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Lebanne shot up from her bed as the direct line from Jacinthe's chambers buzzed loudly, putting the maid on edge immediately. Over the years she'd worked for Jacinthe, the times that she'd been woken up by her mistress could be counted on one hand. Her lady did want her favourite maid to be rested and ready after all.
She clicked the button next to her bed to receive the call, expecting Jacinthe to ask her to bring her a mop and a bucket to clean up whatever sickness that had befallen her or to fetch her some painkillers. Those were the only reasons she'd ever been woken up like this before.
But instead of Jacinthe's refined voice coming through the speaker, Lebanne was met with loud sobs, immediately putting the punk turned maid on high alert.
“Lady Jacinthe! What's wrong?” Lebanne asked as she got up from her bed. Jacinthe didn't cry. She simply didn't, yet here she was, wailing through the intercom at 3:15AM.
“‘banne…mmmbanne…” Jacinthe mumbled between hiccups and sniffles, seemingly calming down at least a little upon hearing her maid’s voice. “Papa here. ‘banne…lbanne…”
Lebanne's eyes went wide as she quickly grabbed her cardigan, a gift from Lady Jacinthe to be more ‘presentable’ on her days off, to shield herself from the chilly night air. She'd never met Jacinthe's father but what little she knew about the man was enough to make her hate his guts.
“I'm on my way, Lady Jacinthe!” she hollered as she ran out of her room, not even bothering to turn the intercom off in her haste to rush to her lady's aid.
She ran up the stairs towards Jacinthe's private floor, refusing to waste any time waiting for the elevator after hearing the anguish in her mistress' voice. Luckily enough there was only one flight of stairs separating Jacinthe from her personal staff and Lebanne wasted no time scaling said stairs in record time. She retrieved the small key that her lady had entrusted her with from the pocket of her cardigan and barged into the overwhelmingly pink and purple eyesore that was Jacinthe's home.
Not that Lebanne would ever dare describe it as such to her mistress.
She made a beeline towards the master bedroom towards the end of the hall. Despite her worry fueled hurry she caught herself before barging in, remembering the manners that her lady had drilled into her. She knocked on the door to announce herself but unlike most days, she didn't wait for a reply from her mistress.
“Excuse me, Lady Jacinthe. I'm coming in.” she said as she opened the door. Her brow knit with worry as she laid her eyes on Jacinthe's bed. The few times she'd done a nightly visit like this, her mistress would be sitting up, waiting for her with a dignified smile no matter what kind of sickness might have befallen her.
But tonight all she saw was what could best be described as a Jacinthe shaped lump doing its best to appear as small as possible as she hid under the blanket. Faint sobs and hiccups could be heard from her lady in hiding and it was as clear as day that Jacinthe hadn't heard her arrival.
“Pardon my intrusion, Lady Jacinthe. How may I assist you?”
To Lebanne's surprise, Jacinthe shot up from her hiding place and looked around frantically before her eyes seemingly settled on the maid mere steps away from her bed.
“‘banne, ‘banne! Mmmbanne!” Jacinthe whined as she made grabby hands towards the taller woman in front of her. “Papa, papa’s here. He's here…’lbanne!”
Lebanne shook her head as she slowly approached the bed, afraid to spook her lady.
“He's not here, Lady Jacinthe. You just had a nightmare is all. The staff would never let him into the hotel, much less anywhere near your suite. I promise you, he's not here.”
She hadn't heard much about Jacinthe's sad excuse of a father but she'd heard enough to make her blood boil. If he'd so much as approach her lady, she wouldn't hesitate to sic Dragalge on him.
Her words seemed to calm her mistress, even if just a little but the socialite kept making grabby hands towards Lebanne and she grabbed hold of her nightgown the moment the maid got within arms reach. Jacinthe burrowed her face into the thin fabric as she sobbed, a far cry from the prim and proper lady who was always demanding proper etiquette from not only her servants but from herself as well.
To see Jacinthe, her lady like this, made her stomach hurt. Not only at the sight but at the knowledge that not that many years ago, seeing Jacinthe like this would've brought her no small amount of joy. But that was then and this was now and she was determined to help her ailing mistress.
“He's not here. It's just the two of us. I promise.” she repeated as she took the two last steps towards the bed and ran her fingers through Jacinthe's short, brown hair.
In a way she wished that her lady would stop wearing that silly wig of hers whenever she was in public but another part of her cherished the fact that she was one of very few people who got to see Jacinthe, the real Jacinthe beneath the wigs and powder.
“‘banne…” Jacinthe sniffled into Lebanne's nightgown but the maid couldn't help but smile slightly as her lady's breathing evened out as the last sob left her lips.
“I'm here my Lady, I'm here.” she replied as she kept running her fingers through Jacinthe's hair, feeling the curls against her once coarse fingers. “I'm not going anywhere, I promise.”
“Mmm…’banne…” her lady mumbled, her voice still shaky against her nightgown. “‘lbanne…”
“Yes, Lady Jacinthe?” Lebanne asked, not really expecting much of an answer from her mistress in her current state. It was more out of habit than anything.
“Sthay…sit…” Jacinthe sniffled, giving her maid's nightgown one last nuzzle before letting her go, looking anywhere but at the woman in front of her.
“Of course, Lady Jacinthe.” Lebanne replied before sitting down next to the shorter woman who immediately leaned in to rest her head against her shoulders. She wrapped her arm around her mistress with a hum, lightly scratching her scalp with her nails and it didn't take long before Jacinthe let out a satisfied hum of her own.
The poor maid wracked her brain as to what could've happened to her lady. She had some kind of nightmare involving her father, that much was obvious to anyone but Jacinthe wasn't the kind of person to break apart like this from a nightmare. She was too strong, too defiant and most of all, much too stubborn.
“Mama ‘lbanne…”
Oh.
That would explain it.
“Yes, Lady Jacinthe?” Lebanne hummed as she kept gently scratching her nails against her little one's scalp and got another satisfied hum from her little lady.
“Papa…not here?” Jacinthe managed after a minute or two, looking up to meet Lebanne's gray eyes.
“No, he isn't.” the maid turned caretaker confirmed with a shake of her head. “You just had a nightmare is all.”
“Not here…” the little lady mumbled with a sigh of relief before nuzzling into Lebanne's side.
Lebanne ran her fingers through Jacinthe's hair, occasionally scratching her scalp, an uncharacteristically gentle smile gracing her lips as her charge relaxed against her.
“Do you want to go back to bed?” she asked after a few minutes, her voice barely above a whisper in case Jacinthe had already fallen asleep from her ministrations.
“Mmm…thirsty…” Jacinthe slurred against Lebanne's cardigan. It was no wonder the little lady would be thirsty, crying like that would leave anyone feeling parched.
“I understand. Wait here and I'll fetch-” Lebanne began as she tried to stand, only to find Jacinthe holding on to her cardigan as if her life depended on it.
She looked up at her maid, her caretaker and Lebanne could see fresh tears threaten to escape her uncharacteristically soft, violet eyes. It was as if all of her lady's confidence had been ripped straight out of her, leaving behind an insecure little girl.
“Do you…want to come with me?” Lebanne asked and Jacinthe nodded, her hands letting go of the cardigan before latching onto Lebanne's arm. The maid in question chuckled fondly and ruffled her regressed charge’s hair, her gentle smile seemingly a permanent fixture around her little one.
“Alright. Let's go get you some water.” she hummed as she stood up and helped her lady onto her feet.
“Mmm…Mama?” Jacinthe mumbled into Lebanne's cardigan as they approached the door leading to the hallway.
“Y-yes Lady Jacinthe?” Lebanne replied with a slight stutter, not used to the title that her little one had bestowed upon her.
“Abble juithe?”
She looked up with those violet gemstones of hers once more and Lebanne couldn't help but ruffle her hair affectionately with a chuckle.
“We'll check the fridge and see if you got any apple juice, alright?” she replied, her formal manners gradually slipping in the presence of her little one.
“Mmm…” was all the response she got from Jacinthe but Lebanne felt as if her chest would burst at the big smile that had crept up on her lady's face at the prospect of apple juice. For all the expensive tastes that the head of the SBC had grown accustomed to, apple juice was one of those simple joys that she held dear to her heart.
Lebanne was thankful that none of Jacinthe's personal staff aside from herself was awake at this ungodly hour. Jacinthe would've loathed to be seen in this state, her pride wouldn't allow it. If anything, it touched the dragon master that her lady had entrusted her with this side of her.
The two of them made the short trip across the hall to Jacinthe's small kitchen which, unlike the rest of her hotel suite turned apartment, wasn't a garish mess of pinks and purples. It was quite tastefully modeled after a traditional kalosian kitchen with white, wooden panels and beige marble covered walls.
Lebanne guided her charge to the small table near the single window that bathed the room in moonlight and breathed a sigh of relief when Jacinthe sat down in one of the surprisingly rustic chairs without making a fuss. She grabbed a glass from the cupboard before heading to the fridge.
Jacinthe's fridge was…sparse to say the least. It made sense for a woman who ate most of her meals at the hotel's restaurant but it still bothered the maid each and every time she opened her mistress’s fridge.
Butter, salami, a bit of cheese and…apple juice! That was all there was but right at this moment, it was all that was needed. She poured the apple juice, emptying the carton in the process. Any thoughts of her lady's potential juice craving wrath the next morning was wiped away as soon as she handed her little one her juice and she swore that the girl shone like the sun once the glass was within her grasp.
She sat down at the opposite end of the table from her little lady and she felt something tug at heartstrings as her little one drank greedily. She couldn't quite place the feeling, she had grown to care for her lady over the years, that much was true but this was something more than that.
Jacinthe had just barely finished her juice before she yawned loudly. At any other time she would've covered her mouth daintily but the little aristocrat reminded Lebanne of a yawning Litten, mouth wide and teeth bared. She smacked her lips and blinked, exhaustion clearly catching up with the girl.
“Do you want to head back to bed?” Lebanne asked as she grabbed the empty glass and put it in the sink.
“Mmmm….” Jacinthe hummed before making grabby hands towards the maid. “Uppie!”
“I…what?”
Lebanne stared at the regressed socialite with a confused frown gracing her features which left little Jacinthe frustrated. She was used to getting what she wanted, little or not and right now she wanted uppie.
“Uppie! Mmmama ‘lbanne, uppie!” Jacinthe repeated, lifting her arms towards the taller woman. “Uppie!”
“Oh, you want me to carry you?” Lebanne asked after a few grueling seconds of the maid just staring at her charge like a Magikarp. Jacinthe in turn nodded eagerly, happy that her caretaker finally understood.
“Uppie!” she repeated and her maid couldn't help but chuckle at how adorable her little lady was.
“Alright kiddo, hold on tight because here comes the Noivern express!”
Jacinthe giggled loudly as Lebanne lifted her up in a loose approximation of a bridal carry before relaxing into her chest with a content sigh. Her dainty hands found their way to the hem of the former punk’s cardigan and she delicately rubbed the fine wool between her fingers.
“Mmmm… Mama ‘lbanne…” she mumbled, her exhaustion quickly catching up with her. Another yawn left her lips, this one soft and quiet against her maid’s chest. Lebanne couldn't help but sigh fondly as she looked down at the half asleep socialite in her arms.
“Almost back to bed my little lady.” she hummed, thankful that she'd left the doors open. Accidental foresight was the best kind according to the dragon tamer. Jacinthe would've normally disagreed but she was in no shape to do so, barely awake and enchanted by one of the buttons sewn into Lebanne's cardigan.
The trip back to Jacinthe's bed was a short one and Lebanne couldn't help but chuckle when her little one tried to protest as she was put to bed. Tried being the keyword, the little lady, much too tired to offer much more than a pout and a few slurred, unintelligible words that her maid couldn't hope to decipher.
“Sleep well, my little lady.” Lebanne hummed as she covered her lady with the duvet before stroking her cheek with a gentle touch uncharacteristic of the former street fighter.
“Mmmm… mama?” Jacinthe slurred, struggling to keep her eyes open. “Mama… ‘lbanne…”
“I'm here. I'll be here, I promise.” Lebanne whispered, as if afraid that speaking any louder would rouse her charge. “I'm here, my little one. Sleep tight.”
“Mama…” Jacinthe mumbled before one last, quiet yawn left her lips and her breathing evened out, giving way to soft snores.
Lebanne just stood there, watching her lady for any sign of the nightmare returning but the clock ticked away with no movement or sound from Jacinthe aside from her soft snoring and the occasional mumble.
She slowly stretched, feeling her back pop ever so slightly as she did. She didn't want to go back to her room, she didn't want to leave her lady in case the nightmares did return but she knew that she couldn't stay up all night. She had chores to do tomorrow and even if she didn't, she could feel her eyes burn ever so slightly from the lack of sleep.
Her eyes fell on a plush armchair off to the side, it's Miltank leather calling to the tired maid like a Primarina perched upon the rocks. She sat or more appropriately sank down onto the comfortable furniture with a satisfied sigh.
She had a direct line of sight to her little one from her seat. Not that it mattered much, as she joined her lady in the land of sleep within a few minutes.
_____
A sense of peace seemed to follow Jacinthe from the land of dreams as she slowly woke up. It felt as if, for one fleeting moment, all was right with the world.
Her eyes fluttered open and she smacked her lips as she slowly sat up. It was weird, she'd normally stretch much like a Purrloin after a full night's sleep yet her body felt as relaxed as the aforementioned Pokémon in front of a sunlit window.
She rolled her shoulders out of habit before the sound of snoring disturbing her otherwise unusually peaceful morning and she turned to find Lebanne collapsed in one of her armchairs, the dragon trainer snoring loudly with a tired yet fond smile on her lips.
“Lebanne? What-” Jacinthe began before memories of the previous night flooded her mind's eye, hazy, fuzzy yet unmistakably her own.
Mmmm…Mama ‘lbanne…
Abble juithe?
Uppie!
Jacinthe felt her cheeks burn as her memories came back unbidden, a pit of worry grew in her stomach to go along with the embarrassment that her memories brought with her. How could she ever look Lebanne in the eye after this?
He's not here. It's just the two of us. I promise.
Fingers through her hair, safety, comfort.
Here comes the Noivern express!
Sleep well, my little lady.
Jacinthe's cheeks still burned, if anything they felt even hotter than before but the worry that had festered in her gut had been replaced with a sense of gratitude and safety that she struggled to put into words.
I'm here. I'll be here, I promise.
“You kept your promise…” Jacinthe hummed quietly as she slowly got out of bed, her eyes never leaving her favourite maid as she did.
A fond smile mirroring Lebanne's graced her features as she tip-toed towards the kitchen. She needed to show her appreciation somehow and while breakfast couldn't hope to even come close to expressing the gratitude she felt towards the still snoring maid, it was at least a start. A first step.
Jacinthe just hoped that Lebanne liked baguettes with salami and cheese as much as she did.