A/N: exams are over. Ha! I practically failed- what a joke. I think I'm just going to be a writer, like, if all else fails😂😭

I had been thinking of entering both of my books in a competition but I have decided rather not. My books are my own and I don't need to compete with others to tell me that my stories are worth it because they are both special to me and that is all that matters. I don't want to know whether my Fanfic is better than someone else's because that's not the reason I made this Wattpad account so competitions are not an option for me, thank you😀

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A few days later, citizens of the Agreste Kingdom were lining up outside the large castle, waiting for their chance to present the newly wedded royals with gifts in order to congratulate them for their love.

Marinette had admitted that she did not enjoy taking gifts from people who would benefit much more from obtaining it themselves. However, the Agreste family insisted that it was tradition.

Besides, the Agreste citizens wanted to let the princess know how much they appreciate her joining their families and making their prince a better man. Also, many young girls like Emma had only dreamed to see the warrior princess in person and now she was the wife of their heir to the throne.

It felt strange for Marinette, sitting down on an Agreste throne made for her. The Agreste family was sitting in the main seats, Marinette sitting besides the queen. She waited as row upon row of Agreste citizens pilled in with food, jewelry and (most surprisingly) weapons. The guards had searched thoroughly beforehand to see which weapon-bearing citizens would be a possible threat. Marinette was given a sword engraved with her name and family symbol upon the hilt.

"It is much too beautiful for my sake," Marinette complimented the blacksmith, holding the sword firmly in her grasp, "It shall work well in training. Thank you, kind sir."

"Only the best for you, Your Highness," the blacksmith replied.

Adrien glanced at his wife ever now and again to check whether she was enjoying the gifts each citizen had given her. Of course, Marinette smiled for each one, grateful at recieving many kind words. He had received many compliments himself, but he would often divert the attention back to his wife who most certainly deserved it more than he did.

Adrien felt a tug at his sleeve and turned to Emma who was gesturing to a well-dressed adviser in the corner of the room. It was Nino Lahiffe, wearing a look of worry and urgency. Adrien excused himself from his family and made his way towards his good friend. If Nino was concerned then there was a very likely chance that the country was in danger.

Marinette noticed both of their worried faces and narrowed her eyes at her husband. What was going on? Did they need her help? Why were they both looking as if the end of the world was near?

Marinette had not realized she had been staring until Queen Tara waved a graceful hand in front of her face and asked, "Are you alright, Dear?"

She blinked a few times and smiled before nodding enthusiastically, "Me? Why of course I am alright- all these gifts are wonderful."

Queen Tara knew there was something wrong, but she did not persist in asking her daughter-in-law about any problems a few days after the wedding. She just wanted to make her feel comfortable for now in a happy environment full of appreciation and gifts.

Meanwhile, Prince Adrien was being filled with stress by the news Nino was reporting to him. He knew Nathaniel hated him after what he had said, but joining their enemies in war was going a bit too far. On the other hand, Adrien could not judge Nathaniel because he knew that he would probably do the same thing if ever he were in that position.

"A few weeks?" Adrien asked incredulously, glancing at his wife who was now giving him a worried look, "How were the Bourgeois' family able to recover so fast?"

"Nathaniel made some changes to their weaponry," Nino admitted, shaking hus head, "Louis has already spread the word with soldiers of both the Dupain and the Agreste kingdom. He did not want you to worry about this during your wedding so he took matters into his own hands."

Adrien felt grateful for Louis' initiative, glad that another soldier besides Marinette and himself was capable of preparing two armies into battle. Unfortunately, Adrien knew that Louis was not able to do it on his own. He would need his help. The main worry on Adrien's mind was Marinette and what her reaction would be to the news.

"He also wanted you to know before Marinette could," Nino continued as if he could read his mind, "He told me that maybe you are able to make things right again- apologize to Nathaniel..."

"Even if I did apologize," Adrien confessed, "Nathaniel would not forgive me after the cruel words I told him. I took away his love. He will not stop until he takes away my life."

Nino did not like the idea of death upon his leader. Losing Adrien was one of the most terrible things that could ever happen to Nino, along with losing Alya. The advisor folded his arms and let out a deep sigh, "When are you going to tell Marinette?"

"Tonight. Hopefully she won't be as angry as I expect."

* * *

Adrien waited for Marinette in their new bedroom- Marinette admitted that she hated climbing up the tower stairs just so they could find a place to sleep together, so they moved bedrooms- pacing around the bed in a nervous rhythm.

Plagg had enough of the stressing. The cat kwami spoke in an irritated manner, "Could you stop pacing? Goodness, you're the strongest soldiers in Paris. You'll win the war anyway."

"That is not the point, Plagg," Adrien said, glaring at the plate of Camembert next to his bed, "I am concerned about what Marinette will say once I tell her what I have told Nathaniel."

A few minutes later, Marinette strolled into the room with a big smile on his face. Adrien wanted to slap himself right then. He was going to take that smile away from her that night. She ran up to him and kissed him senseless, not knowing Plagg was standing in the corner watching.

She is not making this easier for me, Adrien though as he kissed her back. The kwami cleared his throat and Marinette broke the kiss before apologizing, "My mistake. Sorry, Plagg."

She noticed her ancient black box on the desk besides the Camembert and immediately put on her Miraculous, allowing Tikki to appear. The ladybug kwami sat on the bed, stretching her limbs after days of being kept from her true form.

"You should not have brought me out," Tikki said, gesturing to Adrien, "your husband needs to tell you something privately."

As easily as Marinette took to put on her earrings, the smile that she had previously wore disappeared in a flash. Adrien almost glowered at Tikki, until he realized that he actually needed to tell his wife straightforward anyway so he should be thanking the Kwami.

"What is she talking about?" Marinette asked confusedly, "Is this about Nino? You looked quite worried during the citizens' gift-giving. What did he tell you?"

The prince cleared his throat and replied, bracing himself for the impact, "I have not been completely honest to you about my means of 'getting rid of Nathaniel'."

Marinette reminded herself of the time Adrien had told her that Nathaniel would not be a problem to her anymore. She knew he had done something bad to Nathaniel but she had been too distracted by his proposal to her that she had forgotten about mentioning it again.

"What did you specifically tell him, Adrien," Marinette asked, almost threateningly.

Adrien explained to her everything that happened that day- from the time he read the General Dupain Knowledge in the carriage to those last, painful words he had uttered privately to Nathaniel in order to make him leave for good. Marinette listened to every word carefully, wincing each time she knew something bad was going to happen.

"You told him I slept with you," Marinette spoke once Adrien had finished explaining.

Tikki and Plagg held their breaths, waiting suspensefully for the fight that was about to go down. Adrien scratched the back of his neck and replied, "Technically, I did not directly say we shared a bed."

"She's a feisty one in bed?" Marinette scoffed, "No, that is a thousand times worse!"

Adrien looked down to the ground. Marinette had never shouted at him in anger before. Her hurt words cut deep in his flesh. He would much rather receive a cut from her during training than experience that moment.

"What I did was wrong," Adrien acknowledged, "but I did what I had to do to make you happy. You did not want to marry Nathaniel and we were in love. He manipulated you to try and get you to leave me-"

"Why are you only telling me this now?" Marinette asked with narrow brows and hands on her hips.

Silence rang through the space between them. The kwamis both wished that they were back in their boxes because they did not want to be in the presence of a furious Marinette Dupain-Cheng. Adrien gulped before he confessed about the the upcoming war where the Kurtzberg and Bourgeois kingdoms were becoming allies.

Marinette closed her eyes and shook her head. No, not another battle- anything but that. The princess placed both her hands above her head and raked her fingers through her hair as if to stroke all the worry out of her mind. Adrien kept apologising, defending himself further.

"Do you even regret what you said to Nathaniel?" Marinette asked, studying the expression on his face.

"No," Adrien admitted, "I honestly do not regret anything I had done in order to marry you. You and I both know he would not stop trying to make you fall in love with him. Marinette, we are meant to be. I did what had to be done."

"You did not have to tell him you shared a bed with me. That was foolish, Adrien."

"I know, I know. I am sorry."

Adrien started to take a few steps toward her. She did not move as he reached his hands to either side of her face. He began to kiss her forehead then her cheeks and nose. Marinette could tell that he felt guilty for not telling her. She had gone through the same state of guilt after Adrien found out about the marriage, but her mistake did not cost their people another war.

"I am so sorry, my love," Adrien repeated, "But we can defeat them together, Marinette. I know we can. We are the strongest soldiers in the whole of Paris. Together, we are unstoppable."

When she did not reply, Adrien sighed and placed his forehead upon hers, "Say something."

A knock then sounded from the door. Nino's voice called from the other side with much urgency, "Your Majesty, Tara Agreste is calling for you. It is about your father."

"Go," Marinette ordered.

"My lady-"

"I said 'Go'!"

Adrien did as she told him, following Nino to King Gabriel's quarters. An uncomfortable silence passed between Marinette and Tikki.

The kwami gave her a sympathetic look before letting out a sigh of frustration. After a minute of understanding, Marinette placed her hand on her stomach.

"When are you going to tell him that you are pregnant?" Tikki asked in a whisper.

Suddenly, Marinette burst into tears. This could definitely not be happening to her. Yes, she was going to have a baby- a boy, she hoped. Hugo, Adrien's younger brother who died during the war, was going to be his name. But now she was not so sure.

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki gasped, holding her in a tight embrace, "Am I the only one who knows?"

"I sent letters to Alya, Alix and Rose yesterday," Marinette answered, "The second you told me that I was pregnant, I immediately wrote the letters."

Kwamis were able to understand any problems in their Miraculous Holder's bodies. Marinette had started to vomit a few days earlier, worried that might be having the same sickness as Emma had. Luckily, Tikki knew exactly why Marinette was feeling that way. Unluckily, there was still a war to surpass before anyone could receive news about the baby.

"I might not be a mother after this war, Tikki," Marinette cried, "I wanted to be there for my child like how my mother was not. I wanted to see Adrien as the proud father to his daughter or son, just like my father was not. This war... It's ruining everything."

"I am so sorry, Marinette," the Kwami apologised, "but you need to tell Adrien. He would be heart-broken if he heard you were pregnant only after the battle."

The princess refused to tell him. If Adrien knew about the baby before she could go onto the field, he would do anything in his power to prevent her from fighting with him. Marinette could not let that happen. She needed to be by his side so that he could gain her strength.

"I will not leave Adrien alone on that battle field, Tikki, we are partners in life and death. I will not allow him to die without me by his side and I will keep fighting until this child-" Marinette pointed at her stomach, "-sees his father."

"Marinette, if you do not tell Adrien then the child probably won't survive in the first place. If you get hurt today, there will be a likely chance of you getting a miscarriage. Like the last Miraculous Holder..."

"Oh, Tikki," Marinette sobbed, "Why do we live like this?"

"War is a complicated concept, Marinette. I am afraid I have no answer for that one."

~|~|~|~

"I thought you were never going to come back," Chloe Bourgeois said, staring into her own reflection in the expensive mirror before her, refusing to turn her eyes in the direction of the red-haired girl behind her.

She could tell that Sabrina was wearing a suit of armour, the Bourgeois emblem ringing proudly on the shoulder of her uniform. Chloe, on the other hand, could feel no pride in the anticipation of knowing that her best friend will be going off to war. She still could not grasp that fact- Sabrina had changed from one scrawny, shy nursemaid to the most feared female fighter in the entire Bourgeois Kingdom.

"I am here to return something that does not belong to me," the Vanisher admitted, removing a small, shiny material from her pocket.

The princess turned around to face her and held back a sob for she knew it was the brooch she had given Sabrina when they had both established that they were the best of friends at the age of ten.

The flower-like brooch had been such an expensive present and it was trusted in the hands of someone who had little to give. But when Sabrina handed the brooch back to Chloe, it was as if all the little gifts added up to one whole burden on her shoulders- a burden of lost friendship.

"Are you this pathetic?" Chloe scoffed, trying to hide the hurt in her eyes, "You think now that your father has died, you have the privilege of making me feel cheap? Giving my gifts back to me- what kind of fool are you?"

"A sensible one," the Vanisher replied, "I know that if I keep this gift, I will feel a sense of weakness in me and I cannot bear that on the battlefield when fighting for my father's vengeance."

"Enough with this! You are a nursemaid. You have no fighting experience. Once you step onto that battlefield, death will be taking you into its open arms."

"Then I can die like my father had," the Vanisher spoke, raising her chin higher, "fighting on the battlefield with my sword against Adrien Agreste's neck."

Chloe never truly liked Prince Adrien after he refused her proposal, but she did not want him dead- wishing death upon a life for a foolish reason was simply just wrong. The idea of Sabrina holding a knife in front of a soldiers neck almost made her want to vomit.

"I will probably never see you again," Vanisher admitted, "so I am saying farewell. I hope to make the Kingdom proud with my bravery."

The ginger-haired girl turned around and made her way to the exit, hand reaching out to the doorknob. This was it. Her freedom from all the pain and suffering she had to endure after he father's death. The ultimate farewell that would lead to her revenge. Unfortunately for her, the princess refused to let her leave without giving her another lecture.

"Make the kingdom proud?" Chloe yelled in a demanding tone, "Pathetic fool! Sabrina, this is not who you are supposed to be!"

Sabrina hesitated before turning in a slow circle back to her so-called 'best friend'. Princess Chloe felt a sense of fear from the anger in her eyes, something she would never have expected to see from a woman who spent her entire life as a nursemaid.

Sabrina tilted her head up nonchalantly and sneered, "I am done with being your slave."

"You will not be avenging your father on the battlefield, Sabrin-"

The princess let out a loud gasp the second she noticed a knife hurtling towards her. The action was so fast that she had believed it was a single ray of light at first. Then the knife had made it's mark in the mirror behind her, shattering the delicate glass along with the connection that she had once felt for her.

"I shall be called the Vanisher from now on," the soldier said with fire in her eyes.

At that moment, Chloe knew that there was no use trying to persuade herself or Sabrina that she was just being childish. As the princess shivered in fear with tears flowing down her cheeks, she realized that the only child between the two of them, was herself.

Oh, how she desperately wished she was as strong as those vigilantes, Ladybug and Chat Noir, in that horrific second. She would have had the power to stop the Vanisher's madness. Instead she just watched in shock as her best friend turned her back on her, leaving a knife wedged between the shattered reflection of her broken heart.

~|~|~|~

Usually when Adrien packed for war, he was excited. But now that the person he loved was packing alongside him, he realized that there was no true need for excitement in the first place. He turned to her with guilty eyes, silently begging for forgiveness.

He was already feeling terrible about his father who had been sick for the past couple of days now- worse than Emma, in fact. The Agreste family was going through some tough times and Marinette hated that she was not able to tell anyone about the pregnancy, but she needed to be there for Adrien no matter what.

"Your father is going to feel better soon," Marinette told him in a dull voice, "If you sent word out to the same man who cured Emma, everything will be alright."

Adrien gave her a grateful nod, packing the last of his clothes into his case. He replied, "My mother wishes us luck on our journey. She has faith that we will come back home successful."

"So do I," Marinette said, facing her husband, "because we will fight brilliantly together on that battlefield. As long as you stay close to me."

Adrien could hold it no longer. He turned to his wife and pulled her in a smothering hug. Marinette gasped at the strength of his embrace and told him to hug her less tightly in order for her to breathe... It was also for the baby's sake, but she dared not say that aloud.

"I love you so much," Adrien said, "And I hate it when we fight with words."

"Likewise," Marinette replied, "After this war, can we promise to each other never to argue about foolish things ever again?"

"We can," Adrien agreed, holding her hand up to his lips before kissing her knuckles, "After this war, I will promise to never do foolish things."

Marinette let out a gentle laugh, lifting Adrien's spirits above the clouds. That was all he needed to push himself to give his all on the battlefield. That laugh was able to give him the determination to move mountains.

He pulled her into a passionate kiss, moving his hands to her hips. Before he could start anything inappropriate, Marinette stopped the kiss and said, "I love you too, Adrien."

She turned away from him to pack her new, engraved sword into her case, "Now let's win ourselves a war, shall we?"

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A/N: oh, gosh, I'm nervous about publishing the rest of this book. The next two chapters are already done so I should probably just publish it now, right...? Nah, I'll make y'all wait for another week😂 I feel like Thomas Astruc now, except I give spoilers!

Spoiler alert: 3 chapters left

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