TITLE: "The Darkness of the Music of the Night"
AUTHOR: EriksSylvia
DISTRIBUTION: If you want to put this somewhere else email me first.
DISCLAIMER: I don't own any characters, except Aaralyn.
RATING: R
SUMMARY: Angelique Daae was born seven years before Christine. The Angel of Music was hers first. After Charles Daae died, Angelique always felt that Christine had taken everything she'd ever had. When Raoul is murdered and Christine has nowhere else to go will the elder Daae welcome Christine with open arms or turn her away. What happens when Angelique finally meets her Angel of Music.
COUPLES: E/AW (sort of) and E/C
This is the beginning of my new fiction. Thanks to Sweet-Intoxication for our Erik. I own non of the characters or lyrics I use except, of course, Aaralyn/Angelique. If I ever come up with something creative…I'll tell you. The lovely song that our Angelique sings is called "Stop" by Sam Brown. If you have the means, download it. Enjoy!
Prologue
Stop
The Viscountess de Chagny awoke in her bed in the flat she and her husband owned in London. Raoul had been out for the night and his young wife woke up alone. Christine was not worried in the least, she knew Raoul could take care of himself. She stretched and slowly crawled out of bed. As she was dressing there was a knock at the door.
"Ms. Christine?" It was Ursula, one of the maids that lived there in the flat.
"Come in Ursula."
The door opened and a squat woman, carrying a feather duster, walked in. She looked like she'd seen a ghost. Christine gestured for the woman to sit down, but Ursula shook her head. "What is it?"
"It's the Viscount, mistress…." Her voice was choked with emotion and Christine's heart sped up pace. Something had happened to Raoul. She sat down. "He was found early this morning lying in an alleyway….he's dead, madam."
Christine let out a small scream and clasped her hands to her mouth. Ursula reached forward and patted her young mistress on the knee but Christine jerked away. "Don't touch me." She said, her voice trembling. Christine went to her window and looked out onto the street below. Raoul was dead. Her whole world had been destroyed in a matter of seconds. She collapsed to the floor and let out a hollow scream.
"I'm so sorry, mistress." Ursula's voice was like nails on a chalkboard in Christine's ears.
"Get out…" She muttered. "Get out! Get out!" This time her voice was loud, her maid jumped and fled out the door. Christine's body could no longer hold her into a sitting position. She laid down on the floor as her body was racked with sobs.
"Raoul…" She whispered. Where was she going to go? How was she to survive now. She'd have to go back to Paris. She had no one here. Madam Giry would surely help her. She lay there, on the floor for an entire day. She didn't move, didn't eat, didn't sleep. Christine watched the room fade from light to dark, but she didn't care. When she heard the old clock in their living room strike midnight she rose to her feet. She leaned on her desk for support. Christine went to the door and called for Ursula. The maid entered the room shortly after she heard her mistress call. "You called for me madam?"
"Yes, I need you to write to Paris for me. Write to the Opera Populaire, to Madam Giry. She works there still. Tell her that I'm coming back. Tell her that Christine is coming for help."
Meg Giry danced with her friends in the practice room. They were getting ready for the opening night of 'Faust' and everyone was excited. It would be the first performance since the Opera House was rebuilt.
"Isn't this exciting, Meg?" The blonde turned to look who was addressing her and saw that it was Elena, one of the new dancers. Meg nodded. "Opening night is always exciting, Elena."
She looked over at her mother and saw that she was talking to a messenger boy. Not just any other messenger either, it was Daniel. They'd had their eyes on each other for a couple of months now. She knew, though, how her mother felt about that and therefore repressed her feelings. When Daniel left, Mme Giry looked ecstatic as she read the letter he'd brought her. She called Meg over.
"Meg, it's Christine. She's coming back to Paris…it seems…" The older woman's face fell. "The Viscount was murdered."
Meg gasped and clasped her hands to her mouth. Raoul was dead. Christine's childhood lover had been murdered. "Oh, poor Christine." Mme. Giry took her daughter in her arms and held her. It was indeed a sad event. They'd only been married for little less then a year.
"When will she be here mother?"
"Tomorrow. We must get a room ready darling. Go, I will make your excuses." Meg nodded and left the room at an extremely fast pace.
Christine arrived at the steps of the Opera Populaire, a cloak draped around her shoulders and over her hair. She felt tears come to her eyes but she fought them back.
"This is a bad idea, Christine." She told herself. There had been too many memories. She walked up the steps and went in through the door. The second she stepped foot on the marble floor she heard an echo in her head.
'Sing Prima Dona once more.'
She turned quickly, looking up at the ceiling. Nothing was there. Christine took a deep breath and continued up the main steps in the foyer shaking the voices out of her head. She looked at everything. It was all so new, so beautiful.
"Christine!"
She turned and the cloak fell off of the top of her head, revealing her brown curls. She smiled and the tears fell.
"Meg!" She ran to her friend, pulling her into an embrace. Meg was crying too.
"Oh, Christine, I'm so happy you're here again! I've missed you so much! Momma has too!" Christine laughed through her tears and kissed Meg's cheek. "I've missed you too Meg."
"Welcome home Prima Dona." Christine turned, still holding onto Meg, and saw Mme. Giry. Christine ran to the older woman and flung her arms around her. The older Giry held onto Christine like she would Meg. "Madam Giry. I've missed you all so much." Meg was at her side and put her hand on Christine's shoulder. "Well, now you're here! You're not leaving again are you?" Christine looked at her childhood friend and smiled sadly.
"I cannot stay Meg. The men who killed Raoul…" Her voice broke, she swallowed and tried again. "They'll be after me too. They were after his money but they can't get it while I'm alive. I can't stay at the Opera Populaire…there's too many memories…."
"Erik is gone, Christine." The young Viscountess gasped. She hadn't heard that name, except in her dreams, for a year. New tears came to her eyes. "Dead?" The old woman shook her head and a wave of relief swept over Christine. "No, he left shortly after you did. I do not know where he is." Mme. Giry looked worried.
"Christine, if you aren't staying here, then where are you going to go!" Christine sighed and looked at Meg. "There's only one thing I can think of. I have to find my sister." Mme. Giry looked at her wide-eyed. "Your sister? Your father didn't mention that you had a sister before he died." Christine nodded. "He gave her to an orphanage when I was seven. Angelique was fourteen years old." Mme. Giry nodded. "Where could we find her?" Christine shook her head. "The last I heard of my sister she'd been sent to America…"
She watched the crowd from the wings. It was definitely going to be a ruff crowd tonight. Sailors, mostly. Men who had just gotten off ship and needed a little pleasure in their lives. The music started and Aaralyn took the stage of her dance hall and brothel. It was hers, bought with money she'd saved up for 7 years. She threw her black curls over her shoulder and sang halfheartedly.
'All that I have is all that you've given me. Did you never worry that I'd come to depend on you? I gave you all the love I had in me, now I find you've lied and I can't believe it's true!'
The men hollered and some of them had her girls sitting on their laps. Rachael, one of the newer girls, was definitely not a shy one. She was practically making love with one of the men by the bar. Aaralyn walked up to center stage and kneeled down, looking down at the nearest man.
'Wrapped in her arms I see you across the street, and I can't help but wonder if she knows what's going on. You talk of love but you don't know how it feels when you realize that you're not the only one.'
She ran her hands over her body, she knew this was sure way to get the boys fired up. She wasn't particularly proud of her line of work, but it put food on the table for her and her girls, and a roof over their heads.
'Oh you'd better stop before you tear me all apart! You'd better stop before you go and break my heart! Ooh you'd better stop!'
She never made eye contact with any of her "costumers". That was just too risky, a girl could get killed that way. She seen to many women who'd been raped and left on the side of the road to die to take any chances. Ever.
'Time after time I've tried to walk away but it's not that easy when your soul is torn in two. So, I just resign myself to it every day now all I can do is to leave it up to you.'
She stood back up and slid her skirt down around her ankles. Leaving her in her corset, panties and garter belt. She threw her head back and kicked the skirt into the audience.
'Oh you'd better stop before you tear me all apart! You'd better stop before you go and break my heart! Ooh you'd better stop.'
It was then Aaralyn noticed, someone sitting in the back, half in shadows, their head bent down. She could tell he was watching her, but it was different then the rest of the slime she got in the "Black Diamond." He had a cloak over his head but somehow, she could see his eyes, staring at her for a flash of a second.
'Stop if love me, now's the time to be sorry! I won't believe that you'd walk out on me.'
She knew, instantly, he'd never been there before. She didn't know why but she had to see him. His mere presence captivated her.
'Oh you'd better stop before you tear me all apart! You'd better stop before you go and break my heart! Ooh you'd better stop.'
As her song ended she carefully stepped off of the stage and a couple of men tried to talk to her. She blew them off. The man she was wanting to speak with rose and began to leave. Aaralyn called out. "Wait! Don't go." He didn't hear her, or he didn't care. Either way, he was gone. "Good, one Angelique, scare him away." She said to herself. She angrily turned around and pasted her smiled on her face. Tonight was going to be hell. "Now," she said coyly, "which one of you fine boys is gonna buy me a drink?"