Chapter One
Calm Part One
"Raoul! Where is Erik?" Barely sparing the man a look, let alone a moment of her time, Christine scanned the crowd, searching for her fiancée. Shielding her eyes from the harsh glare of the mid-summer sun with a thin-fingered hand, she ignored Raoul's grumbled response and didn't see his displeased scowl.
"Lovely to see you too. He's gone for questioning at the port master's office, but he said he'd join us at the rocks. Come on."
He grabbed her arm, and they navigated their way through the crowd of people milling around the cobblestone roadway, running toward the craggy rocks that lined the coast, Christine with her brown hair bouncing around her heart-shaped face, and Raoul with his clean-shaven face holding an expression of petulance that she could not see.
He led her down Grace Church Street past Collier Lane, and soon the bustle of the harbor was nothing but a distant echo in the background, drowned out by the calming cry of seabirds and the scent of salt-spray lingering in the air. Christine breathed deeply the scents of her childhood, memories floating through her mind at a leisurely pace. It was at the rocks, on a day very much like that one, just before he had shipped off on his first voyage, that Erik had stolen her first kiss. She smiled, ignoring the tug of Raoul's insistent hand on her arm. Such beautiful memories…
"Christine!" Raoul shook her arm lightly. "Are you still alive in there? Erik should be arriving soon, and you don't want to look like you're in a trance. Do you?"
She raised her eyes to the sky and rolled them, her head following their example, until her gaze landed on Raoul.
"Of course not. Don't be silly, Raoul." She looked out towards the sea. "Besides, Erik would not care if I looked foolish. He is far too kind for that."
They sat down and Raoul leaned back and rested on his elbow, facing Christine's right side.
"I can be kind." He said matter-of-factly. "If that's what you'd like."
"But I already have a kind man to stand at my side. What more could I want?"
"So much more." He raised his right hand and began gently stroking her arm.
She frowned and shook her head.
"No one would know." He tried to persuade her.
"I would know." She replied simply, her face determined.
He pulled his hand away.
"Why do you do this, Christine? Torture me in this way? How long will it be before he can afford a wife?"
"Two years. Just two years until he's a captain and we'll be married."
"Two years is an eternity to wait. We could be married right away, if you wished it."
She smiled softly, obviously unaffected by his words.
"Do you remember," she asked, "when we were young, and Erik got his first instrument?"
"A flute of whistle or some rubbish like that." He wasn't angry that she had ignored his protestations; she always did.
She nodded her head in affirmation.
"And do you remember what you got?"
"I can hardly be expected to-"
"A pony, Raoul. Your father got you a pony, and Erik's father gave him a whistle. But you were so angry that Erik was happier with his whistle then you were with your pony, that you refused the gift you had been given and tried to take Erik's away from him." She paused and looked him directly in the eyes. "I'm not going to be your next whistle."
He frowned and leaned away from her as he pushed himself to his feet. A movement from behind a wall of stone caught his eye, and he forced a smile onto his face.
"Erik, old friend."
Christine got quickly to her feet and waved to him. "Erik!"
"Captain!" Erik shouted. Running straight to Christine, he picked her up and twirled her in a circle, both of them laughing and smiling. "They made me captain!"
"No more waiting?" Christine's eyes were misting over with tears of joy. "We can finally be officially engaged?"
He nodded happily, setting her back on the ground and turning to Raoul.
"What's the matter, Raoul?"
"Captain," he said without emotion. "Congratulations."
Erik's happy state dissipated, and the smile faded from his face. "What is the matter Raoul?"
"Nothing, nothing." He smiled, though there was a strange, almost unsettling quality to it. "I will see you tomorrow, friend."
He turned and walked towards town.
"Raoul!" Erik called. Raoul paused and glanced back at him. "You're still the best man."
He smirked half-heartedly in response. "I know."
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A/N: Thank you so much for all of the reviews! I appreciate them so much. They inspire my muse to work longer hours. Haha. Sorry for the short length. This chapter is about eight or so pages long, so I broke it down and I'm posting it this way. It seemed simpler at the time, though if you want it all at once, let me know and I'll post it that way. Then you also won't have to wait as long to read more. Thanks to everyone who added this story to their alerts and favorites.
Until next time,
VW