𝘳𝘢𝘺𝘰𝘯 𝘥𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘦𝘪𝘭 [ RE-WRITE ON HOLD ]

xv. | chapter fifteen

Belle

She once again slips out of bed during the night for tutoring. The stars twinkle through the roof window of the attic and shine on her chocolate skin.

She dresses herself into a tutu with tulle skirt and some pointe shoes. Belle sneaks through the cold halls of Palais Garnier, feeling the coldness sipping through the thin walls from outside. It was turning winter and it is snowing outside. 

This meant that the Opera Populaire was closing soon enough and she would be forced to go back to her father and his wife, Colette. Something she obviously wasn't excited about. She rather stayed here, with her musical tutor and guardian.

But of course, as a child, she has no right of speaking. Especially not in this world, where adults will always have the overhand and children's opinions are simply ignored.

Belle was making her way to the opera hall, where they always have her sessions, but during her walk she hears a soft voice singing. The wind carries to voice to her ears and enchants her mind.

" Come here, my Angel of Music..
This way, my Angel of Music.. "

She was a little hesitant at first, but the man had never brought her into any danger and so she found no true reason to be afraid. Belle follows his voice, which takes her down the same way she once went down to the sewers. That night when she stayed down there in the sewers and catacombs, in his lair.

There was a boat awaiting there and in the boat, standing tall in his dark cloak, was he. His mask, which only covered the deformed side of his face, was shining in the dim candle light beneath the ground. He extends his gloved hand to her.

She takes his hand and he helps her into the wooden boat. When he pushes the boat off the shore with the stick in his hand, she grasps the sides of the boat harshly between his fingers. "Where are you taking me?"

"Can you not guess, Belle?" "To.. to your lair," she mumbles. A smirk raises on his face as he pushes the boat closer and closer to his living space, farther and farther away from the safe space of the attic. Belle was slightly reconsidering if this was a smart idea.

But it is too late to turn back now.

After a few minutes of silence between the two he navigates the boat through the gate and binds it to the small space of land. He jumps out of the boat elegantly and once again extends his hand for her to help her on shore.

The Phantom brings her to his organ and places her down. "Sit, child, and I shall teach you some of the finest tricks to perfect your singing." She sits down, like he asked her to do. He was softly playing a tune, ordering her to sing the words he layed out for her. They even sang a wonderful duet.

A few hours later Belle was staring at his mask. She had seen what was beneath it, but could not help herself but wonder about it. Was it more horrible from closeby, or was it not as bad as it first seemed?

He notices her obsessive stares and asks her a question without truly looking at her. "What is it you're thinking, my child?" Belle jumps up because of two reasons. One, she didn't see that he noticed her staring. Second, he called her 'my child'. Did he see her as more than his student?

Did he see her as.. his daughter? He did not give her space to ponder as he turns his face to her and raises his eyebrow. "Now, what?"

"M-May I see what is beneath your mask," she asks, tripping over her words. Seeing his look, she was almost scared to ask. He smirks at her and his fingers move over the organ, soft and soothing notes filling her mind.

" Have you ever yearned to go
Pass the world you think you know?
Been enthralled to the call
Of the beauty underneath?

When the dark unfolds its wings
Do you sense the strangest things?
Things no one would ever guess
Things mere words cannot express? 

Do you find yourself entranced
Knowing you could have glanced
At the secret just beneath?
At the beauty underneath? "

" My heart's taken over by the thought
Yet still filled with depthless fraught
What could happen when I see
All the beauty underneath? "
Belle remarks.

" Do you want to see
Set your mind and heart free
All the beauty that could be
All the beauty underneath? "
He asks, his hand itching to his mask as he quickens the pace on the organ, making it almost wild.

" Yes? "
" Do you want it? "
" Yes? "
" Do you crave it? "
" Yes! "
" Do you imagine it? "
" Yes! "
" You want a look? "
" YES! "
" Then take a look! "
" YES," Belle yells, ripping the mask off his face.

Silence falls between the two again. He sits still, not moving. Maybe it was shock that she did not run away, screaming to everyone who could save her from him, or because he wanted her to take a good look at what distorted monster he is.

But she did nothing. She only stares. No words spoken. After a few minutes of silence she dared to move her hand, closer to his face. He expected her to maybe slap him, but what he would never guess was the soft caress of her tiny hand on his rough and ugly skin.

" And now I've seen
All the beauty underneath. "

---

A/N: I took the lyrics of 'The Beauty Underneath' from Love Never Dies because I wanted to give Belle the possibility of expressing her curiosity for the Phantom's face and have her be kind to his disfigurement, therefore the last line " And now I've seen all the beauty underneath. "

This is not the full songtext and I added some lines while trying to fit it into the melody. For rhyme words I used www.rhymezone.com. I am no composer, so if it's trash you have to ignore the songtext, I guess.

Also, this is like my favourite chapter of the book ❤