Long Live The Queen

#ChapterTwentyTwo

"hey it's alya, leave a message after the beep!" i head alyas voicemail. ugh she never answers when i need her the most.
m-text me asap, i really need to speak to you x
i type quickly and continue my search. i checked back at the pool and no one was there, i checked the ballroom and the dining room and they were both empty apart from the people decorating for my coronation tomorrow. sHiT my coronation is tomorrow. oh no. it completely slipped my mind once again. there is so much to do. my whole class will find out my secret. i can only hope that they don't hate me.
oh my god. adrien. he's for sure. he will think that because i rule china, i'll be just like chloe. this is a stressful time.
"your highness, are you okay?" one of the staff members asked me concerned. i straightened myself up.
"oh yes. i'm fine, thank you." i smile at him and start to leave the room and go to the next. still no sign of them. where are they ughh.
suddenly my phone started ringing. it was adrien oh no. has he found out. wait, maybe he's with alya. i answer quickly.
"um h-hi adrien." i stutter.
"hey marinette. where are you?" he asked me in gentle voice.
"oh, i'm in some room next to the ballroom looking for you all. especially alya, have you seen her?" i say, not stuttering once. it's weird but i was kinda proud of myself.
"yeah, everyone is in the library. we're playing truth or dare, you wanna join us?" he asks.
"sure, i'll be right there. bye." i say and put the phone down. the library, why did i not think of that? but playing truth or dare could go one way or another with alya. it's dangerous playing such a game with a matchmaker like alya.
luckily, the ballroom was only a few staircases away from the library so i got there pretty quickly.
"hey girl! you coming to play?" she asks me with a glint in her eye. she was up to something but i couldn't figure out what.
"um actually i.." i began to speak but i saw everyone looking at me, clearly wanting me to sit down with them and play.
"...i would love to." i smile. "but i do need to talk to you!" i say, my smile disappearing. she nods her head as she makes space in between her and adrien for me to sit down. and there it was. her plan as clear as day. she was trying to get me with adrien. playing truth or dare was her idea was her idea no doubt. i shake my head and smile again. i saw adrien smile a little too. then it hit me. oh my- i'm sitting next to adrien. it's very likely i could have a heart attack right now.
"so since mari just joined, i say that she goes first." kim says wickedly. ugh
"um okay, sure." i smile. i sigh internally.
"truth or dare?" kim asks. hmmm. truth or dare. i'm not making myself look like a fool this time infront of adrien.
"dare. no truth. no dare." i cringe at myself.
"which is it mari?" alix groans out loud.
"hmm dare. yeah, dare." i say, my confidence growing.
"okay then. i dare you to...kiss the person on your left." alix said mischievously.
this. cannot. be. happening. adrien is on my left. no, c'mon marinette. be more confident. be more determined. be more...like alya!
i smirked as i saw adriens cheeks turn a rosy colour. i leaded towards him, making it look as though i'm going for his lips, i quickly dodge his lips and go for his cheek, planting a small peck on the side of his face.
the class looked sort of dumbfounded. alya is sneaky and clever in a sarcastic way. that's exactly what i was going for.
while i still had my little amount of confidence i gave adrien a cheeky wink to which his jaw dropped. a blush grew upon my face at his action. i saw the rosy shade on adriens cheek became a darker colour.
the game lasted only an hour but it seemed longer. my confidence never wavered throughout. although i picked truth for nearly all my goes.
as the room was clearing out i quickly pull alya aside.
"hey girl, what's up? you wanted to talk to me right?" my bestfriend spoke. she had a concerned look on her face.
"there's been a disaster. my parents...my parents are making me get married. they-they've set up a bunch of strange men that they think are suitable and come from a wealthy families for me to meet next week! i can't marry any of them i'm supposed to marry adrien and have 3 kids and a hamster -ugh alya please help me!" i say without taking a breath. this whole entire day has got me exhausted and i'm supposed to be resting today for my coronation tomorrow.
"girl chill out. you will be fine. i think you should go on this date or whatever and see what it's like. if you really don't like it and your parents won't stop just carry on denying them. there is no way the adrienette ship is sinking. we're going to make it sail no matter what." i sighed again. i understood what alya was saying. sort of.
"i guess i can do that. hey you never know, even if i don't marry them we could still be friends. i'm sure they're very handsome and polite but none of them could ever compare to adrien." i say my mind drifting away from reality. i snapped back into it as alya clicked her fingers infront of my eyes.
"girl you good?" she asked, chuckling a little. i nod my head, smiling at my best friend.
"anyways girl, we have to get you ready for your coronation. i can't believe my best friend becomes a queen tomorrow! marinette, i'm so happy for you." she smiled at me.
"thanks alya! i'm just nervous at how everyone will react." i say anxiously.
"i can't wait to see the look on chloe's face! speaking of her, she's been very quite this whole trip. it's like she's not even here." alya said as we walked out of the room and up to my bedroom.
"yeah i know it's weird. i think sabrina has been keeping her occupied." i shrug my shoulders and sit on the sofa.
our conversation drifted from one subject to the next. we laughed nonstop and gossiped about basically everything and everyone. talking to alya is the best because she understands. i don't know what i'd do without alya.
"so that little kiss with adrien. how was that?" alya wiggles her eyebrows at me. a blush spread across my cheeks.
"i mean it was okay¿ it wasn't like it was on the lips or anything but it's a start." i give a nervous laugh.
"girl, everyone thought you were going to kiss him on the lips. it looked like even adrien believe you were going to, too." plagg and tikki made their way over to us and laid themselves over us. we laughed as we stroked their stomachs.
"i mean i was tempted but i chickened out. plus i kind of wanted to be a little mischievous you know? like you. you're very daring, i wanted to be like that." i smile.
"mari, next time you get the chance i say you go for it. like, you didn't hear this from me or anything but apparently he told nino who told me that he really really likes you. i mean this could be something. i know it is!" alya smirked.
adrien likes me? no way. adrien likes me! omg omg.
"no way. you gotta be mistaken." i nervously smile at her again. she shook her head. i was about to say something when the bell chimed. 6pm, dinner time.
"c'mon girl, i'm starving. race you!" alya said as she gently moved tikki off her lap and raced through the double doors. i did the same with plagg. i moves him aside and kissed the top of his head in goodbye as i sprint through the same doorway.
i lost of course but i wasn't too far behind. luckily for me, alya had chose her seat wisely. i knew what her plan was yet again. the tables were set out differently for tomorrow so instead of the rectangular shape they usually are, they were circular. on our table sat in order was nino then alya, then an empty seat for me, adrien and another empty seat that was also next to nino. i sat myself between alya and adrien.
"h-hey marinette." adrien greeted, scratching the back of his neck. i blushed internally. why did he have to be so cute?!
"oh, hey adrien." i smiled.
"so, are you excited for the princess' coronation tomorrow?" he asked me in excitement.
"um i am actually. it's a very big event. i'm sure that it will go well." i said. lies were pouring out of my mouth. i wasn't excited, i was so nervous. i don't think it will go well, i think that i will forget absolutely everything i'm supposed to say. it's a mess. i'm a mess.
i think adrien caught my little nervous glances at my hands as he put his hand on top on mine.
"i know your close to the princess and i'm sure it will go fine. she will do amazing." he smiled at me. i returned it. all i ever seem to be doing is just smiling. i can't help it though, i'm in my home country surrounded by the people i love. and even though the biggest day of my life occurs tomorrow, i'm glad that everyone will be here with me.
"what have you ordered? everything looks so good!" he asks. everything on the menu is good. frankie is the best chef i know!
"i've ordered the salmon which i highly recommend. but the carbonara pasta and grilled streak is really good too. frankie is really the best. apart from my uncle of course." i smile to myself thinking about when my uncle came to paris and made his soup.
"i think i might try the salmon too. it sounds and looks delicious." adrien says, his eyes scrolling up and down the menu. i smile at the boy next to me.
after dinner, we all went into the living quarters. we didn't play any games like before, we just chatted. it was nice. it was also quite sad as i realized that i'll probably never get the chance to do this again with everyone.
"i'll be right back." i say to alya as i get up and leave the room to go to my bedroom. i just needed a breather. with everyone in the room if was getting a big hot. i sighed.
i rang the purple buzzer and kitania answered.
"your highness, is there something i can do for you?" she asked.
"could you bring me up a drink?" i replied back.
"anything in particular?" "a coffee please." she hummed in response to my request and ended the conversation. even though i was hot, it was making me tired and i need to stay awake. at least for now and coffee seemed like the only option.
i didn't wait very long for kitania to come up with the drink. "here you go mari." she smiled as she handed it to me.
"thank you, kitania." i returned the smile. i took a sip of the piping hot liquid. it was good. just what i needed.
"your dress for tomorrow is gorgeous!" she said, picking it up to hand up on the back of my door. i got up and stood next to her.
"i know! i mean even though it's white and looks a big like a wedding gown, i still love it." i say, stroking the dress. suddenly i heard a small bang and turned around so fast i could've got whip lash. fortunately it was only plagg. he had knocked down one of my perfume bottles onto the floor. unfortunately, the swift movements i made caused my drink to spill...all over my dress. i wanted to cry.
"no, no, no. this can't happen. not now." i put the cup down before the rest of it goes on me.
"oh mari!" i heard kitania cry out in shock.
"what am i going to do?!" i say, covering my face. of course this i would happen to me. i'm so stupid omg.
"can you call up for my mother please." i say paving around my room. kitania nodded her head and pressed a different button that i forgot was there. it was blue and had little gold circles on it.
"hi yes, this is kitania alamora. i am princess marinettes lady. she had asked me if you could request queen sabine's presence to her chambers at once, thankyou...oh and to bring a couple of alfredo's dresses up." she said and released the device. kitania came and sat next to me in my bed.
"i'm sure your dress will be fine, mari. you're mother will have a solution. and if not, there are plenty more dresses." she rubbed my back in support.
"thank you, kitania." i say. there was 3 gentle taps on my door.
"come in." i said calmly and my mother walked through with a bunch of alfredo's best dresses.
"as soon as i heard dresses i suspected something had happened. to be honest mari, i wasn't keen on white anyways, save that for the big wedding day yes?" she smiled and began to lay the dresses out on my sofa. i internally rolled my eyes.
"okay so. what we got here?" i force a smile on my face. some of these dresses were actually really nice. i couldn't choose at first.
"how bout you try them on before making any decisions?" kitania suggested.
"yeah." i say taking the first dress.