Angel of Doom and an English Rose (Phantom of the Opera)

Chapter 10 - Father

Rosetta's POV:

I spun away from Erik and my eyes went wide. Fear filled my heart as I saw my father standing in the doorway. His eyes were burning and his stance spoke of anger. I cowered against the organ and wished I was invisible.

My father took a step into the room and growled out again,

"What is the meaning of this? Daughter, you are an engaged woman. Don't you dare mess around on your fiancee." I was about to reply when Erik stepped between my father and I. His tall lean form completely covered my view of my father, so I peaked around.

Father glared at Erik and said,

"Young man, don't you dare protect her. She isn't your concern. The slut is messing around." I flinched at the name. Never to my face did he call me names but to others he would call me 'slut' and 'whore' and 'worthless child'.

I looked up at Erik and saw his golden eyes burning. Anger was written all over the part of his face I could see. My father was a big man and dangerous but I sensed Erik was more dangerous. He took a step towards my father and said,

"What did you just call your daughter?" That is when I began to quake in my shoes. He wasn't shouting. He wasn't showing emotion of any kind in his voice. It was cold, dark, and deep. My father was shouting but Erik's cold anger was much more frightening.

Father glared at him and said,

"I called her a slut. What else is new?" Erik's chest rumbled with a low growl. I gripped the organ tightly and watched as Erik spoke softly,

"Sir, you daughter is not such thing. I was advise for your health not to call her that again." Father laughed and said,

"What is going to stop me?" He smirked and Erik took three quick steps toward him. He made not a sound and if I had had my eyes closed I wouldn't have known that he had even moved. He was like a cat, no, like a panther. My heart was pounding as I watched the scene before me escalate. Somehow I knew this wasn't going to end well for one party or another. And I thought I knew which party.

"I believe I will. Am I to understand that Rosetta wants nothing to do with marriage?" Father scoffed.

"Who cares what she thinks? She is marrying Alexander Dorta no matter what." Erik growled again and hissed out,

"She is sixteen. I may not be familiar with the latest etiquette but she is too young to marry. She is still a child." I sighed slightly. It was true. At sixteen, I shouldn't have been worrying about who my father was going to force me to the marry. I should be having fun with my friends. Enjoying life.

My father spoke with a haughty tone.

"And why are you so suddenly worried about this girl? What is she to you?" Erik chuckled darkly.

"She is my friend. I protect and defend those who are my friends." Father laughed and looked at me.

"So, you're friend with a freak. The Angel of Doom. A political assassin. You sure know how to choose your friends." Suddenly, anger rose in me. How dare he call Erik a freak? He was just as much a man as anyone else. I stalked by Erik and shouted at my father,

"He is no freak! He is more human that you! He has more of a heart than you ever had." Father laughed and slapped me. I reeled away and almost fell. Fortunately I caught myself and quickly hid back behind Erik. My cheek stung where my father had struck me. It was the first time he had ever laid a hand on me. He had threatened but never actually done it. I glanced up at Erik and swallowed nervously.

If he was angry before he was livid now. He took a few quick steps and grabbed my father by his throat. My father was a big man and very strong but Erik bent him to the ground with one hand. I remembered when Erik had held me that way and I felt completely powerless. Now, my father was the in the same position. Erik growled out,

"Did you just slap your own daughter?" He raised his upper lip in a sneer. Father's eyes went wide as he stammered out.

"Yes, what of it?" Erik smirked and threw him to the ground.

"A man doesn't slap a woman. What shall your punishment be?" His tone changed from angry to amused. My father laid on the floor as Erik walked back and forth in front of him, saying things like,

"Oh, that is too easy." and "Oh, that simply won't do." and "Oh, you deserve much worse." Finally he stopped and said,

"I have your punishment. I could kill you  right now and not blink an eye. But, no, I won't do that. Your punishment is that you will break the engagement between Rosetta and Alexander Dorta. That will hurt you far more than death." He reached down and pulled my father up by his neck.

Drawing his face close to Father's, he said,

"See you do it or I might have to take certain measures you won't like." He threw my father against wall with one hand. I never realized how strong he was until that moment. At that moment, I should have feared him. I should have been terrified of him. But I wasn't. Something like admiration was blooming in my chest. This was the first man who treated me truly well.

 Erik turned his back and walked towards the organ where I was still leaning. Father pulled himself to his feet and said,

"You can't threaten me. She will marry." Erik stopped walking and turned around to face Father again. he quietly said,

"Did you just say that I can't do something?" Father nodded stoictly. A moment later Erik pounced, his Punjab lasso around my father's neck. My father's eyes widened but he refused to give up. I watched helplessly as he said,

"You wouldn't kill me before my own daughter! You wouldn't!" Erik stated firmly,

"I killed a man before both of his wives and three of his daughters and they were weaker then your daughter. I don't really care who sees. Now, will you do as I ask or must I deal with you accordingly?" Father laughed and said,

"I refuse to break the engagement." I held my head in my hands as suddenly I started to feel lightheaded. I was tired to be sure. I had just watched a major battle of wills play out before me where the loser would die. Naturally, the world started to spin around me.

I sagged to the floor and the last thing I heard before I passed out was the snapping of my father's neck as Erik killed him.