Botan's life as a princess seemed to be along list of never ending duties. In fact a part from the break her only official duty (ferrying souls) gave her, everything she did and said was monitored carefully not only by her father King Enma, but also all the courtiers and "employees" of spirit world.

"Well I won't let it get me down!" She strode confidently in to Koenma's Office. "Hello Big Brother!" she splayed in to the chair across from him in away that would have made the least Snobbish Courtier gasp in shock. The chair had been placed there by Koenma. the one he kept just for her use alone.

It had been a surprise to everyone in spirit world that, after only 50 years of Koenma being alive another child was born To King Enma. When it was known the child was a girl, all over the spirit world you could almost see the tension disappearing. After all, A GIRL would have only one claim to the throne, and that was through the inevitable marriage between the princess and the prince. It was of prophesized that a marriage in the house of royals between to siblings occurred peace would reign over the human world for a thousand years.

"Botan, How can I help you?" Koenma hadn't looked up from his paperwork the entire time Botan had sat in front of him. "George, I need those papers! Well, what is it?" He looked up at her.

"Just wanted to see how my big brother was doing!" she said smiling at him. Even though she knew they were going to be married someday, she had a rather hard time seeing him as anything but her brother.

"George!" Koenma sighed and began to finger circles quite harshly in to his temples. "I am busy, Tired, and Overworked." He looked like he was about to collapse head first on to his desk. Botan pitied him. Her royal duties only went as far as piloting the souls of human world to spirit world. She could hardly comprehend her brothers long list of duties.

"Do you want a massage? You look like you could really use one!" She stood up and went behind not even caring that he hadn't bothered to respond. Sometimes he was just so cranky!

She slowly and gently kneaded his shoulders, and was happy to receive a sigh in return for her efforts. After only a few minutes of her ministrations, Koenma placed a hand on hers. He swivelled around in his chair, grabbing both her hands between his. "Botan, are you ready to get married yet?" He looked at her probingly. He had always seemed to her to actually want the marriage.

"I-!" Botan was given no time to answer.

"Lord Koenma I found the papers! Did I interrupt something?" Never in all her life had Botan been so happy to see the blue ogre in all her life! Thank goodness for small miracles!

"Bingo! George you've won the prize!" She ran out of the office quickly, even though she could hear Koenma calling her to come back. No way was she going in that office again!

Botan didn't slow down until she reached her chamber door. She entered quickly barely noticing the way the furniture glinted as if it were new, or the layers upon layers of frilly pink material that seemed to drape across every imaginable surface. Pink paint clung nicely to the walls she had painted herself, another thing deemed highly inappropriate for the spirit world's princess.

She flopped down on her white duvet bed an sighed deeply. She knew eventually that she would have to marry him, Koenma. But it didn't have to be today or tomorrow right? There was no reason that it couldn't just wait a while longer. Ever since she was little it had been forced down her throat that Koenma and her were to marry.

She could still hear the voices of the noble class females of Spirit world in her mind. "That girl is meant for him" and him alone. Perhaps the last part was not said aloud, but it was clear that that was the case.

"I can't spend any more time thinking about this!" She got to her feet resolutely and walked quickly to her door. She thought briefly of doing some paperwork or reading one of Spirit Worlds case books (something romantic preferably) but turned both down quickly.

She walked aimlessly down the halls before running into a junior ferry girl. "Botan! Oh thank goodness! I need your help are you busy?" The girl was near tears and Botan quickly nodded her head. "Oh. Thank you! Would you mind ferrying a soul for me? I totally forgot a soul, but I need to do Lord Koenma's filing and-."

"It's no problem! I'm not too busy anyway!" after waving off the other ferry girls thank you's she sped towards human world faster than she had ever thought possible. She always enjoyed picking up souls. She nearly raced out of the castle barely looking at those in the crowded castle hallways. A significant offence, but honestly, she could care less! She sped down the entrance way on her oar and lifted into the air towards human world.

Human world and more so Demon world were places Botan felt truly happy in. Human world was so beautiful with it's trees and flowers and demon world was so free and untamed with Plants and an odd (if not often scary) population of characters. It felt that she was truly free when she was in either world, so different then the feeling she got in Spirit world. She inhaled deeply then checked her guide book to find where the soul she was to pick up was located. Finding the souls coordinates she flew.

She spotted an older man floating a little above a park and went straight to him. "hello sir! I'm Botan pilot of the river Styx! I've come to take you to spirit world!"

The old man smiled at her, showing her he understood, and was not senile. She had a hard time with those ones. Kimono stays DOWN, thank you very much! "do you mind terribly young lady if we go somewhere before you take me away" he smiled at her. "By the way, I'm sure you already know, but my name is Uchiha."

"I think we can manage a small detour! Hop on And tell me where you need to go." Botan was all to happy to stay for a while longer.

"Fujiyawa Cemetery please."

"Hold on tight then!" She sped in to the distance. She had been to the cemetery many times before when gathering souls. They disembarked when they arrived and Uchiha made his way over to a white grave covered in flowers. "This is my wife's , her name was Aoi."

Botan stood beside him looking at the pristine white stone. The flowers that were placed on top were lilies. "I remember when I first met her. She was the new secretary at work and she was very beautiful. She had long black silky hair, and a smile that was infectious, not that I let her know that in the early days" He and Botan shared a smile, and she tried to picture him and the woman when they first met.

"She was always so happy, and carefree, and not the greatest at her job" he stopped to chuckle, most likely on a memory. "She was always such a klutz! Seeing her, the way she was, I felt that just by being with her I was happy too. We were married for 35 years before she died. Do you think I'll see her in heaven?"

Botan looked at him "I think you will."

The climbed on the oar together. And she started to fly towards Spirit world. "Have you ever been in love young lady?" her passenger asked.

"No I haven't." could feel a tear streak down her face before she angrily wiped it away. " and I never will" She thought she had only thought the last part, but when she heard herself say it out loud everything just poured out of her, like she was a faucet that wouldn't turn off.

"I'm destined to marry my brother simply because I was born. I will never no what it is like to fall in love, or to love someone. I'll never get to experience the happiness you talked about, because I have no choice." Neither said anything for the rest of the journey.

When they arrived back she took him to koenma's office. Just before he entered she wished him good luck and began to walk away. "My dear" His voice stopped her in her tracks "I think with a heart like yours you will find love. Somehow, Someway it will all work out." She turned around as quick as she could. He had already gone through the door. She stayed and stared at the door for a while hoping the man was right.

"My lady Your father requests your presence immediately." She looked up at the ogre in front of her. She nodded briefly and followed after him. It wasn't often she got to see her father for he was always so busy. She saw him maybe once or twice a year at festivals. For him to call her like this out of the blue, well, it never happened ever.

She walked behind the ogre quickly trying to keep up with his longer strides and got their quite quickly for how far away his area of the castle was from the rest of it. The Ogre bowed to her as he threw pen the doors and announced her. "Princess Botan is here fore you sire."

Botan walked slowly and hopefully regally in to the room. She knelt and bowed before him before sitting up, keeping her legs underneath her. She would wait to be spoken too before saying anything at all as was the custom. It felt like hours before he talked to her at all.

"Botan, how have you been?" It was strange to hear him ask such an unimportant question, something he had never asked her before. He didn't wait for an answer. "I see you have not yet accepted your marriage." Of course he would know, he knew everything that happened in spirit world, especially if it was something he was keen to see happen.

This time Botan did have to answer. "I have not yet accepted no." She tried to carefully choose her next words, but she had no opportunity to say them.

"Your refusal to cooperate may be good for us." Botan's head shot up so fast she heard her bones crack. "Don't mistake me. You WILL marry Koenma, the prophesy demands it, but in the mean time I need you to do something of a rather delicate nature."

"Anything my lord." Botan although wary of whatever it was he wanted her to do, hoped that perhaps it would get her away from the whole prophesy/marriage situation that had engulfed her life since she had taken her first breath.

"I'm pleased with your enthusiasm, Botan. You are to got to Demon World for one year as the ambassador of peace for spirit world. Demon world has long been our enemy, though loyal enough."

"Yes Sir." Botan had never been more happy in her entire life a full year away!

"I will pack my bags tonight."

"One stipulation Botan, as soon as you come back you are to marry Koenma."