Title: A Grand Illusion

Characters: Christine/Raoul, OCs

Chapters: 5/8 + epilogue

Rating: K+

Warnings: None for early chapters, twists and kidnapping later

"And then you pull this through here and… voila!"

"It's a bunny! Mama, look! A bunny!"

Christine smiled and nodded.

"I can see that, Madeline. It's a lovely bunny."

The little girl turned to the young man and beamed.

"Will you teach me, Donatien?"

"Perhaps later, Mam'selle," Donatien answered gently. "I need to get back now. The horses don't feed themselves."

"Couldn't you teach them to?" Madeline asked, childlike curiosity rife on her face.

Christine was about to tell her daughter to leave the stableboy to do his duties when the answer of the young man stopped her.

"Well, yes, I could. But it would take some time and I'd have to change many things in the stables."

The lady of the house raised her eyebrows in surprise and set her embroidery onto her lap. She chuckled and asked him, "Could you really?"

"Madame?"

"Could you really teach the horses to feed themselves?"

He thought about it for a few moments, ideas seeming to fly through his head and across his eyes while Madeline tried her best to figure out a way to keep both her newest friend and her mother in sight at the same time. Christine just patiently waited.

"It… could be done. With time. But I would have to ask some people about it."

"That's amazing, Leroux!" Christine exclaimed. "I would never have considered it possible to do such a thing."

He just smirked.

"Not really, Madame. I'm surprised you would think so. Trained horses are used at the opera house."

She went silent at his statement and shortly after, told Madeline to go fetch the maid for afternoon tea. When the girl was gone, Christine spoke once again to Donatien.

"What makes you say that, Leroux?"

"About the horses, Madame?"

"No. The opera house."

"Oh, well, I know one of the men who worked in the stables there once. And I have been there a few times. My father took me, to show me what they do backstage. Some of the tricks they use are based on popular illusions. Mirrors and the like."

"Did you like it?"

His smile faltered a little and Donatien pushed a loose lock of ruddy hair behind his ear. He shrugged.

"Honestly? It frightened me, to be there. That place felt too big, too crowded. And there was something… unnerving about it. Papa always said there was nothing to worry about so long as I never got lost but still… But I was young, Madame!" he laughed it off. Christine gave him a reassuring smile.

"Everyone gets intimidated a little the first time they are there. And you know, Leroux, you are still quite young."

"Sixteen, Madame. Almost seventeen," he said, with a sigh of one who'd had to defend it often.

"When is your birthday?"

"In two months time."

"I shall have to tell my husband. He likes to give the help a bonus on their birthdays."

"Oh! Please, Madame, that is not necessary!"

"Nonsense. It's our pleasure. And you've been very good at your job, for someone so young and without experience."

He bowed and thanked her, then excused himself. Christine settled back into her chair and picked up her embroidery again. But her mind was far away. Back in the dark halls of the opera house, with another magician she had once known.

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