Disclaimer: I do not own POTO.

A/N: Another chapter up. Many thanks to all my wonderful reviewers!

Chapter Ten

The Ultimatum

Once Vladen was off playing with Nels and out of the house, Christine barged into Raoul's study.

"Good morning, Christine," Raoul said cheerfully.

"Raoul, you are not sending Vladen to boarding school," Christine declared coldly.

"Now, Christine, I believe that it is the best…"

"Your sister believes that it is best!" Christine shouted, getting angry. "Your sister controls you!"

"That's not true, Christine."

"The thing is, Raoul, that it is true, and you are completely blind to it!"

"Christine, I am my own man-"

"Listen, Raoul, I offer you an ultimatum. I can't stand Dacio. Now it's her or me! If you send Vladen off to that horrid place they call boarding school, you will be without a wife."

Raoul jumped up from his seat. "Calm down now, Christine. You're acting like him."

Christine gathered up her skirts and headed back for the door. "Maybe I made the wrong choice." She barged out of the room. Her husband looked after her as she stormed down the hall and sighed. Where was the innocent girl who'd clung to him beneath the mighty Apollo? The one who had looked towards him for guidance? Married life seemed to have turned the beautiful girl into a stunning woman. With each passing day, Christine matured and became more independent. As Christine became more adult, Raoul felt as if she didn't need to cling to him anymore. He felt unwanted.

The bedroom door remained locked the entire day. Anyone passing by could hear a soft melody playing repeatedly on the other side of the door.

Eventually, Vladen came home from playing with Nels. The first thing he did was run to find his mother. He ran through the halls calling, "Mamma! Mamma!"

The staunch housekeeper (the only servant Christine and Raoul kept) scolded, "Be quiet, boy!"

"Where's Mamma?" he asked.

"Your mother went and locked herself in her room. Bad, bad woman."

"Don't ever say that about Mamma!" The housekeeper pushed him aside and continued dusting the porcelain figures on the parlor mantelpiece.

Six o'clock came- suppertime. Christine didn't take the other meal that she was offered at twelve, but Raoul hoped that if he brought the dinner tray in himself she would be rational.

Raoul rapped lightly on the door and called, "Christine, I've brought you some dinner."

Any hope that remained in Raoul's mind that Christine might be civil was dashed with her cold reply, "Go away."

"Can't we discuss this rationally?"

"No." Raoul's temper rarely flared, but Christine's obstinacy was beginning to anger him.

"Well, Vladen is going off to boarding school tomorrow morning!" Christine tried to make a snappish comment in reply, but couldn't come up with one. Raoul stormed out to the dining room and ate his dinner alone. After eating he retired immediately to a makeshift bed fashioned out of a sofa.

Christine's night was a hard one consisting of tossing and turning. She felt awful about the things she'd said to Raoul, but also felt she was correct and some ways. "Fighting for Vladen may be the best thing I can do," she murmured.

When morning came, Christine was quick to rise. She wanted to beat Raoul to the punch and keep him from sending Vladen to boarding school. As Christine hastily shed her kimono, she caught movement outside her window. Much to her dismay, a carriage was pulling out into the street.

"Vladen! Vladen!" she cried, running down the staircase.

The housekeeper scolded Christine as if she were a child, "Stop all that racket! The rascal has gone off to boarding school."

Christine's dismay morphed into rage as she stormed up to Raoul's study, where she found him, as usual, seated at his desk. Raoul started when Christine flung open the door.

"Christine!" Raoul exclaimed.

"It's over, Raoul!"

"What do you mean?"

"It's over, Raoul. Sending my son away was the last straw!"

"Calm down, Christine. Vladen's going to boarding school was all for the best."

"The best! Perhaps it's best for you, but not for me! Do you even think of your wife anymore? Well, I'm going to file for divorce."

"You don't even have a lawyer, Christine."

"I'll get one!" With a whirl of skirts and a loud slam, she was gone.

When Christine reached her bedroom, she continued to get dressed. She'd meant what she said, she was going to go out and get a lawyer, and then file for divorce. Before Christine could even take off her nightgown, though, a figure emerged from the shadows. It crept closer to Christine sadly singing:

"How often did I wait for you to talk to me?
How did I hope for you to break the silence?
But you are scared because we are so much alike
So tired of a world which is slowly beginning to die."

If I would be your mirror you could see yourself in me
then it would not be so hard for you to understand
what I don't say.
You will turn around because you see yourself in me."

Cautiously, Christine did as the song commanded and turned around. "Erik…" she murmured.

"Christine…" he rejoined in a smooth voice. He slid one arm around Christine's waist and pulled her closer to him. She made no resistance at all, eagerly falling into Erik's embrace.

"What are you doing here?" she asked in a weary voice. Erik chuckled and stroked her golden curls. Over and over again he whispered softy, "Christine… Christine… Christine…" Erik reached one hand behind his head, undid the cord holding his mask in place, and let it fall to the floor. He made a move to kiss her, and, for a moment, Christine almost allowed it to happen. She didn't want to become dependent on Erik, though. She hadn't fought for independence from Raoul for nothing. Christine writhed away and cried, "Go! I don't need you now! Go!"

A/N: Erik sung an excerpt from the song Wenn Ich Dein Spiegel War (If I would be your mirror) from Elisabeth. Once again, many thanks to Stacy's Musical Village for the English translation.