She wasn't doing well; now knowing that she was carrying Raniero's child for certain but not having told him, nor anyone else... Not even Simon. Rose wasn't having an easy time of it, the babe was making her very ill, very often, and she missed more work than not for the moment. She spent the morning in bed, her hands cupping over the slight round that was starting to form where that little life grew. She didn't know what she was going to do, would Raniero even want to be more than just... whatever it was they shared now?

As she got up and dressed in a loose gown, she pondered about what she would do. Then she would take herself out to her garden, basket over her arm, and begin to prune her herbs and other plants in order to get some more potions going later in the day... She needed to take more to the shop for Therunza (who had left for Africa a few months ago) at some point, someone she was now loyal to since her meeting with that wretched shop keeper she wished to forget about. She moved to her knees as she used her small knife to cut stems from the basil in the terracotta pot before her.

That was another thing that bothered her... Something wasn't right, something was off by far. She felt sometimes like she was being watched, followed... It was most unsettling, indeed. It was like she couldn't leave her little cottage without feeling eyes upon her. With a sigh, she glanced over her shoulder, and gooseflesh pocked her skin.

No, no, you're just being paranoid... There is nothing happening and you need to work. Rose shook her head at herself and doggedly set back to her work. "You are just being frightened over nothing, stupid girl," she muttered, cutting stems more furiously now. "Don't do this now, not when you're finally feeling happy."

@Freakpanda

In the end, the insults and threats that Rose had made towards Basilio had gnawed his mind, planting a seed of hatred that had soon sprouted into a full on rage towards her. He had hired a goon to find out where she lived and whether or not she had alleged husband. Basilio kept close touch to the underworld of the Venice for cases like these or when they needed to sell off any stolen goods. Luckily for him the man had found her rather easily. As he had predicted, she was living with the rest of the thrash in the ghetto. And while she appeared to be living with a man, he seemed to leave it each day to work somewhere.

The smell of it was almost unbearable, making him cough and swear as he walked the streets of it, followed by two brutes. Basilio never liked to do the dirty job unless it was hurting someone. That was why he had hired them. They'd stop anyone from intervening with what he was about to do to Rose. No one would be trying to play hero for her, she'd be at his mercy.

Another great thing about the brutes was their strenght. While Basilio was a strong man, he didn't want to bother with something like kicking the door down. The door couldn't take more than few solid kicks before it was forced open. Basilio walked into the house and looked around for Rose. ''Come out come out where ever you are...'' he said quietly before turning towards the grunts. ''You, guard the door. Don't let anyone get in, understood? You, help me find this bitch and keep her still once we do'' He had seen the way she had handled the dagger in his shop. Basilio wasn't going to take risks with her.

@Kimmie

She didn't know that the pawnbroker was in her house, she was about to go in and start working on some soap when she rounded the corner and saw the big brute standing in front of her doorway. It was the involuntary gasp that got his attention. He stalked toward her, she dropped the basket and threw the knife and it hit his shoulder. He certainly did not like that and started after her faster, her eyes widened and she turned to run, only for him to catch up in just a few, long strides. The goon had her over his shoulder in no time, no heed given to the knife in that moment, as he carried her like a sack of grain into her house, and slammed the door closed.

When she was put down, it was firmly on her floor and he was holding her down as he was ordered.

"Let me go! Who are you? Why are you doing this?" She tried to wriggle free from the man's grasp. That was when she saw the pawnbroker, looking through her house like he thought he was welcome to do so. It was not hard to see him. her home was not big and there was no door in her bedchamber. The rest of the house was more like one big room. She growled out, "Get out of my house! I haven't gone back to your shop and bothered you! Why are you here?!" Now she was angry. She wrenched her hand free and sent her fist flying, only for her wrist to be grabbed and slammed down to the floor hard enough to hear a the sickening crunch of her bones breaking. She cried out from the pain of it and started to panic.

@Freakpanda

Hearing the loud painful grunt and swearing made Basilio turn his head towards the sound. He saw one of the brutes chase after Rose before soon carrying her back inside and pushing her down to the floor not too gently. He spotted a knife that was sticking out from his shoulder. Basilio had been right on hiring them, otherwise that would have been his own shoulder. ''Feisty one aint she?'' Basilio grinned evily as he walked to them. ''Skilful hands as well'' he continued and looked at the knife. ''Such a shame she puts them into such bad use, aint it? I could think of a lot of other things more fitting for her''

"Get out of my house! I haven't gone back to your shop and bothered you! Why are you here?!"

Basilio turned to look down at Rose and sneered ''To teach you a lesson about manners and respect. I also really don't like receiving death threats'' His grin grew wider as the brute forced her hand back to the floor and heard the crack. He absorbed the fear and panic in her voice and face, delighted by her terror. ''It would be a real shame to break such a pretty face like yours...'' he said, looking closer at Rose before driving tip of his boot into her belly. ''So I just have to beat some sense into you this way! After I'm done with you, you'll know your place in this world and know how to properly treat a man!'' he shouted angrily and kicked her again.

@Kimmie

"Nooo! I didn't do anything to you!! You... AHH!" Thud, right into the belly. Pain... Blinding pain... The pain was to great to get the words out as she rolled onto her side, ignoring the pain in her wrist now as her body contorted. Then there was another kick to her belly, and the tears from the pain spilled out even though she did not wish to give him the satisfaction of seeing her that way.

She could hardly breathe, the pain radiated into her back, down her legs all the way to her toes. "Please," she gasped out, begging for him not to do this. Oh god, it hurt so bad! And she couldn't just crawl away, for the brute was holding her down and she was helpless while Basilio stood over her, the sick and sadistic glee on his face for her panic and now, probably, her pain.

She had a feeling that if she said she was with child, he would only kick her that much harder. He was the type not to care about another life besides his own, especially that of a babe. She brought her legs up, hoping to protect her belly a little better, but there wasn't much she could do. It was probably already too late...

@Freakpanda

"Nooo! I didn't do anything to you!! You... AHH!"

''Like the hell you didn't!'' Basilio growled at her. ''You had the arrogance to spit on me! God knows what kind of diseases you are carrying!'' he continued shouting at her and spat on her before stomping on her stomach again. ''Ransack the place! Make it look like robbery!'' he ordered his brutes as his anger started to finally calm down little bit. He'd make sure there was no other way to connect this to him than Rose's word against his. And he was going to make sure that wouldn't happen either.

Crouching down he grabbed her hair and lifted her head. ''Look at me. LOOK AT ME!'' he shouted while the brutes started breaking things down, tossing potions and salves off the shelves. ''If you get the bright idea of going to the guards and accuse me of this, I will come again, make you sit on that chair and gut your husband like a fish in front of you. Do you understand you whore?'' This wasn't his first time making threats. He knew where to point the knife when you wanted to make your point go through. Everyone acted so tough when the threat landed on you, but when you threathened something that they'd have to live to see, their minds almost magically changed.

@Kimmie

He was telling her to look at him, but the pain was so great that she was starting to slip; her eyes did not focus as he was threatening her. ''L-l-l-look-ka-ka-at-m-m-meyeye.'' Husband?? What husband?? She had forgotten about Raniero in that moment, the pain was spreading through her back. She stared somewhat vacantly up at him and if he let go of her face, which would definitely bear bruises from the grip of his hand, and she groaned out, "You... tried... hurtme... I just... wanted togo... I would haveleft if you let me..." And it was true... If he had simply just let her go when she was trying to leave the first time, if he had just stopped and thought about what he was doing, none of what was happening would be happening.

She felt the first warmth of blood between her thighs, and she knew then that he had to have killed the babe within her belly. She didn't care anymore what he did, he had done the unspeakable. He had murdered an innocent life for a vendetta against her. The red splotch started spreading through the fabric of her skirt, and she didn't say anything, except, "Please..."

Rose knew it was a last ditch effort to beg for him to stop, she flinched as she heard the sound of vials breaking and things hitting the earthen floor with force.

@Freakpanda

"You... tried... hurtme... I just... wanted togo... I would haveleft if you let me..."

''What I offered was a chance! A helping hand!'' Basilio growled. ''But you had to act all high and mighty. You are no noble anymore. You are lower than dirt! I'm almost glad that you didn't accept. There must have been hundred men in your cunt to get you here'' he snickered and let go of her face, pushing it towards the floor roughly. He saw the blood that was starting to form in her dress and grinned. ''That time of the month huh? You really got a shitty day for you'' he laughed before whistling the brutes. ''Time to leave!''

As they turned to leave, Basilio turned one last time to drive his foot into the side of Rose and glared at her. ''Remember to keep your whore mouth shut!'' he yelled before walking away, the brute who had gotten stabbed, kicking the door, making it hang ajar as they left Rose lying on her floor with her home trashed.

@Kimmie

Simon had been told to come to her house to take the potions since she had started working in the apothecary's and therefore had no more time to sell individually in the market. He had come a couple of weeks ago, and today was the time to get a refill. He had kept her as individual provider, feeling bad that, even if he had promised to find a reputable herborist to talk about her, she had been the one finding an apprenticeship by her own (the best possible, actually) while he was preoccupied of healing Vashti - definitely not an easy task either.

When he saw the basket overturned in front of the door, with herbs stepped on, traces of various people in the dirt and the door ajar, it was clear that something bad had happened. He entered carefully, ready to defend himself if the case might be. But no, the house was empty, albeit thrashed. Whoever had been there with bad intentions, had left already.

Where was Rose, though? He looked around to check if the villains had taken her with them... and there she was, in the bedroom, laying unconscious in a pool of blood.

It didn't take much for a doctor to realize that the woman had a miscarriage due to violence, and the wrist was also in a strange position, which might mean it was broken. It was a definite case needing immediate intervention and hospital care for a few days. He was not playing with her life. Moreover, one couldn't be sure if the villains wouldn't return.

With the young woman in his arms, he went to seek for a gondola and asked to be taken to the Ospedale.
@Kimmie