The Manor

Erik pulled Christine from the horse, careful to set her on her feet lightly. She had been very quiet on the ride to Nadir's cabin, which had been a surprise to say the least. The long silence had made him want to start a conversation, but he refrained in his speechlessness. As the young girl took a step forward, she nearly fell. Erik frowned at how weak she was. He did not think a few hours on a horse could make one so wobbly, but he dismissed it.

Christine glared at him as he latched onto her arm. There was still a glint to his eyes she did not like, but now was not the time to discuss it. Mainly because hunger had weakened her considerably, and the whole world spun before her eyes. She had not found any food in Erik's saddlebag earlier, and had decided to keep her discomfort to herself until they reached Nadir's. Saying she was surprised about this was an understatement, but she dared not voice her curiosity for fear he might change his mind. He held the door open and she stumbled inside.

Nadir spotted the girl and ran to her. "Christine, are you alright?" She nearly sobbed in relief when the Persian hugged her tightly. He noticed her trembling and it concerned him greatly. When Erik entered the room, he pulled Christine farther away. With a shaking hand she gripped Nadir's sleeve.

"Please Nadir, I-I need-" Her weak plea for food was cut off by Erik.

"Step away from the girl, daroga." He growled, then turned to Michael, who sat in an armchair. "Michael, come here for a moment. I have a favor to ask you." The boy tripped in his hasty movements. Erik leaned close and whispered something in his ear. He left the cabin without a word. "Now, once again I will tell you to step away."

"Excuse me for a moment Christine. Erik, a word?" Nadir stormed off to the other side of the room, Erik gave a fleeting glance to her before following. "What the hell is the matter with you? That poor girl is frightened out of her wits and trembling like a leaf!" They both turned to look at Christine who clutched the back of an armchair weakly. "Leave her alone Erik. Leave her in peace." It was not a threat, only a warning.

"Khan." Erik's voice shook with rage as he glared at him. "I will only say this once. Don't meddle with matters that do not concern you."

"I will give you as much money as I have with me, just leave her here with me." Nadir pleaded.

"No! She's mine. Do you hear me? Mine! Not you nor anyone will take her from me." He would not be denied her voice. The Persian paled at this, realizing what had occurred between the two.

"Good god, you heard her sing, didn't you?" He did not answer. "She's not a musical instrument Erik. She's a girl, a living breathing woman. You have taken many lives, do not imprison hers. Please, I beg of you, do not do this." Erik growled, refusing to see reason.

"It is done. We are leaving." Both men turned when a loud thump sounded.

Christine felt intense pain pounding through her body, and wanted nothing more than a swift death to end this agony. Hunger was something she had faced before, but not like this. Never like this. She tried to form a sentence, but her mouth was slow and heavy. Her body screamed for anyone to help, but barely a whimper escaped her lips. Panic surged through her as her vision began to go black, but the cold floor felt wonderful as she slipped into oblivion.

Erik rushed to Christine, kneeling by her unconscious form. Her skin was clammy and drenched with sweat, as he lifted her from the floor. His hands shook with worry as he placed her on the chaise. Her pulse was normal, which reassured him, but he had no idea what was wrong with her. In fact, he had no idea what to do. Luckily Nadir took matters into his own hands. "Erik, did she contract a disease while in the forest?"

"I-I... No. Well, at least I strongly doubt it. If she had eaten something poisonous, the effects would have become known very quickly. We've been riding the last few hours." He pondered all that had occurred in these past few days.

"I don't see any animal bites... Could she be dehydrated?" Erik shook his head, remembering the stream.

"No that's not it, she's had water. I have noticed she's been acting quite strange though. On the way here she was quiet, she did not fight me or even argue." He thought long and hard about before that when he found her. "I can't think of anything. I found her looking for food in my saddlebag, but she couldn't be that hungry from one day's travel, so I'm at a loss. What is it?" Nadir had paled at this, and Erik grew impatient. "Spit it out old man, we have no time for games!"

"Your right, she couldn't have grown that hungry from one day of travel, but what about three?" Slowly, it dawned on Erik. A snarl escaped his lips as he lifted Nadir off the floor by his shirt.

"You didn't feed her? A girl shows up at your door drenched and exhausted and you don't feed her?" He was now screaming at Nadir, who stayed calm facing his rage.

"Erik, she was unconscious when I found her. Now, put me down before you do something you'll regret." He dropped the Persian with a roar and went to Christine. After wrapping her in his long cape, he picked her up and walked to the door. "Erik! She needs food and rest! Do not take her in her weakened state, she is in a lot of pain!" Erik turned around swiftly, making sure Christine was still securely in his arms.

"A fact you may not want to remind me of, Khan. If I lost her, it would have been your fault and I am not a forgiving man. Keep your distance, you will not interfere me or this angel anymore. I will not allow it." This wasn't good. Erik was quickly becoming obsessed, and he had no doubt that Christine would not so willingly sing for her captor. Yes, this would be bad.

A horrible jolting motion woke Christine, making her stomach do a violent turn. Again she was on the black stallion, pain radiating her body. Erik quickly noticed her consciousness and pulled her close, whispering softly in her ear. She could not deny how his voice brought shivers down her spine. "At last your awake. I was very worried, but I promise you will have a meal soon. We only have a little farther to go."Where are we going?" She choked out. He brushed her hair out of her face and sighed in contentment.

"Home." She lay her head against his chest. She was oh so tired, and he was warm and welcoming in the cool night air. Erik's eyes fluttered close as he felt her willingly lean against him, but quickly broke from his trance. No woman would ever wish to be near him, and he did not want their affections. Christine was not in her right mind, that was the only reason. Still he could not help but hope, as he gently shook her shoulders. "Dearest, you must stay awake." She looked at him with such weary eyes, he felt his heart break. "Hurry Lucifer." He said as he pushed his horse faster. "Speak to me Christine. Speak if it will keep you from sleep."

"I'm so tired." She whispered, what little strength she had regained slowly fading.

"I know, but I will not risk you slipping away. Keep talking, tell me about your family. Did you have any friends at the chateau?"

Slowly Christine began to speak. "Meg was my friend. Meg Giry and her mother looked out for me over these past few years. They were my only family after my father died." She yawned, her eyes starting to droop.

"I am very sorry about your father, Christine. I'm sure you miss him very much. Did you have very fond memories with him?" She smiled and nodded, reveling in her wonderful childhood.

"He loved music very much." Erik smiled at this and absentmindedly began smoothing her hair as she spoke. "On days when he wasn't busy, he would play violin while I sang. He said one day I would be singing on stage, where even the angels could hear my voice. People thought it was an unfit dream though, and after my father remarried, it became just that. A dream and nothing more..." She trailed off, lost on memory lane. He decided to give her a few minutes rest as he saw his manor coming into view. She was asleep by the time he halted Lucifer.

Erik yelled a few orders at the stable boy as he dismounted. After making sure she was safely in his arms, he quickly strode to the door. "Suzanne!" He roared, causing Christine to moan softly. A large rosy cheeked woman hobbled down the stairs before stopping short before the girl. Michael had told them all that the master was bringing someone with him, but she never expected her to be so young. "This girl is starving and in need of a meal. She will be sleeping in my chambers tonight, bring a meal there. Please make it something hot she can keep down, seeing as she has not eaten in three days." She did not think three days without food was considered starving, but she had to admit the young mademoiselle did not look to not be faring well.

"Right away monsieur." Suzanne called after him, as he took to the stairs. She nearly ran to the kitchen. Not only to get food for their new guest, but to tell the other servants of the sight she had just witnessed.

Suzanne quickly brought up a bowl of soup and a loaf of bread, trying not to spill any of it on the rich carpet of her master's chambers. Erik immediately noticed her presence and motioned her forward. "It's a room, not a mine field Suzanne." She hurried to the bed where the young girl lay. She was now conscious and Suzanne could see that she was very beautiful, even though dirt coated her face. "Here you are." He said softly as he took the tray and placed it on the bedside table. "Don't eat too quickly Christine, take your time." He handed the bowl of soup to her, and both could see a glint of desperation in her brown eyes. She brought the bowl to her lips, but stopped.

Christine lowered the soup then looked up at Suzanne. "Thank you very much." She said before she began to drink from the bowl. Suzanne turned bright red, not used to very many people thanking her. Even Erik's eyes widened. Why was this girl so damn kind? Had she or hadn't she grown up under the care of Isabel? He barely noticed his servant sputtering a reply before quickly exiting the room. After she had drained the soup, she began reaching for the loaf of bread.

Erik was quicker though, and Christine's hand grasped thin air. He tore the loaf in half before handing her one part of it. "I won't have you making yourself sick." He said simply, and she ate with as much restraint as she could manage. She was still very hungry when that half of bread was gone, but she was feeling a bit sick as well. "You will get more in the morning." He made sure she was lying down before wrapping the blankets around her. She was asleep in seconds and Erik could not resist watching her. The first time he had seen Christine, she had not truly been asleep. Now he had time to sit and admire everything about her from the soft brown hair, to the gentle rise and fall of her chest.

Erik soon became distracted with thoughts of her voice though, and he longed to wake her. He shook his head and stood up quickly. There was no way he could be so close to this angel without needing to hear the flawless instrument of her voice. He left the room and nearly ran down the hall. If he was to hear her angelic voice, than she must only sing a song fit for an angel. Yes, there was much work to do.

Christine awoke in total blackness. Not a single thing could be seen and her mind began to race. Where was she? The bed beneath her was large and soft, assuring her it was not her own. She threw the blankets off her and slid off the mattress. The bed was raised higher than she had expected, and her legs gave out beneath her as she landed on the carpeted floor. She searched desperately for any kind of door or window, and in the process tripped over a chair. A yelp of surprise escaped her lips as she fell to the floor for a second time and she began to search more slowly. She grinned in triumph when she felt a door.

As she ventured down a hallway, she began to remember the previous night. At first, Christine could only place a few things, but soon the truth of the matter dawned on her. She was in Erik's home. Why she was here she had no idea, but she did not intend to stay and find out. Once again her heart began to pound as paranoia seeped in. She poked her head around a corner and saw a door at the bottom of a grand staircase. It was risky, but if she was quiet enough, she might be able to get away. She began to tiptoe down the steps, thankful her feet were bare and would not make noise. The door handle was heavy, but she thought with enough effort she would be able to open it. A faint noise echoed behind her and she hesitated. Closing her eyes, she heard the sound of a beautiful violin playing a soft melody. Slowly she turned her head, hoping to hear more. Without thinking, she began to follow the entrancing music, unable to resist such beauty.

Erik felt Christine enter, but did not stop playing. He wanted to see what effect music had on her, and so far he was beyond pleased. When he turned, he could see how the notes seemed to possess her. The dark pools of her eyes were wide with wonder, and she drew closer to him. She stopped a few feet away from him and closed her eyes, savoring every sound. Even when he put the violin down, she looked as though caught in another world, and truthfully she was. Never in her life had Christine heard such enchanting music. When her father had played, it had been enjoyable. When Erik played, every nerve in her body seemed to erupt in flames. This scared her very much, not that she was afraid of his music. She was scared of how much she enjoyed it.

"Christine." He smiled, leading her to a piano on the far side of the room. "My Christine." Her eyes fluttered closed, the sound of his voice as intoxicating as the song he just played. "Sing." Her eyes snapped open as the trance was broken.

"No."