The Queen of China {Book 3 of The Princess Series}

The Queen's meeting

Marinette bit her lip as she stared at herself in the mirror.
"I think you look wonderful Marinette!" enthused Tikki, flying from her desk. Marinette smiled and nodded at her kwami.
"Thank you Tikki."
"I do too."

She turned around and saw Adrien standing there.
"Thank you my love," she whispered.
"Who are you talking too?" asked Tikki, a confused expression on her face, looking where Marinette's eyes were staring at. But Marinette blocked her out.
"So you came to see me today?" he said with a smile.
"I did.. that had been building up for a while. Alya thought it'd be best to talk to you after all these years," explained Marinette, turning back to look at herself.
"It was getting lonely with just Plagg talking to me. Occasionally, those who stayed in Paris came to visit. And Natalie," said Adrien with a chuckle.
"I'm sorry my love. Things have been rough these past few years. But I-I am trying now. Trying to get better," said Marinette with a sigh.
"I understand princess," he said with a smirk.
"I'm a Queen now," she corrected. Adrien walked to her side and put his hand in hers.
"But you'll always be my princess and my lady," he said, kissing her cheek before fading away.

Marinette smiled and then realised a tear had fell from her eye.
"Why am I crying?" she asked.
"You started talking to thin air," answered Tikki. "I don't know how humans deal with grief but I think you were talking to Adrien.. to deal with it? I have no idea.. I just know Adrien isn't here and your mind could see him."
"I see.. I was imagining that conversation then?" said Marinette with a sigh, as she straightened out any creases in her dress.
"I'm afraid so," whispered Tikki.

The doors of the dining room opened and Marinette walked through. Everyone stood up and when she was seated, everyone else was.
"Hi Natalie," Marinette said with a smile, hoping to keep her tears from before hidden.
"Good evening Queen Marinette," said Natalie with a smile, looking back at the girl she remembered.

The conversations began. They talked all evening on the Agreste business; hiring new designers to help, new designs Marinette had been working on in her spare time (some to commemorate her fallen love). The evening went smoothly. Nino gave his speech on Adrien and everyone said their hopes of his recovery, if that day were to ever come.

In Nino's eyes, he had to move on. Adrien wasn't making any progress in waking up and he had to make a life for himself. He wanted to marry Alya. He wanted to have a future with Alya. Hanging onto the past isn't going to help. He wished Adrien would wake up, but his hopes were getting torn down little by little that now he just thinks he needs to get on with his life.

In Chloe's eyes, she has nothing to do but try to move on from her depression, but it would not be easy. Chloe felt like giving up at times. She felt like ending it all. She had no love, no job, no kids, no home. She lived in Marinette's huge palace, which she'd usually love. She'd probably love it if she felt happy, but she doesn't. She misses Adrien with each passing day but her therapist is helping her get used to life without him now. Adrien was her best friend.. and she couldn't imagine life without him. But now she has to.

In Alya's eyes, she thinks he won't ever wake up. Alya stayed strong for 3 whole years, helping her two friends and boyfriend try to cope with their grief, ignoring her own. She dealt with his passing and now she's ready to move on. But she knows it'll be tough when the people she surrounds herself with have not moved on. And she wants to help them. But helping them means dealing with her grief.

In Marinette's eyes, Adrien will wake up. And until then, she sits and does nothing. She does her royal duties but in her spare time, she just stared out of the window. She knows he will wake up. But now that she's the guardian again, she has to try and stop thinking about him. She has to be strong for the kwamis. Any sign of weakness, and the urge to make the wish could overwhelm her. And she's terrified of that happening.

The dinner ended and the servants escorted the Agreste assistant to her room. Marinette returned to her bedroom and changed into a white tank top with small black dots. She added grey tracksuits to top it all off and put on a black cardigan to keep her a little warm from the November air.

She sat down on the floor and looked at the box.
"What are you thinking bugaboo?" asked Adrien, sitting down next to her.
"What if... I make a team of elite superheroes?" she suggested.
"Go on," said Adrien, smiling brightly at the love of his life.
"Well, elite... what if we trained some people to protect their home? What if we trained them in case a miraculous is used for the power of evil?" suggested Marinette, explaining further.
"But you would choose correctly," said Adrien with a frown, not doubting his lady's choices.
"There are other miraculouses out there Chaton," she said with a chuckle, staring back down at the box.
"Well m'lady, we have 3 superheroes here who could use something to do," he said with a grin.
"Alya, Nino and Chloe... my, it's been a long time. 3 years since I took their miraculous away," she said with a sigh.
"And I'm sure they'd love to have them back," said Adrien with a smile, resting his hand on top of hers.
"But they're already trained. What if we started a miraculous school?" cried Marinette happily.
"Now you're getting ahead of yourself. You only have a certain amount of miraculouses. You're the guardian of this box, not them all," Adrien reminded her. Marinette nodded.
"Focus on being Ladybug first, then focus on the others," he said. She nodded and watched him fade away, reminding her it was her mind playing tricks on her.

"Marinette.. I think you should go to sleep," said Tikki quietly, coming from behind the box.
"N-no. I-I don't w-want to!" protested Marinette.
"You still have nightmares?" asked Tikki sadly. Marinette whimpered as she nodded.
"Plagg and I will protect you," she said with a smile of encouragement. Marinette sighed and went to bed, Tikki and Plagg laying next to her on her pillow.

"Can you destroy her nightmares?" asked Tikki a whisper.
"I don't think so. We'll try tomorrow. But if I did, I think things would go wrong as I haven't controlled it that much. I'm at the point I can control it but not to the point where I can destroy nightmares or feelings permanently. Sorry sugarcube," explained Plagg sadly.
"It's okay," said Tikki, kissing his forehead before falling into their slumber.