"You seem to know much about Lady Daae"
"Yes well at one point she was my fiancée"
The Persian sneered at the young mans words, "Yes and now she's another man's fiancée"
Raoul groaned inwardly, "I am aware".
Nadir looked to the ceiling of the room they were in; a study. It was now seldom used by the various servants of Erik's home.
"Well it seems that you have attempted murder on the master of this home". Nadir raised his hands in expression of his point. "It also seems that the same man you tried to kill has been most gracious in keeping you alive".
Raoul swallowed a rather large knot in his throat, "It wasn't me that attempted to kill him".
"Yes but you did the hiring now didn't you?"
Both men turned at the sound of Erik's booming voice. He crossed the room in two strides and came face to face with the Vicomte, who was now currently tied to a fading arm chair.
Nadir turned and looked at his friend, "He doesn't seem to want to get to the point".
Erik nodded, "Kill him now shall I?"
"No!"
Raoul swayed in his chair as he attempted to break through the thick ropes that had kept him bound for the past four days. Always on the watchful eye of Nadir, Raoul was only untied to relieve himself twice a day. His wrists now were an interesting shade of purple, for Erik did not believe any comfort was acceptable for him.
Erik turned and looked at the squirming man, "Tell me Vicomte, have you ever heard of a Punjab lasso?"
Raoul's eyes widened as Erik produced the rope, holding it delicately in his left hand.
Erik continued, "Dominic… a friend?"
Raoul said nothing as he starred at the man in front of him.
"He met his fate with this lasso" Erik unwound the lasso and stretched it out to its full glory.
Raoul glared at Erik, "You killed him because it's in your nature to do so".
Raoul cringed as the lasso came harnessing around his neck, Erik pulling at it slightly.
"Watch your tongue boy, your words means nothing to me now but your death".
Erik held on to the lasso as he paced back and forth, Nadir keeping protective distance between both men.
"Christine, my fiancée"
Raoul snorted, and instantly his face turned to fear, knowing this man could snap his neck in half in a moment's time if he wished it.
"Your hench man… where did you find him?"
Raoul hesitated a moment, but was soon persuaded by the tightening lasso.
"I found him; he had nothing before I found him". He looked down, trying to word himself properly, "He was a stage hand at the opera populaire".
Erik nodded, "Yes of course".
"I-I hired him to take Christine back".
It was Erik's turn to snort, the only reason he was doing this was out of a request from Christine.
"You hired him to kill me… and then to have Christine fall easily back into your arms".
Raoul shifted slightly in the chair, not being able to move much due to the various ropes strapping him. The one he feared most though was around his neck.
"She didn't come back into my arms".
Nadir let out a hoot of laughter causing Erik to smile slightly.
"She would have never come back into your arms".
Nadir now stood beside his friend, wanting nothing more but to put an end to this situation.
Raoul started in, "Christine, where is she?"
Erik growled in anger at the boy tied to the chair, "Recovering from her injuries due to you".
Confusion crossed the Vicomte's face, "What injuries… I never laid a hand on her!"
"You didn't, but Dominic did" Nadir answered solemnly to him.
Raoul sat dumbfounded for a moment, "I fear I don't understand your situation".
Erik starred at the man for a moment and then turned to the Persian. Nadir gave him the same look of confusion, both men wondering the same exact question.
"How do you not understand boy!" Erik paced back and forth across the carpeted floor, causing Raoul to flinch with each step he took.
"Your Hench man… he abused Christine".
Silence took the room for quite some time as Raoul gathered the words in his mind. How could this be? Dominic had sworn to him all she needed was persuasion and she would be back in his arms…
"I have been deceived"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Christine opened her eyes to the sun streaming in through the open window. Looking to her left, she felt instant panic. Had last night been a dream? She felt the bed and found a small note tucked under the pillow.
She pulled the note out, feeling the roughness of the stark white paper. This situation felt familiar in a way she wished she hadn't known. She glanced down at the piece of paper in her hand and observed for the first time the fine bruises covering her knuckles and palms.
She gingerly touched a bruise running the length of her knuckles and winced at the sharp pain. This couldn't be a dream, the pain was all to real… but where was Erik?
She hesitated upon opening the note, not sure if she liked notes all that much anymore, when she was interrupted by the opening door.
A beaming Maryanne came in accompanied by Nadir.
Maryanne approached her and sat beside her on the bed, "How are you today mamn?"
Christine smiled, not realizing how much she longed to hear such a simple sentence said to her again.
"I am doing… well I am better".
Nadir chuckled lightly and came closer to her, bending low to kiss her lovingly on the forehead.
"I had feared your safety".
Christine smiled up at the Persian, she truly adored this man. She grasped his hand and squeezed it lightly, "Knowing you were out there looking for me kept me strong".
Nadir laughed, "What if I hadn't?" he teased.
Christine laughed for the first time in ages, "I don't think I'd like you so much".
"Me either" Maryanne piped in.
Nadir laughed and brought both women close in an embrace, "My two favorite females, now what would I do without either of you?"
"Surely you'd rot away"
The group turned at the sound of a female's voice. Standing in the far side of the room stood a stern looking Madam Giry and a tear stricken Meg.
"Meg!"
The blonde burst into tears and ran over to her friend on the bed, "Oh Christine!".
Christine and her cried and hugged for moment, Meg running hands down her face making sure her friend was really next to her in the room.
"Look at your hands!"
Christine nodded in between sniffles, "It's alright Meg".
She broke away from her friend and greeted Madam Giry, "Mamn"
Antoinette Giry starred at the tiny chorus girl for a moment before she bent down low and kissed her on the cheek.
"You have been through so much"
Christine nodded, although Madam Giry spoke lightly, her words had a heart felt affect on them.
The group chatted for a moment more when Meg piped in, "Where is Erik?"
Christine felt her head drop, once again glancing at the note in her hand.
Christine eyes never left the paper as she told Meg that she was not sure of Erik's where abouts. Nadir motioned toward the note that was being held tightly in Christine's bruised hand.
"Something of importance?"
Christine frowned, she wasn't to sure. She was afraid to open any note of a sort, fearing it would be the last piece of parchment that her fiancée would ever write to her.
She had kept the last piece of parchment that Erik had written to her the day he had disappeared, and it had been her hope sake until the day she had received another note. This one informing her of dread… she shuddered at the thought of his loss. He wasn't here at the moment though.
"I'm not sure Nadir"
Christine sighed and conversed with her friends a while longer. After sometime a dull ache returned to her head. At this, the group said their goodbyes and left the room, Nadir being the last to leave, "Don't fret, Erik will be in shortly".
Christine smiled lightly at the Persians mind reading, "Thank you Nadir".
He bowed and left the room, leaving Christine deep in thought to where he fiancée could be.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Racing up the stairs, Erik almost bombarded Nadir who was descending the stairs.
Nadir caught his arm and gave him a stern look, "Where have you been?"
Erik grinned, "I have been making arrangements".
Nadir thought for a moment the greeted his friend with a smile, "And the Vicomte?"
"Still in the room, he seems to have gone into a fit of depression".
Nadir snorted, "I don't blame him… I told you he had gone stark raving mad".
Erik began to speak when Nadir interrupted him, "What arrangements have you made?"
Erik grinned once again, "Wedding arrangements… my dear friend" he stopped as he thought the words over again in his mind "Wedding arrangements".
More to come on the Vicomte and of course the wedding!
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