Tom watched his daughter work on the morning dough. He often wished he could have given her a  different life, but his father made that choice for him, he loved Sabine with all he had. He could not have given her up for all the wealth and power his father could give him. His mother visited him often though, so Mariette had been introduced to the world of Nobles because his mother made his father accept Marinette. His Mariette was beautiful and young she was only 21, if he had been a noble she would have had several noble after her, maybe even one of the royal family members. But she had happily found a boy who played the most beautiful music who loved her, she would have to here at the bakery for the rest of her days, but as she hummed as she worked he couldn't imagine her minded all that much.

***

Mariette was happy with her life, she'd spent enough time around the nobles to know the posh lifestyle of the nobility. Her grandfather was one of the few bakers from outside the castle staff who was allowed to bake for the King and his family. She had briefly met the royal family but that was back when she was 13 so she hadn't had the bravery to speak to the crowned prince let alone the king. Anytime she went now the crowned prince was busy with his three "wives." Oh, how she pitied those girls, see none of them are really married to the crown prince. They all slept with him, trying to produce an heir. All living in close quarters in the prince's harem. Once one of them was pregnant she would be married to the crowned prince and become queen. The other women had their choice between getting married to one of the prince's friends who could be trusted not to take the throne or remaining single. There were already rumours going around the court that each woman had found their lover for after the queen was crowned. She couldn't blame them some of them had been there for four years already. 

Her days were always the same, raise early in the morning and make the dough for the fresh bread. By mid-morning, she was out doing the deliveries for those who couldn't make it to the bakery. It was her favourite part of the day, she loved seeing the older people and the young families. By then it was mid-day and after having the meal with her parents she would have time to work on her seamstress business, she made herself clothes along with several of her friends. She also fixed ripped seams and torn garments. After the evening meal, She and her betrothed Luka would go for a walk like many other couples in the village. 

Well, they weren't publicly betrothed yet, like many of the families in the village they couldn't afford the formalities needed to publicly announce the betrothal. So most of the time families grouped together and announced several betrothals at once. It was one of the greatest parties the village gets to throw. 

***

Gabriel sat in private his office, what was he going to do, three "wives" for his son and still no heir. He'd even waited an extra year before he gave him his first wife. But he'd grown tired of being King and was ready to share the role with his son, and let him take more of the public roll. But the law of the Miraculous said you had to have an heir before you could take the throne. Unless there was a death and you were the only option. Adrien had but one other relative, Felix his cousin, the son of Gabrial's sister-in-law. His late wife's twin sister, who at one point had also been his "wife", the only one who could take the throne from his family, granted he looked Gabriel like a father, so he was happy to be Adirens Ambaster, like his father for Gabriel, but his mother was after him to take the throne, if he had a child before Adrien he would be the court's preferred. But Felix loved Adrien like a brother and had taken a liking to one of the wives, and was hoping that one of the other "wives" would produce a child so he could ask for her as a sign of loyalty to Adrien. But how much longer could Gabriel count on his nephew's patience? He needed a new plan. 

"Nathalie!" 

"Yes my Lord King?" Nathalie bowed low and waited for him to speak. 

"You know that unnecessary, my dear." He took her hand and kissed it. 

"Well, you know who could be listing sir." She smiled as she pulled her hand away. 

"I'm the King, what I do should concern no one." He sighed. 

"I might agree but the court has spies everywhere. And we can't give you sister-in-law anything to use against you, now can we?" She poked his nose. 

"You were my wife's lead lady in waiting and now my closest confidant. What does it matter if I also love you?" 

"I am not a queen nor can I be thanks to my father's stubbornness. If only he had headed your father's warning, or just given me up as peace offering, rather than trying to go to war." She had been born a few kingdoms over, one that had a trade deal for peace with the Miraculous Kingdom, when her father decided he wanted more than the deal offered, he went to extreme actions. She had begged her father not to go to war, but by then he was after power not just better trade terms. 

Their family was taken captive and made an example of as a warning for all who were at peace with the Miraculous Kingdom, every member of the royal family, male or female was made to be unable to bear children, ending their families rein. Nathalie had been the youngest at 14 her older brother 20. A new king was chosen and their family was offered a place in their old homeland, as nobles to live out their last days with some dignity. The three other former royals drank poison instead. 

Nathalie offered herself as a servant to the king. The king took her on and three years later when Gabriel's young "bride" moved into the castle and took a liking to the former princess, Gabriel asked to have her given to his Emilie as a gift. 

"I wish I could have stopped my father, but I was sixteen what did I know then. He feared any child produced by you or your bother would be swayed by the story of your father's rebellion." He took her hand again. 

"I know my love, but once Adrien produces an heir we can retire and be a couple in public." She kissed his cheek. 

"Yes, that's why I called you here, we need to find a new "wife" for Adrien." 

"Sir, he's 23, you weren't that much younger than him when you and Emilie had Adrien. Or when your father had you. Give him time." 

"Nathalie was at war for the first three years she was here, I rarely saw her let alone slept with her. Then she lost two babies, and father brought me two other wives who I avoided as much as possible. Because I couldn't stand them. We got lucky Adrien survived. But Adrien has been born in a time of peace, the few battles we've had are small and hardly count as anything. With how much he's home she should have been able to have a child with one of them by now." His voice broke, "The curse can't happen this way! I was sure it take shape another way! That's why I hoped he would produce an heir young! My only child can't pay the price of my ancestor's mistakes or my father's miss-steps." 

"Shh, my love please, you are young enough, you could have another child still." She did her best to calm him, she did not know how trusted the guards could be. The court was a dangerous place to tread. Even the best of Kings can lose the favour of the courts.

"The court would not wait another 18 years for my next child to grow up and have a child of their own. What if was a girl? Ask Felix to wait and marry his half-cousin? Who would be over two years his junior? No, if we do that they have to believe the child is Adrien's not mine." 

"The right women might do that." Nathalie didn't think it was impossible. 

"No, we need someone who doesn't understand the way court works, someone who would be solely loyal to us. Then maybe we could convince her this is the best plan. Send your spies into town. See if any of the nobles have disinherited children, see if they have a daughter, closer to Adrien's age the better, maybe I can have one of them fall out of favour with me and out of desperation offer their granddaughter to me as a peace offering." He smiled, yes this might work.

"Sir, this plan reminds me of your father." She sighed, but what other choice did they have, if the curse of the gods was true they would need another child. 

"He wasn't a complete fool." he laughed. 

***

Adrien sat in his private dining nook, waiting for his third "wife" to join him for dinner. He would much rather be getting ready for his hunting weekend with Felix. They were getting ready for the next torment of princes. But alas it was Thursday and that was the day each one of his "wives" got to have a private meal with him. They rotated on who got breakfast, the mid-day meal and dinner with him. Today it just so happened to be in the order they came. He sighed, "wife" number three like the other two had given up. After a year of all three of them living together in the harem, they no longer fought for him to spend the night in her room or tried to sway him into letting them join him on solo trips or pleaded to have the honour of going into his royal bed. It seemed they like the rest of the court believed he was cursed, or at least that the rumour he'd heard, but his father would never tell him about it, claiming it was an old wives tale and nothing more. They never said no when he asked to spend the night in their arms or to come away with him. But he knew all of them had lovers. Well, except his third "wife" she had found a companion. She told him the first night she was here that, once they had the baby they so desperately needed, she would not want to have sex again, he could take on a secret lover for she had no use for such frivolity. She believed ruling a kingdom took focus and she had no desire to be a distraction. 

Adrien feared his father bringing him a fourth "wife", he couldn't handle the idea of watching another woman he cared for fall into the arms of one of his good friends. He was assured that none of them were sleeping together yet, as they all wanted to avoid slip-ups, but his two closest friends in court had offered to impregnate his wife and let that child pose as his son, but it was too great a risk, he could not give any friend no matter how close that much power over him. He sighed a heavy sigh and heard the door open, "My Lord Crown Prince may I present, her ladyship..." Adrien put on a golden boy smile, pushed those thoughts out of his head for now, and got up and kissed his most recent "wife".