Chapter Text
A Miraculous Ladybug Beauty and the Beast au
Ch. 1
It had taken forever, but she had finally gotten the flowers right.
Marinette held up the blouse to better examine her handiwork. The little pink and and blue blooms that she had embroidered onto the collar had taken her hours to finish, each stitch had been sewn with great care, and each color of thread had been placed and chosen with great precision to make the flowers pop.
A drop a spring to be worn against the autumn chill.
Marinette admired her work. She could not wait to show Madame Tikki, oh she would be so proud of her! If this did not show her that Marinette was ready to be her apprentice, then nothing will.
Her mind wandered to that wonderful dress shop, the delicate laces and fine silks that made her hands yearn to touch them. To cut and pin and sew until she had made them into a work of art. Yes, Madame Tikki had the finest dress shop in town, and Marinette was determined for her to take her under her wing so that one day she could have that same renown.
"Marinette! Come help your father!“ Yelled the warm voice of her mother from down stairs.
The girl sighed. Dreams of pretty gowns and creative renown would have to wait. Right now she had to return to the reality of being a bakers daughter. Carefully draping the blouse across her small bed, Marinette pulled her boots back on and hurried down to the kitchen of her family’s shop.
The kitchen , as always, was warm and smelled like fresh bread. Normally her father would be kneading dough or mixing ingredients, but today the large man was preparing supplies.
Her father smiled at her and nodded towards a bag of his. "Help bring these to the wagon.”
With a nod, Marinette threw the bag over her shoulder and asked her father. “Are you excited papa?”
He nodded as he picked up a wooden box. “Very. It’s been so long since I’ve attended this festival. Besides, if all goes well, we’ll be seeing a lot more business.”
Papa continued to talk about the festival he would be leaving for in the morning. Her uncle who lived in another town had invited her father to join him in selling his food at a large festival a couple of towns over. It was an opportunity to earn extra money that would be a great deal of help for the colder months ahead. But also, it was going to bring a great deal of attention to their small bakery if people enjoyed.
Marinette sighed as she tossed the bag into the cart. “I wish I could go with you. I want to see the festival.”
Her ruffled her hair with his large hand, she could feel the roughness of his palms from a lifetime of hard work. “I know, dearest. But you and your mother have to mind the bakery for me.”
"I know, I know. But its just all so exciting! If you go again next year, take me with you!“ She was bouncing on her feet and looking at him with hopeful eyes.
Papa only laughed. "If you do a good job of helping your mother and stay out of trouble, then you can go next time.” He tapped her nose playfully as he had always done since she was a child. “So don’t go looking for mischief while I’m away.”
She rolled her eyes but laughed all the same. “Deal.”
Adrien had always been accustomed to silence.
His father kept a strict household, and any servants were to be seen but not heard. Adrien himself had always been left to his studies, like them, he was always seen but never heard.
But at least he had the comfort knowing they were there. That the silence could be broken and connections made if only he had the courage to do so. Sadly, he always lacked that courage in the end.
This silence was deafening. There was no break from it no matter how hard he tried. The quiet was the real sign that he was truly alone now.
A black cat slinked its way across the room and over to him. It’s emerald eyes bore into him, it opened its mouth, but instead of a meow, a question came out. “Why so blue big guy?”
Adrien sighed and turned away from the window he was looking at. “The quiet. I hate it.”
The cat only moved its head as if to nod. “It is pretty dull here. Isn’t it?”
Adrien looked at his only companion. “It’s not that Plagg. It's….just that no one is here. No one wanted to come here with me. It feels like a confirmation of how hopeless this all is.” He looked down at his hand, or rather claws. His once tan and smooth arm was now covered in silky black fur, his fingers were longer now, and the nails that had been kept short and neat were now long claws that made things very difficult to hold.
Plagg sat down beside him and looked out onto the garden. It was still lush, even with the autumn weather beginning to set it. “You can’t give in just yet.”
Adrian couldn’t help but snort. “What hope is there? No servant will set foot near me. Let alone a girl that can love me. And if I leave, who knows what people will do? My own father isn’t even here.”
Plagg sighed. “Don’t give in kid. Never do that. Because the moment you give up, that’s when the curse will really claim you.”
The feline gazed upward. Plagg was the spirit that guarded their noble family. Plagg was the cat that decorated Adriens family crest. It was Plagg that had looked over his ancestors centuries before. Adrien wondered what his ancestor was thinking when he allowed Plagg to guard his family. Maybe black cats didn’t have such a bad reputation then. Although maybe Plagg was the reason for their poor luck. No man or woman in their bloodline had ever met a pleasant end. Adriens thought floated to his mother….
No. Adrien could not think of her. Because if he thought of her, Adrien knew he would sink into despair again.
As if Plagg could read it on his face, he spoke up. “You’re thinking about her again.”
"How can I not? I don’t even have the peace of mind of knowing what happened.“
Plagg looked away, as if in shame. Perhaps because Plagg did not know what had become of the late queen either. Or at least, she was assumed the late queen. One day Adrien’s dear mother was nowhere to be found, no note or body, just the certainty that she would not come back. King Gabriel, though he had always been a stern man, had become even more distant and cold after his wife had gone, and young Adrien knew then that he had lost both his parents.
As if to distract himself, Plagg sniffed at the plate of untouched food on the small table and nibbled on the cheese that sat amongst the bread and fruit.
Adrien let out a deep sigh and went back to gazing out the window to the garden. The wind shook the dying leaves from their branches, and bits of orange, red, and yellow littered the ground In front of the rose bushes. Those flowers seem to be the only ones that were stubborn enough to stay. Everything else was beginning to wilt, but those roses stayed the same.
Maybe Adrien will be like them, staying the same whether he liked it or not.
"I’m never getting out of here…”
Plagg finally looked up from his snack and licked some of the pieces that clung to the side of his mouth. “Have some faith. I got a hunch things are going to look up soon.”
The sun was just beginning to rise when Papa hugged her and her mother goodbye.
Her mother kissed her father and wished him a safe passage and a swift return home. “And say hello to my uncle for me.” She finished, patting her husband on the shoulder.
Her father chuckled, “of course dearest. Don’t worry.”
He turned to Marinette, her father had always towered over her and was a wall of a man, but his embrace was gentle and warmer than any oven. “Look after yourself.”
Marinette nodded. “I will Papa. Have fun at the festival.”
Papa ruffled her dark hair and climbed onto the seat of the wagon. “ I’ll be back in a least two weeks. And don’t worry, I’ll bring souvenirs if things go well.”
Marinette caught a glance at the garden as her father was talking. The flower bed had already been claimed by the fall. Even her rose bush, the once pink and red blooms, had wilted away and would stay gone for months. Even then, she hadn’t been very good at maintaining them.
"Marinette? Marinette!“
Snapping her head back to attention, both of her parents were looking at her.
"Sorry. What was that?”
"I said,“ Papa began, ” is there anything from my trip you would like me to try and get?“
Without any hesitation, "Anything that has a rose on it! You know they’re my favorite.”
Papa smiled and nodded. “Done. Goodbye my lovely girls. I’ll see you soon.” With that, her father snapped the reins and rode off down the road. “I love you!” He called out over his shoulder as he slipped farther and farther away.
Marinette felt her mother hug her around the shoulders, wrapping both of them in her woolen shawl. They both stayed silent until papa could no longer be seen.
"He’ll be alright, love. Don’t worry.“ Her mother said and kissed the top of her head.
Marinette wasn’t sure if she was comforting her or herself.