A Miraculous Love

Chapter 7: The Crowning Day Ball

It was the night before the Crowning Day Ball and the Miraculous Seven were meeting for the last time before they would launch their attack. For the last two months, they had trained six nights a week so they could hone their skills and prepare themselves for what they might face. As Ladybug stood before her team she could not help but smile. They had all worked so hard to get where they were and now it was time to put all that work to use. Ladybug called their final meeting to order and began to speak.

"I want to start by thanking all of you for your hard work and dedication to our mission. I know the past six months have been tough, but in two nights all that hard work will have paid off. In two nights, King Gabriel will be removed from the throne and hopefully we will be able to convince Prince Adrien to take his place. Also, on the night of the attack we will meet here and then make our way towards the castle. If for any reason someone is unable to be here the mission will still proceed as planned. We have come too far to back down now. Let us go over the plan one more time and then we will call it quits for tonight."

The team gathered around Ladybug as she walked them through the plan one last time. They knew that the moment of truth was quickly approaching and if they wanted their plan to succeed they would need to know their place.

As Ladybug went over the details of the plan everyone listened closely, especially Chat Noir. Thanks to his knowledge of the secret tunnels, getting into the castle would be much easier and the king would have no idea they were coming until it was too late. However, explaining how he had knowledge of the tunnels had been tricky. Finally, he had fabricated a story about playing with the prince when he was young and he had shown him the tunnels. The group seemed to buy it since he was supposedly a chef's son so he hadn't needed to explain any further. The next part of the plan was that Ladybug and Chat Noir would go after the King while the others took care of the guards. The plan was that no one was to be killed only subdued and unarmed. Once they secured the king and took his crown they were to find the prince and plead their case. Little do they know the prince is already on their side, Adrien thought as Ladybug finished explaining the plan. With the plan reviewed and everyone in agreement the group dispersed for the night, knowing that the next time they met they would be heading into battle.

The next morning, the castle was buzzing with excitement as the staff prepared for the Ball. Everyone was running around putting up decorations, preparing food, and cleaning the castle. Everyone that is, except Adrien. Since it was the day of the ball his father had canceled his classes, but in return Adrien was forced to remain in his room. He felt like a prisoner locked way until his trial. Sitting alone in his room all day had not been what Adrien imagined when his father had told him his lessons were canceled. However, he knew that soon enough the ball would begin and he would be allowed to be free for one night. Even if it meant he would have to eventually pick a temporary bride. Adrien knew that as soon as he became king he was going to propose to Ladybug and he would give an apology to whatever girl he had chosen at the ball.

When the afternoon finally came around Adrien was ushered downstairs to the fitting room where he would be placed in his costume for the ball. Like with everything else, his father had made the decision about what costume he would wear. Adrien sighed when he saw the purple dragonfly costume waiting for him. His father had decided that he wanted them to match but not be the same thing. As always, his father would wear his traditional purple moth suit and mask. Adrien hated the idea and would rather wear his Chat Noir costume but he knew his father would never approve. So, despite his disapproval, he allowed the seamstresses to help him into his costume and prepare him for the ball. Once he was ready, the guards escorted him to the ball room to wait for the guests to arrive.

It didn't take long for the ball room to fill with guests. As each guest arrived Plagg announced their name and their position within the kingdom. Most of the guests were families of members of the royal council and the leaders of the towns and cities surrounding Paris. All the nobles were here just like his father had said. Adrien sighed as he made his way into the crowd of people knowing that eventually he would have to mingle with them anyway. If he didn't his father would surely have something to say and he did not want to face his father right now. So, he began to greet the guests and make small talk as he weaved his way through the crowd.