I'm not sure anyone's still around to read this considering it's probably the longest break anyone's ever taken between posting and actually came back, but here it is anyway lol


May woke to the sound of a couple arguing loudly outside her window. She rubbed her eyes hard, hoping it'd wake her up more. Her head was spinning wildly, and once she opened her eyes, she had to take in her surroundings again. The room was smaller than her room at the palace had been, and the walls were all wooden. It was cold, and damp, and it smelled kind of funny, and the weight of her situation hit her like a ton of bricks. She pulled the covers up to her face and cried into them. She was ashamed of herself for crying so much, but really, didn't she have a good excuse? She'd known her fake life would come to an end, but she could never have prepared for this pain. It was as if someone had reached into her chest and pulled her heart right out, leaving her hollow and empty.

Ash had fired her, and in her fury, she'd fled from the palace. Now she was lying in an uncomfortable bed in a small inn just outside of the city. She'd taken the horse. She never would have made it out of the city in time if she hadn't. Luckily, with everyone distracted by the ball, no one had been there to stop her. She knew she'd feel guilty when she saw the white mare- which she'd foolishly named Storm- again.

She had to move on. The journey to Hoenn would be long, and dangerous. Whoever was out for her would likely realise she had left soon, if he didn't already know, and track her down. Still, she couldn't risk riding around in her suit, so she'd have to settle for a dagger strapped around her thigh. She dressed in a plain cream-coloured long dress, though she was still crying and could barely see through the tears. Once she was ready to leave she paused at the public bathroom and splashed cold water on her face, hoping it would calm her puffy, red eyes down. She ate a disappointing breakfast and paid the innkeeper before leaving. Storm whinnied excitedly at the sight of her, and May swallowed, that guilt she'd been expecting hitting hard. She ran her hand fondly down the mare's neck and pressed her cheek against it. This was the last thing she'd have to remember Ash. She'd left the ruby necklace in her room at the palace- knowing that if anyone noticed it, they'd jump her to steal it, or think she was worth kidnapping.

She climbed onto Storm's back and set off. As she rode she thought of the night before, replaying it over and over in her mind. Would Ash regret the way things had ended between them when they'd started becoming friends? Was that mean side of him the real side of him after all? Even if that was true, May's heart was still with him. It probably would be for a long, long time. It was hard to force herself onward, as she followed the dirt road farther from the city, towards the small river fishing village she knew was just a few miles ahead, where she could buy some supplies for the journey. She had no choice now. Even if she'd remained, there was no place for her at the palace, and she had no place to stay in the city besides the abandoned apartment that she didn't want to be caught in.

She found herself thinking of Serena as she approached the village a while later. She was going to miss her. Even if Ash had been hiding a mean side, May genuinely believed Serena was just a great person. She might have had her own agenda, but she'd been a genuine friend, and it was hard for her to hold back the tears when she realised she'd never see her again.

The village was bustling although it was small. She tied her horse up outside another inn and stopped to eat dinner. She mostly stared out the window at the river that passed through the middle of the village. She had never felt so alone. Even her family couldn't fill the void in her now.

Once she'd bought a few things she headed off again, following the river. She didn't stop until she'd reached the next fishing village. This one was bigger, and the inn actually looked pretty nice. It was dark, and May was hungry, so she couldn't go any further today. She had hoped to put more distance between herself and the capital, but she was exhausted. She bought a room and threw herself down on the bed, which was blessedly comfy compared to the last one. She buried her face in the pillows, but didn't cry. She didn't have any tears left.

With nothing else to do, she left her room, knowing it was dumb but needing the fresh air, and walked out into the village, which was quiet now that it was the dead of night. Her breath curled in the air in front of her, and she hugged the fur coat she'd bought tight around her.

Just as she should have expected, a pair of hands were around her before she could react, lifting her from the ground. She went to scream, but a gloved hand clapped over her mouth. She was dragged into an alley, where her attacker dropped his hand. She was going to scream, until she realised who it was- her partner. She let out the breath she'd been holding and nearly collapsed into the wall.

"Was that really necessary?" She hissed, already angry at him.

"That depends." He shrugged. "What are you doing here?"

He didn't know. May swallowed hard. "I got fired. They sent me away. I'm sorry."

For the first time, she saw emotion flash into his eyes. Fury. "Then you've jeopardized this entire mission and lost our only hope at redemption." He gripped her wrist hard. "You must go back and be forgiven, and finish the job."

She yelped, a bolt of pain shooting up her wrist. He was holding her too hard. "I can't," she cried. It was only partly the truth. She supposed it was plausible for her to go back, apologise and beg for her job back, but she wasn't sure she could handle that now.

"You must." It was an order. He dropped her wrist and it fell heavily to her side. She was about to argue back when he made a strange sputtering sound suddenly. May balked, taking a step back, unsure what was happening, until his eyes rolled back in his head and he began to fall forward. A dagger was stuck right in the centre of his back. May clasped her hands over her mouth, stifling a cry, and looked down the alley. Someone stood at the bottom of it, and he had another dagger raised, aimed right at her.

She turned and ran, almost tripping on her skirts. She lifted them up, moving faster than she probably ever had, skidding at the bottom of the alley and banking right, making for the inn. She'd have to grab Storm and run for it. There was no time to gather her things. Maybe she could come back for them tomorrow.

She heard his footsteps behind her, but she wasn't sure how close, and she didn't dare look back. She heard a grunt and turned, barely registering the knife flying towards her skull in time, and ducked, watching it soar right over her head. Adrenaline had her up again, her fear forgotten as she prepared to run for her life, but he'd been closer than she thought, and that blunder had cost her the head start she'd gotten. No one was around to help her as he grabbed her hair, pulling back hard. He flipped another dagger around in his hand before bringing the cold steel of the blade to her neck.

May found herself praying. There was nothing else for her to do now. She'd known this was a possibility, and had left her room anyway. She was so stupid. She was ready for the end. Maybe she'd secretly wanted this, and that's why she'd dared to leave her room in the dark. She tipped her head back, closing her eyes as tears began to spill down her cheek, exposing his neck further for him. Let him do it, then.

A strange noise came from nearby. The knife pressed further into her neck, and she made a choking noise, but he didn't slice her yet. She recognised the sound. Hoofbeats. The man behind her shouted, and she felt him release her. She fell to her knees, still in shock as a hooded figure rode past at the speed of light, cutting him down, then skidded to a halt and turned back for her.

She'd been given yet another chance, but how could she outrun a horse? She clambered up anyway, weak at the knees, and made a weak attempt at escape, running clumsily until the brown horse was beside her, and she was snatched from her feet and shoved onto the back of the horse.

She nearly fell off right away as she struggled to adjust and register what was happening to her. They were riding off, out of the village, and she realised she'd been kidnapped. She screamed suddenly, ready to throw herself from the back of the horse, stupid as it might have been, when the hooded figure turned, quickly pulling the hood back. The sight of him was like a punch in the gut. She could have cried from relief, anger and exhaustion all at once.

Ash was looking back at her, his eyes wild, his hair a mess from the hood, but it was him. She could barely believe her eyes.

"There's more of them," he said before she could say anything. "We have to get far from here."

He'd saved her again, but he was also the reason she was out here in the first place. Her anger would have to wait until they stopped. Right now, she held tightly onto him and said nothing. Despite her simmering hatred towards him, the sturdy warmth of his body beside her was all she'd needed. She couldn't help feeling relief.

Her partner, the only one that had known about her being fired, was dead. He wouldn't report back. In time, they'd know he'd died. She only hoped they wouldn't suspect her. For now, she'd gotten away with it… But would Ash give her the job back? Did she even want it back? And why the hell was he out here?

They rode into a forest, and didn't stop until they were deep in the heart of it, where the only living things besides them were the animals. Finally, they stopped, and Ash slipped from the horse's back. Just as he'd done in town, he put his hands around her waist and lifted her down. She was too exhausted to argue. He tied the horse's reins to a tree while she sat on a fallen tree, silently watching. When he was done, and they had no excuses to avoid each other, he turned to her, and her breath hitched in her throat.

She was sure he was going to question her, or shout, or anything, but instead he closed the distance between them and swept her up into his arms, wrapping himself around her, hugging her tight. She stood limp in his embrace for a long moment, utterly shocked, before she gave in and hugged him back, letting her face bury into his neck.

"I'm so sorry," he said over her shoulder. She closed her eyes tight, willing herself not to cry again. When he finally pulled away, he kept his hands on her shoulder, and her breaths came quicker. They were so close.

"Why did you come?" She asked. He shook his head. He looked like he hadn't slept.

"I'm sorry, May," he repeated. "I… I came to get you back. I shouldn't have sent you away. I wasn't thinking straight-"

"You came to give me the job back?" She asked incredulously. He'd regretted his decision so badly that he'd ridden out on his own, despite the danger, to find her? Ash nodded, dropping his hands finally.

"That horse isn't yours," May noted. Ash turned back and looked at the horse too.

"I didn't want to take Epona. She'd give me away." Epona must be the name of his horse, then.

"It wasn't just last night." She turned away from him and crossed her arms. She was forgetting she was speaking to a prince, yet didn't care. "You've been acting weird with me for days."

"And you've been acting weird with me," he countered. He had her there, but she couldn't explain to him why. It was too ridiculous.

"Thank you for saving me, Ash," she said, turning to him again. "I owe you my life, but I don't want the job back."

Hurt flashed across his whole face. For a moment she thought he might just turn away, but then he spoke again. "Then come back as my friend."

She blinked. "What?"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "If you won't come back as my maid, come back as my friend. Please. I can protect you. It's my fault you're in these situations."

She could hardly believe what she was hearing. He was asking her to return to the palace, and not asking her to work there. She'd simply be… a guest? "So you want me to stay because you feel guilty?" She snapped, unable to hide the poison in her tone.

Ash shook his head, unbothered by her venom. "I want you to stay because I like you."

May blushed hard, so quickly that she snapped her head to the side in an attempt to hide it. A prince… No, her prince now, was begging her to stay because he truly considered her a friend? She was treading into dangerous, dangerous territory here. She knew he was kind. Deep down she'd known the side he'd shown her that night was not the real him. She'd known they really were friends, but they could never be more than that, and she was sure he had no interest in that, so where did that leave her? She'd have to watch him marry another woman, pretend to be happy for him, until another agent came for her and ordered her to finish the job. Yet, her other option was to deny him, flee the country, and hope her boss didn't kill her outright when she returned.

"I'll stay," she conceded finally. Ash's whole body relaxed at her words. Was he really that bothered? "But I'll take the job. I'd rather work than do nothing."

He nodded. "Alright. We can return to the village in the morning to get your things and your horse." He sat down against the trunk of a tree and rested his head on it. They should sleep, but there was no way she would get a wink of sleep after the night she'd had. With the adrenaline wearing off, she became aware of just how cold it was, and shivered hard. She was sure she'd freeze to death before morning came.

Eventually, when it became too much, Ash had lifted his arm and gestured for her to come over. It was a harmless gesture, meant to keep her warm and nothing else, but as she'd tucked herself under her arm, the whole thing had felt surreal, and her heart had hammered so hard against her chest she knew he'd probably notice. The whole thing was too intimate, and she almost moved away until Ash began talking, asking her questions about her hobbies, her past romances, her friends, distracting her. She'd been happy to answer, honestly where she could, and asked him questions back, genuinely curious about his life. They sat like that the whole night, and talked until the sun was coming up again.


May woke with a jolt, screaming almost at the top of her lungs. Ash was alert beside her in seconds, taking hold of her shoulders, trying to calm her down. In her dreams her partner had dragged himself across the fields to them, knife still protruding from his back. He'd come to her feet, grabbing at her ankles, saying only one thing: Finish the job.

They'd fallen asleep on each other sometime during the early hours, and now the sun was high in the sky.

"It's alright," Ash was saying, holding her to his chest. "I'm here."

When she finally calmed she pulled away from him, shrinking into herself. He didn't seem to be judging her, but she was embarrassed anyway. Ash was on his feet instantly, rummaging through his bag and handing her a roll of bread and apologising, saying he didn't let himself spend too long gathering supplies before rushing out. It was better than nothing, and she ate it silently. Once they were fully awake, Ash pulled her back up onto the horse and they set back off for the village.

Ash had to stay with the horse on the outskirts, in case someone recognised him and connected him with the two murders that would have been discovered by whichever poor fool was the first out their door that morning. May had fixed herself up as well as she could, and aimed to make it seem as though she'd gone out for a morning stroll and was just returning. It seemed to work, and she joined him again not too long after leaving him, her bag and Storm in tow.

They rode like the wind together, aiming to get back the same day, and continued to ride into the dark. It was too risky to stop anywhere along the road. By the time they made it back May was exhausted and hungry and sore from riding. She wasn't sure how late it was, but it had been dark for a few hours already. Ash had pulled the hood down as they crossed over the bridge to the palace, and May felt nervous like she had the first time she'd crossed it.

The stable boy ran right to them, still awake, a guard following close behind him. Ash waved him off, insisting they were fine, but the guard seemed sceptical, and started murmuring about fetching the king, so Ash waited until he turned and grabbed hold of her hand, pulling her away, and they slipped back into the palace together. May was breathless by the time they reached his room. The guards posted outside his door were loyal to him, and looked the other way as Ash silently pulled her in and shut the door behind them.

"What was that about?" She asked. Ash threw off the hooded jacket and ran his hand through his hair.

"I snuck out to fetch you. Wouldn't have looked right with the wedding planning and stuff. I hadn't really thought about how I was gonna sneak back in."

"So you figured we should just march right through the gates?" She chuckled. Ash laughed too, but then his face fell serious again.

"I have to make sure… Well, that any rumours don't start."

May blushed hard. "Of course."

She anticipated an awkward silence, but Dawn spared them by flying in, still dressed and still looking amazing despite the hour. She let out a deep sigh when she spotted them standing there together. "Thank God," she said, smiling at May.

"Did he notice?" Ash asked.

Dawn nodded. "Unfortunately. He spent a long time questioning me. He… He said you have to report to him first thing in the morning."

Ash seemed defeated, and sighed, sitting back on his bed. May couldn't help but feel it was all her fault, despite him being the one that started it. "How bad?"

Dawn hesitated, wringing her hands together. "Quite bad."

May looked back and forward between them. "Is something wrong?"

They both fell silent and looked to one another. Neither of them wanted to answer. Eventually, Dawn spoke. "The king isn't too happy about a lot of things."

"I'll explain to you," Ash said, though he didn't really owe her any explanation. Really, to him, she was just a commoner and he was royalty. He would never owe her anything. "Just not tonight."

"She'll find out tomorrow anyway. The king insisted she attend."

"Me?" May spat. A cold prick ran up her spine. "Why me?"

"I'm not sure," Dawn admitted. Dread settled in May's stomach. If the king was calling on her it would be for nothing good. Had he discovered who she was? If that was the case, the only option would be to leave tonight before he could trap her. The thought of leaving again when she'd only just gotten back made her throat close up.

Dawn left them alone again. May was about to leave to go to her own room when Ash stopped her by calling out her name, just loud enough for her to hear. She paused, looking back at him, her breath caught in her throat.

"Come with me," he held out a hand and gestured to his balcony. May's heart jumped into her throat as she stuttered, not sure what to say. "Please?"

She took his hand and let him lead her to the back of the room. Confused, May lifted an eyebrow at him, but he simply grinned, reaching out a hand and pulling a book on the bookshelf. An unnervingly loud click reverberated around the room, and then Ash was pulling the bookcase away from the wall like a door, and they were looking down a corridor. May could only stare in bewilderment. It was so obvious that it was almost comical. Of course there were hidden corridors. Somehow he trusted May enough to show her.

He led her into it, and she kept her other hand on the wall, letting it guide her too. A few minutes later they reached the end, and Ash pulled the door open. They stepped out together, and May was looking out over the library from the second floor. She gawked. The entire place was empty, but lanterns still burned low around the gigantic room, giving it an ambient glow.

"It's always been there," Ash shrugged. He let go of her hand, and she fought the urge to reach out and snatch it back. "I just think it's really cool."

She agreed. It was pretty cool. A little cliché, but cool nonetheless. May's heart swelled when she thought of the trust he must have in her to show her. She also felt a little sick with guilt. Ash headed towards the giant double staircase in the centre of the room, and she followed him, still stunned into silence.

"Why did you show me?" May asked quietly as she followed him between long rows of bookcases.

He shrugged. "This feels like my last night of freedom. Not literally, but still." He sighed heavily and reached out, running his fingers along the spines of the books as he walked. "I never wanted to marry. He's going to push for it to happen sooner rather than later."

May wasn't sure what to say. He was opening up to her, and she was undeserving of it. "You don't want to be wed at all?"

He seemed to think about it for a second. "Not forced into it, at least."

He seemed happy enough with Dawn, but maybe there was something else in it. Maybe it was just the lack of freedom that got to him. "Could run away like me," she suggested jokingly, knowing that if he agreed, she'd go then and there.

He laughed. "What about you?"

She had never really thought about it. "I'm not sure… Back in my hometown, they called me an ice princess, because I never liked anybody." It was the truth.

Ash turned to look at her, amusement sparkling in his eyes. "Really?"

She nodded. Her coldness had scared off almost everyone that had attempted to make a move on her as she'd grown up. She just never thought any of them were worth it. She hadn't minded the nickname they gave her when they joked about it. She'd never expected to feel this warm for someone.

"You seem pretty warm to me," he said, turning away again.

She sighed. "I don't have much to offer to anyone," she said.

"I think you have plenty to offer," he said back sincerely. May coughed in an attempt to hide her embarrassment, and scrambled to think of some clever response to lighten the now uncomfortably intimate tension, but was cut off by the sound of the main door to the library creaking open. Ash grabbed her hand and pulled her around the side of a bookshelf where they'd be just out of sight and she fell into him with a quiet thump, her face almost pressed into his chest. She almost jumped away but he held her there as the guard held his lamp up and gazed around the room, doing a lazy sweep of it with his eyes before turning away again.

Only when they heard the door shut again did he let her go. She'd been able to hear his heartbeat the whole time. It had quickened… but probably only because he was afraid of being seen. She wasn't sure she could look up at him, but he seemed as calm as ever as she stepped away.

"Well, he needs to be fired," he said jokingly. May forced herself to smile. He sighed suddenly. "This probably sounds pathetic, but I'd give all of this up in a heartbeat."

By all this, he must have meant the palace, the royalty, everything. Usually royalty saying that would seem incredibly hollow, but May could feel that he meant it. He really didn't feel like he belonged here, amongst arranged marriages and fancy balls and kings. He'd be king himself before long. That was a terrifying thought.

"It doesn't sound pathetic." She struggled to find any advice that she would genuinely mean. "Maybe in time you'll find the arranged marriage wasn't so bad?" She tried, though it hurt to say. She was still unsure about how he felt about Dawn.

He thought about it for a second. "Maybe."

She followed him around a while longer, trying to keep the conversation light-hearted until she'd yawned quietly and Ash had smiled fondly at her before saying he'd walk her back to her room. It felt weird to stand in it again, even though she hadn't been gone long. She let herself be delusional for one night, and fell asleep thinking her life might someday soon get a little better.


The summoning came early the next day. May had shook as she dressed and brushed her hair. She'd thought about running again, but in the end she knew she couldn't do it. If she was going down, she'd be ready for it. She only hoped that Ash would forgive her with time, even if she wasn't still around.

When the guards opened the doors to the summoning room for her, the king was already there, along with Dawn and her father. Ash stood in the corner of the room, leaning against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, and watched her closely as she walked in. She kept her head down so they wouldn't see her fear, but still curtsied low before the king.

"Good," he said simply as she rose again. She let herself look over at Ash, just for a moment, but his expression was unreadable. "I'll waste no time. We believe we've identified the ones behind your poisoning," he said, glancing over at Ash. His face didn't change. "The only logical explanation is that the Hoenn royal family are behind all of this."

May fought to keep her expression still. She wasn't sure how that was the only logical explanation at all, given that it was wrong. If they'd sent another spy to the palace to poison him she'd know, but she couldn't say that so she stayed silent, waiting for Ash's response.

"What evidence?" Was all he said. He didn't seem impressed.

"What evidence do we need?" The king argued, slamming his fist quickly down on the table, making her jump. He turned to her, and she fought the urge to cower away. "You know the poison used, correct?"

"Yes, Your Highness," she answered, hating how small her voice came out. "Devil's bane."

She knew why he was asking, and right on que, he snapped his fingers. "As I thought. A plant that is native to Hoenn."

"That is no evidence," Ash argued. May swallowed hard. She was surprised he was sticking up for her country. Little did he know that they actually did want him dead, and at her hands too.

"Do you really dare to stick up for them, after everything?" The king shouted. Dawn visibly flinched. "You'll come to your senses soon, boy."

Ash pushed off the wall and waved his hand dismissively. "You've always been hungry for war with them, father, why not just admit that?"

May could feel the anger radiating from the king now, and found herself wishing he wouldn't challenge him. She wasn't sure she wanted to see how this was going to pan out. "And why not just admit that you're overly fond of messing around with common girls?"

May bristled, adrenaline kicking in as she realised this might be a trap after all, just not the one she'd thought it'd be. Did he mean her? Was that why she was here? She didn't dare look at Ash, who had frozen now.

"I've done exactly what you wanted and chosen a bride. I haven't messed with anyone," he hissed back. The king laughed and swept his hand through the air, gesturing to May.

"Then what do you call this?" He asked. May hoped he didn't notice she was trembling like a leaf. Ash looked over at her and their eyes locked. His were burning with defiance.

"My maid," he said simply.

The king stared him down. "I'm no fool."

She took a gentle step forward and curtsied again, solid despite her shaking. "Your Highness… If I may, there truly is nothing between us." She tried to make herself stand tall, but under his glare it was impossible. He didn't speak for a long moment.

"Fine," he said suddenly, and she deflated. "But mark my words, the moment I find any reason to, I'll see you gone. Permanently."

A shiver ran over her whole body. How could he say that after she'd saved Ash's life? Ash kept quiet. The king turned away from her to face him. Her lip trembled.

"You'll be married before this month is over. No more putting it off. You will be married and you will give me an heir," his eyes flicked over to Dawn for a moment. May's stomach turned. There was no pushing down her burning jealousy. Clearly finished with them the king stood and strode out of the room, his guards following close behind. Dawn's father spoke quietly to Dawn, guiding her out of the room with a hand on the small of her back. Before Ash could say anything May turned and stormed out of the room. She had to leave. She knew her temper would get the better of her.

"May." He called from behind her, but she ignored him, heading in the direction of the servant's dining hall. "May," he said a little more sternly and she stopped, letting him catch up with her. "I won't let him do anything to you."

"The king seems like a bully and you're rolling over for him," she said, even though she knew it was unfair. Ash looked hurt, and yet she carried on. "Do you even love Dawn?"

He didn't even seem angry, just unsure of what to say, as her rage dissipated and she blew out a breath. She should apologise, and yet she couldn't bring herself to after being threatened by the king. He literally wanted her dead after she'd saved his son's life, just because he believed they had some sort of secret relationship. That was enough to put anyone in a bad mood.

"May?" It was Serena, watching the scene from down the hall. May couldn't look Ash in the eye as she turned away and went to join her friend. She'd apologise later, but right now she needed to figure out what she was going to do.

She knew she needed to do something about her dead partner and the fact that she was making no progress on the mission they'd sent her on. She'd let the wave that was this life wash completely over her and sweep her away with it. It was almost making her forget who she was. She knew what she needed, even though it pained her to think it. She needed to go home.