Sweet Seduction
Chapter Nineteen: And What A Masquerade!
A/N: TGIF! Here's the next update, hope you enjoy and REVIEW!
Christine laughed gaily as she watched the couples swirling around the ballroom. It was such a beautiful sight to behold. Who could have ever imagined that less than a year after the fire and chandelier disaster, the opera house would be restored almost to more glory and splendor than before, and once again holding their glorious masquerade ball. She hummed along with the waltz tune, lightly swaying back and forth, watching her skirt and petticoats swish stiffly in time with the music. Her dress this year truly was beautiful. It was completely white with off the shoulder cupped sleeves, and delicate false rosebuds sewn in intricate lines and patterns all over the bodice and dress and the hem was entirely bright red. Her mask was a beautiful creation she'd thrown together, using one of Erik's old mask, but decorated with false rosebuds and lilies, some glitter and lots of dangling lace and ribbon. She had even embedded small white lilies and red roses within the crosses and braids of her curls cascading down her almost-bare back.
She sighed impatiently. Erik and Georges had already cut the grand ribbon, officially re-opening the Opera House and all the performers sang "Masquerade" to begin the ball and she'd performed her aria and now the ball was beginning to pick up, with one waltz after the next. She wished Erik would enter already so they could waltz together, instead of forcing her to politely flirt with the other bachelors and husbands and dance with them like she knew she should out of politeness. Fortunately, at that moment, Meg waved to her across the ballroom floor and came hurrying over to where Christine was standing.
"Oh Christine!" she said excitedly "This is all so grand! Imagine, a masquerade just like the ones in the old days"
Christine smiled "Meg, what do you mean 'old days'? We had a Masquerade just last year!" she pointed out
"I know, but that one was nowhere near as special as this one, don't you think?"
"Well, I think they were both special" Christine said, smiling nostalgically
They waved as two of their old friends waltzing together passed them.
"Oh, did you see Jacques' costume yet?" Meg asked
"No, I didn't. Where is he?"
"Over there, by the refreshment table. He's fetching us both drinks. He's such a dear! Anyway, we're matching this year. I'm an angel" Meg said, as she swirled around gesturing to her flowing white gown and stuffed wings and white mask "and he's a devil" she said, and Christine noticed Jacques' black devil costume, mask and little horns. She giggled
"He certainly is a handsome devil"
"He certainly is" Meg said distractedly. She shook her head
"Haven't you danced with anyone yet?" Meg asked conversationally
"No, I'm still waiting for Erik to waltz with"
"Christine" she sighed "You won't get to dance at all if you keep waiting for him. He and Georges are so busy right now. I heard they're planning something special for mother"
"Like what? Is it a surprise?"
Meg nodded "Yes, but don't let on that I told you. I don't think I was supposed to know. And whatever you do, don't let my mother hear you-"
"Don't let me hear what, Meg Giry?" Mme. Giry said suspiciously. She was still dressed in black, as always, but added some festive touches such as a lowered neckline and slightly shorter skirt, white stockings and white stars all over her costume. Jacques came up behind her, offering the drinks he'd fetched to all the ladies
"She was just telling me that I shouldn't let you hear me complaining" Christine finished quickly
"About what child? It's a ball" Mme. Giry asked
"Well, Erik isn't here yet and I started to bore of waiting around to waltz-"
"And I was just telling her that she should at least waltz with some other men. Just to be polite"
Mme. Giry nodded in approval "That's a very polite thing to suggest, Meg. I'm pleased with you. Christine, you should take her advice. It wouldn't do for the Prima Donna to be a wallflower when there are young men wanting to enjoy your company" she said, nudging her out onto the dance floor as the waltz ended. Meg took a small sip of her wine and put it down quickly
"Come, Jacques, let's dance" she said
Jacques set his cup down, looking at Mme. Giry "May we have your permission, Mme. Giry?" he asked formally
Meg pleaded "Please mother?"
"All right, I suppose" she sighed
Meg smiled "Merci maman. Come Jacques, another waltz is starting" she said, leading him out onto the dance floor, laughing as they effortlessly fell into step with the others. Christine stood to the side of the floor, looking for any available dance partner. She supposed Mme. Giry was right: her position as Prima Donna did suggest she should be polite and socialize with some of the other men here tonight. At least until Erik showed up.
The first dance partner she found was a very young man, some heir to a clothing factory who was as awkward as a young colt with dancing and was nearly shocked at the thought of Christine dancing with him. She quickly made her polite excuses when the waltz was over and then found a second dancing partner, a very old fellow who seemed to be bored stiff and not at all pleasant to dance with. After him, she danced with a good-looking younger fellow who seemed to be at ease gracefully dancing with her, until she tried to start a conversation to discover he wasn't all that bright. She sighed as the third waltz ended
"Erik, where are you?" she whispered softly. Enough was enough. She was tired of being polite and socially correct. She'd like to at least have one dance at the Masquerade ball with her husband, so she set off towards the grand staircase to go find him. A fleeting moment of panic crossed her mind when she saw a man in red coming down the staircase and she thought for an instant Erik really was going to make an entrance like he had last year, but she relaxed when she saw it wasn't Erik. Suddenly, before she could begin ascending up the staircase, a gloved hand grasped her own. She turned to find a rather handsome young man with copper-colored hair and a rather large mask grasping her hand and softly bringing it to his lips in the polite gesture
"Mademoiselle, surely you are not leaving the ball so soon?"
"Well, no-" she stammered awkwardly "You see, I mean, my hus-"
"Aren't you enjoying the party?" he asked innocently
"Of course I am, monsieur, but, you see..." she trailed off, trying to think of an excuse
He looked at her innocently
"While you try to remember why you were leaving, would you like to dance?"
Christine sighed. She was so tired of this, but the man seemed so sincere
"Please?"
She sighed "All right, just one dance" she relented
"On my honor, only one dance"
He gently took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor. He bowed as she gently curtseyed and then placed her white gloved hand in his and the other on his strong shoulder in the proper position. He grasped her quite firmly by her waist, pulling her far closer to him than was proper. She felt his strong arm as it slid around her waist, forcing her against him so abruptly she nearly fell onto him. His mouth curved in a slightly shocked and yet, apologetic way. She stared at him for a moment
Who does this gentleman think he is, pulling me like that ? she thought in annoyance
She purposefully put a bit of distance between them and he didn't seem to mind. Clearing her throat, she begrudgingly began another conversation
"So monsieur, I do not believe we've been introduced" she said sweetly
"And we won't be" he responded frankly.
She looked at him oddly "Pardon me?"
"Mademoiselle, it's a masquerade. No one is supposed to know whom they are dancing with until the conclusion of the evening. Have you forgotten?"
She was momentarily speechless. That rule was still in existence, yes, but everyone ignored it. The masks were just a fun fashion accessory that was required, but served no purpose. Apparently they did to this man.
Well, she'd been having a pretty dull evening. She could use a little fun.
"Of course you're right monsieur. How careless of me to ask. I apologize"
"There isn't any apology necessary, mademoiselle. It was only a simple error. I imagine you've been having a rather...polite evening thus far"
She smiled "That's a mild way of putting things."
He laughed "Well, it's a ball. It's practically a crime for a beautiful young lady such as yourself to not be enjoying the evening. I'm surprised you haven't been mobbed by suitors already"
"No, not quite."
"So, is this your first Masquerade?"
"No, I've been to a few before. They are quite enjoyable"
"Indeed they are. I should rephrase: Is this your first Parisian Masquerade ball then?"
Christine smiled enthusiastically. Finally, someone who didn't know who she was! The man had no idea she was the Prima Donna here or what her name even was. He also had no idea she was married. Well, she deserved a bit of fun, and she was definitely angry at Erik right now enough to want a little revenge. Why not see if she could still attract an eager young man, if only in jest?
"Yes, it is and I must say, I'm enjoying it much more than the others"
"Why is that?"
"Well, the others didn't have such handsome young men as you" she said, batting her eyelashes
He laughed "Surely you tease."
"Would I dare joke about something that sincere?" she asked in mock offense
The man laughed "I certainly hope not. I do apologize then mademoiselle. I would never dream a lady would lie. Especially one as angelic-looking as yourself"
"Merci monsieur. That is most kind"
For some reason Christine couldn't explain, she felt naturally at ease with this gentleman, so familiar and comfortable with him. Maybe it was his gentle, yet precise movements, or his swift manner, or perhaps it was just his mysterious airs that had grasped her interest. He almost looked familiar.
"So monsieur" she continued "We haven't spoken of you much. If you don't mind my boldly asking-"
"Of course not mademoiselle, ask whatever you wish"
"What do you do for a living monsieur? Your speech is so perfect, surely you either must work in Paris or you're amazingly intelligent in foreign languages"
He laughed "As much as I would like to say the latter, I can't. I live and work in Paris. Excuse the boasting, but my family has a bit of money and I try to charitably donate it to as many worthy causes as possible"
"Well that is certainly a worthwhile cause monsieur."
"Yes, and very rewarding. In fact, I believe I donated money to this very Opera a year ago. I attended last year's Masquerade as well"
"Oh that must have been very enjoyable"
"It was indeed. Especially the, ahem, guest appearance by the striking gentleman in red"
Christine stiffened a little. The man was getting a bit too familiar for her tastes. Fortunately at that moment, the waltzes abruptly stopped and all the couples turned to find Erik, Georges and over a hundred women in costumes on the staircase. Erik called for their attention
"Ladies and gentlemen, I beg pardon for the interruption, but we would like your attention for a few moments. We have a further celebration to add to our glorious ball. Monsieur Beaumont" he said, gesturing to Georges
"Thank you Monsieur Destler. As many of our older guests may know, our ballet instructor, Madame Marie Giry, has been instructing ballet as the Head Ballet Mistress for over thirty years now. And we feel, with this glorious new re-opening, it is high time to honor one of our most dedicated and talented instructors we at the Opera Populaire have ever seen. The past few weeks while amongst the preparations for this glorious ball, we have been contacting and transporting over a hundred of the little, now grown women who have studied under our brilliant Mme. Giry and almost all of the ballerinas we contacted were able to come tonight. They have prepared something rather special in mind. And now, Mme. Giry, if you would" he motioned for her to come up the staircase. She began walking up embarrassedly as the ball guests cheered her on.
"We would like you to see how you have inspired and shaped the dancing careers of these fabulous ladies who have studied under your care." Georges cleared his throat "Thirty years ago, a rather young lady named Marie Giry put together her very first ballet routine for a Masquerade Ball to be held at the Opera House and since then , that dance has been performed by the young ladies of the ballet corps every year at the annual Masquerade Ball. So, I feel it is only fitting that that dance be performed once more by some of the original members of that ballet corps and many more besides. Mme. Jalousie, if you will" Georges motioned to the ballerina at the bottom of the staircase. She nodded and began playing a soft, lively dance on her flute while the hundreds of girls on the staircase began gracefully dancing.
Mme. Giry dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief with the dance went on and hugged Erik and Georges, making all three of them rather red in the face. She whispered to Erik "Oh thank you. How did you two put this all together?"
He looked down at her "Marie, don't look at me, I had almost nothing to do with this. It was all Georges' idea"
She whirled around to face him
"Georges, you did this?"
He nodded "I just wanted to do something special for you. Surprise"
She sighed "Oh thank you Georges! This is the most wonderful thing anyone has ever done for me. Thank you so much" she said, planting a swift kiss on his cheek. Erik moved a little further away to leave them alone and to look for his wife. Where was she by the way?
After the first dance, the ballerinas continued dancing on the staircase and soon all the couples on the dance floor resumed their waltzes. Christine once again began whirling around with her dance partner. He smiled
"Mademoiselle, if you don't mind me asking, are you sure you've never been this Opera's Masquerade before?"
"Yes, of course. Why ever would you think otherwise monsieur?"
"Well, I seem to remember last year a rather stunning young lady in pink who shared a striking resemblance to you. In fact, she could even pass for your twin. Are you two familiar with each other?"
She felt her face growing red "No, I don't believe-"
She stopped when she saw the amused grin on the man's face
"Yes. I suppose I have been telling stories. I'm Christine Daae, the Prima Donna here. I just made up something because I was so relieved someone didn't recognize me for once"
She stopped, biting her lip in embarrassment
"That sounded a bit conceited, didn't it?"
He laughed "Not to worry Christine. We all stumble over our tongues once in a while"
She grinned mischievously "Well, monsieur, I am sorry I broke the cardinal rule of the Masquerade. Now that you know my name, would you tell me yours?"
He looked thoughtful for a moment
"Actually, mademoiselle, I believe I can introduce you to something you may find far more familiar" he said, spinning her gracefully around the ballroom until they were hidden from sight behind a massive staircase. She looked around nervously, her mind frozen. She hadn't meant for anything to go this far. She was only flirting with the lad as a joke. He knew that right? Oh, she never should have done that.
She cleared her throat "Monsieur, I believe we've taken a wrong turn. Let's just go back over where we were. There's a much better view" she said lightly, starting to walk away. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her body back against his
"Actually, I think the view is perfectly fine right here"
She started to resist against him, but he pulled her body back against his, holding her arms gently in front of her with his own. Suddenly her sense of panic was replaced with sudden nostalgia. Could this truly be- no, it was only her imagination. But suddenly the man gently began singing in her ear
"Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime
let me lead you from your solitude
Say you need me with you here, beside you"
Christine felt strangely comforted in his arms, for reasons she couldn't explain. There was something so familiar about this stranger. His voice, low and sweet, was like a strange memory from some long-forgotten dream. She recalled the feeling of being in his arms before. She knew this man. It was him. It had to be. This couldn't just be her imagination anymore. How else could he know the song? Who else had ever held her like that? She whirled around to face him as he continued
"Anywhere you go, let me go too
Christine, that's all I ask of-"
"You!" she cried, ripping off his mask. She felt the sense of panic return. It really was Raoul. He was here, in front of her, with that same demonic fire in his eyes. She felt more frightened than ever before He'd come back for her.
"Surprise" he said
She gasped "How could you? How are you- no, this can't be,. You're in that asylum. You can't be here!" she screamed shrilly
He forcefully turned her around, cutting off her chance of leaving by forcing her back against the wall literally. He laughed
"Christine, you really are so naïve. Did you think a little thing like an asylum would stop me from getting back to the woman I love?" he asked tauntingly
She shot back "Well, that's unfortunate on your part, for I certainly don't love you!"
"Oh, really? You seemed to be pretty content with me just now. Tell me, has your little Phantom ever held you like that? Does he really know how to please you, or is he too busy being an Angel?" he asked sarcastically
Like a flash, her hand moved up sharply, stinging his face as her hand collided with his skin in a sharp, cold slap. He laughed again, making her even more furious
"I don't believe you would sink so low. You paid that man to act like my father, to purposefully deceive me!"
"As if you didn't deceive me, you little bitch! You told me you loved me, that you'd help me with my plan-"
"Raoul, I said no such thing! I never agreed to that-"
"Making me the fool all that time because you were in love with your angel. But hes' not really an angel, is he? He's just a man with a demon for a face and soul"
She moved to slap him again, but he caught her wrist in his firm grasp. He turned around, forcing her back against the marble pillar behind her. His face was a few inches from hers.
"Do not do that again, Christine or I promise you will regret it"
"Make me" she whispered furiously, instantly regretting her words as he twisted her arm in his grasp, shooting pain up through her arm. He grinned wickedly
"Tell me the truth, Christine, if you could manage. Do you really love him?"
"Of course!"
"Really? You never wanted a normal husband? Never wanted someone to take care of you, to love you more than his music?"
"He does love me! How dare you say-"
"Than where is he now, Christine? Hmm? Why isn't he here protecting you?" he said sarcastically, finally releasing her arm. He watched with pleasure as she struggled to keep from kneeling in pain. He hovered over her, dangerously close and sneered
" Admit it, you never really loved him. You've always loved me and you know it. You may have forgotten your love, but I'll make you remember" he said, crudely forcing his mouth against hers in a hard kiss. She struggled against him, but he forced her hands behind her, gasping
"Can your little Phantom please you like this?"
He kissed her again, taking pleasure from her pathetic protests. He felt the smooth curves of her body pressed against his, bound tight beneath him in her gown and felt the gentle curve of her breasts, her smooth skin.
"Raoul, stop it! Let me go" she cried weakly
He slapped her, panting "You and I both know who you truly love. And I will be your husband someday, no matter what I have to do to you or your precious Angel. I love you and you will not continue ignoring me. You will return my love and if you don't, I'll make sure you won't live to love anyone else again. And this time, I'll be making good on that threat, you understand?"
She nodded, crying
He continued "You know you love me Christine. I don't care what I have to do to drag it out of you, but you will realize your love for me, even if it's not apparent right now."
He slowly began stroking her smooth breasts, taking pleasure as he watched the goose flesh spreading slowly over her skin and watched her struggling pathetically against him. He stroked her hair, gently sliding his fingers through the elaborate bunches and twists, watching the roses and lilies she'd so painstakingly embedded fall worthlessly to the floor. He kissed her again, and she cringed as he forced his vile stench and rough lips upon hers. He suddenly looked around, and with one final kiss, he grabbed her arm roughly turning her around and whispered menacingly in her ear
"You will be mine one day, and you will love me again. If you ever tell anyone of this, that day will come much sooner than you wish, and then your little Angel won't be here to protect you any longer. I'll make sure of that"
"Christine?" asked a voice behind her. She turned to find Erik standing there
She turned around crying again and threw herself in his arms "Oh Erik, thank god it's you! He was just- he was trying to- Raoul- and I-"
She stopped suddenly, remembering Raoul's harsh words to her
"If you ever tell anyone of this, that day will come much sooner than you wish, and then your little Angel won't be here to protect you any longer. I'll make sure of that"
She took a deep breath. She couldn't tell Erik. She mustn't tell him or anyone else what had just happened. Raoul had escaped and if she told, he'd kill Erik. He made that quite clear and she'd already seen what he could accomplish.
And that was only when he was locked behind asylum gates.
She sighed as Erik embraced her gently and frantically asked "Christine, what is it? What's wrong? Darling, are you sick? Do you need to leave? Sweetheart, please, tell me what's wrong."
She forced a smile "Oh nothing, Erik, everything is fine. I just tripped over my gown and I fell. I was just a little upset everyone saw how clumsy it was and wanted to hide back here a bit"
He looked at her oddly "You were crying over that?"
She nodded "Yes, I was just...upset"
He nodded slowly, looking at her "Uh-huh. Well darling, hiding is supposed to be my speciality"
She laughed and laughed at that "Oh Erik, that's so funny! Well, actually darling, I was just upset because we hadn't danced yet. I thought you'd forgotten"
He smiled, kissing her gently. She involuntarily flinched, the memory of Raoul forcing his rank lips upon hers still sharp in her mind.
Erik smiled "Christine, I didn't forget! I could never forget about you. That's absurd. I couldn't get away from the press and people to come down here. Mme. Giry was so pleased with her surprise"
She smiled, forcing her voice to be even and calm "I bet she was"
Erik kissed her again and grinned "Well, it looks like the next waltz is beginning. So, Madame, may I have this dance" he asked, bowing
She curtseyed, trying to stop her knees from shaking "I would be delighted"
And so, husband and wife strode out onto the dance floor, whirling gaily about amidst the numerous other lovers floating about in swirling silks and gleaming masks. Beneath her smile and forced laughter, Christine couldn't remember feeling more frightened in her life. Tonight, it seemed, instead of Erik, she may for once have a horrid secret forced to be hidden behind her cheerful mask at this wonderful masquerade.
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