It was the wedding day of Marinette Dupain-Cheng, but there was no rejoicing in the small village of Parthis.

Mayor Bourgeois had made a deal with the Lord of Destruction himself, and Marinette was the price.

Several Years Ago

"Please, my lord, I'll do anything if my daughter just lives!" Bourgeois, a man who was known as being the most prideful man in all of Parthis was on his knees begging, much to the delight of the Lord of Destruction.

"Anything?" the lord asked with a wicked grin, "How paw-sitively delightful! A life for a life is purr-ty fair, wouldn't you say?"

The mayor hesitated, and the lord's eyes narrowed.

"Of course, if you don't think your precious Chloe is worth the lives of any of those peasants…"

"Of course she's worth more!" the mayor cried, "Take any of them- take them all! Just let Chloe live!"

The lord's eyes lit up with glee, "How generous! I'll take a bride again soon enough. Go home, your daughter has recovered."

Chloe Bourgeoisie recovered, but her mother died. Only then did the Mayor realize the "life for a life" was that of his own wife and daughter. The lord of destruction decided to take a bride as well, after all, the Mayor had practically served the entire village up to him on a golden platter.

The Mayor had simply shown up at the Dupain-Cheng bakery one day, and informed her parents that she was to marry him a week from then at dusk, or he would destroy her parents bakery, her parents, and then take Marinette away anyhow.

Her parents had tried to commit murder that night, and had been put in the village's makeshift dungeon for the Mayor's protection, much to everyone's disgust.

Alya Cesaire, Marinette's best friend, spent that entire week researching for ways to kill the lord.

Marinette spent the week in a state of numb and total shock… she knew the Mayor was selfish and that the Lord was cruel in granting wishes… but she never dreamed that she'd personally have to pay the price. Usually the family that made a bargain with him paid the price… but apparently she was the unfortunate exception.

All Alya had to offer on Marinette's wedding night were a pair of spotted red earrings, for luck.

"He's the unluckiest creature alive," Alya said, weeping, "maybe this will balance it out?"

"At least my husband and I will have something in common," Marinette said bitterly.

"Here, take this knife," Alya thrust a silver knife into her hands, "Maybe you can be the one who kills him and comes back."

Neither of them mentioned that none of the lord's previous wives had ever returned. Marinette had hugged Alya and they had both collapsed to the floor sobbing.

Now Marinette stood alone shivering in her thin dress at the specified hilltop, waiting for the Lord of Destruction. Would the sick fiend even bother showing up?

"Mreow"