"Oh my God!"

Erik laughed at Kerri's awe struck face.

"Well what did you expect?"

"I…I don't know….It's just so big!"

"Somewhere around one hundred rooms. Now we can have all the courtiers and financiers we want."

She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, exactly what I want."

The carriage stopped right in front of the massive oak doors. Two servants were out and collecting the bags before Delia or Marie even had a chance to move.

"It's fully staffed?"

"For now." Erik shrugged. "If they're incompetent, I can always fire them."

"So you've never actually lived here?" Kerri raised her eyebrows.

"No, not really."

Kerri took one last look at the castle, and squealed with ecstasy.

"This is so amazing." She sighed. Erik wrapped his arms around her waist, biting her ear.

She giggled, kissing him sideways.

"We don't want to see anything the two of you've got to offer." Delia groaned, carrying bags past them inside. She was seriously beginning to regret going along with all of this. Although it had all been beautiful, ever since they'd gotten married in Siada, the two of them had been all over each other.

"Take me on a tour." Kerri said.

"I know as much about this place as you do."

She sighed, tugging on his hand.

"Well let's go exploring then!"

Erik groaned. He was tired, and the only thing he wanted to explore was the inside of his eyelids.

He indulged her anyway, discovering the location of the kitchen, dining room, ball room (complete with grand piano), the library, and six of the first floor bedrooms.

"Umm, sir, we've prepared the West Wing for you." A servant approached them timidly, handing him a key.

"Hmm…the West Wing. It sounds big." Kerri took the key from him.

"It sounds secluded." Erik nodded. Kerri arched her eyebrow suggestively.

She dashed down the hallway, sliding around a corner, causing the floor runner to bunch up. Erik followed her, cornering her between the door and the wall.

"It's labeled." She pointed to a gold plaque on the door.

"Aren't we lucky?" He teased.

"At least we won't get lost."

She slowly put the key in the door, turning it.

"Wait a minute." Erik kept her from turning the knob.

"What?"

"Close your eyes."

"Why?" She crossed her arms. "What are you hiding?"

"It's a surprise. Just close them."

She reluctantly she shut her eyes, and Erik covered them wish his hand so she couldn't peek.

He led her inside, stopping every so often to turn on the gas lamps.

"Alright, open your eyes."

Kerri expected to see some kind of animal or something of that nature.

But he surprise was the room. It reminded her instantly of India her favorite country, with the rich paint colors and silk and careful embroidery on every piece of furniture.

"Erik…"She whispered. "This is fantastic."

"You like it then?" He hugged her from behind.

"Like' doesn't quite cover it." She laughed. "I don't want to touch anything. It's all so perfect!"

"Well it would be a shame to have it all decorated for you and then not use it."

"This is for me?"

"For us, really, but I couldn't care less what the room looked like."

She turned around into his arms, kissing him softly, running her tongue along his lips.

The kiss was limitlessly passionate, just like the two who were a part of it. Kerri eagerly unbuttoned the shirt he was wearing to reveal a now powerful and muscular physique. While in Persia, he had picked up on yoga. Now, not only was he more level headed and confident, but his already wide frame had filled out.

Kerri's dress was on the floor, leaving her in only a light chemise. Erik's chest rose and fell quickly from self-control; it was taking everything he had not to rough her up. She had a bad habit of teasing him to the point of insanity.

Kerri crawled up on to the bed, feeling slightly guilty for wanting to have sex on such pretty things. The quilt quickly left her as Erik crawled on top of her, his rough hands sliding down her back to cup her buttocks, bringing her hips closer to his.

They both jumped as suitcases toppled over. A servant girl had apparently elected to bring their luggage to them. She hadn't thought of knocking.

"Where do you want these things, Madame?"

She was either choosing to ignore their compromising position or attempting to play it off.

"Just leave them there, thank you." Kerri's voice was high strung and breathy; Erik had himself pressed firmly against her thigh, and it was driving her insane.

"Okay." The girl left quietly, shutting the door. It took Erik a half a second to take off his pants and bury himself in Kerri, patience be damned.

She whispered his name, unable to find a voice beyond that. She pressed her forehead to his, a fine sheen of sweat forming between them. She wished desperately there was deeper contact that skin on skin.

"And these, Madame?" The girl was back again. She was holding garment bags. Erik froze, or at least made it seem like he had. His hips were still moving, at a dead slow pace, which only made Kerri more aroused.

"Couch." She gasped, arching her back so their chests were touching.

"If someone put her up to that, remind me later to shoot them." Erik's breath was hot against her ear. He had made his strides longer and upwards. Kerri nodded, kissing his neck and biting his ear. Erik groaned, moving her thighs wider apart so he could kneel between them. This put Kerri's hips at an even more upward angle and moved them closer together until she could feel him in her stomach.

"Erik…oh God…" She gasped, her whole body shaking in ecstasy.

"Kerri…I love you so much…" He gasped, kissing her neck and spilling his seed inside of her. They both collapsed onto the bed, spent beyond all movement. Erik's chest was tight, but that happened often.

Kerri rolled them over so now she was straddling Erik, her chin propped up on his chest.

"Hey, do you remember when I asked you what you wanted for your birthday?"

"Yes. I also remember telling you that everything I could ever want I already have."

She smiled.

"Well, I figured out what I want to get you."

"I mean it Kerri. You don't have to get me anything." He touched her face, cupping her cheek in the palm of his hand. He was warm, and she leaned into the gesture.

"How about a baby?"

"What?"

She smiled wider. Erik sat up.

"Kerri, are you pregnant?"

She nodded, biting her nail.

"But…how? Didn't you say…?"

"Virtually impossible. There was always a very minute chance…"

"How long?" His face was very serious. Was he mad?

"Italy?" She replied meekly.

"That was four months ago."

"I know."

"You've been pregnant for four months, and you didn't tell me?"

"Well, sometimes I get a little skittish! And with all of the stress of eloping and traveling…I wanted to be sure before I told you."

"Four months?" He made it a question.

"Okay, so I was nervous. But I'm sorry. This is really big Erik, for both of us."

"I know." He chuckled, leaning back against the headboard. He closed his eyes, letting the information process. A baby. He was going to be a father.

"Are you mad?"

"Mad' doesn't seem like the right word." He said, looking at her. Suddenly, he burst into laughter, hugging her.

"Kerri, why in God's name would I be angry?"

"Tears welled up in her eyes. Thank God.

"I didn't tell you…"

"Kerri…" He looked at her, smiling. "I am going to be a father! Waiting a little while before you told me hardly merits my anger."

He picked her up, spinning her around. She laughed, kissing him.

Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

Marie and Kerri were putting away clothes later that afternoon while Erik meditated.

"Oh my God, Delia, she came in twice! I can understand the fact that servants are supposed to be invisible, but really."

"If she had done it again, I might have had to strangle her." Erik said, eyes closed, sitting in the lotus position on a prayer rug.

"What happened to 'ahimsa'? No harm to any creature?"

Erik opened his eyes slowly, looking at Delia in almost a cat-like manner. In the low light, his pupils were dilated.

"No one's perfect."

"Don't do that, I told you!" She threw something at him to make him look away. He laughed.

"Let's fire her." Erik suggested.

"Oh, we don't have to be that harsh." Kerri scolded.

"Of course we do! Isn't that one of the basic principles or something? Neither seen nor heard?"

"That's children, dear." Delia corrected him.

"I think what he is trying to say is that if she can't handle something as basic as knocking, how can we trust her with other tasks?"

"Exactly. Delia, go fire her."

"She doesn't work for me, and I don't work for you. That's your job."

He nodded.

"Yes, but I am appointing you the Head of Staff. Now go fire her."

"You can't appoint me head of anything unless you pay me."

"It's an honorary title. Like a devotee."

"To who? You?" Delia snorted.

"I wouldn't consider Delia a devotee of anything."

"Oh, fine then. Kerri, you fire her."

"It was your suggestion, Erik."

"I can kill people, torture, and otherwise frighten the hell out of anyone. But something as banal as firing someone? That is way too common."

Delia made a face.

"What a high horse he sits on."

"I think we'll have to kick him off."

Kerri sat in front of him, touching her knees to his.

"You're invading my personal space."

"I'm your wife. That phrase means nothing to me."

"You'll throw off my chi."

"I thought chi was Chinese?"

"Karma, what ever."

"Are you saying I distract you?" She smiled, inching closer.

"Yes, actually."

"Did you hear that, Delia? A commoner distracts the great Phantom of the Opera."

"You are anything but common, Kerri." Erik shook his head.

"Thank you." She got up in one smooth motion, and it reminded Erik of the way Christine moved.

"I think I'm going to look around some more. It's very possible I will get lost, so if I am not back by seven, you might want to send out a search party.

"You're exaggerating." Erik scoffed.

"I am not. I have a terrible sense of direction."

She left the room, leaving Delia to finish her own unpacking.

"Do you have any idea what you've gotten yourself into?"

"How do you mean?"

"Erik, Kerri is seventeen. She is very mature for her age, I will give you that. But she is just coming into her own. And if you thought Jean-Luc was bad…"

She made an apprehensive face.

"What are you saying exactly?"

"That at some point, you're going to need more than meditation to deal with her."

"I've dealt with many different kinds of people, Delia."

"And I am not saying you haven't. But when Christian died, she went through some hard times of her own. She was depressed, she never ate, and she stayed out all night drinking. She would have these fits, where she would just destroy everything in sight."

"So you're telling me I married a sociopath."

"No, I'm just telling you that it takes more than seven months to recover from something like that. And the worst is yet to come, now that she's pregnant."

"She told you?"

Delia laughed. "I've had three children, and delivered countless others. I knew she was pregnant before she did."

"Well, it would have been nice for you to tell me that." Erik retorted.

"And ruin all of the fun?"