Chapter 2: Wedding Plans
"Beautiful"
"Gorgeous"
"Radiant."
These were the words that were spoken as Marie Claire stood in front of the mirror at the dress shop in her completed wedding gown. It reached the floor and was pure white. The lace sleeves rested on her shoulders. The bodice was simple but there was a pattern of tulip shaped pearls diagonally across it. A white ribbon went around the bottom, with lace peeping out the bottom. Marie looked even more beautiful than normal, if that were possible. Arthur couldn't seem to keep his eyes off of his bride to be as she twirled around.
"Marie Claire you look astonishing." said Lizzie, her green eyes glowing with excitement.
"I couldn't agree more." said Meg, smiling at her goddaughter.
"Thankyou." said Marie, her smile reaching her eyes as she looked in the mirror once more. The dress was exactly as she had pictured it.
"You look beautiful darling." said Christine, coming over to hug her daughter. "Its perfect."
"Absolutely perfect." said Raoul, echoing his wife's sentiments, his eyes tearing slightly as the sight of his little girl in a wedding dress. But a jubilant grin was still on his face.
"Do you really think so papa?" asked Marie.
"Yes dear I do. You look gorgeous." he said.
Marie twirled about once more before going to change, a radiant smile on her face. Christine went with her to help her out of the dress. As she began to untie the back, she gazed at her daughter and marveled how much she had grown up. But hopefully not to fast, for Christine often worried that the experience with Erik had forced her to grow up a little early. But Christine thanked God everyday that Marie Claire had not had to grow up without parents, as she herself had. For Christine never wanted her daughter to suffer the pain that she had after losing her father at such a young age. She hugged her daughter from behind. Marie Claire smiled, hugging her mother back very warmly.
"I love you mama." she said softly, those blue eyes that looked so much like Raoul's sparkling with pure joy.
"I love you to sweetie. And congratulations."
"Arthur liked the dress didn't he?" asked Marie slyly.
"Yes I think he quite fancied it." said Christine laughing as she pulled up Marie's dark brown curls with a comb, smiling at how much they looked like her own.
A few minutes later the two emerged and the group made their way towards the restaurant where they were going to dinner. As they walked towards Raoul's carriage, Arthur came up behind Marie and wrapped his arm around her slim waist .
"You looked like and angel in that dress you know." he said grinning." You took my breath away." he said, chocolate eyes sparkling, his light brown, wavy hair blowing in the light breeze.
She answered him with a kiss and her glowing smile nearly knocked him off his feet. The group reached the carriage and all climbed in. The top was down and the sun cast a warm glow about the city, going along rather well with the mood. But as Raoul drove the white horses off, no one noticed the dark figure glaring down their path.
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A few hours later, the carriage pulled up in front of the white paneled , red shuttered de Chagny house, and Raoul, Christine, Arthur, Lizzie, and Marie all came out, very full and very talkative. They were talking of course about the wedding. Erik looked down upon them, a stony expression on his face. Raoul held Christine's hand and she smiled warmly and contentedly up at him, as they chuckled at the antics of the young ones, who were teasing Felix. Arthur had his arm about Marie's shoulder, and Lizzie had Felix on hers. The Phantom's eyes burned as he watched the group walk in. But his timing was perfect. Raoul was the last to walk in, and as he did Erik dropped a letter at the younger man's feet. Raoul stared at it for a moment, his blue eyes shocked. He heard the soft swish of a cloak, knowing that the Phantom was leaving.
"I know that you're there Erik. But whatever it is that you are planning, do not do anything to harm Christine or Marie Claire, or you will regret it!" he called after the figure. He didn't mention anything about the wedding, for he didn't want to clue the Phantom in if he didn't know. He heard the calls of everyone inside, beckoning for him to come in. But before he did, he opened the letter, and saw one sentence scripted across the parchment.:
'Consider this your first warning.'
The cryptic message was written in pitch black ink across the parchment, the usual crimson seal of a skull on the envelope. Raoul slipped it in his pocket, his hand shaking as he tried to remain calm.
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Erik strode down the street, his black cloak flowing behind him in the warm June evening breeze. People that he passed looked at him strangely, wondering why any person would be wearing a cloak in such warm weather. So, Marie Claire, and that traitor Arthur were getting married in two weeks. He knew that their worst fear was him finding out about the wedding. And as much as he desired to stop this wedding, he knew that if he did, it would ruin the ingenious plan that he had devised. It was an infallible plan, his best yet. He smirked as he thought of the look on the Vicomte's face. Such a mixture of emotions from one little letter; Fear, passionate anger, shock, worry, uncertainty, sadness. Erik knew that Raoul would tell Christine of the letter, but wondered fleetingly, would they tell the young couple? He smirked at the inner turmoil he had caused, and at the thought of his plan. Let the wedding proceed, it didn't matter. For soon, Christine and Marie would be his. Forever. He would be alone no more.
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Raoul waited until after everyone had gone to bed to show Christine the letter. When he had walked in the house after finding the letter, he simply couldn't bear to tell them about it and wipe the smiles off of their happy and gleeful faces. Christine came out from behind her dressing screen, her white, lacy nightgown flowing behind her as she smiled at her beloved husband.
"Is something wrong Raoul, love?" she asked concerned at the look on his face.
He sighed, the muscles in his neck tensing up. He took off his jacket, and rolled up his shirt sleeves, pulling the letter out..
"Christine sweetie, I hate to tell you this." he said, his heart breaking at having to tell her this. "But I found this on our door step when we came home tonight."
Christine stared in horror at the note, as she read its short but disturbing message. She leaned her head into Raoul's shoulder, burying her her face in his shirt. He wrapped his arms around her, tears running down his own face.
"This can't be happening." she said, her voice a whisper. "Not now, at Marie's and Arthur's wedding."
She looked up at him, her brown eyes glistening with diamond like tears as she hugged him close. He brought her an unexplainable feeling of security. He held her tightly to his chest, running his fingers through her hair, trying to soothe both of their fears and smiling slightly at how similar Marie's hair was to Christine's. He contemplated what to do.
"I cannot let him do anything to ruin Marie's wedding." said Raoul slowly, his voice laced with worry. "Marie and Arthur are so excited and I want that day to be perfect for them. I've never seen Marie this happy, her smile seems to light up the room, like it did before what happened with the Phantom." he said as he brushed his beloved's tears away with his thumb, wanting to reassure her and make her feel better. He hated seeing her so upset.
She brushed the tears from his sea blue eyes, as she kissed his cheek. "I don't want to tell Marie about the letter yet, I don't want her to worry about this. I just want her wedding to be perfect ." said Christine, a spark of determination in her musical voice. "I don't want her memories of her wedding to be marred by this. And Arthur has become like another son to us, and I want he and Marie to be happy, as we were on our wedding day." said Christine smiling up at her soulmate through tearful chocolate eyes.
Raoul couldn't help but smile at that comment.
"Then perhaps it would be best if we didn't tell them until after the wedding. It just worries me that they won't be on the lookout. We'll have to be careful." said Raoul gravely.
"Even if she dosen't know about the letter, I think that both she and Arthur wiil know to be careful. They do after all, know of his threat to return and know what he is capable of." said Christine knowingly. "I just don't want any of us to be trapped in the darkness again, even Erik."
"I know." said Raoul with feeling as he kissed her forehead.
"But I'm comforted so much with you here beside me, my love." she said sleepily as she kissed him gently.
He returned the kiss lovingly, as the two felt the strong love flow between them. He smiled as he closed his eyes, the thought of his beautiful angel beside him soothing him slightly. But apprehension rested in both hearts, for they knew what was coming, hoping that it didn't happen during the wedding.
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A/N: Hey, I hope you like this. Its still the beginning, so not too much action has occured, but don't worry it will! But the next chapter will be up soon, so please read and review! Yay the wedding is coming!
Samantha- Thanks for your review, your support has encouraged me a lot!
Asia1st- I'm so glad that you're excited about the story!
Trinity- Thanks for your review, hope you like this!