Chapter 8 – In A Gilded Cage

(A/N – I did my best, but – Spousal Abuse just ISN'T a teen subject, so, M from now on, folks.)

Once they had paid off the driver, and dismissed the (rented) carriage, Tia practically flew to the door of what looked like a small log cabin (it was really Ciara in disguise) with Erik following after, as fast as he could run. She threw open the door, slammed it after them, and pelted for her chair. Erik didn't bother to sit, but started pacing menacingly around her.

"Alright," he growled, sounding more like an out-of-temper grizzly than his usual suave tones, "we're private, now explain!"

"I set up a monitor on the bedroom balcony door of the Vicomtesse's suite on the De Chagney estate, and have been having Ciara watch for any signs of deterioration on Raoul's part. I just didn't think it would start this soon . . . "

"You are leaving it to an inanimate object to watch over my Christine!?" Erik was incensed.

An unfamiliar alto voice boomed out at him – "That's the last drop of hot water YOU get until you apologize! Sorry, Tia, I know you were trying to have me be discreet, but . . . ."

"Ciara, please, this is hard enough . . . can we introduce you and Erik later?"

"You said we were alone on this ship!"

"Erik, what I said is that we were the only two people on this ship. Ciara is not a people, at least, not until this mission is over – that's her price for helping me. What she is now is called an Artificial Intelligence or AI for short, and while she has all the intelligence and self-awareness of a person, she does not – yet – have any flesh and blood components. Her "body" is this ship, and she exists only here and in whatever parts of herself she sends out, like the dragonfly you saw. And speaking of the dragonfly – the message is bad – Ciara, can you do a brief synopsis of the latest recording?"

"Sure," said the disembodied alto, "In a nutshell, he's just told her that Meg and Madame Giry are not fit company for a Vicomtesse."

"Ouch" said Tia, "Erik, are you sure you want to watch this, because it won't be pleasant . . . "

Erik looked grim, but did not budge – and the main screen suddenly showed a large and sumptuous bed with dark curtains, in an ornate and heavily gilded room. As they watched, the door opened, and Christine came in, followed by Raoul. She was elegantly dressed, but seemed tired. He was . . . irked.

"Christine, what were you thinking? You need to learn how to act as Vicomtesse, not some uncultured back-country peasant girl!"

Christine winced at the description. "Raoul, all I know is the theatre; I don't know how to act around these high-class friends of yours. And, when you look at my background, I AM a peasant; there is no noble blood in me. I am trying to learn, but no one seems willing to teach me how to do this!" She looked wistful. "If they acted like Meg does, or even Madame Giry, I would know what to do . . . "

"Oh, yes, that reminds me, you should not go near the people from the theatre again."

"What? But Raoul, those people are my friends! Madame Giry raised me after father died! I can't just act like they don't exist! And what about my career, I am a Diva, I should be singing!"

"You don't need a mother anymore, you have a husband, ballerinas and singers are too common for a Vicomtesse to be associating with, and as for your career, I will support you, there's no need to WORK." His tone made it sound as though working was one of the seven mortal sins.

"Too common? Is that what you think of me? I am common? And singing is not work, it is part of me! I can't just stop!"

"Don't be silly, you are my wife, that makes you special, not common. And you will "just stop", because I say so, and I know what is best for you."

"I will not give up all contact with my friends."

"And I say you will!" And with that, Raoul backhanded Christine. The force of the blow landed her onto the bed, and he followed through with the swing, which had him falling more or less atop her, which made his rage start to mutate into lust . . . .

In the ship, Tia grimaced and said "End and save full recording as RC1 into new folder GRD – RC, We'll use those once we find an open-minded civil judge, but I don't think I can watch any more of this right now. Since that all took place an hour ago, current reading on her vital stats, with particular emphasis on her abdominal area . . ."

"Easy, boss, I know what you're really asking. Vitals are stable, although she's bruised and sore, Gustave seems unaffected. It's just her emotional state . . . ."

"I'll bet – well, that settles it. We need to get to working faster; she's going to need an address change LONG before her Avatar did. Tomorrow morning, I'm going to go hire temp workers to start clearing debris, so that we can get into building that much sooner. Erik, do you have the first of the blueprints ready to . . . "She trailed off, looking at him. He was past fury, and into almost weeping. "Oops. Tomorrow will be here soon enough, now let's see what we can do for you, since we can't do anything for Christine at the moment." /And if you'd listened to me, you wouldn't have had to see it at all./

He glared up through watery eyes. "You expect me to just forget what I saw?"

"Forget? No. Store it until it can be used, perhaps, but not forget."

(A/N – Well, I tried. I give you fair warning, it WILL get worse before Raoul finally gets his . . . . and Christine needs to grow a spine before I think she and Erik are truly compatible. Please Read And Review)