44. Chapter 43

A/N: Firstly, 700 favorites by Christmas was an awesome gift. Thank you all SO MUCH!

He was so pale. It made Marinette sick just looking at him. He'd lost a lot of blood, a fact proven by how badly his clothes were stained. The knife he had taken to the side left a gash that was as long as Marinette's hand. Tikki had taken charge of the situation immediately, instructing people what to do and what she needed and then proceeded to take care of the rest. Marinette had done all that she could to keep Adrien calm, trying to soothe him while holding back the tears that threatened to pour over.

She'd failed on both parts considering Adrien had passed out from the pain and tear trails stained her cheeks.

Now, they had moved him to one of the servant's rooms where he could lie on the cot instead of the dining hall table they had hastily shoved him down on when he came stumbling in the servants' quarters half held up by Kim. Even though there was nothing more that could be done other than give him time to rest, Marinette refused to leave Adrien's side. She wanted to keep an eye on him, she had argued, though that was only half the reason. She needed time to process. Time to think. Time to let everything she had learned sink in.

After Adrien had passed out, Kim recounted all the details he could of the fight that had happened. How he had come through a secret passageway only to see Adrien and Theo in the throes of a fight for life while Hawkmoth carefully watched. How the king had had a chance to kill Adrien, and Kim had leaped to end Hawkmoth before that could happen. Lastly, how somewhere in the middle of Kim entering and him striking down Hawkmoth, Theo had, once again, slipped away.

The realization that Hawkmoth was dead was hard to absorb because that meant that all of this…was over.

Well, almost.

Hawkmoth may be dead, but he did leave an heir behind, meaning that Lila was the current problem they had to deal with. Even if she wasn't the heir, they had yet to officially take back the kingdom of France. And then the fact Theo was missing…

This may nearly be over, but the mess that was left to clean up was overwhelming. Or maybe it just seemed that way to Marinette. The fact Adrien was injured and unconscious was a lot for her to handle. She wasn't able to face much beyond that.

A knock vibrated on the door, signaling the entrance of Tikki. "How are you holding up?"

Marinette let out a sigh, taking a moment to rub her eyes before answering, "I'm fine."

Quietly, Tikki shut the door behind her. She rounded the bed to stand at Marinette's side and rest a comforting hand on her shoulder. "The worst part of being a nurse was informing a family member that their loved one wasn't coming home," she spoke softly before giving Marinette's shoulder a squeeze. "I'm really glad I didn't have to do that today."

"Do you think he'll be all right, Tikki?" Marinette questioned, tears once again beginning to blur her vision.

"I have reason to believe so," she assured. "I've seen far worse than just a single cut to the side. With the right herbs, plenty of rest, and a little luck, he'll be back to normal in no time at all."

Marinette absently nodded.

Tikki let out a sigh that Marinette only faintly heard. "I don't like pulling you away like this," she said. "But we would like to have you join our discussion in the dining hall."

She knew it was coming, and while she wished she could say that she wasn't leaving Adrien's side, she knew that wasn't an option. So, with a heavy heart, she leaned forward to press a lingering kiss to her husband's forehead, noting it was hot but remembering Tikki saying that would be normal. "I'll be back," she whispered before forcing herself to stand and follow Tikki from the room.

Kind as she was, Tikki laced their arms together in order to comfort Marinette as she guided her into the dining hall. Marinette followed absently, trying to force back the numb feeling in order to face whatever conversation was going to happen. Before they entered the dining hall, Tikki paused, allowing Marinette one last moment to take a steadying breath before facing everybody.

With a nod, Marinette followed Tikki forward to the table they had patched Adrien up on not that long ago. Alya patted the seat next to her, indicating Marinette to take it. Forcing a smile as a silent thank you, Marinette took the seat between Alya and Alix.

Jalil cleared his throat to gather everyone's attention. "As we know, Hawkmoth is dead, Theo has escaped, and Lila—who currently is the Queen of France—is our prisoner."

"So," Alix continued, "we have to figure out a plan in order to reclaim the kingdom and stop this war."

Marinette was thankful for the pause that lingered afterwards because her head was currently spinning fast enough for her to plead ill and leave to lie down. If she barely made it through two sentences, she hoped she'd be able to make it through the rest.

"Theo was injured, correct?" Nino asked. "I think that will slow him down enough for us to not fully worry about him at present."

"And if he dies, then good riddance."

"Plagg," Tikki quickly chastised.

Plagg didn't look remotely abashed, but he did keep his mouth shut against any further thoughts.

"But how do we take back the kingdom?" Kim questioned. "Lila isn't going to cooperate with us, nor would we…um…"

Marinette appreciated Kim purposefully not finishing that thought.

"The best I can think of is Lila surrendering the kingdom," Jalil said. "But I doubt she would do so."

"I don't see why."

All eyes turned to Marinette, who was as shocked as everyone else that she had spoken. She swallowed, took a breath, then forced herself to continue. "Well, Hawkmoth is…" she waved her hand to imply what she didn't want to say. "And Lila is captured. For all she knows, we are able to either take over her kingdom with force or do what we wish to her in order to claim the kingdom. Wouldn't she rather make a deal with you, one that seemed to benefit her, in order to know she would walk away from this?"

Silence rent the room as everyone stared at Marinette who, at this point, wished she could just melt into the floor.

"That," Jalil eventually spoke, "is logical. But Lila isn't known for taking the path of least resistance when she can put up a fight and get what she wants."

"But she doesn't get what she wants," Marinette countered. "Not now. She's not in a position to do anything."

"Marinette's right," Alix agreed, taking up the torch that Marinette was growing tired of holding up. "Lila is in our control. She's our captive. There isn't an escape for her. Considering that she is the Queen of France now, it wouldn't be unheard of for us to end her. For all she knows, we would take over in the same manner that Hawkmoth did. And after all she did to us, I doubt she doesn't consider the possibility of us taking revenge on her."

Jalil raised a brow. "So you're saying that we manipulate her into surrendering."

"It's hardly manipulation if she doesn't have a choice," Alix countered.

"It's true," Marinette agreed. "And I think she knows it. After all, it was her uncle that killed your father in order to take over. He brought her up to power, and now, she has to fall from it. She's our captive; there isn't any escape for her."

"Something she might not believe considering that she is still in France," Jalil pointed out. "She's still in her territory, and we're the ones who are a bit out of our element."

Marinette's lips pursed in thought. "Then we take her back to Paris," Marinette said. "If we were to do that, we would remove her from power to some effect. Then, there would only be two options: surrender or…um, well, you know. I think she values her life enough to drive a bargain with you."

Jalil didn't look convinced. "But—"

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Jalil," Alix blurted. "This is a solid plan. Lila is in a losing position, and she knows it. If she surrenders, then the kingdom is ours again. She'll hold no claim to it. She'll lose all power."

His brow furrowed in growing irritation. "Except power over those loyal to her. And for what we know, the guards are the ones loyal to her. Who's to say she won't rally them for an uprising."

"There's no way they'll go with it."

At this, everyone turned to Plagg.

He leaned is elbows on the table, looking slightly irritated. "They're men of war," Plagg said. "While you're right that they would be willing to follow those they are loyal to into war if necessary, even the most anxious fighters get war weary after a while. Considering this war has gone on for years, they will be ready for this to end. All you have to do to win their loyalty is to end this war. Make peaceful negotiations with Paris, and they'll turn to you. Bring prosperity to the kingdom, and you'll have nothing to worry about."

Somewhere in the room, a clock ticked down the time that passed as Jalil mulled over Plagg's words. "If that's true, how would you suggest we go about securing the kingdom?"

"Simple," Plagg answered. "Gather all of our men, some of the more prominent French guards, you, Alix, Marinette, and Lila all in the royal hall. Have Lila surrender there. Then, you show some peaceful negotiations with Marinette in order to gain some of their trust or, at the very least, to present yourself as respectable, and the kingdom is yours."

"And you think they will surrender so easily?" Jalil challenged. "The guards were mostly loyal to Hawkmoth. Who says they won't be loyal to Lila over us? If Lila were the one promising these same things to them, don't you think they would follow her over us?"

To that, Plagg had no answer.

Surprisingly, though, Marinette found herself with one. "Alix, how large of a backing did Hawkmoth have when he took over?"

Alix quirked a brow at Marinette. "Pardon?"

"You said Hawkmoth took over suddenly," Marinette said. "And you mentioned he wasn't well liked. What sort of following did he have to back him once he took over?"

The way Alix's brow furrowed then shot upwards spoke volumes. "Jalil," she said. "I think Marinette has a very good point."

Jalil nodded his agreement. "To answer that question, his following was very small. I believe he put his most loyal soldiers in the position of power."

"But," Alix continued, "I think that if we rally the rest of the men, anyone still loyal to Hawkmoth will fall."

Another silence slipped between everyone as the conversation slowly wound down.

"Then," Tikki spoke up. "I believe that if we have reached an agreement, this meeting is adjourned. I don't believe there is anything left to work out."

"I don't think so, either" Alix said, effectively bringing the conversation to an end. She gave a sympathetic look to Marinette. "I think it should be my brother's job to negotiate with Lila. We'll plan out her formal surrender after we know how she's going to react."

Marinette heard Alix perfectly clear, but the words she didn't say were far clearer. "Thank you," she whispered, standing from her chair.

"You're welcome," Alix returned just as quietly.

The others started standing as well. Jalil looked less than thrilled to go negotiate with Lila, not that Marinette could blame him. She would dread that as well.

She made her way back to Adrien's room, back to his side, and sank down in her chair. Gently, she took his hand in her own, giving it a squeeze. With her other hand, she gingerly brushed his hair from his forehead.

Marinette let out a sigh, hoping the tension would leave her body so she could relax. She was facing a waiting game. For Adrien to wake. For Theo to be caught. For Lila to be negotiated with. It felt like time crept on, but Marinette knew she was too tired to judge how fast time was passing by.

Giving into the urge to rest a moment, Marinette shifted her arms, curling them up on the edge of the mattress so she could lay her head comfortably on them. She carefully situated herself so she wouldn't have to let go of Adrien's hand, rubbing her thumb on the back of his hand all the while. With a sigh, she laid her head down on her curled arms and let her tired eyes drift shut.

Only for them to shoot open when she felt something squeeze her hand.

Hope filling her, she lifted her head. "Adrien?"

Though they remained shut, his eyelids fluttered, and his nose twitched ever so slightly. Marinette's heart picked up its pace. "Adrien, sweetheart?"

Again, his eyes scrunched before cracking open. It was barely a second before he shut them, groaning in discomfort.

Marinette dropped his hand so she could cradle his jaw, rubbing her thumbs in little circles on his cheeks. "It's okay, sweetheart. You don't have to open your eyes. You can rest. I'm just glad you're all right."

He groaned, his lips tugging downwards. "Hurts," he moaned, his voice gruff.

"I know," she comforted, continuing her ministrations. "You took a bad hit. Tikki said you'll be sore for a couple days."

He hummed in response. He forced his eyes open so as to meet hers, only barely keeping them open long enough to lift his hands to lightly hold her shoulders.

She felt herself breathe a shaky sigh of relief. She leaned forward, resting her forehead against his, smile blooming on her face. While he was clearly exhausted and likely wouldn't remain awake for another few minutes, it was enough to assure Marinette that her husband would make it through.

It was intimidating, standing off to the side of the dais in the throne room. Jalil was clearly nervous if the way his heel bounced on the ground was any indication. Alix was more collected, but Marinette knew her well enough to be able to tell that the way Alix fidgeted with the fabric of her dress was to ease her nerves. Both brother and sister took their parents' thrones, which was probably good because each of them looked like they might just fall over if they were standing.

Marinette stood to Alix's side, a comforting hand resting on Alix's shoulder. She wasn't sure it did much, but considering the way Alix patted her hand when it had come to rest on her shoulder, Marinette knew the gesture was at least appreciated.

More than once had Marinette stolen a glance at Lila, who currently stood between two guards. If looks could kill, Marinette was certain that she, Alix, and Jalil would be dead already, along with every guard in the room, as well.

The door opened, causing Jalil and Alix to straighten and put on strong facades in hopes of covering their agitation. Marinette retracted her hand from Alix's shoulder and stood tall as Nino entered, holding the door while several guards walked in.

Marinette took a deep breath, feeling the tension in the room triple. The number of Parisian guards outnumbered the French, but that hardly eased her nerves. This still had the potential to go wrong.

"Men," Jalil spoke, standing from his seat. "May it be known from now on that the Kingdom of France is back under the rule of the Kubdel family."

The guards looked a little surprised, notably more so than from when they walked in.

"And if my declaration wasn't enough," Jalil continued. "Then you can hear the surrender from Lila herself."

Every eye in the room turned to Lila.

Her glower still remained as she straightened. "I, Lila Rossi," she started, turning her fierce gaze to Jalil, "will surrender the kingdom upon the agreement you release me."

"And leave the kingdom," Jalil finished, "and never return."

"And never return," she spat as if those words burned her.

Satisfied, Jalil nodded to the guards, who stepped back from Lila in a show of 'releasing' her.

She marched forward to the head guard, mumbling something in some language Marinette couldn't understand. Not that she could hear well enough to understand, either.

But that determined look in Lila's eye… Marinette knew what Lila was saying. Somehow instinctively knew that these guards would not surrender as long as Lila was murmuring promises.

"Men," Marinette called out, grabbing all attention. "Listen carefully, for I will say this once and only once before what could very well be your final decision." Where she had found her voice, she wasn't sure, but the words had rolled of her tongue before she could stop them. Since everyone in the room was now staring at her, she might as well continue. "Let me make something very clear: Lila has legally surrendered the kingdom. There are many witnesses to said event to prove it, including I, Marinette Agreste, Princess of Paris."

She swallowed. While technically her title, it wasn't official. There hadn't been any ceremony nor public announcement. For all the world knew, she was a fraud. All she could hope for was that the Kingdom of France was so disconnected from the kingdom of Paris that they didn't know any better. "This war—a war that started for reasons unknown to most everyone— between our kingdoms has gone on for long enough. Do you even know why you are fighting? What do you have to gain from this war except decimation of your people and depletion of your resources? I am here, willing to negotiate peace, but only with the true king of this land: Jalil Kubdel. So here is your choice: rebuke your loyalty to this woman this moment, and this war will end right now. Both sides will reach a truce, and this war will halt before it can bring any more chaos. Or, if you chose to rebel with the determination to avenge the man you were loyal to—a man who is now dead—then I swear to you, Paris will continue with this war until you are forced to surrender or are completely destroyed. The future of your entire kingdom rests in your hands. Who is your loyalty to?"

That last challenge hung in the open, stealing the air from the room slowly but surely. Uncertainty grew in Marinette's gut, but she shoved it down forcefully again and again, all while hoping her fierce demeanor never faded.

No matter how quiet the sound was, the metallic sound of a sword being pulled from its scabbard filled the room. A single French guard, the lowest ranking of them considering his position in the grouping of men, had unsheathed his sword and pointed it at the back of the head guard's neck. "King Jalil Kubdel," he spoke. "My name is General D'argentcourt, a moniker that I hope that thou art familiar with."

Jalil didn't hesitate. "Quite."

"May I be the first to ascertain that my loyalty, though challenged, has not wavered from the true reigning family of this kingdom. But should these common scoundrels masquerading as my superiors not bend knee to dub thee their king, I beseech ye to slay them all upon where they stand."

The threat rung loudly in Marinette's ears despite how even the man's tone remained.

"Your proposition has been heard," Jalil returned. "And has not fallen upon deaf ears."

With a single motion from Jalil, every Parisian guard drew his sword and stood ready to attack. The man, General D'argentcourt, had taken several steps backwards to gain distance from his superiors.

"However," Jalil continued, "considering that you have confirmed what I have already suspected, I will not fully heed your proposition. Instead, their arrest is preferable."

As Marinette suspected, the men didn't go quietly. Her heart pounded as she watched the chaos erupt. There was fighting, shouting, and blood, yet it was scarcely two minutes before every last one was caught and escorted from the room. Even Lila, though screaming, was dragged out of the room by Nino.

"General D'argencourt," Jalil called out. "I remember you in high regard. As of now, I restore your position as head of the guards. I do so in hopes that you will restore my men to their former integrity."

The man bowed deeply. "You have my word."

"Very good. You may be dismissed."

"Thank you, your majesty," he said, straightening. But then he turned to Marinette and bowed again. "I have not overheard the kingdom of Paris gaining a new Princess, but may I say, your highness, that should honesty back your elegant yet brazen words, you shall prove yourself to be a princess above reproach. It is an honor to be of your service."

Marinette couldn't help but smile, pride filling her as, for the first time, she felt as though she had truly earned that title. "I thank you."

A/N: OMG, I cannot get over how much I LOVE General D'argencourt's diction. (So proud of myself XD )