CHAPTER TWENTY:

REGICIDE AND PESTICIDE

The city was unnaturally quiet as Marinette made her way through the streets.

She was exhausted and dying of thirst, and her leg still throbbed from time to time. But none of that mattered as she made her way down the main street of Agreste.

She had spent the last sixteen years of her life living in a bakery. Night-time had always been her favourite, because then she could walk up to her balcony and stare at the majestic palace as it glowed like a lantern. The lights of the other buildings would flicker like fireflies. The streets and alleys would empty as the people returned to their warm hovels to eat, rest, play music, and laugh for the rest of the night.

But tonight, something was very wrong. There was no cheerful chatter from the local taverns or clubs. All the houses had their shutters closed, blocking out the lights within. It was almost as if Marinette had stumbled into a ghost town. She shivered and wrapped her arms around her middle as she carried on.

The palace gates creaked open when Marinette made her presence known to the watchtower, and she scurried inside. Her shoes pattered along the marble stone walkway as she raced up the grand stairs. She felt like she was going to faint any second, but she forced herself to keep going.

She barely reached the top when someone stepped out in front of her.

It was Captain Roger.

For once, Marinette was glad to see him. "Roger!" she said desperately. "The king has been cap–"

She realized too late that he was looking at her with menacing anger.

She realized too late that there were two other guards coming at her from behind the pillars.

"Seize her!" Roger shouted, pointing at Marinette.

The girl was too tired and too shocked to get away in time. The two soldiers grabbed her arms and pinned them behind her back very unkindly. Marinette cried out from the men's unrelenting grip.

"You are under arrest," Captain Roger declared with the fury of a bear, "for the murder of King Gabriel!"

Horror gripped Marinette's gut. "What?!" she cried in disbelief. In her head, her thoughts spun like a rapid disc. The king is dead? What about Alya? Why are they blaming me? Where is Adrien?

"No!" Marinette insisted, struggling in the guards' hold. "Roger, it was D'Argencourt! And Trixx too! They took –"

"Silence!" the captain spat, spittle flying from his mouth. "Save your testimony for the prince." He already turned and beckoned his troops to follow.

Marinette grunted as the guards practically dragged her into the palace, her feet scraping along the floor as she tried to resist.

But then Roger's words sunk in, and Marinette slightly relaxed. They were taking her to Adrien. He would listen to her, and the guards would listen to him.

Then she would finally learn what the hell was going on here.

They didn't take her directly to Adrien, as Marinette expected.

Instead, they led her into the palace dungeons.

The cell was small and filthy, and she could hear rats chattering about somewhere up in the rafters. It was so cold that anything Marinette touched stung her skin. Roger's guards clapped the blunette in iron cuffs bound together by a short, heavy chain.

The whole ordeal brought back heart-wrenching memories of the first night Marinette had been thrown into a cell, on Volpina's orders. Only this time, Marinette wasn't sure who was giving the orders now: Roger, or Adrien. She hoped with all her heart that it wasn't the latter.

The captain sent his guards away to fetch the prince, and then he turned to Marinette with a brooding look. His arms folded in a challenging position. "If you wish to plea your case," Roger said, "now is the time. I'm eager to hear what you have to say."

Marinette shot him a reproachful glare before she began her story, starting with the trip to the oasis.

It took her only a few minutes, but by then Marinette was out of breath. Her throat felt like a dried-up lake under a scorching sun. She wanted to ask for a sip of water, but judging from Roger's seething look, she doubted he would heed her wish.

"And then you went over a waterfall?" the plump captain asked with feigned surprise. "What a terrible experience! And just how, pray tell, did you survive such a deadly drop?"

Marinette knew this was coming, and she knew she didn't have an answer Roger would like. So she hung her head down bitterly and said, "I don't know."

As expected, the captain harrumphed with displeasure, as though Marinette had told him a boring, old joke. "How very convenient," he mused darkly.

Marinette's patience finally snapped, and she flung her chained hands down in a frustrated gesture. "It's the truth!" she shouted, her resounding cry scaring away the rats. "Why won't you believe me?!"

The captain opened his mouth, until another callous voice cut him off from behind him:

"Because we know you're lying."

Marinette started. She had never heard Adrien use that tone before: so low that it made her shiver, and so hard that it felt like a punch to her middle.

Roger wordlessly stepped aside with a stiff nod of his head, and the prince entered the cell.

The moment he came into the moonlight, Marinette stepped back from the sight of his face. His emerald eyes were slightly red. They were full of hurt and despair, and he was hiding it all behind a curtain of unfeeling resolve... and anger. He pinched his lips together roughly, like he was struggling not to cry.

And when Adrien spoke again, he used that alien voice Marinette had never heard before. "How could you do this?" he murmured with a thick strain. "How could you do this to me?!"

Suddenly, Marinette couldn't breathe anymore. She was so confused and afraid that all she could speak was a single word: "W-What...?"

That's when the blunette realized the prince was holding something: a small black bundle that he handled with extreme care. Adrien held it out between them and pulled away parts of the black cloth.

What Marinette saw made her cover her mouth, stifling a gasp.

"I found this in your room," Adrien stated through gritted teeth. "It's my father's special dagger." He brought it closer to Marinette, and the splatters of blood on the small blade gleamed like dark rubies in the moonlight.

Marinette was going to be sick, and not just from the horrific sight before her. So it's true? The king is...?

Swallowing hard, Marinette looked up at her prince, shaking her head. "No... Adrien, you can't think –"

"This dagger is one of a kind," Adrien interrupted coldly, staring at the blade with a look of pure remorse. "My father kept it on his person at all times." His eyes snapped back up to Marinette scathingly. "So why did you just happen to have it? And why is it covered in blood? What do you have to say for yourself now?"

Marinette was shaking her head again, and her eyes were burning. He can't possibly believe that I would... that I could ever...

Adrien looked away from her, squeezing his eyes shut as though he couldn't bear to look at her. It made Marinette's heart start to crack.

"Adrien..." she pleaded, trying to keep her bluebell eyes genuine. He had to see the truth in them; he just had to! "Kitty... I would never do something like this! You know me!"

The prince snapped back her, eyes blazing. "I thought I knew you!" he shouted, making Marinette leap back so quickly, she slammed into the stone wall. Adrien's face crumpled with grief. "I thought you loved me..." He took a brief pause to gather himself, and this time his look was pure revulsion; pure hatred. "... but now I see that all you ever cared about was taking over Agreste!"

"No!" Now Marinette was the one shouting. She tried to rush over to him, but Captain Roger blocked her with a beefy arm. "That's not true! Adrien, I swear on my love for you –"

"I don't want your love."

He might as well have slapped her in the face, considering how pale and silent Marinette went at those hurtful words. He didn't just say that. Astruc all mighty, tell me he didn't just say that!

When she gave no further reply or remark, Adrien drew himself up like his father did whenever he played the part of the king. "You have been found guilty of high treason, for the murder of my father," he stated once again in that voice that was not the Adrien Marinette knew and loved.

She shook her head, and tears dripped onto the sand at her feet. "No..." she breathed mournfully.

But her prince – her Cat Noir, the love of her life – turned away with a stiff back. "She dies at dawn," he said over his shoulder, the command as sharp as the dagger in his hands.

At that moment, Marinette's heart cleaved in two.

"As you wish, Your Highness," Captain Roger murmured.

"No... Adrien, don't do this!" Marinette begged.

The pain only became worse when Adrien headed for the door.

Heart throbbing, her breathing laboured, Marinette tried to run to him. "No... wait! Come back!" she cried, fighting with what little strength she had against Roger's hold. Then, she practically screamed, "Adrien, please!"

The prince stopped in his tracks, looking back with just the barest glance at his desperate fiancée.

But where Marinette once saw love and unwavering loyalty, she saw remorse without pity; anger with no forgiveness.

Then Adrien slipped through the threshold and out of sight. He was gone.

Gone. Gone. Gone.

Marinette's strength gave, and she sank helplessly to her knees, her chains so heavy now that they could probably drag her through the sandy floor. She wouldn't have cared if they did.

I thought you loved me... I don't want your love... She dies at dawn...

Marinette didn't make a single move when Captain Roger showed himself out of the cell.

But she flinched when the thick door slammed shut in her face.

That's when Marinette bent forward and buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Every breath she took was like a knife digging further in her chest. It hurt so much. Everything hurt so much.

The stones cried with her, and the darkness fell over her shoulders like a blanket.

But once in a while, the silence and Marinette's weeping would be broken by the same two words:

"Adrien... why?"

He listened in for a brief moment on the girl's cries before continuing on his way.

He didn't stop until he reached one of the larger cell doors. With a wave of his hand, it unlocked with a click and inched open.

"Adrien" slipped into the red darkness, only to enter a chamber with more noise.

"Get your hands off me!" came a boy's voice, followed immediately by the sound of a body being shoved against stone.

"Adrien" sneered at the second wonderful sight he had seen tonight.

Darkblade was wrestling with their newest prisoner, grunting as the golden-haired boy thrashed and kicked about with all his might. Try as he might, the swordsman couldn't get the boy's wrists into the empty pair of shackles on the wall.

All the while, Nino was thrashing and shouting himself. "Let him go!"

King Gabriel was shouting another one of his grandiose insults, and the three kwamis were now shaking their orb prison with all their might. Master Fu looked like he was going to jump out of his cuffs and pounce like a tiger.

And not far from the two old men, another pair of new additions adorned the cell wall: a broad-chested man and a petite, blue-haired woman who looked too much like her daughter. Both of them looked scared, but it wasn't fear for their own lives that "Adrien" saw in their eyes.

Trixx was pretending to pick some loose hairs in her tail as she sat on the table, obviously trying to distract herself. She stiffened when she saw "Adrien" walking in.

Darkblade gave another grunt. "Hold still, you spoiled runt!" he snarled at the golden-haired boy.

"Adrien" rolled his eyes and stepped into the light before pointing his finger at the uncooperative prisoner.

In a flurry of fiery, orange sparkles, the boy was flung by invisible hands against the wall with his arms held high. Then, the iron shackles snapped around his wrists on their own accord.

Realizing what had just happened, the boy looked for the source of the spell... and his green eyes widened with confusion.

"Adrien" walked over to the boy with a sultry smile. "Hello, darling," he purred before he released the illusion he surrounded himself with.

The real Prince Adrien gasped when the doppelganger before him transformed into the women he hated the most.

Volpina smiled at him wickedly. "Did you miss me?" she asked before letting out a cackle.

Adrien's face immediately contorted with rage, and he shook his iron bonds with a passion.

The sorceress wiped her eyes and sighed happily. "I certainly missed you," she cooed, running her fingernail along his cheek.

The prince jerked his head away, glaring. "If you're looking for another kiss, you're not getting one," he snapped with a low tone.

Volpina pouted. "Why not? You're going to be single soon, anyway."

That made Adrien pale, but those emerald eyes of his remained sharper than ever.

But it was Marinette's father who spoke. "Where is my daughter?!" he yelled. Beside him, his wife was shaking.

"Your daughter," Volpina announced, stepping further into the centre of the dungeon, "your precious "Ladybug"... is to be executed at sunrise."

"NO!" Adrien and Nino shouted in unison.

Darkblade chuckled evilly at the prince's reaction, curling his mustache with his fingers.

The baker's wife let out gasp-like scream and started crying into her shoulder. Her husband looked like he was trying to rip his shackles off. In the magic orb, Tikki, Plagg, and Wayzz exchanged a horrified glance... before all three of them starting banging around inside the enchanted glass like frenzic fireflies. Master Fu closed his eyes as though in shame.

Only King Gabriel reacted in anger. "You have no authority here, Volpina!" he bellowed. "You can't give out an order like that!"

The sorceress laughed, silencing everyone in the room. "But I'm not the one who gave the order," she insisted. "Your son did." She looked over at Adrien, admiring the disbelief written all over him. Victory resounded in her tone as she said darkly, "You should have seen the look on Marinette's face... when her precious prince sentenced her to death!"

Adrien breathing became jagged, and his eyes turned glossy even has he hung his head down. "No..."

"Yes!" Darkblade declared excitedly, holding out the Miraculous amulet. "And then I shall get my wish!"

Volpina's moment of joy took a break as she registered those words. "Yes..." she repeated coldly, "and then you shall get your wish. We'll deal with that momentarily."

"Hey!" Nino snapped, his brown eyes blazing beneath his glasses. "What about Alya? Are you going to execute her too?" He sounded to Volpina like a dog questioning another dog over possession of a juicy bone.

It made the sorceress sneer. "As much as I would love to make that street rat suffer Marinette's fate, I've made a deal with Trixx to spare her life. So at least one of you boys will get a happy ending... somewhat."

Adrien's eyes snapped to the table at the kwami's name, and Trixx quickly took cover behind an hourglass. However, it only made her even more visible... and her eyes larger.

"Trixx!" the prince shouted, his voice heavy with remorse. "I swear one day, you're going to pay for this!"

The little vixen popped her head out and let out a nervous chuckle. "I really think you're making too big a deal of out this," she said.

Volpina giggled as she walked back over to Adrien and lifted his chin with her hand. "Still so much spirit..." she mused.

Adrien's teeth snapped down on her hand, and Volpina withdrew it with a surprised hiss.

The sorceress's glare was equally vile, and she summoned her reed flute back into her hand. "Perhaps after a few days in chains, you'll be more kindly disposed towards me..." she stated roughly. Then she jabbed the fox head into the prince's face and growled, "... especially if you want your father to remain healthy!"

Adrien quickly squeezed his eyes shut from the magic staring down at him from the glowing, yellow eyes of the flute.

"Enough, Volpina!"

The sorceress stopped and snapped around, her eyes narrowed at the old man who had spoken to her in that commanding tone.

Not the king – Master Fu.

"Kindness is earned, not enforced," the Great Guardian stated boldly, as though some heroic part of him had finally woken up. "If you think you can destroy something as powerful as love, or as strong as friendship, you have learned nothing."

Volpina let out a gargling sound and rolled her eyes. "Spare me your pathetic ideals, old man," she said in a bored tone. "Love and friendship... bah! Trixx knows all about that, don't you, Trixx?"

The fox kwami let out a tiny "Meep!" when she realized all the attention was now on her.

The sorceress stalked over to the table with a dark expression. "We were the best of friends once," she said, "until you betrayed me and allied yourself with my enemies."

Trixx let out a tiny cry and tried to crawl away, but Volpina was already right above her.

"And then you turned on your new friends as soon as it was in your best interests!" Volpina stated.

Trixx covered her head with her paws, shivering.

But then, Volpina smiled sweetly and gave the little vixen a soft scratch on the head. "That's what I love about you, silly little fox," she said with a content sigh. "You're so perfectly predictable – a villain through and through."

Trixx looked up at her old master with surprise, and then beamed. "Thank you. Thank you." Then she let out a relieved sigh and rubbed her head.

Volpina let out a small "Hmph" and turned back to Master Fu. "You see, wise Guardian?" she quipped. "Friendship and love are nothing but fragile feelings; easily broken with a snap of a finger..." She snapped her own fingers for emphasis. Then, she smirked over at Adrien. "... or the fall of an axe."