If I can't Love Her
Christine sighed and exited her room to wander the halls of the castle. She was about to go down the grand staircase when she changed her mind and began to move towards the West Wing.
She was careful when she opened the door and slipped into the strange room. There was a shattered mirror on the wall and several large pieces of glass littered the floor. The room was cold, freezing, she could see her breath whenever she exhaled.
In the far corner was a six sided box, draped in large black sheets. She looked away from it, it reminded her too much of death. Instead she looked around, taking in the dreary setting. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a glowing light, soft and red, with a small frown she made her way towards it.
On a small table, with a glass dome over it was a single red rose emitting the pale glow. Christine looked at it in awe. It was floating, and fully in bloom. It caught her curiosity and she carefully lifted the glass. Hand trembling, she reached out to touch it.
"I told you that this room was forbidden," Erik said, voice sending shivers down her spine, "I told you that this room was forbidden. I told you never to come here!"
She pulled her hand back as he slammed the dome back over the rose.
"I-I…" she gasped and covered her mouth, eyes widening in terror. He had no mask and the face that stared at her was the face of death itself.
The skin was thin and stretched over his skull, showing all the veins beneath it. Where a nose should have been there was naught but a hole and his flaming amber eyes glared at her from deep, dark sockets.
"Get out," he hissed, eyes burning.
"I-I just-"
"Get out!" he bellowed.
Christine turned and dashed for the door as his voice echoed around the room. Tears welled in her eyes and she ran all the way down the stairs and towards the large front doors, nearly running into Nadir as she passed him.
"Mademoiselle?" he asked.
"I can't stay here," she sobbed, "I can't stay here any longer!"
"Mademoiselle," he repeated, running forward and blocking her only exit, "it is dangerous outside. I cannot allow you to leave."
Christine resisted the urge to hammer her fists against the man's chest and allowed herself to be gently led back to her room by Antoinette. Tears streamed down her face and as soon as the other woman left the room she quickly locked the door. Unwilling and afraid of anyone who might try to enter.
The first knock on her door caused her to jump, "Who…who's there?"
"Its me," Meg replied, "can I come in?"
"No!" Christine gasped, afraid that Erik might be there as well.
"Oh…well alright. Will you be down for supper?"
"No, I'm never coming down again," Christine said, voice trembling.
"Oh…I'll come back later then."
Christine sniffed and hugged her knees to her chest. There hadn't been a time before this when she had wanted to be back at home more. She closed her eyes and could see his horrible face there, contorted with anger as his voice rang in her ears. She gave a small whimper and shook her head to try and clear her mind.
Several days passed in which Christine didn't leave her room. This only seemed to serve to anger Erik who spent hours pacing back and forth in his own room. But nothing changed. She didn't come out to eat, she didn't even let anyone in, not even Meg.
"She has to come out at some point," he reasoned, "she can't stay in there forever…damn it! Why did this have to happen?
"M-master?" Meg asked tentatively
"What?" he snarled.
"I was just…never mind. I'm sorry to have disturbed you," she muttered.
Erik gave a small growl as the girl ducked out of the doorway, then with another low growl swept from the room and made his way to Christine's room. He raised his fist and knocked gently on the door, not wanting to startle her.
"Who is it?" Christine called.
"Its me," Erik replied coolly.
"Go away," Christine breathed, "I don't want to talk to you."
"This cannot go on forever," Erik replied coldly, "you cannot remain in that room for the rest of your life."
"Yes I can," Christine argued, "I don't want to come out, and you cannot make me."
"You seem to forget that you are my prisoner!" Erik snarled, temper snapping, "and you will do whatever I ask of you!"
"No I won't!"
Erik growled loudly and hammered his fist into the door, causing the wood to crack loudly. He heard her give a small scream and turned away, sweeping away from the door and back to his own room after shouting, "You belong to me!"
Christine waited until she was sure that he was gone before venturing towards the door. She opened it slowly and looked out into the hall, it was empty. Careful to be quiet she snuck out and made her way down the stairs and to the front door. This time there was nobody there to stop her.
She flung open the doors and the cold air hit her face as she ran into the courtyard. She flung open the main gates and ran to the stables to get her horse. It nickered a greeting as she put on the saddle and bridle as quickly as possible.
"I can't stay here any longer," she breathed, wiping away tears she mounted the animal and kicked it hard. With a squeal the animal bolted forward, through the gates and into the woods beyond, "I just can't!"
"Sire?" Nadir asked, stepping into the dark room.
"Go away," Erik snarled.
"Sire she's left," Nadir said, he had seen her just as she had galloped out of the gates.
"What?" Erik demanded, looking up at the man before him.
"She ran away my Lord," Nadir replied nervously.
"Of course she did," Erik said darkly, glaring at the rose, "she saw me…how am I to break this curse if I can't love her?"
"Sire?"
"Go away," he snapped, "go away and leave me…the wolves!"
Nadir jumped to the side as Erik ran past him and out the door, "Sire?"
The sounds of the wolves quickly surrounded Christine and her horse pulled up, throwing its head from side to side and hopping up and down in half rears. She tried to calm the spooked horse to no avail.
"Shh, easy, come on, easy," she said.
A loud howl erupted from beside them and her horse squealed loudly, rearing up and throwing Christine to the snow bellow. She quickly scrambled to her feet to see her horse galloping away, a single wolf broke from the trees to chase it.
Christine looked around and felt panic rise in her as low growls emanated from the shadows that swam through the trees. The wolves approached slowly, snarling and snapping at her as they circled around.
"Get back!" she shouted, trying to frighten them away, "go away!"
A wolf snarled and snapped at her hand and she gave a small scream. There was no where to run and nothing to protect herself with. She turned around to be confronted with more wolves and prayed silently for something, someone to save her.
The alpha wolf snarled and lunged at her. With a scream she threw her hands in front of her face and dropped to her knees. At the same moment the sound of hooves returned and then a sharp yelp and thud.
She opened her eyes to see the wolf collide with one of the trees and a large black horse skid to a stop and wheel around, showering her with snow. Atop the stallion was Erik, shrouded in a black mask and cloak.
He dismounted quickly and Christine heard a quiet whistling and watched as another wolf was dragged out of the air to hit the ground, neck turned at an awkward angle. She ducked as the wolves leapt over her and charged at Erik.
He was fast, unnaturally so, but the wolves worked as a perfect team. Christine gasped as jaws clamped around his forearm and then another set clamped down on his shoulder. He gave a small cry of pain and managed to throw off the wolves.
Christine looked around before breaking a large branch from a tree, "Get back!" she shouted, swinging the branch and catching one of the wolves in the shoulder, "back!"
Erik took the opportunity to whistle and the stallion galloped over and gave a loud whinny, rearing and lashing out with its hooves before crashing to the ground. With a final yelp the wolves dodged the hooves and leapt back into the trees before weaving away.
"Thank you," Erik panted.
Christine turned to see him place his hand on the horse's neck. He glanced up at her and gave a small grunt of pain before his eyes rolled back and he collapsed. Christine gave a small gasp and ran over to him.
"Erik?" she asked, placing a hand on his chest and shaking him gently, "Erik?"
He didn't move and she pressed her ear against his chest and listened, it was rising and falling gently and she could hear his heart beating. She let out a sigh of relief and placed a hand behind his back and lifted him into a sitting position. He was very light so it didn't take much effort to drape him over the back of the large black stallion.
"Come on," she murmured, taking hold of the bridle, "lets get back to the castle."
Erik grimaced when she rolled back his sleeve to look at the wound. The bite marks were deep and still oozing blood. She dipped a cloth into boiling water and ringed it out.
"Its going to hurt," she informed him.
"I don't…ungh!" he gritted his teeth and closed his eyes against the sharp stinging sensation.
"I told you," she said as he opened his eyes again.
"It wasn't that bad," he argued, wincing as she wiped away the blood.
"Do you have anything we could use as a bandage?" she asked.
"Mmm, just the cloth you're already using."
"I see," Christine said, tearing a strip from the sheet she had used, "hold you arm out."
Erik did so tentatively as she wrapped the cloth around his forearm. She finished and tied it off neatly, "There, now take off your shirt."
"Pardon?"
"Your shirt," she repeated, "take it off. One of the wolves bit your shoulder, I want to see how badly."
Erik stared for a moment before carefully removing his shirt. The shoulder wound wasn't as bad, the wolf obviously hadn't been able to get as good a hold. But it was bleeding more and Christine quickly took to cleaning it.
"Stop shifting like that," she said irritably, "you're making this more difficult then need be."
Erik glowered and watched as she tore off another strip of fabric. She wrapped it around his shoulder and tied it off before kneeling down again and ringing out the damp cloth.
"Thank you…" she murmured.
"For what?"
"For saving me back there…how did you know to come?"
"Nadir informed me that you had left…I knew that the wolves would be out."
"Oh…I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to do any damage, really. Its just-"
"I frightened you," Erik finished sharply.
"Yes…I didn't know or I would-"
"Never have promised to stay."
"No, I would have no matter what. I wouldn't have intruded on your privacy," she flared.
"You should have obeyed my rules."
"You should learn to control your temper," she snapped.
He opened his mouth to say something and closed it again before slumping back in the chair. He winced slightly as pain shot through his shoulder.
"My temper can be inexcusable at times," he muttered.
"I've seen that."
