Author's Note: It's Monday morning, and I'll be wrapped up the rest of the week with school and work so I don't know when the next update will be- sorry guys! Lucky for you, this chapter is pretty long. Please read and review, have a great day! PS- Erik's various masks throughout this story were inspired by the leper king's masks in the movie Kingdom of Heaven


Christine moved away from Erik, staring down at the golden ring that looped over her finger. How had this happened? Just the day before, she had been concerned with nothing more than planting in her garden and running on the white shores of her home; now, she had been forced to marry this crazed man, Erik. The room spun around her as she tried to gain her bearings.

'I've been brought here to become his slave, and now I'm supposed to be his wife! This is insanity- surely this has all been a dream?'

Christine sunk down into one of the chairs and put her head in her hands. She took several deep breaths before straightening up and facing Erik, her "husband". There was no attempt made to hide her stare as she assessed him.

Erik was a tall man, which had been her first impression of him when he'd woken her up. Tall, and wearing a black suit- his dress made him completely out of place when compared to the other men, they had been wearing white and beige robes.

'Those other men…'

How had Erik done that? How was he able to switch so easily from the soothing presence she'd met that morning to the sinister threatening force that had roped that other man's neck? Which one was the real Erik- both, or neither?

God, she knew nothing about him!

Christine felt Erik move towards her, felt his hand settle over the curve of her shoulder. She fought the urge to cringe away from him. He knelt down beside her and Christine vaguely wondered about his mask- it was black plated metal, covering his entire face, from forehead to chin. The mask had the molded features of a human face, though it gave her the vague impression of a stage character.

'Vaudeville.'

Christine could see Erik's amber eyes behind the mask, and the question of why he wore such a thing died on her tongue. She couldn't afford the risk of upsetting him- he had told her, and she had just witnessed the truth of his words: Erik was all she had. It was unnerving, but she decided to ignore the mask, and that seemed to be what Erik wanted all along- she resolved not to mention it until he brought it up.

His intense eyes bore into hers, "Christine, please do not fear me. Everything I have here is yours to enjoy. I only ask that you treat me as a man, while I will do all in my power to protect you. You are safe if you stay with me."

Christine looked back into his eyes and wrestled with herself- to appease him, she must deceive him. She had been raised to honesty, but knew that there were times when honesty could easily lead to more danger than lies. She determined to behave submissively, make Erik believe that she trusted in him and his promise to bring her home.

In this strange man, Christine sensed a definite loneliness, and knew that it was a weakness. It turned her stomach, but Christine knew that she would have to cater to Erik in order to get what she desperately wanted. She had to do whatever it would take to go back home and escape this palace of a prison.

Inwardly repulsed, Christine put her hand over the hand that Erik had laid on her shoulder. She looked into his eyes. "I'll stay with you, Erik, if I can trust you to help me,"

Amber eyes widened behind the mask and she heard just the softest intake of breath. He turned his wrist and took her hand into his own, almost as if to reassure himself of her presence. He held her hand softly, and went so far as to stroke it with his thumb- he seemed mesmerized by the simple act, but she couldn't understand why.

"Yes, I will do everything it takes to win our freedom from this place." He turned to look at the plate of food on his desk that had been left by the young servant girl. "Eat, Christine. I'm sure that you must feel ravenous by now."

Christine stood up from the chair and went over to the platter. "Aren't you going to eat some of this?" She asked once she saw that Erik had settled away from her, perching instead at the sunny window bench. It was strange to have his mask reflect the light at her- Erik's general manner and style of dress did not suit for sunshine.

Too late she realized that he would have had to remove his mask to eat.

Erik shook his head, "No, you need the nourishment more than I, my dear. I will feed my animals once you are finished, and then I will to take you down to the gardens…if you would like to go with me,"

Christine couldn't understand him, everything about Erik was strange. Here was a man that had nearly strangled their visitor, but his voice betrayed timidity when he spoke to her! She raised her eyebrows. 'I should be on my knees, thanking God that Erik hasn't hurt me, she thought to herself. He's so bizarre, though. He wants to help, or at least he says he does, but I can't trust him! I can't trust anyone in this place. Still, I am grateful for his kindness, even if it may all just be an act.'

Christine nodded. All plans of running away had died hours ago- on the slim chance that she might actually escape from Erik and his Queen's guards alive, she would still be lost in the desert with no supplies and no way of getting back home.

Erik had been nothing short of gentle with her, and she could use the fresh air. "Yes, I'd love to,"

The black mask stared at her blankly from across the room, and Erik said nothing. Christine stifled her sobs by eating as much as she could.


An hour later, when the dishes had been cleared away by another young servant, Christine had assisted Erik in feeding the mass of injured animals he had collected into refuge. "Where do you find them all?" She asked.

"Some I find outside the palace, some in the gardens. There are those whom I must rescue from the mistress of all Tejar," Erik said as he placed fruit into a cage of desert rodents.

Christine frowned. "Who?"

"The Queen. 'Mistress' is a nickname of respect, though I do not respect her. She is the monster that brought you here to taunt me, which is why we must escape as soon as we can. If she realizes that I have never taken you as my lover, then you will be of no more use. We must put on our united front when we leave these rooms." Erik said gravely.

Christine nodded. She understood his meaning and knew that she had to do as he said to stay alive- all she wanted was to be home again…

Erik fed the last of his animals and then turned to her. "Christine, it's time. Please, will you take my hand?" He extended his hand out to her, and Christine looked at it. His hand was large, with long fingers and very pale skin. She couldn't stop herself from wondering how Erik had come to be so different from the few other people that she'd seen in this mysterious, dangerous place.

Hesitantly, Christine placed her hand into his and Erik pulled her up from the chair, and then he went to the door. He turned to look at her. "Can I trust you not to run once we are outside? It will get you nowhere but thrown into a dungeon, and I can't stop Trapoi from going down there,"

Christine only nodded. Erik opened the door and together, they stepped out of his bedchambers for the first time that day.

The corridor where Erik's chambers were located was high in a tower. They had to descend several different staircases before reaching the ground level. Christine attempted to memorize the layout of the palace, but it was all too new and too big for her to understand. Once they reached the ground floor, she gasped in shock.

The stone walls were painted with beautiful murals of war, celebrations and daily life of the people. Bright colors and fantastic figures dazzled her eyes and she looked all around as Erik led her through the palace. Christine recalled that he had called this place "Tejar". She had heard of it, but had never visited- she had rarely been off her island, only on special occasions to visit Corsica and the mainland of France.

Firelit wall sconces provided light along the way, until the corridor led out into a huge foyer that was flooded with the late morning sunlight. The murals adorned the foyer walls as well, depicting strange mythic creatures mingling with camels, lions and wild Arabian horses. It seemed to tell a story, and showed the characters of a woman, a young man and a small girl.

The murals led across the walls, all the way to the ceiling!

The murals seemed to her a blessing, a positive thing to focus on to take her mind off of her terrible situation.

Christine gripped Erik's hand tighter, "The paintings are so beautiful!" She cried. She started forward, intent to turn a corner to follow the story told in the mural.

Erik cleared his throat and seemed suddenly uncomfortable. "Yes, they are. Come along this way, Christine. It's a shortcut to the gardens," he tugged on her arm gently, but firmly enough that she knew not to argue.

Christine nodded, "Yes, Erik. Can I ask you, where are all the people? This place is so big, I would think that there would be plenty of people around,"

A subtle tilt of his mask. She wished then that she could see his face, to know whether or not he was annoyed by her questions or just amused; she longed to gain better understanding of his feelings.

She didn't want to think about it, but she needed to know how he felt towards her so that she might better be able to use his feelings for her to her advantage. It made her feel like a snake, but necessity demanded that she leave morality at the door and do whatever it took to escape this place.

"There are people in this palace- servants, the emir, his children and wives. There is the harem, and then the Queen's wing. People rarely venture to this section of the palace, Christine, because of me."

"You mean they're afraid of you?"

Erik flicked his head to the side, quickly, just once. "Not necessarily afraid, though I would understand it if they were. This is difficult to explain. The palace is very large, and most of the servants and guards, save for those who serve the Queen- they know of me, but most of them have rarely seen me,"

Christine frowned and stopped walking. Erik stopped as well to face her. "Erik, what do you mean, most of the people here haven't seen you? Why wouldn't they?"

He sighed, and worked his hands. "The Queen's servants and her guards, they have all seen me…the women of the harem saw me for the first time last night," his voice seemed to fade for a moment, and Christine gleaned sadness in his tone. "I…belong to the Queen, and she has seen fit to keep me to herself for the most part. It suits me. I'm only called before the court when I'm needed, the rest of the time I'm free to do as I wish."

"But why are you kept a secret?" Christine asked, obvious confusion in her eyes.

Erik shook his head, and reached for her hand once more. "I'm a magic novelty here, a secret weapon. I prefer it this way. Now please, come into the gardens with me. It's beautiful, you belong there."

Christine sighed lightly and allowed Erik to lead her through another short corridor that led outside. The walls opened up to reveal a Garden of Eden, lush greens and vibrant colors assaulted her eyes. The scent of jasmine tickled her senses and Christine smiled at the sight below them.

"You are even more beautiful when you smile," Erik said. She turned to him and felt her cheeks warm from both the sunlight and her unexpected flattery at his words.

"Um, thank you," she said nervously. "Can we go down there?"

Erik nodded. "Of course,"

He led her down white stairs carved into the stone of the castle, and out onto the grass. Erik glanced down to see that she was barefoot, but she seemed pleased by the feeling of the cool grass under her feet. He smiled beneath the mask- the girl was calm and as comfortable as she could be after such a traumatic morning.

Erik didn't bother to examine his feelings- he adored Christine already, he knew it and didn't want to fight it. She trusted him to bring her back home, she wore his ring! Was it so wrong to bask in this new feeling? Christine thought of him as a real man- not a magical corpse, not a dangerous monster, just a man!

Erik looked upon his wife as she stepped out into the sun and reached to brush her fingertips over the petals of a vibrant flower.

His wife! His wife!

Her eyes gained a deeper shade of green in the garden, her long black waves danced over her shoulders at the light breeze. Beautiful and delicate, yet somehow she carried an innate strength- Erik recognized the feminine mystique, this wonderful, impossible combination; he could see it in every woman, but never before had he basked so close in its presence!

Never had a genuine smile been directed to him, never had a woman willingly touched his hand; never had he imagined a woman would wear his ring!

'My wife, this beautiful Christine Daae, taken from her home as a slave, she looked in my eyes and said that she trusted me, she allowed me to place my ring on her finger! My God, I'm trusted! I'm loved!'

The sudden thought struck Erik in the chest with the force of a thunderbolt- Christine wore his ring because she loved him! He wasn't so caught up in his hopes that he believed Christine could be truly love him…but Erik knew she now trusted him. If given enough time, trust and friendship could grow to love.

Erik would give eternity to Christine, if she could only love him!

No one, no one had ever loved him before! Not even his horrible mother…he wanted to break down and weep, throw himself at her feet and kiss the hem of her skirt!

Erik could do nothing; he was struck down by the thoughts racing in and out of his mind. Christine knew nothing of his face, but she had not asked after his mask. It could be that she still feared him, but Erik knew that he could ease her fears, so long as she never saw his true face…

Erik knew that he could never show himself- Christine would become frightened, disgusted by him if she ever saw him unmasked. He couldn't take seeing that expression cross her features. But then, if Christine never saw his face, he would never know her kiss…

Well.

He had a wife to call his own; a beautiful wife, at that! Someone who trusted him, depended on him, someone who he had made smile. It would be enough…

'Enough! Enough of the mask and the fear, you've taken Christine to the gardens, enjoy her happiness and warm yourself in her smile. Your wife wishes to walk with you! A kiss will remain your dream, her trust is everything!'

Erik pulled a flower and handed it to her. "Beauty for a beauty," he said quietly. Christine smiled again and took the flower from him, slipping it behind her ear. So exotic, so mesmerizing…his heart pounded in his chest.

They began to walk down a stone path through the garden. Erik felt a sense of contentment- here he had a beautiful woman by his side, she had no fear of him, and they were together in the sun.

Erik knew this would be one of his prized, most treasured memories.

Together, they walked the path as it led them through the garden, twining through lush grass and bountiful flower arrangements, until they reached the Heart of Eden- a great stone fountain. Christine skipped forward with sudden energy and knelt at the water's edge. The fountain was a magnificent piece- Erik had been the mind behind the design. It was of a large radius, nearing 15 ft from the rim of the fountain to the great statue centerpiece.

Christine knelt on the rim of the fountain, leaning over to the water below. From his place away from her, Erik admired the arch of her spine and the curve of her backside. Christine possessed a body whose delights he would never know.

The wild black waves fell over her shoulders, tempting Erik. His eyes lifted from the living girl to the fountain's center statue. He had been adamant to have his way, back before the Little Sultana…he'd once had the power to demand things as he saw fit. The statue was a nude woman reclining atop an oversized seashell. Her arms were open, as if to beckon a lover, her head thrown back in ecstasy.

'I was Pygmalion when I carved your beauty from stone- but I will say goodbye to you now, my Galathea. I have Christine now, and she can give me what you cannot: a smile, a warm hand, conversation…I'm sorry, but I adore her! She wears my ring and holds my hand! Goodbye Galathea, may you find your way to the sea…'

Erik turned his eyes back to Christine then, and stepped closer. She had reached down to the water and was toying with the petals of one of the floating lotus flowers. She looked up at him. "This place is magic. I have a great garden at home, but it's nothing compared to all this," she said, waving her hand to encompass their surroundings.

He looked upon her. Clad in deep violet silks, Christine was an ethereal beauty, an angel trapped with him in the palace that had so long been his hell. Erik wanted to reach out and touch her- to hold her hand, brush his fingers over the gentle curve of her cheek. She was his wife, wasn't she? Couldn't he be granted the barest of husbandly rights?

'If she recoils from me, I'll never touch her again…but, what if she would allow my touch? Could she ever learn to welcome my hand? Long for it?'

Erik didn't delude himself- Christine had only known him for a mere few hours, she only wore his ring for the meager protection it could provide. He was the reason she'd been taken, she should hate him. She knew nearly nothing of him and had witnessed his lethal strike firsthand.

But, she had said she trusted him, she had proven her trust. She had held his hand and taken his ring. Would she protest it if he reached for her now?

Christine smiled as she watched the large goldfish dart in and out of view under the floating flowers. Erik nodded. "You will see your garden again, Christine. You will see your home again, and I'd love to hear more about it."

Christine sat down on the fountain rim. A faraway look cast over her face. "It's wonderful there. It's funny, you know I never really appreciated it before today," she issued a low, bitter laugh before continuing. "I always thought it was so boring and simple, especially after my father took me to Corsica and the mainland. It's a small house, nothing special. It's far away from other houses and the center city, it faces the sea…God, I doubt anyone has even realized I'm gone," she broke down.

Erik moved to kneel before her, and took her hands in his. "Christine."

Tears flooded her eyes, setting off the vibrant green.

Was it perverse to think her beautiful, even when she cried?

"Listen to me, I promised to find a way to bring you home, and I will. Do you not trust me? I cut my own hand to save your innocence, I attacked Trapoi to keep him from touching you. Christine, you wear my ring, I will give my life to protect you!" He'd gripped her hands tightly to show her the sincerity in his words, and Christine did not withdraw.

The girl leaned forward into his embrace. Erik was surprised, but did not hesitate to hold her. She rested her face on his shoulder; he lifted a hand and tentatively smoothed it down her back. Amber eyes slipped closed once he felt her arms lift to rest on his shoulders. A hug, a simple, impossible embrace…

'Oh Christine, you must love me!'

He speared his fingers through the last few inches of her hair, let his fingertips slide over the silk of her scant top, and then, and then, his hand grazed over the bare skin of her lower back.

Erik felt gooseflesh rise beneath his suit, so startled was he at having touched her, at being touched. His other hand joined its partner to rest on the naked flesh of her bare waist. His mind receded, magnifying the sensation of this woman in his arms. The skin was warm and pliable beneath his hands. He could feel the tensed muscles just under her downy skin, quivering wherever his hands grazed.

He took a deep breath and waited for the hard pulse to ebb from both his chest and groin. Christine raised herself back upright and looked down on him. Erik kept his eyes trained on hers; he wanted to know her reaction to the moment of comforting intimacy between them.

He never found out what she had been about to say, for before the first words passed her lips, another voice broke into their sanctuary. "Hey there, Corpse!"

Erik twisted around and stood to his full height, partially shielding Christine from any perceived danger. One of the eunuch guards stood mere steps away, he'd been watching them for several minutes. Erik growled in the back of his throat- 'That conniving little weasel!'

Erik recognized Tumal, one of the head guards to the harem. He was a tall, formidable warrior, but in Erik's eyes he was a nothing more than a nuisance. All of the eunuch guards hated him, if only for the attentions he drew from their Queen, but Tumal hated Erik with a passion that rivaled their mistress.

What Erik had taken from the Queen, nearly five years ago, he had also taken from Tumal…

Christine rose behind him, but Erik put out a hand to keep her from the other man's view. Tumal laughed at him. "You idiot, why bother trying to hide her? Everyone in the palace knows of your new toy. Trapoi and Kuma were only too happy to bring the proof of your little whore to the Queen."

Erik fought for control- he couldn't kill Tumal as easily as he could Trapoi. Tumal was a eunuch, no one would believe that the man had attempted to touch Christine, and that would be Erik's only claim of defense.

He thought of a better way.

"What a pity that a corpse like me is granted such a prize to enjoy, Tumal, while a head guardsman like you wouldn't even know what to do with a woman," Erik hissed. He could see Tumal's eyes narrow and Erik knew the man was reaching for his sword, perhaps to use it against both he and Christine. "Don't bother reaching for that pocketknife, you fool. I'd have you dead before the blade left its scabbard!"

"When the Queen sends you back to your grave, Corpse, I will see to it that you cannot rise again," Tumal promised.

Erik was not impressed; he was becoming more and more aggravated by the man's intrusion. He wished for more time alone with Christine. He wanted to hear more of her home and family. "Why have you come here?"

"The Queen demands that you come before her- again," he said with a sneer.

Erik winced at the remark; he knew Tumal was referring to the dead courtesan. The terrible act had only taken place the night before and Erik fought to keep those thoughts from his mind. The jarring reminder had bile rising to his throat coupled with a rush of shame and disgust through his mind. His heart constricted in his chest, but he dared not show a greater reaction to the taunt.

From a place that seemed far away, he heard an urgent whisper, and he felt a slight tug on his suit sleeve. "Erik, what's happening?"

He took a deep breath and turned to Christine. "That thing is called Tumal, he is a guard of the harem. He came to tell me that the Queen demands our presence."

Christine's eyes widened in apprehension, "Why does she want to see us?"

Erik had no answer.

Christine reached for his arm and held him close. She was scared. Erik put his arm around her shoulders and felt a sensation that he had never truly known before. He was terrified.