Botan sat, content and happy with the prince's head in her lap, for at
least an hour.
Allowing her hands to run through Kurama's silky silver hair, the girl wondered how she could have ever lived her life without him.
Finally, she knew she had to leave.
Hari would be returning to her room soon, and finding Botan there- especially with the prince- would not be a good thing.
Sighing quietly, Botan gently lifted Kurama's head out of her lap and laid it back down again on a pillow.
Smiling softly at him, she kissed her hand and then pressed it gently on the boy's forehead.
"Sweet dreams, Kurama. . ."
*
Botan hummed quietly to herself as she walked through the dark, deserted halls.
Or, as she would find momentarily, dark and mostly deserted halls.
As she rounded a corner, she ran straight into Sayo.
"Oww. . ." Botan moaned as she rubbed her sore posterior.
Then- looking up to see who it was- she gasped.
She was dead meat.
"You stupid girl . . ." Sayo hissed as she grabbed Botan's hair and yanked her to her feet.
The maid let out a soft whimper of pain.
"Shut up!"
Botan did so.
"You idiot. . ." Sayo sneered as she threw Botan into the wall. "You'd better consider yourself lucky! If you ran into one of my daughters, you could be executed!"
Botan's eyes watered up in pain as she held her now bruised cheek. "Yes, step mother. . . I'll be more careful. . ."
"See that you do. . ."
The old woman glared at Botan before turning around briskly and stomping away.
Wiping her eyes from the pain, Mitsukai watched her step mother leave. 'What was she doing out, anyway. . .?'
The maid looked out the window that Sayo had been near to.
Outside, in the dark, peasants were setting up for the arrival of Kurama's cousins, Prince Yakumo, Prince Hiei, and Princess Yukina. (no they're not related except for Hiei and Yukina)
"Oh I forget about the celebration!" Botan cried.
Hari wanted Botan as her personal servant for the arrival.
"Probably for show off" Botan muttered.
*
Pulling on her night gown, Botan crawled into bed, her eyes still watering.
'Gods, that hurt. . .' she though, looking into her small bathing bucket at her reflection.
In the shallow pool of water, she saw that a large purple mark was forming.
'Great. Juuust great,' Mitsukai groaned to herself as she went back over and flopped on her bed. 'More bruises.'
A knocking on her door startled her out of her dark thoughts.
"Coming. . ." she said, getting up and opening the door to see-
"Riku?" the maid asked curiously. "What are you doing here?"
The cook frowned and let himself in. "I- what happened to you?"
He reached out to touch her bruise gently, but Botan covered it with her hand. "Heh. Heh. Er- accidentally bumped into the wall."
The boy's frown deepened. "Botan, don't lie. I know what happened."
Botan's eyes widened. 'He saw Sayo- - -?'
"Kurama's been beating you up, right? He's been abusing you, hasn't he?"
*I can see that you've been crying
You can't hide it with the light
What's the use in you denying?
The words you have are wrong*
"Wha- What?" Botan almost laughed. "No! Kurama never would beat me up! He cares about me!"
"I heard him tell you that crap, Botan. That no one would keep you apart or whatever? But you and I both know he's lying. I told you about Maya! He's a liar! He'd lie about anything, even to you! Can't you see. . .?"
*I heard him promise you forever
But forever's come and gone!
Baby, he would say whatever!
It takes
To keep
You alive
To the truth
Between
The lies!*
"See what?" Botan asked, crossing her arms.
She was getting a little ticked off now. She had just made up with Kurama, and now Riku was trying to tear them apart again?!
No.
"Botan, see that. . . that. . ." The cook struggled for the right word. "That I. . ."
*Oh- I would love you more then that!
I won't say the words-
Then take them back!
Don't give loneliness a chance!
Baby, listen to me when I say-
I will love you more then that!*
"That I- - I love you, Botan! And I don't want you to be hurt by him!"
*Baby, you deserve much better
What's the use in goin' and on?
Don't you see it's now or never?
'Cause I
Just can't
Be friends
Baby,
Knowing
In
The end!*
Botan stared at him in shock.
'He loves me? I knew he always liked me, but. . .' "Riku. . ."
"All my life," Riku whispered, shaking in anger and embarrassment, "Kurama has stolen all the people I care about from me. Well, he's not going to do that to you! I love you, Botan! More then that bastard ever will!"
He looked up at her, determination in his eyes. "Can't you see that?!"
*That I would love you more then that!
I won't say the words-
Then take them back! (Can't take them back!)
Don't give loneliness a chance!
Baby, listen to me when I say- *
"So please, Botan? Be with me. . ."
Botan was at a total loss of words.
Her mind thought briefly back to her basket of letters- the rose stem- and the Shikon Jewel under her bed.
Then she looked into Riku's eyes.
What could she do?
The cook stared at her with a mixture of love, determination, and fear.
"Please? I can't. . . can't go on with out you. . ." he said softly, taking her hand gently.
*Hey!
There's not a day that passes by
I don't wonder why we haven't tried
It's not to late to change your mind
So take my hand-
Don't say good bye!*
The girl bit her lip.
She couldn't hurt him!
But- - -
She didn't love him either.
Not like that.
"Riku, I- - -"
The boy looked hopefully at her.
*I would love you more then that. . .
I won't say the words. . .
Then take them back!*
"Yes. . .?" he whispered.
Botan stared gently at him, biting her lip.
'Please, Botan, I'm begging you. . . be with me. . .' the cook thought desperately.
*Oh- I would love you more then that!
I won't say the words-
Then take them back! (No, no!)
Don't give loneliness a chance!
Baby, listen to me when I say-
I will love you more then that!*
"I- I- I. . . I just. . . It's- well. . ."
Botan struggled to say an understandable sentence.
"I just. . . Well, I love you, Riku, but as a friend. . ."
*Oh- I would love you more then that! (Oh, baby!)
I won't say the words-
Then take them back!
Don't give loneliness a chance!
Baby, listen to me when I say-
I will love you more then that!*
"And only. . . only as a friend."
Botan's heart almost broke for the poor cook as she watched his face fall.
"Oh. . ."
He gently let go of her hand and started sadly towards the door.
"Hey. . ." Mitsukai called out softly as he reached the knob, "will you come back tomorrow? I love talking to you. . ."
Riku turned and looked at her slowly.
There was a moment of silence as they stared into each other's eyes.
And then he smiled a small smile.
"Sure."
Then he silently left the room.
As he left, Botan got on her knees, pulled out the Shikon no Tama, and placed it around her neck.
In the glow from the moon outside, it sparkled.
Smiling sadly, she got into bed, cupping the gem in her hands.
'I hope you can forgive me, Riku,' the maid thought as she kissed the Jewel and blew out the candle, 'but I love another.'
Closing her eyes, Mitsukai let her mind wander to the prince's warm head in her lap, and his silky hair in her fingers.
Smiling, she rolled over and hugged the Shikon close to her. 'I love the prince.'
Allowing her hands to run through Kurama's silky silver hair, the girl wondered how she could have ever lived her life without him.
Finally, she knew she had to leave.
Hari would be returning to her room soon, and finding Botan there- especially with the prince- would not be a good thing.
Sighing quietly, Botan gently lifted Kurama's head out of her lap and laid it back down again on a pillow.
Smiling softly at him, she kissed her hand and then pressed it gently on the boy's forehead.
"Sweet dreams, Kurama. . ."
*
Botan hummed quietly to herself as she walked through the dark, deserted halls.
Or, as she would find momentarily, dark and mostly deserted halls.
As she rounded a corner, she ran straight into Sayo.
"Oww. . ." Botan moaned as she rubbed her sore posterior.
Then- looking up to see who it was- she gasped.
She was dead meat.
"You stupid girl . . ." Sayo hissed as she grabbed Botan's hair and yanked her to her feet.
The maid let out a soft whimper of pain.
"Shut up!"
Botan did so.
"You idiot. . ." Sayo sneered as she threw Botan into the wall. "You'd better consider yourself lucky! If you ran into one of my daughters, you could be executed!"
Botan's eyes watered up in pain as she held her now bruised cheek. "Yes, step mother. . . I'll be more careful. . ."
"See that you do. . ."
The old woman glared at Botan before turning around briskly and stomping away.
Wiping her eyes from the pain, Mitsukai watched her step mother leave. 'What was she doing out, anyway. . .?'
The maid looked out the window that Sayo had been near to.
Outside, in the dark, peasants were setting up for the arrival of Kurama's cousins, Prince Yakumo, Prince Hiei, and Princess Yukina. (no they're not related except for Hiei and Yukina)
"Oh I forget about the celebration!" Botan cried.
Hari wanted Botan as her personal servant for the arrival.
"Probably for show off" Botan muttered.
*
Pulling on her night gown, Botan crawled into bed, her eyes still watering.
'Gods, that hurt. . .' she though, looking into her small bathing bucket at her reflection.
In the shallow pool of water, she saw that a large purple mark was forming.
'Great. Juuust great,' Mitsukai groaned to herself as she went back over and flopped on her bed. 'More bruises.'
A knocking on her door startled her out of her dark thoughts.
"Coming. . ." she said, getting up and opening the door to see-
"Riku?" the maid asked curiously. "What are you doing here?"
The cook frowned and let himself in. "I- what happened to you?"
He reached out to touch her bruise gently, but Botan covered it with her hand. "Heh. Heh. Er- accidentally bumped into the wall."
The boy's frown deepened. "Botan, don't lie. I know what happened."
Botan's eyes widened. 'He saw Sayo- - -?'
"Kurama's been beating you up, right? He's been abusing you, hasn't he?"
*I can see that you've been crying
You can't hide it with the light
What's the use in you denying?
The words you have are wrong*
"Wha- What?" Botan almost laughed. "No! Kurama never would beat me up! He cares about me!"
"I heard him tell you that crap, Botan. That no one would keep you apart or whatever? But you and I both know he's lying. I told you about Maya! He's a liar! He'd lie about anything, even to you! Can't you see. . .?"
*I heard him promise you forever
But forever's come and gone!
Baby, he would say whatever!
It takes
To keep
You alive
To the truth
Between
The lies!*
"See what?" Botan asked, crossing her arms.
She was getting a little ticked off now. She had just made up with Kurama, and now Riku was trying to tear them apart again?!
No.
"Botan, see that. . . that. . ." The cook struggled for the right word. "That I. . ."
*Oh- I would love you more then that!
I won't say the words-
Then take them back!
Don't give loneliness a chance!
Baby, listen to me when I say-
I will love you more then that!*
"That I- - I love you, Botan! And I don't want you to be hurt by him!"
*Baby, you deserve much better
What's the use in goin' and on?
Don't you see it's now or never?
'Cause I
Just can't
Be friends
Baby,
Knowing
In
The end!*
Botan stared at him in shock.
'He loves me? I knew he always liked me, but. . .' "Riku. . ."
"All my life," Riku whispered, shaking in anger and embarrassment, "Kurama has stolen all the people I care about from me. Well, he's not going to do that to you! I love you, Botan! More then that bastard ever will!"
He looked up at her, determination in his eyes. "Can't you see that?!"
*That I would love you more then that!
I won't say the words-
Then take them back! (Can't take them back!)
Don't give loneliness a chance!
Baby, listen to me when I say- *
"So please, Botan? Be with me. . ."
Botan was at a total loss of words.
Her mind thought briefly back to her basket of letters- the rose stem- and the Shikon Jewel under her bed.
Then she looked into Riku's eyes.
What could she do?
The cook stared at her with a mixture of love, determination, and fear.
"Please? I can't. . . can't go on with out you. . ." he said softly, taking her hand gently.
*Hey!
There's not a day that passes by
I don't wonder why we haven't tried
It's not to late to change your mind
So take my hand-
Don't say good bye!*
The girl bit her lip.
She couldn't hurt him!
But- - -
She didn't love him either.
Not like that.
"Riku, I- - -"
The boy looked hopefully at her.
*I would love you more then that. . .
I won't say the words. . .
Then take them back!*
"Yes. . .?" he whispered.
Botan stared gently at him, biting her lip.
'Please, Botan, I'm begging you. . . be with me. . .' the cook thought desperately.
*Oh- I would love you more then that!
I won't say the words-
Then take them back! (No, no!)
Don't give loneliness a chance!
Baby, listen to me when I say-
I will love you more then that!*
"I- I- I. . . I just. . . It's- well. . ."
Botan struggled to say an understandable sentence.
"I just. . . Well, I love you, Riku, but as a friend. . ."
*Oh- I would love you more then that! (Oh, baby!)
I won't say the words-
Then take them back!
Don't give loneliness a chance!
Baby, listen to me when I say-
I will love you more then that!*
"And only. . . only as a friend."
Botan's heart almost broke for the poor cook as she watched his face fall.
"Oh. . ."
He gently let go of her hand and started sadly towards the door.
"Hey. . ." Mitsukai called out softly as he reached the knob, "will you come back tomorrow? I love talking to you. . ."
Riku turned and looked at her slowly.
There was a moment of silence as they stared into each other's eyes.
And then he smiled a small smile.
"Sure."
Then he silently left the room.
As he left, Botan got on her knees, pulled out the Shikon no Tama, and placed it around her neck.
In the glow from the moon outside, it sparkled.
Smiling sadly, she got into bed, cupping the gem in her hands.
'I hope you can forgive me, Riku,' the maid thought as she kissed the Jewel and blew out the candle, 'but I love another.'
Closing her eyes, Mitsukai let her mind wander to the prince's warm head in her lap, and his silky hair in her fingers.
Smiling, she rolled over and hugged the Shikon close to her. 'I love the prince.'