A Wilting Rose Among The Thorns

Chapter 5: Learning The Flower's Condition

Rosalinda POV:

I feel like I'm laying on something soft, I'm not sure how I got here but I don't feel strong enough to wake up. But I shoot up completely as I remember what happened and freaking out, I frantically look around trying to recognize my surroundings when I hear someone clear their throat, "It's okay, you're safe," I look over seeing Reiji and I take a huge breath of relief. "Oh goodness, Reiji it's you. Oh gosh, I was so scared. I thought Ayato was here, I thought he was going to kill me and --," I stop dead realizing something as a cold breeze sweeps over my head and tears start falling down my cheeks. Reiji watches me with a concerned look on his face as my shaking hands raise to touch my bare head, I start breaking down repeating 'no' over and over again. Reiji drops what he's doing and comes over to hold me in his arms, "Shh, shh. It's okay, I know. Shh I'm sorry that we found out this way, but I contacted my father to find out why this happened. I will try to send you home so you can be kept safe," I started shaking my head in a panic. "N-no I can't go home," I pulled away from him to look at him in the eyes, "My parents sent me to live with you because they can no longer afford my treatment. My dad works for yours, he was practically on his knees begging to take me in so my treatment is paid for. The only condition was that I live with you so he knew where to get me for my treatment," he nods his head in understanding and pulls me back in and holds me close as I shake in fear and sadness. After my breakdown I was so tired Reiji allowed me to take a nap in his room, I was stunned to know that he was so caring about me considering who his brothers are and what I feel they're capable of.

Reiji POV: 

I watch her sleep for a few seconds feeling guilt enter my frozen heart, but I have to go downstairs into the Foyer because I'm hearing Ayato hollering for me. I take a deep breath knowing exactly what they want to know, I also know that if that's the case I'll have to protect Rosalinda. Getting my composure together again I decide to head down so I can get this over with while she sleeps. Seeing my brothers they don't look happy at the fact that she wasn't there with me, "Where's Sweetie-Chan," Laito asks in his perverted voice which makes me quirk a brow. "She's resting since Ayato decided to help himself," I state with an irritated tone to my voice, "Well I wanted blood, it's our right. Plus, how could I know that she was sick," that caught everyone's attention which annoyed me at how careless he can be sometimes. "She's sick," Kanato asks "Ne~ Teddy, our new friend is sick. Maybe our other new friends would like her company," that caught my attention because I knew exactly what he wanted. "SHE IS NOT A SACRIFICIAL BRIDE," I blew up I couldn't take it anymore so my dark side showed up to prove a point. "Father sent her here because her parents could no longer afford her treatment, the stipulation was that she lived here with us because father needed to find her here," Subaru rolls his eyes, Shu sat up but still looked like he wasn't paying attention, while Laito and Kanato were pouting at my statement and Ayato was oddly quiet.

Suddenly Ayato stands up arrogantly scoffs at what I said, "I don't care if she's not a bride. She is our property, which means we can do what we want with her and if she dies she dies. I guess then father will know better than to give us a girl who's going to be killed off," I grow pissed at what he just said. What we didn't know was while my arrogant brother was saying this, Rosalinda slowly made her way down the stairs in tears. I hear a sniffle and we all look over seeing Rosalinda in tears and her wig in her hands with an angry look on her face, the grip she had on the wig was strong because of how angry she is. "Rosa-," but she wasn't having it. 

Rosalinda POV: 

(Before she walks downstairs)

I heard what I thought was yelling, which woke me up from my nap. Something inside told me to go downstairs and check and see what's going on despite my gut saying, 'Don't do it, Don't do it.' I probably should've listened because I could not believe what was coming out of Ayato's mouth. I was filled with angry tears, I am not some property to be thrown around to each of them. I'm a human being regardless of my present condition, I sniffle accidentally catching their attention as I glare at them. Reiji has a worried look on his face seeing me while the rest of them look stunned seeing me, "Rosa-," Reiji starts but I didn't wanna listen to it. "SHUT UP!" Eyes widened at my outburst, "HOW DARE YOU! I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BUT YOU DON'T OWN ME," I scream out. "I AM NOT A PRIZE TO BE WON! I am sick I cannot help that, it's not my fault that the doctors don't want to help me or my parents! It's not my fault that your father told them it was okay for him to help us and me because of my condition! Your father told me point blank that I was not to be in danger, but I guess he wasn't able to tell you that considering what just came out of your mouth, Ayato! I have enough issues being sick without any of you progressing my death, so just do yourselves a favor, AND JUST LEAVE ME ALONE," I walk into the kitchen not even caring about what they have to say because I was pissed. Those Boys, yes they're boys, are the most arrogant, disgusting group I have ever met. I yelled so much that not only am I winded but I'm very thirsty, grabbing a glass I head over to the sink to fill it up so I can have a drink, but my vision starts to blur. My shaking hand lifts the cup to my mouth and I start taking a little bit of water when my head starts feeling dizzy, my fingers shake as the glass drops shattering and spilling water. 

Shu POV: 

Well that has to have been the loudest interaction with one of the girls who lived with us, I wasn't expecting it. It made me realize that even though she's sick she's very strong, she has a strong personality. Ayato and Reiji are still going back and forth after she exploded at everyone, which I thought was pretty attractive, but then we all got silent as we heard a huge crash coming from the kitchen. We all got up and ran toward the kitchen and saw Rosalinda laying on the floor unconscious, glass and water covering the floor, and her nose and mouth bleeding. "ROSA," Reiji yells and runs over to her, he gently lifts her up into his arms checking her over. I've never seen him so concerned over someone before it gives me a burning sensation in my heart but I push it down and hand Reiji a cloth to wipe her face off from the blood. She looks sickly pale and she is so skinny, I look behind me and see Ayato looking shocked but with guilt swimming in his eyes. Yui started helping clean up the water and glass on the floor, "What's happened here," we all looked up seeing father standing there with a very angry look, it's a shock to see him since he doesn't usually make house calls but I guess Rosalinda must need to go to get her treatment done. "She used too much strength to put us in our place after a short disagreement," Reiji explained holding her. Suddenly a cough rang out as Rosalinda's eyes opened slowly to look at our father, she breathed a raspy breath from the blood in her throat, "Tougo," she gasped out. Reiji looks over at father and picks her up bridal style and hands her over to him so he can look her over, "Shh, it's alright. I'll take you to the hospital and we'll get you looked over," she places a weak hand against his chest and bury her face into his chest as a tear falls down her cheek making me feel guilty even if I didn't say anything to her. "We will discuss this later," Father says with a dangerous voice making us all shrink back. Well we're in for it.