Pretty? Failed to describe..

Beautiful? Better. But not enough to describe the way Marinette looked in her amazing dress. If he thought the dress was gorgeous by itself, he was definitely awestruck seeing it on Marinette.

"Princess Marinette Dupain-Cheng."

Adrien turned around in the ball room as soon as the butler announced her name. He watched as she took a bow and then proceeded to walk down the stairs to the ballroom floor below. Her beautiful Raven-blue hair tied back into curls and a braid of hair as a headband. Her loose bangs framed her face with a few loose strands of curled hair hanging at the side of her face. On the side of her hair she wore a stunning hair piece with feathers, flowers and elegant stones.

Adrien could swear everyone in the entire grand ballroom had stopped just to watch this girl. This beauty who had caught Adrien's eyes. She caught his stare and walked shyly over to him.

"Good evening, your Highness." She said with a gleeful tone. "What an exquisite ball!"

"Hello Marinette," Adrien began, "You look amazing!"

She gave him a grateful smile. He was about to ask her to accompany him to a table when a blonde girl ran over with her high pitched squeal.

"Adrikenns!!"

Ugh. Not Chloe!

The blonde ran over and wrapped an arm around the prince's. She mainly focused on Adrien but Marinette could catch her hateful glares anywhere.

"Adrikenns. Come with me! There are important people I plan to make future alliances with. For our sakes." She pulled him away and glared towards the blue-haired princess. Marinette shot Adrien a sympathetic look when he shared a pleading frown.

She gave a small sigh once the pair were out of eye-view. Marinette started to feel a bit out of place as she contemplated what to do. Should she meet new men?; in case Adrien would not choose her? Should she chat with important men and women; making alliances and friends for her and her kingdom? She didn't know. And yet she chose to attempt to find her mother. She realized she hadn't talked to her very much lately, and Marinette suddenly longed for some mother-daughter time. She found her mother happily chatting with other ladies. Mostly queens and mothers who had accompanied their daughters. She smiled at the sight of her mothers contentment. But Sabine knew her daughter; when there was something wrong, or when Marinette needed her advice. And the queen mother had ended her conversation immediately but politely, to go chat with her daughter.

"Marinette? My dear, what's wrong?" Sabine asked her child.

Marinette didn't know what to say. She wasn't exactly sad that Adrien wasn't with her and there was definitely more than enough people to talk to.

"I-I don't know. Mama? Have you ever felt out of place? Like there was so much to do.. but. Mm. Never mind. Thanks Mama! Good talk!" Marinette realized she was wrong. For feeling unneeded or unimportant or whatever the feeling was. She suddenly knew what to do. Instead of feeling out of place and intimidated of all these people, she was going to act as a queen and make the most of it.

Marinette mingled with groups of people. Laughing at jokes, sharing ideas. She had gained some good advice for ruling, and upped her reputation a bit. She felt happy, surrounding herself with others who made her laugh and feel comfortable. The only thing that would make this the best night of her life was her best friend, Alya. Marinette smiled at the thought of her best friend, who was always there and helping Marinette with her problems. The first thing she would do when she returned to her kingdom, was visit Alya.

~~~

As Adrien walked around to find Marinette again, a loud high pitched scream was heard.

"WHERE IS THE PRINCE?!"

Everyone froze in horror. A woman with brown hair, light brown skin and green eyes wore an orange mask and an orange suit with large orange ears on top of her head. The suit had a white stomach which stretched down the inside of her legs. Black lines separating the orange and white of her suit.

Adrien recognized this girl.

"Lila?" He whispered.

Despite his almost inaudible whisper, Lila, with her heightened sense of hearing due to the ears, had heard and corrected him.

"I am NOT Lila! I am Volpina!"

Whispers filled the vast room. 'Lila? Wasn't she the one who told us about kissing the prince?' 'Yeah. She said it was his first kiss!' 'She was probably lying!' 'Really? I heard that she was spreading news about sleeping with Prince Adrien!' 'That's got to be a lie!'

The villain grew angry at these whispers. "Adrien is mine! You can't push me away anymore! Not like you did in the LIBRARY!"

With one swoop, she flew towards Adrien and jumped out a window with the boy in her grasp.

~~~

As soon as Volpina had left with Adrien, Marinette took the opportunity to run back to her chambers. As soon as she made it, she called Tikki to transform.

"Marinette? What's going on!" Her Kwami's high pitched voice rang with confusion.

"Tikki! There's an akuma! No time to explain, Tikki, SPOT'S ON!"

Within 20 seconds, Marinette, now the famous spotted heroine, was swinging from building to building towards where Volpina had last disappeared. Ladybug stopped on top of a building. She didn't know where the vixen girl had gone off to.

A loud laugh had Ladybug back on Volpina's trail. But once again the superhero had lost track of the vixen. Just then, a dark menacing voice rang behind the girl.

"Ladybug.."