The Singing Bride

Disclaimer: I don't own Phantom of the Opera, nor do I own The Princess Bride :)

Author's Note: Hi everybody! So I watched The Princess Bride earlier, and the inspiration for this story came to mind :) Just when I saw Westley wearing the mask, I thought of Erik, and I was like, "Hm..." Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one-shot, and don't forget to review! Reviews make my night :)

The Singing Bride

Part 1

Once upon a time...is that not how fairy-tales traditionally begin? In this modern age of story-telling, I feel it only appropriate to start with the accepted introduction that has been handed down through the ages. Though this is hardly your average fairy-tale, I'd like to keep things familiar, if you don't mind.

Our story begins many years ago, long before you were born. It was back in a time when you'd half-expect to see a menacing dragon pumping it's wings through the air half a mile above your home. It was back in a time when kingdoms were at war with one another, and where an almighty ruler had every right to choose a woman who did not love him to be his bride. It was back in a time when one did not marry for love, but rather for convenience.

That was city-life, though. In the countryside, things were much different. Rolling green hills stretched for miles and miles with no sign of ending, and neighbors were few and far between. Property owners often had more than twenty-five acres to their name, and farm hands were a necessity rather than a privilege. Men would spend countless hours tending to their crops and raising their livestock. They felt immense pride at being able to provide for their families. This was every-day life for Gustave Daae.

Monsieur Daae was not a wealthy man, but he was not as unfortunately poor as some of his acquaintances in the east. He had a decent sized estate in his possession, and used it to farm and to house his daughter's horse, Peony. Monsieur Daae lived alone, except for his young child, Christine. Christine was often revered as the most beautiful woman in the land; at the ripe age of fifteen, she was thought to be more lovely and charming than any of the ladies in the Queen's court. It was rumored that even the heir to the throne of Florin, Prince Raoul, had heard of her exquisiteness. But Christine was not a self-centered or vain girl; in fact, she was rather modest and unsure of herself. At least she was until she met the farm boy.

Christine smoothed her windswept hair to the side so it would stop blowing in her face. She dismounted Peony the moment she reached her father's stables, wishing to remove herself from the cold air as quickly as possible. She'd forgotten to don a cloak that morning, and felt goose-flesh raising on her forearms.

"Do you need assistance, Madame?"

Christine jumped, startled, at the sound of a voice approaching her; it was definitely not her father. Turning with a pounding heart, Christine saw a young man coming towards her with an eager stride. He was tall, much taller than she was, and had a very handsome face. His black hair was in a casual disarray, which Christine supposed was an attractive result one achieved when one worked outside all day. She had never seen the boy - man - before in her life.

Rather than answering his question, Christine asked one of her own. "Who are you?"

The man laughed, and Christine enjoyed the sound of it. It sounded almost musical. He stretched a calloused hand towards her for her to shake. "Erik Destler. Your father hired me to help around the property. That is, assuming, you are Christine?"

Christine was spellbound by Erik's mere presence. He had an aura of tranquility and youth about him. It was love at first sight.

Blushing at the inappropriate thought, Christine broke the enchantment and shook Erik's hand. "Yes, I'm Christine." she replied, ignoring the warmth of his fingers encircling hers. "And yes, I could use some assistance. Peony must be put back in her pen."

Erik released Christine's hand and nodded. Without another word, he began to take Peony's saddle off of her. Christine watched in wonder as he led the horse gently away back into the stables. The creature didn't even whinny.

"That's incredible." the young girl murmured to herself. Erik must have heard her, for he turned around to face her once again.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing," said Christine dismissively. "It's just...she is usually very particular about who she lets come near her."

Erik smirked, and raised an eyebrow. His eyes twinkled with mirth. "I like animals." he said plainly. Christine didn't know if he was being serious, but decided to believe him either way.

For nine days after their first meeting, Christine watched Erik's every move in secret. He fascinated her in a way no other man ever had, and she wanted to get to know more of him. So many suitors had called on her since the moment she was of marrying age, but none of them had even interested her in the slightest. Erik, however...was magical.

Christine felt embarrassed to simply strike up a conversation with the lad, so she resorted to asking him to do her all sorts of silly favors just so she could speak to him. She would have him hand her a pot that was well within her reach. She once asked him to draw her some water from the well, even though she wasn't thirsty. She even insisted that he brush out her hair because she thought she had a dried leaf in it. And each time one of these strange tasks were asked of him, Erik would simply reply, "Of course, m'lady."

Christine's quirky and unusual behavior did not go unnoticed by her father. One evening at dinner, after Erik had gone home for the day, Gustave decided to ask Christine the question that had been on his mind all week.

"So my daughter," Gustave began inquisitively as he finished his stew. Christine looked up from the book she'd been reading, and smiled at him.

"Yes, papa?" she asked innocently.

"What do you think of Monsieur Destler?" questioned Gustave. He did not ignore his daughter's abnormally rosy cheeks. She looked down as she answered.

"I like him well enough." she said quietly. "He's not very social."

"Are you certain of that?" asked Gustave skeptically. "He seems more than willing to aid you with a myriad of tasks. You know, I never knew that you did not know how to fetch a pail of water from the well, my darling." If his daughter hadn't been so embarrassed, Gustave would have winked at her. As it was, he was finding it difficult not to laugh at Christine's obvious affections for the new farm hand.

"You hired him to help me, did you not?" shot Christine defensively, praying that the subject would soon close. Her father knew her far too well, and if he continued to ask about Erik, she knew she could not hide her feelings from him.

"I hired him to help me on the farm." said Gustave, shaking his head. "It was his choice to help you when you asked for it."

Christine looked up immediately, and her eyes widened in child-like glee. "You mean...you were not the one who asked him to be so kind to me?"

"My dearest Christine," smiled Gustave tentatively. "That young man has spent time with you completely of his own accord."

The very next day, Christine managed to find the confidence to speak to Erik without asking him to do her any unneccessary favors. She approached him in the stables and asked him to share a picnic lunch with her when he was done working. He said, "Of course, m'lady." as he always did, and Christine walked away feeling like she was floating on air.

During their picnic, Christine and Erik revealed their true feelings to one another. All it took was Christine saying how very much she cared for him for the floods of emotions to be released. Erik confessed to the beautiful brunette that he felt the same way, and before either of them realized it, their lips were clumsily pressed together. Passion ignited, and Erik wrapped his arms around Christine's slender frame. Christine mimicked the action, and grabbed locks of Erik's hair tightly. He gently pushed her down onto their picnic blanket so she was lying on her back, and they continued to kiss for longer than either of them realized. By the time they were ready to return to reality, the sun was gone from the sky.

Unfortunately, circumstance did not allow Erik to have enough money for marriage. He made the decision for his beloved fiancée that he would find a way for them, somehow. He pledged that he would sail around the world if he had to, but he would find riches beyond Christine's imagination that would give her the most beautiful wedding anyone anywhere had ever known. Christine insisted that she needed no wedding, that she was happy just to spend forever as the fiance of her darling Erik, but he would hear none of it. He wanted things to be done the proper way. It was a very emotional time for Christine.

"You're leaving me." Christine stated, as tears welled in her eyes. Erik stood before her in all his glory, his arms encircling her waist. He gave his dearest love a sad smile.

"Only for a little while, love." he swore. "I'm doing this for you, don't you see? I know that you will be happier once we wed."

"I don't need a ceremony!" argued Christine pathetically. She knew that Erik was too stubborn and proud to listen, but she had to try to change his mind. "My father has already said that he would go to town next week and speak to our pastor about a small gathering at no charge. Your journey is too dangerous to even think of, Erik! What if you don't come back to me?"

"Listen to me," Erik practically purred, his enchanting voice soothing Christine's frayed nerves. Despite the uneasy feelings that still weighed down her heart, Christine could not help but obey her lover. "This is true love." Erik bent closer to Christine, and whispered the words in her ear. "Nothing can stop us, Christine. I will find my fortune across the sea, and we will be wed before the year ends. The entire country will attend, and men everywhere will weep at having lost the opportunity to claim you. This I swear."

Christine pulled back slightly, and stared into the depths of Erik's startlingly green eyes. She could tell he meant every word he spoke. "Promise you'll be careful." she whimpered, clinging to him. "Promise you'll return."

"I swear by the sun, Christine." Erik vowed. Christine seemed content, and the couple sank to the ground. Erik held Christine in his arms for hours, singing softly to her. Christine knew that as long as she lived, she would never forget the sound of that beautiful voice in her mind.

Erik did not fulfill his promise to Christine. Just a month after he'd set sail from Florin, his ship was attacked by the Dread Pirate Garnier, who never took prisoners. When Christine received the letter detailing the the vicious and bloody battle on the sea, she locked herself in the stables. She stayed by Peony's side at all hours, and cried herself to sleep every night. She yearned for sleep more than anything else, because he still existed in her dreams. She would wake in the morning with the sound of his singing still in her playing over and over again.

Christine's heart was irreparably damaged. She wondered how she was not yet dead, for she surely felt that she had nothing worth living for. She could not go on without Erik!

Years passed. Gustave Daae passed away, leaving his estate and all of his possessions to his only daughter; Christine was truly all alone. It was near this time that the Prince of Florin, Raoul, was ready to select his bride. He'd heard the tragic story of the farmer's daughter and her lover, and he knew that he had to have the beautiful girl for himself. He sent for her immediately, and the moment he saw her appear in his castle, he was bewitched. Her beauty was unsurpassable, and he proposed to her before he could even ask her name. The overwhelmed girl, who had no means of finding food or clothing for herself, indifferently agreed. It was the best she would be able to do without her only love in her life. And her father would have wanted her to be taken care of.

As the future Queen, Christine was required to learn all manners of etiquette and grace. She was taught the proper ways to write, read, speak, dine, sew, dress, and behave. She rarely saw her fiancé, who was content to spend their time together staring at her and complimenting her immense wealth of physical attributes. He did not care to listen when she spoke, and he did not want to know her thoughts. The only time he wished to hear her voice was when she sang.

Because the only time that Christine ever found joy was when she sang. She had the voice of an angel, and that made her even more popular than she had been because of her beauty. Dukes and Lords from all over the land came to the palace to hear her perform arias and selections of the most prestigious qualities. The only comment anyone ever made was that, while her voice was perfect and infallible, she never seemed like she was enjoying what she was doing. And that was true; Christine had not smiled in nearly five years.

One day, and no one quite knows the reason why, Christine decided to leave the safety of the castle. Was it too stuffy? Was she especially unhappy? The reason, in the end, does not matter. What is known for certain is that when Princess Christine Daae was abducted, she was singing by a river nearly twenty miles away from the furthest palace garden.

"Such beauty! Such angelic innocence! Oh, glorious day, I have at last found heaven!"

Christine's singing was abruptly cut short at the sound of a elderly voice. She turned from her position near the river bank to see an old woman approaching her with a withering smile on her face. She was staring at Christine in mute shock.

"What is it, madame?" questioned Christine carefully. She stood, and approached the woman with bravery. She had nothing to lose. "Why do you say these things?"

"I have waited years to find a reason for me to remain on this earth!" the woman explained vaguely. When she was very close to Christine, she took her hand and grasped it firmly. She was surprisingly strong. "To know that I exist in a world with such beauty gives me joy. Your voice, my dear! It is the voice of an angel! You surely must have heard the sound of the Angel of Music in your dreams!"

Christine winced. The woman had no idea how close she was to being right. For even in death, Erik's angelic voice still penetrated her mind at all hours. "I thank you greatly, madame." was all Christine could manage to say.

"Such beauty..." the woman murmured again. Her grip on Christine's hand moved to her wrist, and tightened. "Are you Princess Christine?" she asked. Christine nodded. "Excellent." the old woman stated. "Then that means...I shall be paid very well. Of all the places to find you! Oh, he shall be very, very pleased..."

Before Christine could even scream, two hands came from behind her and wrapped around her mouth. A third person came bearing rope, and tied it securely around Christine's frame. Her arms were bound. A fourth person, most likely a man, swept Christine off her feet and hauled her over his broad back. Her wide, panicking eyes could only somewhat see the circus clowns who were abducting her.

The rag-tag band of thieves were stealing the princess and taking her to a ship. Their plan was to begin a war between the kingdoms of Florin and Guilder by killing Princess Christine and framing Guilder. The leader of the group, the old woman, was in actuality an incredibly smart lady who went by the name "Giry". Her daughter, Meg, was a skilled acrobat and con-artist. The two buffoons who took up the rear were brothers named "André" and "Firmin". They were only in on the plan for the money, and were none too bright.

The five people, four thieves and one princess, were on a small boat for nearly three days. They were sailing in the direction of the Guilder frontier, and were very impatient. Christine was almost relieved that death was coming so soon - she knew that she was not strong enough to live without Erik any longer. Unknowing of the reason the band of thieves wanted to kill her in the first place, however, Christine did not dare tell them that she did not mind death. The only person onboard who was even mildly interested in Christine at all was the little blonde acrobat. Late at night, when the brothers and Giry were asleep, Meg would sneak down to see the princess and speak with her.

"Meg, why do you keep coming to see me? If your mother finds out you will be in horrible trouble." stated Christine on the third night Meg came to see her. The younger girl sighed, and rolled her eyes.

"Let her find out." said Meg angrily. "Maybe then she would disown me and I would never have to see her again!"

"She's your mother!" exclaimed Christine in disbelief. If her own mother was still alive, even if she was evil, Christine knew how undying loyal she would be to her. "You must love her?"

"Not at all." said Meg. "Maybe I would if she loved me, but she doesn't. I'm only useful to her because I can help her make money. I don't want to have a hand in killing you, Princess."

"As I've told you before, it's Christine." said Christine exasperated. "And also as I've told you before, feel no guilt about my death, Meg. I absolve you of that sin."

"You don't have the power to ease my conscience, Princess!" said Meg sadly, wiping a tear from her eye. "I've grown so terribly fond of you! You're gentle as a dove, and I couldn't bear to watch you die! You're too good! I'm not good at all; I've helped steal and lie and...worse. You could save me, Princess. You could take me away to the castle and make me into a better person! We could run back to your love, Prince Raoul, and -"

"Please, stop!" begged Christine, beginning to cry herself. "Do not call the Prince my love! If you never do another thing again, let it be that you shall not say I love that scoundrel!"

Meg looked confused, but mutely nodded. She knew she would have to hear Princess Christine's story at some point. But the older girl was obviously exhausted, and so for that night, Meg let her sleep.

As dawn broke over the horizon, Giry noticed something quite unbelievable. Their ship, their undetectable ship, was being followed!

"Inconceivable!"

As quickly as she could, Giry commanded her crew to make port at the nearest point of land. That land just so happened to be the Cliffs of Insanity, which would eventually lead them to the Guilder frontier. André and Firmin took turns carrying the princess, and Meg assisted her mother in preparing the boat to dock. Christine remained indifferent and complacent.

"Meg!" snapped Giry angrily when they were finally on land. The ship that had been following them was coming too close for comfort. "What is the quickest way to climb the cliff?"

"I have the stamina to do it as you'd expect." said Meg professionally. She then looked warily at André and Firmin, who were struggling not to drop the Princess. "But I think I am the only one."

"IDIOTS!" screeched Giry at André and Firmin. The shock of being yelled at did cause the brothers to drop the Princess, who fell to the rocky ground with a yelp of pain. Meg immediately rushed to the princess's aid as Giry continued her rant. "I hired you under the impression that you were the strongest men in the land! Yet you cannot lift a depressed maiden who weighs less than nothing? How do you expect us to make it to the top of that cliff?"

"I-Is there a way around?" stammered André nervously. Firmin gulped.

"Of course not!" shouted Giry. "Do you see one? NO! You morons! You unbelievable imbeciles! How will we ever succeed now? You are deluded if you expect to be paid after this!"

"Please!" begged Firmin helplessly. "We need the money, madame! We'll do whatever you ask! What if we just killed the girl now? This is close enough to Guilder that anyone would suspect them!"

"No," corrected Giry. "This is close enough to the ocean that anyone would suspect she drowned swimming!"

"No, Firmin is right." chirped Meg. "Her wounds would be too severe to think she had merely drowned. She died an obviously violent death. Anyone would suspect Guilder - take my word for once, mother."

During the entire exchange, Christine remained absolutely silent. She couldn't have cared less.

"HURRY AND DECIDE!" squeaked André. "T-That ship is coming faster! They're going to catcn us, and we'll be executed!"

Giry slapped André across the face sternly. "NEVER TELL ME WHAT TO DO!" she screeched.

Meg briefly caught Christine's eye, and winked. She removed a pocket knife from her boot, and grabbed the ends of Christine's hair. She cut off a chunk of it quickly, and handed it to her mother. "Here." she said simply. Giry stared.

"What's this for?" she asked.

"Take André and Firmin on the boat. Keep sailing until you reach the Guilder frontier. Take the princess's hair and this bloodied knife -" Meg cut her finger with her knife then, and smeared the blood across the blade. "And leave it somewhere the Prince will find it. I will take care of the princess here, and then take the body up the cliff and meet you at the frontier. That way, the ship will follow you and never see the deed done."

"Ah," cooed Giry thoughtfully. "I am once again reminded of just why it is that I keep you around, Marguerite." Meg nodded solemnly, and watched with growing confidence as her mother took her goons and sailed away. The other ship, the one that was surely coming to the Princess's rescue, was growing closer to the Cliffs of Insanity.

"You didn't have to do that." said Christine sadly. She sounded more like she was mourning someone than thanking them.

"Yes I did." said Meg kindly, helping Christine up from her place on the ground and untying her. "You're my friend."

Christine felt a shock at the word - it had been so long since she'd had friends. For the first time in a long time, a smile appeared on her face. "Friend." she repeated. She liked the sound of the word.

"That ship approaching is surely coming to your rescue. Its captain will deliver us safely back to Florin. And if he does just want to kill us, then we're no worse than we were before!" Meg laughed, trying to ease the growing tension, and she and Christine waited with still hearts for the ship to finally make port.

They were shocked to see only one man disembark when the ship docked. He was dressed head to toe in black with a mask upon his face, and the mere sight of him sent shivers down the backs of Meg and Christine.

"Monsieur?" asked Meg loudly, trying to sound confident. She gulped hard. "W-Were you following that ship that disappeared a little while ago?"

The man, who simply stood in front of his ship staring at the two women, nodded without a word.

"Did you wish to rescue the princess?" questioned Meg carefully. Once again, the man nodded.

Before Meg could say anything more, Christine interrupted. "Well, I thank you, monsieur." she said sourly. All of the pent up rage she had acquired over the course of the past five years seemed to explode in that one infinite moment. "But the princess did not want to be saved!"

"Princess -" said Meg quietly, but Christine refused to listen. She ran towards the man carelessly, and stood before him. He was taller than her, much taller, and she wished she could see his face so she could gauge his reactions as she spoke.

"If you would like to help me, monsieur, then why don't you just kill me quickly? I was ready to die by their hands! T'would have been a better fate than the merry wedding I was going to be forced to attend in a month's time! Oh, my husband would have adored me, of course! But that would only be because he does not know me! Not that you care about a sad widow's tale, monsieur, but may I tell you the conversations I have with my fiancé? We have no conversations! I'm more like a pet canary than a bride to be - he stares at my beauty and listens with eager attentiveness to my singing, but that is all! I'm on display at all hours of the day, and finally when there was a way to escape..." Christine could yell no longer. With a sinking heart she began to sob, showing more emotion in front of a stranger than she had in front of anyone else in years. Meg, who stood behind her still, was shocked into silence.

"Please," Christine begged, unable to look up at the stranger. "Please, kill me. I cannot live in a world where he does not exist any longer! I am not strong enough, monsieur. My only title as long as I live will be the Singing Bride - I will always be a wife, and I will always be a singer, but I shall never be Christine."

"Oh, Princess..." murmured Meg, as though she was in physical pain. "Dear Christine..."

The man in black grabbed Christine's arm roughly, and forced her to stand at her full height before him. He seemed to assess her for a moment before leading her with purpose to his ship. Meg followed obediently, hoping beyond hopes that the man meant them no harm.

Onboard the man's ship, Meg and Christine sat on the rough wooden deck. It was wet and smelled of moss and decay. The man in black began to steer away from the Cliffs of Insanity, all the while never speaking. Meg grasped Christine's hand firmly, concerned that her new friend would do something drastic if left alone. What had Christine meant, widow? And why was she so sad and lonely?

"Monsieur?" Meg called worriedly. The man in black nodded, confirming that he'd heard Meg. "What shall we call you?"

The man cocked his head to the side, gesturing to a barrel very near him. On the side of the barrel, the word 'Garnier' was printed in big, bold letters.

Meg went pale. "A-Are you the Dread Pirate Garnier?" Her teeth chattered in fear, and she suddenly wished she would have just gone with her mother. For now, she and Christine would surely die!

At the sound of the name Christine looked up, and had more passion in her gaze than ever before. She tore away from Meg's hand, and stood angrily. She stalked towards Garnier with malice in her every step. When she reached him, she resisted the urge to tear him to pieces with her bare hands.

"How dare you even be alive?" she said through gritted teeth. She took a steadying breath, and her voice became rougher and more violent. "How dare you show your face to me? Y-You!"

"Christine, what are you doing?" asked Meg in disbelief. She was frozen to the spot in absolute terror.

"You killed my love." stated Christine directly, forcing Garnier to look her in the eye while she spoke. Garnier smirked in an evil way, and bowed. The action caused Christine to be even more filled with rage.

"I kill a lot of people, dear." he spoke in a demeaning way. His voice was smooth and sweet, and Christine swore she'd heard it before. But she forced herself to focus on the words.

"Why are you proud?" she gasped in horror. "You killed him! You killed the most beautiful, kind-hearted, perfect..." Christine trailed off, her eyes becoming misty with memory. She'd never thought of Erik so much at one time since his death, and how clearly his face came to her mind after so long was unsettling.

"No man is perfect, dear, especially not the sort you associate yourself with." Garnier said triumphantly. He talked like a man who had no chance of ever being wrong.

"Don't call me dear." commanded Christine in her best authoritative voice. "And how would you know who I associate myself with? You know nothing about me."

"I know the man you're marrying, though." said Garnier through clenched teeth. "And since you're so keen on being frank, dear, I figured I would be honest with you. If your former husband was anything like your new one is, then I consider myself a saint for destroying him."

"You didn't know him!" insisted Christine, tears pricking her eyes without her permission. She did not want to appear any weaker in front of her Erik's killer, but she couldn't help it. He could not say such things about Erik! "He was no prince, he was nothing like Raoul! He was...he was..."

"He was what?" mocked Garnier. He smirked once more, and that's what did it - that's what set Christine off past the point of no return.

"He was stubborn!" she screamed. Her voice shook and wavered, and echoed off the sides of the ship into the empty afternoon air. "He was stubborn and proud and irrational! He was loving, and comforting, and observant, and polite, and...he was mine! And you, Monsieur Garnier, are the man who took him away from me! We were going to be MARRIED! And you - you ruined everything!"

There was silence aboard the vessel. Little Meg was stunned at Christine's courage. Garnier was stunned at Christine's volume. And Christine was stunned at herself.

"You deserve to die." said Christine blackly, boring her eyes into Garnier's. The older man chuckled slightly.

"Of course, m'lady." he said in reply.

The remark Christine had planned to make caught in her throat. Her eyes watered and her eyebrows scrunched together. Her voice faltered as she whispered, "What...did you say?"

Garnier slowly took his mask off to reveal the face of Erik Destler. A gruesome scar ran the length of the right side of his face, from his temple to his jaw. But it was undoubtedly him. "I said," he repeated softly, "Of course, m'lady. If you wish for me to die, then die I shall. I could not live only to watch you marry another."

End of Part 1! This is going to be a two-shot, and I'll upload Part 2 ASAP! The speed of the update all depends on the amount of feedback I get, I suppose ;) So if that's an incentive to review, great! I love knowing what my readers think, so please don't hesitate to tell me! I thank you all very much for clicking on :) Ciao for now!