A/N: Wow, I can't believe we are on chapter 28 already! Not too much longer until we move onto the timeline of the musical's actual plot, and I can't remember if I've said this before, but just a disclaimer that my story will not be following the musical's plot exactly, so I may leave parts out, or add my own parts in, to move my own story along. (:
Many thanks to & stormy0626 for the follows/favs! My story has reached 40 follows (something I never thought was possible) and I really appreciate all your support so far! (It is my dream to exceed 50 follows; that would be just amazing.)
Savannah White: Buquet will always be an idiot, sadly. I know, I can't wait for Erik's true feelings to be revealed! -cackles evilly-
Lydia the tygeropean: Indeed they are!
Masked Man 2: Thank you! I can't even begin to say how thankful I am that you seem to like every chapter of my story so far, it makes me feel extremely happy! And well I won't straight-out say who the Musician is, but I'm sure it's pretty obvious hahaha. Nothing like a little fear of the unknown to throw our two leads together!
Wild Concerto: I love fluffy stuff, and I'm so glad you do too! And no worries about it, I like reviewers who question my plots! It reminds me that not everything in my plot is perfect and there are many loopholes. My story will not follow the musical plot exactly, though it will draw quite a bit of inspiration from it. The main events that happen in the musical will still happen, but I will twist the storyline in a way that they will happen even if Erik is not involved romantically with Christine! In my story, Erik has far more than feelings at stake; Christine represents a way for him to recognize his own ambitions.
Nikki: Thank you so much for your review! It always makes me deliriously happy to get new reviewers. I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story so far, and aww you flatter me too much! But yes, I did want to portray Christine as a strong (second) leading lady even if Amelie was my main focus, and I'm glad you caught onto that. And don't worry, I'm pretty sure Erik is too far in the deep end with his feelings for Amelie to be distracted by Christine. And the fact that you think my work is authentic? That makes me so happy because ultimately this is fanfiction and I'm always afraid that I'll copy too much of the original story. Thank you again! I hope you enjoy the rest of the story (:
Chapter 28: Planning the Debut
Paris, 1896
"Angel?" Christine ventured to ask at the end of yet another long lesson, a little hesitant, for she knew her teacher disliked questions. "Angel, may I ask you a question?"
"What is it, Christine?" Her Angel sounded tired, for once. Christine wished she could sooth his fatigue, and bring joy to that voice, which had once been her only consolation during her sorrow.
"Angel… The production of Hannibal will be closing in a mere matter of a few weeks, and—"
"And you are wondering if you will ever be able to debut, is that it? Such an impatient student I have." His voice now sounded a little amused.
"Oh Angel, I did not mean to anger you, but I do wonder. We have been practicing the part of Elissa for quite some time, and if I do not debut before the production of Hannibal closes, our practice will be for naught, will it not?"
"No, no, I am not angry, Christine," her Angel murmured, seemingly thoughtful. "Impatience is not a bad thing. But I want to ask of you, Christine, are you ready to play the part of Elissa?"
"I… I am not sure of that, Angel."
"Never say that." His voice was sharp and angry now. "I did not teach a weakling; I taught a songbird capable of besting some of the world's greatest talents. I taught a confident girl, one who was willing to put in any amount of work to stand on the stage and fulfill her dreams. I will not teach a student who cannot believe in herself."
Christine bowed her head in remorse. "I apologize, Angel. I know I should be more confident, but it is difficult, and it is my first time after all. I will endeavour to be more confident, I assure you. But Angel… do you believe in yourself?"
She had meant it as an innocent question, pure curiosity. But his long silence left her wondering if she had perhaps touched on a sensitive point.
She heard him sigh heavily, and she was a little shocked, for her Angel had never shown signs of fatigue or regret in front of her before—yet another sign of his plausible humanity.
"No, Christine… Perhaps I believe in myself too little."
"I believe in you, Angel." Christine told him earnestly. "I believe in your capabilities, and I believe in you as my teacher, my Angel."
"I am not worthy of your belief, Christine; nevertheless, I will think of something. You will debut before the production of Hannibal comes to a close. I promise you that."
"I will?" Christine asked timidly.
"Are you ready to debut?"
"Yes," Christine said with bravado, her voice wavering a little. Then, louder, and more confidently, she repeated the word. "Yes. Yes, I am ready."
"Then you will debut. I will make sure of it." He said, his voice almost sounding sinister. "After all, what better time to show off my songbird than the closing production of Hannibal? The entire operatic world will be in attendance, to celebrate the ending of the Palais Garnier's production."
Christine heard him mumbling to himself, as his voice grew fainter and fainter until she could hear no more. She took that to mean that he had already left, and she stood, biting back a yawn, before making her way back to the dormitories.
XXXXX
"Erik? Are you there?" Antoinette's voice echoed through a corridor leading to his house, not long after a bell had chimed to alert him of her imminent arrival. She had disabled the bell using the method he had taught her, to signal to him that it was only her, and not any intruder. As Antoinette rarely ventured down to his underground house, he knew that it must be a matter of significance, and he had been waiting for her.
"Antoinette." He rose from his seat to bow to her politely. "Why have you asked to meet me?"
She looked anxious and frustrated. Erik had not seen her calm facade crack before in so many years, and a little seed of worry began to sprout within his heart. Her hands were gripping her cane tightly, something that did not go unnoticed by Erik. She did not say anything for a few moments, but merely stared into nothingness, a frown worrying her brow.
"Antoinette?" He prompted gently.
"Erik, Debienne is retiring." She shook her head, holding onto her temples as though they pained her.
Erik turned his sharp gaze on her. "What? What did you just say?"
"Debienne plans to retire; he will announce his retirement during the last rehearsal before the closing production of Hannibal. He has apparently had had enough of the bustle of opera life, and grows weary of managing matters."
Erik had only just been in the middle of composing a polite letter to Debienne, requesting –demanding, really—that he place Christine in the role of Elissa instead of Carlotta for the closing night. Now that letter lay on the table before him, completely useless, the demanding black script meaningless and empty. Erik reached over to crush the parchment in his hand, feeling a vein of frustration snake its way through him.
"How did you know of this, Antoinette?"
"I listened at his door when the new owners came to meet him to sign the papers.", she told him baldly, matter-of-factly, so plainly that he stared at her in surprise. Antoinette listened at doors? Antoinette?
She caught his shocked look, and waved a hand dismissively. "I did not get to where I am today by not listening at Debienne's doors, Erik. Do not give me that look; I daresay you have done far worse to him than I have by listening at his door."
Erik had the good sense to look remotely chastened. "I apologize. Do go on, Antoinette. These two owners—will they appreciate my help? Are they well versed in opera?"
Antoinette winced. "I'm afraid not. They are… "
She mumbled something inaudible under her breath, and Erik frowned impatiently.
"What, Antoinette? It cannot be that bad, can it?"
"The new owners made a fortune in scrap and junk metal, and are now looking to increase their social standing." She said stiffly. "New money is always largely looked down upon by the aristocracy, and the new owners are hoping that through the opera house, they will be able to rub shoulders with much of the aristocracy, and assimilate themselves into the higher ranks of French society."
Erik stared at her incredulously. "That is it? Scrap metal, aristocracy, moving up in social ranks? That is what Debienne sold this opera house to? The finest opera house in Paris, the Palais Garnier, sold to people looking to use it as a means to social mobility?"
"I'm afraid so, Erik."
Erik snarled angrily. Of all the bad decisions Debienne had ever made, this one topped them all. Erik could have put up with all of Debienne's bad choices regarding which musician to hire, or the continued raises in Carlotta's salary, but he would not put up with the opera house being in the hands of people who knew nothing about opera, who cared nothing about music.
"What will you do now?" Antoinette asked, placing an arm on his shoulder, and it was only then that Erik realized his whole body had been tense.
"I will welcome the new managers of the opera house, and exert my influence upon them." He said grimly. "Surely Debienne saw fit to warn them about the presence of the Opera Ghost? If they know nothing about music, surely they will appreciate my advice."
"You must not ignore the fact that they are looking to make themselves even more successful, Erik. That means that they will keep Carlotta on the stage for as long as they can, if only to ensure the continued success of the opera house. You yourself know that Carlotta's numerous years as prima donna have gained for herself a reputation that most would be hard-pressed to discount. People believe in Carlotta and her talent, as little as that may be now. The new owners will never let you put Christine on the stage."
His lips thinned in anger. "Then we will have to work on another plan, one that will leave them no choice but to put Christine on the stage for the final production tomorrow. I will leave instructions for you in your room once I have thought this through. We must act quickly, Antoinette."
Antoinette nodded her head, but before she left, she paused, as though she had just remembered something else. "Erik, besides new owners, the Palais Garnier now has a new patron."
Erik raised his hand to pinch his nose bridge between his thumb and forefinger, trying to ease the throbbing ache that had settled itself there. "A new patron, you say? I do not think that will be of much significance. He provides the funding for the Palais Garnier, and the managers take it and use it for new productions and such, and that is the end of the matter."
Antoinette shook her head. "I doubt it, Erik. I have heard that the new patron is a great supporter of the arts, and he is eager to take an active role in the matters of the opera house. He wants to be part of the decision making; he is quite enthusiastic about the whole affair, in fact."
Erik breathed deeply. "Then I see no problem with having a new patron. Surely having someone who appreciates music will be a good thing. Who is this patron you speak of?"
"The Vicomte de Chagny, a young man who only just recently came into his trust fund and is eager to use that money to support the arts, Erik."
Erik made a non-committal sound under his breath. "As long as he knows what is best for the Palais Garnier, there should be no problems. Now Antoinette, I really must think of a new plan. I will be in touch with you soon."
Antoinette nodded, and left Erik's house.
As she walked through one of the numerous tunnels beneath the Palais Garnier back to the surface, her brow was knitted in frustration. Debienne's retirement meant greater, and potential problems for Erik. In the many years that Erik had resided in the opera house, he had managed to keep Debienne under his thumb, with the hapless manager agreeing to all his demands and requests without fail. Debienne feared the Opera Ghost's retribution should he fail to adhere to the spectre's instructions, and besides, he knew that any decision Erik made resulted in an increase of profits for the opera house.
With new managers in place, there could be problems. If the new managers were not as easily pliable as Debienne had been, Erik would have to resort to more drastic measures to get them to do what he wanted. It was a tricky time, for Erik had only just begun to put his plan of placing Christine on stage into play, and any minor mistake could lead to a failure of his plan. And there was far too much at risk.
If Erik failed, and if he was discovered, his life would be at danger. A man, masquerading as a ghost in order to exploit the managers of one of the most reputable opera houses in the country? It was no doubt a serious matter, and one that would bring the constables crashing down upon their heads.
She knew Erik had put his life on the line for this plan. He had assured her that she would be safe; he would go to the grave before revealing his accomplices. Antoinette would be safe, and so would Meg. Meg would have an illustrious career before her, Erik had said. When Antoinette had protested, thinking that Erik intended to pull some strings to push Meg forward in her career, Erik had merely waved a dismissive hand before her, and claimed that without his help, Meg would do perfectly well. He had no intention of using any means to ensure that Meg would rise to the role of prima ballerina. That had somewhat soothed Antoinette's ruffled feathers—she wanted Meg to achieve that role by her own merits.
So she would be safe, and so would Meg.
But there was Amélie. Sweet, precious Amélie, who let on about her feelings toward Erik more than she was aware of. Antoinette knew.
And to Antoinette, Amélie would always be her precious first 'child', in a sense. She had found Amélie, had raised her, even if it had only been for a short time before she had left the Palais Garnier to start a family. Amélie, who had always adored Erik, from the time when she had been a small child, and he a gangly young boy with a soft spot for the little girl who seemed to idolize him. That adoration had possibly grown, when Erik had returned from Persia, and quite startlingly, allowed Amélie to visit him regularly in his house each week. Antoinette had allowed it, only because Erik always seemed so happy after Amélie visited, and Amélie herself would be dancing with her feet in the clouds.
Even if she and Meg were to be safe, what would happen to Amélie? She did not doubt that Erik would try his best to protect Amélie, to keep her from being associated with his tarnished name should he fail, but Amélie herself might not be willing to let that happen. No, Amélie would most possibly follow Erik to the ends of the earth.
Antoinette sighed as she recalled a recent conversation with Amélie, meant to find out Amélie's true feelings toward Erik.
"Amélie, is there any young man in your life, perhaps? Somebody special?"
Amélie choked on her tea. "What are you saying, Madame? A young man?"
"Well, marriage, Amélie—you knew what I was talking about. I was not barely much older than you are now, when I married my dear husband and had Meg." Antoinette sipped her tea slowly, watching Amélie over the rim of her cup. "You should know very well that a ballerina's career can only be so short, and after their prime, there is little a ballerina can do besides teach. Surely you want a family?"
"I have a family," Amélie said stubbornly. "I have you, I have Meg, the rest of the opera house… and… Erik." The last word was mumbled quite softly, as though she had not dared to say it.
Antoinette raised her eyebrows at that last mention, but Amélie plowed on quickly, not allowing her to say anything. "Besides, there is no one. I would rather stay here and teach with you, Madame, and take over your position when you retire."
But she had said that all too forlornly, with a wistful look in her eyes, and Antoinette knew that Amélie had not meant what she had said. The truth was plain and clear—Amélie wanted Erik to be her family, but she knew that it could not be possible, given the current circumstances.
And it was because of exactly that, that Erik's plan had to succeed, no matter what. For Antoinette was determined to give the two most precious people in her life, besides her darling Meg, the happy ending they wanted. She would do it for Erik, who wanted nothing more than to live a normal life, and she would do it for Amélie, who had spent her life caring for and loving Erik to the best of her abilities, even as she denied it.
A/N: Well, stayed tuned for next week! Hope you guys enjoyed the newest instalment, and as usual, please read/review/fav/follow/let me know what you think! xx hazel