Inspired by princess charm school. Kind of. I really just thought of this whilst watching the movie. This is most likely going to be a long one because I don't want to do it in parts. Like really. This is probably the longest chapter i ever have and ever will write.

No one knew where Marinette was from.

All they knew was that she was supposed to be training with all the other Lady's and Princesses in training (and the boys but their training was mostly different to theirs, hence why their classes were mostly separated in gender. Not that they didn't see them at all. Just not in most classes.)

She liked it that way.

Their were rumours. Of course there were.

Some had deduced that she was from one of the colder regions, due to her pale face and dark hair. Some thought she was actually a spy sent to gain information on other lands and had grown to be cautious of her (no, Marinette had found out the spy was Lila but as long as her secret wasn't out, she didn't really care). Chloe Bourgeois, dubbed the queen bee of école, had spread the rumour that she was the daughter of a really low status family and had been extremely lucky to get selected to have a scholarship to the school (again, this wasn't true. Whilst the school did do scholarships, Marinette definitely wasn't one).

This rumour had almost gotten Marinette to reveal everything then and there. She hated when people spoke about her parents when they knew nothing about them.

But most of the rumours were never acknowledged by her. Why should she? No one had ever gotten remotely close to the truth.

Her house mate (each student had been assigned to one of the many dorms on campus) had questioned it when they had first met, but Alya was a kind soul and knew not to push Marinette. Something Marinette was grateful for.

..... (these indicate separate parts of the story, just so It's easier to read. They're kind of like chapters but this is a oneshot so they're parts instead. Plus some parts are smaller then others.)

The only one who knew everything from the start was Marinette's kwami companion, Tikki.

The kwamis were tiny fairy-like creatures- who had wings and could shapeshift into any animal of their choice- who accompanied each Royal Family and many other important families. They would be there to help with tasks no matter how big or small there were. For some families, it was not unusual for the children to get their own kwami (there were many out there) and the fairies were almost always welcomed into the family in good grace.

Marinette knew Alya, her dorm mate, had a companion called Trixx, who had hair that made her appearance close to that of a nine-tailed fox- the form the kwami took when she shifted. The kwami had a similar skin tone to Alya, if not a bit more orange in colour. Her wings were feathery, like a bird. It was mostly white, but the ends of each feather dooked like they had been dipped in orange paint. She was quite boisterous and Marinette had on more than one occasion thought that the kwami was on something. Alya had voiced the same thought more than once as well. But the kwami was just generally a spitfire to have around.

Marinette wished she could watch Tikki and Trixx play out in the open, but that would have revealed everything.

Tikki was a special kwami.

She had a pink-almost reddish hue to her skintone, and her hair was blood red, only her fringe had been dyed black (She had asked Marinette to help her do it during a time where the girl had been experimenting with her own hair, and she had kept it like that ever since) and it had made her look like a ladybug- which was her animal of choice. Her wings were transparent and were tinged red, though they shined all different colours in the sun. They were shaped in a way that made Tikki look a lot like her alternate form (without the body of red and black spots) but sparkled more than a butterfly could. Tikki loved her wings and took special care of them. (Marinette thought it made her look like a fairy straight out of the tinkerbell series.)

She had been with Marinette's family for generations and was what was known as the Kwami of creation, who along with destruction were the oldest kwamis in existence.

Whilst not many knew what she looked like, it was a risk for her to be out in the open, so not even Alya knew. The people knew the Kwamis of creation and Destruction were not just a story. They had shaped the world into what it was today making them more powerful than anything else the people knew.  And if it had ever gotten out that the kwami of creation was at the school for royals before the time was right, hell would regnum over.

Marinette had taken a lot of measures to make sure Tikki was hidden away from everyone. As with everyone in her family, Marinette had been given the room with a special door that only opened when someone said the exact words "Tikki, Spots on." This door would reveal a room specifically for Tikki which had been there since the school had been established and the only people who knew of it was Marinette and her family, and Headmistress Bustier. (Because Damocles is not regal enough to be head of a royal school. And the Headmistress of Princess charm school reminded me of miss Bustier.)

Tikki knew everything about Marinette. She had been like her best friend, her mother and her sister all in one and had watched the girl grow up as she had done with her mother, Sabine, and their ancestors before them.

The kwami of destruction was a different story. He, like Tikki, had been with her family generation after generation. Other kwamis came and went, but these two had always been a permanent fixture in the family. Tikki had told her that they had chosen her family years ago when they could feel the noble magic running through their blood. They knew this was the right family to be apart of.

Marinette could remember snippets of memories she had of Plagg when she had been a child. Ones of her running around chasing him. Him grumbling about feeding her as she spat food all over him. The times where he would read her books with funny voices and faces and then turn into a cat to curl against her, lulling her to sleep.

But one fateful day, she had never seen him again.

She had asked her parents and Tikki but they didn't say much, only sharing knowing looks before reassuring her that Plagg would be back one day. She knew from historical records and her father's own stories that Plagg usually left the family for a few years in order to find someone compatible with the family, someone who had the same noble magical signature her family had, and train and aid him. It was how her father and mother had met.

Years ago, Marinette didn't understand what this really meant but now? She knew that it meant Plagg was on a quest to find her soulmate and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. On one hand she knew that having a soulmate meant the person was suitable for her, on the same wavelength she was. More than anyone else. But now she was apprehensive. Would she love him? Would he love her? What if he liked someone else?

Even now she wondered where the kwami who would sometimes turn into a cat to purr at her and preen for attention, always making her giggle with delight at his cuteness, was. Who he was with. If the person would really be her happy ending.

And she really missed the little bugger, wishing for him to come back soon to witness her graduation and official coronation once she turned 18.

It had been 10 years after all.

.....

All in all, no one knew who Marinette was (unless they were explicitly told).

Not until today.

And just who had to be the one to find out?

Oh just Prince Adrien...of the Butterfly Kingdom... her crush of two years and her best friend in École Royale (Alya was also her best friend, but with her spending more time with her boyfriend Nino, Adrien and Marinette found themselves spending more time then they did with the other two). By now, Marinette was able to talk to Adrien like a breeze. Their conversations flowed easily and they loved spending time together. But once upon a time Marinette had been a mess around him when she had first realised her crush on him. (It only lasted a few months before they really started spending time together.)

She knew it wasn't a good idea to have a crush when there was a definite chance she would be marrying someone else, but she had lost hope that Plagg had found him and was really just wanting him to come home now.

Adrien was... an enigma.

When he had first come to the school, it had been a month later than everyone else. His eyes were kind but his face was passive- something she learned later was because his father had taught him to do so, not because he wanted to.

The guy was quiet most of the time. Only speaking when spoken to and rarely getting into any confrontation like many of his peers seemed to do. He was at the top of all of his classes and even did many extracurricular activities including fencing.

He had been a mystery to Marinette when he first came, but soon she had become the person who knew him the best.

------ (these indicate flashbacks. I think this is the only one)

There had been a misunderstanding between them, the first time they interacted:

She had been tripped by Chloe (who had seemed to hate her from the very beginning of school) and he had went to grab her sketchbook to give it back to her.

Marinette, who didn't like Chloe either, had assumed that because he hung around her, he was as bratty as she was and decided that he obviously wanted to take her sketchbook from her.

She was wrong.

For the the rest of the day she gave him the cold shoulder until he got her alone and explained he "was only trying to give it back to her," and then went on to say, "Chloe was the only person my age my father ever let me be friends with. I don't know why you don't like each other but I hope that won't stop us from being friends."

"Friends?" Marinette asked, genuinely shocked at the way her heart beat faster when he looked at her so sincerely with his bright green eyes.

"If it's okay with you, I'd like if we could be friends."

"Yeah... friends."

He smiled at her, and it was something Marinette had come to cherish. Seeing Adrien smile like that was rare.

They looked at each other for what felt like eternity, only stopping when the warning bell for curfew rung, prompting the two to jump and sprint away from each other. Neither of them missed how their hearts were fluttering at getting to know each other but Adrien definitely ignored Plagg when he teased him about them being lovebirds.

"Plagg, you can't be saying that when you know Ladybug is the only girl for me."

When Plagg had told him the reason he had went to him, Adrien had taken to calling his mystery soulmate Ladybug, after the animal Tikki shapeshifted into. Adrien knew which family the girl was from, what she had been like when she was younger, why he was chosen to be her soulmate. What he didn't know was her name or appearance and, until he got to know her better, he and Tikki had already decided neither of them should know.

'Yeah." Plagg thought, sensing the feelings that were already brewing in the two, 'She really is.'

It wasn't until a year later Adrien told her that she was the first person he had made friends with (it was Nino who had asked him to be be friends) and she was extremely special to him because of it.

She had kissed him on the cheek and they both wore matching blushes, refusing to tell anyone why they had been nervous around each other for the rest of the day.

-----

The day had started out as usual. Marinette had surprisingly gone through her classes without any incident and she even got to see Adrien in their formal dancing class where they partnered up (as usual) to dance their way through the hour. Really, they were just goofing around and making jokes as they glided across the ballroom.

They had made a promise at the end of class to meet in their spot (a garden they had found near Marinette and Alya's dorm that no one apart from Marinette and Adrien knew about) and spend time together whilst their friends were at the library enjoying a study date.

As Marinette was closer to their spot, she had decided to stay in her room and finish the outfit she was making for Tikki. Making Tikki's outfits were sometimes hard because of how small they were compared to normal clothes. This meant that whilst she was used to making them, it took extra care to do so.

She cursed when she saw the time and texted Adrien telling him she would be running late.

She rolled her eyes when he responded with Yeah... I figured.

She rushed out of her room and out of the house, not stopping until she reached the entrance of the garden, an old wooden door which had been covered in moss and vines that had found themselves wrapped through holes in the wood, making it look like the entrance to something magical.

It wasn't really magical, but it was surely beautiful. Especially once Marinette and Adrien had tended to it.

The first time they had found it, the garden was overgrown and wild. Weeds went untouched and the same vines on the door were weaved across the walls and through the grass, which looked more like a green field of barley as the grass looked as if it hadn't been cut in centuries.

Marinette, who loved to tend to the gardens at her own home had immediately gotten tools to do so and had promptly taught Adrien how to help her. Gardening had quickly become something the two enjoyed as together, and was the first thing that had gotten them to really bond. It was because of these sessions that Marinette had quickly been able to get over her stuttering, and felt more comfortable with Adrien over time.

They had been able to transform the garden into something only seen in palaces and the two had been extremely proud of the work they had put into it. They had even been able to plant several different flowers, including: lots of different roses, buttercups, daisies, hydrangeas, marigolds and more. Marinette's  favourite flowers had been the mix of white, pink, purple and red orchids that had been planted in one corner of the garden, a combination she had learnt from her parents to express their love and and affection for each other. It was something she used to express her own feelings, even if Adrien didn't know what it meant. (The garden reminded me of the book The Secret Garden which was a book I loved when I was a kid. I got the idea of them gardening from when Mary decided she would start doing so when she had found the garden.)

The more she got to know him, the more she realised she was completely and utterly doomed.

It was hard for her crush not to develop and for her not to fall in love with Adrien. She couldn't help it. He was always so kind and he always understood why she kept so many secrets, never once pushing her to reveal anything. And he was always attentive of all of her, never once showing he didn't care about her. But she didn't tell him about her feelings. She couldn't.

Unbeknownst to her, Adrien was in a similar predicament. He knew it was wrong but he couldn't deny his feelings for Marinette for much longer. However, he also knew he couldn't tell anyone about his feelings so not even Plagg knew (he did but Adrien didn't know that).

Marinette found that the door was slightly open and peeked in to get a glimpse of the blond prince.

What she found shocked her.

Adrien was resting on the bench they had put there (there was also a pair of swings and a few other gimmicks here and there that they had decorated the garden with) with his hand over his eyes, shielding them from the winter sun which gad been brighter than ever. She thought he had been asleep and was about to step into the garden to wake him up but he moved his arm away from his head and began to speak.

"Will you hurry up and hide. Marinette will be here any second and I will not be the one to explain why I've been hiding that I have a kwami from everyone since you came to me."

A kwami?

She didn't know Adrien had a kwami.

Her eyes flitted around from where she stood, hoping to see the creature he was so desperate to hide. After seconds of searching, they found the culprit. A kwami with purple, almost black skin. He had black hair and his wings were transparent, like Tikki's but we're tinted green. His eyes matched his wings and looked as vibrant as Adrien's. But Marinette didn't pay much attention to that for once.

She stepped into the garden quietly, so as to not alert the two (though she knew the kwami knew she was there) and audibly said, "Plagg? Is that really you."

She would have laughed at they way Adrien sat up really fast as his jaw dropped to the floor. But she didn't.

Instead she walked closer to the the two and gasped. In happiness? In shock? In anger?

"Oh my Kwami, it is you."

Plagg looked sheepish as her face began to morph into a mix of confusion and delight.

He waved at her from where he was floating and murmured, "Hiya, Princess."

She didn't respond, just glared at him and he looked nervous, not knowing if the girl would lose her temper or not.

Finally, after a few tense minutes (and Adrien recovering from his shock but having some sudden revelations and going into shock again), she spoke, "Ten years."

"Yup."

"Ten years you were gone."

"I know."

"You just left. You didn't tell me why."

"I'm sorry kid," he made his way towards the girl and she brought her palms out, letting him sit on top of them.

"No one would tell me why," her voice became quieter and she was sure a tear had slipped down her face, "I had to go off written records and the stories dad told me for the fun of it. I had to make my own deductions on where you were."

"And what did you deduce, little lady."

She laughed at the nickname, her body churning in joy at hearing him call her that again, "That you went to find my soulmate. Which I was hoping you didn't because I was falling in love with someone else."

"But it doesn't matter now, does it?"

"No. Since he turned out to be my soulmate anyways," she looked from the kwami to the boy in the background, "It is him, isn't it?"

Plagg nodded as he looked back to the boy he had watch grow up for ten years. It was him.

"Plagg. Marinette. She's- she's ladybug?"

"Ladybug?"

He flew back to his other kid, the kid he had grown to love like his own and looked straight into his eyes.

"Yes. She is."

"But then. That means- that she's- and I- Princess of-" His words were jumbled, only half coming out. He continued to sputter before he sighed in defeat and threw his hands in the air, "I've been worrying about loving Marinette and telling her I do because I didn't want to break her heart when she would find out I had a soulmate but it turns out she is my soulmate. Plagg! If you told me this earlier, things would've been so much easier!"

Once Marinette had grasped onto his words fully she just giggled. And she couldn't stop. She laughed and laughed in honest merriment as well as due to the irony of the situation.

Adrien was in love with her as she was in love with him. Adrien loved her despite knowing he had her soulmate, just as she did. Adrien had decided against telling her his feelings, just like she did.

Adrien was her soulmate, as she was his.

So yeah... that day, Adrien had found out everything. But Marinette didn't regret that he did. In fact, she wished it had happened sooner. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders and now she had someone, other than Tikki she could talk to about her impending future. It seemed much sweeter now that she knew he was in it.

.....

She had called her parents straight after, and they had decided that during the winter break, they would invite Adrien and his family to join them for the holiday Bonitas (which literally meant goodness), which celebrated the story of the winter spirit, Glaciator, whose kindness aided the people through the winter so they didn't starve or get ill in the winter months. On his birthday, December 25, the people had given him gifts in return. Ever since then, stories had been passed down and had developed into the tradition of people giving gifts to those who had been kind to them. Now, every year, gifting parades and parties were happening everywhere on December 25 and the empire was always its happiest on that day.

(If you don't know already, I like using Latin words for names and other things. Anyways if it was unclear, Bonitas is this story's version of Christmas and glaciator is kind of the santa.)

Adrien was excited. Ever since his mother died, he hadn't really celebrated Bonitas like others did. His father wasn't huge on celebrating what he deemed as unnecessary so for years, the only ones Adrien had received and given gifts to were plagg and the royal staff.

Getting an invitation from Marinette's parents meant that his father had to be there. So he was very excited.

Like the two years before, Adrien, Marinette, Alya, Nino and about 15 other students they had formed friendships with, exchanged presents before they all left for the holidays. Adrien had even exchanged one with Chloe- who had been surprisingly tame this year- giving her a beautiful haircomb with a jeweled bee insignia encrusted on it as a nod to her bee kwami, pollen. She had given him a nice pair of shoes made from an exclusive shoe maker in the northern regions and he really liked how comfortable they were, so he  had given her a hug to thank her.

He had given Nino a cool and expensive set of DJ equipment, knowing his friend had an increasing interest in the activity. Alya had been given a recording device, commisioned from the techie, Max. The recording capabilities of the device were endless and Alya had been really happy to test it out. In return, he had gotten an alchemy set Nino knew he had been eying, from the both of them as a joint present, and a basket of goodies of sweets he had never tried because of his father's overbearing.

Every year, Marinette baked sweet treats for all of their friends and passed them around. In addition to this, she made little accessories for each of them, catering to each personality perfectly. Alya had gotten a necklace shaped in the tail of a fox and painted to look like one. She had also gotten a pouch that could be wrapped around the girl's waist. Marinette had made it so Alya could carry Trixx, who always complained about having to fly everywhere, as well as her phone and any other small necessities Alya had.

(I forgot to mention but yes Marinette wears the purse.)

Nino had gotten some bracelets that Marinette had hand made. His favourite one, however, was the one made with green jade and carefully shaped into a sort of hexagon. There was an indented pattern in the shape, reminding him of an turtle, Nino's favourite animal and the form his kwami, Wayzz, took when be shapeshifted. Anything that reminded him of the little dude was a win for him.

Alya and Nino always bought their main presents together, and for Marinette, they had bought a new sewing machine. Something Marinette was ecstatic about. She had needed a new one as her one was old and finicky, and she had squealed up and down at the sight of her new machine.

Adrien had gotten a beret from her. It was mostly black, but it had a green strap that matched his eye colour and ran across the rim of the hat. There were also ears on the beret, so when he wore it, he looked like a cat. It was a nod to Plagg and Adrien loved how soft the entire thing felt. He would definitely wear this often.

Adrien had given her an everlasting rose, encased in a jar, like in beauty and the beast, a movie he found Marinette loved watching. He had also bought her a roll of rare fabric, scoured from the depths of the Western forests of his kingdom where many of life's mysteries seemed to exist. It was a natural material but it let off an unnatural pink to gold chrome effect, depending on how the light hit it. It was made with a specific type of silkworm, only found and spun by a species of trolls who were the only ones who could weave the fabric with their magic. He had payed quite a hefty price to get them to make some for him. Marinette had been looking for the material ever since she heard about it.

She had jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly, squeezing him to death as she expressed her happiness. She loved both of her presents.

He hoped she would accept his last one on Bonitas day.

She hoped he would accept hers.

.....

As soon as the holidays began, and with permission from his Father, Adrien and Marinette travelled by train to the main kingdom, Felicion (derived from the latin word for Lucky), where the world had begun to take it's shape into what it became today.

He had only been here once, when he was younger. He had come with his mother and father to resign the 10-year peace treaty that every kingdom had to keep in order to reduce the amount of wars that had plagued the world generations ago.

It worked most of the time, only rarely a kingdom had broken it and declared war against another. But centuries passed by and any major wars had been done and won.

The first time he had been there, however, he didn't get to see much. Most of the time he had spent in the carriage travelling to the Palace, then staying in the room they had been given, with his mother. He wasn't allowed to venture out and being the good kid he was, he listened. A lot of the time he was left alone, only his guard outside the door, to play with himself as his parents negotiated with Marinette's and tended to their duties.

One day when he had been left alone, that was when he had met Plagg- who always him "Ever since I layed my eyes on your tiny pitiful body, I knew I had to latch onto you like a leech and turn you into the extraordinary being you are so thankfully becoming today!"

The kwami had very quickly become his best friend, his brother and comrade in arms. And even more of a father figure than King Gabriel had ever been. Even though Plagg could be annoying to bits, Adrien trusted him and had grown to love and care for the guy like a brother. He wouldn't change him foe the world.

Felicion was more than the stories pictured and what he remembered.

Before actually going to the Palace, Marinette had ordered him to wear something that made him look less of a prince and more of a commoner. This way, they could explore the kingdom without being stopped. They persuaded his guard to watch them over a distance so they could have fun without being constantly bombarded about their safety. (Marinette had guards too but in her own home, she rarely needed it. Plus her maman had taught her several different types of martial arts and she was well versed in them. Even now she continued to train and, despite her natural clumsiness, in a fight Marinette was an unstoppable force.)

They went everywhere they could in the matter of two days. (They had stayed at a nice hotel for one night where Marinette had a permanent room being Princess and all. It was actually not as awkward as they thought it would be.) Adrien experienced winter sports, most of which Marinette was really good at, and they spent a good few hours ice skating in a lovely little village full of joy. They had gone around and each donated large amounts of money to different shelters and charities and had bought a large amount of presents that they distributed to a few children's hospitals, including the hospital Marinette had been born in and annually made donations to. They went to the Royal theatre to watch this year's play, a romantic Bonitas comedy called "This winter I give you my heart". Both of them spent their time laughing and crying and awing at the acting before ending the night by making another donation to the charity the theatre was promoting and starting their trek to their Palace.

It wasn't really a trek, rather they were picked up by an inconspicuous car (but people definitely noticed because it had one of the registered royal numberplates) and taken to Marinette's home.

He knew who Marinette was, yes. But actually physically experiencing her life was something else entirely.

Her home was even bigger than his own. It was a Palace, and many of the rooms reminded him of back home but when Marinette showed him the most lived in rooms, it was more homely than he could ever imagine. He should have expected it- her room in the dorm was more chaotic than anyone else's- but he didn't expect the level of comfort that oozed through the walls and into the rooms.

Marinette lived with her parents, Tom and Sabine (he had gotten express permission as their future son in law to call them that), who were amazing to be around. Royals they may be, but stuck up they were not. Unlike his father, the two were kind at heart and merciful to say the least. The way they dealt with their subjects was inspiring and made him think of his mother, who had been just as kind and had taught him to be as well. But Sabine had a hidden and silent sort of wrath beneath her eyes when she was doing duties that were less than pleasant. She was resourceful and knew how to dissolve possibly fatal situations quickly, whilst Tom stood behind her as her support and advisor.

He didn't doubt that they were the right people for the job and he looked up to them, knowing that one day, that would be him and Marinette. It was a daunting thing to think about, but knowing they would be in this together was what made them look forward to it even more.

He wondered what his father had to say about all this.

Well boy oh boy was he in for a surprise!

.....

His father brought a woman with him.

Repeat.

His father brought a woman with him.

To a dinner between two families that were most likely going to end up being related through matrimony.

To a dinner on a day of gifting and joy.

His father brought a woman with him.

And it was not just any woman.

No.

It was his Godmother, Nathalie. His mother's best friend and the third person, after the nurse and his mother, who held him when he was born. The woman who had become his second mother.

It wasn't the fact that she was there that shocked him.

It was how her arm wrapped around his father's and how he seemed content in holding her. It was the look the two gave each other like they knew, despite Gabriel's heart still holding a place for Emilie, Nathalie had ended up finding her own spot too.

And it was the huge ruby ring that matched the red streak in her hair, something Nathalie had been born with, that wrapped her finger in gold and was soldered in a way that made it look like a rose had formed around her finger.

"I knew it. I knew something was up with the two of you in the summer. You kept on giving each other looks and I wondered why father was so happy for no reason."

"Adrien."

"Sorry, father. It's just are you? Are you happy, that is?"

"Yes I am, son."

Adrien looked at his father and was pleased to see the smile adorned on his father's face. He smiled himself.

"That's all I can ask for."

It really was. This was probably the best gift his father had given him. Finding someone to love. Getting closure from his wife's death. Having someone who loved him like Emilie did, but not replace her in any way. Because he loved Nathalie differently. It was a love full of content and tranquility. One where he knew he didn't mind spending the rest of the days with her. And the two of them shared their love for Emilie which just made them closer.

Adrien had always hoped for this. That his father would be able to move on. And now, he did.

"And what about you, Adrien. Are you happy with Princess Marinette?"

He looked next to him, at the girl who had been watching the two with an amused expression, yet his eyes were unreadable. She smiled at him, a smile that reached her eyes and made her nose crinkle happily as she peered at him under her eyelashes.

"Yes father," he moved his hand under the table to grasp her own, "I really am."

She squeezed his hand and turned to his father, "Please, your majesty. Call me Marinette. I am your daughter-in-law."

The adults chuckled at her boldness, whilst Adrien flushed before laughing to himself as well.

"Only if you call me Gabriel, my dear."

After they had dinner and the adults gave them their presents, the two teens had been dismissed.

Now free, Marinette had dragged him to her room and they settled on the bed in silence.

She broke it first.

"I-uh... I have something for you."

They were lying next to each other, so he turned on his side to face her. She was looking away from him, but under the yellow glow of the light, he could see she was blushing.

She reached into the pocket of her fleece (her parents said they could wear something casual. Even his father wore something only semi formal) and played with it for a bit, contemplating on whether or not she should give it.

Her eyes shut and she quickly took the object out, flicking it at him like it was a ping pong ball. Because of his quick reflexes from his extracurricular activities, he was able to catch it.

It was a black leather box. Nothing extravagant. In fact, it was really simple. His eyebrow raised as he looked over at it, hoping to see some sort of design. The only thing there was, was a button with a symbol that looked like a paw print.

"Press it."

He did. He pushed on the paw and was surprised when the box separated slowly but smoothly and opened.

"Aww Mari. I wanted to be the one to propose."

What was inside was a simple silver ring. It was larger than the standard size and had a circular pattern at the top. Adrien could see the faint indent of o paw print and realised the symbol was the same as the one on the box.

"I got it specially made by my godfather, Master Fu. You might have heard of him. He's known for creating magical pieces of jewellery or put magic of a jewellery of your choice. I asked him to put a protection spell in the accessories I made for Alya and Nino. I did the same for you but he said he put something else in the magic. Something that strengthens the bond between us."

"So that's what he meant!"

Marinette looked at him, confused so he quickly took out a similar box and showed it to her. It was almost the sane, except the symbol was a red emblem with black spots, representing a ladybug.

"I got this made by him for you. He let me watch him do the magic and he told me 'The cat and the ladybug are the Yin and Yang of all creatures they are good luck and bad luck. Creation and Destruction. Having one without the other can be fatal. But together, they can be the greatest power in existence. The magic I put into the earrings and the ring will  strengthen your bond and help you in whatever perilous tasks you may face.' And it was all cool and all and the magic was really fun to watch but then I realised, I didn't order a ring."

"But I did," she finished, her face turned into a scowl (though Adrien could see the glint of humour in her eyes), "Damn fu and his matchmaking tendencies."

"It isn't really a bad thing though, is it?"

She turned on her side so they were facing each other and shook her head. Instead of speaking, she lifted her head up a bit and opened the box in the same way he did. A gasp left her mouth at the simple but elegant earrings resting in the box. They were round and made with a material that, when hit with the light, displayed a dull reddish colour. It was understated, but it was perfect. Marinette loved it.

She put the earrings on and Adrien, following her lead, put his new ring on.

"How do I look?"She shyly asked.

He smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear with the hand that he put the ring on. He cupped his hand around her jaw and his thumb stroked her cheek softly. He leaned into her and could feel her suck in a breath as she stared at him with a timid eagerness.

"Beautiful," he whispered.

He wasted no time in connecting their lips as fireworks sparked in his mind at just one touch of them. It was something they had been waiting to do for two years and both decided that it was worth the wait if their first kiss was like this. All patience had been thrown out of the window once their lips met. The sensation of getting what they had been yearning for had made the kiss more needy and almost aggressive. It was slow at first, their lips were just pressed together, but the urge to do more overtook them and suddenly, they were moving their lips fast and slow and fast again as their hands moved everywhere and anywhere, trying to pull them closer together.

They were flushed apart when they sensed something glowing around them, their attention was turned to the jewellery that they had exchanged.

Adrien's ring was now black, with the paw print a neon green that reminded him of Plagg's eyes. Marinette quickly grabbed the hand mirror she usually kept on her bedside and found that her own jewellery was glowing a bright red, with black spots.

The ladybug had really become her symbol.

And the black cat had become Adrien's.

.....

"You can't!" A voice begged, hoping to get something through.

"I have to. It's what I've been wanting for decades," the other person in the room replied as they gazed at the brooch in their hand in wonder and determination.

"She wouldn't want you to do this," the voice said, sternly.

"She wouldn't understand," the other replied coldly, "She never did. And that is what killed her in the end."

'No it wasn't,' the first voice thought, 'That was all you.'

"Please," the first voice pleaded but their desperation faded into the background.

.....

Before the winter holidays ended, they went to Master Fu to get an explanation on what was happing with their jewellery.

He just told them, "The greatest power mankind could ever have is something most have but do not realise. It is love. From family and friends. From their partner and lover. The power of love makes us strive to be our best. Your earrings and rings are a symbol of that, and they were activated when you first expressed your love for each other. The protection it gives to you strengthens as your bond does. As long as you love each other truthfully, they will work like magic."

("It is magic,"Adrien mumbled, trying to ignore how Marinette elbowed him painfully in the stomach. She was stronger than she realised.)

And then they were back to school after celebrating the new year as two families that had become one. (Tom and Gabriel were appalled at how fantasticly well Sabine and Nathalie got along.)

It was going to be weird.

The both of them had gotten used to being able to go on random dates and spend nights in each other's rooms and have impromptu make out sessions around the Palace whilst they were running away from the Palace guards who were trying to look for them when they randomly disappeared from events, much to the dismay of both sets of parents.

Their relationship may look like it was developing quickly to most, after all to most students they only saw Adrien and Marinette interact in the few classes they had together or because they had been ditched by their best friends and, therefore, had to spend time together. But to the people who really knew them, their relationship had been brewing for a long time, waiting until it was the perfect temperature to be accepted by the two. Once they both got a taste, they couldn't resist the temptation for much longer.

So maybe it would be weird. But not for them. Perhaps the people around them would find it weird but, they'd deal with it.

It was January and they were graduating in May. The weirdness would only be for five more months before the world would find out who their Prince and Princess are. And everything would make sense.

They didn't immediately tell anyone of their relationship, apart from Nino and Alya who deserved to be the first to know.

They decided to mess around with the other students. The ones who seemed to be interested in them.

(Which seemed to be most.)

As, just like Marinette, there had been several rumours about Adrien also.

And him being dubbed the most handsome Prince of the generation got people talking.

So when he and Marinette started to be more openly touchy and just in each other's presence more often than before, the student gossip mills ran quickly around the school and by the end of the second week back, everyone was wondering.

Are Adrien and Marinette together?

And the rumours began again.

There were the cute rumours that either of them asked the other out in some sort of romantic way, each story varying from the last.

There were the rumours that the two had eloped, or had gotten engaged over the winter holidays (that one was technically sort of true).

There was even a rumour that Marinette had tricked him or used magic on him to be her boyfriend, something that was definitely not true (though Adrien constantly teased her about this one on front of people, making them talk even more).

The rumours had sparked discussions, however. Of the possibility that Adrien had been to Marinette's home and knew who she was and where she was from. Which, yes...it was true. But he knew Marinette had been trying so hard to have a semi normal life during her time at school, before she had to start training to take over the kingdom completely (something he realised, he would also be doing with her)and did not want anyone other than him to know what her status was. She didn't want to be treated differently because of it.

So he kept his mouth shut when people asked him questions about her home.

A brave little soul stepped up and finally asked them the question everyone wanted answers to, because despite all the suspecting, they had never found real proof of their relationship being real.

"So are you guys dating, or what?"

They looked at each other and smiled, before holding hands and responding together, "We are."

They were surprised when Chloe had congratulated them without a hint of venom.

They didn't care that Lila (who had claimed that she was the Princess of Felicion and had become more popular due to it) whined and stormed off in a fit of fury.

She couldn't do anything to them if she tried.

No one could.

All was good with the world.

.....

All was not good. Not good at all.

Marinette paced around her room as she let her phone ring, Adrien sat on the bed, his feet dangling by the sides as he watched her, not really worried, but keeping an eye on her nonetheless. (The kwamis had gone to their little room so the two were alone.)

After a few rings, the person picked up.

"Hi dear. What's with th-"

"Maman! Did you approve of my class coming to the Palace?"

"Marinette Sophia Alexandria Felicity Rosaline Dupain-Cheng. It would do you well not to raise your voice at me." (I imagine in the future Agreste would be at the end)

She stopped pacing and lowered her head, biting her lip, embarrassed that her mother used her full name, "I'm sorry Maman."

"It's okay sweetheart. And to answer your question, yes I did."

"Maman!" She whined.

"Dear, you know every senior class gets to come to the Palace for a few days. It's compulsory. And don't try to get out of it young lady. I've already spoken to Headmistress Bustier. She knows you have to come."

"But what about my identity? Everyone will know!" She sunk to the ground dramatically, and Adrien came next to her to pat her back half-heartedly, rolling his eyes at her theatrics.

"Is that such a bad thing? You only have a month left until your graduation. Half a month when the trip is. Besides. I've made sure your class is the last of the ones who will be coming."

"Hmm," she pouted, and lay down on the floor, speaking in a squeakily cute voice, "I guess."

"Is that all sweetheart. You're father needs help baking for the children's hospital. You know how much those darlings love our baked goods."

"Of course Maman. I won't keep you. Tell the little munchkins that I will come to see them soon. I love you. Tell Papa I love him."

"We love you too. And sweetheart. It will be fine."

Before Marinette could say anything else, her mother hung the phone up, not giving her a chance to. Marinette moved the phone away from her face and sighed.

Adrien, who had now been sitting next to her listening to the conversation, hovered his face above hers and smiled.

"She's right, you know. It will be fine."

"But people will treat me differently!"

He leaned down and pecked her lips for a second, "Maybe. But they will realise that you are the same person as always. The same extraordinary girl I have and always will be in love with."

Her eyes widened at his declaration. He probably didn't even realise he had said it.

She grabbed his face and smashed their lips together, pressing for a few long seconds before separating them again.

"What was that for?" He asked, his lips turned up in a handsome smile.

"That was to tell you, I love you too."

A grin spread on his face and he leaned down again, this time a little more eagerly.

"Hmm. I don't think I got the message. Think you can send it to me again?"

She smirked at him but didn't say anything. Just reached for his neck and pulled him closer to her. By now, he had positioned himself on top of her, his hands either side of her face as he looked down at her with equal parts of love and lust swimming through his body. Her action had pulled their bodies flush against each other and, despite his weight on her, Marinette didn't mind at all. Their lips were just a centimetre apart, and they were looking at each other hungrily.

"Ugh. Humans. Will you two get us some food first before you suck each other's faces off and eat each other up?"

"Plagg!"

.....

"It's almost time."

"And, pray tell me, How would you know that?"

"I have someone who can get us in and out without being noticed."

"Us? There is no us. Not unless you stop now. For his sake."

"But-"

"No. I've put up with it for all of these years. I thought you would stop once you saw what happened in winter. I've loved you, sometimes more than I have done so with myself. But love isn't worth this."

"Please," he pleaded, as desperate as she had once been.

She turned away and was already walking out of the door, "Maybe I'll forgive you if you forget this madness, but I'm not sure he will."

.....

Travelling to Felicion had been much less entertaining than when it was just her and Adrien.

With Adrien, she didn't have to worry about the people recognising her because Adrien already knew who she was. But having their class (which was their tutorial class, with Headmistress Bustier as their teacher) in one train with staff all from Felicion who definitely knew her had been a bit stressful.

Her class consisted of the most well known people in the school such as: Chloe, the Queen bee; Lila, the liar who told outlandish tales which everyone seemed to believe; Max, the smartest kid in school who had a robot instead of a kwami; Sabrina, who followed Chloe around, making her popular herself; Kim, the biggest jock in their entire school. He took part in many athletic competitions, always bringing the school to glory; Alix, who was the coolest person ever and was always doing bets with Kim; Nathaniel, whilst shy, was an artist who had made a comic book about the elusive Princess of Felicion, which had immediately become popular (especially when his boyfriend, Marc, became the writer for it); Ivan and Mylene who were betrothed from a younger age and had been together for a long time- they were in the top 5 best couples of their year (Adrienette had become number 1 when it happened); Rose and Juleka had also been on that list and rose had the title of the sweetest person in the whole school. Juleka was quite shy as well, but her and her twin brother, Luka had been popular for their edgy looks mixed with their sincere personalities and their awesome musical ability; then there was Alya who had become the school reporter and Nino who was the dj for almost every party their year had; Finally there was Adrien who had been popular the second he showed his handsome face in the school, and Marinette who despite the rumours, was friends with almost everyone and was always the one people looked towards in times of peril or just mild inconvenience.

The thing about this class was that, whenever something happened to one of them, it wasn't long before the entire school knew.

Marinette was just grateful she would only have to deal with this for less than a month.

One of the staff had come to their compartment and given Marinette a letter. In bold letters, her full name had been written on top. (She hated when people used her full name.)

Dear Princess Marinette Sophia Alexandria Felicity Rosaline Dupain-Cheng of Felicion. (Agreste. Just putting that I there cuz it sounds right)

She would have continued to read the rest of the letter if Alya, who was sitting next to her, hadn't snatched the letter from her.

"Alya! You can't just do that!" She glared at her friend who was now looking at the paper with wide eyes and a hand clasped to her mouth in shock.

"M-Marinette you're- you're. You're her," she whispered in disbelief.

Nino, who was the only one who seemed confused, grabbed the paper from his girlfriend before Marinette could take it back.

"Oh my god dudette. No-wait-I can't call you that- uh your highness."

Adrien snorted and all.eyes turned to look at him.

"Guys. Marinette is the same girl you've been friends with for three years. Don't treat her differently because you know who she is now."

"Are you telling me Adrien knew but I didn't?"

"Hey," he put his hands defensively to his chest as Marinette groaned from next to him and all but slammed her head on the table, "In my defense, I was supposed to find out because I'm her chosen."

Alya name a weird scrunched up face at him, before lifting her brow to indicate that she wanted an explanation.

"You guys know that Marinette and I have been dancing around each other since we got here. But we never told each other our feelings because we both thought a relationship between us was bound to be doomed."

"Why the hell would you think that? You two are made for each other."

"Yes we are. But we couldn't accept it. Not when we knew that we had a soulmate somewhere out there, waiting for us. We knew that eventually, we would have to be married to our soulmate so we didn't want to give each other false promises that we knew we wouldn't be able to keep."

From her position on the table, her voice slighyly muffled, Marinette spoke up, "And then it turned out we were each other's soulmate and all was right in this world."

"Was?"

Adrien rolled his eyes at his girlfriend, an eacy smile gracing his face as he reached his hand out the stroke her hair, "Ignore her. She thinks the world will end if people find out who she is."

Both Alya and Nino nodded, knowing Marinette had a tendency for being melodramatic in times where she needn't be.

Eventually, she would lift her head and read the rest of the letter which gave her an overview of their stay at the castle where Marinette had been given permission to stay in her own room with Adrien (who had ended up staying in her room more than the guestroom he had been given last time he had stayed). It had then went on to say that as usual, the dinner with the Emperor and Empress would still be happening, but it was postponed until the last day of their visit in order to give Marinette time to prepare herself. In the meantime all royal staff would remain indifferent to her unless there was an emergency.

Marinette was fine with that.

And with Alya and Nino acting as usual after their small freak out from finding out, Marinette thought that 'perhaps this isn't as bad as I thought.'

Adrien looked at her and stared at her, the side of his lips uplifted as if to say, "see. I told you so."

She sighed before scooching closer and snuggling into his warmth.

Then she remembered something important.

"Tikki. Plagg. Why don't you come out and introduce yourselves to Alya and Nino."

.....

Honestly, Marinette was really bored. And Adrien seemed to be also. Whilst they enjoyed watching their peers ooh and ahh at the different rooms in the Palace as well as seem genuinely interested at the history they were taught about it, Marinette had seen and heard everything already. And Adrien had already been given his tour ages ago. He was someone who could remember information easily hence, why he was bored as well.

They weren't even taken to the fun rooms. Like the gaming room Marinette had begged for and had been a staple to family Friday fun time that happened once or twice every month. Or the movie room, which was practically a cinema equipped with several snack machines for the family whilst they enjoyed a movie. (The staff were also allowed to be in these rooms on their day off since what was the point of having something they couldn't use all of the time unless others could use it when they didn't? Marinette had made the argument that staff should be able to access these rooms so their time at the Palace wasn't all gloom and duty. Her parents had quickly agreed.)

They didn't even really go into the library, only allowed at the front as, the further in, the more precious the books were.

Marinette and Adrien did find entertainment in watching Lila squirm under the questions their classmates had for her about the castle. As the days passed, the seeds of doubt had been planted in all of their classmates as Lila was unable to answer any of their questions or her answer would be directly contradicted by the tour guide, who would be reciting memorised facts about the castle and the family and their history.

The nights were more bearable as most of their classmates were not allowed to be out of the guestrooms after 10. That was when the two could easily roam around the Palace and do whatever their hearts desired without eyes following their every move.

It was the 4th night, when Marinette and Adrien had discussed with her parents what they were going to do the next day, their last day at the castle with the class.

Marinette had already informed them that Alya and Nino knew and that, whilst the other two didn't know yet, it was most likely that they were going to choose Alya and Nino as their Lady and Lord in waiting, the people who would become their most trusted advisors and part of their official royal entourage once they took the throne. If they accepted, they would continue training at the Palace with Marinette and Adrien to understand the specifics of the Felicion Royal traditions and history. Alya and Nino had even had a chance to meet her parents the day before, and Marinette knew they were going to fit right in.

The main thing they discussed the 4th night, was the fact that Marinette did not have to reveal anything if she didn't want to.

"I support whatever decision you will make tomorrow dear. As does your father. At the end of the day, it's about you. And you are capable of making your own decisions. "

It comforted Marinette, the fact that her parents would not force her to reveal the inevitable sooner rather than later. But Marinette was still confused at what she should do.

Adrien sat layed down next to her that night, after taking a shower and changing into some green silk pyjamas (that came in a set with her own red ones).

He snaked his arm underneath her waist and pulled her into his luscious smelling chest.

"Stop thinking and go to sleep."

She grumbled into his abs, though he could hear her clearly in the silent night, "I can't stop!"

"Listen Mari. Tomorrow, when the time comes, you'll know what you want. If you feel as if you want to tell them you will."

"What if I can't tell? What if I don't know what I want? What if-" he placed a finger on her lips, shushing her.

"Easy. If you can't make a decision, it means that you don't want to tell them yet. So you don't. Do you understand?"

He could feel her nod and snuggle into him more.

The last thing he heard before he drifted off to sleep was the light snores that emitted from his girlfriend as she finally submitted to her tiredness and slept.

.....

The chatter in the room was loud as Marinette clung to Adrien's arm under the table, nervously twisting the ring around his finger.

Lady Mendeleive- the alchemy teacher- and Lord Damocles- the Dean of the boys dormitory- had given up on getting the students to become quieter and had been in their own conversation about potions and the best ones to use for gardening.

Adrien had been listening to their conversation, wanting to know for their own garden, whilst he silently supported his girlfriend who had been silently panicking. He rubbed circles soothingly on the hand that was holding him, and kept whispering random thoughts to distract her. He eventually settled on using puns as they seemed to get the biggest reaction out of her.

"Have I told you that you look purrfect tonight  my mewtiful ladybug? Because you look pawsitively delectable."

She giggled at his attempts at serenading her, and he mentally released a sigh of relief that his distraction was working.

She even talked back with a few puns herself.

"You know what bugs me? How spot on you look right now."

"And why, oh why, does that bug you?"

"You're quite a catch. I don't want other people to purrsue you."

"Jealous, m'lady?"

She didn't respond. Instead, she tensed up and began to look around, and all of Adrien's effort to subdue her nerves were wasted. The nature of her stance made him nervous too.

"Marinette?" He whispered.

"Something's wrong," she said a bit louder than he did, but the room became quiet as all seemed to hear her, "They should be here by now. It's 7:15."

"Well maybe they're just late?" Someone (later Marinette would realise it was Rose) suggested.

Marinette and Adrien ignored the small chatter that had built up, instead having their own silent conversation (being soulmates meant that they were just able to understand each other by just looking).

"They're never late. No matter what, they have never missed an event unless it was an emergency," she stood up and Adrien did also.

"You two sit down. The Emperor and Empress will be here soon."

Again, they ignored the voices, instead Marinette called for her personal guard who, just like Adrien's own bodyguard, followed her around almost everywhere.

"Joan. Give me your communicator."

All Palace staff had a communicator-really just an upgraded walkie talkie that only those who worked in the Palace were allowed to have.

She pressed a few buttons and spoke into it, "This is Princess Marinette and Prince Adrien. Repeat, this is Princess Marinette and Prince Adrien."

Multiple responses to affirm that the staff were receiving her words came through the communicator.

"Give us status on Big Boss Lady and Husky."

(If u don't think Tom is like a husky-big and intimidating but really just a large ray of sunshine and energy- think again.)

There were many responses that spoke of not seeing them.

A few minutes later, one of the guards who were supposed be part of her parents' personal entourage (named Team Lucky), suddenly started shouting, "They're gone! We got drugged! Boss Lady and Husky were taken."

"Team Lucky," Marinette growled with a sense of urgency, "Get to the dining hall right now."

She dropped to the ground and her class just watched helplessly and confused as Adrien dropped with her, murmuring words of comfort and encouragement as she let tears fall.

"We'll get them Marinette. They'll be fine."

A few minutes later, multiple guards as well as some of the most important staff in the palace, rushed through the doors. Who Marinete did not expect to see was her godfather. And Tikki and Plagg whizzing behind him.

"We were speaking to Master Fu about the two of you when we sensed something wrong at the Palace."

"Princess Marinette. Prince Adrien. I have come with them to help you."

"How, Master Fu? No offense, but you're really old."

"Of course. I am here to show you how to wield your miraculous."

"Miraculous?" Marinette asked, "Look, Fu. We really don't have time for this. Someone has kidnapped Maman and Papa and I need to get them back."

Joan made a noise of protest, "Absolutely not Princess. You need to stay here where it is safe."

"And let something bad happen to my parents? I am the Crown Princess and I will not let something happen which I can prevent."

"You must stay here and do your duty as Crown Princess and, right now, you and Prince Adrien must assume your positions as the highest authority in the Palace."

"As the highest authority I have the right to go and find my parents and punch the hell out of whoever took them."

Before Joan could argue further Fu stepped in between them, "Which is what you will do. The jewellery I have created for you have some qualities that I did not tell you about. Now, it is time you know."

"Fu, stop speaking in riddles and tell us already or so help mphhh-" Adrien covered the mouth of his angry girlfriend, giving Fu a look to hurry up and speak.

"With you're kwamis, you can become enhanced beings, equipped to protect and help you fight better. You will be stronger, faster. And you will have the powers of creation and Destruction at your fingertips. The earrings and ring has become powerful due to the love you two share. It will be able to merge with your kwamis and give you the powers you need to find the one who took your parents. Go. Tikki and Plagg will explain the rest to you on the way. And take these. You will need them." He handed them a set of potions of different colours.

They nodded and Marinette spoke in an authoritative voice, "I want you guards to be on the lookout. Increase protection around the Palace but don't alert the citizens. I need a few of you to stay with my classmates. Don't let them go anywhere. Don't let them out of your-"

The doors opened again and everyone looked to see Lila (who they didn't even realise wasn't in the room with them) being held by Adrien's guard.

"Princess Marinette. I think I know where Big Boss and Husky are. I heard this girl talking to some person she called Hawkmoth," Adrien's breath hitched at the familiarity of the name, "about them. She said that they were on their way to the Butterfly Kingdom and I think we can get a description of the car from her."

"I need you guys to get on that. Get it out of her and then I want the guards from Team Lucky to go get them as discretely as possible. Adrien and I are going to get to Hawkmoth. The fate of our world relies on stopping him."

"You won't get anything from me!"

If looks could kill, Marinette would have slaughtered her. She stormed to the girl, still being held in the guards clutches, "Once this is over and my parents are back, the punishment you will receive will be far worse than you could imagine. And you won't be able to get out of it."

"You can't do that. You're nothing."

Marinette held her head up high, "I am Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Princess of Felicion, heir to the throne of this entire world. I think, Lila, you will find that I can."

..... 

(From here the parts are mostly going to be little)

Once they left there was only one thought on everyone's (who didn't know anything) mind.

What just happened?

.....

Tikki and Plagg quickly explained to them that to 'transform', as they called it, they would have to speak specific words. They would also have ways to call their powers in the form of 'lucky charm' and 'cataclysm'.

Marinette noticed Adrien had been quite silent for a while and she turned to him, "Adrien? Are you okay?"

He looked at her and she could see he was holding back his tears, "Marinette," he sniffled, "Hawkmoth. I think- no I know who he is but I don't- I don't know why he would do this. I thought- I thought he was doing good. I thought he was actually becoming a better person."

"Adrien. Breathe. Come on. With me."

She heaved her chest up and down in a rhythmic pattern and they stood there for a few minutes as Marinette calmed him from his panic.

"Are you not going to ask who?"

She wouldn't. She already had her suspicions. His fears confirmed it.

She looked at him grimly, "I already know."

.....

Their outfits changed into disguises as soon as they transformed.

They were both quite form fitting and matched the aesthetic their kwamis followed. Tikki and Plagg both gulped down the purple potion that Master Fu had given, so when transformed, Adrien and Marinette would have wings, similar to their kwamis own. (Think astrocat and bug just with a bit more fairy like touches.)

They were able to get there quickly with the wings. Usually it took at least half a day to travel to the capital of the Butterfly Kingdom, Papillon. Whether it was by train or car or plane, the quickest it would take to get there from Felicion would be between 6-10 hours.

They got there in less than three.

As they flew, Adrien had become less sad and more angry, wondering why Hawkmoth would even attempt to kidnap the rulers of the world. He already had considerable power, he didn't need more.

Marinette was proud that he was able to keep it in throughout the duration of the journey, as whilst he did rant about it, he didn't act rash or impulsively like most people would. He didn't let his emotions cloud his judgement on the man and he was as determined as she was to make sure Hawkmoth would not harm anyone else.

They had items that came with their disguises. For her, a really cool yoyo that was attached to her hip. He had a silver baton, similar in colour to his ring when it hadn't been activated. Both were meant to be weapons, and they doubled as many other things, including as phones.

Adrien had spent some of his time during the journey researching what had been happening in his own kingdom whilst he was at school. As Prince, he had immediately access to the kingdom's records that weren't available to the general public. He relayed the information to her as she guided him towards the kingdom and, both cursed themselves for missing the obvious.

Adrien's father was a cold and calculating man who only wanted what would benefit his own gains. He had been planning something for a while, perhaps since he had found out that Adrien was the next in line as Emperor. Maybe even longer. Adrien wanted to punch himself for letting seeing his father happy, deceive him.

"You can't blame yourself, my love. You just wanted to have your father's love and you wanted him to be happy. He is the only one in the wrong here."

.....

When they had reached the castle, they were met with multiple different people, who had all been, as Tikki had called it, akumatised.

Marinette and Adrien were set to being a team so, quickly and rather efficiently, the two broke the objects they suspected held what changed them (magical butterflies turned evil) and Marinette wasted no time in purifying them and silently directing them to anywhere outside if the castle.

It had taken them another 3 hours alone fighting the multiple different victims and they were exhausted.

How his father had somehow also gotten a miraculous that could merge with the kwami he had, Nooroo, he didn't know. What Adrien did know was that the outfit his father wore was ridiculous and, honestly, if this situation wasn't so serious, him and Marinette would have burst into laughter. His father looked bald.

But they had more important things to do.

"Why? What could possibly be the reason you decided to kidnap the two most important people in this world right now? Were you going to kill them? Demand some type of ransom? You're a king. You already have power and riches."

Adrien was fighting his father face to face, grateful for the fencing lessons he took. His father was slacking but he was still holding his own, albeitly, rather sloppily.

Marinette was doing a quick recon around the castle, trying to extract every person who was in the castle, out. By then, Adrien's personal guard had arrived with Joan and took over the Princess's job in rounding people up. They knew that Adrien needed her more.

But before Marinette had entered the room she knew Adrien and his father was in, she heard some noises coming from the room next to them.

Quietly, she entered the room and was appalled to find Adrien's Godmother and supposed future step mother lying on a bed, helplessly as her hand was chained to the wall.

The two women made eye contact, the older smiling kindly despite the pain she was in, "Leave me my dear. My body is weak and I am dying already. It's too late."

Marinette hesitated for a moment, not knowing what to make of this. But the look the woman gave her pushed her to leave. She hated what she was hearing from the other room.

"You would never understand because you are weak, son. You don't know what power truly is. And they have it but they don't use it properly. They're power needs to fall into the right hands."

By now, Marinette was swinging her yoyo menacingly behind his father, waiting for the right time to pounce.

"Yours? Because if anything, that power needs to be far away from you."

"I don't understand why you would do this, Gabriel," Marinette cut in as she leapt onto his back in an attempt to choke him from behind, "Your son will be Emperor one day. You should be proud."

He grabbed her small frame and threw her. Adrien quickly caught her before she could become a squashed bug.

He lunged towards him but Adrien dodged the attack, "Neither of you are worthy of bringing the future to glory. You do not deserve the Empire I have been waiting patiently for 10 years to come into my clutches. And no one will stop me now."

"But you signed a treaty. You cannot go against it," he cried.

"I didn't sign the treaty. Your mother did. She did it without even telling me until afyer it had been done. And you'relovely parents were more than glad to keep the secret too. They betrayed my trust."

Adrien's head snapped up towards his father and was shocked to see the sheer pleasure the man derived from seeing the horrified look on his and Marinette's faces. He looked at his son with an evil smirk and continued, "She put me in this position, Adrien. She practically forced my hand. If it wasn't for her, I could have had more authority than you could imagine. Our lives could have been great."

"Don't you understand, Father? Our lives always were greater than most."

"Son, you should know by now, Agreste's only have the best. But she prevented that. She stopped the rise of the new era, one ruled by the only monarch who is worth. And for that, she was killed."

...

...

...

He hadn't even registered it as he stood there numbly, trying to process the bomb that had been dropped on him. There were tears running down his face rapidly and they couldn't stop...

He killed my mother.

He killed my mother.

He killed my mother.

He is not my father.

"You're a monster!" He shouted as he sprung across the room and hit his father with his baton, successfully causing the man pain.

A monster.

Evil.

My Mother.

Murderer.

They were the only words that were going through his mind repeatedly as he continued to strike at his- no the murderer.

Suddenly, he was whacked across the room again with the man's own staff. Marinette acted quickly and wrapped her yoyo around him, pulling him with all of her strength in her direction. With her enhanced powers, she was able to catch him as he had done just a few moments ago.

"Adrien," she whispered, "Nathalie is in the room next to us. Go and use your power to save her."

"Nathalie?"

"Yes Adrien. And I swear on my life that what happened to your mother will not happen to her. I won't let her die. I've already messaged Fu and he is on his way."

"But-"His eyes flickered to the man he once looked up to because, despite his cold demeanour, he was the only male role model Adrien had for a long time.

"I will deal with him. Now go."

Marinette got Hawkmoth's attention and entered into another fight with him. Adrien used the distraction to get out of the room and enter the one next to them.

He muttered the word "Cataclysm" as he opened the other door to find a devastating, yet rather familiar scene of a memory he didn't realise he had.

----- (I guess the first flashback was not the only one)

A young Prince Adrien had wondered where his mother had suddenly disappeared to.

It was only a few months after they had gone to sign the treaty in Felicion, though little Adrien did not know that they had been there for that.

Since then, he had been seeing less and less of his mother and when he did see her, she had always looked more gaunt and tired than the previous times he had seen her.

It was so bad that Adrien had noticed himself.

"Mommy, are you sick? Do you need kisses to make you feel better?" He would ask.

She would kneel down and let him kiss her face and Adrien would giggle in between the kisses he was giving her, thinking he would magically heal her illness away, like she had done many times before.

But Emilie just smiled at her son sadly and would just hug him closely to her as if she would never see him again.

And every time, the hugs and the affection would last longer.

The last time he really saw her though, was a memory that had been locked away since it had been constructed.

But when he saw Nathalie it had come back like a tidal wave crashing through his life.

She had been on her deathbed, he remembered. Just like Nathalie.

"Maman," he rushed through the door, his guard right behind him, "No one will let me see you. So I came myself."

She didn't respond, only smiled tiredly as she shifted in the bed. Her face was paler than he had ever seen her but to him, she was still his beautiful mother.

Nathalie reminded him so much about how his mither had looked the day she died.

He had jumped onto the bed and crawled into the space his father had occupied before he moved to another room, away from Emilie. It saddened her how the person she had married had become so far gone since the day they had vowed their love but she refused to accept him this way, just as he refused to acknowledge her anymore.

He didn't care. Of course he didn't. He was the one who had done this to her.

Whoever got in his way ended up like her.

They always did.

She looked at her son, who had snuggled up to her and was already fast asleep. The warmth of his body was a large difference from her own temperature that was becoming colder with each passing second. She ran her hand weakly through the golden tresses of his hair before resigning to just keep the hand on one place and gently pat a rhythm that would keep him asleep.

She gave a look to his bodyguard, who was immediately by his side and was gathering the boy in his arms.

"Protect him. Please."

The guard grunted in response, not wanting to scare the boy in his arms with his voice.

Emilie watched as the two left her to her thoughts. The only other being left in the room with her was Plagg, the kwami she had met in Felicion. The one who had seen her son and immediately decided he would be the future of the world. The kwami nodded at her, silently promising that he too, would protect the boy.

He flew away and that was the last anyone had seen Emilie with her eyes open.

When Nathalie had opened her door to talk to her a few hours later, she knew immediately.

Her best friend was gone.

Adrien didn't remember much from the night that his mother died, still. But seeing Nathalie looking so lonely and depressed, relinquishing her life to the short one Gabriel had given her, had brought feelings he had felt that night.

And one feeling prevailed all.

The night his mother died, Adrien didn't understand many things.

But the one thing he did understand was that his father hadn't been there.

His father who he had seen tell his mother that he would never leave her side.

His father who thought of Emilie as the world

His father who didn't even bother to see Emilie before or after she passed.

It was the first time he really felt hatred for anyone.

And it was only now he realised how right he was to do so.

-----

Adrien broke the chain holding Nathalie in place.

.....

When Adrien had come back to the room, Nathalie being supported by him, he expected Marinette to already be done with getting Gabriel's miraculous (is that what we are calling it?).

What he didn't expect was Gabriel trying to remove, from the looks of it, a red and black spotted flowerpot from his head. But Marinette had already gotten the brooch Nooroo was being kept in, so the baldness that came with his disguise had been foregone for his normal hair and the added strands made it harder for him to remove the pot.

Adrien actually burst out into laughter.

Marinette smiled widely at him as she tied Gabriel with a piece of rope she had found, waiting for her parents to arrive.

It was the first time today he had genuinely laughed.

At least Gabriel was good for one thing.

.....

Her parents had immediately barged through the Butterfly castle with a large entourage in tow.

They had brought guards and the official law enforcement officers from both Felicion and Papillion as well as some of the best healers, including Fu.

Everyone worked quickly, to sort the situation out and ease the widespread panic that had reached the depths of the city.

Tom had grabbed Adrien and Marinette and squeezed the life out of them, "We were so worried."

Once a joint effort between guards had gotten the pot off of Gabriel Agreste, the Empress had charged at him and kicked him in the face. Many who were watching, winced at the sound of the impact but most thought the same.

'Serves him right.'

Also the fact that she was Empress did mean that they couldn't do anything.

Nathalie had been taken the the royal Butterfly hospital, and was put into a magically induced coma for almost the rest of the week. Fu focused on reversing the effects of whatever had been killing her and had successfully restored Nathalie's life force. It took another few weeks for her to fully recover and, before they knew it, she was up and about the castle like nothing had happened.

Whist she had been recuperating, Tom and Sabine had appointed Marinette and Adrien to act as the King and Queen of the Butterfly Kingdom and reassure the people's faith in the monarchy.

The events of the past month had been heavily publicised. What was happening inside the castle was being told and security tapes were even being shown. Demands for Gabriel's head had quickly turned into a large protest as they realised the evil that lurked in his psychotic personality. News outlets and gossip sites and every social media source had made their stance clear.

Former King Gabriel Agreste was beheaded a week after he had been defeated by a ceramic pot.

They had done well during that month and, seeing the footage had gotten most people on their side. Rarely anyone (there would always be some) blamed Adrien or Nathalie and tributes were made to the former Queen, Emilie as the nation mourned once more for her and rejoiced as she finally recieved the justice she deserved.

After the month ended, it was announced that there would be a new monarch who would rewrite the legacy of the Butterfly Kingdom.

Nathalie Sancouer was crowned queen under the eyes of her new subjects, all hoping for a new era of peace a tranquility.

The peace treaty was signed once again.

The Butterfly Kingdom had reached new heights, basking in the fairness of their new queen.

And all was good in the empire that ruled the world.

.....

Because of what had been happening, Marinette and Adrien had missed their final days of school but, in honour of them saving everyone from Hawkmoth, their actual graduation ceremony had been set back to accommodate for them.

She had been sort of glad she didn't have to deal with the school now that the secret was out. It gave her the time to actually be prepared. The only two people they'd really see on a regular basis were their Lord and Lady, Nino and Alya.

A month and a half after the Hawkmoth fiasco, they finally graduated.

Neither Marinette or Adrien were Valedictorian. That honour went to Max and Sabrina.

But, as the crown Princess and now the recognised heroine, Ladybug, Marinette had been required to do a speech. This was a tradition for the family after all.

Marinette stepped up to the podium, her red  ceremonial gown, despite its heaviness, flowed as she walked. Whenever her gown moved, the audience could catch glimpses of the tiny black crystals that were dotted around the dress. Her crown matched her red and black aesthetic as it was forged in the breath of the hottest dragon known to man, only found in the volcanic area of the Eastern rocklands. The temperature of the fire was so hot that it charred the metal in a way that made it look like it was natural black and the crown was adorned with rubies of various sizes.

It stood out from the others.

She looked at all the people who had been part of her journey for three years, whether as a crucial part of her life or just someone in the background. The students who chattered in the background of her life. The teachers who had had educated her. Her classmates who were close enough with her that they could exchange presents on holidays like Bonitas. Alya and Nino, who even when they had no idea what was going on with the two, they supported them anyways. Her parents who brought her into the world and, even though they were the most privileged people, they had taught her life lessons that would always stick by her. They had been her biggest supporters, they had been her biggest motivators.

And then there was the most important person in her life.

Adrien who, even before knowing she was his soulmate, was there for her. He made her laugh and had fun with her. He comforted her and aided her when she was in a difficult situation. He supported her like a pillar, one that would never break and would never let her fall. He loved her more than she deserved and he accepted her for who she was, who she still is. All of her faults didn't matter to him and she knew that even if the world decided to go against her one day, he would be by her side, holding her tightly as they worked together to solve their problems.

"Hello. I am Princess Marinette, but you all know that..."

Now, people knew who Marinette was.

People knew she was the crown princess.

They knew she was the only daughter of the Empress and Emperor.

Now that people knew who Princess Marinette of Felicion really was, they realised something else about her.

They realised... Marinette would lead their world into the future. Along with Adrien, she would bring their empire to a glory that had bever been seen before.

They wouldn't just be their rulers, no. They would be their protectors.... their guardians. They would make sure this world was safe and it made everyone anticipate the future eagerly.

The future would prosper with Marinette and Adrien at the throne.

The future would be stable.

The future would be miraculous.

~End~

The ending may be rushed a bit but I ran out of things to write and I think it is best I ended it there.

The title just means the Crown Princess but I like the way it's said in French.

This was definitely fun to write and I might do a long chapter like this again if I get the inspiration. What do you think? Should I?

I just wanted to see what would happen If I just wrote and wrote. It was definitely an experience. I think I wrote almost 7k in one sitting.

Altogether we have gotten to almost 15k.

My eyes hurt from trying to read this whole oneshot from start to finish to edit it so I may have missed a few things out. Maybe I'll come back to it in the future.

This oneshot could have probably been turned into its own book.

I really wanted to revisit the Princess trope again because I was looking at the other miraculous book and I thought, hmm what can I do differently?

Thank you for being so patient and reaching the end of this chap.

Comment if you enjoyed it.

Bug out lovelies 😘.