Chapter 28

Poisonous Kisses of the Truth

Alethea stared at herself in the mirror. In the reflective glass, she found someone other than herself. The girl in the mirror couldn't have been herself. There was something different; the girl in the mirror was taller, thinner...prettier than Alethea could have ever dreamed.

With that pale skin of perfect cream milk color and that delicate heart-shaped face that had no imperfections and the eyes which were as lovely as two lilacs.

This is not me, she said to herself.

"Miss, please keep still," the costume designer fretted, grunting as she was fitting pins in place. "I can't afford any mistakes."

Alethea focused again on her efforts and stiffened like a statue in fear that one movement would cause her to collapse completely.

The costume fitted her perfectly, a champagne color draped over her perfectly. It was a V-neck with a slit that cut down to her belly with a band around the waist to keep the costume tied to her. It looked more like what a ballerina would have worn.

"You look beautiful," the costume designer declared, which seemed to have been the only lovely comment that Alethea had heard from her all day.

Alethea smiled, staring at herself again in the mirror. 'This isn't me,' she thought to herself again. "Thank you," she said to the costume designer.


"O, moon, stand still for a moment,
Tell me, ah, tell me where is my lover!

Tell him. please, silvery moon in the sky,
That I am hugging him firmly,
That he should for at least a while

Remember his dreams!

Light up his far away place,

Tell him, ah, tell him who is here waiting!

If he is dreaming about me,
May this remembrance waken him!
O, moon, don't disappear, disappear!"

Alethea sang her heart out as the conductor was slowly leading the orchestra. This was perhaps her favorite song out of the opera, maybe because it was the song that Rusalka sung with the most heart and happiness. After all, she was going to be silent for half of the second act. That saddened her; the fact that the heroine of the story was silenced for half the story.

There were times when Alethea didn't understand the motivation of Rusalka. She could understand the character's love for the prince, but why. Why did Rusalka love this prince? Why did she give up her family and life for a chance at love, most especially such a risky chance that would cost her her life if it didn't succeed? Alethea could never comprehend how Rusalka was so forgiving of the prince at the end of the story. Whenever Alethea imagined herself as Rusalka, she would have killed the prince for her own survival, love or not.

"Why don't we take a break?" Monsieur Reyer announced. Everyone immediately cleared the stage and shed their roles , becoming themselves again.

Alethea set herself down on a nearby prop, watching the rest of the company remove fake beards and heavy head dresses. She was so distracted watching everyone else that she didn't see Christine sit herself down next to her.

"Why Alethea, where do you look so gleefully?" Christine playfully asked.

"Oh! I'm sorry," Alethea apologized grasping her chest as she caught her breath from the surprise of her offender. "Christine, what are you doing here? Are you in the opera?"

"Well not in the opera, dear," Christine laid a gentle hand on Alethea's shoulder. "I watch from the distance. You have such an exquisite voice."

"Thank you," replied Alethea slowly moving out from under Christine's touch. Though she felt she could trust Christine, there was a sudden uneasiness in the air that warned Alethea otherwise. "I don't think I could match your voice. Everyone tells me it's the most divine and heavenly thing humans could ever hear."

"Oh?" for a moment, Christine actually felt flattered by the compliment. Shaking off the warmth of it, she returned back to her main plan. "Alethea, we've become so close to one another in the last few days. I want to give you a present."

"A present?" Alethea wasn't sure whether to be surprised or confused.

"Yes, a present," Christine smiled a crooked smile which scared Alethea a little bit.

Though Alethea was flattered by the idea, she felt that it wasn't wise to accept this gift."As nice as it is Christine, why don't we just stay as friends for now and presents can come later?" As she declared those words, her locket exposed itself on her bosom.

Christine stared at the locket intently. She still hadn't checked it to make sure that it wasn't her portrait that was in it. She realized, however, that even if that was her portrait in that little necklace, that it wouldn't change the fact that Alethea stole Erik from her. 'Of all the people in the world that I had to lose the man I loved to, I had to lose him to my sister,' she snarled in her mind, before regaining composure. "All right," she finally agreed. "No presents for now."

"Thank you Christine. You've been a wonderful friend to me and I couldn't think of taking anything from you yet," Alethea smiled, comforted in relief.

'Take anything from me? You've already stolen the man I love!" Christine's fists clenched together until the skin on her knuckles were about to tear.

"All right everyone!" Monsieur Reyer announced. "Back to the rehearsal."

Alethea got up, "Well thank you for being so kind to me, Christine. I must be getting back now."

"Wait," Christine urged slowly rising up. "May I see something for a second?"

It worried Alethea what Christine was to ask of her now. Nonetheless, she complied, "Yes?"

"I noticed your locket," observed Christine as her fingers reached out for it. "May I? I love lockets. I cherish them and I have one that looks identical to this one."

"Oh? Well then, of course," it was a relief to Alethea that Christine was only asking this of her. She feared from Christine's tone that it was going to be something more drastic.

With delicate and cautious fingers, Christine lifted the locket, observing the silver cast of it as well as the Fleur de lis on it. The locket was cold on her fingers which were already icy. Identical! Christine's eyes widened in shock and her fingers trembled as she opened the latch.

Christine's eyes flew open with such shock. The site of her portrait laying in the locket was enough to make her faint just like on the first day she ever laid eyes on Alethea. Though the portrait was faded and very old, Christine recognized the contours and traces of her face from her youth.

Christine raised her eyes. She looked into the girl's lavender eyes, how they mocked her, reminding her of their relationship. Alethea is my sister! She thought. She was on the near brink of tears. After so many long and so many painful years of thinking that her sister was dead, there she stood, all grand and beautiful, exactly the way Christine imagined she would look had she grown up. She had. Sofia had grown up. Christine was quick in masking her surprise before Alethea noticed anything. "It's...beautiful, Alethea," she complimented closing the locket. "What an exquisite portrait by the way. May I ask who is it?"

"To be honest, Christine, I do not know," answered Alethea who opened the locket to admire the person inside. "I've just had this locket as long as I can remember. I don't know who this girl is, but I'm sure it couldn't have been me."

Monsieur Reyer was becoming impatient as he made role call again. Not wanting to aggravate the conductor, Alethea quickly excused herself, rushing over to begin practice again.

'That is my sister,' Christine sank to the ground. 'After so long. So long. So much time has passed. I never thought I would see her again. Yet, there she is, alive, well, healthy.' Christine felt tears run down her face and she lifted herself up from the ground before anyone could notice that she was crying.

She found refuge in a lonely hallway where she could find solace. Leaning against the wall, Christine thought she could wail that fate was so cruel that would cause her such pain for the last fifteen years. The guilt still surged through her. 'Sofia is alive!' Christine looked up to the ceiling as if praying that the angels above would hear her. 'Do you hear me Papa? My sister is alive!'

'But,' Christine looked to her side. She could still catch glimpses of the stage from where she stood. 'It doesn't change the fact that she still stole the man I love away from me. Sister or not, I don't care. When it comes to love, there are no sisters.' Her happy reunion had come to an end with the reminder that Erik was still out of her range. 'I will get Erik back, Alethea. I don't care if you're my sister. You treaded on my territory so now you'll understand what you'll get for doing that.'

Wiping her tears, Christine continued down the hall.


Later that evening, Alethea had felt the exhilaration, the wonder, the brilliance. Rehearsal had gone so well; she could understand the adrenaline, the excitement of singing. It made her feel whole. Though the character was still complex for her to understand, she thought she could still feel a heart-to-heart connection with the character.

I can't wait to see Erik! She was giddy and it was frustrating for the costume designer to help her remove her costume.

When she was free from the material, she quickly changed back into one of her regular day dresses.

Her heart was about to leap with joy and she couldn't wait to explain to Erik how wonderful it all felt. Maybe this was what he wanted her to achieve. If it was, she had obtained his goal.

As soon as she was away from everything, she headed for the entrance down into the catacombs.


"Christine, I don't understand your purpose of coming here," Erik had turned his back on her as she beseeched him. Christine had shown up in his lair again that night, which greatly frustrated Erik since he was expecting Alethea to arrive any second like she always did.

"Erik, please," Christine came up behind him. Her hands rested on his back, making him uncomfortable.

He turned to face her, forcing her to release her hands from his back. "What is it Christine?" he asked her, "what is it that you could possibly want from me?"

"I...I...I just want to apologize," smiled Christine with a sneaky smirk. "I understand that you love Alethea and that you want to be with her."

"What?"

"Yes," urged Christine as her hands suddenly came up to his face caressing his mask. With a fowl swoop she removed his mask. "Please Erik. After tonight you will never see me again."

Erik knew this was wrong. Even after so long, he would be lying to himself if he denied that he didn't have any feelings left for Christine. Despite that, however, he still realized that those feelings for Christine weren't as strong or as passionate as they were years ago. He love Alethea now and she was the only one he wanted to love.

"There's just one thing," Christine remarked coming closer. "Something I want before we part forever."

With that, she placed her lips on Erik's kissing him with all the passion she had left in the world. Erik thought he would fall over from such a surprise. His eyes widened when he saw a shadowy, but recognizable figure standing there.

"ERIK!" the couple separated as Erik felt his heart drop at the sight of what he saw.

Alethea stood there, her legs were trembling, tears were forming in her eyes.

"ALETHEA! NO!" he cried, but it was too late.

She fled the scene.