Acknowledgements

Thanks to my close friend Sarina who unknowingly gave me the idea for this story and to all those people who had, in any way, contributed to this story. I know a lot of people say that they couldn’t do it without you, but I honestly mean it. Though there were problems it all turned out how it should have. So I’ll start my story with a quote I hold very close to my heart, “I may not have gone where I intended to go,
But I think I have ended up where I intended to be.”
~Douglas Adams


Prologue
Girls in the geisha house were all pretty much empty. Alia had said it was a tool of our trade. I wouldn’t know. I wasn’t allowed on the service floor. Alia used to say it was for the best. Then again, alia used to say a lot of things that weren’t true. Momma always said a geisha is the essence of beauty and passion, but I don’t think that’s true because whenever she said that alia would get upset. Alia was sixteen, the oldest of all the girls on the nursery floor. In two years she’d have gotten to enter the service floor. I was only eight. I had a long way to go from the service floor. At least that’s what I had thought.
“Stop staring into space mika. Don’t you want to go?” Kina asked. Kina was my best friend. We were born almost a whole day apart. Both of us would have one day reached the service floor together at eighteen. Or maybe eight?
“Momma said the service floor is off limits until we turn eighteen.” I replied. Kina pinched me hard. If kina wasn’t the only other girl in the nursery floor besides the babies and toddlers I believe I would have seen her for what she really was, a bully.
“Come on. Don’t you want to see where we’ll be in eight years?” she asked again. The only problem was no one said no to Kina. Not anyone on the nursery floor, not even alia, had the guts. There was no question of whether or not I’d comply. The question was how long it would take me.
“Yeah, but…” I trailed off. Kina had that look on her face again. She got it whenever she was seconds away from hitting someone. It was an ugly look, her eyebrow raised with her left cheek blown out, and it was frightening. It was a warning of what you’d get if you kept talking. I bit my lower lip and toyed with the ribbons tied in two symmetrical bows on the each side of my head. “Are you sure Kon said it’s okay?”
Kina laughed, flipping a handful of her long curly hair from her shoulder. I envied that hair.
“Kon won’t mind at all.” She assured grabbing my wrist tight, so tight I knew it would leave a mark, and pulling me down the hall and to the staircase.
I had always admired the grand staircase. It was shiny like metal, but alia had said it was stone. I didn’t know what stone was, but I knew one day I would want stone of my very own. It was beautiful. Alia said it would stay that way forever. I didn’t believe that either. If there was one thing we were taught here, it was beauty didn’t last forever. In fact in the geisha house, it disappeared very quickly.
Something struck me just then. “Where is Kon?” I asked. She shrugged her shoulders and continued walking. I skidded to a stop, causing kinas nails to dig into my flesh. She tugged hard, but I did not move. “Where is Kon?” I repeated.
“I don’t know!” she answered releasing me. “Let’s go before he comes back.” Kon was the only man I had ever met. He was a father to all of us and none of us. He sat at the top of the stairs, warning the toddlers, reprimanding kina who tried almost every day to go down. He was a constant force in the hall except for apparently, that day.
“I thought Kon knew we were going down?” I replied taking a step back from the stairs. Kina shook her head and took one defiant step down.
“I said Kon wouldn’t mind.” She countered. “Come on Mika. This is our future and since you are my best friend I want you to come with me. Please?” she extended her hand. Now I could have said no. I could have been the first to ever tell her no. I could have and I honestly would have. The trouble was… I didn’t want to. Bully or not, kina was my best friend. She wanted me to go with her and deep down I wanted to go with her too. She was kina and I was mika. In my young mind that was all it took to break a house law.
“Okay.” I replied placing my hand into hers. She clasped my hand like a hawk. I knew that id be in terrible pain if her palms weren’t so sweaty. With all the moisture her nails couldn’t dig too deep before her hand would start to slide.
I stumbled down the stairs. The uneven ground was so new to me. There were no stairs on the nursery floor. I tripped over my own feet on the last step. “Stop that Mika.” I frowned. As if I purposely tripped for my own enjoyment! “Come on.” Kina urged pulling me down a dark hall. I felt my bare foot make contact with kinas. She kicked me hard in the darkness of the hall.
“Owww!” I cried. “Kina that hurt!”
“Shhhhh…Do you hear that?” she said ignoring my cry of pain. I stayed silent straining my ears, and then I heard it. It was almost a grunt like the hogs outside made, but it was mixed with a growl and something else I had never heard.
“What is it?” I whispered. Kina shushed me once again and inched slowly toward the light at the end of the dark hall. I hesitantly trailed behind her. “Kina I-“ before I could mutter out my plea to go back upstairs an arm encircled my waist and a hand came down firmly over my mouth.
“Be quiet Mika. We need to get back up the staircase now.” Alia whispered in my ear. Kina turned around hearing the small voice and immediately yanked me from my older sister’s grasp.
“No fair. Go away alia.” She snapped under her breath. Alia did something then, that I knew, no one else would ever have the guts to do. She pulled me away from Kina and slapped her directly across her face.
“You demon of a little girl, u let me take my sister and you upstairs, I swear I will leave you down here to burn.” She replied in hushed growls. I bit my lip. I knew it would take something oftly bad to make alia harm anyone, let alone a young girl. That’s how I knew this place was somewhere I shouldn’t have gone to. This place frightened the eldest of all the girls on the nursery floor, the only girl who had ever stood up to Kina.
“No.” Kina replied and did something I hadn’t expected. She lifted her leg and stomped down hard, with the force of any warrior I had ever heard of, onto my bare throbbing foot. Before I could realize Kinas true intentions, I had let out a scream so loud I was sure the devil himself had heard me. “I won’t leave.”
The light in the hall was flipped on. My eyes struggled to adjust to the new lighting. “What is going on here?” Auntie Camilla cried out. “Why aren’t you children on the nursery floor?” As my vision began to adapt I could make out all of my aunts and my mother. They stood very exposed…and the men. I had never seen so much of a man. In fact, the only man I had ever seen before that day was Kon, who always stood perfectly dressed in a black suit. After seeing so much, I knew, that men were clearly disgusting animals. “Lord Yamato. We are so sorry.” Kinas mom, aunt ami, cried bowing to a man that was old and wrinkled like a bedspread sheet. He looked to Kina, then to me with more distain than I had ever received and then to Alia. His face changed then, to almost a smirk but it was cold and I instinctively clutched to Alias hand. This man, somehow I knew this man, was extremely evil.
“You girls go upstairs right now!” mama ordered and I was pulled by Alia up the stairs. We didn’t stop when we reached the top though. She kept running, dragging me with her, until she had locked the door behind me in the restroom.
My sister clawed at the window sill. She appeared to try to be opening it. “Alia? Sister what are you doing?” I asked. She turned to me. Alia fell to her knees grabbing my shoulders and shaking me.
“Why Mika? I told you downstairs were forbidden! Why did you defy me?” she yelled. I shook my head, my mouth wouldn’t work. Alias face softened and she leaned her head on my shoulder. “We have to leave mika. We have to leave together.” She got up and with unbelievable ease, considering her struggles a moment ago, pulled the window up.
“Alia? Mika? Are you in there?” Mama called from outside the restroom door.
My sister extended her hand, “Let’s go Mika.” I took one long look back at the door that separated me from my mother, then turned and placed my hand in Alias. She smiled then. It was a large smile, as if she hadn’t been entirely sure that I would follow her. I found that incredibly silly and gave her a goofy smile.
The knob on the restroom door turned. I could see the color drain from alias face. She closed the window and pushed me into the shower. “We’re too late.” She whispered. Alia leaned toward me. “Mika the second no one is here you have to go.”
“Go where?” I asked, astounded.
“Outside, to the real world. You must run and promise that you will never look back.” Alia ordered in hushed but urgent whispers.
“What about you?” I asked slightly hysterical. Alia had often told me, in the privacy of our share club house, that she was planning our escape. I had never thought much of it. I had not known what we had to escape from, but now I knew. From men. We had to escape those animals, but without Alia I knew I would never make it. “What about you?” I repeated more urgently.
My sister gave me a sad amused smile. She sighed. The door of the restroom began to creak open. “Alia.” Mama said. From my hiding place in the shower I could see my mothers eyes. They were red and puffy.
“No.” Alia whispered backing toward me.
“I’m sorry Alia. I’m so sorry.” Mama soothed. Kon came in, with that evil old man. Alia began to shake. Her body shifting the curtain I hid behind so that I had to lean down a bit more.
So much screaming happened then. I do not remember when I joined in with my dear sister. They pulled her from the restroom and out onto the floor. I followed, trying to help my sister, but what could I do? I was only eight.
They pulled and dragged her toward the stairs, all the while alia and I screamed. Some of the children began to cry and yell also, but I paid no attention. I clawed at Alias hand extended toward me. She was calling for me, but Kon had a firm hold on my waist. Some of the other Aunties began helping mother pull Alia down the stairs. My sister all the while, held out her hand to me. “Mika!” she sobbed. “Mika!”
“Let me go!” I cried, trying to claw at kon with one hand and reach for my dear sister with the other. “Alia!” My Sister twisted from their grasp, Making it just a few yards from the stairs when they caught her again. She fell to her belly. Her nails clawed into the stone, pealing it from the ground. Her fingers were bloody and so was her forehead. I struggled harder, praying to any god, any ultimate power, that would hear me, listen to me, help me. I had to save my sister. I broke free of kon, linking my hand with Alia who smiled at me. “Alia!” I Cried. Thank whatever being had heard me!
Alia clutched at my hand and pulled me to her. The world seemed to pause then. My dear sweet sister leaned in to my ear and whispered, “I love you Mika. I Love you. Thank you, but you have to let go now.” Her other bloody hand wrapped around mine and softly yanked it away. “Be safe Dear sister. Be safe.” Her cold damp lips pressed to my fore head. Kon grabbed hold of me then and pulled me up and away from my beloved Alia. They picked her up from her stomach and began to pull her away, from me, forever.
“No!” I sobbed, beginning to struggle again. I clawed at Kons hands hard tearing his flesh off. “Alia! NO! I love you sister! No!”
Alia fought screaming my name. I don’t know when it happened, but I felt a sharp sting in my neck and my eyes began to close, on the face of my beautiful Alia. It would be the last of her I’d ever see.
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I woke up on the floor by the staircase. “Alia…” I whispered under my breath, but for some strange reason I knew she was gone. I looked at the staircase, spotting the claw marks in the stone. My sister, who had told me the beauty of stone was forever, had unintentially revealed to me what destroyed its beauty…man. I picked up a rather large chunk from the pile of shavings. Blood coated it on the left side.
The last of my sister.
Kina sat down next to me. “Are you alright Mika.” I flung my head toward her, using my nails to slash a bloody line across her cheek. She screamed. Kina never hit me after that day. In fact, she never hit anyone. I played along, pretending things had become normal. How stupid.
Mama never used Alias name and all her stuff was thrown out. All of it, except my bloody piece of stone and a way out. I could have run at any time after that day, but the window remained closed. Leaving the geisha house would have meant leaving alia. I couldn’t do that.
The nail marks by the stairs were covered by a rug and every so often, after everyone was long asleep, id pull up the rug and remember my sister, her life carved in stone. “Thank you, but you have to let go now.” The words echoed in my mind. “I can’t sweet Alia.” I whispered aloud. “Let me hold on for just a moment longer.”

CHAPTER 1
“Kina…are you alright?” She was curled up on the floor, her legs tucked beneath her. She shook her head yes. “Do you want to talk?” I asked setting the tray of tea on the floor by her and lowering myself down.
“We have two more days, mika, two more days until our eighteenth birthday. That’s all we’ve got…until…” I shushed her. We weren’t allowed to speak of it. She turned her face to me. “Your hair is a bit long isn’t it mika?”
“I don’t think so.” I replied. Just like Kina, I thought angrily, to hurt others when shes upset. Kinas father was a noble man who even went as far as to write her into his will. Therefore, it was respectable for her to have long hair. My mother had no idea who my father was so it was expected for my words and hair to be kept short. My hair was to be kept above the shoulders, but secretly it ran down my back and to my thighs. I kept this secret by keeping my hair in a tight bun, but Kina knew of this, having been the one who taught it to me.
“Maybe not then.” She answered, shocking me. Something was wrong with her. Kina was never one to give up so early on the beginnings of a fight.
“Kina are you sure you’re alright?” I asked again. She opened her mouth, but then the doors opened and mama ran in.
“Mika, kina, hide! Hurry!” she cried forcing us up and pushing us into the closet.
“Wait mama what’s going on?”I replied.
“He’s here.” Mika said. “This was what I was trying to tell you.”
“Who’s here?” I asked. My mother gave Kina an angry look.
“I’m sorry. You didn’t give me enough time!” she told my mother.
“Enough time for what?” I ordered. Kina looked down.
“Lord Yamatos son has arrived.” Mama said. I froze and let them push me in the closet with Kina. A hundred questions ran thru my mind in the five seconds it took for an unfamiliar man to enter the room. None of them, I knew, would ever be answered.
“Where is she?” He asked mama. She shook her head. “Where is she?” he repeated.
“I do not know who you are looking for. I assure there are no girls here besides the ones you were shown.” Aunt Camilla replied, walking into the room. Kina hugged me and instinctively I wrapped my arms around her.
“The girl my Masters father took from here ten years ago…I was informed she had a sister. The Yamatos family wishes to buy her also.” The man told her.
I shook my head no. they couldn’t take me, not from here to the house of that awful man. I’d rather die. “I’m sorry, but even if such a girl existed she would not be for sale…not even to the Yamatos.” Mama answered with the sternest look I had ever seen on her face.
“Perhaps this is something you should tell the young master yourself.” The man said motioning toward the door. “It is safe to proceed young master Tatsuhiku.” I felt chills dance up my spine, Tatsuhiko, dragon boy. A person walked in dressed in all black, with a veil of coal colored silk covering their face. I was scared. Scared of this person and scared of his father and scared of two days from now, but I pushed Kina and walked out into the room.
“Mika!” my mother cried. “What have you done?” I shook my head.
“I assume you are whom we’ve been looking for?” the unfamiliar man asked. His accent was strange, unlike anything I’d ever heard. “My name is sir brokehurst. I am young master tatsuhiku’s butler and head guard. You are?”
“Mika.” I answered. He placed to fingers beneath my chin and forced my head up.
“What is your last name?” he asked. I shook my head. His gaze frightened me. “You find yourself so superior to me that you refuse to give me your full name?” I remained silent. My mother stepped forward.
“She has no last name! Her name is Mika and that is all!” She cried. I was scared. I should have stayed hidden. Exposing myself was stupid.
“Brokehurst, release her.” A boy said, the one draped in all black fabric. Reluctantly, the man released me. “Speak girl. What is it you wished to tell me?” I looked up from the ground and into what I believed to be the boy’s eyes.
“I am a geisha with no last name, no money, no real home, certainly no education and no power over you whatsoever, but I am not an object and I will not be bought.” I told him as defiantly as I could.
The boy stepped toward me, his shoes clacking against the marble floor. His cloaked face ended up inches from my own. “Object or not, everything and everyone can be bought. Just name your price.” His hand snaked behind me, pulling the pick from my hair and letting it fall down my back in thick black waves. “What is your price Mika?”I bit my lip. He cocked his head toward me, as if I had whispered something he had just barely caught. He began to circle me, trailing his hands across my arms and thru my hair. “No price?” he asked. “Well let me help you then. You have Fair skin, long hair, thin, maybe too thin that’ll reduce your price a bit. A virgin, meek, yes you’re worth quite a bit. I’m estimating about a few million.” My jaw nearly dropped. I was worth that much?
“A few million my lord?” mama gasped. Aunt Camilla elbowed her in the gut.
“I’m sorry, but no amount of money will buy this one. With a face like that she’d earn us more than that in the next year.” Kon told them.
“How much will buy her then?” The boy asked stopping his circle around me. “Any amount, don’t worry, ill pay it.”
“Young master, all this trouble for one fair peasant?” the man asked the cloaked boy. The young master grabbed my arm, pulling me roughly toward him.
“I want her no matter what brokehurst. Get her for me now.” I stood there silent as the boy ordered his butler to buy me. I shook my head at mama.
“Mama…”I whispered.
“I want 200 million and your word that you’ll never enter this house again. No more no less than that.” Mama answered. No, I thought, don’t.
“Done.” The young master, my young master, answered.
“Young master Tatsuhiku!” lord brokehurst exclaimed. I struggled in the boys grasp. His grip held.
“Mama!” I cried. The young master began to pull me behind him. “No let me go!” he pulled me down the stairs with frightening ease. “I won’t go! Kill me instead!”
“Hush. How absurd. Killing you would be a waste of 200 million. Besides, you have no choice on this matter.” Brokehurst replied from behind me.
“Wait!” I yelled wrenching my arm from the boy. I ran back up the stairs and into the restroom, locking the door behind me. I made no move toward the window. I just pressed my back against the door. Tears slid down my cheeks. I slowly brought myself to hide behind the shower curtain. The door slowly clicked open and I heard the click clack of one pair of shoes. The door was shut again.
“Why are you frightened?” The young master asked, placing his hand against the curtain. I clenched my eyes closed. “I do not plan on harming you.” I bit my lip.
“My sister…” I trailed off.
“Yes?” He urged. What was his game? What was going on? I was so confused and scared, but still I only wanted to know one thing.
“Y…you m…m-met my…s-s-sister?” I stuttered out. The curtain was pulled back. I could feel the pull of the slick fabric against my back.
“Yes.” He replied. “But that’s not what you wish to know is it?” I opened my eyes and turned around to stare him in his face, but the coal black silk blocked me. This boy, he angered me. His insolent way of talking, his straightforward mannerisms, his selfishness, made my blood boil over.
“What would you know hmmm? You are a strange child with a scarf over his face!” I blurted out. I expected a lot at that moment. A slap across the face, a tear causing retort, anything, but him laughing was not one of them.
“Indeed, I must look quite strange.” He laughed. I turned back around, closing my eyes again.
“If you know that why do you wear it?” I asked. It was stupid, doing something that purposely hurt you.
“The same reason you do.” I felt a set of smooth cold lips press against my cheek. My eyes flew open and I turned behind me, but the curtain was back in play. My hand rested on the inflicted cheek. “You’ll come with me tomorrow.” It wasn’t an order nor was it a question. It was a simple statement of fact.
“What makes you think that?” I asked as he stood up from his kneeling place beside me. He began to walk away. “Hey!”
He turned around slightly cocking his head to the side, “Because it’s here or there.” I watched his retreating form, “Take your pick.” The door closed with a soft click. My hand caressed my cheek. His lips had left a cold feel to my cheek and my insides felt weird. It wasn’t nausea, or cramps, but it was something all in itself. It was painful and fluttery and...incomparable.
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That night I woke up to a light shining in my eyes. Someone was in the restroom. I got up automatically and crept quietly up to the door. “Is someone there?” I whispered cracking the half open door. The soft sobs assaulted my in tuned ears.
“Mika? Is that you?” Kina asked. I replied yes and then softly pushed the door open enough so that I could enter. As my eyes adjusted to the light I closed the door behind me and locked it. I turned toward the sobbing and felt a tear slide down my cheek at the sight of kina, the old nursery floor bully, cowering in a corner sobbing.
“Kina what’s wrong?” I cried in a hushed tone. She shook her head, burying her face in her knees. “Are you alright?” The sobbing stopped abruptly and after a few moments of silence Kinas head flung up.
“’Am I alright?’” she cried her voice escalating with each word, “No! No I’m not alright! Mika its coming whether you want to realize it or not! What your sister fought so hard to get away from, two days from now…” her voice trailed off and her sobbing started up again. I tried to soothe and shush her at the same time. If she kept at this volume the aunties would discover us for sure.
“It’s alright Kina. It’s alright.” I comforted. I fell to my knees by her side.She shoved me away from her.
“Will you shut up?” She yelled. I put my hand over her mouth, but she swatted me away. “And stop shushing me! God you are so annoying! Stop telling me how everything’s going to be okay because sometimes it isn’t! This time it isn’t!” She was screaming now and I let out a relieved sigh when she became silent. Subconsciously, I was shocked no one had awakened yet.
“Calm down Kina. I know it looks bad but” kina cut me off.
“You don’t know anything. You were always the prettier one, the nicer one, the million dollar girl and now you’ve been sold off to be slave to one brat of a master!” she yelled and then turned away from me. “Leaving me alone to be a slave to dozens…alone…all alone.” She began to cry again. I finally realized why Kina had been so forceful as a child. She didn’t want to be left alone. She didn’t want to be left behind. And then I had struck her, inserting my independence and so she had realized that her forcefulness was pushing me away. She did all of this to outrun her deepest fear, her fear of being left behind in this awful place and today her worst nightmare, I had unknowingly made a reality. She was lashing out at me not because she was angry at me, but because I was her last hope and I had willingly walked away from her.
And then it hit me. “kina, I want to show you something.” She looked up from her hands questioningly. As if to say, what could you possibly do to make this better?
“What?” she asked sniffling. I grabbed her hand.
“I know a way out.” I answered. She seemed to freeze for a moment, as if debating whether or not I was being serious or playing a cruel joke on her, and then tightened her grip on my hand.
“You do?” she questioned. I nodded and got up pulling her behind me. I released her hand and she immediately asked, “what are you doing?” I ignored her and began pushing up the window. It was a lot of work, but finally I noted with a satisfied sigh the click of the window as it went up. I told her to go, to hurry before the sun came up and they would go searching for her. She got as far as the window sill and then turned to me. “But aren’t you coming?” I shook my head.
“That boy, he paid millions for me and I doubt he’d give up as easily as the aunties would. I’d get us both caught and brought back here. So go, run and I promise one day we will meet again.” I told her. She hesitated a moment but then lowered herself out of the window. I heard her feet make contact with the ladder built into the wall. Her head appeared in the window and she smiled at me, tears streaming down her face again.
“Then I part with you here until that day comes. Be safe Mika.” She replied.
“To you as well, be safe my friend.” I answered. She laughed.
“Any place is better than here.” Kina giggled. Her face disappeared from the window. “And I will hold you to your promise. I’ll be waiting for you.” I listened to her land with a soft thud on the ground and then watched her dash across the grass and into the forest. I watched for a while letting the air wash over my face.
“And I for you.” I whispered again letting the wind carry my words. I heard the click of the doorknob turning and then Ami, the second oldest girl on the nursery floor now, came in. her seven year old eyes watched me with curiosity and then she noticed the open window. I placed my finger to my lips. “This is our secret okay Ami?” I asked her. She nodded. I shut the window and walked toward the door. I picked her up and began to open the door. “That’s my gift to you okay Ami?” she nodded again
“Big sister, what kind of gift is it?” She asked. I paused.
“It’s a way out Ami. Trust big sister, one day you will need It.” she nodded laying her head on my shoulder. I opened the door and switched the lights off. Yes this cute and innocent little girl will one day realize the horrors of this place and she would need a way out. She’d never utter a word to anyone and in the middle of a night like this one she would sneak out, unnoticed. Maybe then the aunties will notice the window and then I’d make my journey here somehow to find another way out and give it to another innocent little girl and so on.
We settled back into the giant pallet on the floor. in the morning there was panic and screaming. I stayed silent and Ami…Ami said nothing. She knew one day she would need her gift.

CHAPTER 2
A horse. I was on a horse. I had never seen a horse before, but Kon had told us many stories about his old horse Celerons. This horse was the color of ravens and had a main sprinkled with white strands of hair. Its legs made deep indentations in the earth and it neighed every few minutes or so. I clutched to the horses neck. I knew by the annoyed movements the animal made that it was not enjoying this restraint so I eased off a bit and into the arms of my new master, Tatsuhiku. The horse gave what I believe was a relieved neigh. The horse then stopped. I flew forward ready to cling to the horse, but it was smart and leaned its head down to dodge me. My face would soon make contact with the mud. I closed my eyes and braced myself for the impact but instead I heard the young master shout. “Aikido!” and my face made contact with the head of the horse. I clung to him for a moment and then quickly released him. The horse gave an annoyed humph. He didn’t seem to like me very much.
I was uncomfortable on this agitated horse in front of his strange master. I turned to him. “Thank you Master.” I whispered obediently and then turned back to stare straight ahead. His hands snaked out and wrapped around my waist.
“Don’t thank someone for doing something human.” I bit my lip and nodded. “Do you ever speak?” he asked me slightly agitated.
“I do Master.” I answered never moving my eyes from in front of me. The young master leaned his head against my back and sighed.
“Brokehurst are we almost there?” Tatsuhiku shouted at his butler. The man nodded and said it was just around this forest. “We should rest here then.” He replied. “I’m tired.” The closeness of his body had me holding my breath. “Mika will you make me a pallet?” his voice in my ear startled me. I nodded and was roughly lifted off the horse and put on the ground by some random guard the young master had nodded to. “The blankets are on the back of the carriage.”
I nodded again. Making my way toward what I believed to be a carriage. I untied the restraints on the back and took the soft cloths, rich people blankets. They smelt like vanilla and flowers. A man sitting on the carriage opened its door and waved me on. I felt suffocated, all these people watching me and even some helping me. It was something I had never experienced. I took the cushions from the seats and laid them out on the floor. then covered the rather rough material with blankets. It was soft and plush and instantly my eyes began to droop against my will. Sleep had been rare since the night Kina left and this soft pallet was more than inviting. As I stood there in my dreamy state I felt two strong arms wrap around my waist. I was snapped back to the present. I tried to turn my head, but Tatsuhiku had placed his head on my shoulder. “Yes Master Tatsuhiku?” I asked. He released me stepping into the carriage.
“Come Mika.” He ordered holding out his hand to me. My heart began to beat quickly. At that moment it didn’t matter how tired I was. I wanted to run, but he had bought me; at a very steep price too. I took his hand reluctantly as he helped me into the carriage and closed the door behind me. “What’s wrong?” He asked placing his hand on my cheek. It was then that I realized I had started crying. Tatsuhiku rubbed the tears from my cheek with his glove covered hand. “Answer me.”
“I’m…I’m scared.” I answered bowing my head.
“Of what? Me?” he asked. I stayed silent. “I command you to answer me.”
“Not just you. All men, I’m scared of all of them.” I replied. My hands flung up to cover my mouth. This was a new realization to me. If it’s never said, it isn’t true, but I had spoken those words and all too soon it became reality. Tatsuhiku removed his gloves and placed his warm hands over mine.
“I’m not so scary Mika. You can’t see my face right? So pretend I’m not a guy. Will that make you feel better?” He asked. I looked at him.
“No. I want to see your face.” I told him then covered my mouth again. Why was I acting so stupid?
“Will it make you feel better?” he asked. His finger was placed beneath my chin and forced my face up to stare at his cloth covered features. He released me. “Even if I tell you what you might see you can never take back?” I bit my lip. I shook my head. I was a coward after all.
Tatsuhiku laid back and after a few minutes of holding my breath I heard the steady inhale and exhale of breath. He hadn’t touched me at all. In fact, he had tried to comfort me, his possession. Before I could think any more into it, my exhaustion resurfaced. I settled down as far from my new master as possible, still feeling his presence. As my eyes began to droop I thought, maybe, just maybe, it wouldn’t be too bad to have this mysteriously kind person as my master.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The second I woke up I knew I was on a bed and not the carriage floor. Frightened, I held my breath, hearing someone enter the room. “Come on Margerine, did you get a look at the girl?” A girl’s voice whined.
“Shush now Anna. You’ll get us all punished if you don’t lower your voice. You’re lucky I even let you in. No one’s allowed in this sweet, but the young master and I.” An older woman shunned, I assumed her to be Margerine.
“Come now, no one is getting punished. The girl’s asleep anyway. Can’t I just take a peek at her?” The girl named Anna begged. I felt my body tense. Who were these people? The room was quiet and then as I started to calm she began to speak again. “Nadia said Master Tatsuhiku carried her into the house.”
“He did. What of it?” Margerine asked, I heard a scraping sound, like twigs against marble.
“Aren’t you curious at all Margerine?” The girl named Anna sighed, her voice nearing. The bed tilted. Someone had sat down at the edge. “The young master never uses his money frivolously and yet he paid two hundred million for this tart. Do you think she’s beautiful?”
“Most likely and it’s not our place to get involved in the matters of the young lord.” The bed creaked up as whoever had sat down stood up.
“He paid even more for her than Evangeline.” Anna whispered. Silence followed for a long time afterward. “She’s just a common geisha Marge! A whore! How can this not interest you? Nadia told me she’s the sister of the old masters favorite! You saw how much of a poor broken thing that Alia was!” What if the young master has inherited his father’s love of the easier things?”
Before I could stop myself, I sat up and bore my eyes into the younger of the two girls, “Speak of my sister in such a way again and I’ll cut out your tongue!” I snapped. The two seemed speechless. The younger girl, Anna who looked to be about ten, had hair the color of corn silk and a thin pixie like face; her skin tanned and still smooths looking. The older woman, Margerine whose age I guessed to be in the late fifties, was colored and had salt and peppered hair with a rather round face and plump exterior.
“Now you’ve done it Annabelle. Apologize to the miss.” Margerine ordered, pushing the now frightened girl toward me.
“I…I’m very sorry Madame. I apologize.” The girl stuttered, looking truly ashamed, but I had no time to address that.
“Miss…Madame?” I questioned.
“She doesn’t know yet Marge.” Annabelle whispered loudly.
“A little louder girl, I’m sure they didn’t here you in the next kingdom over!” The woman lectured. “Anyway,” She said turning back to me, “You poor unsuspecting girl. Tell me, what is it you know?” I was confused.
“I don’t understand. Master Tatsuhiku bought me for two hundred million and brought me here. That’s all I know.” I explained.
“Well girl, did you bother asking why he bought you?” Margerine asked, making me blush in embarrassment at my disregard, “Never mind. You are one of the Masters companions. He is your friend, not your master.”
“One of his companions? He has others?” I asked.
Anna nodded, speaking up before the elder woman, “Oh yes. He has quite a lot, although until today, he had never paid much attention to any of them.” I could feel the confused look playing on my face.
“Hush now Anna before I take a cord to you. What she means, miss, is that he often goes to the scum of the places he visits and buys a girl or two. He gives them food shelter and a job in his castle. They can continue their life here if they wish or they can collect their earnings for a few years and leave, to start another life for them. He has only a handful of companions. They’re girls from the slums that the master enjoys to have in his company. They need not work or leave. He has chosen you as his new companion, spending quite a bit of money too.” Marge told me.
“Yeah, the closest he ever came to that was one million and a half. Her name is Evangeline and she’s his favorite, but he never touches them not ever and so it’s shocking, that he carried you, I mean.” Annabelle added, inching closer to me. “So Miss Alia was actually your sister?”
“You knew Alia?” I asked and she nodded, smiling. “Where is she?”
Her smile disappeared as quickly as it came. “She disappeared a year back. No one’s heard from her since then.” I could feel my face crumple. They had been so close to my sister and I was so close to them yet my sister was gone, disappeared and never heard from again. “I’m so sorry Madame!” she cried.
“It’s alright and,” I held out my hand, watching as she eyed it and then reluctantly took it, “my sister was gone long before you said anything.”
“I like her so much more than Evangeline.” She reported to Margerine, happily. Margerine smiled at me.
“Indeed you’ve got a face and personality to match.” She told me. She then grabbed Annabelle by her collar. “And you, such a pretty girl. No one would know what a trouble maker that lurked beneath it. Now why don’t you take the miss to the companion room while I finish up here?”
“Yes Marge.” She said pulling me out of bed and leading me out of the room. “You’ll love the companion room. Sometimes, when I finish my rounds the young master requests for me and I can spend the rest of the evening there.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t seem to follow you. What exactly is a companion room?” I asked. Anna stopped, releasing my hand and crossing her arms in front of her chest.
“Well, it’s where you and the other companions are confined to during the day. On second thought, not exactly confined, but most of you stay there in case the young master calls for you.” She grabbed my hand again. “To me, its heaven on earth.” Before I could ask her what exactly ‘heaven’ was she continued pulling me down the hall until we reached two large doors. Words were scrawled across it in a language I couldn’t read.
“What does that say Annabelle?” I asked. She looked around the hall.
“Promise you won’t tell?” She whispered.
“Tell what exactly?” I questioned. She leaned into me, pulling me down to whisper in my ear.
“The old master forbids us from learning to read and write. Alia, she taught me a bit that she had picked up.” She told me. “so do you promise.”
“I swear.” I told her. She leaned as close to my ear as possible, cupping the sides of her mouth and creating a tunnel to my ear.
“Okay, well roughly it says, ‘welcome Tatsuhiku, our savior.’ The other girls had it put in a few years ago, so that he’s greeted with warmth every time he comes.” She straightened, the door flying open moments later. She bowed, introducing me to the pretty girl before me. “Good day Miss Calla. This is Miss Mika, the new companion.”
The girl frowned at the bowing girl petting her blonde hair as if she were a pitiful dog. “Poor thing.” She whispered. The girl, Calla then turned to me, grabbing my hand and pulling me in and slamming the door in Annabelle’s face. “Alright now Mika. Let’s get a good look at you.” Her eyes surveyed me and as she did this I decided to do the same to her. She looked to be about twenty or so, with mocha skin, piercing blue eyes and long brown hair that fell to her waist in hundreds of tiny braids. I had once seen a picture of someone who looked like her in an atlas. I believed her to be from Egypt or maybe Africa.
“She’s beautiful and young!” She called behind her and I watched as about four girls crept toward us. One girl stood out to me. She looked no older than Ami, but her eyes held a million years.
“Cindy thinks Miss is pretty.” The little girl laughed inching toward me.
“Oh and who is this Cindy?” I asked, falling to a knee in front of the doll like creature. She pointed to herself, smiling sweetly.
“Cindy is Cindy.” The girl was a doll in every aspect. Her skin looked porcelain. Her back curls were tight ringlets, her blue eyes were big, her head round, her mouth rosy and her nose a cute button. She was dressed in a black lacy Gothic Lolita dress. She placed her small hand on my cheek. “Cindy knows Miss Eva isn’t going to like this, right Miss Nadia?” the girl muttered to herself.
“Right little one.” A woman, around thirty said, addressing Cindy. She helped me up, shooing away the other girls. “It’s Nice to meet you. I’m Nadia, my origin is India. I was brought here ten years ago. I’m the oldest and the smartest.” I looked at her, shocked that she had said such a thing and that none of the other girls protested.
“Cindy is nice to meet you too. Cindy comes from England and Cindy came when she was three. Cindy is the youngest and Tatsuhiku calls Cindy little sister.” Cindy told me in her odd way of speaking.
“My name is Mika. I come from a small town in Japan.” I said. The other girls began to creep closer and I felt oddly vulnerable.
“Is it true Tatsuhiku touched you?” the woman Calla shouted and the other girls rumbled in agreement.
“Well…yes, but it was not dirty. He hugged me and touched my cheek and carried me into the house.” I explained. The girls seemed in awe. “Am I missing something?” Nadia grabbed my hands, giving me a fierce smile.
“Tatsuhiku doesn’t touch…at all. He accidently touched Cindy’s hand once and he didn’t visit any of us for a week, but he touched you, willingly. That means…that means…” her sentenced was finished by Cindy who was beaming ear to ear.
“Tatsu picked.” She laughed in a sing song voice.
“Don’t just assume things brat!” I looked up angrily at the girl who had insulted the little one. She was gorgeous and about my age. She had straight black hair that fell to her hips and eyes the color of honey. Her cheekbones were well defined and her face resembling a queen out of a story book.
Before I could snap at the woman who made me feel inferior in every aspect, the door flew open and in loud unison every girl turned to the door smiling, “Welcome Tatsuhiku.” It was sticky and sweet and I felt foreign.
He smiled at them, walking toward me, placing his glove covered palm on my cheek. “Have you settled in yet Mika?” He seemed oblivious to the shocked women surrounding us. I wanted to say something anything, but this was just too confusing and I felt myself crumble under his touch.
“No!” I cried, pushing him away and running from the room. He watched me run, I could feel it, but he made no move to follow me. Maybe he was hurt, maybe he was angry, but all I knew is that I had been wrong. I didn’t want to be his companion, just one of the many of his loving harem and by the way he continued with his visit, he didn’t either.

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Tag der Veröffentlichung: 23.06.2011

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