I screamed in agony as the red-hot fire poker was pressed into my shoulder blade. The scent of burning flesh filled my nostrils and made me want to gag. The pain was unbearable. I looked up to see the servants averting their eyes as they went about their business. None of them dared come to my aid; they all feared him just as much as I did, and rightfully so. I felt him grab my hair and yank my head up.
"You are nothing," he growled in my ear, his breath reeking of alcohol. "You are my property, and you exist to serve me. You are no better than a slave, or a piece of furniture. Worthless. Replaceable." He pressed the poker harder into my skin, and tears spilled down my cheeks. "Do you understand that, Rosa?"
My voice cracked as I struggled to focus through the incredible amount of pain. "Yes, Father." He snarled and I felt the poker stab through my shoulder, then everything went black as I lost consciousness.
I gasped and sat straight up in bed. I had broken into a cold sweat and my heart was pounding. I wasn't at home; I was at the Phantomhive manor. Safe from my father's attacks. I repeated this to myself, but I couldn't shake the fear that had lodged itself in my heart. Suddenly my room seemed to be suffocating rather than comforting. I needed to get out. I got up, put on my robe and slippers and grabbed a blanket, and went to sit outside. The moon was high in the sky, and the clocks in the manor read 3:30 in the morning. I sighed and brushed the snow away to make a spot for me to sit.
This had been the third night this week I had woken up from a nightmare, and it was starting to take a toll on me. Who was I kidding? I would never escape my father. He was relentless. Before I realized it, tears had slipped down my face and dripped onto my hands. What was the point of hiding? He would find me eventually, it was just a matter of time before—
"Lady Rosemary?" Finny had walked outside and placed a hand on my shoulder, causing me to jump slightly. I looked up into a pair of concerned green eyes and smiled softly. "What are you doing up? And outside in the cold no less," he asked me.
I chuckled. "I could say the same thing about you." I sighed and wiped my eyes. "Just had a nightmare. Needed some fresh air."
Finny smiled and sat beside me. I was surprised at how warm he was. "I had a nightmare too," he said. "That's why I'm out here. It reminds me that I am not still at that lab, that I'm free." His eyes softened. "Mey Rin always tells us that it's good to talk about our problems. It might help."
I looked up at him, then down at my hands. "My father used to beat me. Usually with just his fist, but when he got drunk he would use things like the fire poker or a cane. My back is covered with huge, ugly scars." I hardly registered the tears returning to my eyes as I became lost in those god-awful memories.
"When I was nine, my father made a deal with the Marquis of Ivaccari: twenty thousand lira for my hand in marriage. When the marquis tried to force himself on me, I fought back and gave him a large scratch on his face. Needless to say he was angry and the marriage deal was over. My father became even worse after that, having lost so much money. He—" I coughed in an attempt to hide the cracks in my voice. "He put the fire poker in a furnace for an hour, then pressed it into my shoulder. It actually went all the way through." I pulled my collar to the side and showed him the red circular scar. I didn't look him in the eye. I wouldn't have been able to stand what I was certain was disgust in his eyes.
"The only kind people in my life were my handmaid Maria and my second fiancé Alejandro." She sighed. "I suppose I'll never see either of them again."
Finny frowned at me, and I bristled at the expression of sympathy in his eyes. "Don't. Really. I am not looking for sympathy." I sighed and smoothed the blanket over my knees. "I escaped my past, and I am here now." I forced a smile to my face as he smiled at me with his trademark grin. "Why don't we sit inside," he suggested. "I can start a fire in a fireplace for you."
My smile softened. "Alright." I followed him inside and we sat in the family room. He started a small fire in the fireplace and we sat in the loveseat, the blanket draped over us. I sighed. "Five years ago I would have never expected to be here." He giggled softly. "Me either." I looked up at him. "How in the world are you so kind-hearted? After everything life has thrown you?"
Finny blinked at the question and thought about it. "When I escaped the lab that gave me my strength, I… I hurt a lot of people. And when the manor is attacked, sometimes I have to hurt more people. But I'm doing it to protect the young master, so I am doing it for a good cause, I guess. Besides, I'm not being hurt anymore. This place is a safe place for me."
I looked up at him. Something in his words struck a chord with me. I never expected to have much in common with Ciel's gardener, and yet we shared very similar backgrounds. And despite everything, he was so kind and happy all of the time. There was something clearly very special about him.
Before I realized what I was doing, I had turned his face towards mine and pressed my lips against his.
Finny sat stone still, his mind unable to process what was happening. This girl, this princess, was kissing him? A gardener? What should he do? Where did he put his hands? He moved around awkwardly before deciding to just sit there and let her take the lead, since she clearly had experience with this sort of thing. He allowed himself to stop thinking and just enjoy this moment. Her lips, soft and sweet, pressed up against his. His hands moved on their own to her waist and stayed there, even after she pulled away. They shared a small smile before Rosemary snuggled up to him, and they sat in comfortable silence until they both fell asleep.
