his exams this coming spring. And for all of his flaws, his father had never broken a promise.

Ever.

"I already have a bride. You know that," Adrien seethed through his teeth.

Lila's hand on his shoulder stiffened. "You're engaged?"

"I am." Adrien lied. Technicalities. All who were aware of his cur—'blessing', had never expected him to even look at other women aside from Ladybug. He might as well be promised to her already by fate. "I've been betrothed since birth."

Lila's gaze darted to Gabriel. "Your father failed to mention that to me."

Gabriel let out a tired huff as he replied. "Because there is nothing to mention. No one is betrothed, and she exists solely in his dreams."

Adrien gripped the corner of the desk, holding himself in place. "Father! You of all people, you should—"

"You don't know her name, her address, or anything about her family," Gabriel cut in matter-of-factly. "You don't know if she's truly your equal. She might not have any abilities. She might be living in another country and be married to someone else already. She might be a mother to that other man's children by now, or shall I remind you that she doesn't even know you exist? For heaven's sake, Adrien, you're twenty-two, and you still believe in this ancient voodoo nonsense? This has to stop. You'll be much better off marrying for convenience. And with all that Mlle Rossi can offer us, she's your best choice."

Plagg violently hissed against his stomach, sending shivers up Adrien's spine. His lips pinched into a thin line, Adrien stared at his father in silence. Stared at the man who had never doubted the reality and legitimacy of this "ancient voodoo nonsense" before. The one who'd met Adrien's mother through the same process Adrien was going through right now. The man who'd proposed to her only a few months after meeting her. Who'd expected Adrien to search for his own soulmate full-time upon finishing his education in the coming spring, and even promised to aid him in any way possible just a few weeks ago. Heck, he'd even promised to let him out of the castle grounds alone for the first time in his life for that!

"You can't be serious," Adrien growled.

"I am," Gabriel replied, his gaze lifeless and empty.

Adrien gritted his teeth, his fists clenched by his sides. "You can't force me. This isn't the Middle Ages, and I'm not taking any more orders from you."

"You're my son and the sole heir to the throne. It is your responsibility to do what's best for the country."

"I will abdicate if I must, but I'm not marrying anyone aside from Ladybug."

"If I may interrupt?" Lila said, turning to Adrien, her smile sweet as honey, the kind that made you feel sick once you had too much. "I want to apologize. I had no idea there was some kind of a prior arrangement when I agreed to this offer. Now that I do know about it, however, I'll do my best to resolve this and satisfy all parties involved." She turned to face Gabriel. "Your Majesty, I'm honoured that you thought me worthy to be your son's bride above the already-present girl—"

"Lila, I'm sorry, but—" Adrien had to make this very clear—he was not marrying anyone but Ladybug.

"Wait." Lila raised her hand to shush him. "Let me finish. I want to help you, Adrien. I do. But before that, I'm just trying to understand. From what little I could gather, you are unofficially betrothed to a girl you don't know anything about? How does that even work?"

"That's not true. I know a lot of things about her—"

"He dreams of her every night," Gabriel interrupted. "Supposedly, she's his soulmate."

"A girl from your dreams?" Lila looked at Adrien with her eyes wide. "Pardon me for doubting this, but how can you be sure she's real?"

"Oh, she's very real." Adrien glanced at Gabriel. "Right, Father?"

Gabriel hesitated for a moment. A little prompting from Lila, and he spoke. "Heirs to the French throne have been meeting their soulmates in dreams for centuries. It's an ancient blessing that runs in our family, bestowed upon one of our ancestors by a powerful fae back in the days when magic was commonplace. It's not public knowledge, though, and we'd like to keep it that way."

"Of course." Lila nodded, her smile tense, her posture rigid.

Adrien doubted they could trust her. But then Father could always brainwash her later to stay quiet. Not like he hadn't done that before.

"I'm still a little confused," Lila continued. "If Adrien's been meeting this girl in his dreams and she's real, how does he not know anything about her?"

This time, Gabriel didn't even hesitate to answer. "The blessing has several limitations. To protect Adrien as the heir to the throne, he's the only one who retains memories of their meetings upon waking up. The girl has no idea he exists unless she's sleeping. Also, they can't share any personal information that can directly identify them. Names, places they live, exact locations at the moment, and similar."

"Father, that's enough." Adrien glared at him. There was a reason their family secrets weren't shared with outsiders. Or did Gabriel not care now that Mother wasn't by his side anymore?

"Then, I must agree with your father, Adrien." Lila turned to him, her hand once again touching his arm. "The girl might be taken already. Don't you think that having never met you, not even knowing you exist when awake, she could've fallen in love with someone else already and acted on that? Just as your father says."

"Impossible." Adrien shifted away from Lila's reach.

"But—"

"She isn't married, Lila. She is certainly not a mother, and as far as I know, she hasn't had any romantic relationships so far at all," Adrien cut in. "She might not be able to tell me her name, but she can tell me about her day, her activities, and her likes. None of her stories contain boyfriends, fiancés, or kids. She has a group of school friends she keeps in touch with. They used to be in a band together back in the days. Her parents have a bakery, and she wakes up with the sun to help them out. She studies Business Management and Entrepreneurship because she wants to take over the bakery and start her own fashion line on the side. Her best friend's name is Alya, and she studies journalism at the same university. They even coordinated their schedules around each other this year so they could share as many elective courses as they could. She lives by the sea. Her mother is Chinese. Her father's French. She loves pink and cherry blossoms and everything sweet. She hates liars. She wants three kids and a hamster. She has already picked out their names, and I got that all from her stories alone. So, even if she doesn't remember me upon waking up, I know she's subconsciously waiting for me to find her."

"Then my suggestion would only help you," Lila said, a sultry grin on her face. "While also satisfying your father's wishes."

Adrien raised an eyebrow. "How is that possible? We want different things."

"And I thought of a perfect compromise."

"Which is?"

"There are still a few months before we are supposed to announce our engagement. Use them to find this girl. If she's single, you can be with her. But if she's married or in any other way unattainable, then you'll agree to your father's proposal."

"And marry you?"

"Your father thinks you should." Lila shrugged. "I fit the bill, but if you can find a better candidate, I'll happily step aside."

There was nothing more Adrien wanted to do right now than to laugh. Him? Marry Lila?

Never!

Yet, his father looked pleased. "Sounds like a reasonable compromise, Mlle Rossi. You have the potential to be a great queen."

"Thank you," she slightly bowed her head to him and then turned to Adrien. "I'm sorry, but I really had no idea about all of this when your father approached me with his offer. I hope you'll find your soulmate and be happy. But if anything happens, I'll be here for you. You might not love me now, but I hope that the way I feel about you would be enough of a basis for our union, and that with time, you'll be able to see me as a friend or at least an ally who loves you and wants to help you in your life. Maybe you'll even return my feelings one day, Your Highness. Nothing's impossible in this world, is it?"

Plagg growled, digging his claws into Adrien's abdomen as Adrien barely suppressed a gag. Nothing could justify a marriage between Lila and him. Nothing! Adrien didn't even know why she repulsed him so much, but she did. She irritated Plagg as well, and kwamis were the best judges of characters. Felix and his father can like Lila all they want, but Adrien would rather spend his life alone or abdicate the throne than subject himself to any more time in her presence.

"Don't make us wait all day, Adrien," Gabriel pressed. "You either take your chance and search for the girl now or marry Mlle Rossi without unnecessary fuss and secure an Italian alliance for us."

Adrien raised an eyebrow. His father's obsession with ensuring France's dominance in the world was infamous, but Italy was already an ally. Had been for centuries. They didn't need a marriage to secure that connection. Lila wasn't even a close relative of the Italian Crown. They wouldn't care. His father knew that just as well as he was aware that Adrien also knew that fact.

His eyes shifted to Lila. Sly and manipulative, but nowhere near the level that would allow her to influence Gabriel, the wielder of the Transmission power. Gabriel Agreste was the one who could mind-control people, not the other way around. There was only a handful—four to be precise—of strong-enough magical abilities that could challenge his father's, none of which were even active at the moment. And only two were more powerful than Gabriel: the wielders of Destruction and Creation, Adrien himself and his partner, a mystery person who was yet to be found. Lila Rossi wasn't her. Plagg would've let him know the first time they'd met if she was. As far as Adrien knew, Lila had no powers whatsoever. There was no way she'd be able to manipulate Gabriel.

"Adrien?"

He had no time for this. This was his chance. "So, I'm allowed to start my search as soon as I walk out of here? Leave the palace grounds, live my life as a normal person and all?"

Gabriel nodded. "You're allowed to leave until the end of the year. You're not to disclose your last name or your title to anyone. And if by the New Year's Gala the girl is not found or isn't available for you to marry, Mlle Rossi will become your wife."

There was no way Adrien was giving verbal consent to such an atrocity. Not that anyone present cared for him to officially agree to anything. With a shallow nod of his head as a farewell, Adrien walked away without looking back.

He had what he needed for now. He'd have to visit Master Fu before he goes. His mother as well. Nino would want to come with him, but he'd ask Max to stay behind and watch the situation from inside. Something was wrong, and Adrien had better figure this out soon or he was risking walking down the aisle with Lila Rossi.

Hell, no!

He'd find a way to get his freedom back, whatever it cost him! For now, though, he should focus on packing and sleeping. If his search was about to start, the first thing Adrien needed was to talk to Ladybug.