Dear Readers,

(twirls) I like cookies! …. Yeah… that was random. Anyways, here's your chapter!

Love,

Wolf Princess Aya

Lasting Memories

Botan smiled a small smile and held back a giggle as she headed towards the stairs. She was about to head down when she felt someone grab the back of her dress and yank her into a room. She was about to scream in surprise when a hand clamped over her mouth.

"Shut up, you stupid girl!" hissed Sayo. Botan clamped her mouth shut and tried not to shiver. Sayo pushed her, and Botan landed hard on the floor.

"Listen, you brat," Sayo glared, keeping her voice low; "I heard what was going on in that bathroom. I only told you to help wash him, not chatter like the fool you are! I want you to stay OUT of the prince and his vizier's way. They will marry my daughters, and you will lead a life of pure hell, just as you deserve!"

"I didn't go into that bathroom for the sheer joy of it!" Botan objected. "And I wasn't doing ANYTHING with Yusuke either-" Botan cried out quietly as she felt a hard fist on her ear.

"Silence! I will NOT tolerate a sharp tongue from you, you ingrate! You are worth nothing! You're useless. I know your little dreams, wretch! And they will never come true! The prince hates you. He finds you disgusting. He told me so himself after you left Hari's room. Yes, I know about that too. You will never find happiness, Botan." Sayo smirked smugly at Botan. "Never. And I hope you remember that with this little lesson!"

Sayo boxed Botan's ears until they rung loudly- one of them bleeding slightly- and smacked her across each cheek.

"Go straight to bed," Sayo glared at Botan as the young girl got off the floor and hurried out the room. "You have much to do in the morning." Botan nodded, gulping down her tears, as she raced down the stairs.

But as she ran down, she found she didn't want to stop running. She ran through the kitchen, through the hall, and out into the yard.

Only there, in the pouring rain, was she able to stop. Running to a tree and hugging it tight, she fell to her knees, sobbing.

Her ears hurt. Her face hurt. But most of all. . .

Her heart hurt.

She sobbed her heart out as torrents of water poured down her back and face, the wind screaming in her ears.

But it was nothing compared to the screaming of her soul.

Kurama had jumped back in surprise when that girl- Botan- raced past him without noticing him from his spot at the table. She looked as if she were crying.

He stood up quickly, about to follow her, when something stopped him. Instead of racing out after her, he stood in the middle of the doorway, watching her.

She clung to a tree, her shoulders heaving as she sobbed.

It broke his heart.

But he didn't know what to do or how he would do it. So he just watched her cry in the ever pouring rain, hurting along with the poor girl.

The morning dawned gray and cold. Botan awoke in her corner slowly. She was still very sore, and still very tired, but she knew she had to get up.

As she stood she realized she was still wet. Sighing, she went to the broom closet and took out her only other dress, a plain, dark green one. Taking a quick look around her to see that no one else was there, Botan stripped out of her wet dress and into the dry one.

'But how did I get back inside?' she thought, looking out the gray window as she tied her apron on and put her hair in a high pony tail to keep it out of the way.

Her hair got caught on the back if she wore it down with this dress.

'How?'

With a sigh and a forced smile, she began to prepare breakfast.

"My lord," Sayo asked in a syrupy sweet voice, "why ever you were pajama's wet this morning?" Botan, who had been serving the eggs and bacon, glanced at the prince quickly, and then looked away, though her eyes were still wide.

"Why is that?" Hari asked, surprised, one eyebrow raised as she looked at her to-be-husband. Kurama smiled warmly at Hari.

"I thought I heard something outside, and wished to keep you safe." He winked at Hari, who blushed happily pink, and the two of them kissed. Botan looked away, half disgusted, half hurting. 'What did I expect? For him to say he carried me in?' She looked down at the floor as she carried the serving tray to the sink. 'He hates me. I disgust him.'

She wiped her eyes hurriedly on her sleeve, looking out the window at the gray sky. Placing the tray in the sink, she walked out into the small, bare garden that she was used to keeping in bloom during the warm spring time. She sat on the small bench and looked up at the sky sadly. 'Oh my prince. . .' she thought, as a tear trickled down her face.

As thunder rumbled in the distance, she sang quietly.

"As long as the thunder rolls in before the rain.

My heart will be feeling everlasting pain!

For the reminders to you will forever be

constantly following me…

As the thunder is followed by rain. . .

As thunder is followed by rain."

After claiming he needed to use the "bathroom", Kurama stood at the doorway to the garden, listening to the sweet sound of the girl's singing.

He only wished the song could have been as sweet as the voice.

He desperately wanted to know why she was crying. She seemed a nice girl, and he wanted her to be happy.

He sighed quietly as he turned and walked back to the dining room, after giving up his internal battle to talk to her. There was something about her that made him want to know more, but she had an aura, a bubble, of one that wished to be left alone.

"Did you find everything okay?" Maya smiled at the prince.

"Hm? Oh, yes." Kurama smiled kindly at her and poked at his breakfast, his mind still on the maid Botan.

'I found someone I need to keep an eye on. . .'

There was just something about that girl that couldn't be ignored.

(Twirls) So cute! How did you like it?

Aya-chan