Dear Readers,
(Drinks water) Must keep… writing… for fans…
Love,
Wolf Princess Aya
Lasting Memories
One week of living in the castle, running errands, helping in the kitchens, and being pushed around by Hari had gone by. However, Botan smiled as she opened her eyes to another bright spring morning, it had also been a week of spending time with Kurama.
Instinctively, she reached over to her bedside table, where she knew a note would be waiting, just as one had been waiting for her every other morning. She smiled to herself as she leaned against the pillows and opened the parchment.
Morning, sleepy!
Please meet me at the same time and place as yesterday… out special spot…
-Kurama
Botan laughed as she set the note under her bed- in the basket Keiko had given her-with the rest of the notes from the prince. She was pleased to see that with the more notes she received, the friendlier he became with her. More personal…
Though this meant he swore more often, at least he felt he could be himself around her. And that was worth being 'lovingly' called a ferry girl in her book any day.
Smiling widely to herself, she headed downstairs, secretly looking forward to this morning's round of 'One Question'.
However, first she had to get through breakfast. And it was an exhilarating event.
"Morning, Botan!" Riku beamed at her as she entered the kitchen, "You sleep well?"
"'Course she did!" Koenma chuckled as he cleaned up his seat and headed towards his morning chores. "She kept me up all night with her snores!" Botan blushed red, secretly thinking about Kurama's note, as the two boys laughed.
"I'll see you later," Koenma grinned at her as he left.
"See you," she smiled back as she sat at the small kitchen table and was served her morning piece of homemade toast with butter and sugar. She had noticed Riku never gave anyone else sugar, but decided not to mention anything.
"Anything wrong?" Riku asked, leaning on his hands as he watched her eat, "You seem quiet."
". . . Do I really snore?" Botan asked; her cheeks slightly pink. The cook laughed.
"The only time I've ever heard you snore was last night."
"Oh . . . good," Botan giggled, taking a bite of her toast. "I was worried that I always kept you awake."
"Nah," Riku smiled. "I sleep across the hall from you, and you rarely make a peep." The maid grinned warmly at him and he blushed slightly pink before Botan stood and began washing her hands.
"Done already?" The cook raised an eyebrow, picking up her half full plate and looking at her curiously.
"Yeah," she replied, "got a lot of chores to get done before breakfast is over."
"Where do you disappear to after breakfast?" he asked, putting her dish in the sink.
"Err- just around," Botan grinned before she disappeared into the dinning hall with the pitcher of juice she always served from. 'Just around.' She smiled a small hidden smile at Kurama, who grinned back, looking relieved.
"Please help me escape!" he hissed to her as she poured him his grape juice, "They're trying to get me to-"
"Kurama, sweetie?" Hari said suddenly, turning in her chair to look at Kurama, who quickly put on a smile. Botan tried to look like she was only pouring juice, but she was listening intently as well.
"Don't you have an opinion on the sort of dresses we should use for the wedding?" 'Gods . . . the wedding. . .' Botan thought, remembering for the first time in a few days. Her stomach twisted in knots, her hands clenched. . .
And Kurama's glass began to overflow with grape juice.
"Gah!" Kurama cried, jumping up, and causing everyone to look at him. "Err- sorry," he muttered, looking down to the floor, a grape juice stain appearing quickly on the outer layer of his red and gold clothes.
"Botan!" Hari hissed at the maid, who was backing away slowly. "Pay attention you-!"
"I'm sorry. . ." Botan whispered, clutching the now empty pitcher to her chest.
"It's fine," Kurama told her, touching her arm gently, surprising everyone. Botan nodded, biting her lip and fearful of what Hari was going to do to her. Kurama turned to face the stunned Hari.
"I'll just go change. I'll return shortly." He walked briskly out of the now deadly silent dining hall. As he turned to close the door, he motioned for Botan to follow.
With the death glares Hari was sending at her piercing her back, Botan was glad to do so.
"That was . . . interesting," Botan said dryly, as she and Kurama walked outside together, the prince taking off his first layer if shirt. Botan tried her best not to blush as she noticed his visible six pack through his undershirt.
"Yeah, putting it mildly," he replied, trying to wring out the juice.
"Sorry about your shirt. . ." Botan whispered softly as she sat on a branch of the tree, letting her legs dangle. Kurama sat at the base and sighed, smiling up at her as he continued to wring the cloth.
"It's all right. I hated this shirt anyway. I was only wearing it 'cause Hari liked it."
"Speaking of Hari," Botan said slowly, "what was it she was trying to talk to you about . . .?"
"The wedding," Kurama sighed deeply. "She's always talking about it, always planning for it, always trying to get my opinion- and she wants to get married as soon as possible. It's like she scared of something happening, she's planning so furiously."
Botan's eyes widened. 'What would Hari be afraid of happening? She won. . .' Kurama sighed again, looking up at Botan.
"Do I sound too weird?" Botan said nothing, leaning her head on her hands.
"Let's play One Question."
"Of course?" Kurama replied, confused at how this had to do with the topic at hand.
"What was so special about the girl at the ball?"
"Hari? I don't know. . ." He picked a piece of grass and chewed on the end, threw his shirt over another tree branch to dry, and sat next to Botan. "She just was. There was something about her . . . she was beautiful and gentle and kind. She had a great sense of humor, and I felt like I could act like myself around her. . ." 'Sort of like how I can be myself around Botan.'
A soft wind played through the trees and sent flower petals flying, a smile forming on the prince's lips.
". . . Does Hari still act like that . . .?" Botan asked. The prince looked over at Botan, who glanced back at him out of the corner of her eye. "Well?"
". . . You're only allowed one question," Kurama replied. But in reality he couldn't answer that.
He didn't really know what to think.
"My turn," he said after a few moments, trying to change the subject.
"Fine," Botan smiled at him. "But make it quick. I have another question."
"Sure. What-" Suddenly, his thoughts jumped back to the girl at the ball. "Glass, crystal, or granite?"
"Huh?" Botan asked, confused about Kurama's outburst.
"Would you . . . would you prefer to be treated like glass, crystal, or granite?" Kurama asked slowly, looking into her eyes. She stared firmly back.
'So he remembers. . .' "Crystal," she whispered, their eyes locked. "Glass is too delicate for my tastes, and I'm so used to being treated like granite."
'Just like that girl. . .' the prince thought, his eyes and hers still staring deep into the other's orbs. 'I mean- just like Hari. . . . Right?'
"Now it's my turn," Botan said suddenly, quickly breaking the eye contact as if she was embarrassed. Then she smiled to herself.
"Do I really snore that often?"
"Not really," Kurama chuckled, the tense mood suddenly clearing, "I just like driving you crazy!" He began tickling Botan, who pushed him out of the tree in response.
"That hurt!" Kurama grunted from the ground. Botan laughed and hopped out of the tree, landing on top of Kurama, who lay sprawled on the ground.
"And you do it so well."
"Ditzy," he grumbled. She smirked back.
"I know. I am, aren't I?" With that, she smiled waved, and ran back into the castle, presumably to do her chores.
The prince sat up, crossing his legs Indian style, and watched her run off, his mind floating back to the last half hour as he grabbed his now dry shirt.
Later that night, around 11, Kurama walked quietly into Botan's room as she slept; ready to leave another note- just like he had done for the past week.
This night, however, he sat next to her on the bed, watching her sleep before leaving. As her chest moved up and down rhythmically, he couldn't help but run a finger gently through her hair, which was fanned out along the pillow.
It was so soft. He thought briefly back to the time he had watched her sleep at Sayo's house, the flowers framing her body.
'You look like Hari,' he thought, frowning gently as he placed the note on the table, 'but at the same time, nothing like her. . .' He got up with a quiet sigh, still watching her sleep.
"Sweet dreams, Botan." he whispered, running a finger gently across her cheek before walking quietly out of the room and towards his own.
"Hari?" the prince asked a few moments later as he crawled into bed, looking over at the girl next to him, who, to his great annoyance, had not gotten rid of that blasted pink nightgown.
"Yes?" she smiled back, her head cocked slightly to the side as she looked up at him from the note book she was keeping about wedding plans.
"Would you rather be treated like glass, crystal, or granite?"
"That's a stupid question."
"Just answer it," Kurama replied, not at all surprised- though slightly hurt- by her response. She closed the notebook and looked thoughtfully around the room.
"Glass," she replied after a moments thought, looking back at Kurama. "Granite is ugly, and crystal can be boring. However, glass is always bright and delicate." She grinned. "I like being treated delicately, for I am a delicate person."
Kurama stared blankly at her as she said this.
'I don't want to be treated like glass.'
'Why not?'
'Because I'm not like that. I guess it's just what I'm used to.'
'Not treated like glass at home?'
'More like granite.'
"Is there a problem?" Hari asked, her delicate brow furrowed into a delicate look of concern and confusion. Snapping out of it, the prince nodded and said good night.
'I don't want to be treated like glass.'
Those were the girl at the ball's exact words.
Yet Hari. . . How could Hari and the glass-slipper girl have different opinions, if they're the same person?
They are, aren't they?
Hari- glass.
Girl at the ball- crystal.
Like Botan. . .
'Crystal," she whispered, their eyes locked. 'Glass is too delicate for my tastes and I'm so used to being treated like granite.'
Glass . . . crystal . . . granite. . .
Whoever could have guessed such simple materials could give Kurama so much to think about as he lay in his bed. . .
Having his first doubts about Hari.
I just love crystal… Glass is way to delicate for my taste and granite, no body wants to be treated that way… Crystal it is…
Aya-chan