Marinette awoke to a flashing light, slightly opening her eyes to see Plagg making himself comfortable from the night's flight.

"Morning Plagg." She sat up from her corner of their cave, stretching as she did. "Did you have a good flight?"

"As good as one might have in these flatlands," he grumbled as he settled into a sleeping position, his tail end sticking out of the cave while the rest was covered by the shade of their cave.

Marinette shook her head and smiled, knowing that was the best answer she would get out of her dragon. Ever since they had arrived in the southern lands dairy farms, they had made their home in a hole Plagg had dug out of the side of a hill, one of the many hills in their area. The farmers didn't bring their livestock out this far, so it worked well for the duo.

"Well, I'm going to go to work then. Try not to scare the neighborhood while I'm gone."

Marinette pulled her short cloak over her shoulders, the fabric remnants of her old skirt since her employers provided her with working clothes.

The only response she received to her departure was an unintelligible grumble.

Marinette proceeded out of her cave, the hills already turning brown for the winter. She needed to talk to Plagg about what they would do for winter since she had read dragons sleep more in cold climates.

Bringing her cloak closer to her, she made her way through the hills until she reached the main road, flowing that to the first farm she came to.

Her employers, Ivan and Mylene, were a married couple with a recent addition to the family over the summer before Marinette arrived. Marinette had taken over Mylène's chores, allowing Mylène's full attention on the baby so that it was strong enough to endure its first winter. They were a sweet couple, and their neighbors were friendly. And none of them had even realized the princess of their country was milking cows.

Smoke was already coming out of the chimney, Marinette stopping first at the door to their home, announcing her presence with a few knocks.

The door was opened by a smaller woman with curly blond hair pulled back by a piece of fabric tied around her head.

"Marinette, I'm so glad your here. Ivan is helping one of our neighbors, Nathanael, with his harvest today, so we are going to need a little more help today." Mylene scurried back into the kitchen as Marinette let herself in.

"That's what I'm here for."

"Thank you so much! I may also need you to run into town for a few things, but not until later."

"Alright. I'll go check on the cows then." Marinette smiled at her employer as she took a loaf of bread out of the oven. A small cry then came out of one of the other rooms.

"Could you check on Grace?" Marinette nodded and hurried into an adjoining room, picking up the baby.

Marinette rocked the little one in her arms, who was starting to look very much like her father with dark hair and eyes a gray color.

"Good morning little one," Marinette cooed as she brought the baby into the kitchen, passing it over to Mylene.

"Thanks Marinette."

The baby calmed down as it gazed at its mother's loving face.

"You just missed me, is that it," Mylene teased as she held the baby close.

"If you don't need me here, I'll see to the cows then."

"We should be fine."

Marinette smiled before heading out of the house, beginning her daily chores.

While Marinette and Plagg were slightly disappointed the art of cheese making was not a simple and fast process, working at a dairy farm meant they still had access to cheese when it was made. So Plagg had to wait every so often for his cheese.

But during that time, Marinette learned a lot more than cheese making. Mylene taught her every basic aspect of keeping a house, very surprised when Marinette had admitted to never have even swept the floor in her life. But with a lot of patience, and an excellent teacher, Marinette learned to clean and bake, planning on taking what she learned back to the castle. She wondered what her parents would think of her homemade bread. She was certain Theo would be appalled by his fiancée, so that made the sore muscles worth it after a long day.

"Mylene." Marinette poked her head in the door to find Mylene making a lunch while baby Grace sat in a tall seat a neighbor had made for them as a gift. The woman looked up.

"I was going to take the cows out to pasture. I wanted to make sure if you were ready for me to go to town before that."

"Yes, I ordered some packages so they should be at the general store." Mylene scurried over her bedroom and reappeared with a coin purse.

"I might not be back when you get here, so just leave the packages on the table."

"Oh? Where will you be?" Marinette took the coin purse offered to her, tucking it in an apron pocket.

"Grace and I are going to take Ivan his lunch and possibly glean a little. You should join us later when you are done with the cows. I know Nathanael would be happy to see you."

Nathanael, a farmer and neighbor of Ivan and Mylene, whom Mylene had insisted had taken a fancy to Marinette. If Marinette wasn't a princess, she might have considered, but she learned that the palace life would not be ideal for Nathanael as he loved working the land and painting its beauty when he had time.

"We'll see. The grass is drying so I want to make sure the cows have enough to eat before winter sets in."

Mylene nodded, "right."

Marinette waved goodbye before leaving the small farm, heading back out on the main road towards town.

She hoped Plagg was alright. She had heard from the townsfolk that a couple of beasts had gone missing here and there, attributing that to Plagg's appetite. Considering it wasn't too often, she guessed her probably did most of his feeding at the local river that passed through several farms, including Ivan's.

The town had only four buildings: the general store, the church, the doctor's office, and an inn for travelers. It was small, and Marinette could not tell if she preferred this town to the hustle and bustle of the capital city. They were both unique in their own ways.

"Good Afternoon Rose, Juleka," Marinette greeted the General Store Owner's daughter, who had been talking to another customer, daughter of the innkeeper.

They both returned the greeting.

"Let me go talk to Papa and see if he has Mylène's items in yet."

Rose disappeared to the back, leaving Marinette and Juleka.

"How's the inn been," Marinette turned to Juleka, who was looking around at the store before Marinette called her attention.

"It's been busy, with winter coming."

"That must be good for your family then."

Juleka nodded.

"Juleka, you should tell her what you overheard at the inn." Rose reappeared with several packages in hand, Marinette pulling out the coin purse to hand over the money.

"Some men said that the princess is missing, and soldiers might come our way to find her."

Marinette hoped she didn't look as sick as she felt.

"Isn't that amazing Marinette. Juleka's inn is going to be so busy this winter with soldiers coming our way."

"How fortunate for your family." Marinette forced a smile as she took the packages.

"You both have a lovely day," Marinette wished as she left the store, speed walking all the way back to Ivan and Mylène's farm.

Marinette practically dropped the packages on the table as she collapsed into a chair.

The soldiers were coming here. She wished she stayed to find out long before the soldiers arrived. She and Plagg would need to leave soon. But to where? Winter was almost upon them, so they couldn't go to far. Unless they left tonight. But she couldn't abandon Mylene and Ivan in the middle of harvest. Could she?

"Calm down Marinette," she told herself as she tried to calm her ragged breathing Let's just take care of the cows and we'll talk to Plagg about this later." Marinette nodded, then stood up, and marched out of the house to the barn.

The rest of the day was spent in a blur as Marinette tried to come up with ways to hide her and Plagg. She could keep herself holed up at Ivan and Mylène's place, but that would make them guilty if the soldiers found her. And what if the soldiers coming were Theo's. They wouldn't listen to her to spare Ivan and Mylene. She would have to leave to keep them safe. But she and Plagg couldn't stay in their cave all winter. What would it be like further south. Was there more sun there? Or would it be just as cold. She should have paid attention during her lessons on geography. Stories about old history and dragons were just so much more fascinating.

Before she knew it, light was sinking on the horizon as she brought the cows back into the barn. She waved goodbye to her employers, sending her off with cheese as some food for her diner.

She walked back lost in thought to the cave, Plagg rotated for his face out of the cave.

"I smell cheese." The dragon perked his head up as she approached, Marinette opening the bag and setting the cheese down before the dragon, sitting beside his head to eat her own dinner.

"No hello? No complaint about sore muscles?"
"You're usually the one complain."

"I complain when it is justified, and after today's cheese," Plagg took a bite of the delicacy, "I have no reason to complain."

Marinette smiled at that, absentmindedly going through her own meal.

They ate in silence, Marinette trying to figure out what they should do. Maybe she should just hide closer to the capital and let Plagg go make his home elsewhere for the winter. Or she could move to another country. That would start peaceful negotiations. Or live in a small village in another country. But who would take her in this close to winter?

"You're thinking too hard."

"I am not!"

"You are. I can smell it."

"Dragons can't smell people thinking."

"You smell like sweat, but not dirt, so it's not hard labor. You also scrunch your face when you think."

Marinette paused her thinking, relaxing her face at Plagg's mention of her thinking expression. She was told her mother did the same when she was thinking.

"In the village they said soldiers are coming south to search for me."

"Joy."

"Not joy Plagg. This is a serious problem. We probably won't be able to stay the winter here. My being here could put people's lives in danger."

"I was being sarcastic Princess."

Marinette pouted, shoving the last bite of food in her mouth.

"So you don't want to stay the winter here?"

Marinette shook her head no.

"I don't want to risk these people's lives. If it was my parent's soldiers, they might be understanding, but I don't know how Theo's soldiers will handle the situation. But I also don't know where else we could go this close to winter."

"I know a place."

Marinette looked up at her dragon, his expression unreadable as ever as he looked at the setting sun.

"You do? Why didn't you mention it before."
"Because it doesn't have cheese."

Marinette sighed, considering that was the condition of his protection. Even if he was barely doing it now.

"But considering the circumstances, I suppose we can agree that you'll reward me the cheese after our stay."
"Where is this place?"

"It's a place only dragons can go to. Some live there year round, some come only for the winter. You should be safe from Prince Ego for the winter then."

"Prince Theo."
"Theo? Ego? Same difference." Plagg stood up as the last bit of light left the sky, turning the world into a bluish hue.

"When would need to leave."
Plagg shrugged as he stepped further out of the cave, "A few days at most. It's already late in the migration season, but we should make it just before the first snow."

Marinette nodded. This plan would allow her to say goodbye to Ivan and Mylene.

"Alright. I'll let my employers know."
"Great." Plagg spread his wings, one giant movement sending him up into the air. And kicking up dirt around the cave's entrance. After clearing the dust from her field of view, Marinette's eyes followed Plagg's movement until he disappeared from site. She knew he wouldn't wander far enough to abandon her completely, just enough to eat his fill. She turned into the cave, making her way to her little corner that completely shielded her from the wind. Her old dress laid in a pile to use as a pillow, not as comfortable as the one at home, but manageable. She rearrange the pile until it formed a poof, laying her head in the middle. It wasn't long before she soon fell asleep.


I wrote this chapter yesterday, deleted it, the rewrote it. I like this version better.
Now they are off to the Valley of Dragon

As for Guest's comment, I like your idea and I may incorporate that later. Probably not as how they will meet, but once they know each other a little better.