Chapter Nine

The door swung open, revealing Erik stood over the piano. He turned as she entered and closed the door behind her.

"You shouldn't be here." He said quietly. Christine looked at him.

"I didn't mean to come here. I… I was walking and I just ended up here." She whispered. Erik sighed and moved away, towards the windows. Christine watched him, waiting for his next words.

"You have to go." He said, without looking at her.

"I know." She whispered, frozen to the spot.

"Then go." He said. Christine took a breath.

"I can't. I can't, Erik."

The use of his first name coming from that mouth, in that voice made him shiver. She moved to stand beside him but without making contact. He had his eyes closed, his brow set in a slight frown,

"You must go."

"I can't. And you know why. Please, Erik, look at me." She pleased. His eyes opened and he turned to look down at her. She was close to tears. Erik had to force himself not to lift his hand to touch her face, to comfort her.

"I'm looking at you, Christine." He said. "Now you must go. Before…"

He couldn't finish. Christine lifted her hand and touched his cheek.

"Erik…" She stopped. Erik couldn't help it. He brought his hand up and put it on her hair, stroking the dark curls. They were like silk beneath his fingers, softer than anything he could have imagined and so warm. Christine closed her eyes as his other hand cupped her cheek.

"Erik…" She murmured again, opening her eyes. He was gazing at her in… what? Surprise? Adoration? Hope? She couldn't tell and she didn't care. His head lowered to hers and their lips brushed together. And then, with sudden hunger, Erik's hands slid down to her waist, pulling her close to him, his mouth moving to hers hungrily.

Christine lifted her hands to run through his hair, pulling herself closer to him, loving the sensation of his hair between her fingers. His tongue touched her lips and she obligingly parted them, welcoming the passion he aroused in her. He was holding her tightly, one hand around her waist, the other on her face, guiding her in their kiss.

Their faces drew apart but neither of them let go of their tight hold on the other. Christine stared at Erik, amazed. He was looking at her, breathless, his eyes taking in every inch of her as though memorising her. And then he closed his eyes.

"Raoul."

Christine blinked, momentarily confused and then she understood. Slowly, reluctantly, Erik released her but she pressed her face into his chest.

"I won't marry him." She mumbled into his shirt.

"Christine-"

"I can't."

"You must." He said, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You must marry him. There is too much to lose if you don't. Your countries will be united, they will be strong."

"I don't care, Erik. Yes, I love Rymansia but I am more than a princess. I am still a person in my own right."

"Why won't you accept this?" He said quietly, his hand in her hair, caressing the soft locks. "If it is not Raoul, it will be some other member of court, a nobleman. Not a musician."

"Shouldn't I get a say in this?" Christine demanded.

"You should. But you can't, Christine. It isn't possible."

"Let's make it possible! There must be some way-" She pleaded tearfully.

"We can't talk about this now." Erik interrupted. Christine swallowed hard.

"Tomorrow then. In our lesson."

"Go to bed, Christine." Erik said quietly.

"Tomorrow. Promise me tomorrow."

"…I promise." He murmured.

Satisfied, Christine turned and went to the door. She glanced back at him. His face was cast in shadow so that only the white mask gleamed in the darkness.

One day she would see beneath that mask, Christine decided. And whatever horrors it held, she would not shudder or turn away.

One day…

Erik watched as she slipped out of the room and turned back to the window. He could still taste her, feel her hair beneath his fingers, his body remembered the sensation of her fragile body pressed against his own.

He could have kissed her like that forever. And that was why he decided that it had to end.

This had to end now.

Christine dressed quickly the next morning, pulling her hair back into a ponytail before going downstairs. Breakfast wasn't for a few minutes and she wanted to see Erik before anything else.

She threw open the door to the music room, bracing herself. But the room was empty. Perhaps Erik was already at breakfast. She hurried to the breakfast room. Everyone was there, including Meg and Marie. Well, almost everyone. Everyone but Sorelli and Erik. Christine paused before moving to her chair, but not sitting down.

"Where…?"

"Sorelli isn't feeling well." Philippe said. But Christine was looking at the empty seat beside hers. Raoul realised what she meant.

"Erik? Oh, I thought you would have heard. He's gone back to Hirlos."

Christine sank into her chair, staring at him.

"To Hirlos….?"

"Hmm. Early this morning." Philippe confirmed. "He asked me to give you this." He passed a plain envelope to her. It wasn't addressed.

Christine took it and opened it in her lap as everyone carried on eating. The note was only two sentences long.

There are some promises that cannot be kept. Do what is right.

She crumpled the note in her hand, sitting stiffly. Raoul touched her arm.

"Are you alright?" Christine nodded, not trusting herself to speak. After a moment she looked down the table to her father.

"May I be excused?"

"Yes, darling, go ahead." Charles said. Christine rose and swiftly left the room.

Meg watched her friend go curiously. And then a serious of thoughts snapped together and realisation flooded her brain. She put down her spoon and glanced at Charles. He caught her eye and nodded, signalling for her to follow his daughter.

Christine sat on the edge of her bed, letting out little gasping sobs as she read and reread the brief note written in an elegant hand.

How could he have done this to her? How could he have just left? How could he have broken his promise? How? How? How? She could have asked the question a thousand times in a thousand different ways.

He did not love her. It was as simple as that in her eyes. He did not love her. If he did, he would not have gone. He would have stayed and helped her to find a way for them to be together.

There was a knock at the door and Christine hastily wiped her tears away.

"Who is it?"

"It's me, Christine." Meg. Christine bit her lip and was about to send her away but Meg had already opened the door and closed it behind her. She moved over to her friend and knelt before her, clasping her hands.

"It wasn't Raoul, was it? The person you fell in love with. It was Monsieur Destler, not Raoul."

Christine nodded, her lip trembling.

"He left, Meg. He left…" She whispered and more tears came. Meg held her friend as she sobbed, her own heart broking for her friend's pain.

"What will you do?" Meg asked, stroking Christine's hair as she wiped her tear-stained face with a damp cloth.

"What is right. I will do what is right. Meg, you must not tell a soul of what has happened." Christine said solemnly, looking at her friend.

"I never would, Christine. But what do you mean? What is the right thing to do?"

Christine stood up and pushed her hair back out of her face.

"If he will take me, I will marry Raoul."

"Christine-"

"Meg, I have to." She said, looking at her friend. "I'm a princess, aren't I? The first rule of being a princess is doing what is right for your country. No matter how much it hurts. It doesn't matter what feelings I thought I had for him. Because they're not real, Meg, they're not!"

She wasn't convincing anybody and she knew it. Meg looked tearful at her friend's distress. Christine stared at her friend and then bowed her head so the dark locks covered her face. She stood silently for a moment and then looked sadly at Meg.

"No one must ever know, Meg. It would only hurt him if they knew."

"I won't tell." Meg promised. Christine nodded and then looked down at the note again. She moved over to the fireplace and threw the paper into the flames. It caught alight and the edges curled up, blackening until Erik's writing was aflame. Christine turned away.

Raoul was crossing to the library when Christine came downstairs. He stopped and smiled at her.

"Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine. I was just… a little upset that Monsieur Destler left so abruptly." She said, with a careless shrug.

"I suspected it. I just wonder why he left when he said that he wouldn't." Raoul said, genuinely puzzled.

Christine didn't reply. Raoul looked at her and then said softly,

"Walk with me? Charles and Philippe are otherwise occupied." Christine nodded and took his arm. They walked to the garden, stopping by the fountain where they had that first day. Raoul was fiddling with the hem of his jacket as Christine arranged a rose that was pressed closely to its neighbour. Raoul watched as she smoothed the petals and then said quietly,

"Christine?"

She loved over her shoulder at him and smiled. Raoul returned it and moved to stand just behind her. He reached past and picked a pale pink rose. Slowly he lifted it and tucked it into her hair. Christine smiled and he took her hands, turning her to face him. Her dark eyes flicked over his face as she breathed to calm himself. He could hear his blood pounding in his ears.

"Christine… there's something that you must know."

"What is it?"

"I always said that if I was going to marry, I was going to do it for myself and not for Hirlos. Because I wanted to marry whoever it was, because I was in love with them."

He paused, fixing his eyes on hers.

"Christine, I believe that I am falling love with you." He said quietly. Christine didn't reply, watching him with a carefully set face.

"Raoul…"

"I'm asking you to marry me. Not because of them," He gestured at the castle. "And not because it will be good for Hirlos either. I'm asking because I love you and… and I want to spend my life with you."

He swallowed, lifted her hands and said quietly, desperately,

"Christine… will you marry me?"

Christine closed her eyes and in that brief moment she felt every doubt and fear flood her, clouding her brain. But this was what was right. There was so much to gain from this union. So much that would be good and right.

"Yes." She whispered, opening her eyes. Raoul's expression was somewhere between ecstatic and intensely relieved.

"You will?"

"Yes, Raoul, I will." He opened his mouth to speak but she put a finger to his lips. "Not for them, Raoul. For us."

"Yes. Yes, only for us." He whispered and caught the hand that was against his mouth, kissing it softly before moving his lips to hers.

"Are you sure?" He asked breathlessly a moment later.

No.

"Yes."

"I…Christine!" He laughed and embraced her tightly. Christine smiled at his excitement. He seized her hand, smiling broadly.

"Let's go and tell them!"

Charles, Philippe and Sorelli were in the sitting room, talking quietly when Raoul and Christine entered. Charles smiled serenely at them.

"Did you have a nice walk? It looks like it's going to rain any moment, you caught the good weather.

"Charles, Philippe, Sorelli… Christine and I wish to talk with you." Raoul said.

They looked at each other.

"Is everything alright?" Philippe asked worriedly. Raoul nodded.

"Yes, it…" He looked at Christine. She met his eyes and smiled.

"Go on." She assured him and he slid his arm around her waist. She leant against him as he announced,

"We wish to marry."

The three older royals stared at them. Raoul looked down at Christine and smiled, leaning her head against his shoulder. Charles stood and looked at her.

"Christine… am I hearing this correctly?"

"Yes, Papa."

"You want to marry? Each other?" Philippe said, staring at them.

"Yes." Raoul said. "But this isn't for Hirlos or for Rymansia. This… this marriage will be for us foremost and for our countries secondary."

"This is wonderful!" Sorelli beamed. "Congratulations both of you!"

"Christine, my dear child…" Charles smiled, drawing his daughter into his arms. He kissed her forehead as Philippe embraced his younger brother.

Raoul watched as Philippe and Sorelli hugged Christine. She was smiling and looked happy, if a little bewildered. He knew the feeling well.

"We must make plans! Oh, this is marvellous!" Philippe said joyfully. "I must send word to Hirlos immediately."

"I'll call for Marie." Charles said, ringing a bell. Christine watched as everyone fussed around, talking excitedly.

Raoul touched her hand.

"Are you alright?" He asked quietly. She nodded.

"Yes. I'm just… a little overwhelmed."

"I know how you feel." He commented. Christine smiled and he kissed her cheek tenderly.

He would be a good husband. He would do everything within his power to make her happy; she knew it, as she looked out of the window at the steadily darkening sky.

This was everything that she needed.

A/N: Uh… (hides with POTO DVD)