Sesshomaru through a pebble into the water, watching it until it sunk down and out of sight. He picked up another pebble, and flung it once more, looking at it. He picked up another pebble, but this time his flung it angrily, the pebble skitting across the water. Footsteps, heavy and long stride footsteps were getting close to him, and he knew who it was. The last person he wanted to see right now was his father. Before he could turn and walk away, a stronghand landed on his shoulder.

"Son, what's wrong?" He asked he asked his son.

"I don't want to do this." Sesshomaru replied.

His father sighed. "Me neither, but it's the only way we can guaranteed a good throne for you and the West." He replied.

Sesshomaru sighed defeated, and shook his father's hand off of his shoulder. "I want to take my time, I want to have my time to find someone who is worthy for the West and for me, not some five chosen Princesses who won't even know what two plus two is." Sesshomaru said.

His father chuckled. "No one ever said being a Prince was easy. Don't worry son, there will be a girl in those five slections that you will love, trust me." And with one last clap to his son's back, he truned and walked back to his castle.

Sesshomaru sighed angrily, picked another pebble and flung it at the water once more.

"We can't go on without five!" Ryoku said angrily.

"What do you want me to do? This yearly throne we only had one from the West, one from the South, one from the North, and one from the East! No other Lord had two duaghters!" Kiki replied angrily.

Rykou sighed and and rubbed his templed annoyed and irritated. "How about we just get a common girl?" Ryoku looked at Kiki. "Are you mad woman! She won't know a single thing, let alone even writing or reading!" He replied.

"Yes, but it will complete the Academy, she will get taught with every single Princess, and who knows...maybe she will become lucky." Kiki said.

Ryoku sighed. "You are too soft for the common people. But I will agree with you. We can let her keep the materiasl and like you said, make atleast some common girl happy."

"Perfect! I know just who to get!" Kiki said, and before he can ask who, his mate had left the room happily in search of this girl.

"Amaya, will you go get some water at the river, please?" A woman asked to a girl no more than 16, who was holding a scroll in her hand.

"Sure mother!" Star said quickly and threw the closed scroll onto the table. She picked up a water jug by the side of the door entrance, and walked out to the river. As she past by huts, her friends greeted her happily. She stopped at a few huts to chat, and then continued on her way. A boy about her same age strode beside her.

"Hi Amaya, are you doing anything tonight?" He asked her.

"Hey Yuji, how many times do I have to tell you that I don't want to go out?" Amaya replied.

Yuji chuckled. "I have hope one day that you will change your mind." He said.

Amaya sighed, annoyed by him. Sure, he was the tallest and most hansomest boy in the village, but she didn't want anything like that. "Sorry, I do have things to do tonight anyways. I have to go fill this jug, see you later." She said.

"Alright Amaya, bye!" Yuji said, and ran back to play with his friends.

When Amaya was at the river filling the jub, she heard a storm of horses feet hammering on the ground. Amaya shook her head, thinking they were iether bandits again or they were samurai after a criminal or a bandit. As she walked back to the village, she was surprised to see the whole village surrounding this men on horses. Could it possibly be? Were they choosing a common girl for the Princess Academy! Amaya almost ran happily to join the village, but stopped, knowing she would have no chance anyways. She picked up her feet from the ground, and forced herself to walk back to own little hut. Once she entered, she set the jub by her mother's little fire pit. She looked around. The hut's wood was rotteing away, there was a big whole in the roof that her father hadn't got the time to go fix it. They had no food in store, as all the food they ate were either scraps or when her father got luck in the ocean fishing. She had no cothes, but this short kimono she was wearing that was tattered and came up to her knees. Her mother had tried to fix it, but it was no use so they will wait until another hut nearby threw away some of the clothes they didn't need. Her mother, her poor and scrawny mother, weak and tired from trying to live and tired of living. She smiled sadly at her, and Amaya wanted to fall on her knees and cry. It was bad enough that her brother had died from drowing while fishing, was her mother going to die of starvation and depression too? Amaya sniffed softly, and smiled back at her mother.

"WHERE ARE THE HOSHIS!" A women voice screamed outside the hut.

Amaya and her mother went cold, fearing it was a debt they would have to pay when they had money at all. Her mother quickly cleaned her hands with some water since she was gutting a fish, and walked outside with Amaya behind her.

"Yes?" Her mother spoke in a raspy voice.

The grand demoness woman on the horse turned and looked at them, smiling. She strutted her horse over to them, with her men behind her. She dismounted her horse, and walked towards her mother.

"Are you the Hoshi family?" The woman asked again, but with softness in her voice.

Her mother nodded, "Yes, we are. If you need to speak with my husband, he's not here now, but he will come later." Her mother spoke.

The demoness infront of them let out a jolly laugh. "I am not here for your husband, I am here for your daughter! Congratulations, your daughter Amaya has been chosen to attend the Princess Academy for the Western Prince!" She said.

The whole village cheered, her mother covered her mouth with her hand happily, but Amaya looked displeased. The demoness noticed, and walked to her. "Now what's wrong Amaya?" She asked her.

"I don't want to go." Amaya replied simply. Everyone gasped, and her mother took her by the arm, squeezing it tightly. Amaya winced.

"Now you listen here Amaya, you have the chance to go and attend the Academy to marry the Prince and become an Empress!" Her mother said harshly.

"And what are my chances of even getting to see the Prince when I am not rich or beautiful like those demon Princesses!? This is just a humiliation of a me to be the only pathetic human there, mother!" Amaya said angrily.

Her mother let her arm go, and had to agree with her. She had lost her son, would she lose her only daughter now? Of course not. She looked at the demoness who was looking at them intenively.

"My daughter will go is she wants too." She said.

Amaya felt her heart lurch, at hearing her mother giving her a choice. The demoness looked at Amaya, waiting for an awsner. Amaya looked at the village, her poor village. Just imagine, she thought, becoming an Empress, I can help my village as well as my family greatly, just imagine. She looked at demoness who was waiting, then at her mother, her village, and at the demoness again.

"I'll...go." Amaya said softly.

The village cheered again and the demoness smiled once more happliy. Her mother came over to her, and gave her the greatest hug she had ever gotten in her life by her. "Take care, daughter." She said softly into her ear, crying.

"I will mother, don't worry. Next time you see me, I will have jewels hanging on my neck." Amaya said.

"I hope so, oh I so hope so, Amaya." She replied and kissed her fore head.

The demoness mounted her horse, and held out a hand to Amaya. Amaya took it, and she lifted her onto the back, Amaya quickly wrapping her arms around her waist; never being on a horse. She smiled at her village as she rode out, crying softly. She caught sight of Yuji, who didn't look to happy, and instead had turned around and left, not seeing her go. Amaya cried more, thinking of how much she would miss her simple little life.

They rode for hourse and days, sleeping on the floor in camps, taking showers in cold rivers, eating little food and having little rest, and finally ariving at the Western Academy, where this year the Western Prince will come and choose his mate. Amaya let out a tired sigh, at seeing that the Academy was located on a high mountian, surrounded by many hills. The demoness did the same, and forced them all to climb over the hills to get to the Academy. Three days they rode on the hills, until they finally arrived at the mountian. Here they had to dismount and climb with the horses, as it was to steep for the horse to ride while carrying them. Amaya swore softly every single minute as she stepped on a pointy rock or a sharp rock, cutting her or hurting her feet. Everyone had shoes, but not her. A man saw what what was happening, and handed his reins to someone else and lifted Amaya onto his back. "Sorry for bothering you." Ayama said embarrast into his ear. The man froze for a second, and then nodded. "No problem at all." He replied. By the afternoon, as the sun was setting, they had finally arrived at the Academy. The man set Amaya on the ground, and he and the others left. The demoness pushed Amaya by her back, encouraging her to go up the stairs. The Academy wasn't much, as it was just a huge Palace, made for training Princesses, holding balls and parties, and finally a wonderful looking room for the Prince to come and choose his bride. As the demoness finished showing her around, she escorted her to a room where they would clean and dress Amaya properly.

"By the way Amaya, I'm Kiki." The demoness said.

"Nice to meet you, Kiki." Amaya replied.

"You know, you should feel lucky and happy to be chosen." The Kiki said, trying to cheer her up.

Amaya sighed. "Yeah, I don't feel so lucky at all, infact." She replied.

Kiki chuckled, and stopped at some doors. She slid them open, and both walked in. It was a bathroom, unlike Amaya had ever seen. It had a huge hot spring in the middle, with soaps, herbs, and fragances on little shelves that fill almost the whole room. Amaya felt clean already, smelling the sweet and smooth smells of the soaps. Four women dressed in the same orange kimono, stood infront of them, smiling.

"You will clean her up, and dress her properly for tonight, as the Prince will come and take a look at all five of them. Amaya will be first, then you may take the other four Princesses to clean them up, understood?" Kiki said.

"Yes, M'lady." They all said and bowed.

Kiki nodded sastisfied and walked out. A women grabbed Amaya from the arm, while another litteraly ripped her clothes off making her scream, and pushed Amaya into the hot spring. Another women pulled Amaya close the egde of the spring, to wet her hair and lather it with soap. Amaya sighed, feeling as if she was in pure heaven. While they were cleaning her arms, another older women walked in holding four kimonos.

"Which one do you like?" She asked her smilling.

Amaya couldn't decided, as the four looked so beautiful to even be worn on her scrawny little body. "Which ever you think looks great with me." Amaya replied.

The women washing her hands spoke. "You looked great in white or blue colors. Choose the Blue kimono."

Amaya agreed with her. "Alright, I choose the Blue kimono." She said.

The women nodded and set the kimono with its accerories on a table.

When Amaya was clean, they pulled her out of the hot spring and dried her body. They moved her into a room connectced with the the bathroom room, and dressed her there. The Kimono turned out to be to big for her body, and the women were shocked as that was the smallest size. At the end, they made a few changes and fixes to the kimnono to fit her body, but it was still a tad bit to big for her, as she pratically would drag the cloth everywhere. They pulled her hair into a bun, the women complemainting her how long and beautiful her hair was. For once, Amaya did feel like a Princess, but deep down she knew she was just a poor village girl who ate scraps or nothing everyday. They applied very little make to her face, as Amaya had a natural beauty, but she didn't believe half the things the women said about her. Finally she was done, the women and Amaya complaining a little about how big the kimono was, but they all agreed in the end it was fine. They told her that it would be fine that she roamed the Academy for a while, just as long as she met back int the meeting room that Kiki had shown her before nightfall. Amaya understood, and quickly went to the library that Kiki had shown her, tripping on her clothes.

Amaya sighed reliefed, seeing thousands or scrolls she could read in her time here. Amaya was the only girl in her village who read and could write, as her father had taught her. She always read everything to the villagers, wheather it was a warning, notice, posters, or just a story. Amaya went around the shelfs, looking at scroll after scroll, finding ones they she would love to read. She had four in her arm already, and was still looking at more. She was so interested at looking at the scrolls, that when she backed up, she bumped into a person; dropping scrolls on the floor. She turned around to apoligize.

"Forgive me, I didn't see you standing behind me." She said embarrast.

"Clearly." He replied angrily.

Amaya nodded her head shamfully, and bended over to pick up her scrolls. The last scroll the man had picked himself, and looked at it. He arched an eyebrow and looked at her. "You can read?" He asked her amazed.

Amaya nodded her head. "And write too." She said.

He handed over the scroll to her, which she gratefully took. "What's your name?" He asked her.

Amaya looked at him. "Amaya Hoshi." She replied.

"You were the human that was chosen, correct?" He asked.

"Unfortuntaly." She replied with a sigh.

The man looked at her confused. "You don't want to mate with me?" He said.

Amaya's eyes went wide. "Y-you'er the Prince?" She asked surprised.

"You didn't know who I was?" He asked her shocked again.

Amaya shook her head, blushing. "N-no. I don't care much for these things of royalty. Forgive me Prince, for not knowing who you were and for bumping itno you." She said as properly as she could, and bowed.

"That's strange..." He said quietly. Amaya looked at him. "Humans don't have the courtesy that you do." He said.

Amaya smiled sadly. "My father wanted me to become more resposnible and respectful when my brother died. He hoped that I could get something out of life with that and with writing and reading skills. Well, look where I am now." She said, laughing quitely and nervously.

Prince Sesshomaru nodded his head. "It's acutally nice to know that there are some educated hamans out there." He said and leaned on a book shelf, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes well, it feels nice to be educated," she said with a laugh, "if I didn't know how to read, I don't know how I would live the rest of my life in peace."

"Agreed. Isn't that kimono a bit to big for your body?" He asked, looking at the loose handing kimono on her body.

Amaya looked down at herslef. "It is, but belive it or not, it was the smallest size they had! But of course it's my fault, as I have a small body for not eating well." She said and looked at him.

He cocked his head to the side. "You'er are the only human I like so far for being yourself only to me." He said.

Amaya blushed. "Like I said, I wouldn't care if chose me. I just came here becuase I knew that if I wasn't home, my mother and father would eat better and live better and not have to look after me." She said, and sighed. She looked out the window, seeing the sun set already. She looked back to him and said, "I must get going. I don't want to be late for the first meeting, even though I've already met you." She said, with a bit of humor in her voice.

Prince Sesshomaru chuckled. "I must get going too, or my father will have my head." He said aswell.

She smiled and laughed happily for the first time. She knew she was going to be best friends with him. Atleast she would know someone that she would be able to talk to. "Alright your Highness, see you much later." She said. After he nodded, she smiled one more last time to him and left, knowing she was going to be a bit late to the meeting.

Review and tell me if you like it so I can keep on writing! :)