Chapter 2: Lost Princess/Anastasia AU - Part 1 - Flower

Chapter by mysticminou

Notes:

I was given the Anastasia Broadway soundtrack as a gift and as I was listening I came up with ideas for an Anastasia AU. This is the first part in this AU. It lays some of the groundwork for the rest of it and includes when Adrien and Marinette meet as children. Marinette's "real name" is Coccinelle. Her siblings are a couple members of the Quantum Kids. Tikki and Plagg are human and there are no Miraculous. When Adrien and Plagg begin their con (which isn't a true con so much as Adrien feels guilty for the death of Princess Coccinelle), they are in London, England where the Dupain Family had once ruled until the revolution resulting in their deaths. They are traveling to Paris, France to meet Gina Dupain, the mother of King Thomas Dupain and grandmother of Princess Coccinelle Dupain. Gabriel was the leader of the revolution and since Adrien wants no part of it, he runs away and goes by the name of Chat Noir. When the young Princess is found with her amnesia by nuns, she is given the name Marinette Cheng.

The first time Chat Noir had seen the Princess Coccinelle, he had been ten and she had been eight. There was a grand parade to celebrate a bountiful harvest that season. It had been a bright, hot summer day. Chat, well, he'd been Adrien Agreste back then, weaseled himself away from his tutor and ran through the crowd of thousands. His father had told him so many horrible stories about the royal family. That Princess Coccinelle was the reason his mother was dead. And yet, when his tutor or friends or the townspeople spoke of her, they spoke of a foreign beauty who was sweet and feisty. She was always smiling and when her parents' backs were turned, she would play like all the other townschildren. She would be scolded for dirtying such expensive dresses with dirt, but her tears were always cured by a sweet pastry.

She had raven hair that looked blue in the light. She was a strange porcelain color that made her unique blue eyes pop out. The Princess was always dressed in pink and white. Her clothes gave the general idea she liked dots, flowers, and bows. Quite the contrast for her playful nature.

Coccinelle fascinated Adrien.

And that was why he was elbowing his way through the thick crowd, ignoring the grunts and shouts to reach the edge of the pathway. He could hear the engine of a vehicle and from the shouts of her name, Adrien knew she was close. That the white convertible car steadily following behind the others of black or brown, was his princess. Panting from the action and heat of the sun, Adrien had finally made it to the forefront.

He looked down at the rumpled red rose he'd managed to snatch from a florist on the way over. The stem was very nearly broken from how hard he gripped it and it had lost a few petals. It was unworthy of her, truly, but he wanted to gift her something. Something to convey to her his trust and loyalty. That regardless of what his father claimed, she and her family were not wicked or evil.

Princess Coccinelle drew closer and he could barely make her out around the shoulders of the driver and the leather seats. And then finally, she was there. He blinked and winced against the sudden brightness of the sun as they drove under its path. Coccinelle sat beside who he assumed was the older princess, Melodie. Melodie seemed to take after the king with her more European features. Both girls sat straight like queens, no slouching or pouting. They waved daintily and pleasantly towards the crowds, beautiful smiles upon their faces. As the car passed nearly in front of him, Adrien swore time froze. Coccinelle locked eyes with him and he swore her head tilted ever so slightly in curiosity. That her smile seemed more genuine.

The wind caught her long blueish-black hair and the artificial curls billowed into her face, causing her to blink and comb the tresses away with her fingers. Adrien noticed the dainty white gloves upon her hands that matched the pale pink satin of her dress.

"Milady!" Adrien called out, diving under the guards keeping the crowds at bay. The white car came to an immediate stop and Adrien was grabbed roughly. The boy yelped as he was hauled upwards by his underarms, his rose falling from his hands to the cobblestone pathway below. Three horseback riding guards appeared and flanked before the princesses while the one holding him tightened his grip and a fifth came up to him with a pistol.

Shouts of shock and outrage rang out. How could they manhandle a child?! Release the boy!

The guard before him grabbed his chin roughly. "Have you no manners? Respect?" His hissed. "How dare you think yourself worthy of approaching the princesses! Dirty peasant!"

Adrien had never been one to notice his clothes, but now he was embarrassed by the dirty blue trousers and black shirt he wore. His shoes were caked in mud and dirt; his hair unkempt and unwashed. Father said it was disgraceful how the Agrestes had fallen. That they should still be in the Palace with the King and Queen. But after the events of Mama's death, Father said the King wanted him dead to keep him silent about the truth of the matter.

It was why his father was secretly leading the revolution.

It was why Adrien wanted to swear his loyalty to the princess. For how could a child be held responsible for the deeds of a father? Adrien wanted nothing to do with the upcoming revolution his father spoke of. He assumed Coccinelle wanted nothing to do with the events that transpired back then. She's been no more than an infant, by Adrien's calculations.

"Wait!" A soft, yet strong voice called out.

Adrien was snapped out of his thoughts and the housemen parted to allow the princess to exit the vehicle. Princess Melodie looked appalled by her sister's actions. Yet, the small girl was standing before him, her head held high and her bluebell eyes shining with determination. "Let him go. He is a child, no different than myself or my sister. What harm can he do?"

"Your Highness," the guard that had been threatening him began. "This boy-"

"Put him down," she demanded, her small finger pointed at the cobblestones below. "Let him speak."

Adrien was roughly dropped to his knees and he scooped up the rose. Sheepishly, he held it out to the Princess. "My Lady," he tried again. "A small token of my loyalty to you, my Princess."

Coccinelle smiled ever so sweetly at him, a poor, dirty peasant boy on his knee with a ruined rose. The bright sunlight caught her unique ladybird earrings as she leaned forward just enough to accept the rose. "I thank you, my brave dark knight."

Their fingers brushed. His fingers smudged her pristine white gloves with mud and an odd sparkle sizzled through his body from the small touch. Coccinelle's mouth dropped open in a small circle and he knew she had felt it, too.

"Sister," Princess Melodie called. "Nelle, please come back."

Coccinelle was promptly escorted back to the vehicle and the parade resumed. It was highly improper, but the girl was twisted in her seat to look back at him one last time.

Adrien bowed to his Lady.

The next time Adrien saw Princess Coccinelle, was the last time.

For his father shot her and her siblings dead. To this day, her screams still wake him from the deepest of slumbers.