The Phantom Ascending |✔| [Phantom of the Opera Fanfiction]

The Calm Before the Storm

Erik

After leaving Nadir, I went to my suite and slept for a few hours. With all the guests milling about, there was not much else for me to do.

Christine came knocking at what turned out to be early afternoon. As soon as I heard her voice, I jumped out of bed, put my mask on and let her in.

"They all went away, finally" she said when she entered, and kissed my uncovered cheek.

I was once again amazed by the whole situation, by the freedom we had to be together, and by the freedom I felt knowing that she wants to be with me. Forever.

"Christine," I ran my fingers down her hair, simply styled, girlish and so unlike the formal plaited hairstyles that were common on those other women, "you are so very beautiful."

She blushed, looked me over, and bit her lip.

"I think this is the first time I have seen how you look after you wake up. You look... rumpled," she smiled, and I frowned, cringing inwardly.

I still had my shirt and breeches on, but I looked a mess, and even did not wear the wig.

"Just give me a moment --"

"Erik," she grabbed my hand, "I like it. You are adorable."

"Hardly the adjective I was aiming for," I said dryly, and she laughed.

I went to my dressing room to make myself presentable,  and when I returned, she held out her hand to me.

"Come, I have a surprise for you."

"What kind of surprise? I am not fond of surprises..."

"Just a lunch. Just the two of us. Come," she said. "Don't make me sing for you to follow."

I was surprised into a genuine smile, and so we went.

When he first bought the castle, Nadir had taken care to pick and train his servants carefully. They were all very professional, tolerating my masked appearance and keeping their gossips and curiosity to themselves. And, even more importantly, they kept heir distance. This all worked well for me, and now with Christine by my side, I felt more human, somehow, and less ashamed to be seen by passing maids as we walked downstairs.

As a whole, Rosier Castle had a simple rectangular shape, with each side of the rectangle being a wing that faced one side of the world, and as expected, the previous owners had chosen to live in the west wing -- one that had a view of Lake Geneva.

The castle had several floors, not counting the basement. The first floor hosted the servant's quarters, kitchens, and other rooms for menial tasks. Two grand foyers also found their home here, as well as some of the receiving rooms, entertainment rooms and the larger ballroom.

The second floor hosted another ballroom, the rest of the entertainment rooms, the grand library, and various private rooms such as studies, ateliers, and so on, while the third floor was saved for private apartments and bedrooms, either for the owners or their numerous guests.

And even if the walls all held, so much of it was in disrepair!

Just walking the grounds made my head swim with all the little improvements I could envision. My mind was even now eager to mentally sketch, but I ignored this and focused on Christine instead. And at the very last moment, for she was looking at me curiously.

"You seem distraught. Did something bad happen last night?"

"No, I was just considering the castle and the work that could be done on it. Everything went well last night. We sent the message to the shah, and now we are just waiting for the confirmation that Nadir's troubles are over."