Alright, life is a little hectic for me right now, so I'm apologizing (yet again) for the lack of updates. Also, I couldn't log onto my fanfic account when I actually finished this, so sorry. There are only going to be about two or three more chappies, so at least you won't have to deal with the long time no update thingy any more. I'm gonna write a short prequel to this story, so if you want to learn about Christine's "future" life I suggest you read it. Okay, now to your feature presentation!

Explain to Me

I sat in the plush carriage, waiting to move. We were stuck in traffic, and for a half an hour we hadn't moved a single inch! Damn pointless and heavy traffic… I vowed that on my return trip I would just walk!

Since we probably wouldn't be moving for a little while longer, I took the time to nap. After all, I was exhausted and had absolutely nothing better to do. So, I lay down on the seat, blankly staring at the wooden door of the cab. Oh, dear. This could take some time…

Although I was tired, my mind had too much on it. I desperately needed answers, and until I had them my mind would not let me rest. Also, now that I was FINALLY comfortable, I felt the cab jerk forward in movement. Damn. Well, that's ironic, isn't it?

No point in trying to get any more sleep. We were only a couple of blocks away and as soon as I shut my eyes I would have to open them again. Damn once more.

My driver pulled up near Buckingham Palace, but not in front of it. Silly, paranoid English people… did they really think I might pose a threat? Well, I might be dangerous to the princess… I paid my driver generously for the ride, more than it was actually worth. Well, he was a nice middle-aged man who probably had children. He needed the money more than I did.

I walked briskly towards the palace, but slowed my pace considerably when I neared it. After all, I still needed a plan. It wouldn't do to just march into Buckingham Palace and demand to see one of the princesses. Those scary guards with huge hats don't let just anyone into the palace. Okay, time to think up a clever ruse…

I quickly jumped into the shadows of a back alley. There I straightened my dress, smoothing out the wrinkles acquired randomly throughout the day. After all, I needed to look presentable if I were to pass as a countess…

Thank goodness Erik wasn't a pauper. If I had been wearing a dirty or "poor" dress I surely wouldn't have a chance actually passing as nobility.

Once I looked presentable, I strode out of the alleyway, doing my best to look elegant and important. I probably only looked snooty and arrogant. Ah, well. It would have to do. After all, most nobility I have come in contact with lately have been rather pompous…coughRaoulcough.

I approached the palace and was stopped by one of the guards. He asked me to explain who I was, so I told him that I was the Countess de Chagny. I was a widower, because my husband Philippe had been killed in a hunting accident. Fortunately, the guard believed my story and allowed me to enter. Hmm, the guards were pretty lax here…

I was ushered into a fancy room, filled with frills and doilies and elegant furniture. The dominant colors were whites and pastels. Not my taste, but most people don't take interior decorating advice from me for a reason. In that lacy room I was met by some important looking official. I was asked what my business was, and I said that I had come to offer my condolences to Princess Louise. I was then promptly ushered to another room to wait for the princess. Sigh. I was getting very tired. After all, I didn't have a full night's sleep last night. But I needed to stay up for at least this meeting with the princess. Afterward, I could go fall asleep next to Erik.

The elegant Princess Louise sauntered into the room after I had been sitting there for about a half an hour. Though I usually respected royalty, her arrogance was really irking me. It appeared that Raoul and her had been perfectly suited for each other.

Before I could get madder at her, however, she said, "I apologize for keeping you waiting for so long. I was only told five minutes ago that you were waiting for me. Why have you come here? I was told that you are the widowed sister in-law of my late fiancé."

Before admitting the whole truth to her, I checked the door to make sure no one was listening.

"Don't worry, I dismissed all of the guards," Louise commented. I immediately sat back down, more comfortable knowing we were alone.

"Well, I needed to talk to you so I, er, made up the part about me being Raoul's sister in-law," I told her. Even when I confessed this, she didn't seem to be surprised. I think she had known I wasn't married into the de Chagny family.

"I don't really know how to explain this, so I'm just going to tell you exactly what happened," I started falteringly. "Raoul proposed to me last year, but I turned him down. He stalked me afterwards until I was able to escape from Paris. Then, last night, Raoul came across my fiancé and me. He tried to kill us." I conveniently left out the part where I killed him. I probably didn't need to explain anyways. Louise seemed to be a more intelligent person than I had originally taken her for.

For a moment Louise was silent, so I took that time to look at her more closely. After all, she did look familiar… She was tall, probably about six feet. Her features were strong, but she was refined and beautiful, even if not considered a classic beauty.

She finally spoke. "Well, Raoul never told me about you, for obvious reasons. I think I can explain why he might have been mad enough to murder you. You see, yesterday Raoul had come over for tea. When he got here, I told him that I no longer wanted to marry him. You see, for a little while now I have been feeling that marrying him would not be a good idea. I didn't love him, and the marriage had only been arranged so France and England would be on better terms. Also, I am in love with another man. He is not nobility, however, and my mother might not approve of my marriage with him. You see," she said, spreading her hands to emphasize her meaning, "life isn't always easy."

"You can say that again," I murmured. "Well, at least I can see why he was feeling particularly murderous yesterday. And I had thought someone had just forgotten to give him his Prozac." With that last comment, Louise looked at me strangely. Oops, I forgot Prozac wasn't around yet…

For a few minutes the two of us went back to our tea, absorbed in thought. I glanced back up to her and felt that strange sensation that we had already met. I knew who she was, so why couldn't I place her?

"Forgive me, but do I know you?" I questioned.

She chuckled and said, "Well, you have known me for the past half hour."

I sighed and explained, "No, I feel like I have met you before."

With this her face looked more serious. She looked a little older. I could almost place the face…

"You mean you haven't figured out who I am yet?" she inquired. I shook my head and she sighed gustily. Finally she replied, "I'm Faerie Dust, or whatever name it was that I used to talk to you."

I dropped my china tea cup on the floor, where it shattered into thousands of fragments and spilled all over the expensive rug.

"Oh, now I will have to have the rug cleaned." she sighed.

I don't really know what Princess Louise looks like, so I just made up that description to suit my purposes. I hope this chappie answered a few questions! Though I'm sure that you all have even more questions... but you will all have to wait! muahahahaha!