Christine saw red. She really did.
Out of all the outcomes she and Erik had thought of, out of all the possibilities. They hadn't even thought- how had he even thought- how could Raoul even dare to try such a thing-
And Raoul just stood there over Erik, picking up his sword off the ground. After the mask had fallen Erik had attacked, so quickly, so fiercely Christine had half believed he would kill Raoul, but he merely disarmed him. The collapsed, kneeling before Raoul, who had the audacity to look proud of himself.
"Meg, find Erik's manservant and have him get Erik another mask." Christine said, her voice low.
Meg didn't move, her face was a picture of horror as she stared down at her master.
Christine shook Meg roughly. "Now!"
She snapped out of her stupor, turning and leaving.
Christine marched forward, her eyes watching her husband carefully as he scrambled towards the fallen pieces of his mask. He left a trail of blood, Raoul had cut the side of his face, it dripped to the ground.
Raoul caught her by her arm as she tried to go to Erik. "Christine-"
She spun. "That would be your Grace." She snarled, jerking her arm away. He stumbled back, his face pinching up, as if confused. Confused! As if she would be happy for what he had done to her husband!
One of the maids must have caught a glimpse of Erik's face despite the hand he had clasped over it, because someone started screaming.
Erik picked up a shard of his mask, he stared at it blankly. Christine knelt beside him, she touched his back gently. "Darling-"
He jerked away, stumbling back as if he was afraid she would beat him. "Erik-" Christine murmured in a soothing voice, holding out her arms. "My love- please…"
Erik stared at her through his fingers, his golden eyes wide and afraid.
"I love you. Darling, please- come to me-" Christine murmured.
"Christine do you not know what he is?" Raoul's voice was filled with disbelief.
Christine froze, her lips pressed together tightly. She looked up to Raoul, her eyes sharp. "And what would that be?"
"Do you not know what the church says about him in Paris?" His voice became oddly triumphant. "There are rumors that he sold his soul to the devil for immortality. That is why he never died in battle. God cursed him with this face as punishment-" He trailed off when he saw Christine's face. He paled and took a step back.
Christine stood, her face dark and voice very low and dangerous. "Take him to the prison tower."
At once two of the knights surged from the crowd, taking Raoul by his arms. He struggled, that idiotic confused look coming over his face again. "What have I done to deserve imprisonment?"
Christine laughed, it sounded a little hysterical. Her nostrils flared, head raised in anger, the crowd all held their breaths, the knights hesitated in their arrest. She stood like a queen, like a goddess above them all. "What have you done? What have you done? You have spread slander about my husband, a more humble and good man there never was. You have tried to capture the interest of the woman married to him. And most of all you have purposefully harmed a Duke, you have invaded his privacy which you had no right to do." She waved her hand. "Take him away."
She turned away after that. Back to her husband who still cowered on the ground. She looked around the crowd.
"You are dismissed. All of you." She said coldly, and they slowly began dispersing.
She went to Erik, and her hand touched his back. This time he did not run away, but he flinched.
"Erik…" She knelt before him again, she rubbed his back slowly. An idea came to her, and she began to sing.
It was a simple song. A little Swedish lullaby her father used to play for her. But all at once Erik seemed to ease, his shoulders slumping down, the tension disappearing from his back. She pulled off her head cloth and handed it to him, he pressed it to the wound at his face. At last he allowed her to pull him into her embrace. He hid his head in her neck and sobbed.
Jules, the manservant came a few moments later. There was another mask in his hand, this he handed to Christine mutely, then turned away.
Christine stroked his hair, running her fingers along his scalp. "We have another mask if you wish it, my love."
He didn't answer, but held out his hand.
She sheltered him as he tried to tie the head cloth on so it would stay by itself. Eventually she did it for him, then helped him with the leather cords of his mask. He leaned against her, she could feel the tears trickling from under his mask.
"Can you stand?"
A slow nod.
Christine assisted him up, he leaned on her, Jules held him on the other side. Slowly they staggered across the courtyard, then past the great hall then up the stairs, Christine's face kept away any curious servants or ladies.
They arrived at his door, Christine pushed Erik onto Jules and opened it. They went inside and sat Erik on his bed, he slumped down, hunching over himself. Christine dismissed Jules, the door thumped shut.
Christine took a deep breath, carefully she tucked her hand under Erik's chin and lifted it to look up at her.
"Are you alright?" She asked, then shook her head. "Silly question. What can I do for you?" She rubbed his chin with her hands.
His golden eyes stared up at her, wide and watery. He did not answer.
"Erik, dearest?"
Suddenly his hand came up and tore off the mask and makeshift bandage, exposing his face fully to Christine.
His face was terrible. Not frightful, but bad. He had no nose, merely a gaping hole and a few scraps of skin. His whole face was a mess of bone and muscle and skin. No injury in battle could have caused this, he must have had this from birth. It was his face. The face of her husband, the man she loved.
Christine took both his cheeks in her hands and kissed him.
He whole body stiffened under her, then in the same moment his hands were at her waist and he was kissing her back.
"Christine…" He gasped against her lips.
"I love you." She told him. She had a feeling he needed to hear it.
Sure enough, he broke into sobs again. Slowly Christine laid him back on the bed, crawling after him to his side. Tears rolled from his beautiful golden eyes, she kissed away each one.
Silently he sobbed, his shoulders shaking. She rubbed his shoulders and he leaned into her, burying himself in her embrace.
She busied herself by checking the wound Raoul had given him. It was not deep and already nearly clotted. Once she had that settled, she hummed and gently soothed Erik best she knew how
Slowly, ever so slowly his trembling slow, his tears ceased, until he laid silently in her arms.
"I love you."
His voice was hoarse.
"And I, you." Christine returned, pressing her lips to his hairline.
"Why?" His arms tightened around her. "Why did you not run? Why do you not hate me?"
Christine rubbed circles in his shoulder with her thumb, humming that lullaby while she thought.
"Well, firstly, I already had an idea of what your face looked like." She admitted.
He shuffled. "You did?"
"Erik, we made love nude in a bed. I have felt passing glimpses of your face on my skin." She shook her head, a smile playing at her lips. "Secondly, I am not unused to deformities. I grew up in a traveling troupe. I have been around them my whole life."
He was silent.
"Thirdly-" And here Christine pulled his chin up so he could look into her eyes. "I love you, so deeply and intently I cannot begin to describe. Nothing could stop that, no deformity, no knight, no false rumor."
He looked up at her, the white skin around his eyes crinkling in preparation of more tears, Christine pulled him against her chest again. "Fourthly, I would not want to deprive our future child of his true father."
Erik gasped, and he scrambled up on his arms. "You are-"
"Pregnant again. Yes." Christine sighed, sinking further into the feather pillow. "And don't you dare hole yourself up again." She scolded. "I want you with me every step of the way."
Then he was kissing her, her mouth, her cheeks, her neck… "Of course. Of course." He murmured against her skin. "I swear it. I swear to be with you."
Suddenly he hissed in pain, Christine drew back, seeing him rubbing his new wound. "Oh, perhaps we should stop."
He pulled her close again. "Never."
Christine giggled.
"How long?" Erik gasped, his hands tight around her waist. "How long have you known?"
"Hmm. A few weeks now." Christine lifted her head to allow him easier access with his attentions. "I intended to tell you after the tournament."
"When it would be harder for me to bury myself in my work to avoid you?"
"Precisely."
"Ah. My clever little wife." He teased.
"I'm just grateful that I, your wife, have seen your face now." Christine murmured, stroking a bumpy cheek of his. "I've been wanting that for quite some time."
He paused, his lips frozen at her collarbone. He pulled away slightly. "Do you mind it?" Erik gasped. "Can you stand it, day in and day out?"
Christine smiled grandly, looking down at her husband. "Of course. What do you think I've been waiting for?"
A bit mushy? Dramatic?! Another Baby?!
Yes yes and yes. It's the grand finale folks. I have no shame. Still not sure if I want one chapter wrapping up more stuff and an epilogue, or just the epilogue...
Hmm. I'm going to go ponder that for a bit.
