Bravissimo

Tired

Eric-

Christine looks to me as Darius leads her back out to the carriage, however my eyes are on my daughter. At this moment I no longer see Christine in her but myself. And how it infuriates me. We both must be cautious of our words as there are a few in the room who know not of our story. "Annabel, put the sword down. Now, dear." I tell her, however her stance does not change.

"Well, well I could- OH my word!" We here Carlotta enter the room and everyone jumps at her yelp. Her sheer terror of what she's walked into. Annabel aiming her sword at my chest and my hand reaching for my own. Everyone jumps of course except for us two. It is only now that I notice how tired Annabel really looks. Her pale face that is usually a light tan, her bright blue eyes seemingly have a fog of grey over them, and her dark burgundy circles below her eyes. The dead look she is giving me has me frantically searching her face even harder for my sweet girl. Her arm does not waver under the weight of the sword as if she is possessed.

"Annabel, put the sword DOWN! Annabel!?" I ask. Nothing. I pull my own and allow it to clash to with hers, at this point I hold back as I am still not sure what her end game is with this act of foolishness. She fights quite well, of course I know what it is like to fight your heart out when you believe you are in the right. She turns and swings her sword grunting angrily and screaming through her teeth. She is really trying to hurt me.

"Mother will NOT perform. Not in her condition." She demands and I wish to know where this is coming from. "She will not tell you otherwise herself, so I must." Annabel only hits harder and harder with each swing and I have had about enough. I push her sword down and we are shoulder to shoulder.

"Cease your fighting child there is no argument here." I say and see Annabel is getting red in the face and growing weak at the straining against me.

"Perhaps not with me." She grunts and I quickly grab and squeeze the life out of her wrist causing her to yelp and drop her sword.

"I-" Annabel does not allow even one word before she rips off my mask with her other hand and in doing so causes five deep gashes in the deformed side of my face. I grab her by the wrists and plant my feet at my sides.

"STOP IT DEMON, YOU LITTLE VIPER." I scream into her face, her fingers dripping blood as is my face and I see I've cut her on the forearm. Tears stream down her angry face as she struggles against me. Finally I shove her to the floor and many gasps are heard and I remember my audience and replace my mask. Annabel's chest is heaving and slower and slower her breathes become as she looks to the five standing in the seats and lastly back at me.

"Your argument will be with yourself, not me." she says nodding, tired once again. "From now until the end of time, if you do this." She says slowly getting up. "I highly advice you leave my mother be, as you will loose the both of us." With that she stares into my eyes for a few more moments and turns on her heel leaves. Not before giving Eliot one last glance.

"Annabel, love!" Carlotta cries after her and Faisct begins to run after her.

"Leave her." I tell him and he stops. "God knows what she would do if you caught her." I say with a nod and walk down the same hall she did with no intention of catching her. I slump down onto Christine's chair in the Prima Donna room and rip off my mask and look into the mirror not before removing the cloth that covers it put there by Annabel. I dig in her vanity for something to stop the bleeding, and even now I only think of her. How deep did I cut her? Will she make it home? What happened out there? I give up and use the cloth from the mirror to dab at my wounds.

After a moment Firmin knocks at the door. "Hello, Erik? Are you in there? I've brought the doctor, you and Annabel left quite a bloodbath out there" He says worriedly.