Prince Charming

Prelude

This is an AU fic, this chapter is just annoying introductions and not all that well written, it won't start picking up until the next, then I'm going to try to go for max moe, I promise.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Mother had always told me that the king was evil, ever since I was little. She said he had too much power up there in his castle, that he didn't care about commoners like us, that a revolution was the only way we could ever hope to get our place in society we deserved. This is what her and all her friends believed, but I had never met the king… or any other noble for that matter, I wondered how they could judge someone they had never met.

When I asked them about this they told me I didn't need to know the king, I just needed to listen to them, which made sense, they wouldn't be a group if they didn't know what they were doing. I was never a part of things, mother thought it was all above my head, or that I would only hinder things and get in the way, so it must have been true. When she finally said she needed me I was ecstatic, I could finally be helpful, do something really important, so even when she told me what I was going to do I agreed.

I never argued with Mother…

I also have never called her mother to her face… It was Lady Medusa unless I wanted a beating

The castle was so big it made my stomach sink to my shoes when I looked up. I tried my best to concentrate on the nicely dressed girl with pigtails at the gate, she was holding a book in her hand and writing something in it… she was also very pretty…

"So what is your business today?" she asked with a smile.

"I-I… um…. I…" I wasn't used to talking to girls my own age.

"There's no need to be nervous, I know the royal castle can all be intimidating, but don't be scared, alright?"

I nodded, it was about all I could manage.

"Now… can you tell me your name."

"C… Crona, I-I was told you have an o-opening for a maid?"

"Ah, of course, come right in."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If the castle was intimidating from the outside it was just as lavish inside, I had never felt more out of place in my entire life, and the heavy thud of the two story doors behind me told me that feeling wasn't going to leave any time soon.

"I'm Maka by the way." The girl didn't seem at all concerned with the surrounding, the gothic furniture, the gold trimmed tapestries, the towering statues of beasts, she must live here. "I'm the head scribe's apprentice so I usually take care of all the employment and wages. It's a good thing you showed up, we've been short handed lately when it comes to the prince."

"Prince?"

"Yes, you'll be introduced to the royal family after we've gotten your uniform."

"Uniform?"

"Oh yes, just follow me to-" just before she turned the corner someone much MUCH larger walked into her, knocking the books and pens out of her hands and to the floor, "Damn it Ragnarok!"

The stranger, who was decked in light armor from head to toe, coving a much heavier muscles, chuckled as he kicked Maka's stuff across the floor.

"Out of the way, she-pig." Was all he said. As he turned to leave I caught his eyes, just for a second before I returned to staring at my shoes, but I noticed he had a large X shaped scare right between a pair of sharp, silver eyes. I didn't think I'd be able to forget such a terrifying face for some time.

"W-who was that?"

The girl huffed, picking up her things, "That's Ragnarok; he got kicked out of the army for misconduct so now he's working in a castle. Just ignore him, hopefully he'll get kicked out of here too. Now, uniforms."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I felt almost afraid to move, the black and white uniform was the most expensive looking thing I had ever worn, and it was probably worth more than I could even imagine. I don't think I've ever worn anything with lace or ruffles, or… what did the girl call them? Accessories. If only it wasn't so short, they had to gave me one smaller then I was tall since I was so thin, Maka said she'd give me a new one once the palace food had put a little more weight on me… were they actually going to feed me? Not even Lady Medusa did that…

I tried to stand as tall and straight as I could, as if any wrong movement might make those knights standing along the walls stick those far to shinny swords right in my stomach…

"I hope you like it here, the prince has been going through maid after maid for years now, it would be nice to see one actually stay."

Well that wasn't encouraging. "W-why? Is… he cruel or something?" what had I gotten myself into, maybe he beat his help, maybe yelled at them, and just when I thought I had gotten away from all that…

"Oh no, no, he's polite and usually keeps himself under control… he's just got this problem… it's been driving almost every girl we've hired away within a few days."

"… What is it?"

"Its-Oh, here he comes, you'll find out for yourself soon enough anyway." The pigtailed girl waved to someone coming through a large wooden door. "Your highness!"

From what I had heard about the royal family from my mother I had honestly expected each member to come out, towering at seven or so feet, fanged and clawed, howling and snarling and waiting to tear flesh from bone. I had to admit I was relieved when that turned out not to be the case.

The Prince, it had to be the prince because no one else I had seen, even in such an elaborate castle with its knights and passing ladies, emulated such an aura of nobility and power. He wasn't seven feet, he was even a bit shorter then I was, but he stood so tall I felt smaller. His posture, his expression, right down to where he put his hands at his sides, it all seemed perfect. His hair and clothes, including a cape, were jet black with white decorations, much like the uniform they had given me. Everything about him was black and white, all except his yellow eyes, which sent a chill down my spine when they centered on me. He didn't have claws… but he was just as intimidating.

"Kid, sir, we've hired a new maid for your wing." She put a soft hand on my shoulder. "Her name is Crona."

I would have given anything at that moment to make him stop looking at me, I didn't like getting attention normally, much less from someone like him… but then he smiled, it didn't do much but I felt just a bit more at ease.

"Nice to meet you." He took a step forward and I was tempted for a moment to just run, but he held my hand and bowed… to me… why would he do that? "I hope you enjoy yourself here in our home." Then he gave my hand a kiss, almost making me jump out of my own skin. Someone called him, I wasn't sure who, I wasn't even sure what was going on, but he left, the boy who had gotten closer to me than anyone in my life left.

I think it took a few seconds after he left for me to realize I wasn't breathing, it was hard enough being that close to someone so powerful… such things like that were sure to give me a heart attack… was this going to be a daily thing?

I don't know if I can deal with this…

…but the thought of going home and facing Lady Medusa without fulfilling my goal was to frightening to be an option…

I had no choice to go further into the unknown, I had never been faced with anything so frightening.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------