A/n: Hi all! Chapter two will be posted sometime between tomorrow and Tuesday. Thank you so much for reading and reviewing!

ITALIAN BELLA: lol I wouldn't have it any other way! Not a Raoul fan

I was waiting for a reaction before I posted the first real chapter so thank you again!

Extra note: Live Journal users! I need you! I've just opened a new lj community. A tribute to Erik, welcome all Erik lovers! 3 just copy and paste the link and you'll be led to the candle lit chamber. or visit my Erik shrine homepage in my profile.

Goddess of the Dead

Chapter One: The Discovery of a Singular Lie.

When at last Christine's fever broke early the next morning, she found her husband nowhere in sight and she sighed.

Raoul was, no doubt, with his flighty sisters who never much liked her.

She wasn't "bred right."

In other words, she had not come from money and so they still only looked at her as a poor girl looking to get rich.

She and Raoul knew that wasn't true, however the strains it put on the marriage were almost too much for her to deal with.

They cut her down in little ways that Raoul never noticed and so never tried to stop.

Comments about how nice her clothes were in snide and haughty tones that made her feel like a helpless child.

Like she should feel guilty for buying them.

Just once she'd like to tell them how she felt, but it wasn't in her nature to be cruel and so she suffered in silence.

She stood but her legs gave out and before she fell two strong arms wrapped themselves around her.

She did not have to look at the man who then picked her up and gently set her back on the bed to know who he was.

Those hands and arms she knew too well and she whispered his name as she closed her eyes.

"Erik."

He took her hand and kissed it gently.

"You know I couldn't leave you, least of all as ill as you were."

She sighed, fighting back tears.

"What do you want me to say Erik?"

He reached up and gently caressed her cheek as he leaned over her and whispered.

"All I ever want you to say is that you love me."

She opened her eyes and looked into his.

"I love you."

He smiled, not meanly or triumphantly, but gently and she did not try to stop him as he kissed her.

"How long I have waited to hear those words from you."

He watched in concern as tears filled her eyes.

"But I can't be with you. I can't be married to both of you and leaving Raoul would only farther alienate me from his family."

Erik sat up and stared down at her angrily.

"You mean the two fat gossiping hens down in the den who could care less if you died in your sleep? Do you have any idea the wild rumors they've been spreading about you? One day you'll come to your senses and leave him Christine and when you do..."

He paused and spoke calmly and quietly.

"I'll be here waiting with open arms."

Before she had a chance to speak he was gone, though she knew he wasn't far away.

Though Christine did not remember falling back asleep, she woke in the afternoon to find Raoul sitting next to her.

She looked over at him and he nearly jumped out of his skin.

"Christine, thank God!"

Immediately he lifted her into his arms and held her tightly.

She closed her eyes as he kissed her.

"Oh Christine I was so worried about you. The doctor said your fever wasn't high enough to do anything about. Are you feeling okay? Do you want anything?"

She nodded slightly.

"A glass of water please...Raoul...I woke early this morning too, where were you then?"

He blinked in shock for a moment as set her back down, a look of regret washing into his eyes.

"My sisters came over. They insisted that I would do no good to simply sit with you."

She looked away.

"You love themvery muchdon't you."

He glanced toward the window for a moment.

"Of course I do...they raised me, made sure I was educated. But Christine, you are my wife, I love you in a completely different way."

She looked into his eyes.

"Do all noble husbands hide secrets from their wives?"

He stood, suddenly becoming cold.

"Not this again. There is a very good reason why you're not allowed down there. For one thing it's dangerous. The passage hasn't been used in years."

She stood suddenly and gave him such a look that he was silent.

"Please leave me. I wish to go into town today."

Raoul thought to argue the point that he was married to her and therefore didn't need to leave the room while she dressed, however he found it difficult to argue with those eyes and slipped out with a slight bow.

Later that evening by candlelight Christine made her way to the cellar through a secret passage.

In the six months that she had lived with Raoul she had discovered many such secret paths but she was only forbidden from using this one.

In a threatening voice Raoul had made it very clear to her that some family secrets needed to be closely guarded.

She had begun to suspect what Erik had been so willing to tell her, and Raoul had tried so hard to keep from her.

She reached the room at the end of it, a secret extension of the wine cellar, and slowly opened the door, slipping quietly in.

Making sure her husband had not followed she closed the door and turned to be face to face with Erik.

A small scream escaped her lips but he gently clasped his hand over her mouth.

"Do not draw his attention."

She looked ashamed suddenly.

"I have more to loose if he were to find me here than you."

She grew angry at his smirk.

"Must I find you everywhere?"

His smirk faded into a scowl.

"You've only been married six months and already you're beautiful innocent demeanor is ailing. You may find me anywhere. It was simply coincidence that you found me here."

She looked thoughtful for a moment.

It had been true unfortunately.

But it wasn't marriage that had brought her to this point.

"I'm sorry. How is it that you knew about this? I'm not supposed to even know it exists."

His smirk returned as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and led her to a bookshelf.

"I followed him. That's how I found out what you are about to learn."

She stared into his endless eyes.

"And what reaction are you expecting of me?"

He looked aside.

"I can have no aspirations of attaining you any more. I simply want you to know the truth."

She dusted the cover of an old book that he handed to her and flipped it open, reading the inscription.

"De Chagny family line. Sixteen-forty five to eighteen fifty. Raoul was born in eighteen fifty. So he's the last De Chagny?"

He shook his head and opened it to the third to last page.

"Read to me the names you see there. You know that I am at least twenty one years your senior correct?"

She nodded and read over the names.

Two came to her attention and she gasped, nearly dropping the book.

"My god, you're one of them?! Why wouldn't he tell me this? How long has he known...how long have you?"

At this he shook his head.

"I don't know how long he's known, but I only just recently learned."

She glanced up at him from the book.

"Than Philippe..."

He nodded.

"He knew I was his brother. I can only assume that Raoul knew as well."

There was a noticeable pain in Christine's eyes and Erik quietly walked to the door.

"If you want me, just come to your bedroom window and I will come to you."

Christine nodded silently as she stood there allowing this to run through her mind.

At this moment in time she was absolutely numb.

She began to remember things that were beginning to make sense to her.

At whatever cost she now had to know the truth.

Sorry it's a short chapter. I'm cramped for ideas at the moment. I know where it's going, I know how many chapters it will be, but the middle is the hardest part. I do hope to update again soon but in the meantime, please review!