Chapter 3: The Pebble in the Gold
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"And thread, bead, up and over, and Done!" Marinette exclaimed out loud as she added the very final sequins to the Duchess's dress.
It felt so good to give her fingers a rest at long last. She had to break away from this one to finish the others in time since Madame Bourgeois wanted such meticulous details. At least with the other dresses it was a matter of fitting. She took a seat nearby to look at everything she'd accomplished. She felt the happiest that the dress Adrien gave her was finished. She couldn't wait until tonight to wear it, be able to dance with Adrien, and spend time with all her friends. It really was wonderful of the king to arrange this even for the simple folk.
Looking at the dresses for a while longer, she then turned her attention to the peacock dress that Rossi woman wanted. She felt disappointed in herself for yesterday. Why hadn't she stood up for herself better? Why did she let that awful woman have her way and accept her money? The small collection of coins felt so heavy in the little purse resting on her thigh. Marinette wondered if she should give the money back and insist that Lila choose a different one. Then there was all those lies she was spouting about practically being betrothed to the prince. She heard the same lies in the streets and among her parents' bakery. As if someone as pure as Adrien would ever have an interest in someone like that.
Marinette took a deep breath to fight off getting upset again. Lila's lies were not going to hold, she knew that because she knew Adrien and she loved him. Gathering herself together, she got up to unlock the front door and open the shop. Her clients should arrive very soon, and then she could check to see if her parents need any more help. She tried to make herself busy by looking for any loose threads or out of place details. Socqueline had gone home to get some much needed sleep, so Marinette was by herself in the shop right now. She hoped her work would live up to all her clients' expectations.
As if on cue, Audrey Bourgeois stepped into the shop followed by her daughter, Chloe, and their servant Sean-Armand.
Marinette straightened up a bit then stepped forward to greet them. "Good morning, Duchess Bourgeois, good morning Chloe."
"Dupain-Cheng." Chloe snuffed back, not really caring for pleasantries.
"Tailor, I assume you have finished our gowns." The duchess said in a way that she shouldn't even be bothered to ask. Marinette was pretty sure the elite woman felt it a chore just to show up herself.
"Yes, your grace, they're right here." she led them over to the mannequins with the dresses on full display. "I hope they are to your liking."
Audrey walked around the dressed mannequin giving it a close inspection. She looked at every stitch, every seam, and felt the texture of the material, all the while her expression never changing. Marinette didn't know if she approved or not, and the silence was starting to get to her. She could also see that Chloe was enjoying every minute of her expense. Chloe never liked Marinette for reasons, she believed, were to do with her closeness to Prince Adrien. Chloe also loved to follow behind her mother like a shadow. So, if the duchess didn't like the dress, then neither would her daughter.
"This gown..." Audrey started.
"Yes, ma'am?" the designer waited for her to continue.
"Is Absolutely Stunning!" the duchess allowed herself to look excited. "I'm certainly going to be the envy of the other wives at the ball. And with the glory of my daughter's dress right behind me, it couldn't be more perfect!"
Marinette felt both relief and elation at her words. "I'm so glad you like it, your grace."
"Hmm, I guess you do know what you're doing, Dupain-Cheng." Chloe said her way of giving a complement.
"Very good. I'll just have them packed up and ready for you in a few minutes." Marinette went to retrieve the boxes. Jean-Armand was kind enough to give her a hand.
When everything was ready, Audrey took out her little travel purse to pay the seamstress, only to be repulsed at what she discovered inside.
"Jean-Claude, is this your idea of a joke!?" she shouted at her servant rhetorically.
"Madame?" he asked quizzically, not sure what was wrong.
"I thought I ordered you to pack the right amount to pay the tailor before we left!" Audrey's voice got higher.
"I did, madame, and I triple counted the amount." the man kept his posture calm and sure.
"Then how to you explain this ugly little rock in my bag!?" She flicked the offending pebble at the man, and he caught it on reflex.
"I- I don't know, ma'am. I assure you." it was the only answer he could give.
"Ridiculous, utterly ridiculous!" Chloe added for good measure.
"That's happened a few times this morning." Marinette said out loud, making everyone turn back to her.
"What are you talking about?" Audrey asked curiously, but still annoyed.
"At the bakery, there were a couple of different customers finding rocks in their bags instead of coins." she explained.
"Hmmm, perhaps there is some sort of pickpocketing thief on the loose, ma'am. One that replaces the coin with stones so no one will notice the change in weight." Jean-Armand supplied a theory.
"It doesn't matter because now we can't pay for the dresses!" Chloe complained.
Marinette just smiled. "If I may, Duchess, I can put a note in my books, and you can pay be back after the ball." she went to one of her logbooks for the order receipt.
"Very well, then." Audrey placed her signature in the book and paid the girl what she could. "Camilla, Sean-Pierre, we're leaving."
"It's Chloe." she grumbled but followed her mother.
Marinette sighed in relief, glad that was finally over. She questioned if the duchess would actually remember that she still owed her money. She had a tendency to never bother with trivial matters. Well, at least Marinette got most of her payment, so she wasn't too worried about it. She spent the morning cleaning up around the store in between customers retrieving their orders. It wasn't until near noon that she saw the Lady Lila come inside. To be honest, Marinette just wanted to get this one done as quickly as possible.
"Bonjour, Mademoiselle, I have your dress all ready for you." Marinette greeted politely and presented the already packed dress to her.
Lila eyed the box skeptically and opened it while it was still in Marinette's hands. She lifted the dress with two fingers as if she was touching something grotesque.
"Are you sure this is the same dress?" Lila asked.
"Yes, ma'am, this was the only dress of its kind, and I adjusted it to match your measurements." Marinette responded in full confidence.
"I should hope so." Lila replied as she let the dress fall back into the box. "The last thing I want is to be unpresentable when I stand beside the prince."
"Umm, ma'am, there's something I feel I should tell you..." Marinette started to say, thinking she would feel worse if the woman wasn't informed.
"Oh, you mean about your little acquaintanceship with Prince Adrien?" Lila smiled cruelly.
Marinette guessed that Adrien must have talked about her when they met. "No, it's-"
"I'm sure you think you're something special meeting someone so important close up." she interrupted again. "I'm also sure that you must realize that whatever fantasies you have about the prince are completely pointless."
Her words froze the seamstress, and she almost dropped the dress.
But Lila wasn't done with her yet. "The prince deserves someone of high birth. Someone that will be a good match for his image. Someone with the perfect amount of grace and beauty to stand beside him as his queen. Not even a common lord that's deep in debt to try and sell his daughter off would bother wasting the prince's time, let alone a simple little needleworker such as yourself. So, I think it's best if you move on with your life, Marinette dear." she let out a laugh at the crestfallen look that spread over the young woman face.
She expected the little seamstress to run away crying, but instead Marinette took a deep breath and looked Lila straight in the eyes.
"You're right, I am a simple peasant seamstress that couldn't possibly have a chance with the prince. I know this..." she said softly.
"Of course I'm right- " Lila wanted to savor her victory, but Marinette had more to say.
"But despite what you believe, I also know Adrien." Marinette set the box on the table to face Lila more squarely. "Adrien is the kindest, most caring, and loyal man I ever had the pleasure of knowing, and him being a prince has nothing to do with it. I also know that he's smart and thinks for himself, and the last thing he would do is pick someone unworthy for the throne. No fancy dress will ever make him choose otherwise."
The skin on her forehead was aching with how deeply Lila was frowning, she even felt angry enough to spit. "Why you insolent little urchin, do you have any idea who I- " She was actually getting ready to strike her, but was disrupted by the shop doorbell ringing.
"Bonjour, ladies, I have a delivery for a Marinette Dupain-Cheng." a young messenger walked in.
"Bonjour, Nino." Marinette addressed him, glad he showed up when he did. She decided to end things with her client and picked up the still opened box. "Here's your dress, Lady Rossi, and your payment is accepted in full. I hope you enjoy."
Lila would have done something far worse than say a few nasty words to the little insect, but she couldn't risk it with a witness. So, she put on a light smile and accepted the dress. "Thank you so much, Marinette. I just know my dear prince is going to love it." She allowed the messenger to get a good look at the dress before closing it up and heading out the door.
"What was all that about?" Nino asked confused.
Marinette didn't really want to talk about it, but she didn't want to worry her friend either. "It's nothing, just another spoiled rich girl that thinks the world owes her a living"
"Ah, that living being a bride to the prince." Nino added in understanding. "Probably a good thing I didn't say who this package was from right in front of her."
"Oh right, you said you had a delivery." Marinette allowed herself to cheer up. The box was small, near the size of a jewelry box. And that thought made her sigh. "Nino, did Adrien send more gifts? I already told him the dress was enough."
"I know you did, which is why our dear royal friend knew that you would reject this if he gave it to you with the dress." Nino laughed, and Marinette just smiled with him. They both knew Adrien so well. "He swears it's nothing too fancy, just a little decoration to go with the dress you're wearing to the ball.
Marinette accepted the package and pulled apart the ribbon. She opened the case to reveal a simple string of black pearls with a pair of single pearl stud earrings to match. She gasped at the beauty of them.
"Nino, I couldn't possible accept this..." she tried to return it.
"You know, if it had been anyone else in the royal family, I'm pretty sure you would be insulting them with rejecting a gift. What kind of punishment do you think you'd be given?" he teased.
"But I... I'm not..."
"Come on, Marinette, you know that Adrien thinks the world of you, and he only wants to make you happy. Just let him."
His words were meant to encourage her, but considering what Lila had said earlier, she couldn't help the doubts bubbling to the surface of her mind. It must have shown on her face, because Nino gave her a worried look.
"What's the matter?" he placed a hand on her shoulder.
"It's that lady, Lila, and the dress she bought." she confessed.
"I saw it. Wasn't that dress...?"
"Yeah, I tried to tell her, but she wouldn't give me a chance. All she cared about was dazzling the prince with it." she answered.
"Hmmm, I'll let Adrien know ahead of time, okay?"
"Alright." she smiled, then went back to the pearl jewelry. "Thank you for delivering this to me, Nino. I've got to get back to work and then help my parents finish at the bakery."
"Actually, that's another reason I came by. King Gabriel has ordered some help to finish preparing the catering so you and your parents can head over to the palace now to get ready. Ah-ah, this is an order from the king after all." He stopped her from trying to protest. "The carriage will be at here in about two hours so you better grab what you need for the evening, and maybe some things for overnight so you can stay in the guest bedrooms."
"Ummm, alright I... I'll go tell my parents." she answered in a bit of shock.
"Great! I'll see you later, Marinette." he waved as he made his way out.
Marinette waited for one last client before closing up shop and headed toward the bakery. Her thoughts went back to how her family will be escorted to the ball later on. Part of her probably shouldn't be surprised since they were in close connections with the king and prince. But on the other hand, it still felt so surreal for simple folk such as them to get the extra treatment. Many a nobleman would kill for such an honor. That thought brought her back to the Lady Rossi, and Marinette held on tightly to the case with the pearls.
Even though Marinette loved Adrien with every beat of her heart, there was always a side of her that thought about the hopelessness of it all. No matter what they felt for one another, no matter how close they were as lovers, there was still the matter of politics. As the crown prince, Adrien would eventually have to agree on an arranged marriage with a woman of good quality to become his queen. Her heart broke at the thought of anyone else becoming his bride, spending his days and nights with them, having children with him. Would he still want her around as a secret lover, or would he stay true to the woman that became his queen? At least she knew she was telling the truth when she said he would never choose someone like Lila, he had much better sense than that. But every duke and duchess would be thinking the same thing coming to the ball. Most saw it as an expensive party, but the higher ups saw a chance to catch the prince's interests. And then what would it mean for Marinette and him? Would they drift apart?
Marinette was so lost in thought that she hadn't realized she made it to the bakery until she heard her mother's voice. "Hello, Marinette. Nino stopped by earlier saying we should pack up and get ready for the ball. Now, if only I can get your father away from the ovens." Sabine giggled as she watched her husband.
"I just want to make sure everything is set for the boys the king is sending. Don't want them to leave something behind now." Tom replied as he changed out the pans of croissants.
"They'll be fine, mon cher, we just have to worry about ourselves now." she reassured gently.
"But what if-"
"Now you march upstairs and start getting ready. Nino said we should expect a carriage soon. I'll watch the ovens."
"Thank you, mon amor." his kissed her cheek and did as he was told.
Sabine turned back to her daughter to find a very melancholy look on her face. "Is something wrong, dear?"
"I'm alright, Maman." Marinette gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Come now, Marinette, you can tell me." She led her over to some chairs and they sat down side by side.
Marinette wasn't sure where to start, her mind was thinking different things at once. So, what she ended up saying probably sounded a little random. "Maman, would you think less of me if I ended up being a mistress?"
That wasn't on the list of what Sabine thought her daughter would say. "Whatever do you mean, darling?"
"It's just, that seems like the only option for me if I ever want a future with Adrien." Marinette's voice felt weak, and her eyes swelled with tears.
"Marinette, you can't possibly think that Adrien would ever..." she tried to comfort her.
"I know he can't marry me, Maman. I'm a simple seamstress, and the daughter of a poor baker family. He's the crown prince. If not a princess, then he has to marry a noblewoman and have a family with her. Once that happens, the only way I'd get to see him anymore is as his mistress." Marinette hunched over and cried into her hands.
Sabine felt her heart break for her beloved daughter. She wished she could say what she wanted to ease Marinette's worries, but some simple words of wisdom would have to do. "I know things seem hopeless now, Marinette, but we just have to think about the positives. You know that Adrien loves you, and he would never do anything to hurt you."
"Yes." she sniffed and took out a handkerchief to wipe her nose.
"And I'm sure that if he needed to, he would look for a way for you two to be together."
"But the crown..."
"Is just a lump of metal that people put on their heads to show who's in charge. It has nothing to do with what our hearts tell us." She smiled as Marinette gave a wet laugh at her words. "Have faith, my dear, things will work out in the end."
"Heh, thanks Maman. I've been hearing so much from the rich maidens saying they will win the heart of the prince, that it made me discouraged."
"I think they'll find it's very hard to win something that's already lost to a very special girl." Sabine took hold of her daughters face and kissed each cheek. "Now, why don't we finish up here, and then join your father and packing our things?"
"Okay."
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"I have to admit for a stupid, peasant seamstress, she does know how to stitch a dress." Lila said to herself as she twirled around in her full splendor. She had the gown in a perfect fit, a feathered fan in her hand, her hair done up in a loose curled bun with a lone peacock feather to match. And the final touch being her locket resting nicely above her breasts. Any hot-blooded young man would be mad not to look there, and once the prince did just that she shall put her spell to work and begin their fairytale.
She headed outside and was escorted around to the front of the palace for the introductions to be made to the whole ballroom. Already she could see the commoners arriving in the gardens, many of them making their way to the free food and drink. She wondered if the seamstress was here already. Maybe once she has her way with the prince, she'll bring him out here as well to show that he belonged to her. Lila could just imagine the heartbroken look on poor Marinette's face. It would serve her right for thinking she could talk back to her betters that way.
Several dukes and viscounts were in front of her, and she made sure to be the last announced; the grander entrance she could present, the better. One group in particular she recognized in front of her was the Viscount Robert Roth, with his son Xavier and his niece Aurore. This viscount was notorious for his greed, rumored to have overtaxed his tenants just for the feeling of the coin filled satchels. Perhaps she could make use of the man one day.
"Stand up straight, you two, we can't afford to have you make us look like fools in front of the royals." Roth growled to his family.
"I don't see why I had to come here." Xavier complained. "Aurore probably won't even be picked by the prince."
"Nonsense, all princes go for the small, innocent look." The viscount sounded so confident.
What a fool, Lila thought. She could also see that Aurore was terrified to be here. She wondered how old the girl actually was, because she looked younger than what anyone would assume.
"Uncle, I don't think I can do this." the girl squeaked out.
"You can and you will. And then we'll have our hands on the royal treasury. We will be immortalized with wealth."
Lila saw this as a moment for fun. "Oh my." she gasped loud enough for them to turn and face her. "Surely you don't intend to trick the royal family, do you? I'm afraid I would have to inform my beloved prince of your deception, Viscount Roth."
"And who are you?" Roth crossed his arms, obviously not feeling threatened by her.
"I am a dear friend to Prince Adrien. My family has made quite a fortune in trading with the king for many years." she opened her fan to hide her smile. She could see the curiosity in the man's eyes when she mentioned a fortune.
"And how much of a profit has your family made?" he asked.
"One large enough to extend a seat in the royal court when the prince asks for my hand." In other words, don't even bother with your niece, and be on Lila's side when she calls on you.
The family could read what she wasn't saying. "Understood." Roth said, then turned back around for the announcer to give their names.
Lila let the Roth family continue on ahead, then thought it wouldn't hurt to make more of an entrance for herself. She didn't want to do too much, or it might look suspicious. With a touch of her locket, she took away some of the light from all the candles in the ballroom to make them dim slightly. Then she used it to brighten the lanterns that were at the door as she entered, and her name was called.
"Presenting the Lady Delila de Rossi, daughter to the duke and duchess of Rossi." She smiled as she watched several people gaze upon her brilliance. She looked up to beam at the king and prince as they witnessed her glory. King Gabriel gave her a nod, and Prince Adrien smiled warmly. She kept her eyes fixated on him, and he didn't turn away from her. Good. Now she just needs another chance to get close enough to get him to dance with her. She had to be patient, however, and wait for the king to make the announcement to begin the ball.
There were a few more names called out and greetings given before King Gabriel rose from his thrown and addressed the whole ballroom. "I welcome all of you. It has been some time since we were all gathered like this. The last being organized by my dear late wife, the Queen Emilie." he paused to let everyone say their prayers that the queen may rest in peace. "And now we come together in good tidings of friendship and prosperity from the common to the wealthy. My son and I invite you all to eat, drink, dance and make merry!"
"Long Live the King, Long Live the Prince!" the voices thundered throughout the palace, and the music filled the room. This would surely be a night to remember.
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