Prince Adrien stood enraged before his father's throne. King Gabriel was seated atop it with a messenger standing at his side. In his arms were an armful of sealed letters. One of the letters, in particular, was wedged between the king's fingers as he read its contents to his son.

His eyeglasses were perched on the edge of his nose, and he never once looked up from the parchment while he read, but his words were very clear—so clear that there was no mistaking them.

Adrien couldn't help but gape at his father ridiculously. "You want me to marry the enemy's daughter?! You must be mad!"

Well, as you can see, Adrien was not taking the news very well. The reason for this was because Kingdom Cheng and Kingdom Agreste had been each other's enemies for as long as Adrien could remember. He remembered the countless wars they'd once had with each other before his father was crowned king. Adrien even remembered his grandfather's pure hatred for the neighboring kingdom.

He wasn't so sure of the reason for their hatred. Some claimed the kingdoms had once been allies a long time ago, and their hatred originated from one stabbing the other in the back—the betrayal of all betrayals—a feud that seemed unending. He didn't even know if that was true. All he knew was that they were enemies—that despite being each other's neighboring kingdom, they could never be allies.

And now his father wanted to change that? With a marriage?

"I may be your father, but I am still your king." Gabriel briefly glanced over the lenses of his eyeglasses, his voice sounding entirely unperturbed. However, his eyes spoke volumes. They were stern, a warning. "Watch how you speak to me."

Adrien stubbornly folded his arms across his chest. "Why must we marry to form an alliance? Can you not simply shake hands or sign an agreement to not attack each other?"

"It is not that simple, Adrien. Alliances call for a form of trust."

"And why must my life be used to gamble in your game of trust? You did not even bother to consult with me before making this decision! You should have asked me before agreeing to their terms!"

The king slowly folded the letter once more before turning to his messenger. He placed it in the boy's open hand. Then, the king cleared his throat. "You would have been wed someday to someone not of your choosing, regardless. What difference does it make?"

"Before, I had the option to choose whom I court between a list of suitors. Now, you are forcing me to marry someone I do not even like."

Gabriel sighed, seeming disinterested. "How do you even know you do not like her if you have never even met her? Perhaps she might surprise you."

"Or perhaps she might try to murder me in my sleep," Adrien replied dryly.

With a wave of his hand, the king dismissed the messenger. The poor boy practically ran down the steps, having no intention of staying around for the royal's anticipated brawl. The king stood from his throne and stretched his limbs. Then, he began to descend down the steps.

Adrien watched in silence with calculated irises.

Finally, his father reached him at the bottom, and when he did so, they were practically nose-to-nose. The stern king met his son's eyes, the look in his eye unwavering. "Let me be clear. You do not have a choice in this matter. You will write a letter to Miss Marinette about the engagement, and you will make it seem as if you are genuinely interested in her hand, do you understand?"

Adrien scoffed loudly like a child who hadn't gotten his way, but his father paid no mind to his childish behavior. The king sent his son off with an absent wave of his hand, and Adrien, being the stubborn, spoiled prince he was, turned on his heel and stomped out of the throne room with his hands clenched at his sides.

The throne room doors slammed against the marble wall as he shoved them open. The two guards who had accompanied him to the throne room when his father had called for him, Sir Nicolas Lahiffe and Dame Kagami Tsurugi, stood guard outside the throne room until they saw him pass. Silently, they both followed after him in concern.

Nicolas, or rather 'Nino' (which was the nickname the prince often used to address his loyal friend and protector), had been at Adrien's side since the boys were in diapers. Despite their social status, they were raised side by side, and although it seemed like they were always destined to follow different paths, Nino never failed to be at his side. Kagami, however, was a bit newer and had been enlisted six years ago as a guard to Adrien beside Nino when the young prince was only thirteen years of age.

"Kagami."

"Yes, Your Highness?"

"Escort me to my chambers. Alone."

Kagami wasn't just a Dame as most people believed her to be, though. They shared a special connection, but only which was hidden behind closed doors.

His two guards exchanged a concerned look with one another. Kagami's, of course, was feigned. After all, she knew exactly why the prince wanted only her to escort him. She was playing a part of oblivion.

"As you wish, Your Highness."

With a nod, his two guards parted ways. Adrien continued marching forward, intending not to wait for Kagami to catch up with him. It seemed she was in no rush to reach his chambers. She remained closely behind him, eerily quiet, and followed the prince until they reached his chambers.

As soon as the double doors to his chambers shut behind them, Adrien didn't hesitate to take her into his arms. His lips instantly clashed with hers, and a muffled gasp escaped her lips from the sudden contact, but Adrien swallowed the noise as he deepened the kiss. His arms wove around her waist, her silver armor poking uncomfortably at his skin. It took her a bit to respond to him, but her lips fit perfectly with his when she finally did. Almost like they were destined for each other.

The relationship that Adrien shared with one of his guards was forbidden. In truth, if his father ever found out, Kagami would surely be sentenced to death. But what could a man do when he was in love? Deny the woman he was in love with? Adrien couldn't do so even if he tried. That in itself was why the two of them were extremely careful when they chose to see each other. No one else knew about their romance either, not even Nino.

Their lips parted with shuddered exhales. Adrien pressed his forehead against hers, and his eyes squeezed shut as his thoughts continued to plague him. She knew why he needed this, and he knew that she had heard every single word exchanged between him and his father.

"I will not marry her." He whispered breathlessly between them. "I will not."

Kagami shook her head against his. "You do not have a choice, Your Highness—"

"Please, do not call me that. We are alone."

She exhaled shakily, "You do not have a choice... Adrien." She rephrased in a low whisper as if she were afraid someone else would hear her informally address the prince. "The king's word is the king's word. You cannot defy his word."

"I can, and I shall. He has no right to force this upon me."

"Perhaps, but he is still the king and your father. There is nothing we can do."

"Surely there is. We could run away together. Elope."

"Adrien—"

"Tell me you would not if you had the chance." His hand rose to her cheek, his thumb caressing her freckled skin only he was aware of. After all, the freckles were only visible up close.

Kagami leaned into his touch. "You are the only crown prince of your father's blood, Adrien. You cannot run from that no matter how hard you try."

His shoulders slouched at her answer. Theoretically, she was correct. He had a certain responsibility as the future king of their kingdom. With no siblings to possibly take his place, the responsibility was solely his to fulfill. His father was counting on him to be a great king. However, Adrien desired so much more in life than to be a ruler. He wanted to share his life with someone whom he truly loved.

How could he possibly ever obtain such a love by marrying the enemy?

Adrien huffed out a sigh through his nose. "So then, what shall you have me do?"

"Write to her." Kagami said, "Tell her what your father wants you to tell her. Make your words seem genuine."

"And what of us?"

"We can continue to meet in secret if you wish," her hand slowly raised to his cheek, and Adrien slowly placed his own atop of hers. "But that is all we can ever be: a secret."

The young prince abruptly pulled away from his lover's touch. That wasn't what he wanted at all. "That is it, then? We will be nothing more than an affair behind closed doors?"

"Is that not what we are now?"

"I want more than what we have now. Do you not?"

Kagami took a step back as well. "Of course I do, but—"

"Then let us do something about it! We could run away together like we always talked about when we were younger. We could get married—"

"Adrien, we were young. We had no idea what we were talking about—"

"I know what I am talking about. I know what I want. I want you, Kagami. Please."

But Kagami averted her gaze from his pleading eyes, and her expression was an answer in itself. She wouldn't do what he wanted. She wouldn't run away with him and get married. She was perhaps afraid of losing her position in the kingdom or her head, but nonetheless, her fear was holding her back.

Adrien hung his head in disappointment. He was truly convinced that he was in love with Kagami. Sure, their age gap might have seemed uncanny to some, but he didn't care if she was nine years older than him. Age was just a number to him. He was infatuated with her. They were both adults now and in love with one another. That had to mean something, didn't it?

"I should go before someone realizes we have been gone for too long." She whispered into the silence between them. Once more, she stepped forward to caress his cheek. The prince allowed it, but not before pulling her even closer so that he could press his lips to hers once more.

Kagami melted into him just as he knew she would. Her arms tangled around his neck, and his wrapped around her armored waist. He kept her pressed entirely against him as he took a step backward, his intentions and destination ever so clear when the back of his knees hit the frame of his bed.

Kagami shook her head against his, her lips agonizingly brushing against his. "We should not—"

"Please..." He desperately begged against her lips. "I need you more than ever right now."

She hesitated, but it seemed even Kagami couldn't resist his plea. She gave into his desire, as well as her own, and together, she and the prince worked together to shed her armor and spent the night wrapped in each other's arms.

_______________

The following morning, in the neighboring kingdom, the princess was also called to the throne room to stand before her parents. King Thomas and Queen Sabine silently read and exchanged the newest letter they'd received from their neighboring kingdom. Several other letters that had been exchanged between the two kingdoms prior were also sprawled out across their laps. Two in particular were held in the queen's hands. One was a letter from King Gabriel about his son's eagerness to meet their daughter, and the other was a personal letter from Prince Adrien himself, requesting to have her hand in marriage.

Unlike Adrien's initial reaction to the news, though, Marinette wasn't at all appalled by her arranged marriage that was clearly made without her consent. Rather, she seemed entirely passive about the news.

And that somewhat frightened her parents, who thought they knew their only daughter extremely well.

"We thought you would be more... how do I put this...?" Her father rubbed the back of his neck. "...Upset?"

Marinette stared ahead and shrugged her shoulders. She wasn't upset, per se, but she was numb to the idea. Marriage in itself had always been a certain fate for her, but who she was meant to marry remained a mystery. However, her arranged marriage made all the hard decisions for her. She didn't have to worry about courting hundreds of foreign princes from around the globe.

That was a pro, sure. But the list of cons seemed endless too.

"He cannot be that bad, right?" She tried to crack a convincing smile for her parents, but in truth, Marinette was more afraid than she was angry. She had never met Prince Adrien before. She had no idea what he looked like or what his interests were. She only knew one thing about him—and that was the stories she'd been told throughout her childhood about the evil prince and his dark kingdom.

As she grew older, she tried her best to be more optimistic about her thoughts and opinions about Kingdom Agreste and its rulers. She didn't want to assume they were evil simply because of passed-down stories throughout her ancestry.

But... what if the stories were true? What if Adrien was a cruel prince? What if Adrien hated her? What if he wanted nothing to do with her?

His letter was clear—he wanted to meet with her; hell, he wanted to marry her. But words were just words. They only told her one side of the story. They didn't tell her what he'd been thinking or feeling when he'd written them.

Her mother spared her a sympathetic smile. "We are sorry we did not inform you of these arrangements sooner, but we figured this would be good for you."

Marinette raised a confused brow at that. "To marry the prince from a kingdom we are at war with? With all due respect, Mama, but how is this good?"

"Well... the point of the marriage is to end the conflict." Her mother said matter-of-factly. "We all want peace."

"Then why could you not sign a peace treaty with them?"

"It is not that simple, Marinette." Her father interjected softly, "Peace requires a show of trust. Marrying our children together is just the type of trust our new alliance would need. Not only that, but it will conjoin our kingdoms. Make us one."

"Papa, you know I have never defied you before. Truly I have not. I have gone along with all you have ever asked of me. But what if Prince Adrien hates me just as his father used to hate you?"

"Nonsense! His letter claims he wants to marry you."

"But he does not even know me!"

"All right, settle down, both of you." Queen Sabine interjected. Her tone was very stern, and it was enough to leave her husband silent. She then turned to face her daughter, her expression more open and compassionate. "Marinette, your fears are valid, but you must not let them hold you back either. All you can be is yourself, and that is enough. If Prince Adrien does not like that, he will miss out."

But what exactly would the prince be missing out on? He would still be married to her. He would still be able to bed her... and she would have to allow it. He would still be the father to her future children, even if he despised her, even if he never loved her. He would have everything a future king could possibly ever need and want.

And she... she would have nothing.

So who would truly be missing out?

Instead of voicing those new thoughts, Marinette chose to nod her head. She knew her mother meant well. In fact, she knew her parents' intentions were both good, but they wouldn't understand. They were lucky enough to be wed in love, but not everyone was as lucky.

The silence that had fallen between them was suddenly broken when her father loudly cleared his throat. "Tomorrow, we will leave for Kingdom Agreste to meet King Gabriel and his son. I advise you to prepare yourself for your first meeting with him."

The announcement was shocking, and her eyes went wide. Tomorrow?!

"So soon?" Sabine questioned her husband. Even she was surprised. "Should we not allow Marinette time to process the news—?"

Her father interrupted his Queen with a shake of his head. "The longer we wait, the longer we continue to be adversaries."

"But Tom—"

"It is fine, Mama." Marinette forced herself to smile once more. This time, she made sure it was convincing. After all, she was the master at putting on a fake face. "I will be fine."

Her mother's saddened smile was enough to see that she didn't believe her, but there was nothing more that could be said in order to make the situation better. Her father's mind was already made. She would be marrying Prince Adrien. She would be meeting him tomorrow for the first time. Despite wishing things could be different, she pretended as if the news excited her. With that, her father seemed pleased and excused her from their presence with a claim that he was so proud of her. She smiled up at him before she turned to leave, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

As soon as she exited the throne room and the doors shut behind her, Marinette's shoulders fell from their straightened posture. Both of her knights, who had escorted her, stood by the doors as they patiently waited for her return. Her truest friend, Dame Alya Cesaire, came to her side first and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.

On her other side, her knight, Luka Couffaine, stood nearby. He didn't touch her shoulder like he usually would have to provide comfort, but his voice held concern as he asked, "Is everything all right, Milady?"

"Not quite." Marinette chuckled sadly, "It seems I am to be wed to Prince Adrien."

"Of Kingdom Agreste?" Alya gasped in horror. "Why on earth would the King and Queen allow such a union?"

"King Gabriel has requested peace and an alliance. My father believes conjoining our kingdoms is the best course of action."

"That is rubbish." Luka instantly concluded. His cheeks quickly flushed, however, when he realized he had spoken a bit too loudly. "Forgive me for using such brash words when regarding your parents, Milady."

Marinette offered him the best smile she could muster. "No apology needed. I agree. To be wed to the enemy's son? It does sound quite absurd."

"When is this union meant to take place?" Alya asked.

"I assume as soon as possible," Marinette said with a shrug of her shoulders. "After all, I am to meet with the prince and his father tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?!" Both Alya and Luka exclaimed in horror.

The princess nodded a bit sadly. "Unfortunately. I only pray the meeting will go well. I have no idea what to expect when I arrive. I have no idea if Prince Adrien will even treat me nicely."

"If the stories about him hold any truth, you should prepare yourself for the worst possible outcome," Luka advised her. He remained glued to her left as the three of them continued to walk down the hall. "They say Prince Adrien is colder than a block of ice."

"They also say he is arrogant and spoiled," Alya added from her right, "Which means he may not be very polite."

"Polite? He does not even know the meaning of the word." Luka remarked. "They say he treats his subjects like dirt."

"So he walks all over them?"

"Even worse. He belittles them. They say he only visits the village just so he can laugh at how unfortunate they all are. The taxes in Kingdom Agreste are exceedingly high, so the villagers are extremely poor and have little to eat."

"They are?" Marinette interjected with a peek of concerned interest. "How do you know this?"

"Before I became your knight, I visited once as a traveler," Luka explained. "What I saw was an array of women and children on the streets begging for coin. The fathers were out trying to look for work but could not find any."

"Why could they not find any?" Alya asked.

"Because the work that was available has already been taken. They do not have enough work for the amount of people they have."

"That is awful," Marinette said mournfully. Truly, she was devastated by this news. Why were the people of Kingdom Agreste being treated so poorly? A king was supposed to love and care for his subjects. But it seemed the people of Kingdom Agreste were not a priority for King Gabriel and, therefore, were of no importance to his son either.

"You know, Milady..." Alya began thoughtfully, "If you were to become Prince Adrien's queen, perhaps you could make a difference once the kingdoms are conjoined. I am sure that would be very beneficial for all of these neglected subjects."

"Yes, yes! That is brilliant!" Luka snapped his fingers at that. "The difference that you could make would be astounding, Milady. The people would look up to you just as they once looked up to Queen Emilie."

"Prince Adrien's mother?" Marinette questioned. She didn't know much about the woman, considering she hadn't ruled for long. All across the land, it was known that Queen Emilie had passed shortly after her son's birth. "I once heard she was the kindest woman in all the land, loved and respected by all."

"She was." Luka nodded sadly. "The kingdom thrived under her eye until she passed. Things were never quite the same after that."

The passing of a beloved ruler could do that to a kingdom, especially if the king remained trapped and isolated in his grieving. Marinette wondered if the king was bitter because of his wife's death. If that were true, it would make sense as to why the prince might be cruel. He was likely just as bitter, raised that way under his father's hand.

Perhaps there was a light to this situation after all. Maybe Marinette could make a positive difference. If she became the prince's queen, she could help the poor people of Kingdom Agreste. Maybe she could even pull the prince out of his pool of bitterness.

With that in mind, a smile found its way to her lips. Marinette had a mission in mind, and if she succeeded, perhaps this union wouldn't be so bad after all.

_______________________________

First chapter is finally out! I've been working on this for a long time and it feels great to finally post it. What do you think? Interested enough to want more?

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