The Phantom's Heir: Chapter 2

Raoul's Return

Erik stared out the window of the carriage, watching Paris pass by. He looked at his mother whom looked as if her mind was elsewhere that he was sitting right beside her. "Mother, are you.." he didn't finish his question because the driver had pulled the horses up to a stop even though they were several miles from the shipping yard where they were to board their ship to Africa. "What's going on?" Christine asked with her normal authority, Erik looked out the window, to see a white male of average height standing in front of their carriage, "I don't know mother, but there is a young man standing talking to the driver." he told his mother who went rigid, "What does he look like?" she asked in an urgent whisper, Erik looked harder, "He is about my height, with long brown hair, and from what I can tell he has green eyes, why mother who is he?" Erik asked urgently

Christine felt the color leave her cheeks as Erik described the man, "It is the Vicomte de Chagny, Raoul. He was the my other lover at the time of the Opera House Disaster." She felt a tear run down her cheek, 'I mustn't let Raoul know that Erik is my son's father'

she told herself firmly, "Erik listen to me, do not, I repeat do not let what this man say about your father get to you, he mustn't know that Erik is your father." Her young son nodded in understanding, Christine watched as Raoul made his way to her door. "Why good evening Miss Daae," he said politely not knowing that she had married. "Good evening Raoul, it is actually Destler now." she corrected him as politely as possible, but she didn't miss the swift expression that swept across his face.

Raoul had been sitting in a small cafe when he saw a carriage with his childhood sweetheart, Christine Daae in the back, he quickly payed for his coffee and left waving down the carriage. "Excuse me, are you transporting Miss Daae?" he asked quietly, fully aware that a young man was looking at him from the carriage, the driver nodded, "Thank you," Raoul said with a tip of his cap, and made his way to the passeger, "Why good evening Miss Daae," Raoul had a happy smile on his face, because he hadn't seen Christine in years. The smile disappeared as he heard her correction, and he knew that name. "Do you mean that you married the man who would have killed me, if you hadn't agreed to marry him!" he was outraged, but then taken aback as the young man shoved his face into Raoul's own, "YOU can shut up, just because he helped her become a star doesn't mean that you had a right to her, just because he was deformed." the young man spat.

Erik had been just fine until he heard Raoul make a mistake in hinting that his father forced his mother to marry him. Erik put his face in this pig's, "YOU can shut up, just because he helped her become a star doesn't mean that you had a right to her, just because he was deformed." he spat, it wasn't until after he finished that he realized he did exactly what his mother told him not to. He quickly glanced at his mother with an apologetic look in his eyes, but his mother's face was white as a sheet. "You, you had a child with him!" the man exclaimed "But how, how did he not turn out as deformed as his murderous father?" the man continued and that was the breaking point, Erik got out his father's sword, "You have insulted my Father's honor, my Mother's honor, and mine sir, you may have a sharp tongue, but let's see how sharp your blade is." He challenged

Raoul looked at him with pure hatred in his eyes, "I accept" he said and drew his own. Christine started begging them not to fight. Not for fear of her son's life, but Raoul's because Erik had also inherited his father's superior swordsmanship. But they ignored her and began circling each other waiting for the opportunity to strike.