Cinders and Ashes
A/N: My first update of 2022! But just a heads up for any future updates. I'm currently on a job hunt, so I'm not sure about how my always irregular update schedule will be. We'll just have to wait and see how things turn out once I actually find a job for the winter. So wish me luck on trying to find one.
Anyway, that aside, I hope everyone is eager to start 2022 right. I know I do. So let's get on with Chapter 6! Roll it!
Chapter 6
Cutting it Close on the Second Night
The next day, Ash did all of his chores as if everything was normal again and pretending that he had finally given up on attending the ball. Giovanni seemed to be pleased that his threat got through to his charge as he and his daughters all gave Ash some more chores to do left and right until the sun went down. This time though, the work didn't seem as exhausting to Ash as he finished all of his chores and extra work with ease. It was probably because he was so excited to see Dawn again once his stepfamily left.
Since the second night of the ball was going to be a costume party, this time the Grand Duke wore a cream suit that was reminiscent of a Persian. Serena wore a dress that reminded one of a Red Flower Florges, and Miette wore a Slurpuff inspired dress. They gathered in the main foyer, where Ash was sweeping the floor.
"We'll be back late tonight." Giovanni said to the younger man. "Have some refreshments ready for us when we return."
"Yes, Your Grace." Ash replied, bowing his head before continuing to sweep the floor in the foyer. Once he was finished, he looked up and saw that his stepfamily had already left in their carriage. A smile slowly came on his face as he bided his time by sweeping the hallway before he put the broom away and joined Pikachu in heading out to the garden.
There, he saw his other Pokémon friends already there, waiting for him and Pikachu. "Are you guys ready for Night Two?" He asked them, to which they all cheered in confirmation, making him chuckle. He then started looking around his parents.
"Mom? Dad? Are you guys here?" He called out to them.
"We're right here, Ash." The familiar voice of his father answered. Ash turned around and saw two fireworks of gold light bursting apart, and then the ethereal forms of his parents were standing behind him. "Now let's get ready for the second ball of the festival." Jayce said.
Ash nodded excitedly. "The second night is going to be a costume party." He explained.
Delia smiled widely. "Okay!" She exclaimed excitedly, holding up her wand as she knew that this time, she would be the one to create some new and amazing clothes for her precious son. "Just leave your new attire to me!" She had always loved dressing him up when he was much younger whenever they would go to fancy parties, although Ash was less enthusiastic about them back then.
Ash lightly flinched as he braced himself. "Just please don't dress me up like a Snorlax." He begged, remembering when he was younger, when there would be costume parties, his mother would dress him up as a Pokémon. But he was a grown man now, so he really hoped that his mother would understand that and not be offended.
To his relief, his mother just giggled. "Don't worry, sweetheart." She said, reassuring her son. "Since we've heard that everyone suspects that you're a prince, how about we play along with their little game?" Her smile then turned a little mischievous, which in turn both Jayce and Ash returned.
Only half an hour later, the second ball was in full swing, with the guests all dressed up as certain characters or even Pokémon. Much to her reluctance and her wanting to wait until her friend from the forest showed up, Dawn was out on the ballroom floor, accompanied by her Piplup and Buneary, having been pushed out there by her mother. For this ball, she was dressed like her number one partner, wearing a Piplup-inspired blue knee-length dress with the flippers on the back, leaving her arms and shoulders bare, and fancy yellow boots on her feet. On her head was a Piplup cap.
Luckily for her, it was like no one knew that the princess was there, since they were most likely expecting her to come as something more fancy. Which was good for her. She could easily scan the ballroom without arousing suspicion, looking around for her Mystery Prince. Well, he didn't say that he was a prince, but due to his polite behavior and the way that everyone was talking about his very nice and casual attire the night before, it seemed to be the popular theory. But then again, she might have to hear it from him directly if he is a prince or not. Either way, she wouldn't care.
Suddenly, Dawn had the strangest feeling that she was being eyed at. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a man with dark green hair and glasses, dressed like a Slowking, staring at her, a creepy little smile on his face. The princess resisted the urge to shudder. Even if he doesn't know that she is the princess, she doesn't want to be anywhere near him. She then saw that the man was coming to approach her, and she immediately turned the other way.
Just then, much to her relief, she saw the familiar form of her mysterious friend from the forest coming down the stairs and over to her once his chocolate brown eyes had landed on her and then lit up in recognition. She took one step closer to him, and then just froze, suddenly feeling very much underdressed compared to the handsome man that was coming towards her. Now she was starting to believe that her friend from the forest was indeed a prince.
The dashing young man in front of her wore a dark gray tunic with a dark blue vest on top, having golden thread as laces on the front. He wore matching boots with brown cuffs, matching long gloves with gold patterns on the top of them; each circling around a light blue sphere, and a navy blue hooded cape was tied around him. On top of his head of wild raven hair, he wore a matching dark gray fedora with a yellow symbol on the top. His wooden shield pendant was pinned on the side of the chest. He looked just like a medieval prince. His Pikachu companion that had just jumped off his shoulder was wearing a similar but smaller navy cape around his body, along with fancy dark gray leather cuffs around his ankles.
Ash slightly tilted his head with confusion at the frozen princess in front of him. "Is something wrong?" He asked her.
Dawn's face immediately went pink. "Uh, no! It's me, not you, you're gorgeous- I mean, uh-" She cleared her throat and tried again. "You're kind of making me feel a little…. inadequate. You look very…. distinguished."
Ash blushed a gentle red color and sheepishly rubbed the back of his head. "Well, this get up was actually from my mother." He answered. "It's kind of a long story." He had arrived at the ball soon after the announcers took a break so that they wouldn't give out his name and expose him to his stepfamily. But he also didn't want to deceive Dawn with a false name, so it was best that no one knows his name at all and continue being the "Mystery Prince."
Dawn smiled, the blush still on her face. "Well, I'm all ears for it." She replied.
Ash just rolled his eyes with a smile as lively music started to play. He then held out his hand to her. "Up for another dance?" He asked.
Dawn's smile grew wider. "Of course." She answered, placing her hand in his.
As they got out onto the ballroom floor, they were joined by more couples, including Ash's stepsisters, who were asked to dance by two gentlemen. But they both seemed to want to get closer to Ash and Dawn and take the raven-haired man away from the princess. However, as the group dance continued, it seemed that both Ash and Dawn were in their own world, and everyone then recognized the Piplup girl and the handsome knight as the same couple from the night before: the princess and her mysterious suitor.
There were already many whispers and rumors about this mysterious young man who apparently captured the princess's heart as they danced on the floor or mingled on the sides. Few young men still tried to get close to the blunette beauty, including the one with the creepy gaze that Dawn spotted before she saw Ash, but they knew that their attempted efforts would be fruitless. It was obvious that she would never leave this young man's side.
Just then, one of the guards approached them. "Your Highnesses." He addressed them, making Dawn stop while Ash briefly looked a little bewildered by what the guard said. "The Queen would like to speak to the both of you for a moment."
Dawn nodded. "Very well." She said before leaving the ballroom, dragging a suddenly nervous Ash behind her. Their Pokémon companions quickly followed them, leaving the party.
Once they had reached the royal box, the guard stopped. "First, your mother would want to talk to you, Princess." He said to Dawn before turning his gaze over to Ash. "And then you."
"As you wish." Dawn said before dismissing the guard and entering the box with Piplup and Buneary, while Ash and Pikachu nervously waited outside. There weren't any chairs, so Ash was almost bouncing from foot to foot.
"Excuse me, your Highness."
Ash turned around and almost froze and jumped out of his skin at the same time when he saw Giovanni standing behind him. Pikachu reared up and almost growled, cheeks sparking. "Oh, g-good evening, Your Grace." Ash said politely.
"Good evening, Your Highness." Giovanni answered back before slowly beginning to circle him. "You're certainly the talk of the kingdom with how you've captured the princess's attention."
Ash blushed lightly. "Oh. Well, um, I wouldn't say that exactly." He answered modestly, an embarrassed but humble smile on his face. "But I have enjoyed my time with her."
Giovanni narrowed his eyes at the younger man in front of him. "Just where are you from exactly?" He asked. "Such a…. noble prince like yourself must come from a great land."
Ash quietly suppressed a gulp. "Well, uh, I come from a very small kingdom that is a fair distance from here. But it is my pride and joy. I love it dearly."
To some extent, his answer was actually true. His parents had once told him that when he was born, they thought that he was the prince of his own little kingdom, which was their family manor, and they even treated him as such. As he grew, he became disenchanted with the notion, but still loved his family home, and the people and Pokémon who lived there, as if it was his entire world.
"I see." Giovanni replied, his dark eyes narrowing further. Pikachu snarled at the man as he jumped onto his master's shoulder, teeth bared.
Suddenly, Giovanni's eyes zeroed in on the shield pendant on Ash's chest, and he felt his heart almost freeze with fear. But before any rash actions or suspicious questions could be made by either one of them, the doors opened and Dawn stepped out, followed by her Piplup and Buneary. "My mother would like to speak with you for a moment." She said to Ash.
The raven-haired man quietly breathed out a sigh of relief before he turned to Giovanni. "Excuse me, Your Grace." He said, bowing his head politely.
"Of course." Giovanni answered, sounding like he was starting to clench his teeth. But he still bowed his head respectfully before Ash entered the royal box.
Dawn could sense that her mysterious friend was starting to feel a little uneasy around the Grand Duke, and she didn't blame him. She always felt like there was something not right about him. He was pestering him, she knew it. So she quickly came up with an excuse to get him to leave and not pester herself or her friend from uncomfortable questions.
"Your Grace," she began, "I believe that your presence has been requested by your daughters. I heard them asking for you when my friend and I were coming up here. I thought that you should know about it."
Giovanni nodded his head. "Of course, Your Highness." He said before leaving the hallway. Dawn bit back a mischievous smirk. That was all too easy.
Ash never felt so nervous as he bowed respectfully to the queen in front of him, who was wearing a dress that reminded him of an Umbreon. Queen Johanna smiled kindly at him. "Rise and meet my eyes, young man." She said gently, and Ash silently obeyed. "We have a little something that we need to talk about."
Ash took a slow, deep breath and relaxed as Pikachu gently nuzzled his face. "I'll answer to the best of my ability, Your Majesty." He replied. That made the queen smile a little wider. "What is it that you want to ask me?" Ash asked her.
"How and when exactly did you meet my daughter?" Johanna asked the young man.
"It was out in the forest a couple of weeks ago." Ash replied. "She was out on a ride, I think, and she found me when my own steed had become spooked by a Stantler. She eventually helped me calm her down before one of us got injured." He didn't want to reveal too much information to the queen if it meant that it could get Dawn in trouble with her mother.
Johanna looked deep in thought. "And did you know that she was a princess?" She continued to question.
Ash shook his head. "No. I honestly thought that she was an apprentice working at the palace." He answered her. "She seemed surprised that I didn't recognize her and went along with my theory. Other than that, she didn't go into more details beyond that."
Johanna bit back an amused grin. "That's very interesting." She said as she fixed one of her gloves. "So, what do you think about my daughter?"
Ash thought about it for a moment and smiled as an image of Dawn came into his head. Not just the beautiful princess side of her, but also the charming young woman he met in the forest. "She's very lovely and kind." He replied truthfully. "She's also wise and witty, and a good friend to all she meets, including myself. Both with people and with Pokémon. She might be a little insecure, but that is expected because of the big role she would one day take on. I think all she needs is just some reassurance from someone she loves that will help her find the confidence she needs to take charge and seize her own destiny. I can honestly admit that she is the most amazing person I have ever met, and I know that she will make you proud when she becomes queen."
The smile on Johanna's face seemed to radiate approval and her eyes sparkled, very much impressed by her daughter's mysterious and charming suitor. "That's all I needed to hear." She said, nodding her head. "Thank you, young man. You are dismissed."
Ash bowed to Johanna, as did Pikachu, before they left the royal box. Dawn and her Pokémon were waiting for them just outside. "How did it go?" She asked.
Ash let out a breath that he didn't know he was holding. "I think your mom likes me." He said. "She seemed to approve of what I said about you."
Dawn giggled. "Well, that's a relief." She said, her giggles making Ash feel more at ease. Then, she took his hand in hers. "Come on. Let's head over to the gardens. My other Pokémon would really like to see you again."
Within minutes, they were back outside in the castle gardens, watching their Pokémon play together. After lying down in the grass for several minutes, Dawn led Ash over to a nearby fountain where they could sit and not worry about having grass stains on their clothes. The full moon above them seemed to cast a silvery glow on the water as it rippled, making the fountain itself glow. Dawn briefly looked over in the direction of the castle before looking back at Ash, who was watching their Pokémon play.
Ash just laughed at the sight of the Pokémon playing. "Now this is what I prefer for a party." He said, gesturing over to them.
Dawn briefly giggled, nodding in agreement. However, it didn't last very long as she looked back over at the castle. Ash took notice of that.
"What's up?" He asked her.
Dawn slightly jumped at his question, but then quickly relaxed. "Can I ask you something?" She asked him back.
Ash nodded. "Go ahead." He answered, gesturing to her.
"My mother expects me to choose someone tomorrow." Dawn began. "She told me that it doesn't have to be the one that I want to marry, but it has to be someone that I would at least consider marrying. But what if I make the wrong choice?"
Ash detected something else in her worry. "Is there something else about this that's bugging you?" He questioned.
Dawn sighed. "Well, no one outside of the castle knows about this." She admitted. "But back when I was about fourteen, my mother did try to set up an arranged marriage for me. To someone who was a friend I had known since we were children. It didn't work out."
Ash blinked in surprise. "Why not?" He asked. "I mean, I don't like the idea of an arranged marriage, but since you were friends with this person, it could have been possible."
"That's what I thought." Dawn replied, slightly shrugging her shoulders. "That whole arrangement lasted an entire month, and I was waiting for something to happen between us. But it never came. It was never there. There was no spark. I think…. it's because…. he only really loved the idea of having me as his wife. Not because he could become king, but that I would pretty much be a trophy wife.
"It turned out that he had romantic affections for me for a long time, but I never felt the same way. Never had, never will. When I told my mother that, she was not pleased with me, since she always tells me that as a princess, I can't keep waiting around to fall in love. I told her that I would rather be disowned than marry someone that I didn't love. Eventually, she annulled the arrangement, but my friend was furious with me. I haven't spoken to him since."
Ash was silent as he took in the story. "I can see why you've been nervous about your mother's expectations of you." He said, remembering what she told him back when they first met. "You don't want to disappoint her again."
Dawn nodded. "What if I make the wrong choice? What if I do choose someone but then find out later that I don't like him as much as I thought I did? What if he isn't the right one for both me and the kingdom?" She then sighed as she buried her face in her hands. "How am I supposed to fall in love in three days?"
Ash lightly bit his lip in thought before removing one of Dawn's hands, placing it in his own, getting her to look at him. "I don't know a lot about love, but I do know that when it comes to big decisions like this, you can't exactly make them with your head or your gut. It has to be made with your heart. My parents once told me that listening to your heart is one of the hardest things a person can do, but when you do hear what it's saying to you, it will never steer you wrong."
Dawn blinked, awed by the wisdom of her mysterious friend. "But what if I make the wrong choice?" She asked.
Ash just smiled kindly at her. "Then you learn from your mistake." He answered simply with a shrug of his shoulders. "I doubt anyone will be mad if you chose a fiancé tonight and then change your mind next week. Do what will make you happy. But I also think that maybe you should talk with your mom about this, and how you really feel about all of this."
"But she doesn't listen to me." Dawn replied.
"Then maybe you need to speak more clearly." Ash answered back. "She is your mother, and she loves you. Show her that you still love her, even though you are old enough and capable enough to make your decisions."
Dawn smiled at him gently while lightly squeezing his fingers. Ash returned the smile reassuringly as he felt the warmth of her hand through his glove. Unbeknownst to them, their Pokémon had stopped playing to watch them. They all could see the admiration they had for each other.
Just then, Pikachu heard gentle chiming in the distance. He looked over at the giant clock tower in the distance and saw that it was 11:30! His blood almost froze with fear, but he pushed it aside and called out to Ash, scampering over to him.
Ash heard his little Electric partner call out to him, breaking his longing gaze with Dawn. "What's up, Pikachu?" He asked his frantic little friend.
Pikachu pointed over towards the clock tower in the distance, and Ash saw the time in full display. His skin almost paled visibly and he gently removed his hand from Dawn's. "I have to go." He said, standing up quickly.
"Wait, what? Again?" Dawn asked in confusion. "But the ball continues for another half hour."
"I'm really sorry, but I have to go." Ash said quickly as Pikachu jumped onto his shoulder. He was about to bolt when Dawn grabbed his arm.
"Just promise me that you will come back tomorrow night." Dawn pleaded.
"I promise!" Ash answered before tugging his arm away and started sprinting towards the stairs. Dawn watched his form as he went back inside the castle. She did feel a little hurt that her Mystery Prince had to leave again, but then sighed as Piplup and Buneary came up to her, while her other Pokémon carefully gathered around the fountain.
"Tomorrow." She told herself. "Tomorrow, I'll tell him."
Ash was practically leaving scuff marks on the floor as he ran, slid and skidded down the hallways towards the main entrance. He even zipped past Serena, who had broken away from the dance floor to get something to drink. He stopped himself right before he ran into her.
"Oh!" He exclaimed. "Forgive me, milady. But I'm in a bit of a hurry. Excuse me!" He then ran past her and towards the stairs of the ballroom, unaware that Serena's curious icy blue eyes were following his retreating form.
He almost tripped a couple of times as he bounded down the main stairs when he got outside. Once he neared the carriage, he and Pikachu practically jumped inside, and the disguised Mr. Mime got the carriage rolling along as fast as it could.
Ash was still catching his breath when they finally neared the chateau. When they came back into the garden, he and Pikachu saw that the inside of the carriage was starting to turn back into a pumpkin. They jumped out right before the carriage shrank and shriveled back into an orange squash, and the disguised carriage men and Ponyta changed back into their normal forms. Ash looked down at his fancy costume and saw that they had changed back into his normal work clothes.
"Cutting it a little close tonight, huh lad?" Ash turned in the direction of the voice and saw his father standing there with his Arcanine, while his mother magically rolled the pumpkin back into the pumpkin patch.
"You two really like to pop out of nowhere, huh?" Ash asked them sarcastically as he got up and dusted himself off.
"Well, you kind of get that mischievous attitude from your mother, son." Jayce teased his son and wife.
"Oh, don't you start now, Jayce Ketchum." Delia playfully waggled her wand at her husband before turning her attention to her precious child. "So how was the ball, Ash?"
Ash sighed as he looked up at the stars twinkling above, sounding a little bit smitten. "Awesome." He said. "I even met the Queen as well. Dawn's mother."
"Well, that certainly is something." Delia said, sounding surprised and impressed at that small notion as she led her family back into the kitchen to get things ready for the return of the Grand Duke and his daughters.
As Ash went to grab some tea leaves, he stopped himself when it finally clicked in his head why the Queen wanted to speak to him. Knowing that this was meant to be a festival where Dawn would choose a possible groom, since they seemed close, and due to his fancy attire, the Queen thought that he was actually a prince!
"Everybody thinks I'm a prince." Ash said, getting his parents' attention before he started to rant a little bit. "Even the Queen! Maybe even Dawn! I thought it would be kind of funny to make everyone believe that I am a prince. But the truth is, I'm not."
"She doesn't know?" Delia asked as she got hot water boiling in a teapot.
"No!" Ash exclaimed, opening the pot and throwing a few tea leaves inside before closing it with the lid. "I thought she was an apprentice seamstress at the palace when I first met her. But then, I realize that she is the princess. Now she must think that her "strange friend from the countryside" is a prince. But no. I'm worse than a country boy. I'm an indentured servant. Actually, no. Scratch that. I'm not a servant. I'm practically a slave in my own house."
Jayce placed a gentle hand on his son's shoulder. "Do you think that maybe you should tell her the truth?" He asked him.
Ash just shook his head with a light scoff. "I honestly doubt it." He answered his father. "Plus, she's never going to see me again after tomorrow night. Best not break her fantasy of me. If she knew the truth, I doubt she could love someone like me. I'm just a simple servant boy who is abused and mistreated everyday."
"And why would she not like you?" Delia questioned after putting the small plate of pastries on the table. "You're kind, smart, brave, funny, and very handsome."
"You did get most of your good looks from me." Jayce teased.
"Da-ad." Ash groaned with a slight blush on his face while Pikachu traitorously chuckled at his master's embarrassment.
Delia and Jayce just laughed before the former placed a hand on her son's cheek, getting him to look at her. "Listen, Ash. You do what you think is best. But in my opinion, I think Dawn truly cares for you, not because she thinks that you're a prince. Even if you weren't born royal, you are a prince in my eyes."
Ash smiled sadly before looking down at the floor beneath him. Could he really hope that Dawn has genuine affection for him? But she doesn't know who he truly is. She doesn't even know his name, for crying out loud! How could he know that whatever he was feeling for the princess was being truthfully reciprocated?
Pushing away all of his doubts for the time being, he looked back up at his parents, who each had a hand on one of his shoulders. "Will you guys still help me tomorrow night?" He asked them. "It's the last night of the festival, and I promised Dawn that I will come to the ball."
Jayce and Delia smiled at their son. "You don't even have to ask us, son." The former said.
"We'll be here when you're ready to go." Delia added before they both vanished into little soft golden clouds. Ash felt the heaviness in his stomach grow, feeling alone in the kitchen.
He then felt a small, gentle tugging on his right pant leg. He looked down and saw Pikachu smiling up at him with reassurance. Even though he couldn't exactly understand him, he could tell that his Pokémon friend was saying that he will be there for him, no matter what he decides to do.
Just then, Ash heard the sound of the front door opening. He quickly pushed away all lingering thoughts about Dawn and the ball as he and Pikachu went to greet his stepfamily. They almost burst out laughing when they saw the enraged look on Giovanni's face, but they managed to keep it together as Ash served him and his daughters their tea and biscuits.
At least there was still something else that was good about tonight besides hanging out with Dawn. Ash had stumped the Grand Duke again from finding out his identity as the Mystery Prince. At least for now. But who knows what tomorrow night will bring?
A/N: You think Ash is having doubts about all of this? Or at least concerning how Dawn really feels about him? Well, we'll have to see in the next chapter. Hopefully, it won't take me forever.
I have thought of putting some of my stories aside so that I can finish some of them at a time so that I can finish them and start some new ones that I've been dying to write. Right now, I'm focusing on this story, my Trolls Beauty and the Beast AU "Gray is Not All Colorless", and my Miraculous Ladybug collaboration with my good friend and co-author, PokemonFreak90. Check out their Pokémon stories if you're curious about them! They rock!
Well, that's all for now, y'all! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review about what you think. And remember to stay healthy. We all want this crazy COVID thing to come to an end, so do your part and make this New Year of 2022 the best ever!
Got to fly! ;)