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

Chapter 12 - Caged Again

Rosetta's POV:

I stared at him in shock. He had just said I was now his slave. I wa no man's slave. I stalked toward him and stated angrily,

"I am not man's slave. What on earth do you mean?" I glared at him and he laughed. He took my hands in his and said,

"Rosetta, its okay. You are my slave in name only. I had to do something. I didn't feel like killing your fiancee. So I just bought you. As a single woman you were either going to become Alexander Dorta's husband or the slave to someone. I know how much you hate Alexander so I bought you myself." I stared at him and felt completely helpless. I was caged again.

My hand drifted to the necklace the gypsy woman had given me and I remember what she had said about my freedom. I had sometimes wondered about her words but now I trusted them.

Then my eyes went wide as something I had once read about Asian female slaves. What they did for their masters. True, I was only his slave in name but I didn't know how far that extended. He must have seen my eyes widen and fear seep into them because he reached out and said,

"Rosetta, is something wrong?" He ran a finger along my jaw and looked quite worried. I tried to smile but ended up frowning as I quietly asked,

"What do female slaves do for their masters?" He seemed to instantly understand my fear. He smiled and said,

"I would never do that to you. I would never do that to any woman. It is true that most masters use their female slaves. I wouldn't dream of it. In the aspect you are safer with me than with any other man." I sighed a deep sigh of relief. At least that would be alright. I couldn't stand the thought. I closed my eyes and sighed slightly. His hand settled on my shoulder and I laid my head against it. I was happy for a moment. Perfectly happy.

I felt my eyelids start to droop again and a moment later I was gathered up in his arms. I cuddled closer to him and he laid me in my bed. It was then I realized something. I looked up at him and said,

"Where are you going to sleep?" He laughed slightly and tugged the blankets over me.

"I don't sleep much. You rest. It is alright. Sleep well." He patted my shoulder before walking out of the room. I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. The most peaceful sleep I had had in months.

Erik's POV:

I walked back into my main room and sat at my organ while I took in all that had happened. My life had altered greatly in the past few days. This little English girl had marched into my life and refused to leave.

I had been dying inside. I had lost all emotion. I was what I had always been called, a living corpse. There had been nothing left of me. My conscience had been dead. I loved nothing, not even life. I felt nothing most of the time. And if I felt anything it was pain. Mind-blowing agony.

But the girl who was now laying in my bed had forced me to feel something other than pain. For the first time in all my years, I wasn't alone. I had a friend. I had someone who cared what happened to me. Someone who didn't run for my murdering instinct.

When she had passed out, I thought for sure she had been terrified of what I had done. That is why I had expected her to flee from my presence as soon as she woke. But she didn't. No, she stayed and now I had made it impossible for her to leave me. She was my slave. True, in
name only, but by law she was bound to me.

I trailed my fingers over the keys and smiled at the thought. I would never be alone again. Rosetta couldn't leave me. I could only hope she never would want to.

I rose from my organ and took my violin from its place. I checked the tuning and started to play the first truly beautiful thing I had ever played. A piece that wasn't dark. I felt the music work its way into my blood and I couldn't leave it alone. The glorious feeling was so much better then the normally dark and cold feeling my music left with me.

I was so wrapped in my playing that I didn't hear or see the door open and the figure standing there. Suddenly a voice barked out, "Erik, what is this I hear about a female slave!?" I stopped playing and looked up at Daroga. The nuisance knew not to bother me when I was playing. He looked pretty unhappy with me so I knew better than to just start playing again.

I set the violin down and said,

"What do you mean, Persian? Am I not allowed to have a slave like all men?" He stared at me and said,

"So the rumor is true? Where is the poor girl?" I laughed and gestured for him to sit down. Before I had even thought about starting to talk, he said, "And what was with that music? I haven't ever heard you play something so happy!" I laughed again and said,

"Allow me to explain about this 'slave' as you call her. Her name is Rosetta Williams. She is the now orphaned daughter of a merchant. She is being forced into a marriage with Alexander Dorta. She wanted nothing to do with the man so I bought her. She is now my slave in name only. She will live with me. At least, she will be somewhat safe." Daroga gave me a blank look.

"Look here, Erik, since when do you care what happens to a girl? You never have cared about anything." I looked at him and said,

"I care about my friends." That was all it took for him to go white.

"Friend with a woman?" I nodded and noticed the sly grin on his face. I instantly caught his drift and snapped,

"No, we are not in any way emotionally connected. She is my friend. That is all." He laughed but quickly checked it when I glared at him. Normally on occasions like this when he was getting on my nerves I would just put him under my spell and make him leave. Right now, I didn't really care. I was content and wouldn't use my power to force him away. He looked at me and smiled slightly.

"I am glad for you, Erik. You don't need to be alone. Now, I shall remove myself before I get in more trouble then I already am."

He walked over to the door and before leaving said, "Erik, don't hurt the girl. Take care of her." Then he was gone. I sighed and turned back to my organ. I wouldn't dream of hurting Rosetta. She was too perfect. I was afraid to touch her because of that perfection. I didn't want to taint her. I was a monster and she was an angel. What did she see in me worth befriending? Oh, I would never know. No one had ever truly been my friend.

I looked towards the room where she was sleeping in and wondered what this warmth that was filling my chest meant. I never had felt it before. A warmth that frightened me and trilled me at the same time. Then a word struck me. Love. That was often described as a warm
feeling. But monsters couldn't love.

Or could they?