*Trigger Warning* The King will force our girl to say yes to something she does not want. It is not a violent forcing or anything, just straight-up manipulation.  Everything is implied nothing is described as I don't like to write that kind of stuff. Read with Caution

Adrien and his hunting party left early this morning, all the women had been at the balcony waving goodbye to their men. The King laughed about it now, the other three ladies couldn't have been bothered to get early last year when Adrien left but this year when they had their secret partners all of them had. Even Lady Kagami and Lord Kim seemed to hit it off okay, he had heard through Natalies spies that they were considering marriage just to make travel easier for the future King and Queen. 

He was waiting for Lady Marinette today was the day to tell her everything. And ask her or force her to play a part in his plan. He looked at his reflection one more time, dressed in royal purples and all his grander, in case she needed a reminder he was King. A soft knock was heard at the door, "My King?" She walked in dressed in a royal purple gown (think Rapunzel) fitting the royal hunt season. 

"Welcome dear Lady." She smiled as he used his nickname for her. "Today I have a story for you Marinette but you must promise to never breathe a word of it to Adrien."

"What? Adrien and I have no secrets, Gabriel." She sat down and seemed to be, for the first time in a long time on guard around him. 

"Well, let's see how you feel about that after this story, okay?" She simply nodded. "Alright, a long time ago, several great Kings back my ancestors stole from the gods to bless the kingdom." 

She gasped. "That must not have gone over well."

"No, but our kingdom was dying they felt like they had no other choice. When they saw just how bad the kingdom had gotten, the gods allowed our kingdom to keep the jewels they stole and said as long as the Kings stayed just and fair in their ruling they would be blessed, but if a King failed to do so, they would be given they would have a Lord or Lady revive the cursed jewel within two generations. But promised that another Lord or Lady would be given the most blessed jewel to balance out the curse if the next King does his best to right the wrongs of the past." 

"Okay, why are you telling me this and not Adrien?" She fidgeted, her eyes clearly downcast.

"Is it not clear to you?" She did not lookup. As if she wanted to hide from the truth. "My son is cursed, Lord of the Black Cat, the god of destruction. I had hoped it would mean would fail in other areas and not in the inability to produce an heir." 

"Whose wrong is he being punished for?" She still did not lookup. 

"My father, in his anger he made a poor choice and refused to fix it. I have done my best to repair the damage but the damage was done. You see Nathalie was a princess but her father rebelled against mine and in short, that is why she cannot have children. And it seems the gods chose to punish my son for his grandfather's mistakes. Whether or not they took my wife a way to make sure he was the last or that I would have to father another child with a woman I did not love is unknown to me." 

He sat back waiting for her to ask. "What does this have to do with me. I'm not a fool." 

"No you are anything but, my dear lady. The answer is simple, I brought you here for a plan Lady Nathalie and I came up with. But when I saw you had been chosen to bare the Ladybug jewel, I chose to wait and see if the most blessed stone would give us the heir without my intervention. But it's been almost seven months, the time for waiting has passed. the court will soon be sending me new options for my son, options I do not wish to take. Three women to marry off after he is married is scary enough."

"What do you mean most blessed jewel and your intervention?" She finally looked up, but only for a moment. 

"The Ladybug jewel is linked to the goddess of creation, if anyone should have been able to bear him a son it should have been you." Her eyes darted up to him. 

"So what is your intervention then?"

"You and I will spend the next nine nights together. Hopefully producing the heir we need and the whole kingdom including my son will believe it's his. Because with the successful hunt I assume he will have, I will allow him to come straight to you, before he does the rest of his royal duties. He will see the child as a sigh of the gods' continued blessing." He sat up straight and tall as the King he was. 

***

Marinette felt her body stiffen against the chair. All of it made sense now. He'd planned this for the start, his kindness, his favour, his willingness to her ideas were all leading to his. "You want me to be unfaithful to Adrien."

"You will be saving a great kingdom."

"I cannot..."

"Think of all the Noble lives you'll be helping."

"I can't..."

"Think of your servents. Their status raised some of them could even wed their lovers."

"I..." She stopped. Mylene and Alex, could both be with their loves. Mylene could become the Queen's messager to the King with ease thanks to a marriage with Ivan.  And If Alex was leady Lady in waiting she would have a high enough status to marry Max. But could so many rights outweigh such a wrong?"

"Your father would become the Lord of the Village able to bring about many reforms I know the village needs, I just do not have a Lord I trust enough to do what is right for my people there." 

"What if someone finds out? My life and my child's life would be lost!" She was panicking. 

"If that ever happened which it won't no on in court is that willing to lose the much-needed heir. But if it did Nathalie and I would take you in at the small place in the mountains for the kings to retire in peace and only come if the son truly needs help, and Felix would likely take up the mantel as King or allow Adrien to adopt one of his sons as heir. And you would be saved in my care, Adrien might even still visit you if he hears that I forced you."

"And If Adrien and I over the years manage to have a child of our own?" 

"Then arrangements will be made for that child to inherit the crown. It wouldn't be the first time a secondborn took the crown from a living brother. He could abdicate or be a better general or could be offered to rule another Kingdome who has no son and be the ruling prince, or maybe it will be a girl and that is even easier to deal with. As she could be a queen in any kingdom if you and Adirens child could stay and rule her. It is rather simple really." 

"I just have to lie to my husband and child for the rest of my days..." 

"Who knows maybe the child could be your and Adrien's maybe the gods will see how desperate we are and ensure the child is both yours." 

"But how would I know that? The baby will look like you and Adrien regardless. I will spend my life in wonder and what if the gods punish our baby for this wrong?" 

"Actually in the god's eyes this likely wouldn't be wrong, it is I the father giving the son a child to raise as his, to smooth things over in court. He gets to rule still and have the heir the kingdom needs and in this case marry the women he loves." 

Marinette felt as though the world was on her shoulders. She wished she could disappear into the chair and run. "It would make everyone else lives easier... It would help so many people." She let out a sigh and stood. "Who am I to tell the King no?" 

"I knew you would see reason. I will have Nathalie come and collect you tonight after the sun has set and have you dressed in a way that would please me." 

Marinette felt her heart sink. What had she done? She couldn't take it back now. 

***

 Evening came faster than she wanted. She sat in front of the mirror in a low-lit room attached to the King's massive room. She was waiting for the King. He had left her a purple nightdress that really was more of a robe. And left nothing but her slip underneath. The King walked in, his royal cape and crown still on his head, he was reminding her, she knew it. He walked up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders and slowly worked out the tension. 

"I know how lonely you must feel, not having your husband's arms around you for so long." His hands wandered over her body.

She gasped, but would not speak, she did not trust her voice. She would not cry in front of him.  

"Marinette, come let us save the kingdom." He took her hand and led her to a bed that was not his and was not hers. A bed for a night that held no love. Just duty. 

***

Nine horrible nights. Her body responded to his touches, it made her feel dirty. She knew she couldn't stop her body from responding, but she wished she could. After the King was done and had returned to his room, Nathalie would walk her back to her room. The two women did not speak. Marientee knew that Nathalie loved the King and would agree to anything that would let them be together, even if it meant leaving his bed for nine nights. The last night came and went. Adrien would be home for a grand banquet that night to celebrate his hopefully successful hunt. Marinette was to be on his arm the whole night. She had a bath that morning to wash her horrid week away, she had the ladies in waiting braid her hair telling them of the kings promise to let Adrien come straight to her though not telling them why, so she didn't want to get too dressed up until after his visit the ladies giggle. And she eagerly waited for her prince to return and wash the memory from her mind.