MA: hey peoples. long time, no write. things have been happening since i last posted but the biggest thing was the untimely death of my great aunt. she was like a second mother to me and someone who's been in my life since i was just a baby. losing her has been one of the hardest, most emotionally trying times in my life and i probably would've quit writing if i didn't learn something. as me, my dad, and my brother in law were cleaning out her house to be sold, i found 2 copies of my novel in her cabinet. my aunt wasn't a reader but she still read my book because i wrote it. after that, my desire to write was restored and i plan to keep writing to make her proud of me. so expect more work from me, and not just on pokemon stuff. so thanks for sticking with me after 20 years of fanfic writings. i hope you enjoy this new chapter of this new work. and now, ON WITH THE FIC!
MAID FOR THE PRINCE
CHAPTER 2
"Dear Arceus, my feet feel like I've been walking on glass," complained Karen as she rubbed her soles.
"It's been 2 days!" exclaimed Barry before taking a sip of his water. "You should be feeling somewhat better."
"It doesn't help that Ursula's been grinding on us hard," added Dawn as she finished off today's stew. It wasn't the best, since the meat was a bit overcooked but it was edible enough.
"I swear, all this work is gonna be the death of us," Karen added.
"Stop being a drama queen," said Dawn. "clean up is almost done."
"I'd rather it be 'completely' done than 'almost'."
"You maids got it easy," spoke Barry, as he finished off his bread roll. "Deeds has been running us stable crew ragged!"
"Really? Figured you guys had it easy."
"The Damn we do! Apparently, the guest's pokemon didn't care for the feed we use. Didn't keep it down, if you get my drift."
The two young ladies paled at the thought of what Barry had to deal with. "You're right. You DO got it bad."
"But I envy you, Dawn. you were SOOO lucky."
Dawn looked at her friend as if she grew another head. "What are you talking about?"
"Duh! I mean you getting to be all chummy with Prince Ash."
Dawn's face flushed red for a second. "We were not chummy. In case you forgot, I totally embarrassed myself."
"And yet he wasn't mad. Hells, you even got to talk to him!"
"It's not that big a deal, Karen."
"Like hells!" chimed in Barry. "It's rare for folks like us to even SEE a member of the royal family. And there you were, chatting it up with the future emperor."
"We weren't chatting it up. He was just being nice," she said, trying to defuse the excitement in her friends' eyes.
"Sooo…."
"So what?"
"What was he like?"
"Yeah, give us the lowdown."
Dawn hesitated for a bit. She was unsure about how and what to tell them. She didn't want to give them the impression that she and the prince were anything more than passing associates that night, but she couldn't just leave them hanging. Not to mention, they'd bug her all week until she gave up the details. She sighed a bit before speaking again. "He was….better than I imagined."
Karen smirked ecstatically "I knew it! I knew he'd win you over, hun!"
"It wasn't like that!" the bluette countered. "It's just…."
"Just what?" inquired Barry.
"...he was…easy to talk to, i guess. He was personable. He didn't feel like those egotistical jackass nobles like Ursula or Conrad. He just spoke to me plainly. He was polite but a bit cheeky." a far off look slowly grew on her face as she continued. "He had this….boyish charm about him. Like he was easy to make laugh. And his laugh! So bright and pure! I could listen to that all day. And when he looks at you with those adorable eyes, it's like he sees into your soul. He was just so damn charming. I can see why people like him."
Seeing the dreamy expression on her face, Barry teased, "Do you want us to leave you and his highness alone?"
Dawn snapped out of her mental fixation at his joke, and playfully slapped his arm. "Shut up, Barry."
"So much for the 'he's just a ugly prince' line of thinking," poked Karen.
"Not you too."
"Can you blame us? After that spiel you throw out before the party and here you are, practically drooling over him," said the blonde boy.
"I was not drooling!"
"Hun, you could flood Mt. Moon with how much mental saliva you were oozing out."
Dawn wanted to counter what they were saying but deep down, she knew they were correct. She felt shameful for what she said earlier that week but the shame was nothing compared to the still lingering memories of her short time with Ash. Her body slumped in defeat. "It's true. I am drooling over him." She frustratingly ran her hands through her long, azure locks. "IT'S NOT MY FAULT! WHY HE'D HAVE BE SO DAMN MESMERIZING?!"
Karen snickered at her friend. "It's ok, Dawn. you just joined the 'Prince Ash is a hottie' fan club. As a card carrying member, the first 3 weeks are the hardest."
"If you were gonna fall in love with someone," added Barry, "It might as well be a prince."
"Its not love," Dawn responded. "But….I do wish i could've talked to him a bit more. But that's never happening again."
"Don't be so down on yourself, hun."
"But it's true. He's back at Pallet Palace, wooing beautiful and upper-crust ladies while I'm just a maid serving the dumbass twins here. He's probably forgotten about me."
"You can't mean that, hun."
The blue haired maid gave a mournful smile. "It's the truth. He's probably forgotten about me. I mean…I'm just a maid." there was very little that her friends could say to refute her thinking. It's a matter of social standing. As much as she wanted to see him again, it was simply impossible. With a sharp exhale, she stood up from the table and straightened out her maid outfit. "Well enough wishful thinking. It's time for me to tackle the guest bedrooms. Can you guys handle the bathrooms?"
"It shouldn't be too much trouble. If we need you, we'll send a runner for you," answered Karen.
"Just don't half ass it or you'll get a fine," added Barry, giving his friend a much needed smile.
"Will do," she said before leaving the diner hall.
As she made her way through the manor, greeting the various other maids, footmen and workers who were busying themselves that day, her mind always drifted back to that night. And him. Dawn had spent most of her life not being won over by a pretty face and fancy words of men with the sole goal of getting under her skirts and here she was, pining over a man she only met for a few hours. But they were a marvelous few hours. Prince Ash made an impression on her. So much so that the last few nights had her dreams filled to bursting with scenes that couldn't happen in reality.
She saw an open field, filled with lush greenery, blooming flowers of all sorts and colors, and the strong but welcome gusts of wind blowing her blue hair aloof. Her dress was of the purest white. Bare feet rubbing themselves on the natural carpet of grass. She was far from the manor, far from the horrid barbs of Ursula and the lecherous stares of Conrad. Far from the drudgery and doldrums of maid's work. She was free from her daily stresses and worries. Then on the horizon came a Rayqueza, powerful and majestic, flying overhead like a storm of emerald scales. It landed near her and on his back road the heir to the empire, clad in a white, button-up dress shirt and black pants, with matching boots. His eyes found hers, a smile ever present on his face. Ash leapt down with Meowth-like grace and stood before her. He says something to her. What it was, she can't hear but she knows it's just for her. Then, without another word, he leans down and closed in on her lips.
And then Dawn wakes up, her heart racing and the fire inside of her still raging.
Her nights tended to be as such. dream upon dream of Ash taking her away from her old life and into a new one. But that's all they were: just dreams. Ash wasn't there when she woke up and she wasn't some princess from a fairy tale. She was still just a maid. She shook such thoughts from her mind and refocused on her duties today, which was to clean one of the guest rooms.
The room itself wasn't totally a mess. Just simply disorderly. It wouldn't take her long to straighten it up and make it look presentable but so long as she didn't get distracted by her own daydreams, the work would pass without much stress and she'd have a bit of time to herself.
She had just finished up making the bed when a new distraction arose but this one was nowhere near as pleasant or welcome as her dreams.
"Working just as hard as always, Miss Dawn."
A cold shiver climbed up her spine. Her blood ran cold. She knew that voice all too well and she prayed to the lake trio that she could go a day without having to hear it or hear it directed towards her. She didn't need to see Conrad to know where he was in relation to herself. He could feel his creepy, serpent-like gaze upon her, sizing up her figure and lust oozing from his mouth like venom. She wanted to ignore him and continue with her tasks but she had to be polite, as was her job. "Lord Conrad. You surprised me."
"Forgive me, my dear," he said, slithering his way into the room, "I was so taken with how well you were making that bed that I couldn't help but stand here and marvel at your work."
The line was bullshit. Dawn knew he couldn't give a damn about her work. He just wanted to leer at her. "Thank you for your compliments, my lord but it's best that i return to my duties, as you must do to yours," she replied, hoping that would be to get him to leave her alone.
Conrad only felt more emboldened. Hearing her call him "my lord" aroused his desire. He had always wanted to hear her say that in the throws of passion ever since she started working for his family. He had known the tastes of many a maid over his short life but none aroused him in the way that Dawn could. If this was any other maid, she would've given in to his advances but not her. Dawn always knew her way around some words to get away from him. But not this time. This time, he would have her all to himself.
He began to approach, sinister motives coloring his steps. "You have always been so hard working, Dawn. and all while looking so very pretty too."
Another chill. Another shiver. She could sense his approach. Her instincts were telling her to run but she had nowhere in the manor she could run to. "I-I'm flattered, lord Conrad but i must get back to-" her words died in her mouth as she felt a pair of hands grasping her shoulders.
"Such a pretty girl is ill suited for such work."
"Lord Conrad…." she squealed out.
"I could lighten your work. You wouldn't have to work so hard. All you have to do is just come to my room. Every night."
The bluette felt bile erupt from her gut, upon feeling his bad breath on her ear and the suggestion on his lips. As much as she desired the prince, she was repulsed by Conrad. She snapped her hands to his, peeling them away from her uniform and pulled away from him. "I'm sorry but I'm not that kind of maid."
A slight growl was heard from his mouth as he forcefully pulled her to him. "What is wrong with you?"
"Sir?"
"It's so damn simple. You come to my room for the night and pleasure me. I'll make sure you get a break from work. Hells, I may even throw you some crowns. What more could you ask for?"
Her face screwed up in disgust. "I am not a whore!" she spoke firmly. "I will clean your house but I will NOT share your bed."
"Come now," he sneered, "you were all eyes for the crown prince during the party. You would've spread your creamy legs for him but not for me?"
"What?!"
"Don't play innocent. You were all but kissing him. We all saw it. So what? You think you are too good for me since Prince Ash gave you a few glances?"
"It's nothing like that!"
"Stupid bitch!" he spat as he threw her onto the freshly made bed. "I wanted to make this nice and pleasant for you but since you had to be an uppity bitch…" and just like that, he was on top of her, holding her hands to the mattress, licking his chapped lips as he looked down at her fearful face.
"GET OFF ME!" she screamed, struggling against his grip.
"Just relax, little Dawn. it will feel better after the first time. Just lay back and let your lord and master do the work."
"I DON'T WANT YOU, YOU BASTARD!"
She felt his hand crawl up her leg under her skirts. It felt so alien and horrible that she fought back with all she had but his grip was like a vice. She could see the slight bulge in his pants. Dawn was running out of time. She didn't expect anyone to come to her aid so she'd have to save herself. But thankfully, she found her saving grace. Conrad was so busy holding her hands and preparing himself to violate her that he left himself unguarded.
Dawn looked at his face, twisted in a ugly visage of arousal and she remembered all the things he said. All the comments. All the attempts at flirting. All the stares. All of it was enough to light a inferno in her body. She would pour all of her anger and repulsion for the man into this one single moment.
Dawn brought her knee up and drove it hard into his crotch.
No one might not have heard her scream for him to stop but everyone definitely heard Conrad. The sheik he let out was something that not even a loudred could reproduce. She was fairly certain that she saw the windows rattle from the sound. The would-be rapist let go of her and immediately grabbed his groin, rolling off of her and collapsing to the floor. He didn't say anything or more likely, he couldn't say anything. All he did was whimper and squeak, his expensive glasses broken beneath him and tears streaming down his face. Dawn regained her composure as she got to her feet and glared down at her attacker. She was sure she heard something pop when her knee connected to his testicles but what little pity she could've had vanished the moment he touched her.
By this point, a small crowd of maids and servants had gathered around the door to the room. Dawn looked over to them. Some were shocked. Others giggled a bit. But she could tell from their looks that none of them blamed her. Everyone knew how he felt about her and knew Dawn wanted no part of him, so it was easy to put together the events of the room. But there was one person they all knew would never understand.
"WHAT WAS THAT SCREAM?! GET OUT OF MY WAY!" the screech of Ursula's voice pierced the air like a knife. Dawn knew that there was nothing she could do to convince her but by this point, she didn't care. All she could think about was the words taught her as a child: "never be a victim". And she was certainly done being that for this rotten family.
The pink haired noble lady tore through the crowd of paid help and stormed into the room. Instantly, her eyes fell to her brother on the floor. "BROTHER!" she yelled as she ran to his side. By this point, Conrad had passed out from the pain, the only sounds coming from him was pained gurgling. Then, almost in slow motion, she turned to face the maid responsible for her brother's condition with a look that could kill a Gyarados. But instead of a look of fear and submission she was expecting, Ursula was just met with Dawn's defiance made flesh. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY BROTHER, YOU BITCH!?" she roared.
But Dawn didn't even flinch. "He attacked me. I was cleaning up the room as I was told. He came in and demanded I have sex with him. When I said no, he forced himself on me and I defended myself."
Dawn's words were clear and concise. She didn't waver or stutter at all. She wanted to make what happened to her clear.
The maids believed her.
The butlers believed her.
Mr. Deeds, who arrived a few moments before, believed her.
Ursula, predictably, didn't.
"You whore!" she screamed.
"What?"
"My brother would never even LOOK at a plain maid like you!" Dawn sighed to herself. She didn't even entertain the thought that her brother was in the wrong. She never liked her and now she had an excuse to slander her. "You probably just tried to slut yourself to him and when Conrad turned you down like the trash you are, you attacked him. Then you dare to claim rape?" she gave a snorting laugh. "You aren't even pretty enough to rape."
"I don't care how attractive you think I am or am not, it doesn't change the fact that he attacked me. Not that you would believe me."
"Of course I don't. I know your type."
Dawn raised an eyebrow. "My type?"
"Don't think I was blind to how close you were getting to the prince? How much honey did you pour into his ears? What did you offer? A pathetic night with a plain maid?
"How dare you!"
"And here you are, slutting up to my brother and then crying rape when he didn't want you."
Dawn's face screwed in disgust. "I would rather lay down with a Muk than even entertain the thought of laying with….THAT.." she jested towards the pathetic form of the so-called man in question.
Ursula didn't take this well. "You'd be so lucky if my handsome brother even looked your way!"
Dawn smirked humorlessly at her statement. "If Conrad is such a FINE catch, why don't you fuck him?"
Her joke caused a few of the gathered staff to either gasp in surprise at the audacity of it or let out a few giggles. Dawn didn't care. She knew she was done here the moment she fended off lord Conrad's attack. So she might as well get a bit of pleasure from it.
Ursula was humiliated, from both her implication and the reaction of the onlookers. Her hand flew fast across Dawn's face, causing her head to whip to the side but she stood her ground. Ursula expected the maid to grab her face, weep like a child and beg for forgiveness, as all the maids that she subjected to such abuse. But Dawn was a different animal. Indignation flared in her eyes as she straightened herself and promptly gave the lady her much deserved receipt.
One of the earliest lessons that her mother ever taught Dawn was to never be a victim. She wanted to make sure her daughter would never be taken advantage of by anyone. So Dawn had a strong will about her. Something that Ursula had never planned on.
The noble lady staggered back to the floor, reeling from the slap that her maid had given her. Dawn only glowered down at her, no trace of fear in her deep blue eyes. "I am a maid, not a slave!" she snared. "I will not be treated in such a way by your brother….or by you." she made sure to add a bit of much needed venom when she referred to her.
With tears in her eyes, Ursula leapt to her feet and lunged at Dawn. "YOU BLUE HAIRED BITCH!"
It was only by the intervention of Mr. Deeds that prevented the noble from reaching Dawn and the situation devolving into an all-out brawl. "MISS URSULA!" he yelled, as she kicked and clawed at him as he held her back.
"KILL HER, DEEDS! TAKE HER OUTSIDE AND WHIP HER DEAD!"
"MISS URSULA! CALM YOURSELF!"
"I WILL NOT! SHE NEEDS TO DIE!"
"THINK OF YOUR FUTURE!" he said, holding her gaze. "You need to stay calm! The prince took a liking to her. If he found out you did something cruel to her, your chances with him will drastically drop. This is for your future."
Dawn wasn't sure if Deeds was doing this to save her from a potential thrashing or if he truly thought he was doing Ursula a favor by holding her back. Either way, it was having an effect upon the noble. Slowly but surely, her violent outburst petered out and she was once again calm. At least calm enough that Deeds no longer needed to hold her back anymore. Straightening herself, she casually walked over to Dawn, her smirk of superiority returning to her. "I'm not going to lose myself to a liar." Dawn remained unfazed. "So the prince says I can't punish you. Fine. Then I'll let someone else do it. Mr. Deeds, get her contract from my office and tomorrow…take her to the stage."
The giggles and murmurs gave way to a wave of gasps and utterances of shock from the gathered crowd at the door. Dawn's indignation morphed into dread. Even Mr. Deeds was taken aback by her order. "But milady….the stage?"
"It seems this wench doesn't want to work here anymore. So we will help her find a new job," she answered with a sinister smirk. "The stage. Tomorrow."
Deeds wanted to say something to dissuade her from this course but the glint in her eye told him enough. "Yes, milady."
"Good. get some people to help my brother to his room."
"Of course, milady."
Ursula straightened herself up before walking up to a flabbergasted Dawn. "Good luck with your future endeavors," she said with an evil grin on her face. It wasn't long before the room and the hallway outside of it were empty of servants, leaving only Dawn alone. She didn't know how long she stood there. Time really didn't matter to her at that moment. All she knew was that whatever kind of good she had in her life, it was about to vanish in a puff of arrogant smoke. At some point, she fell to her knees and began to weep. The first time she stood up for herself and it has now cost her everything.
Dawn stood out in the courtyard of the manor, dressed in a simple brown dress and matching top, simple shoes that she bought years ago, and a small brown bag containing her few worldly possessions in it slung over her shoulder. Time had passed quickly as the dreaded time of her departure drew. She didn't even sleep much last night as when she passed out, all she could dream of was horrible tortures that no person should even dream about. But she got what little rest she could before the sun rose and it was time for her to leave.
Karen and Barry were allowed to see her out by their "kind" lady, which only amounted to about 30 minutes of idle chatting before the carriage was pulled around. Barry, ever the emotional sort, was in tears. Karen had steeled herself for her departing friend and mentally hoped that her future would be a brighter one away from here.
"Time flies," remarked Dawn, trying to mitigate the situation.
"Sure does," added Karen as she closed the distance between them and embraced her friend, a few errant tears escaping her eyes. "I hope you land somewhere that will treat you better than this place."
Dawn released her friend and gave a weak smile. "Only if I'm lucky."
Barry let out a wail before hugging his fellow Sinnoh native. "Listen here, Dawn," he said through his slobbery tears, "you better do well for yourself or I'll fine you!"
Dawn managed a laugh at that. Even in this dim situation, Barry always knew how to lift her spirits. "I'll make sure to save up so I can pay that fine, Barry."
"Do you think you'll be alright?" asked Karen. "The stage is a big risk, even for the willing."
"I'll have to hope the trio are watching over me and my next employer isn't so…." she paused as she glanced back at the manor. She saw Ursula looking down at her from a 3rd story window, a menacing grin chiseled on her face. All Dawn could do was glare at her. No sense in keeping up civility with her anymore.
"Say no more," said Karen.
Just then, Mr. Deeds exited the carriage, having rode it in from the stables and presented himself to the trio. "Miss Dawn," he spoke. "It's time."
With a final exhale, Dawn mustered the brightest smile she could for her two friends. "Looks like this is it."
"Take care of yourself, Dawn," spoke Barry.
"Write to us from wherever you end up," added Karen.
"That's a promise. You two stay strong and don't let them run you down."
The two servants nodded at her words of encouragement before she turned around and walked towards the waiting carriage. Deeds took her hand and helped her inside before entering himself and shutting the door. A few moments later, the coachman snapped his reins and the two Taros snorted and began to drive off of the property.
It would take about 30 minutes to reach viridian city but it felt longer to Dawn. she and Deeds didn't say much as the short journey commenced. Dawn just stared out of the window, watching the scenery pass by, as if she were committing it all to memory, while Deeds simply watched the young woman. The older man had no hate or dislike in his heart for her. On the contrary, he found her to be a hard and decent worker. They weren't close by any stretch but he respected her. He hid the shame of what he had to do, both now and hours before hand when Ursula had ordered him to get in touch with another local lord. One with a rather….ominous reputation. He wanted to tell he what he had done and the deals that were to be made. He wanted to stop the carriage, give her some crowns and have her escape to somewhere else in the empire, far from the reach of the Bathorys. But sadly, he was duty bound to the house of Bathory and he had no choice but to obey. And he obey he would, even at the cost of his own soul.
Soon they had arrived in the city proper, meaning they were only minutes away from their destination. Dawn's eyes were no longer looking outside and instead, they were looking down, as her fingers fidgeted nervously. Deeds truly pitied this young woman, whose only crime was that she dared to say "no" to a man's advances.
"Just to let you know," he suddenly said, gain her attention, "for what it's worth, it has truly been a pleasure working with you, Miss Dawn."
"Thank you, Mr. Deeds," she replied. "I feel the same way. You were a great supervisor."
That almost broke the older man but his professionalism refused to crumb, even for this young woman. A few minutes later, the carriage came to a stop. They had arrived. Dawn paused for a few moments before picking up her bag and readied herself to step out.
Mr. Deeds spoke again as he opened the door for her. "Go inside and ask to speak with Mr. Starks. He's the one in charge of your contract. He'll show you what to do until they call for you."
She nodded. "I understand. Trio bless you, Mr. Deeds."
"And you as well, Miss Dawn."
And with those last words, Dawn exited the carriage and made her way into a rather large and imposing brown building. Deeds closed the door behind her and sat in silence for a while.
"Where to, Mr. Deeds?" called the coachman.
"A bar," he answered bitterly. "I need a drink."
The Viridian Employment Agency. Or the V.E.A.
It was the largest job search organization in the city. It was actually a holdover from days long past. Well before the time when the house of Ketchum ruled the empire. It didn't have such an official sounding name as it didn't exist back then to find employment for those who needed it. It was a place for the rich and powerful to buy slaves. The human property were brought out to a large stage where they were shown off to prospective buyers and sold to the highest bidder. Hence the name it has these days: the stage.
The process was very simple: a person or persons who needed work would come to the V.E.A. and enter into a short term contract. This contract allowed them to auction off the services of said person to anyone with enough crowns to buy them. It was nearly put out of business when slavery was outlawed but it was still slavery in all but name. Only those who couldn't find work easily or were desperate for money, food and a warm place to sleep would dare apply at the stage. But sadly for Dawn, she wasn't here by choice. Another guideline of the V.E.A. was that employment contracts of servants can be bought out, should the employer feel the person wasn't worth keeping around. Meaning that until someone else bought out her contract, Dawn was employed by the V.E.A.
It was around 1pm when the auctions began. Dawn sat in a waiting room as she heard the sounds of the chairman of the stage speaking to the crowds and crowd shouting out bids for their new employees. There were a few people there with her in the room: a few maids, some homeless men, and a few army vets who she assumed weren't able to stay in the military for whatever reason. A few of them were called ahead of her and escorted out of the room and onto the stage. Some went quickly. Others were subjects of minor bidding wars. But they were all sold in the end.
Suddenly, the door to the waiting room opened and a large black man poked his head through the frame. "Miss Dawn," he spoke, waving his hand over to her.
It was her turn.
She swallowed her fear, stood up and walked towards the door as the black man escorted her out. Soon, she found herself on the dreaded stage. To the fight of her was Mr. Starks at his podium, looking over his notes about Dawn. around the stage were large men, dressed similarly to the black man who guided her here, presumably to provide security. The stage was well lit, as to give the bidders a proper look at what they could be purchasing. And before her was the crowd itself. A little over 70 people, all seated before her, watching her like spearows. Dawn's eyes drifted over the crowd. Most of them were people of middle class standards, probably looking for cheap manual labor for their own businesses. But dotted amongst them were people of the upper classes, noted by their finer outfits. There were a few she recognized from the parties that Ursula would throw.
There was Lady Miranda of the house of Pitz. She was an amateur researcher, always looking for help with her experiments. She wasn't especially mean or cruel but she wasn't really what you'd call kind to her assistants.
There was Lady Anne of the house of Mars. She was the trophy wife to Lord Mars and didn't really stand out much compared to her husband. They did have a lot of kids, thus she was probably in the market for a nurse maid.
There was the Courtney twins, Bruce and Wayne. A pair of mischievous teens who had free reign with their parents' money. Most of the time, they came to the stage, just to look for pranking victims.
The last noble she saw immediately turned her stomach. For it was Lord Hiker of the house of Mannford. The corpulent bearded man gazed at Dawn with a look that made her want to run from the building and keep running until she was on the Seafoam Islands. Hiker had a rather infamous reputation amongst the aristocracy. Now the nobility had their vices but Hiker took his to the next level. He was a sadist of the highest order. He was also one of the most frequent bidders at the stage, always on the lookout for new maids, butlers and other servants for his home. Which he regularly needed to replace. No one exactly knows what happens to those in his employ. Hiker would often say that his maids "quit on him due to the hard work" or they died in tragic accidents that happen far too often. Everyone knows he probably killed them for his own sick pleasure but so far, it's all hearsay with little to no proof of his supposed crimes. Dawn shuddered as his eyes dug into her. She silently prayed to the trio that she wouldn't go to him.
Lord Hiker didn't want to believe that Ursula would guide him to such a prize. When her message said that a "blue-haired strumpet" would be up on the stage, he almost didn't want to believe it. But her message, via Mr. Deeds, was indeed right on the money. He ravaged the poor girl with his eyes, taking in all of her delicious curves. He disgustingly wiped the drool from his mouth, much to the horror of those seated next to him. It was worth the trip to Viridian if he could get his hands on such a maid as Dawn.
I can't wait to break her when I get her home.
Dawn was broken out of her revolting sensation by the voice of Mr. Starks. "And now we move on to our next employee," he announced, getting everyone's attention. "This is employee #45, Miss Dawn. She is 19 years old, with over 10 years of experience in the servicing industry. She is very skilled in all manner of housekeeping: cooking, cleaning, tailory, etc. Certainly, she'd make a fine addition to any household who gains her contract. Not to mention, very easy on the eyes." His last comment got a small amount of lusty chuckles from the various men and women of the crowd. Dawn hated it. It made her feel like a piece of meat. But what choice did she have? She was going to be working for one of those people, so she had to bury her indignation and just offer her best face to everyone. Well, everyone except for Lord Hiker. "We will begin bidding for Miss Dawn at 100 crowns. 100 crowns to start. Do I hear 150?"
"150 crowns!" shouted Lady Anne, cradling her 6th child in her arms.
"150 crowns from the lovely Lady Anne. Do I hear 200?"
"200!" spoke the Courtney twins simultaneously.
"200 from the twin lords! Any more bids?"
"400 if you please," added Lady Miranda.
"I have 400 from our intellectual elite! Do i maybe hear-"
"600 CROWNS!" bellowed Hiker as he stood up to emphasize his bid. An audible gasp filled the hall. They all knew why that fat bastard was there but no one had the funds to get into an extended bidding war with him. Not that Dawn expected anyone to be that kind to her at that moment. She felt the pitying stares of everyone in the hall. They knew what her fate was if Hiker won.
"...600 crowns from the….honorable lord Hiker," announced Mr. Starks, trying to hide his disgust of the man. He wasn't a fan of HIker by any stretch but he was still a customer and he had a business to run. Still, he felt terrible for the young maid. He didn't want to imagine what Hiker would do to her. "Do I hear any more bids?" There was a tense silence that followed. "No one at all?" Starks looked around at the nobles who had already bid. The Courtney twins seemed to want to look anywhere else aside from the stage. Lady Anne suddenly decided that now was a good time to tend to her infant child, despite him being asleep. And lady Miranda was jotting down some notes that she suddenly thought to do. "Anyone at all?" he was met with only silence.
Dawn turned towards the host, hoping to find someway, anyway to escape a fate worse than death. But Mr. Starks could only apologize with a woeful glance. Lord Hiker's mouth twisted into a pervert grin. She swore she could hear the dark, perverse thoughts running through his repugnant mind and she wanted no part of them.
Mr. Starks let out a small sigh. "If there is no one else….600 crowns going once. 600 crowns going twice-"
"1000 CROWNS!" shouted a woman's voice from the back of the hall. The amount was large enough to get everyone's attention. Normally, prospective employees would fetch between 100 and 500 crowns but 1000? That was totally unheard of. All eyes turned to the woman in question. She stood confidently in a red, expensive gown that reached to her feet. Her face was blemish free and covered in the finest of all make-up. Her hair was long and crimson, stretching behind her back and curling back upwards. And in her hands was a small Meowth, whom she stroked lovingly as if it was her child. The woman bored a hole into Dawn, similar to how Hiker was looking at her since she came on the stage. She was inspecting her in a way, but not in the predatory way Hiker had been doing. Hiker looked at her like a piece of meat while this woman looked at her like a piece of jewelry. Still though, Dawn had no clue who she was but the crowd surely did. They spoke towards her in hush whispers, as if she were a ghost. She had to be someone of importance and wealth to be able to outbid Lord Hiker.
"1000 crowns!" exclaimed Starks, "that might be a record for us. Nonetheless, you now have the highest. Anyone else want to outbid Madame Jessilina?"
Dawn's body stiffened. She may not have known her face but she knew her name sure enough.
Jessilina. The madame of the Rocket brothel, the biggest and most well known whore house in all of Viridian. Perhaps even in all of the empire. It was the jewel of the red light district. A paradise of sin and fornication. She had heard about it from overhearing Conrad conversing with his friends in the music room. They always talked about the quality of the women there. They didn't always go, as the prices tended to be enough to run through his allowances but for them, the price was worth it. Its said that Jessilina and her girls could make all of your wildest fantasies come true and make you experience more joys and elations than you wouldn't find elsewhere. That is, if you had the coin to pay for it.
The blue haired maid suddenly realized her situation. Jessilina wasn't looking for a maid. She was scouting for a new girl to add to her stable. Now, Dawn wasn't a prude. She had some experience with sex, given that she lost her virginity to a friend a while ago but she wasn't one to use her looks and the offer of sex to get ahead in life. If she did, she would've long since given herself to Conrad and earn an extra bit of coin. And here she was, facing a potential future as a whore.
Jessilina had her eye on Dawn since she walked up. Between her long blue hair, large blue eyes and attractive figure, the young lady was certainly an eyecatcher. "With a little polish, that girl can be a real gem," she said to no one in particular but it was loud enough for the girl in question to hear her. The madame loved maids. There was something about them that the johns loved. Maybe it was their subservient nature or the outfit or the ordinary appearance they tended to have. It didn't really matter to her. Former maids were in demand and thus, she frequently visited the stage in order to find new girls. She was ready to spend that much money on maybe 5 or 6 maids but upon seeing Dawn, she was ready to drop her whole budget just to have her.
Lord Hiker was livid. How dare that bitch take what was promised to him? He could challenge her but he wasn't expecting to get into a bidding war with the brothel queen today. His funds were, shall we say, limited for today. But he stopped himself as he thought more on the situation. He could still have her. Just not in the way he intended. If Jessilina was buying her, she must want her to be working and if he was working, he could still have sex with her. She'd probably fetch a pretty coin but it would be worth it to fuck her properly. Hell, if he greased her palms enough, Jessilina could make her his own personal cumdump, to use whenever he visited. It wasn't ideal but he was still getting what he wanted. Satisfied with his mental plan, he slunk back into his seat and waited.
"Such a powerful bid from such a powerful lady. I will ask one more time. Are there any other bids for the lovely Miss Dawn?" once again, the hall was silent. Once the gavel dropped, Dawn knew her fate was sealed. She'd be a prostitute and there was nothing she could do about it.
"1000 crowns going once….1000 crowns going twice…and sol-"
"5000 crowns!"
And once again, the hall erupted into a cacophony of gasps, shouts of surprises and exclamations of excitement. Mr. Starks was beyond flabbergasted at the sudden increase in the bidding. "5000 CROWNS!?" he shouted over the din of voices. "THAT'S AN ALL TIME RECORD!"
All eyes returned to the back of the hall as they saw the owner of the voice, who stood next to the madame: an older man in his late 60s, with dull gray hair, a wrinkled face, and sporting a deep blue suit with gold trims around his cuffs and buttons. He had the appearance of a grandpa, what with his gentle smile and upright posture. For some reason, Dawn felt so much at ease upon seeing the gentleman but she couldn't help the feeling that she had seen him somewhere before. But she just couldn't place his face.
Everyone else in the hall, however, did not have that same issue. They all knew who he was and more importantly, they knew who he represented. Lord Hiker was beyond furious at losing his prize but his rage was impotent in the presence of this man. He could complain but it would fall on deaf ears. Dawn was out of his reach. He would have to take it out on a poor sable boy when he got back home.
Jessilna sneered at the gentleman, who only offered a kind smile to the madame. There was no point in trying to outbid him. This man had the deepest pockets of anyone in the hall or even in the whole city. She could go in with every noble and lord gathered there and they wouldn't be able to hold a candle to how much he could bring to the table. With a huff, she turned on her expensive heels and began to exit the room. "A shame," she muttered, "I could've made so much money off that girl". The gentleman gave her a polite wave as she departed before turning back to the stage.
Soon, the buzz of voices died down and Mr. Starks regained control of the hall. "Well, you certainly made me a fortune, Miss Dawn," he said to the maid in question with a smile. He had to admit that he was not only happy for making so much money off a single employee but happy that Dawn was going to someone who will treat her properly. "This is foolish to say but I will ask it anyway: is there anyone here who can outbid 5000 crowns?" For the last time, silence reigned over the hall, save for the angry mutterings of Lord Hiker. "Excellent. 5000 crowns going once…5000 crowns going twice…." and with, he slammed the gavel down on the podium, signaling the end of the auction. "And sold! To the esteemed gentleman in the back of the room. You may head to the front office to finalize the purchase of the contract. Walter, please escort Miss Dawn to the processing room and bring in the next employee."
The large black man nodded as he guided the now most valuable maid in Viridian city off the stage. The breath that she didn't know she was hold exited her lungs. Dawn felt like she had just dodged not just one but two bullets just then. She was not going to play the plaything of a psychopath nor would she be a lady of the night. She was going to be a maid, hopefully. But as she glanced back one last time to the man who saved her, that feeling returned to the front of her mind.
Have I seen him before?
Dawn stood outside of the V.E.A., patiently waiting for the gentleman to leave the building. As she stood there, she noted the large, ornate carriage that was stationed in front of the agency, attached to a duo of rhyhorns. She naturally assumed it belong to the older man, seeing as how he spent enough money on her to buy a small house. The bluette kept thinking about him. She thought she knew all the major nobles in and around Viridian but she had no clue who he was. Maybe he wasn't from around here. Maybe he was from Pewter? Cerulean? Vermillion? The questions just kept coming but the one thing she was sure of was that this gentleman didn't seem untrustworthy or morally bankrupt as the others. Maybe her luck was turning around.
Her thoughts were broken up with the gentleman exiting the building, followed by a very pleased Mr. Starks. She saw her contract, perfectly folded in the gentleman's hand, signifying that the process had been completed. "A pleasure doing business with you, my good sir," said Starks, offering a friendly handshake.
"Likewise, Mr. Starks," he replied, taking his hand into a firm shake.
"I do hope you get your money's worth with that," he said, gesturing towards her.
"I certainly hope so."
With a final nod, Mr. Starks retreated back into the agency, leaving Dawn alone with her new "owner". The gentleman turned towards her and extended her towards her and then towards the carriage. "Miss Dawn, if you please.'' The young bluette was still a bit nervous but not because she was scared he would do something unkind towards but more so for the mystery of who he was. Still, his ever amiable smile was enough to put her at ease. Clutching her bag, she strolled over to the carriage, which the gentleman was kind enough to open for her. Inside, she found that the interior was just as extravagant as the exterior: the seats were red and seemingly covered in silk. The floors were a dull golden color that almost seemed to glow. There were rich curtains over the windows that prevented anyone from seeing inside. There was even a small speaker that connected to what she assumed was the coachman's seat. Compared to this, the nicest carriages of the Bathroys looked about as gorgeous as a waste wagon. She sat down on the seat and it was so soft, she was almost scared she would sink into the very cushioning itself. She almost wanted to fall asleep right then and there but she thought better of it as it might seem rude to her new host. Said host entered the interior and closed the door behind him as he took a seat across from her.
He reached over to the speaker and spoke into it. "Coachman, to the estate."
"Yes sir," she heard him reply. A few moments later, she heard the cry of the rhyhorns and soon, they were in motion.
Dawn sat still as the carriage traveled through the streets, not sure what to say or do before the gentleman. Said older man merely sat there, watching her, trying to take a measure of her character just from her appearance. He slightly intimidated her, mostly due to how rich and important he seemed.
"Candy?"
His sudden question caught her off guard, much like everything he did. "Excuse me?"
"Do you like candy?" he asked fully.
"Um…..y-yes. Yes I do."
The older man's smile brightened. "Ahh! That's good. That makes things easier." he reached under his seat and began to fumble about. "You'd be surprised how many people don't like candy. A young man I happen to know isn't a fan of them, you see. So I had to ask if you liked it." from under the seat, he produced a medium sized silver box. "You must be very hungry, my dear. But sadly, this is all I have to offer at the moment." he opened the box and revealed it to be full of small round balls of various colors. "Please. Have one."
The maid eyed the box with a bit of suspicion but again, the old man's smile and genuine concern for him killed that feeling. She grabbed a piece and popped it into her mouth eagerly. The taste was extraordinary. Nothing like the simple sugar candies she and the other maid would buy from hawkers on their days off. It was equal parts sweet and sour. Perfectly balanced to the point where it would swing to one extreme, it doubled back and swung to the other direction. And the scent was intoxicating. The subtle floral aroma made the experience exquisite. It was like she was biting into a field of flowers on a spring morning.
"Well?" inquired the old man.
"It's…..delicious," she gushed. "I've never had anything like it."
"Excellent. In that case, you can have the box."
Dawn nearly choked on the piece she was chewing. "I'm sorry. But I can't accept this. This is too good for me."
"Oh nonsense," he waved off. "You are more than deserving of some good candy. Besides, I have tons of boxes like this one stashed around where we are going. I get them a lot from a friend in Celadon. So it's no trouble. Please."
Again, this old gentleman surprised her again. To offer her, a simple maid, such well crafted and obviously expensive treats. It went against what she thought a noble was supposed to act. But she wasn't going to turn down free food, considering she hadn't eaten much of anything today, aside from some dry biscuits the cooks of Bathory had given her before she left. Dawn took the box from the man. "Thank you, sir."
"Think nothing of it, Dawn," he said. "Huh. now that i realize it, we haven't been properly introduced."
"That is true," she said as she ate another piece of candy.
"Indeed. Well, allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Samuel Oak, lord of the house of Oak, at your service."
The blue haired maid immediately stopped eating her new acquired sweets. A sense of awe overcame her as she absorbed the new information presented to her. For the gentleman, he saw all the nervousness and wariness that oozed from her being evaporate right before his eyes.
"Oak?" she started. "As in…..Professor Oak, the pokemon professor?"
A hearty chuckle escaped his lips. "Ahh that's a name I haven't heard in quite a while. But yes, that's me."
Dawn's face transformed into an image of utter delight. Prof. Oak had never really seen the girl smile up until now and he found it marvelous. As bright as the sun and just as warm. But part of him couldn't help but feel nostalgic. She reminded him of someone but he shook that thought out of his head.
"I'm a big fan of your work!" she gushed as she reached into her bag and pulled out her book of legendries before handing it to the professor. Oak thumbed through the tome, noting how slightly worn the edges were, meaning that it was read many many times.
"Well this brings back memories," he conveyed. "A first edition too."
"My mom bought it for me when I was a little girl. I read it almost every day."
"That is certainly….wait. You can read?" he asked.
Dawn nodded. "My mom taught me when I was a child. Is…that ok?"
"More than ok," he gleefully answered. "Most new maids we hire don't know how to read or write. Their training tends to be basic education. So you've more than shown you are worth the money I spent. That and being a fan doesn't hurt at all."
The maid giggled a bit at his kind joke. "Why wouldn't I be a fan, professor? Ahem. 'jiggle jiggle little puff, how much you will eat until it's enough? More than a gulpin, I'd assume, so eat too much or end up in a tomb'."
Prof. Oak clapped his hands together as he laughed. "You really are a fan, my dear. It's rare to meet another who is a fan of my poetry."
"Mom used to read your poems to me when I was bored. It was one of my favorite times of the day."
"Truly, I must thank your mother. She sounds like a wonderful person."
"Yes….she was." Dawn's mood deflated a bit after saying that. It didn't take much for Oak to infer what had happened to the young lady's mother.
"Oh. oh, I'm dreadful sorry. I had no idea….."
Dawn waved her hand. "No need to worry, professor. Mom passed away a long time ago. I've…been on my own since then, save for a few friends of my mom helping me a few times."
There it was again. That sense of the familiar. That phrase. "No need to worry" played in his mind. It reminded him of someone. A person he missed very dearly. But again, he mentally waved off the idea. The phrase was very common and something almost everyone said once in a while but it was the way she said it that messed with him. It was a bother but nothing to stress over. "I'm so sorry, my dear. You must have had a hard time."
"It was but I'm here now and it's made me the person I am today."
Oak nodded at her response. "That's a very mature response, my dear."
"Thank you, professor. I can't believe to get to work for the pokemon professor," she eagerly confessed.
Prof. Oak gave her a quizzical expression. "For me?"
"Yes. that is why you bought my contract."
"Dawn, my dear, you won't be working for me. I have no need for a maid right now."
"I'm…..not?" she uttered, all of her elation draining away from her.
"I'm sorry. I should've told you sooner. You see, you won't be working for me. You will be working for my….. 'Employer', of a sort," he said.
Dawn was obviously confused. "Your employer? But who do you work for? You seem too well off to be working for anyone else."
Oak gave a low chuckle. "You honestly don't remember me. Not that I blame you, really."
"We've met?"
"A few nights ago, at Bathory manor."
It finally hit her like a ton of bricks. The reason why he seemed so familiar. Dawn began to recall the memory of that night. Most of it was dominated by the company of the charming prince and his drunken knight. Then she remembered an older man who chastised the knight for his behavior. It was Professor Oak. The only reason she didn't outright remember him was simply because the professor didn't stand out too much. He was there but unless you talked right to him, you wouldn't much recall him or what he did. And everyone's attention was on the prince, so that just added to it.
"You were there," she uttered.
The professor nodded. "Indeed I was. We met but I doubt we even had a proper conversation."
"If only I had known…" she lamented.
"It's quite alright," he spoke reassuringly. "I was just there to do my job as his adviser."
"Wait. so you say your employer is…..?"
Oak nodded. "You are correct. Count yourself very lucky, my dear Dawn. From this day forward, you will be working at Pallet Palace."
The bluette couldn't believe her ears. She had hoped for a decent place to work, under a kinder lord or lady than her last job. But working for the royal family was beyond her best dreams. "Are you serious, professor?"
"Very much so. You see, one of our senior maids, Mrs. Greens retired a few months ago," he explained. "She's enjoying her retirement on Cinnabar Island with her husband."
"Awww, that's so sweet."
"Very much so. She had served the crown for nearly 50 years. She was there when the emperor was still a boy and she was there since the prince was in diapers. But the empress felt that it was time she started living her life. So I needed someone to fill her spot, hence why i was at the stage. I…..tend to step in to see if i can help out a few people in need. I came late but I arrived just in time to see you on the stage. I remembered you and how well you performed your duties and how impressed I was. I couldn't let such a good and proper maid be left to the devices of Jessilina or, Arceus forbid, Lord Hiker."
"I thank you, Professor but….to spend that much money on a maid like…."
He gave Dawn that same sweet grandpa smile of his. "Think nothing of it, my dear. From the little time we've spent here today, I can assure you that it was money well spent."
She didn't know how to feel at that moment. No one treated her so well before and here she was, going to work for the heart of the empire by way of a man whom she's admired since she was a child. Part of her felt like she didn't deserve such good fortune but she wasn't going to question it. Not out loud anyway. But as the minutes passed and she enjoyed another piece of candy, a single thought popped into her mind. It was a selfish thought that she chastised herself for even pondering while sitting across from prof. Oak. how could she even think of that? She felt like she was taking advantage of his, and by extension the royal family's kinds. But it was still something she was curious about.
Will I see the prince again?
The trip back to Pallet Palace was pleasant enough. Dawn and Prof. Oak talked about a myriad of subjects, both from his various works and his own personal experiences with pokemon. The professor felt like he was back at the university, teaching a class again and Dawn was a very attentive student. She listened to almost everything he had to say and never seemed to loose interest. If her personality wasn't enough to get her to like him, her attentiveness and intelligence certainly did the trick. Oak hoped that she would adapt well to live at the palace.
Soon enough, the carriage arrived at the massive gates that marked the entrance to the palace grounds. Dawn's eyes were glued to the windows, taking in as many details as her brain could store. After passing the gates, the carriage drove up the long paved road to the palace. She saw how the lawn was utterly gigantic, with small lakes and ponds dotted around the green and freshly cut grass. There were bushes and trees of varying sizes and shapes, with some being expertly trimmed by a small army of gardeners.
The carriage pulled up and stopped in front of the main palace. Professor Oak exited it first and, like the gentleman he was, offered Dawn his hand as she exited. Now, she had seen pictures of the imperial royal palace in newspapers and books but none of them could do the place justice.
The palace was enormous, easily five times the size of the Bathorys' home. Older too, but still with a sense of majesty and grandeur. She was by no means a architect but even she could appreciate the craftsmanship and the attention to detail that the mind behind this wonder put into it. It was painted a majestic white color with streaks of gold around the roof and tiling. It stretched from end to end, like a father welcoming you home with a warm hug. This was a palace truly fit for an emperor. Oak was amused by Dawn's reactions. He was worried the poor girl would die from overstimulation but he doubted she would mind passing away in such a manner.
"Dawn? Dawn?"
The professor's call snapped her awe induced stupor. "OH! I'm sorry, professor!"
"It's ok. You'd be surprised how many times that happens to first time visitors. Now, come along. The inside is much better."
The new maid eagerly followed behind the older gentleman as they entered the foyer of the palace. Once again, Dawn was stupefy by the magnificence of the room. High ceilings that were dotted with beautiful chandeliers, each adorned with diamonds. Fine paintings hung from the walls. Furniture that looked like it cost more than she had in her bank account, times 20. Vases that looked so good and fragile that she was scared to even look at them. The tiled floors were pristine marble white, with a few expensive looking rugs laid tastefully about it. There were a few armed guards posted about the room, with some maids in lovely blue maid uniforms walking to and fro, going about their duties.
She was so busy marveling at her surroundings that she didn't notice professor Oak calling over one of the guards.
"Soldier."
"Yes, professor."
"Do you know where May is right now?"
The guard pondered for a few moments before he could answer. "I believe she is cleaning one of the second floor bathrooms."
"Good. Can you get her for me?"
"Of course, Professor." and with that, the guard walked out of the foyer.
"You seem to be having a good time, my dear," he spoke.
"This is so beautiful!" she uttered, her blue eyes drinking in every last detail she could. "And you get to see this everyday!"
"It's something you get used to."
"I don't think I can."
"And to think, this is just part of the palace."
"THERE'S MORE!?" she exclaimed, causing the old man to laugh at her exuberance. "Can we see some?"
Oak reached over and patted her hand. "As much as I enjoy your company, I would love to play tour guide for you but, sadly, my duties prevent me from doing so."
The excitement drained out of Dawn's countenance, obviously a bit disappointed. "Oh. that's too bad."
"Do not worry, my dear. I've arranged a proper tour guide for you. And here she comes now."
He drew her attention to the approach of a maid from a nearby hallway. Like all the other maids, her outfit was a deep blue with a white apron on the front. The difference between her and the other was a rather sporty green scarf tied around her head, allowing her brown hair to peek out of the sides of her head, creating two long pigtails. Most notable thing Dawn noticed about the woman was her bust. It wasn't as large as the prostitutes she had seen on the streets of Viridian but it was sizable enough to gain the attention of anyone who crossed her path.
She traipsed over to the duo, boldness oozing with every step, something that no normal maid would have. She stopped in front of them, hands on her hips and said, "this had better be good, professor. I was busy with important work."
Dawn was astonished by the brazen disrespect she was showing to the professor. She expected him to be awash with rage and read her the riot act but it was quite the opposite. Oak seemed genuinely amused by her behavior.
"Important work. Don't you mean 'hitting on another butler'?" he asked.
"I was not hitting on a butler," she answered indignantly. The professor gave her a disbelieving look. "...it was a pageboy."
Oak gave a small snort of amusement. "You'll find a proper man if you keep acting like this."
"Not looking for a proper man. Just a nice looking one. Now why call me out there?"
"I need you to be a tour guide to our newest member," he answered, motioning towards Dawn.
The woman took notice of her and took a few steps towards, appraising her appearance. "Ooooooh! And who is this?"
The bluette was a bit intimidated by her sudden forwardness. "Um hi…..I'm Dawn."
"She's the maid I hired to replace Mrs. Greens. Dawn, this is one of her best maids, May Berg."
May put a finger to her chin as she looked at her. "Hmm. She's pretty cute. That at least is good." Dawn awkwardly blushed at the comment. "And she's even cuter when she blushes. Looks like you got a great catch here, professor."
"May, I didn't hire her just for you to leer at her. Just give her the lay of the land and see to it that she is settled in." May gave the professor a sloppy salute. "And Dawn? Do try not to pick any of May's….less desirable habits."
Oak gave the ladies a small bow before turning on his heels and walking away to attend to his business. "Dusty old man!" May called out to him and the older man simply gave a halfhearted wave without even looking back.
"What did professor Oak do to make you so mad at him?" Dawn asked.
"Oh it's nothing," she replied with a smirk. "I just like messing with him."
Dawn eyed her a bit suspiciously. "I've….never seen a maid talk to someone over her like that."
"Well, I'm not just any old maid. I've lived here since I was a child. So I just see this place as one big homey house."
"You grew up here?"
May nodded. "Yep. me and my little brother. We've lived here so long, I don't think I could live anywhere else. But enough of that. The professor told me to show you around and I will. Come along….um…..Dawn, was it?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Gotcha. We're gonna hit the servants' quarters first to get you stowed away and then I can show you around.
"Will we see all of the palace?"
The brunette shook her head. "Not this late. You'd need the whole day to see every inch of the palace grounds. But I can show you all the good spots. But only because you seem cool."
The servants' quarters weren't very far from the main palace, which Dawn was glad for. The walk wasn't so terrible that it would be hell on her feet. The quarters weren't as nice as the main palace but it was still markedly better than the quarters at the Bathorys'. The interior was modestly furnished with a few odds and ends, probably from the servants deciding to make the quarters a bit more homey. It was simple but cozy, which Dawn enjoyed. They didn't run into many other servants, probably due to many of them being busy with duties around the grounds.
"I'll start you off with a few things you need to know," May announced as she strutted ahead of Dawn with a confidence that she was envious of. "Do you have any other clothes with you?"
Dawn meekly looked down at her bag. "Just another set of dresses, along with the one I have on."
"Not much for possessions." May turned her head slightly to eye her. "Hmmm, I guess I could lend you some clothes until you can get your own. Although, it might be loose in the chest area."
Dawn covered her chest and puffed out her cheeks. "My chest is perfectly fine!"
May gave a guffaw. "It's so much fun to tease you."
"Well don't make a habit of it."
"No promises." The ladies soon found themselves in a large open area dining room. There were dozens of simple wooden tables with several seats dotted around them. In the back of the room was a line of trays which connected to a serving area that normally held pots and trays of food. Behind them was the kitchen area where they saw a few men in white outfits, Cooks Dawn presumed, either cleaning up or tending to large pots of stew. "This is the common area. It's where the staff can enjoy a meal and relax between jobs."
"Very nice. Um, when are our meal times?"
May looked at her like she had grown a second head. "Meal times?"
"Yeah. our set times for meals and such."
"Oh no. We don't have those."
"You don't?" she asked, authentically stunned by this info.
"Nope. If and when you have completed your tasks and no one asks you to do anything else at that time, you can come here and eat when you want. It keeps the staff rested and fed during the day and not be too overworked. The cooks are on call nearly 24/7, so you'll get a nice meal or snack when you need it. You can even bring in some of your own food and have them cook it up for you. Even better, if you can keep the kitchens clean, you can go in and make your own food if you want."
"That…..so much better than my old jobs. Normally we just get about an hour for lunch and dinner and we could only eat what the cooks were allowed to make for us."
"Welcome to the big leagues, Dawn," said May proudly. "We do things around here a bit more relaxed."
"That's great. I can catch up on some reading more than I thought I would."
"Hold it," May said. "You can read?"
"Yes. I guess you don't hire many literate servants here."
"Like you wouldn't believe. It's pretty common that new staff can't read or write to save their lives. Mostly in the younger ones like you. We often have to spend time educating them in between shifts. I can see why the professor took a shine to you. Saves us a lot of trouble."
"He didn't know that when he bought my contract but he was happy to know that I could read and write."
"That makes two of us," May said with a wink. "Next up is pay. Before you can earn some crowns, you will be placed under a probationary period of a year."
"That long?"
"We go through a lot of servants around here. Some aren't up to the standards. Others can't handle the stress. And a few who just were troublemakers. You'll have to keep your nose clean and not slack off in your work. Once the period is over, then you will earn your salary. It can be shortened if the royal family feels you are going above and beyond your duty but only by a few months."
"How much do we get paid? I hope it's enough for me to buy some spare cloths."
"About 150 crowns a month."
"150 CROWNS!?" she exclaimed.
"What? Is it really that surprising?"
"Hell, yes it is! I only barely made 10 crowns a month working for the Bathorys."
"Well that's the Ketchums. They treat us servants very well." May would've left it at that but Dawn's comment about who she worked for piqued her interest. "You said you worked for the Bathorys?"
"Yes," she said with a bit of shame in her voice. "Up until a few days ago that is."
"I pity that you had to work for those jerks. Especially Conran."
"You know him?"
May's face screwed in abject disgust. "Less 'know' and more 'loath'. The bastard and his sister often came to the palace for royal parties and such. Tried to get into my skirts. Now I know the girls get a lot of attention….." she gestured to her boobs. "...but his attention wasn't wanted."
"Yeah. that's Conrad, alright."
"Say," the busty maid started, "the Bathorys don't really let servants go, mainly because not a lot of us want to work with them. How'd you get out from under them? Caught stealing?"
Dawn silently swallowed hard. It was almost funny she could suggest that she was a theft, given her own habits. Still, she needed to make a good impression and admitting to stealing wasn't a good idea. "Um…..promise not to tell anyone?"
"Sealed," she answered. "Now spill."
With a heavy sigh, she began. "I'd been working for the Bathorys for about 2 years. Conrad had always been Conrad. Always coming on to me, thinking he was so charming. But I could usually just deal with him and be on my way. But the other night…i was cleaning up a room after a big party and Conrad came at me."
"He didn't….you know?"
Dawn shook her head. "He didn't get that far but he was close. Closer than he had gone with me. I pushed him off but he just didn't take the message. So I did what I had to do. I….kicked him in the balls."
"You did what?!" May exclaimed.
"I'm normally not violent or anything. It just…happened."
"You don't have to explain anything, Dawn. he had it coming. What happened next?"
"I called for help and Ursula got there and blamed me for 'tempting' her brother. Couldn't imagine her dear brother would try to rape a maid. I tried to explain myself but she just wasn't listening. Then she slapped me. So…i slapped her right back. Needless to say, that ended my time with the Bathorys."
Without warning, May burst into a fit of total hysterical laughter upon listening to Dawn's story. "Oh my Arceus! That was so friggin funny! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
"So….you're not disappointed that i hit her?"
"What?" she shouted. "Hell no! You did pretty much what hundreds of people in the empire have wanted to do since they met those jack asses! They may think they are hot stuff but I can tell you right now: NO ONE likes the Bathory siblings."
Hearing this information was music to her ears. She always thought the siblings were too arrogant for their own good, even for nobles and now, she had proof of it from the lips of someone in the know.
"That was pretty bold of you to do it."
"My mom always taught me to never be a victim and I wasn't going to start for those jerks."
"She had the right idea. You know, I think you and I are gonna get along just fine. In fact…..you can bunk with me?"
"Really?" asked a dismayed Dawn.
"Sure. My old bunkmate had to leave to help out her sick parents near vermillion. So I was in the market for a new roommate. And who better than a literal ballbreaker?"
Dawn smiled at this comment. "I'll try not to break any balls while I'm here."
"Awwww but that's part of why I like you so much!" she joked, earning a giggle from her new roommate. "Come on. Let's put your stuff up and I'll show you one of my favorite spots."
Their next stop was a large open air area, filled with more soldiers than Dawn had ever seen in her life. There were weapons of all sorts, both wooden and steel of make, that hung up on walls and racks, ready for anyone's use. Practice dummies and exercise equipment were scattered about in an organized manner. It smelled of dirt and earth and steel and wood and sweat and blood. There were men without shirts either jogging around, punching and slashing at the dummies, or wrestling with each other. It was a place designed to turn boys into men and men into soldiers.
"This is the training yard," spoke May. "This is where many of our knights get some much needed training or to just blow off some steam."
"Do you do that?" asked Dawn. "Come here to blow off steam?"
"Not exactly. I come for….the visuals." the bluette saw her face turn into a visage of barely hidden desire as she gazed upon the half naked forms of the men around them. Dawn had come to know one important fact about May from the few hours she spent with her: she was a shameless flirt. She didn't get the sense that she was a slut who banged everything with a pulse but she was very upfront with her lusts, be they men or women. She made many remarks about how attractive Dawn looked but she didn't mind it. Her flirting seemed more good natured than anything else. Certainly better than Conrad's flirts, which were more scummy and unwelcomed. May was quirky in her ways but Dawn found it endearing. "The knight legions often come here to train and keep their skills sharp. Looks like it's the 6th legion today."
"So this is what the imperial knight legions look like," commented Dawn as she observed the knights going about their exercises.
"Never seen the legions before?"
The bluette shook her head. "Never got the chance. How can you tell the difference? They are all shirtless."
" I remember certain faces from certain legions. HI BOYS!" she called out.
A good number of the knights turned to her voice and all were visibly happy to see her. "HEY MAY!" they called back to her.
Dawn gave her a good natured dirty look. "You seem popular with the men, May."
"Don't give me that look. It's not like i fucked any other them….not without trying, of course."
Dawn rolled her eyes, just as another voice, female in tone, shouted out to the men. "WHAT THE HELLS ARE YOU DOING?! GET BACK TO WORK!"
"YES MA'AM!" The men replied and resumed their training.
Walking up to the two women was another woman, a redhead, dressed in a practical blue military uniform. She seemed very masculine to Dawn. so much so that if she hadn't spoken just now, she would've sworn she was a man by her stride and style of dress. "May," she spoke, "how many times do i have to tell you to not bother the men during training?"
"I wasn't bothering anyone," explained May. "I was just…..watching."
The redhead shook her head. "Well, you and your twins are a massive distraction," she said, gesturing to her chest.
"Don't be mad that puberty blessed me better than it did you, mannish girl."
"Oh hush, you bitch."
Dawn watched the back and forth between them. Despite the harshness of their words, she felt no outright hostility from them. It was just playful teasing, which she enjoyed watching. The redhead finally seemed to notice her and said, "Who do we have here? A new face?"
"I'm Dawn. pleased to meet you."
"Dawn here is a new hire via professor Oak," May explained. "She's taking Mrs. Green's place."
"Oh! New hire. Welcome to the family. I'm Zoey. nice to meet ya." she extended her hand and Dawn took it in a nice handshake.
"So do you work with the knight legions?"
"Work for?" answered May. "Dawn, Zoey is the captain of the 6th legion and one of the best knights in the whole palace."
The new maid looked up at the redhead with unrivaled amazement. "You're a captain! And…you're…"
"A woman?" she answered. "Damn, right."
"I didn't know women could be knights."
"It's not uncommon but it's hard work. If you are a woman and you wanna be a knight, you gotta train hard and earn the respect of the other knights. But it's worth it," Zoey said proudly. Dawn had seen how the men had instantly listened to and followed her orders without delay. She couldn't imagine the things she went to earn their respect and loyalty. Just another person in the palace that she found herself in Awe of.
"Sounds like imperial knights have a lot of discipline," she commented.
Zoey gave out a tired sigh. "Not all of them."
"Gary?" asked May.
"Gary. he got into the private reserve last night. Ran around the southern resident buck naked. Had to tackle him and drag him back to his quarters."
"So that's what that commotion was about last night," May commented. "I thought one of the pokemon had gotten loose."
"If only."
"Who's Gary?" asked Dawn.
"Gary is one of the best swordsmen in the whole empire and he happens to be Professor Oak's grandson," answered May. "And Zoey's boyfriend."
"Wow. you're dating Professor Oak's grandson?"
"Don't remind me," said Zoey. "Don't get me wrong. I do adore him but his drunken antics gets a bit too much to handle at times. Thankfully, it's few and far between and he's not violent when he's drunk."
For some reason, Zoey's description of her paramour seemed to ring some bells in her memory. Dawn asked, "By any chance, would your boyfriend be about your height and has dark brown hair?"
"Yes, he does. Do you know him?"
"Not so much know him. I saw him at a party at the Bathorys. He was a bit…much from what I saw."
"Yep. that sounds like Gary alright," Zoey replied. "Huh. So you worked for the Bathorys?"
"Sadly," Dawn answered.
"You have condolences."
May perked up when the topic of the Bathorys came up. "Oh you are gonna like her, Zoey. Especially when I tell you how she 'tendered her resignation'...if i'm allowed to tell her," she looked at Dawn for permission.
The former Bathory maid gave her a slight nod. She may have only just met Zoey but she saw enough to know that this woman could be trusted.
"I didn't know the 6th division was into pointless chatter."
The stern male voice cut through the pleasant atmosphere that the trio had created. All three turned to greet the owner of the voice: a stern looking young man, barely older than the three of them, sporting a blue uniform and purple hair. He scowled at the women, his face seeming to never know the experience of a smile or that it was capable of smiling. Dawn shrank back a little from his glare but the other two merely frowned in his direction.
"I'm just taking a break, Paul. we are allowed to do that from time to time," answered Zoey.
"It's not a good look for a captain to be in a hen session in the middle of the training grounds. And you," he pointed to May, "you should be folding sheets, not ogling the knights."
"I am free to look at whom I want," May sassily replied. "You're just mad that I wouldn't look at you if you were the last man on earth."
"Oh spare me." he turned his glare on Dawn. "who is this woman? I don't recognize her."
Insulted that someone would call her simply a woman, she shrugged off her slight fear of him and answered, "I am not just a woman. My name is Dawn."
"Dawn is a new maid hired by Professor Oak. she's replacing Mrs. Greens."
The knight looked her over for a few moments. "She has a long way to go for that to happen."
"Don't let this guy bother you. This is Paul, captain of the 5th legion," explained Zoey. Dawn considered offering a handshake but he didn't seem the type for such pleasantries.
"I just came here to see when you and your men were gonna be done with the grounds. And here I find you gossiping with some maids."
"As I said," Zoey replied, "I was taking a small break. But to answer your question, we'll be done by 5. Good enough for you?"
Paul snorted a bit. "Just be done when you say you will be. As for you," he faced Dawn, who was by now, not too happy with the purpled haired night. "Just keep out of the way." and with that, Paul took his leave, presumably returning to his legion but not before Dawn stuck her tongue out at him, which got a laugh out of Zoey.
"What crawled up his ass? Muttered Dawn.
"Don't let it get to you," answered Zoey, "he's always been a bit of a stick in mud."
"Like he had Spear Pillar shoved up his ass," added May. "but he can be very considerate. At least, according to Maylene."
Zoey's eyes bulged out upon hearing that statement. "Maylene? Master Bruno's best student? She and…..Paul?"
May hunched her shoulder. "She has a type. And if she likes Paul, then he can't be too much of a jerk."
"She must be a saint to be able to deal with a guy like that," added Dawn.
"He wasn't always like that. He was pretty nice when we were kids."
The bluette gave Zoey a lot. "You knew him when he was a kid?"
"Of course you wouldn't know," spoke May. "Like me, Zoey and Paul grew up in the palace. And Maylene while we are at."
"I didn't know so many children grew up here. Your parents must be nobles or something."
The two childhood friends shared a look between each other before turning back to their new friend. "Something like that," answered Zoey. "And with that, I think I'll leave you to it. Gotta get back to those guys and get them to work up a good sweat before mr. personality comes back."
"I still gotta play tour guide for Dawn. we'll leave you to it."
"It was a pleasure to meet you, Zoey," Dawn spoke.
The redheaded knight gave her a wink and a smile. "Back at ya. Let's hang out when either of us aren't busy."
"Looking forward to it." With that, Zoey marched back over to her legion, barking orders to her men as they seemed to train even harder with her back. "She's pretty cool."
"She can be. Not too bad on the eyes."
"And there it is," teased Dawn.
"I'm just playing. That's all. Now enough of that. Time for me to show you your new favorite spot."
The new maid arched her eyebrow cautiously. "We aren't to peep in on the knights, are we?"
"Not today," she remarked cheekily. "No, we are going to a place that a reader like you might enjoy: the library."
Her suspicions were replaced by cheerfulness. "The library?! Really? We're gonna see it?"
"Figured that would get you excited. Come on, ya book worm. Let's get you your fix."
It was around 4pm when the girls found themselves in front of the elegant wooden doors that lead to the royal library. They talked a bit along the way, mostly about what kind of books Dawn liked to read, or could read, given she didn't have access to the libraries of her employers, outside of dusting and cleaning the books. May enjoyed Dawn's company, more than she thought she would. She was scared that the bluette would be a wallflower, not talking very much about anything like most of the other maids but those fears were unfounded. They got along so well that to the uninitiated, they might have seemed like old friends who had known each other for years instead of only having met just that day. She wasn't going to be bored with such a woman as her flat mate.
"This is the royal library. I don't come here much but it has a crapton of books. The professor said that Cerulean university has a larger library but I've never been so I'm not….." It was then that May noticed a change in Dawn. The woman was standing stock still, her eyes looking upon. She followed her eyes to the object of her gaze: a golden relief that hung proudly over the doors. It was of a beautiful woman in profile, a woman whom the library was named after. But it wasn't the fact that she was staring at the relief that worried May. it was how she was staring at it. There was a strange look on her face. Like he was asking the image a question that she knew it would never be able to answer. There was a sense of quiet longing on her face. She had seen many note about the craftsmanship of the item and the person engraved upon it but Dawn's reaction was world's apart. If she didn't know any better, it almost seemed like she was about to cry.
"Dawn?" she muttered, trying to get her new friend's attention.
"Huh?" she uttered, snapping out of her self-imposed trance. "What's up, May?"
"You ok? You kind of just…zoned out there."
"Oh. I was just….admiring that." she gestured towards the relief. May was sure she was lying to her or at the very least, not telling her the whole truth but she didn't want to pry. They had only just met and even someone as forward as her knew well enough to not push into someone personal history too soon. So for now, she would accept that it was just admiration.
"That was commissioned by the emperor himself for St. Johanna."
"The emperor must have been a big admirer of hers to do something like that."
"More than just a fan," said May. "they were friends."
"Really?" said Dawn, stunned by the revelation.
" were classmates under Prof. Oak years ago. Very close friends from what i hear. In fact, word is that it was St. Johanna introduced the emperor to his wife in that same class. The emperor loves his wife and he was always grateful to her, so he dedicated this library in her honor."
"I…didn't know she was friends with the emperor," Dawn spoke in a somewhat melancholic tone, which didn't escape May's notice. Something was up with her but again, it wasn't her place to ask.
"Very few people know about it. Folks thought he was in love with her but that's not the case. He just missed his friend."
"Guess it was a big deal when she vanished."
"Very much so. She just up and left and no one knows why. No one even knows if she's still alive."
"What about her estate?"
"The Berlitz estate is under the direct management of the emperor, his wife and a few others in the court. They don't spend any of her money or do anything with her lands. They simply keep things maintained if and when she comes back. She had no heirs and her only relatives are so distantly related to her, that they have no claim to her estate."
"I see. Did you know?"
May gave a small chuckle. "No, not at all. Never got the chance. Shame, really. I….think we would've gotten along."
"I think so too."
May was a bit taken aback by her warm smile and very kind words. The way she said that had an air of familiarity. It was almost like she knew that St. Johanna would indeed like her. She couldn't help but wonder if Dawn knew more about her than she was letting on. Shaking the thought from her brain, she cracked the large door open and peeked inside. She retreated her head with an evil grin across her lips.
"What is it?"
"It looks like a certain someone is reading inside and i just got a nice idea."
"What do you mean?"
"Just follow me in and be as quiet as possible."
She wasn't sure what the senior maid had planned but Dawn was a good sport. Besides, May was fun and she had a good sense of humor, so she went along with it. The two ladies quietly crept into the library as silently as humanly possible. She had to cover her mouth to stifle a gasp as she took in the enormity of the royal library. The largest library she had been in was one near lavender town many years ago when she accompanied a rather studious lord who was checking out a few books. That one was about the size of a small house and this one was at least ten times the size. Bookshelves ten rows high created a forest of literature. Books upon books upon books as far she could see. She didn't know libraries could be this big and her reader itch started up. Her fingertips dragged across the spines of the tomes around her. Already, her mind was making plans to sneak in and just get lost in all the topics she could.
May stopped as they reached the end of a bookshelf, causing Dawn to take a spot behind her. "He's right there," she whispered as she pointed over the end. Dawn peeked an eye out to see who she was referring to. There, seated at the reading area of the library was a black haired young man in a white dress shirt and red pants. His back was turned towards them so she could see his face but she could tell by his posture that he was engrossed in a book that laid on the table.
"Who is he?" she murmured.
"Just a book nerd like you. I'm gonna give that punk a scare. You wait here," she muttered. Dawn watched as May tiptoed out of their temporary hiding spot and advanced upon the seemingly clueless reader. She wondered how May could move so smoothly and silently in her maid boots but she just assumed it came with practice. She held her breath and her urge to laugh as her new friend crept closer and closer to the seated man. She wasn't sure what she was going to do to him when he got close but she was eager to see the hilarious scene play out.
"Don't bother sneaking up on me, May. I heard you come in," the man called out, not even bothering to turn his head to face her. May stopped dead in her tracks and cursed under her breath.
"You bastard!" she spoke. "Damn you and your ears!"
The man emitted a chuckle. "Lord Koga, you are not."
"How did you even know it was me?"
"Your footsteps. I recognized them."
"Those could've been faked."
"I'd know the difference."
May snorted as she strolled up to him. "That you would. So whatcha doing?"
"Something you should be doing instead of drooling over the knights: reading."
"Paul told you, didn't he?"
"He may have said something in passing."
"Bastard," she muttered as she reached the table and picked up the book to read the title.. "'Lightning War: the basics of warfare by LT. Surge'?"
"I have to stay up on tactics. Never know when a war will break out."
"Trying to be the next great general or something?"
"Just to be the first me, May," the man smartly answered. "Now, who's your companion?"
"What companion?" she asked, playing dumb.
"I heard two sets of footsteps: yours and someone else's I didn't recognize. Plus, Paul said you were play tour guide for someone else. So bring her out."
"Always on the ball," May shook her head at her friend's observational skills. "I guess there's no point hiding it. Dawn, come on out! I'll introduce you to someone!"
"Dawn?"
The woman in question exited from her vantage point and began to walk towards the two. The young man closed his book, no longer having an interest in it, rose to his feet and turned to greet her.
And then time seemed to stop as once again, in only so many days, Chocolate met Azul.
Dawn had hoped to at least see this person when she first found out she would be working here but gave up on those hopes. Now, that secret dream was realized as standing before her was prince Ash, sans the regal dress uniform he wore at the party those few nights again. Even in his casual attire, he still cut the dashing figure of a man. So much so, she felt breathless just by being around him.
Ash was in a similar boat. This simple maid had lingered in his thoughts since that night at the Bathorys. He assumed that he'd only rarely see her and only in relation to Ursula and her scumbag of a brother. He was resigned to that. But here she was, here in the castle, right before him. And even in her simple unassuming brown dress and plain shoes, she was still beautiful to him, like a gift from the trio themselves.
For a few brief moments, time seemed to stop and the rest of the world faded.
It was just him.
It was just her.
It was just them.
And, if you asked that, they would've kept it that way.
Recalling that night again, Dawn took the sides of her dress and gave a nice, proper curtsy to Ash. "I remembered, your highness," she spoke with a graceful smile.
Ash, remembering how they first met, matched her smile with his toothy one. "That you did, Miss Dawn."
May, seeing this entire exchange go down, looked between the two, who seemed to have completely forgotten she was there. "Um, am I missing something?" she asked, snapping them out of their respective daydreams. The pair looked over to the brunette and just shared an awkward laugh.
"Sorry about that, May," said Dawn.
May gave them both a curious gander. "Do you two know each other or something?"
"Oh, it's nothing like that!" exclaimed Dawn. "We just….ran into each other at a party."
"Nonsense, Miss Dawn," spoke prince Ash. "If it wasn't for you, I'd have died of boredom in dealing with those two. She was very engaging, May." the poor maid turned beet red from the high compliments given to her by this paragon of a man.
"Huh. i guess that does track," mutter May as she recalled the night he left for that part. "In that case, you won't be as bored anymore. Dawn here will be working here from now on. The professor hired her to replace Mrs. Greens."
"She'll be…working here?" he asked expectedly like a child who was told they can have candy for dinner.
Dawn gave a cute nod. "That's correct, your highness. I'll be at your service."
Now there was no way she meant anything more than that when she said that statement but in Ash's mind, it meant something else. The way she said "at your service" was enough for very perverted ideas to sneak into his gray matter. He allowed himself to wonder what she would look like naked, on the floor and in the throws of carnal passions beneath him.
The prince mentally punched himself for entertaining such thoughts. It was disrespectful to this young lady and he felt terrible for it. But neither woman noticed this internal battle he was having. "Of course, Miss Dawn. i expect the same level of work as in our last encounter."
"I will try, your highness."
"I didn't expect you here, Ash," noted May. "figured you'd be in the training guards with Zoey and her legion."
"I changed my mind. Figured I'd get some reading done."
"You train with the legions, your highness?" pondered Dawn.
"Yep. keeps me sharp when I train with them. Plus, it keeps the men focused, especially when this one pops up and distracts them," he said, pointing a thumb to May.
She snorted at his words. "I'm just enjoying the view. That's all. It's not like I wanna see your ass half naked and sweaty."
Her words had an unintended reaction upon Dawn. instantly, she pictured the prince sans his top, covered in sweat and dirty. She had never seen him anywhere close to nude but she could imagine how well toned he was, how his muscles rippled and flexed as he worked out. She wondered what it would be like to have him use those muscles upon her, on a bed or a table or the floor or anywhere he wanted her.
Dawn exercised the fantasies from her mind. That was not what she needed to be thinking of in the presence of the heir. Just then, Ash leaned close to her to say something. "Don't pick up too much from her, Miss Dawn. Since we grew up together, she seems to think she can say and do whatever she wants."
"HEY!" she snapped. "I don't THINK i can say and do whatever i want. I KNOW I can," she punctuated her proclamation by putting her hands on her hips, accompanied by a rather smug expression. Dawn could only laugh. It was pretty clear they had affection for each other. At least enough that May could speak to and about the prince in such a fashion and Ash not seeming the least bit bothered by it. The more time she spent here, the more she realized that despite it being the center of the empire, Pallet Palace was far more relaxed and family-like than any of her previous jobs. "Now, let's let the future general get back to his reading. We still have a few places to hit up before nightfall and you need to get more of a lay of the land."
Ash and Dawn were both secretly disappointed that they couldn't spend a little bit more time together but May was right. They had their own duties and responsibilities to attend to. "Well, I won't keep you," spoke Ash. "I hope you don't get too lost on your first day, Miss Dawn."
"I'll try not since I have a good tour guide," she replied. "Enjoy your studies, your highness."
"Enjoy your tour, Miss Dawn."
The azure eyed maid gave the royal a small but polite wave, which he returned, before May pulled her along and exited the library, all the while Ash watching her figure leave his sight as if he was scared she would vanish from reality itself.
Ash released the breath he didn't know he held as he was left alone with his thoughts. He felt his heart racing 100 miles an hour. He had to calm himself down and get a handle on his feelings. "Calm down," he said to himself. "She's here. She's real and she's here." He had been a mess internally since that party. The first woman he had been truly interested in since Serena and he was worried he wouldn't see her again. Now, as if fate was smiling up on him, she appeared again and this time, she was close. So very close. He didn't know why she wasn't working for the Bathorys anymore nor did he care. He could see her daily now, without having to spend his time messing about that shrew of a woman, Ursula.
Ash gazed out of the window at the setting sun and smiled to himself. He clutched the small silver pendent of Arceus that hung around his neck. "Thank you, Arceus," he prayed. "Thank you for bringing her to me."
wow. it felt great getting back into driver seat again. i hope you enjoy it. and if you really enjoy it, maybe you can help a guy out. i'm currently not getting paid for a while, due to issues with my aunt's house, so if you want, you can drop me some donations to help me out with basic stuff. i could share my but i'm not sure how the site would deal with that but if you want to know it, just drop me a DM and i'll send a link. or a cashapp will do. just put a dollar sign in front of my SN, shintigercurl and you'll get it. even a dollar would be a appreciated. but above all, please leave a review. it really helps me more than you know.
LATER FICCERS!