Maid For The Prince

Chapter 3

Ma: Hey peoples. It's xmas eve when i post this. Consider this a long overdue gift. I lost my aunt earlier this year and I've been in a long period of mourning. I thought of quitting but your reviews have been much needed help during this emotional year. So I hope you all enjoy this newest chapter of this grand romantic epic. So without further adieu, ON WITH THE FIC!!!




MAID FOR THE PRINCE: CHAPTER 3

The days and weeks passed by in a pleasant blur for Dawn. She was adapted better than she thought, given that she was working for the royal family. It took her a few days to get a general understanding of the layout of Pallet palace but there were still parts of the estate that she hadn't or couldn't see. As much as she wanted to be a tourist and see every little nook and cranny of the place, she had to remind herself that she was there to work.

Not that anyone would have minded her doing so here. Despite being the center of the empire, the palace was surprisingly lax. Maids chatted freely with guards. Stable-boys and pages hung out with knights. It was worlds apart from the cold rigidness of the Bathorys. Most of that was helped by May. Dawn was ever so happy to have such a roommate and friend like her. Her free-spirited nature was a breath of fresh air and made working with her all the more fun. She didn't think less of her for being a relative novice when it came to the goings on of the palace. She simply told her everything she needed to know at any given moment. Plus, she found her flirtings to be hilarious.

She ran into Zoey a few times, mainly when she had to change out the duty sheets for the knights barracks. She would catch her practicing with her sword, a gift from the Emperor himself, and found her form to be marvelous. Dawn knew little about the ways of combat but even she could tell that the girl was immensely skilled. She was even lucky enough to catch her sparring with her boyfriend, Gary. Now, he was someone Dawn couldn't get a handle on. From what little she could see, he was an attentive and dutiful knight who took his job very seriously. But when he was off the clock, he was a silly drunk. One night, she saw him, clad in a dress, drunkenly asking the moon for a dance. Thankfully, He wasn't a violent drunk.

Paul, she tended to steer clear of. He was like a violet haired wall: unassailable and expressionless. He always had a hard glare for her but May assured her that he was like that with everyone. Well, not everyone. There were a few times, as she was cleaning up the dojo that she would notice him watching the other knights practice hand to hand combat with master Bruno and his star apprentice, Maylene. His focus always seemed to be on her the most. Maybe those rumors about the two of them being an item weren't so far-fetched anymore.

Seeing professor Oak on a near daily basis was a welcome treat. He oftentimes was the one who gave out the duties for the staff of the palace. He would start off the day with a nice Pokemon poem. But it seemed like only she really appreciated it, since everyone audibly groaned upon hearing them. Nonetheless, he was always kind and respectful to everyone, especially her. She didn't know why but the older man seemed to have taken a special interest in Dawn. Not in the sexual or amorous way that many older men she had known in the past had done but in the way a father would for a beloved daughter. Since Dawn never knew her own birth father, this kind of attention was more than welcome.

And then, there was the prince.



He was a struggle and a half. She didn't see him much, due to how busy he was but the few times she did, it was enough to get her all hot and bothered. Most times, she would clean his office while he was reading and signing some documents that the professor had given to him. Ash would look up at her and give her the kindest of smiles before greeting her. They didn't have much time to talk but the few small conversations they struck up were the highlights of her day. Many a time she caught sight of him training in the yard, using a wooden sword and often shirtless. She couldn't see him up close but she could tell that he was in excellent shape. Once or twice, almost like he felt her watching him, he would turn her way and give her an enchanting grin. Dawn was certain she was blushing as she turned away from his gaze and went about her duties.

What she didn't know was that Ash was in a similar situation as her. While he was busy with his own work, he did try to "accidentally" run into Dawn but the timing wasn't always good. But he cherished each and every time they did. Ash didn't think himself charming in any way but when he was around the blue-haired maid, he made a point to turn on as much charm as he could muster. Especially when she caught him training without a shirt. He was used to the maids leering and staring at him and the knights, save for May who didn't find him the least bit sexy, but when Dawn was there, he felt a bit self-conscious. He wondered if she found him attractive at all. That answer came when he gave her a tired smile and he saw how bashful she was. He noted how cute she was when she blushed. But so far, that's as far as things had gotten between them.


That all began to change on a Friday morning.

Dawn was dusting about Ash's office while he was busying himself with another stack of papers that he needed to look over and sign, which was draining. He'd much rather spend his time with the maid who shared the room with him. They had chatted for a bit before both got to their own chores but it didn't stop Ash from occasionally casing a glance at her pleasing figure putter about his office.

Dawn made a point not to disturb the prince as he worked, despite how handsome he seemed, leaned over his desk, reading with amazing speed. She had to distract herself from looking too hard at him, which she did by admiring the collection of vases he had laying about the room. From what she understood, they were presents from various visiting dignitaries and guests of the family from all over the empire. Some were tall enough to be used as chairs but most were very small. Small enough to fit in one's pocket.

Once again, a dark thought rolled into her mind. Dawn hadn't entertained the thought of taking anything from the palace. She was just happy to have a roof over her head and steady work. But that same fear crept into her mind. Such things don't last forever. As nice as the prince, professor Oak and everyone else was, she was still just a maid and maids could be dismissed at any time, at the whim of her employers.

Her eyes drifted to a small vase behind a few larger ones. She glanced back at the prince. Still very busy perusing documents. Surely, he wouldn't miss one. And only one. She stole from the Bathorys both out of a need for a nest egg and because she disliked them immensely. But these people were good to her. And all she had to do was wait until her probationary period was over until she started earning some crowns. This was just to shore things up in her account.