Angel of Doom and an English Rose (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 2 - Angel of Doom

Rosetta's POV:

I woke early the next morning and shook myself as I stepped out of my bed. I was not a morning person by any stretch of the imagination so to wake up at such an hour was hardly welcomed. I had been woken by a knock on my door.

I slipped on my robe and opened the door. The same servant who had spoken to me the day before of the Angel of Doom was standing there. He smiled at me and I returned it politely.

"My lady, I have come from your father. He wishes for you to be ready in tweny mintues to dine with the Shah at breakfast. I have brought a maid who is to help you." He stood aside and allowed a young girl to walk in. She barely came to my shoulder and her skin was dark and her hair as well. She smiled at me and curtsies politely.

I stepped back to let her in and the servant closed the door. I extended my hand to her and said,

"Good morning, my name is Rosetta and your name is?" The girl looked down at my hand and took it shyly.

"Maysa. I was told to get you ready to dine with the Shah. What do you need help with, Ms. Rosetta?" I smiled at her warmly. The girl seemed sweet enough and her manners pleased me very much.

"Please, call me Rosetta. And all I need is someone to tie my corset and braid my hair." I wasn't like most girls who liked to have much fuss over me. I was much happier as myself. I never wore makeup of any kind and normally might not have worn a corset. When I was at home I never did. But Father would make quite a scene if I should dare not to wear one while we were here.

I quickly picked out a dress and with the help of Maysa, managed to get it on.  She then sat me down and carefully braided my hair in a Persian style. While she was busy at it, I asked,

"Maysa, if I were to ask you would you tell me about a certain occuaptn of the palace?" She tugged on my hair a little before responding with,

"Well, Rosetta, that all depends on the occupant. Which one do you wish to know about?" I smiled at her through the mirror and said,

"The Angel of Doom." Her hands stilled and her face went pale. Her eyes widened and I saw fear clearly written there. I was quickly gathering that this man was much feared in the palace. I longed to know more about him though. Call it what you will but he interested me.

When she at least spoke, she stuttered,

"M-madam, do n-not a-ask a-about h-him! He is d-death's o-own s-son! P-please, I f-fear h-him so!" She quickly finished with her work and took a few steps back, her face still filled with fear. She had stopped stuttering but still fear laced her voice, "He knows things. He talks but isn't there. He appears and disappears at will. He kills and no one knows. He speaks and all fall under his spell. He sings and things happen." I listened to this and realized this man had power.

"Is he more powerful than the Shah?" Maysa laughed nervously and glanced right and left as if in fear that the man we spoke of should appear out of thin air.

"Well, he has control to some extent over the Shah. The Shah though very powerful fears the power of the Angel of Doom. All fear him. He rules this palace with the iron fist of fear." I smiled at the girl and was about to say something when she kept going. "I saw him once without his mask. I am one of the harem girls. He works quite alot for the Shah's mother. I caught him without his mask. I shan't forget the terrifying sight. Oh, the horror!" She covered her own face and almost screamed.

I quickly stood and hugged her. She cowered against me and whispered,

"Rosetta, he is danger in mortal form. No one knows where he came from or even his name. All we know is that he is to be feared and loathed." I patted the girl's back and said,

"Shhhhh. Its okay." I held her for a few minutes then I said, "I have got to get to the dining room. Would you take me there?" Maysa nodded and let me carefully down the halls and into the dining room. My father had beaten me there by a few moments and I knew I would get a tongue lashing for it.

I smiled at the Shah and nodded towards my father. I took a seat opposite my father with the Shah siting at the head. There was no conversation over breakfast. I hadn't been expecting any. My father never spoke and it wasn't likely that that Shah would speak to me. I kept my mind focused on the Angel of Doom. He had to have a name. That is what I wanted to know. I wanted to know a name for him. I wanted to meet him.

We finished breakfast and Father said,

"Daughter, the Shah and I wish to speak privately on some matters. Please leave." I nodded and, rising to my feet, said,

"If the Shah has no objections, I should like to look around the palace. I haven't seen something this beautiful in my life." The Shah smiled at me and said,

"By all mean. Explore to your hearts content." I smiled and after dropping a curtsy walked out of the room. I leisurely strolled down the halls, admiring the fine architecture and beauty of the palace. I was so entranced that I didn't realize until it was too late that I had strayed far from where I should have. I was about to turn back when I saw form walking away from me. My hands shook when I saw who it was.

It was the Angel of Doom. He was moving silently away from me and if I had been smart I would have let him go but something in me said,

"Angel of Doom!" He stopped at the sound of my voice. Slowly, painstakingly slow, he turned to look at me. That instant I knew I had been better off leaving him alone.

He slowly started to move toward me and I felt frozen under his piercing gaze. He moved slightly like a cat and I heard nothing, not even when he was a few yards away from me. He stopped then and looked at me. He said not a word but his eyes asked questions. I smiled and said,

"Good morning, sir." He took a step closer and said,

"Why did you call me?" I almost gasped at his voice. It was perfection. Deep and music filled. I could have listened to it for hours and never grown tired. It fit him. It like his eyes were almost hypnotic. I couldn't think for a moment.

I quickly cleared my mind and said,

"I saw you in the corridor yesterday and wished to introduce myself. My name is-" He cut me off by saying,

"Rosetta William. You're the English girl who came with her father who is going to be discussing trade with the Shah." I stared at him. He knew all that. This man knew things. Maysa had been right. 

I nodded and said, "You are right. It is a pleasure to meet you." I extended my hand and he completely ignored it. I scowled at him but he didn't seem to noticed. He walked in a circle around me and said,

"Go back to the way you came and never come down here again. There is nothing here for prying English girls." He laughed manically. It was like an insane asylum was locked away inside him. But something told me he wasn't insane. He was just heartless. When I looked into their golden pools, I saw nothing more than heartlessness. But as my mother always said, "It takes a caged bird to recognize another" and I saw he caged as well. There was just the hint of sadness and grief in his eyes.

I looked him square in the eye and decided to be cryptic and so repeated my mother's statement. If he was a genius he would get it.

"It takes a caged bird to recognize another." I smiled and turned my back to him and walked away. I didn't look back.