I've always heard people say that you never know what you had until it was gone. I never really quite understood what they meant until the year that I turned fifteen years old. My name is Nieci Kasugi and I grew up in a small village near the mountains of Japan. I lived with my mother and father. I was their only child. My family was the typical loving family. We didn't have much, but our home was filled with happiness. That is until the great war began. My father was a sargeant in the Japanese army and he had to leave me and my mother to protect the country. Unfortunately, he died on the battlefield. After his death my mother struggled to raise me on her own. We were already poor but after what happened happened our struggle intensified. I hated the way that we lived and I often wished that I could live in a wealthy family with good food and a nice warm bed. Well, I eventually got my wish. On the week of my fifteenth birthday, my mother also passed away. She had been battling an illness for the past couple of years and it had finally gotten the best of her.
After her death, I moved in with my mother's younger half brother, Uncle Hari. Uncle Hari was a wealthy castle lord and had many villages wrapped around his finger. Even though he and my mom were brothers and sisters, Uncle Hari was only ten years older than me. I missed my mom and dad greatly, but I was also happy to live in the life of luxury with Uncle Hari. Little did I know that everything that glitters isn't gold.
"Nieci?! Where the hell are you?!" I woke up one morning to hear my uncle hollering at me. I groggily opened my eyes and sat up in the bed. The sun beating down on me. "Nieci?! Nieci?!" I quickly got out of bed and went to my door and opened it. I saw my uncle walking down the hallway looking very angry.
"What's the matter Uncle Hari?" I asked him. He gave me a cold look.
"Didn't I tell you to be downstairs early this morning for breakfast. You know that I have an important guest coming and I have to make a good impression on him."
"I'm very sorry."
"Oh you'll be sorry. Just hurry up and get dressed." I nodded my head and went to my room. I shuddered to think about what he meant by 'you'll be sorry'. I had been on the receiving end of Uncle Hari's wrath many times before, so I knew that my day wasn't looking good. It was best not to anger him any more, so I grabbed some clothes and headed out to the bath house.
As I sat in the warm, relaxing water, I began to wonder who was this important guest that had Uncle Hari so worked up. Maybe it was some prince from a distant land or something like that. Or maybe it would be a knight who could come and save me from this horrible place. Feh! Yeah right, there you go fantasizing again Nieci. I was damned to stay right here in this castle forever. I sunk down lower in the bath, beginning to get lost in my thoughts and dreams. How I would love to find my soulmate and have a happy family like my family used to be. But as long as I was held captive here, I couldn't do that.
"NIECI!!!" The loud, harsh voice of my uncle knocked me out of my thoughts as I quickly sat up in the bath. Oh no, I had made him angry again by taking too much time bathing. I quickly hopped out of the water and put on my pink and white kimono and tan sandals. I ran back to the main castle, hoping that I wouldn't anger my uncle more than I already had.
When I went to the breakfast table, I saw my uncle sitting at the table with another man. He had long black hair, dark eyes, and a marking on his forehead. My uncle looked at me very coldly and the other man's gaze wasn't really friendly either. I bowed to the two men before taking a seat. "Nieci, this is the leader of the Shichinintai, Bankotsu."
"Pleased to meet you Sir," I said shaking his hand. The man just nodded.
"I have hired Bankotsu here to help protect the castle from a rival one."
"Hold on. I didn't agree to work for you yet," the man said.
"Of course. My apologies. See what I want you to do..." The two men began to talk about war and conditions of working and things like that. I wasn't very interested as I continued eating and stared out of the window. "...and thats the basics of the job."
"Well that sounds reasonable, but I'll have to talk to the rest of my men before I accept this job."
"Of course. Nieci, please escort Bankotsu out. Nieci?" I still wasn't paying attention when my uncle began calling me. "Nieci!" I turned to him startled, accidentally knocking my cup of hot tea on Bankotsu.
"Ahhh shit," he gasped, standing up and wiping his clothes.
"I'm so sorry," my uncle said, rising from the table as well. "Yoko, get me a towel!" he called out to one of his servants.
"I'm sorry Sir," I said to Bankotsu. Uncle Hari turned and gave me an icy glare.
"Dammit Nieci how can you be so clumsy?"
"No. No, I'm alright," Bankotsu said looking his clothes over, "she didn't do too much damage." My uncle nodded his head. Yoko came back with a towel in her hands and handed it to Bankotsu. He then wiped the rest of the tea off.
"Yoko, show Bankotsu out please." Yoko nodded her head and left the room with the guest. After they were gone, my uncle turned to me. His brown eyes held anger where as mine held fear. He slowly approached me as I slowly backed away. Before I knew it my back was against the wall.
"I'm sorry Unc..." Before I knew it, a strong hand went across my face.
"You wench! How dare you embarass me like that! Are you out of your mind?"
"I'm sorry Uncle Hari, I didn't mean..." He slapped me again.
"Did I say you could talk?! No I didn't! And here I thought that I would be able to go easy on you this time, but you insist on pissing me off! Go to your room and don't come out until I tell you!"
"Yes Sir." I started to walk away, but he grabbed me by my arm and pulled me back. Once again, he struck me in the face.
"Didn't I say that you couldn't talk?!" I bit my lip and nodded, trying to fight back the tears. I was so used to him striking me, that it really didn't hurt as much as it used to. "Good girl. I'll see you later." I nodded again and began to walk upstairs to my bedroom.
It was nighttime before Uncle Hari came to my room to get me. I was lying in the bed staring at the stars when I felt a hand caressing my back. I turned my head around and looked up at him. His eyes had lust in them, a look that I was used to seeing on a regular basis. "Come on," he sternly said. I obeyed and got off my bed and followed him to his room.
As I laid in my uncles bed, feeling violated once again I began to realize that I couldn't live like this anymore. I was now eighteen years old and I had been living here in the castle for nearly three years. Something had to give. I didn't know how successful my escape would be, but I had to try. As quiet as I could I eased out of Uncle Hari's bed. He shifted over to his other side, but he was still asleep. I tip toed out of his room and shut the door behind me. I then made a silent sprint down the hall to my own room. I quickly put on some clothes and shoes and made my way to the bottom floor of the castle.
"Lady Nieci? Where are you off to?" one of the guards asked me.
"Oh...um, I'm going to go and take a walk. Its so peaceful out here," I lied.
"Would you like me to accompany you?"
"No. No, I'm fine."
"Very well. Be safe." I nodded my head as I continued walking. As soon as I was out of the guards sights, I took off running through some woods that were near the castle. I had to flee from the area as soon as possible. I would have a long way to go, for all of the nearby villages were owned by my uncle. As I kept running, it seemed as if my escape would be successful, but all of a sudden I ran into someone. I wasn't able to stop myself as me and the person went flying to the ground.
"I'm sorry," I said quickly hopping off of the person. I gasped when I realized who it was. It was Bankotsu. Aww man, I had messed him up twice in one day. This was not looking good for me.