Fearless

XI

When Erik awoke it was to the sight of his lovely blonde fiancee, but that didn't keep him from wishing it had been a brunette bout of curls and brown eyes. He was only half sure that it was to throw her from the opera house and ban her from ever being near his presence again. Yet there were years of history between them both, and who was he to deny the feeling of having her in his arms again?

"Are you alright? Oh, Erik, what happened?" Christine worried over him.

The surroundings came to him, also with the sight of three other faces as he forced himself up, looking about his lover's dressing room.

"Arielette," he choked, throat dry and unsure of how long he'd been out, but it didn't matter. He needed to ground himself back to real life, back to Christine.

"The purple dress," Christine confirmed, but Charles, Philippe, and Marc all knew for sure that Erik was correct.

"Yes, her, she thought she had any right to be so close to me... after what she did," Erik swore, and tried to keep his tone cool in front of said woman's father, but they all seemed equally as angry. Erik's friends had grown a distaste for the woman that had hurt him so boldly, but even her father had advised to leave well enough alone.

Christine was equally as angry as the men, but she hid it behind her performer's facade.

"We should go below, Erik, there is no use returning to the party. We excused you on account of heat."

"We wouldn't say any more, once everyone realized what was happening," Marc added, "Mademoiselle Lestat fled."

"My brother followed," Philippe added, catching Christine's attention, though she didn't seem overly worried as Erik distracted her by standing.

"Charles," he spoke, his normal self coming back, "I apologize for ruining the party, I know you were hoping for a return of it next year."

"The music still plays, I don't think anyone left, you ruined nothing," Charles said happily, though he looked as pained as Erik felt.

"Go," Marc determined. "We'll let you be."

"Thank you," the masked-man replied, holding Christine to his side as everyone bid him goodbye and goodnight.

"I can't believe her, did she think you were still pining over her leaving you?" The young woman began seemingly rather frustrated at the stranger that Arielette was to her.

"Most likely not," Erik determined, restoring his pristine manner, for he couldn't look like a fool or invalid, even in front of Christine.

Many things had changed over the years Arielette had been gone, she had no right to be before him. He had gone through a lot not having her by his side, and the thrust into a whole new world had given him more perspective. Years of travelling hadn't even provided all the things he'd learned while sh'ed been gone.

"Can we go now?"

Before Erik had ample time to reply, a knock came to the door. He checked his hair one last time before telling Christine to sit and wait for him to answer it. Charles had forgotten his mask upon Christine's dresser, so he assumed it was to be him retrieving it.

The same face in purple he'd encountered earlier appeared beyond the door however, but mask-less, and Erik felt only anger now.

Arielette stood fearlessly before her first true suitor and asked to come in.

"Christine," Erik spoke behind him, not even answering Arielette who took the offense he gave, "Go down, I need to talk with her alone."

The soprano hadn't been sure who her fiance was talking about until she saw his rigid stance and then the woman in purple herself. Christine strutted past with a backwards glance of malice, her blonde hair bright and shimmering against her white outfit. The only thing that kept her from any petty actions was the fact that Erik's ring was on her finger, not on that fearless twit's.