CHAPTER TWO:
SOMETHING OLD, SOMETHING BORROWED
Ding!
The door to the bakery brushed up against the overhanging bell as it creaked open.
Marinette smiled and stepped inside.
She hummed at the warm, cakey smell of the clay oven, mingled together with the scents of ginger and cardamom. Marinette sighed at the memories they brought back: watching rolls of bread rising, helping Mama sprinkle far-too-much sugar onto racks of cookies, and seeing Papa's mustache lift up into a proud smile when Marinette had made her very first quiche.
It had been a whole year since Marinette had last set foot in her old home. Ever since her parents became the Royal Palace Bakers, the bakery had been closed down. But after a few months, Marinette realized she couldn't stop giving out bread and treats to the people of Agreste. After doing some digging with Adrien's help, Marinette hired the perfect man to buy the bakery. He even forged a contract with Tom and Sabine, allowing him to sell off their new dishes to the public... after passing palace inspection, of course.
Business hadn't been better. In fact, the additional funds had allowed the new baker to renovate the entire bakery. The cracks had been filled in, new furniture and accents had been added, and the top balcony had been remade into an outdoor patio. Marinette also noted the new colour scheme: strawberry red with round, black windows.
Oh, and the new sign over the front door that read Bug Bites Bakery: Quality Royal Delicacies.
Marinette grinned. She could never keep a straight face whenever she saw that sign.
But she knew that the real reason why the bakery was doing so well was because of her continuous fame as Ladybug, the Hero of Agreste who defeated the evil sorceress Volpina and saved the kingdom. Not too long before that, Marinette was just Marinette, a baker's daughter. And this bakery was just a run-down shack struggling to stay upright.
What would have happened if I hadn't found Tikki's earrings in the Miraculous Temple? Marinette thought. Where would I be now if I hadn't met Adrien?
Looking around the interior of her old home, the blunette couldn't believe how much her life had changed in so little time. The adventure, the danger, the romance... It was like her life had become a fairytale.
Of course, Marinette knew better than to let that fantastical notion get to her head. She never would have made it this far without the people she loved: her parents, Tikki, Alya, Adrien...
A dreamy sigh escaped Marinette. Adrien.
This time tomorrow, she would be the prince's wife and future queen. She would no longer be a girl of common birth; she would be a princess. A real princess, unlike what she had tried to be last year.
Somewhere outside the bakery – which was closed for the wedding – Marinette heard the excited murmurs of the gathering crowd. All of them, rich and poor, had come to see her and Adrien get married. It was enough to send Marinette's stomach into a tizzy.
She tried her best to ignore the feeling as she made her way upstairs to the balcony.
It was hard to look at the red-tiled floor and the grand, black railing... and not see a dusty, stone floor with a small, wobbly railing instead. Marinette missed the hammock in the corner, which she had lent to Alya when the former street thief had moved in with her.
But Marinette wasn't looking for the hammock. She was looking for something more special.
She went to the back corner of the patio, where one of the tiles looked a bit loose. Marinette had purposefully made it that way, in case she ever needed to come back and retrieve what lay beneath.
Getting down on her knees, Marinette gently lifted the tile off, revealing a small alcove with a rectangular, wooden box stored inside.
Marinette pulled the box out delicately. It was the size of a normal, hardcover book, and it was covered with dust bunnies. Marinette blew them off, sending a grey plume into her face. She coughed and giggled at the same time.
She was about to lift up the old, copper latch when...
"Hel-lo-oh?"
Marinette let out a startled squeal before snapping back to glare at the intruder on her balcony.
Or rather, intruders: a red-headed thief and two kwamis.
"I don't know if you've heard," Alya said with a crooked eyebrow, "but somebody's going to be late for her own wedding."
Tikki and Trixx folded their tiny arms at Marinette.
The blunette giggled. "Sorry, Alya," she said. "I just needed something."
Tikki's wide, blue eyes sparkled. "I've gotcha!" she exclaimed with a wink.
POOF!
In a burst of pink, Alya and Trixx were wearing party hats and long beaded necklaces, and carrying a glass of wine. Beside them was a gooey, blue cake... which burst open at the top to reveal Tikki.
"A bachelorette party!" the ladybug kwami cheered, shaking globs of icing off of the ends of her three antennae.
Tikki then tried to offer Marinette a glass of wine.
"Ah-ah-ah!" Alya scolded, snatching the vintage away. "None for Mari – she's the designated flyer!"
Tikki chuckled sheepishly. "Oh, yeah..."
Marinette couldn't help but laugh as the party decorations vanished.
Alya stepped over to her best friend, smoothing her hair out. "So what was so important to get, you had to sneak away and give the rest of us a heart attack?"
Marinette stood up with the box in her hands. "My wedding gift for Adrien," she replied with a thoughtful smile.
She undid the copper latch and lifted the lid, presenting its contents to her friends.
Inside the box was a small dagger. The leather scabbard had rings of gold on the top and bottom. The hilt was forget-me-not blue with a curled, golden cross-guard and a blue jewel on the pommel. In addition, there was a tiny, gold medallion secured in the centre of the cross-guard. The medallion beheld the sigil of a golden hand facing palm out with the fingers pressed together.
Alya's amber eyes widened at the sight of the dagger. "Whoa..." she murmured, leaning in closer.
Tikki was covering her mouth. "It's so pretty... for a dagger, I mean."
Trixx inspected it closely like a bloodhound. "A very... interesting nuptial accessory," she commented sarcastically. "Very sharp."
Marinette took the dagger out and set the box down on the ground. The little weapon felt light in her hands. Curious, she pulled it out of its scabbard. The small blade gleamed blue in the sunlight.
Yep, still as sharp and shiny as ever.
Sheathing the dagger back in, Marinette explained, "I figured since King Gabriel has a special dagger, Adrien should have one too."
Alya glanced up at her best friend with drawn eyebrows. "But, Mari... wherever did you get a fancy piece like that?" she asked.
"My parents gave it to me," Marinette replied, "many years ago."
Tikki blinked. "They gave you a dagger when you were a little girl?"
"That doesn't sound vague and suspicious at all," Trixx drawled, folding her arms again.
Marinette frowned at the little vixen. "It belonged to my father," she said, "and his father before him." She held out the dagger and stared at it thoughtfully. "It's been in my family for generations, passing down to every firstborn child. Not that any of us have ever really used it," she added when she caught Alya's nervous gaze. "It's more of a household paperweight, really."
Tikki hummed with understanding. "I'm surprised you've kept it hidden this long," she said.
Red appeared on Marinette's cheeks. "Actually, my father lost this dagger once when I was a baby, but he managed to get it back."
"He lost it?" Trixx enquired.
"I don't know the whole story, but one day, my father didn't have the dagger. The next day, he found it just... lying there on our doorstep." Marinette smiled again. "Maybe someone had stolen it and decided to give it back."
"I doubt it," Alya said, pointing at the dagger. "The pommel alone is probably worth a thousand gold pieces."
"Maybe more," Trixx added with a greedy slur.
Marinette rolled her eyes. "Whatever the reason, somebody had put it there," she stated. "That day, I realized that there are some acts of real kindness here in Agreste; some people who think about more than just themselves. So when Papa finally gave this dagger to me, I made a promise." She lifted her chin proudly at Alya. "A promise to share that same kindness with others."
Alya smiled, knowing they were both thinking back to the day they first met, when the poor baker's daughter offered the starving thief a small loaf of bread.
"Okay, okay, that's very nice and all," Trixx groaned as she flew up to Marinette, "now can we please hustle back to the palace? I need to do a tally on my... I mean, the gift horde."
Alya snorted and tapped her pendant. "How about we take the scenic route?" she suggested, nudging her head at the small, black earrings on Marinette's earlobes. "I bet you that will get the crowd excited."
Marinette smiled, but then her stomach did another flip-flop.
It must have shown on her face, because Tikki was fluttering over to her with concerned eyes. "Are you all right, Marinette?" she asked.
The blunette huffed a laugh. "I'm fine, Tikki." She paused and walked over to the railing.
The enormous palace sat in the distance. Marinette had dreamed all her life about living in a place like that, with not a care or worry in the world weighing down on her shoulders. Now, that dream was coming true, and Marinette felt like she was carrying a boulder.
She sighed and leaned on the railing. "I just thought I'd feel more ready for this."
"Uh-oh," Tikki sang before vanishing with a POP!
She reappeared as a pair of fuzzy, pink, bunny slippers over Marinette's shoes. "Are you getting cold feet?" the twin faces of Tikki asked.
Marinette snorted. "No, of course not," she groaned. "It's just..." She turned around to face Alya and Trixx. "All my life, I've been a baker's daughter – scrimping and scraping to survive, making fun of the guards..."
"Oh, yeah," Alya nodded with satisfaction.
"... but all that time," Marinette continued as Tikki reappeared beside her head, "I've never had a real future. I've had real friends." She smiled and tickled Tikki on the tummy, making the kwami giggle. Then Marinette sighed. "Things are very different now, and they're only going to get crazier. I'm taking a huge step today, into a whole new world."
Marinette looked up at the pale sky, imagining it dark with twinkling stars as the memory of her first date with Adrien came to her. A beautiful song – their song – hummed in the back of her mind like a romantic lullaby.
That feeling immediately vanished as a new, nerve-wrecking reality dawned on her.
"What if it's not what I imagined?" Marinette said, not waiting for her friends to reply. "What do I know about being a princess? Sure, I've pretended to be one before, but this is the real thing! What if I'm no good at it? What if I mess up and make a fool of myself? I'll be remembered as the most ridiculous princess who ever lived for the rest of my life and I'll embarrass Adrien and the king and I'll become a total laughing stock!" She groaned and buried her face in her hands.
She heard a warm laugh, and felt an arm wrap around her. Marinette looked up to see Alya.
"Come on, girl – that's just the wedding jitters talking," the enchantress said. "You already know the answer to that." She nudged her best friend gently on the chin with her fist. "Don't worry about what everyone else thinks. Just be yourself. That's all Adrien could ever ask for."
Tikki nodded with a confident, "Mm-hmm!"
Even Trixx was grinning.
Marinette felt her heart rate slowing down, and she bobbed Alya on the side of the head with her own. "Thanks, Alya. This is why I chose you to be my Chief Advisor."
Alya drew herself up like a proud noblewoman. "Well, as your future Chief Advisor," she declared with a bow, "I insist that you return to the palace at once. Your groom awaits."
Marinette nodded and hooked her dagger onto her belt. Then she turned to her red kwami friend with newfound enthusiasm.
"Tikki, spots on!"
At the same time, Alya called, "Trixx, let's pounce!"
The crowd of visitors and citizens along the main street paused when two small shadows zoomed over their heads.
Looking up, they saw two young women in bright bodysuits – one red, the other orange – and the people erupted into joyous cheers.
Ladybug waved to them as she swung through the air above them on her magic yo-yo. Flying beside her, held up by her own magic, was the fiery-haired enchantress herself, Rena Rouge.
Children pointed and jumped in their spots. Women waved. Men pumped their fists into the air.
Ladybug and Rena reached the top of the palace walls before turning around and waving one last time to their deafening audience. Then, they leapt off the wall and vanished on the other side.
Right after that, the great oaken doors of the palace gates opened up to the public.
Adrien waited for the thudding in his heart to pass before he accepted the small, black box from Nathalie.
He had been waiting all morning for her to return from the royal treasury. When she finally arrived, Adrien had kindly asked his groomers to leave his chambers for a moment. The rest of his uniform could wait. Adrien needed this to be a private moment.
Now, holding the box in his shaky hands, Adrien smiled up gratefully at Nathalie. "Thank you for finding this for me," he said. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble."
She dipped her head with a smile. "It was not too tedious, to say the least," she claimed. "Despite its size, it actually does stand out."
Adrien opened the box, and his smile broadened.
Yes. It really did stand out.
With careful fingers, the prince picked up the gorgeous, jewelled brooch. At its bottom was a teardrop of inky blue. Fanned ahead of it were five cornflower segments that resembled peacock feathers, each one with a darker, blue centre and a bright-pink, crystal eye up top. The whole thing fit right in the palm of Adrien's hand, and it gleamed from the flare of sunlight streaming in through the open balcony.
Nathalie watched Adrien with thoughtful eyes. "She would have wanted you to have it," she said softly, "especially on this momentous day."
Adrien's throat bobbed a bit, knowing who the steward was referring to. "Technically, it's not for me," he pointed out with a grin. "This is for Marinette."
He could already imagine his beautiful bride walking down the aisle towards him, wearing his mother's brooch.
As per superstitious custom, Adrien was not allowed to see Marinette until the ceremony. It made Adrien's blood heat. He couldn't stand to be in a different room from Marinette without thinking or worrying about her. Cool your paws, Adrien reminded himself. After today, we'll be together forever.
As if they weren't already.
Thinking about Marinette made Adrien wonder about another nagging feeling. "Do you think... Mother would have liked her?" he asked Nathalie hopefully.
The prince was asking the steward because he had only been a boy of six when his mother, Queen Emilie, had passed away. The only other person besides Nathalie who had known the Queen best was Adrien's father, and he was currently preoccupied with the final ceremonial arrangements.
Nathalie almost chuckled. "Oh, Adrien... All the Queen ever wanted was for you to be happy," she explained. "In fact, she was the one who suggested that you marry for love once you were old enough."
Adrien's emerald eyes widened. He had never heard that story before. "She did?" he asked. "But then... why did you and Father keep hounding me with the law?"
The dark-haired steward sighed. "We were both bound by tradition," she replied regrettably. "Me, most of all. But as it turned out, you had inherited your mother's ambition... and a complete disregard for the rules, I might add." Nathalie winked and placed a hand on the prince's shoulder. "All I'm saying is... If your mother were here now, she would be as proud of you as I am. And she would have loved Marinette like a daughter."
Adrien smiled with approval, but then he felt his heart caving in on itself. He stared down at the peacock brooch. "I just..." He took a deep breath. "I just wish she could see all of this."
The next thing he knew, Nathalie was embracing him. It wasn't exactly a mother's love, but it was pretty close. Adrien accepted it all the same.
A knock at the door caused the prince and his steward to pull away.
It was the groomers, pleading to be let back in before the king had them all flayed for causing the prince to be tardy.
Adrien chuckled and placed the brooch back in the box before entrusting it back to Nathalie.
The crane-woman straightened with a smile. "Well, you don't need me anymore," she said. "I'll deliver this straight away."
Adrien watched as Nathalie swept toward the doors and allowed the groomers back in before exiting.
The prince reluctantly surrendered to their constant fussing. They bustled about and add the finished touches to his uniform.
All the while, Adrien imagined himself standing somewhere else: the edge of a balcony under a diamond sky, where he saw the bluebell eyes of a girl whose hand was reaching down to him in a helpful gesture.
Do you trust me?
Yes.
Adrien smiled, his cheeks warming at the memory.
He couldn't wait to make more wonderful memories with his lady.