The next morning, May slowly opened her eyes, greeted by the soft morning light filtering through the curtains. She groaned sleepily and turned over on her side, attempting to block out the sun as it tried to greet her. Sleeping with her legs restrained as they were was incredibly uncomfortable. And in her line of work, she'd slept in some pretty tough conditions before. However, her attempts to sleep again were quickly dashed when a knock sounded at the door.

"Are you awake?" a voice asked from the other side of the door.

"Huh...?" May rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off her grogginess. The door opened, revealing a young woman with dark blue hair holding a tray of food.

"I've brought you breakfast," she said with a curtsy. "My name is Dawn. I'll be your lady in waiting." May raised an eyebrow, a mix of confusion and annoyance on her face.

"You have got to be kidding me," she grumbled. Dawn shook her head, seemingly unbothered by May's reaction.

"No joke," she assured the brunette.

"Fine. I will make this very simple for you." May groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I'm not a Princess. I don't want or need a Lady-in-Waiting. I don't intend to stay here. So just go serve someone else or whatever it is you do until they get that."

"You seem fun at parties." Dawn chuckled, showing a hint of amusement.

"At what?" May blinked, genuinely puzzled by the term.

"Yeah, that sounds about right," Dawn continued, chuckling again. She then placed the tray on a nearby table. "Well, I brought you food anyway."

"Thank you." May sighed, acknowledging the gesture.

"If you want anything else, let me know." She placed a bell on the table. "I'll be around."

"Don't you have enough dignity not to rent yourself out to pampered royals?" May rolled her eyes.

"Don't you have enough dignity to not leach off someone else's success?" Dawn shot back.

"You've got good energy, I'll give you that. But seriously, you should do something that actually matters." May sighed, shaking her head.

"What, like cleaning up shattered chandeliers and vases caused by break-ins?" Dawn laughed.

"Like letting royals deal with their own problems like the rest of the world," May retorted. "There's no reason to let them have an easy life. Despite what they've told you, they're not more important or better than you."

"You think it's easy being royalty?" Dawn laughed again. "You try preventing a war, funding a crop restoration effort, negotiating a ransom, catching criminals, and instructing a tactical force all in one week. You'd drown in paperwork before you finished the first task. You don't understand one thing about being royalty."

"All that must be pretty easy if they also had time to plan and execute a kidnapping," May countered.

"Keep telling yourself that," Dawn responded, walking away. May sighed, realizing the futility of the conversation.

"Is Ash Ketchum around?" she called after Dawn. The lady-in-waiting turned back.

"Your boyfriend isn't in his room, but I'll find him and send him your way."

"Alright," May said, preparing herself for the day. As she began to eat the provided breakfast, thoughts of Ash and the recent unexpected turn of events occupied her mind.

A few hours later, May shifted uncomfortably on the bed, her legs tingling from the effort to keep them awake despite the tight restraints. The room felt heavy with silence, broken only by the knock on the door. Ash entered, his presence immediately bringing a sense of relief to May. She looked over and sighed.

"Hey..."

"Hey," Ash replied, his tired eyes meeting hers.

"I missed you... how are you?" May asked, concern etched on her face.

"Awake," Ash replied with a half-smile. May tilted her head, a questioning look in her eyes.

"You weren't up all night, were you...?" she asked.

"Not all night," Ash admitted, scratching his head. May gave him a stern look.

"Ash..."

"Just long enough to get to the village and back," he clarified.

"Alright I guess…what did you find?" she wondered.

"Some of your people have escaped, but for the most part, everyone seems to be accounted for. The guards are just occupying the village for now. No one has been hurt beyond a couple of boys with bonks on their heads," Ash explained.

"The palace guards are in my village?!" May exclaimed, her worry escalating.

"It's only temporary I promise!" he assured her. "They're just looking for anything that's been taken from the Kingdom! As well as those who have actually come in and committed crimes in the Kingdom!"

"Are you daft?! I know darn well this whole thing is about me and what we've stolen, but they're literally holding my people hostage in their own homes?! That's unacceptable!" May retorted, frustration evident in her voice.

"May calm down!" Ash raised his hands defensively. "Yes, the King and Queen wanted to bring you here and didn't want to chance anyone interfering with that! But they are still looking to arrest those who have committed crimes!"

"So they can be executed!" she growled.

"No!" Ash fired back, startling her. "King Norman doesn't execute people! Certainly not for simple theft! But justice does need to be served for those who did commit crimes May! But I know the royal family and I know they won't physically hurt anyone! If you don't trust them then trust me!"

"...Ok." May frowned, processing the information. "Where is my family?"

"Probably among those that escaped," Ash replied somberly.

"...Thank you for checking," May said, her voice softening. Ash nodded, and May averted her gaze, attempting to conceal the tears that threatened to spill over. Ash caught sight of the tears however and reached out, cupping her cheek.

"Hey..." he whispered gently. May pulled away and hid her face in a pillow, embarrassed to be crying, especially in front of him. Ash sat on the bed next to her and wrapped her in his arms, rubbing her back soothingly and providing a comforting presence. "Shh..." Ash whispered, trying to reassure her. May shifted her position in his arms, allowing herself to cry into his tunic. Ash held her close, offering solace in the midst of her emotional storm. She cried until she ran out of tears, and Ash, with a tender gesture, kissed her forehead.

"I've never felt so alone..." May admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

"You have me..." Ash reassured her, his gaze filled with sincerity. May sniffled and looked up at him, finding some comfort in the warmth of his presence.

Meanwhile, out in the courtyard, a small blue fox managed to squeeze inside the gate, attempting to go unnoticed. Nearby an electric mouse was happily munching on berries from a tree in the garden, completely oblivious to the intruder. Attempting to sneak past him, the ice type froze as the electric type's ears perked up upon hearing her footsteps. Pikachu looked down and his eyes widened in surprise. "You?!"

"Gotta go! Staging a rescue, darling!" Glaceon declared, firing an ice beam at Pikachu. Quick on his feet, Pikachu dodged the attack and retaliated with a Thunderbolt. Glaceon, undeterred, made a run for it. Pikachu chased after her, the garden turning into a chaotic battleground. Glaceon zigzagged through the area, Pikachu using Quick Attack to close the distance. In a strategic move, Glaceon fired an Ice Beam at the ground, causing Pikachu to slip and crash into a bush.

"Ack!" he groaned as he struggled to get back up. Seizing the opportunity, Glaceon ran inside the castle, snickering as Pikachu scrambled after her. "Oh no you don't!" he yelled as he managed to use Quick Attack again, making contact this time as he slammed his body into her's.

"Oof!" she yipped. He pinned Glaceon down, and she squirmed beneath his grasp.

"Ash!" Pikachu called out, hoping for assistance.

"This position really suits our partners more," Glaceon remarked, teasing Pikachu.

"Don't you start too," Pikachu groaned.

"How can I? You're on top," Glaceon quipped. Pikachu, frustrated, called out for Ash once more. Glaceon, confident that their calls would go unanswered, opened her mouth to charge an Ice Beam. However, Pikachu, determined not to lose her and to protect his territory, used Thunderbolt once more. Glaceon screamed in surprise, and Pikachu, panting, held her tightly. Gary, alerted by the commotion, ran out of a nearby room.

"Pikachu?" Pikachu looked up at Gary, still holding Glaceon. The guard couldn't understand the electric type as Ash did, but he could still understand the situation easily enough. "I'll get Ash for you," Gary promised, quickly running off to find Pikachu's partner. Pikachu nodded, keeping a watchful eye on the now limp Glaceon. The unexpected encounter had certainly added a spark of excitement to the day.

Ash continued to stroke May's back, providing comfort as she calmed down against him. In the midst of this, Gary walked into the room, catching Ash's attention.

"Ash?" Gary called, prompting Ash to turn towards him.

"What's going on?"

"Pikachu caught an intruder looking for your girlfriend," Gary informed him, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"What...?" Ash blushed, caught off guard.

"It's a Glaceon," Gary added, watching Ash's reaction closely. Ash perked up, a mix of surprise and curiosity on his face. May, who had lifted her head a little at the namedrop, joined the conversation.

"What...?"

"Glaceon is here...?" Ash confirmed.

"It seems like it," Gary replied.

"I have to see her!" May insisted.

"I'm not sure that's the best idea..." Ash hesitated, a conflict of thoughts evident on his face.

"What? Ash, what are you talking about?" May, puzzled, questioned. Ash struggled to find the right words, not wanting to upset her.

"Having you two together...it's a dangerous combination." he finally admitted.

"She's my best friend! And I made you a promise! Do you really think I'd go back on my word?!" May furrowed her brows in frustration.

"No I don't," he admitted through a sigh as he considered May's plea. "Alright..."

"Thank you..." she responded, her face brightening a little with gratitude. Ash stood up, and May, feeling a surge of emotion for him, kissed his hand. Ash blushed, clearly affected by the gesture.

"I love you..." May whispered.

"I love you too." With that, he left the room, leaving May with a mix of anticipation and uncertainty.

After a moment's walk with Gary down the hall, they found Pikachu waiting for Ash to join him, still on top of Glaceon and holding her in place.

"Pikachu?" Ash asked.

"She was heading for May," Pikachu explained, feeling the need to update Ash. Ash sighed, a mix of concern and understanding on his face.

"I figured..."

"What should we do?" his partner asked.

"Give her what she wants..." Ash decided, still looking conflicted about it. Pikachu raised an eyebrow, doubting the wisdom of the decision.

"You sure...?"

"Not in the slightest," Ash admitted, scratching his head. Pikachu sweatdropped at Ash's candid response. The situation was clearly not ideal. Ash, noticing Pikachu's discomfort, offered a weak smile. "Let's go."

"Ok…" he replied, unsure of what to make of the entire situation as he got off Glaceon.

"Much better." Glaceon purred as she got up and shook out her fur. Sighing, Ash picked up Glaceon, and Pikachu followed him closely. Together, they walked to May's room, the atmosphere heavy with uncertainty and a touch of apprehension.

To Be Continued...