Two days had passed before Adrien was told that his letter had been received. He sunk even further into his dining chair that evening when his father also told him that the King and Queen of Kingdom Cheng were delighted by his proposal—so much so that the arrangements were quickly made for them to meet the following day.

Adrien wasn't prepared. He wasn't ready to greet his future bride, take her hand, and smile, pretending that he genuinely wanted her as his wife. He didn't even know her! He had no idea what to expect—if she would treat him civilly or if she was even beautiful!

Unfortunately, he wasn't given much time to dwell on how their first meeting might play out. The day for their arrival had come, and now, he stood anxiously beside his father at the palace's entrance. He couldn't help but nervously fiddle with the hem of his shirt as he stared straight ahead at the double doors. In just a few minutes, the princess, along with her parents, would be stepping through those very doors.

Of course, the prince was ordered to look his best for their arrival. Adrien was dressed in his finest attire, and his hair was combed back to reveal all he had to offer: a pretty face, and that was all. His attitude was far from thrilled.

He was angry. The last thing he wanted was to have anything to do with the princess from the enemy. He was frustrated that he had to pretend to want her, that he had to seem interested in marrying her, when in truth, what he wanted was for her to never come here.

What he really wanted was to marry Kagami.

A heavy, defeated sigh escaped his nostrils. His father noticed and turned slightly to glance at him, only to reprimand him for his slouched posture. With a roll of his eyes, Adrien fixed it, and as if on cue, the double doors were opened from the outside by two castle guards, revealing a man and a woman of royalty.

That man and woman were King Thomas and Queen Sabine of Kingdom Cheng. Adrien had heard plenty of stories about their neighboring rulers, but he'd never met them. In fact, seeing King Cheng now as burly as he was somewhat scared him. That man could possibly kill him with the flick of his finger.

Queen Sabine, however, was a lot more petite than her husband. She seemed sweet at first glance, the type of woman who would butter you up with pastries.

And then, as the couple slowly broke apart, between them emerged their daughter, Princess Marinette, accompanied by two of her knights. Adrien instantly frowned at the sight of her, but he couldn't deny what his eyes could clearly see. Marinette was a gorgeous woman. Her raven locks were pulled up into a purposely messy bun fitted with lots of flower buds. She was built just like her mother, but he had a feeling she had some hidden strength possessed from her father. Her skin was silky and fair, and her eyes were a bluebell blue, but what really stuck out to him wasn't any of those things. It was the way she carried herself.

With her appearance, his first assumption of her would've been that she was purely innocent, confined to her flowery bedroom, hardly ever exposed to what the outside world had to offer, but with the way she carried herself, perhaps that wasn't quite the case. Her posture held absolute confidence as she strode into the throne room. He would've expected her eyes to be glued to the floor as she entered, but instead, they were staring straight ahead and zeroed in right on him.

When their eyes met, his frown instantly vanished. For a second, he was frozen. This woman wasn't what he had expected at all. He was astonished and in awe—really, he was shocked.

And then her brows lowered, and she smirked at him.

Adrien couldn't help but stare back in utter bewilderment. That smirk of hers should have frightened him with how devilish it looked, but in truth, it only confused him. What was that smirk even supposed to mean...?

"King Thomas and Queen Sabine." Gabriel acknowledged his guests with a confident smile. His arms, too, were outstretched. "Welcome, both of you. Thank you for accepting our invitation."

"Thank you for inviting us," Sabine answered kindly.

As a sign of regard, Gabriel and Tom lowered their heads in a respectful bow toward one another. Seeing his father do this, Adrien decided to copy him. Underneath his long lashes, he caught the Queen slightly curtesy, and Marinette silently followed her mother's example.

As everyone straightened, Gabriel gestured to his son. "This is my son, Prince Adrien, the crown prince of Kingdom Agreste."

Surprisingly, King Thomas extended his calloused hand. However, such a carefree gesture was not a common greeting among royals in their land, so Adrien stared in confusion at the strange gesture, unsure of how to respond.

It was only when he briefly glanced over at Marinette that he saw that her smirk had vanished. Now, she had a genuine smile as she silently mouthed, 'Shake his hand.'

Adrien thought that to be bizarre. At first, he considered ignoring her suggestion. Except, what exactly would this man do to him if he declined?

Swallowing nervously, Adrien hesitantly offered the king a sheepish smile as he extended his hand and briefly shook it.

"It is nice to officially meet you, young man," Thomas said.

They released each other's hands a moment later. Adrien's smile was still unsure. "You—you too, Your Majesty."

"And this is our daughter, Princess Marinette." Queen Sabine quickly moved to shove her daughter forward. In doing so, the princess ungracefully stumbled, unprepared for the sudden movement. Had she not regained her balance in time, she would've surely fallen flat on her face and made a spectacle of herself.

Adrien forced himself not to grin at the thought.

Marinette's greeting remained silent as she curtsied before the king a second time. King Gabriel bowed his head in return, his smile surprisingly fond. Adrien wasn't sure why, but that bothered him greatly. He couldn't even remember the last time his father had ever smiled at him like that... or at all.

"Wonderful. Now that formalities have been made, let's head to the dining room," Gabriel insisted with a wave of his hand. "I am sure you all must be famished after your travels."

Tom nodded in agreement. "A proper meal sounds wonderful."

"It will take some time to prepare, but I assure you our cooks never disappoint."

"We look forward to tasting your delicacies," Sabine added politely.

"Since the food will take some time to prepare, perhaps the prince and I could use this time to get acquainted properly?" Marinette suggested softly. Her sweet-sounding voice stunned Adrien greatly. It was the first time she'd spoken since her arrival, and after she'd smirked at him earlier, he truly hadn't expected her voice to sound so angelic.

Adrien hardly had time to process just how innocent she sounded. Before he could snap out of such a stupor, his father had already accepted Marinette's request with a kind smile and a gentle dismissing wave of his hand.

"Of course. You will be fetched when the food is ready. Adrien, have Sir Nicolas accompany you both."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Marinette curtsied for the third time that morning, which seemed to really place her in his father's favor. Adrien knew that impressed his father when the king's smile widened.

Adrien's frown deepened, though. Marinette getting on his father's good side was the last thing he wanted.

He watched as Marinette approached her two knights, whom she must've insisted they not accompany her. She spoke to them in a low voice, placing a hand on each of their shoulders as if they were her equals. Then, the adults slowly took their leave, and her knights followed. Gabriel began to lead his guests down one of their many framed hallways. As soon as their parents were gone from his sight, Adrien whirled on Marinette with an expression that could only be read as aghast.

"What are you planning?" He questioned skeptically, his guard up and his stance cautious.

He'd admit it was not the best greeting. In fact, it was nowhere near a proper greeting. It was an accusation. But then again, he didn't trust Princess Marinette. He didn't trust anyone from Kingdom Cheng, and he was sure the feeling was mutual.

Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Nino approach from where he'd been stationed previously. He stayed a respectful distance away, though, as if to avoid listening in on their conversation.

"You have only just met me... and you are already assuming the worst?" Marinette spared him a once over, finding his scrutinizing glare, before she smiled. "Relax. I am planning nothing. I only wish for us to get acquainted."

"We could have done so at the table over a plate of food and a cup of wine." Adrien gruffly replied, "But instead, you wanted us to be alone. Why?"

"If you are worried about being alone with me, you should not fret." Marinette batted her eyelashes at him, and her smile could only be seen as a mockery to him. "You should have a little more faith in your knight. He will protect you."

"Protect me? From you?" Adrien laughed. "That will not be necessary, Princess."

Her response was simply an amused hum. Then, her lips quirked upward into an amused smirk—the same ridiculous smirk she'd worn when she entered the castle. The sight had him boiling. His words were meant to offend.

Marinette didn't bother replying to his words. Instead, she began walking in the opposite direction of where their parents had gone, down another hallway lined with portraits of his ancestors, with her hands crossed behind her back. Appalled, he marched after her.

"Where do you think you are going?!"

"I am taking a walk," Marinette said as if it were obvious enough. She shot him a confused expression. "Surely you like to take walks. Or are you that boring?"

"I am not boring." He stubbornly bit back.

That annoying smile of hers returned. "As you say. I was hoping we could make this... arrangement easier for ourselves by at least becoming friends. I would not want to be your enemy."

"You already are my enemy."

"How can I be your enemy if this is our first meeting?" Her smile widened as her eyes took him in, her irises twinkling in amusement. It seemed she was nowhere near perturbed by his blatant disinterest in... well... her.

"Do not play coy with me." He narrowed his eyes at her. He already disliked her in many ways, the first being her sly way with words. "You are from Kingdom Cheng. Anyone who resides there is an enemy of mine."

"Even the horses in our stables?"

Adrien's frown deepened when she snickered.

"Do you take me for a fool?" His tone reeked of annoyance. It would have been impossible for anyone to miss.

Marinette pursed her lips as if she were truly considering his question. With a shrug of her shoulders, she said, "Not at all, Your Highness. I think you may be a stick in the mud, though, considering you were meant to laugh at my little joke, not take it to offense."

Adrien couldn't help but wrinkle his nose. "I am not a stick in the mud."

Marinette raised a singular brow at him, insinuating she didn't believe him for a second.

"I am not." He insisted with a stubborn huff.

"If you say so," she said, still smiling brightly at him. "I suppose since you are so certain I am your enemy despite us never meeting until today, I have to wonder. Have you ever ever disliked a book having yet to read it?"

The sudden change of topic threw him a bit off guard. "How is this even relevant to—"

"Just indulge me," she interrupted him. His eyes widened slightly, stunned that she had done so boldly. "Can you say a book is awful if you have never read it?"

Well... he despised reading. But that would be a biased answer.

He folded his arms across his chest and frowned. "Well, obviously not."

"And if someone were to tell you a book was awful, would you simply agree based on their opinion?"

He visibly rolled his eyes, hoping she caught sight of the action. "Of course not."

"Well then," Marinette flashed him another smile. "I am not one to usually base all that I believe in on hearsay. If I want to make a judgment on a book, I tend to read it first. I like to see things for myself with my own eyes and make my own conclusions. This, of course, also applies to people. Perhaps you could learn to do the same."

Her words truthfully stunned him—so much so that it left his mouth agape, even as she continued ahead, and he remained frozen in his spot.

"Our parents may have once been enemies, and even our grandparents before them, but I do not see you as my enemy," Marinette said as she continued walking down the hall. "All I see is a prince I do not know, and so, I wish to get to know him."

Shaking himself out of his stupor, Adrien quickly rushed to fall back into step with her again.

"Why?" Adrien asked, truly confused about why she was being so nice to him. Hadn't she heard the stories about him? He'd surely heard his fair share of stories about her. "Why do you want to get to know me? Are you not appalled by this arrangement?"

"Appalled is a strong word." Marinette said earnestly, "Truthfully, I felt numb to the idea of marrying you. I always knew my marriage would never be my choice, but I will say I was quite shocked when my parents told me I would be marrying you."

"I... I was actually angry when I found out." Adrien admitted. He wasn't sure why he was even sharing such feelings. After all, he hardly knew Marinette, and surely telling her this would make her angry, wouldn't it? But he suddenly felt compelled to be honest with her. After all, she was being honest with him. "I do not mean any offense, but I do not want this."

"I do not blame you for being angry."

"And yet you still want to get to know me?"

"We will be wed whether we like it or not," Marinette stated simply with a shrug of her shoulders. When their eyes accidentally connected again, he noticed a bit of pain in her irises. She hid it well behind that smile of hers. "We could either be married and hate each other, or we could be married and be friends. I think us being friends is the better option for a happier life, would you not agree?"

Perhaps she was right. No matter how many scenarios he tried to imagine inside his head, Adrien couldn't see a way out of this arrangement. Trying to break the treaty would surely only create more conflict and war. If he was forced to spend the rest of his life with her and possibly create an heir with her, it would be a lot easier to do so if they were friends.

"I suppose you are right," Adrien concluded after thinking it over for himself.

"In that case," Marinette outstretched her hand to him. Stunned, he blinked down at it, unsure of why she was extending it out to him. "We should re-introduce ourselves. So, hello, my name is Marinette. I am twenty-two. I enjoy horseback riding and reading. You?"

"Uhh..." he hesitantly took her hand. "My name is Adrien. I am twenty-one. I... I enjoy archery and—"

His words suddenly fell dead on his tongue as a blur seemed to catch his eye. His gaze rose above Marinette's shoulder, only to find that Dame Kagami had joined Nino's side. He watched as Nino inclined his head to quietly say something to her ear. In response, Kagami nodded and said something, and although she seemed to be interested in what Nino had to say, her bland expression implied she wasn't. Her eyes were instead zeroed in on him, watching the scene of Marinette trying to be friendly with him unfold with narrowed eyes.

Adrien's eyes narrowed in return. For some reason, that look bothered him. Kagami had no right to look at him like that. He had offered to run away with her, to elope and spend the rest of his life with her, but she had declined. She even encouraged him to write that letter to Marinette, as fake as it might have been.

She simply had no right.

"Uh... Adrien?" Marinette's voice was hesitant as she gently squeezed his hand in order to redirect his attention. "Are you feeling all right?"

Realizing he was still holding her hand, Adrien abruptly let go. "Sorry, I just—could you excuse me for a moment? I need to have a word with one of my knights."

"Oh." Her expression lightened from confusion to a simple smile. "Of course."

Smiling slightly, he excused himself from her side. He marched toward his knights, and Nino, sensing the prince's rage and knowing it was not directed at him, moved a great distance away from Kagami's side. However, Kagami remained rooted in her spot, not even flinching when he paused right in front of her, towering over her with an outraged glare.

"Where have you been?" Adrien seethed out quietly.

Kagami merely blinked. "I had other duties I needed to attend to."

"More important than this? You agreed to be there when they arrived. I wanted you to be there at my side. I needed you there with me."

"I cannot neglect my duties for you. Not unless you want us to be caught."

"Yet you can find time to glare at the princess as if she has done something wrong?"

Kagami blanched at that, but she quickly masked it before anyone else but him could notice. "You have only just met her... and you are already defending her? It is—"

"Be careful of which words you choose to use next," Adrien warned.

Kagami swallowed down whatever insult she had on the tip of her tongue. "Forgive me if I am stepping out of line, but I only worry for your well-being—"

"No. What I saw in your eyes was not worry," Adrien interrupted dangerously low. "What I saw was mere jealousy. May I remind you that you have absolutely no right to express such an emotion when you declined my plea to elope?"

Kagami's expression remained unperturbed and cold, but he knew her better than that. The lump she swallowed down her throat was all he needed to see.

Adrien folded his arms across his chest. "I do not care how much the princess leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. Her presence here is unavoidable, and just like me, she has been forced into this ridiculous binding arrangement. You also encouraged me to seem genuine. So, with that being said, she is to be treated adequately and fairly while she is here."

It was then that Kagami's expression slipped. She looked up at him, slightly aghast. "I do not understand. Just a few days prior, you were expressing your immense hatred for her."

"Yes, well, my opinion on the matter changed when I realized she has no hatred for me whatsoever." His eyes wandered over to Marinette, and he watched as she pointed at a portrait, turning to say something to his guard, Nino, who was standing beside her. Nino remained a respectful distance away, but he and the princess seemed to be getting along very well.

"And when did you realize that?" Kagami's brow quirked upward just a tad. "After five minutes of meeting her?"

"Your sarcasm is unappreciated."

"It is warranted. How can you possibly know she has no hatred for you?"

Adrien turned to look back down at her again. "Because she told me so, of course."

"And you believe her? Have you considered the possibility that she is lying? That she is faking it just as much as you are?"

"Surprisingly, I do believe her." He said, ignoring her other questions. Marinette didn't seem to be out to harm him. Of course, he would still remain cautious around her until he got to know her better, but he genuinely didn't think she was his enemy here. She was like him in the sense that she had no choice. Adrien narrowed his eyes at his Dame. "Are you questioning my judgment?"

"Of course not, Your Highness." Kagami bowed her head.

Adrien turned his gaze away from her then. Instead of the usual adoration he felt whenever he laid his eyes on Kagami, he felt... bothered. With a jerk of his head in the direction of the kitchens, Adrien said, "Join the others in the dining hall. I believe Nino can handle chaperoning us for the time being."

Kagami kept her head bowed. However, that didn't stop her from protesting. "But Your Highness—"

"Your services are not needed here." Adrien interrupted coldly. "Now, if you will excuse me, I must return to acquainting myself with the princess. I shall see you in the dining hall."

With a bow of her head, Kagami was forced to comply. "As you wish, Your Highness."

Then, she turned from him and disappeared around the corner and down the next hall without a single glance over her shoulder. Adrien squared his shoulders and rolled them back, hoping to relieve some of the tension. It had only been half an hour since the princess's arrival, and there was already conflict in his secret relationship.

Sighing, Adrien turned on his heel and returned to where Marinette stood.

Coincidentally, he found her standing in front of a portrait of his mother. He lifted his head upward, only to quickly lower it once more when he realized it was the last painted portrait of his mother before she had gotten sick.

"Queen Emilie Agreste." Marinette breathed in realization. Her voice was surprisingly soft. "I have heard a lot about her."

Adrien couldn't help but scoff at that. Unfortunately, his conversation with Kagami had irritated him, and now he could only assume Marinette had heard terrible rumors of his mother, which most likely lingered among the citizens of Kingdom Cheng.

"I am sure you have—"

"Good things." She assured him with a small smile. His expression lightened upon her confession, and his eyes lit up in slight admiration. Marinette didn't hold his gaze for long, though. Instead, her eyes turned back to the portrait. "This is the first time I have ever seen a portrait of her. She is beautiful."

Adrien, truly astounded by her kind words, stuttered, "Oh—um, thank you—"

"I heard she was adored by all her subjects." Marinette continued on without even bothering to apologize for cutting him off. He was too astonished to even mind. "Everyone apparently loved her."

"They did." Adrien answered sadly, "This was the last portrait they ever painted of her."

The portrait itself was one of the best they ever painted of his mother, truly. She was one of the best people he'd ever known. She was kind and generous, a truly wonderful ruler. After she died, their kingdom was never the same, and neither were its remaining rulers. His father grew cold and neglected his son, although he did not intend to.

Adrien knew people grieved in different ways. His father was the type of man who pushed everyone away because he preferred to suffer in his solitude. Adrien was the opposite—he longed for comfort and support from loved ones, but when he never received any from his father, a part of Adrien grew a bit bitter as well.

Bitter towards his father, bitter towards his title, bitter towards the imperfections of the world, and even a bit bitter towards his mother for leaving them.

"I would have liked to have met her," Marinette commented idly.

Adrien considered that statement with a hum. Would his mother have wanted to meet the princess from their rival kingdom? Would she have even agreed to this arranged marriage, to the enemy's daughter no less?

"I... I am not sure if she would have felt the same." Adrien replied truthfully. The words felt shameful as soon as they left his lips, though. Marinette's expression fell from that of adoration to absolute disappointment. For some reason, it hurt him to see, which was why he instantly tried to apologize. "I am sorry... perhaps I should not have said that..."

"No, you are probably right." Marinette rushed to assure him gently. Her smile was hanging by a thread, though. "I believe my parents would have been the same... before these arrangements were made, of course."

Adrien had to force himself to smile. Two rulers who claimed to be enemies were about to have dinner together. It was terrifying, and what made it worse was that he was forced to attend.

"Sorry to disturb you, Your Highness... Princess," Nino interjected with a bow of his head. "But we should probably return to the dining hall."

Adrien responded to the suggestion with a tight nod, but in truth, he was genuinely surprised Nino had even acknowledged the princess. Marinette, however, seemed to appreciate the kind gesture when she returned it. Watching her bow her head to a guard was quite a shocking thing to see, considering royalty never bowed to any lower classes in his kingdom.

"It's probably for the best, then." Marinette glanced down at her stomach. "I am hungry."

Out of politeness, Adrien offered her his arm. "We should probably make haste then. To keep my father waiting would be a nightmare."

Marinette took his arm without any sign of hesitation. "Make that two nightmares because my father is just as impatient."

"Good to know." Adrien couldn't help but visibly wince. He wasn't usually a fearful man, but her father terrified him. "Is there anything else I should know about your father... or mother?"

Marinette considered his question briefly. As they walked, she explained to him that they were not as formal as he was used to and, therefore, were bound to do or say things that might come off as improper. Apparently, according to her, that was just their way of life, and he ought to take it in normally. Kingdom Cheng was more laid-back when it came to their traditions, customs, and formality.

He should have put that together when the princess greeted him. Hell, back in the hall, Marinette introduced herself to him without a title and shook his hand... and for some reason, her bad influence rubbed off on him, and he did it too!

If his father were to find out about any of that—

"My son, Princess Marinette, glad to see you. Everything is ready to taste." His father greeted them oddly cheerfully as they entered the dining hall. Adrien had never seen his father look so happy in his life. But then he realized the king's eyes were focused on their conjoined arms, which had him quickly untangling the awkward embrace.

Marinette didn't seem to notice the abrupt separation. Instead, her attention was focused entirely on his father. She curtsied in absolute perfection as if she had practiced it a hundred times before her arrival. "Everything smells wonderful, Your Majesty."

"I am delighted you think so." Gabriel replied happily, "Our chiefs have prepared our best."

"I was actually doing a little reading about your country's delicacies before we arrived," Marinette strangely informed the king. Strangely because her voice sounded awfully cheerful—much different from when she'd spoken to him back in the hall. "Which has excited me to taste it all."

"You like to read?" The king seemed genuinely impressed by learning such knowledge.

Marinette nodded a bit too eagerly, "I do, very much. It is one of my favorite pastimes."

"Well then, perhaps my son should make sure to show you the royal library sometime." Gabriel's eyes knowingly narrowed at his son, the look in his irises basically saying, 'If you don't, there will be hell to pay.' Adrien's response to that was a sheepish grin.

"I would love that very much." Marinette bowed her head once again. "Thank you, Your Majesty."

His response was a gentle nod, and then Marinette excused herself from his presence. With her now out of earshot, Adrien roughly turned on his heel to face the king with an aghast expression. "Father, why would you suggest such a thing? You know I absolutely dread spending time in the library."

"It would be wise of you to at least pretend you are interested in the princess's interests." The king replied in a low voice. "And, who knows, maybe she can actually convince you to read every now and then."

Adrien couldn't help but grumble in disagreement. The day he sat down to read a book for fun—

King Gabriel clapped his hands as the servants appeared in the dining hall, each carrying covered platters of food. "Now then, everyone, find your seat," he cheerfully announced to the room.

Rolling his eyes in annoyance, Adrien sat down in the first available seat. He was too busy sulking to even realize that he had taken the seat beside Marinette.

She looked over at him, seemingly pleased that he had 'chosen' to sit beside her. "I am very excited to taste whatever your chefs have prepared. Tell me, what is your favorite delicacy?"

His eyes lowered to his empty plate. He didn't particularly find Marinette to be annoying, but right now, he wasn't quite in the mood to indulge her curiosity, let alone share another detail about himself. So, instead, he offered her a very unamused expression.

Her smile fell slightly at that, but he wasn't interested in trying to redeem himself. She offered him an uneasy smile as if she were unsure of what to do or say next.

Thankfully, conversation across the table stopped her from formulating a response. Her father, seated across from him, was grinning at him. "So, boy, tell me. What exactly has you interested in our daughter? Or should I say... infatuated?" The king of Kingdom Cheng wiggled his brow.

The question caused Adrien to choke on his own saliva just as food was being served on his plate. Beside him, Marinette masked her own embarrassment well by taking a sip of her water. She was better at this than him, that was for sure.

"Now, husband, do not embarrass them." Sabine chuckled. "They have only just met."

King Thomas chuckled at his wife and patted her hand. "You cannot blame me for my curiosity. The letter he wrote to her had me believing he was in love with her!"

Adrien's cheeks flushed in embarrassment. He didn't need a mirror to know that. Did he really go overboard with that letter? Both his father and Kagami had insisted the letter needed to be convincing. Unsure of how to respond, his anxious gaze fell on Marinette. However, she wasn't looking at him. She was frowning down at her food, clearly avoiding any gazes from the table.

His father interjected by clearing his throat. "I can assure you the prince was definitely eager to meet the princess. His interests in her lie farther than just infatuation."

"That is good to know." King Thomas leaned back in his seat, seeming relaxed. "Despite these arrangements that are best for the future, we do want what is best for our daughter."

"And I want what is best for my son as well. I am glad to hear we are on the same page there."

Adrien had to hold back what he was thinking and strongly wished to voice aloud. His father didn't want what was best for him; he only wanted what was best for their kingdom. If King Gabriel was truly interested in what was best for his son, he would have allowed Adrien to have a choice in who he wanted to marry!

And then, Adrien would have openly chosen Kagami and told his father all about their love.

Perhaps he was living in a fantasy, but Adrien still believed it possible to confess to his father about his relationship. He knew it was forbidden, which is why he had kept it a secret for this long. A knight had no rankings to be in a relationship with a royal. It was simply improper. But what if he was able to convince his father for his blessing? What if his father actually allowed it because he wanted his son to be happy?

It sounded far-fetched, and so unlike his father, but Adrien wasn't ready to give up on the matter.

As their parents conversed and food was served, Adrien mainly focused on filling his stomach. He paid idle attention to what his father and Marinette's parents spoke of. He never once bothered to cast an eye in Marinette's direction, who was sitting in equal silence. He noticed that she hadn't touched much on her plate despite her eagerness for this dinner earlier.

He considered leaning over to ask her why... but he hesitated. Speaking to her in front of her parents and his father both made him feel anxious. He felt like they were all scrutinizing him, purposely listening to every word he spoke. He felt that if he didn't say exactly what they expected of him, he might screw this entire union over.

So, for the sake of not displeasing his father, he kept his mouth shut.

To occupy his attention, he allowed his eyes to wander over toward the back of the grand room where his knights stood or, more specifically, where Kagami stood. Her gaze was as hard as ever, emotionless and cold, but he still found himself comforted in her presence. Amidst what he hoped to be his discreet staring, her eyes met his. It was only for a brief moment, but when their eyes connected, there was a look in her irises that conveyed an encouraging smile she could not reveal on her lips in public.

He found his anxiousness fading in seconds with just that look. It had him feeling so at ease to the point where he had more of an appetite to finish his meal. With his focus now entirely on his plate, he had yet to notice the strange glance Marinette shot him out of the corner of her eye as she witnessed the peculiar eye contact between a prince and his knight.

"So, while you two were galivanting across the palace, we came to another agreement." King Gabriel announced to the room, but his words were directed at only his son and his future wife. Adrien's eyes snapped from Kagami's to meet his father's, and Marinette hardly spared a glance from her plate, seeming shy.

Both kings in the room shared an excited look with one another. It only brought back all the anxiousness Adrien had been feeling previously.

King Thomas announced the news. "We have decided that the princess will stay here for two weeks to become better acquainted with the prince."

Both Marinette and Adrien's eyes widened in horror, and in unison, exclaimed, "WHAT?!"

_______________________________

Yayyy chapter two is out! Hopefully you guys enjoyed it. I'm feeling greatly inspired with this story, but my busy life hardly gives me any time to write nowadays. Because of this, I don't have an estimation or an exact date for when the next update will be, but at least you know I'm writing lol.

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