Miraculous-A Cinderella Story

Chapter Three

(A/N Sorry for the lack of updates! I'm working on my first REAL book right now. I'll be posting the prologue on Wattpad, so feel free to read that. However, if you'd like to read the whole book, stay tuned to hear about when I finish)

Marinette approached the throne room cautiously, dipping into a clumsy curtsy. "Your Majesty, if you would honor me with an audience?" Her tone was questioning, daring, almost. Princess Chloe glared at the maid cowering before her.

"Rise and speak, maid." The Princess responded harshly. "What is it you vex me with?" Marinette watched the Princess with careful consideration before speaking.

"The Prince has invited me to his ball tomorrow afternoon. I was wondering-" Chloe's hand flew up, a gesture to stop her from speaking. 

"You spoke with the Prince? Prince Adrien? While he was in my castle?" Marinette flushed, her cheeks turning beet red. "You insolent brat! I give you a home in the castle and you flirt with my guests?!"

Marinette shook her head. "Of course not, Princess! I just-" Chloe stood, her nostrils flaring.

"Speaking without permission? You wretched creature!" Chloe cried. Marinette stopped, her head bowing down. "Explain yourself! Why do you believe that a maid like yourself deserves to attend the ball? Why do you, a witch who associates herself with a fairy, believe that you should speak with the Prince at all?"

"It isn't like that, your majesty!" The bluenette choked out. "He invited me! He spoke to me!" Chloe stepped towards the girl, rage burning in her eyes.

"Can the Prince testify to your bold claim, Marinette?" Chloe asked flatly. Marinette nodded softly, before realizing it was a mistake. Chloe grinned, phoning Nathalie to call the Prince to the throne room.

What if the Prince didn't remember her? Why would a Prince testify to having seen and conversed with a maid in the hallway? Why would he defend her? He didn't know her or why she was there. He probably thought her a disrespectful maid who'd snatched his invitation before he'd gotten the words out.

The Prince entered shortly after, his blonde hair falling in front of his eyes again. Those beautiful green eyes...

"Your Highness, I heard there to be a problem that only I could attend to?" Chloe nodded. "What-?" Their eyes met and she quickly looked down, pursing her lips. She could feel his stare on her, boring holes through her head. She didn't look up.

"This maid has come to my court, claiming you'd given her an invitation to the ball tonight! She claims you talked to her so she asked me to allow her to attend!" Chloe cackled, wrapping her hands around his arm. "Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. Don't you agree?"

Chloe glanced over to see his reaction, stunned by the fact that he wasn't laughing. He just smiled. And not a rude, snarky grin, but a soft, simple smile that made Marinette's heart skip a beat. "Actually, this lovely lady is speaking in entire truths. I rudely bumped into her in a hall and she seemed to have been having a bad enough day. I treated her with well-deserved kindness and handed her an invitation to the ball."

Marinette's eyes lit up and her gaze shifted to their Majesties. "Thank you, your majesty," She whispered very quietly, but Adrien picked up on the sentence and winked discreetly.

"Well- well, she's a maid, your highness!" Adrien glanced at Chloe, puzzled. "She can't attend the ball!"

He narrowed his eyes at her. "The rest of the kingdom is attending this ball. Why can't she? She's a royal maid, one who works in your castle. Do you know whether she's royalty? Does it matter? Both answers should be no. Chloe, this is my ball. I want her to attend." He glanced at Marinette and shot her that sweet smile from before.

"Prince Adrien, I understand your concern, but I don't mean it in a rude way," Chloe flashed a fake smile. "Marinette is a maid and her duties in the palace overwhelm her. I doubt she'll be able to go to the ball in time. She'll have too many burdens, especially since she's a maid. Understand?"

Adrien sighed, nodding softly, but still staring at Marinette. "Of course, Ms. Bourgeois. I apologize, Marinette. I do hope to see you again, though." He left, leaving the Princess and the maid.

"Listen to me, witch," Chloe hissed as soon as the Prince was out of earshot. "You shall not go to that ball. If I catch you there, I will call for an execution immediately. Off. With. Your. Head." Chloe made a harsh ripping sound with her mouth, before turning her skirts and dismissing Marinette.

*****

(I didn't know if I wanted Marinette to be talking to a Ladybug, so I made Tikki a fairy godmother for real, like a human. Enjoy!)

"What am I gonna do, Tikki?" Marinette sobbed, the moonlight falling over her face like a veil. "I think I love him. He's a Prince and I'm merely a maid. I won't ever see him again!"

Tikki's short hair curled around her face and she brushed it away so she could place a kiss on Marinette's head. "You aren't 'merely' anything, Marinette. You were a Princess before. Chloe inherited the throne because you gave it up, child! You need to claim it again and stand tall, my dear."

"You don't understand, Tikki! Telling everyone that I'm the rightful heir won't do anything except put me in a worse spot." Tikki stroked Marinette's hair delicately.

"What could be worse than living as a doormat, child?"

Marinette sighed shakily, tears dripping onto the hay bale where she slept. "Responsibility, arranged marriage, loneliness, the list is endless!"

Tikki huffed. "If you inherit the throne, you can attend the ball, find true love or marry the Prince, live happily ever after, and I can be there to advise you along the way! Not to mention, I'll help you with your duties as Ladybug." Tikki began braiding the bluenette's hair, ignoring the dirt on the ground.

"You know that nothing works like that," Marinette chuckled sadly. "There is no true love or happily ever after. We aren't fairy tale characters in some fantasy picture-book." Tikki shook her head.

"I can grant you Ladybug; just for tomorrow night for your own pleasures. No one will know it's you, Marinette, and I can fix your chores for you. But-" Marinette jumped into Tikki's arms, almost knocking her backward. "Child!" Marinette moved back, dusting off her tattered skirts.

"I'm so sorry, Tikki!" Marinette smiled. "But thank you. I really appreciate how much you care for me."

Tikki blew a raspberry. "Enough to allow you the miraculous for your personal gain and not for the greater good of Paris, I suppose. Not that it'll happen again. Remember, at midnight you'll become Marinette again, so flee before then."

Marinette nodded. She was going to a ball!