OK, everyone. I've got chapters 8-12 up for the week that I'm gone. That's waaaaayyy more than I would normally update. Anyway, I suggest you pace yourself in reading this, because there's going to be a lot to digest. Starting with this chapter. Since there's five chapters up now, that's almost one per day for the week that I'm gone. Don't read them all at once, unless you want to have a biiiiiig cliffhanger and still have almost a week until the next update, but if you want that, go ahead. :)

"Mmm," I said stretching and rolling out of bed. I shook the cloud of sleep from my head and looked out the window. I was in a pleasant mood; the sun was streaming in through my window, birds were chirping, and the air was crisp. I inhaled deeply, soaking in the morning sun through my window. I briefly wondered how Meg and Raoul were, but then my thoughts turned to Erik, and our previous night's conversation. I was moving to Italy? I was moving to Italy!

I was excited and frightened all at once. To leave everything I knew, everyone I knew, was frightening. And yet, the idea savored highly of adventure. Casting my fear aside, I settled on excited. How would Erik and I travel? By sea? By land? I wasn't entirely sure, but then again, it didn't really matter to me. We were going, and before that, we were to get married. I smiled at the thought. Being married to Erik could only be bliss, couldn't it?

I slipped into a pale pink dress and pinned my hair into a loose chignon, letting a few curls frame my face and hang at the nape of my neck. I smiled at my reflection for a fleeting moment, and then someone knocked at the door. "Who could that be at this hour?" I murmured thoughtfully, opening in the door to find a distraught Erik. "Come in," I ushered. "What's the matter?"

"It's Philippe. Somehow, he found out who I really am," Erik said, racing up the stares of my flat. I hurriedly followed him. "I must leave, Christine. I must leave and never come back. I'm wanted for the murder of Joseph Buquet, and apparently already sentenced to hang." I gasped.

"Oh, Erik, what are we to do?" I asked.

"I'll be going to Italy. I don't expect you to come—" Erik started, but I cut him off.

"Of course I'm coming! I'm your fiancé, for heaven's sake! Just give me one moment to pack a dress or two, and we can be off." Erik nodded and followed me into me room. I quickly tossed my luggage bag onto the bed, as well as two of my favorite dresses—both casual.

"Christine, you must bring the dress I bought you," Erik protested, and I nodded and tucked it in as neatly and quickly as I was able.

"Will we have time to say goodbye to anyone?" I asked, picking up my bag and heading down the stairs.

"No, I'm afraid not," Erik said, following close on my heels. "I did have time to write a letter to each person, though." I nodded at that. "However I didn't tell anyone where we are going, except Nadir; he wanted to come, just as I suspected." I nodded, in too much of a rush to care if he was coming or not.

"Erik, we have to stop at a chapel," I insisted.

"Christine, there isn't time to make a visit to church!"

"I know that!" I snapped, "But I'm staying with what I told you last night: I'm not leaving for Italy until I marry you." I could tell Erik was frustrated by this.

"Fine," he said. "It's not going to be anything fancy, and you'll be lucky if it's anything over five minutes," he snapped, but I brushed it off as stress. He grabbed my elbow and led me to a bay horse that, somehow, had been tethered to a post near my flat.

"Is that Cesar?" I asked, glancing at Erik.

"Yes," Erik said, springing up into the saddle with such lithe grace that I would have stood in awe for a moment if Erik hadn't grabbed my hand and pulled me up in front of him. "We'll be stopping by Nadir's and then head to the chapel," he said grumpily. I nodded silently.

Nadir was waiting for us by the time we made it to his apartment. "Off to Italy, then?" he said in an undertone, and Erik nodded.

"To the chapel first. Christine refuses to leave without marrying me."

"That's rather inconvenient, mademoiselle," Nadir said smugly. I snorted in a very unladylike manner and rolled my eyes.

"Well, those are my conditions if Erik wants me to tag along," I said, lightly gripping Cesar's mane. "We could also stop and get another horse for me, you know, Erik. It'd be faster travelling and Cesar would stay fresh longer."

"I'll see about getting one from the chapel," Erik said with a purposeful glance at Nadir. Apparently he didn't want Nadir present when we said our vows. Not that I was particularly keen on the thought, either.

Arriving at the chapel, Erik slid off and helped me down. "Have we any story behind our sudden rush?" he asked, leading me into the church. I thought quickly.

"I've a mortal disease, and you want to marry me before I pass," I said in a hushed tone.

"What? No! I'll not have you—"

"Do you have a better idea?" I asked sharply.

"No," he said quietly, "But that doesn't mean that I have to like it."

"I don't like it either, but it's believable."

"We'll see," Erik said, "You don't exactly look like you're on death's door." I gave him an exasperated look.

"Really, Erik?" I whispered harshly, "Just watch." A minister was approaching us now, and I took a deep shaky breath, and Erik glanced at me and did a double take. I suppressed a smirk. When I was a child, sometimes I would feign illness just to spend time with Daddy. My eyes would gain a faraway look, I would make my hands tremble slightly—not enough to have anyone be suspicious, but enough to be noticed.

"Can I help you?" the priest asked quietly. He was a tubby man and with a short neck and fingers, with which he constantly fidgeted.

"Yes," Erik said, "We need you to perform a marriage,"

"When will this be?" he asked, twiddling his thumbs.

"We need it done this very instant," Erik pushed. "My fiancé is very ill, you see," Erik said, glancing at me.

"Of course I can do it now, monsieur, your need must be very urgent indeed. If you would just follow me to the altar…?" Erik nodded and led me silently to the quaint area. The traditional vows were said between Erik and I, and when the priest said "you may kiss the bride," Erik gently planted a tender kiss on my lips, paid the priest and we were off.

As soon as we were outside the chapel, Erik said, "You were quite something in there, Christine. How did you manage to look so sick so fast?"

"I used to do it all the time when I was young," I admitted shamelessly. "When my father would get to busy for my liking, I'd fall ill." I hopped up into the saddle of the horse that Nadir had gotten for me, and we cantered briskly out of the city.

"When we get to where we're going, Christine, I promise you that you'll have a more grand wedding," Erik said, coming up beside me. "And we should also get rings while we travel… It'll take us about 3 weeks to get to… where we're going, I should think."

"Very well," I said optimistically.

"And we'll have to travel by boat for some of it, I'm afraid," Erik said, giving me a curious glance.

"All right," I said, though less confidently than before.

It looks like someone has been a tattle-tale. Who could it be? Muahahahaha! And I know that probably wasn't the wedding you had envisioned for E/C, but Erik did promise that he would give her another. And I hope you're not terribly mad at me for making them have to run away.

Please review. :)