A Miraculous Love

Chapter 1: The Lonely Prince

Five years had passed since Queen Camille's death and the once bright kingdom had become much darker. King Gabriel passed several laws after his wife's passing, changing the way his citizens had used to live their lives. The first law was that everyone was to be in their homes by 8pm and they were not allowed to leave them until 6am. He also made sure there was a team of guards patrolling the kingdom always making sure his rules were followed. If not, the penalty was jail time. The second law was that all peasants had been banned from visiting the castle except for the staff who worked there. The castle that had once been open for all was now locked and heavily guarded. The third and final law was that all public parties and festivals had been banned. If you wanted to celebrate you must be indoors and the party must end at curfew or it would be disbanded by the guards. The citizens of France were troubled by their king's sudden strictness but knew there was nothing they could do except hope for the best.

Inside the castle, life was not much better. After his wife's passing King Gabriel became cold and unfeeling towards his only son. He constantly locked himself away in his throne room to do his work leaving Prince Adrien alone with his tutor Plagg to complete one task after another. Prince Adrien spent all day every day in one class after another. His day always started with his main subjects English, Math, Physics, and World History. Then, he would be taken straight to the music room for his piano lessons with Mrs. Mendeleiev. Lastly, he would be shuffled back to his schoolroom for Chinese lessons with Mrs. Bustier and then be taken to practice his sword fighting with Mr. D'Argencourt. Finally, after all his lessons he was given dinner and then sent to his room for the night. For the last five years, this had been his life and from the looks of things it was going to stay that way.

Adrien wanted nothing more than to go out and explore his kingdom like he did before his mother passed. He missed the fresh air and the amazing sights that he used to see on their travels and lastly, he missed interacting with the people. The days of getting to talk with kids his own age while traveling was long gone and he missed them. As he stared out the window at the bustling town below he wished more than anything that he could join them just for a day. However, he knew that his father would never allow it. After they had buried his mother his father had told him he was forbidden to leave the castle unless they had to travel to visit the rulers of another land. The castle that had once been Adrien's home had now become his prison. A prison, that he wanted nothing more than to escape.

"Adrien, are you listening to me?", Plagg asked as he gave the prince a stern look. Adrien looked up and met Plagg's gaze, "Sorry Plagg, what were you saying?" Plagg's face softened as he looked at the tired boy, "I was saying it's time for you to go to your room. The guards are here to escort you and will be outside your room if you need them." Adrien sighed, They always are, he thought. "Fine I'll go, good night Plagg.", Adrien said his voice flat. "Good night Prince Adrien," Plagg called after him. However, Adrien was already gone.

Adrien entered his room and gave a quick thank you to the guards before shutting his door. He turned and headed straight for his closet and got out his pajamas. Once he changed he sat down on his bed and began to think about the life he wanted for himself, the life his father would never let him have. He also thought about the discussion he had with his father about his 18th birthday. His father had told him that in six months, when his birthday arrived, there would be a ball in his honor and that only nobles would be invited. Adrien tried to argue that he wanted everyone to be able to come and celebrate his birthday but his father cut him off. He remembered the angry glare in his father's eyes as he stated:

"Adrien, this is your eighteenth birthday we're talking about! You will be choosing a wife and will not allow my son to marry a filthy peasant! You will choose a girl of noble birth and if you refuse to choose a girl from the ones at the ball I will choose for you! I am allowing you to choose my son, so take the freedom I have given you gratefully or I will not hesitate to take it away. Do you understand?"

Adrien had been stunned by his father's outburst, but he had been even more stunned by what his father had revealed to him. A wife!?, Adrien thought, how can he expect me to choose a wife after one night? Let alone choose one from a select few of snobby rich girls! The thoughts ran through Adrien's head repeatedly, making it impossible for him to sleep. After tossing and turning for what seemed like hours, Adrien got up and walked over to his window hoping some fresh air would help to calm his thoughts. He stared out the window at the vast forest behind the castle and watched as the trees swayed with the spring breeze. Adrien closed his eyes and let the breeze slowly blow away his troubles as his body relaxed. When he opened his eyes, he decided it was time to go back to bed. Just as Adrien turned towards his bed, a flash of movement caught his eye. He whirled back around and saw 6 figures making their way into the woods. Even in the darkness of the night he could see they were each wearing a costume resembling an animal. Adrien watched as each one disappeared into the forest without a trace. He could not believe there were people going against his father's rules. People, who were choosing to live their lives the way they wanted and deciding for themselves the freedoms they should have. Giving themselves the freedom Adrien desperately wanted. I need to know who they are, Adrien thought, and he knew exactly who could give him the answers he needed.