Hi all,
yep, it's the grand return. I know there aren't many advanceshipping fans still kicking around, but that's okay. I wrote this fic for my own enjoyment, but if even one other person gets to read it that's pretty cool to me.
A/N
This is an AU fic, meaning it's not set in the Pokémon universe and the characters are basically entirely separate from the show. If that's not your thing then don't read.
The characters will be OOC because they're different to the shows characters.
This fic is very M, with definite lemons to come, some other sexual themes, violence and bad language.
May rounded the corner from the busy street into the dismal alley and fell back against the wall, struggling to catch her breath. She doubled over, letting her sweaty hands rest on her knees as she panted, swallowing hard. She'd almost been caught this time. She had known she was getting sloppy, but had carried on nonetheless, and it had almost cost her.
Once she'd calmed she adjusted her gloves, feeling the hidden blade beneath them and sighing. She'd been here for too long. It was starting to wear her down. She paced down the alley, stopping only to pet a stray cat that wandered past and mewed. Luckily, the chase had ended close to her little apartment, and she only had to follow a series of back lanes to get there. The sun was coming up, and she couldn't risk being out in the light now that some of the guards were on the lookout.
She climbed up the side of the building to her second floor flat instead of using the main entrance and pulled herself up onto the balcony. Only when she was inside and the door was closed behind her did she fully relax, throwing herself down onto the chair by her desk and resting her head in her hands. She'd always known the risks associated with her job, but today was the closest she'd come to losing her life, and that was enough to make anyone reconsider. At least the first time.
May was a spy for the northern country of Hoenn. From a young age her parents had drilled into her what most in her country said- that Kanto had taken too many precious resources from them, and that it was only a matter of time until war came. As she grew up, she began to understand what they meant. Kantonians were not welcome in her homeland, and the residents made that as clear as day. The tensions had only continued to grow as she did, nearing a breaking point once the royal princess had been discovered dead, and the whispers began. Rumours spread that the Kantonians had her assassinated. Any Kantonians that had been accepted into villages and cities were chased out or killed. The pot was boiling over, and May had just begun her training as a royal spy. She'd known from a young age that she was excellent at sneaking around undetected, and was incredibly smart. She'd evaded her parents whenever she felt like it, sneaking around her home city, overhearing conversations she wasn't supposed to hear often. Then, on her sixteenth birthday, she'd overheard some guards talking about the royal family's plan to train new spies, and had put herself forward for a position. They'd laughed at first. Hardly any of the spies were females. May had simply told them she'd never planned to be a housewife, and she was willing to show them she could do it. It was a high paying job, and meant her family would never need to worry again. Plus, she believed she'd be doing some good for her country.
By the age of eighteen she had not only passed, but exceeded every expectation, and was sent on her first mission. At first she'd only crossed the border and stole intel from a fortress not too far from her home. Then the missions started to push her harder, take her further from home. Now nineteen years old, she was sitting in an abandoned apartment in the very capital of Kanto, Saffron. She'd only scouted the outskirts so far, as the city was massive. The palace sat in in the distance, high above the rest, shining day and night a vibrant blue colour. She'd hardly been able to believe the size of it when she'd first seen it as she approached on her horse a week before.
She was only here to learn if the city had any weaknesses. If there were any ways to sneak into the palace. Today she'd dared to venture into the underground sewers. She'd gotten pretty far when a patrol had spotted her and chased her down. She'd shaken them after at least ten minutes, but it had given her a fright. It had been dark down there, but with their lanterns they were bound to have seen her eyes at least. She silently scolded herself for not being more careful and aware.
A knock at her door jolted her out of her daydream. She was concerned only for a moment, as the second rhythmic knock confirmed it was her partner spy, probably coming to check in on her progress. Her partner tended to change with every mission, and this one was her least favourite of them all. He was a dark, creepy, emotionless husk of a man, and she was glad she'd never actually seen his face. She stood, ready to open the door, but he opened it himself and slipped inside. She nodded over at him in greeting, and he nodded back. He never stayed long. She didn't even know his name.
"I'm afraid I don't have much to give you this time," she started, sitting back down in her chair and crossing her slender legs. The spy shook his head.
"No matter. You're no longer here to look for weaknesses in the city's defences."
She tilted her head in confusion. They never cancelled a mission early unless something serious had happened. Her heart sank as she considered her parents. Were they alright? She cleared her throat, trying to seem professional still.
"Am I to return home?"
The spy shook his head once more. "An opportunity has presented itself. The palace is hiring maids, and you're to apply for the job."
Her heart sank. The royal palace was hiring maids? How could she possibly pass for a maid? She looked down at herself in her skin-tight suit they'd given her when she'd passed her training, with all its hidden weapons, black as the night sky. She couldn't imagine herself in a maid's dress.
"A maid?" She questioned, looking back up.
"Yes. You will need an ID." He approached her desk and slipped her a piece of folded paper. "Go to this address. They will have an ID for you. The applications are due in two days time. We've tipped off someone to insure you'll get the job."
May was rarely scared of a job, but this one instantly terrified her. It was one thing being in the city, but to be in the palace itself… and what were they expecting her to do once she was in there?
"How long will I have to stay?" She asked, pocketing the address. She'd never been away from home for longer than a month, and that included travelling back and forth by horse.
"As long as it takes."
"As long as it takes for what?" She pushed. He turned and made to leave, but she was up in an instant and blocking his exit. Narrowing her eyes at him, she made it clear she wasn't going to let him pass until he answered her. He sighed. They'd been through this multiple times since she'd arrived here.
"For you to get whatever information they ask you to get."
The answer didn't satisfy her, but she moved out of the way anyway, letting him leave without another word. Once she was sure he was gone she locked the door and fell into bed, wanting to sleep but only managing to stare at the wall. Eventually she pushed herself back out of bed and changed into a casual dress to head down to the public bathhouse. It was risky, but she needed to relax before she even thought about heading to collect whatever ID they'd prepared for her. The bathhouse was further into the city, but since it was early morning, there weren't many people around yet. A few merchants milled around, setting up stalls and wares. The odd carriage passed, taking men and women back from whatever gross late night adventures they'd been up to. She tried not to judge, but the thought of brothels still made her shiver.
The bathhouse was a big, fancy looking building. She pushed open the double doors and headed in. It was almost completely empty, save for one or two. She quickly undressed in the ladies dressing room and headed into the bath. She didn't let herself look at any of the other few women as she lowered herself into the warm water. She wasn't ashamed of her body- she knew she looked good. Her job meant she'd always been fit, and the curves were an added plus. The few scars littered across her skin might be a little hard to explain, though. Luckily they were mainly in hidden spots.
When she finally looked up, she noticed another girl on the other side of the baths, leaning against the edge like herself, her eyes closed. May wouldn't have looked twice if it wasn't for her hair- a cascade of striking blue falling around her slim shoulders. She was so beautiful, May almost blushed and turned away before she was caught looking. She closed her eyes, shaking her mind clear. When she finally opened them again a while later, the girl was gone. An uneasy feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. Trying to ignore it, she pulled herself out of the water and admired herself briefly in the mirrors lining the room. She tried to picture herself in the maid's dress once again, but it didn't work. She'd only ever seen herself in her spy outfit. Sighing, she made to leave. It was time to pick up her ID.
The ID settled her nerves some once her contact handed it to her and she saw how real it all seemed. The older man that handed it to her briefly explained that the royal guard would do a full background check on her before even considering. Her team had already taken the time to write her a full history in the county- and placed fake proof of her existence in all the places they'd claimed she'd been. According to her story, she'd been born in a small town on the borders and her family were poor. Seeking a better life she'd moved to the city only recently, but her father had fallen ill and passed away not long after, leaving her, her mother and her younger brother by themselves. Now, with her mother being too frail and heartbroken to work, she was searching for a way to provide for her. It was a believable story, and had been carefully crafted. Saying that she'd been born on the borders meant she could easily create answers to questions asked of her, given she'd spent time there. It meant she wouldn't look so suspicious when they realised she knew very little about the city.
She'd thanked the old man and returned home, where she'd spent the rest of the day studying her story, mentally preparing herself, and stashing away everything important where nobody would find it. Once she got this job, she'd be living in the palace. The thought of living beside her sworn enemies made her skin crawl.
However, the thought of living so close to the royal family sent a wild thrill through her. All she knew was that the king was ruthless, and his wife had died a little while ago. They had a son too, but she had no idea how old he was or what he was like. She supposed she was probably going to find out.
She finally let herself sleep after hours of clawing through every thought and question she could think of. She felt no better falling asleep thinking about serving tea to the Kantonian royal family, or obeying their every order, but sleep found her anyway.
She handed in her application the next day. Her heart had been pounding so hard against her chest as she approached the guards that she thought she might collapse on the street, but she held herself together for just long enough. The guard had simply glanced over it once, grunted in approval, and went back to staring off into the distance. Only when she'd gotten a few streets away did she let herself crumple against a brick wall. She was suddenly extremely glad she already had a job, simply so she didn't have to find and apply for one.
She rewarded herself by purchasing a selection of sweet treats from a market stall she passed and headed back to the dingy apartment to spend the rest of the day reading fiction she didn't care about and waiting.
The letter arrived the next day. Her hands shook wildly as she opened it. The letter was an invitation to the palace, an invitation to live there, effective immediately. She'd known it was coming, but it still stunned her. She was really going to have to live amongst her enemies. She was really going to live in a palace.
There was no point in wasting any time. She grabbed a bag from beside her bed and shoved a few things in. The letter had stated she wouldn't need to bring anything, but she'd be truly lost if she didn't have a single thing that belonged to her with her. She knew she'd be given a uniform, but she packed a couple of casual dresses anyway, just in case. Then, she undressed, and filled the bathtub. She scrubbed herself harder than she ever had, and made extra effort when she washed her hair. She might not be serious about the job, but she still didn't want to show herself up.
Once she was finished and dressed again, she examined herself in the cracked bathroom mirror. She'd always known she was pretty- and the attention her looks gained her proved that. She stood out in crowds, or so her mother had told her once when she'd caught a boy her age staring at her. Her bright sapphire eyes shone as she stared back into them- convincing herself that she could do this. Finally, she tied her hair with a ribbon, making herself look the part of an innocent girl heading to her first job, gathered her bag, and left without looking back.
The great gates of the castle loomed over her, both intimidating and inviting. She paused in front of them, gaping up at the sheer height of them. She felt like she'd fall back onto the cobbled path beneath her if she looked for any longer, so met the gaze of the approaching guard instead.
"State your business, ma'am."
She handed him the letter, trying to act bashful and shy. He scanned over it, then scanned over her, and handed it back. He gestured for the other guard, who shouted something, and the gate began to groan as it opened for her, inviting her into her enemies home. She stared in wonder through to the castle grounds on the other side of the bridge, where her temporary new life would begin.
"New maids are to report to Lady Cynthia." He handed her a map. She glanced at it, but it was far too complicated for her to figure out without studying it properly, and she was itching to cross, as if the palace would close itself off to her if she took too long. "Good luck."
"Thank you," she said, offering a sincere smile to both him and his partner guard, who blushed hard and looked away. Being pretty could help her in many situations here, she reminded herself, and folded the map up in her hands. She adjusted her bag on her shoulder, took a deep breath, and headed through the gate. She wrung her hands together with genuine nerves as she crossed, staring over the side into the calm waters that surrounded the whole grounds. She paused as an expensive carriage passed her, drawn by beautiful royal white horses. Even the driver wore a suit.
Completely lost in thought, she didn't notice she'd crossed the bridge and was standing before another girl, who'd said something to her, and was waiting on her response. She blinked.
"Sorry." She shook her head. "I was completely lost in thought."
"That's alright, I'm a little overwhelmed too. Are you here for the maid position?" the girl asked. May studied her for a moment. She looked to be the same age as herself, but was slightly taller and had the brightest ginger hair she'd ever seen. Light freckles were dusted across her nose and cheeks. Her eyes were emerald green and a little fierce, somehow.
"I am. I'm May," she held out her hand politely. The girl took it, smiling sweetly.
"Misty."
"Nice to meet you." She looked around them, but the grounds seemed quiet and completely massive. "Do you have any idea where we need to go?" She asked sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.
"I think so," Misty held the map she'd been holding in her other hand up. "This way."
May followed Misty through the gardens, making small talk. She figured it would be good practice and a way to familiarise herself with her forged backstory. She learned Misty was from a relatively wealthy family that lived in a mansion in another city. Puzzled, May had asked her why she'd applied for the job if she'd been born into money. Misty had expressed a keen interest in the royal family, but wouldn't give anything else away. Despite her prejudices, May couldn't help but like her a little as they talked. Eventually they reached the side building, where a woman waited. She was older, probably around forty, with long, loose sandy blonde hair, and dressed in a beautiful black dress that barely covered her larger-than-average chest and flared out at the hips. Most likely the Cynthia they were looking for.
"Are you the last two of my girls?" She asked, peering over the book she'd been reading.
May wasn't sure how to address the woman who was clearly some sort of nobility, so kept quiet and let Misty speak first.
"Yes, ma'am. My name is Misty Waterflower." She bowed her head slightly. May copied the gesture.
"My name is May Embersong." It felt strange using her fake surname, but she'd have to get used to it. All Kantonian surnames consisted of an element followed by something that represented their family, or had represented them a long time ago. May's real surname, Maple, would have given her away instantly.
"Good to see you both made it here just fine." She gestured to the door behind her. "Make yourselves at home. The dressmakers will be by shortly to take your measurements."
May followed Misty into the common room, where they were greeted by five other girls. They were all a similar age to May. She introduced herself to them, feeling a little shy for the first time in her life, and tried to remember their names as they all introduced themselves too. Jasmine, a short and pretty girl with mousy brown hair. Sabrina, a dark-looking girl with midnight blue hair and angry eyes. Whitney, a loud and clumsy girl with bright pink hair. Leaf, a quiet brunette girl. Serena, a beautiful girl that even May had to look twice at, with long blonde hair and a near perfect face.
May kept mostly to herself, sipping tea she'd poured for herself in the corner. That was, until she overheard a conversation that interested her.
"So, is anyone else secretly just here for a glimpse of the prince?" Serena swooned. A couple of the other girls, including Misty, joined in. May considered how clueless she could show she was without making herself seem suspicious.
"Aren't you?" Misty asked, glancing her way. She shuffled nervously.
"I'm not too familiar with the royal family. I only just moved to the city from a tiny village near the border."
Misty grinned a wicked grin. "I think most girls dream of meeting the prince. Especially once you've gotten a look at him."
They continued to mutter about him quietly, most likely in case Cynthia heard them from outside, and she listened in occasionally. The prince was probably her main target while she was here. She'd need to learn more about him, but it could wait until she'd gotten her uniform at the very least.
The dressmaker came soon after, and hurried around the room, taking their measurements. May noticed, with some pride, how the other girls stared at her body as the woman measured her and her dress was pulled tight around her. Then she left, announcing that their uniforms would be ready by the end of the day, and the girls were back to wondering what was next.
The answer came quick. She tried to hide the fact that her leg was shaking violently under her skirts as Cynthia entered again and announced she was going to show them to their bunks. May wordlessly rose and tried not to topple over as she followed the rest of the girls out. A job had never made her nervous like this before. She'd always had nerves of steel and things rarely bothered her, but this was different. If she was caught here there would be no getting out. She'd be dead in an instant. She'd need to tread extremely carefully.
Cynthia led them through the grounds to another side building. She should have figured they wouldn't be in the main palace building, but she couldn't help feeling a little defeated. It'd be much harder to sneak around at night if her room was away from the palace.
"Enjoy these last few hours of freedom," she said simply, and opened the door for them. She didn't follow them inside, and closed the door behind them immediately. The room was simple and plain with bunk beds lining the walls and a small bathroom off to the side that they would share. She hadn't expected much, but somehow this was still worse than she'd imagined. Sighing, she climbed the ladder of the bunk bed furthest from the door and closest to the bathroom and sat on the top bunk, unsure of what to do next. It would be good to have some sort of plan in mind, but if she was being honest, she was completely lost in this situation. Perhaps the best thing to do for now would be to act as though she really were training to be a royal maid and lay low.
Figuring it was a good opportunity to probe the others for information, she hopped back down off the bed and sat on the bottom bunk, which Serena had taken. Serena blinked over at her, then smiled.
"I'll be honest with you," May started quietly, "I'm from the borders, and my parents never really taught me anything about the royal family, or this city, or anything about the country really."
Serena turned away and rubbed her head, almost as though she were nervous herself. "Wow, so you've been really sheltered, huh?"
"I guess you could say that. I just really wanted to take the first job opportunity I saw so I could send some money back for my family since we're new to the city and we don't have much. So…" She looked down at her hands, clasped together in her lap. "Could you tell me about them? The royal family I mean?"
Serena blinked slowly at her again. "Uh…" She looked around the room quickly, almost as if she was seeking the answer somewhere. May felt a little bad. Maybe Serena was an extremely shy or nervous person, and here she was, pushing herself on her when they'd only just met. She was about to end the conversation for her when Misty walked over, sitting herself on the bed opposite them.
"There's only the king and the two princes. But surely you knew that, right?" Misty asked, and May nodded, though she hadn't actually known there were two princes. She'd heard about the Queen's passing some time ago. "King Giovanni has been in bad health since her majesty passed. The eldest prince is due to marry soon. The younger one… Well, he's a bit of a pain, I hear."
A marriage might be something worth getting information on. She made a mental note to watch out for any developments in that. "A pain how?"
"I hear he's really cruel," Jasmine joined in from across the room. "Like, kinda evil."
Another thing to look out for. "How old is he?"
"Fifteen, I think," Misty answered. "Ash is twenty."
She really couldn't be bothered to deal with an angsty teenage prince, but doubted she'd ever have anything to do with him anyway, so pushed that information to the back of her mind. The others continued to talk about Ash and how they wished they were in the line-up of girls for his arranged marriage, and May zoned out, inserting herself in the conversation every now and again until eventually she crawled up onto her bunk and let herself fall asleep.
She was abruptly woken from her nap by Serena shaking her shoulder. Groggily, she opened her eyes.
"The uniforms are here."
She looked past Serena to the open door, where the same dressmaker as earlier stood, holding a pile of black maids dresses. She was quickly up, jumping down from her bed and joining the others in accepting their dresses. They were instructed to change quickly and head to the building they'd been in before. Once she left, the others began to strip instantly. May wondered how none of them were even a little shy about showing their bodies to one another, but remembered that she had nothing to worry about. She knew she was attractive and shouldn't worry about stuff like that, so long as she kept one certain scar hidden. The dress was heavier and puffier than she'd expected, with a full skirt of ruffles. She slid her current dress off and began to slip into her uniform without looking up to see if any of the others were looking. It fit nicely, but was a little tight around the waist, but she couldn't complain- it would make her look even curvier. She pulled on the white knee high stockings and black Mary Janes that they'd given her too, and felt a little ridiculous. She let herself look at the others, and blushed as she found they all looked amazing.
"Wow, that looks really good on you," Misty said to her, raising an eyebrow. May smiled nervously. She quickly turned into the bathroom to look at herself in the mirror, and was pleased that the outfit at least did her justice. It was fancier than she'd expected, with a black ribbon bow at the collar and little black bows on the white pinny of her skirt. Lastly, she shoved the headband she'd been instructed to wear too, and headed outside, where the others were waiting for her. It was early evening, but it was already getting dark outside, and was bitter cold, which the outfit didn't help with. She hugged herself until they arrived, and Cynthia was waiting outside for them.
Once inside, with the lit fireplace on their right, it was much warmer, and she relaxed. She almost felt kind of comfortable, despite her position.
"Alright ladies, after a couple of days where we make sure you're capable of doing everything correctly, you'll be allowed to start your duties normally. Due to the king's bad health and the royal engagement due, there are many lords and ladies gathering in the castle, with their daughters too. You will each be assigned to someone, and your duties are simply to serve that person, and take care of general castle duties when they don't need you."
It was a dark thought, but May figured if she was appointed to an older lord, she could use flirting to get information from him. It would be a last resort, but one she had used before, and an effective method almost every time. It might also be useful to find a male servant to become involved with, only to look less suspicious, and to give her an excuse if she was caught sneaking around.
Cynthia continued to explain the rules of the castle. They would be restricted to certain areas depending on who they were appointed to, and some areas were off limits to everyone, including many areas of the Great Library in the castle. May made another mental note to check out those areas and find out what they were hiding there, if anything. She demonstrated how to properly make tea, and serve it, because apparently there was a specific way everything had to be done. She explained the rules when addressing royalty or lords. She explained a lot, and over a long time.
By the time she was finished, it was pitch black outside, and May was exhausted from the information. The others looked the same, slouched over with heavy eyes, all somewhat regretting their decision. They all knew if they got something wrong they'd be in deep trouble too. They all had to tread carefully, but May even more so.
May had almost fallen asleep in her chair when Cynthia loudly cleared her throat, grabbing her attention again. She raised an eyebrow over at her, and May looked down in embarrassment.
"Tomorrow you'll all serve the lords and ladies in a ball being hosted to celebrate their arrival. It's a test, so be prepared. Get some sleep tonight, and be ready early in the morning to help with preparations."
May was exhausted, and nervous she might fail the first test and be booted from the castle before she managed to gather any information. She wondered if she'd even be allowed to keep her actual job if that happened. Once they arrived back in their room the others talked for a while, but May undressed and changed straight away, climbing into bed. Her bed had barely hit the pillow and she was asleep.
Apologies if the first chapter seems a little dull. Just an introduction to the world and characters. I've already written 35k words for this fic so I'll be posting once every week until I've caught up with myself.
Thanks for reading!
