Chapter seven: The wrong woman
Parisa gasped and stood there shaking in disbelief at Raoul. He was serious; his face was the epitome of true love. "I-I can't!" She gasped. "You…can't want me…like that!"
"Why not?" he demanded.
"I'm…not...pure."
"So?" He said. "Is that any fault of yours?"
"You deserve better."
"You were my first Parisa." He said as he reached inside his pocket and pulled out a small, framed picture. "I've never made love to anyone before, you were the first."
She stared at him. "You should have waited! I-I have nothing to give you."
"You mean I should have waited for someone like her?" Raoul handed her the picture and she stared at the woman. The woman was…gorgeous. She had a lovely figure, striking eyes, a perfectly shaped mouth, and long, dark curls.
She nodded as she stared at the picture. "Yes."
Raoul held her closer as he tilted her face up to look at him. "That woman…. is Christine Daae. She's an opera singer and I was contemplating marrying her."
"You should." She handed him back the portrait. "How…can someone like me compare to her?"
"How can someone like me compare to Erik?" He asked softly. "It's the things that set them apart that make us higher in each other eyes. You are more precious to me than Christine could ever be. I love you more than I have loved anyone in my life."
"Raoul." She pulled away. "Please….this is a lot you have given me to think on. I need time."
"Do you love me?" He asked. "I need to know."
"And I need to know if I can move forward with what you ask of me." She said as she turned her back to him. "After all, it is a lot you are asking of me. To risk death in escaping from here to go to live with you in Paris."
"Can you just see yourself with me?" He asked. "Can you imagine what it would be like if we two were together?"
"My picture is different than the one I imagine you have. What of your family? What will they say of you marrying a….courtesan?"
"They probably won't like it. But I don't care what you've had to do in your past." She felt his hands on her shoulders. "You did it to survive. If you want to tell them you were a courtesan then I will stand by you every moment that we are together."
She turned towards Raoul. "I also need to be sure of one thing. I want to be sure if what I feel…is love. I do not…want to use you as an escape out of here."
"I appreciate you being honest." Raoul nodded. "But since I must leave tomorrow night, you need to be sure by tonight. I met a man and I am certain that I can trust him to get us out of here safely."
"Who?"
"I will tell you all when the time comes. Now, I must get dressed," he studied her. "we will visit the marketplace."
She frowned. "I thought you want to visit the hills."
"Yes. I did." He studied her. "But I fear that if we're alone together that you may not find the answers that you require."
"So tell me Chagney," Erik asked. "have you a woman of your own?"
Raoul nodded. "Yes, I do."
Dinner had been very awkward. Erik had been singling him out during dinner and was practically interrogating him. He wanted to know everything about Raoul's past, present state and possible future.
The queen laughed. "He claims, but I haven't heard him talk of her."
"Forgive me," Raoul said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out the portrait of Christine. "I just forget to carry it with me on occasion." He handed it to Erik. "Here she is. It's not a very good portrait, the artist failed to capture her beauty accurately."
Raoul watched Erik as he examined Christine's picture. The man's face stiffened and he watched as Erik studied every inch of her. It didn't take Raoul long to know that Erik was having thoughts about Christine that weren't the purest.
"Congratulations Chagney," he handed the portrait back to him. "if the portrait isn't completely accurate, then she must be a goddess in real life."
Raoul tucked the portrait back in his coat pocket. "She is attractive."
"Attractive?" Erik scoffed. "She has to be the most beautiful woman in the world! I've seen my fair share of women, Parisa, she's attractive. But she is not beautiful."
Raoul picked up his glass of wine and took a sip quickly. "Indeed."
"You seem angered by that remark." Erik pointed out.
Raoul set the glass down. "I do not think it right of any man to say such a thing when the woman he is talking about is right beside him."
"My master is right," Parisa said quietly. "I am not beautiful. I do not compare to your woman."
"See? She knows it."
"You two should switch women." Erik stiffened and he glowered at the queen's remark. Raoul fought to keep his glance impassive as Erik glowered at the queen. "You should have Chagney's girl and Chagney should have Parisa." In truth, that would have very agreeable for him. He desired Parisa and he now realized that his marriage to Christine was more of an idea than a marriage filled with love.
"I do not take what belongs to another. I may admire it from afar, but I will not take it." Erik leaned forward. "Tell me, what is your love's temperament? What's she like?"
Raoul's mind almost went blank. "Well, she's kind and sweet….but she does have a bit of a temper. Understandable, because she's an opera singer." Erik's brows arched with interest. "So, at times she is used to getting what she wants and she will bargain to make get her needs."
"Is she any good?"
"She's the toast of Paris." Raoul said politely. There had been a time when he could have sung Christine's praises; but now, it seemed difficult to form a coherent thought. "She is in high demand everywhere. Her voice…is spectacular. I tell you, when God created her, he couldn't decide to give her a beautiful face, body, or voice, so he gave her all three."
The queen sniffed. "Parisa sings."
Raoul looked at her with curiosity. "Really, I didn't know."
"Come Parisa," the queen says. "favor us with a song."
She looked at Erik, awaiting his permission. Erik waved her off. "Go ahead, Chagney is leaving us soon after tomorrow and he will not have the pleasure of hearing you sing." Parisa bowed and moved towards the court musicians. Erik leaned over to Raoul. "Her voice is tolerable, I have tried to get her to sing better, but unfortunately, that is not one of her talents. I daresay she will sound dreadful compared to your songbird."
"We shall see."
The musicians began a slow, pulsating and seductive song. Parisa was alternating glances between him and Erik. The song was unlike one he'd ever heard before. And Parisa's voice, true, it was not spectacular like Christine's, but it was unique. She had a low and powerful voice.
Love, can be a moments madness. Love, can be insane. Love can be a life of sadness and pain. Love can be a summer shower, love can be the sun. Love, can be two hearts that flower as one.
She moved slowly around the room, calculating each step as she swayed her hips in time with the music. It can be fine and free but it's true, it doesn't always happen to you. love can be a dying ember, love can be a flame. love pledged in September may be dead in December. You may not even remember that it came. Oh love, can be a joy forever or an empty name! Love is almost never ever the same.
The music went into a brief interlude and she leapt into the air and spun around before landing on the ground and flinging her hair back from her eyes. Oh, love can be a cup of sorrow. Love, can be a lie! Love can make you wake tomorrow and sigh. Love can be a snowcapped mountain. Love can be the truth. Love can be an endless fountain of youth.
However, as she began singing the next verse, something changed in her eyes. it was if, she was reading something in the music and applying it to herself. It can be ecstasy, but that kind, is not so very easy to find. Oh, love, can be a tinkling cymbal, love can be a dirge. Love may seem amusing, a spark constantly fusing, but it may end up loosing it's urge. Oh love can be a sweet endeavor or a dirty shame. Love is almost never the same!
The whole room applauded her as she bowed. Erik turned to Parisa and said." Go and change now."
Parisa bowed lowly and hurried from the room. Raoul cleared his throat. "Will you excuse me for a moment? I brought a scrapbook of sorts with programs Christine has been in. It's one way for me to keep her close to me as neither of us find the time to write each other. It's complete with articles and programs, it may be of some interest to you."
Erik nodded, fortunately he was interested instead of suspicious. "By all means. I haven't been to France in many years and I'm wondering how the arts have changed."
"Not much."
Raoul stood up and walked towards his chambers. Raoul heard a scuffle and some muffled screams. He rounded the corner and saw three men holding Parisa down on the ground! He didn't think and instantly reacted by shouting out and running at the men. One released her and Parisa was able to scream as the man charged at him with a sword. Raoul ducked and looked around and saw the only weapon around was the long candelabra. Raoul grabbed it and swung it at the man.
The man dropped his sword and backed away running. "Black Shadow!" he shouted.
Raoul turned around to see Erik behind him. Raoul dropped the candelabra and ran to Parisa how was crying and smoothing her skirts about her legs. Erik glanced over Raoul's shoulder as he knelt by her. "Take her to my chambers and lock the door! stay there until I returned!" And with that, he ran off with his black cloak trailing behind him the wings of an angry bird.
