Chapter 1: Dark Master
3 years after the Opera Populaire
Servants stood awaiting orders from their master, he was a man of few words; but when he spoke it brought fear into their hearts. He dressed in black and only in black, the only colored piece of clothing he wore was that of a half faced mask. His eyes showed distance, his pale skin showed death's touch, his lips very pale in pink, his ebony hair always at its finest hour. His build was that of an average man and his height a little over average. His dwelling was as cold as a winter's night and warm as snow, it was heavily decorated with dark figures of the night. Each room was presented with little color, just as his wardrobe was, it was how he wanted it to remain. A house of mourning and death. His company consist of his devil hounds, his music, and death herself when he sent word of a killing.
" My meal, bring it to me," his voice rang out
Servants made haste and brought the mouth watering meal, though he himself ate very little of, but still had it made every day. His dogs at his feet growling at the servants and drooling for the taste of flesh. He ate with such manners, though he himself was not one of such.
" My agenda, read it to me," he rang out again
A butler walked from the corner of the room and walked over to him.
" Speak," he growled
" Comte Montague, you have your usual meeting with the managers at the local opera house to collect money from them," the butler said, " That is tomorrow Comte."
" Write them and tell them I will not be late," he said
" Yes, Comte," the butler said
A sudden knock echoed through the emptiness of the Comte's dark dwelling. He looked at the butler and shoed him off. The butler walked towards the door and opened it and the Comte heard a woman's voice pleading for shelter from the bitter cold. He rose from his table and walked to the door and the butler looked at him. He looked at the woman and the young child that stood beside her.
" I offer you nothing," he growled
" Please, monsieur," the woman said, " we have been traveling for days, we ask for one night."
" My answer is no," he repeated, " be off with you."
" I have little to offer you, but perhaps 80 francs," the woman suggested
" Please, Comte," the girl said
He looked at her and walked off.
" One night and that is all, you will leave early the next morning," he called
" Thank you monsieur," the woman said
He said nothing and sat down to finish his supper, the butler had a servant bring them to a room. The Comte stared in the distance and pondered over what he just did, the servants looked at him.
" That child, she looked at me," he thought, " she looked at me like, She did."
He rose once more and had the servants clean up the table, feeding the dogs. He walked down the halls of his damp estate and entered a dimly lit room. He shut the door and walked to a music box, he opened it and lifted a ring out of it. He looked at it and closed his hand over it.
" How could you?" he whispered, " How could you condemn me to hell again?"
He came to his knees and lifted the ring up towards the candle light.
" I gave you everything, I gave you my music, I gave you my secret," he whispered
The Comte stood and placed the ring into the music box, then walked off. He climbed the stairs and entered his bedroom. He removed his dress coat and undid his ascot, then just laid in bed.
The following morning there was a knock on his room door and he opened his eyes. He looked about and sat up, then got up to answer the door.
" What is it?" he growled
" The woman Comte, she's dead," the butler's voice came
Erik opened the door and the butler stepped aside, he walked down to the room, the servants put the girl and the woman. He opened the door to the young girl crying, trying to wake her mother from the deathly sleep. Tears streamed down her face and Erik walked over and lifted a glass from the bedside. He placed it under the woman's nose and found she was not breathing.
" Bury her in the corner yard," he said, " and do it with haste, she'll begin to smell."
The girl looked at him and stood up and ran to him, she grabbed his hand and he turned around.
" Monsieur, you can't just bury her," the girl said, " She is my mother."
" Then pray child that her soul will be saved from hell's grasp," he said
He shook the girl off and went on with his business, the young girl looked at him. She felt a coldness in her heart for this Comte, he did not even give his condolence. The butler sighed and had the gardeners bury the woman.
" What about the girl Monsieur?" the butler asked
" Send her out of my estate, this is no place for a child," he said
" Give her a day monsieur, she's lost her mother," the butler said
The Comte turned around and growled, " She is not welcomed here."
The butler nodded and walked out to the corner yard and saw the girl praying.
" The Comte has asked me to escort you to town," the butler said
" One day is all I ask," she said, " Perhaps I will join my mother in death too, if I stay one night."
" Don't wish darkness upon yourself, please come with me," he said
The Comte looked at the girl talking to the butler, he lifted a red rose tied with a black ribbon.
" This is only a curse," he growled, " Damn it."
He walked downstairs and to the corner yard.
" You may stay," The Comte said, " but as a servant in my home."
" Thank you Monsieur," the girl said
" One more thing," he said
" Yes," she said
" Clothing of that color is forbidden, you will wear one color and one color only," he said, " that color is black."
" But why not other colors?" she asked
" It's is forbidden," he growled loudly
He turned away and walked off and the girl looked at him.
" Do you have a name child," the butler asked
" Colette," she replied
" Pleasure, I am Gaston. Your master is the Comte Montague, his given name is Erik," the butler said, " but you will address him as master or Comte. He never speaks of his name, it is forbidden on any servant's tongue or any person's tongue. The only person who is ever allowed to call him by his name is Madame de Chagny. Christine Daaé , the woman who he loved."
Colette sighed and the butler escorted her inside. She was immediately given new clothing to dress in and a new room to sleep in.
That evening the Comte was served and his hounds at his table. Colette walked in carefully carry the hot soup and the dogs growled at her. She stopped and did not move as the dogs approached her.
" Delilah, Pandora," he called
The two dogs came to him and licked his hands, then laid by his feet. She set the soup down in front of him.
" If you do not show fear then they will leave you alone," he said
" Yes, Comte," she said
" You do not speak unless told to," he growled, " now go."
She walked off and stood by the servants and he looked at the soup. He ate slowly and Colette looked at him, she didn't like this torture. The dogs walked around and came towards Colette, they growled at her.
" Delilah, Pandora!" he growled
They came back to their master and laid at his feet. He fed them the scarps that were left over from his meal. He went outside to let the dogs run around the grounds. Colette watched from the distance.
" He's an evil man," Colette thought
" The Comte has been seeking out a woman?" a servant asked
" Yes, she's very pretty," another servant said
" Perhaps, she will marry him and there can finally be a woman's touch to this place," the first servant
Colette listened to the two servants talking about a woman that the Comte was interested in.
" Who is she?" asked another servant
" She's the daughter of that woman he sends letters to," a servant said
Colette became interested in the gossip about the Comte Montague. She soon went on cleaning the rest of the estate with her broom.
" Like that evil man could ever attract a young woman," Colette thought, " he's so cruel even to his servants."
She sighed and sat down on the stairs and looked around. She looked at the necklace and she kissed it.
" I wish all of this was a dream, that I would wake up from it," Colette said, " Maybe he's just angry with someone, maybe he's not a bad man."
The Comte came in with the dogs and they ran through the house, he looked at the servants as they became silent.
" Where is the girl?" he asked
" Cleaning the halls master," a servant said, " near the stairs."
The Comte whistled and the two Great Danes came running to their master. He walked down the hall and saw Colette sitting there. The Danes growled and she looked up in a startled fashion. She grabbed her broom and bowed then walked on to finish.
" What is your name girl?" he growled
" Colette," she replied
" Colette," he said, " I see, and why were you traveling?"
" We were searching for work," Colette said
He looked at her and then turned away and Colette looked up. One of the Danes stayed staring at her.
" Delilah," the Comte growled
The Dane turned around and trotted behind her master. The Comte went to another room in the estate and there shut the door. He played the piano and the servants sighed with relief.
" Good, we can speak freely," a servant said
" Does he go in there often?" Colette asked
" All the time child, that's the only time we're allowed to speak," a servant said, " You see, the master's been in darkness all his life, he lost a woman to another man three years ago, since then he's been moping about."
" What about the new woman he's seeking?" Colette asked
" There is no new woman, just women he courts," the other servant said
" Why does he wear a mask?" Colette asked
Everyone became quiet and went back to their work, the doors opened and Colette quickly went off to start a new hall.
" She's a nosey child," they said
" I want silence," the Comte's voice came
He walked down the hall with his dogs and walked past the servants. His dark cloak floating behind him as he drifted to the darker half of the estate. Colette watched him and saw the door shut. She looked at the servants and they told her she could come out.
" So, why does he?" she asked
" His face is deformed, though people don't speak of it, because he's very powerful. He's wealthier then the Comte de Chagny," the servant said
" But, the de Chagny family has been around for many years, how is it possible that he can be that powerful?" Colette quesitoned
" Shh, child we don't ask questions about his wealth, we just know these things and you should never ask about his face. He's very touchy about it…how else to do think we came here?" the servant stated
Colette looked at each servant and then figured out what they meant.
" We're his servants until the end of our days girl, we saw his face and no one who has seen his face can ever be free. You have a chance girl," a servant said, " Just beware of the mask."
The doors opened and Colette ran back to the hall, she was in.
" Marie, I want a glass of wine," he called
" Yes, Comte," the older servant said
She ran off to fetch a glass of wine and brought it up to his study.
" Here Monsieur," she said
The Comte turned and grabbed the glass and said, " The girl, what do you think of her?"
" She's a nosey child," Marie replied
" Nosey, yes, but young," he stated
" Monsieur, why do you keep her?" she asked
The Comte laughed and said, " I don't keep her, she is not my offspring."
Delilah walked over to Marie and nuzzled the old servant, Marie pulled from her apron pocket a bone. The Comte turned to the old woman and sat down in his throne like chair. His mask glared at the older servant and his cloak folded over his shoulders, like wings, giving him a devilish look.
" Keep an eye on her, I don't like children meddling in my affairs," he said
" Yes, Monsieur," Marie said
She walked off and the Comte looked at the picture hanging on the wall. He sneered at it and turned away.
" I'll find another just like you and she shall be greater than you," he spat, " And truly be in love with me, Erik."