Chapter XI- The One I Dreamt Of
If Meg hadn't been pregnant with their little girl- or boy- she would have surely drank herself into an almost deadly stupor.
In fact, Madame Giry found Meg rooting through the brandy cabinet.
"What do you think you're doing, you stupid girl?" Madame Giry snapped. "You won't get him back by drinking yourself do death." She yanked the decanter away from Meg and shoved it back in the cabinet and locked it. "Now get dressed, or you'll be late for the meeting with the Emperor."
Oh, she really didn't want to see that man. She would really let the Emperor have an earful this time… If he thought he was going to get by without one, he was very much mistaken.
Mama and Caressa helped Meg get ready. Caressa absolutely insisted that she wear her light pink dress, and Madame Giry agreed, so she was shoved into it without another word.
And then, somehow, Meg found herself in the carriage, being driven by Jean-Paul to meet the Emperor.
It was the single longest drive Meg ever had the misfortune to experience. She felt bored looking at the scenery as it passed, and soon her mind wandered. It felt silly to think about… but she missed Erik so much. She missed cuddling with him, missed his music, missed the way he made her feel so beautiful, missed their conversations, everything. Even their little fights.
The house was so empty without him. Eerie and silent. She missed how he banged on the piano like it was a part of his body. She loved him so much.
Meg clutched at her heart, her hand grasping the opening of her dress. When was the last time they had actually been burden free? It must have been before the jury pronounced him guilty. The momentary jubilation that they felt-… it was a relief.
God, she missed him.
Stop it, Meg. Concentrate, she thought. Think about what you're going to say to get him back.
Mama would be so mad if she knew what Meg was thinking about. Meg took a deep breath as Jean-Paul turned a wide turn, and they finally arrived in Paris.
Ah, Paris! The hustle and bustle… she missed it, just a bit.
And just for a moment, she entertained the thought of stopping in at the Opera Populaire. No, that would NOT be a good idea. She would get the interview over and done with, and then return home, to Anjou.
"We're here!" Jean-Paul said, cheerfully and getting off of the carriage. He opened the door for Meg, and held his hand out to help her down. She ignored his hand and stepped out unaided.
"You're coming in, right?" Meg said nervously, looking at Jean-Paul. He shook his head no, and said he would be waiting for her as soon as she finished.
Be strong! Something cried from inside of Meg. She strode into the embassy and was faced with about a hundred secretaries running here and there. She collided with a secretary who happened to be carrying a large stack of papers.
Papers flew everywhere and Meg bent down to help gather them all up again. There was a roar from the office and the Emperor burst through the door, followed by Little Jammes.
Meg thought Little Jammes might have been trying to calm the Emperor down, but she wasn't exactly sure.
"Henri, wait!" She called after him. Little Jammes collided with Meg, and knocked her down again; making all the papers fall out of her arms and go all around the room again. Meg looked up just in time to see Little Jammes sprawled out on the floor from their little collision.
Meg couldn't help it; she giggled, and then burst out laughing.
"What are you sniggering at?" Little Jammes snarled at her. Jammes took a swing at Meg, who leaned back so Jammes fell over again.
"Miss Mariette, that is enough!" The Emperor said, dragging Jammes away from Meg. Jammes fought off the Emperor. Little Jammes pushed the Emperor away and gave him a mean look, before she strutted out of the Embassy Hall.
"What was that all about?" Meg said, as Mariette Jammes shot her another death glare as she walked out of the Hall.
The Emperor said nothing, but led her into the office. There were newspapers on his desk. It was so neat and orderly. There was nothing round in his office, all just sharp angles.
"Sit down." He said, motioning to the extremely exaggerated chair. She sat, and took off her gloves. She was nervous already. That must be a bad sign.
"I understand that you are here to negotiate the release of your husband." He said, not really sounding like himself. Was he acting?
Meg nodded.
"Well, we just happen to have your husband here. And seeing as that this has to do with the both of you, let's just bring him in, why don't we?"
Without waiting for Meg's shocked answer, the Emperor snapped his fingers and the jailors from home dragged Erik into the office.
Erik pushed the jailors away from him and they backed away, perhaps afraid of being hurt by him.
Erik had an enraged look on his face- like he wanted to kill someone or something. Meg had seen that look on his face once before- when he was about to kill the Emperor at the Non-Wedding. It frightened her.
"Erik!" she said, and Erik softened like melted butter. They rushed into each other's arms, both asking how each other was, giving tender kisses, and Erik even asked how the baby was doing.
The Emperor glared at Erik with hate and envy, like he wanted to hurt Erik just as much as Erik wanted to hurt him.
Erik and Meg sat down.
"Now then," The Emperor said, clearing his throat. "Since you are both here," the Emperor smiled, in a very mean sort of way- "I'm considering letting Erik be pardoned-,"
"Oh, Your Eminence!" Meg cried with glee, jumping forward and grabbing one of the Emperor's arms. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"
"He's not finished, Meg," Erik snapped, coldly. "Go on, there's got to be a catch somewhere."
"I will pardon Erik if you marry me." The Emperor finished.
Meg froze, then slowly her joy and jubilation faded, and shocked hurt replaced it. Why? Why had the Emperor betrayed her?
Erik and the Emperor glared at each other, then Erik snarled; "I knew it."
In a fluid motion, Erik grabbed the decanter of brandy the Emperor had laying on his desk and smashed it down on the side of the desk. He picked up a long sharp shard of the crystal and ran at the Emperor, pressing the crystal glass next to where Meg felt quite sure his jugular vein was.
"You bastard," Erik spat. "You vicious bastard. You've been planning this from the start."
"Erik! Don't, please!" Meg said, pulling on Erik's arm. "If you hurt him, we've lost our chance!"
"Get away, Meg!"Erik snarled and pushed her away from the two.
"Violent, are we?" The Emperor said with detached amusement. "Don't you think Meg would want someone a little more… stable? Maybe even sane?"
Erik growled like a wild animal and pressed the shard of crystal closer to the Emperor's skin, nicking it, just a tad.
"Erik," Meg said softly and calmly. "Put it down." She ran her hands up and down his shoulders and arms, trying desperately to calm him down. "If you hurt him, our future is ruined!"
"It's ruined either way, Meg! What's one more murder when I'm going to die at his hands anyway?"
"Erik, please!"
"WHY?" He yelled.
"Go ahead, Erik. Kill me. You'll just be killing your last prayer." The Emperor's voice seemed to make Erik even madder. He dug the crystal even more into his neck.
"I'm so sick of you," Erik growled, not even sounding like himself anymore. "I'm sick of you hurting us, and I won't let you do it ever again!"
"Erik, if you won't do it for me, do it for the baby!" Meg cried. "I want her- or him- to know who their father is."
The Emperor's blood ran down the glass and Erik snorted, then threw it down on the desk.
"If Meg hadn't begged me not to, you'd be gutted like a fish." Erik turned to face Meg.
God, she looked so weary and tired… "I'm sorry, Meg. I don't deserve you."
She smiled and said that of course he did, but Meg was thinking.
Would the Emperor REALLY let Erik go if she agreed to marry him? Oh, her heart was torn.
"Will you really let Erik go?" Meg said, looking at the Emperor. He smiled and nodded. Erik looked shocked.
"You're not doing it, Meg." Erik said.
"Yes, but if you get off, Erik-,"
"No, he said, "I'm not letting you."
"And I'm not letting you die!" She said, grabbing his arms and trying to shake some sense into him. "I'd rather be married to him then let you die!"
He pushed her away and went to the other side of the desk, looking out the window and facing away from his wife.
"And is this how we end? When a better offer came along?"
"I'm not rejecting you, Erik!" she yelled. "I love you, and I'm willing to choose a lifetime of unhappiness so that you can be safe!"
"'Til death do us part', Meg! You swore!" He yelled right back at her. "Do you remember what you swore to me? Our vows?"
"Of course I remember," She said, quietly. "I'm trying to save you, Erik. It's the only way."
"No it isn't," Erik snapped for some reason. Upset, Meg sat down on one of the chairs and looked away from Erik.
He sighed as he saw her defeated figure, and horrible guilt raged inside him.
"Listen to your wife, Erik. She's obviously the only thing you've got worth having." The Emperor snarled. Erik turned around, his hands clenched into fists.
Meg gathered his hands into hers, and he looked into her pretty face. "I'm trying to protect you." She said, in a little whisper. "Let me protect you."
"You're mine, Meg." He said. "I'll never let you go- never. And I'll be damned if I see that Fop take you away from me." Their fingers intertwined. "I almost lost you once to him. I won't let him take you away."
The Emperor stood up, and Meg glared at him, daring him to say anything.
"Not you, Meg." he murmured. "Anything but you. I'd rather die than see you with anyone other than me."
"Time to choose!" the Emperor cried. Meg opened her mouth, going to say something to the Emperor, but she wasn't exactly sure what she was going to say.
"Yes, we've chosen." Erik growled at him. "Go to hell!"
AN-
Yay Erik! Okay, well… Yeah. I don't think I have much to say!
THANK YOU to ChristineErikMatchMadeInHell, who was my 100th reviewer! Thank you very, very much!
And thank you for the 100 Reviews! Please keep them coming!