Ever After - Ella Enchanted AU

Ever After - Chapter 9

Despite having started the journey with completely different intentions, Adrien couldn't have been happier now. Nice weather, perfect travel conditions and the company of the girl he had been going to see all along. He glanced back from where he was mounted on Noir to look at his newest companion. He had given her the nicest mount among their party, a beautiful copper colored mare with black mane and tail which the soldier had said was called Ladybug. She seemed sweet as could be and had taken to Marinette easily despite her lack of experience.

The young girl looked so small on her steed, her brow furrowed in concentration as she kept one hand on the reins while the other clutched that odd book of hers. She refused to let go of it when he had helped her onto Ladybug, preferring the hardest method of mounting, one handed, rather than relinquishing it into someone else care. He thought it might have been her diary or something, he had read in some magazine that girls do that, but surely it wouldn't have been as big as that.

The more he thought about it, the odder it seemed that someone like Marinette, a nobleman's daughter, would be wandering around the forest by herself with only an elf to keep her company. He tilted his head to the side, trying to think of the best way to ask her about it without her jumping to the wrong conclusion about his intentions.

"So, Marinette," He asked as casually as he could, rearing in Noir to where he and Marinette rode side by side along the road. "Traveling with an elf? Your, um, boyfriend couldn't make it?"

Smooth, Agreste, smooth. He chided himself, not bothering to look at her after that less than discrete comment. Marinette smiled thoughtfully down at the pommel of the saddle and Adrien couldn't help but wonder what on earth she was thinking about. "No."

Adrien scolded himself for how his heart seemed to sink further into his chest. So she had a boyfriend in Frell who simply couldn't make it on their outing. What business was it of his anyways? He barely knew the girl. Still, he couldn't help but look away, eyes trained on the road that wound ahead of them and into the hills beyond, "Oh?"

Then Marinette turned on him, and with a casual shrug said, "Because I don't have one."

Adrien's eyebrows shot up, turning to look back at her, unable to keep the surprise hidden. His heart fluttered in his chest sporadically as he thought of what all that entailed, but once again, his years of tutoring in the proper techniques for eloquence and composure failed him and he uttered an almost horrifyingly stupid, "Oh."

Marinette didn't seem to think much of this as she once again kept a steady gaze on the hand that gripped Ladybug's reins. They trotted on in silence for a moment, winding their way farther up the trail when he supposed her curiosity got the better of her. "Your girlfriend doesn't mind being left alone?"

Adrien grinned at all that question could mean, especially when posed by a rather pretty girl whom he had found himself hopelessly bewitched by. "I don't have a girlfriend."

"Oh?"

"I have many," He replied, unable to restrain himself from teasing her. She made it almost too easy, the way her shoulders slumped and her eyes rolled without any hint of fear for being caught. He didn't have many opportunities to joke with anyone like this; his father barely registered on the emotional scale and anyone in the palace seemed to laugh out of either fear or pity. So far, Marinette had been the only one brave enough to give him a genuine response he could relish in.

"I'm just kidding you know," Adrien teased, grinning as Marinette seemed to visually perk up at his admission. "You shouldn't believe everything you read in Medieval Teen."

From behind, there was the quick march and the subtle angry muttering of Marinette's companion coming to trail closer behind them. She seemed rather bold from what little interaction Adrien had had with the elf named Alya. It had been almost comical to watch her try and mount her horse on her own when she had refused any type of assistance, but had kept her distance for a majority of the ride so far.