(AU YEAH August - 13 - Fake Dating)
Of Sun and Sea
Part Three
"So, does your dad know you're a mermaid?"
Marinette—Princess Marinette—snorted in laughter. "Since he had to sign a marriage contract with the Sea King to marry my mother, yeah," she said drolly.
"You know, for a mermaid, you've got a pretty dry sense of humor."
She rolled her eyes at him, then continued rifling through a large chest of clothes, looking for a change. She'd taken one look at him standing outside her door, and decided he was in no condition to meet her father. "Here," she said, tossing him an undershirt.
Adrien took it, marveling for a second at its quality. It was certainly better than what he was currently wearing, especially since it wasn't stiff from the sea water of yesterday's adventure.
"Should I be worried that you have men's clothing in your room?" he asked jokingly. She made a face at him and tossed him some pants as well.
"Making clothes is a hobby of mine," she explained, bringing over a gorgeous green vest with gold and black trim. She held it against him, measuring for a moment, before nodding and handing it to him. Adrien gaped at the fine material. His father would be so jealous!
"Once I get your measurements, I can make you something even better."
"This-this is beautiful," Adrien murmured, tracing gold threads. Unless he was mistaken, the cut of the fabric and the emphasis of the lines would make his shoulders appear broader and his waist small, maybe even making him look taller! And the color would accentuate his eyes. He'd certainly be able to keep his head high wearing this! "You're really talented, princess!"
Marinette blushed and waved him to a corner that was obviously her dressing area, complete with divider for privacy. "Just go get changed," she said, turning away. "We need to go meet with my father and tell him what happened."
Adrien obeyed.
"So, when you're not swimming around in the ocean and saving hapless men from drowning, you make clothes?" he quipped, trying to put her at ease with more conversation while he changed.
"It's relaxing."
He gave a little laugh of his own. "Seriously? My father's tailors always looked nervous and on-edge whenever I saw them."
"Hmm," she said, obviously thinking about something. "Does your father yell at them? Threaten them? Tell them they were worthless?"
Adrien blinked as he pulled his new shirt on. Every time, actually. Huh, he'd never really thought about it until now. Father had certainly never complemented their work. It was either "acceptable" or not.
"When did you meet my father, princess?" he joked.
"Never," she said seriously. "And I probably never will. But we heard enough from our spies to figure out what kind of man King Gabriel was."
Adrien finished dressing and stepped out. "You spied on us?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.
Marinette gave him another dry stare. "My father wasn't going to marry off his only daughter to someone we knew nothing about."
Adrien had to give her that. His father had probably spied on her family as well.
She stepped up to him and adjusted his vest, so it sat better on his shoulders. "It's why we didn't put in a bid for your older brother," she said, avoiding his eyes. "While he's not as bad as your father, I'd heard that he could be a bit… disagreeable at times."
"Felix isn't—!" Adrien paused, because yes, his brother could be a bit of a jerk when he felt like it. "That's why you wanted me?" he asked glumly. "Because I'm someone who's nice? Someone who'll let you walk all over me all the time? That's what you want?"
"Honestly?" she gave a little giggle and looked up at him again, eyes shining. "I didn't think your father would agree to it in the first place! Especially not when I insisted we live here instead of your country. I thought making a choice would get my father off my back about marrying. And then, when mean-ol'-King-Gabriel came back with a 'no,' I could go back to my swimming and sewing. You were supposedly the Golden Child. The Apple of his Eye. The prince whom Gabriel had locked in his palace, never to share with the rest of the world."
Adrien found himself gaping at her again. It was true, all of it. He'd been locked up all his life. It was why he hadn't complained when his father had announced his engagement to a princess he'd never even seen before. He'd been so happy to just get out of the palace….
"But, now that you're here, I'm going to have to change my plans somewhat," Marinette added.
"Please don't send me back," Adrien pleaded instantly.
She blinked at him, a bit startled. Then her face softened and she smiled.
"No, I'm not going to send you back, Adrien. Then Papa will just try to find me another prince to marry. I certainly don't want that," she shuddered.
"What do you want?" he asked, genuinely curious.
"I want to see the world and have adventures," she said, her smile growing. "I don't want to be some shut-in princess in a tower. Even with my hobbies and patrolling the bay, it gets boring."
He laughed, surprise and delight flooding through him. "I gotta warn you, the peasant life is not all it's cracked up to be."
"Only if you do it without a plan," Marinette countered, playfully tweaking him on the nose. She gestured to the ring on his hand. "Master Fu told me about your misadventures at the inn."
"Master Fu?" Adrien asked, bewildered. The princess's eyes sparkled with laughter.
"The old begger man. He's actually a powerful sea god who works for my grandfather, the Sea King. He likes to do tests on potential champions to see if they have what it takes to become a 'hero for the good of the kingdom.'"
Adrien stared her for a second before holding his hand up to look at the ring again. "And I… passed?"
"According to him, even when you were at your lowest and had nothing to gain from it, you were still unerringly-kind and courteous to all," she nodded at him appreciatively. "High praise, especially from him. I'm willing to bet that ring he gave you is no ordinary ring either, but I didn't get the details on that."
Someone rapped on the door and Marinette quickly stepped away from him. Adrien blushed when he realized just how close they'd been. He certainly hadn't minded at all!
"Yes?" the princess asked, opening the door.
"The group you asked about just made it into the Great Hall. They've been asking for an audience with your father."
"Delightful," Marinette grinned. Adrien was suddenly reminded of his old stories where mermaids ate people. "We'll be right down, but don't introduce us. And send for some more guards and the prison warden."
"Yes, ma'am!" the guard said, also grinning. He set off to do her bidding at a quick pace. Marinette motioned for Adrien to follow her and took his arm as soon as he stepped into the hall.
"Err, should I be worried?" he asked, wondering what plans she had in store for him now. They headed down the hall.
"Of course not," she assured him. "Just remember to smile."
"Smile?"
"Yes, because we're dating and madly in love."
Adrien sputtered a bit. "Wh-what? But we're already engaged! And we just met!"
"They don't know that. The first thing they'll try to say is that you're a fake. So, if I've already met you before all this and I 'would know my prince anywhere,'" she battled her eyelashes at him, gazing up at him adoringly, "then, not only will their story not stick, but my father will catch on to what really happened without me having to reveal myself as a mermaid to the whole court. Plenty of people know unofficially, but nobody actually says anything, to keep my mother and me safe."
He pondered her words for a moment. Her reasoning was solid, but still….
"They? Who's 'they?' Who are you trying to trick?" he asked, just as they made it to the Great Hall. She nodded towards the large throne in the middle of the far wall.
There, in front of the king, was a familiar group weaving a loud story of how the prince they were supposed to bring here had suddenly flung himself into the ocean, how they'd tried their hardest to find him, how the captain himself had dove in after the poor boy, but there was just no saving him, boo hoo hoo…. But could they please keep the prince's belongings as payment for their journey, since evil King Gabriel certainly wouldn't pay them and would probably have them hanged if they tried to go back to their own country? Oh, woe is them, to have to start off fresh in a new country and nothing to show for all their gallant efforts….
"Oh, my sweet, sweet, savage Ladybug," Adrien whispered, bringing Marinette's hand up to his mouth to kiss. "You are ruthless."
Marinette giggled. "Careful, now, my unlucky prince. I've been told I might eat you."
Adrien fought his own laughter down. "But, my lady, I'm not made of bread!"
The princess's whole body shook with suppressed laughter and she had to compose herself before gesturing to the herald.
"Ready for the show?" she asked, curling her arm around his own a bit more than necessary, and leaning her head on his shoulder.
Personally, Adrien didn't think there was any need for a show. He was already madly in love with this girl who'd saved him, teased and joked with him, and offered him a life full of laughter and adventures. His heart was racing just being in her presence. But he was also determined to follow her lead, wherever that would take them. So, he nodded, and allowed his face to wear the dopiest I-am-so-in-love-with-the-girl-next-to-me smile as they stepped into the Great Hall properly.
"Announcing Princess Marinette and Prince Adrien Agreste!"
End.
