MA: hey peeps. been a while. was messing around this one for a while but something happened that got me some time to finish it: hurricane Beryl. we got hit hard. no where near as much rain when harvey hit us but the wind was a killer. our power was out for 9 agonizing days. needless to say, it was a brutal time. but i had time to work on a lot of projects. this one was one of them. so i hope you enjoy some more pearlshipping AU action. so with that out of the way, ON WITH THE FIC!
MAID FOR THE PRINCE
CHAPTER 4
"That woman is a distraction."
That was the prevailing thought running through Ash's head as he sat in his office, sipping on his tea and trying to listen to Prof. Oak's words as he ran down a few pages of financial documents. Normally, he wouldn't have a problem with such a thing, since it was part of his duties and all. But that all changed with a certain blue haired maid wandered into the room, cleaning supplies in hand. After a small greeting to the two occupants, Dawn set to work on dusting and cleaning the office, making sure to be as unobtrusive as possible. It was a skill she had developed over her decade-long career and she was quite good at it. But as hard as she tried, she couldn't shake the eyes of Ash, who kept sneaking glances at her whenever his teacher looked down at his papers.
She was blissfully unaware of the lusty eyes that tracked her movements as she went about her work. He couldn't help but marvel at her figure as she faffed about, doing nothing really out of the ordinary. But now that the two had crossed the line from prince and maid to passionate lovers, it seemed like everything she did seemed to arouse him. It was almost unfair in a way. Especially when she wiggled her perfect little ass around, like a deadly sword. By Arceus, he adored her bottom. Already, his mind was penning a poem about it: "ode to the maid's perfect ass". He laughed to himself as the idea of being poetic about a maid's backside passed his mind. He felt like a fool when it came to Dawn. but he would be the biggest fool in the world if it meant he could have her.
"So you see, my boy, if we transfer funds from this division, we could cut the budget by 16%."
Ash snapped out of his mental admiration just in time to hear what the professor had to say. "Understood, Professor," he said, putting down his tea and picking up his pen.
"And here I was thinking you weren't listening."
"What makes you say that?"
"Oh nothing. You just seemed distracted a bit. I wonder why."
Ash cracked a smile as he signed the necessary paperwork. "Must be the tea."
"Hmmm. must be."
Ash then handed the documents to the older man. "Is that all?" he asked.
"For now," Oak answered after lightly looking over the paper. "I'll have to get these sorted away. Don't drink too much tea, my boy."
"There is no such thing, professor," he joked.
"Fine. I shall leave you to your addiction." Oak stood up and gave a slight bow to Ash, who returned the gesture. Turning around, he walked towards the door to the office, passing by Dawn, who was moving on to a table in the center of the room. "Do make sure his highness doesn't overdose on tea, miss Dawn."
"I shall try, Professor," Dawn replied to his good natured ribbing of the prince.
And just liked that, they were alone.
"About time," he muttered to himself as he finished off his tea. It was a decent enough cup but he still much preferred it when Dawn made him tea. He'd have to ask her to brew him a pot before the day ends. But for now, he was more interested in tasting something else entirely. He smoothly got up from his chair and rounded his desk. Dawn didn't notice that he had gotten up or that he passed her by or even when he locked the door, ensuring that no one interrupted him. It wasn't unusual for him to lock his door when he's studying or when he needed a break from his duties. So no one would question it if they found it locked.
With a predatory glint in his eye, he locked in on his prey, who was still blissfully unaware of what was about to happen to her. His steps were slow and deliberate. His breathing, steady and calm. His hands, ready to grab.
Dawn jumped a bit when she felt a hand grab her butt cheek. Then she remembered who she was in the room with. Deciding to be playful today, she continued to clean the table and said "And what can I do for you, your highness?"
"Nothing much, miss Dawn," he said, now grasping both of her cheeks. "Just… admiring your work."
"Well, I appreciate your admiration, highness, but it might interfere with my duties."
Ash, impish smirk on his face, dropped to his knees and pressed his face firmly between her two cheeks. A deep inhale and satisfied grunt erupted from him as he indulged himself in the object of his lust. Even though he was actually touching her bare skin, the mere sensation of him between her cheek was enough for Dawn to release a moan from her throat. "And what am I doing to interfere with your duties, Miss Dawn?"
She struggled to focus simply on cleaning the same spot of the table. "I…don't want to say, highness," she grunted.
Ash began to lightly bite her fleshy butt through her skirt. Not hard enough to hurt her or even leave a mark but the feeling was having an effect upon her. "Say it. Tell me."
Her wiping became painfully slow. She felt her control dying. "Y-you are p-playing…..with my a-ass."
Slowly, he trailed kisses from her rump, up her lower back and all the way up to her neck. "Now I'm not anymore. Am I still interrupting?" he whispered, the hotness of his breath tickling her ear.
"You….you…." she stuttered. She hated him at times like this. How he could easily turn her into an aroused moron. "You aren't being fair."
"I could say the same of you," Ash uttered, lightly kissing her neck.
"I do not."
"Yes you do. You tease."
"When do I tease you?"
"All the time. When you are walking around. When faffing around with your cleaning basket. When you clean my floors. Even now, as you TRY to wipe my table." He punctuated his claims with a gentle kiss on her ear, causing her to shiver as if she was left out in the cold. "How could I resist?"
"You…" she muttered out as she leaned back against him, finally surrendering the pleasure. Ash easily caught her mouth with his own, their first kiss of the day. "You…bastard…."
He smiled to himself. Dawn would swear at him when he turned on the charm, knowing she couldn't resist him. All the princesses, ladies, and other women who tried to be intimate with him would never say such things to him, but Dawn was different. She could be mouthy and willful when her passions were ignited. At first, she was apologetic about saying such things to the heir but he waved it off, mainly due to it turning him on.
She reached behind her, stroking his facing tenderly, her duties long since forgotten. Ash slowly and eagerly began to raise her skirts, showing off her round backside to him. He gave it a light slap. Dawn jumped, letting out a cute yelp at the action. "How dare you," she muttered.
"I'm the prince," he said, methodically removing her plain white panties. "I do as I wish."
"Tyrant," she said playfully.
"Then if i'm a tyrant….." he promptly undid his pants and allowed his hardened dick to slap itself between her welcoming cheeks. "...then I'll just take what I want. And what I want….." the prince slide himself into her, meeting no resistance whatsoever. She wanted to moan like a ghost but kept some fraction of control of her voice as he easily went so deep into her. He lightly pinned her arms to the table as he started to fuck her. He wasn't as aggressive or gentle as other times. It was a pleasant middle ground of intimacy and intensity. His thrusts were rhythmic, almost dancing to a beat only he could hear. She bucked back upon him, matching his timing, until they had achieved an erotic balance.
"By Arceus!" she moaned as he lightly bit her name, going balls deep into her. "you're gonna cripple me!"
"I'll take care of you if I do. So long as I can have this lovely pussy.'' Even now, he was being a quick witted charmer and that just made her want him more. Dawn felt herself collapse forward onto the table, losing any and all resistance to him. She wasn't going to last long at this rate. He leaned forward on top of Dawn's back, gripping the table to support himself. He wanted to savor her longer but today was not a day for such things. He felt the urge to cum but he wanted to make sure she came first. "Come for me, miss Dawn," he whispered huskily, sending a shiver up her spine. It was enough to cause a massive orgasm to rupture through her body. Feeling her climax was enough to tell him that it was ok for him to let go of himself. With a low grunt , Ash once again emptied his load deep into her welcoming cave. He swore he never got tired of it. He never got tired of her. Part of him he would grow weary of the maid but he never did.
Ash collapsed on top of her, both breathing heavy. Dawn could only lay on the table, the delicious feeling of his royal seed filling her stomach and oozing out of her opening. "I did as I was commanded, highness," she said breathlessly.
Ash muffled a chuckle against her neck. "You obey orders well, miss Dawn."
"I couldn't very well disobey a direct order."
"mmmmm. Good. Then I'd have to punish you. Repeatedly."
Dawn giggled at his mock threat. "I am warned, my prince."
"No. you are promised." he tilted her head in order to give her a much welcomed kiss.
_
Gardening wasn't Dawn's forte. Indeed, she tried to avoid doing any kind of gardening duties. It wasn't that she hated it. It was just that she wasn't the best at it and Dawn prided herself on being about to do her job to the best of her ability. But still, it was her duty today to tidy up the private gardens and she'd do her best. Fortunately, it wasn't required of her to do any serious gardening. Just move a few tables and chairs into their proper place and pick up an errant piece of rubbish that she happened to spot.
She had to admit, the royal gardens were every bit as glorious from within as they were without. Rows upon rows of the loveliest and brightest flowers she had ever seen. They were all perfectly in bloom, giving her almost a sympathy of color and aroma. Dawn allowed herself to get lost in environment as she made her way to the central patio. A elegant white table sat in the center, surrounded by a trio of matching chairs. From what May told her, this was solely for the royal family to have tea and other such event of relaxation.
Dawn was so distracted by the flora that she didn't notice that she wasn't alone anymore. The woman simply watched the young maid become more and more enraptured by the atmosphere. If she were anyone else, she'd probably reprimand the maid for not doing her job properly. But then again, the people of Pallet Palace weren't just regular nobility.
"Enjoying yourself?" the woman spoke, causing the maid to jump in surprise. She had to fight hard not to laugh out loud at her reaction.
"Oh I'm sorry!" she spoke as she gathered herself and faced the woman. "I wasn't aware that someone else was here."
"It's fine," the older woman said with a gentle smile. "I tend to get absorbed here as well."
Dawn took in the sight of the woman: she had dark red hair, long and tied in a ponytail. Her dress was a simple maroon dress with white lace frills around the body. She wore a simple pair of red pumps with blue sapphires on the tops. She had the look of a governess but she gave off a gentle motherly vibe that Dawn found comforting. She must be a governess that she probably hadn't met yet. "How long have you been here?"
"Only a few moments."
"No. I mean how long have you been working here?" she clarified, still believing that she was part of the staff.
The woman smiled amusedly at her. "I…...guess you could say I've been here for quite a while," she said, deciding to play with her a bit.
"Amazing. You have a lot of experience around here, serving the royal family."
"Indeed. I have been in the service of the emperor for a long time. I know him very well."
"I bet. I'm sorry if I'm asking too much of you. I've only been here a few months."
"I figured as much. I don't recognize you."
Dawn gave a small curtsy. "My name is Dawn. I was hired by professor Oak."
The older woman looked her over for a few moments. "Hmm. I seem to recall that he said he did hire someone to replace Mrs. Greens. That must be you."
"That's correct."
"So how are you enjoying your time here?"
"Oh I'm loving it," she answered excitedly. "Everyone is so nice and kind. And I'm enjoying my work very much."
"Have you met any of the royal family?"
"Only the Prince. he's been…...very kind to me." the woman caught the slightest hint of crimson on her face.
"That's very fitting for him," she commented with an air of familiarity that Dawn didn't miss. She thought that this woman must have been his nanny or something similar for her to speak about the prince in such a way. "Tell me, Miss Dawn. What do you think of this garden?"
"It's lovely, madam," she answered. "I've never seen such a wonderful collection of flowers."
"Do you know why it was built?"
The blue haired maid thought for a moment. "From what I heard, the emperor built this garden as a wedding present on the occasion of his marriage to the empress. Such a powerful symbol of love," Dawn sighed wistfully. There isn't a woman in the empire who didn't know this story and envied the empress for such an act. "The emperor must truly love the empress."
"Yes. He does love me very much. I told him he didn't have to go that far for me but that husband of mine is stubborn."
Dawn nearly had an heart attack at her words. She couldn't believe what she just heard. She slowly turned her head to face the woman who she now knew was neither a nanny nor a governess. This was delia, empress of the Kanto empire, wife of the emperor and mother to prince Ash. The woman gave a gentle smile and wink. "Pleasure to meet you."
"OH MY ARCEUS! FORGIVE MY RUDENESS, YOUR MAJESTY!" the young maid yelled as she fell to her knees, bowing profusely to the empress. "I AM SO SORRY FOR NOT RECOGNIZING YOUR GRACE!"
Delia knelt down and lifted her face to her, which was nearly in tears. "I'm so sorry, dear. Rise. Get to your feet. And please forgive this old woman for playing a prank on you. No tears, my dear."
"But your highness..."
"Uh-uh. None of that," she said, pulling Dawn to her feet. "It was my fault. You are not in any sort of trouble. As I said, I was only playing."
Dawn wiped a few panic tears from her eyes as she stood to greet the empress. "a-are you sure?"
"Last time I checked, I was the empress. I think I have a little say on who gets in trouble."
Dawn gave a shy smile. She was happy that the empress was so kind and open minded. If it was any one of her own employers, she was certain that she'd be punished severely for such a lapse in judgment. But the more she lived at the palace, the more she enjoyed the relaxed and laid back atmosphere. And seeing the empress, she could tell that it trickled down from her and to the rest of the staff.
"Come. Sit. Talk with me, Dawn," Delia said as she took a seat at the table.
"Are you sure, highness?"
"I could make it an order." there it was. The way she said that reminded her so much of Ash. Now she saw where she got it from. And so, she did as she was asked and sat down across from the mother of her secret lover. "That's better. Now I can properly talk to the maid May talks so much about."
Dawn gulped a bit. "May talks about me?"
The empress nodded. "All the time. Talks about how happy she is with her new roommate. The girl the professor brought in to replace Mrs. Greens."
"You…...know about me?" she asked, pointing to herself.
"Of course. Not only from May but from the Professor. I heard about how well you performed at the house of lords. After that, I decided to make it a point to meet and talk with you. I just haven't had the time."
Dawn blushed at her compliments. "I am not deserving of such praise."
"Nonsense," she waved off. "You deserve credit for your hard work. And you should be proud of yourself. I know May is."
Dawn was happy to hear that her roommate and new best friend spoke so highly of her. "Highness, may I ask you a personal question?"
"You may. What's on your mind, dear Dawn?"
"It has to do with…...May."
"What's wrong?" the empress inquired with a slight hint of worry. "She isn't being mean to you, is she?"
"No no! Far from it! May has been nothing but nice to me. It's just that…."
"Just what, dear?"
"I've curious about something for a while. May is very…..i don't know the word to use for it…."
"Opinionated? Willful? Smart mouthed?"
she couldn't help but laugh at the words of the empress. "yes, yes, highness. Those words. I've just wondered how she could talk the way she does towards people like the prince and Professor Oak. I know they grew up together and all."
Just then, a strange wistful countenance came over Delia. At first, Dawn thought that her question had dragged up a few memories in the heart of the woman that would've been best left buried. She was about to take back her question but that motherly smile of hers appeared again and silently assured her that the question was ok. "Dawn," she started, "Did you know that I was...pregnant before?"
"Before you bore the prince?" she asked, "I did not know that. I….always assumed that you only had your son."
"It's not well known among the general public. But before my son, I was pregnant 5 times before."
Dawn's eyes went wide. "5?!"
"Yes," she said with a sad smile. "My husband always wanted a large family. Lots of sons to carry on his name. Lots of daughters that he could dote upon and spoil rotten. And I wanted to give it to him. He loves me dearly and I love him just as much. So I wanted to give him that large family. He deserves it. But…..." she paused a bit.
"But?…."
she let out a sad sigh. "the pregnancies were very…...difficult for me. Each one left me weaker and more fragile than the last. The first 3 were miscarriages. Hard ones." her hand traced itself over her stomach. "The last two came to term. One was stillborn. The other didn't last a week."
"I'm sorry, your highness," Dawn said, sympathy clear in her eyes.
"Thank you, dear. Ash was our miracle child. He was premature and so small. I worried that losing him would break my husband. But my little prince was as tough as his father. He grew up and grew strong. I thank the trio that he lived." Dawn silently thanked them as well. "but sadly…..that was it. The doctors said that I shouldn't try to have any more kids. They doubt I could survive it. So we put our love into Ash."
"I can tell."
"Ash was a happy child but..…..i could tell he was lonely. Sure, Professor Oak's grandson, Gary, was a good friend to him but I know he longed for siblings. All that changed after the Honen campaign."
"What happened?"
"It was when Ash was just 6. The emperor took command of the war in that region. When it was over, he sent me a message. He had a present for me and our son. When he came home, he brought a bunch of children with him: Zoey, Maylene, Paul, May and Max. They are all war orphans and he decided to bring them home."
"He just decided to bring some kids home to raise? Just like that?"
She nodded. "My husband has a big heart. I couldn't give him more children. But he gave our son siblings. And he loves them like they were his own. Hence why May acts the way she does."
"Like a spoiled princess?"
The empress let out a hearty laugh. "You said it. My husband often suggested that she marry Ash so she could be a proper princess."
"And what did she say?"
"Just one word: 'Ewww!'"
Dawn held herself as she laughed at the story. "That sounds like something she'd say."
Delia joined her in the revelry. "May may be a flirt but she under no circumstances will even entertain the idea of being with Ash." Honestly, in her own mind, Dawn couldn't even entertain the thought of those two ever being together, even casually. "Ahhh. Thank you, Dawn."
"hmmm? What for, your highness?"
"It's been a long time since I was able to say such things to anyone. I don't know why I told you all that. Maybe it's because you…...remind me of an old friend of mine."
"An old friend?"
Deliah's face gained that wistful look again as she recalled her friend. "Yes. She and I were taught by Professor Oak, you see. Been friends since we were children. She was graceful as she was wise. Always eager to listen to my problems."
"Where is this friend of yours now?"
"That's the problem, my dear. I dont know. She vanished a long time ago. I dont know where she is right now but I do hope she's happy."
"Me too, highness. I hope to meet her one day."
"I hope so, too. Now, I won't keep you from your duties, Dawn."
"No need to worry, highness. I didn't have much to do here anyway." Dawn stood up from her seat and began to straighten up her uniform. Unbeknownst to her, the empress was looking at her with a slightly shocked look upon her. Since she started talking to her, Delia had indeed felt like she was talking to an old friend. But now, after hearing that line from the maid, that feeling became all the stronger. She was so much like her friend, it almost scared her. Soon, in those few seconds, she began to do a bit of math in her head. Comparing ages and such. "Your highness?" Dawn's voice snapped her out of her mental calculations.
"Sorry, my dear," she uttered, regaining her motherly vibe. "Just lost in thought."
"I hope I haven't kept you from anything you needed to do, highness."
Delia waved it off. "Nonsense, my dear. It was a joy to speak with you. In fact, I do hope we get to chat like this again sometime."
"If that's what you desire, highness, then I hope so too. Until then," she spoke with a slight curtsy.
"Have a good day, Dawn."
The maid gave her a warm smile before leaving her company and returning to the palace. Unknown to her, Delia watched her leave, still trying to figure her out. As she walked away, her mind overlaid an image upon her. She saw an older woman, dressed in an elegant yellow gown, with Dawn's hair color. Both sporting the same warm smile. And for a few brief moments, Deliah felt like her friend had returned to her. And just like that, the image was gone, leaving only the figure of the simple maid behind.
"Johanna," she thought to herself, "if she had a daughter, would she be like her?"
_
As prince Ash sipped his tea and scrolled over the documents on his desk, he couldn't help but notice the mood of the only other person in the room. Dawn had come in to serve the prince some tea and noticed that the bookshelves were a bit dusty. So she offered to clean them, being careful not to interrupt Ash's work. He agreed, mainly to enjoy whatever alone time he had with her. But through the entire time she was there, he couldn't help but notice that she was a lot happier than she normally was. Almost giddy in a way. It was hard for him not to notice, given their relationship now and it nagged at him. "You seem in a better mood," he said.
Dawn continued her work but still paid him the attention he deserved, "What makes you say that?"
"You seem like you have an extra pep in your step. Did something happen?"
she turned to him and gave a cheeky grin. "…..Maybe."
Ash smiled at her playfulness. "Ok. Something did happen. Spill."
"Nothing of the sort."
"Don't tell me. You met another man? Who is he? I'll challenge him to a duel for your heart." he punctuated his boasting by swooshing his pen around in the air like a sword. "The bastard will pay for trying to take you."
She giggled at his mock jealousy. "No, silly. I haven't met another man. I wouldn't risk their lives by angering you."
Ash set the pen down and sipped his tea. "OK. So it wasn't another man, thank Arceus. So who was it that put a smile on the most beautiful face in the empire?"
She fought hard to repress the blush that wanted to erupt on her face but when you are complimented by a handsome prince, such battles were losing ones. "Well," she started, facing him, "I spoke with your mother today."
Ash's eyebrows perked up in surprise. "You talked to mom?"
Dawn nodded. "I was assigned to tidy up the royal gardens. We sort of ran into each other. Only after nearly embarrassing myself to death."
"How's that?"
"I thought she was a member of the staff."
"You did? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Dawn puffed out her cheeks in indignation. "Hey! That's not funny, mister! I almost died from it!"
Ash wiped away a few tears from his laughing fit. "Yep, that sounds like mom alright."
"Does she do that a lot?"
"Only when she is feeling particularly mischievous," he answered. "Mom isn't one for looking like an empress 24/7. when she wears casual clothes, she has been mistaken for a member of the staff. So she plays it up. I swear, if I have a crown for every time she fooled a guest," he said, putting down his cup. "So what did you two talk about?"
Dawn put down her duster and strolled over to Ash's side of the desk. She rested herself on the edge of the table, careful not to touch his documents. "Well, quite a lot. She's very easy to talk to." Ash nodded at her assessment. "We actually talked about her pregnancies. Before she had you."
Ash looked surprised. "She told you about those, hun?"
"Yeah." Dawn reached over and caressed his face. "I had no idea."
Ash touched her hand with his own. "It's not something we talk about a lot. I don't have many memories of it. I…..remember asking her when I'll get a new brother or sister when I was a kid. And mom would get this…pained look in her eye. I didn't know what it meant at the time. But she was only smile and say 'someday soon'."
"You really wanted siblings, huh?"
"My cousins had large families. When I'd go visit, there was always something fun to do. Someone to hang out with. I loved visiting them. And then I'd return to the palace and I'd feel…..lonely. Don't get me wrong. My parents loved me as much as anyone deserved. It's just….."
"You wanted some siblings."
Ash nodded. "Then dad brought the others home. And it sort of…..filled that void. Now, I think of all of them like my brothers and sisters."
"Even Paul?"
Ash smiled at her comment. He knew that, out of everyone in the palace, Dawn got along with Paul the least. "Yes. Even Paul. Just give it some time. you'll warm up to him."
"Now you're asking for too much," she said. "At least I know why May acts like the spoiled princess as she does."
"Tell me about it. Dad turned her into a bit of a monster. A foul mouthed monster."
"Hmmm. I don't know. She looks like the marrying kind. What do you say, Ash? Wanna put a ring on her finger?" she joked.
Ash's face screwed in disgust as he refused to entertain the thought of being with May like. "Hells…...no."
"Are you sure? I can go ask her and-" she said as she rose from the desk, only to be pulled into the waiting lap of the prince.
"Oh no you don't! don't you dare!"
"Don't you want May in your lap?" she smirked.
"uh-uh. This seat is taken." he gave her giggling mouth a very chase kiss, which she returned eagerly. The door was locked and didn't have to worry about anyone disturbing their alone time. "listen here, miss Dawn. Only one maid is allowed to sit here. And her name is Dawn."
"You better not, mister. I'm too used to this seat to give it up."
"goodie. Then why don't you stick around while I work?"
"You sure I'm not distracting you?"
"I'm sure. Here. How about I show you what I do exactly with these?"
"I'd love to see it."
"good. Now to start with, this document is all about the food percentages…."
and thus, for the next hour, Ash showed Dawn the duties he had to do in place of his father. Needless to say, the maid was a quick study and absorbed everything he had to tell her. They flirted very little, despite the intimate position they were in. Dawn merely saw this as just another part of her job. It didn't hurt that her seat and the company helped with the learning process.
_
"Hey, Dawn. You ok?" May asked as they stood in line, waiting for their work orders.
"Huh," she replied, seemingly in a daze. "Oh yeah. I'm fine."
Her roommate eyed her suspiciously. "You sure? You been a bit listless since this morning."
"Really?" she replied. Dawn had to admit to herself that since she woke up, she had just felt oddly tired, despite getting a full night's rest. "I have been feeling a bit groggy. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed."
"I hope that's all that there is to it. Hmmm. How about I cover for you in the morning and you can get a nap in."
"No, you don't have to do that, May. I just have to power through today."
"Stubborn to the end eh? Well, at least rest between jobs. Would be bad if you passed out or something."
"Fine. I'll do that."
"Promise?"
"Promise."
An hour later, Dawn felt even worse than before. She tried to focus on her work but she just felt sluggish and a bit hot. She was planning on simply going about her work and maybe getting some rest and a drink later but even that seemed like a tall task. She decided to take a break after her next job and take up May's offer to cover for her. Said job would be rather easy: prince Ash and Professor Oak requested some tea for a meeting they were having in his office. Of course, she'd never turn down serving tea to her most favorite person in the palace. She just hoped she could keep from messing up too badly.
She pushed the tea cart down the hallway that led to his office, which seemed a lot longer than before, despite having traveled this route more times than she could count. "This is nothing," she told herself. "Just serve some tea."
Dawn knocked on the door and Oak bid her to enter. She greeted both men and slyly entered the room, trying not to drop too much attention to her. Ash and the professor were trading papers back and forth, with the prince giving his signature to them after giving them the proper once-over. "Teas, sirs?" she offered.
"My usual, miss Dawn," Ash said in his official tone of voice.
"same but with a bit of lemon, if you please."
"Sirs," she replied as she turned to the cart and began to make Ash's tea. She tried to pick up a cup but her vision blurred for a moment. Shaking it off, she continued her work, far slower than normal. Something Ash subconsciously noted but didn't let it distract him. She was able to finish making the tea and was on her way to hand it to Ash when her vision blurred again, causing her to drop it on the floor, shattering it into a million pieces.
"Oh my gosh!" she exclaimed. Both men immediately turn their attention to the cup and the maid who dropped it. "I'm so sorry! I'll clean that up right away!"
"That's fine, miss Dawn," said Ash, "accidents happen."
"Indeed," said Oak. "though….that is the first time you've broken anything since you started working here."
"I guess I'm just having an off day," she replied with a weak smile.
"Dawn, are you ok?" Ash asked, concern dripping from his voice.
"You look a bit flushed, my dear," added Oak.
"I…..think I just need to take a little rest. that's all."
"Well, make sure you rest after giving us tea," Ash said, still a bit worried.
"No need to worry. I'll get right…..back…...to…." for Dawn, the room began to spin and her sense of direction was utterly lost.
"DAWN!" she heard Ash scream her name before everything went black.
The professor had barely had time to get out of his seat when she started to sway unnaturally on her feet. She was already falling when he tried to get up.
Now he didn't even have time to register anything before he was able to act. That said, somehow, some way, Ash had gotten out of his seat, gone around his desk and caught Dawn before her body hit the floor. The speed in which he reacted and moved was something he'd never seen from the boy. His speed was almost inhuman. But such things were not what he cared for at the moment. "DAWN! WAKE UP!" the prince yelled as he cradled the woman in his arms, her face now covered in red and sweating, her breathing heavy.
Oak reached down and felt her forehead. "By the trio, Dawn! you're burning up!"
"Oh," she said weakly, "I guess…...I am feeling….a bit ill."
"Hush, now," he said, "Save your strength. Ash, we need to get her to a bed."
"There's one of the guest rooms not far from here. She can rest there,"
"Excellent. I'll get the doctor. I'll get one of the guards to carry her there."
Before he could get up and head to the door to do his task, Ash's voice stopped him. "Stop. that's ok. I'll carry her."
"Are you sure, son?"
"I am. I don't mind." Before Oak could even offer his own aid, Ash had already scooped Dawn in his arms and stood up. Oak opened the door for his prince as he exited his office. The old man called one of the guards over.
"Fetch the doctor, quick like."
"Sir!" he saluted before heading off as ordered.
Soon, the small party were making their way down the hall, towards the guest room. A few maids and servants stopped and watched, whispering to themselves as they did. Oak considered ordering them to disperse but his mind was on the welfare of his young charge. But the whispers of the maid were more about the prince and the maid in his arms. To them, it didn't seem like someone who obligated to help someone in a lower station. Instead, it looked like a husband carrying his new wife. It didn't help that Ash barely took his eyes off the now unconscious Dawn resting in his strong arms. For the next few days, Dawn was the source of envy for being carried in such a tender fashion by the handsome prince. Oak smiled to himself as he glanced back at his student.
"Is it that serious that you don't want anyone else even touching her?"
"Now say AHHHH."
Dawn did as Dr. Rowan ordered and opened her mouth wide. The white mustached royal doctor looked into her throw and made some observations. She had regained consciousness in the plush surroundings of one of the many guest bedrooms, covered in a nice smelling quilt. She still felt terrible but she was resting, which was something she was grateful for.
"So what's the prognosis, Roger?" asked Professor Oak. He, along with May, Zoey, and the Prince were in the room, eyes locked on bedridden maid.
"Just a simple cold, Samuel," he answered as he stood from her bedside. "She collapsed from the high fever she was running. She'll be fine with some medicine and bed rest. Would be best not to move her. At least until her fever breaks."
"Here that, Dawn?" spoke May. "That means you can laze about here in comfort for a while. Lucky."
Dawn gave her roommate a weak smile at her joke. She would've snapped back at her but she simply didn't have the stress.
"May, don't tease the poor girl," added Zoey. "You just focus on getting better, hun."
"Thanks for trying to cheer me up, guys," she said, her voice weak and barely above a whisper. Ash tried not to visibly flinch but she still noticed. "I don't remember walking here."
"You didn't. The Prince carried you all the way here," answered Zoey.
Dawn's eyes shot over to her prince. His face was somewhat neutral, giving how he has to be in his whole "royal prince" mode when others were around. "I was simply there at the moment. I would've done it for anyone else." she tried to hide her feelings but it was pointless at this point. She was happy to know he cared that much but couldn't really show it. She had hoped everyone would pass it off as simply a maid being appreciative to the dashing prince carrying her at all.
"MAKE WAY FOR THE EMPRESS!" shouted a guard from outside of the room. Almost immediately, empress Delia strolled into the room. Everyone, save for Ash, instantly bowed before her, as befitting her station.
"You may rise," she ordered, which everyone followed.
"To what do we owe this visit, my empress?" Asked Oak.
"I had heard that our newest maid had fallen sick. And I decided to see if she's alright," she answered. Upon spotting the bed-bound Dawn, she gracefully walked over to her. "Hello, Dawn dear," she greeted, placing a hand on her cheek.
"I greet the empress," she said with a smile. "I am sorry I can't greet you properly, highness."
"Don't worry about such silly things like that. You obviously can't do much of anything right now."
"I'm sure you have more important business to do than looking over a sick maid."
Delia stroked her forehead. "Nonsense, dear. Anything else I have can wait. Besides, I heard from my son you make a great cup of tea and I would very much like to try it. Once you have recovered."
"I shall do that, highness."
"Speaking of. Doctor?" she asked.
Dr. Rowen cleared his throat. "A cold, highness. Nothing life threatening. But she will need to rest here until her fever breaks."
"Good. Then that makes things simple. Now, everyone out," she said, clapping her hands. "Let's let the poor girl rest." The assembled party slowly but surely followed her orders and began to file out.
"Get better soon, Dawn," said Zoey with a wink.
"You heard her. My room is gonna be awfully cold and lonely without my roommate," added May.
"Rest up, Dawn. don't worry about work and just focus on healing," said Oak.
Soon, everyone had left the room and Dawn was alone. Part of her felt shame. This was the first time in her entire life as a maid that she had fallen sick during duty. Her experience seeing other servants falling ill at her other jobs told her that being sick wasn't a good thing. At least at her last job, she made sure she was in good health. Ursula would cruelly push the staff beyond their limits. And if someone fell sick, she would either dock their pay or just outright fire them for "being unreasonably lazy". But the palace was different. The fact that the empress herself checked up on her was just another reason why she loved it here. The warm and friendly environment told her that she would be truly cared for, even if she was sick.
A few minutes passed and Dawn was about to go to sleep when she heard the door open and close very swiftly. She looked up and saw Ash standing at the door. He stared at her for a few moments before strolling over to her bedside and falling to his knees, taking her hand and giving it a few gentle kisses. "Hey."
"Hey."
"Sorry I couldn't…..…..you know...….earlier..."
Dawn shook her head. "It's fine, Ash. Keeping up appearances and all."
"Still..…."
"You carried me here after I passed out. That's more than I could've asked for."
"It's exactly as you deserve," he said. She felt her heart flutter from his sweet words. She probably would've jumped him from how romantic he was being but it was hard enough to stay away, which Ash noticed. "Get some rest."
"Will you stay? At least until I sleep?" She asked. The prince smiled as he got up from his knees and sat on the edge of the bed. "Thank you."
It didn't take her long before she was in a deep slumber, her breathing slow and even. Ash looked down at her, her countenance now peaceful. He would've liked to stay with her for the rest of the day but his duties would take him from her bedside soon. He could only spare about 10 minutes. But he was going to stay as long as he could, down to the last minute, before he had to leave. He leaned down and planted a tender kiss on her still hot forehead. "Don't scare me like that again. You hear me?"
_
Dawn stifled a small cough as she was guided back to her room in the servants quarters. "You know I can walk on my own, May," she said to her friend, who was holding her by the arm.
"None of that, young lady," she uttered, "I'll not have you pass out on me too. Besides, Ash isn't here to literally sweep you off your feet again."
Dawn's mood dowered a bit. It took her 4 days before her fever dropped enough for her to move back to her room with May. She was still far from ready to return to work but she was on the mend. Many of her friends visited her over those days, checking up on her progress. Sadly, Ash visited her the least. She would've been upset over it but she had to remind herself that he was the prince and thus, didn't always have the time to visit her as he did. But he made sure that when he was able to visit, he gave all the affection he knew she was missing from him. By the time she was able to move, sadly Ash wasn't even at the Palace anymore. May said that he and the professor had to tend to some business in the Pewter district and they wouldn't be back for a few days.
"Royal duties and all," she sighed to herself.
"Don't look so down. At least you got to be carried by Ash after you fell."
"But I don't remember any of it," she groaned.
"It's not that big a deal. Ash did the same to me too." Dawn looked at May with surprise in her eyes. "It's not like that!" she retorted. "Happened when we were kids. I sprained my ankle when we were playing and Ash carried me back to the palace."
"Are you sure it wasn't more to it than that, May?" Dawn asked, very cattily.
May gave her a sour look. "I don't like what you are implying. And if you are, then I'm gonna spit in your food." Dawn found a way to humble the strong willed May and she was going to take advantage of it when she could.
Soon, the pair of women were back at their shared room, causing Dawn to visibly relax. "Ahhh. Home sweet home."
"Wasn't a fan of the guest room?"
the bluette shook her head. "just use to this room and the company."
"Flatterer." May smiled as she helped her into the room and to her familiar bed. "I know how much of a workaholic you are, so Dr. May says you need to stay in bed and rest."
"When did you become a doctor?"
"What can I say? I'm awesome," she said, hands on her hips with pride.
Dawn laid down on her usual bed but jumped up suddenly with a yelp. "What's wrong?"
The maid rubbed her lower back as she looked down at her bed with suspicion. "There's….there's something in my bed." She began to move the covers around until she found the offending object: a small blue box with a bow and a white card.
"Looks like a present."
Dawn looked at the card and read it outloud. "'to Dawn. A get well present. Sincerely, a secret admirer." She then opened the box to reveal its contents: a beautiful pearl bracelet with a tiny diamond dangling from the body. "It's…...it's beautiful!" she exclaimed.
"Damn, girl. Someone must like you a lot to send you such an expensive looking present. didn't know you had an admirer," spoke May as she watched her friend admire the gift.
"I've never been sent a present before."
"Must have made a good impression on someone? So who do you think it is? One of the guards? A butler?"
Dawn only smiled to herself as she held her gift, knowing full well who sent her such a present. Even when he wasn't there, Ash made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world.
May eyed her reaction and was easily able to suss out something. "You know who it is, don't you?" she only turned her head away from her roommate, trying to conceal her blushing. That didn't stop her though. "You do! You got a guy! By the trio, Dawn, you move fast!"
"It's-it's nothing like that!" she defended. "At least….."
"Uh-uh. Must be high up to do this stunt. But I think I'll let you have this secret. For now. But one day, you gotta let me in on it."
"Hmmmm. One day."
It was another 10 days before Dawn fully healed from her cold and she was eagerly back to work, much to everyone's approval. And one of her first duties on her first day back was to fulfill a promise to someone. She found herself in the royal gardens again, this time pushing her familiar tea cart. She was personally requested by the empress to serve tea to her and the prince, who had returned 2 days prior. This was even a bigger honor than serving the house of lords but it was one she was sure she was ready for.
She found Delia sitting at the patio, chatting with her son about his errant to Pewter.
"Well I'm glad Brock is doing ok," she said to her son.
"He sends his love, mom. He said he hopes he can talk to you again when the house of lords meets again," he said, just as Dawn and her tea cart arrived.
"I greet the empress and the prince," she greeted with the customary bow.
"It's good to see you up and about, Dawn," said Delia.
"Thank you, highness. My prince."
"Miss Dawn," he said with a nod. "I have missed your tea since I was away. I hope you aren't rusty from being sick."
"Of course not, highness. I've kept myself sharp to serve you again."
"I certainly hope so."
It didn't take long for her to set up the cart and prepare to make the tea. "The usual, highness?"
"Please. But first, serve my mother. she's been rather anxious to try your tea."
"Is that true, my empress?"
Delia nodded delightedly. "From the way my son talks of your tea, it was almost like a gift from Arceus himself."
Dawn gave a slight blush. "I do hope I can live up to those expectations. What would you like?"
Delia thought for a few moments before answering. "Hmmm. Since my son loves how you make his tea, I think I will try what he normally has."
"Coming right up, highness." and with practice efficiency, the maid began her work. This was the first time Delia saw the maid actually doing her work and she must admit. She was good. Almost any other maid would probably be too nervous or intimidated to serve the empress personally, but Dawn seemed unbothered. She was so engrossed in how well she was doing that she didn't notice that the young lady had finished and gave her the steaming cup. "The princely special, Highness."
"Thank you, dear", she said, accepting the cup. She took in the aroma before taking a long sip. Whatever worries Dawn had about her liking the tea were utterly dashed as Delia placed the cup back on its saucer. "MMMMM. I can see why my son raves about you, Dawn. This tea is delicious!"
"You really think so, highness?"
"Indeed. I dare say this rivals that of Mrs. Greens' brew. And I was worried I'd never be able to enjoy tea as good as hers. I am well pleased, Dawn."
Dawn stifled a happy giggle after being praised by the empress. "Thank you, highness! I'm glad you enjoyed it!"
"Now, if you don't mind, you best serve my son before he jumps out of his chair."
"Oh! Of course!" she said as she began to prepare the prince's cup. Between his duties and Dawn's illness, Ash hadn't seen or touched her in days and that was agony on him. The first thing he wanted to do when he turned was to rush to her room and give her all the attention she most certainly was lacking but again, his duties kept him doing so. And now that she was well and better, making him tea, all he could think about was kicking over the cart, pinning her to the table and ravaging her like a wild beast. But he had to control himself. Especially in front of his mother. His mind already coming up with a way to see her today. For now, he'd have to settle for her tea.
Said tea was served to him with that beautiful smile of hers. "My prince."
He took a small sip before relaxing back into his sea. "Perfect as always."
"Thank you, sire."
"I have missed your tea, Miss Dawn."
"As I have missed serving your tea, my prince."
Delia narrowed her eyes a bit. She didn't miss how unusually intimate the exchange between them was. This was the first time she's seen both her son and the maid share the same space, save for when she was sick. Maybe he was just being nice to her. But she couldn't help but notice how Ash would steal glances at Dawn as she made his cup of tea. That's when she noticed the bracelet that hung around Dawn's wrist. "Why Dawn. That's a lovely bracelet you have there. I don't think I've seen you wear it before."
Dawn tenderly fingered the jewelry in question. "It was..…..…..a get well gift from an admirer," she explained with a grin.
"Ahh. Our little ray of sunshine has an admirer," said the empress. "Do you have any idea who it is?"
"None, highness."
"He must have excellent taste if he gives you such a present," Ash said before sipping his tea.
"Of that, I am certain, my prince."
There it was again.
That slight level of closeness that she hadn't seen from Ash in a long time. The signs would've been easily missed by almost anyone else but Delia knew her son. She knew his quirks and habits like no one else. And his tells were there: the slight upturn of his lips before he drank his tea. How he leaned a little towards Dawn. How his fingers twitched when she handed him his tea, almost begging to touch her. Those lingering glances. And she was no better: trying her hardest not to look in his eyes. Standing a bit closer to him as he sipped his tea. Her fingering the bracelet when he mentioned her "admirer".
Delia had seen many of the maid staff have crushes and infatuations with her only son but he never seemed to pay them any mind. At least he wasn't outward rude to them. But with Dawn, she noted a softness seeing them interact. She was almost certain that he gave her that little gift. And given how professor Oak told her how he insisted that he carry her to the guest room when she passed out, she was now certain: her precious son was utterly smitten. With a maid of all people. But she didn't really mind. Her son could like whomever he wanted. It also didn't hurt that Dawn was a lovely young lady with a sparkling personality. It's not hard to see why Ash would like her. But there was one question on her mind. A question that she couldn't really ask right now, since all she had was assumptions about their relationship.
"Ash, just how serious are you with her?"
_
thanks again for reading my work, fans. if you wanna help support me and my family during our recovery from beryl, DM me and i'll give you some links to how you can help. so until next time.
LATER,FICCERS!
