CHAPTER FOUR:

TROUBLED THOUGHTS

Once the last of the treasure was distributed back to the people of Agreste, the heroic trio bade them farewell and trotted back up the main street leading to the glistening palace.

Adrien called for the gates to be opened, and when the great oaken doors swung apart, Alya realized with a pang that their little adventure was over.

The white, golden-capped towers of the palace had always intimidated her. Though she was now living there as an honourable member of the palace staff, Alya still felt like an intruder dressed in her orange, tattered cloak and leather rags.

She wasn't as nimble with a needle as Marinette was, but Alya had made a decent enough disguise. If anything, it had helped her blend in perfectly with D'Argencourt's gang. Swapping places with one of the thieves had been as easy as swapping a bag of coins with a bag of stones. With her hood and face-cover up, not one of those desert brigands had suspected she was a spy when she rode out with them to their hideout last night.

Everything was going swell... until Alya decided to steal from the thieves on her own.

The plan was supposed to be simple: infiltrate D'Argencourt's gang, follow them to the hideout and mark the passage, and then wait for Marinette and Adrien for back-up. But Alya, lost in the excitement of robbing from the robbers, couldn't keep her hands off the treasure. It was as if Alya the Street Rat had woken up and taken over.

And now that she was coming back to the palace, Alya couldn't shake the feeling that she was out of place; unwanted; unclean.

The group finally dismounted at the base of the grand staircase.

The moment his feet touched the marble floor, Adrien smiled and said, "Claws in."

In a flash of electric-green light, his cat-like uniform dissipated, ears and all. Cat Noir was gone, and in his place was Prince Adrien of Agreste, a young man with soft strands of golden hair, and normal emerald eyes that still had a luster to them. He wore a fine white jacket with a black tunic underneath, along with blue trousers and orange shoes.

If Adrien's father wasn't the King of Agreste, Alya thought, he would definitely make a fortune off of fashion design.

Once the de-transformation was complete, a blob of black slithered out of Adrien's silver ring and flew up beside the prince with a stiffening yawn.

"Agh... what a night," Plagg moaned, his ears drooping and his cat-like eyes going heavy. "You know, the next time you guys decide to go trekking through the desert, at least pack some camembert. I can barely keep my head up."

Adrien rolled his eyes grinning. "Right," he said. "You definitely would've stopped D'Argencourt with your bad breath."

The black-cat kwami and Spirit of Chaos bore his fangs in a hiss. "Haha."

Marinette giggled and then said, "Spots off."

Alya watched as her red, spotted uniform and mask vanished in a swirl of pink sparkles.

Her black earrings glowed one last time before a red, bulbous-headed creature came twirling out.

Tikki the ladybug kwami let out a high-pitched sigh. "Phew! That was a close one." She hovered over to Marinette with a perky smile. "But at least we got the treasure back."

Adrien's own smile faltered, and his green eyes went downward. "Yeah, but D'Argencourt's still out there," he said with a heavy tone. "Knowing him, his wounded pride will make him even more dangerous. We need to be ready the next time he makes a move."

Alya's demeanour perked up. Now he's speaking my language. "Don't sweat, Adrien," she said. "You should've seen the tension between him and his cronies. With any luck, our little heist will widen the cracks and cause Mr. Curly-Q to slip up." She winked at Marinette. "The best way to get rid of a band of thieves is to stir up trouble inside their ranks. No trust, no victory."

Her best friend stood in her white, off-the-shoulder top with pink flowers, rose-coloured trousers, and white shoes. Her red yo-yo remained secured around her waist like a belt. Not quite how a princess would normally look, but definitely not Marinette the baker's daughter anymore.

"Let's hope so," Marinette said, her bluebell eyes narrowed with thought, "but Adrien's right too. If we attack too early, D'Argencourt will go into hiding and we'll never find him. We need to wait for him to come to us." She took Adrien's hand in hers, giving her fiancé a reassuring smile. "Until then, don't you think it's time we had some quality time to ourselves?"

Adrien showed off his trademark grin. "I thought you'd never ask, Bugaboo," he purred.

Marinette giggled as he pulled her in for a deep kiss.

Tikki sighed romantically.

Plagg stuck out his tongue and turned away. "Ugh! Do we have to see this before breakfast?" he whined.

Alya smiled despite the tiny throb in her throat.

Marinette made everything look easy. After she and Adrien had announced their engagement (for the second time, technically), the little blunette adjusted so quickly to her new life in the palace in just a few short months. It had been easier when Marinette's parents, Tom the baker and his wife Sabine, moved into the palace with their daughter. They were now just as famous as Marinette was: the Royal Palace Bakers; the parents of Prince Adrien's bride-to-be.

So why was it so hard for someone like Alya to adjust?

She knew she should be celebrating. She had been a thief and an orphan for most of her life. She would still be scouring for scraps and spare coins on the streets by now, if she hadn't tried to steal a loaf of bread from a certain blunette; one who had stood up for Alya – lied for her – instead of turning her over to the palace guards. Once they were both in the clear, Marinette and Alya had split a piece of bread and declared themselves friends. That moment had changed both of their lives forever.

Alya had stopped stealing. Marinette and her parents had become her new family.

And now, they had an even bigger family: Adrien, Plagg, Tikki, Nino...

Alya gasped. Nino!

The auburn-haired girl quickly brushed some spare dirt off herself, combed her hair with her fingers, and placed her hands on her hips. "Well? How do I look?" she asked her friends.

Before Marinette and Adrien could reply, Alya heard a deep voice coming down the stairs:

"I think you look awesome, especially in that outfit."

Alya's heart raced and she spun around to see Nino. His brown eyes looked wider behind his glasses, but they beamed at the sight of her.

He was looking very dashing himself, dressed all in green and showing off the muscles in his arms (which, of course, made Alya blush even more). Nino looked every bit the part of Apprentice Royal Steward, a rank he would one day exceed once his best friend Adrien became King of Agreste.

Seeing Nino made Alya forget her melancholy all together, and she practically leapt into the dark-skinned man's outstretched arms. They both laughed as he twirled her around, and the world became nothing but a blurry, spinning haze. Alya buried her face in Nino's neck, savouring the scent of him.

Suddenly, she wished she had taken a bath before meeting him.

But Nino didn't seem to mind. He set her back down gently, but he never once let her go. "I've missed you," he said warmly. Then, he whispered so that only she could hear, "You're not hurt?"

Alya sighed with a smile. "You worry too much," she murmured. "I'm perfectly fine..." She rolled her eyes over at their two best friends. "... thanks to Romeo and Juliet over there. They're the heroes. I just went along for the ride."

Nino blinked at her in surprise. "Aw, come on... I bet you gave old D'Argie and his goons a run for their money. Oh, wait – you did!"

Now Alya's amber eyes bore concern. "His goons, yes... but D'Argencourt..." She shivered, remembering how she saw a fine fighter like Adrien at the mercy of the infamous swordsman. "You were right about him, Nino – he's good. Really good." She glanced back at Marinette and Adrien, who were laughing at something Plagg was saying, and Alya felt a bit of guilt rise up inside her. "I got too carried away, and I almost got both of them in trouble." She turned back to Nino, her chin dipped low. "Some hero I turned out to be."

Nino lifted her head back up to meet his affectionate gaze. "You are a hero, Aly," he said. "You've done so much for Marinette, and for the kingdom. So what if you slip up a bit? It happens." He stroked her cheek with soft fingers. "All that matters is that no matter what you do, you do it for the sake of good; to help people." He winked at her. "And you do it with style, too."

That hard pit in Alya's stomach softened, and she smiled up at her boyfriend. Maybe it wasn't so hard for her to adjust after all. And Nino was right: she may have been stealing, but it was to take back what had already been stolen. Rob from the criminals, and give to the people – a worthy cause. The smiles on those children's faces had been proof enough.

"Perhaps you should be the new Chief Advisor," Alya suggested with a smirk. "Speaking of which, has the king made a final decision yet?"

Something mischievous gleamed in Nino's eyes, and he leaned in closer, their lips brushing together. "Well, I'm not supposed to say anything, but..."

"Ah, Your Highness!" came a sharp but delighted voice. "Thank Astruc you're back safe."

Alya and Nino winced and frowned at their ruined moment.

Lady Nathalie, the royal steward, casually stood at the top of the steps and smiled down at Adrien and his companions. It wasn't much of a smile, but Alya knew the dark-haired crane-woman was trying.

A strict abider of the rules, Nathalie had originally objected to the union between Adrien and Marinette, which went against the law stating that the prince could only marry a princess. Luckily, King Gabriel made a few slight changes for his son's sake, so technically no laws were being broken. Nathalie eventually went along with it, though Alya knew it would take the steward a long time for her to get used to the idea of a baker's daughter becoming royalty.

"Pardon the interruption," Nathalie said, glancing awkwardly between the two young couples, "but His Majesty wants to see you all in the throne room as soon as possible."

Adrien grinned. "I guess Father wants to make a grand spectacle of our return," he said with his arm around Marinette.

Alya snickered, until she caught that "look" in Nathalie's blue eyes. Alya called it the "bad news" look. Uh-oh, the redhead thought.

"I'm afraid this is no spectacle, Adrien," Nathalie said with a saddened tone. "Your father said it this is an urgent matter." Then, in a quiet tone, she murmured, "One that concerns the fate of Agreste."

Now Alya was really concerned, as were the rest of her friends. Even Tikki and Plagg looked a bit jittery.

"Is it that bad?" Marinette asked, her "Princess Ladybug" tone coming back out.

Adrien was now looking serious. "My father isn't usually one to joke around," he explained. "If he says it's urgent, it can't be anything good."

Nino raised an eyebrow at the prince. "Really? Did the "fate of Agreste" part tip you off?" he asked sarcastically.

"Honey, hush," Alya shushed.

"Then what are we waiting for?" Plagg asked. "We're heroes, aren't we? Let's go find out what it is, and then we can swoop in and save the day!"

For once, Alya wished she had Plagg's optimism.

The first time Marinette had set foot in the throne room, it had been the most nerve-wrecking day of her life.

Back then, she had been pretending to be "Princess Ladybug of Dupain" so that she could court Adrien legally. When she met King Gabriel's eyes for the first time, the man had been warm and welcoming towards the young bachelorette.

This time, as she, Adrien, and their friends marched briskly down the long, blue carpet towards the massive, elephant-shaped throne, Marinette saw the king's expression from far away... and there was nothing warm or welcoming about it.

Marinette's parents stood not far from the king. Tom looked confused, and Sabine held onto his arm for support. They both smiled and waved when they saw their daughter walk in.

Marinette grew nervous. I wonder if Gabriel told them where I disappeared off to last night, she thought. She was already getting bombarded by them with wedding ideas. The last thing she wanted was her mother and father worrying for her safety too.

At the foot of the dais stood a hunched man wearing a long brown robe. Judging by his balding head, he looked like a monk.

The king's icy-blue eyes were hard, and the lines on his sharp face were tight. But the moment he laid eyes on his son, Gabriel's grim look softened. "Adrien, Marinette," he called, "I'm glad to see that you've both returned safe and sound."

Marinette heard Alya grumble behind her, "What am I – chop liver?"

The group arrived at the dais, and only then did the robed stranger turn around.

Marinette beamed when she saw the old man's face. "Master Fu!" she exclaimed.

The Great Guardian bowed with a big smile. "Hello, Marinette," he said softly. "It is good to see you again."

Wayzz the turtle kwami flew out of his robe and bowed as well.

Nino stepped up as soon as he saw the little guy. "Yo, Turtle Man! Haven't seen you in a while. Give me some shell!" He held on his hand for a high-five.

Wayzz flew over and did a secret handshake with Nino: up-high, down-low, in the middle, fist bump, and finger point. The sight of it made Marinette giggle. Master Fu chuckled as well.

"I'm glad you're here too, Master Fu," Adrien said, "because... well, Marinette and I have been meaning to ask you something." He rubbed the back of his neck and smiled uneasily. "You see, it's about the wedding..."

Marinette's excitement peaked, until King Gabriel held up a hand.

"I'm afraid the wedding will have to wait, Adrien," the king said. His face was impassive, but there was an underlying sadness and concern in his tone. "In fact, I'm not sure there's even going to be a wedding."

Marinette felt her heart plummeting like a rock into a river. But it didn't leave her sad – it left her confused; hurt; angry.

"What?" Adrien snapped, suddenly on the defensive.

"What?!" Tikki, Alya, Nino, and Plagg said in unison.

"Why?" Marinette asked, trying to be polite. In the back of her mind, her thoughts raced: Has the king reconsidered? Will he not let me marry Adrien anymore?

Her father seemed to have the same idea, because he looked as flustered as a thundercloud. "What do you mean there won't be a wedding?" he demanded. "My daughter has more than proved herself worthy of Adrien!"

"Tom, please!" Sabine urged him before turning to Gabriel. "Forgive us, Your Majesty, but we deserve to know what is going on."

"Yeah, I'm with her," Alya said, her brow furrowed. "What's the big idea?"

Once again, King Gabriel raised his hand, and everyone willed themselves to silence.

Interestingly, Master Fu didn't seem frazzled at all by this announcement.

"Do not mistake my decision to call the wedding off as my disregard for your daughter," Gabriel said to Tom and Sabine. "Believe me; nothing would please me more than to see her walking down the aisle to my son." His eyes went downcast. "My concern is for their well-being. Master Fu has just informed me that something terrible has transpired last night."

Marinette wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or not. "What's happened?" she asked gently, looking at the Great Guardian.

She could tell her old friend was struggling with himself, as though he wished he could take everything back.

"There is... no better way to say this," Master Fu said, hanging his head down as he leaned forward on his cane. Then he looked up with deep, brown eyes that bore great fear and regret. "I am sorry, my friends. I have failed."

Now Marinette was more worried than ever.

Failed? But what could he –?

Marinette went cold as it dawned on her, and she shook her head. "No..." she breathed. "You don't mean..."

Master Fu nodded with deep regret. "Volpina's amulet has been taken."

Adrien gasped.

Alya covered her mouth.

Nino's own mouth fell to the floor.

Tikki and Plagg both let out frightful cries of "AH!" and buried themselves in Marinette's ponytails and Adrien's jacket, respectively.

But none was as pale-faced or shaken as Marinette.

Taken?

"Taken?" her mother echoed, a hand on her heart.

"By who?" Adrien demanded, looking between his father and Master Fu.

But it was Wayzz who answered, "Trixx."

"Trixx?!" everyone shouted in unison.

Alya waved her hands frantically. "Whoa, whoa, whoa – back up! I thought the little rodent was trapped inside the Miraculous with Volpina? How did she get out?"

"I am not certain she did anything," Master Fu replied. "I believe it had something to do with the Miraculous. Wayzz, if you would..."

The turtle kwami nodded and hovered forward so everyone could see him. "A Miraculous can only have one host bound to it for all eternity. The amulet was created solely to trap Volpina, so it allowed Trixx to leave."

"But... why now?" Nino asked, his tanned skin now the shade of dried wheat. "Why didn't Trixx just get out of the amulet beforehand?"

Master Fu's face darkened, and he stroked his beard. "I suspect Trixx had planned to wait for the opportune moment to escape," he explained. "That way, she could slip out and snatch the Miraculous away when Wayzz and I least expected it." Once again, he hung his head down in shame. "I blame myself. I should have seen this coming. Now the entire kingdom could be in grave danger... because of my mistake."

Tikki poked her head out. "You can't blame yourself, Master Fu," she insisted. "Trust me – that Trixx is a crafty one, just like her master."

"But what about Volpina?" Marinette blurted, her hands curled up into fists against her chest. "Has... Has she been released from the amulet?"

"If she had, don't you think we would have seen something by now?" Alya asked.

Adrien nodded in agreement. "Lila always did like to make a grand entrance," he noted with contempt.

Wayzz shrugged. "It is hard to say. When Tikki was released from Marinette's earrings, I felt her presence even from miles away. I haven't felt anything else since then... but..." He fidgeted with his tiny green hands. "Volpina may be different. She is a kwami who had once been human, and that human part of her will always remain. Her power is far greater than Tikki's had been when she was bound to the earrings."

Master Fu nodded. "Volpina is the first of her kind; a creature unlike any other," he mused. "There is no telling what she is capable of. But I do know that no matter who comes to possess her amulet, she will try to take matters into her own hands..." The Great Guardian's eyes fell on Marinette. "... and she will undoubtedly return to Agreste."

To get to me, Marinette finished in her head. Because I imprisoned her.

Suddenly, she was standing in the flaming throne room riddled with towers of treasure, hearing the enchantress's cackling laugh, watching her take out her friends one by one: Tikki, Plagg, her parents, Nino, Alya... and Adrien.

She felt her beloved's arms pull her in, and she buried herself in them before the tears came out.

Alya paced back and forth in the hallway, utterly restless.

Double the guards. Triple the night watch. Alert the city councillors of the danger. Have everyone make note of anything suspicious.

King Gabriel's orders had been firm and clear, and they had been carried out by sundown.

Alya still wasn't convinced it was enough. She knew Volpina. That witch could be inside this palace right now, laughing behind their backs. It made the redhead's skin crawl, and she wanted to punch something just to see how the wandering palace servants would react.

But Alya kept her cool, mainly for Marinette's sake. Her best friend had taken the news pretty hard, and Adrien had led her back to her room to calm her down. Alya now paced in front of that same room, debating whether she should knock or not.

She could hear Mari and Adrien's muffled voices behind the door. Alya finally bit her lip. She knew she shouldn't eavesdrop, but...

Glancing quickly down both sides of the hallway, Alya tiptoed over and inched the door open just enough so she could hear.

"... defeated her once already," came Adrien's uplifting voice. "We can do again, together."

"I tricked her, Adrien," Marinette argued weakly. "I doubt she'll be easily fooled this time. And you heard what Master Fu said. Who knows what she's capable of now?"

Alya had almost forgotten the old Guardian. He and Wayzz had decided to stick around until Volpina's amulet was found, so the king had given them accommodations not far from here. I wonder if Master Fu's just as worried as Mari, Alya thought.

"If she... If she does come back," Marinette murmured, "if she tries to get me..."

"That won't happen," Adrien affirmed, the words strengthened by the love he bore for the girl he was talking to. "I won't let it. I'll protect you from her."

"Don't you dare!" Marinette exclaimed, more frightened than angry. "Adrien, I almost lost you last time! If anything happened to you, I...!" She was breathing unsteadily, and Alya caught a few sniffles in there as well. "I can't, Adrien. I could never bear it." A shuddering gasp. "I still see her, in my dreams. I still see you... in that ice..."

Alya closed her eyes, swallowing hard. Marinette had mentioned the nightmares months ago. One time, she came hammering on Adrien's chamber door just to see if he was still breathing. Poor Plagg had been scared out of his whiskers.

Only now, Marinette's nightmare was coming true.

"Shh..." Adrien whispered softly, and then Marinette's crying became muffled. He was holding her against him. "I'm not going anywhere, Milady, and I'm not going to let her take you from me either. We're going to find her... and we're going to stop her for good."

Alya closed the door soundlessly.

Her mind raced as she moved down the hall back to her own chambers.

Marinette would never let Adrien suffer again at Volpina's hand as long as she lived, and Adrien would rather die than lose his lady again for the hundredth time.

Agreste needed Ladybug and Cat Noir to protect it... but who would protect them when the time came?

I will, Alya affirmed. I will find a way to help them.

D'Argencourt, Volpina... No one was going to lay a hand on her friends.

I'm going to become somebody, the redhead vowed. I don't know how exactly, but I am. I have to. Somehow.

MB: Yes, that last line was taken from the opening of the Broadway song "Proud of Your Boy" (I don't own). I figured it suited Alya nicely.

Only two more chapters until Rena Rouge! Stay tuned!