Disclaimer: I do not own the Phantom of the Opera.

Okay, so in this chapter, Christine has been taking lessons for about three months now. Just wanted to warn you so you didn't get confused.

Chapter 4

R POV

"Monsieur, you are missing Mass." The young sailor attempted to lure me back to worship.

"Go without me, I will be there in a moment." I dismissed him. I watched as he nodded and left me to my thoughts.

I am going to miss this. The open sea and the adventures that lay upon it. The gentle rocking of the boat as it sways back and forth. Ah, and the sweet sound of waves crashing against the boat in the dead of night. Yes, I would deeply miss all of this and the joys of being a part of the Royal Navy, but, fate directs me to other adventures. Otherwise known as my brother, Phillip de Chagny.

'A Comte's job is never done' he says, but I am not a Comte! Shouldn't a Vicomte be allowed to do as he pleases? All I care about is my ship and my crew. Why would I ever need to know of the 'proper' life of a de Chagny, when I don't wish to be a part of it?

But, I have no choice. Phillip comes today to bring me back home, and I will have to relearn his ways of life again for six months. After that time, however, I can go back to my days at sea, and set off for the North Pole.

"We are docked!" I hear one of the watch outs yell.

No matter how much I resist, I must go. My future awaits.

"Dear brother! What a joy it is to see you again!" My elder brother greets me at the docks.

"Good day." I reply.

"What kind of greeting was that? We haven't seen each other in two years and that's all your poor brother gets? Good day?"

"Phillip, you are anything but poor."

"I prefer to stay humble, Raoul."

I snicker at his remark. My brother, humble?

"Have you any adventures to tell me of?" He asks as we enter our carriage.

The carriage is exactly the same as I remember it, red velvet seats, windows for our viewing, and small black handles to aid in getting in and out. Not a thing seems to have changed a bit in two years. Not the dock, not my brother and not even the carriages. What was the point of coming back on land? Everything here was consistently the same, while out on the sea, not a day goes by without something new.

"Raoul, I asked a question."

"Hm? Oh! Yes, yes, I have many tales of the sea to tell you."

"Good. You may tell me them as we head to Paris."

"Paris? Why Paris."

"That salty air must have affected your brain, brother. The house is in Paris."

"I knew that."

In truth, I had all but forgotten the location of the mansion. I didn't care to think of it often.

"To celebrate your homecoming, I bought tickets for the both of us for the Opera Garnier's entire season."

"You're still patronizing that silly Opera house?" I snorted.

"Silly! Why it has become one of France's most respected Opera houses! Silly? I think not."

"Is that screeching lady still the lead soprano?"

"Signora Carlotta does not screech! She makes the most divine music. And might I say, the lead ballet dancer is not so bad either."

My brother spoke this one little sentence about the lead ballet dancer so softly and sweetly, that I knew immediately Phillip had taken up quite the fancy with her. Another thing that hasn't changed, my brother's constant attempts to win a woman.

"And when are we going?" I ask, my mind out of ideas for things that would interest my brother.

"Tonight. We can watch the performance, I'll introduce you to the mangers, grab a drink and then you can settle into your room back at home." He cheerfully explains.

"Great." I say sarcastically.

"Raoul, you remind me so much of myself when I was your age." He tells me, though I can't understand why.

True, we look the same with our blond hair and blue eyes, but other than that we are completely different. He is short and skinny, while I am of average height and well built with strong muscles due to lifting heavy cargo and helping pull up the anchor of the boat. He prefers music and food, and while I enjoy both, I much prefer the outdoors.

"How so?" I ask him.

"I had the same adventurous spirit."

"Really?"

"Why of course! But then, my duties as the new Comte became much more important."

Phillip had become the new Comte after my father died, taking over all of his duties, including trying to be my father. Phillip had raised me until I turned seventeen and joined the Navy, which I have just left to come back home.

"How have Ellen and Victoria been?" I asked.

Ellen and Victoria were my older sisters and I hardly ever heard anything new about them.

"Well, Ellen is fine, as well as her family. Victoria is getting ready to have another child, though."

"Another? This will make her fifth one, will it not?"

"Her seventh."

"Oh."

"Yes, but each of them are a blessing."

My nieces and nephews counted as blessings? Ha! They were quite the little demons the last time I came in contact with them. Ellen had one child, then she told us that she would have no more, on the other hand, Victoria couldn't have enough of them.

"Raoul, we will be arriving at the house in just a few minutes, you will need change quickly if we are to get there on time."

We pull up to the house and Phillip walks me to the door. The white, three story house stood confidently on its own in the heart of Paris. We enter and it looks just the same as I left it. The polished marble floors and the pristine white walls, but the real spectacle was the grand staircase right in the middle of the house that used to be the envy of all of Paris according to one of the maids. I walk up the marble steps to my room to get changed. I step into my room and I'm met with a servant standing ready to change me as quick as possible.

I get into my suit and set off back down the stairs to meet Phillip and go to the Opera house. I've never quite understood why people go back again and again to the opera, if I've seen something once, it's enough to last me a great long while. But I will go to satisfy my brother, I doubt I will enjoy it, but I will go. A Vicomte must not refrain from supporting his fellow man, even if that man is your overly cheerful brother.

"Raoul! Hurry up, you can marvel at the stairs when we get home." Phillip calls me. I run down to him and he leads me into the carriage.

"Raoul, trust me, you will enjoy the performance greatly." Phillip poorly attempts to raise my spirits.

"I'm sure I will." I reply flatly.

C POV

"Oh, Angel I'm so nervous." I shake with fear in front of my mirror.

"My child, you will be fine." The angel assures me, "It is only a small solo."

"Yes, but I need to stand out from the rest of the soloist. It would just be so much simpler if I would get a lead role."

"Child you must be patient. Just wait and see, we will astonish all of Paris!"

Whenever my angel would tell me this, my smile that was reserved for only him would break out.

"You really believe so?" I smile with hope.

"I have not a doubt."

"I sing only for you, you do know that?"

"I do, and I am thankful for that. No man can ever receive such a precious gift as that."

My heart pounded against my chest, attempting to burst out. I have pleased my angel!

"Now then, you have a performance to get to."

"Oh, yes! Thank you for reminding me."

I made my way to backstage and got into my position. Just as the curtain was to rise, a large woman with hair red as fire came storming towards me.

"You better not make a fool of yourself. Or me." Carlotta spat in my face.

My head frantically nodded in response and she left to go back into her position.

The Opera started off without a single problem, but then it got to my solo. My forehead gathered sweat quicker than I thought possible, and the world around me was getting blurrier. Don't faint, don't faint. I chanted over and over again in my head.

Oh, what had the angel told me to do when I was nervous? Just focus your attention on someone in the audience. Alright, that's not to hard to do. I take a deep breath and look up at the nearest box preparing to sing. No one in the box seemed to be focused on me. Oh, that's good. I opened my mouth to sing when my eyes caught a glimmer of something familiar. A man with blue eyes that were the color of the sea and blond hair the color of sand. It was Raoul!

It looks like a certain someone has made an appearance. Review!