Miraculous Games

Chapter Ten

"Hello, Queen Bee." Alec bowed, then gestured to the interviewer seat. "Might I just say you look quite stunning in that dress of yours."

Yup, that sweetheart neckline was getting to him.

"I know," Chloe gushed. "My designers designed it just the way I wanted!" She did a dramatic hair flip and that was when Marinette was done watching her.

"When do we go on?" Marinette asked Nathanael.

He shrugged. "You go before me, that's all I know."

And so the waiting game began. Charm after charm waltzed out onto the stage.

Hummingbird Sabrina was another one the fan favorites. Her dress was stunning, a sea foam green with a bateau neckline. Her bust sparkled with blue and green gems that showered down the folds of the ballgown style dress. A thick green ribbon wrapped around her waist before the satin flared out. What was so different about her dress was the ruffle sash tied to her wrist. When she walked out across the stage, it dragged behind her like an elegant swan.

When Alec welcomed her, she brushed her loosely curled bangs out of her face and gave the crowd a winning smile. Chloe had taught her well.

Eagle Kim was a crowd favorite, his hair probably getting more love than his personality. His suit was pretty impressive and it made Marinette want to talk to the designers. How had they sewed all of those feathers on the charcoal gray suit so intricately?

Finally, it was time for her to go out.

"And now we welcome Ladybug Marinette!"

Taking a deep breath, she plastered on the biggest smile she could muster. She walked out to meet Alec in the center of the stage, her black and white heels clicking on the stage. The crowd roared in approval of what they saw and Marinette couldn't help but feel like a princess. In her minds eye, she could see herself standing herself in front of a mirror. She had loved her dress as soon as Juleka made her put it on. As she looked up at the thousands of TV screens with her on them, she really could take in the beauty of the dress as a whole.

It was a deep wine red that draped all the way to the floor. A very slight sweetheart neckline decorated with black lace covered her bust while elegant, tight sleeves ran down to her wrists. The dress was tight-fitting until it hit her waist, where synched red satin flowed out freely. Spotted throughout the flowing fabric, small black sequins sparkled in the spotlight. They were grouped together to make bigger spots, resembling a ladybug.

Her shiny black hair tumbled over her shoulders in delicate curls, pinned back with bobby pins and a headband, which was decorated with small antennae.

Alec oohed and aahed along with the rest of the crowd.

"Give us a twirl!" He insisted, twirling his finger. Marinette blushed but did as she was instructed. She spun on her heels, her dress swirling around her like a choppy red sea. The black sequins sparkled in the spotlights. More oohs and aahs from the audience.

"That is a gorgeous dress! One of my favorites, that's for sure."

Marinette smiled. "Thank you, Alec. I love your suit, too."

It was Alec's turn to blush. He straightened his suit coat. "Well, thank you very much. You're the first to say that to me."

"You deserve it," Marinette assured. "Not many people can pull off giraffe print."

Alec chuckled, the crowd joining in. "Enough about be. We're here to talk about you. Have a seat and we can begin the interview." He gestured to the padded white seat next to his. Marinette sat, still trying to plaster a confident smile on her face.