A Love Already Blossomed

Chapter 5

A/N: This picture does not belong to me. It is of the market that will be mentioned  later on in the chapter, though.

Enjoy the story!
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Y/N moved from light into darkness. The waves caressed the boat as they rippled across the lake. They curved themselves around the boat and retreated almost as fast as they had appeared, but they created new waves that ventured elsewhere on the river. Y/N glided across the lake with ease and controlled the boat with only a small amount of difficulty, for she had done this many times before. Y/N would often go to the markets and shops in the place of Erik. Erik would draw in too much attention and would be easily recognized and would cause him stress. On Erik's request, Y/N frequently goes shopping instead of Erik. Even after countless times Y/N spent persuading Erik into going outside, it never worked. He only ever went outside on occasion. He goes outside to but flowers and ribbon, but that would seem to be all he goes outside of the opera house for. Y/N didn't mind Erik's phobia, for she understood his fear.

The boat dragged to a start when it grazed the stone floor. She jumped out of the boat and tied it in place with an awaiting rope. She stood up, grabbed the bucket and the basket, and walked over to the shiny black horse, Cesar. He was bound by a rope that tied him to the wall so he wouldn't run way.

Once Cesar was free, Y/N strode around him and jumped on the black horse, positioning herself in the way no girl in that era would have done. She straddled the horse and put her bucket and basket so they were resting in between her legs, and she grabbed his reins and told him to back up, and he obeyed. Cesar backed up, and Y/N turned him around and directed him through the narrow pathway. He went straight, his feet silently clip-clopping on the stone floor, the buckles and clips on his reins making a metallic sound when they connected. The saddle cushioned Y/N as the horse made his way through the narrow walls.

The horse's footsteps sounded clearer as he neared the walls began to widen. Daylight trickled into bottom of the opera house and lighted the dismal atmosphere. The cold stone floor shone and glimmered in the afternoon sun, making Cesar's coat gleam as Y/N and him exited the confinement of the tunnel-like form of the wall. Y/N's hair shone, and her face was aglow. A small smile graced her face.

Cesar came to a stop, and Y/N grabbed the basket and bucket and swung her leg to the left side of the horse. She slid down and her feet hit the floor with a two thumps and two clicks, which were both caused by the heels on her shoes. Y/N looped her arm through the handle of the basket and gripped her bucket in her opposite hand. She grabbed the reins of the horse and pulled him over to the side, tying him to the wall. Cesar looked at Y/N longingly.

"Yes, yes. Alright," she said and grabbed his large tub of water and half-carried, half-dragged it over to him. She then grabbed the heavy bucket which contained Cesar's bountiful meal of horse feed and carried it to him.

Cesar looked at Y/N as if to thank her. "It was no trouble at all," Y/N said jokingly.

With that, she patted the horse's back and left for the stairs that led up to what used to be the cast's dressing room. Her feet rushed against the stone and she ran up the steep stairs that lead to the Prima Donna room. She gripped her dress and cloak in the hand which was connected to the arm that was holding the basket and continued up the stairs. Her shoes made rapid clicking sounds as they ran up the stairs which twisted into a spiral, making them all the more difficult to climb.

Y/N gazed at the top of the staircase longingly, wishing there weren't this many stairs. The amount of stairs had always been ridiculous. They were the most annoying things that have ever been built, but then again, how else would anyone expect to get around. Y/N sighed heavily. You'd think that someone would have invented some sort of floor-to-floor transportation by now. They were making so many other things!