Cinder-Mari

Getting Ready

A/N I'M ALIVE!!!!!! I am so sorry, it has been so long since I've last posted a chapter. I won't get into exactly why I took such a long hiatus, but I will say that homework and senior year had a lot to do with it, and an extremely painful rejection. Please don't ask who rejected me, because I care about my privacy and don't want to bring back memories. Anyway, enough about my sad life. I'd like to dedicate this chapter to Beckra Ethington, who was mostly the reason why I passed the first term of Vet Assistant. Love ya to bits girl!!!! Anyway, enjoy!!!!

"What about this color, Marinette?" Rose held up a bolt of pink taffeta at the fabric bazaar. After Marinette and Alya had told everyone about the ball being held at the castle, they decided to go shopping with Rose, Mylene and Juleka. None of them had very much money to spend, but Marinette knew that this was the place to get fabric for only a few francs a yard, despite most of the selections being dyed.

"That's a beautiful color, Rose! I bet it would look fantastic on you!" Marinette said, smiling. Looking at a roll of red velvet trimmed with black lace, she excitedly reached into her pocket, and gasped when she found it empty. "Girls, I can't find the bag holding my money." They all rushed to her side, and started looking around to see if it fell out nearby. "When did you last have it?" Alya asked. "Earlier today, when Lord Bourgeois paid me."

"Should we maybe retrace our steps, or go back to Chateau Bourgeois? Maybe we can find it if we all work together." Mylene reasoned, but Marinette shook her head. "No, that's fine. I'm sure one of my own dresses would do fine, or I could scrounge something up from the bakery sales."

"Are you sure?" Juleka asked worriedly, as Marinette ran her hand along the roll of beautiful fabric one more time. "If you want, we can pool all of our leftover money. Maybe then we can buy you something you'll like." Marinette shook her head again, smiling sadly but surely. "Don't worry about it, I know that some of you have to pay for food at home, and Alya has to chip in for her father's medical bills."

The girls looked nervously at Marinette, but could tell that she made up her mind. Still, Alya could not shake the feeling that it was too coincidental, Marinette losing her money right before they were going shopping.

"So, why did you steal Marinette's money again?" Sabrina looked at Chloe confusedly, looking at the small pile of francs on her dressing table. "Because," Chloe began, rolling her eyes. "I want Prince Adrien to fall in love with me even if I have to trick him into it, and Cindermari  will not steal him away from me if I have to dash her head on the palace steps.

"That's why I took her money. Without it, she won't be able to buy a suitable gown, and I in turn will become a princess in only a few weeks." Sabrina didn't want to anger her adopted sister, but she knew that Chloe wasn't guaranteed to marry the prince if Marinette was out of the picture. "I'm sure the king will bring in princesses from all over the world, you don't know for sure that Prince Adrien will choose you."

Chloe glared at Sabrina, and she in turn cowered under the blond girl's stare. "What do you know about love, anyway? Your father left you to get shot somewhere, because he couldn't stand being around you anymore! I am beautiful, noble and rich enough to provide a thousand dowries. How could Adrien not fall in love me?"

Sabrina stared at her, shocked to say the very least.  Eyes filling with tears, she lowered herself onto her bed. "I should get some rest, please shut the door behind you. Goodbye, Chloe." Chloe looked angrily at Sabrina for a moment, then stomped out, slamming the door.

I thought Sabrina would understand my anger towards Marinette. I thought she would understand, if she just gave me the chance to explain how all of this started.

Flashback time!!!! :3

Audrey Laurent was born in the small village of Brittany, France. She grew up within a privileged family who wanted for nothing, but when Audrey was fifteen years old, her father's merchant ships sank and his guild burned down. With the family faced with destitution, their only chance at survival was to marry Audrey off to a wealthy man, which she knew fully well.

Soon, Andre Bourgeois learned of the offer of Audrey's hand. Despite not having a dowry in the least, he fell in love with her beauty and entered the candidacy, which he won. The two were married a few months later, and to everyone around them, the union seemed perfect.

Still though, looks can be deceiving. Although Audrey agreed to the marriage to save her family, she fell into depression not long after a daughter, Chloe was born. You see, Audrey had always wanted to join the Roman Catholic church once she was old enough. She never told anyone this secret wish, to escape the outside world with all of its troubles for a quiet life within the hallowed halls of God.

Soon, she just couldn't take it anymore. She told Andre that she was taking a trip to Brittany to visit an old friend, but just never came back. Andre continued to support Audrey's family, but she left a permanent hole in his heart. He never told Chloe what happened to her mother, only that she was never coming back.

Soon after Audrey left, Chloe ran away and found herself at a strange house a few miles away. In the front was a little black haired girl, being lifted up by a man that was presumably her father. Her mother was next to him, smiling at both of them. Something snapped inside of Chloe that day, seeing this happy family after having lost so much.

She soon found out that the girl's name was Marinette, when Andre hired Tom Dupain to host his Christmas Day party. She then made a point to never forgive Marinette for flaunting her perfect family for the world to see.

A few hours later, Marinette sat on the floor of her room, sewing one of her less worn work dresses. Of course she had no money for a new dress to be made, or to even buy fabric, but she saw nothing wrong with using some beads and ribbon to spruce up one of her own dresses. After all, she wasn't going to see the prince, but only her Chaton.

"Thank you, Trixx!" She said, smiling at a small tawny brown mouse, who was rolling over a spool of pink thread. She sewed the last bead along the hem, and shook the dress out with a grin before hearing a knock on the door.

Marinette ran down and opened the door, smiling brightly at the sight of Alya, Juleka, Rose and Mylene. "Hi, what're you all doing here?" "Oh, we were just checking in on you. We knew how disappointed that you weren't able to buy the fabric, and wanted to know if you found something." Alya said, giving Marinette a smile.

"Oh yeah, let me show you!" She let them all in, showing them the dress once they all got up to her room. "Marinette, this is beautiful! Is this really one of your work dresses?" Rose's hands rose to her cheeks as she gushed over the simple but beautiful dress before her. Marinette nodded. "Yep, now we can all go!"