Raoul, I've Seen Him
Raoul was annoyed. Apparently it was harder to get a hold of Christine than he thought it would be. The day after Christine's debut he had gone to Andre and Firmin to see if they would let him see her, but the two managers had no idea where she was. He left the office frustrated about their obvious show of more concern towards getting Carlotta back rather than worry about Christine. Luckily, he had been there when the ballet instructor Mme. Giry along with her daughter, Meg, announced that Christine had returned. He had begged to see her, but was denied.
The following days were similar. He had tried to see Christine every day but was met with the same response. Since Carlotta was gone, Christine had been taking over the lead soprano roles over the days. However, as he watch his childhood love perform on stage, he could tell that something was bothering her. While it was not something that anyone from the audience would be able to pick up, Raoul could. Christine seemed sad and disheartened while she sang, a drastic opposite to what he had experience on her debut night. Curious because she was supposed to be having the time of her life now that she was in the spotlight.
And Raoul would bet that it had something to do with Phantom, whom was also her angel of music.
Raoul had received a letter that was sealed in red wax in the shape of a skull. He opened it and was not surprised that it was from Phantom telling him to stay away from Christine. If it had been anyone other than Christine he would have followed the letter's demands. However, that was not the case and he ignored it.
It was not until the end of the week that Raoul was finally able to contact Christine.
And it was only because of Tyce.
After that night's performance, there were many people around to congratulate the up-and-coming prima donna. Christine gave them her appreciation and thanks but Raoul could tell that her smile was fake and her eyes showed that her mind was somewhere else. It was because of her absent mind that Tyce was able to sneak into her room behind her and unlock the door for Raoul to enter.
He stopped just inside, closing and locking the door behind him. He was in the same room he had first seen Christine in except this time she was not in the room.
Then Raoul heard a ruffle and saw a slim body changing behind the folding screen.
He felt his cheeks flushed what was probably a deep red and turned around to face the door. As he did, he bumped into a side table and caused it to rattle.
"Who's there?!" Christine's voice demanded from behind the screen.
"It's Raoul!" he hurried to say. "I'm sorry, I did not mean to intrude while you were undressing, but I need to speak to you."
"Pfft, you are in trouble." Tyce snickered on the ground next to him. Raoul sent the otter a glare.
"Can it not wait?" Christine asked with a tired sigh.
"Yes! I mean, no! No wait, yes!" Raoul answered quickly then cleared his throat at how silly that must have sounded. "I must speak to you, but it can wait until you are dressed."
"Well then, you can turn around now. I'm presentable." Christine stated from behind him in amusement.
Raoul jumped at how close her voice suddenly was and turned around sheepishly.
"I apologize for the dramatic entrance but I've been wanting to speak with you since the night of your debut."
"What about?" Christine inquired.
"About the phantom, or should I say, your angel." Raoul answered, watching Christine go motionless at his words.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." Christine replied, though her eyes glanced to the side and she crossed her arms over her chest.
Raoul smiled. "You're such an amazing actor, yet off stage you are a terrible liar. I can prove that I know him if you wish, if you'll do the same for me."
Christine stood for a few moments, biting her lip. Finally, she nodded and gestured for him to sit down on the loveseat couch while she took a seat on the chair in front of her dresser.
"Christine? Why aren't you—?" Nada's voice came from the other room where the bed was located but instead of a deer, Raoul was shocked to see a swan walk out.
"Nada?" Tyce whispered in awe, leaving Raoul to go to the white swan.
"She just transformed yesterday." Christine told the otter as he circled Nada, who was appearing to become annoyed with him.
"Give her some space, Tyce, or she'll hit you with those new wings of hers." Raoul recommended then turned back to Christine. "The form suits you."
"Thank you." Christine replied simply.
Raoul sighed. Back to business then but before he could speak Christine stood up as if she just realized something.
"We cannot speak here." She abruptly whispered. Raoul stood up as she walked to her closet and pulled out a cloak. She tied it and pulled the hood over her head and wrapped the cloak close to her body.
"Follow me." Christine commanded quietly then unlocked the door and went out.
Not knowing was else to do, Raoul followed her, knowing that Nada and Tyce were trailing after him. Christine brought him out of the Opera Populaire and began to walk down the street slowly. The night was cool and breezy, the streets were mostly deserted. Raoul gave Christine a few minutes to start but when she did not Raoul began.
"I know the phantom of the opera is your angel of music Christine."
"Yes? Well, how do you know?" Christine countered dully, facing forward as the two of them walked with their companions behind them.
"Because at one point he told me that he had a protégé who was under his protection, along with another dancer girl, who he refused to name you or her." Raoul answered.
"You know him?" Christine asked him in disbelief.
Raoul shrugged. "Only as the phantom. We have an acquaintance going back almost a year."
"Why didn't he tell me?" Christine whispered more to herself but Raoul answered her anyway.
"He probably didn't see it as important. He doesn't know that we know each other, therefore, why would he feel the need to say anything?"
Christine nodded in acceptance. "He knows about us now. I wonder why he called you such harsh things then."
"Wait, what harsh things?" Raoul questioned slowly.
Christine sent him a small grin. "Oh, just an insolent boy and slave to fashion."
Raoul looked down at himself and what he was wearing. He heard Christine giggle and gave her a side glance.
"I don't order my clothing, my sister does." Raoul grumbled, but that only made the other giggle more.
But then Christine took on serious expression. "If you know him then what is his favorite opera."
"Faust, we've certainly talked about it enough." Raoul answered. "Why does he hate the Lady Carlotta?"
"Because she sounds like a dolphin with all her squeaking." Christine grinned. Raoul was taken by surprise by the description for it was the exact same one he had told Phantom as they had discussed Carlotta. The surprise turned to pleasure at the fact that this phantom used his descriptions. "What's his favorite instrument?"
"The organ, though I suppose you can also put his singing, if one can call a voice an instrument." Raoul answered easily.
Both of Christine's eyebrows went up. "He's sung to you?"
"Once, and I had to return the favor by playing the violin." Raoul replied then sighed. "His voice is absolutely enchanting. Remembering it makes me doubt he's really a man."
"Oh, he is." Christine replied suddenly gloomy again.
Noticing the change in her demeanor, Raoul lowered his voice. "What has happened, Little Lotte?"
She sent him a weak grin at the use of the old nickname then faced forward with a sigh.
"I've hurt him. My angel has been wounded by my selfish curiosity."
Raoul frowned. "You're going to have to give me more than that to understand."
And she told him, they had gotten to one of Paris's parks and went inside to not have to worry about getting lost. She spoke of her first meeting with her angel and how the voice in the chapel taught her to sing and then introduced himself as a man who lived under the Opera Populaire. A man who spent years as her guide and teacher, only to have her betray his trust by taking off his mask when he was most vulnerable.
"He wears a mask?" Raoul had joined when that part had come out.
"Yes, and now I know why." She turned to him and grabbed his arm in a desperate motion. She pulled him to a stop, the trees looming above them. "Raoul, I've seen him! Can I ever forget that sight? Can I ever escape from that face? So distorted, deformed, it was hardly a face..."
Christine was breathing heavily and her hands were clenching his arm tightly. Raoul quickly put his arms around her and she clung to him. They stayed like that for he did not know how long but eventually Christine pulled away from him. She looked up at him than turned away. Slowly, she withdrew from his arms and took a couple steps from him.
"But his voice fills my spirit with a strange, sweet sound." She described with a dreamy look upon her face. Raoul's heart missed a beat by how besotted she looked. "In the night, there is music in my mind. And through music my soul begins to soar! And I hear as I'd never heard before…"
"You're in love with this man, even with his face." Raoul whispered more as a statement than a question. He already knew her answer.
Christine nodded and clasped her hands together and brought them to her chest.
"Yet, in his eyes, all the sadness of the world. Those pleading eyes, that both threaten and adore." She choked on the last word and tears pooled into her eyes.
"Christine. Christine." Raoul soothed, going to her, he took those tightly clasped hands in both of his. "It will be alright."
"I don't think it will be." Christine gasped as one tear rolled down her cheek. "He has not come to me all week. Since the day we met he has never been away from me this long."
"Why not go to him then?" Raoul suggested but she was shaking her head before he finished.
"There are too many ways to go down below and one wrong move will put you in a trap. I've tried to speak with Madame Giry and Meg, but they are taking his side on this, not that I can blame them, I hurt him terribly!" Christine sniffled.
"Then let us win him over together." Raoul declared, taking out a handkerchief and cleaning Christine's face with it.
She looked at him with wide eyes. "You…?"
"Ah, well." Raoul blushed, looking away from his childhood love. "Simply put, I never grew out of my feelings for you and after meeting this phantom I have become…smitten with the owner of the voice I've talked to for almost a year."
"Erik, his name is Erik! Oh, Raoul!" Christine gushed happily, throwing her arms around him.
"Ahh, not to break up all this gushy lovey stuff," Tyce cut in from where he and Nada were a few feet away from them. "But don't you think that you're underestimating the difficultly of the situation?"
"Can you not ruin the moment for once." Raoul scolded with a roll of his eyes.
Tyce shrugged but Nada continued.
"He's right though, this can go wrong in so many different ways. Erik can take the two of you being together as a sign that you broke your promise to him."
"Promise?" Raoul raised his eyebrow at the blushing Christine.
"I, um, promised when he first started teaching me that, in exchange for his lessons, I must swear to never marry or fall in love if I can help it. I have already broken one of them by falling for Erik, but it was never a problem for me because he's my music and my love."
"I can see how me coming along can change things." Raoul conceded. "But, for now, we will hide our plans. At least until we have a chance to explain ourselves to him."
Tyce shook his head with a sigh. "So many ways this can go bad. So many."
The next day, Carlotta returned to the opera house, at one point accusing him at having written a letter that said her career was over. Raoul recognized Phantom's—Erik's—words and writing. Carlotta had thrown a fit and made to take all her things, not that Raoul would be sadden to see her go.
Sadly, Andre and Firmin thought it was better for Carlotta to be the prima donna and won her back over, making her the lead in that night's performance of Il Muto while Christine was to play the silent role of the page boy.
The complete opposite of what Erik had instructed in his letter to the managers that Mme. Giry had given to them.
Raoul could not help but feel something bad was going too happened because of the managers' refusal to obey Erik's commands.
And here we go! Things are really taking off now! I'm super excited about what's coming up and I hope you are too! Works being a real exhausting pain, but reviews cheer me up so tell me your thoughts! I hope everyone recognized a certain part with certain lines! ;) Next chapter will be in Erik's POV. See ya next time!
Christine Nada – Swan: Grace, balance and innocence, soul, love, beauty, elegance, transformation, dreams.