Four-

Confrontation


Christine stepped from the icy lake and sighed at Raoul's worried expression. So that was why the boat had been gone. She sloshed onto shore, ignoring how Erik admired her soaked form.

"Christine! What were you thinking! You could catch your death!"

Erik grinned, removing his cloak and moving to her, wrapping it about her shoulders. "Why my dear siren, we were just talking about you!"

Shivering she did not think twice about accepting his cape. She hugged it close and looked roughly at both of them. "What was it about me that made an interesting topic?"

Erik smiled. "Why our engagement of course!"

Christine lied. "Oh, so you have won?" She tried to keep a straight face.

Erik laughed. "Well Raoul, don't stand there looking daft, read it to her."

Raoul hit his lip and cleared his throat, lifting the paper to his eye level. "Monsieur le Vicomte: Even though you seem of good intention and as in love as a child, we must decline your request for the hand of Mlle. Christine Daae`. We remind you if Mlle. Loves you as you say she will divorce her husband at 25 years old. But for the next six years she will belong in name and hand to M. Erik (no last name). If you try to destroy this relationship, we will be forced to take away your privilege to a wife in old age.

Thank you

M. Claude Buatois, Chief Marital Marshall"

Raoul refolded the paper and turned to hide several fallen tears. Erik cleared his throat. "Well my dear, we have some planning to do."

Raoul turned in a flurry. "Christine, you can change this. You can tell them he is dangerous, they surely won't make you marry him..."

Christine bit her lip, her own tears threatening to flow. "I... No, Raoul. That would be a lie..."

"Lie?" Raoul asked, his temper flaring. "How can it be a lie, dear? He has KILLED! He put you under a spell and lured you here for how long, Christine?"

"He told me the truth and apologized." She snapped, her own eyes narrowing.

Raoul's face lost it's color. "My God," He cursed. "You do love him! And all this time you have told me that I was in your heart!"

Her face softened. "You are Raoul! Was my vow on the roof not enough to make you understand that? I did not arrange for this to happen!"

"Oh but you did," Erik contradicted. "You have done exactly that. You pushed me to fight for this, Christine. And therefore by toying with both mine and the Vicomte's hearts, you have doomed yourself to six years at least as my wife." He spat his own features angry. "You must live with me and enjoy it Christine," He turned to go into his house. "I pity you."

Shocked she stared at where he had disappeared. Raoul turned to her. "Christine, you must make me a promise if we are to go on with this."

Christine took out a handkerchief and wiped away her tears, she offered it to him but he declined. "Yes?"

He inhaled deeply. "That if you do love me, you'll leave him when you can."

She smiled, taking his hand, kissing it and pressing it to her cheek. "You know I will."

He sighed and slowly withdrew his hand from her grasp. "Go, you have much to plan. I can row myself back."

She looked at him quickly. "Are you ..."

"I need to let go for the present. I have your promise and that is enough."

She sighed, looking down and nodding. Her eyes grew wide at his audacity as he tilted her chin to look at him with a finger. He gazed at her ardently, then leaned down, pressing his mouth to hers.

She at first wanted to let him take this comfort, for she felt terrible, but the constant threat of Erik loomed and she pulled away quickly. At his discouraged saddened face she whispered. "He."

Smiling he nudged her towards the door and turned, making towards the boat. Holding back tears she slipped inside with sigh and watched him go through Erik's watching device.

"May you be wary of the siren." She whispered. She shook her head and turned, fighting a gasp as she saw Erik standing in the doorway.

"In the future, when you want to make treacherous promises do it far away from me."

Her heart fell with pity. "It can be seen so many ways Erik, and yet you see it as only one."

"Oh? And how else can it be seen?"

"I promised if I love him, I would leave when I can. But if I only love him as you say I do, out of fear of you, and love you more, I would never be able to leave, would I?"

He chuckled. "You thought that through rather quickly."

"I'm not as stupid as most think." She moved past him toward her chamber.

"Christine." He called, she turned to him. "I know that this is... Absurd, but try and make the best out of it. Try and make it a time of fun and discovery, not pity and misery."

She smiled lightly at first, then broadly with a giggle at his serious expression. Losing all resolve she went to him and hugged him. "I will."


Things are easier said than done. They indeed got everything planned, and M. Buatois would attend the planned ceremony on the planned date, along with the other Marshall's. Christine was increasingly growing frightened on the impending marriage between her and Erik, he had shown distrust and a bad temper to her since she had come to stay with him.

Often she threw herself into her chamber and cried. He never came to comfort her and now she was sure he had changed his mind and realized he did not love her as he had claimed to. It was this case tonight and she gathered herself from the sheets, wiped her cheeks and walked over to the wall. She stared at it for a long moment, seeing it like a mirror, reflecting these past few weeks.

She stepped nearer, her eyes flooding once again. Erik was out cooling off from their argument, she could almost see him replacing her in the future.

"Well let him." She whimpered, and she threw her forehead to the wall, crying out at the blaring pain, but then pulling back and surging forward again, then again, then again, the wall was now spattered with her blood, and the pain in her head was so sharp it was numbing her senses. Blood trickled down her cheek and she cried as she did so again.

A knock sounded and she ignored it, throwing herself again. "Christine? Christine we have to talk," No reply, just a thump.

A thump?

He pushed open the secret door and cried out, running to her. She cried for him to let her go and he ripped off a piece of her sheets, wrapping it about her head tightly, then holding her to him and sobbing. He then stood lifting her, and carrying her into the study. He set her on his chair and went into the closet. Dizzy and in pain she passed out, not seeing him emerge with the rope to tie her up.


AN- Yipers, small thing from the book. Hope it's making a bit more sense now, the next chapter should really help, but for now this is it. I'm moderating my students Creative Writing club, so I'm a but busier than when I was just teaching, not to mention I also have an acting job.