Dear Readers,

This summer heat is killing me! And my dad tells me that it's going to be hotter in Taiwan!

How is a girl supposed to survive in this weather!

Love,

Wolf Princess Aya

Lasting Memories

The sound of chirping birds awoke Botan the next morning.

"Nnn." she groaned as she opened her eyes to the bright sun light that was pouring through her window. "Make it stop. . ." She rolled over and flopped out of bed, yawning. Then she remembered Keiko's basket, which she had placed on the small table by her bed the night before. Reaching to place it under the bed where Hari wouldn't see it, she saw it was not the soul thing on her stand.

There was also a note. Curious, she picked up the small piece of folded paper and opened it, thanking the gods that she had learnt how to read before her father died.

Dear Botan,

Please meet me in the garden after breakfast this morning. I would like to talk to you. Please refrain from running away again.

Sincerely, Prince Kurama

Botan gasped and dropped the note as if it had burnt her hands. 'I can't see him!' she thought, terrified, as she picked up the letter and put it under her bed with the basket. 'What if Hari saw me!'

The thought of last night's "lesson" still made her wince in pain. 'But. . .' she thought, biting her bottom lip, 'I can't not go either! He's the PRINCE! He could have me killed for not going! I can't ignore him!'

She wrung her hands as she put her apron on and headed down the steps, only half paying attention as Koenma smiled and waved at her, and as Riku gave her a piece of toast with extra butter, and a little sugar.

Kurama sat at the breakfast table trying to keep himself from falling asleep. His mother, father, and Hari were excitedly talking about the wedding, and as Kurama wouldn't have minded if he and Hari had just eloped, he was very, very, very board.

The only thing that kept him from drifting into slumber was the prospect of talking to the maid, Botan. He hoped that she took his invitation to meet him in the garden.

Speaking of Botan. . .

He looked up as he saw her quietly enter from the side doors. She was deliberately looking anywhere but at him.

Why?

Did he scare her?

He tried to secure eye contact with her but she kept looking away. This was getting very annoying very fast. As she came over to pour him some orange juice, he gently grabbed her arm, forcing her to look at him.

"Well?" he whispered just loud enough for her to hear as he released her arm. She didn't say anything, and looked back down at the juice jug. As she turned to pour some for Hari, who hadn't even noticed her, he grabbed her arm again.

As she turned, Kurama gave Botan a pleading look. 'I really want to talk to you,' Kurama thought, hoping that his face portrayed this fact. 'Please come. . .' The maid bit her lip and then gave Kurama a slightly defeated look that in his eyes meant: 'Fine. . .'

He perked up considerably and Botan smiled a small, sad and slightly nervous smile back at him.

"What is it you wanted to see me about?" Botan asked around 15 minutes later, as she and Kurama sat in the branched of one of the garden's trees. The maid continuously sent nervous glanced back at the castle, but Kurama ignored them.

"I want to know," he announced, looking at Botan- who finally ceased looking back towards the palace, "why you always run away when I try and talk to you."

Botan was taken aback. This wasn't the kind of question she had been expecting at all. She was assuming it would be more along the lines of 'why do you keep looking at me' or 'why do I always find you our here when you should be working.' "I- - - I- - -"

She couldn't tell him it was because of Hari. He loved her. However, she couldn't think of any other reason to lie with. Hari's threats were the only thing that kept her from running into Kurama's arms every time she saw him.

But there was another thing on her mind as he asked this.

"Why do you care . . .?" she whispered quietly a few silent moments later, looking back at the prince. "I'm just a lowly maid. Why would you want to talk to me, anyway?"

"Because," Kurama replied with out missing a beat, looking her straight in the eyes, "you seem special."

'You seem special. . .'

His words hung in the air for a moment.

". . . Me?"

Kurama smiled at her. "I want to get to know you. You seem a very nice and interesting girl. Besides, you must know Hari pretty well. It would be interesting to get your opinion on her." He winked at her and Botan forced a smile.

'I don't think you'd find my opinions on her very amusing,' she thought as she looked silently into Kurama's face.

"Tell you what," the prince smiled, seeing that just asking Botan to talk to him wasn't going to work, "we'll make getting to know each other a game. We'll call it. . . One Question. Each of us can ask the other one question about anything in the world and the other has to answer truthfully. If they don't want to answer, they lose that round, and the other gets to ask them two questions that they have to answer. But it can't be the same one. Alright?"

Botan could do nothing but nod.

"I'll start then," Kurama said, frowning in thought at what sort of question to ask, and leaning back on his arms. "Um . . . how old are you?"

"17," Botan replied, watching Kurama blankly. Did he really want to get to know her so bad that he'd invent some sort of dumb game? It was looking like it. . .

It was kind of flattering.

"I believe it's your turn!" the prince grinned.

"Err- how old are you?"

"That was the same question I asked!"

"Well, if you don't answer it, then I get to ask you two more questions, do I not?" Botan smirked. It may be a dumb game. . .

But at least she was playing it with him.

"Fine, fine. I'm 18. What's your favorite flower?"

"Roses," Botan smiled. "They're so pretty. Especially white ones. What is your favorite flavor of juice?"

"I like grape juice," Kurama said so proudly that it made Botan laugh. "Okay, it's my turn once more. What's your favorite season?"

"I like the season we're in right now," Botan said, gesturing to all the flowers and the bright blue sky. "Spring! Now, what's your favorite sound?"

Kurama opened his mouth to answer 'the sound of wind in the leaves,' but he stopped. He glanced at Botan as she sat smiling at him in the branches of his favorite tree.

He thought about her singing, and laughing, and talking with him.

He had a new favorite sound.

"My favorite sound. . ." the prince said slowly, looking away, "is the sound of-" He was about to say 'your voice,' but was interrupted by someone yelling across the yard.

"Botan! Botan!" called one of the other maids, "You're needed to help clean breakfast!"

"Oh. . ." Botan whispered, her face falling. The she turned back and looked at Kurama with a small smile. "Sorry. It looks like I have to go."

"At least you didn't run away this time. . ." he smiled gently back. She giggled, hopped out of the tree and began walking towards the door when Kurama called out: "Wait! I have one more question!"

"But you didn't answer mine, so it wouldn't count," Botan smiled as she turned to face him.

He chuckled at her wit. "I choose to ignore that comment, as I ask my question. Would you meet me here tomorrow?" Botan was shocked. Slowly, she smiled and nodded, before turning and running back across the yard and into the castle, trying her best not to burst with happiness.

Kurama sat silently in his tree, grinning to himself.

He liked being with her.

And, hopefully, they would get to talk again soon.

He already missed his new favorite sound.

Awww… My boyfriend says that too… I mean… about loving my voice and it being his favorite sound…

Aya-chan