Alright, now here's the next chapter of "Queen of Destruction!" Hope you guys enjoy it like you did the last chapter.
Now, picking up where we left off, Marinette wakes up in new surroundings and Adrien makes his intentions of wooing her clear. But she'll have none of it, meanwhile her parents and friends are worried sick about her! And let's just say the god of festivities isn't really in a partying mood while all this is going on...
With Marinette asleep in his arms, Adrien waltzed into a spare bedroom he kept for guests (usually Nino). He'd furnished it with décor that he'd hoped would help Marinette feel at ease. There was a chest filled with jewelry pieces that held gemstones he thought suitable for Marinette, and hung up a few dresses that he asked some nymphs to make for her, too. They were all in darker colors, like burgundy and black. The designs were high-end, and they were truly befitting of royalty.
Adrien walked over to the queen-sized canopy bed that was colored in shades of red and burgundy, and gently laid his darling down on it. He pulled the comforter over her before kneeling down. His face couldn't be described as anything other than lovesick, and his eyes took in the rare close-up view of Marinette. Being this close to her was something out of a dream, and he didn't want it to end.
Her lips were like pink rose petals, and her eyelashes were long and thick, reminding him of butterfly wings. Her dark hair was perfectly-matched for the darkness of the underworld. Running his fingers through it, he noticed how soft, silky, and smooth it was. Her skin was fair like milk, and the blush in her cheeks was reminiscent of the rose quartz he'd often find in the underworld.
"So beautiful..." He murmured as he pressed a kiss to her cheek, being careful not to rouse her. "Sleep, mon bien-aimé, and when you wake..."
Adrien's mind conjured up an image of Marinette wearing some of the dresses and jewelry he gave her. She was in his embrace as he ravished her with kisses on her lips, cheeks, and neck. At that fantasy, he started leaning his face in closer to Marinette's lips to make at least part of it come to life.
"Psst! Dude!" An etherial, familiar voice said. Nino zapped into the room.
"Nino, keep it down or you'll wake her up," Adrien warned, a finger to his lips. "Anyway, how'd it go up there?"
"Believe me, keeping Alya occupied wasn't easy, especially when she heard Marinette scream for help," Nino muttered. "And considering how observant she is, I'd be surprised if she didn't pick up on my nerves."
"Doesn't matter now, the plan worked," Adrien quietly summarized before going back to stroking Marinette's hair. "And now my bride is here... Only if she wants to be, that is."
"Well, you'd better hope that by the time this catches up to you, the two of you are so happily married it makes people wanna throw up." Nino moaned.
"Okay, fine," Adrien muttered. Marinette moaned and started to stir, about to wake. "Nino, get lost."
"No need to tell me twice, dude." Nino said before zapping away.
Adrien stood up, ran his comb through his hair and quickly grabbed the cologne and mint leaves again. He wanted to avoid exposing Marinette to the awful stench of death that would linger on him.
Marinette's eyes fluttered open and she took in her surroundings. Dark, palatial bedroom, luxurious clothes on hangers, jewelry pieces on stands, a giant plush queen bed... She wasn't on Earth anymore.
Marinette looked around, but her eyes stopped on Adrien. She screamed and backed up on the bed, but she hit the headboard, feeling cornered. Her eyes lingered on the blonde in fear, and she was shaking like a leaf.
"Wh-Wh-Who... Who are you?!" Marinette demanded.
Adrien gave a bow to the woman who owned his heart, and said, "Forgive my rudeness, ma douce demoiselle. My name is Adrien. The god of the underworld and destruction."
Marinette paled at the name.
"I-I..." Marinette stammered, not sure how to answer. "M-My name..."
"Marinette, the goddess of spring and creation," Adrien recited, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck. "And truly a rose amongst thorns."
Marinette blushed at that compliment. Her trembling stopped.
"...W...Where am I?" Marinette asked quietly.
"Welcome to my home," Adrien said as he stepped towards the bed. "The underworld. And... Your new home, too."
"Wait, what?!" Marinette asked as Adrien sat on the bed, his eyes glued to her.
"Yes," Adrien began, his face tinted red and his eyes shyly askance. "I brought you here so we could get to know each other... ma fiancée chérie."
Marinette's red-tinted cheeks got even darker when she heard that.
"I... I know this is forward of me, Marinette, but..." Adrien began, rubbing the back of his neck again before taking hold of her hand. He gave it a kiss. "I intend to make you my wife."
"Beg your pardon?!" Marinette screeched, snatching her hand away. "Your wife?! After you kidnap me and knock me unconscious, you expect me to marry you?! Oh, no! No way! Not happening!"
"I understand your anger," Adrien stated, trying to hide the hurt he was feeling. "I mean... If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't be too happy with the idea, either."
"Then why would you...?!" Marinette demanded, scowling in rage.
Adrien had no excuse for his actions, but he said, "I can only hope you'll forgive me someday, mon coeur."
"Oh, I'll forgive you alright," Marinette began angrily. "When your realm freezes over, or the second you bring me back to my parents! Whichever comes first!"
Adrien felt his heart throb in pain from the comment.
He sighed, took her hand again and placed it against his cheek. Giving her an ardent look, he replied, "I can't. It'd break my heart to never be able to make you mine to have and to hold."
"I'll never be yours!" Marinette stated firmly, taking her hand away and then slapping him in the face.
Adrien paused and he put his hand to his cheek before looking at Marinette in shock. Thunder clapped outside.
"If you think I'm going to take you as a husband, then you've got another thing coming! Once my parents find me, they'll take me home and then I'll be with Luka!" Marinette spoke.
Adrien's mood changed. He got depressed and jealous at the name that came out of his beloved's mouth. The room started shaking a little bit. The tremors weren't as intense as when Nino was in there, but they were noticeable. Thunder raged even louder outside. Marinette got confused and scared, before trembling again.
He took a deep breath and calmed down. He already scared and pissed off the woman of his dreams, he didn't want to risk making it worse and losing all hope of winning her heart.
"...Forgive me, mon amour," Adrien said, standing up. "I promise, I won't do anything to you that you don't want. I'm at your command, mon cher. I... I'll give you time to get comfortable."
"No! Take me home, please!" Marinette begged, tears in her eyes.
Adrien went to the door and shut it, leaving the door unlocked.
Marinette, realizing she was trapped and all alone, buried her face in the pillow and started bawling and crying loudly. Outside the door, Adrien listened and grew sad, guilty that he caused the woman he loved to cry. He heaved a sigh before walking down the hall, electing to leave her be.
Up on Earth, Tom, Sabine, and Alya were running around the earth trying to find Marinette. Wherever Tom and Sabine stepped, the grass died, the plants wilted, and the earth was wasting away.
Tom tried his best to keep it together and reassure his wife, but in truth, he was worried sick, too.
Their worry over their daughter and their goal of finding her was at the forefront of their minds. It wasn't long before their duties to the mortals were being forgotten. Nothing was growing, everything was becoming barren, and both animals and mortals were dying due to starvation... But they didn't care. They wanted Marinette home, plain and simple.
"Marinette... Oh, Marinette, where are you?!" Sabine sobbed as she and her husband's combined grief and worry were depriving the earth of the vitality it needed.
A few hours had passed, and Marinette sat up on the bed after crying her heart out and then falling asleep. So, to wake herself up, she went into the en-suite bathroom. The interior was still dark and gloomy, but it was very tasteful and fancy with matching shades of black and burgundy. The bathtub was basically a giant fountain of water, with the hot water flowing out of the mouth of a cat statue. She saw several bath bombs, essential oils, and dried herbs and flowers on the counter.
Marinette took the rose, lilac, and lavender petals and some chamomile essential oil before putting it in the bath. As she relaxed in the warm waters, Marinette was able to think clearly.
'So to recap: Adrien, god of the underworld and destruction has dragged me here without my consent, hoping to marry me. He won't let me go home, mom and dad are probably worried sick, and now I'm stuck here for Fu knows how long.' Marinette thought, taking stock of her situation.
After finishing her bath and changing into some of the provided clothes, Marinette left her chambers. She walked down the halls to try and find an escape route. If Adrien was able to get out of the underworld, so could she.
*GROWL~!*
But her stomach had other ideas. She hadn't gotten any food in the past few hours and with all of the confusion regarding her kidnapping, she'd forgotten about it completely.
'I'll eat once I get back up top.' Marinette thought.
...Only to smell the scent of herb-seasoned, roasted poultry and steamed vegetables, the fruity aroma of wine, and the heady, wheaten fragrance of fresh bread. Her stomach roared in want of the food.
She started walking towards the source of the scent when she came to a pair of double-doors. She gently opened it, only for her face to fall in frustration at the sight.
Sure, the food she smelled was there, including ambrosia, but Adrien was there, too. He was setting the table and muttering to himself. He even took a sniff of his underarms before breathing a sigh of relief.
There were two place settings, one at the head of the table where Adrien sat and another one in the seat next to him, presumably for her. There was a small geode centerpiece and two lit candles, and two wine glasses were set up, too. She'd consider it to be very romantic if the circumstances weren't what they were.
Marinette shied away from the door, but the creaking noise caught Adrien's attention.
He turned in her direction and his eyes bugged out a bit, taking in her beautiful form. She was wearing the burgundy halter dress with onyx gemstone jewels sewn into it.
Adrien smiled, saying, "You're even lovelier than I imagined you'd be in that dress..."
Marinette blushed, but she tried her best to brush it off.
He ran up the stairs to the door and gently took Marinette's hand. He said, "This is perfect. I was just about to fetch you for dinner. Come, sit."
He led her down to the table and pulled the chair out for her. Marinette stood there and kept her face away, showing defiance.
"I am not-" Marinette began to protest, but her stomach whined again. She face-palmed, Adrien chuckled.
"Come on, I won't bite anything other than the food." Adrien laughed.
Resigned, Marinette sat down in the chair and Adrien gently pushed it in for her. He then sat in his own chair before taking some wine and pouring it into her glass. Adrien raised his glass to toast Marinette, but she didn't even touch hers.
"I hope you like pheasant." Adrien stated as he made Marinette a plate and put it in front of her.
Marinette didn't answer, merely taking up her silverware and beginning to eat her dinner. While also partaking in their meal, Adrien watched her, taking in her entrancing profile. But other than that, Adrien was feeling a little nervous, not sure what he could say. He'd gained a few hours of prep time when she was taking refuge in her room.
"I... I take it you like your room?" Adrien asked, trying to make conversation.
Marinette swallowed her bite and without looking him in the eyes, stated, "I'm satisfied. And the bathroom was also very impressive, too."
"I'm glad," Adrien said yearningly. "Please, please. Eat your fill."
Marinette just continued to eat her meal, not talking to Adrien unless he said something, and even then her words were few.
'Ugh, this is so awkward,' Adrien thought. 'Gotta find a topic of conversation she'll engage in.'
"So, um... I... I was wondering if you'd... Like to join me in the library later?" Adrien chanced.
"No thank you." Marinette said as she ate more of the potatoes.
Adrien deflated.
The rest of the meal continued in silence. Adrien tried talking to her about topics he enjoyed, but he either got a curt response or no response at all.
Once Marinette finished her meal and put her silverware down, she stood up from her chair.
"May I bring you back to your quarters, m'lady?" Adrien asked as he stood up.
"I can get back to my room on my own, thanks," Marinette said civilly. "Please... Just leave me be."
Marinette left Adrien alone the dining room and then shut the door.
The blonde sat back down in his chair heaved a sad sigh. He was used to getting disappointed, but never before did he want to be satisfied as much as he did now. He wanted Marinette's love and affection with a passion and desire that was even stronger than what Rose's arrows would enkindle. But with Marinette's stubbornness, it was going to take quite a bit of time and a whole lot of luck.
Marinette locked herself in her room, slunk down to the floor and once again started sobbing into her knees. Was her right to go home too much to ask from her "suitor?"
The next few days, it was also the same routine. Marinette would only come out of her room to eat, and no matter how polite or considerate Adrien was towards her, she wouldn't have any of his advances. She'd constantly shut him down.
Adrien was getting upset with his lack of progress with his beloved, but he refused to give up on winning her heart.
One day, Marinette came out of her room due to cabin fever, and she just started walking around the palace, once again trying to find her way to leave.
But the building was so massive that there were too many twists and turns, and every door she opened either led to another hallway or another room.
"I can't give up," Marinette said. "I'll get out of here somehow!"
In one room nearby, Adrien was sitting at a grand piano and was working on some sheet music. He decided he needed a break to distract himself from his frustration.
He played a few notes on the piano before going back and scribbling on the sheet music.
'Luka may be the god of music, but that doesn't mean I can't serenade a girl.' Adrien thought as he kept altering the sheet music.
He played some more music on the piano and then he kept going. Though he was the god of the underworld, he wanted to make sure he avoided going into expressionist-style music because he knew that musicians who composed that sort of music deliberately made it unpleasant and even painful to listen to. So he decided to stick to Romantic and Enlightenment-era style music to woo Marinette.
Adrien continued playing, unaware that Marinette came in. She flinched at the sight of Adrien and tried to retreat, but she paused at the song he was playing. The timbre from the song was silky smooth and the monophonic texture of the song made her feel at ease. She listened as the timbre's sad tone took a more joyful turn.
Adrien trilled a few notes on the piano before wrapping the song up.
"That was great." Marinette said as she started clapping.
"Ack!" Adrien shouted, jumping from his seat. "You startled me, Marinette."
"Sorry..." Marinette said, anxious that he'd do something to her.
There was a quiet pause between them and Adrien asked, "...You liked it?"
"Yes," Marinette said with a nod. "I didn't know the god of the underworld could play the piano."
"I've been playing since I was a tyke," Adrien confirmed with a chuckle. He patted the seat next to him on the bench. "...Would you like to sit and listen to more?"
Marinette hesitated, but then thought, 'I guess one song couldn't hurt...'
She then sat down next to Adrien and he continued playing the piano. Marinette grew comfortable as he kept playing.
"I... never pegged you for a pianist," Marinette admitted, listening to his music. "It's a surprise."
"There are a lot of things people don't see coming from me," Adrien confessed. "This being one of them."
"Yeah..." Marinette sighed, not saying anything more.
"...Am I going to see you at dinner tonight?" Adrien asked after he stopped.
"..Yes." Marinette admitted before standing up and leaving the room.
Once Marinette left, something popped into Adrien's head, and then he got an idea on how to make her more comfortable in the underworld.
'Aha! Now I know what to do!' Adrien thought as he snapped his fingers in epiphany. He stood up from his piano bench and ran out of the room, too.
Marinette was sitting on her bed, reading a book when a knock on the door came.
"Marinette? Are you in there?" Adrien asked from outside.
"Yes, you can come in." Marinette said.
Adrien came into the room and said, "Do you think you could come with me? I have a surprise for you, but it's outside the castle."
Marinette blinked a few times before saying, "...Sure."
She stood up and followed Adrien out of the room.
Adrien started driving the chariot to another part of the underworld. He asked Marinette if she didn't mind getting blindfolded for this surprise, and though she didn't like the idea of it, she consented to it.
He parked the chariot and he gently got out of the chariot before helping Marinette step down. He led her by the hands.
"Are you sure this won't be dangerous?" Marinette asked.
"Just trust me, Marinette," Adrien gently said as he kept leading her to their destination. "I promise you that this is something nice."
Once he stopped walking, he said, "Okay... We're here. You can take the blindfold off."
Marinette took the black cloth off her face and her eyes widened as she let out a soft gasp. As far as the eye could see, there were trees with pink flowers in full bloom, lush grasses, and asphodels everywhere. There was a giant patch of grass that didn't have any flowers on it.
"Is... Is this a dream?" Marinette asked. "Where is this?"
"The Elysian fields, mon amour," Adrien explained. "The land of the honored departed. I sectioned off an area of the fields here for your own personal use."
"You... You did this for me?" Marinette asked, turning to Adrien.
"I did," Adrien confirmed with a nod. "I noticed that you always seemed the happiest when surrounded by flowers, so I..."
"Thank you!" Marinette said, leaping on to Adrien and hugging him, earning a blush. "Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!"
She giggled as she ran into the flowers, kicking up petals. She sat amongst the blooms and started playing. Adrien smiled, his face red with affection. He sat down and just watched her play, much like he did before.
A few minutes later, Marinette came back to him, and she was holding a flower crown in her hands.
"That's a beautiful flower crown," Adrien commented. "It's going to look great on..."
But Adrien's words were cut off when Marinette placed the flower crown on his head.
"F... For me?" Adrien asked quietly.
Marinette gave a nod and said, "It's my way of saying "thanks." This surprise really cheered me up."
"I'm glad... I just wanted you to be happy," Adrien admitted. "So..."
His flower crown burst into flames and once the fire died off, the only thing left was burnt flowers and charred petals on his head.
Marinette burst out laughing. She'd forgotten that Adrien was the god of destruction, so if he wanted to, he could destroy whatever he touched. Adrien chuckled too. Sure, he was embarrassed that he accidentally destroyed his flower crown, but he was laughing because if embarrassing himself in front of Marinette made her happy, it was worth it.
After that, the two of them grew closer. Marinette started contributing to the conversation more when they were at meals. Adrien's heart sang whenever she laughed.
Whenever Adrien wasn't busy (which wasn't very often), they would spend time together in the Elysian fields.
"Haha! Wait for me, Marinette!" Adrien shouted.
He was playfully chasing Marinette around the fields, with his beloved a few steps ahead of him. He picked up speed, and caught Marinette in his arms, but then they started tumbling down the hill together. Once they hit the bottom, Adrien was on top of Marinette, and asphodel petals were scattering around them. Adrien blushed as he looked at her. Marinette cheeks were turning the slightest shade of pink, too.
A few moments of silence...
Marinette giggled and said, "And I thought I was clumsy."
Adrien laughed in response, too. He started leaning his lips in close to Marinette's, but he paused, remembering Master Fu's words about being ethical. He pulled away, and Marinette smiled, though her heart felt a little sad at Adrien's distance.
More time passed between them. And as time passed, Marinette and Adrien's bond grew.
One evening...
Marinette and Adrien were eating dinner together, but Adrien wasn't very enthusiastic about the meal. In fact, it seemed like something was on his mind.
"Marinette?" Adrien asked.
"Yes?" Marinette answered as she put her fork down. "What's the matter?"
"I... I... I've come to realize something," Adrien muttered. "I... I think that maybe I should let you go back to your parents."
"What?" Marinette asked. "What brought this on?"
"...Watching you in the Elysian fields made me realize that you're happiest amongst the flowers and the nature in the world on Earth. Not down here where it's bleak and... Well, dead. So..."
"So... You're letting me go?" Marinette asked.
Adrien gave a nod and said, "Yes. I... I love you, Marinette, but I can't keep you here unless you want to. So tonight... Tonight, I'll bring you back home after we're done eating."
"Adrien..." Marinette began, shocked that he would do this for her. "I... I can't."
"What?" Adrien asked.
"I mean, yes, we got off on the wrong foot, but ever since I've been here, you've been nothing but chivalrous to me," Marinette said as she stood up from her chair and walked over to him. "And with your present of the garden, I've felt so at home."
"Y... You have?" Adrien asked, also standing up.
"Yes," Marinette admitted. "You've proven that you're affectionate, loving, and you've respected my boundaries, kidnapping notwithstanding."
"Yeah, I could've done something else to get your attention," Adrien admitted. "So..."
"I... I've fallen for you, Adrien," Marinette said, a blush on her cheeks. "I... I'm starting to feel the same way about you, too."
Adrien's face went blank for a second and he started shaking.
"Adrien?" Marinette asked, waving a hand in front of his face.
"Y... You love me, too?" Adrien whispered in askance, tears about to stream down his face.
"Yes." Marinette confirmed with a nod.
"So... Then... Then you'll marry me?" Adrien asked again, looking Marinette in the eyes.
"...Yes." Marinette said with a nod.
Adrien chortled in joy, lifted Marinette up into his arms and spun around. He started smothering her face and lips in sweet kisses and she didn't hesitate to reciprocate, the two of them moaning in bliss with each time their lips met.
He brought Marinette to his bedroom, and gently laid her down on his king-sized bed. He got on top of her and started kissing her face, neck, and lips with unbridled passion and love. Marinette didn't object to it one bit. She wrapped her arms around his back and returned his loving kisses.
Adrien took his clothes off before reaching for Marinette's dress.
"Are you okay with this...?" Adrien asked.
Marinette gave a nod and she said, "Yes."
Adrien gently slid the sleeve of her dress off her shoulder and continued kissing her bare, exposed skin.
"Mon amour," Adrien huskily purred. "Je'taime."
"...I love you, too." Marinette whispered as Adrien continued to slowly slip her out of her dress...
As morning broke (still dark as night in the underworld no matter what time of day it is), Adrien's eyes slowly opened and he saw Marinette sleeping next to him, covered in nothing but the sheets of the bed.
Adrien gently stroked her hair with his hand before muttering, "Today's the day..."
Marinette woke up and saw Adrien next to her.
"Good morning, my love," Adrien greeted. "...I was thinking... Wanna have our wedding ceremony in the Elysian fields? Today?"
"That sounds great!" Marinette said as she giggled at his touch.
While everything was great down in the underworld, the same couldn't be said about the Earth and the gods.
"It's been months, and she hasn't turned up! How is that Marinette was so close to nature, but no one saw her when she disappeared?!" Sabine cried, sobbing into her husband's chest.
"I have no idea... We should split up!" Tom said as he got into one of the two chariots that he shared with Sabine. "We'll cover more ground that way. I'll take the western hemisphere. You take the east."
"Good idea," Sabine agreed. "I'll get the other chariot!"
Sabine started running back to temple, her worry for her daughter's safety plaguing her mind. Once she got back to her home, she saw a familiar face there.
"Alya!" Sabine shouted as she saw her daughter's best friend on the step of the temple. "Any luck?"
"Sorry, no," Alya began. "I haven't found her in any forest in the entire world. I haven't heard any news from the girls, either."
"Oh... Where could she be?!" Sabine asked, starting to cry. As her tears fell, they turned to snowflakes and fell on the ground.
"Let's go to French Olympus. We can call an emergency meeting with the rest of the gods and see if we can track her down." Alya suggested.
"Good thinking!" Sabine said, wiping her tears. She got the spare chariot and followed Alya to the summit of French Olympus.
In the meeting room where all the gods discussed bigger issues at large, almost every god in the pantheon aside from Master Fu was there. The goddesses (Chloé notwithstanding) aside, the ones who were most worried about Marinette were Alya, Sabine, and Luka.
"We've been searching for months, and so far nothing's about Marinette's come up!" Sabine whined. "We need to find her."
"I've been searching everywhere, too," Luka said, worried about the goddess he loved. "And nothing. My internal music's becoming atonal and discordant, and just... Well, ugly. Like a decent piano had screws put in between the strings for new timbres."
"It's just too strange for a goddess to up and vanish without a trace," Kagami stated. "There's something wrong here."
"I say we wage war and demand the safe return of Marinette in exchange for peace!" Kim suggested.
"You just want an excuse to spill blood." Kagami spoke, shutting Kim down.
Alya was pacing around, trying to think of a strategy to track Marinette down. The God of Wine and Festivities was quiet. He wasn't contributing anything to the conversation, and he wasn't his usual cheerful self.
'Adrien, dude, you'd better've won Marinette over by now!' Nino thought in an internal panic. He was looking down at his goblet and staring at his reflection, which was neutral and unmoved.
"Nino, you're the most jovial of us, and yet you're keeping your yap shut," Alya stated, noticing Nino's unusual behavior. "What's going on?"
"What do you mean?" Nino asked.
"I mean that you haven't made a sound throughout this whole meeting." Alya pointed out.
"Yeah... Now that she mentions it..." Kagami muttered, narrowing her brown eyes as Nino.
"Nino... Do you know something?" Luka asked in a gentle tone.
"Me? Know something?" Nino asked, getting flustered. "No, I don't know anything! Why would I know anything?!"
"Only someone who's kept quiet would know something." Alya said, narrowing her eyes.
Nino's eyes scanned the room. Everyone was looking at him suspiciously.
"Come on, you and your foxes are yipping up the wrong tree Alya," Nino scoffed, trying to brush the heat off. "It's not like my buddy Adrien fell passionately in love with Marinette at first sight, went to Master Fu for advice and then came up with this insane plan to kidnap and marry her while I kept you distracted or anything..."
Everyone in the room gasped.
"COME AGAIN, NINO?!" Alya and Sabine thundered.
"Um... I didn't say anything..." Nino said sheepishly.
"So THAT'S why you wouldn't leave me alone the day she disappeared! You were trying to help Adrien steal Marinette away to the underworld!" Alya screamed as she yanked Nino by the toga and glared at him.
"And for Master Fu to actually consent to this...!" Sabine growled.
Alya and Sabine then stormed out of the meeting room and ran off to find Master Fu. Nino ran after them.
"Tom!" Sabine shouted for her husband.
"Sabine, what's the matter?" Tom asked as he raced to his wife on the chariot.
When Sabine explained what Nino spilled, Tom was not happy.
"We'll demand Fu to get Adrien to give Marinette back! One way or another!" Tom bellowed as he joined Alya and Sabine.
Master Fu was working on something in his room when the trio barged in. Nino was tittering behind them.
"Tom, Sabine," Master Fu began. "I've been meaning to talk to you about the neglect of your duties. Though I have an idea why..."
"Master Fu!" Tom hollered. "How could you do this?! Encouraging the god of the underworld to abduct our daughter?!"
"Hey, Fu didn't say a word about kidnapping!" Nino insisted.
"Thank you, Nino. I can assure you that I most certainly did no such thing," Fu stated firmly. "Yes, Adrien came to me for advice about his heart being stolen by your daughter. But I warned him to be ethical about courting Marinette, and kidnapping is hardly ethical. I understand you're angry and upset, hence your slacking on your duties."
"Who cares if you understand it, Master Fu?! This doesn't change the fact that he's holding her against her will!" Alya spat.
"It's not like he could've approached her any other way, Alya," Nino began. "With the way you guys guard her, what else was he supposed to do?"
"Indeed. And for all you know, Marinette could be down there because she wants to be by now." Master Fu commented.
"Master Fu, please order Adrien to bring Marinette back to our world!" Tom pleaded.
"I'm afraid that's impossible," Fu solemnly said while shaking his head in dismay. "I may be the king of the gods, but my power ends where the underworld begins. Adrien is sovereign down there."
"No!" Sabine gasped.
"If Adrien refuses to let Marinette come back to us, then I won't let anything grow! The land will be infertile!" Tom declared.
"I agree." Sabine said, crossing her arms.
"Tom, Sabine, the mortals shouldn't suffer for this!" Alya protested. "What about the food my animals need?"
"Or the grapes for the wine I make?" Nino asked.
The combined rage from the angry parents overflowed from the mountain, and every tree, bush, grass patch, wheat plantation, fruit plant, and flower shriveled up and died, and the land grew cold and unable to support life.
"I understand your pain, both of you!" Master Fu declared. "But you're being unreasonable."
"Adrien was being unreasonable by kidnapping Marinette!" Sabine stated.
"I'LL TALK TO HIM!" Nino hollered, getting everyone's attention. "I'll talk to Adrien, okay, dude? Just calm down, please!"
"Are you sure, Nino?" Master Fu asked.
"I go down to hang out with him whenever there's a chance," Nino said. "I haven't been down there in a while since he took Marinette. Wanted to make sure he had the space he needed to woo her."
"Then get your ass down there and make him bring Marinette back!" Alya barked.
"Okay, okay!" Nino said before zapping away to the underworld.
Okay, and that's a wrap for chapter two! The third chapter will be the finale for the story.
Next time, Adrien and Marinette have their wedding ceremony, but when Nino comes to try and separate the newlyweds, Adrien won't budge on letting his wife leave. But with Tom and Sabine refusing to the let the mortals have a harvest to eat, and the risk of humanity starving to extinction, will Marinette have to leave her husband?