The morning after Don Juan's debut, La Marguerite and her fiance, new owner Monsieur Beauvais, dressed in their respective armor. Meg in her dress for class, Erik in full business dress and the half mask. She stepped away from him when she finished tying his cravat, and noticed how boyish he looked. Erik wasn't afraid of people, especially since he now controlled their lives, even more than he did before.
He stayed away due to past experiences, and the pure exhaustion that came from dealing with the public. Humans are tiring. Though, now that he owns one of Paris's greatest attractions, he must come to terms with it. Erik had an energy of optimism all around him, he seemed like a boy excited for the first day of school, before he knew the horror. They separated before reaching the mirror, Meg to her dressing room, and Erik to what was now his office.
As Meg stepped through the mirror to change into her dress for class, she wore one of the beautiful wrapper dresses he had made for her up. She prepared herself for hearing the talk of the ballet girls, chorus members, stagehands, and other staff. When she was done she stared at Christine's empty side of the room. The glass reminded her of the feelings she felt the night before.
Meg opened one of the double doors and called out for a dresser maid to bring her a large cloth and a bin. No one had come into the room, so the little maid was shocked to see Meg grab the cloth and begin to pile the glass in the cloth.
"Mademoiselle please, I will do it." The little woman squeaked, Meg knew she was new, so she took mercy on the girl.
"No no no, I've got it." She turned to the girl with a smile. The little maid tried to protest but Meg simply asked her to hang the wrapper dress for her.
When she was done Meg rested her hands on the edge of the table and began to silently cry. Just a few moments of this went on before the little maid asked if she was alright.
"Yes dear, You can go."
"Alright, Mademoiselle." She made to leave the room but stopped when she remembered to tell Meg what Madame Giry told her to. "Oh I was told to tell you, there is a meeting on the stage at the next hour."
"Why?"
"Oh, you don't know? The two managers have resigned and we're meeting the new one!" Meg felt foolish, they hadn't spoke of how to tell the whole opera of the changes. How would she keep their marriage a secret?
Meg walked with the woman to the stage full of staff, some sitting and standing, some in the seats of the theater. She found her mother atop the stairs used for rehearsals center stage.
"He asked you to explain, and find a new Aminta." Megs eye widened and came to terms with the request quickly. Madame Giry handed her a note in his hand explaining what he wanted said. Meg looked around at all the faces she knew so well. Monsieur Phantom, the murderer of one of their own, was now their boss. This could go so many, many different ways. She took a deep breath and asked her mother to smack her cane against the floor.
"Hello, and good morning." Little replies came from all around her, she heard Little Cecile and Brigette yell a good morning to her. Their sweet faces and bubbly voices gave her confidence, somehow. "As you know, Monsieur Andre and Monsieur Firmin have left us. After months of ruling us, they realized that this business is not for them. I do hope they are taking a nice holiday." Many giggled, and many blamed the opera ghost.
"So I bet you are wondering who is now in charge." Meg heard Erik clear his throat from the orchestra pit. It seems he decided to make an appearance after all. He walked up the stairs to the gasps of all who knew the mask to be apart of the Phantoms persona. "May I welcome Monsieur Beauvais." She darted her eyes around the room. The horror of his reputation kept everyone quiet, even the man himself was silent.
He kept his words quick and sincere, Erik knew they had work to do. After the tension lessened little by little he handed the torch back to Meg to find a replacement for Aminta.
"I am not sure if you noticed, but Mademoiselle Christine Daae has left us as well." Gasps filled the air as everyone did finally realize. "I am officially, Amintas understudy, but I would rather have another fill the role. If any of you in the chorus, know the part well enough, see me in my dressing room immediately. For the corps de ballet, class is dismissed, if you are in the show, please be at warm ups an hour early to prepare, the rest are off for the rest of the night. Thank you, you are all dismissed."
Madame Giry and Erik followed Meg to her dressing room. As Meg continued to clean up the mess from the night before La Carlotta opened the door without a knock, Piangi followed close behind.
"YOU!" Carlotta screamed at Erik in all her diva fashion. "The Phantom, here. Showing his face to us, well half of his face.." She really could run her mouth.
"We! Cannot work for you." Piangi spoke up like the man he tried to be for Carlotta.
"Then go." Erik said lazily as he was draped carelessly over the fainting couch, much to the dismay of the stars, Meg had to speak into his ear to tell him they shouldn't lose them along with Christine. Carlotta gasped at his frank words and spoke shamelessly in Italian to Piangi.
"And you!" Carlotta turned to Meg speaking close to Erik and yelled quickly at her. "Do you live to do befriend my enemies?"
"Enemies? La Carlotta, we are professionals, either stay as primadonna and sing without a fuss, or be forced from the building. Permanently." Meg was tired of Carlotta's attitude. The diva shut her mouth quickly and noticed Meg's hand on the Phantoms shoulder, clutching his shirt, Carlotta went through so many emotions very quickly. The diva truly didn't deserve what was given to her by the Opera Ghost, but she did handle herself like a child.
"You wouldn't dare." Carlotta tried to seem cool, and Intimidating as she once was.
"Even if she wouldn't, I would." Erik stood much taller than Carlotta at his full height. She shrunk at his form, he was intimidating as always. Turning on the charm quickly he walked to the woman and spoke to her frankly, but in that tone of voice that made people do whatever he wanted.
"Now La Carlotta, we need you and Piangi for Don Juan. Please stay. If not, leave forever, peacefully." Carlotta turned to Piangi and they spoke quickly in Italian. Erik didn't much care for the diva but they couldn't replace three people at one time. He didn't even try to comprehend what they said, he had a little grasp of the language, but didn't much care at the time. "So, what do you say?"
"We will stay, good day." She said to Erik and Meg, then turned to Madame Giry and said a slightly more pleasant "Good day." to her then left the room with Piangi doting behind. Meg saw a glimpse of the few young women who claimed to know Aminta, groaning she opened the door and look at them. None of them could live up to Christine, but alas.
After seeing about ten girls they picked one who could do the role the best, thankfully she was close to Christine in size. Meg set to work of alterations immediately. So the opera changed quickly under new management, a girl from the chorus rose in the ranks and in esteem from Don Juan, Carlotta and Piangi compiled and kept their titles. Through the rest of the month everyone settled into the idea of the Phantom being the boss.
