Her Prince Of Darkness

Chapter 10: Happy Ending

**** 1 year later ****

Much has happened in the year since Erik and I visited mother. Fredrick and mother held their wedding ceremony at their estate. I was mother's maid of honor and Shelly was her father's 'best man'.

The ceremony was beautiful and I was happy that I convinced Erik to make the trip with me. He seemed uncomfortable at the reception, but I coaxed him into waltzing with me in a corner of the room. He was a surprisingly good dancer, even though he had never danced with anyone before.

After the wedding, my mother and new stepdad decided to travel since she had always wanted to see the world. Their last stop was to visit Erik and I at our home.

When we arrived back in Paris, the opera house was in the process of being assessed by a group of men. Erik was outraged and threw the men out, stating that this was his home and he would never leave.

They laughed at him and told him that it was being auctioned off next week. I was frantic to find a way to fix this, but I had no funds to help him.

After a week of feeling helpless and Erik taking his rage out on the furniture, we received a visitor that told Erik how Madame Giry had left the country. She had apparently left Erik a large sum of money and a note saying that she was sorry that he had to hide all those years and she always thought of him like a son.

We went to the auction company and managed to buy Palais Garnier for a low price, since there were still rumors about it being haunted by the phantom of the opera.

The fire had destroyed much of the opera house, but it could be rebuilt. I told Erik that we could build a small house instead, but he insisted that I have my own place to preform.

After six months of construction, the opera house was complete. Since Erik refused to leave his home, we built stairs leading to a bedroom on the first floor, where people believed we stayed. We also installed a walkway, (so we didn't have to always travel by boat) a dressing room for me, and a fully stocked kitchen.

**** Present ****

After a long day of auditions for the new opera, I arrived home to find all of the candles lit and Erik sitting at the table, waiting on me. I smiled and walked over to him.

He pulled me on his lap and kissed me deeply. "I've missed you kitten."

I snuggled into his arms as he kissed my forehead. "I have something for you," he stated.

I looked up at him curiously as he handed me a small velvet box with a black ribbon tied on it. I gasped as I opened it.

Inside was a small ring, it wasn't large and had no fancy jewels. It was only a band with flowers and leaves carved into it. I absolutely adored it.

"Layla, kitten, I know our first meeting left much to be desired, but I firmly believe that you were sent to me by an angel. Before you, I never had someone to eat with or laugh with. I never had someone to love. Even though I hide from the world, I want to show everyone how much you mean to me. My perfect little kitten, will you marry me?"

My eyes filled with tears as I laughed and hugged him. "Of course, was there any doubt? I'm so sorry for the way you have been treated until now. I promise I will never leave you. I love you Erik and I would love to marry you."

He looked at me like he couldn't believe I was real and hugged me as tight as he could. "We should eat before dinner gets cold. I'd hate to have my little fiance starve," he stated.

I laughed and turned in his lap, bringing my plate beside his. He chuckled and kissed my cheek before digging into is food.

After we were both finished eating, we washed the dishes off on the basin and changed into sleepwear. I donned a white sleeping gown, while Erik put a velvet robe over his sleeping shorts.

He laid his mask beside the bed as I brushed and braided my hair. After we were finished with our nightly routines, we pulled the rope to close the curtains and snuggled together in bed.

One thing that has always surprised me about Erik is that he loves to cuddle. It could because he was so touch-starved before he met me. I shook off my thoughts and snuggled closer to Erik before drifting off to sleep.

****

It had only been a few months since we had reopened the opera house, but our cast felt ready to preform.

It was only a small production, two or three songs, but I was feeling nervous after such a long break from preforming. I had been practicing almost everyday, to the point where Erik would pick me up and carry me to bed to get me to rest.

Thirty minutes before I was set to go onstage and I was turning into a nervous wreck. I was actually the lead this time and although I was excited, I worried that I was not as good as I thought I was. Erik, of course, told me I was the greatest dancer he had ever seen.

Taylor and Brie, the friends I made when I first moved to Paris, were beside me. I finally managed to track them down and offered them any place they wanted in the new opera house.

Taylor, with her love of singing, was training to be a soprano. Brie loved dancing, just like me, but she preferred to be a choreographer.

Looking at my friends, I felt less nervous and more thankful that they were there with me.

The music started, so I quickly walked to my starting point with the others. The lights slowly brightened and the curtains started to pull back as I took a deep breath.

As soon as the music started to pick up, I felt my body instinctually move. I went through the steps over in my head as I preformed each one.

I was nearing the finale, where I had to preform multiple pirouettes en pointe. I lifted my leg and started spinning, keeping my right leg near my left knee and my arms in a prefect circle.

As I stood there spinning, feeling weightless, I thought back to everything that had happened over the last few years.

I could never have imagined how much my life would change. From being jealous of Christine, to falling into Erik's lair. From enduring his mood swings, to finding the loving person hidden under that mask.

I stopped spinning, leaning my foot back and raising my arms before taking a bow. The crowd erupted into cheers and I looked up, smiling, to see mother, Francis, and Shelly cheering me on from the front row. I laughed and started to look for Erik.

Confused when I couldn't find him, I looked behind me, where Taylor and Brie were pointing at something. I turned around and found Erik at the piano, where he had just finished playing. I gasped when I realized he wasn't wearing a mask, proud of how far he had come since I had first met him.

He smirked at me and threw me my very first rose. I picked it up with tears in my eyes and put a hand on my stomach where our child was growing, excited to share the news that I had learned earlier in the day.

Erik is no longer the phantom of the opera, but he is still my prince of darkness.

**** The End ****

I can't believe my first story is completed! I might post two short Christmas and Halloween chapters later. Check out my other stories in the meantime. Hope you enjoyed it, bye! ;)