Author's Note
I'm adding the A/N up here to let everyone know this chapter is very much a filler. I've got a friend in town who came out for my birthday and decided to stay until next week, so my writing time has been scarce. Hope you all can forgive me. -hugs-

CHAPTER 21

Although both women worried about their husbands being away for the evening, they tried their best to preoccupy their minds with chatter of returning home to France and Christine's impending childbirth.

The thought of becoming a mother was both thrilling, and yet frightening for Christine at the same time. There was no doubt in her mind that she was proud to carry this child and to give Erik a son or daughter. She hoped and prayed she would be a good mother. "This baby shall be loved like no other," she thought with a distant smile.

"Christine? Did you not hear me?" Meg asked, interrupting her thoughts.

Startled slightly, she replied, "I'm sorry, Meg. What did you say?"

"I was talking about the opera house in Italy."

"Which one? There are several."

"The Teatro di San Carlo. Maman was telling me the managers had lunch with several of their patrons," Meg explained.

Christine's mind wandered again to Erik and the baby within her womb, while Meg continued on about the opera house in Naples. She brought her hand to her stomach, envisioning her Angel holding their child for the very first time.

"Is something the matter, mon ami?" Meg questioned, noticing her friend's hand upon her belly. "Are you still hungry or are you feeling unwell?" She placed her hand upon Christine's forehead, checking for any signs of a fever.

"I do apologize, Meg," she rubbed her stomach tenderly. "I've heard what you've said, but I cannot help but think about my baby."

Meg's eyes lit up. "Oh Christine, it's so exciting! I can't wait until we return home and Maman hears of the news."

"Oui. Your mother will be pleased, especially for Erik," she smiled. "Since I've learned of my pregnancy, the baby is all I can think about now."

"Do you think it will be a boy or a girl?" Meg wondered.

"As long as it is healthy, that is my only concern." She took Meg's hand and inquired, "What about you and Raoul? Have you discussed having children?"

Meg blushed, not having thought that far ahead. After all, they were only newly married. "I'd love to give Raoul an heir, but honestly we haven't discussed it. Not yet, at least. I know he has a lot of responsibilities now that he's taken over Philippe's duties, but he also has his commitments to the Navy as well. I just…" she paused in thought, wondering what their future would bring.

"If there's one thing I know about Raoul, he's a very loving and dedicated man. Family means so much to him, Meg. He will want children," she answered knowingly.

"I know. I just don't want him to feel pressured in caring for me when he has other duties to uphold."

"Don't even think like that, Meg. He would drop everything to care for you and the baby."

"Well, it is something to think about when the time comes, but for now, we shouldn't worry about it. You are the one expecting," she winked.

Christine yawned, glancing over at the clock on the wall. It was nearing eleven o'clock and both men were still not back from Kukawa. "How long do you think they'll be away?"

"I don't think they will be returning anytime soon," Meg frowned.

"Perhaps we should try and get some sleep?" Christine suggested.

"I'll go get some blankets and a pillow from next door and sleep on the sofa." Meg attempted to get up from her seated position at the side of the bed.

Christine patted the space next to her. "There's plenty of room on this bed. I won't have you sleeping on that," she pointed at the sofa by the window.

"Are you sure?"

She thought back on the dormitories and all the times they had fallen asleep in her bed gossiping throughout the night. "It'll be just like how it was at the opera house," she smiled.

It was just past two in the morning when Raoul returned to The Crystal Orchid. He climbed the stairs wearily, making his way down the hall and toward his room. As he unlocked the door and stepped forward, he noticed the bed was made. "Hmm, Meg must still be next door." He reached into his pocket and retrieved a second key that Erik had given him. "I'll just peek in on them before I retire."

Raoul went next door, unlocking it, and quietly stepped into the room. He viewed both girls from afar, sleeping contently. "At least they were able to get some rest," he thought, thinking they would still be up worrying about him and Erik. "I do hope he's not in harm's way." He said a silent prayer for him, closing the door gently, as to not disturb the sleeping pair from their slumber.

He removed his jacket as he walked back into his room. "I'll take advantage of what little sleep is left to me." It would be about four hours until daylight and hopefully Erik would return as promised. "He'd better keep his word. I'd hate to have to worry Christine in her condition."


With but a few seconds to spare, Faraj arrived before the chamber he had left Nadir in, but an hour ago. He peered within the iron grate, to see what remained of his ill-favored guest.

In the far corner of the room lay a very exhausted Nadir, sprawled out across the tiles and trying to calm his excessively heavy breaths.

Faraj sneered at this man's good fortune and his exceptional way to defy death within his chambers that were specifically designed to end one's life. "I see you've managed to survive the hour that was given to you," he called out to the Persian.

Nadir raised himself up and into a sitting position. Grabbing hold of his upper left arm, he answered, "That was quite exhilarating. I'm feeling rather refreshed, thank you!" He managed a mocking salute.

Faraj noticed the blood seeping between Nadir's fingers and the droplets which stained about the tiles. "You don't fool me, stranger. I see that this chamber has managed to draw blood. Unfortunately, too little for my liking," he turned his head and called down toward the posted guards. "Seize him! And return him to The Temptress's Embrace!"

"Do not be so displeased, Faraj. I shall die… someday…" Nadir announced dramatically.

The guards entered the chamber and brought Nadir to his feet, dragging him toward the door. As they passed Faraj, he ordered them to hold the prisoner up before him. "Perhaps a long drink will loosen your tongue," he spat, looking into the Persian's eyes menacingly. He struck Nadir with a heavy handed fist, knocking him unconscious and then nodded his head for the guards to continue down the hall with him.

As Faraj watched his guards deposit Nadir's motionless form into his much smaller cell, he thought, "Let's just see how you do in the next trial, my clever friend. I WILL get answers from you. There is no possible way for you to resist The Iron Cross."


Erik found himself before The Crystal Orchid, as the rays of the morning sun beamed out from the horizon in the east. He had returned, as promised and no worse for wear, though he had exhausted his mind of every conceivable option to free the Persian on the ride back into town. He found nothing beyond the outer walls of the bath house, as he circled the property numerous times. He swore he had not overlooked a thing. "There has to be some way too get to him, short of having to kill every man within the household."

As capable as Erik was, it would be a feat to accomplish such a task, even with the help of the young Comte. "That is not an option though." He was to announce his decision of having Raoul take the girls back home to France immediately. "This is a matter I must resolve on my own. I will not subject him or anyone else to bloodshed." He was used to such gruesome means, though many nights he would be haunted by the faces of the dead that perished at his hands. Such was the price of being a well-handled killer. His years in Persia had deadened his senses to murder and mayhem long ago. In fact, he was more than a little amused by death and the human body's capacity toward it. He often thought of it more from an analytical point of view.

His thoughts drifted to his sister and he considered her for a moment. "Freeing her first would be beneficial. She very well may hold the key to the information I need to save Nadir." If anyone knew of the inner workings of Faraj's bath house, he was sure Alhena did, but he also was aware that it would be impossible to save one without risking the other's safety. It would be done in one shot or not at all. Time was of the essence. With every passing moment, Nadir's life was in danger, but Erik refused to think of any other outcome but freeing his brother from his confines. "Don't you dare give up on me, Daroga. Not while I still breathe. I shall have you out of there. This I swear before your great Allah!"

Reaching the top floor, he strode down the hall. He stood before his room, going through his pockets for the key. Finally retrieving it, he opened the door with care and stepped in, seeing two forms upon the bed in the distance. If he didn't know better, he'd be quick to accuse Raoul of being in bed with his wife, but the flowing golden hair spread about the pillow beside the long chestnut curls of the second form told him otherwise. It was the very vision he had remembered in the dormitories of the opera house. He would spend hours watching them sleep, musing over the two beauties, but always being drawn to his angelic Christine.

He removed his boots by the door and draped his cape upon the back of one of the chairs at the table. He then removed his fedora, placing it onto the tabletop. Walking over to the window, he eased himself into the sofa, unable to suppress a sigh, as his entire frame relaxed.

Christine fluttered her eyelids open and spotted Erik across from her with his left arm resting against his forehead, his eyes closed. Deciding to go over to him, she slid out of bed.

Erik sensed she was near as he heard the brief ruffling of the covers. As she stood before him, he instantly reached out for her and scooped her into his lap. She let out a quick gasp of surprise, thinking he was asleep.

"Christine," he whispered, "you should not be out of bed, but I shall forgive you this once," he smiled lazily. He wanted to take comfort in her warmth, even if just for a moment to rid his mind from his worries.

"You're cold," her teeth chattered. "Did you just now return, mon amour?"

"Oui," he answered, as he kissed along the slight exposed section of skin at her right shoulder.

She rubbed at his right side, attempting to warm him. "And Nadir?"

"It was a long and unsuccessful night," he sighed. "Indulge me for but a moment, mon ange. I wish to only take solace within my wife's arms."

He nuzzled his face against her upper chest and snuggled her close as she wrapped her arms around him fully.

With Nadir still in the hands of Faraj, she knew that Erik's thoughts would be weighing heavy upon the safety of his oldest friend. Resting her chin upon his shoulder and running her hands along his back, all she could do was comfort him as he requested.

Alhena arose in the morning, still troubled by the stranger's words and the things she overheard between the Comte and his mysterious friend in the shadows outside. Part of her wanted to believe it was all true. That she could be free to leave this place and return to the life she knew before. But those thoughts were tempered with visions of an angry Faraj. She knew that he was capable of finding her and hurting those around her if she tried. Besides, the Persian was probably dead by now anyway, and her hopes of getting any more information would be gone.

A knock on the door brought her from her thoughts. Throwing on a silken robe of the deepest red, she opened it to see a broadly grinning Faraj. "Did the man ever sleep?" She thought to herself.

"Good morning, my Tigress," he leered down at her, his eyes looking her slim frame up and down.

"It's much too early, Faraj. Do you need me for something?" She asked, immediately wishing she could take back the obvious entendre.

He laughed briefly, his deep voice rumbling. "Oh I need you for lots of things, my pretty, but for the moment, go see to our friend in the basement. I'm afraid his night has not been as restful as yours or mine."

"He still lives?" She asked incredulously.

"Until he tells me what I want to know or I run out of things to hurt him with," Faraj snickered sarcastically. "He's been remarkably stubborn. In different circumstances, I might even be tempted to hire him."

She gave him a look of pure disbelief as he continued.

"But I don't think he'd appreciate the process of becoming one of the Eunuchs… oh well," he remarked offhandedly.

"I'll attend to him at once then." She bowed and moved to shut the door on him.

Blocking the closing door with one large hand, Faraj leaned down close to her. "Do a good job, dear. I want him awake and alert for the next round of questioning. Perhaps then, you and I can both be free for more pleasant activities."

"Yes Faraj, of course. I'll make sure you're taken care of... later…"

Satisfied, he stepped back and allowed her door to shut. He hummed off-key to himself, as he made his way to his master bedroom, deciding to get some sleep while the stranger was attended to.

As he lay down in bed, his thoughts drifted over the device he had in store next for the stranger in the basement. "Oh yes, it'll be a fun day indeed!"


Hating himself, Nadir took a long drink from the barrel hanging in his room. The familiar scraping of the closing walls no longer unnerved him as he sat back down in the center. He'd made pretty good estimates of how much he could drink before the walls would be in a position to crush him, but with the walls barely six feet apart now, there was little margin for error. "Or for any more wine at the moment."

He had managed several hours of sleep after the last room fortunately, ironically thankful to Faraj for knocking him unconscious, thus sparing the pain in his arm from keeping him awake. It still throbbed dully however, and the makeshift bandage he had torn from his shirt and placed on it was sticky and mostly soaked through. He worried distantly about infection, but realized that if he lived long enough for it to be infected, it would be a miracle. Idly, he wondered at the time of day, having lost track with no sunlight to reference it by.

Hearing a key rattle in the door, he raised his head and watched Alhena enter. Once more she brought a bucket of clean water with her and her various implements of healing. The guards closed the door behind her, as she knelt wordlessly at his side and inspected the gash in his arm.

"No words today?" Nadir asked as she pulled his crude binding aside.

Reaching into the bundled sack, she grabbed a flask and poured some of the contents over the gash. He hissed in pain as the substance washed over his wound.

"What is that?" He asked.

"Just a mixture of salt and water, to clean the wound," she replied, wiping it dry and reaching for a needle and thread.

Feeling foolish, he allowed her to sew up the gash in his arm, trying not to wince while she did so. Minutes passed in silence as she worked. He wanted to talk to her, but he could see the internal struggle within her as she attended to his wound. Not wanting to tip the balance the wrong way, he waited for her to speak.

As she pulled the last loop tight, she yanked the needle free of the thread and stuck it back within the rest of the bundled items. She turned to look at him. "There... all better."

He looked around at his predicament. "Yes, fresh for another day of torture. I'm so grateful."

Noting his sarcasm, she replied hotly. "There is nothing I can do for you, Faraj is too strong."

"I've asked you for nothing, aside from believing why I came here. To take you home to your mother, and reunite you with your brother."

"Is he the man in the mask?" She asked quietly, her eyes searching his for any trace of falsehood.

He answered with a nod, "You've seen him then I take it?"

"Only from afar," she admitted. She paused momentarily, seeing the image of the dark stalker within her mind. It was the mask that held her curiosity. "Why does he wear the mask?" She wondered.

Nadir shrugged simply. "I could give you a hundred reasons and he would deny all of them. The story is best left for him to tell, but believe me, he is your long lost brother. Your denial of his possible existence mirrored his own shock at finding out he had a family out here in the Dark Continent."

"And you think he will come back to free you?" She asked

"I would do no less for him, if our fortunes were reversed."

"Why is that?"

He gave her a penetrating look. "Because that's what people do for those we care about. Once upon a time you may have known that, but I think you've forgotten being surrounded by nothing but scoundrels," he finished with a smirk.

She stared at the remarkable man before her, trapped within his gaze. "You've given me much to think on," she reached for the bucket of water she had not used, offering it to him. "Drink as much as you can. You will not last long by drinking from that," she pointed to the hanging barrel.

He smiled at her and then took several long swigs, as she stood up, prepared to depart. "Thank you for your kind touch, Alhena," he handed the bucket back to her, "It helps, believe me."

Without a word she banged on the door for the guards, who ushered her out of the room while making sure Nadir stayed away. Clutching the sack and bucket against her chest, she fled up the stairs towards her room.

Guifford made ready to depart. He didn't tail Raoul from the bath house last night, figuring nothing would be going on to observe aside from a sleeping couple. At the same time however, he made his preparations quietly. He didn't want to wake Ranier or the others and have them belittle him for not doing as ordered, and staying up all night watching an inn door. He put on his bowler hat and opened his door slowly, mindful of its squeaky hinge.

Walking as softly as his portly frame would allow, he crept towards the front door, resuming his normal stride as he came in sight of the guards. Suddenly a pair of hands grabbed his arm and yanked him into a side room. He was surprised to see it was Faraj's favorite woman.

Unsure of her intentions but also not wanting to be caught alone with her he backed away. "Mademoiselle? We shouldn't be here like this. I don't want to take advantage of y..."

Alhena closed the distance between them and whispered. "It's not what you think, although I thank you for not acting on what you were thinking," she finished with a smile. She could see that her judgment of his character had been correct. He was not a mongrel like the rest of his companions.

His confusion evident, she continued. "I need you to do me a favor."

"Me? What can I do for you?" He asked, suddenly cautious.

"I know you're going to town to keep an eye out on the Comte for Faraj. I want you to deliver a note for him to the innkeeper. That's all. You can go about your business as normal, just do me this one favor."

"Is this going to get me into trouble?" Guifford asked, unable to believe that an open request would involve this much whispering and secrecy.

"Let's just say it's our little secret, my friend," she ran a tan finger up his arm, "And I'll be extremely grateful for it, if you so desire." She produced a folded note slowly from her bodice and slipped it into his front pocket.

Sweating nervously, he nodded. "That's not necessary, Mademoiselle. I'm glad to help."

"Again, tell no one about this. I know you're tired of the verbal abuse they've been heaping on you anyway. So you can do me this one small favor without involving the others can't you? Besides, we're both pawns in Faraj's games, but maybe the introduction of a few new players will make things more interesting."

"Pardon?" He asked, not understanding her reference.

"Never mind, go on and be safe. I shall see you soon." She motioned him towards the door. "Since it wouldn't do for us to be seen leaving the same room at the same time…"

She left the idea hanging long enough for him to catch on.

With a tip of his hat and a slight bow, he ducked out into the hallway and down toward the front door. If they'd seen him disappear and reappear, they gave no indication.

As he exited the house and made his way to the stables, he felt at his vest where the sealed letter lay. He was curious as to the contents, but he'd given his word. He would deliver it immediately to The Crystal Orchid.

Author's Note x2
First off, boo to the document's manager not working. I would have had this story up sooner, but alas, FFN glitches ruined the day. -sighs- Anyway, thanks to everyone for being patient. Also, I really appreciate hearing from some of you that had never reviewed before. It really means a ton to me to know that you have been enjoying this story thus far. Thank you to each and every one of you, for taking the time to review. -bows-