Prince Xavier was furious at having been robbed. So much so that he demanded that his guards find and arrest the young man who called himself Adrien Hood. He was now outlaw number one to the Sheriff and to royalty.

"Did I not tell you that rogue was a threat?" Asked the man in his early thirties. This man was Sheriff Theo, a cruel and nasty man of the law who was just as bad as the prince.

"You know him. Just who is this thieving boy?"

"A menace to France who I will personally see hanged that is if you are willing to give me more than what I usually get?"

"Ridiculous! As if I need your help in catching some arrogant peasant boy. I have an army that can take him now get out of my sight."

"Very well your highness." Theo then left.

"Sire." Said a young woman. She wore a frock, apron, and kerchief. She was Lady Alya one of the very few maids who did not fear Prince Xavier.

"What?!" The prince snapped.

"Pardon me." She sassed. "But you should know my lord that your niece is returning from finishing school today."

"My niece?"

"Maid Marinette. Your brother's daughter who you're supposed to look after?"

"Oh yes her. She comes back today?"

"Yes sire and she'll be needing an escort."

"Very well then. Guards see to it that my niece arrives here safely."

"Yes sir." The guards replied.

Two of them went to retrieve her with a carriage. In three hours the carriage returned carrying a maiden in her late teens dressed in long sleeved, below the shoulder, rose colored, dress with a veil of lace resting on her head and framing her shining dark hair and pretty blue eyes. This maiden was the beautiful, kind, selfless, spirited, determined, and somewhat clumsy Maid Marinette. Daughter and only child of King Thomas. She had been away at finishing school after her father left for the wars and was returning home shocked to find her people living so poorly.

"Stop squirming you thief!" She heard a man shout roughly. She turned to see a man she recognized as her uncle's head guard Sir Simon. He was holding down a young boy and was raising his dagger up as if to cut off his hand. "This will teach you to steal from me."

"No! Let me go! Let me go!" The boy cried.

"Stop the carriage!" Marinette ordered causing the carriage to halt. She quickly ran out of the carriage and in the nick of time stopped the falling blade from cutting the child's arm. "Just what on earth do you think you're doing?"

"This boy shot a deer on my land! He was stealing my meat!"

"What choice do I have? I'm starving!" The boy argued.

"You'd murder an innocent child over a deer?!" Marinette gasped.

"I wasn't going to kill him I was merely going to cut off his hand." Simon said.

"Release this boy this instant!" Marinette ordered.

"Young lady just who do you think you are?"

"I am Maid Marinette, daughter of King Thomas therefore I am your superior and I order you to release this child or I'll have your head."

At her command he dropped the child.

"My apologies my lady I did not know who you were."

"Be about your business now and if I ever hear of you harming anyone especially a child over something so ridiculous as a dead deer I'll make sure you suffer the same punishment you inflict on them. Is that clear?"

"Yes Miss."

"Now off with you."

He got on his horse and rode away. Marinette turned to the boy. He had short black hair and green eyes. In his arms was a bow and arrow, she never thought a boy so young would be hunting or using weapons. Then again she had been taught how to fence since she was four not to mention before her father left for the war he had given her a dagger to defend herself and she had only been about nine or ten years old.

"Are you alright?" She asked him.

"Yes ma'am." He said brushing the dirt off of himself. "Thank ya kindly Miss for saving my hand."

"Think nothing of it though I must say aren't you a bit too young to be hunting?"

"I'm not that young, I'm almost eight." He said. I'm the oldest boy in my family and my Pa is dead so I have to be the provider for my Ma, my sisters, and my baby brother."

"Well in that case how about instead of shooting deer and infuriating Sir Simon you sell this and use the gold you make for it to buy some food." She then handed him a gold and jewel encrusted brooch.

"Wow! This'll feed us for a month! Maybe even longer!" He said surprised by her generosity. "Thanks."

"You're welcome."

He then ran off happy over the new item of wealth he had been given. Marinette smiled and returned to her carriage. She couldn't believe Simon was willing to cut off the hand of a small child over a dead deer not to mention there were hundreds of strong, hearty bucks and does on his land so one being killed by a starving boy trying to feed his family shouldn't have made that much of a difference. Surely the boy did not deserve to lose his hand over that, of all the cruel and unusual punishments that was one of the most awful. Her shock was furthered when she looked out her window again to see hundreds of people poor, harmless, and starving. What had become of her father in these past eight years? She needed to discuss this with her uncle once she arrived at the castle. Upon arrival the first thing she did was request a meeting with her uncle unfortunately he was more focused on his gold.

"Uncle I must speak to you about something drastic." She said.

"What?" He said hardly paying her any attention.

"On my way here I saw Sir Simon trying to harm a small boy by cutting off his hand."

"Did the boy commit a crime?"

"Does it matter? He was a child."

"Did he?"

"No. He shot a deer that was on Simon's land."

"That's a crime. It is Simon's land and if someone hunts on his land then he may punish the criminal in any way he sees fit."

"Uncle he was just a boy, a child, he didn't know any better. That punishment was far too cruel, he didn't hurt anyone he was only trying to feed his starving family not to mention there are hundreds of other starving families in our kingdom."

"And how is that my problem?"

"Uncle as ruler of my father's kingdom in his absence you must tend to the needs of his people and stop unjust actions."

"I am doing that. I've started a manhunt for a bandit who's been stealing my gold."

"With all due respect I think that's the least of your worries. What about our people?"

"As long as they pay their taxes who cares what happens to them?"

"You can't be serious. My father would not allow all these people to live like this."

"Well your father is not here and you may be his daughter but remember he left me in charge of the kingdom so I'd watch my tongue if I were you my dear. Now leave me to my gold."

Shocked and angered, Marinette marched upstairs to her bed chamber where Lady Alya was getting it ready.

"Marinette." She said happily as the two shared a long awaited embrace. Their relationship was more than that of a noble lady and her servant. They had been best friends since they were children and they had always looked after each other. "So good to see you."

"You too Alya. But what's happened while I was away? Why are so many people living in poverty?"

"I'm afraid it's your uncle's fault. Ever since he took over he's been taxing the people of France dry. He demands that they give him everything and when they have nothing left to give he throws them in the dudgeon without mercy."

"This is terrible! I won't stand for this!"

"I know but what can you do?"

"I don't know but I refuse to just sit back and watch my people suffer."

"Maybe you should try to contact Adrien."

"Who?"

"He's an outlaw who's been stealing gold and other valuable things from your uncle and other members of wealth and nobility. He then gives it to the poor people."

"Really? Well though that is kind I don't approve of stealing."

"I think he only steals what the rich don't need and so far no one has been able to catch him."

"In that case if he can help then I must contact him somehow. It's clear now that until my father returns it's up to me to take care of our people."

She went over to her vanity and pulled out her jewelry box. She opened it and began filling her purse with as many jewels it could hold and carry. Once it was full she closed it up and handed it to Alya.

"Alya go down to the church and find Friar Fu. Tell him to give these jewels to the poor and tell him that there's plenty more where that came from."

"Marinette you have a heart of gold you know that?"

"Thank you but now is not the time for compliments. You must get these to Fu right away, hurry now before my uncle see you and gets any ideas."

"Alright."