Prologue
"I'm so cold, so, so cold" thought Rachel as she looked around the dark, snowy square. "Where are you mother, why have you abandoned me?" She sighed and pulled her small worn cloak around her even tighter. "What have I done?" She yawned and drew back behind a wall, to keep the wind from biting so badly. "Why of all seasons, did you choose to abandon me now, mother?" she asked finally drifting into sleep.
The next morning she awoke to the sound of the busy square. Getting up and shaking the snow off her fragile body she started toward the middle of the square, where the Opera House was and pulled her cap off, setting it on the ground. "I'll sing for money, I only need a little" She called out to the public. She looked around as passerby's ignored her. She sighed opening her mouth and letting her high first soprano voice hit with a rendition of Amazing Grace, an old English favorite of hers, her lilting French-soprano voice sang out far and loud enough for the baker to hear it in the market. Slowly, a small crowd began to circle in around her till she was singing, hymns to old favorites.
She sang all day, but once it started it started getting dark, the crowd left as it had come, till two young couples were left listening to her. Slowly they dropped money into her hat and left. She watched them retreat into the distance, before quickly picking up her hat and counting her money. Enough for dinner, and maybe a new cloak. Quickly stashing the money in a small satchel tied around her waist, she went back to the place she had found last night to rest, only to find a new cloak and some money and a note lying there, along with some food in a medium sized cloth bag. She quickly pulled off her old cloak and stuck the new one on, it was made of black, wooly-type fabric with a hood, it buttoned up all the way. It was obviously one of the more expensive type.
She stuck some of the bread from the bag into her mouth. "Mmmm it's still warm" She sat down and opened the letter; Dear Rachel,
How I know your name will remain a mystery for now. All I know is your voice is beautiful, meet me at the door of the Opera House tomorrow morning, and if you will let me train you, I will feed, clothe and shelter you, but you must not show yourself till I say it is to be so. You must not let others know about me.
Yours truly- xoxxo
Rachel sat for awhile thinking; finally she decided she would submit. Possibly if it didn't work out she could escape. She was good at that. At 16 she had escaped from many situations. Possibly, she could find a way to do the same this, and start new. She went to sleep warmer than she had in 2 weeks. That next morning she woke up and ran over to the Opera House. Hesitating at the door she knocked, twice in fact. Finally looking at the sign it said it was closed. "What this makes no sense" Suddenly she heard bolts open.