A/N: This is inspired by a post on tumblr I saw a long time ago, theorizing that maybe Chat calls Marinette 'Princess' because once a long time ago, Chat Noir was a knight and tried to romance a princess. Hope you enjoy!

Forbidden Love

"Chat Noir," she addresses flirtatiously, leaning on the balcony railing with her hand propped underneath her chin.

The knight responds with an equally seductive grin as his green eyes almost seem to sparkle.

"Princess."

He heaves himself onto the balcony floor, having been previously hanging onto the railing, and takes her in his arms.

Both sigh, having been craving this feeling of the other wrapping their arms around them the entire day. The Princess often wondered how she even lived her life before becoming involved with the dashing knight, who made her dread the hours of sunlight and long for the hours of the night.

She remembered the very day he was welcomed to the palace, having come from some unknown kingdom. Her parents smiled and seemed ecstatic to have him be a member of their army. Marinette was stunned at first at how handsome he was, and couldn't stop her staring from her safe place behind a wall.

The new knight, dubbed 'Chat Noir' noticed and subtly turned to wink at her. Her cheeks had burned and she stubbornly looked away, having been thoroughly embarrassed.

But the pesky knight kept seeking her out. Paying her compliments, giving her random flowers, even inquiring about her likes and dislikes. It wasn't long until she began to fall for the man inside. Secret talks in the gardens led to secret kisses in abandoned rooms, and now they were at hourly nightly meetings on her balcony.

She was highly aware that what they were doing was wrong. A highly-esteemed Princess romantically involved with a mere knight? Purely scandalous, not to mention strictly forbidden. If caught, Chat would be beheadded and Marinette would very likely be disowned, thrown out of the palace and forced to live on the streets.

But she didn't care...well, mostly. They cared about one another, so why not see each other?

Marinette at first had been thrilled about the entire ordeal. The handsome and charming knight meeting with her in the dark, stealing kisses, took her breath away. He was danger and allure all wrapped up in a pretty little box.

But soon, as she fell deeper and deeper in love with him, she became saddened.

They couldn't be together. There was no possible way. These nightly rendezvous couldn't last forever, she would eventually have to marry some boring prince while he would go on to marry some peasant girl, or perhaps a Lady.

Speaking of which...

"Chat," she spoke, breaking out of his hold. She frowned, looking at the ground and refused to meet his eyes. She knew what those hypnotizing orbs were capable of, she couldn't count how many times they compelled her to reveal all sorts of truths about her.

"What is it, my love?" He asked, peering down at her with a fond smile.

"My parents have received a proposal today, asking for my hand."

She can't look at him. She can't bear to see the pain in his eyes.

He's quiet for a few seconds. Until-

"Who?"

The blackette crosses her arms and turns her head off to the side, stubbornly pouting.

"Some stupid prince named Adrien. I mean, the nerve of this man, coming out of nowhere and asking for my hand in marriage. It's ridiculous!"

Marinette's eyes narrow further when she hears a noise trying to be muffled, a noise that sounds suspiciously like laughter. Her blue eyes dart to look at her lover, but his lips are in a stiff line. Had she imagined it?

"It is ridiculous," he agreed, nodding. "What was your reaction to finding out?"

"I refused, of course! But apparently he's from the richest kingdom in the land, so my parents paid little heed to my feelings on the matter and quickly wrote back that they accepted. Well I surely don't accept! I've never even met this man in all of my life! Who does he even think he is, just writing a letter to my parents asking for my hand in marriage? He's nothing but a coward!"

By the end of her rant she was positively seething. To think she was going to be forced to marry some unknown man, that some unknown man had broken her and Chat Noir apart. It was enough to make anyone livid.

She was expecting him to be furious as well, to take her by the shoulders and assure her that he wasn't going to let it happen, to demand that they run off together and escape this horrible fate.

"Scaredy cat," he corrected instead, chuckling. "But why do you think he's a coward?"

Her trembling fists were so tightly clenched at her sides she could feel her nails digging into her palms.

"Because if he was really a man, he'd come over here to try to court me and woo me properly! But no, he writes a letter, knowing that since he's the richest prince out there, my parents have to say yes. Smug bastard," she spat. "I bet he just sits on his stupid little throne all day, barking stupid little orders at servants, and admiring his stupid little crown while he laughs and ponders how can make people's lives miserable. Like mine."

She's taken aback when he bursts out in raucous laughter, his head thrown back and his arms wrapped around his stomach as he gasps for breath to laugh some more. Normally Marinette would shush him to be quiet, but she's too angry at the moment to care if someone might hear him.

After a few more seconds of laughter from the black cat, she's wondering why he won't stop. She didn't think it was all that funny, after all.

At her confused look, the blond calms down, taking in deep mouthfuls of air. However, his grin is still present.

"You judge him rather harshly despite having never met him before."

"It's his own fault. If he never interfered in my life, he'd be free from my insults," she insisted, crossing her arms. She arched a skeptical eyebrow. "And I just said I'm being forced to marry, shouldn't you be angry?"

A feeling of dread creeps into her stomach. Suppose all their meetings meant absolutely nothing to him? Suppose he just used her all this time for his own entertainment and was always prepared to just toss her aside and move on to the next girl?

Those kisses, whispers of sweet nothings, love notes, flowers, personal talks...all a sham?

He must've read what she was thinking on her face for her quickly held her by her forearms and turned her around to look at him.

"Princess," he croons softly, gazing deep into her sapphire eyes. "All of this has been real, don't ever think otherwise. I love you."

She blinks as her breath catches in her throat. He's never told her that he loves her before.

"And, to be honest, I can't really blame the guy for wanting to marry you. You're the most beautiful girl in all the land, and the kindest...well, when you want to be," he finishes cheekily, chuckling.

She playfully rolls her eyes and tries to hold back an amused smirk.

"And let's be honest, Princess. You had to have known these meetings couldn't have lasted forever," he continues seriously.

Marinette frowns, her eyes flickering away to look to the right. "I know," she admits in a whisper.

"Who knows, maybe you can learn to love this man," he suggests. It's meant to be reassuring, but it only makes her feel like a knife is stabbing her in the heart.

"But I only love you," she protests brokenly, tears already leaking onto her cheeks.

He wipes them away with the pads of his thumbs with a soft, warm smile.

"And I only love you. But give this Prince Adrien a chance. After all, you're going to be married to him for the rest of your life."

That's when the reality settles in. She's going to be attached to Prince Adrien until her dying breath.

Then the fears start to fester in her mind. She can't help it, she doesn't know this man at all.

Chat Noir notices her breathing escalate and her body start trembling in fright. "Princess? What's wrong?" He asks, alarmed. He rubs his hands up and down her arms in an attempt to comfort her, to not avail.

"What if he's cruel?" She whispers fearfully. "What if he hits me? What if he only uses me and goes off with other women? What if-"

"Marinette," he interrupts, gripping her by the shoulders and forcing her to meet his stare. "He won't do any of that, I promise you he won't."

"You don't know that!" She exclaims, tearing away from his hold. "You don't know Prince Adrien at all! He could do all those things...you don't know him. Why are you being so supportive of this marriage?! I thought you loved me!"

This isn't what happened in the books. In the books, the forbidden lovers would run away together should some unavoidable problem arise. Why was Chat Noir being so calm about this whole thing?

"I do love you, Marinette," he insists, taking her hand, prompting her to face him again. "I love you with all my heart. I'm just thinking of what's best for you. Surely marrying a prince is more appealing than marrying a meager knight? A prince can make sure you have anything your heart desires, a prince can properly take care of you. A knight can't do any of that. Besides, I know Prince Adrien to be rather handsome. You can love him in time."

Her temper flares and the blue in her irises flashes dangerously.

"I don't care if he's handsome! I don't care about his riches! I don't care about being 'properly taken care of'!" She squeezes her eyes shut, trying to will the unshed tears away. "I only care about you."

He blinks, face blank, until his lips morph into a large smile. He brings her hand to his lips and kisses the back of it, the action leaving butterflies in her stomach like it always had.

"Just when I think I couldn't possibly love you even more than I already do, you come back and surprise me," he murmurs. He lets go of her hand and smiles.

"But you are a princess, and you must marry a prince. I've met Prince Adrien before, he's really not that bad."

Her eyebrows furrow in doubt. Seeing this, he continues.

"I think he's really kind, I know he doesn't sit on his 'stupid little throne' and bark orders all day," he snickers. "He would never hit a woman, least of all his own wife. He also isn't the type to have romantic trysts with other women behind his wife's back, like a lot of other royals out there do. If he wants to marry you, I'm sure he has a very good reason why."

"But why?" She asks in exasperation. "What possible reason could he have for marrying me? We've never met!"

Chat shrugs. "Maybe he caught a passing glance of you and became entranced like I did."

Marinette hmph's and crosses her arms together. "Well if he was so 'entranced', then why hasn't he come here to romance me properly?"

He shrugs again but grins. "Maybe he was afraid that you would've only been attracted to his title and looks, and so devised a way to get to know you in secret. And now he's fallen so deeply in love with you he cannot bear to be away from you any longer and simply had to make a marriage proposal, else he would've gone mad."

The Princess scoffs a laugh, shaking her head. "Some plan. I haven't seen him once."

"Are you sure about that?" he purrs, leaning forward with a smirk that would've normally made her toes curl.

Now, she's wary. She begins to suspect that he knows something she does not.

"Chat-?"

"It's late, I better be heading off," he declares, reaching for her hand again to give it a kiss in parting.

"But, this soon?" She sadly questions. She could hardly believe that her lover, who she would never see again, would so abruptly leave her like this. Without even a kiss?

"Everything will be alright," he reassured, taking her chin with his hand and guiding her face up to meet with his. "I promise you, everything will be fine."

Liar, she thinks, but doesn't voice it.

He smiles and leans down to lightly peck her lips. She closes her eyes and tries to deepen the kiss, only for him to pull away.

"Trust me, Princess," he implores. "You will be happy."

I trust you, but I don't believe that. "Okay."

A corner of his mouth pulls up into a half-grin and it's all too soon when he's climbing back down from her balcony and running back off into the night. She watches him until his black-clothed body disappears, and only then does she allow herself to cry.

...

She's horrified when the next day her parents tell her they're throwing a ball in her and Prince Adrien's honor. Apparently, the stupid little prince was coming to their kingdom that day in order to publicly announce the engagement.

Marinette mentally curses his name while Tikki, her most trusted maid, helps her with her hair. She wants to scream and rage, shout that she'll never be Prince Adrien's wife, but she could never do that. A princess never lets their true emotions show, a princess must always be demure, polite, and most of all, smiling.

"Oh, Marinette, you look so beautiful," Tikki gushes, looking over the rich, black curls going down the girl's back and the exquisite red and black ball gown she wore.

"Thanks," she replies half-heartedly as she stands, ready to face her fate.

"Don't be so sad, Marinette!" Tikki smiles brightly. "You're going to marry Prince Adrien! They say he's the most handsome man anyone has ever seen. Princess Chloe has been after him for years."

"Well she can have him," the princess growls. "I want nothing to do with him."

A man so cowardly that he didn't dare show his face to her before asking for her hand in marriage, and a girl so stuck-up and rude her own subjects hated her? The two deserved each other, in Marinette's opinion.

"Don't say that," the maid gently admonishes. "You haven't met him yet, I wouldn't doubt he's the most charming man out there since every woman is in love with him."

The blackette can confidently reply that she knew who the most charming man out there was, and it most definitely was not Prince Adrien.

"Okay," she relents, not wanting to argue about this subject any longer. She might as well go out there, and start on this road to misery.

As Tikki leads her to the ballroom, Marinette finds herself gritting her teeth angrily once again. Why couldn't Prince Adrien just leave her alone? Why did he have to interfere in her life? Why couldn't she and Chat Noir just be happy?

She wondered what her feline lover was doing right now. Did he already move on, accepting that he and Marinette would never be together? The thought made her heart break.

"You look absolutely stunning, Your Highness," Tikki complimented encouragingly, right before the entrance to the ballroom. "Make our kingdom proud."

She silently nodded, brought herself to pick up her chin, and strutted out the door. The ballroom went silent as their Princess joined her parents, her betrothed, and his father.

King Gabriel (she had learned his name earlier in the day) studied her with his lips pursed into a pensive line. His eyes were an icy blue, and his hair was a light blond and slicked back on his head. Those features, combined with his height, made him look rather intimidating.

Good, she thinks. Maybe he'll dislike me and call off this silly engagement.

She takes the chance to look at her betrothed. He was tall as well, though not reaching to his father's height. His hair was more of a sunny, golden blond, the layers gently sweeping on his head into a pleasing cut. His eyes were a bright emerald, momentarily stunning her. Only Chat Noir had eyes that resembled his.

But the most striking feature of his was the black mask he wore.

She mentally scoffs in disgust. Even now he can't show his face.

"Princess Marinette," King Gabriel bid solemnly, nodding.

She curtseyed. "King Gabriel," she returned.

"It is an honor to introduce my son, Prince Adrien."

She said nothing as the young prince bowed to her, yet she gasped when he took her hand to place a light kiss on it. She wrenched it away as fast as she could, not caring if she was being impolite.

Not just anybody was allowed to kiss her hand.

But he merely smiles at her as if nothing had happened. "I am truly honored to meet you, Princess Marinette."

Her lips purse into a scowl she'd seen Chloe do at various dinners she was forced to attend. "I'm sure you are."

Marinette can hear the choked gasp of her mother, the purely horrified one of her father, and see King Gabriel's eyebrows lift in mild astonishment.

But Prince Adrien's lips only curl into a smirk...an expression she was oddly sure she had seen once before.

"Would you care to dance?" He asks.

"Not really."

"M-Marinette!" Queen Sabine stammers in a harsh whisper. Her daughter was always so well-behaved, why was she acting like this now? And when they have the most important guests in their palace?

The Princess makes a show of dramatically sighing in dejection. "Oh, alright. I guess I can bring myself to dance with you."

Prince Adrien doesn't react to her less-than-enthused response, only to take her hand and bring her to the dance floor. The music commences and the couples make room for the Prince and Princess, letting them have the majority of the ballroom floor.

Her blue bell eyes narrow as he takes them into a waltz. Grinning as an idea came to her, she made sure to stomp on his foot at the right time to make it seem like it was an accident.

The blond winces and a pained grunt tears out of his throat. Marinette presses her lips together to fight back the giggle threatening to escape past her lips.

He recovers and grins. "I commend you on your dancing grace, Princess."

She couldn't help but stiffen at the title. Come to think of it, Prince Adrien did sound just a tad familiar as well.

"You dance like an angel," he commented, spinning her around. She had to grudgingly admit that he was an exceptional dancer, himself.

As they continued, Marinette made sure to step on his toes whenever she could. However, after awhile, Prince Adrien began to catch on and started taking care to dodge her feet. She didn't give him the pleasure of seeing her angry, instead giving him sweet smiles as if nothing was amiss.

Soon the song ended, as did their dance. The royals paid the custom respect to each other as the people around them applauded their performance.

"Please come with me," the Prince suddenly begged, holding her hand.

"I'm not going anywhere with you," she hisses. She wasn't married to him yet, she didn't have to follow his commands.

"Please," he pleads. "Please come with me outside. I want to talk with you, away from prying ears."

She tilts her head in confusion. What did he want to talk to her about? Did he want to take back his proposal?

She smiles. "Alright." If that was the case, she'd go anywhere with him.

He returned the expression and led her out of the ballroom, out onto the patio and into the gardens. The pair stopped at a fountain, where Marinette sat down on the ledge and Prince Adrien continued standing.

He bit his lower lip and started pacing back and forth, hands clasped behind his back while he muttered incomprehensible words. Her eyes slightly squint, as she finds his behavior really strange.

Finally, he stops and just gazes at her, seemingly deciding something in his mind. He squares his shoulders, and she could nothing but determination in those apple green orbs.

What was going on?

She receives her answer when he reaches a hand up, grips his mask by the corner, and tugs it free from his face.

Marinette sucks in a breath of disbelief.

"Ch-Chat Noir?!" She exclaims. What the actual hell was going on?!

Adrien/Chat dives forward to take both of hands in his. Wide-eyed, she tries squirming away but he holds on fast.

"I beg you, Princess. Let me explain. Let me explain to you why I...well, did all this."

She slowly shakes her head, still not believing any of this was happening. Her knight, her lover, was really a prince? She was engaged to Chat Noir all along? She was kissing Prince Adrien all along?

Wait. If they were one in the same-

A deep flush coated her cheeks in mortification. All the things she said about Adrien to Chat. How she behaved to Adrien, who was Chat.

She called the love of her life a coward. She called him a smug bastard, referred to him as 'some stupid prince', and stepped on his toes for most of their dance together.

Oh, God, surely he must hate her now! Way to go, Marinette, you now truly lost the man you love.

"Y-You hate me, don't you?" She whispers, broken. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't know..." She hangs her head, not able to look at him any longer. She was the worst lover in history, for what girl calls the man she loves a coward, a smug bastard, and stupid?

Adrien is the one who looks horrified now. "Wha-? No! No, I could never hate you! How could you think that?"

"Do you not remember all that I said about you?!" She screeches, picking her head up to meet his surprised gaze. "How could you ever love me after that?"

He blinks, face carefully blank, until he dissolves into a fit of laughter. Marinette shrinks back, unsure of what this means.

"It was honestly refreshing to hear someone not drown me in compliments, for a change," he speaks after having sufficiently sobered. "And you had no idea it was me. For all you knew Adrien was some stranger you never met. I'd react the same way if I was suddenly being forced to marry a princess I never met before. I still love you, Marinette. That's not going to change."

She could scarcely believe the kind and forgiving heart he had. She didn't deserve him at all.

"Still, I'm sorry about all those things I said about you," she mumbled, still feeling humiliated.

"Does this mean you don't think of me as a coward?" He inquires with a sly grin.

She pauses. She had called him a coward because he never came to pursue her like a proper suitor would. Adrien had gone beyond wooing her, charming her into oblivion under the guise of a knight.

But why? Why not just call on her like any other man?

She voiced those two questions exactly.

"Remember that plan I told you about last night as Chat?" He asks.

Marinette nods.

"Well, it was true. My father was starting to stress that I needed to find a wife, and so I secretly traveled to a few kingdoms in order to see their princesses. The ones I saw were entirely vain, only pausing from admiring themselves to order a servant to do a menial task for them."

He smiles. "And then I saw you."

She sits patiently, her heart doing a flip since she knows how this story likely ends.

"I talked with your parents about you, they mentioned your grace, beauty, talents, all the typical things parents say to entice a potential suitor. They invited me to walk the palace grounds, I accepted and alone I wandered around the gardens, hoping to see a princess that I could like. It wasn't long until I came upon you, you were talking with another girl, laughing together. I assumed you two were best friends, until I got a good look at the outfit the other girl wore. It was then I realized that you were with a servant."

Marinette brightens and perks up upon recognition. "That must've been Tikki! She's my closest friend next to Princess Alya."

His eyes twinkle in warmth. "You were sitting on the ground, not caring if your dress got dirty, laughing with a servant. That's something I've never seen a princess do. And I also found that your parents weren't lying about your beauty."

She blushes and shyly glances away.

"But I was still worried that you'd only like me for my status. I wanted to be sure the woman I spend the rest of my life with loved me, not the Prince. And so I talked with your parents, and they let me disguise myself as a knight. Trust me, you have no idea how happy I was when I saw how much you didn't want to marry 'Prince Adrien'."

She remained speechless. How could she respond to a confession like that?

"But I hope that isn't the case anymore," he goes on, hope lacing his voice.

Marinette's sapphire eyes open wide when she sees him bend down on one knee.

"Princess, I assure you that if you marry me, I'll make you the happiest woman on Earth. I am not cruel, would never hit you, and would never even think of going off with another woman. I love you with all of my heart, and simply can't keep waiting until the night to see you." He stops his deliverance to grin. "So, what do you say? Will you marry me, and together we can admire our 'stupid little crowns'?"

She can't help but burst out laughing at how he stops a perfectly romantic speech to make a joke of her earlier words about him.

But she wouldn't have this proposal done any other way.

"Yes!" She squeals, rocketing forward to kiss him before he could even take the ring out of his jacket pocket. A squawk of surprise is muffled by her lips, but it doesn't take him long to give into the kiss and sigh in bliss, wrapping his arms around her.

A throat being cleared makes the two quickly separate.

The startled pair lock eyes with King Gabriel, who only stares at them with his ever-present frown. Although, it looked like the corner of his mouth twitched the tiniest bit, and perhaps those icy eyes melted just a little.

"I was worried she detested you, Adrien," he spoke. "But now I can see I was mistaken."

"Father," Adrien grounds out through clenched teeth, not at all enjoying having his perfect moment interrupted, and by his father, no less.

The King merely waves a hand. "No, no. I'll leave you to your business. Just remember that some things are strictly reserved for the wedding night."

Marinette lets out a squeak of mortification as both her and Adrien's cheeks both redden.

"Father!"

King Gabriel chuckles and strides away, leaving the two young adults too embarrassed to possibly resume what had transpired between them. This gives Adrien a chance to take the ring out of his pocket and slide it onto his fiancee's finger, with said fiancee giving him a beaming smile.

"Shall we go in and continue our dance? Providing you don't try breaking my toes, of course." Adrien asks with a wide, cheeky grin.

Marinette giggles and takes his hand, allowing him to help her off the ground. "Of course, my love. But no promises of trying to break your toes. Do you think I'm going to be so forgiving after having tricked me for so long?"

He smirks and kisses her hand, this time she doesn't snatch it away.

"I'm sure I can think of a way to get you to forgive me."

A/N: For any who are also reading One Way Or Another, thank you for your condolences, I really appreciate it :) I'm feeling a bit better, well, I'm feeling better able to write again.