Chapter Text
Thirteen-year-old Marinette Dupain-Cheng blew a strand of hair out of her face as she scrubbed the floor of her bedroom on her hands and knees. A bead of sweat trickled down her face as she cursed the heat of the summer sun shining through her balcony door.
She paused when she heard the sound of horses stopping, a man’s loud voice following. A voice that sounded awfully close to one of the voices of the castle guards. Marinette hummed in curiosity, making her way to her window and watching as the Prince removed himself from his horse.
There’s no way…
The Prince only stopped here when he was collecting taxes. However, she could have sworn that the guards collected taxes just two days ago. Her family had not had time to replenish their tax jar yet. Marinette grit her teeth and glanced around the room, her eyes landing on the bucket of dirty water. Her eyes twinkled with mischief as her lips curled up in a smile.
“Okay, you two, go in and collect the monthly tax amount. Make it quick.” Prince Adrien instructed two of the royal guards and they nodded, entering the small bakery.
The Prince leaned against the wall of the building, trying to escape the rays of the sun. “It sure is deathly hot out here.” He commented to another guard who made a noncommittal noise.
“Oh, is it hot down there, Prince? Well, here’s something to cool you off!” Adrien looked up just in time to come face first with cool water and narrowly missing a wooden bucket.
He opened his eyes to find his clothes drenched in brown water, which dripped off onto the ground. His teeth gritted together as he looked back up to the balcony and found it was empty.
“Prince Adrien! Are you all right?!” A guard rushed over to him, placing a hand on his shoulder. Adrien shrugged his hand off and stormed inside the bakery.
When he arrived inside, he found Tom and Sabine talking with the two guards, looking distraught.
“Tom Dupain! I want a word with your daughter!” His voice was indignant and heated, his fists clenched at his sides.
Tom looked at the Prince, surprised at his tone. “Prince Adrien!” The baker’s eyes looked Adrien up and down. “Would you… like a towel?”
“What I would like is for your daughter to apologize for what she did!”
“Surely our daughter would never do that to you,” Sabine assured him. “She’s a very kind girl.”
“I don’t care how kind she is. If you don’t bring her to me, I will go up there and get her myself!” A growl rose in the back of Adrien’s throat and the couple looked at each other before rushing upstairs to retrieve their daughter.
“Marinette Dupain-Cheng, I, Prince Adrien, command you to admit to what you have done!”
Marinette winced at the sound of the young Prince’s voice. For thirteen years of age, he seemed very mature… and very angry.
Still, she kept quiet, not willing to give the boy who stole money from her parents the satisfaction. She could tell he grew more impatient from the way his fists were clenching and unclenching.
“Fine. Have it your way. Guards, seize her!” Adrien turned his back to the family as the guards closed in around the girl.
“No!” The guards froze and Adrien turned back around to see Tom on his knees. “Please, Young Prince, have mercy on my daughter. For she is very ill and has toiled in the sun for hours today. I promise you it will not happen again.”
Sabine nodded quickly and joined her husband’s side. “We will make sure she learns her place here. Please, sir.”
Adrien glanced at the girl, seeing no remorse in her eyes. Still, this was the first time an incident like this had happened and he was not sure how he would explain it to his father.
“Well, it was quite hot outside and the water felt a bit nice…” Adrien thought for a moment before sighing. “Fine. But I want an apology from Marinette herself.”
Tom and Sabine looked at their daughter, who seemed reluctant to say anything. “Marinette!” Sabine scolded her daughter and Marinette sighed.
“I’m sorry for dumping dirty water on you.” She huffed and crossed her arms.
Adrien rolled his eyes. “I accept your apology.” He then came closer to her. “But if it happens again, I will not hesitate to throw you in the dungeon.”
With that, the Prince and the guards were gone, leaving without taking any money.
Marinette let out a sigh of relief and turned to meet her parents’ angry faces.
“Uh, hi?” She let out a nervous laugh as Tom and Sabine began telling her the punishment for dumping water on the Prince.