Caged Bird

A Phantom of the Opera Fan Fic

By DonJuanTriumphs

Copyright 2006

Chapter One

Reigned in Freedom

"None are so hopelessly enslaved

as those who falsely believe they are free..."

"What?" the word was whispered in the still of the room. It was soft and filled with disbelieving pain. Gustave Daae sighed as he looked upon his only daughter and told her something he knew would change their relationship forever. Something that broke his heart every time he thought about it.

She was sitting in the chair in front of him, her slim hands grasping the arm of her chair in an excrutiating grip. Her chocolate curls tumbled down her back and framed her suddenly pale face. Her blue eyes searched his and he could not bare to look at her accusing stare. She looked so much like her mother it brought tears to his eyes. His beloved Emma...how he missed her.

"Papa, please tell me what you are saying is not true!" Christine pleaded. She had stood and took his hands in her own trembling ones. The tears in her eyes were almost his undoing.

"I am sorry, bebe, it has to be done," he whispered, looking away from her. Christine pulled away from him as if she had been burnt from what he was telling her.

"You cannot do this, Papa! Please, please do not do this!" she sobbed, collapsing on the chair once more. Gustave tried to take her hand but she flinched and pulled away.

"He is a good man," he tried to reassure her.

"A complete stranger, Papa! You would give me to a complete stranger?" she said, turning to look at him once more. She stared at his beloved brown eyes and handsome features, not believing that he would be so cruel as to give her hand in marriage to a man she did not know. She had thought her father was different from others. Friends she had held dear as a child had been sent away to marry men twice their age and Christine had believed her father would never do such a thing to her. He loved her to much.

He knew how much love meant to Christine. She had always told him that she wanted what he and her mother had been given. Gustave had understood and yet here he was telling her what had to be done! It was not possible!

"If Mama was here she would not make me do such a thing," she whispered coldly, her feelings toward her father beginning to change rapidly. Gustave's face became full of pain and regret.

"Your mother is no longer with us, Christine, if she were she would know what I was doing was right," he said sadly. Christine stood and backed away from him.

"How is this right? You know how much love means to me!" she cried. Gustave sighed, suddenly very tired. Since Emma's death a year before he had felt as if nothing would ever be the same. He was now losing his daughter and he had absolutely no say in the matter. It was just something that had to be done.

The door opened to reveal a handsome man dressed in immaculate black clothing. His brown gaze slowly looked over the two people before him and his handsome features set in a grim frown. He knew all to well what was going on right now. Christine gave a glad cry and flew into her brother's arms. Anthony wrapped his arms around the sobbing young woman and held her close.

"Anthony! You cannot let Papa do this!" she pleaded. The two men stared at eachother over Christine's head, Anthony's stare cold and hard, Gustave's tired and filled with sorrow.

"Christine, do not make this harder then it already is for me!" their father pleaded. Anthony nearly growled in his throat.

"Oh, so it is hard for you, Father? One would think you must feel nothing to give your only daughter away to a man none of us have laid eyes on before," Anthony hissed.

"You know nothing, Anthony, and I would remind you to remember who it is you are speaking to," Gustave said, hating the fact that he was destroying his family over his sense of duty.

"I know perfectly well to whom I am speaking; a man who no longer sees any meaning in life. A man who is giving his child away for his own sick greed!" Anthony snarled. This was not the man Anthony knew and loved. That man, his father, would never have even considered the idea of giving Christine away to a loveless marriage.

Since their mother had died nothing had ever been the same. They had once been close and now were only strained in each other's company. With the exception of Anthony and Christine. Their sibling love would not change no matter what hardships they might face. They loved each other to much. He pulled her closer and backed the two of them away from their father.

"Come, Christine. It appears you are no longer welcome here," he said. Christine pulled away from her brother for a moment to look at the man she loved with all her being. She did not hate him like she should. But it hurt her deeply that he was doing this to her. She could see the pain in his eyes and wished he would tell her the reason why he so willing hurt the love between them.

xXx

Christine was staring into the mirror in front of her, wondering if she could really be the girl staring back at her. Surely she would wake up and everything would be alright? Anthony was reclining on the bed behind her, his brow furrowed as he thought of a way to get her out of this predicament.

"There has to be a reason why father would give me away in marriage," Christine whispered. Anthony said nothing.

"What if he is cruel, Anthony?" she whispered in fear, turning to look at her brother.

"He will not be, Christine," he promised, needing to believe it himself. But Christine could not be swayed from her course of thinking.

"Oh! What if he is horribly old and ugly!" she gasped, the idea making her nose wrinkle in distaste. Anthony stood and came to her, taking her hands in his. His reassuring eyes calmed her and she felt slightly better.

"When you leave here I want you to know that if he ever so much as lays a hand on you all you have to do is contact me and I will take you from him," he promised. Christine whispered a thank you and hugged him.

xXx

"Don't let go, Anthony," Christine whispered, her small arms wrapped tightly around his waist. Anthony swallowed and put on his best smile, bringing his sisters gaze to his. She looked so frightened in that moment he knew that she was to young for this to happen to her. It was not right.

"I will come in five days, he has agreed to that," Anthony said, referring to her future husband. The idea of that man sent shivers down Christine's spine. They both stood outside, beside the carriage that would take her to her new life. Their father stood a few feet away, desperately wanting to take Christine into his arms but afraid of her rejection. Christine wiped the tears from her eyes and turned to her father.

With a sobbing breath she went to him and he gave a glad cry, pulling her close and pressing a kiss to her temple. Her tears caused her entire body to shake and he held her tighter.

"Papa," she whispered. The idea that she was leaving seemed to barely be sinking in. With her fathers arms around her she desperately wished to be a little girl again, one without cares or worries as she went to sleep in her bed, knowing her father and mother were close by.

"I love you, Christine...please never forget that," he said softly. Christine nodded and pulled away, knowing that if she did not she might never be able to let go. Both men watched her climb into the carriage and watched in silence as it pulled away.

Christine swallowed and pulled her cloak more tightly around herself. She had never even seen this man and she was to be married that very night. How was she supposed to do this? Should this not be against the law somehow? She had barely turned nineteen! How old was this man? This man. God, she did not even know his name!

Why did he have to have the ceremony tonight? And why could she not have her family attend? Was that not how a marriage should be? With the people you loved and cared for around you? Was this man so heartless that he did not even consider that?

When the carriage slowly rolled to a stop Christine swallowed and looked out the small window at the large cathedral. The driver came down from his place and opened the door for her, helping her step out. She smiled at him only slightly as he helped her.

"I was told to watch you until you made it safely inside," he informed her. She nodded and with slow steps started toward the entrance. The closer she got to the looming building, however, the faster her heart began to beat. She could not do this! She was suddenly so frightened she felt her legs almost give out under her. Her eyes looked to both the right and the left, both of which were dark roads. She decided that she would rather take her chance in the dark then face this man who was her prisoner.

"Mademoiselle!" the driver yelled when she began running. She ignored his cries to come back and ran. This was her only chance and she would not waste it! Quite suddenly a figure emerged from the shadows in front of her and she collided with his chest. Two strong arms wrapped around her to keep her from falling. Breathless, Christine looked up at the man who blocked her way to freedom.

Christine's eyes rolled back in her head as she fainted, the last thing she saw was the glowing white from the mask the man wore over half of his face.