Disclaimer: see Chap 1
CHAPTER FIVE
Time passed in a flurry of days and nights as the opera house prepared for the new production of Hannibal. Christine stood the pressure very well, supported by Selene and Mme. Giry, and Erik. He was extremely strict with her, and during their night practices he would make her practice until she got it perfect. And her voice responded. During those short months Christine's voice got even better.
Then, it was opening night, and everyone was ready. The opera went off without a hitch, and as soon as it was over Selene skipped the orchestra's usual after party and went to Christine, ready to congratulate her.
She found Christine with Raoul de Chagny. "Oh, excuse me," she said, trying to back out of the room.
"No, I was just leaving," Raoul said, bowing to her. "Ten minutes, Christine."
"Going somewhere?" Selene asked, raising an eyebrow knowingly at the younger girl.
"We were childhood sweethearts," Christine explained, blushing, "he wants to take me to dinner."
"Oh, I see," Selene said. "Your teacher won't like you staying out late." She smiled slowly. "But I suppose one supper wouldn't hurt."
"What about..."
"I'll distract him," Selene said, nodding. "Go and have supper. I want you back by midnight at the latest."
"Oh, thank you, Selene." And Christine rushed out happily.
The mirror in the prima donna's room opened. "Insolent fool," Erik said, glaring at the flowers Raoul had brought for Christine. "He heard her sing and came running."
Selene smiled at him teasingly. "Are you jealous, Erik?"
"No," he protested. "But if she stays out late she will ruin her voice."
"It's one meal," Selene said, linking her hands behind his neck, bringing his face down. "Her voice will be fine. It's young love, Erik. Don't you remember how we were a few months ago?"
He smiled and placed his hands on her slim waist. "Like it was yesterday," he said. "Come with me." He led her through the mirror, and as they walked down to the lair, he placed an arm possessively around her waist and lifted her into the boat. "You played wonderfully tonight," he said quietly.
She smiled. "I could do no less for my favorite opera goer."
He returned the smile, his eyes shining with emotion.
As they neared the lair Selene was overcome with a strange sort of expectation. She was not disappointed, and as the boat bumped up against the little dock, Erik jumped out and helped her up the steps. He kissed her lightly, and started to sing, the song he sung only for her.
"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation
Darkness stirs and wakes imagination
Silently the senses abandon their defenses
Slowly, gently night unfurls its splendour
Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender
Turn your face away from the garish light of day
Turn your thoughts away from cold unfeeling light
And listen to the music of the night
Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams
Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before
Close your eyes, let your spirit start to soar
And you'll live as you've never lived before."
Selene closed her eyes blissfully as he cupped her face gently and traced her features. She had never heard him sing with such passion.
"Softly, deftly, music shall caress you
Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you,
Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind
In this darkness that you know you cannot fight
The darkness of the music of the night.
Let your mind start a journey to a strange new world
Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before
Let your soul take you where you long to be
Only then can you belong to me."
His dark eyes bored into her and she shivered in anticipation. He leaned forward and kissed her gently.
"Floating, falling, sweet intoxication
Touch me, trust me, savour each sensation
Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in
To the power of the music that I write
The power of the music of the night."
He led her over to the piano and retrieved a small box. He knelt before her.
"You alone can make my song take flight
Help me make the music of the night."
Selene stared at him, tears gathering in her eyes as she looked at the shining diamond ring in his hands.
"Will you marry me, Selene?" he asked, a tremble in his voice betraying his nervousness.
She smiled. "Yes." She stepped closer and kissed him. "Yes, yes, Erik."
He slipped the ring on her finger and wrapped her in his arms, kissing her happily. He'd taken a chance, and it had paid off. "I love you, mon Ange," he said, looking into her beautiful eyes.
She smiled. "I love you."
Erik was of the mind that they could elope and get married right away, but Selene was the practical one and reminded him that they could not abandon Christine or the production itself.
"Fine," he grumbled, replacing his mask. "I should take you back before someone realizes you are missing."
Selene could not concentrate the next day at work, and kept throwing off the ballet's rhythm.
"Miss Pascale," Mme Giry finally said, exasperated. "Please get your head out of the clouds and concentrate."
"I'm sorry Madame. It won't happen again."
After rehearsals Mme Giry pulled Selene into her office. "Where is your head today, Selene?" she inquired.
"With Erik," Selene said dreamily.
Mme Giry raised an eyebrow suspiciously.
Selene lifted a thin silver chain from under her dress. She'd strung the ring on it so others wouldn't ask questions.
"He proposed?" Mme Giry asked, astonished.
"Yes."
"And you said yes?"
"Yes."
"Oh, my dear, I am so happy for you both." Mme Giry hugged her.
"Thank you."
"No wonder you cannot concentrate."
Selene blushed.
Hannibal ran to its full conclusion, and the frantic activity calmed down. They had a few weeks till their next opera, Il Muto. And Erik wanted Christine to have the role of Comtesse, and Carlotta the role of the pageboy.
The managers didn't know who they were dealing with however, and they cast Carlotta as the main lead, and Christine in the silent role.
"How dare they disobey my instructions?" Erik raged, pacing back and forth in front of the organ. He crashed his hands onto the keys and let the instrument screech horrifically.
Selene covered her ears with her hands and winced. "Erik, please," she said, once the noise had subsided and he resumed his pacing. "You know that Carlotta cannot go from famous to obscure within a week. Give it time. And the way that Raoul and Christine's romance is going, he is sure to push the managers to give Christine the lead."
"That useless fop," Erik scoffed. "He took over Box 5!"
"You should change the locks. If nobody can get in, he can't use it."
"They'd probably break down the door," Erik grumbled.
"Maybe, but he does have money and influence. He might be useful later on."
Erik's eyes began to gleam. "Perhaps a small accident should occur..."
She went over and placed a hand on his arm, interrupting his musings. "You won't harm anyone, will you?" she asked.
He shook his head. "No. Only a little humiliation for the haughty prima donna." He grinned. "Pride goeth before a fail."
She smirked. "I don't think that's quite how it goes, dear."
Which is why, halfway through the first production of Il Muto, the Phantom's voice thundered through the auditorium.
"Did I not instruct that Box 5 was to be kept empty?" he raged, making everyone fall silent.
Christine turned pale. "It's him. I know it. It's him."
"Your part is silent, little toad!" Carlotta hissed.
Erik's voice was deadly as he replied to Carlotta. "A toad, Madame? Perhaps it is you who are the toad." He fell silent and whisked away to another part of the rafters.
Selene watched uneasily as Reyer shuffled his pages and Carlotta went to the edge of the stage to get some throat spray. "From the beginning, signora," he said.
Carlotta nodded. "Serafimo, away with this pretense! You cannot speak, but kiss me in my- CROAOK!" She stopped, amazed and horrified.
The Phantom started to laugh, quietly at first and then a low chuckle.
She tried again. "Poor fool, he makes me laugh -Hahahahaha! Croak, croak, croak, croak, croak, croak-" she looked helplessly at her staff and at M. Reyer as the Phantom's hysterical laughter began to fill the auditorium.
The chandelier started tremble and the lights started to blink on and off as Carlotta persevered.
The phantom spoke once again. "Behold! She is singing to bring down the chandelier!"
Carlotta rushed from the stage, shrieking and croaking. The managers scrambled from their box to the stage, trying to figure out what to do. Firmin addressed the audience. "Ladies and gentlemen, the performance will continue in ten minutes' time, when the role of the Countess will be sung by Miss Christine Daae."
Andre spoke up. "In the meantime, ladies and gentlemen, we shall be giving you the ballet from Act Three of tonight's opera."
Reyer gaped. "What?"
"Maestro, the ballet, now," Andre said hurriedly.
"The ballet, the ballet!" Reyer commanded the orchestra. "Selene, stall!"
She started to play the introduction to the ballet, drawing it out and letting the other instruments fill in.
The ballet came on half-prepared while stage hands were still moving the scenes. The audience was loving it, though, and they chuckled through the ballet.
Selene glanced up at the rafters more than once, wondering what Erik was going to do next. Nothing happened though, except the chandelier continued to rattle perilously, and Il Muto continued with Christine as the Comtesse.
Afterwards, before Selene could even take the pins from her hair, Erik appeared, looking troubled.
"What's wrong?" Selene asked, touching his arm.
He swept her into his arms and buried his face in her neck, the mask cold against her skin. "Oh, Selene," he said, his voice almost a sob.
"What's happened?" she asked worriedly.
"I almost killed someone," he admitted.
"Who?"
"Buquet."
Selene stilled. Buquet was a drunken pervert that stirred up trouble and spread gossip. "What happened?" she asked, pulling back slightly to look at Erik's face.
"I replaced Carlotta's throat spray, and when she ran off stage I was still fixing the lights to flicker. But Buquet saw me and started following me. He was half drunk, and I chased him. We were right on top of the ballet when I cornered him. I was this close to strangling him." He let his hand drop to the rope at his belt, and he cast his eyes to the ground, unable to look at his fiancé. "I couldn't kill him, though. I threw him out instead. But I was in such a rage... Selene, I almost brought down the chandelier, right on top of Christine." He buried his face in his hands. "I am a monster."
Selene stared at him for a long moment. Then, "but you didn't kill him."
"No."
"Why not?"
"Because I cannot be a murderer and love you at the same time," he said. "I had my hands 'round his throat but all I could see was your disappointed face, and, I couldn't."
She hugged him suddenly, smiling. "Erik, you're not a monster. If you were you would've killed him and not given a single thought to the consequences. But you thought, and you controlled yourself. And you didn't break the chandelier."
"It would've landed on the orchestra," he said, his voice muffled in her shoulder. "I couldn't hurt you, ever."
She kissed his cheek. "I knew there was a reason I loved you." She held him for a long time while his breathing steadied. "Thank you for thinking of me," she said softly. "I know you are not used to doing so."
He stroked her cheek with his hand. "Thank you for making me a better man."
She kissed him gently. "You are quite welcome." She started to giggle. "And I believe you achieved both of your objectives tonight. Carlotta will not sing and Christine has convinced Raoul to leave Box 5 empty."
Erik shook his head. "They are engaged, by the way."
"What?"
"Just earlier, on the roof." He smiled. "If I was not still so annoyed it would have been quite romantic."
"Eavesdropper," she accused, even though she was smiling. "You should know better than that." She laid her head on his shoulder, tired from the day. "We have vacation now, until the New Year's Masquerade."
He nodded.
They sat in silence for a long while, and then Erik said abruptly, "Run away with me, Selene."
She sat up and stared at him. "What?"
"Let's elope," he proposed. "Right now. We can wake Mme. Giry and Christine and go to the nearest priest. We can travel, and be together, just the two of us, and be back in time for the Masquerade."
"Erik, I, what,"
"Say yes," he begged, kissing her gently. "Let me take care of everything. Only say yes."
She smiled. "Yes."
"Excellent!" He leaped off the sofa and helped her stand. "Go find Mme. Giry and Christine, and then meet me here. I must go get something from my home." He vanished through the mirror.
Selene went to get Mme. Giry and Christine, who were talking about Christine's engagement. "Selene, Raoul asked me to marry him!" Christine said excitedly.
"So did Erik," Selene said, "get your cloaks."
They stared at her for a second then Christine asked incredulously, "You mean you're getting married now?"
"Why not?" Selene asked.
"He always was impulsive," Mme. Giry said, standing up. "Come, Christine, get your things."
They went back to Selene's rooms, and found Erik just laying out a beautiful white wedding dress. "This is yours," he said, smiling at her. "I designed it."
She ran a gentle hand over the white lace. "Oh," she said softly. "It's perfect."
He smirked. "I know." He nodded to Mme. Giry. "Help her get dressed, and we shall go. I shall be waiting at the carriage."
They helped her into the wedding dress, and put Selene's hair up into a low bun, a few tendrils framing her face. "You look beautiful," Christine said, with a happy sigh.
Selene smiled and squeezed her hand. "Don't worry Christine, this will be you in a few months."
Christine blushed bright red. "Oh I do hope so."
The priest was not happy about being woken up in the middle of the night to marry a mysterious couple, especially not one with a mask over his face. But after they explained their circumstances he could see they were sincere, so he performed the ceremony and blessed them. "I now pronounce you man and wife."
Mme. Giry and Christine saw the newlyweds off to the train station, and returned to the opera house. "I wonder where they're going…" Christine mused.
"Where are we going, Erik?" Selene asked, as they got on the train.
He smiled mysteriously. "You'll see."
They traveled through Spain for three months, enjoying the beautiful countryside and the architecture, and the pleasure of absolute anonymity. People didn't even ask about the mask.
"If you have money and good manners, no one asks questions," Selene said, smiling at her husband. "We could travel the world and not a single person would care."
He smiled at her and stored that information away for later.