Contestshipping: An Age Old Tale

Well, I got an idea for another Contestshipping story! :D But I have no clue if this will be a oneshot or longer. :P I'll just have to wait and see.

I'm going to work really hard to make sure May and Drew's personalities come out correctly, because I realize I actually don't know how to do that at all. Lol. Still, I'll try.

Well, onto the story! ^_^

Chapter 1: The Princess

The door closes with a soft thud as the light pink hem of my skirt swishes across the room. I sit down on the sofa next to the window; my gloved hand traces the mahogany wood carvings on the side of the long couch. Sighing, I twist my finger around one of my brunette braids that hangs in front of my ear. I look out the window at the sun that is barely peeking over the treeline.

Any minute now... My eyes start to droop closed, and I don't realize it till I'm tipping forward in an exhausted sleep...

The trumpeters begin blaring their annoying tune and it awakens me right away. A whole night of riding a horse doesn't help with personal beauty sleep. I feel last night's migraine coming on, and realize today is the day. Not one I'd like to come. Ever.

I get to my feet and change in a pink, petal-like dress with the wings of a Beautifly on the back. I re-braid my hair again and with the rest of my brown locks, I tie into two separate pigtails on either side of my head. Running to the door, I slip on my heeled shoes that are a soft, bright pink and head down to the throne room. My shoes clatter against the stone staircase as I run down in circles, the spiraling motion still giving me a headache as usual. Reaching the long carpeted floor, I run by all the tapestries that date back hundreds of years from our Kingdom's past.

I dash by one of our previous monarchs and make a turn at the large wooden and gold engraved doors. The two knights in front take the handles and pull them back so I am able to enter. My mother and father sit on their thrones as Max, my brother, gets chased by the large Slaking. I bow respectfully and raise my head, awaiting the worse news.

"As you know, we have decided on a Prince from one of the neighboring kingdoms to be your husband." My father says.

"So we've chosen-" My breath catches. "Prince Ash from Kanto." My heart sinks immediately.

I keep my posture, trying to make sure I don't allow my shoulders to sag. Ash, the densest Prince they could choose from.

Why him of all Princes? Why not Prince Paul Shinji from Sinnoh? At least he knows wha is. I sigh quietly and bow to them.

"Of course." I say.

Not on my life! My mind screams, but I smile.

"When is the wedding?" I ask through pursed lips.

"It will be in three days." My mother says proudly. My smile sours.

Three days? That's too soon! I bow again and turn away before they can see all the tears welling up in my eyes. I run once leaving the throne room, and make my way up the staircase without feeling dizzy, but I already am because of the proposal. I wipe my eyes with a gloved finger and slam my bedroom door open. Flinging myself down on the couch, I begin to cry loudly.

Once I'm wed to Ash, I'll never be able to come back here. Kanto is so far away...and voyages cost so much...I doubt that the Kingdom in Kanto would pay for me to visit. Luckily they're paying for this voyage because our harvest has gone bad. But the sea is very dangerous. I bury my face in a fluffy pillow; I wont see my mother, father, or Max ever again.

After a while I've finished crying; the sun is beginning to set and I'm exhausted. My face is red and splotchy, but that is the least of my worries. My mind is thinking of ways to get out of the marriage. My brow furrows and I gulp. The only way to escape this is to leave the castle. Forever.

At least I'll be able to stay in my own land, and not some foreign place. I get to my feet and begin to pack whatever I can into many of my small purses. I know I'll need gold, so I should bring several bars of that, and then a few dresses along with a warm cloak for the winter. I bite my lip as I pack the last thing into my horse's saddle bag. I just hope that I'll have enough gold. I take two more pairs of shoes and shove them into the bag.

Slinging it over my shoulder, I look outside as the crescent moon begins to rise. That will be helpful so that no one can spot me easily... I look around my room one last time; my wooden wardrobe sits motionless and my four poster bed's draperies hang suspended in the cool air. I feel a few tears coming to my eyes from the thought of leaving this familiar room, but I slap my cheeks with both hands, reminding myself that this is better than leaving Hoenn forever. I pull my cloak on and button it, flipping the hood over my head.

Sneaking out of my room, I carry a tall candle and shove my matches into my pocket for later along with a small, old, ornamental knife for cooking. I patter down the stairs and through the passageways, looking at the tapestries carefully to remember them in my mind. I run too my parent's room and kiss both their foreheads as they snore peacefully. I feel tearful as I creep into Max's room.

I place a carefully written note down on his nightstand and allow a moment to lightly ruffle his black hair with my hand, then I quickly leave the room before breaking into sobs. I tiptoe past the guards at the gate and exit through one of the Royal Family's secret passages. Entering the forest outside the gate, I pull my cloak around myself as the chilly wind bites at me. I hurry over to the stables and unlock them, slipping through the crack in the doors. I head over to my horse, and pull myself onto it's saddle. Attaching my bag to the side I whistle softly.

"Giddy up Starshine." I murmur, and my horse whinnies loudly, crashing through the stable doors and down the path into the forest. I ride Starshine quickly, and flick the reins. "Ya!" After about an hour or two of riding, I pull out my map.

"Since I'm in Petalburg, I need to head towards the coast. They wouldn't suspect me to stay right underneath their noses." I mutter to myself, trying to reassure my mind that I'm doing this for my own good. Stuffing the wrinkled map into my pouch, I pull the string to close the top while holding the reins with my left hand.

After another three hours, I stop near a river and hop down, my dress swishing against the short grass as the wind ruffles my hair. I allow Starshine to drink her fill in the river as I look around for scraps of tree brush. Piling a sloppy pile of twigs together I frown. How am I supposed to make a fire? I know there's a certain way to do it, but I've only seen a few knights perform this task and that was years ago... I pull out my matchbox. Biting my lip I shake my head. I shouldn't waste these just yet.

I don't know when I'll get to the coast. Stuffing them back into my pocket, I dig around in the dirt, staining my gloves and finding a few flint stones. Slamming the stones together, I make a few sparks near the wood. It seems as if I were sitting there for hours until a spark catches and the fire begins to slowly burn. I cup my dirty, gloved hands around the small flame and make sure the wind doesn't blow it out.

Starshine falls asleep standing up and I yawn. The moon sparkles lightly in the sky, seemingly oblivious to my own personal turmoil. I tug off my cloak and flatten it on the ground. Lying down, I try to get some sleep.

I hear birds chirping loudly and bolt up, but immediately cringe. Myback aches from sleeping on the hard ground; I get up and dust my cloak off. Hurrying to Starshine's side, I pull myself up and nudge her to make her move.

"Ya!" She jumps over the creek and dashes towards the South, too the coast. I wonder what I'll do once getting there...? Urging Starshine on, I make up for lost time and get too LittleRoot Village by mid-morning. The villagers look up as I steer Starshine through the marketplace where many produce stands are set up. I begin to feel uneasy. Maybe my clothes are extravagant. I hop off near a dress stall and pull Starshine towards it. Tying her to a pole, I enter the shop.

"Ah welcome-why,..M'Lady! What can I get for you?"

I look around.

"Can I get that blue dress there?" I ask.

She smiles broadly. "Why of course! But isn't it a little plain for your status?" She inquires. I shake my head.

"No, this is good enough." I say; standing out will not help me disappear into the population. I take the dress after paying with a few bronze coins. I frown while leaving; everything is so cheap,...I wonder why? I slip the brown package containing my dress into the saddlebag and hop onto Starshine. I ride over to a produce stand and buy some fresh fruits, vegetables, and dried meat. Once finishing I lean down to Starshine's ear.

"Giddy up." I murmur, and leave LittleRoot village as quickly as possible.

The air begins to smell salty as I reach the end of yet another woods. Starshine plods slowly down the path as the sun steadily gets higher in the sky. The cool, late-morning breeze hits me and I breathe in the salty air. Smiling, I realize I'm reaching my destination: the coast. I squeeze Starshine's sides to make her go faster and as she reaches a gallop, I see the seaside port and town.

Maybe I'll find a place to stay for tonight down there..and then I can change into my peasant attire. I grin at my plan and ride Starshine down the sandy hill. Reaching the town, I see many fisherman who are dragging nets filled with flopping fish to the market. I wrinkle my nose at the stench and cover my face with a hand. Reaching an inn, I lead Starshine into the stable on it's side.

A stable boy walks up and holds his hand out.

"Two bronzes please, miss." He says. I pull out two and place them in his hand. He stuffs them into his pocket and takes Starshine to a stall. I walk out and around into the inn. The innkeeper sits behind the counter, sipping tea. I walk over to him.

"I'd like a room." I say, remembering what I've heard the maids in the castle say about back when they used to stay in inns before working at the castle. He looks up, his stern face looking back at mine. He has one a brown tunic and a floppy hat.

"How many nights?"

"One for the moment, I don't know how long I'm staying." I reply.

"A silver please." He states; I pull one out and put it in his large hand. He slips it into his dirty pocket and hands me a key.

"Number 8 on the second floor." He says, then returns to his tea. I look at the rusty key and grimace, wondering why the innkeeper doesn't invest in new supplies. I walk up the wooden staircase and cross the hall to the room with an eight on it. I slip the key in the hole and push the doorway open. The room is so plain I feel sick. I traded my extravagant life to live in the dumps. I sigh and shut the door behind me until it clicks, locking. At least I wont have to leave Starshine, or Hoenn, that's the worst thing that could happen.

I collapse onto the bed and doze off.

Later in the day, at precisely one o'clock, I enter the town again, carrying my saddle bag with all my items in it underneath my cloak so I will be less suspicious than riding a horse. I flick my hood up and walk down the streets. I see a town crier taking a proclamation and paste it to a tavern. I look at it and gasp.

My name is on it! And the reward is 100,000 gold bars! My head begins to feel dizzy and I quickly walk away, thanking that fact that my portrait is not on the sheet of paper. Heading down to the marketplace, I look around at all the stalls that have more peasant items that I could add too the blue dress I got earlier. I stop at a shop with some cooked fish and decide to buy a few.

"A bronze." The storekeeper says, and I hand her one.

If this keeps going on, I will never need to worry about prices because everything is so inexpensive! I hold the fish on a stick and am about to take a bite when someone whisks it away from my grasp. I stare dumbly at my hand, then look up. My eyes meet pure emerald ones, and I blink. The face that has the eyes smirks and holds the fish as if it were a specimen.

"I personally think that the fish my men catch are certainly better than this three day old fried thing." He states. I frown.

"But I think it looks just fine."

He lowers one eyebrow and raises the other.

"Seriously? You're going for cheapness rather than quality. What a drag, and you seemed so smart. Brainless." I glare at him.

"Brainless? I'm not stupid, now give that back!" I reach up but since he's way taller than me, he just holds the fish out of my grasp. I try to grab at his arm but I'm not tall enough. I step back, heaving, my shoulders rising and falling. I look at this figure who has the gall to steal from a princess and think he can get away with it.

Suave green hair covers his head in a perfect mop, a dark blue sailor's coat drapes across his shoulders elegantly, along with black knee-high boots and a pressed white shirt, his whole look is almost complete. He's probably a captain for a ship. I look up, and freeze.

His hat...

He swiftly takes it off in a way that looks showy, but trying to stay secretive. I cross my arms then wait for the perfect moment and while he's slipping his hat away to snatch the fish back, then stuff the whole thing into my mouth. He looks up, startled for a split second, then puts his cool charm back on.

"No one has done that in a while, let alone a little girl." He smirks. I throw the fish's stick in a bin next to the food stall and wipe my hands on my skirt. I glare up at the green eyed pompous cretin and stare at him steadily.

"I'm not a little girl. I'm old enough to take care of myself." I reply hotly. He puts a hand to his chin.

"Like that's the case." He says sardonically. I stomp my foot childishly.

"Of course it is!" I clench my fists. The green haired man looks up diagonally to the right for a minute then back at me with a playful look in his eyes.

"I highly doubt that." My face steams at his comment. "But," He continues, "if you'd like to prove it, come to the docks. If you're brave enough to go there, I'll apologize to you." My cheeks puff out angrily and he smirks.

"You also have to come at sunset." He smiles then walks away, his back facing me.

"But you'll have to find me yourself!" He calls out while he holds up a hand and waves as he enters the busy crowd. I feel like a cork in a shaken up bottle.

"Argh!" I exclaim, then stalk back to the inn.

I heave my saddle bag on my shoulder, carrying all my things while leading Starshine through the crowd. I don't feel comfortable leaving Starshine alone for too long and I'm not sure where this mysterious pompous man will be, so to be safe I'm taking her with me. Walking through the dirty sand to a pier, I look at all the magnificent ships, with billowing sails and tall masts.

I frown, wondering which one is where HE would be. I cluck my tongue and Starshine follows me down a pier as I look back and forth at the busy sailors, who look exhausted from hauling heavy lines and carting fish away by the ton.

"Heave ho!" I hear, and look up in time to see a net filled with fish fly over my head to a man on my right. Some fish wriggle out and land on me in the process and I cringe as they're scaly forms flop around.

"Ugh!" I yelp, whacking them off with a flick of my hand. Luckily I'm wearing gloves. Tugging Starshine away, I barely notice a faint sorry coming from the tired fisherman. I continue on bravely through the smelly boatyard and stop once hearing a shout.

"Ahoy!" I look up to my left and see...the emerald eyed man from earlier smirk down at me. He has his foot on the edge of a colossal ship with many sails and three tall masts. He bends down on his knee and raises his eyebrows.

"I didn't think you were coming."

I stick my chin up defiantly.

"Of course I would! I'm no coward!" I shout up to him.

"What?" He asks, holding a hand to his ear. "Cannot hear you miss! Come up the plank!" I look up around at the ship and notice...a very large crew. I edge back, feeling nervous.

"Rather not!" I shout back up. He stands back and crosses his arms.

"Can't understand you. You're voice is quieter than a mouse!" He calls down.

I sigh and shake my head at him, then make an X with my arms. I turn away, ready to leave when I suddenly get a bad feeling.

The ship this man owns looks nothing like the royal ships of our Kingdom...it's coat of arms...

I whirl around to confront him, but a whizzing sound has my eyes widening. I see a lasso fly down and fall over my head. It happens to fast and I realize that my hands are pinned to my sides with a thick rope.

My eyes widen as I look down, then up at him. He has the other end of the rope in his hand and he's smirking. He tugs on it and yanks my whole body up in the air as if I were a rag doll. I fly through the air, to shocked to scream in terror. He catches me bridal style and smiles at me. I look at him, aghast. He drops me and I hit the deck with a thunk.

"Round up her horse!" He says, and his crewman cheerily. I sit on my bottom, unable to stand due to my hands tied to my sides and look up at him with a look of anger. I watch as they corral Starshine up the gangplank and into a small stable on the ship. The green eyed captain grabs the rope around my middle and uses it to pull me into a standing position. The rest of the crew runs up and stands to attention. The captain smirks at me, then holds his left hand out in a showy sort of way.

"Welcome, Princess May, to Drew Hayden's noble Pirate ship!" He proclaims. My eyes widen. I knew his hat looked wrong.

Mother, Father, Max. I've made a grave mistake...

End of chapter 1! This will be a short fanfic. I think. :P So hope you enjoyed Drew in a pirate-y sense. ;)

Please Review!

~Misty