Candles lined the walls, a flute rested on a piano, a violin and an organ sat lonesome; untouched for quite a while. Shadows lurked around every corner and a single black rose had been placed on the black bed. Such was the lair of Lycoris, princess of the night. Her long, black and silver hair was kept in one or two braids and atop her head rested a silver circlet. Her dress was made of darkness; it was not simply black. When she moved it was as if the dress changed- one minute, the dress would be purely black, and the next it would be flecked with silver. Her piercing, silver eyes bore into the souls of those who saw her; if they were lucky enough to catch even the slightest glimpse. When one saw her beautiful, haunting face- one would never forget it. The fortunate one would tell the tale for years to come…that is, if they even lived through the experience. If one did see her, rarely did one see her face; all that you could see was her perfect, pale skin and her blood red lips. The rest of her features were covered by a black mask. The reason Lycoris wore a mask was not because of facial deformities or scars; she wore a mask because of her terrible, haunting beauty. The moment anyone looked upon her face they would do anything for her. No matter what. When she turned thirteen she decided to wear a mask for the rest of her life.
Her parents had abandoned her at birth because of her terrible beauty. She had been left for dead for quite a while. She lived on the street for a long time until she discovered the opera house. It was said to be haunted by a phantom- the Phantom of the Opera- as he was called. She was intrigued by the phantom, so, at the age of seventeen, she made her way to the opera house.
Chapter One
Mask and Mask Alike
Lycoris carefully made her way into the opera house, avoiding the gazes and whispers that were directed at her. She could hear someone singing, whom she presumed was Carlotta.
She's awful! Lycoris thought while walking forward. She gasped as one of the sets came crashing down; almost injuring Carlotta.
"The Phantom!" Lycoris whispered excitedly.
"Excuse me, miss, are you here to join the company?" a medium- height woman with dirty blond hair kept in a braid asked her. Lycoris turned around and shook her head. The lady's eyes flashed as she saw her mask.
"What are you here for then? Not to gawk at the house of the phantom, I hope."
Lycoris shook her head frantically.
"Can you not speak, child?"
"No Madame, I can speak." Lycoris said quietly.
"I repeat; what are you doing here?"
"I have no home and hoped I could find someplace to stay, maybe cleaning the opera house or…I just need someplace to say."
"I am sorry, dear child, but this is not an orphanage- go elsewhere." The woman began to walk away.
"Wait!" Lycoris said. The woman stopped. "I can sing." Lycoris protested. The woman turned around and came toward her, "What did you say?" she asked.
"I can sing." Lycoris repeated.
"Sing then." She said.
"I know no songs." Lycoris replied.
"Then how do you know you can sing?"
"I know no songs but my own."
The woman raised one eyebrow, "You compose?"
"Yes, Madame."
"Come with me." The woman walked through the aisles of the house then went backstage, past the dormitories and dressing rooms, down a corridor and into a small room with a piano.
"In case you do not know, I am Madame Giry. Now, sit." She pointed to the piano stool. Lycoris sat and placed her hands on the keyboard. She began to play a beautiful piece in a minor key. Her voice was soft and sweet, yet it had an eerie feel to it. At the end of her piece Madame Giry clapped lightly, "Well done." She said. "Now, please, if you will, take off your mask- this is an opera house, not a masquerade."
"Please, don't make me do that." Lycoris said.
"And why not?"
Lycoris swallowed, "I can't."
Madame Giry seemed to understand and took her by the hand and led her to the maestro.
"Will you sing for him?" she asked. Lycoris hesitated then nodded. She sat down at the piano and began to play. Her voice, though soft, began to fill the opera house. Its eerie melodic sound traveled through the house. She closed her eyes as she let her fingers stroke the keys and her voice soar. A few of the actors in the troupe began to gather, then a few more. Lycoris didn't notice- she was immersed in her music. As she stopped, the maestro and the audience that had gathered began to clap. She gasped and swallowed and tried to hide her face, but Madame Giry came up behind her.
"You are good, there's no need to worry." She whispered.
"I just do not like crowds." Lycoris whispered back.
"Welcome to the troop, Miss…?" the maestro said.
"Lycoris." She said quietly.
"I will show you where you stay." Madame Giry smiled and took her hand and led her to the dormitories. She led her to a small, plain, white bed in the corner of the dormitories. It was separated from all the rest of the beds by a simple white curtain.
"Come to practice. My daughter, Meg, will try to help you."
"Thank you." Lycoris said quietly. She set her bag down on the bed and pulled the curtain as Madame Giry left. Lycoris changed into a black dress with spaghetti straps and a beautiful chiffon skirt with layers upon layers of fabric under the skirt. She had matching black ballet toe shoes that she laced onto her feet. She made sure her mask was still intact and she walked quietly and gracefully into the auditorium. All of the company turned to stare at her, save the maestro, Madame Giry and Carlotta. A whisper erupted through the crowd, concerning her mask. Lycoris pretended not to hear or notice anything, yet she knew everything that was going on around her.
"This is Miss Lycoris; she has come to join the troupe." Madame Giry announced. Lycoris curtsied quickly and kept her head down.
"Hold your head up with pride- they can tell you're intimidated." Madame Giry whispered.
"Meg, come here please." Madame Giry motioned for her daughter. She had blond hair and crystal blue eyes.
"You will teach Miss Lycoris, if she catches on quickly, good, if not, I will tutor her. Now, resume rehearsal."
As Lycoris stood there, waiting for Meg, she noticed two things that made her stand out from the rest of the troupe. One was, of course, her mask, the other her dress; she was the only one, other than Madame Giry, wearing black.
Meg came and took her hand; only staring at her mask apprehensively for a moment then smiled and led her onto the stage. The steps were fairly easy, especially since Lycoris had learned to dance a few years before. After rehearsal, Meg introduced her to a friend of hers, Christine Daae. Christine stared curiously at her mask, but made no snide remark. Instead, she simply made polite conversation. Lycoris was beginning to feel accepted. She thought no one cared about her mask or her unearthly voice. For once in her life she felt almost normal. At least… until dinner.
She had finished eating quickly when one of the men came up to her.
"Why do you hide your face?" he asked. Lycoris stayed silent and stared down at her plate.
"Look; she can only talk while she's singing! She can only communicate through her precious music." A large woman said.
"Stop!" Christine said, "Stop ridiculing her!" Meg finished. Ignoring their warning, another of the men stood up.
"I know why she wears a mask; she's preparing to play the part of Papagano in "The Magic Flute"." He laughed and came over to her. "Or maybe, her face is deformed." He snickered, as did the rest of the company, save Meg and Christine. The man reached up as if to remove her mask, but before he could even begin to pull it off, Lycoris took a black, skinny, twisted dagger out from under her skirt (it had been strapped to her leg) and held it to his neck.
"I lived on the street for many years, Monsieur. I know how to defend myself." She said quietly, but menacingly.
"Looks like the snake not only has two faces, but a poisonous bite as well." He quipped.
"I am tempted to slit your throat, Monsieur." She said and then slowly lowered her hand.
"You are a coward." He said.
"I am trying to be patient with you, sir."
The man laughed and tried again to remove her mask. Quick as lightning, Lycoris took the dagger and ran it across his cheek and drawing blood, leaving a cut that would probably scar.
"I warned you." She whispered. She walked out of the dining area to her bed. She changed into a long black silk nightgown and black silk legwarmers and crawled into the bed. She never moved in her sleep. Her hands were crossed over her heart and her legs were curled into a ball. Her dagger was once again strapped to its former place on her calf. Her mask was still on- for fear of someone walking in on her as she slept. Her face was so peaceful and serene, no shadows or grimaces distorted it. She rarely dreamed, such was the case that night, but while asleep she could hear everything that went on around her. She heard stories told about her all through the night. All of which were lies. One particular story made her out to be a demon from the underworld. Another claimed she was a murderer and was hiding her face from the authorities. Yet another story about her was circling around- people believed she was a heretic, a witch, and because of her satanic practices she wore masks and never wore any color save black. By morning, Lycoris had heard enough fables and rumors. She gathered her things and, first thing in the morning, she had Meg take her to Madame Giry's room.
"Madame?" Lycoris waited outside Meg's mother's room.
"Who is it?"
"Lycoris." She said.
"Come in." Madame Giry opened the door and offered her a seat. Lycoris sat and sighed.
"I cannot stay." She said.
"Why not?"
"I am too much of a distraction; my mask, my clothes. The stories- after only one day- about me. I must leave." She said.
"I heard about the incident at dinner last night, I am truly sorry. If I had been there I would have made sure it hadn't happened. You have a beautiful voice and exceptional talent. If only this world did not judge people on appearances alone." Madame Giry shook her head. "I would prefer you did not leave." She said.
"After one day I began to love it here, but I can't; no one wants a freak in their opera." Lycoris said.
"Come with me." Madame said and took her hand. "Bring your things."
Lycoris took her bag and followed Madame Giry. Madame opened a secret panel in the wall and kept walking through the dark corridors. She finally led her to a small room down below the main opera.
Candles lined the walls, a flute rested on a piano, a violin and an organ sat lonesome; untouched for quite a while. Shadows lurked around every corner and a single black rose had been placed on the black bed.
"If you wish, you may live here. The Phantom will not mind. But remember, never anger him; if you do, keep your hand at the level of your eyes." She said.
Lycoris' smiled. "Thank you, Madame, for your kindness. And, if you can, thank the phantom for his generosity."
Madame Giry smiled, "You may one day see him yourself. I will have food delivered here for you every day, if you need anything- you know where to find me. Don't let anyone see you. Let them believe you are "The Princess of Darkness". A black cloak may be in order. I'll have one sent to you tomorrow. The opera house is your home now; learn everything you can about it, its secrets, its passages, everything. You may need to protect it one day."
"How can I ever thank you?"
"Be the guardian of the weak. Show compassion to those hated by society. Do what the Phantom asks of you."
Lycoris nodded, "Thank you." She repeated. Madame Giry smiled and disappeared through the hidden door. Lycoris sat on the bed and picked up the rose.
"Princess of Darkness." She smiled, "It has a nice ring to it." She said. She looked down at her black ballet shoes and pointed her toes.
"With a name like that I need an appropriate costume." Since she had no parents to instruct her, Lycoris was, in a way, still very childish. She emptied the contents of her bag and spread the dresses out on her bed. Each of them were black, but they were all different styles. She finally decided on the black ballet shoes, her spaghetti strap silk leotard and flowing tutu she had worn the night before, her mask (of course) and upon her head she placed a silver circlet she had bought from a gypsy. She let her hair down, and instead of one braid, she twisted it into two. The cape would make a perfect finishing touch.
After her wardrobe had been chosen she turned to the piano. She ran her hand up and down the keyboard and then began to play. Her voice sang softly with the melody. For the rest of the day she caressed the piano. She created new songs and polished the old. Night came quickly. Around nine o'clock she heard a knock on her door.
"Who is it?" she asked.
"Madame Giry."
"Come in." Lycoris got up from the piano and sat down on her bed.
"Here is your dinner." Madame said.
"Thank you." She said.
"I tried to bring you lunch, but you were playing so intently I dared not disturb you. I will bring you your cloak sometime tonight or early morning. Good night, Lycoris." Madame Giry left and Lycoris began to eat. She finished her dinner and placed the tray outside her door. She changed into her nightgown and fell asleep quickly. Throughout the night she thought she could hear someone singing.
The next morning Lycoris found a long black cloak at the foot of her bed. She put it on –along with the rest of her costume- and spun around. A large smile spread across her face as she realized that the cloak made her look like she had disappeared.
"Perfect." She said. "Well, I suppose now is as good as any time to explore." She slipped out of her room and tiptoed down the dark corridor. As she was exploring she heard someone, a male, singing. Since it was an opera house she didn't think anything of it. That is, until she realized the voice wasn't coming from above (where the stage was located). She realized it was coming from below. She looked back to make sure no one was following her and began to cautiously follow the voice.
"Night-time sharpens, heightens each sensation…
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination…
Silently the senses abandon their defenses…"
Whoever it was had a beautiful voice and was a wonderful composer and musician. She knew it was composed because, every once in a while, the man would pause and make corrections to a note and then begin to sing again.
"Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor…
Grasp it, sense it- tremulous and tender…
Turn your face away from the garish light of day,
Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light-
And listen to the music of the night…"
Lycoris brushed cobwebs from her face and continued to follow the sound. Oddly, every time she passed a candle on the wall it would light. She kept looking back to make sure no one was following her.
"Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams!
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before!
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar!
And you'll live as you've never lived before…"
Lycoris finally, after going down a large stone staircase and sidestepping a trap door, found the source of the sound. At the bottom of the staircase was a lake, and on the lake was a boat. Across the lake there were many candles and what looked like someone's lair. Lycoris stepped into the boat and quietly paddled to the other side.
"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you…
Hear it feel it, secretly possess you…
Open up your mind; let your fantasies unwind,
In this darkness which you know you cannot fight-
The darkness of the music of the night."
Lycoris got out of the boat and found herself on a stone island with many candles and musical instruments. She saw a man playing a piano. From what she could see, he had black hair and wore black pants, a black coat and a white ruffled shirt.
"Let your mind start a journey through a strange, new world!
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before!
Let your soul take you where you long to be!
Only then can you belong to me…"
Lycoris cautiously stepped closer to the man at the piano. She was thankful she had chosen to wear ballet shoes, as they made little to no sound as she tiptoed across the room.
"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication!
Touch me, trust me, savor each sensation.
Let the dream begin,
Let your darker side give in to the power-"
The man stopped abruptly and turned around quickly. Lycoris bit her lip and stood silent, cursing herself for getting caught. Then she realized something about the man that startled and comforted her at the same time; he had on a mask.
"Don't stop." She whispered.
"Who are you?" he growled as he stood up and strode toward her.
"Ly-" she began, then corrected herself. "The Princess of Darkness. And you are…?" she stood up straight as if to intimidate him.
He almost smiled, "The Phantom of the Opera." He said. Lycoris started then curtsied quickly.
"I am sorry to disturb you." She swallowed and looked at the floor. He took his hand and lifted her chin so that she faced him.
"You did nothing wrong, just make sure it doesn't happen again." He said.
"Thank you, sir, for the room." She curtsied again.
He nodded then gestured to her mask. "Why do you wear that?" he asked. Lycoris looked down.
"I would rather not say." She said.
"It cannot be any worse than my deformity." He said gesturing to the mask that covered the right side of his face, save his lips.
"Trust me, it can." She argued. He traced her mask with his hand, a puzzled look on his face. Lycoris closed her eyes and felt chills run up and down her spine. The Phantom began to lift her mask from her face.
"Please, no." she whispered. He slowly took his hand away and let the mask fall back in place.
"Would you like to see what lies behind my mask?" he asked.
"Only if you want me to." She replied.
He smirked, "I do think the sight might be too much for you."
"Try me." Lycoris challenged. Slowly, the Phantom took her hand in his and drew it closer to his face, placing it at the corner of the mask. Lycoris slowly began to take it off.
"Do know one thing." He said, "Actually, two. If you laugh I will kill you. And, once you see my face you cannot ever be free."
Lycoris nodded her head once and slowly took off his mask. His face was gruesomely deformed and the hair on the right side of his scalp was discolored. Lycoris made no sound or look of repulsion or pity; she only stared straight at his face. She lifted her hand to his face and felt the deformity. She slowly gave him back his mask. He turned around and put it back on. He turned back around slowly to find that Lycoris had her hand on her mask. She swallowed and slowly took it off. The Phantom made no sound as he lifted his hand and felt her perfect skin.
"Why do you hide behind a mask?" Lycoris asked as she put her mask back on.
"The cruelty of the world- my parents sold me to the gypsies. I was presented as "The Devil's Child" there was no compassion in the world for me…" he paused, "Why am I telling you this?" he growled.
"Maybe because I understand how you feel." Lycoris replied.
"Come, I must get you back to your room." He said. Now though, there was certain compassion in his voice that had not been there before. He donned his cloak and gloves and motioned for her to follow. Instead of climbing aboard the boat, the Phantom led her to a red curtain that he pulled back to reveal a door. He walked through the door and on the left opened another secret entrance to Lycoris' room.
"Remember, the secrets you learn of the opera house are not to be told to anyone (save me). I shall expect you back tomorrow to begin your lessons." The Phantom turned to leave.
"Lessons?" Lycoris asked.
"Yes, you have a wonderful voice. With the proper training it could be spectacular. I heard you composing earlier." With that the phantom disappeared through the secret door. Lycoris lay back on her bed and thought about the morning's events. Before she knew it, she had fallen asleep with the black rose in her hand.
About nine hours later Lycoris awoke to find her dinner, along with her black rose, on the top of the piano.
I cannot believe I slept for so long! She got up and ate, then redid her hair. On the piano she found a pair of black fingerless gloves. They were grommetted to fit with black velvet ribbons. She slipped them on and found that they fit perfectly. Placed next to them was a note, it said:
I thought you might have need of these.
~Madame Giry
Lycoris retied her cloak around her neck, redid the laces on her ballet shoes and straightened her dress. She set the tray outside and blew out the candles in her room.
Now, to explore…without disturbing the Phantom, she thought. Lycoris found her way to the very top of the theatre. She looked at the beautiful chandelier and the paintings on the ceiling. The opera house was dark, so she couldn't see as much as she had hoped to, but what she could barely make out in the dark theatre was breathtaking. Then, after looking around from the top of the house, she went backstage. She found props, costumes and sets. She passed a couple wrapped in an embrace, but they didn't notice her. She only rolled her eyes and continued to go about her business. Her steps were light and graceful. They were so graceful it looked as if she was dancing on air. She looked up to the rafters and saw someone looking down at her. She narrowed her eyes and, with the help of her cloak and a trap door, made it look as if she had disappeared. From under the stage she found a staircase leading up to the rafters. She quietly padded up and snuck up behind the man that had been staring at her. She breathed next to his ear and quickly ducked down, letting the black of her cloak cover her. He turned around,
"Wh-who's there?" he stuttered. Lycoris didn't move a muscle as he stepped right next to her fingers and walked past her. Once he had left she brushed the dirt from her cloak and flitted down the curved staircase.
"Throughout the years I was always good at sneaking around, thank heavens I had that training. I am doing rather well." She whispered to herself.
"Do not get cocky, my friend." She heard a voice behind her. She turned around swiftly to find no one was there.
Interesting…she thought. She curtsied to the shadows and continued on her way. Lycoris finally found her way to the girls' dormitories (through a secret entrance, of course) and listened to their conversation.
"I wonder why Lycoris left." Meg was saying.
"She probably ran off with one of the male chorus members. She used her witchcraft to ensnare them. Whoever it was is probably dead in an alley now." Someone, presumably male, meaning to scare the girls, said. At that moment Madame Giry appeared from the shadows and slapped the speaker.
"Joseph Bouquet, hold your tongue!" she said in a singsong voice, "The Princess of Darkness or the Phantom may hear you. They do not take kindly to false rumors."
Hmmmm… Lycoris thought, I think I shall make a visit to Monsieur Bouquet's room. Put some humbleness and fear into his heart.
With that, Lycoris waited until Joseph left for his room. She stealthily followed him, watching him closely from behind. Once he went into his room she stayed outside of his door for an hour to make sure he was asleep. She wrote a quick note and slipped it under his door. The note said.
Monsieur Bouquet,
Be careful of your words. You do not know who will hear them.
Sincerely,
The Princess of Darkness
For a few more hours she explored the secrets of the house, but remembering she had a lesson in the morning, she made her way back to her room and changed back into her nightgown and fell asleep.