Hi all,

first of all, sorry for the really long pause between uploads. I'm hoping the super long chapter here sort of makes up for it. Turns out going back to work was more distracting than I thought!

Secondly, this isn't a love triangle. I see why people might be annoyed but I already stated that May wanted Drew as her friend and for it to be a love triangle I'd need to have May conflicted between the two when she's not. Just using Drew to push it forward a bit. :)

Thanks for being patient with me!


She woke the next morning to see Drew putting his shoes on. For a moment she was confused, her memory of the night before more than a little blurry. She panicked for a second that they'd done something until her memory came flooding back to her and she relaxed. Drew turned to her and smiled.

"Sorry, I have to go. Breakfast duties."

She rubbed her eyes and pushed herself up. "I'm really sorry about last night."

"It's okay, May." He stood and headed for the door. She followed him. He opened the door and stepped out into the corridor, then bent down slightly and kissed the top of her head gently. "See you later."

She watched him leave then went to close her door when a hand stopped it. She jumped. Ash stepped in front of the door. How hadn't she noticed he was there? Had he just seen everything? She stared up at him, and he looked down at her. Realising she was still wearing the dress, and her hair was a tangled mess, she wanted the earth to open up and swallow her whole.

"I'll just wait out here for you to get dressed," he stated simply, coldly, then leaned back against the wall.

"O-Okay." She closed the door quickly and leant back against it, catching her breath. She slipped out of the dress and lay it down on her bed before pulling on her maid dress and quickly brushing her hair. When she was done she opened the door again. Ash looked over at her, and his expression made her heart jump. He seemed in a bad mood. He gestured to the other side of her and she turned, almost jumping again at the sight of a guard standing right beside her.

"He'll be outside your room from now on."

May nodded politely to the guard, who smiled back. She turned back to Ash.

"Come," he said simply, and headed off in the direction of his room. She followed a few steps behind, ashamed. She wanted to clarify that nothing had happened, but why would he care? They reached his room, and he held the door open for her. Once the door closed behind them she couldn't help but feel a tension that made her nervous. Was he going to shout at her for having Drew in her room all night? Judging by the look on his face, that was probably it.

"I-" she started, but stuttered. "I mean, we- We um, we didn't do anything. I'm sorry. It won't happen again."

Ash blinked over at her in confusion, yet his face softened a little. "What?"

"Oh… I thought you were going to tell me off for- Well, you know. But nothing happened."

Ash turned away, and she was sure she saw a blush spread across his cheeks. "I wasn't going to tell you off for that… You can do whatever you want."

Now she was even more embarrassed. She'd spent the whole night thinking about Ash, and only now was she letting herself consider why. She'd been in denial, so much so that she hadn't even let herself even try to figure it out, because the truth was too ridiculous to even consider. The night with Drew had been the wakeup call she needed. She was either developing feelings for Ash, or the situation was confusing her to another level. Either way, it was bad.

"Oh… What do you need me for then, Your Highness?" She asked.

"Well, um," he started, scratching his head. He seemed awkward, and she'd never seen him act like this. "I just needed you to do some stuff, that's all."

She had no idea why he was acting so suspicious. "Of course. Do you want me to bring breakfast up for you?"

He considered it. "Yeah, actually."

Glad to have something to do, she hurried off to get it for him. She tried to think of anything else, but it was impossible now that she'd let the thought invade her mind. It was frustrating to say the least. What good would having feelings for a prince do? She needed to snap out of it, and fast.

When she returned Gary was there. May set the tray down in front of Ash and went to pull open the curtains, which he hadn't bothered touching yet. They were speaking in hushed tones about the murders, and a lump formed in May's throat. She had no reason to believe they suspected her in the slightest, but it still made her nervous.

"Didn't you get any for yourself?" He asked. She shook her head. He put some of his on a plate and handed it to her. "Sit, and eat."

She sat in a chair across the room from them and ate quietly. At one point Gary slammed his fist on the desk, scaring her, and Ash scolded him, apologising to her. She finished and set her plate down on the floor beside her.

"Could you get some tea for us, May?" He asked. She scrambled up and grabbed her plate and nodded. She hurried to make a pot of tea, grabbed two cups for them, then hurried back. When she returned, Gary was gone. She set the tray down anyway.

"Well, he's gone, so I guess you'll have to drink it with me," he said. Her heart began to race again, and she was embarrassed that she let herself get this way. He was only being polite.

She poured his tea then sat opposite him.

"You looked really nice last night," he said casually. She blushed.

"Thank you."

"Who is he?" He pried, meaning Drew. She didn't think he'd be so openly nosy.

"A kitchen boy. Drew."

"He seems nice."

"He is."

There was a moment of somewhat awkward silence. May cleared her throat. "Doesn't your brother attend these things? I haven't seen him in a while."

Ash shook his head and sipped his tea. "He hates anything like that. He rarely leaves his room. I think everyone is better off for it."

May agreed. The one encounter with him was enough for her. "What's on your schedule today?"

"I have to speak to my father." Ash scowled down into his teacup. "About the engagement."

May had never managed to get any information from him about it yet. She didn't even know if he was against it or for it. Now was her chance to pry. "Is that a bad thing?"

"The whole thing is ridiculous. I don't think anyone should be told who they have to marry, royalty or not. I wish I was the younger brother."

She had to empathise with him a bit on that. It was the same in her country. They couldn't have a prince or princess marrying a commoner. It would ruin the image. Still, it seemed unfair. She remembered hearing a story about a commoner that was caught with the prince in her country. She'd been beheaded.

"I'm sorry. You seem to like that one girl, though."

He shot her a look, and she wondered if she'd stepped over a line. "Dawn? I've been friends with her since we were little."

Well, that hurt. He didn't deny it. She went quiet and drank her tea. "I'd like to clean your room. It's getting messy in here."

Ash looked around. "Yeah, I suppose it is. Go ahead."

She finished her tea and stood. She left to grab some cleaning supplies from a cupboard and returned. When she did, he was sitting in the living room area of his rooms, reading a book, as if he didn't have a care in the world. She busied herself with sweeping and dusting, and picking up everything he'd left lying around. She folded his laundry and put it away for him. When she was done she poured him another tea.

"Is there anything else you need done?"

"I don't think so," he said without looking up from his book. Unsure what to do, she stood awkwardly beside the sofa, staring out the tall windows. She felt his eyes on her and refused to look back. If he wasn't going to give her anything to do and wasn't going to dismiss her, what did he expect? He'd be leaving to speak to the king soon anyway. She wasn't sure why he didn't send her off to do other jobs.

"Come," he said suddenly, patting the space beside him. She sat down beside him but continued to look out the windows at the people strolling through the gardens. She turned to glance at him and caught him watching her intently. He turned away quickly. She realised that her skirt, which was already short, had rode up, and left much of her thighs on show. She pulled it down as far as she could, blushing.

She looked back up, to see the grey clouds had opened up and a thick blizzard of snow was falling, already forming a thin layer over the gardens. It rarely snowed in Hoenn, and she'd only seen snow twice before in her life. She marvelled at it, enjoying the sight of the crystalline droplets flying past. It was a total whiteout. She heard Ash chuckle beside her, and realised he'd been watching her stare at it.

"Do you like snow?" He asked.

"I haven't seen it in a long time," she admitted, embarrassed. He closed his book and set it down beside him.

"C'mon then," he said, standing and holding out his hand for her. She stared up at him, confused, but took it anyway, and he helped her up.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, to see the snow, obviously."

She blinked. "I thought you had to speak to the king today?"

He winked at her, and she felt herself melt a little. "I have time."

She followed him through the hallways, bewildered that he was really doing this. Every now and then she'd steal a glance at him, and he'd smile back at her, and she'd turn away quickly, feeling her heart sink. When they reached the doors he opened them for her, as if he were her servant, and they stepped out into the freezing cold. The sky was still entirely white, and the ground crunched beneath her as they disturbed the fresh layer of snow. She looked to Ash, who had stuck his hands in his pockets and was admiring the gardens. The snow was resting on his hair and the end of his nose. She took a few more steps out, and he started following. She wasn't sure where they were walking. After a while Ash bent down, grabbed a handful of snow and tossed it at her. It hit her gently in the arm and, stunned, she turned to stare at him, but he was only grinning back at her. In the moment, he truly seemed like any other person in the world, not a prince, and she liked it.

She bent to touch the snow herself. The first snow of the winter. It was cold on her fingers but soft, and she squished it together, not caring that her fingers turned red. It fell soundlessly around her, and although she was freezing, she somehow felt warm. She wanted to stay out here with him forever. She'd promised herself she wouldn't get lost in her feelings, that she'd pull herself out of it, but when she looked up at him watching her she wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them. Without thinking she threw back her hand and threw the snowball she'd gathered at him. He attempted to dodge, but it struck the side of his face. May's heart sank.

"Oh no, I'm sorry," she said, standing and putting her hands up, taking a few steps towards him to see if he was okay. He rubbed the snow out of his eye and she saw his face for the first time. He was laughing.

"Only you would throw snow at royalty, huh?" He shook his hair, and she watched the snow sprinkle off him. "That's what I like about you."

The words struck May like lightning, and were enough to make her turn away. Suddenly, the whole situation seemed intimate, and she was frightened of it. She couldn't let herself feel this way. Ash cleared his throat and started to stumble over his words.

"I-I mean, that's why I picked you."

Her heart was stuttering. She hated that she felt so alive. She hated that she liked this fake life she'd created for herself. She hated that it could never be real. It could never truly be hers. She hated him for picking her. Why did it have to be her? The snow was ruined for her, and now she was just cold through. Ash shifted behind her awkwardly.

"I should get back," he said. "You should too. You'll catch a cold."

"Right," she said. It was almost lunchtime anyway. She followed behind him wordlessly until they were inside, and he excused himself. She headed to the servant's dining hall, and was glad to see Misty and Serena there. Drew was nowhere to be seen. She grabbed her food and sat beside them. They quietened and stared at her for a minute.

"Were you outside just now?" Serena asked.

"The prince took me out into the gardens when it started to snow because I haven't seen it in a long time."

Misty's jaw dropped. "That's so romantic," she swooned. May hated that. Her words died at Misty's word choice, and she stared down into her food, not bothering to touch it. She couldn't be bothered to talk to them after all. She was starting to think it was time to ask if she could be done here. She needed to speak to her partner anyway.

"May?" Serena poked her arm. "Are you alright?"

She gave the best fake smile she could muster. "I'm fine."

"That's a lie."

May tried to fight off the feeling of uneasiness that sank into her stomach when she thought of the conversation Ash was having right now. She wished she could listen to it. She sighed, and decided she needed to admit it to someone. "I can't stop thinking about him."

She regretted the words the second they left her mouth. Her heart clenched in embarrassment at the girls' silence. She really must sound ridiculous. Her cheeks flushed red at the admission. She was normally so cool and collected, and this new side of her frustrated her to no end. She'd only ever felt anything for one person before years ago, and she hadn't even liked them that much, but her heart still stung when she thought of the feeling he'd left behind.

"Drew?" Misty asked eventually. May couldn't stifle the sigh.

"No. Ash. I mean, the prince."

"You- do you call him by his name?" Serena asked.

"He told me to. He says all sorts of weird things. He has me sit for tea with him and eat dinner with him and walk with him."

Misty was just blinking at her, and it wasn't helping with her uneasiness. She thought perhaps she should just go for a bath and cool off. "You like him?"

May didn't know how to answer that one. The second she admitted it aloud, she knew it would become more real than it already was, and she was doing her best to avoid that. It wasn't like there was anything she could do about it. Her silence seemed to be answer enough, as her two friends looked at each other then back at her in stunned silence.

"I know everyone probably says that," she said quickly to break the silence. "But I mean…" She carefully considered how to word herself. "I think it's going to get too much for me."

Serena furrowed her brows. "You could ask to switch with someone?"

May shook her head. That was the last thing she wanted. Completely tearing herself from him would already hurt too much, and would be terrible for her job. It would be better to just ride the wave and hope that, like all her other small crushes, it would fade into nothing with time. "I'm sure it'll be fine. I just needed to tell someone." She stood, pushing the tray away even though she'd eaten nothing. "I'm gonna go for a bath."

Her friends sounded like they felt sorry for her as they said goodbye. She cleared her tray and headed for the baths. Her nose started to run as she walked, and she sighed, realising she'd spent too long outside in her tiny dress. She definitely needed the bath.


She knocked gently on his door later in the evening, well after dinner, which had passed uneventfully. She'd spent her day cleaning, but had been called back to his room. He didn't call for her to come in, and his guards were nowhere to be seen, so she stepped hesitantly inside. He was sitting up in bed, his head resting heavily in one of his hands. Had the talks really gone that badly? She took a careful step towards him, and when he looked up, she could instantly tell something was wrong.

"Are you alright?" She asked, coming up beside him. He huffed, like he wanted to answer but couldn't. His eyes were clouded over and distant, almost like he wasn't altogether there. Panic set in quickly, and May knelt on the ground beside him, taking his head in her hands and turning him towards her, looking over his face, dread rising in her stomach. "Ash?"

He started to fall forward. May caught his shoulders and held him upright. Panic set deep in her chest as she realised what was happening. Someone had poisoned him. She tried to keep calm as her heart hammered against her chest, flickering deep in her throat. His face was white, and he was fading in and out of consciousness already. She could see the light leaving his eyes.

She'd studied different types of poison when she'd done her training, but she'd never had to use that training before. She tried to clear her mind and remember the symptoms of the different kinds so she'd remember the antidote. Based on how he was acting, she didn't have long. The healers would all be done for the day and in their rooms. It would take too long to get one of them and them to check him. She had to do it herself.

She stood up, and he crumbled back onto the bed. She ran out of the room, not stopping to answer when another maid called over to her. She didn't knock on the door of the office, just flew in. No one else was around. She quickly combed through her mind for the ingredients she needed, but her mind was racing, and the panic was making everything blurry. She cursed loudly at herself and grabbed a few bottles from a cabinet. Her hands shook as she mixed together what she thought she needed and prayed she was right. She had to be right.

She was back in his room within minutes. He was lying still on the bed in the position she'd left him in. Her heart sank, and she almost dropped the vial when she ran over to him and reached for his neck. He still had a pulse. The relief that flooded over her threatened to consume her, but she pulled him upright. He was heavier than her, and it was a struggle to keep him up with one arm. She patted his cheek gently.

"Ash." She held the vial up to his mouth but he was unresponsive. "Ash, I need you to drink this."

He opened his eyes weakly and looked at her. "May." His breathing was erratic.

She pressed the vial against his lips. He opened them slightly and she forced the mixture into him. He coughed, and she worried he hadn't swallowed it, but she couldn't do anything else now. All she could hear was the blood rushing in her ears as she waited with baited breath. After a painfully long moment his breathing calmed. The pressure of the situation crashed down onto her all at once and she cried into the silence as she held him up still.

She lifted him up to the top of the bed and pulled the covers up onto him, checking that he was breathing steadily once more. Now she could get a healer. She returned minutes later with one in tow, who checked him over and praised May for acting so quickly. So she'd been right. The healer confirmed that he'd been poisoned, and told May she'd report it to the king. If May had taken any longer than she had, he'd be dead. She turned to watch him as the healer left, asking her to watch over him. He was sleeping peacefully now. There was only one question on her mind: who had tried to kill him?

She pulled up a chair to his bedside and sat beside him. There was no way she could leave his side until he woke up. She'd been in such a panic she felt sick, but the feeling of his body in her arms haunted her too. She'd been so terrified.

She'd almost fallen asleep when the sound of the door opening had her sitting up. She expected a healer or perhaps Gary, but instead watched in horror as the king stepped inside and looked over at her. Her breath caught in her throat as she clambered up out of her chair, feeling faint from the stress, and bowed quickly.

"Your Highness," she said. The king barely acknowledged her. He walked over to the bedside and stared at his son. His deep set eyes had a fury in them so wild she wanted to cower away. He stood for another second before looking over at her. He was getting old, and his eyes were tired, but he still held a power that she couldn't understand, and it pressed into her with every second he looked. She had faced off with countless powerful people before, but nothing compared to this. She felt as though if he stared at her for long enough, all of her secrets would fall away.

"What's your name?"

"May, Your Highness."

She kept her head down and hoped she wasn't in trouble. "Thank you for saving my son."

She looked up and found that the gratitude was genuine. She nodded politely at him, unsure what to say. After another silent moment he turned, his cloak swaying around him, and marched out of the room again, that soon. May let herself relax, falling back into the chair with a huff. She reached over and rested her hand on his forehead to check his temperature. He was burning up. She hurried to the bathroom and grabbed a small towel. She wet it and wrung it out, then returned to place it over his head. His brow furrowed then relaxed again, but he didn't open his eyes. May hovered over him for a moment, then realised how crazy she must look and settled back down into the chair. She wasn't sure how long had passed before she felt herself drifting off to sleep. She replaced the cloth on his head and closed the curtains, then returned to his side. Before long she was fast asleep.

"May?"

She opened her eyes to see him standing over her, his hand held out for her. The snow fell silently around him. His rich brown eyes were filled with an emotion she didn't recognise. She took his hand and it was a blessed warmth amongst the cold. He pulled her up and let go of her hand, and looked quickly away.

"I thought I'd lost you for a second there," he chuckled. He seemed nervous.

"Sorry. I must've zoned out."

"Walk with me?" He asked, holding out his arm. She looped hers around it and let him lead as they walked, their steps disturbing the fresh snow with satisfying crunches. As they walked she noticed they were approaching trees. Woods. He led her into them, until they were deep in the trees. She couldn't see the palace anymore from here. He stopped suddenly and turned to face her.

It hit her all at once- how much she wanted him to reach down and cup her cheek in his hand, how much she wanted him to pull her into him without remorse and kiss her. The picture of it in her head made her heart swell and a fresh warmth spread across her whole body. She didn't realise how long she's been staring at him for. She'd never been completely smitten with someone like this before. Never this quickly. He'd made her come undone, weak at her knees and completely helpless in his presence.

He reached down and gently grabbed her chin, tilting her jaw up towards him. The rest happened so quickly she barely had time to register it. In a second his other hand was in her hair and he pulled her into him, their lips crashing together. Her heart exploded. She reached up to push her hands through his hair which she loved so much. Ash pulled her closer to him and they only pulled away from each other briefly for air, their breath hot on each other. It felt so wrong, so dangerous, and she never wanted it to end. They kissed again, and her longing deepened. She knew now there was no going back. The spark had become a roaring flame that she'd never be able to snuff out. She was done for.

He pulled away. The feeling in the pit of her stomach, the feeling of desire for him, drove her crazy. She wanted to press herself into him forever, but… he was fading away. She reached out for him, but her hand went right through his now ghostly form. She tried to cry out for him, but her words came out silent. She could do nothing but claw for him as he disappeared right in front of her and she fell to her knees.

May jolted awake, beads of sweat gathering on her brow, an uncomfortable warmth between her legs. She took ragged breaths as reality came flooding back to her and her stomach clenched with embarrassment. She turned to look at Ash, who still slept quietly beside her, and realised his hand was entwined with hers. Her heart nearly stopped. He must've reached out in his fever and found it.

She needed to get away for a moment. She gently pried her fingers from his and rushed to his bathroom. She bent over the sink, running the cold water and splashing it onto her face. She needed to pull herself together, but… the dream was haunting her, flashing before her. Brief memories of the kiss, of the feeling it gave her, of the hunger she felt.

When she returned to the room she peered through the curtains and saw the sun rising in the distance, casting a pink-orange glow across the grounds. She must've been sleeping for quite a while. She grabbed the towel from Ash's head and checked his temperature again. He was still burning up, so she replaced it again and grabbed a glass to fill with water for him. When she turned around to set it on the table on the other side of the bed from her chair, he was awake. It startled her so much she almost dropped the glass.

"Ash?" She rushed to his side, the dream pushed away for a moment. "How are you feeling?"

His eyes were still slightly clouded over, and he looked completely out of it. She prayed his fever would go down soon. It was probably causing a lot of confusion for him. He didn't answer, so she held out the glass of water for him, which he took and sipped slowly. The healer had warned he might suffer from mental deterioration and confusion for a day or two after. She'd offered to send someone to watch him, but she'd insisted that she wanted to do it herself.

She bent to take the water back from him and froze when he reached up and touched her face. She faced him with wide eyes.

"May," he said weakly. He was so close she could feel his breath on her face. "Lie beside me."

Her heart kickstarted again. He's delirious, and doesn't know what he's saying, she convinced herself. "You don't know what you're saying." She pulled away. Why did he have to be this way?

"No," he said simply, his voice coming clearly this time. May froze. "I do."

She didn't understand. She looked at him, and he was looking back at her. She was tired from her restless sleep and worn down still from the night before. It was still early morning, and no one would be by for a while, but.. She couldn't, could she? His bed was huge, and she wouldn't have to be close to him. He was waiting for her. In a moment of weakness she gave in. She circled round the bed to the other side and crawled onto it. She stayed on top of the sheets but lay beside him. He closed his eyes and smiled up at the ceiling, like he was just content with her being there. She wondered how he could be so calm while her heart felt like it was going to explode.

They lay there quietly for a moment and May began to relax. She wondered if he'd even remember this when he came around. She closed her eyes for a moment when she felt her skirts rustle and realised Ash had placed his hand on her leg. She jumped up quickly, her whole body tense and confused.

"W-What?" She stuttered. Ash blinked slowly over at her as though he didn't understand. A fury bubbled up, rising up from her stomach to her chest. It wasn't fair. He surely wasn't interested in her. In his delirious state he must have just seen her as any other girl, and went for what every man wanted. It was the only explanation. "That's not fair," she hissed before she could stop herself. "You're not fair."

She stormed out. The guards now stationed back at the door shot her confused looks but she ignored them and didn't stop until she reached her room and collapsed against the back of her door. She'd have to go back. It was her job to look after him, but she couldn't face him now. Things were getting dangerous. It would've been so easy to let him touch her. She wanted to. She'd wanted it, and that's what had scared her most. She pulled her knees up to her chest and cried loudly into them, not caring if the guard on the other side of the door heard. She cried until she had no tears left.


She tied her hair up in a high ponytail before heading out for a change. A day had passed since that morning. After she'd cried she'd returned to his rooms and continued to look after him. She realised that it wasn't fair to blame him for something that he did while he had such a strong fever. It was her fault for letting the dream get to her head. Even now when she let it slip into her mind the kiss replayed and goosebumps spread across her whole body.

She grabbed breakfast for him and headed for his room. The guards pushed the door open and she thanked them, stepping in. She stopped in her tracks when she realised he was awake. He was awake and sitting up in bed and he looked… normal. He turned to face her and his face softened. The look made her melt.

"Ash?" She moved over to him and set the tray down on the table.

"Hi," he said casually, smiling up at her. She let out a sigh of relief and couldn't help but smile back at him.

"You scared me," she admitted, taking the seat beside him. "I'm so glad you're alright." It might've been too much, but she didn't care. Seeing him sitting up and okay made her feel relief like she'd never felt before. She wanted to hug him so badly.

"May," he said, his tone serious. "Thank you. You saved me."

"Don't worry about it." She smiled at him, but his face was serious now.

"No, you saved my life. I'd be dead if it wasn't for you." He looked away suddenly. "I don't know how I'll ever thank you."

"Really, don't worry about it." He looked almost embarrassed as he looked away. She wondered how much he remembered, but couldn't ask. He had an excuse- he was delirious and not thinking straight. If he remembered her climbing into bed with him while she was completely fine… Her face flushed. "Do you remember me coming in?" She asked, hoping that he'd let slip the answer to the question she really wanted to ask.

He furrowed his eyebrows. "Faintly. It's all kind of… blurry. I remember feeling like absolute death, like I really thought I was gone, and you… you holding me up." He swallowed hard. "I don't remember much else."

She couldn't help but feel he was lying. "You were poisoned."

He nodded gravely. "I figured as much. I'll have to be more careful from now on." He sighed. "You were incredible. Thanks for looking after me, too."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "I thought you didn't remember."

His face glowed bright red, and May was sure hers matched. He opened his mouth to speak then closed it again a couple of times, then grabbed his breakfast try and started to pick at it. May stood and brushed herself off. She couldn't stand to be so close to him.

"I'll run you a bath," she announced. He nodded and she let herself into his bathroom. Once the bath was full she returned. He hadn't eaten much, but it was better than nothing. He set the tray down and moved so he was sitting on the edge of the bed, then tried to push himself up but wobbled. May hurried over and let him sling his arm around her shoulders.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"It's fine." She smiled. She kept him upright until they were in the bathroom and suddenly everything felt too intimate, especially knowing he probably remembered that night. Especially when she remembered the heat she'd felt when she'd woken up from that dream. She let him go as he rested his arms on the side of the tub.

"Will you be alright now?" She asked. She prayed the answer was yes. If he asked her to help him undress she couldn't really refuse. It was part of her job.

"Yes. Thank you."

May settled herself onto the sofa and waited for him. She only rose to answer the door to Serena, who had brought breakfast up for her, knowing she'd have no time to come down for it herself. She ate it silently while she waited, then cleaned the trays up ready to take back down to the kitchens. She knew she had to stay, in case something happened or he needed help, but the thought of him laying in there renewed the heat that might consume her. She couldn't keep letting him get into her head. It was going to eat her alive.

The door swung open and Ash emerged, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. When he stood upright, she noticed he was shirtless and quickly looked away. He tossed the towel back into the bathroom and it landed on the sink. She stayed silent, pretending to be looking out the window as he grabbed a dark blue shirt from his wardrobe and dressed himself, tucking it messily into his pants.

"I feel much better now," he said. "I'm going to see my father."

"Are you sure you should be walking around?" She asked, standing. It was a miracle he'd pulled himself together so quick, but he'd end up sick again if he pushed himself too hard. He smiled over in reassurance.

"It's alright. You can go and get some rest."

He pulled on his shoes and left her alone in his room. Normally she'd see it as a perfect opportunity to snoop, but she couldn't bring herself to even consider it. She left a moment later with the trays. Once she dropped them off she headed down to the dining hall, hoping to catch one of her friends there. She knew she couldn't rest anyway. She spotted them sitting beside Drew and wandered over.

"May!" Misty exclaimed as she approached. "Are you okay?"

"Of course." She smiled. "Hey," she greeted Drew and Serena.

"Hey," they both said back.

"Is he alright?" Serena asked. "What happened?"

"Someone poisoned him," she answered in a hushed voice.

"Did you find him?" Misty asked. Drew stayed silent.

"Yeah… I let myself into his room and he was completely out of it. Luckily I worked as a healer in my town briefly and recognised the poison."

"He's so lucky to have you," Serena commented. "If it were me I wouldn't know what to do. That's so scary."

"It was scary. It was terrifying." She rested her head in her hands. "I'm exhausted."

"I bet. You've been with him every waking moment since."

"He's awake and seems okay now."

Serena looked up over May's shoulder and blinked. "Speaking of…"

May turned to see what she was looking at and saw Ash leaning against the doorframe casually, his arms crossed over his chest, looking right at her. The rest of the servants started to mutter excitedly amongst themselves. He was so popular here that all the girls immediately looked like they were going to faint. She blinked over at him and he beckoned her over. She turned back to her friends, who were also staring in disbelief. Someone must've told him she'd come into the dining hall. They'd barely been apart twenty minutes. She rose and shot her friends an apologetic look then skipped over to him. The rest of the servants glared at her as she did. In a weird way, it made her feel smug. She came to his side.

"Hi," she greeted him casually, clearly showing off in front of everyone but not caring. She knew he wouldn't care.

"Hey," he replied. He gestured with his head. "C'mon."

They left together. She followed him, unsure of where they were going, out into the grounds. She quickly realised they were headed for the stables. As he approached a guard scurried away to grab his horse. It was a beautiful black horse with the shiniest coat she'd ever seen on any horse. It rubbed its nose on his shoulder as he greeted it affectionately and rubbed its nose back. May was confused.

"What're we doing?" She asked.

"I'm thanking you," he said. He placed a foot in the stirrup and pulled himself up onto the horse, then held a hand out for May. She stared at it in disbelief. He was surely joking.

"I- I'm wearing a dress," she stuttered. "And what would people think? I mean-"

"You can ride in a dress. And who cares? It's nothing serious."

She stared at it for another moment before giving in and taking it. He pulled her up and she landed behind him. She was so close to him that he'd probably be able to feel her heartbeat in her chest. They were opening the gates for them. She knew she was supposed to put her arms around him so she wouldn't fall off, but was that really okay? She feared she might throw up over him from nerves.

"Put your arms around me," he instructed, sensing her hesitation. She swallowed hard and obeyed, leaning into him and wrapping her arms around his waist. He was so warm and strong and she wanted to rest her head on his back and fall asleep but she forced herself to stay upright and controlled her breathing. After a moment he gently kicked the horse into motion. After another moment, he had her run. May's hair was flying wildly behind her as she clung to him, her breath catching in her throat. The whole situation was so surreal she couldn't help but wonder if she'd fallen asleep in the dining hall and she was really dreaming. Two sets of guards followed behind them on their own horses.

"Where are we going?" She shouted over the wind.

"Into town," he called back. She continued to cling to him as they rode, rising and falling with each other. She was breathless the whole time. She could smell his cologne and it was sending her into a spiral. Eventually he slowed her down, pulling up beside a store. People were staring. She still had her maid dress on, and now it was just embarrassing. He hopped off and started to help her down. Once she was halfway down he grabbed her waist casually and lifted her the rest of the way. She choked back the noise she almost made when she felt his hands on her. It was a jewellery store. So many beautiful necklaces lined the window. Ash kept hold of the horse's reins but stepped forward to the window.

"Pick one," he said casually, smiling down at her. May stared back in bewilderment.

"What?"

"I wasn't sure how else to thank you." He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"You really don't have to thank me," she insisted, but her heart burned. "I can't accept anything from you."

"Why not?" He tilted his head.

"I just can't," she said firmly. He studied her face for a moment, then nodded like he understood.

"Alright. Well, I'm going in anyway, to pick something up."

Probably a gift for one of the ladies he was courting. She nodded, her mood suddenly dampened, and he handed her the reins to hold. She gently stroked the horse's nose as she waited for him, and it huffed in appreciation. She smiled, deciding she liked his horse. She was rubbing its cheek when Ash snuck up behind her.

"She likes you," He spoke into her ear, making her jump. She wished he wouldn't be so casual with her. It was only worsening her… condition. She handed the reins back to him and wondered what he had in the bag he was holding. She couldn't ask. It would be rude. He got back onto the horse and helped her up again.

"Is there anywhere you want to go?"

She shook her head, wrapping her arms around his sides again. He nodded. "Okay, good. We're going on a detour. I'll think of another way to thank you."

She hated the way he said that. It made her mind race with inappropriate thoughts, which only added to the nerves she was feeling. They were off again a second later, but this time he took a different turn. They ended up out of the city, riding across a field May didn't recognise. They were riding too fast for May to ask him anything so she just clung to him and soaked up the sights. She felt so free riding with him, like nothing else mattered, like they could just keep riding into the distance and leave everything else behind. As she daydreamed she leant forward and rested her head on his back. She felt him grow tense beneath her and froze. She'd gone too far. She pulled away quickly, hoping he wouldn't bring it up.

They reached the top of a hill, and she looked out into the distance. Her breath caught in her throat. A lake stretched out ahead of them, just at the bottom of the hill. The silver water flickered gently at the edges, but in the middle was a clear and calm statue. The valley around it was just breathtaking. She wanted to jump off and run right into the water. She noticed Ash had turned slightly and was watching her.

"I figured you'd like this view," he said when she met his eyes.

"It's incredible," she said breathlessly, looking again over the green and blue valley. It seemed so peaceful. She wondered how they could ever consider ruining beauty like this with war. For a brief moment she was weighed down with immeasurable guilt. She had no right to sit here, holding onto an actual prince on his horse, knowing she'd killed his people. She didn't deserve the respect he was giving her, even though she was only his maid. He was… Well, he was everything she'd hoped he wouldn't be. He was a good person. He was possibly the best person she'd ever met.

"We can come back here when I have more time, if you like." He smiled down at her then turned to face forward again. May knew that moment would never come. She'd likely be gone before then, leaving him wondering where she'd gone forever. If he even cared enough to wonder. He kicked the horse onwards and she watched the valley disappear behind her. She felt all her hope for the future she secretly wanted disappear along with it.