"I love," The words clung to her lips as her eyes slowly opened, blinking in the morning light. "You…" She turned, realizing that her words had been for her own benefit. He was gone. He had left her. There was no time for her to weep about losing the man that she had just been prepared to swear her love to. There was no time to waste, not with the sun slowly creeping up over the cemetery.

Today was her wedding day.

~o~

"Where is she?" Raoul roared, storming through the double doors and into the small sitting room where his sister sat. "If she is not in-"

"She is getting dressed, Raoul. Don't you know it is bad luck to see your bride before the wedding."

"She is there though?" Raoul calmed, staring at the door that separated him from Christine. "She is actually in there? I want to hear her voice." He moved across to the door, knocking hard. "Christine? Are you in there?"

"Raoul? I'm getting ready. What is it?" Christine's voice returned, soft and sweet as always.

"I thought something was wrong, you didn't come to dinner last night." Raoul tried to sound concerned and not furious. "I was worried that something had happened."

"Oh, I'm sorry Raoul! I fell asleep last night." Christine could hear her heart beating in her ears.

"I'll leave you to get ready, Little Lotte." Raoul pressed his hand against the door, feeling foolish in front of his sister. "I worry for her. She has had a stressful life in the last year. She's frail." He said more to himself than to his sister.

"Once you are married, she will find other things to occupy her time. Things that don't involve dwelling on the past."

"Yes." Raoul nodded his head, straitening his bowtie and gripping the bottom edge of his waistcoat. He would make her forget all about that monster who had possessed her mind.

~o~

The wedding had been beautiful. Christine made an ethereal bride. She looked as though she floated on air as she walked down that aisle to her handsome fiancé. Her wedding dress was simple, nothing too over the top, or anything that resembled the dress that the Phantom had placed her in.

Christine Daae, no more, in her place was Christine de Chagny. Did Raoul notice a change in her personality already? She was all joyful and glowing from her wedding, but she lacked her typical childlike enthusiasm. He would never know that he was not the reason for her maturing, but that it had been her losing her innocence in the shadows of the night to her deformed angel.

The reception that followed was overwhelming. There was not a face she knew. Every person who introduced themselves to her was of some regal bloodline, Vicomte, Vicomtess, Countess, Count, Lord, Lady, Duke. There were no Madames and Monsieurs around at the wedding of the Vicomte de Chagny. She could feel their eyes boring into her flesh, judging her for being beneath them. Why had a Vicomte chosen a chorus girl turned fleeting star from the Opera Populaire?

"Raoul, I think it time that I retire." Christine whispered, entwining her arm tightly around his.

"I will announce that we are to retire." Raoul gave his wife a pleasant smile, stroking her hand sincerely.

"No." Christine tensed, "I am not ready. Not for that, not yet."

Raoul looked into her wide, innocent eyes. There was no point in pressing that matter. Christine would be adamant about it until he gave in. And for the Lord's holy sake, he did not want to argue with his wife on their wedding night. Especially on whether or not she would allow for their marriage to be consummated. "We can wait then, until you're ready."

"Thank you." Christine smiled sweetly, kissing her husband's cheek.

"But," Raoul started, catching her hand as she started to move away. "for image's sake we must take to our bedchamber together."

"Of course."

"Christine, a man and a woman need not consummate their marriage to lay together in bed." Raoul stroked his hand along her cheek, kissing her reassuringly. "If that is alright with you."

"Yes." Christine fought to hide her fear. She was not ready to be with Raoul, not a night after giving herself to the Phantom. It was wrong for his memory and for Raoul's honor. How humiliating it would be to know that your precious wife would chose to lay her maidenhood down for a hideous man, rather than face you in the marriage bed.

Christine waited patiently at the stairs as Raoul made the announcement that both bride and groom were to retire to their chamber. Her cheeks painted scarlet as Raoul's brother toasted to their wedding night.

"A fruitful and blessed evening to you both. With joy and pleasure to your union."

Raoul bounded up the stairs beside his wife. He couldn't let on to the truth of the matter. What would the society think if they found out that his newly wedded wife was unwilling to consummate their marriage. They wouldn't see the fear in her eyes, they would think that she had something to hide or was not honest about her love for him. They did not know the Christine who had been through such emotional trials and needed someone to protect her from dark things at night.

"I love you Christine."

"And I love you Raoul." Christine smiled up at him as they reached the landing that led to their room. "I am sorry that I am not what a wife should be on her wedding night. It's only that-"

"You don't need to say a thing. I understand." Raoul kissed her gently, tenderly resting his hand at the small of her back.

Christine responded to his lips, kissing him with a timid passion. He didn't understand why she was fearful of being with him tonight. But she was not going to correct him on it. He would never need to know that she had laid beneath a moonless sky with her Phantom, entwined in a beautiful melody. With music and passion coursing between her masked angel and his innocent soprano.

There was no music in the kiss between her new husband. No symphony playing away behind her ears, her blood racing in a current of intoxicating song. No, there was no music and she feared that this marriage would never bring her the music that she had felt in the darkness of the night.

She broke away from the kiss, sheepishly looking up at Raoul. His mouth was partially agape as he looked down at her with heavy lidded eyes. "Christine." He rasped, stepping back from her. "I will wait until you are ready."

"Thank you Raoul." She beamed up at him, gracious that he would at least prove himself an honorable husband, not one who would go against her wishes. She wanted protection and security, what a marriage provided, but she was fearful of the other parts of marriage. A hypocritical wish when she had just the night before given herself to him. But that was different, that was good-bye.

"I did not see your dear friend Meg at the wedding." Raoul stated as they walked inside their chamber. "She was on the guest list, we received both hers and her mother's response two weeks ago. They were both meant to be there."

Christine looked at her sad reflection in the mirror. Raoul's back was turned to her as he spoke. She pressed her fingers against the mirror, frowning sadly as she found the material solid beneath her fingers. She was no longer at the Opera Populaire, she'd entered a real world where the mirrors all reflected what was real.

She was the Vicomtess de Chagny, the wife of Raoul. Not Christine Daae, a chorus girl at the Opera Populaire. No smoke and mirrors, masked men or music.