IM HAPPY THAT I RECIEVED REVEIWS SO QUICKLY EVERYONE, THANYOU
I MUST ADMIT, IM A LITTLE OUT OF MY COMFORT ZONE WITH ELIZABETH, SHE'S NOT THE SORT OF CHARATER I USALLY WRITE, SHE'S A NEW THING FOR ME BUT I'M QUITE HAPPY WITH HOW SHE TURNED OUT, I HOPE YOU ALL ARE TOO.
I DONT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA
CHAPTER FIVE
The girl from yesterday had returned.
Erik watched as she stumbled her way out of the pipes and into the room, the hem of her green dress dragging slightly in the dust. Was she an idiot, or just extremely simple? Only the other day he had been more than ready to strangle her and only on a whim had he spared her life. And now she had returned?
She must have a death wish.
Or perhaps she was looking for a little excitement to lighten up her dull noble life, all noble ladies were the same whether in England or France. Petty, devious, selfish and annoying, the same kind of people who visited places like the circus he had spent most of his childhood in. That was why Erik had not cared for La Carlotta.
He watched from one of the rafters on the ceiling as she looked around wildly before her eyes settled on the piano. Something changed in her eyes, she looked disappointed as she sighed and approached it.
Her gloved finger traced the dusty piano; she took them both off and placed them aside. Then she pressed one of the keys and a deep sound echoed though the room. He saw with some interest as she closed her eyes at the sound.
She wasn't wearing a ridiculous bonnet today; her hair was down and fell past her waist. Dark ebony black, not the brown that Christine had but appealing in its own right. She was probably scorned for having such dark hair, the height of English fashion was fair colouring, with dark blue eyes she most likely stick out like a sore thumb.
Then she began to sing. The song she sang wasn't opera, but once again it had that something that held his interest. Her voice was pleasing and there was something in it that wasn't there yesterday?
She was interesting. While he had not been obsessively thinking of her, she had occasionally popped into his mind every now and again. She had a good sense of pitch for a amateur, and her breathing was good also.
She was interesting.
The song she sang sounded like a child's lullaby, he wouldn't know, he had not heard any lullabies as a child.
She had talent, remarkable potential that would be a waste to simple let go off. But he did not have time for half assed noble ladies.
"What am I even doing here?" she murmured to herself "I must be out of my mind. I am nearly killed and so I return to mostly likely be nearly killed all over again. Oh great, I'm not making any sense, now I know I'm out of my mind." she sighed.
Erik found himself chuckling at her roundabout way of talking. She was in a way, quite amusing.
But apparently she heard him chuckle as she stood to attention and called out for him to show himself.
He became annoyed by her lack of respect; he had killed men for comments less than what she said.
So he dropped to the ground and called her out "You must be extremely brave or entirely stupid to come back here"
At his words she squeaked and tried to turn around quickly, but instead she tripped over her gown and fell backwards with a 'ouch'
She was really clumsy, how on earth was she a noblewoman?
"Or perhaps you were correct in your assumption of you being out of your mind. Then again, you may just simply want to die?"
She flinched and bowed her head in fear. Ah, fear. Fear was something he understood.
But then her fear went away as she raised her head to look at him, determination shining clearly in her eyes "I...Sir I apologise for intruding on your privacy last time and also today, it was rude of me"
She was apologising to him?
"But I . . . I wanted to ask you something"
"Ask me something?"
She paused, and looked nervous "Yes, who was the composer of the music that you were playing?"
He didn't answer at first because he had not expected her question "Why do you want to know?"
"Please" she begged "I really want to know."
"Then answer the question, why do you want to know?"
She didn't say anything, only looking away with a perplexed and slightly embarrassed expression. He sighed. He really didn't want to kill her, but he was tired, he didn't want to deal with her.
"Go" he said softly "you don't belong in a place like his" he turned to leave when she called out "Wait! Please..."
He looked at her as she sighed "I...I don't know how to explain it. The music, it moved me. It was just so powerful, I felt like I was being engulfed in flames as I heard it, I never felt anything like it. I need to know who wrote it, it would forever bother me until I knew. Also, that music made me sing like that..." she drifted off; blushing slightly, embarrassed about what she had revealed.
He understood why, from the few years he had spent in England he had realised that the nobles were slightly different from France. They didn't like their women thinking or having an opinion, she must stick out so much in her society.
He was surprised by her explanation, and her astute reaction to his music. She had gotten the image he had tried to get across perfectly. That alone held some merit. And she looked so passionate.
"You like music?" he found himself asking.
She blushed "although I'm no good at it myself, I can play a few instruments." She smiled "but I loved listening to music, I used to think that my sisters piano playing was the best, until I heard yours. It was so powerful and clear, I could practically feel the obsession in the song, it was almost scary."
Anyone would think she was prattling on to gain admiration and respect, but her eyes were so clear and innocent like a child's eyes, they held nothing but pure admiration. Then he noticed how when listing her own musical accomplishments she had not mentioned her voice.
"And singing?"
"Pardon?"
He frowned "Your training in singing?"
She blushed even harder "Me! a singer? Oh no, no, no! I could never do that! I mean...I'm pretty useless at anything I try, I...the only reason I was able to sing yesterday was because of the music!"
"Then where did you learn to read music" he asked, suspicious.
"A Soprano singer came to our home when I was a child, she was on a holiday to England and to gain social standing she taught me a few things about how to read it, then I realised that opera scores and piano scored were similar, it wasn't hard to figure out. But I'm no good at that either."
She had not seemed to have yet noticed that she was still on the floor and gathering dust, and he was not going to waste time pointing it out to her.
Erik hated complications; all his life he had hated them. Whenever something particularly annoyed him, he always removed them from his life in the simplest way. But this was the first time he had found something that annoyed him, yet he didn't want to kill it.
Since losing Christine all those years ago, he had lost more than just his love. He lost his dream, his purpose.
His whole life had been about making Christine a star. Making her progress and when she was at the height of her career, she would sing in an opera he himself wrote. When she betrayed him, he thought he would never think of this dream again.
Until now.
He found himself thinking of all the possibilities with this little English woman. English opera was not as kind as French and much stricter, but with his influence he would gain her access. What she needed was training.
Erik turned and walked towards her. He saw her eyes widen in utter surprise as he bent down so he was eye level with her. "What is your name, girl?"
"E-Elizabeth" she answered timidly, purposely omitting her last name for some reason, he chose not to comment as it was of no importance.
"Tell me" he said "What did you think of singing opera?"
Her eyes lit up to this and there was a certain flush to her cheeks as she looked so happy "I loved it" she said simply "I don't know how else to put it, in fact, I had not even known a voice could make such a sound, when the singer who came to my home all those years ago sang I thought she sounded like she was screaming. But this was completely different. I felt like my heart would just soar out my chest." She smiled "But that was just because of the music, on my own I would never be good enough for something so extravagant."
He nodded "Yes, on your own, even if you practiced for your whole life, you will never reach the level that will make anyone want to listen to you."
She bowed her head in shame.
"An opera singer spends a vast majority of their time perfecting their voice" he said "practising and enriching it with the help of a teacher, for no one can learn to be a professional on their own."
He smirked, if anything, this would at least give him a hobby, something to do. And when she disappointed him, or he got bored, then he would kill her. "I am the composer of the music you heard" he admitted as her eyes widened once more.
"Should you wish to continue to sing, I will teach you. But you must be committed.
Listen to all I tell you
And never disobey"
He watched her shiver slightly at his voice, it was still so soft and she was being effected this way. How pitiful, he smirked. He gripped her forearm and brought her to her feet without her even realising.
"Trust me
Let music fill your very soul
And live as you've never lived before"
Elizabeth had not expected her reaction to his singing. It was so low, barely singing at all, but it was so smooth and so compelling, she felt like she were nothing more than a puppet to his will.
He was certainly a dangerous man indeed f he could do so much to her just by singing. In her subconscious, she realised he was rising her to her feet. As she heard him sing his last sentence, she tensed.
To sing, like she had that time. To experience those rich feelings from that time. To finally have something of herself that she could be proud of, that wouldn't be overshadowed by her sister's talent?
What did she have to loose, she was miserable. Her life was so unhappy, getting by dully with a patient smile like some clay doll. Elizabeth wanted to feel for once in her life, she wanted to be reckless and for the first time in years she wanted to be happy.
And singing made her so happy.
She gripped him by his sleeves and leaned forward as she cried "Y-yes!"
He paused as she stumbled to find her words "Please Master. Please teach me to sing."
REVEIW PLEASE, I WORKED HARD ON THAT CHAPTER