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No Easy Way	By : secretlysecretly Category: M through R > The Phantom of the Opera > Het Views: 7568 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Phantom of the Opera, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

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Chapter 30

As the setting sun gave way to the full moon in the sky, Erik and Marianne mounted their horses and rode at an easy pace into the night toward Marianne’s estate. When they reached the mansion, Erik put a halt to his horse and Marianne stopped a few feet from him, giving him a puzzled look. He dismounted his horse and walked over to her, helping her to her feet before him.

He pulled her gently in his arms and kissed her tenderly on the lips before he stepped away from her, moving toward his horse.

“Where are you going?” she inquired, perplexed by his actions.

“I should let you rest my love.” he said, turning to smile at her. “After all, I would not want to subject you to petty gossip prior to our engagement.” he explained.

She pouted and when she saw him smirk at her response blushed profusely, suddenly conscious of how forward she was being. Not wishing to make her feel uneasy, Erik walked back to her and embraced her tightly.

“Be patient my love. It won’t be long before we can share all of our waking moments in each-other’s presence. I will expect you tomorrow for lunch, is that alright?” he tried to console her, a crooked smile on his lips.

She smiled back at him and nodded her head in response disentangling from him and started walking toward her horse again, only to be cut short when she felt his hand take hold of her wrist and her lover pulling her to him for one last kiss. His mouth crushed upon her lips and he kissed her fervently, making the blood pump through her veins like molten lava.

When they parted gasping for breath, he touched his forehead to hers and whispered unwillingly against her lips. “Goodnight my sweet. I will miss you tonight.”

With that, he parted himself from her and walked over to his horse, mounting it in one fluid motion.

“Goodnight Erik. I love you.” she breathed on a sigh, as she led her own horse to the stables and watched him ride off into the night.

After she had ensured her horse was to be cared upon by one of the stable boys, Marianne walked over to her mansion only to find the door slightly ajar. Puzzled with regards to the irregularity, she entered through the door to find Olivier Dervaux pacing the floor of the foyer. What could possibly be the matter for Olivier to pay her a visit so late in the evening?

“Olivier? Why are you here? Is anything the matter?” her worried voice rang in the grand space.

Immediately, the Baron turned to her with an irritated look in his eyes. “Where have you been Marianne?” he demanded from her.

When she looked at him, a dumbfounded look in her eyes, he pressed on. “Do you know what the time is? No self-respecting lady should be out at such a time in the night, unescorted!” he argued before she had a chance to respond.

“Not that it is any of your business Olivier, but I was not without escort in my nocturnal escapades. Actually, I have been out of the house for the better part of the afternoon, riding with Monsieur Destler.” she stated in a defensive manner.

He gasped at her response and approached her, his eyes burning with venom at her words. “What dealings could you possibly have with Erik Destler?” he questioned her vehemently.

“That is none of your concern Olivier. Is that why you came here today? To engage in idle gossip regarding my whereabouts?” she asked him with a provocative look in her eyes.

“In fact I was here with your dear cousin, but he tired of waiting for you fruitlessly, so he asked me to stay here in his place and inform you of his arrival.” he informed her without sentiment.

“My cousin? Do you mean Raoul?” she queried excitedly to see him nod in response. “Raoul is here?” she said, happy to hear her cousin was visiting. “It has been years since he last visited Rouen. What could possibly be the reason for his journey to this part of the country so unexpectedly?” she wondered, anxiety lacing her voice. ‘Perhaps it has something to do with Christine…’ she thought worriedly.

“I thought you would know given the amount of time you obviously spend with your new friend.” he sneered with disgust lacing his voice.

“Olivier, I honestly do not understand what you are talking about.” she replied temporarily graveled.

“I am talking about that monster you seem to have grown so fond of Marianne!” he cried in a rage.

“Monster? Olivier, to whom are you referring?”

“Don’t play innocent with me my dear. I am well past the point of falling prey to your artificial naiveté!” he screamed in her face. “What were you doing alone with him so late in the night?” he demanded harshly, moving closer to her, intimidating her with his height.

“I suppose you are referring to Erik Destler.” she concluded.

He nodded, suddenly disturbingly calm, sending a chill of terror down her spine. Unwilling to show any sign of weakness, Marianne raised her head stubbornly and spoke clearly. “What of him?” she asked, raising an eyebrow haughtily.

“Don’t you dare deny that there is something going on between the two of you Marianne. Ever since you made his acquaintance, he has been taking advantage of any chance possible to get close to you!” he spat. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you. Whenever you two are in the same room, he can’t stop staring at you in a blatant manner, undressing you with his eyes!” he sneered with disgust.

She couldn’t help but blush at his comment, the blood rushing to her face as she recalled the few instances when Olivier had been in the same room with her and Erik, back when the two of them were nothing more than neighbors. She would be a liar to deny the obvious attraction they shared, especially after the way they had conducted themselves during the grand ball that was held at the mayor’s manor.

Shaking her head in the negative, she tried to reason with her long time friend, deducing that honesty was indeed the best policy. Of course, she couldn’t possibly trust him with all of the private details of their relationship, but she decided that the best way to approach this would be to confide to Olivier regarding her engagement to Erik.

“Olivier, once again you prove that you know me well enough to understand when something is the matter with me.” she offered timidly. “Indeed there is something more than mere friendship between myself and Erik Destler. Actually, I have a confession to make. He has asked me to marry him and I have accepted his proposal. It is only a matter of time before we make the official announcement and start preparing for the wedding.”

The smile that had been tugging on her lips withered when she noticed the darkness that clouded his eyes at her words. “You have agreed to marry him?” he asked, disbelieving of her statement.

“Indeed I have.” she replied somewhat uneasy at his reaction. “As I have come to know him better, I grow fond of him more and more.”

“Marianne, what the hell are you talking about? The man is a monster!” Olivier yelled at her, furious in light of her apparent attraction to the hideous creature Raoul had described to him.

Marianne stared at Olivier in disbelief, unable to accept her friend’s reaction. She fixed him with a feral gaze, trying to control her rage and not tell him to leave her house immediately. She had known all along that Olivier would not react in a calm manner to her decision, but she had never expected something like this.

“Olivier, I will not allow you to speak of my betrothed in such a despicable manner! You know next to nothing about him; you are presuming that, because he prefers to live in solitude and wears a mask, he is an outcast of society. You have absolutely no right to call him a monster!” she exploded, unable to control her temper any longer.

Olivier regarded her with a chilly look in his eyes, approaching her like a predator. “Why Marianne? What made you choose a man such as him to stand by your side over me? I have proposed marriage to you many a time over the years. I have been patient when you indulged yourself in romantic dreams, waiting for prince charming to come into your life; is he the best you could do for yourself? A man so unsightly that he has to wear a mask to hide the atrocity that is his hideous face? A man who has killed to win the affection of another woman? Your cousin’s wife of all people!”

“Enough! You have said enough Olivier! Get out of this house this instant!”

“I am not leaving Marianne.” he said evenly.

“Get out!” she screamed almost in hysterics now. “I am warning you Olivier…”

“You? Warning me?” he sneered, raising his eyebrow sarcastically. “You, my dear Marianne, are in no position to warn me about anything. In fact, I am warning you! Come to your senses, otherwise I do it for you.”

Fuming, she walked over to the door and opened it for him, never casting a glance his way. “Go now Olivier.” she demanded, furious.

“Close the door Marianne. I am not through with you yet.”

“Oh yes you are. Leave!”

“Keep your voice down and close that door. Surely, what I’m about to propose is going to be of great interest to you.”

“I care nothing for your propositions. I care nothing for you anymore.”

“But you care for your precious Erik, don’t you?” he said, immediately catching her attention. He smiled smugly and continued frigidly. “I am certain that the authorities would find the information I’m about to offer them quite valuable. After all, it is not everyday that they have the chance to capture an infamous criminal such as the Phantom of the Opera.”

Marianne paled at his words, feeling a cold sweat wash over her as she contemplated the implications of Olivier’s threat.

“I see I have captured your attention. It’s a shame really that it had to come to this for you to see how right we are for each other...” he trailed off.

Marianne stared at him in shock, simply following him with her eyes as he approached her and took the door handle from her hands, closing the door behind her. Taking hold of her arm, he led her to the salon and made her sit upon a sofa.

“See how easy that was? I find it always helps to gain perspective when you have all the information needed. Come now, don’t take it so bad. Nothing has to happen to Monsieur Destler if you abide to my wishes. And you will Marianne. I guarantee it.” he stated matter of factly.

Marianne turned to him with a desperate look in her eyes, begging him silently to take pity in her. Never before had Olivier Dervaux seen her spirit so broken and, in truth, he was enjoying it immensely. His plan was advancing perfectly; he had known all along that if Marianne truly cared for that fiend, he could use her love to his advantage and, in the end, force her to marry him.

“You cannot do this to me Olivier.” she whispered brokenly.

“I love you too much to allow you to destroy your life Marianne.”

“How can you speak to me of love? You don’t know the meaning of the word!” she cried.

“But I do love you my dear. That is why I will do everything in my power to save you from your silly notions.”

“Don’t you see? Just as you would do anything to have me, I will do everything in my power to save the man I love from your twisted plans.”

“That is precisely what I’m counting on dearest.” Marianne frowned, puzzled at his words. “You will succumb to my will. You will end your so called relationship with that monster; consider yourself engaged to myself from this moment on.”

“I cannot do that Olivier. Ask me for anything else but that! I cannot live without Erik in my life. I love him. Please try to understand Olivier. You are my friend. I know you care for me. I know you will find it in your heart to let me find happiness by his side.”

“Understand this Marianne. You will meet Erik one last time, and that will be to break off this absurd engagement with him. You will tell him that you do not care for him and that you have finally come to your senses and accepted my hand in marriage. You will not try to warn him of my intentions in any way. If you so much as inform him of my knowledge of his past, I promise you that I will personally put an end to his miserable existence.” he threatened between clenched teeth, his face inches from hers.

Unable to speak, she simply nodded her head in response, knowing it would be futile to resist her fate, a tear running down her cheek.

Olivier smirked at her reaction and bowed curtly before he leaned over and took her hand in his, pressing his lips to her knuckles in a prolonged kiss, finally turning on his heel and walking away from her.

“Have a pleasant evening my love.” were the last words she heard before the door closed behind him.

As Erik reached his house, his thoughts wandered back to Marianne. He already missed the woman who had become the light of his life and almost veered his horse to go back to her. However, knowing it wouldn’t be wise to provoke idle gossip from the servants of her household, he stayed on his course, telling himself that it wouldn’t be long before he would be able to spend all of his waking hours by her side.

Approaching his mansion as soon as he had secured his steed at the stables, he noticed the figure of a man pacing in the garden. Silently, he made his way to the lonesome figure, curious as he became aware that he didn’t recognize the man as a member from his staff.

When he was close enough to see the strange man clearly, he raised his brow as he recognized him to be no other than Raoul de Chagny.

“Monsieur le Viscount, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?” his deep voice boomed in the darkness.

Raoul turned at his direction when he heard the familiar voice call out to him, to find himself staring into the masked face of his long time enemy.

“Monsieur le Phantom. We meet again.” he answered Erik’s provocative manner with a steady voice.

‘Apparently the boy has finally become a man.’ Erik thought to himself mirthfully before he spoke again. “You have not answered my question Monsieur. What brings you to my house at this late hour?”

“You know perfectly well, you fiend!” Raoul sneered at him.

“Won’t you jolt my memory Monsieur?”

“I have come here to restore my family’s honor! I have come to settle …this between us once and for all.” he spat with spite.

“You should be thankful that you have a family left to defend Monsieur le Viscount.” Erik said coldly. “Go home to your wife Monsieur. It is not me but her that you should be confronting.” he continued, turning to walk away from the young man.

“Not so fast Phantom!” Raoul’s angry voice reached him and he heard the Viscount behind him, close on his tracks. Soon, he was facing Erik with an aggravated look in his eyes, set on putting an end to this absurd situation.

“I let you live once, but this time you are not going to be so lucky Monsieur. The time has come for you to pay for your sins.”

“You? You have let me live? Don’t fool yourself boy! I was the one who granted you your life when we last faced each other and, I assure you; testing my patience like this is not going to help you this time. Seize your ridiculous implications and go back to your precious little wife.” he finished in a sarcastic manner.

“My wife is the very reason I am here you fiend! I will not tolerate you trying to take advantage of Christine once more.”

“Trying to take advantage of Christine? Me? Hahahaha!” Erik laughed in the Viscount’s face before his expression turned gravely serious again. “Monsieur le Viscount, I assure you that I hold no interest for the former Mademoiselle Daae anymore. My feelings for her were forgotten the night she left me to rot in the cold, damp subterranean vault that was my only home. Thankfully, in abandoning me to die she granted me the incentive to leave that part of myself behind once and for all. I am a new man Viscount and I have no-one else but your lovely wife to thank for it.” he said, a sardonic smile curling his lips.

“That did not stop you from pursuing her less than a month ago you monster! You have to get it through your thick scull that Christine has made her choice and she chose me!”

“She made her choice alright, but I’m not so sure you are aware of your wife’s character Viscount. I fear Monsieur that your wife is not nearly as loyal as you would have her be. She offered herself freely to me, the monster -as you so aptly put it- she was desperately trying to escape not too many years ago, and was appalled to find that she no longer attracts my fascination.” Erik said in a calm manner, firing Raoul’s temper even more.

“Are you trying to convince me that Christine suddenly had a change of heart regarding yourself? Need I remind you that she helped in plotting your demise? Need I remind you that my wife was ready to sacrifice her life in exchange for my safety when you had trapped her in that rat-hole you called your home?”

“You need not remind me anything Viscount. I assure you that I remember perfectly well exactly what my student did to assist in my demise. Perhaps you should remind all of these frivolous details to your wife though, as she seems to have lost track of whom she is and whom she’s married to. I am afraid Monsieur that your wife is neither as loving nor as prudent as you and I both thought her to be.”

“Enough! I will not allow you to speak of my wife in such a manner any longer!” Raoul exploded, no longer able to control his temper.

“You need not hear me for another second. You would be doing me a great favor if I never heard anything of yourself or your wife ever again.” came Erik’s grave voice. “I advise you to leave my house this instant. Goodnight Monsieur.”

“Not so fast Phantom! It is not over between us.” Raoul roared, reaching for his sword.

“Are you positive that you wish to put your abilities against me to the test again?” Erik challenged the younger man, raising his brow scornfully.

“If memory serves correctly Monsieur le Fantome, the last time we were engaged in a swordfight, you were the one lying on the ground and I was the one standing over you with a sword aimed to your chest.” sneered Raoul.

“I am warning you Viscount. Do not press your luck or I will not be as lenient as I was the last time we met.”

“I came here to restore my honor and that I shall! I challenge you to a duel Monsieur!” burst Raoul.

“What a silly little boy you are Viscount. You pass yourself off as a hero and have managed to convince yourself that your skill is a match for that of the Phantom of the Opera.”

“There is no need for petty remarks Monsieur. I will give you a day in order to arrange any pending matters you may have and we shall settle our differences the day after tomorrow at dawn once and for all.” With that, Raoul took off his glove and threw it in Erik’s direction indignantly. “I trust you know the old oak tree near the lake in the forest. I will be waiting for you at dawn.”

“Are you sure of what you are about to do Viscount? It is not too late to change your mind and go back to your little wife.”

“It is settled Monsieur. I will be expecting you. I know you will be there; after all you are many things but a coward you have never been.”

Having said that, Raoul walked away slowly, leaving Erik behind him to contemplate upon this new turn of events. Although he wouldn’t mind teaching a lesson to the insolent youth he couldn’t help feeling apprehension wash over him as he pondered on the fact that it would surely break Marianne’s heart if he were to seriously injure her cousin.
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No Easy Way