At Last! Sorry it took so long for me to post this chapter, but I have been struggling with the plot. I have it back under control for at least another chapter though, so no worries! Once again, sorry for the delay and I hope you enjoy this slightly longer chapter.
-Ravenous Night
Truce
As soon as Suzanne left, Erik pulled Christine farther into the shadows. She pulled free of his arm in one swift movement, facing him head on. "What are you-"
"What will it take?" He demanded, staring at her intensely. Anger no longer clouded his judgment, and he figured it would be wise to try another approach. "What will it take for you to sing for me?" He specified after seeing the look of confusion on her face.
Christine looked away from him, lost in thought. Conflict clouded her eyes for a moment before she met his gaze once more. "My freedom." Erik growled the second the word escaped her lips. Her eyes became hard at his protest. "That is my condition."
"You ask for something I can't give you." He groaned.
"You mean won't." Christine snapped angrily.
"No, Christine." She shivered as he spoke her name again. How could a simple name sound so beautiful on his lips? "I will go mad without your voice." She wanted to tell him that he already was. To remind him that his actions so far were not those of a sane person, but she resisted.
"You seem to have managed just fine before. How can you go mad without something you have never had? Answer me that, monsieur." Erik's eyes narrowed at the formal title, but he ignored it... For now.
"I have waited for your voice for a very long time. So long, I had given up the hope of ever finding you. Now that I know you exist I cannot let you go. I just...can't." He sighed, smoothing his black hair. Slowly Christine approached him, calming at the sound of broken desperation in his voice. For it was the voice of a very lonely man.
"I can't stay here. I do not belong to you, and I am not just a voice. You might mean well, but I escaped my previous home for a chance at a new life." Erik looked at her hopefully, wanting to express that this could be a fresh start. She shook her head though, causing his eyes to darken once more. "Would you really lock me away in another prison? Sure, it is beautiful, but a gilded cage still has bars. Please, see my reason." Nothing she said seemed to have a swaying impact. It was worth a shot, she thought to herself. As he turned to walk away, she groaned and continued. "However, would you consider a compromise?"
Erik was dumbfounded. Would they ever agree on something? There was only one way to find out. "I'm listening." He said without emotion, hoping this wasn't a huge mistake.
"I am my father's only child. Therefore I will inherit almost everything he owns once I am eighteen." Erik waited for her to continue. "I come of age in a month. For my freedom, I will pay you half of that inheritance once I can claim it."
"No deal. How do I know you will keep your word." A plan was beginning to form in his mind, and he almost smiled with satisfaction.
Christine flinched as he questioned the very thing she was hoping not to discuss. How would she get that portion of money to him, and how did she know he wouldn't break his word once he had his half. "You will just have to trust me." His eyes seemed to glow brighter at this, and she grew tense.
"I will not rely on your word, but I have come up with a solution to this." Christine became very cautious, feeling intimidated once again.
"What's that?" She tried to keep her voice strong, but it quivered near the end, revealing her fear.
"You will remain here until your eighteenth birthday. Then, and only then will I release you." Erik smiled, as if daring her to argue. He would have his way, in the end. He always had his way.
"That's hardly fair!" She frowned, watching him lean casually on a nearby door frame, an eyebrow cocked dramatically.
"And pray tell, what is so unfair?"
"You won't trust my word, yet you expect me trust yours! How do I know you will keep your word?" She said, crossing her arms over her chest indignantly.
"You don't." Erik said, walking over to where she stood, and placing both arms on either side of her head. "You can take the risk and trust me, or you can remain here forever." Christine's eyes never faltered as she stared back at him.
"Is that the extent of your deal, or is there anything else I should be aware of." She asked with annoyance, tearing her eyes away from his angrily. He grabbed her chin at this, forcing her to look at him as he spoke.
"Yes, there are two more things you should know before you decide. First of all, while you are here you will do what I ask. I will not ask for much, but I do not wish to hear your complaints every time I ask you to sing." Erik then leaned very close, placing his lips mere inches from her ear. "Secondly, let me make myself very clear. If you leave or do anything to break your word, I will have no problem breaking mine." As he stepped back, he could see his warning had gotten through as intended. Now all that was left was for her to decide.
Earlier, Christine had wanted to use this time to find an escape, and in a way she had. But a month seemed like an awfully long time to be at the mercy of such a man. The same thought echoed in her mind though. What other choice did she have? It was leave after a month, or stay as a prisoner forever, which seemed far grimmer than the former. She shut her eyes and bent her head in submission as she sealed her fate. "You have my word."
Joy was all Erik felt for a moment. Pure joy that made his heart beat rapidly with hope. Then he saw the fear that still shone on her face. Slowly, he stepped back, allowing her a few feet of room. "Shh, Christine." He cooed, as he took her hand. Chocolate brown eyes met his, and for a moment no one said anything. But all too soon, the moment was over and they broke from their trance. "Come, We will make music the world will envy." A gasp was all that escaped Christine's lips as Erik pulled her down the hall.
"Again!" Erik shouted, his eyes afire with some unknown emotion as his hands came down on the keys once more. Christine groaned as the song began again., very aware of how much her throat was beginning to hurt. They had been working for hours, stopping only so she could eat what little would stay down. The meat stew she had eaten the previous night had done wonders for her health, but she still needed to eat frequently to keep her strength up.
Christine only had time to sing the first three words before Erik's playing halted. "Your voice is weak. Must we go through the voice exercises again!" He growled, pivoting on the piano bench to face her. "I know you can sing this." She sighed, clearly frustrated.
"You might be right, but if you keep this up, I won't have a voice to sing with!" She said with a clipped tone.
"You just aren't trying hard enough!"
"Maybe I would try harder if you weren't so impatient!" They were both on edge from the lesson, the argument growing louder with every word.
Erik sighed, stretching his fingers methodically and cooling his temper. "Fine. We'll run through the whole thing once more, then we'll take a break." Christine seemed to calm down at this as well, and she took a deep breath. "This time, feel the piece. Become the music." At her nod he began to play, getting lost in the music himself.
Christine opened her mouth, and for the first time truly felt the music. She shut her eyes, abandoning the sense of sight and embracing her voice. The crescendo came and some barrier in her broke, the sound flowing from her mouth with a new boldness. Her very soul seemed to be on fire as the high note seemed to take flight, and a tear slid down her cheek as the song reached it's end. Still, she dared not open her eyes, feeling only her ragged breath slow it's pace.
She did not flinch as a cold finger traced her cheek. Opening her eyes, Christine saw Erik staring at her intently, her stray tear glistening on his finger. His amber eyes were vividly bright and they had lost their hard glare. Even his stark white mask could not mar the happiness in his expression. "You truly are an angel." This was not what she had expected him to say, and suddenly she was very aware of just how intense his gaze was.
"I am no angel, Erik." His eyes grew brighter still as she said his name, but his stare softened.
"In time you will believe me..." Erik said matter of factly. A small smile formed on his lips, causing his face to glow. He looked five years younger when he smiled, and it made him less intimidating. As soon as he noticed though, the smile vanished and his eyes became colder. "Join me for dinner." Christine was baffled. It was not exactly a question or a demand, yet it was difficult to refuse. Than again, did she really have a reason to refuse? Her mind screamed yes, trying to remind her of all the fear she felt, but for once, she ignored it.
"Yes... I would like that." He gave her a stiff nod, and turned to walk away. He held the door to the music room open as she left, then retreated down one of the halls. By the pace of his stride, she assumed she was not meant to follow. What a strange man! She thought, taking to the stairs. Oh well, I might as well use this time to find out exactly where I am. Hopefully someone would be willing to help her.
As Christine wandered through the manor, she began to notice the many paintings and tapestries. Some had enchanting landscapes that seemed to come from fairy-tales, but soon she began to notice something else. Many of the paintings held a girl; a beautiful girl. The same expression adorned her face in every frame. Through her straight obsidian hair, you could clearly see the rebellious look of a strong willed child. Her striking green eyes were brave and arrogant, but they did not mar her beauty. Christine found herself speeding up her pace, looking for any more clues to the mysterious woman. Her eyes flew back and forth, taking in everything from the lift of her mouth to the small splash of freckles across her cheek. "What are you doing?"
Christine gave a startled yelp as she nearly ran into the child. A little boy looked up at her with curiosity as he studied her actions. "You gave me a fright!" She gasped, clutching a hand to her heart. The child continued, not waiting for a reply.
"You were looking at the pictures of her, weren't you?" He asked, his honey brown hair untidy and wild. Again he assumed to know the answer. "Mother says not to look at them. No one talks about her, not even the master."
"Why? Who is she?" Christine asked suddenly intrigued. So the boy knew about the paintings. Unfortunately, he showed no sign of answering. She couldn't blame him, he looked about seven and was very distracted.
"My name is Thomas. You're Christine aren't you? Why are you here? What does the master want with you?" As much as she wanted to be polite, Christine just wanted to know about the paintings. There would be time for such questions later.
"Thomas, do you know anything about the girl? The one no one speaks of?" He smiled and shook his head, his thoughts elsewhere.
"It's a secret." Christine groaned inwardly. She would get nowhere with him. It seemed like his mother knew something though, and that might be a good place to start.
"Where is your mother?" Thomas looked up and pointed down the hall. "Would you take me to her?" The child nodded again and stuck out his hand.
"Follow me."
Michael dismounted his horse ungracefully and rubbed his eyes. He was tired from the long ride, and thoughts of Meg kept his head spinning. Erik would kill him for revealing information on Christine, so he would wait until his master was in a very good mood to tell him. As he walked into the manor he saw the most peculiar sight. A young servant by the name of Thomas was leading a very confused Christine down the hall, and Michael chuckled quietly at the frustrated look on the boy's face. "Thomas, what on earth are you doing?"
The boy's face lit up with a grin that revealed two missing teeth, and he left Christine to greet Michael. "Christine wanted to see mama." He said, never breaking the smile. Michael raised an eyebrow at her before turning back to Thomas.
"And why did mademoiselle Daae want to see your mother?" He asked, sensing something was afoot. Christine was about to change the topic, but the young child answered too quickly.
"She was wondering about the girl. The one in the paintings." Michael saw Christine blush furiously and he shook his head.
"What you are doing is very dangerous, mademoiselle. Do not worry about the girl, she is not your concern." Even though Michael was around her age, at the moment he seemed like a lecturing parent. Still, she had a few questions.
"But who is she, and-"
"We will speak no more of this. Do not bring this matter up again, and I warn you never to speak to the master about it. Digging up the past will get you nowhere." Christine did not like his cryptic answer, but decided the girl could wait.
"What about the mask." She said suddenly. "Why does he wear that mask." A bead of sweat ran down his forehead as he looked around frantically, glad no one was around.
"Thomas, you may go." The boy gave a quick nod, then left without a word. He leaned forward to whisper in Christine's ear. "Never mention the mask." He hissed. "Try to touch or remove it, and you will find yourself in very real danger. I tell you this so you do not make a grave mistake.
Christine stood completely still, staring off into space wide eyed as Michael walked away. So Erik had secrets, and a lot of them. She would not pry anymore though, he had given her privacy and she would give him the same. After a few seconds of contemplation, she walked in the direction she thought would take her to her room.
Finally, she had managed to locate the right room. As Christine opened the door, she found Suzanne waiting for her patiently. "Oh, Suzanne! How long have you been waiting?" The woman smiled and stood up, smoothing her skirts.
"Not long. I hear you are joining the master for dinner this evening?" Christine nodded, wondering why she was here. "As I thought. I am here to help you change." She looked down at her clothes, wondering if something was wrong with them.
"Can I not wear this?" Suzanne laughed at the girl's confusion, before taking her hand and patting it lightly. She obviously was not knowledgeable on these matters.
"Your clothes are fine! Just not for dinner." Christine still looked a bit confused, wondering why she had to change if her clothes were perfectly fine. Suzanne knew she would understand in time. "Come, I have the perfect dress." Christine gasped as she pulled out a beautiful dark pink dress with white lace and a green sash.
Christine was speechless. She seemed almost afraid to touch it, as if this were all a dream and she might wake up at any moment. As Suzanne began to unlace her dress, she tried to ease the tension with conversation. "You have a beautiful voice, Christine." She was suddenly glad Suzanne could not see her face, for it turned bright red at the complement.
"You heard me?" She asked quietly, feeling very self conscious at the thought.
"My dear, I'm not sure if a single person didn't hear! And if they had, well I pity them for missing out on hearing such talent." Her face was turning a darker shade of crimson with every word. It had been many years since Christine had been spoken to so kindly, and it was hard to believe.
"I-I...Thank you." She said as Suzanne began to help Christine put on the new gown. They were quiet after that, the only sound being the tightening of laces and smoothing of fabric. She turned Christine around as she finished.
"There, you look beautiful." She smiled at her words, but at the moment was thinking of other things.
"The dress is too low." Christine said anxiously, not wanting any of her scars exposed. She couldn't help but think when she was a servant, she never had to worry about her back. Her clothes were never revealing.
"I have that covered." Suzanne said said quickly, holding out a green shawl for her. She took it gladly and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"What if he asks me to take it off?"
"Just say you're cold. Are you ready?" Christine nodded, taking a deep breath. She opened the door and walked down the hall, trying to remain calm.
Suzanne watched as she quickly walked back. "Where is the dining room?" She asked, biting her lip in embarrassment. Suzanne laughed and led Christine in the right direction, noticing that she was shaking.
"Relax, nothing will go wrong."
Please review, and thank you to PhantomFan01 for all your helpful support! :)