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From the moment King Gabriel saw the golden head of his son, he knew he’d been given a proper heir.
Eyes bright and already taking in the world around him, Gabriel just knew that with proper guidance and a stern hand, his son would be the best ruler the kingdom had ever seen.
When handing him back to his wife, Gabriel uttered one word. “Adrien.”
His wife’s eyes grew wide before she nodded, accepting the name.
Smiling to himself, Gabriel knew that from that moment on, he’d do what it took to make sure that Adrien’s name went down in history as one of the greatest rulers to ever live.
The day of his son’s first birthday was celebrated with lavish parties and gifts for the young prince. Gabriel even went as far enough to name the day as a holiday after his son.
“He is their future ruler so they should honor him as such.”
Queen Emilie looked as if she wanted to disagree but knew that she wouldn’t get far when Gabriel was like this.
When his son was five, Gabriel was pleased to note that he caught on to many things quickly. The boy could already read and write, he took the piano like he was born to do so, and he’d even shown great promise when the swords master had put a weapon in his hand.
However, the boy liked to laze around with his mother, drawing and telling stories. While Gabriel was willing to allow such fanciful wastes of time in this time, he was adamant about Emilie being more stern with the boy. He needed to be a proper king and proper kings didn’t sit around telling fictional stories that had little to no meaning.
Emilie heavily disagreed and encouraged Adrien to continue his storytelling while they cuddled at night.
“You can be whatever you want to be, my little duckling.”
Adrien gave her a frown. “But father said-”
“Your father is… looking too far ahead in the future. If you only live for what’s ahead of you, you’ll miss what’s in front of you. We have to live in the now.”
Unknown to Emilie, those words would stay with him for a long time.
When his son was twelve, Gabriel decided it was time to take him to his first table talk with the other kingdoms. A good king knew all his friends and foes and their weaknesses and strengths. He was the best behaved heir there. While the other princes and princesses ran about, he stood next to Gabriel, the picture of a perfect prince. So perfect that Gabriel wasn’t surprised when a king of a nearby kingdom approached him.
“Gabriel, nice to meet you. I’m-”
Gabriel’s brain made quick work of the name. His kingdom was of moderate size and flourishing. Their exports were high, imports low. They hadn’t had a scuffle with any other kingdom in nearly a century due to amicable and peace-seeking rulers. Gabriel wanted to scoff at that but he also knew that their army was more than capable of handling anyone who mistook their soft spoken and peacekeeping as a weakness.
“Tom Dupain. Yes I know your kingdom is just across the long river from ours. How may I help you?”
“I wanted to introduce myself and ask after your son. He seems like a well behaved young fellow and I would like to make his acquaintance.”
“Of course.”
The two had a short conversation and, while confused at his line of questioning, Gabriel was pleased with how the interaction went.
He was not surprised at all when Tom invited him to their home to introduce their children.
Of course the king would only want the best for his daughter.
A month later, Gabriel paced the floor of their room in agitation.
Blasted Dupain! He just had to bring the Couffaines into the treaty talk and now his perfect son would end up married to a quiet mouse while their son gets the admirable Marinette who is loved by their whole kingdom!
What luck!
“Dear, it isn’t that big of a deal.”
“Yes it is. Our perfect son deserves the perfect queen to his king. That queen should’ve been Marinette.”
“Princess Juleka seems like a lovely girl-”
“I’m sure she is, but she’s not the perfect match for our son.”
Emilie tilted her head as she pulled back the blanket on the bed. “Well, nothing is perfect. No one is perfect, not even our son. Hopefully with time, he’ll grow to love her as his intended-”
Gabriel scoffed. “This isn’t about love, Emilie. This is about power and ensuring that we have enough of it to keep our kingdom strong so that our son may pass it down to his children and our legacy lives on. It doesn’t matter if Adrien grows to love her. Even if she is the lesser match, he will marry and sire heirs with her because it is what is expected of him.”
Emilie didn’t have the heart to tell him that he was wrong and would be proven wrong in the future…
Even if she had to be the one to do it.
On Adrien’s seventeenth birthday, Gabriel threw a lavish party and invited royalty from all over the land. They were a kingdom of great riches and he’d be damned if anyone out did them.
Music played and Gabriel enjoyed schmoozing with the other kingdoms, hearing them gloat about this and praise themselves about that, all along knowing that he was better as was his kingdom.
Emilie, on the other hand, had no interest in it. They’d already made an agreement with two equally powerful kingdoms and did not need anyone else.
Tired of the clucking from the other royal ladies, Emilie decided to take a walk in her personal gardens. It was her favorite pastime whenever she found the time to do so. Outside of Adrien, no one else really went into them so she was quite surprised when she heard voices coming from inside the maze that housed the gazebo.
Instantly intrigued, Emilie quietly made her way through the maze to one of her favorite hiding spots. Finding the hole that had never closed, she took a peek and was surprised, but not too surprised to find her son resting in the gazebo with Prince Luka and Princess Marinette. The three were wrapped in each other’s arms and traded kisses every time they caught the other’s eye.
Emilie’s heart warmed. There was so much love and affection between the three that she almost couldn’t handle it. It was what she had always wanted for her son: a love that made his smile spread all the way to his eyes.
What made her heart float as it sank where the little ‘I love you’s they traded back and forth.
Her son was happy, but how would his father react?
Gabriel meant well, but his desire for everything to be perfect and in order would surely clash with what made Adrien happen. Emilie was sure that the moment Gabriel found out about his son’s love, they would lose their son.
The moment came a little over a year later after they returned home from Princess Marinette’s birthday party.
The morning had started out normal. They met at the breakfast table and ate in complete silence. Adrien stole glances at his father. Emilie could see the nervousness as clear as a cloudless summer day and she knew what was coming.
“Father, Mother. I wish to speak with you on an important matter.”
Gabriel didn’t even spare him a glance. “Talk to Nathalie to schedule a time-”
“I’m sorry Father, but this can no longer wait.”
Surprised, Gabriel sat his cup down carefully. Emilie could see the anger starting on his face. “Adrien-”
“I am and will be forever grateful for what you have given and done for me, Mother and Father.” He began, interrupting Gabriel again. “There is so much to thank you for. However, there is something that I can no longer hide from you due to Jules- Princess Juleka turning eighteen soon.” Taking a deep breath, he pushed on. “I will not be marrying her.”
Gabriel’s face reddened and he pushed away Emilie’s hand of comfort. “Adrien, you cannot-”
“I’m sorry Father, but I must. I do not love her: I cannot love her. Just like she does not and cannot love me as we are both in love with others.”
“Love? Love does not matter with royalty!”
“But it matters to me!" Adrien shouted. “And I am in love with two people who love me just as much as I love them.”
“Two?! Think clearly, Adrien. The people will never approve-”
“I don’t care about the people! I don’t care about the kingdom! All I care about is being happy and being with the people who make me whole.”
Gabriel’s frown deepened further even as the red started to recede. “Think about the future, son. How will you live? How will you survive if you’re throwing away your crown for these two… placeholders?”
Adrien gave a harsh laugh. “The future doesn’t matter if I can’t be with the ones I love now.” Smiling at his mother, Adrien continued. “If you only live for what’s ahead of you, you’ll miss what’s in front of you.” Looking at his father, he shrugged. “I’m going to live in the now.”
Gabriel’s face receded into its normal emotionless mask. “If you would like to go off and live in this fictional world, then fine. I will not stop you from throwing your life- everything you’ve worked for- away on a whim. Just do not expect for us to welcome you back when you realize that you’ve thrown it all away for nothing.”
Adrien remained calm, as if this was expected, and nodded. “I understand Father. I will gather my belongings and be gone before nightfall.” He nodded his head to them both before leaving the room.
Emilie stood and looked down at her husband. “I love you, but I also love our son. I will never forgive you for what you have just done to him.”
“Emilie. I did it for our kingdom, our legacy.”
“If only you cared about your son as much as you cared about your legacy then maybe we wouldn’t be losing him. Maybe we would’ve been able to have both instead of neither.”
Emilie hugged her son tightly as the carriage she had gotten for him herself waited behind them.
“Mother.” Adrien laughed into her hair as she refused to let go. “I must go now if I would like to make it there before sunset.”
Pulling herself together, she nodded and pulled away. “Write to me as soon as you get there.”
“Yes Mother.”
“And every week.”
“Yes Mother.”
“And tell the princess and prince that I expect them to take good care of you.”
His eyes widened. “You know?”
She grinned. “A mother can always tell when her little duckling is in love.” He blushed and she kissed his cheeks again. “Go now and be happy. I will come to visit you when I have time.”
“I love you, Mother.”
“I love you too, my beautiful boy, and I'm so proud of the man you've become.”
As he rode away, Emilie could no longer contain her tears. She had lost her son but it was worth it in the end as he had found his freedom.
And two years later when she received his weekly letter, her heart nearly stopped at what was scrawled there. Rushing to her husband, she ignored his weak complaints and shoved the letter in his hand.
“Dear Mother,
I would like to announce the birth of Athanese, first of his name. He was born in the early morning after Marinette labored for many hours. He is perfectly healthy with a strong heartbeat and an even stronger will to live.
As father said, I have been thinking of the future. After much discussion among me and my two loves, we have decided that we will be absolutely honored if he were named heir to the Agreste Kingdom upon reaching his majority as so promised in the treaty signed by the Agrestes, Dupain-Chengs, and Couffaines many moons ago.
Please let us know your decision.
I look forward from hearing from you both.
Truly yours,
Adrien
And Emilie could truly say that she had never seen her husband weep so openly as he did when he read that letter. He had read the lines of that last line and saw the same thing as she had: an opening, a chance to reconnect with their only son. Looking into his red eyes as he stood and held her close, she squeezed her beloved husband tightly as he continued to weep in her arms.
He was finally ready to rebuild the bridge with their son and she couldn’t wait to introduce her husband to living in the now rather than for the future.
And that started with meeting their first grandchild.