Chapter 22:
He fell asleep on her shoulder.
He fell asleep.
He fell asleep.
Not that she really minded him sleeping. He probably hadn't slept in several days. Her feet objected to kneeling in the same position but a little wiggling of the toes shut them up enough for her to concentrate on his masked face and quiet breathing touching the skin of her neck.
Her fingers ran through his hair, untangling every strand with great care and stroking the bald spots, lined with dark blood vessels and speckled with odd spots, with gentle kindness. He wasn't handsome. She knew that well enough despite having never seen his face. Seeing his hands, seeing the back of his head, hearing what Christine had described him as, though she didn't believe more than half of the girl's conclusions.
When every possible knot had been removed from his hair, she examined the color, displeased with the amount of silver she found shooting through the black strands. She'd never considered his age before but he had to be over forty and probably closer to sixty than she had expected.
"Don't worry. I'll love you for the years you have left." Twenty years would be the most. She'd be alone by forty. But it would be worth it to spend those years with him. If he'd have her. He'd declared love for her and it was too soon to talk marriage but she hoped he might consider it in the future.
Not too distant future either.
A month or two might be enough. They'd "lived together" for a year and a half, true as a servant/master relationship but they had often showed more as friends than anything else. It would be a great change but not as great as some.
By the time the clock chimed two, her whole body had fallen asleep but she didn't care, content to rest her head on his shoulder and doze quietly, holding him close. Just as she began to drift into a deeper sleep, he jerked away.
Her eyes fluttered open and she gave him a sleepy smile. His eyes wearily peered at her.
"Aren't you going to scream now?" He asked, pulling away from her. Puzzlement crossed her face.
"Why would I scream?" She asked, reaching for his hands. He drew them away and retreated from her.
"Your words were very kind and Erik enjoyed a few moments of believing them but, he won't fault you if they were just lies." He rose to his feet, unsteady. Scowling, Candela joined him in standing, grabbing the bedpost to keep herself from toppling over due to the pins in her feet.
"They weren't lies, you adorably foolish man." She said, a giggle escaping her as she plopped onto her bed and patted the spot beside him. "Sit. We need to talk." He eyed her suspiciously and approached her, gingerly sitting beside her and keeping silent.
"Now, what are we going to do? I can't move back in with you." She stated.
"Why not!" He gasped, eyes widening behind the mask. "Why not!" His shaking hands fumbled with hers.
"Well, unless you intend to resend what you told me earlier this evening, it wouldn't be proper to live with you anymore." His head dropped and he nodded slowly, understanding what she meant. He couldn't recall the words. They were truth. He loved her dearly.
"I understand." She smiled and squeezed his hands.
"Where do you want to go with this?" She inquired, blushing faintly. The little experience she had gained with the Marquis regarding relationships weren't going to help her now. At times, she would have to lead him.
"I don't know." He glanced up at her, golden eyes glowing in the darkness of the room. "I never thought beyond…" She nodded and laid her head on his shoulder, noticing his jerk. Soothing him with a roving hand, she replied,
"I haven't thought too much either. But, I love you."
"I…" He hesitated before continuing, "I love you too." Warm as she was inside, she shivered a little due to the dying fire. Reacting immediately, he tugged a blanket off her bed and threw it around her shoulders, tucking it gently and covering every inch of skin.
"Thank you." She whispered, snuggling herself against him. His hands trembled and his heart raced. Words seemed stuck inside his throat. Her dark eyes peered up at him, watching to see if he could say what burdened his mind.
After another moment, he blurted,
"Would you marry me?" When the words escaped, he yanked himself away from her and covered his mouth, gasping in shock that he had offered. "Erik is so sorry! Forgive him!" He dropped to his knees in front of her and clutched at the blanket surrounding the surprised woman. "Don't answer." He raised his hand to her mouth, the digits hovering over her lips. "Don't. Erik shouldn't inquire. He must make himself a worthy future husband before he asks."
Candela retrained her giggling and pressed a kiss to his fingers, drawing a second gasp from him and tears in the corners of his eyes.
"Erik, it's okay. You're perfect the way you are. I don't see why you can't propose right now." Her heart thundered in her chest from excitement. He stroked her cheek, bewilderment shining from his eyes.
"You are mad. Completely mad. You can't be serious that you would marry Erik?"
"Of course, I am. I thought it would take you a lot longer to propose but this will be great." She reached forward, trailing her fingers across his porcelain mask. "We don't have forever to wait around." The muscles in his neck tightened, holding his head still while she touched it.
"You are correct. Erik is not young anymore." He sighed, weary. Silenced reigned for several minutes before he leaned his head against her hand. "Candela, do you want to know what you have agreed to marry or shall I wear the mask forever?"
Honestly shimmered in his eyes, a plead for acceptance bright in them. His question paused Candela's racing mind and held her attention for several moments.
"What do you want?" She asked. He answered with a shrug, not helping her make her choice. On one hand, she could ask him to remove the mask and, while she would always love him, show disgust. What little she knew of his face, she knew it couldn't be a pretty sight. But, on the other hand, if it never left, it would always stand between them, a porcelain barrier to trust and happiness.
"Take it off."
Hands shaking, he reached behind his head and untied the strings, his whole posture signaling preparedness for any outcome. Slowly, the strings released and the mask lowered, revealing a chalk-white forehead. Before he could show anymore, she relieved him of the duty and snatched it from his face, exposing everything.
His eyes snapped closed as she stared in horror.
Gray and yellow skin were pulled across sharp bones. A black hole gaped where a nose should have resided. Thin lips barely covered yellow teeth. White scars zipped across his cheeks. Twin tears coursed down them, distracting her from the scars.
"I disgust you." He whispered, covering his head with his hands. Violently, Candela shook her head, ripping his hands from his face and crouching down before him, leaving him with no choice but to look her in the eye.
"You don't disgust me, Erik. You never will. Abnormality doesn't always breed disgust." Taking a leap, she reached out and stroked his cheek, surprised to find the skin soft and pliable beneath her gentle fingers. "I love you, both this." She lightly touched the bit of cartilage he had, "and this." She pressed a hand to his heart. There was no going back now. No second guessing herself if she could care for a man like this for the rest of his life.
Her choice had been made earlier that night when love had been confessed between them. Surprisingly, her heart and mind didn't appear to object to her choice, calming themselves and allowing her clarity of mind to assuage his fears.
"Kiss me." She suddenly demanded, praying that would convince of her truthfulness. Besides, his lips were looking particularly delectable at the moment.
They were engaged after all so she could demand such a request.
Perhaps the evening had been so overwhelming that he chose not to disbelieve her or contradict her, but Erik curled his fingers into her hair and slowly lowered his lips to her, hesitating on the last moment to allow her a chance to change her mind, to run and never look back.
Her fingers found the nape of his neck and settled among the strands of hair. A halting breath later, she firmly pressed her lips to his.
E-OC
Never again when they were together, did she allow him to wear the mask.
Three weeks later, they were married in a small service with only Nadir and Reine as witnesses. While Candela had sent an invitation to Christine and Raoul in case she wanted to wish her former Angel well and should Raoul like to confirm his wife's safety by viewing the marriage of his nemesis.
Both politely declined.
Christine had begun to face severe complications with the pregnancy and the midwife didn't want her traveling, or so came the excuse.
In reply, a wedding photo was sent, showing a grinning bride, proud as she could be of her husband, and a contented Phantom, griping his wife's white-clad waist tightly, with a note requesting that the photo be shown to the Marquis along with a letter enclosed.
The letter never reached the Marquis de Bonnaire.
The week before the wedding, he traveled to Spain to find the grave of his first and only true love. The night before, he located it and, on the happiest day of Candela's life, was found dead by a local.
No signs of suicide or murder were present on the body, leading the investigators, after hearing the story, to believe he died of a broken heart. The will, when read in court, let everything, except for a pleasant living for Reine, to Candela as recompense for her not accepting money from the estate of Phillippe de Chagny.
Per his wishes, they laid him in the family crypt and had the coffin of Candela's mother moved to beside him so they might rest together.
Those who had known him grieved for a good man, fell by the power of a woman's fickle heart. If Candela felt a twinge of guilt, she never showed it. Her mind was filled with dreams of a future and a honeymoon trip, an adventure the managers hardly appreciated.
Starless and lacking guidance, they postponed rehearsals and fumed over the Phantom's disinterest now he had a wife to pamper. Their complaining letters to him, a role reversal Candela never ceased to think funny, caused their European tour to be cut short and for them to return so he could hold auditions.
Soon, a star was located and the Phantom descended into his dark domain, determined not to surface except in the greatest of necessities, including serving as best man for Nadir when he married Reine.
Their courtship proved quick, lasting long enough for the pair to know they were in love. Youth and time weren't on their side and they knew it far too well. While her family threatened to disown her for her marrying a commoner, Reine laughed in their faces and married him anyway, sending a sarcastic note, photograph and even a slice of cake to her remaining relatives.
Years passed before contact was made again.
Seven months after Nadir's wedding, Candela gave birth to Nadene, perfect from the top of her head to the tip of her toes. Her brown eyes were decidedly her mother's but the black hair and elegant bone structure, beautiful for a child, left no doubt on her father. While most of the pregnancy had consisted of Erik choosing to ignore the growing bump on his wife's stomach, he adored his daughter, spending endless time counting her fingers and toes, and lightly bopping her perfect nose to the amusement of the tiny girl.
Candela often remarked he loved her simply for that facial protrusion.
He scoffed and waved away her comment as completely false, declaring he would have loved his daughter no matter what. Always though, when his wife was out of ear shot, he would murmur a "thank you" to the heavens that he hadn't had to try.
Her first word was "Dada" quickly followed by "Mama." The Daroga took immense pleasure that her third was "Dago" which he adamantly claimed to be her attempting to say his title, despite Candela's reprimanding of the child every time she greeted him with it.
On her daughter's second birthday, Candela leaned over and whispered into her husband's ear. He glanced over at her and then hopelessly at the child playing with Daroga and Reine, bright and happy and beautiful. Finding contentment in the laughter of his perfect two-year-old, he replied,
"I could love another child."
.
.
Author's Note:
Dear Readers,
Well, the time has come to wrap this book up. I meant to continue it for several more chapters but this seemed the proper ending. I couldn't think of anything further to stretch over those chapters and I have a firm belief that a book should never be longer then the story.
sarahandmarquis
P.S. I probably won't start any new books anytime soon. I have several I'm working on (including a fanfiction on the '89 version) but I probably won't be posting them soon. I want to write some and possibly concentrate on my other books. Until next time!
P.S.S. I just reposted this because the text messed up. I have had no end of trouble with trying to post stuff lately. I am so sorry! Thank you, Child of Dreams for your help!