The Shadow's Melody || The Phantom of the Opera || Book One

17. Imprisoned Royalty

Chapter Seventeen || Imprisoned Royalty

Mélodie

After seeing Erik that night my spirits lifted considerably. But after going days without seeing him like he said I would, they began to drop once more.

Lately Valentin has been asking questions about what we should do for Christmas - and our upcoming wedding. We - or more amply put - he, decided on January 10th. Enough time for us to settle in the palace back home and get everything prepared. We would leave Paris the 1st of January and the boat ride to New France would take atleast four days. I cannot deny I am excited to see my brother, even though he wouldn't know I was there. I prayed he would awaken soon from his coma. But doctors said he might never awaken from it. They had told me it would be better to let him die but I refused.

As for Christmas we had decided on throwing a masquerade ball. Valentin suggested ball, I suggested masks. I'm sure you know why. Currently I'm sitting at my desk sorting out all the invitations. I made out a bunch to everyone at the Opéra Populaire. I even made one out for Violette. I did miss her, even though she hated the man of my dreams.

Valentin kept reminding me about my things at the opera house. He said we had servants to pack everything but I insisted on doing it myself. As you may have guessed I kept procrastinating it. My subconscious mind felt I could delay our inevitable departure if I didn't pack up my things and ship them to my old home.

Even though my spirits had lifted after seeing Erik, my appetite hadn't. I no longer enjoyed the expensive meals the Royal Kitchen provided. And because I had run away before, the manor's walls were heavily guarded. The only time it was somewhat easy to escape my prison was at night. Unfortunately at that time all of Paris' restaurants were closed. Atleast the places that were safe for me to go eat at alone.

Over the past few days Elaine and I had become quite close. I asked her to bring her husband and baby girl during the Christmas Ball so I could meet them. She was overjoyed. I was overjoyed just to hear her call me Mélodie. Out of the entire manor she was the only one who called me by that name. The others simply refused to call me anything else besides "Antoinette" or "Her Majesty". I despised it.

While I swept my bedroom floor Elaine sat down and ate my afternoon biscuits and tea. They brought them against my will so I decided I would give them go Elaine whenever she came in here.

"Do you like corsets, Elaine?"

She swallowed her mouth full of biscuits, "I can't afford them."

This shocked me, "Can't afford them?!" I straightened my back and halted my sweeping.

"No, ma'am. Not on a maid's salary." She sipped some of her tea.

How much did we pay this poor girl?!

Well I'll have no more of that. Dropping my broom I stormed into my closet, coming out with a handful of my old corsets, "Come here."

Elaine's eyes grew wide, "Oh, Mélodie, you don't have to do tha-"

"Elaine, hush and come over here." I held up a corset for her to try on, patiently waiting for her to obey my command.

Eventually she did.

Tying on one of the corsets I said, "They all don't fit me anymore anyways. And I despise the damn things."

She raised her eyebrow at my cussing but said nothing. Finishing the last lace I looked at her through the mirror, "Well? How does it fit?"

She turned to one side and then the other before saying, "It fits perfectly!"

I smiled, "Good, you can have it."