F.Y.I.-- Kaen IS Soi. If you read the Seiran Den, Kaen was her real name before she realized she was the warrior Soi.

9 Years Later-

"Mother when are we going to arrive? We've been traveling for so long now." I said as I readjusted my rucksack.

"Soon, now hush."

We continued to walk down the dirt path to the city of Kutou. When the Hin village was destroyed and my father died, there was nothing left for us. Mother and I escaped the soldiers and moved on from village to village. Each one saying we were "bad luck" and should leave, never staying more then a few weeks in a town before they forced us out. Why my mother decided we should go to the city never made sense to me. At least, not at the time, it didn't make sense.

When we reached the very city that had slaughtered our tribe, my mother brought us to a man that was in the street. He was speaking to a crowd of people. I didn't understand what he was saying, but as we got closer, I saw three young women sitting in his cart looking downward. I then understood what was happening. My mother then shoved me to the front. It was all happening too fast now.

"You sir! How much will you take for this girl?" I started feeling light headed when I heard my mother shout those words. I turned around and demanded to know what was going on. "Mother what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry Suki. This just has to be done. In the palace you will be taken care of. It won't be as bad as you think. Please, just go and do I say." My mother hugged me one last time; she then took some coins from the man in the cart and ran off. I was numb like I did 9 years ago. Just as I was going to go after her, the man who had gathering all these girls grabbed me and held me back.

"NO! Get the hell off of me! You monster! Let me go!" At that moment he knocked me out and put in on the cart with some other girls. The last thing I remember seeing was mother running away with the money she made off of me.

I had been working at the palace for a two weeks now. Just cleaning floors and being a servant to all those higher then me. I didn't say much. I didn't want to. I thought that if I didn't say anything, then I could blend in and be unnoticed and never have to give my body to the emperor. That was a constant threat here.

Once in awhile I talked with another palace girl, she came from a brothel outside of town. She told me once that she was rescued by a high ranking solider that was competing to be shogun. Yet, even though she was very grateful to this man, she loved his arch rival, Nakago. I'd never seen either man. Kaen was nice to talk to, she had long, redish hair and a beautiful body. As for me, I wasn't much to look at. I was clearly underfed, my shyness had followed me through the years, and I didn't think much of my blond hair and blue eyes. She told me that I should leave here as soon as possible, because no one was safe from the emperor's perverted nature. Each day that passed I became more worried.

I was cleaning the floors one day when his majesty, Shoukitei, walked by me. He abruptly stopped in stride and peered down at me. "My, my, why is such a pretty girl cleaning these floors? Your blond hair and blue eyes are stunning." I gazed down at the floor. He continued on, "You would please me in many other ways then just cleaning my palace. Come, stand up and come with me to my room." He said. I felt the blood drain from my face and I couldn't feel my legs. He extended a hand which I just stared at. Just then Shoukitei's face went from lustful to a scowl, I heard footsteps from someone else coming down the hall. As I turned to look, the emperor was already greeting him.

"Ah, Nakago, you're back so soon?"

"I needed to discuses some things with you if I may?" He said as he bowed. I couldn't help but stare at him. He was certainly a gorgeous man, beyond any men I had ever seen. But what struck me in awe were his distinct features. Blond hair and blue eyes, I knew then that he must have come from the Hin tribe, but I didn't know how? Without even thinking I spoke to him.

"Are you from the Hin tribe?" He looked down at me with distant and chilling eyes.

"Yes." Was all he said. Before I could ask how he came to be here Shoukitei slapped my face and shoved me away.

"Leave us be!" I ran away as fast as I could down the hall. My curiosity of this man, Nakago, was overruled by the emperor's tone of voice and slap on the face.