A/N: I own not the Phantom and his trappings.
Oooers, this one gets good. And, yes a masquerade, only because it fits in so well with the theme of the Phantom. I don't know how any writer can resist.
Katerina looked at herself in the gilded mirror. She had changed in the dressing room so that she could avoid Erik. She didn't know why she was doing that, maybe because if she saw him she would beg him to attend. She wanted all the fantasies that were in her heart to come true. Now, none of that would happen, not with Madame DeChangy and her husband frilling about. No, she couldn't ask him to come, though a feeling had begun to burn deep in the pit of her stomach, the thought that he would attend, but not for her.
She took one more look at herself and her silly costume and left the room in a powdered huff. The bal was in less than an hour and much work was still to be done.
He watched the guests arrive from the rooftop. His bravery was leaving him as they arrived. He kept wondering which little speck of humanity was her. The thought of her attending frightened him, and on top of everything it seemed that everywhere he went Katerina was not to be found. He closed his eyes and breathed in the night air. He missed Katerina; he missed her laughter and her comfort. He could feel whatever it was between them straining like an over tightened piano wire.
Erik shook his head and leapt down from the gargoyle he had been perched upon. He had taken a chance once and it had scarred him like everything else in his life had. Yet he could not give in to such fear, he would never change, never move on, never truly live, and that, perhaps, he feared just a little more than anything else in the world.
The front hall and the adjoining salons were already crowded with people. Erik smirked to spot more than one 'phantom' among the noblemen that littered the floor. He could hear music begin in the adjoining room and shook his head. Katerina still had not found her soprano for the first show. They also still needed a ballet instructor, along with half of the chorus, and at least three more seamstresses. He was not even going to think about how Katerina was going to land a patron for the theater. She would have to or else Erik's wealth to support the theater would soon run out.
He closed his eyes. Non, non, tonight was a celebration, to celebrate their victories, to celebrate their home. Erik paused in the shadows for only a moment before stepping into the gay light of the front hall. People swirled around him and couples laughed gaily. He was overcome by a sudden sense of agoraphobia. Swiftly he breathed, if Katerina could do it, so could he. That thought still didn't stop him from snatching a glass of champagne off a tray and downing it in one swallow. He left the glass on the table and began to search through the crowd.
Then he froze. Christine, all alone. She was standing by a banquet table, her eyes roving the throng of dancers. She was still a vision, clad in white airy tulle that seemed the flow with her as she swayed to the music. Her brown hair hung loose around her face making her seem all the more petite. It wasn't until she had leaned over to answer a question of a server that he spotted the small feathered wings sewn onto the back of the dress. She had come dressed as an angel. He squeezed his eyes closed, barring himself from the hideous urge to approach her.
Quickly, he turned and started up the stairs. A familiar laugh greeted his ears. Katerina.
He spotted her at the top of the stairs speaking to a tall man dressed as some sort of reptile. She was eye-catching to say the least. Her dark hair pulled up on top of her head while clad in a midnight blue gown that was fetchingly low cut and swirled around her hips. The entire dress was accented by peacock feathers. Layers and layers of them formed a bustle that led to a small train behind her. They were tucked in her hair and embellished the elbow length gloves she wore. To complete the costume she held, dangling from a jewel green ribbon, a porcelain mask that ended in a bird's beak. The feathers glittered like no jewels ever could.
Still he smiled and thought instead of his mouse in her black work dress, yelling orders or looking at him tenderly across his desk. Poor thing, she looked completely bored out of her mind. Let him not see if he could liven the evening up for her.
So help her she was about to strangle this man. There were so many people, part of her just wanted to run back up to her room and shut herself in with the new watercolour set that she had bought that morning. Suddenly her hand was taken from her and she turned to see the stranger that kissed it.
"Good evening Madame Durand."
Her heart skipped a beat. Erik! He had come! She noticed that he was wearing his best suit with the dark blue Spanish style vest that she had picked out for him a month ago, he had kept the white half mask, blending in seamlessly with the other 'phantoms' that had attended.
She smiled and felt herself blush like a schoolgirl.
"Monsieur Destler, I was just telling Monsieur Reyes about you."
"Nothing too bad I hope," He smirked, knowing that she was making things up again.
"Yes, he said is it quite rare for a theater to have a personal composer that lives on premise."
"I don't understand why not, more theaters would be successful if they showcased original music. Of course some composers should not be showcased."
He was absolutely charming
Katerina smiled, "I know, I was telling him how lucky I was to have you."
The words had just slipped out and she saw Erik's face change for almost an instant.
"I was wondering, Madame Durand if you would honor me with a dance."
"Why Monsieur," she grinned, "your offer honors me."
Her heart lit up like a sunrise when he smiled back at her.
"Perhaps that one is him, oh no, I bet it that chubby one over there!"
"Raoul, hush," Christine glared playfully at her husband over her champagne.
He sighed, "I am just trying to make you smile; you've been a very upset angel all night."
"I suppose we should not have come, at least we are not being mobbed by tourists."
Raoul chuckled and nodded, "thank providence for small favors. Now, do you see this Madame Durand anywhere?"
Christine frowned and looked around for the smaller woman, "No, not yet, you would think that she would be easy to find… Ah! There! Dancing."
Her husband watched the peacock lit woman for a few moments, "she seems rather harmless to me, but I have heard stories from her creditors."
Christine smiled, "She was rather polite to me yesterday."
"Do you recognize who she's dancing with?"
Christine shrugged, "Another phantom, I suppose, they are all getting harder and harder to tell apart as the night wears on."
Raoul placed his hand on the small of her back, "Are you all right? You only need only to say the word and we shall return to the hotel."
Christine shook her head, "Non, I am fine. Let us just enjoy ourselves."
Erik knew that he was grinning like a fool. Katerina was laughing as the dance ended.
"Ah, no more, I fear I shall faint."
"Then a brief reprieve my lady."
He led her to a corner of the salon by one of the open windows that and let her recover in the warm night air. He waited until she caught her breath and beamed at him.
He grinned, "You must be careful, you are a married woman and I appear to be your faithful composer. What will people say?"
"Posh to what people say, I am just happy you're here," she said, her eyes flickered to the floor, "I wanted to apologize to you."
"For what, Mon petite?"
"For not considering your feelings about this phantom business, and for being a terrible friend. I did not even realize until you saw the mural."
"I thought I composed myself rather well."
"You went as white as your mask."
He smiled at her. He never in his life had anyone apologize to him in earnest. Apologies that reached his ears were usually tinted with fear. She was sincerely afraid that she had hurt him, and how could he disappoint this little bird before him?
"I forgive you Mon petite, but I must ask that you speak to me more often of your plans."
She nodded in the shy way of his Katerina, not of Madame Durand.
"Come with me to the garden," His words had slipped out suddenly and almost entirely on their own.
She nodded and took his arm that he offered. They walked slowly through the gardens that she had seen planted on the west side of the theater in a small alcove. Her roses were blooming and their fragrance filled the night air. Erik felt a little giddy as she leaned her head on his shoulder as they walked. But that could be the champagne, or perhaps just her eyes. They came to a stop by a little stone bench under a cherry tree.
"It is a beautiful night," Katerina remarked, "the moon is so full and bright."
"Full moons are supposed to bring madness."
"Ah, then this can be explained, I love you."
Her words struck him suddenly, like a particularly beautiful aria or a crescendo humming through the air. She stared beyond the leaves and at the moon that cast churning shadows on her face.
"I do love you, Erik. I have for a long time, but I have been so afraid you would not accept me. I was so afraid that I would lose you to something in your past that I had no control over. I tried so hard with this theater, trying to make a home for you, for us. I bit my tongue for fear of losing you but I could not any longer. I spoke to the Daae woman and the entire time she spoke of you as if you had been some fevered dream. Some wisp of smoke that could never truly be loved. It scared me, to think that she thought of you so. She had only known you as a ghost but I have only known you as a man. I-I am saying too much now, and you have gone so quiet. Erik, I could not hold it in any longer, Christine hurt you and I have vowed that I would never make that mistake."
He stayed silent for a moment for as her words fell apart and only the meaning remained.
I love you…
I love as a woman loves a man…
I love who you have become not your ghost…
He heard her breathing in the darkness. They were both uncertain of this dance. She was so afraid, as afraid as he was.
"I-I bought you something," the words sounded so silly after her confession.
Slowly he removed the ring from his pocket and took her hand.
"I bought this months ago but never found the right time to give it to you."
He saw her stare at the glittering ring he had laid in the palm of her hand.
"I wanted you to have a proper ring, a-a proper marriage."
"Erik?" her movements were slow, as if she feared she might wake from a dream.
He continued over the thunderous sound of his heart beating in his chest, "I do not want you to pretend anymore. Katerina, I want you by my side. I want you to share this home we have made. It would… honor me… if…"
Katerina gently smiled and placed her mothers ring on the hand that it belonged and slipped his ring into its place.
"Erik, we shall no longer speak of honor, instead let us speak of love."
She rose and kissed him as gently as the wind but with a fire he had never known from her. He wrapped his arms around her in the dappled moonlight and found a joy in the darkness that he had never known.
In their bliss they did not see the figure watching them from the corner of the Opera Fantome. They did not see him fade into the shadows as a ghost, and they did not hear his low satisfied laughter.
I'd love to hear a few reviews on this before I start the next chapter. What is it exactly that newly engaged people do? They never cover that in the romance novels.