This is a one-shot, which describes the thoughts of Erik and Christine during the song " All I ask of you ", which seals the commitment of Christine and Raoul, under the eyes of the Phantom. You will see that we can interpret this song in a way...
Disclaimers: the song belongs to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. The characters to Gaston Leroux.
That was all I asked of you
"I went to his Kingdom of Music, Raoul.''
''You had to dream, Christine.''
''No, everything was real. I followed him, in the evening of Hannibal's first one. "
Raoul did not succeed in admitting that she dares to confide him a secret, which she had kept for several weeks. The Phantom had taken the advantage on him and she had said to nothing about it to him.
"Why do you say it to me now?''
''I do not know. You are my childhood friend. I could hide it to you no longer.''
''Did he hurt you?''
''No. He has never made it for me and he will never make it for me. "
But Christine's eyes were filled with doubt. Was she really sure of what she asserted, while a few minutes before, the Phantom had just killed Joseph Buquet? She was not able to repress this shiver which went through to her spinal column. Was it fear either other thing more mysterious?
She always held in the hand the rose which he had offered her, before she came on stage to replace the Carlotta in "Il Muto". In spite of what he had made this evening, in spite of at the bottom of herself, she was afraid for Raoul's life, she could not part from this present. A rose, a single rose, nevertheless so precious. More precious than the immense bouquets which Raoul offered her. More precious than the jewels which he bought her. She hung on to this flower as if her own life depended on it.
The snow fell slowly on the roof of the opera. She felt flakes settling on the face and closed her eyes. She felt the glance of Raoul riveting on her. She felt that he put his hands on her shoulders. Nevertheless, the only thing which disturbed her, it was that she knew that they were not alone on this roof. He was here, his Angel and he watched them.
Erik was hidden behind a stony statue, a heavy heart. Why did Christine confide in this conceited young idiot full of soft words? Why did she deliver him what he had given only to her?
" So deceptive as Delilah ". Irreparably, she betrayed him. She had already done it, when she had removed from him his mask, in his lair.
She was not different from the other women who had pushed away, repelled him. Not different from these girls of nothing who had refused to give themselves to him, nevertheless the gold which he could offer them.
But why was he fascinated, attracted, obsessed, possessed by her?
She, who brought him to the beauty, to the composition of almost divine musics but also to live in the darkness, in the blood and the murder.
He had to act. It had to kill the viscount, at once. Either it would be too late. He was stopped, however, in his run-up. Raoul began to sing for Christine, of a tenor who could equal on no account his own voice. How could she only deign to listen to him?
" No more talk of darkness... "
It was sure that viscount so beautiful, so dashing, so rich and good - born could not know the darkness and the hidden recesses of a dark and tortured soul. The darkness was all that Erik had known. There was only Christine who illuminated her life.
Every human being has got a dark side.
When will De Chagny reveal his to Christine? When will she realize that he is not to be worshipped? Christine, herself, has a dark side. When she sang for him, she surpassed herself only as she dropped her mask of innocent child, for the benefit of her wild instincts.
" Forget these wide-eyes fears "
Fear? Was it thus all that Erik represented for Christine? No, obviously. Only the Phantom frightened her. He was so changeable and capable of everything. Whereas the Angel stayed up her, for ten years. He was so thoughtful, so close to her. The Angel inspired her no fear. On the contrary, he fascinated her. How could two souls so different live in the same human being?
" I' m here, nothing can harm you... "
The viscount, here for Christine? But when?
It was not him who had consoled her, who had collected her confidences, her sorrows, when she cried in the chapel. No, it was really he, Erik, who had stayed up her, night and day, during a decade.
Where was the viscount, during this time? He had not even tried to see her again , nor to find her. Christine didn't belong to his world. He had noticed her only whenErik had made her a prima-donna.
Why had he made the Carlotta run away this day? That he would have owed him to do well before! Christine would have had eyes and gratitude only for him, her Angel... His influence would have been total and definitive and Raoul would not have counted for her. But, instead of it, he had made her rush herself in Raoul's arms by making her becoming a star!
" My words will warm and calm you "
The Angel of Music never spoke. He did not know how to find the words, otherwise he would have admitted to Christine all that he felt for her, while the viscount knew how to handle them as nobody and make her glitter so beautiful things.
Nevertheless, for Chrisitne, there was that speak about them about Erik's songs which knew how to warm her. She was burning inside almost when he began singing because she knew that it was for her and only for her that he intoned his lyrics. However Erik's words had never calmed her. On the contrary, her blood boiled in her veins. She was not capable any more of thinking or of controlling herself. She tried hard not to throw herself into his arms and to touch him again and again. Why had not he noticed this power which he had on her?
The words of the Angel were more powerful than Raoul's words will never be.
" Let me be your freedom... "
Erik was outraged. How the viscount could release Christine? By chaining her in a marriage? By forcing her to respect the laws governing the good Parisian society? By going out with her and by making her parade as if she was one of his mares of race?
Nothing could make Christine's happiness, not even his money. And Erik knew that she was not venal. The only thing which she loved, never Raoul could offer it to her: the Music... Erik, in spite of what Christine could believe, did not chain her. He helped her to fulfill their common dream. Never Raoul would manage to understand that it is this dream which united them for all eternity.
" Let daylight dry your tears "
Of course, the viscount could live outdoors, in the sight of all. Nobody was shocked, traumatized in looking at him. Nobody roared or threw him stones. De Chagny's face was not at all an abomination. Christine could live in broad daylight with him. They could walk together, hand in hand. The enjoyment reflecting in their eyes. The passers-by would make that smiled to them. Two young people, so beautiful, could have been born only to live together.
And nevertheless, the only light capable of erasing all the Christine's sorrows was the one of the stage of the opera and that, there was only Erik who had brought it to her. On stage, he knew that she forgot the death of her father, that she felt alive and radiant.
" I' m here with you, beside you,
To guard you and to guide you. "
Christine froze. There was only her father, then the Angel of Music who had been able to guard) her and to guide her. Did Raoul realize what he said? Was he capable of substituting himself for these two male figures which had modelled her life? Would he manage to replace them?
Erik, him, was mad with rage. It was him, her Angel of Music, not this smug boy! How did he dare? He would be incapable to protect Christine, as him had made it. Maybe Raoul had an angelic face but he would only be for her the guide towards her loss, towards a life of silence.
Nevertheless his Christine answered him. She intoned the same melody as Raoul. Erik closed eyes and his fists at the same time. She should not make it! Why did she make it?He repressed the tears which pearled between his eyelids and inspired profoundly to dissipate this ball of sorrow which formed in his throat.
" Say you' ll love me
Every waking moment "
Christine did not know for whom of these two men she sang. Both so counted for her. Neither Raoul, nor the Angel had said to herthat they loved her.
Was she was only a friend of childhood for Raoul? Was she was only a voice for her Angel? She so much needed to feel protected and loved. There, was only her father who had known how to bring her these two things so precious in his eyes: the love and the protection.
" Turn my head with talk of summertime "
Only Raoul knew how to enchanting her with words bathed by light. She did not any more bear to live in the cold and the dark. Regrettably, the Angel only spoke to her about blackness and about darkness. But his voice was so hypnotic. She would have made everything for this tenor voice.
She would have liked she could enlighten of her love this tortured and dark soul. Would this creature of the night be capable of changing for her? The Angel had helped her. She could give tit for tat to him, if he wanted itrather hardly.
" Say you need me with you...
Now and always "
Raoul showed her every day that he needed her but he had never said to it to her verbally. What dreaded Christine, it was that he gave up her overnight.
It was the same for her Angel. She had so often repeated to him that she needed him. She did not know if she could live without him. He was the air which she inhaled, the music which she sang. But what did she represent for him? He had ever said to nothing to her on this subject. He had soft gestures and attentions for her but what was the strength of his affection? That of a professor for his pupil? That of a man for a woman? Never she could guess it alone.
" Promise me that all you say is true.
That's all I ask of you "
She did not want to live a lie any more and unspoken. Raoul spoke to hera lot, promised her many things. But was she the first or even the only one to receive these soft words? Was he sincere? They knew for a long time but they had grown and matured. They had taken the different roads. Raoul, child, had always been straight and frank. Was he always the same now?
The Angel had lied to her, in a way. Never he had admitted to her to be a man, or that he and the Phantom was only one. However, if the Angel always spoke in a mysterious way, she knew that the Phantom was sincere in his words. Even if sometimes, they were hurtful, he always said to her the truth. He had not held on saying to her the bottom of his thought, when she had dared to remove him his mask. These harsh words that he had sung to her, she remembered them word for word.
Raoul felt that Christine was discouraged. He sang again to reassure her on his feelings.
" Let me be your shelter "
Erik could not let Raoul take him his place. It was him the only shelter and the comfort of Christine.
Why did she let him embrace her? She knew that he observed them. She knew that he was the witness of her treason!
" Let me be your light "
The light can be beautiful but dangerous. It can make glitter of false promises, illusions. Moths are also enticed by the light but when they approach it too much near, they always burn wings.
Why did Christine fall in this trap?
" You' re safe "
Never Erik would hurt Chrisitne. He was his Angel, his Angel of Music, his guardian angel. Never he could touch the only one of his hair. How could the viscount persuade her that he was a potential danger?
The only untoward movement which he had had towards her was that he had pushed her away her with strength when she had removed him his mask. But it had been for their good , for both. He refused that she has of him the image of a monster. This image which disgusted him himself. He did not accept this deformed face. Why would anybody else manage to appreciate him?
" No one will find you "
How did the viscount plan to offer to Chrisitne her freedom and at the same time, to hide her from the outside world? He contradicted himself. Erik was not able to refrain from laughing inside. No matter where she was hidden, he would go until hell to join her and stay up her. De Chagny could make nothing to prevent him from that!
" Your fears are far behind you "
What knew the viscount of Christine's fears? Of her most secret fears. He did not know that she was afraid of being alone, that she needed to be rocked to fall asleep, that her biggest fear was to relive a mourning as that of his father. Him, the Angel, knew all this. If the frights of Christine were behind her, it was because he had chased them away and not this impertinent!
Christine and Raoul were embraced since a moment and Erik suffered to be powerless in front of this link. He smiles however when she exposed the contradiction made by the viscount a little earlier.
"All I want is freedom"
" A world with no more night "
Erik's heart nearly stopped. No night anymore? And the Music of the Night? Did not it thus mean anything for her? He had been surrendered and laid bare, in this song. He had praised the night beauty. He had admitted, in a veiled way, his feelings and she hadn't paid attention to it, finally. She was occupied with trampling his heart, already so dried up.
Christine realized her words when she had already sung them. How would the Angel interpret it? Was he to listen to them again there? Certainly, she wanted no more than night but she thought especially at the dark hours of her life and not of the Music of the Night. This song was also dazzling in her soul as a night of full moon, filled with hope and with peace.
But it was Raoul who held her in the arms. Raoul who said yo her he would do anything for her and she could not ignore it.
" And you, always beside me
To hold me and to hide me "
Yes, finally, she was strongly afraid of the Phantom and his anger. There was only Raoul who had the means and will to avoid that a misfortune arrives. If for avoiding he killed Raoul , she had to hide, she would not hesitate. She was terrorized by this murderer. When he killed, the Angel did not exist any more. Raoul was more reassuring, he had no malefic and unpredictable was simply Raoul and it was all which Christine needed.
Raoul sang again:
" Then say you' ll share with me,
One love, one lifetime "
Christine was bewildered and happy. So thus Raoul wanted to spend the rest of his life with her! He wanted to marry her! It was that she needed: somebody who would stay up her up to her death.
" Let me lead you from your solitude "
Erik was furious. He had not wanted to act for fear of hurting Christine, so strictly tightened against the viscount. And they became engaged under his eyes! She had thus deceived well him. He was nothing for her. She would pay him.
She had never been alone. He had constantly been there for her. So faithful as her shadow. So faithful as a dog to its master. And she insulted him.
" Say you need me with you, here, beside you.
Anywhere you go, let me go too,
Christine, that's all I ask of you. "
Christine let herself go in Raoul's , finally, she was happy that they meet, happy that she counted for him. How to refuse for what he asked her?
" Say you' ll share with me
One love, one lifetime
Say the word and I will follow you . "
She needed his eternal promise. She had to be sure.
She was not able to refrain from making the same wish as Raoul:
" Share each day with me, each night, each morning "
So, she was bound to Raoul. She was not however able to refrain from thinking that her words were not that for her future fiancé. They were also for his Angel.
Did not he see that she addressed him? It was the last moment before she makes a commitment to Raoul. He had the time to interrupt everything yet. She waited but nothing came.
" Say you love me "
It was these words which she would have liked hearingunderstanding from the mouth of the Angel. She had so much prayed so that he said them to her. But it was Raoul who said them to her for the first time:
" You know I do "
It was finished, too late. She would thus give her heart to Raoul. If the Angel had not intervened, it was because he did not feel what she had felt for him. Raoul and she thus sealed their commitment of the very first kiss:
" Love me, that's all I ask of you... "
Erik cried at the moment. He leaned against the stony statue. Christine did not thus love him and she had never loved him, while he loved her so fervently, with his whole heart. There was only she who had taught him the meaning of the verb ''to love''. But it was finished, too late. It was Raoul whom she kissed and not he.
" That she loves me, that was all I asked of her " he wasn't able to refrain from thinking.
His soul was dead this evening on the roofs of the opera. He had lost the one that he loved.
Christine deviated slightly from Raoul. She had felt no quiver by kissing him. She had felt nothing, set apart the reassurance to be loved. He gave her what the Angel hadn't wanted her to grant.
" That he loves me, that was all I asked of him " she wasn't able to refrain from thinking. If he had said to her these words; before this evening, it was him whom she would have followed at the end of the world. A part of her soul was dead this evening on the roofs of the opera, she knew that she had lost the one that she loved.
It pleased you or not? Leave me reviews please. They make this story alive! Thank you...