"I'm sorry sir, but his majesty was unable to attend due to important matters. Is there anything you wish to report?"

"That's fine, madam. I did not notice any strange behaviour of particular interest, and everything seems to be in order."

…

"And he didn't try to, run away…?"

"No… Does he normally ditch his retainers…?"

"I am afraid so. He's been a bit of a, troubled, child ever since he lost his mother. But I'm glad he seems to get along well with you. I can't remember the last proper friend he had…"

Miss Sancoeur seemed to care deeply about Adrien, making Marinette smile.

"You are dismissed, Mr Cheng."

"Thank you."

Mari backed out of the room and slowly began to walk back to her own room. All thoughts of Chat Noir were banished from her mind. All she had to do was recover her bond with Adrien and learn to trust him again. It would be tough, but she was willing to try. After all, they were partners.

She locked her door behind her and let her hair down. Collapsing on her bed, she realised how exhausted she was from the events of the day.

Chat Noir was a prince.

Chat Noir tried to kiss her again, but decided against it.

Chat Noir was watching her get changed. Ew.

She knew he wasn't like that and it must have been a misunderstanding but it was still disturbing.

Her eyelids slid closed as she drifted of to sleep.

Blue. Green. Red. Black.

It was swirling, suffocating. She wasn't breathing. Her body was frozen. Her vision was blotchy, like a black ink diffusing into the sky.

The sky. If only she could reach it.

Her large, silk red gown chained her to the floor. Floor? What floor?

She was sinking.

The screaming in her head, ordering her to kick the water, over and over, was fading.

She wondered, what did it mean to be fading? Was she fading.

A sudden lurch of pain hit her square in the chest. She began writhing, twitching, screaming.

Bubbles were flying.

Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe, BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATHE, BREATH, BREA-"

Her eyes flew open. She was sat upright, and heard the last waver of her very real scream. Mari panted for breath, awakening again from her nightly reminder of her dance with death. Hot tears were burning the skin off of her cheeks. But she was used to it. Every night for over a year.

Little did she know, a certain blonde was standing outside her door, desperately fiddling with her lock.

Not again. His luck was the worst around. Another locked door stood between him and helping his Lady.

He heard her silence. And stood frozen in terror.

"Just a dream…" he heard her say.

The prince exhaled with the greatest relief. She was safe. But what was she dreaming about? Part of him had fairly good guess.

He went back sleep.

She knocked once. She knocked twice. She knocked three times.

Really?

She opened the door slowly.

"Adrien? I thought we'd already established that I was stronger than yo-"

Again, the young man leapt like a cat from above his door, claws out, pouncing on his prey.

Obviously she dodged him. And karate chopped him in the back.

"Seriously?"

"I'll attack you every day when you come in, and one day, I'll beat you!" He cried, like a little kid.

"Right… Well, I checked your schedule and you're pretty much free today. Except you have a meeting with Chloé and her dad. Brilliant. Well, I'll behave this time, but that girl…"

"Jealous?" He asked, teasingly.

"In your dreams…"

"Speak of dreams… Why were you screaming last night?"

Marinette froze.

"Y-You heard t-that? Did I wake you up?"

"That's not the problem here!" Adrien yelled, a little too loudly. "I'm worried about you…" he said shyly, a slight blush creeping onto his face as he broke the eye contact.

"Worried? But you've only known me for one day. It's not like we're old friends or anything, are we? Your highness." She said coldly.

That's right. Chat Noir and Ladybug were separate people. Without the mask, they were strangers.

"Oh, forgive me, Marin. It feels like it's been years…" he said sadly.

"Right, well. Wanna sneak out? Until you're needed, of course…" she offered.

In all his time as a prince (which was his entire life) nobody had ever, and he meant ever, suggested to break a rule with him. And boy was he happy to hear her words.

The morning sun graced their faces and lit their path into the city of Paris.

Mari had let her hair down and made herself more girly, and the prince had scruffier up his hair and hidden his royal crest. They looked perfectly disguised. They fit in with the rich city folk, and strolled around, admiring everything they saw. Adrien hadn't left the palace since he stopped being Chat Noir. It felt good to be out again.

The two stopped for street food and checked all the stalls, Marinette buying some thread and beads and creating a good luck bracelet. There was a festival in town, where they danced and played games at stalls for prizes. Marinette was awesome at them, Adrien not so much.

It reminded him of when he went into Paris with his mother, all those years ago.

Arms stuffed with prizes, stuffed toys, snacks, prize money, they made their way back towards the castle for lunch with mayor Bourgeois.

"Thanks for today, Marinette. I haven't been happy like that in years, ya know? It was nice to just break a rule or two, and-"

The burst out in good natured laughter.

"I can't believe you! Are rule or two?! I think it's a little bit worse than that!"

The two continued to laugh as they fixed their appearances and returned to their original state.

"Lord Bourgeois, Lady Chloé, a pleasure to see you again." The prince said warmly. Chloé was glaring at Mari like there was no tomorrow.

"Please, take a seat."

The old man and his daughter sat around the overly large dining table, designed to hold twenty people. Adrien joined them. Mari stood in the corner of the room, silently observing.

"Your highness, I believe you know of my wish for you to marry my daughter, do you not? Your father will be joining us soon, and we wish to make the deal final. Do you have any objections?"

"Yes, actually I-"

"Perfect! So it's settled then… Oh look, here's your father now!"

Adrien internally groaned. He needed a quick idea. Some time soon would help.

Adrien's father entered through the large door at the end of the room. His face gave nothing away. He sat next to his son, leaving one chair between them, so as to not show any sign of remotely caring about Adrien. Marinette tutted, a little too loudly.

"Your majesty! Welcome back!"

"Thank you, Mr Bourgeois. Chloe, I hope you are well. Adrien, you are okay with this arrangement, are you not?" Not like his tone allowed any choice in answer.

"Actually, I have someone else in mind."

The silence was palpable.

"And I would like to have a ball. So that I can choose a wife."

All eyebrows were raised in shock. Adrien hated balls. He hated talking about marriage, as well.

"B-But, Adrikins! I thought you loved me-"

"Very well. Miss Sancoeur will schedule and arrange it for you. Goodbye, Chloé, Mr Bourgeois." With that, Gabriel got up and left the room, without another word.

"Good day." Said Adrien hurriedly, nervously.

He walked briskly to the door, but after it was closed, he legged it to the courtyard, hearing footsteps following him.

"What are you doing?! I'm pretty sure from the way you said it you have NO CLUE WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE THINKING!?"

…

"Marinette. Could you, by any chance, do me a huge, huge, huge, favour…?

…

"You have got to be joking…"