I DONT OWN PHANTOM OF THE OPERA

AND BY THE WAY, A REPLY TO ONE REVEIWER, I ABSOULOUTELY LOVE SHAKESPEARE AND ESPECIALLY SONNET 130. I AGREE COMPLEATELY, WHEN I FIRST READ THAT SONNET IT REALLY REMINDED ME OF ELIZABETH.

AND A NOT TO ANOTHER REVEIWER, YES I AM AWARE THAT LOVE-LIGHT WAS WRITTEN AFTER THIS TIME, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THE STORY CAN YOU PLEASE PRETENT IT WAS A REALLY OLD POEM?

I DONT ACTUALLY LIKE POETRY AT THE BEST OF TIMES. I FIND MYSELF MORE PARTIAL TO STORIES SINCE I USUALLY CANT READ ANYTHING WITHOUT A PLOT. BUT I LOVE ROMANTIC POETRY AND SAD/DEPRESSING POETRY SOMETIMES

ANYWAY, PLEASE ENJOY THIS CHAPTER

CHAPTER TWENTY

An hour and a half later Elizabeth took a breath of relief as she finished reviewing her breathing exercises and her pitch record, to Erik's satisfaction she still wasn't a note out of place.

Elizabeth felt pleased with herself, recalling the basics may be boring, but it made her remember things she forgot.

"That was good" her Master said "Very good, I'm please to see you have not forgotten the foundation to opera, too many amateur singers often do. As long as you remember these basics then the higher pitched, more advanced pieced will not be too difficult to attempt. However you can still do batter"

Elizabeth smiled. Classic Master, a compliment finished with a negative comment all rolled into one. She was happy nonetheless.

"Rest a while" he said, "there is no point continuing when your voice is tired" he warned "sit and don't speak, read your book"

Elizabeth shook her head "No, I can still sing, I can..." but her voice trailed off slightly, her throat dry. Perhaps he was right. Elizabeth was tired, and she had been singing for a long time. Besides that, she had not even drunk anything since breakfast. Her throat felt barren and parched and her tongue felt heavy.

In the end she nodded and yawned.

Her Master looked at her strangely. "You are tired, why?"

Elizabeth didn't want to talk about it, it felt too raw and personal, but she could never lie to him. "It's nothing" she said trying to get him to drop the question "I'm not tired."

But he wasn't fooled. With two short steps he was standing before her and his hand was raising her chin so she was level with his eyes. Elizabeth tried to ignore the tingling sensations he felt on her neck at his touch. What was wrong with her, he was only touching her neck! But every brush of his thumb on her chin caused all her attention to focus on that single point that she barley registered what he was saying.

"...circles..."

"Pardon?" she asked, snapping back to attention and feeling a little stupid.

"I said you have circles under your eyes, how long haven't you been sleeping."

How had he noticed? Even her own mother and sister had not noticed her recently different sleeping habits. But then again they didn't notice anything anymore, they never did. Elizabeth had not realised how, much it hurt her until she met someone who did notice things about her. Her music teacher and her companion who barely knew her, what did that say about her family?

Elizabeth still loved them, they were her family. But they brought her a lot of pain.

"I haven't been able to sleep" she admitted "It's...been hard" she could say no more, she really couldn't Elizabeth was not used to talking about her worries and her problems; this was unfamiliar ground to her.

Her Master did not question her further, instead he frowned "You should sleep" he told her. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow "sleep? Where? This room is so dusty, you cannot possible expect me to sleep on the floor!"

Her Master tolled his one visible eye and led her through to an adjoining room. Quite surprisingly there was no dust! Elizabeth decided not to question why that was. In the corner of the room was a small space with a bed covered in white sheets, fading brown with age. "I keep this room, for when I wish to be alone or when I am too tired to leave." He told her "Sleep."

Elizabeth almost protested. She was an English lady for goodness sake; she had never before slept on anything but the finest mattresses. This was her first though, brought on by the strict ideals her mother had strummed into her. But then Elizabeth thought more, and felt guilty for her first thought. The room was his, not hers. And he was showing enough care as to care for her health, to repay his kindness with ingratitude...well it wasn't something she wanted to do. And besides, she was quite tired.

So she turned to him and smiled "Thank you, perhaps I will sleep a while, but please do wake me for the rest of the lesson, or at least before it becomes too late."

He nodded "I will, now sleep; there is no point teaching if you are tired." And with that he turned and walked out the room.

Elizabeth stood where she was for a moment before turning towards the bed and sitting on it. It didn't bounce, instead it was firm, just the way she liked it. Elizabeth liked sleeping on a hard mattress, this was perfect.

She carefully lay down, making sure to lie on her hair to protect her face from any accidental dust. Once she was comfortable, she fell asleep.

When Elizabeth awoke she heard music.

Blinking her blue eyes she sighed and stretched. She covered her mouth and yawned widely. She closed her eyes and thought of her dream and frowned.

She had dreamed of her childhood. At a ball, her second ever ball. No one knew who she was. When she announced herself as the eldest Ashwin sister they had all been so shocked, one person had even thought she was dead!

Even though her sisters weren't officially out on the marriage market, they were all well known throughout society for being musical geniuses. Elizabeth was the one who was ignored because there was nothing special about her. Then as each sister made her debut Elizabeth faded even more into the background.

It was not a particular painful memory, there were worse ones. But still, perhaps the whole tiff with Aquaria had brought it up. Elizabeth was a girl with a lot of pride, so comments like the ones Aquaria made hurt and pushed her to her edge. But having pride with no temper was a very bad combination. Because she found it difficult to defend herself against her verbal assaults. Elizabeth didn't fight against her mother because of the simple fact that she was her mother and it was not right. So she put up with it. But aquaria, she wasn't anything more than a horrible bully.

She rubbed her eyes in a childlike fashion and yawned again as she stood. She stretched and blinked as the soft sound of music filled her ears.

Was that...singing?

It was, her Master was singing!

Elizabeth quickly made her way back to the music room, careful to keep her feet from making too much sound. She didn't want him to hear her, in the rare times her Master sang he would always stop when he thought she was listening, the only time she heard him sing properly was that one time when he sang to her to keep her calm. On the day he tried to kill her.

Elizabeth involuntarily shuddered at the memory; she never wanted to experience such fear again. As is he was lost to her, gone to a faraway place where she couldn't reach him and left a strange person behind in his place.

Shaking her head to rid herself of the memory she continued after the music. Standing at the door to the music room she peeked though a crack to see him sitting at the organ, his words were much clearer now she was closer.

"...say you'll share with me one love, one life time

Let me lead you from your solitude..."

His words sounded do sad, it made her feel sad. Elizabeth's grip on the door tightened.

"...say you'll need me with you here beside you

Anywhere you go let me go too..."

He played the organ and whispered "Christine...that's all I ask of you..."

For some reason her heart felt painful, he said that name with so much emotion that it surprised her and Elizabeth gasped a little sound that drew his attention as he immediately stopped playing and turned to her. She shut her eyes, afraid he would start yelling at her once he saw her.

But instead he heard him ask softly "Elizabeth...have you slept well."

His voice...why was it still filled with sadness?

She nodded and fixed a small smile on her face "Yes, I think I may have slept too much perhaps."

She watched as he held out a hand for her to come closer and sit by him. Sometimes when he was in a pleasant mood or she was in a bad mood or if they simply felt calm he would have her sit by the foot of the organ and he would play for her as she rested her head against his leg. Most would think she was acting like a child or a dog by sitting at his feet, but the truth was Elizabeth loved those times.

Sitting there she always felt so calm and safe; like nothing could harm her as sweet music filled her ears. Besides, she never had the opportunity to sit by her mother or fathers feet as a child, they were always too busy. Sitting by him gave her a comfort among other things; also, Elizabeth just relished the felling of being near him.

She smiled and walked forward to sit down in her usual place. The floor wasn't dirty because after the first few times of sitting like this they had gotten into the habit of placing a pillow at the foot of the organ just in case. She rested her head against his leg and felt as his hand on her hair as he stroked it gently. He seemed to have a strange fascination with her hair. The way he caressed it was so tender, he would thread his fingers though each strand and sometimes the tips would ghost over her scalp in such an intimate way. If it were anyone else it would make Elizabeth nervous, as she did not do well on close contact with others, but since it was her Master, it only brought her peace.

"You slept very deeply" he told her "Why haven't you been sleeping?"

"It's nothing" Elizabeth murmured.

He sighed "It's not nothing, tell me."

He was gentle today, Elizabeth wished he wasn't. He was always very gentle after playing for a long time on the organ, something about it calmed him, Elizabeth always noticed these things about him. She sort of wished he wasn't being so gentle, because if only he was being cruel, then she could keep quiet. But Elizabeth didn't know how not to lie to him.

"I had a fight with my little sister, Abigail" she admitted quietly

"She won't talk to me, she won't listen. Abigail can hold grudges forever and she's not used to me being angry with her so she's even more upset. I don't know what to do, I'm the eldest I should be the one to take care of them, and how can I do that when one of them hates me!" Elizabeth scolded herself when she felt tears pricking at her eyes. Somehow she had ended up telling him all the thoughts that were bothering her, things she had not told anyone and usually kept to herself.

Elizabeth was good at hiding her feelings, in front of anyone but her Master.

Her Master didn't say anything after her little outburst. He only paused for a moment in his caress of her hair. When he spoke his words were soft "I can't give you advice" he said "I have no siblings of my own and have never understood the feelings that come with having someone like that. You seem to care a lot for your sister?"

"More than anything." She said, smiling "sometimes, I feel like I could hate them, sometimes they make me so angry I want to scream and break something. But I'm the eldest, so I always keep my mouth shut and say nothing more on the subject, because I love them. And for someone as useless as me, loving them and being the responsible big sister is all I can do."

He frowned "why do you persist in believing you are useless, who told you this?"

Elizabeth sat up and looked at him "well, I've always been told this. From when I was five, I was told that nothing I did was good enough. I've never been good enough. Not talented enough, not pretty enough, not daring enough. The only thing I could do was learn and control my sisters." She bowed her head, ashamed of her own weakness.

"I've watched as they grow up into beautiful, talented young ladies, always watching them, knowing I could never be as good as them." She said this so simply, because it was so simple. Elizabeth had made a wary peace with her past long ago and now it was only painful acts. She didn't say this to gain sympathy points; she was simple stating her truth.

Her Master was silent once more before he finally spoke "that was before Elizabeth." He said gently "you must stop this foolish thinking on your worth. I find it irritating and untrue."

Elizabeth was shocked by his words, but he wasn't finished.

"And as for talent" he continued "I will only say this once so listen closely: I am a very critical person. There are only a handful of truly talented people in this world, people with the ability to bring the most beautiful sounds from their music or the ability to make it come to life. I am one of both. Everyone else is mediocre and amateurish, no matter how long they have been playing music. Elizabeth you are one of those few people with real talent, you voice is a gift, an instrument and a art to be respected and praised. So do not put it or yourself down again, otherwise I will feel insulted."

He gave her a wryly smile "after all, am I not the one who trained you? The one who brought your talent out and raised it so far? I you are in such low regard of yourself it is an insult to me."

Elizabeth truly did not know what to say. She felt tears prickle at her eyes as she buried her face in the cloth at his side. In all her life, no one had ever said anything in her defence. Her sisters loved her, but they all let the barbs be thrown at her, the unkind titters, rumours and comments. Elizabeth had gotten used to it, so hearing such praise from someone she so respected, it was unimaginable.

She didn't even know what to feel, her hears felt like it was going to burst, from happiness or from something else, Elizabeth didn't know.

Her Master meant so much to her, in the short year and a half she had known him, he had become one of the most important people in the world to her. She trusted him, and craved in opinion and approval, she desired closeness and felt the need to understand him the best she could.

Her mysterious Master, would he always be so?

Would things always be like this? Elizabeth so wanted to become closer to him, but would things never change? Would she forever remain the student and him the Master? Was it impossible to be something more than a student and a companion?

A friend perhaps?

Yes, this was what she wanted, Elizabeth took a gamble.

"Master" she said softly, but his acute hearing heard her.

"What is it?"

"I...remember a time, a long time ago, you gave me three questions, you said I could ask you anything and you would answer truthfully if you could and I asked If I could save them for later?"

He watched her before nodding "I did."

She took in a deep breath, her heart thudding "Please...I want to know...your name"

He froze "My...name?" he asked.

"Is that not aloud" she asked, raising her head to looking his one brown eye, she frowned with concern "It's just, I do respect you as my Master, but I want to know your name...as a friend, if that is possible"

He didn't look angry, if anything he looked shocked, confused and a little perplexed.

"You wish to be a friend?" he asked "why?"

"Because I want to know you" she replied "must there be a reason for wanting to be someone's friend?"

"In my case, yes" he answered

"Then when I have an answer, I will give it to you, but till then I wish to at least know your name."

He was silent for a while "I...I don't have a name" he said.

"Oh but you must have" she insisted "I cannot imagine that any living creature has not a name, what did your mother name you?"

He flinched slightly, so slightly she almost didn't feel it, at the mention of his own mother and frowned "Elizabeth..."

Her eyes widened with embarrassment at how eager she sounded, but this was a question she had wanted to ask for ages now. Still, old habits died hard as she bowed her head "I'm sorry, forget I said anything, you don't have to..."

"No Elizabeth..." he interrupted "it's not that. It's just that..." he frowned deeper "it's been so long since I last thought about it, no one had called me by my name in years...no one bothered to find out" he said this last part quietly, almost as if he were talking to himself "I...I don't know if I can remember it, wait a moment..."

Elizabeth's heart pounded, he was going to tell her! he was actually going to tell her his name!

His eye widened "Wait, I remember" he said and looked at her directly in the eyes, Elizabeth's heart just stopped.

"Erik" he said "My name is Erik."

Erik, how wonderful. Somehow it suited him. Elizabeth felt so light, he had a name and he had given it to her. "Erik" she repeated "it's a good name, I love it!" but then she frowned "But please tell me, how is it possible for one to forget their own name?"

He shrugged, a little shake of his shoulders, but his eyes never left hers "I don't know" he said "I haven't told anyone my name in years, and no one ever asked, so I forgot. People always come up with their own named for me, as you did."

Elizabeth felt ashamed, how could she simply assume her right to make up a name for him, he deserved his own name; it was people like her that had made him forget. Well, not any more. "Will you..." she trailed of shyly "Will you allow me to call you by your name?"

His eyes still never left hers, and Elizabeth felt caught in his gaze, she couldn't have looked away even if she wanted to.

"Yes" was his only answer and Elizabeth broke out in a wide smile and closed her eyes as he broke the eye contact and continued to play. Not noticing the tiny smile on his face.

But despite her happiness, something stayed in the back of her mind and refused to leave.

'Christine?'

TO APOLOGIST FOR SUCH A LONG WAIT I GIVE YOU ALL A REALLY LONG CHAPTER

I SONT BE ABLE TO POST FOR A WHILE BECAUSE MY ART FINAL EXAM IS COMMING UP IN LIKE A WEEK, NOT INCLUDING EASTER HOLIDAYS, HONESTY ITS LIKE THE FIRST DAY I GET BACK, I'LL NEVER FINISH ALL THE COURSEWORK, ITS HORRIBLE!

SO PLEASE BARE WITH ME AND REVEIW STILL, LETS SEE IF WE CAN GET THE RVEIWS UP TO 200+