"Two damn weeks."

Adrien paced back and forth in his chambers. Nino stood by the door, carefully calculating each step he took with uncertain eyes, while Kagami stood outside, leaving the prince no chance to rely on her to ease his anger.

The dinner had concluded hours ago, and it had been nothing but awkward. Due to his inappropriate behavior, he and Marinette hadn't spoken throughout the entire sitting, which he knew he was the reason for. Nonetheless, with a full moon setting over the kingdom, everyone had retired to their chambers for the night.

It would have been a peaceful night for him, too, had their parents not surprised them both with the unfortunate news that the princess of Kingdom Cheng would be staying under the same roof as him for two whole weeks.

"It does seem a bit lengthy... but do not worry. It should go by fairly quickly." Nino said in an attempt to appease the prince, but Adrien merely whipped his head around to face his timid knight, his rage entirely evident.

"'Fairly quickly?'" Adrien spat. "Do not talk to me as if I am a child. Your words might hold some relevant meaning if I was not being forced to marry her. I will have to live with her underneath the same roof for the rest of my miserable life."

Nino ignored the prince's minor temper tantrum with an unnoticed roll of his eyes. "Surely she is not as bad as you are making her out to be. You have had a conversation with her already, have you not? She must be... approachable for that to be possible."

"So what if she is?" Adrien threw his hands up, outraged, as he continued his pacing. "Even if we did have an appropriate conversation—which I will neither confirm nor deny because I have no idea what intentions lie behind her feigned friendliness—it does not change the fact that my father has yet again conspired behind my back."

"Well... you were not the only one who was left in the dark, now were you?" His knight's words caused the prince to pause—however brief it might've been. Now standing in one place, Adrien turned to look at Nino, his irises conveying his sudden interest in his knight's words.

Not expecting the pause, Nino cleared his throat somewhat awkwardly. "Ehem... did you, by any chance, happen to notice that the princess also seemed to be in shock? It seems her parents also conspired behind her back."

Adrien had noticed... but he'd been too preoccupied in his anger to really even consider how she might've felt. Although he didn't necessarily care how Marinette felt, he did have to wonder just how angry she was. She was the one who was being forced to stay here—under a roof that was considered to be her enemy's. Had their roles been reversed, he would've been incredibly on edge and upset with the arrangements.

With a hum of consideration, Adrien folded his arms across his chest and offered Nino a look of interest. "What exactly are you proposing?"

Nino looked squeamish, but nonetheless, he said, "Perhaps you would be willing to give the princess a chance? I know you believe wholeheartedly that the two of you are too different to ever work together, but you both already seem to have one thing in common..."

The prince arched a single brow at that. "And what might that be?"

"Parents who have decided your futures for you."

Adrien ran a hand over his face as he considered Nino's words. With a defeated sigh, he realized that his knight was right. He and Marinette may have come from two different kingdoms that had hated each other for centuries, but they did seem to share parents who wanted to dictate every aspect of their lives.

However, that didn't make them the same. So what if their parents shared common ground? That didn't make him and Marinette alike. So far, the only other thing he could think of that they had in common was that she didn't want to get married just as much as he didn't want to.

"Even so..." Adrien broke the silence with another sigh as he ran a hand through his hair. "That does not make us alike. I have reason to believe we have nothing in common."

"You have only had one conversation with her."

"And what of it?"

Nino looked at Adrien as if the prince had grown a second head. "How can you possibly come to that conclusion when you have not even gotten to know her?"

Adrien scoffed and folded his arms across his chest. The fact that she was from Kingdom Cheng was enough for him to conclude that they couldn't possibly share any interests. How could two kingdoms from opposite sides of a feud have anything in common?

"Give her a chance at the very least," Nino insisted. When the blonde and his knight met each other's gaze, Nino frowned just as much as Adrien did. "She seems to want to make these arrangements work. Why can you not put in the same effort?"

"Because I do not want her here." Adrien huffed.

"Well, I am sure she does not wish to be here either."

"Good. Maybe father will send her back then."

Nino let out a defeated sigh at that. "I do not understand what you loathe so much about her. If she was not from Kingdom Cheng, would it make any difference?"

"No, it would not." Adrien stubbornly shook his head. It wasn't just because she was from Kingdom Cheng—their enemy neighbors. The princess of Kingdom Cheng was just... complex. From the moment she smirked at him when she entered his palace, he'd been annoyed with her. She was improper, bold with her words, and just... odd.

Or maybe she was just... interesting.

He quickly shook that thought away before he could convince himself it was the truth. The princess was unpredictable because she was unlike any woman he'd ever met... and he didn't like that one bit.

"So you mean to tell me you do not think she is beautiful at all?"

Adrien wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Hell no."

That was a lie, of course. There was no denying that Marinette had beauty on her side. After all, he had thought she was gorgeous the moment he'd first laid eyes on her, but he wasn't about to tell Nino that. He didn't need Kagami overhearing him through the door.

Nino folded his arms across his chest and merely raised a brow, smirking slightly at his friend.

Adrien furrowed his brows at him. "Do not look at me like that. I do not find her attractive in the slightest, and I never will."

"That is not what I asked." Nino's smirk widened ever-so-slightly. "I asked if you thought she was beautiful. You can find a woman beautiful without being attracted to her."

"I am not answering that question." Adrien stubbornly bit.

"That is basically a yes."

"Absolutely not—"

A knock on his chambers' door suddenly sounded, abruptly cutting him off. Normally, Adrien would have been annoyed by the interruption, but he was thankful for it this time.

Nino scrutinized the door for a moment before he raised two of his fingers to his eyes and pointed them back at Adrien. "This conversation is not over." He said as he made his way over towards the door.

Adrien shook his head. "This conversation is definitely over."

Nino was still looking over his shoulder as he playfully rolled his eyes at Adrien. He turned around to face forward and opened the door, revealing a very stoic-looking Kagami standing straight as a wooden plank with her hands behind her back. Adrien was relieved to see her and cracked a smile when their eyes met. He knew without even having to ask that she had knocked on purpose due to the topic of conversation.

"It is late, Your Highness." Kagami's eyes briefly glanced between the two men. "Your father will be displeased if he finds you are still awake."

"Right." Nino quickly moved to join her side by the door. "Think on what I said, will you, Your Highness? Perhaps you could invite her to join you for breakfast tomorrow morning. Maybe you could even consider offering her an apology?"

Kagami's brow twitched ever-so-slightly as if she wanted to raise it but decided against it.

"'An apology?'" Adrien chuckled at that. The breakfast idea sounded... doable, but Adrien was not the biggest fan of apologies. He rarely ever gave them out. "What on earth would I need to apologize for?"

"For ignoring her at the dinner?" Nino said as if it were obvious.

Adrien winced slightly. Oh right. He had done that, hadn't he?

"Well... we will be off then." With a slight wave, Nino moved out into the hallway. Kagami, however, did not follow him. Instead, she stood perfectly still, her eyes locked on the prince's, and her look conveyed that she had something she wanted to say.

When she didn't move, Nino turned to look over his shoulder at his partner quizzically and opened his mouth to question her, but Adrien quickly beat him to it with a raise of his hand. "Leave us for a moment, will you, Nino? Kagami and I need to have a word."

"Yes, Your Highness." Nino bowed his head once before he gently shut the door behind him.

The Prince and his Dame stood silently for a long moment before he spoke first. "What is on your mind, Kagami?"

It took her a moment to voice her thoughts. First, she glanced over her shoulder at the door to ensure they were alone. When her gaze turned back to him, she advanced toward him until they were standing right in front of one another.

"Are you still upset with me?" She asked.

Her question caused Adrien to frown slightly. They had argued only hours prior that very evening about topics that, of course, involved Marinette and the fact that Adrien still wished he and Kagami could elope. Oh, and Kagami's jealously.

Adrien silently shook his head in response, although, now that he was reminded of the situation, he was a bit bothered by it. He hadn't appreciated Kagami getting jealous over his interaction with Marinette. Kagami was the one who had declined his idea to elope, not the other way around.

His lover merely stared at him, her expression emotionless. "I apologize for my jealousy. You were right when you said I had no right." She paused, her eyes briefly flickering down to his lips before they were back on his eyes. "I just..."

She trailed off then, her words left unspoken.

"What is it?" Adrien probed.

Her eyes flickered up to his once more. "I suppose I did not realize how difficult this would be... watching you become close with another woman you are meant to marry... and it has only just begun."

"Well..." A small, fond smile found its way to his lips as Adrien reached for Kagami's hands. She let him take her hands into his, but she did not look down at their conjoined hands, not even as Adrien rubbed his thumbs over the leather that protected the top of her hands. "This could all be resolved if you simply agreed to run away and elope with me."

Kagami's gaze hardened even further (if that was even remotely possible, considering how dark her expressions usually remained). "You know exactly why that can never be."

Adrien shrugged his shoulders as if he were unfazed, even though his heart panged every time she said those words. "Well, it was worth a shot."

Kagami shook her head at him, and although her expression was entirely stern, he knew it was playful... in her own stoic, emotionless way. Adrien couldn't help but smile at that.

She pressed her lips together for a moment, as if considering her next words. "I also wanted to see how you were feeling after you learned the princess would be staying here for a longer amount of time than expected," she added, her voice devoid of emotion.

He wasn't exactly thrilled about it, that was for sure. But what could be done about it? Princess Marinette would stay under the same roof as him for two weeks whether he liked it or not. He wanted to sulk as he had done earlier, but he knew that would get him nowhere.

"I appreciate your concern, but I will be fine," Adrien assured her with the most convincing smile he could muster. "It is only for two weeks."

"And then it will be for the rest of your life after that." Kagami pointed out.

Adrien's smile turned wan. "Yes, thank you for the reminder."

Kagami did not apologize. Her expression didn't even shift in the slightest. "I only speak from a realistic standpoint. I do not know what to expect these upcoming days or the days that follow after the princess's two-week visit."

"Neither do I," Adrien confessed glumly.

Were they meant to be wed right after those two weeks were up? Would he have to visit her homeland for another two weeks? He wasn't really sure what to expect. He had no idea what his father had up his sleeve.

"I ask that you be cautious. I do not trust the princess."

"Yes, well, neither do I."

Kagami's brow quirked upward. "You trust her enough to believe she has no hatred for you."

"Come now, Kagami." Adrien released her hands with a frustrated sigh and took a step backward. "Why must you bring this up again? I thought we discussed this already."

"I simply do not understand it." Kagami stared into his eyes with an unwavering look. "You say you do not trust her, but you believe her intentions to be good when she tells you so. Your words are contradicting, Adrien."

"I may not trust her entirely, but I trust her enough to believe she wants to make this work for the benefit of us both."

"Why would you even spare an ounce of trust in her? You know just as well as I do that Kingdom Cheng is our enemy for a reason. They are untrustworthy."

"And I am sure they think the same about us." Adrien frowned at her. "But the princess came here with an openness I did not expect. She is putting herself out on the line when it comes to trust. If she had ill intentions, why would she take that risk?"

Kagami said nothing in response. Her expression remained hard, and even a muscle in her jaw twitched. Perhaps it was because there was really nothing she could say. It wouldn't make sense for the princess to take such a risk if she intended to cause harm.

Adrien let out a sigh when the silence between them prolonged. "I intend to keep my guard up, Kagami—that will never change—but I do not think she means me any harm."

His Dame nodded once in silence, her confirmation that she believed him. But even though her emotionless expression conveyed that there was nothing left to discuss, he knew there was still something else she wanted to discuss.

"Is there something else on your mind?"

Kagami huffed out something that would've been considered a laugh. That in itself was a rare sound to hear from her. "You know me well. Too well."

Adrien chuckled. "I consider that a good thing. Now, tell me what else is bothering you."

Her eyes met his again, and for one rare moment, he could spot an emotion in them: uncertainty. "I want you to be careful with how you and I interact outside of your chambers," she said in extreme seriousness. The princess gave you a strange look at the dinner table when you and I met each other's eye."

"Are you certain?" Adrien didn't want to say Kagami was speculating... or perhaps even overreacting, but he couldn't fathom why Marinette would look at him strangely for such a thing. "Why would she think it strange if we made eye contact?"

"I am not sure. Regardless of the reason, we should be certain not to do it again in her presence." Kagami's gaze was as hard as ever as she searched his eyes for his agreement.

Adrien's frown had yet to lift. "Are you certain you are not just being paranoid?"

Kagami's eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly. "Are you implying that I might be lying?"

"Of course not." He shook his head, his expression slightly aghast that she would even think such a thing. He believed her. It was just... "I only ask if this is fueled by paranoia. I cannot seem to understand how a simple exchange of eye contact could be suspicious."

"This is not fueled by paranoia," Kagami stated firmly.

"Very well," Adrien relented. He wouldn't argue with her anymore. He was starting to feel tired, physically and emotionally. "I shall be more careful then."

"Good." Kagami leaned forward to press a soft kiss to his lips. The kiss didn't linger—it was merely a peck, but Adrien smiled against her lips nonetheless. She didn't smile in return, but Kagami showed her love for him in different ways. Her hand came up to caress his cheek when she pulled back from their kiss. "Have a good night, Adrien."

"You too," Adrien whispered between them, almost too star-struck to even breathe properly.

They parted ways, with Adrien wishing she could stay in the privacy of his chambers for just a little longer so that he could find his peace once more by holding her in his arms. But he knew just as well as she did why that couldn't be. As much as he didn't wish it, he knew he would have to spend less time with Kagami while Marinette was under the same roof.

It seemed that was all his future held, considering Marinette was destined to live under the same roof as him for the rest of his life.

That thought only caused his shoulders to sag, and he was left feeling empty and alone in his chambers that night, long after Kagami had left him.

What would his future hold for him if it didn't have Kagami by his side?

He pictured absolute misery. The scenario in his head showed him a life that would consist of nothing but constant bickering between two royals from two completely different kingdoms. He didn't know which was worse—the fact that he and Marinette were wearing fake smiles as they waved to 'their' people or the fact that, in his made-up scenario, they scowled at each other the moment they were alone behind closed doors.

Adrien could admit he was stubborn. He knew this because he wasn't keen on trying to make things work with Marinette at all. Marinette seemed to want to make things work, though. And if those intentions were true, perhaps Adrien owed her a chance just as much as she was willing to give him one.

Adrien sighed heavily in defeat. He would have to try his best to become her friend, at the very least. His father would have his head if he didn't. However, he didn't care much for Marinette as a person, nor did he have any feelings or attraction to her whatsoever. But he did have one last card up his sleeve that he planned to use in order to keep his lover and abide by their treaty.

He could pretend.

And if he had to put on an act to appease his father's fantastical wishes for their kingdoms to unite and become one, then he would act—and he would do it well.

_______________

Nightfall had fallen across the country with a full moon above. Although wonderfully tasting and filling, the dinner had left Marinette with an upset stomach. Or perhaps that was the suspicious feeling she couldn't shake away—the feeling that Adrien and his female knight had more to their relationship than they led on.

Marinette was many things, but she certainly wasn't stupid or blind. She would admit that Prince Adrien was a very attractive man. She was aware his good looks did him well with any woman. She was also aware that his looks could attract unwanted attention. It didn't take the princess very long to realize that Adrien's Dame found him attractive. What concerned her was how she caught his Dame's gaze wandering over to her several times throughout that dinner... and that gaze held a level of disgust that Marinette couldn't quite understand.

She first wondered what she could have done to receive such hatred from a woman she knew nothing about. Adrien's Dame looked like a tough woman, a woman who could slit your throat like she was slicing herself a piece of cake. She looked incredibly built and stern. Her face held a large, scarred gash that began at her chin and ended beneath her bangs. She seemed like the type of woman who had no issues in finding a man who could match her stamina.

Marinette hadn't thought much about their relationship when Adrien excused himself back in the hall to speak with his Dame. She considered their discussion to be a matter of business and made sure to turn her gaze away out of respect. But at the dinner, the look Adrien and his Dame had shared held more than just an acquaintanceship or a friendship.

It was more than that. She didn't want to assume it was romance... but...

She swallowed uncomfortably. She didn't want to make any assumptions.

"So... how was your first meeting with the prince?" Alya asked once she and Marinette were settled in their chambers for the night. The room was extremely luxurious, filled with the finest clothing, furniture, perfumes, and duvets.

It was truly lovely, except... Marinette already missed home—and with her parents already making their return back to Castle Cheng to resume their royal duties, Marinette was meant to stay here with her knights for another two weeks to better her acquaintanceship with the prince.

She was honestly annoyed by the outcome of agreeing to come here. Her parents had bags secretly packed for her lengthy stay here, which meant they had already prepared for this to happen. She was fairly certain King Gabriel had been the one to suggest it after her parents' not-so-subtle hints, and of course, they had accepted his proposal without even bothering to consult their daughter first.

Marinette was already feeling incredibly sick to her stomach.

"It was... alright, I suppose," Marinette answered truthfully. She really had no idea how to describe Prince Adrien's unruly behavior or the fact that he seemed to have mood swings like a woman on her monthly cycle. "He is not quite arrogant like you said, but he is not very trusting. He seems angry at the world, too, like he resents everything."

"What a sad man."

Marinette hummed in agreement. "I will say that he is rather bipolar. One minute, we had a normal conversation, and he seemed pleased, and then the next minute, he was giving me the cold shoulder."

"Sounds like I got the 'spoiled' part right." Alya mused as she plopped down beside her on the enormous bed. Although it was custom in Kingdom Agreste for any personal knight or maid to sleep outside of any royal's chamber, Marinette intended to let Alya share the bed with her. She felt safer that way anyway.

Sleeping underneath the roof of Kingdom Agreste when she had been taught all her life to fear them would be hard, especially if she was alone.

"Yes, and..." Marinette leaned closer toward her friend as if she were worried someone might overhear her next words. "I suspect Adrien's Dame may have feelings for him, or the attraction may be mutual. Either way, there is an attraction there."

"Well, well, well." Alya's eyebrows wiggled at that. "A forbidden romance. How juicy."

"As much as this amuses you, I ask that you please keep this information between us." Marinette said lowly, "If my suspicions are correct, the prince could get himself into a lot of trouble, and his Dame could be banished... or worse... killed."

"My lips are sealed, of course," Alya assured. "But if this is true and Prince Adrien does have feelings for his Dame, what does that mean for you and him?"

Marinette arched a confused brow at her friend. "What do you mean?"

"Well... what would that mean for your marriage if he happens to have feelings for another woman?"

Marinette shrugged her shoulders and averted her gaze. In truth, she wanted to try her best to make these arrangements work out in their favor. This included trying her best to form (at least) a friendship with Adrien so that marriage and childmaking wouldn't be so dreadful. Part of her even slightly hoped he could one day learn to love her as she could him because she was willing. But she knew it was a far-fetched dream in an arranged marriage.

She didn't expect there to ever be any love in this bondage to him, but she didn't expect him to already be in love with someone else while sliding a ring on her finger, either.

It made her feel even more disappointed than she already was with this whole arrangement. If her theory was true and Prince Adrien truly did have feelings for his Dame, would she be forced to accept her husband sleeping with another woman? Even if she wasn't in love with him, what kind of woman wanted her husband to be with someone else?

Alya sighed in defeat, realizing the question was better left unanswered. "I am sorry, Marinette. I wish there was something more I could do to fix this."

Marinette offered her a half-shrug. "There is nothing more to be done. All I can do is my duty and accept my future."

"But you deserve happiness too." Alya's frown radiated her sadness. Offering her friend a sad smile, Marinette reached out to place her hand over her friend's.

"I will be happy so long as I have you and Luka to keep me company."

A small smile pulled at Alya's lips, nowhere near reaching her eyes. "We never plan to leave your side. Luka especially insists on this, considering he does not trust the Agrestes."

Marinette chuckled, "I am sure he did, which is why I know he is standing guard right outside my door and doesn't intend to leave his post until morning."

This time, Alya genuinely let out a soft laugh.

As the night went on, the two women continued to chat. Marinette found herself too awake to even consider sleep, even when Alya finally succumbed to her tiredness. Now laying on her back amongst the duvet with the candle already blown out, Marinette stared at the ceiling. The curtains to a grand window on the left side of the room were slightly open, which allowed the soft glow of the full moon to illuminate the darkness.

Eventually, she must have fallen asleep because when she opened her eyes, the sun's rays shone into the room. Groaning, Marinette quickly sat up. She hadn't even remembered closing her eyes. Taking a brief look around, she quickly realized Alya was nowhere to be seen. Alya had most likely awoken much earlier this morning and perhaps decided to relieve Luka of his post.

Yawning, Marinette stretched her limbs and climbed out of bed. To most, it would be customary for a maid or such to dress a princess, but Marinette opened her wardrobe, intending to dress herself like she always did. The dress she chose was comfortable and laid-back, definitely not too fancy. She hoped it wasn't displeasing to the king or the prince, who both seemed to be more customary and old-fashioned.

She quickly pulled up her shoulder-length hair into a low messy bun. Once she was ready, she opened the bedroom door to her temporary chambers.

Only to be greeted by Prince Adrien.

Marinette jerked back on instinct. A quick glance around revealed that neither of her guards was to be seen. Instead, the prince stood before her—awkwardly stiff, might she add—with his knight, Nino, at his side.

Marinette arched a confused brow at him. "Why are you standing in front of my chambers?"

Adrien's expression was bland. However, she could tell he was nervous when she caught sight of his fingers twitching at his side. After a moment of strange silence, he cleared his throat, and her eyes lifted back to his.

"Would you like to attend breakfast with me?" He asked monotonously.

A bit taken aback by his request, Marinette simply blinked at him. With the tension at dinner the previous night, she had assumed he would've preferred to keep a bit of distance between them for the time being, and she hadn't really minded respecting his wishes.

However, his request just now did not sound very enthusiastic.

Marinette did not fancy sitting silently with him at the dining table again. At least before she had been able to talk to her parents and his father. This time it would be just them... alone, and she could only imagine how awkward and uncomfortable the entire setting would be.

Frowning slightly, she planned to decline his request respectfully. "I assure you there is no need for you to ask me to join you if you feel obligated to—"

"No!" Her eyes widened slightly as he quickly cut her off. He reached up to rub the back of his neck and proceeded to let out a huff in frustration when the right words seemed to evade him. "I am asking because I would like your company."

"You did not seem to want my company last night," Marinette noted with a skeptical, raised brow.

Adrien sighed somewhat tiredly. "Yes, well... about that... I—I also wanted to apologize for my standoffish behavior last night. I had something rather sour on my mind and took it out on you, which was not right."

"Oh..." Marinette was honestly surprised by his confession. When he ignored her at the dinner, she'd been somewhat disappointed and a bit hurt, but she hadn't taken it personally. She sat in silence for the rest of the evening, thinking about her homeland and wishing she could go back. That in itself made her feel homesick, and she ended up not eating much on her plate.

She offered him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "I appreciate your apology. I... I was not too upset."

"Oh?" Adrien's brows rose in disbelief.

She shook her head. "I understand that this all is very... frustrating for you."

She thought those words would be pleasing to him. Instead, Adrien's frown deepened.

"This must be just as frustrating for you, too." His voice held sympathy but was firm.

She lowered her eyes to her shoes, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "It is."

And frustration wasn't the only thing slowly weighing her down. She was already feeling hopeless, with the suspicion that her future husband might have romantic feelings for another woman. She could already predict just how lonely her future would be if her suspicions were correct. It had her dreading to become his queen.

Her eyes widened slightly when his hand suddenly came into view. She gazed up at him, only to find he had extended his hand to her, insisting she take it.

Hesitantly, Marinette placed her hand into his.

"Then let us try to ease each other's frustration," he suggested with a warm smile. "I remember you mentioned yesterday evening that you enjoyed reading. How about after breakfast, I escort you to our royal library?"

Stunned, Marinette blinked at him. His kindness was... unexpected. "That—that would be lovely, thank you."

Already feeling lighter on her feet, Marinette actually smiled as Adrien guided her to the dining hall. Her hand was now looped around his arm, courtesy of his placement. They didn't say much to each other as they walked, but the silence was surprisingly comfortable.

Her smile fell, however, as soon as they stepped into the dining hall.

Standing in one of the far corners of the room was Adrien's Dame, the one she suspected had feelings for the prince that he, too, returned.

Her eyes lowered to her feet before their eyes could connect. She needed to ensure that his Dame did not suspect anything from her.

She also needed to make sure Adrien did not suspect anything either.

When they reached the long dining table, Marinette was surprised when Adrien pulled out her seat for her—and even more so when he pulled out the seat beside him instead of across from him as his customs practiced. Nonetheless, she said nothing and offered him a genuine smile for his kindness. When she sat down, and he followed, she actually felt relaxed despite knowing his Dame was currently staring daggers at her.

In front of them, their meals had already been served. Everything looked delicious.

"So," Adrien began as a way to break the silence. "If we are going to become friends, I suppose we should start getting to know one another and find some common ground of interests."

Marinette carefully inspected Adrien's face with caution out of the corner of her eye. She was somewhat skeptical of how at ease he seemed to be. "Uhh... yes... okay. You mentioned you enjoy archery, yes?"

"I do."

"Have you ever tried archery on the back of a horse before?"

Adrien's eyes widened in surprise as if he had never heard of that before. "I have not. I was not aware that was a sport. I always thought that was only for a knight to learn."

"It is rather fun. Would you like to give it a try sometime?" Marinette suggested in a timid tone, as if giving him the option to decline. "We often do it back in my homeland."

"We?" Adrien questioned, slightly confused.

"My knight, Luka, and I." Marinette smiled down at her food as she took a bite. "We often take our horses into the forests. We have targets set up all along the path."

She listened as he hummed. "Forgive me if I am overstepping in any way, but it seems you tend to publicly treat your knights and servants more as friends than we do here. Why is that?"

Marinette turned to look at him with a smile. "Where I am from, we consider everyone, even our subjects, to be a part of our family." She explained softly, "The history texts of our kingdom show that our ancestors believed we all came from the same blood, even despite our royalty."

"That is... interesting." Was his supplied answer. It seemed he didn't agree with that logic, and that was okay. She didn't expect him to have the same beliefs as her, and she was certain he believed in some things that she wouldn't, but at least he seemed curious and willing to learn about her culture.

"It is all right if you do not agree," she rushed to assure him. "I am sure there are plenty of things we think differently about."

He paused in cutting his sausage patty in half to look at her quizzically. "And you are... okay with the fact that we might have several differences?"

"Trust me when I say I did not come here expecting us to have anything in common." She chuckled.

Much to her relief, he chuckled as well. He was still smiling down at his plate as he finished cutting his patty. "I would like to try archery from our horses. That does seem rather fun, despite it also sounding incredibly dangerous."

"I will teach you then."

He smiled, briefly casting a glance at her. "Have you ever fallen off or shot someone on accident?"

"Fallen off my horse? Oh, plenty of times." Marinette could recall all the times she had fallen off of her horse and sprained or broken something in the process. In fact, her father often called her reckless for taking such risks. "We tend to do this sport in the woods to avoid shooting anyone, so thankfully, I have not."

"What kind of injuries have you acquired falling off of your horse?"

Marinette snorted. "My most recent injury was a broken arm. It healed completely about a month ago."

"That soon?" Adrien looked at her with a shocked expression. "And you want to do it again?"

She shrugged carelessly. "They say you should jump right back on when you fall."

"With the exception of serious injury, I would think."

Marinette chuckled and shrugged, taking another bite of her food. Perhaps he was right in that sense, but she had always been a bit of a daredevil—and ambitious—since she was a child. She raised a hand to tuck a piece of loose hair behind her ear, watching him with a smile as he went on to tell her about how he, too, once broke his arm as a child.

Fixing her hair hadn't been meant to be a flirtatious move at all, but Adrien's stoic Dame didn't seem to share that same opinion. When Marinette lifted her gaze, laughing at what Adrien was saying, her joyous expression instantly crumbled when she caught his Dame's eyes. His Dame was practically staring daggers at her.

Marinette swallowed uncomfortably. She quickly averted her eyes, suddenly feeling guilty for absolutely no reason. She wasn't sure if Kagami's hatred for her was simply because she was the princess from Kingdom Cheng or because of jealousy, but whatever it was, she realized it was going to be a problem if it wasn't addressed.

Or if Adrien didn't know about it.

Marinette peeked at him. He was still smiling widely as he recalled the story he was sharing with her, but he hadn't noticed her troubled expression. Marinette wanted to tell him the thoughts that were currently bothering her. She even opened her mouth to politely interject.

But instead... she held her tongue when she realized she had no right to complain about his Dame. They weren't even close enough to be considered friends. She had no place to bother him with such silly matters that she could probably handle on her own with time.

Perhaps, the solution would be that they just needed to get to know one another.

Unfortunately, his Dame didn't seem like the friendly type, but Marinette was willing to do anything to make this marriage work between her and Adrien—even if that meant befriending a woman who loathed her to the bone.

Adrien spared a look at her then. It was then that he realized she was no longer smiling and had stopped picking at the food on her plate.

"Are you all right?" He asked, visibly frowning at her. His concern did not help with the fact of winning his Dame over. In fact, she was sure his Dame's glare had deepened.

Marinette quickly recovered with a convincing smile and hoped that would be enough to ward off his concern. "Yes, I am fine." She then glanced down at his plate and realized that even though he had been eating all this time, his plate was practically full. "However, I think I would be even better if you were not such a slow eater."

His eyes widened at that, and he choked on whatever he had been chewing. He probably thought her words to be improper, but Marinette couldn't find it in herself to mind. Instead, she laughed.

"Let us have a contest to see who can finish their breakfast first." She proposed as she raised her fork, arching a challenging brow at him. "The winner gets to choose our next activity: visiting the library or horseback riding."

For a moment, he just stared at her, mouth agape. "You are... bizarre," he replied in a manner of wonder, but nonetheless, he accepted her challenge when he smirked and raised his fork. "I should have you know that when I put my mind to something, I am rarely unsuccessful."

"Good." Marinette returned his smirk. "I could use the challenge."

_______________________________

So... Adrien believes all of his actions in his interactions with Marinette will be fake... but we'll see about that. You can tell a lot from a person's smile, after all.

Hope you guys enjoyed chapter three! Keep your eyes peeled for the next chapter!

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