Chapter 15: Prince in the Woods
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For the past two years, many rumors have been spreading around Papillon. Most of it was the people wondering what the delay was with Prince Adrien and Lady Rossi's engagement. Some had the simple suspicion that they are getting to know each other better. Others think they are waiting for Adrien to become king, which may not be far off with the king's health had taken a bad turn again. There were reports that he was healing fine thanks to the trusted doctors, but recently it seemed like his body was failing him. Prince Adrien didn't want to keep the news from his people, feeling they had a right to know in case the worst should happen. There had already been enough unfortunate events that occurred in the last year alone.
First, there was a drought that led to a bad harvest. Next, there was a fire in one of the town's grain reserves. Some of the harvest was salvaged enough to be divided among the citizens, but without another supply for the next bad season, Papillon was facing starvation. Both Prince Adrien and Lady Rossi did their part in donating some spare money to purchase some grain from neighboring kingdoms. There was good relations with them, and they offered what they could spare. It was a small solution, but it wasn't going to be a lasting one if this years harvest didn't succeed. This kept the royals and other high society from hosting any extravagant events such as masquerades or balls for the time being. The only thing that seemed appropriate was when Lady Rossi wished to arrange for an event to kickstart her wedding to the prince.
She tried telling as much to Gabriel and he was open to it to get the subject's spirits up. If only she could get the prince to keep still long enough to agree with her, but he always seemed to be too busy. For the most part it was very true. Adrien did his part by going out every day to help the men and arranging repairs to the mills and hiring extra hands to manage the fields for a successful harvest. He encouraged many soldiers to help with the fields rather than their normal guard duties around the city, and that seemed to help with progress. Adrien also made a decree to ration the supplies in the palace so more would be left for the people. Any other foods such as meat or fish, he helped by joining the hunters and fishermen to provide for the palace himself.
Adrien joined the hunters as often as he was able when he wasn't busy with his other assignments. This seemed to be the only time the prince let himself loose, other than the times his little friend would enter the kitchens and pay him a visit. For the past two years, a little black cat would wonder into the castle and only seemed to like the prince. Adrien had asked if he was one of the cats the kitchen staff kept to catch mice, but no one seemed to recognize him. The cat would show up out of nowhere, whether Adrien was outside the kitchen or in the gardens, the little creature would rub against his leg and beg him for food. The funny thing was this cat wouldn't dare touch the milk or fish he offered. The only thing that seemed to please it was camembert cheese. Adrien got into the habit of keeping some on hand in case his little friend ever showed up. The cat only seemed to appear when he was alone, and that was fine with him. The prince took quite a liking to him, and it was like he had his own little secret. It was one of the few things that eased his mind when he was in the palace.
Any other time, he tried to stay out of the palace as much as possible. It was the only way he could stay away from Lila. Right now he was heading out to the woods with Nino and a few other hunters looking for some deer. The people greeted him as they rode by on horseback, and Adrien could see the struggling faces of his people, some of them going too many days without meals. The money wasn't the issue, there's just no food for people to buy. With hope that their luck will take a turn for the better, him going out to get food for the palace will leave more for the people in town. He was given promises that Lila's trading family would come through with some goods from her hometown. She told him she heard from her father that some merchants will be making the journey to them soon, but that was all she said about it and went back to their engagement.
Now that was something Adrien truly wished he could change. He remembered back in the beginning how he tried to cancel their betrothal, to plead to his father that Lila was not the woman he wanted, but it did not go as well as he had hoped.
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"Father, I must speak with you." Adrien can into the office more determined than he had ever felt possible.
Gabriel was surprised at his son's sudden entry, but he didn't show it, and urged his son to take a seat. "What's this all about Adrien?"
"It's about Lila." Adrien obeyed in pulling up the seat across the desk.
"Has something happened to Lady Rossi?" he asked concerned.
"No, sir, I want to talk about our betrothal." Adrien took a deep breath to prepare himself to what he was going to say. "I can't go through with it. Father, I can't marry her."
The king sighed and removed his glasses to rub his already tired eyes at this news. "And what has brought about this sudden change of heart?"
"It's not sudden, father, I've had this feeling for quite some time." Adrien felt bad about bringing this on his father so soon after he was starting to recover. He wished he talked about all this much sooner, but something was always getting in the way. "I strongly believe that Lila is not the best option for the future of Papillon."
"How so?" Gabriel straightened himself up and looked at his son intensely, waiting for him to plead his case.
"I'm sure Nathalie has told you about her actions involving the taxes with Viscount Roth..." Adrien started with that.
"I was under the impression that the matter was settled, and Lady Rossi had made up for her mistakes?" the king countered.
"Well, yes she did, but..."
"So, you believe that a beautiful young woman that stopped being selfish when she realized it was hurting others, is someone that's not fit to help you run the kingdom?"
"N-no, father. That's not what I meant." Adrien had to try to get his thoughts together. It didn't cross his mind that his father would defend Lila's actions. "I just thought that something like that shouldn't have happened in the first place."
"Adrien, the kingdom may expect perfection from us as the royal family, but it is foolish to expect the same thing from our subjects. Mistakes will be made. Judgements will be mislead. All that matters is that we own up to them and repair them, which I have witnessed is something that Lady Rossi is more than capable of." Gabriel's tone was almost scolding, it made Adrien feel like he was a child again.
The prince thought that maybe he shouldn't have started off with the tax situation. "There are other things. I was given reports that several of the staff are unhappy with her in the palace. Most don't want to say anything for fear of crossing you, but they came to Nathalie about it. Lila seems to have a knack for attracting supposed thieves and catching them in the act."
"So she had a keen eye, I still fail to see the problem." Gabriel was starting to get bored with the conversation.
"Don't you think it's a little odd that she's the only one that seems to notice the so called thieves, and that the accused happen to be people that have served in the palace for years?"
"These things can happen. Your grasping at straws, Adrien." Gabriel seemed impatient now.
"She closed down her tailor shop. Did you know that!?" Maybe he was grasping at straws, but he didn't know what else to give as evidence.
"I was aware the business was not as successful as before, but I'm sure it will not be that great of a loss if she plans to devote her attention more to the court."
"Father, your not listening..." Adrien stood up from his seat and leaned against the desk to try and show the king how serious he was.
"No, my son, I am listening, and so far all I'm hearing is excuses just so you don't have to go through with your betrothal." Gabriel stood up as well. He wasn't at full strength yet, but he still held himself proudly. He didn't want to be strict with Adrien, but there were times when he had to be a king more than a father. "There comes a time when the needs of our duties to the crown outweigh our personal feelings. I know how all of this seems frightening right now, but the fact is that a promise was made between us and the Rossi family. It was decided that you two would be a good match, and at that last ball you agreed to it. We announced it to the whole kingdom, and we can not go back on our word without just cause. Do you have any evidence to prove your claims?"
Adrien ran everything through his head. The taxation matter was resolved, and some of the people admired Lila, so that wasn't a good reason anymore. Anything he got from the staff could easily be written off as idle gossip. Lila hasn't really demanded anything extravagant from him other than attention, which he felt strongly about not reciprocating, which only makes him seem shallow. And he knew about all the visits she made to the king when he was ill when Adrien was too busy stepping up as Second in Command. How often has she whispered in his ear to leave such a good impression that Gabriel was not willing to listen otherwise? Then there was her shop. He could try to find Socqueline, but without some proof she would seem like nothing more than an disgruntled employee. Adrien realized he had no real evidence to stop this, other than is feelings.
The prince took a deep breath, trying to get his thoughts together and settle for telling the truth. "It's just... things don't feel right when I'm with her. I can't explain it. It's like all of the sudden I have no real attraction to her. I thought there was something at the ball, like you said, but now..." He fell back into his seat in defeat, not knowing what else to say.
Gabriel you see the young man's struggle, and thought that perhaps a compromise was in order. "Betrothals don't mean the end of the world, Adrien. As your father, I wish I can do something different. But as your king, I'm afraid I must order you to keep your end of the bargain. I do promise that I won't force the marriage right away. You and Lady Rossi can take as much time as you need. Then when your ready, just let me know."
Adrien rubbed his hands over his face and fought off moaning at his father. Such behavior was unbecoming of a crown prince. "I'm not sure that's possible, father."
"It will have to be one day, son. A prince should never go back on their word if they can help it." Gabriel said in final and dismissed his son from his office.
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"Adrien! Man, are you feeling okay?" Nino asked as he reached over to shake his friends shoulder.
Adrien woke himself out of his memory, and looked around realizing he and the rest of the hunting party had already made it out of the city. "Y-yes, I'm fine Nino."
"Are you sure?" his friend wasn't convinced.
"Of course, let's keep up with the rest of the group, shall we?" Adrien flicked the reigns on his horse and picked up speed to join the others with his friend following behind him.
The hunting group traveled through the woods for most of the morning. They had to get far enough from the city where game was better to be found. Since the game was deer, stealth was more important, so they went slowly on the horses and didn't bring any dogs with them. Toward the afternoon, they stopped to rest the horses and have a small lunch. Nino was helping himself to some bread and cheese while he watch the prince pick some berries from a nearby bush. He offered some to his friend, but Nino was skeptical on whether or not they were safe. He didn't have much experience in foraging, after all, and he knew Adrien didn't either.
"You sure it's okay to eat those?" Nino asked.
"Well, only one way to find out." the prince popped some into his mouth without a second thought.
"Adrien!?"
"What? It's just a... a.. *cough cough cough*..." He grabs hold of his own throat as if he can't get any air through.
"Oh God! Hang on, man I'm gonna..." Nino was more than ready to run and get the other hunters for help, but then he stops himself when he sees Adrien laughing.
"I'm gonna kill you!" he says angrily, but then ends up laughing with him and eats some of the berries.
They sat in silence for a while enjoying their meal. The weather was a nice clear day, the warm sun was bearable due to the cool breeze. It was a good start to the summer kind of day. The two men sat under the shade of a tree just listening to the birds and rustling of the wind.
"Nice day for hunting, isn't it?" Nino asked the prince, but was only given a grunt for an answer. He looked over to find Adrien a little less relaxed than he would've liked. Was something bothering him? Nino could think of one thing that would. "So, how are things going with Lila?"
That made Adrien grunt again. "Same old thing."
"Oh, sorry man." There was nothing else Nino could say. He knew how things really were with the prince's betrothal.
Adrien felt so lost lately. He didn't understand anything anymore. He seemed so happy at the thought of marrying Lila at that ball two years ago, but after that night everything felt wrong. Nino had to agree with the prince as well. It felt like he and Alya should have been good friends with Lila, but he couldn't recall any good times with her. It was like someone was reading events from a book and saying he was a character in it, but he had no recollection. Adrien once described it as forgetting something and it was on the tip of his tongue. Then there was Lila herself and the way she was always trying to get close to him. It did nothing to help his thoughts. Too many times he would have to excuse himself after discovering her making herself comfortable in his private chambers, or when she would try to force kisses on him and all he wanted to do was curl up on himself. This, of course, causes her to go to his father about insulting her, to which Adrien apologizes and says he'll work on it. It was a never-ending loop of Hell.
"I don't get it, man. Why don't you just break off the engagement and find someone new?" Nino suggested.
"I can't, Nino. A royal should never go back on their word if they can help it." Adrien gave the answer he was repeatedly given himself. He desperately wished it was that easy. "Father doesn't want to listen to me about it anymore. I keep trying to look for a good reason, but Lila has a way of worming her way into the courts good graces. There's nothing I can do but count the days until my life is over."
"I wish there was something Alya and I could do." Nino said putting a hand to his friend's shoulder in comfort.
"I know, and I appreciate that." Adrien said, grateful that he still had his friends at least.
"Your highness, we are ready to start again if you are." One of the hunters addressed him.
"Yes, let's continue." Adrien said as he moved to stand with Nino following him.
The hunt carried on for another couple of hours before all the members took different direction. Several tracks were discovered, so they decided to disperse and look for the deer individually. Anyone that made a kill was meant to sound a horn to attract the others. The hunting group went off on their own while Adrien and Nino hunted together. It was a rule that the prince was never to left alone, and Nino was the one entrusted to remain by his side. Right now they were in a dense part of the woods and were standing still on their horses. They kept their steeds calm while observing the trees, looking for any small movement. It was about half an hour before a good size buck was seen walking in between the woods. It didn't see them yet, but it was slowly coming in their direction.
Adrien signaled Nino to double back around the trees and cut the buck off if he runs while the prince takes aim. Nino obeyed and gently led his horse down and behind where the deer was going. So far it didn't seem to notice him. Adrien didn't want to risk spooking the deer by getting off his horse, so he got his bow ready and took aim. The buck wasn't close enough and he didn't have a clear shot yet, but it was heading to a more open spot with less trees, possibly to graze. The prince lowered the bow to make his horse move a little closer. This buck had an unusual curve to his left antler that it didn't match it's twin, it made the prince think that maybe he should save the head for the taxidermy because of it's uniqueness. Looking behind the buck, he could see Nino sneaking up behind the buck on foot now. He must have had a good opportunity to tie his horse away. This was good, it meant Nino had a better shot at ground level in case the prince missed. They had it cornered pretty good as long as it didn't run in the opposite direction of either of them.
Both waited for the buck to lower its head and start grazing before taking aim once more. Nino had his bow ready, but he waited for the prince to make the first shot. Adrien had a much better shot this time and was just about to make it when his horse's hoof made contact with an inconvenient twig and the stag's head shot up to look right at him. He thought if he kept still, the beast might continue grazing, but it viewed him as danger and started to hurry away. It got away from Nino, too.
"Dammit!" He heard Nino stomp on the ground.
"Don't worry, I won't lose sight of him! Hyahh!" Adrien kicked on his horse and started chasing the buck. He barely heard Nino crying to wait for him before he was galloping off into the woods.
The deer had stopped running about a half a mile ahead, but the prince didn't have time to slow his horse down and sneak up on it again, so it became a chase. Adrien wasn't very skilled in shooting his bow while riding, so he had the hope that maybe he could tire the buck out, let it get ahead of him for a bit, and then finish it off when it's guard was down. He made sure to keep a good eye on the woods before him as keep the animal in his sights. There weren't any trails, so he had to make sure not to hit any large rocks or fallen logs against his horse, that would seriously injure him.
He didn't know how long he followed the buck for, and he didn't hear any sign that Nino was behind him, so he must have gone further ahead then he realized. At one point, the buck made a hard turn and started jumping around the area almost panic like, and that made the prince stop and look at his surroundings. The forest got so thick that the sunlight was nearly cut off, and the air felt humid and muggy. Before he realized it, he had lost sight of the buck.
"Dammit it All!" Adrien allowed himself to shout. It's not like anyone was around to hear him after all.
He thought it best to turn around and go back the way he came, but the area looked just as thick behind him. He couldn't even tell which direction he had come in from. Taking a closer look around, the area was damper with moss, mud, and swampy waters. Moving his horse ahead a bit, Adrien spotted a carriage wheel sticking out of some swampy water. Taking another look at the ground his horse was standing on and seeing the soft, moss-covered land, he realized he was in the Fool-Eating Marsh.
"This isn't good." Adrien said under his breath.
There were a lot of stories about this place. Some were about the marsh being haunted, but most others said that it was just dangerous with no one making it out alive unless they were really, really lucky. That carriage wheel was obviously the remains of some travelers that were unlucky. Adrien tried to keep calm and figured if he slowly led his horse to a dry spot, he could get of and lead it gently out of the marsh. The ground wasn't as nearly sound as he would've liked, and the moss covered so much of the surface that he couldn't tell what was solid, what was mud, or what was water underneath.
"Easy, boy, we can do this." Adrien tried to talk to his horse calmly and urge him forward. The horse tried to go forward, but he felt the earth slipping beneath him and began to panic. "Woah, boy, Woah! Emil, Woah!" The prince held on to the reins, but that made the horse buck against him.
The horse's hooves broke through some of the moss, and the animal thought it was going to sink, which caused it to take a flight or fight action. It kicked and jumped away, making Adrien lose his grip and the horse threw him off the rest of the way. With the heavy load off his back, the horse made a short run off and away until it felt it was standing in a safer spot, but he didn't run away completely.
Adrien nearly had the wind knocked out of him and laid down on the soft mossy ground. At least the landing hadn't been too rough, and nothing felt broken from what he could tell. He sat up and looked around to see that his horse was safe and calmed itself down, which made him forgive the animal for throwing him. The ground beneath him felt squishy, so he thought it best to get up and away quickly. However, once he got back on his feet, his body sank back down through the moss and into the deep mud hole underneath. He made an involuntary cry out as he gripped the moss around him to keep from sinking any further.
"Okay... okay, this is a little bad." Adrien said, trying his best not to panic.
He tried to pull himself up, but the mud had a strong hold on his legs, and the moss was too slippery for him to get a good grip. What's worse was that the more he struggled, the deeper he sank. He was already passed his stomach. He needed help right now.
"Nino!? NINO, WHERE ARE YOU!? HELP ME! NINOOOOOO!" The prince listened for a minute but heard no response. He tried calling for his friend, or maybe even one of the other hunters. Still, there was no answer.
Adrien didn't think he had gotten that far away from his friend, but it must have been a good distance if he was beyond a human's hearing range. In the mist of waiting for an answer, he was already sinking to his chest now. He had to do something quick. He looked around and saw his horse still didn't bolt completely. There was a horn on his saddle the prince was prepared to use for the hunting trip, so maybe he could use it to call the hunters. He just needed to get his horse closer.
"Emil, come here, boy." He whistled to get the horse's attention, and at first, he didn't want to comply. "Come on, it's okay. This way." He whistled again.
The horse tried to obey his master's command and took a few steps forward. But once his hooves started to sink at the edge, he backed away shaking his head with a snort.
"No no, Emil, please, just come a little closer! Don't be afraid." Adrien begged his horse, but it was no use. The animal knew it was too dangerous, and he was too scared to move.
By now, Adrien had sunk down past his shoulders, and there was nothing in reach outside of the moss for him to grab onto. Now he was starting to panic. He kept crying out for someone to help him, but it all seemed hopeless. Was he going to die like this? Will he end up being the prince that got lost in the woods never to be seen again? What was his father going to think? Things were hard enough right now. The last thing Adrien wanted to do was hurt his father with his loss. Then there were his friends, they'll be so devastated. And Nino, what if the king was going to blame him for this? He hoped not. But on the bright side, he won't have to marry Lila now, he thought darkly as he held on for dear life. He wasn't going to last long like this. Even if he somehow didn't sink all the way and drown, he'd probably die from the exhaustion of trying to keep his head up. He still felt himself sinking. The mud was at the bad in between of being too thick to kick his feet and swim up, and too loose for him to just float. He didn't know what else to do but keep screaming for help.
"SOMEONE! ANYONE! PLEASE HELP Meeeeee...!" His voice started to feel weak from all the yelling. He tried to listen, but it was no use. No one was around. He wasn't going to make it.
Then he heard a rustling in the trees. His whole body jerked to the noise, which had been a mistake because now he was up to his ears in mud. He tried looking up and around the trees, hoping it wasn't just some other animal moving through the woods. He didn't see much, only a strange flash of red.
"Hello? Is someone there?" Adrien called out as best he could. It was getting a little harder to breath. He saw another flash of red, but this time there was a body to go with it. Someone was here!? "Please, please help me! I beg you! Toss a rope or something, get me out of here."
By this time a figure came out of the trees. It was a small human figure, cloaked in a bright red cape. Adrien couldn't see the person's face under the hood, but he could tell they were looking at him.
"Please, help me out... Bleh... Bleh... I'll give you anything you want, I promise... *Cough*... Just help me..." Adrien begged in between keeping rising mud out of his mouth. He didn't have much longer before he was completely submerged.
The stranger didn't say anything in reply. Instead, they turned and walked straight toward his horse, which made Adrien's heart freeze. Was this person a bandit that only saw an easy prize? He could see them grab the horse's reins and tried to beg for his live one more time, but Adrien had sunk too far now, and only focused on taking one last breath before the rest of his head went down. His hands were still up, but they were slipping as well. So, this was it. Eventually he was going to run out of air, and his whole body is going to be under the muddy water. This was how the crown prince of Papillon was going to meet his end.
At least, that's what he thought before he felt something touch his hand. He didn't know what it was, but he grabbed a hold of it. It almost felt like rope, and it was pulling away from him, so he held on tighter. He felt himself being pulled up with ease. Whoever this person was, they must have been very strong. When his head came back up, he took a deep breath and then spat some of the mud that seeped into his mouth. Keeping hold of the rope with one hand, he used the other to wipe his face so he could see the person at the other end.
When he could see again, he looked around to discover that the person helping him was not strong after all. They weren't even the ones pulling the rope. It was attached to his horse and around a wheel of the broken carriage. It was then that Adrien understood what this person was doing when they went for his horse. They knew they wouldn't be able to pull him out alone, so they had the rope against the wheel to use as a pully while the horse did the rest. They continued to pull him out until his body was out of the mud. When he was close enough, his savior reached over and took the prince's hand to pull him the rest of the way from the marsh.
Both of them laid down on the damp grass in relief. Adrien was almost too shocked over the fact that he wasn't going to die after all. He slowly got up to collect himself and look at the person next to him. They were sitting up next to him, but their face was still covered by the hood of the red cloak. They didn't say anything to him either, so he wasn't sure what to expect. He tried to look closer, but the person flinched away from him. Maybe they felt intimidated by him.
"Thank you so much. I would've been long gone if you hadn't shown up when you did." Adrien said gently, trying to ease his savior's worries. Taking a closer look, he realized that this person had a small figure, and under the cloak was a dark bodice and skirt. So, his rescuer was a woman. He smiled at her. "I owe you my life, mademoiselle."
He tried to extend his hand out for her to shake, but she hid under the hood, shying away from him. He guessed that even though she saved him, she was still nervous about him as a stranger. "May I see your face?"
She didn't say a word and shrunk further away from him.
Adrien took his hand back and spoke as softly as he could. "You don't have to be afraid of me, ma'am. I promise I mean you no harm. I just wish to know the name and face of my rescuer. Please."
He let her think it over for a moment. Eventually, she lifted her hands to at last remove her hood. Adrien didn't know what to expect, but when he finally saw her, even under the damp shady trees of the marsh, he was shocked to find the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She had a lovely heart shaped face and full rosy lips. Her hair was as dark as midnight and tied back into two small pigtails. Her eyes were the color of bluebell flowers, and they held a great shyness, which caused a subtle blush to her cheeks. Still, underneath that shyness, there was a very warm, welcoming smile as she looked back at him. The prince had to know.
"Please tell me you name." The words escaped under his breath.
The only smiled at him and then shook her head while pointing to her throat. Adrien understood.
"Oh, forgive me. I didn't realize you couldn't speak." He said, feeling sadder that he wouldn't be able to hear her voice. He bet it would've been just as beautiful.
The woman shrugged her shoulders like it was no big deal being mute and got back on her feet. She held a hand out to help the prince up and he accepted. Adrien saw this as a good time to look at himself. He was caked heat to toe in mud and grime. This was certainly going to be a shock to his father. He tried to wipe some of the mud off that was still wet, but it was no use, his clothes were ruined. He looked back to the woman to find her bowing low to him in respect. Clearly, even with all this muck on him, she still figured out who he was.
Adrien raised his hand to make her stop. "Please, there's no need for that. If anything, I should be bowing to you, my voiceless heroine."
She raised her hands and shook her head. No no no.
"It's true. As I said, I owe you my life. Is there anything I can offer you as a reward? Anything you want, just name it, and I give you my word as the crown prince that it will be yours." He gave her a bright smile. Truthfully, he was so happy to be alive right now he would gladly give her his title if he was able.
She looked around as if trying to decide on something. She flushed a little as if unsure what or how to ask for it. Adrien found it very adorable. Then she went over to detach the rope from his horse and led the animal back to him. Did she want his horse? He would accept the request like he promised. Or he had a few valuables on his saddle if they interested her. There was also some coin if that was sufficient enough. Holding the reins with one hand, she took his hand with the other and pulled him toward the woods.
"What is it?" Adrien asked, not really sure what she was trying to do. She tugged on the reins again and pointed to the woods. "You wish for me to come with you?"
She nodded her head yes.
"Very well, then. Lead the way, milady."
They made it through the marsh and into a small clearing. Adrien was surprised to find something like this so close to the Fool-Eating Marsh. There was a little farm with some sheep and chickens, a garden area filled with all sorts of vegetables, and next to the garden was a quaint little cottage. Her home, he presumed. He allowed her to lead both him and the horse towards the farmhouse. There was an open space for a horse, and she guided Emil into the empty stall. She slipped the saddle off of him and laid out some fresh hay for the animal to snack on. Afterwards, she took hold of Adrien's hand to steer him toward the cottage.
They didn't go inside her home, however. When they made it to the front, the young lady let go of the prince's hand and started looking around for something. What exactly, Adrien couldn't say. So, he left her alone to do what she needed to and took another look around the place. It was a nice home, but he didn't see or hear anyone else around. Did that mean she lived here all by herself? Some movement caught his attention in the garden, and he was surprised to see a red fox coming up to the two of them. He wondered quickly if he should warn her about the predator for the sake of her chickens, but before he could, it walked right up and rubbed itself against the lady's leg for attention. Did she keep the fox as a pet? If she did, it was both shocking and impressive. But not so impressive as the male peacock that suddenly appeared on the other side of the house. The bird wasn't surprised by the fox, and the fox didn't seem to want to attack the peacock, they just left each other alone. How was this beautiful woman able to create such harmony with the animals around her home?
Then one final surprise came when Adrien heard a very distinctive meow coming out of the house. The door was open, so that left the opportunity for a small black cat to come out and greet the two humans. Adrien just thought it was a regular cat, but the way it meowed sounded very familiar to him, and when the animal came up to him and begged for food, he instantly knew.
"What the... How did you get here!?" Adrien asked the cat that often came to visit him around the palace. He picked it up to get a better look at him. There were the same eyes, the same raspy call it would make, and the fact that it was clawing at his vest looking for a favorite snack. Adrien let himself laugh. "Sorry, little friend, I don't have any cheese with me. If I had known you would be here, I would've brought some."
The cat made a short growl, obviously disappointed in receiving nothing, and leapt out of the prince's hands to go beg from the lady in the red cape. The young woman on picked up the cat and petted him.
"Is this your cat, miss?" Adrien asked, and she nodded yes. "I wondered if he had a home or not. He comes and goes around the palace so much I was beginning to think he was a ghost. Or perhaps a little goblin that likes to eat all our cheeses." He laughed and she smiled with him as she lets the cat go again. "How was he able to make it from your home all the way to the palace? It can't have been an easy trip."
The lady just shrugged her shoulders, waves a hand toward the woods, and then covers her eyes with her hands repeatedly in a sort of peekaboo fashion.
"He runs off and disappears for a while, and then just pops up randomly?" Adrien tried to interpret her message and gets another nod. "Incredible. So, is this where you live?"
She nods once more and takes his hand again to lead him to the riverbank. She points to the bucket resting by the bank, then points to the large metal basin near the house and then shows him the number three with her fingers.
"You want me to fill the basin with three buckets of water?" She nods. "Sure thing, milady." Adrien tries to get started but then noticed her looking him over as if deciding something. "What is it?"
But she doesn't answer, and hurries into the house, leaving the prince confused but he still carried out the task given to him. By the time he finished pouring the third bucket full, the lady came back with a scrub brush, a bar of soap, a towel, and what looked like a fresh set of clothes. She set everything down and shakes her own clothes to signal him to take his off.
"Yes, ma'am." Adrien obeyed by unbuttoning his mud-covered frockcoat.
With the warm weather, he had already taken off his hunting cloak earlier and left it on his horse's saddle. It was the only clothing he had that remained clean, and given the situation it gave him the foresight that maybe he should pack an extra set next time. He had to nearly peel off the frockcoat and undershirt from his body and set it aside. Getting the boots off had been a little tricky, but the lady was willing to give him an extra hand, but then she turned around to let him remove his trousers. He could see the little blush spread on her face, and it made Adrien a little flattered that she found him attractive despite the layer of mud he wore from head to toe. The trousers felt the hardest to get off. He actually had to wiggle his way out of them before he was finally free and bare before her.
Not that she turned around to look, but when she heard the prince step into the basin and start splashing the water over him, the lady pointed to the bar of soap and scrub brush with her back still turned. Adrien got the hint and started scrubbing the mud away from him. The lady stepped away to get one more bucket of water for him to rinse with once he was finished. When he felt like he got most of the mud off, he rinsed away the suds and stepped out to use the towel and dry off.
"That feels so much better." He sighed as he wrapped the towel around his waist for decency.
The young lady took a peek to see that he was covered and picked up the clothes she brought and handed them to him.
"Oh, thank you." Adrien accepted. He saw her move her hands together slowing as if something was getting smaller and then pointed to the clothes. "These clothes... might be a little small for me? Is that what you're saying?"
She shook her head yes.
"I'm sure they'll be fine for now, milady. At least until I can get my usual clothes cleaned off." He smiled at her, feeling warm that she was thinking about his comfort.
He looked over the clothes she picked out for him. They were men's clothes, that much he could tell. Her husband or father, he wondered. For some reason, he hoped the later because the former made him irritated. Looking them over, they did seem like a tight fit, but it would have to do until his clothes were clean. Speaking of, he found that the lady had already gotten busy scrubbing the mud off his trousers. He slipped on the shirt and pants as fast as he could. The shirt was fine, but the trousers were a little harder to close up, and the legs were much shorter than he was used to. Whoever owned them must have been a small man. When he was done, he tried to stop his lady savior from cleaning his own clothes.
"You don't have to do that; I can take care of it." He made a reach for the shirt but then stopped when she looked up at him.
She was giving him this look as if she didn't believe him. Knowing he was the prince is probably what made her skeptical. She would actually be right, having never really done laundry before in his life. What reason did he have to with a palace staff at his disposal his whole life?
"I can do a bit of laundry by myself." He tried to make himself confident, but he could tell that he wasn't fooling her.
Still, she stepped away in a dramatic bow as if to say, 'Very well, let's see his royal highness do the laundry.'
Adrien gives it a try for a minute, thinking it can't be that hard since he was watching her. It's all about moving the clothes through the soapy water, and the mud will come off eventually, right? But after a few minutes, nothing was happening. It took the lady's constant snickering for him to admit defeat and ask what he was doing wrong. He watched her actually rub the clothes together and use the scrub brush for some of the stubborn parts, and eventually his shirt was looking cleaner. He did the same thing with his trousers, and in the middle of that got a little revenge for her smirking by flicking the soapy water at her. To which she looks shocked and flicks some water back, leaving them both in a state of childish carelessness.
They laughed and enjoyed each other without saying anything, and the lady took the clothes out to dry while Adrien dumped the basin. Then she invites him inside, and they sit by the fire as she stirs it back up. The prince took a look around the home to find several things. It was simple home, just one big room with all the things a person needs to lead a simple life. But what really stuck out to him were the five long sheets of what looked like hemp knitting, and one more still being made thrown over a rocking chair. He wasn't sure what they were for. They were too thick and short to be used as a fishnet. There were also several strands of plants hanging out to dry and be twisted into string. By the fire was a spinning wheel with wool all around it. Pieces, strands, and yarn balls, and some finished products of wool blankets.
"Are you a weaver?" He guessed with all this work around her house. She nods yes as she prepares some tea. Even though she couldn't give detailed answers, Adrien still wanted to know more about her.
"Do you live here all by yourself?" he asked once he realized that there was no sign of anyone else living here outside of the clothes she offered. His question made her shake her head yes again. "Truly!? You don't have any other family here at all?"
The lady weaver stopped and looked sad for a moment. Adrien had worried that he might've upset her and was ready to apologize, but then he saw her pointing to the window by her bed. Looking out he could see a singular grave surrounded by very tall weeds. The owner of his borrowed clothes, no doubt. Whether it was his earlier assumptions or not, he didn't feel it was polite to ask, so instead he gave her condolences.
"I see, I'm terribly sorry." He said honestly. He felt bad for her being out here all alone.
His sympathy didn't seem to affect her much as she shrugged her shoulders and saw the black cat hop onto the table. She pointed to the cat, then started petting him affectionately.
"I guess you're not really alone if you have all these animals around." he smiled, and she smiled back in agreement. "Does the cat have a name? I never thought to give him one."
The lady nodded yes as she finished the tea, then tried to think of a way she could interpret the name to the prince. See the solution, she took one of her potted plants from the windows and old rag by the cooking pots and held them out for the prince to see.
"Umm, his name is Pot Rag?" Adrien asked tilting his head. The cat actually meowed grumpily at him saying that was definitely not it, which only made the prince laugh.
The lady had to bite her tongue and set the objects down to pointed out the greenery in the pot.
"Plant... Rag?" he tried again.
She moved her hand to say go slowly.
"Pllllaaaa..." She held her hand up to stop him there, and then held up the rag. "Plaah - Rag?"
She made a motion like she was tossing something away and then held up the number one with her finger.
"Toss out the first letter?" He asked, and got another head shake yes. "Okay, Plaah- Ag... Plaagg... His names Plagg?"
She gave him a thumbs up. You got it.
"Plagg, huh? That's an unusual name." He commented, which got him another angry sound from the cat. "Okay, okay I take it back. It's a very nice name." He gave the animal a pat on the head as he accepted the tea the lady offered him.
They passed the time continuing their conversation in the same formula. Adrien asked her if she could read or write and received a no. So, they stuck to him asking the questions, and her answering them as best she could.
Eventually, Adrien turned his attention back to the strange hemp sheets hanging around the room. "What are those for?"
She didn't answer right away. The lady looked unsure how to describe it, so Adrien made it simple for her by sticking to simple questions.
"Are you making them for someone?" Yes.
"A friend?" Yes again.
"How many do you have to make?" Seven, she held up her fingers again.
Taking another second to count them. "Oh, so you have one more after that one on the chair?" Yes.
"Is it for someone in town?" Yes and no.
"Do you have any family in Papillon?" At that question she hesitated, but then answered no.
"Have you been in the town recently." No.
"Would you like to come with me..." He stops the question when she started shaking her head no frantically.
Adrien didn't like the scared look on her face. No one should ever be afraid of visiting his kingdom. "What's wrong? Did you have a bad experience before?"
The lady shrunk in on herself at first, then it seemed like she decided to share the truth with him. She stood up and went to the coat rack by the front door where she left her red cape. She placed the cape back over her shoulders and turned to her back to show it to the prince. He hadn't noticed it before when he first met her, but the red cape had several large black spots around it. This sparked a memory in him from a couple years ago. It was of events that he had only ever heard about from his friends but had never witnessed firsthand.
"You're the woman everyone was calling Ladybug!?" Adrien was thrilled when she gave him a yes. Finally, a name he could put to this beautiful woman. It seemed very fitting for her, too, and not just because of the cape. She had the grace and gentleness that many ladies of the court wish they carried. "I've heard a great many things about you. How you risked your own life to help several people in Papillon. And then my advisor, Nathalie told me about how you were the one that gave her the nettle leaves for my father."
Ladybug nodded yes that was her, and she got up to show him one of the baskets she kept all the leaves it. It was then the prince realized that the fibers and cloaks around the house were all nettle, not hemp.
"You helped my father get better for a while, but then..." He didn't finish, remembering the events that occurred afterwards.
Lila and Sheriff Adolphe had deemed her a criminal. They posted wanted flyers all over the city before Alya could even get a word in to Adrien, or even the king. There was no sighting of the Ladybug heroine after that, and no one knew what became of her. Adrien took a good, long look at the woman before him. She certainly seemed like the farthest thing from a criminal. In the last few hours he spent with her, he could tell that she was kind and thoughtful. Anyone else that found him the way she did might have done what he suspected of her at first and run off with his horse leaving him to die. She cleverly saved his life the same way he heard all the stories about her helping people from Alya.
He watches as Ladybug pulled out a piece of paper with the word Wanted written large on it. Even though she couldn't read, she must've known what the flyers meant and never came back to the city after that. She pointed to it and arched her shoulders up to tell him she doesn't know why this happened. He felt she should know the truth.
"Lady Rossi said how you assisted a thief in escaping and then killed one of her footmen. The sheriff was a witness." He watched her jaw drop. The sheer audacity and anger that spread over her face made him smile a bit. She looked cute angry. "But you know, I never really believed all of those things they said about you. Too many of my subjects were saying wonderful things about you, including one of my closest friends, and I'm inclined to agree with them."
He took her hand to give it a kiss and bowed as he watches her blush before continuing. "I owe you my life, Ladybug. If you like, I can withdraw the warrant and have you pardoned as your reward for saving a member of the royal family."
She pulled her hand away from his grip and held her hands together to silently praise him with gratitude. Obviously, she liked that idea, and Adrien felt she deserved it.
He took a quick look outside and realized it was getting dark. "I don't suppose you know a way through the marsh at night?" He felt her take his hand again and she was shaking her head no repeatedly. No doubt she was telling him it was too dangerous to try. "Then, could I persuade the lovely Ladybug to grant me lodgings for the night."
Clearly, she didn't need to be told twice as she prepared a separate cot by the fire, then she urged him to help with dinner by cutting some of the vegetables. He followed her instructions and was absolutely famished by the time the meal was ready. Afterwards, he helped her with the animals in the barn and closed everything up before it got too dark to see. They passed the time a bit further with him asking questions, and her trying to tell him with gestures and short responses. Then she brought out her chess set, and they had a few rounds into the night, Ladybug beating him at every turn, much to his embarrassment. Finally, after a very long and eventful day, they both turned in. It was strange, but this far away from the palace, away from everything he ever knew, Adrien had never felt more at home then at this very moment.
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