Months passed and Lotte soon realized that there would be many days that she would have to entertain herself for her father sat for countless hours at the organ pouring his heart and soul into one of his pieces.
One such afternoon as Erik sat down at the organ Lotte pulled a sketchpad and pencil out of her bag and began sketching him as he began to play. For three hours she studied every detail and transferred it to the paper. She had to make sure every feature of her father and every detail of the organ were correct.
As soon as she sketched the final line Erik finished playing and looked over at her as if he noticed her for the first time. Lotte studied her piece and since starting her sketch didn't realize she had sketched the masked half of her father's face.
"What have you got there, Lotte?" Erik asked her.
Lotte was afraid to answer. "I sketched you playing the organ Father."
"May I see it?"
Lotte got off the floor and brought him the sketchpad. He took it and stared at it for a long time before speaking. "Lotte this is beautiful. You have really captured the real Phantom."
"But I sketched the masked side of your face. Is that bad?"
"Of course not," he replied handing her the pad. "Keep up the good work Lotte."
Many days following this Lotte did more sketches; some of father, some of the catacombs, and some of the interesting items within their home. One day under her father's watchful eye she sat upon the stage and sketched the heap of twisted metal that was the chandelier seated amongst crushed chairs.
Erik was surprised at how much talent she possessed. She could have easily been his true daughter, but he knew deep within that wasn't true. There seemed to be a glow coming off her that caught his attention. He could see Christine hidden in this small creature and it angered him. Why had she laid that trap to get him captured?
What had Raoul said to her to change her mind about the Opera Ghost? If she hadn't set the trap the opera house would still stand and he would be around her once again. Yet there was a drawback to all this. Lotte would be just a thought to him. There would be no living, breathing child now within his presence. Erik's heart was pulling him between the love he had for Christine and for the love of his most beloved treasure, Lotte.
He had been so lost in thought that he hadn't seen Lotte put down her book and climb down into the house where she was sorting through the crystals resting on the floor. She grabbed a number of large ones and raced into the main lobby before Erik could say anything. His only choice was to follow after her. He left the box and came to the top of the Grand Staircase.
Lotte stood in the middle of the room within a beam of sunlight and arranged the crystals appropriately in a circle. She smiled at her father then stepped back from the crystals which in her absence gathered the light and sent rainbow colors up onto the walls.
Erik had never seen anything like this before. It was strange yet beautiful and then he saw Lotte begin to dance. On graceful toes she perorated and leapt. Erik watched then came down the stairs and tapped her on the shoulder. She stopped short and he gave a formal bow. "May I have this dance my lady?"
Lotte curtsied. "I would feel much obliged good sir."
He took her hand and led her to the center of the floor. Then taking her other hand they began to waltz catching the light upon their faces. He twirled her and spun her gently on her toes.
Seven years seemed to magically pass by as Lotte grew taller and became dressed in a beautiful ball gown that her Father had tailored for her. Still using Lotte's crystals to catch the light they danced around the room as if they were floating on top of a crystal lake. Even with all Lotte had gone through there was still much she needed to learn and in due time she would soon experience her hardest lesson of all.