Marinette was thoroughly annoyed with Plagg. She had asked him to find out more about the strange man that somehow knew her, but he came up with nothing. Knowing the dragon, he was probably being lazy about the whole thing.

So Marinette hid in their cave for a week, watching from the ledge if and when the strange man would pass by. So far she only saw him in the afternoon running around the lake. But he could also go around the lake earlier in the morning before she woke up. Living in the valley was throwing her sleep schedule off and making her lazy.

So after a week, or sleeping seven times, Marinette decided to try going out.

"Plagg, I'm going out," she announced to the dragon, who responded with a snort as he slept. Marinette frowned, but continued out of the cave, blinking as she adjusted her eyes to the light.

The sun was still climbing the sky, not quite yet the middle of the day. Perfect time to try catching fish. Keyword try.

Marinette cautiously walked down the mountain, wishing she had thought of running away in boots instead of being stuck with her lady slippers, now dirtied beyond cleaning after working on a farm.

She took a step, accidentally sliding on a rock, that forced her to run down the rest of the mountain to make sure she didn't fall, only fall on her front when the land leveled out. Marinette grimaced as she rose to her knees, her front covered in mud.

"Perfect," she grumbled as she made her way to the shore line. She looked to the left and to the right, no sign of the strange man anywhere. She sighed and stripped off her skirt, vest, and shirt, leaving her only in her under garments. She quickly rinsed her clothes water, washing the mud off her skin at the same time, before laying the clothes on some rocks to dry.

"Now, how does one catch fish?" Marinette looked around, seeing some reeds sticking out of the water. She was certain she had seen Ivan and some of the other village men construct some sort of contraption to catch fish. So she began gathering some reeds. Maybe the stranger knew how to make the contraption.

Her mind began to wander to the stranger. How did he know her? And how did he get here? Probably by dragon, but what dragon would bring a human to a sacred dragon home. Plagg, she knew, cared little for the rules unless they suit him, hence their agreement. There could other dragons like Plagg out there. Maybe that's how the man got there. But then how did he recognize her? Was he sent to find her from her father? Or Theo?

Marinette shuddered at the thought as she dropped the reeds on the ground beside a rock, which she sat on.

Oh well, so long as she kept to her and Plagg's spot, and avoided going out in the late afternoon, she should be fine.

She picked up two of the reeds, crossing them together, before taking another one, and crossing it with them, repeating the process.

"Good Morning your highness!" Marinette jumped at the voice, her reeds combusting and falling apart around her. Marinette turned to glare at the strange man, his bright green eyes twinkling in merriment, with happy smile that could have made her swoon. It nearly did when they first met. But not this time.

Marinette turned back to the reeds, gathering them up around her.

"Here."

She looked up to see the man now kneeling before her, offering some of the fallen reeds. Marinette hesitantly grabbed the reeds, making sure their hands didn't touch.

"Thank you." She quickly pulled back, sitting again on her rock as she tried to piece the reeds together.

"What are you making?" Marinette glanced up to see the man was standing, briefly glancing at her before looking out to the water.

"Something to catch fish."

"Really?"

"I saw someone make some sort of basket to catch fish. AH! I think I got it!" Marinette smiled at the reeds holding themselves together. She tapped her feet together in excitement, continuing with her work.

"Um, your highness."

Marinette looked up, the man still staring at the water, a bit of pink on his cheeks.

"What? Am I doing it wrong."

"No. I mean, I'm not sure. But um, your clothes."

Marinette looked down, remembering she had take off her clothes to wash.

"Eep." She jumped up, dropping the reeds that exploded onto the ground, grabbing her clothes that were still slightly wet, hurriedly putting them on.

"Sorry, I wasn't expecting to see you. You normally come around in the afternoon, so I thought I had enough time before you would come around."

"So you've been watching me."

Marinette felt her face heat up as she pulled over her blouse over her head. She finished pulling it over to find the man smirking at her.

"I don't even know you, but you seem to know who I am."

"My apologies." The man stepped forward, taking her hand in his, placing a feathery kiss to her knuckles.

"Sir Adrien, from the house of Agreste, in service to King Tom of Madrin at your service."

The moment he let go of her hand, she immediately pulled it back to her chest to wipe the kiss on her shirt.

"So you are a knight of my father's?"

Adrien nodded.

Unable to keep her composure over this new information, Marinette ran up to him, her face mere centimeters away from his own.

"How is he? And maman? And the kingdom? Is everyone fine? I hope Theo isn't threatening war over this."

Marinette stopped getting closer, slapping her cheeks in realization, "But what if he is? Oh this would be terrible. I couldn't, no, but I can't, I absolutely refuse to. Gah, I should have talked this out with papa. Or maman. Or even Alya." Marinette pounded her fists against her forehead, hoping this decision hadn't destroyed her kingdom.

"Last I knew the kingdom was fine. Your father sent me to find you, and smaller teams were sent all over the kingdom searching for you. I've been here since mid fall, I do not have any other news," Adrien answered as he watched her pace, Marinette stopping once he finished, breathing a sigh of relief. But then her face struck a worried expression.

"What about the wedding?"

"Prince Theo is still searching, no talks about the wedding. From what your parents told me though they just want you home."

"But Theo probably still wants the wedding to continue," Marinette grumbled as she walked back to the rock, sitting down as she crossed her arms. She knew Theo would be pushy to get his way, and she would probably have to wait until he had given up all hope on her before returning home.

"If I may be so bold your highness…"

"You've seen me in my undergarments. I think that was pretty bold."

Adrien's face turned bright red as he tightened his lips.

"I'm teasing."

"Right." Adrien started breathing again, but his face remained bright red.

"Do you not want to marry Prince Theo?"

"Hardly. He's conceited, arrogant, with few redeeming qualities other than his looks and battle strategy. I could never love him."

"Then what was with the … dragon, and not being worthy?"

Marinette sighed as she leaned back, patting the rock next to her for Adrien to sit. Adrien looked from her hand to her face before sitting down.

"Everyone was just so excited about the wedding. I thought I could grow to love Theo, but I couldn't. So I panicked, and ran away. I met Plagg," she pointed up to their cave, "and made a deal he would protect me from Theo in exchange for cheese."

"Cheese?"

"He really likes it. Any kind really, but the smellier the better. Anyway, Theo caught up to me, he threaten Plagg, I told him to stop, Plagg threw him off a cliff, I told him only those who are worthy, thus the legend was born."

"That sounds very complicated."

Marinette shrugged, "but it worked."

"I guess, although you worried your parents greatly."

"I know." Marinette hunched over, resting her head on her hands. "That was my main concern. But I am glad they are alright."

"They'll probably be even better once you return home."

Marinette sighed, this man obviously not understanding the point in all this.

"I'm not going back."

"But your parents."

"Have managed without me. I'm not going back until I'm certain Theo is gone for good." Marinette stood up, picking up the side of the skirt to swish them around to dry. "I'm not going to marry someone I don't love. I know politically that isn't a sound practice, and other marriages have worked off being close companions, but with Theo it wouldn't work."

"So why not go to another kingdom?" Adrien stood up to face her, "Disguise yourself and visit other princes? You have a dragon that could take you anywhere. You could even live in the capital in disguise. Maybe fall in love there."

"As much as I would love that, as long as Theo is still seeking my hand in marriage, I'm never going to have that chance. He'll find me, he nearly has. I don't want to take that risk."

"You took a risk having a dragon kidnap you. What's one more?"

Marinette looked up into Adrien eyes, a feeling swirling in there Marinette wasn't sure how to describe, but she had seen that look before somewhere.

"Maybe, once the winter is over." Marinette picked up her vest of the rock, and began heading back to her cave.

"Aren't you still going to make your basket?"

Marinette froze, wrinkling her face. And she was having such a good dramatic exit too.

"Right." She put back on the vest and began picking up the reeds, noticing Adrien's hand picking up reeds along side hers.

"Maybe I can be of some assistance, your highness," he offered as she turned to sit on the rock. She patted the seat beside her, Adrien sitting down more eagerly this time.

"Marinette."

"What?"

"Call me Marinette. In the Valley of Dragons, I'm not a princess or your highness. I'm just Marinette."

"Then I'm just Adrien, yo- Marinette."

Marinette smiled as she picked up some reeds, Adrien doing the same. "Adrien."