Libérée Délivrée -(Phantom of the Opera fanfiction)

Chapter Two

Knock! Knock!

The servant girl stood up from kneeling on the floor when she heard knocking from outside. She grabbed a rag off the nightstand, and wiped the gray ashes on her hands and face away. Her hands and dress were covered in cinders from cleaning the fireplace in one of the manor's bedrooms. She quickly hurried downstairs and opened the front door.

A footman stood outside and handed her an envelope tied with a silk orange ribbon.  "For Madame Daae and her daughters." He informed her.

Christine nodded at the footman, and closed the door. It looked very formal with the delicate cursive addressed to: Ladies of the Daae Household.

"Christine!" A shout echoed from upstairs. That awful scream still made  Christine shudder even after living with the source all her life. "Christine! I wish you would hurry up when I call you and-" her spoiled redhead sister stopped in her tracks on the stairs when she saw the fancy ribbon and paper in Christine's hands. Carlotta snatched it out of her sister's hands, "Give me that!" as she tore it open.

Both sisters were the daughters of Gustave Daae, one of the wealthiest sea merchants of France and his wife, Grendel. Gustave favored Christine more than Carlotta, loved her even more then his own wife. One day, bad news came to the port that one of his ships sunk with cargo. Gustave had leave his family to sail again to get more cargo after he heard this.

"I must go, Christine. Be a good girl for your mother and try to get along with your sister" Gustave told his fifteen-year-old daughter. He noticed her eyes saddened, "I promise to return, little one." Gustave hugged Christine.

"Bye, Papa." she said, knowing he always returned even if it meant being separated for several months at a time. 

Two months later, news traveled to them that a storm drowned Gustave and his men. Grendel Daae became let go all the servants except two. She forced Christine to wash, clean and scrub since Grendel wouldn't have to pay her for any of it.

She squinted as if she were trying to read the words in the letter. She then threw it on the floor. "Stupid letter!" She exclaimed in frustration, "They can't even write clearly!"

Christine picked the paper off the floor and read the letter to herself. "It says every maiden in the kingdom must come to this ball." Christine exclaimed excitedly. "Might I go?"

Madame Daae entered the room where the maid and her daughter were, "Child, I say this not to bring displeasure but to not raise your hopes higher then your status." Madame Daae took the invitation out of Christine's hands and said, "All of France knows you've taken on washing and cooking which no gentlewoman would ever be doing." She stared for a moment at the girl whose hair was covered in cinders. She loathed the love her husband showed to Christine rather than her- his own wife.

"Yes, Madame." Christine left the knew full well her mother meant to crush her spirit. Madame Daae despised her which Christine could never figure out why. When her father died, all the servants except two people were released from service. Antoinette Giry did most of the cooking and baking and her daughter, Meg would help her. Even though the master of the house was dead, Grendel and Carlotta wanted every meal to be like when he was alive. Rich with all sorts of food, and plenty of it for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Christine walked into the kitchen. Meg was cutting apples and putting them in a pot over the fireplace while her mother was adding butter in it.

"I heard in town early this morning at the market there is to be a ball." Madame Giry said, seeing Christine's dour face.

"I plan on going without the old hag knowing." Meg stated out loud. Unlike Christine who feared Madame Daae's wrath, Meg didn't. In fact, Meg was a bit too risky sometimes even angering Carlotta or the Madame on purpose.

"Marguerite Giry!" Her mother warned with a hiss. She added the sugar and cinnamon to the apples.

Christine smiled at her friend's words, "I don't even have a dress. There's no point in me going; she'll throw me out on the street if she found out." she said softly. 

"Meg has plenty of dresses. Didn't you keep a few after your stepfather died, darling?" Madame Giry asked her daughter while stirring the stewed cinnamon apples.

Meg nodded and looked at her friend, "Christine, let's make you once again part of society."