Marin was sat on the side of the marble fountain in the centre of the courtyard, gently cleaning she gash on her leg. After about ten minutes of explaining she was fine, tougher than she looked, the prince had left her alone to finish his lesson. Why was he so concerned? It's not like they'd known each other for years, and it's not like she was his first friend.

Was it?

She hadn't seen much, but nobody waved at him as they walked. Nobody said good morning to him. From what she'd seen, he was totally alone. Had it always been like this?

Marinette flinched as the solution stung against her cut. Her pants were already torn to shreds around the area of the cut, so she was able to bandage her bleeding thigh. It wasn't pretty, but she'd had worse.

The prince's lesson had ended. He waved goodbye to Lord D'Argencourt and walked across to the fountain to sit beside Mari.

"Are you sure that's okay? Looks pretty deep to me…" He told her, worriedly.

"I told you once already, I'm not gonna die, and I've had worse. Trust me, I heal up quicker than the average guy. So, now that's over, what's next on his highness' royally royal schedule of royal royalty? Oh great master, our lord and saviour princess Adrienna!" She teased, trying not to keel over from extensive use of snickering.

"Oh shut up, here I am worrying about your injury, and you're just teasing me. Next, I've got…"

He stopped to think. "Oh dear. Ohhhhhhhhh dear. Well, Marin, brace yourself and try your best not to kill anyone but I've got another stupid marriage appointment with that… That… That young madam Chloé Bourgeois. I swear that girl is obsessed with me. Though, I don't blame her, I mean look at me! I'm gorgeous!"

Mari snorted. What an idiot.

"Hey! Don't laugh, come on, you see it too! Looks these muscles, this fabulous face! No girl can resist me!"

Marinette burst out into mocking laughter, falling back with a splash into the water.

And now it was Adrien's turn to laugh. He grabbed her arm and yanked her out, almost crying with laughter.

"Oh? You were saying, young Marin? I thought I heard you laughing!"

She got up in a huff and turned on her heel. Her hands came up to her face, and Adrien saw her begin to shake. He thought her heard a quiet sobbing.

"Marin! Oh my god, are you-"

She burst out laughing.

"You were faking?! Really? Go and change out of those sodden clothes. We have a while before we need to go meet Chloé anyway… Geez…"

The two walked back towards their rooms, parting at their two doors.

Marinette sighed as she closed the door behind her. She was soaked. She got out her towel and began to dry her hair.

Carefully watching her cut, she dried her legs and put on some new, black pants. Fortunately her boots hadn't gotten wet. Not so fortunately, her chest binding had. She removed the bandages and got some new ones. Tying them quickly around her chest, she saw her bedraggled, still damp hair in her mirror, which hung around her shoulders when not tied back. So much for staying low key. She reached for a new, dry shirt, sighing again.

She heard a click.

She did not investigate.

"Hey Marin, are you done in ther-"

He stopped talking. Actually, he stopped most things. His breathing, his heart beat. But one thing her didn't stop was staring. There was no way. He wasn't seeing straight. Was it possible that… Marin was actually a girl?!

He saw her begin to turn, so he ducked back behind the wall. They were unarmed at the moment. He don't know what reason he, no, she, had for lying, but he guessed it wasn't because she really wanted to protect him. If she knew he'd learned her secret, she had to power to kill him with ease. He'd have to wait until he trusted her.

"Hm… Did I always leave the door open? Eh."

She walked over to the half open door, and closed it gently.

Adrien scurried down the corridor and back into his room.

His bodyguard was a girl.

He didn't think he could look at her the same again.

And just when he'd thought he'd found a friend, it turned out to be a dangerously strong imposter with an unclear (but worrying) motive. But, I guess, if it ever came to it, he could reveal her to his father, and she'd never be allowed to step foot in the castle again. Heck, she might even be sent to prison!

But he didn't want her to leave. When he thought about losing the only person who spoke to him like a friend, not an employer, he was scared. Scared of losing everything, all over again.

"Prince Adrien? Are you ready to go yet? Don't you have to meet this Chloé girl soon?"

He heard her calling.

Somehow, it made him nervous.

"Y-Yeah! Let's go then!"

The two walked in awkward silence down to the ground floor of the palace.

The grand hall was large and exquisitely decorated.

"Why are you so quiet? Did something happen?"

No. He couldn't act weird, she'll see straight through him if he acted weird.

"No, no I'm fine, just annoyed to be meeting Chloe, that's all…"

"I take it you don't like her?"

"Well…"

"ADRIKINSSSSSSS! Did you miss me? Don't worry, I'm here now!"

A huge yellow dress came flying out of the double doors. A sickeningly sweet smile flashed like a phone camera (which they DID NOT have at the time).

"Oh," whispered Mari, "I see now. Adrikins." She giggled.

"I will fire you. I promise."

That shut her up.

"Oh, who's this scrawny little thing? They told me they employed someone to scrub the floor before Adrien as he walked, but honestly, I expected better…" Chloe remarked, glancing smugly across at Marinette, before returning her attention to Adrien.

"No, Chloe. This is my personal attendant and bodyguard Marin. So you have to be nice to her- HIM." He quickly corrected himself, but it seemed like nobody noticed.

"Huh, bodyguard? This guy couldn't protect you from a mosquito! And obviously, neither could the guy who picked him…"

"If that was, as I interpreted it, an attempt to accuse me of being a parasitic insect, then I assure you, madam, that I am indeed human." Said Mari, in the most monotone voice Adrien had ever heard, and knowing he had to put up with Nathalie and his father, that was really saying something.

He was impressed.

And he had an idea,

"Yes well, Chloe, she'll be joining us for our lunch today. I hope that's okay with you?"

His tone made it hard to refuse. After all, Chloe was, to some degree, infatuated with the prince. They were childhood friends, but Chloe wanted more. She wanted to be his queen.

"Ugh. Really? That thing?"

"Yes, Chloe, that thing."

"What-everrrrr. SABRINA! WE ARE GOING NOW!"

The blonde yelled to a small red headed maid standing shyly in the hallway.

The three walked down corridor after corridor, until finally emerging into a beautiful, extravagant greenhouse. Everything was delicate, intricate. Flowers, vines and fruit laden branches hung like tapestries from the ceiling. Exotic shrubbery was placed elegantly around a dainty set of chairs around a table, painted perfectly in white. Tropical birds swirled like watercolour against the glass ceiling. It truly was a sight to behold.

"Ew! Mud and bugs?! Whoever picked this spot should be FIRED Adrien!"

"I picked it." He replied, blankly.

He liked Chloe. She was the closest thing he had to a friend after his mother's death. But now, knowing Marin, he realised he definitely did not want to marry a person like Chloe. He tried hard to let her know he wasn't interested. Shame she was so persistent.

"Wait, Adrikins, what are you doing?"

Adrien had disappeared to another part of the garden. He returned with an extra chair cradled in his arms.

"Wait, you're not actually letting HIM sit with us, are you!?"

Adrien didn't reply. He placed the chair down.

"There you go, Marin."

"Thanks bro." Said Mari.

The prince and his bodyguard exchanged glances.

He knew what she was thinking.