Okay! Coming up, Marinette and Luka are growing closer and she even confides in him about her former life. Then, they decide to have a dance and dinner date, but let's just say while it ends well, it's what comes after that that causes some trouble.
Now, I would have put in "Human Again" in this chapter for length, but it REALLY didn't work. I mean, all of the castle staff in this story (sans Juleka) are snakes. I couldn't really rework the lyrics for it.
So, I put in "Evermore" from the 2017 remake of the movie instead!
Luka invited Marinette into the music room again, and this time she took the invitation without missing a beat. This time he was sitting on the piano bench and Marinette was standing next to the piano with him.
"So what other instruments do you play?" Marinette asked as Luka picked his lyre up.
"Just string instruments," He replied. "Lute, cittern, harp, you name it. How about you? Do you play anything?"
"No," Marinette said. "I can play a few notes on the flute, but that's about all I can do."
"I can teach you a few things if you'd like. Pick an instrument, and maybe I can show you what to do from there." Luka suggested.
"Thanks," Marinette said before running around the room to pick something. "Which one, which one... Aha!"
"A violin?" Tikki asked as Marinette took a violin down from its place on the wall and examined it.
"Yeah," Marinette said as she waved the instrument around a bit. "I've always wanted to learn the violin."
She put the instrument under her chin and tried to balance it on her shoulder properly, but she wasn't looking too confident.
"Here, let me help," Luka said as he put his lyre down, stood up from the bench, and went behind Marinette. He took both her hands, and he guided her positioning. "Put your violin under your chin like this, and then..."
Marinette felt her heart skip a beat and her cheeks start to grow warm. She didn't feel disgusted by Luka touching her, and she didn't feel the need to tell him to back off.
"Okay, now let's start with the scale," Luka said as he adjusted Marinette's hold on the bow and helped her get it on the strings. "First, let's begin on the E string and go from there."
Marinette tried her best to play the violin on the bow. She pulled the bow across the strings, but she was too close to the bridge, so a loud screech to came out. Tikki had to cover her ears, Marinette winced, but Luka didn't flinch.
"Oops... That was bad." Marinette said.
"Don't worry about it," Luka replied. "I was terrible at playing when I was only beginning, too. Just keep going at it and you'll get the hang of it."
Feeling encouraged, Marinette kept playing. The music went from dreadful to beautiful in a few hours' worth of practice. And it wasn't very long after that that they started a duet. Luka on the lyre, and Marinette on the violin. Tikki was listening, too, enjoying the music the two of them were playing.
The pair laughed as they wrapped up their music.
Immediately after, Marinette and Luka were playing/working the gardens. The birds and smaller animals were crowding around Luka, all perching on him in places. Marinette was standing on a small ladder in front of one of the flowering trees with a small pair of pruning shears.
Luka chuckled back as the birds took the feed out of his hands and the animals relaxed and laid down next to him. Marinette was watching from up on the ladder.
'There's something sweet, and very kind,' Marinette thought in song as one bird flitted on top and landed on Luka's head. 'But I was just too scared to keep an open mind.'
Marinette saw a bird take some seed out of his hand and eat it. He chuckled as he let the bird fly free. He put a few tree nuts down on the ground and some of the squirrels started eating them, too.
'To see he's dear, and now I'm sure,' Marinette again thought in song. She smiled and shook her head at herself. 'That I was too stubborn to see it there before.'
She put the shears down, then climbed down from the ladder. She walked over to Luka, then knelt down with her hand on his shoulder.
He took a handful of birdseed and poured it into Marinette's hands.
One bird landed into her hand and picked a few pieces of the seed into its beak. It then flew off.
The pair shared a laugh before Marinette stood up, just as another bird landed on her hands.
'She glanced this way, I know I saw,' Luka thought in song. 'And when we touched, she didn't shudder at my claw.'
He looked at her and his smile grew a bit, thinking, 'Yes, it can be. I won't ignore. Because she's never looked at me that way before.'
He watched her as Marinette went over to a tree and let the bird fly into the branches. He gave her a smile as she smiled back at him.
Marinette put the birdseed down on the ground, then went behind the tree and sighed. Tikki was watching her owner with a smile.
'New and a bit alarming,' Marinette sang in her mind. Her facial expression was that of surprise, there was a slight tint on her cheek, and her face was a bit down. 'Who'd have ever thought that this could be?'
She peeked out from behind the tree and stifled a laugh as she saw Luka surrounded by the animals, and he was feeding them without scaring them off.
'True, that he's oh-so charming,' Marinette thought as her face turned affectionate towards him. 'And there's something in him that I just chose not to see.'
Marinette saw a few stray flowers from the pruning were at her feet. Her face lit up with an idea, then bent down to pick the flowers. A few minutes later, she came out from behind the tree and got closer to Luka.
Marinette stood up on her feet and placed something on his head. He looked up and saw a small flower crown made of red roses, some pink lilacs, and some baby's breath in it.
Luka chuckled before gesturing her to follow him. He brought Marinette over to a bench, picked up the lyre that he had on hand, and started playing the music. Marinette scooted closer to him and rested her head against his arm.
Up in the mansion, Juleka and some of the snake servants were watching the entire scene.
"Well, who'd have thought?" One snake asked.
"Well, bless my sssssoul!" Another sang.
"Well, who'd have known?" Juleka sang.
"Well, who indeed?" The first snake asked.
"And who'd have guessed they'd come together on their own?" Juleka sang again. "It's so peculiar."
"We'll wait and see a few days more," They sang as Marinette and Luka came back into the estate and went into the sewing quarters. "We know there's something that was always there before."
Marinette started taking Luka's measurements, and then she was sketching an outfit out for him. She was showing him the preliminary sketches and he was giving her smiles and nods about her ideas. But he also wasn't hesitant about pointing out some things he wasn't fond of, either.
At the door, the snakes and Juleka were watching, with hope in their hearts.
"We all know there'ssssss ssssssomething that wassssss alwaysssss there before." One of the snakes sang.
Another snake cued the others to leave Luka and Marinette alone.
"We know there's something that was always there before." Juleka sang as she followed the snakes away from the door.
Marinette and Luka were so focused on the designs that they didn't notice the snakes had left them alone.
It'd been a few days, and Marinette was once again in the seamstress' quarters. She was working on the exact same dress she was trying to do back at the cottage beforehand. This time she changed the colors up and used the same dark gray and pink color scheme in her usual clothes. She also switched out the melon sleeves for petal sleeves and they were short as opposed wrist-length. Marinette also decided to do a décolleté neckline rather than a sweetheart. The overall design of the skirt was the same as the last one, with the only difference being the colors.
She used the scissors to cut the last strand of thread and said, "Finished!"
Marinette stepped back to look at the finished product.
"That's the most beautiful dress I've ever seen!" Tikki said.
"Thanks, Tikki," Marinette said. "This is some of my best work yet!"
"But what about that other dress you're working on?" Tikki asked. "I'm sure it will be even better!"
"I know! Let's get back to it!" Marinette said as she walked over to another mannequin.
But then she saw out the window. Luka was sitting in the gardens while playing his lyre. Some of the birds were sitting near him.
She smiled and giggled at the sight. He was still wearing the flower crown on his head, and the flowers were as fresh as the day she picked them, just like all of the other flowers in the garden. Marinette figured out that the estate was enchanted some time ago. And Tikki confirmed it.
"Why don't we take a break?" Marinette said as she left the seamstress' quarters, Tikki in tow.
Down in the gardens, Luka was playing the lyre. The tempo was moderato with a conjunct melody with a compound triple harmony and and the pitch was higher. The birds soon flew off as Marinette approached.
"Hey Marinette," He said while scooting over on the bench. "Weren't you in the seamstress' quarters? You've been working nonstop on that dress."
"I finished, so now I'm taking a break before I start the next one." Marinette said.
"You're a very busy bee in that room," Luka commented with a chuckle. "It's nice to see you so happy doing something you're passionate about."
"Thank you," Marinette said as she looked at the gardens again. "Wanna take a walk?"
"Sure," He said, putting his lyre down. He stood up. "Let's go."
The two of them started walking through the flowers while Tikki sat on her owner's shoulder.
"I'm glad you're so understanding of my love for design." Marinette admitted wistfully.
"Of course," He said. "Designing dresses and clothes is your passion, just like music is mine."
"Well, the truth is... Not many people outside my family cared about it." Marinette said, a bit somberly.
"Now that I think about it, you don't talk about your home very much," Luka spoke. "Didn't you leave a lot of things behind?"
"No, just my family and best friend," Marinette said, but her eyes grew sad and nostalgic. "...I guess after some time, there wasn't anything or anyone keeping me there."
Luka could sense some sadness in Marinette's heart, and asked, "...Did you leave behind someone you loved?"
Marinette gasped before turning to Luka. She looked at the beast, saw no trace of hostility, fear, or worry in his expression, and decided that it was safe to say something.
So Marinette admitted, "...Well, it's more like someone I loved left me behind. My fiancé, Adrien."
"Oh, you mentioned him once or twice, Marinette." Tikki said.
"Yeah," Marinette confirmed quietly. "He was very special to me."
"I'd like to hear about him." Luka said gently.
"Really?" Marinette asked.
"Go ahead." Luka said with a nod.
"...Okay," Marinette said, a smile coming on to her face. "In a way, Adrien was one of the best things to ever happen to me. He loved everything about me. My designs, my creativity, everything. He didn't think I was strange or anything."
"...So, what happened?" Luka gently asked.
"...He died. Plague." Marinette stated.
"I... I'm so sorry." Luka said, feeling sorry about Marinette's loss.
"It's fine," Marinette said as her face turned up to a smile and she looked at Luka. "Truth is, ever since I've started living here, he hasn't crossed my mind. In fact, unless I get triggered I don't think of him much anymore."
With a smile, Luka said, "I guess that means you've accepted that he's gone."
"I have." Marinette agreed.
She got closer to Luka and interlocked her fingers with his. His smile grew bigger as he felt his heart pound once more.
But it wasn't all roses and sunshine in the world. Unbeknownst to Marinette, her family and Alya were trudging through the snow on their way to the estate.
Tom was coughing heavily, while shielding Sabine and Alya from the extreme winds.
"Are you sure we're going the right way?!" Alya shouted.
"I'm positive!" Tom yelled back before coughing heavily again.
"But the snowfall is so violent and heavy that I can't see anything!" Sabine spoke back.
"I won't let anything stop me from finding that place and saving Marinette!" Tom insisted, but he coughed again.
"It's too dangerous to keep going!" Alya shouted. "We should set up camp until the storm dies down!"
"Good idea!" Sabine agreed.
"I can get on board with that!" Tom said as the group went into the trees to take shelter before taking out their camping gear to set up and start a fire.
However, Tom kept coughing and moaning from the pain and discomfort. While they were making the fire, Sabine and Alya were watching him in worry as he bundled himself up in his clothes and started coughing again.
A few hours passed, and Marinette was once again in the seamstress' quarters, but this time Luka was with her.
"So far, so good," Marinette said as she finished cutting the pattern out of the fabric. "Does this look good to you?"
"I'm liking it," He said as he examined the piece. "I'm excited to see it when it's finished."
"I can't wait for you to see it!" Marinette laughed as she took up the fabric and started getting the rest of the materials.
"Think it will look good on me?" He asked.
"I'm sure it will!" Marinette confirmed. "I can just imagine it. You in this suit in a grand ballroom, just waiting for a dance! Oh, it'd be perfect!"
"...Hey, that actually sounds like a good idea," Luka stated. "Why don't we do it?"
"Huh?" Marinette asked.
"Finish the suit up, and then we can have a nice dinner and a dance one of these nights," He elaborated. "I think it'd be a lot of fun."
"Really?!" Marinette asked.
"Yeah, so why not?" Luka spoke.
"Okay!" Marinette said with a nod. "I'd love it!"
"That's great," He said. "I want this to be a surprise, so I'll leave you to it. Have fun."
Luka left Marinette and Tikki in the room. Marinette watched his retreating figure and heaved a happy sigh. She wanted to jump for joy.
"You seem so happy, Marinette." Tikki commented.
"I am, Tikki," Marinette confirmed. "I can't wait for the dance and dinner! It's gonna be fun!"
"Then what are you waiting for? Let's get those clothes finished!" Tikki said.
"Okay!" Marinette said as she ran over to another mannequin.
"So, what's next on the list?" Tikki asked.
Marinette looked at her project, and said, "I think it needs something..."
"What do you think?" Tikki questioned.
"I think I know just the thing," Marinette said to Tikki. "Think you can go to the gardens?"
"Leave it to me!" Tikki said. "What are you looking in to?"
Marinette whispered her thing into the kwami's ear, and then Tikki giggled before flying out the window.
Marinette took up a needle and threaded it with some crimson thread before smiling and resuming her work on her dress.
Juleka, who'd overheard everything, smiled and bounded away to inform everyone. She thought aloud, "Everything's going great!"
A few nights later, Luka had just gotten out of the bath in his ensuite bathroom, and he wrapped a towel around his waist. He went into his room as he started drying off.
"Tonight's the night," Juleka said as she had her back turned to her brother. "Are you almost ready?"
"Almost," Luka said as he hung the towel up. "I can't believe I'm going to do this."
"This isn't the time for you to be second-guessing yourself," Juleka said. "You need to be straightforward and sincere."
Luka chuckled before saying, "How ironic. I'm so used to giving you advice, but now the tables have turned."
"I know," Juleka giggled back as her brother started to take a pumice stone and began exfoliating his scales. "But here's how everything is going to go down. The other staff members will have a nice meal cooked, there will be romantic music and candlelight provided..."
"Cool." Luka said.
"Finally, when the time is right, and you'll know it, you tell her how you feel." Juleka instructed.
"Got it." Luka said as he let the dead scales fall to the floor.
"You'd better hurry up, bro," Juleka said as she looked at the clock. "It's almost time."
"Relax, Juleka," Luka said as he went behind the changing screen. "Everything's going to be okay."
"If you say so." Juleka muttered.
There was a knock at the door. One snake came in and said, "Pardon me, but the young lady awaitsssss you."
Music started playing.
Marinette came out of her room and down one flight of stairs. She was wearing a carmine halter ballroom dress with a gathered skirt that had another tier of ruby fabric that had black embroidery in it. The skirt had a small bundle of roses at the waistline, and there was even one in her hair and one on the halter straps. Her hair was in a high bun and there was a red rose behind her right ear.
She made it to the first landing on the stairs, and looked up to where Luka was standing.
He was standing on the top of his stairs. He was wearing a navy blue tuxedo jacket with coattails that was a perfect fit for him with sleeves that went down to the wrists. There was a matching, ruffled necktie, the shirt underneath was a slightly lighter teal blue, and he was wearing navy blue "pants."
He adjusted his necktie and walked down to where Marinette was standing. They both smiled at each other. Luka's usual smile was there, but Marinette's was just a little bigger and she was blushing just the slightest amount.
"Tale as old as time. True as it can be." Juleka sang quietly from down at the floor.
She watched Marinette curtsy and Luka bow, then watched as Marinette took Luka's arm while he escorted her down the stairs.
"At first, they're just friends. Then somebody bends, unexpectedly." Juleka quietly crooned again as they kept walking down the stairs, but they never stopped looking at each other.
He brought her to the dining room, where they were sitting in their usual configuration - him at the head of the table while she was at the seat adjacent to him. They were enjoying each other's company, talking, and eating happily. The food included herb-roasted pheasant with truffle risotto, fresh bread rolls, and more. To add to the romantic ambiance, one snake was off to the side, playing a smaller violin.
"Just a little chance. One she chose to take." Juleka sang as Marinette finished eating, then stood up and pulled Luka's arm.
He chuckled, also rose from his seat, and offered his arm to her. She took it without a problem, and he escorted her into the ballroom.
"Neither one are scared, both of them prepared. Lady and the snake." Juleka quietly trilled.
Luka put his hand on her waist and raised one hand in his other hand, meanwhile Marinette put her hand on his arm.
"Ever just the same. Ever a surprise." Juleka sang.
meanwhile Luka closed his eyes, and magically changed his snake tail into snaky legs, still in the pants Marinette made him. Marinette looked at him, surprised he could do that.
He stepped forward with his left foot, and Marinette stepped back with her right foot.
"Ever as before, ever just as sure, as the sun will rise!" Juleka crooned as Luka started picking up the pace in their waltz.
It didn't take them very long to get into the swing of it, and were soon dancing like they'd been doing it for years.
"Tale as old as time. Tune as old as song..." Juleka sang.
The sped up their dancing, and Marinette couldn't help but giggle once or twice during the dance. Luka did a few underarm turns with Marinette, a few times Marinette lifted her leg up during the dance and the moves they made were becoming more advanced, including Luka dipping her down and Marinette's leg between his own, and they even started adding some Latin dance moves in to their routine.
"Bittersweet and strange, finding you can change, learning you were wrong." Juleka sang while her brother and Marinette continued their dance.
They made their way into the center of the ballroom. Luka gently dipped Marinette down over his knee and lowered her closer to the floor. Marinette looked up at him, locking her eyes with his own. The backlighting made Luka seem more ethereal, less monstrous-looking... But to Marinette, he stopped looking like a monster to her a long time ago. She was blushing, too.
Luka then lifted Marinette in the air while holding her by the waist, and she held on to his shoulder as they spun around.
"Certain as the sun, setting on the lake." Juleka sang as they kept spinning, before he put her down.
Marinette's smile grew, and she gently laid her head against his chest. He smiled in response and gently pulled her closer.
Juleka smiled, moved at the sight, and sang, "Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme, lady and the snake."
They slowed down their waltz as the lights dimmed, but Marinette and Luka never lost eye contact as they kept dancing. In fact, they were so absorbed into their dance that they didn't register anything else around them.
"Tale as old as time, song as old as rhyme..." Juleka trilled quietly as they soon stopped, and Luka started leading Marinette to the door that led to the balcony. "Lady and the snake."
Luka opened the door, and escorted Marinette outside.
"That was fun, Luka," Marinette said as she and Luka went to the bench on the balcony. Luka changed his legs back into his tale. "I don't think I've ever had such a good time dancing."
"I had fun too," Luka said as he and Marinette sat down on the bench. "It's been such a long time since I danced."
"Really?" Marinette asked. "You didn't seem like you ever stopped."
"Thank you." Luka said with a chuckle.
The two of them shared a laugh before settling down. Marinette looked up into the sky and gazed at the stars. Luka scooted closer to her and also looked up at the sky, but only for a moment.
He turned to Marinette, and gently took her hand. She didn't object.
"Marinette?" Luka asked. "May I ask you something?"
"Yes." Marinette replied, turning her face to Luka with a smile.
"Are you happy here with me?" Luka asked her.
Marinette's face didn't change. She giggled and covered her mouth demurely.
"Yes," Marinette confirmed, looking him in the eyes. "Happier than I've ever been in a long time."
"I'm glad," Luka said, but he saw that her eyes went askance and her smile fell. "...Is something wrong?"
"I miss my family," Marinette admitted. "I wish I could see them again, even if only for a minute."
"I don't blame you," Luka said, and an idea came to mind. "There's a way you can see them. Come on."
Luka brought Marinette to his room, and handed her the magic hand mirror.
"This mirror can show you anything you want." Luka said as Marinette took the mirror.
"I'd like to see my family, please?" Marinette said.
The mirror's glass flashed and then it showed Tom, Sabine, and Alya out in the snow. Tom was lying on the ground, coughing heavily. Sabine and Alya were standing over him. The snow was still blowing, too.
"Tom! Stay with us, please!" Sabine pleaded.
"We're almost to that estate! We'll find Marinette soon! Just stay with us!" Alya shouted.
"No..." Marinette said, her eyes widening.
"What's the matter?" Luka asked.
"It's my dad! He's sick! He's not alone, he's got mom and Alya with him, but...!" Marinette said, freaking out.
"Then go to them." Luka said without hesitation.
"What did you say?" Marinette asked, thinking she misheard him.
"Marinette, I need to be transparent with you about something," Luka began. "The truth is... You were never a prisoner. Not from the start, and not even now. I was only going to tell your dad that all he had to do was ask if he wanted a rose, and then send him on his way."
"What?!" Marinette asked, shocked. "Then how'd he wind up in the dungeon?"
"That was Juleka's doing," Luka explained. "But she meant well. By the time I found out, you already took your father's place here. The damage was done, and I only went along with it because I like having you here. You're great company."
"You... You lied to me?!" Marinette angrily asked.
"Yes and no," Luka admitted. "But that's not important right now."
"Then what is?" Marinette asked, a little more calmly.
"Right now, your family needs you, and you need to go to them." Luka insisted.
Marinette smiled and handed the mirror back to him, but he pushed it back to her.
"Keep it," Luka said. "So you can look back and remember me whenever you want, even if you never come back."
Marinette gave a nod, started to take off her earrings, but Luka put his hand on hers to stop her. He smiled, then said, "Tikki is yours to keep. She's happy with you."
Marinette gave a smile, filled with gratitude.
"You have no idea how grateful I am for this, Luka," Marinette said before gently pulling him down by the head, and giving him a goodbye kiss on the cheek. She then looked at the mirror. "Hang on, dad! I'm coming!"
Marinette quickly ran for the door to leave the room. But she paused briefly, turned back to Luka, smiled at him, and said, "Thank you. Goodbye."
Marinette then ran out.
Juleka, who was watching the whole thing, came in and said, "Great work, Luka! I knew you could do it."
"I set her free." Luka reported as he looked out the window.
"Every- you WHAT?!" Juleka said. "How could you do that?! That was your chance!"
"I know," Luka said, a smile still on his face. "But I don't care about breaking the spell anymore. I had to let her go."
"I know, but... But why?!" Juleka asked again.
"Because I love her." Luka confirmed, his expression not changing... But his eyes were filled with sadness.
Juleka was about to reply, but Luka took up his lyre and started playing it. For Juleka, that was usually a sign that he wanted to be alone. So, she sadly trudged out of the room.
Luka continued to play his instrument before beginning to sing.
"I was the one who had it all," He sang sadly as he looked at the suit he was wearing. "I was the master of my fate. I never needed to be in anybody's life. I learned the truth too late."
He put his lyre down, then started changing his clothes and put the suit on a hanger before putting the hanger on the changing screen.
"I'll never play away this pain," He sang before looking at the flower crown he put on his nightstand. Still as fresh as the day she made it. "I close my eyes, but she's still there."
He started moving away from the table, and closer to the window, singing, "I let her steal into my poor, serpentine heart. It's more than I can bear!"
He came out onto the balcony and looked out to watch Marinette. He sang, "Now I know she'll never leave me, even as she runs away!"
He watched said young maiden. She'd changed into her casual clothes, had run out of the building and was making her way to Levain in the stables.
"She will still comfort me, calm me, soothe me, move me, come what may!" He sang as he started going up the exterior staircase to go higher.
As he kept climbing, he crooned, "Wasting in my lonely tower, waiting by an open door."
He made it to the next level, which had another window, and he leaned against the opening of it while looking out to watch Marinette. He had a wistful, loving look on his face, but it was laced with depression, too.
"I'll fool myself she'll walk right in, and be with me forevermore." He sang.
He kept climbing the stairs, singing, "I'm grateful for the trials of love. I bless the fading of the light!"
He came up to another level of the building, and it had an entryway with a bridge that connected to another tower.
"Though she's already flown so far beyond my reach, she's never out of sight!" He sang as he slithered across the bridge while watching Marinette leave.
Marinette had started riding her horse through the gardens to leave.
"Now I know she'll never leave me, even as she fades from view!" He sang loudly before clutching a fist to his heart. "She will still inspire me, be a part of everything I do!"
He remembered all of the times they shared. Walks through the gardens, music sessions in the music rooms, the meals they had together, everything.
"Wasting in my lonely tower, waiting by an open door." Luka sang as he climbed higher outside the building.
He slithered up to the top of the roof, and he used this as a vantage point to watch Marinette leave. His face grew grim, and he sang, "I'll fool myself she'll walk right in. And as the long, long nights begin..."
A tear was about to fall from his face, but he wiped it away as he sang, "I'll think of all that would have been... Waiting here forevermore~!"
Out near the gates, Marinette swore she heard someone singing. She turned her head around to see Luka standing on the balcony. He caught sight of her, waved at her, but his face was still a bit sad. Marinette gave a smile and waved back to him before facing forward and continuing to ride Levain to find her family.
All right then, we're done with chapter 4! The next chapter is the climax and finale, so be ready for that!
Now for a review goal! May I see about 23+ reviews before the finale?