Hi all, thanks again for all the nice reviews. Not sure why but this is the most fun I've had writing in a long time, but I'm trying not to take it too seriously.

Also I drew a cover for this story but the photos are tiny on here and I can't find a way to post a link so oh well lol

Thanks! :D


May sat on the edge of her bed hours later, her mind racing. An hour earlier when she'd returned she'd found a bag peeking out from under her bed. In it she'd found her old spy outfit, the skin tight black suit and her daggers. Someone had put it in here for her. She couldn't help but wonder why, if they were capable of breaking into the castle, they couldn't assassinate the lord themselves. She wasn't sure she should go ahead with it, until she considered what it meant. If she managed to assassinate this lord, they wouldn't be able to blame Serena for it anymore. It would force them to reinvestigate it.

She was sitting in the suit now. She turned the knife around in her hands. If she was even caught wandering the grounds in this they'd probably execute her, but she couldn't move around nearly as well in her maid dress, and it wasn't the best camouflage. It was past midnight at least, so no one would be up and around, and she'd managed to scout out his room as she and Drew had walked back to her room. It would likely be easy for her.

She never let herself be scared of a job. She shoved the dagger in its sheath on her thigh and stood. She pulled the black mask up over her nose and the hood over her head, then shoved on the knee high black boots to match. She checked herself out in the mirror. She was, admittedly, scary in this outfit. She hoped if any servants happened to catch her, they'd be too scared to try anything anyway. She could run faster than anyone else she'd ever met. She should be okay.

She slipped out of her window and jumped down onto the ground below, landing with a soft thud. She ran, her steps almost silent beneath her. She'd figured out how to get to his room, but the palace was huge, and it would take her a few minutes to reach it. She rounded a corner and pushed up against the wall, hearing a noise ahead of her. She waited as a guard passed by then pushed herself away again. She found the door she was looking for and reached for the hairpin in her pocket. It was easy to pick and she was inside seconds later, pressing herself into the darkness of the corner while she assessed the corridor. There was a guard stationed outside his room, looking half asleep. She cursed under her breath. She really didn't want to kill anyone else.

Luckily, he was facing away from her. She ran up behind him before he could react and hooked her arm around his neck, putting her left hand over his mouth. She lifted her elbow, squeezing the sides of his neck as he struggled. He was relatively small for a guard, or she might not have pulled it off, but he eventually crumpled to the floor. She'd only knocked him out, and she wasn't sure how long it would last, so she had to work fast. She picked the lock again and prayed he would be sleeping as she slipped into his room. She waited for the satisfying click of the lock giving way for her.

He was standing upright at the other side of the room, a drink glass in his hand, and looked right at her. In his moment of confusion she dashed forward, faster than she even thought possible, swinging for him with the dagger she'd pulled from her thigh. The drink glass smashed against the floor and he dodged, slamming his elbow down on her back. It knocked the air from her lungs. She struggled to stay upright as she swung for him again before he gained more of an advantage. He stumbled backwards, slamming back against the wall, but her dagger reached his throat anyway. He had nowhere to go. She knew she'd hit. He crumpled against the wall and she jumped back. She'd done it. He'd given her a tiny bit of trouble, but she'd done it. She felt no relief. She resisted the urge to crumble to the carpet as she thought about what she was doing. She'd never had any trouble before, but working here was making it hard. She pulled herself together. The crying could wait until she got back to her room.


She woke the next morning to a commotion in the hallway. She peeled her eyes open, exhausted from her lack of sleep. She'd changed once she got back and shoved her outfit back in the bag, which she hid under a floorboard beneath her bed, but struggled to find any sort of rest. Why did all of this guilt have to come now? She rubbed her eyes and padded over to the door, still in her nightgown. Once she opened it she was greeted by a bunch of guards running down the hall. She turned to see Max, the butler, peering out of his doorway too.

"What's going on?" She asked, trying to seem curious. She obviously already knew why they were making a fuss.

"I'm not sure."

She ducked back into her room and quickly dressed, heading towards Ash's room. Once she arrived the guard posted outside opened the door for her, letting her in. Ash was standing at the other side of the room, his hand in his hair, looking like he hadn't slept at all. She swallowed hard, feeling a pang of guilt in her chest knowing she was causing this stress. She hated it.

"Your Highness?" She said quietly, bowing slightly. He turned to her, his expression less kind than usual. "Is everything alright?"

"No," he said plainly and sighed. "A guard reported a murder late last night. Said he was knocked out and the murderer went into the room he was guarding and…"

He couldn't finish the sentence. She took a step towards him. "Do you think someone is targeting them?"

"It's likely that they are. This means your friend will be released." He sighed again. "They're posting extra guards around the castle. I'll ask for one for your room too."

That would make things infinitely more difficult. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me, I'm only a maid-"

"Regardless, I'm not risking it," he said sternly, meeting her gaze. She remembered the look he'd given her the day before when she'd been sat with Drew and turned away awkwardly.

Before she could speak the door opened again and another man entered. May recognised him as the man that had spoken with Ash while she'd been trapped in his closet. He was around the same age as them, and very attractive. She clenched her hands together in front of her and stepped out of the way for him as he entered, ignoring her.

"Son of a bitch." He cursed, putting his head in his hands. "I know exactly who's behind this, but there's not a damn thing I can do about it."

Ash shot him a puzzled look. They'd clearly been friends for a long time with the way they spoke to one another and from their lack of formal greetings.

"It'll be someone from Hoenn. Those bastards can't help themselves."

May felt a jolt of anger go through her and struggled to push down her rage as a tingle shot up her spine.

"Calm down, Gary." Ash turned to her suddenly, and she fought to keep her face straight. "You can go help with breakfast, May. I'll be busy today."

She nodded and left quickly. It was a relief to be out of the room after she'd heard that. It was the first time she'd heard anyone mention her country, but it confirmed her assumption that the tension between them was close to bubbling over.

In the kitchens she spoke to Drew but kept her head down most of the time. There was a silence hanging over everyone. They were all scared, Drew included. He didn't mention the murder, but he seemed more solemn than yesterday. Once she was done she skipped her own breakfast, instead going to Cynthia, who was in the servants dining hall.

"Ma'am," she greeted her, nodding. Cynthia raised an eyebrow at her. "The prince excused me today because he's busy."

"You can help prepare for tonight's ball, then."

"Ball?"

"It's still going ahead, yes."

She tried to hide the fact that she hadn't known there was a ball in the first place. "Alright, ma'am."

"Report to the ballroom, but before that," she lowered her voice. "Serena is in her room. You can speak to her first, if you like."

May's breath caught in her throat. "Thank you."

She hurried away. She rushed to Serena's bedroom and knocked on the door. She heard a feeble voice tell her to come in and entered. Serena sat in a chair by her window, staring out of it. She turned to meet her gaze and her eyes widened.

"May," she said, stunned. She jumped up, heading for May and grabbing her hands. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, but the real question is are you?"

Serena dropped her hands again. "They really pushed me for a confession, but I'm alright. And I promise I didn't say anything."

"Thank you." May smiled over at her. She was happy to see she was okay. Serena's face fell, and she turned away, heading back to the chair. She looked over at May like she was considering what she was about to say carefully. "It was you, wasn't it?"

"What was?"

"The murder last night."

She froze, taken aback. Her heart began to pound against her chest as she considered her options, but she kept her face straight. "You think that was me?"

"Listen," she said quietly. "I'm really grateful for what you did for me. I don't care if it's you."

May stayed silent. This could be a trap, but it didn't feel like it somehow. She knew Serena could now never say anything about the first murder without implicating herself, so she probably couldn't tell anyone even if she knew. Still…

"May," she said in a tone that made May take a few cautious steps towards her. "I think we can help each other here."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm from Kalos," she said quickly. May's mouth fell open. There was no way. "I'm here to find someone. I guess you could say I'm a spy."

May could have laughed. This whole time… She relaxed, the tension slipping away. How hadn't she noticed at all? "You're kidding me." She sat on the edge of Serena's bed. "You're a spy?"

"Well, not really…" She looked away. "I'm a member of the royal family."

May's jaw dropped open. "You… You're what?"

"I was secretly seeing this boy. I was… I was in love with him. We were happy, until he was sent off to Kanto. He never came back. The royal family captured his group and they're imprisoned somewhere around here, I think."

May was so stunned by it all that she could barely take in the information. She was sitting in a room with another member of royalty. The whole thing was so crazy she almost didn't believe it, but what reason did Serena have to lie?

"So, who are you really?" Serena asked her.

"I…" She swallowed hard. "I'm from Hoenn."

"And it was you?"

There was no judgement in her voice. May nodded. Serena smirked, and it threw May off guard. Was she really smirking at that? She really mustn't have been from here.

"What are you here for?"

"To do whatever my boss tells me to do. And to gather information." She couldn't believe she was really admitting this to Serena, but they both had secrets to use against each other now, if it came to it.

"I thought you might be here to kill the prince."

There was a possibility they might ask her to do that since she'd gotten close to him and very few people could get close to him, but she hadn't let herself think of it. If it came down to it, she wasn't even sure she could do it, and she hated that. She had no reason to like him, and yet the thought of killing him made her chest tighten so hard she thought she might throw up.

"I won't tell anyone about you," May said in response. "I promise. If I hear anything about your boyfriend, I'll tell you. What's his name?"

"Clemont," she said, looking sad suddenly. May stood and began to leave, trying to process everything she'd just learned. At the very least, she had an ally now. Somewhat. She tried to lose herself in her work for the rest of the day until the dance, but it was impossible for her mind not to race.

She sat beside Serena at dinner, but spoke mostly to Misty, hoping they wouldn't seem suspicious to her. Once they were done she prepared to head to the hall with the others, assuming she'd be helping to serve, when Cynthia stopped her.

"You're not needed tonight. All of the new servants have the night off."

"Oh." She wasn't sure what else she'd do. Besides, she wanted to know what was said, if anything, about the night before.

"You're welcome to attend. All the others probably will."

"I'm allowed to go?"

Cynthia nodded. "You can attend. You'll learn soon enough that they're pretty relaxed about that stuff around here." She smirked. "You're even allowed to dance. They're relaxed about a lot of things..."

Misty spoke from behind her. "Oh wow, yes. I love dancing."

May swallowed. "I don't really have anything to wear."

Cynthia sighed. "You can borrow something of mine, if you like. I'll pick, though."

Cynthia had always seemed like a stern, cold lady, but this act of kindness made May think twice. "Thank you, ma'am."

"Yes, yes." She waved a hand. "Follow me."

The three of them followed Cynthia to her room, where she had them stand by the door as she pawed through her wardrobe. It was obvious the dresses were from when she was younger, and she probably just wanted to dress them up in them since she likely never wore them herself. Still, it was better than wearing her casual clothes to a ball. She handed Misty a blue dress with long, lace sleeves and a straight skirt. It was nice enough, and Misty seemed smitten with it. She gave Serena a baby pink dress with a shorter skirt and short sleeves, covered in glitter. It suited her.

May waited patiently for Cynthia to pick a dress out for her. Finally she pulled one out and held it against her. May looked down at it. It was a strapless crimson red ball gown, with a flowing lace skirt covered in intricate designs. It was far too nice for a servant to wear. She handed her a pair of shoes to match, too. Just her size.

"Are you sure?" May asked, stunned at the dress. Cynthia shrugged.

"It's the only red thing I have, and red seems to be your colour."

The girls hurried out with their dresses. May could barely believe what was happening. She stared at the dress, which she laid neatly on her bed, for a long time before even thinking about putting it on. Despite the night before, she felt an excitement she hadn't felt in a long time. Even if she was here as an enemy, she was allowed to enjoy herself for one night. She'd never been allowed to attend a ball before, or dance with anyone. She hated how giddy the excitement for something so dumb made her.

Finally she gathered the confidence to try the dress on. It was tight around her chest, which was good, because it had no straps and her chest kept it up. Looking down, she could see it showed a good portion of her cleavage, but she didn't care about that. The dress was stunning, and fit like a glove. When she finally turned to the mirror, she barely recognised herself.

A knock on her door pulled her back to reality and she let out a deep breath before answering. It was Drew, dressed in a suit as if he were a lord himself, not a kitchen boy. She could tell it was an old suit, but he looked good nonetheless. He stood speechless as he looked at her dress, and she blushed, wishing it covered a little more suddenly.

"Wow. You look amazing, May."

"You too." She smiled up at him.

"Well, I came to see if you were going, but I'm guessing you're not dressed like that to sit in your room." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. She had no worries about seeming like an outsider now that she was making friends with the other girls and had Drew to escort her to things like these.

"I suppose I could go." She shrugged playfully. He laughed and raised his arm for her to take. She twined her arm around his and let him walk her down to the ballroom. She felt a little embarrassed to be dressed the way she was as she entered and people turned to look, so she kept her head down. Drew kept his arm tight around hers. An older maid held out a tray with a glass on, and she wondered if it was really okay to take one, until Drew did.

"Is this your first one, then?" He asked, handing the glass to her and taking one for himself. He thanked the maid and began walking her to the side.

"Yes. Is it always this relaxed?"

"Yeah. Everyone's allowed to join in here."

She sipped the drink, and it tasted amazing. She let herself look around the room at all the other people dressed up and found Serena laughing beside Sabrina.

"I'll be back soon, alright?" She said to Drew, who smiled and nodded at her. She felt his eyes on her back as she walked over to Serena, who gasped when she saw her.

"Wow, May, you look incredible."

"So do you," she said, and meant it. Serena looked beautiful.

"Is Drew your boyfriend?" She asked bluntly, and May nearly spat out the sip she'd just taken.

"No!" She laughed. "That's crazy."

"Is it?" Sabrina butted in. "He clearly likes you."

May turned to look at him and caught him staring. He turned away quickly, probably hoping she hadn't seen. Her stomach tightened. Could she see him in that way? She wasn't sure. And it wasn't like anything could come out of it anyway. In the end, regardless, she'd have to leave.

"He's handsome," Serena commented. "You don't have to feel bad about it if you wanna, you know, spend more time with him."

She could tell she meant more than dating with that, and raised an eyebrow at her, earning a laugh. It's not like she wouldn't, but… Something about it made her feel guilty, and, as much as she hated to acknowledge it, think about Ash. Remembering he'd be here she looked around. Serena and Sabrina started muttering about something to one another, but she barely heard as her eyes finally fell upon him at the back of the room. She felt as though the breath had been knocked out of her. He looked incredible in his suit with his raven hair still messy around his face. He was smiling at something Gary was saying to him. Then, as if he'd felt her looking, he turned to face her, and his face fell again. He blinked over at her, and her face heated up so much that she quickly turned away. Why had he looked at her like that? Did he think his maid looked ridiculous dressed like this? That was probably it.

"The prince just looked at you," Misty said, coming up beside them. "I mean like, he was really looking at you."

"Don't be silly," May hissed, sipping her drink.

"Imagine him asking you to dance." Misty sighed, probably daydreaming about it already. "I think I'd die."

"Well, that's a bit dramatic," she laughed. There was no chance of it anyway.

May went to sip her drink, then realised she'd already finished it. She was quickly offered another and took it. Right as she took her first sip the music started up, and people rushed to the middle of the room to dance. She expected Drew to be the first to ask, but was surprised to see another boy approaching her, one that she'd never seen before.

"Hello, miss." He bowed slightly, and the girls giggled behind her. She wanted to turn around and swear at them. "Would you care to dance?"

Her first formal invitation to dance, and she didn't even know who he was. Figuring she might as well she agreed, and set her drink down on a table. He introduced himself as they headed to the dancefloor, and he was a surprisingly good dancer, twirling her around the room. She found herself having fun, until she spotted Ash dancing with a blonde she didn't recognise. She was probably the first of countless girls waiting to dance with him. He probably didn't even have enough time for them all. He smiled over at her when their eyes met, and she forced herself to smile back.

Once she got back, Drew was waiting for her. She hadn't minded dancing with the other guy, but she was relieved to see it was Drew asking her this time. She didn't even wait for him to ask, just took his hand and led him out to the dance floor. She was frustrated at Ash, and even more frustrated because she didn't understand why she cared so much. She wanted to drink and dance and forget about him, because even the thought of him annoyed her for some reason. Drew placed a hand around her waist and began dancing with her. At first she was a little uncomfortable, knowing he was obviously romantically interested in her when she wasn't, but she came to enjoy it. She swapped partners with Serena, who'd been dancing with a lord, then swapped back moments later. She let herself get lost in the dancing, and was exhausted by the end of it. She and Drew returned to where they'd been standing and she finished her second glass.

Drew had excused himself to the bathroom, so May stood beside Serena and Misty, who were both taking a break from dancing. She'd barely been paying attention to the conversation, but noticed when Serena stopped talking mid-sentence, and Misty's eyes widened, looking at something behind May. She looked as though she might pass out. May turned to see what she'd spotted.

Ash was approaching. Her heart seized in her chest. He was approaching her. Suddenly the tightness of her corset made breathing hard, and her entire body heated up. The stunned silence continued behind her as he stopped in front of her and smiled at them both.

They both bowed, and May realised she probably should too. As she did she looked to the entrance and saw Drew coming back into the ballroom. He paused as he noticed Ash standing before her. She looked away quickly.

"Would you like to dance, May?"

She was stunned that he'd even asked. A lord she could almost understand dancing with a pretty servant girl, but a prince? She managed a nod, but was still stunned when he held his hand out and she took it. It was warm, and she prayed her own hand wasn't sweating as he led her to the floor. Her heart pounded so hard against her chest she thought she might faint as his hand slipped around her waist and he pulled her in towards her. She focused hard on the dancing and tried to push all other thoughts to the back of her mind.

"I'm glad to see Serena's okay," he said as they danced slowly to the mellow song that was playing.

"Me too. I was worried about her."

"I know." He looked down at her, meeting her eyes. "I'm glad you feel better after the other day."

He could only mean when she'd stormed out of the room. She swallowed hard. "I'm so sorry for walking out on you. I won't do it again."

"It's alright." He smiled. "I don't mind."

She bit her lip. "I hope this doesn't sound rude, but… why are you dancing with me?"

He tilted his head to the side in confusion, like he really didn't get it. "Why wouldn't I?"

Oh. He must mean he'd dance with any girl, and it was just her turn now. Maybe he wanted a break from all the ladies trying to be his future bride, and that was the only reason. She looked forward at his chest again and stayed silent. She wasn't sure what she'd expected him to say.

The song finished and he brought her hand up to his face, kissing the back of it and giving her a look she couldn't read. She felt the skin his lips had touched burn as he turned away and headed back for the front of the room. She stayed frozen in that position for a moment until she realised she must look ridiculous and headed back for her friends, who were waiting for her alongside Drew, whose mouth was set in a straight line, completely unimpressed.

"Oh my God, he really just asked you to dance. How was it?" Serena asked.

She felt exhausted suddenly, but still grabbed another drink as she approached them and took a big swig. "Surprisingly, just like any other guy."

"Not fair," Misty huffed. "You clearly don't appreciate it enough."

When she turned back he'd found Dawn, and was dancing with her instead. She threw the rest of her drink back. She felt the alcohol beginning to hit her, and enjoyed the feeling. At least it'd help her forget that she'd had another encounter she'd rather forget with him.

May danced with Drew again after that, and let herself enjoy it, even when she caught Ash stealing glances at them. He was probably just keeping an eye on her, she figured. Another hour passed, and she had another glass before she decided she should probably stop. Drew seemed to feel it too, but not as bad as her, as she almost tripped returning from the bathroom.

"I think it's time you got back to your room," Drew laughed as she approached him again.

"Yeah, probably," she rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. She said goodbye to the girls and let Drew escort her out, not looking back. There were a number of people milling around in the room outside, talking and smoking and getting fresh air. She noticed Ash there, standing beside Gary with their drinks. Drew took hold of her hand, almost as if he was showing she was his, which she normally would hate, but she let him, and Ash noticed. She was sure he wasn't bothered, and she didn't know why she even cared if he was.

They left and walked to her room together. When they arrived he stopped at her door and waited for her to unlock it. She stepped inside and he stood in the corridor.

"Well, I'll see you in the morning," he said, smiling. She was considering something stupid, and she knew she'd had too much to drink. She knew it was a bad idea, and yet she took a step forward, placing her hand on the back of his head, and pulled him down to kiss her. For a second he didn't respond, but then he opened his mouth for her and kissed her back, his hand travelling to her back. She took a step back, and he followed her. It was such a bad idea, and it'd only lead her into more problems, but she closed the door behind them anyway as Drew ran one hand through her hair. She felt a heat spread across her whole body. Drew shrugged his jacket off onto the floor and she reached to unbutton his shirt.

She moaned slightly onto his lips as his hand gripped her waist and she lowered herself back onto her bed, kicking off her shoes frantically. Drew followed her lead and was soon leaning over her, his hand travelling slowly down to her legs. She closed her eyes, hoping to forget everything for the night. She felt Drew's hand run down her stomach, and, with a gasp, realised she was picturing Ash. She jolted upright and Drew stopped, backing up.

"What's wrong?" He asked. Suddenly she felt sick, and guilty, and awful. What was wrong with her?

"I…" She closed her eyes hard. "I can't do this. I'm sorry, Drew."

He was quiet and still for a moment, then she heard him climb off her and lie down beside her. When she opened her eyes he was laying quietly beside her, staring up at the ceiling. He smiled over at her, and she felt a pang of guilt in her stomach.

"It's alright," he said. "Do you want me to leave?"

Somehow, she wanted him to stay, if only so she wouldn't be alone. She was surprised he hadn't stormed out, and grateful that he wasn't bothered by the situation. She shook her head, and he nodded. She wanted his friendship. She needed friends to survive here. She should never have tried to ruin that.

"Okay."

She pulled the covers up over them and she curled into his chest. He put his arms around her, and as guilty as she felt, she let him. She couldn't be alone tonight. The guilt of the murders, the weight of her situation, and the confusion she felt when she thought of the prince was crashing down on her.

"I don't know if I like this job," she admitted quietly.

"It'll get easier." He rubbed her back gently. "And I'm selfish, and I want you to stay."

She cried into his chest under the covers and he let her until sleep took over her.


Alright alright, sorry for the tiny bit of contestshipping- it's just to add a bit of spice and stuff y'know, and I thought it just fit in right for the story. I hope people don't get too annoyed at me for it lol. Drew's not meant to be a bad character in this, please don't hate him! x)