Chapter Two
The show ended, and James and Adolf left whilst Philippe and I walked around the gypsy camp again, searching for the golden-eyed angel's tent. "Where do you think she is, Philippe?" I asked quietly as we stood in the middle of a circle of tents, there was a large, white tent out of the general circle. Philippe smiled and pointed to it "how do you know?" I asked skeptically, Philippe chuckled.
"Gut instinct, Raoul, it's just my gut instinct" Philippe replied, and, as Philippe said that, the golden eyed, blonde angel walked out of the tent with the elderly man! Philippe and I were at a distance, so, the woman wouldn't notice us.
"P-Philippe...isn't she beautiful?" I whispered, my eyes gluing to her, Philippe smiled.
"That she certainly is, Raoul...now, stay at a distance. Let us follow them" Said Philippe, walking slowly in pace with the golden-eyed angel and elderly man. As we walked, I felt we were being watched, but the gypsies didn't even notice us! That's when I looked into the forest beyond my golden-eyed angel and the elderly man to see two yellow eyes staring back at me.
I froze where I stood.
These yellow eyes were not like hers, these yellow eyes looked...well...evil. But, they were a calm evil. Mischievous is a better word for them. We stared at each other, the yellow eyes and I, for a while, until the eyes turned away and I saw the flash of a black cloak. Could it be?
Could that have been the masked man from earlier? But, why was he hiding?
Next, creeping behind the bushes, also watching the golden-eyed angel was a very, very fat man. He was greasy and by the way he walked, I judged he was drunk. His eyes were wide open and there sat a bulge in his trousers too! Wait a moment...was he going to attack my angel? I ran to catch up with Philippe and alerted him of the possible oncoming threat "don't worry, Raoul, we'll get him...he won't touch her."
I nodded agreeingly and in silence we followed the angel and the older man to a large campfire. The sun had gone down and the moon rose, it was an orangeish red that night. I saw the fat man hiding behind a bush, but I could not see the yellow-eyed, masked man from earlier...I knew he was hiding in the wood somewhere, but where? The angel dropped the older man off at the campfire and walked away from the celebrating gypsies, apparently someone had gotten married. The angel sat far away from the campfire, lying down in the grass and watching the moon, singing 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' I smiled at her voice, I couldn't express enough how beautiful she was!
The gypsy women by the fire shrieked in happiness as their husbands held them, touched them, and kissed them in ways that only married people should. I saw my angel look longingly to them...she wanted that, I knew she did! I yearned to be the one to hold her like that, to claim her as mine. "Philippe" I whispered, gaining my brother's attention.
"What, Raoul?"
"I want her...I want her to be mine" I whispered, already imagining me holding her to my chest, kissing her. Loving her. Philippe smiled and turned me away from her, to him, he and I were also crouching behind a bush, like the fat man.
"Do not worry about it, Raoul, she will be yours soon enough. We just have to wait for the right ti-" Philippe was cut short by a shriek and a few calls for help, it was my angel! The fat man had come out of hiding and was advancing upon her, my angel stood and tried to run, but the fat man hit the back of her head and she hit the ground, she didn't move. The masked man from earlier this evening jumped out of the woods and on to the fat man's back, pounding the man's head with his fists. The elderly man my angel was traveling with was running towards the scene, then, the masked man jumped off of the fat man's back, grasped the fat man's head, and threw the fat man over his head!
The masked man threw the fat man to the ground, then, began kicking and punching the fat man's face, finally taking a knife from his pocket and decapitating the fat man. The masked man stuck his knife deep into the fat man's gut (up to the hilt) and breathed heavily. The elderly man whispered his thanks to the masked man, the masked man ran over to my angel and looked at her, checking her vital signs. "She is alive, monsieur" the masked man said, his voice was smooth, but a bit dangerous...I wasn't sure if I liked him or not. "But, she has a minor concussion and will need rest" the masked man finished, lifting my angel's body from the ground.
I judged the masked man to be anywhere from six feet four inches tall to six feet six inches tall, he didn't look very muscular, but he was. I could tell he was gentle, the way he carried her so cautiously showed me that he too saw her fragility. All of us walked back to my angel's tent, Philippe and I were still hiding in the shadows, however, the masked man knew we were there. The masked man and the older man spoke sparsely, it was mainly the older man asking the masked man questions; all of which the masked man answered. The masked man apparently got tired of the older man asking him questions, so the masked man gave the older man a quick summary of himself.
"My name is Erik, you, inevitably, know me as 'The Living Corpse', Edward. We've met before, you and I...I'm only two years older than Penny, monsieur. You and I met one day, after an act, you asked me why I hesitate to take of my mask at every performance...do you remember the answer, monsieur Edward? No? It is part of me now, this mask, it is part of my dignity...every time I had to remove it, a part of my pride was weakened, monsieur.
I only did it so I could survive without Javert imposing upon me as much. Ah, now you remember...yes...you have a beautiful daughter, Edward...a truly beautiful daughter." The masked man said, and from then on, I knew it would be war with the masked man.
"Yes, monsieur, she is. And you are a truly masculine man...a man I would be fond to let my daughter court...if that is what you are seeking, monsieur Erik" said Edward (the older man), I looked worryingly to Philippe who mouthed 'there is still hope'.
"Thank you, monsieur, it would be an honor to court such a woman. If she will have me..." Erik (the masked man) trailed off.
"Nonsense! She'll have you in a heartbeat, monsieur Erik" Edward said loudly, my heart fell to my feet and my fingers turned icy cold, for hours Philippe and I sat beside my angel's tent, listening to Erik and Edward chat. When the sun finally rose and the rosters began screaming the black haired, mocha skinned woman from before headed into my angel's tent. "Oh, hello, Zaza, what's the matter?" Asked Edward, who was my angel's father.
"Hello to you too monsieur Edward...monsieur Erik...what's happened to Penny? I came to tell her good morning and invite her over for breakfast." The woman Zaza replied.
"She was attacked by Javert and Erik saved her" Edward answered with a smile, Erik said nothing. Zaza thanked Erik and all three of them chatted until my angel woke, both Zaza and Edward left the tent...leaving she with Erik, the masked man. She thanked him and then there was silence until he said her name and she asked if he wanted gloves. There was even more silence, a silence that suffocated me...did she fancy him? Or did she not?
God, those questions inched closer to my heart every second a stifled silence hung around us! I loved her...I saw a future with her! My belle femme! My petite princesse! My femme merveilleuse!
I saw her, I saw her as mine!
If this Erik wanted to court her, he would not court her without a lutte. I would fight him to the death for her, and he would probably fight me the same way as well, so, that would be the way then.
A duel from hell it shall be. A swordfight? A shooting? Jousting? Which will it be, monsieur Erik?
I'll even let you pick your favorite.
No mucking around then, Raoul.
To the death, monsieur Erik.
To the death.
