The Phantom's Daughter

9. Revelations

Elise didn't get very far, before Raoul left the hall and made his way towards her, Madame Giry and Meg.
Raoul grabbed hold of Elise's arm, and spun her around.
"You knew about this" hissed Raoul.
"What are you talking about? Of course I didn't" replied Elise.
"You know more than you're saying" insisted Raoul, shaking Elise's arm.
"Vicomte, please unhand my niece" ordered Madame Giry, sternly.
Raoul released Elise, but didn't go anywhere.
"You know the truth about this phantom" announced Raoul.
"I know no more than anyone else" lied Madame Giry.
"Madame, with both know that is not true".

Madame Giry sighed and looked back to Meg.
"Go on without us. We'll rejoin you later" encouraged Madame Giry.
"But mother I-" started Meg.
"No Meg. You know what to do, so get going" interrupted Madame Giry, as she handed her daughter the phantom's opera.
Meg frowned, but followed her mothers instructions and continued down the corridor on her own.
"Follow me" instructed Madame Giry, as she led Elise and Raoul into the nearest empty room.
After making sure that no one was hiding in there, Madame Giry took a seat.

"So, who is this phantom, and how do you both know him so well?" Demanded Raoul.
"It's a long story" admitted Madame Giry.
"Then tell it" encouraged Raoul.
"Fine... There was a travelling fair in the city, full of circus performers and oddities. I was a young girl myself at the time, living at the ballet house, full of dreams of becoming a dancer. He was just a deformed child, beaten and abused for the amusement of the crowds who came to the circus for entertainment.
After killing one of his captors while I was there, I helped him escape the cage he was kept in. I then helped to hide him away from the police, by bringing him inside the opera house. He loved it here. It was his playground, and later it became his work place" explained Madame Giry.

Elise's jaw dropped, as she had never heard her guardian talk about Erik like that before. She also hadn't been expecting Madame Giry to tell Raoul the truth.
"He had just killed someone, and instead of informing the authorities, you helped him escape justice" frowned Raoul.
"He was just a child, and I believed that he deserved a second chance. And I was right, he's a genius. He's a musician, a writer, an architect, and a real genius" insisted Madame Giry.
"Well clearly Madame, over the years, that genius has turned to madness" replied Raoul.
Madame Giry lowered her eyes and said nothing.

Raoul then turned his attention to Elise, before looking back to Madame Giry.
"Let me guess, she is your love child with this phantom. Conceived out of wedlock, you pretended that she was your niece, to hide the scandal" guessed Raoul.
Elise shook her head, "Madame Giry is not my mother".
"But you don't deny that the phantom of the opera, is your father" replied Raoul.
Elise lowered her eyes, "What makes you so sure that the phantom is my father?".
"You have the same eyes. And you are the only chorus girl here, who is not afraid of him. Everyone is terrified of the phantom, but you two remain unafraid".

Elise sighed and raised her head, "Alright fine, he is my father".
"But if Madame Giry is not your mother, then who is?" Questioned Raoul.
"My mother was a lady of the night named Amelie, who died giving birth to me" answered Elise.
"Your mother was a whore?"
"I don't like that term, but yes. My father wanted to experience a physical connection with someone, so for a few weeks, he paid my mother extensively to lie with him and no one else. He wore his mask all the time, and neither my mother or father had any feelings for each other.
When she found out she was pregnant, she told my father, and he promised to provide her with money, as long he has never had to have anything to do with me. But when she died in labour, he was left with no choice but to take me in, or abandon me at a workhouse".

"He came to me with Elise, and begged me to raise her as my own. Not wanting to subject her to a life in the dark, at his side, I agreed to look after her, and pass her off as my niece" revealed Madame Giry.
"Who else knows about this?" Asked Raoul.
"No one. Even Meg doesn't know the truth" replied Madame Giry.
"You can't tell anyone about this" begged Elise.
"She's right. Revealing the identity of her father, will only bring shame to us all. It will not hurt him in any way" added Madame Giry.
"But the people need to know about this" insisted Raoul.
"No they don't. This is personal information. This is my business, no one elses. Besides, if everyone knew the truth about me, they would hurt me, to get to my father. But what they don't know is that he doesn't care about me. Harming me, will not affect him in anyway".

"He brought you that dress" reminded Raoul.
"Buying me a dress, doesn't mean that he has feelings for me. And he certainly would never put my wellbeing above his own. So please don't tell anyone. If my past is revealed, I lose everything. Meg and Christine will never talk to me again. Madame Giry could lose her job over this. And I will be thrown out of the ballet school. I don't have anywhere else to go. This life is all I know, it's all I have, so please don't take it away from me" pleaded Elise.
"Elise is just a 13 year old girl, she didn't choose her parents, and she does not deserve to suffer because of his actions, which had nothing to do with her" insisted Madame Giry, as she climbed out of her chair and placed her hands onto Elise's shoulders.

Raoul sighed, "Alright, fine, I won't reveal the identity of your father to anyone".
"You promise?" Asked Elise tentatively.
"I do. But if anything happens to Christine because of him, I won't hold anything back" admitted Raoul.
"He won't hurt Christine. She is the one person in the world who he actually cares about, other than himself"
"Christine is mine. And no phantom is going to get in the way of us being together".
"Then maybe you should go to her, instead of standing here confronting us" suggested Madame Giry coldly.
Raoul nodded his head and marched out the room, without another word.

"Do you think he is going to keep his promise?" Questioned Elise quietly.
"I don't know" admitted Madame Giry.
"What will happen if everyone finds out the truth?" Trembled Elise.
"We will just have to hope that your father gives Raoul no reason to reveal your identity"
"I don't think that is likely. He isn't going to stop until Christine is his, and Raoul isn't going to like that"
"Well I promise you, that no matter what happens, I will protect you. You might not be mine, but I have raised you like you're my own daughter, and that is what you are in my heart"
"Thank you".