Second part of trilogy! Er...well...more like the prequel actually...

But you might want to read it in the order it was intended to be in...Part 1 of the trilogy is rated M, however. Please leave a review with your thoughts on it if you do read it!

This fic will also be eventually moved to the rated M section for the last chapter.

Series: Chrysanthemum
Title: Lily of the Chrysanthemum
Author: ice
Genre: General, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Pairings: AtoJi, some Dirty and Silver
Summary: Set in a semi-feudal era. A raid on a province ruined a child's peaceful life, unexpectedly dropping him into another, more unsavory, lifestyle. Another will save him, yet, what will he be willing to give up for said savior?

Disclaimer: I can only wish I owned PoT. If I did, then the series would have 1. Officially have AtoJi as one of the pairings, 2. Be Hyoutei-centric, and 3. Tenimyu would also reflect AtoJi so that I can watch Kazuki and Takuya be all cute and stuff to each other. XD

I do own the little minor OCs though. I'm sure you can figure out which is which.

The clash of steel rang out into the dark night as the fires nearby raged and devoured the buildings. People screamed in fright and horror as the raiders chased and slashed them down, blood splattering over the dirt ground. Women ran, attempting to save their children, their families; men attempted to fight back, to protect their homes, only to be killed. Horses screeched in terror and battle-rage as their masters ravaged the town.

"Mother! We must leave!" A boy of thirteen slammed open the door to his mother's room. She was gathering her infant daughter of three years into her arms as her sleepy five year old son stood next to her, hand grasping the hem of her skirts.

"Done! Let's go." She quickly pushed her son to the teen. "Here, take him. He won't be able to run fast enough." They quickly ran down the corridor, even as they heard the raiders break through their front gates.

"This way!" A young girl of twelve shouted as she waved her family towards the back exit where a carriage awaited them. They quickly got on and the driver lashed the whips at the horses, breaking them into a run.

"There they are!"

The family looked back in fright as the raiders saw them and began to catch up to them on their horses. The mother frantically shouted to the driver. "Faster! They're gaining!"

"I'm trying!" The driver was indeed attempting to force the horses to run as quickly as possible, but it was impossible for them to out run warhorses that weren't carrying the weight of several people. The raiders caught up to them and slashed at the carriage, incidentally freeing the horses. The carriage tilted sideways and the family inside screamed. The little boy of five fell out through the side window and hit the ground.

"Is this the one?" The man on the horse asked as he looked down at the boy.

"They're coming!" Another shouted. The raiders looked up to see the lord of the province approaching with an army.

"Just grab the boy and go!" One of the other raiders shouted.

The one who had asked the initial question reached down and grabbed the struggling boy and hauled him over his shoulder before quickly turning his horse and dashing away from the approaching soldiers.

"No! My baby!" The woman screamed.

"Mama!"

"Stop! Give him back!" She cried out.

"Mama!" The boy wailed as he was taken further and further from his family. He continued to struggle even as they disappeared from sight. "Lemme go! Lemme go!" He hit his little fists and kicked his short legs frantically, trying to get the man to drop him. Finally, he managed to kick the man in the face.

"Argh!" The man flinched in pain and irritation. "You little brat!" He picked him up and threw him hard onto the ground, knocking the little body out. "See if I care what happens to you!" He snarled before dashing off to escape the soldiers.

"There he is!"

"Get him!"

Unbeknownst to them, they rode right past the little boy lying unconscious on the ground. The flames around him raged as he laid still. The city, his home, had turned into an inferno of destruction.

"Wake up!" Water splashed onto his face and startled him into awareness. A woman with heavy makeup on her face peered at him with disdain. "From now on, boy, you will serve this house. You will clean and sweep and keep out of sight."

The boy stared at her with wide, frightened eyes.

"I paid that man good money for someone like you. Small and easy to run. I don't want any of our customers seeing you. Ever." She scrunched up her face at him. "No need to ruin our reputation, afterall."

She glanced at him with an expectant look. "Well? What do you say? Have you no manners?"

"I...I...." He flinched as she slapped him.

"Well?!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

She frowned. "Not 'ma'am.' Madam."

"Yes, Madam." He repeated dutifully in fright.

She smiled wickedly. "That's better. Suzuka!" She called. A short, brunette approached. "Here's your replacement. When you can get him to do your duties perfectly, you will be allowed to start."

The girl looked up at her happily and thanked her. She turned to the boy. "Let's go."

The boy hesitated a moment before following. She seemed to be nicer than the wicked old lady. They walked for a moment in silence before he asked her, "What are we doing?"

She glanced at him. "You will learn how to clean this place after every customer leaves and stay out of sight."

"Oh." He paused. "Why am I replacing you then?"

"I, am going to be a geisha." She said proudly. "The Madam has finally agreed to train me if I can train a replacement well enough."

"Oh. What's a geisha?"

She almost tripped over her feet and fell. She stared at him. "You...don't know what a geisha is?"

"No."

She paused. "Why are you here?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. I woke up when that mean lady threw water on my face." He pouted.

Suzuka stared at him, half in shock, and half in horror. She had looked at his clothes. She had thought that he had been in a place like this before. It was the only way to explain why he had such expensive fabrics. But since he hadn't...he did not belong here. She stayed quiet for a while.

"What's wrong, nee-san?"

She looked at him. He was looking at her with a concerned look on his cute face. She thought for a bit. She wanted to be a geisha because it would hopefully, eventually bring her to some place where a man would care for her. There had been several girls in the house who had been sponsored, and they served only one master. Their masters doted on them in return. She knew it was not a good life, and she had been lucky in the respect that no one had noticed her because she had to stay out of sight. Customers could not see someone cleaning the room, afterall. It would lower their professional reputation. Even if they had seen her, however, they probably wouldn't have done anything. She knew she was plain.

But this boy. He would get devoured alive. It didn't matter that he was male. He was cute. He had a pretty face. It was all that was required for people in a place like this to desire him. At his concerned address, she decided then and there that she would protect him.

She shook her head at him. "It's nothing. Don't call her 'the mean lady' though. Make sure you call her 'Madam.' You'll be punished otherwise."

"Oh. Okay."

She pulled him into one of the rooms. "Listen. You MUST make sure you are never seen by anyone. You can come to me if I am not...occupied. But otherwise, do not let yourself be seen by anyone."

"Okay...but why?" He looked confused.

As much as she didn't want to do this, she knew he had to learn. It was either she told him, or he learn the hard way...and she didn't want him to be hurt.

"Many of the girls around here aren't friends. They'll backstab each other to reach a higher position. It's a way of life. If they see you, they may want to use you to get higher. There are a few compassionate ones that won't do so, but the fewer people who know about you, the better."

That night, she brought him to one of the rooms that incidentally had a few mouse holes that were never fixed. She made him watch.

"Nee-san...I don't get it."

She hugged him tightly. "It's a very painful thing to do. Men come here only for that purpose." She released him and held onto his shoulders. "That should have been sacred, something only for someone you love." She reflected for a small moment on her life before she had been sold. She shook her head. "They don't care who they do it to, as long as it has a pretty face. Even if she looks like she liked it, it only leaves her with a dirty feeling after he leaves."

The boy stared at her with wide eyes. "And Nee-san is going to do that?"

She smiled at him sadly. "I chose this. Besides, I won't be too bad off. It's the pretty ones who get the brunt of it." She ran the back of her fingers against his cheeks. It was very soft. "I was originally going to do this for myself, but now, I want to do this to buy your freedom. You don't belong here."

"But Nee-san, can't I help?" She froze.

"Don't ever offer yourself like this. Ever." She shook him. "Do you hear me?" She stared at him in fright.

An image flashed through his head. He'd seen that expression of fright somewhere before...."Hai."

"Promise me."

"I promise."

She sighed in relief. She looked off to the side. Then she had an idea. "If you really wanted to help, you'll accept it when I free you. You'll go find proper work, and then when you earn enough, come back and get me. Sound good?"

His face brightened. "Okay!"

That was close. Children were so innocent.

"...but why?"

She almost facefaulted. She sighed and leaned down. "Because you're pretty. You're very adorable, and that attracts them. Too many of them. I've seen some of the pretty ones lying in bed unconscious and covered in blood before."

The boy looked at her with a scared look. Well, at least now she got it through his mind. "Just listen to nee-san, okay?"

He nodded his head frantically. "Hai!"

She smiled at him. He was so cute.

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