Don't hate me after this chapter!

-Nico

The cloaked figure raced through the streets of Paris, its black hooded cape twisting and swirling in the cold air. Short puffs of air emerged from under the hood of the figure, evidence of the intensity with which it was running.

The servant's entrance of the Mansart household was inconspicuously tucked behind a large lilac bush at the rear of the mansion. The figure quickly entered the home, pulling the hood off to reveal sweat-soaked curls.

Merry took only a moment to look at her reflection in a shining pot before moving quickly on silent feet to the library, where her mistress had instructed she meet her.

Expecting her maid, Athena sat comfortably on her overstuffed chair, sipping some sweet-smelling tea.

When Merry appeared at the library entrance, Athena summoned her to come in and close the door behind her.

"Well?" Athena asked the out-of-breath maid.

"You were right," Merry confirmed. "They are lovers."

Athena rose, more aggravated at the choice of her maid's wording than at Erik's actions. This had not been the first time he had carried on an affair outside of their marriage…she was certain it wouldn't be the last.

But the thought that he was breaking the sanctity of their marriage with that Daae girl…who was to be married to the elusive DeChangy family…was an insult too great for Athena to bear.

"They met beneath the Opera," Merry continued, taking her Mistress's silence for an expected detailing of her detective work. "And he told her that he loves her. He wants her to run away with him."

Athena's eyes snapped up. "And did she agree?"

Merry shook her head, unnerved by the flash of anger in Athena's eyes. "She asked for a night to think," she said quickly. "He told her to meet him in the chapel after supper tomorrow if she would agree to leave with him."

Athena's back was to the maid, but if Merry could see the older woman's face, she would probably have run out of the library in fear.

So this was Erik's plan, Athena mused scathingly. He would run off with the little Daae girl and leavehis wifealone, disgraced to all of society. Athena would find herself without the financial support of her father, forced to surrender all of her luxury…

It was a thought Athena could not tolerate for one moment longer.

Her saving grace, however, was, in fact, the Daae girl. She seemed to be struggling with her decision. After all, if she truly loved Erik, wouldn't she have run off with him on the spot? Perhaps not…if there was even an ounce of doubt in her mind…

"Madame?" Merry asked, having been standing in uncomfortable silence for at least three minutes.

Athena turned around, forcing her face to remain blank. "Thank you for your assistance, Merry," she said formally. Then, waiting a beat she asked, "would you like some tea?"

Merry looked at Athena suspiciously. Never in her nearly 7 years of employment by Athena Mansart had she ever offered her anything, let alone a cup of tea from the Mistress of the House's delicate tea set.

The small maid looked at the steaming tea, which seemed particularly inviting after following Christine through the cold, dank underbelly of the Opera Populaire.

Slowly, she approached the tea settings, mildly ashamed that her tiny fingernails were stained with the juice from the wild berries she had picked for Athena's morning breakfast.

Athena handed her the small teacup, smiling strangely as she did so.

Merry paused for a moment before bringing the cup to her lips. "Thank you, Madame," she said softly, gulping a sip of the sweet tea.

Athena watched as Merry's face suddenly fell into a panic. The delicate tea cup slipped from the young woman's hands, shattering at her wet feet. Athena backed up a step or two as the maid clutched at her throat, her face turning an unnatural red as she gasped for the air that simply would not enter her lungs.

Merry fell to her knees, knocking over the rest of Athena's tea service. As the small girl slipped further and further to the floor, clutching her throat, she looked up at Athena desperately, managing one weak, strangled word.

"Why?"

Athena smiled, watching as the life dimmed from behind Merry's eyes. "Because I cannot have you gossiping about my failing marriage," she told the girl coldly. "And also because I needed to test this poison out before I have to use it on my husband."

Athena produced a small vile of a cloudy liquid and held it up to the firelight in the room. Then, she looked dismissively down at the near-dead Merry. "I must say, it worked better than I expected."

The last thing Merry saw before she died was the sweeping pale silks of Athena's skirt as she brushed past the scene, leaving the poor woman to pass on alone.

The Next Morning

Athena was inconsolable. Although Erik had no memory of the woman before he was given his new life, he had never seen her so upset.

"Poison!" She was shrieking to the small group of policemen and doctors that had been summoned once Merry's limp body had been found. "Oh, Erik," Athena wailed dramatically. "Someone has brought poison into our home!"

She buried her head in her husband's chest, sobbing pitifully.

"Sirs, what sort of poison was this?" Erik asked, gently handing off his crying wife to the motherly housekeeper they employed.

A tall, thin officer scratched his beard. "We aren't sure, Monsieur," he said. "Whatever it was, it dissolved quickly enough to not leave a trace behind."

"But would you agree that if we found the source of the drug we would likely be able to find the culprit?" Erik pressed, having read more than enough mystery novels in his time to understand the logistics of unearthing a criminal.

"This is a rare poison," another officer offered. "I would say that the identification of the element would almost certainly lead us to the scoundrel that did this."

With that, Athena suddenly swooned and landed on the floor in a delicate pile of silk.

Immediately, the doctors summoned left the side of the dead maid and rushed to Athena, helping her to her feet.

"I'm sorry," Athena said dramatically. "I suppose I'm just slightly dizzy."

She moved over to Erik purposefully, looping her arm in the crook of his. "You see," she said gently, "Erik and I will be expecting a child in the summer."

Erik's world suddenly narrowed into a spiral of darkness.

A child?

His child?

He looked down at his wife, who was in turn looking up at him, tears brimming on her false eyelashes.

"A baby?" He managed, his throat tight.

"Yes," Athena confirmed, placing a thin hand over her midsection. "A child. Yours and mine."

"Are you certain?" Erik asked.

Everyone in the room looked at Athena. It was common knowledge that Erik was something of a rogue. Could perhaps his wife behave similarly?

Athena's face reddened. "Of course I am," she said. "Are you not pleased?"

All eyes now turned to Erik.

"Who else knows?" He asked somewhat harshly.

Athena's eyes narrowed. "Just the people in this room," she said. Then, as if it were an after thought she added, "And Angelica DeChangy."

Erik's heart dropped.

"You told Madame DeChangy before me?" He asked.

Athena shrugged. "She stopped by for tea earlier. I was simply too excited and had to share with someone. That's not a problem, is it Erik?"

Erik swallowed hard.

Of course it would be a problem.

Christine sat rigidly on the edge of her bed, tears streaming down her face.

Athena was pregnant.

With Erik's child.

He was to be a father.

When Raoul had told her the 'happy' news earlier that morning, she had nearly vomited. Excusing herself from the foyer of Madame Giry's house, she had fled to her room, leaving behind a very confused Raoul.

She looked up at the grandfather clock in her room. It was nearly 7pm. She was to meet Erik shortly.

Could she still go in light of this news?

The thought of confronting Erik nearly drove Christine mad.

But the thought of not going to the chapel caused fresh tears to stream down her face.

How could so much change in just one day?