-x-x-x-x-

Chapter 8: Blackout

In which Marinette collapses into Adrien's arms.

If she lived in a perfect world, Marinette would be going straight home along the Kwami Pass to find her parents and celebrate taking her first step along the path to victory, however small it may seem. She would be able to openly discuss strategy for the race, which would be the first round out of the three, and perhaps they would be able to teach her how to dance properly so she didn't completely embarrass herself at any royal functions she would be expected to attend. Then again, if this world were perfect, Ladybug would not have needed to exist in the first place.

After Chat Noir had left her, she spent the next few minutes trying to relax in the stables as she folded Ladybug's clothes and put them away. Her fingers fumbled with the ties of her day dress, still shaking with the adrenaline. She wanted to go and find Tikki straight away, for every moment she stood in the stables by herself in the heat of the summer afternoon, she could feel the loneliness that occasionally accompanied the life she chose gnaw at her insides. Her stomach growled, and she suddenly felt incredibly lightheaded, suddenly remembering that she hadn't had anything to eat or drink properly yet that day, other than a couple of bites of bread when she saw Alya that morning. Maybe before returning to her duties, begging for scraps in the kitchen would be her next priority.

Brie pushed his nose against her hand, and Marinette smiled, her thoughts immediately distracted as her fingers lightly traced the spot were Chat Noir had kissed her. She knew it didn't matter if he was right next to her in the flesh or thinking about her from afar, she was never going to be truly alone as long as he was supporting her. The faith and trust they had in each other was unconditional and would last forever. She would be able to see him later though and talk to him properly instead of this brief and fleeting moment, and her cheeks grew warm thinking about it.

There wasn't time to be dwelling on that, and, forcing herself back into the present, Marinette left the stables and immediately found herself being swept up in the crowds outside. There were so many people in the Palace Courtyard that day; it seemed as if the entirety of Parigi had gathered there to get a glimpse of the Francian and foreign knights and nobility and, if they were lucky, maybe even the royal families. It had a festival atmosphere, with street sellers, musicians and performers littered around to provide entertainment for those waiting for family members or friends to declare for the King. Everyone was dancing and drinking and having a good time, no matter their status in the social hierarchy.

There was a lot that could be said about the citizens of Francia, who, in spite of the fact that they lived mostly in poverty-stricken towns and villages across the land, knew how to welcome visitors, love each other, and take joy in the smallest of tradition and celebration. Marinette loved times such as this, with the music and the laughter, but it was bittersweet knowing that tomorrow the sky would return to grey, and the people would return to their lives, scraping and borrowing as much money as they could just to stay alive.

Ladybug's name was on everyone's lips as Marinette feebly attempted to push her way through the crowds of people and make her way to the servant's entrance. She heard someone tell their friend that Ladybug had pressed her sword to the King's throat and another who said she had fought off ten of the Kingdom's best knights just to be granted the audience in the first place. She was almost disappointed that she didn't put on enough of a show for those who were rooting for her and whispering her name in awe. Guilt washed over her, as on the other side there were people who felt betrayed that she was playing the King's game or those who were hoping she would be competing for them and donating the winnings as she did with the spoils of her robberies. She had to remember, to save her parents she was allowed to be selfish, just this once.

Marinette raised a hand to her eyes, trying to block out the sun. It was blinding, her throat was dry, and the heat was quickly becoming claustrophobic. With the crowd constantly pushing around her, she was beginning to lose her balance and getting tossed about as if she was little more than a rag doll. The Palace door was slowly getting further and further away no matter how hard she tried.

Seconds later, her foot hit something hard, maybe a rock or someone else's foot she wasn't sure, but it sent her tumbling to the ground, scuffing her palms and tearing her skirt. Mentally cursing her own clumsiness, she scrabbled at the dirt to try and get back to her feet. But with the crowd closing in and pushing around her, there was no space, and she ended up getting bruised and battered with someone standing on her skirts. She had no choice. She stayed down, covering her head the best she could as the crowds swirled around her and the world began to close in.

"Marinette!"

The word was muffled, but the familiar voice cut through all the chaos around her. She felt strong hands cover her own.

"Just breathe… slowly… that's it."

She knew that voice. It was familiar somewhat, but her head was fuzzy, and she couldn't quite organise her thoughts for the time being. The owner of the voice gently pulled her towards him and lifted her to her feet as he ordered the crowd to stay back and give her some space.

"Open your eyes," he said, using a soft, warm tone with her. She could feel his hand on her shoulder, the other on her waist, steadying her.

"Kitty…" she found herself mumbling quietly.

"What did you say?"

Marinette opened her eyes slowly and blinked a few times as her eyes readjusted to the light. Her breath caught in her throat, for the person who had been speaking with their face only a few inches away from her, was Adrien.

His Royal Highness, Prince Adrien Agreste of Francia, to say his full title, for she had not even had the chance to process that piece of information. She had never seen him dressed in such a way before, with a golden tunic embroidered with silver threads and a matching cloak emblazoned with the purple butterfly crest of the royal household. He wore a jewelled sword belt strapped around his waist, and the sword hilt itself was encrusted with so many gems that Marinette could not even begin to name them all. A gold circlet sat proudly on top of his perfect blond hair, with three large set emeralds glittering in the sunlight.

A sudden flood of various emotions rushed through her, a part of her wanting to believe that seeing him like this was some sort of adrenaline-fuelled dream. That most definitely was not the case, however, and the disbelief was soon replaced with the fear that she had been continuously embarrassing herself in front of the boy would one day be her king. That and if word got out that she had been acting so improperly towards him, she could be thrown in the stocks or the dungeons or worse. Then came the betrayal and the anger, that for several mornings, the Prince had lied to her face about his identity when she had never been anything but honest towards him, for the most part. He could have had a good laugh with the other royals about how a peasant girl such as herself had been so naïve as to become so obviously enraptured by him.

Marinette couldn't say that she was awfully proud of what happened next. She skyrocketed down from the high she had felt as Ladybug and, combined with the overwhelming feelings of being next to Adrien, the heat of the sun and the pressure of the crowds that surrounded the both of them, she fainted. Straight into Adrien's arms.

-x-x-x-x-

What were you thinking?

It was a good question, one that Adrien could already hear his father utter in that cold, angry tone of his. Every time he heard a noise, he flinched a little, wondering if it was Nooroo coming to get him for that lecture. He did not have a good excuse for leaving the arena, and he only had the short walk from the stables to come up with something.

The truth was that he hadn't been thinking at all, but he knew that wasn't going to fly and he might end up with the Gorilla or Nooroo following him around inside the Palace instead of just trusting Nino to keep an eye on him and report back. He stayed in the shadows, trying his hardest not to draw attention to himself. Everything about him was so ostentatious that skulking back to the arena was definitely not working and he could see the stares and people pointing at him as they parted to let him through, bowing their heads in a show of respect. He knew that most of them would be unsure of who he was, but everyone recognised the Agreste Butterfly crest marking someone out as important, and if that didn't mean anything the circlet definitely would give something away.

"Prince Adrien!"

He heard someone call his name casually and he turned his head to see Lila stood a few metres away with a smile on her face. That one she often wore that never seemed to meet her eyes. Frowning a little, for he didn't expect any of the other royals to have left the arena, he walked over and bowed.

"What are you doing out here, Princess?" Adrien asked, offering an arm to her, repressing any sort of shock or confusion that he had upon seeing her there.

"I was wondering where you had run off to," she said, in that same smooth tone that gave absolutely nothing away. She wrapped both her hands around his arm and fell into step beside him. "the declarations are so incredibly repetitive, and I was desperate for a break."

"You shouldn't have left without your guard, or your maid at the least," Adrien replied, eyes narrowing a little with curiosity, "it could very well be dangerous by yourself."

"I'm not alone," Lila said, "you are here, and I'm sure if you are as talented as your father claims you are, Adrien, you would come straight to my rescue," she smiled again, "why are you out here in the rabble then?"

"Ahh," he said, "I just needed a little time to myself. It is far too hot today to be sitting in the arena, I needed a walk." It wasn't a complete lie, and Lila seemed perfectly content with the vague reasoning, not questioning him any further.

The crowd parted in front of them as they walked, leaving them with at least a metre of room on either side, but they pushed and shoved each other in order to get a glimpse of them both. It was something the two of them had both been brought up to expect, and they ignored the people mostly, exchanged polite small talk with each other.

"Miss?" someone shouted, considerably less jovial than many of the people around seemed to be. "Hey, Miss?! You alright?" Adrien soon picked up on other concerned mutterings and the sudden shift in atmosphere from the moment before. Changing direction, he pulled Lila along to investigate, pushing through the people who had all turned their backs on him to see what was going on.

There at the centre of it all was a girl curled up on all fours with her hands covering her head and her back rising and falling quickly with every breath. He recognised her immediately from her black hair and the patches on her skirt. Marinette was unmistakable.

Adrien wrenched his arm out of Lila's grasp and immediately ordered everyone around to step back and get out of the way. They complied, forming a rudimentary circle around them, pointing and whispering amongst themselves.

He crouched down next to Marinette, talking to her softly and helping her to her feet. She managed to stand with his support, mumbling something under her breath that he didn't quite manage to catch before opening those brilliant blue eyes of hers. As he watched, holding her tightly, various emotions flickered in her expression: recognition, realisation, despair and something Adrien could only describe as horror. Then any colour she had left suddenly drained from her face, and she fell forward into his arms.

Palming Marinette onto one of the strangers surrounding them didn't even cross Adrien's mind as an option, however inappropriate it might seem for him to shirk his duty at that moment. He couldn't just leave her to the crowd and find out later that she was alright. They were not too far from the main doors to the Palace, so he made a swift decision and scooped Marinette up into his arms, cradling her gently against his chest.

Lila coughed politely, her face a perfect picture of concern with her pink lips pursed. She surprised him, hurrying over to him and pressing the back of her hand to Marinette's forehead gently. Adrien was relieved, she could've just as easily been insulted at him ignoring her. There was something unnerving about her eyes, and how her expression was never quite reflected there, but Adrien was too distracted to notice.

"Can you make your way back to the Arena by yourself?" he asked her desperately, "there is a servant named Alya, can you tell her to come and find me in the Palace immediately? Either her or Nino, my manservant." Alya was always a good bet, and Adrien knew she was friends with Marinette. She always knew what to do and how to help. Nino was useful because if Lila were unable to locate Alya, he would definitely be able to.

Lila nodded again, reaching out to squeeze his arm, her nails digging into his skin for a second and she turned quickly on her heels and hastily walked through the crowd, head held high and layer upon layer of her orange skirt billowing behind her. Adrien paid her no more attention and headed slowly in the other direction, doing his best not to jostle the girl in his arms. The guards on the door recognised him instantly and let opened the doors for him with no hesitation.

There was an immediate change in atmosphere. The entrance to the palace seemed to be even bigger and more imposing than it usually was while it was completely vacant. Adrien could still hear muffled sounds from outside the doors as the declarations carried on and they echoed somewhat eerily around him. He shivered, fingers gripping onto Marinette that little bit tighter as he contemplated what to do next.

There were several library rooms and drawing rooms on the ground floor that had comfortable chairs and chaise-lounges, but none of them were private enough to have a lowborn girl in there, and if he was caught with her by another royal, he could only imagine his father's fury at the embarrassment. To get into the servant's quarters from here would require either pushing a rather heavy tapestry out of the way or navigating through numerous corridors and several doors, both of which seemed pretty impossible in his current position.

His personal quarters, however, were only two sets of staircases away, it was a lot more comfortable, and there were currently no guards around to stop him. Not even the King was going to barge in on the Prince's bedroom without announcing himself. So, regardless of whether that would turn out to be a good idea or not, Adrien made a beeline for his bedroom and lay her down on top of his bed as gently as he could.

He scanned her, wanting to make sure that he hadn't hurt herself when she fell. The top layer of her dress had ripped slightly at the knees, but he couldn't see any blood on first glance. She did have small scuffs on the heels of both hands, so he grabbed the water jug and a few rags that Nino always left in the corner of his bedroom and set to work on cleaning the dust and grit from her palms.

Marinette's eyes fluttered open after a couple of minutes, and she groaned a little as she began to wake up.

"Are you an angel?" she mumbled, her voice slurring, "…clothes so bright."

"No," Adrien said, half smiling at the comment as he gently brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, "just Adrien,"

"Adrien…?" she repeated, then, all of a sudden, her eyes shot open wide, and she bolted up, staring straight at him. "Your Highness!" she gasped out before cringing and clutching at her forehead. Adrien just grabbed her shoulders and gently urged her lie back down on the pillows.

"Let's talk about that when you feel better, hm?" he said, pressing the back of his hand against her cheek.

The door burst open, and there was Alya, out of breath. To Adrien, it felt as if it had been hours since he had been with Lila, but he supposed it was barely a few minutes. It would not have taken Lila that long to return to the arena and Alya was a smart girl; she would have come to his room as soon as she knew she had been summoned.

All decorum was apparently out of the window as Alya fell to her knees by the bed and grasped Marinette's hand without giving Adrien a second glance. Marinette gave her a weak smile, but luckily didn't try and sit up again straight away.

"Nino has gone to find Madame Tikki," Alya informed them, "she will be here soon. What happened?"

"She collapsed outside," Adrien replied, dropping both hands to his side and moving away from the bed before Alya could pass judgement on how he was sitting.

"I am fine, Alya," Marinette said weakly.

"Like hell you are," Alya shook her head, "you are as pale as death, and your skin is clammy as well. You need to stay here and rest."

"I have to get back to work." Marinette tried to protest, but both Alya and Adrien shook their heads firmly.

"Royal command," Adrien stated, "you are excused from work for the rest of the day. You may stay here and sleep. 'Till the morning if need be." Marinette wasn't able to argue with that, and she closed her eyes again, taking a deep breath. Alya glanced over at him, biting her lip.

"Cannot argue with that Marinette," she said.

"I'll take full responsibility if she gets into trouble with her mistress," Adrien added, fiddling with the hem of his cloak as he looked at them.

"She will not be in trouble," Tikki followed Nino into the room and walked immediately over to Marinette, touching her cheek gently. She fixed her sharp blue eyes on Adrien, who immediately winced, feeling the weight of her gaze as if she was able to gaze straight through to his soul. Marinette works directly for me, not the Palace."

Nino, automatically recognising the protocol, bowed his head to Adrien and came to stand by his side, wringing his hands together in concern. Tikki seemed to be the only one in the room who was not tense at this point. She reached over to Alya and placed a gentle hand on the younger girl's shoulder.

"Would you please go to the kitchens and fetch some soup and bread," she said, "tell your mother that it is my order if she questions you. Some fresh linens and a change of clothes for Marinette as well, if you can manage it."

"Yes ma'am," Alya nodded once and stood again, squeezing Marinette's hand and bowing her head to both Tikki and then Adrien before exiting the room. Adrien nudged Nino.

"Go and help her," he said quietly, "and make sure that no one but knows she is here, for obvious reasons."

"Of course, m'lord," Nino set off quickly after Alya, pulling the door closed behind them.

The colour was coming slowly back into Marinette's face as Tikki gently loosened the ties of her bodice, her lips were slightly parted, and her breathing was even as she had fallen into a light sleep. Adrien tried not to stare at her, shifting his weight from one foot to the other and wringing his hands together behind his back.

"She had a busy day," Tikki said softly, "I have not known her to faint at any opportunity, unlike some girls I could mention. She is strong, do not hold this against her."

"I would never," he murmured back, scratching the back of his neck.

"I am glad," she said, and her blue eyes sparkled as she looked up at him, "and I am very pleased you were around to save her once again."

"She told you about that?"

Tikki nodded and smiled, the sort of smile that didn't give too much away. She was a woman who knew a lot more than she was letting on.

"Marinette tells me just about everything," she said, "and I taught her almost everything she knows in all respects – except maybe for baking, her cooking talents are solely from her parents. Even though I have every faith that she can protect herself, I must say it is a relief to know that there are people out there protecting her at the same time. Ah…" she continued before he could say anything in reply, "I forgot to pay you the proper respects and introduce myself, my apologies your highness."

"I know who you are," he replied, somewhat flippantly, "Marinette has told me a lot about you as well. I wish I could be by her side properly in the town, but I'm a little tied to this life." He let out a single laugh and a smile completely devoid of any warmth. "Etiquette is hardly important or vital in emergencies, and I've always preferred to be treated casually whilst in private. Save your apologies."

"Of course." There was a small pause as Tikki tended to Marinette and then looked back at Adrien with curiosity. "You are so like your mother m'lord," she said, "she would be very proud of who you have become."

Adrien took a step towards her, eyes wide with a sudden urgency.

"You knew my mother?" he demanded. Tikki seemed unphased, even as Adrien reached out and grabbed her arm without thinking.

"I lived in the palace before you were born. I was apprenticed to the dressmakers here from a very young age, and I ended up making the majority of the clothes she wore, even her nightgowns."

"What happened? Why did you leave?"

Tikki bit her lip, looking out of the window.

"The Queen died," she said, "The King went to war out of grief and then took it out on his own people. The Palace was in full mourning for close to five years, and one day, in the summer, I was sat in the dressmaker's rooms mending black dress after black dress, and I looked out of the window at all the blues and greens and browns of the palace grounds. I realised that the world was so full of colour, not just this seemingly endless sadness and that the furthest part of the world I had ever travelled to was the Parigi docks. So, that afternoon I packed up what little I had, and I left."

"Just like that?"

"It was hard, but I had a lot of money saved over the years, and I was given some from friends as well. I went everywhere, starting with Bretagna actually. I have no regrets about leaving, other than my heart choosing to stay behind."

Adrien could detect a sorrowful tone to her voice and a shudder in her shoulders that broke up her perfectly poised position.

"Why did you choose Bretagna?" he asked.

"You ask too many questions," Tikki said, tucking loose strands of hair behind her ear. "It was because of your mother. A few weeks before she died, she had asked me to make a dress for her sister, Queen Elizabeth, in the same style as the one she had worn to Prince Felix's naming ceremony. Apparently, Elizabeth had greatly admired it, and it was to be a present for when she visited later that year for your first birthday. I hid it before someone could die it black for mourning clothes and presented it to the Queen a few years later once I managed to get it finished."

"Ahh," Adrien smiled, releasing Tikki's arm and looking down at his feet. "Will you… um, will you tell me more about her? My mother?"

Marinette groaned a little, stirring once again slowly. She pushed herself up, slowly this time and rubbed at her eyes.

"Another time," Tikki said to Adrien and then became immediately attentive to her young apprentice. "You, silly girl, you gave us all a bit of a fright there," she said, holding out her hand to Marinette for support. "Let me guess, you got yourself too excited this morning and forgot to eat anything?"

"I'm sorry Tikki, I didn't think." Marinette squirmed sheepishly.

"It is not me you should be apologising too," Tikki glanced back at Adrien, "Let's discuss this in more detail later on, hm?"

"Alya and Nino are bringing more food," Adrien said, giving her a warm smile as he took a couple of steps over to the head of the bed, "are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you," Marinette said, "Oh my lord, can you ever accept my apology," she continued hurriedly, "I did not recognise you, and I showed you no respect, I just…"

Adrien held out a hand to stop her, and her mouth snapped shut.

"I purposely tricked you Marinette," Adrien winced, his heart sinking as this was exactly what he didn't want to happen. He didn't want her to see him different just because of his title and position. He had enjoyed every one of their morning walks and loved having someone who saw him as their equal, not the heir to the throne. "If anyone should be apologising here, it should be me. I am just Adrien, no matter who my father is, and it has been a great honour to have you as a friend.

"Thank you," Marinette gave him a faint smile and rubbed her face again. There was a lot more colour in her cheeks, and Adrien let out a sigh of relief.

"Eat when Nino and Alya come back, I have other duties I should attend to now." He gave her a warm smile and patted her hand. "Stay here for the rest of the afternoon and sleep here tonight. It will be more comfortable than the servant's quarters, and you can return to your duties tomorrow."

With that, Adrien watched both Marinette and Tikki bow their heads in respect and left the room.

-x-x-x-x-

Many eyes were on Adrien as he returned to the Arena. He assumed that Lila had informed them of what had happened, thankfully, so no one questioned him as he sat back down to Felix. Lila had taken the seat to his left and gently placed her hand over his as she asked quietly how Marinette was fairing.

Gabriel didn't say anything, and Adrien was pretty sure that his father had not even bothered to look in his direction for the rest of the afternoon. It wasn't until everything was over for the day and everyone was retiring to change for dinner that Nooroo pulled him into a side room to stand in front of his father's cold gaze.

"Would you care to explain your behaviour today?" Gabriel asked, his arms folded and his fingers drumming on the black material of his sleeves. Adrien coughed to clear his throat, trying desperately to think of something that would be approved of when his father continued talking, "Princess Lila informed us that the two of you went for a short walk and came across a girl who collapsed?"

"Yes father," Adrien said, not seeing any reason to lie, "she was a seamstress who is currently visiting the palace. Nino is acquainted with her and…"

"I do not care who the girl was, Adrien," Gabriel interrupted.

"The Princess appeared overly concerned seeing her," Adrien continued, using all the self-control he had not to glare and grit his teeth, and he chose his next words carefully, "I felt as if I could not leave her in the courtyard as she was, so I brought her inside to be looked after by the other servants. Lila said she would explain and make my excuses, so I am grateful for her help."

"Well done," Gabriel said, though there was no change in his expression or tone of voice. The sudden praise shocked Adrien who barely managed not to ask him to repeat it, "the choices you made today left a favourable impression on all the young princesses, especially the Italian girl. She was praising you constantly whilst you were away, and I noticed how she took your arm as soon as you were back. Her father was also watching, and I expect he is also favourable to the match. I do not need to remind you of how valuable it would be."

"No, father, you do not have to remind me."

"I appreciate you are finally making some sort of effort in this regard, Adrien. We want this tournament to result in positive relationships with all our allies. However, in future, I would rather you stay by my side and not wander off. Understand?"

"Of course, father," Adrien replied automatically, unable to hide the surprise on his face much longer. This was a rather pleasant change from getting told off for doing something stupid, and he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable with it.

"I must say I feel more confident in you after today, Adrien, I was almost concerned that you would have left the serving girl in your chambers. However, Nooroo reminded me that you were not that idiotic."

Was that supposed to be a joke? Adrien wasn't convinced that Gabriel knew how to make jokes like that. Adrien's eyes flicked to Nooroo who was skulking in the corner of the room, but that provided no answers.

"Of course not," he said, feeling his cheeks grow a little warm as he lied, "I would never do something that idiotic."

"I will see you at dinner," Gabriel replied, with the possible hints of a smile at the corner of his mouth. Adrien's eyes grew as wide as saucers as Gabriel reached out and patted his shoulder once. He pulled back quickly though and pushed passed Adrien without a second glance. Nooroo scrabbled in front of him to open the door, and with his dark purple cloak billowing behind him, he swept out of the room.

Adrien waited for half a second more before bolting out of the room and up the stairs to find Nino, who had gone ahead to sort out his clothes. He was outside the door, leaning against the wall outside the bedroom with a neatly folded pile of clothes in one arm and waving a hairbrush in the other as a greeting.

"M'lord, you took your time," he said, gesturing with his head to a door a little further on than this bedroom, "I brought some fresh water and placed it in your study. You can change in there while Marinette is in your bedroom. I thought she wouldn't appreciate you stripping in front of her after the day she's had."

"Thank you, Nino." Adrien grinned brightly at him, and Nino led the way and opened the door to Adrien's private study. It was just a smallish room with a desk and a few bookshelves, designed to mimic the King's own chambers. Adrien generally used it for his lessons, but not much else. "How is Marinette?"

"She is doing just fine," Nino gave him a knowing smile as he began to help Adrien to take off all the paraphernalia he had been wearing, "Alya is going to bring up dinner and eat with her and Madame Tikki when she's finished her own duties. She's been sleeping a fair bit, and I reminded her to stay overnight in your bedroom while she's still weak. Madame Tikki is going to chaperone because unless we come up with some other way to get around Nooroo before bedtime, you will be sleeping on your bedroom floor," he said, completely calm about the whole situation. After being raised next to Adrien, nothing seemed to phase him anymore.

"I'll sleep on the floor," he said, patting Nino's shoulder gratefully, "there is nothing to be done. You know Nooroo is. Will you stay with me?"

"To sleep with you? I doubt Alya would approve of that m'lord."

"It would probably look better if we each had a chaperone," Adrien said, rolling his eyes at Nino's comment. He scratched his chin, eyes drifting to the wall that separated them from the bedroom.

"Why? Is Madame Tikki not enough for you to keep your hands off Marinette in the middle of the night?" Nino's shoulders squared up to him, and he looked quite alarmed at the prospect, though his eyes were sparkling.

"Who do you think I am?" Adrien pushed at Nino's shoulder, "I just thought the more people that are in the room, the more comfortable Marinette would be!"

There was a pause, and Nino narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Adrien who winced a little and tried to give him the most angelic smile he could. Nino just sighed and turned the prince around so he could run the brush through his hair. The clothes Nino had picked out for him were still a far cry from the simple white shirt and trousers that Adrien favoured, but thankfully less ostentatious compared to the golden cloak from earlier. The collar of this shirt was still stiff, however, and digging into his neck and the circlet that Nino replaced on his head felt heavier every time he wore it.

"I will sacrifice my bed and sleep on the floor with you, if only for Marinette's sake" Nino stated, brushing specs of dust from Adrien's shoulders.

"Not even for my protection? You know my father will kill me if he catches them in my bedroom, don't you?"

"Yes," Nino said, "and I stand by what I said. Now get gone m'lord, I expect Princess Lila will want an escort into dinner."

"Why? I'm fairly sure Lila knows where the Banquet Hall is, and one of the maids can show her if she gets lost."

"Trust me m'lord," Nino said, already pushing up out the door, sighing heavily and muttering the word "useless" under his breath.

-x-x-x-x-

It wasn't the most comfortable dinner Adrien had ever sat through. He was surprised at how he managed to eat all his meal with Lila sitting next to him and finding every opportunity to reach out for his hand or touch his arm. Chloé was shooting daggers at them from across the hall, and her constant staring was putting him off his meal.

Adrien had been praised by near enough everyone for helping Marinette. As per usual, the story had spread like wildfire, growing more and more ridiculous every time he heard it. One version had her dying in his arms, and another had him ripping off his cloak and wrapping her up in it, which seemed utterly ridiculous to him, considering everyone had seen him with his cloak intact straight after. He quashed all the rumours the best he could, modestly accepting praise when it was offered and trying to convince everyone that carrying a seamstress' apprentice into a building was not the tremendously gallant action that everyone was making it out to be.

When he actually managed to excuse himself, far later than he would have liked, his father's guards were already waiting outside his bedroom as per usual. Nooroo was lurking by the wall, reminding Adrien of a ghost with his near translucent skin, all but glowing in the semi-darkness of the corridor. Nino was there already, having excused himself early that evening under the pretence of needing to prepare Adrien's bedchambers so he could check on their guests, and was currently glaring at Nooroo in frustration.

"For your protection," he said, his high-pitched voice wavering as he bowed down low and gestured to the men.

"Spies," Nino coughed, tapping his foot on the ground.

"Could you inform my father that I do not need protection," Adrien said, placing a hand on Nino's shoulder. "You are dismissed, go and report to my father that I went to bed without any problems and I did not leave my room once. Just as I do every other night."

Nooroo bowed again and scurried away without responding.

"Ooh, I could hit that man with my shoe," Nino gritted his teeth as he walked over and pushed the door to the bedroom open for Adrien.

"It is not as if they can report anything out of the ordinary to my father after all. He just likes keeping an eye on me," he said quietly, trying his hardest not to disturb any of the occupants in the bedroom.

"You don't have to make excuses for him, Adrien, not to me,"

Adrien hushed him, pointing over at the bed where Marinette and Tikki lay fast asleep next to each other. While they had been downstairs, Marinette had changed into a nightdress that someone had brought up for her, and her braids were now undone, so her midnight black hair spilt out across the pillow. She was curled up on her side, facing Tikki who, also asleep, had one arm stretched out and resting protectively on Marinette's waist. It caused Adrien to smile somewhat, the two of them obviously had a close bond with each other.

Gesturing to get Nino to help him, the two boys quietly closed the curtains around the bed to offer the women a little more privacy.

"I will be back soon," Adrien whispered to Nino, who had begun to busy himself with some rudimentary sleeping arrangements in the corner of the room. He had already brought some spare blankets and a pillow in to make the floor a little more comfortable.

"Where are you going?" Nino asked, eyes flicking to the bed and back to Adrien questioningly.

"I want some fresh air." Adrien knew it was a lame excuse, and he knew that Nino also knew it. But he was already late to see Ladybug that evening, and he was so sure that she would be waiting for him. He didn't look back to see what Nino thought of the idea, and as soon as he had stripped off any excess finery he had been wearing, he snuck out of the window and climbed down the palace wall.

Plagg was in his usual spot by the stables, a handful of cheese in his palm that Adrien could smell from over two metres away. The courtyard was empty apart from him, with just the remains of the revelry from the day littering the ground.

"Hey kid," Plagg called out to him as he passed, "Don't stay out too late tonight, it's not worth it." He didn't elaborate too far, just stood and wandered over to Adrien, patting his shoulder a couple of times. "You did good today. I bet the lass appreciated it, don't get too mad at her though, hm?" With that, he vanished to wherever he must sleep at night. Adrien couldn't picture Plagg having a house or a room somewhere. It if wasn't for the fact that he had usually vanished by the time he had returned from being Chat Noir, he would have just assumed the Cotter just slept upon his hay bale, just as he did most mornings.

Adrien didn't think much of Plagg's words either until he found himself alone in the forest with Ladybug nowhere to be seen. He waited anyway, for far longer than he ought, but it was no use. For the first time since they began their secret rendezvous, Ladybug did not appear.

A/N: Thank you for reading! Reviews are always appreciated, as are follows and favourites!

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