"What is it with you and royals?" Misty asked at dinner. Drew raised an eyebrow over at her, not knowing what she meant.

"She's not royal yet," May corrected her. "I think she was just bored."

"She's about to become a princess and has a whole wedding to plan. I doubt she's bored." Serena pointed her fork at May. "You must have a way with words."

"You know I don't," she laughed, and Serena laughed too. "She's nice. I think she'll make a good queen." She meant it, but it was hard to hide the sadness lurking in her words.

"You know what I can't wait for," Misty started, and didn't wait for anyone's guesses. "The ball when the prince returns."

"Ah, the engagement ball. I can wait for it." Drew rolled his eyes. May had no idea what an engagement ball looked like. Misty must have read that in her face.

"The prince and lady Dawn will sit up on their thrones all night while everyone gets absolutely and positively drunk and dances all night. They'll have the best band in the entire country playing. There'll be so much food."

"Won't we have to work?" May asked.

"They set up a bar for drinks. They want people to get drunk, including us, but we might have to help set everything up and with the food."

It sounded fun, but she hated the thought of watching them sit up there all night, happy and celebrating. It was selfish, but maybe she could just keep her eyes off them all night, and she'd be okay. She picked up her tray, surprisingly happy despite all the wedding talk.

"I'm going to my room now. I'll see you all in the morning."

They said their goodbyes to her as she left. She wanted nothing more than to relax for the rest of the night and let her mind settle, so she grabbed her book as soon as she got in and began to read. It was the book Ash had recommended, and she could see parts of him in the protagonist of the tale, almost like it really was him. She shifted from the chair into bed.

She didn't realise she'd fallen asleep until she woke, and it was dark. She immediately wrapped her arms around herself. It was bitterly cold in her room. That must have woken her up. Disoriented, she tried to stand, and noticed the window was wide open. She froze, ready to scream for the guard outside when a hand clamped over her mouth, silencing her. She tried to scream anyway, and reached up to feel for a face.

The man behind her pulled her back, wrapping his other arm around her neck and squeezing. May kicked hard, trying to free herself, but his grip was strong. She'd almost given up when she stomped down hard on his foot and he yelped, letting her go. She fell to the floor, choking and spluttering, and didn't have time to gather herself before she had to roll to dodge his foot. He reached into a sheath on his belt and pulled out a knife. Why wasn't the guard coming?

She tried to scramble upright, but he stuck his foot out, tripping her back over, and she crashed to the floor again. He bent down and tried to straddle her, ready to shove his knife down, but she raised her knee and caught him between the legs, hard. He recoiled and she took her chance to crawl out from under him and kick out, knocking him over. She stood up and backed against the wall. He stood too, but didn't move. After a long moment, he moved, and like a snake slithered back out the window. May stayed frozen against the wall for a moment, her chest rising and falling heavily. Once she gathered herself she rushed over to the window, slamming it shut with shaking hands.

She ran out into the corridor, but in the middle of the night, there was no one there. She wasn't sure she could tell anyone anyway. She had no idea who would want her killed. Had someone found out what she was and wanted her gone? Shivering and shaken up she headed to the only place she felt she could go- Serena's room.

The girl answered the door after the third knock, her hair messy from sleep and her eyes cloudy. When she realised it was May there, she was awake at once.

"May? What's happened?"

"Someone…" May bent, putting her hands on her knees to catch her breath. "Someone got in my room, and-"

"Come in," Serena said quietly, ushering her inside and closing the door behind them.

"They were going to kill me." She shook her head. "I have no idea who."

"Perhaps it was someone that knows you?"

May considered the possibilities quietly for a moment. If she had to guess, she'd say it was her boss testing her. It would explain why he backed off in the end. Maybe they were just showing her they were serious about killing her if they had to. The thought sent a cold, sharp shiver down her spine and she felt a tear slide down her cheek. Serena pulled her into a warm hug.

"You can stay here if you don't want to go back to your room."

May nodded, wiping the tears away. Serena climbed back into bed and May followed her, getting in beside her. It was warm and May felt comfortable in her presence. She heard Serena's breathing turn heavy and, not too long after, managed to fall asleep herself.

When she woke the next morning, Serena had draped her arm over her in her sleep. May was so tired still that her entire body felt heavy, but she forced herself to sit up. The movement woke Serena.

"Are you okay?"

May nodded. "Thanks for letting me stay. I wouldn't have slept in my own room."

"You can come here anytime." Serena smiled.

May didn't relax for the rest of the day. She got dressed and went about her duties like she always would, but couldn't help but feel like there were eyes on her all the time. When the day was finally over, and she was in her room again, she glanced over to the window every few minutes. Eventually she crawled into bed and found restless sleep.

She was staring down the hallway leading to the prince's room. It was darker than should even be possible, but at the end she could see a silhouette. It was Dawn, and she was laughing maniacally, like something inside her had snapped.

"Dawn?" May called down the hallway. Then, one by one, the lanterns lining the walls flicked to life, the warm glow illuminating everything. It revealed the madness in Dawn's eyes, even from a distance. May swallowed hard as the door to Silver's room flew open and he stormed out, coming up to her, raising her up by the neck with one hand. She scratched at his hand but he held fast.

"I know what you are," he said. "You're a filthy liar. Look what you've done." He gestured to Dawn. She didn't understand. How was that her fault? Silver's eyes were burning with hatred like she'd never seen before. She carried on clawing at his hand, drawing blood, but he still wouldn't let her go.

"Please," she choked. Over Silver's shoulder, she noticed Ash's door open, and he stepped out, looking over at them. "Ash!" She called, as loud as she could manage. "Help!"

He stood, staring at her, cold emptiness in his eyes, then turned away. May felt her heart shatter in her chest into a million unfixable pieces. Silver laughed as Ash knelt before Dawn. Proposing. May cried onto Silver's hand as she felt herself fading, as her vision darkened.

She woke, gasping for air and clawing at her throat, tears streaming down her face. It took her several heavy breaths to calm herself down to the point of rational thinking. A night terror. She had never had one that bad before. It played over in her head as she tried to go about her day. It returned again that night again, exactly the same, and she woke in the same state, sweaty and crying and clawing at her throat.

That was the ritual for the next few days. On the fifth day, as she carried a pile of dishes over to the sink, she felt the world start to spin and tumble around her, and the next thing she noticed was the almighty crash of the dishes as they smashed on the kitchen floor. When she managed to open her eyes, Drew was kneeling beside her, his eyes filled with worry and fear. She was on the floor. She blinked up at him.

He shouted for someone to fetch a healer for her. A sharp part of a smashed plate had stuck deep in her arm, and she'd been so out of it she hadn't noticed the pain until she saw it. She swallowed back the urge to throw up at the sudden wave of agony as she raised her shaking arm to inspect it. Drew ordered her not to move, and a large guard arrived, lifting her up over his shoulder and carrying her to the healer. May floated in and out of consciousness as he lay her down on the bed. She gave in to it when her head hit the pillow, and when she woke, her arm was bandaged, and she was alone. There was a glass of water on the table next to her and she reached for it, drinking the whole thing in a few seconds. Her arm throbbed, but the pain was nowhere near as extreme. She'd just lay back again when the door opened and the healer re-entered, Drew by her side.

"Ah, you're awake," she observed. "Good. How are you feeling?"

"Sore," May answered honestly.

"Well, it's a nasty wound you've got on your arm there. I'll have to change the bandages again soon." She wandered over to the cabinets and began to fish something out. Drew came to her side, a fake smile plastered on his face in an attempt to make her feel better.

"What happened? Have you been feeling sick?" He asked. The healer looked over, probably wanting to hear her answer too. She sighed.

"I just haven't been sleeping."

"For how long?" He asked sternly.

She bit her lip. "About five days."

"Why haven't you been sleeping?" The healer asked, handing her a tonic for the pain. May took it and turned the bottle over in her hands, trying to decide how much information she wanted to give. She wasn't sure why she'd started having night terrors, but she was running on empty now, and she couldn't carry on the way she was. She'd lose her mind.

"I've… Been having nightmares. Bad ones."

Drew twisted his face at her, but she'd decided she wasn't going to tell either of them what the nightmares were about, so she said nothing else. The healer nodded and started rummaging through the cabinets again. She pulled out another tonic- one to help sleeping. May knew it. It would knock her out cold. She'd probably still have her nightmare, but at least she'd be able to get to sleep in the first place, and probably would be able to sleep longer, but she wasn't sure she wanted it. It was probably the only thing they could do for her, but it would render her completely unconscious, and she might not wake up if the hooded man returned to attack her again. She also might have to live through more of that stupid nightmare. She didn't want to know what happened if it carried on for longer.

She took it from her anyway, and after a short conversation with Drew he left her to get some rest. She couldn't sleep, but the pain slowly faded and she felt better before long. They let her go back to her room once they'd changed her bandages. She sat in her chair, her knees up to her chest. It had been two weeks since Ash left. At the very least, the conversation with Dawn had helped her accept that she had to start pushing him away.

She took the tonic that night and slept. Whether she was just having a good night or the tonic knocked her too far unconscious, she didn't have the nightmare. When she woke in the morning she felt much better. She went to the baths to wash herself, then reported to the healer to have her bandage changed. Cynthia had approached her on her way back to get dressed for the day and told her not to bother, to have the day off to rest. She'd tried to argue that she'd only be bored, but Cynthia wouldn't hear it.

Now, as the sun set for the evening, she wandered into the maze again. She needed the fresh air. As she walked through she thought of how she was going to fix her situation. She reached the fountain and was about to sit on the edge when she heard a rustle behind her and froze. It was completely silent behind her, but she knew she hadn't imagined the sound. She reached carefully for the knife she'd hidden under her long dress and whirled, coming face to face with the same man. He raised his hand but she caught it, blocking his punch and returning one. It was hard to see in the dimming light, and she was freezing cold, but she managed to keep up with him, whirling and ducking and swinging for one another. Eventually she jumped back and he stopped for a moment, watching her. She kept her fists high in the air.

"Who are you?" She asked breathlessly. The dull pain began in her arm again. He didn't answer, just swung for her again. The pain made her slower, and she barely dodged in time, and he caught her dress, slashing the side of it open, nipping her skin. The blood stained around her dress instantly and she clutched at her side, the bitter cold making it sting.

How pathetic for this to be the end of her, was all she could think as she helplessly reached for the knife she'd failed to get in time, but he brought up his boot, kicking her down to the ground hard. She fell onto her back, and tried to crawl away, but he put his boot down on the skirt of her dress. It tore, and she was free of him for a second, just long enough to pull herself up and lash out, catching him with a punch, but she was weak, and he seemed to barely feel it as he brought his fist up and brought the hilt of his knife down on her head, and the world turned black.

The world was cold and empty and silent for May. She wasn't even sure if she was dead or alive as she drifted in the emptiness, her head completely free of thought finally. It was somehow peaceful. It felt like an eternity in her mind, but finally, she felt some light filter into the darkness. She couldn't make out what she was looking at, but her eyes fluttered open. It was snowing. She smiled up at it, completely numb to any pain she felt. It was beautiful. At least in death she could avoid the horrors set to come her way.

"May?" Someone was shaking her. She tilted her head forward, and her eyes met Ash's. Ah.

He was holding her up with one arm. His face was only inches from her own. His eyes were filled with horror. She was dead. She knew she was dead now because he wasn't really here. Everything felt numb. She couldn't even feel the snowflakes on her skin. "May?" He was still shaking her. She wished he'd stop.

She reached out and touched his face. He froze under her touch, blinking down at her. She wondered why she was thinking of him as she passed, and not her parents, but the answer was blindingly obvious. She just didn't want to accept it. If she had the strength to lean up and kiss him then she might have, but her whole body was heavy. She'd miss her final chance.

"Am I dead?" She asked, so quietly she wasn't sure he'd even be able to hear. Ash let out a breathy laugh.

"No," he said, but she didn't believe him. "I'm here now."

"I'm sorry," she said. She just needed to say it. "I-"

Even now, she couldn't make herself tell him what she'd done. She was an awful person. He leaned down, trying to hear her whispers, and she reached up as far as she could push herself and pressed her lips onto his cheek. He moved away quickly, his face turning pink. He watched her in disbelief. She wanted to say more, but it was fading again, and she supposed this really was the end now as she let herself go limp in his arms. At the very least, she'd gotten to see him one last time, and that made everything a little more peaceful in her mind.

Damn, it was hot under her head. She reached around and flipped the pillow under her head, then lay back down. It was wonderful and cold beneath her and-

Wait.

She jolted upright and then hissed in pain, clutching at her side. She winced, then opened her eyes fully. She sat in complete awe, taking in the room. The prince's room. She could do nothing but blink ahead as he came into her vision, a giant smile spread across his face. He jumped forward and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. It hurt, but she wouldn't dare complain. Was this real? When he pulled away and she was still staring in bewilderment, he sat on the edge of the bed beside her.

"How are you feeling?"

"I'm not dead?" She asked. She sounded ridiculous.

"You already asked me that," he answered half jokingly, smiling. "Did you really think you'd died?"

She wanted to say no and pretend she'd been joking but she knew he already knew the answer by the way she'd acted when she'd awoken, but she was still confused. Why was he here? She hadn't seen him in two weeks, and… Now he was sitting on the edge of his bed while she lay in it, and…

Oh god, she was lying in his bed, and she became acutely aware of his smell around her. Embarrassed she tried to pull herself up, but the pain had her wincing and backing up into her previous position. Ash reached out for her.

"Don't try to move. He got you pretty good," he said, gesturing to her side.

"It was just a scratch," she said. She'd assumed that he'd stabbed her once he'd knocked her out, and that was how she'd died. Only she hadn't died at all, so… What on earth had happened?

"You're joking?" Ash said, and once he realised she wasn't, shook his head. "When I found you, you were bleeding out from that." He pointed to her side. She must have mistaken the wound for a scratch with her adrenaline. He must have cut deep after all.

"Did he get away?" She asked. "And why are you… I mean, why are you back? When did you…"

"I fought him off, but he got away. I'm sorry. I've caused all this trouble for you."

Ash had fought him off for her, despite the weapon, despite the situation. "You fought him off alone?"

"Well yeah, I was hardly going to call the guards and wait for them when I saw you lying there. I beat him but he ran away, and I carried you in here."

"Why were you out there?" She asked, trying not to cringe as she remembered the kiss she'd planted on his cheek, thinking it all wasn't real. Suddenly, she was insanely grateful to herself for not spouting the truth in her delusional state, or kissing him elsewhere.

"Looking for you," he said quietly, almost as if he didn't want to admit it. "I came back early from the trip and someone told me that you'd been sick and hurt yourself, so…"

Just like that she'd fallen back into the trap she'd slowly been crawling out of while he'd been away. All the feelings she'd pushed to the back of her mind had forced themselves to the front and threatened to spill out as he looked away from her. She wanted to cry so badly.

"Whoever it was, it was the same person that tried to poison me. He said so himself. He was probably after you because you saved me, so now I owe you, again." He sighed. "I really am sorry, May."

"It's not your fault," she said quietly, hoping her voice wouldn't crack, but it did, and he looked at her with some hidden pain in his eyes that made her turn away this time. This wasn't fair. None of it was.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked, as though he was the servant.

"I'm fine. Can I go back to my room?" She asked, knowing she sounded cold but not caring. He seemed taken aback by her question, and struggled for an answer.

"Well I can't let you walk."

"I don't mind a guard carrying me," she retaliated. It seemed like he wanted her to stay, but that wasn't fair, and she'd decided she didn't want to be his friend. It was all so fake. She knew she'd upset him with her sudden coldness, and didn't let herself think too hard about it as he stared at her for a long moment before calling for a guard and walking away from her. He said nothing else as the guard carried her out. She realised with some regret that she hadn't even thanked him for saving her life.

He came to check on her later that day, but she had Drew send him away. Drew had refused at first, saying it wasn't his place to send away a prince, but May had convinced him to tell Ash that she wasn't feeling up to seeing anyone, even though Drew had been in there himself. He didn't come back. She spent the rest of the week in her room, recovering. By the end of it, the wound still hurt, but she could stand on her own. Her friends had visited her often, but most of the time she'd just slept. It was much needed. The time she'd given herself from reflection had only made her more sure of her decision- she needed to cut off their friendship. There was no way for her to carry on her normal life if she didn't.

Now that she was up, she could work. Serena had said Cynthia didn't expect her to work again for at least another week, but she figured it was better to build her strength back up. It did hurt a little as she pulled on her maid dress. The only thing that made her reconsider was going to his room.

When she got there and knocked on the door, he called for her to enter, just as always, and she did. He looked up at her in shock as she entered, but then his face fell back to straight and he cleared his throat.

"You're up?" He said. "You don't have to work yet, May."

She shrugged. "I wanted to get out."

"Okay… I don't really have anything for you to do," he said back to her. The friendliness in his voice had disappeared, and it made her chest tighten, but it was what she'd asked for. She nodded, then turned to leave, and he didn't say a word.

She worked in the kitchens for the rest of the day, and he didn't call on her. When she reported to him the next day, he sent her away again. It hurt, more than she wanted to admit, but it was for the best, and he was spending a lot of his time with Dawn anyway.

That night, as she sat at dinner, Misty started talking about the engagement ball again. She hadn't even realised it was being organised, because Ash hadn't spoken to her in days and days. The friendship that he'd thought they had, as he'd expressed to Dawn, was dwindling away to nothing with every passing day. It died a little more every morning when he sent her away- when they passed each other in the halls without saying a word.

Dawn invited her to walk after. She considered declining and saying she wasn't up for it, but figured it couldn't do her any harm. Besides, she liked Dawn, so they walked together through the gardens. Dawn was silent at first.

"Would you like a dress made for the ball? Just tell me which colour and style and I'll have it made for you," she offered.

"That's kind of you, but you don't have to do that." She smiled over at her.

"Really, it's the least we can do," she said. We. She meant herself and Ash. She was speaking as though they were already married, as though they came as one. May's stomach curled in resentment.

"I'm not even sure I'll go," she said somewhat bitterly. Dawn stopped and took both her hands up in her own, startling May.

"You have to come, May. It's a once in a lifetime experience. It'll be fun, I promise."

She wanted to decline, but the sparkle in Dawn's eyes was contagious and she sighed, muttering her agreement, and Dawn grinned, squeezing her hands gently. She'd worn a red dress last time, but red truly was her colour, and it would match the necklace too… If she even wore it. It had sat untouched on her desk for weeks.

"Red then, I suppose. You pick the style. You're more fashionable than me," she said casually. Dawn nodded, and May could tell that the freedom excited her. At least one of them was excited. May was dreading the whole thing. It was made even worse when she found out that it was in three days time. Three days. Three days would pass by like a gust of wind and then she'd have to be there, watching them lean into each other and laugh without a care in the world while the rest of the world carried on beneath them.

She walked Dawn back to her room. Ash was waiting there for her. Dawn turned and said goodbye to May. She could tell that Ash was puzzled as to why they'd been walking together, but didn't say anything. She said goodbye back but didn't acknowledge Ash, and left them alone.

A thunderstorm shook the castle that night. There were mere seconds between the claps, and the sky was almost permanently lit up. May sat and listened to it with a cup of tea balanced between her legs. She thought about how she was going to spend the night of the ball. She'd been drunk before, but hadn't enjoyed the feeling because she'd gone too far. She thought, however, that going too far might be necessary on a night like that.

The next two days flew by, just like she'd expected. On the night before the ball, as she lay listening to the rain on her window, she fell into a restless sleep.

"May?" She woke to the shouting, and a sharp knock at her door. "Wake up!"

Half asleep and grumpy she pulled herself out of bed and opened the door for Dawn, who was holding up a dress bag excitedly. May almost never woke up late, so she knew it was way, way too early to be this excited about anything. She let Dawn wander in and set the dress down on her bed. It was weird that she felt so comfortable around Dawn already given their situation, but she didn't mind as the other woman leant over the bed and pulled down the zip to reveal the dress.

It was gorgeous. The red was the exact same as the ruby necklace. It was all lace, but the chest was almost entirely open. The skirt was long and billowy and lacy, and when she lifted it, May saw the slit right up the side, that would open to reveal a leg anytime she moved. It felt too good to be her dress. It was perfect.

"Thank you, Dawn," she said, taking in the sight of it. "I love it."

"Good!" Dawn stood upright and settled the dress back down onto the bed. "Try it on, and I'll see you there tonight."

May could only manage a smile and a nod as Dawn left. She stared at the dress for a minute, almost intimidated by it, then lifted it up. She stripped out of her nightdress and stepped into this red dress, pulling it up over her and slipping her arms into the long, laced translucent red sleeves. She'd need someone to do the back up for her, but… Looking in the mirror, she couldn't believe how confident it made her feel. She looked incredible.

Embarrassed, she stepped out of the dress again and hung it up so it wouldn't crease, then dressed in her uniform. For the start of the day at least, she'd need to act normal. She went down for breakfast to find Cynthia briefing them all on the day. There was a lot to do, and the second breakfast ended they'd all need to get to work. May lost herself in the preparations and, although it was stressful, it helped the day to pass quicker. The other girls were beyond excited, but May couldn't help feeling a little sick when she thought about it.

After dinner they set out the ballroom. The makeshift bar was impressive. She'd never seen such a casual bar in such a grand ballroom before. It was almost funny. It took them an hour to set everything up. The band was arriving by the time they were done. With the other girls itching to get ready, Cynthia eventually dismissed them, saying they could get ready.

When May left, Drew was already dressed, and pacing around outside like he was nervous. She asked him to come up to her room and help her put on the dress. He waited outside while she stepped into it again, and entered when she called for him to. He was gentle when he pulled the zip up. May slipped on the little red heels that Dawn had also left for her to borrow, and, as she left, froze. The necklace. For a moment she stood, unsure whether to wear it or not, until she sighed and grabbed it, pulling it around her neck and fastening it at the back.

"You look amazing," Drew said. He looked great too.

"Thank you. You too."

He smiled. "Come on." He took her arm and they began the walk down to the ballroom. With every step May felt her heart speed up. Her palms were sweaty, but she didn't dare wipe them on the new dress. She felt nerves like she'd never felt before, and felt stupid for it. It was only a dance… And it wasn't like she was speaking with the prince anyway. If anything, she'd only have to deal with Dawn, and that would be okay.

"Are you alright?" Drew asked as they neared the ballroom. She could hear the music already.

"Yeah. It's just…" She reconsidered. "Never mind. Let's just get in there."

She followed Drew in. He held her hand, and if he noticed it was sweaty he didn't say anything. The heat from the mass of bodies hit her immediately and she hoped she wasn't glowing red as they pushed carefully through the crowd of people not dancing.

She tried not to look, but she caught a glance of Ash through the crowd, and her eyes were drawn to him. He was standing with a glass in his hand, frowning over the crowd. Even with his sour expression, he looked… ethereal. She turned away quickly, feeling a lump catch in her throat. Was he looking for her, or was he just displeased in general?

"What would you like?" Drew asked, dropping her hand and pulling her out of her trance. She wasn't sure what she was supposed to ask for in a place like this.

"Whatever you're having," she answered, hoping that was okay. Drew nodded and wandered closer to the bar. Hating being alone in such a big crowd, May scanned the room for Serena. She saw her- standing a little while away in a beautiful baby pink dress. If May didn't already know she was nobility, she'd be wondering it now. She fit right in. May waved over and Serena gave her a little enthusiastic wave back.

Drew returned with her drink and they joined Serena, who had started flirting with a stranger. It was a little confusing, since she'd told May that she was originally here to find someone she was in love with, but she couldn't question it here anyway. May made conversation with Drew. She found it was easy to talk to him about her genuine interests, like which novels she'd read, and which music she liked. He was the kind of person she could have a genuine friendship with if she was home. He also reminded her of the person that she'd thought she was in love with when she was younger, but she did her best to ignore that.

"May," Serena called over after a little while, interrupting their conversation. "Dance with me?"

Ladies never really danced with ladies, but she could tell Serena didn't care about that, and she wasn't sure she cared either, so she grinned and nodded. Serena grabbed her hand and dragged her to the dance floor, spinning her around in the least graceful fashion. She was nobility, so she'd know exactly how to dance, but she was letting loose, and May noticed a lot of the others were too. Serena was dancing as if it was her own engagement she was celebrating. She thought maybe she was trying to distract her from Ash, and it worked. May couldn't help but laugh and join in while Serena twirled in her ballgown, taking May with her for the ride.

The second song they'd danced to faded, and May paused to catch her breath. When she turned, she was face to face with Dawn. She stood upright and bowed a little. Serena copied her movements. People were staring. How long had Dawn been down from the stage? Was Ash down too?

"Are you enjoying yourself?" She asked. "Here."

She handed May a drink. Had the queen-to-be really just brought her a drink? She felt a little guilty as she took it. "Yes, a lot. Are you?"

"Yes, but Ash is being quite the downer. Do you have any idea why?"

May wasn't entirely sure it was about her, but she was probably a contributing factor. She swallowed hard. "I don't. I'm sorry. He hasn't called on me in days."

Dawn seemed to think hard about that, then nodded curtly. "Thank you anyway." It seemed like she was going to leave, but then she leaned in to whisper in May's ear. "If you're fighting with him, give him time. He's unpredictable and stubborn, but he is a good person."

She walked away before May could respond, leaving her stunned. Perhaps Ash had dropped some hint that she was the reason he was annoyed. She was shocked she had any such impact on his mood.

"What was that about?" Serena asked, coming up beside her.

"She's unbelievably friendly," May answered, hoping Serena wouldn't notice she'd dodged actually answering the question. Luckily, she didn't, just gushed over how everyone seemed to like May. She wanted to point out that it seemed to be quite the opposite, but bit her tongue. When she looked to the stage, she noticed Ash was gone. Dawn was dancing with her father.

Then, in the corner of the room, she noticed Silver. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed, glaring over at her. She blinked over, but he didn't care that she'd caught him staring. He just carried on. She looked away, uncomfortable and, though she hated to admit it to herself, a little afraid. Silver surely had some vendetta against her that he could get her fired or killed with whenever he liked. She wasn't sure Ash would even try to protect her now.

"Let's go," she said to Serena, linking their arms together. "I need to drink this."

A couple of hours passed, and she managed to avoid Ash. She drank and danced and actually enjoyed herself. She felt stupid from the drink- the kind of stupid where she knew she would let herself make bad decisions. Almost everyone in the room seemed to be the same. Dawn had dropped her manners and was flying around the dance floor with a number of people, her face red but her grin wide. Drew had bonded with another guy, and May had danced with everyone that asked her, which was a surprising amount of people.

Some people started to leave once it got late. The music slowed down and turned more sultry. May noticed that people were completely relaxed and doing whatever they wanted now. May asked Drew if it was normal, and he told her that sometimes the nobility gathered in these sorts of events and did things May thought they'd judge others heavily for. She noticed people were openly kissing in front of others, that people were smoking something from pipes and passing it around. She wasn't sure she could handle watching Ash and Dawn kiss. She was about to leave when Drew returned with a drink for her.

She'd had enough already, but she couldn't reject the drink he'd gotten for her, so she sipped on it and took in the relaxed atmosphere in the room, breathing in deeply. She relaxed, and even when she spotted Ash standing at the bar, his tie abandoned and his top buttons undone, his hair messy, she felt relaxed. Drink in hand he turned and caught sight of her. She'd never seen the side of him that she was showing to her now. She couldn't look away as he stared over at her, fury burning behind his eyes. Her chest rose and fell heavily. Eventually he scoffed and turned away.

She was angry too. She was angry that he had such a problem with her when he had it so easy. She was angry at herself for letting herself get mixed up in this. She turned to Drew, who was clearly drunk too. She'd had too much, and it was a bad idea, but she leaned up and kissed him anyway. He didn't react at first, but then kissed her back. There was no love behind it, and she knew they'd both feel it. They were close friends, but the room was so relaxed and everyone around her was doing the same. She felt powerful as she let herself go. She didn't owe anybody anything, and so she'd have her way.

When she pulled away, Drew laughed, probably because he realised how ridiculous the whole thing was. She shrugged and laughed too. He kissed her again. They finished their drinks, and Drew announced he was going to bed before anything even stupider happened. May agreed, but decided she would talk to Dawn first, who was resting alone against the wall. They said goodnight to one another, and he left. May wandered over to Dawn, who sighed as she approached.

"So you do have a boyfriend," she said. She almost seemed disappointed.

"No," May insisted. "He's not my boyfriend."

Dawn raised an eyebrow at her, not in a judging way, but in a way that suggested she didn't believe her. May had nothing to gain from hiding something like that, though. She leaned against the wall beside Dawn and followed her gaze. She was watching Ash, who was sitting on the end of the stage beside Gary, who seemed to be comforting him about something. She wondered if Dawn blamed herself for his bad mood. It wasn't nice of him to act this way when they were supposed to be celebrating their engagement.

"Well, I need to get to bed," she said, pushing herself off the wall, her legs wobbling.

"Let me walk you back," May offered, though she was no more sober. Dawn nodded, smiling. She was still staying in her own room. They talked as they walked there, but Dawn was reserved about the wedding, and didn't seem to want to talk about it, so May gave up on the conversation. She walked her into her room, which was almost as big as Ash's, and helped her unzip her dress. She looked away when Dawn slipped it off and grabbed her nightdress, though she remembered she'd seen her naked before at the bathhouse. She wondered if Dawn remembered.

"You know," Dawn started, slurring her words slightly. "I remember seeing you in the baths and thinking, wow, that girl seems larger than life." It was almost as if Dawn had read her mind. May gaped at her as she crawled into bed and looked up at her. "I couldn't believe you worked here when I saw you. You seemed… I don't know. Powerful."

May opened her mouth to speak, but she had no idea what to say. She turned away and by the time she turned back to answer, Dawn was asleep, her face buried in her silk pillows, only half covered by her sheets. May sighed and pulled the sheets right over her. It was cold, after all. She puzzled over what Dawn had meant as she left, almost falling drunkenly into the wall opposite the door as she did. She gathered herself and turned to walk back to her room, and there he was. Ash had stopped and was watching her in the same way he had earlier. She blinked once at him, then started walking, planning on walking right past.

She thought he was going to let her, until he reached out and grabbed her arm. His touch stunned her and she froze, gaping up at him. She knew he was going to say something to her. She also knew that, being drunk and reckless as she was, she would say something back. She could already feel a snide retort dancing on the tip of her tongue, ready to cut him with it.

"You lied to me," he said.

"What?" She asked, genuinely confused. He kept a grip on her arm.

"About Drew."

She furrowed her eyebrows at him. "I didn't lie to you. And what does it matter anyway?" She pulled her arm back from his grip, and he stared stupidly at her, like he couldn't believe she'd done it.

"Servant relationships are frowned upon," he said. "You should be careful what you do in public."

She was starting to shake as the outrage built. "Why are you being so cruel?" She snapped. "What have I done?"

"I could ask you the same thing," he said simply. They were quarrelling like children, and she couldn't stand it. It was going to drive her insane. She threw her hand up in dismissal.

"If you're bothered by it, fire me."

She knew she shouldn't have said it. No matter how comfortable they'd been with one another previously, she'd probably pushed it too far now. He was breathing quickly, but didn't say anything for a long moment. She stared back, waiting for his reprimand.

"Fine," he said suddenly. "You're fired."

His words knocked the air from her lungs and he walked past her, leaving her breathless there. She couldn't move. He was drunk, sure, but he'd meant that. She had felt the anger radiating from his as he'd said it. She felt the tears slip down her cheeks before she could stop them. Fine, then. She hadn't wanted to stay much longer anyway.

She stormed down the hallways, the outrage and madness curling within her. She thought if she saw him again she might snap, and she didn't want that, so she'd leave now. She was going to pack her things and leave. She'd stay in an inn at town for one night, and then she'd be on her way back to Hoenn the next morning.

She slammed her bedroom door behind her. She pulled up the floorboard under her bed to reveal her bag and shoved the few belongings she had on top of her black suit and zipped it up. She left one casual dress out to change into. She couldn't walk around the city at night in the dress she'd been wearing. As she changed she remembered the necklace that was heavy around her neck now. She tore it off and threw it down on the desk. She left the dress lying on the bed. She left it all and didn't look back.